Apartments are a type of attached housing within single-story or multi-story buildings. Apartment dwelling units may share common side walls, ceilings, or floors. The purpose of this chapter is to provide standards that promote quality development and enhance the livability, walkability, and safety of the community. Apartment development is intended to achieve the following:
A. 
Increase the number of affordable dwelling units;
B. 
Provide for a variety of housing types that meet the needs of Tigard's diverse population at all stages of life;
C. 
Facilitate the efficient use of land through higher-density attached housing; and
D. 
Support and complement transit services by providing ridership density and proximity.
(Ord. 18-23 §2; Ord. 18-28 §1; Ord. 20-01 §1; Ord. 22-06 §2)
A. 
The standards of this chapter apply to apartment development in the RES-D, RES-E, MUC, and MUR zones. Additional standards apply in the River Terrace Plan District as provided in Chapter 18.640, River Terrace Plan District. An applicant may elect to apply the approval process and standards of this chapter or of Chapter 18.280, Rowhouses, when proposing rowhouse development.
B. 
The standards of this chapter also apply to nonconforming apartment development in the RES-A through RES-C zones. In lieu of specific base zone standards, apartment development in these zones is subject to the RES-D zone standards.
C. 
This chapter does not apply to the following:
1. 
Apartment development in the Bridgeport Village Plan District is subject to the standards of Chapter 18.620, Bridgeport Village Plan District.
2. 
Apartment development in the MU-CBD zone is subject to the approval processes and standards of Chapter 18.650, Tigard Downtown Plan District.
3. 
Apartment development in the TMU zone is subject to the approval processes and standards of Chapter 18.660, Tigard Triangle Plan District.
(Ord. 18-23 §2; Ord. 18-28 §1; Ord. 19-09 §1; Ord. 20-01 §1; Ord. 22-06 §2; Ord. No. 24-05, 4/23/2024)
A. 
Base zone development standards are provided in Table 18.230.1.
Table 18.230.1
Apartment Development Standards
Standard
RES-D
RES-E
MUC
MUR
Minimum Setbacks (ft)
- Front or street-facing
20
20
1
1
- Side or rear adjacent to nonresidential or RES-E zone
10
10
0
0
- Side or rear adjacent to a RES-A—RES-D zone
10
10[1]
0
20
Maximum Setbacks (ft)
- Front or street-facing
None
None
12
12
Minimum Height (ft)
None
None
12
12
Maximum Height (ft)
35
45
185
60
Maximum Lot Coverage
80%
80%
None
None
Minimum Landscape Area
20%
20%
None
None
Minimum Density
11 units per acre
23 units per acre
None
None
Maximum Density
14 units per acre
30 units per acre
None
None
[1] An additional one foot of setback is required for each foot of building height above the maximum building height of the adjacent residential zone
B. 
Landscaping and screening. All required landscaping, including landscaping used to meet screening or tree canopy standards, is subject to the general provisions of Chapter 18.420, Landscaping and Screening.
1. 
The minimum landscape area standard is provided in Table 18.230.1. Landscaping standards are provided in Section 18.420.040. Any landscape area that meets the L-2 standard and any required common open space area may count toward meeting the minimum landscape area standard.
2. 
Screening standards are provided in Section 18.420.050. Screening is required as follows:
a. 
Service areas and wall- and roof-mounted utilities must be screened to the S-1 standard. Service areas and utilities are also subject to the standards in Subsection 18.230.040.G.
b. 
Apartments that abut a RES-A through RES-D zone must be screened to the S-3 standard along all property lines, except street property lines.
c. 
Surface vehicle parking areas, loading areas, and drive aisles within 20 feet of a street property line must be screened to the S-4 standard. Screening must be provided directly adjacent to the street property line, except where access is taken.
3. 
The minimum tree canopy standards for the site and any off-street vehicle parking areas are provided in Section 18.420.060.
C. 
Common space.
1. 
Common space is required.
a. 
