Permitted uses in this district are specified in chapter 19.27 "Zoning Districts and Uses." They are either generally allowed, allowed by conditional use permit review, or by special use permit. In addition, accessory uses may be permitted subject to chapter 19.34.

(Ord. 1882, Sec. 3, 1995; Ord. 2407, Sec. 3, 2019)

(a)

General Standards. In District R-1b, the following lot and building development standards apply to buildings and structures. For general exceptions, see chapter 19.44 "Height and Area Exceptions". Except for impervious coverage standards identified in sub-section (b), any deviation from these standards shall only be permitted by variances subject to the procedures and criteria of chapter 19.54.

(b)

Lot Impervious Coverage Applicability and Exceptions.

(1)

Applicability. The total lot impervious surface coverage standard shall only apply to the following situations:

a.

Any new residential structure on a vacant lot;

b.

A tear down or an existing residential structure and rebuild of a new residential structure;

c.

Any remodel of an existing residential structure that adds more than 200 square feet to the existing footprint or tears down more than ten percent of the existing structure associated with new construction; and

d.

Any future development activity on any lot that has been subject to this standard according to a., b. or c.

2.

Exceptions:

a.

Any lot 10,000 square feet or less may have an unenclosed and uncovered deck or patio encroach up to 300 square feet that does not count to the impervious coverage standard.

b.

The planning commission may grant exceptions to the total lot impervious coverage standard based on the process and criteria in section 19.08.025, subsection (f), and provided a drainage study has been approved by public works.

(Ord. 2392, Sec. 3, 2018)

(a)

Residential Uses. All lots used for residential buildings may have the following accessory buildings.

(1)

One minor accessory storage building not exceeding 120 square feet for lots under 10,000 square feet, 200 square feet for lots over 10,000 square feet and no taller than ten feet high. The building shall be setback at least three feet from the side and rear lot line, and located at the rear of the principal building.

(2)

One major accessory building not exceeding 576 square feet and subject to the following design standards:

a.

The height shall be no more than 20 feet, or no taller than the principal structure, whichever is less.

b.

The building shall be designed compatible with the principal structure, including materials, windows and doors, roof form and pitch and architectural style and details.

c.

The building shall be setback at least 60 feet from the front lot line, and at least 20 feet from any street side lot line.

d.

The building shall be setback at least three feet from the side and rear property line, except that any portion of the structure above ten feet shall be setback a distance of at least one-third the height. For a pitched roof structure, portions of the structure may be up to three feet from the property, provided they are under ten feet high; however any portion between ten feet and 20 feet must be stepped back at least one-third the height.

(b)

Non-residential Uses. Non-residential uses permitted in residential districts shall be allowed one accessory building for each one acre of lot area, up to a maximum of three structures. These buildings shall be limited to 300 square feet and 16 feet tall, provided they meet all principal building setbacks and are not visible or are screened from the right-of-way by landscape. All other buildings shall be considered principal buildings and designed and approved subject to principal building standards, or as otherwise permitted through special use permits according to chapter 19.28.

(c)

Building Coverage. All accessory buildings and structures over 30 inches high shall count towards the overall 30 percent building coverage limit.

(Ord. 2392, Sec. 3, 2018)

(a)

Design Objectives. The design objectives of the Neighborhood Design Standards are to:

(1)

Maintain and enhance the unique character of Prairie Village neighborhoods.

(2)

Promote building and site design that enhances neighborhood streetscapes.

(3)

Reinforce the existing scale and patterns of buildings in neighborhoods for new construction.

(4)

Manage the relationship of adjacent buildings and promote compatible transitions.

(5)

Enhance the quality, aesthetic character and visual interest within neighborhoods by breaking down larger masses and incorporating human scale details and ornamentation.

(6)

Locate and orient buildings to maintain the existing grade of the street, block, and lot frontages, and design them in a manner that reduces the perceived massing from the streetscape and abutting lots.

(b)

Applicability. These Neighborhood Design Standards shall be applicable to the following situations:

(1)

Any new residential structure.

(2)

Construction activity that adds more than 200 square feet of building footprint to an existing residential structure.

(3)

Construction activity that alters the form or massing of the front elevation or roof of a residential structure.

(4)

Any future development activity of any scale on property that has been subject to paragraphs 1., 2, or 3. above.

