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RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN (RAD) REVIEW – EXPLANATION AND INSTRUCTIONS The Residential Architectural Design (RAD) Review process was adopted into the Zoning Ordinance in 1994. The RAD Review process created a building envelope standard that any house in a single family (R-1) zone containing more than a single story must meet. The purpose of the building envelope standards is to require additional stories to “set back” from the edge of the first story roofline. This “set back” is meant to create a view corridor and is the City’s compromise on private view protection. A RAD review is necessary with: • Any new construction of a house greater than a single-story, or • Additions to any home that will add on to, modify or create a second or greater story Developing the Envelope: The building envelope is an imaginary 3-d structure that sits on the setback lines of your lot. Imagine a “bubble” cut in half and the edges of the bubble set on all setback lines. Any new construction or additions to your existing building must fit within this “bubble”. Setbacks for all R-1 districts are listed below. Zoning District Front Rear Sides Street Side Corner Lot R-1 10 feet 15 feet 5 feet 8.5 feet R-1/B-1 20 15 6 8.5 R-1/B-2 20 20 6 8.5 R-1/B-3 30 25 12 N/A R-1/B-4 30 30 16 N/A There are three different building envelopes that correspond to the slope of your lot. To determine which building envelope you need to use, measure the slope of your lot from the highest point to the lowest point within the setbacks. This calculation must be shown on the site plan. An example of ground slope calculation is below: Z Y X Property Lines Setback Lines % of slope = Y – Z or X highest point – lowest point distance Depending on the results of the slope calculation, the building envelope parameters you must follow are listed on the following page. RAD SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES ---PAGE BREAK--- RAD SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES ---PAGE BREAK--- The submittal for a RAD review must show the proposed building as it sits under the building envelope. All four elevations must be shown in relation to the building envelope (i.e. east-west-south-north or front-back- side1-side2). If the lot is completely flat or work is only being done on one side of the structure, staff can require less than all four elevations. Allowance for Architectural Features: Architectural features must also follow the shape of the envelope. The figure below demonstrates that an extension of the inclined setback plan toward the property line establishes the projection limits for bay windows, porches, etc. The exception is that chimneys, not exceeding a horizontal dimension of two feet, may extend above the inclined plane. No such chimney extension shall have a horizontal area of more than ten square feet. The aggregate of all projections above the inclined plane cannot exceed a horizontal area of twenty-five square feet. Horizontal area of intrusions is calculated looking down onto the roof from the sky. Public Courtesy Notice Process & Purpose: Once the plans are accepted by the City as meeting the RAD envelope, a Courtesy Notice informing all property owners within 300 feet that you are planning construction higher than a single story will be sent out. The purpose of the Courtesy Notice is to inform the neighbors of the new two-story addition and to provide RAD SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES ---PAGE BREAK--- property owners within the vicinity the opportunity to review plans and to encourage a dialogue between the subject and neighboring property owners regarding concerns or issues about the proposed second story construction. Two weeks from the date of the Courtesy notice, the owner may submit the plans to the Building Department for plan review. When the plans are reviewed by City Staff, they are looking for compliance with all zoning standards. If the proposed residence meets all zoning standards, so no special planning permit or public hearing is required. As part of this process, the City does not have the authority to mandate that the property owner revise his or her plans nor prohibit the proposed construction. In the event a roofline or second story condition is changed, a new RAD review will be required. Exceptions to the Building Envelope: If an addition cannot be designed to meet the building envelope as part of RAD review, the applicant may apply for a Use Permit from the Planning Commission requesting an exception. These exceptions are requested when the lot is too narrow or too small given the setback requirements. For new construction, staff recommends that an applicant demonstrate they have no other alternative but to ask for the exception as these are much more difficult to justify. An administrative use permit is available to reduce the rear setback to 10 feet if the applicant can create the needed living area by extending into the rear setback as a single story or if such an extension reduces the amount of second story space needed. There three requirements for this use permit 1) such a reduction in the rear yard will avoid or reduce an upper story addition, 2) there will be no adverse impact on adjacent properties and 3) a usable yard area determined by multiplying the minimum rear setback requirement times the actual width of the lot is maintained permanently in the rear half of the lot. RAD SUBMITTAL GUIDELINES