(A) Awnings.
In order to promote the appropriate use of awnings, the following standards shall apply to all awnings, on all buildings, where provided, unless otherwise noted. | APPLICABILITY | ||||
"X" means that the standard is required and compliance shall be determined by staff. | All Commercial | Downtown Core | COM | COL | |
1 | Awnings, where provided, shall be placed at the top of window and door openings and shall relate to the shape of the top of the window or doorway. | X | |||
2 | Awnings shall be made of canvas, vinyl or similar material. | X | X | ||
3 | Awnings shall be self-supporting from the wall; no supports shall rest on or interfere with the use of pedestrian walkways, streets, trees or utilities. Awnings shall extend over a light gauge frame. | X | X | ||
4 | Awnings may encroach the sidewalk up to 4 feet, must clear the sidewalk vertically by at least 8 feet but by no more than 12 feet, and shall not be placed closer than 6 feet to the trunk of a tree. | X | X | ||
5 | There shall be a coordinated plan for multiple awnings on a single building. | X | |||
(B) Building presentation and wall pattern.
In order to have buildings that properly front public streets and public places, and to define urban street space and foster compatibility between development sites, the following standards shall apply to all buildings, unless otherwise noted. | APPLICABILITY | ||||
"X" means that the standard is required and compliance shall be determined by staff. | All Commercial | Downtown Core | CMOL | COL | |
1 | Front building facades shall be substantially parallel to the front property line except that: a) The entrance of corner buildings may be oriented to front the corner; b) Buildings interior to a development site may be arranged to front a common courtyard, parking area, driveway; c) Where the street curves at the front property line the building shall be parallel to a tangent of the curve that does, or would if lines were extended, intersect the side property lines; and d) Sideyard houses built to conform to historic design principles shall be exempt from this requirement. | X | |||
2 | All loading docks, storage areas, solid waste, maintenance equipment and similar items shall be screened from public view. | X | |||
3 | Any side of a non-residential building that faces an arterial or collector street shall be treated as a building facade for the purposes of applying the standards of this Zoning Ordinance. | X | |||
4 | Additions and new construction shall maintain the existing building wall pattern by extending the building front from side lot line to side lot line, except that an appropriate architectural wall or similar design feature may be used instead of a building extension. | X | |||
(C) Exterior materials.
In order to have buildings clad with a type, texture, and color of material that relates to natural material elements found in Camden and Kershaw County, and which respects our history and the area of the city in which the building is located, the following standards shall apply to all building exteriors, unless otherwise noted. | APPLICABILITY | ||||
"X" means that the standard is required and compliance shall be determined by staff. | All Commercial | Downtown Core | CMOL | COL | |
In order to have buildings clad with a type, texture, and color of material that relates to natural material elements found in Camden and Kershaw County, and which respects our history and the area of the city in which the building is located, the following standards shall apply to all building exteriors, unless otherwise noted. | APPLICABILITY | ||||
"X" means that the standard is required and compliance shall be determined by staff. | All Commercial | Downtown Core | CMOL | COL | |
1 | The exterior finish material on all facades shall be limited to brick, stucco, fiber cement siding (e.g. HardiePlank). | X | X | ||
2 | Concrete block, sheet metal and corrugated metal are prohibited as an exterior wall material on all buildings except for the rear side of commercial and industrial buildings that area screened from public view. However, textured or patterned concrete block which mimics the appearance of brick, stone, or hard stucco is permissible. | X | X | X | |
3 | Paint colors used on exterior walls of non-residential buildings shall be of low reflectance, subtle, neutral, or earth tone colors or shall relate to historic building colors found within the city generally or on neighboring historic buildings. Contrasting colors shall be kept in tone with the primary color. | X | |||
4 | Highlighting trim and dark contrasting features, including stripes, light panels, shutters, facades, doors, awning, logos, sign backgrounds, light poles, and other structures on the site, shall meet the following standards: | X | |||
4 | a) The exterior wall area of each side of the building may contain non-fluorescent highlighting trim or dark contrasting features which use bright, dark, or vivid colors, but are restricted to the following percentages: 10% for red, yellow, orange and purple; and 20% for blue, green black and brown. In the event that more than one highlighting color is used the allowance for the colors will be prorated. b) If a sloping facade is installed, only one-half of the highlighting color percentages mentioned above are allowed on the exterior of the building. | X | |||
5 | A sloping facade cannot exceed 30% of the exterior wall height of a building measured vertically. | X | |||
6 | A sloping facade may be any roof color permitted by this code for the area in which it is located. | X | |||
(D) Facades, windows, and roofs.
