The following guidelines are to be used by those involved in site planning and design to guide the site planning process and to serve as the Planning Commission's and Beautification Committee's guidelines for judging appropriate site design features.
(a) Relationship to Adopted Plans and Policies.
(1) The site plan shall reflect all City plans and policies affecting the site, including neighborhood plans, key areas plans, master concept plans or previously adopted planned unit residential or planned commercial or industrial development plans.
(2) The site plan shall be consistent with the statement of intent for the zoning district in which it is located.
(b) Site Planning/Open Space.
(1) The natural topographic and landscape features of the site should be incorporated into the development wherever possible.
(2) Buildings and open spaces should be in proportion and scale with existing structures and spaces in the surrounding area.
(3) A site should not be so overcrowded as to cause unbalanced relationships of buildings to open space. Open space areas should not be unduly isolated from one another by unrelated physical obstructions such as buildings and paved vehicular areas, but rather, should be linked by open space corridors of reasonable width.
(4) When possible, natural separations should be created on the site by careful planning of streets and clustering of buildings using natural land features and open space for separation. Cul-de-sacs and loop streets, coupled with open spaces, should be used to achieve separation and create identity for sub-areas on the site.
(c) Building Design and Orientation.
(1) As dwelling unit intensities increase greater opportunities for privacy should be provided by utilizing fences or walls to enclose internal views.
(2) The primary living area of a dwelling for the primary activity area of a building should be oriented toward a natural site amenity where possible.
(3) Buildings should be sited in an orderly, nonrandom fashion. Excessively long, unbroken building facades should be avoided.
(4) Consideration should be given in the siting of mid and high rise buildings to the privacy of occupants of adjacent buildings.
(d) Stormwater Management Measures. The careful design of stormwater management measures shall be an integral part of the overall development planning process.
Stormwater runoff from the development should be handled, as much as possible, through a natural system of roadside swales, grassed swales, grading control, terraces, drop structures, induced infiltration, porous pavements and detention/retention control. These should be designed as an integral part of the open space amenities or the parking and circulation system on the site.
(e) Circulation.
(1) Street network. Short loop streets, cul-de-sacs and residential streets should be used for access to low density residential land uses in order to provide a safer living environment and a stronger sense of neighborhood identity. Access to arterial streets should be limited, whenever possible, to high density residential and non-residential land uses.
(2) Street alignment.
A. A combination tangent/curve street network should be used to respect the existing natural features of a site, provide visual interest and create a more practical alignment for efficient site planning of building clusters.
B. Horizontal and vertical alignment of streets should be designed to minimize grading quantities. This includes working with the existing grade rather than against the grade to avoid excessive cut or fill.
Particular effort should be directed toward securing the flattest possible grade near intersections.
(3) Pedestrian circulation.
A. Residential Uses:
1. The complete separation of vehicular/pedestrian circulation should be achieved whenever possible.
2. Walkways which provide access to parking, trash disposal facilities, mailboxes, service areas and community facilities should be approximately four feet in width. Common area paths designed to carry heavier pedestrian traffic should generally be five to six feet in width in order to accommodate two pedestrian lanes or one pedestrian lane and one bicycle lane.
(4) Nonresidential uses.
A. Off-street parking area should be located within convenient walking distance to the use being served.
B. Handicapped parking should be as near as possible to the structure to avoid crossing parking aisleways.
C. Pedestrian and vehicular circulation should be separated as much as possible, either through crosswalk/pavement markings, signalization or complete grade separation.
D. Path and sidewalk crossings should be located where there is good sight along the road. Ideally, street crossings should occur at intersections.
(f) Parking Lots and Garages.
(1) When locating points of ingress and egress, consideration should be given to the location of existing access points, adjacent to and directly across the street from the site. Curb cuts should be shared by adjoining uses whenever possible.
(2) Parking areas should be screened and landscaped and traffic islands should be provided to protect circulating vehicles and to break-up the monotony of continuously paved areas.
(3) Drive-through establishments, such as banks, should be located to allow stacking space for peak hour operation and not restrict other parking lot circulation.
(4) Detached residential garages and carports should respect the location of adjacent garages and driveways and should be architecturally compatible with the principal structures on the site. When possible, garages should be incorporated as a screening element in the overall site plan and used to create private outdoor spaces and block objectionable views.
(g) Architectural Character, Continuity and Comparability.
(1) Development and infill development should be viewed as part of a cluster, block, neighborhood, or the entire community. Developments should be designed with the idea of being architecturally compatible with nearby structures or to screen incompatible elements of nearby development.
(2) Within the standards of the applicable zoning district, the height, scale and setback of each building should be compatible with existing or proposed adjoining buildings. Architectural style should not necessarily duplicate adjoining structures, but should be compatible in overall form, texture, color and rhythm.
(h) Architectural Style.
(1) The following is a checklist for evaluating architectural character and compatibility. The following elements should be considered in determining the archictural style or character of an area and whether a proposed development is compatible with surrounding uses.
A. Form (building footprint) - are the structures small or massive; rectangular or linear; close together or far apart.
B. Height - are the buildings primarily horizontal or vertical.
C. Building materials - what are the predominant materials used; are there several materials used or only one or two.
D. Colors - what are the predominant colors used on the buildings; are many colors or only a few colors used.
E. Roof pitches - are the roofs sloped or flat; what specific roof types are used.
F. Window and door details - what is the arrangement, proportion and design details of windows and doors.
G. Complexity - are the building walls broken or unbroken; is the overall design simple or ornate.
H. Paved areas and service areas - where is the location of parking garages and service areas; what is the amount and location of paving on the site; is the front yard paved; how do buildings relate to streets.
I. Landscaping - what is the amount, location and type of landscaping and open space around the buildings and on the site.
J. Signs and street furniture - what types and number of signs and street furniture are provided; where are they located in relationship to structures.
(2) Consistency in architectural style should be provided within a development or an infill area.
(3) The architectural style should be carried out in as authentic manner as possible.
(4) Variety can be provided within a particular architectural style by subtly varying building form, setbacks, colors and materials.
(i) Signs.
(1) All signs, including wall, free-standing and window display should be of a complimentary scale and proportion in design and in visual relationship to the site and its structures. Signs within a development should be compatible with each other and signs should not compete for attention with signs on adjoining premises.
(2) The colors, materials and lighting of every sign should be restrained, and harmonious with the building site to which it relates. Signs should define or enhance architectural elements of the building, not obscure or destroy them.
(3) The number of graphic elements on each sign should be held to the minimum level needed to convey the sign's major message and should reflect simplicity, neatness and minimum wording, not only to avoid visual clutter, but to improve legibility.
(4) Signage on each building should be consolidated and coordinated.
(5) Signs should identify the name and type of establishment and not advertise products or brand names.
(j) Climatic Considerations/Energy Conservation (Optional).
(1) Consideration should be given to both over and underheated periods of the year when determining building locations.
(2) To maximize the effect of solar radiation in winter months and maximize shade in the summer months.
A. Deciduous trees should be used for summer shade and winter warmth.
B. Active living spaces should be oriented to the south for winter warmth.
C. Building overhangs should be designed to shield the high summer sun and expose the area to the lower winter sun.
(3) Steeply pitched roofs should be used on the windward side to deflect wind and reduce the roof area affected by the winds.
(4) Bland walls, garages or storage uses should be used on north exposures.
(5) North entrances should be protected with earth mounds, evergreens and walls and fences.
(6) Natural ventilation with prevailing summer breezes should be allowed for whenever possible.
(Ord. 1989-48. Passed 8-28-89.)