Chapter 18.26 — Downtown Form-Based Code

Santa Clara Zoning Code, Title 18

July 2025 2-69

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SANTA CLARA CODE

SANTA CLARA DOWNTOWN FORM-BASED CODE CITY OF SANTA CLARA | PUBLIC DRAFT | OCTOBER 2023

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SANTA CLARA CODE

SANTA CLARA DOWNTOWN FORM-BASED CODE

CITY OF SANTA CLARA | PUBLIC DRAFT | OCTOBER 2023

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

City of Santa Clara

Downtown Community Task Force

Butch Coyne Rob Mayer Dan Ondrasek

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Matthew Reed Chan Thai

Adam Thompson Ana Vargas-Smith Atisha Varshney Debra von Huene

WRT / Planning, Urban Design, Team Leader

Sargent Town Planning / Place-Making & Form-Based Code

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SANTA CLARA CODE

CONTENTS:

TRANSFORMED DOWNTOWN —This diagram, Figure 5–1 from the Downtown Precise Plan, illustrates a long-term vision of the concentration of new investment and activity possible for Downtown Santa Clara, re-establishing it as a remarkable mixed-use urban center of culture and commerce.

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4 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

1 General Provisions & Administration

The Precise Plan describes a revitalized Downtown that is comfortably walkable, amenity-rich, and well-connected The vision includes a complete, compact neighborhood, with human-scaled streets framed by buildings with active and interesting frontages, and a network of highquality streetscapes that weave through Downtown and provides a range of mobility options It is the purpose of the Downtown Precise Plan, and especially of these standards, to help ensure that this vision is implemented

These Development Standards seek to guide private development efforts and public improvements so that as the Downtown develops, it builds in a way that is physically predictable and consistent with the goals and policies of the Precise Plan

To the extent possible, the administration of this code is intended to follow the same procedures and requirements as elsewhere in the City The application process, fees, notice of hearing, date of hearing, decision, notice of decision, effective date, vested rights, finality of decision, appeals, and related procedures and revocation shall be in accordance with the procedures set forth for in Title 18 of the Santa Clara City Code (SCCC)

The Development Standards of this Form-Based Code regulate land use and the physical form of development for the ten blocks identified in Figure 4–1 (The Downtown Zone), which corresponds to the Downtown Precise Plan Area The zone established herein replaces the existing zoning for all property and uses within its boundaries

A. Existing Requirements. This Chapter replaces currently-adopted zoning regulations for parcels in the Plan area, but relies on many of the land use and procedural requirements of the Santa Clara City Code (SCCC) In cases where this Chapter is silent, the requirements of the SCCC shall apply; in cases where there is conflict between the requirements of this Chapter and those of the SCCC, the requirements of this Chapter shall apply

• B. Existing Structures and Uses. Permitted structures and uses that do not conform to the standards of this Chapter on the date of its adoption shall be deemed to be legal nonconforming The provisions of SCCC 18 94 shall apply

• C. Historic Preservation & Resources Inventory. Downtown’s historic buildings and sites shall be preserved as described by the City’s Historic Preservation and Resources Inventory and consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Preservation and Treatment of

Historic Properties and with the City’s regulations for Historic Combining Districts (see Chapter 18.58 of the Santa Clara City Code) The continued assessment of buildings and sites with potential but undetermined historic significance will continue throughout the life of the Precise Plan In particular, the City should study the potential eligibility of the downtown post office for the Historic Preservation and Resources Inventory

• D. Specific to the Historic Combining District. The property located at 906 Monroe St (APN 26920095) shall comply with all regulations of the Historic Combining District (HT) as described in Chapter 18.58 of the Santa Clara City Code

• E. Historic Building Reuse. The reasonable use of historic buildings may necessitate adaptive reuse The Director of Community Development ("Director"), to encourage such reuse, may allow flexibility around parking guidelines, change-inuse thresholds, and other topics, while remaining consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Preservation and Treatment of Historic Properties and with the City’s regulations for Historic Combining Districts (see Chapter 18.58 of the Santa Clara City Code)

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5 | Chapter 1: General Provisions & Administration

The following general rules of construction apply to the text of this Chapter In case of ambiguity, the Director of Community Development ("Director") shall determine the appropriate application of standards based on the vision for Downtown Santa Clara described in Chapter 1 and the Downtown Precise Plan

• A. Definitions. Whenever a defined word appears in this Chapter, its meaning is as set forth in this Chapter If a word is not defined in this Chapter, the definition in the Zoning Code shall apply Definitions for words that are not defined in either this Chapter or the Zoning Code are interpreted in accord with their dictionary meaning and customary usage

All projects within the Downtown Zone (established in Chapter 4 ) are subject to the review process outlined in SCCC § 18.76 (Architectural Review)

Notice of any public hearing required under the terms of this title shall be given as required in the Zoning Code, except that notice shall be provided to all properties within a minimum of one thousand (1,000) feet from the exterior boundaries of the area actually occupied or to be occupied by the use which is the subject of the hearing

Authority. The Director of Community Development or designee (“Director”) has the authority to interpret any provision of this Code Whenever the Director determines that the meaning or applicability of any Code requirement is subject to interpretation, the Director may issue an official interpretation See SCCC § 18.02.040.

• B. Illustrations. In case of any difference of meaning or implication between the text of any provision and any illustration or photograph, the text shall control, unless the intent of the standard is clearly otherwise

• C. Terminology. "Shall" is prescriptive; "should" is directive; "may" is permissive

• D. Uncertainty. In cases of uncertainty regarding the application of any of these Development Standards, the Director shall have the authority to make a determination

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6 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

In some instances, it may be practical to deviate slightly from the Standards of this Code while still meeting the vision of the Downtown Precise Plan In such a case, the Planning Commission shall have the authority to grant deviations from the development standards of this chapter in accordance with the provisions of SCCC § 18.108 and in accordance with the maximum deviations and associated required findings in Table 1-1 For any standards not listed in Table 1-1 , no deviation is permitted In all cases, no deviation shall be granted if it hinders a project's ability to contribute to the vision for Downtown Santa Clara as detailed in the Downtown Precise Plan and/or hinders its ability to achieve the intent of the standard in question

Special consideration for deviations shall be given to the cultural/civic anchors described in the Precise Plan, such as the Food Hall / Market Structure on Arts Commons New cultural/ civic structures play a pivotal role—as does the existing historic Post Office building—in establishing Downtown as a destination with unique physical markers Such buildings warrant special architectural gestures, executed to a high artistic standard

TABLE 1-1 | DEVIATIONS FROM STANDARDS

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Max. Deviation from
§ Standard Required Finding(s)
Numeric Standard
4 The Downtown Zone and Character Overlays
Dimensions in Figure 4-2 • Any dimensional deviation is warranted to accommodate a building's bay and
Massing Increment rhythm
10%
• Any dimensional deviation does not detract from a ground floor's ability to provide
a Shopfront where required
5 Building Placement
Standards in Table 5-1 • The building(s) help(s) define and provide appropriate enclosure to the public
0% realm
• The design is harmonious with the existing built context,
Standards in Table 5-2 • The portion of the Build-To Range which is not built out is a meaningfully-
10% designed, useful and beautiful space rather than unsightly leftover space
• Rear setbacks with alleys provide adequate space for any required trash, fire,
All other numeric standards in Section or utilities access
5 • Where fire access is required, separation meets fire code and the discretion of
local fire official
10% • Where exceptions to standards are necessary to enable the adaptive reuse
of existing buildings, provided that the ground floor frontage is calibrated, to
the extent practical, according to the standards and guidelines of Section 9
In exceptional adaptive reuse cases, the Planning Commission may allow a
deviation greater than those listed in this table
6 Building Height
All numeric standards in Table 6-1, • Not applicable: no deviation allowed
0%
Figure 6-1, and Figure 6-2
All numeric standards in Table 6-2 and • Any deviation in dimensions is mitigated through excellence in design which
Section 6.3.C through 6.3.J 20% clearly meets the intent for the Plan Area as described in the Precise Plan
• Floor-to-ceiling height is not less than 8 feet
7 Building Massing
All numeric standards in Section 7 • High quality architectural design and materials used create enough visual interest
20%
to compensate for any dimensional deviations
8 Facade Design
All numeric standards in Section 8 • Exceptional architectural style and quality of materials create visual interest
that compensates for a lower amount of windows, doors, or entrance frequency
20%
• The facade is organized into a coherent rhythm of bays and the intent of an
active & interesting ground floor environment is still met
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7 | Chapter 1: General Provisions & Administration

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Max. Deviation from
§ Standard Required Finding(s)
Numeric Standard
9 Private Frontages
All numeric standards in Section 9 • Any deviation in dimensions is mitigated through excellence in design and enables
the frontage to accomplish the intent of private frontages
20%
• Any deviation doesn't hinder a frontage's ability to serve its role according to
its frontage type
10 Architectural Projections
All numeric standards in Section 10 • Any deviation in dimensions is mitigated through excellence in design
20% • Any deviation does not restrict the projection's ability to serve its purpose (i e
a balcony shall remain usable rather than simply decorative)
11 Signage Design
All numeric standards in Section 11 • The sign is not auto-oriented in nature
20% • The sign is appropriately scaled to the size of the building & business
• The sign enhances the aesthetic quality of the public realm
13 Site Standards & Guidelines
All numeric standards in Section 12 • The high quality of the architectural/landscape design and the materials used
create enough visual interest to compensate for any dimensional deviations
• Privacy requirements are adequately balanced with visual safety needs
• Any additional wall height is warranted to provide appropriate privacy to the
space it is enclosing, due to a unique site condition (i e space is highly exposed
or adjacent an undesirable site condition outside of developer's control)
20% • Decreased wall height is warranted if a landscaping feature provides the desired
privacy
• The enclosed space provides adequate visibility to the public realm ("eyes on
street")
• Architectural style is consistent with the design of the building and/or the public
space it is enclosing; strong landscaping is provided between wall and sidewalk
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8 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

2 The Vision & Coding Approach

This Section provides a non-regulatory introduction to the Code All standards and topics referenced in this section are found in later sections of this Code

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FRANKLIN STREET IN 1898

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FRANKLIN STREET IN THE 1950S

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FRANKLIN STREET TODAY

• A. Implementing the Vision. The essential character and community value of the historic downtown that Santa Clara lost in the 1970s was defined by its public realm – the beautiful, comfortable, lively, useful and entertaining “outdoor rooms of the community” – and by the unique buildings and lively mix of retail, dining, entertainment and civic uses that lined and activated those public spaces The same is true of the envisioned future Downtown Santa Clara Within the streets, plazas, parks, paseos, courtyards and buildings of the restored Downtown that the civic, cultural, economic and social life of Santa Clara will once again be centered

• B. The Precise Plan. Developed through a 3-year community process, The Precise Plan has clearly defined the public space network for the restored downtown, which will act as its organizational and mobility framework The starting point for the public realm framework is the systematic restoration of the historic street grid and resulting pattern of very walkable square blocks, to which the Precise Plan has added a number of very special new public gathering spaces in the form of plazas and greens In addition to defining the vision for the restored downtown, the Precise Plan includes detailed standards and design guidelines for the public realm, including all the streets, plazas, parks and other public open spaces, as well as implementation strategies and procedures

• C. Conceptual Vision. The Precise Plan also provides a clear conceptual vision for the types, sizes, uses and design character of the buildings that will shape and activate those public spaces Through the hard work of the Downtown Community Task Force, city staff and officials, and the planning and design team a remarkably detailed and nuanced vision has emerged, defining specific building size, form, use and design characteristics on a street by street and block by block basis

• D. Development Standards and Guidelines. The standards and guidelines of this Code are both “place-based” and “form-based”, with all standards and guidelines keyed to a Regulating Plan, which mirrors exactly the public realm plan in the Precise Plan This enables to Code to assign building height standards, building setback standards, building use standards, and building form and design standards and guidelines on a street-by-street and block-by-block basis in order to systematically and predictably implement the community’s vision

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9 | Chapter 2: The Vision & Coding Approach

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THE ROLE OF BUILDINGS —The walls of outdoor rooms

• E. The Role of Buildings. If the streets and plazas and greens of the Downtown are “the floors” of the outdoor rooms of the public realm, it is buildings that form “the walls” of those rooms, providing a strong sense of spatial enclosure (a k a “sense of place”) and activating the public real with retail, restaurant, entertainment, civic, office and residential uses and activities In conventional suburban environments, buildings are interspersed with parking lots and landscaping in freeform patterns, with buildings essentially free-floating in “open space” that is designed primarily for driving and parking cars In downtowns and the traditional neighborhoods that usually surround them, buildings are set purposefully at or near the sidewalks, with the facade of every building and every development project working together to generate a steady but varied “streetwall” to define human-scale pedestrian-oriented public spaces The streets surely accommodate automobiles, but are designed first and foremost for people It is the constant presence of pedestrians, and high levels of human activity in the downtown public realm that makes it attractive, active, safe and comfortable throughout the day and late into the evening The safety and comfort of the that public realm also depends to a very large degree on the “eyes on the street” that are provided

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OPEN SPACES —Parks and square form part of downtown's varied set of urban spaces.

by shopkeepers, customers, residents and office workers within the buildings This requires that all facades include generous amounts of windows Windows are “the eyes of the building”, giving the entire Downtown “a lived-in look ” Blank walls are very destructive of comfortable urban places, most particularly at the ground floor level Further, as discussed below, the design of ground floor building frontages must be such that ground floor occupants do not feel the need to keep window blinds closed all the time for privacy, as windows that are always covered do little more for pedestrian comfort and safety than blank walls

• F. Coding Approach. This Code is a system for ensuring that each new increment of private development and public improvement contributes to achieving the community’s vision as documented in the Precise Plan Unlike “a project” – which may be designed and built all at once by a single developer or investor – “a plan and code” is a recipe for ensuring that many projects built by many people over the course of many years will generate a coherent, cohesive and varied set of urban spaces and places, consistent with the community’s vision and aspirations The code is essentially “the vision, reverse engineered” into a set of rules and

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10 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

procedures which, if followed, will enable each new project to meet market demand, to express the vision and creativity of its developer and designers, while also contributing to the making of a complete, new downtown of sustained and growing long-term value

• G. Code Regulations. The Code regulates all of the standard zoning topics related to building use, building heights and setbacks, parking requirements, and permitting processes It also provides standards for building form and design

1. Building Placement. To emphatically define the public spaces of the Downtown, building facades must be built at or near – and parallel to – the frontage line or back of sidewalk Along Franklin Street and other retail streets, most building facades must be built right on the frontage line in the classic “main street shopfront” pattern Along streets with existing or new housing, buildings must be set back from the sidewalk behind shallow landscaped yards, providing a degree of privacy for residents and compatibility with nearby homes The design of building ground floors and front setback areas– see Frontages, below – is systematically correlated with building placement to optimize the function and value of the ground floor uses in that building and in surrounding properties

2. Building Height. Along Franklin Street and within the downtown core, building heights may vary from 2 to7 stories, or up to 9 allowed by height bonus provisions that may be granted for exceptional projects But buildings along the Neighborhood Edges – particularly along Benton, Madison, and Homestead – must be “scaled down” for compatibility with surrounding historic neighborhoods The taller buildings in the core provide very strong spatial definition and decidedly “urban character” to that area They also provide opportunities for significant quantities of housing and office uses in addition to the downtown commercial uses, and generate economic value capable of supporting the construction cost of efficient, shared, structured parking facilities that will enable such a concentration of active uses without a surrounding “sea of parking lots ”

• H. Code Provisions. In addition to regulating overall building heights, the Code includes provisions that regulate the heights of ground floors, to ensure generous spaces for shops, restaurants and other active downtown uses It also includes provisions for manipulating the “apparent height”, or “scale”, of buildings to ensure greater compatibility of taller buildings with surrounding existing and future smaller buildings For example, the tallest new buildings are required to provide clearly defined 2-story bases that are approximately the height of the two-story historic downtown buildings and existing two-story homes in surrounding neighborhoods As described below, building facade standards include provisions requiring building height variations in tandem with building width standards to differentiate adjacent buildings one from the other

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BUILDING PLACEMENT —Shopfronts line the back of the sidewalk

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BUILDING HEIGHT —scaling down from the center to surrounding residential

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11 | Chapter 2: The Vision & Coding Approach

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FACADE ORGANIZATION —This wide single building breaks down its scale into different facade designs to better fit the neighborhood

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BUILDING WIDTH —50' wide building organized into vertical bays

1. Building Facades, Scale and Character. Quite literally “the walls” of each street and block of the Downtown, building facade standards are coordinated with the street design, building height and building use standards to ensure that the scale and character of each public space is consistent with the vision and intent of the Precise Plan Facade design is at the intersection of architecture and urban design, of development and placemaking, and done well can ensure that each building meets the programmatic and financial goals of property owners, investors and users, while positively contributing to the making of a fine new downtown public realm for Santa Clara in the primary ways

2. Facade Organization. The historic buildings within the downtown core along Franklin Street were typically 25 to 60 feet wide, such that each block was comprised of 5 to 10 individual buildings That pattern was based on the original subdivision of the Downtown into 25- or 30-foot-wide lots, and the development of buildings on one or two or occasionally three lots Most of the residential lots across Benton Street, Madison Street and Homestead Street from the new Downtown are 50 or 60 feet wide, and the primary masses of most of the homes are 25 or 30 feet wide All new buildings in the Downtown are expected to reflect and respect those historic patterns by incorporating comparably sized and scaled building forms and facade patterns, whether in buildings similar in overall size to lost historic structures, or are buildings and projects whose overall size is considerably larger This is not an exercise in nostalgia or “historical correctness”, it is to ensure that the new downtown is compatible with (“in scale with”) the surrounding historic neighborhoods, and to provide it with a uniquely Santa Clara identity and ambiance

