Site Design Guidelines

Jackson Zoning Ordinance § 1104.1
in effect
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1104.14.1 Purpose The design guidelines for the High Street Overlay District are established to aid in the implementation of the ordinance which has as its purpose to promote a relevant commercial district and expansion of the commercial tax base of the city. The Rules of Procedure and Design Guidelines are intended to serve as a guide for the Site Plan Review Committee in their role as review body for all developments in the High Street Overlay District. The purposes of the procedures include but are not limited to the following: 1. To promote traffic safety, as well as the ability of local roads to conduct traffic smoothly and efficiently is premier to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents and visitors of Jackson. 2. To supplement land use regulation to encourage the most appropriate use of land throughout the District, lessen traffic congestion and accidents, secure safety from fire, provide light and air, prevent the overcrowding of land, avoid undue concentration of population, promote a coordinated development of the unbuilt areas and conserve and restore natural beauty and other natural resources. 3. To encourage originality, flexibility, innovation in site planning and development, including the architecture, landscaping and graphic design of proposed developments in relation to the City as a whole and/or surrounding areas. 4. To discourage monotonous, drab, unsightly, dreary and inharmonious developments, minimize discordant and unsightly surroundings and visual blight, and avoid inappropriate and poor quality design. 5. To promote orderly community growth, protect and enhance property values for the community as a whole and other environmental and aesthetic considerations which generally enhance rather than detract from community standards and values of the comfort and prosperity of the community and the preservation of its natural beauty and other natural resources, which are the proper concern of local government, and to promote and enhance construction and maintenance practices that will tend to enhance environmental and aesthetic quality for the community as a whole. 6. To aid in assuring that structures, signs and other improvements are properly related to their sites and the surrounding sites and structures, with due regard to the aesthetic qualities of the natural terrain and landscaping and that proper attention is given to exterior appearances of structures, signs and other improvements. 7. To protect and enhance the City’s pleasant environments for living and working and thus support and stimulate business and industry and promote the desirability of investment and occupancy in business and other properties. 8. To stabilize and improve property values and prevent blight to help provide an adequate tax base to the City to enable it to provide required services to its citizens. 9. To foster civic pride and community spirit by reason of the City’s favorable environment and thus promote and protect the peace, health and welfare of the City and its citizens. 1104.14.2 Scope 1. The Site Plan Review Committee shall review all site plans and applications requiring building permits except detached single family residences. 2. The Board shall be authorized to develop expanded and/or additional review criteria and forward their recommendation for adoption by the City Council. 1104.14.3 Approval Required 1. No development shall begin or be substantially changed for projects requiring Site Plan Review Committee approval until the Site Plan Review Committee has approved the proposed development or change, except where ordinances of the City expressly delegate such approval to the staff. 2. No City permit or approval shall be issued for any development for projects requiring Site Plan Review Committee approval until the Site Plan Review Committee has approved the proposed development, except where ordinances of the City expressly delegate such approval to the staff. 1104.14.4 Criteria 1104.14.4.1 Site Design Objectives 1. Sites should be developed in a coordinated manner to complement adjacent structures through placement, architecture, colors, and size/mass. 2. Whenever possible, buildings on the same site should be clustered and incorporate plazas, courtyards, pocket parks, and other pedestrian use areas. 3. Sites should be designed to avoid the appearance of domination by automobiles. Positive methods to achieve this concept include:  Orienting buildings to fronting streets and placing parking at the rear and/or sides;  Designing the required parking area into smaller, discrete, connected lots rather than large, single-use lots;  Convenience food stores, and/or gas stations shall be designed so that a traditional building front shall be the primary façade facing the street and gas islands with accompanying protective awnings shall be located on the site so that their presence will not dominate the site. This will require gas islands/canopies to be located in the rear of the building or to the side of the building in such a manner that their presence is not the dominate presence when viewed from the street.  Restaurants with drive through windows shall have the window and other accompanying apparatus located in such a manner so as to not be visible from the street.  Providing well-defined pedestrian walkways through parking areas and from public sidewalks into the site. Well-defined walkways use pavers, changes in color, texture, and composition of paving materials and vertical plantings such as trees and shrubs. The minimum width of walkways shall be five feet.  