(A) Commercial and industrial.
(1) Purpose. The city recognizes that the visual character of the city is an important attribute of its quality of life. The city intends that all commercial and industrial development within the city should strive towards the highest level of quality in both design and construction. The architectural standards and design guidelines have been established to guide the quality, character and compatibility of new development and redevelopment within the city.
(2) Applicability. The provisions of this section shall apply to all new construction of commercial, industrial, office/institutional, and multi-family development. Within each zoning district, the standards shall be in addition to the underlying requirements. The following activities are exempt from design review unless staff determines that the project creates a significant change in the design characteristics of the development:
(a) Internal alteration to buildings that do not result in a change to the building height, roof line or footprint.
(b) Replacement or repair of existing materials.
(c) The standards shall apply only to the building or site elements being developed or altered.
(3) Building material and detail.
(a) Exterior wall finish.
1. All exterior wall finishes on any building structure shall be constructed of the following materials or combination of materials:
a. Brick;
b. Stone;
c. Glass;
d. Textured masonry units;
e. Wood, consisting of lap siding and painted;
f. Stucco;
g. Tilt up concrete panels;
h. Fiber cement or cement/ concrete board lap siding; and/or
i. Metal subject to the following limitations:
i. Aluminum is prohibited in any form.
ii. Minimum metal gauge of 24.
iii. Concealed fasteners required.
iv. Horizontal application is required, that is lap siding versus vertical steel panel.
v. When façade of the building faces a public right of way; a minimum of 25% of the façade must be transparent (e.g. window, door openings) and 25% must be an accent material consisting of brick, stone, textured masonry units, or stucco.
vi. Metal roofing shall feature standing seams, concealed fasteners, and guards above building openings to prevent snow from accumulating in entrances.
2. Accent material may occupy up to 25% of the building's façade. These may include:
a. Metal;
b. Glass block;
c. Spandrel glass; or
d. Similar materials as approved by the city.
3. The following materials may not be used in any visible exterior application except when specifically permitted by the city in areas with limited public view or accent areas:
a. Unadorned plain or painted concrete block;
b. Painted brick ;
c. Unfinished, corrugated, or galvanized metal panels;
d. Reflective glass; and
e. Aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass, asphalt, or fiberboard siding.
(b) Color. Colors shall be harmonious and consist of muted colors with low reflectance. Recommended colors include browns, grays, tans, beiges and dark or muted greens, blues, and reds. Bright or brilliant colors and sharply contrasting colors may be used only for accent purposes.
(c) Horizontal articulation. To avoid long unbroken expanses, buildings of more than 40 feet in width shall be divided into smaller increments through articulation of the façade. This can be achieved through combinations of the following techniques:
1. Façade modulation- stepping back or forward or extending a portion of the façade.
2. Vertical divisions using different textures or materials.
3. Variation in the rooflines by alternating dormers and stepped roofs, gables or other roof elements to reinforce the modulation or articulation intervals.
(d) Ground-level articulation. The ground level of any multi-story structure shall be visually distinct from the upper stories. This can be achieved through the use of one or more of the following techniques. Others meeting the objectives shall be reviewed and approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission:
1. An intermediate cornice line;
2. A sign band;
3. An awning arcade or portico;
4. A change in the building materials, texture or detailing; or
5. A change in window shape or treatment.
(e) Entries. The main entrance should always face the primary street and shall be placed at grade. Main entries shall be designed with one or more of the following:
1. Canopy, portico, overhang, or arch above the entrance;
2. Recesses or projections in the building façade surrounding the entrance;
3. Peaked roof or raised parapet over the door;
4. Display windows surrounding the entrance; or
5. Architectural detailing such as tile work or ornamental moldings
(B) Screening and fencing. Screening of service yards, refuse, and waste-removal areas, and other areas which tend to be unsightly shall be accomplished by the use of retaining walls, privacy fencing, dense planting, or any combination of these elements. Screening shall block views from public right-of-way and abutting residential areas.
(C) Lot frontage and parking location.
(1) Any lot that abuts Highway 5, 19, or 22 directly, the lot line abutting the highway shall be considered the front lot line.
(2) Parking areas should be distributed around large buildings to shorten the distance to the entrance and to other buildings and reduce the overall scale of the paved surface. No more than 50% of the parking area for the site shall be located between the front façade of the principal building and the primary abutting street.
(D) Downtown district,
(1) Purpose. It is the intent of the city to promote and encourage high standards of creative, traditionally based, architectural design in the downtown district. It is encouraged with the restoration, remodeling and/or expansion of existing building, to maintain or bring the exterior facade back to the appearance it had when the building was originally constructed, or maintain a similar architectural style to the original construction, or comply to the extent possible with the below design standards and guidelines. New development within the district shall comply with the following design standards and guidelines.
(2) Standards and guidelines.
(a) Setbacks. Property owners shall construct new developments or significant redevelopment to the property line for front facades. For corner buildings, this applies to each façade that fronts a public street.
(b) Building width. Buildings more than 45 feet in width are encouraged to be divided into smaller increments through the articulation of facades.
(c) Building height. The building height shall be at least 24 feet and shall not exceed four stories or 45 feet. Buildings less than two stories shall be designed so that the main floor frontage is visually distinct from the upper portion of the building. The addition of windows in the upper portion is encouraged.
(d) Ground level. The ground level of multi-story structures shall be visually distinct from the upper stories. This distinction can be achieved in several ways including an intermediate cornice line, awning, arcade or portico, change in building materials or detailing or a change in window shape or treatment. Windows and doors shall comprise at least 40% of the length and at least 30% of the area of the ground-level façade facing a public street. Reflective glass is not permitted.
(e) Roof design. Flat or pitched roofs, or combinations of these, may be used. Pitched roofs should have a minimum roof pitch of one foot rise to four feet of run. Flat roofs shall be defined with an ornamental parapet or cornice.
(f) Building materials.
1. Buildings shall be constructed of high-quality materials. The following list is allowed for primary materials:
a. Brick;
b. Natural stone;
c. Wood consisting of horizontal lap siding with a painted surface;
d. Precast concrete units and concrete block, provided surfaces are molded, serrated, or treated with a textured material; and
e. Transparent glass.
2. Accent materials shall not consist of more than 20% of the building's face, and may include the following:
a. Metal;
b. Glass block;
c. Spandrel glass; and
d. Other materials as approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
3. The following materials are prohibited:
a. Plain or painted concrete block;
b. Tip-up concrete panels;
c. Prefabricated steel or sheet metal panels;
d. Aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass, asphalt, or fiberboard siding; and
e. Pole buildings.
(g) Building colors. Building colors shall consist of subtle, neutral, or muted colors with low reflectance. Recommended colors include browns, grays, tans, beiges, and dark or muted green, blues and reds. No more than two principal colors shall be used on a façade. Bright, white, or primary colors shall be used only as accents.
(h) Building lighting. Buildings shall be lit with external lighting consistent with the style, materials, and details of the building.
(i) Vacant buildings. Vacant downtown buildings shall be kept up so that the visual appearance does not deteriorate, and the building does not become hazardous. Windows shall be maintained as if the building were occupied and shall not be boarded up.
(j) Signs. Signs in the downtown district should be architecturally compatible with the style, compositions, materials, colors, and details of the building.
(Ord. 366, passed 8-7-2024)