The design standards in this division are intended to implement
the City's vision for commercial, multifamily residential, institutional
and industrial developments. The intent of these standards is to improve
the overall quality of commercial, multifamily residential, institutional
and industrial developments with surrounding land uses and enhance
pedestrian safety and walkability.
The provisions of this division shall apply to all developments
requiring large-scale development approval, small site plan approval,
and multifamily development, including duplex, triplex, and quadplex
units. Properties shall only be required to meet the standards for
the side(s) facing a street frontage, when visible from a public right-of-way,
when impacting a marginally compatible use, or when impacting a residential
use/residential zoning category.
The section applies to buildings within industrial zones only.
A. Building design.
(1)
Material.
(a)
All industrial buildings shall, at a minimum, have a decorative
wainscot of no less than four feet tall, and entry facade at the main
entrance that extends to the roofline.
(b)
The wainscot and entry facade material shall consist of a combination
of brick, textured concrete block, stucco, wood, synthetic stone,
or natural stone.
(c)
The remaining exterior material shall not include masonite,
asphaltic exterior wall or roof material, aluminum or steel siding
(other than approved architectural metal), nontextured concrete block
(ground-faced is allowed), vinyl, or other similar materials.
(d)
Building trim shall also be included.
(e)
"Trim" is defined as an ornamental design feature that when
removed does not significantly alter the appearance of the building.
This commonly consists of moldings, cornices, parapet, frieze, sills,
lintels, stringcourse, quoining, and ledgement.
(2)
Color.
(a)
The building's exterior color scheme shall utilize primarily
muted, neutral, or earth-tone-type colors.
(b)
The primary use of bright, intense, or extreme colors not consistent
with the adjoining developments shall not be permitted. This regulation
is not intended to prohibit the use of these colors for specifically
approved architectural detailing.
(3)
Compatibility.
(a)
All industrial structures shall be designed in a manner compatible
with other structures in the surrounding vicinity.
(b)
The exterior building design, including roof style, color, materials,
architectural form and detailing, shall be consistent among all buildings
in a common development and on all elevations of each building to
achieve design harmony and continuity with itself.
(4)
Scale and bulk.
(a)
The height and scale of new buildings shall be consistent or
compatible with the height and scale of adjacent buildings.
(b)
Special care shall be taken to achieve the compatibility of
larger buildings next to small-scale buildings; techniques shall include
limited size, building articulation, and shadow patterns.
(c)
The scale of the building shall also consider building setback,
lot size, and relationship to street width.
(5)
Wall articulation.
(a)
Buildings shall avoid long uninterrupted facade planes and/or
blank walls.
(b)
All industrial buildings with facades greater than 300 feet
in length shall incorporate wall plane projections or recesses that
are at least two feet deep.
(c)
Projections/recesses must be at least 25% of the length of the
facade.
(d)
No uninterrupted length of a facade may exceed 300 feet in length.
(6)
Facades.
(a)
All industrial structures shall be architecturally finished
on all sides with the same materials, detailing, and features when
visible from the public realm or adjacent to residential areas.
(b)
The degree of visibility from the public realm shall be evaluated
using the following criteria:
1.
The degree of visibility from all adjacent public ways;
2.
Possible visibility from future buildings and public ways;
3.
Internal overall appearance in relation to the site; and
4.
If adjacent to, and visible from, residential uses, residential
zoning categories, or other marginally compatible uses.
(7)
Roofs.
(a)
Rooflines and/or parapets shall be varied with a change in height
every 300 linear feet in the building length.
(b)
Parapets, gable roofs, high roofs, or dormers shall be used
to conceal flat roofs and rooftop equipment from public view.
(c)
Alternative lengths and designs may be acceptable and may be
approved by the Planning Commission.
(8)
Entrances. Each primary building on a site, regardless of size,
shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances featuring
no fewer than two of the following:
(e)
Raised corniced parapets over the door;
(h)
Architectural detail, such as tile work and moldings integrated
into the building structure and design;
(i)
Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscaped
areas and/or places for sitting; or
(j)
Other architectural features approved by the Planning Commission.
(9)
Utility and mechanical equipment screening.
(a)
Screening of service yards, utility meters and hardware, mechanical
equipment, refuse areas, and/or other potentially unattractive places
from public view shall be accomplished by the use of walls, fencing,
planting, or a combination of the measures that follow.
1.
