The residential districts are designed to protect and enhance the residential character and livability of existing neighborhoods, and to achieve a broad and flexible range of housing choices within the community. Each residential district is designed to be consistent with the equivalent land use category in the comprehensive plan: low density residential, medium density residential, and high density residential. The districts are also intended to meet the relevant goals of the comprehensive plan regarding residential land use, housing, and neighborhoods.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.01, 11-8-2021)

(a)

One- and two-family dwellings. The following standards apply to accessory buildings that serve one- and two-family dwellings.

(1)

Number allowed. Each principal dwelling unit is allowed up to two detached accessory buildings for storage meeting the standards in Table 1004.02.

(2)

Accessory building performance standards. Accessory buildings for storage totaling 1,008 square feet may be permitted if the community development department determines that three of the following performance standards have been met:

a.

Matching the roof pitch to be similar to that of the principal structure;

b.

Adding windows or architectural details to improve the appearance of rear and side walls;

c.

Using raised panels and other architectural detailing on garage doors;

d.

Increasing side and/or rear yard setback; or

e.

Installing landscaping to mask or soften the larger building.

Table 1004.02 Accessory Building

^a  Notwithstanding the allowed maximum height, the height of an accessory building shall not exceed the height of the principal structure.

^b  Where the natural grade of a lot at the building line of a house is eight feet or more above the established street centerline, the community development department may permit a detached garage to be erected within any required yard to enable a reduction of the slope of the driveway to as little as ten percent, provided that at least one-half of the wall height is below grade level.

^c  Accessory buildings containing an accessory dwelling unit shall have the same rear yard setback as required in Table 1004.09 for principal buildings.

^d  The corner side yard setback requirement applies where a parcel is adjacent to a side street or right-of-way. The required setback from an unimproved right-of-way may be reduced to the required interior side yard setback by the community development department upon the determination by the public works director that the right-of-way is likely to remain undeveloped.

(b)

Attached and multifamily buildings. Attached and multifamily buildings are allowed one storage or maintenance structure and one garden shed per complex, plus detached garage structures as needed. Accessory buildings and sheds shall be located in rear or side yards behind the front building line of the principal structure. Accessory buildings and sheds shall be set back a minimum of ten feet from rear or side lot lines and from principal buildings.

(c)

Color, design, and materials. The exterior design and materials of an accessory storage building greater than 120 square feet in area and/or greater than 12 feet in height shall be similar to or compatible with those of the principal structure.

(d)

Driveway required. Any accessory building used for storing one or more motorized vehicles and/or trailers shall be served by a hard-surfaced driveway to an adjacent public street, if any of these items are removed from the accessory building more than two times in a ten-day period.

(e)

Construction timing. Accessory buildings shall not be constructed prior to the construction of the principal structure on the same site.

(f)

Permit required. Permits are required for all detached accessory buildings prior to construction.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.02, 11-8-2021)

In order to protect the character of residential neighborhoods, relocated dwellings shall meet all standards of the zoning district where they will be located. Relocations of dwellings require a relocation permit.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.03, 11-8-2021)

If existing houses on 50 percent or more of the frontage of any block have a predominant front yard setback less than the minimum required in this chapter, any new construction on that block frontage may have a reduced front yard setback equal to the average front yard setback of the two adjacent houses on the same side of the street.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.04, 11-8-2021)

Buildings in residential districts may be organized in several ways, including the following examples:

(1)

Arranged along the street without a common open space. Open space is provided on individual lots or on privately defined spaces to the rear of attached dwellings.

(2)

Arranged around a common courtyard that faces the street, with parking areas taking access off a shared drive to the side and rear of the buildings.

a.

The area of the courtyard is counted towards the overall density, toward lot coverage calculations, and as part of the lot area per unit;

b.

One-family detached dwellings arranged this way would be considered courtyard cottage dwellings.

(3)

Arranged along the street with a common open space area to the rear or side of the buildings, as is common in townhouse and multifamily developments. The open space area for resident use is counted towards the overall density, toward lot coverage calculations, and as part of the lot area per unit.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.05, 11-8-2021)

(a)

One- and two-family design standards. The standards in this section are applicable to all one- and two-family buildings, with the exception of accessory dwelling units. The intent of these standards is to create streets that are pleasant and inviting, and to promote building faces which emphasize living area as the primary function of the building or function of the residential use.

(1)

Garage doors shall not occupy more than 40 percent of the building façade (total building front); and

(2)

Garage doors shall be allowed to extend forward a maximum of five feet from the predominant portion of the principal use, while still required to meet the three-foot principal structure front yard setback and

(3)

Homes with an attached garage that is set back 100 feet or more from the front property line are exempt from meeting the requirement in subsection (a)(1) of this section, but must meet all other requirements of subsection (a) of this section.

