Yards and Setbacks

Properly designed yards and consistent setbacks greatly improve the pedestrian experience in the TOD Special District by smoothly and attractively transitioning the public realm into private spaces, while providing comfort and direction for those walking by. Yards, which are open spaces required to provide light and air access on a property, can be designed to connect or distinguish the public and private realm. The setback is the line established for each zoning district that runs from and parallel to the property line. Consistent facade setbacks create a sense of enclosure and predictability for pedestrians. Purposefully designed yards can provide visual relief with landscape elements, or physical relief with street furniture for sitting.

Improvements to the setback area between the property line and the building facade are required for structures within 15 feet of the property line with commercial or industrial uses on the ground floor. Improvements may include hardscape, landscaping, and pedestrian amenities, such as outdoor dining, benches, and publicly accessible seating, shade trees, portable planters, trash and recycling bins, recharging stations for electronic devices, Wi-Fi service, bicycle facilities, or merchandising displays. For ground-floor residential uses, covered porches, stoops, or lanais are allowed in the front yard. It is encouraged that front yards be paved as an extension of the sidewalk, and landscaping be located near the street curb to act as a buffer between vehicles and pedestrians.

Yard and setback requirements can be modified through a Special District Permit. Refer to the Required Yards Table on this page for the yard requirements.

Maximum Setbacks

Consistent setbacks help create a sense of order and enclosure for pedestrians, enhancing the public experience. A building set back too far from the sidewalk or street creates a “missing tooth” in an otherwise predictable frontage. If a setback is too deep, pedestrians walking by do not interact with the facade, but rather, are confronted with a void. To avoid this and to encourage consistency, some lots have a maximum setback from the street-adjacent property line.

The maximum setback in Business, Business Mixed-Use, Industrial, and Industrial Mixed-Use Districts is 10 feet. The maximum setback along Key Streets in Apartment and Apartment Mixed-Use Districts is 15 feet. Setback areas, particularly within business districts, must be developed with a combination of hardscape and landscape elements designed to improve the pedestrian experience. The Neighborhood TOD Plans may specify a desired width for sidewalks along certain streets, but, at a minimum, a five-foot-wide sidewalk, clear of items that impede pedestrian movement, must be provided within the TOD Special District. If street trees are not provided in the right-of-way, trees and landscaping may be placed along the property line to buffer pedestrians from automobiles and encourage pedestrians to walk closer to storefronts.

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Figure 21-9.3

Yards and maximum setbacks on all streets in the BMX-3 Business Mixed-Use and B-2 Business Community Districts and on key streets in the IMX-1 Industrial Commercial Mixed-Use and I-2 Intensive Industrial Districts:

The maximum setback must be measured from the front property line to the exterior face of the building. See Figures 21-9.3 and 21-9.4.

Figure 21-9.4

Yards and maximum setbacks on key street, Apartment and Apartment Mixed-Use Districts:

The maximum setback must be measured from the front property line to the exterior face of the building. See Figures 21-9.3 and 21-9.4.

Figure 21-9.5

Building facade placement on corner lots fronting two key streets:

On corner zoning lots fronting at least one key street, buildings must be located within 30 feet of such corner. See Figure 21-9.5.

Figure 21-9.6

Building facade placement on lots 100 feet or less:

On a zoning lot with a street frontage of 100 feet or less per frontage, the ground floor building facade must be placed within the maximum front setback for at least 75 percent of the linear street frontage. See Figure 21-9.6.

Figure 21-9.7

Building facade placements on lots greater than 100 feet:

On a zoning lot with a street frontage greater than 100 feet per frontage, the ground floor building facade must be placed within the maximum front setback for at least 65 percent of the linear street frontage. See Figure 21-9.7.

Figure 21-9.8

Building facade and parking placement on lots fronting two key streets:

Where a zoning lot fronts two or more key streets, the applicant may designate one of the streets or corners for purposes of street facade and building placement. The structure must be placed within the maximum setback on at least one key street. Setback improvements must be provided along all key street frontages, as set forth in Section 21-9.100-8(a)(3)(E). See Figures 21-9.8 and 21-9.9.

Figure 21-9.9

Building facade and parking placement on lots fronting three key streets:

Where a zoning lot fronts two or more key streets, the applicant may designate one of the streets or corners for purposes of street facade and building placement. The structure must be placed within the maximum setback on at least one key street. Setback improvements must be provided along all key street frontages, as set forth in Section 21-9.100-8(a)(3)(E). See Figures 21-9.8 and 21-9.9.