§ 8.14.2. Development design guidelines.

The following guidelines should be incorporated into land divisions to the maximum extent practicable:

A.

The development should be designed to preserve the natural terrain, existing topsoil and vegetation, including significant trees. Significant trees for this purpose shall mean deciduous trees with a caliper of greater than four inches and coniferous trees 15 feet or greater in height. Significant trees not feasible for preservation should be replaced on-site with similar trees of the largest caliper possible (not less than three-inch caliper for shade trees, 2½-inch caliper for ornamental trees and eight feet all for coniferous trees), except that invasive or nuisance tree species or trees removed to comply with wildfire hazard mitigation requirements need not be replaced;

B.

Lot layouts should provide desirable settings for structures by using natural contours, maintaining desirable views and providing protection from adverse wind, noise and vehicular traffic. Where practicable, all residential structures should be located at least one-quarter mile (1,320 feet) from Interstate 25;

C.

Design should provide for solar access and orientation;

D.

Double frontage lots should be avoided except where they are essential to provide separation of residential development from arterial streets or to overcome specific topographic problems;

E.

Lots should use natural and manmade features, such as fences, streams, ditches, rights-of-way and easements, as their boundaries;

F.

Lots should not be divided by an irrigation ditch or a stream, unless an approved bridge or other crossing is built to provide vehicular and/or pedestrian access to both sides;

G.

Recreation facilities should be centrally located to all lots in the development;

H.

All lots should have reasonable physical and/or visual access to open space;

I.

Flag lots should be avoided. They may be used where extraordinary topography or other physical constraints prevent another design; and

J.

Where the natural terrain is altered significantly in order to facilitate drainage or for other reasons, maximum building heights should be defined in the development plan, so that the height of structures is consistent with what would be allowed if measured from the original grade of the site.

(Res. No. 08102010R001, Exh. A, 8-10-2010)