City of Rancho Cucamonga, CA Chapter 17.120 GENERAL DESIGN PROVISIONS

§ 17.120.010 Purpose and applicability.

The purpose of this chapter is to provide general design standards for all development as applicable according to section 17.118.020 (Applicability). The standards are organized under two major categories: site plan design and building design. In general, the standards prioritize the relationship of a structure to other structures, uses, views, existing site conditions, and pedestrian orientation, and emphasize consistency in architectural design across a building and a site. This chapter does not include guidelines.

(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022)

§ 17.120.020 Site design.

A. Grading. Proper grading techniques that are sensitive to natural conditions must be utilized for reasons of public safety, maintenance, aesthetics, and environmental protection.

1. To minimize impacts on existing terrain, the maximum amount of cut (excavation) shall not exceed five feet below the natural grade and the amount of fill shall not exceed three feet above the natural grade.

2. Grade land and landscape in increments of no more than five feet to avoid exposing vast expanses of bared earth at any given time in order to minimize soil erosion.

3. Split pads, built-up foundations, stepped footings, or stem walls shall be used for buildings on lots with an average slope that exceeds eight percent.

4. All graded slopes must be either rounded off or contoured.

5. Driveways.

a. The slope of a driveway shall not exceed 15 percent at any point along the length or width of the driveway (except as permitted within the Hillside Overlay Zone).

b. The slope of a driveway within 18 feet in front (the side with the garage door) of any garage shall not exceed five percent.

B. Building Orientation. Buildings shall be placed in a manner compatible with existing and planned uses and buildings.

1. For sites with more than two primary buildings, buildings must be sited to create plazas or common open space.

2. Building orientation shall provide shelter from seasonal high winds.

C. Access and Circulation. Site design must provide safe and efficient paths of travel for vehicles and pedestrians and reduce conflicts between pedestrian and vehicles.

1. Vehicular access.

a. On all new development sites within the Wildland-Urban Interface Area, two means of ingress and egress are required.

b. Access for both required means of egress shall connect with existing access points (driveways, intersections, or median openings) wherever possible.

c. Shared access with adjoining properties shall be provided where feasible.

d. All points of access shall be designed in conformance with the applicable city engineering services department and fire district standards and policies.

2. Pedestrian access.

a. Pedestrian walkways shall be provided between the primary entries of all buildings and the public sidewalk, on-site pathways/paseos, greenway, or other shared open space.

b. Pedestrian walkways shall be direct (straight) as physically/technically possible.

c. Pedestrian walkways shall be paved in a manner that is continuous materially and visually distinct from areas for vehicular circulation.

d. Pedestrian walkways shall be delineated with landscaping.

e. Pedestrian walkways shall include human-scaled, low intensity level lighting that is continuously illuminated between sunset and sunrise. Such lighting may be mounted on poles/posts, embedded in low walls, or in the pavement or ground. When mounted on a vertical structure (pole, post, or wall), the light source shall not be more than three feet above the walkway surface.

f. Pedestrian walkways must connect the on-site open spaces with public sidewalks and building entrances.

g. For sites with more than two primary buildings, common open spaces, plazas, or courts must be accessible from all corners.

FIGURE 17.120.020-1 ACCESSIBILITY OF OPEN SPACES

3. Greenways.

a. On-site greenways that link private common areas with public areas such as rights-of-way and multi-purpose trails are required for residential projects and for projects of three acres or more.

b. Required greenways shall:

i. Provide a continuous connection across the project site.

ii. Have a minimum average width of 20 feet but at no point be less than ten feet in width.

iii. Have no solid walls or fencing for a minimum of 50 percent of its length. When adjacent to residential properties within a subdivision, gates shall be provided in any wall/fence that separates a lot within the subdivision to allow direct access to the greenway.

iv. Provide for equestrian (local feeder trail) use in the Equestrian Overlay Zone.

v. Connect to existing or planned greenways located on adjacent properties with no walls/fences or gates inhibiting access between the subject property and adjacent properties.

vi. Be recorded as an easement on common property that is privately maintained.

