§ 155.312 DESIGN STANDARDS. — Eureka Zoning Code

§ 155.312.010 PURPOSE. ¶

This § 155.312 establishes design standards for new development in the residential and mixed-use zoning districts.

(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19)

§ 155.312.020 APPLICABILITY. ¶

(A) When required. This section applies to the following new development:

(1) All new primary buildings in the R2 and R3 zoning districts and all new non-residential primary buildings in the R1 zoning district;

(2) All new primary buildings in the DT, DW, HC, SC, WA, NC, HM and OR zoning districts; and
(3) Additions adding 30% or more floor area to the total existing floor area of a primary building in the R2 or R3 zoning districts, a primary building in a mixed-use zoning district, or a non-residential primary building in the R1 zoning district.
(B) Exempt projects. Projects exempt from this section include the following:
(1) Single-family homes, including accessory dwelling units and other structures accessory to a single-family home;
(2) Hospitals, medical offices and clinics, and other health care-related uses in the Hospital Medical (HM) zoning district; and
(3) Public infrastructure and public utility uses in any zoning district.
(C) Street-facing. The standards in this section apply to all exterior street-facing portions of a building.

(D) Equivalent degree.

(1) For buildings located on sites with multiple street frontages, such as buildings on corner or double frontage lots, each side of the building facing a street must feature:

(a) An equivalent quality of materials; and
(b) An equivalent degree and quality of detailing.

(2) For example, on a corner lot, the quality and design detail of windows on the side of the building that faces the side street must be comparable to windows on the front building wall.

(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 916-C.S., passed 7-6-21; Am. Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)

§ 155.312.030 EXTERIOR MATERIALS. ¶

(A) Materials allowed. All exterior materials used for additions and new construction of any primary building in the multifamily residential and mixed-use zoning districts, and non-residential primary buildings in the R1 Zoning District, must allow for long-term durability and appearance. The use of uninterrupted plywood siding, unfaced particle board, OSB and/or vinyl as exterior siding material is prohibited.

(B) Board and batten. Vertically-oriented board and batten must consist of separate boards and battens that are installed together onto the building wall. Pre-fabricated sheathing or siding that simulates the board and batten appearance is not allowed.

(C) Stucco. For all multi-family and non-residential buildings, stucco may be used for a maximum of 50% of the street-facing building wall. The calculation of the building wall area excludes windows, doors and other building openings. This standard applies to all forms of exterior plaster, including stucco, concrete plaster, elastomer and other related materials. (Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 902 C.-S., passed 8-18-20)

§ 155.312.040 BUILDING ENTRIES. ¶

(A) Buildings with one primary entry. For buildings with one primary entrance that provides interior access to multiple individual dwelling units or non-residential tenant spaces, the primary building entrance must face the street. See Figure 312-1.

(B) Multiple independent entries. On lots where units/tenant spaces have independent entrances, all ground floor units/tenant spaces with street frontage must have an entrance that faces the street. If any wall of a ground floor unit/tenant space faces the street, the unit/tenant space must comply with this requirement. For units/tenant spaces that do not front the street, entrances may face the interior of the lot. See Figure 312-2.

Figure 312-1: Building Entry Orientation - Single Primary Entry Figure 312-2: Building Entry Orientation - Multiple Primary Entries

(C) Entrance design.

(1) Residential projects. A street-facing primary entrance to residential buildings must feature a porch, covered entry or recessed entry clearly visible from the street to give the entrance prominence. Entrances must be connected to the adjacent sidewalk with a pedestrian walkway. Recessed entries must feature design elements that call attention to the entrance such as ridged canopies, contrasting materials, crown molding, decorative trim or a 45-degree cut away entry. This standard does not apply to secondary or service entrances.

(2) Non-residential projects. Primary entrances to non-residential and mixed-use buildings must be emphasized and clearly recognizable from the street. Methods to achieve this result include:

(a) Projecting non-fabric awnings or canopies above an entry (covered entry);
(b) Taller building mass above an entry, such as a tower that protrudes from the rest of the building surface;
(c) Special corner building treatments, such as rounded or angled facets on the corner, or an embedded corner tower, above the entry;
(d) Special architectural elements, such as columns, porticos, overhanging roofs and ornamental light fixtures;
(e) Projecting entries or projecting bays in the façade;
(f) Recessed entries or recessed bays in the façade; and
(g) Changes in roofline or articulation in the surface of the subject wall.
(D) Exceptions.
(1) Where a building or ground floor unit/tenant space has frontage on two streets (e.g., on a corner), only one of the two sides must have an entrance.
(2) The Director may allow an exception to the building entry requirement in this section with an administrative adjustment.
(3) To approve the administrative adjustment, the Director must make the findings in § 155.412.030(F) (Findings for Approval) and find that:
(a) The street-facing building wall incorporates architectural features and design details beyond the minimum requirements in § 155.312.050 (Architectural Features); and

(b) The exception allows for a clearly superior project to that which can be achieved while complying with the building entry requirement.

