642 Urban Residential (UR) District | Phoenix Zoning Ordinance

Section 642. Urban Residential (UR) District.

A. Purpose and Intent. The purpose of the Urban Residential District is to encourage the development of high density, high quality pedestrian-oriented multi-family development with a high level of amenities and that may include retail and office development. Approval of the urban residential district does not eliminate any historic or special planning district overlays. Any amendment to those overlays must be processed as a separate application(s) in accord with existing ordinance provisions. Where the overlay is more restrictive, the more restrictive language prevails.

B. Applicability. Property owners whose land lies within the following boundaries may apply to rezone sites to this district: between the centerlines of Seventh Avenue to Seventh Street and the centerlines of Lincoln Street and the Grand Canal.

C. Permitted Uses. Land and structures in the Urban Residential District may only be used for the following purposes subject to the standards and procedures in chapters 3 and 5 and the regulations and special standards set forth herein.

1. Primary uses.

a. Community residence home; provided, that:

(1) The home has no more than five residents, not including staff (unless permitted by Section 36-582(A), Arizona Revised Statutes); or

(2) For a home with six to ten residents, not including staff, the following conditions shall apply:

(A) Such home shall be registered with, and administratively verified by, the Planning and Development Department Director’s designee as to compliance with the standards of this section as provided in Section 701.

(B) No community residence home shall be located on a lot with a property line within 1,320 feet, measured in a straight line in any direction, of the lot line of another community residence home that has been registered with six to ten residents.

b. Attached residential dwelling units which are used for residential purposes other than hotels, and which are developed at a minimum density of at least forty dwelling units per gross acre and which include recreational amenities available on-site to residents of all phases of a project.

2. Accessory use. Neighborhood commercial uses and offices on the ground floor or second floor of a building containing residential uses, parking structures to support the primary and accessory uses, and open space, except for corporate suites which are permitted on any floor. Neighborhood commercial uses shall be limited to a maximum of five thousand gross square feet per each business establishment of the uses as listed below. Neighborhood commercial uses greater than five thousand gross square feet up to ten thousand gross square feet per each business establishment shall be permitted subject to obtaining a use permit.

The sale of used merchandise is prohibited for retail purposes, except as noted below.

All neighborhood commercial uses which operate any time between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. or which require a liquor license will be subject to obtaining a use permit. Outside activity shall be located a minimum of eight feet back from the inside of the curb. If public right-of-way is utilized, a revocable permit must be obtained from the City of Phoenix.

a. Neighborhood commercial uses:

(1) Administrative offices.

(2) Adult day care home and center; provided, that:

(A) Outdoor recreation areas shall be screened from adjacent properties by a six-foot-high landscape hedge, solid fence, or solid wall.

(3) Apparel and accessories stores.

(4) Antique stores.

(5) Art galleries, new and used art.

(6) Bakeries.

(7) Bank branch office, no drive-through windows.

(8) Barber or beauty store, with massage services as an accessory use.

(9) Book, magazine, newspaper sales, new and used.

(10) Camera (new and used), photographic supply and photo processing store.

(11) Candy, nut, ice cream, and confectionary store.

(12) Collection and distribution station for a laundry or dry cleaner.

(13) Copy shop, blueprinting, desktop publishing or print shop.

(14) Corporate suites (furnished residential apartments leased for less than thirty days).

(15) Dependent care center subject to the following regulations:

(a) If a child dependent care center or adult health care facility, the use is licensed by or registered with the State of Arizona.

(b) All outdoor play areas are screened by a wall, fence or landscape screen, as determined by the Planning and Development Department, to a height not less than four feet and not higher than six feet.

(16) Drive-through facilities, subject to a use permit.

(17) Drugstore.

(18) Floral shop, including outdoor sales.

(19) Household or office furniture and furnishings, home electronics and small appliances store, including antiques.

(20) Grocery store.

(21) Hardware store.

(22) Health and fitness studio with massage as an accessory use.

(23) Jewelry, new and used.

(24) Library.

(25) Music, musical instruments (new and used) and recorded music store (new and used).

(26) Optical goods.

(27) Paint and wallpaper store, other interior decorating supplies.

