Pismo Beach Municipal Code Ch. 17.10 Residential Design Standards

This chapter provides residential design standards intended to assist project designers and property owners in understanding and implementing the general plan's goals for attaining high quality residential development.

A. The provisions of this chapter apply to all single-family and multi-family residential projects, including condominiums, requiring site plan and architectural review, in compliance with Section 17.42.030.

B. The review authority may exercise discretion in applying these standards to proposed projects, where the review authority determines that a design feature proposed by the applicant as an alternative to these standards achieves substantially the same results as these standards. (Ord. 03-04 § 2 (Exh. B (part)), 2003)

Single-family residential development can mean large, boxy structures that do not fit into existing neighborhoods. The objectives of the following single-family design standards are to provide specific means to articulate visible walls, to prevent the appearance of "top-heavy" buildings, and to create neighborhood-friendly residences that do not overwhelm the street.

Because of their higher densities, multi-family residential projects differ from single-family residential projects by tending to generate large parking areas, a decrease in private open space, and large box-like structures. If not properly designed, parking facilities can dominate the site and open spaces may be relegated to left over areas not related to the dwelling units or the people who live there. Residential developments with unarticulated walls and roofs surrounded by parking lots and rows of carports along public streets are examples of practices that should be avoided.

The objectives of the following multi-family design standards are to provide potential solutions to the problems that are often inherent in higher density residential developments through proper site planning, parking, circulation, building design, and landscaping. (Ord. 03-04 § 2 (Exh. B (part)), 2003)

The design and development standards of this section shall apply to the construction, alteration, or enlargement of single-family dwellings in the RSL, RSM, and RR zoning districts.

A. Second Floor Massing. To avoid "boxy" structures that have unrelieved exterior wall planes extending in height for two or more stories, and to promote vertical articulation of wall planes, the second floor living area shall be set back from the ground floor building footprint on the street sides of the house as much as determined by the review authority to be feasible. Within the Shell Beach planning area, the second floor setback shall be located at the front of the house.

B. Neighborhood Character. In order to attain compatibility with the existing scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood, the development of new single-family dwellings and the alteration of existing dwellings shall include design features or elements that are similar or complementary to nearby homes, including building form and mass, exterior materials, roof form and style, and window shape and style.

C. Design Features. The following design features are encouraged and shall be considered by the review authority in reaching decisions in the site plan and architectural review process.

1. Garages. Required parking for single-family dwellings shall be enclosed within a garage; carports shall be prohibited. Roll-up or similar types of garage doors shall be required to maximize parking area on the driveway apron and to avoid the obstruction of sidewalks by parked vehicles.

2. Facade Articulation. Long expanses of uninterrupted exterior wall planes should be avoided. Exterior wall planes should be relieved by: the provision of off-sets in wall planes; placement of windows; incorporation of porches, balconies, trellises, or decks; incorporation of trim, ornamentation or architectural detailing appropriate to the building style; use of varied textures and colors; and the use of other design accents to soften the architecture.

3. Roof Articulation. Long expanses of uninterrupted roof planes should be avoided. Roof heights, planes, and lines should be varied. Traditional roof forms, especially gable and hip designs, should be used unless infeasible. Roof features including dormers and clerestories are encouraged. If flat or low-slope roof forms are proposed, special care should be taken to ensure compatibility with, and minimize shading of, adjacent structures. (Ord. 03-04 § 2 (Exh. B (part)), 2003)

A. Site Planning Considerations.

1. Orientation. Placement of buildings shall consider the existing context of the surrounding area. New development shall respect the privacy, solar access and, where feasible, views to the ocean of adjacent uses through appropriate siting of structures.

2. Cluster Units. Clustering of units shall be a consistent site planning element. Projects containing more than ten dwelling units should be broken up into groups of units with each structure containing not more than four to six units each.

3. Retain Amenities. Natural amenities (e.g., views, mature trees, natural topography) on the site shall be preserved and incorporated into the development whenever possible.

4. Drainage. Street drainage shall be collected in curb gutters. The use of centerswale drainage devices is discouraged. Parking lots may drain to a single concrete swale at the edge of the aisle.

5. Grading. Development of sloped properties shall minimize grading by following the natural contours of the land. Terraced parking lots, stepped building pads, and larger setbacks shall be used to preserve the natural land form and to minimize grade differentials with adjacent streets and adjoining properties.

