(A)
Purpose.
The Urban (U) districts are intended to allow cohesive, orderly,
creative, and predominantly vertically-oriented mixed-use and mixed-density
developments. There are two types of Urban districts: Urban Residential
(UR) and Urban Business (UB). UR districts are predominantly residentially-oriented
districts that may also include a limited number of integrated nonresidential
uses that are compatible with, harmonious with, and supportive of,
a high-density, urban-style residential neighborhood. UB districts
are predominantly business- and shopping-oriented districts that may
also include a limited amount of integrated residential uses that
are compatible with, and supportive of, a high-density, urban-style
business district.
The Urban districts are also intended to establish a distinctive
community character in specially selected areas through innovative
and mutually-sustaining land uses, urban-style and pedestrian-oriented
site design, efficient traffic and pedestrian circulation, innovative
and high-quality architectural elements and landscaping concepts,
and other similar enhanced design features that will in turn elicit
a strong sense of community, civic pride, and of satisfaction with
quality of life among those who choose to enjoy the lifestyle created
by these districts.
Appropriate flexibility in final design should be given to developers
and designers of Urban districts to allow creativity for the opportunities
associated with individual sites. The Urban districts can include
a mixture of architectural styles ranging from contemporary to traditional.
The general intent of these districts is to maximize utilization of
land for a mixture of mutually sustainable uses, while also utilizing
open spaces to the greatest extent possible in an urban setting for
public recreation and leisure purposes. Urban districts are intended
to include a diverse mixture of residential housing choices and business/employment
opportunities (for example, live-work units) in a symbiotic and urban-style
environment that not only accommodates residents’ needs to live,
work, learn, and play within a neighborhood setting, but that also
builds long-term stability, civic pride and fiscal value for the community
in general.
(B)
Allowed
Uses.
All allowed uses (whether by right or by SUP) in
the UR or UB district (as applicable) are indicated within the Land Use Matrix, Article 5 of this Chapter 2. Single-family attached residences are only allowed in the Urban districts to the extent they are in compliance with the SFA district requirements.
(C)
Use
Integration.
Developments within the Urban districts
must be comprised of a mixture of residential and nonresidential uses
that are conducive to a live-work environment.
(1)
For
UR districts, compatible, complementary nonresidential land uses on
the first (ground) floor level are allowed but not required. However,
all first (ground) floor levels must be constructed to retail building
standards, including a minimum floor-to-ceiling height of twelve feet.
These ground floor areas may be occupied by any allowed use, but shall
be constructed to accommodate retail and restaurant uses in response
to market demand.
(2)
For
UB districts, a minimum of seventy percent of the total building square
footage within each development must be devoted to nonresidential
uses (such as, retail, office, personal services). The remaining building
square footage (maximum 30%) must be devoted to residential land uses,
predominantly on levels above the first floor.
(3)
Other
combinations (in terms of percentages) of land use mixtures may be
achieved by establishment of a Planned Development (PD) district that
is based upon the applicable Urban district.
(D)
Parking.
Off-street parking and loading for Urban districts must be in
compliance with provisions of the Land Use Matrix, Article 5 of this Chapter 2 and with Chapter 4, Article 2 of this GDC unless otherwise provided below.
(1)
Number
of Parking Spaces.
For all nonresidential uses in an Urban district, the number of required off-street parking spaces may be reduced as provided in Section 7.11(D) [7.12(D)] in Chapter 7 of this GDC (the DT district) for each type of use as shown on the Land Use Matrix, Article 5 of this Chapter 2.
(2)
Location.
Surface off-street parking areas in an Urban district is prohibited
in front of any structure within a designated front yard unless specifically
approved during the plan review process. Surface off-street parking
areas must be located generally to the side or rear of the main buildings
in designated side or rear yards.
(3)
Orientation.
Surface off-street parking areas in an Urban district must be
subdivided so as to avoid large expanses of pavement.
(4)
On-Street
Head-In or Angled Parking.
Unless a street segment is
restricted by City ordinance as a “No Parking” zone, a
single bay of angled or parallel parking in an Urban district may
be provided along the street in front of main buildings (see Illustration
2-7).
|
Illustration 2-7 Example of Angled and Parallel Parking
in Urban Districts
 |
(5)
Shared
and Off-Site Parking.
