2 • Item # 2
Elk
River
MEMORANDUM
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Michele McPherson, Director of Planning
DATE: July 10, 2001
SUBJECT: Townhome Ordinance
Attachments
• Ordinance, City of Lakeville
• Mobile Workshop Notes, Doug Franz
• Staff received the attached ordinance from the City of Lakeville's planning consultant. We
believe that there are a number of sections that would satisfy the Commission's concerns.
Please review the ordinance and be prepared to direct staff in the drafting of the townhome
ordinance.
•
S:\PLANNING\Townhomes\7 6 01 PC Memo.doc
• CHAPTER 58
RM-1, MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
SECTION:
11-58-1: Purpose
11-58-3: Processing
11-58-5: Permitted Uses
11-58-7: Permitted Accessory Uses
11-58-9: Conditional Uses
11-58-11 : Interim Uses
11-58-13: Uses by Administrative Permit
11-58-15: Development Density
11-58-17: Lot Requirements and Setbacks
11-58-19: Common Areas
11-58-21: Design and Construction Standards
11-58-23: Transition Requirements
11-58-25: Affordable Housing
11-58-1: PURPOSE: The purpose of the RM-1, Medium Density Residential District
• is to establish a medium density residential neighborhood which satisfies the following
planning objectives:
A. Creation of a cohesive medium density neighborhood that provides attractive living
environments and contributes to the City's identity.
B. Provide attractive and durable medium density housing options as a means of
addressing the City's life cycle housing needs.
C. Preservation of natural land forms, open spaces, greenways for scenic enjoyment
and recreational use through the regulation of medium density residential land use.
D. Allows for the subdivision of twinhome, quadraminium and townhome base lots to
permit individual private ownership of a single dwelling within such a structure.
11-58-3: PROCESSING: Full compliance with this Chapter, other applicable
provisions of this Title, and the City's Subdivision Ordinance provides an alternative to the
processing of a planned unit development for lots with more than one (1) principal
structure and/or use. Subdivision and administrative review requirements, as applicable,
shall however remain in full force and effect.
•
58-1
11-58-5: PERMITTED USES: In addition to other uses specifically identified •
elsewhere in this Title, the following are permitted uses in the RM-1 District:
A. All permitted uses as allowed within the RST-1 Zoning District.
B. More than one principal building on a base lot.
C. Quadraminiums.
D. Residential dwellings as required by Section 11-58-23 of this Title.
E. Residential facilities serving sixteen (16) or fewer persons.
F. Threeplex and fourplex multiple family units.
G. Townhomes with no more than six (6) dwelling units per structure if in a row or no
more than eight (8) dwelling units if back-to-back.
11-58-7: PERMITTED ACCESSORY USES: In addition to other uses specifically
identified elsewhere in this Title, the following are permitted accessory uses in the RM-1
District:
A. All permitted accessory uses as allowed within the RST-1 Zoning District.
11-58-9: CONDITIONAL USES: In addition to other uses specifically identified
elseware in this Title, the following are conditional uses in an RM-1 District and require a
conditional use permit based upon procedures set forth in and regulated by Chapter 4 of
this Title. Additionally, besides the specific standards and criteria which may be cited
below for respective conditional uses, each request for a conditional use permit shall be
evaluated based upon the standards and criteria set forth in Section 11-4-3.E and 11-4-7
of this Title.
A. All conditional uses as allowed within the RST-1 Zoning District.
11-58-11: INTERIM USES: In addition to other uses specifically identified elsewhere
in this Title, and subject to applicable provisions of this Title, the following are interim uses
in the RM-1 District and are governed by Chapter 5 of this Title:
A. All interim uses as allowed within the RST-1 Zoning District.
•
58-2
• 11-58-13: USES BY ADMINISTRATIVE PERMIT: In addition to other uses specifically
identified elsewhere in this Title, and subject to applicable provisions of this Chapter,
performance standards established by this Title, and processing requirements of Chapter
8 of this Title, the following are uses allowed in a RM-1 District by administrative permit as
may be issued by the Zoning Administrator:
A. All uses by administrative permit as allowed within the RST-1 Zoning District.
11-58-15: DEVELOPMENT DENSITY:
A. The maximum development density within an RM-1 District will be based on the net
buildable area for either a two family dwelling, quadraminium, townhome, or a
condominium subdivision exclusive of public street rights-of-way, wetlands, major
drainageways as defined by the Comprehensive Storm Water Management Plan,
water bodies and slopes steeper than three to one (3:1) slope ratio.
