Section 2. Single Family and Two Family Guidelines.
A. Basic Standard.
The basic standard desired by the Town of Plainfield for all single family dwellings and two family dwellings is as follows:
1. Minimum Main Floor Area: The minimum main floor area of each dwelling unit, exclusive of garage, carport, deck, patio, open porches, and basements:
a. One-Story Building: one-thousand seven hundred (1,700) square feet; or,
b. Two or More Story Building: one-thousand two hundred (1,200) square feet, with a total finished floor area of not less than one-thousand eight hundred (1,800) square feet.
2. Garages: Garages should either be attached or detached, but not both. All garages should be no less than four hundred and eighty-four (484) square feet in usable area (exclusive of areas set aside for HVAC, water heaters and the like).
3. Appearance: The exterior walls should comply with the following requirements:
a. One Story Building: The exterior walls of a single story residence should contain a minimum of eighty-five percent (85%) of brick or stone veneer, exclusive of windows and doors, supplemented with architectural elements (e.g., quoins, pilasters, soldier courses, friezes, cornices, dentils, etc.).
b. Two or More Story Building: The exterior walls should have one-hundred percent (100%) of the first floor covered with brick or stone veneer, exclusive of windows and doors, supplemented with architectural elements (e.g., quoins, pilasters, soldier courses, friezes, cornices, dentils, etc.).
c. Brick or stone requirements should also apply to: any portion of a building facing any porches; and, any wall areas oriented to the front of the building and located between the two side walls of the building.
d. Roof Pitch: The roof should have not less than a 6/12 pitch.
e. Roof Overhangs: The roof should have overhangs that are not less than 12" extending out from the exterior sheathing of the home.
f. Additional Siding Materials: Those portions of a wall area not required to utilize a brick or stone veneer may use other durable siding materials.
Siding materials such as: "HARDIPLANK(R)" Siding by James Hardie, "Weatherboard(R)" by Certainteed, or other similar fiber cement products; wood clapboard siding; wood beaded siding; or, stucco/dryvit/E.I.F.S, shall be considered acceptable siding materials. Aluminum siding less than 0.024 thickness shall not be permitted (except in soffit areas). Vinyl siding shall not be permitted (except in soffit areas), unless complying with provisions of Table 7A - Specifications for Use and Installation of Vinyl Siding.
g. Compatibility of Garages: Garages should use exterior siding materials and architectural elements consistent with and in the same proportions as required for the primary building.
If a residential developer / builder desires to not follow the basic standards desired by the Town of Plainfield for single family or two family residential developments, then the design guidelines and design features set forth below are recommended.
B. Design Guidelines and Design Features.
The Town of Plainfield encourages developers / builders to use the following guidelines to create variety and interest in all elevations of a home. The Town also strongly encourages builders to exceed the recommendations contained in these guidelines on all model homes built in a subdivision.
1. Garages - All single family dwellings and two family dwellings with accessory garages, either detached or attached, should comply with the following guidelines:
a. Design Features for One or Two Car Garages - All one or two car garages, either detached or attached, should utilize at least one (1) of the following three (3) design features:
(1) Garage Off-Set - Development of single family dwellings or two family dwellings in which the front facade of an attached or detached front loading garage is off-set and stepped back from the front building line by at least ten (10) feet.
(2) Garage as Percent of Facade - Garage doors shall not comprise more than forty (40) percent of the linear length of the ground floor, street facing facade of the primary building containing a dwelling unit.
(3) Side or Rear Loaded Garages - Utilization of a side loaded or rear loaded garage to minimize the impact of the garage doors on the streetscape.
(See pages 2-2 and 2-3 of the pdf version of this section for photographs and drawings of appropriate design features for One or Two Car Garages.)
b. Additional Design Features:
(1) More than Two-Car Garages - No more than two (2) one-car garage doors nor one (1) two-car garage door should be located on the same architectural plane of a front elevation. Architectural planes for additional sets of garage doors on a front elevation should be off-set by a minimum of twelve (12) inches.
(2) Maximum Driveway Width - No driveway should exceed twenty (20) feet in width at the sidewalk.
(See page 2-4 of the pdf version of this section for photographs of examples of additional design features.)
c. Minimum Size of Garages - All one or two car garages, either detached or attached, should comply with the following minimum area and width guidelines:
(1) One Car Garages - All one car garages should have a minimum area of 275 square feet (exclusive of any side garage bump-out area), with a minimum width of 11 feet.
(2) Two Car Garages - All two car garages should have a minimum area of 484 square feet (exclusive of any side garage bump-out area), with a minimum width of 19 feet.
2. Overhangs - All single family dwellings and two family dwellings shall be constructed with 12" overhangs extending out from the exterior sheathing on all facades.
C. Front Elevations - The front elevations of all single family dwellings and two family dwellings should include design features selected from the options specified in Table 2A: Residential Design Features - Front Facades.
