[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of
the City of Geneva as indicated in article histories. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Zoning — See Ch. 350.
[Adopted 3-14-2007 by Ord. No. 1-2007]
A.
Findings.
(1)
The City of Geneva is a destination city providing
a high quality of urban life enhanced by cultural, recreational, educational,
and economic opportunities; and
(2)
The City's 1998 Master Plan recognizes that among
the City's unique assets is "a spatially and visually defined downtown
that highlights the geographic center of the community;" and that
"Geneva's downtown is the social and functional center of the City
. . . . well-defined and historic in character"; and
(3)
The Master Plan recommends that the City of Geneva
designate the core downtown area as a Traditional Urban Design District
to conserve the architectural character of downtown by developing
"methods to preserve existing historic buildings and ensure that new
development conforms to the existing character"; and
(4)
A Traditional Urban Design District will promote economic
viability, offer a diverse urban lifestyle, and help position the
City as a regional center;
B.
As recommended by the Master Plan, a Traditional Urban
Downtown District (TUDD) shall be created as an overlay zoning district
in the core downtown area.
A.
The purpose of the TUDD is to conserve the existing
unique assets of Geneva's historic urban center and to encourage new
development that enhances the traditional urban design and character
of its downtown.
B.
The elements of a Traditional Urban Design District
are as follows:
(1)
Pedestrian-oriented: characterized by a concentration
of commercial, office, civic, cultural and residential uses all within
walking distance of one another, which creates a working, growing
and attractive business center full of vitality and pedestrian activity.
(2)
Traditional mid-nineteenth through early-twentieth
century urban streetscape: characterized by zero side and lot line
setbacks, zero sidewalk setbacks, common walls between buildings,
and buildings that are at least two stories high. Lighting, benches,
and signage are geared toward encouraging pedestrian interest by complementing
the building's design. Parking is provided on the street, in the rear
of buildings, or public areas. Alleys, parking lots and rear building
entries are safe and attractive, and encourage a commercial/residential
environment.
(3)
Traditional mid-nineteenth through early-twentieth
century urban facades: characterized by retail storefronts at street
level with an entrance that is often recessed, large display windows
with bulkheads or kickplates below, an upper facade with regularly
spaced windows, and a decorative cornice at the top.
(4)
Building materials and colors: characterized by masonry
faced with brick. Wrought iron cladding work is encouraged. The color
scheme is subtle, traditional and complementary to adjoining buildings.
The boundaries of the TUDD are delineated on
the attached map.[1] The boundaries constitute the core area of Geneva's downtown
as it developed in the late nineteenth through early twentieth century.
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BEGINNING at a point that marks the intersection
of the west line of Exchange Street and the south line of the railroad
tracks; thence southerly encompassing all properties that front on
the west line of Exchange Street to a point which marks the intersection
of the west line of Exchange Street and the north line of Castle Street;
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THENCE westerly encompassing all properties
that front the north line of Castle Street to the southwest corner
of property known as 244 Main Street (the Public Library);
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THENCE southerly encompassing all properties
that front the west line of Main Street to a point which marks the
intersection of the west line of Main Street and the north line of
William Street;
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THENCE easterly across Main Street to the southwest
corner of property known as 357 South Main Street (Civic Center);
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THENCE easterly encompassing all properties
that front on the south line of Seneca Street to a point which marks
the intersection of the south line of Seneca Street with the east
line of South Linden Street;
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THENCE southerly along the east line of South
Linden Street to a point which marks the intersection of the east
line of South Linden Street and the north line of Elizabeth Blackwell
Drive;
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THENCE easterly encompassing all properties
that front the north line of Elizabeth Blackwell Drive to a point
which marks the intersection of the north line of Elizabeth Blackwell
Drive and the west line of Routes 5&20 (Lakefront Drive);
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THENCE northerly along the west line of Routes
5&20 to a point which marks the intersection of the west line
of Routes 5&20 and the north line of Lake Street;
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THENCE westerly encompassing all properties
except the railroad that front the north line of Lake Street to a
point which marks the intersection of the north line of Lake Street
and the east line of Exchange Street;
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THENCE northerly encompassing all properties
along the east line of Exchange Street that front the east line of
Exchange Street to a point which marks the intersection of the east
line of Exchange Street and the south line of the railroad tracks;
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THENCE westerly along the south line of the
railroad tracks to the point and place of beginning.
