The purpose of these requirements is to establish a common set of design standards for Downtown Boiling Springs that enhances the quality and character of the built environment and complements public investments in improvements to the downtown area.

The downtown overlay design standards shall apply to the areas beginning north on East College Ave. at Fairview Street extending Northwest ending at East Branch Ave. and northeast ending at Bethel Ave. and Northeast from West College Ave extending east until Greene Ave.

The following parcel numbers are included in the downtown design overlay district:

(Ord. No. 221004.02, § 1, 10-4-22)

These standards shall apply to all new construction and alteration of existing buildings and structures within the downtown design overlay district, unless exempted below.

When in compliance with all other town ordinances, the following are exempt from the standards of the downtown design overlay (DDO) district:

(A)

Interior and exterior alterations of buildings that were originally designed and built for single-family or two-family residential use and continue to be used for residential use;

(B)

Regular maintenance work on buildings which does not significantly alter the appearance or function of the building;

(C)

Interior remodeling work, which does not involve the alteration of any building component that does not alter any exterior building component; and

(D)

Temporary uses and structures.

(A)

Front build-to line. The front building wall of each new principal building within the DDO shall be constructed so that at least 80 percent of the width of the front building wall is set back no more than ten feet from the edge of the right-of-way. Existing buildings which are set back greater than six feet are permitted to retain their current setback, but in no case shall any existing building be altered in a manner that increases the setback beyond the minimum, or otherwise lessens compliance with this requirement.

(B)

Parking setback. No new vehicular parking areas may be established within 30 feet of the street right-of-way.

(C)

Storefront design. The following regulations shall apply to the construction and alteration of storefronts within the DDO:

(1)

A minimum of 60 percent of the front building wall between a height of two and eight feet shall consist of glazed area.

(2)

Glass used to meet the glazed area requirements of subsection (1) shall be transparent, and have a minimum visible light transmission ratio of 70 percent. Reflective glass and glass block are prohibited.

(3)

Bulkheads / knee walls shall be constructed along all storefront areas, excluding customer entrances. Bulkheads shall be a minimum of 24 inches and maximum of 36 inches in height.

(4)

Storefront doors shall have a minimum glazed area of 80 percent. Only wood or metal door frames are permitted.

(5)

Bars, gates, fencing, roll-up doors, and similar barriers are prohibited on the exterior of storefronts.

(D)

Exterior building materials. The following regulations shall govern the types of materials that are permitted for use on the exterior portions of buildings within the DDO:

(1)

The building materials standards shall apply to each exterior building wall which fronts on, or is otherwise visible from a public street, including side building walls which are set back from an interior lot line, but excluding rear building walls which do not face a customer parking area.

(2)

Brick or stone, including veneers or cast concrete panels having an appearance of one of these materials, shall cover a minimum of 80 percent of the exterior building walls, other than glazed surfaces, subject to the exterior building materials regulations.

(3)

The remaining 20 percent of each regulated building wall may be clad with exterior architectural grade metal, tile, stucco, integrally colored split faced block, or treated exterior architectural grade wood.

(4)

Horizontal lap siding of any type, standard concrete masonry units (CMUs), and corrugated metal are prohibited for use as exterior building materials on building walls subject to these regulations.

(E)

Exterior building material color. Where exterior building materials are painted or integrally colored other than their natural color, only those colors which comprise the primary color palette or accent color palette (see appendix C) may be utilized, subject to the following standard:

(1)

A single color from the primary color palette shall be utilized as the primary color for the building, unless the primary building material retains its natural color.

(2)

Up to 15 percent of the surface area of each building façade may be painted with up to three additional colors chosen from either the primary or accent color palettes.

(3)

The primary and accent colors shall be the same on each building wall.

(F)

Awnings and canopies. The following design regulations shall apply to awnings and canopies:

(1)

Awnings and canopies may only cover a single storefront, and in no case may they extend more than 80 percent of the width of the building wall to which they are attached, or 120 percent of the width of the windows and doors which they are shading, whichever is greater.

