17-7-17.5 Retail, office and mixed-use architectural standards.
All new development must present an attractive, coordinated streetscape; incorporate architectural and site design elements appropriate to a pedestrian scale; incorporate interior pedestrian access between structures to minimize pedestrian travel through parking areas; and provide for the safety and convenience of pedestrians by constructing pedestrian crossings with stamped, dyed, or raised walks. All new development shall comply with the following architectural standards:
A. New Building Form. Structures shall be designed to relate to grade conditions with a minimum of grading and exposed foundation walls. The design shall create easy pedestrian access from adjacent uses, on-street parking, sidewalks and parking areas. Commercial buildings shall be designed with ground floor architectural separation to enhance street activity and “walkability.” All proposed building designs must incorporate an expansive use of windows, balconies, terraces, arcades or other design features, which are oriented to the street and other pedestrian accesses, to maximize the pedestrian interface. Windows, display windows and doors must comprise at least forty percent of street-facing facades on the commercial developments with first-floor commercial uses. Blank facades are not allowed to face public rights-of-way and may not exceed thirty feet in length on all other facades.
B. Walls. No more than three materials shall be used for primary wall surfaces. All exterior walls shall be constructed in compliance with the following:
1. Materials. Exterior finishes shall be of traditional, time- and weather-tested techniques and shall include a substantial use of brick, cultured brick, natural or cultured stone, prairie stone, and/or wood or synthetic wood products. Glazing may be used as a primary exterior material when glazing is proposed as a major architectural design element or look for a project area consisting of at least two buildings and including all of the buildings that are separated by a major feature such as a linear park, collector street, or similar element that sets an area apart. Retaining and screening walls shall be of materials complementary to the building’s materials.
2. Stucco. The use of stucco, synthetic stucco and EIFS should be limited and shall not exceed fifty percent of any elevation. The planning commission may determine, on a case-by-case basis, that the architectural detail and excellence of a structure is such that the use of stucco in excess of this standard is warranted.
3. Other Architectural Materials/Finishes. Architectural precast concrete, architecturally treated concrete masonry units, and architectural metals should be used primarily to provide architectural detail and relief. Fiberglass and/or metal panels may be used in relatively small quantities. The planning commission may allow other materials and material quantities that it finds add to the architectural excellence of the structure and project.
4. Prohibited Materials. Vinyl and aluminum siding products are prohibited as wall materials.
5. Base Materials. Each structure shall have a base or foundation with a minimum height of one-third the overall height of the structure. The base or foundation shall extend beyond the plane of the wall above it, creating a larger mass at the base of the building. The planning commission may allow for minor deviations to allow this base to terminate at visual breaks in the architecture, and the planning commission may approve alternative materials that are the qualitative equivalent of brick, cultured brick, or natural or cultured stone.
6. Brick and Rock Pattern. Ledge stone, uncoursed ledge rock, random or coursed ashlar Flemish bond, English bond, common bond, running bond or drystack patterns shall be used for finished brick, rock and stone work. Herringbone, basketweave, vertical stack, stack bond, uncoursed roughly squared, and other vertical, irregular, or diagonal masonry patterns or vertical, nonalternating bond courses may be used only as an accent. Other masonry patterns shall not be used on vertical surfaces except as expressly authorized by the planning commission.
7. Color Scheme. Buildings shall use a cohesive palette of colors which complement nearby buildings. Without limiting the use of color, large areas of walls shall be subdued in color and not reflective. Intense colors should be used as accent only.
8. Design Consistency. All exposed sides of a building shall be designed with the same level of care, quality and integrity. Buildings should be attractive and visually engaging from all exposed sides.
C. Roofs. Roof lines and shapes shall be consistent with the design and structure of the building, and should be consistent with the roof lines of adjacent buildings. Roof forms should reflect the facade articulation and building massing, as opposed to a single-mass roof over an articulated facade.
1. Pitched Roofs. Where pitched roofs are used, the following standards shall apply:
a. All the roofs and secondary roofs of a building shall be constructed of the same material. All metal roofs must be of a subdued color. Painted roof shingles are prohibited.
b. Slopes of roofs shall be of equal pitch if a gable or hip roof is employed. Roof forms shall be designed in ways and/or used in combinations to break up large, continuous building forms, particularly for structures that are wider than they are tall. Long unbroken ridgelines are prohibited.
2. Parapets. Parapets shall be provided to articulate flat roofs and hide roof-mounted equipment. The following standards shall apply:
a. Parapets shall have strong cornice detailing to provide interest and scale.
b. Long unbroken parapets, particularly for buildings that are wider than they are tall, are prohibited.
3. Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be hidden from view from the adjoining street with either a parapet or a penthouse. Penthouses shall utilize materials, colors and form similar to that of the building.
D. Openings. The following standards apply to openings of all structures:
1. Entry Doors. Entry doors must face the front yard or, if located on the building side, must be placed within three feet of the front facade. Entry doors must be covered by a roof and must be a primary element of the front of the structure.
2. Windows. Bay windows shall have from three to five sides.
3. Corner Buildings. Special attention shall be given to corner buildings that are highly visible, that may serve as landmarks, and provide a sense of enclosure at intersections. Special attention can be achieved by architecture, landscape, and public place.
4. Minimum Opening Area. Not less than twenty-five percent of any street-facing building facade shall be made up of window or door areas. Not less than fifteen percent of any other building face on a third or higher story shall be made up of windows, balcony or other opening areas unless an adjacent building within twenty feet of that side face obscures the majority of that side face from public view.
E. Fences, Hedges and Walls. The following standards apply to new development of fences, hedges and walls:
1. Required Setbacks. A fence, hedge, wall, column, pier, post, or any similar structure or any combination of such structures is permitted in the required setback of a zone district if it meets the following conditions:
a. All fences and walls meet the requirements of Title 15 of this code, Buildings and Construction;
b. No fence, hedge, or wall may extend beyond or across a property line without a recorded agreement with the abutting property owner;
c. Only one fence or wall shall be allowed per property line. Double fences, walls or combinations thereof are prohibited; and
d. No barbed wire or other sharp, pointed, or electrically charged fence may be erected or maintained, except a temporary fence on a construction site to protect the property during the period of construction may be topped with barbed wire where the barbed wire is not less than eight feet above the ground and does not extend more than two feet above the temporary fence.
2. Height. No fence or wall may exceed seven feet in height, four feet in height from the front of the primary structure forward, nor three feet in height in the sight distance triangle, measured as follows:
a. In a required yard abutting a street, the total effective height above the finished grade measured on the side nearest the street;
b. In any other required yard, the total effective height above the finished grade measured on the side nearest the abutting property;
c. On a property line, measured from the finished grade of either side when the abutting property owners are in agreement; and
d. A temporary fence on a construction site may be as high as required to protect the property during the period of construction.
3. Athletic Facilities. Fencing around athletic facilities, including, without limitation, tennis courts, may be fourteen feet in height so long as all portions above six feet are constructed with at least fifty percent non-opaque materials.
F. Lighting. Except for ordinary repairs and maintenance of lighting approved and installed after January 2, 2002, all new development must comply with the following outdoor lighting standards:
1. Light Source. Light sources shall be at least as efficient as LED and no greater than four thousand K in correlated color temperature (CCT). Light levels shall be designed such that light trespass measured at the property line does not exceed 0.01 foot-candles. Light fixtures shall use a cutoff luminaire that is fully or partially shielded with no light distributed above the horizontal plane of the luminaire or into nearby residential structures. In no case shall the total lumens emitted for a single site exceed one hundred thousand lumens per acre.
2. Parking Lot Lighting. Parking lot lighting shall be designed and constructed to comply with the following standards:
a. Pole Height/Design.
i. Luminaire mounting height is measured from the parking lot or driveway surface and may range from ten feet to thirty feet, based on review of site plan, proposed land uses, surrounding land uses, parking area size, building mass, topography of site, and impacts on adjacent properties.
ii. Poles and fixtures shall be black, dark brown, or another neutral color approved by the community development director.
iii. All attempts shall be made to place the base of light poles within landscape areas.
iv. Light poles in parking areas shall not exceed thirty feet in height. Poles exceeding twenty feet in height are appropriate only for parking areas exceeding two hundred stalls and not in close proximity to residential areas.
3. Other Outdoor Lighting Standards.
a. Wall-mounted lighting fixtures shall not be located above eighteen feet in height unless being used as building accent lighting. Fixture styles and finishes shall complement the building exterior.
b. Lighting located along pedestrian pathways or in areas primarily dedicated to human activity shall be bollard style lighting or down-directed lighting not to exceed twelve feet in height. Pedestrian lighting shall be coordinated through each project and shall complement adjacent projects to the greatest extent practical.
c. In order to avoid light pollution, backlit awnings, up-light spotlights, and floodlights are prohibited.
d. Street lighting shall either be chosen from the city’s approved streetlight list or installed to match a theme set by developments within the zone or neighborhood.
4. Upgrading Preexisting Lighting. An applicant must bring preexisting lighting into compliance with this code upon application with the business license department for a change in ownership, new business in a stand-alone structure or in a multi-tenant structure in which the new business utilizes more than fifty percent of the building square footage on the site, in conjunction with an application for a building permit for any alteration, remodel or expansion of any structure on the site, or in conjunction with changes to the approved site plan.
