City of Rochester, NY Article IX CCD Center City District

§ 120-57 Purpose.

A. The CCD is intended to foster a vibrant, safe, twenty-four-hour Center City by encouraging residential development while retaining and further developing a broad range of commercial, office, institutional, public, cultural and entertainment uses and activities. The regulations are intended to define and promote the Center City as the anchor for the region and as a desirable place to live, work and recreate.

B. Design-based criteria are established to maintain the historical and architectural character of the Center City and to guide future development that is compatible and harmonious with that character. The criteria and base district represent a clear and easily recognized boundary and point of transition from the character and land uses of the surrounding neighborhoods.

C. Design districts are established in specific areas based on a predominant and easily recognized character or theme that is self-contained within identifiable boundaries. The districts define areas having, or proposed to have, specific architectural features or design elements that make them unique in relation to other areas in the Center City.

§ 120-58 Center City Master Plan principles and objectives.

The principles and objectives of the Center City Master Plan will guide all development and redevelopment in the CCD and will provide additional criteria for site plan review and approval. The principles and objectives shall be to:

A. Develop Center City as the dynamic cultural, economic, governmental and institutional center and anchor of the region.

B. Develop the Genesee River as a principal feature of Center City.

C. Create a well-defined, accessible open space system within Center City that links key public places and provides recreational opportunities and amenities.

D. Create a pedestrian circulation system that ties Center City together and links the Genesee River, Main Street and key attractions/destinations.

E. Reduce the "barrier effect" and negative impacts of certain physical features of Center City, both man-made and natural.

F. Create a series of identifiable and recognizable Center City gateways that provide access into and through Center City.

G. Create a series of identifiable and recognizable Center City districts and neighborhoods that retain their unique history, thematic, functional or design characteristics and are linked or related to each other.

H. Increase the number of residents living within Center City.

I. Encourage alternate modes of transportation within Center City whenever and wherever possible.

J. Reestablish a retail component along the Main Street corridor and develop the street as the principal east/west "spine" and circulation route within Center City.

K. Strengthen the Center City employment base and enhance the economic viability of Center City.

L. Increase the number of visitors/tourists (both short-term and long-term) in Center City.

M. Promote water-dependent and water-enhanced development along the Genesee River.

§ 120-59 Rationale for the design criteria.

The following activities were completed in developing the design and performance criteria for the CCD:

A. Analysis of the form of the Center City. A broad-based study of the organizational structure of the Center City was undertaken in order to develop an understanding of its spatial form and evolution and to identify the relationship between City form and design character. Based on a comprehensive background information review and an analysis of development patterns and function, it was concluded that the Center City is spatially defined by two dominant elements, the Genesee River and Main Street. These two elements have principally defined development and circulation patterns. The result is that six urban areas, unique in character and design quality, have evolved around the Genesee River and Main Street.

B. Analysis of the character of the Center City. A detailed inventory of the Center City was undertaken to document the design character of the public realm and identify the specific design attributes that create it. Focused on the two elements which have the greatest impact on the public realm, buildings and streets, design attributes which were measurable and quantifiable were inventoried. Based on the inventory and resulting analysis, areas of common character were delineated and mapped. (The work undertaken in this activity is described in detail in the background document "Book 2 - Design Language" dated March 2002).

C. Synthesis of form and character analysis. A critical evaluation of the relationship between form and design character resulted in the development of the design and performance criteria. The boundary of the Center City and the regulatory districts within were established by applying the results of the character analysis to the results of the form analysis. The design attributes documented during the character analysis work provide the basis and rationale for the specific design criteria required in the zoning ordinance. (The work undertaken in this activity is described in detail in the background document "Book 3 - Design Standards" dated March 2002).

§ 120-60 Design and performance criteria organization.

A. In addition to the Base CCD, a total of six regulatory districts comprise the CCD. These districts include:

(1) Riverfront District.

(2) Main Street District.

(3) Grove Place District.

(4) East End District.

(5) Tower District.

(6) Cascade-Canal District.

B. The design and performance criteria for each district are discussed separately and are independent of one another. An introduction to each district describes the character to be achieved through implementation of the criteria, the guiding principles behind the criteria and a description and key plan of the subdistrict boundary. The introduction is followed by a detailed description of the design criteria, which have been organized under the following primary headings and subheadings:

(1) Building.

(a) District context.

(b) District character.

(c) Signage.

(2) Site.

(a) Parking.

(b) Additional amenities.

§ 120-61 Street definitions.

A. Main Street. Main Street is the most important civic/commercial street in the CCD and should be designed as the primary public ceremonial route in the City. Main Street has several design character objectives. The pedestrian zone is envisioned to include the most generous sidewalks and outdoor public gathering/plaza spaces. The pedestrian zone should be well delineated from the vehicular zone. Well-defined pedestrian crossings should be considered a design priority. Special paving design at intersections should be considered to enhance the pedestrian experience and the stature of Main Street. The existing collection of unique street amenities (light standards, benches, bus shelters, banners, etc.) should be maintained to clearly distinguish Main Street from all others in the CCD. Appropriately sized and spaced deciduous street trees should be integrated into the design of the pedestrian zone to enhance separation and provide comfort.

B. City street. City streets serve as the principal facility for carrying through traffic across the CCD. City streets connect districts and provide the primary means of entering/exiting the CCD. City streets have several design character objectives. The pedestrian zone is envisioned to include generous sidewalks and delineation of the sidewalk from the vehicular zone with tree lawn. Well-defined pedestrian crossings should be considered a design priority. Street amenities (light standards, benches, trash receptacles, etc.) should be consistent on all city streets to identify them as such. Gateways should be developed at all points of entry to the CCD. Appropriately sized and spaced deciduous street trees should be integrated into the design of the pedestrian zone to enhance separation and provide comfort.

C. District street. District streets serve to distribute and collect traffic between city and neighborhood streets. The pedestrian zone should be designed to include adequate space for uninterrupted movement and localized street activities and should be delineated from the vehicular zone with tree lawns. Well-defined pedestrian crossings should be considered a design priority. Street amenities (light standards, benches, trash receptacles, etc.) should be unique to the district and designed/selected to express the character of the district. Appropriately sized and spaced deciduous street trees should be integrated into the design of the pedestrian zone to enhance separation and provide comfort.

D. Neighborhood street. Neighborhood streets serve to provide direct access to local district properties. Neighborhood streets are envisioned as more personal pedestrian-scaled streets. The pedestrian zone should be designed to include adequate space for uninterrupted movement. Similar to district streets, street amenities (light standards, benches, trash receptacles, etc.) should be unique to the district and designed/selected to express the character of the district. Appropriately sized and spaced deciduous street trees should be integrated into the design of the pedestrian zone to enhance separation and provide comfort.

§ 120-62 Permitted uses.

A. All uses are permitted in fully enclosed buildings in the CCD unless specifically listed as limited or prohibited uses in this article.

B. Festivals, events and activities, including those associated with public parks, plazas and open spaces, are allowed in any portion of the CCD.

C. Walk-up service windows in the CCD.

[Added 9-19-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-299]

§ 120-63 Limited uses in the CCD Center City District.

[Amended 9-19-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-363; 8-9-2016 by Ord. No. 2016-263; 11-3-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-322]

A. The operating hours of retail sales and service establishments licensed by New York State as adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries shall be restricted to liquor store hours.

B. The operating hours of on-site cannabis consumption lounges shall be restricted to bar hours and no later than 11:00 p.m., provided that the operating hours may be extended to bar hours after 11:00 p.m. if authorized by special permit.

C. The following limited uses in the CCD Center City District shall meet the requirements set forth in Article XVIII, Additional Requirements for Specified Uses:

(1) Homeless residential facilities.

(2) Personal wireless communication facilities.

(3) Residential care facilities.

(4) Rooming houses.

(5) Surface parking lots when a parking demand analysis is submitted to substantiate the need for the lot.

§ 120-64 Prohibited uses.

The following uses are prohibited in any building or site in the CCD:

A. Homeless shelters.

B. Sexually oriented businesses.

C. Uses, not in a fully enclosed building, excluding building parking, outdoor seating/assembly areas and walk-up service windows.

[Amended 9-19-2017 by Ord. No. 2017-299]

D. Waste centers.

E. Pawnbrokers.

[Added 9-19-2012 by Ord. No. 2012-363]

§ 120-65 Additional regulations and procedures.

A. In the CCD, no parking shall be required. All applicants proposing to construct surface parking shall submit a parking demand analysis that illustrates the following:

(1) The reason surface parking is required.

(2) The anticipated number of parking spaces needed to accommodate the proposed use.

(3) How the parking spaces are accommodated (on site, public lots, on street, etc.)

(4) Methods to accommodate the potential deficiencies.

B. Designated building of historic value .

(1) Demolition of a designated building of historic value shall be prohibited.

(2) Significant architectural features, including but not limited to slate or tile roofing, original cladding, porches, cornices, etc., shall be maintained.

(3) Replacement windows in a designated building of historic value shall utilize true divided lights or simulated divided lights when matching the original mullion and/or muntin configuration. This would not include interior-only grids or grids between the panes of glass.

C. Applications meeting all design criteria set forth in this article shall not require site plan approval unless such approval is required pursuant to other thresholds as listed in § 120-191 of this chapter.

D. Applications not meeting the design criteria, within the specified tolerance limits set forth in the Design Checklist tables at the end of this chapter, shall require site plan approval.

[Amended 9-21-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-323]

E. The use of the word "shall" in §§ 120-65 through 120-72 of this article shall not be deemed to mean mandatory, but rather to be necessary to secure approval without additional design review.

§ 120-66 CCD Base District.

A. Purpose of the district. The primary purpose of the design criteria for the CCD Base District is to:

(1) Preserve the desirable design character of the public realm of the CCD.

(2) Promote diversity and variety in the public realm which maintains and enhances the existing diversity found in the CCD.

(3) Promote street-level activity and uses.

(4) Create green streets and mid-block corridors to enhance pedestrian circulation.

B. District boundaries and definition. The following outlines the boundaries for the Base District of the CCD. Areas not included in one of the six design districts shall be subject to the regulations of this district.

C. Design Checklist. The following chart lists the design criteria and the deviations that require major site plan or minor site plan review. Applications that are within acceptable tolerances, and otherwise meet all design criteria, do not require site plan approval unless such approval is required pursuant to the other site plan thresholds as listed in § 120-191 of this chapter.

Design Checklist — Base District
Design Criteria	Major Deviation	Minor Deviation	Tolerance
BUILDINGS
Building form and mass	X
Minimum lot frontage	X
Maximum building length and depth relative to block		X	10%
Accessory building coverage		X	10%
Minimum and maximum building height	X
Maximum accessory building height	X
Orientation to street frontage	X
Front setback	X
Accessory building setbacks	X
DISTRICT CHARACTER
Building maintains horizontal alignment		X
Building facade planes		X
Facade fenestration		X
Equal street frontage facades	X
Vehicular entry width		X	10%
Service bay depth		X
Facade lighting		X
Facade window coverage		X	10%
Window height to width ratio		X	20%
Windows translucent		X
Window recess		X	30%
Entrance translucent		X	20%
Entrance lighting		X
Rooftop mechanical/telecommunications equipment		X
Primary construction material		X
Location of refuse storage		X
Refuse storage details (enclosures, doors)		X
SIGNAGE
Number of building identification signs		X
Location and size of building identification sign		X	20%
Building identification sign luminaries		X
Building identification sign graphics		X
Number of business signs		X
Size of business signs		X	20%
Directory sign location and size		X	20%
Address sign location		X
Address sign copy raised/recessed		X	20%
Address sign lighting		X
Heritage sign information		X
Heritage sign size		X	20%
Awning locations		X
Entrance awning width		X	10%
Window awning width		X	10%
Awning height		X	10%
Entry awning projection		X	10%
Window awning projection		X	10%
Awning material		X
Awning color		X	30%
Awning equality		X
Awning copy content and size		X	20%
Awning lighting		X
SITE
Building parking location and surfacing		X
Building parking access		X
Building parking lighting		X
Parking lot location		X
Parking lot access		X
Parking lot front yard setback		X	10%
Parking lot side/rear setback		X	10%
Parking lot surfacing and curbing		X
Parking lot aisle		X
Parking lot pedestrian walkway		X	10%
Parking lot landscaping		X	20%
Parking lot shaded area		X	20%
ADDITIONAL AMENITIES
Fencing/wall location		X	10%
Fence gates		X
Walkway at entrances fronting streets		X
Walkway width, material and color		X	10%

D. Buildings.

(1) District context.

(a) Building form and mass.

[1] Buildings shall exhibit a vertical mass on the street frontage.

(b) Lot size and coverage.

[1] The minimum lot frontage shall be 45 feet.

[2] The maximum building length and depth shall be no more than 25% of the block length and 50% of the block depth.

[3] One accessory building or structure shall be allowed.

(c) Height.

[1] Buildings heights shall include:

[a] Main Street: N/A.

[b] City street: shall be a maximum six stories in height and a minimum three stories.

[c] District street: shall be a maximum five stories in height to a maximum of 48 feet and a minimum two stories.

[d] Neighborhood street: shall be a maximum five stories in height to a maximum of 48 feet and a minimum two stories.

[2] Accessory building or structure shall be a maximum of 1 1/2 stories to a maximum 24 feet.

(d) Orientation.

[1] Buildings shall be parallel to the street frontage property line.

(e) Setbacks.

[1] Front yard setback shall be:

[a] Main Street: N/A.

[b] City street: shall be within two feet of the average setback of three adjacent buildings on either side of the building to a maximum of 15 feet.

[c] District street: shall be within two feet of the average setback of three adjacent buildings on either side of the building to a maximum of 10 feet.

[d] Neighborhood street: shall be within two feet of the average setback of three adjacent buildings on either side of the building to a maximum of nine feet.

[2] Accessory buildings or structure shall be located in the rear yard and conform to all primary building requirements.

(2) District character.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] Buildings shall maintain the alignment of horizontal elements of adjacent existing buildings.

[2] The maximum length of a facade plane shall be 50 feet. A change in facade plane shall occur when length exceeds 50 feet. The change shall be no less than two feet in depth and 12 feet in length.

[3] The facade shall be composed to exhibit a vertically aligned fenestration pattern.

[4] All facades fronting a street shall be equal.

[5] One vehicular entrance is permitted per building.

[6] The depth of any service bay shall accommodate total vehicle length so as not to interrupt pedestrian circulation on the sidewalk.

[7] Facade lighting shall be wall-mounted luminaires and shall be mounted no higher than the top of the first floor. No light shall cast upwards.

[8] Facade lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines. No floodlighting is permitted.

(b) Window.

[1] Window coverage.

