Saratoga Municipal Code Art. 15-62 Village Design Standards

(a) Purpose. The purpose of the Village design standards is to:

(1) Reflect the community's quaint small-town identity, natural setting, and historic context;

(2) Foster a vibrant shopping and restaurant district and ensure that the Village continues to flourish as a vital and successful business district;

(3) Provide opportunities for community and civic activity, public gathering, and engagement;

(4) Establish objective design criteria that facilitate new development and viable retail and/or mixed-use buildings that complement the context and human scale of the downtown; and

(5) Facilitate streamlined project permitting consistent with State law and the City's Housing Element.

(6) Ensure that commercial storefronts are required and appropriately designed along all ground floor street facing frontages.

(b) Applicability.

(1) The Village design standards apply to all development, and as specified for each zoning district, within the boundaries of the Saratoga Village as established in Figure 1: Saratoga Village Boundary.

(2) Compliance with all other applicable development standards and the base zoning district standards is required, including but not limited to Article 15-06 (definitions); Article 15-12 - R-1: Single-Family Residential Districts; Article 15-17 (R-M: Multi-Family Residential Districts); Article 15-18 (P-A: Professional and Administrative Office District: Article 15-19 (C: Commercial Districts: Article 15-21 (M-U: Mixed Use Zoning Districts; Article 15-30 (Signs), Article 15-35 (Off-Street Parking and Loading Facilities), 15-46 (Design Review: Multi-Family Dwellings and Commercial Structures); Article 15-56 (Accessory Dwelling Units); Article 15-57 (Ministerial Consideration of Qualifying Projects); Article 15-58 (Mixed-Use and Multi-Family Design and Development Standards); Article 15-59 (Single-Family Dwelling Design Standards); 15-65 (Nonconforming Uses And Structures).

(3) In the event of conflict between development standards of the base zone; applicable design standards of Article 15-56; Article 15-57; Article 15-58; Article 15-59; and this Article (Article 15-62), the standard of this Article applies except as otherwise provided by State law.

Figure 15-62.010-1: Saratoga Village Boundary [Figure: Figure 15-62.010-1: Saratoga Village Boundary]

Figure 15-62.010-2: Saratoga Village Parking Districts

[Figure: Figure 15-62.010-2: Saratoga Village Parking Districts]

(Ord. No. 418, § 1(Exh. A), 4-1-2026)

(a) Upper story step-backs in the CH-1, CH-2, and P-A districts.

(1) Street-facing elevations in the CH-1, CH-2, and P-A districts: Any story above the second story, and any story (other than the ground floor) over 12 feet, shall be stepped-back a minimum of six feet from the floor below. The 12 feet is measured from the finished floor to either the finished floor of the story above, or, for the topmost story of a building, from the finished floor to the bottom of the roof eave, the bottom of the overhang, or the cornice.

Figure 15-62.020-1: Required Upper-Story Step-backs [Figure: Figure 15-62.020-1: Required Upper-Story Step-backs]

(2) Interior side elevations in the CH-1 where abutting an R-1 zone, excluding creek-adjacent parcels: Any story above the second story must be stepped-back a minimum of six feet from the floor below, or located within a sloped roof form.

(b) Building articulation in the CH-1 and CH-2 districts.

(1) In the CH-1 and CH-2 districts, all street-facing facades must be articulated into storefront bays with a maximum horizontal width of fifty feet, distinguished by a change of plane a minimum of twenty-four inches in depth from the building façade.

Figure 15-62.020-2: Required Articulation in the CH-1 and CH-2 [Figure: Figure 15-62.020-2: Required Articulation in the CH-1 and CH-2]

(2) Buildings over one hundred feet in width facing Big Basin Way and abutting a parking district must provide a continuous at-grade paseo between the sidewalk and the rear parking district. The paseo must be designed in accordance with the standards of Section 15-62.040(c)(1), Design of publicly-accessible open spaces.

