A. 
The purpose of this section is to ensure that commercial and multifamily development supports the Village downtown as a prosperous business environment and the waterfront as a destination for visitors and a center of activity for the community.
B. 
For generations, commercial areas in upstate New York have reflected the traditional pattern of small businesses, schools, professional offices, personal services and public buildings located within walking distance of the main street. Industrial buildings were sited within or near the village center, usually close to residential neighborhoods. Most buildings were sized to fit the needs of the community and its limited market area. The physical pattern of streets, buildings and neighborhoods in Rouses Point was in place prior to the automobile. Buildings were constructed close to one another along the street edge, shared design features and were of similar scale and form. They had prominent entrances and many windows to display wares and make the building inviting to passersby.
C. 
The economic and social vitality of the Village depends on maintaining its attractiveness, economic viability of businesses, and hospitable atmosphere for residents and visitors. These standards and guidelines intend to do that by:
(1) 
Creating a flexible and sensible set of expectations, some requirements and some suggestions, that do not inhibit growth or become a hardship for local property owners;
(2) 
Supporting a design approach that creates a high-quality, pedestrian-oriented environment, without prescribing an architectural style or attempting to mimic historic buildings;
(3) 
Encouraging compatibility through the use of variations in building elements to achieve individual building identity rather than uniformity;
(4) 
Connecting the Lake Street area to the lakefront with a sense of creativity and a connection to the past; and
(5) 
Meeting the expectations of tourists and outdoor enthusiasts arriving by land and water.
A. 
These standards apply to properties located in the C6, C1 and C4 Districts that meet the following criteria:
(1) 
All newly constructed nonresidential buildings and multifamily buildings of more than three units.
(2) 
All conversions of an existing building from a residential use to a nonresidential use.
(3) 
Any substantial rehabilitation of existing structures, including additions or landscapes, where the cost of improvements, as verified by the Code Enforcement Officer, exceeds 50% of the assessed value.
(4) 
Improvements to existing properties where the cost of improvements is less than 50% of assessed value shall comply with the applicable standards related to the specific improvement. For example, a new or reconstructed lighting plan must comply with the standards related to lighting even if the cost of improvements does not exceed the threshold for whole property compliance.
B. 
The standards do not apply to existing residential structures of three or fewer units.
C. 
Any building, parking area or sign or approved permit that lawfully exists as of the date of adoption, which would not otherwise be permitted under these standards, may be continued as a legal nonconforming lot or structure in the same manner as it existed prior to the effective date of these standards.
A. 
For the purpose of this article, the terms "standard" and "guideline" shall have the following meanings:
STANDARD
A level that requires conformity and uses the term "shall" or "must." A standard addresses a specific subject and is a requirement. Relief from a standard almost always requires a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, unless otherwise stated or the applicant demonstrates that it would clearly be unreasonable or undesirable to do so under all circumstances, in which case the applicant may offer, and the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Appeals may approve, an alternative standard, criterion or action.
GUIDELINE
A guideline is a level that is preferred and recommended, and uses the term "should" or "may." A guideline addresses a specific subject and is a strong suggestion but is not a requirement. Guidelines will be discussed with the Planning Board during site plan review.
B. 
The following additional definitions apply to this article:
ADDITION
New construction added to an existing building or structure.
ALTERATION
Construction or other modification that changes one or more of the exterior features of a structure or building, including, but not limited to, the erection, construction, reconstruction, addition, sand blasting, water blasting, chemical cleaning or removal of any structure, but not including changes to the color of exterior paint.
BELT COURSE
A molding or projecting course running horizontally along the face of a building. Belt courses are typically constructed of stone, tile, brick, shingles or other similar material.
BUFFER
An area provided to reduce the conflict between two different land uses. Buffers are intended to mitigate undesirable views, noise and glare, effectively providing greater privacy to neighboring land uses. Typical buffers include, but are not limited to, plant materials, walls, fences and/or significant land area to separate the uses.
CANOPY
A projection over a niche or doorway, often decorative or decorated; a roof over an accessory structure, including but not limited to gasoline pumps and an ATM.
CORNICE
The projection at the top of a wall or the top course or molding of a wall when it serves as a crowning member.
FACADE
The portion of any exterior elevation on the building extending from grade to the top of the parapet, wall or eaves and extending the entire length of the building facing a frontage line.
FULL CUTOFF OR FULL SHIELDED-TYPE FIXTURE
An outdoor lighting fixture that is shielded or constructed so that all light emitted is projected below a horizontal plane running through the lowest light-emitting part of the fixture.
