1234.10 DESIGN STANDARDS AND PRINCIPLES.
All new development or redevelopment projects in the CM District shall be subject to the following design standards and principles.
A. Consistency with Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Plans. Where a TOD plan has been adopted by the City, the arrangement of land uses, public open spaces and streets should be consistent with the intent of that plan.
B. Building and Site Design.
1. Buildings and sites are encouraged to accommodate a mixture of uses permitted in this district. A mixture of uses is encouraged not just within the overall district, but on individual parcels and within individual buildings. High activity uses such as retail are encouraged on the first floor, with uses such as offices and residential encouraged on second floors.
2. Buildings shall be designed to respect the street context, to form street walls where appropriate, and to respect or create view corridors.
3. Buildings and sites shall be designed to emphasize pedestrian scale, human scale architecture, and landscaping, while avoiding large expanses of paved areas, large featureless buildings, and monotonous or franchise-style architecture. (See Figure 1234.10.)
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4. All sides of a building open to view by the public shall display a similar level of architectural quality, and shall be subdivided and proportioned using features such as windows, entrances, arcades, awnings, or other such features.
5. Wherever feasible, buildings shall be designed to provide massing configurations with a variety of different wall planes. Plain, monolithic structures with long monotonous walls and roof plane surfaces are prohibited.
6. Each building facade shall incorporate design elements for each 20 horizontal feet, such as changes in color or texture; projections, recesses, and reveals; arcades or pergolas providing pedestrian interest; or equivalent elements that subdivides the wall into human scale proportions.
7. First floor facades facing streets or pedestrian ways should incorporate large amounts (at least 60% of the facade) of clear windows that permit views into the interior of the building and/or product display areas.
8. Building facades shall have highly visible customer service entrances that feature canopies, overhangs, arcades, distinctive roof forms, arches, display windows, or landscaped features. Primary entrances should face, and be visible from the street on which they are located and shall be directly accessible and visible from the sidewalk.
9. Buildings shall have well defined rooflines with attention to architectural detail. Consideration should be given to the prevailing pattern of roofs in the area surrounding and within the district.
10. Sloping roofs, where used, shall have one or more of the following architectural features: gables, hips, horizontal or vertical breaks, or other similar techniques that are integrated into the building architecture.
11. Buildings shall be designed and arranged to define the public and private space with open views and surveillance for public areas and privacy for private areas.
C. Building Materials.
1. Building materials shall be limited to brick, masonry, stucco, wood, fiber cement siding, wood shingle, wood siding, cultured stone, or other similar materials.
2. Prohibited materials include vinyl siding, dryvit-type products on the lowest 8 feet of any structure, split faced block, aluminum or vinyl siding, and other similar materials.
D. Vehicular Circulation and Access.
1. Circulation systems shall be designed to efficiently facilitate traffic flow, yet designed to discourage speeds and volumes that impede pedestrian activity and safety.
2. Street designs are encouraged to incorporate traffic calming devices and techniques.
3. Common or shared access points are encouraged.
4. To the maximum extent feasible, common or shared service and delivery access shall be provided between adjacent parcels or buildings, and provided to the rear of buildings.
5. Safe and adequate sight distance shall be provided at all intersections, as provided in Section 1260.05.
6. Transit stops should be incorporated into site plans, where
feasible.
7. Traffic impact studies, when required by the Zoning Administrator, shall be provided as part of the site plan review process.
E. Pedestrian Access and Circulation.
1. A coordinated pedestrian system shall be provided throughout the development, including connections between uses on the site, and between the site and adjacent properties and rights-of-way. Pedestrian connections shall be provided to properties across streets wherever feasible.
2. The site shall be connected to adjacent properties and pedestrian facilities to the maximum extent feasible.
3. Continuous sidewalks or other pedestrian facilities shall be provided between the primary entrances to buildings, all parking areas that serve the buildings, pedestrian facilities on adjacent properties that extend to the boundaries shared with the development, any public sidewalk along perimeter streets, or other community amenities or gathering spaces.
4. Pedestrian-scale lighting fixtures shall be provided along all sidewalks and walkways to provide ample lighting during nighttime hours.
5. Decorative sidewalk materials, such as brick pavers, shall be provided at key intersections or streets.
6. Street furniture or other amenities are encouraged, such as plazas, benches, and decorative pedestrian light fixtures.
7. Open and public space should be provided as a mixture of green space landscaping and hardscape pedestrian areas:
a. Development proposals that involve a minimum of 1.5 acres or 60,000 square feet of floor area, whichever is less, should provide a minimum of 5% of the project site as public open space.
b. Residential buildings should provide 10% of the site area as open space.
F. Parking Lot Design and Layout.
1. The visual impact of off-street parking lots shall be minimized through the use of interior landscaped islands, and through dividing parking spaces into groupings.
2. The edges of parking lots shall be screened through landscaping or other methods such as decorative fences in accordance with Section 1253.08.
3. Semi-pervious paving materials, such as permeable pavers, porous asphalt or porous concrete, are encouraged so as to permit natural percolation of water. Such materials shall be installed and maintained in accordance with industry and manufacturer standards and the following:
a. The manufacturer's specifications are applicable to the subject property's particular soil type and slope (gradient) so that vehicles are supported without rutting and water percolation is achieved.
b. Semi-pervious parking areas must allow storm water to percolate into the ground at a rate sufficient to accommodate the five-year, 24-hour storm event.
c. For non-residential uses, if only a portion of the parking area is designated for semi-pervious materials, the area designated for semipervious parking shall be located at the perimeter of the parking lot, and if possible, remote or furthest removed from the principal building.
