17.104.080 Design Principles

17.104.080 Design principles.

     A. Purpose: Throughout the Rural Land Use Process, both staff and the applicant are governed by the design principles outlined below. These principles exist to facilitate the development of an optimal design solution that meets the goals for which the Rural Land Use Process was established.
     Each principle is followed by detailed regulations consisting of a combination of standards and guidelines. While the standards outlined are mandatory and required of the subdivider, the guidelines are general suggestions that promote and encourage excellent design. Staff may recommend rejection of the proposed land division based on inadequate conformance to the design standards if the land division contravenes or conflicts with the goals of this process.
     B. Domestic Water.
     1. Standards:
     a. A maximum of one (1) well permit as issued by the State Engineer, Division of Water Resources as allowed by C.R.S. 30-28-404 Water - Sewage- Roadways - Notification to State Engineer shall be permitted for every residential unit.
     b. Water consumption shall be metered and monitored as required by the State Engineer.
     2. Guidelines:
     a. Water supply may be through individual wells or through any public or private entity. Common, joint or shared water systems, where technically feasible and viable, may be used as an alternative to individual, independent wells. Where shared or public systems are proposed, augmentation plans, if required, must be submitted to and approved by the State Engineer.
     b. Xeriscaping and/or indigenous vegetation is encouraged as much as possible.
     C. Neighborhood and Lot Configuration.
     1. Standards:
     a. Residential clusters shall be located on areas that are free of known geologic hazards including floodplains, wetlands, or landslide/slip areas, and shall be located so as to not adversely impact these areas.
     b. The minimum size of a proposed lot shall be determined, at the least, by the nature and characteristics of the area, soil types, constraints on the lot, and by the letter of approval from the Pueblo City-County Health Department.
     c. No more than one (1) single-family dwelling shall be located on a lot.
     d. All parking shall be off-street parking.
     2. Guidelines:
     a. A proposal may contain one or more residential clusters grouped into compact neighborhoods. The lots should be clustered so as to make efficient use of land resources and infrastructure.
     b. Views from the public road abutting the development road toward the residential cluster should be minimized by the use of natural changes in topography or existing vegetation.
     c. In all cases, the residential cluster should be located such that impacts with environmental, cultural or open space resources are minimized.
     D. Roads.
     1. Standards:
     a. Roads shall be designed and located in such a way as to maintain and preserve natural topography, cover, and trees; to minimize cuts and fill; and to preserve and enhance views on or off the site.
     b. Rights-of-way to be dedicated to Pueblo County as public streets/roads within the boundaries of the subject property shall comply with the Pueblo County Roadways Functional Classification Plan, April 23, 1998 and the Pueblo County Roadway Design and Construction Standards, April 23, 1998, and subsequent revisions adopted by Pueblo County. Rights-of-way for public streets/roads shall be dedicated to Pueblo County on the Rural Land Use Plan.
     c. Streets/roads on old plats may need to be vacated.
     d. Private roads shall be shown as access easements and the lot/parcel property lines shall be the centerline of the easements. An access agreement will be required to be prepared, a note placed on the Plan of the access agreement, and the agreement shall be recorded concurrently with the Plan. The maintenance of the access easements is through the homeowner's association created through the Rural Land Use Process, or by other means the developer proposes. The documents shall be reviewed by the Department of Planning and Development. Private roads shall have road name signs installed by the subdivider. The road name signs shall comply with the 1997 Uniform Fire Code, Part III General Provisions for Safety, Article 9 - Fire Department Access and Water Supply, Section 901-General and Section 902-Fire Department Access, and future amendments thereto, and the 1997 Urban-Wildland Interface Code, Chapter 4 Urban-Wildland Interface Area Requirements, Section 401-General, Section 402- Applicability, Section 403-Access, and future amendments thereto, and the most current edition of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).
     e. Road names shall not be duplicate names to other road names in Pueblo County including its incorporated areas.
     2. Guidelines:
     a. Locate, group and design roads and driveways such that privacy is provided among and between residential units.
     b. Shared driveways are encouraged as much as possible.
     c. Orient roads to provide opportunities to maximize residential solar exposure and heat conservation in the winter and maximize shading in the summer.
     d. If possible, have lots on one side of the road (i.e., single-loaded lots), in order that the maximum number of homes may enjoy views of open space.
     e. Minimize disturbance caused by the introduction of roads by siting roads in accordance to the topography and avoiding sensitive natural environments.
     f. Re-vegetate or enhance all road cuts, grading, and other earth disturbances with indigenous vegetation.
     E. Drainage.
     1. Standards:
     a. All storm drainage facilities shall be located such that they shall not adversely impact floodplains, watercourses, water bodies, or wetlands.
     b. A drainage report shall be submitted to the Department of Public Works for approval. All construction activities disturbing more than one (1) acre will require a NPDES permit issued by the Colorado Department of Health, Water Quality Control division, Permits and Enforcement Section, which will require a storm water management plan. The storm water management plan will be reviewed by the Pueblo County Department of Public Works.
