Dimensional standards
Height & bulk
Servicing
- Geographic extent
- Central DistrictZoning districtA mapped area with one set of rules, identified by a code like R-1 or B-2. Specific Plan area
Extracted standards
100 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Lighting
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. for façade lighting fixtures15 ft
Fixtures shall be located between 8 and 15 feet above the sidewalk elevation, and shall not project more than 30 inches from the façade.
- Maximum projection of façade lighting30 in
Fixtures shall be located between 8 and 15 feet above the sidewalk elevation, and shall not project more than 30 inches from the façade.
- Maximum spacing for façade lighting30 ft
Lighting shall be located on façades facing streets and public open spaces at a frequency of every 30 feet or less.
- Minimum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. for façade lighting fixtures8 ft
Fixtures shall be located between 8 and 15 feet above the sidewalk elevation, and shall not project more than 30 inches from the façade.
Other
- Conditional UseConditional useAllowed only after a discretionary approval — usually a public hearing and a board vote. Permit required for non-residential >25,000 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.25,000 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
For all non-residential uses with a gross floor area of 25,000 square feet or greater, a Conditional Use Permit shall be required per Section 17.61.050.J.2.
- HistoricHistoric districtAn area where exterior changes need design review to protect its character. adjacency encroachment plane angle30 deg
Projects shall not be located within an encroachment plane sloping upward and inward at a 30-degree angle measured from the vertical, commencing 15 feet above the existing grade at the property line.
- HistoricHistoric districtAn area where exterior changes need design review to protect its character. adjacency encroachment plane start heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.15 ft
Projects shall not be located within an encroachment plane sloping upward and inward at a 30-degree angle measured from the vertical, commencing 15 feet above the existing grade at the property line.
- LEED Gold certification required for concessions
unless the project is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification
- Maximum balcony projection4 ft
Balconies may project a maximum of 4 feet from the building façade but shall not extend beyond the sidewalk line or within 6 feet of any interior property line.
- Maximum barrier heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. in parkway24 in
Barriers up to 24 inches high, such as low walls or fences, are permitted at the interior edge of the parkway but are not required.
- Maximum blank wall length20 ft
Windowless expanses of street-facing walls shall not exceed 20 feet in length.
- Maximum façade length for exception100 ft
The maximum façade shall be 100 feet.
- Maximum street-facing façade length150 ft
Each street-facing façade shall not exceed 150 feet in length unless there is a minimum break of 10 percent of the building length or 20 feet, whichever is greater.
- Maximum façade modulation depth12 ft
between 2 feet and 12 feet in depth from the primary façade plane
- Maximum wall/fence heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.48 in
Walls and fences shall have a maximum height of 48 inches above the sidewalk elevation.
- Maximum gallery frontageFrontageThe length of a lot line that touches a public street.50 pct
Galleries shall be limited to one-story and 50 percent of the building frontage.
- Maximum gallery storiesStoreysHabitable floor levels. Whether a basement or attic counts is defined by the local code.1 storiesStoreysHabitable floor levels. Whether a basement or attic counts is defined by the local code.
Galleries shall be limited to one-story and 50 percent of the building frontage.
- Maximum elevation of first habitable floor for residential6 ft
For residential units, the first habitable floor shall be located between 6 feet above and 2 feet below the sidewalk elevation.
- TransparencyGround-floor transparencyThe share of a ground-floor street wall that must be windows rather than blank surface. measurement heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. max10 ft
ground floor transparency is measured as the percentage of building frontage that consists of transparent openings between a height of 2 feet and 10 feet above the sidewalk elevation.
- Maximum percentage of building footprint for heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. averaging30 pct
With approval of Design Commission, height limits may be exceeded for up to 30 percent of the building footprint to the maximum set in Figure CDSP-8, provided that the average height over the entire footprint does not exceed the allowable height.
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. before stepback along Green Street20 ft
Along Green Street, buildings shall not exceed 20 feet in height before stepping back 8 feet in depth.
- Maximum non-planted area in parkway20 pct
A maximum of 20 percent of the parkway area may be organic or inorganic cover.
- Maximum obscured transparencyGround-floor transparencyThe share of a ground-floor street wall that must be windows rather than blank surface. for medical office50 pct
Blinds, drapes, posters, and shelving for product displays visible to the public right-of-way shall obscure a maximum of 10 percent of the transparent areas of each respective storefront or 50 percent for medical office uses.