(6)
Structured
(Garage) Parking.
To enhance the overall visual character
of an Urban district, and to mitigate overall bulk appearance of parking
structures, the following design standards apply to parking structures
in an Urban district:
(a)
All above-grade parking structures must be designed to be consistent
with and complementary to the architectural style of the main building(s),
and must incorporate at least two of the following design elements:
i.
Distinctive architectural elements (cornices, piers, columns, friezes,
quoins, mullions, fenestration, pilasters, rustication, or accentuating
belt courses - see Illustration 2-8);
ii.
Variation in wall planes (wall openings, canopies, articulations,
wall convexities and/or concavities, balconies, or awnings - see Illustration
2-8);
iii.
Change in materials (defined as a minimum of two separate, compatible
materials excluding glazing - each separate material must be at least
twenty percent of each facade’s surface area, excluding glazing);
iv.
Change in colors (defined as a minimum of two separate, compatible
colors excluding glazing - each separate color must be at least twenty
percent of each facade’s surface area, excluding glazing).
(b)
All above-grade parking structures must be designed with a distinguishable
first floor, upper facades, and roofs. Parking garage first floors
must be designed at human scale with pedestrian-scale elements such
as awnings, canopies, window breaks, and door openings.
(c)
Above-grade parking garages may be designed using decorative metal
elements such as ornate meshes, screens and the like, but non-decorative
steel guard cables that are visible to the public or to adjacent properties
are prohibited.
(7)
Individual
Residential Garages and Driveways.
(a)
Individual residential garages and driveways in an Urban district
must be designed, constructed, and operated to allow access only from
a rear (or side) alley or an interior common access service drive
aisle, a dedicated fire lane, or a dedicated shared parking court
(and may not be facing or accessed from a public street).
(b)
Garages in an Urban district must be set back from any street or
alley right-of-way a minimum of twenty feet;
(c)
Driveways for residential dwelling units must be no wider than twelve
feet until the driveway is beyond the adjacent front building face.
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Illustration 2-8 Examples of Acceptable Facade Articulation
for Parking Structures
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
(E)
Screening
and Buffering.
(1)
Screening
and Buffering Between Uses.
Screening walls or other buffering elements in an Urban district, which are typically required between varying types of uses (see Chapter 4, Article 3 in this GDC), are only required when establishing a new nonresidential use adjacent to a pre-existing residential use or residential zoning district. This requirement may be waived by the Planning Director during the review and approval of the initial development application if the Director determines the screening is not necessary to protect the adjacent property from the new use. Required screening devices in an Urban district must be designed in such a way that allows pedestrian access to the development from public sidewalks along streets, as well as from adjacent properties where cross-access would be beneficial to both properties.
(F)
Signage.
All signage within an Urban district must be in compliance with Chapter 4, Article 5 unless otherwise provided below:
(1)
Unity
in Design.
Signs within an Urban district must conform
to a unified design, such that size, materials, and colors of each
sign are similar and complementary.
(2)
Freestanding
Signs.
All freestanding signs within an Urban district
must be monument style (that is, not pole or pylon style), unless
otherwise varied and approved during the sign permitting process.
(3)
Pedestrian-Scale
Signs.
Signs in a pedestrian-scale setting (such as along
storefront pedestrian walkways) within an Urban district must be pedestrian-oriented
and may include under-awning, hanging signs, or perpendicular signs
attached to a building.
(G)
Pedestrian
Access - Sidewalks.
Sidewalks must be provided between
the street and the building, and shall be a minimum of eight feet
in width except in pre-developed areas where the sidewalk system is
already established prior to the effective date of this GDC. In those
areas, redevelopment of lots or tracts must include repairs or replacement
of the adjacent portion of the existing sidewalk, as determined by
the Director of Transportation and in compliance with the City’s
standards in effect at the time. Barrier-free ramps must be added
(or replaced) at all street corners and at any designated mid-block
pedestrian crossings in accordance with local, state, and federal
law.
(H)
Building/Architectural
Design.
(1)
Purpose.
The intent of architectural design controls in Urban districts
is to promote distinctive, high-quality architectural design in a
pedestrian-scale setting that sets a particular Urban development
apart visually (and thematically) from other developments in the vicinity.