[a] City and district streets. All first floor building facades shall be a minimum 40% and a maximum 75% window coverage.

[b] Neighborhood streets. All first floor building facades shall be a minimum 30% and a maximum 60% window coverage.

[2] All other floors on building facades shall be a minimum 25% and a maximum 60% window coverage.

[3] All other facades shall be a minimum 20% window coverage.

[4] Windows shall be translucent.

[5] Windows shall be recessed.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Entrances shall be clearly accented.

[2] All entrances shall be illuminated and shall conform to facade lighting.

(d) Roofline.

[1] Rooftop mechanical and telecommunications equipment shall be concealed so as not to be visible from the street.

(e) Material and color.

[1] In addition to the windows, a maximum of three primary construction materials shall be used on any street facade.

[2] Concrete finishes or precast concrete panels (tilt wall) that are not exposed aggregate, hammered, embossed, 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.

[3] Metal panels with a depth of less than one inch or a thickness less than U.S. Standard 26 gauge shall not be used as exterior building materials and shall be prohibited on all exterior walls.

[4] No unpainted masonry or brick materials may be painted if originally designed to be unpainted. This shall not include cement block construction.

(f) Refuse storage.

[1] Excluding alley streets, refuse storage shall not be located on a street frontage and shall not be visible from the street.

[2] Refuse storage areas shall conform to the following:

[a] If a loading dock/service bay or vehicular garage is part of the building, refuse storage shall be contained within this area.

[b] If not located within the building, refuse storage shall be located within a concealed enclosure that includes solid metal doors, is integral to the building, consists of the same material as the building and is located at the rear of the building.

(3) Signage.

(a) Building identification signage.

[1] One sign shall be allowed.

[2] The sign shall not be placed higher than the top of the first floor.

[3] Signs shall be horizontal or vertical and flush mounted or perpendicular to the building face. Perpendicular signs shall not project more than four feet from the face of a building and shall be located a minimum of eight feet from the ground.

[4] Signs shall not exceed 12 square feet.

[5] Sign luminaires shall conform to the facade lighting.

[6] Sign graphics shall include raised or recessed copy.

(b) Business signage.

[1] A maximum of one sign per ground floor commercial user shall be permitted and shall be located no higher than the top of the first floor.

[2] The total sign area of attached business signs shall be a maximum of 0.5 square foot for every foot of building frontage.

[3] Directory signage shall be allowed at each building entrance and shall be flush mounted and a maximum six square feet.

(c) Address signage.

[1] One sign shall be located at the primary building entrance no higher than the top of the first floor.

[2] Sign graphics shall include raised or recessed copy and shall be a minimum of two inches and a maximum nine inches in height.

[3] Building lighting shall illuminate address signage.

(d) Heritage signage.

[1] One sign shall be placed on the primary frontage of each building and shall be located no higher than five feet above finished grade.

[2] The sign shall include, at a minimum, the date of construction.

[3] The maximum sign area shall be 1.5 square feet.

(e) Awning.

[1] Awnings shall be permitted at building entrances and windows.

[2] At building entrances the maximum width shall be two times the width of the opening.

[3] At windows the maximum width shall be 1.5 times the width of the opening.

[4] First floor awnings shall be a minimum eight feet and a maximum nine feet above the exterior finished elevation at the building.

[5] Building entrance awnings shall project no more than 14 feet and shall be set back one foot from the lot line.

[6] Window awnings shall project no more than three feet.

[7] Awnings shall be made of flexible woven, natural or synthetic materials.

[8] All window awnings shall be equal in material and color.

[9] Awning signage copy shall only include building identification or address located on the valance and shall be a maximum nine inches in height.

[10] Awnings shall only be illuminated by building lighting.

E. Site.

(1) Parking.

(a) Building parking.

[1] Building parking shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[2] Building parking shall be located in the rear yard and be hard surfaced.

[3] Parking shall be accessed from district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[4] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[5] Parking luminaires shall be located on the building and conform to the building lighting criteria. If additional lighting is required, freestanding light fixtures shall conform to parking lot lighting criteria.

(b) Parking lot.

[1] Parking lots shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[2] Access to parking lots shall be from district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[3] Front yard setback shall be two feet greater than the larger adjacent building setback and shall be a minimum of 12 feet.

[4] Side and rear yard setback shall be a minimum six feet.

[5] Parking lots shall be hard surfaced and concrete or granite curbed.

[6] Parking aisles shall be oriented perpendicular to the front yard.

[7] Parking lots shall have one paved pedestrian walkway to each street frontage sidewalk a minimum six feet and a maximum eight feet wide. Pedestrian walks shall be hard surfaced and equal in material and pattern to the adjacent sidewalk.

[8] Setbacks shall be landscaped with one tree per 250 square feet and continuous ground cover. Parking lots shall be landscaped with trees and continuous ground cover in curbed islands so that the parking lot is shaded to a minimum 40% at tree maturity.

[9] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines and shall be maintained from dusk to dawn.

(2) Additional amenities.

(a) Fencing/wall.

[1] Fencing/wall shall not be located on primary street frontage.

[2] Fencing/wall shall be allowed in rear yards, side yards and secondary street frontages to a minimum 10 feet from the front facade.

[3] Gates shall be equal to fencing.

(b) Walkways.

[1] All entrances fronting onto city, district and neighborhood streets shall have a walkway connecting to the sidewalk.

[2] Walkways shall be minimum five feet wide and concrete or modular unit paving.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Former Subsection F, Noise level performance criteria, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 9-21-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-323.

§ 120-67 Riverfront District.

A. Purpose of the district. The primary purpose of the design criteria for the Riverfront District is to:

(1) Preserve the existing character of the riverfront.

(2) Promote development compatible with the desirable built character of the riverfront.

(3) Improve visual and physical access to the riverfront.

(4) Provide uninterrupted public access to the river's edge.

(5) Promote the riverfront as a place for public gathering and activity.

(6) Reduce the "barrier" effect of the river separating the east and west sides of the Center City; strengthen linkages across the river.

B. District boundaries and definition. The boundaries of the Riverfront District were determined by including all areas that had a physical and/or visual connection (literal or implied) to the river. Buildings that expressed character or common design attributes consistent with the character described in "Design Language" were included. The Riverfront District is continuous and uninterrupted along the river corridor within the CCD.

C. Design character of the district. The Riverfront District is characterized by pedestrian-scaled buildings with clearly defined bases, midsections and crowns. Buildings range from three to six stories in height and transition upwards as they move away from the water's edge. A thirty-foot buffer is maintained along the river and no structures are allowed in the buffer; pedestrian access to the river is a priority in the district. Buildings are tall, narrow masses with rich materials and colors. Minimum front setbacks create intensified pedestrian-scaled streets with an apparent riverfront theme.

D. Design Checklist. The following chart lists the design criteria and the deviations that require major site plan or minor site plan review. Applications that are within acceptable tolerances, and otherwise meet all design criteria, do not require site plan approval unless such approval is required pursuant to the other site plan thresholds as listed in § 120-191 of this chapter.

Design Checklist - Riverfront District
Design Criteria	Major Deviation	Minor Deviation	Tolerance
BUILDINGS
Building form and mass	X
Minimum lot frontage	X
Maximum building length and depth relative to block		X	10%
Minimum and maximum building height	X
Length to height ratio		X	20%
Orientation to street frontage	X
Orientation to river	X
Front setback	X
Side and rear setback	X
Setback at river	X
DISTRICT CHARACTER
Building maintains horizontal alignment		X
Facade composition	X
Equal street/river frontage facades	X
Vehicular entry location		X
Vehicular entry door		X	20%
Facade lighting		X
Window openings		X
Facade window coverage		X	10%
Window height to width ratio		X	20%
Windows translucent		X	20%
Window recess		X	30%
Entrances on street frontage	X
Entrances on riverfront	X
Entrance elevation		X
Entrance translucent		X	20%
Entrance recess		X	20%
Entrance lighting		X
Roofline		X
Roofline cornice		X	20%
Rooftop mechanical/telecommunications equipment		X
Primary construction material		X
Percent primary construction material		X	20%
Number of colors		X	50%
Location of refuse storage		X
Refuse storage details (enclosures, doors)		X
SIGNAGE
Number of building identification signs		X
Location of building identification sign		X
Size of building identification sign		X	20%
Building identification sign materials		X
Building identification sign luminaries		X
Building identification sign graphics		X
Building identification sign colors		X	30%
Number of business signs		X
Location of business signs		X
Size of business signs		X	20%
Projection sign supports		X
Business sign materials, illumination and color		X	30%
Directory sign location and size		X	20%
Address sign location		X
Address sign copy raised/recessed		X
Address sign materials		X
Address sign lighting		X
Heritage sign and location		X
Heritage sign material		X
Heritage sign information		X
Heritage sign size		X	20%
Awning locations		X
Entrance awning size		X	10%
Window awning size		X	10%
Awning height		X	10%
Awning projection		X	10%
Awning support/attachments		X
Awning material		X
Awning color		X	30%
Awning equality		X
Awning copy size		X	20%
Awning lighting		X
SKYWAY
Skyway height		X
Interior skyway parallel to exterior facade		X
Skyway width		X	10%
Skyway nontranslucent walls		X	20%
Skyway supported from facade		X
Skyway lighting		X
Skyway windows translucent		X	10%
Skyway entrances direct from building		X
Skyway entrances identified and translucent		X	10%
Skyway entrance lighting		X
Skyway roofline		X
Skyway material and color		X
Skyway benches quantity		X
Skyway benches size		X	20%
Skyway interpretive panel size		X	20%
SITE
Building parking location and surfacing		X
Building parking access		X
Building parking lighting		X
Parking lot location		X
Parking lot access		X
Parking lot setback		X
Parking lot setback on river		X	10%
Parking lot surfacing and curbing		X
Parking lot aisle		X
Parking lot walls setback		X	10%
Parking lot walls height		X	10%
Parking lot pedestrian openings		X	10%
Parking lot landscaping		X	20%
Parking lot shaded area		X	20%
Parking lot lighting height		X	10%
ADDITIONAL AMENITIES
Fencing location		X
Fencing/wall setback		X
Fencing height		X	10%
Fencing material and translucence		X	10%
Gates equal to fencing		X
Wall location		X
Wall height		X	10%
Wall materials		X
Riverfront promenade location and width		X	10%
Riverfront promenade entrance		X	10%
Riverfront promenade grade elevation		X
Riverfront promenade materials		X
Riverfront promenade benches		X	20%
Riverfront promenade light level and fixture		X
Riverfront plaza landscaping		X	20%
Riverfront plaza lighting		X	20%

E. Design principles for the district. Design principles in the Riverfront District should concentrate on reestablishing the Genesee River as the focus of cultural, social and recreational activity in the Center City. The strengthening of connections both to the riverfront and across the river is essential. The creation of a continuous public space along the riverfront should be promoted in conjunction with human-scaled development along the river. Views and sight lines to the river, from throughout the district, should be enhanced.

F. Buildings.

(1) District context.

(a) Building form and mass.

[1] Buildings shall exhibit a tall/narrow mass on the primary street frontage.

(b) Lot size and coverage.

[1] The minimum lot frontage shall be 30 feet.

[2] The maximum building length and depth shall be no more than 25% of the block length and 50% of the block depth.

(c) Height.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, buildings heights shall include:

[a] Main Street: shall be a maximum of six stories in height to a maximum of 72 feet and a minimum of three stories to 30 feet.

[b] City street: shall be a maximum of six stories in height to a maximum of 72 feet and a minimum of three stories to 30 feet.

[c] District street: shall be a maximum of six stories in height to a maximum of 72 feet and a minimum of three stories to 30 feet.

[d] Neighborhood street: shall be a maximum of six stories in height to a maximum of 72 feet and a minimum of three stories to 30 feet.

[2] Buildings adjacent to the river shall be set back 30 feet to a maximum of three stories and 60 feet to a maximum of six stories.

[3] No building within a three-hundred-foot radius of City Hall shall exceed the height of City Hall, excluding the tower.

(d) Length to height ratio.

[1] The length to height ratio shall be a maximum 1:2.5 and minimum 1:1 along primary street frontage.

(e) Orientation.

[1] Buildings shall be parallel to the street frontage property line.

[2] Buildings fronting the river shall be parallel to the riverfront.

[3] Buildings shall be oriented to preserve and enhance views of the river.

(f) Setback.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, front yard setback shall be:

[a] Main Street: zero feet.

[b] City street: zero feet.

[c] District street: zero feet.

[d] Neighborhood street: zero feet.

[2] Side yard setback shall be a maximum of nine feet.

[3] Rear yard setback shall be a minimum of nine feet.

[4] Street frontage setback shall vary every 30 feet a minimum of two feet and a maximum of four feet.

[5] Setback for buildings adjacent to the river shall be a minimum of 30 feet and a maximum of 60 feet from the river's edge.

[6] Street frontage setback on streets that cross the river within one block of the river shall be 10 feet.

(2) District character.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] Buildings shall maintain the alignment of horizontal elements of adjacent existing buildings.

[2] The facade shall be composed to exhibit a clearly defined base, midsection and crown; the base of the building shall be no higher than the top of the second story.

[3] All facades fronting the river, Main Street, or a city, district, or neighborhood street shall conform to the district criteria and be equal.

[4] Buildings with river frontage shall be designed with a facade along the river equal in prominence to its primary street facade.

[5] All facades higher than adjacent and abutting buildings shall be equal to street facades.

[6] Vehicular entrances are permitted on rear and side yards only. Entrances are prohibited on street frontages and along the river.

[7] Vehicular entrances shall be enclosed with a garage door, which shall be a minimum of 20% transparent.

[8] Facade lighting shall be wall-mounted luminaires historic in character and shall be mounted no higher than the top of the second floor and shall illuminate the sidewalk. No light shall be cast upward.

[9] Facade lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines. No floodlighting is permitted.

(b) Window.

[1] Windows and window openings shall diminish in size to reinforce the base, midsection and crown.

[2] The base shall be a minimum 50% to a maximum 65% window coverage.

[3] The midsection shall be a minimum 35% to a maximum 60% window coverage.

[4] All other facades and alley street frontages shall be a minimum 25% window coverage.

[5] The window height to width ratio shall be 1.5:1 to 2:1 in the midsection. Window openings may be divided with mullions; muntins are permitted.

[6] Base windows shall be transparent and shall permit views 10 feet into the building when standing five feet away from the window.

[7] Windows shall be recessed three inches to six inches from the facade.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Entrances into buildings shall be provided on city, district and neighborhood street frontages. Buildings fronting onto Main Street shall have their primary entrance on Main Street.

[2] Buildings that face onto the river shall provide a riverfront entrance of equal prominence to the primary facade.

