Chapter 17.39
OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS
FOR STREAMLINED AND MINISTERIAL RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS
Sections:
17.39.030 Objective residential design standards.
17.39.010 Purpose of chapter.
This chapter establishes objective residential design standards that are generally derived from design and development guidelines and policies contained in the land use code, the general plan, the downtown specific plan, the Santero Way specific plan and the 1990 residential design criteria. Typically, new residential development is required to go through the city’s discretionary design review process, which includes review for compliance with the city’s design and development standards. Many of the city’s design and development standards demonstrate preferences while allowing discretion and flexibility and, as such, cannot be enforced through a streamlined ministerial process such as that described in Senate Bill 35. The objective design standards for streamlined and ministerial residential developments aim to incorporate Cotati’s existing design and development standards to the greatest extent possible, while complying with the intent of state legislation to facilitate and expedite the construction of housing.
These objective design standards strive to ensure high quality designs that maintain the rural, small-town feel balanced against a downtown that reflects a focus on intensified development. These objective design standards aim to strike a balance between a discretionary design review process and a ministerial process to achieve creative designs that enhance character and livability, but without the use of separate standards for specific areas of the community. (Ord. 905 § 5, 2021).
17.39.020 Applicability.
The provisions of this chapter apply to all residential projects which demonstrate eligibility pursuant to California Senate Bill 35 (or similar state or city legislation as may be amended), and therefore qualify for streamlined and ministerial processing. The streamlined approval process is an opt-in program for developers who must request streamlined ministerial approval (such as the process outlined in SB 35) at the time a permit application is submitted to the city. (Ord. 905 § 5, 2021).
17.39.030 Objective residential design standards.
Consistent with existing state law, objective standards are those that involve no personal or subjective judgment by a public official and are uniformly verifiable by reference to an external and uniform benchmark and are applied through a ministerial review process.
Residential developments that are subject to this chapter must be consistent with each of the standards below:
A. Neighborhood Compatibility. The purpose of the neighborhood compatibility design standards is to minimize impacts to established neighborhoods and their distinctive characteristics by requiring new multifamily development projects to include features most relevant to the Cotati community. Design characteristics that differentiate one neighborhood from another add variety to a city. It can be handled through the public realm (city-initiated enhancements) and further emphasized from building to building or development to development. These differentiated neighborhoods create a sense of ownership and when done well create a visual diversity that make cities and towns interesting.
1. Multifamily projects fronting on an existing or proposed public street shall orient the buildings to the street with individual entries, porches, and landscaping facing the street. Street-facing parking lots, parking spaces, carports, and garages are not allowed.
2. A third story (or more) portion of the multifamily building shall be set back a minimum of thirty feet from any property line adjacent to properties developed with single-family residences.
B. Building Design. The intent of these building design standards is to enhance the quality and character of neighborhoods with new multifamily developments that include design features of traditional craftsman style homes.
1. Buildings shall include traditional design features of craftsman style homes consisting of:
a. Visible roof styles shall incorporate low to moderately pitched roofs (gabled or hipped) with slopes ranging between 4:12 and 9:12. Other roof types such as flat, parapet, butterfly, and shed shall not be visible elements of the architecture, except a dormer, porch or architectural projection may include a shed roof. A shed roof with a projecting dormer(s) is permissible.
b. Rooflines shall extend past the wall of the building with a minimum eave width of eighteen inches and shall include exposed roof beams and/or rafters.
c. The upper portion (quarter to half) of a window shall include divided lights or simulated divided lights. Tinted and reflective glass is prohibited.
d. Windows shall be limited to double hung, single hung, casement, or fixed, and shall include a wood surround with a minimum width of four inches.
e. Exterior entry doors shall include recessed panels and/or glazing and shall include a wood surround with a minimum width of four inches.
f. Exterior wall materials shall include at least two of the following materials: solid wood or concrete based wood siding, solid wood or concrete based shingle siding, stucco, brick, and stone. Materials such as T1-11 siding, particle board, vinyl, and EIFS are prohibited.
g. Building materials and details shall be consistent on all elevations.
h. All ground-level residential units fronting onto a public street, plaza, park, or courtyard shall have their primary access from a porch. The porch shall be a minimum of six feet clear depth and a clear width of eight feet minimum. Porches shall be covered with a roof that is supported by square/rectangular columns which may be straight and/or tapered. Cantilevered roofs are not permitted.
