The following standards and guidelines shall apply to the Mixed-Use Districts, Low Intensity Office District, and General Commercial District of the Town's Zoning Code and Map. For the purposes of this article, the following terminology shall apply:
A.
The purpose of these design guidelines and standards is to describe the desired future development pattern, form, massing, site layout and architectural detailing for these districts along the Route 20A Corridor. The Town recognizes the importance of the Route 20A Corridor as an important gateway to the Village of Geneseo and as a retail and service destination with regional significance. It is important for this part of the Town to have established design standards that guide development and ensure safe and efficient circulation. Given its transitional nature, there is a need for clear standards that meet the goals and objectives of the community while still allowing for flexibility and creativity. These standards will provide the necessary regulatory guidance and framework for high-quality development while still allowing flexible design alternatives.
B.
The Town reserves the right to seek the services of engineers, planners, architects, or other professional to aid in the consideration of all development design. The applicant shall reimburse all costs incurred for such professional services to the Town.
The purpose of these design guidelines and standards is to preserve and promote the unique character of the Town by ensuring future development is consistent with the following objectives:
A.
Create lively, pedestrian-friendly, and attractive buildings, sites, open spaces, and streetscapes where residents and visitors will enjoy walking, biking, and driving.
B.
Encourage the development of retail, offices, restaurants, and other permitted uses in close proximity of each other creating dynamic activity centers for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.
C.
Develop office and industrial parks to resemble a campus-like environment that incorporates open space and pedestrian amenities where appropriate.
D.
Require that future private development positively contribute to the public realm and ensure compatibility with surrounding developments so as not to detract from the overall streetscape.
E.
Utilize good site planning techniques that provide visual interest and accommodate multimodal travel, such as varying building massing, emphasizing street corners, highlighting points of entry, and integrating site circulation and access between uses.
F.
Encourage the development of buildings consistent with the goals of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.
G.
Ensure that new development building and site design does not negatively impact adjacent residential uses, respecting their existing scale and character.
Site planning standards primarily address the organization of a project's components. They are intended to address the location of buildings and site features, such as parking lots, open space, and service areas, as well as the organization of circulation patterns for vehicles and pedestrians.
A.
Projects with multiple buildings (see Figures 1 and 2 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter for conceptual examples).
(1)
Projects with multiple buildings shall be sited with pedestrian connections between structures, parking areas, and adjacent uses.
(2)
Multiple structures shall be placed in a fashion that creates a well-organized, accessible, and functional site. The Town encourages site layouts that create a unique sense of place and do not result in large parking lots lacking landscaping or pedestrian accommodations.
B.
Parking location, massing, and orientation.
(1)
Location of parking facilities.
(a)
Vehicular parking and standing facilities shall be located in the rear of structures whenever possible but may be allowed in the side yard if screened appropriately. Exceptions may be made, at the discretion of the Planning Board, to allow for a single row of angled parking spaces on the Volunteer Road side of the property, known as "convenience parking" (see Figures 4 and 5 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter), provided appropriate screening is used and the principal structure in compliance with the all setback requirements.
(b)
For sites proposed with multiple structures the use of central courtyard parking is encouraged (see Figure 2 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter).
(c)
The linear distance at the front lot line parallel to primary streets of individual lots shall not be composed of more than 30% parking lot as a percentage of total distance along Route 20A, Lima Road, or Volunteer Road, including convenience parking. See Figure 3 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter for more information.
(2)
Massing of parking facilities (see Figure 6 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter).
(a)
Parking lots shall be arranged such that long uninterrupted views across large areas of parking are not visible from the primary road. To achieve this, parking lots shall be designed in "rooms" containing no more than 180 vehicles each.
(3)
Orientation of parking facilities.
(4)
Curbing and bump stops.
(a)
Whenever appropriate, as determined by the Planning Board, parking areas shall be bounded by concrete or granite curbing to delineate vehicular and pedestrian zones and to control drainage, as needed.
(b)
Pedestrian walks, landscaped islands and medians, and building foundations shall be separated from parking facilities by raised concrete or granite curbing.
(c)
Asphalt or wood curbing is not permitted.
C.
Landscaping and buffering. All landscaping, screening, and buffering shall comply with Article 42 of this chapter, as well as the following additional regulations:
(1)
Site landscaping.
(a)
Site landscaping shall be required at the location of all entrances, exits, and signage.
(b)
Planting shall be limited to species endemic, indigenous, and hardy; those known to be noninvasive to this area and deer-resistant. Figure 7 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter contains an exemplary list of plants that meet these criteria. Significant deviations from these criteria must be supported by ample evidence by the applicant.
(2)
Foundation landscaping.
