Colorado Code Publishing Company - Fort Collins Land Use Code - Article 3 General Development Standards

Division 3.4 Environmental, Natural Area, Recreational and Cultural Resource Protection Standards

3.8.16 Occupancy Limits; Increasing the Number of Persons Allowed (effective 1/1/07)

3.8.27 Performance Standards for Small Scale ReceptionCenter in the U-E, Urban Estate District

Division 3.10 Development Standards for the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zone

All development applications and building permit applications shall comply with the applicable standards contained in Divisions 3.1 through 3.9, except that single-family dwellings and extra occupancy rental houses that are subject only to basic development review under Article 4, as well as any accessory buildings, structures and accessory uses associated with such single-family dwellings and extra occupancy rental houses, need to comply only with: (A) the standards contained in Article 4 for the zone district in which such uses are located; (B) the standards contained in Division 3.8; and (C) with respect to extra occupancy rental houses, the standards contained in Section 3.2.2(K)(1)(j). In addition to the foregoing, this Land Use Code shall also apply to the use of land following development to the extent that the provisions of this Land Use Code can be reasonably and logically interpreted as having such ongoing application.

(Ord. No. 59, 2000 §11, 6/6/00; Ord. No. 204, 2001 §§1, 11, 12/18/01; Ord. No. 120, 2003 §1, 9/2/03; Ord. No. 198, 2004 §3, 12/21/04; Ord. 123, 2005 §3, 11/15/05)

In the event of a conflict between a standard or requirement contained in Article 3 and Article 4, the standard in Article 4 shall prevail.

(A) Applicability. This Section shall apply to all development (except lots for single-family detached dwellings) within the designated "limits of development" ("LOD") and natural area buffer zones established according to Section 3.4.1 (Natural Habitats and Features).

(B) Purpose. The intent of this Section is to require preparation of landscape and tree protection plans that ensure significant canopy shading to reduce glare and heat build-up, contribute to visual quality and continuity within and between developments, provide screening and mitigation of potential conflicts between activity areas and site elements, enhance outdoor spaces, reduce erosion and stormwater runoff, and mitigate air pollution.

(C) General Standard. All developments shall submit a landscape and tree protection plan that: (1) reinforces and extends any existing patterns of outdoor spaces and vegetation where practicable, (2) supports functional purposes such as spatial definition, visual screening, creation of privacy, management of microclimate or drainage, (3) enhances the appearance of the development and neighborhood, (4) protects significant trees, natural systems and habitat, (5) enhances the pedestrian environment, (6) identifies all landscape areas, (7) identifies all landscaping elements within each landscape area, and (8) meets or exceeds the standards of this Section.

(D) Tree Planting Standards. All developments shall establish groves and belts of trees along all city streets, in and around parking lots, and in all landscape areas that are located within fifty (50) feet of any building or structure in order to establish at least a partial urban tree canopy. The groves and belts may also be combined or interspersed with other landscape areas in remaining portions of the development to accommodate views and functions such as active recreation and storm drainage.

(1) Minimum Plantings/Description. These tree standards require at least a minimum tree canopy but are not intended to limit additional tree plantings in any remaining portions of the development. Groves and belts of trees shall be required as follows:

(a) parking lot landscaping in accordance with the parking lot landscaping standards as set forth in this Section and in Section 3.2.2. Access, Circulation and Parking;

(b) street tree planting in accordance with the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards or other street tree planting as defined in subsection (2)(b) or (c) below;

(c) "full tree stocking" shall be required in all landscape areas within fifty (50) feet of any building or structure as further described below. Landscape areas shall be provided in adequate numbers, locations and dimensions to allow full tree stocking to occur along all high use or high visibility sides of any building or structure. Such landscape areas shall extend at least seven (7) feet from any building or structure wall and contain at least fifty-five (55) square feet of nonpaved ground area, except that any planting cutouts in walkways shall contain at least sixteen (16) square feet. Planting cutouts, planters or other landscape areas for tree planting shall be provided within any walkway that is twelve (12) feet or greater in width adjoining a vehicle use area that is not covered with an overhead fixture or canopy that would prevent growth and maturity.

Full tree stocking shall mean formal or informal groupings of trees planted according to the following spacing dimensions:

Exact locations and spacings may be adjusted at the option of the applicant to support patterns of use, views and circulation as long as the minimum tree planting requirement is met. Canopy shade trees shall constitute at least fifty (50) percent of all tree plantings. Trees required in subparagraphs (a) or (b) above may be used to contribute to this standard.

(2) Street Trees. Planting of street trees shall occur in the adjoining street right-of-way in connection with the development by one (1) or more of the methods described in subparagraphs (a) through (c) below:

(a) Wherever the sidewalk is separated from the street by a parkway, canopy shade trees shall be planted at thirty-foot to forty-foot spacing (averaged along the entire front and sides of the block face) in the center of all such parkway areas. If two (2) or more consecutive residential lots along a street each measure between forty (40) and sixty (60) feet in street frontage width, one (1) tree per lot may be substituted for the thirty-foot to forty-foot spacing requirement. Such street trees shall be placed at least eight (8) feet away from the edges of driveways and alleys, and forty (40) feet away from any streetlight and to the extent reasonably feasible, be positioned at evenly spaced intervals.

(b) Wherever the sidewalk is attached to the street in a manner that fails to comply with the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards, canopy shade trees shall be established in an area ranging from three (3) to seven (7) feet behind the sidewalk at the spacing intervals as required in subsection (a) above. Wherever the sidewalk is attached to the street and is ten (10) feet or more in width, or extends from the curb to the property line, canopy shade trees shall be established in planting cutout areas of at least sixteen (16) square feet at thirty-foot to forty-foot spacing.

(c) Ornamental trees shall be planted in substitution for the canopy shade trees required in subsection (D)(2)(a) and (b) above where overhead lines and fixtures prevent normal growth and maturity. Ornamental trees shall be placed at least fifteen (15) feet away from any streetlight.

(3) Minimum Species Diversity. To prevent uniform insect or disease susceptibility and eventual uniform senescence on a development site or in the adjacent area or the district, species diversity is required and extensive monocultures are prohibited. The following minimum requirements shall apply to any development plan.

(4) Tree Species and Minimum Sizes. The Director shall provide a recommended list of trees which shall be acceptable to satisfy the requirements for landscape plans, including approved canopy shade trees that may be used as street trees. The following minimum sizes shall be required (except as provided in subparagraph (5) below):

Any tree plantings that are in addition to those that are made as part of the approved landscape plan are exempt from the foregoing size requirements.

(5) Reduced Minimum Sizes for Affordable Housing Projects. In any affordable housing project, the following minimum sizes shall be required:

(E) Landscape Standards. All development applications shall include landscape plans that meet the following minimum standards:

(1) Buffering Between Incompatible Uses and Activities. In situations where the Director determines that the arrangement of uses or design of buildings does not adequately mitigate conflicts reasonably anticipated to exist between dissimilar uses or building designs, one (1) or more of the following landscape buffering techniques shall be used to mitigate the conflicts.

(a) Separation and screening with plant material: planting dense stands of evergreen trees, canopy shade trees, ornamental trees or shrubs;

(b) Integration with plantings: incorporating trees, vines, planters or other plantings into the architectural theme of buildings and their outdoor spaces to subdue differences in architecture and bulk and avoid harsh edges;

(c) Establishing privacy: establishing vertical landscape elements to screen views into or between windows and defined outdoor spaces where privacy is important, such as where larger buildings are proposed next to side or rear yards of smaller buildings;

(d) Visual integration of fences or walls: providing plant material in conjunction with a screen panel, arbor, garden wall, privacy fence or security fence to avoid the visual effect created by unattractive screening or security fences;

(e) Landform shaping: utilizing berming or other grade changes to alter views, subdue sound, change the sense of proximity and channel pedestrian movement.

