(a) Building Base, Body, and Cap.
(1) All architectural elevations of principal buildings shall consist of a body and a cap. See Figure 1110-B. A base shall not be required unless a base is present on adjacent buildings, in which case, the proposed building shall contain a base of similar height.
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Figure 1110-B: Illustration of the cap, body, and base of a building.
(2) The body shall occupy the middle portion of the elevation, and should have a height no less than sixty percent (60%) of the average wall height.
(3) The cap shall occupy the highest portion of the elevation and should have a height no less than five percent (5%) of the average wall height. The cap shall not include the roof portion of the building unless the building is to have a mansard roof, in which case, the mansard roof may be counted toward the cap.
(4) The base, where applicable, and cap shall be clearly distinguishable from the body through changes in color, material, pattern, profile, or texture.
(5) The cap shall consist of a cornice, parapet, or mansard roof. Other cap styles are permitted if the ZEO determines that they are similar to styles found on existing buildings in Mount Vernon.
(6) Architectural elevations for all new buildings shall include design, massing, materials, shape, and scale that create a unified design on the premises.
(b) Building Setback, Height, and Width.
(1) Principal buildings shall be set to the back of the sidewalk or the front right-of-way.
(2) Exceptions to the setback requirement above may be made to allow room for outdoor dining areas, landscaped entries, pedestrian plazas, enhanced customer entrances, and similar pedestrian amenities. In no case, shall the buildings be set back more than ten (10) feet from the back of the sidewalk
(3) Open spaces between buildings that create courtyards or walkways to the rear of the property are encouraged.
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Figure 1110-C: Buildings should be built to the back of the sidewalk. Buildings should
not be setback behind the front facade of adjacent buildings unless creating a pedestrian
amenity such as a courtyard or small urban plaza.
(4) The overall height of new construction should relate to that of adjacent buildings. As a general rule, new buildings should generally be the same height as the average height of existing buildings within the vicinity. Buildings located on corner lots may have taller building heights than adjacent buildings to create a focal point for the intersection.
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Figure 1110-D: The height, width, and overall proportions of infill development should be in scale with surrounding buildings. Buildings should also maintain the rhythm of window and door openings.
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Figure 1110-E: The above image illustrates an inappropriate building height due to its inconsistency with the adjacent buildings along the same block face.
(5) The width of a new building shall be designed to continue the established rhythm of the block. If the lot is wider than fifty (50) feet, the building facade shall be broken into smaller bays with architectural details to maintain the building rhythm.
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Figure 1110-F: This image illustrates how existing and new structures divide the entire
facade plane into smaller components through the use of pilasters, storefronts, height
variation, and material variations.
(6) The scale of a buildings proportions and the building's massing shall be similar in character to adjacent buildings.
(7) New buildings or additions shall maintain the same directional expression (horizontal or vertical) as surrounding buildings. Horizontal buildings can be detailed to relate to more vertical adjacent structures by breaking the facade into smaller masses and bays. Strongly horizontal or vertical facade expressions shall be avoided.
(c) Facade Openings (Doors and Windows).
(1) Blank building facades (i.e., those devoid of openings such as windows and transparent doors) along public streets are prohibited. These requirements shall not generally apply to those facades that are not visible from a street or are completely hidden due to topography or natural features preserved as open space.
(2) Building elevations that are visible from a public street should contain window and door openings that occupy at least thirty percent (30%) of the total wall surface area outside of the first-floor area.
(3) Doors and windows should be positioned to create a uniform pattern or visual rhythm along the building elevation.
(4) All doors and windows shall be articulated through the use of lintels, sills, and thresholds.
(d) Roof Styles. The roof shapes and forms of new buildings shall resemble, but shall not necessarily duplicate, the shape, style, and form of roofs for nearby structures. Introducing roof shapes, pitches, or materials not traditionally associated with the area or architectural style shall be prohibited.
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Figure 1110-G: This image illustrates an infill building that would not comply with these
standards of new construction in terms of height, roof styles, window and door patterns,
siding, ornamentation, signage, and most other requirements in downtown.
(e) Mechanical Equipment.
(1) Wall mounted mechanical, electrical, communication equipment, downspouts, gutters, service doors, and other building-mounted utility fixtures, shall be painted and maintained to match the building or be screened from view. All rooftop mechanical equipment, unless screened from view, should match the color of the structure or be visually compatible with the structure.
(2) Mechanical equipment such as transformers and HVAC units should not be located in front yards, unless appropriately screened from view.
(3) All mechanical equipment, including both ground-mounted and roof-mounted equipment, shall be screened from view from adjacent public rights-of-way, as well as from all property zoned or used for residential purposes, to the maximum extent practicable.
(4) Screening elements may include walls (same material and color as principal structure), landscaping, mounds, parapets or enclosures constructed of the same materials used on the majority of the principal structure or any combination or as otherwise approved or required during review. See Figure 1110-H.
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Figure 1110-H: Illustration of the use of walls for the screening of mechanical equipment.
(Ord. 2024-032. Passed 7-22-24.)