Site Design Standards (SDS)

SDS 5.1 Transitions Between Land Uses

SDS 5.1.1 Intent.

Typical commercial developments that abut low density residential districts generally provide a harsh and abrupt transition from commercial to residential development; commercial developers shall design the built environment in such a way that softens the transition.

SDS 5.1.2 Standard.

Transitions shall be required for a commercially zoned development if an adjoining property is residentially zoned. An applicant shall use at least one (1) of the following transitions:

• Use similar building setback.
• Use small green spaces, courts, squares, parks, plazas, and similar spaces.
• Use existing natural features as transitions, including natural differences in topography (not retaining walls), streams, existing stands of trees, and similar features. When existing natural features are used as transitions, the city may still require that adequate pedestrian connections to adjacent land uses be accommodated.
• Site small-scale retail, office, pedestrian-intensive retail, civic, or public uses as transitions to lower-intensity, adjacent uses. For example, post offices, banks, and restaurants are pedestrian-intensive, community-serving uses and may be sited next to adjacent medium- density residential uses.

Effective on: 1/1/1901