§ 153.423 BUILDING FORM STANDARDS.

   (A)   General intent. The intent of the Riverfront Mixed-Use District is to:

      (1)   Promote and protect the Central Business District as a safe, active, pedestrian-scaled, diverse area through building forms that create a positive public street edge;

      (2)   Implement the Saginaw Master Plan;

      (3)   Integrate higher density in a way that respects and relates to the character and built environment of adjacent areas;

      (4)   Combine a mix of uses to create a safe, vital community;

      (5)   Create unique, attractive, pedestrian and bicycle-friendly places with a streetscape that prioritizes pedestrian circulation; and

      (6)   Encourage urban-style infill development on vacant sites.

   (B)   Building form intent. The following goals are considerations with regard to building form in the Riverfront Mixed Use District:

      (1)   Height. Encourage buildings whose forms are responsive to the surrounding context, including opportunities to reinforce existing and evolving nodes of mixed-use, pedestrian and transit activities. Arrange building heights and scaling devices to provide transitions to adjoining areas.

      (2)   Siting.

         (a)   Required build-to. Provide a consistent street edge to enhance character of the urban context. Define streets to promote pedestrian activity and sense of place.

         (b)   Setbacks. Site buildings to be consistent with intended character and functional requirements of the urban context. Site buildings to define the street edge/public realm consistent with the context. Use building siting to create positive transitions between districts.

         (c)   Parking location. Minimize the visual impacts of parking areas on streets and adjoining property. Minimize conflicts between pedestrian and vehicles.

      (3)   Design elements.

         (a)   Promote variation in building form that enhances access to daylight, air and views from within and around new structures. Encourage variation in building form that provides opportunities for architectural scale relationships in large building contexts.

         (b)   Transparency. Maximize transparency of windows at street level to activate the street. Use doors and windows to establish scale, variation and patterns on building facades that provide visual interest.

         (c)   Entrances. Give prominence to the pedestrian realm as a defining element of neighborhood character. Provide convenient access to buildings and pedestrian active uses from the street. Articulate building entrances as visual aid in way-finding. Provide a positive relationship to the street through access, orientation and placement consistent with the context.    

   (C)   Primary building form standards. The following standards are to be used as a guide in developing building forms in the site plan process.

      (1)   Building form intent.

         (a)   General mixed-use. Establish the base set of standards for a variety of mixed-use applications.

         (b)   Apartment. Establish standards for multi-unit dwelling development that allows a variety of layouts, but requires a minimum of one entrance at the street. Also accommodates, where permitted, appropriately scaled group living, civic, and nonresidential development.

         (c)   Townhouse. Establish standards for appropriately designed multi-unit dwelling development that requires each unit to have a street-facing entrance. Also accommodates, where permitted, appropriately scaled group living, civic, and nonresidential development.

         (d)   Urban house. Establish standards for single- and two-unit dwelling developments consistent with the established character of the Riverfront District. Also accommodates, where permitted, appropriately scaled group living, civic, and nonresidential development.

         (e)   Drive-thru. To allow more flexible design standards to accommodate unique circumstances of automotive-oriented uses with an accessory drive-thru lane.

      (2)   Building types permitted by District.

P – Permitted SLU – Special Land Use		Districts
		MS-E	MS-W	UE	RC	UF	INT	RR
Building Type	Description	Main Street East - Downtown	Main Street West - Old Town	Urban Edge	Riverfront Commercial	Urban Flex	Institutional	Riverfront Residential
General Mixed-Use	Mixed-use buildings to reinforce pedestrian comfort, walkability, and activity. Typically, active ground floor uses with high transparency window areas creating a connection between the sidewalk and building interiors.	P	P	P	P	P	SLU
Apartment	Multi-unit dwelling requiring at least one street-facing entrance	P	P	P	P	SLU		SLU
Townhouse	Multi-unit dwellings with each unit having street- facing entrance	SLU	SLU	P		P		SLU
Urban house	Single and two-unit style buildings consistent with established character			P		P	SLU	P
Drive-thru	To allow more flexible design standards to accommodate unique accessory drive-thru circumstances				SLU	SLU
Building types identified above as SLU are subject to the special land use standards in § 153.562.

 

      (3)   Building form standards by building type.

