The Multiple-Family Residential Districts (Medium Rise) are designed to provide sites for medium-density multiple-dwelling structures adjacent to secondary and major thoroughfares and freeway service drives. This district is designed to provide a zone of transition between secondary and major thoroughfares and/or more intensive uses of land such as high rise office or high rise multiple-family uses and the less intensive uses of land such as low rise multiple-family uses and/or single-family residential. This district is further designed to provide a zone of medium height limitation which may be more desirable than the RMU (High Rise) District which permits unlimited height and could be detrimental to established areas.

The Multiple-Family Residential Districts (High Rise) are designed to provide sites for high-density multiple-dwelling structures adjacent to high traffic generators commonly found in the proximity of Regional Shopping Centers and areas abutting major thoroughfares and expressways. This district is further provided to serve the residential needs of persons desiring the apartment-type of accommodation with central services as opposed to the residential patterns found in the one (1) family residential and RM, Multiple-Family Residential Districts. This district is further designed so as to provide a zone of transition between these major thoroughfares and high traffic generators and other residential districts through more open space.

In an RMM or RMU Multiple Family Residential District, no building, structure or land shall be erected or used in an RMM or RMU Multiple Family Residential District unless the site plan therefor has been approved per the provisions of section 5.22.

(Ord. No. 1793, § 6, 8-19-24)

(1)

Multiple-family dwellings in structures between three (3) and six (6) stories within the RMM Medium Rise District, and seven (7) stories to unlimited in height, providing yard requirements are satisfied within the RMU High Rise District.

(2)

Retail and service uses clearly accessory to the principal use and in accordance with section 5.95, paragraph (3).

(3)

Accessory buildings and uses customarily incidental to any of the above permitted uses.

(Ord. No. 1432, 1-14-99)

The following use (uses) may be permitted upon the review and approval of the city council only after a recommendation by the planning commission. The use, or uses, may only be approved when the following general standards have been satisfied and subject to the conditions hereinafter imposed.

(1)

Standards.

(a)

The proposed use or uses must be of such size and character that it will be in harmony with the appropriate and orderly development of the multiple family residential districts - medium rise (RMM) and high rise (RMU).

(b)

The proposed use must be in accord with the spirit and purpose of this chapter and not be inconsistent with, or contrary to, the objectives sought to be accomplished by this chapter and principles of sound planning.

(c)

The proposed use is of such character that the vehicular traffic generated will not have an adverse effect upon, or be detrimental to, the surrounding land uses or the adjacent thoroughfares.

(d)

Failure to begin construction within twelve (12) months of approval of the city council shall make the approval null and void unless an extension is requested, in writing, by the applicant and the request is granted by the city council.

(e)

In approving a special use, the city council may attach reasonable conditions regarding the location, character and other features of the proposed use as they may deem reasonable in the furtherance of the intent of this section.

(2)

Uses.

(a)

Housing for the elderly upon review and report from the Southfield Housing Commission concerning the suitability and appropriateness so as to not isolate the development either socially or physically from the balance of the community; in relation to accessibility to convenience services such as shopping, banking, health care, community facilities, and transportation. In addition, the housing commission shall review and report on the design of the project and the amenities of the project (such as, but not limited to, recreational, social and other support facilities) and further that:

1.

All dwelling units shall consist of at least a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and private bath and toilet and each unit shall contain not less than five hundred and twenty-five (525) square feet (48.825 square meters) for a one (1) bedroom unit and seven hundred (700) square feet (65.1 square meters) for a two (2) bedroom unit except that not more than twenty-five (25) percent of the units may be of an efficiency type of not less than four hundred and twenty-five (425) square feet (39.525 square meters). The floor area shall be measured from the interior faces of all walls. This requirement of unit sizes for housing for the elderly has been established to reflect economy as well as efficiency recognizing the absence of children, the lack of need for large entertaining areas within units, and the provisions of common areas located within the project.

2.

Parking shall be established per section 5.30, off-street parking requirements assisted living/elderly. The city council may permit the reduction of parking spaces installed not to exceed fifty (50) percent which may be provided in a landscaped parking bank which will allow the conversion of landscaped areas into additional parking at the request of the planning department. Such landscaped parking banks shall not be computed in minimum landscape requirements. All required parking shall be ten (10) feet (3.05 meters) in width, center to center, and twenty (20) feet (6.1 meters) in length with a minimum aisle width of twenty-two (22) feet (6.71 meters).

3.

The site shall be so developed as to create a land-to-building ratio on the lot or parcel in accordance with the following schedule:

4.

The owner shall file with the Oakland County Register of Deeds a covenant, approved as to form by the city attorney, in which said owner shall covenant on behalf of himself, his heirs, executors and assigns not to use the property for any other use than housing for the elderly unless the use complies with all requirements of the zoning ordinance. Required compliance includes, but is not limited to, density, unit sizes, parking, and setbacks.

(b)

Urban town homes or row style housing is defined as attached, two to three-story residential units designed with the appearance of an individual unit with the main entrance fronting a public right-of-way or private road. To accomplish this effect, modifications are allowed from the area and bulk regulations of the RMM or RMU district, as stated in sections 5.95, 5.96 and 5.97, article 8 and section 5.193, article 22. Approval is subject to the following standards and conditions:

1.

The proposed development shall have at least one (1) property line abutting a major thoroughfare and no further than ¼ of a mile from established retail uses.

2.

The building facades visible from all exterior property lines shall be constructed to be compatible with the adjoining land uses.

3.

There shall be a minimum of one (1) garaged parking space per residential unit which shall be attached to or within the residential unit.

4.

The required number of parking spaces per unit shall be defined under article 4, general provisions, section 5.30 off-street parking provisions.

5.

The unit density shall not exceed twenty-two (22) dwelling units per acre.

