Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 01 12 Regular 600 Proposed Review - Standards for Multi-Family Rental Projects COMMISSION AGENDA Informational Consent ITEM 600 Public Hearin s g Regular X January 12, 2015 KS RS Regular Meeting City Manager Department REQUEST: The Community Development Department requests that the City Commission receive and review the proposed standards for new multi-family developments in the City, and provide direction to staff regarding proposed standards for new multi-family developments in the City. SYNOPSIS: At the November 17, 2014 Special Meeting, the following motion was made by Commissioner Cannon in regards to multi-family uses in the City: "I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO DIRECT CITY STAFF TO EVALUATE THE CITY'S LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS REGARDING THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT APPLICATIONS AND APPROVALS FOR APARTMENT LAND USES WITHIN THE CITY AND TO PRESENT A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COMMISSION ESTABLISHING MORE DETAILED AND SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REQUIRING THE CITY COMMISSION APPROVAL OF SUCH USES BY CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT." In response to the City Commission's directive given during the November 17, 2014 Special Meeting, staff is bringing forward a list of suggested standards by which the Commission can review and analyze future requests for multi-family residential developments. After review by and input from the Commission, staff will proceed with certain text amendments to include specific development standards for multi-family developments in the City's Code of Ordinances. If directed by the Commission, future multi-family developments could Regular 600 PAGE 1 OF 7-January 12,2015 require a conditional use or special exception approval from the City Commission. CONSIDERATIONS: The Comprehensive Plan lists the following policies in regards to multi-family development: City of Winter Springs Comprehensive Plan - Future Land Use Element Policy 2.2.4: Mixed Uses. Permit a variety of mixed uses consistent, compatible, and in harmony with the Town Center Goal and the Town Center District Code, including single family residential, multiple family residential, commercial retail and services, public services and buildings, parks, and schools, through the enactment of creative and flexible land development regulations. (Ord. 2012-OS) Policy 2.2.6: Residential Density. Support the desired commercial activity and urban character desired for the Town Center by encouraging high density residential development consistent with the Town Center Goal and Town Center District Code and encourage a minimum average residential density of seven (7) units per acre, unless the type of unit would warrant a lesser density while still meeting the intent of the Town Center District Code. (Ord. 2012-OS) Policy 2.2.8: Intensity. Encourage higher intensity development in the Town Center subj ect to the Town Center District Code. (Ord. 2012-OS) City of Winter Springs Comprehensive Plan - Housing Element Policy 1.1.15: Support the desired commercial activity and urban character desired for the Town Center by encouraging high density residential development subj ect to the Town Center District Code. (Cross Reference: Future Land Use Element, Policy 2.2.6); (Ord. 2012-OS) Policy1.1.4: Encourage the development/redevelopment of property that will integrate diverse choices of housing. Policy 1.1.8: Limit the development of housing with a density greater than 18 dwelling units per acre (DUA), to the Town Center and the U.S. 17-92 Community Redevelopment Area (C.R.A.) Corridor. Development of higher density housing must take reasonable and appropriate steps to minimize or eliminate adverse impacts to adjacent established residential neighborhoods through site layout, orientation of buildings, and a transition of densities. (Cross Reference: See Future Land Use Element, Policy 1.4.2) Policy 1.1.9: Higher density housing developments (9.1 DUA and higher) shall be required to take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure adequate property management techniques to ensure a safe and livable development at all times. Policy 1.1.10: Amend the City`s land development regulations to include criteria allowing multi-family housing in commercially zoned areas contingent on the developer preserving greenspace either onsite or elsewhere in the City. Policy 1.1.15: Support the desired commercial activity and urban character desired for the Town Center by encouraging high density residential development subj ect to the Town Center District Code. (Cross Reference: Future Land Use Element, Policy 2.2.6); (Ord. 2012-OS) Regular 600 PAGE 2 OF 7-January 12,2015 Policy 1.3.7: Promote mixed use developments, which include provisions for a wide variety of housing types and