Adjusting the architectural or landscape profile to screen those
elements from view.
2.
Placing those elements on service courts or other locations
usable by the general public.
3.
Integrating those elements into the architecture or landscaping
of the site.
(b)
Screening shall be equally effective in the winter and the summer
seasons.
(c)
For rooftop equipment, parapet walls or other screening methods
approved by the Planning Commission are required along street frontages
and bordering residential areas.
(d)
The degree of visibility and screening of service yards, utility
meters and hardware, mechanical equipment, refuse areas, and/or other
potentially unattractive places shall be evaluated using the following
criteria:
1.
The degree of visibility from all adjacent public ways;
2.
The architectural compatibility of the design and color of the
yards, meters, and equipment of the building;
3.
Possible visibility from future buildings and public ways;
4.
Internal overall appearance in relation to the site; and
5.
If adjacent to and visible from residential uses, residential
zoning categories, or other marginally compatible uses.
B. Site planning.
(1)
Building placement.
(a)
Buildings shall be placed so that they have the least amount
of impact on surrounding properties.
(b)
Buffering, landscaping, and setbacks should be used to enhance
compatibility when an industrial use is abutting a commercial use,
marginally compatible use, or when abutting a residential use/residential
zoning category.
(2)
Parking placement.
(a)
No more than 60% of the off-street parking area for the entire
property shall be located between the front facade within the front
yard of the principal building and the primary abutting street, unless
the principal building and/or parking lots are screened from view
by outlot development and additional tree plantings or berms.
(b)
Whenever possible, link with adjacent parking lots or provide
shared parking areas which can serve neighboring buildings simultaneously.
(c)
Parking lots shall be designed in regular, rectangular shapes.
(d)
Shared drives and cross access between properties shall be required
to adjacent developed and undeveloped properties.
(e)
Access easements shall be shown on the site plan to provide
cross access to adjacent properties.
(f)
The location of this cross access shall be approved by the Planning
Commission Chairperson.
(3)
Pedestrian circulation.
(a)
Clearly defined pedestrian walkways or paths shall be provided
from parking areas to primary building entrances.
(b)
Design walkways and parking lots so that pedestrians do not
have to cross parking aisles and landscape islands to reach building
entries.
(c)
All internal walkways shall be distinguished from driving surfaces
through the use of durable, low-maintenance surface materials, such
as pavers, bricks, or scored concrete to enhance pedestrian safety
and comfort, as well as the attractiveness of the walkways.
(d)
Painted crosswalks shall not be considered sufficient definition
of the pedestrian path from the driving surface.
(4)
Fencing required.
(a)
Fences shall not conflict with requirements for clear sight
triangle as shown in Division 5.1. Fences shall always be required
to be built on private property and never on the public right-of-way.
It shall be the property owner's responsibility and obligation
to identify the property line when proposing to construct a fence
on said property line. A property survey maybe required.
(b)
All fences shall be constructed and maintained in a structurally
sound manner. Fences may be constructed of wood, masonry, wire or
similar materials employed by standard building practice. Fences shall
not be made of tires or similar salvage materials not originally designed
as structural components of fences.
(c)
All fences shall have a minimum of one gate for emergency ingress
and egress. The minimum width of such gate shall be applicable state
law or 20 feet, whichever is larger. Any freestanding property perimeter
wall which is not a retaining wall shall be considered a fence. Retaining
walls may be constructed to the height necessary to protect a cut-fill
grade but shall be a maximum of nine inches above finished grade on
the fill side of the wall.
(d)
Where a retaining wall is located on a line separating lots,
the retaining wall may be topped by a fence of the height permitted
in the yard in which the wall is located. The allowable height of
the fence shall be determined by measuring from the finished grade
of the wall.
(e)
Where an earthen berm is required, the size shall be determined
by the appropriate reviewing body. The berm may be topped by a fence,
wall or hedge of the height permitted in the yard in which the berm
is located. The height shall be measured from the highest finished
grade of the berm.
(f)
The maximum fence height in M-I or M-2 Zones shall be eight
feet. Fences shall not be electrified. Up to three strands of barbed
wire may be used on top of a fence in M-1 and M-2 Zones so long as
the wire does not protrude beyond the property line. All fences containing
barbed wire or similar material must be setback at least five feet
from property lines and public rights-of-way. Fences constructed with
razor wire, ribbon wire and material(s) of similar design are prohibited.