§ 744-702 — Mixed-Use and Commercial Design Standards

Sec. 744-702. - Mixed-Use and Commercial Design Standards.

A. Applicability. The Mixed Use and Commercial Design Standards apply to the following property: 1. Mixed-use Districts. All applications of the Mixed-Use Districts (MU-1, MU-2, MU-3 and MU-4); and 2. Transit-Oriented Development. Any commercially zoned lot (C- Districts) in the Transit-Oriented Secondary District established in Section 743.207. The standards shall specifically apply to the following circumstances: TABLE 744-702-1: Applicability ACTIVITY | APPLICABILITY OF STANDARDS Site or Landscape work on less than 50% of the lot. | Standards only apply to the work being done, and only to the extent that any non-conforming situations do not become less compliant. Site or Landscape work on 50% or more of the lot. | All site and landscape for the entire lot shall be brought into compliance with the standards. Rehabilitation, remodeling or additions to buildings that add more than 200 square feet to the building footprint or mass, but less than 50% of the total building. | Standards only apply to the work being done, and only to the extent that any non-conforming situations do not become less compliant. New primary structure; or Rehabilitation, remodeling or additions to buildings that add 50% or more of the square footage to the building footprint or mass. | All standards for the entire building and lot shall be met. B. Design objectives. To advance the Livability Principles of this code, and to promote walkable, mixed-use and transit-oriented development patterns, the design standards in this section have the following objectives. Any exceptions to the standards in this section, or discretionary review processes related to a specific application, shall be judged against these design objectives, in addition to any other criteria in this code for the particular application. 1. Create a dynamic, mixed-use environment, where walking is the predominant mode of transportation within the center, and the center is accessed by many modes including transit, bicycles, walking and cars. 2. Design human scale streetscapes, with slow traffic speeds, well-connected sidewalks, on-street parking, social spaces along streets, and shade and enclosure offered from street trees and building facades. 3. Produce quality public spaces that are usable for a variety of public and semi-public activities. 4. Coordinate urban design, site planning and building layouts on a block scale, relating to the level of design and pedestrian amenity on the associated streetscape. 5. Promote vibrant streetscapes with active uses and attractions located in storefronts and first story of buildings, and frequent windows and doors that activate the street and create visual interest on facades along a block. 6. Avoid long, monotonous, uninterrupted walls or roof planes visible from the street or other public rights-of-way. Large buildings must include details that add architectural interest and variety such as multiple entrances, projections, recesses, offsets, windows trimmed with frames, sills or lintels, or other ornamentation. 7. Minimize the impact of car access on streetscapes and the character of the district by limiting driveways and the extent of parking, garage entrances or service bays along streetscapes, and use alternative patterns of vehicle access integrated towards the interior of the block. 8. Reinforce the character of unique destinations with quality materials and architectural details that provide interest, depth, texture, and variety visible to people on foot, and which differentiate the place from other districts, activity centers, and station areas. 9. Improve the appearance and vibrancy of districts, activity centers, and station areas with good civic design. 10. Promote lasting and sustained investment in districts, activity centers and station areas with quality design and construction, and durable, adaptable and re-usable buildings. C. Private frontage types. The design of private frontages on lots establishes the relationship of buildings, and the details of building design creates better relationships. The private frontage design standards in Table 744-702-2 coordinate the access, building location and building design on a block-by-block basis to create a consistent frontage along the block. Frontage types may be established through a specific plan for each station area or mixed-use district. In the absence of a plan, and when applying these standards on a project-specific basis, the applicability guidance in Table 744-702-2 for each frontage type shall be used, and staff shall select the appropriate frontage type based on the context, and considering the following: 1. The distance of the site from transit stations; 2. The extent that building forms and development patterns on the existing block and adjacent blocks reflect compact, walkable patterns; 3. The relative quality of the public realm and pedestrian connections existing in the rights-of-way, and considering the pedestrian amenity zones in the thoroughfare plan; and 4 Whether any public or private plans to improve any of the above according to the guidance in the thoroughfare plan exist. TABLE 744-702-2: APPLICATION OF FRONTAGE DESIGN STANDARDS APPLICATION OF FRONTAGES Unless designated by an official plan for the area approved by the City, frontage types shall be applied for each project according to the following Within 600' of a Transit Station (Core Area) | Required by staff designation based on the following performance criteria: | Otherwise required if not designated Pedestrian Frontage | Prohibited • MU-2/C-districts - At least 2 blocks • MU-3 - At least 4 blocks • MU-4 - At least 6 blocks Between 601 and ¼ Mile of a Transit Station | Required by staff designation on any other street with a high degree of pedestrian amenity. | Permitted | Permitted only by Administrative Approval. Any other location | Permitted | Permitted | Limited to local streets and arterial streets where no on-street parking exists. TABLE 