3. Building Width. The original historic downtown buildings were built on or two or three of the original 25- or 30-foot-wide lots, and because many were built before automobiles became a common transportation mode did not include large parking lots or structures within the blocks Accordingly, all new building facades are expected to be organized into “bays” – groupings of doors, windows and other architectural elements Further, the facades of wide development projects are also required to be organized into more than one “Massing Increment,” as perceived from the street Each 300-foot block face will contribute at least 4 such Increments to the public realm

4. Vertical Organization. In addition to organizing door and window openings into bays and buildings horizontally, fine downtown buildings are prototypically organized vertically with clear bases, middles and tops

• a. Bases: In the classic American downtown mixed-use building, the base is composed mainly of large, clear glass shopfront windows and entries, and made of fine, heavy, strong materials such as stone or brick, that look great close up and age gracefully Some large ground floor openings are also building entries and lobbies leading to upper floor residences and offices

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12 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

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VERTICAL ORGANIZATION —Base, middle, and top

• b. Middles: Upper floors are typically fenestrated with the smaller windows of apartments, offices or hotel rooms, typically grouped and stacked above the large ground floor windows in simple rectangular patterns In some buildings, however, large windows comparable in scale to those of the ground floor may continue to the upper floors, while in buildings with residential ground floors the smaller window pattern of the upper floors may extend to the ground floor

• c. Tops: Building tops may be designed in many different ways Some have visible pitched roofs, others are provided with projecting architectural cornices, and some have very simple caps on parapet walls The scale of buildings taller than 3 or 4 stories may benefit from more emphatic articulation of their top floor, with techniques including special materials or window patterns, recessed balconies or porticos, or roof terraces with pergolas or roofs

• d. Combinations: Finally, for taller buildings, in addition to strong tops, two-story bases are required to moderate the appearance of height and to establish a strong two-story scale from the perspective of the pedestrian Most of the buildings of Santa Clara’s historic downtown were two stories tall, as are most

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BUILDING FRONTAGES —good design of this space invites activity

of the fine historic homes in the surrounding neighborhoods So establishing a two-story “scale” in this way within the downtown is a simple way to make new taller buildings fit in gracefully

5. Frontages. Frontages are those linear strips of space between the building face and vehicular traffic These are generally the spaces with the highest concentrations of pedestrian activity, commercial activity, and social activity – the spaces through which pedestrians move throughout the Downtown, window shop, dine outdoors, and enter and exit buildings Accordingly, the design and function of frontages is critically important to the success and value of each and every ground floor use, very likely the most important single topic addressed by this Code

6. Privacy Modulation. A fundamental role of frontages in urban places is as “privacy modulators” for ground floor uses In suburban environments, privacy for ground floor uses is provided by setting buildings back behind wide landscaped “buffers” and parking lots, which have no place in downtown streetscapes, so more nuanced manipulations of building facades and judicious use or shallow

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13 | Chapter 2: The Vision & Coding Approach

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RETAIL EXPOSURE —Clear glass blurs the barrier between interior and exterior space. Note: This example is an exceptionally wide expanse of glass. Most facades will be divided into multiple smaller bays divided by vertical structural elements.

setbacks is required The Frontage Standards and Guidelines of this Code work in combination with the building setback and facade design standards and guidelines to appropriately calibrate privacy for each type of ground floor use

7. Retail Exposure. Retail shops thrive on openness and visibility to passing pedestrians and motorists, so retail frontages are characterized by wide sidewalks and large, clear glass openings set right on the back of the sidewalk, effectively “blurring the line” between interior and exterior space Within the wide sidewalks, outdoor dining or merchandizing may spill out onto the sidewalk next to the shopfront, or within the street tree and furnishing band next to the curb, or in some cases within the curbside zone in lieu of parking or vehicular drop-off

8. Residential and Office Privacy. Ground floor residents or office workers, on the other hand, do not want every passing pedestrian looking into their home or office, so residential and office frontages set the building back behind a shallow landscaped front yard and often elevate the ground floor 2 or 3 feet above the sidewalk so that sills of their smaller ground floor windows are at or above the eye level of passing pedestrians Sidewalks are comfortably wide, but narrower

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RESIDENTIAL AND OFFICE PRIVACY —elevated ground floors

than along retail frontages, and street trees are typically planted in continuous planting strips that further enhance the “front yard” character of the streetscape

9. Intermediate/Flex Frontages. A variety of intermediate or “user-reconfigurable” frontage types are defined to enable ground floor uses to change over time with market demand, without major reconstruction each time the use changes Office/ Retail Flex frontages enable occupation of ground floor spaces with office uses, and conversion to more active retail and restaurant uses in the future This can be accomplished simply by allowing more window coverings than permissible in retail establishments, and/or my providing marginally smaller windows than classic retail, still suitable for future retail or restaurant tenants Residential/ Retail Flex may include similar strategies, but only in buildings set back from the sidewalk, with landscaping in the setback area for residential use that can be replaced with sidewalk paving in the future for retail tenants This is a complex topic and is addressed in the standards and guidelines of the Code

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14 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

3 Overview of Standards

Throughout the Code, standards are grouped into the regulatory topics summarized on this page Each of these topics represents a section of the Code; the section number is noted alongside each title This topical organization enables the Code to systematically implement the vision as articulated in the Precise Plan and follow the approach described in the previous section, Section 2 Before referencing the standards found in the remainder of this Code, applicants proposing any new development in the Downtown Zone should familiarize themselves with Section 2 as well as the Santa Clara Downtown Precise Plan After covering each of these topics, the Code concludes with a glossary of the specialized terms which are used throughout

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CH. 4: THE DOWNTOWN ZONE & CHARACTER OVERLAYS

A Downtown Zone is applied to the 10 blocks of the Plan Area to implement the standards of this Code and the vision of the Precise Plan Character Overlays are used to further calibrate the standards of the Code to the multiple unique environments within the Downtown Zone

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CH. 6: BUILDING HEIGHT

Building heights are regulated in order to properly concentrate intensity at the heart of Downtown while scaling appropriately to the existing context

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Building Footprint
Street Street
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CH. 5: BUILDING PLACEMENT

Building placement standards ensure that new buildings are sited and oriented to appropriately define and engage new and existing streets, public spaces, courts, and paseos

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CH. 7: BUILDING MASSING

Building massings are regulated to ensure that new large developments do not have massive, monolithic facades that feel overbearing to pedestrians Buildings are required to reflect the rhythm and scale of the historic Downtown

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15 | Chapter 3: Overview of Standards

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Private Frontage
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CH. 8: FACADE DESIGN

This section ensures that building facades have an appropriate amount of windows and doors, and that those windows, doors, and other facade elements are organized into a rational composition of floors and bays

CH. 9: PRIVATE FRONTAGES

Private frontage standards regulate the building face and everything between that building face and the sidewalk Design is to be calibrated to ensure a mutually beneficial relationship between the private property and the public realm

CH. 10: ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTIONS

Architectural projects are the elements which stick out from the facade into the private setback These elements enhance the relationship between the building and the public realm

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Parking
Garage
Wide Range of Upper
Floor Uses
Lafayette St Franklin St
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CH. 11: SIGNAGE DESIGN

Signs will be a strength of Downtown buildings They will be beautiful and bring visual interest to the street while drawing patrons to businesses and other destinations within the Downtown Zone

CH. 12: BUILDING USE & PARKING

Use regulations ensure that upper floors have the flexibility to accommodate a wide range of activity in Downtown and that ground floors are occupied by uses which are appropriate to their Downtown context—regulated by Character Overlay This section also ensures the proper placement of parking within buildings

CH. 13: SITE STANDARDS & GUIDELINES

Site standard and guidelines regulate a wide range of private realm elements— including waste and utilities, site walls, lighting, and on-site open space—to ensure that such elements contribute to the Downtown environment while serving building occupants

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16 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

4 The Downtown Zone & Character Overlays

FIGURE 4-1 | DOWNTOWN ZONE PLAN

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A The Downtown Zone shall be applied to the land
within the 10 blocks of Downtown which are
established by the Precise Plan The Downtown
Zone is shown in purple in Figure 4.1 to the right
I G E C A
B Figure 3–2 of the Precise Plan establishes the
rights-of-way for each existing and new street and
Central Arts
public open space within the Downtown Precise Franklin Green Commons
Plan Area This figure is included in the lower left Square
for reference
C The new network of pedestrian-oriented streets
J H F D B
and open spaces shall be designed in accordance
with the design standards specific to each, which
are set forth in Chapter 3 of the Precise Plan
PRECISE PLAN FIGURE 3–2 | DOWNTOWN STREETS & PUBLIC SPACES
Legend
Franklin
Square
Central Arts
Green Commons
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17 | Chapter 4: The Downtown Zone & Character Overlays

• A Four Character Overlays are established per Figure 4-2: Character Overlays The intent of these overlays is to calibrate the standards and guidelines of the Code to the specific urban environments envisioned by the Precise Plan This includes concentrating street life at key locations within the heart of Downtown while transitioning smoothly to the existing neighborhood context at the edges of Downtown

• B The Character Overlays include:

  3. The General Overlay. The General Overlay is the most flexible It allows for ground floor residences and offices as well as retail-ready frontages and shopfronts All areas not subject to the Shopfront or Retail-Ready Overlays fall within the General Overlay

1. Shopfront Overlay. The Shopfront Overlay determines the most active and urban nodes of Downtown It locates where the most active ground floor uses, such as restaurants or national retailers, are desired The Shopfront Overlay extends into the lot to a depth of 50' beyond the primary facade (or 30' for local non-formula retail and restaurant establishments, per Section 9.4.A )

4. Neighborhood Edge Overlay. The Neighborhood Edge overlay ensures that the overall building form transitions to the scale of the surrounding neighborhoods, so that you don't have long, monolithic facades across from the existing small house-form buildings It extends from into the lot to a depth of 20' beyond the primary facade It overlaps with other overlays (see Figure 4-2 ) and therefore, its requirements are in addition to those of the underlying overlay

2. The Retail-Ready Overlay. The Retail-Ready Overlay fills the gaps between the most active nodes This environment will feature a wider range of ground floor uses than in the Shopfront Overlay, but it must be able to transition to having the qualities of the Shopfront Overlay with retail and restaurant ground floors The Shopfront Overlay extends into the lot to a depth of 50' beyond the primary facade (or 30' for local non-formula retail and restaurant establishments, per Section 9.4.A )

FIGURE 4-2 | CHARACTER OVERLAYS

Overlays

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----- Start of picture text -----
a
c
E C
A
I G
c c
* e
c c b b
c c
J H F D B
b b
----- End of picture text -----

Shopfront Retail-Ready General Neighborhood Edge

Dimensions

(Measured along the applicable private property line)

a = 50 feet

• b = 70 feet

• c = 90 feet

e = see Standard 5.3.E

***** Potential relocation of Franklin Square and its fountain to the block to the north, as part of any future development which includes the demolition of the existing building at this location

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18 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

5 Building Placement

The standards and guidelines of this section seek to ensure that, to the extent practical, new buildings are sited and oriented to appropriately define and engage new and existing streets, public spaces, courts , and paseos (See Section 14 for a Glossary of all words in italic blue font)

The standards and guidelines of this section apply to all projects which include the construction of new primary buildings

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----- Start of picture text -----
Property Line
Franklin Street
Main Street (north)
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BUILDING PLACEMENT —This Axonometric view of the Building Placement diagram ( Figure 5-1 ) illustrates how buildings are to be set close to the front property line (per Table 5-2 ) to define and engage streets and open spaces.

FIGURE 5-1 | BUILDING PLACEMENT

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----- Start of picture text -----
Benton Street
C E
B
Alley
D A
B
Forecourt
See Standard 9.3.B
Arcade
See Section 10.4.H
B Public Open Space
Gallery See Precise Plan,
See Section 10.4.I Chapter 3
Franklin Street
Jackson Street
This is a 100% buildout along the street. Main Street (North)
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Building Footprint Property Line

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• A. Frontage Buildout. The primary facades of new primary buildings shall be set within the build-to ranges in compliance with Tables 5-1 and 5-2 and the text of this section The following elements may recess from or break the ground floor facade and constitute allowed exceptions to the frontage buildout requirement :

1. Forecourts , subject to Standard 9.3.B , can span up to 35% of a lot's frontage buildout requirement However, forecourts are not Permitted on Franklin St or the Central Green

2. Entrances—no wider than 12'—to paseos or passages , or side yards (See Section 9.5 )

3. Exterior staircases and associated landing areas

4. Chamfered corners , provided they include an entrance or stairway

5. Recessed Shopfronts: Ground floor shopfront facades may be recessed up to 8' behind the Build-To Range to create a "Recessed Shopfront," provided the facade above the recessed shopfront is located within the Build-To Range If the ground floor is recessed for multiple adjacent bays (see Chapter 8 for more on Bays), there shall be a wall or column between each bay, supporting the upper floor facades

• B. Building Orientation. Buildings, in order to properly orient toward and engage the public realm, shall take access from and front the public realm per Chapter 9.

1. Front Setback and Encroachments The design of the front setback area—the space between the ground floor building facade and public right-of-way—is regulated by Chapter 9. Allowed Architectural Projections into the front, side, and rear setback areas are regulated in Chapter 10

TABLE 5-1 | FACADE BUILDOUT BY CHARACTER OVERLAY

TABLE 5-2 | BUILDING SETBACKS BY STREET (DIAGRAMMED BELOW)

Notes

FIGURE 5-2 | BUILDING SETBACKS KEY

• 1 See allowable exceptions in §5.3.A.

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*
Franklin Central Arts

Square [] Green Commons
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• 2 Measured from the property line(s) adjacent to the street or open space.

• 3 The Franklin St, Main St South, and Lafayette St front setback area shall be designed as an extension of the sidewalk per Section 9.3.C .

• 4 Along Lafayette St, the face of any Arcade shall be set 6 feet from the property line (see §10.4.H ).

• 5 Continuous arcade(s) shall project over this setback, lining Central Green (see §10.4.H ).

• 6 Buildings lining Arts Commons and a potentially-relocated Franklin Square shall be set at the edge of those spaces, with 100% buildout, as they are dimensioned in Precise Plan Fig. 3-2 . See also Code Fig. 4-2 .

• ***** 7 See Standard 5.3.E .

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20 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

C. Parking and Vehicular Access

1. Per Section 12.1 , Surface parking lots are not permitted (exception: parking spaces along an alley, with no additional aisles for the purposes of accessing parking, are permitted)

2. Structured ground floor parking shall be set behind at least 30 feet of occupiable ground floor liner space See Section 12.5.A.2 for parking structure design standards

3. Vehicular access (see precedent at lower left) into the ground floor of a building, where allowed, comprises part of a building's frontage buildout See Section 9.4.F for Vehicular Access frontage type design standards

4. Vehicular drives into a lot, or "driveways" (see precedent lower right), do not comprise part of the frontage buildout, and they are not exceptions to the buildout percentage They are not allowed in the Shopfront Overlay, Retail-Ready Overlay, or anywhere an alley is present See Section 12.5.A.1 for driveway design standards

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VEHICULAR DRIVES INTO A LOT are to be located and designed to preserve the beauty and function of the Downtown environment.

VEHICULAR ACCESS INTO THE GROUND FLOOR is a frontage type and is regulated by §9.4.F.

• D. Public Realm Extensions. While most buildings and ground-floor units will front onto and take their primary access from the adjacent Public Realm right-of-way, some buildings and ground-floor units may take this primary access from shared private spaces and connections that function as extensions of the public realm into a site Such spaces comprise a "Semi-Public Realm” and serve as transitions between fully-public and fully-private spaces Public Realm Extensions are subject to the following standards:

1. Continuous Access Route. A Public Realm Extension may comprise a single space or connection type, or it may be a sequence of spaces and connections In either case, Public Realm Extensions shall connect directly to the public realm

• a. For public realm connections which extend through the block from one street to another (such as a paseo), the maximum distance to any primary access shall be 150 feet

• b. For public realm connections which do not extend through the block (such as a forecourt), the maximum distance to any primary access shall be 100 feet

• c. A space which is ‘floating’ within a block—such as an internal court which is not linked via other shared spaces or connections to the public realm—shall not provide the sole frontage to a primary building

2. Frontage. The standards and guidelines in Sections 8 and 9, the Facade Design and Private Frontages sections, shall be applied to the facades which define and front these spaces, including frequent points of building access and clear, ample fenestration

3. Activation. Semi-public spaces may allow public access or they may limit access to residents to create a more private space However, these spaces are not intended to be fully private, which means that they shall remain visible from the public realm, and activate the public realm via the regular coming and going of residents and visitors

4. Connectivity. Public realm extensions also provide connections through blocks This is accomplished with a paseo or through a sequence of courts and paseos linking together through the block Where nonvehicular paths are used, full and unrestricted public access shall be provided throughout the route

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5. Amenities. Public realm extensions also double as amenity space, and they should be designed and furnished as such They can serve as spaces for gathering, play, and can include fountains and other amenities

6. Design. The size, configuration, and character of these spaces shall prioritize pedestrian comfort The spaces and connections which comprise a Public Realm Extension are subject to Section 9.3.B and the following:

• a. Public Realm Extensions shall connect directly to the public sidewalk Any necessary steps, ramps, and/or elevators to connect them shall be easy to locate and comfortable to use Apart from steps and ramps, surfaces used by pedestrians shall be flat

• b. Decorative and/or permeable pavement is encouraged

• c. Landscaping, pedestrian-scale lighting, and seating areas are encouraged

• d. Public Realm Extensions may be enclosed from the public realm with landscaping, low walls, and/or fences, provided that entrances are provided No wall or fence enclosing a public realm extension may exceed 3 feet in height

• e. On-site driving and parking areas shall either be designed as shared, multi-use spaces or be kept separate with strategic siting of buildings and/or landscaping

FIGURE 5-3 | PUBLIC REALM EXTENSIONS: SEMI-PUBLIC SPACES AND CONNECTIONS

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Forecourts abut and receive direct access from the public right of way

Courts (Internal) are accessed from the public right-of-way via a shared private connection such as a Passage

• E. Placement of the Market/Food Hall on Arts Commons.

