§ 1908. Architectural design guidelines.

(a)

The use of a common palate of building materials for a specific nonresidential or multi-family project shall be maintained for all building façades to create a consistent and themed architectural identity. For large commercial/retail buildings, variations in façade, roofline and depth must be provided to lend the appearance of multi-tenant occupancy.

(b)

Terms used in this section:

Arcade: A covered walkway or structural canopy extending along the entire length of the front façade of a commercial building.

Building types:

(1)

Multi-family residential: A residential building containing three or more dwelling units.

(2)

Commercial or office: A building occupied by one or more business establishments that are primarily engaged in the sale of goods; the provision of personal, professional, business, entertainment or other commercial services; the management of a business enterprise; or the provision of temporary housing to the traveling public (such as a motel).

(3)

Mixed-use: A building occupied by both commercial stores or offices and residential dwelling units.

(4)

Industrial: A building occupied by one or more business establishments that are primarily engaged in the fabrication, manufacture or production of durable or non-durable goods.

(5)

Institutional: A building occupied by a nonprofit religious, recreational or philanthropic organization, club or private school.

Façade: A vertical exterior face or elevation of a building.

(1)

Front façade: Any façade with a public entry that faces a public right-of-way. "Facing" a right-of-way shall include being angled 60 degrees or less toward a right-of-way.

(2)

Rear façade: Any façade without a public entry that does not face a public right-of-way. Such façades may form the "sides" of a building if not facing a right-of-way.

(3)

Side façade: Any façade without a public entry but facing a public right-of-way or any façade with a public entry but not facing a public right-of-way. A side façade typically connects a front façade with a rear façade.

Net square footage of wall area: The total area in square feet of a single building façade, less the total area of windows and doors contained within the façade.

Nonresidential use or development: A property that contains or is intended to contain a commercial, office, industrial or institutional building as its principal use (as defined in this zoning ordinance), or a mixed-use building that exclusively contains commercial, office, industrial or institutional uses on its first or ground floor.

Obscured from view: The imposition of structural or natural materials between an observer and an object such that the features of the object become visually indistinguishable.

(c)

Building plans.

(1)

All building plans submitted as an application for a building permit within the IGO district must clearly indicate all of the proposed building materials and colors for each façade as described herein. The plans must clearly show the location and calculate the amount/percentages of all building materials per façade.

(2)

Groups of buildings on the same parcel of land may be reviewed and permitted as a single project rather than individual buildings. Grouping of similar buildings is encouraged to minimize the number of reviews required and to allow for originality and design flexibility.

(d)

General architectural requirements.

(1)

All ground mounted mechanical, HVAC and like systems shall be obscured from view on all sides by an adequately opaque wall, fence or lattice made of materials compatible with the building's materials, or with dense evergreen landscaping.

(2)

For all commercial or office buildings, roof mounted mechanical, HVAC and like systems shall be obscured from view from any public street.

(3)

Permanent mounted exterior neon lights shall not be allowed. Under-canopy lighting shall be recessed and not directly visible from any public street.

(4)

In a nonresidential development with out-parcels, buildings located on the out-parcels shall be constructed of the same primary building material as the principal building with which they are associated.

(5)

Back-lit awnings, roof mounted lights, and/or roof mounted flag poles are not allowed. Satellite dishes shall be located and painted to blend with the background as much as practical.

(6)

Overhead doors for nonresidential uses are not allowed to face a public street or highway.

(e)

Building materials. The following building materials may be used and combined to create a consistent, attractive, interesting and long-lasting building design. The quantity and type of building materials are described below.

(1)

Allowed building materials:

a.

Brick or brick veneers.

b.

Stone or stone veneers of natural stone such as, but not limited to, granite, limestone and marble are allowed building materials. Terra cotta and/or cast stone, which simulate natural stone, are also acceptable. Painted stone is not allowed.

c.

Tilt/architectural pre-cast concrete.

d.

High grade stucco. Simulated or artificial stucco products are not acceptable.

e.

Painted concrete block.

f.

Split-face block/concrete masonry unit (CMU).

g.

Natural wood and cement-based artificial wood siding.

h.

Structural glass or glass curtain wall.

i.

Pre-engineered metal buildings.