(a)
Foundation plantings shall consist of woody and/or herbaceous, deciduous, and/or coniferous shrubs, trees, and groundcovers, and shall not be limited to annual/perennial-type plant materials.
(b)
In instances where outdoor seating is desired in the frontage of the lot, foundation landscaping may be waived by the Planning Board, or can be used to create a seating courtyard area.
(3)
Screening and buffering. Parking facilities located along the front setback shall be buffered and/or screened from view using landscaping, attractive fencing consisting of natural materials that does not exceed four feet in height, or a combination of landscaping and fencing. In no instance will coniferous trees be approved as a frontage buffer material.
(4)
Parking lot landscaping (see Figures 6 and 8 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter for example imagery).
(a)
Parking lot medians shall be required between parking "rooms" (maximum 180 cars, see Figure 6 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter). Medians shall be a minimum of 10 feet in width, and shall be planted to provide visual buffering between rooms to a density and arrangement deemed appropriate by the Planning Board.
(b)
Circulatory drive aisles and curbed end medians shall be installed such that no more than 20 parking stalls in a single row, or 40 in a double row, shall go uninterrupted.
(c)
A minimum of 2% of the total parking facility area shall be required open space in addition to requirement for parking lot islands and medians.
D.
Internal sidewalk, pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular circulation (see Figures 1, 2, and 6 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter).
(1)
Internal sidewalks.
(a)
Sidewalks shall be constructed along the entire frontage length at a minimum width of five feet or consistent with adjacent sidewalk widths, or wider at the discretion of the Planning Board based on anticipated pedestrian volumes.
(b)
Sidewalks shall be constructed to provide access from principal building entrances to the sidewalk system (see Figure 9 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter).
(c)
Curbed sidewalks shall be located along the building frontage to provide separation between pedestrians and vehicles.
(d)
Where possible, sidewalks shall traverse parking lot medians and islands to permit safe and efficient pedestrian travel from parked vehicles to building entrances.
(2)
Pedestrian circulation.
(a)
Pedestrian circulation patterns shall be shielded and separated from vehicular patterns where possible.
(b)
Designated crosswalks shall be located between primary building entrances and exits as well as parking facilities.
(c)
Safe, convenient, and efficient pedestrian circulation patterns shall be provided between structures in a multiple structure development.
(3)
Bicycle circulation and accommodations.
(a)
Bicycle circulation patterns shall be shielded and separated from vehicular patterns where possible with the use of shoulders and/or bicycle lanes.
(b)
Designated bicycle parking facilities shall be provided at building entrances. Additional bicycle accommodations, such as bicycle lockers or shared bicycle services, are encouraged.
(c)
Safe, convenient, and efficient bicycle circulation patterns shall be provided between structures in a multiple structure development.
E.
Public transit stops and access.
(1)
Public transit stops shall be constructed to the standards set forth by the Livingston Area Transportation Service, on an easement provided to the Town of Geneseo, with siting and design requiring approval by the Planning Board.
(2)
Transit stops that are integrated into the development as a feature of a primary structure or as part of an open space feature are encouraged by the Town.
(3)
In all instances, transit stops shall be accessible and integrated into the pedestrian circulation system, and must include uninterrupted sidewalk and crosswalk access to principal building entrances.
(4)
Adequate space for an immediate or eventual transit stop must be allocated during the site plan review process if the principal building entrance is greater than 800 feet from an existing transit stop. Actual provision of such transit stop shall be coordinated with the Livingston Area Transportation Service.
The streetscape standards are intended to improve connectivity and character of the designated district areas to which these standards are applied. A community's streets are its largest and most continuous system of public spaces, and it is especially important to acknowledge their significance in the retention or development of high quality neighborhoods and districts.
A.
Street-level transparency.
(1)
For buildings fronting on Volunteer Road, the primary building entrance shall be on Volunteer Road, or at the discretion of the Planning Board, at the side or rear of the structure depending on the site layout (see Figures 1 and 9). Buildings fronting on roads other than primary streets shall have the principal entrance located on the secondary street or drive servicing such building. Regardless of where the entrance is built, building facades and yards facing primary streets shall always be considered front facades and yards, and shall be treated accordingly.
(2)
Windows and doors shall be provided on all building facades fronting on streets or drives to improve the streetscape aesthetic and provide an increased level of transparency into the structure. No facade facing a primary street shall be a blank wall without windows and/or doors.
(3)
Clear glass shall be permitted. In no instance shall glass inhibit views into the first floor. Flexibility shall be provided at the discretion of the Planning Board for non-retail uses.
B.
Front yards.
(1)
In no instance shall vegetation, walls, fences, or other structures or design elements be placed in yards as to prohibit views into the transparent portions of a facade of principal structures placed along a public right-of-way.