(2) Landscape Area Treatment. Landscape areas shall include all areas on the site that are not covered by buildings, structures, paving or impervious surface. Landscape areas shall consist only of landscaping. The selection and location of turf, ground cover (including shrubs, grasses, perennials, flowerbeds and slope retention), and pedestrian paving and other landscaping elements shall be used to prevent erosion and meet the functional and visual purposes such as defining spaces, accommodating and directing circulation patterns, managing visibility, attracting attention to building entrances and other focal points, and visually integrating buildings with the landscape area and with each other.

(a) Turf grass. High-use areas shall be planted with irrigated turf grass. Nonirrigated shortgrass prairie grasses or other adapted grasses that have been certified as Xeriscape landscaping may be established in remote, low-use, low visibility areas.

(b) Planting beds. Shrub and ground cover planting beds shall be separated from turf grass with edging and shall have open surface areas covered with mulch.

(c) Slopes. Retaining walls, slope revetment or other acceptable devices integrated with plantings shall be used to stabilize slopes that are steeper than 3:1. If soil tests performed on the subject soils indicate steeper slopes are stable without the above required protection, then the maximum slope allowed without the above required protection may be increased to the maximum stated in the soils report or 2:1, whichever is less steep.

(d) Foundation Plantings. Exposed sections of building walls that are in high-use or high-visibility areas of the building exterior shall have planting beds at least five (5) feet wide placed directly along at least fifty (50) percent of such walls.

(e) Parkways. All adjoining street parkways shall be landscaped in connection with the development in accordance with the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards.

(f) Agricultural Use. If outdoor space is maintained in active agricultural use, the landscape surfaces and ground cover standards above shall not apply.

(3) Water Conservation. All landscaping plans shall be designed to incorporate water conservation materials and techniques through application of Xeriscape landscaping principles. Xeriscape landscaping principles do not include or allow artificial turf or plants, mulched (including gravel) beds or areas without landscape plant material, paving of areas not required for walkways, plazas or parking lots, bare ground, weed covered or infested surfaces or any landscaping that does not comply with the standards of this section. Xeriscape landscaping principles shall be:

(a) grouping plants with similar water requirements together on the same irrigation zones;

(b) limiting high-irrigation turf and plantings to appropriate high-use areas with high visibility and functional needs;

(4) Parking Lot Perimeter Landscaping. Parking lot perimeter landscaping (in the minimum setback areas required by Section 3.2.2(J) (Access, Circulation and Parking) shall meet the following minimum standards:

(a) Trees shall be provided at a ratio of one (1) tree per twenty-five (25) lineal feet along a public street and one (1) tree per forty (40) lineal feet along a side lot line parking setback area. Trees may be spaced irregularly in informal groupings or be uniformly spaced, as consistent with larger overall planting patterns and organization. Perimeter landscaping along a street may be located in and should be integrated with the streetscape in the street right-of-way.

(b) Screening. Parking lots with six (6) or more spaces shall be screened from abutting uses and from the street. Screening from residential uses shall consist of a fence or wall six (6) feet in height in combination with plant material and of sufficient opacity to block at least seventy-five (75) percent of light from vehicle headlights. Screening from the street and all nonresidential uses shall consist of a wall, fence, planter, earthen berm, plant material or a combination of such elements, each of which shall have a minimum height of thirty (30) inches. Such screening shall extend a minimum of seventy (70) percent of the length of the street frontage of the parking lot and also seventy (70) percent of the length of any boundary of the parking lot that abuts any nonresidential use. Openings in the required screening shall be permitted for such features as access ways or drainage ways. Where screening from the street is required, plans submitted for review shall include a graphic depiction of the parking lot screening as seen from the street. Plant material used for the required screening shall achieve required opacity in its winter seasonal condition within three (3) years of construction of the vehicular use area to be screened.

(5) Parking Lot Interior Landscaping. As required in Section 3.2.2(M)(1) Access, Circulation and Parking, six (6) percent of the interior space of all parking lots with less than one hundred (100) spaces, and ten (10) percent of the interior space of all parking lots with one hundred (100) spaces or more shall be landscape areas. (See Figure 1). All parking lot islands, connecting walkways through parking lots and driveways through or to parking lots shall be landscaped according to the following standards:

(a) Visibility. To avoid landscape material blocking driver sight distance at driveway-street intersections, no plant material greater than twenty-four (24) inches in height shall be located within fifteen (15) feet of a curbcut.

(b) Maximized Area of Shading. Landscaped islands shall be evenly distributed to the maximum extent feasible. At a minimum, trees shall be planted at a ratio of at least one (1) canopy shade tree per one hundred fifty (150) square feet of internal landscaped area with a landscaped surface of turf, ground cover perennials or mulched shrub plantings.

(c) Landscaped Islands. In addition to any pedestrian refuge areas, each landscaped island shall include one (1) or more canopy shade trees, be of length greater than eight (8) feet in its smallest dimension, include at least eighty (80) square feet of ground area per tree to allow for root aeration, and have raised concrete curbs.

(d) Walkways and Driveways. Connecting walkways through parking lots, as required in subsection 3.2.2(B)(5)(a) (Walkways) shall have one (1) canopy shade tree per forty (40) lineal feet of such walkway planted in landscape areas within five (5) feet of such walkway. Driveways through or to parking lots shall have one (1) canopy shade tree per forty (40) lineal feet of and along each side of such driveway, in landscape areas within five (5) feet of such driveway.

(e) Parking bays shall extend no more than fifteen (15) parking spaces without an intervening tree, landscape island or landscape peninsula.

(f) Engineering. Detailed specifications concerning parking lot surfacing material and parking lot drainage detention are available from the City Engineer.

(6) Screening. Landscape and building elements shall be used to screen areas of low visual interest or visually intrusive site elements (such as trash collection, open storage, service areas, loading docks and blank walls) from off-site view. Such screening shall be established on all sides of such elements except where an opening is required for access. If access is possible only on a side that is visible from a public street, a removable or operable screen shall be required. The screen shall be designed and established so that the area or element being screened is no more than twenty (20) percent visible through the screen.

(a) Screening Materials. Required screening shall be provided in the form of new or existing plantings, walls, fences, screen panels, topographic changes, buildings, horizontal separation or a combination of these techniques.

(7) Landscaping of Vehicle Display Lots. Vehicle display lots for vehicle sales and leasing (as those terms are defined in Article 5) that abut an arterial or collector street shall feature landscaped islands along the street at an interval not to exceed every fifteen (15) vehicles or one hundred thirty-five (135) feet, whichever is less. Each landscaped island shall comply with the requirements of Section 3.2.1(E)(5)(c).

(F) Tree Protection and Replacement. Existing significant trees within the LOD and within natural area buffer zones shall be preserved to the extent reasonably feasible and may help satisfy the landscaping requirements of this Section as set forth above. Such trees shall be considered "protected" trees within the meaning of this Section, subject to the exceptions contained in subsection (2) below. Streets, buildings and lot layouts shall be designed to minimize the disturbance to significant existing trees. All required landscape plans shall accurately identify the locations, species, size and condition of all significant trees, each labeled showing the applicant’s intent to either remove, transplant or protect.

Where it is not feasible to protect and retain significant existing tree(s) or to transplant them to another on-site location, the applicant shall replace such tree(s) according to the following schedule and requirements. Replacement trees shall be used to satisfy the tree planting standards of this Section. Replacement trees shall be planted either on the development site or in the closest available planting site within one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet (¼ mile) of the development site.

(1) A significant tree that is removed shall be replaced with not less than one (1) or more than six (6) replacement trees sufficient to mitigate the loss of value of the removed significant tree. The applicant shall select either the City Forester or a qualified landscape appraiser to determine such loss based upon an appraisal of the tree to be removed by using the most recent published methods established by the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers. Replacement trees shall meet the following minimum size requirements:

(2) Trees that meet one (1) or more of the following removal criteria shall be exempt from the requirements of this subsection:

(a) dead, dying or naturally fallen trees, or trees found to be a threat to public health, safety or welfare;

(b) trees that are determined by the city to substantially obstruct clear visibility at driveways and intersections;

(c) tree species that constitute a nuisance to the public such as cotton-bearing cottonwood, Siberian elm, Russian olive and female box-elder. Native cotton-bearing cottonwood trees and female box-elder trees, when located in a natural area buffer zone, are not nuisance tree species.

