Article C — ARCHITECTURAL AND SITE DESIGN STANDARDS

SECTION:

9-5C-1: Purpose And Applicability

9-5C-2: Design Concepts

• 9-5C-3: Design Standards For Residential Projects

• 9-5C-4: Design Standards For Commercial, Office, And Mixed Use Projects

• 9-5C-5: Design Standards For Industrial Projects

• 9-5C-6: Design Standards For Big Box Stores, Discount Clubs, And Discount Superstores

• A. Purpose: This article establishes design standards to guide discretionary review decisions related to various development types.

B. Applicability: The provisions within this article apply to all projects subject to site plan and architectural review as described in sections 9-2B-12, "Minor Site Plan And Architectural Review", and 9-2B-15, "Major Site Plan And Architectural Review", of this Code that are not located within a mixed use or a downtown mixed use zone. Development standards and design provisions for the Downtown Mixed Use Zones (DMX-1, DMX-2, and DMX-3) are addressed in chapter 6, "Downtown Development Standards", of this Code. Development standards and design provisions for the Mixed Use Zone (MU) are addressed in chapter 7, "Mixed Use Development Standards", of this Code. This chapter does not apply to existing buildings and site legally established prior to the adoption of this chapter. (Ord. 2013-05, 2-6-2014)

A. General: All projects subject to site plan and architectural review are expected to implement the following design concepts:

1. Provide high quality site planning, architecture, and landscape design;

2. Enhance the character of the City and/or implement specific design attributes identified in various subareas;

3. Ensure physical, visual, and functional compatibility between uses; and

4. Protect land values by ensuring that proper attention is paid to site and architectural design.

• B. Neighborhood Design: The following design concepts apply to the subdivision of land and to larger residential, commercial, and industrial projects that create a private street network, with the overall intent of visually and functionally interconnecting neighborhoods with commercial and employment centers:

1. Provide a balanced mix of land uses including housing, schools, parks, commercial, and employment areas.

2. Provide pedestrian friendly neighborhoods which are walkable and provide easy access to destinations that residents will travel to on a daily basis.

3. Organize new housing in identifiable neighborhoods and provide diversity of housing types, sizes, and densities.

4. Provide multimodal connectivity throughout neighborhoods and between neighborhoods and commercial and employment centers.

5. Incorporate landscaping to minimize urban runoff.

6. Create pedestrian friendly streets that include building orientation to public streets and/or parks and open space.

• C. Architectural Design:

1. Provide authentic architectural styles. Particular attention should be paid to the design of all front elevations and side elevations facing a street or open space.

2. Include a diversity of commercial building and housing types by size and mass, elevation, orientation, and setback to avoid repetition. The intent is to create visual variation and interest throughout the community.

3. Design buildings that have a variety in mass and scale to avoid large featureless walls. (Ord. 2013-05, 2-6-2014)

The standards contained in this section shall apply to new residential development, including single-family residential subdivisions, master home plans, and multi-family residential developments. These standards are intended to implement the design concepts described above.

• A. Site Design:

1. Circulation: Create a circulation system that provides for the safe and efficient movement of all transportation modes:

• a. Provide internal streets, driveways, and sidewalks that allow residents to park once and easily navigate the entire project site on foot.

• b. Use special paving to identify unique pedestrian areas.

• c. Provide connections between the public street and the front door of single-family residential dwellings and multi-family buildings. Design solutions may include, but are not limited to, dedicated pedestrian paths and driveways.

• d. Utilize maximum block lengths of five hundred feet (500'), except for blocks with single-family residential uses, which may be up to six hundred feet (600') long or seven hundred fifty feet (750') when developed with mid block pedestrian connections.

• e. All new streets and alleys must connect to other streets and alleys to form a continuous vehicular and pedestrian network. Local, internal streets should be narrow and designed with traffic calming features to control speed.

• f. Limit the use of cul-de-sacs to no more than ten percent (10%) of the length of all streets in a subdivision map, where constrained by surrounding land attributes.

• g. Encourage loop out streets rather than cul-de-sacs.