B. The RM-1 Zoning District allows for a variety of residential housing types. The
maximum development density shall be determined by the following lot area per unit
standards:
• 1. Two Family Dwellings, Three Family Dwellings, Four Family Dwellings,
Quadraminiums, Townhomes: Five thousand (5,000) square feet per unit.
11-58-17: LOT REQUIREMENTS AND SETBACKS: The following minimum
requirements shall be observed in an RM-1 District subject to additional requirements,
exceptions and modifications set forth in this Title.
A. Single family detached dwellings:
Lot Area - Corner 12,500 square feet
Lot Area - Interior 11,000 square feet
Lot Width - Corner 100 feet
Lot Width - Interior 85 feet
Setbacks: - Front Yards 30 feet
Setbacks - Rear Yards 30 feet
Setbacks - Side Yards 10 feet from the adjacent lot, or 20 feet on the
side yard abutting a public right-of-way
•
58-3
110
Lot Area - Corner 12,500 square feet
Lot Area - Interior 11,000 square feet
Buffer Yard: For lots of Side yard: 30 feet
record established after Rear yard: 50 feet
February 16, 1999, the
following additional
setback requirements
shall apply:
B. Two family, townhome, quadraminium dwellings:
1 . Base Lot Minimums: Within the RM-1 District, the following minimum base
lot requirements shall be imposed. The base lot shall represent the smallest
lot or parcel which may accommodate development within the framework of
the permitted density of Section 11-58-15 prior to subdivision of unit lots.
, a. Lot Area: Twenty thousand (20,000) square feet
b. Lot Width: One hundred (100) feet
c. Lots bordering a major collector or arterial street: An additional
twenty (20) feet of lot width to the requirement noted above.
2. Unit Lots: The following minimum unit lot requirements shall be applied to
the subdivision of two family dwellings, quadraminiums or townhomes to
permit individual private ownership of a single dwelling within such a
structure:
a. Lot Area: Twinhome, quadraminium, or townhome unit lots shall have
sufficient lot area to include the living area, garages, decks, patios or
porches of the individual dwelling units.
b. Lot Width:
1) Two Family Dwelling: Fifty (50) feet.
2) Quadraminium: Fifty (50) feet
3) Townhome: Twenty-five (25) feet
3. Base Lot Setbacks:
a. A minimum setback of thirty (30) feet shall be required at the
periphery of the base lot development.
b. Yards bordering a major collector or arterial street: An additional 20
feet of setback to the side yard or rear yard requirements noted
above is required to support a landscaped buffer yard.
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• 4. Building Setbacks: The following minimum internal setbacks shall be
imposed on medium density developments that include more than one
principal structure on a base lot:
a. Setback between buildings within the same base lot shall maintain a
minimum separation of twenty-five (25) feet or one-half (1/2) the sum
of the building heights of the two (2) adjoining buildings, whichever is
greater.
b. Buildings shall be setback a minimum of thirty (30) feet from the back
of curb line of private drives, guest parking areas and public rights-of-
way.
c. Buildings shall be setback a minimum of thirty-three (33) feet from the
designated wetland boundary.
11-58-19: COMMON AREAS: The following minimum requirements shall be observed
in the RM-1 District governing common areas:
A. Ownership: All common areas within an RM-1 development including, but not
• limited to, open space, wetlands, greenways, drainage ponds, driveways, private
drives, parking areas, play areas, etc. shall be owned in one of the following
manners:
1. Condominium ownership pursuant to Minnesota Statutes 515A1-106.
2. Twinhome, quadraminium and townhome subdivision common areas shall
be owned by the owners of each unit lot, with each owner of a unit having an
equal and undivided interest in the common area.
B. Home Owners Association: A home owners association shall be established for all
quadraminium, three and four-plex multiple family and townhome developments
within the RM-1 District, subject to review and approval of the City Attorney, and
shall be responsible for all exterior building maintenance, approval of any exterior
architectural modifications, landscaping, snow clearing and regular maintenance
of private driveways and other areas owned in common when there is more than
one individual property owner having interest within the development.
11-58-21: DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION STANDARDS:
A. Unit Size: The size of dwelling units shall comply with the minimums established
• in Section 11-17-13 of this Title.
58-5
B. Unit Width: The minimum width of a dwelling unit within the RM-1 District shall be •
twenty-five (25) feet.
C. Unit Construction:
1. Building elevations and floor plans shall be furnished with subdivision
requests illustrating exterior building material and colors to demonstrate
compliance with Chapter 17 of this Title. Building floor plans shall identify
the interior storage space within each unit.
2. Provision shall be made for possible decks, porches or additions as part of
the initial dwelling unit building plans. The unit lot shall be configured and
sized to include decks or porches.
3. In case of gable roof, a minimum eighteen (18) inch roof overhang, soffit
shall be required for all residential structures.
