The following regulations shall apply to the properties zoned Office Building District and General Business District located in the area defined as all properties fronting onto Center Ridge on the north side from 26314 Center Ridge (at Canterbury Road) to 27396 Center Ridge; on the south side from 26315 Center Ridge to 27333 Center Ridge Road; and on the south side of Westwood from 26915 to 26945 Westwood Road. Within the Dover Village area defined herein, buildings and improvements shall follow the regulations and standards of this Section 1216.15 including the design guidelines established for the area unless otherwise approved by Council.
(a) The minimum front building setback for new buildings and additions shall be not less than twenty (20) feet from the planned right-of-way provided no parking shall be located between the front or side face of a building and the street sidewalk and not less than fifteen (15) feet from a side street planned right-of-way.
(b) The minimum side and rear building setback shall be not less than ten (10) feet unless adjacent to a residential zoned district wherein the side or rear building setback shall be not less than thirty (30) feet.
(c) The minimum parking setbacks from the planned right of way as well as front, side and rear shall be not less than ten (10) feet except where adjacent to a residential district wherein the setback shall be not less than twenty (20) feet.
(d) Service station or any automotive use permitted in the underlying district shall locate the building at the twenty (20) foot setback and the pumps, canopies and service bays shall be located to the side or rear of the building.
(e) The width of driveways including parking aisles shall be not less than twenty (20) feet nor more than twenty-four (24) feet unless otherwise approved by Planning Commission in locations that require added lanes for turning or single lanes for one-way drives.
(f) Parking lots shall be located to the side or rear of buildings and limited to twenty- four (24) spaces unless divided by landscape strips, parking dividers and/or pedestrian walkways. The minimum amount of landscaping within the outer edges of the paved areas shall be five percent (5%). Parking lots with more than fifty (50) spaces shall provide ten percent (10%) landscaping within the outer edges of the paved areas.
(g) The minimum amount of landscaping on the entire site shall be twenty percent (20%) of the parcel. Planning Commission may allow the use of decoratively paved plazas, patios and pedestrian areas as landscaped area.
(h) The maximum building height for buildings shall be thirty (30) feet and two stories.
(i) All other regulations that apply to General Business District and Office Building District not herein provided shall apply to building and uses in the Dover Village area.
(j) Outdoor dining areas otherwise regulated by Chapter 707 shall be permitted on all sides of a building or yard except where abutting a residential district and shall not obstruct any private or public sidewalk, nor obstruct any parking area or access drive, nor obstruct motorists sight views at driveway exits or at intersections.
(k) Dover Village Building and Site Design Guidelines. These Dover Village Design Guidelines are intended to supplement the design review guidelines found in Chapter 1237
of the Westlake Codified Ordinances and provide more specific guidance based on the unique attributes of the Dover Village area. In the event there is a conflict between the Chapter 1237
general guidelines and these guidelines, those adopted for Dover Village area would take precedence within the Dover Village area.
(1) Building details, particularly on the front facade, should be designed for maximum visual interest. Standardized corporate prototype buildings are discouraged; buildings should be designed to respond to the context of the Westlake community and the Dover Village area.
(2) Buildings should be designed with details and materials to evoke the village look with building styles and designs common of the mid-century 1940's through the 1950's.
(3) Blonde or red brick are the preferred exterior cladding materials. Artificial cladding materials, such as obviously faux stone and synthetic stucco (i.e. Dryvit) are discouraged.
(4) Storefront windows provide an opportunity to display merchandise and provide "eyes on the street." Clear glass should be retained in existing storefront windows, and existing windows should not be reduced in size or eliminated on street-facing facades.
(5) Awnings are encouraged to provide protection from the weather for pedestrians, evoke the period and provide location for signage.
(6) Main entries should be clearly defined, and emphasized with architectural detailing, awnings, lighting, and/or signage.
(7) Decorative paving is encouraged for sidewalks and other paved areas on private property.
(8) Landscaping should be concentrated at parking lot edges to soften the appearance of parking from the street and to provide definition to curb cuts; landscaped islands within a parking lot are also encouraged.
(9) Trash dumpsters must be in enclosures as specified in Section 1216.03(j) of the Westlake Codified Ordinances. Loading areas and mechanical equipment should be located to the rear of buildings, with fencing and landscaping to screen these areas from public view.
(10) Mechanical equipment on the ground and waste receptacles must be screened with a fence or plant material as approved by the Planning Commission, or housed in a structure that is in harmony with the surroundings.