5. Lighting Plan Submission Requirements. A lighting plan is required for all developments and must contain the following:
a. Plans indicating the location on the premises, and the type of illumination devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors, installation and electrical details;
b. Description of illuminating devices, fixtures, lamps, supports, reflectors, and other devices that may include, but is not limited to, manufacturer catalog cuts and drawings, including section where required; and photometric data, such as that furnished by manufacturers, or similar showing the angle of the cutoff or light emission; and
c. A point-by-point light plan to determine the adequacy of the lighting over the site.
G. Screening. Trash collection and recycling areas, service areas, mechanical equipment and loading docks shall be screened on all sides so that no portion of such areas is visible from public streets and alleys and adjacent properties. Required screening may include new and existing plantings, walls, fences, screen panels, doors, topographic changes, buildings, horizontal separation, or any combination thereof.
1. For nonresidential and mixed-use structures, all roof-mounted mechanical and electrical equipment, communication antennas or dishes shall be screened from the view of a pedestrian at the far side of the adjoining right-of-way or one hundred feet from the front property line, whichever is less, or designed and/or located as part of the overall architectural design.
2. For residential structures, roof-top mechanical equipment, vents, flues, fans and other pieces of equipment shall be screened and/or organized to leave sloped roofs as simple and uncluttered as possible, or, where roofs are flat, to be screened from view of a pedestrian at the far side of the adjoining right-of-way or one hundred feet from the front property line, whichever is less. Where such appurtenances are visible, they shall be painted a color that matches the roof color or other architectural features so that their visual impact is minimized.
3. Refuse containers shall be screened from view on all sides. Screen walls and fences shall be one foot higher than the object to be screened. An opaque gate shall be included where required to complete screening.
4. Loading docks and/or service areas shall be located to the side or rear of buildings. Where they are directly visible from streets and nearby residential buildings, they shall be screened by walls at least eight feet high, or densely and continuously massed landscaping that maintains its screening capabilities in the winter. Raised planters, berms or other land forms may also be used in conjunction with landscaping or walls. A combination of dense, continuous landscaping and walls may allow the use of lower walls, but no lower than four feet high from finished grade.
H. Corner Lot Improvements. New development of corner lots shall include curb extensions in conjunction with on-street parking. All curb cuts shall be placed on each street frontage, and not at a central location at the apex of the corner radius.
I. Street Furniture. Each new mixed-use or commercial development shall include all-weather benches and shall incorporate trash receptacles and raised planters along the front facades of structures. All street furniture shall coordinate with one another and with adjacent mixed-use developments, and shall not be used for advertisement.
J. Weather Protection. All new mixed-use or commercial development shall incorporate awnings, arcades or roof projections along pedestrian pathways to shield pedestrians from adverse weather conditions. Weather protection features such as awnings, canopies, or arcades shall be provided at all customer entrances. Awnings shall not be backlit.
K. Streetscape. Sidewalks and park strips shall be finished with stamped and dyed concrete or brick pavers. Five-foot tree wells shall be incorporated into the park strip. Placement of street furniture (benches, trash cans and planter boxes) shall take place in the park strip.
L. Exterior Structure. All exterior walls of all structures shall be constructed in compliance with the following:
1. Finishes. All buildings shall use one or more of the following durable materials as significant finish: architectural precast concrete, architecturally treated concrete masonry units, brick cladding, natural and cast stone, prairie stone, architectural metals, and glazing. Architectural site-cast concrete may be allowed if designed, articulated, and colored for a finished appearance on all buildings. At least fifty percent of all buildings visible from a major thoroughfare shall be composed of brick, stone, architecturally treated concrete masonry units, architectural precast concrete and/or glazing.
2. Quality. High standards for exterior materials, exterior building systems, and their application are expected. In particular, the design and application of EIFS or synthetic stucco is expected to be of a high enough quality to allow for crisp detailing and substantial relief. The wall area from finished grade to where the use of EIFS begins shall be clad by a hard, durable material such as brick, stone, architectural precast concrete, or architecturally treated concrete masonry units.
3. Form Variations. Buildings shall provide variation in the form of facades that adjoin streets. Street-facing facades shall make use of at least two of the following variations. Secondary facades shall make use of at least one of the following variations. Variations should result from significant dimensional changes in plane, color or detail as accomplished by such devices as:
a. Protruding bays or columns;
b. Recessed entries;
c. Upper level step-backs;
d. Arcades;
e. Offsets, projections and shifts in the general plane of the facade;
f. Changes in materials or color;
g. Bay windows;
h. Vestibules;
i. Porches;
j. Balconies;
k. Exterior shading devices;
l. Non-retractable canopies or awnings;
m. Projecting cornices;
n. Eaves; or
o. Any other variation the planning commission may approve that meets the intent of this subsection.