[3] Entrances shall be flush with the sidewalk; changes in elevation shall be made internally.

[4] Entrances shall be clearly accented and 80% translucent.

[5] Entrances shall be recessed from the building face a minimum of three feet.

[6] All entrances shall be illuminated and shall conform to facade lighting.

(d) Roofline.

[1] Rooflines shall be flat.

[2] Rooflines shall be delineated with decorative crown cornices a minimum two feet wide.

[3] Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be concealed so as to not be visible from the street.

(e) Material and color.

[1] In addition to the windows, three primary construction materials may be used on a street facade, including clay brick, natural stone, stucco [exterior insulation finish system (EIFS)] or decorative concrete.

[2] Excluding windows, a minimum 50% of one primary construction material shall be used.

[3] Excluding windows, a maximum of two colors shall be permitted.

(f) Refuse storage.

[1] Excluding alley streets, refuse storage shall not be located on a street frontage and shall not be visible from the street.

[2] Refuse storage areas shall conform to the following:

[a] If a loading dock/service bay or vehicular garage is part of the building, refuse storage shall be contained within this area.

[b] If there is no loading dock service bay or vehicular garage, refuse storage shall be located within the building, accessible from the exterior and enclosed with a solid metal door. The doors shall be integrated into the facade pattern in a manner consistent with the character of the building.

[c] If not located within the building, refuse storage shall be located within a concealed enclosure that includes solid metal doors, is integral to the building, consists of the same materials as the building and is located at the rear of the building.

(3) Signage.

(a) Building identification signage.

[1] One sign shall be allowed on each street frontage.

[2] Signs shall not be placed higher than the top of the second floor.

[3] Signs shall be integrated into the facade pattern and shall be located above or adjacent to primary building entrances; signs shall be horizontal or vertical and flush mounted.

[4] Signs shall be a maximum 2.5 feet high and a maximum 25 square feet.

[5] Sign materials shall include any of the district building materials, wood and metal.

[6] Sign luminaires shall conform to facade lighting.

[7] Sign graphics shall include raised or recessed copy.

[8] Signs shall include no more than three colors.

(b) Business signage.

[1] A maximum of one sign per ground floor commercial user shall be permitted and shall be located no higher than the top of the first floor.

[2] Signs shall be integrated into the facade pattern and shall be flush mounted or projecting.

[3] Flush-mounted signs shall be a maximum two feet high and a maximum 20 square feet.

[4] Projecting signs shall not exceed six square feet in area, shall not project more than four feet from the face of a building and shall be located a minimum of eight feet from the ground.

[5] Supports for projecting signs shall be attached to the building facade at no more than two points.

[6] Materials, illumination and color shall conform to the criteria for building identification signage.

[7] Directory signage shall be allowed at each building entrance, shall be flush mounted and a maximum six square feet.

(c) Address signage.

[1] One sign shall be located at the primary building entrance no higher than the top of the first floor.

[2] Sign graphics shall be raised or recessed copy and shall be a minimum of two inches and a maximum 12 inches in height.

[3] Sign materials shall include any of the district building materials and metal.

[4] Building lighting shall illuminate the sign.

(d) Heritage signage.

[1] One sign shall be placed on the primary frontage of each building and shall be located no higher than five feet above finished grade.

[2] Signs shall be face mounted to the building facade.

[3] Signs shall be made of metal.

[4] Signs shall include, at a minimum, the date of construction.

[5] The maximum sign area shall be 1.5 square feet.

(e) Awnings.

[1] Awnings shall be permitted at building entrances and windows no higher than the second floor.

[2] At building entrances the maximum width shall be two times the width of the entrance opening.

[3] At windows the maximum width shall be the width of the opening.

[4] First floor awnings shall be a minimum eight feet and a maximum nine feet above exterior finished elevation at the building.

[5] First floor awnings shall project no more than half the width of the sidewalk to a maximum of five feet.

[6] Second floor awnings shall project no more than three feet.

[7] Awning support shall include building attachments only.

[8] Awnings shall be made of flexible woven, natural or synthetic materials.

[9] Awning fabric shall include no more than three colors.

[10] All window awnings shall be equal in material and color.

[11] Awning signage copy shall only include building identification or address located on the valence and shall be a maximum eight inches in height.

[12] Awnings shall be illuminated by building lighting only.

(4) Skyway.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] Skyway shall be no higher than the top of the third story.

[2] Interior skyway shall run parallel to the exterior building facade.

[3] Skyway shall be a minimum 10 feet wide and shall have a minimum seven-foot unobstructed travel width.

[4] Skyway nontranslucent walls shall be a maximum two feet high measured from the floor.

[5] Skyway shall be supported from the building facade.

[6] All light sources shall be concealed and interior.

(b) Window.

[1] Exterior skyway shall be a minimum 80% translucent.

[2] The facade wall of an interior skyway shall be a minimum 50% transparent or as existing.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Skyway entrances shall provide direct entry from the sidewalk integral to the building.

[2] Entrances shall be clearly identified and 80% translucent.

[3] All entrances shall be illuminated and shall conform to facade lighting.

(d) Roofline.

[1] Rooflines shall be pitched or arched.

(e) Material and color.

[1] Excluding windows, a maximum of two primary construction materials conforming to district building criteria and metal may be used.

[2] Excluding windows, a maximum of two colors shall be permitted.

G. Site.

(1) Parking.

(a) Building parking.

[1] Building parking shall not be located on the riverfront.

[2] Building parking shall not be located at Main Street intersections and at all intersecting city streets.

[3] Building parking shall be located in the rear yard and be hard surfaced.

[4] Parking shall be accessed from district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[5] Light level shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines and shall be maintained from dusk to dawn.

[6] Parking luminaires shall be located on the building and conform to the building lighting criteria. If additional lighting is required, freestanding light fixtures shall conform to parking lot lighting criteria.

(b) Parking lot.

[1] Parking lots shall not be located on the riverfront.

[2] Parking lots shall not be located at Main Street intersections and at all intersecting city streets.

[3] Access to parking lots shall be from district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[4] Parking lots shall be set back a minimum two feet and a maximum four feet on all streets except alley streets.

[5] Front yard setback on streets that cross the river shall be 10 feet.

[6] Side yard setback shall be a maximum nine feet.

[7] Rear yard setback shall be a minimum of nine feet.

[8] Parking lots shall be hard surfaced and concrete or granite curbed.

[9] Parking aisles shall be oriented perpendicular to the front yard.

[10] Parking lots shall be screened on city, district and neighborhood streets by a wall conforming to district building materials.

[11] Wall setback shall vary on street frontages every 30 feet a minimum two feet and a maximum four feet.

[12] The wall shall be a minimum three feet high and a maximum four feet high.

[13] Walls shall have pedestrian openings a minimum six feet and a maximum eight feet wide aligned with the center line of the parking aisle. Pedestrian walks, the full width of the opening, shall be hard surfaced and equal in material and pattern to the adjacent sidewalk.

[14] Setback shall be landscaped with one tree per 250 square feet and continuous ground cover.

[15] Parking lots shall be landscaped with trees and continuous ground cover in curbed islands so that the parking lot is shaded to a minimum 40% at tree maturity.

[16] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[17] Light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet in height. No light shall cast upwards.

(2) Additional amenities.

(a) Fencing/wall.

[1] Fencing/wall shall conform to all street frontage setbacks.

[2] Fencing shall have a maximum height of five feet.

[3] Fencing shall be cast or extruded metal with a minimum transparency of 80%.

[4] Gates shall be equal to fencing.

[5] Walls shall have a maximum height of five feet along side and rear yards and minimum height of 1.5 feet and a maximum height of three feet along street frontage, river frontage and in plaza/forecourt.

[6] Walls shall conform to the district building materials.

(b) Riverfront promenade/plaza.

[1] Promenade shall be adjacent to the river and a minimum 12 feet wide.

[2] Entrances from the promenade into a plaza shall be provided and be a minimum 10 feet wide.

[3] Plaza shall be at grade with or above the promenade elevation.

[4] Promenade/plaza shall be wood, concrete or modular unit paving.

[5] Promenade benches shall be provided at a minimum of one bench per 50 feet. Plaza benches shall be provided at a minimum of one bench per 35 feet of street frontage.

[6] Plaza shall be landscaped with trees so that the area is shaded to a minimum 50% at tree maturity.

[7] Mature plaza planting shall maintain open sight lines to the river between three feet and seven feet high.

[8] Plazas shall be illuminated. Lighting level shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[9] Light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet in height. No light shall be cast upwards.

H. [1]District plant materials. The plant materials shall conform to the Forestry Master Plan. Trees shall adhere to the following:

(1) Viability: winter hardy, suitable for urban conditions of shade, air quality, desiccation and soil and space limitations as found on the particular site, resistant to blight and pests.

(2) Public health and safety: thornless, no tap roots, no weak or brittle wood and no invasive weed species.

(3) Design character: mature size and shape suitable for the space available, tall canopy trees for wide streets and large sites, small or columnar trees for narrow streets and small sites, multiple seasons of special interest (in leaf, in blossom, fall color, bark or branching pattern) and/or harmony with the dominant character defining tree association of the area.

(4) All proposed street trees and work related to street trees shall conform to the Standards and Specifications for Street Tree and Public Tree Work.

[1] Editor's Note: Former Subsection H, Noise level performance criteria, was repealed 9-21-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-323, which ordinance also redesignated former Subsection I as Subsection H.

§ 120-68 Main Street District.

A. Purpose of the district. The purpose of the design criteria for the Main Street District is to:

(1) Preserve the existing character and rich public realm qualities of Main Street.

(2) Preserve and enhance Main Street as the primary commercial street in the CCD.

(3) Enhance the civic nature of Main Street; encourage a variety of street-related activities and uses.

(4) Promote Main Street as the primary ceremonial space in the City.

B. District boundaries and definition. The boundaries of the Main Street District were determined by including all buildings and properties that front onto Main Street and/or intersecting streets. The section of Main Street that crosses the river is part of the Riverfront District. Properties on North Fitzhugh Street, the west side of North Plymouth Avenue and the area east of Exchange Boulevard and north of I-490 are included because of the historical civic quality of the public realm.

C. Design character of the district. The design intent of the Main Street District is to promote Main Street as the dominant corridor in the Center City. The typical design character of the district is defined by buildings ranging in height from three to 15 stories which have clearly defined bases, midsections and crowns. Primary entrances are located along Main Street to provide maximum accessibility. Buildings are rich in material and detail and possess a monumental quality. Consistent setbacks create strong edges and promote spatial definition along the streetscape.

D. Design Checklist. The following chart lists the design criteria and the deviations that require major site plan or minor site plan review. Applications that are within acceptable tolerances, and otherwise meet all design criteria, do not require site plan approval unless such approval is required pursuant to the other site plan thresholds as listed in § 120-191 of this chapter.

Design Checklist - Main Street District
Design Criteria	Major Deviation	Minor Deviation	Tolerance
BUILDINGS
Building form and mass (base, midsection, crown)	X
Buildings greater than 5 stories tall/narrow mass	X
Minimum lot frontage	X
Minimum lot frontage w. of Plymouth Ave./e. of Chestnut St.	X
Maximum building length and depth relative to block		X	10%
Minimum and maximum building height	X
Minimum and maximum building height w. of Plymouth Ave./e. of Chestnut St.	X
Minimum and maximum building height fronting N. Fitzhugh St. and N. Plymouth Ave.	X
Buildings within 300 feet of City Hall	X
Length to height ratio		X	20%
Length to height ratio w. of Plymouth Ave./e. of Chestnut St.		X	20%
Orientation to Main Street frontage	X
Front setback	X
Side setback	X
Front plaza setback		X	10%
DISTRICT CHARACTER
Building maintains horizontal alignment		X
Facade composition	X
Equal street frontage facades	X
Facades higher than abutting buildings	X
Vehicular entry location		X
Vehicular entry width		X	10%
Vehicular entry door		X	20%
Service bay depth		X
Facade lighting		X
Window openings		X
Facade window coverage		X	10%
Window height to width ratio		X	20%
Window translucency		X	20%
Window recess		X	30%
Entrances on street frontage	X
Primary entrances on Main Street	X
Entrance elevation		X
Entrance translucency		X	20%
Entrance recess		X	20%
Entrance lighting		X
Roofline		X
Roofline cornice		X	20%
Rooftop mechanical/telecommunications equipment		X
Primary construction material		X
Percent primary construction material		X	20%
Number of colors		X	50%
Location of refuse storage		X
Refuse storage details (enclosures, doors)		X
SIGNAGE
Number of building identification signs		X
Location of building identification sign		X
Size of building identification sign		X	20%
Building identification sign materials		X
Building identification sign luminaries		X
Building identification sign graphics		X
Building identification sign colors		X	30%
Number of business signs		X
Location of business signs		X
Size of business signs		X	20%
Business sign materials, illumination and color		X	30%
Directory sign location and size		X	20%
Address sign location		X
Address sign copy raised/recessed		X
Address sign materials		X
Address sign lighting		X
Heritage sign and location		X
Heritage sign material		X
Heritage sign information		X
Heritage sign size		X	20%
Awning locations		X
Window awning size		X	10%
Awning height		X	10%
Awning projection		X	10%
Awning support/attachments		X
Awning material		X
Awning color		X	30%
Awning equality		X
Awning copy size		X	20%
Awning lighting		X
SKYWAY
Skyway height		X
Interior skyway parallel to exterior facade		X
Skyway width		X	10%
Skyway nontranslucent walls		X	20%
Skyway supported from facade		X
Skyway lighting		X
Skyway window translucency		X	10%
Skyway entrances direct from building		X
Skyway entrances identified and translucent		X	10%
Skyway entrance lighting		X
Skyway roofline		X
Skyway material and color		X
SITE
Building parking location and surfacing		X
Building underground parking access		X
Parking garage entry width		X	10%
Underground parking pedestrian access direct from building		X
Underground parking mechanical equipment location		X
Building underground parking entry lighting		X
Building rear yard parking lot access		X
Building rear yard parking lot lighting		X
Parking lot location		X
Parking lot access		X
Parking lot setback		X	10%
Parking lot surfacing and curbing		X
Parking lot aisle		X
Parking lot landscaping		X	20%
Parking lot shaded area		X	20%
Parking lot fence material, height and % translucent		X	10%
Parking lot fence pedestrian openings		X	10%
Parking lot pedestrian walks		X	10%
Parking lot lighting height		X	10%
ADDITIONAL AMENITIES
Wall setback		X
Wall height		X	10%
Wall materials		X
Plaza/forecourt entrances		X	10%
Plaza/forecourt grade elevation		X	20%
Plaza/forecourt materials		X
Plaza/forecourt landscaping		X	20%
Plaza/forecourt lighting		X	20%

E. Design principles for the district. The design principles for the Main Street District are intended to establish Main Street as the most important pedestrian street in the Center City and reestablish it as the focus of commercial activity and civic celebrations. Main Street will be promoted as the spine that links all the districts together.