2. Affordable units and market rate units in the same development shall be constructed of the same exterior materials and details such that the units are not distinguishable.
3. Blank walls shall not exceed twenty linear feet without being interrupted by a window or entry. Walls without entries or windows shall include shrubs and trees or art.
4. Buildings over three stories must provide a ground-floor elevation that is distinctive from the upper stories by providing a material change or horizontal articulation with a minimum dimension of ten feet between the first floor and upper floors along at least seventy-five percent of the building facade with frontage upon a street, adjacent public park or public open space.
5. Covered front porches of existing homes to remain shall not be enclosed.
6. Window Orientation. Where one or more windows are proposed ten feet or less from a side lot line, or ten feet from another residential structure on the same site, the windows shall be oriented and/or screened by an architectural feature to provide privacy for the residents of both structures.
7. Entry points into multifamily housing shall be distinguished from the facade using articulation, projections or other distinguishing characteristics which highlight the point of entry.
8. All roof-mounted and/or ground-mounted equipment with the exception of solar collector panels shall be screened from view using architectural and/or landscape features.
C. Massing/Articulation. The intent of massing/articulation standards is to require building designs that minimize the perceived scale of large buildings to enhance the pedestrian experience and incorporate variety in massing and details to add visual interest.
1. A minimum of two features such as balconies, cantilevers, dormers, bay windows, porches, and individualized entries, shall be incorporated into each project building facade.
2. The building facade facing a street, public park, or publicly accessible outdoor space shall incorporate a horizontal offset for every fifty feet of continuous building wall length with a minimum depth of eighteen inches.
3. Rooflines shall be vertically articulated at least every fifty feet along the street frontage, by varying rooflines, height and/or building form.
D. Usable Open Space/Landscape. The intent of the open space/landscape standards is to require new multifamily development to support a high quality of life with appropriate usable open space, indoor and outdoor community amenities, retention of heritage trees, and new planting of trees, shrubs, and ground cover that add variety and interest. “Usable open space” means on-site area or areas, accessible to the residents of the development it serves and designed for safe and convenient active use for recreational, leisure, and social activities. Other open spaces such as areas within a street side setback (other than a permitted private porch and/or patio), creek setback, stormwater management facility, wetland/habitat preservation areas, and sloped areas over five percent are not considered “usable open space.”
1. Usable Open Space and Amenities. Each multifamily residential project shall provide permanently maintained usable open space and/or amenities. The total amount of usable open space and/or amenities included for the project shall at a minimum provide a total of one hundred fifty square feet of usable common and/or private open space per unit. Projects directly adjacent to a public park or directly across a local street from a public park need to only provide a total of forty-eight square feet of common and/or private usable open space per unit on the project site. Usable open space and/or amenities shall be provided as follows:
a. Ground-level units shall include a private porch and/or private patio/garden. Each private porch or private patio/yard shall include a minimum clear dimension of six feet by eight feet.
b. Projects of more than ten units, and not directly adjacent to a public park or directly across the street from a public park, shall include usable common open space which may be a courtyard or rooftop terrace.
c. Projects of more than ten units shall include a minimum of three of the following additional usable open space amenities:
i. Private balconies above the ground floor.
ii. Playground.
iii. Swimming pool.
iv. Community center. (Interior portions of the building devoted to recreational and social uses count as usable open space up to a maximum of fifteen percent of the total usable open space requirement for the development. Other uses such as offices, utility rooms, or hallways are not counted as usable open space.)
v. Community garden.
vi. Play/sport court(s) – teen/adult (i.e., bocce ball, basketball).
vii. Courtyard.
viii. Rooftop terrace.
2. Outdoor seating shall be provided at common usable open space areas.
3. Any playground area must be visible to multiple units to provide casual surveillance and be separated from traffic. Benches or picnic tables for adults that are accompanying younger children shall be provided.
4. Configuration of Usable Open Space. Required usable open space areas shall be designed and located as follows:
a. Courtyards shall be enclosed fully or partially on a minimum of two sides by buildings that include residential units and/or community buildings; and shall have a minimum dimension of twenty feet. Courtyards shall at a minimum include hardscape, landscaping, seating with a table or tables.
b. Rooftop terraces shall include tables, chairs, and landscaping at a minimum. The rooftop terrace shall be designed and constructed to ensure that interior noise levels of adjacent uses are in compliance with Section 17.30.050.
