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City of Raleigh, North CarolinaDepartment of City Planning Raleigh Urban Design CenterOne Exchange Plaza 133 Fayetteville StreetP. O. Box 590 P. O. Box 590Raleigh, NC 27602-0590 Raleigh, NC 27602-0590P 919.516.2626 P 919.807.8482F 919.516.2684 F 919.807.8481
www.raleigh.nc.gov/planning
 
To:
City Manager Allen
From:
Planning Director Silver, AICPPlanning Administrator Hallam
Date:
May 11, 2009
Re:
Front Yard Parking Text Change
Attached is the draft of the text change proposing to revise the regulations associated with front yardparking for single family detached dwellings. Also attached is the text proposed by Councilor Crowder atthe Budget and Economic Development Committee on January 27, 2009. The draft of the proposalreflects Councilor Crowder’s proposal with the following deviations:
•
 
Incorporates the additional language proposed by the Mayor at the BED meeting; prohibiting parkingfrom locating in front of the primary entrance and requiring shrubs to be a minimum of 36 inches tallwithin 2 years of planting; and
•
 
Increases the allowable parking area from 300 square feet to 330 square feet. This more closelyreflects the sum of two (2) standard parking bays; and
•
 
Although Councilor Crowder’s draft did not specifically address a retrofit requirement for front yardsrendered noncompliant by his proposal, his text provides some exceptions for existing situations. Thissuggests that retrofit compliance for all other front yard violations would be required. Therefore,staff’s draft has included a one-year amortization period for compliance; and
•
 
Revises the effective date from January 1, 2009 to October 1, 2009.When administration was directed to draft this text change at the February 3, 2009 City Council meeting,the Mayor recommended that the City Council review the draft prior to setting the public hearing.Although the Department of City Planning has not had the time to complete an impact analysis on thisproposal, I offer the following concerns for the City Council to consider prior to authorizing a publichearing on the text change:
•
 
The ability of cul-de-sac lots with small front yard areas to comply with these regulations (i.e. 40%limitation and prohibition of parking from being located between the primary entrance and the street.
•
 
Dictating design outcomes in the historic overlay districts and for historic landmarks. The historicdevelopment standards of 10-2052(e)(4) are adequate with regard to front yard parking. The historic
 
 2
development standards ensure that any new parking will fit with the special character of the district orlandmark; imposing the proposed requirements could result in designs that conflict with the historiccharacter. Elsewhere in the code is language that physical standards (height, yard area, curbs, curb cuts,driveways, sidewalks, etc.) are superseded by the historic development standards; this is a significantchange in that policy, and it may lead to problems.
•
 
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles caution the use of landscaping atlocations that may provide cover for an intruder and put the homeowner at risk, particularly inneighborhoods where public safety is a concern. CPTED principles encourage “natural access control”which is the physical guidance of people coming and going from a space by judicial placement of entrances, exits, signs, landscaping and lighting.
1
Another CPTED principle is “natural surveillance,”which is a design concept intended to make intruders observable. Natural surveillance is promoted byfeatures that maximize visibility of people, parking areas and building entrances.
2
Policy CS 26 andActions CS 16 and 17 in the Draft Comprehensive relate to CPTED (see attached).
•
 
Costs to individual homeowners for retrofit (i.e. removal of paved areas in excess of 40% of the frontyard area, required plantings to screen parking facing a side property line, installing stone w/permanently secured borders).
•
 
Insufficient staff and resources to comprehensively bring all properties into retrofit compliance.Enforcement would simply defer to a complaint basis.
 
Please contact me if you have any questions or if additional information is needed. Staff will be prepared toprovide a summary and graphic presentation of the proposal to the City Council.
 
1
SafeScape: Creating Safer, More Livable Communities Through Planning and Design, Al Zelinka and Dean Brennan.
2
Planning and Urban Design Standards, Wiley Graphic Standards.
 
5/8/09
ORDINANCE NO. (2009) TC TC- -09
AN ORDINANCE TO REVISE THE REGULATIONS GOVERNING THEMAXIMUM AMOUNT OF FRONT YARD AREA THAT MAY BE DEVOTED TOVEHICULAR SURFACE AREAS FOR SINGLE FAMILY DETACHEDDWELLINGSBE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF RALEIGH,NORTH CAROLINA that:Section 1.
Amend Code Section
 
10-2081(b)(1)b., Exceptions, to includethe following
Cross reference
to immediately follow subsection 4.4. Parking for
single-family 
detached and
duplex dwellings 
notincluding
manufactured homes 
in
manufactured home parks.
 
“
Cross reference:
Surfacing requirements for the
front yard 
 
area 
of
single family 
 detached
dwellings 
§10-2081(b)(4).”
Section 2.
Amend Code Section
 
10-2081(b)(1)b., Exceptions,subsection 5., by adding “and §10-2081(b)(3) and (4)” to the end of the sentence.5. In historic overlay districts and for
historic landmarks 
, parking
shall 
beprovided in accordance with §10-2052(e)(4) and §10-2081(b)(3) and (4).
Section 3.
Amend Code Section 10-2081(b)(3) by including a newsubsection c. which shall read as follows:“c. Marking
single family 
detached
dwelling 
parking spaces located withinthe
front yard area 
.V
ehicular surface areas 
located within the
front yard area 
of a
single family 
detached
dwelling 
constructed after October 1, 2009
shall 
beconstructed of permanent, nonerodible surface treatment limited tomasonry, concrete or asphalt, or, constructed with a minimum depth offour (4) inches of crushed stone or crush and run. The borders of the
vehicular surface area 
 
shall 
be delineated with man-made or naturallandscape materials such that the
vehicular surface area 
is clearlydefined and helps to contain the crushed stone or crush and run.
Section 4.
Amend Code Section 10-2081(b) by deleting subsection (4) inits entirety and substituting in lieu thereof the following:
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