[Zoning Order Art. 7, Div. IV, 4-2-2008]
Both the mixed use and mixed use addition development patterns
in the Official Master Plan shall be implemented by the following
design standards. They shall apply to the following zoning districts:
"PR-2" Planned Mixed Residential District and "PM" Planned Mixed Use
District.
[Zoning Order §7.080, 4-2-2008]
A.
Residential Uses.
1.
Encourage developments with mixtures of densities, lot sizes and
housing types.
2.
Foster neighborhood security with means for maintaining activity
at all times of the day.
3.
Encourage linking neighborhoods with safe, attractive pedestrian
connections both along the street and on open space greenways.
4.
Connect residences to each other and to neighborhood parks, schools,
public facilities and shops with direct pedestrian pathways.
5.
Encourage interconnectivity among neighborhoods to distribute traffic
evenly and avoid excessive traffic on any one street and limit traffic
cutting-through from one neighborhood to another or from one County-maintained
road to another.
6.
Minimize cut-through traffic within a neighborhood by providing a
safe access configuration for internal and external traffic movement
and design streets with appropriate speeds based upon the intended
use, allowing for narrower widths and other traffic calming measures.
7.
Encourage parks and community facilities.
B.
Non-Residential Uses.
1.
Provide a focal point for neighborhoods surrounding office and commercial
development.
2.
Allow a mixture of non-residential and residential uses to occur
in a compact, pedestrian friendly manner.
3.
Allow vehicular access to the varied activities that occur in the
mixed use development pattern, but never at the expense of pedestrian
safety.
4.
Encourage buildings with diverse and interesting architectural styles
that allow mixed use developments to attain a unique identity in the
County.
5.
Prescribe compact development patterns that preserve rural qualities
of outlying areas.
[Zoning Order §7.090, 4-2-2008]
A.
Residential
uses implementing the mixed use and mixed use addition development
patterns in the Official Master Plan shall meet the following design
standards.
1.
Street design.
a.
Residential streets should be laid out so that any single block face
does not exceed one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet in length.
Streets may exceed these dimensions in the case of topographical constraints
or natural features that are worthy of preservation. Mid-block pedestrian
connections should be encouraged where they will provide safer, more
efficient pedestrian access than conventional sidewalks along streets.
These mid-block pedestrian crossings shall be installed with proper
signage and/or signalization in order to alert vehicular traffic of
the crossing. These dimensions shall provide a dedicated mid-block
pedestrian connection through the block; each such block segment shall
not exceed eight hundred (800) feet. Street layouts should provide
right-of-way connections to the edge of the development to adjacent
sites, so that street patterns can be extended to future development,
where topography allows and future anticipated land uses would benefit.
b.
Paved sidewalks shall be provided in mixed use developments where
connectivity to commercial uses from residential uses is necessary
based upon an evaluation of:
2.
Lot access, circulation and parking.
a.
Vehicular access may be by a rear or side alley. Alley-facing garages
shall be set back at least four (4) feet from the rear right-of-way
or easement line. Where the property line extends to the centerline
of the alley, the garage shall be set back ten (10) feet from the
centerline.
b.
Exterior off-street surface parking may be located behind the principal
structure.
c.
Driveways should be set back at least one (1) foot from the side
lot line, except that shared driveways may be allowed through an easement
designated on a plat.
3.
Relationship to adjacent property.
a.
The majority of residences are encouraged to be within one-half (½)
mile of an existing or planned non-residential center of the mixed
use development.
b.
Lower-density residential patterns should be located on edges that
transition to rural areas or to other mixed use developments.
c.
Higher-density residential areas with eight (8) or more dwelling
units per acre should be located within one thousand two hundred (1,200)
feet of the non-residential center of the mixed use development, civic
uses such as schools or common open space. Areas with less than eight
(8) dwelling units per acre should be at least one thousand two hundred
(1,200) feet from the non-residential center.
[Zoning Order §7.100, 4-2-2008]
A.
Residential
and non-residential uses implementing the mixed use and mixed use
addition development patterns in the Official Master Plan shall meet
the following design standards.
1.
Street design.
a.
Non-residential streets shall be laid out so that any single block
face does not exceed six hundred (600) feet in length. Streets may
exceed these dimensions in the case of topographical constraints or
natural features that are worthy of preservation. These dimensions
shall provide a dedicated mid-block pedestrian connection through
the block.
b.
Cul-de-sacs or dead-end streets should not be used for non-residential
streets. However streets that terminate with cross streets (t-intersections)
are encouraged when used in conjunction with the location of significant
buildings or architectural elements at the termination of the street.
c.
Sidewalks shall be required and should be located near the street
edge. Tree wells or landscape wells are encouraged along the street
edge every seventy-five (75) feet on center. Location of sidewalks
should reflect tree locations.
d.
On-street parking is encouraged to provide a buffer for pedestrians,
calm traffic and reduce vehicle speeds and to reduce the need for
dedicated off-street parking lots.
e.
Street layouts should provide right-of-way connections to the edge
of the development to adjacent sites, so that street patterns can
be extended to future development, where topography allows and future
anticipated land uses would benefit.
2.
Lot access, circulation and parking.
a.
Sidewalks adjoining the front of a building facade shall be a minimum
of eight (8) feet wide. Sidewalks separated three (3) or more feet
from building facades may be as narrow as five (5) feet wide. Sidewalks
should be provided along street rights-of-way.
b.
Vehicle access is encouraged through rear alleys. In cases where
rear alleys are not feasible, vehicle access points should be limited
to side streets.
c.
Any off-street parking shall be behind the building or located to
the side of the building. Any parking located to the side of the building
shall be set back at least ten (10) feet from the right-of-way and
screened. A fence or wall screening of a minimum of three (3) feet
high shall be constructed between the parking lot and the sidewalk.
Landscaping approximately three (3) feet high shall be provided along
with the fence or wall screening. The design and character of the
combined landscaping and fence, masonry wall or decorative wall screening
should be compatible with the architectural design and character of
adjacent buildings.
d.
No more than thirty-five percent (35%) of any single block should
be dedicated to off-street parking. However, blocks that are set up
for centralized public parking to serve multiple non-residential uses
in the mixed use center may occupy up to fifty percent (50%) of a
block. Combined landscaping and fence, masonry wall or decorative
wall screening should be provided for each street frontage of a parking
area. Such screening should be compatible with the architectural design
and character of surrounding buildings on the fronting street. The
screening should be a minimum of three (3) feet high.
3.
Relationship to adjacent property. Connections shall
be maintained between residential and non-residential uses. Transitional
areas between residential and non-residential uses should be designed
to ensure that the uses are compatible and may include:
a.
A perimeter masonry wall, landscaping or a combination of a masonry
wall and landscaping, though any wall should be between three (3)
to four (4) feet high and include gates for pedestrian access in appropriate
places;
b.
Vehicle or pedestrian alleys, access roads, overflow parking, storm
drainage facilities or any other low intensity element of the site
near transition areas, though any such element should be accompanied
by landscaping elements, berms or screening walls that make the transitions
to the less intense use appropriate;
c.
Four-sided architecture (designing all sides of the building with
similar architectural details, materials and colors to avoid the appearance
of a back side of any building) where rear of structure is visible
from a public view; and