4. Multi-purpose trails.

a. All trails ("regional," "community," and "local feeder" as defined in the trails implementation plan) must be constructed according to the city's technical standards related to, for example, surface material, fencing, access gates, drainage, and landscaping.

b. Where existing traditional bicycling, pedestrian, equestrian travel routes, and routes to schools exist through a property, trails must preserve the traditional paths where possible.

c. All new developments are to be designed in accordance with the Trails Implementation Plan and adopted trail standards as defined in that document.

d. Within the Equestrian Overlay Zone, trail connections must be provided through recorded easements in order to connect disconnected (or incomplete) trails segments to the overall trails network and for needed access to recreation facilities/activities.

e. Local feeder trails must be provided adjacent, and parallel to the rear (or side) property line of residential lots for equestrian access and related equestrian service (e.g. hay delivery and animal care) access for all residential development within the Equestrian Overlay Zone.

f. At least one means of public access to the trails network and one internal loop trail system of local feeder trails must be provided in all residential development within the Equestrian Overlay Zone.

g. Corral Areas.

i. A corral area with a minimum area of 576 square feet shall be provided in the rear yard of all residential lots in all new residential development within the Equestrian Overlay Zone.

ii. This corral area may be rectilinear (24 feet by 24 feet or 12 feet by 48 feet) or circular (27 feet in diameter).

iii. This corral area shall be graded flat/level. It is not necessary to provide any physical improvements for the corral area such as fences, posts, etc.

iv. Grade access from the corral area to the trail with a maximum slope of five to one (5:1) and a minimum width of ten feet.

v. Corral areas must be placed adjacent to the local feeder trail that serves the lot.

vi. Lots shall include a gate at the rear or side perimeter from the rear yard to the local feeder trail for use and trail maintenance purposes.

D. Parking. The following standards supplement the standards of chapter 17.64 (Parking and Loading Standards).

1. Frontage. The combined frontage of access driveways and parking in the form of surface parking or freestanding garages/carports may occupy:

a. A maximum of 40 percent of the frontage of any lot up to 100 feet in width.

b. A maximum of 30 percent of the frontage of any lot more than 100 feet in width.

FIGURE 17.120.020-2 MAXIMUM PARKING FRONTAGE

2. Parking access.

a. A maximum of two driveway aprons for one-way traffic and one driveway apron for two-way traffic may be permitted per street frontage per lot. Lots greater with 400 feet of street frontage or greater may have one additional driveway apron per street frontage.

b. Entrances to parking facilities along a block frontage shall be separated by a minimum of 40 feet, excluding access to parking plazas.

c. Where possible, driveway aprons serving adjacent parking facilities shall be shared.

d. Access to parking for corner parcels shall not be provided from the front of the lot.

e. Driveways shall not exceed 16 feet in width through public parkway frontages. Where providing access to fire lane, the drive aisle shall widen to a minimum of 26 feet.

f. Access to parking shall be a minimum of 50 feet from the intersection of the front and street-facing side property lines.

3. Parking in single-family residential development. A minimum 50 percent of all the dwelling units within a single-family residential development project shall comply with at least one of the following requirements:

a. The garage is detached, and located 20 feet behind, the main dwelling unit.

b. The face ("wall" plane) of the garage door is parallel to the side or rear property line of the lot.

c. The face ("wall" plane) of the garage door of an attached garage is a minimum of ten feet behind the longest wall plane (measured horizontally) of the main dwelling unit that faces the street / public right-of-way.

4. Freestanding residential garages/carports.

a. Drive aisles may not exceed 150 feet in length when garages/carports are aligned; 200 feet when garages/carports are staggered or offset.

b. Freestanding garage/carport structures may house up to eight cars side-by-side.

c. Each car space within a multiple-space garage or carport structure shall be separated with a solid wall/partition in accordance with the Building Code except where two or more spaces are designated to serve a single dwelling unit.

d. For single garage units, the inside dimension shall be a minimum of ten feet by 20 feet.

e. All drive aisles shall incorporate the design and technical requirements of the fire district such as minimum aisle width, "hammerhead" turnarounds, fire lane markings, and curbing.

f. Garage/carport structures shall have materials, finishes, trim, and colors that match the corresponding elements of the primary building of a multi-family residential development or the main dwelling unit of a single-family residential development.

g. Vertical support elements of carport structures shall have a minimum horizontal dimension of six inches.

