21.10.130 Downtown Residential Site Requirements.
A. Purpose. The purpose of the Downtown Residential Site Requirements is to:
1. Ensure that Downtown residential development is in character with the goals and visions for the neighborhood in terms of density and bulk on the sites and the blocks they are located in, as well as livability and comfort within developments and compatibility between neighboring properties; and
2. Create light, air, pedestrian and vehicular circulation, emergency access, and general aesthetics by providing setbacks for development; and
3. Provide open space in the Downtown area that is usable by its residents and visitors.
B. Downtown Residential Densities Chart.
1. Use the table below to determine the permitted residential density of a site. The table is read from left to right. For example, in the East Hill District, a site that is 12,000 square feet in area and 120 feet in width will be allowed up to 45 dwellings per acre. If the site’s area and width are in different rows (for example, 12,000 square feet and 100 feet wide), the lower density, 36 dwelling units per acre, shall apply.
2. Exceptions.
a. If the site’s width would allow a higher density than the site’s area, the higher density shall be allowed if the site’s area is at least 85 percent of the lowest range of the areas in the same row as the site’s width. Example: On a site in the East Hill District where the lot width equals 120 feet and the site area is at least 10,200 square feet (85 percent of 12,000 square feet), 45 dwelling units per acre are allowed.
b. If the site’s area would allow a higher density than the site’s width, the higher density shall be allowed if the site’s width is at least 85 percent of the lowest range of the widths in the same row as the site’s area. Example: On a site in the East Hill District where the lot area equals 12,000 square feet and the site width is at least 102 feet (85 percent of 120 feet), 45 dwelling units per acre are allowed.
3. Lot coverage requirements do not apply to residential developments with ground floor commercial/retail uses.
4. Bonus for Semi-subterranean and Subterranean Parking. In freestanding residential developments that are on sites which are not large enough to qualify for densities that are not regulated by a maximum number of dwelling units per acre, but by the bulk, height, parking, and other standards as shown in the Downtown Residential Densities Chart below, a density bonus of 10 percent shall be granted to developments that provide semi-subterranean or subterranean parking where the finished floor height of the first floor is not more than four feet above the street curb.
5. For Unit Lot Subdivisions in the Sammamish Trail and Town Square zones, the minimum residential density required shall be 35 dwelling units per acre. See RZC 21.74, Land Division.
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Table 21.10.130A |
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Districts |
Minimum Site Area (Square Feet) |
Minimum Site Width (Feet) |
Maximum Dwelling Units per Net Acres |
Maximum Allowable Lot Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
River Trail, Carter, and East Hill |
2,400 – 3,199 |
Less than 26 |
1 unit per lot |
75 percent |
|
2,400 – 3,199 |
27 – 43 |
2 units per lot With alley access only. Otherwise one unit per lot. |
75 percent |
|
|
3,200 – 5,999 |
44 – 49 |
30 du/ac |
75 percent |
|
|
6,000 – 11,999 |
50 – 119 |
36 du/ac |
N/A |
|
|
12,000 – 17,999 |
120 – 179 |
45 du/ac |
N/A |
|
|
18,000 or more |
180 or more |
Density shall not be regulated by a maximum number of dwelling units per acre, but by the application of bulk, height, parking, and all other development standards. For example, developments may achieve as many dwellings as possible when the development provides all of the necessary parking, open space, etc., for the number of units proposed, and the building(s) meet all of the prescribed standards. All developments with proposed densities exceeding 66 dwelling units per acre, inclusive of density bonuses allowed per RZC 21.10.130.B.4, Residential Density Bonus, shall be required to have at least one level of semi-subterranean or subterranean parking, structured parking hidden behind ground floor commercial space, or other pedestrian amenities along the street front. |
N/A |
|
|
Sammamish Trail, Town Square, Old Town, Anderson Park, River Bend, and Town Center |
2,400 – 3,199 |
Less than 26 |
1 unit per lot |
75 percent |
|
2,400 – 3,199 |
27 – 43 |
2 units per lot with alley access only. Otherwise one unit per lot. |
75 percent |
|
|
3,200 – 5,999 |
44 – 49 |
30 du/ac |
75 percent |
|
|
6,000 – 11,999 |
50 – 119 |
36 du/ac |
N/A |
|
|
12,000 or more |
120 or more |