(3) All existing street trees that are located on city rights-of-way abutting the development shall be accurately identified by species, size, location and condition on required landscape plans, and shall be preserved and protected in accordance with the standards of subsection (G).

(G) Tree Protection Specifications. The following tree protection specifications should be followed to the maximum extent feasible for all projects with protected existing trees.

(1) Within the drip line of any protected existing tree, there shall be no cut or fill over a four-inch depth unless a qualified arborist or forester has evaluated and approved the disturbance.

(2) All protected existing trees shall be pruned to the City of Fort Collins Forestry standards.

(3) Prior to and during construction, barriers shall be erected around all protected existing trees with such barriers to be of orange fencing a minimum of four (4) feet in height, secured with metal T-posts, no closer than six (6) feet from the trunk or one-half (½) of the drip line, whichever is greater. There shall be no storage or movement of equipment, material, debris or fill within the fenced tree protection zone.

(4) During the construction stage of development, the applicant shall prevent the cleaning of equipment or material or the storage and disposal of waste material such as paints, oils, solvents, asphalt, concrete, motor oil or any other material harmful to the life of a tree within the drip line of any protected tree or group of trees.

(5) No damaging attachment, wires, signs or permits may be fastened to any protected tree.

(6) Large property areas containing protected trees and separated from construction or land clearing areas, road rights-of-way and utility easements may be "ribboned off," rather than erecting protective fencing around each tree as required in subsection (G)(3) above. This may be accomplished by placing metal t-post stakes a maximum of fifty (50) feet apart and tying ribbon or rope from stake-to-stake along the outside perimeters of such areas being cleared.

(7) The installation of utilities, irrigation lines or any underground fixture requiring excavation deeper than six (6) inches shall be accomplished by boring under the root system of protected existing trees at a minimum depth of twenty-four (24) inches. The auger distance is established from the face of the tree (outer bark) and is scaled from tree diameter at breast height as described in the chart below.

(H) Placement and Interrelationship of Required Landscape Plan Elements. In approving the required landscape plan, the decision maker shall have the authority to determine the optimum placement and interrelationship of required landscape plan elements such as trees, vegetation, turf, irrigation, screening, buffering and fencing, based on the following criteria:

(6) providing screening of areas of low visual interest or visually intrusive site elements;

(11) promoting compatibility and buffering between and among dissimilar land uses;

(1) Topsoil. To the maximum extent feasible, topsoil that is removed during construction activity shall be conserved for later use on areas requiring revegetation and landscaping. Organic soil amendments shall also be incorporated in accordance with the requirements of Section 3.8.21.

(2) Plant Materials. The selection of plant materials shall be based on the City of Fort Collins’ climate and site conditions. A list of allowable and preferred plant species that are highly adaptable to the Fort Collins urban environment shall be available from the Director.

(3) Plant Quality. All plants shall be A-Grade or No. 1 Grade, free of any defects, of normal health, height, leaf density and spread appropriate to the species as defined by American Association of Nurserymen standards.

(4) Installation. All landscaping shall be installed according to sound horticultural practices in a manner designed to encourage quick establishment and healthy growth. All landscaping in each phase shall either be installed or the installation shall be secured with a letter of credit, escrow or performance bond for one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of the value of the landscaping prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy for any building in such phase.

(5) Maintenance. Trees and vegetation, irrigation systems, fences, walls and other landscape elements shall be considered as elements of the project in the same manner as parking, building materials and other site details. The applicant, landowner or successors in interest shall be jointly and severally responsible for the regular maintenance of all landscaping elements in good condition. All landscaping shall be maintained free from disease, pests, weeds and litter, and all landscape structures such as fences and walls shall be repaired and replaced periodically to maintain a structurally sound condition.

(6) Replacement. Any landscape element that dies, or is otherwise removed, shall be promptly replaced based on the requirements of this Section.

(7) Mitigation. Healthy, mature trees that are removed by the applicant or by anyone acting on behalf of or with the approval of the applicant shall be replaced with not less than one (1) or more than six (6) replacement trees sufficient to mitigate the loss of value of the removed tree. The applicant shall select either the City Forester or a qualified landscape appraiser to determine such loss based upon an appraisal of the removed tree, using the most recent published methods established by the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers. Larger than minimum sizes (as set forth in subsection (D)(4) above) shall be required for such replacement trees.

(1) Provision shall be made for permanent, automatic irrigation of all plant material, with the following exceptions:

(a) certified Xeriscape landscaping which does not require any irrigation for survival.

(b) trees and other plants used to landscape a residential local street parkway abutting lots for single-family detached dwellings.

(2) An irrigation plan shall be submitted to and approved by the General Manager of the Office of Water, Wastewater and Stormwater Utility Services prior to the issuance of the building permit, or if no building permit is required, then prior to commencement of construction. The plan shall be accurate and clear, drawn to the same scale as the associated landscape plan, and incorporate the City of Fort Collins Irrigation System Standards for Water Conservation.

(K) Utilities. Landscape and utility plans shall be coordinated. The following list sets forth minimum dimension requirements for the most common tree/utility separations. Exceptions to these requirements may occur where utilities are not located in their standard designated locations, as approved by the Director. Tree/utility separations shall not be used as a means of avoiding the planting of required street trees.

(1) Forty (40) feet between shade trees and streetlights. Fifteen (15) feet between ornamental trees and streetlights. (See Figure 2.)

(5) Street trees on local streets planted within the eight-foot-wide utility easement may conflict with utilities. Additional conduit may be required to protect underground electric lines.

(L) Visual Clearance or Sight Distance Triangle. Except as provided in Subparagraphs (1) and (2) below, a visual clearance triangle, free of any structures or landscape elements over twenty-four (24) inches in height, shall be maintained at street intersections and driveways in conformance with the standards contained in the Larimer County Urban Area Street Standards.

(1) Fences shall not exceed forty-two (42) inches in height and shall be of an open design.

(2) Deciduous trees may be permitted to encroach into the clearance triangle provided that the lowest branch of any such tree shall be at least six (6) feet from grade.

(M) Revegetation. When the development causes any disturbance within any natural area buffer zone, revegetation shall occur as required in subsections 3.4.1(D)(2) (Natural Area Buffer Zone) and 3.2.1(F) (Tree Protection and Replacement).

(N) Alternative Compliance. Upon request by an applicant, the decision maker may approve an alternative landscape and tree protection plan that may be substituted in whole or in part for a landscape plan meeting the standards of this Section.

(1) Procedure. Alternative landscape plans shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with submittal requirements for landscape plans. Each such plan shall clearly identify and discuss the modifications and alternatives proposed and the ways in which the plan will better accomplish the purposes of this Section than would a plan which complies with the standards of this Section.

(2) Review Criteria. To approve an alternative plan, the decision maker must first find that the proposed alternative plan accomplishes the purposes of this Section equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standards of this Section.

In reviewing the proposed alternative plan for purposes of determining whether it accomplishes the purposes of this Section as required above, the decision maker shall take into account whether the alternative preserves and incorporates existing vegetation in excess of minimum standards, protects natural areas and features, maximizes tree canopy cover, enhances neighborhood continuity and connectivity, fosters nonvehicular access, or demonstrates innovative design and use of plant materials and other landscape elements.

(Ord. No. 90, 1998, 5/19/98; Ord. No. 228, 1998 §92, 12/15/98; Ord. No. 165, 1999 §14, 11/16/99; Ord. No. 59, 2000 §§12, 13, 6/6/00; Ord. No. 186, 2000 §2, 1/2/01; Ord. No. 107, 2001 §§17, 18, 6/19/01; Ord. No. 177, 2002 §7, 12/17/02; Ord. No. 091, 2004 §§6—8, 6/15/04; Ord. No. 104, 2006 §6, 7/18/06)

(A) Purpose. This Section is intended to ensure that the parking and circulation aspects of all developments are well designed with regard to safety, efficiency and convenience for vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and transit, both within the development and to and from surrounding areas. Sidewalk or bikeway extensions off-site may be required based on needs created by the proposed development. This Section sets forth parking requirements in terms of numbers and dimensions of parking stalls, landscaping and shared parking. It also addresses the placement of drive-in facilities and loading zones.

