A. Purpose And Intent: The general purposes of the mixed-use and non-residential design standards are as follows:
1. To help implement the City's Growth Policy, Downtown Business District Master Plan, and various Corridor Plans;
2. Promote development in the City's Commercial Zones compatible with the historic character and pedestrian orientation of Whitefish, encouraging and requiring commercial development that enables the safe circulation of pedestrians with minimal vehicle- pedestrian conflicts, softens the auto-dominated nature of the zoning district, and provides a regional design, which invites the pedestrian into ground floor commercial establishments;
3. Enrich the quality of Commercial Zones built and natural environments;
4. Promote distinct communities and senses of place that strengthen the Commercial Districts as commercial service destinations for the City's residents and visitors;
5. Provide clear direction to public and private decision makers regarding the City's property development expectations; and
6. Require building design compatible with adopted requirements, while allowing design professionals guidance that is flexible and encourages creative solutions.
B. Building Orientation And Multi-Building Sites:
1. Orientation: Buildings must be oriented towards the primary street frontage and public paths and/or sidewalks. Buildings on corner lots should be oriented towards the primary intersection.
a. Buildings may be located further away from the primary street when separated from the street by existing healthy and mature trees being retained in perpetuity. In those cases, buildings should be placed as close to the trees as practical and a plan must be submitted to maintain the health of the trees along with a replacement plan for dead, dying, or hazardous trees (see section 11-4-3 and section 11-4-6 of this chapter).
b. Buildings must be arranged on the site so that their orientation frames, encloses, or otherwise gives prominence to a pedestrian corridor, an outdoor gathering space with outdoor seating, a "main street" pedestrian or vehicle access corridor within the site, or the corners of street intersections or entry points into the development.
c. Buildings on corner lots should be oriented toward the primary intersection and the primary and secondary street frontages, while parking and auto access must be located away from the primary intersection corners.
d. The use of lot corner entrances, plazas, signage, and/or landscaping is encouraged to accentuate corner sites.
2. Separation: Where buildings are separated from the primary street frontage by a required setback or public sidewalk, the space should contain public and pedestrian amenities.
a. Buildings may be separated from the sidewalk by plazas, landscaping, benches, bicycle racks, trash cans, and other pedestrian amenities.
3. Multi-Building Design: For non-residential and mixed-use development sites with multiple buildings on one lot or multiple buildings on adjacent lots owned and developed contiguously as part of a business, retail, or industrial park, the following additional standards apply:
a. Buildings must exhibit a general similarity of scale, orientation, and proportion with unified natural and built features. As a general rule, taller buildings must be placed toward the interior of the site and stepped back from the street;
b. Buildings must be grouped or sited with other buildings to create distinct outdoor spaces, with distinct pedestrian connections between the buildings, parking, and the street;
c. Retention ponds must be irregular and organically shaped;
d. Sites must connect to natural corridors and trail systems and must facilitate pedestrian and bicycle traffic; and
C. Off-Street Parking Lots: Development must minimize the impact of parking on the building's relationship to the street and pedestrian-oriented character and character of the neighborhood.
1. Off-street parking must be located to the side or rear of buildings.
2. Parking lots must not be located between the building and the primary street frontage.
3. Off-street parking must occupy no more than thirty percent (30%) of the primary street frontage nor more than seventy five percent (75%) of any secondary street frontage for corner lots.
4. Parking lot lighting must be the minimum needed to create adequate visibility at night, must be energy efficient and dark sky compliant meeting outdoor lighting standards found in section 11-3-25 of this chapter and must utilize energy efficient "warm- white" or filtered (CCT <3,000 K; S/P ratio <1.2) fully shielded LED lights as much as possible. Lighting must be provided where stairs, curbs, ramps, abrupt changes in walk direction, and crossing vehicle lanes occur. Light fixtures not necessary for security purposes must be reduced, activated by motion sensor devices, or turned off during hours when the business or use is not open.
5. Adjacent developments are required to link parking areas where physically possible as well as access ways in order to encourage combining of shopping trips, pedestrian activity and to reduce redundant driveways and the need to re-access arterials.
6. Vehicle circulation on-site must be clearly organized to facilitate movement into, throughout, and out of parking areas. Parking drive lanes and intersections must align wherever practical.
7. Low impact development techniques for stormwater management should be used wherever possible.
8. Secure short-term bicycle parking shall be provided in a convenient location at one space for every four (4) dwelling units and/or ten percent (10%) of the number of required vehicle parking spaces, whichever is greater, with a minimum of two (2) spaces provided.
D. On-Street Parking: On-street parking is encouraged along streets, access drives, and alleys in order to provide convenient access and reduce the need for off-street parking lots.
1. The required number of off-street parking spaces shall be reduced by one space for each newly developed on-street parking space.
2. Parking for Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements may be met on-street if such a location meets ADA design standards and would better serve the public than off-street ADA parking.
E. Pedestrian And Bicycle Accommodations: Provide safe, bicycle and pedestrian-friendly development.
1. Walkways must be provided between the primary abutting street and the main pedestrian entrances to buildings.
2. The interruption of sidewalks by driveways should be minimized. Where driveways cross sidewalks, the sidewalks should remain raised with a curb cut and ramp over the sidewalk provided so cars may pass over the sidewalk rather than requiring pedestrians to step down to an interrupting driveway.
3. Pedestrian access must be provided between commercial sites and adjacent areas. Existing informal pathway locations and future walkway locations shown in the nonmotorized transportation plan shall be taken into consideration when locating new paths.
4. Bicycle locking racks that support the entire bicycle frame, not just the front wheel, must be provided. Bicycle racks must be located as close as possible to primary building entrances (generally within 20 feet). New buildings should provide covered bicycle racks, especially those used by employees.
F. Mixed-Use Or Non-Residential Development Adjacent To Residential Zones: Buildings must be designed to ensure that building massing, height, and scale provide sensitive transition to adjoining residential neighborhoods.
1. New developments adjacent residential areas must mitigate impacts through careful site planning and architectural design. Possible mitigation techniques include, but are not limited to, the following:
a. Locating open space and preserving existing vegetation on the site's edge to further separate the building from less intensive uses;
b. Stepping down the massing of the building along the site's edge to help larger buildings fit into the context of a neighborhood;
c. Limiting the length of or articulating building facades to reflect adjacent residential patterns; and
d. Creative use and ongoing maintenance of landscaping, such as buffers, berms, mounds, rockeries, living fences, and swales.
G Support Elements: Mechanical elements, loading areas, trash, and recycling containers must be located and/or screened to minimize their visibility from public view.
1. Refuse and storage containers must be screened with built and/or landscaped confinements.
2. Refuse and storage areas should be located to the rear or side of the property and away from adjacent streets and residential property.
3. Service and loading areas should be located to the rear or sides of buildings away from adjacent streets but must be designed for convenient use. (Ord. 19-13, 6-17-2019; amd. Ord. 20-13, 10-19-2020; Ord. 23-08, 6-5-2023)