Minutes - Planning Board - 2/26/2009 CITY OF BOULDER
PLANNING BOARD ACTION MINUTES
February 26, 2009
1777 Broadway, Council Chambers
A permanent set of these minutes and a tape recording (maintained for a period of seven years)
are retained in Central Records (telephone: 303-441-3043). Minutes and streaming audio are also
available on the web at: httn://www.bouldercolorado.gov/
PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
KC Becker
Bill Holicky
Elise Jones
Willa Johnson
Phil Shull, Chair
Adrian Sopher
PLANNING BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:
Andrew Shoemaker
STAFF PRESENT:
David Driskell, Deputy Executive D
David Gehr, Assistant City Attorney
Brian Holmes, Planner I[
Julie Johnston, Senior Planner
Susan Richstone, Long Range Planning Manager
Paula Weber, Administrative Specialist III
1. CALL TO ORDER
Chair, P. Shull, declared a quorum at 6:l 1 p.m. and the following business was
conducted.
Z. Staff Follow -Up from February 24
3. Planning Board Discussion on Recommendations
Consideration of a motion providing direction to staff on changes to the land use regulations in the
Residential Rural 1 (RR-1), Residential Rural 2 (RR-2), Residential Estate (RE), Residential Low
1 (RL-1), Residential Low 2 (RL-2), and Residential Mixed I (RMX-1) zone districts as part of the
Compatible Development in Single-Family Neighborhood project.
The public hearing on this item was held on February 24, 2009. The public hearing on this item
on March 3 will be limited to new information based on Planning Board's action on February 26,
2009.
MOTION
On a motion by E. Jones, seconded by K. Becker, the Planning Board recommended (6-0, A.
Shoemaker excused absent) that City Council provide direction to staff on the Compatible
Development in Single Family Neighborhoods project including the Planning Board's
recorded straw poll votes, with the exception of the 22 percent building coverage for a second
story and the .55 FAR, as follows:
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Wall Articulation:
1. Wall Height: Side yard sloping setbacks from the property line. For every one foot
of setback from the property line, two feet of wall height is permitted, similar to RL-
2 standards.
a. Staff to review impacts on smaller lots.
2. Wall Length: Planning Board supports two options -
a. Staff recommendation of 35 feet wall length for 20 foot tall walls until a five
foot jog is required or the wall must be lowered to 12 feet
b. Add a rear yard setback to the second story of the principal structure.
i. Staff to review impacts and conduct modeling on the two options.
3. Wall Plate Height Measurement: Measnre plate height from finished grade.
4. Wall Mirroring: Eliminate wall mirroring but could be consider as a hardship case
in the variance process.
Building Coverage:
1. Sliding Scale Approach: Maintain sliding scale approach to building coverage, but
increase standards on a 7,000 square foot lot as follows:
a. Lots with One-Story Conditions: 40 percent building coverage.
i. To utilize higher building coverage allotment, all structures on the lut
must maintain cone-story configuration.
b. Lots with Two- Story Conditions: 35 percent building coverage.
2. Second Floor Building Coverage: The Board is in agreement on adding a
component to building coverage that would reduce amount of second floors.
Recommendation is a maximum building coverage of 22 percent for second floor
and above to reduce impacts of taller homes.
3. Porches and Balconies: Exclude covered porches and covered/uncovered balconies
up to a certain square footage from building coverage.
a. Staff to make a recommendation on the appropriate amount of square
footage to exclude for covered balconies.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR):
1. Sliding Scale Approach: Maintain sliding scale approach to FAR.
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2. Porches and Balconies: Exclude covered porches and covered/uncovered balconies
up to a certain square footage from FAR.
a. Staff to make a recommendation on the appropriate amount of square
footage to exclude for covered balconies.
3. Measuring Basements in FAR: Planning Board supports considering proportional
approach to measuring basements.
a. Recommendation is to consider that portion of a basement that has an
average exposure of larger than 36 inches is counted. Anything beyond the
average zone of 36 inches would count toward FAR.
b. Measurement would be taken from the underside of the first Floor structure
to the finished grade.
4. Virtual Floor: Planning Board supports consideration of a virtual floor as long as it
is -
a. Above a certain height
b. Includes some square footage exemptions for things like stairwells, and
c. Excludes volume that is contained within a roof form, for example in the case
of a vaulted ceiling within a hip roof or a gable roof.
i. Staff to analyze at what height the virtual floor should be utilized and
the amount of exempted square footage.
Accessory Structures:
1. Distance Requirements: At a "face to face" development where the accessory
structure wall faces a primary structure wall the following distances are
recommended:
a. 15 feet for atwo-story accessory to a two-story primary structure
b. 10 feet for atwo-story (primary or accessory) to one-story (primary or
accessory) structure
c. Six feet between one-story structures with a maximum 6 inch eave overhang
i. Staff to review if small structures (less than 100 square feet can be
exempt from these requirements.
5. Setbacks from Property Line: At the zero setback, accessory structures are
prohibited from developing a second story.
6. Second-Story Square Footage: Limit the second floor to 500 square feet.
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Zoning Districts:
Continue to include the following zoning districts as part of regulatory changes for the
Compatible Development in Single-Family Neighborhood project:
Residential Rural I (RR-1)
Residential Rura12 (RR-2)
Residential Estate (RE)
Residential Low 1 (RL-1)
Residential Low 2 (RL-2)
Residential Mixed 1 (RMX-1)
Additional Recommendations:
1. Tree Planting Program: Include a tree planting program in single-family zone
districts.
a. Staff to review a possible tree planting requirement at a certain caliber.
2. Garages: To continue to address the public realm, the Board directed staff to study
garage numbers, location, presentations, entry emphasis, offsets, etc. in the next
phase of the project.
3. Neighbor notification: Courtesy notice be sent to adjacent neighbors (and across
street and alley) once a building permit has been issued.
MOTION
On a motion by B. Holicky, seconded by P. Shull, the Planning Board recommended (4-2.
E. Jones and W. Johnson opposed and A. Shoemaker excused absent) to forward the
board's straw vote on the .55 FAR and 22 percent building coverage for a second story to
City Council as a recommendation.
Statements of opposition
W. Johnson said the general concept is good, but she did not have enough information to
determine if the numbers are the right numbers.
E. Jones supported the organization and intent of the structure of the proposal, but needed
more time to analyze the .55 FAR to ensure it will reduce impacts to an acceptable level .
4. ADJOURNMENT
The Planning Board adjourned the meeting at ] 1:55 p.m.
APPROVED BY
Board C it
DATE
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