• h. Also see title 8, chapter 7, article J, "Subdivision Design Standards", of the municipal code for additional subdivision design requirements.

2. Building Placement And Orientation: Create diverse residential streetscapes that facilitate interaction between residents and include homes and residential structures that orient to the street. a. Multi-unit residential buildings (e.g., townhomes, condominiums, apartments) shall be designed with different building setbacks and facade variations when multiple buildings are provided. b. Orient home and building sites to take advantage of solar heating and opportunities for solar energy generation. c. Residential development adjacent to open space/parks and other public spaces shall maintain visual access from residential units and common buildings to provide “eyes on the street” surveillance opportunities. d. Buildings shall be designed with structural and spatial variety along the front facades to avoid monotonous appearance. 3. Public Space/Pedestrian Amenities: Create attractive and active environments for the enjoyment of residents within residential projects. a. Provide common open spaces within one thousand feet (1,000') of each residential unit. b. Multi-family project shall provide one or more amenities for residents as listed below: (1) Tot lot/play structure; (2) Community garden; (3) Picnic tables with barbecue area (with shade structure); (4) Swimming pool; and (5) Indoor recreation facility. 4. Garage Placement And Design: Create residential developments where the garage is subordinate to the main home/building. a. The garage shall not extend more than five feet (5') beyond the front of the home on at least fifty percent (50%) of the master plan home designs within a single-family residential subdivision. b. All garages are required to minimize the negative visual impact of the garage door. Options to achieving this requirement include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) Place the garage at the rear of lot away from public view (e.g., alley load); (2) Recess the garage behind the living area of the home; (3) Utilize side-on garages where garage door is perpendicular to the street (e.g., "swing garage"); (4) Cantilever the second story over the garage; (5) Utilize a tandem garage; (6) Articulate garage doors with windows, paneling, recesses, and other details. FIGURE 9-5C-3-A2

SINGLE-FAMILY GARAGE PLACEMENT OPTIONS

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• c. Garages facing the street on single-family lots that are less than fifty feet (50') wide shall not exceed sixty percent (60%) of the width of the home.

• B. Architectural Design:

1. Massing, Scale, And Form:

a. The structural mass of larger residential buildings shall be broken down into smaller component parts representative of individual dwelling units by:

• (1) Using dormers, overhangs, balconies, wall projections, and/or porches;

• (2) Using varied roof forms as appropriate to the architectural style;

• (3) Utilizing changes in materials to create variations;

(4) For multi-unit buildings, staggering the facade of each unit to create different widths along continuous facades, with no building facade width exceeding one hundred twenty five feet (125').

b. Attached product (e.g., townhomes or multi-family buildings) shall be designed to look like individual units through the use of clearly identified entries, styles, and design details and a variety of roof forms.

c. Master home plans shall include "antimonotony" provisions, as follows:

• (1) Design rooflines with changes in ridgeline direction and configuration;

• (2) A minimum of one home plan within each master plan series shall be one story (this only applies to single-family developments);

• (3) All homes shall be oriented to the street with garages deemphasized and living areas placed toward the front of homes;

(4) A minimum of twenty five percent (25%) of all home designs shall include an option for an outdoor living area such as a porch or courtyard that is at least five feet (5') in depth to allow for seating.

2. Style And Design Provisions:

a. For single-family residential subdivisions and master home plans, no two (2) identical looking front facades/elevations shall be placed on lots within a group of five (5) adjacent lots. For purposes of this section, "adjacent lots" shall mean those lots on either side of a subject lot and those three (3) lots directly across the street from the subject lot (referred to as a "6-pack").

(1) The front facade designs of home plans in residential subdivisions shall, by look and appearance, be substantially different from one another. The planning director shall determine which master home plan facade designs are substantially different from each other when they are submitted to the building department.

