Table of Contents

Food Systems | Food trucks

The city’s zoning and planning code classifies mobile food vending as temporary concession sales. The regulations (§5.9.32) are straightforward, and cover location, site information, temporary use permit requirements and approvals, and operating hours/timeframes.

Outdoor Lighting

The city’s zoning ordinance includes a section on outdoor lighting (§5.2.19). The 2009 ordinance is based on dark-sky principles; the purpose statement notes the importance of reasonable regulations to minimize the undesirable effects of outdoor lighting. A lighting plan is required for all director and site plan reviews; the ordinance describes submittal requirements. It provides standards for various aspects of outdoor lighting, security lighting, architectural lighting, and certain other lighting. It establishes requirements for lighting reductions based on time of day, and lists exemptions to the regulations.

Rethinking Off-Street Parking Requirements

The city’s zoning code includes multiple types of policy-driven off-street parking requirements. It exempts all uses in buildings constructed before 1998 and the first 10,000 feet of all newer buildings from minimum off-street parking requirements in its City Center district (§5.10.04.D). It establishes maximum parking requirements for all uses (§5.10.04.B). And it authorizes parking reductions for transit proximity, parking for low-emission or car sharing vehicles, bicycle parking, adjacent on-street parking, and shared parking facilities (§5.10.05).

Solar Energy

The city's zoning code permits grid-connected accessory solar energy systems by right in all zoning districts. In residential districts, systems may be installed on the rooftops of primary or accessory structures, provided they are not located on the front of a residential dwelling (§5.11.15.B).

Tiny Houses and Micro-Apartments

The city’s zoning code defines and regulates micro-apartments as a distinct type of dwelling. Its definition for “micro-units” stipulates a maximum size of 475 ft² (§5.16.02.H). When located in a specific mixed use district, multifamily development that incorporates micro-units is exempt from minimum lot area per unit requirements, subject to standards addressing transit proximity, street frontage, and parking (§5.6.08.f).

Transit-Oriented Development

The city’s zoning code includes three types of mapped transit-oriented development (TOD) districts for bus rapid transit (BRT) station areas (§5.6.01 et seq.). The TN-TOD, Traditional Neighborhood—Transit-Oriented Development Zone District (Core) is designed to encourage the diversification and intensification of existing storefront retail areas to create pedestrian-friendly neighborhood centers. The MCN-TOD, Mid-20th Century Neighborhood—Transit-Oriented Development Zone District (Core) is designed to encourage the reconfiguration of small auto-oriented shopping centers to create pedestrian-friendly mixed-use neighborhood centers, while still accommodating vehicles. The MON-TOD, Modern Era Neighborhood—Transit-Oriented Development Zone District (Core) is designed to encourage infill and redevelopment to create new vertical mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly urban centers.

Food Systems | Urban Livestock

The city's animal code was amended in 2016 following a 2-year pilot program to allow backyard chicken keeping within the city (Article 9-4). Chickens may be kept with a valid permit on lots containing single- or two-family dwellings, and must be enclosed within a coop or fenced and covered enclosure in the rear yard. Up to 4 chickens may be kept on lots of less than 5,000 SF, and up to 6 chickens may be kept on lots larger than 5,000 SF. Roosters and slaughtering are prohibited; standards address coop location, setbacks, and maintenance (§9.219). Permit applications include notification of all adjacent properties (§9.220).

The zoning code also includes land-use regulations for backyard chickens that addresses size of covered enclosures and exemptions from landscaping and fencing requirements (§5.2.30).

A city website offers an online link to its backyard chicken permit application and a list of backyard chicken questions.