La Verne City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 18
126 OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR MULTIFAMILY AND RESIDENTIAL MIXED USE
§ 18.126.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide objective design standards for the review of new multifamily residential and mixed use developments.
(Ord. 25-1129, 2/18/2025)
§ 18.126.020 Applicability.
The objective design standards apply to all multifamily residential and mixed use development projects within the city, even if located within a specific plan area. All other project types, including single-family homes and commercial-only projects, are not subject to these objective design standards but must satisfy existing development standards in this title.
The standards in this chapter apply in addition to any applicable objective standards in the adopted city documents, including, but not limited to, the documents referenced in Section 18.126.040(D) of this chapter. Unless expressly prohibited by or in conflict with the standards in this or another applicable regulatory plan or code, additional architectural or design features that enhance the development are allowable.
(Ord. 25-1129, 2/18/2025)
§ 18.126.030 Definitions.
For purposes of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply:
are building frontages with active uses such as shops and cafes where there is a visual engagement between those in the street and those on the ground floor (see Section 18.08.015 for definition of "frontage").
refers to the general shape and form as well as size of a building.
means a face or side of a building or structure.
is a unit of illuminance or light intensity, defined as one lumen per square foot.
means the building frontage that abuts the most primary of streets.
(Ord. 25-1129, 2/18/2025)
§ 18.126.040 Standards and requirements.
A.
Site Design. Site design refers to the arrangement and relationships between buildings, parking areas, common and private open space, landscaping, pedestrian connections, and other ancillary site development. A project shall also follow the applicable objective requirements of the base zone it is located in, such as setbacks, parking, and building height.
1.
Building Orientation. Buildings shall have a strong relationship to the street they front and shall be oriented to positively define and frame adjacent public streets. A building that meets the following requirements shall be considered to have met this requirement:
a.
The frontage of any primary building(s) shall be oriented toward the primary street. Where there is a physical site constraint, a clearly identifiable entry to the site shall be provided from the street.
b.
Primary entries to buildings or units shall be connected to a public sidewalk or publicly accessible pathway with a pedestrian pathway with a minimum width of four feet.
c.
Creation of a safe environment must be considered when planning the orientation of multifamily and mixed use buildings. Primary entryways must be easily identifiable and accessible to emergency services.
2.
Ground Floor Uses. Ground floor uses shall provide active building frontages with active uses that engage the street. Active uses are uses that generate visits, in particular pedestrian visits. Active uses may be shops, cafes, other social uses, and shared accessory spaces. Higher density residential and office uses also can be active uses for particular periods of the day by providing additional entries to individual units or ground floor office spaces.
b.
Active frontages are required for a minimum of eighty percent of each building façade facing a public street.
c.
Vehicular Access and Parking. Vehicular access and parking shall meet the following standards:
e.
Parking.
i.
Parking areas shall be placed to the side or rear of buildings. There shall be no vehicular parking between the primary building's frontage and the primary street.
ii.
Parking areas shall be fully screened from neighboring properties. Screening may be accomplished through building placement, landscaping, fencing, or some combination thereof. Landscaping for screening purposes shall be no less than five feet in width from the back of sidewalk or street curb to the parking lot paving (whichever is greater) and shall be no less than forty-two inches in height within twelve months of planting.
iii.
Parking spaces shall be separated from buildings by a pedestrian pathway, minimum four feet in width, and a landscape planter area, minimum five feet in width.
3.
Pedestrian Access and Circulation.
a.
All on-site buildings, entries, facilities, amenities, and parking areas shall be internally connected with a minimum four-foot-wide pedestrian pathway or pathway network. The pedestrian pathway network shall connect to the public sidewalk along each street.
b.
Pedestrian pathways that are within the public right-of-way must be a continuous surface with no gaps.
c.
Where pedestrian circulation crosses vehicular routes, a change in grade, materials, textures, or colors shall be provided to emphasize the conflict point and improve its visibility and safety.
d.
Pedestrian pathways shall meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards.
4.
Common and Private Open Space. Common and private open space shall be required for all multifamily and mixed use projects and shall meet the following standards:
a.
Common Open Space.
i.
Common open space areas shall be purposefully designed as active or passive recreational facilities.
ii.
Minimum of one hundred fifty square feet of common open space on site per unit. Minimum setback areas shall not be used to satisfy common open space requirements.
iii.
Common open space areas shall not be located directly next to arterial streets, service areas, or adjacent commercial development without a minimum of six feet of vertical screening via a solid wall or fence to ensure they are sheltered from the noise and traffic of adjacent streets or other incompatible uses.
b.
Private Open Space.
i.
Minimum of one hundred square feet of private open space (e.g., yards, patios) per ground floor residential unit. No horizontal dimension shall be less than five feet.
ii.
Private open space shall be accessible to only one unit by a doorway or doorways to a habitable room or hallway of the unit.
iii.
Minimum setback areas shall not be used to satisfy private open space requirements.
5.
Site Lighting.
a.
All outdoor lighting shall be designed, located, installed, directed downward or toward structures, fully shielded, and maintained to prevent glare, light trespass, and light pollution and away from adjoining properties and public rights-of-way, so that no light fixture directly illuminates an area outside of the project site intended to be illuminated.
b.