In order to have well designed facades that add to the city's architectural inventory and that provide visual interest to the pedestrian and cyclist, the following standards shall apply to all facades, windows, and roofs. | APPLICABILITY | ||||
"X" means that the standard is required and compliance shall be determined by staff. | All Commercial | Downtown Core | CMOL | COL | |
In order to have well designed facades that add to the city's architectural inventory and that provide visual interest to the pedestrian and cyclist, the following standards shall apply to all facades, windows, and roofs. | APPLICABILITY | ||||
"X" means that the standard is required and compliance shall be determined by staff. | All Commercial | Downtown Core | CMOL | COL | |
1 | Buildings in the downtown, with the exception of civic buildings, shall have the first floor designed with a shopfront at sidewalk level along the entire length of the building front. | X | |||
2 | Shopfronts (first floor only) shall contain no less than 50% glazing with clear glass. Glass shall be a minimum of 18 inches above the sidewalk. | X | |||
3 | Doors and windows that operate as sliders are prohibited along frontages. | X | X | X | |
4 | Openings above the first story shall not exceed 50% of the exterior wall area, with each floor being calculated independently. However, individual windows shall be a minimum of 15 square feet. | X | X | ||
5 | Flat roofs shall have a parapet wall along the front facade of the building. | X | |||
6 | Pitched roofs shall be dark-colored fiberglass shingles (except red and blue), slate, clay tile, or standing-seam copper roofs. Corrugated metal roofs are permitted if they are installed on a gabled or hipped roof. | X | |||
7 | Colors used on roofs are limited to the following: a) Asphalt shingles may be any color except red or blue. b) Metal, plastic or fiberglass roofs may be tan, gray, brown, slate, clay, black, white, burgundy, evergreen or metallic. | X | |||
8 | New construction and additions to or remodeling of existing buildings shall maintain a clear visual division between street level and any upper floors using cornice lines, windows, or similar architectural elements. | X | |||
9 | The primary entrance to a building shall be architecturally and functionally designed on the front facade of the building facing the primary public street. | X | |||
10 | All openings, including porches, and windows, with the exception of shopfronts, shall have a width that does not exceed height. | X | X | ||
(E) Size, scale, and compatibility of design.
In order to promote compatibility of design within the built environment while encouraging creativity and variety, the following standards shall apply to all buildings, unless otherwise noted. | APPLICABILITY | ||||
"X" means that the standard is required and compliance shall be determined by staff. | All Commercial | Downtown Core | CMOL | COL | |
1 | The scale and design of the exterior of any new building or the renovation of the exterior of any existing building fronting the following street segments shall be of a design that is architecturally compatible and in aesthetic harmony with nearby historic properties. Brick veneers must be of a compatible color and style. Broad Street: Laurens Street to Ehrenclou Drive Dekalb Street: Campbell Street to Mill Street Rutledge Street (entire street) York Street: Broad Street to Mill Street | X | X | ||
2 | Blank or uninterrupted building facades visible from the corridor shall be designed in a manner that reduces the building mass by breaking the facade into smaller segments. Design techniques that include repetitive features or similar architectural elements may be utilized to accomplish this. (This standard shall not apply to industrial buildings.) | X | |||
3 | No single multi-family development shall contain more than 10 acres or 140 units. | X | |||
4 | Multi-story, multi-family facilities shall have internal access only or access from common stairwells located under the roofline between building sections, the purpose of this regulation is to prevent these facilities from having the appearance of a motel. | X | |||
(Ord. 15-002, passed 2-24-15)