(a) Design standards for large retail uses.
(1) Purpose. Large retail uses often have negative impacts on community aesthetics, the environment, mass transit, pedestrian circulation, the scale and rhythm of streetscapes, traffic, and urban sprawl. These design standards are intended to ensure that large retail uses are compatible with the surrounding area and mitigate the negative impact of large retail uses while allowing creativity, flexibility, and variety in design. These design standards are also intended to make adaptive reuse of large retail spaces possible.
(2) Applicability.
(A) These design standards apply to the following uses built after October 27, 2004, and the following existing uses expanded to 100,000 square feet or more:
(i) In Chapter 51:
(aa) Retail stores other than listed uses of 100,000 square feet or more.
(bb) Retail food store uses of 100,000 square feet or more.
(cc) Furniture store uses of 100,000 square feet or more.
(dd) Home improvement center uses of 100,000 square feet or more.
(ii) In Chapter 51A:
(aa) Furniture store uses of 100,000 square feet or more.
(bb) General merchandise and food store uses of 100,000 square feet or more.
(cc) Home improvement center, lumber, brick or building material sales yard uses of 100,000 square feet or more.
(B) These design standards do not apply to a covered mall building containing more than 500,000 square feet. These design standards do apply to any use listed in Subparagraph (A) within a covered mall building (an anchor tenant) that has a means of ingress and egress independent of the covered mall building and does not have an entrance into the common pedestrian area.
(C) The landscape requirements of these design standards may be used to satisfy any landscaping required by Article X.
(D) In the event that these design standards conflict with other requirements of this chapter, the more stringent requirement applies.
(3) Definitions. The following definitions apply to these design standards:
(A) COVERED MALL BUILDING means a single building enclosing 10 or more retail, personal service, and office uses that have access into a climate-controlled common pedestrian area.
(B) FACADE WALL means any separate face of a building, including parapet walls and omitted wall lines, or any part of a building that encloses usable space. Where separate faces are oriented in the same direction, or in the directions within 45 degrees of one another, they are considered as part of a single facade wall.
(C) FRONT PARKING AREA means, for developments with a single use, the area in front of a line parallel to and extending outward from the primary facade wall to the property lines, and means, for developments with multiple uses, the area between two lines at the corners of the primary facade wall and perpendicular to the primary facade wall and extending to the property line.
(D) PRIMARY FACADE WALL means the facade wall containing the primary entrance. If two or more facades walls have entrances of equal significance, each facade wall will be considered a primary facade wall.
(E) REAR FACADE WALL means the facade wall containing service areas.
(F) SIDE FACADE WALL means any facade wall that is not a primary facade wall or a rear facade wall.
(G) SERVICE AREA means any area for loading docks, outdoor storage (other than an outdoor display, sales, and storage area), trash collection or compaction, truck parking, or other similar functions.
(4) Facade walls. Primary facade walls and side facade walls must incorporate at least three of the following design elements. Rear facade walls must incorporate at least two of the following design elements. The cumulative length of these design elements must extend for at least 60 percent of the facade wall’s horizontal length.
(A) A repeating pattern of wall recesses and projections, such as bays, offsets, reveals, or projecting ribs, that have a relief of at least eight inches.
(B) At least three of the following design elements at the primary entrance, so that the primary entrance is architecturally prominent and clearly visible from the abutting street:
(i) Architectural details such as arches, friezes, tile work, murals, or moldings.
(ii) Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscaping or seating.
(iii) Enhanced exterior light fixtures such as wall sconces, light coves with concealed light sources, ground-mounted accent lights, or decorative pedestal lights.
(iv) Prominent three-dimensional features, such as belfries, chimneys, clock towers, domes, spires, steeples, towers, or turrets.
(v) A repeating pattern of pilasters projecting from the facade wall by a minimum of eight inches or architectural or decorative columns.
(C) Arcades, awnings, canopies, covered walkways, or porticos.
(D) Display windows, faux windows, or decorative windows.
(E) Trim or accent elements using decorative contrasting colors or decorative neon lighting of at least 10 percent of the area of the facade wall exclusive of fenestration.
(5) Facade wall changes. Facade walls must have a one or more of the following changes:
(A) Changes of color, texture, or material, either diagonally, horizontally, or vertically, at intervals of not less than 20 feet and not more than 100 feet.
(B) Changes in plane with a depth of at least 24 inches, either diagonally, horizontally, or vertically, at intervals of not less than 20 feet and not more than 100 feet.
(6) Materials and colors.
(A) No more than 75 percent of the area of a facade wall, exclusive of fenestration, may have a single material or color.
(B) It is recommended that the following materials are only used on rear facade walls:
(i) Smooth-faced concrete block that is non-tinted or non-burnished.
(ii) Tilt-up concrete panels that are unadorned or untextured.
(iii) Prefabricated steel panels.
(7) Roofs.
(A) Roof-mounted mechanical equipment, skylights, and solar panels must be screened or set back so that they not visible from a point five feet, six inches above grade at the property line. Screening materials must match the materials and colors used on the main building. Chain link fence may not be used as a screening material.
(B) Roofs must have at least one of the following design elements:
(i) Parapets with horizontal tops having height changes of at least one foot occurring horizontally no less than every 100 feet. Parapets that do not have horizontal tops must have pitched or rounded tops with a pattern that repeats or varies no less than every 100 feet. All parapets must have detailing such as cornices, moldings, trim, or variations in brick coursing.
(ii) Sloping roofs with at least two of the following design elements:
(aa) Slope of at least 5:12.
(bb) Two or more slope planes.
