The purpose of the Livingston Avenue District (LA) Design Standards is to apply standards designed for the Livingston Avenue corridor overlay district, the purpose of which is to facilitate the implementation of plans and vision for the City's mixed-use area on Livingston Avenue. The design standards are intended to establish, reinforce, enhance and unify the character and pedestrian-oriented amenities and development patterns of mixed-use commercial corridors; implement appropriate building standards that accommodate redevelopment and establish continuity and consistency along the corridors; and promote development that features pedestrian amenities, landscaping, facade transparency, rear parking lots, quality architecture, and appropriately scaled lighting.
The Livingston Avenue District Design Standards outlined in Section 1254.12, supersede design standards for all areas contained in the Livingston Avenue District overlay, regardless of underlying zoning district.
CATEGORY | DESIGN STANDARDS | |
CATEGORY | DESIGN STANDARDS | |
Applicability | a. The placement, construction, or reconstruction of a principal building is subject to all standards and requirements of the Commercial Services (CS) Design Standards and the standards enumerated in the 2022 Joint Livingston Avenue Plan, except as applied to routine maintenance and in-kind replacement of materials. Facade renovations or exterior renovations are not considered reconstruction of a principal building. b. The expansion of a building's gross floor area by more than 50 percent is subject to all the provisions herein. c. The extension or expansion of a building towards a public street is subject to all the applicable provisions herein. d. Exterior alteration of a primary building frontage is subject to applicable provisions of Section 1254.12 below. For purposes of this requirement, the placement of window shutters, fabric canopies and awnings and/or building-mounted signage is not considered to be exterior alteration. e. The construction or installation of a new parking lot, graphic, exterior lighting, fence, or other accessory structure is subject to all the applicable provisions herein. Design standards do not apply to the re-striping or reconfiguration of existing parking lots. | |
Buildings | f. A principal building shall be oriented to address and be nearly parallel to a primary street. Nearly parallel means within 15 degrees of being parallel. g. The width of a principal building along a primary building frontage shall be a minimum of sixty (60) percent of the lot width. h. A primary building frontage shall incorporate a primary entrance door i. A building frontage that exceeds a width of 50 feet shall include vertical piers or other vertical visual elements to break the plane of the building frontage. The vertical piers or vertical elements shall be spaced at intervals of 15 feet to 35 feet along the entire building frontage j. For a primary building frontage of a commercial use, a minimum of 40 percent of the area between the height of two feet and ten feet above grade shall be in clear window glass that permits a full, unobstructed view of the interior to a depth of at least four feet. For the secondary building frontage, the pattern of window glass shall continue from the primary building frontage a minimum distance of ten feet. k. Any drive-thru, pickup window, or canopy shall be attached to the principal building and be located behind or to the side of the building. l. All roof-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened from public view to the height of the equipment. The design, colors and materials used in screening shall be architecturally compatible with the rooftop and the aesthetic character of the building. | |
Landscaping and screening | m. A minimum 8-foot front yard landscape area shall be established, as measured from the north right-of-way line of Livingston Avenue. The front yard shall be planted with live vegetation and a shade tree(s) (in addition to any street tree requirements), except for paved areas expressly designed for vehicular and pedestrian use. The minimum number of shade trees required is determined by the formula of one tree per 30 lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of frontage. n. At the time of planting a new shade tree shall have a minimum two-inch caliper trunk and new shrubs for screening shall have a minimum height of 24-inches, and be maintained at that height or greater. o. All such landscape plantings and features shall be properly maintained, weeded, and watered, and any loss of plant materials shall be replaced in keeping with the approved landscape plan, or within minor modification to the landscape plan according to City Staff approval. The installation and operation of an irrigation system may be required for any planting area. In such cases, the irrigation system must remain operable. p. The use of landscape features such as pedestrian furniture, decorative railings, tree guards, trash receptacles, bollards and similar such accessories shall reference the Joint Livingston Avenue Plan. q. A fence shall be provided along a lot line that borders a residentially zoned or used property at a height of 8 feet, as per the requirements in Section 1264.05. r. A surface parking lot or vehicular circulation area shall be screened from all abutting public streets with a wall or fence (excluding chain link, wire mesh or other similar material), or a continuous row of shrubs to a minimum height of 36 inches (24 inches at time of planting) and a maximum height of five feet. Screening shall be maintained to provide opacity of not less than 75 percent when in leaf. s. Dumpsters shall be located behind the principal building and be screened from public view on all 4 sides, to the height of the dumpster. t. Ground-mounted mechanical equipment shall be located behind the principal building and be screened from public view to the height of the equipment. | |
