These design standards are intended to identify the city's design goals and expectations for commercial, institutional, and mixed-use development quality resulting in greater predictability during the development review process. More specifically, the purposes of this section are to:
1. Encourage establishment of a strong sense of place with vibrant commercial, institutional, and mixed-use development in key areas of the city;
2. Encourage a more pedestrian-friendly environment through attention to human-scale design and site features to limit large, bulky buildings with few architectural details;
3. Foster greater compatibility between adjacent residential and nonresidential development;
4. Limit the impacts of automobile-oriented development in commercial, institutional, and mixed-use areas; and
5. Improve the appearance of gateways and entrances to the city.
Except as otherwise provided in this Code, the standards in this section shall apply to the following:
1. All new commercial, institutional, B-4 zoning districts, and mixed-use development (as defined in Section Article 9: Part 5 Terms and Uses Defined), including large retail establishments.
2. Commercial, institutional, B-4 zoning districts, and mixed-use development required to obtain Major Building Design Approval.
All commercial, institutional, industrial uses within a commercial zoning district, and mixed-use development subject to this section shall comply with the following standards:
Except as expressly provided otherwise in this Code, all business activities associated with commercial, institutional, and mixed-use developments shall be conducted within a totally and permanently enclosed building.
a. Fronting Streets
The front facade of all buildings, as defined by the primary entrance, shall front onto a street, a courtyard, or
plaza
, not an off-street surface parking area. In the case of corner lots, the primary entrance shall face the street from which the building derives its street address. Nothing shall prohibit a secondary entrance from facing a surface parking area.
b. Single-Building Development Parallel to Street
All single-building developments shall be configured with the long axis of the building parallel to the street it fronts, or be consistent with existing development patterns, rather than being sited at unconventional angles.
c. Multi-Building Development
i. Development composed of multiple buildings totaling 50,000 or more square feet of floor area shall be configured to:
(A) Break up the site into a series of smaller "blocks" defined by on-site streets, vehicle accessways, pedestrian walkways, or other circulation routes;
(B) Frame the corner of an adjacent street intersection or entry point to the development;
(C) Frame and enclose a "
Main Street
" pedestrian or vehicle access corridor within the development site;
(D) Frame and enclose on at least three sides of parking areas, public spaces, or other site amenities; or
(E) Frame and enclose outdoor dining or gathering spaces for pedestrians between buildings.
ii. The primary entrances of buildings shall be oriented towards a street along the perimeter of a development, towards streets or driveways interior to the development, or towards open space areas, courtyards, or plazas.
a. To the maximum extent practicable, outparcels and their buildings shall be configured and located to define street edges, development entry points, and spaces for gathering or seating between buildings.
b. Spaces between buildings on outparcels shall be configured with small scale pedestrian amenities such as plazas, seating areas, pedestrian connections, and gathering spaces. (See Figure 155.5602.C.3; Outparcel development.)
Buildings of three or more stories shall include a clearly recognizable base, middle, and top configured in accordance with the following standards:
a. Building bases shall incorporate one or more of the following:
i. Thicker walls, ledges, or sills;
ii. Integrally-textured materials such as stone or other masonry;
iii. Integrally-colored and patterned materials such as smooth-finished stone or tile; or
iv. Lighter or darker colored materials, mullions, or panels.
b. Building tops shall include two or more of the following features:
i. Three-dimensional
cornice
treatments with integrally-textured materials such as stone or other masonry or differently colored materials;
ii. Sloping roofs with overhangs and brackets;
iii. Stepped parapets; or
iv. Aligned openings and articulations.
(See Figure 155.5602.C.4: Building base, middle, and top.)
a. Offsets Required
Street-facing front building facades that are greater than 60 feet wide shall be articulated with wall offsets (e.g., projections or recesses in the facade plane) that are at least one foot deep, at least ten feet wide, and spaced no more than 40 feet apart. (See Figure 155.5602.C.5.a Example of front facade offsets.)
b. Offset Alternatives
The following alternatives can be used alone or in combination as an alternative to the required front facade offsets:
i. Changes in facade color or material that follow the same dimensional standards as the offset requirements;
ii. Columns or pilasters that are at least eight inches deep and at least eight inches wide, and have a height equal to at least 80 percent of the facade's height;
iii. Roofline changes that vertically align with a corresponding wall offset or change in facade color or material, including changes in roof planes and changes in the height of a parapet wall (such as extending the top of pilasters above the top of the parapet wall); or
iv. Awnings or other shading devices over doors and windows that follow the same dimensional standards as the offset requirements.
c. Street Side Facades
The street-facing side facades of buildings shall be articulated with the same facade details as provided on the building's front facade, or be screened from off-site views through fences, walls, or landscaping at least eight feet high.
d. Outbuildings
Outbuildings located in front of other buildings within the same development shall include a consistent level of façade articulation and architectural detail on all sides of the building as well as exterior materials and colors that are compatible with the primary building in the development.
a. The use of aluminum siding, vinyl siding, corrugated metal siding, or other metal cladding other than decorative or ornamental metal siding is prohibited on any facade visible from a street right-of-way. Nothing shall limit the use of high-quality, decorative metal (e.g., brass, copper, steel) as a building accent material, or in a manner subject to the discretion of the Development Services Director.
