A. Establishment Of Design Guidelines: The city council shall adopt by resolution a list of design guidelines that are applicable to all developments subject to the requirements of this article. Each design guideline must be met by the proposed development. However, the design guidelines are intended to provide some flexibility in application provided that the basic intent of the guideline is met. Compliance with these design guidelines will be determined by the planning director or the design review commission as provided by section 17.09.315 of this title. If the project is reviewed by the planning director, an appeal may be taken to the design review commission by an aggrieved party by following the appeal procedures specified in section 17.07.945 of this chapter.
B. Design Departures: An applicant may request a design departure from any of the design guidelines adopted pursuant to this section. The planning director will review all requests for design departures on projects not subject to design review commission review under section 17.09.315 of this title. In order for the planning director to approve a design departure, he or she must find that:
1. The requested departure meets the intent statements relating to applicable development standards and design guidelines.
2. The departure will not have a detrimental effect on nearby properties or the city as a whole.
3. The project's building(s) exhibits a high degree of craftsmanship, building detail, architectural design, or quality of materials that are not typically found in standard construction. In order to meet this standard, an applicant must demonstrate to the planning director that the project's design offers a significant improvement over what otherwise could have been built under minimum standards and guidelines.
4. The proposed departure is part of an overall, thoughtful and comprehensive approach to the design of the project as a whole.
5. The project must be consistent with the comprehensive plan and any applicable plan. (Ord. 3328 §8, 2008: Ord. 3192 §10, 2004)