§ 23.05.020. Purposes.

A.

Urban Village (UV) and Neighborhood Village (NV) Districts. The purposes of the urban village and neighborhood village districts are as follows:

1.

To enable development of integrated, mixed use communities, containing a variety of housing types arranged around a village center, which provide a pleasant living, shopping, and working environment; a sense of community; and a balance of compatible retail, office, residential, recreational, and public uses (Note: Urban villages and neighborhood villages are very similar, except for the size and service area of their commercial component. Urban villages contain a larger and more diverse commercial component intended to serve multiple neighborhoods while the commercial uses in neighborhood villages are scaled to serve the immediate neighborhood);

2.

To enable a land use pattern which will reduce dependence on auto use, especially drive-alone vehicle use during morning and evening commute hours;

3.

To enable the design of new development in a manner which will ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods and people;

4.

To require direct, convenient pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular access between residences in the development and the village center, in order to facilitate pedestrian and bicycle travel and reduce the number and length of automobile trips;

5.

To require sufficient housing density to enable cost-effective extension of utilities, services, and streets; frequent transit service; and to help sustain neighborhood businesses;

6.

To enable many of the community's residents to live within one-fourth mile of a grocery store and transit stop;

7.

To ensure that the villages are arranged, scaled, and designed to be compatible with surrounding land uses and provide sensitive transitions between significantly different land uses (e.g., commercial and residential uses);

8.

To ensure that buildings and other development components are arranged, designed, and oriented to facilitate pedestrian access;

9.

To allow innovative site and building designs while providing for harmony and continuity throughout the development (e.g., coordinated architectural styles, street trees, lighting, signage, and benches);

10.

To ensure adequate light, air, and privacy and readily accessible open space for each dwelling, in order to maintain public health, safety and welfare;

11.

To provide for appropriately located community open spaces for informal social activity, recreation, and aesthetic enhancement of the development.

B.

Neighborhood Center (NC) District. The purposes of the neighborhood center district are as follows:

1.

To enable development of neighborhood centers (e.g., containing neighborhood oriented businesses and a small park) in established neighborhoods in order to create neighborhood focal points and activity centers, accommodate routine shopping needs, and provide a sense of neighborhood identity;

2.

To enable a land use pattern which will reduce dependence on auto use, especially drive-alone vehicle use during morning and evening commute hours;

3.

To enable many of the community's residents to live within one-fourth mile of a grocery store and transit stop;

4.

To enable the design of new development in a manner which will ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods and people;

5.

To provide for convenient pedestrian and vehicular access between the center and the surrounding neighborhood;

6.

To ensure that neighborhood centers are compatible with adjoining uses and do not undermine the economic viability of existing or designated neighborhood centers, village centers, or other neighborhood businesses;

7.

To ensure that buildings and other site features are arranged, designed, and oriented to facilitate pedestrian access and access for transit.

3.

Community Oriented Shopping Center (COSC) District.

(Note: Community oriented shopping centers are similar to urban villages in that they have a substantial commercial component which serves multiple neighborhoods. However, they are located on smaller sites which do not allow full-scale village development.)

The purposes of the community oriented shopping center district are as follows:

1.

To enable development of mixed commercial and residential projects on sites along arterial streets which are conveniently located to serve the surrounding neighborhood (e.g., within a one-and-one-half mile radius) with frequently needed consumer goods and services;

2.

To enable a land use pattern which will reduce dependence on auto use, especially drive-alone vehicle use during morning and evening commute hours;

3.

To provide for development of integrated, mixed use communities rather than strip commercial development that is isolated from the surrounding neighborhood;

4.

To enable many of the community's residents to live within one-fourth mile of a grocery store and transit stop;

5.

To enable the design of new development in a manner which will ensure the safe and efficient movement of goods and people;

6.

To link the commercial center with residential areas in and around the project, thereby enabling people to walk or bicycle to work, shopping, and recreation areas;

7.

To ensure that buildings and other site features are arranged, designed, and oriented to facilitate pedestrian access;

8.

To ensure that the development is arranged, scaled, and designed to be compatible with surrounding land uses and to provide sensitive transitions between significantly different land uses (e.g., commercial and residential uses);

9.

To ensure adequate light, air, and privacy and readily accessible open space for each dwelling, in order to maintain public health, safety and welfare.

(Ord. 11274 § 3 (part), 1996)