(a) General. The following architectural requirements are meant to achieve two goals; the establishment of a consistent higher quality design and construction that works with the site and streetscape requirements to establish and reinforce the mixed-use district neighborhood design goals, and to protect initial and future investments in the UVD against future environment variables that could lead to low-grade and undesirable material choices and building site orientations, and cheap construction for the sake of development itself, that in-turn threatens the economic viability and longevity of the whole district as it grows and changes with time. In the UVD, the exterior architectural design character for all new or renovated structures, shall take inspiration from traditional massing, material and character of the vernacular of the region in both commercial and residential applications, and to complement the historic South Main Street that is just south of the UVD.
(1) Four-Sided Consistency. All building sides shall be considered four-sided architecture, except where buildings are closely adjacent, or back up to buffer zones, and need to relate to the style of the front or primary corner facade(s). Complexity and level of ornamentation may be reduced progressively on the sides and rear of buildings.
(2) Orientation to Street. Buildings shall be architecturally oriented to, and the maintenance itself, shall be located on: the street, public right-of-way or courtyard, and in a few specific instances, for larger-format users over 12,000 square feet or for pad-style freestanding buildings facing a relevant-sized surface parking area and yet oriented to the street or surface area it fronts upon. In the Village Center area building entrances shall be oriented toward the major or primary streets or primary public event/open space(s). Buildings located on an intersection shall have the main entrance oriented toward the major street and any facade facing other streets shall have facades that 'turn the corner' with similar/complementary architectural features and character. Retail, office, and institutional buildings and main entrances shall be oriented toward a street, right-of-way, drop-off area, or courtyard. Residential area buildings entrances shall be oriented toward the street, primary right-of-way, open areas or court yard. Buildings located on an intersection shall have the main entrance oriented toward the primary/desired residential address and any facade facing onto a corner shall showcase similar architectural styles on both facades.
(3) Orientation of Windows and Doors. All windows and doors, openings or frame fenestrations located within an opening shall be vertical in orientation, meaning the primary frame character is more top to bottom, as with traditional storefronts and window design. Traditional window layouts featuring transoms, divided lights, and sidelights are encouraged, along with storefronts, doors and framing components, which follow vertical enhancing design elements. Sliding commercial-grade glass doors, folding glass windows and butt-jointed glazing may be allowed, but only if window and/or door orientations are also vertical in nature. Retail or commercial storefront areas can have long runs of linear glazing, but must break up the glass panels with a rhythm of continual vertical supports to mimic traditional storefronts. Any sliding doors must pocket out of view, and all folding windows should not encroach into an exterior walk or public area beyond a tenant storefront closure line, unless as part of an exterior lease area. Linear strip windows, horizontally dominant window frames, and rectangular picture windows are discouraged, since they are not part of the traditional architectural vocabulary that is part of the UVD. Alternative window and door designs may be approved by the Planning Commission as part of the Site Plan Review approval process but only if primarily related to functional use, provided that the overall building design is in keeping with the goals of the mixed-use UVD.
(4) Glass Materials. Clear or colored glass, translucent, sandblasted and/or decorative pattern glass that can emit light through is encouraged. Retail, and/or commercial storefronts should be predominantly clear glass at any street level opening. Where a clear window opening is desired, but for functional reasons is not viable, an internally backlit, translucent, patterned or colored glass panel is most encouraged. Other options, including back painted, fritted, sandblasted, or non-illuminated translucent glass may be acceptable where structural elements or back-of-house functions or unoccupied space would be visible behind. Black, opaque, spandrel and reflective glass materials are discouraged.
(5) Building Materials. Building materials should be commercial grade, and applied in a variety of applications across the expanse of all visible public-facing elevations. Acceptable materials include pre-cast and/or patterned masonry, brick, decorative block, cementitious siding, wood (both new and reclaimed in specific applications), stone, exposed metal structure and/or architectural details where viable, stucco, or materials of equal appearance consistent with the acceptable architectural character outlined in the UVD. Plywood, split-face masonry block, thin-set or plastic brick and stone, corrugated siding, vinyl siding and plastic panels are prohibited, unless in service or screened areas, not visible to the public.