• The Market/Food Hall structure on Arts Commons, along Lafayette St, shall fit within the 45' by 75' area identified in Precise Plan Figure 3-2 It may be freestanding or connect to the adjacent building in Block A In either case, a clear outdoor or indoor/outdoor public pedestrian way must pass between it and the rest of Block A, connecting Lafayette Street to Arts Commons

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Paseos, passages, and side

yards abut and receive direct access from the public right of way Paseos connect through blocks, creating a non-vehicular link between public rights of way

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22 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

6 Building Height

These standards and guidelines are intended to implement the physical vision that is articulated in Chapter 2, Downtown Framework.

The standards and guidelines of this section apply to all new buildings within the Plan Area All buildings are subject to the Maximum Building Heights without Bonuses ( Figure 6-1 ) If a City height bonus program were to be established, buildings may be permitted to extend up to the Maximum Building Heights with Bonuses ( Figure 6-2 ) for providing Community Benefits ( Table 6-1 ), per Standard 6.3.B The Table 6-2 standards for the height of building elements apply to all buildings in the Plan Area

• A. Maximum Building Heights without Bonuses. All buildings that do not qualify for bonuses (see Standard 6.3.B ) are subject to the maximum building heights identified in Figure 6-1 See Standard 6.3.C for measurement of building height

• B. Maximum Building Heights with Bonuses. The City may create a bonus height program to grant additional height allowance in exchange for the provision of Community Benefits, per direction in the Precise Plan Community Benefits may include, but are not limited to, those identified in Table 6-1 Figure 6-2 establishes the maximum building heights which may be allowed under any such program Bonuses shall be calculated on a project-by-project basis and at the scale of individual buildings The net financial value added to the project via the bonus height shall be determined in proportion to the fair market value of the Community Benefit offered to the City This proportion shall be determined by the bonus height program These bonuses may be combined with any bonuses gained through any State law provisions that may be in effect for affordable housing The resulting height of any building, including bonuses, shall not exceed those identified in Figure 6-2 Bonuses may be granted to Downtown projects for community benefits provided off-site but in the Downtown Zone

FIGURE 6-1 | MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHTS WITHOUT BONUSES

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40'
40'
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LEGEND[1 ] — Figure 6-1

Notes

• 1 Per Standard 6.3.C , height is regulated by the number of stories as well as the maximum number of feet; buildings shall not exceed either metric.

Park or Plaza

2 stories (up to 28')

Height in feet is typically generous relative to the number of stories to facilitate tall office floors, where they might occur. It is not expected that residential development would always take advantage of the full height in feet.

3 stories (up to 40')

4 stories (up to 59') 5 stories (up to 72') 6 stories (up to 85')

• 7 stories (up to 98')

• C. Measurement of Building Height. As shown in Figures 6-4 and 6-5 , building height in feet is measured from the adjacent sidewalk level to the top of the parapet, cornice, eave, or ridge of pitched roof, whichever is taller Height is regulated by the number of stories as well as the maximum number of

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Potential Maximum Bonus Heights[2] Not Applicable until the Creation of a Bonus Height Program

TABLE 6-1 | PROPOSED COMMUNITY BENEFITS FOR POTENTIAL HEIGHT BONUS PROGRAM

Community Benefits

Each cultural venue on Arts Commons (including but not limited to Santa Clara Theater, Cultural Arts Center, and Market Hall), if consistent with locations on Figure 2-8

Public parking garage that can support Cultural Arts Center and Theater This may be provided in addition to providing required parking for other residential and office uses

Visual and performing art venues or movie theaters in location other than the Arts Commons

Conservation of resources listed on the Historic Resources Inventory, buildings in the Historic Combining District, or the post office

Public land dedication, with bonus amount based on extent to which dedication requirement exceeds District average

Enhanced contributions to public realm improvements above fair-share development impact fee, including infrastructure, paving, planting, furnishings, public art and interpretation elements

Enhanced contributions to district transit infrastructure and operations

Subsidized rent (offering rent at or below 60% of the current comparable market rate) for ground floor, non-formula retail and restaurant establishments for a minimum of 5 years (this rate and duration shall be included in a Deed Restriction)

Providing a Future-Proof parking garage, meeting all the standards of Section 8.2.D.2

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FIGURE 6-2 | POTENTIAL MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHTS
WITH BONUSES
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40'
40'
----- End of picture text -----

LEGEND[1 ] — Figure 6-2

Notes

• 1 Per Standard 6.3.C , height is regulated by the number of stories as well as the maximum number of feet; buildings shall not exceed either metric.

Park or Plaza

• 2 stories (up to 28')

Height in feet is typically generous relative to the number of stories to facilitate tall office floors, where they might occur. It is not expected that residential development would always take advantage of the full height in feet.

• 3 stories (up to 40')

• 4 stories (up to 59')

  • 2 Bonus heights shall not become applicable unless and until the Council adopts a bonus height program. City staff anticipate presenting a bonus height program, including a fee component and accompanied by a nexus study, to the Council in 2024.

• 5 stories (up to 72')

• 6 stories (up to 85')

• 7 stories (up to 98')

• 9 stories (up to 124')

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24 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

feet; buildings shall not exceed either metric (per Precise Plan Policy 5.1.E ) See Section 6.3.J for exceptions and elements which are allowed above the maximum building height Building height in stories includes all floors (except for subterranean basements below the ground floor), subject to the following:

1. Mezzanines. A mezzanine—a partial floor contained within a tall building story—which constitutes less than 50% of the habitable area of the building story where it is located, does not count as an additional story

2. Parking Liner. One habitable floor lining multiple structured parking levels—as may be common with tall ground floor retail spaces—only counts as one story

• D. Height of Building Elements. All buildings are subject to the standards listed in Table 6-2 (see the following spread), regardless of whether the project has qualified for bonus heights or not

• E. Primary Facade Height. The primary facade is the portion of the facade located within the Front Street Build-To Range along a street and/or open space (see Section 5.3 )

1. For projects which are 4 stories or less, the entire length of the primary facade may be built up to the maximum allowed building height for the location (per Figures 6-1 and 6-2 )

2. For projects which are taller than 4 stories (where permitted by Figures 6-1 and 6-2 ), a maximum of 50% of the primary facade length may be built above 4 stories within the Build-To Range The remainder of the primary facade is limited to 4 stories within the Build-To Range Any other floors above 4 stories shall be set back a minimum of 15 behind the lower primary facade See Figure 6-3

• F. First Floor Level. Except for retail-ready ground floors ( Section 9.4.C ) and accessible ground floors at sidewalk level, all residential ground floors shall be raised between 2 and 4 feet from sidewalk grade

• G. Floor Heights. Floor heights shall meet the standards listed in Table 6-2

1. Retail/Housing Flex. All ground floor residential is subject to the minimum heights listed in Table 6-2 However, ground floor residential throughout the Downtown Zone is encouraged to go well beyond those minimums and be 14’ feet tall, floor to ceiling, and designed so that future compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) for commercial use is not precluded See the Retail/Housing Flex frontage type in Section 9.4.C

FIGURE 6-3 APPLICABLE TO PROJECTS TALLER THAN 4 STORIES* *where permitted by Figures 6-1 and 6-2

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facade is limited to 4 stories
within the Build-To Range
Neighboring
building
(separate
project)
50% max.
Primary facade
length
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A maximum of 50% of the primary facade length may be built above 4 stories within the Build-To Range (see Table 5-2 in Section 5: Building Placement)

The remainder of the primary facade is limited to 4 stories within the Build-To Range

Any other floors above 4 stories shall be set back a minimum of 15 behind the lower primary facade

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25 | Chapter 6: Building Height

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----- Start of picture text -----
15’
B
A
E [1] E [2]
F
D [1] D [2]
C
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FIGURE 6-4 GROUND FLOOR AT STREET LEVEL

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FIGURE 6-5
RAISED GROUND
FLOOR
15’
B
A
E [1] E [2]
KEY
F
Property Line
D [1] D [2]
Build-to Line
C
Private Frontage
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TABLE 6-2 | HEIGHT OF BUILDING ELEMENTS

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Standards Applicable to All Character Overlays
Facade and Building Height
A Primary Facade Height See Standard 6.3.E and Figure 6-3
B Maximum Building Height See Figures 6-1 and 6-2
First Floor Level (measured from level of exterior sidewalk) [1]
C General Overlay 0 to 4 feet [2]
C Shopfront and Retail-Ready Overlay 0 feet
Floor Heights (min)
D Ground Floor (Residential) [3] D [1] 10 feet floor-to-ceiling; 11 feet floor-to-floor D [2]
D Ground Floor (Non-residential) [3] D [1] 14' feet floor-to-ceiling; 16' floor-to-floor D [2]
E Upper floor (Residential) E [1] 9 feet floor-to-ceiling; 10' floor-to-floor E [2]
E Upper floor (Non-residential) E [1] 9 feet floor-to-ceiling; 10' floor-to-floor E [2]
Building Base Height (min - may span multiple floors per §6 3 E)
Base on Buildings of 3 Stories Not required;
F
or less 1-story base allowed
1 story base required;
F Base on Buildings of 4 Stories 16 feet minimum
Base on Buildings of 5 Stories 2-story base required;
or more 25 feet minimum
----- End of picture text -----

Notes

1 First floor level standards are applicable to the first 30' behind the facade.

• 2 If the first floor level is elevated from the sidewalk, the appropriate frontage and architectural projection(s) must be chosen. See Chapters 9 and 10, respectively, for applicable standards.

• 3 Ground floors in the Shopfront and Retail-Ready Overlays are required to be Non-Residential.

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• H. Building Base Height. The building base (shown below) shall be measured from the sidewalk grade to the (lower) cornice, string course, or horizontal plane break In absence of any of these elements, the mid-point between the topmost point of the first-floor openings and the lowermost point of the second-floor openings shall serve as an upper reference point The Building Base lines the public realm and visually supports the upper floors The Building Base may span multiple floors, rather than simply the ground floor Per Table 6-2 , buildings of 5 stories or more must have bases which span at least 2 floors—or the visual equivalent of 2 floors

• I. Upper Floor Setback Area. The upper floor setback area may be covered by an open structure—such as a trellis or upper floor loggia , shown to the right—with a front facade that is no more than 10% solid, excluding any parapet wall height

J. Elements Above the Maximum Building Height

1. For buildings of 3 stories or fewer: Pitched roofs may exceed the maximum building height by up to 8 feet Buildings with pitched roofs exceeding the stated height limit, if fronting Benton St or Homestead Rd, shall be oriented with eaves (not gables) to the street Pitched roofs should be symmetrical and sloped no less than 4:12, except that roofs for porches and other attached shed roofs which should be no less than 2:12 Gables facing the public realm should not exceed 30 feet in width

2. Upper-floor terraces and rooftop decks are allowed, provided that they are not enclosed with walls or roofs Upper floor terraces and rooftop decks may have umbrellas and shade structures, provided that their walls are no more than 10% solid, excluding any parapet wall height Such elements shall not exceed the maximum building height by more than 10 feet

• a. Publicly-accessible decks and terraces (such as those for restaurants) are encouraged to extend to the building edge to be visible from the street

3. Enclosed roof access is allowed within structures that measure no more than 20 by 20 feet in plan Such structures shall not exceed 12 feet in height above the floor and shall be set back from the primary facade by 15 feet minimum

4. Certain decorative, uninhabitable architectural elements, such as roof signs (see Section 11.3.I ), may exceed the height limit Such elements which exceed the height limit by less than 5 feet shall be subject to Director approval Elements which exceed the height limit by 5 feet or more shall be subject to the Planning Commission

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BUILDING
BASE
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BUILDING BASE HEIGHT —The Building Base lines the public realm and visually supports the upper floors.

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OPEN STRUCTURES IN UPPER-FLOOR SETBACKS —The upper floor setback area may be covered a trellis (right) or upper floor loggia (left), outlined in yellow above.

5. Wireless facilities shall be designed into the building and/or mounted on the roof Roof-mounted facilities shall not exceed 6 feet in height from the finished roof, shall be set back from the primary facade by 15 feet minimum, and shall not be visible from the public right-of-way or existing single family residences

6. Solar panels may exceed the maximum building height if located on the top level of a parking structure In such a case, they shall not exceed 60 percent of roof area, shall not exceed 20 feet above top garage floor level, and shall be set back 40 feet from the edge of the building to reduce visibility from below

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27 | Chapter 6: Building Height

K. Architecturally Significant Historical

Sites. Per Precise Plan Policy 5.2C : "Where it will be adjacent to a historic building or within areas of historic sensitivity, new development should be designed to be compatible with historic resources, consistent with the Secretary of the Interior standards and City regulations, such as by using similar proportion, scale, facade modulation, and stepdowns For new buildings on the same parcel as a historic building or within a buffer area defined by Figure 5-6: Historic Resources and Areas of Historic Sensitivity (2022), the height of new development should not distract from the historic building Accordingly, height limits have been set in the western area of the Downtown Plan in response to adjacencies of sensitive buildings and historic resources "

1. See also Standards 1.2.C–E

Figures from Precise Plan Goal 5.2

Figure 5-6 HISTORIC RESOURCES AND AREAS OF HISTORIC SENSITIVITY (2022)

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POST OFFICE
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----- Start of picture text -----
Architecturally Significant & Historic Sites
100ft buffer around Historic Sites
Historic Combining District (HT)
Further study needed
----- End of picture text -----

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----- Start of picture text -----
Figure 5-7
POST BUILDING HEIGHTS
OFFICE ADJACENT TO HISTORIC
BUILDINGS AND AREAS OF
HISTORIC SENSITIVITY
Architecturally Significant & Historic Sites
Historic Combining District (HT)
Further study needed
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28 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

7 Building Massing

The standards in this section ensure that new development reflects the rhythm and scale of the historic Downtown and that new large developments do not have massive, monolithic facades that feel overbearing to pedestrians Large developments are required to be broken into multiple Massing Increments per the techniques in Sections 7.3 Massing Increments are visually discrete design compositions that:

1. Are distinguishable from each other;

2. Have a coherent look and character from the ground to the top of the facade;

3. Shall appear to be either distinct buildings or distinct parts of a single building, per Section 7.3.C

Not only does subdividing a long building facade make for a more dynamic and interesting streetscape, but it also makes the building more resilient Should the market change in the future, the building can be configured to be easily modifiable by Massing Increment to meet the needs of different tenants or to adapt to other uses

AVOID: This facade would feel massive and monotonous in Downtown Santa Clara

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New buildings whose primary facade (s) exceeds the maximum Massing Increment length listed in Table 7–1 —which varies by whether the facade is within or outside the Neighborhood Edge Overlay (see Figure 4-2, Character Overlays )—shall be divided into smaller ‘Massing Increments’ per the standards of Table 7–1 and the content of this Chapter If a primary facade is less than the maximum Massing Increment length, it does not need to be broken into multiple Massing Increments The standards of this Chapter are organized as follows:

1. Section 7.3.A regulates facades outside the Neighborhood Edge

2. Section 7.3.B regulates facades within the Neighborhood Edge

3. Section 7.3.C regulates when Massing Increments, regardless of location, shall and shall not appear as distinct buildings

WELL-SCALED MASSING INCREMENTS (A) in Historic Downtown Santa Clara and a newly-built building

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A A
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TABLE 7-1 | MASSING INCREMENT DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS

Notes

• 1 There shall be a minimum of 4 Massing Increments per block face. Where a block face includes an open space, the open space counts as a Massing Increment.

FIGURE 7-1 | MASSING INCREMENT DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS

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B
A A
C
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MASSING INCREMENTS OUTSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD EDGE See Section 7.3.A

MASSING INCREMENTS WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD EDGE See Section 7.3.B

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A
A
D
Street
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30 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

• A. Specific to Facades Outside the Neighborhood Edge. Massing increments within the Downtown General Zone outside of the Neighborhood Edge shall be differentiated in the following ways:

1. The primary facade (see Section 6.3.E ) height of each Massing Increment—as measured from the adjacent sidewalk level to the eave, cornice, or parapet— shall differ from the primary facade height of its neighboring Massing Increment(s) by 10% of the lesser facade height (per Table 7-1 ) Upper floors which are set back from the primary facade of the lower floors by a minimum of 15' (per Table 7-1 ) are not considered part of the primary facade height The resulting setback area may be covered by an open structure—such as a trellis or upper floor arcade—with a front facade that is no more than 10% solid, excluding any parapet wall height Figure 7-1 displays a simple difference in primary facade height, while Figure 7-2 shows two other strategies

• a. Forecourts and upper floor forecourts—subject to §9.3.B —that are a minimum of 15' deep satisfy this standard as the portion of facade set back does not count as part of the primary facade height

2. The height of the building base (see Section 6.3.H for more on building bases) shall differ from the neighboring building base by a minimum of 3' For a greater impact, the height of the base can change by an entire floor (see Figure 7-3 )

3. Facade elements—such as openings and Architectural Projections (see Chapter 10 ) that are typically organized into bays—shall not overlap the division between Massing Increments The entire facade composition shall be contained within its Massing Increment

4. A Massing Increment design may be repeated up to a maximum of 3 times on the same project elevation Repeated Massing Increments may not be immediately adjacent to each other

• a. A forecourt—subject to §9.3.B —may provide separation between repeated Massing Increment designs

5. See Section 7.3.C regarding when Massing Increments shall and shall not appear as distinct buildings

FIGURE 7-2 | STRATEGIES FOR VARYING PRIMARY FACADE HEIGHT

15' B UPPER FLOORS SET BACK —The upper level of the right portion of the building is set back at least 15' in order to create an adequate difference in facade height (B) between the two Massing Increments (A). A A B A UPPER-LEVEL FORECOURT —All upper floors above A the building base are set back to A create an upperlevel forecourt which is one strategy to create an adequate differentiation between Massing Increments (B).