b. Primary facade materials shall not change at outside corners and shall continue along any side facade visible from a street right-of-way for at least 15 feet; however, materials may change where side or rear wings meet the main body of the structure.
c. Materials changes shall occur along a horizontal line or where two forms meet; however, changes of materials may be used as accents around windows, doors,
cornices
, at corners, or as a repetitive pattern.
d. Where two or more materials are proposed to be combined on a facade, the heavier and more massive elements shall be located below the lighter elements (i.e., brick shall be located below stucco or wood). The heavier material may be used as a detail on the corner of a building or along
cornices
or windows.
a. At least 30 percent of the street-facing facade area of the ground-level floor of buildings (as measured from the grade to the underside of the
eave
, top of the parapet, or the story line denoting the second floor) shall be occupied by windows or doorways. This figure may be reduced to 20 percent of the first-floor front facade of a structure housing a large retail sales establishment.
b. All ground-level windows on street-facing facades shall be transparent. Mirrored or heavily-tinted glass that prevents views into the building is prohibited on street-facing front building facades. This provision does not apply to a building facade enclosing a sexually oriented business use.
c. Street-facing facades of the ground level floor for uses involving repair, servicing and/or maintenance shall not include service bay entrances, overhead doors, sliding glass doors, removable panels, or similar type of doors.
d. Street-facing facades of the ground level floor for all commercial, institutional, industrial uses in commercial zoning districts and mixed use developments shall not include roll up doors.
8. Roofs
a. Flat roofs on principal buildings shall be concealed by parapet walls that extend at least three feet above the roof level.
b. Alternative roof forms or pitches may be allowed for small roof sections over porches, entryways, or similar features.
c. All roof-based mechanical equipment, as well as vents, pipes, antennas, satellite dishes, and other roof penetrations (except chimneys), shall be located on the rear elevations or otherwise be configured, to the maximum extent practicable, to have a minimal visual impact as seen from the street.
9. Location of Off-Street Parking
a. In the B-1 District
Single-story commercial, institutional, and mixed-use development in the Business-1(B-1) district shall be configured to locate all required surface off-street parking to the side or rear of the front facade of the building. Buildings of two or more stories may locate one bay of off-street parking between the primary building entrance and the street the building faces.
b. Other Districts
No more than two bays of off-street surface parking may be located between the front building facade and the street it faces. This may be doubled for buildings of two or more stories.
10. Loading, Service, and Equipment Areas
a. Loading, service, and equipment areas shall be located in a manner that minimizes their visibility from off-site areas, to the maximum extent practicable.
b. Outdoor storage areas shall be fully screened from adjacent streets and single-family development in accordance with the standards for outdoor storage in Article 4: Use Standards.
c. Loading, service, and equipment areas that are associated with an outparcel building shall be screened through the use of structural elements and similar materials attached to and integrated with the building.
11. For mixed use building with a residential or hotel component, upper-story balconies serving individual
dwelling units
located within 100 feet of a single-family dwelling shall be oriented or configured to prevent direct views into the single family dwelling's
rear yard
.
1. General
In addition to the general commercial and mixed-use design standards in Section 155.5602.C, single-tenant buildings that have a gross floor area of 60,000 square feet or more and devote 60 percent or more of the total floor area to retail sales activities ("large retail buildings") shall also comply with the following standards. If there is a conflict between these standards and those in 155.5602.C, General Commercial and Mixed-Use Design Standards, these standards control. (See Figure 155.5602.D: Examples of large retail establishments.)
2. Building Entrances
Buildings shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances featuring no less than three of the following:
a. Canopies or porticos above the entrance;
b. Roof overhangs above the entrance;
c. Entry recesses or projections;
d. Arcades that are physically integrated with the entrance;
e. Raised corniced parapets above the entrance;
f. Gabled roof forms or arches above the entrance;
g. Outdoor patios or plazas adjacent to the entrance;
h. Display windows that are directly adjacent to the entrance;
i. Architectural details, such as tile work and moldings, that are integrated into the building structure and design and are above or directly adjacent to the entrance; or
j. Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscaped areas or seating areas.
3. Facades and Massing
a. To reduce their perceived mass and scale, buildings shall incorporate two or more of the following design elements on each façade facing a street:
i. Variations in roof form and parapet heights;
ii. Pronounced wall offsets that are at least two feet deep;
iii. Distinct changes in texture and color of wall surfaces;
iv. Ground level arcades and second floor galleries or balconies;
v. Protected and recessed entries; and
vi. Vertical accents or focal points.
b. Side building walls that do not face a street and exceed 30 feet in length shall have façade-articulating elements such as columns and/or changes in plane, texture, or masonry pattern.
(See Figure 155.5602.D.3: Large retail building entrances and massing.)
4. Off-Street Parking Location Standards
a. Up to 60 percent of the total off-street surface parking provided may be located between the front facade of the building and the street it faces.
b. Off-street surface parking lots with 300 or more spaces shall be organized into a series of parking bays surrounded by buildings, landscaping, or accessways designed to appear as streets.
(See Figure 155.5602.D.4: Large retail parking location.)
