§ 30-1030.4. Criteria.

The Director of Planning and Development Review shall approve the plan of development if the Director finds the following criteria to be met; otherwise, the Director shall disapprove the plan of development. In reviewing the plan of development and taking action thereon, the Director shall also take into consideration the objectives of the City of Richmond Master Plan as approved and amended by the City Council.

(1)

Preservation of landscape and other natural features. The natural landscape of the site shall be preserved by retaining mature, healthy trees and natural topography except where removal or thinning of trees and alteration of topography is necessary to accommodate building sites, recreation areas, required parking and driveway areas, necessary drainage facilities and utility systems. Appropriate ground cover, trees and other vegetative materials shall be retained or planted to prevent excessive stormwater runoff, erosion, siltation and dust, and to enhance the general appearance of the site and its compatibility with nearby sites.

(2)

Arrangement of buildings and spaces.

a.

Buildings shall be located on the site or designed in such a manner that the fronts of buildings do not face into rear yards or service areas of other buildings located either within the site or adjacent to it, except where privacy walls, fences, plant materials or topographic features provide screening therefrom.

b.

Where a site abuts an interstate/freeway or principal or minor arterial street as designated in the master plan, railroad or another site developed or intended to be developed for uses potentially incompatible with the proposed use, buildings and open spaces shall be so located, designed and arranged as to provide reasonable separation from such features or uses. Where necessary to achieve such separation, trees or other vegetative materials shall be retained on the site or supplemented by additional planting or the erection of appropriate walls or fences.

(3)

Functions of yards and spaces. Yards, spaces between buildings and other open spaces required by the provisions of this chapter shall be located with respect to buildings and other site improvements and shall be improved so as to reasonably serve the purposes for which such yards and spaces are intended by this chapter, those purposes being: provision of light and air, separation between buildings, separation between incompatible functions, enhancement of privacy and promotion of public health and safety.

(4)

Parking and circulation.

a.

Driveways and areas for the parking and circulation of vehicles shall be located, designed and improved so as to provide for safe and convenient circulation within the site and safe and convenient access from adjoining streets and shall be in accordance with established traffic engineering standards and the driveway policy of the City. Among factors to be considered shall be the number and location of driveways and access drives to and from adjacent streets and alleys, the distances between such driveways and access drives, the location and width of driveways and access aisles to parking spaces, the arrangement of parking areas and the means of access to buildings for firefighting apparatus and other emergency vehicles. The number of driveways to and from streets shall be the fewest necessary to provide safe and convenient access, and wherever possible, cross-access between abutting sites and shared driveways shall be provided.

b.

Parking areas and driveways shall be clearly identified and separated from principal pedestrian routes and recreation areas by curbs, pavement markings, planting areas, fences or similar features designed to promote pedestrian safety.

c.

Vehicle access to adjoining streets should be located and designed in accordance with the following criteria:

1.

Where the predominant established character of development is urban in nature, typically with buildings located at or near the street line and with no parking located between buildings and the street, vehicle access to the site from arterial and collector streets should be avoided when adequate local street or alley access is available to the site, unless restricting access to a local street or alley would clearly result in an adverse traffic impact on an adjoining residential district. In the case of a corner lot where local street or alley access is not available, vehicle access from the principal street frontage should be avoided.

2.

Where the predominant established character of development is suburban in nature, typically with buildings set back from the street line and with parking located between buildings and the street, vehicle access to the site from local residential streets and from alleys abutting residential districts should be avoided when adequate arterial or collector street access is available to the site.

d.

Vehicle parking and circulation areas and sidewalks, walkways and other amenities for pedestrian use shall be located, designed and arranged so as to encourage safe pedestrian movement within and adjacent to the site and to minimize conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians.

(5)

Compatibility with surrounding development and community character. The arrangement and general character of buildings, spaces and other components of the plan of development shall be designed with consideration for compatibility with the established general character of surrounding development and promotion of the community character goals, policies and strategies pertaining to gateways and image corridors, historic and architectural resources, and urban design as set forth in Chapter 9 of and elsewhere in the City of Richmond Master Plan, as approved and amended by the City Council.

In determining if the above criteria are met, the Director of Planning and Development Review shall consult with appropriate City agencies and may seek such additional technical advice as deemed necessary. The Director shall have the authority to attach conditions to the approval of a plan of development, where such conditions are necessary to ensure conformance with the intent and purpose of the criteria set forth in this article or the regulations set forth elsewhere in this chapter.

(Code 2004, § 114-1030.4; Ord. No. 2004-180-167, §§ 3, 5, 6-28-2004; Ord. No. 2009-221-2010-9, § 1, 1-25-2010)

(Code 2004, § 114-1030.4; Ord. No. 2004-180-167, §§ 3, 5, 6-28-2004; Ord. No. 2009-221-2010-9, § 1, 1-25-2010)