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Planning commission advances residential design standards, sets public hearing
Summary
City staff presented a draft of residential design standards—proposing 15% glazing on street‑facing facades, minimal covered entries and limits on garage‑door dominance—and the commission agreed to set a public hearing after clarifying definitions and exceptions for ADUs and manufactured homes.
Leavenworth planning staff presented a revised draft of residential dwelling design standards and the planning commission voted to place the draft on the agenda for a public hearing. Staff said the update reflects prior commission direction and input from the city council and is intended to make new homes and infill projects more compatible with Leavenworth’s character.
The most consequential technical proposals in the draft are a glazing requirement and a small covered entry standard. Staff said the commission and council had “landed on a 15%” glazing target for street‑facing dwelling facades so that houses are not blank walls, and recommended that all new primary dwellings facing a street include a covered weather protection roughly 4 by 3 feet. Staff attributed the 15% figure to prior testing with example plans and said preapproved ADU plans that do not meet the standard would be exempted where appropriate.
Commissioners concentrated on measurement and exceptions. Several members asked the code to explicitly define “facade” (whether calculation uses width, wall area, or the entire multi‑story front) and whether percentages apply to the entire front wall area including upper stories. Commissioners also debated two related garage‑limit approaches mentioned in the draft: a 50% cap on garage proportion of the front facade generally, and a stricter 30% cap where alley access is available. Concerns included detached garages, narrow lots, and how triplex and townhome forms are measured. One commissioner urged caution—“we cannot regulate bad design out of existence”—and recommended preserving flexibility so developers are not forced to pursue variances for reasonable building forms.
The draft contains special‑use and manufactured‑home language. Staff recommended language that existing structures, additions and expansions “shall comply to the greatest extent feasible” and suggested replacing prescriptive phrases that may be infeasible for manufactured homes (for example by using “designed as an integral part” rather than “constructed as an integral part”). The commission asked staff to cross‑reference manufactured‑home standards elsewhere in the code to ensure consistent treatment.
Staff said it will add a clear definition of “facade,” refine the garage‑door language to avoid unintended consequences for two‑story houses and ADUs, and return a revised draft. Commissioners agreed to set a public hearing on the revised standards so residents can comment formally. The hearing notice will be published before the next formal hearing date.
What happens next: staff will revise wording on facade and garage limits, ensure consistency with manufactured‑home provisions and Title 14 cross‑references, and post a public hearing notice for the commission to consider adoption after public comment.