The development standards provided in this Section are intended to
promote continuity among redevelopment projects and new structures
within a particular Urban district.
(2)
Compatibility.
Exterior construction in an Urban district must be compatible
and complementary as to design and colors throughout each development.
(3)
Uniformity.
All buildings must employ “four-sided architecture”
in an Urban district, meaning that comparable design elements must
be used on all exposed sides of a building. No lesser quality design
elements may be used in an Urban district for the rear or any side
of a building unless the side is screened from ground level view.
(4)
Articulation.
Architectural features of buildings in an Urban district must
provide diversity and articulation of wall surfaces through use of
one or more of the following architectural elements: pilasters, quoins,
projected awnings, solid canopies, bay windows, or towers. Additional
horizontal and vertical building articulation requirements of an Urban
district are as follows:
(a)
Horizontal Building Articulation.
i.
Building facades that are visible to a public street and that are
between forty feet and one hundred feet in length require at least
one horizontal articulation break that is a minimum of two feet in
depth for at least twenty percent of the total length of the building
facade. Curved facades may be used to meet the articulation requirement
if at least one-half of the curved facade meets the minimum two-foot
depth.
ii.
Building facades that are visible to a public street and that are
over one hundred feet in length require at least one horizontal articulation
break per fifty linear feet that is a minimum of two feet in depth,
so that the cumulative articulation breaks total at least twenty percent
of the building facade’s total length. Curved facades may be
used to meet the articulation requirement if at least one-half of
the curved facade meets the minimum two-foot depth.
(b)
Vertical (Roofline) and Building Articulation.
i.
Building facades that are visible to a public street and that are
between forty feet and one hundred feet in length require at least
one vertical articulation break that is a minimum of twenty percent
higher or lower than the building facade’s average unarticulated
height for at least twenty percent of the building facade’s
total length.
ii.
Building facades that are visible to a public street and that are
over one hundred feet in length require at least one vertical articulation
break that is a minimum of twenty percent higher or lower than the
building facade’s average unarticulated height for every fifty
linear feet, so that the cumulative vertical articulation breaks total
at least twenty percent of the building facade’s total length.
(c)
Each sequential block of new development within an Urban district
must contain a unique, but visually compatible, building facade to
encourage architectural variety within larger projects by using a
combination of architectural elements.
(5)
Facades
and Building Forms.
An identifiable first floor, upper
facade, and rooflines. First floor facades must be designed Building
facades that are visible to a public street in an Urban district must
be designed with at human scale with elements such as window bays,
recessed entries, awnings, canopies, and other human-scale architectural
features. Additional building facade and form requirements for Urban
districts are as follows:
(a)
First floor facades may not exceed twenty feet in height, but interior
spaces may be taller than upper level building floor-to-ceiling heights;
(b)
First floor facade heights must be consistent for individual buildings,
so as to form a distinctive horizontal “base floor” visual
element;
(c)
Buildings must reflect a small-scale visual pattern along the street
frontage with building bay widths of approximately twenty-five to
fifty feet;
(d)
Upper facades must be designed using architectural elements such
as window spacing, facade sections, projections/concavities, awnings,
window covers, window hoods, and balconies;
(e)
Individual floors must be identifiable with elements such as material
changes, trim, color changes, moldings, cornices, belt courses, awnings,
balconies, or other similar architectural features; and
(f)
To emphasize the pedestrian scale, building facades must incorporate
at least one element from at least two of the following groupings:
i.
Architectural elements such as cornices, piers, columns, friezes,
quoins, mullions, fenestration, pilasters, rustication, or belt courses.
ii.
Variations in wall planes with canopies, balconies, or awnings.
iii.
Changes in materials or color - each facade must incorporate at least
two separate materials or color changes, excluding glazing. Each separate
material or color change must comprise at least twenty percent of
each facade’s appearance, excluding glazing.
(6)
Highly
Reflective Exterior Construction Materials.
Highly reflective
materials and surfaces, including reflective metal siding and mirrored
glass glazing, must be installed in such a manner as to diffuse reflective
light and prevent the focused redirection of sunlight or other luminants
beyond the boundary line of the premises on which the facility is
located.