5. Open space landscaping shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 17.34 (Water Efficient Landscaping Standards).
6. Maintenance and Control of Common Open Space. Required common open space shall be controlled and permanently maintained by a homeowners’ association (HOA) or similar entity within a common ownership interest development. Provisions for control and maintenance shall be included in property covenants of all common interest developments.
7. Project does not include the removal of a native oak tree or development within the root zone of a native oak (black, valley, or live oak with a minimum circumference of twelve inches measured fifty-four inches above the natural grade).
E. Outdoor Lighting. The intent of outdoor lighting standards is to require high quality lighting fixtures to provide safety and security for persons and property, and to minimize light pollution, sky glow and glare. Outdoor lighting shall be installed and maintained along all vehicular access ways and pedestrian walkways, in compliance with Section 17.30.060 (Outdoor lighting). The lighting shall be shielded and directed downward onto the driveways and walkways within the development and away from adjacent properties to eliminate glare and minimize light trespass. Lighting of at least one foot-candle shall also be installed and maintained within all covered and enclosed parking areas and shall be screened with full cutoff luminaires to minimize sky glow and glare onto public sidewalks and adjacent residences. Lighting fixtures/lamps shall be energy efficient and be a warm light with a broad color spectrum to minimize sky glow. An all-night light shall not exceed 3000K (Kelvin Color Temperature Scale) and lights with an on/off timer shall not exceed 4000K.
Proposed lighting shall be shown on the required landscape plan and supported by a photometric analysis.
F. Site Design. The intent of site design standards is to ensure the integration of new multifamily development into the surrounding neighborhood and to enhance the appearance, safety, convenience, and social interaction through the provision of circulation connectivity. Further, these standards are intended to identify the appropriate location and appearance of parking and other features serving these developments.
1. Project shall provide or extend streets as shown in the adopted Cotati general plan or the adopted specific plan.
2. When dwelling units are abutting common open space areas, a minimum of one window from each dwelling abutting the common open space area shall overlook the common open space.
3. Accessory Structure Design. Accessory structures and uses (e.g., bicycle storage, garages, carports, laundry rooms, recreation facilities, etc.) shall be designed and constructed with an architectural style, exterior colors and materials that match the structures in the project containing dwelling units.
4. Screen all parking areas, covered and uncovered, from public street frontages. Screening may be accomplished through building placement, landscaping, a planted earth berm, planted fencing, topography, or some combination of the above. Landscaping used for screening purposes shall be no less than fifteen feet wide (from the back of sidewalk or street curb to the parking lot paving, whichever is greater) and no less than three feet tall.
5. Structures listed on Table 9.1-1 (Buildings Potentially Eligible for the California Register) of the Cotati general plan background report shall be preserved/restored in their existing location and incorporated into the proposed development.
6. Street and driveway widths shall not exceed the minimum widths established by the city or fire district.
7. A pedestrian walkway system shall be provided to connect each unit to facilities within the project, to public streets, and to public pedestrian/bicycle paths abutting the project where legally permissible.
8. Street trees within a planter strip or tree well shall be provided except in cases where the public works standards call for a contiguous sidewalk or no sidewalk.
9. Front Setback Pavement. No more than forty percent of the front setback area shall be paved for walkways, driveways, and/or other hardcover pavement.
10. Parking Location. Off-street parking shall be located so that garage doors, carports, and open parking spaces are not visible from the street fronting the parcel.
G. Accessory Elements. The intent of accessory elements standards is to ensure that certain accessory uses are provided and appropriately screened.
1. Perimeter fencing utilized along public streets shall be constructed of decorative iron, pre-painted welded steel, stone, or wood pickets or a combination of such materials. Chain-link fencing is prohibited.
2. The height of solid fencing between private yards and common open spaces shall be limited to four and one-half feet in height.
3. Screen rooftop equipment (solar panels are exempt) from visibility. The point of view for determining visibility shall be five feet above grade at a distance of two hundred feet.
4. Screen all exterior trash, recycling, storage utility boxes, wood service poles, electric and gas meters, fire sprinkler valves and backflow preventers and transformers, or other ground-mounted infrastructure.
