Page 42 - Healdsburg, CA Citywide Design Guidelines

Character Area 1: Traditional

Residential
Character Area 1 is located at the center of Healdsburg,
roughly bound by Mason Street to the south, East and Center
Streets to the west, Powell Street to the north, and Second and
University Streets to the east. Primarily residential in use (with the
exception of some institutional uses), this Character Area is the
closest residential area to Downtown, and is also the location of
Healdsburg’s oldest housing stock.

Defined primarily by detached single-family homes, with a few
small-scale multi-family residential developments, maintaining
character is a high priority. In addition to the traditional,
sometimes historic, single-family home, this Character Area is
identified by its street grid and consistency in the general size
of front and side yards. Front yards in Character Area 1 are small
and well-maintained, many times including a pathway from the
public realm to the front porch or entrance. Fences are sometimes
placed along front property lines, but are low and transparent.
Garages are located at the rear of the property. When alleys are

KEY DESIGN available, parking is usually accessed from the alley. Homes in this
OBJECTIVES FOR Area are oriented toward and are parallel with the street.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT Buildings in this Character Area are typically one or two stories.
• Maintain current character The entry faces the public realm or opens onto a porch that
• Ensure high degree of faces the public realm. Entries are also defined by a projecting or
compatibility with site recessed porch. The front wall of the home is highly articulated
development patterns and
defining architectural features and contains large windows. Roof forms in Character Area 1 are
• Locate a garage to the rear of pitched.
the property
• Continue the established rhythm
of front and side yards
• Reflect existing building
orientation pattern of structures
that are oriented to and parallel
with the street
• Encourage construction that is
designed to be compatible with
the predominant pattern of one
and two-story homes
• Incorporate a first-story element
such as a projecting or recessed
porch
• Articulate the front wall
of a building with window
proportions, spacing and
transparency levels similar to
those of traditional buildings.
Most buildings in Character Area 1 are one- or two-stories, as shown
above. New buildings in Character Area 1 should be constructed to be
of one- or two-stories to follow the established pattern.

34 Healdsburg Citywide Design Guidelines