Allentown City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 7
Building Design
§ 660-58 Applicability.
The regulations in this article apply to new buildings and additions to existing buildings for all building types in all zones, except the following:
A.
Workshop building. Workshop buildings in any IG or IM Zone are exempt from the building design standards in this Article 7.
B.
N3, N4, and N5 Zones. Buildings in any N3, N4, or N5 Zone are exempt from the building design standards in this Article 7.
C.
Other design standards. All efforts must be made to comply with any discretionary standards in this article as well as any other City-adopted design guidelines or standards for the area. Where conflicts exist between any regulations in this chapter and the design guidelines outside this chapter, the regulations of this chapter apply.
§ 660-59 Intent.
The regulations of this article, Article 7, along with the building type regulations in Article 4, are intended to improve the physical quality of buildings, improve the long-term value and durability of buildings, enhance the pedestrian experience, and protect the historic form and scale of the City.
§ 660-60 Original design elements.
A.
Existing elements. Any permanent design element original to the building and constructed prior to the day before the effective date specified in § 660-1C that does not conform with these regulations may be retained, except where that design element is being significantly revised or completely replaced.
§ 660-61 Roof types.
Each major component of any roof should meet the requirements of one of the roof types permitted per the building type regulations in Article 4.
A.
Regulations applicable to all roof types.
(1)
Roofs for bay or bow windows and dormers are not required to meet a roof type.
(2)
Terraces, green roofs, rooftop gardens, and other outdoor facilities are allowed on any roof and are not considered a roof type, except as follows:
(a)
Any permanently roofed, open-air area applies to the overall height as regulated by the building type regulations (Article 4), or may be treated as an interior building tower per § 660-62.
(b)
Any fully enclosed structure on a roof should meet the tower regulations per § 660-62.
(c)
Where any canopy or cover is visible from any public way or open space, the cover should comply with a roof type per this § 660-61.
(3)
Roofs, including all eaves or overhangs, should be fully located within the property lines of the lot, unless otherwise stated in § 660-131G, allowed encroachments into yards. See Article 4 for setback regulations.
B.
Other roof types. Other roof designs not defined in this section may be approved through the special exception process per § 660-115.
C.
Parapet roof type. A parapet is a low wall projecting above a building's roof along the perimeter of the building on all street facades and other front facades. See Figure 660(10), Examples of Parapet Roof Types.
(1)
Parapet height. Height is measured from the top of the upper story to the top of the parapet.
(a)
Minimum height is 1.5 feet with a maximum height of six feet.
(b)
A shadow line should be located within two feet of the top of the uppermost story. See § 660-150 for definition of shadow line.
(c)
A shadow line should be located at the top of the parapet. See § 660-150 for definition of shadow line.
(2)
Rooftop appurtenances. With the exception of solar panels and wind turbines, any rooftop appurtenances should be located towards the rear or interior of the parapet roof. Rooftop appurtenances should be located such that the parapet blocks their view from the sidewalk across the street or may be located within a tower per § 660-62.
Figure 660(10), Examples of Parapet Roof Types |
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D.
Flat roof type. This roof type is a visibly flat roof with overhanging eaves or a cornice along front street facades. See Figure 660(11), Examples of Flat Roof Types.
(1)
Maximum slope. The maximum slope is 2:12; however, the roof should not appear to be visibly sloped from the front street or other front frontages. See Figure 660(8).
(2)
Street facades. For this roof type, either eaves on all street facades, or a cornice should be included on the front facade with a shadow line and cap on any other street facade.
(3)
Eaves. The following applies to street facade eaves:
(a)
Eave depth. Eaves should have a minimum depth of at least 14 inches. Eave depth is measured from the building facade to the outside edge of the eave.
(b)
Eave thickness. Eaves should be a minimum of six inches thick. Eave thickness is measured at the outside edge of the eave, from the bottom of the eave to the top of the eave.
(4)
Cornice. The following applies to front street cornice:
(a)
Cornice length. The cornice should extend the full length of the front street facade.
