(a) General Design Standards.
(1) A primary building shall be oriented parallel to a dedicated or private street, or as parallel as the site permits.
(2) The height of a building shall be a minimum of eighteen (18) feet above grade.
(3) A building frontage that exceeds a width of fifty (50) feet shall incorporate articulation, offsets of the wall plane, and/or pilasters to inhibit a large expanse of blank wall and add interest to the facade.
(4) For a primary building frontage of a commercial use in any Sub District, a minimum of forty (40) percent of the façade area facing a dedicated or private street shall be in clear window glass that permits a full, unobstructed view of the interior to a depth of at least four (4) feet, with the exception of blinds, curtains or other interior decorative elements.
(5) A minimum of seventy (70) percent of the front building façade and fifty (50) percent of the side building façade, not including glazing, shall be of traditional and natural materials.
(6) Industrially zoned properties shall be exempt.
(7) Any drive-thru shall be attached to the principal building and located at the rear or side of the building.
(8) Any roof-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened from public view to the height of the equipment. The materials used in screening must be architecturally compatible with the rooftop and the aesthetic character of the building.
(9) Gables shall have a minimum depth of eight (8) feet, parapet walls shall extend around to the side of the building.
(10) If at least fifty (50) percent of a building is redeveloped, overhead utilities serving that building shall be placed underground.
(b) Architectural Standards.
(1) Style and Character.
A. Development should be consistent in character to reflect the style of the Connecticut Western Reserve. Buildings should use materials, details and proportions similar to Early American styles, from Greek Revival, through Federal and Georgian to Queen Anne and something colloquially called "Farmhouse Colonial."
B. Style and character clues can be taken from historic examples without being literal duplications, and be applied to buildings and structures in a New England Village or farmstead pattern.
(2) Architectural Details.
A. The use of architectural detailing is strongly encouraged to provide scale and interest to the building. Examples of detailing include stone foundations, masonry water tables, masonry window trim or surrounds, frieze boards, decorative cornices, quoins, shutters, columns, balusters, awnings and similar items.
(3) Mass/Scale.
A. Mass and scale should emulate the Connecticut Western Reserve Style. Façade treatment should be formed to break the appearance into smaller facades to better relate to the pedestrian scale. Detail elements (as outlined above) should be used to create a pedestrian scale. Special treatment of the corner of buildings should be considered. Building heights equaling two stories (twenty feet) or more are encouraged.
(4) Materials and Configurations.
A. Wall surfaces of buildings adjacent to the main thoroughfares should consist of 70 percent traditional or natural materials. Traditional or natural materials shall include, brick, stone or engineered stone, wood, cement composite, or metal. The balance of the building's elevations not directly visible from public view shall include materials consistent with those on the front in varying percentages with a minimum of 50 percent traditional or natural materials. Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) and like stucco shall not be permitted as a building material on any elevation.
1. Brick shall be earth tone colors (reddish tones are preferred) in standard sizes and shall be laid in a traditional masonry pattern.
2. Stone shall be natural or simulated material with a smooth or natural finish. Split face stone is acceptable in limited situations. Stone shall be laid in a traditional pattern indicative of the Connecticut Western Reserve Period.
3. Siding should be of traditional profiles such as 4 inches - 8 inches horizontal beveled. Vinyl (not less than 44 mil thickness) shall not exceed 30 percent of the building materials; the remainder shall be traditional or natural as stated in previous sections.
4. Glass openings shall be a minimum of 15% of the entire wall.
B. Minimum Wall Articulation:
1. There shall be no blank, un-articulated building walls exceeding 30 feet in length. All building walls shall be designed to meet all the following standards:
2. All office building walls shall consist of a building bay or structural building system that is a maximum of 30 feet in width. Bays shall be visually established by architectural features such as columns, ribs or pilasters, piers, changes in wall planes, changes in texture or materials, and fenestration pattern no less than twelve inches (12 inches) in width.
3. Free standing office buildings within this district must have 4 sided detail.
4. Any wall exceeding 30 feet in length shall include at least one change in wall plane, such as projections or recesses. Offset distance should be at least 12 inches and is encouraged to be more. Offsets shall extend at least twenty percent (20%) of the entire length of the façade.