(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 902 C.-S., passed 8-18-20; Am. Ord. 916-C.S., passed 7-6-21; Am. Ord. 938-C.S., passed 11-1-22; Am. Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)

§ 155.312.050 ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES. ¶

(A) Options for architectural features. New buildings must incorporate at least two of the following architectural features on the street-facing portions of buildings (e.g., “roof form variation” and “horizontal articulation” or “projecting bay windows” and “masonry facade”). See division (B) below for rules to measure each type of architectural feature.

(1) Roof form variation.

(a) At least 25% of the linear frontage of the building’s street-facing roof line incorporates at least one element of variable roof form that is different from the remainder of the street-facing roof form. See Figure 312-3. The following are examples of how to meet this requirement:

Recessed or projecting gabled roof elements;
Roof dormers;
Changes in roof heights;
Changes in direction or pitch of roof slopes; and
Other similar methods.

(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) above.

(2) Roof detail and ornamentation.

(a) At least 80% of the linear frontage of the building’s street-facing roof line incorporates roof detail and/or ornamentation. The following are examples of how to meet this requirement:

Parapet wall that is an average of at least one-foot tall and has a cornice;
Periodic and articulated corbelling or dentils;
An ornamental soffit;
A projecting roof eave with decorative fascia and eave returns;
A projecting roof eave with exposed rafters;
An offset gable clearstory;
A half story in which the building features a habitable uppermost story lighted by dormer windows where a sloping roof replaces the upper part of the front wall; and
Other similar methods.

(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(3) Horizontal articulation.

(a) At least 25% of the linear frontage of the ground floor street-facing building wall has a projection or recess of at least one-foot deep. If located on a building with two or more stories, the articulated elements must be greater than one story in height. See Figure 312-3. Horizontal articulation may also include an articulated corner tower, angled facet or other special articulated corner treatments.

(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.

Figure 312-3: Roof Form Variation and Horizontal Articulation

(4) Cantilevered upper story.

(a) For at least 25% of the linear frontage of the street-facing building wall, an upper story building wall projects at least two feet from the ground floor building wall.

(b) Traditional designs must include decorative features such as knee braces. Contemporary, minimalistic designs do not require decorative features.

(5) Balconies. At least 20% of the linear frontage of the street-facing building wall contains at least one above-ground balcony.

(a) Each balcony must be either:

A traditional balcony that is at least four feet in depth; or
A Juliet balcony that is served by French doors and that includes metal or glass railings that allow unobstructed visibility.

(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.

(6) Projecting windows.

(a) At least 25% of all windows on the street-facing building wall consist of projecting windows. The furthest extent of each projecting window must project at least one foot from the building wall. This requirement may be satisfied with bay windows, oriel windows, bow windows, canted windows and other similar designs.

(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(7) Window trim.
(a) At least 75% of all windows on the street-facing building wall feature trim that surrounds the entire window and meets one or more of the following criteria:

Crown molding projects at least two inches from the building wall;
Trim material visually contrasts with the building wall; and
Sill projects at least two inches from the building wall.

(b) Trim material must be constructed of materials such as wood, fiber cement board, brick, stone, stucco, concrete or cellular PVC. Foam does not meet this requirement.

(c) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(8) Recessed windows.
(a) At least 75% of all windows on the street-facing building wall are recessed at least four inches from the building wall.
(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(9) Rigid window coverings.
(a) At least 50% of all windows on the street-facing building wall have rigid window coverings, such as rigid awnings, shade devices, above-window cornices or crowns, projecting arches or other window coverings of equivalent quality. Flexible materials such as fabric and vinyl do not satisfy this requirement.
(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(10) Masonry façade.
(a) At least 40% of the street-facing building wall surface area is covered in masonry such as brick, stone, terrazzo, ceramic tile, or comparable material. Exposed cinder block does not satisfy this requirement.
(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(11) Wood façade.

(a) At least 40% of the street-facing building wall surface area is covered in high-grade wood that is finished with a clear sealer or semi-transparent stain. Wood may not be painted or finished with an opaque stain. Faux wood products made from synthetic materials, including vinyl, cellular PVC and fiber cement do not satisfy this requirement.

(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(12) Glass façade.
(a) At least 40% of the street-facing building wall surface area is covered in glass, including window glass.
(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(13) Cladding materials façade.
(a) At least 40% of the street-facing building wall surface area is covered in, concrete tile, stone, ceramic, high-grade metal or comparable material.
(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(14) Living wall.
(a) At least 20% of the street-facing building wall surface area is covered in a directly integrated living wall or building

integrated vegetation. Plans submitted for living walls and building integrated vegetation must include a long-term maintenance plan that includes documentable evidence of on-going maintenance and operation strategies to ensure the long-term viability of the wall. Living walls and building integrated vegetation must include an integrated water delivery system.

(b) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(15) Combination of materials facade.

(a) At least 40% of the street-facing building wall surface area is covered in a combination of two or more of the following materials: masonry; stone; high-grade wood; glass; metal/ceramic cladding; or living wall. Materials used to satisfy this requirement must comply with requirements in divisions(A)(9) through (A)(13) above (excluding wall area percentage requirements in these paragraphs).

