Urban Residential

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Urban Residential Categories

‐ Urban Transition Residential
‐ Urban Residential

Cheyenne's residential areas have a variety of characteristics and densities. The locations of future residential areas will be designed to protect and strengthen existing and proposed neighborhoods. The developer will propose the desired project density at the beginning of the process, taking into consideration current zoning, proposed zoning, site constraints, adjacent development, and the desired character described in this Plan. Project density will be subject to review and approval by the Planning Commission and appropriate Governing Bodies. The community will also consider availability of utilities, the developmentʹs impact on the transportation system and roads, accessibility, and proximity to, and impact upon community facilities such as schools, parks, and open space.

For multiple family residential (e.g., townhomes and apartments), vehicular, bicycle, and transit routes should be accessible, yet residential areas should be protected from heavy traffic. In addition, these types of residential developments should be within convenient proximity to neighborhood retail centers as well as open space and parks.

Land designated for higher intensities is encouraged to continue in production agriculture until such time as urban development becomes feasible.

Urban Neighborhood Design Principles
New neighborhoods should be designed following the principles below. They should:

1. Contain a mix of lot sizes and housing styles, types, and sizes, and land uses.


2. Include a core, such as neighborhoodserving retail, civic services, or a gathering space (e.g., a park, plaza, school, community center, or natural open space). At least one neighborhood park should occur within every one square mile.


3. Contain connected streets and sidewalks based on a modified‐grid pattern with blocks no longer than 600 feet. Blocks ranging from 400 to 600 feet should have pedestrian pass‐throughs.


4. Be designed for pedestrians, including amenities such as benches, shade trees, human‐scale signs and other features.


5. Include open space, parks, and other amenities.


6. Contain a variety of buildings to avoid monotony.


7. Be designed in harmony and to respect the natural landscape and landforms and conserve natural features, such as creeks or geologic features.


8. Include transitions between different residential intensities so that no building is more than 150% the height of an adjacent building.

(See Structure Plan‐ Handbook principles for multifamily, single family development and alleys.)

Urban Transition Residential Category

Appropriate Uses

Primary Uses
The Urban Transition Residential category provides for a limited range of lower density residential uses, blending urban and rural standards. It allows single family residences and multi‐family duplexes, patio homes, and townhomes.

Secondary Uses
Supporting and complementary uses, including open space and recreation, equestrian uses, schools, places of worship, and other public or civic uses are also appropriate in this category. Senior housing is appropriate if compatible with the surrounding area. Farm animals and horses are appropriate but should not exceed animal density standards (to be established).

Desired Characteristics and Location
The Urban Transition Residential is generally shown in the draft Future Land Use Plan along the northern edge of the City of Cheyenne where some large lot development has already occurred on well and septic systems. It also occurs at the "edge" of other parts of the Urban Service Boundary (USB). The category allows for a blend of "urban" neighborhood housing with more "rural" characteristics, such as larger lots. The city and county will periodically review the USA and determine whether the boundary and this category should be expanded.

According to the Code, development on lots smaller than ½ acre should be connected to central water and central sewer. In addition, this type of residential development should be located on paved streets with sidewalks. In the Urban Transition Residential area, housing may develop at densities higher than currently found in these areas in the county, but no higher than typically found in the adjacent urban residential areas. Developers should provide transitions between less intense uses on neighboring properties (such as single family residences), and proposed higher intensity uses, such as townhomes. Transitions should include transitions in building heights, and landscaped buffers. This Plan recommends an incentive scale for developers to provide urban improvements in these areas, such as sidewalks, trails, and developed parks.

Finally, landowners and developers may develop large lot single‐family rural residential, or cluster development on smaller lots to conserve open space, views, and other natural features using the county's "Open Space Design Option" described under the "rural residential" category above.

Urban Residential Category

Appropriate Uses

Primary Uses
The Urban Residential category allows for a broader variety of residential types, including single‐family residences, duplexes, patio homes, townhomes, condominiums, and apartments.

Secondary Uses
Supporting and complementary uses, including open space and recreation, schools, places of worship, and other public or civic uses are encouraged. Senior housing facilities are also appropriate. Neighborhood commercial may be appropriate in newly developing areas if it complies with the criteria for Neighborhood Business Centers on page 3‐4. It is not the intent of this plan to change existing stable neighborhoods with single family residential development, except those where redevelopment is desirable.

Desired Characteristics and Location
Urban Residential is shown in established neighborhoods and newly developing neighborhoods within the Urban Service Boundary. This Plan encourages new neighborhoods to be developed in traditional development patterns with a mix of densities, lot sizes, housing types, and home sizes that are well integrated with one another. New urban residential developments should have a wide variety of housing types, lot sizes, styles, and patterns. Future neighborhoods should also include well planned amenities such as parks and open space.

The core of an urban residential neighborhood should contain apartments and townhomes and may even include neighborhood retail uses organized around a public space that is inviting for pedestrians. The neighborhood should also contain parks and open space. The secondary uses are intended to serve the neighborhood and should be developed and operated in harmony with the residential character.

Within urban residential neighborhoods, streets and sidewalks should provide connections to, from, and within the neighborhoods to make it safe and convenient for people to walk and ride bicycles.

Urban Residential areas will be served by central water and sewer, and will contain paved streets with sidewalks.

Neighborhoods will have transitions between different intensities or activities. For example, lower density residential (i.e., with a minimum of four dwelling units per acre and ranging up to six du/acre) is appropriate away from shopping and other activity centers and should be accessed from local or collector streets. For these areas, some common open space should be provided. Open space should be usable and/or connected.

Multi‐family residential (i.e., townhomes and apartments with densities higher than six dwelling units per acre and up to 20 dwelling units per acre) is appropriate in locations closer to activity centers or supporting business uses. These types of housing are generally served by collector streets or arterial streets and in the future should have access to transit or transit centers. In these multi‐family residential areas with density higher than six dwelling units per acre, some common open space or other amenities should be provided. Open space should be usable and/or connected. In addition, for multiple family residential projects, other private recreational amenities should be provided, such as tot lots, playgrounds, or garden/courtyards. Where it is adjacent to lower density development, densities and building heights should step down so that no building is 150% taller than an adjacent building. The development should provide open space buffers.



Applicable Zoning Districts: LR‐1 (established), LR‐2 (developing), MR‐1 (established), MR‐2 (developing), HR‐1 (establishing), HR‐2 (developing).