Parking areas shall be designed to be partially screened from view from adjacent streets and building occupants. Screening can be accomplished through a number of methods including:  Orienting buildings away from parking areas  Placing buildings between streets and parking lots  Using extensive landscape screening, berms, and architecturally treated walls. All measures should be designed to accomplish the intended screening while allowing adequate safety and surveillance of the parking areas. 4. Sites shall incorporate transit compatible designs where appropriate. Transit compatibility means designs that are pedestrian oriented, provide safe and convenient access to transit facilities, and foster efficient transit service. 5. Where appropriate, site plans shall be designed to provide vehicle and pedestrian connections with adjacent sites. 1104.14.4.2 Building Design Objectives 1. No single architectural style is required. However, reliance on or use of standardized “corporate or franchise” style is strongly discouraged. Buildings should reflect an individual design that has considered site location, conditions, and surrounding development. 2. Building design should provide a sense of permanence and timelessness. High quality construction and materials should be used to ensure that buildings will not look dated or worn down over time. Building designs should reflect an individual style and form and not merely current trends. 3. A consistent visual identity shall be applied to all sides of buildings visible to the general public. In these areas, all building sides shall have an equivalent level of quality of materials, detailing, and window placement. Abrupt ending of architectural details shall be avoided with no radical change in details or features or materials. 4. Long blank walls are to be avoided. Positive methods to achieve this objective include changes in colors and materials, placement of windows, use of awnings and canopies, and architectural details and features such as corners, setbacks and offsets. Windows at ground level may be tinted; however, reflective and mirrored windows are not allowed. 5. Buildings facing streets shall incorporate pedestrian-scaled entrances. Pedestrian scaled entrances are those that provide an expression of human activity or use in relation to building size. Doors, windows, entrances, and other features should be designed to respond to the size of the human body and not give the appearance of anonymity or overwhelming the building’s users. 6. Modulation (defined as a measured setback or offset in a building face) shall be incorporated to reduce overall bulk and mass of buildings. The planes of exterior walls should not run in one (1) continuous direction more than 50 to 60 feet without an offset or setback. 7. Large buildings should have height variations to give the appearance of distinct elements. 8. Building design shall incorporate traditional building materials such as masonry, stone, heavy timbers, brick, and other natural appearing materials. 9. Building colors should accent, blend with, or complement surroundings. Bright or brilliant colors should be reserved for trim and accents. 10. Landscape areas or planting beds having a minimum width of five (5) feet should be provided around perimeters to separate buildings from surrounding pavement areas. 11. Outdoor storage areas, mechanical equipment, utility vaults, and trash receptacles must not be visible from adjacent streets and pedestrian walkways. 12. Outdoor mechanical equipment shall be appropriately screened from view. The method of screening shall be architecturally integrated with the building with respect to materials, color, shape, and size. 13. Site services should be located on the least visible side of a building or site or within interior building spaces. 14. Ground level outdoor enclosures shall be composed of materials similar to the main structure. 15. Materials used for site features such as fences, screen walls, and signs should be appropriate to the zone district where the development is located and should complement building design through materials, color, shape, and size. 16. Developments should provide transition with adjacent uses especially regarding building location, size and scale. No single building or development should dominate adjacent uses in terms of size, bulk, view blockage, or shading. 1104.14.4.3 Sign Objectives 1. Building Signs  Individual letters rather than cabinet signs are preferred.  Backlit individual letters are a preferred alternative.  Sign colors should be coordinated with building colors.  Signs should be compatible in scale and proportion with building design and other signs.  A specific sign program or concept should be designed for multiple tenant buildings or complexes. Color and letter style shall be coordinated when businesses share the same building and consistent sign patterns placement on buildings) shall be utilized.  Exposed neon tubes are acceptable for non-letter sign elements but are discouraged for letters. 2. Freestanding Signs  All signs shall be ground-mounted signs whose overall height shall not exceed six (6) feet.  Freestanding signs should provide only name and address of the building and/or building tenants.  Freestanding signs shall not be internally illuminated.  Project landscaping should be designed to incorporate freestanding signs. 1104.14.4.4 Landscaping Objectives 1. Provide unity of design through repetition of plants and coordination with adjacent developments. 2. Landscape materials should be hardy and adaptable to local conditions, easily maintained, and drought tolerant. Use of native plants is strongly encouraged. 3. The design for parking areas shall include deciduous and evergreen trees to provide shade and break up expanses of asphalt. One tree, a minimum of 2½ -3-inch caliper at the time of planting, shall be required for every 5 parking spaces. There should be no more than 10 spaces between landscape islands or medians. 