The Common Council of the City of Oneonta declares its intent
to adopt design guidelines that apply to nonresidential development
and mixed-use development that includes residential components in
the Downtown Mixed-Use (MU-1) and the Gateway Mixed-Use (MU-2) Districts.
The design guidelines seek to encourage a mix of uses within the designated
districts with an emphasis on improved site design, greater economic
activity, and more dynamic social interaction. Within the designated
districts, regulation will be largely based on form and impact of
development as well as use. The guidelines provide design criteria
and suggest development approaches, which will help both the City
and applicants consider issues of site organization, site design,
public spaces and architecture. The purposes are to:
A.
Reduce delays and confusion that developers, property owners, or
business operators may encounter during the design phase of the proposed
projects.
B.
Continue to attract appropriate development in order to expand the
economic and fiscal base of the community in a manner that maintains
the unique character of the City with a high quality of life.
C.
Encourage the highest quality of architectural and site design that
is compatible with their surroundings.
D.
Encourage buildings that provide an appropriate transition between
the commercial areas of the City and the surrounding neighborhoods.
E.
Encourage buildings that are protective of important natural and
public spaces.
F.
Encourage conservation of our resources and avoid or minimize adverse
impacts to our natural environment.
G.
Establish a clear and consistent method for reviewing plans for new
buildings and renovation or exterior alteration of existing buildings
and sites.
H.
Minimize land use conflicts.
A.
Unless otherwise stated, the design guidelines are advisory.
B.
The design guidelines shall apply to all new buildings as well as
all buildings or sites that are being replaced or rehabilitated.
C.
Each applicant proposing new land use and development subject to
these guidelines should comply with the required guidelines.
D.
Compliance with the following guidelines is strongly encouraged.
E.
The City of Oneonta shall promote the following design guidelines
to the maximum extent practicable for the purposes of achieving the
goals and recommendations set forth in the Comprehensive Plan, and
in accordance with the purpose and intent of the regulations as set
forth herein. Economic development will be a major factor in any decisions
made by the administering body.
F.
The term "should" or "may" is interpreted as optional.
A.
Downtown Mixed-Use (MU-1)
(1)
The strength, success, character and viability of each community
are rooted in its downtown where the central business district creates
a hub of activity for the surrounding community and region. The quality
historic architecture present on Main Street provides for a readily
accessible visual connection to Oneonta's history and vitality. Downtown
sidewalks are where people come to shop, eat, visit and to be entertained.
All of these important activities require an urban setting that is
commensurate with the expectations of its users and residents.
(2)
Downtown Oneonta has a marvelous and mostly intact historic commercial
district. The central corridor, Main Street, is a compact, urban streetscape
of three- to five-story masonry buildings, with minimal disruption
of the continuous facade, creating a sense of enclosure. Constructed
mostly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they show all
the exuberance of a prosperous and bustling economy of an upstate
New York community. In addition, many storefronts are vacant or are
being occupied by less-than-desirable uses that do not activate the
streetscape. While this is mainly due to market-driven impacts, this
sense of vacancy detracts from the activity needed to maintain the
urban core as an integral aspect of the City's culture and economy.
Additional investment in the downtown area, combined with an appropriate
set of design guidelines, is required to maintain and improve Oneonta's
urban environment.
B.
Gateway Mixed-Use (MU-2). There are three main gateways into Oneonta:
Main Street from the east, Chestnut Street from the west and Main
Street from the south.
(1)
Eastern Gateway - Main Street.
(a)
The eastern MU-2 corridor is primarily characterized by older
stately homes that stretch east to west and emanate from the central
business district. These homes are generally two to three stories
and reflect their early prominence in the growing town of Oneonta.
This district has transformed throughout the years and is notably
converting to multiuse structures that are comprised of first floor
offices and apartments on the second and third floors. Many of these
homes still reflect a high level of investment by the owners and tenants,
especially within close proximity to the hospital. Homes on the far
western edge of this district are somewhat less vibrant than those
to the east. Some homes have been removed and replaced with single-story
commercial buildings with flat roofs. Overall, this district still
maintains a positive appearance and continues to add to the character
and vitality of the urban setting.
(b)
The primary challenge present in this district is the siting
of adequate amounts of parking to serve the growing businesses. It
is evident that the most unique homes have been preserved while others
have been removed to provide for parking. This threat to the visual
appearance of the neighborhood should be addressed by the preservation
of unique structures and the use of site and architectural design
guidelines that perpetuate and promote the existing style of this
district. Additionally, appropriate landscape screening guidelines
should be implemented to protect the overall character of the streetscape
and to protect existing residents that still live in this corridor.
(c)
The depth of the lots located in this district should also be
addressed. Some lots in the district extend to adjacent neighborhood
streets, parallel to the north and south of Main Street. This relationship
needs to be closely addressed to make sure that commercial uses located
on Main Street do not have an adverse impact on the homes situated
on secondary streets and primarily residential areas and zones.
