The following requirements shall apply to all multifamily developments within the city.
(2006 Code, ch. 28, art. X; Ordinance 09-05-797, sec. 2 (art. X), adopted 5/18/09)
(a) 
Building design.
(1) 
Maximum height.
The maximum height of a multifamily development shall be 31 feet from the first finished floor elevation to the top plate on the third floor, including attached garages, excluding third floor vaulted ceilings. Accessory buildings, including detached garages, garden sheds, gazebos, etc. shall not exceed 16 feet in height.
(2) 
Roofscapes.
(A) 
Roof materials for a multifamily structure shall be comprised of architectural/dimensional composition shingle (30-year minimum), flat pan standing seam metal roofing (only with a factory baked-on muted color finish; no bright colors or natural-colored metal roofing allowed), or terra-cotta or slate tile in muted colors.
(B) 
Minimum roof pitch shall be a 5:12 ratio.
(C) 
Rooftop-mounted air conditioning equipment shall be prohibited.
(D) 
A minimum of 30 percent of the total dwelling units shall have one (1) vaulted ceiling with a 12-foot-high peak on the upper floor of any building.
(3) 
Storage space.
An enclosed storage facility shall be provided for each dwelling unit with direct access provided from that unit. The minimum size of each storage facility shall be 25 square feet and contain not less than 175 cubic feet. A garage shall not count as a storage facility.
(4) 
Entry doors.
All entry doors shall be of steel construction.
(5) 
Aluminum windows.
Mill finished aluminum windows shall be prohibited.
(6) 
Security systems.
Each dwelling unit shall have a security system.
(7) 
Exterior walls.
(A) 
At least two masonry materials in addition to glass may be used on any single building.
(B) 
Exterior walls shall be composed of a minimum of 75 percent masonry (brick, stone or tile, hand laid, unit-by-unit, or veneer simulations of such materials having the appearance of hand-laid units), a maximum of 15 percent non-masonry product (exterior insulation and finish systems of natural aggregates and synthetic binders having a minimum applied three-fourth inch thickness, exposed aggregate, glass block and decorative concrete masonry units other than flat gray block); and no more than ten percent other non-masonry materials, excluding doors, windows or window walls. The percentage of masonry shall be measured for each expanse of exterior wall between corners of 15 degrees or more.
(C) 
Buildings with linear frontage in excess of 80 feet shall have no less than 30 percent of the total area of front facades offset a minimum of four feet, either protruding forward of or recessed back from the remainder of the facade. Buildings having a linear frontage less than 80 feet shall have no less than 30 percent of the total area of front facades offset a minimum of two feet.
(b) 
Site facilities.
(1) 
Unit size and mix.
The average minimum dwelling unit size shall be 1,000 square feet. Not less than 50 percent of the total dwelling units in the multifamily development shall be one bedroom units, and the maximum number of three-bedroom units shall not exceed five percent of the total number of dwelling units. No efficiency units shall be permitted.
(2) 
Clubhouse.
A clubhouse, which shall be available to all residents of the development, with a minimum of 2,500 square feet in size, shall be provided for any multifamily development of 200 units or less, a minimum of 3,500 square feet in size for 201 to 350 units, and 4,000 square feet for 351 units or more.
(3) 
Swimming pool.
One swimming pool having a minimum of 800 square feet of surface water shall be provided for each multifamily development. A second pool shall be provided in any multifamily development of greater than 250 dwelling units.
(4) 
Play areas.
One play area having a minimum area of 1,000 square feet and at least one piece of play equipment (which shall be manufactured, installed and maintained according to the specifications published in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission “Handbook for Public Playground Safety,” 1991, and ASTM 51487-95, “Standard Consumer Safety Performance Specifications for Playground Equipment for Public Use”) shall be provided for each multifamily development. A second play area shall be provided for any multifamily development with greater than 250 dwelling units.
(c) 
Building placement.
(1) 
Orientation of buildings.
Within a multifamily development, a minimum of 50 percent of the buildings within 100 feet of any public right-of-way shall be placed so that any side of such building shall have an angle of 30 degrees or more to that right-of-way. The intent of this provision is to avoid the external appearance of long, monotonous building alignments and to provide for internal courts between building clusters for parking and open space/recreation.
(2) 
Separation of buildings.
Buildings within a multifamily development shall be located no less than 20 feet apart.
(3) 
Setbacks from property lines adjacent to streets.
No multifamily development building, or any part thereof, shall be placed less than thirty (30) feet from the right-of-way of any public street.
(4) 
Setbacks from property lines not adjacent to streets.
No multifamily development building, or any part thereof, shall be placed less than:
(A) 
Fifteen feet from rear and side property lines (or ten feet with landscaping if approved by the planning and zoning commission);
(B) 
Fifty feet from the property line of an abutting residential district for single- or two-story buildings not exceeding 30 feet in height (or 40 feet with additional landscaping if approved by the planning and zoning commission). One hundred feet from the property line of an abutting residential district for three-story buildings.