     2. Guidelines:
     a. Retain natural drainage channels, wetlands and depression areas in their natural state in an effort to minimize erosion.
     b. Preserve ecosystems adjacent to or within streams, wetlands, bodies of water, and other riparian habitats.
     c. Sound alternatives to detention/retention ponds are encouraged as a means of controlling and managing storm water drainage.
     d. Innovative methods of storm water management are encouraged.
     e. All man-made drainage channels and water management facilities should blend and harmonize with the natural environment. Extensive grading, contouring and earthwork should be avoided.
     f. Storm water detention/retention basins should be sited, formed and re-vegetated so that they harmonize with the natural surroundings and complement natural water flows. Excessive grading, clearing, and alteration of the site should be avoided and soil erosion should be minimized.
     F. Buildings and Structures.
     1. Standards:
     a. All buildings or structures existing or built on the land reserved for development shall be contained within predetermined building envelopes for lots one (1) acre or less or as otherwise required. Building envelopes may not be required on lots greater than one (1) acre. Physical constraints, Individual Sewage Disposal System (ISDS) requirements, well location, as examples, may dictate the necessity for building envelope locations. If building envelopes are not required, the buildings or structures shall have the following setbacks from property boundaries:

Front setback	Minimum 25 feet
Side and rear setbacks	Minimum 15 feet

     b. Only one (1) single-family dwelling unit shall be permitted for each residential parcel proposed.
     c. Building envelopes and/or no-build areas may be required to protect a site’s natural, historic, and/or cultural features. See the Rural Land Use Evaluation Criteria (Section 17.104.040(A)) to better understand what types of physical features may require protection. All such building envelopes and/or no-build areas must be depicted on the Rural Land Use Plan.
     d. Unless otherwise agreed to by the County, the cost and responsibility of maintaining common facilities (open areas, private roads, shared water systems, and shared sewage disposal systems) shall be borne by the property owner or the homeowner’s association.
     e. Fencing shall be designed to conform to the topography and be of a color that blends with the natural environment.
     f. No signage, either temporary or permanent, is permitted except the following:
        --Gateway sign(s) for the development at each approved entryway as permitted and approved by Pueblo County pursuant to Section 17.116.100 Gateway Signs. The gateway sign shall not be animated or illuminated and shall be constructed of natural materials with a maximum area of thirty-two (32) square feet, a maximum height of six (6) feet, and setback from all property lines a minimum of fifteen (15) feet and shall not impede driver and pedestrian visibility.
         --Advertising devices and signs not requiring permits pursuant to the Chapter 17.116, Advertising Devices and Signs.
         --Road signs shall be required and be the responsibility of the subdivider.
         --Development sign(s) pursuant to Section 17.116.090, Development signs. Signs shall not be animated and if illuminated shall comply with Section 17.120.180, Outdoor Lighting.
     2. Guidelines.
     a. The placement of structures within building envelopes along the street frontage should be varied to minimize uniformity.
     b. Group, mass, and design building such that privacy is provided among and between units.
     c. Orient residences for maximum solar exposure and heat conservation in the winter and maximum shading in the summer.
     d. Minimize disturbances caused by the introduction of buildings and structures or by their construction by being sensitive to the topography and existing natural environment.
     e. Any pedestrian, equestrian, and recreation trail should be soft-surface. Asphalt or hard surface materials should be avoided.
     f. Re-vegetate or enhance all earth disturbances (building cuts, graded areas) with indigenous vegetation. Technical assistance or advice for re-vegetation is available from the Colorado State Forest Service, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Colorado State University Extension.
     g. Signage should be of a scale and character that is compatible with the development, surrounding environment, and maintenance views of the natural landscape, public parks and open space, emphasizing natural materials.
     h. Install utilities in a manner that will minimize visible structures, power poles, overhead power lines, tree removal, and other site disturbances. Mitigate disturbances with indigenous vegetation. Where possible, utilities should be located underground.
     i. Lighting should be designed to avoid glare onto neighboring properties or onto roadways.
     j. Utilize exterior materials, finishes and colors for buildings and structures that integrate with the surrounding natural environment. Buildings and structures should not dominate or overwhelm the site.
     k. Avoid fences except as needed for wildlife corridors, domestic animal control or livestock containment. When fencing is proposed, it should be open in design so as not to restrict wildlife movement, it should conform to the topography, and should be of a color that integrates with the natural surrounding environment.
     l. Privacy fencing may be used when the backs of lots are adjacent to a County road or state highway, or on individual lots to provide privacy or enclosure for the lot or a portion of the lot.