(2)
Western Gateway - Chestnut Street. This residential corridor is divided
between residential and commercial structures, which are located along
Chestnut Street. Interest is also provided through the rail line that
runs adjacent to this corridor. It is apparent that this portion of
the community was developed through a mix of uses, including residential,
business, industry and regional transportation. Like the Main Street
corridor on the east side of Downtown, there are many two- and three-story
buildings as well as old industrial buildings and smaller residential
homes. As a result, this corridor offers more flexible design guidelines
to enhance the character of the setting and this part of the community.
(3)
Southern Gateway - Main Street.
(a)
Main Street in Oneonta, like most communities in upstate New
York, was the historic route through the region that connected other
small and vibrant villages. It is common knowledge that interstate
roads like Interstate 88 had a dramatic effect on the accessibility
and economic health of the towns it bypassed. These routes also established
new access points to centers of population and commerce and sometimes
created awkward gateways where created and still appear underutilized.
Over time these interchanges spawned new commercial activity that
may or may not relate to the architectural scheme of its parent village.
(b)
In this situation, this access from Interstate 88 has long been
underutilized and presents an opportunity for new investment and,
if implemented properly, could add to the visual condition of this
part of the City. This district creates an opportunity to provide
for new uses that are currently not provided within the City or are
not appropriate to the Main Street setting. Through the use of design
guidelines, new building could be implemented in a way that would
strengthen the adjacent neighborhoods, provide a compelling gateway
to downtown and provide for services along Interstate 88.
When applicable, projects should incorporate the following design
concepts.
A.
Sustainability.
(1)
New buildings and the adaptive reuse of historic buildings should
as much as possible use green building technologies for mechanical
systems, energy needs and construction materials.
(2)
The adaptive reuse of the valuable historic building stock is an
effective sustainable practice and is strongly encouraged.
(3)
Site development technologies that conserve resources and reduce
environmental impacts are strongly encouraged.
(4)
Emphasis should be placed on the use of and development of public
transportation and pedestrian systems, and the reduction of automobile
use wherever possible.
B.
Use integration.
(1)
Development should encourage the full mix of uses as may be allowed
within each of the districts that are both pedestrian friendly and
amenable to being served by public transportation where it is provided.
(2)
Development should encourage residential uses in conjunction with
commercial activities in order to create an active street life, enhance
the viability of businesses and reduce traffic.
(3)
Development should provide opportunities for mixed-use developments
by permitting existing residential and commercial uses to be combined
on unified development sites.
(4)
Street-level facades should include active uses such as shops, restaurants,
cafes, fitness centers, exhibition spaces, galleries, meeting space,
commercial lobbies, residential entrances, services, etc.
C.
Streetscape and the pedestrian environment
(1)
Building facades at and near the street level should be designed
with human-scaled elements and details that promote pedestrian interests,
comfort, and safety.
(2)
Projects should look to create a network and continuity of active
spaces and avoid disconnected spaces.
(3)
Projects should incorporate streetscape improvements, including appropriate
and unified street furniture (e.g., benches, bus shelters, trash receptacles,
planting containers, pedestrian lighting, kiosks, etc.), to encourage
pedestrian activity, avoiding dull/bleak streetscapes that discourage
walking.
(4)
Street trees and pedestrian-scaled lighting (in addition to vehicle
area lighting) should be incorporated into designs to enhance the
project area and surrounding areas.
(5)
New pedestrian crosswalks should be constructed to enhance connections
across streets.
D.
Architectural and massing considerations.
(1)
Projects should complement the City's architectural and cultural
heritage by conserving and/or reflecting dominant design elements
and characteristics of areas, and maintaining area proportions of
scale and mass.
(2)
Public buildings, structures, and spaces should be designed and constructed
to the highest standards in order to reflect community values, inspire
future development, foster civic pride, and serve as a model to others.
(3)
Scale, massing, and dominant architectural elements should contribute
to the overall composition and developing character of the surrounding
area.
(4)
Projects should seek to unify architectural elements, details, and
materials, such that all components appear integral to the whole.
(5)
Building massing should create a transition of height, bulk, and
scale to less intensively developed neighboring properties.
(6)
Advertising features should be oriented towards the pedestrian, and
complement the architecture of the building.
(7)
Rooftops should be designed for visual interest and avoid a lack
of design attention.
(8)
Climate-sensitive, energy efficient, and environmentally conscious
design considerations should be incorporated to create healthier,
more productive, and more sustainable places to live and work.
(9)
Projects should complement Oneonta's natural setting and conserve
scenic public views and view corridors, whenever possible.
[1]
Editor's Note: Design Guidelines are included at the end of
this chapter.