4. Window Treatments. Street-facing facades shall include at least two of the following window treatments with at least one window treatment per window. All other facades shall utilize at least one of the following window treatments per window. Treatments may include:
a. Varying the size and/or style of windows;
b. Window sills;
c. Window grids;
d. Window trim;
e. Window headers;
f. Window railing;
g. Recessed windows;
h. Arcades; or
i. Any other treatment the planning commission may approve that meets the intent of this subsection.
5. Architectural Treatments. Street-facing facades shall include at least two of the following architectural treatments. All other facades shall include at least one of the following architectural treatments. Treatments that add detail, character, and reduce the appearance of massive blank walls may include:
a. Ornamental details such as quoins, knee braces and exposed joists;
b. A change of material applied to at least twenty percent of the facade;
c. A change of color applied to at least twenty percent of the facade;
d. Decorative parapets;
e. Reveals;
f. Pilasters;
g. Architectural banding or belt courses;
h. Cornice other than that at the top of the building;
i. Rounded design at street corners;
j. A change of pattern applied to at least twenty percent of the facade;
k. A distinguished upper floor for buildings with at least four floors; or
l. Any other treatment the planning commission may approve that meets the intent of this subsection.
6. Storefronts. Awnings, canopies, arcades or other architectural features should be used to reduce glare on storefront glass and to shelter the pedestrians standing near the storefront. Cantilever awnings and canopies from the building face so as to keep sidewalks as clear and unobstructed as possible. The planning commission may permit limited use of supporting columns as part of a thematic design or corporate standard so long as the columns do not hinder pedestrian traffic or access.
7. Primary public entry(s) shall be architecturally emphasized so that pedestrians can easily find them.
8. Drive-Through Windows. Drive-through windows shall be located at the side or rear of buildings. While not desirable, a drive aisle may be located between the building and the street so long as its width is minimized, any pedestrian crossings of it are clearly delineated with special paving treatments, no parking spaces occur off of it and a low wall, railing with landscaping, or a continuous hedge at least three feet high shall be provided between stacked cars and the sidewalk.
9. Opaque (solid) storefront security closures (rolling doors, etc.) are not allowed.
10. Entryways. Each large retail building on a site shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances featuring a combination of several elements such as:
a. Canopies, awnings or porticos;
b. Projecting eaves and cornices;
c. Recesses/projections of wall surfaces;
d. Arcades;
e. Raised parapets over the door;
f. Peaked roof forms;
g. Lighting features;
h. Entry plazas;
i. Display windows;
j. Architectural details such as masonry tile work and moldings which are integrated into the building structure and design;
k. Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscaping; or
l. Signs integrated with the building architecture.
11. Secondary Facades. Building facades that face the street but do not have pedestrian entries shall be composed of high-quality materials such as brick or stone, and shall provide variety and interest in the facade through the introduction of such elements as pilasters, recessed or protruding bays, changes in materials and/or colors, building lighting elements, display windows with products or product graphics, transparent windows or clerestories, and well-designed signs and graphics.
12. Mixed-Use Buildings. Buildings that include both commercial and residential uses shall make use of architecture, materials, terracing, scale and other techniques to create a distinct separation between the commercial and residential uses in the structure.
a. Mandatory Elements. Mixed-use structures shall feature a combination of at least two of the following several elements, such as:
i. Terracing that creates a visual break between the commercial and residential areas of the structure;
ii. Material, color, and/or texture changes between the commercial and residential floors of the structure;
iii. Bulk or facade shifts between the commercial and residential floors of the structure;
iv. Architectural treatments that make the commercial portions of the structure serve as a base for the residential floors;
v. The use of a significant percentage of transparency on the commercial levels of a structure and smaller openings for the residential floors;
vi. The use of balconies and/or bay windows for residential floors;
vii. Any other element the planning commission may approve that meets the intent of this subsection.
b. Signage. Mixed-use structures shall make substantial use of signage that is pedestrian in scale and is intended to guide visitors in locating the commercial and residential portions of the structure.
M. Miscellaneous. Security devices shall have materials and colors that complement the building’s material. Accessory structures shall be architecturally compatible with the primary development. Satellite dishes over eighteen inches shall not be placed in front yards. (Ord. 2019-06 § 1 (Att. B (part)); Ord. 2017-04 § 1 (Att. A (part)))