(6) Rooflines. Flat rooflines are permitted, however, parapets or the underside of roof eaves should showcase cornices, masonry and/or brick trim and/or patterning, decorative blocks/brackets, moldings or some form of architectural emphasis along the roofline. Where adjacent buildings have a similar roofline, a variation of the height of the rooflines is required.
(7) Roofing Materials. Asphalt shingles, fiberglass shingles, actual or composite roof materials that mimic slate or tile, and either copper or painted/powder coated standing seam metal are permitted materials for sloped roofs per the discretion of the Planning Commission. Where possible, patterning of asphalt shingles, colors for more vertical roof surfaces is highly encouraged.
(8) Building Heights. In conjunction with Section 1267.06(c), heights shall be consistent with those of other similar uses. For larger format users, entertainment venues or other commercial uses, where taller interior spaces are required, heights of the front facades should try to use design massing, elements and materials to blend-in with any adjacent structure(s) as to not overwhelm the overall visual appearance. Individual structures should feature a variety of heights, using elements such as roofline variation, decorative towers or portal elements, steeples, pediments, clerestories, dormers or domes, consistent with the overall architectural character and design requirements. Buildings that are used for nonresidential purposes shall not exceed forty-five feet in Maximum Occupied Height measured from front exterior grade level to nine feet above the highest occupied floor. The height of enclosed unoccupied building elements may exceed the Maximum Occupied Height up to thirty feet from mean street level grade. Purely decorative unoccupied elements such as towers, flagpoles, spires and steeples, may be located on top of both occupied and unoccupied enclosed space, to a total building height of no more than seventy-five feet, excluding decorative metal finials.
(9) Building Massing. Individual buildings and any attached structures should strive for complementary building massing, reminiscent of traditional townscape/streetscape patterns. Monoplanar or monolithic appearance and surfaces, with little variation in setbacks, wall fenestration, or rooflines are highly discouraged. Building massing should take into account adjacent buildings, property uses, sightlines, identity, and relationship to its site to accomplish building a contextual variety in its overall massing. As noted above, such elements as rooflines, massing setbacks, decorative architectural elements, visual openings and wall fenestration elements such as pop-outs, window openings, trellises, pergolas, verandas, entrances, piers, pilasters, decorative panels, or grilles, and eaves or cornice lines will break down a structure's overall massing and create a pedestrian scale to its overall context.
(10) Opacity. Building opacity/blank walls buildings within the UVD need to achieve sixty-five percent glass or storefront area, where open to a streetscape or public right-of- way. This includes upper level window and opening areas calculated as an overall aggregate, and can include inset terraces where viable. Blank wall areas must not exceed lengths of more than seventy-five feet in any one stretch before a door or opening, and facing a public street or right-of- way, such wall surfaces must be visually enhanced with design elements such as pilasters, frames, pattern materials, landscape and lighting. These areas are also potentials for large-format, non-commercial advertising environmental graphics where viable.
(11) Color.
A. Color Variation. The use of sharply contrasting, or clashing colors on buildings facades is discouraged for large surface areas. If used either as an accent or as some form of tenant identity, they should be limited to specific architectural elements, details or small surface areas. Their use in tenant design/tenant identity areas is encouraged, but subject to tenant design requirements of their particular building or development.
B. Color Schemes. Color schemes should be kept simple with no more than one or two field or trim colors on any given building. All exterior colors and finished material surface colors are subject to Planning Commission approval.
C. Color Consistency. The chosen color scheme should help tie all of the parts of the building together. Monolithic color schemes and appearances are discouraged, unless it is part of a highly articulated facade or structure. Typically, the color that is used in the storefront area may be repeated in the upper story windows or cornice area. Colors used at the front facade should be used on the sides and rear of buildings.
(Ord. O-20-2. Passed 1-2-20.)