With the exception of the frontage tree standards, the neighborhood design standards shall only apply to the extent of the proposed construction activity, and any portion of a building or site that does not conform to these standards but is existing and not part of the application may remain.

(c)

Landscape and Frontage Design. The following landscape and frontage design standards promote the character and quality of streetscapes, improve the relationship of lots and buildings to the streetscape, and provide natural elements and green space to compliment development.

(1)

Frontage Trees. All lots shall have at least one frontage tree. Lots with over 80 feet of street frontage shall have at least one tree per 50 feet to maintain an average spacing between 30 and 50 feet along the streetscape.

a.

Existing street trees or private trees within the first 20 feet of the front lot line may count to this requirement provided the tree is healthy, and is protected from any damage during construction activity.

b.

Frontage trees shall be selected from the latest version of the approved City right-of-way tree list.

c.

Frontage trees shall be at least two-inch caliper at planting.

d.

Frontage trees shall be located in line with other trees on the block to create a rhythm along the streetscape and enclosure of the tree canopy. In the absence of a clearly established line on the block, the following locations shall be used, where applicable:

(i)

Street trees center between the sidewalk and curb where at least six feet of landscape area exists;

(ii)

Street trees four feet to eight feet from the back of curb where no sidewalk exists; or

(iii)

Private frontage trees within the first five feet of the front lot line where any constraints in the right-of-way or on the lot would prevent other preferred locations.

e.

Planting of any frontage trees in the right-of-way or any work in the right-of-way shall be coordinated with public works for permits, location, and planting specifications.

f.

Planting of all frontage trees may be deferred for up to six months from completion of any site or right-of-way construction, through the site plan approval or public works right-of-way permit process, to allow for timely planting that ensures the health and survival of trees.

g.

Plantings of all frontage trees shall be properly maintained. Trees that fail to grow within a one-year period or which exhibit evidence of insect pests, disease, and/or damage shall be appropriately treated. The city may order that any tree that dies or is in danger of dying be removed and replaced by the property owner.

(2)

Green Space. Lots shall maintain at least 60 percent of the lot between the front building line and the front lot line as green space - permeable areas planted with trees, shrubs, vegetative ground cover, or ornamental plants.

a.

Exceptions. Any lot less than 70 feet wide and fronting on a collector or arterial street as designated in section 13-203 of the City Code may reduce the frontage greenspace to 50 percent to allow for safe access and parking, provided the total lot impervious surface limit is maintained.

(d)

Building Massing. The following massing standards breakdown the volume of the buildable area and height into smaller scale masses to improve the relationship of the building to the lot, to adjacent buildings and to the streetscape, and shall apply in addition to the basic setback and height standards.

(1)

Windows and Entrances. All elevations shall have window and door openings covering at least:

a.

Fifteen percent on front elevations or any street facing side elevations; and

b.

Eight percent on other side elevations; and

c.

Fifteen percent on rear elevations.

Any molding or architectural details integrated with the window or door opening may count for up to three percent of this percentage requirement.

(2)

Wall Planes: Wall planes shall have varied massing by:

a.

Wall planes over 500 square feet shall have architectural details that break the plane into distinct masses of at least 20 percent of the wall plane. Architectural details may include:

(i)

Projecting windows, bays or other ornamental architectural details with offsets of a minimum of 1.5 feet.

(ii)

Off-sets of the building mass such as step backs or cantilevers of at least two feet.

(iii)

Single-story front entry features such as stoops, porticos or porches.

(iv)

No projections shall exceed the setback encroachment limits of section 19.44.020.

b.

No elevation along the side lot line shall be greater than 800 square feet without at least four feet additional setback on at least 25 percent of the elevation.

(3)

Garage Limits. The following garage door standards maintain a human scale for front facades, create a relationship between the facade and the streetscape, and limit the expression of the garage as the primary feature at the building frontage.

a.

Garage doors shall not exceed more than nine feet wide for single bays, or 18 feet wide for double bays, and eight feet, two inches high.

b.

Garages expressed as a separate mass on the front elevation shall be limited based on the width of the front facade as follows:

c.

No more than two bays (two-single or one double door) shall be permitted on the front elevation. Any site or building configuration that permits three or more garage bays shall require side orientation or rear access for anything beyond two bays.

d.

Front-loaded garage wall planes shall be limited based on its position in relation to the main mass as follows:

e.