5. Tuck-under parking. All tuck-under parking shall be in individually secured garages with garage doors.

6. Structured parking.

a. Any portion of structured parking levels facing the right-of-way must be screened from view by at least one of the following features:

i. Regular "punched" openings designed to resemble windows of habitable space;

ii. Trellis or living wall with vertical landscaping; or

iii. Custom textured or decorative screening.

b. Controlled one-way vehicle ingress/egress for parking facilities (gates, doors, etc.) may not exceed 12 feet in width. Controlled two-way vehicle ingress/egress for parking facilities (gates, doors, etc.) may not exceed 24 feet in width. Exceptions to these maximum width requirements are those deemed necessary for public safety access.

c. Parking for residential units shall be separated from parking for nonresidential uses through a controlled fence, gate or other barrier, provided that such controls do not inhibit pedestrian access between these parking areas.

7. Tandem.

a. Tandem parking may be used to satisfy the required off-street parking requirement.

b. Tandem parking that requires backing out onto a public street is prohibited.

8. Bicycle parking.

a. Short-term bicycle parking. Short-term bicycle parking shall be located within 30 feet of a primary building entrance and shall be visible from the primary building entrance.

b. Long-term bicycle parking. Long-term bicycle parking must be located on the same lot or property as the use it serves in a parking facility; a dedicated room or building; an enclosed bicycle locker; or a fenced, covered, and locked bicycle storage area.

E. Paving.

1. Hardscape materials. On-site hardscape material shall be permeable or pervious and light in col-or with a high solar reflective index.

2. Paving within setback area. Plazas or outdoor seating areas located within street-facing setbacks or private frontage areas must be separated or visually distinguished from the sidewalk by landscaping, raised planters, special paving or similar features. Paving within required setback areas shall be different from that of the adjacent public sidewalk.

F. Landscaping. The following standards supplement the standards of chapter 17.56 (Landscaping Standards).

1. Minimum dimension. The minimum dimension of any required landscape area is 30 inches.

2. Existing features.

a. Natural features, such as trees and vegetation over ten feet in height, rock outcroppings, and water sources must be maintained and incorporated into the site design.

b. Existing, mature trees where the drip-line is outside of the proposed building footprint must be preserved unless it can be demonstrated that other development standards cannot be met.

3. Plant selection. Plants must be selected to reinforce community identity, create a pleasant and livable environment, control erosion, provide protection from wind and hot summer sun, and tie new development into the surrounding context.

a. Landscape species must be native, low-water usage, and low maintenance.

b. Landscaping must be fire-resistant. In high fire hazard areas, plant material must conform to the fire district's vegetation management codes and standards.

c. In the wildland-urban interface fire area, plants, trees, shrubs, and ground covers shall consist of species and spacing in accordance with the fire district's applicable codes and standards.

d. Landscaping must be placed according to sunlight needs.

e. Plant size at maturity must be considered when planting near property lines, buildings, site features, streets and sidewalks.

f. Where a nonresidential development abuts residential property, landscaping in the nonresidential side yard must not exceed the height of the residential structure.

g. Trees on southern and western exposures must be deciduous.

4. Prohibited. The following may not count toward required landscaping:

a. Plant species that are listed by California Invasive Plan Council (Cal-IPC) as invasive.

b. Flammable mulch.

5. On-site drainage. On-site drainage shall be provided using natural drainage channels, bioreten-tion areas, or other landscape areas that filter surface water run-off.

6. Landscape accents.

a. Required landscaped areas within the front setback shall include at least one of the follow-ing:

i. Specimen trees.

ii. Flowering trees or plantings.

iii. Decorative rockscape features.

iv. Accent pavement or pavers.

b. Landscape features are required at all primary building entries.

G. Walls and fences. The following standards supplement the standards of chapter 17.48 (Fences, Walls and Screening).

1. For corner side yards of lots in a new residential development, walls/fences shall have a minimum setback of five feet from the interior edge of the sidewalk pavement (or in the absence of a well-walk, the street side property line).

2. On corner side yards of lots in an existing residential development, any new wall/fence where there is not an existing wall/fence must have a minimum setback of five feet from the interior edge of the sidewalk pavement (or in the absence of a sidewalk, the street side property line).

