The Downtown Overlay District as specifically shown and established on the Zoning Map of the City of Euclid generally consists of the commercial area in the area of Lake Shore Boulevard/Babbitt Road/ E.233rd Street/ Shore Center Drive/ E.222nd Street.
(a) Purpose. The purpose of the Downtown Overlay District is to promote and sustain:
(1) Quality economic growth. Assure opportunities for a stable, vital, diverse, and competitive economy at the heart of the City.
(2) Vibrant downtown. Strengthen downtown as a vibrant, commercial, civic, residential, and cultural art center with its own unique identity.
(3) Downtown appearance. Improve and enhance the appearance of the built environment and natural features throughout downtown, especially along primary commercial corridors and other major arterials.
(4) Unique character. Establish design standards unique to our downtown district.
(5) Pedestrian environment. Improve and enhance the pedestrian environment throughout downtown, as well as the pedestrian connections to surrounding neighborhoods and civic resources.
(b) Intent. The intent of the Downtown Overlay District is to:
(1) Encourage a vibrant mix of pedestrian-oriented uses, including shopping, civic, arts, residential, and entertainment uses.
(2) Establish height, bulk, and lot coverage regulations that balance existing urban fabric with a desired character for downtown.
(3) Promote mixed-use, multi-tenant buildings with active ground floor tenant space by regulating the quantity and location of doors and windows.
(4) Establish standards for setbacks and landscaping that encourage and promote a strong pedestrian environment.
(5) Establish parking and access standards that support pedestrian activity.
(6) Encourage preservation of existing buildings fulfilling the purpose and intent identified herein.
(c) Dimensional Standards.
(1) Building setbacks. For new construction, the building line shall be located within 20 feet of the street line. On corner lots, the building line may be set back a greater distance from the secondary street line in accordance with the underlying zoning.
(2) Building coverage. New building construction shall cover a minimum of 30% of the lot area.
(3) Minimum building height. For new construction, the minimum height of the building shall be 26 feet.
(4) Parking setbacks. Parking lots shall be located a minimum of five feet and a maximum of ten feet from the street line.
(d) Parking Lot Standards and Streetscape Design.
(2) Parking lots adjacent to streets shall be screened by a combination of decorative fencing, brick piers/walls, and columnar plantings. Such screening shall be designed to provide vertically to the streetscape. The Architectural Review Board may require the intermittent use of such screening in order to avoid a monotonous street frontage.
(3) Parking lots shall allow for pedestrian access particularly when pedestrian cross-access between adjacent lots exists. Pedestrian access ways shall consist of colored/stained concrete, brick, or unit pavers.
(4) Landscaped islands shall be provided in the interior of parking lots in accordance with the requirements set forth in Section 1389.12.
(5) Street trees with City standard tree grate or tree pit spaced at 25-foot intervals shall be located within the street right-of-way. A brick paving amenity strip per City standard shall be constructed along the length of the lot frontage.
(6) City standard benches and trash receptacles shall be installed within the amenity strip area and reasonably distributed based on the locations of public transit stops, public outdoor spaces, and pedestrian walkways from the interior of the lot.
(7) City standard decorative lights, spaced at a maximum of 80-foot intervals, shall be installed within the right-of-way or in the setback along the lot frontage.
(8) The design of a parking lot shall enable traffic movement within the lot to be the least impeded and not affect the traffic on the public street. Connections between adjoining lots shall be provided when practicable.
(e) Landscape Standards.
(1) Landscape materials shall be selected to create varied and attractive views and complement the architectural features of the building and lot amenities.
(2) Selected materials shall be those which prosper in an urban setting.
(3) Selected materials along pedestrian access aisles, sidewalks, and public outdoor spaces shall be varied to provide interest and color and be able to sustain pedestrian impact.
(4) Interior parking lot islands shall be vegetated with grass or similar low level plant material not to exceed two feet in height and shall contain at least one tree with a clear trunk height of six feet and a minimum caliper of two inches.
