Harrington City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XII
Traditional Neighborhood Development Zone TND
§ 440-126 Purpose; minimum criteria; administrative procedures.
[Amended 4-15-2024 by Ord. No. 24-04]
A.
Purpose. The purpose of the TND Zone is to allow development consistent with design principles of a traditional neighborhood. A traditional neighborhood is compact; is designed for the human and pedestrian scale; provides a mix of uses, including residential, commercial, civic, and open space uses in close proximity to each another in the neighborhood; is architecturally integrated; provides a mix of housing styles, types and sizes to accommodate a variety of households; is integrated into the surrounding communities; incorporates interconnected streets with sidewalks and paths that offer multiple routes for motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists; provides for the connections of those streets to existing and future developments; and incorporates and enhances significant environmental features into the design.
B.
Minimum criteria.
(1)
TND shall only be permitted on parcels of 10 acres or greater. Parcels less than the minimum acreage may be developed as TND if they are contiguous to an existing TND zoned area and development on said parcels or tracts can be harmoniously integrated consistent with the requirements and purposes of this zone.
(2)
The TND Zone shall be served by adequate existing or planned infrastructure.
(3)
No land shall be classified as a TND Zone unless it is so designated in the City Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
C.
Review procedures and guidelines.
(2)
The requirements of this article apply to all proposed development within the TND Zone. The Planning Commission may approve variations to the standards in this article as deemed appropriate, provided that the Planning Commission finds that the variations will still produce a development that complies with the intent of this zone, Chapter 357, Standard Specifications for Utility Construction Projects and Subdivision Pavement Design, and the Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
(3)
When the provisions of these regulations conflict with other standards found in the Code of the City of Harrington, the more restrictive regulation shall apply.
§ 440-127 Permitted uses.
[Amended 10-17-2022 by Ord. No. 22-04; 3-4-2024 by Ord. No. 24-01; 4-15-2024 by Ord. No. 24-04]
A.
Permitted uses. Permitted uses shall be as follows:
(1)
Single-family detached dwellings.
(2)
Public service facilities.
(3)
Duplex dwellings.
(4)
Townhouses.
(5)
Multifamily dwellings.
(6)
Uses in the C-1 and C-2 Zones.
(7)
Residential above retail, restaurants, and service uses.
(8)
Office units located on upper floors above commercial uses.
(9)
Public and private noncommercial parks and recreation areas, including clubs, parks, and swimming pools.
B.
Accessory uses permitted in the R-1 Zone.
§ 440-128 Development standards.
[Amended 4-15-2024 by Ord. No. 24-04]
A.
Density and dimensional standards.
(1)
Number of dwelling units permitted. The number of residential dwelling units and the amount of nonresidential development (excluding open spaces) shall be determined as follows:
(2)
The gross ground floor area of nonresidential development uses shall not exceed 10% of the traditional neighborhood development gross area.
(3)
Nonresidential buildings shall be of similar scale and massing as residential structures and shall not exceed 2,500 square feet of ground floor area for each retail or service business. The scale and massing variations of any nonresidential building permitted shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission on a case-by-case basis.
(5)
Development standards for duplex dwellings and townhouses shall be as regulated in the R-2 and R-3 Zones, respectively.
B.
Design requirements.
(1)
General design requirements.
(a)
A mix of residential dwelling types is required within a TND; however, not less than 50% of the total dwelling units must be single-family detached dwellings.
(b)
A minimum of at least two of the following permitted housing types must be provided: single-family, duplex, townhouse, and multifamily dwellings.
(2)
Lot and block standards and alley design.
(a)
All lots shall have frontage on a street, a public green, square or courtyard. All buildings, except accessory structures, shall have their main entrance onto a street, a public green, square, or courtyard. The lots directly fronting a public green, square or courtyard shall directly abut a sidewalk.
(b)
Nonresidential and mixed-use buildings shall abut sidewalks.
(c)
Neighborhoods shall generally be laid in a block or grid pattern formed by an interconnected network of streets and alleys. Blocks should generally be 180 to 300 feet in depth and 400 to 700 feet in length. Blocks longer than 700 feet shall have mid-point pedestrian connections. Dead-end cul-de-sac streets are only permitted for single-family units.