6. Building Relationship to the Street. Generally the street frontage should consist of residential units with window, doors, balconies and porches facing and in reasonably close proximity to the street, both in terms of height (i.e., units at street level, rather than raised) and in distance from the street (minimum set back). The street level frontage should consist of residential units, rather than parking lots or parking structures, whenever possible.

B. Building Placement.

1. Maintain Privacy. Buildings shall be oriented to avoid instances where living spaces of one dwelling unit face the living spaces of another and thereby significantly reduce privacy of residents.

2. Private Outdoor Space. Private outdoor space (e.g., patios, courtyards) shall be designated with maximum consideration for privacy. The minimum dimension of individual private open space shall be six feet.

3. View and Solar Orientation. Dwelling units shall be oriented to maximize ocean views and southern exposure for private outdoor spaces and window areas to encourage passive solar heating in the winter months.

4. Common Open Space. Buildings shall be oriented to create courtyards and common open space areas that are usable by residents and not relegated to leftover pieces of the site that are difficult to access. See Figure 2-1.

FIGURE 2-1 COMMON OPEN SPACE

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C. Parking and Circulation.

1. Project Entries.

a. Project entry areas shall provide the resident and visitor with an overview to the project. They shall provide an open window to the project with extensive landscaping and views to adjacent recreational facilities. Special attention shall be given to hardscape and landscape treatments to enhance the overall image of the project. See Figure 2-2.

FIGURE 2-2 PROJECT ENTRY TREATMENT, AND LOCATION OF COMMON OPEN SPACE AND PLAY AREAS

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b. The principal vehicular access shall be through an entry drive rather than a parking drive. Colored, textured paving at entry drives is strongly encouraged.

2. On-site Parking and Drives.

a. There are generally three means of accommodating parking: parking drives, parking courts, and garages within residential buildings. Projects with either long, monotonous parking drives or large, undivided parking lots are not desired. If parking within residential structures is not provided, dispersed parking courts are the desired alternative.

b. Parking areas shall be visible from the residential units that use them to the greatest degree possible.

3. Parking courts and drives.

a. A parking court shall not consist of more than two double-loaded parking aisles (bays) adjacent to each other.

b. The length of a parking court shall not exceed ten stalls. See Figure 2-3.

c. Parking courts shall be separated from each other by dwelling units or by a landscaped buffer not less than thirty feet wide. See Figure 2-3.

FIGURE 2-3 PARKING AREA LAYOUT

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d. Each five spaces of parking, whether in garages, carports, or open parking areas, shall be separated from additional spaces by a landscaped bulb not less than six feet wide containing one tree. Architectural elements, (e.g., trellises, porches, or stairways) may extend into these landscaped bulbs.

4. Garages and Carports.

a. Parking areas tucked under residential structures shall be enclosed behind garage doors.

b. Garages with parking aprons less than twenty feet in length shall be equipped with automatic garage door openers and roll-up doors. See Figure 2-4.

FIGURE 2-4 GARAGE SETBACKS

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c. The use of carports shall require conditional use permit approval. Where carports are utilized, they shall follow the same spacing criteria as parking courts (subsection (C)(3) above). Carports may be incorporated with patio walls or used to define public and private open space, but incorporating carports into exterior project walls adjacent to streets is strongly discouraged. See Figure 2-5.

FIGURE 2-5 CARPORT SCREENING

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D. Open Space and Landscape Areas.

1. The orientation of private and common open space areas shall take advantage of available sunlight and shall be sheltered from the noise and traffic of adjacent streets or other incompatible uses.

2. Common open spaces and play areas shall be conveniently located for the majority of units. Children's play areas shall be visible from as many units as possible. In complexes with more than forty two-bedroom units, several play areas shall be provided throughout the complex. See Figure 2-2

3. Areas not covered by structures, drives, parking, or walkways shall be appropriately landscaped with a variety of materials in compliance with Chapter 17.30 (Landscaping).

4. Landscaping is used to: frame, soften, and embellish the quality of the site; buffer units from noise or undesirable views; break up large expanses of parking; and separate project frontage roads from public streets. Landscape elements need vertical dimension to accomplish these objectives. Trees and tall shrubs are needed in addition to groundcover.