GLARE
Direct light that causes annoyance, discomfort or loss in visual performance and visibility.
LANDSCAPING
The combination of natural elements such as trees, shrubs, ground covers, vines, or other organic and inorganic materials, which are installed for purposes of creating an attractive and pleasing environment, screening unsightly views, and reducing environmental impacts.
LIGHT FIXTURE
The assembly that holds a lamp and may include an assembly housing, a mounting bracket or pole socket, a lamp holder, a ballast, a reflector or mirror and a refractor or lens. A light fixture also includes the assembly for luminous tube and fluorescent lighting.
MASSING
The three-dimensional shape of a building's height, width, and depth.
PARAPET
The portion of a wall that extends above the roofline.
PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY
A surfaced walkway, separate from the traveled portion of a public or private right-of-way, parking walkway lot or driving aisle.
PLINTH
The part of a wall or facade of a building immediately above the ground, usually stone or brick; also the block beneath a column.
SCALE
The size or proportion of a building element or space relative to the structural or functional dimension of the human body.
STOREFRONT
The traditional Main Street facade bound by a structural pier on either side, the sidewalk on the bottom and the lower edge of the upper facade at the top.
TEXTURE
The visual and tactile quality of a surface apart from its color and form. A building texture refers to the variations in the exterior facade and may be described in terms of roughness of the surface material, the patterns inherent in the material or the patterns in which the material is placed.
A. 
General building design standards.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Employ building types and detailing on new development, additions and alterations that are compatible with the historic character of Village buildings in massing, height, size, proportion and external treatment.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
Mixed-use, multistory (two- to three-story) structures are preferred.
B. 
Building orientation and entrances.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Place buildings at the front of the site, parallel to the street or in line with neighboring structures, with an accentuated primary entrance facing the public right-of-way to maintain a consistent setback and create a traditional street and sidewalk frontage.
(b) 
Buildings on corner lots must continue the established setback along both street frontages.
Place infill buildings along the same setback as existing buildings
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
Preserve or create view corridors to Lake Champlain whenever possible.
(b) 
Primary and secondary building and site entry points should be easily recognizable from parking areas and from the street.
(c) 
Emphasize main entries with a change in roofline, additional projecting features, design accents, porches, canopies, etc.
(d) 
Pedestrian sheltering elements such as porches, traditional canopies and awnings with free-hanging valances are encouraged. Crown, umbrella, bubbled or domed awnings should not be used.
(e) 
The length of any facade should generally not exceed 50 feet maximum horizontally. Shop fronts should be broken down even further; 30 feet or less is preferred.
(f) 
Facades may be broken up through the use of bay windows, porches, building extensions, recessed doorways and other architectural treatments.
C. 
Walls.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Any exterior wall facing a street, the lake, a parking area, walking area or other public right-of-way shall not be a blank wall without windows or doors. Blank walls shall be broken up with such elements as, but not limited to, windows, doors or architectural treatments as described in Subsection C(2)(b) below.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
Walls or portions of walls without windows should use architectural treatments, materials, colors and details that are similar to the front facade.
(b) 
Examples of architectural treatments include masonry (other than flat concrete block), concrete or masonry plinth at the base of the wall, belt courses of a different texture or color, projecting cornices or canopies, decorative tilework, medallions, translucent glass, vertical/horizontal details or lighting fixtures.
D. 
Building materials.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Anodized or galvanized metal may not be used for buildings and roofs, but may be used for repair of existing structures with anodized or galvanized metal exteriors. This shall not preclude the use of modern metal roofing materials.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
Smaller, human-scale and natural materials such as stone, brick, wood, shingles, slate, terra cotta, glass and metal are preferred. High-quality imitation materials may also be appropriate. The use of highly reflective or glossy materials should be used sparingly.
(b) 
Muted and traditional colors are preferred, with contrasting textures and tones used to add interest.
E. 
Windows and doors.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Doorways must be clearly accentuated.
(b) 
Windows shall reflect any discernable pattern of window openings that is established among adjacent structures in terms of style, configuration and size.
(c) 
On street level primary facades, window openings must be large enough to make the building appear transparent, open and inviting. Storefront windows shall make up at least 50% of the first floor facade. Transparent storefronts are not necessary for some businesses, such as professional offices. For such businesses, it is at least preferable to maintain the size of original storefront windows.
(d) 
Smoked, reflective, or black glass in windows are not allowed.