(Ord. No. 418, § 1(Exh. A), 4-1-2026)

(a) "360-degree" design. All building elevations shall contain the same materials, color palette, window and door design, proportions, and architectural features as the primary elevation.

(b) Ground Floor Commercial. Pursuant to City Code Section 15-58.020(b), commercial use(s) are required along all ground floor street facing frontages in the P-A, C-N, C-V, CH-1 and CH-2 districts, while dwelling unit(s) may be located in all other portions of the structure.

(c) Acoustic Design. Buildings shall be designed to comply with the standards of Article 7-30 - Noise Control. A commercial establishment in a CH zoning district may have amplified or acoustic music outside a building upon issuance of an outdoor music permit pursuant to Section 7-30.090(b) or inside a building in accordance with Section 7-30.060(f) without such a permit.

(d) Roof form. All development in the Village is subject to the roof standards of Section 15-58.040(a) Roofs, in addition to the following design standards:

(1) False façades are allowed only in the restoration of a property on the Heritage Resource Inventory. When used, false facades must include a cornice at least eighteen inches in depth with decorative dentils or brackets.

(2) When terra cotta roof tiles are used, the primary building cladding material must be stucco, the roof slope must be 5:12 or less, and windows must be recessed in accordance with subsection 15-58.040(g), Windows and glazing.

(3) A maximum of two types of roof forms or pitches may be visible from any public right-of-way.

(e) Frontage design.

(1) In the CH-1 and CH-2 districts, all street-facing facades must incorporate at least one of the following:

a. An awning;

b. An overhang or recessed ground floor; or

c. A forecourt.

(2) In all zoning districts blank walls at the ground level must include architectural details, landscaping, and/or plant-bearing trellises or lattices. Building walls on any level without a window, arched niche, fountain, pattern of insets, mural, trellis, or a projection, offset, or recess of the building wall at least one foot in depth are limited to 12 lineal feet.

(3) In the CH-1, CH-2, P-A, and MU-HD districts, all frontages must incorporate at least one of the following:

a. A plant-bearing pergola or trellis; or

b. Landscaping along at least fifty percent of the building or frontage.

(4) In the R-1 District, all street-facing and interior elevations must incorporate one of the following:

a. A vertical plane shift the height of the building elevation at least twenty-four inches in depth;

b. A window with a window grille/Juliet balcony; or

c. At least one bay window.

(5) In all zoning districts any downspout must be painted in the same color as the building surface against which it lies.

(f) Entry design.

(1) Street-facing storefront entrance dimensions shall comply with Section 15-58.040(c)(3)(e), Shopfront and Figure 15-58.040-7: Shopfront, with the following exceptions:

a. The minimum clear height under an awning is seven feet.

b. The maximum storefront bay width is thirty feet.

(2) Rear entries facing parking districts shall comply with Section 15-58.040(c)(3)(e) and Figure 15-58.040-7: Shopfront, with the following exceptions:

a. The depth of a roofed projection, recessed entry, or combination of projection and recess must be a minimum of thirty inches.

b. The minimum clear height under an awning is seven feet.

c. A minimum four feet horizontal clearance between the edge of the building, awning, or seating area and any parking district areas designated for vehicular movement.

d. A plant-bearing pergola or trellis, planted areas, or planter boxes along at least thirty percent of the base of the rear building.

(g) Windows design and details.

(1) Shutters must be the same size as the windows they frame.

(2) To establish inviting and transparent frontages, commercial ground floor street-facing window sill height shall be a maximum of thirty inches from the finished floor.

(3) Commercial ground floor street-facing windows must be vertically oriented with clear glazing.

(4) Windows must have a height to width ratio of at least 1.5:1 or must utilize muntins or grids with a minimum height to width ratio of 1:1. For buildings with board and batten or horizontal siding as the primary building material, all windows must have muntins and trim, including a header/lintel and sill.

(h) Commercial ground-floor transparency.

