Promote orderly and harmonious development of the city;

Enhance the desirability of residence or investment in the city;

Encourage the attainment of the most desirable use of land and improvements;

Enhance the desirability of living conditions upon the immediate site or in adjacent areas; and

Promote visual environments which are of high aesthetic quality and variety and which, at the same time, are considerate of each other.

Alterations, repairs or other changes to the interior of any existing building, structure or improvement;

Construction, erection, alteration, enlargement, remodeling, repair or other change to a new or an existing building, structure or improvement where the architectural plans were reviewed and approved by the planning commission or city council in connection with the approval of a discretionary entitlement for the property;

Minor alterations, enlargements, remodeling, repairs or other changes to an existing building, structure or improvement and minor new construction on partially developed properties within the D-MU downtown (B Street) mixed-use district, C-G general commercial zoning district, and C-O commercial office zoning district; provided, that the city planner shall review and approve or conditionally approve the plans for such work in accordance with this chapter prior to the issuance of any building permit; and provided further, that if the city planner determines the proposed work is substantial, the plans shall be referred to the planning commission for review under this chapter;

Alterations, enlargements, remodeling, repairs or other changes to an existing building, structure or improvement within all districts other than the D-MU downtown (B Street) mixed-use district, C-G general commercial zoning district, and C-O commercial office zoning district;

Infill development projects resulting in construction of individual new dwelling units on existing vacant lots.

Prior to filing an application for building permits, any person may file preliminary plans for review and comment by the city planner.

Any person proposing to construct, erect, alter, enlarge, remodel, repair or otherwise change a new or existing building, structure or improvement subject to design review under this chapter shall, prior to commencing any work, make application for design review with the application for a building permit.

After consideration of the application, the planning commission or the city planner shall approve, conditionally approve or disapprove the application and provide a written statement of findings to support the decision.

The planning commission may authorize the issuance of a building permit on a portion of the plans, pending review and approval of the remainder of the plans. In such cases, no final inspection shall be made until the planning commission approves or conditionally approves the remaining plans, and the project is completed in accordance with the approved plans.

All work performed under a building permit for which drawings and plans have been approved by the planning commission or the city planner shall conform to the drawings and plans.

Any modification or deviation from the drawings and plans approved under this chapter shall be approved by the planning commission, or the city planner if the original approval was made by the city planner or if the modification is minor, prior to implementing the modification or deviation.

Upon completion of the work, the site and landscaping shall be maintained in compliance with the approved plans.

Preserve and improve the character of existing residential neighborhoods and industrial and commercial areas;

Maintain design compatibility between existing and new developments including, but not limited to, style, scale and building materials;

Ensure variety in building and site design, emphasizing variations in setbacks, height, elevation and transition;

Emphasize the use of extensive landscaping, particularly large shade and street trees.

Existing trees and mature vegetation shall be retained to the maximum extent feasible.

Minimize the visual impact and presence of vehicles by generally siting parking areas to the rear or side of the property rather than along street frontages, and screening parking areas from view, both interior and exterior to the site.

Screen exterior trash and storage areas, service yards, loading docks and utility services from view of all nearby streets and adjacent structures in a manner that is compatible with building and site design.

All exterior lighting is to be functional, subtle and architecturally integrated with the site and building design. All exterior lighting is to be directed onto the site and away from adjacent properties.

A portion of the common open spaces in residential projects shall be designed so as to provide opportunity for active or passive recreation use, rather than used only in meeting setback requirements.

Where appropriate due to the nature of the project, provide bicycle parking with access from adjacent streets, driveways or paths.

A consistent color scheme, or a variety of compatible color schemes, should be used throughout a project. The scheme(s) should not contrast negatively with the character of the area.

The design of projects containing many buildings should provide variety in building size and massing. A mixture of single and multistory buildings should be used.

The building design shall exhibit variety by providing relief achieved through the use of functional architectural features. Variety is not achieved solely through the use of different contrasting exterior materials.

The architectural scheme (form, materials, color and detailing) of a building should be carried throughout all exterior elevations to achieve design harmony and continuity.

Coordinate roof shape, color and texture with the overall building design.

To the extent feasible, minimize roof penetration by grouping plumbing vents and ducts together.

Design and/or screen all rooftop mechanical and electrical equipment as an integral part of the building design. Ground- or interior-mounted mechanical equipment is strongly recommended.

Ducts, pipes, vents and similar items extending through the roof are to be painted the color closely resembling that of the roofing material.

Building entries should be protected and offer a sense of entry and focus.

Buildings in the B Street commercial district should be located adjacent to the street property line for the majority of the frontage.

Buildings with box-like appearances, lacking architectural variation on all elevations, will not be approved. Architectural variation can be achieved through a variety of design techniques, including but not limited to:

Retain and integrate mature trees and vegetation.

Landscaping should be planned as an integral part of the project, and not simply located in leftover space after parking and building siting.

Landscape planting shall include all of adjacent public right-of-way, including planter strips between sidewalks and public streets.

Street trees, as specified by the city of Biggs approved tree list, shall be installed.

Landscaping should be proportional to the building elevations.

Provide dense landscaping to screen unattractive views and features such as storage areas, trash enclosures, transformers, generators, and other elements which do not contribute to the enhancement of the surroundings.

Landscaping should not be utilized to screen from view an otherwise unacceptable building.

Provide landscaping within and adjacent to parking areas to screen vehicles from view. This landscaping is to include shade trees which will shade 50 percent of the parking area at maturity.

Landscape plantings should be those which grow well in Biggs' climate without extensive irrigation.

Provide deciduous trees along south and west building exposures.

Ground cover should be of live plant material. Gravel, colored rock, bark and similar materials are generally not desirable. Bark, when used, should be used as mulch. Brick, cobblestone, textured concrete and similar hard materials are acceptable when they relate positively to the architectural components and materials used on the building.

Ensure that landscaping permits adequate sight distance for motorists and pedestrians entering and exiting the site.

All landscape plantings shall be of sufficient size and intensity so that a mature appearance can be attained in a reasonable time period.

Provide a permanent irrigation system for all landscaped areas which front public roads, are accessible to the public or serve as internal open space within commercial or multifamily development projects.

Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, any design review approval of the planning commission shall expire and become void one year following the date on which final approval of the project is made by the city, unless, within that time, a building permit is issued and construction is diligently and continuously pursued. Upon written application filed prior to expiration of the approval, the planning commission may extend approval for a period not to exceed one additional year.

Any design review approval of the planning commission for a project consisting of two or more phases shall expire and become void four years following the date on which final approval of the project is made by the city, unless, within that time, building permits are issued and construction is diligently and continuously pursued for the total project.