Special rules for the Akahi, Elua and Umi Streets neighborhood

The following exceptions, modifications and additions to the provisions of Chapter 8 and Chapter 10 of the Kaua'i County Code shall only apply to development SPA-F also known as the "'Akahi, 'Elua and 'Umi Streets Neighborhood Design District." This Section shall supersede any conflicting provisions in Chapter 8 and Chapter 10 of the Kaua'i County Code enacted before the enactment of the ordinance codified in this Article. All the following uses, standards and guidelines shall only apply to development located on 'Akahi and 'Elua Streets within SPA-F.Generally Permitted Uses and Structures Within SPA-F.Accessory uses and structures;Art galleries and sales;Churches and temples;Clubs, lodges and community centers (private);Commercial indoor amusement and recreation facilities;Convenience store and neighborhood grocery stores under ten thousand (10,000) square feet of building footprint for 'Akahi Street only;Home businesses;Household services;Light manufacturing, such as handicrafts and garment fabrication;Minor food processing, such as cracked seeds, jellies, candies and ice cream under a ten thousand (10,000) square foot building;Museums, libraries and public services;Offices and professional buildings;Parking garages/structures;Personal services, such as barber and beauty shops, salons, laundromats, shoe repair shops, etc.;Public offices and buildings;Public parks and monuments;Restaurants and food services;Retail sales and shops: Under one thousand (1,000) square feet of net area; or under a ten thousand (10,000) square foot building footprint or less for 'Akahi Street only;Multiple-family dwellings not to exceed R-10 density;Single-family dwellings;Schools and daycare centers.The following uses require a use permit:Adult family boarding, group living and care homes;Animal hospital;Communications facilities;Convenience stores and neighborhood grocery stores over ten thousand (10,000) square feet but under twenty thousand (20,000) square feet of building footprint for 'Akahi Street;Convenience stores and neighborhood grocery stores under ten thousand (10,000) square feet of building footprint for 'Elua Street;Hotels and motels not to exceed RR-10 density;Public and private utilities and facilities;Research and development (including laboratory/medical research);Retail sales and shops:For 'Elua Street, up to a ten thousand (10,000) square foot building footprint,For 'Akahi Street, up to a twenty thousand (20,000) square foot building footprint,Multiple-family dwellings, not to exceed R-20 density.Any other use or structure which the Planning Director finds to be similar in nature to those listed in this Section and appropriate to the district.Setback Requirements.Front Yards. The minimum front yard setback for all structures is twenty-five (25) feet.Side Yards. The minimum side yard setback is five (5) feet for one (1) story buildings and ten (10) feet for two (2) story buildings or half the height of the tallest exterior wall plate.Rear Yards. The minimum rear yard setback is ten (10) feet.Encroachment.For primary buildings with a minimum front yard setback of twenty-five (25) feet, inhabitable projections (such as porches, balconies, and decks) may encroach into the required front setback up to a maximum of six (6) feet.Eaves may extend an additional three (3) feet within the six (6) foot encroachment that is permitted for porches, balconies and decks.Projections such as porches, balconies and decks, including eaves, may encroach into the required rear yard setback up to a maximum of four (4) feet.Enhance the Streetscape to Encourage Pedestrian Activity. The following shall apply to all new development within SPA-F.The design of new sidewalks, tree wells, and on-street parking shall be consistent with Sections 4.2 and 4.65 of the Līhu'e Town Core Urban Design Plan of 2009.Pedestrian connections to Kūhiō Highway from 'Akahi Street should be provided as shown in the pedestrian circulation plan of the Līhu'e Town Core Urban Design Plan of 2009. These pedestrian easements shall be at least ten (10) feet in width with a five (5) foot paved path and shall be lighted and landscaped with good visibility.Site planning and building design shall facilitate pedestrian and bicycle access and circulation.Creative designs, wayfinding tools, and historical elements should be incorporated into the sidewalk and crosswalk paving.Architectural Context and Compatibility. The following guidelines shall be considered as tools to help achieve the design goals of the neighborhood:The adaptive re-use of the historic cottage-style buildings is preferred over the demolition and construction of a new building.Architectural styles should focus on preserving and reinforcing the small-scale, plantation-style cottage house characteristics of the existing 1930s to 1940s houses on 'Akahi and 'Elua Streets. Buildings are typically single-story wooden structures elevated on pier and post supports. The support structure is screened with stone or wooden slats, and features a lattice design. Front entries are typically stepped up but variations or secondary entries may be used to allow for ADA accessibility.Building Density and Mass. The following guidelines shall be considered as tools to help achieve the design goals of the