Article IV — DESIGN STANDARDS FOR MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS

The purpose of this article is to establish objective development standards for multi-family housing to determine compliance with design criteria. These standards are intended to implement the General Plan and ensure that the desired character and land use compatibility for multi-family housing developments are achieved.

(Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)

In order to provide light and air for multi-family living units and additional separation for rooms that contain areas that require additional privacy considerations, the following minimum setbacks shall apply to any building wall containing windows and facing an interior side or rear yard. The required setbacks apply to that portion of the building wall containing and extending three feet on either side of any window.

• (A) For any wall containing living room or other primary room windows, a setback of at least 15 feet shall be provided.

• (B) For any wall containing sleeping room windows, a setback of at least ten feet shall be provided.

• (C) For all other walls containing windows, a setback of at least five feet shall be provided.

• (Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)

(A) To reduce upper-story building mass, floorplates for the third story and above shall not exceed 80 percent of the groundfloor floorplate. The Planning Director may waive this requirement under the authority established in Chapter 17.044 upon finding the architectural articulation of exterior walls and a sloped roof modulates the visual mass of the top of the building and avoids the appearance of a box-like structure.

(B) Buildings that are more than 150 feet in length shall include a minimum two-foot vertical variation in height for at least 50 feet.

(Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)

(A) A diversity of building materials is allowed provided they are compatible with existing building materials used in the surrounding neighborhood and in high and very-high wildfire hazard areas are fire-resistant. These include wood, composite wood, fiber cement, metal, brick, stone, and stucco. For roofing, asphalt shingles, standing seam metal, terracotta clay barrel tiles and slate are allowed.

(B) Mirrored glass, stony reflective metal, unfinished galvanized metal siding, and plain concrete block are prohibited for use

as exterior building materials.

(C) No barbed wire or razor wire shall be used for fencing or screening.

(D) All outdoor lighting except for holiday lighting shall be fully-shielded so as to project against glare and direct light where needed. All entries shall be lighted with low- intensity fixtures to ensure the safety of persons and the security of the building.

(Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)

Along Bolinas Road, Broadway, School Street, and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, all housing development on sites over one acre in size shall incorporate such features as plazas, interior walkways, canopies, arcades, courtyards, ornamental gates, trellises, lighting, plant materials, seating, fountains, or other similar features, as appropriate, to support and enhance pedestrian spaces.

(A) Outdoor pedestrian space shall be landscaped and shall include appropriate street furniture to encourage pedestrian activity.

(B) Clearly marked pedestrian connections shall be provided between parking areas and buildings.

(C) All sidewalks, crosswalks, courts, plazas and residential buildings shall be designed to be safe, accessible, and convenient for individuals of all abilities, whether traveling by foot, wheelchair, or other mobility aid.

(Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)

(A) Parking areas are prohibited between the building and primary street edge. On-site parking shall be in the rear half of the site or within a parking structure.

(B) Multi-story parking structures within 25 feet of a street frontage shall be lined with foundation landscaping at the ground floor.

(C) At least ten percent of the parking spaces shall be designed to meet the standards for electric vehicle (EV) charging spaces established in the California Building Code and the California Green Building Standards Code for new multi-family dwellings, which are incorporated by reference.

(D) Building siting and parking design shall maximize opportunities for shared parking, access entries, and driveways in order to minimize the number of curb cuts and thus limit possible conflict between pedestrians and automobiles.

(E) Whenever possible, vehicle access shall be provided from side streets and alleys to limit the number of driveways along arterial streets.

(Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)

(A) Landscaping may consist of a combination of ground cover materials, shrubs, and trees. Ground cover may include grasses, shrubs, perennials, vines, or other herbaceous or non-herbaceous plants. Ground cover also includes mulch, such as gravel, rock, cinder, bark, or other permeable materials, provided that such materials are fire-resistant. Landscaping may also include incidental features, such as stepping-stones, site furniture, water features, art, or other ornamental features placed within a landscaped setting.

(B) A minimum of 15 percent of the site shall be landscaped, consisting of ground cover plant materials, shrubs, and trees.

• (1) In order to conserve water, not more than 50 percent of the landscaped area may be turf.

• (2) One tree is required for every 1,000 square feet of lot area.

• (3) Waivers of these standards may be requested under Chapter 17.044.

• (C) Any plant that is not specifically prohibited may be selected for landscaping. Criteria for selection of plants shall include:

• (1) Protection and preservation of native species and natural vegetation;

• (2) Fire-resistance;

• (3) Drought-tolerance;

• (4) Local climate suitability, disease and pest resistance; and

• (5) Selection of trees based on size at maturity as appropriate for the planting area.