(28) Place of worship.

(29) Professional offices or studios, including the teaching of fine arts.

(30) Repair and servicing of any article, except automobiles, motors, generators, motorcycles, trucks and trailers, or other heavy equipment, the sale of which is permitted in this zone.

(31) Restaurant.

(a) Outdoor dining is permitted as an accessory use subject to obtaining a use permit.

(b) One live entertainer is permitted between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. additional entertainers, patron dancing or extended hours may be allowed subject to obtaining a use permit.

(32) Self-storage warehouse within an enclosed building for the use of residents of any phase of a project, only.

(33) Specialty store for the limited fabrication, instruction in and or sale of works of art and crafts.

(34) Sporting goods store, sale of guns as an accessory use only to the sporting goods store, new and used.

(35) Tobacco store.

(36) Variety store.

(37) Video store, new and used.

b. Promotional events are allowed in accord with Section 708 except that no portable searchlights may be used.

D. Height. The maximum building height shall not exceed 75 feet.

E. Density. There shall be a minimum density of 40 dwelling units per gross acre, and no maximum density.

F. Setbacks. The following table establishes setback and height standards for the UR District:

STANDARDS	UR SETBACKS—TABLE 1
Street Setbacks	10 Feet Maximum For 65% of Building Frontage. No Minimum.
	Where a Site Boundary Abuts Any of the Following Districts:
Interior Setbacks *	Building Height	S-1, S-2, RE-43, RE-24, R1-14, RE-35, R1-18, R1-10, R1-8, R1-6, R-2, P.A.D.-1 Through P.A.D.-11	R-3, R-3A, R-4, R-5, R-4A, R-O, MUA	CO, CO/GO CO/MO, PSC, RSC, DC, GC, RH, UR, C-1, C-2, C-3, A-1, A-2, IND, PK, CP, P-1, P-2
	0' to 75'	1' Setback For Every 1' In Height	10'	0'
Permitted Projections	Outside Architectural Features, Porches, Balconies, Awnings or Other Shade Elements May Extend a Maximum of 10 Feet Into The Street Setback to Shade Sidewalks.

*Setbacks Adjacent to a Fully Dedicated Alley, as Determined By The Subdivision Ordinance, May Be Measured From The Centerline Of The Alley.

G. Lot Coverage—There shall be no maximum lot coverage requirements.

H. Shading, Planting and Landscaping.

1. A minimum of 75% of the sidewalk area adjacent to streets shall be shaded by means of arcades, projections, awnings or trees (measured at maturity).

2. One row of street trees shall be planted along all street frontages using a mixture of 2-inch (50%), 3-inch (25%), and 4-inch (25%) caliper trees placed 20 feet on center or in equivalent groupings.

3. All common areas greater than 500 square feet shall be planted with trees at a ratio of one tree (minimum 2-inch caliper) per 500 square feet.

4. The unpaved portions of all common areas shall be landscaped with inorganic ground cover and at least 50% living plant material.

I. Off-Street Parking and Loading.

1. Off-street parking shall be provided at the following standards:

a. One space for each one-bedroom or less residential dwelling unit and one and one-half spaces for each unit with two or more bedrooms. All residential parking shall be provided in parking structures or ground level garages enclosed on at least three sides and not visible from the public right-of-way.

b. One space for each three hundred square feet of usable floor area of nonresidential uses except that restaurants shall provide one space for every sixty square feet (including outside dining) exclusive of kitchens, restrooms, storage, etc. Nonresidential parking may be provided on small, landscaped surface lots of not greater than twenty spaces behind the structures or may be provided in parking structures.

c. Accessible parking spaces shall be provided in accord with Section 702.A.6.

d. A shared parking option may be granted by the Planning and Development Department per published standards to reduce the nonresidential parking requirement based on studies that indicate that less nonresidential parking is needed during certain times of the day. This option may consider nonresident parking available in all areas of the project, on-street parking, and parking available within three hundred feet of the project in determining the total amount of nonresidential parking to be provided.

