SPECIAL PURPOSE DISTRICTS DESIGN GUIDELINES - G19.10
G19.10.060 40th STREET PROJECT AREA DESIGN GUIDELINES
1. GENERAL
The following design guidelines are intended as a reference framework to assist owners, tenants, architects and contractors in understanding the 40th Street Project Area goals and objectives for high quality development. The guidelines complement the mandatory site development regulations contained in Chapter 19.06 of the Development Code by providing examples of appropriate design solutions and by providing design interpretations of the various mandatory regulations.
The design guidelines are general and may be interpreted with some flexibility in their application to specific projects. The guidelines will be utilized during the City's design review process to encourage the highest level of design quality while at the same time providing the flexibility necessary to encourage creativity on the part of project designers.
Unless there is a compelling reason, these design guidelines shall be followed. If the Development Review Committee waives a guideline, members of the Planning Commission and the Mayor and Common Council shall be notified. The Mayor or any Councilperson may file an appeal within 15 days of the DRC’s approval of the waiver. No fee shall be required for such appeal.
2. APPLICABILITY
The provisions of this section shall apply to all development in commercial areas within the 40th Street Project Area. Any addition, remodeling, relocation, construction or reconstruction requiring a building permit within any commercial land use district subject to review by the Development Services Department or the Development Review Committee shall adhere to these guidelines where applicable. Exception: These provisions shall not apply to tenant improvements that do not change the exterior of the building.
3. GENERAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES
A. PURPOSE
These Design Guidelines are established in order to achieve the following objectives for the 40th Street Project Area:
1. Renew general pride and confidence in the 40th Street area.
2. Create an identity, community and sense of place for 40th Street
3. Promote quality design
4. Promote pedestrian activities
5. Promote property maintenance
6. Promote enhancement of property and area values
7. Promote an aesthetically pleasing environment
B. DESIRABLE ELEMENTS OF PROJECT DESIGN
The qualities and design elements for commercial properties that are most desirable include:
1. Pedestrian scale
2. Richness of surface and texture
3. Significant wall articulation (insets, canopies, wing walls, trellises)
4. Multi-planed, pitched roofs
5. Roof overhangs, arcades
6. Regular or traditional window rhythm
7. Articulated mass and bulk
8. Significant landscape and hardscape elements
9. Prominent access driveways
10. Landscaped and screened parking
11. Lighting elements
12. Limited color palette
C. UNDESIRABLE ELEMENTS
The elements to avoid or minimize include:
1. Large blank, flat wall surfaces
2. Unpainted concrete precision block walls
3. Highly reflective surfaces
4. Metal siding on the main facade
5. Plastic siding
6. Square "boxlike" buildings
7. Mix of unrelated styles (i.e. rustic wood shingles and polished chrome)
8. Visible outdoor storage, loading, and equipment areas
9. Disjointed parking areas and confusing circulation patterns
4. SITE PLANNING
Placement of buildings should consider the existing built context of the area, the location of residential neighborhoods and an analysis of a site's characteristics and particular influences.
A. BUILDING LOCATION
1. Buildings should be located to complement adjacent buildings. Sites should be developed in a coordinated manner to provide order and diversity.
2. Clustering three or more buildings in a shopping center provides opportunities to create plazas or pedestrian malls and prevents long rows of buildings. When clustering is not practical, a visual link between separate buildings should be established. This link can be accomplished through the use of an arcade, trellis, landscaping or other open structure and textured walkways.
3. Sites should be designed so as to link individual designed structures into a single unified project. Juxtaposition of contrasting architectural designs is not encouraged.
4. Locate buildings and on-site circulation systems to minimize pedestrian/ vehicle conflicts where possible. Link buildings to the public sidewalk with textured paving, landscaping, and trellises. Create landscaped walkways from the business to the street to encourage pedestrian traffic.
5. Freestanding, singular commercial buildings should be oriented with their major entry toward the street where access is provided, as well as having their major facade parallel to the street. Structures facing more than one street shall be designed in such a manner as to be equally attractive from each street.
B. OPEN SPACE
1. Recognize the important potential of spaces between buildings as "outdoor rooms" on a shopping center site. Outdoor spaces should have a clear, recognizable shape that reflects careful planning and not simply left over area between buildings. Such spaces should provide pedestrian amenities such as shade, benches, fountains, etc.