(B) General Standard. The parking and circulation system within each development shall accommodate the movement of vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and transit, throughout the proposed development and to and from surrounding areas, safely and conveniently, and shall contribute to the attractiveness of the development. The on-site pedestrian system must provide adequate directness, continuity, street crossings, visible interest and security as defined by the standards in this Section. The on-site bicycle system must connect to the city’s on-street bikeway network. Connections to the off-road trail system shall be made, to the extent reasonably feasible.

(1) Safety Considerations. To the maximum extent feasible, pedestrians shall be separated from vehicles and bicycles.

(a) Where complete separation of pedestrians and vehicles and bicycles is not possible, potential hazards shall be minimized by the use of techniques such as special paving, raised surfaces, pavement marking, signs or striping, bollards, median refuge areas, traffic calming features, landscaping, lighting or other means to clearly delineate pedestrian areas, for both day and night use.

(b) Where pedestrians and bicyclists share walkways, the pedestrian/bicycle system shall be designed to be wide enough to easily accommodate the amount of pedestrian and bicycle traffic volumes that are anticipated. A minimum width of eight (8) feet shall be required and shall meet American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines, Guide for Development of Bicycle Facilities, August 1991, or any successor publication. Additional width of up to four (4) feet may be required to accommodate higher volumes of bicycle and pedestrian traffic within and leading to Community Commercial Districts, Neighborhood Commercial Districts, schools and parks.

(2) Curbcuts and Ramps. Curbcuts and ramps shall be located at convenient, safe locations for the physically disabled, for bicyclists and for people pushing strollers or carts. The location and design of curbcuts and ramps shall meet the requirements of the Uniform Building Code and the City’s Americans With Disabilities Act ramp standards and shall avoid crossing or funneling traffic through loading areas, drive-in lanes and outdoor trash storage/collection areas.

(3) Site Amenities. Development plans shall include site amenities that enhance safety and convenience and promote walking or bicycling as an alternative means of transportation. Site amenities may include bike racks, drinking fountains, canopies and benches as described in the Fort Collins Bicycle Program Plan and Pedestrian Plan as adopted by the city.

(4) Bicycle Facilities. Commercial, industrial, civic, employment and multi-family residential uses shall provide bicycle facilities to meet the following standards:

(a) Bicycle Parking. A minimum number of bicycle parking spaces shall be provided, equal in number to five (5) percent of the total number of automobile parking spaces provided by the development, but not less than one (1).

(b) Location. For convenience and security, bicycle parking facilities shall be located near building entrances, shall be visible from the land uses they serve, and shall not be in remote automobile parking areas. Such facilities shall not, however, be located so as to impede pedestrian or automobile traffic flow nor so as to cause damage to plant material from bicycle traffic.

(c) Design. Bicycle parking facilities shall be designed to allow the bicycle frame and both wheels to be securely locked to the parking structure. The structure shall be of permanent construction such as heavy gauge tubular steel with angle bars permanently attached to the pavement foundation. Bicycle parking facilities shall be at least two (2) feet in width and five and one-half (5½) feet in length, with additional back-out or maneuvering space of at least five (5) feet.

(a) Directness and continuity. Walkways within the site shall be located and aligned to directly and continuously connect areas or points of pedestrian origin and destination, and shall not be located and aligned solely based on the outline of a parking lot configuration that does not provide such direct pedestrian access. Walkways shall link street sidewalks with building entries through parking lots. Such walkways shall be raised or enhanced with a paved surface not less than six (6) feet in width. Drive aisles leading to main entrances shall have walkways on both sides of the drive aisle.

(b) Street Crossings. Where it is necessary for the primary pedestrian access to cross drive aisles or internal roadways, the pedestrian crossing shall emphasize and place priority on pedestrian access and safety. The material and layout of the pedestrian access shall be continuous as it crosses the driveway, with a break in continuity of the driveway paving and not in the pedestrian access way. The pedestrian crossings must be well-marked using pavement treatments, signs, striping, signals, lighting, traffic calming techniques, median refuge areas and landscaping. (See Figure 3.)

(6) Direct On-Site Access to Pedestrian and Bicycle Destinations. The on-site pedestrian and bicycle circulation system must be designed to provide, or allow for, direct connections to major pedestrian and bicycle destinations including, but not limited to, parks, schools, Neighborhood Centers, Neighborhood Commercial Districts and transit stops that are located either within the development or adjacent to the development as required, to the maximum extent feasible. The on-site pedestrian and bicycle circulation system must also provide, or allow for, on-site connections to existing or planned off-site pedestrian and bicycle facilities at points necessary to provide direct pedestrian and bicycle travel from the development to major pedestrian destinations located within the neighborhood. In order to provide direct pedestrian connections to these destinations, additional sidewalks or walkways not associated with a street, or the extension of a sidewalk from the end of a cul-de-sac to another street or walkway, may be required.

(7) Off-Site Access to Pedestrian and Bicycle Destinations. Off-site pedestrian or bicycle facility improvements may be required in order to comply with the requirements of Section 3.2.2(E)(1) (Parking Lot Layout) and Section 3.6.4 (Transportation Level of Service Requirements).

(8) Transportation Impact Study. In order to identify those facilities that may be required in order to comply with these standards, all development plans must submit a Transportation Impact Study approved by the Traffic Engineer, which study shall be prepared in accordance with the Transportation Impact Study guidelines maintained by the city.

(D) Access and Parking Lot Requirements. All vehicular use areas in any proposed development shall be designed to be safe, efficient, convenient and attractive, considering use by all modes of transportation that will use the system, (including, without limitation, cars, trucks, buses, bicycles and emergency vehicles).

(1) Pedestrian/Vehicle Separation. To the maximum extent feasible, pedestrians and vehicles shall be separated through provision of a sidewalk or walkway. Where complete separation of pedestrian and vehicles is not feasible, potential hazards shall be minimized by using landscaping, bollards, special paving, lighting and other means to clearly delineate pedestrian areas.

(2) Access. Unobstructed vehicular access to and from a public street shall be provided for all off-street parking spaces. Vehicular access shall be provided in such manner as to protect the safety of persons using such access or traveling in the public street from which such access is obtained and in such manner as to protect the traffic-carrying capacity of the public street from which such access is obtained.

(3) Location. Only off-street parking areas provided to serve uses permitted in a zone district predominated by residential uses will be allowed in such district.

(a) Required off-street parking spaces shall be located on the same lot or premises as the building or use for which they are required unless:

1. such spaces are provided collectively by two (2) or more buildings or uses on abutting lots in a single parking area located within the boundaries of those abutting lots, and the total number of parking spaces supplied collectively is equal to the number of spaces required by this subdivision for each use considered separately, or

(b) Guest Parking. Off-street guest parking spaces in multi-family developments shall be distributed proportionally to the dwelling unit locations that they are intended to serve. Such parking shall not be located more than two hundred (200) feet from any dwelling unit that is intended to be served.

(c) Pavement. All open off-street parking and vehicular use areas shall be surfaced with asphalt, concrete or other material in conformance with city specifications.

(d) Lighting. Light fixtures provided for any off-street parking area adjacent to a residential use or residentially zoned lot shall shield the source of light from sight and prevent the spillover of direct light onto the residential use, while still providing security to motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.

(e) Maintenance. The property owner shall be responsible for maintaining any vehicular use area in good condition and free of refuse and debris and all landscaping in a healthy and growing condition, replacing it when necessary as determined by the City Forester.

(1) Circulation Routes. Parking lots shall provide well-defined circulation routes for vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.

