Pismo Beach Municipal Code Ch. 17.14 Commercial Design Standards

The commercial design standards are intended to assist property owners and project designers in understanding the city's goals for attaining high quality commercial development that is sensitive to the city's small town scale and coastal environment. The standards will be used during the site plan and architectural review process as criteria for project review.

A. The provisions of this chapter apply to all commercial, office, and institutional projects (additions, remodeling, relocation, or new construction) on a citywide basis. Project proponents shall consult both sets of design standards when preparing development plans within these zoning districts.

B. The design elements of each project (including site design, architecture, landscaping, signs, parking design) will be reviewed on a comprehensive basis using these design standards. Other provisions of this Zoning Code pertaining to signs, landscaping, and parking shall also be addressed whenever applicable.

C. The review authority may exercise discretion in applying the standards of this chapter to proposed projects, where the review authority determines that a design feature proposed by the applicant as an alternative to these standards achieves substantially the same results as these standards.

The design of each project shall work toward achieving the following objectives:

A. Consider Pismo's small-town scale and coastal environment and demonstrate sensitivity to these influences;

B. Articulate building forms and elevations to create interesting roof lines, building shapes, and patterns of shade and shadow. Avoid box-like structure with large flat wall planes;

C. Utilize landscaping to provide project amenities and to screen parking, equipment, and storage areas;

D. Provide site access, parking, and circulation that is planned in a logical, safe manner;

E. Consider the need for signs and their appropriate locations early in the design process; and

F. Design spaces for outside equipment, trash receptacles, storage, and loading areas in the least conspicuous part of the site.

Project site planning shall comply with the following standards.

A. Consider adjacent development. Each development proposal shall demonstrate consideration for the existing conditions on and off the site including the following:

• 1. Land use and site organization of neighboring properties;
• 2. Architectural character/style of neighboring structures;
• 3. Links to adjacent development using sidewalks and shared access drives and parking.
• 4. Existing natural features (i.e., mature trees, landforms, etc);
• 5. Opportunities to preserve or enhance views of the ocean; and
• 6. Privacy and solar access of the site and neighboring properties.

B. Building and parking location.

1. Buildings shall generally be oriented parallel to streets and shall be placed as close to the street as required and established setbacks permit. Buildings may be angled to create interesting juxtapositions if there is a legitimate goal to be achieved. However, the definition of the street edge is an important and legitimate role for buildings and this needs to be considered. Exceptions may occur for wider setbacks from the street if a compatible use is proposed (e.g., outdoor dining or pedestrian plaza areas) or to maintain continuity with landscaped areas on adjacent properties.

2. The orientation of buildings shall respond to the pedestrian or vehicular nature of the street. Buildings in areas with high pedestrian use shall face on, and be directly accessible from the public sidewalk.

3. Commercial sites (i.e., shopping centers) shall be designed to locate a minimum of 30 percent of the total building frontage (including pad buildings) close to the front setback line. This siting, together with substantial landscaping treatment, reinforces, and strengthens the overall streetscape, and helps to screen off-street parking areas. See Figure 2-22.

FIGURE 2-21 BUILDING PLACEMENT AT STREET CORNERS

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4. Corner buildings shall have a strong tie to the setback lines of each street. The primary mass of the building shall not be placed at an angle to the corner. This does not preclude angled building corners or an open plaza at the corner which are strongly encouraged.

5. Multiple buildings in a single project shall create a positive functional relationship with one another. Whenever possible, multiple buildings shall be clustered to achieve a "village" scale. This creates opportunities for plazas and pedestrian areas while preventing long "barracks-like" rows of buildings. When clustering is impractical, a visual link shall be established between buildings. This link can be accomplished through the use of an arcade system, trellis, colonnade, or through enhanced paving. See Figure 2-22.

FIGURE 2-22 BUILDING AND PARKING LOCATION

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6. The visual impact of parking lots shall be minimized by locating these facilities to a portion of the site least visible from the street and by providing adequate screening and parking lot landscaping. Refer to Section 17.34.080 (Parking Design Guidelines).

7. Projects shall connect the on-site pedestrian circulation system to the off-site public sidewalk at intervals of one connection for each one hundred lineal feet (or fraction thereof). See Figure 2-23.

FIGURE 2-23 PEDESTRIAN ORIENTATION OF PARKING

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8. Parking areas shall be connected to building entrances by means of enhanced paving (patterned or stamped).