(2)

Ratios and amounts of allowed building materials.

The following table 19.2 outlines the allowed building materials for specific types of uses that apply to each façade:

Table 19.2: Allowed Building Materials

	Building Type
	Multi-Family	Commercial or Office	Mixed-Use	Industrial	Institutional
Brick	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stone	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Glass	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tilt/Precast	No	No	No	Yes	No
Stucco
Front/Side	Max. 50%	Max. 25%	Max. 25%	Max. 25%	Yes
Rear	Max. 50%	Max. 50%	Max. 50%	Max. 50%	Yes
Concrete Block
Front/Side	No	No	No	No	No
Rear	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CMU/Split-Face Block
Front/Side	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Rear	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Metal Building	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Wood Siding
Front/Side	Max. 50%	Max. 25%	Max. 25%	No	Yes
Rear	Max. 50%	Max. 50%	Max. 50%	No	Yes

 

 See the descriptions of building types under section 1908(b).

 Rear facades that are visible from a public or private street, or face the front or side of an adjacent building, must meet the standards for a front/side façade.

 Any façade of a pre-engineered metal building visible from and within 200 feet of the right-of-way of US 301 may not be exposed metal siding, and must be covered with an alternate building material allowed by this section.

(3)

Accent/trim exterior building material. Small amounts of building materials such as wood, tile, etc., may be used to enhance the elevation of the building or for decorative elements but must not exceed ten percent of total wall area per façade.

(4)

Façade calculations:

a.

With the exception of accent/trim materials, there shall be no more than two primary building materials used on any one façade. When a material is restricted as a percentage in table 19.2, such as stucco, siding, etc., the building material may not be combined with another restricted building material. The allowed façade materials shall not apply to windows, glass-front windows, entry doors and/or roll-up doors.

b.

The amount of permitted material shall be calculated using the net square footage of wall area per façade. A building material that is allowed (such as brick) may be used in any percentage throughout the structure. A material that is restricted (such as stucco) is allowed as a maximum percentage.

For example, a commercial building has a front façade with a gross façade area of 1,200 square feet with 400 square feet consisting of windows and doors. Begin with the net square footage of wall area of 800 square feet (1,200 minus 400) for required building material calculations. In this case, the front façade of a commercial building with a net wall area of 800 square feet shall have no more than 200 square feet of stucco on the front façade (800 × 25% = 200). The balance must be brick or another allowed material without a percentage restriction.

(f)

Roof requirements.

(1)

Sloped roofs. Sloped roofs must be covered with shingles, tiles, standing seam metal, or other material with similar appropriate texture and appearance. Tar paper and corrugated metal roofs are not allowed on sloped roofs.

(2)

Mansard roofs. Mansard roofs shall have a minimum pitch of 2:1 (60º) and a maximum pitch of 90º (vertical), with a minimum four-foot vertical surface rise. The top story of a building may simulate a mansard roof but the minimum and maximum pitches will apply.

(3)

Canopies. Drive under canopies for gasoline pumps may have a flat roof with vertical or factory formed facing of finished sheet metal.

(4)

Arcade for multi-tenant commercial building. For any multi-tenant commercial shopping center or strip retail/service center, a covered arcade shall be provided along the front façade of the building. Arcades are covered walkways connected to or separate from the principal building. They should be designed in a manner that provides architectural depth to the building and includes covered areas for relief from the weather. The arcade must be a minimum of five feet in width.

(g)

Alternate standards.

(1)

The architectural design standards of this section 1908 are intended to be followed as outlined above. In the event the intent of these standards can be achieved with minor deviations that do not substantially affect the purpose and intent of this section, the county manager or their designee has the authority to modify the specific provisions on a case-by-case basis.

(2)

If substantial modifications or changes to the architectural design standards of this section 1908 are desired for a particular property or building, the property owner may apply for a variance to modify these standards. Any application for an alternate architectural design standard shall be accompanied with proposed elevations, building material descriptions and renderings necessary for the planning and zoning commission to make a determination whether the alternate proposal meets the intent of these requirements. A variance approval may be granted with conditions, modifications or requirements deemed necessary to maintain the high level of development quality intended by the IGO district.

(Amend. of 9-2-14)