Subject: 10641/AmdZonOrd/Open Space Option & Urban Residential Infill Option Date: Tue, 7 Sep 1993 15:21:49 -0500 ORDINANCE 10641 AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDINANCE NO. 6958, AS AMENDED, KNOWN AS THE ZONING ORDINANCE, SO AS TO AMEND ARTICLE V, BY ADDING NEW SECTIONS 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114 AND 115, RELATIVE TO OPEN SPACE SUBDIVISION DESIGN OPTION, AND TO AMEND ARTICLE VI, SECTION 108, RELATIVE TO LOT SETBACK EXCEPTIONS. _________________________ BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, That Ordinance No. 6958, as amended, the Zoning Ordinance, be and the same is hereby amended so as to amend Article V, by adding new Sections 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114 and 115, relative to Open Space Subdivision Design Option and to amend Article VI, Section 108, relative to lot setback exceptions. SECTION 1. That Article V, be amended so as to add a new Section 110 relative to Open Space Zoning as follows: 109. R-1 Open Space Subdivision Design Option 110. Statement of Intent: It is the intent of this section to provide an alternative standard for development of single-family residential neighborhoods in the R-1 Residential Zone. This development standard is designed to encourage open space design combined with a traditional or connected street network. In addition to a subdivision plat, all developments proposed under these standards require site plan review in order to determine their appropriateness in each instance. These standards are considered minimum standards and do not prevent the development from exceeding these requirements in terms of open space, landscaping, and lot and frontage standards. 111. Site Design Principles: (1) Development should be encouraged where adequate services are available. (2) Site design and intensity should be sensitive to environmental constraints resulting from the existing land features and strive to preserve and maintain deciduous woodlands, floodplains, wetlands and steep slopes from clearing, grading, filling or unwarranted construction. (3) The development should provide open space that is reasonably contiguous, and whose configuration does not fragment the open space into remnant parcels which are not usable for social activity and recreation. Where applicable, the open space should be connected to similar facilities off site. (4) The development should provide quality public spaces such as streets, sidewalks, parks and squares where citizens come to know each other and promote collective security. (5) House lots should be grouped closely together in order to reduce road lengths and to preserve open space. (6) Roads should be designed as networks, with interconnecting links and with minimal use of cul-de-sacs or dead ends. Road systems should be designed to connect with adjacent development or provide for the possible connection to abutting property if development occurs. In a like manner, trails and sidewalks should interconnect with existing or proposed facilities. (7) Access should be provided from individual house lots to open space areas to the maximum extent possible. 112. Site Design Process: The site designer should design the open space subdivision utilizing the following suggested process. First, the site should be examined for special features and natural characteristics or resources. This entails mapping environmental elements of the site including the slopes, floodplains, sink holes, utility recharge areas, historic features, streams, water courses, and deciduous woodlands. Second, the designer should locate open spaces, meadows, shoreline borders and special scenic vistas and add these features to the site elements previously mapped. Third, select house sites which in large measure avoid the identified limitations and take advantage of the site's special characteristics. Fourth, based on these house site locations, configure the road alignments and pedestrian connections. Finally, add lot lines based on the required road frontage and lot square footage standards. 113. Permitted Uses: All uses permitted in the R-1 Residential Zone as specified by Article V, Section 101. 114. Height and Area Regulations: (1) The minimum development site area for a project developed under these standards is ten (10) acres. (2) All property developed under these standards must be served by public sanitary sewers. (3) No building shall exceed two and one-half (2 1/2) stories or thirty-five (35) feet in height except that a building may exceed these height regulations provided that for every one (1) foot of additional height over thirty-five (35) feet the building shall be set back one (1) additional foot from all property lines. (4) The minimum building site area shall be five thousand (5,000) square feet. (5) The minimum lot frontage with front-entering (loading) driveways and garages is sixty (60) feet. For rear loading driveways and garages, the minimum lot frontage is fifty (50) feet. [See Typical Lot Configuration shown in Exhibit 1 attached hereto and incorporated herein.] {Graphics to be inserted here} (6) There shall be a front yard of not less than fifteen (15) feet except that a permanently unenclosed porch, portico, entry landing