Chapter 18.18 — HIGH DENSITY MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL ZONE (R-4)

[1] Prior ordinance history: Ordinances 587, 613, 657, 662, 739, 843, 930, 977, 1059, 1068, and 1191.

All regulations governing this chapter shall be identical to Chapter 18.16 , Medium Density Multifamily Residential Zone (R-3), except as specified herein.

(Prior code § 10-3.901; Urg. Ord. 1682; Ord. 1683 § 16, 2006; Ord. 1737 § 8 (part), 2012; Ord. 1847 § 3, 2023; Ord. 1848 § 3, 2023; Ord. 1873 § 1, 2024)

The development standards set forth herein shall apply and supersede any zoning code provision in this title to the contrary.

• A. Lot area: a minimum of five thousand square feet;

• B. Lot width:

  1. A minimum of fifty feet for interior lots; and

  2. A minimum of fifty-five feet for corner lots;

• C. Lot depth: a minimum of eighty feet;

• D. Minimum density: for any project approved after August 1, 2012, the minimum permitted density shall be twenty units per acre for any residential development. This subsection shall not apply to the expansion of any existing use;

• E. Maximum density: the maximum permitted density shall be as follows; fractional units shall be rounded upward if such fraction is at or above the five-tenths breakpoint:

  1. Twenty-five units per acre for lots less than one-half acre;

  2. Thirty units per acre for lots one-half acre or greater;

• F. Building height: the maximum building height for habitable space shall not exceed forty feet. An additional five feet may be allowed for architectural projections which are building elements such as towers, cupolas, decorative parapets that screen equipment, and pitched roofs at a minimum pitch of four to twelve, that are added to buildings to provide architectural interest

without adding interior floor area, and also include skylights and chimneys. In no event may the building exceed four stories;

• G. Yards: for cluster developments, setbacks are calculated from the project boundaries and not from individual units or buildings within the development.

  1. Front yard setback: a minimum of fifteen feet; no more than fifty percent, including driveways, shall be paved or otherwise covered with hardscaped materials. The remaining area shall be permanently landscaped with softscape materials and provided with a permanent irrigation system subject to city approval;

  2. Side and rear yard setbacks:

     • a. A minimum of ten feet when the building is thirty-five feet or less in height, including architectural projections, and the property directly abuts parcels zoned R-1 or R-2;

     • b. A minimum of fifteen feet when the building exceeds thirty-five feet in height, including architectural projections, and the property directly abuts parcels zoned R-1 or R-2;

     • c. A minimum of five feet when the property does not directly abut parcels zoned R-1 or R-2, unless the property is a corner lot in which case, the street side must be a minimum of ten feet;

  3. Accessory buildings: one-story accessory buildings, other than a garage, shall be set back four feet from the rear and side property lines when located in the rear one-third of the lot. Garages may be constructed along the rear and side property line when located in the rear one-third of the lot. Garages fronting on public streets shall maintain a minimum ten-foot yard setback. All garages shall be provided with garage doors and new front facing garages and replacement garage doors for front facing garages shall be sectional type doors;

located in the rear one-third of the lot. Garages may be constructed along the rear and side property line when located in the rear one-third of the lot. Garages fronting on public streets shall maintain a minimum ten-foot yard setback. All garages shall be provided with garage doors and new front facing garages and replacement garage doors for front facing garages shall be sectional type doors;

• H. Distances between buildings on the same site: notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, the following shall apply:

• I. Off-street parking: the provisions of Chapter 18.40 shall apply with the exception that:

  1. Tandem parking shall be allowed, but not for guest parking spaces;

  2. For senior or income restricted units: one off-street parking space for each one bedroom or studio unit;

• J. Usable open space: a minimum of three hundred square feet of usable common or private open space shall be provided for each unit of all multifamily dwellings and condominiums in accordance with the minimum size requirements of Section 18.42.065 ;

• K. Dwelling unit size:

  1. A minimum of four hundred square feet per unit.

  2. No minimum dwelling unit size shall be required for an affordable housing unit where the applicant enters into an affordable housing agreement with the city to be recorded against the property to ensure continued affordability of all moderate, low, and very low income rental units for at least fifty-five years or where the applicant enters into an equity sharing agreement for all for-sale affordable housing units upon the same terms and conditions as in Section 18.43.045(D).

• L. Signs: the provisions of Chapter 18.58 shall apply;

• M. Storage space: a minimum of one hundred twenty cubic feet of storage space shall be provided for each dwelling unit with a minimum of two feet in any direction. Such space may be located in areas which include, but are not limited to, the garage, in an outside closet, or below stairways; and

N. General provisions as set forth in the table found in Section 18.42.010 . (Ord. 1737 § 8 (part), 2012; Ord. 1746 § 6, 2013; Ord. 1804 § 6, 2019; Ord. 1820 § 4, 2020; Ord. 1847 §§ 3, 13, 2023; Ord. 1848 §§ 3, 13, 2023; Ord. 1873 § 1, 2024)