New buildings or those undergoing substantial renovation shall
be required to comply with the following standards:
A. Primary entrances. The primary entrance of every building must face
directly to a public street or public space. A public space may include
a central garden or courtyard when that space opens directly on a
public street. Buildings in the MU-TC and MU-NC Districts shall be
exempt when over 50% of floor area is primarily residential.
B. Entry/exit doors. Public entry and exit doors shall be recessed into
the facade a minimum of three feet from where the public sidewalk
abuts the building. Buildings in the MU-TC and MU-NC Districts shall
be exempt when over 50% of floor area is primarily residential.
C. Window and door openings. An appropriate lintel shall be required
above all door and window openings in a facade which shall express
the conveyance of the building's weight. This shall be required of
all mixed-use, multifamily/apartment, condominium, and commercial
buildings.
D. Columns/posts. Columns, posts, and other structural elements shall
be appropriate to the building and shall appear proportionate to the
weight they appear to be carrying.
The following standards shall apply for each site in the MU-CC,
MU-DC, MU-TC and MU-NC Districts:
A. Service areas.
(1)
Trash and recycling collection shall be located at the rear
of all buildings except for sites which are primarily single-family
residential in the MU-TC and MU-NC Districts only.
(2)
Dumpsters or movable grease traps in any district shall be fully
screened by a fence, which shall be able to be fully secured. Said
fence must be adequately screened by a nontransparent fence or by
appropriate vegetation. When gaining any necessary approvals from
the City of Cohoes, the site plan shall indicate a permanent location
of any dumpsters or grease traps and these shall be relegated to that
area only, except when moved temporarily for cleaning, site modifications
or routine dumping.
(3)
All means to assuage loud or disruptive noises shall be utilized
when possible, and shall include extra buffering if applicable.
B. Loading docks.
(1)
Loading docks shall be adequately screened from general public
view. This shall include screening from sidewalks, rights-of-way,
adjacent properties and public space. Service alleys shall not require
screening.
(2)
All means to assuage loud or disruptive noises shall be utilized
when possible, and shall include extra buffering if applicable.
C. Mechanical equipment.
(1)
Mechanical equipment that is roof-mounted, facade-mounted, or
ground-level mounted shall be adequately screened from adjacent public
spaces. Service alleys shall not require screening.
(2)
All means to assuage loud or disruptive noises shall be utilized
whenever possible, to include full enclosure or extra buffering for
specialty buildings.
Adequate and quality lighting of the sidewalk and street area
is essential to creating a safe and inviting streetscape. In addition
to City of Cohoes regulations regarding lighting, the following standards
and guidelines shall also apply to the MU-CC, MU-DC, MU-TC and MU-NC
Districts.
A. General lighting standards.
(1)
Lighting fixtures shall be appropriately chosen for the MU-CC,
MU-DC, MU-TC and MU-NC Districts. There shall also be consistency
in creating a unifying scheme of illumination that is appropriate
to the scale of the street and the level of evening activity. Lamp
styles should not be mixed along any one particular block of a street.
(2)
Light fixtures shall be downcast or low cut-off fixtures to
prevent glare and light pollution.
(3)
In order to conserve energy and reduce long-term costs, energy-efficient
lamps shall be used for all public realm lighting.
B. Streetlighting.
(1)
A combination of pedestrian-scaled streetlight fixtures and
intersection streetlight fixtures may be required to ensure a well-lit
street area and to establish a unifying element along the street.
(2)
Pedestrian-scaled fixtures shall be used on all streets in MU-CC,
MU-DC, MU-TC and MU-NC District frontage areas.
(3)
Intersection-scaled lighting may be used in addition to pedestrian-scaled
lights where required by the City of Cohoes.
(4)
Streetlights shall be aligned with street tree placement and
shall generally be located between 2.5 feet and four feet from the
back of the curb.
(5)
Placement of fixtures shall be coordinated with the organization
of sidewalks, landscaping, street trees, building entries, curb cuts,
signage, etc.
(6)
The height of light fixtures shall be kept low to promote a
pedestrian scale to the public realm and to minimize light spill to
adjoining properties (generally not taller than 15 feet). Light fixtures
shall be closely spaced to provide appropriate levels of illumination
(generally not more than 30 feet on center).
(7)
Light poles may include armature that allows for the hanging
of banners or other amenities (e.g., hanging flower baskets, artwork,
etc.).
Pedestrian and Intersection Lighting
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C. Parking lot lighting.
(1)
All fixtures shall be full cutoff, downward facing.
(2)
Light fixtures located within the interior asphalt area of a
parking lot shall not exceed 30 feet in height. Light fixtures located
along the perimeter edge of a parking area within 50 feet of a property
line shall not exceed 15 feet.
(3)
Building-mounted architectural accent lights are encouraged
to emphasize architectural character and signage.
D. Pedestrian walkway lighting.
(1)
Light fixtures located along pedestrian walkways adjacent to
parking lots shall not exceed 15 feet in height.
(2)
Light fixtures located along internal pedestrian walkways or
paths not adjacent to a parking area shall not exceed 10 feet in height.
E. Building and security lighting.
(1)
All exterior building or security lighting must be full cutoff,
shielded and/or angled downward to focus the light only on the intended
doorway or walkway as necessary.
(2)
Security lighting is encouraged to be provided with regular
pedestrian light fixtures where visible from the street or public
way to match others used on site.
(3)
Building-mounted architectural accent lights are encouraged
to emphasize architectural character and signage.
(4)
Business owners are encouraged to assist with lighting the sidewalk
and to accent their business location by leaving display window and
interior lighting on at night. Lighting shall be designed in such
a way as to prevent the direct view of the light source to neighboring
residential areas.