[Amendment 13 – Ordinance 2012-074, 9-24-2012; Amendment 33 - Ordinance 2020-068, 11-23-2020]
A. Applicability.
1. The regulations of this section apply to all commercial uses regardless
of location, and to industrial uses within three hundred (300) feet
of any street designated by the City as a collector, minor arterial
or major arterial, or are within five hundred (500) feet of any residentially
zoned property.
2. Large retail sales uses (on sites that include, in aggregate, one hundred thousand (100,000) square feet or more of gross floor area) shall also comply with the regulations of Section
420.030G. Where the regulations conflict with the requirements of this section, the more restrictive requirement will control.
3. The standards of this section apply to all walls of buildings. For
purposes of this section, the front wall is the wall most parallel
to the adjacent right-of-way. Where uncertainty exists as to the applicability
of these regulations, a determination will be made by the Development
Services Director.
4. Additions to existing buildings may be permitted by the Planning
and Zoning Commission where the addition does not meet strict compliance
to this section. The purpose of this section is to continue a similar
exterior architectural treatment where appropriate, and to reduce
the appearance of an addition being added to the building.
B. Building
Location and Design.
1. Relationship to Adjacent Development.
a. The form and proportion of buildings shall be consistent or compatible
with the scale, form and proportion of existing development in the
immediate area.
b. The rhythm of structural mass to voids, such as windows and glass
doors, of a front facade should relate to the rhythms established
in adjacent buildings.
2. Façade Articulation.
a. A façade consisting of a single undifferentiated plane with
a single texture or color, excluding windows, doors or overhead doors,
is prohibited.
b. A minimum of fifteen percent (15%) of the area of each façade
shall be recessed, projected, or alternately staggered from the primary
plane of the wall not less than one (1) foot in depth or projection,
excluding windows, doors or overhead doors.
c. Where large structures are proposed with overly long facades (walls),
where one (1) dimension exceeds the length of the perpendicular dimension,
such as warehouses, building mass shall be articulated with variations
of a depth to create shadows visible from the nearest adjacent street
in the building plane and parapet height and through the use of other
unique design, landscape or site plan features.
d. Overly long horizontal facades shall be articulated. Variation in
the building plane, parapet height, materials, colors, entrance canopies
and landscaping can be used to add articulation and variation to a
facade. Parking lots along the facade can also relieve the plane horizontally
through the use of landscaped fingers and islands containing trees
and shrubs.
e. Monotony of design in single or multiple building projects shall
be avoided. Variation of detail, form and siting shall be used to
provide visual interest.
f. Long expanses of overhead doors should be relieved by matching their
color to the wall or trim, recessing the doors, or adding architectural
details to diminish the dominance of the doors.
C. Building
Materials.
1. Masonry Construction. A minimum of fifty percent (50%) of front and
side façades shall consist of materials described by this sub-section.
a. Masonry construction shall include all masonry construction which
is composed of solid, cavity, faced or veneered-wall construction,
or similar materials approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
b. Stone materials used for masonry construction may consist of granite,
sandstone, slate, limestone, marble or other hard and durable all-weather
stone. Ashlar, cut stone and dimensioned stone construction techniques
are acceptable.
c. Brick material used for masonry construction shall be composed of
hard-fired (kiln-fired), all weather common brick or other all-weather
common brick or all-weather-facing brick.
d. Concrete finish or precast concrete panel (tilt wall) construction
shall be exposed or aggregate, hammered, sandblasted or other finish
as approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
e. Stucco or approved gypsum concrete/plaster materials are also permitted.
f. If EIFS or wood is the primary material utilized on a building, the
bottom three (3) feet of the building shall be constructed of brick,
stone or other similar material.
2. Glass Walls. Glass walls shall include glass-curtain walls or glass-block
construction. A glass-curtain wall shall be defined as an exterior
wall which carries no floor or roof loads and which may consist of
a combination of metal, glass and other surfacing materials supported
in a metal frame.
3. Metal Walls.
a. The use of metal siding is permitted only in industrial districts
and only for side and rear façades. The materials used on the
front façade shall be incorporated into any façade visible
from a public street to break up the monotony of those facades.
b. The use of corrugated panels, with a depth of less than three-quarter
(3/4) inch or a thickness less than U.S. Standard 26 gauge is prohibited.
c. The use of unpainted metal panels, excluding panels made from copper,
weathering steel, or stainless steel, is prohibited. The color finish
of metal panels and exposed fasteners shall have extended durability
with high resistance to fade and chalk.
d. Corrugated metal facades shall be complemented with masonry, whether
brick, stone, stucco or split-face block. Architectural metal panels
may be an acceptable substitute for masonry. Appropriate landscaping
shall be used to complement and enhance a building’s design,
color and material.
D. Building
Form.
1. The use of unusual shapes, color and other characteristics that cause
new buildings to call excessive attention to them and create disharmony
shall not be allowed.
2. Architectural design shall create visual interest through the use
of different textures, complementary colors, shadow lines and contrasting
shapes. The use of walls in a single color, with little detailing
or completely blank, is discouraged;
3. Careful consideration of durable materials, proportions and shapes,
emphasizing the importance of roofs as integral and embracing elements
of the over-all design, is particularly important;
4. Evaluation of building materials shall be based on the quality of
its design and relationship and compatibility to building materials
in the immediate neighborhood; and
5. Architectural treatments (e.g., building materials, colors, facade
design, roof lines, screening) shall be consistent and compatible
on all sides. Treatment that is uniform on all sides will be deemed
to meet the requirements of this principle. Adjacent land uses, visibility
from public streets, use of screening devices (walls, fences, berms,
landscaping) are criteria to be considered when varying this treatment.
The applicant will have the burden of demonstrating the reasons for
differing treatment on different sides (e.g., the need for truck access
on one side and pedestrian access on another).
E. Mechanical Equipment Screening Requirements. Mechanical equipment shall be screened according to the requirements of Section
430.120.
F. Site
Design.
1. The form and proportion of buildings shall be consistent or compatible
in scale, form, proportion, and design with others on the site.
2. Buildings shall connect to sidewalks and other pedestrian connections
within the site and to adjacent sites.
3. Other site features must be reasonably compatible within the development,
including signage materials or design and landscape location and design.
4. Parking must be arranged within the site in such a way that all areas
of the site may be accessed safely by pedestrians.