(b) The combination of materials facade option may not be double-counted with any of the other façade materials options

(i.e. masonry facade, glass facade, cladding facade or living wall) to satisfy the architectural features requirement. For example, a building wall that is 40% masonry and 10% wood siding can qualify for combination of materials facade, but cannot

simultaneously qualify for masonry facade. However, a wall that is 20% masonry, 20% living wall and 40% glass may satisfy two architectural features requirements, with the masonry and living wall satisfying the combination of materials option and the glass satisfying the glass facade option.

(3) The rule to measure this architectural feature is provided in division (B)(1) below.
(B) Rules for measurement of architectural features. The architectural features in division (A) above (Options for Architectural Features) are measured as follows.
(1) Percent of linear frontage.

(a) Percent of linear frontage is used to measure roof form variation, roof detail and ornamentation, horizontal articulation, cantilevered upper story and balconies.

(b) Percent of linear frontage is calculated by measuring the total horizontal length of the frontage of a building’s streetfacing wall relative to the total horizontal length of the architectural feature to be evaluated. For example, a three-story building with a street-facing wall that is 100 feet long has a total horizontal length of 100 feet. If that building has a cantilevered section on the second floor that has a 25-foot horizontal length, then the cantilevered section constitutes 25% of the street-facing wall’s linear frontage (25 divided by 100). In this case, the building meets the criteria for cantilevered upper story. Alternatively, if a two-story building with a 50-foot total horizontal length had two separate 20-foot long balconies on the second floor, then 80% of the streetfacing wall’s linear frontage contains balconies (40 divided by 50). In this case, the building exceeds the criteria for balconies.

(2) Percent of all windows.

(a) Percent of all windows is used to measure projecting windows, recessed or protruding windows, window trim and rigid window coverings.

(b) Percent of all windows is calculated by counting the total number of windows on the building’s street-facing wall and then dividing that number into the architectural feature to be evaluated. For example, a building wall that contains 100 windows, 75 of which are recessed from the building wall, has 75% recessed windows. In this case, the building meets the criteria for recessed windows.

(3) Percent of street-facing building wall surface area.

(a) Percent of street-facing building wall surface area is used to measure masonry façade, wood façade, living wall, glass façade, cladding materials façade and combination of materials façade.

(b) Percent of street-facing building wall surface area is the total area of the building’s street-facing wall relative to the total surface area of the architectural feature to be evaluated. The building wall area measurement includes doors, windows and other openings within the wall area. For example, a building wall that is 100 feet long and 30 feet high has a total surface area of 3,000 square feet (including the wall’s windows and doors). If that same wall includes a section of exposed brick that is 50 feet long and 30 feet high, then 50% of the total wall surface area has a masonry facade. The 50% calculation may include windows and doors inset into brick wall material. In this example, the building meets the criteria for masonry facade. A street-facing building wall that is at least 80% glass may double-qualify as satisfying two architectural features. No other materials (such as masonry, green wall or cladding) may double-qualify as satisfying two architectural features.

(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 902 C.-S., passed 8-18-20; Am. Ord. 938-C.S., passed 11-1-22)

§ 155.312.060 BLANK WALLS. ¶

(A) Maximum blank wall area. The area of a blank building wall fronting a public street may not exceed a square area where the height and width are both ten feet. See Figure 312-4.

(B) Breaks in blank walls.
(1) A break in a blank building wall may be provided by any of the following:
(a) Doors, windows, or other building openings;
(b) Building projections or recesses, doorway and window trim, or other details that provide architectural articulation and design interest;
(c) Varying wall planes where the wall plane projects or is recessed at least six inches;
(d) Non-fabric awnings, canopies or arcades;
(e) Substantial variations in building material. For example, adding brick or stone veneer to a stucco building or changing from vertically-oriented board and baton style siding to horizontally-oriented lap siding; and
(f) A living wall as defined in § 155.312.050.
(2) The following do not qualify as a break in blank wall:
(a) Variation in exterior building wall color;
(b) Vegetation or landscaping;
(c) Mechanical appurtenances such as water heaters, vents, or utility meters;
(d) Gutters;
(e) Signage; and
(f) Murals.

Figure 312-4: Blank Walls

(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19; Am. Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)

§ 155.312.070 GARAGE DOORS IN RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICTS. ¶

In residential zoning districts, garage doors may occupy no more than 40% of a building’s street frontage. See Figure 312-5. Figure 312-5: Maximum Garage Door Width

(Ord. 885-C.S., passed 5-21-19)

§ 155.312.080 MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT. ¶

Roof- and ground-mounted mechanical equipment shall be screened from view from public rights-of-way through the use of landscaping, building design and/or other types of screening. Examples of screening include parapet walls for roof-mounted equipment, and hedge planting for ground-mounted equipment. The use of barbed wire, chain-link, or razor wire for screening is not permitted.

(Ord. 951-C.S., passed 10-17-23)