§ 20-1061. Intent.

The city intends that all commercial, industrial, and office-institutional development within the city should strive toward the highest level of quality in both design and construction. The criteria by which new development in the city shall be judged are as follows:

(1)

Consistency with all provisions of the comprehensive plan, as amended from time to time; the surface water protection program; all provisions of the zoning ordinance and subdivision ordinance not specifically overridden by the provisions of these design standards; and all other applicable land use regulations.

(2)

Preservation of the natural conditions found on each site to the greatest extent possible, through minimized removal of trees and other vegetation and soil, minimized site grading, and application of the practices found in the city's surface water management plan.

(3)

Establishment throughout the district of harmonious physical and visual relationships among existing, new, and proposed buildings, open spaces, natural terrain, and plant materials and placement with the intent of creating a unique and unified appearance for the entire city.

(4)

Use of appropriate materials, lighting, textures, colors, and architectural and landscape forms to create a unified, high-quality design concept for each site that is compatible with adjacent and neighboring structures and functions, including but not limited to natural areas, city-owned property, and vacant land subject to future development in accordance with the comprehensive plan.

(5)

Creation of unified site designs, each with a sense of internal order, that provide desirable environments for site users and visitors and the community as a whole and that consider all site elements including: the relationship of buildings to surrounding landforms; grading; architectural design; building, parking and loading dock orientation; building height; use of manmade materials, including paving; site furnishings (lighting, outdoor seating, signage, etc.); landscaping (retention of natural vegetation, plant selection and placement, retention and incorporation of water features, etc.); and other visible outdoor site elements.

(6)

Creation of a suitable balance between the amount and arrangement of open space, landscaping, and view protection and the design and function of man-made features on the other. Achieving this balance shall take into account screening, buffering, size and orientation of open spaces, personal and property security, localized wind and solar effects, and protection of important public ways.

(7)

Provision of safe and adequate access to and from sites giving ample consideration to the location and number of access points from public streets, the safety and convenience of merging and turning movements, and traffic management and mitigation.

(8)

Provision of on-site vehicular, bicycling, and pedestrian circulation by way of interior drives, parking areas, pathways, and walkways adequate to handle anticipated needs and to safety buffer pedestrians and cyclists from motor vehicles. Ample consideration shall be given to the width of interior drives, internal traffic movement and flow, separation of pedestrian, cycling, automobile; and delivery traffic, and the safe, convenient, and practical arrangement of parking spaces.

(9)

Adequate separation and protection of each site from adjacent properties, through reasonable provisions for surface water drainage, sound and sight buffers, view protection, privacy, and other aspects of design that may not be specifically covered by these or other regulations but are found to have significant effect on any or all of the properties and roadways.

(Ord. No. 327, § 1, 9-24-01; Ord. No. 445, § 2, 2-12-07)