(a) Structure Design.
(1) Building forms and features, including roofs, windows, doors, materials, colors and textures, should be compatible with the forms and features of the historic buildings in the area. The scale, materials and forms, such as roofs, walls, windows, entrances, etc., which may be embodied in architecture which is contemporary as well as traditional.
(2) Buildings should relate to their site. The overall design of buildings should have human scale. Scale should be integral to the buildings and their site design.
(3) Any appearance of "blankness" resulting from building design should be relieved using building design details or vegetation, or both.
(4) Arcades, colonnades, or other architectural connecting devices should be used to unify groups of buildings within a development.
(5) Trademark buildings and related features should be modified to meet the requirements of the guidelines and reflect a style that is compatible with the City Lewisburg and Greenbrier County.
(b) Accessory Structures and Equipment.
(1) Accessory structures and equipment should be integrated into the overall plan of development and shall be compatible with the building designs used on the site.
(2) The following should be screened to eliminate visibility from the corridor: loading, service, refuse and storage areas; mechanical equipment; above-ground utilities; and chain link fence, barbed wire, razor wire, and similar security fencing devices.
(3) Screening devices should be compatible with the design of buildings and surrounded with natural vegetation and may consist of walls, plantings, and fencing.
(4) Surface runoff structures and detention ponds should be designed to fit into the natural topography to avoid the need for screening. Creating decorative wetlands and utilizing outcroppings that are characteristics of the area is encouraged.
(c) Lighting.
(1) Light should be contained on the site and not spill over onto adjacent properties or streets.
(2) Light should be shielded, recessed, or flush-mounted to eliminate glare; and the light should achieve an incandescent effect.
(3) Street lights and traffic signals should be consistent and be compatible with Lewisburg's historic character. Fixtures and poles should be painted a subtle color to downplay their prominence.
(d) Signs.
(1) Signs located within the corridor must conform to the size, height, and setback requirements as outlined in the Lewisburg Zoning Ordinance
(2) Material used in both sign and support structures should reflect the building being served by the sign.
(3) Lighting should be shielded and not create a glare; front lit signs are recommended over back-lit signs.
(4) The structure of monument signs should not overpower the message portion of the sign and sign colors should be harmonious with the building which they serve.
(e) Landscaping.
(1) Landscaping along US Route 219 and Route 60 should include flowering ornamental trees and shrubs of a species noninvasive and native to the region and should be interspersed among the street trees.
(2) A depth of at least twenty-five to accommodate plantings and fencing should be reserved parallel to US Route 219 and Route 60 and exclusive of road rights-of-way and utility easements.
(3) Trees should be planted parallel to all interior roads and side and rear property lines. Such trees should be at least two and one-half (2-1/2) inch caliper (measured 6 inches above the ground) and should be of a plant species common to the area. Such trees should be separated by thirty-five (35) feet or less on center.
(4) Shrubs should be provided in parking areas to minimize the impact on the US Route 219 and Route 60 corridor. Shrubs should measure twenty-four (24) inches in height at the time of planting and should be evergreen. Automobile dealerships with car lots fronting the corridors shall be exempt from the shrub requirement, though must meet the tree spacing requirement.
(5) Trees or other vegetation should be planted along the front of long buildings as necessary to soften the appearance of exterior walls. The spacing, size, and type of trees or vegetation should be determined by the length, height, and blankness of such walls.
(6) Shrubs should be used to integrate the site buildings and other structures, dumpsters, accessory buildings, "drive thru" windows, service areas, and signs. Shrubs should measure at least twenty-four (24) inches in height at the time of planting and should be evergreen.
(f) Site Development and Layout.
(1) The relationship of buildings and other structures to the US Route 219 and Route 60 Corridors should be as follows:
A. An organized pattern of roads, service lanes, bike paths, and pedestrian walks should guide the layout of the site;
B. In general, buildings that front the corridors should be parallel to it. Building groups should also be arranged to parallel the corridors.
C. Provisions should be made for connections to adjacent pedestrian and vehicular circulation systems.
D. Open spaces should be tied into surrounding areas to provide continuity within the corridors;
E. If significant natural features exist on the site (including creek valleys, steep slopes, significant trees or rock outcroppings), to the maximum extent practical, natural features should be reflected in the site layout.
F. The placement of structures on the site should respect existing views and vistas on and around the site.
G. Properties with extensive corridor frontage shall utilize multiple entrance "curb cuts," which allows the continuous "street tree" effect and provides a visual and landscaped buffer between the corridor and the development. Individual curb cuts should not exceed twenty-four (24) feet in width.
(g) Site Grading.
(1) Site grading should respect the existing topographic characteristics of the site and blend with adjacent properties; site grading should not change the basic relationship of the site to surrounding conditions.
(2) Steep cut or fill sections are generally unacceptable.
(3) Cut and filled slopes should be rounded (minimum ten (10) foot radius) to meet adjacent conditions.
(4) Natural drainage patterns (or to the extend required, new drainage patterns) should be incorporated into the finished site to the extend possible.
(5) No grading, trenching, or tunneling should occur within the drip line of any significant trees or other existing features. Existing trees should be fenced at the drip line and protected during construction.
(Ord. 319. Passed 6-18-24.)