(cc) Overhanging eaves extending at least three feet beyond the supporting wall.
(8) Parking lots and landscaping.
(A) Landscaped islands of a minimum of 20 square feet per row of cars must be placed at both ends of each grouping of parking rows. Landscaped islands must have ground cover and trees or shrubs.
(B) Parking lots must be divided into sections containing no more than 120 parking spaces. Parking lot sections must be divided by landscaped dividers with a minimum width of five feet. Landscaped dividers must have trees spaced at a maximum of 30 feet on center and ground cover or shrubs. Parking lot sections may contain up to 160 parking spaces if, in addition to the landscaped divider, each grouping of parking rows is divided by a landscape island of a minimum of 20 square feet per row of cars. Landscaped islands must have ground cover and trees or shrubs.
(C) No more than two-thirds of the off-street parking spaces may be located in the front parking area. If more than 50 percent of a parking space is within the front parking area, then that parking space shall be counted as being within the front parking area. The two-thirds limitation on off-street parking within the front parking area may be exceeded if one additional tree beyond the requirements of these design standards is provided within the front parking area for every 15 off-street additional parking spaces or fraction thereof located within the front parking area.
(D) Parking lots must have a pedestrian pathway system distinguished from the parking and driving surface by landscape barriers or a change in surface materials such as pavers or patterned concrete. Pedestrian pathways may not be distinguished by paint alone. Pedestrian pathways must be a minimum of eight feet wide. Pedestrian pathways must connect mass transit stops, parking areas, public sidewalks, and public rights-of-way to the primary entrance.
(E) A landscaped buffer strip with a minimum width of 20 feet must be located between any parking area and any public right-of-way other than alleys. The landscape buffer may be interrupted by vehicular and pedestrian access areas. The landscape buffer strip may be located in whole or in part in the public right-of-way if the requirements of Chapter 43 of the Dallas City Code are met. The landscape buffer strip must have an evergreen berm with a minimum height of three feet. If the topography prevents installation of a berm, an evergreen hedge with a minimum height of three feet may be substituted. The landscape buffer must also have trees spaced at a maximum of 30 feet on center.
(F) Trees spaced at a maximum of 30 feet on center must be provided within 20 feet of the primary facade wall and one side facade wall for at least 50 percent of the length of each facade wall. Trees may be located in the public right-of-way if the requirements of Chapter 43 of the Dallas City Code are met. Trees must be planted in a landscape strip with a minimum width of five feet or in tree wells with minimum dimensions of five feet by five feet.
(G) Parking areas must have access, either directly or via a private access drive, to a four-lane public street with two lanes in each direction or to a two-lane one-way public street.
(H) Shopping cart storage areas in parking lots must be screened with landscaping along the length of the shopping cart storage area facing any public right-of-way other than alleys.
(9) Miscellaneous design standards.
(A) Service areas must be oriented so that they are not visible from abutting public rights-of-way or residential zoning districts, or must be screened from abutting public rights-of-way or residential zoning districts by solid masonry screening with a minimum height of eight feet extending the entire length of the service area.
(B) Automotive service bays must be oriented away from any public right-of-way or residential zoning district, unless screened from view with solid masonry screening with a minimum height of eight feet extending the entire length of the automotive service bays.
(C) Mechanical equipment on the ground must be screened using materials matching the materials and colors used on the main building. Chain link fence may not be used as a screening material.
(D) Merchandise may not be displayed or stored in parking areas or on sidewalks adjacent to facade walls, except in screened outdoor display, sales, and storage areas.
(E) Outdoor display, sales, and storage areas, such as nursery departments, must be enclosed by screening with a solid base with a minimum height of three feet surmounted by a wrought iron or tubular steel fence with a minimum height of five feet. The screening must be surmounted with a minimum of two feet of fascia with materials and colors matching the main building. No merchandise other than trees may be visible above the screening.
(F) Shopping cart storage areas adjacent to facade walls (not in parking lots) must be screened with landscaping or materials matching the materials of the primary facade wall. No more than two shopping cart storage areas (one on each side of an entrance) may be provided on any facade wall. Shopping cart storage areas may not exceed 20 feet in length.
(G) In the CA-1 and CA-1(A) districts, a minimum of 75 percent of the primary facade wall must be set back no more than 15 feet.
(H) If the use is within 300 feet of a residential zoning district or a zoning district that allows residential uses, the following restrictions apply. For purposes of this provision, measurements are made in a straight line, without regard to intervening structures or objects, from the nearest boundary of the lot where the use is conducted to the nearest boundary of the zoning district in issue.
(i) External speakers are prohibited.
(ii) Staging, loading, or idling of commercial vehicles in a service area is prohibited between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Signs prohibiting staging, loading, or idling of commercial vehicles between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. must be posted every 100 feet adjacent to the service area.
(iii) An external lighting plan demonstrating compliance with all city ordinances must be submitted to and approved by the building official prior to the issuance of a building permit for new construction, a building permit to expand to 100,000 square feet or more, or a certificate of occupancy.
(10) Variations and exceptions. The city plan commission, whether or not a specific use permit is required, may approve a site plan that does not comply with the requirements of these design standards provided that:
(A) strict compliance with these design standards is impractical due to site constraints or would result in substantial hardship;
(B) the site plan complies with the spirit and intent of these design standards;
(C) the site plan furthers the stated purpose of these design standards; and
(D) the variation or exception from these design standards will not adversely affect surrounding properties.
The city plan commission shall follow the same procedure used for approval of minor amendments to development plans and the fee for a minor plan amendment shall apply. (Ord. Nos. 25785; 27404; 28553; 31607)