(b)
Cornice size. Cornices should be a minimum of 15 inches deep and 15 inches in height.
(c)
Cornice materials. The cornice should be constructed as a three-dimensional element, consisting of cast stone, masonry, marine-grade fiberglass, glass fiber reinforced concrete, composite stone, metal, wood, polyurethane, or natural stone.
(5)
Rooftop appurtenances. With the exception of solar panels and wind turbines, rooftop appurtenances should not be located on the flat portion of this roof type. Rooftop appurtenances should be located centrally on the roof such that their view is minimized from the street or may be located within a tower per § 660-62.
Figure 660(11) Examples of Flat Roof Types |
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Figure 660(8) Diagram of Roof Pitches |
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E.
Pitched roof type. This roof type is a sloped or pitched roof, where the slope occurs on all street and other front facades. Slope is measured with the vertical rise divided by the horizontal span or run. See Figure 660(9), Examples of Pitched Roof Types.
(1)
Pitch measure. The roof should not be sloped less than a 4:12 (rise:run) or more than 14:12, unless otherwise expressly stated. See Figure 660(8).
(2)
Hipped or gabled roofs. Hipped, gabled, and combination of hips and gables with or without dormers are allowed.
(a)
When the ridge line runs parallel to any front street, one of the following should occur except as otherwise stated in the building type regulations:
[1]
A gabled end or perpendicular ridge line should occur at least every 100 feet of roof; or
[2]
One dormer should be provided for every 15 feet of ridge line on any street or front frontage with at least one dormer per frontage.
[3]
A bay with a separate roof on the front street facade or a tower per § 660-62, as allowed by building type.
(b)
Occupied building space within the roof is allowed and counts as a half or full story. See § 660-131M for definition of "half story" and any half story limitations per the building type regulations. See § 660-146 for definition of "occupied building space."
(c)
Maximum roof height. Pitched roofs with a ridge parallel to the front street and without occupied building space should have a maximum height on street facades equal to no more than 1.5 times the upper story floor-to-floor height utilized on the building.
(3)
Gambrel or mansard roof. Gambrel and mansard roofs should include the following:
(a)
Gambrel roofs with the ridge parallel to the street and mansard roofs should include one dormer for every 15 feet of ridge line on any street or other front with at least one dormer per frontage.
(b)
The steepest portion of the roof should be no greater than the tallest permitted height of one upper story.
(c)
Occupied building space should be included beneath the roof and counts as a half or full story. See § 660-131M for definition of "half story." See § 660-146 for definition of "occupied building space."
(4)
Rooftop appurtenances. With the exception of solar panels, antennae, and wind turbines, any rooftop appurtenances, where feasible, should be located on the rear sloping portion of the roof to limit visibility from the street.
Figure 660(9) Examples of Pitched Roof Types |
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§ 660-62 Towers.
A tower is an enclosed, vertical element that may be used with other roof types. See Figure 660(12), Example of Tower.
A.
Quantity. Unless otherwise defined in the building type regulations, the following is allowed:
(1)
Street facade towers. A maximum of two towers located within 15 feet of any A or B street facade is permitted on any building. Street facade towers enhance the facade design.
(2)
Interior building towers. Two additional towers are permitted provided the towers are located a minimum of 30 feet from any street facade. Interior towers are typically functional, providing housing for utilities or access to the roof.
B.
Tower height.
(1)
Maximum height, measured from the top of the uppermost floor of the building to the top of the tower shaft, not including the tower roof, is the equivalent of the height of one upper floor of the building to which the tower is applied.
(2)
A tower allows for up to one additional story of height within the tower footprint to any building type where permitted.
C.
Tower footprint. The maximum width in any direction of the footprint of any tower is 1/3 the width of any street or other front facade or 30 feet, whichever is less.
D.
Tower spacing. Street facade towers, within 15 feet of any street facade, should be spaced a minimum of 120 feet from other street facade towers. Interior building towers must be located a minimum of 60 feet from any other tower.
