In addition to the other regulations set forth in this Chapter, the building design guidelines set forth in this Section shall apply to the exterior appearance and design of all new construction and exterior building renovations when development is occurring in conformance with an approved General Development Concept in the Mixed Use Overlay District. When reviewing a General Development Concept, the following criteria shall serve as guidelines for evaluating the schematic building designs presented with such a General Development Concept.
(a) General Criteria.
(1) The application shall enhance and improve the character of the community and be appropriate and compatible with its surroundings or in conformance with the character established for the area by the City's Master Plan.
(2) Buildings, structures, and landscaping should be designed and located on the site and be of a scale and massing to complement adjacent buildings and enhance the character of the surrounding area.
(3) Buildings are required to be placed near existing public streets to provide a sense of enclosure and definition to the public street. This criterion nevertheless recognizes that the internal portion of any site may also be developed with new streets and buildings or renovations and/or additions to existing buildings. Therefore, this internal development may be internally oriented to any new streets or driveways.
(4) Each building or unit of a multiple building development should have its own distinct identity, yet should also be compatible with adjacent units or buildings in terms of proportion, color, and materials.
(5) Where natural or existing topographic patterns positively contribute to the appearance and utility of a development, they shall be preserved and developed. Modification to topography may be permitted only when such modifications do not adversely affect surrounding property.
(6) Safe pedestrian connections shall be provided between buildings, in a multi-building development, and between principal buildings, their parking lots, and public sidewalks.
(b) Criteria for the Design of Buildings.
(1) Buildings located at street intersections and other important pedestrian or automobile entry points shall employ distinctive architectural features to distinguish these areas.
(2) If the first floor of a building contains non-residential uses, the front facade of every building shall have glazing areas, equal to fifty percent (50%) of the front facade area (measured using the total area below the second floor).
(3) Excluding the end wall of residential floors, for all upper floors, the front facade of every building shall have glazed areas equal to thirty-five percent (35%) of the total area of the front facade, with each floor being calculated independently.
(4) For any façade of the building, other than the front façade, that is visible from a private access drive, parking area, or public circulation area shall have no more than twenty (20) feet of contiguous wall length devoid of windows, on any ground floor, unless the wall includes architectural features such as piers, columns, defined bays, or an undulation of the building so that a pedestrian scale, rhythm, and visual interest is created.
(5) All roof-top equipment shall be enclosed in building materials that match the structure or which are visually compatible with the structure.
(6) Materials within three (3) feet of the finished grade or sidewalk shall be of a durable material to withstand pedestrian and vehicular traffic. No stucco (commonly known as "dry vit" or E.F.I.S.) or similar materials shall be permitted within three (3) feet of the finished grade.
(Ord. 89-17. Passed 5-29-18.)
(Ord. 89-17. Passed 5-29-18.)