Norman Updates Building Codes for Center City Area
The Norman City Council passed an ordinance amending the Center City Form-Based Code (CCFBC) at their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on June 14, 2022 with a vote of 5-0. This form-based code is a set of building standards that emphasizes design in the middle of Norman. It is part of a larger planning project the city calls “Norman Center City Vision”. The CCFBC has undergone some challenges since its passage in May of 2017. There have been two 6 month administrative delays due to issues in implementation: one in early 2019, and in December of last year. The code was amended in 2018 and again in 2019, and now has been amended for a third time. The updated CCFBC does note that “all places evolve”, and density and diversity of uses is “expected to change over time as the area continues to grow and mature”. More CCFBC amendments are likely in the future as the Norman landscape changes.
The Center City Form-Based Code
The CCFBC encompasses an area west of the train tracks, near campus, running from W. Boyd Street to W. Tonhawa Street, from S. James Garner Avenue to Park Drive, and extending to Flood Avenue north of Comanche Street and south of W. Tonhawa. The area of Campus Corner is not currently included in the district, though it falls within its boundaries. The area could be added to the district in the future by the Norman City Council.
Implemented in 2017, the CCFBC applies to new development and redevelopment in the area. It focuses heavily on design and functionality, attempting to create a stronger, more pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use district for commercial and residential applications. There are regulations for everything from architectural materials to street lights to street trees, with an emphasis on energy efficiency. The CCFBC also seeks to “capitalize on public investment in existing infrastructure” and “promote, create, and expand housing options” in the heart of Norman.
During the most recent administrative delay, the Center City Form Based Code Ad Hoc Committee was created and met 11 times between January and April of this year. They discussed topics of community concern and amendments to simplify, clarify, and redefine terms within the code, among other changes.
Amendments to the CCFBC
One of the major changes was a consolidation of “frontages”, which are essentially zoning classifications or “use categories”. There were six categories; now there are four: Detached Frontage, Urban General Frontage, Urban Residential Frontage, and Urban Storefront Frontage. The remaining two frontages, Townhouse/Small Apartment and Neighborhood Middle, were absorbed into the Urban Residential Frontage.
Some of the other changes to the CCFBC include a new maximum building height map, unit minimums in multi-family housing, and the removal of unit maximums in the residential area to create more housing options. The CCFBC draft states: “No parcel containing a residential use shall contain less dwelling units than the number of stories allowed, as identified on the BFS Height Map minus one (1). Parcels without a building height limit containing a residential use shall have at least five (5) units”. Courtyards are now allowed for small apartments and townhouses as they fall under the new Urban Residential Frontage category; they were previously prohibited when they had their own frontage classification.
There are also new parking requirements: studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom units are required to receive 0.5 parking spaces per bedroom, and units with 3 or more bedrooms are required to have 1 parking space per bedroom. The code also redefines bedrooms to be no less than 70 square feet and no greater than 144 square feet, with other requirements. Any room greater than 144 square feet will be counted as two bedrooms.
One change applies to pedestrian accessibility. Sidewalk removals must have a plan for immediate replacement, as sidewalks and alleys are mandatory to achieve walkability in the CCFBC. In the previous version of the CCFBC and the current one, something similar is also true of streets. Streets can be added, but they cannot be deleted without being replaced elsewhere within the district. The CCFBC attempts to increase ease of transit with these regulations, as well as regulations concerning street structure, number of lanes on certain styles of streets, and bike infrastructure, though most of these have been goals from the very beginning. The amendment to sidewalk removal is an additional measure to make sure the Center City remains accessible and easily walkable.
In total, 37 definitions were added or amended. Other small changes include lower finished floor elevation, new fenestration requirements, and leaving parking lot design up to the developer. There are a few more changes in the full code. All edits can be seen in the June 14 Council meeting packet, starting on Page 415.
Coming Up
Because the CCFBC only applies to new development and redevelopment, it’s not likely we’ll see a lot of change right away. However, this summer, construction is set to begin on the J. Ford building, which will be around 10,000 square feet, at the intersection of Main Street and Webster Avenue. Hatch Early Mood Food and SDCR Barley & Wine Bar, also known as Sidecar, are already set to move into the large building, which is expected to finish construction in 2023. It falls within the boundaries of the CCFBC and will be governed by its regulation unless they apply for rezoning to Center City Planned Unit Development (CCPUD). CCPUD is a category meant “to provide flexibility…when a property owner seeks to comply with the intent and goals of the FBC but seeks relief regarding specific requirements of the FBC”, according to the CCFBC draft. Only five of the 27 project applications in the Center City area since the establishment of the CCFBC in 2017 were submitted as CCPUDs, so it is most likely the building will conform with the new form-based code.
More information about the CCFBC is available on the City of Norman website, under their Norman Center City Vision page. If you’re planning on a redesign of your house or business in the middle of the city, it might be worth a look. The new code with amendments went into effect June 14, so any new development or redevelopment plans will be subject to the provisions of the code.
