The following criteria shall be applied in considering an application for design review approval.
(A) Only elements of design which have significant relationship to exterior appearance of structures and facilities shall be considered; these elements include only height, building mass, building setbacks and arrangement on the site, exterior building material, signs, landscaping, pedestrian access, and appurtenances for which objective design standards have been established in this title.
(B) The proposed development shall conform with all objective zoning standards for landscaping, screening, usable open space, and the design of parking and off-street loading areas set forth in this title.
(C) Where the proposed development is located in an area where a neighborhood plan or precise plan has been adopted by the town, the design of the development shall conform in all significant respects with the standards and design criteria in these plans.
(D) Conformance to standards for the size and design of the structure shall be considered for the purpose of determining that the structure is in proportion to its building site and that it has a balance and unity among its external features so as to present a harmonious appearance.
(E) The extent to which the structure conforms to the standards governing the general physical character of other structures in the vicinity, including their height, building mass, and relationship to the street and adjacent structures.
(F) For nonresidential development projects, the extent to which ornamentation is to be used and the extent to which temporary and second-hand materials, or materials which are imitative of other materials, are to be used.
(G) The extent to which natural features, including trees, shrubs, creeks and rocks and the natural grade of the site are to be retained based on the standards for protecting these features established in this title.
(H) Conformance to the standards for accessibility of off-street parking areas and the relation of parking areas with respect to traffic on adjacent streets.
(I) Conformance to the standards for reservation of landscaping areas for the purpose of separating or screening service and storage areas from the street and adjoining building sites, breaking up large expanses of paved areas, separating or screening parking lots from the street and adjoining building sites and separating building areas from paved areas to provide access from buildings to open space areas.
(J) In the case of any commercial or industrial structure or mixed-use development, the Planning Commission shall consider its proximity to any residential district, conformance to standards for buffering and reduced height in transitional areas adjacent to this district and standards intended to mitigate the effect of the proposed structure, including building mass and window location, upon the privacy and sunlight access provided to the adjacent residential district area.
(K) The Planning Commission and Town Council may adopt supplemental design standards and guidelines in order to further the objectives of this section and to illustrate design criteria.
(L) The Planning Director shall create checklists for use for design review for projects that qualify for streamlined ministerial review under state law and Chapter 17.026, Ministerial Approvals for Qualifying Housing Developments, to determine compliance with objective development standards.
(Prior Code, § 17.12.040) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 605, passed - -1991; Am. Ord. 764, passed 2-1-2012; Am. Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)