(5) Roof.
A. Materials:
1. Natural or simulated slate or tile, wood shakes, dimensional shingles (minimum of 30 yr. warranty), standing seam metal (minimum of 20 yr. paint warranty), copper, metal, or flat roof systems (when hidden from public view).
B. Roofs shall have one or more of the following features:
1. Parapets concealing flat roofs and rooftop equipment such as HVAC units from public view are appropriate. The average height of such parapets shall not exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the height of the supporting wall and such parapets shall not at any point exceed one-third (1/3) of the height of the supporting wall. Such parapets shall feature three dimensional cornice treatment;
2. Minimum 8 inches roof overhangs are required on all pitched roofs.
3. Sloping roofs shall have a minimum pitch of 5/12.
4. Sloping roofs that do not exceed the average height of the supporting walls, with a minimum of 5/12 slope and a maximum of 18/12 slope. Single story retail and office buildings and residential buildings may have sloped roof with a maximum height of 1½ times the supporting wall.
5. Three (3) or more roof slope planes.
C. Buildings less than 16 feet in height shall have sloped roofs. Roofs shall have a minimum of 5/12 slope and a maximum of 18/12 slope. Mansard roofs are acceptable provided that they meet the minimum slope requirements and are a minimum of 8 feet in height.
D. All roof-top equipment must be screened.
E. The use of eaves, rakes, cornice lines and etc. are strongly encouraged to add visual interest.
(6) Openings.
A. Glass openings for retail and office buildings shall be between 30 - 70% of the entire wall.
B. Window and door frames should have the appearance of a traditional wood frame when practical.
C. Wood, vinyl, aluminum, aluminum clad, steel and fiberglass are acceptable.
D. Glass can be tinted or clear; reflective glass shall not be permitted.
E. The majority of glazed openings should be of vertical orientation (min. height = 1½ width) unless part of a store front or contextual to the building style. The intent is to eliminate the look of the modern "ribbon window" and portray a traditional proportion associated with mid-twentieth century construction. However, small amounts of a more contemporary approach may be acceptable if part of the overall design strategy.
F. The appearance of divided light windows is preferred.
(c) Landscaping and Screening.
(1) Intent.
A. Landscaping is a visible indicator of quality development and must be an integral part of the project, and not merely located in leftover portions of the site. Landscaping is intended to visually tie the entire development together, define major entryways and circulation (both vehicular and pedestrian) and parking patterns, and, where appropriate, help buffer less intensive adjacent land uses.
(2) Plant Materials.
A. Intent:
1. Incorporate plant species found throughout the region into the planting plan, and visually soften paved areas and buildings. Use and repeat plant materials throughout the development to visually tie the commercial center together.
B. Design Guidelines and Standards:
1. Each area required to be landscaped shall be covered in live material. Live material includes trees, shrubs, ground cover, and sod.
C. Shade Trees:
1. All shade trees shall be a minimum caliper of 2½ inches at the time of plating. Street trees shall be of a variety which will attain an average mature spread greater than 20 feet unless a columnar variety is specified to meet design criteria.
D. Ornamental Trees:
1. Ornamental trees shall be a minimum of 1¾ inches in caliper upon planting.
E. Evergreen Trees:
1. 6 feet minimum height upon planting.
F. Shrubs:
1. All shrubs shall have a minimum size at planting of 24 inches in height for plants with vertical growth habits and 18 inches spread for plants with horizontal growth habits. Evergreen shrubs shall be spaced not more than 36 inches apart so as to form a continuous visual screen under normal growing conditions.
G. Prairie Grasses:
1. Prairie grasses and wildflowers may be planted in combination and must consist of species found native to the northeast Ohio region.
H. Installation:
1. All landscape materials shall be installed in accordance with the current planting procedures established by the American Nursery and Landscape Association.
I. Maintenance:
1. The owner of the premises shall be responsible for the maintenance, repair and replacement of all landscaping materials, structures, plants and trees in accordance with these design guidelines. All landscape materials shall be maintained in a healthy, neat appearance.