6.

Minimum floor area shall be determined by the following schedule:

Minimum floor area is the area of the unit measured from the outside faces of exterior walls to the center of interior walls of the unit. Included within the minimum floor area computation may be private balconies or private patios having a minimum dimension of five (5) feet (1.525 meters) and a minimum area of forty (40) square feet (3.72 square meters) with a maximum allowable area for computing minimum floor area not to exceed ten (10) percent of the unit size.

7.

Not less than fifteen (15) percent of the total gross site shall be developed in landscaping or public open space. As a part of the required landscaped area, a minimum of two and one half (2.5) percent of the site shall be provided in a private park site for the benefit of the residents of the development. The park may be developed with recreational uses, such as swimming pools, cabanas, gazebos, play structures, and other similar uses.

8.

Internal streets shall be constructed in accordance with city engineering standards and are intended to encourage on-street parking.

9.

Internal sidewalks five (5) feet wide shall be provided to connect residential units for pedestrian access.

10.

All buildings shall be set back not less than tewnty (20) feet from all peripheral property lines. Further, no front or side of any building shall be located closer than twenty (20) feet from the edge of pavement of any public or private street. Within the required twenty-foot building setback, the entire area, exclusive of sidewalks, driveways and porches, shall be in landscaping.

11.

There shall be a minimum of ten (10) feet of landscaped area along all peripheral property lines.

12.

Building separation shall be a minimum of sixty two (62) feet face to face and rear to rear with twenty (20) feet face to end, and fifteen (15) feet side to side.

13.

Building height shall not exceed three (3) stories or thirty six (36) feet in height and shall be measured in accordance with the standards under article 2 definitions, section 5.3 definitions (a-b).

14.

Building length and grouping. No building shall exceed ten (10) units and stacked units shall not exceed twenty (20) units and further no building shall exceed two hundred fifty (250) feet in total length.

15.

Condominium documents, if any, must be reviewed by the planning department, building department and city attorney's office to determine compliance with City Codes and ordinances.

16.

On street parking for the residential units is encouraged.

17.

Storm water management measures shall be designed in accordance with the city storm water management plan, as applicable, and the stormwater management plan for the site.

18.

No mechanical equipment shall be located in front of the homes. If mechanical equipment is located within a side yard, the equipment must be screened. Air conditioning units shall be incorporated within the design of the building, wherever possible.

19.

These requirements are applicable only for urban town homes or row style housing under subsection (b).

(Ord. No. 1462, 6-17-01; Ord. No. 1641, § 3, 5-31-15; Ord. No. 1678, § 5, 7-6-17)

(1)

The proposed development area for any RMU use shall have one (1) property line abutting a major thoroughfare or expressway service drive. The site shall be planned so as to provide ingress and egress only to said thoroughfare or expressway service drive.

(2)

All units shall have at least one (1) living room and one (1) bedroom except that ten (10) percent of the dwelling units in a multiple-family building may be of an efficiency type.

(3)

Any business uses on the site shall be developed as retail or service uses clearly accessory to the main use, within the walls of the main structure, and totally obscured from any exterior view. Such business uses shall not exceed twenty-five (25) percent of the floor area at grade level or fifty (50) percent of the floor area of a sub-grade level and shall be prohibited on all floors above the first floor, or grade level.

(4)

The entire area of the site shall be treated to service the residents of the apartment and any accessory buildings, uses or services shall be developed solely for the use of residents of the main building. Uses considered herein as accessory uses include: swimming pools, recreation areas, pavilions, cabanas, and other similar uses.

(Ord. No. 1339, 6-8-92)

See article 22, schedule of regulations, which limits the height and bulk of buildings, determines the permitted development area and provides minimum yard setback requirements in the RMM and RMU Districts.

It is the intent of this schedule to incorporate a sliding scale density provision which will prevent high density developments in low profile and low rise buildings which will provide a good living atmosphere and environment by controlling the open space in relationship to the dwelling units.

The distance between buildings on the same lot is regulated by the building distance formula and where, because of the building arrangement, the formula is not applicable, the minimum distance between buildings shall be thirty (30) feet (9.15 meters).

The area and bulk regulations shall be regulated as set forth in the "schedule of regulations" in article 22 except that: carports or garages may be located within fifty (50) feet (15.25 meters) of a side or rear property line where such lot line abuts a multiple-family zoning district or a nonresidential zoning district.

In all Multiple-Residence Districts, the minimum distance between any two (2) buildings shall be regulated according to the length and height of such buildings.

The formula regulating the required minimum distance between two (2) buildings (referred to as building "A" and building "B") is as follows:

S = LA + LB + 2(HA + HB) / 6

WHERE

S = Required minimum horizontal distance between any wall of building A and any wall of building B or the vertical prolongation of either.

LA = Total length of building A

The total length of building A is the length of that portion or portions of a wall or walls of building A from which, when viewed directly from above, lines drawn perpendicular to building A will intersect any wall of building B.

LB = Total length of building B

The total length of building B is the length of that portion or portions of a wall or walls of building B from which, when viewed directly from above, lines drawn perpendicular to building B will intersect any wall of building A.

HA = Height of building A

The height of building A at any given level is the height above natural grade level of any portion of portions of a wall or walls along the length of building A. Natural grade level shall be the mean level of the ground immediately adjoining the portion or portions of the wall or walls along the total length of the building.

HB = Height of building B

The height of building B at any given level is the height above natural grade level of any portion or portions of a wall or walls along the length of building B. Natural grade level shall be the mean level of the ground immediately adjoining the portion or portions of the wall or walls along the total length of the building.

Landscape plans and green infrastructure/low impact development methods required per article 4section 5.31(21)(b).

(Ord. No. 1678, § 5, 7-6-17)