- Maximum obscured transparencyGround-floor transparencyThe share of a ground-floor street wall that must be windows rather than blank surface. for storefronts10 pct
Blinds, drapes, posters, and shelving for product displays visible to the public right-of-way shall obscure a maximum of 10 percent of the transparent areas of each respective storefront or 50 percent for medical office uses.
- Parkway swale depression depth max4 in
For parkways with a width greater than 5 feet, the center 2 feet of the parkway shall be depressed 3 to 4 inches to form a shallow swale to collect sidewalk stormwater.
- Maximum percentage of residential open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted. as private40 pct
A maximum of 40 percent of the required residential Open Space set in Table CDSP-7 shall be Private Open Space.
- Maximum roof deck coverage60 pct
The sum of all roof decks on a single building shall not exceed a maximum coverage of 60 percent of the roof area.
- Maximum root zone depth3 ft
The root zone volume depth shall be 2 feet minimum and 3 feet maximum.
- Maximum shade projection on Colorado Boulevard10 ft
For projects on the north side of Colorado Boulevard, shade structures are required and shall project a minimum of 7 feet, up to a maximum of 10 feet, into the public-right-of-way for a minimum of 70 percent of the building frontage.
- Minimum percentage of 3-bedroom units for projects with 50+ units15 pct
For projects with 50 dwelling units or more, inclusive of any density bonus, at least 15 percent of the total number of units shall have 3 bedrooms or more.
- Minimum access way frequency20 ft
Where on-street parking is permitted, access ways shall be provided at a minimum frequency of one per every 20 feet of continuous parkway.
- Minimum access way width4 ft
Access ways shall be a minimum of 4 feet in width and provide a firm, uniform walking surface in all weather conditions from the curb to the Walk Zone.
- Minimum arcade clearance8 ft
Arcades shall be a minimum of 8 feet from back of column to building façade.
- Arcade column spacing equal to or greater than depth
The distance between columns shall be equal to or greater than the arcade depth dimension, as measured from the column center.
- Minimum arcade depth8 ft
Arcades shall be a minimum of 8 feet from back of column to building façade.
- Minimum horizontal band projection4 in
a consistent horizontal band that projects at least 4 inches from the façade.
- Minimum average interior depth for commercial uses35 ft
Commercial uses shall have an average interior depth of at least 35 feet and a minimum depth of 20 feet, measured wall-to-wall.
- Minimum interior depth for commercial uses20 ft
Commercial uses shall have an average interior depth of at least 35 feet and a minimum depth of 20 feet, measured wall-to-wall.
- Minimum common open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted. for non-residential >40,000 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.5 pct
Projects with more than 40,000 square feet of non-residential floor area shall provide a minimum of 5 percent of the gross non-residential floor area as Common Open Space.
- Minimum cornice depth for exception1 ft
The top section shall use a cornice that is at least 1 foot in depth.
- Minimum entrance recess30 in
All entrances shall be recessed a minimum of 30 inches from the sidewalk line.
- Minimum façade break depth10 ft
This break shall be at least 10 feet deep, open to the sky.
- Minimum façade break length20 ft
Each street-facing façade shall not exceed 150 feet in length unless there is a minimum break of 10 percent of the building length or 20 feet, whichever is greater.
- Minimum façade break percentage10 pct
Each street-facing façade shall not exceed 150 feet in length unless there is a minimum break of 10 percent of the building length or 20 feet, whichever is greater.
- Minimum façade modulation depth2 ft
between 2 feet and 12 feet in depth from the primary façade plane
- Minimum façade modulation for façades over 50 ft25 pct
Each street-facing façade exceeding 50 feet in length shall modulate a minimum of 25 percent of the area above the ground floor between 2 feet and 12 feet in depth from the primary façade plane.
- Minimum façade plane change4 in
a change in façade plane of at least 4 inches
- Minimum separation depth for separate façades20 ft
Planes that are separated by a gap of at least 20 feet in width and 20 feet in depth shall be considered separate façades
- Minimum separation for separate façades20 ft
Planes that are separated by a gap of at least 20 feet in width and 20 feet in depth shall be considered separate façades
- Minimum setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. for walls/fences over 30 inches1.5 ft
Walls and fences taller than 30 inches shall be a minimum of 50 percent transparent and set back a minimum of 18 inches from the sidewalk line, separated by planted area.
