A. 
Project design and layout shape the overall character of a project and how that project fits into its surroundings. New development should harmonize with the character of the adjacent area, implementing the general plan's design policies.
B. 
The Moreno Valley general plan stresses variety in building design and compatibility with surrounding and planned land uses. Architectural treatment can address both, providing varied and sensitive building massing, consistent detailing and compatible building materials and styles. The following guidelines should help to achieve the level of quality, variety and compatibility of architectural design that the general plan requires.
C. 
Site design and architectural guidelines have several objectives; among these are:
1. 
Orienting buildings, parking and public spaces to enhance the streetscape, to add variety and to provide for pedestrian spaces and circulation;
2. 
Translating design principles into architecture and site planning applications;
3. 
Awakening an interest in urban design and form for Moreno Valley by requiring projects to be reviewed in their context;
4. 
Reminding project developers of design considerations not usually covered by zoning development standards or design review;
5. 
Using site planning techniques and architecture to provide for human scale;
6. 
Providing for conservation of natural resources through building orientation, site amenities and architectural treatment, including water quality features integrated into the site design such as water retention and absorption areas and the use of pervious surfaces to reduce water run-off;
7. 
Working in concert with the city's landscape requirements.
D. 
Site design and architecture guidelines are separated into five categories:
1. 
General;
2. 
Single-family residential;
3. 
Multifamily residential;
4. 
Commercial (retail, office and mixed use);
5. 
Industrial.
(Ord. 359 (Attach. 2), 1992; Ord. 826 § 3.6, 2011)
A. 
General guidelines apply to all uses and projects citywide.
1. 
The setback from streets and adjacent properties should relate to the scale of the proposed structure. Larger structures require more setback area for a balance of scale and compatibility with adjacent uses.
2. 
Tall buildings should be made less imposing by stepping upper floors back from the first floor façade plane.
3. 
Gateway treatments range in scale, identifying an entrance to the city, subcommunity, development project or a single building. Gateways, including enriched paving, raised medians, signs and other features as appropriate, create a sense of entry and should be included in all developments.
4. 
New developments should respect the view of existing developments. Large developments should maintain view corridors which are oriented toward an existing or proposed amenity such as a park, open space or natural feature.
5. 
Trash enclosures, loading areas, mechanical equipment and outdoor storage areas shall be screened from public view. Enclosures shall be compatible with the project architecture and shall not detract from the overall design theme.
6. 
New residential flag lots shall be permitted only in hillside subdivisions and only when no other alternatives are available.
7. 
Natural drainage courses should be retained in their natural state.
8. 
Building mass and scale should be in proper proportion to the site, open spaces, street location and surrounding developments.
9. 
All exterior wall elevations of buildings and screen walls shall have architectural treatments enhancing the building appearance. Uniform materials and consistent style should be evident in all exterior elevations of a building. Secondary materials should be used to highlight building features and to provide visual interest.
10. 
Building massing should be varied to provide interesting form, proportion and scale. Monolithic forms are discouraged; massing variety should be three dimensional.
11. 
Building design and siting should be compatible with surrounding land uses and with the climate and physical setting of Southern California.
12. 
Building architecture should be compatible with surrounding existing or planned architectural character. Within commercial centers, materials, textures, colors and architectural detailing shall be compatible with the center's specified design theme.
13. 
Shadow patterns created by architectural elements such as overhangs, projections and recesses of stories, balconies, reveals and awnings are encouraged, adding to building interest and aiding in climate control.
14. 
Multi-story buildings should be detailed to reduce their vertical appearance as much as possible. This can be done by articulating the separate floor levels with horizontal bands, by increasing the level of detail on lower floors, by progressively lessening building mass on upper floors and by using heavier materials on lower floor façades.
15. 
Building entries should be articulated through massing treatment and should incorporate detailed design elements.
16. 
Roofs should be designed to be attractive when viewed from adjacent buildings or roadways. Roof-mounted equipment shall be concealed from public view. Roof drains shall be integrated into the building design and convey water to landscape areas for aesthetics and water quality.
17. 
Base walls and other large expanses should be light colored. Soft tones ranging from white to very light pastels are encouraged. Natural light colors, such as off-whites, beige and sand, are also acceptable.
18. 
Building accent elements, like doors, window framing, chimneys, trim, railing, awnings and light fixtures, should contrast with the main building color, producing added interest and a lively streetscape. Care should be taken not to use too many bright colors or too many different types of details to avoid an overwhelming or cluttered building.
19. 
The use of simple color schemes using no more than three colors is recommended.
20. 
All paint products, awning fabric or other color elements should be durable and fade resistant and shall be recommended by the manufacturer for the proposed use and location.