2. Off-street loading facilities shall be provided on the same lot or parcel of land as the structure they are intended to serve and shall be screened from view from public streets by solid landscaping, fencing or masonry walls at least six feet in height. The choice of screening materials shall reflect materials used in the building served. The number and size of spaces shall be in accord with the provisions of Section 702.B.

J. Fences and Walls.

1. Except for fence piers no wider than two feet, all fences between the building face and the public right-of-way shall not exceed 40 inches in height except as described elsewhere in this district to screen surface parking, off-street loading facilities, refuse containers, or outdoor play areas. All fences visible from public streets shall incorporate materials and architectural detailing present in the building being fenced.

K. Signage. Signage in the Urban Residential District shall be governed by the regulations applicable to signs in Section 705 except as modified by the regulations set forth in this subsection.

1. Signs projecting more than six inches from the front of the ground floor level of buildings containing nonresidential uses shall be perpendicular to the street (i.e. ninety-degree angle), with a maximum of one sign per entrance. All signs that extend into or over the public right-of-way shall be permitted only upon issuance of a revocable permit as administered by the City of Phoenix. Each sign shall:

a. Provide a minimum eight-foot head clearance.

b. Be a maximum of three square feet in area per face.

c. Project no more than three feet into the public right-of-way.

d. Be indirectly illuminated from a shielded light source (i.e., not backlit or cabinet sign).

2. Awning signs shall be permitted by right and have letters no more than ten inches in height. Backlit awnings are prohibited.

3. Signs painted on the building surface or letters mounted directly to the building surface shall be a maximum of one square foot of signage for each lineal foot of building elevation to a maximum of sixty square feet for each business and have letters no larger than twelve inches in height.

4. Windows fronting the public right-of-way may include two types of signage for each business:

a. Painted letters on the glass surface shall not exceed a total of more than twenty percent of the windowpane area.

b. Neon letters, within three feet of the inside of the glass surface, shall not comprise in total more than twenty percent of the areas of the window opening or glazing unit.

5. Second-story businesses fronting the public right-of-way may only use a sign in a second-story window or use a wall sign. Awning signs are not permitted on second-story windows.

6. Corner buildings shall be allowed signage on each street frontage.

7. Freestanding or ground signs for a primary use may be allowed to a maximum of three feet high and thirty square feet if located within the public street setback. If located more than fifteen feet from the property line, primary use identification signs may be allowed to a maximum of six feet in height and sixty square feet.

8. Wall signs on buildings in a designated Historic Preservation zoning district exceeding the applicable size regulations may be allowed by the Historic Preservation Commission in accordance with the procedure set forth in Section 812.C.3 and upon the additional finding that the proposed signage replicates the size, shape, and placement of the original wall signage.

9. The following signs are prohibited:

a. Signs placed above or on top of any portion of the roof or front parapet.

b. Signs advertising goods or services not provided on the premises except for noncommercial signs.

c. Signs utilizing animation or which contain the optical illusion of sign movement.

d. Flags, banners, streamers or other similar devices.

L. Design Guidelines. The design guidelines and standards contained herein reflect the desire for a high quality of materials, pedestrian orientation of buildings, and residential character of the district. The general guidelines for design review as found in Section 507, Tab A of the Zoning Ordinance shall apply. If the guidelines of this section conflict with the guidelines of Section 507 Tab A, the guidelines of Section 642 shall prevail.

1. Building lines and building access.

a. Building facades shall be oriented parallel to the streets on which they front. Exception may occur at entrances and to satisfy visibility requirements at corner intersections. (P)

b. Buildings shall have at least one primary street-oriented entrance. There shall be an entrance for every 100 linear feet of developments. (R)

Rationale: The purpose of this district is to orient development to the street and to encourage street-level pedestrian access to buildings.

2. Windows and materials.

a. At a minimum, 70% of the ground floor, street facing facade of commercial uses shall be comprised of transparent windows. Transparent windows shall allow a minimum of 75% of the visible light (as specified by the manufacturer) to be visible on either side of the window. (R)

b. All glass used as an exterior building material on all buildings shall have a reflectivity of twenty percent or less. (R) (Ord. No. G-4055, 1997; Ord. No. G-5107, 2008; Ord. No. G-6331, 2017; Ord. No. G-6451, 2018)