neighborhood:New development should respect and maintain the building mass and design of existing small-scale plantation-style cottage houses that have architectural elements such as front porches, bays, and rear, detached garages. Multiple smaller buildings are preferred over one (1) massive structure.Human-scale elements, such as windows, doors, and ornamentation, should be used to break up large surfaces.Minimize large volumes through the use of varying roof and wall planes and canopies and balconies to reduce the vertical emphasis of buildings.Building Height.Building heights for new structures shall not be more than two (2) stories in height or exceed thirty (30) feet from finished grade to the highest point on the roof. The Director may grant an exemption from the building height requirement to allow additional height for sloping roofs, if the overall building height will relate to the surrounding neighborhood. It is preferable to locate one (1) story structures closer to the public street and step taller, two (2) story structures towards the back of the lot.Secondary detached structures, such as garages, will be permitted and shall have a height of ten (10) feet. Additional height may be allowed for a sloping roof, subject to approval of the Planning Director. Additional dwelling units shall be located at the back of the lot with the main building taking prominence at the front of the lot.The height and front façade of historic buildings should be preserved.The height and the scale of new buildings or major renovations should be compatible with adjacent residences.Building Materials, Façades and Fenestration.Blank façades along public streets are not permitted. The design of façades should be compatible with the historic 1930s and 1940s residences and the traditional small town residential character of Līhu'e with regard to scale, detailing, and materials.Primary entrances and porches should be designed with the residential scale and architectural style of the neighborhood. They should be designed and incorporated into the front façade of the building and connect to sidewalks. Front entries are typically stepped but may include ramps for ADA accessibility.Doors at the main entry should be single or French (double) doors with half to full glazing. Sidelights are also acceptable.Windows should be double or single-hung and may have articulated panes/grilles. Windows should be oriented vertically and paired or tripled to scale appropriately with the size of the wall.Exterior wall materials shall consist of wood (or materials that are manufactured to look like wood) and may include stone detailing at the foundations or entry. Wood siding shall be painted and mounted consistently in a horizontal or vertical direction and detailed with trim and accents to create interest.For historic buildings, original building materials shall not be covered up with finish materials that mask the original building material or that will significantly alter the appearance or character of the historic buildings.Roofs.Roofs on historic buildings should be preserved or restored.New development or major renovations shall utilize roof shapes, materials, and colors which are compatible with the existing traditional and historic architectural character of the area. The following roof types are permitted: hip roofs, gables roofs, and double-pitched hip roofs (Dikey roofs). A combination of roof types is permitted. Minimum pitch shall be 3:12.Roof colors shall be earth tones. Reflective and shiny surfaces are not permitted, except for renewable energy equipment such as solar panels. The Director may grant an exemption from this requirement for energy-saving and heat mitigation measures if there is no significant adverse impact on nearby properties.Minimize the visibility of roof-mounted equipment and skylights from public streets and pedestrian connections.Building Color. Light earth tones, and other colors commonly found in the Līhu'e Town Core, shall be used for new and existing development. Brighter and darker colors may be used for accents, trim, and architectural features (such as canopies, awnings, and doors) that comprise relatively minor portions of the surface.Off-Street Parking.General Parking Requirements.Commercial Uses (Offices, Retail Sales and Services). One (1) space per four hundred (400) square feet of net floor area.Residential Uses. Two (2) spaces per single-family dwelling unit. For multiple-family and single-family attached dwellings: one and one-half (1.5) spaces per unit. One (1) space for granny flats and additional dwelling units with two (2) bedrooms or less.Shared Parking. For commercial/residential mixed use buildings, shared parking will be permitted, with the offices, retail sales and services portion of the building requiring one (1) stall per four hundred (400) square feet of gross floor area occupied, and one (1) space per dwelling unit for the residential portion of the building.Parking Bonus.The Director may allow a reduction in the parking requirement for commercial uses to one (1) space for every five hundred fifty (550) square feet for properties that comply with all of the requirements and guidelines established in this Article.If bicycle parking or storage is provided for any use, the total number of required vehicle parking spaces shall be reduced by