(3) Entryway Landscaping.
A. Intent:
1. Entryway landscaping announces and highlights entries into the development for the visiting public and residents.
B. Design Guidelines and Standards:
1. Development entry ways shall be planted with ornamental plant material, such as ornamental trees, flowering shrubs and perennials, prairie grasses, and ground covers.
2. Landscaping should break down in scale and increase in detail, color, and variety to mark entry ways into developments.
3. Planting shall be massed and scaled as appropriate for the entryway size and space.
4. Landscaping at street intersections and driveway corners shall "pull back" to open view lines into the site and to create corner features.
(4) Interior Parking Lot Landscaping.
A. Intent:
1. Use parking lot landscaping to minimize the expansive appearance of parking lots, provide shaded parking areas, and mitigate any negative acoustic impacts of motor vehicles. The interior of all uncovered parking blocks containing ten (10) or more spaces shall be landscaped according to this subsection. These requirements for interior parking area landscaping are in addition to the requirements set forth below for perimeter parking area landscaping.
B. Design Guidelines and Standards:
1. Planting islands shall be a minimum of 120 square feet in area and shall be a minimum of 8 feet in width as measured from back of curb to back of curb.
2. Interior landscape islands shall be dispersed so as to define aisles and limit unbroken rows of parking to a maximum of 200 feet in length.
3. Parking lots shall be planted with a minimum of 1 shade tree per 10 parking spaces.
4. Parking lot islands shall be landscaped with shade trees, lawn, shrubs, ground cover or perennials.
(5) Perimeter Parking Area Screening.
A. An evergreen hedge or street-wall (either a minimum of three feet in height) shall be used to screen all parking areas from public roads. Hedges or street walls in excess of 50 feet in length shall be broken up or accented with deciduous or ornamental trees placed in 50 feet intervals. Hedges shall consist of evergreen plant material planted in a manner to achieve a height of 3 feet and grow together to form a continuous hedge within 3 years.
(6) Building Setback Landscaping.
A. Design Guidelines and Standards
B. Building setback areas along thoroughfare, collector, or residential streets, or along private drives, shall be landscaped with a minimum of one (1) tree per forty feet (40 feet) of linear frontage.
(7) Building Foundation Landscaping.
A. Intent:
1. Utilize plant material to break down the visual mass and scale of buildings while softening the architecture and highlighting specific features of the building. Use and repeat plant materials throughout the development to visually tie the districts together.
B. Design Guidelines and Standards:
1. Building foundations shall be planted with ornamental plant material, such as ornamental trees, flowering shrubs and perennials, and ground covers.
2. Landscaping should break down in scale and increase in detail, color, and variety to mark entryways into developments.
3. Plant material should be placed intermittently against long expanses of building walls, fences and other barriers to create a visually softening effect.
4. The scale of the plant material should be appropriate to the size of the facade being softened.
5. A minimum of one shade tree and ten shrubs per 5000 square feet of building ground coverage should be located per side of building that faces a public road. Trees should be planted between the Right of Way and the building facade.
(8) Service Area Screening.
A. Intent:
1. These standards visually screen on-site service areas, including loading docks, trash collection areas, outdoor storage, and similar service uses, from public rights-of-way and adjacent uses.
B. Design Guidelines and Standards:
1. To the maximum extent feasible, areas for outdoor storage, truck parking, trash collection or compaction, loading, or other such service areas shall not be visible from abutting streets and shall be oriented toward on-site service corridors.
2. No areas for outdoor storage, trash collection or compaction, loading, or other such uses shall be located within twenty feet (20 feet) of any public street, public sidewalk, or internal pedestrian walkway.
3. Loading docks, truck parking, outdoor storage, trash collection, trash compaction, and other service functions shall be incorporated into the overall design of the building or landscaping so that the visual and acoustic impacts of these functions are fully contained and out of view from adjacent properties and public streets. Screening materials shall be the same as, or of equal quality to, the materials used for the primary building and landscaping.
