(A) Applicability.
(1) These non-residential design standards apply to all new public, institutional, commercial and industrial development.
(2) In addition to new non-residential development, these standards also apply to any existing non-residential buildings if any expansion or alteration exceeds 50% of the structures gross square footage at the time of expansion or alteration.
(3) The approving authority for a site plan, subdivision plat, or other permit may modify or waive any or all of these standards for industrial uses when they conflict with the covenants or design scheme of an existing industrial park. Modification or waiver must consider the following criteria:
(a) The surrounding area is substantially developed with buildings not meeting any or all of these standards;
(b) The location is not on an arterial or collector road or other highly visible location where strict compliance is crucial to meeting overall city aesthetic goals; and
(c) The likelihood of surrounding non-conforming buildings changing use, being redeveloped, or otherwise being brought into greater conformance with these design standard within the foreseeable future is low.
(B) Building presentation and wall pattern. Front building façades shall be substantially parallel to the front property line except that:
(1) The entrance of corner buildings may be oriented to front the corner;
(2) Buildings interior to a development site may be arranged to front a common courtyard, parking area, driveway;
(3) 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;
(4) In pedestrian-oriented areas such as the Central Business District, an operable primary building entrance must face the street;
(5) In automobile-oriented transportation corridors, the operable primary entrance is considered the main customer entrance and may face a street or parking lot;
(6) Side yard houses built to conform to historic design principles shall be exempt from this requirement.
(C) Building articulation required. In order to provide building articulation and interest in design and human scale to the façade of a building, a variety of building techniques are required. The purpose of this section is to ensure that the front of non-residential structures have a variety of offsets, relief, and insets to provide a more interesting façade appearance. Front façades more than 60 feet wide must comply with the following articulation requirements.
(l) Horizontal articulation.
(a) A wall must have a perpendicular offset after a horizontal span of two times its average height, or more frequently if desired.
(b) The offset depth must be at least 5% of the average building height. Offsets can be of varying depth as long as this minimal standard is met.
(c) The offset must extend laterally for a distance equal to at least 10% of the entire façade, up to a maximum of 40 feet.
(d) Industrial buildings may use a change of materials, colors, or texture to meet the horizontal articulation requirements. Buildings must still meet the distance and length requirements above.
(e) For calculation purposes, the façade will be considered the total distance of the building façade.
(2) Vertical articulation.
(a) A wall must chance elevation after a horizontal span of two times its average height, or more frequently if desired.
(b) The change in height must be at least 15% of the average building height.
(c) The elevation chance must continue to extend laterally for a distance equal to at least l0% of the entire façade, up to a maximum of 40 feet.
(d) Elevation changes can be of varying heights as long as the minimal standard is met.
(e) For calculation purposes, the façade will be considered the total distance of the building façade.
(3) Prominent entry. All non-residential buildings must have at least one prominent entry. All non-residential buildings other than industrial uses must use at least two of the following features, and industrial uses must use at least one feature:
(a) Canopies, porticos, or roof overhangs above the entrance;
(b) Entry recesses/projections, with raised parapets, gabled roof forms, arcades, or arches above the entrance;
(c) Architectural details, such as tile work and moldings, that are integrated into the building structure and design, and are above and/or directly adjacent to the entrance; or
(d) Integral planters or wind walls that incorporate landscaped areas or seating areas. A wing wall is a wall secondary in scale projecting from a primary wall and not having a roof.
(D) Building materials.
(1) Prohibited materials.
(a) Lap siding is only permitted on office and commercial buildings of less than 10,000 square feet, and above the ground floor of multi-story mixed-use buildings. Vinyl lap siding must have a smooth finish with no visible grain pattern.
(b) Stucco or synthetic stucco is prohibited on buildings larger than 10,000 square feet, and within two feet of the grade level or within two feet of any exterior door jamb.
(2) Colors.
(a) 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.
(b) The exterior wall area of each side of the building may contain nonfluorescent highlighting trim or dark contrasting features which use bright, dark, or vivid colors, but are restricted to no more than 10% of the façade.
(E) Roofs.
(1) Roof planes. Except for mansard roofs, cupolas, and steeples, sloped roofs must include two or more sloping roof planes with greater than or equal to one foot of vertical rise for every three feet of horizontal run, and less than or equal to one foot of vertical rise for every one foot of horizontal run.
(2) Flat roofs. When flat roofs are used, parapet walls with three-dimensional cornice treatments must conceal them. The cornice must include a perpendicular projection a minimum of four inches from the parapet façade plane.
(3) Pitched roofs. Pitched roofs shall be dark-colored fiberglass shingles (except red and blue), slate, clay tile, or standing-seam metal roofs.
(4) Allowable roof colors.
(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.
(5) Services and utilities.
(a) All loading docks, storage areas, solid waste, maintenance equipment and similar items shall be screened from public view.
(b) Mechanical equipment at ground level shall be placed on the parking lot side of buildings away from public streets and buildings on adjacent sites, except for single-family residential uses and industrial buildings in the CMU zoning district. All such equipment shall be substantially screened from public view.
(c) Mechanical equipment and antennas located on rooftops shall be camouflaged as a normal architectural feature of the building, or hidden by a decorative cornice or parapet wall, as seen from the ground.
(d) All trash and recycling receptacles and storage areas shall be located away from public streets and screened entirely from public view.
(e) All non-vegetative screening used to block public view of trash and recycling receptacles and storage areas shall be made of materials compatible in color and type to the principal structure(s) on the property.
(f) Drive-thru windows, freestanding ATMs, and similar devices and accessory uses shall only be placed in areas that will not interfere with the safe movement of pedestrians and vehicles in parking and driveway areas.
(g) Drive-thru windows, freestanding ATMs, and similar devices shall not be placed between the primary façade of a building and the public street.
(Ord. 2024-014, passed 6-25-24)