(b)

Requirements apply to all new construction. On lots with physical constraints, such as lakefront lots, where the community development department determines that compliance with these requirements is impactful, the community development department may waive the requirements and instead require design enhancements to the garage doors to ensure that the purpose of the requirements is achieved. Design enhancements required for garage doors where the preceding requirements cannot be met may include such things as paint, raised panels, decorative windows, and other similar treatments to complement the residential portion of the façade.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.06, 11-8-2021)

(a)

The standards in this section are applicable to all structures that contain three or more units. Their intent is to encourage multifamily building design that respects its context, incorporates some of the features of one-family dwellings within the surrounding neighborhood, and imparts a sense of individuality rather than uniformity.

(b)

The following standards apply to new buildings and major expansions (i.e., expansions that constitute 50 percent or more of building floor area). Design standards apply only to the portion of the building or site that is undergoing alteration.

(1)

Orientation of buildings to streets. Buildings shall be oriented so that a primary entrance faces one of the abutting streets. In the case of corner lots, a primary entrance shall face the street from which the building is addressed. Primary entrances shall be defined by scale and design.

(2)

Street-facing façade design. No blank walls are permitted to face public streets, walkways, or public open space. Street-facing façades shall incorporate offsets in the form of projections and/or recesses in the façade plane at least every 40 feet of façade frontage. Wall offsets shall have a minimum depth of two feet. Open porches and balconies are encouraged on building fronts and may extend up to eight feet into the required setbacks. In addition, at least one of the following design features shall be applied on a street-facing façade to create visual interest:

a.

Dormer windows or cupolas;

b.

Recessed entrances;

c.

Covered porches or stoops;

d.

Bay windows with a minimum 12-inch projection from the façade plane;

e.

Eaves with a minimum six-inch projection from the façade plane; or

f.

Changes in materials, textures, or colors.

(3)

Four-sided design. Building design shall provide consistent architectural treatment on all building walls. All sides of a building must display compatible materials, although decorative elements and materials may be concentrated on street-facing façades. All façades shall contain window openings.

(4)

Maximum length. Building length parallel to the primary abutting street shall not exceed 160 feet without a visual break such as a courtyard or recessed entry.

(5)

Landscaping of yards. Front yards must be landscaped according to chapter 1011.

(6)

Detached garages. The exterior materials, design features, and roof forms of garages shall be compatible with the principal building served.

(7)

Attached garages. Garage design shall be set back and defer to the primary building face. Front loaded garages (toward the front street), if, provided shall be set back a minimum of five feet from the predominant portion of the principal use.

(8)

Surface parking. Surface parking shall not be located between a principal building front and the abutting primary street except for drive/circulation lanes and/or handicapped parking spaces. Surface parking adjacent to the primary street shall occupy a maximum of 40 percent of the primary street frontage and shall be landscaped according to chapter 1013.

(9)

All exterior wall finishes on any building must be a combination of the following materials: face brick, natural or cultured stone, textured concrete block, stucco, wood, vinyl siding, fiber-reinforced cement board and prefinished metal, or similar materials approved by the community development department.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.07, 11-8-2021)

Table 1004.08 lists all permitted and conditional uses in the residential districts.

(1)

Uses marked as "P" are permitted in the districts where designated.

(2)

Uses marked with a "C" are allowed as conditional uses in the districts where designated, in compliance with all applicable standards.

(3)

Uses marked as "NP" are not permitted in the districts where designated.

(4)

Uses marked with a "Y" in the "standards" column indicates that specific standards must be complied with, whether the use is permitted or conditional. Standards for permitted uses are included in chapter 1011; standards for conditional uses are included in chapter 1009.

Table 1004.08

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.08, 11-8-2021)

(a)

Statement of purpose. The LDR district is designed to be the lowest density residential district. The intent is to provide for a residential environment of predominantly low-density housing types, including one-family dwellings, accessory dwelling units, two-family dwellings, and courtyard cottages, along with related uses such as public services and utilities that serve the residents in the district. The district is established to stabilize and protect the essential characteristics of existing residential areas, and to protect, maintain, and enhance wooded areas, wetlands, wildlife and plant resources, and other sensitive natural resources.

(b)

Dimensional standards. Specific dimensional standards developments in the LDR district are established in the table below but developments may be organized according to section 1004.05.

Table 1004.09

^a  See section 1004.04.

^b  Covered entries and porches sheltering (but not enclosing) front doors are encouraged and may extend into the required front yard to a setback of 22 feet from the front property line.

^c  The corner side yard setback requirement applies where a parcel is adjacent to a side street or right-of-way. The required setback from an unimproved right-of-way may be reduced to the required interior side yard setback by the community development department upon the determination by the public works director that the right-of-way is likely to remain undeveloped.

^d  The horizontal distance between side lines of a lot, measured at right angles to its depth at the minimum required rear yard building setback line.