• (2) Notwithstanding subsection B2a of this section, up to one additional home with the same front facade design may be placed on an adjacent lot if the home has a different exterior color scheme and four (4) of the five (5) following detail elements are distinctly different from the other home with the same front facade design:

• (A) Roofing material or color;

• (B) Front door style;

• (C) Carriage lights style;

• (D) Garage door window style;

• (E) Front walkway layout from front door to driveway or sidewalk.

b. For multi-family projects, no two (2) identical elevations shall be placed next to each other. Alternatives include, but are not limited to, rotating the buildings so different elevations are next to each other or utilizing a different building/elevation design. The intent is to limit the monotony of design within multi-family complexes. c. Elevations facing public streets or public open space areas, shall:

• (1) Wrap facade materials along the side yard elevations to the fence line;

(2) Provide architectural features to articulate facades such as trim around doors and windows with substantial depth and detail, window boxes, brackets, overhangs, trellises, and/or lattice.

• d. Entry features from a public or common sidewalk shall be provided.

• (1) When provided, porches shall provide functional seating areas with a minimum depth of five feet (5');

• (2) Front doors shall be visible from the street.

FIGURE 9-5C-3-B1

MINIMUM DEPTH OF A FUNCTIONAL FRONT PORCH

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• e. Windows and doors shall use window molding, shaped frames, and sills to provide architectural relief.

f. Upper story balconies shall have a minimum depth of six feet (6').

• g. Side facades facing public areas (public or internal streets and sidewalks, open space areas, etc.) shall provide a similar level of design detail as front facades when visible.

3. Entries: Primary residential entries shall create an inviting transition between the public and private realm, as follows:

a. Separate private entries from the public sidewalk with a semiprivate transition area, such as a porch, terrace, stoop, or similar element; or

b. Provide weather protection over each primary entry extending a minimum of four feet (4') from the building facade.

4. Single-Family And Mobilehome Development: New single-family and mobilehome developments shall comply with the following specific design criteria in addition to the other standards of this section:

a. Siding Material: All main buildings and all detached garages shall consist of wood, masonry, concrete, stucco, masonite, brick, or metal lap.

b. Roofs: The following roof design standards shall apply:

(1) Roof Overhang: All main buildings shall have a minimum twelve inch (12") roof overhang on each of the dwelling's perimeter walls such that the roof overhang is architecturally integrated into the design of the dwelling unit.

(2) Roofing Material: All main buildings and all detached garages and carports located on the front half of the lot shall have a roof constituted of asphalt or composition shingles, clay, concrete or metal tiles, slate or built up materials. All housing units shall have pitched roofs.

c. Foundations: All main buildings shall be placed on a permanent foundation which meets applicable city adopted building code requirements and/or section 18551 of the Health And Safety Code, such that the floor elevation of the proposed unit is compatible with the floor elevation of the surrounding dwelling units.

5. Multi-Family Development: New multi-family residential development shall meet all of the following specific design criteria in addition to the other standards of this section:

a. There shall be a minimum twenty foot (20') deep landscaped area between a public street and parking areas.

b. Parking frontages limited to no more than twenty five percent (25%) of street frontages.

c. Carport and garage designs that match building designs.

d. Carport locations restricted such that they are not highly visible from public streets; portable carport covers shall be prohibited.

e. Open landscape area such that each dwelling unit has at least four hundred (400) square feet of on site open space, which may be private open space provided by balconies or patios, or common open space.

f. At least thirty two (32) square feet in floor area of private storage space apart from interior closet space shall be provided for each unit.

g. Buffer landscaping, at least ten feet (10') deep shall be provided along the project perimeter where adjacent to sensitive uses.

h. Architecturally interesting buildings that are not bulky and "boxlike". This can be created by requiring variable roof forms in building designs and limiting the dimension of any single building to one hundred twenty five feet (125').

i. Building entries to have roofed projections or recessed entries.

j. Pedestrian access provided by walkways to link residential units with other units and with recreational and other facilities within a project.

k. Multi-family project developments with twenty five (25) units or more shall provide at least one on site recreational area of at least ten thousand (10,000) square feet in size, or five percent (5%) of the overall site, whichever is greater.

l. Except for senior housing developments, multi-family developments shall provide one play area (e.g., tot lot) for every forty (40) dwelling units in the project. Each play area size shall be a minimum of seven hundred fifty (750) square feet and shall be equally spaced from each other. Each play area shall be fenced and include play equipment.