(1)
Transparency. Towers that meet the minimum floor-to-floor height of the building type and are located within 30 feet of a street facade should meet the minimum front facade transparency requirements of an upper story of the building type to which the tower is applied.
Figure 660(12) Example Towers Extending Above Roofline |
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§ 660-63 Entrance types.
Entrance types provide the transition between the public sidewalk in front of the building into the ground story of the building. Each front entrance should meet the requirements of one of the entrance types permitted per the building type regulations in Article 4.
A.
Storefront entrance type. Storefront entrance types are intended to provide at or close to grade access between the storefront and adjacent sidewalk creating a high level of permeability. See Figure 660(13).
Figure 660(13) Example of a Storefront Entrance |
 Storefront Entrance Type (at Grade) |
 Storefront Entrance Type (Elevated with Platform) |
B.
Stoop entrance type. A stoop is a small, open platform that may include a permanent canopy or roof cantilevered off the building. See § 660-65B for principal entryway standards. See Figure 660(14).
(1)
Right-of-way encroachment. Where buildings are located within five feet from the front lot line, an encroachment permit may be applied for from the City to approve encroachment into the public right-of-way.
Figure 660(14) Examples of Stoop Entrances | ||
 Stoop Entrance Type (Encroaching into R.O.W.) |  |  |
Stoop Entrance Type (at Grade) | ||
 Stoop Entrance Type (with Canopy) |  Stoop Entrance Type (with Expanded Storefront Glass) | |
C.
Porch entrance type. A porch is a raised, roofed platform with a perimeter railing or wall that may or may not be enclosed on all sides, and the roof is supported by columns. See Figure 660(15).
(1)
Transparency. If a porch is enclosed, each exterior porch wall must meet a minimum transparency of 70%.
(2)
Porch size. The porch should be a minimum of five feet deep and eight feet wide.
(3)
Height. Porches should meet the minimum and maximum story height for the building type.
Figure 660(15) Examples of Porch Entrances |
 Porch Entrance Type |
 Porch Entrance Type (Elevated) |
§ 660-64 Facade materials.
A.
Street facade materials. Major facade materials are listed in Table 660-7.
(1)
Street and other front facades. At least 65% of major facade materials are required on all A and B street and other front facades, unless otherwise stated, must be composed of major facade materials and are intended to serve as the primary surface material on those facades. See § 660-18J for other front facades.
(2)
Original facade materials. On existing buildings where brick, stone, or terracotta is the original facade material, the following applies:
(a)
The original material may be maintained if in good condition or repaired, or the original material may be replaced by new, full-dimensional brick, natural stone, or terracotta.
(b)
No material, including brick or stone veneer, may be installed over the original brick or stone.
(3)
Minor materials for street facades. The remaining portions of all A or B street or other front facade surface, not including window and door areas, may be composed of other high quality, durable facade materials.
B.
Appropriate grade of materials. All doors, windows, and hardware must be of commercial grade quality with the exception of those on rowhouse, twinhouse, and house buildings.
C.
Other materials. Materials that are not listed in this section as allowed major, minor, accent/detail, or roof materials may be approved by the Zoning Officer, provided the material is equivalent to any material allowed or the material exists as a major material on more than 50% of other buildings on the subject blockface. The Zoning Officer may require the submission of manufacturer cut sheets and material samples to determine the equivalent status of the proposed material.