prices, in large tract developments, except within the Greeneway Interchange District. The City Commission has directed staff to look at more detailed and specific development standards with regard to multi-family developments within the City. Based upon staff s review of design criteria for multi-family and the intent of the City Commission to employ certain design standards for the review of multi-family development proposals, the following standards are proposed for consideration. These standards should not be considered an exhaustive list, but rather a list of standards that staff feels is most appropriate given the context of development in the City. The purpose and intent of the proposed standards is as follows: . To encourage better design and site planning. . To ensure that new multi-family development is sensitive to the character of the surrounding neighborhoods. . To enhance the built environment for pedestrians in higher-density areas. . To provide for the development of neighborhoods with attractive, well-connected streets, sidewalks, and trails that enable convenient, direct access to neighborhood centers, parks, and transit stops. . To ensure adequate light, air, and readily accessible open space for multi-family development in order to maintain the public health, safety, and welfare. . To ensure the compatibility of dissimilar adjoining uses. . To maintain or improve the character, appearance, and livability of established neighborhoods by protecting them from incompatible uses, excessive noise, illumination, loss of privacy, and similar significant impacts. . To encourage creativity and flexibility in the design of multi-family developments in a manner that maximizes unique site attributes and is compatible with the character and intensity of adj oining land uses. The following standards can be used in both staff s and the Commission's review and consideration of multi-family projects. Some will be more applicable than others for a given proj ect given the scope and context of that proj ect. List of proposed standards for review: . The bulk and scale of the apartment development shall be similar to and consistent with the surrounding neighborhood as evaluated by the bulk of buildings adjacent, abutting and surrounding the proposed development. All buildings should be designed to be consistent with and compatible to the existing architectural pattern of the surrounding neighborhood. . Useable porches and stoops should form a predominant motif of the building design and be located on the front and/or side of the building. Useable front porches are at least eight(8)feet deep and extend more that 30 percent of the fa�ade. . All rooftop equipment shall be screened from view. . Use a modified street grid system where most buildings in a development front on a street. Where no public streets exist, create a modified grid street system within the development. . Locate parking areas behind the building and access such parking from alley-type driveways. If driveway access from streets is necessary, minimum width driveways Regular 600 PAGE 3 OF 7-January 12,2015 that provide adequate fire-fighting access should be used. . Provide each building with direct pedestrian access from the main street fronting the building and from the back where the parking is located. . An alternative site design option could be to orient the buildings into U-shaped courtyards where the front door/main entry into the building is from a front courtyard. Access to the courtyard from the rear parking area should be through a well-lighted breezeway or stairway. This alternative will work where a development abuts and arterial or major collector street where the quality of living could be enhanced with the building facing into a courtyard. The buildings would still be located between the street and the parking lot. Employment of this alternative does not allow the rear of buildings to be situated along street frontages. . Garage doors are not permitted on the front elevation of any building. . All building elevations visible from the street shall provide doors, porches, balconies, and/or windows. A minimum of 60 percent of front elevations, and a minimum of 30 percent of the side and rear building elevations shall meet this standard. "Percent of elevation" is measured as the horizontal plane (linear feet) containing doors, porches, balconies, terraces, and/or windows. This standard shall apply to each full and partial building story. . Apartment buildings shall provide detailed design along all elevations. Detailed design shall be provided by using as many of the following architectural features on all elevations as appropriate for the proposed building type and style. Features may vary between rear, side, and front elevations and may include, but not be limited to, the following: 1. Dormers 2. Gables 3. Recessed entries 4. Covered porch entries 5. Cupolas or towers 6. Pillars or posts 7. Eaves (minimum ten-inch proj ection which may include gutters). 