4. Parking structures shall be designed to be compatible with the adjacent buildings and district architecture and shall provide clearly marked pedestrian connections to the sidewalk.
G. Landscaping and Screening.
1. A landscaping plan shall be submitted for the entire site. The standards contained in Chapter 1253 are considered to be minimum standards for this district, with additional landscaping provided where needed to mitigate off-site visual impacts or to improve the internal landscaping on the site.
2. Landscaping shall be used to define public entrances using signature landscaping elements.
3. A year round visual screen shall be provided between the site and any adjacent single family uses, except where planned pedestrian connections are provided.
4. Entryways shall be planted with ornamental plant materials such as ornamental trees, flowering shrubs, and perennials, and ground covers.
5. Landscaping should be designed and constructed to promote on-site water management and infiltration through the use of native plants and porous landscape detention, swales, and filter strips.
H. Streetscape Improvements.
1. A Streetscape Plan shall be submitted for the entire site. The Streetscape Plan shall address the relationship between vehicular and pedestrian traffic, pedestrian facilities, street and sidewalk lighting, landscaping, street furniture, trash receptacles, and transit stops.
2. The design of streets, pedestrian ways, landscaping, lighting, and street furniture shall be coordinated and integrated throughout the site.
3. Vehicular streets and driveways shall be designed to be compatible with pedestrian ways to encourage a pedestrian friendly environment. The width of streets shall be sensitive to pedestrian scale, and shall be minimized to avoid overwhelming the pedestrian scale.
4. Site furnishings such as benches, seating, trash receptacles, bike racks, lighting fixtures, and tree grates shall be provided as part of the Streetscape Plan.
I. Service Area and Mechanical Screening.
1. The location of service areas and mechanical equipment shall be considered as part of the overall site design.
2. Services areas and mechanical equipment shall be screened from public view.
J. Signage. Fully dimensioned drawings, illustrations and details shall be submitted showing the type, location (including the placement of monument signs on the site plan and the placement of signs on buildings), size and materials of all signage, including letter style and type, face (color, material and thickness), returns, type of lighting, and brightness.
1. A master sign plan shall be prepared for coordinated developments and blocks of stores pursuant to Section 1250.09 Local Sign District Regulations to ensure cohesive overall signage for the area.
2. All signs should be of high quality design that provides strong visual interest with three dimensional design.
3. Wall signs:
a. Adequate wall space must be provided in a location that will allow the sign to function properly while also appear as if it "belongs" with the building.
b. Signs shall be comprised of individual letters. Cabinet and box signs are not permitted, however, painted signs made of wood, metal or similar material are permitted.
c. Indirect lighting is preferred.
4. Monument signs:
a. Monument signs should be placed in logical locations near the project's entrance.
b. Monument signs should be designed to relate to and complement the architectural design of the building(s) and other elements of development on the site, including sharing common design elements and building materials.
c. Monument signs with one sign face shall be finished on the "back" side and oriented parallel to the street.
d. Sign bases and cabinets shall be constructed of brick, stone, or metal.
e. Sign faces made of plastic and similar materials are not permitted.
f. Dark colored cabinets are preferred, white backgrounds are discouraged.
g. Adequate landscaping of a type and scale complementary to the overall landscape plan must be provided to integrate the sign into the site and provide a unified design.
5. Sign elements should create an overall cohesive design, reflect simplicity, avoid visual clutter and ensure legibility by adhering to the following guidelines:
a. Be consolidated into a minimum number of elements, whether words, symbols, or graphics.
b. Bright colors should be avoided or very limited in size and used as accents rather than predominant design elements.
c. White backgrounds are discouraged.
d. Signs should have a matte finish, and not have a glossy or reflective finish.
6. Only high quality, durable materials shall be used; Conventional plastic faced box, cabinet, or monument signs and formed plastic or injection molded plastic signs shall not be permitted.
7. Preferred materials and graphic elements include:
a. Mixed media signs incorporating multi-dimensional forms and combinations of colors, shapes, materials, and lighting;
b. Application of innovative technologies;
c. Dimensional letter forms with seamless edge treatments;
d. Reverse channel halo lettering;
e. Cut or fabricated steel, painted and finished;
f. Etched metal or glass, sandblasted glass;
g. Polished metal;
h. Screens, lattice, or mesh;
i. Glazed ceramic tile work forming patterns and/or fields;
j. Etched or carved stone;
k. Fiber optics; and
l. Silhouette illumination.
8. Lighting, if used to illuminate the sign, must be completely shielded from streets and pathways.
a. Light-reflecting backgrounds shall not be used but light-reflecting lettering or halo lighting may be used.
b. When lighting a wall sign the type of light fixture selected should complement the architectural style of the structure and the façade light fixtures and not be added solely to illuminate the sign.
c. Only sign letters and other items of information may be illuminated; illumination of sign backgrounds shall not be permitted.
K. Lighting.
1. A lighting plan shall be prepared, including a photometric illustration.
2. Lighting shall be designed to avoid spillover onto adjacent properties through the use of cutoff shields or other similar features.
L. Sustainability Guidelines. To the maximum extent practicable, new buildings are encouraged to incorporate one or more of the following features:
1. Low-Impact Development (LID) stormwater management features; designed for on-site stormwater mitigation through low impact development techniques as approved by the City Planning Commission.
2. Porous paving blocks and pervious paving materials are encouraged as material for parking lots and/or sidewalks.
3. Energy-efficient materials, including recycled materials that meet the requirements of this Code.
(Ord. 18-25. Enacted 4-23-18.)