(e) 
Plexiglas or replacement materials other than of glass are not allowed.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
Clear, colorless glass without tinting is preferred for all display windows. Stained glass, colored or translucent glass should be used for design accents.
(b) 
Street level windowsills should be lower than 30 inches above finished grade at the building line.
(c) 
When windows are replaced or repaired, replacement windows should match the original window in style, configuration and size.
(d) 
Upper-story windows should relate to first-story windows in shape, form, and pattern, size and proportion.
(e) 
In conjunction with the window opening requirements for street level windows in Subsection E(1)(c) above, windows on the front facades of upper stories shall make up at least 25% of the upper-story front facade.
F. 
Roofs.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Roofs shall be proportional to the rest of the building and be in keeping with the character of adjacent buildings.
(b) 
Structures with sloping roofs must take measures to ensure that falling snow, ice and rain does not create a hazard for pedestrians.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
Rooftop mechanical apparatus, except solar arrays and green roof systems, should be hidden or screened to the greatest degree possible.
(b) 
Sloping roof structures should consider the use of dormers and gables to give the facade more visual prominence.
(c) 
Hip or gable roofs are preferred. Flat roofs with a parapet are appropriate if they are in keeping with surrounding buildings. False mansard-style roofs should be avoided.
G. 
Refuse storage areas.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Refuse must be stored inside the building or outdoors in a location out of view from primary and secondary building entrances.
(b) 
Outdoor refuse storage areas must be entirely screened by a fence or enclosure with walls or opaque fencing and must remain locked and closed.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
In general, refuse areas should not be located closer than 10 feet to any property lines.
(b) 
The enclosure should be constructed of stockade, wood board fence, brick or materials imitating brick or wood. If chain link fencing is used, it is preferred that it have vinyl slats.
H. 
Landscaping and screening.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Where a principal building is set back 15 feet or more from the front lot line, landscape treatment shall be provided to enhance architectural features, strengthen vistas and visual corridors and provide shade.
(b) 
Planted buffers should be provided between parking areas and adjacent lots and streets.
(c) 
Parking lot landscape areas should cover at least 15% of the total paved area of the parking lot.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
Consider native or indigenous plants, which are compatible with the local weather conditions.
I. 
Lighting and utilities.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
The number of light fixtures and the intensity of lighting shall be appropriate to illuminate the location for safety, without glare to adjoining properties.
(b) 
The total height of exterior lighting fixtures shall be a maximum of 14 feet for pedestrian walkways and 20 feet for parking lots adjacent to residential uses.
(c) 
Blinking and flashing lights are prohibited. Exceptions to this rule include holiday lighting and emergency lighting or temporary construction lighting, as may be required by a public agency.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
Decorative site lighting, display window lights, and architectural lighting are encouraged to advertise the business and highlight building features and entries.
(b) 
Full cutoff and shielded fixtures are preferred.
(c) 
Newly installed and renovated lighting and utility services should be underground whenever possible.
J. 
Off-street parking.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Parking lots for new development shall be located to the side and rear of buildings whenever possible unless the property is directly adjacent to Lake Champlain.
(b) 
Parking lots for new development located directly adjacent to Lake Champlain shall preferably be located on the side of the building to avoid lakefront parking lots. If that is not possible or practical as determined by the Planning Board, a rear or front location may be considered with consideration being given to which location will have the least aesthetic impact.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
Where rear parking is provided, a secondary rear entrance is encouraged.
(b) 
Shared access driveways to parking lots between properties is preferred to reduce the number of curb cuts.
K. 
Relation of development to the lakefront.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Existing lakefront linkages and views must be retained.
(2) 
Guidelines.
(a) 
For new development to be located on lots directly adjacent to Lake Champlain, the following development guidelines shall be taken into consideration by the Planning Board:
[1] 
Where feasible and appropriate, designs should integrate options for outdoor waterfront dining and passive recreational activities such as pedestrian walkways and seating.
[2] 
Shallow building lots which orient to the street and the water should be double-fronted, providing a pedestrian-friendly facade and entrance on both the street and lakefront sides.
[3] 
On larger lots, consider clustering buildings to frame views to the water.
[4] 
Provide perpendicular connections between the waterfront and the street whenever possible.
L. 
Signage.
(1) 
Standards.
(a) 
Signage at entrances and storefronts shall be simple and legible.
(b) 
Style, colors and materials used on signage must complement the style, colors and materials of the building itself.
(c) 
External sign lighting must be no brighter than needed to read the sign and must not spill over onto other areas. Bulbs may not be visible from the street.