(1) CH-1 and CH-2 Districts. On any ground floor street-facing façade, a minimum sixty percent of the area between two and ten feet in height must include a transparent window or door, as illustrated in Figure 15-62.030-1, Ground-Floor Transparency.

Figure 15-62.030-1: Ground-Floor Transparency [Figure: Figure 15-62.030-1: Ground-Floor Transparency]

(i) Awning and canopy design.

(1) As illustrated below, allowed awning shapes are limited to traditional with or without valance, concave, arch, waterfall, dome, or bullnose.

(2) Gable awnings are not permitted.

(3) Awnings and shade canopies must be of a durable, commercial-grade fabric or canvas with a matte finish, and may be fixed or retractable.

(4) Awning valances may not exceed nine inches in height.

Figure 15-62.030-2: Awning Types [Figure: Figure 15-62.030-2: Awning Types]

(j) Building materials and colors.

(1) Building material standards shall comply with Section 15-58.040(h), Building Materials, with the following exceptions:

a. Galvanized or stainless metal is prohibited in the Village.

b. Unpainted concrete block or concrete masonry units are prohibited in the Village.

(2) Primary and secondary building colors must have a saturation value, within the HSV color model, of seventy percent (70%) or less and a Light Reflecting Value (LRV) between 35 and 60.

(3) Color saturation may exceed seventy percent or LRV value may be outside the designated range for accent materials applied to less than ten percent of building surface, awnings, and fixtures.

(k) Architectural Details.

(1) To help ensure design integrity in the CH-1 and CH-2 districts, new street-facing facades must incorporate the architectural details of one of the following palettes:

a. Palette A. If Palette A is chosen, the project shall include a continuous parapet and cornice, regularly spaced windows, a belt course above the ground floor, and a building base at least eighteen inches from grade. Details that are consistent with the illustrative Figure 15-62.030-3a (Palette A), are strongly encouraged.

b. Palette B. If Palette B is chosen, the project shall include a flat roof, an overhang at least eighteen inches in depth, full-height windows, and wood or stone details. Details that are consistent with Figure 15-62.030-3b, (Palette B) are strongly encouraged.

c. Palette C. If Palette C is chosen, the project shall include terra cotta roof tiles in accordance with subsection 15-62.030(d)(2), pitched roof, exposed rafter or bracket details, wood or wrought iron trim, windows recessed at least two inches, and stucco cladding. Details that are consistent with Figure 15-62.030-3c (Palette C) are strongly encouraged.

d. Palette D. If Palette D is chosen, the project shall include roof shingles or shakes, regularly spaced windows with sills and lintels, and horizontal or board and batten siding. Details that are consistent with Figure 15-62.030-3d (Palette D) are strongly encouraged.

(2) Where a building exhibits a detail palette described in Figure 15-62.030-3a, b, c or d, any renovation to the structure must preserve any feature that is demonstrative of the particular detail palette.

Figure 15-62.030-3a: Building Articulation and Detail Palette A [Figure: Figure 15-62.030-3a: Building Articulation and Detail Palette A]

Illustrative only.

Figure 15-62.030-3b: Building Articulation and Detail Palette B [Figure: Figure 15-62.030-3b: Building Articulation and Detail Palette B]

Illustrative only.

Figure 15-62.030-3c: Building Articulation and Detail Palette C [Figure: Figure 15-62.030-3c: Building Articulation and Detail Palette C]

Illustrative only.

Figure 15-62.030-3d: Building Articulation and Detail Palette D [Figure: Figure 15-62.030-3d: Building Articulation and Detail Palette D]

Illustrative only.

(Ord. No. 418, § 1(Exh. A), 4-1-2026)

(a) Building Placement, CH-1 and CH-2 districts.

(1) The property line shall be verified by a Boundary Survey, performed by a licensed Surveyor, for any new construction.