5. Refuse Containers.
a. Four units or less may be served by individual garbage containers. When individual garbage cans are used, they must either fit in the garage or into a special enclosure.
b. When there are five units or more, provide dumpsters for garbage collection within a roofed enclosure.
c. When dumpsters are to be used, coordination with the refuse pickup provider to determine the size and number of dumpsters is required and dumpsters shall accommodate all waste streams (landfill, recycling and compost, etc.).
d. Dumpsters enclosures shall be roofed and incorporate walls a minimum of six feet tall. Allow adequate size to accommodate the needed dumpsters, compost, and recycling containers. All enclosures and gates should be designed to withstand heavy use. Provide wheel stops or curbs to prevent dumpsters from banging into walls of enclosure.
e. Provide an opening so that pedestrians can access the dumpsters without opening the large gates.
f. Provide lighting at trash enclosures for nighttime security and use.
g. Locate dumpster enclosures so that no dwelling is closer than twenty feet (including those on abutting properties), or more than one hundred feet from a residential unit. No minimum distance from dwellings is required if dumpsters are located within a fully enclosed room.
6. Storage. A minimum of one hundred cubic feet of lockable storage area shall be provided for each dwelling outside of the unit, with no dimension less than thirty inches. This section does not apply to vertical mixed use.
7. Laundry Facilities. Each multifamily unit shall be provided a plumbed individual laundry area within the unit or its garage, of a size large enough to accommodate a clothes washer and dryer, except that a multifamily project of five or more units may be designed to provide common laundry facilities as determined by the project applicant. If located in the garage for an individual unit, the laundry area shall not encroach into the required parking area.
H. Mixed-Use Developments. Projects consisting of both commercial and residential uses shall also be consistent with each of the following standards below:
1. Site planning and building design shall provide for pedestrian access from the public street into the nonresidential and residential portions of the project, through courtyards, plazas, and walkways.
2. Horizontal mixed-use projects shall include a pedestrian network connecting the residential components of the project with the nonresidential components through the provision of courtyards, plazas and walkways.
3. All building design and site design requirements and criteria identified herein shall be incorporated into mixed-use projects.
I. Solar On Site. Projects shall include on-site solar photovoltaic panels/equipment to help achieve energy efficiency standards contained within California Code of Regulations Title 24.
J. Additional Objective Standards Within Zoning Code. Projects subject to this chapter must comply with all other applicable objective standards within this zoning code including, but not limited to:
1. Development standards as indicated in Sections 17.22.020, 17.22.030, 17.24.030 17.24.040, 17.24.050, 17.28.050, 17.30.010, 17.30.020, 17.30.030, 17.30.040, 17.30.042, 17.30.050, 17.30.060, 17.30.070, 17.30.080, 17.30.082, 17.30.084, 17.30.090, and 17.30.100, and as may be amended.
2. Street and streetscape standards as indicated in Sections 17.26.010, 17.26.020, 17.26.030, and 17.26.040, as may be amended.
3. Landscaping standards as indicated in Sections 17.34.050, 17.34.060, and 17.34.070, as may be amended.
4. Parking and loading standards as indicated in Sections 17.36.040, 17.36.050, 17.36.060, 17.36.070, 17.36.080, 17.36.090, and 17.36.100, as may be amended, unless otherwise superseded by state law.
5. Mixed use projects standards as indicated in Section 17.42.100.
6. Multifamily and small lot single-family project standards as indicated in Section 17.42.120.
7. Condominium and common interest project standards as indicated in Section 17.42.065.
8. Creekside development standards as indicated in Sections 17.50.030, 17.50.040, and resource conservation Sections 17.51.060(B)(1), (B)(2), (C), (D), and (E), as may be amended.
9. Fences, walls and screening standards as indicated in Section 17.30.030, as may be amended.
10. Height measurement and exception standards as indicated in Section 17.30.040, as may be amended.
11. Hillside development standards as indicated in Sections 17.53.020, 17.53.040, 17.53.050, and 17.53.060, as may be amended.
12. Resource conservation standards as indicated in Sections 17.51.030, 17.51.040, and 17.51.050, as may be amended.
13. Downtown specific plan standards, as may be amended.
14. Santero Way specific plan standards, as may be amended. (Ord. 918 § 8, 2023; Ord. 905 § 5, 2021).
ARTICLE 4. STANDARDS FOR SPECIFIC LAND USES