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• Ch. 61 - Lot and Site Development Approval Procedures
• Ch. 62 - Zoning District Regulations
• Ch. 63 - Lot Development Standards
• Ch. 64 - Site Design Policies
• Ch. 65 - Nonconformities
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CHAPTER 63 - LOT DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS

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63.140 USABLE RECREATION AREA

The usable recreation area provided for any multi-family residential use or performance residential development utilizing common or public landscaped areas shall be considered an accessory use to the development and shall be designed primarily for the use of the residents of that development.  Usable recreation area may be developed for either active or passive recreation purposes, subject to the further regulations of this article.

63.141

Any development application involving a use requiring usable recreation area shall identify the boundaries of the areas and the types of improvements to be provided in the recreation areas.

63.142

Land designated as the required usable recreation area for a development shall not be sold, subdivided or otherwise developed unless adequate recreation area remains to meet ordinance requirements.  Usable recreation area required to meet ordinance requirements for one development may not be used to meet the requirements for another development.

63.143

For the purpose of determining the actual amount of usable recreation space to be provided, the percentage specified in the Zoning District Tables shall be multiplied by the actual floor area of the residential use, resulting in the square footage of space to be provided.

63.144

The ownership and maintenance of useable recreation area shall meet the requirements for Landscape Area in Section 63.120.

63.145

Permissible Improvements to Usable Recreation Areas:  Usable recreation areas shall be improved so that they may be utilized for either passive or active recreation. outside, ground level recreation areas shall, at a minimum, be improved with grass, either through seeding or sodding, or it may be left in its natural state if pathways and/or sitting and observation areas are developed to provide access to the natural area.  Ground level, outdoor recreation areas may also be improved for use as active recreation areas through the installation of play apparatus such as swings, slides or sandboxes, basketball hoops, tennis courts, ballfields, swimming pools and similar uses.  Paved or grassed areas used for picnic tables, lawn furniture or barbecue stands and the like are suitable uses for passive recreation areas.  In addition, the following types of spaces which are integrally designed as part of the principal building may be counted towards the usable recreation space requirement:  

1. Exterior balconies at least 70 square feet in size that are provided for individual dwelling units.
2. The following areas if they are accessible to all residents in a development:
   1. Terrace areas that are open to the sky.
   2. Roof areas that have been improved for either passive or active recreational use.  At least a portion of the roof area should be designed for all weather use through enclosure.
   3. Indoor spaces devoted to active recreational use, such as swimming pools, racquetball courts, jogging tracks, or similar uses.
      
      
      
      
      

63.146

Useable Recreation Area Design:  Areas designated for use as usable recreation area shall meet the following requirements:  

1. Surface Characteristics:  Up to one-half (1/2) of the required recreation area provided at ground level or in an adjacent public space may consist of water surfaces such as ponds, lakes or stream.  Separate, accessory recreational buildings at ground level may be counted as usable recreation space to the extent that the total impervious surfaces of such structure does not exceed ten (10%) percent of the total required landscape area for the development.
2. Dimensions:  Ground level landscaped areas and adjacent public open space areas intended to meet the usable recreation area requirement shall meet the following dimensional requirement.
   1. If the required recreation area is less than 10,000 square feet, all of it shall be located in a contiguous portion of the site or lot and no dimension shall be less than thirty (30) feet, except that inner block play areas for small children (improved with suitable apparatus) shall have a minimum dimension of twenty (20) feet and a minimum size of 1,000 square feet.  If the required area is less than 900 square feet, the minimum dimension may be reduced to fifteen (15)  feet, and in no case shall the area be less than 240 square feet in size.
   2. For every 20,000 square feet of required usable recreation space, at least one area of not less than 10,000 square feet with a minimum dimension of fifty (50) feet shall be provided.
   3. Pedestrian or bicycle paths located in the interior of a block, paved or otherwise surfaced in a dust-free manner, may be counted towards the usable recreation requirement if the way is at least ten (10) feet in width and is part of an integrated system leading to principal destinations such as a park, school, or major recreation area over 10,000 square feet in size.
3. Slope:  Ground level landscaped areas and adjacent public spaces intended to meet the usable recreation requirement shall meet the following requirement:
   1. Up to one-half (1/2) of the required recreation area shall have a finished slope of less than ten (10%) percent.
   2. The remainder of the area may have a slope of up to twenty-five (25%) percent if devoted and improved for passive recreational use.

63.147

Location and Access:  Usable recreation areas should be centrally located in large developments (sites of over 5 acres) or distributed throughout the development so as to be readily accessible to the largest number of residents.    

Access should be available to usable recreation areas utilizing common landscaped area or adjacent public space either through the sharing of common lot lines, linkage by way of walkways or bicycle paths, or access by means of a public or private street right-of-way with a frontage of at least twenty (20) feet on the usable recreation area.



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