Chapter 17.57 — OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS FOR CAPITOLA MALL REDEVELOPMENT Revised 6/26

This chapter contains objective design standards for multifamily residential, residential mixed-use, commercial, and hotel development projects on the Capitola Mall property. These standards are intended to provide a set of clear, objective, and measurable standards to promote ease of review and processing and increased certainty in the outcome of the review process for housing development projects, while ensuring that Capitola Mall redevelopment projects exhibit high-quality design that enhances Capitola’s unique identity and sense of place, allows for economically feasible housing development, and maintains the regional commercial district’s role as a long-term revenue generator that sustains essential services for residents. These standards aim to facilitate housing production on the Capitola Mall property and incentivize the creation of housing that is affordable for all income levels in a vital, mixed-use environment. (Ord. 1075 § 4 (Exh. A), 2026)

a. Private Internal Streets. New internal streets shall be privately owned and maintained. As such, dedication or irrevocable offer of dedication to the city is not required for new internal streets. b. New Streets Intersecting Mall Property Boundary.

i. Capitola Road. A mall redevelopment project on APN 034-26-140 shall establish a new internal street connecting to the signalized intersection at Capitola Road that aligns and connects with 38th Avenue. See Figure 17.57-1.

ii. Clares Street. A mall redevelopment project on APN 034-26-153 shall establish a new internal street intersecting Clares Street that aligns and connects with 40th Avenue. See Figure 17.57-1. iii. 41st Avenue. A mall redevelopment project on APN 034-26-137 shall establish a new internal street connecting to 41st in the same location as the signalized intersection providing vehicular access to the Capitola Mall from 41st Avenue existing as of January 1, 2026. See Figure 17.57-1.

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Figure 17.57-1: New Streets Intersecting Mall Property Boundary

iv. Additional Streets.

(A) A mall redevelopment project shall establish new internal streets beyond those specified above as needed to comply with the maximum block length standard in subsection (A)(2)(e) of this section (Maximum Block Lengths).

(B) New internal streets are required only on parcels on which mall redevelopment occurs.

c. Internal Street Connectivity.

i. A mall redevelopment project shall create new internal streets that provide a vehicular connection between all perimeter streets abutting the development site except where the planning commission finds that the establishment of new internal streets would be infeasible (e.g., presence of existing structures and improvements on the site).

ii. A mall redevelopment project application shall include a circulation diagram that shows how future potential internal streets on adjacent parcels can:

(A) Connect to new internal streets on the development site; and

(B) Provide a vehicular connection to perimeter streets that do not abut the development site.

iii. New internal streets shall be designed to allow for connections to existing internal circulation and future internal streets on adjacent properties within the mall block. iv. Where an adjacent property within the mall block was previously redeveloped, a mall redevelopment project shall provide one or more vehicular connections between the development site and the adjacent property.

v. If a new internal street cannot yet connect to an existing public street or other public way, the property owner may temporarily restrict public access to that street until such a connection becomes feasible through future adjacent development. Once a connection to another public street or public way is established, the internal street shall be opened for public use. The property owner shall remove any gates or other physical barriers to ensure permanent unrestricted public access.

vi. If the parcel on which mall redevelopment will occur contains an existing street, pedestrian path, or other public connection, that connection will be preserved or replaced on the parcel to maintain public access and circulation through the property.

vii. In all areas of the Capitola Mall property, where a project site includes an existing street or other public connection, this public connection will be maintained or relocated within the project site. d. Internal Street Standards. All internal streets shall comply with street design standards and requirements of the city of Capitola and the Central Fire District of Santa Cruz County. e. Maximum Block Lengths.

i. Mall redevelopment shall include new streets with a maximum block length of four hundred fifty feet along any block face, measured along the edge of curb between intersecting streets. See Figure 17.57-2.

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Figure 17.57-2: Maximum Block Length

ii. Maximum block length standards apply to blocks abutting a perimeter street and blocks internal to the mall property that do not abut a perimeter street.

iii. The city may grant a twenty-five percent increase to the maximum block length standard in subsection (A)(2)(e)(i) of this section in cases where compliance with the standard is infeasible due to the location of existing structures and improvements, including existing points of ingress/egress from perimeter streets, that will remain on the property.

f. Pedestrian and Bicycle Circulation.

i. A mall redevelopment project shall include a network of pedestrian and bicycle facilities that connect all new and existing buildings on the site to each other, to publicly accessible open space areas, to commercial uses on adjacent properties, and to perimeter streets.

ii. All pedestrian and bicycle facilities shall comply with the city of Capitola public improvement design standards and the adopted 41st Avenue and Clares Street Corridor Plan. Where sidewalk and pedestrian realm standards in this chapter conflict with the public improvement design standards, this chapter governs.

iii. The following requirement applies when an internal street is established that connects two abutting perimeter streets:

(A) At least one continuous bike lane or bike path shall also connect the two abutting perimeter streets.