4. Exterior Building Finish. The exterior of townhome dwelling units shall
include a variation in building materials which are to be distributed
throughout the building facades and coordinated into the architectural design
of the structure to create an architecturally balanced appearance. In
addition, townhome dwelling structures shall comply with the following •
requirements:
a. A minimum of twenty-five (25) percent of the combined area of all
building facades of a structure shall have an exterior finish of brick,
stucco and/or natural or artificial stone.
b. Except for brick, stucco, and/or natural or artificial stone, no single
building facade shall have more than seventy-five (75) percent of one
type of exterior finish.
c. Except for brick, stucco, and/or natural or artificial stone, no
townhome dwelling structure shall have more than sixty (60) percent
of all building facades of one type of exterior finish.
d. For the purpose of this section, the area of the building facade shall
not include area devoted to windows, entrance doors, garage doors,
or roof areas.
D. Garages:
1. Each dwelling unit shall include an attached garage.
2. Garages shall comply with the following minimum size standards: •
9 P
58-6
• a. For dwellings with basements: Four hundred forty (440) square feet.
b. For dwellings without basements: Five hundred forty (540) square
feet.
c. Garages shall be a minimum of twenty (20) feet in width.
E. Storm Shelter: In cases where dwelling units are constructed slab on-grade,
provisions shall be made to provide for storm protection either internally to the unit
or in a separate storm shelter structure. Compliance with this requirement shall be
based upon Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) guidelines and
standards which are on file with the City Building Official.
F. Outside Storage: Outside storage shall be allowed only in designated areas which
are screened in accordance with Chapter 21 of this Title and under the ownership
of the property owners association subject to other applicable provisions of this
Title.
G. Utilities:
1. All utilities serving an RM-1 subdivision, including telephone, electricity, gas
and telecable shall be installed underground.
2. Separate public utility services shall be provided to each unit unless
•
exempted by the City Engineer.
3. Water connection: Individual unit shut off valves shall be provided.
4. Sewer connection: Where more than one unit is served by a sanitary sewer
service, all maintenance and cleaning shall be the responsibility of the
property owners association or owners.
H. Streets: All streets shall be public and shall comply with the design standards and
specifications as governed by the City's Subdivision Ordinance, except that the
required right-of-way width may be reduced to fifty (50) feet and the required street
width reduced to twenty-eight (28) feet (back of curb to back of curb) by conditional
use permit.
Drives:
1. Deadend private driveways shall serve a maximum of two (2) structures or
six (6) units per side.
2. Private drives shall be under the ownership and control of the property
owners association who shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair,
• and replacement of surfacing. Said association shall maintain a capital
improvement program for the driveways under its ownership.
58-7
3. Provisions for adequate turnaround shall be made at the terminus of all S
private drives.
4. Private drives must include plans and areas for snow storage.
5. Private drives shall be a minimum of twenty-eight (28) feet in width (back of
curb to back of curb).
J. Guest Parking: At minimum, one half (1/2) guest parking spaces per unit shall be
provided in an off-street parking lot or private drive. The design of the off-street
parking lot shall conform to requirements of Chapter 19 of this Title.
K. Landscaping/Screening/Lighting: A detailed landscaping and lighting plan shall be
provided and implemented pursuant to Section 11-16-17 and Chapter 21 of this
Title. Said landscaping and screening shall address the following:
1. All open areas of the development project which are not used or improved
for required parking areas, drives or storage shall be landscaped with a
combination of overstory trees, understory trees, shrubs, flowers and ground
cover materials. The plan for landscaping shall include ground cover,
bushes, shrubbery, trees, sculpture, foundations, decorative walks or other
similar site design features or materials in a quantity having a minimum •
value in conformance with the following table:
Project Value including Building Minimum Landscape Value
Construction, Site Preparation, and Site
Improvements
Below $1,000,000 2%
$1,000,001 - $2,000,000 $20,000 plus 1% of project
value in excess of
$1,000,000
$2,000,001 - $3,000,000 $30,000 plus .75% of
project value in excess of
$2,000,000
$3,000,001 - $4,000,000 $37,500 plus .25% of
project value in excess of
$3,000,000
Over$4,000,000 1%
2. Landscaping at the boundary of the site adjoining another property and the
immediate perimeter of the principal structure. •
58-8
• 3. Buffer yard landscaping for yards bordering major collector and arterial
streets.
4. Screening of guest parking areas.
5. AH boulevards shall be sodded.
6. Screening of designated outdoor storage areas.
7. All landscaped areas, including on-site traffic islands and all public rights-of-
way adjacent to the property (where access is allowed by the governmental
jurisdiction), shall have an in-ground irrigation system with an automatic
controller.