or similar structure may extend into the required front yard setback area no more than five (5) feet. (7) There shall be a side yard on each side of the building of not less than ten (10) feet except that a bay window, entry landing, portico or chimney may extend into the required side yard no more than five (5) feet. As an alternative to the ten (10) foot side yard requirement, a five (5) foot side yard may be utilized under the condition that no permitted element of the building structure other than the allowable eaves overhang is permitted in the five (5) foot yard setback, including but not limited to hearing, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC), porches, decks, porticoes, entry landings or similar structures. For corner lot side yard requirements, see Article VI, Section 108. (8) There shall be a rear yard of not less than twenty-five (25) feet for lots with front-entering driveways, except that permanently unenclosed porch, portico, entry landing or similar structure five (5) feet in width may extend into the required rear yard no more than five (5) feet. For lots with rear entering driveways and using alleys for access, there shall be a rear yard of not less than eighteen (18) feet except that a permanently unenclosed porch, portico, entry landing or similar structure five (5) feet in width may extend into the required rear yard no more than five (5) feet. (9) For residential structures with front-entering (loading) driveways and garages, the garage door must be set back from the front fact of the structure eight (8) feet or more. [See Typical House Configuration shown in Exhibit 2 attached hereto and incorporated herein.] {Graphics to be inserted here} (10) Sidewalks are to be constructed on both sides of any new rights-of-way which are shown on the required subdivision plat/site development plan or along any existing streets which provide direct access to houses built under the terms and standards of these regulations. These sidewalks are to be built to standards as specified in the jurisdictional Subdivision Regulations. (11) Street trees are to be incorporated along all public streets on lots developed under these provisions at a maximum planting interval of twenty-five (25) feet. These trees should have an expected mature height of at least thirty-five (35) feet and are to be installed at a minimum height of twelve (12) feet. All plantings must be trees. Plants which are commonly identified as a shrub are not acceptable. In planting the street trees, it is preferable to plant any required tree behind the outside edge of the sidewalk if the planting strip between the sidewalk and the curb is less than six (6) feet wide. (12) Detached accessory buildings are permitted subject to Article VI, Section 102 of the Chattanooga Zoning Ordinance. (13) A minimum of thirty percent (30%) of the gross site area must be set aside as open space (as shown on the site plan). This open space set aside is in addition to areas which are in a designated Floodway zone. Fragmentation of open space should be minimized and therefore no parcel of open space should be less than one (1) acre in size, except for areas specifically designed as village greens, ballfields, buffers, and trail links. The open space should be immediately accessible to the maximum number of houselots on adjacent parcels or through pedestrian linkages to these open areas. The open space shall remain undivided and may be owned and managed by a home owners' association, the City of Chattanooga, or a recognized land trust or conservancy. The ownership will be specified on the Subdivision Plat. (14) Where required, public or private alley rights-of-way or easements shall be a minimum of twenty (20) feet in width. These alleys are to be built according to specifications of the City Engineer. (15) Rights-of-way shall be designed to maximize the connections between streets. The use of cul-de-sacs should be minimized and are only allowed where there are topographic or environmental constraints on the land. Future connections to abutting land will be required as deemed necessary or where future development is anticipated. 115. Site Plan Requirements and Review Process: The developer utilizing an Open Space Subdivision Option shall adhere to the following steps in processing a design: first, the developer shall review the Conceptual Layout Plan and the Existing Site Conditions Map with the Regional Planning Agency; second, based on approved design, the developer shall submit a preliminary plat for review and consideration by the Planning Commission; third, following approval by the Planning Commission, the developer shall submit a final subdivision plat and a final site plan for review and approval by the staff and the Planning Commission; and fourth, the approved subdivision plat and final site plan is recorded in the Registrar's Office of Hamilton County. (1) Existing Site Conditions Map and Conceptual Layout Plan Review Process The developer shall review the proposed site development plan with the Regional Planning Agency staff prior to the submittal of the Preliminary Plat. The purpose of this review is to evaluate existing site characteristics and to review the proposed design of the