744-702-3: PRIVATE FRONTAGE DESIGN STANDARDS FRONTAGE ELEMENT | FRONTAGE TYPE PEDESTRIAN/URBAN | CONNECTOR | BUFFER/SUBURBAN FRONTAGE DESIGN Driveway Spacing & Widths (in front of FBL or within 30' from front lot line) | up to 16' maximum | up to 24' maximum | up to 36' maximum Any lot abutting an alley shall get access off the alley and shall not create new driveways from the street, except for lots with over 200' of street frontage. Surface Parking Limits | Prohibited - behind building only and setback minimum 50' | 25' setback; and 40% maximum of lot width behind FBL | 10' setback Structured Parking Limits | 10% maximum of street wall; or 3rd story or above; all other behind buildings | 30% maximum of street wall; or 2nd story or above; all other behind liner building | 10' setback Landscape [See Section 744, Article V. for standards and specifications.] | 1 street tree per 35' of frontage | 1 street tree per 35' of frontage | 1 street tree per 35' of frontage; Plus 1 frontage landscape tree per every 35' BUILDING PLACEMENT & FORM Front Building Line (FBL) | 0'—10' | 0'—25' | 0—26' - shall meet Connector Facade design standards Greater than 26' may meet Buffer/Suburban Facade design standards Required FBL (minimum) | 80% | 60% | 40% BUILDING SCALE & DESIGN Primary Entry Feature | 1 per 50' | 1 per 100' | 1 per building First Story Transparency | 60%—90% | 40%—90% | 25%—90% or 60%—90% within 30' of Primary Entry Upper Story Transparency | 20%—50% | 15%—40% | 15%—40% Wall Plane Limits | 50' linear feet; and 600 sf | 100' linear feet; and 1,000 sf | 150' linear feet; and 2,000 sf Blank Wall Limits | 30 linear feet; and 300 sf | 50 linear feet; and 500 sf | 100 linear feet; and 1,000 sf Figure 744.701.04 Pedestrian: Frontage Design & Building Placement & Form [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 744.701.05 Connector: Frontage Design & Building Placement & form [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 744.701.06 Buffer: Frontage Design & Building Placement & Form [image omitted; see the official code] D. Frontage design. 1. Access limits. Any lot abutting an alley shall get access off the alley and shall not create new driveways from the street, except for lots with over 200' of street frontage. In all other cases, access to individual lots shall be limited by the width and separation distances specified in Table 744-702-2, measured on center. In cases where access to individual lots is prohibited by these standards, one of the following strategies shall be utilized: a. New rear or mid-block alleys, built as shared easements; b. Access from side streets; or c. Cross-access easements or common lanes among two or more lots along the block. 2. Parking location and extent. Surface and structured parking shall be limited to the setback distances specified in Table 744-702-2 and any portion of the parking not behind a building or active open space shall be limited to the percent of the frontage specified in the table. 3. Landscape. In addition to any open space standards or landscape standards that otherwise apply, all frontages shall be planted according to the following: a. Street trees are required at the rate specified in Table 744-702-2 and shall be planted every 20 feet to 50 feet on center. b. Street trees shall be planted in the following locations, in order of preference: (1) In the amenity zone where there is a landscape strip at least six feet wide, or a tree well at least 24 square feet and minimum four feet wide in all directions. (2) Within four feet of the sidewalk, where sidewalks are attached and tree wells are not feasible. (3) Within six feet of the front property line where right-of-way constraints prohibit the first two locations. c. For any non-building portion of the lot frontage, or where buildings are setback more than 25 feet, additional trees shall be planted in the frontage at the same interval to fill the void with vertical landscape elements. d. Any parking area permitted within 30 feet of the street shall be screened from the street edge with a two and one-half-foot to four-foot wall or ornamental fence complimenting the materials of the building, a dense landscape hedge, or a combination of both. e. Where conditions place constraints on large trees being planted according to this section, small shade trees or ornamental trees may be substituted at a rate of one tree for every 20 feet of lot frontage, or large trees can be concentrated at end-caps and mid-block bulb outs that create gateways or focal points on the block. Figure 744.701.07 Frontage Landscape Design [image omitted; see the official code] E. Building placement and form. 1. Required front building line. All buildings shall establish a front building line within the range of the front lot line specified in Table 744-702-2. The required front building line shall extend for the minimum percentage along the frontage specified in the table. 2. Courtyards, plazas and patios. Courtyards, plazas and patios along the frontage may count to the required front building line provided: a. It is limited to no more than 50 feet or 50% of the lot frontage, whichever is greater; b. There are defining features at the extension of the required front building line, such as decorative walls or fences, landscape features and other human scale details; and c. All building facades fronting the open space meet the standards otherwise applicable along the streetscape. [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 744.701.08 Alternatives to Required Front Building Line Active outdoor space such as courtyards, plaza, and patios may contribute to the required front building line, provided they are limited in extent and provide some defining features along the required front building line. 3. Corner buildings. Corner lots with property lines on two different frontage types shall apply the standards in the design standards in the following manner: a. The lot shall be determined to front on and meet the higher frontage classification. b. The building shall meet the higher classification on the secondary street for at least the first 25 feet from the corner on the secondary frontage. c. An entry feature on the corner and oriented to both streets may satisfy the entire requirement of subsection 3.b above. 