C. Deviations: Deviations from one or more of the development/architectural standards in this section is allowed through the site plan and architectural review process on the basis of a finding that the architectural style proposed provides compensating design features and that the proposed dwelling will be compatible and harmonious with existing structures in the vicinity. (Ord. 2013-05, 2-6-2014; amd. Ord. 2023-10, 9-19-2023)

A. Site Design:

1. Circulation: The design of access and circulation on project sites should tie the development into the overall neighborhood. In some instances, the internal circulation may extend the public street system into the project site as private streets and drive aisles.

a. For auto dependent uses (e.g., car sales lots, gas stations, drive-through restaurants), the building shall be designed to maximize pedestrian safety and convenience.

(1) Place a portion of the building at the building setback line with a building entrance facing the sidewalk; or

(2) Create a continuous pedestrian path between the primary building entrance and the sidewalk along the street.

b. Commercial and employment areas shall be linked to adjacent neighborhoods with continuous pedestrian pathways.

c. When transit stops are provided, they shall be fully integrated into the project site and/or at the focal point of the development. The following situations are strictly prohibited:

(1) Pedestrian crossings of vehicular driveways without clear marking and protections;

(2) Street crossings between transit stops and activity centers without a safe pedestrian crossing within five hundred feet (500').

FIGURE 9-5C-4-A1

INTEGRATING TRANSIT STOPS INTO PROJECT SITES

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2. Public Spaces And Pedestrian Amenities: All development shall be pedestrian oriented with design components and amenities, as follows:

• a. Sites over fifteen (15) acres in size include common areas, such as plazas or gardens.

• b. Uses such as restaurants may front onto plazas or a public sidewalk and may incorporate outdoor seating and/or dining.

• c. Seating areas that are hidden from view behind buildings or landscaping are prohibited.

3. Building Placement And Orientation: Design and construct buildings to create safe, pleasant, and active environments:

• a. For project sites over fifteen (15) acres in size, buildings shall be placed and oriented to create a "main street" environment.

• b. All buildings shall be placed and oriented as follows:

• (1) Front doors of commercial buildings shall orient to streets or pedestrian oriented areas.

• (2) Ground floor commercial shall have at least one building entrance for each facade. For buildings facing two (2) streets, a corner entry is acceptable.

• (3) If a separation is provided between the public street and building (e.g., for parking or a drive aisle), the area shall include significant pedestrian features to create a strong connection between the public sidewalk and primary building entry, such as:

• (A) Landscaped plaza;

• (B) Bicycle parking area;

• (C) Landscaped promenade;

• (D) Continuous trellis feature;

• (E) Other amenities.

• c. Loading and delivery areas shall not be located within a required front or side setback area. When provided, they shall be screened with architectural wing walls and landscaping.

• B. Architectural Design:

1. Massing, Scale, And Form: Commercial and mixed use structures should be designed to contribute to an active, human scaled environment and should complement adjoining properties.

• a. Multilevel buildings shall incorporate:

• (1) Building designs that have a visually distinct "base" and "cap".

• (2) Upper story elements which overlook the street (windows, balconies, terraces).

• (3) Separate entrances for residential uses, when provided.

FIGURE 9-5C-4-B1

DESIGN OF MULTI-STORY BUILDINGS

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• b. Building walls shall be articulated to break up the apparent mass of large building with one of the following techniques a minimum of every thirty feet (30'), as illustrated in figure 9-5C-4-B2, "Techniques To Break Up Long Building Walls", of this section:

• (1) Offsets;

• (2) Recesses;

• (3) Changes in plane;

• (4) Changes in height;

• (5) Use of windows and doors;

• (6) Projections such as balconies; and

• (7) Use of trellis and similar features.

FIGURE 9-5C-4-B2

TECHNIQUES TO BREAK UP LONG BUILDING WALLS

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• c. Buildings and building walls shall be articulated with the use of engaged columns or other expressions of the structural system.

• d. Horizontal and vertical divisions shall be provided through changes in color, texture, and/or material.