(5) Landscaped areas shall be appropriately irrigated to ensure the continued growth of plant materials.
(f) Building Standards for New Construction.
(1) Entrances. Buildings shall have their primary orientation to a street rather than a parking lot. The primary entrance shall be readily apparent as a prominent architectural component containing one of the following:
A. Recess.
B. Overhang.
C. Canopy.
D. Portico.
(2) Facade materials.
A. Brick, stone, precast concrete and other masonry application shall be used. Precast concrete should be used in the manner of stone but panels should not be embossed with brick or stone patterns.
B. Split face block is not permitted except as an accent material. When split face block is used, alternating coursing, varied block size, and change in material depth should be used to give the appearance of stone.
C. Standard modular brick with nominal dimensions of 4-inches by 2-3/4-inches by 8-inches is required. Large-scale bricks are allowed as architectural accents only.
D. Brick or stone should be laid in true bonding pattern.
E. Stacked bond brick patterns are discouraged unless used as a detail or accent to the rest of a building's facade.
F. Lintels in masonry walls should be articulated with elements such as brick soldier courses, stone, or precast concrete.
G. Stucco or EIFS systems are discouraged and shall only be permitted eight feet above finish floor level, only as an accent material and limited to 15% of the wall area.
H. Metal and other appropriate regional materials may be used as accent materials.
I. Changes in material and facade articulation at the base of the building are recommended.
J. Bulkheads below windows should be treated with a durable tamper proof cladding wherever they are adjacent to a pedestrian access way.
(3) Windows/fenestrations.
A. For ground floors facing primary streets, windows shall cover a minimum of 40% of the length of the facade and a minimum of 25% of the total wall area.
B. Windows shall not be darkened; reflective or spandrel glass is discouraged.
C. Windows shall be architecturally enhanced through framing features that add relief and visual interest.
D. Exterior roll-down security shutters and security bars shall not be permitted.
E. No flashing or neon lights shall be permitted to frame any windows.
(4) Parapets and cornices.
A. Elevations or portions of elevations that are visible from a public street or parking area should incorporate a cornice or other architectural element to top the building. Cornices may be projected brick, stone, precast courses, or molded fiberglass. They should be scaled approximately to the building mass and have a minimum height of one foot. Horizontal projections for cornices or other elements topping the building should be a minimum of two inches.
B. Pitched roofs shall be sheathed in dimensional asphalt shingles, metal roofing, clay tiles or slate. Non-dimensional asphalt shingles and rolled roofing shall not be permitted for pitched roofs.
C. Parapets shall be designed to conceal roof top mechanical units with no units visible from any adjacent street line.
(5) Awnings and canopies.
A. Awnings or canopies shall be provided along 40% of a building wall facing a primary street.
B. Awnings and canopies can be made of treated canvas, glass, steel and glass systems, aluminum, lexan or polycarbonate sheets.
C. Solid internally lit systems, shingled roof additions and fiberglass canopies are not permitted.
D. Awnings should only encompass space within the commercial storefront.
E. On buildings in which multiple retail stores exist awning configurations shall be complimentary in design. Compatible and complimentary colors shall be used for the awnings.
F. Awning colors should coordinate with the overall signage scheme for the building/retailer.
(6) Exterior lighting. Lighting of exterior facades is encouraged to accent architectural features and building entrances.
(g) Sign Standards.
(1) Due to the nature of the downtown area, the permitted wall sign area as defined in other chapters of this code shall be reduced by 20%.
(2) No new pole-mounted signs shall be permitted.
(3) Signage is encouraged to be unique in character and its relation to the type of business that it advertises. The 20% required wall sign area reduction as defined above will be waived for the following types of wail signs:
A. Individual pin-mounted channel letters.
B. Halo lighted channel letters.
C. Blade signs or other unique projecting building signage, when approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission with a support motion by the Architectural Review Board.