(d)
A variety of lot sizes shall be provided to facilitate housing diversity and choice and meet the projected requirements of people with different housing needs.
(e)
Alley design.
[1]
Public alleys shall be platted with a twenty-foot to twenty-two-foot right-of-way and a twelve-foot to sixteen-foot pavement width for residential areas and a twenty-two-foot right-of-way and pavement width for nonresidential areas.
[2]
When utilities are located within or adjacent to alleys, an adjacent five-foot width access and utility easement shall be provided on both sides of the alley right-of-way or easement.
[3]
Additional pavement at alley and street intersections will be necessary to facilitate turns. See § 440-128B(4)(a), Corner radii.
[4]
Parking in alleys is not permitted.
[5]
Alleys shall be paved per Chapter 357, Standard Specifications for Utility Construction Projects and Subdivision Pavement Design.
[6]
Sidewalks, curb and gutters, and planting strips are not required for alleys.
(f)
Connections and/or street stubs should be made to adjacent properties to provide interconnectivity between other developed or potentially developable residential neighborhoods and commercial centers wherever practicable.
(g)
Non-residential buildings shall be of an appropriate scale, massing, and character to complement the adjoining residential neighborhood.
(h)
A street hierarchy shall be utilized to ensure that street and right-of-way widths are appropriately scaled based on the street classification.
(i)
The streetscape shall be lined with street trees and streetlights.
(3)
Circulation standards. The circulation system shall provide adequate traffic capacity, provide connected pedestrian and bicycle routes, control but not prohibit through traffic, limit lot access to streets of lower traffic volumes, provide secondary access to parking and service areas with alleys, and promote safe and efficient mobility through the Traditional Neighborhood Development.
(a)
Pedestrian circulation. Convenient pedestrian circulation systems that minimize pedestrian-motor vehicle conflicts shall be provided continuously throughout the Traditional Neighborhood Development Zone. Where feasible, any existing pedestrian routes through the site shall be preserved, extended and enhanced. All streets, except for alleys, shall be bordered by sidewalks on both sides in accordance with Chapter 357, Standard Specifications for Utility Construction Projects and Subdivision Pavement Design, and Chapter 370, Subdivision of Land.
(b)
Motor vehicle circulation.
[1]
Motor vehicle circulation shall be designed to minimize conflicts with pedestrians and bicycles. Traffic calming features such as "queuing streets," curb extensions, traffic circles, and medians may be used to encourage slow traffic speeds.
[2]
A street hierarchy shall be established for the TND development and shall be indicated on the concept plan. Each street shall be classified and designed according to Chapter 357, Standard Specifications for Utility Construction Projects and Subdivision Pavement Design.
[3]
The use of alleys is required except for single-family lots that are greater than or equal to fifty feet wide. Off-street parking shall be a minimum of 24 feet from the back of the sidewalk or right-of-way, whichever is greater, for lots with no alleys. Alleys may also provide delivery access or alternate parking access to nonresidential properties.
[4]
Private streets in a TND shall be prohibited.
[5]
For any street in a TND, alternative right-of-way and pavement widths from that required by Chapter 357, Standard Specifications for Utility Construction Projects and Subdivision Pavement Design, and Chapter 370, Subdivision of Land, may be approved by the Planning Commission with approval by the City Council.
(4)
Street layout standards. The TND should extend the existing street grid, where present, and restore any disrupted street grid where feasible. In addition:
(a)
Corner radii. The roadway edge at street intersections shall be rounded by a tangential arc with a maximum radius of 15 feet for secondary streets and 20 feet for intersections involving collector streets. The intersection of a local street and an access lane or alley shall be rounded by a tangential arc with a maximum radius of 10 feet.
(b)
Curb cuts for driveways to individual residential lots shall be discouraged along collector streets. Curb cuts shall be limited to intersections with other streets or access drives to parking lots for commercial, civic, or multifamily residential uses.
(c)
The orientation of streets should enhance the visual impact of common open spaces and prominent buildings, create lots that facilitate passive solar design, and minimize street gradients. All streets shall terminate at other streets or at public land, except secondary streets may terminate in stub streets when such streets act as connections to future phases of the development. Secondary streets may terminate other than at other streets or public land when there is a connection to the pedestrian and bicycle path network at the terminus.