8. Off-sets in building face or roof(minimum 16 inches) 9. Window trim (minimum 4 inches wide) or shutters (operable or of sufficient width to cover one-half of the window). 10. Bay windows 11. Balconies 12. Decorative patterns on exterior finishes (e.g. wainscoting, watermarks, expression lines, ornamentation, and similar features). 13. Decorative cornices and roof lines (for flat roofs) . Development sites should be designed to minimize the need for fences and walls that inhibit or discourage pedestrian use of sidewalks or paths, isolate neighborhoods, or separate neighborhoods from main roads. . If wall or fences are used, place pedestrian breaks and/or crossings at frequent intervals where a fence, wall, or other landscaped area separates a sidewalk from a building. . Employ small setbacks, indentations, stepped fence or wall heights, or other means of breaking up the wall or fence surface and height. . Employ different textures, color or materials (including landscape materials) to break up the wall's surface and add visual interest. . If fencing is required, repeat the use of building materials on fence columns and/or stringers. Regular 600 PAGE 4 OF 7-January 12,2015 . Recreation centers should be directly connected by a series of walkways/sidewalks to all buildings within the development. These walkways/sidewalks should be barrier free, landscaped, and lighted with fixtures not exceeding fifteen (15')feet in height. The following matrix indicates which zoning districts permit multi-family developments either via permitted or conditional use, and the respective maximum density for each district: Use oning District ermitted Use Conditional aximum classification se required ensity Residential -lAAA o o /A Multi-famil -C 1 0 0 /A -lAA o o /A -lA o o /A -1 0 0 /A -3 es es (multi-use Sixteen (16) rojects that nits per acre 'nclude a ertical mix of ses designed along the rinciples of he Town Center) G 1 o es ine (9)units er acre C-2 o es ine (9)units er acre C-3 o es wenty-one 21) units per cre -1 0 0 /A -U o o /A Town Center es (permitted o er Policy 'n transects T3, .2.6 of the 4, and TS) uture Land se Element of he omprehensive lan, no aximum ensity in own Center Regular 600 PAGE 5 OF 7-January 12,2015 GID o es (provided wenty-one esidential use 21)units per shall not cre occupy more han twenty- ive percent (25%) of the otal floor area of a proposed ultiple use uilding) CC o o /A UD ermissible /A stablished ses established ith ith evelopment evelopment greement greement Staff would like the City Commission to consider whether multi-family uses should be remain a permitted use in the zoning districts where they are current allowed or whether they should be conditional uses/special exceptions subject to certain review standards. If the City Commission decides to make multi-family uses a permitted use in a zoning district, then the City Commission should consider whether the maximum density should be maintained or adjusted, and provide direction to staff accordingly. FISCAL IMPACT: There is no immediate direct fiscal impact associated with this agenda item. COMMUNICATION EFFORTS: This Agenda Item has been electronically forwarded to the Mayor and City Commission, City Manager, City Attorney/Staff, and is available on the City's Website, LaserFiche, and the City's Server. Additionally, portions of this Agenda Item are typed verbatim on the respective Meeting Agenda which has also been electronically forwarded to the individuals noted above, and which is also available on the City's Website, LaserFiche, and the City's Server; has been sent to applicable City Staff, Media/Press Representatives who have requested Agendas/Agenda Item information, Homeowner's Associations/Representatives on file with the City, and all individuals who have requested such information. This information has also been posted outside City Hall, posted inside City Hall with additional copies available for the General Public, and posted at five (5) different locations around the City. Furthermore, this information is also available to any individual requestors. City Staff is always willing to discuss this Agenda Item or any Agenda Item with any interested individuals. RECOMMENDATION: The Community Development staff recommends that the City Commission consider and discuss the information contained in this agenda item and provide staff with direction as to Regular 600 PAGE 6 OF 7-January 12,2015 whether they wish to adopt these standards for incorporation into the City's Code of Ordinances. Additional standards may be recommended for incorporation and, if the Commission desires, a text amendment will be processed to add the review standards to the Code and to require conditional use/special exception consideration for future apartment proposals. ATTACHMENTS: None Regular 600 PAGE 7 OF 7-January 12,2015