F. Buildings.

(1) District context.

(a) Building form and mass.

[1] Buildings shall exhibit a clearly articulated base, midsection and crown.

[2] Buildings greater than five stories shall exhibit a tall/narrow mass on the street frontage.

(b) Lot size and coverage.

[1] The minimum lot frontage shall be 50 feet.

[2] West of Plymouth Avenue and east of Chestnut Street the minimum lot frontage shall be 30 feet.

[3] The maximum building length and depth shall be no more than 50% of the block length and 50% of the block depth.

(c) Height.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, building heights shall include:

[a] Main Street: shall be a maximum 15 stories in height to a maximum of 180 feet and a minimum five stories.

[b] City street: shall be a maximum 15 stories in height to a maximum of 180 feet and a minimum five stories.

[c] District street: shall be a maximum 15 stories in height to a maximum of 180 feet and a minimum five stories.

[d] Neighborhood street: shall be a maximum 15 stories in height to a maximum of 180 feet and a minimum five stories.

[2] West of Plymouth Avenue, east of Chestnut Street and south of West Broadway, all buildings shall be a maximum five stories in height to a maximum 60 feet and a minimum of three stories.

[3] Buildings that front North Fitzhugh Street and North Plymouth Avenue shall be a maximum five stories in height to a maximum 60 feet and a minimum three stories.

[4] No building within a three-hundred-foot radius of City Hall shall exceed the height of City Hall, excluding the tower.

(d) Length to height ratio.

[1] The length to height ratio shall be a maximum 1:2 and minimum 1:1 along primary street frontage.

[2] West of Plymouth Avenue and east of Chestnut Street the length to height ratio shall be a maximum 1:3 and minimum 1:1 along primary street frontage.

(e) Orientation.

[1] Buildings shall be oriented to Main Street.

[2] Buildings shall be parallel to the street frontage property line.

[3] All buildings shall be oriented to preserve and enhance views to the river.

(f) Setback.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, front yard setback shall be:

[a] Main Street: zero feet.

[b] City street: zero feet.

[c] District street: zero feet.

[d] Neighborhood street: zero feet.

[2] Side yard setback shall be zero.

[3] The front yard setback can be increased for 33% of the building length to create a plaza/forecourt. The maximum setback shall be 33% of the building length and the minimum width shall be 20 feet.

(2) District character.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] Buildings shall maintain the alignment of horizontal elements of adjacent existing buildings.

[2] The facade shall be composed to exhibit a clearly defined base, midsection and crown; the base of the building shall be no higher than the top of the second story.

[3] All facades fronting Main, city, district or neighborhood streets shall conform to the district criteria and be equal.

[4] All facades higher than adjacent and abutting buildings shall be equal to street facades.

[5] A maximum of two adjacent vehicular entrances are permitted on a facade on city, district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[6] Vehicular entrances shall be a maximum 11 feet wide.

[7] Vehicular entrances that lead to parking garages shall be integrated into the building facade and shall not extend beyond the top of the first floor.

[8] Vehicular entrances that consist of loading docks/service bays shall be enclosed with garage doors, integrated into the building facade and not extend beyond the top of the first floor. The garage door shall be recessed from the plane of the facade between three feet and five feet and shall be a minimum of 20% translucent.

[9] The depth of any service bay must accommodate total vehicle length so as not to interrupt pedestrian circulation on the sidewalk.

[10] Facade lighting shall be wall-mounted luminaires and shall be mounted no higher than the top of the second floor and shall illuminate the sidewalk. No light shall be cast upwards.

[11] Facade lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines. No floodlighting is permitted.

(b) Window.

[1] Windows and window openings shall diminish in size to reinforce the base, midsection and crown.

[2] The base shall be a minimum 60% to a maximum 70% window coverage.

[3] The midsection shall be a minimum 40% to a maximum 70% window coverage.

[4] All other facades and alley street frontages shall be a minimum 15% window coverage.

[5] The window height to width ratio shall be 1.5:1 to 2:1 in the midsection.

[6] Base windows shall be transparent and shall permit views 10 feet into the building when standing five feet from the window.

[7] Windows shall be recessed three inches to eight inches from the facade.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Entrances into buildings shall be provided on all city, district and neighborhood street frontages.

[2] Buildings fronting onto Main Street shall have their primary entrance on Main Street.

[3] Entrances shall be flush with the sidewalk; changes in elevation shall be made internally.

[4] Entrances shall be clearly accented and a minimum 80% translucent.

[5] Entrances shall be recessed from the building face a minimum of three feet.

[6] All entrances shall be illuminated and shall conform to facade lighting.

(d) Roofline.

[1] Rooflines shall be flat.

[2] Rooflines shall be delineated with decorative crown cornices a minimum two feet wide.

[3] Rooftop mechanical and telecommunications equipment shall be concealed so as not to be visible from the street.

(e) Material and color.

[1] In addition to windows, three primary construction materials may be used on a street facade, including clay brick, natural stone, stucco [exterior insulation finish system (EIFS)] or decorative concrete.

[2] Excluding windows, a minimum 50% of one primary construction material shall be used.

[3] Excluding windows, a maximum of two colors shall be permitted.

(f) Refuse storage.

[1] Excluding alley streets, refuse storage shall not be located on a street frontage and shall not be visible from the street.

[2] Refuse storage shall conform to the following:

[a] If a loading dock/service bay or vehicular garage is part of the building, refuse storage shall be contained within this area.

[b] If there is no loading dock service bay or vehicular garage, refuse storage shall be located within the building, accessible from the exterior and enclosed with a solid metal door. The doors shall be integrated into the facade pattern in a manner consistent with the character of the building.

[c] If not located within the building, refuse storage shall be located within a concealed enclosure that includes solid metal doors, is integral to the building, consists of the same materials as the building and is located at the rear of the building.

(3) Signage.

(a) Building identification signage.

[1] One sign shall be allowed and shall front on Main Street.

[2] Sign shall not be placed higher than the top of the second floor.

[3] Sign shall be integrated into the facade pattern and shall be located above or adjacent to Main Street entrance; signs shall be horizontal and flush mounted.

[4] Sign shall be a maximum three feet high and a maximum 30 square feet.

[5] Sign materials shall include any of the district building materials and metal.

[6] Sign luminaires shall conform to facade lighting.

[7] Sign graphics shall include raised or recessed copy.

[8] Signs shall include no more than three colors.

(b) Business signage.

[1] A maximum of one sign per ground floor commercial user shall be permitted and shall be located no higher than the top of the first floor.

[2] Signs shall be integrated into the facade pattern and shall be flush mounted.

[3] Signs shall be a maximum two feet high and a maximum 20 square feet.

[4] Materials, illumination and colors shall conform to the criteria for building identification signage.

[5] Directory signage shall be allowed at each building entrance, shall be flush mounted and a maximum six square feet.

(c) Address signage.

[1] One sign shall be located at the primary building entrance no higher than the top of the first floor.

[2] Sign graphics shall be raised or recessed copy and shall be a minimum of two inches and a maximum 12 inches in height.

[3] Sign materials shall include any of the district building materials and metal.

[4] Building lighting shall illuminate the sign.

(d) Heritage signage.

[1] One sign shall be placed on the primary frontage of each building and shall be located no higher than five feet above finished grade.

[2] Signs shall be face mounted to the building facade.

[3] Signs shall be made of metal.

[4] Signs shall include, at a minimum, the date of construction.

[5] The maximum sign area shall be 1.5 square feet.

(e) Awning.

[1] Awnings shall be permitted at building entrances and windows no higher than the second floor. First floor awnings may be continuous.

[2] At second floor windows the maximum width shall be the width of the opening.

[3] First floor awnings shall be a minimum seven feet and maximum nine feet above exterior finished elevation at the building.

[4] First floor awnings shall project no more than half the width of the sidewalk.

[5] Second floor awnings shall project no more than four feet.

[6] Awning support shall include building attachments only.

[7] Awnings shall be made of flexible woven, natural or synthetic materials.

[8] Awning fabric shall include no more than three colors.

[9] All window awnings shall be equal in material and color.

[10] Awning signage copy shall only include building identification or address located on the valance and shall be a maximum 10 inches in height.

[11] Awnings shall be illuminated by building lighting only.

(4) Skyway.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] Skyway shall be no higher than the top of the third story.

[2] Interior skyway shall run parallel to the exterior building facade.

[3] Skyway shall be a minimum 10 feet wide and shall have a minimum seven-foot unobstructed travel width.

[4] Skyway nontranslucent walls shall be a maximum two feet high measured from the floor.

[5] Skyway shall be supported from the building facade.

[6] All light sources shall be concealed and interior.

(b) Window.

[1] Exterior skyway shall be a minimum 80% translucent.

[2] The facade wall of an interior skyway shall be a minimum 50% transparent or as existing.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Skyway entrances shall provide direct entry from the sidewalk integral to the building.

[2] Entrances shall be clearly identified and 80% translucent.

[3] All entrances shall be illuminated and shall conform to facade lighting.

(d) Roofline.

[1] Rooflines shall be pitched or arched.

(e) Material and color.

[1] Excluding windows, a maximum of two primary construction materials conforming to district building criteria and metal may be used.

[2] Excluding windows, a maximum of two colors shall be permitted.

G. Site.

(1) Parking.

(a) Building parking.

[1] Building parking shall not be located at Main Street intersections and at all intersecting city streets.

[2] Building parking shall be located in the rear yard and be hard surfaced or be underground.

[3] Underground parking entrance shall be at the facade and located fronting city, district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[4] Total width of the parking garage entrance shall not exceed 22 feet.

[5] Pedestrian access from underground parking shall be integral to the building.

[6] Mechanical equipment for underground parking shall be integral to the building.

[7] Light level at the entrance to underground parking shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[8] Rear yard parking shall be accessed from city, district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[9] Light level shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[10] Parking luminaires shall be located on the building and conform to building lighting criteria. If additional lighting is required, freestanding light fixtures shall conform to parking lot lighting criteria.

(b) Parking lot.

[1] Parking lots shall not be located at Main Street intersections and at all intersecting city streets.

[2] Access to parking lots shall be from city, district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[3] Frontage setback on Main Street shall be 20 feet in addition to the district sidewalk criteria.

[4] Frontage setback on city, district and neighborhood streets shall be 10 feet in addition to the district sidewalk criteria.

[5] Side and rear yard setback shall be a minimum 10 feet.

[6] Parking lots shall be hard surfaced and concrete or granite curbed.

[7] Parking aisle shall be located adjacent and parallel to Main Street.

[8] Setbacks shall be landscaped with one tree per 250 square feet and continuous ground cover. Trees shall be uniform, regularly spaced and in line with any existing street trees.

[9] Parking lots shall be landscaped with trees and continuous ground cover in curbed islands so that the parking lot is shaded to a minimum 40% at tree maturity.

[10] Parking lots shall be enclosed by an ornamental metal fence four feet high and a minimum 80% translucent.

[11] Fences shall have a minimum one pedestrian opening. Pedestrian openings shall be provided at a maximum 100 feet on center. Openings shall be a minimum six feet and a maximum eight feet wide.

[12] Pedestrian walks, the full width of the openings, shall be continuous to the sidewalk and equal in material and pattern.

[13] Light level shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines and shall be maintained from dusk to dawn.

[14] Light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet in height. No light shall cast upwards.

(2) Additional amenities.

(a) Fencing/wall.

[1] Walls shall conform to all building setbacks.

[2] Walls shall have a maximum height of five feet along rear yards and a minimum height of 1.5 feet and a maximum height three feet along street frontages, side yards and in plaza/forecourt.

[3] Walls shall conform to the district building materials.

(b) Plaza/forecourt.

[1] Entrances into the plaza/forecourt shall be provided on all street frontages; entrances shall be a minimum of 10 feet wide.

[2] Plaza or forecourt shall vary in elevation a maximum 2.5 feet from sidewalk grade.

[3] Plaza/forecourt shall be concrete or modular unit paving.

[4] Benches shall be provided at a minimum of one bench per 35 feet of frontage.

[5] Plaza/forecourt shall be landscaped with trees so that the area is shaded to a minimum 50% at tree maturity.

[6] Mature planting shall maintain open sight lines to the street between three feet and seven feet high.

[7] Plazas shall be illuminated and shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[8] Light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet in height. No light shall be cast upwards.

H. [1]District plant materials. The plant materials shall conform to the Forestry Master Plan. Trees shall adhere to the following:

(1) Viability: winter hardy, suitable for urban conditions of shade, air quality, desiccation and soil and space limitations as found on the particular site, resistant to blight and pests.

(2) Public health and safety: thornless, no tap roots, no weak or brittle wood and no invasive weed species.

(3) Design character: mature size and shape suitable for the space available, tall canopy trees for wide streets and large sites, small or columnar trees for narrow streets and small sites, multiple seasons of special interest (in leaf, in blossom, fall color, bark or branching pattern) and/or harmony with the dominant character defining tree association of the area.

(4) All proposed street trees and work related to street trees shall conform to the Standards and Specifications for Street Tree and Public Tree Work.

[1] Editors Note: Former Subsection H, Noise level performance criteria, was repealed 9-21-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-323, which ordinance also redesignated former Subsection I as Subsection H.

§ 120-69 Grove Place District.

A. Purpose of the district. The primary purpose of the design criteria for the Grove Place District is to:

(1) Preserve the existing pedestrian-scaled character of the area.

(2) Preserve and enhance the heritage qualities of the district.

(3) Promote the district as an enclave which expresses a rich residential quality; build upon and draw from the quality of the Grove Place neighborhood.

(4) Enhance the green quality of the public realm.

(5) Promote a strong relationship between personal space and the public realm.

B. District boundaries and definition.

[Amended 12-17-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-415]

(1) District boundaries. The boundaries of the Grove Place District were determined by identifying the area that expressed the pedestrian-scaled character and public realm quality identified during the CCD inventory and analysis. Based upon the development goals and objectives established in the CCD Master Plan and the urban design potentials established in "Design Language," opportunities to expand the desired character were captured in the boundary limits.

(2) Residential subarea. The Grove Place District shall contain a residential subarea, Grove Place R-Residential, as reflected on the map below. The residential subarea will be subject to all requirements of the CCD District and the Center City Grove Place provisions except the permitted and specially permitted uses indicated below. 

C. Permitted uses.

[Added 12-17-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-415[1]]

(1) Grove Place. The Grove Place District shall be subject to the use provisions for CCD set forth in §§ 120-62, 120-63 and 120-64 of this chapter

(2) Grove Place R-Residential. The following uses are permitted in the Grove Place R-Residential subarea:

(a) Single-family detached dwellings.

