09-13-2004 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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133S Tonkawa - Height Issue September 2,2004 Page 3 (In regards to height dcfmition) "...this definition has been only slightly revised since its first appearance in the 1967 zoning code; the "10* above lowest ground level" provision was added in 1992, along with the sentence regarding topographic changes. See Sketches A&B. It should also be noted that this definition is sometimes difficult to interpret based on the intricate roof designs found in new homes today. For instance: In a home with multiple gables, it is sometimes difficult to determine which gable should be considered the highest. In determining the average height, staff has as a matter of policy considered that the ceiling of any usable space within a gable that contains a window, will be considered as the low point of the highest gable for height determinations. This effectively increases the defined height of such buildings and acts as a limitation on e.xcessive height for homes with steeply-pitched roofs with living space in the roof area. See Sketches E and F. There could still be an issue with how uv would treat an A-frame home, which technically might be as high as 60' to the peak and still meet code... see Sketch D." (Staff memo to PC/Council 2-14-01) While this policy has been in place and administered as noted above for many years, it has neither been fonnal ly added to the Code nor adopted as part of a Policy resolution, since staff intended that it would eventually be fomialized as a result ofihc building height, bulk, and massing discussions. It was added to the B&Z Department Policy Manual and has been our consistent inteipretation and enforcement of the ordinance for at least three years, hi Fall 2002 we also infonnally adopted a definition of half-story, since that tenn is not defined in the code. That definition and the height measuring policy are documented in a handout dated 11-25-02. The Code definition stales we measure to “the average height of the highest gable of a pitched or hipped roof. The Code does not define ‘gable ’ or ‘highest gable ’. Webster’s defines gable as “the pointed end ofahousc ”or “thetriangularpartofthecndof ahouse ”. The l.histratcd Rook of Development Definitions (Center for Urban Policy Research, 1981) defines Gab'- Roof as a . idvouf forming a gable at both ends of the building" and a Hip Roof as “a roof with sloping c: ...u sides”. None of these definitions yield a clear indication of how we should determine the highest gable of a roof The intricate roof patterns devised by architects today often do not yield an obvious “higliest gable ”. For many years (at least the past 5 yeais and we believe signi ficantly longer) City staff have considered that a roof with windows in it via dormers or end gables, that create habitable space, or the appearance of habitable space, has the impact of adding visual height to a building. Therefore, we have from a policy standpoint considered that tlie topof the windows of such an upper space will define the low point of the highest gable. This has been discussed on many occasions with the Planning Commission through the >ears, at work sessions and during public hearings at their regular meetings in relation to zoning applications. This policy was \s ritten down in conjunction with proposed definitions relating to the “half-story ” concept, in November 2002, added to the Building and Zoning Dept. Policy Manual, but never formalized.