21. 
The use of bright colors such as fluorescent, hot or "day glo" colors is strongly discouraged.
22. 
Using building materials in their natural state is strongly recommended.
23. 
Bricks should be left unpainted.
24. 
Colors should be used to express identity and individuality within a cohesive and attractive framework.
25. 
To facilitate compatibility in massing and scale, two-story buildings adjacent to one-story buildings should contain a one-story element or intermediate roof treatment or have an appropriate setback from the one-story building.
Setbacks in Scale with Building Bulk
Taller Buildings Stepping Back from Street
Preserve New Corridors
Discourage Flag Lots
Drainage Course Retained in Natural State
Articulated Building Entries
Detailed Design Elements for Building Entries
(Ord. 359 (Attach. 2), 1992; Ord. 456 §§ 1.1, 1.2, 1995; Ord. 604 § 2.21, 2002; Ord. 826 § 3.6, 2011)
A. 
These guidelines deal with single-family residential (R1, R2, RA-2, R3, R5) areas as well as areas designated hillside residential (HR) and rural residential (RR). They strive to improve the quality of life for single-family housing residents, to ensure attractive single-family neighborhoods and to offer solutions to recurring design problems.
1. 
R1: provides for and protects the rural lifestyle by having large residential lots and the keeping of large animals.
2. 
R2: provides for suburban lifestyles on residential lots larger than commonly available in suburban subdivisions, and to allow residential developments in a rural atmosphere.
3. 
RA-2: provides for suburban lifestyles on residential lots larger than commonly available in suburban subdivision, and for the keeping of animals that have historically characterized these areas.
4. 
R3: provides for a transition between rural and urban density development areas and provides for suburban lifestyle on residential lots larger than those commonly found in suburban subdivisions.
5. 
R5: provides for single-family detached housing on common-sized suburban lots.
6. 
Hillside residential (HR): balances the preservation of hillside areas with the development of view-oriented residential uses. These include large lot residential, and single-family residential on lots larger than 20,000 square feet.
7. 
Rural residential (RR): provides for the protection of the rural lifestyles, as well as protects natural resources and hillsides in the rural portions of the city. Within the rural residential area large residential lots are appropriate and the keeping of large animals shall be permitted.
Table 9.16.130A
Designation
Maximum Density
Hillside Residential
Depends on slope
Rural Residential
Depends on slope
R1
1 unit/acre
R2
2 units/acre
RA-2
2 units/acre
R3
3 units/acre
R5
5 units/acre
B. 
General Guidelines.
1. 
A combination of a wall and bermed landscaping shall be provided adjacent to the rear or side yards of lots at neighborhood entries.
2. 
Residential units should be provided with a minimum five feet variation in their front and side yard setbacks along the streetscape.
3. 
Residential units shall be articulated and detailed to provide visual interest and scale by using a minimum of three of the following design elements.
a. 
Provide projecting and/or recessed entries and windows.
b. 
Include projecting or recessed balconies.
c. 
Front porch with a minimum depth of five feet.
d. 
Dormer windows.
e. 
Minimum 18 inch roof overhangs with detailed rafter tails.
f. 
Offset building planes a minimum of two feet.
g. 
Stepping back a portion of the second story.
h. 
Use of different building materials with varying textures and colors.
4. 
All units shall be designed with four sided architecture using the details from the front elevation.
5. 
Increased setbacks shall be provided on lots that are sited at corners or have rear yards bordering an arterial roadway.
6. 
Home builders shall consider the after-market construction of patio covers; room additions or second-floor balconies by providing ample rear yard setbacks. Rear yards shall be designed with minimum of 15 feet of flat areas adjacent to the structure.
7. 
Residential projects should maximize the feeling of openness by curving streets, varying front and side yard setbacks and, if possible, orienting roads to open space areas and views.
8. 
Small lot single-family subdivisions should utilize innovative design techniques to provide more usable and private exterior area.
9. 
Residential mechanical equipment, including but not limited to air-conditioning units, shall be screened with walls and landscaping from surrounding properties and streets and shall not be located in the required front yard or street side yard.
10. 
Storage of recreational vehicles, boats and campers should be provided for residents by either an enlarged side yard setback to allow access to the rear yard or an off-site storage area, both of which are to be out of public view. Residential units should be designed with the larger side yard, a minimum of 10 feet, on the garage side of the structure for storage/yard access. Pervious surfaces are required for such areas within required setbacks.
11. 
Driveways shall be placed to maximize off-street parking opportunities and still maintain minimum landscape requirements. Pervious surfaces are recommended where feasible.
12. 
Mailboxes, if required to be clustered, shall be designed to be compatible with surrounding homes, while conforming to post office guidelines.
