(a) Contextual Design Criteria
To create buildings that are compatible with and enhance the surrounding area through the consideration of building scale, massing, and bulk. Massing should create a human-scale environment that is of high aesthetic quality and accommodates a variety of uses and design features. Building massing should include elements that:
(1) Break down large building façades and massing to create a human-scaled building that enhances the context of the site.
(2) Are consistent in scale, mass and character to adjacent land uses and land use designations.
(3) Reinforce the definition and importance of the street.
(4) Provide rooflines and massing that emphasize and accentuate significant elements of the building such as entries, bays, and balconies, and shading elements where appropriate.
(5) Provide harmonious transitions between abutting properties.
(6) Maintain privacy of residential uses through design strategies such as offset windows, reduced glazing, landscape screening, and site planning that extends setbacks to residential uses.
(b) Objective Design Standards
(1) Upper Floor Step Backs & Daylight Planes
(A) When the height of the subject building is more than 20 feet above the average height (i.e., average of low and high roof elevations) of an adjacent building, an upper floor step back shall start within two vertical feet of the height of the adjacent building. The step back shall be a minimum depth of six feet along both the façade on the primary building frontage and the facing façade of the adjacent building, and the step shall occur for a minimum of 70% of each façade length.
(B) Notwithstanding, subsection (a), when adjacent to a single-story building, the upper floor step back shall occur between 33 and 37 feet in height.
(C) If a project meets the following criteria, a daylight plane with an initial height of 25 feet above grade at the property line and a 45-degree angle shall be required. No setback is required unless otherwise required by the zoning district. This daylight plane is required if all of these criteria are met:
(i ) The project is not subject to a daylight plane requirement, pursuant to district regulations in Title 18; and
(ii ) The project proposes a building which is more than 20 feet above the average height (i.e., average of low and high roof elevations) of an adjacent building; and
(iii) The project abuts residential units in the side or rear yard.
(2) Privacy and Transitions to Residential Uses
When a building abuts a residential use at an interior side and/or rear property line, the building shall break down the facing façade and maintain privacy by meeting all of the following applicable standards:
(A) Landscape Screening: A landscape screen that includes a row of trees with a minimum one tree per 25 linear feet and continuous shrubbery planting. This screening plant material shall be a minimum 72 inches (six feet) in height when planted. Required trees shall be minimum 24" box size.
(B) Façade Breaks: A minimum façade break of four feet in width, two feet in depth, and 32 square feet of area for every 36 to 40 feet of façade length.
(C) Maximum Amount of Transparent Windows: Within 40 feet of the façade of an adjacent structure, no more than 15% of the facing façade area shall be windows or other glazing. Additional windows are allowed in order to maintain light, if they are fixed and fully obscured.
(D) Windows: Within 30 feet of facing residential windows (except garage or common space windows) or private open space on an adjacent residential building, facing windows on the subject site shall meet the following:
(i) Window sills at and above the 2nd floor shall be at least five feet above finished floor; or
(ii) Windows shall have opaque or translucent glazing at or below five feet above finished floor; or
(iii) Windows shall be angled up to 30 degrees (parallel to window) to face away from the adjacent privacy impacts; and
(iv) Landscape screening shall be 24-inch box size or larger and eight+ feet height at planting; 50% evergreens; and located to align with proposed second floor windows at maturity.
(E) Balconies: Within 30 feet of residential windows (except garage or common space windows) or private open space on an adjacent residential building, balconies and decks on the subject site shall be designed to prevent views:
(i) No sight lines to the adjacent property window or open space are permitted within five feet above the balcony or deck flooring and a 45-degree angle downward from balcony railing.
(ii) Submit section view of proposed balcony/deck and abutting residential windows and/or private open space.
(iii) Provide balcony/deck design measure which may include:
a. Minimum 85% solid railing
b. Obscure glass railing
c. Barrier with min. 18" horizontal depth from railing (e.g., landscape planter)
(3) Maximum Façade Length.
For portions of a building façade facing a public street, right-of-way, or publicly accessible path, any building greater than 25 feet in height and 70 feet in length shall not have a continuous façade plane greater than 70% of the façade length without an upper floor modulation, which can include bay windows. Upper floor façade modulations shall be a minimum two feet in depth, which can be a recess or a projection.
(A) Buildings 250 feet in length or greater, which face a public street, right-of-way, or publicly accessible path, shall have at least one vertical façade break with a minimum area greater than 400 square feet and a width greater than or equal to two times the depth.
(B) Buildings 150 to 250 feet in length, which face a public street, right-of-way, or publicly accessible path, shall have at least one vertical façade break with a minimum area greater than 64 square feet and a minimum width of eight feet and minimum depth of four feet.
(4) Special Conditions - Railroad Frontages
All parcels with lot lines abutting railroad rights-of-way shall meet the following standards on the railroad-abutting façade:
(A) A minimum façade break of at least ten feet in width and six feet in depth for every 60 feet of façade length.
(B) For portion of a building 20 feet or greater in height, a maximum continuous façade length shall not exceed 60 feet.
(5) Diversity of Housing Types
(A) A diversity of housing types (e.g., detached units, attached rowhouses/townhomes, condominiums or apartments, mixed use) are required for projects on large lots:
• < 1-acre lots: minimum 1 housing type;
• 1 to 2-acre lots: minimum 2 housing types; or
• > 2-acre lots = minimum 3 housing types.
(Ord. 5553 § 1 (part), 2022)