(b) Single-family attached dwellings.

(c) Two-family dwellings.

(d) Family and group family day-care homes.

(e) Adult family day-care homes.

(f) Places of worship.

(g) Home occupations, subject to the additional requirements for specified uses in § 120-139.

(h) Adaptive use of designated landmarks, subject to the additional requirements for specified uses in § 120-130.

(i) Bed-and-breakfast establishments, subject to the additional requirements for specified uses in § 120-132.

(j) Live-work space, subject to the additional requirements for specified uses in § 120-142.1.

(k) Hospice.

(l) Offices within existing structures, excluding clinics.

[1] Editor's Note: This ordinance also redesignated former Subsections C through H as Subsections E through J, respectively.

D. Special permit uses.

[Added 12-17-2013 by Ord. No. 2013-415]

(1) Grove Place: N/A.

(2) Grove Place R-Residential. The following uses are allowed as special permit uses in the Grove Place R-Residential subarea:

(a) Multifamily dwellings.

(b) Surface parking lots.

(c) Residential care facilities, subject to the additional requirements for specified uses in § 120-146.

E. Design character of the district. The Grove Place District is characterized by one-and-one-half to three-story residential-style buildings with a variety of rooflines. Traditional residential features are evident throughout the district and include features such as front porches, raised entrances, bay windows, front yard gardens and entry courts. Buildings within the district are generally rich in their material composition, color, texture and detail. Heritage-based themed streets are heavily planted with trees and a variety of different ground cover, contributing to the desired character of the neighborhood.

F. Design Checklist. The following chart lists the design criteria and the deviations that require major site plan or minor site plan review. Applications that are within acceptable tolerances, and otherwise meet all design criteria, do not require site plan approval unless such approval is required pursuant to the other site plan thresholds as listed in § 120-191 of this chapter.

Design Checklist - Grove Place District
Design Criteria	Major Deviation	Minor Deviation	Tolerance
BUILDINGS
Building form and mass	X
Minimum lot frontage	X
Maximum building length and depth relative to block		X	10%
Accessory building coverage		X	10%
Minimum and maximum building height	X
Maximum accessory building height	X
Length to height ratio		X	20%
Orientation to street frontage	X
Front setback	X
Side setback	X
Rear yard setback	X
Accessory building setbacks	X
DISTRICT CHARACTER
Building facade planes		X
First floor structural feature	X
Equal street frontage facades	X
Vehicular entry		X
Facade lighting		X
Facade window coverage		X	10%
Window height to width ratio		X	20%
Window translucency		X
Window recess		X	30%
Entrances on street frontage	X
Entrances elevation		X	20%
Entrance translucency		X	20%
Entrance lighting		X
Porch location on buildings 2 1/2 stories or less		X
Porch size		X	20%
Porch roof		X
Porch materials		X
Roofline		X
Provide skylights or dormers on buildings 2 1/2 stories or less		X
Chimney facade		X
Mechanical/telecommunications equipment concealed		X
Primary construction material		X
Percent primary construction material		X	20%
Number of colors		X	50%
Location of refuse storage		X
SIGNAGE
Refuse storage details (enclosures, doors)		X
Number of building identification signs		X
Location and size of building identification sign		X	20%
Orientation and setback of freestanding building identification sign		X	10%
Building identification sign materials		X
Building identification sign luminaries		X
Building identification sign graphics		X
Building identification sign colors		X	30%
Number of business signs		X
Location of business signs		X	10%
Size of business signs		X	20%
Projecting business signs		X	10%
Projecting business sign supports		X
Business sign materials, illumination and color		X	30%
Address sign location		X
Address sign copy raised/recessed		X	20%
Address sign materials		X
Address sign lighting		X
Heritage sign and location		X
Heritage sign material		X
Heritage sign information		X
Heritage sign size		X	20%
Awning locations		X
Entrance awning width		X	10%
Window awning width		X	10%
Awning height		X	10%
Awning projection		X	10%
Awning support/attachments		X
Awning material		X
Awning color		X	30%
Awning equality		X
Awning copy content and size		X	20%
Awning lighting		X
SITE
Building parking location and surfacing		X
Building parking access		X
Building parking lighting		X
Parking lot location		X
Parking lot access		X
Parking lot frontage		X	10%
Parking lot setback		X
Parking lot surfacing and curbing		X
Parking lot wall material		X
Parking lot wall height		X	10%
Parking lot landscaping		X	20%
Parking lot shaded area		X	20%
Parking lot lighting height		X	10%
ADDITIONAL AMENITIES
Fencing height		X	10%
Fencing material		X
Fence gates		X
Wall setback		X
Wall height		X	10%
Fence/wall height on street frontage		X	10%
Wall material		X
Front yard landscaping		X	20%
Walkway at entrances fronting streets		X
Walkway width, material and color		X	10%
Freestanding lighting		X	20%

G. Design principles for the district. The intention of the design of the Grove Place District is to create pedestrian-scaled enclaves that discourage through traffic. Buildings should be created which exhibit the traditional residential character of the district. The creation of "green" streets strengthens pedestrian linkages through the district. Creating a strong relationship between public streets and private spaces is encouraged. The preservation of heritage resources and qualities is a primary concern.

H. Buildings.

(1) District context.

(a) Building form and mass.

[1] Buildings shall exhibit a vertical mass. On primary street frontages, buildings two stories or less shall be greater in depth than length. Buildings two stories or more may be greater in length than depth.

(b) Lot size and coverage.

[1] The minimum lot frontage shall be 25 feet.

[2] The maximum building length and depth shall be no more than 20% of the block length and 30% of the block depth.

[3] One accessory building or structure shall be allowed to a maximum of 20% of the primary building coverage.

(c) Height.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, buildings heights shall include:

[a] Main Street: N/A.

[b] City street: shall be a maximum three stories in height to a maximum of 36 feet and a minimum two stories.

[c] District street: shall be a maximum three stories in height to a maximum of 36 feet and a minimum two stories.

[d] Neighborhood street: shall be a maximum three stories in height to a maximum of 36 feet and a minimum 1 1/2 stories.

[2] Accessory building or structure shall be a maximum of 1 1/2 stories in height or 24 feet.

(d) Length to height ratio.

[1] The length to height ratio shall be a maximum 1:2 and a minimum 1:1.5 along primary street frontage.

(e) Orientation.

[1] Buildings shall be parallel to the street frontage property line.

(f) Setbacks.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, front yard setback shall be:

[a] Main Street: N/A.

[b] City street: within two feet of the average setback of three adjacent buildings on both sides of the building to a maximum 15 feet and a minimum six feet.

[c] District street: within two feet of the average setback of three adjacent buildings on both sides of the building to a maximum 15 feet and a minimum six feet.

[d] Neighborhood street: within two feet of the average setback of three adjacent buildings on both sides of the building to a maximum nine feet and a minimum six feet.

[2] Side yard setback shall be a combined maximum of nine feet.

[3] Rear yard setback shall be a minimum of 10 feet.

[4] Accessory buildings or structure shall be located in the rear yard and conform to all primary building requirements.

(2) District character.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] The maximum length of a facade plane shall be 25 feet. A change in facade plane shall occur when length exceeds 25 feet. The change shall be no less than two feet in depth and 12 feet in length.

[2] The first floor of the primary street frontage shall include at least one structural facade feature: turret, covered entrance, raised porch, or bay window.

[3] All facades fronting a street shall conform to the district criteria and be equal.

[4] One vehicular entrance is permitted per building on a side or rear facade and shall be enclosed by a garage door a maximum 11 feet wide.

[5] Facade lighting shall be wall-mounted luminaires and shall be mounted no higher than the top of the first floor.

[6] Facade lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines. No floodlighting is permitted.

(b) Window.

[1] All first floor building facades shall be a minimum 25% to a maximum 50% window coverage.

[2] All other building facades shall be a minimum 20% to a maximum 50% window coverage.

[3] All other facades shall be a minimum 10% window coverage.

[4] The window height to width ratio shall be 1.5:1 to 2:1; larger window openings for bay or picture windows shall be divided with mullions to express an equal ratio.

[5] Windows shall be transparent.

[6] Windows shall be recessed three inches to six inches from the facade.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Entrances into buildings shall be provided on all city, district and neighborhood street frontages.

[2] Buildings 2 1/2 stories or less shall have the first floor elevation be a minimum 1.5 feet and a maximum of three feet above sidewalk.

[3] Buildings greater than 2 1/2 stories shall have the first floor elevation be a maximum three feet above sidewalk.

[4] Entrances shall be a minimum 10% to a maximum 70% translucent, including transom and sidelights.

[5] All entrances shall be illuminated and shall conform to facade lighting.

(d) Porch.

[1] All buildings 2 1/2 stories or less shall have an open porch on the primary street frontage.

[2] The porch length and depth shall be a minimum six feet.

[3] Porches shall have a pitched roof.

[4] Porch materials shall be equal to the building material.

(e) Roofline.

[1] For buildings 2 1/2 stories or less, rooflines shall be gable, gambrel or mansard. Roof overhang shall be a minimum one foot.

[2] For buildings greater than 2 1/2 stories, rooflines shall be mansard or flat.

[3] Buildings 2 1/2 stories or less shall have a minimum two skylights or dormers.

[4] Chimney facade shall be masonry and conform to district building criteria.

[5] Mechanical and telecommunications equipment shall be concealed so as not to be visible from the street.

(f) Material and color.

[1] In addition to windows for buildings 2 1/2 stories or less, the primary construction material shall be clay brick, stone, wood or vinyl bevel siding.

[2] In addition to windows for buildings 2 1/2 stories or greater, the primary construction material shall be clay brick, stone, wood or vinyl bevel siding, stucco [exterior insulation finish system (EIFS)] or decorative concrete.

[3] Excluding windows, a maximum of two primary construction materials may be used.

[4] Excluding windows, a minimum 70% of one primary construction material shall be used.

[5] Excluding windows, a maximum of three colors shall be permitted.

(g) Refuse storage.

[1] Excluding alley streets, refuse storage shall not be located on a street frontage and shall not be visible from the street.

[2] Buildings greater than 2 1/2 stories shall locate refuse in a concealed enclosure that includes solid metal or wood doors.

[3] Refuse enclosure shall be integral to the primary building or accessory building and consist of equal material.

(3) Signage.

(a) Building identification signage.

[1] One sign shall be allowed.

[2] Sign shall be horizontal and flush mounted or freestanding.

[3] Flush-mounted sign shall be a maximum eight feet above grade and a maximum of 10 square feet.

[4] Freestanding sign shall be a maximum four feet above grade and a maximum of six square feet per 25 feet of frontage to a maximum of 25 square feet.

[5] Freestanding sign shall be perpendicular to the street frontage and shall be setback a minimum five feet.

[6] Sign materials shall include any of the district building materials and metal.

[7] Sign luminaires shall conform to facade lighting.

[8] Freestanding sign illumination source shall be at or below grade and shall illuminate the sign only. No stray light is permitted.

[9] Sign graphics shall include raised or recessed copy.

[10] Signs shall include no more than four colors.

(b) Business signage.

[1] Signs shall be incorporated into building identification signage for buildings with 50 feet of frontage or less.

[2] For buildings with greater than 50 feet of frontage, one sign per ground floor commercial user is permitted. Signs shall be integrated into the facade pattern and shall be flush mounted or projecting.

[3] Flush-mounted signs shall be attached to the building facade a maximum eight feet above grade.

[4] Individual sign area shall be a maximum eight square feet; total sign area shall be a maximum of 40% of the property frontage.

[5] Projecting signs shall not exceed four square feet in area, shall not project more than four feet from the face of a building and shall be located a minimum of eight feet from the ground.

[6] Supports for projecting signs shall be attached to the building facade at no more than two points.

[7] Materials, illumination and colors shall conform to the criteria for building identification signage.

(c) Address signage.

[1] One sign shall be located at the primary building entrance no higher than the top of the first floor or on the building identification signage.

[2] Sign graphics shall be raised or recessed copy and shall be a minimum of two inches and a maximum five inches in height.

[3] Sign materials shall include any of the district building materials and metal.

[4] Building lighting shall illuminate address signage.

(d) Heritage signage.

[1] One sign shall be placed on the primary frontage of each building and shall be located no higher than five feet above finished grade.

[2] Sign shall be face mounted to the building facade.

[3] Sign shall be made of metal.

[4] Sign shall include, at a minimum, the date of construction.

[5] The maximum sign area shall be 1.5 square feet.

(e) Awning.

[1] Awnings shall be permitted at building entrances and windows.

[2] At building entrances the maximum width shall be 1 1/2 times the width of the entrance opening.

[3] At windows the maximum width shall be the width of the opening.

[4] First floor awnings shall be a minimum seven feet and a maximum nine feet above exterior finished elevation at the building.

[5] Building entrance awnings shall project no more than four feet.

[6] Window awnings shall project no more than three feet.

[7] Awning supports shall include building attachments only.

[8] Awnings shall be made of flexible woven, natural or synthetic materials.

[9] Awning fabric shall include no more than three colors.

[10] All window awnings shall be equal in material and color.

[11] Awning signage copy shall only include building identification or address and shall be a maximum five inches in height.

[12] Awnings shall be illuminated by building lighting only.

I. Site.

(1) Parking.

(a) Building parking.

[1] Building parking shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[2] Building parking shall be located in the rear yard and be hard surfaced.

[3] Parking shall be accessed from district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[4] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[5] Parking luminaires shall be located on the building and conform to building lighting criteria. If additional lighting is required, freestanding light fixtures shall conform to parking lot lighting criteria.

(b) Parking lot.

[1] Parking lots shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[2] Access to parking lots shall be from district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[3] Lots shall have a maximum fifty-foot frontage.

[4] Street frontage setback shall be a minimum six feet greater than district sidewalk criteria to a maximum 15 feet.

[5] Side and rear yard setback shall be a minimum six feet.

[6] Parking lots shall be hard surfaced and concrete or granite curbed.

[7] Parking lots shall be screened on city, district and neighborhood streets by a wall conforming to district building materials.

[8] The wall shall be a minimum three feet high and a maximum of four feet high.

[9] Setbacks shall be landscaped with one tree per 250 square feet and continuous ground cover.

[10] Parking lots shall be landscaped with trees and continuous ground cover in curbed islands so that the parking lot is shaded to a minimum 40% at tree maturity.

[11] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines and shall be maintained from dusk to dawn.

[12] Light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet in height. No light shall cast upwards.

(2) Additional amenities.

(a) Fencing/walls.

[1] Fencing on street frontages shall have a maximum height of four feet.