All light sources shall be designed, constructed, mounted, and maintained such that the maximum intensity of illumination, measured twenty feet beyond the project boundary, does not exceed 0.2 footcandles more than ambient conditions.
c.
Areas used by pedestrians shall be illuminated at night to ensure safety.
d.
Freestanding outdoor light fixtures shall not exceed sixteen feet in height.
6.
Utilities and Building Equipment.
a.
Utilities shall be placed in underground or subsurface conduits unless otherwise prohibited by the city of La Verne.
b.
Above-ground utilities and equipment (e.g., electric and gas meters, fire sprinkler valves, irrigation backflow prevention devices, etc.) shall be located inside buildings or on façades other than the primary building frontage, along alleys, parking areas, and/or at the rear or side of buildings, and painted to match the exact color of the building or fully screened from public view.
c.
Utility and equipment enclosures shall match the exact finish, materials, and color of the building exterior.
d.
Rooftop-mounted equipment shall be screened from public view either in an enclosure or behind a pitched roof or parapet wall. "Screened from public view" means not visible from the centerline of the closest public right-of-way, five feet above ground elevation. A line-of-sight detail shall be provided to demonstrate adequate screening of rooftop equipment.
e.
Trash enclosures shall be constructed with the same exterior finish, materials, and colors as those of the associated primary building. Climbing vines shall be installed along any trash enclosure side that is directly visible to a public street to further screen the enclosure.
B.
Building Design.
1.
Massing.
a.
Building elevations that are longer than thirty feet wide shall be modulated in one of the following two ways which may consist of elevation plane changes, insets, bays, notches, or protrusions.
i.
Elevation Plane Change. Provide a minimum one horizontal change in plane for every thirty feet of building elevation. The change in plane must be at least four feet deep and six feet wide, and must be open to the sky; or
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ii.
Inset or Bay With Material Change. Provide a minimum one horizontal change in plane for every thirty feet of building elevation. The change in plane must be at least two feet deep and six feet wide, and be combined with a change in material. Material change shall be a minimum of three-fourths of the building's height.
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iii.
Building elevations that are less than thirty feet wide are not required to have a change in plane incorporated into their design.
iv.
Projections from the building face, including balconies, awnings, signs, and decorative elements, are not considered to be changes in plane.
2.
Roof Form. Buildings shall be designed with variation in roof form. Rooflines, whether pitched or flat, shall vary at least every thirty feet along the street frontage. A change in roof form can be achieved with a change in height of at least three feet, a horizontal change in plane of at least four feet, or a change in roof pitch. Changes in roof form shall not exceed allowed building heights, as defined by the underlying zoning district.
3.
Building Articulation. Primary building façades and all building masses greater than twenty feet in length shall incorporate at least three of the following features, which provide articulation and design interest:
a.
Balconies, minimum depth of five feet.
b.
Recessed and/or projecting windows of at least twenty-four inches.
c.
Canopies, awnings, or trellises above doors and windows, minimum depth of three feet.
d.
Roof overhangs, minimum of eighteen inches.
e.
Window detail, of either lintels, sills, trims, or wall plane change, a minimum of four inches in depth.
4.
Colors and Materials. Primary building façades and all building masses greater than twenty feet in length shall incorporate the following:
a.
At least two materials shall be used on any exterior building wall, in addition to glazing and railings. The two main colors/materials must comprise at least twenty percent of any exterior building wall, excluding windows and railings. Additional colors may be used and may constitute a smaller percentage of the exterior.
5.
Mixed Use Development.
a.
The ground floor shall have a clear floor-ceiling height of at least twelve feet.
b.
Ground floor commercial tenant spaces shall have storefront entrances oriented on the façade fronting the primary street.
c.
Doors and entryways to commercial tenant spaces shall be recessed a minimum of twenty-four inches to articulate the entrance.
d.
All ground floor façades with a commercial or retail use facing onto a primary street shall be a minimum sixty percent transparent or translucent glazing measured from finished floor to finished floor (opaque or reflective glass is not permitted). At least twenty-five percent of the surface area of the upper floor façades shall be occupied by windows.
C.
Landscape. Landscape and hardscape shall add to the character of the new buildings, facilitate sustainable water use, and be relatively easy to maintain. The landscape design shall be integrated with the buildings on site and enhance the natural environment of the neighborhood. In order to accomplish this, landscaping shall meet the following standards:
1.
All setback and open areas not used for buildings, parking areas, driveways, pedestrian pathways, and/or utilities shall be landscaped and maintained.
2.
Landscaped areas shall include a combination of groundcover, shrubs, and trees.
3.
Trees shall be selected following local plans, ordinances, approved planting lists, and other guidance that provides direction on tree selection based on specific issues, e.g., fire resistance and community aesthetics.
4.
Permanent automatic irrigation facilities shall be provided for all landscaped areas.
D.
Other Applicable Objective Standards. All projects subject to this chapter shall comply with the objective design, development, and subdivision standards within the City of La Verne's Zoning Ordinance, General Plan (or applicable specific plan), and Municipal Code, as well as any adopted standards in supplemental documents, including, but not limited to:
(Ord. 25-1129, 2/18/2025)