(2) Traffic Control Devices. Standard traffic control signs and devices shall be used to direct traffic where necessary within a parking lot.

(3) Orientation. Parking bays shall be perpendicular to the land uses they serve to the maximum extent feasible. Large parking lots shall include walkways that are located in places that are logical and convenient for pedestrians.

(4) Landscaped Islands. To the maximum extent feasible, landscaped islands with raised curbs shall be used to define parking lot entrances, the ends of all parking aisles and the location and pattern of primary internal access drives, and to provide pedestrian refuge areas and walkways.

(5) Points of Conflict. The lot layout shall specifically address the interrelation of pedestrian, vehicular and bicycle circulation in order to provide continuous, direct pedestrian access with a minimum of driveway and drive aisle crossings. Remedial treatment such as raised pedestrian crossings, forecourts and landings, special paving, signs, lights and bollards shall be provided at significant points of conflict.

(6) Lot Size/Scale. Large surface parking lots shall be visually and functionally segmented into several smaller lots according to the following standards:

(a) Large parking lots shall be divided into smaller sections by landscape areas. Each section shall contain a maximum of two hundred (200) parking spaces.

(b) Parking bays shall be landscaped in accordance with the requirements contained in subsection 3.2.1(E)(5).

(F) User Needs. Layout and design shall anticipate the needs of users and provide continuity between vehicular circulation, parking, pedestrian and bicycle circulation. Pedestrian drop-off areas shall be provided where needed, especially for land uses that serve children or the elderly.

(G) Shared Parking. Where a mix of uses creates staggered peak periods of parking demand, shared parking calculations shall be made to reduce the total amount of required parking. Retail, office, institutional and entertainment uses may share parking areas. In no case shall shared parking include the parking required for residential uses.

(H) Drive-in Facilities. Any drive-in facilities, if permitted by the zone district regulations set forth in Article 4, shall be secondary in emphasis and priority to any other access and circulation functions. Such facilities shall be located in side or rear locations that do not interrupt direct pedestrian access along connecting pedestrian frontage. The design and layout of drive-in facilities for restaurants, banks, or other uses shall:

(2) provide adequate stacking spaces for automobiles before and after use of the facility;

(3) provide adequate directional signage to ensure a free-flow through the facility; and

(I) Truck Traffic. All developments that generate truck traffic that is anticipated to adversely affect a neighborhood by creating noise, dust or odor problems shall avoid or mitigate those impacts either through physical design or operational procedures.

(J) Setbacks. Any vehicular use area containing six (6) or more parking spaces or one thousand eight hundred (1,800) or more square feet shall be set back from the street right-of-way and the side and rear yard lot line (except a lot line between buildings or uses with collective parking) consistent with the provisions of this Section, according to the following table:

(1) Residential and Institutional Parking Requirements. Residential and institutional uses shall provide a minimum number of parking spaces as defined by the standards below.

(a) Attached Dwellings: For each two-family and multi-family dwelling there shall be parking spaces provided as indicated by the following table:

* Spaces that are located in detached residential garages (but not including parking structures) may be credited toward the minimum requirements contained herein only if such spaces are made available to dwelling unit occupants at no additional rental or purchase cost (beyond the dwelling unit rental rate or purchase price).

1. Multi-family dwellings and mixed-use dwellings within the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Overlay Zone shall have no minimum parking requirements.

(b) Multi-family, Attached or Two-Family Projects Developed with Internal Streets: Parking on an internal street fronting on a lot or tract containing multi-family, attached or two-family dwellings (except for mixed-use dwellings and single-family detached dwellings) may be counted to meet the parking requirements for the development.

(c) Single-Family Detached: For each single-family dwelling there shall be one (1) parking space on lots with greater than forty (40) feet of street frontage or two (2) parking spaces on lots with forty (40) feet or less of street frontage.

(d) Mobile Homes: For each mobile home in a mobile home park there shall be two (2) parking spaces per dwelling unit.

(e) Fraternity and Sorority Houses: For each fraternity or sorority house, there shall be two (2) parking spaces per three (3) bedrooms, plus one (1) parking space per two (2) employees.

(f) Group Homes: For each group home there shall be two (2) parking spaces for every three (3) employees, and in addition, one (1) parking space for each four (4) adult residents, unless residents are prohibited from owning or operating personal automobiles.

(g) Recreational Uses: For each recreational use located in a residential district there shall be one (1) parking space per four (4) persons maximum rated capacity.

(h) Schools, Places of Worship or Assembly and Child Care Centers: For each school, place of worship or assembly and child care center, there shall be one (1) parking space per four (4) seats in the auditorium or place of worship or assembly, or two (2) parking spaces per three (3) employees, or one (1) parking space per one thousand (1,000) square feet of floor area, whichever requires the greatest number of parking spaces. In the event that a school, place of worship or assembly, or child care center is located adjacent to uses such as retail, office, employment or industrial uses, and the mix of uses creates staggered peak periods of parking demand, and the adjacent landowners have entered into a shared parking agreement, then the maximum number of parking spaces allowed for a place of worship or assembly shall be one (1) parking space per four (4) seats in the auditorium or place of worship or assembly, and the maximum number of parking spaces allowed for a school or child care center shall be three (3) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of floor area. When staggered peak periods of parking demand do not exist with adjacent uses such as retail, office, employment or industrial uses, then the maximum number of parking spaces allowed for a place of worship or assembly shall be one (1) parking space per three (3) seats in the auditorium or place of worship or assembly, and the maximum number of parking spaces allowed for a school or child care center shall be four (4) spaces per one thousand (1,000) square feet of floor area.

(i) Small Scale Reception Centers in the U-E, Urban Estate District. For each reception center there shall be one (1) parking space per four (4) persons maximum rated occupancy as determined by the building code.

(j) Extra Occupancy Rental Houses: For each extra occupancy rental house, there shall be 0.75 (¾) parking space per tenant, rounded up to the nearest whole parking space, plus one (1) additional parking space if the extra occupancy rental house is owner-occupied. If the lot upon which such parking spaces are to be situated has more than sixty-five (65) feet of street frontage length on any one (1) street or abuts an alley, then each such parking space shall have direct access to the abutting street or alley and shall be unobstructed by any other parking space. If such lot has less than sixty-five (65) feet of street frontage length on any one (1) street and does not abut an alley, then one (1) of the required parking spaces may be aligned in a manner that does not provide direct access to the abutting street.

(2) Nonresidential Parking Requirements: Nonresidential uses will be limited to a maximum number of parking spaces as defined by the standards defined below.

(a) The table below sets forth the number of allowed parking spaces based on the square footage of the gross leasable area and of the occupancy of specified uses. In the event that on-street or shared parking is not available on land adjacent to the use, then the maximum parking allowed may be increased by twenty (20) percent.

Use	Maximum Parking
Restaurants a. Fast Food b. Standard	15/1000 sq. ft. 10/1000 sq. ft.
Bars, Taverns, and Nightclubs	10/1000 sq. ft.
Commercial Recreational a. Limited Indoor Recreation b. Outdoor c. Bowling Alley	6/1000 sq. ft. .3/person cap 5/1000 sq. ft.
Theaters	1/3 seats
General Retail	4/1000 sq. ft.
Personal Business and Service Shop	4/1000 sq. ft.
Shopping Center	5/1000 sq. ft.
Medical Office	4.5/1000 sq. ft.
Financial Services	3.5/1000 sq. ft.
Grocery Store, Supermarket	6/1000 sq. ft.
General Office	3/1000 sq. ft. or .75/employee on the largest shift or 4.5/1000 sq. ft. if all additional parking spaces gained by the increased ratio (over 3/1000 sq. ft.) are contained within a parking garage/structure
Vehicle Servicing & Maintenance	5/1000 sq. ft.
Low Intensity Retail, Repair Service, Workshop and Custom Small Industry	2/1000 sq. ft.
Lodging Establishments	1/unit
Health Facilities a. Hospitals b. Long-Term Care Facilities	1/bed .33/bed plus 1/two employees on major shift
Industrial: Employee Parking	.75/employee

(b) For uses that are not specifically listed in subsections 3.2.2(K)(1) or (2), the number of parking spaces permitted shall be the number permitted for the most similar use listed.

