Development within the C-1 and C-2 Districts shall comply with the design standards of this section. Franchise establishments must also adhere to these standards. Figure 8-1: Commercial Design Guidelines illustrates these design guidelines.
(A) Facade.
(1) Multi-story buildings shall be designed with a definable base, middle and top. Rooflines, cornice treatments and window designs should divide larger buildings.
(2) Facades of buildings, including side facades, shall be visually broken into bays to avoid the appearance of large, blank walls. When visible from the public right-of-way, facades must include architectural features to avoid the appearance of blank walls facing the street. These include, but are not limited to, changes in the wall plane of at least two feet, changes in wall texture or masonry patterns, colonnade, columns or pilasters.
(3) The use of multiple materials, textures or colors is required to add visual interest to the facade. Building facades in excess of 100 feet must include a repeating pattern with no less than two of the following elements: color change, texture change, material module change, or a wall articulation change of no less than two feet such as an offset, reveal, pilaster or projecting rib. All elements must repeat at intervals of no more than 25 feet.
(4) Predominant facade colors must be subtle, neutral or earth-tone colors. Primary colors, high-intensity colors, metallic or fluorescent colors, and black are prohibited as predominant facade colors. Building trim and accent areas may be brighter and include primary colors.
(B) Fenestration.
(1) Windows shall be set back into or projected out from the facade to provide depth and shadow. Windows shall include visually prominent sills or other appropriate forms of framing. Awnings or shutters should be used to accentuate window openings and add interest to the design of the building.
(2) The ground floor shall maintain a transparency of 60%. Windows shall be constructed of clear or lightly tinted glass (no tinting above 20% or reflective glass).
(C) Rooflines.
(1) Roofs shall be designed as an integral part of the facade design.
(2) Roof lines must either be varied with a change in height or with the incorporation of a major focal point feature, such as a dormer, gable or projected wall feature, every 100 linear feet in building length.
(3) Mansard roofs are prohibited.
(4) Parapet walls shall feature three-dimensional cornice treatments or other shadow-creating detail elements along their tops.
(5) “Green roof” designs are encouraged.
(D) Entrances.
(1) All buildings shall have a public entrance from the sidewalk along the primary street frontage. Public entrances should be articulated from the building mass.
(2) Facades that abut parking areas and contain a public entrance shall make provision for pedestrian walkways and landscape areas.
(3) If outlot buildings are part of a large retail development, outlot buildings must define the street frontage by placement near the street with showcase windows and entrances oriented toward the street, as well as to the interior parking lot.
(E) Building materials.
(1) The following materials are permitted for use on exterior elevations:
(a) Clay brick.
(b) Natural or cast stone.
(c) Wood.
(d) Architectural pre-cast concrete panels (flat panels with no detail are prohibited).
(2) The following building materials are prohibited. However, such materials may be used as part of decorative or detail elements, or as part of the exterior construction that is not used as a surface finish material.
(a) Plain concrete block.
(b) Utility brick.
(c) Aluminum, steel or other metal sidings.
(d) Metal wall panels.
(e) Exposed aggregate (rough finish) concrete wall panels.
(f) Exterior insulating finish systems (EIFS).
(g) Plastic.
(h) Glass curtain walls.
FIGURE 8-1: COMMERCIAL DESIGN GUIDELINES
(Ord. 929, passed 1-25-11; Ord. 1076, passed 1-23-18) Penalty, see § 153.999