[2] Fencing in rear and side yards shall have a maximum height of five feet to a minimum 10 feet from the front facade.

[3] On street frontages fencing shall be ornamental picket of cast or extruded metal. Wood fencing is permitted in side and rear yards.

[4] Gates shall be equal to fencing.

[5] Street frontage wall setback shall be a minimum two feet or two feet greater than district sidewalk criteria.

[6] Rear and side yard walls shall have a maximum height of five feet. Street frontage and side yard walls shall have a minimum height of 1.5 feet and a maximum height of three feet from street frontage lot line to the building facade.

[7] Combined fencing/walls on street frontages shall not exceed four feet in height.

[8] Excluding wood or vinyl bevel siding, walls shall conform to district building materials.

(b) Landscape.

[1] Front yards shall be landscaped with a minimum one tree per 350 square feet and continuous ground cover.

[2] All entrances fronting onto city, district and neighborhood streets shall have a walkway connecting to the sidewalk.

[3] Walkways shall be a minimum three feet wide and concrete or modular unit paving.

[4] Freestanding luminaires shall be permitted one per sidewalk entrance.

[5] The luminaire shall be a minimum three feet to a maximum five feet above sidewalk grade. No light shall cast upwards.

J. [2]District plant materials. The plant materials shall conform to the Forestry Master Plan. Trees shall adhere to the following:

(1) Viability: winter hardy, suitable for urban conditions of shade, air quality, desiccation and soil and space limitations as found on the particular site, resistant to blight and pests.

(2) Public health and safety: thornless, no tap roots, no weak or brittle wood and no invasive weed species.

(3) Design character: mature size and shape suitable for the space available, tall canopy trees for wide streets and large sites, small or columnar trees for narrow streets and small sites, multiple seasons of special interest (in leaf, in blossom, fall color, bark or branching pattern) and/or harmony with the dominant character defining tree association of the area.

(4) All proposed street trees and work related to street trees shall conform to the Standards and Specifications for Street Tree and Public Tree Work.

[2] Editors Note: Former Subsection H, Noise level performance criteria, was repealed 9-21-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-323, which ordinance also provided for the redesignation of Subsection I as Subsection H.

§ 120-70 East End District.

A. Purpose of the district. The primary purpose of the design criteria for the East End District is to:

(1) Preserve the desirable design character of the public realm of the district.

(2) Promote diversity and variety in the public realm which maintains and enhances the existing diversity found.

(3) Promote street-level activity and uses.

(4) Create green streets and midblock corridors to enhance pedestrian circulation.

(5) Mitigate to impact of the Inner Loop and allow for its future removal and redevelopment as outlined in previous planning studies.

B. District boundaries and definition. The boundaries of the East End District were determined by delineating the area which is physically and visually connected to the downtown and which has overall common yet diverse design characteristics.

C. Design character of the district. The East End District is defined by an assortment of building types, ranging in height from two to four stories. Rooflines, building materials and building orientation vary throughout the district, contributing to the district's character. Landscaped alleyways create an internal pedestrian system and provide access to rear lots. Building setbacks in the East End District are minimal, contributing to a pedestrian scale and promoting street-level activity.

D. Design Checklist. The following chart lists the design criteria and the deviations that require major site plan or minor site plan review. Applications that are within acceptable tolerances, and otherwise meet all design criteria, do not require site plan approval unless such approval is required pursuant to the other site plan thresholds as listed in § 120-191 of this chapter.

Design Checklist - East End District
Design Criteria	Major Deviation	Minor Deviation	Tolerance
BUILDINGS
Building form and mass	X
Minimum lot frontage	X
Maximum building length and depth relative to block		X	10%
Accessory building coverage		X	10%
Minimum and maximum building height	X
Maximum accessory building height	X
Length to height ratio		X	20%
Orientation to street frontage	X
Front setback	X
Side setback	X
Rear yard setback	X
Accessory building setbacks	X
DISTRICT CHARACTER
Building maintains horizontal alignment		X
Building facade planes		X
Facade fenestration		X
Equal street frontage facades	X
Vehicular entry width		X	10%
Service bay depth		X
Facade lighting		X
Facade window coverage		X	10%
Window height to width ratio		X	20%
Window translucency		X
Window recess		X	30%
Entrances on street frontage	X
Entrances elevation		X	20%
Entrance translucency		X	20%
Entrance lighting		X
Roofline		X
Roofline cornice		X	20%
Rooftop mechanical/telecommunications equipment		X
Primary construction material		X
Percent primary construction material		X	20%
Number of colors		X	50%
Location of refuse storage		X
Refuse storage details (enclosures, doors)		X
SIGNAGE
Number of building identification signs		X
Location and size of building identification sign		X	20%
Building identification sign materials		X
Building identification sign luminaries		X
Building identification sign graphics		X
Building identification sign colors		X	30%
Number of business signs		X
Location of business signs		X
Size of business signs		X	20%
Business sign materials, illumination and color		X	30%
Directory sign location and size		X	20%
Address sign location		X
Address sign copy raised/recessed		X	20%
Address sign materials		X
Address sign lighting		X
Heritage sign and location		X
Heritage sign material		X
Heritage sign information		X
Heritage sign size		X	20%
Awning locations		X
Entrance awning width		X	10%
Window awning width		X	10%
Awning height		X	10%
Entry awning projection		X	10%
Freestanding awning support setback		X
Window awning projection		X	10%
Awning material		X
Awning color		X	30%
Awning equality		X
Awning copy content and size		X	20%
Awning lighting		X
SITE
Building parking location and surfacing		X
Building parking access		X
Building parking lighting		X
Parking lot location		X
Parking lot access		X
Parking lot front yard setback		X	10%
Parking lot side/rear setback		X	10%
Parking lot surfacing and curbing		X
Parking lot aisle		X
Parking lot pedestrian walkway		X	10%
Parking lot landscaping		X	20%
Parking lot shaded area		X	20%
Parking lot lighting height		X	10%
ADDITIONAL AMENITIES
Fencing/wall location		X	10%
Fencing/wall height		X	10%
Fencing material		X
Fence gates		X
Fence/wall street frontage setback		X	10%
Front yard landscaping		X	20%
Walkway at entrances fronting streets		X
Walkway width, material and color		X	10%
Freestanding lighting		X	20%

E. Design principles for the district. Design principles for the East End District should encourage compact, dense development, with a focus on developing low-rise structures, including townhouse and garden apartment styled buildings. A greenway system should be developed in the district to act as an organizing element, enhancing connections to key destinations in the public realm. Linkages between the district and the other CCD Districts should be improved.

F. Buildings.

(1) District context.

(a) Building form and mass.

[1] Buildings shall exhibit a vertical mass on the street frontage.

(b) Lot size and coverage.

[1] The minimum lot frontage shall be 45 feet.

[2] The maximum building length and depth shall be no more than 25% of the block length and 30% of the block depth.

[3] One accessory building or structure shall be allowed to a maximum of 30% of the primary building coverage.

(c) Height.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, building heights shall include:

[a] Main Street: N/A.

[b] City street: shall be a maximum four stories in height to a maximum of 48 feet and a minimum of three stories.

[c] District street: shall be a maximum four stories in height to a maximum of 48 feet and a minimum two stories.

[d] Neighborhood street: shall be a maximum four stories in height to a maximum of 48 feet and a minimum two stories.

[2] Accessory building or structure shall be a maximum of 1 1/2 stories to a maximum 24 feet.

(d) Length to height ratio.

[1] The length to height ratio shall be a maximum 1:2.5 and a minimum 1:1 along primary street frontage.

(e) Orientation.

[1] Buildings shall be parallel to the street frontage property line.

(f) Setbacks.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, front yard setback shall be:

[a] Main Street: N/A.

[b] City street: shall be within two feet of the average setback of three adjacent buildings on either side of the building to a maximum of 10 feet.

[c] District street: shall be within two feet of the average setback of three adjacent buildings on either side of the building to a maximum of 10 feet.

[d] Neighborhood street: shall be within two feet of the average setback of three adjacent buildings on either side of the building to a maximum of nine feet.

[2] Side yard setback shall be a combined maximum of nine feet.

[3] Rear yard setback shall be a minimum of 20 feet.

[4] Accessory buildings or structure shall be located in the rear yard and conform to all primary building requirements.

(2) District character.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] Buildings shall maintain the alignment of horizontal elements of adjacent existing buildings.

[2] The maximum length of a facade plane shall be 36 feet. A change in facade plane shall occur when length exceeds 36 feet. The change shall be no less than two feet in depth and 12 feet in length.

[3] The facade shall be composed to exhibit a vertically aligned fenestration pattern.

[4] All facades fronting a street shall conform to the district criteria and be equal.

[5] One vehicular entrance is permitted per building on the side or rear facade and shall be enclosed by a garage door a maximum 11 feet wide.

[6] The depth of any service bay shall accommodate total vehicle length so as not to interrupt pedestrian circulation on the sidewalk.

[7] Facade lighting shall be wall-mounted luminaires and shall be mounted no higher than the top of the first floor. No light shall cast upwards.

[8] Facade lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines. No floodlighting is permitted.

(b) Window.

[1] All first floor building facades shall be a minimum 30% and a maximum 60% window coverage.

[2] All other floors on building facades shall be a minimum 25% and a maximum 60% window coverage.

[3] All other facades shall be a minimum 20% window coverage.

[4] The window height to width ratio shall be 1:1 to 2:1.

[5] Windows shall be transparent.

[6] Windows shall be recessed three inches to six inches from the facade.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Entrances into buildings shall be provided on city, district and neighborhood street frontages.

[2] Building entrances shall be a maximum of three feet above sidewalk.

[3] Entrances shall be clearly accented and a minimum 10% translucent.

[4] All entrances shall be illuminated and shall conform to facade lighting.

(d) Roofline.

[1] Rooflines shall be flat, gable, gambrel or mansard. Roof overhang shall be a minimum one foot.

[2] Flat rooflines shall be delineated with decorative crown cornices a minimum 1.5 feet wide to a maximum 2.5 feet.

[3] Rooftop mechanical and telecommunications equipment shall be concealed so as not to be visible from the street.

(e) Material and color.

[1] In addition to the windows, three primary construction materials may be used on a street facade, including clay brick, natural stone, stucco [exterior insulation finish system (EIFS)], wood or vinyl bevel siding or decorative concrete.

[2] Excluding windows, a minimum 60% of one primary construction material shall be used.

[3] Excluding windows, a maximum of three colors shall be permitted.

[4] A maximum of two colors of any material shall be used.

(f) Refuse storage.

[1] Excluding alley streets, refuse storage shall not be located on a street frontage and shall not be visible from the street.

[2] Refuse storage areas shall conform to the following:

[a] If a loading dock/service bay or vehicular garage is part of the building, refuse storage shall be contained within this area.

[b] If not located within the building, refuse storage shall be located within a concealed enclosure that includes solid metal doors, is integral to the building, consists of the same material as the building and is located at the rear of the building.

(3) Signage.

(a) Building identification signage.

[1] One sign shall be allowed.

[2] Sign shall not be placed higher than the top of the first floor.

[3] Signs shall be flush mounted and attached to the building facade.

[4] Signs shall not exceed 12 square feet.

[5] Sign materials shall include any of the approved district building materials and metal.

[6] Sign luminaires shall conform with the facade lighting.

[7] Sign graphics shall include raised or recessed copy.

[8] Signs shall include no more than four colors.

(b) Business signage.

[1] A maximum of one sign per ground floor commercial user shall be permitted and shall be located no higher than the top of the first floor.

[2] Signs shall be horizontal or vertical and flush mounted or perpendicular to the building face. Perpendicular signs shall not project more than four feet from the face of a building and shall be located a minimum of eight feet from the ground.

[3] Individual sign area shall be a maximum 12 square feet; total sign area shall be a maximum 40% of the property frontage.

[4] Materials, illumination and colors shall conform to the criteria for building identification signage.

[5] Directory signage shall be allowed at each building entrance, shall be flush mounted and a maximum six square feet.

(c) Address signage.

[1] One sign shall be located at the primary building entrance no higher than the top of the first floor.

[2] Sign graphics shall include raised or recessed copy and shall be a minimum of two inches and a maximum nine inches in height.

[3] Sign materials shall include any of the district building materials and metal.

[4] Building lighting shall illuminate address signage.

(d) Heritage signage.

[1] One sign shall be placed on the primary frontage of each building and shall be located no higher than five feet above finished grade.

[2] Sign shall be face mounted to the building facade.

[3] Sign shall be made of metal.

[4] Sign shall include, at a minimum, the date of construction.

[5] The maximum sign area shall be 1.5 square feet.

(e) Awning.

[1] Awnings shall be permitted at building entrances and windows.

[2] At building entrances the maximum width shall be two times the width of the opening.

[3] At windows the maximum width shall be 1.5 times the width of the opening.

[4] First floor awnings shall be a minimum eight feet and a maximum nine feet above the exterior finished elevation at the building.

[5] Building entrance awnings shall project no more than 14 feet.

[6] Freestanding awning supports shall have a minimum setback of two feet.

[7] Window awnings shall project no more than three feet.

[8] Awnings shall be made of flexible woven, natural or synthetic materials.

[9] Awning fabric shall include no more than three colors.

[10] All window awnings shall be equal in material and color.

[11] Awning signage copy shall only include building identification or address located on the valance and shall be a maximum nine inches in height.

[12] Awnings shall only be illuminated by building lighting.

G. Site.

(1) Parking.

(a) Building parking.

[1] Building parking shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[2] Building parking shall be located in the rear yard and be hard surfaced.

[3] Parking shall be accessed from district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[4] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[5] Parking luminaires shall be located on the building and conform to the building lighting criteria. If additional lighting is required, freestanding light fixtures shall conform to parking lot lighting criteria.

(b) Parking lot.

[1] Parking lots shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[2] Access to parking lots shall be from district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[3] Front yard setback shall be two feet greater than the larger adjacent building setback and shall be a minimum of 12 feet.

[4] Side and rear yard setback shall be a minimum six feet.

[5] Parking lots shall be hard surfaced and concrete or granite curbed.

[6] Parking aisles shall be oriented perpendicular to the front yard.

[7] Parking lots shall have one paved pedestrian walkway to each street frontage sidewalk a minimum six feet and a maximum eight feet wide. Pedestrian walks shall be hard surfaced and equal in material and pattern to the adjacent sidewalk.

[8] Setbacks shall be landscaped with one tree per 250 square feet and continuous ground cover.

[9] Parking lots shall be landscaped with trees and continuous ground cover in curbed islands so that the parking lot is shaded to a minimum 40% at tree maturity.

[10] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines and shall be maintained from dusk to dawn.

