A. Design Issues. While office buildings are found on every kind of commercial street, they have functional characteristics that result in physical forms different from other commercial development: intensity of use is lower; buildings are typically 'live' on all four sides; office activities are not limited to the first floor; building perimeters have fewer entries and no display windows and thus have more opportunity for landscaping. Because their use patterns differ significantly from retail commercial, there is more opportunity to site office buildings up toward the street with parking behind. This arrangement is strongly encouraged even where the pattern is not an established one.
B. Site Planning.
1 . Buildings shall be placed at the minimum required front setback. Alternate solutions may be considered that are determined to provide a superior solution to protecting neighboring sensitive land uses or orienting the building toward a freeway frontage to enhance the community image.
2. Multi-story building shall not be placed adjacent to the private open space areas of residential uses. First floor may be adjacent to setback; second and third floors shall be setback an additional foot for each additional foot in height.
3. Office buildings should have the primary entry from the public street with secondary entries from any onsite pedestrian paths or parking areas.
C. Building Design.
1 . Large or long unadorned wall planes shall be avoided. As a general standard, building surfaces over two stories high or fifty (50) feet in length will need to be relieved with a change of vertical and horizontal wall plane that provides strong shadow and visual interest.
2. Clear glass shall be used for ground floor windows where pedestrian traffic is high and there is any potential for retail, food service of other service occupancy.
3. Building entries shall be protected from inclement weather and should afford a 'sense of entry' for the structure.
(Ord. 337 § 2, 2005; Ord. 182 § 2 (part). 1997)