Chapter 20.94
REGULATION OF PROTRUDING GARAGES AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF HOUSING DESIGN ALTERNATIVES
Sections:
20.94.010 Purpose.
A. To limit the development of houses featuring garage doors forward of the front of the entrance wall along the public streets of the city.
B. To achieve a streetscape that contributes to lessening the impacts of the houses with protruding garages.
C. To promote livability in the streetscape, front porches may be designed to offset the visual effects of the front entrance wall of the residence being farther to the rear of the front of the garage.
D. To encourage alternatives to protruding front-loading garages, such as side-loading or rear-loading garages. (Ord. 1603 § 1, 2005; Ord. 1537 § 1, 2003).
20.94.050 Definitions.
A. A “snout house” is a residence constructed with the front door wall more than eight feet behind the front of the garage door, except as permitted in these regulations.
B. A “side-loading garage” accesses the side yard of a dwelling.
C. A “rear-loading garage” accesses the rear yard of a dwelling. (Ord. 1603 § 1, 2005; Ord. 1537 § 1, 2003).
20.94.070 Regulations.
Residences shall comply with the following to reduce the impact of the snout house:
A. There shall be no more than eight feet from the front of the garage door to the front door wall when the garage is at the front of the dwelling, except as described herein.
B. To encourage front porches to reduce the impact of the snout house, the eight-foot setback may be measured from the middle or median of the depth of any covered front porch to provide for a greater depth to the front entrance wall, when the porch has a minimum width of eight feet. There is no maximum width required for the front porch. A minimum front porch depth of five feet of clearance between the front wall of the residence and the back of any required porch railing and/or porch posts shall be required for front porches.
C. There shall be no deep well entrance to a set-back front door from the front entrance wall more than one-half the depth of the front porch. The front door shall be encouraged to be seen easily from the streetscape.
D. In developments where snout houses are constructed, there shall be no snout houses permitted to be side by side with nor across the street from the snout house.
E. Exhibit “A”1 attached to the ordinance codified in this chapter reflects the development of a residence that is permitted with a front wall setback behind the garage wall.
F. A reduced front yard setback to 15 feet shall be given to houses with side-loading or rear-loading garages. (Ord. 1716 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1603 § 1, 2005; Ord. 1537 § 1, 2003).
Code reviser’s note: Exhibit “A” is available for public review and examination in the city clerk’s office.