(3) Alternative Compliance. Upon written request by the applicant, the decision maker may approve an alternative parking ratio (as measured by the number of parking spaces based on the applicable unit of measurement established in the table contained in Section 3.2.2(K)(2)(a) for nonresidential land uses or the number of parking spaces based on use for recreational and institutional land uses) that may be substituted in whole or in part for a ratio meeting the standards of this Section.

(a) Procedure. Alternative compliance parking ratio plans shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with the submittal requirements for plans as set forth in this Section. Each such plan shall clearly identify and discuss the modifications and alternatives proposed and the ways in which the plan will better accomplish the purpose of this Section than would a plan which complies with the standards of this Section. The request for alternative compliance must be accompanied by either a traffic impact study containing a trip generation analysis or by other relevant data describing the traffic impacts of any proposed recreational or institutional land use or activity.

(b) Review Criteria. To approve an alternative plan, the decision maker must first find that the proposed alternative plan accomplishes the purposes of this Section equally well or better than would a plan which complies with the standards of this Section. In reviewing the request for an alternative parking ratio plan in order to determine whether it accomplishes the purposes of this Section, as required above, the decision maker shall take into account the number of employees occupying the building or land use, the number of expected customers or clients, the availability of nearby on-street parking (if any), the availability of shared parking with abutting, adjacent or surrounding land uses (if any), the provision of purchased or leased parking spaces in a municipal or private parking lot meeting the requirements of the city, trip reduction programs (if any), or any other factors that may be unique to the applicant's development request. The decision maker shall not approve the alternative parking ratio plan unless it:

1. does not detract from continuity, connectivity and convenient proximity for pedestrians between or among existing or future uses in the vicinity,

2. minimizes the visual and aesthetic impact along the public street by placing parking lots to the rear or along the side of buildings, to the maximum extent feasible,

4. creates no physical impact on any facilities serving alternative modes of transportation,

7. for projects located in D, L-M-N, M-M-N and C-C zone districts, conforms with the established street and alley block patterns, and places parking lots across the side or to the rear of buildings.

(c) For recreational and institutional land uses that are required to provide a minimum amount of parking, a request for alternative compliance to provide parking below the required minimum must follow the same procedure and be held to the same review criteria as described in Section 3.2.2(K)(3)(a) and 3.2.2(K)(3)(b), and in addition, must demonstrate:

1. that there will be no dispersal of spillover parking onto surrounding, adjacent or abutting land uses, and

2. that there will be no dispersal of spillover parking onto surrounding, adjacent or abutting public streets (or private streets not under legal ownership of the applicant) where parking is prohibited.

Notwithstanding the spillover parking prohibitions above, spillover parking may be allowed pursuant to this subsection for "Special Event Parking," meaning parking associated with a recreational facility, activity or institution expected to occur no more than four (4) times per year for school assemblies, pageants, graduations, religious celebrations or other ceremonies or events that occur so infrequently that the public can reasonably be expected to accept the inconvenience of spillover parking on such infrequent occasions.

(4) Exception to the General Office Parking Standard. AAn exception to the general office parking standard as established in the table contained in Section 3.2.2(K)(2)(a) shall be permitted for the purpose of ensuring that the parking provided is adequate but not in excess of the users' needs. Requests for exceptions to the general office parking standard shall be reviewed according to the procedure and criteria contained in subparagraphs (a) and (b) below. Exceptions shall be available to those projects where the number of anticipated employees can be reasonably estimated, and such exceptions shall apply only to the ratio between the number of parking spaces and the number of employees, and not to the ratio between the number of parking spaces and the gross leasable area.

(a) Procedure. All requests for exceptions to the general office parking standard shall be submitted in accordance with the submittal requirements for plans as set forth in this subsection. Each such request shall clearly identify and discuss the proposed project and the ways in which the plan will accomplish the general purpose of this subsection. The request for an exception to the standard must be accompanied by an estimated number of employees. In addition, a traffic impact study containing a trip generation analysis or other relevant data describing the traffic and parking impacts of any proposed general office land use or activity shall be submitted.

(b) Review Criteria. To approve an exception to the standard, the decision maker must first find that the proposed project accomplishes the general purpose of this Section. In reviewing the request for an exception to the standard parking ratio and in order to determine whether such request is consistent with the purposes of this subsection, as required above, the decision maker shall take into account the anticipated number of employees occupying the building, the number and frequency of expected customers or clients, the availability of nearby on-street parking (if any), the availability of shared parking with abutting, adjacent or surrounding land uses (if any), the provision of purchased or leased parking spaces in a municipal or private parking lot meeting the requirements of the city, travel demand management programs (if any), or any other factors that may be unique to the applicant's development request. The decision maker shall not approve an exception to the general office parking standard unless it:

1. does not detract from continuity, connectivity and convenient proximity for pedestrians between or among existing or future uses in the vicinity,

2. minimizes the visual and aesthetic impact along the public street of the proposed increased parking by placing parking lots to the rear or along the side of buildings, to the maximum extent feasible,

3. minimizes the visual and aesthetic impact of such additional parking on the surrounding neighborhood,

4. creates no physical impact on any facilities serving alternative modes of transportation,

7. for projects located in D, L-M-N, M-M-N and C-C zone districts, conforms with the established street and alley block patterns, and places parking lots across the side or to the rear of buildings,

9. is justified by a travel demand management program which has been submitted to and approved by the city.

(a) Handicapped spaces. Parking spaces for the physically handicapped shall have a stall width of thirteen (13) feet unless the space is parallel to a pedestrian walk. Other dimensions shall be the same as those for standard vehicles. Any such spaces shall be designated as being for the handicapped with a raised standard identification sign.

(b) Location. Handicap parking spaces shall be located as close as possible to the nearest accessible building entrance, using the shortest possible accessible route of travel. When practical, the accessible route of travel shall not cross lanes for vehicular traffic. When crossing vehicle traffic lanes is necessary, the route of travel shall be designated and marked as a crosswalk.

(c) Marking. Every handicap parking space shall be identified by a sign, centered between three (3) feet and five (5) feet above the parking surface, at the head of the parking space. The sign shall include the international symbol of accessibility and state RESERVED, or equivalent language.

(d) Each parking lot shall contain at least the minimum specified number of handicap spaces as provided in the table below. Regardless of the number of handicap spaces required, at least one (1) such space shall be designated as a van-accessible space, and must be a minimum of eight (8) feet wide and adjoin a minimum eight-foot-wide access aisle.

(6) Loading Zones. All development shall provide loading zones and service areas adequately sized to accommodate the types of vehicles that use them. Such loading zones and service areas shall be indicated on the development plan.

(L) Parking Stall Dimensions. Parking areas for automobiles shall meet the following minimum standards for long- and short-term parking of standard and compact vehicles:

(1) Standard Spaces. Parking spaces for standard vehicles shall conform with the standard car dimensions shown on Table A.

(2) Compact Vehicle Spaces in Long-term Parking Lots. Those areas of a parking lot that are approved as long-term parking have the option to include compact parking stalls. Such approved long-term parking areas may have up to forty (40) percent compact car stalls using the compact vehicle dimensions set forth in Table B.

A	B	C	D	E	F	G
0°	8	23	8	23	20	12
30°	8.5	20	17.4	17	20	15
45°	8.5	20	20.2	12	20	15
60°	9	19	21	10.4	24	20
90°	9	19	19	9	24*	20**

A	B	C	D	E	F	G
0°	7.5	19	7.5	19	20	12
30°	7.5	16.5	14.8	15	20	15
45°	7.5	16.5	17	10.6	20	15
60°	8	16	17.9	9.2	24	20
90°	8	15	15	8	24*	20**

* When garages are located along a driveway and are opposite other garages or buildings, the driveway width must be increased to 28 feet.

