A. Purpose: The CN-1 zone site development standards ensure that commercial development is compatible in scale and intensity to the surrounding residential neighborhoods. These standards also ensure that neighborhood commercial areas are carefully designed to be inviting for pedestrians by requiring buildings to be located close to and oriented toward streets or pedestrian plazas; ensuring that pedestrian routes are clearly separated from driveways and parking areas; requiring that buildings be constructed with street level storefront windows and clearly demarcated pedestrian entrances; and by requiring that parking be located away from the street in well landscaped areas.
B. Applicability:
1. The standards of this section apply to all new development in a CN-1 zone.
2. Exceptions to the standards and requirements of this section may be approved during the site plan review process in CN-1 zones that were in existence and at least partially developed by June 7, 2002, if the city determines that compliance with the subject standard or requirement is not feasible. However, all proposed development must meet the standards of this section to the extent possible.
3. Alternative design solutions may be approved during the site plan review process if it is demonstrated that the alternative design solution meets the intent of this section.
C. CN-1 Site Plan Review Procedure:
1. Prior to submitting a request for site plan review, the developer must participate in a preapplication conference with the director of planning and community development or designee to discuss the application of the CN-1 zone site development standards to the subject property.
2. Review for compliance with the standards and requirements of this section will occur concurrently and as a part of the site plan review process.
D. Rezoning To CN-1:
1. A CN-1 zoning district may not exceed ten (10) acres in size.
2. A plan showing the general design of the proposed development must be submitted with any CN-1 rezoning application. The plan must include provisions for landscaping, screening and buffering between the proposed commercial development and adjacent residential zones.
E. Build-To Line: The required build-to line in the CN-1 zone is an imaginary line running parallel to and located five feet (5') back from the street-side lot line along the subject lot's primary street frontage. The primary street frontage is the frontage to which the street address is assigned.
1. Requirement: All new buildings must be located such that at least sixty five percent (65%) of the primary street frontage of the subject lot contains buildings set back no further than the build-to line.
2. Exceptions: Exceptions to the build-to line requirement may be approved during the site plan review process for the following site elements:
a. Building facades that are recessed in accordance with the articulation standard in subsection M of this section.
b. Building entrances, including stoops, stairways, and ramps.
c. Trees and landscaping.
d. Pedestrian plazas.
e. Arcades.
f. Public art.
g. Sidewalk cafes.
F. Location Of Parking, Loading, Drives, And Aisles:
1. No more than thirty five percent (35%) of the street frontage of a lot may be comprised of off street parking spaces, drives, and aisles located in front of a building. Loading areas are not permitted in front of the building. For purposes of this provision, "in front of the building" means between the street right of way line and the building.
2. On corner lots, no off street parking spaces may be located in front of a building within one hundred feet (100') of the point of intersection of street right of way lines.
3. Parking and loading areas must be set back at least twenty feet (20') from any street-side lot line and at least five feet (5') from any nonstreet-side or rear lot line, unless the lot abuts a residential zone. Parking areas must be set back at least twenty feet (20') from any rear or side lot line that abuts a residential zone.
4. Loading spaces must be located so that trucks or vans loading or unloading do not back onto or out of a street.
5. Drives that are internal to a parking area, including drives that provide circulation around the perimeter of a parking area, are considered part of the parking area and must meet the setback standards as specified above. Drives that are external to a parking area must be set back at least three feet (3') from any abutting property that is zoned nonresidential, unless the drive is pitched or curbed and drained to prevent the flow of water onto adjoining property or unless a drainage course has been established along lot lines to handle storm water runoff. Any specific locations along a side or rear lot line where a drive is shared with an abutting lot may be exempted from these standards.
6. Drives that are external to a parking area must be set back at least twenty feet (20') from any abutting property that is zoned residential.
G. Drive-Through Facilities: Drive-through facilities are regulated as an accessory use and are only allowed according to the provisions specified for drive-through facilities in chapter 4, article C, "Accessory Uses And Buildings", of this title.
H. Pedestrian, Bicycle, And Vehicular Circulation:
1. Pedestrian access must be provided to adjacent residential areas and to abutting rights of way. The sidewalks provided on site must connect to adjacent public sidewalks and trails.
2. Each commercial tenant space must be accessible from other tenant spaces by sidewalks or other approved pedestrian routes. Pedestrian routes must be continuous, clear of obstructions, and easily identifiable as a protected pedestrian route.
3. Pedestrian routes must be separated from parking and vehicular use areas by curbs, landscaping or other physical barriers. When pedestrian paths cross drives, aisles, and vehicle travel lanes, they must be clearly identified with materials such as textured or brick paving, and must be integrated into the wider network of pedestrian walkways. Pavement textures are encouraged elsewhere in the parking lot as surface materials or as accents.
4. Parking lot layout and design must promote safe and convenient pedestrian and vehicular circulation. Protected pedestrian walkways, leading to sidewalks that abut store entrances, must be provided within parking lots.
5. Bicycle parking facilities must be located in convenient areas of the development and must be located so as not to impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic.
I. Landscaping And Screening:
1. All areas of the site that are not used for buildings, parking, vehicular and pedestrian access, sidewalk cafes and plazas must be landscaped with trees and plant materials. A landscaping plan must be submitted for site plan review.
2. Parking areas, loading areas, and drives must be screened from public rights of way to at least the S2 standard. (See chapter 5, article F, "Screening And Buffering Standards", of this title.)
