The following Design Principles provide certain guidelines and requirements, as noted, in the design preparation of a Preliminary PD Plan.
(a) Building and Site Design.
(1) Wherever feasible, buildings shall be designed to provide massing configurations with a variety of different wall planes. Plain, monolithic structures with long walls and roof plane surfaces are discouraged.
(2) Building facades should incorporate design elements such as changes in color or texture; projections, recesses, and reveals; arcades or pergolas providing pedestrian interest; or equivalent elements that subdivide the wall into human scale proportions. Blank facades are highly discouraged, especially on walls facing streets or pedestrian ways.
(3) Commercial Building facades shall have highly visible customer entrances that feature canopies, overhangs, arcades, distinctive roof forms, arches, display windows, or landscaped features. Primary entrances should face streets on which they are located.
(4) Buildings shall have well defined rooflines with attention to architectural detail. Consideration should be given to the prevailing pattern of roofs in the area surrounding and within the PD.
(5) Sloping roofs, where used, shall have one (1) or more of the following architectural features: gables, hips, horizontal or vertical breaks, or other similar techniques that are to be integrated into the building architecture.
(b) Building Materials. Building materials shall be limited to brick, masonry, stucco, wood, fiber, cement siding, wood shingle, wood siding, cultured stone, or other similar materials. Prohibited materials include aluminum or vinyl siding, dryvit-type products on the lowest eight (8) feet of any structure, split faced block, and other similar materials.
(c) Vehicular Circulation and Access.
(1) Circulation systems shall be designed to efficiently facilitate traffic flow, yet designed to discourage speeds and volumes that impede pedestrian activity and safety.
(2) Street designs are encouraged to incorporate traffic calming devices and techniques.
(3) Common or shared access points are encouraged.
(4) To the maximum extent feasible, common or shared service and delivery access shall be provided between adjacent parcels or buildings, and provided to the rear of buildings.
(5) Safe and adequate site distances shall be provided at all intersections.
(6) Transit stops should be incorporated into site plans, where feasible.
(7) The developer as part of the site plan review process shall provide traffic impact studies.
(d) Pedestrian Access and Circulation.
(1) A coordinated pedestrian system shall be provided throughout the PD, including connections between uses on the site, and between the site and adjacent properties and rights-of-way. Pedestrian connections shall be provided to properties across streets wherever feasible.
(2) The site shall be connected to adjacent properties and pedestrian facilities to the maximum extent feasible.
(3) Continuous sidewalks or other pedestrian facilities shall be provided between the primary entrances to buildings, all parking areas that serve the buildings, pedestrian facilities on adjacent properties that extend to the boundaries shared with the PD, any public sidewalk along perimeter streets, or other community amenities or gathering spaces.
(4) Decorative sidewalks, such as brick pavers, are encouraged at key intersections or streets.
(5) Street furniture or other amenities are encouraged, such as plazas, benches, and decorative pedestrian light fixtures.
(6) Open and public areas should be provided as a mixture of green space landscaping and hardscape pedestrian areas with a goal of twenty (20) percent of the site area.
(e) Parking.
(1) Adequate parking shall be provided, but excessive parking is discouraged. The standards contained in Chapter 1143 shall be used as a guide, but those standards may be modified without the need for a variance based upon other considerations as determined by the Commission, and a finding by the Commission that the modified parking standards would comply with the provisions of the Code and the intent of the PD.
(2) The visual impact of parking shall be minimized through the use of interior landscaped islands and through dividing parking spaces into groupings.
(3) The edges of parking lots shall be screened through landscaping or other methods such as decorative fences.
(4) A minimum of one (1) off-street parking space shall be required behind each residential unit or garage. No garage openings shall be permitted onto public streets.
(f) Landscaping and Screening.
(1) It shall be the duty of the Commission to determine whether a reasonable percentage of the area within a PD shall be maintained in a combination of landscaped and urban open space. The project must adhere to the spirit of the City's landscape values. The standards contained in Chapter 1141 shall be used as a guide, but those standards may be modified without the need for a variance based upon other considerations determined by the Commission that such considerations would comply with the provisions of the Code and the intent of the PD.
(2) Pedestrian access from adjacent residential streets is encouraged. The owners of residential property directly abutting rear yards, parking and loading areas of a PD shall be contacted and offered masonry screening and/or appropriately designed alternatives. PD applicants shall document meetings with abutting residential owners and the results of such meetings. The intent of this provision is for the applicant to involve nearby residents in the PD project. City staff shall assist in this process.