(8)
Building
Entries.
(a)
Main building entrances in an Urban district must be from public
sidewalks or plazas and comply with the following:
i.
In order to create a pedestrian-oriented and access-friendly environment,
a building must have its main entrance from a public sidewalk or plaza
or from a private sidewalk or plaza that is publicly accessible through
a public easement.
ii.
Secondary entrances to a building from a parking lot are permitted.
iii.
Main entrances to a building must be easily identifiable and must
utilize pedestrian-scale design elements.
(b)
Building entrances in an Urban district must be accented by architectural
elements such as recessed facades, columns, overhanging roofs, awnings,
or balconies.
(c)
Spaces in an Urban district that are along pedestrian walkways and
parking lots must provide rear entrances to buildings that are identifiable
with elements such as signage, plantings, awnings above rear windows,
or other human-scale elements.
(d)
Residential Entries.
Street-level dwelling units within
multi-unit structures in an Urban district must have individual street-oriented
or common corridor entries. The fronts of all townhouse, row home
or other single-family attached dwelling units shall face an adjacent
open space, park or street.
(9)
Roofs.
(a)
Roof lines in an Urban district must be consistent with the coordinated
architectural theme and variable in terms of shape, pitch, and height,
in order to avoid long expanses of flat similar roof lines.
(b)
Roofs in an Urban district must be designed as individual design
elements, and must be utilized to screen roof-mounted mechanical equipment
and satellite dishes.
(c)
The use of mansard or gambrel roofs is prohibited in an Urban district.
(I)
Site
Design.
(1)
Purpose.
The intent of site design controls in Urban districts is to
optimize pedestrian scale, building utilization, efficient traffic
circulation, and visual quality. The arrangement of building masses,
parking areas, open spaces, landscaping, pedestrian walkways, and
site furnishings must encourage pedestrian activity, create unique
views, and create an attractive, safe, and sustainable development
site.
(2)
Site
Design.
(a)
Building Orientation.
Building orientation in an Urban
district must consider uses both within structures and outside; plazas,
open spaces, and other pedestrian spaces must be integrated into the
site.
(b)
Block Lengths.
Block lengths in Urban districts must
be characterized by smaller, walkable blocks that are connected to
each other; cul-de-sacs or other single-entrance streets are prohibited
unless, due to topography or existing development patterns, there
is no other reasonable alternative to serve the Urban development.
Single-entrance streets may be approved by the Planning Director during
the development review process based on the foregoing criteria. Small
block lengths and connected street patterns provide opportunities
for traffic efficiency and pedestrian connectivity.
(c)
View Corridors.
The arrangement of streets, open spaces,
and buildings in an Urban district must create view corridors where
practicable.
(d)
Scale.
The massing of new buildings in an Urban district
must be articulated in a variety of ways, including the use of projecting
and recessed elements such as porches, cantilevers, balconies, bay
windows, and roof dormers, to reduce their apparent overall bulk and
volume, to enhance visual quality, and to contribute to human-scale
development. Larger-scale residential buildings with a box-like appearance
are prohibited in an Urban district unless approved by the Planning
Director during the development approval process to the extent that
the Planning Director determines that the buildings meet the spirit
and intent of the Urban district.
(3)
Height,
Density and Area Requirements.
The following are the
height, density, and area requirements required for lots and structures
in an Urban district, unless otherwise provided in this Section:
(a)
Minimum size of an Urban district rezoning request is three acres
unless the area to be rezoned is immediately adjacent to an existing
Urban district.
(b)
Minimum lot width is thirty feet.
(c)
Minimum lot width for multifamily tracts is seventy-five feet.
(d)
Minimum lot depth is one hundred feet.
(e)
Maximum lot coverage may not exceed eighty percent of the site unless
a higher amount is granted as part of a Planned Development.
(f)
Minimum building height is thirty feet if residential or vertical
mixed-use, fifteen feet if nonresidential.
(g)
Maximum building height is seventy-five feet, excluding roof-mounted
mechanical equipment or architectural design features.
(h)
Minimum density of multifamily residential is thirty dwelling units
per net developable acre of land.
(i)
Maximum density of multifamily residential is eighty dwelling units
per net developable acre of land.