(2)
Sidewalks along all streets shall be required to provide for the health, safety, and general welfare of Town residents and visitors.
Architectural standards are intended to address the exterior elements of buildings and components that define the look of a building, such as roofs, windows, articulation and details. Standards for architectural elements will encourage new development to define a unique district identity while allowing for flexibility of expression at the individual building level. New development or renovations, including those incorporating contemporary styles, should complement the valued historic character that has been established within the Town and Village of Geneseo.
A.
Building form and massing.
(1)
Building width. In instances where the front facade is greater than 50 feet in width, appropriate delineations and treatments shall be used to break up the appearance of a single facade.
(2)
Facade articulation (see Figures 12 and 13 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter).
(a)
Structures with walls of more than 1,500 square feet shall incorporate fasciae, canopies, arcades, building setbacks of four feet or more or other design features to break up large wall surfaces on the street-facing elevations (see Figures 12, 13, and 14 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter).
(b)
Wall surfaces shall be visually divided by such features into areas of 750 square feet or less.
(c)
Structures shall not have any wall surface longer than 50 feet without a break, which entails a recess or offset measuring at least four feet in depth that vary the depth of the building wall.
(d)
Not less than 25% of the building wall shall be varied in this way. The objective of this standard is to avoid large, undifferentiated wall surfaces. Acceptable substitutes may be granted at the discretion of the Planning Board.
B.
Architectural details.
(1)
Foundation watertable. Where appropriate, elements that add detail and define the foundation of the building are encouraged.
(2)
Roofs, cornices, eaves, overhangs, and parapets.
(a)
Elements that define the roof and the upper quartile of the facade shall incorporate design details that provide an added level of fenestration and articulation to the architectural expression of the building.
(b)
The choice of design elements and their scale, height, proportion, and mass should draw from design cues provided by the historical character of the Town and Village.
(c)
Modern interpretation and variation is not precluded, yet shall be subject to the discretion of the Planning Board.
(d)
To the maximum extent practicable, all roof-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened from view or isolated so as not to be visible from any public right-of-way or residential district within 150 feet of the subject lot, measured from a point that is five feet above grade.
(3)
Windows (see Figures 11, 12, and 13 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter).
(a)
Windows shall be of a scale, proportion, and coverage appropriate to the overall style of architecture of the building.
(b)
Window openings shall be trimmed with an appropriate material (brick, stone, wood, wood-like, cementitious board, vinyl) to provide added definition and interest to the overall facade.
(4)
Doors and entryways (see Figure 14 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter).
(a)
Doors and entryways shall be of a scale, proportion, and coverage appropriate to the overall style of architecture of the building.
(b)
Commercial buildings shall have a transparent primary entryway that will be considered as part of the overall transparency requirement for the building frontage.
(c)
Entryways shall be detailed and announced to the general public through the use of decorative trim, moldings, overhangs, and other defining architectural features such that its purpose as the primary entrance is evident from the street. The same treatment is encouraged for all secondary entryways near parking locations.
(5)
High quality materials (see Figure 14 in § 106-44.7 of this chapter).
(a)
Along street frontages, all exterior building walls and structures shall be constructed with durable materials, including masonry, stone, brick, finishing wood, stucco (EIFS) and glass.
(b)
Vertical aluminum or metal siding shall not be permitted.
(c)
No more than three exterior wall materials shall be used on any one side of a building.
(d)
Changes in materials shall occur at inside corners. Material changes at the outside corners or in a plane shall be avoided.
(e)
Concrete finishes or pre-cast concrete panels that are not exposed aggregate, hammered, embosses, imprinted, sandblasted, or covered with a cement-based acrylic coating shall not be used as exterior building materials and shall be prohibited on all exterior walls.
(f)
Standard masonry block walls shall be prohibited on exterior walls containing primary entryways and walls facing a street or drive.
(g)
Decorative masonry materials, such as split face and textured finished blocks, shall be considered an acceptable alternative to stone, brick, finishing wood, stucco (EIFS) or glass.
(6)
Green infrastructure and building design.
(a)
Alternative energy sources, such as solar panels or shingles, are encouraged and should be incorporated into the design of the building so as not to detract from the overall design.
(b)
Developers and builders are encouraged to utilize roofing materials that reflect sunlight (e.g., lighter colors) or incorporate vegetated roofing on at least 50% of the roof area. Methods such as these decrease heating and cooling needs on a building by reflecting sunlight rather than absorbing it. The Planning Board may approve an increase in the share of lot coverage for developments that incorporate green roofing materials to their satisfaction.
The following is a comprehensive listing of all the illustrative figures referenced within this article.
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