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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 1618CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO INTRODUCED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DURAN COUNCIL BILL NO. 06 ORDINANCE NO. 1618 Series 2017 TITLE: AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 26 OF THE WHEAT RIDGE CODE OF LAWS CONCERNING THE REGULATION OF SITE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR SITE GRADING, RETAINING WALLS AND STORMWATER FACILITIES WHEREAS, the City of Wheat Ridge is a home rule municipality operating under a charter adopted pursuant to Article XX of the Colorado Constitution and vested with the authority by that article and the Colorado Revised Statutes to adopt ordinances for the regulation of land use and protection of the public health, safety and welfare; and WHEREAS, in exercise of that authority, the City Council of the City of Wheat Ridge has previously enacted Chapter 26 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws pertaining to zoning, land use, and development; and WHEREAS, Chapter 26 includes regulations to ensure that site grading, retaining walls, and stormwater facilities comply with all technical requirements; and WHEREAS, the City Council recognizes the need for elevating certain site design standards related to site grading, retaining walls, and stormwater facilities; and WHEREAS, the City Council finds that elevating these standards will improve the quality of development projects throughout the City; NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO: Section 1. Article V. -Design Standards of Chapter 26 of the Code is amended by the addition of a new subsection 26-507, to read in its entirety as follows: SEC. 26-507. STORMWATER FACILITIES. A. PURPOSE. THE PURPOSE OF THESE REGULATIONS IS TO ENSURE THAT STORMWATER FACILITIES ARE INTEGRATED INTO SITE DEVELOPMENT AND ARE DESIGNED TO ENHANCE THE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE USE OF INNOVATIVE OR LOW IMPACT DESIGN APPROACHES AND THROUGH THE USE OF MATERIALS AND LANDSCAPING THAT COMPLEMENT THE SURROUNDINGS. B. APPLICABILITY. THE STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY TO: 1. SITE DEVELOPMENT IN ALL ZONE DISTRICTS; 2. SUBSTANTIAL MODIFICATION OF EXISTING STORMWATER FACILITIES OR EXPANSION OF SUCH FACILITIES BY MORE THAN FIFTEEN (15) PERCENT. C. DESIGN. 1. ALL STORMWATER FACILITIES SHALL BE DESIGNED AND MAINTAINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY'S CURRENT SITE DRAINAGE REQUIREMENTS. 2. BELOW THE FIVE (5) YEAR STORMWATER SURFACE ELEVATION, PLANT MATERIAL SHALL BE LIMITED TO WETLAND PLANTINGS, GRASSES, OR OTHER GROUNDCOVERS THAT ENHANCE WATER QUALITY AND ARE APPROPRIATE BASED ON PERIODIC FLOODING AND FACILITY MAINTENANCE NEEDS. TREES AND SHRUBS MAY BE PLANTED ABOVE THE FIVE (5) YEAR STORMWATER SURFACE ELEVATION. 3. FOR CONCRETE STRUCTURES OR BASINS THAT ARE VISIBLE FROM A PUBLIC STREET OR PUBLIC SPACE, ROCKS, LANDSCAPING, AND/OR DECORATIVE CONCRETE SURFACE TREATMENTS SHALL BE UTILIZED TO SOFTEN THEIR APPEARANCE. 4. THE SIDE SLOPES OF STORMWATER FACILITIES SHOULD BE GRADUAL, AND GENERALLY LIMITED TO 4:1 OR LESS. 5. THE TOP EDGE OF SLOPES AND EMBANKMENTS SHOULD BE LANDSCAPED WITH GROUPINGS OF TREES AND SHRUBS. THIS SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED TO MEAN TREES SPACED ON CENTER. PLANTINGS SHOULD BE LOCATED TO ALLOW MAINTENANCE ACCESS AS NEEDED. Section 2. Article V. -Design Standards of Chapter 26 of the Code is amended by the addition of a new subsection 26-508, to read in its entirety as follows: SEC. 26-508. SITE GRADING AND RETAINING WALLS. A. PURPOSE. THE PURPOSE OF THESE REGULATIONS IS TO ENSURE THAT GRADING DESIGNS RESPECT EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY AND ARE SENSITIVE TO EXISTING LANDFORMS AND THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES. B. APPLICABILITY. THE STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY TO: 1. SITE DEVELOPMENT IN ALL ZONE DISTRICTS. 2. SUBSTANTIAL MODIFICATION OF EXISTING RETAINING WALLS OR SITE GRADING OR EXPANSION SUCH WALLS BY MORE THAN FIFTEEN (15) PERCENT. C. DESIGN. 1. WALLS AND ELEVATION CHANGES THAT ARE ADJACENT TO PUBLIC SPACES SHALL BE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A PEDESTRIAN SCALED ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THE USE OF TERRACING, LANDSCAPING, AND/OR MATERIAL VARIATION. 2. ALL RETAINING WALLS SHALL BE BUil T PER THE REQUIREMENTS OF ANY APPLICABLE CODES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE TECHNICAL CODES ADOPTED BY THE CITY AND CONTAINTED IN CHAPTER 5 OF THIS CODE. 3. LANDSCAPING SHALL BE PROVIDED IN COMBINATION WITH RETAINING WALLS TO SOFTEN THE APPEARANCE OF WALLS. 4. ALL TERRACED PLANTING AREAS BETWEEN WALLS SHALL BE OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH TO SUPPORT VEGETATION AND ROOT SYSTEMS. 5. SITE GRADING SHALL NOT ADVERSELY IMPACT ADJACENT PROPERTY AND/OR RIGHTS-OF-WAY. GRADING SHALL ANTICIPATE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND SHALL INTEGRATE WITH ADJACENT PROPERTY AND/OR RIGHT-OF-WAY. 6. SLOPES STEEPER THAN 3:1 ARE NOT PERMITTED. GRADES OF 4:1 OR LESS ARE ENCOURAGED. 7. TRANSITION GRADES SHOULD BE ROLLING AND NATURAL RATHER THAN ONE CONTINUOUS STRAIGHT LINE. 8. TURF GRASS SHOULD NOT BE USED ON SLOPES STEEPER THAN 4: 1. Section 3. Section 26-1110 of the Code, concerning site design requirements in the mixed use zone districts, is hereby amended by the addition of two (2) new subsections, J and K, to read in their entirety as follows: J. THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 26-507 SHALL APPLY IN ALL MIXED USE ZONE DISTRICTS. K. THE REQUIREMENTS OF SECTION 26-508 SHALL APPLY IN ALL MIXED USE ZONE DISTRICTS. Section 4. Severabilitv. Conflicting Ordinances Repealed. If any section, subsection or clause of this Ordinance shall be deemed to be unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, the validity of the remaining sections, subsections and clauses shall not be affected thereby. All other ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed. Section 5. Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect fifteen (15) days after final publication, as provided by Section 5.11 of the Charter. INTRODUCED, READ, AND ADOPTED on first reading by a vote of 4 to 1, this 27th day of March, 2017 and ordered published in full in a newspaper of general circulation in the City of Wheat Ridge, and Public Hearing and consideration on final passage set for April 10, 2017 at 7:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers, 7500 West 29th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado. READ ADOPTED AND ORDERED PUBLISHED on second and final reading by a vote of_7_to_l, this 10th day of April , 2017. SIGNED by the Mayor on this lOthday of April ATTEST: I nelle Shaver, City Clerk • 0 First Publication: C ~ · Second Publication: Apn.· 13, Wheat Ridge Transcript Effective Date: April 28, 2017 Published: Wheat Ridge Transcript and www.ci.wheatridge.co.us '2017.