- Minimum transparencyGround-floor transparencyThe share of a ground-floor street wall that must be windows rather than blank surface. for walls/fences over 30 inches50 pct
Walls and fences taller than 30 inches shall be a minimum of 50 percent transparent and set back a minimum of 18 inches from the sidewalk line, separated by planted area.
- Minimum gallery vertical clearance10 ft
Galleries shall allow a minimum of 10 feet of vertical clearance from the sidewalk elevation.
- Minimum gallery clearance10 ft
Galleries shall allow a minimum of 10 feet of vertical clearance from the sidewalk elevation.
- Minimum ground floor heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.15 ft
Buildings shall have a minimum ground floor height of 15 feet, measured from the sidewalk elevation closest to the primary entrance to the second story floor or roof of a one-story building.
- Minimum ground floor heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. for residential with setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. >=10 ft12 ft
Ground floor residential uses with a setback of 10 feet or greater shall have a minimum ground floor height of 12 feet.
- Non-residential primary entrance at grade
For non-residential and residential common space uses, the primary entrance of the first habitable floor shall be located at existing grade along the sidewalk line.
- Minimum setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. for elevated ground floor residential8 ft
Where elevated between 4 and 6 feet above the sidewalk elevation, a minimum setback of 8 feet shall be required.
- Minimum elevation of first habitable floor for residential-2 ft
For residential units, the first habitable floor shall be located between 6 feet above and 2 feet below the sidewalk elevation.
- Minimum setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. for ground floor residential units5 ft
Residential units on the ground floor, where permitted, shall have a minimum setback of 5 feet.
- TransparencyGround-floor transparencyThe share of a ground-floor street wall that must be windows rather than blank surface. measurement heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. min2 ft
ground floor transparency is measured as the percentage of building frontage that consists of transparent openings between a height of 2 feet and 10 feet above the sidewalk elevation.
- Minimum ground floor transparencyGround-floor transparencyThe share of a ground-floor street wall that must be windows rather than blank surface.70 pct
The minimum transparency requirement is 70 percent for ground floors and 30 percent for the overall façade.
- HistoricHistoric districtAn area where exterior changes need design review to protect its character. adjacency interior setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.15 ft
The minimum interior setback shall be equal to that of the historic resource or 15 feet, whichever is less.
- HistoricHistoric districtAn area where exterior changes need design review to protect its character. adjacency street setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. averaging
The minimum street setback shall be an average of the minimum setback set in Figure CDSP-12 and that of the resource for a minimum of 20 feet from the shared property line.
- HistoricHistoric districtAn area where exterior changes need design review to protect its character. adjacency stepback depth10 ft
A stepback with a minimum depth of 10 feet is required above this height, measured from the modified minimum street setback.
- Minimum overall façade transparencyGround-floor transparencyThe share of a ground-floor street wall that must be windows rather than blank surface.30 pct
The minimum transparency requirement is 70 percent for ground floors and 30 percent for the overall façade.
- Minimum parkway length for mixed-use and non-residential30 pct
For mixed-use and non-residential projects, parkway length shall be no less than 30 percent of street frontage.
- Minimum parkway length for residential-only60 pct
For residential-only projects, parkway length shall be no less than 60 percent of street frontage.
- Minimum planted area in parkway80 pct
A minimum of 80 percent of the total required parkway area for a given project shall be comprised of plant material.
- Minimum parkway slope1 pct
The parkway shall be at the same grade as the adjacent hardscape surface at the outer edge of the parkway and slope at a minimum of 1 percent towards the center of the parkway.
- Minimum parkway width for swale5 ft
For parkways with a width greater than 5 feet, the center 2 feet of the parkway shall be depressed 3 to 4 inches to form a shallow swale to collect sidewalk stormwater.
- Minimum paved buffer adjacent to street parking18 in
When street parking is adjacent to the curb, a paved buffer with a minimum width of 18 inches is required, in addition to the 6-inch curb, except where tree grates are adjacent to the curb.
- Minimum setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. for pavers from utility poles3 ft
Pavers are not allowed within 3 feet of any public streetlight pole or pull box or other utility facilities.
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. of plant material in parkway24 in
Permitted materials include groundcovers, turf or turf substitutes, and shrubs or low perennials that are lower than 24 inches in height at full maturity.
- Minimum number of primary entrances1 count
A minimum of one primary entrance shall be located on the primary frontage of each building and open onto a sidewalk or other public space.