Table 660-7. Allowed Major Facade Materials on Street and Other Front Facades | |||||||||
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BUILDING TYPES | |||||||||
Major Facade Material (alphabetical) | Storefront, General Buildings in MX-D and GX-D | Storefront, General and Small General Buildings | Commercial Center | Town, Urban Rowhouse; Twinhouse, House A | Lane Rowhouse, Suburban Rowhouse | Workshop, Civic Building | |||
A | Brick Full dimensional, unit, face brick, unglazed, no black | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||
B | Concrete Masonry Units Architectural, minimum 3 inch depth, "artisan stone" look, varied sizes, "stone" face, "hewn stone," rock cut | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||
C | Fiber Cement Board Finished lap siding, board & batten, or shingles | • | Only on 4th story or higher and not allowed on buildings abutting Hamilton Street | • | Only on building 3 stories in height or less | • | — | • | • |
D | Fiber Cement Board Panels | • | Only on 4th story or higher and not allowed on buildings abutting Hamilton Street | • | Only on buildings 3 stories in height or less | • | — | • | • |
E | Glass Curtain wall | • | — | — | — | — | • | ||
F | Metal, Architectural Articulated architectural panel, cladding system (steel, titanium, zinc, corten steel) | • | — | • | — | — | • | ||
G | Metal, Aluminum Composite Aluminum composite materials (ACM) or panels (ACP) | — | — | — | — | — | • | ||
H | Stone Natural, units | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||
Stucco Cement-based, 2-3 layer hard coat | • | • | • | • | • | • | |||
I | Terra Cotta or Ceramic Tiles or panels | • | • | • | • | • | • | ||
J | Vinyl and PVC Siding Minimum .04 in. thick | — | — | — | — | • | — | ||
K | Wood or Composite Wood Painted, stained, charred, or treated | ||||||||
L | Lap siding, shingles, board & batten, rainscreen | — | — | — | — | • | — | ||
Note: Materials may not apply in historic districts. See Chapter 328. | |||||||||
KEY: | • | = | allowed | — | = | prohibited | |||
§ 660-65 Facade elements.
A.
Security grilles and bars.
(1)
Exterior bars and security grilles are prohibited on any street facade opening.
(2)
Security grilles must be fully retractable and located within the interior of the building. When retracted, the grilles may not be visible from the exterior of the building.
B.
Principal entryway. See Figure 660(17) for examples of defined principal entryways. Principal entrances to all buildings or units, except storefronts, must be visible from the street and clearly delineated through one or more of the following design features:
(1)
Roof or canopy. The entryway is covered by a roof or canopy differentiating it from the overall building roof type.
(2)
Porch. The entryway is through a porch.
(3)
Sidelights and transom. Sidelights or transom windows are included around the entryway.
(4)
Articulation. The entryway is included in a separate bay of the building that extends up at least two stories or in a recessed bay with a change in material.
(5)
Other methods. Other structural methods of substantially differentiating the entrance from the facade similar in scope to the examples of this section, not including paint, trim, or materials.
Figure 660(17) Example of Defined Principal Entryways | |
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C.
Building articulation. See Figure 660(18) for examples of building facade variety. Buildings 120 feet in length or greater, as measured along any street frontage, must fulfill the following requirements:
(1)
Building variety. Each street and other front facade shall be varied in segments less than or equal to 60 feet. Each facade segment must vary by at least two of the following:
(a)
The type of dominant facade material or by color, scale, or orientation of that material;
(b)
The proportion of recesses and projections within the build-to zone;
(c)
The location of the entrance and window placement, unless storefronts are utilized;
(d)
Roof type, plane, or material, unless otherwise stated in the building requirements;
(e)
Building height.
(2)
Articulation of stories. Stories shall be articulated on street and other front facades per the following:
(a)
Fenestration. Fenestration or window placement on street facades shall be organized by stories per the building type facade transparency regulations.
(b)
Shadow lines. Horizontal shadow lines and lintels over openings may be used to delineate stories with minimum shadow lines required per building type.
(c)
Taller spaces. Mezzanines and other spaces exceeding the allowable floor to floor heights of the building type shall be articulated as multiple stories on the street facade per § 660-131N(5).
Figure 660(18) Examples of Building Articulation |
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D.
Parking structure facades. Parking structure facades visible from any A or B street or other front shall meet the following standards. See Figure 660(16) for an illustration of a parking structure street facade.
