City of Leavenworth Development Regulations

D E V E L O P M E N T R E G U L A T I O N S A R T I C L E 7 . D E S I G N S T A N D A R D S

7.02 Residential Design

(3) Designing the multi-family building so that the massing, arrangement of architectural elements, and use of exterior materials gives the appearance of a large single-family home. Rooflines longer than 50 feet shall include at least one vertical elevation change of at least two feet. The incorporation of a variety of roof forms is strongly encouraged. Upper-level residential floors may be incorporated into the roof form to reduce the apparent height and mass of buildings.

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D. Orientation and Articulation . The following orientation and articulation standards require that buildings relate to neighborhood streetscapes and share a pedestrian-oriented details that help reduce the scale of buildings and create a range of compatible but distinct designs and patterns, even when different building mass or forms exist, and particularly when different architectural styles are blended. 1. Entrances. To the maximum extent feasible, the primary entrance and façade of individual buildings shall not be oriented towards parking, but shall be oriented towards: a. An abutting public street, or b. Common open space, such as interior courtyards, parks, or on-site natural areas or features with a clearly defined and easily accessible pedestrian circulation system.

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All ground-floor units with frontage along the primary street shall have an entrance that faces the street. Multi-family buildings located with multiple street frontages shall provide entrances to units along each street frontage. Exterior entrances from a public sidewalk or common open space are permitted for dwelling units on the ground floor. These entrances shall be raised from the finished ground-floor level of the sidewalk a minimum of two feet 18 inches. Dwelling units above the ground floor shall have interior unit entrances, except that exterior stairs are permitted for access to upper-floor units only if they are oriented towards a central plaza not visible from any street.

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2. Transparency. At least 25% of all wall surface area facing a public street shall be windows. 3. Vertical Articulation. Buildings three stories or more shall use the following design details to reduce the scale of the façade: a. The top floor of any building shall contain a distinctive finish, consisting of a cornice, banding, or other architectural termination. b. An expression line shall delineate divisions between floors of all buildings, and a cornice shall delineate the tops of facades for buildings that do not utilize a pitched roof.

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Buildings shall be designed to incorporate visually heavier and more massive elements at the building base, and lighter elements above the base. Upper stories shall not appear heavier or demonstrate greater mass than the lower stories of the building.

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Materials. The following materials are acceptable for construction: 1. Brick, concrete stucco, stone, stone facing, textured masonry block, wood, glass in combination with metal, or similar, durable architectural materials. 2. This list may be amended by the addition of other acceptable materials without amending these regulations. 3. All added acceptable materials shall be approved by the DRC. The Chief Building Official shall maintain the list of additional acceptable materials. 4. EIFS, or synthetic stucco may be approved on a case-by-case basis.

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