13. 
Property lines shall be located on the tops of slopes.
14. 
Natural topographic variations should be retained to divide residential developments into distinct neighborhood areas.
15. 
Within individual residential projects, a variety of floor plans and elevations should be offered as follows:
Table 9.16.130B
Number of Units
Minimum # of Footprints
Minimum # of Elevations/ Footprints
5—9
1
2
10—24
2
3
25—49
3
3
50 plus
Add one additional footprint for every 50 units over 50
4
Each floor plan shall not be repeated more than each fourth house. Please note that adding or deleting false shutters or similar types of minimal elevation changes will not suffice as one of the required distinct elevations.
16. 
To minimize visual impact, corner residential units shall be single story or if two story, shall incorporate single story elements into the design. The short and low side of the unit should be sited toward the street corner.
17. 
Automatic garage door openers shall be required to be installed in houses with less than a 20 foot front setback. Garage doors with windows shall be required for three or more car garages or other architecturally enhanced garage doors or as approved by the community development director.
18. 
Fence and wall materials should be durable and architecturally compatible with the neighborhood appearance. Walls and fences constructed of slump stone, stucco-coated block or wrought iron are encouraged. Fences and walls constructed of nondurable materials, including but not limited to plywood and chicken wire are prohibited. A front yard fence or wall shall be erected in a manner that does not obscure visibility through the fence or wall.
Landscape Treatment Areas at Neighborhood Entries
Vary Setbacks by at Least Five Feet
Corner Lots and Reserve Frontage Lots Should Be Larger than Standard Lots
Use Curvilinear Elements and Orient Roads to Open Space and Views
Innovative Subdivision Design
Single-Family Development with Curvilinear Streets
(Ord. 359 (Attach. 2), 1992; Ord. 398 § 2.2, 1993; Ord. 426 § 3.1, 1994; Ord. 604 § 2.4, 2002; Ord. 817 § 3.5, 2010; Ord. 826 § 3.6, 2011)
A. 
Commercial design guidelines address the various types and intensities of commercial uses allowed for in the general plan. They include neighborhood commercial, community commercial, tourist recreational commercial, village commercial, office commercial and office.
1. 
Neighborhood Commercial: provides for the daily shopping needs of area residents with a wide range of common retail and personal service needs.
2. 
Community Commercial: more intense than neighborhood commercial, provides for the general shopping needs of area residents and workers with a wide variety of retail and personal services.
3. 
Tourist Recreational Commercial: provides those commercial support activities that are necessary or incidental to recreation uses while meeting the personal service needs of both tourists and city residents alike.
4. 
Village Commercial: provides for office-related and commercial development within the Moreno townsite. It is the further intent of this designation to promote development which recognizes the historic significance of the site and projects a "turn-of-the-century" architectural atmosphere, yet provides limited retail commercial services that are compatible with the surrounding residential community.
B. 
General Guidelines.
1. 
Commercial development shall be compatible with adjacent residential areas by incorporating landscape buffers planted with a mix of flowering, screening and spreading plants, by using low mass, low height building elements, by locating loading and trash collection areas away from residential property lines and by directing circulation away from residential neighborhoods.
2. 
Commercial development shall have a central place, main focal feature or point of emphasis, including pedestrian seating, shade structures, sculpture, water elements, centralized outdoor dining or any combination of these elements.
3. 
New development should respect pedestrian needs by incorporating pedestrian ways and plazas that provide visual interest at the street level, shelter from the elements and adequate street furniture. This guideline is intended to enhance pedestrian related features in concert with quality architecture that would not require variance approval if incorporated as a feature of design.
4. 
The development of new, small convenience centers on sites less than eight acres is discouraged.
5. 
Architectural elements shall be an integral part of the façade design, avoiding the "pastedon" look.
6. 
Building façades should relate to overhangs, awnings, trellises and porticoes, incorporating these elements into building massing.
7. 
Pedestrian covered walks should have a clear walking width of seven feet along retail storefronts. Walkway width may be up to 12 feet to accommodate columns, furniture or building articulation.
8. 
Large structures shall incorporate varied setbacks and variations in massing of building bulk.
9. 
Continuous, blank building elevations shall be avoided, particularly when visible from public rights-of-way.
10. 
Continuous building mass should be divided into smaller units, providing both variety and scale.
11. 
Loading areas shall be oriented away from street side elevations whenever possible and shall be screened from public view with a combination of walls and landscaping.
12. 
Building placement within office developments shall occur at or near the street setback line to bring the architectural image to the street and to remove parking lots to the extent possible from the streetscape.
13. 