General Mixed-Use	Districts
Building Form Standards	MS-E	MS-W	UE	RC	UF	INT
HEIGHT
Stories (min/max)	3/-	2/5	1/3	1/3	1/5	1/-
Feet (min/max)	38'/-	24'/70'	-/50'	-/45'	-/70'	-/60'*
Ground floor, floor to floor height (min)	16'	16'	16'	-	-	-
SITING
REQUIRED FRONT YARD FRONTAGE	(min build-to % within front setback min/max) see § 153.427(B)
Primary street	85% 5’-10’	85% 0'-5'	75% 0'-5'	-	-	-
Non-primary street	75% 0' - 5'	75% 0'-5'	60% 0'-5'	-	-	-
Side street	60% 0'-5'	60% 0'-5'	40% 0'-5'	-	-	-
SETBACKS
Block sensitive setback required (see § 153.427(C)(2)	no	no	yes	no	yes	yes
Primary street (min)	5'	0'	0'	15'	5'	15'
Front, non-primary street (min)	0'	0'	0'	15'	0'	15'
Side street (min)	0'	0'	0'	15'	0'	15'
Side interior (min) adjacent to residential/ non-residential district	0'/0'	0'/0'	6'/0'	10'/5'	6'/0'	20'/15'
Rear, alley/no alley (min)	0' / 0'	0' / 0'	0'/10'	-/10'	0'/10'	10'/50'
PARKING
Surface parking between building and front street/side street	Not permitted/ not permitted		Not permitted/ not permitted	Permitted (10% max lot area)/ permitted	Not permitted/ permitted	Not permitted / not permitted
Ground floor parking setback from primary street (see § 153.467(C)(4)	30'	30'	30'	-	-	-
Vehicle access	From alley when present or as determined during site plan review
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Fenestration, ground floor, primary facade (min)	60%	60%	40%	40%	40%	30%
Fenestration, ground floor, secondary facade (min)	30%	25%	25%	25%	25%	25%
Fenestration, upper floors (min)	20%
Pedestrian access, primary facade	Entrance
*Buildings of greater than the maximum height may be allowed provided side and rear yards are increased above the minimum required yards by one foot for each foot of building height that exceeds the maximum height allowed.

 

Apartment	Districts
Building Form Standards	UE	RC	UF	RR
HEIGHT
Stories (min/max)	2/5	1/5	2/5	2/3
Feet (min/max)	24'/60'	-/60'	24'/60'	24'/40'
SITING
LOT
Lot size	-	-	-	6,000 sf
Lot width (min)	-	-	-	50'
SETBACKS
Block sensitive setback required (see § 153.427(C)(2)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Primary street (min/max)	5'/15'	15'/50'	10'/20'	15'/25'
Front, non-primary street (min/max)	0'/15'	10'/25'	10'/20'	15'/25'
Side street (min)	5'	10'	5'	10'
Side interior (min)	10'	5'	5'	10'
Rear, alley/no alley	12'/20'
PARKING
Surface parking between building and primary street/side street	Not permitted/ not permitted	Not permitted / permitted	Not permitted / permitted	Not permitted / permitted
Vehicle access	From alley; or from street when no alley present
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Fenestration, primary facade (min)	20%
Fenestration, secondary facade (min)	10%
Pedestrian access, primary or secondary facade	Entrance

 

Townhouse	Districts
Building Form Standards	MS1	UE	RC	UF	RR
HEIGHT
Stories (max)	2.5
Feet (max)	35’
Ground floor finish elevation (min)	18”
SITING
Dwelling units per structure (min/max)	3/10
SETBACKS
Block sensitive setback required (see § 153.467(C)(2))	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Front (min)	5'	5'	20'	20'	15'
Side (each; min)	5'	5'	5'	5'	5'
Rear, alley/no alley	12'/20'	12'/20'	12'/20'	12'/20'	12'/25'
PARKING
Surface parking between building and primary street/side street	Not permitted/permitted
Vehicle access	From alley or from street when no alley present
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Fenestration, primary facade (min)	20%
Fenestration, secondary facade (min)	10%
Street facing garage doors, primary facade	Not permitted
Street facing garage door, side street	Not permitted	Not permitted	Not permitted	Permitted, maximum width 9' per unit	Permitted, 3' behind front facade, maximum width 9' per unit
Pedestrian access, primary facade	Porch or stoop
1   Not permitted on primary streets

 

Urban House	Districts
Building Form Standards	UE	RR
HEIGHT
Stories (max)	2.5
Feet (max)	35’
Ground floor finish elevation (min)	18”
SITING
SETBACKS & BUILDING COVERAGE
Block sensitive setback required (see § 153.467(C(2))	Yes	Yes
Primary street or front (min)	20’
Side street (min)	5’
Rear	25’	25’
Building coverage, including accessory structures (max)	50%	40%
PARKING
Surface parking between building and front street/side street	Not permitted/not permitted	Not permitted/ permitted
Vehicle access	From alley when present
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Attached garage allowed	Shall be setback 5' from principal building along the primary facade and shall not exceed 35% of the entire width of the primary facade or 16', whichever is greater
Pedestrian access, primary facade	Street-facing entrance and entry feature

 

Drive-Thru	Districts
Building Form Standards	RC	UF
HEIGHT
Stories (max)	3
Feet (max)	38'
Ground floor, floor to floor height (min)	16'
SITING
SETBACKS
Primary street or front (min)	15'	0'
Side street (min)	10'	0'
Side interior (min), adjacent to residential district/nonresidential	10'/ 5'	6' /0'
Rear, alley/no alley	0'/10'	0'/10'
PARKING
Surface parking between building and front street/side street	Permitted (10% max of lot area)/ permitted	Not permitted / permitted
Ground floor parking setback from primary street		30'
Vehicle access	One driveway per street frontage*
DESIGN ELEMENTS
Fenestration, primary facade (min)	50 - 70%
Fenestration, secondary facade (min)	30%
Pedestrian access, primary facade	Entrance
*   A second access may be approved by city staff upon a finding that the additional access is essential for convenient access, and that the access is spaced adequately and designed to minimize conflicts.

 

(Ord. O-202, passed 4-2-2018, effective 4-12-2018)