(5)
Parking. Off-street parking lots in a TND shall comply with the Article XV, Parking and Access. In addition:
(a)
A parking area may not be adjacent to or opposite a street intersection.
(b)
Reduction of parking areas and the use of shared parking facilities, as set forth in § 440-215, Joint use, shared facilities, and satellite parking, is encouraged.
(c)
Parking areas for townhouses, multifamily dwellings, mixed-use buildings, and nonresidential buildings shall be located at the rear or side of a building. If located at the side, screening shall be provided as specified in Article XV, Parking and Access.
(d)
Parking areas shall be accessed by alley or rear lane, where feasible.
(e)
The vehicular entrance of a parking area from a public street shall be designed to accommodate the site design vehicle.
(f)
Parking areas shall have direct pedestrian connection to the building entry points, especially if the parking is located along the side and/or behind the buildings. Designated pedestrian access shall be provided from all parking lots to the public sidewalk and primary building entrances.
(g)
(Reserved)
(h)
Parking areas shall be separated from buildings by a landscaped strip whenever possible or a raised concrete walkway or pedestrian plaza.
(i)
Parking lot screening and landscaping standards shall be provided in accordance with Article XV, Parking and Access.
(k)
Curb extensions at intersections in mixed-use and nonresidential areas are required when on-street parking is provided.
(l)
Parking areas with 25 or more spaces should be designed with a series of smaller parking fields. Smaller parking fields can be incorporated by physically separating parking areas with buildings and plazas, and may also be delineated with an on-site circulation system that utilizes uninterrupted drive aisles, landscape islands and planters, pedestrian walkways, or any combination thereof.
(m)
Avoid aligning all travel lanes in parking lots in long, straight configurations. The maximum length of any row of parking shall be 10 parking spaces.
(n)
Provide cross-access easements between adjacent lots to facilitate the flow of traffic.
(6)
Building location and orientation.
(a)
The front facade of the principal building shall face a public street or square.
(b)
The front facade of any building shall not be oriented to face directly toward a parking lot.
(c)
Mixed-use and nonresidential development:
[1]
Multiple buildings in a single project shall create a positive functional relationship to each another. Where possible, multiple buildings shall be clustered to achieve a "village" scale. This creates opportunities for plazas and pedestrian areas while preventing long "barracks-like" rows of buildings. When clustering is impractical, a visual link shall be established between buildings with the use of an arcade system, trellis, colonnade, covered walkways, landscaping, enhanced paving, building articulation and detailing, or similar features.
[2]
Orienting buildings closer to the street to screen parking in the interior of the site and provide strong pedestrian connections to buildings is encouraged where appropriate (e.g., does not negatively impact any abutting residential areas).
C.
Architectural standards. A variety of architectural features and building materials is encouraged to give each building or group of buildings a distinct character.
(1)
Entries, facades, scale, and form.
(a)
The architectural features, materials, and the articulation of a facade of a building shall be continued on all sides visible from a public street or square.
(b)
Porches, pent roofs, roof overhangs, hooded front doors, or other similar architectural elements shall define the front entrance to all residences.
(c)
Mixed-use and nonresidential development:
[1]
For retail and food service buildings, a minimum of 50% of the front facade on the ground floor shall be transparent, consisting of window or door openings allowing views into and out of the interior.
[2]
Nonresidential buildings shall be designed with an architectural style and/or theme. The intent of this guideline is to ensure that nonresidential development incorporates architecturally valid design of each building and architectural compatibility within an integrated development. Not all building elevations of a structure will have the same level of detailing and articulation in order to avoid monotony.
[3]
The design of all buildings shall employ textured surfaces, projections, recesses, color, window patterns, overhangs, reveals, changes in parapet heights, and similar architectural devices to avoid monolithic shapes and surfaces and to emphasize building entries. Designs shall avoid the use of long, unbroken, flat walls.