In the RES-D and RES-E zones, the minimum total area of required common space is 10 percent of the gross site area or 48 square feet per dwelling unit, whichever is greater.
b. 
In the MUC and MUR zones, the minimum total area of required common space is 36 square feet per unit.
c. 
Multiple common spaces may be provided to meet this standard, but any area used to meet this standard must be a minimum of 20 feet in width and depth.
2. 
Apartment developments with less than 20 dwelling units and apartment developments or mixed-use developments in the MUC or MUR zones must provide at least two different items from the list below within areas identified as common space. Apartment developments with 20 or more dwelling units must provide at least four different items from the list below within areas identified as common space.
a. 
Playground equipment or nature play area for children,
b. 
Lawn or garden area, which may include an above-ground vegetated stormwater facility,
c. 
Roof-top or upper-story deck with a covered area that is a minimum of 15 feet in width and depth,
d. 
Courtyard or covered patio,
e. 
Swimming pool or water feature,
f. 
Sport court or workout room,
g. 
Library or office space, or
h. 
Other similar item as determined by the director.
3. 
At least 50 percent of the dwelling units in a development must face outdoor common space or a public street. This standard is met when the front door or a window from the kitchen, living room, or dining room of a dwelling unit faces the outdoor common space or a public street.
4. 
Building facades, including accessory structure facades, that face outdoor common space must meet the 15 percent window area requirement in Subsection 18.230.050.B or be screened to the S-4 standard as provided in Table 18.420.2.
5. 
Common space may not be located in the front setback or include sensitive lands, except common space in a public access easement may be located within the front setback.
6. 
Outdoor common space that explicitly allows dogs must include an approved dog waste bag dispenser and trash receptacle.
D. 
Private outdoor space.
1. 
Private outdoor space is required for each dwelling unit. Each private outdoor space must be a minimum of 48 square feet in area and a minimum of five feet in width and depth.
2. 
Private outdoor space must be directly accessible from the interior of the dwelling unit that it serves.
3. 
Additional common space above the required minimum may substitute for some or all of the required private outdoor space at a 1:1 ratio.
E. 
Pedestrian access.
1. 
Paths must provide pedestrian access from public sidewalks abutting the site to all required building entrances on the site.
2. 
Paths must provide pedestrian access between all common open space areas, vehicle and bicycle parking areas, building entrances, and service areas designed for use by residents. Paths within parking areas or along drive aisles are subject to additional standards in Chapter 18.410, Off-Street Parking and Loading.
3. 
Paths must extend to the perimeter property line to provide pedestrian access to existing or planned pedestrian facilities on adjacent properties, such as trails or public access easements.
4. 
Paths must be constructed with a hard surface material and have a minimum unobstructed width of five feet.
F. 
Vehicle and bicycle parking.
1. 
The applicable provisions and standards of Chapter 18.410, Off-Street Parking and Loading, apply to apartment developments.
2. 
Off-street surface vehicle parking areas, detached garages, and attached or detached carports may not be located closer to a street property line than the building closest to that street property line.
3. 
Off-street vehicle parking areas may not occupy more than 50 percent of the total length of each street frontage as measured 20 feet from the street property line. Drive aisles without adjacent parking spaces do not count as parking areas for the purposes of this standard.
4. 
Attached garages may be attached to any side of an apartment building. If attached to the street-facing facade, they may not be located closer to the street property line than the apartment building facade and the facade must include at least one entrance for each proposed garage that meets the standards of Subsection 18.230.050.A. Driveways associated with attached garages that take direct individual access from a public or private street must meet the rowhouse location and access standards in Chapter 18.280, Rowhouses.
5. 
A minimum of one bicycle parking space must be provided for every two dwelling units. Fractional parking space minima are rounded up to the nearest whole number. Apartment developments with 20 or more dwelling units must meet the following additional standards:
a. 
