The intent is to create building façades throughout this development that are articulated to provide visual interest to pedestrians and to establish a unique identity for the development. The architectural design of any building within this development shall be acceptable to the City. The architecture shall attempt to express a creative presentation by careful attention to exterior building materials and details, use of fenestration, and change in building mass within the plane and roof design to lessen the plainness of appearance which can be characteristic of large commercial and multi-family buildings. Building design, materials, trim, detailing, and colors shall provide continuity to unite all structures within the development into one project concept. All sides to each building shall receive high quality materials, finishes, and details (360° architectural treatment). There are no "backs" to a building. Materials should be durable, economically maintained and of a quality that will maintain their appearance over a prolonged time.
On file with the City are conceptual architectural illustrations of the general building style, colors and materials. Once site plan approval is gained on a particular building design, any alteration in design, materials or colors, must be reviewed and approved by the City's Development Services Department prior to changes being implemented.
A. All buildings within this development shall accommodate or incorporate the following design approaches:
1. Corporate architecture shall be prohibited. Limited use of architectural elements characteristic of prototypical architecture may be allowed at the discretion of the Director of Development Services or the appropriate reviewing and approval body. Implementation of these architectural elements shall be minimized and whenever possible modified to give a unique image to the establishment. No standard corporate building design without modifications shall be implemented.
2. Buildings shall be organized to create a logical and identifiable relationship with the site and other buildings, open spaces, and pedestrian circulation paths.
3. The use of building articulation and materials which break up the building mass into modules that respect a pedestrian scale and reflects proportions similar to other buildings within the area.
4. The building's design should meet context and site objectives such as providing gateways, creating visual and physical linkages and framing or terminating views.
5. Variation in building height, mass and roof forms shall be provided to create interest while still maintaining an overall building continuity. Roofs should not be designed as attention-getting devices related to the reinforcement of signage or as an identifiable corporate image.
6. Projections above the roof shall have the appearance of a three-dimensional element.
7. Entrances into buildings should be easily identified through the use of building design and detailing. Projected or recessed entryways, change in rooflines, addition of awnings or changes in building material are examples that can create this effect.
8. Shifts in building planes/facades and variation in exterior materials shall be incorporated to minimize long expanses of wall. Long blank walls shall be prohibited.
9. Variation in materials, material modules, expressed joints, textures, colors and details should be used to break up the mass of the buildings. Materials should change with the change in building planes.
10. Trim and structural elements such as posts or columns shall be sized to the scale of the building.
11. Whenever possible, ground floor commercial tenant areas should provide the maximum possible glazing toward sidewalks to provide pedestrians with visual interest. Use of reflective glass or mirrored glass is discouraged. Efforts should be made to use clear glass on storefronts, windows and doors to promote the linkage of the interior and exterior of buildings.
12. Architectural design for multi-family units shall include:
a. Unit design should incorporate elements such as balconies and roof decks to reinforce the connection between the residents and the activities within the development. A minimum of eighty percent (80%) of the multi-family units within the development must provide a balcony or porch with a minimum usable area of forty (40) square feet and a minimum usable dimension of five feet (5') deep in either direction. In lieu of outdoor living area for individual units, area(s) of common defined and enhanced outdoor living space can be provided.
b. Should covered parking be pursued, the architectural details of detached garages should incorporate the materials and treatments of the dwelling, such as windows, doors, trim and materials on all sides of the garage. For parking incorporated within the primary building, the design should place the garage doors on a non-street side façade and use screening or design elements to minimize the dominance of garage doors on the facade.
13. Natural, durable materials such as brick and stone shall be used as the major elements of the façade cladding (40% or greater), primarily on the lower stories of the building. Use of vinyl materials is prohibited.
a. Buildings may incorporate the following materials in addition to the materials noted above: architectural concrete masonry units (CMU) and architectural metal or composite panels (acceptable to the City.) All composite panel or metal cladding must have concealed fasteners. All exposed edges must have a fully finished edge or be terminated with trim. Trim for the panels should be finished with the same color as the panel. CMU's shall have integrated color rather than surface applied paint/staining and should generally have texture for interest; smooth CMU may be used in conjunction with texture for accent purposes. The use of EIFS or synthetic stucco shall be used in limited quantities and primarily as an accent or trim material; located only on the upper portions of the facades. EIFS or synthetic stucco may not comprise more that 20% of the cladding material. (Ord. 2387, 11-18-2019)