4. Landscape islands or medians shall have no dimension narrower than five (5) feet. 5. Interior landscaping is required for parking lots containing ten or more spaces at a ratio of 20 square feet of landscape area for every 100 square feet of parking area. All landscaped areas should be protected by wheel stops or curbing, or be of sufficient width to prevent damage to plants by overhanging vehicles. 6. Existing vegetation should be incorporated into overall site design. 7. Landscaped areas shall be irrigated by mechanical sprinkler systems. 8. Required perimeter setback areas shall be densely landscaped with a combination of trees and shrubs, which form a 90 percent ground cover within three years of planting. 9. Required landscaping shall include a combination of trees and shrubs as follows:  For every 20 square feet of landscaped area: three (3) shrubs and either one (1) deciduous tree, 2½ to 3-inch caliper at time of planting, or one (1) evergreen tree, having a minimum height of 10 feet at the time of planting.  Tree spacing shall be as follows: Perimeter areas around parking lots 20 to 30 feet on center; other perimeter areas 30 feet on center.  Interior site landscaping is required to define pedestrian ways, enclose outdoor gathering and seating areas, and reduce building mass. 10. Architectural features such as low walls, fountains, and sculptures may be used in places where planting areas are limited or restricted. 11. Project entrances should be enhanced through changes in paving materials such as brick pavers, textured and colored concrete, providing entry structures and unity in planting of trees and shrubs. 12. Individual trees along walkways and along sidewalks in the internal portions of projects should be planted in tree wells or planter boxes. 13. Open storm water detention facilities should be incorporated into project landscaping and open space where geographically feasible. 14. Open storm water detention facilities shall be landscaped and screened. 1104.14.4.5 Lighting Objectives 1. Moving and flashing lights are prohibited. 2. Use cut-off lenses or hoods to prevent glare and light spill off project site onto adjacent properties, buildings, and roadways. 3. Lighting standards should be designed and sited to be compatible with the character of the development. 1104.14.6 Non-Conforming Uses Developments and uses existing at the time of the enactment of this ordinance, not conforming to the provisions of this ordinance, shall be regarded as non-conforming uses. 1104.14.7 Site Plan Approval 1104.14.7.1 Initial Submittal Submit site plan to Site Plan Review Committee. All site plans shall show the following: 1. Survey including existing tree location, specie, & size 2. Proposed Use and Density 3. Pedestrian Systems 4. Bike System (for parking and/or transportation) 5. Preliminary Landscape Plan, no larger than 1” =30’ 6. Utilities – Overhead/Underground Locations 7. Site Lighting – Pole location & height. Fixture detail 8. Parking areas, curb cuts, curbs 9. Signage 10. Preliminary Building Elevations – Four sides with height 11. Trash Dumpster Location & Screening 12. Type of Building Construction 13. Proposed Flammable/Hazardous Materials Storage Tanks 14. Fences/Walls 15. Fire Hydrants 16. Phasing 17. Survey or Plat 18. Location Map 19. Adjacent Land Uses and Zoning Districts 20. Project Name 21. Dimension all buildings/structures to property lines 22. Existing Features of Site (Trees, Water, Topography, Roadways, Structures) 23. Zoning of Site 24. Location of all easements & right-of-way 25. Owners Name & Address 26. Mechanical Equipment & Screening 27. Handicap Parking Spaces & Access Ramps 28. Delineate all Parking Spaces 29. Site Data Computations (in square feet & percent in relation to total area) A. Total Area of Site B. Total Building Area (all floors & all buildings) C. Proposed units per acre D. Building Ground Coverage – include all accessory buildings E. Recreational Open Space F. Passive Open Space 30. Building Elevations A. Four sides of structure to reflect materials, colors, & finishes. B. Height dimensions from grade to all floors & total overall height of all buildings C. Material and height of rooftop equipment/screening. D. Floor plans Revised Submittal Appearance before the Site Plan Review Committee may be required by Developer or representative/designer. 1. Revised plans incorporating Site Plan Review Committee Comments from initial submittal 2. Every sheet shall indicate: Project name, name of Architect/Landscape Architect/Designer, Location of Project, scale of drawing, directional arrow 3. Number of parking spaces required & furnished. Handicap parking space required/provided, and accessibility ramps. Typical parking space detail 4. Off-street loading zones, size, & location 5. Preliminary Grading & Drainage Plans 6. Location, size, & height of dumpster 7. Location, height, & details of fences/walls 8. Location, size, & type of pedestrian systems 9. Preliminary Water & Sewer Plans 10. Landscape Plans 11. Site Lighting 12. Sign Elevations with dimensions, materials, colors, and lighting 13. Color & material samples for all exterior surfaces & types of finishes Final Submittal Submittal includes comments issued by the Site Plan Review Committee. 1. Revised plans incorporating Site Plan Review Committee Comments submitted to Zoning Administrator or a statement indicating agreement or disagreement with the comments generated by the Revised Submittal. Thereby, requesting final consideration by the City Council 2. Phase lines, if any. 3. Site Plans, Elevations, Landscape & Irrigation Plans, Utility Plans, & Floor Plans.
1104.1 | Corpus