Zoning Ordinance Subcommittee

Planning Commission Agenda Commission Chambers 4243 Remembrance Rd NW Wednesday, July 19, 2023 at 5:00 PM 1. Call the meeting to order 2. Agenda Items 2.1. Use Specific Policies 2.2. RPUD-3 2.3. Miscellaneous Zoning Topics List From Staff 3. Adjournment Page 1 of 8 Memorandum TO: City of Walker Zoning Ordinance Subcommittee FROM: Christopher Khorey, AICP SUBJECT: Use-Specific Policies DATE: July 13, 2023 The Staff Working Group has developed the following recommended policies for some specific uses in the updated Zoning Ordinance. The policies are summarized below. Drive-Thurs Currently, the Ordinance does not have clear standards for drive-thru design. The Staff Working Group recommends: • A minimum of 10 stacking spaces, which cannot block drive aisles, parking spaces, or public roads. • A required 10-foot-wide bypass lane so cars can get around the drive-thru. Telecommuting, Home Occupation, and Home Based Business With the rise of “work from home”, the Staff Working Group recommends splitting the concept of “home occupations” into three levels. The three types would be: • Telecommuting: Business operations that do not produce any exterior alterations to the home or other evidence that they are ongoing, and where no employees or customers, other than residents of the home, visit for business purposes. • Home Occupations: Business operations that may be noticeable from other sites, but which have no employees from outside the home, and do not engage in on-site retail sales or vehicle repair. Fine arts lessons and sports lessons (including swimming) with three or fewer students, as well as one-chair hair salons, would be considered home occupations. Page 2 of 8  • Home Based Businesses: Business operations within a home that have employees or customers that come to the home, and/or which engage in on-site retail or vehicle repair, or have lessons with more than three students, or hair salons with more than one chair, or which otherwise do not meet the other two definitions, shall be considered Home Based Businesses. The following chart describes how and when each type of business would be allowed: District Telecommuting Home Occupation Home Based Business Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to A Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to RMT Prohibited Prohibited Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to SA Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to A-2 Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to ARM-1 Prohibited Prohibited Residential Permitted Accessory to ARM-MULT Prohibited Prohibited Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to RPUD-1 Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to RPUD-2 Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to RPUD-3 Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to C-1 Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to C-2 Special Land Use Residential Residential City of Walker · Use-Specific Standards 2 Page 3 of 8  Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to ORP Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to P-SP Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to I-1 Prohibited Special Land Use Residential Permitted Accessory to I-2 Prohibited Special Land Use Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to Standale Overlay Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to Remembrance Overlay Special Land Use Residential Residential Permitted Accessory to Permitted Accessory to Alpine Overlay Special Land Use Residential Residential Questions for the Subcommittee: • Telecommuting is intended to not require any approval from the City, and would be enforced on a complaint basis. Is the Subcommittee comfortable with that? • Should Home Occupations be permitted to use accessory buildings for offices, storage, or small-scale production? • Should any type of home business be permitted to conduct repair in an accessory building? What about sales? • Should Home Based Businesses be allowed to have outdoor storage? The Working Group recommends that the other categories be prohibited from having outdoor storage? • How should Marijuana Caregivers be designated? They cannot be prohibited, but many communities require them to operate under the rules of home businesses. The Working Group recommends that they be considered Home Occupations. City of Walker · Use-Specific Standards 3 Page 4 of 8 Outdoor Storage Currently, outdoor storage facilities are permitted to have one non-gated opening (up to 12 feet wide) for every two hundred feet of frontage. Should this rule be kept, or should it be replaced with a requirement to have an opaque gate? Solar Energy The Working Group recommends three levels of solar energy: • Small Accessory – Wall-mounted, roof-mounted, or freestanding, but smaller in footprint than the principal building. • Large accessory – Freestanding and larger in footprint than the principal building. • Principal – Freestanding and the principal use of the lot. Small accessory would be permitted in all districts as an accessory use. Large accessory would be permitted in all non-residential districts as an accessory use, subject to standards, including robust screening. Principal would be permitted as a Special Use in AA, I-1, and I-2, and subject to screening and other standards. I look forward to discussing these policies on July 19. City of Walker · Use-Specific Standards 4 Page 5 of 8 Memorandum TO: City of Walker Zoning Ordinance Subcommittee FROM: Christopher Khorey, AICP SUBJECT: RPUD-3 DATE: July 13, 2023 As discussed, below is a series of policy ideas for an RPUD-3, which would allow higher density residential developments than are currently permitted