(A) Purpose. This section provides standards for civic spaces where such areas are required or provided voluntarily. Civic spaces allow for light and air circulation, visual relief, pedestrian resting areas, and opportunities for socialization in the most densely developed parts of the city. The code allows projects within General Commercial and Public Uses to meet minimum landscape area standards by providing civic space adjacent to street frontages or in courtyards or plazas between buildings, instead of with planted areas elsewhere on a lot as is typically done for residential developments.
(B) Applicability. Design of large-scale buildings and developments. The standards in division (B)(3), below, shall apply to "large-scale buildings and developments", as defined in divisions (B)(1) through (B)(2) of this section:
(1) Buildings with greater than 10,000 square feet of enclosed ground-floor space (i.e., "large-scale"). Multi-tenant buildings shall be counted as the sum of all tenant spaces within the same building shell; and
(2) Multiple-building developments with a combined ground-floor space (enclosed) greater than 20,000 square feet (e.g., shopping centers, public/institutional campuses, and similar developments).
(3) All large-scale buildings and developments, as defined in divisions (B)(1) and (B)(2) of this section, shall provide human-scale design by conforming to all of the following criteria:
(a) Incorporate changes in building direction (i.e., articulation), and divide large masses into varying heights and sizes. Such changes may include building offsets; divisions in surface materials; and use of windows, screening trees; small-scale lighting (e.g., wall-mounted lighting, or up-lighting); and similar features. Note: the example shown above
is meant to illustrate examples of these building design elements, and should not be interpreted as a required architectural style.
(C) Standards.
(1) Civic space standards. At least 3% of every development site shall be designated and improved as civic space (plaza, landscaped courtyard, or similar space) that is accessible to the general public, pursuant to all of the following standards in divisions (C)(1)(a) through (e) of this section:
(a) The highest priority locations for civic space improvements are those with the highest pedestrian activity (e.g., street corners and pedestrian access ways), as generally illustrated.
(b) Civic spaces shall abut a public right-of-way or otherwise be connected to and visible from a public right-of-way by a sidewalk or pedestrian access way. Access ways shall be identifiable with a change in paving materials (e.g. pavers inlaid in concrete or a change in pavement scoring patterns or texture).
(c) Where public access to a civic space is not practical due to existing development patterns, physical site constraints, or other hardship presented by the applicant, the city may allow a private area, such as an outdoor eating area attached to a restaurant, in finding the project complies with the standard.
(d) All civic spaces shall have dimensions that allow for reasonable pedestrian access. For example, by extending the width of an existing sidewalk by four feet, a developer might provide space for an outdoor eating area; whereas a larger development at a street corner could meet the standard by creating a plaza adjacent to a building entrance.
(e) Civic space improvements shall conform to § 154.318, Landscaping.
(2) Pedestrian improvements in civic spaces. Except as provided below, where this section requires the provision of civic space, such space shall be improved with pedestrian amenities, pursuant to the following standards in divisions (C)(2)(a) through (d) of this section:
(a) Pedestrian amenities shall be provided in an amount equal to or greater than 0.5% of the estimated construction cost of the proposed building(s). A licensed architect, landscape architect, or other qualified professional, shall prepare cost estimates for civic space improvements, which shall be subject to review and approval by the City Planner.
(b) Pedestrian amenities include plaza surfaces (e.g., pavers, landscapes, etc.), sidewalk extensions (e.g. with outdoor cafe space), street furnishings (e.g., benches, public art, pedestrian-scale lighting, water fountains, trash receptacles, bus waiting shelters, shade structures, or others), way-finding signs, or similar amenities, as approved by the City Planner.
(c) Where a civic space adjoins a building entrance it should incorporate a permanent weather protection canopy, awning, pergola, or similar feature.
(d) The city may accept pedestrian amenities proposed within a public right-of-way (e.g., street corner or mid-block pedestrian access way) and grant the developer credit toward fulfilling the above improvement standard.
(3) Exception for minor projects. Building additions and remodels are not required to provide civic space where the estimated cost of the proposed building improvement is less than 30% of the existing assessed value of improvements on the subject site. Cost estimates are based on those used to estimate building permit fees, or other independent and credible source, subject to review and approval by the City Planner. Assessed values shall be the market value of record at the Jackson County Assessor's Office.
(4) Exception for in lieu fee. The Planning Commission can approve an exception where the city finds that the creation of civic space is not practicable based on the project location or other relevant factors.
(Ord. 289, passed 11-15-2018)