one (1) parking space for every five (5) bicycle parking spaces or storage units provided.The Director may allow a reduction in the parking requirement for commercial uses and multifamily dwellings if a bus or transit stop with a pullout area is provided and built to County Transportation Agency standards (subject to County Transportation Agency approval). The parking requirements shall be one (1) space per five hundred fifty (550) square feet of net floor area or net office area for commercial uses and one (1) space per unit for multiple-family dwellings.Design of Off-Street Parking Facilities.Off-street parking areas shall be located in the rear of properties. If located on the side yard of a property, they shall be screened from view to the maximum extent feasible. Parking in front yards is highly discouraged but may be allowed for overflow parking. Regular parking areas should not be located along the public street.Parking lots with five (5) or more spaces should be landscaped with a minimum five (5) foot wide landscape strip adjacent to any adjoining public right-of-way. The landscape strip should be planted with a continuous screening hedge of at least forty-two (42) inches high.Parking lots with more than ten (10) parking stalls shall require one (1) canopy tree for every ten (10) stalls. Installed trees should be a minimum twenty-five (25) gallon size. The tree well or planting area for the tree should be no less than nine (9) square feet in area or a minimum three (3) feet wide in any direction and should be adequately sized for larger canopy trees. For example, monkey pod trees should have a planting strip of at least eight (8) feet. Trees should be sited so as to evenly distribute shade throughout the parking lot.Signage.Signage in this neighborhood shall be compatible with the residential character of the streetscape and comply with the County's Outdoor Sign Ordinance (KCC Sec. 15-4).Signs shall hang at entryways or be mounted flat against the front of the building façade. Small roadside signs are permitted on mailbox posts or mounted separately so long as they do not obstruct pedestrian paths or vehicle access.The design of signs should be compatible with the architectural style of the building and not dominate the façade.Signs shall be graphically simple and present an appropriate level of detail.Sign material shall be wood (or a wood substitute), upon which the design shall be carved, sandblasted, or painted. Other sign materials (such as neon) are not permitted.Flashing, rotating, inflatable, or lighted signs are not permitted. Sign colors shall be compatible with building color.Views into windows shall not be obstructed by oversized produce advertisement signage or posters.Maximize gross area of a sign on a façade shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the front façade area.Walls, Hedges and Front-Yard Landscaping.Low hedges and garden walls are recommended for front yards along 'Akahi and 'Elua Streets. Hedges are preferred over walls for 'Elua Street.Existing hedges should be maintained. New hedges and garden walls along the front property boundary shall have a maximum height of three (3) feet. Corners and support posts/pillars may be six (6) inches taller.Wall material shall be of natural materials (such as stone or wood) without abrupt material changes on the same wall.Chain link fences are not allowed along lot frontage, adjacent to public open spaces, or where it is readily visible to the public.Outdoor Lighting.Excessive outdoor lighting and floodlighting is not permitted. Only areas that need to be lit for safety purposes should have outdoor lighting. If businesses do not remain open after dark, general outdoor lighting should not be provided.If outdoor lighting is required, fixtures should be scaled to the pedestrian with fully-shielded lights that are directed downward to minimize impact to Kaua'i's shearwaters and other native birds. Outdoor lights should be on a timer or have light sensors and have automatic shut-off capabilities for the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.Utilities and Screening Utility Equipment.All utilities, including power lines, cable and telephone lines should be placed in conduits underground. Existing overhead lines should be relocated underground.Utility equipment, such as utility boxes and meters, shall be located, sized and designed to be as inconspicuous as possible, but also in conformance with applicable electric and utility standards, rules, and codes.Electrical transformers shall be screened with either plant material or a wall to help conceal them from public view.Screening Loading Areas.Loading and unloading areas and outdoor storage/service areas shall be screened from view through the use of building mass, freestanding walls or fences, and/or landscaping. Screening materials should match adjacent buildings.Dumpsters shall be screened on at least three (3) sides by an opaque fence or wall of sufficient height to block views of the containers. Plant material and/or earth berms should be used for general screening of the trash collection areas from views of main roads, sidewalks and building entrances.Avoid locating service and loading areas adjacent to residential areas, outdoor eating and gathering areas to minimize noise impacts from delivery and trash trucks.