(1) Purpose. The standards of this section are intended to promote high-quality residential development and construction; protect property values; encourage visual variety and architectural compatibility; and promote an integrated character for the Village's neighborhoods. Specifically, the standards shall:
(a) Provide variety and visual interest in the exterior design of residential buildings;
(b) Provide for a variety of lot sizes and housing types for a range of households and age groups;
(c) Enhance the residential streetscape and diminish the prominence of garages and parking areas;
(d) Enhance public safety by preventing garages from obscuring main entrances or blocking views of the street from inside dwellings; and
(e) Improve the compatibility of attached and multifamily residential development with the residential character of surrounding neighborhoods.
(2) Orientation of dwellings to the street. Each residential building shall have at least one primary pedestrian doorway for access to the dwelling located on the elevation of the dwelling facing the front lot line of the property, and clearly visible from the street or public area adjacent to the front lot line. On corner lots, the pedestrian doorway may be located facing any adjacent street. Unless prohibited by terrain or other site constraints, the orientation of new buildings and alterations shall repeat the predominant relationship of buildings to buildings and buildings to street along the same block face or the facing block face. An exception shall be made for single-family detached dwelling units that do not have street frontage but do front onto a park or parklike common open area. In such case where the dwelling unit does not have street frontage, one primary pedestrian doorway shall be oriented toward a pedestrian walk in the park that connects to a street.
(3) Garages.
(a) Detached garages are preferable to attached garages. Detached garages shall comply with the requirements for accessory buildings and structures contained in
§ 360-3.2E(1).
(b) Garage doors for attached garages shall face the side or rear of the lot when possible.
(c) When garage doors for an attached garage cannot be designed to face the side or rear of the lot, such garage doors may face the street in accordance with the following requirements:
[1] Garage doors for an attached garage facing the street shall be set back a minimum of four feet behind the front facade of the dwelling portion of the structure.
[2] Garage doors for an attached garage facing the street shall not comprise more than 15% of the front facade of a principal dwelling structure that is greater than one story in height, or 25% of the front facade of a principal dwelling structure that is one story in height.
(4) Corner lots.
(a) Obstruction to vision at street intersections. At all street intersections, no obstructions to vision exceeding 30 inches in height above curb level shall be erected or maintained on any lot within the triangle formed by the street lines of such lot and a line drawn between points along such street lines 30 feet distant from their point of intersection.
[1] The following are exceptions to the aforesaid thirty-inch maximum height restriction:
[a] The fence, wall or hedge is sited at a street intersection, at which intersection there is at least one one-way street, under circumstances where, because of the legal travelling direction of motor vehicle traffic at the intersection where the fence, wall or hedge is sited, the fence, wall or hedge can never detrimentally impact the sight triangle/line-of-sight of motor vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists proceeding through the intersection at the location where the fence, wall or hedge is sited.
[b] The fence, wall or hedge is sited at a street intersection at which motor vehicle traffic is controlled, at every entrance into that intersection, by a stop sign (e.g., a "four-way" stop) or by a traffic control signal that includes a red-colored stoplight.
[2] A Building Inspector shall have the power and discretion to increase this chapter's prescribed allowed maximum height of fences, walls and hedges, and to modify the this chapter's prescribed siting of fences, walls and hedges, which are located in a front yard on a corner lot, so as to account for site-specific conditions, but which power and discretion shall be exercised only in accordance with the following criteria, none of which, alone or in combination, are determinative, but shall all be investigated and evaluated by a Building Inspector, and documented in his/her written determination whether or not to allow a maximum height, or siting, exception.
[a] The hedge, fence or wall does not obstruct a motor vehicle driver's, bicyclist's or pedestrian's clear view of oncoming traffic, stop signs, crosswalks, or other critical traffic-related sightlines.
[b] The adverse impact, by the hedge, fence or wall, on a motor vehicle driver's, bicyclist's or pedestrian's clear view of oncoming traffic, stop signs, crosswalks, or other critical traffic-related sightlines, is able to be sufficiently mitigated, by ameliorative measures, implemented by the property owner at the property's owner's sole cost and expense, including, but not limited to, the following measures, the performance of which measures shall be completed by the property owner, including obtaining the permission, consent, authorization or approval from other parties that may be necessary.
[i] The maintenance, installation or modification of a fence or hedge so as to keep it partially transparent, open-slat or sparsely vegetated (as applicable), rather than solid, opaque or dense (as applicable), such as, for example, regular trimming or pruning of a hedge; or
[ii] The installation or placement of a suitably large convex safety mirror that provides a clear view of the obstructed area to the otherwise adversely affected viewer.
(b) Rear and side yards. On a corner lot, front yards are required on both street frontages, and one yard other than the front yards shall be deemed to be a rear yard, and the other or others, side yards. The minimum district requirements for each shall be complied with.
(5) Sidewalks. Sidewalks conforming to Village specifications shall be provided on the street frontage of the lot and/or within the right-of-way of any street located adjacent to a lot in the residential zoning districts. The sidewalk material shall be continuous through the drive.