- Minimum dimension for private open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted.5 ft
A minimum area of 40 square feet with a minimum dimension of 5 feet in each direction shall be required for Private Open Space.
- Minimum private open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted. area40 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
A minimum area of 40 square feet with a minimum dimension of 5 feet in each direction shall be required for Private Open Space.
- Publicly accessible open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted. required for alternative compliance
A minimum of one publicly accessible open space is provided at the ground level, visible and accessible from the sidewalk
- Minimum transparencyGround-floor transparencyThe share of a ground-floor street wall that must be windows rather than blank surface. for residential units15 pct
For residential units, transparency requirements are reduced to 15 percent each for ground floor and the overall façade.
- Minimum setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. for roof deck railings on uppermost 2 storiesStoreysHabitable floor levels. Whether a basement or attic counts is defined by the local code.5 ft
Roof deck railings on the uppermost 2 stories shall be set back a minimum of 5 feet from the façade.
- Minimum root zone depth2 ft
The root zone volume depth shall be 2 feet minimum and 3 feet maximum.
- Minimum root zone volume per tree800 cuft
Each street tree shall be provided with an uncompacted root zone volume of 800 cubic feet minimum.
- Minimum setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. for ground floor residential Type B5 ft
Type B: Residential units on the ground floor shall be permitted with direct access to the street and a minimum setback of 5 feet.
- Minimum vertical clearance for shade structures8 ft
Any ground floor shading shall project a minimum of 3 feet from the façade and allow a minimum of 8 feet of vertical clearance from the sidewalk elevation.
- Minimum shade projection on Colorado Boulevard7 ft
For projects on the north side of Colorado Boulevard, shade structures are required and shall project a minimum of 7 feet, up to a maximum of 10 feet, into the public-right-of-way for a minimum of 70 percent of the building frontage.
- Minimum shade structure projection3 ft
Any ground floor shading shall project a minimum of 3 feet from the façade and allow a minimum of 8 feet of vertical clearance from the sidewalk elevation.
- Minimum shade structure frontageFrontageThe length of a lot line that touches a public street. on Colorado Blvd70 pct
For projects on the north side of Colorado Boulevard, shade structures are required and shall project a minimum of 7 feet, up to a maximum of 10 feet, into the public-right-of-way for a minimum of 70 percent of the building frontage.
- Minimum stepback depth along Green Street8 ft
Along Green Street, buildings shall not exceed 20 feet in height before stepping back 8 feet in depth.
- Minimum subterranean parking for alternative compliance90 pct
A minimum of 90 percent of the provided parking is fully or partially subterranean
- Minimum tree well length6 ft
The minimum length of a tree well shall be 6 feet.
- Minimum window recess for exception4 in
All windows shall be recessed at least 4 inches.
- Minimum window recess3 in
Windows shall be recessed by a minimum of 3 inches, measured from the outside wall to the frame of the window (mullion, muntin or similar element).
- Parkway swale depression depth min3 in
For parkways with a width greater than 5 feet, the center 2 feet of the parkway shall be depressed 3 to 4 inches to form a shallow swale to collect sidewalk stormwater.
- Artificial turf prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance. in parkways
Artificial turf is not permitted in parkways.
- Edible plants prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance. in parkways
Edible plants are not permitted in parkways.
- Prohibition of ground floor residential within 35 feet of sidewalk35 ft
Residential units on the ground floor shall be prohibited within 35 feet of the sidewalk line, inclusive of setbacks, per Table CDSP-5
- Plants with spines or thorns prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance. adjacent to walkways
Plants with spines or thorns shall not be planted adjacent to any walkways or curbs.
- Root zone volume reduction for shared cells10 pct
The root zone volume per tree requirement may be reduced by 10 percent where two or more trees share a contiguous root zone cell.
- Security bars must be hidden during business hours
Any exterior or interior security bars shall be designed to be fully hidden from view during business hours with devices such as concealed side pockets and ceiling cavities.
- Street tree spacing30 ft
Street trees shall be planted at a spacing of one per 30 feet.
- Uses not listed in Table CDSP-1 are prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.
Those uses not listed in Table CDSP-1 are prohibited by this Specific Plan, except as otherwise provided by Section 17.21.030.A.
From the ordinance
This Chapter lists the land uses that may be allowed within the zoning districts established by the Central District Specific Plan (CDSP), determines the type of land use permit/approval required for each use, and provides comprehensive design and development standards for all projects.