2. Open space areas should be clustered into larger, predominant landscape areas rather than equally distributed into areas of low impact such as at building peripheries, behind a structure or areas of little impact.
5. PARKING AND CIRCULATION
Parking lot design can be a critical factor in the success or failure of a commercial use. In considering the possibilities for developing a new parking area, a developer should analyze the following factors: 1) ingress and egress with consideration to possible conflicts with street
traffic; 2) pedestrian and vehicular conflicts; 3) on-site circulation and service vehicle zones; and 4) the overall configuration and appearance of the parking area.
A. SEPARATION
1. Separate vehicular and pedestrian circulation systems should be provided. Pedestrian linkages between uses in commercial developments should be emphasized, including distinct pedestrian access from and through parking areas in large commercial developments, such as shopping centers.
2. Parking should be separated from pedestrian circulation routes whenever possible.
B. ACCESS
1. Common driveways that provide vehicular access to more than one site are encouraged, particularly where development occurs on narrow lots.
2. Shared parking between adjacent businesses and/or developments is highly encouraged whenever practical.
3. Design the pedestrian site entry with patterned concrete or pavers to differentiate it from the sidewalks. The handicap path of travel (sidewalk) should be designed with landscaping so that it is integrated into parking lot as a landscape feature.
4. Design parking areas so that pedestrians walk parallel to moving cars. Minimize the need for the pedestrian to cross parking aisles and landscape areas.
C. PARKING
1. Parking areas should be separated from buildings by either a raised concrete walkway or landscaped strip, preferably both. Situations where parking spaces directly abut the buildings should be avoided.
2. The parking area should be designed in a manner that allows the structure to be linked to the street sidewalk wit pedestrian walkways. This can be accomplished by using design features such as walkways with enhanced paving, trellis structures, or a special landscaping treatment.
3. Parking areas that accommodate a significant number of vehicles should be divided into a series of connected smaller lots. Landscaping and offsetting portions of the lot are effective in reducing the visual impact of large parking areas.
6. LANDSCAPING
Landscaping for commercial businesses should be used to define entrances to businesses, parking lots. Landscaping can also define the edges of various land uses, and provide buffering and screening between neighboring properties.
A. DESIGN PRINCIPLES
1. Landscaping should be in scale with adjacent buildings and be of appropriate size at maturity to accomplish its intended goals.
2. Landscaping should be protected from vehicular and pedestrian encroachment by raised planting surfaces, depressed walks, or the use of curbs.
3. Landscaping around the entire base of a building is recommended to soften the edge between the parking lot and the structure. This should be accented at building entries to identify and enhance the entrances.
4. Vines and climbing plants integrated upon buildings, trellises, and perimeter garden walls are strongly encouraged.
5. To accent business entries, use boxed and tubbed plants in clay or wood containers, especially for enhancement of sidewalk shops, plazas, and courtyards.
B. TREES
1. Trees should be located throughout the parking lot and not simply at the ends of parking aisles. A minimum of one, 24” box shade tree is required for every 4 parking spaces per the Development Code.
7. ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN GUIDELINES
A. HEIGHT AND MASS
1. Height and scale of new development should be compatible with that of surrounding development. New development is encouraged, where practical, to "transition" from the height of adjacent development to the maximum height of the proposed building.
2. Large buildings that give the appearance of “box-like” structures are generally unattractive and distort the overall scale of an area. There are several ways to reduce the appearance of excessive mass in large buildings.
A. Vary the planes of the exterior walls in depth and/or direction. Wall planes should not run in 1 continuous direction for more than 50 feet without an offset.
B. Vary the height of the building so that it appears to be divided into distinct massing elements.
C. Articulate the different parts of a building's facade by use of color, arrangement of facade elements, or a change in materials.
D. Use landscaping and architectural detailing at the ground level to lessen the impact of an otherwise bulky building.
E. Avoid blank walls at the ground floor levels. Use windows, trellises, wall articulation, arcades, change in materials, or other such features.
B. SCALE
Scale, for purposes here, is the relationship between building size and the size of adjoining permanent buildings. It is also how the proposed building's size relates to the size of a human being, particularly at ground level. Large-scale building elements will appear imposing if they are situated in a visual environment of a smaller scale.