4. Non-enclosed areas for the storage and sale of seasonal inventory and/or vending machines shall be permanently defined and screened with landscaping, walls and/or fences. Materials, colors, and design of screening walls and/or fences, and of any covering for such area, shall be compatible with those used as predominant materials and colors on the primary building(s). The height of stored or displayed inventory shall not exceed the height of the screening wall or fence.
(9) Mechanical/Utility Equipment Screening.
A. Design Guidelines and Standards:
1. Mechanical/utility screening shall be an integral part of the building structure and architecture and not give the appearance of being "tacked on" to the exterior surfaces. The building parapet shall be the primary means of screening roof top equipment.
2. All mechanical equipment and utilities shall be screened.
(f) Lighting.
(1) General Lighting Guidelines.
A. Pedestrian Walkway Lighting. Pedestrian-level, bollard lighting, ground mounted lighting, or other low, glare-controlled fixtures mounted on building or landscape walls shall be used to light pedestrian walkways.
B. Lighting Height. Bollard-type lighting shall be no more than four feet (4 feet) high.
C. Lighting for Security.
1. Accent lighting on buildings is encouraged as a security feature.
2. Interior and exterior lighting shall be uniform to allow for surveillance and avoid isolated areas.
D. Illumination Levels. Pedestrian areas shall be illuminated to a minimum of one (1) footcandle.
E. Design of Fixtures/Prevention of Spillover Glare. Light fixtures shall use cutoff lenses or hoods to prevent glare and light spill off the project site onto adjacent properties, buildings, and roadways.
F. Color of Light Source. Lighting should have a color temperature from 2500°K to 3500°K. Lighting fixtures should be color-correct types such as halogen or metal halide to ensure true-color at night and ensure visual comfort for pedestrians. Lighting should display a uniform, comfortable and warm appearance.
(2) Architectural Building-Mounted Lighting:
A. Building-mounted lighting may be used only to highlight specific architectural features or primary customer or building entrances. General floodlighting of building façades is not permitted.
B. Coach lights are encouraged on residential buildings to enhance the residential feel and pedestrian safety.
(3) Parking Lot Lighting:
A. Luminaire Fixture Height. The mounting height for luminaire fixtures shall not exceed 28 feet as measured to the top of the fixture from grade.
B. Exterior lighting shall have an appropriate scale and appearance when visible
C. Average Maintained Footcandles:
1. The maximum average maintained footcandles for all parking lot lighting shall be three (3) footcandles, the minimum average maintained footcandles shall be one (1) footcandle. For the purpose of this standard, the average maintained footcandle shall be calculated at 0.8 of initial footcandles.
2. The maximum maintained vertical footcandle at an adjoining residential property line shall be 0.5 footcandles, measured at five feet (5 feet) above grade.
(4) Materials:
A. Antiqued materials including brass, steel, aluminum and copper are acceptable.
B. Fixtures with exposed bulbs are not permitted.
(g) Parking and Circulation.
(1) Standards and Guidelines.
A. Parking lots shall conform to the same minimum setbacks as the primary structure.
B. Design parking lots to avoid dead-end aisles.
C. Where a dead-end aisle is authorized, adequate space for unimpeded turn-around must be provided.
D. Avoid parking that creates hazardous backing movements into major drive aisles.
E. Design parking areas that incorporate pedestrian walkways in a manner that links parking, buildings and the street sidewalk system.
F. Divide parking areas that accommodate more than 125 vehicles into a series of smaller, connected lots.
G. Landscape and offset portions of the lot to reduce the visual impact of large parking areas.
H. Avoid aligning all travel lanes in parking lots in long straight configurations.
I. Provide cross-access easements between adjacent lots to facilitate the flow of traffic between complementary users.
J. Parking lots should be located behind buildings with limited visibility from public streets.
K. All parking lot striping and other markings will be white except for handicap and fire lanes.
L. All parking lots shall conform to the landscape parking provisions as outlined within the landscaping standards.
(h) Signage and Graphics.
(1) Purpose And General Intent.
A. Signage in this district is generally intended to identify to the user the location of a specific business. Business identification signage is generally intended to be seen by motorists from the adjacent thoroughfare to attract them to a specific location. All signage is not necessarily intended to be viewed from a public street; however if signs are visible from a public street, they must not compromise public safety by attracting undue attention.