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FIGURE 7-2 | STRATEGIES FOR VARYING BUILDING BASE HEIGHT

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CHANGE OF 3.5 FEET —The building base height simply changes from the level of the level of the 2nd floor up to the level of the sill of the 2nd floor.

CHANGE OF 1 FLOOR —The left building base height is one floor taller. This is especially useful to bring contrast where the building material does not change. Note: a 2-story building base is required for buildings of 5 stories or more, per Standard 6.3.H .

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• B. Specific to Facades in the Neighborhood Edge Overlay. Massing Increments within the Neighborhood Edge Overlay shall be differentiated in the following ways:

FIGURE 7-4 | MASSING INCREMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD EDGE OVERLAY

1. Massing Increments shall be separated by a gap ( G in Figure 7-4 ) of no less than 16’ wide by 20’ deep, per Table 7-1

2. No massing increment facade design may be repeated on the same project elevation A massing increment facade design may be repeated up to three times on a project, provided they are on different sides of the block

3. Architectural style variation between massing increments is encouraged to reinforce a pattern of individual, neighborhood-scale buildings, to better fit in with existing buildings in this zone

4. The use of pitched roofs are encouraged to further relate the buildings to the residential neighborhood scale

5. Any other differentiation that meets the intent of the standard is encouraged

6. Gaps between massing increments may—but are not required to—serve as entries to paseos, courts, side yards, or any other on-site open space Gaps may also serve as small courts or yards and be surrounded on all sides by building

7. See Section 7.3.C regarding when Massing Increments shall and shall not appear as distinct buildings

GAP EXAMPLE —This Gap between Massing Increments serves as a small forecourt, surrounded on all sides by building.

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G
Width of
Gap
Depth of
Gap
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A
A
A
A
G
G Neighborhood Edge
Overlay
G
Benton Street
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GAP EXAMPLE —These Gaps between Massing Increments provide vehicular and pedestrian access into the block.

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A
A
A
G
Street G
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C. Massing Increments as Distinct Buildings.

• Depending on the situation, Massing Increments shall appear to be either distinct buildings or distinct parts of a single building, per the standards of this section The intent of these standards is to implement the historic rhythm and character of a historic downtown as envisioned by the community without creating a superficial imitation

1. The following standards regulate when Massing Increments are to appear as distinct buildings or simply as distinct parts of a single building:

• a. When a single project occupies more than 200 linear feet of street frontage, it shall appear as at least 3 distinct buildings

• b. Maximum number of distinct buildings on any single block face

• i. No single project shall appear as more than 4 distinct buildings on any single block face, except for facades in the Neighborhood Edge Overlay, which shall have no maximum number of distinct buildings

• ii. For any project outside the Neighborhood Edge which occupies less than 100 linear feet of street frontage, it shall be designed to appear as a single building

• iii. Exception to the above stated maximum number of distinct buildings: when Massing Increments are located on different properties, are built by different developers or builders, contain distinct programs, and/ or are built at different times, they may appear as distinct buildings, regardless of the resultant number of distinct buildings on the block face

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Massing Increments which appear as DISTINCT BUILDINGS

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Massing Increments which appear as DISTINCT PARTS OF A SINGLE BUILDING OR PROJECT

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2. How to make Massing Increments appear

• as distinct buildings. In addition to meeting the standards in Sections 7.3.A&B , Massing Increments which are required to appear as distinct buildings (per Section 7.3.C.1 ) shall be distinguished according to the following:

• a. There shall be a clearly noticeable difference in facade materials and color between distinct buildings

• b. There shall be a clearly noticeable difference in the type and composition of facade openings and architectural elements between distinct buildings

• c. The building base heights of adjacent distinct buildings shall differ by an entire floor .

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ONE PROJECT COMPRISING MULTIPLE DISTINCT BUILDINGS —While these examples are each just one development project, their adjacent Massing Increments appear as two distinct buildings in order to relate to the historic context and because they host distinct portions of the project's program. They are distinguished using techniques §7.3.C.2.a & b (difference in material and color and difference in the type and composition of facade openings and architectural elements) in addition to those listed in §7.3.A . The example above would be appropriate for the Neighborhood Edge as it has a gap between Increments.

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8 Facade Design

This section further accomplishes the intent described in Section 7.1 The standards and guidelines of this section apply to all new building facades which face public streets and open spaces within the Plan Area

• A. Facade Composition. Facade elements shall be organized by a grid ( Figure 8-1 ) Patterns of openings within each individual facade or Building Increment—when required per Section 7.2 —shall be organized into a grid per the standards below

1. Horizontal alignment of elements. Rooflines, openings, and materials within each facade or facade module must align horizontally, and be generally consistent in style across the entire width

2. Vertical alignment of openings into bays. The entirety of a building’s facade or Massing Increment shall be clearly divided into vertical bays, subject to the following:

• a. Facade bays shall extend from the ground to the top of the facade and are defined by vertical structure (solid portions of wall, piers, etc ) which extends from the ground to the top of the facade (See §8.2.F for more on expressing structure)

• b. Each bay must be between 15’ and 30’ wide

• c. Openings shall be stacked within bays as illustrated below Openings should typically be arranged symmetrically within bays

• B. Buildings shall have a base, middle, and top ( Figure 8-2 ). The building base should read as visually supportive, with materials that appear solid and strong Building base heights are scaled to the size of the building; their height is regulated alongside building heights in Section 6.3 and Table 6-2.

1. The building base is the primary portion of the facade observed from the street, so it should feature details and materials which are pleasing to the pedestrian The building base should be differentiated from the rest of the facade—whether by a string course, change in material, change in type of openings, or a combination of these elements

2. The middle of the building features floors which should be generally repetitive, with only minor variations between each floor

3. The top of the building should feature some form of capping element(s), such as a cornice, enhanced ornamentation, or a decorative parapet In larger buildings, the upper most floor may be visually incorporated into the building design of the top

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Bay
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FIGURE 8-1 | A GRID OF FLOORS & BAYS

Each bay in this example features a shopfront on the ground floor with 1 or 2 sets of upper floor windows stacked above. This pattern is especially appropriate for the Shopfront Overlay.

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BAYS —Facades can be organized into bays, regardless of style.

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Top
Middle
Base
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FIGURE 8-2 | BASE, MIDDLE, AND TOP

Building facades shall have a base, middle, and top.

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C. Facade Fenestration.

1. Fenestration Area. Facades shall be designed with fenestration—openings on the facade, including windows and doors—in the amounts identified by Table 8-1

• a. Fenestration amount is calculated as a percentage of openings—including all windows and doors on the facade—to an area of facade Each portion of the facade grid, as defined in Standard 8.2.A.3 , must have a fenestration percentage which falls within the range identified by Table 8-1 This is illustrated in the facade diagram to the right See Figure 8-3

• b. Per Table 8-1 , the required fenestration amount varies by Zone and Overlay (where applicable) and by location on the facade

TABLE 8-1 | FENESTRATION

FIGURE 8-3 | APPLYING THE FENESTRATION STANDARDS

Each portion of the facade grid must meet the applicable fenestration requirement. This example displays Shopfront overlay requirements.

2. General to all floors:

• a. Except for shopfront or bay windows, window jambs shall be set in a minimum of 4 inches from the main facade plane Trim/moldings on the facade do not count toward this recess depth

• b. Opaque or fogged windows are prohibited Windows and glazing on doors should have an external reflectance of less than 15%, and a transparency higher than 80%

• c. Non-operable shutters—known as ‘faux shutters’—are prohibited

• d. The horizontal distance between wall openings should not exceed 15 feet within a facade or massing increment

• e. On street-facing facades, utility penetrations are prohibited (e g , exhaust vents)

3. Specific to ground floors:

• a. The ground floor facade area is determined by multiplying the ground floor height (as regulated by Table 6-2 ) by its width

• b. Structural elements (e g , columns and piers) shall be visible on the facade exterior, and the front face of such structural elements shall align with the face of the facade above in order to visually convey that they support the facade and floors above This is especially critical for ground floor facades with over 90% glass (to avoid the illusion that the upper floors are resting on a glass box)

• c. Bedroom and bathroom windows along any new or existing street is prohibited

• d. Display windows which block views into interior spaces may only comprise up to 25% of the required fenestration area

• e. Section 9 establishes further ground floor fenestration requirements, beyond the base standards in Table 8-1 , to create a balance between privacy and transparency according to frontage type

4. Specific to upper floors:

• a. Wall openings should generally not span across stories (vertically) or bays (horizontally)

• b. Upper-floor wall openings shall be square or taller than they are wide Individual vertically-proportioned windows can be grouped side by side to form a horizontal ensemble of windows

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D. Parking Structure Facade Standards

1. Facade design. Parking structure facades shall be designed to fit into the urban context in one of the two following ways:

• a. Facades that look similar to other Downtown buildings with designs that meet the standards of Sections 7 and 8

• b. Facades designed as art walls, murals, or screens that incorporate decorative, graphic, or sculptural elements Such facades are subject to recommendations from the Cultural Arts Commission and Historical and Landmarks Commission, followed by Director approval, based on the following Required Findings:

• i. Facade design theme, materials and aesthetic complement and enhance the intended unified streetscape aesthetic of Downtown, as defined by this Specific Plan

• ii. Facade design is unique and iconic, using durable, element-resistant, materials and techniques

2. Future-Proof Parking. Parking garages which can easily convert to accommodate other uses— such as offices or housing—if and when the need for parking diminishes, are encouraged Features which enable such 'future-proof' flexibility include:

• a. Level floors, apart from necessary ramps;

• b. Floors with 10' minimum clear height from floor to ceiling;

• c. Cut-outs for planned shafts in decks and other structural members to accommodate future utilities (such as heating, cooling, and venting)

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PARKING STRUCTURE designed like a typical building with occupiable space on the sidewalk

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AVOID: Wide, horizontal garage openings create too large a break in the street wall.

3. Ground floor facade. Per Standard 5.3.B , structured ground floor parking must be set behind at least 30 feet of occupiable ground floor liner space Vehicular entries are subject to the standards of Section 9.4.F

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FLEXIBLE BUILDINGS like this example in downtown Los Angeles, whose upper floors once hosted a department store and offices but now serves as a parking garage.

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PARKING STRUCTURE designed like a typical Downtown Building, with ground floor parking set behind commercial space with shopfronts lining the street. The flat, tall parking floors of this building could easily accommodate other uses in the future.

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E. Materials

1. Fiberglass or plastic (false) architectural elements or ornamentations are prohibited

2. Materials used on shopfronts should be smooth and non-abrasive to touch

3. Rough-cast and sand-finishes are discouraged on all building surfaces that are visible from a street

4. Where more than one material is used for the facade, the heavier material must be used below the lighter material (e g brick below siding, not vice versa)

• a. Modulations, color schemes, balconies, and other facade elements shall be consistent within an individual facade or within an individual Massing Increment, when required per Section 7.2

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SHOPFRONT MATERIALS —This example uses smooth material finishes, especially at the shopfronts where the most pedestrian interactions occur.

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STACKING MATERIALS —Masonry used below lighter materials such as stucco, synthetic cladding, or siding.

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SHOPFRONT MATERIALS —A simple palette of materials across multiple storefronts does not need to feel boring as long as they are well composed.

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MATERIALS ON INCREMENTS —Materials and design are consistent within each Massing Increment.

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• F. Expressing Visual Weight and Load-Bearing Structure. To ensure that new development in downtown is compatible with the historic building fabric and visual structural principles of Downtown Santa Clara, the following standards apply to the building structure, architectural elements, and materials and color:

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Bay
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Vertical structural elements frame the bay; visual weight within the bay is transferred clearly to the ground.

1. Building Structure. To express the load-bearing structural characteristics of traditional downtown buildings, the following standards shall apply:

• a. Vertical Structure. The vertical structural elements of a building—comprising piers, columns, or portions of solid wall which flank each bay of the facade (see §8 2 A 2)—shall be configured so as to visually carry the apparent weight of upper floors down to the ground in a coherent manner (see precedents below) If any vertical structural element is expressed but does not extend to the ground, it shall be supported by structure beneath it, with a visual system of weight transference from the supported element to the ground

• b. Horizontal Structure. Horizontal structural elements—such as beams and lintels—shall be sized to appropriately support the visual weight of the building mass and elements above them with respect to the distance they span

• c. Structural Honesty. The visual system of bays and structure that is expressed on the facade shall be organized and configured to express or reinforce the actual building structure

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Bays of windows framed by masonry building structure

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Storefront windows framed by structural elements

AVOID: Heavy upper floor building masses are not coherently supported. Vertical structure elements which frame upper floor bays randomly misalign with those in the building's base.

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2. Architectural Elements. To ensure that architectural elements appear to be properly supported, the following standards shall apply:

• a. Projections. Architectural Elements projecting from the building’s facade—i e balconies, bay windows, and deep roof eaves—shall be visually supported with brackets, corbels, cantilevered beams, or structure that transfers their weight to the structural vertical and horizontal elements of the facade as defined in 1a / 1b

  3. Materials and Color. To ensure that materials and color reinforce the visual structural logic of a facade, the following standards shall apply:

  • a. As stated in §8 2 E 4, materials heavier in apparent weight (i e brick) shall be used below materials that are lighter in apparent weight (i e wood siding)

• b. Colors also suggest visual weight Colors should complement, and in no way undermine, the visual structural logic of a facade

• b. Heavy Elements. Heavy elements—i e those made of masonry, projecting bays or rooms, etc —shall appear to be supported rather than floating or affixed onto a weaker-appearing material

• c. Non-Supportive Elements. Elements which are intended to be accents to the facade—i e such as spandrel panels between windows—shall not project from the facade Rather, they shall be inset as architectural relief, with the facade material holding it in place visible around it There shall be no floating elements or details which appear artificially pasted on

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Traditional bay windows had wooden and masonry structural elements, creating a coherently-supported assembly

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This modern bay window has a metal structural frame supported by concrete cantilevers.

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Balcony supported by metal tension rods.

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Spandrel panels are recessed into the wall between vertical structural elements.

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Color reinforces the role of the panels as decorative rather than strong and loadbearing.

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9 Private Frontages

Downtown Santa Clara is to be an active, pedestrianoriented urban environment that is comfortable, safe, and easy to navigate by foot, bicycle, or any mode of vehicular transit As such, careful attention must be given to the way that buildings shape and front Downtown’s network of public streets, paseos, and open spaces—also known as the “Public Realm ” The space between the travel lanes of a street and the building, and including the building’s ground floor facade, is defined as “frontage ” In order to create a high-quality urban environment, the design of that frontage must be calibrated to the ground-floor use of the adjacent buildings and to the unified Downtown character envisioned in the Precise Plan Frontages must be designed to provide an appropriate degree of privacy or transparency relative to the needs of the public-facing ground-floor use Commercial shops and spaces rely on more exposure for their success, while ground-floor residences need added privacy so they aren’t forced to close their blinds and can therefore encourage “eyes on the street ” This section provides the design standards and guidelines for the private portion of this frontage

The entire ground floor facade facing a public street or public open space is required to consist of the frontage types allowed in this section

The standards and guidelines of this section apply to any new building or facade renovation along a street or public open space in the Downtown Zone This Chapter regulates design, while Chapter 12 regulates building use Ground floor use and frontage design shall be determined in coordination per the standards of both Chapters

• A. Private Frontages. Private Frontages are defined as the ground floor building facade and the area (or 'setback') between that facade and any property line along a street or public open space This area serves as the transition and interface between the building interior and street environment Table 9-1

FIGURE 9-1 | PRIVATE FRONTAGE

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Private
Private
Frontage
Frontage
Building
Setback Public Frontage
Travel Lanes
Public Frontage Building
Parcel
Setback
R.O.W.
Parcel
Facade
Ground Floor Ground Floor Facade
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identifies Private Frontage Types which are regulated by Overlays, with design standards and guidelines for each type provided on the following pages These frontage types can be used in combination with Architectural Projections that will be noted under each frontage type

• B. Building Access. A key role of private frontages is to provide access from the public realm into the building The following standards apply:

1. All buildings must take primary access from the public sidewalk or from private on-site open spaces (see Section 12.5 ) that directly connect to public realm

2. Entrances into residential units may not be located more than 250 feet from the tenant/visitor parking space(s) assigned to that unit, as measured along walking paths

3. Access occurs via one of the allowed frontage types (see Table 9-1 )

4. Frequency of Entries The quantity of building entrances on a street has a drastic effect on the perceived liveliness of a street The frequency of entrances is regulated by Table 9-2 , at right

• C. Specific to front setback areas along Franklin St, Main St South, Lafayette St, and Central Green. Any setback area along these streets and open spaces shall be designed as an extension of the sidewalk—from the public right-of-way to the ground floor facade—with its design and paving matching that of the adjacent public sidewalk, subject to the following:

1. On Lafayette St, the first 6 feet (adjacent to the public right-of-way) of the setback area shall be clear of ground-level obstructions and shall function as an extension of the publicly-accessible walkway/sidewalk

2. Apart from the first 6 feet of the Lafayette St setback (per Standard 9.3.C.1 above), the setback area on these streets and open spaces may contain furniture, potted plants, sidewalk signs, and other temporary, movable elements in support of ground-floor retail Any front setback area not used for such purposes should function as an extension of the publicly-accessible sidewalk No permanently-installed furniture or fixtures are permitted

• a. Exception. A physical barrier required by the California Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Act is permitted Any such barrier shall be no taller than required by state law, and it shall be as visually transparent as permitted under state law

TABLE 9-1 | ALLOWED FRONTAGE TYPES BY OVERLAY

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Frontage Type Shopfront Retail-Ready General
Shopfront Yes Yes Yes
Common Entrance No¹ Yes Yes
Retail / Housing Flex No No Yes
Ground Floor Office No No [2] Yes
Ground Floor Residential No No Yes
Vehicular Access No [3] Yes [4] Yes
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Notes

• 1 Exception: If a project only has frontage in the Shopfront Overlay, a common entrance of 20' maximum width and designed as a Shopfront is permitted in the Shopfront Overlay.