(1)
Materials. Major and minor material requirements, per § 660-64, must be met on all street and other front facades. An additional permitted minor material is stained, finished concrete.
(2)
Ramps and slopes. Ramps and slopes may not be located on any A or B street facade or other front facade.
(3)
Screening of vehicles. Visibility of parked motor vehicles must be screened from the street by walls, screens, or vegetation with a minimum opacity of 50%.
(4)
Blank wall limitations. No rectangular area greater than 30% of any story's facade, as measured from floor to floor, and no horizontal segment of a story's facade greater than 15 feet in width may be solid wall without an opening.
(5)
Vertical divisions. Vertical divisions extending to the full height of the structure are required every 30 feet to deemphasize the horizontal decks. Divisions must be a minimum of two feet in width with a minimum projection of 1.5 inches.
(6)
Entry tower. A pedestrian entrance directly into the parking structure from the street is required to be separate from the vehicular entrance and directly accessed from the sidewalk. The pedestrian entrance must meet the principal entryway regulations in § 660-65B. Stairwells must be located inside a tower per § 660-62 with windows at a transparency rate of 65%.
(7)
Roof type. The top story of the parking structure must include a parapet or other roof type along all street or other front facades. Refer to roof types defined in § 660-61.
(8)
Vehicular entrances. Driveways must be no wider than 22 feet and the entrance and exit should be split by a median. Access must be located on a side street, unless the lot does not abut a side street. No more than two access points shall be located on any one street, totaling no more than 24 feet of drives crossing any street sidewalk. See § 660-70 for sight triangle regulations.
(9)
Openings. All openings shall be treated in a manner that creates the appearance of an active use area, and conceals all internal elements such as plumbing, pipes, fans, ducts, and lighting.
Figure 660(16) Example of a Parking Structure |
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§ 660-66 Mechanical equipment.
A.
Purpose. Mechanical equipment is necessary for any building design, but can have a negative visual impact and detract from the quality of the design of a building. The purpose of the regulations in this § 660-66 is to ensure that the visual impact of mechanical equipment and appurtenances is minimized to the maximum extent feasible.
B.
"Mechanical equipment" defined. When the following regulations refer to "mechanical equipment," any mechanical equipment or utility appurtenance, such as but not limited to HVAC systems, boilers, condensers, transformers, generators, vents, meters, ducts, are being referenced, except wind and solar energy systems, subject to §§ 660-55 and 660-56 in accessory structure regulations.
C.
Existing buildings. Buildings that exist prior to the effective date of these regulations in § 660-1C and are unable to meet the standards of this section are exempt from these regulations.
D.
Mechanical equipment on roofs. Any exterior rooftop mechanical equipment must be located consistent with one of the following methods.
(1)
Incorporate equipment into the roof design consistent with the applicable standards of roof types in § 660-61.
(2)
Set the equipment back a minimum of 15 feet from any street or public way facade.
(3)
To the extent practicable, all rooftop mechanical must be painted to blend with the structural roof and limit its visibility.
E.
Mechanical equipment on ground. Mechanical equipment, such as electrical transformers and air conditioners, located on the ground, decks, or horizontal surfaces other than the roof must be located consistent with the following standards:
(1)
No encroachment. Mechanical equipment shall not extend into any right-of-way or any easement, unless otherwise approved by the City.
(2)
Allowed yard location. See § 660-156 for definition of yards.
(a)
Front street yard. Mechanical equipment and appurtenances shall not be located in the front street yard with the exception of public utilities.
(b)
Side street yard. Mechanical equipment may be located in the side street yard only when the equipment cannot function or be located in a rear or side yard, and provided the equipment is screened from the street per § 660-66E(3).
(c)
Rear and side yard. Mechanical equipment may be located in any rear or side yard.
(3)
Screening from streets, open or civic spaces. All equipment must be screened from view from any streets, open space, or civic space per one of the following:
(a)
Opaque walls for screening must be consistent with the building design, colors, and materials, faced with an allowed major facade material.