3. On corner side yards of lots in an existing residential development, any new wall/fence where there is an existing wall/fence may be constructed at the setback of the existing wall/fence.

4. New fences in the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area shall of non-combustible materials.

5. Retaining walls.

a. All retaining walls must be constructed in a stepped or terraced fashion with the maximum height for any single wall no more than four feet, unless physical limitations on the site or structural engineering conditions do not make terracing feasible. If the change in grade is greater than four feet, a series of retaining walls, interspersed by planting areas in a stepped or terraced fashion shall be constructed to minimize its visual prominence and avoid a monolithic appearance. The minimum separation between terraced retaining walls shall be three feet (measured between the nearest vertical surfaces of the walls).

b. Retaining walls visible from the public right-of-way are to be constructed of decorative concrete blocks or have a decorative finish.

c. Retaining walls shall provide visual interest through the use of form, texture, detailing and planting. When a retaining wall contains an entry stairway to the residence, the design of the wall shall include features that emphasize the entryway.

6. Perimeter fences and walls. Walls enclosing the perimeter of a residential development shall be constructed of decorative CMU such as split-face or fluted block, or CMU with a decorative finish such as stucco or stackstone.

H. Refuse and recycling areas.

1. Location. Common refuse (trash), green recycling, and general recycling containers/bins and structures used for the purpose of enclosing such containers/bins shall not be located:

a. Within any required street-facing setback;

b. In any required parking or landscaped areas; or

c. In any other area required to remain unencumbered, according to fire and other applicable building and public safety codes.

2. Container/bin materials. Containers/bins used for the collection and storage of refuse and recyclable materials shall be:

a. Constructed of a durable waterproof and rustproof material;

b. Covered when the site is not attended;

c. Secured from unauthorized entry or removal of material; and

d. Of a capacity sufficient to accommodate materials collected between collection schedules.

3. Visibility. Common refuse (trash), green recycling, and general recycling containers/bins shall be screened by enclosures such that no containers/bins are visible from the public right-of-way.

a. Enclosure materials may include landscaping, fences or walls.

b. Constructed enclosures must be durable, waterproof and rustproof.

4. Clear zone. The area in front of and surrounding all enclosure types shall be kept clear of obstructions and accessible.

5. Drainage. The floor of the enclosure shall have a drain that connects to the sanitary sewer system.

I. Fire Safety. Areas designated as high fire hazard areas must provide vegetation management and landscaping in accordance with the fire district's codes and standards.

(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022)

§ 17.120.030 Building design.

A. Architectural integrity and unified palette. A single recognizable design theme is required for each building. No particular style of architecture is required; however, individual structures must exhibit a consistent and unified palette of textures, materials, and colors. Subtle variations that provide visual interest but do not create abrupt changes in the overall design of the immediate area allowed.

1. Architectural design elements, including roofline articulation, windows, architectural details, materials, and colors, must be applied consistently across all building facades to create a total continuity of design. The design of residential structures, detached garages, and other accessory buildings must reflect a distinctly rural theme, including the use of open fencing, lack of uniformity in siting, predominance of single-story structures, and the building materials consistent with those of the primary structure.

B. Building entrances.

1. Changes in roof-form, building massing, and/or architectural articulation must be incorporated to identify the entry location. This may include towers, spirals, domes, color, trellises, fountains, public art, plazas, and/or changes in massing.

2. Weather protection must be provided over each building entrance.

C. Blank walls.

1. Wall segments that are devoid of any articulation, fenestration, or embellishment may not exceed 18 feet in length.

2. Blank walls at ground level must be enhanced with architectural details, landscaping, climbing vines, and/or landscaped trellises or lattices.

D. Materials and color.

1. Primary building materials. Primary building materials for principal and accessory buildings are limited to:

a. Stucco (minimum two-coat; synthetic stucco is not permitted).

b. River rock, stackstone, brick, stone. Any of these materials may be native or manufactured.

c. Brick.

d. Siding. May be wood, composite wood, or cement fiberboard.

e. Exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS).