(11) Mechanical equipment attached to the side or roof of a building, including heating vents, should be kept as low as possible and screened. Color should be compatible with the background.
(12) Accessory loading areas should be located in unobtrusive areas and be screened or blocked from public view.
(13) Pedestrian-scaled light fixtures using high pressure sodium lamps will add a warm glow to the district at night and are appropriate along the sidewalk and within parking lots. Round fixtures with simple, streamlined poles evoke the architectural era of the district.
(14) Benches and trash receptacles were not commonly found in mid-century commercial streetscapes, but these elements are welcome in the district today. Timeless, elegantly designed benches and trash receptacles, that do not recall any specific time period, will provide for pedestrian comfort without detracting from the character of the area. Color recommendations for paving materials can be found in the Dover Village palette.
(15) Bus benches were very common in the 1940s and 1950s, so as an alternative to the previous guideline, decoratively painted bus benches could be incorporated into the Dover Village streetscape as a public art opportunity.
(16) Sidewalks should be generous within the district along the street and leading to each building entrance. New sidewalks should have at least six feet (6') clear passageway.
(l) Dover Village Supplemental Sign Regulations. These Dover Village Sign Regulations are intended to supplement the signage regulations found in Chapter 1223
, and provide more specific guidance based on the unique attributes of the Dover Village area. In the event there is a conflict between the Chapter 1223
sign ordinance and these guidelines, those adopted for Dover Village area would take precedence within the Dover Village area.
(1) Signs should be designed to evoke the graphic and architectural identity of the 1940s and 1950s. Historically authentic reproductions of signs from this era are not required, but sign graphics with a "retro" quality are encouraged. Using colors from the Dover Village palette is encouraged for sign age in the district.
(2) Painted sign panels with overhead, gooseneck light fixtures are appropriate in this district, as are signs that use exposed neon tubing to spell out the name of a business.
(3) Panel signs or individual letter signs are appropriate to the district; internally illuminated box signs or awning signs are more contemporary in appearance and are inconsistent with the architectural styles encouraged for the district.
(4) Feature signs are encouraged for retail businesses in the district. These multi-sided or three-dimensional signs help to establish a unique identity for a business and are usually designed to depict or symbolize some aspect of the business they are identifying.
(5) Temporary window signs are discouraged, as they tend to make a storefront appear cluttered, but permanent window signs can be designed to supplement the main signage, adding color and excitement to building facades at the pedestrian level.
(6) Durable materials, such as brick, stone, and metal, are preferable for monument signs; monument signs should have landscaping at the base.
(7) Sign bands should be established on primary facades to establish a clear location for signage.
(8) Projecting signage may be appropriate, particularly on corner buildings, to reinforce the architectural character of the district.
(9) Unique "feature" signs are encouraged to add distinction to businesses in the area.
(10) Monument signs are preferable to pole signs, and should have a landscaped base. Existing pole signs are considered nonconforming.
(11) Businesses within a retail strip are not required to have matching signs, but some degree of continuity, in terms of color palette, sign type, sign placement, and method of illumination is encouraged.
(12) Section 1223.10 of the City's Zoning Code provides additional standards for sign design and shall be followed.
(13) Shopping center signage may be uniform for each tenant, or individual businesses within the center may have more flexibility in establishing their own sign identity. In the latter case, a coordinated sign plan must be developed by the shopping center owner and approved by the City.
(14) Directory signs listing individual tenants are appropriate, but the design of these signs should incorporate materials and architectural details from shopping center buildings.
(15) Directory signs should be designed for maximum legibility by pedestrians and motorists, and must be sited in a way that does not obscure views for drivers entering or exiting the shopping center. A minimum setback of ten feet from the right-of-way is required for monument signs.
(m) Architectural Palette.
(1) The Dover Village palette includes dark, earth-based tones and lighter pastel colors.
(2) Red or blonde brick is encouraged as the exterior cladding material for buildings in the Dover Village District; building base colors should be limited to a relatively small number of choices shown in the Dover Village base color palette that are in keeping with the overall character of the district.
(3) Trim colors should be selected from the broader Dover Village accent palette to coordinate with a building's roofing and siding materials.
(4) Primary colors (red, yellow, blue) and stark black and white combinations are discouraged for signage in the district, in favor of the more subtle colors in the Dover Village palette.
(Ord. 2008-36. Passed 6-5-08.)