A. Urban Design Guidelines of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA).
1. Purpose and Intent. The purpose of Boynton Beach Urban Design Guidelines are to provide a basis for evaluating redevelopment proposals and act as a guide for making decisions about public and private improvements within the boundaries of the Community Redevelopment Agency. It is anticipated that through the use of the guidelines, both private and public projects will endeavor to preserve and enhance the form, scale, and visual character that make downtown unique within the city and the region. The guidelines will assist to ensure that each incremental site design, architectural, and streetscape project contributes to a positive image for the city.
2. Relationship to Comprehensive Plan. In particular, the guidelines are designed to support the following objectives in accordance with the City of Boynton Beach Comprehensive Plan:
a. Assure long-term economic vitality of the downtown;
b. Create a vibrant mixed-use development downtown urban environment;
c. Create an aesthetically pleasing and vibrant pedestrian oriented downtown;
d. Provide improved visual and physical connectivity between downtown districts;
e. Encourage the creation of exciting and inviting public urban spaces;
f. Develop a downtown urban character that is unique to Boynton Beach;
g. Provide interesting architectural design diversity within a continuity of urban design principles; and
h. Provide safe, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing accommodations for vehicular access and parking.
3. Relationship to Redevelopment Plan. The Urban Design Guidelines are applicable to all properties that are located within the CRA, particularly within the Federal Highway Corridor Community Redevelopment Plan, Heart of Boynton Master Plans & Schematic Designs, Ocean District Community Redevelopment Plan, and Boynton Beach Boulevard Corridor Plan.
4. Relationship to Land Development Regulations. The Urban Design Guidelines are applicable to all properties that are located within the CRA, particularly within the Mixed-Use Low Intensity 1 (MU-L1), Mixed-Use Low Intensity 2 (MU-L2), Mixed-Use Low Intensity 3 (MU-L3), and Mixed-Use High Intensity (MU-H) zoning districts.
B. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED).
1. General.
a. Purpose & Intent. The proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the incidence and fear of crime and improvement in the quality of life by incorporating access control, natural surveillance, and territorial defensive tactics into building and site design components.
b. Applicability. The following guidelines have been developed for incorporation into the design of all new residential and non-residential developments and major modifications to approved developments.
2. Guidelines. The following guidelines have been developed to further the purpose and intent of this subsection through compliance with the following design elements:
a. Lighting.
(1) Exterior lighting should be placed above or near entryways and garages.
(2) Landscaping should be designed and maintained to reduce conflicts with exterior lighting, taking into account long-term tree canopy growth.
(3) Landscaping should be designed and maintained to minimize obstruction of view of windows, address numbers, and walkways.
(4) Pedestrian-scale lighting (maximum 12-foot tall, metal halide light poles) should be used for all street and pedestrian walkways.
(5) On non-residential projects, non-glare lighting should be located around the perimeter or placed on building walls.
(6) In parking garages, all lighting should be vandal resistant. Enhanced lighting should be used at entrance/exits to reduce transition (from daylight) when entering structure, while not drawing additional attention at night.
b. Numerical Address.
(1) For all multi-family residential and non-residential developments, illumination of the building numbers is recommended.
(2) For all multi-family residential and non-residential developments, building numbers should be 12 inches in height and placed away from landscaping. Building numbers should be placed on facades that are adjacent to accessways and off-street parking areas.
c. Building Design.
(1) Building architecture should allow for enhanced natural surveillance of all off-street parking areas, providing a sense of security to patrons and visitors.
(2) Security vision doors shall be utilized at all entrances to stairwells on each floor.
(3) Convex mirrors shall be installed in stairwell and elevator areas.
(4) Elevators shall be located close to the main entrance, constructed to avoid hidden spaces and utilize Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) surveillance.
d. Understory Parking and Parking Garages (Freestanding and Integrated).
(1) The first level of a parking garage should have restricted access from exterior common ground area, in an effort to reduce unauthorized/unsupervised entry. Wrapping the parking garage with residential or non-residential uses is the preferred methodology in the design of a parking garage to restrict unwanted access and meet other design guideline objectives.
(2) In the limited areas of the garage not wrapped by other uses, exterior walls surrounding the first floor (ground level) parking should be a minimum three (3) to four (4) feet high. Additionally, decorative grill work should be installed between the top of this wall and the flooring of the second parking level.
(3) Pedestrian entrances should be adjacent to vehicle entrances, open and free of hidden spaces and wired for CCTV surveillance.
(4) Each level of the parking garage should be equipped with well-marked, direct-ring emergency telephones which shall terminate at a central monitoring office, station, or booth.
(5) Ceilings and solid walls inside parking garages should be painted white to increase the brightness within the structure.
e. Miscellaneous.
(1) Central mailbox stations should be placed in high-activity and conspicuous locations for enhanced safety and natural surveillance of users.
(2) Pedestrian crosswalks should be delineated by using contrasting paver blocks as opposed to surface striping. When crosswalks are located away from stop signs within off-street parking areas, they should also be raised. Paver bricks should be compatible in style throughout a development.
(3) Bicycle racks should be placed in close proximity to building entrances and not located within off-street parking areas.
(4) Automated Teller Machines (ATM) should not be obscured by any landscaping in excess of two (2) feet in height or other fixed objects that would prevent clear visibility and should have a convex mirror strategically placed to allow the ATM operator to identify any approaching persons.
(5) ATM's should have illumination of the walkway leading to and from it positioned so as not to cause glare on the video recording equipment.
(6) Benches should have adequate lighting if they are intended for nighttime use and be located in open view to eliminate concealment areas.
(Ord. 12-016, passed 10-2-12)