(b)
Combination of fencing and landscaping may be used, provided the fencing is taller than the equipment and does not exceed allowed heights per § 660-45. Landscaping must combine with the fencing to create an opaque screen.
(c)
Where landscaping only is employed, the following must be met:
[1]
The utility must be located in a larger landscape area and the landscape screen designed as part of the larger planting bed design.
[2]
Evergreen shrubs must fully screen the equipment within one year of installation.
[3]
The Zoning Officer may require additional landscape materials to fully screen the equipment.
§ 660-67 Downtown high-rise stories.
A.
Applicability. The standards in this section apply to any building in a Downtown Zone (-D) that utilizes additional height allowed by floor-area-ratio (FAR) established in the building type regulations. See § 660-20G for storefront building regulations and § 660-21G for general building regulations. All other building type and design regulations apply.
B.
Intent: base, middle, cap. These requirements refer to building design by base, middle, and cap as defined in the following intent statements, with the goal of differentiating each building segment visually. See Figure 660(19).
(1)
Base. The base of a building is intended to establish an active ground story along the street and provide a public building face (such as a lobby, retail/service space, or restaurant) for all of the activities that occur within a building.
(2)
Middle. The middle section of the building (high-rise stories) is intended to be oriented to maximize light reaching the front street, to avoid the "walling off" of the front street along the entire length, and allow views to the sky from the street.
(3)
Cap. The cap of the high-rise includes the top high-rise story or stories and the roof of the building, and is intended to be designed consciously to contribute to the City skyline per the requirements of this § 660-67.
Figure 660(19) High-Rise Building: Base, Middle, Cap |
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C.
Building base requirements. The base requirements for the building shall follow the requirements of the building type, whether a storefront or a general building, with the following additional requirements. See Figure 660(20).
(1)
Build-to zone. The building base facade must meet the build-to zone regulations of the building type.
(2)
Base height. The base shall be a minimum of three stories. The base height should be determined based on the average base height or average height of existing buildings within the block and adjacent blocks across the street.
Figure 660(20) Building Massing in Build-To Zone |
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D.
Building middle requirements. The middle of the building should meet any applicable regulations of the building type and the following:
(1)
Orientation. To the maximum extent practicable, the building middle should be oriented with the shortest side parallel to a front street to avoid a continuous high-rise wall along the A street frontage above the building base. See Figure 660(21).
(2)
Narrowest widths. High-rise buildings should utilize the narrowest widths economically feasible, to limit the mass of and shadows cast by the high-rise.
(3)
Step-back. The facade of the middle of the building must step back away from any A or B street and required build-to zone above the minimum base height as determined per § 660-67C. See Figure 660(20). If step-backs are not practicable, the building mass should be configured to allow extended views of the sky from the street and light and air to penetrate to the street.
(4)
Peaks and valleys in the skyline. Variation of the skyline of the downtown area is desirable and should be considered. For all high-rise buildings, the following applies:
(a)
An illustration of the skyline, incorporating the subject building, must be submitted with the permit application.
(b)
The surrounding building context shall be considered when determining the maximum building height.
(5)
Multiple high-rise sections. When more than one high-rise is utilized for a development, the heights of the multiple building sections above the base should be varied to encourage development of an interesting skyline.
Figure 660(21) High-Rise Building Orientation |
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E.
Building cap requirements. The following applies to the cap of the high-rise building:
(1)
The high-rise portions of the building are exempt from the building type's roof type requirement.
(2)
Terraces, green roofs, gardens, and other outdoor facilities are encouraged to occur on rooftops of the base portion of the buildings.
(3)
The surrounding building context must be considered when determining the building cap. Variation is preferred.
(4)
The massing and/or material expression of the cap should define it distinctly from the middle of the building, including such elements as angles, larger openings, stepping, or distinctive windows.
(a)
The cap design should consider the profile building in the top stories to increase visibility within the skyline.
(b)
The cap should be scaled to be apparent from longer distances.