(2) A minimum eighty percent of ground-floor building frontage must be built at the front setback line to maintain a consistent street wall, as illustrated in Figure 15-62.040-1, Building Placement.

(3) For buildings up to sixty feet wide, the portion of the building frontage located behind the front setback line may exceed twenty percent if the setback area is designed as a publicly-accessible open space in accordance with the standards of Section 15-62.040(c), Publicly-accessible open space.

Figure 15-62.040-1: Building Placement [Figure: Figure 15-62.040-1: Building Placement]

(b) Design of setback areas.

(1) All areas between the street-facing property line and the ground floor must be improved to visually distinguish the area from the public right-of-way, emphasize the building entrance and pedestrian approach, and frame building transparency. The design shall include at least one of the following elements:

a. Outdoor surfacing that is distinct from the adjacent sidewalk;

b. Low walls and fencing a maximum of thirty inches in height; or

c. Landscaping, planter boxes, and climbing vines.

(2) Where the street-facing building setback is greater than ten feet in depth from the public-right-of-way, outdoor dining or seating areas are required, as a condition of approval. This requirement may be waived if outdoor dining is already included in the public right-of-way at the time of application submittal.

(3) No street-facing setback may be used for parking in the CH-1, CH-2, or MU-HD districts.

(4) All areas between an interior property line and the ground floor must be either usable space or landscaped and must be permanently maintained.

Figure 15-62.040-2: Design of Street-Facing Setbacks [Figure: Figure 15-62.040-2: Design of Street-Facing Setbacks]

(c) Publicly-accessible open spaces on private property.

(1) All courtyards, paseos, and other publicly-accessible open spaces must adhere to the following criteria:

a. Shall meet federal and state accessibility requirements and be visible from a public street, parking district, or other on-site publicly-accessible areas and remain accessible during business hours.

b. Shall not exceed five percent in slope.

c. Must be visually distinguishable from areas for vehicular travel. Materials may include landscaping, flagstone, wood decking, textured pavement, pavers, concrete, or other dust-free surfacing.

d. May include a public art feature.

(2) Courtyards open to and facing a public right-of-way must adhere to the following criteria:

a. Must be a minimum fifteen feet in width by twelve feet in depth.

b. Must be enclosed on at least two sides by building walls. One wall may be an abutting adjacent building.

c. Must be level with the sidewalk and may not slope down away from the right-of-way.

d. Must include seating. Seating can be covered and can include built-in or moveable furniture.

(d) Screening.

(1) All outdoor refuse areas shall be fully enclosed by a solid wall or fence and solid gates of sufficient height to screen the refuse bins and refuse at capacity from view from the public right-of-way, from parking districts, and from view from the rear lot line of properties that face Oak Street.

a. Screening materials must either be the same as those used for the primary structure or wood.

b. The floor of any enclosure shall have a drain that connects to the sanitary sewer system, and the refuse area shall meet all stormwater regulations.

c. Collection, storage or stacking of refuse is prohibited outside the refuse enclosure.

(2) All building-mounted, ground-mounted, or roof-mounted equipment must be screened from view from the public right-of-way using screening elements such as planting or screen walls made of materials consistent with the quality and material palette used in the rest of the project.

(e) Fire Prevention Standards. In all cases where landscaping is proposed, it shall be designed in accordance with fire prevention standards of CalFIRE, the City of Saratoga, and the Saratoga Fire Protection District, including but not limited to the City's Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) standards.

(f) Maintenance.

(1) Whenever screening or landscaping is required, the owner or occupant of the property shall keep and maintain such screening and landscaping in good condition and repair.

(2) All Saratoga Village properties and buildings shall be maintained in good order, in accordance with Article 7-45—Commercial Property Maintenance, or Article 7-50—Residential Property Maintenance, as applicable. Historic buildings and properties listed on the Heritage Resource Inventory shall be maintained in accordance with Chapter 13—Heritage Preservation.

(Ord. No. 418, § 1(Exh. A), 4-1-2026)