14.23.072 Design Criteria For Detached Single-Family Dwelling Units And Cottage Housing.
A. Intent. To ensure that new development contributes to the visual character of the city; to create developments that promote walking and bicycling; to create variety and interest in the appearance of streets; to encourage interaction among neighbors; to minimize impacts of vehicular access on the streetscape; to ensure privacy of residents and adjacent properties; to provide usable yard space for residents; to provide design details that add visual interest; to provide flexibility where unique site conditions exist. (See Table 14T-20.)
B. Roof Design. Provide pitched or articulated roof line, or other roof element such as eyebrow roof forms or dormers that emphasize building form and help it fit in with neighboring structures with prominent roofs. Pitched roofs shall utilize a minimum slope of four feet vertical to twelve feet horizontal. Encourage rooflines along the side yard that maximize solar access to adjacent homes and/or private open space. (See Table 14T-21.)
C. Architectural Details. Provide for architectural details that add visual interest to the neighborhood and are well proportioned to achieve good human scale. Specifically, incorporate at least three of the following detail elements into the facade of the house:
1. Decorative porch design, including decorative columns or railings.
2. Bay windows or balconies.
3. Decorative molding/framing details around all ground floor windows and doors.
4. Decorative door design including transom and/or side lights or other distinctive feature.
5. Decorative roofline elements including brackets, multiple dormers, and chimneys.
6. Decorative building materials, including decorative masonry, shingle, brick, tile, stone, or other materials with decorative or textural qualities.
7. Landscaped trellises or other decorative elements that incorporate landscaping near the building entry.
8. Distinctive paint schemes.
9. Other decorative facade elements or details that meet the intent of criteria. (See Table 14T-22.)
D. Side Facade Treatments. In order to create a separation between yards and beautify private space where zero lot line or reciprocal use easement concepts are used, utilize the following treatments:
1. Use horizontal wood siding or other similar exterior material that provides visual interest. T-111 siding is not permitted along the privacy wall.
2. A planting strip with native and drought-tolerant vegetation, vegetated LID facilities, and/or a pergola or other similar feature that adds visual interest along the privacy wall is encouraged. (See Table 14T-23.)
E. Entries. Provide clearly defined building entries which face the street and are well lighted and easily accessible. Specific standards:
1. Weather protection shall be provided at least four feet deep along the width of the building entry for each dwelling unit. Exceptions may be granted by the director for the use of regional housing styles that do not traditionally contain such entries.
2. At least fifty percent of houses in a development shall have entries that face the street and are clearly visible from the street. Undeveloped lots vested prior to May 15, 2008, are exempt from these requirements.
3. Raised entries and porches are recommended, particularly where front yard setbacks have been reduced. Raised porches help define private space yet create a pedestrian-friendly streetscape.
4. Exterior stairways are prohibited on the facade, except for stairs leading to the front porch or entry. Such stairways shall be simple, bold projections of stairways to fit with the architectural massing and form of the building and the neighborhood. Thin-looking, open metal, prefabricated stairs and railings are discouraged. (See Table 14T-24.)
F. Garages and Driveways. Design streetscapes in a way that garages and driveways do not dominate the street and facade of the residential building:
1. Rear-loaded lots with garages off of alleys are encouraged.
2. For lots less than four thousand square feet in size, garages shall be located off of alleys, behind or in back of residences, stepped back from the front facade of the dwelling, or other techniques used to ensure the garage does not dominate the streetscape.
3. For all lots, garage doors facing the street may not occupy more than sixty percent of the ground level facade of the house. For example, in a forty-foot-wide lot with a thirty-foot-wide house, a garage door facing the street shall not be greater than eighteen feet in width. (See Table 14T-25.)
4. Three-car garages are allowed provided the garage doors take up less than sixty percent of the ground level facade of the house, the garage is separated into at least two doors, one of the doors is set back/modulated at least two feet behind the other door, and a planting strip (at least two feet wide) separates at least one of the drive lanes. (See Table 14T-26.)
5. Driveways shall be as narrow as possible to minimize impervious surfaces and shared where possible to minimize disruption of the sidewalk by curb cuts.
6. No more than one driveway is permitted per dwelling unit.
7. Garage sidewalls that face the street (e.g., as a result of garages being aligned at an angle or perpendicular with the house) shall appear to contain habitable space. This can be accomplished by incorporating windows and other design elements into the garage wall that are in character with the remainder of the dwelling.