• 2 Any ground-floor office uses in the Retail-Ready Overlay (see Chapter 10 ) shall be designed as Shopfront frontages.

• 3 Exception: A Vehicular Access may be located within the Shopfront Overlay—but in no case on Franklin St or Main St South—if: 1) all of a project's frontage is in the Shopfront Overlay, or 2) if a project has less than 30 feet of frontage outside the Shopfront Overlay and the Applicant demonstrates, to the satisfaction of the Director, that it is only possible to get vehicular access from within the Shopfront Overlay.

• 4 A project facade (or portion thereof) in the Retail-Ready Overlay shall have no more than one Vehicular Access. Vehicular Access is prohibited on Franklin St and Main St South.

TABLE 9-2 | FREQUENCY OF BUILDING ENTRIES BY OVERLAY

The following pages provide standards for the 6 allowed private frontage types in Downtown The standards specific to each frontage type apply wherever such type occurs

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9.4.A. SHOPFRONT

Shopfronts are characterized by large ground floor openings, including windows and entries, which provide transparency and connection between the public realm and ground floor uses such as shops and restaurants The primary entrance is typically at sidewalk grade, unless ADA accessibility is accomplished by other means, and provides direct access to the ground-floor use The basic architectural elements comprising the storefront are large clear windows, doors with glass, and transom windows If shopfronts have a setback, the setback is typically treated as an extension of the sidewalk

Design Standards

1. Shopfront openings shall be organized into bays, with upper floor windows stacked above, per the standards in Section 8.A.2.

2. If a shopfront is recessed or otherwise setback, and is not designed in combination with a Dooryard, Terrace, or Porch (as allowed in Section 10 ), the resulting setback shall be designed as a seamless continuation of the sidewalk, not as a landscaped area or buffer Where permitted, this area may be used for outdoor dining, merchandising and potted plants

3. Shopfronts shall provide for commercial kitchen infrastructure, regardless of the initial planned use of the Shopfront New development shall provide— or demonstrate on submitted plans that adequate space is provided—for a commercial grease trap and chase(s) for kitchen venting adequate to support a standard full-size restaurant

4. A shopfront may accommodate small-format automobile showrooms, provided they function as would any other retail shopfront

FIGURE 9-2 | SHOPFRONT

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A
B
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Design Guidelines

TABLE 9-3 | SHOPFRONT

5. Where permitted, shopfronts may be used in combination with Galleries or Arcades, or where the setback is sufficient and context is appropriate, in combination with a Dooryard, Terrace, or Porch (see Section 10 for Architectural Projections)

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Design Standards MIN MAX
A Height to top of 12’ -
transom
Height of
B 1' 2'
shopfront base
Depth of 50’ [1] -
commercial space
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6. Ground floor windows should have a minimum transparency of 80% and an external reflectance of less than 15%

7. All shade should be provided on the exterior of the building; the majority of the interior space should be visible from the right of way

Notes

8. With minor exceptions, all shopfront openings should provide visibility into the interior space, and not be visually obstructed by signage, merchandising racks, storage shelves, etc

• 1 Exception: Spaces for local non-formula retail and restaurant establishments shall have a minimum depth of 30'.

9. Window sills of non-entry bays shall be no higher than 2 feet from adjacent sidewalk grade

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9.4.B. COMMON ENTRANCE

Common entrances, like shopfronts, should have a strong connection to the public realm While not always open to the wider public, they are spaces that are shared by all tenants which rely on them for building access Access to individual units (ground and upper floors) is provided via a shared hall/corridor within the building

Design Guidelines

1. Common entrances should be conspicuous and designed as a focal-point of the ground-floor facade Designs that engage multiple floors and/ or help modulate the facade of the main building are encouraged (See also Sections 7 and 8 for Building Massing and Facade Design)

2. Entry spaces within common entrances should be visible from the public right of way Ground floor windows shall have a transparency higher than eighty percent and an external reflectance of less than fifteen percent Window sills may be no higher than 2 feet from adjacent grade All shade should be provided on the exterior of the building See Section 8.2.C for more fenestration requirements

3. In some cases, a Common Entrance may include or be combined with a semi-private yard or open space to provide a comfortable, attractive outdoor public transitional space that allows congregation off of the sidewalk, standards for which are provided in Section 13 Site Standards

4. Common entrances may also be used with a Porch, Dooryard, Terrace, Arcade, or Gallery where allowed (See Section 10 Architectural Projections)

FIGURE 9-3 | COMMERCIAL COMMON ENTRANCE

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A
C
B
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FIGURE 9-4 | RESIDENTIAL COMMON ENTRANCE

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9.4.C. RETAIL/HOUSING FLEX

Retail/Housing Flex frontage is a versatile type that can host residential uses in the near-term and be easily converted into shopfronts in the future if the market improves for commercial uses

Design Standards

1. This type is only allowed in the General Overlay (see Fig. 4-2 ), as residential is not allowed in the Shopfront and Retail-Ready Overlays

Design Guidelines

2. The ground floor fenestration amount should be between 65% and 95%

3. The setback should be designed and landscaped to provide privacy when the frontage hosts uses which require privacy, such as residences or offices

4. When in residential use, ground floor bedroom and bathrooms windows are prohibited along the front facade

5. When in retail use, if a dooryard or terrace is not used and the entry is at ground level, the setback is typically treated as an extension of the sidewalk

6. When in retail use, the ground floor fenestration should be transparent and provide visibility to the interior spaces per Section 9.4.A Shopfronts

FIGURE 9-5 | FLEX DOORYARD

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FIGURE 9-6 FLEX TERRACE

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9.4.D. GROUND FLOOR OFFICE

The private frontages of ground floor offices, where allowed in Downtown, must be carefully designed to ensure that they appropriately contribute to the active public realm environment of downtown Like ground floor residential, they typically require some level of privacy, but they still have the opportunity to give life to the street

Design Standards

1. Ground-floor office uses in the Retail-Ready Overlay shall be designed as Shopfront frontages

2. Fenestration shall be calibrated according to overlay See Section 8.2.C for more information

Design Guidelines

3. In general, the most public-friendly office functions such as reception and waiting area or office amenity space should be located closest to the primary facade Areas for private functions, such as examination rooms, should not be located on the primary facade

4. Ground floor offices may take access directly from the sidewalk and/or from a Common Entrance or Lobby (See Section 9.4.B )

5. The setbacks of ground floor offices at or near the level of the sidewalk may feature a dooryard or simple landscaping, or they may be designed as extensions of the sidewalk if privacy is not desired Raised ground floor offices may use a Terrace, Porch, or Stoop See Section 10 Architectural Projections

FIGURE 9-7 | OFFICE WITH COMMON ENTRANCE / MULTIPLE FLOOR LOBBY

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A
C
B
----- End of picture text -----

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FIGURE 9-8 | OFFICE WITH COMMON ENTRANCE

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----- Start of picture text -----
C A
B
B
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TABLE 9-5 | COMMON ENTRANCE / LOBBY

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9.4.E. GROUND FLOOR RESIDENTIAL

Ground Floor Residential frontages provide a transition from the public sidewalk to semi-private or private space These frontages moderate the privacy needs of the residential unit with the need to provide eyes on the street to ensure a safe and activated public realm environment Accordingly, the closer the ground floor facade is to the street, the more carefully designed the frontage must be Ground floor units are either entered through a common entry (such as an entry lobby or shared private court) or directly from the public sidewalk, typically through a transitional entry element such as a dooryard, porch, terrace, or stoop

Design Standards

1. If the setback is less than 10 feet, residential ground floors shall have a first floor level that is 3' to 4' above the level of the sidewalk, unless the unit is designed to be ADA accessible or Retail-Ready If the setback is 10 feet or greater, residential ground floors should have a first floor level that is 1 5' to 4' above the level of the sidewalk, but may have a first floor level at or near the level of the sidewalk

2. For required residential setback requirements see Section 5 and Table 5-1 Building Placement

3. See Section 8.2.C and Table 8-1. Fenestration for residential fenestration standards

4. Ground floor bedroom windows are prohibited along the primary facade

5. Ground floor and second floor bathroom windows are prohibited along the primary facade Bathrooms along the primary facade above the second floor are permitted, provided that their windows match the appearance, sill height, and lintel height of the other windows on the facade and meet the general fenestration standards of Section 8.2.C

FIGURE 9-9 | GROUND FLOOR FRONTAGES AND ENTRY TYPE VARIATIONS

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DIRECT ENTRY TYPES —Dooryards (left) and Terraces (right)

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COMMON ENTRY —Shared access into a lobby

6. If access to ground floor units is directly from the public sidewalk, entry may be provided via a Dooryard, Terrace, Porch, or Stoop See Section 10 Architectural Projections

Design Guidelines

8. Windows on ground floor residential are typically similar to those found on upper floors of the facade

9. Privacy Modulation The distance from the sidewalk to the facade and first floor windows is used to maintain a balance between resident comfort level and neighborhood security and activity The closer a residential unit is to the sidewalk, the higher the ground

7. If direct access is not provided, entry may be via a Common Entry with shared passageways

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FIGURE 9-10 | PEDESTRIAN AND RESIDENT INTERFACE

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5'
10'
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RAISED GROUND FLOORS —The raised elevation of the ground floor from sidewalk level, and taller ground floor sill heights (generally above eye-level), allow residents to overlook the street outside, while preventing passers-by from seeing into private interior spaces.

floor elevation should be to maintain a sense of privacy See Table 6-2 for ground floor height standards However, this height is affected by ground floor fenestration standards See Section 8-1 for more information

PRIVACY MODULATION EXAMPLES

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SHALLOW SETBACK (VERY URBAN CONDITION) —The facade is close to the sidewalk (less than 5ft), so the unit's ground floor is raised high enough that pedestrians must look up to see into the interior. The opaque front door and the landscaping is used to ensure privacy. However, the lower bushes and ground cover soften the wall in a nod to the neighborhood context.

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COMFORTABLE SETBACK/ELEVATION (TYPICAL URBAN CONDITION) —The combination of modest setbacks and ground floor elevation - in the form of semiprivate dooryard/terraces - provides sufficient privacy and a comfortable buffer between the sidewalk and large glass openings of the living room, with more private bedrooms on the second floor.

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NO SETBACK (ATYPICAL URBAN CONDITION) —The facade is immediately at the back of walk, but window sill height is above eye level of the passerby, maintaining privacy within the unit while allowing the tenant to overlook the street.

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GENEROUS SETBACK (LESS URBAN CONDITION) — These ground-floor units are at-grade with the sidewalk, with low sill-height. In this case, generous landscape setbacks (15ft) provide a sufficient privacy buffer from the street allowing residents to look out onto the public realm.

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9.4.F. VEHICULAR ACCESS

Vehicular Access frontages typically provide access to parking garages or through a building to rear service areas or surface parking Because of their utilitarian nature, their design is often neglected However, they require particular care in their design as their sheer size and presence along the street wall can make them one of the most disruptive elements to the quality of the pedestrian environment

Design Standards

1. For standards related to parking structure facades, see Section 8.2.D.

2. Vehicular Access frontage on a street is only allowed when no alley provides access to the lot The provision of alleys makes higher quality frontages possible and are highly encouraged

3. Vehicular entries shall be organized into openings that are proportioned and detailed to look appear similar to Shopfronts ( Section 9.4.A). These openings shall be organized into vertical bays in coordination with the overall facade per Standard 8.2.A.2

FIGURE 9-11 | VEHICULAR ACCESS: DESIRABLE DESIGNS

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Shopfronts
Vehicular Access
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VEHICULAR ACCESS can be organized into attractive, well-proportioned bays, just like shopfronts.

4. Vehicular Access openings shall be no more than 13 feet wide Where adjacent openings are necessary to provide entry and exit, they shall be separated by a pier (a portion of wall) of at least 2 feet in width

5. Vehicular Access frontage may comprise no more than 40% of a building's required buildout (per Table 5–1 in Section 5.3 ), and a single project may have no more than 2 Vehicular Access openings on any one street

6. Gates which open to allow cars to enter (excluding security doors that are shut when the garage is not accessible) shall be inset from the facade by a minimum of 20 feet, to allow cars to await entry without blocking the sidewalk

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FIGURE 9–12 | VEHICULAR ACCESS

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B
A A
E
C
D
BAY
BAY
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----- Start of picture text -----
Design Standards MIN MAX
A Width of Opening - 13’
B Width of pier/wall between openings 2’ -
C D Percentage of building's required - 40%
frontage (C divided by D)
E Gate inset into building 20’ -
----- End of picture text -----

Design Guidelines

7. Entries should be at least 50 feet from the corner of a block

8. Gates or doors which secure vehicular entries should be designed as attractive urban elements, just like pedestrian entry doors

9. Parking counters are recommended in all parking garages with public access

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10 Architectural Projections

Certain Architectural Projections may be combined with appropriate private frontage types—as regulated in Chapter 9 —to form interesting, cohesive, and active ground-floor environments These may project from the facade—which is set within the build-to range per Chapter 5 —into the front setback per the standards of Table 10-1

Table 10-1 identifies where these Architectural Projections are allowed and how much they may project The General Standards below ( Section 10.3 apply to all types, while Section 10.4 provides additional standards by type

Where utilized, these elements are subject to the following:

• A Materials, style, design, and associated landscaping and other features shall be consistent with the building's architecture and neighborhood character

• B Architectural projections of traditionally-styled buildings shall have visible supports in the form of projecting beams or braces/brackets

• C An Architectural Projection shall be contained within a single Massing Increment; it shall not overlap the division between Massing Increments This is a requirement of all architectural elements per Section 7.3

TABLE 10-1 ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTIONS

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Location [1]
Gallery Required Arcade Required Elsewhere in
& Gallery Allowed Overlay Main Street South Downtown
Overlays
Projection beyond the facade
Up to 2’ min from ROW
Stoop Not Allowed or sidewalk
Porch Not Allowed
8’ min and up to 2’ min
Terrace Not Allowed from ROW or sidewalk [2]
6’ min and up to 2’ min
Dooryard Not Allowed from ROW or sidewalk
Bay Window 3’ max
Balcony 5' max [3]
Awning/Canopy 10' max
Roof Eave/Cornice
5' max
Assembly
Vertical Theater
See Section 11.3.H
Marquee
Arcade Not Allowed 15' min; 20' max Not Allowed Not Allowed
Gallery 12' min; 15' max Not Allowed Not Allowed 12' min; 15' max
Type of Projection
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Notes

• 1 See Figure 10-1 for locations of Overlays and Main St South.

• 2 As a result, a Porch or Terrace may only occur within setbacks of 10' or more.

• 3 For occupiable balconies, the clear depth of occupiable space, measured from the balcony doors to the inside of balcony railing shall be

• 4'–6" minimum. Balconies may project and/or be recessed into the facade to maintain this minimum depth. See Section 10.4.F for more.

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FIGURE 10-1 | ARCADE & GALLERY OVERLAYS (See Sections 10 4 H & I for more standards)

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E C
A
I G
90' * 90'
*
90'
J H F South D B
Main St
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LEGEND & STANDARDS

• Gallery Required. Galleries are required to line a minimum of 50% of the length of each block in the Gallery Required Overlay

• Gallery Allowed. Galleries are allowed to wrap the corners of blocks and extend onto North-South streets at these locations, provided that the building setback on the North-South street is adequate to allow the minimum required gallery projection dimension listed in Table 10-1

• Arcade Required. Arcades shall line Central Green and have a public access easement, allowing them to serve as a continuous covered sidewalk around Central Green

• Arcade Allowed. Arcades are permitted on buildings along Lafayette St to extend the sidewalk environment and create a welcoming edge to Downtown

• Galleries at Franklin Square. If Franklin Square is relocated to this block per Precise Plan Figure 3–2 , Galleries lining Franklin Square are optional

• Galleries near the Theater. Any Gallery lining block B shall stop at least 20' away from any Theatre Marquee

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Theater Marquee

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Projecting Roof Eave

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Bay Windows

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Most of the architectural projections types carry additional standards and guidelines These are the Stoop, Porch, Terrace, Dooryard, Balcony, Awning/Canopy, Arcade, and Gallery, which are detailed here and on the following pages Standards for Vertical Theater Marquees and other signs are including in the following chapter (see Chapter 11 )

10.4.A. STOOP

10.4.B. PORCH

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E
A D
C
C D
G
B
B
A
E
----- End of picture text -----

A Stoop is a stairway and landing leading directly from the right of way to an elevated building entrance

Porches are roofed, unenclosed rooms attached to the exterior of a building that provide access and comfortable semi-private outdoor social spaces that help activate the public realm

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Design Standards MIN MAX
A Stoop width 4‘ 8‘
B Stoop depth (not including stairs) 4‘ 8‘
C Stoop floor height [3] 1 5 4‘
D Planter/fence height (including - 3‘
height of vegetation)
E Entry Recession depth 0 5' 6‘
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Design Standards MIN MAX
A Porch depth (excluding stairs) [1] 8' -
B Porch width 10' -
C Porch column height [2] 8 5' 12'
D Floor height [3] 1 5' 4'
E Between porch and front PL 2' -
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Additional Standards & Guidelines

Additional Standards & Guidelines

• Porches may be used to provide access to multiple front doors of ground-floor units

• The exterior stairway may be perpendicular or parallel to the adjacent sidewalk When parallel to the sidewalk, landscape of 2 feet should be provided between the side of stair and the sidewalk

• Porches may also wrap around building corners This is particularly appropriate on corner lots

Notes

• Adjoining stoops should be limited to two entries A stoop may also provide access to a common entry

  • 1 Between building facade and end of porch deck.

  • 2 From porch floor to top of porch columns.

• Gates are discouraged

• 3 Measured from grade at right of way.