(D) A landscape documentation package shall be provided with the development application that complies with the standards of the “Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance” (MWELO) adopted by the Cal. Dept. of Water Resources in Chapter 2.7 of Div. 2 of Title 23 of the Cal. Code of Regulations, which is hereby adopted by reference and shall apply the MWELO to all new residential development projects with 500 square feet or more of landscape area. If the total landscaped area is 2,500 square feet or less, an applicant may use the prescriptive compliance option provided in Appendix D of the MWELO to streamline the

review process. Under this option, turf shall not exceed 25 percent of the landscape area.

(E) To conserve water, the town has set a performance requirement that estimated total water use for landscape plans subject to the MWELO shall be at least ten percent lower than the maximum applied water allowance established by the MWELO unless a waiver is granted under Chapter 17.044.

(F) A signed certificate of compliance, in the form required by the Planning Director, shall be submitted to the town upon completion of a landscape installation. The Director shall approve or deny the certificate within ten days of receipt. If the certificate is denied, the Director shall notify the applicant of the deficiencies and the appeal procedures. A landscape irrigation audit conducted by a third party certified by the town also may be required to be submitted with the certificate of compliance.

(G) Along street frontages, at least 50 percent of the required setback shall be landscaped.

(H) All landscaping shall comply with the water conservation and dry year water use use reduction program and related water conservation measures of the Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD) in Chapter 13.02 of the MMWD Code.

(I) Within the Wildland-Urban Interface zone, all landscaping is subject to vegetation management; see Article VI (§§ 17.138.600 through 17.138.620) of this chapter for details.

(J) Street trees shall be included along all street frontages with multi-family housing development. Trees shall be selected shall be approved by the Planning Director prior to installation. Trees selected shall not include trees listed in the Town of Fairfax Municipal Code, Chapter 8.36 Trees that are “Undesirable Trees Species”.

(K) Where pedestrian paths or walkways cross parking areas or driveways, the paths shall incorporate landscaping and decorative paving to define the pedestrian space. Walkways shall be hard-surfaced and at least four feet wide.

(Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)

(A) A ten-foot wide landscaped buffer yard shall be provided wherever a multi-family housing development abuts a singlefamily residential use. This buffer shall include for each 100 lineal feet or fraction thereof at least two canopy trees that will be at least 40 feet high at maturity or three canopy trees with a lower height at maturity and six shrubs with a mature height of two feet or more. If an equivalent landscape buffer exists on the adjacent lot, the width of the required buffer may be reduced by 50 percent.

(B) All exterior mechanical equipment, whether on a roof, on the side of a structure, or located on the ground, shall be screened from public view. Exterior mechanical equipment to be screened includes, without limitation, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration equipment, plumbing lines, ductwork, transformers, smoke exhaust fans, water meters, backflow preventers, service entry section, and similar utility devices.

(C) Screening shall be architecturally integrated into the main structure with regard to materials, color, shape, and size to appear as an integral part of the building or structure.

(D) Equipment shall be screened on all sides, and screening materials shall be opaque. The use of wood, expanded metal lath, and chain link for the purpose of screening is prohibited.

(E) When screening with plants, evergreen types of vegetation shall be planted and maintained. Plant material sizes and types shall be selected and installed so that, at the time of building occupancy, such plants effectively screen their respective equipment.

(F) Whenever feasible, roof-mounted equipment screening shall be constructed as an encompassing monolithic unit or a series of architecturally similar screening units on large roofs, rather than as several individual screens (i.e., multiple equipment screens, or “hats,” surrounding individual elements will not be permitted). The height of the screening element shall equal or exceed the height of the structure's tallest piece of installed equipment.

(G) Ground-mounted equipment that faces a street shall be screened to a height of 12 inches above the equipment, unless such screening conflicts with utility access, in which case reasonable accommodation shall be allowed. Acceptable screening devices consist of decorative walls and/or berms (3:1 maximum slope) with supplemental plant materials, including trees, shrubs, and groundcovers. For screen walls that are three feet high or lower, vegetative materials may be substituted for 50 percent of the screening device. This requirement does not apply to incidental equipment in the interior of a lot that is not visible from a public street.

vices consist of decorative walls and/or berms (3:1 maximum slope) with supplemental plant materials, including trees, shrubs, and groundcovers. For screen walls that are three feet high or lower, vegetative materials may be substituted for 50 percent of the screening device. This requirement does not apply to incidental equipment in the interior of a lot that is not visible from a public street.

(H) Wall-mounted equipment, including, without limitation, electrical meters, electrical distribution cabinets, service entry sections, and valves and cabinets that face a public street and are not recessed and/or separated from the street by intervening building(s) or walls or gates, shall be screened. Screening devices shall incorporate elements of the building design (e.g. shape, color, texture and material). For screen walls that are three feet in height or lower, vegetative materials may be substituted for 50 percent of the screening device. This requirement does not apply to fire-related elements.

(Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)