10.716B Triplex, Quadplex, and Townhouse Design Standards

(1) Front Door Orientation Standards. The following front door orientation standards are required for lots and parcels with frontage onto a public or private street. The entrance must either:

(a) Face the street (in the case of a corner lot, the front door must face at least one of the streets); or

(b) Be at an angle of up to 45 degrees from the street; or

(c) Face a common open space that abuts the street and is abutted by a dwelling on at least one side; or

(d) Open onto a porch. The porch must extend outward, be at least 25 square feet in area and have at least one entrance facing the street or have a roof. A covered walkway or breezeway is not considered a porch.

(a) Triplexes, quadplexes, and townhouses created by a conversion of an existing dwelling unit.

(b) Any detached structure for which more than 50 percent of its street facade is separated from the street line by a dwelling.

(3) Windows and Doors. A minimum of 15 percent of the area of all street-facing facades must include windows and/or doors (this includes side loaded garages). Gabled areas and garage doors (in blue) and roofs (in white) are not included in the base wall calculation when determining the minimum 15 percent calculation for window and door areas. Facades separated from the street property line by a dwelling are exempt from meeting this standard.

(4) Garages and Off-Street Parking Areas for Triplexes and Quadplexes. Garages and off-street parking areas shall not be located between a building and a public street (other than when located off an alley) except in compliance with the standards in subsections (4)(a) and (b) of this section.

(a) The garage is separated from the street property line by a dwelling; or

(b) The combined width of all garages and outdoor on-site parking and maneuvering areas does not exceed a total of 50 percent of the street frontage (See Figure 10.716B-1 – Width of Garages and Parking Areas)

(5) Driveway Approaches for Triplexes and Quadplexes. Driveway approaches must comply with the standards in Section 10.550.

(6) Unit Definition for Townhouses. Each townhouse unit must include at least one of the following elements on at least one street-facing facade:

(a) A roof dormer a minimum of four feet in width; or

(b) A balcony a minimum of two feet in depth and four feet in width and accessible from an interior room; or

(c) A bay window that extends from the facade a minimum of two feet, or an oriel; or

(d) An offset of the facade of a minimum of two feet in depth, either from the neighboring townhouse or within the facade of a single townhouse; or

(e) An entryway that is recessed a minimum of three feet; or

(f) A covered entryway with a minimum depth of four feet; or

(g) A porch at least 25 square feet in area and that has at least one entrance facing the street or has a roof.

(7) Driveway Access and Parking for Townhouses. Townhouses with frontage on a public street shall meet the following standards:

(a) Garages on the front facade of a townhouse, off-street parking areas in the front yard, and driveways in front of a townhouse are allowed if they meet the following standards (see Townhouses with Parking in Front Yard Figure):

(i) Each townhouse lot has a street frontage of at least 20 feet on a local street.

(ii) A maximum of one driveway approach is allowed for every townhouse. Driveway approaches and/or driveways may be shared.

(iii) Outdoor on-site parking and maneuvering areas do no exceed 12 feet wide on any lot.

(iv) The garage width does not exceed 12 feet, as measured from the inside of the garage door frame.

Townhouses with Parking in Front Yard Figure

(b) The following standards apply to driveways and parking areas for townhouse projects that do not meet all of the standards in subsection (7)(a) of this section:

(i) Off-street parking areas shall be accessed on the back facade or located in the rear yard. No off-street parking shall be allowed in the front yard or side yard of a townhouse.

(ii) A townhouse project that includes a corner lot shall take access from a single driveway approach on the side of the corner lot. (See Townhouses on Corner Lot with Shared Access Figure.)

Townhouses on Corner Lot With Shared Access Figure

(iii) Townhouse projects that do not include a corner lot shall consolidate access for all lots into a single driveway. The driveway and approach are not allowed in the areas directly between the front facade and front lot line of any of the townhouses. (See Townhouses with Consolidated Access Figure.)

Townhouses with Consolidated Access Figure

(iv) A townhouse project that includes consolidated access or shared driveways shall grant access easements to allow normal vehicular access and emergency access.

(c) Townhouse projects in which all units take exclusive access from a rear public or private alley are exempt from compliance with subsection (7)(b) of this section.