• e. Long commercial facades shall be divided into storefronts with visually separate displays.

• f. Roof design shall incorporate the following:

• (1) Variations in rooflines shall be provided with the use of dormers, windows, overhangs, arches, gables, or similar details.

• (2) Sloped roofs shall include eaves that overhang a minimum of one and one-half feet (11/2').

2. Style And Design Details: Commercial facades should appear open, inviting, and engaging to the passerby.

• a. Storefronts shall provide the following:

• (1) Weather protection at building entries and extending along the facade (e.g., overhangs, canopies, awnings, building recesses).

(2) Transparent surfaces to allow a view into and out of buildings from the public sidewalk. A minimum of fifty percent (50%) of primary storefront facades shall be open and transparent to the outside. If window tinting is used, it shall permit a minimum of eighty percent (80%) light transmission.

FIGURE 9-5C-4-B3

PRIMARY STOREFRONT DESIGN

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• b. Primary entries shall be clearly visible from the street and provide visual interest, with at least three (3) of the following:

• (1) Differentiated roof, awning, or portico;

• (2) Trim detail to accentuate the openings;

• (3) Project or recess entries from their surrounding building facades;

• (4) Detailed doors and doorway with ornate hardware, transoms, sidelights, trim details, and framing;

• (5) Windows within entry doorways equivalent to fifty percent (50%) of door surface area;

• (6) Decorative lighting.

• c. Secondary entries shall have minor detailing that adds architectural distinction to the facade.

• d. Use windows to create an open and inviting atmosphere, as follows:

• (1) Multiple windows shall be provided on the front facade above the main floor in a uniform pattern for all buildings over one story in height.

• (2) Frame openings with trim and/or recess windows in from the building facade. The trim and/or recess shall be a minimum of four inches (4").

3. Architectural Detailing Cost: The city shall not require more than twenty percent (20%) of the construction costs for the building to be toward architectural detailing. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to provide documentation to the city showing the cost of the detailing relative to the overall cost of the structure in order to seek relief from this code. Such information shall be provided as part of the site plan and architectural design review process.

C. Deviations: Deviations from one or more of the development/architectural standards in this section through the site plan and architectural review process on the

basis of a finding that the architectural style proposed provides compensating design features and that the proposed building will be compatible and harmonious with existing structures in the vicinity. (Ord. 2013-05, 2-6-2014)

• A. Site Design: The intent of design standards within this section is to provide for the appropriate functional and aesthetic arrangement of buildings and site components for industrial developments.

1. Circulation: Develop a circulation system that minimizes conflicts between automobiles, large trucks, and other modes of travel.

• a. Primary entry drives for automobiles, particularly for visitors arriving by car, shall be enhanced with at least two (2) of the following:

• (1) Ornamental landscaping;

• (2) Low decorative wall;

• (3) Monument sign; and

• (4) Decorative paving.

• b. Separation shall be provided between vehicle parking/loading areas and pedestrian areas (e.g., access paths to buildings from the public sidewalk, pedestrian plazas, transit stops).

2. Building Placement And Orientation: Industrial projects should present an attractive appearance to the public and minimize any adverse impacts on adjacent properties.

• a. At least one (1) building on each site should have a public entrance that is a visual focus of the building and have a strong orientation to the street.

• b. A continuous pedestrian path shall be provided between the public street and the primary building.

• c. Outside storage areas that are visible from a public right-of- way shall be screened by use of solid fences, solid masonry walls, berms, landscaping, and/or a combination thereof. Screening shall be a minimum of six feet (6') in height or at least as high as the stored materials.

• d. Long expanses of fence or screen walls shall be architecturally designed with offsets and other techniques to prevent monotony.

3. Landscaping: Provide for attractive and functional landscaping for purposes of screening, buffering, and softening of various site elements.

• B. Architectural Design: The intent of the following design provisions is to encourage projects that contribute positively to the community:

1. Entries: Entries into industrial buildings shall convey a sense of entry and architectural primacy along the facade while maintaining an architectural relationship to the overall building composition.

