This district is composed of certain lands in the city intended to be used for medium density residential development. The district requirements are also designed to provide quality development, variety in housing concepts, and to promote individual home ownership.

(Ord. No. 25-01-02, § 1, 1-2-2025)

See Section 17.90.040, use table.

(Ord. No. 25-01-02, § 1, 1-2-2025)

Maximum dwelling units per acre: Six (6) units per acre.

(Ord. No. 25-01-02, § 1, 1-2-2025)

A.

Minimum lot area.

•

Eighty-seven thousand one hundred twenty (87,120) square feet or two (2) acres.

B.

Minimum lot width for the development.

•

One hundred (100) feet adjoining a street.

C.

Minimum lot width for the individual unit.

•

Twenty-five (25) feet.

D.

Maximum height.

•

Thirty-five (35) feet in for primary structure.

•

Fifteen (15) feet for accessory structure.

E.

Minimum front yard setback for development.

•

Thirty (30) feet on arterial or collector street.

•

Thirty (30) feet on local streets.

F.

Minimum front yard setback for an individual townhouse unit.

•

Twenty (20) feet on any interior street.

G.

Minimum side yard setback for development.

•

Fifty (50) feet adjacent to interior line.

•

Fifty (50) feet adjacent to street (corner lot).

H.

Minimum rear yard setback for the development.

•

Thirty (30) feet for residential uses.

•

Fifty (50) feet for commercial uses.

I.

Minimum distance between buildings.

•

Twenty (20) feet.

J.

Minimum rear yard setback for the individual unit development.

•

Twenty (20) feet.

K.

Minimum heated floor area.

•

One thousand three hundred (1,300) square feet for two-bedroom unit.

•

One thousand five hundred (1,500) square feet for three-bedroom unit.

L.

Maximum lot coverage.

•

Fifty (50) percent.

M.

Open space and amenity requirement for RTD - Residential townhouse district.

1.

Twenty-five (25) to fifty (50) lots. Ten (10) percent of the total gross acreage and must include an amenity package consisting of a minimum of two (2) items from Section 17.120.090.

2.

Fifty-one (51) to one hundred (100) lots. Twenty (20) percent of the total gross acreage and must include an amenity package consisting of a minimum of two (2) items from Section 17.120.090.

3.

One hundred one (101) or more lots. Thirty (30) percent of the total gross acreage and must include an amenity package consisting of a minimum of three (3) items from Section 17.120.090. For every fifty (50) lots over one hundred one (101) an additional amenity is required. An amenity can be repeated one (1) time with subdivisions with two hundred (200) or more lots

4.

[Approval.] All amenities or alternatives must be approved by the director.

N.

Homeowners' association or property owners' association. All "for sale" RTD - Residential townhouse districts are required to have a homeowners' association or property owners' association. These associations will be required to use standard language required by the City of McDonough.

O.

[Variances.] No variances shall be allowed to the minimum lot width and minimum lot area with no exceptions.

P.

[Landscape/natural buffer.] When an RTD residential townhouse district abuts a major arterial road, a one-hundred-foot landscape/natural buffer is required between any residential use and a major arterial road.

Q.

Other regulations. All other applicable regulations must be satisfied prior to development under this zoning district.

(Ord. No. 25-01-02, § 1, 1-2-2025)

A.

Exterior façade.

1.

The exterior front façade of residential dwellings shall include accents of brick, stone, stucco, cementitious siding, or cementitious shakes.

a.

The front façade shall be a minimum requirement of fifty (50) percent brick or stone.

b.

If the structure is two (2) stories or higher, the entire first floor must be brick from the first-floor slab to the floor of the second level.

c.

Vinyl can be utilized in eaves and soffit areas only.

2.

The exterior front façade shall be articulated to give the facade more depth and character.

3.

The side and rear façades shall be one hundred (100) percent brick.

4.

Walls visible from a public street or other residential uses shall include windows and architectural features similar to the front facade of the building, including, but not limited to, awnings, cornice work, edge detailing or other decorative finish materials.

5.

Front façades shall incorporate at least two (2) of the features listed below.

a.