E. Support Facilities.

1. The design of laundry facilities, recreation buildings, sales/lease offices and other support structures shall be consistent with the site's primary structures.

2. The most visible sides of trash enclosures shall be screened from public view on all sides by a six-foot solid wall or fence, other than chain link with slats. Trash enclosures should be softened with complementary landscaping. Trash enclosures should be placed inside parking courts or at the end of a parking bay, and should not be located in a front yard. Locations shall be conveniently accessible for trash collection and maintenance. See Figure 2-6.

FIGURE 2-6 LOCATION AND DESIGN OF TRASH DISPOSAL ENCLOSURES

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F. Building Design. There is no specific architecture "style" proposed for multi-family residential structures. The criteria presented here strives for quality development through descriptions and examples of appropriate architectural expressions, building materials, and compatibility with surrounding neighborhood.

1. Facade and Roof Articulation. Changes in plane and height of walls and roofs, and the inclusion of elements including balconies, porches, arcades, dormers, and cross gables help to mitigate the barracks-like quality of long flat walls and roofs. Hipped or gabled roofs covering the entire building are preferable to mansard roofs or pitched roof segments applied at the structure's edge. See Figure 2-7.

FIGURE 2-7 FACADE AND ROOF ARTICULATION

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Structures containing three or more attached dwellings in a row shall incorporate at least one of the following (see Figure 2-8):

FIGURE 2-8 ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTIONS/CHANGES IN WALL PLANE

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a. For each dwelling unit, at least one architectural projection not less than two feet from the wall plane and not less than four feet wide. Projections shall extend the full height of single story structures, at least one half the height of a two-story structure; or

b. Offsets should be meaningful in relation to the size of the building: a change in wall plane of at least three feet for at least twelve feet, for each two units.

2. Scale. Because multi-family projects are usually taller than one story, their bulk can impose on surrounding uses. The scale of these projects shall be considered within the context of their surroundings. Structures with two stories and more may require additional setbacks so as not to dominate the character of the neighborhood. However, street facades limited to two stories shall be required where such a limit reinforces the existing neighborhood character.

3. Materials. Exterior materials shall be durable and require low maintenance. Piecemeal embellishment and frequent changes in materials shall be avoided. Natural materials including wood, stone, and brick that blend with the natural surroundings shall be used. Exterior wall and roof colors shall harmonize with the site and the surrounding neighborhood.

4. Balconies, Porches, and Patios. The incorporation of balconies, porches, and patios is encouraged to both practically and aesthetically signal human habitation. These elements shall be provided as essential ingredients in creating street-level interest and to add human scale to structures. These elements are encouraged to break up large wall masses and offset floor setbacks. See Figure 2-9.

FIGURE 2-9 BALCONIES, PORCHES

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5. Dwelling Access. Avoid long, monotonous access balconies and corridors that access five or more units, and instead cluster access points in groups of four or less. Use distinctive architectural elements and materials to denote prominent entrances.

FIGURE 2-10 DWELLING ACCESS

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6. Exterior Stairs. Simple, clean, bold projections of stairways are encouraged to complement the architectural massing and form of the structure. Thin-looking, open metal, prefabricated stairs are discouraged.

7. Carports, Garages and Accessory Structures. Carports, detached garages, and accessory structures shall be designed as an integral part of the overall project. They shall be similar in materials, color, and detail to the principal structures. Prefabricated metal carports are strongly discouraged.

8. Mechanical and Utility Equipment. All mechanical equipment, whether mounted on the roof or ground, shall be screened from view in compliance with Section 17.24.120 (Screening). Utility meters and equipment shall be placed in locations that are not exposed to view from the street. Screening devices shall be compatible with the architecture and color of the adjacent structures. See Figure 2-11.

FIGURE 2-11 SCREENING OF OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT

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9. Roof Materials. Roof surfacing materials shall be selected to help new buildings blend with their surroundings. Brightly-colored roofing materials that make the buildings stand out shall be avoided.

10. Compatible Roof Shapes. Rooflines of buildings shall be designed to be compatible with surrounding building forms. The objective in determining roof shape is to establish a visual order to building clusters. A gable roof is preferred over flat or shed roofs. See Figure 2-12.

FIGURE 2-12 VARIETY IN ROOF FORMS

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