Beaver City Zoning Code

1. Specified: The purpose of this overlay district is to provide a comprehensive set of development standards to be applied within the City's historic downtown area. These standards are provided for the continuance and enhancement of the historic downtown area as the functional and symbolic center of the City.
2. Objectives: This District is established in order to achieve the following objectives for the City's downtown:
3. Generate pride and confidence in the downtown area;
4. Create an attractive environment which is active throughout the day and evening;
5. Maintain a consistently high level of design quality;
6. Encourage pedestrian activity by creating a positive pedestrian experience;
7. Protect property values through quality control. 

HISTORY:

Ord. 41, 9-27-1994

1. Boundaries: The M-S (Main Street Overlay) District boundaries are described below:

3rd North to 3rd South (both sides of Main Street).

1. Standards Applicable: The standards contained in this Article apply to all uses and structures within this District and are in addition to those of the underlying land use district.

HISTORY:

Ord. 41, 9-27-1994

Uses permitted or conditionally permitted within the M-S Zoning District shall be the same as those for the underlying land use zoning districts, with the exception of second floor apartments, which are subject to the conditional use permit process.

HISTORY:

Ord. 41, 9-27-1994

1. Setbacks:
2. The first two (2) floors of any building on Main Street area must be built at the property line or provide a hardscaped plaza (for up to 50 percent of building face) between the building face and the front property line. If it can be demonstrated by the project proponent that the above configuration causes undue hardship due to "special circumstances", the City may require that only fifty percent (50%) of the building face be located on the front property line.
3. Pedestal buildings (buildings with the first floor set back from the property line while upper floors project out to the front property line) are prohibited.
4. Awnings, trellises and other accessory structures which are relatively open and do not restrict pedestrian or vehicular movement may project into the front right of way. Permanent building canopies are not included in this category.
5. Any building located at a corner intersection shall incorporate architectural features at the ground floor which emphasize the importance of pedestrian movement. These features may include building cut-offs, walk-through covered arcades, trellis structures and other elements which focus visual interest on the corners.
6. Where appropriate, new buildings must set back their corners at intersections to create pedestrian plazas as well as improve visual sight lines for vehicles. The corner setback minimum dimension shall be ten feet (10') from the corner.
7. Parking Orientation:
8. Parking lots and structures shall be located as much as possible to the rear of the building.
9. Locating parking lots between the front property line and the primary building storefront/entry is specifically prohibited.
10. Vehicular entry points to parking lots shall receive special paving accents where the drive crosses the public sidewalk.
11. Off-street parking facilities shall be designed so that a car within a facility will not have to enter a street to move from one location to any other location within the same parking facility.
12. Plaza Provisions: Front setbacks are allowed at the ground level if the area is designed as a pedestrian plaza. To qualify as a pedestrian plaza, the following minimums shall be incorporated into its design:
13. Minimum Size: Ten feet (10') deep and the width of the entire building storefront of six hundred fifty (650) square feet.
14. Paving: A minimum of eighty percent (80%) of the area shall be paved in a decorative paver of texture, colored concrete. Asphalt paving is prohibited as a plaza paving material.
15. Walls: An optional wall (maximum 30 inches high) which allows people to sit on it, may be located on the property line for restaurants or other uses utilizing the plaza for active retailing or more entertainment use. The wall may not extend for more than eighty percent (80%) of the building frontage.
16. Architectural Design (General):
17. Upper story street wall construction shall be a minimum of thirty five percent (35%) transparent.
18. Blank, solid-end walls or side walls visible from public view shall be avoided. If such walls are necessary for interior reasons, the structure wall shall receive some form of articulation of "add-on" elements such as awnings, cornice bands, etc.
19. The facades of adjacent structures shall be considered in the design of new projects to avoid clashes in architectural style and materials.
20. Acceptable Materials:
21. Building Walls:
22. Baked enamel metal panels.
23. Cast iron.
24. Ceramic tile.
25. Clapboard where appropriate (limited).
26. Clear glass, glass block.
27. Concrete or plaster (lightly troweled or sand finish).
28. Cut or carved stone.
29. New or used face-brick, terra-cotta.
30. Roofs:
31. Class A composition shingles.
32. Flat concrete or clay tiles.
33. Slate or slate-appearing substitutes.
34. Standing seam metal roofs (not batten).
35. Fences; Walls; Gates:
36. Concrete or plaster with smooth or lightly textured surface.
37. New or used face brick, cut or carved stone.
38. Split face block.
39. Wrought iron.
40.  Prohibited materials:
41.  Building Walls:
42. "Antiqued" or imitation old brick.
43. Astroturf.
44. Coarsely finished, "rough-swan" or rustic materials such as wood shakes, shingles, barn wood, board and batten and rough-swan.
45. Corrugated fiberglass.
46. Highly reflective glass.
47. Imitation masonry of any kind.
48. Imitation wood siding.
49. Materials with a glossy or reflective finish such as glass or polished marble should not exceed more than fifty percent (50%) as the dominant facade material.
50. Mottled or light-colored variegated brick, oversize brick.
51. Poorly-crafted or rustic woodworking and finished techniques.
52.  Roofs (Where Visible):
53. Brightly colored tile (orange, blue, etc.).
54. Crushed stone.
55. Exposed galvanized metal or plastic.
56. Fences; Walls; Gates:
57. Chainlink or "cyclone" fences.
58. Concrete block, whether colored or unfinished.
59. Rough-swan or natural wood.
60. Split rail.
61. Canopies And Awnings:
62. Canopies and awnings must respect the style and character of the structure on which they are located, particularly in the material and color.
63. The highest point of a canopy or its superstructure shall not be higher than the midpoint of the space between the second story window sills and the top of the first floor storefront window, awning, canopy or transom. The purpose of this requirement is to leave a comfortable space between the top of the canopy and the windows, trim and other architectural elements.
64. Canopies are encouraged to shelter all openings of each building from sun and rain at the bottom floor. Awnings are allowed on upper floors.
65. The minimum height of a canopy or a sign hung from the canopy shall be eight feet (8') from the lowest point to the sidewalk.
66. Doors And Windows:
67. The design and location of doors and windows must consider the architectural tradition of the historic downtown area. Use simple wood and glass doors and windows of traditional design. If aluminum is used, it shall be simple in design with dark anodized or baked enamel finish.
68. Only clear glass (88 percent light transmission) may be used on the first floor. Tinted glass allowing a minimum of fifty percent (50%) light transmission will be considered only for use in second floor windows and above and on an individual case basis. The use of reflective glass is prohibited.
69. Storefront windows must be as large as possible while maintaining height standards for bulkheads. Maximum bulkhead heights for new construction shall be forty two inches (42"). Minimum bulkhead heights shall be twenty four inches (24"). Existing buildings are encouraged to retrofit within height range.
70. Replacement windows must always fill the entire opening and duplicate the original patterns.
71. Security grilles, either fixed or sliding, are prohibited on the exterior of doors and windows on the fronts or sides of structures adjacent to streets. If such security systems are justified, they must be placed on the interior of the building.
72.  Lighting:
73. Lighting is an integral part of the downtown design concept and a major element in creating a unique, safe and exciting nighttime architectural concept. Fixtures, standards and all exposed accessories shall be harmonious with the building design, the lighting design and hardware of the public spaces, and the overall visual environment of the downtown. Obtrusive appearance of their setting should be avoided.
74. Nightlighting of buildings shall be selective and focused: overall ambient lighting of buildings is not desirable. Rather, lighting should highlight entrances, dramatize special architectural features, keynote repeated features and use the play of light and shadow to articulate the facade. The creative use of lighting to accomplish these ends is strongly encouraged. The lighting of signs themselves will play a significant role in the nighttime visual environment.
75. For safety, identification and convenience, entrances of building and parking areas shall be well illuminated.
76. All show window areas shall be adequately lighted employing concealed or baffled sources which will not create glare or uncomfortable visual conditions for pedestrians. 

HISTORY:

Ord. 41, 9-27-1994