subdivision. At this mandatory review meeting, the developer is required to furnish the Regional Agency staff with an existing conditions map and a scaled conceptual layout plan of the proposed development. Although not mandatory, an on-site visit should be held in conjunction with this initial site design review. The Regional Planning Agency review staff shall consist of a representative of the Operations Office, the Planning Design Center and the Comprehensive Planning Division. The conceptual layout plan and the existing Site Conditions Map shall be submitted to the Operations Office of the Regional Planning Agency. As required, staff members of other public agencies will be consulted prior to conceptual layout plan approval. The submittal of this plan shall not be construed to be submission of a subdivision plat. A. Existing Site Conditions Map The following are the required elements which must be portrayed on the Existing Site Conditions Map: 1. Minimum scale of one inch equals fifty feet (1" 3D 50'), with Graphic Scale and North Arrow; 2. Topographic features depicted at a maximum five (5) foot contour interval; 3. Historic features (i.e. structures or sites listed or eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, State recognized historic structures or sites); 4. Areas of flood hazard, including designated Flood Hazard District and Floodways; 5. Generalized type and location of existing vegetation; 6. Existing utility easements; and 7. Property lines. B. Conceptual Layout Plan The following are required elements which must be portrayed on the Conceptual Layout Plan: 1. Minimum scale: One inch equals fifty feet (1" 3D 50'); 2. Depict vehicular access including proposed rights-of-ways, alleys, common drives and easements; 3. Depict any pedestrian circulation, easements or trails other than those sidewalks required by these regulations; 4. Depict or list the lots which are permitted to have front parking access; 5. Depict common open space(s) and by note on the final plat, show proposed ownership of the common open space; 6. Depict recreation facilities or other similar community design features, such as gazebos. 7. Depict street and landscaping design features. 8. Depict the lot layout showing the proposed lot scheme. This layout is designed to display the general lot configuration and does not require surveyed dimensional data. (2) Subdivision Plat/Development Plan Review Process Based on evaluation and approval by the Regional Planning Agency review staff, the developer must submit a preliminary plat for review. The preliminary plat must conform to the requirements of the jurisdictional subdivision regulations and the design and layout of the approved Conceptual Layout Plan. After submission to and approval of the Preliminary Plat by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission, the Final Plat must be submitted, reviewed and approved by the Regional Planning Agency staff. In addition, the site developer shall prepare a scaled final site plan for attachment to the Final Plat. If the desired design elements can be depicted on the Final Subdivision Plat, a separate site plan is not required. If a separate document is attached to the subdivision plat as an addendum, its format will conform to subdivision plat standards and it will be referenced on the subdivision plat as an addendum or attachment. A. Final Site Plan The Final Site Plan shall depict the final subdivision design and include the following elements: 1. Minimum scale: One inch equals fifty feet (1" 3D 50'); 2. Proposed building and accessory structures; 3. Required landscaping, including streetscape details; 4. Location of open space, public parks and recreation facilities; 5. Street and alley layout; 6. Pedestrian circulation system; and 7. Additional details and design features which are required by ordinance or as required by the Planning Agency review staff. (3) Recordation of the Final Plat and Site Plan Following review and approval by the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission, the Final Plat and Site Plan shall be recorded by the developer. SECTION 2. That Article VI, Section 108 be amended by adding the following: Detached single family houses and accessory uses located on interior lots of record established or existing prior to June 20, 1961 shall have a minimum front yard of fifteen (15) feet and a minimum side yard of five (5) feet. Other than allowable eave overhang, no other permitted element of the building structure is allowed in the five (5) foot side yard setback, including but not limited to hearing, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC), porches, decks, porticos, entry landings or similar structures. Off-street parking standards as specified in Article V, Section 103 shall be adhered by in developing single family houses on lots of record. SECTION 3. BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED that this Ordinance shall take effect two weeks from and after its passage as required by law. PASSED on Third and final Reading November 18, 1997. s/_________________________________ CHAIRPERSON APPROVED: __X__ DISAPPROVED: ______ DATE: __November 20_________, 1997. s/_________________________________ MAYOR RHRH:efl