     G. Sanitation.
     1. Standards:
     a. Individual Sewage Disposal Systems shall comply with the Pueblo City-County Health Department regulations.
     b. Clustering of individual sewage disposal systems, where proposed, shall be pursuant to the Pueblo City-County Health Department regulations.
     c. No portion of an Individual Sewage Disposal Systems for the proposed lots shall be located within the open space.
     d. Primary and alternative individual sewage disposal system locations shall be shown and identified within the building envelope, if required, on the Rural Land Use Plan. These systems shall be pursuant to the Pueblo City-County Health Department Regulations.
     2. Guidelines:
     a. Common, joint or shared sewage disposal facilities, where technically feasible and viable, may be used as an alternative to individual or independent septic fields.
     H. Open Space.
     1. Standards:
     a. At least two-thirds of the total area of the site shall be reserved as open space.
     b. The calculation of the open space shall not include already existing public open space.
     c. Preservation of the open space shall be through one or some combination of the following instruments:
         --A fee simple dedication to Pueblo County, provided the County accepts the dedication.
         --A conservation easement.
         --Any other legal instrument approved by the Planning Director and the County Attorney.
     d. The beneficiary of the preservation instrument shall be either a) Pueblo County, or b) an organization that is (a) a qualified organization at the time of transfer under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (or any successor provision then applicable), and the applicable regulations promulgated there under, (b) authorized to acquire and hold conservation easements under Colorado law.
     e. Ownership and maintenance of the open space shall be by one or some combination of the following entities:
        --A homeowner’s association established according to state statute and with the authority to collect a fee to maintain the open space.
        --An established land trust.
        --Public jurisdictions or agencies, subject to their acceptance.
        --Quasi-public organizations, subject to their acceptance.
        --The original landowner.
        --Shared, undivided interest by all property owners of the residential parcels.
        --Pueblo County, subject to acceptance by the Board of County Commissioners.
     f. Infrastructure systems shall not be sited within sensitive or fragile natural areas. All site disturbances for installations shall be re-vegetated and graded to harmonize with the natural surroundings.
     g. Agricultural/ranch buildings and structures shall be permitted to be located in the open space provided they are contained within specified building envelopes predetermined and delineated in the open space on the Rural Land Use Plan.
     2. Guidelines:
     a. Where the following characteristics exist, they should be located within the open space:
         --Significant wildlife habitat or migration routes.
         --Sensitive, rare, endangered or unusual vegetation or ecosystems.
         --Remarkable geologic features such as rock outcrops or formations.
         --Streams, watercourses, wetlands, and other bodies of water.
         --Trail Corridors, such as existing trails, trail easements, or trail connections shown on an official plan.
         --Designated historical or archaeological features.
         --Unstable slopes and slopes greater than 30%.
         --Geologic and other hazard areas.
         --Candidate lands identified by the Pueblo Comprehensive Plan.
     b. Landscaping within the open space should be minimized. Where proposed, new landscaping should utilize indigenous vegetation.
     c. Allow wildlife movement corridors in a size, location, and character that will encourage their continued use and in contiguity with adjacent wildlife corridors.
     d. Encourage the preservation of ecosystems adjacent to or within streams, wetlands, bodies of water, and other riparian habitats.
     e. Natural features should be maintained in their original condition as much as possible but may be modified to improve their function or overall condition provided a management plan and any subsequent changes has been approved or reviewed by Pueblo County. Permitted modifications may include reforestation, woodland management, meadow management, buffer area landscaping, stream bank protection, and wetlands management.
     f. The open space should be configured as a single lot unless an existing ditch or road, an existing physical feature or historic site, or sensitive wildlife habitat make this infeasible.
     g. Where agricultural or ranching uses are proposed within the open space, a management plan should be submitted to Pueblo County for review. Technical advice for management plans is available from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and from Colorado State University Extension Service.
     I. Buffer.
     1. Standards:
     a. Perimeter buffering shall be required to minimize visual and noise impacts where adjacent land uses are of a different type (e.g., residential adjacent to commercial or industrial) or are of a substantially different residential density; or where the cluster is adjacent to a County road, State or federal highway or a railroad.
     b. Where the proposed cluster abuts a County road, state or federal highway or a railroad, the buffer is measured from the edge of the existing right-of-way and must be of a width and design to reduce visual and noise impacts from the road, highway, or railroad.
     c. A buffer area having a minimum depth of fifty (50) feet shall be provided between any proposed structure within the cluster development and the perimeter of the cluster development area. Existing structures are not subject to this standard.
     d. Whenever possible the natural vegetation shall be retained, or if required, vegetation shall be planted of sufficient size to shield the development from abutting properties. Buffer strips may include fences or berms, as well as shrubs and trees.
     e. Development of any nature is discouraged within the buffer area.
     2. Guidelines:
     a. Buffering may be accomplished through the use of increased separation between land uses and/or by using native or drought resistant vegetation, fencing, walls, or a combination of these measures.
     b. The traditional concept of using windbreak plantings around a farm may be desirable for the design of buffering between a cluster and agricultural uses.
     c. Perimeter buffering of a cluster in mountainous areas should be designed to take into consideration the buffering effect provided by existing trees and topography.