9. Loading facilities shall not be located at the front of buildings where they will be difficult to adequately screen from view. These facilities are more appropriate at the rear of the site where special screening may not be required.

10. Building placement shall optimize off-site views to the ocean or nearby hills.

11. Commercial buildings constructed on hillsides shall step to follow the natural terrain. Projects that significantly alter the natural slope can have a great visual impact and are strongly discouraged.

C. Landscaping.

1. Landscaped areas shall be planned as an integral part of the overall project and not simply located in "left over" areas of the site.

2. Landscaping shall be used to help define outdoor spaces, soften a structure's appearance, and to screen parking, loading, storage, and equipment areas.

3. The use of on-site pedestrian amenities (e.g., benches, shelters, drinking fountains, lighting, and trash receptacles) is strongly encouraged. These elements shall be provided in conjunction with on-site open spaces and be integrated into the site plan as primary features.

4. In addition to the above general standards for landscaping, more detailed design standards are provided in Section 17.30.060 (Landscape Design Standards).

D. On-site lighting.

1. Exterior lighting shall be designed to be compatible with the architectural and landscape design of the project.

2. An appropriate hierarchy of lighting fixtures/structures and intensity shall be considered when designing the lighting for the various elements of a project (i.e., building and site entrances, walkways, parking areas, or other areas of the site). To achieve the desired lighting level for parking and pedestrian areas, the use of more short, low intensity fixtures is encouraged over the use of a few tall fixtures that illuminate large areas.

3. The use of exterior lighting to accent a building's architecture is encouraged. All lighting fixtures shall be properly shielded to eliminate light and glare from impacting adjacent properties, and passing vehicles or pedestrians. If neon tubing is used to illuminate portions of a building it shall be concealed from view through the use of parapets, cornices, or ledges. Small portions of exposed neon tubing may be used to add a special effect to a building's architecture but this shall be well thought out and integrated into the overall design of the project. See Figure 2-24.

FIGURE 2-24 SHIELDED EXTERIOR LIGHTING

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E. Screening.

1. Screening is a technique used to protect and separate uses and site functions from one another for the purpose of decreasing adverse noise, wind, or visual impacts and to provide privacy. The need for screening shall be considered early in the design process so that screening elements (e.g., walls, fences, berms, landscaping) can be effectively integrated into the overall project design and not added later as an afterthought.

2. The method of screening shall be compatible with the adjacent structure in terms of overall design, materials, and color.

3. Where screening is required at the ground level, a combination of elements shall be considered including solid masonry walls, wood fences, berms, and landscaping.

F. Refuse, storage, and equipment areas.

1. Refuse containers, service areas, loading docks, and similar facilities shall be located in areas out of view from the general public and so that their use does not interfere with on-site parking or circulation areas, and adjacent uses, especially residential uses.

2. Trash storage areas that are visible from the upper stories of adjacent structures shall have an opaque or semi-opaque horizontal cover/screen to mitigate unsightly views. The covering structure shall be compatible with the site's architectural style.

3. Utility, plumbing and electrical equipment (including electric and gas meters, electrical panels, junction boxes, and similar facilities) shall be located in a utility room within the structure or enclosed utility cabinets at the rear of the structure. See Figure 2-25.

4. Mechanical equipment (including compressors, air conditioners, pumps, heating and ventilating equipment, generators, solar collectors, satellite dishes, communications equipment and similar facilities) and other types of mechanical equipment shall be concealed from view of public streets, and neighboring properties. See Figure 2-25. Telecommunications equipment shall also comply with the provisions of Section 17.38.040 (Antennas, Wireless Communications Facilities).

5. Mechanical equipment shall not be located on the roof of a structure unless the equipment can be hidden by building elements that are an integral part of the building's design. See Figure 2-25.

FIGURE 2-25 SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

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A. Architectural Style. No predetermined architectural style or design theme is required in the city: Pismo Beach cannot be defined by any one architectural style. A variety of architectural characteristics adds to the city's overall image. While variety in design is generally encouraged, compatibility of new projects with their surroundings shall be a priority.

B. Neighborhood Compatibility. In designing a building, it is important to analyze the areas surrounding the building site to find elements of compatibility that can be used in the new design. Sameness, however, shall not be a design goal. It is important for each site to both maintain its own identity and be complementary to its surroundings. Thus, a new building can be unique and interesting and still show respect for and compatibility with the architectural styles in its vicinity.

