Chapter 17.94 — RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT DESIGN GUIDELINES

This Chapter provides residential design guidelines to assist project designers and property owners in under-standing and implementing the City's goals for attaining high quality residential development and for preserving the small town character of the City. These guidelines are not intended to promote one type of development over another. Their primary objective is to encourage well designed residential neighborhoods which:

• A. De-emphasize the dominance of the automobile;

• B. Promote pedestrian and bicycle traffic corridors;

• C. Provide community open space throughout the development;

• D. Protect the natural environment;

• E. Promote mixed use where appropriate; and

F. Cluster housing and other structures to establish more open space.

• A. The provisions of this Chapter apply to all tentative maps for residential projects.

• B. The review authority may exercise discretion in applying these guidelines to specific projects as not all design criteria may be workable or appropriate for each project. In some circumstances, a guideline may be relaxed in order to accomplish another, more important guideline. The overall objective is to ensure that the intent and spirit of the design guidelines are followed, and to attain the best possible design within reason.

The following guidelines address the "edges" of new residential projects, that is, how a new residential development should relate to its surroundings.

• A. Develop "neighborhoods." New patterns of development should ensure that:

  1. They are compatible with the character of established or adjacent neighborhoods;

  2. Groups of new projects together create true neighborhoods, not isolated compounds; and

  3. Features of the natural landscape are preserved.

• B. Continuous streets. New residential subdivisions shall align public streets with those of adjacent developments, avoiding the tendency to become enclaves apart from the rest of the community. Public streets shall be planned to be continuous through adjacent residential developments, where permitted by terrain and other natural features, weaving the community together and simplifying traffic circulation. Through traffic should be accommodated in a manner that discourages the use of neighborhood roadways, especially local streets.

• C. Incorporation of open space. New residential developments should incorporate open space, public or private, and any creeks or riparian areas in project design. Subdivision design should provide maximum access and visibility to these areas.

• D. Frontage roads. Where a project adjoins a public park or open space, frontage roads are a good means of providing visibility and public access to the open space while at the same time providing separation of residences from the open space. (See Figure 5-1, Use of Frontage Roads)

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Figure 5-1 Use of Frontage Roads

E. Fences.

1. Fences along ridges should be of "open" construction to allow for protection of scenic views.

2. Fencing adjacent to open space areas should be of a wood (or wood substitute)-rail type. Fencing should have a maximum height of six feet, with horizontal rails or open wire sufficiently spaced to restrict trespassing and to provide security, but to allow for animal movement (deer, etc.) across these areas. (See Figure 5-2, Appropriate Fencing)

• F. Gated neighborhoods. Gated neighborhoods isolate parts of the community from others, and shall not be allowed.

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Figure 5-2 Appropriate Fencing

The following guidelines relate to the internal organization of residential subdivisions. The intent of these guidelines is to ensure that the relationships between housing units and other on-site uses are attractive and create visual variety along project streets.

• A. New streets shall connect with adjacent existing streets to form a continuous neighborhood network.

• B. Natural, historic and cultural amenities (e.g., views, mature trees, creeks, riparian vegetation, rock outcropping, rock walls, mining features, etc.) should be preserved and incorporated into proposed projects to the greatest extent feasible. See Chapter 17.36 (Hillside Development Standards). (See Figure 5-3, Incorporating Natural Amenities)

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Figure 5-3 Incorporating Natural Amenities

• C. Site design should not change natural drainage patterns. Site grading should be sensitive to existing landforms and topography so that the natural setting may be preserved to the greatest extent possible. When modifications are necessary, surface drainage with appropriate retention or detention facilities is preferred to underground systems.

• D. Subdivisions for detached single-family homes should be designed with varied front yard setbacks. Long monotonous rows of homes set at the same setback are strongly discouraged. (See Figure 5-4, Varied Entry Setbacks)

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Figure 5-4 Varied Entry Setbacks

• E. Single-family parcels should avoid a patterned "cookie cutter" look by employing a variety of lot sizes, widths, and shapes, whenever possible, except where this pattern has already been established in the neighborhood. (See Figure 5-5, Varied Parcel Design)

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Figure 5-5 Varied Parcel Design

• F. Existing healthy mature trees should be preserved and incorporated into project landscaping to the greatest extent feasible.

• G. Development on sloping sites should follow the natural contours of the land. Stepped building pads, and larger setbacks should be used to preserve the general shape of natural land forms and to minimize grade differentials with adjacent streets and with adjoining properties. See Chapter 17.36 (Hillside Development Standards). (See Figure 5-3, Incorporating Natural Amenities)

• H. Curb-adjacent sidewalks create an undesirable urban appearance and are strongly discouraged. Detached sidewalks or pedestrian paths separated from the road with variablewidth parkways are preferred.

• I. New roads and roadway improvements should be located, constructed, and maintained in a manner that prevents adverse impacts to water quality and significant biological, scenic, and historic resources.

• J. Permeable paving shall be utilized wherever feasible.

• K. Alleys should be designed into the development plan whenever possible to allow for garages and vehicle access to be situated at the rear of houses.

The consideration of passive solar energy techniques in subdivision design is strongly encouraged, where not in conflict with the objective of preserving the natural features of the site.

• A. Street orientation. Streets that run generally east and west are encouraged because they increase the likelihood and desirability of houses sited with solar access to the south. South-wall glass is important to providing maximum passive solar heating. Where streets do run primarily east and west, solar access can still be provided by creative lot configuration and siting of units on the lots. (See Figure 5-6, Solar Orientation of Parcels)

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Figure 5-6 Solar Orientation of Parcels

• B. Setbacks. Placing a house near the north boundary of its lot allows a major portion of the open space to the south of each unit to be controlled by the owner of the house rather than by an adjacent neighbor. Flexibility in setback requirements may be considered to achieve adequate solar orientation when other aspects of the project are also designed to incorporate passive heating and cooling techniques. (See Figure 5-7, Setbacks for Solar Access)

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Figure 5-7 Setbacks for Solar Access

• C. Siting. In general, houses should be sited so that south-facing glass is maximized, eastand west-facing glass is minimized. Units attached in preferred east-west directions should not be staggered so as to block south glass collector surfaces. Also, units should not be sited closer to northern units than solar access angles will allow. (See Figure 5-8, South Facing Glass)

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Figure 5-8 South Facing Glass

• D. Orienting homes adjacent to mature trees for shade is a passive solar energy technique that is encouraged.

• E. Integrating deep porches and overhangs in the design of homes is suggested for minimizing energy consumption, and it also is compatible with the Motherlode style.

In an effort to avoid residential subdivisions in the City of Jackson having a typical urban or suburban appearance, following design alternatives may be considered.

• A. Gravel pedestrian ways. When attempting to preserve trees and pedestrian traffic is anticipated to be light, compacted gravel pedestrian ways may be incorporated for pedestrian circulation. Gravel walks should be a minimum of six-feet wide and be designed to drain properly.

• B. Reduced centerline radius. To reduce vehicle speeds when rounding curves on neighborhood streets, short radius curves should be incorporated into the project design where possible with minimum and maximum radii established by the City Engineer and the City's Improvement Standards.