(2)

Awnings and canopies may be either a solid color, or have a two-color vertical stripe pattern.

(3)

The permitted colors for awnings and canopies are set forth in the DDO color palette, provided that awnings may not be the same color as the primary color of the building to which they are attached. Black, or a shade of gray may be utilized for awnings as well.

(4)

Buildings displaying more than one awning or canopy shall utilize the same materials and color (or color pattern) on all awnings.

(5)

Awnings installed to shade openings above the ground floor may only cover a single window, and shall not be wider than 120 percent of the width of the window opening.

(6)

Awnings and canopies shall be constructed of weather resistant materials, such as canvas or metal.

(7)

Awnings and canopies with a pitch of less than 3:12 are prohibited.

(8)

Awnings and canopies shall be designed to correspond to the shape of the opening that they are shading. Barrel shaped or curved awnings may only be installed over curved or arched openings in the building.

(G)

Roof form. The following shall apply to the construction of new buildings and alteration of existing buildings, except that nothing herein shall require the conversion of an existing peaked roof structure to a flat roof structure.

(1)

New buildings shall be constructed with a roof structure whose slope does not exceed a 3:12 pitch.

(2)

Each building wall facing a public street shall have a parapet wall with a minimum height of two feet and maximum height of five feet to screen the roof structure. This shall not apply to existing buildings with sloped roof structures.

(3)

Mansard roof forms are prohibited.

(4)

Existing buildings with sloped roof structures shall be permitted to repair and replace existing roof cladding materials with like materials.

(5)

Roof drainage systems(downspouts) shall be located at the rear of the building, where feasible. In no case shall a roof drainage system discharge directly onto a public sidewalk.

(H)

Signage. New freestanding signs are prohibited in the downtown design overlay. Existing freestanding signs shall be permitted to remain and may be maintained or replaced in their current location, provided that any replacement sign shall conform to the current sign standards for the district in which it is located. Once removed, pre-existing freestanding signs shall not be permitted to be replaced if replacement does not occur within 180 days of removal.

(I)

Mechanical and utility equipment. Mechanical and utility equipment, including water, sewer, electric, cable, telephone, gas, lines and their appurtenances, as well as any satellite or telecommunications antennae, HVAC component, or any other equipment that is required to be installed on the exterior of a building shall be installed on the rear of the building or the roof. Roof mounted equipment shall be screened with a parapet wall or a separate screen wall. Where the installation of such equipment is unavoidable on the front or side of a building, it shall be either concealed (by painting) or screened with architecturally integrated features that complement the structure with which they are associated.

(J)

Drive-through windows. No new drive-through windows or other automobile-oriented service facilities shall be permitted within the DDO.

(K)

Preservation and restoration of historic architectural features. Nothing contained in the DDO regulations shall prevent the restoration or preservation of historically integral architectural features on a building, provided that where a conflict arises, the historical accuracy of the proposed restoration or modification shall be supported by the opinion of an architect, an architectural historian, or the NC State Historic Preservation Office. Such verification and waiver of these regulations to permit historic restoration is subject to administrative approval and referral to the board of planning and adjustment for final disposition. Furthermore, the following actions are preferred, but not required, when a "modernized" or otherwise altered historic building is renovated, and where such actions are otherwise outside of the scope of the project, subject to the regulations contained herein:

(1)

False facades, including those covering upper stories should be removed and replaced with original cladding material.

(2)

Covered or bricked in windows and doors should be reopened.

(3)

Storefronts should be restored to their original form.

(4)

Historically inaccurate cladding materials should be removed and replaced.

(5)

Architectural detailing should be restored.

Prior to initiating any activity which is not specifically exempted by section 9.1.3 of the DDO regulations, the person proposing to undertake such activity shall submit an application for the review and approval of the proposed construction, modification, alteration, or other activity in accordance with section 2.10, Architectural Design Plans.