2. Materials: Metal buildings shall only be used for primary site buildings if exterior surfaces include some stucco, plaster, glass, stone, brick, decorative masonry, or contrasting metal trim and columns. The facade shall be broken up through the use of colors, textures, break lines, detail metal, or other similar architectural treatments.

C. Architectural Detailing Cost: The City shall not require more than twenty percent (20%) of the construction costs for the building to be toward architectural detailing. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to provide documentation to the City showing the cost of the detailing relative to the overall cost of the structure in order to seek relief from this Code. Such information shall be provided as part of the site plan and architectural design review process.

ercent (20%) of the construction costs for the building to be toward architectural detailing. It shall be the responsibility of the applicant to provide documentation to the City showing the cost of the detailing relative to the overall cost of the structure in order to seek relief from this Code. Such information shall be provided as part of the site plan and architectural design review process.

D. Deviations: Deviations from one (1) or more of the development/architectural standards in this section through the site plan and architectural review process on the basis of a finding that the architectural style proposed provides compensating design features and that the proposed building will be compatible and harmonious with existing structures in the vicinity. (Ord. 2013-05, 2-6-2014)

The following standards shall apply to all general retail, warehouse club retail, and other retail stores over fifty thousand (50,000) square feet in size.

A. Allowed Treatments:

1. Architectural elements shall be incorporated into the facades of the building creating visual interest and achieving compatibility within the design of the surrounding commercial structures.

2. Building forms shall be designed to create visual interest on all sides of the structure and the architectural concept shall be consistent on all sides of the building.

3. Second and third story volumes shall be stepped, sloped or grouped with one-story volumes to reduce the apparent mass to human scale.

4. Entries to individual building and public spaces between buildings, shall be emphasized with highlighted massing and articulated roof forms.

5. Building facades shall be recessed or projected at a minimum of every sixty feet (60').

6. The building height/roof pitch shall be varied.

7. Building facade colors shall be earth-toned, muted colors. Building trim may be accented with brighter and contrasting colors.

8. Where appropriate, courtyards and/or outdoor seating areas shall be incorporated into the site plan design.

• B. Prohibited Treatments:

1. The following architectural elements and treatments are prohibited:

• a. Large scale uninterrupted walls, not otherwise articulated by form fenestration, or materials;

• b. Massive building elements, such as timber beams and/or columns that are out of scale with the architectural style;

• c. False facades and other applied ornamentation unrelated to the rest of the building or structure;

• d. High contrast color, brightly colored glazed tile or highly reflective surfaces; and

• e. Bold application of colors such as stripes, accents, or super graphics.

2. Use of the following materials is prohibited:

• a. Heavy textured stucco, such as Spanish lace, swirl, or heavy trowel;

• b. Vinyl, corrugated metal or aluminum siding;

• c. Common plywood or masonite siding;

• d. Standard concrete block;

• e. Rustic materials utilized as primary wall surfaces and dark earth tone colors; and

• f. Over application of bright accents or trim colors.

C. Building Entrance: Commercial structures subject to this section shall provide customers with at least two (2) building entrances in order to encourage greater distribution of parking activity. Additional entrances can be located at one (1) of the two (2) sides of the building and/or the rear of the building. If multiple entries are not practical the structure shall have the appearance of having two (2) entries and in this regard the distinction between the front and rear of the structure shall be blurred

through the application of similar architectural treatments.

• D. Pedestrian Linkage: The site plan shall reflect and facilitate safe pedestrian access linking the building to sidewalks adjacent to project street(s).

1. At least five percent (5%) of the total interior area devoted to parking shall be landscaped.

2. A landscaped area shall be provided at a minimum of every eight (8) parking spaces.

3. Landscaping shall be provided at the building entrance between the parking lot and the front of the building.

E. Property Maintenance: Commercial properties supporting a big box store as defined by this section, whether occupied or vacant, shall be maintained so that the structure and surrounding property are not allowed to fall into a state of deferred maintenance and neglect. This includes the building exterior, parking lot maintenance and landscaping on the property. (Ord. 2017-06, 5-16-2016)