4. Residential buildings. Where buildings with first-floor residential are permitted on the frontage (residential building types), the first story should be elevated at least two feet above street level, and with the front building line established at least ten feet from the sidewalk. The building may be placed within five feet of the sidewalk if the first story is raised an additional six inches for every foot that it is closer to the street than ten feet. F. Building scale and design. 1. Primary entry features. Primary public entrances shall be located at intervals at least as frequent as specified in Table 744-702-2 and be clearly defined on all front façades with at least two of the following elements: a. A single-story architectural emphasis such as canopies, awning, porticos, pediments, arches, or arcades. b. Architectural details such as transom or display windows, ornamental tile accents, columns, moldings or other similar accents and material changes. c. Railings, wing walls or plantings integral to the entry structure that incorporate landscaping and/or places for sitting. d. Recesses of the building mass of at least three feet deep. [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 744.701.09 Primary Entry Features The frequency and the design details of entry features activate the streetscape and contribute to the pedestrian quality of the street. 2. Transparency. Buildings shall have the percentage of openings on street-facing façades specified in Table 744-702.2 (First Story and Upper Story Transparency), based on the following: a. Where expressed as a first story requirement the percentage shall be measured between three feet and eight feet above the street level, or above the first-floor elevation if the building is set back more than ten feet from the street. b. Where expressed as an upper story requirement, the percentage shall be measured between the floor level and ceiling of each story. c. All street level windows required shall have transparent glazing and provide direct views to the building's interior or to a lit display area extending a minimum of three feet behind the window. [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 744.701.10 Transparency The transparency of the front facade creates actual and perceived connections between the uses in the building, particularly at street level, and the activity along the street scale. The degree of transparence and the composition of windows and doors on the facade contribute to the quality and character of the street. 3. Wall plane and blank wall limits. Larger façades shall be broken into smaller components by one or a combination of the following techniques to meet the wall plane limits and blank wall limits in Table 744-702-2 (Massing and Modulation): a. Use structural bays that emphasize vertical breaks in interior components or massing elements of the building, with visible features such as columns, pillars, or pilasters, and material, color changes or other details and accents that project between four inches and 12 inches off the façade. b. Differentiate massing with projections, balconies, cantilevers or step backs from the main mass associated with different stories. Massing shall create deviations in the wall plane of at least two feet if projecting from the façade and at least four feet if recessed from the façade. c. Emphasize horizontal differentiation of a base, body and top of all buildings with ornamental details or material changes according to the following: (1) For buildings less than three stories, this can be a distinct foundation, a main façade, and an embellished roof structure, such as eaves and fascia for pitched roofs, or cornices and parapets for flat roofs. (2) For buildings three to eight stories or more, the first floor should be clearly differentiated from upper stories to establish the base and an embellished roof structure. (3) For buildings nine stories or above, the first two stories should be clearly differentiated from the upper stories, and the top story may be differentiated as the top including an embellished roof structure. d. Any other blank wall areas in excess of the requirements of Table 744.702-2 shall be broken up by ornamental architectural details complimentary to the materials and architectural style of the building. Significant molding, trim or ornamentation used to break up blank walls or wall planes should project between four inches and two feet from the wall. [image omitted; see the official code] Figure 744.701.11 Wall Plane & Blank Wall Limits A series of massing and modulation techniques can be used to meet the building scale and design standards, that will break down the buildable envelope and better relate building to the site, the streetscape and to adjacent buildings. G. Block and lot open space. Block and lot open space provides for active gathering places, recreation and leisure, and aesthetic enhancements to the buildings and lots serving as an extension of civic spaces connected to streetscapes. The open space required for each building type specified in Table 742-105-3, shall be designed to create usable outdoor space meeting one or more of the following open space types: 1. Public or common open space designed and platted according the standards in Table 741-310-2, provided it is on the same or abutting block, and is accessible to the project through ownership or other agreement; 2. Courtyards, plazas and patios or similar outdoor seating areas that are either designed as an extension of the public streetscape on the frontage, or at least 800 square feet and 20 feet in all directions if internal to the site. 3. Rooftop decks provided they are at least 160 square feet; or 4. Private balconies or patios for residential units, provided they are at least 60 square feet.

(G.O. 26, 2021, § 8)