(3) Where required, screening fences and walls shall be erected. The standards of Chapter 1141 shall be used as a guide, but those standards may be modified without the need for a variance based upon other considerations determined by the Commission that such considerations would comply with the provisions of the Code and the intent of the PD.
(4) If used, the owner of the property on which the fence is required to be erected shall permanently and adequately maintain screening fences or walls. The following types of walls or fences shall qualify, Chapter 1141 notwithstanding.
(5) Masonry wall or fence. Masonry fences or walls shall be constructed with the finish side out and of any of the following materials:
A. Native stone
B. Brick
C. Precast concrete panels with decorative finish or decorative concrete masonry units
D. In no case shall more than twenty-five percent (25%) of the area of the fence be erected with common smooth-face masonry units.
(6) Ribbed metal panel fence. Suitably finished to blend with the primary structure and supported by structurally sound metal frame.
(7) Vegetative screening. Using plants and fence materials, vegetative screens may be proposed.
(8) Screening of roof-mounted equipment. All roof-mounted equipment that rises above the roofline of any building or structure
(g) Streetscape Improvements.
(1) A Streetscape Plan shall be submitted for the entire site. The Streetscape Plan shall address the relationship between vehicular and pedestrian traffic, pedestrian facilities, street and sidewalk lighting, landscaping, street furniture, trash receptacles, and transit stops.
(2) The design of streets, pedestrian ways, landscaping, lighting, and street furniture shall be coordinated and integrated throughout the site.
(3) Vehicular streets and driveways shall be designed to be compatible with pedestrian ways to encourage a pedestrian friendly environment. The width of streets shall be sensitive to pedestrian scale, and shall be minimized to avoid overwhelming that pedestrian scale while allowing for efficient vehicular traffic flow.
(4) Site furnishings such as benches, seating, trash receptacles, bike racks, lighting fixtures, and tree grates shall be addressed in the Streetscape Plan.
(h) Service Area and Mechanical Screening.
(1) The location of service areas and mechanical equipment shall be considered as part of the overall site design.
(2) Service areas and mechanical equipment shall be screened from public view.
(i) Signage.
(1) A master sign plan shall be prepared illustrating the location, type, size, and materials of all signage, pursuant to Chapter 1329 of the Building Code.
(2) It shall be the duty of the Board of Building Standards/Architectural Board of Review to review the sign proposal. The standards contained in Chapter 1329 of the Building Code shall be used as a guide, but those standards may be modified without the need for a variance based upon other considerations determined by the Board of Building Standards/Architectural Board of Review that such considerations would comply with the provisions of the Building Code and the intent of the PD. Generally, the standard will be landscaped monument signs and multi-tenant signs.
(j) Lighting.
(1) A lighting plan shall be prepared, including a photometric illustration.
(2) It shall be the duty of the Board of Building Standards/Architectural Board of Review to review the lighting proposal. The standards contained in Chapter 1306 of the Property Maintenance Code shall be used as a guide, but those standards may be modified without the need for a variance based upon other considerations determined by the Board of Building Standards/Architectural Board of Review that such considerations would comply with the provisions of the Building Code and the intent of the PD.
(3) Lighting shall be designed to avoid spillover onto adjacent properties through the use of cutoff shields or other similar features.
(k) Fences. It shall be the duty of the Architectural Board of Review to review the fence requirements pursuant to Chapter 1153 to determine whether said plan is consistent with the provisions of the Code and the intent of the PD.
(l) Urban Open Space.
(1) Common open space (whether dedicated to public use or owned and maintained in common by the owner or owners) shall be reserved for the leisure and recreational use of all the project's occupants and readily accessible thereto.
(2) The guideline for PD open space is twenty percent (20%) of the project area.
(3) Landscaping requirements can be incorporated into the open space requirement pursuant to subsection (f).
(4) The Commission in making this determination may consider the availability and nature of adjacent or nearby public open space and parkland.
(5) Common open space is land area of which at least fifty percent (50%) is not covered by buildings, structures or the building's parking spaces.
(6) Common open space shall be guaranteed by a restrictive covenant in the deed describing the open space and its uses, and requirements regarding maintenance, and improvement that run with the land for the benefit of occupants or the public.
(m) Amenities. All PD's with residential uses should provide on-site amenities within the site which contribute to the open space. These amenities may include but are not limited to: courtyards, a swimming pool, spa, clubhouse, tot lot with play equipment, picnic shelter/barbecue area, court game facilities such as tennis, basketball, or racquetball, or child day care facilities.
(Ord. 17-17. Passed 3-20-17.)