B. Signage must be subservient to the overall design and impression of the architecture.
C. All signage shall be encouraged to be highly designed and unique to the individual tenant to contribute to the overall design theme. This includes: street signage, parking signage, directional signage, kiosks, etc.
(2) General Requirements.
A. The following sign and sign components shall not be permitted:
1. Flashing, oscillating or moving signs.
2. Formed plastic or injection molded signs.
3. Exposed transformers, ballast boxes, crossovers, conduit, sign cabinets, light boxes, etc. unless inherent with the design program.
4. Visible sign company names.
5. Decals and lettering on tenant show window glass, door glass, or any other part of the storefront cannot exceed 25 percent of the total area of the individual window panel, with the exception of store names, store hours and emergency phone numbers.
6. Temporary signs, posters, notices, announcements or advertisements.
7. Portable advertising signs.
8. Standard "Catalog" type signs (i.e. "open" neon signs).
B. The maximum height of a letter or symbol should not exceed 2 feet.
C. Tenant signage shall be permitted on the back/rear elevation of buildings.
D. Monument signs shall not be placed within the sight triangle of any intersection or access drive with a public street. Monument signs must incorporate design and materials that match the architecture of the development.
E. Ground mounted monument signs must be incorporated with a masonry base of at least 24 inches in height consisting of brick or stone matching the materials found on the main building.
F. Pylon signs are not permitted within this district.
(3) Signage Allowances.
A. Buildings within this district shall be permitted the following signage types:
1. Ground Mounted Monument Sign:
a. Ground mounted monument signs may be permitted within the building frontage on a major roadway. Monument sign will be of a pedestrian scale (maximum of 6 feet height) and will be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the right of way. Monument signs in this district will be limited to a maximum display area of 40 square feet per side and must meet the general sign requirements of this district. Signs shall be located with a minimum 50 square feet landscape bed around the sign base. Signs should be architecturally compatible with the building.
2. Building Mounted Facade Signs:
a. Buildings within this district shall be permitted building mounted signage on the frontage of the building facing a major road. Building mounted sings along the principal facade shall not exceed .75 square feet of sign area per 1 linear foot of primary building frontage. Buildings within this district occupying a corner location on two streets are permitted a primary sign for each facade facing a street.
b. Secondary signage is permitted on a non-primary facade, provided no illumination is used and the area is no more than 25% of the allowable area of the primary sign.
c. Buildings within this district occupying a corner location may be permitted building mounted signage on the secondary facade. Secondary facade signage shall not exceed .5 square feet of sign area per 1 linear foot of secondary building frontage.
(i) Fencing And Walls.
(1) Intent:
A. While fences and walls are often necessary to buffer uses, they can create a visually-monotonous streetscape. These standards provide fencing and walls that are visually-appealing, complement the design of the overall development and surrounding properties, and provide visual interest to pedestrians and motorists.
(2) Design Guidelines and Standards: When a commercial development includes a fence or wall, the following guidelines and standards apply:
A. The maximum height of a fence or wall shall be six feet (6 feet).
B. Fences shall be decorative in nature and be constructed as either stacked split-rail or post and rail styles.
C. Fences shall be constructed of solid wood and can be weather treated or painted.
D. Walls shall be constructed of high quality materials, such as decorative blocks, brick, stone, and wrought iron.
E. Breaks in the length of a fence shall be made to provide for required pedestrian connections to the perimeter of a site or to adjacent development.
F. The maximum length of continuous, unbroken, and uninterrupted fence or wall plane shall be fifty feet (50 feet). Breaks shall be provided through the use of columns, landscaping pockets, transparent sections, and/or a change to different materials.
G. Fences and walls shall be set back from the property line to allow a landscape setback area. Such setback area shall be landscaped with a turf, shrubs, and/or trees, using a variety of species to provide seasonal color and plant variety.
H. Use of landscaping beyond the minimum required in these standards is strongly encouraged to soften the visual impact of fences and walls.
(Ord. 2016-11-19. Passed 12-13-16.)
(Ord. 2016-11-19. Passed 12-13-16.)