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10.4.C. TERRACE

10.4.D. DOORYARD

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----- Start of picture text -----
B C
A C
D
A
B
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A Terrace is an enclosed area outside of an elevated ground floor, usually enclosed by a low wall or fence

A Dooryard is an enclosed area outside of an at grade first floor, usually enclosed by a low wall or fence

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----- Start of picture text -----
Design Standards MIN MAX Design Standards MIN MAX
A Depth, clear 8' - A Depth, clear 8' -
B Finish level above sidewalk - 4' B Finish level above sidewalk - 4'
Length of terrace - 50' Length of dooryard - 30'
C Distance between stairways - 50' C Distance between entrances - 50'
Additional Standards & Guidelines Additional Standards & Guidelines
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• Door and window design should be appropriate for street-fronting facades

• Door and window design should be appropriate for street-fronting facades

10.4.E. BAY WINDOW

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A B
C
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----- Start of picture text -----
D
----- End of picture text -----

A Bay Window functions like an enclosed balcony An alcove-like portion of an interior space projects out from the facade

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----- Start of picture text -----
Design Standards MIN MAX
A Projection beyond facade - 3'
B Width 4' 8'
Clear height above ground in
C Shopfront and Retail-Ready 12' -
Overlays
D Clear height above ground N/A -
elsewhere
Additional Standards & Guidelines
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• Bay windows shall not comprise more than 20% of a facade's surface area

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10.4.F. BALCONY

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A A
C C C
B B B
Occupiable balcony, projecting from the facade Occupiable balcony, partially projecting and recessed Juliette balcony with space for pots
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A Balcony is a space projecting from an upper floor which is enclosed by a railing and accessible from a door or doors An occupiable balcony provides usable outdoor space, while an unoccupiable balcony (or "Juliette" balcony) simply provides a railing so that doors on the facade can be opened, making the interior room itself feel like a balcony space

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----- Start of picture text -----
Occupiable Balcony Juliette Balcony
Design Standards
MIN MAX MIN MAX
A Clear depth of occupiable space, measured from the 4 5' - N/A N/A
balcony door(s) to inside of railing
B Projection beyond facade - 5' - 1 5'
Width 4 5' 16 [1] 3' 10'
C
Additional Standards & Guidelines
----- End of picture text -----

• Occupiable balconies shall either project (see upper left image), be recessed into the facade, or a combination of the two (see upper middle image) in order to maintain the clear depth of occupiable space

• Balconies shall be functional and not just decorative Door(s) shall give access to the balcony, the floor of the balcony shall align with the bottom of the balcony door, and balconies shall safely support the weight of its potential occupants Faux (false) balconies, such as railings attached to the facade below windows, are prohibited

• Building tenant/homeowners association rules shall prohibit the use of balconies for storage

• Balconies may be located on facades facing streets, open spaces, and internal courts; balconies shall not be located on side and rear facades which overlook other private property

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----- Start of picture text -----
C
Juliette balcony
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Notes

• 1 Exception: Occupiable balconies that are completely recessed into the facade (they do not project beyond the facade) may be as wide as the Massing Increment in which they are located.

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10.4.G. AWNING/CANOPY

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----- Start of picture text -----
C
D
A
B
----- End of picture text -----

An Awning/Canopy is an overhang which extends from the facade to provide shade, protection from the rain, and character

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----- Start of picture text -----
Design Standards MIN MAX
A Clear height from sidewalk to lowest element of roof overhang (not including 9' -
support bracket)
B Clear height from sidewalk to bottom of support bracket connection to wall 7' -
Projection beyond facade (for ground level awnings/canopies) - 10'
C
Projection beyond facade (for upper level awnings/canopies) - 5'
D Length along facade - Massing
Increment [1]
Additional Standards & Guidelines
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• The placement and structure of the awning shall correspond to the building's pattern of bays and ground floor openings

• It is encouraged to echo the proportions, slope, and structure of the historic Santa Clara awnings, whether expressed in a traditional or modern way (see image to the right)

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Awnings/canopies of historic Downtown Santa Clara

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Awnings/canopies can also have a modern expression.

Notes

1 See Chapter 7 for more on massing increments.

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ARCADES & GALLERIES: INTRODUCTION

Covered sidewalks are a part of the history of California as well as Santa Clara, which had sidewalks sheltered by deep shade structures going back as far as the 1880s Returning galleries , (porch-like structures attached to the building facade) back to Santa Clara's streetscape would not only make the retail experience on Franklin Street more pleasant and welcoming, but would be a way to include Santa Clara's heritage in everyday life Arcades (extensions of upper floors over the sidewalk and held up by vertical supports) are another way to provide protection from the elements

In order to create a comfortable experience for shoppers, especially during the heat of the summer or in rain, arcades and galleries are required/allowed per Figure 10-1 , and shall follow the standards in Sections 10.4.H & I

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Gallery in Downtown Santa Clara, 1880.

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Gallery in Old Town Sacramento

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Arcade in San Francisco.

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Arcades around the Central Square in Seaside, Florida.

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10.4.H. ARCADE

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----- Start of picture text -----
G
A
F
C
E
B See Precise Plan Chapter 3
for the design vision for Central
Green and the Lafayette St section
----- End of picture text -----

Arcades are extensions of upper floors over the front ground floor setback area, supported by vertical supports Arcades provide shade, glare control, and weather protection

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----- Start of picture text -----
Design Standards MIN MAX
A Projection beyond the facade [1] 15' 20'
B Clear dimension from facade to inside of column 12' -
Maximum of 3' or 1/5th the
C Column/support width in any direction distance between columns,
whichever is less
D Clear width of opening between columns 8' 18' [2]
E Clear height of opening 12' [3] 25'
F Overall height - 4 stories [4]
G Length along facade - Massing
Increment [5]
Additional Standards & Guidelines
----- End of picture text -----

• The ground level walkway space within an arcade may span one or two floors

• The openings of the Arcade shall correlate to the bays of the facade

• Vertical supports may be piers, columns, or arches; all arches within the same Massing Increment shall be equal

• Hanging light fixtures and hanging signs are allowed within the space of the Arcade as long as a minimum height clearance of 9 feet is maintained

• Objects such as dining tables and chairs, sidewalk signs, and merchandising racks are allowed within the space of the Arcade, subject to Section 9.3.C

Notes

• 1 Along Central Green : the face of the Arcade shall be set at the edge of the required dimension of the Central Green as mapped in Precise Plan Figure 3-2 (see Chapter 4 of this Code); therefore, the Arcade projection dimension shall match the building setback (see Table 5-2 ). Along Lafayette St : the face of any Arcade shall be set 6 feet from the property line; therefore, the Arcade projection dimension shall be 6 feet less than the building setback (see Table 5-2 ).

• 2 Column spacing shall be less than or equal to the clear height of the opening.

• 3 The clear height excludes decorative brackets, spandrels, and/or lower portions of arches.

• 4 Along Central Green : only floors 2, 3, and 4 may extend over the arcade. Any floor above the 4th floor shall be set back at least 15' from the Central Green (at least as far back as the ground floor facade).

Along Lafayette St : all allowed upper floors may extend over the arcade.

• 5 Arcades shall line the entire perimeter of the Central Green. However, if there is a change in building or Massing Increment, the Arcade should change accordingly to match the design of its building/ increment. See Chapter 7 for more on Massing Increments.

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10.4.I. GALLERY

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----- Start of picture text -----
F
B E
C
D
A
10' typ sidewalk
adjacent to Gallery
per Precise Plan
----- End of picture text -----

Galleries are appendages to building facades that extend over the front ground floor setback area, providing shade for pedestrians and often providing terrace space above

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----- Start of picture text -----
Design Standards MIN MAX
A Projection beyond the facade 12' 15'
B Column width in any direction 4" 1'
C Column spacing (on center) 8' [1] 18' [2]
D Clear height of opening 12' 25'
E Overall height from sidewalk to eave - 30'
F Length along facade - Massing
Increment [3]
Additional Standards & Guidelines
----- End of picture text -----

• Galleries may be single or double-story and shall correlate with building floors

• The openings of the gallery shall correlate in a logical way to the bays of the facade

• It is encouraged to echo the proportions and function of the historic Santa Clara Galleries, whether expressed in a traditional or modern way

• In California, most historic galleries are modest shed roof structures supported by wood piers New galleries can present a similar aesthetic by using thinner structural members, including heavy timber or composite wood columns (often 6"x6" or 8"x8") or steel I-beam or tubular columns

• Fiberglass or plaster piers/columns are prohibited in galleries

• Unless the attached building is a neoclassical design, column designs from the classical orders are inappropriate for use on galleries and are prohibited for this context

• Hanging light fixtures and hanging signs are allowed within the space of the gallery as long as a minimum height clearance of 9 feet is maintained

• Objects such as dining tables and chairs, sidewalk signs, and merchandising racks are allowed within the space of the Gallery, subject to Section 9.3.C

Notes

• 1 Coupled columns that are located within 3 feet of each other are exempt from the minimum spacing requirement.

• 2 Column spacing should typically be less than or equal to the clear height of the opening. Column spacing shall never exceed 1.4 times the height of the opening.

• 3 A gallery should typically span most/all of a Massing Increment. See Chapter 7 for more on massing increments.

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Historic galleries use slender posts.

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Galleries could be combined with parklets, awnings, and canopies.

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Signs and sales racks must not impede pedestrians.

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Galleries may be up to 2 stories in height and may have balconies above.

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11 Signage Design

This section further accomplishes the intent described in Section 10 1 The standards and guidelines of this section apply to all new buildings within the plan area Each new sign, new building, or facade renovation is subject to the standards of this section Except where in conflict with the provisions of this section, Santa Clara City Code Chapter 18 80 shall apply, excepting Section 18 80 040, 18 80 050, and 18 80 060 All signs require a sign permit per Section 18 80 230 Any sign type that is not listed and permitted by right in this section may only be approved by the Planning Commission Public signs are exempt from this section Table 11-1 lists the signs types, whether each is permitted by right or by the Planning Commission All types are subject to their corresponding standards, whose section references are listed in the table

TABLE 11-1 SIGN TYPES

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----- Start of picture text -----
Type Allowance Section Reference
----- End of picture text -----

• A Signs shall not obscure building entrances, cornices, columns, or other prominent architectural elements

• B Allowed sign types may be combined unless stated otherwise

• C Sign lighting shall be designed to minimize light and glare on surrounding rightsof way and properties

• D Directory signs are small wall signs located at pedestrian eye level and intended to identify multiple tenants within a building or complex The following standards apply to these signs:

1. Directory signs shall not exceed 6 square feet

2. Directory signs shall only be externally illuminated Internal illumination and neon lighting is prohibited for directory signs

• E Tenant signs shall be externally illuminated or neon Traditional neon lighting is preferred over LED neon lighting

Standards for each sign type can be found on the following pages of this section

LEGEND

P Permitted by right HLC & PC Historical and Landmarks Commission and Planning Commission. The sign goes to the HLC for a recommendation to the Director for the development review hearing with noticing for 1,000 feet.

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63 | Chapter 11: Signage Design

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Wall-mounted Projecting Signs

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Projecting Sign mounted on a shopfront's canopy

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Neon Wall Sign

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Sidewalk Signs

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64 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

11.3.A. WALL

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----- Start of picture text -----
B
A
C
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A sign that is applied directly to or projecting out and parallel to the facade This type of sign is intended for viewing from across the street and along the sidewalk

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----- Start of picture text -----
Standards Min Max
A Height 10" 30"
B Width (as % of facade width) - 60%
C Clearance from openings 24" -
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Additional Standards & Guidelines

• A minimum of one wall sign may be approved per business per street- or open-space-facing facade In multi-tenant buildings, only the businesses with frontage on the sidewalk shall have a wall sign

• Wall signs shall be located above the shopfront and at least 12 inches from any eave or edge of building above

• Sign thickness (as measured from the wall) shall not exceed four inches

• Cabinet signs are prohibited

• Channel lettering is permitted, provided that the letters are either back-lit or externally illuminated; internally-illuminated channel letters are prohibited

11.3.B. WINDOW

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C
A
B
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A sign painted or applied directly to the shopfront windows and/or doors Window signs also include posters for advertisements and sales, product merchandise posters, open/closed signs, and painted or etched business names and logos

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----- Start of picture text -----
Standards Min Max
A Height (% of window/door height) - 40%
B Width (% of window/door width) - 40%
C Area (% of window/door area) - 16%
Additional Standards & Guidelines
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• Permanent window signs shall be individually painted, etched or otherwise applied letters or logo graphics surrounded by clear glass

• If no awning is provided, secondary window signs are allowed, which may span the width of the window, shall be located at the top of the window, and shall be limited to one foot in height

  • Signs within 2 feet of a window are subject to the same size standards as window signs All other interior signs shall be set back at least 2 feet

• Lettering on background panel may be up to 24 inches tall If a background panel is not included, letter height may be up to 30 inches tall

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65 | Chapter 11: Signage Design

11.3.C. BLADE

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B
A
C
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A double-sided sign perpendicular to the building facade from a mounted wall brace or from a ceiling Blade signs typically project over a sidewalk and are intended for viewing by approaching pedestrians

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Standards Min Max
A Sign height - 36"
B Average outer distance from facade - 4'
C Vertical clearance from sidewalk 8’ 12’
Area (sign only; per side) - 6 sf
Sign thickness - 4"
Additional Standards & Guidelines
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• A maximum of one blade sign shall be allowed for every shopfront entrance on the facade

• The top of a blade sign shall be located below the building’s second floor windows

• Signs shall be externally illuminated by a light mounted on the facade or by neon tubing used to illuminate letters, symbols, and accent frames

11.3.D. VERTICAL PROJECTING

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B
A
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A painted, reverse-channel, or individual-lettered sign applied directly to or projecting out and parallel to the facade This type of sign is intended for viewing from across the street and along the sidewalk Internally-illuminated cabinet signs are prohibited

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----- Start of picture text -----
Standards Min Max
A Sigh height - 8'
B Average outer distance from facade - 4'
C Area (sign only; per side) - 16'
Additional Standards & Guidelines
• Projecting signs shall be permitted to extend above
the parapet or roof of the structure to which it is
attached
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• A maximum of one projecting sign is allowed for every shopfront entrance on the facade

• Signs shall be externally illuminated by a light mounted on the facade or by neon tubing used to illuminate letters, symbols, and accent frames

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66 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

11.3.E. FRONT YARD SIGN

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A
B
D
C
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A front yard sign is intended for businesses in buildings that are wholly or partially set back from the public right of way The target viewer is the passing pedestrian or bicyclist Front yard signs may be freestanding or integrated into the design of a fence or dooryard wall

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Standards Min Max
A Sign width - 30"
B Sign height - 30"
C Overall height - 5'
D Horizontal clearance from sidewalk 2' -
Additional Standards & Guidelines
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• Signs shall not encroach into the public right of way

• Exterior illumination shall be permitted, provided that it is from a single bulb, shielded, and warm in tone

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11.3.F. AWNING

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A
B
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A sign painted directly onto, or projecting from any sort of awning or canopy

• See Chapter 10 (Architectural Projections) for standards related to awnings and canopies

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67 | Chapter 11: Signage Design

11.3.G. SIDEWALK

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A
B
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A two-sided, non-illuminated, portable and temporary sign placed outside a shopfront on the sidewalk for viewing at close range

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Standards Min Max
A Height (overall) 18” 36”
B Width 18” 30”
Horizontal clearance from curb 18” -
Clear pathway 6’ -
Additional Standards & Guidelines
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• Signs shall not contain posters, flyers, balloons, pennants or flags attached to the sign

• There shall be no projections other than raised carved letters, which should extend no more than ½ inch from the sign face

• Maximum of one sidewalk sign per business

• Signs shall only be displayed during hours of operation

• Signs shall not be affixed to any wall or mounted on wheels

• “Reader board” signs with removable slide-in letters are prohibited

• Signs shall be constructed of wood, plastic, or metal with professionally-applied lettering or images, provided that handwritten menu boards or "specials of the day" for restaurants shall be allowed

11.3.H. VERTICAL THEATER MARQUEE

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A
C
B
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A sign, usually over a theater or arena, that displays the name of the venue, featured attractions, and principal performers

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----- Start of picture text -----
Standards Min Max
A Height, as measured from the - 50'
bottom of the sign
B Average outer distance from facade - 10'
C Vertical clearance from sidewalk 10' -
Area (sign only; per side) 200 SF
Additional Standards & Guidelines
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• A maximum of one marquee sign is allowed for any building

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68 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

11.3.I. ROOF SIGN

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B
A
C
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Roof Signs are large signs erected upon, against, or directly above a roof or above the parapet of a building Roof signs are intended to emphasize a civic or quasi-civic destination and/or to bolster the identity of the area itself They are intended to be viewable from a long distance from key vantage points

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Standards Max.
A Overall height above roof 30'
B Overall width 50'
C Cumulative surface area of graphic(s) accompanying the lettering 100 sq ft
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Additional Standards & Guidelines

• a. Roof signs shall be comprised only of letters and small accompanying graphics, as showing in the precedents above

• b. No more than 3 Roof Signs shall be permitted in Downtown

• c. Roof Signs shall only promote uses which serve as a common destination to a wide range of people This includes theaters, food halls/markets, hotels, and the Downtown itself Roof Signs shall not be used to promote housing, offices, or individual non-civic private businesses, such as individual shops and restaurants

• d. If illuminated, Roof Signs may only be lit by: 1) neon lighting; 2) external illumination with light sources shielded from view; or 3) halo illumination (projecting light behind an opaque letter or emblem which results in the appearance of a ring of light around the letter/emblem)

• e. Electronic readerboards shall be prohibited on Roof Signs

• f. Roof Signs shall be set back from the facade a minimum of 5 feet to not appear as an upward extension of the facade They may be angled as necessary to be seen from key vistas

Required Findings

Approval of a Roof Sign is subject to the following Required Findings:

• a. There is no other Roof Sign on the same block

• b. Roof Sign does not block the view of any other approved or built roof sign or monument which terminates a vista

• c. Roof Sign design theme, materials and aesthetic complement and enhance the character and skyline of Downtown Santa Clara

  • d. Roof Sign design is unique and iconic, using high-quality, element-resistant materials and construction methods

  • e. Roof Sign design and materials are architecturally and thematically complementary of the activity center it is serving

• g. Roof Signs should terminate long vistas, so that they can be seen as one looks toward and approaches Downtown

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69 | Chapter 11: Signage Design

11.3.J. MURAL SIGN

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B
A
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A conditional type of art wall that may incorporate signage, useful for the branding and identification of key activity nodes/ centers Additionally, this sign type is intended to uniquely emphasize, support and enhance the regional identity and character of Downtown, consistent with the overall aesthetic for Santa Clara Design themes that reflect the history of the Bay area are encouraged

Standards

Overall Height The location and dimensions are Overall Width context-sensitive and thus shall be identified Overall Sign Area and approved with a Planning Entitlement

Additional Standards & Guidelines

• a. Mural sign shall be allowed to spread across multiple walls

• b. Commercial mural signs are permitted but are limited to on-site signs Off-site mural signs are prohibited

Required Findings

Approval of a Mural sign is subject to the following Required Findings:

• a. Mural Sign design theme, materials and aesthetic complement and enhance the intended unified streetscape aesthetic of Downtown Santa Clara, as defined by this Specific Plan

• b. Mural Sign design is unique and iconic, using durable, element-resistant, non-toxic materials and techniques

• c. Mural Sign design and materials are architecturally and thematically complementary of the activity center it is serving

• d. Referral to Cultural Commission for a recommendation to the Development Review Hearing

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70 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

12 Building Use & Parking

TABLE 12-1 | SPECIFIC BUILDING USE PROVISIONS

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Use Shopfront Overlay [1] Retail-Ready [1] Downtown General
Automobile service Not permitted Not permitted Not permitted
Automobile dealership Permitted only as a small-format showroom within a Shopfront
Assisted living / memory care Not permitted Not permitted Not permitted
Corporate cafeteria, as Not permitted Not permitted Not permitted
accessory to office use
Data center Not permitted Not permitted Not permitted
Drive-through facility Not permitted Not permitted Not permitted
Dwelling unit Permitted on upper floors; not Permitted on upper floors; not Permitted
permitted on ground floor permitted on ground floor
Heavy industrial/manufacturing Not permitted Not permitted Not permitted
Laboratory CUP required on upper floors; CUP required on upper floors; CUP required
not permitted on ground floor not permitted on ground floor
Liquor store CUP required CUP required CUP required
Office Permitted on upper floors; CUP Permitted [1] Permitted
required for ground floor [1]
Lobby Permitted on upper floors; not Permitted on upper floors; not Permitted
permitted on ground floor [2] permitted on ground floor [2]
Place of assembly CUP required CUP Required CUP Required
Private building amenities Permitted on upper floors; not Permitted on upper floors; not Permitted
and leasing offices permitted on ground floor permitted on ground floor
Specified “regulated businesses” CUP required CUP required CUP required
(per SCCC § 18.70)
Storage/warehouse Not permitted Not permitted Not permitted
Surface parking Not permitted [3] Not permitted [3] Not permitted [4]
Thrift shop (not including CUP required CUP required CUP required
buy-sell-trade stores)
Vehicle fueling facility Not permitted anywhere in zone Not permitted anywhere in zone Not permitted anywhere in zone
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A. Introduction

This section includes provisions for building use and parking for all properties within the Plan area Uses not listed in Table 12-1 Specific Building Use Provisions shall be allowed by right unless prohibited everywhere in the City by the Santa Clara City Code All uses are subject to all applicable development standards, State law, and any other applicable requirements that are beyond the scope of this Chapter

Any use that is not specifically prohibited within in this section, but is deemed by the Director of Community Development to be of such a nature as to be detrimental to neighboring properties by reason of emission of odor, excessive noise, or any other factor that is adverse to their comfort, peace, enjoyment, health, or safety, shall also be prohibited All procedural requirements of SCCC § 18 110 shall apply

Parking requirements associated with building uses, as well as standards for how that parking may be provided, are established in Section 12.3

Legend

Notes

• 1 All ground-floor office uses in the Shopfront or Retail-Ready Overlay shall be designed with Shopfront frontages (See Table 9-1 and Section 9.4.A ).

• CUP: Conditional Use Permit ( SCCC § 18.110 )

• 2 Exception: If a project has no frontage in the Downtown General Overlay, a Lobby of 20' maximum width and designed as a Shopfront is permitted in the first of the following options where the project has frontage: Option 1) in the Retail-Ready Overlay on any street other than Franklin St; Option 2) in the Shopfront Overlay on any street other than Franklin St; Option 3) in the Retail-Ready Overlay on Franklin St; or Option 4, last resort) in the Shopfront Overlay on Franklin St. (Example: Option 1 shall be chosen over Option 2 if a project has frontage in both locations.)

• 3 Exceptions: Parking spaces along an alley, with no additional aisles for the purposes of accessing parking, are permitted. Also, interim on-site surface parking is permitted with a Conditional Use Permit, provided that it serves a phased development strategy.

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71 | Chapter 12: Building Use & Parking

Each use listed in Table 12-1: Specific Building Use Provisions is defined below In cases of uncertainty, the Director shall have the authority to make a determination

Automobile service. An establishment for which the primary purpose is the on-site repair, cleaning, detailing, dismantling, or similar work on cars

repair processes that produces odors, noise, vibration, has large industrial vehicles visiting more than once per day, hazardous waste materials, or particulates that may negatively affect other uses on the same site or neighboring properties Uses permitted in MP (Planned Industrial) zoning districts, per SCCC § 18 46 030, with the exception of laboratories, are not included in this category

Private building amenities and leasing

offices. Spaces shared by the tenants/ inhabitants of a building but closed to the public and offices dedicated to leasing and sales for the building

Automobile dealership. An establishment which sells automobiles A small-format showroom is similar to a typical retail establishment with Shopfront frontage

Office. A building or portion thereof used as a place for commercial, professional, or bureaucratic work that does not depend on regular on-site visits from customers

Assisted living / memory care. Specialized housing accommodations for those requiring permanent on-site medical care

Specified regulated businesses. Uses including adult book stores, adult cabarets, adult motion picture theaters, nude encounter studios, nude photography studios, and other uses, as specified in SCCC 18 70 090

Laboratory. A space, room or building equipped for scientific experiments, research, or teaching, or for the manufacture of drugs or chemicals

Corporate cafeteria, as accessory to office use. A cafeteria that is closed to the public but provides meals to employees of a particular company

Liquor Store. A retail establishment which has 25% or more of the shelving devoted to the public display and sale of alcoholic beverages for off-site consumption

Storage/warehouse. A facility for the storage of furniture, household goods, or other commercial goods of any nature

Data Center. A facility for housing computing and data storage systems and equipment

Lobby. An entry hall accessed by a common entrance shared by building tenants

Thrift shop. Any individual personal partnership, firm or corporation whose business includes buying, selling, trading, taking in pawn, accepting for sale on consignment, or accepting for auctioning, secondhand tangible property Buy-selltrade stores—stores at which items are bought and sold outright (rather than used as collateral for loans)—are exempt from this category and are permitted by right

Drive-through facility. An establishment where customers are regularly attended while remaining seated within an automobile

Place of Assembly. Facility for public or private assembly and meetings, including civic and private auditoriums, banquet halls, community centers, conference and convention facilities; meeting halls for clubs, religious institutions (i e , church, temple, synagogue, and mosque), and other membership organizations

Dwelling unit. Any building or portion thereof that is used as an independent living facility for one or more persons

Heavy industrial/manufacturing. An establishment that includes labor-intensive manufacturing, assembly, fabrication, or

Vehicle fueling facility. A gas station— does not include electric vehicle charging stations

Those seeking a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) must go to Planning Commission for determination and approval In addition to the requirements listed in Santa Clara City Code, any use seeking a CUP is subject to the following required findings:

• A The use shall not be noxious or a nuisance, including the disturbance of neighboring uses or uses in other portions of the building

• B The use shall contribute to, and in no way impede, the use of the adjacent public realm as a walkable, active mixed use environment throughout the day for a diversity of people

• C The use shall meet all other

standards of this Form-Based Code, as applicable For example, if a Place of Assembly is approved, it shall not present blank walls to a street or open space (see Chapter 10, Facade Design )

• D The physical building and space shall be designed to be flexible and adaptable; it should facilitate the possibility that it be filled with a byright use in the future

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72 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

• A. Introduction. For new development Downtown, transportation demand management (TDM) strategies and parking strategies are intended to implement a pedestrian-oriented district that is accessible by all modes of travel and not dominated by wide roadways and traffic Auto-oriented environments are typically characterized by large and exposed surface parking areas It is the intent of the Precise Plan and this Form-Based Code to both minimize the aesthetic damage of existing and new parking areas through occupiable building lining, and to facilitate the rationalization of parking areas to better levels of efficiency to support existing and new development

B. Applicability

1. The standards within this section shall apply to all residential and nonresidential development and/or redevelopment within the Precise Plan boundaries

2. Compliance with these standards is not required in the following instances

TABLE 12-2 | REQUIRED PARKING

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Use Minimum Vehicular Parking Required
Office, civic, cultural and conference
uses 1 space per 500 sq ft of building area
Grocery stores 1 space per 500 sq ft of building area
All other commercial uses, including
restaurants and bars 1 space per 1,000 sq ft of building area
Hotels 0 5 spaces per room
1 space per unit for units greater than or equal
to 550 sq ft ;
Residential units
0 5 spaces per unit for units less than 550 sq ft ;
1 space per 20 units for guest parking
Residential units for seniors, with
on-site staff 1 space per employee plus 0 1 spaces per unit
----- End of picture text -----

• a. a change of use within an existing building; or

• b. an expansion of an existing building; or

• c. a replacement of an existing building that does not result in an increase in floor area by more than 25 percent

• C. Required Number of Vehicular Parking Spaces. In the Downtown Precise Plan Area, parking requirements shall be as summarized in Table 12-2 , except for any reductions allowed per this Section These requirements reflect a strong transit orientation for downtown

• D. Shared Parking. Parking shared among uses is encouraged, and up to twenty percent (20%) of parking spaces provided may be shared between two uses For the purposes of this title, those parking spaces shared between two uses count towards the parking requirement of both Shared parking is justified when reduced parking reflect different uses have different time-of-day parking demand profiles, based on evaluation by a qualified transportation planner and the City

o twenty percent (20%) of parking spaces provided may be shared between two uses For the purposes of this title, those parking spaces shared between two uses count towards the parking requirement of both Shared parking is justified when reduced parking reflect different uses have different time-of-day parking demand profiles, based on evaluation by a qualified transportation planner and the City

• E. Unbundled Parking. A maximum of one parking space shall be rented or sold with each unit Additional parking spaces shall be rented or sold separately As an alternative to renting or selling parking spaces separately from residential units, property managers may implement a parking preference program, with prospective renters without cars put on a separate waiting list from renters with cars, and renters being chosen alternately from the two lists Require employers who provide free employee parking to offer a cash payment in lieu of the parking benefit

• F. Off-Site and On-Street Parking. Required parking may be provided off-site but within the Downtown Zone Directly adjacent on-street parking may count toward parking requirements for commercial uses

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73 | Chapter 12: Building Use & Parking

• G. Required Electric Vehicle Charging Spaces (EVCS). All new development shall conform to the City of Santa Clara building electrification Reach Codes regarding EVCS (see Ordinance No. 2056 ), the Green Building Standards Code ( SCCC Chapter 15.38 ), and/or any current City standard at the time of application New residential development shall provide for EVCS and EV Ready Spaces in the quantities identified in SCCC Section 15.38.040 for residential uses and SCCC Section 15.38.050 for non-residential uses

H. Transportation Demand Management.

1. New development should provide secure indoor bicycle parking consistent with Zoning Code requirements

2. New development should contribute to Transportation Demand Management (TDM), in order to promote transit and walkability in Downtown Such TDM measures include:

• a. Transit Passes for Residential Uses – when residential developers commit to provide a monthly transit pass benefit to each residential unit;

• b. Transit Passes for Commercial Uses – when commercial developers commit to a monthly transit pass benefit, paired with a “guaranteed ride home” benefit for when employees have family or medical emergencies;

• c. Bike Commuter Facilities – when commercial projects make locker room(s) with shower(s) available to employees;

• d. Carsharing Spaces – when developers of large projects dedicate one or more on-site parking spaces to a carsharing operator for carsharing by residents and/or employees, with further reduction when on-site carsharing is available to the public; and/or

• e. Vanpool Spaces – when larger commercial projects reserve one or more parking spaces for an established employer-run vanpool program

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74 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

• A. Standards. Except where in conflict with the provisions of this chapter, parking facilities shall be designed and built to the standards of SCCC § 18 74 040 through SCCC § 18 74 050 The following standards also apply:

1. Driveways

• a. One-way driveways shall not exceed a width of 10 feet; two-way driveways shall not exceed a width of 20 feet

• b. Curb cut flares shall collectively not exceed the width of the driveway by more than 20%

• c. All driveways shall be perpendicular to the street

• d. Driveways shall not affect the slope or direction of the sidewalk

2. Structured parking

• a. Where adjacent to any street, structured parking shall be behind a depth of at least 30 feet of occupiable space on the ground floor, except as provided for in §12 4 A 2 c (below) The lining shall be designed per the Standards in Figure 12-1.

• b. Fully-subterranean garages may extend to all lot lines Semi-subterranean garages may extend to building faces, provided that the ground floor is not more than 4 feet above sidewalk grade See Figure 12-2.

• c. Parking structures may be unlined in specific locations Figure 12-3 regulates "Allowable Garage Facade Street Exposure", which varies by street and by ground and upper levels

• d. Guidelines for efficient and effective parking structures include:

• i. A 255 ft minimum length allows one bay to slope, rising 10 ft, with the opposite bay having a level floor The level floor improves visibility and allows for a street-facing facade to be level

• ii. A 122 ft minimum width provides for 2-bays with 2-way traffic and perpendicular parking

• iii. In the case of a garage in Block B adjacent to the existing office building: 6 levels of parking would make the garage rooftop the same height as the adjacent 7-story office building, potentially creating public rooftop space for both structures (with a connecting bridge)

• iv. Glass-backed elevators and glass enclosed stairways enhance security

• v. Ground floor commercial space in parking garages is encouraged

• vi. Garage rooftops can include vegetation and/or solar collectors

3. Private garages:

FIGURE 12-1 | LINED STRUCTURED PARKING

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----- Start of picture text -----
Property Line Building Frontage Line
Upper Story Liner
Ground Story Liner Parking
Min Depth - 30'
Street
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FIGURE 12-2 | SUBTERRANEAN PARKING

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----- Start of picture text -----
Building Frontage
Property Line Line
Street
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• a. Front-loaded garages are not permitted On-site parking shall be accessed from alleys or from drives where permitted per Section 5.3.C

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75 | Chapter 12: Building Use & Parking

FIGURE 12-3 | ALLOWABLE GARAGE FACADE STREET EXPOSURE

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LEGEND

All Stories : Parking garage may be exposed (unlined) on all stories of the facade Upper Stories Only : Parking garage may be exposed (unlined) on upper stories of the facade only (not on the ground floor)

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76 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

13 Site Standards & Guidelines

A. Intent

The following site standards and guidelines are intended to inform the design and location of elements of the site for the purpose of the health, safety, and general welfare of the immediate occupants of each building, and for the neighborhood

B. Applicability

The following standards apply to all new development, or whenever below-mentioned features are introduced to an existing development Where any deviations are granted— per Section 1 7—the obvious intent of each standard shall still be met

A. Utility Access and Equipment

1. Utility access and equipment such as back-flow preventers, transformer boxes, telecommunications pedestals, gas and electric meters, and other utilities shall be placed either: within or adjacent to alleys and be accessed from the alley; in underground vaults; or in utility rooms/closets within buildings—subject to the requirements and approval of the associated utility company If such locations are infeasible, these services shall be in inconspicuous locations along the sides or rears of project sites and shall be thoroughly screened from public view Such utility equipment shall not be located above grade in the street, sidewalk, sidewalk planters/planting strip, or within the front building setback area

B. Mechanical Access & Equipment

1. All mechanical and electrical equipment – including, but not limited to, airconditioning units, antennas, garage door motors – whether roof-mounted, ground-mounted or otherwise, shall be screened from public view or located so as not to be visible from streets or open spaces Such equipment and related screening should be designed with materials and colors that conform to and are an integral part of the design of the building

• b. Noise and odor-generating equipment and containers should be located in areas that will not create a nuisance to adjacent properties Such bins should be covered when possible Openings to a trash enclosure should be shielded from public rights of way

C. Telecommunication Devices

1. Telecommunication devices (such as satellite dishes or other equipment) should be screened from public view or located so as not to be visible from streets Applicants are encouraged to work with satellite providers to locate satellite dishes out of view on building roofs and/or on rear yard or side yard facing facades, especially along alleys, if adequate signal strength and quality can be achieved In multi-family and multi-tenant buildings, conduits should be provided from such a location to each unit or designed into the building structure

D. Wet Utilities

1. Wet utilities should typically be located in the street, but may be located in the alley to address topographical, efficiency or other engineering reasons If “wet” and “dry” utilities are co-located in the alley, proper trench separation and utility access must be ensured On lots with no alley, all “wet” utilities should be located in the street or public right-of-way Utility meters and entrances should also be provided below-grade in the street or sidewalk and should be flush with the surrounding grade

E. Service Entrances & Waste/Recycling Disposal Areas

1. Service entrances, waste/recycling disposal areas, and other similar service areas should be located adjacent to the alley and take their access from it On lots with no alley, these areas should be located as far away as possible from— and screened from views from—the public right of way

2. Waste/recycling disposal shall not be staged on the street Waste and recycling shall be retrieved via push/pull or interior to the building

• a. Mechanical equipment that generates noise, smoke or odors, shall not be located on or within 10 feet of a public right of way or any on-site common open spaces

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FIGURE 13-1 | APPROPRIATE PLACEMENT

Example of an appropriately placed double standpipe connection in the base of a building at the sidewalk.