3. Parking areas, loading areas, and drives must be screened from view of abutting properties to at least the S2 standard. Additional screening is required for properties that abut properties zoned residential. Parking areas, loading areas, and drives must be screened from view of any abutting property zoned residential to at least the S3 standard. The city may exempt from this landscaping requirement any specific locations along a side or rear lot line where a parking area, aisle or drive is shared with an abutting lot. (Ord. 05-4186, 12-15-2005)
4. Screening may be waived by the building official where the view is or will be blocked by a significant change in grade or by natural or humanmade features, such that screening is effectively provided and the intent of the standard is met, as determined by the building official. (Ord. 06-4245, 12-12-2006)
J. Mechanical Structures: All mechanical structures must be set back and screened from public view according to the applicable provisions set forth in chapter 4, article C, "Accessory Uses And Buildings", of this title.
K. Outdoor Storage And Display:
1. Outdoor storage of materials is not permitted in the CN-1 zone.
2. Outdoor display of materials is not permitted, except in the following situations:
a. Outdoor display of merchandise for immediate sale is permitted in areas immediately adjacent to a principal building. However, the display area may not be located along any building wall that is within twenty feet (20') of a public street and may not be located in a manner that obstructs building entrances and exits, sidewalks, bicycle parking areas, pedestrian routes, or vehicular use areas.
b. A temporary use permit is required. (See chapter 4, article D of this title.)
3. The storage of combustible or flammable materials or liquids is strictly regulated according to the provisions of chapter 5, article H, "Performance Standards", of this title and according to the international fire code, as amended. (Ord. 05-4186, 12-15-2005)
L. Street Level Windows: A minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the building facade between two (2) and ten feet (10') in height from the adjacent exterior grade must be comprised of clear and highly transparent windows and doors. Reflective (mirrored) or colored glass is not permitted. Such windows must allow views into the interior space or be storefront display windows that are set into the wall. Display cases attached to the outside building wall do not qualify. The bottom of such windows must be no more than four feet (4') above the level of the adjacent sidewalk (see figure 2C.2 of this section). (Ord. 14-4586, 6-3-2014)
(Ord. 05-4186, 12-15-2005)
M. Building Bulk And Articulation:
1. The maximum length of any building wall is two hundred seventy feet (270'). This standard applies whether the building contains a single business or multiple businesses or storefronts.
2. For buildings greater than fifty feet (50') in width, the horizontal plane of any street-facing facade of the building must be broken into modules that give the appearance of smaller, individual storefronts. These modules must meet the following standards:
a. Each module must be no greater than fifty feet (50') in width.
b. Each module must be distinguished from the adjacent module by at least three (3) of the following means:
(1) Variation in the wall plane by recessing a building module from the adjacent building module;
(2) Variation in material colors, types or textures;
(3) Variation in the building and/or parapet height;
(4) Variation in the architectural details such as decorative banding, reveals, stone, or tile accents;
(5) Break or variation in window pattern;
(6) Variation in the use of upper floor balconies and recesses. (Ord. 06-4245, 12-12-2006)
3. For buildings that are fifty feet (50') or less in width, at least every twelve feet (12') in length of the street-facing wall must be articulated by a window, doorway, perceptible change in the wall plane, setback, artwork, or a change in building material. (Ord. 05-4186, 12-15-2005; amd. Ord. 07-4253, 2-20-2007)
N. Building Entrances:
1. Primary building entries must be distinguished by at least two (2) of the following means:
a. Canopies or awnings.
b. Recesses.
c. Raised cornice or similar architectural features.
d. Architectural details, such as tile work and moldings, that are integrated in the building structure and design. (Ord. 05-4186, 12-15-2005; amd. Ord. 06-4220, 7-18-2006)
2. To encourage commercial activity at the street level, entrances to storefronts and the ground level floor height should be no more than one foot (1') above the level of the abutting sidewalk or pedestrian plaza. On sloping building sites and for existing buildings, the city may adjust this requirement. However, on sloping sites at least a portion of the ground level floor height of any new building must be located no more than one foot (1') above the level of the abutting sidewalk or pedestrian plaza; and the floor height of the ground level floor of the building must be no more than three feet (3') above the level of the abutting public sidewalk or pedestrian plaza at any point along a street-facing building facade.
O. Balconies And Exterior Stairways, Corridors And Lifts: For purposes of this subsection the term, "exterior stairways", refers to stairways that lead to floors of a building that are above the first or ground level floor of a building. "Exterior corridors" refers to unenclosed corridors located above the first or ground level floor of a building. Balconies and exterior stairways, exterior corridors and exterior lifts must comply with the following standards:
1. Exterior stairways, exterior corridors, and exterior lifts are prohibited. The city may allow exterior fire egress structures on existing buildings that cannot otherwise reasonably meet code requirements, provided the fire egress structure is not located on a wall of a building that faces a street.
2. Balconies may not be located on any side of a building that is adjacent to a property that is zoned single-family residential.
3. The outer edge of a balcony shall not be closer than four feet (4') from a side lot line.
4. The design of any balcony must utilize columns, piers, supports, walls, and railings that are designed and constructed of materials that are similar or complementary to the design and materials used for the rest of the building. Unpainted and unstained lumber is not permitted. (Ord. 06-4220, 7-18-2006)