(j)
The minimum dwelling unit sizes in the Urban district must follow
the MF district standards.
(4)
Yard
and Build-To Lines.
(a)
Yards in an Urban district must be free from any encroachments, unless
otherwise provided for in this GDC, including primary buildings, accessory
buildings, detached garages, and ground-mounted mechanical equipment.
(b)
Buildings and structures in an Urban district must be in compliance
with the following provisions (all setbacks are measured from the
property line):
i.
Front maximum build-to line is twenty feet; all areas adjacent to
a street are front yards; no parking is allowed in the front yard
unless otherwise approved during the site permitting process.
ii.
Front minimum build-to line is ten feet from a public street right-of-way
line, and zero feet from a private street or access easement provided
that utilities and pedestrian circulation (sidewalks) are accommodated.
iii.
The maximum front porch setback is fifteen feet.
iv.
All rear and side yards must be a minimum of ten feet.
v.
Dwelling units may be attached to each other with appropriate fire
walls (in accordance with the City Code).
(c)
At least seventy-five percent of the front facade of any structure
facing a street in an Urban district must be located between the minimum
and the maximum build-to lines. Up to twenty-five percent of the facade
may be located further from the back-of-curb than the maximum build-to
line but may not be located greater than fifty feet beyond the maximum
build-to line. No part of any front facade in an Urban district may
be located between the back-of-curb and the minimum build-to line
(see Illustration 2-10).
(d)
The following provisions apply to side-yard and rear-yard setbacks
in an Urban district, where adjacent to traditional single- or two-family
residential districts:
i.
Urban developments must provide a solid masonry screening wall that is in compliance with the design standards provided in Chapter 4, Article 3 of this GDC), and the minimum side and rear setbacks must be 1.25 times the maximum height of the building or a maximum of fifty feet.
ii.
Where adjacent to a single-family district, all portions of the building
above thirty-five feet in height must be set back to fit within a
forty-five degree slope measured from the residential property line
to maintain privacy for adjacent traditional single- or two-family
residential zoning (see Illustration 2-9).
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Illustration 2-9 Example of Setback for Shallow Parcels
Adjacent to Traditional Single- and Two-Family Zoned Residential Areas
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Illustration 2-10 Front Setback and Build-To Lines for
Mixed-Use Buildings
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(5)
Amenities.
The residential components of an Urban district must incorporate and provide communal and personal convenience amenities on-site (that is, within the development), in accordance with the minimum number requirements provided in Subsection (6) below, unless provision of the amenities is approved in an off-site location in accordance with Subsection (7) below. Communal and personal amenities may include the following:
(6)
Amenities
Required by Size of Development.
The minimum number of amenities that must be provided on-site (or as may be approved off-site pursuant to Subsection (7) below) for the residential components of an Urban district are as follows:
(a)
A development having up to, and including two hundred dwelling units must provide at least two of the amenities listed in Subsection (5) above;
(7)
Shared
Amenities.
The Planning Director may, using the procedure for alternative compliance (as set forth in Chapter 4, Article 1, Division 2 of this GDC), approve shared use of amenities among two or more developments provided that use of the amenities by residents of all applicable developments is ensured in perpetuity in a form that is acceptable to the City.
(8)
Site
Furnishings.
Site furnishings in an Urban district development
must comply with the following:
(a)
Site furnishings, including (but not limited to) benches, litter
receptacles, planters, bollards, lighting, bicycle racks, public art,
and fountains in an Urban district must emphasize the architectural
character of each individual Urban development.
(b)
Individual Urban developments must maintain continuity in the style,
forms, materials, and colors of site furnishings. Site furnishings
must be of the same architectural character as the buildings in the
development.
(c)
Site furnishings must be durable, low-maintenance, and resistant
to vandalism.
(d)
Site furnishings must be placed so as to maintain an unencumbered
walkway of at least four feet in width for pedestrians.
(e)
Lighting for off-street parking facilities and pedestrian corridors
must be of the same height, style, and color. Lighting must complement
the architectural style and character of the buildings in the development.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15; Ordinance 7079, sec. 27, adopted 8/20/19; Ordinance 7107, sec. 25, adopted 12/3/19; Ordinance 7344 adopted 7/5/22)