[4]
Building facades greater than 80 feet in length, measured horizontally, shall incorporate wall plane projections, articulation or recesses having a depth of at least 3% of the length of the facade (or at least three feet) and extending at least 20% of the length of the facade. No uninterrupted length of any facade shall exceed 60 horizontal feet.
[6]
Design building entries and street side facades with elements that enhance pedestrian comfort and orientation while presenting features with visual interest that invite activity.
[7]
Ground floor facades that face public streets or proposed promenades or pedestrian walkways shall have arcades, display windows, entry areas, awnings, canopies, or other such features. Landscaping and architectural detail at the street level should be used to soften the edge of the building and enhance the pedestrian scale and streetscape.
[8]
Each principal building on a site shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances featuring one or more of the following:
[a]
Canopies or porticos.
[b]
Overhangs.
[c]
Recesses/projections.
[d]
Arcades.
[e]
Raised corniced parapets over the door.
[f]
Peaked roof forms.
[g]
Arches.
[h]
Display windows.
[i]
Architectural details such as tile work, moldings, stone, or brick integrated into the building structure and design.
[j]
Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscaped areas and/or places for sitting.
[k]
Special paving patterns and materials.
[9]
Designs that emphasize floor lines or that express rhythms and patterns of windows, columns, cornices, dormers, and other architectural features are encouraged.
[10]
Building components such as windows, doors, eaves, and parapets shall have good proportions and relationships to each another that are compatible in size and design.
(2)
Roof forms and materials for commercial development.
(a)
Avoid rooflines running in continuous planes wherever appropriate.
(b)
Partial mansard roofs and pitched roofs that do not reach a true peak or hip should be avoided.
(c)
Roof materials should be of high quality, durable, and consistent with local architectural themes.
(d)
Design roof forms to correspond to and denote building elements and functions such as entrances, arcades, and porches.
(e)
Roof forms should relate to adjacent buildings or developments.
(f)
Screen rooftop mechanical units from view with architecturally integrated screening units, roof parapets, or sloped roof forms.
(3)
Residential garages.
(a)
Permitted garage access locations on a single-family housing lot include:
(5)
Lighting.
(a)
Streetlighting shall be provided on both sides of all streets at intervals of no greater than 75 feet.
(b)
Parking lot poles should be located in medians or perimeter buffer areas wherever possible. Landscaping improvements should not conflict with the location of poles.
(c)
Lighting should be provided to highlight entrances, art, terraces, and special landscape features; however, fixtures should be concealed to prevent glare.
(d)
The maximum height of parking lot poles is 30 feet, measured from grade. The maximum height of poles within plaza and other pedestrian areas is 20 feet, also measured from grade. The use of shorter height poles than the maximums listed above shall be encouraged, provided illumination levels meet all intensity and safety requirements.
(e)
Parking area light fixtures should be designed with a concealed/recessed light source that shields light downward and confines light spread within a site's boundaries and does not adversely impact any adjoining residential areas.
(f)
Provide separate pedestrian scale lighting for walkways in mixed-use and nonresidential areas.
(g)
Streetlighting design shall meet the current edition of the minimum standards developed by the illumination Engineering Society.
(6)
Storage, loading, and service areas
(a)
Loading docks, storage, and service areas shall be located away from any public street in areas of low visibility, such as the rear of buildings.
(b)
Loading docks and service areas shall be combined to the extent feasible between multiple sites.
(c)
Service entrances shall be clearly marked with signs to discourage the use of main entrances for deliveries.
E.
Stormwater management. The design and development in the TND Zone shall minimize off-site stormwater runoff, promote on-site filtration, and minimize the discharge of pollutants to groundwater and surface water. Natural topography and existing land cover should be maintained/protected to the maximum extent practicable. All development shall meet the following requirements:
(1)
Untreated, direct stormwater discharges to wetlands or surface waters are not allowed.
(2)
Erosion and sediment controls must be implemented to remove 80% of the average annual load of total suspended solids.
(3)
Areas for snow storage should be provided unless the applicant provides an acceptable snow removal plan.
(4)
Redevelopment stormwater management systems should improve existing conditions and meet standards to the extent practicable.
(5)
All treatment systems or best management practices (BMPs) must have operation and maintenance plans to ensure that systems function as designed.