Table 2A: Residential Design Features Front Facades
Select a minimum of eleven (11) of the following design features for the front facade with at least:
Four (4) design features selected from Group 1;
Three (3) design features selected from Group 2; and,
The remaining four (4) design features may be selected from either Group 1, Group 2 or Group 3.
Group 1:
Change in Elevation of Roof Ridge.
Change in Direction of Roof Ridge.
Roof with Dormers (minimum of two (2) dormers, unless Eyebrow Dormer).
Bay or Oriel Window.
Porch or Verandah (covering a minimum of 40% of the overall width of the front facade of the primary building containing a dwelling unit).
Portico or Shed Roof Accent over Front Entry (minimum covered area - 4' X 10').
Facade Modulation (Other than items listed herein; minimum 12 inches in depth)
Front Facade Containing No Garage Doors.
100% brick or stone on front, side and rear elevations (i.e., all wall area* below the eave line or a trimmed gable). (Note: This item qualifies as three (3) design features selected from any Group).
Minimum 50% brick or stone on front facade*.
* - Front facade wall area is exclusive of window or door areas but does include all wall areas oriented to the front of a primary building containing a dwelling unit located between the two side walls of such building.
Group 2:
Multiple Building Materials (secondary material must comprise at least 20% of front facade).*
Crawl Space or Basement.
Hip Roof.
Gable Accent.
Side-by-Side Windows (within 8"; min. of 50% of windows in each story)
Door Sidelight(s).
Door Transom.
Window Transom.
Side Garage Bump-out (minimum size 3' X 10', exclusive of garage area).
* - Front facade wall area is exclusive of window or door areas but does include all wall areas oriented to the front of a primary building containing a dwelling unit located between the two side walls of such building.
Group 3 - Additional Items:
Decorative Door Architrave.
Decorative Window Architrave.
Decorative Window Cornice.
Decorative Trim Molding (including, at a minimum, fascia, soffit & corner trim).
Keystone (over all first floor, front facade windows and doors).
Windows in Garage Door.
Foundation Landscape Package (minimum: 2 trees; 1 tree and 4 shrubs; or, 8 shrubs).
NOTES:
Additional architectural embellishments or design features may be approved within each Group when such architectural features would provide a similar architectural effect to the items listed within each Group.
Fiber cement products such as "HARDIPLANK(R)" siding by James Hardie, "Weatherboard(R)" by Certainteed, and other similar products, may receive credit as a secondary building material, but shall not be considered the equivalent of brick or stone.
Wherever "masonry products" other than brick or stone are proposed as a Residential Design Feature, such masonry products shall be architectural unit types subject to review and approval by the Plan Commission. A Standard concrete block or cinder block which does not feature an architectural surface shall not be awarded credit as a Residential Design Feature.
(See pages 2-7 through 2-9 of the pdf version of this section for photographs of examples of Residential Design Features for front facing facades.)
D. Additional Design Features for Single Family Dwelling Lots and Two Family Dwelling Lots.
1. Perimeter Streetscapes - All portions of the subdivision or project which is oriented toward an existing perimeter street should utilize at least one (1) of the following three (3) design features:
a. Frontage Street - All lots, sub-lots and streets should be laid out so that single family dwellings and two family dwellings located on all lots which are adjacent to a perimeter street of a subdivision or project are oriented with the front facade of the dwelling facing toward the perimeter street of the subdivision or project. This design feature may be accomplished through the utilization of a frontage street;
(See page 2-10 of the pdf version of this section for a drawing of an example of a Frontage Street.)
b. Side or Rear Elevation Architectural Treatment - Single family dwellings and two family dwellings located on lots or sub-lots adjacent to a perimeter street of a subdivision or project and located so as to have a side or rear elevation oriented to said perimeter street should utilize design features selected from the options specified in Table 2B: Residential Design Features - Side and Rear Elevations; or,
c. Greenbelt or Landscape Easement - A greenbelt (which includes significant tree preservation) or landscape easement, of not less than fifty (50) feet in dimension should be provided along all perimeter streets of the subdivision or project. A landscape easement which contains primarily new plantings should achieve a plant unit value of five (5) or greater (as calculated pursuant to Article 4.7 of the Plainfield Zoning Ordinance), with at least 40% of the value obtained from ornamental or shade trees, and at lease 40% of the plant unit value obtained from evergreen trees. The remaining 20% of the plant unit value may consist of: any type of plant material (deciduous trees, evergreen trees, hedge plants, etc.); walls; fences; or, berms, as regulated by Article 4.7 of the Plainfield Zoning Ordinance. No portion of the greenbelt or landscape easement should be included in the area of any lot.
