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Home My WebLink About09102020 ZPC Agenda Item 3 Page 1 of 5 City of West University Place Zoning and Planning Commission Meeting DATE: September 10, 2020 Agenda Topic: Framed areas of homes and pervious coverage/materials. Matters related to square-footage, pervious and impervious coverages and materials for residential properties. SUMMARY: City Council has requested the Zoning & Planning Commission examine the pervious and impervious coverage for the City's residential districts. Pervious cover is important as it absorbs rainfall and reduces the amount of water that enters the drainage system. The City of West University Place currently requires at least 50% of the front yard to be pervious and a minimum of 24% pervious cover for the entire property for single-family residential properties. The permitted framed area has been included to allow discussion of square-footage for single- family residences. SURVEY ADJACENT CITES: The City of West University Place has a higher than average lot coverage compared to other adjacent cities in the survey. The most comparable in terms of lot size is Spring Valley Village which has a maximum lot coverage of 50% in front of the building line, and 60% behind the building line. This difference equates to a roughly 16% difference in the amount of lot coverage,compared to Spring Valley Village. This is similarly seen with the City of Bellaire, which has a total impervious coverage of 55%for the majority of single-family detached homes,and 60%for the densest detached residential homes(See Exhibit A:Lot Coverage Survey). Exhibit A: Lot Coverage Survey—Detached Residential Districts ry: Maximum Lot Coverage Forward Behind Building of Building Building Ground Total Impervious Swimming Pool Line Line Coverage Cover Determination Piney Point Village 50% Impervious Spring Valley Village 50% 60% Water surface is pervious Hilshire Village 50% 55% 40% Impervious 55% (R-1 thru R- Bellaire 3; R-5) and 60% Impervious for R-4 West University 50% 76% Water surface is Place pervious INNOVATIVE PAVEMENT MATERIALS: Permeable pavers, porous concrete, and other innovative materials are becoming more common place. These materials are not considered pervious and not count toward the impervious coverage of the site. Page 2 of 5 Sample of West U Pervious Areas from Recent Plans A —45% Pervious B —46% Pervious C— 63% Pervious D — 43% Pervious E —48% Pervious F — 54% Pervious G — 56% Pervious Page 3 of 5 City of West University Place Zoning and Planning Commission Meeting GENERAL CLEANUP: A conflict was found within Table-7-5a regarding pavement allowed for single-family residential use. According to a note, a Special Exception may be approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment. This note is not needed and can be evaluated during the permit review of a new material. Additionally, if there is a conflict between a material that the Building Official does not believe is durable, his ruling can be appealed to the Zoning Board of Adjustment. Table 7-5a, excerpt pavement and note #4 Pavement Required For SFD use: Hard-surfaced or pervious pavement type required for each required driveway and parking space; Sec twin "ribbons" of pavement are permitted. For all other Note 4. uses: Reinforced concrete, with curbs and drains required for all vehicular areas. Exceptions: (i) See Table 7-3 (pervious pavement) and Note 4, below. (ii) See Article 10 regarding "overhang." if it finds that they will provide equal or better durability. FRAMED AREAS OF HOMES: At the request of Chairman Wilson, the framed area information has been provided as a topic of discussion. This item will be used to discuss square- footage limitations for homes within the City. Zoning Ordinance Excerpt: Schedule FA(Framed Area) SCHEDULE FA (FRAMED AREA) (a) General rule. Framed area reflects the size of a building, in square footage. Framed area includes all floor and ground areas under a solid, fixed roof, except the uncounted areas listed in this Schedule. Floor and ground areas are measured, on each level, according to the measurement method set out below. For each building,the measured areas for each level are totaled to produce the framed area of the building. (b) Measurement method. For each level of a building,the framed area is the area of an imaginary, horizontal, unbroken plane immediately atop the structure supporting the floor (or immediately atop the ground, where there is no floor). Each plan extends horizontally to the outer main wall surfaces of the building, or to the outer perimeter of the structure above (whichever is outermost). For this purpose: 1. Steps, landings, sunken areas, floor openings and similar features are not considered separate levels, so there is no plane on those levels; 2. Each plane extends to the outer wall surfaces of bay windows, cantilevered space and Page 4 of 5 City of West University Place Zoning and Planning Commission Meeting similar space on the same floor, regardless of the height of the floor; 3. If there is a "split level" or similar irregular floor level,the building official may designate either one level to define the imaginary plane for that floor, or separate planes for the separate levels; and 4. If area(all or part)within a one-story building has an interior height exceeding 19 feet, the area is doubled to calculate framed area(and if it has a interior height exceeding 31 feet,the area is tripled). (c) Uncounted areas. The following areas are not counted as framed area: 1. Attic area that cannot be reached through a fixed accessway; 2. Attic area where there is a interior height less than seven feet; 3. Those non-attic parts of an imaginary plane on a second or third-floor level, above which there is less than seven feet of interior height; 4. Area beneath eaves, cornices, roof extensions, "greenhouse" or bay windows, cantilevered space and similar parts of building that project outward from the main wall of a building no more than 24 inches, if the area is on a lower floor level (or at ground level) and is otherwise completely open to the outdoors; 5. Unenclosed porch area of a principal building, if the longest side of the porch directly faces the front street line or side street line of the building site, and the area is neither designed nor usable for motor vehicles; 6. The area of"crawl space" at ground level; 7. Unenclosed walkway or"breezeway" area if: (A)the area directly connects a principal building to an accessory building containing garage space located behind the principal building; (B)the total covered width of the area does not exceed eight feet; and(C)no part of the roof is higher than 14 feet; 8. Area of recessed entries (garage or home) or windows that is completely open to the outdoors on at least one side, if: (A) each area faces the front street line or side street line of the building site, (B) each area is not larger than 100 square feet, and(C)the total of all such uncounted recessed area is less than 200 square feet; and 9. Basement area if: (A)the floor is at least five feet lower than the standard base level of the site, and(B)the interior height does not exceed eight feet. The rules for uncounted areas shall be strictly construed and applied to the defined areas only. Page 5 of 5 City of West University Place Zoning and Planning Commission Meeting Drawing to illustrate Schedule FA Generally,dashed lines indicate area counted as"framed area." r 7 feet or more, Attic area counted as framed area interior height inimilasamxmpin ---smi Fixed accesway to attic Imaginary plane extends across stairwell and"atrium" ---- MO Single imaginary plane for"split level" (if designated by administrative official) MOM No imaginary plane for steps or landing levels. This is a general illustration only.Actual wording of Schedule FA controls in all cases. Zoning Ordinance Excerpt: Table 7-4b: Buildings Framed Area,all buildings. Residential Districts Table 7 41.Hu,iaings I -' _ _i .__. _mo.. - ..m.,_e a,_a: €g..a... -rs. o,G::-.r. _.a_e-..`+:.: za^a^a..a does-o:aoo t . .r_., .n. _._. nee saec.a.•u n ..__ ' .v 7,71.1,e _fi