Table of Contents

active transportation

The city’s zoning code establishes each of its eight Mixed-Use Center Districts as pedestrian-oriented areas (§13.06.300). The regulations and standards include street amenities, landscaping, windows, continuous building frontages, limited curb cuts, and direct pedestrian entrances adjacent to the right-of-way and/or public sidewalk and cover uses from residential to commercial industrial.

Affordable Housing Programs

The city’s codified ordinances outline a comprehensive affordable housing program. Chapter 1.39 discusses the city’s administrative provisions regarding affordable housing incentives and bonuses. §13.06.070(C) describes the PRD Planned Residential Development overlay district, which provides a density bonus for affordable housing. §13.06.080 includes the city’s policies on accessory dwelling units, cottage housing, and Live/Work and Work/Live. §13.06.040(E)(4) describes the height bonuses available in mixed-use districts, including a Level 1 bonus of 20 feet for residential developments that are at least 20% affordable to households making less than 80% of the area median income. Chapter 13.18 includes the incentives and standards for inclusionary housing and shares the district that has been designated as a target area.

Residential Infill Development

The city’s tax and license code exempts qualified infill multifamily residential projects from property taxes (§6A.110.020). The exemption applies to targeted residential areas where the goal is to stimulate new construction or rehabilitation for multifamily housing in mixed-use centers where vacancy or underutilization has been significant.

solar energy

The city's zoning code establishes the X-District Height Bonus Program which allows projects within certain neighborhood mixed-use centers increased height limits in order to provide one or more public benefit, such as sustainability (§13.06.300). It permits a 10 ft. height bonus for a solar energy collection system intended to provide at least 15% of the expected annual operating energy (§13.06.300.E.2.b.7). The code permits additional standards for residential units in X-Districts whose solar access is only from the rear or side of the building. It requires side or rear setbacks of at least 15 ft. (§13.06.501.J). The zoning code permits solar panels and collectors to exceed maximum height limit by 12 inches for buildings in all zoning districts (§13.06.602.f). The zoning code permits increased allowable FAR for buildings located in downtown district if at least four of the listed design standards are met, including solar exposure during the summer (§13.06A.080 2.c).

transfer of development rights

The city’s municipal code authorizes transfer of development rights (TDR) to advance conservation, historic preservation, and built environment goals (§1.37). TDR standards addresses program administration and operations, qualifications for sending and receiving areas, the transfer process, development limitations, development rights allocation, bonus development options, transfer certification, and program manager responsibilities.