2. Interior Streetscapes for all Single Family Dwelling Lots of 15,000 Square Feet in Lot Area or Less; and, Two Family Dwelling Lots of 20,000 Square Feet in Lot Area or Less:
All portions of the subdivision or project should utilize at least one (1) of the following two (2) design features:
a. Establish a variable build to line by plat to vary the placement of adjacent dwelling units by a minimum of:
(1) Single Family Dwellings - a five (5) foot or more variation applicable to at least one (1) of every four (4) lots along a block face; or,
(2) Two Family Dwellings - either: a two (2) foot off-set for more for each dwelling unit in a two family dwelling building; or, a five (5) foot or more variation applicable to at least one (1) of every four (4) lots along a block face; or,
(See page 2-12 of the pdf version of this section for a drawing of an example of a Variable Build-to Line.)
b. Provide documentary assurances that sufficient variation will exist in the design and appearance of adjacent dwelling units necessary to avoid a monotonous building design and streetscape.
3. All Other Side or Rear Elevations Not Oriented Toward a Perimeter Street - Single family dwellings and two family dwellings located on all other lots or sublots and which are not oriented toward a perimeter street should utilize design features selected from the options specified in Table 2B: Residential Design Features - Side and Rear Elevations.
Table 2B: Residential Design Features Side and Rear Elevations
Select from the following design features based upon the location and orientation of the side or rear elevation:
Side or Rear Elevation Oriented Toward a Perimeter Street - a minimum of five (5) of the following design features, with at least three (3) features selected from Group 1, for any side or rear elevation oriented toward a perimeter street;
All Other Rear Elevations - a minimum of four (4) of the following design features, with at least two (2) features selected from Group 1, for any other rear elevation; or,
All Other Side Elevations - a minimum of two (2) of the following design features, with at least one (1) feature selected from Group 1, for any other side elevation
Group 1:
Change in Elevation of Roof Ridge.
Change in Direction of Roof Ridge.
Finished Space "Pop-Out" (minimum size 3' X 10').
Open or Screened in Porch (minimum size 10' X 10').
Bay or Oriel Window.
Bay Door.
Side-by-Side Windows (within 8"; minimum of 50% of windows in each story).
Exterior Chase Fireplace.
Facade Modulation (other than items listed herein; minimum 12 inches in depth)
Roof with Dormers (minimum of two (2) dormers).
100% brick or stone on front, side and rear elevations (i.e., all wall area* below the eave line or a trimmed gable). (Note: This item qualifies as three (3) design features selected from any Group).
Minimum 50% brick or stone on the applicable side or rear elevation*.
*Note: Side elevation wall area is exclusive of window or door areas. Rear elevation wall area is exclusive of window or door areas but does include all wall areas oriented to the rear of a primary building containing a dwelling unit located between the two side walls of such building.
Group 2:
Multiple Building Materials (secondary material must comprise at least 20% of the applicable elevation).
Hip Roof.
Decorative Door Architrave.
Decorative Window Architrave.
Decorative Window Cornice.
Decorative Trim Molding (including, at a minimum, fascia, soffit & corner trim).
Integrated Covered Storage Area (Not the same as a Side Garage Bump-Out; minimum size 3' X 10').
Foundation Landscape Package (minimum: 2 trees; 1 tree and 4 shrubs; or, 8 shrubs).
Shutters.
Window Grids (permanent).
Patio Doors (double width, not sliding).
NOTES:
Additional architectural embellishments or design features may be approved within each Group when such architectural features would provide a similar architectural effect to the items listed within each Group.
Fiber cement products such as "HARDIPLANK(R)" siding by James Hardie, "Weatherboard(R)" by Certainteed, and other similar products, may receive credit as a secondary building material, but shall not be considered the equivalent of brick or stone.
Wherever "masonry products" other than brick or stone are proposed as a Residential Design Feature, such masonry products shall be architectural unit types subject to review and approval by the Plan Commission. A Standard concrete block or cinder block which does not feature an architectural surface shall not be awarded credit as a Residential Design Feature.
(See pages 2-15 and 2-16 of the pdf version of this section for photographs of examples of Residential Design Features for side and rear facades.)
E. Administration.
1. Homeowners Association / Architectural Review Committee / Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions.
In any subdivision that will include a homeowners association (HOA) or an architectural review committee (ARC) charged with the approval of all proposed new construction, alterations or additions in the subdivision, the design features selected for the subdivision should be incorporated into any rules, procedures or guidelines established by the Covenants, Conditions and restrictions of the subdivision and should be used to establish the scope of review for such HOA or ARC.
2. Improvement Location Permit & Building Permit Process.
A Certification of Compliance for all plans which indicates the design features used to comply with these design guidelines shall be prepared by the applicable HOA, ARC, or builder (where no HOA or ARC exist) and should be submitted with all applications for an Improvement Location Permit and Building Permit for all single family or two family dwellings covered by these Residential Design Guidelines.