[11] Light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet in height. No light shall be cast upwards.

(2) Additional amenities.

(a) Fencing/wall.

[1] Fencing/wall shall not be located on primary street frontage.

[2] Fencing/wall shall be allowed in rear yards, side yards and secondary street frontages to a minimum 10 feet from the front facade.

[3] Fencing/wall shall have a maximum height of five feet in rear and side yards and a maximum height of four feet on secondary street frontages.

[4] On street frontages, fencing shall be ornamental picket of cast or extruded metal. Wood fencing is permitted in side and rear yards.

[5] Excluding wood or vinyl bevel siding, walls shall conform to district building materials.

[6] Gates shall be equal to fencing.

[7] Street frontage fencing/wall setback shall be a minimum two feet or two feet greater than district sidewalk criteria.

(b) Landscape.

[1] Front yards shall be landscaped with a minimum one tree per 350 square feet and continuous ground cover.

[2] All entrances fronting onto city, district and neighborhood streets shall have a walkway connecting to the sidewalk.

[3] Walkways shall be minimum five feet wide and concrete or modular unit paving.

[4] Freestanding luminaires shall be permitted one per sidewalk entrance.

[5] The luminaire shall be a minimum three feet to a maximum six feet above sidewalk grade. No light shall cast upwards.

H. [1]District plant materials. The plant materials shall conform to the Forestry Master Plan. Trees shall adhere to the following:

(1) Viability: winter hardy, suitable for urban conditions of shade, air quality, desiccation and soil and space limitations as found on the particular site, resistant to blight and pests.

(2) Public health and safety: thornless, no tap roots, no weak or brittle wood and no invasive weed species.

(3) Design character: mature size and shape suitable for the space available, tall canopy trees for wide streets and large sites, small or columnar trees for narrow streets and small sites, multiple seasons of special interest (in leaf, in blossom, fall color, bark or branching pattern) and/or harmony with the dominant character defining tree association of the area.

(4) All proposed street trees and work related to street trees shall conform to the Standards and Specifications for Street Tree and Public Tree Work.

[1] Editors Note: Former Subsection H, Noise level performance criteria, was repealed 9-21-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-323, which ordinance also redesignated former Subsection I as Subsection H.

§ 120-71 Tower District.

A. Purpose of the district. The primary purpose of the design criteria for the Tower District is to:

(1) Build upon the monumentality of the district to create grand public promenades and plaza spaces.

(2) Create a transparent street-level plane which exhibits the greatest sense of public space.

(3) Allow existing towers to readily adapt to a variety of uses and functions.

B. District boundaries and definition. The boundaries of the district were determined by identifying the extent of the contemporary office tower area in the CCD and the practical opportunities for enhancing the area as described above.

C. Design character of the district. Buildings in the Tower District have a clearly defined base, midsection and crown and have a high degree of transparency at ground level. The flexibility in street setbacks allows for enriched public spaces and the creation of plazas for gatherings. Buildings in the Tower District have easily identifiable entrances on all street frontages. Promenade-like streets, with wide sidewalks, improve the pedestrian experience and allow for a variety of public uses and activities.

D. Design Checklist. The following chart lists the design criteria and the deviations that require major site plan or minor site plan review. Applications that are within acceptable tolerances, and otherwise meet all design criteria, do not require site plan approval unless such approval is required pursuant to the other site plan thresholds as listed in § 120-191 of this chapter.

Design Checklist - Tower District
Design Criteria	Major Deviation	Minor Deviation	Minor Tolerance
BUILDINGS
Building form and mass	X
Minimum lot frontage	X
Maximum building coverage relative to block		X	10%
Minimum and maximum building height	X
Length to height ratio		X	20%
Orientation to street frontage	X
Front setback	X
Front plaza setback		X	10%
Side/rear setback	X
DISTRICT CHARACTER
Building maintains horizontal alignment		X
Facade composition (base, midsection, crown)	X
Equal street frontage facades	X
Facades higher than abutting buildings	X
Vehicular entry location		X
Vehicular entry width		X	10%
Vehicular entry to parking garage		X
Vehicular entry door		X	20%
Service bay depth		X
Facade lighting		X
Lighting at vehicular entrances		X
Window organization		X
Base facade window coverage		X	10%
Midsection/crown window height to width ratio		X	20%
Windows translucent		X	20%
Entrances on street frontage	X
Entrance elevation		X
Entrance articulation and percent translucent		X	20%
Entrance recess		X	20%
Entrance lighting		X
Rooftop mechanical/telecommunications equipment		X
Base primary construction material		X
Base primary colors		X	30%
Midsection/crown colors		X
Location of refuse storage		X
SIGNAGE
Building/corporate identification sign and size		X	10%
Mounting of building identification sign		X
Number of business signs		X
Location of business signs		X
Size of business signs		X	20%
Address sign location		X
Address sign size		X	20%
SKYWAY
Skyway height		X
Interior skyway parallel to exterior facade		X
Skyway width		X	10%
Skyway nontranslucent walls		X	20%
Skyway supported from facade		X
Skyway lighting		X
Skyway windows translucent		X	10%
Skyway entrances direct from building		X
Skyway entrances identified and translucent		X	10%
Skyway entrance lighting		X
Skyway roofline		X
Skyway material and color		X
Skyway benches quantity		X
Skyway benches size		X	20%
Skyway interpretive panel size		X	20%
SITE
Building underground parking location		X
Building underground parking access		X
Parking garage entry width		X	10%
Underground parking pedestrian access direct from building		X
Underground parking mechanical equipment location		X
Building underground parking entry lighting		X
Building surface parking size		X
Building surface parking location, surfacing and curbing		X
Building surface parking access		X
Building surface parking lighting		X
Parking lot location		X
Parking lot access		X
Parking lot setback		X
Parking lot surfacing and curbing		X
Parking lot aisle orientation		X
Parking lot landscaping		X	20%
Parking lot shaded area		X	20%
Parking lot pedestrian walks		X	10%
ADDITIONAL AMENITIES
Drive-through location		X
Wall setback		X
Wall height		X	10%
Wall materials		X
Plaza/forecourt entrances		X	10%
Plaza/forecourt grade elevation		X	20%
Plaza/forecourt materials		X
Plaza/forecourt benches		X	20%
Plaza/forecourt landscaping		X	20%
Plaza/forecourt lighting		X	20%

E. Design principles for the district. Design principles in the Tower District are intended to create a contiguous system of public spaces linked by pedestrian promenades. Buildings should be created to accommodate a range of uses, including both public and private spaces and they should have diverse facade features, with clearly defined base, midsection and crown. An appropriate scaled relationship between building coverage and block size will maintain the desired character of the district.

F. Buildings.

(1) District context.

(a) Building form and mass.

[1] Buildings shall exhibit a vertical mass on the street frontage with clearly articulated horizontal divisions.

(b) Lot size and coverage.

[1] The minimum lot frontage shall be 60 feet.[1]

[1] Editor's Note: Former Subsection F(1)(b)[2], concerning maximum building coverage, which immediately followed this subsection, was repealed 9-21-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-323.

(c) Height.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, building heights shall include:

[a] Main Street: N/A.

[b] City street: buildings shall be a a minimum of five stories.

[c] District street: buildings shall be a minimum of five stories.

[d] Neighborhood street: buildings shall be a minimum of five stories.

(d) Length to height ratio.

[1] The length to height ratio shall be a maximum 1:2.5 and a minimum 1:1.5 along primary street frontage.

(e) Orientation.

[1] Buildings shall be parallel to the street frontage property line.

(f) Setback.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, front yard setbacks shall include:

[a] Main Street: N/A.

[b] City street. All front yard setbacks shall be a minimum 11 feet and a maximum 19 feet and shall be integral to the sidewalk to create a minimum sidewalk of 20 feet.

[c] District street. All front yard setbacks shall be a minimum 11 feet and a maximum 19 feet and shall be integral to the sidewalk to create a minimum sidewalk of 20 feet.

[d] Neighborhood street: zero feet.

[2] The front yard setback can be increased for 33% of the building length to create a plaza/forecourt. The maximum setback shall be 33% of the building length; the minimum width shall be 20 feet.

[3] Side and rear setback shall be a minimum zero.

(2) District character.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] Buildings shall maintain the alignment of horizontal elements of adjacent existing buildings.

[2] The facade shall be composed to express a clearly defined base, midsection and crown; the base of the building shall be no higher than the top of the third story.

[3] All facades fronting a street shall conform to the district criteria and be equal.

[4] All facades higher than adjacent and abutting buildings shall be equal to street facades.

[5] A maximum of two adjacent vehicular entrances are permitted on a facade on district and neighborhood streets.

[6] Vehicular entrances shall be a maximum 11 feet wide.

[7] Vehicular entrances that lead to parking garages shall be integrated into the building facade and shall not extend beyond the top of the first floor.

[8] Vehicular entrances that consist of loading docks/service bays shall be enclosed with garage doors, integrated into the building facade and not extend beyond the top of the first floor. The garage door shall be recessed from the plane of the facade between three feet and five feet and shall be a minimum of 20% translucent.

[9] The depth of any service bay must accommodate total vehicle length so as not to interrupt pedestrian circulation on the sidewalk.

[10] Facade lighting shall be wall-mounted luminaires and shall be mounted no higher than the top of the third floor.

[11] Facade lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[12] Vehicular entrance lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

(b) Window.

[1] Windows shall be organized to reinforce the base, midsection and crown.

[2] The base shall be a minimum 50% and a maximum 75% window coverage.

[3] Windows across the midsection and crown of a building shall be equal to or greater in height than width.

[4] Base windows shall be transparent and shall permit views 20 feet into the building when standing five feet from the window.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Entrances into buildings shall be provided on all street frontages.

[2] The finished floor elevation of all buildings shall be a maximum 2.5 feet above sidewalk grade accessible by a ramp.

[3] All entrances shall be articulated and designed as building features. Entrances shall be a minimum 50% translucent.

[4] All entrance doors shall be recessed from the building face no less than the width of the door.

[5] All entrances shall be illuminated with accent lighting and shall conform to facade lighting. Light shall be cast downward.

(d) Roofline.

[1] Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be concealed so as not to be visible from the street. Enclosures for mechanical equipment shall be equal to facade.

(e) Material and color.

[1] In addition to windows, the base of the building shall include a maximum of two materials.

[2] In addition to windows, the base of buildings shall include a minimum two colors and a maximum three.

[3] The midsection and crown of buildings shall include only colors found in the base.

(f) Refuse storage.

[1] Refuse storage shall be concealed within the building.

(3) Signage.

(a) Building identification signage.

[1] A maximum of one building or corporate identification sign is permitted on each building to a maximum 120 square feet.

[2] Attached sign shall be flush to the building.

(b) Business signage.

[1] One window sign per ground floor commercial user shall be permitted.

[2] Signage shall be internal to the building and located no higher than the top of the first floor.

[3] Sign area shall not exceed 12 square feet.

(c) Address signage.

[1] One sign shall be located at the primary building entrance.

[2] Sign shall be a maximum of three feet high and shall not exceed 30 square feet.

(4) Skyway.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] Skyway shall be no higher than the top of the third story.

[2] Interior skyway shall run parallel to the exterior building facade.

[3] Skyway shall be a minimum 10 feet wide and shall have a minimum seven-foot unobstructed travel width.

[4] Skyway nontranslucent walls shall be a maximum two feet high measured from the floor.

[5] Skyway shall be supported from the building facade.

[6] All light sources shall be concealed and interior.

(b) Window.

[1] Exterior skyway shall be a minimum 80% translucent.

[2] The facade wall of an interior skyway shall be a minimum 50% translucent or as existing.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Skyway entrances shall provide direct entry from the sidewalk integral to the building.

[2] Entrances shall be clearly identified and 80% translucent.

[3] All entrances shall be illuminated by lighting that defines the entrance and conforms to building entrance lighting.

(d) Roofline.

[1] Rooflines shall be pitched or arched.

(e) Material and color.

[1] Excluding windows, a maximum of two primary construction materials conforming to district building criteria and metal may be used.

[2] Excluding windows, a maximum of two colors shall be permitted.

G. Site.

(1) Parking.

(a) Building parking.

[1] Building parking shall be located underground where building coverage exceeds 10,000 square feet.

[2] Underground parking entrance shall be at the facade and located fronting city, district or neighborhood streets.

[3] Total width of the parking garage entrance shall not exceed 22 feet.

[4] Pedestrian access to underground parking shall be integral to the building.

[5] Mechanical equipment for underground parking shall be integral to the building.

[6] Light level at the entrance to underground parking shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[7] Surface parking is permitted where building coverage is 10,000 square feet or less.

[8] Surface parking lot shall not exceed 3,000 square feet including aisles.

[9] Surface parking shall be located in the rear yard, be hard surfaced, and curbed.

[10] Surface parking shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[11] Surface parking shall be accessed from district, neighborhood or alley streets.

[12] Lighting levels shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

(b) Parking lot.

[1] Parking lots shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[2] Access to parking lots shall be from district or neighborhood streets.

[3] Parking lots shall be set back a minimum of 11 feet on all streets.

[4] Side and rear yard setback shall be a minimum 10 feet.

[5] Parking lots shall be hard surfaced and concrete or granite curbed.

[6] Parking aisles shall be oriented perpendicular to the front yard.

[7] Setbacks shall be landscaped with one tree per 250 square feet and continuous ground cover.

[8] Parking lots shall be landscaped with trees and continuous ground cover in curbed islands so that the parking lot is shaded to a minimum 40% at tree maturity.

[9] Pedestrian walks a minimum 60 feet on center and six feet wide shall be provided continuous to the sidewalk and shall be equal in material and pattern.

[10] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines and shall be maintained from dusk to dawn.

[11] Light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet in height.

(2) Additional amenities.

(a) Drive-throughs.

[1] Drive-throughs, including all queuing and additional facilities, shall be located interior to buildings.

(b) Fencing/walls.

[1] Walls shall conform to all building setbacks.

[2] Walls shall have a maximum height of five feet along rear yards and a minimum height of 1.5 feet and a maximum height three feet along street frontages, side yards and in plaza/forecourt.

[3] Walls shall conform to the district building materials.

(c) Plaza/forecourt.

[1] Entrances into the plaza/forecourt shall be provided on all street frontages; entrances shall be a minimum of 10 feet wide.

[2] Plaza or forecourt shall vary in elevation a maximum 2.5 feet from sidewalk grade.

[3] Plaza/forecourt shall be concrete or modular unit paving.

[4] Benches shall be provided at a minimum of one bench per 35 feet of frontage.

[5] Plaza/forecourt shall be landscaped with trees so that the area is shaded to a minimum 50% at tree maturity.