** When an overhand is allowed to reduce stall depth, aisle width must be increased to 22 feet.

(3) Long-Term Parking Stalls. As an option in long-term parking areas, if no compact car stalls are to be included, all long-term parking stalls may be designated using the following stall dimensions:

Parking Angle	Stall Width	Stall Length
0	8	21
30	8	19
45	8	19
60	8.5	18
90	8.5	18

(4) Vehicular Overhang. The stall dimensions indicated above may be modified with respect to vehicular overhang as indicated in Figure 5, except that compact vehicle spaces may not be reduced in depth to a dimension that is less than the required depth indicated above.

(M) Landscaping. The following minimum standards shall apply to all parking lot landscaping plans:

(1) Landscaping Coverage. At least six (6) percent of the interior space of any parking lot containing at least one thousand eight hundred (1800) square feet and containing not less than six (6) or more than one hundred (100) spaces, and ten (10) percent of the interior space of any parking lot with more than one hundred (100) spaces, shall be devoted to landscaping meeting the standards set forth in this Division. See Figure 1 at Section 3.2.1(E).

(2) Installation. Except as provided herein, no certificate of occupancy for property with an off-street parking area required to provide landscaping in conformance with these regulations shall be issued unless all landscaping on the property has been installed in accordance with an approved landscape plan for such property. In the event that such landscape installation has not been completed, an occupancy permit may be issued upon the receipt by the city of a cash deposit, bond, letter of credit or other satisfactory financial guarantee in the amount of one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of the estimated cost of the landscaping improvements determined by an executed contract to install such landscaping or by adequate appraisals of such cost. Such bond, cash deposit or equivalent shall further guarantee the continued maintenance and replacement of the landscaping for a period of two (2) years after installation, but the amount of the same shall be reduced after installation is completed to twenty-five (25) percent of the actual cost of such landscaping. Any bond, cash deposit or equivalent deposited pursuant to this requirement shall be released upon certification by the Building Permits and Inspections Director that the required landscaping program has been completed and maintained in accordance with the requirements of the bond.

(3) Landscape Irrigation. Except as provided herein, no certificate of occupancy shall be issued for any building on any portion of a property required by this Article to have an irrigation system, unless the entire irrigation system has been installed in accordance with an approved irrigation plan for such property. In the event that such irrigation system installation has not been completed, a certificate of occupancy may be issued upon the receipt by the city of a bond, cash deposit or equivalent conditioned on and guaranteeing the installation of the entire irrigation system shown on the approved irrigation plan. Such bond, cash deposit or equivalent shall be in the amount of one hundred twenty-five (125) percent of the estimated cost of the irrigation system determined by an executed contract to install such irrigation system or by adequate appraisals of such cost. Any bond, cash deposit or equivalent deposited pursuant to this requirement shall be released upon certification by the Building Permits and Inspections Director that the required irrigation system has been completed in accordance with the requirements of the bond.

(Ord. No. 90, 1998, 5/19/98; Ord. No. 228, 1998 §§13—15, 12/15/98; Ord. No. 99, 1999 §6, 6/15/99; Ord. No. 165, 1999 §15, 11/16/99; Ord. No. 59, 2000 §§14, 15, 6/6/00; Ord. No. 183, 2000 §§9, 10, 12/19/00; Ord. No. 107, 2001 §19, 6/19/01; Ord. No. 087, 2002 §§3, 4, 6/4/02; Ord. No. 140, 2002 §2, 10/1/02; Ord. No. 177, 2002 §8, 12/17/02; Ord. No. 090, 2003 §§1, 2, 6/17/03; Ord. No. 056, 2004 §1, 4/20/04; Ord. No. 091, 2004 §9, 6/15/04; Ord. No. 198, 2004 §4, 12/21/04; Ord. No. 070, 2005 §5, 7/5/05; Ord. No. 123, 2005 §4, 11/15/05; Ord. No. 161, 2005 §5, 12/20/05; Ord. No. 104, 2006 §12, 7/18/06); Ord. No. 192, 2006 §§2—4, 12/19/06; Ord. No. 081, 2007 §5, 7/17/07)

(A) Purpose. It is the city's intent to encourage the use of both active and passive solar energy systems for heating air and water in homes and businesses, as long as natural topography, soil or other subsurface conditions or other natural conditions peculiar to the site are preserved. While the use of solar energy systems is optional, the right to solar access is protected. Solar collectors require access to available sunshine during the entire year, including between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, MST, on December 21, when the longest shadows occur. Additionally, a goal of this Section is to ensure that site plan elements do not excessively shade adjacent properties, creating a significant adverse impact upon adjacent property owners. Thus, standards are set forth to evaluate the potential impact of shade caused by buildings, structures and trees.

(B) Solar-Oriented Residential Lots. At least sixty-five (65) percent of the lots less than fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet in area in single- and two-family residential developments must conform to the definition of a "solar-oriented lot" in order to preserve the potential for solar energy usage.

(C) Access to Sunshine. The elements of the development plan (e.g., buildings, circulation, open space and landscaping) shall be located and designed, to the maximum extent feasible, to protect access to sunshine for planned solar energy systems or for solar-oriented rooftop surfaces that can support a solar collector or collectors capable of providing for the anticipated hot water needs of the buildings in the project between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm MST, on December 21.

(1) The physical elements of the development plan shall be, to the maximum extent feasible, located and designed so as not to cast a shadow onto structures on adjacent property greater than the shadow which would be cast by a twenty-five-foot hypothetical wall located along the property lines of the project between the hours of 9:00 am and 3:00 pm, MST, on December 21. This provision shall not apply to structures within the following high-density zone districts: Downtown, Community Commercial.

(2) The impact of trees shall be evaluated on an individual basis considering the potential impacts of the shading and the potential adverse impacts that the shading could create for the adjacent properties in terms of blocking sunlight in indoor living areas, outdoor activity areas, gardens and similar spaces benefiting from access to sunlight. Shading caused by deciduous trees can be beneficial and is not prohibited.

(E) Alternative Compliance. Upon request by an applicant, the decision maker may approve an alternative site layout that may be substituted in whole or in part for a plan meeting the standards of this Section.

(1) Procedure. Alternative compliance plans shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with submittal requirements for plans as set forth in this Section. The plan shall clearly identify and discuss the modifications and alternatives proposed and the ways in which the plan will better accomplish the purpose of this Section than a plan which complies with the standards of this Section.

(2) Review Criteria. In approving an alternative plan, the decision maker shall find that the proposed alternative plan accomplishes the purposes of this Section equally or better than a plan which complies with the standards of this Section.

In reviewing the proposed alternative plan, the decision maker shall take into account whether the alternative design enhances neighborhood continuity and connectivity, fosters nonvehicular access, and preserves existing natural or topographic conditions on the site.

(Ord. No. 165, 1999 §16, 11/16/99; Ord. No. 087, 2002 §5, 6/4/02; Ord. No. 091, 2004 §10, 6/15/04)

(A) Purpose. The intent of this Section is to focus on the actual physical effects of lighting, as well as the effect that lighting may have on the surrounding neighborhood. Exterior lighting shall be evaluated in the development review process to ensure that the functional and security needs of the project are met in a way that does not adversely affect the adjacent properties or neighborhood. The degree to which exterior night lighting affects a property owner or neighborhood will be examined considering the light source, level of illumination, hours of illumination and need for illumination in relation to the effects of the lighting on adjacent property owners and the neighborhood.

(B) General Standard. All development, except developments that contain only single-family residential uses, shall submit for approval a proposed lighting plan that meets the functional security needs of the proposed land use without adversely affecting adjacent properties or the community.

(C) Lighting Levels. With the exception of lighting for public streets and private streets, all other project lighting used to illuminate buildings, parking lots, walkways, plazas or the landscape shall be evaluated during the development review process. The following chart gives minimum and, for under-canopy fueling areas, maximum lighting levels for outdoor facilities used at night.