All bicycle parking required by Paragraph 18.230.040.F.5 above must be provided inside a structure or under a roof. This bicycle parking is exempt from the location standards of Chapter 18.410, Off Street Parking and Loading, but may not be located inside individual dwelling units.
b. 
Additional bicycle parking must be provided that is equal to or greater than 15 percent of the minimum parking requirement as provided in Paragraph 18.230.040.F.5 above. This additional bicycle parking must be provided within 20 feet of the street property line and be visible to pedestrians from the public sidewalk in front of the site. Bicycle parking may be located in the public right-of-way with approval of the city engineer.
G. 
Utilities and service areas.
1. 
Private utility facilities, such as transformers or control valves, that serve a single development must be located below ground or a minimum of 20 feet from any street property line or any property line adjacent to a residential zone if located above ground.
2. 
Service areas, such as waste and recycling containers, outdoor storage, and mechanical equipment, may not be located within 20 feet of any street property line or any property line adjacent to a residential zone, except where located inside a building.
H. 
Lighting.
1. 
Minimum illumination levels are measured horizontally at ground level.
a. 
The minimum average illumination is 1.5 footcandles for paths, except those within parking areas, which are subject to the lighting standards in Chapter 18.410, Off-Street Parking and Loading. All points of measurement must be a minimum of 0.5 footcandles.
b. 
The minimum average illumination is 3.5 footcandles for required building entrances and 2.0 footcandles for any non-required building entrances. All points of measurement must be a minimum of 1.0 footcandle.
2. 
Maximum illumination levels are measured vertically at the property line or sensitive lands boundary line. The maximum illumination is 0.5 footcandles at side and rear property lines, except that the maximum illumination may be increased to 1.0 footcandle where the development abuts a commercial or industrial zone. The maximum illumination is zero footcandles at any sensitive lands boundary line.
3. 
Lighting must be shielded, with a cutoff angle of 90 degrees or greater to ensure that it does not shine upwards. Lighting sources, such as lamps and bulbs, may not be directly visible from adjacent properties or sensitive lands.
I. 
Apartments are subject to all other applicable requirements of this title, including, but not limited to, standards related to streets, utilities, sensitive lands, and signs.
(Ord. 18-23 §2; Ord. 18-28 §1; Ord. 19-09 §1; Ord. 20-01 §1; Ord. 22-06 §2; Ord. 22-10 §2; Ord. 23-08, 12/5/2023; Ord. No. 24-05, 4/23/2024)
A. 
Entrances.
1. 
For dwelling units with internal building access, a minimum of one entrance per building must be visible and accessible from a public or private street or outdoor common space. Additional entrances may face drive aisles, parking areas, or service areas.
2. 
For dwelling units without internal building access, a minimum of one entrance per dwelling unit must be visible and accessible from a public or private street, outdoor common space, or drive aisle that has a curb and path adjacent to the dwelling unit.
3. 
A required building entrance must be at an angle that is no more than 45 degrees from the street, common space, or drive aisle that it faces. A required building entrance to an individual dwelling unit may exceed this standard where it opens onto a porch or stoop provided the angle is no more than 90 degrees from the street, common space, or drive aisle that it faces.
4. 
A required building entrance must be covered, recessed, or treated with a permanent architectural feature that provides weather protection for pedestrians. The required weather protection must be at least as wide as the entrance, a maximum of six feet above the top of the entrance, and a minimum of three feet in depth. The required weather protection may project into the minimum front setback.
B. 
Windows.
1. 
All building facades that face a public or private street must include a minimum of 15 percent window area.
2. 
The minimum window area standard does not apply to stories with sloped roofs or dormers.
C. 
Facade design.
1. 
All building facades that face a public or private street or outdoor common space must include at least two different architectural features from the list provided below. An additional two different architectural features per facade are required on all buildings with 20 or more dwelling units. This standard may be met by including different architectural features on different facades of the same building. Buildings that do not include dwelling units are exempt from providing architectural features on facades that face outdoor common space areas, but must provide at least two different architectural features on all street-facing facades.
a. 