under RPUD-2. The purpose of RPUD-3 would be to allow for residential densities over 8 units per acre in specific locations, with strict design rules. RPUD-3 would accommodate increasing housing demand by allowing density increases in the areas of the city that can accommodate density, while also requiring high quality development in order to access the higher densities. Allowable Locations RPUD-3 would only be approvable in the following locations: • Within 1,500 feet of Laker Line Stops OR • Within the Redevelopment Mixed Use Community Character District in the Master Plan A map is included with this memo showing how those buffers would lay over the Community Character Map from the Master Plan. For ease of administration, we recommend that lots that are partially included within the buffers be permitted to develop their entire area under RPUD-3. RPUD-3 would also be restricted to lots that already have public water and sewer available (this would limit the allowable locations along Wilson in particular). Permitted Uses The permitted uses in RPUD-3 would be multi-family residential, including senior housing. Single family, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and townhouses would be permitted, but a developer wishing to build them would probably opt for RPUD-2. Some mixed use elements could be permitted, similar to how commercial uses are permitted in RPUD-2 (which allows 5% non-residential floor space). The Staff Working Group is recommending that RPUD-3 developments be required to provide 10% non-residential space, though that space could be amenities for residents, not necessarily businesses. Page 6 of 8 Housing Density There would be no density limit in RPUD-3. However, there would be a minimum dwelling unit size (the Staff Working Group recommends 400 square feet) and a height limit (6 stories/80 feet, consistent with the Alpine and Standale Overlays). RPUD-3 could have a minimum density, in order to ensure that RPUD-3 developments efficiently use the available land where high density can be supported. The Staff Working Group recommends 8 units per acre, to create a clean distinction with RPUD-2. Small Sites vs Large Sites RPUD-3 should be divided into “small sites” (under 2 acres) and large sites (over 2 acres). (Note: The minimum size of PUDs has been repealed in the new Ordinance). Small sites should have design requirements that promote walkability, because their residents will need easy access to off-site amenities. Large sites should have design requirements that promote high quality of life within the development. Small Site Design Requirements • Front Setback: Slip street requirement similar to Standale Overlay. • Sidewalks: Sidewalks should be required to be built if they do not exist. • Parking Reduction: Multi-family generally requires 1.5 parking spaces per unit. This could be reduced to 1.2 for Small Site RPUD-3. • Upper Floor Step Back: Floors above the fourth floor should be required to “step back” at least 10 feet from the front of the building, reducing massing on the street and creating a rooftop area that could be used for resident space. • Balconies: Balconies that project 4-6 feet from the wall of the building and are accessible from residential dwelling units shall be required on floors 2-4. • Rooftop Patio: Rooftop patio space that is either accessible from all of the dwelling units, or included as part of a restaurant. This space could be on the open rooftop created by the required Upper Floor Step- Back, or could be at the very top of the building. • Bicycle Parking: Bicycle parking (including racks, lockers, or other security measures) for at least one bicycle per five automobile parking spaces included on the site. The bicycle parking may be indoors, but a storage room that is not specifically designed for bicycles shall not count for this requirement. • Recreational Amenities: Indoor or outdoor recreational amenities, such as a swimming pool, fitness equipment, playground, sport courts, or a fire pit. City of Walker · RPUD-3 2 Page 7 of 8  • Architecture: Architectural standards should be developed to ensure the buildings are compatible with the surroundings. Small Site Relationship to Overlays Small Site RPUD-3 should be designed to be less attractive to developers than the Overlays, if only because of the longer approval process. The Overlays allow mixed use and high density (including six story buildings in Alpine and Standale), while also requiring site design that promotes walkability. Large Site Design Requirements. Large sites should be designed as “towers in the park” with ample green spac and amenities for residents. • Frontage: The road frontage should either be wooded/landscaped, to buffer the density OR mixed use buildings with walkable amenities. This may need to be specifically defined based on the location. • NO Parking Reduction: Large Site RPUD-3s should be required to adhere to the parking regulations of the Ordinance, with no opportunity for waivers. • Sidewalks/Pathways: A network of pedestrian pathways should be required. • Clubhouse/Recreation Center: A central clubhouse or recreation center should be required. • Article 13: Adherence to all regulations of Article 13 should be required, with no opportunity for waivers, other than those listed in Article 13. • Architecture: Architectural standards should be developed to ensure the buildings are compatible with the surroundings, though they need not be as strict as the Small Site requirements. • The following Small Site Amenities would also be appropriate for Large Sites: o Balconies o Rooftop Patio o Bicycle Parking o Recreational Amenities I look forward to discussing this topic on June 29. City of Walker · RPUD-3 3 Page 8 of 8