Lighting | u. The height of any parking lot light pole/fixture shall not exceed 18 feet above grade. v. When located within 25 feet of a residential district the height of a light fixture shall not exceed 14 feet above grade. | |
Parking and circulation | w. Parking, stacking and circulation aisles are not permitted between the principal building and a street right-of-way line. This standard does not apply to existing buildings unless they are expanded by fifty (50) percent or more in gross floor area. | |
Applicability | a. The placement, construction, or reconstruction of a principal building and/or the alteration of its site, is subject to all standards and requirements of the Livingston Avenue (LA) Design Standard. b. The extension or expansion of a building towards a public street is subject to all the applicable provisions herein. c. Exterior alteration of a primary building frontage is subject to applicable provisions of Section 1254.12 below. d. The construction or installation of a new parking lot, graphic, exterior lighting, fencing, landscaping, or other accessory structure is subject to all the applicable provisions herein. | |
Buildings | e. A principal building shall be oriented to address and be nearly parallel to a primary street. Nearly parallel means within 15 degrees of being parallel. f. The minimum building setback along public rights-of-way is eighteen (18) feet from the curb. The maximum building setback is thirty (30) feet from the curb, except where a Public-Private Setback Zone is provided. Where a Public-Private Setback Zone is provided, a maximum setback of forty (40) feet from the curb is permitted for up to 50% of the building frontage, provided that a major portion of such setback shall be used to create outdoor pedestrian spaces and landscape features. g. The width of a principal building along a primary building frontage shall be a minimum of eighty (80) percent of the lot width. For those properties with a conditional use for a drive-thru, BZAP may permit the drive-thru width to count toward this minimum primary building frontage requirement as a condition of the use. h. A principal building shall have its main front door facing and directly accessed from Livingston Avenue. This can include placement of the door at the corner of the building frontage and angled to address both Livingston Avenue and the side street or an adjacent area of the site. i. A principal building shall have four-sided architecture utilizing consistent design and materials on each side. j. A building frontage that exceeds a width of 50 feet shall include vertical piers or other vertical visual elements to break the plane of the building frontage. The vertical piers or vertical elements shall be spaced at intervals of 15 feet to 35 feet along the entire building frontage. The use of windows and design features shall be used to break up large expanses of building walls on all exposed sides of a building. k. For a primary building frontage of a commercial use, a minimum of 60 percent of the area between the height of two feet and ten feet above grade shall be in clear window glass that permits a full, unobstructed view of the interior to a depth of at least four feet. For the secondary building frontage, the pattern of window glass shall continue from the primary building frontage a minimum distance of ten feet. l. For any new installation or replacement of upper story windows, the new/replacement windows must be clear/non-tinted glass. m. At least 30% of the second and third floor building frontages (as measured from floor to ceiling) must be window glass. This requirement may be waived if historic documentation (e.g. historic photos) from when the building was first constructed can be provided that shows a different percentage of window glass was used on the second and third floor building frontages. In such cases, the historic percentage must be maintained. n. All roof-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened from public view to the height of the equipment. The design, colors and materials used in screening shall be architecturally compatible with the rooftop and the aesthetic character of the building. o. No outdoor vending machines shall be located as to be visible from Livingston Avenue or any side street. p. Backlit awnings are not permitted. | |
Pedestrian realm, landscaping and screening | q. Sidewalks are required along all public streets. Sidewalks shall be clear of obstructions and align with adjacent sidewalks. r. The recommended minimum width of public sidewalks on Livingston Avenue is twelve feet (12'), however protrusions into the public right-of-way and sidewalks for outdoor pedestrian seating and other landscape features are encouraged, provided that a minimum clear sidewalk width of eight feet (8') is maintained. s. Landscape plantings, features, and pedestrian amenities shall be developed to create and accent pedestrian areas, and to soften the use of hardscape within the pedestrian zone. t. Street trees shall be required along all street frontages. The minimum number of shade trees required is determined by the formula of one tree per 30 lineal feet, or fraction thereof, of frontage. u. At the time of planting a new shade tree shall have a minimum 2.5 inch caliper trunk and new shrubs for screening shall have a minimum height of 24 inches, and be maintained at that height or greater. v. In areas without a grass tree lawn, a 2' accent strip shall be installed adjacent to the curb line. w. For all street tree planting beds, a 6' wide tree well with a minimum exposed space of 60 square feet shall be provided and edged in limestone curbing. x. Landscape plantings shall be developed to break up expanses of