Sec. 30-477. - Building design.

In addition to the City's plotting and design criteria, the following shall apply to all projects:

(1)

Design theme. In order to establish and reinforce a neighborhood identity, new residential projects are encouraged to develop a central design theme around which the following architectural elements can be designed: building form, signage, light fixtures, walls and fences, landscaping and other site furnishings.

(2)

Scale.

a.

Building heights shall be varied by a combination of single-level and two-story units where proposed.

b.

The design of residential development shall be compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

(3)

Architecture.

a.

Residential building construction shall not be required to follow a specific theme or style; innovative architectural concepts are encouraged.

b.

When parking is not attached to or part of the building, structures that enclose parking shall incorporate simple jogs so that long plain roofs and long wall elevations can be avoided.

c.

Architectural variety along residential streets shall be fostered by differing setbacks and combinations of different prototypes.

d.

Side entry garages shall be provided to promote varying design in auto courts and driveways to garages.

e.

In higher density housing developments of attached dwelling units, individual residences shall be turned and oriented in a variety of ways to avoid the monotony of long corridors of garage doors.

f.

Building elevations visible from public view shall be broken with reveals, recesses, plant-ons, trim elements, and other architectural features designed to provide variety and visual interest to the streetscape.

g.

Developments of five lots or more shall have a minimum of 15 percent of single-story homes. When corner lots are developed, a single-story home shall be built encouraged on this lot.

(4)

Materials and colors.

a.

The total building and its related parts shall be visually unified to display order and coherence, not only with the project, but also with the surrounding environment. b.

Generally acceptable materials shall include stucco, vinyl and wood siding, native rock and stone, split face, concrete and brick. c.

The following materials are prohibited: aluminum or plastic siding; or corrugated fiberglass. d. Generally acceptable colors shall include muted natural colors, earth tones, pastel colors, natural stains and accent colors to contrast eaves, trims, moldings and doors. e.

Prohibited colors shall include bright or assertive colors as primary wall colors.

f.

Any foam treatment used for architecture treatments and/or projections located on the first floor shall be covered with concrete or similar durable material a minimum of one-half-inch thick, or as determined by the Director of Community Development. (5) Screening of exterior equipment.

a.

All mechanical equipment, ground mounted equipment, utilities, storage, shall be screened from adjoining properties and public streets by a visual barrier such as a wall, a fence, or landscape material. Where landscaping only is used for screening, it shall be planted with five-gallon (minimum size) shrubs spaced to provide a dense screen.

b.

All transformer equipment shall be screened from the street by a decretive screen wall not less than the height of the equipment being screened in conjunction with landscaping. The decretive screen shall be located between the street and the mechanical equipment not less than six-foot and not more than ten-foot away from the equipment. The decretive screen wall shall be well incorporated into the design of the building. The side of the equipment, perpendicular to the screen wall, shall be screened with landscaping not less than ten-gallon shrub or approved landscaping. No transformer equipment shall be located within any street setback.

c.

Roof mounted mechanical equipment shall be hidden from view by building parapets of equal height. If building parapets do not provide adequate screening when observed from adjacent buildings, mechanical equipment shall be screened by designing the parapet so that it appears as an integrated part of the roof and overall architectural design.

d.

No exterior components of plumbing, processing, heating, cooling, and ventilating systems shall be mounted on any building wall unless they are an integrated architectural design feature.

(6)

Signs. Refer to Chapter 3 of the Municipal Code.

(7)

Central air conditioning or cooling system required.

a.

All new residential structures shall be equipped with a central air conditioning or cooling system.

b.

For the purposes of this section, a "central air conditioning or cooling system" shall be defined as all that equipment, including associated refrigeration, intended or installed for the purpose of cooling air by mechanical means and discharging such air into a residential structure used for living purposes. A central air conditioning or cooling system shall not include portable cooling units, absorption units or evaporative coolers.

(8)

[Gas line equipped.] All new residential structures shall be equipped with a gas line stub-out for a barbeque located at the rear of the structure.