Title
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 50-14.5 RESIDENTIAL-TRADITIONAL (R-1), AND 50-20.1 RESIDENTIAL USES, RELATED TO DESIGN STANDARDS FOR TOWNHOMES AND DUPLEXES.
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CITY PROPOSAL:
The city of Duluth does ordain:
Section 1. That Section 50-14.5 of the Duluth City Code, 1959, as amended, be amended as follows:
A. Purpose.
The R-1 district is established to accommodate traditional neighborhoods of single-family detached residences, duplexes and townhouses on moder-ately sized lots. This district is intended to be used primarily in established neighborhoods. Many of the dimensional standards in this district require development and redevelop-ment to be consistent with development patterns, building scale, and building location of nearby areas. Uses are allowed as shown in Table 50-19.8;
See Attachment 1, Table 50-14.5-1, R-1 District Dimensional Standards
B. Example.
See Attachment 2, Illustrations 50-14.5.B and 50-14.5.C
C Illustration.
See Attachment 2, Illustrations 50-14.5.B and 50-14.5.C
Section 2. That Section 50-20.1 of the Duluth City Code, 1959, as amended, be amended as follows:
50-20.1 Residential uses.
A. Dwelling, two-family.
In the R-1, R-2 and R-P districts, two-family dwellings shall be designed to protect and reflect the character of one-family residences as set forth below:
1. Minimum size. A two-family dwelling shall contain at least 1,800 square feet of floor area (not including garages or utility rooms or basement or attic space not used for living quarters);
2. Exterior stairways. No exterior stairways with a total vertical rise greater than five feet shall be permitted;
3. In the R-1 and R-2 districts, each unit in a two family dwelling must have a separate exterior entrance on the facade facing the front property line;
B. Dwelling, townhouse.
In the R-1 and R-2 districts, each dwelling shall exhibit the characteristics of a series of one-family dwellings that are arranged in an attached side by side fashion and shall be designed to protect the character of one-family residences as set forth below:
1. Dwelling fronting street. Townhouse dwellings shall be located on lots in such a way that each individual dwelling unit has a minimum of 15 20 feet of street frontage in the R-1 district, and a minimum of 15 feet of street frontage in the R-2 district;
2. Variation of exterior walls. No more than two adjacent townhouse units may have front facades in the same vertical plane. Where a variation in front façade plane is required, the variation shall be a minimum of three feet;
3. Landscaping. Prior to the occupancy and use of a townhouse dwelling, coniferous or evergreen trees meeting the minimum size requirements of Section 50-25.2 shall be planted in required front and back yard areas on an average spacing of 20 feet;
4. Screening of refuse areas. Where refuse storage areas are directly viewable from any exterior lot line at a height of six feet above grade, they shall be screened by wood, brick, or stone fences, or by vegetative materials, with a minimum height of six feet, designed so that at least 75 percent of the refuse area is obscured by opaque materials when viewed at an angle perpendicular to the screening materials;
5. Maximum number of units. In the R-1 district, townhomes constructed on the corners of blocks or adjacent to the intersections of two or more public or private road may have up to eight dwelling units, but townhomes constructed in the middle of a subdivision block may have no more than six dwelling units. In all other zone districts, townhomes may not exceed eight dwelling units;
6. Separate entrances. Each unit in a townhome must have a separate exterior entrance on the facade facing the front yard property line, or front side yard property line;
7. Design features. At least three of the following design features shall be provided for visual relief along all facades of each townhome structure:
(a) Roof dormers;
(b) Gables;
(c) Recessed entries;
(d) Covered porches;
(e) Cupolas;
(f) Pillars, pilasters or posts;
(g) Bay windows;
(h) Eaves of at least 12 inches beyond the building wall or a parapet wall with an articulated design (decorative cornice, etc.);
(i) Multiple windows with minimum four inches trim;
(j) Recesses/shadow lines;
C. Dwelling, multi-family.
In the F-2, F-4, F-5 and F-8 districts, this use is permitted on the ground floor of the corridor building type only. In other building types it is only permitted above the ground floor;
D. Residential care facility/assisted living.
In the F-2, F-4, F-5, and F-8 districts, this use is permitted on the ground floor of the corridor building type only. In other building types it is only permitted above the ground floor;
E. Rooming house.
In the F-2, F-4, F-5 and F-8 districts, this use is permitted on the ground floor of the corridor building type only. In other building types it is only permitted above the ground floor;
F. Manufactured home park.
1. New manufactured home parks, expansions to existing manufactured home parks, and new or replacement of manufactured home units on lots of record are prohibited in the floodway district. If allowed in the flood fringe district, these uses shall be subject to the requirements of Section 50-18.1 of this Chapter and the following standards;
2. Existing, new and replacement manufactured homes in the flood fringe district must comply with the following standards:
(a) All manufactured homes must be securely anchored to an adequately anchored foundation system that resists flotation, collapse, and lateral movement. Methods of anchoring may include, but are not limited to, use of over-the-top or frame ties to ground anchors. This requirement is in addition to applicable state anchoring requirements for resisting wind forces;
(b) New or replacement manufactured homes in existing manufactured home parks must have vehicular access at or above an elevation not more than two feet below the regulatory flood protection elevation, unless the property owner has a flood warning and emergency evacuation plan acceptable to the city council as specified in Section 50-18.1.
Section 3. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days from and after its passage and publication.
Statement of Purpose
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: This ordinance implements text amendments to chapter 50 of the City Code, known as the Unified Development Chapter (UDC).
The proposed ordinance increases the lot frontage and lot area requirement for future townhome developments, and increases the required street frontage for each individual townhome dwelling unit. It also limits the number of townhomes in an R-1 zone to no more than six dwellings units if located within a block, up to eight dwelling units if on a street corner. Finally, the proposed ordinance adds a requirement that new townhomes provide some basic architectural design features.
The proposed changes were discussed at a published public hearing on September 8, 2015. After the public hearing was closed, the Duluth planning commission made a motion to table the item for additional review and public comment. The item was discussed at the October 13, 2015, regular planning commission meeting. The planning commission made a motion to recommend that the city council approve the recommended amendments to the UDC. The vote passed with a vote of 6 yeas, 2 nays and 0 abstentions, with 1 planning commission member being absent from the meeting.