Shutters. The dimensions are half (½) the width of the window by the length of the window without trim. Absolutely no plastic or vinyl shutters are permitted.

b.

Covered porch. Front porches shall be a minimum of one hundred (100) square feet with a depth of six (6) feet.

c.

Decorative windows. Palladian, arched, bay, bow, garden, circular, or transom. A bay or bow window may intrude into the front setback two (2) feet by right in at least twenty-five (25) percent of units in a grouping.

d.

Decorative doors shall be paneled with or without a window. Sidelights (in pairs only) and transoms windows are encouraged.

e.

Roof eave brackets.

4.

Gutters must be installed along the roof line of the dwelling and appropriately placed downspouts pointing away from the foundation and sidewalks.

B.

Garages.

1.

All townhouses shall have an attached or detached two-car garage with minimum dimensions of twenty (20) feet width by twenty-five (25) feet length located at the rear of each townhouse.

2.

Attached and detached garages shall be enclosed on all sides and architecturally consistent with the primary structure.

3.

A secondary exit door shall be required from all garages.

4.

There shall be access to the rear of each townhouse unit from the rear alley without going through the garage.

5.

There are no exceptions to the rear-only garage requirement in a residential townhouse development.

C.

Mechanical.

1.

With all new construction, the outside portion of the HVAC system shall be located on the side or rear of the structure only, and screened from public view by a fence panel, wall, or landscaping.

2.

The electric meter and panel shall be mounted on the rear façade of each individual townhouse with full access from the rear alley.

3.

All screening methods shall allow for easy access with enough clearance for maintenance and repairs.

D.

Landscaping.

1.

All disturbed areas shall be stabilized and sodded in the front, rear, and side yards.

2.

One (1) tree must be planted in the front yard of each new single-family detached dwelling.

3.

One (1) shrub for every two hundred (200) square feet of impervious surface

4.

Each fee simple lot and all common areas shall be provided with automatic underground outdoor lawn sprinklers for all landscaped areas.

E.

Decks.

1.

Decks are permitted only when located at the rear of the principal structure and such decks shall be no wider than the width of the principal structure.

2.

Decks must fit within all required setbacks.

F.

Fencing. When the garage is detached, each unit shall feature a rear yard that is enclosed on two (2) sides by the primary structure and attached or detached garage. The remaining sides shall be enclosed by a six-foot, opaque fence.

G.

Chimney. Chimneys located on the exterior building wall of the dwelling must extend to the ground and be clad in brick, stone, or stucco.

H.

Accessory structures. Accessory structures shall be clad in the same materials as the primary structure and limited to a maximum of one hundred (100) square feet.

I.

Roofs.

1.

All buildings shall have pitched roofs.

2.

The roofline may include varying lines customary with gable or hip style roofing.

3.

Dormer windows or vents are encouraged.

4.

Permitted roofing materials include asphalt shingles, standing-seam metal roof, and slate.

J.

Trash receptacles. All trash receptacles are to be stored inside the owner's garage until their assigned trash pickup day.

(Ord. No. 25-01-02, § 1, 1-2-2025)

A.

A twenty-five-foot wide buffer strip shall be required whenever the project site abuts any property which is zoned for residential, commercial, or industrial use.

B.

The project site for a residential townhouse district is the entire parcel of land for which townhouse units are to be developed.

(Ord. No. 25-01-02, § 1, 1-2-2025)

All streets within the RTD shall be public and constructed according to the subdivision regulations of the city. RTD districts shall not be gated, no exceptions.

(Ord. No. 25-01-02, § 1, 1-2-2025)

Before a building permit can be issued in an RTD district for any development, a preliminary site plan that includes an amenity layout, a concurrency report for water and sewer, and a traffic impact analysis shall be submitted to, and approved by, the mayor and city council in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 16.12 of the City of McDonough Code of Ordinances.

(Ord. No. 25-01-02, § 1, 1-2-2025)

The "for rent" RTD - Residential townhouse district shall meet all requirements of the "for sale" RTD, residential townhouse district plus all supplementary requirements found in Section 17.100.290.B, Standards for developing for-rent residential units in RTD, residential townhouse district.

(Ord. No. 25-01-02, § 1, 1-2-2025)