(B) For any portion of the internal street that abuts ground-floor commercial uses, sharrows may be provided as an alternative to the bike lane or path.

g. Circulation Plans.

i. A mall redevelopment project application shall provide vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian circulation plans that show the location of all streets, bicycle facilities, and pedestrian walkways on the development site and demonstrate compliance with all applicable standards.

ii. The vehicular circulation plan shall include street sections specifying travel lane widths and pedestrian improvements consistent with subsections (A)(2)(h)(i) (internal street frontages) and (A)(2)(h)(ii) (perimeter street frontages) of this section.

h. Street Frontage Improvements.

i. When Required – Internal Streets.

(2) Consistent with the circulation plan required by subsection (A)(2)(g) (Circulation Plan) of this section.

(C) The planning commission may grant an exception to the requirement in subsection (A)(2)(h)(i)(B) of this section upon finding that installing the frontage improvements on the abutting parcel would be infeasible (e.g., presence of existing buildings within the minimum frontage improvement dimensions).

ii. When Required – Perimeter Streets.

(1) Redevelopment occurs on the parcel.

(2) The parcel area is included in the calculation of the development project’s maximum permitted density.

iii. Required Components and Dimensions.

(A) Street frontage improvements shall include a building frontage zone, pedestrian clear path, and landscape/street furniture zone that comply with the minimum dimensions in Table 17.57-1 and Figures 17.57-3 and 17.57-4.

(B) Improvements with the minimum dimensions in Table 17.57-1 are required for all street frontages, including frontages that abut publicly accessible open space, surface parking, or other conditions where a building is not present.

(C) Perimeter street frontage improvements shall be consistent with the adopted city of Capitola corridor plan for 41st Avenue, Capitola Road, and Clares Street. In cases of conflict between this section and the corridor plan, the corridor plan governs. For Tier 1 and 2 projects, minimum dimensions are measured from the property line. For Tier 3 projects, the city may allow street frontage improvements within the public right-of-way consistent with the 41st Avenue and Capitola Road corridor plan and subject to city approval.

(D) Perimeter street curb location will be based on the corridor plan and other applicable city transportation plans and policies. The city shall require the developer to provide a public access easement or dedication for perimeter street sidewalks on public property.

Table 17.57-1: Street Frontages

Notes:

[1] To achieve the total minimum width, one or more components must exceed the minimum width shown in this table.

• [2] Dimension calculation excludes the curb.

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Figure 17.57-3: Internal Street Pedestrian Realm

Figure 17.57-4: Perimeter Street Pedestrian Realm iv. Deviations from Minimum Dimensions. (A) The planning commission may approve a deviation to the minimum dimensions in Table 17.57-1 to: (1) Create public plazas, forecourts, or widened sidewalk segments that enhance pedestrian gathering and activity; (2) Accommodate outdoor seating, cafe areas, or active ground-floor uses that animate the public realm; (3) Incorporate mid-block paseos or alternative bicycle and pedestrian connections that improve walkability and connectivity. (B) Deviating frontages must comply with the following standards at all times: (1) Minimum total pedestrian realm width: sixteen feet for internal streets and twenty feet for perimeter streets. (2) Minimum pedestrian clear path: six feet. v. Building Frontage Zone. (A) The building frontage zone is the land area between a building and a sidewalk or pedestrian pathway. (B) The building frontage zone shall be landscaped, except for: (1) Areas required for vehicular or pedestrian access to the building; (2) Areas for residential patios, porches, stoops, stair landings, fire escapes and other similar entry features; (3) Courtyards, outdoor seating areas, and other similar outdoor spaces serving a commercial use; and (4) An expanded public sidewalk when adjacent to ground-floor commercial uses. (C) A building frontage zone may include green stormwater infrastructure to comply with municipal regional stormwater permit requirements. vi. Pedestrian Clear Path. The developer shall install a sidewalk with the minimum pedestrian clear path shown in Table 17-57-1. vii. Landscape/Street Furniture Zone – Internal Streets. The following standards apply only to internal streets: (A) Street Trees. Street trees shall be provided within the landscape/street furniture zone as follows: (1) Spacing between trees: maximum thirty feet on center.