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Example of mechanical equipment wellscreened by an architectural element incorporated into the building's composition.

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Wherever possible, mechanical/utilities equipment should be placed in alleys. In this example, they are further shielded by architectural elements and a hedge.

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FIGURE 13-2 | INAPPROPRIATE PLACEMENT

Example of inappropriately placed ground-level utilities in a parkway. Example of inappropriately placed utility boxes in a parkway. Example of inappropriately placed check valves and other utility devices in the front yard of a commercial building.

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78 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

A. Fence and Wall Heights

1. Fence and wall heights shall be measured from the grade directly below In cases where the grade differs on either side of the fence or wall, the lower measuring point shall be the average between the grades of the sides Fences and walls (including retaining walls) must be set back at least 24 inches from the sidewalk

B. Entrance Arbors

1. Entrance arbors up to 9 feet in height and 5 feet in width may be permitted

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Landscaped retaining wall and fence.

C. General to Frontages

1. Fence and wall posts within the front setback shall be limited to 3 5 feet in height

2. Retaining walls may not have more than 3 feet of difference between the grade on either side Fences or walls up to 3 5 feet in height may be erected above retaining walls provided that:

• a. Any fence or wall more than 3 5 feet as measured from the sidewalk is at least 50% open

• b. At no point does the fence intrude into the line of visibility between the landing of the entrance(s) of the primary building(s) and the sidewalk This shall be measured from point that are 5 feet above said landing(s) and 5 feet above the sidewalk

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Entrance arbor.

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D. Specific to Corner Lots

1. On corner lots, fences and walls may reach 6 feet in height to enclose the private rear yard from the side street, but must be set back at least as far back as the building face of the primary building Fences and walls may reach 8 feet in height, provided that any portion of the fence or wall that is more than 6 feet in height is at least 50% open

E. Specific to Interior Side Yards and Rear Yards

1. Fences and walls may reach 6 feet in height and flush with the facade of the primary building Interior side and rear fences and walls may reach 8 feet in height, provided that any portion of the fence or wall that is more than 6 feet in height is at least 50% open

2. Any rear fence or wall along any alley shall be so constructed as to provide a space in the rear yard that is sufficient in length, depth, and height to house trash bins off of the alley If another area within the rear yard meets this requirement, it shall not be necessary to incorporate such a space for trash bins into the fence or wall

3. Gates and doors on rear fences shall not open outward towards the alley but shall be designed to open inward to the property

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Landscaped fencing set back from sidewalk

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Cafe rearyard with a wood fence.

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80 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

A. General to All Lighting

1. Site lighting shall be shielded by permanent attachments to the light fixture or frosted so that light sources are not visible from a public way and to prevent off-site glare and upward light pollution

2. Wall-pack types of lighting are not recommended; where used, they shall be provided with full cutoff shields and shall contribute to the architecture of the building

3. Specific to residential ground floors: site and building-mounted luminaires should produce initial illuminance value no greater than 0 04 horizontal and vertical footcandles, and shall be shielded downward

4. Specific to nonresidential ground floors: site and building-mounted luminaires should produce a maximum initial illuminance value no greater than 0 1 horizontal and vertical footcandles at the boundary with adjoining residential lots, and no greater than 0 01 horizontal footcandles 10 feet beyond that boundary

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Shielded and/or frosted lighting avoids off-site glare and light pollution.

5. Specific to alleys, paseos, and other connections into or through the block: the illuminance measured at the ground surface shall have an average between 2 and 6 footcandles and shall not exceed 1 footcandle at any point

6. Street lights should replicate the historic lampposts from the 1920s–1940s

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On-site light sources should be shielded from the public ROW.

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Historic lamppost design at the corner of Franklin St and The Alameda.

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A. Introduction

On-site open space is private or shared outdoor space that exists for the enjoyment and use of building tenants, and sometimes the public It can also provide comfortable paths through which pedestrian access is provided from the street to any buildings (or portions of buildings) that lack direct street frontage This Section identifies a series of open space types and design characteristics of each type

B. Court

1. Description. A court is an open space surrounded by one or more buildings, for use by residents or tenants, or for activation as a public plaza or outdoor dining area It can provide visitor access from the street to dwellings, retail, office spaces, or buildings within the lot that lack direct access from the street

2. Guidelines. A court’s perimeter should be coherent and well-defined by walls on at least three sides Courts should include a minimum of one shared amenity, such as a seating area, fountain, BBQ island, or outdoor fireplace

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A court may provide access to private residences or amenity spaces.

C. Forecourt

1. Description. A forecourt is a court that abuts the public sidewalk Where forecourts give access to retail and other public uses, they function as an extension of the public realm Where forecourts grant access to residential or other private uses, they function as transitional spaces between the public and private realms

2. Standards. Forecourts are only permitted if they serve a specific function, such as providing gathering space outside a common building entry or providing outdoor dining space in front of restaurant shopfronts At least one building entry shall be provided from a forecourt into the adjacent building(s)

3. Guidelines. Forecourts should be a minimum of 15’ x 15’ in size in order to serve as a usable outdoor room

4. Build-Out Requirements. A forecourt is a permitted exception to the build-out requirement for a lot See Section 5.3.A

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Forecourts help transition from the public to private realm.

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82 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

D. Side Yard

1. Description. A side yard is an open space along one side of a building It can serve as a semi-private space through which visitor access is provided to one or more buildings or dwellings, or it can be a private space for the exclusive use of the residents of one or more dwellings

2. Guidelines. Side yards should be defined by buildings on a minimum of two sides Side yards should not exceed twenty-five feet in width where adjacent to streets or public open spaces

E. Rear Yard

1. Description. A rear yard is a private, landscaped open space located behind a building It is for the use of the residents or users of one or more dwellings

2. Guidelines. For buildings with two or more units, a rear yard may be divided into separated private yards, provided each private yard is directly adjacent to the dwelling unit

3. Build-Out Requirements. An entry to a side yard is a permitted exception to the build-out requirement for a lot See Section 5.3.A.

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Single- and multifamily residences separated by side yards.

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Rear yards can contain amenities for multi-family buildings.

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F. Passage

1. Description. Passages provide a pedestrian connection between or through buildings, from the street to a court, building entrance, or rear parking lot Passages may be covered or uncovered They may be gated or completely open to the street Passages which provide public access through a block are known as paseos

2. Standards. Passages shall be a minimum of 12 feet in width

• a. Exception Portions of passages no longer than 20' may be less than 12 feet wide but no narrower than 6 feet wide

3. Build-Out Requirements. An entry to a passage is a permitted exception to the build-out requirement for a lot See Section 5.3.A.

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A passage may provide access to residential units.

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G. Roof Deck/Terrace

1. Description. A roof deck or terrace is an outdoor gathering space that may be assigned to individual units or shared by all residents or tenants of a building

2. Standards

• a. Publicly accessible roof tops should be visible from the public right of way

3. Guidelines.

• a. Roof decks and terraces should include a minimum of one amenity and design element, such as a trellis, seating area, fountain, landscaping, or outdoor fireplace to encourage their use as an outdoor gathering place

• b. Roof decks and terraces should not provide views toward single family residences They should be oriented toward public rights-of-way or other shared open spaces

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A roof deck/ terrace used as a dining area for restaurants.

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ZONINGShall be submitted to the Cultural Commission for a recommendation

84 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

• A. Introduction. Good infrastructure, lighting, and spatial dimensions make the built environment work properly However, the creative details that we add are what bring our towns and cities to life We can use beauty to say something about who we are, where we came from, and who we wish to be Works of art do not need to be grand monuments or sculptures Everyday items can help tell the story of Santa Clara's culture and history—even an elegant light fixture or sculpted door knob The intent of this Section is to provide ideas and encourage the incorporation of art, in big and small ways, into the private realm of Downtown's buildings, facades, entrances, and setback areas In this way, Santa Clara can both reflect and inspire the people who live here

• B. Standard. All projects shall provide at least one piece of art—including artistically-executed functional elements—every 50 feet along its street frontage Such elements serve as "gifts to the street" from private development Qualifying pieces of art are subject to the following standards:

1. Art which meets this requirement shall:

• a. be located within 10 feet of the front property line or within a publicly accessible on-site open space;

• b. be visible or accessible to the public for a minimum of 40 hours per week;

• c. be permanent or semi-permanent in nature, designed to last at least 5 years; and

• d. go above and beyond the base requirements of the other Sections of this Code to contribute to the unique quality of Downtown Santa Clara’s public realm through artistic expression

2. Art which meets this requirement may include—but is not limited to—the following:

• a. painting—including permanently affixed works such as murals or frescoes;

• b. reliefs—including carvings, frescoes, mosaics, and earth works;

• c. sculpture—including statues, fountains, mobiles and monuments;

• d. ornamental or commemorative structures;

• e. mixed or conceptual media in any combination of forms or media—including drawings, collages, or the use of sound, light, or water Water, neon, fiber optic and electronic sculptures are not encouraged due to difficulty of maintenance, though such art may be permitted if adequate assurance of continued maintenance is provided;

• f. decorative and/or utilitarian crafts—including those in clay, fiber, wood, metal, glass, stained glass, and other materials; and/or

• g. artistically designed elements which can also serve a functional purpose, such as a bench or bike rack, that have been specifically and originally designed as a unique artistic element for the project and are not a mass production or replication

3. Art which meets this requirement may not include the following:

• a. directional elements such as supergraphics, signage, or color coding except where these elements are integral parts of the original work of art or executed by artists in unique or limited editions;

• b. objects which are mass produced of standard design such as banners, signs, playground equipment, benches, statuary, street barriers, sidewalk barriers, or fountains;

• c. reproduction, by mechanical or other means, of original works of art—unless they are limited editions controlled by the artist(s) of original works;

• d. landscape architecture, gardening, or materials, except where these elements are designed by the artist and are integral or part of the work of art created by the artist;

• e. landscaping required by the City as part of development entitlements; or

• f. artwork that is similar to, reminiscent of, or based on a corporate logo

• C. Examples. The following images serve as examples of art

Murals

Murals can turn any vertical surface into an opportunity to bring beauty and share stories or local history

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Santa Clara, CA

San Jose, CA

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Sidewalk Plaques

Sidewalk plaques can be a playful way of telling the history of a specific spot on a map while adding surprise and delight

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A reminder for people to look up

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A whole section of sidewalk can becomes a commemoration plaque

Urban Furniture

Urban furniture that goes above and beyond its function requirements can serve as art

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Bike rack

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Outdoor seating

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Trash bin

Courtyard and Entryway Art

On-site works of art, from a beautifully designed building entry to a fountain installed in a semi-private courtyard, are a wonderful gifts to the city and its residents They create an artistic interface between the architecture and the public realm

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A sculptural fountain in a court which can be accessed or viewed by the public.

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An sculptural and playful entry sign which isn't just the business logo.

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Entries which incorporate sculptural reliefs and murals

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86 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

14 Glossary

This section provides definitions for terms found herein that are technical in nature or that otherwise may not reflect a common usage of the term Terms which are not defined in this section shall default to the those found in the Definitions section of the Santa Clara Zoning Code

Alley: A narrow service street which provides secondary access (and often utilities access) to all lots within a block Driveways, parking aisles, and fire lanes are not alleys

Arbor (entrance arbor): A wooden structure that is intended to define an entrance into an on-site outdoor space, such as a front yard or parking lot

Arcade. An extension of upper floors over a sidewalk, supported by vertical supports Arcades provide shade, glare control, and weather protection

Bay: A stacked (vertically organized) grouping of facade elements, such as openings and windows

Bay Window: A window, or window ensemble, that projects from any building elevation

Block: A aggregation of lots which are bound on all sides by public rights of way (whether streets or open spaces) Block dimensions are measured along private property lines

Building Base: The visually unified horizontal portion of a building that begins on the ground and extends one or more floors, typically ending at an architectural feature like a cornice or string course The building base appears to be holding up the upper floors

Building Improvements: Building improvements include work that is typical of regular maintenance and upkeep This may include changes to the exterior, but is limited to work that does not alter the general character

Building Length: The length of the building as measured parallel to the front property line

Build-To Range, Front Street: A range of distances from the property line along a street or open space A building's primary facade shall be built within this range and shall extend along the street or open space as required by the facade buildout percentage

Chamfered corner: A bevel where two perpendicular building faces meet, resulting in a third face at a 45-degree angle

Civic Building: A private or public structure of civic importance that is noncommercial in nature This includes but is not limited to: schools, places of assembly, libraries, museums, city hall, or any other building type that has historically been prominently featured in traditional cities and towns as a center of public life Civic buildings do not include retail (with the exception being a notable food hall or market structure featuring many tenants) or mixeduse buildings, residential buildings, day care facilities, privately-owned office buildings, or municipal yards

Court: A court is an open space surrounded by one or more buildings, for use by residents or tenants, or for activation as a public plaza or outdoor dining area It can provide visitor access from the street to dwellings, retail, office spaces, or buildings within the lot that lack direct access from the street

Director: The Director of Community Development, or designee

Dormer Window: An individual roofed window that protrudes out of a sloped roof

Drive Aisle: A vehicular lane within a parking lot that provides access to the individual parking spaces

Driveway : A vehicular lane within a lot that leads to onsite parking

Encroachment: Any structure extending into a required setback area

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Facade Buildout: The required length of the primary facade (located within the Front Street Build-To Range) divided by the total buildable length along a street or open space, expressed as a percentage

Fenestration: Transparent glass openings in a building face

Fire Lane: An on-site right of way required by the Fire Marshal for the access of emergency vehicles

Forecourt: A court that abuts the public sidewalk Where forecourts give access to retail and other public uses, they function as an extension of the public realm Where forecourts grant access to residential or other private uses, they function as transitional spaces between the public and private realms

Frontage, Private: The ground floor building facade and the area between the building facade and any property line along a street or public open space

Frontage, Public: The space between any street-adjacent property line and the first travel lane in the roadway

Gallery: A ground-floor colonnade that supports a shed roof or deck that covers the sidewalk, intended to provide shade, glare control, and weather protection

Ground Floor: The floor of a building located nearest to the level of the existing grade around the building

Half-Story: The uppermost story of a building in which the sloping roof forms the walls These are often lighted by dormer windows and include knee walls under roof slopes

Lot: A portion of land delineated from others to host an allowed development For the purpose of this code, lot is synonymous with “property” or “design site ”

Lot Line: A front, side or rear of a lot For the purpose of this code, lot line is synonymous with property line

Massing Increments: A complete facade composition that is visually distinguished from an adjacent facade composition of the same building Each increment has a coherent look and character from the ground to the top of the facade Sometimes, Massing Increments appear as multiple parts of a single building, while in other cases, they appear as distinct buildings altogether

Non-Formula Retail and Restaurant Establishments. If there are fewer than 12 worldwide locations, including the proposed location, and if the business has less than two standardized features, then the proposed use is NonFormula

Outbuilding: A rear building on the same property but separate from, and smaller in scale than the building which contains the primary use of the site

Paseo: A pedestrian path that provides a connection from one right of way or public open space to another They may be privately maintained or dedicated to the City

Passage: An on-site pedestrian path

Pergola: A wooden structure that is intended to either provide a small area of shade or define an entrance into an on-site outdoor space, such as a front yard or parking lot

Pier. Vertical structural elements which, when dividing shopfronts, often define bays or Massing Increments

Primary Access: The principal or most-important means of approaching and entering a building or property

Primary Building: A building situated towards the adjacent street or public open space that accommodates the primary use of the site This is distinguished from an outbuilding, which is ancillary in use and form, and sits near the rear of the site

Primary Entrances: Typically refers to front doors, and may include direct access into a ground floor residential unit, into nonresidential space, into a common lobby, or into a zaguan that leads to a court

Primary Facade. The portion of the facade located within the Front Street Build-To Range along a street and/or open space

Privacy Windows: Windows which are either opaque and unopenable or which begin at least 6 feet from the floor

Public Realm: All streets, sidewalks, parks, plazas, and other open spaces that comprise the shared space of a city for its visitors, employees and residents It is the space between buildings where civic interaction occurs and is defined in contrast to private property The public realm is publicly-accessible, regardless of whether particular parts of it are publicly or privately owned and maintained

Rosewalk: A wide paseo with residential frontages on either side

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88 | City of Santa Clara Downtown Form-Base Code

Rowhouse Building. A building containing an array of side-by side units

Shopfront: A ground-floor frontage assembly that includes an arrangement of large transparent windows and a conspicuous entrance that leads directly into the unit Shopfronts are spatially defined on either side by structural vertical elements called piers

Through lot: A lot which extends from one street frontage to another, across the entire span of the block

Trellis: A frame of latticework used as a screen or as a support for climbing plants

Side, Lot Line: Any property line that is shared with a neighboring property when there is no public open space between the two

Sideyard: The portion of a parcel extending from the front of the property to the rear of the property, between the side property line of the parcel and the closest side of the principal building

Story height: The vertical distance from floor to ceiling For the topmost story, it is measured from the top of the floor finish to the bottom of the ceiling joists or, where there is not a ceiling, to the bottom of the roof rafters

Street: A right of way that is defined in Section 2.9 Paseos, driveways, parking aisles, fire lanes, and alleys are not streets

Street, Front: The side of the lot that is adjacent to a street A property may have multiple fronts

Street, Side: (Applicable only to corner lots) The side of the lot that is adjacent to a street or public open space that is not considered the front (see Street, Front)

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