Vehicular and pedestrian travel shall be separated to the best possible extent, providing for a safe pedestrian environment and smooth traffic flow.
14. 
Pedestrian walkways shall be provided in larger parking lots, encouraging foot travel out of vehicular drive lanes.
15. 
Freestanding or clustered retail, restaurant and office pads are encouraged, helping to add variety to the site plan and to introduce interesting architectural elements.
16. 
Interparcel access shall be provided between commercial centers, reducing the number of drive approaches from the street and encouraging commercial "crossover."
17. 
Entry drive throats shall be at least 60 feet long from property line for major commercial projects, providing adequate queuing for outbound traffic and smoothing inbound traffic flow.
18. 
Each commercial center of five acres or more shall have at least one major entry containing a median.
19. 
The "strip" commercial image is discouraged. New development should provide variety and articulation in storefront footprints, elevations and roofline.
20. 
There shall be a landscaped strip equal to the building height where a commercial use is located adjacent to residentially zoned property.
21. 
Office developments shall provide courtyards for each building convenient to office users, incorporating seating, sculpture, accent landscaping and shelter. These shelters will allow for small lunch gatherings or relaxation.
22. 
Office developments shall have decentralized parking. Parking shall be oriented to the building it is intended to serve and shall be spread throughout the site, lessening the impact of an expansive parking lot.
23. 
Office developments shall offer interesting site plans by providing several detached or clustered buildings.
24. 
Access to service bays of automotive uses shall be from the interior of the site.
25. 
Service stations, mini markets and other automobile-related uses shall have architectural details consistent with the overall project design. Access to service bays will be from the interior of the service station site. Window placement should be sensitive to casual police surveillance.
26. 
Hotels four stories and over shall include rooftop amenities (e.g., restaurant, bar, swimming pool or other amenities as accepted by the community development director).
27. 
Freestanding buildings should incorporate distinctive massing, adding interest to the site and vicinity.
28. 
Intimate scale in building design and materials selection is encouraged, emphasizing comfort and warmth.
29. 
All rooftop equipment shall be part of the project design or be screened and located out of view from the pedestrian level, public rights-of-way, adjacent freeways and neighboring structures. Flat-roof drainage pipes shall be integrated into the project design and drain into a landscape area for water quality, retention and absorption to reduce water runoff.
30. 
Architectural design of new projects shall be mindful of the surrounding district's urban fabric, providing a design statement to enhance the context and to upgrade the overall image.
Continuous Mass Divided to Provide Scale
Commercial Center with Separated Pedestrian and Auto Circulation
(Ord. 359 (Attach. 2), 1992; Ord. 475 § 2.1, 1995; Ord. 826 § 3.6, 2011; Ord. 984 § 3, 2022; Ord. 990 § 12, 2022)
A. 
These guidelines address the business park and industrial land use classifications. These uses generally require large floor areas, extensive truck circulation and minimal parking.
B. 
General Guidelines.
1. 
Building design shall be innovative and attractive, using various building materials, varied massing, enhanced façade treatments and other techniques to provide an "up-scale" image for the community.
2. 
Clean, contemporary architectural expressions are encouraged.
3. 
All sides of all buildings shall have architectural treatment.
4. 
Entries into industrial buildings shall be well-defined through the use of projections, recesses, space frames, pergolas, colonnades, raised planters, seats, enhanced paving, low-level lighting bollards or other elements.
5. 
Solid walls (six feet high) and landscaping shall be used to screen loading, service and trash storage areas from public view.
6. 
Solid walls and landscaping should screen ground-mounted equipment located away from buildings.
7. 
Truck docks and interior trash storage areas must be closed off by roll-down doors, arranged in an organized manner, integrated within the overall design of the industrial project and oriented away from public view.
8. 
Roof-mounted equipment shall be screened from public view. All roof screens shall be solid and continuous and shall be treated to be compatible with the project's architecture.
9. 
Exterior walls shall be architecturally treated to provide relief and variety by using pilasters, deep reveals, offset entries and staggered wall components.
10. 
All manufacturing and industrial uses adjacent to residential land uses shall include a buffer zone and/or noise attenuation wall to reduce outside noise levels.
11. 
All manufacturing and industrial uses shall be adequately screened and buffered to reduce glare, noise, dust and vibration.
12. 
Truck traffic shall be channeled directly to truck routes and shall not have access to neighborhood streets.
13. 
Pedestrian walkways should link building entries to bus turnouts and nearby land planned for or used as eating establishments.
14. 
Courtyards for resting, gathering and eating by employees shall be provided. Pervious surfaces are recommended where feasible.
(Ord. 359 (Attach. 2), 1992; Ord. 826 § 3.6, 2011)