(4) Retail signage should be placed in specific areas designated for signage on the building's facade, such as a signage frieze.
(5) No box sign or murals shall be permitted.
(6) Window signs and awning signs shall be permitted but are calculated into the allowable sign area.
(7) Monument signs shall be designed with an enclosure using matching building facade materials with an area of at least 25% of the sign area. This enclosure area shall not be calculated into the allowable sign area. Monument signs shall be located along the street line within the building or parking lot setbacks.
(8) Signage on a building with multiple retail tenants shall be complimentary to each other and to the style of the building.
(9) In multi-tenant buildings, a Master Sign Plan shall be created and submitted with the initial sign permit application. The Master Sign Plan shall consist of the following items and shall be approved by the Architectural Review Board prior to the first sign permit being issued.
A. Sign details including illumination.
B. Location of wall signs on building facades.
C. Range of allowable sign colors.
Following approval of the Master Sign Plan, all requests for sign permits conforming to the Master Sign Plan shall be approved by the Zoning Commissioner.
(h) Public Outdoor Space.
(1) New construction or building expansion shall provide public outdoor space at a rate of 0.5% of the lot area or 150 square feet, whichever is greater.
(2) Public outdoor space may include seating areas, plazas, retail alcove and inner courtyard spaces. Entry alcoves and small outdoor pedestrian spaces may be located between the building and the street, subject to City code and provided such outdoor spaces do not obstruct pedestrian traffic.
(3) Public outdoor space shall be visible and accessible to the public and include the following:
A. City standard decorative lighting.
B. City standard bench(es) or low seating walls and trash receptacle(s).
C. Special paving consisting of colored/stained concrete, brick, or other unit pavers.
D. Special interest planting with a wide range of plant materials including perennials and flowering shrubs.
(4) The required public outdoor space shall be located to maximize public use based on the location of public transit stops, pedestrian access aisles, public sidewalks, and downtown attractions.
(5) Landscaping for the site shall be designed to enhance the public outdoor space.
(i) Existing Buildings.
(1) Preservation. The preservation and rehabilitation of existing buildings, in order to maintain the unique fabric of the Downtown Commercial district, is encouraged and recommended. This is especially applicable to buildings eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places and buildings designated as City of Euclid Landmarks.
(2) Rehabilitation Standards. Rehabilitation acknowledges the need to alter or add to a building in response to changing uses and contemporary needs while preserving its overall historic character. The rehabilitation, alteration and additions to existing historic buildings are encouraged to be completed in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
A. Rehabilitation objectives. Restore historic building facades to the fullest extent feasible. If it is determined that original materials cannot be restored, synthetic materials can be used to replicate traditional materials. Where the historic original features of a building are not known, develop compatible designs in keeping with proportion, rhythm, geometry, scale, materials and colors of the original facade.
B. Facade materials. Facade materials shall be restored to the extent possible. Brick, stone and other masonry materials should be repainted, cleaned and restored rather than painted or re-clad. If painting is necessary, colors should be chosen that approximate the original color of the masonry. Similarly, wood, metal, glass and other existing building materials shall be restored.
C. Windows and storefronts. Windows shall be restored if they exist, or if they are to be replaced, done so using windows that match in style and detail. True divided lites shall be used to the extent possible. Existing storefronts, including bulkheads and transoms shall also be restored.
(j) Equipment Screening and Trash Enclosures.
(1) Ground-mounted equipment, including but not limited to condensers, heat pumps, air handlers, gas service piping and meters, electrical transformers, loading docks, etc. shall be screened from public view.
(2) Exterior dumpsters shall be fully screened from public view by masonry enclosures with operable opaque gates. Enclosures shall be constructed of the same or compatible masonry material as the building. Operable gates shall be of a durable and easily maintained material.
(3) Multi-tenant buildings shall minimize the number of dumpsters and group dumpsters together.
(Ord. 245-2008. Passed 12-15-08; Ord. 62-2014. Passed 6-2-14.)