Density shall not be regulated by a maximum number of dwelling units per acre, but by the application of bulk, height, parking, and all other development standards. For example, developments may achieve as many dwellings as possible when the development provides all of the necessary parking, open space, etc., for the number of units proposed, and the building(s) meet all of the prescribed standards. All developments with proposed densities exceeding 66 dwelling units per acre, inclusive of density bonuses allowed per RZC 21.10.130.B.4, Residential Density Bonus, shall be required to have at least one level of semi-subterranean or subterranean parking, structured parking hidden behind ground floor commercial space, or other pedestrian amenities along the street front. |
N/A |
|
|
Trestle, Valley View, and Bear Creek |
2,400 – 3,199 |
Less than 30 |
1 unit per lot |
|
|
2,400 – 3,199 |
30 – 43 |
2 units per lot With alley access only. Otherwise one unit per lot. |
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3,200 – 5,999 |
44 – 49 |
26 du/ac |
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6,000 or more |
50 or more |
Developments qualifying for additional height per RZC 21.10.060.C when infill/redevelopment of the site creates an urban village per RZC 21.62.020.G.2.c the same standard shown for River Trail, Carter, and East Hill shall apply. |
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C. Residential Lot Coverage.
1. Requirements. For residential developments without ground floor commercial/office uses, maximum lot coverage shall not exceed the standards in RZC 21.10.130.B, Downtown Residential Densities Chart.
2. Exemptions. The following structures or portions of structures shall be excluded from the measurement of lot coverage:
a. Ramps or other access for the disabled or elderly meeting Washington State Rules and Regulations for Barrier-Free Design.
b. Required pedestrian walkways/vehicular lanes per Downtown pedestrian system. The area devoted to the required pedestrian system between the building and curb line/property line shall be counted as open space.
c. An underground structure (below natural grade), or underground portion of a structure, on any part of the entire lot that is landscaped on the surface.
D. Residential Setback Requirements.
1. Applicability. All lots shall have one front yard and one rear yard, with the exception of lots with frontage on two streets or access corridors, which will have two front yards and no rear yard. Where a residential use is located above a ground floor commercial/office use, the side and rear setbacks shall apply only to the residential use.
2. Permitted Structures in Required Setback Areas. The following features are permitted within front, rear, and side yard setback areas, provided that they project no closer than five feet to a property line and do not project more than five feet into the setback area. Permitted projections include building extremities, such as balconies, patios, porches, architectural protrusions, subterranean garages and structures (below natural grade), bay windows, and chimneys. Except on Type I and II pedestrian streets per Map 10.3, Downtown Pedestrian System, projections may project over street sidewalks up to the property line, provided they do not project more than five feet into the setback area. The projections may be further restricted through the land use permit process based on public safety and aesthetic considerations.
3. Front Setbacks. Front setbacks shall conform to the standards specified in Map 10.3, Downtown Pedestrian System.
4. Side Setbacks. Side setbacks shall be determined by structure depth and height, according to the following table. The depth of the building shall be measured at right angles, or as near to right angles as possible, from the front property line in a plane horizontal to the ground. Buildings built to the side property line, such as townhouses, and mixed-use residential buildings as shown in the photograph below, are exempt from this requirement at the property line.
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Table 21.10.130B |
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|---|---|---|---|
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Height of Side/Interior Facade at Highest Point in Feet |
<31 feet |
31 – 40 feet |
>40 feet |
|
Structure Depth in Feet |
Minimum Side Setback in Feet |
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65 feet or less |
5 feet |
6 feet |
7 feet |
|
66 to 80 feet |
6 feet |
6 feet |
8 feet |
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81 to 100 feet |
8 feet |
9 feet |
11 feet |
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101 to 120 feet |
11 feet |
12 feet |
14 feet |
|
121 to 140 feet |
14 feet |
15 feet |
17 feet |
|
141 to 160 feet |
17 feet |
18 feet |
20 feet |
|
161 feet or more |
19 feet |
21 feet |
23 feet |
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Figure 21.10.130A |
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5. Rear Setbacks. Rear setbacks shall be provided for all residential uses per the Allowed Uses and Basic Development Standards Tables in RZC 21.10.030 through 21.10.100, above.