(c)

Improvement area. The improvement area, including paved surfaces, the footprints of principal and accessory buildings, and other structures like decks, pergolas, pools, etc., shall be limited to 50 percent of the parcel area. The purpose of this overall improvement area limit is to allow for rather liberal construction on a residential property while preventing over-building.

(1)

For the purposes of this section, the term "improvements" does not include yard ornaments, fences, retaining walls, gardens, planting beds, or other landscaping.

(2)

Within this improvement area limit, impervious surfaces shall be limited to 25 percent of the area within a shoreland management overlay district, or within the stormwater management or wetland protection overlay districts regulated in title 8, to mitigate surface water impacts caused by excess stormwater runoff.

(3)

Within this improvement area limit, impervious surfaces shall be limited to 30 percent of the parcel area for all other parcels. The purpose of these further limits on impervious surfaces within the overall improvement area allowance is to prevent problems caused by excess stormwater runoff. This impervious surface limit may be exceeded, within the allowed improvement area, by receiving approval from the city engineer to mitigate excess stormwater runoff, generated by additional hard surfaces, through technical analysis of building materials, soils, slopes, and other site conditions.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.09, 11-8-2021; Ord. No. 1629, § 2(1004.09), 3-20-2023)

(a)

Statement of purpose. The LMDR district is designed to provide an environment of one-family dwellings on small lots, accessory dwelling units, two-family to four-family dwellings, courtyard cottages, and townhouse dwellings, along with related uses such as public services and utilities that serve the residents in the district. The district is established to allow for a greater diversity of housing types throughout the city.

(b)

Dimensional standards.

Table 1004.10

^a  See section 1004.04.

^b  Covered entries and porches sheltering (but not enclosing) front doors are encouraged and may extend into the required front yard to a setback of 22 feet from the front street right-of-way line.

^c  Covered entries and porches sheltering (but not enclosing) front doors are encouraged and may extend into the required front yard to a setback of four feet to the front courtyard parcel boundary.

(c)

Improvement area. Improvement area, including paved surfaces, the footprints of principal and accessory buildings, and other structures like decks, pergolas, pools, etc., shall be limited to 60 percent of the parcel area. The purpose of this overall improvement area is to allow for rather liberal construction on residential property while preventing overbuilding.

(1)

For the purposes of this section, the term "improvements" does not include yard ornaments, fences, retaining walls, gardens, planting beds, or other landscaping.

(2)

Within this improvement area limit, impervious surfaces shall be limited to 25 percent of the area within a shoreland management overlay district, or within the stormwater management or wetland protection overlay districts regulated in title 8, to mitigate surface water impacts caused by excess stormwater runoff.

(3)

Within this improvement area limit, impervious surfaces shall be limited to 35 percent of the parcel area for all other parcels. The purpose of these further limits on impervious surfaces within the overall improvement area allowances is to prevent problems caused by excess stormwater runoff. This impervious surface limit may be exceeded, within the allowed improvement area, by receiving approval from the city engineer to mitigate excess stormwater runoff, generated by additional hard surfaces, through technical analysis of building materials, soils, slopes, and other site conditions.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.10, 11-8-2021; Ord. No. 1629, § 2(1004.10), 3-20-2023)

(a)

Statement of purpose. The MDR district is designed to provide an environment of varied housing types, including single-family attached dwellings, small multifamily buildings, two-family and small-lot, one-family dwellings, along with related uses such as public services and utilities that serve the residents in the district. The district is intended to promote flexible development standards for new residential developments and to allow innovative development patterns, consistent with the comprehensive plan.

(b)

Dimensional standards.

Table 1004.11

^a  Covered entries and porches sheltering (but not enclosing) front doors are encouraged and may extend into the required front yard to a setback of 22 feet from the front street right-of-way line.

^b  Zero feet setback for non-enclosed porch or 15 feet from A/B minor reliever or A minor augmentor, whichever is greater.

^c  Covered entries and porches sheltering (but not enclosing) front doors are encouraged and may extend into the required front yard to a setback of four feet to the front courtyard parcel boundary.

^d  Where courtyards are equal to or exceed 45 feet, covered entries and porches sheltering (but not enclosing) front doors may extend to the front courtyard parcel boundary.

^e  Requires landscaping and/or fencing approved by the community development department.

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.11, 11-8-2021)

(a)

Statement of purpose. The HDR district is designed to provide an environment of predominantly high-density housing types, including large and small multifamily buildings, and single-family attached dwellings, along with related uses such as public services and utilities that serve the residents in the district. The district is intended to promote flexible development standards for new residential developments and to allow innovative development patterns, consistent with the comprehensive plan.

(b)

Dimensional standards.

Table 1004.12

(Ord. No. 1606, § 1004.12, 11-8-2021)