2. Secondary building materials. Secondary building materials for principal and accessory buildings are limited to:

a. Stucco (minimum two coat stucco; synthetic stucco is not permitted) siding.

i. Siding must be wood, composite wood, vinyl, or cement fiberboard.

ii. Wood siding must be painted or stained.

b. River rock, stackstone, brick, or manufactured stone (building base only).

c. Tile (for bulkheads below display windows and decorative accents only).

d. Metal (matte finish or Corten).

e. Concrete masonry units consisting of decorative concrete blocks or concrete blocks with a decorative finish.

i. One the building base only.

ii. Basic/plain (precision) concrete masonry units are not permitted.

f. Smooth finished concrete (building base only, board-form only, cast concrete not permitted).

3. Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area. In the Wildland-Urban Interface Fire Area, all materials must be those approved by the Building Code and Residential Code for construction in the high fire hazard areas.

4. Accent/detail materials. Building materials for detail and ornament may include, but are not limited to, metal (e.g. wrought iron, bronze, copper, aluminum, and tin), fiberglass, tile, terra cotta, fieldstone, and plaster.

5. Change in material. Change in building material may occur only at the inside corner of a change in wall plane. Material must wrap around outside corners.

6. Porches, balconies, decks, and exterior stairs. Porches, balconies, decks, and exterior stairs must be stucco or wood. Railings must be wood or steel.

7. Durability of materials.

a. Exterior finish materials shall have an expected lifespan of no less than 30 years.

b. Exterior timber shall be protected from decay by stain and sealant.

c. Exterior ferrous metals shall be protected from corrosion either through the use of galvanized, stainless, or weathering steel.

8. Roofing materials.

a. Permitted roofing materials for primary and accessory buildings are limited to tile roofing material made of clay, ceramic, concrete, slate, metal, composite materials such as fiberglass, or cool roof membranes. Composition shingle shall only be used on additions or replacements to existing buildings with roofing of the same material and must meet 30-year durability standards.

b. When such circumstances allow the use of composition shingles, the roof materials shall be of architectural dimension style to create a shadow.

c. Detached accessory structures with roof cover such as patio covers, cabanas, etc., with a floor area of less than 120 square feet in area and/or are not subject to public view from streets or from adjacent land uses may use other roof materials as approved by the planning director.

d. Accessory structures for equestrian or agricultural uses such as barns for keeping of horses or storing of agricultural equipment may include other roof materials (e.g., metal) as approved by the planning director.

E. Equipment screening.

1. Visibility of roof-mounted equipment. Building parapets or other architectural elements shall screen roof-mounted equipment from visibility as seen from the centerline of the nearest right-of-way at a point six feet above the finished surface. Screening shall be architecturally consistent with the building and match the existing building with paint, finish, and trim cap detail.

2. Height of roof-mounted equipment. Roof mounted equipment greater than 12 inches above the roof line, except for roof exhaust vents, plumbing vents, and solar panels, should be screened from being visible as seen from the centerline of the nearest right-of-way at a point six feet above the finished surface.

3. Solar equipment. Rooftop solar panels shall have a low-profile, flush-mounted design, with a maximum of six inch gap between the solar panel and the roof material. If solar panels are mounted on a flat roof and cannot be parallel to the roof surface, the entire underside of any solar panels visible from a public street shall be screened with a mesh or wood lattice screening painted to match the color of the solar array frame.

4. Location of ground-mounted equipment. Mechanical and electrical equipment is not allowed in street-facing setbacks unless screened with a solid wall or fence.

5. Visibility of ground-mounted equipment. Site-and ground-mounted mechanical or electrical equipment shall be screened using plant materials, fencing, or walls from public right-of-way. Conduits shall not be exposed on exterior walls and shall be embedded either in walls or landscaping.

6. Screening height. All screen devices shall be as high as the highest point of the equipment being screened.

7. Drain-waste-vent-system. Supply, exhaust and venting plumbing, conduits, and flues shall be concealed within the walls of a building.

F. Sustainability.

1. Residential buildings must be oriented along a north-south axis where possible to maximize passing heating and cooling.

2. All new construction shall incorporate landscaping and fenestration to passively cool the building, energy-efficient HVAC systems, and energy efficient lighting.

3. All energy generation devices must blend in with the building color.

4. All on-site landscaping shall be drought-resistant and require minimal irrigation.

5. All appliances, HVAC systems, and lighting shall be electric and energy-efficient.

(Ord. No. 1000 § 4, 2022)