6. Distance Between Buildings.
a. Two or more detached buildings on the same lot shall have a minimum separation of 15 feet. A detached accessory structure shall be separated by a minimum of five feet from any other structure. This restriction shall not apply to air conditioners, heaters, vents, pumps, solar collectors, or similar equipment.
b. Roof Eaves. Roof eaves of principal and accessory structures shall have a minimum separation of five feet. This restriction shall not apply to patio covers and similar structures with open lattice, grill work, or uncovered roof beams.
E. Residential Usable Open Space.
1. General. On-site usable open space is an important feature for residential uses as it provides residents with a place, or places, to relax and/or recreate without the need to leave their building. In order to achieve some basic amounts of on-site usable open space, two types of usable open space are required for each unit: common open space in forms, such as plazas, rooftop gardens, and recreation rooms; and private open spaces in the forms of balconies and patios. Below are the general standards for the two different types of usable open space:
a. Common Usable Open Space. At least 100 square feet per residential unit of common usable open space shall be provided in the development, up to a maximum area equivalent to 20 percent of the site. The spaces provided shall meet the size and dimensional requirements specified in Table 21.10.130.E, Residential Usable Open Space Sizes and Dimensions, below. Common usable open space may be provided in forms such as plazas, rooftop gardens, and recreation rooms that are accessible to all residents of a building. Units with at least 200 square feet of private usable open space (like townhomes), where the smallest dimension is no less than ten feet, may be excluded from the count of units that need to contribute to the common usable open space requirement. Front yards may not be counted as common open space, except per Figure 21.10.130B below.
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Figure 21.10.130B |
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b. Private Usable Open Space. Private usable open space shall be provided in the form of an attached patio or balcony for each unit per Table 21.10.130.E, Residential Usable Open Space Sizes and Dimensions, below.
2. Open Space Size and Dimensions. Table 21.10.130C, Residential Usable Open Space Sizes and Dimensions, specifies the minimum open space size and dimensions for both common and private usable open space areas. Balconies may be reduced to 12 square feet in area for up to 50 percent of the units when double doors are provided to the balcony.
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Table 21.10.130C |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Type of Usable Open Space |
Minimum Length |
Minimum Width |
Minimum Height |
Minimum Area (in Square Feet) |
|
1. Common |
12 feet |
12 feet |
As specified in IBC for habitable overhead height |
200 |
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2. Private |
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– Patio |
8 feet |
8 feet |
Same as above |
80 |
|
– Balcony |
5 feet |
5 feet |
Same as above |
50 |
3. Use of In-Lieu Fee for Downtown Residential Usable Open Space.
a. Balconies. If the street front facade of a building is deemed to be too cluttered, monotonous, and/or overdominated by too many balconies being too close together, the number of balconies on the facade may be reduced with the approval of the Design Review Board in order to effect a more balanced and attractive facade. An in-lieu fee for each required balcony not provided shall be paid to the City for parkland purchase and improvements within the Downtown neighborhood. The fee for each balcony not provided on the building shall be equivalent to 50 percent of the park impact fee for a multifamily residence. No less than 50 percent of the units shall include private open spaces.
b. Common Open Space. An in-lieu fee for each 100 square feet of common open space not provided shall be paid to the City for parkland purchase and improvements within the Downtown neighborhood. The fee for each 100 square feet of required open space not provided on-site shall be equivalent to 50 percent of the park impact fee for a multifamily residence. No less than 50 square feet of common open space per unit shall be provided on-site.
4. Combining Common Usable Open Space and Pedestrian Access. Parking areas, driveways, and pedestrian access shall not be counted as common usable open space; except, if the total width of the common usable open space is 18 feet or wider, any pedestrian path or walkway traversing through the open space may be considered as common usable open space. See Figure 21.10.130C and Figure 21.10.130D below.
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Figure 21.10.130C |
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Figure 21.10.130D |
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