Design factors to be considered include:

• 1. Appropriate design theme;
• 2. Proportional building scale/size;
• 3. Appropriate building setback;
• 4. Harmonious colors, textures, and building materials.

C. Design Consistency. Designs shall demonstrate a consistent use of colors, materials, and detailing throughout all elevations of the building. Elevations that do not directly face a street shall not be ignored or receive only minimal architectural treatment.

D. Form and Mass. Structure design shall provide a sense of human scale and proportion. Structures shall be designed to avoid a "box-like" appearance. Horizontal and vertical wall articulation shall be expressed through the use of wall offsets, recessed windows and entries, awnings, full roofs with overhangs, second floor setbacks, or covered arcades. See Figure 2-26.

FIGURE 2-26 FORM AND MASS

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E. Rooflines.

1. The design of a structure's roof contributes strongly to its image as a quality, permanent structure. Structures with full-pitched roofs project a more small town image. Structures with flat roofs and parapets tend to appear unfinished and less permanent in their structure.

With the exception of the downtown area, where structures are usually built to the front and side property lines and full roofs may not be appropriate, new freestanding structures shall incorporate full-pitched roofs whenever possible. See Figure 2-27.

FIGURE 2-27 ROOFLINES

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2. Roofs may be gable, hip, or shed-type, but in all cases shall either be full pitched or shall appear so from the street. Any flat portions (i.e., equipment wells) shall be small and not visible from streets or other areas where the public has access. On larger structures, pitched roofs shall be multi-planed to avoid large expanses of monotonous single-planed roofs.

3. Flat roofs may be considered for larger commercial structures when it is determined that a project's overall design is amenable to flat roofs and is otherwise consistent with the objectives of these standards. When flat roofs are used, there shall be a screening parapet topped with a coping, cornice, or, if determined appropriate to the project's style, a modified mansard. Mansards shall maintain the same roof pitch as surrounding structures and shall be both high and deep enough to create the illusion of being a true roof. Small, steeply-pitched mansard roofs that appear "stuck-on" are discouraged.

F. Parapets.

1. Parapet walls shall be treated as an integral part of the structure design. They shall receive architectural detailing consistent with the rest of the facade design and shall not appear as unrelated elements intended only to screen the roof behind.

2. Where a mansard roof is incorporated into the parapet design, views from above the structure shall also be considered relative to any visible structural support elements.

G. Entries. Entries shall be protected from the elements and shall create a focus or sense of entry for the building. Wall recesses, roof overhangs, canopies, arches, signs, and similar architectural elements shall be integral to the building's design and call attention to the importance of the entry.

H. Additions to Existing Structures.

1. The design of a proposed addition shall follow the general scale, proportion, massing, and detailing of the original structure, unless the size of the addition is equal to or greater than the existing structure, and includes alterations to the existing structure to establish a new overall style. The addition shall be harmonious with the original structure, not a stark contrast. See Figure 2-28.

FIGURE 2-28 ADDITIONS TO EXISTING STRUCTURES

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2. The new addition shall be an interpretation of the existing building wherein the main characteristics of the existing structure are incorporated into the design of the addition. This may include: the extension of architectural lines from the existing structure to the addition; repetition of bay, window, and entrance spacing; use of harmonizing colors and materials; and the inclusion of similar, yet distinct, architectural details (e.g., window/door trim, lighting fixtures, tile/brick decoration, etc.)

I. Building Materials.

1. False or decorative facade treatments, wherein one or more unrelated materials appear "stuck-on" a building, shall be avoided. Materials shall be used honestly. Fake products which attempt to imitate real materials (e.g., wood, stone, brick, etc) are discouraged.

2. The composition of materials shall avoid giving the impression of thinness and artificiality. Veneers shall turn corners, avoiding exposed edges. See Figure 2-29.

FIGURE 2-29 CHANGES IN MATERIALS OR COLORS

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J. Colors.

1. Colors shall be compatible with the existing colors of the surrounding neighborhood but need not duplicate existing colors. The base color(s) of the structure shall be of light muted tones.

2. Accent colors shall be used carefully and be complementary to the base color or a variation of its hue, either weaker or stronger.

3. The transition between base and accent colors shall relate to changes in building materials or the change of building surface planes. Colors shall generally not meet or change without some physical change or definition to the surface plane.