Item 8: Ordinance Establishing Chambers Special Area Zone

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· Double-hung windows are common; many older houses have divided lights in the upper sash. o Secondary structures (e.g., garages and cottages) · Height: One story or less (less than 15'). · Shed or gabled roofs. Shed roofs are most commonly found on small, older, one-car garages under 10' high. o Narrow driveways running on the side of the lot, and small to medium sized garages with a front plane that's behind the main front plane of the house. · Most houses and lots reflect the following interrelationships: ~,fany houses are close beside one another, often separated only by a TOW driveway or less. House designs (e.g., facing gabled roofs) and 11 ;;ing patterns acknowledge this compact pattern and. respect the ;mportance of adjacent neighbors' privacy along this interface. ~, all front yards are semi-public spaces where residents ofa house may observe or interact with pedestrians or adjacent neighbors. These areas provide a graceful transition between street life and life inside the house. o Most rectangular lots have private backyards with lawns, gardens, or landscaping. In this area, a house's residents have a general sense of spatial openness, relative insulation from immediate street noise, and a fair degree of privacy from other neighbors viewing backyard activities. · Gardens, vegetation, and wildlife Although the area doesn't have any single, large open space, cumulatively there's an extensive amount of natural vegetation and wildlife. Living in most areas ofthe ETN gives a sense of being in touch with Nature. o Many of the lots have vegetable and flower gardens and/or extensive landscaping (generally fairly informal). o There are numerous very large "heritage" trees throughout the neighborhood, as well as many medium-sized trees along the streets and sidewalks and in backyards. Collectively, the large trees on the street and in the interior create a substantial urban forest "canopy." That is one of the most significant elements of this neighborhood's appeal. o There is extensive wild birdlife, including many songbirds and occasional raptors (including hawks and owls). Herons from the Amazon slough area periodically appear roosting or feeding in the upper branches of heritage trees. There are both year-round residents (such as purple finches and chickadees) and migratory birds (such as cedar waxwings and grosbeaks) o Squirrels and raccoons are a common sight in neighbors' yards, and bats are regular visitors in summer evenings. The elements listed above interrelate in important, sometimes subtle, ways to create the ETN's special character. The people, the spatial elements of the November 1, ZOOS Chambers Revisited - Neighbors' Report 18