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Langley City Zoning Code

CHAPTER 18

25 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS – MULTIFAMILY

§ 18.25.010 Purpose.

These standards for multifamily housing are for the purpose of fostering multifamily development of low height and small bulk with private, landscaped open space directly accessible to each unit. The primary objective is the development of housing that fits in with the scale, siting and landscaping of single-family areas. Bulky buildings are discouraged by limiting the width of structures. Housing types to be encouraged would include ground-related structures such as duplexes, triplexes, townhouses and tandem houses.
(Ord. 527, 1989)

§ 18.25.020 Height.

A. 
Maximum Height. The maximum height shall be 25 feet; provided, that the height may be built to 30 feet with a pitched roof if the lowest part of the pitch begins no higher than 25 feet.
B. 
Sloped Lots. On sloped lots, additional height shall be permitted along the lower elevation of the structure footprint, at the rate of one foot for each six percent of slope, to a maximum additional height of five feet.
(Ord. 527, 1989; Ord. 1045 § 4, 2018)

§ 18.25.030 Structure width and depth.

A. 
Maximum Width.
1. 
The maximum width of a structure on a lot when the front facade is not modulated shall be:
a. 
Thirty feet if there is no principal entrance facing the street; or
b. 
Forty feet if a principal entrance faces the street.
2. 
The maximum width of each structure on a lot shall be 60 feet when the front facade is modulated.
B. 
Maximum Depth. The maximum depth of a structure shall be 65 percent of the lot.
C. 
Modulation Requirements.
1. 
Front facades: See above.
2. 
Side facades: On corner lots, side facades greater than 40 feet in width, which face the street, shall be modulated.
3. 
Interior facades: Within a cluster development, all interior facades wider than 40 feet shall be modulated; provided, that maximum modulation width shall be 40 feet. Perimeter facades shall follow standard development requirements.
4. 
Modulation Standards.
a. 
The minimum depth of modulation shall be four feet;
b. 
When balconies are part of the modulation and have a minimum dimension of at least six feet, the minimum depth of modulation shall be two feet.
5. 
The minimum width of modulation shall be five feet.
6. 
Maximum width of modulation: The modulation width shall emphasize the identity of individual units, but shall not be greater than 30 feet. For units located one above the other, the individuality of the units shall be emphasized through the location of driveways, entrances, walkways, and open spaces.
7. 
Required modulation may start a maximum of 10 feet above existing grade, and shall be continued up to the roof.
(Ord. 527, 1989)

§ 18.25.040 Front, rear and side setbacks.

A. 
The general setbacks are specified in Section 18.12.080.
B. 
Required Setbacks for Cluster Developments. Where two or more principal structures are located on a lot, the required setback between those portions of interior facades, which face one another, shall be a minimum of 10 feet.
C. 
Structures in Required Setbacks.
1. 
Permitted fences, freestanding walls, bulkheads, signs, and other similar structures, no greater than six feet in height, are permitted in required front, side, or rear setbacks;
2. 
Decks, which average no more than 18 inches above existing or finished grade, whichever is lower, may project into required setbacks. Such decks shall not be permitted within five feet of any lot line, unless they abut a permitted fence or freestanding wall, and are at least three feet below the top of the fence or wall. The fence or wall shall be no higher than 78 inches.
(Ord. 527, 1989)

§ 18.25.050 Open space.

A. 
A minimum of 300 square feet per unit of private, usable open space, at ground level and directly accessible to each unit, shall be required.
B. 
Development Standards.
1. 
The required open space shall be provided in one contiguous parcel, and no horizontal dimension of the open space shall be less than 10 feet.
2. 
Required open space may be located in the front, sides, or rear of the structure.
3. 
Required open space may be located a maximum of 10 feet above or below the unit it serves; provided, that the access to such open space does not go through or over common circulation areas, common or public open spaces, or the open space serving another unit.
4. 
Required open space shall be landscaped.
5. 
At least 50 percent of the required open space for a unit shall be level; provided, that:
a. 
The open space may be terraced; and
b. 
Minor adjustments in level shall be permitted as long as the difference in elevation between the highest and lowest point does not exceed two feet.
6. 
To ensure privacy of open space, openings such as windows and doors on the ground floor of walls of a dwelling unit or common area which directly faces the open space of a different unit are prohibited, unless such openings are screened by view-obscuring fences, freestanding walls, wing walls, or landscaping. Fences, freestanding walls, or wing walls located in setbacks shall be no more than 78 inches.
7. 
Parking areas, driveways and pedestrian access, except for pedestrian access meeting the Washington State Rules and Regulations for Barrier-Free Design, shall not be counted as open space.
(Ord. 527, 1989)

§ 18.25.060 Parking and access.

A. 
Parking Quantity. Parking shall be required as provided in Chapter 18.22.
B. 
Access to Parking. Street or alley access permitted: Access to parking may be from either the alley or the street. The following factors shall be considered:
1. 
Safety; and
2. 
Impacts on adjacent zones, particularly single-family; and
3. 
Topography.
C. 
Location of Parking.
1. 
Parking shall be located on the same site as the principal use.
2. 
Parking may be located in or under the structure; provided, that the parking is screened from direct street view by the street facing facades of the structure and/or by garage doors.
(Ord. 527, 1989; Ord. 1045 § 4, 2018)