Facade articulation. A wall projection or recession that is a minimum of six feet in width and two feet in depth for a minimum of half the height of the facade and with a maximum distance of 40 feet between projections or recessions.
b. 
Roof eave or projecting cornice.
i. 
An eave that projects a minimum of 12 inches from the building facade; or
ii. 
A cornice that projects a minimum of six inches from the building facade and is a minimum of 12 inches in height.
c. 
Roof offsets or dormers.
i. 
A roof offset that is a minimum of two feet from the top surface of one roof to the top surface of another roof as measured horizontally or vertically with a maximum distance of 40 feet between offsets. See Figure 18.230.1; or
ii. 
One dormer for each top-story dwelling unit that is a minimum of four feet in width and integrated into the roof form.
Figure 18.230.1 Roof Offset
d. 
Accent siding. A minimum of two different siding materials are used, and one siding material covers a minimum of 40 percent of the building facade.
e. 
Distinct base and top. The first story is visually distinguished from the upper stories by including a belt course and at least one of the following:
i. 
A change in surface or siding pattern;
ii. 
A change in surface or siding material; or
iii. 
A change in the size or orientation of windows.
f. 
Window area. A minimum of 50 percent window area is included.
g. 
Window shadowing. All windows include at least one of the following:
i. 
Window trim that is a minimum of 2.5 inches in width and 0.625 inches in depth; or
ii. 
Windows that are recessed a minimum of three inches from the building facade.
h. 
Balconies. Balconies are included on all upper stories that meet the dimensional requirement for private outdoor space provided in Subsection 18.230.040.D.
i. 
Covered porches or recessed entrances. All first-story dwelling units with individual entrances include at least one of the following:
i. 
A covered porch that is a minimum of five feet in width and depth; or
ii. 
An entrance area that is a minimum of five feet in width and recessed a minimum of two feet from the building facade.
j. 
Enhanced entrances or awnings. A building that provides internal access to dwelling units includes at least one of the following:
i. 
A building entrance that is a minimum of eight feet in width and is either:
(A) 
Recessed a minimum of five feet from the building facade, or
(B) 
Covered with a permanent architectural feature that provides weather protection. The architectural feature must be at least as wide as the entry, a maximum of six feet above the top of the entry, and a minimum of five feet in depth. The architectural feature may project into the minimum front setback; or
ii. 
A permanent architectural feature above all first-story windows, such as an awning or series of awnings, that are at least as wide as each window, a maximum of six feet above the top of each window, and a minimum of three feet in depth. The architectural feature may project into the minimum front setback.
2. 
The following building materials are prohibited on all building facades, including accessory structure facades, that face a public or private street or outdoor common space. They may not be used collectively on more than 35 percent of any other building facade.
a. 
Vinyl PVC siding,
b. 
T-111 plywood,
c. 
Exterior insulation finishing (EIFS),
d. 
Corrugated metal.
e. 
Plain concrete or plain concrete block,
f. 
Spandrel glass, or
g. 
Sheet pressboard.
(Ord. 18-23 §2; Ord. 18-28 §1; Ord. 19-09 §1; Ord. 20-01 §1; Ord. 22-06 §2; Ord. No. 24-05, 4/23/2024)
Accessory structures are allowed subject to the following standards:
A. 
Accessory structures are prohibited in the required front or street side setback;
B. 
Accessory structures may be located in the required side or rear setback provided they are a minimum of five feet from the side and rear property lines and a maximum of 15 feet in height; and
C. 
All accessory structures, including structures required to screen utilities and service areas, and all site improvements, such as fences, walls, signs, and light fixtures, must use materials, colors, and architectural design features that are similar in scale and appearance to those on primary buildings. Chain link fencing and unfinished concrete blocks are prohibited within 20 feet of any street property line or public access easement.
(Ord. 18-23 §2; Ord. 18-28 §1; Ord. 22-06 §2)