(5) 
All other buildings which abut a residential district shall be set back from the residential district line not less than twice the height of the highest point on the building above grade. No setback shall be less than 50 feet.
(d) 
Parking and circulation.
(1) 
A minimum of 50 percent of the required parking spaces of a multifamily development shall be either an attached enclosed garage or a detached multi-car covered parking structure. Detached covered parking shall function unobtrusively and shall be compatible with the main buildings of the multifamily development in terms of materials design, style and color. Detached covered parking structures, if used, shall be located near the building served. No detached covered parking structure shall accommodate more than ten parking spaces or be located closer than ten feet to another parking structure.
(2) 
All parking spaces located between any building and the right-of-way of any public street or single-family district shall be screened from view in accordance with the screening and landscape standards.
(3) 
When garages are used within dwellings, one-car garages shall be a minimum of ten feet wide and 20 feet long, and each garage shall count as one-half of a required parking space.
(4) 
The storage of recreational vehicles and boats shall not be permitted to occupy any required parking space(s), and areas dedicated to such storage shall not be directly visible from any public right-of-way or single-family property line.
(2006 Code, sec. 28-251; Ordinance 09-05-797, sec. 2 (art. X, sec. 1), adopted 5/18/09; Ordinance 15-06-994, secs. 5(a), (b), adopted 6/2/15)
(a) 
A minimum of 40 percent of the gross platted area of each multifamily development site shall be devoted to landscaping, open space areas, pools and similar outdoor recreational activity areas.
(b) 
All property lines and access points to a multifamily development shall have a minimum six-foot-high perimeter fence, which shall be constructed of masonry or wrought iron with masonry columns.
(c) 
All satellite dishes/antennas, refuse collection areas and refuse compactors within a multifamily development shall be placed unobtrusively and screened from view of the perimeter of the development.
(2006 Code, sec. 28-252; Ordinance 09-05-797, sec. 2 (art. X, sec. 2), adopted 5/18/09)
(a) 
Compatibility.
All signage within a multifamily development shall be architecturally compatible with the main buildings of the multifamily development in terms of materials, design style and colors.
(b) 
Freestanding signs.
Multifamily [developments] may have freestanding signs subject to the following restrictions:
(1) 
Freestanding signs shall be limited to monument signs.
(2) 
Only one monument sign may be erected on any multifamily development site, except that where a site possesses frontage on at least two streets, a maximum of two monument signs may be used.
(3) 
A minimum setback of 15 feet from any street right-of-way and from property lines abutting a single-family use shall be required of all monument signs. No monument sign shall exceed 35 square feet in sign area or seven feet in height.
(4) 
No part of a monument sign shall be closer than 25 feet (measured radially) to another freestanding sign on an adjacent sign site, nor shall any part of a freestanding sign be closer than 100 feet radially to another freestanding sign on the same multifamily development site.
(c) 
Attached signs.
An attached sign shall have a maximum sign area of one-half times the width of the building width with a maximum area of 35 square feet.
(2006 Code, sec. 28-253; Ordinance 09-05-797, sec. 2 (art. X, sec. 3), adopted 5/18/09)
(a) 
The planning and zoning commission shall hold a public hearing on any request for a variation or exception to the standards provided by this article. The planning and zoning commission may not recommend a variation or exception unless the planning and zoning commission determines that the variation or exception will not substantially alter the intent of the standards established by this article.
(b) 
Prior to hearing a request for a variation or exception under this article, notice of a public hearing on the request shall be sent to all owners of property, as shown on the current tax rolls, located within the area of application and within 200 feet of any property affected thereby, within not less than ten days before such hearing is held. Such notice may be served by using the last known address as listed on the city tax roll and depositing the notice, postage paid, in the United States mail. At least ten days’ notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be published in the official newspaper of the city.
(c) 
All recommendations of the planning and zoning commission under this article shall be forwarded to the city council. When the planning and zoning commission denies a request for a variation or exception to the standards set forth in this article, a hearing before the city council shall be set only if a written appeal is filed by the applicant with the city manager or his/her designee within 15 days of the date of the denial.
(2006 Code, sec. 28-254; Ordinance 09-05-797, sec. 2 (art. X, sec. 3), adopted 5/18/09)
The planning and zoning commission shall hold a public hearing on any proposed amendment or supplement to this article. After the public hearing is closed, the planning and zoning commission shall immediately make its recommendation and report to the city council. At least 15 days’ notice of the time and place of such hearing shall be published in a newspaper having a general circulation in the city.
(2006 Code, sec. 28-255; Ordinance 09-05-797, sec. 2 (art. X, sec. 4), adopted 5/18/09)