8. For front loaded lots where the garage faces the street and the garage is located in front of the facade of the house, at least two of the following design details shall be utilized. For front loaded lots where the garage faces the street and the garage is even with the facade of the house or less than five feet behind the front facade of the house, at least one of the following design details shall be utilized:
a. A decorative trellis over the entire garage.
b. A balcony that extends out over the garage and includes columns.
c. Two separate doors for two-car garages instead of one large door.
d. Decorative windows on the garage door.
e. Decorative details on the garage door. Standard squares on a garage door will not qualify as a decorative detail.
f. A garage door color (other than white) that matches or complements the color of the house.
g. Other design techniques that meet the intent, as determined by the director. (See Table 14T-27.)
G. Privacy Standards.
1. Window Placement. Placement of windows shall consider privacy so residents from one unit to the next cannot look directly into another unit.
2. Location and orientation of dwelling units shall consider privacy.
3. Side Yard Screening Options. All developments shall utilize one of the following screening methods in side yards:
a. Provide Type I, II, or III landscaping (as defined in LMC 16.80.050) between adjacent homes.
b. Provide solid wood fence or masonry wall, or combination of wood and masonry, six feet in height and located along the property line.
c. Provide a zero-lot line configuration or other similar treatment whereby one side of a home does not feature transparent windows or other openings and thus maximizing privacy on the side yard of the adjacent dwelling unit.
d. Other treatments that meet the intent of the criteria as approved by the director. Examples can include lower fencing and/or reduced or alternative landscaping treatments. (See Table 14T-28.)
H. Exterior Materials.
1. Traditional materials consistent with local and regional architectural styles are encouraged (horizontal wood siding and brick).
2. Stucco and other troweled finishes should be trimmed in masonry or wood.
3. Mirrored glass and exposed concrete block (except for foundation/crawl space walls where not visible from the street) are not in keeping with the desired character of Lacey and are prohibited.
4. T-111 siding and other plywood types of siding (board and batten is an exception) shall not be used for facades adjacent to or directly viewable from a street.
I. Windows and Transparency.
1. Transparent windows and/or doors facing the street are required. To meet this requirement, at least ten percent of the facade must be transparent. The facade is measured from the base of the house to the start of the roofline and any other vertical walls facing the street, except for gabled portions of the facade not containing livable floor area (see Table 14T-29 for clarification). Garages facing the street shall count as part of the facade. Undeveloped lots vested prior to May 15, 2008, are exempt from this requirement.
2. Building facades visible from a public street shall employ techniques to recess or project individual windows above the ground floor at least two inches from the facade or incorporate window trim at least four inches in width that features color that contrasts with the base building color. Exceptions will be considered where buildings employ other distinctive window or facade treatment that adds depth and visual interest to the building. (See Table 14T-30.)
J. Architectural Variety. Developments shall achieve architectural variety by accommodating a variety of architectural styles, variations of the same architectural style, and through the use of multiple design elements. Specifically:
1. Duplicative house designs adjacent to each other are prohibited. Simple reverse configurations of the same house design on adjacent lots are not sufficient to meet architectural variety goals. Exceptions may be granted by the director in special circumstances where similar architectural consistency provides a distinct character for a cluster of homes surrounding an open space or on a particular street (cottage homes around a common open space are an example).
2. Generally, the more houses in a subdivision, the greater the number of different facade elevations will be required. Specifically:
a. Ten to nineteen homes, a minimum of four different facade elevations shall be used.
b. Twenty to thirty-nine homes, a minimum of five different facade elevations shall be used.
c. Forty to sixty-nine homes, a minimum of six different facade elevations shall be used.
d. Seventy or more homes, a minimum of seven different facade elevations shall be used.
Alternatives will be considered provided the design and configurations of the subdivision meet the intent. (See Table 14T-31.)
3. In order to qualify as a different facade elevation, dwellings shall have different roofline configurations, different color palettes, and different porch/entry design. In addition, a minimum of two of the following alternatives shall be utilized:
a. Different window openings (location and design).
b. One- and two-story houses.
c. Different exterior materials and finishes.
d. Different garage location, configuration, and design.
e. Other different design element that helps to distinguish one facade elevation from another as determined by the director.
4. Variation in lot size within a subdivision is encouraged for single-family lots. For example, larger corner lots can provide more visual interest, and also allow for more usable open space for such residents, as those lots have two street frontages.
5. Variation in house sizes is encouraged within developments. A combination of one- and two-story structures is attractive to a wider demographic (particularly seniors).