[6] Mature planting shall maintain open sight lines to the street between three feet and seven feet high.

[7] Plazas shall be illuminated and shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[8] Light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet in height.

H. [2]District plant materials. The plant materials shall conform to the Forestry Master Plan. Trees shall adhere to the following:

(1) Viability: winter hardy, suitable for urban conditions of shade, air quality, desiccation and soil and space limitations as found on the particular site, resistant to blight and pests.

(2) Public health and safety: thornless, no tap roots, no weak or brittle wood and no invasive weed species.

(3) Design character: mature size and shape suitable for the space available, tall canopy trees for wide streets and large sites, small or columnar trees for narrow streets and small sites, multiple seasons of special interest (in leaf, in blossom, fall color, bark or branching pattern) and/or harmony with the dominant character defining tree association of the area.

(4) All proposed street trees and work related to street trees shall conform to the Standards and Specifications for Street Tree and Public Tree Work.

[2] Editors Note: Former Subsection H, Noise level performance criteria, was repealed 9-21-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-323, which ordinance also redesignated former Subsection I as Subsection H.

§ 120-72 Cascade-Canal District.

A. Purpose of the district. The primary purpose of the design criteria for the Cascade-Canal District is to:

(1) Preserve and enhance the existing heritage qualities of the area.

(2) Allow existing warehouse and industrial style buildings to adapt to a variety of uses and function.

(3) Promote a pedestrian-scaled environment and create well-defined street edges with mid-block connections.

(4) Strengthen connections to Main Street and the riverfront.

(5) Promote the district as an enclave which expresses an rich warehouse/industrial quality; build upon and draw from the quality of the Cascade redevelopment area.

B. District boundaries and definition. The boundaries for the district were determined by identifying the extent of the warehouse/industrial character of the CCD and the practical opportunities for enhancing the area as described above. The district extends north of the Inner Loop to include Frontier Field and surrounding character lands.

C. Design character of the district. The design intent for this district preserves and promotes its industrial warehouse character and creates a pedestrian-scaled enclave. The design character is typified by two- to five-story, horizontal box-like buildings with flat rooflines. Facades are composed of dominant vertical columns and strong horizontal bands which divide translucent glass panels. Buildings have zero setback along street frontages to create a strong sense of enclosure and an appropriate pedestrian scale. A pedestrian-oriented alleyway system is created through the district with minimum side and rear yard setbacks. This pedestrian system links streets and allows for integrated connections to adjacent districts.

D. Design Checklist. The following chart lists the design criteria and the deviations that require major site plan or minor site plan review. Applications that are within acceptable tolerances, and otherwise meet all design criteria, do not require site plan approval unless such approval is required pursuant to the other site plan thresholds as listed in § 120-191 of this chapter.

Design Checklist - Cascade-Canal District
Design Criteria	Major Deviation	Minor Deviation	Minor Tolerance
BUILDINGS
Building form and mass	X
Minimum lot frontage	X
Maximum building length and depth relative to block		X	10%
Minimum and maximum building height	X
Length to height ratio		X	20%
Orientation to street frontage	X
Front setback	X
Side and rear yard setback	X
DISTRICT CHARACTER
Building maintains horizontal alignment		X
Facade composition	X
Equal street frontage facades	X
Vehicular entry location and garage door recessed and translucent		X	20%
Service bay depth		X
Facade lighting		X
Facade window coverage		X	10%
Window height to width ratio		X	20%
Divided window openings		X
Window translucency		X	20%
Window recess		X	30%
Basement window width		X
Entrances on street frontage	X
Entrance elevation		X
Entrance accent and translucency		X	20%
Entrance lighting		X
Roofline		X
Roofline cornice		X	20%
Rooftop mechanical/telecommunications equipment		X
Primary construction material of clay brick		X	10%
Additional construction material		X
Number of colors		X	50%
Location of refuse storage		X
Refuse storage details (enclosures, doors)		X
SIGNAGE
Number of building identification signs		X
Location of building identification sign		X
Size of building identification sign		X	20%
Building identification sign materials		X
Building identification sign luminaries		X
Building identification sign graphics		X
Building identification sign colors		X	30%
Business signs on kiosk		X
Address sign location		X
Address sign copy raised/recessed		X
Address sign materials		X
Address sign lighting		X
Heritage sign and location		X
Heritage sign material		X
Heritage sign information		X
Heritage sign size		X	20%
Awning locations		X
Awning width		X	10%
Awning height		X	10%
Awning projection		X	10%
Awning support/attachments		X
Awning material		X
Awning color		X	30%
Awning copy size		X	20%
Awning lighting		X
SITE
Building parking location and surfacing		X
Building rear yard parking access		X
Building rear yard parking lighting		X
Parking lot location		X
Parking lot access		X
Parking lot setback		X
Parking lot surfacing and curbing		X
Parking lot aisle orientation		X
Parking lot wall material		X
Parking lot wall height		X
Parking lot wall pedestrian openings		X	10%
Parking lot landscaping to shade area		X	20%
Parking lot wall columns		X	10%
Parking lot wall relief		X	20%
Parking lot wall column height		X	10%
Parking lot lighting height		X	10%
ADDITIONAL AMENITIES
Drive-through setback and location		X	10%
Wall setback		X
Wall height		X	10%
Wall materials		X

E. Design principles for the district. The design principles for the Cascade-Canal District creates a pedestrian-scaled enclave adaptable to a wide range of uses and functions. The historic character of the district should be enhanced and preserved. Greenway linkages should be established and connections to the riverfront should be strengthened. Impacts of the Inner Loop should be alleviated through design.

F. Buildings.

(1) District context.

(a) Building form and mass.

[1] Buildings shall be horizontal and longer in length than depth along the street.

(b) Lot size and coverage.

[1] The minimum lot frontage shall be 40 feet.

[2] The maximum building length and depth shall be no more than 50% of the block length or depth.

(c) Height.

[1] Unless otherwise noted, buildings heights shall include:

[a] Main Street: N/A.

[b] City street: a maximum of five stories in height to a maximum of 60 feet and a minimum of two stories.

[c] District street: a maximum of five stories in height to a maximum of 60 feet and a minimum of two stories.

[d] Neighborhood street: a maximum of five stories in height to a maximum of 60 feet and a minimum of two stories.

(d) Length to height ratio.

[1] The length to height ratio shall be a maximum 2:1 and minimum 1:1 along primary street frontage.

(2) Orientation.

(a) Buildings shall be parallel to the street frontage property line.

(3) Setback.

(a) Unless otherwise noted, front yard setbacks shall include:

[1] Main Street: N/A.

[2] City street: zero feet.

[3] District street: zero feet.

[4] Neighborhood street: zero feet.

(b) Side and rear yard setback shall be a minimum of 7.5 feet and a maximum nine feet.

(4) District character.

(a) Facade composition.

[1] Buildings shall maintain the alignment of horizontal elements of adjacent existing buildings.

[2] The building facade shall be composed to exhibit vertical columns 18 feet to 24 feet on center. Columns shall be two feet to three feet wide and create a relief from the plane of the facade.

[3] All facades fronting a street shall conform to the district criteria and be equal.

[4] One vehicular entrance is permitted on street frontages provided it is located between columns and is enclosed with a garage door. The garage door shall be recessed from the plane of the facade between 1.5 feet and three feet and shall be a minimum of 30% translucent.

[5] The depth of any service bay shall accommodate total vehicle length so as not to interrupt pedestrian circulation on the sidewalk.

[6] Facade lighting shall be wall-mounted luminaires historic in character and shall be mounted no higher than the top of the first floor and shall illuminate the sidewalk. No light shall cast upwards.

[7] Facade lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines. No floodlighting is permitted.

(b) Window.

[1] All street facades shall be a minimum 50% and a maximum 70% window coverage.

[2] All alley street facades shall be a minimum 25% window coverage.

[3] The window height to width ratio shall be 1:1 to 1:1.5 and shall exhibit regular fenestration.

[4] Window openings shall be divided with mullions; muntins are permitted.

[5] Windows shall be translucent and shall permit views 10 feet into the building when standing five feet away from window.

[6] Windows shall be recessed three inches to six inches from the facade.

[7] Basement windows shall maintain the same width as windows directly above.

(c) Entrance.

[1] Entrance into the buildings shall be provided on city, district and neighborhood street frontages.

[2] Entrances shall be flush with the sidewalk; changes in elevation shall be made internally.

[3] Entrances shall be clearly accented and 60% translucent.

[4] Entrances shall be illuminated and shall conform to facade lighting.

(d) Roofline.

[1] Rooflines shall be flat.

[2] Rooflines shall be delineated with simplified crown cornices a minimum two feet wide to a maximum three feet wide.

[3] Rooftop mechanical equipment shall be concealed so as not to be visible from the street.

(e) Material and color.

[1] Non-glass surfaces on street facades shall be a minimum of 55% to 65% clay brick.

[2] In addition to the windows and clay brick, one additional construction material may be used on the street facade including natural stone, stucco [exterior insulation finish system (EIFS)] or decorative concrete.

[3] Excluding windows, a maximum of two colors shall be permitted.

(f) Refuse storage.

[1] Excluding alley streets, refuse storage shall not be located on a street frontage and shall not be visible from the street.

[2] Refuse storage areas shall conform to one of the following:

[a] If a loading dock/service bay or vehicular garage is part of the building, refuse storage shall be contained within this area.

[b] If there is no loading dock/service bay or vehicular garage, refuse storage shall be located within the building, accessible from the exterior and enclosed with a solid metal door. The doors shall be integrated into the facade pattern in a manner consistent with the character of the building.

[c] If not located within the building, refuse storage shall be located within a concealed enclosure that includes solid metal doors, is integral to the building, consists of the same materials as the building and is located at the rear of the building.

(5) Signage.

(a) Building identification signage.

[1] One sign shall be allowed on each street frontage.

[2] Signs shall not be placed higher than the top of the first floor.

[3] Signs shall be integrated into the facade pattern between columns and shall be located above or adjacent to primary building entrances; signs shall be horizontal or vertical and flush mounted.

[4] Signs shall not exceed 30 square feet and shall have a maximum width of three feet.

[5] Sign materials shall include any of the district building materials, wood and metal.

[6] Sign luminaires shall conform to the facade lighting.

[7] Sign graphics shall be raised or recessed copy.

[8] Signs shall include no more than three colors.

[9] Signs may be painted onto facades fronting alley streets.

(b) Business signage.

[1] Signage shall be placed on a common kiosk at each street building entrance and shall conform to street criteria.

(c) Address signage.

[1] Signs shall be located at the primary building entrance no higher than top of the first floor.

[2] Sign graphics shall be raised or recessed copy and shall be a minimum of two inches and a maximum nine inches in height.

[3] Sign materials shall include any of the district building materials and metal.

[4] Building lighting shall illuminate the sign.

(d) Heritage signage.

[1] One sign shall be placed on the primary frontage of each building and shall be located no higher than five feet above finished grade.

[2] Signs shall be face mounted to the building facade.

[3] Signs shall be made of metal.

[4] Signs shall include, at a minimum, the date of construction.

[5] The maximum sign area shall be 1.5 square feet.

(e) Awning.

[1] Awnings shall be permitted at building entrances.

[2] The maximum width shall be two times the width of the entrance opening.

[3] Awnings shall be a maximum nine feet above the entrance elevation.

[4] Awnings shall project no more than half the width of the sidewalk.

[5] Awning support shall include building attachments only.

[6] Awnings shall be made of flexible woven, natural or synthetic material.

[7] Awning fabric shall include no more than three colors.

[8] Awning signage copy shall include only building identification or address located on the valance and shall be a maximum eight inches in height.

[9] Awnings shall only be illuminated by building lighting.

G. Site.

(1) Parking.

(a) Building parking.

[1] Building parking shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[2] Building parking shall be located in the rear yard and be hard surfaced.

[3] Parking shall be accessed from alley streets.

[4] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines.

[5] Parking luminaires shall be located on the building and conform to the building lighting criteria. If additional lighting is required, freestanding light fixtures shall conform to parking lot lighting criteria.

(b) Parking lot.

[1] Parking lots shall not be located at intersecting city streets.

[2] Access to parking lots shall be from alley streets.

[3] Parking lots shall have setbacks to accommodate the required wall on all streets except alley streets.

[4] Side and rear yard setback shall be a minimum 7.5 feet and a maximum nine feet.

[5] Parking lots shall be hard surfaced and concrete or granite curbed.

[6] Parking aisles shall be oriented perpendicular to the front yard.

[7] Parking lots shall be screened on city, district and neighborhood streets by a wall conforming to district building materials.

[8] The wall shall be a minimum three feet high and a maximum four feet high.

[9] Walls shall have pedestrian openings eight feet to 10 feet wide aligned with the center line of the parking aisles. Pedestrian walks, the full width of the opening, shall be a hard surfaced and equal in material and pattern to the adjacent sidewalk.

[10] Parking lots shall be landscaped with trees and continuous ground cover in curbed islands so that the parking lot is shaded to a minimum 40% at tree maturity.

[11] Columns shall be expressed in the wall 18 feet to 24 feet on center.

[12] Wall columns shall create a relief from the plane of the wall a minimum four inches.

[13] Column width shall be 16 inches to 24 inches.

[14] Lighting shall conform to Illumination Engineers Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines and shall be maintained from dusk to dawn.

[15] Light fixtures shall not exceed 18 feet in height. No light shall be cast upwards.

(2) Additional amenities.

(a) Drive-through.

[1] Drive-through shall be located on an alley street and set back 60 feet from the front yard.

[2] Drive-through shall be integral to the building.

(b) Wall.

[1] Walls shall conform to all building setbacks.

[2] Walls shall have a maximum height of five feet along side and rear yard and a minimum height of 1.5 feet and a maximum height of three feet along street frontages.

[3] Walls shall conform to the district building materials.

H. [1]District plant materials. The plant materials shall conform to the Forestry Master Plan. Trees shall adhere to the following:

(1) Viability: winter hardy, suitable for urban conditions of shade, air quality, desiccation and soil and space limitations as found on the particular site, resistant to blight and pests.

(2) Public health and safety: thornless, no tap roots, no weak or brittle wood and no invasive weed species.

(3) Design character: mature size and shape suitable for the space available, tall canopy trees for wide streets and large sites, small or columnar trees for narrow streets and small sites, multiple seasons of special interest (in leaf, in blossom, fall color, bark or branching pattern) and/or harmony with the dominant character defining tree association of the area.

(4) All proposed street trees and work related to street trees shall conform to the Standards and Specifications for Street Tree and Public Tree Work.

[1] Editors Note: Former Subsection H, Noise level performance criteria, was repealed 9-21-2010 by Ord. No. 2010-323, which ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former Subsection I as Subsection H.