(A) General design principles. General design principles are as follows.
(1) Historic structures should be preserved and maintained whenever possible as important contributors to the city's character.
(2) All new development shall be designed to value, respect and preserve identified natural features and resources.
(3) Buildings should be designed to relate well to the existing environment, both natural and human-made, and consider context in massing, materials, style and color; design of the landscape and hardscape should be coordinated and harmonious with the building design and materials.
(4) All new development should be sensitive to existing residences in the design and location of new uses and buildings with respect to shading, views, light or noise pollution; where necessary appropriate screening or buffering shall be provided.
(B) Unifying design concept. All new buildings in the Design Overlay District shall be of the Italianate or Queen Anne (commercial) architectural style, as defined in § 152.021.
(1) Except where the Italianate or Queen Anne (commercial) architectural character otherwise directs, new buildings, remodelings and additions shall relate to the character of the original building on the site or to traditional buildings around them, when these are present. This can be achieved by maintaining similar setbacks, modest building scale and height, cornice lines, horizontal lines of windows and openings, architectural styles and details, building materials and colors.
(2) Building additions shall reflect the design of the existing building where the existing building is in compliance with the downtown design standards.
(C) Building placement. Zero lot line setbacks shall be allowed when determined to be consistent with architectural context of the area.
(D) Composition and detailing.
(1) No building design shall be approved which includes less than 40%, and no more than 75%, window and door area at the base of the facade for buildings. The minimum/maximum window and door area shall apply to all facades directly adjacent to a public street.
(2) All buildings shall have an identifiable ground level base element.
(3) Corners, cornices, windows and doorways shall include additional architectural detailing beyond the basic building wall materials or pattern of traditional style buildings.
(E) Building height. Building heights shall be in accordance with the requirements of the underlying zoning district.
(F) Street front entry/doorway.
(1) No entry shall project into the public right-of-way. Double door entryways shall be no more than seven feet in width.
(2) Canopies, awnings and other similar architectural features shall project no more than three feet into public right-of-way. No building shall use permanent, retractable or roll-down security doors or bars which are visible to the public from the street or sidewalk.
(3) Except where specifically allowed by the city, canopies shall be constructed of cloth, glass or metal materials. Canopy design shall include appropriate detailing reflecting the architectural style of the building. Backlit awnings which are transparent shall not be permitted. A minimum of seven feet of vertical clear space shall be maintained between the lowest point of the canopy and/or its structural elements and the ground elevation.
(G) Street front windows.
(1) Single window panes shall not exceed four feet in width. No more than 50% of upper building levels shall be comprised of glass.
(2) Window sill height on the base level shall be no less than 12 inches nor more than 32 inches above interior finished floor elevation.
(3) Where window projections are used, no projection may extend to within ten feet of the curb line of the street, nor more than two feet from the front line of the building.
(4) Window bay widths shall range from a minimum of 12 feet to a maximum of 20 feet.
(H) Bay width. Upper floors shall be designed to clearly reflect the division of bays at the base level.
(I) Roofs.
(1) Roof top elements shall be constructed of brick or other material to be approved by the city which is complementary to the building materials which comprise the bulk of the building.
(2) Architectural elements such as cornices, decorative chimneys and strong corner elements shall be used to enhance the roof line of traditional style buildings.
(3) Mansard roofs or mansard-style canopies shall not be permitted. Flat, gabled, shed, hip, pitched, round or arched roof designs, depending on the neighborhood context, shall be required for new construction or qualifying redevelopment projects. Definitions of roof styles are found in § 152.021.
(4) Roof or wall mounted mechanical equipment shall not be visible from adjacent public areas. Equipment shall be placed in a location on the roof which eliminates visibility or parapets shall be constructed which fully screen the equipment. The parapets shall be coordinated with building architecture and materials and may not consist of fencing or fencing materials.
(5) Gutters or other stormwater controls shall be constructed of weather-durable materials. Plastic shall not be considered an acceptable material.
(J) Building materials.
(1) Brick and glass shall be the dominant exterior building materials used for facades adjacent to a public street. Brick shall be maintained in its natural color and shall not be painted.
(2) Upon approval of the city, materials other than brick, including manufactured stone, may be utilized as the primary material upon a demonstration that the architectural appearance will complement the building materials of surrounding structures in the neighborhood. A specific architectural style or historic development, as determined by the city, would constitute one possible basis for the demonstration.
(3) Concrete masonry units (CMUs) shall be allowed only on a case-by-case basis where appropriate to the design, architecture and neighborhood context of a building.
(4) Complementary building materials may be used as detail, including metal, stucco, exterior insulation and finish system (EFIS), stone and/or precast architectural concrete, but shall not exceed 30% of the total area of facades adjacent to public rights-of-way. When glass is the predominant building material, brick shall be the dominant complementary material.
(K) Rear facade entry/doorways. Building design and site layout shall emphasize attractive and safe rear building entryways from parking areas or trails. Character and design of the rear facade shall be consistent with the front and sides of the building.
(L) Franchise design. Franchise design shall be allowed only to the extent that the materials, colors and scale are designed to meet these standards and the project is integrated into the architectural context created by surrounding buildings.
(Prior Code, § 11-76-6) (Ord. 258, passed 5-4-2006)