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[1]
Editor's Note: The map is on file in the City
offices.
This article shall apply to all properties located within the TUDD. The provisions of the Zoning Ordinance (Chapter 350, Geneva Municipal Code) shall apply in the TUDD, except where the provisions of this article differ from the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance, this article shall take precedence.
Any building, structure, parking area, or sign
that lawfully exists at the time this article is enacted, which would
not otherwise be permitted under this article, may be continued in
the same manner as existed before the effective date of this article.
A.
Facades. Each building facade may have signage.
B.
Number and size of signs.
(1)
Each floor of a facade may have any number of signs
flush with the facade so long as the aggregate size does not exceed
20% of that floor's facade area, provided that the floor is used for
commercial use and the signage relates to the commercial use, and
the sign doesn't block the window.
(2)
Rear facades facing Routes 5&20 may exceed the
20% area square footage limitation, but shall not exceed 120 square
feet.
C.
Signs shall be externally lit. Internally illuminated
signs are not permitted. Flashing lights are not permitted.
D.
Sidewalk sandwich board signs are permitted, provided:
[Amended 3-5-2014 by Ord. No. 1-2014]
(1)
All
sandwich board signs shall require an annual permit, the application
for which shall be reviewed by the Building Official. The permit application
shall include contact information for the applicant and a rendering
of the sign, including location to be placed, physical appearance,
and dimensions.
(2)
Except as provided for in Subsection D(6), the sign shall be located in front of the business it represents.
(3)
The
sign shall be removed at the end of the business's hours of operation.
(4)
Size
shall not exceed 12 square feet per side, nor be more than 42 inches
in height.
(5)
The
location of the sign shall not interfere with pedestrian access on
the sidewalk nor obstruct the view of vehicular traffic.
(6)
The Building Official may grant exceptions to Subsection D(2) in cases where it is deemed that the business location has obscured visibility. In such cases, one sign may be placed at the nearest intersection, provided that a signed affidavit of approval is provided by the property owner on whose property the sign will be placed.
(7)
Any
sign placed in violation of this section shall be confiscated and
stored by the City for 30 days. Property owners may reclaim the sign
once in a twelve-month period at no cost. Property owners whose signs
are confiscated more than once in a twelve-month period will be fined
$50 for each time reclaimed. Any signs not reclaimed within 30 days
shall be destroyed.
(8)
Property
owners with existing sandwich board signs at the time of adoption
of this subsection shall have 90 days from adoption date to comply.
E.
Pylon, pole, monument, rooftop, and billboard signs
are not permitted.
Building location regulations are as follows:
A.
Building fronts at the sidewalk.
B.
The minimum lot coverage is 50%.
C.
New construction and infill buildings must maintain
the existing alignment of facades along the street front. Exceptions
may be granted by the Planning Board as long as the setback is pedestrian-oriented
and contributes to the character of the streetscape.
A.
An application for demolition of any building within
the TUDD shall be subject to a hearing prior to issuance of a demolition
permit by the Code Enforcement Office. A public hearing on the application
shall be held by City Council at its next regularly scheduled meeting
upon notice published within seven days of filing the application
for demolition.
B.
The purpose of the hearing shall be to notify the
public of the pending application, and to receive public comment on
the issue of whether it is in the public interest that the building
be preserved and to allow for solutions to demolition to be explored.
C.
No permit for demolition shall be issued by the Code
Enforcement Office until at least 45 days after the filing of the
application for demolition.
D.
The provisions of this section of the article may
be waived by the Code Enforcement Office if a building is damaged
or destroyed in whole or in part by fire or other catastrophe to the
extent that it cannot be repaired, or the building must be demolished
for immediate emergency health and public safety reasons, as determined
by the Fire Department or others considered by the Code Enforcement
Office to be qualified to assess the damage. In such instances, the
building may be rebuilt in its original form.
Traditional Urban Design Guidelines have been
developed in accordance with the Master Plan to provide recommended
standards to enable the City, property owners, and prospective property
owners to "preserve existing historic buildings" when implementing
general maintenance and repairs, and to "ensure that new development
conforms to the existing character." These guidelines are not a part
of this article. The Guidelines are intended to convey desirable elements.
They are recommendations, not requirements.