Area/Activity*	Foot-candle
Building surrounds (nonresidential)	1.0
Bikeways along roadside Commercial areas Intermediate areas Residential areas	0.9 0.6 0.2
Walkways along roadside Commercial areas Intermediate areas Residential areas	0.9 0.6 0.5
Park walkways	0.5
Pedestrian stairways	0.3
Loading and unloading platforms	5.0
Parking areas	1.0
Playgrounds	5.0
Under-canopy area (average maintained maximum)	20.0
Under-canopy area (initial installation maximum)	26.0

(D) Design Standards. The lighting plan shall meet the following design standards:

(1) Site lighting that may be confused with warning, emergency or traffic signals is prohibited.

(2) Background spaces like parking lots shall be illuminated as unobtrusively as possible to meet the functional needs of safe circulation and of protecting people and property. Foreground spaces, such as building entrances and plaza seating areas, shall utilize local lighting that defines the space without glare.

(3) Light sources shall be concealed and fully shielded and shall feature sharp cut-off capability so as to minimize up-light, spill-light, glare and unnecessary diffusion on adjacent property. Light fixtures shall be attached to poles and buildings by use of nonadjustable angle brackets or other mounting hardware. Under-canopy fueling areas shall feature flush-mount, flat lens light fixtures as part of any newly constructed canopy or remodeled canopy.

(4) The style of light standards and fixtures shall be consistent with the style and character of architecture proposed on the site. Poles shall be anodized (or otherwise coated) to minimize glare from the light source.

(5) Light sources must minimize contrast with the light produced by surrounding uses, and must produce an unobtrusive degree of brightness in both illumination levels and color rendition. Incandescent and high-pressure sodium light sources all can provide adequate illumination with low contrast and brightness and are permitted light sources.

(6) Unique areas or neighborhoods within the city may have additional design guidelines for lighting as part of a neighborhood or area plan. The Community Planning and Environmental Services Department can provide information regarding neighborhood or area plans. Natural areas and natural features shall be protected from light spillage from off-site sources.

(7) Maximum on-site lighting levels shall not exceed ten (10) foot-candles, except for loading and unloading platforms where the maximum lighting level shall be twenty (20) foot-candles.

(8) Light levels measured twenty (20) feet beyond the property line of the development site (adjacent to residential uses or public rights-of-way) shall not exceed one-tenth (0.1) foot-candle as a direct result of the on-site lighting.

(9) Outdoor display lots for vehicles sales and leasing (as those terms are defined in Article 5) shall comply with the requirements of this section. In addition, display fixture illumination shall be reduced within thirty (30) minutes after closing so that the remaining illumination levels are sufficient for security purposes only; provided, however, that any illumination used after 11:00 p.m. shall be reduced to levels sufficient for security purposes only.

(10) Exposed L.E.D. (light emitting diode) lighting shall be limited to a maximum of one thousand (1,000) candela per square meter (nits).

(E) Alternative Compliance. Upon request by an applicant, the decision maker may approve an alternative lighting plan that may be substituted in whole or in part for a plan meeting the standards of this Section.

(1) Procedure. Alternative compliance lighting plans shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with submittal requirements for lighting plans as set forth in this Section. The plan shall clearly identify and discuss the modifications and alternatives proposed and the ways in which the plan will better accomplish the purpose of this Section than would a plan which complies with the standards of this Section.

(2) Review Criteria. To approve an alternative plan, the decision maker must first find that the proposed alternative plan accomplishes the purposes of this Section equally well or better than would a lighting plan which complies with the standards of this Section.

In reviewing the proposed alternative plan, the decision maker shall consider the extent to which the proposed design protects natural areas from light intrusion, enhances neighborhood continuity and connectivity, fosters nonvehicular access, and demonstrates innovative design and use of fixtures or other elements.

(Ord. No. 90, 1998, 5/19/98; Ord. No. 165, 1999 §17, 11/16/99; Ord. No. 204, 2001 §§12, 13, 12/18/01; Ord. No. 173, 2003 §9, 12/16/03; Ord. No. 198, 2004 §5, 12/21/04; Ord. No. 015, 2005 §1, 2/15/05; Ord. No. 161, 2005 §6, 12/20/05); Ord. No. 192, 2006 §5, 12/19/06

(A) Purpose. The purpose of this Section is to ensure the provision of areas, compatible with surrounding land uses, for the collection, separation, storage, loading and pickup of recyclable materials by requiring that adequate, convenient space is functionally located at multi-family residential, commercial and industrial land use sites.

(B) Regulations. The following regulations shall be applied to the extent reasonably feasible:

(1) All new commercial or multi-family structures and all existing commercial or multi-family structures proposed to be enlarged by more than twenty-five (25) percent, or where a change of use is proposed, shall provide adequate space for the collection and storage of refuse and recyclable materials.

(2) The amount of space provided for the collection and storage of recyclable materials shall be designed to accommodate collection and storage containers that are appropriate for the recyclable materials generated. Areas for storage of trash and recyclable materials shall be adequate in capacity, number and distribution to serve the development project.*

(3) Recyclable materials storage areas shall be located abutting refuse collection and storage areas.

(4) Each trash and recycling enclosure shall be designed to allow walk-in access without having to open the main enclosure service gates.

(5) Trash and recycling areas must be enclosed so that they are screened from public view. The enclosure shall be constructed of durable materials such as masonry and shall be compatible with the structure to which it is associated. Gates on the enclosures shall be constructed of metal or some other comparable durable material, shall be painted to match the enclosure and shall be properly maintained.

(6) Enclosure areas shall be designed to provide adequate, safe and efficient accessibility for service vehicles.

(8) The property owner shall supply and maintain adequate containers for recycling and waste disposal. Containers must be clearly marked for recycling.

		Minimum/Maximum
1.	Canopy Shade Trees	30'-40' spacing
2.	Coniferous Evergreens	20'-30' spacing
3.	Ornamental Trees	20'-30' spacing

	Number of trees on site	Maximum percentage of any one species
	10-19	50%
	20-39	33%
	40-59	25%
	60 or more	15%

	Type	Minimum Size
	Canopy Shade Tree	2.0" caliper balled and burlapped or equivalent
	Evergreen Tree	6.0' height balled and burlapped or equivalent
	Ornamental Tree	1.5" caliper balled and burlapped or equivalent
	Shrubs	5 gallon or adequate size consistent with design intent
	Canopy Shade Tree as a street tree on a Residential Local Street Only	1.25" caliper container or equivalent

	Type	Minimum Size
	Canopy Shade Tree	1.0" caliper container or equivalent
	Evergreen Tree	4.0' height container or equivalent
	Ornamental Tree	1.0" caliper container or equivalent
	Shrubs	1 gallon
	Canopy Shade Tree as a street tree on a Local or Collector Street only	1.25" caliper container or equivalent

(a)	Canopy Shade Trees	3.0" caliper balled and burlap or equivalent
(b)	Ornamental Trees	2.5" caliper balled and burlap or equivalent
(c)	Evergreen Trees	8' height balled and burlap or equivalent

Tree Diameter at Breast Height (inches)	Auger Distance From Face of Tree (feet)
0-2	1
3-4	2
5-9	5
10-14	10
15-19	12
Over 19	15

	Minimum average of entire landscaped setback area (feet)	Minimum width of setback at any point (feet)
Along an arterial street	15	5
Along a nonarterial street	10	5
Along a lot line	5	5

Number of Bedrooms/Dwelling Unit	Parking Spaces Per Dwelling Unit*
One or less	1.5
Two	1.75
Three	2.0
Four and above	2.5

Total Parking Spaces in Lot	Minimum Required Number of Accessible Spaces
1-25	1
26-50	2
51-75	3
76-100	4
101-150	5
151-200	6
201-300	7
301-400	8
401-500	9
501-1,000	2% of total spaces
Over 1,000	20 spaces plus 1 space for every 100 spaces, or fraction thereof, over 1,000

__________________ HEAD-IN PARKING	__________________ ANGLED PARKING