1. Buildings can be designed for pedestrians through the use of window patterns, structural bays, roof overhangs, siding, awnings, moldings, fixtures, and other details.
2. The scale of buildings should be carefully related to adjacent pedestrian areas (i.e. plazas, courtyards) and buildings.
3. Large dominating buildings should be broken up by:
A. Creating horizontal emphasis through the use of trim, cornices or belt courses;
B. Adding awnings, eaves, windows, or other architectural ornamentation;
C. Use of combinations of complementary colors; and
D. Landscape materials.
C. COLOR
Much of the existing color in the 40th Street Area does not contribute to a cohesive commercial area. At times, color has been used inappropriately to attract attention to buildings and the business therein without regard to the negative impact such use of color has on the visual quality and character of the area as a whole. The following guidelines are intended to provide for a cohesive, identifiable area.
1. Large areas of intense white color should be avoided. While subdued colors usually work best as a dominant overall color, a bright trim color can be appropriate.
2. Primary colors (red, blue, orange) should only be used to accent elements, such as door and window frames and architectural details.
3. The color palette chosen for new buildings should be compatible with the colors of adjacent buildings. An exception is where the colors of adjacent buildings strongly diverge from these design guidelines.
4. Wherever possible, minimize the number of colors appearing on the structure's exterior. Small commercial buildings should use no more than 3 colors.
5. Architectural detailing should be painted to complement the facade and tie in with adjacent buildings. An exception is where the colors of adjacent buildings strongly diverge from these design guidelines.
6. The use of standardized “corporate” architectural styles is permitted provided they are consistent with the design standards of the area.
D. ROOFS
1. The roofline at the top of the structure should not run in continuous plane for more than 50 feet without offsetting or jogging the roof plane.
2. All roof top equipment shall be screened from public view by screening materials of the same nature as the structure's basic materials. Mechanical equipment should be located below the highest vertical element of the building.
3. The following roof materials should not be used:
A. Corrugated metal (standing rib metal roofs are permitted)
B. Highly reflective surfaces
C. Illuminated roofing
E. AWNINGS
The use of awnings along a row of contiguous buildings should be restricted to awnings of the same form and location. Color of the awnings should be consistent and a minimum 8-foot vertical clearance is required.
1. The awning should be well maintained, washed regularly, and replaced when frayed or torn.
2. Signs on awnings should be painted on and be limited to the awning's flap (valance) or to the end panels of angled, curved, or box awnings. In shopping centers with more than two tenants, awning signs are allowed only as a coordinated program.
3. Plexiglas, metal, and glossy vinyl illuminated awnings are strongly discouraged. Canvas, treated canvas, matte finish vinyl, and fabric awnings are encouraged.
4. Internally lit awnings should not be used.
5. Care should be taken so that awnings do not obstruct the view to adjacent businesses.
F. LIGHTING
Lighting should be used to provide illumination for the security and safety of on-site areas such as parking, loading, pathways and working areas. Higher light levels are expected in heavily used pedestrian areas.
1. The design of light fixtures and their structural support should be architecturally compatible with the main buildings on-site.
2. As a security device, lighting should be adequate but not excessively bright. All building entrances should be well lighted.
8. WALLS AND FENCING
A. If not required for a specific screening or security purpose, walls should not be utilized within commercial areas. The intent is to keep the walls as low as possible while performing their screening and security functions.
B. Where walls are used at property peripheries, or screen walls are used to conceal storage and equipment areas, they should be designed to blend with the site's architecture. Both sides of all perimeter walls or fences should be architecturally treated. Landscaping should be used in combination with such walls whenever possible.
C. When security fencing is required, it should be a combination of solid walls with pillars and decorative view ports, or short solid wall segments and wrought iron grillwork.
9. SCREENING
A. The location of utilities and equipment should be considered early in the design process so they are integrated into the layout of the site and visibility is minimized. Screen should be consistent with the design, colors and materials of the main structure.
B. Wherever possible, building screening should be accomplished by primary building elements (i.e. parapet wall or Mansard roof) instead of after-the-fact add-on screening.
C. Loading facilities should not be located at the front of buildings where it is difficult to adequately screen them from view. Such facilities are more appropriate at the rear of the site where special screening may not be required.
Hyperlinks:
G19.10.050 Development Design Guidelines
19.10 Special Purpose Districts
II-187