K. Corner Lots. Structures on corner lots are encouraged to take advantage of the dual frontage, make an architectural statement, and create interest in architecture and human activity on the street. This could be accomplished by providing one or more of the following:
1. Wrap around porches.
2. Bay windows or turrets.
3. Varied exterior materials, roof feature, colors, and/or articulation. Varied materials shall complement each other. (See Table 14T-32.)
L. Encourage Alternative Lot Configurations. A land division and its internal access roads, pedestrian connections and overall lot configuration should be designed to allow placement of homes to address functional design issues. As much as the configuration allows, placement and orientation of homes should consider privacy, solar orientation, access, location and access to open space and other factors that can contribute to the overall livability of the home and its relationship to the surrounding environment. Flexibility shall be encouraged in spatial orientation of homes on lots to address these issues and create interesting and attractive streetscapes with homes having a high functional value that might not otherwise occur with a less flexible approach.
To maximize site efficiency and usable open space, small lot developments are encouraged to utilize zero lot line and courtyard access configurations as described below:
1. Zero Lot Line. This is a configuration where the house and/or garage is built up to one of the side property lines, providing the opportunity for more usable side yard space. Standards:
a. Dwelling units and accessory structures may be placed on one interior side property line. The opposite side yard shall be at least ten feet.
b. Privacy Wall. In order to maintain privacy, no windows, doors, air conditioning units, or any other types of openings in the walls along a zero lot line structure are allowed except for windows that do not allow for visibility into the side yard of the adjacent lot. Examples include clerestory or obscured windows. See Table 14T-33 for an example of a privacy wall for a zero lot line house.
c. Eaves along a zero lot line may project a maximum of eighteen inches over the adjacent property line.
2. Reciprocal Use Easement Lots. This works similar to the zero lot line configuration, except that the homes and accessory structures that meet the standard setbacks and easements are granted on one side yard to allow consolidated use of the side yards by the adjacent property (see Table 14T-34 for example). Also, configurations providing for reciprocal use easements in the rear yard are allowed to maximize usable open space (see Table 14T-35). Standards/provisions:
a. Reciprocal easements shall be noted on the plat.
b. Privacy Wall. In order to maintain privacy, no windows, doors, air conditioning units, or any other types of openings in the walls of a structure along a reciprocal use easement are allowed except for windows that do not allow for visibility into the side yard of the adjacent lot. Examples include clerestory or obscured windows. (See Table 14T-23 for an example of a privacy wall.)
c. Areas within reciprocal use easements may count towards usable open space requirements for applicable lots.
3. Courtyard Access Lots. This includes a series of lots clustered around a private internal roadway. Standards:
a. Maximum number of lots served by a courtyard access: Five (this includes lots fronting the street on either side of the courtyard access).
b. Maximum length of a courtyard access: One hundred feet (or deeper if approved by the local fire department).
c. Surface width of courtyard access: Twelve feet. Due to the limited length, wider drives are unnecessary (safety and function) and undesirable (aesthetics).
d. An easement of twenty feet in width shall be secured over the applicable parcels to allow lots legal access to the public street. A maintenance agreement shall be required for all applicable lots and must be recorded on the final plat. (See Table 14T-36.)
4. Pedestrian-Only Entry Lots. This includes configurations where one or more lots are clustered around a pedestrian easement and/or common open space and do not front on a street (see Table 14T-37 for an example). Standards:
a. A pedestrian entry easement shall be provided to all homes that do not front on a street, alley, or common open space.
b. Pedestrian entry easements shall be a minimum of fifteen feet wide with a five-foot minimum sidewalk.
c. These lots must contain private detached or shared garages off an alley or other access if approved by public works and reviewed for conflicts with existing codes.
5. Protective Covenants. The styles of developments discussed above require special consideration to ensure conflicts between neighbors are minimized and that opportunities are provided for a home owners association to deal with unique issues created by these development forms. Covenants for these development styles shall be written to address issues unique to small lot developments that use reciprocal use and easement agreements. Great latitude shall be allowed the city in reviewing and requiring covenant elements that deal with identified issues.
M. Alley Design. Alleys shall be designed to incorporate landscaping and lighting elements. Specifically:
1. Landscaping elements may be used as an alternative to fencing to separate private yard space from the alley.
2. Fences shall be set back at least three feet from the alley (pavement) to provide for landscaping to soften the view of the fence.
See Table 14T-38 for a good example of how landscaping can enhance the design of an alley.
3. Garages shall feature building-mounted lighting to provide illumination of alleys for safety. (Ord. 1539 §12, 2019; Ord. 1496 §8, 2016; Ord. 1310 §5, 2008).