pavement within off-street parking areas. y. All such landscape plantings and features shall be properly maintained, weeded, and watered, and any loss of plant materials shall be replaced in keeping with the approved landscape plan, or within minor modification to the landscape plan according to City Staff approval. The installation and operation of an irrigation system may be required for any planting area. In such cases, the irrigation system must remain operable. z. The use of landscape features such as pedestrian furniture, decorative railings, tree guards, trash receptacles, bollards and similar such accessories shall reference the Joint Livingston Avenue Plan. aa. A fence shall be provided along a lot line that borders a residentially zoned or used property at a height of 8 feet, as per the requirements in Section 1264.05. bb. A surface parking lot or vehicular circulation area shall be screened from all abutting public streets with a minimum 4-foot solid masonry or stone wall; or a minimum 4-foot decorative metal tube or solid metal bar fence (excluding chain link, wire mesh or other similar material), with a minimum 3-foot wide landscaped area along the parking lot side of the fence. cc. Landscaping is needed for surface parking lots in order to further screen parking from the view of public rights-of-way, provide mitigation for stormwater through reducing, slowing and cooling runoff, and to create visual relief from large pavement areas. This landscaping might be in well- designed border plantings that frame the lot or within landscape beds large enough to sustain successful plant growth. dd. Dumpsters shall be located behind the principal building and be screened from public view on all 4 sides, to the height of the dumpster. ee. Ground-mounted mechanical equipment shall be located behind the principal building and be screened from public view. Materials and design for ground-mounted screening shall be a masonry wall one foot taller than the utility/mechanical unit it screens and be compatible with the building materials and architectural design. | |
Lighting | ff. The height of any parking lot light pole/fixture shall not exceed 18 feet above grade. gg. When located within 25 feet of a residential district the height of a light fixture shall not exceed 14 feet above grade. hh. All lighting must use cut-off type fixtures, to limit glare, and avoid directing light onto neighboring property, streets, or toward the night sky. | |
Parking and circulation | ii. Paved areas for vehicular use, including parking, stacking and circulation aisles are not permitted between the principal building and a street right-of-way line. This standard does not apply to existing buildings unless they are expanded by fifty (50) percent or more in gross floor area. jj. Additional curb cuts are not permitted. kk. The maximum number of off-street parking spaces shall be one stall per 200 square feet of net floor area (5 per 1000), except for institutional uses. ll. Minimum parking ratios are as established below: | |
Land Use | Required Spaces (per 1,000 sq. ft.) | |
Destination Retail (10,000 sf+/-) | 4.0 | |
Entertainment & Restaurants | 4.0 | |
Food Market | 4.0 | |
Other Retail | 3.0 | |
Office - ground floor | 2.5 | |
Office - upper floors | 2.0 | |
Housing | 1.0 per unit | |
mm. Every on-street parking space along the frontage of the property shall count as half a space toward the minimum required parking. This total will be rounded down to the nearest whole number. nn. The provision of rear alley access will reduce the minimum required parking by two spaces. oo. For parcels without rear alley access, the minimum required parking will be reduced by two spaces for each rear cross-access agreement, up to a maximum of four spaces (one cross-access easement to each side adjoining property). pp. Shared parking agreements are allowed subject to the following standards: 1. A reciprocal written agreement has been executed by all the parties concerned that assures the joint use of such common parking, a copy of which has been submitted to and is acceptable to the Commission. 2. The BZAP may require the applicant to provide a parking study with all information deemed necessary to its decision-making on a shared parking arrangement. 3. Parking spaces to be shared must not be reserved for individuals or groups. 4. Uses sharing a parking facility do not need to be contained on the same lot, but each use shall be a maximum of 500 feet from the closest parking space in the lot providing the shared spaces. A waiver of the maximum allowable distance between the use and associated shared parking may be approved by the BZAP with written justification and supporting information provided by the applicant. 5. Uses sharing a parking facility shall provide for safe, convenient walking between uses and parking, including safe, well-marked pedestrian crossings, signage, and adequate lighting. 6. Up to 30% of the parking spaces required for the predominant use on a site may be shared with other uses operating during the same time of day and days of the week. The predominant use is considered to be that which requires the most parking of those sharing the parking facilities. 7. Up to 75% of the parking spaces required predominantly evening uses may be shared with predominantly daytime uses. 8. Up to 75% of the parking spaces required for uses exclusively in operation during the weekend may be shared with uses predominantly in operation on weekdays. qq. Bicycle parking shall be provided at the ratios as follows: A minimum of two bicycle spaces shall be provided for uses with over 10 vehicle parking spaces. Additional spaces shall be provided at a rate of one bicycle parking space per additional 10 vehicle parking spaces up to a maximum of 12 bicycle parking spaces. | ||
(Ord. 04-24. Passed 3-26-24.)