L. In addition to the park dedication requirements stipulated by the City's Subdivision
Ordinance, a minimum of ten (10) percent of the gross development project area
shall be in usable open space and recreational use for the project residents. Such
areas shall be specifically designed for both the active and passive use by the
project residents and may include swimming pools, trails, nature areas, tot lots,
exercise equipment, saunas, etc. Said areas and facilities shall be private, except
in those cases where the City agrees to assume responsibility for all or a portion of
the recreational space. In those cases where private ownership is maintained, the
• land and facilities shall be subject to the requirement of common areas as detailed
in Section 11-58-19 of this Title.
11-58-23: TRANSITION REQUIREMENT: Any RM-1 zoned property abutting an RS-1,
RS-2, RS-3, RS-4, RS-CBD District shall have a minimum of one (1) tier of single family
detached, two family dwelling lots, or detached townhomes bordering such a district and
shall be subject to the lot and design standards of the RST-2 District. Exemptions to the
provisions of this Section may be granted subject to the approval of an administrative
permit at the time of development, provided one or more of the following conditions exist:
A. The properties are separated by a major collector or arterial street.
B. The abutting land use is a non-residential use allowed in the district in which it is
located.
C. The properties are separated by a railroad right-of-way, wetland, waterbody,
floodplain, public open space, park or other such similar publicly reserved and
development restricted area with a minimum width of one hundred (100) feet across
its entire length.
•
58-9
11-58-25: AFFORDABLE HOUSING: Housing meeting the Metropolitan Council's •
livable communities criteria for affordability may be exempted from subsections C, D, E,
K, and L of Section 11-58-21 (Design and Construction Standards) of this Title by
administrative permit, provided guarantees satisfactory to the City are in place to ensure
that "for sale" housing will meet the requirement for initial sales and "for rent" housing will
meet the requirement for the initial ten (10) year rental period.
•
S
58-10
S:\PLANNING\Townhomes\Notes from 6_9_01 Mobile Workshop.doc - 1 -
Notes from 6/9/01 Mobile Planning Commission Workshop: Doug Franz
• • Prairie Creek — Pulte
- Vinyl siding rippled
- Front loaded garages stand out —too uniform
- Choice of building materials not bad
• The Pointe
- bad siding & lots of it
- some have one car garages
- some oriented toward street
- poor choice of color variations
• West Village of the Preserve - Hans Hagen
- brick is nice
- hidden meters and service panels
- garages oriented to central court— less obvious and they don't face the
street
- good use of berms and landscaping
- good mix of 2 story and 1 story
- all 4 sides have a nice look
- single family detached units aren't square to street — looks good
- patios break up the front and make a nice amenity
garages side loaded
- landscaping hides long expanses of vinyl siding
- wrought iron look fencing looks better than wood/PVC
• Highwoods — Bright Keys
- nicer rooflines than Pulte units
- vinyl siding not rippled
- units look to much alike
- not enough setback for parking in driveways — needs to be big enough for
full size, extended cab pick-up with full size bed
- small patios
- too much green & white
• Keyland
- 8 units seems too many
- long entry corridors to front doors — looks dark
- short driveways
- 12 plex (6 units back to back)
- not enough greenspace per unit
- no architectural interest
• Chappelwood — Maple Grove
• _ "Lodge" product going into ER Station
no break between units
- bland
- too homogenous
S:\PLANNING\Townhomes\Notes from 6_9_01 Mobile Workshop.doc -2-
• Centennial Crossing - Town & Country Homes
• - need to require minimum outside patio door (falling down the hill)
- deep corridor entries again
- sidewalks are nice (built against back of curbing)
• Copper Marsh
- good color variety
- off driveway parking
- sidewalks on one side — should we require one side or two?
- Require minimum setbacks
- Tie setback to size or elevation?
- No eaves! — should require eaves
- Hammer heads for turnarounds
• Oakridge Builders (Chris took photo here)
- fake stone & vinyl looks nice
- non-uniform garages look good
• Maple Grove NUTs (New Urban Townhomes) Boston & Albany styles
- garages underneath units with individual garage doors for privacy
- brick is nice
- would be nice for ER Station
- unit common areas face each other
• - subsidized units have alleys in back— minimal space
Pre-Cast Tip-up Panel Buildings
• need to require screening of mechanical equipment (roof or pad mounted)
• nicest looking buildings have a mixture of texture, materials, color
• color combinations can be attractive or not— hard to regulate
• varied shapes and material around entryways looks nice
• lots of glass not necessarily attractive
• raked texture looks nicer than corduroy on long, featureless expanses
•