(2) Tree well size: minimum four feet each direction.

(3) Planter well surfacing: tree grates, permeable pavers, decomposed granite, understory plants, or similar treatments as determined by the city.

ii. A minimum of one tree shall be planted per four hundred square feet of open space, unless otherwise specified within this section. iii. The open space shall be publicly accessible for a minimum twelve consecutive hours per day or during daylight hours, whichever is longer.

iv. The open space shall be directly accessible and visible from a publicly accessible street or pathway.

v. The open space shall have a minimum area of three thousand square feet and a minimum dimension of twenty feet in any direction. vi. The open space shall have permanent seating (e.g., seat walls, planter ledges, benches, picnic tables, and seating steps). vii. The open space shall include lighting for nighttime use.

e. Ownership and Maintenance.

i. Publicly accessible open space must be either:

(A) Offered as dedication to the city with an associated maintenance funding mechanism acceptable to the city (such as a community facilities district or other equivalent arrangement); or

(B) Privately owned and maintained with dedication of a public access easement, subject to a recorded maintenance agreement.

ii. In all cases, publicly accessible open spaces shall be maintained at no public expense.

f. Central Gathering Place. i. A project on a development site greater than ten acres must include a central gathering place that: (A) Supports civic and commercial activities such as farmers’ markets, performances, and seasonal events; and (B) Serves as a flexible gathering space for all ages and abilities. ii. The minimum size of the central gathering place is twelve thousand square feet.

iii. The central gathering place shall be a plaza, square, or park (Tier 1 projects only) and must include the following:

(A) Street trees along adjacent sidewalks.

(B) Vehicle traffic limited to no more than three sides of the plaza/square.

c. Encourage residents to walk, bike, and/or take transit to destinations, rather than drive;

ii. If the city grants an increase to the maximum block length standard pursuant to subsection (A)(2)(e)(iii) of this section, an increased building length is permitted equal to the permitted block length. b. Massing Breaks.

i. Buildings facing a street or publicly accessible open space shall provide massing breaks as follows (see Figure 17.57-6):

(A) Buildings less than two hundred sixty feet in length: none required. (B) Buildings two hundred sixty to four hundred feet in length: minimum one required. (C) Buildings greater than four hundred feet: minimum two required. ii. Required massing breaks shall feature a horizontal change in the building place with a minimum width of twelve feet and a minimum depth of twelve feet. iii. The change in building plane shall extend from the finished ground floor through the full height of the building including breaking the roof plane.

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Figure 17.57-6: Massing Breaks

c. Building Height. See Section 17.24.035 (Capitola Mall redevelopment) for maximum building height standards, including building height limitations adjacent to perimeter streets. F. Facade and Roof Design.

1. Intent. The intent of the facade and roof design standards is to:

• a. Support an active and welcoming pedestrian environment;

b. Create street-facing building facades that are varied and interesting with human-scale design details;

c. Incorporate architectural elements that reduce the box-like appearance and perceived mass of buildings;

d. Ensure that new development reflects the scale, rhythm, and authenticity of a traditional urban block;

e. Reflect Capitola’s diverse architecture with varied and distinct facade identities at regular intervals within each block; and

• f. Prevent a large project from appearing monolithic.

2. Standards.

a. Unique Facade Identities.

i. A facade identity is a visually distinct portion of the building frontage characterized by a unique combination of massing, materials, colors, architectural expression, and window rhythm that differentiates it from adjacent portions of the building frontage.

ii. A building facade greater than one hundred fifty feet facing a street or publicly accessible open space shall include multiple unique facade identities as shown in Table 17.57-3 and Figure 17.57-7:

Table 17.57-3: Required Distinct Facade Identities

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Figure 17.57-7: Unique Facade Identities

iii. To qualify as a distinct facade identity, each identity must incorporate all of the following differentiating elements:

(A) A materially different primary cladding.

(B) A contrasting color palette.

(C) A distinct window pattern or rhythm.

(D) Distinct building facade modulation patterns and forms (e.g., changes in patterns of building wall recesses and projections).

(E) Varied roof/building height.

(F) A unique ground-floor treatment (e.g., storefront articulation, residential stoops).

iv. Each unique facade identity shall comply with the following:

(A) No individual facade identity may have a length less than forty feet or greater than one hundred sixty feet.