On corner lots, an attached garage constructed as an integral part of the principal structure may have a minimum rear setback of 18 feet, provided the driveway entrance is off the side street, the garage is setback at least 25 feet from the side lot line and the footprint of the garage is no more than 576 square feet.

(e)

Building Foundations.

(1)

New residential structures shall establish the top of foundation between six inches and 24 inches above the finished grade along the front facade.

(2)

No new residential structure may be built with a top of foundation more than 12 inches higher than the top of foundation of a previous existing home, or the height allowed by sub-sections 1., whichever is less.

(3)

New residential structures or additions may raise the top of foundation an additional six inches for every additional five feet over the minimum side setback that the building sets back from both side property lines, up to 36 inches above the finished grade along the front facade.

(4)

Any elevation that has more than 24 inches of foundation exposed due to grade changes shall cover the foundation by extending the siding to within 24 inches of finished grade, or by covering the foundation with decorative materials such as stone or brick that compliments the principal materials of the building.

(5)

New residential structures or additions not meeting paragraphs 1. through 3. above shall be submitted to the planning commission for review. The planning commission my grant an exception based on the following criteria:

a.

The design of the building elevations, and, specifically any design details that reduce the scale and massing of the building compared to what could otherwise be built under the zoning standards.

b.

The relationship of the proposed dwelling to existing structures, and whether their grading, elevation, and design is appropriate for the context.

c.

Any special considerations of the lot with respect to existing grades, proposed appropriate grades and the drainage patterns in relation to adjacent properties and the proposed structure.

(f)

Exceptions. The planning commission may grant exceptions to the neighborhood design standards in this section 19.08.025 through the site plan review process, based upon the following criteria:

(1)

The exception shall only apply to the design standards in this section, and not be granted to allow something that is specifically prohibited in other regulations;

(2)

Any exception dealing with the placement of the building is consistent with sound planning, urban design and engineering practices when considering the site and its context within the neighborhood.

(3)

The placement and orientation of the main mass, accessory elements, garages and driveways considers the high points and low points of the grade and locates them in such a way to minimize the perceived massing of the building from the streetscape and abutting lots.

(4)

Any exception affecting the design and massing of the building is consistent with the common characteristics of the architectural style selected for the building.

(5)

The requested exception improves the quality design of the building and site beyond what could be achieved by meeting the standards - primarily considering the character and building styles of the neighborhood and surrounding properties, the integrity of the architectural style of the proposed building, and the relationship of the internal functions of the building to the site, streetscape and adjacent property.

(6)

The exception will equally or better serve the design objectives stated in section 19.08.025(a), and the intent stated for the particular standard being altered.

(Ord. 2392, Sec. 3, 2018; Ord. 2407, Sec. 3, 2019)

Not less than two off-street parking spaces shall be provided for each dwelling unit. Not less than one parking space shall be in a garage or carport, the remaining space or spaces and the access thereto shall be paved with a Portland cement concrete or hot-mix asphalt surface. For additional parking regulations see chapter 19.46.

(Ord. 1882, Sec. 2, 1995)

(a)

All new buildings or structures and proposed expansions and enlargements of more than ten percent of the existing floor area of existing buildings except single family dwellings, group homes and residential design manufactured homes shall prepare and submit a site plan in accordance with chapter 19.32 Site Plan Approval prior to the issuance of a building permit.

(b)

Any teardown of an existing residential structure and any new principal residential structure on a vacant lot shall send notice to all property owners within 200 feet of the lot, excluding rights-of-way. Notice shall be sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, on a form provided by the city indicating the action requested, that plans are on file with the city for review, the contact information of the property owner, and the main contact for the proposed construction. The city shall not issue any permits until provided evidence that notice has been sent.

(c)

If application is made for a building permit for a building or structure, which is not required to submit a site plan and whose architectural style or exterior materials in the opinion of the building official vary substantially from such style or materials which have been used in the neighborhood in which the building or structure is to be built, the plans and supporting information for such building or structure shall be submitted to the planning commission for review and approval as to its compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood. This paragraph shall not apply to single-family dwellings, group homes and residential design manufactured homes.

(Ord. 1882, Sec. 2, 1995; Ord. 2392, Sec. 3, 2018; Ord. 2407, Sec. 3, 2019)