(B) The length of a facade identity shall vary by at least twenty-five percent from the length of an adjacent identity.

(C) Each facade identity must be visually unique.

(D) Corner facade identities may not repeat within the mall redevelopment area.

(E) Mid-block facade identities may not repeat on the same block.

(F) A facade identity at the end of a block must turn the corner and continue for a minimum of forty feet.

v. To ensure each facade identity reads as a distinct architectural element, adjacent facade identities shall be separated by a recess no less than twelve inches in width by twelve inches in depth.

vi. Roof parapets of adjacent facade identities shall vary by one or more of the following methods:

(A) Change in parapet height by five feet.

(B) Parapet setback created by a massing break or terrace.

(C) Change in roof form from flat to sloped.

b. Residential Ground-Floor Design. See Figure 17.57-8.

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Figure 17.57-8: Residential Ground-Floor Design

i. Transparency. A residential ground-floor building facade facing a street or publicly accessible open space shall include transparent windows, entries, and/or clear glazing for a minimum thirty-two percent of ground-floor frontage located between three feet eight inches and seven feet eight inches above the finished floor.

ii. Open Space Frontages. Where a ground-floor residential use faces a publicly accessible open space required by subsection B of this section (Publicly Accessible Open Space), excluding paseos and pathways, a minimum of seventy-five percent of the facade frontage shall contain dwelling units, lobby, gym area, or other similar active space accessed and used by residents. iii. Finished Floor Level. The finished floor level of ground floor residential units shall be no greater than four feet above the adjacent sidewalk grade. iv. Shared Entrances. The following standards apply to all primary building entrances shared by two or more units: (A) Minimum Width. The width of the entry shall be no less than ten feet. (B) Transparency. Minimum sixty percent transparent glazing between three and seven feet for the required entry width. (C) Weather Protection.

(1) To provide weather protection, the shared entrance shall include a projecting awning, canopy, extended eave, or other similar feature above the entry; a recessed entry; or a combination of the two. (2) Minimum projection or recess depth: five feet. (D) Visual Prominence. Primary building entrances must be clearly visible from the street with visual prominence. Projects must select one or more of the following methods to satisfy this requirement: (1) Changes in building form and modulations, including recessed or projecting entry bays and changes in the roofline or wall height above the entry. (2) Entry materials and colors that contrast with surrounding facade treatment.

(E) Fenestration pattern that contrasts with surrounding window treatment.

(F) Projecting architectural elements surrounding the entrance, such as awnings, canopies, columns, and porticos.

v. Entrances to Individual Units. Entrances to individual units (e.g., townhome entrances) must be emphasized with one or more of the following:

(A) An awning or canopy above the entry with a minimum outward projection of three feet and minimum width sufficient to clear the entrance on both sides.

(B) A recess in the building wall with a minimum width of four feet and depth of two feet.

• (C) A covered porch, providing access to the entry, with a minimum area of seventy square feet with a dimension of six feet in any direction.

(D) A patio with minimum dimensions of five feet by five feet. A patio may include a partition not to exceed forty-two inches in height between the sidewalk and the patio to define the transition between public and private space. c. Commercial Ground-Floor Design (Excludes Hotels). The following standards apply to both vertical mixed-use and stand-alone commercial buildings: i. Ground Floor Height. For all new commercial space required for a Tier 2 or Tier 3 project, the ground level shall have minimum sixteen feet clear from the ground floor to the bottom of the structure above. See Figure 17.57-9. This minimum ground floor height standard does not apply to commercial space provided in excess of the required new commercial minimum.

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Figure 17.57-9: Ground-Floor Height

ii. Transparency.

(A) A ground-floor building wall that faces a street or publicly accessible open space shall provide transparent windows or doors with views into the building between three and ten feet above the finished floor as follows (see Figure 17.57-10):

(1) Primary facade: minimum sixty-five percent.

(2) Secondary facade: minimum forty percent.

(B) “Primary facade” means the facade of a building that:

(1) Contains the main public entrance to the commercial uses; and

(2) Is oriented towards the street or publicly accessible open space with the most anticipated pedestrian activity.

(C) “Secondary facade” means all other facades of a building that are not the primary facade.

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Figure 17.57-10: Commercial Ground-Floor Transparency

iii. Entrances. Publicly accessible entrances shall include weather protection with either:

(A) A projecting nonfabric awning, canopy, extended eave, or other similar feature above the entry, minimum four feet wide by four feet deep; or

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