A.

Site design.

1.

Community spaces: Large retail developments shall provide outdoor spaces and amenities to link structures with the remainder of the community. Passenger drop-off/pick-up points shall be integrated with traffic patterns on the site. Special design features shall enhance the building's function as a center of community activity.

(a)

Each retail development shall provide at least two of the following design features: patio/seating area, pedestrian plaza with benches, window shopping walkway, outdoor playground area, kiosk area, water feature, clock tower, or other focal feature approved by the board.

(b)

Each of these features shall be constructed of materials that match the principal structure and linked by sidewalks to the principal structure.

2.

Landscaping: all buildings with more than 50,000 square feet of floor area shall provide the following landscaping:

(a)

Peripheral: A 30-foot wide landscaped buffer shall be provided along all property lines abutting roadways, with breaks for approved access points. A minimum1 15-footwide landscape buffer shall be planted along all other property lines. No parking is permitted within these required landscape areas. The minimum setback for any building facade shall be 50 feet from the nearest property line. Where the facade faces adjacent residentially zoned property, a minimum six feet tall earthen berm shall be provided, which shall be planted with evergreen trees planted at intervals of not more than 20 feet on center.

(b)

Parking lot: A minimum of five percent of the area within the boundaries of the parking lot shall be landscaped. Landscaped areas shall be protected by raised curbs or fixed wheel stops approved by the county engineer, and shall be a minimum of 150 square feet in size. No parking space shall be located more than 100 feet from a tree. Shrubs shall be planted at a ratio of four for every required tree.

3.

Pedestrian circulation: Pedestrian accessibility opens auto-oriented developments to nearby neighborhoods, thereby reducing traffic impacts and enabling the development to project a friendlier, more inviting image. This section sets forth standards for public sidewalks and internal pedestrian circulation systems that will provide user-friendly pedestrian access as well as pedestrian safety, shelter, and convenience. All buildings with more than 50,000 square feet of floor area shall provide the following:

(a)

Sidewalks at least six feet in width shall be provided along all sides of the lot that abut a public street.

(b)

Continuous internal pedestrian walkways, no less than six feet in width, shall be provided from the public sidewalk or right-of-way to the principal customer entrance of all principal buildings on the site. At a minimum, walkways shall connect focal points of pedestrian activity such as, but not limited to, transit stops, street crossings, building and store entry points, and shall feature adjoining landscaped areas that includes trees, shrubs, benches, flower beds, groundcovers, or other such materials for no less than 50 percent of its length.

(c)

Sidewalks, no less than six feet in width, shall be provided along the full length of the building along any facade featuring a customer entrance, and along any facade abutting public parking areas. Such sidewalks shall be located at least six feet from the facade of the building to provide planting beds for foundation landscaping, except where features such as arcades or entryways are part of the facade.

(d)

Internal pedestrian walkways provided in conformance with part b above shall provide weather protection features such as awnings or arcades within ten feet of all customer entrances.

(e)

All internal pedestrian walkways shall be distinguished from driving surfaces through the use of durable, low maintenance surface materials such as pavers, bricks, or scored concrete to enhance pedestrian safety and comfort, as wellas the attractiveness of the walkways.

4.

Parking lot orientation. For any retail building, no more than 80 percent of the off-street parking area for the entire property shall be located between the principal building(s) and the transportation corridor. [Amended Ord. 10/04/05]

5.

Outdoor storage, trash collection and loading areas. The following standards are intended to reduce the impacts of outdoor storage, loading and operations areas on adjacent land uses. While these uses often are necessary, they should be attractively screened from adjacent parcels and streets. All buildings with more than 50,000 square feet of floor area shall comply with the following:

(a)

Areas for truck parking and loading shall be screened by a combination of structures and evergreen landscaping to minimize visibility from adjacent streets and property lines.

(b)

No areas for outdoor storage, trash collection or compaction, loading, or other such uses shall be located within 30 feet of any internal pedestrian way.

(c)

Outdoor storage, HVAC equipment, trash collection, trash compaction, and other service functions shall be incorporated into the overall design of the building and the landscaping plan. Views of these areas shall be screened from visibility from all property lines and separated from pedestrian areas.

(d)

Screening structures shall be made of the same materials as the principal structure.

(e)

Non-enclosed areas for the storage and sale of seasonal inventory shall be permanently defined and screened with walls and/or fences. Materials, colors, and design of screening walls and/or fences shall conform to those used as in the principal structure. If such areas are to be covered, then the covering shall conform to the exposed roofing colors on the building.

(f)

For structures on parcels abutting a residential district, no delivery, loading, trash removal or compaction, or other such operations shall be permitted between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. unless the applicant submits evidence that sound barriers between all areas for such operations effectively reduce noise emissions to a level of 45 dB or less, as measured at the lot line of any adjoining residential property.

B.

Building design.

1.

Facades and exterior walls. The following standards, which apply to all building facades which are visible from adjoining public streets or properties, are intended to reduce the massive scale of large buildings which, without application of these standards, be incompatible with County's desired character.

(a)

Facades greater than 150 feet in length, measured horizontally, shall incorporate wall plane projections or recesses having a depth of at least three percent of the length of the facade and extending at least 20 percent of the length of the facade. No uninterrupted length of any facade shall exceed 150 horizontal feet.

(b)

Ground floor facades of retail businesses that face public streets shall have arcades, display windows, entry areas, awnings, or other such features along no less than 60 percent of their horizontal length, excepting side and rear facades that are landscaped with a type B bufferyard.

2.

Detail features. Buildings should have architectural features and patterns that provide visual interest, at the scale of the pedestrian, reduce massive aesthetic effects, and reflect the local character. The following elements should be integral parts of the building fabric, and not superficially applied trim or graphics, or paint: color changes, material changes, texture changes and relief feature (such as offsets, projections and reveals).

3.

Roofs. The following standards are intended to foster variations in roof lines to add interest to, and reduce the massive scale of, large buildings. Roof features should complement the character of adjoining development. Roofs shall have no less than two of the following features:

(a)

Parapets concealing flat roofs and rooftop equipment, such as HVAC units from public view. The average height of such parapets shall not exceed 15 percent of the height of the supporting walland such parapets shall not at any point exceed one-third of the height of the supporting wall. Such parapets shall feature three dimensional cornice treatment and shall not be of a constant height for a distance of greater than 150 feet.

(b)

Overhanging eaves, extending no less than three feet past the supporting walls, for no less than 30 percent of the building perimeter.

(c)

Sloping roofs that do not exceed the average height of the supporting walls, with an average slope greater than or equal to one foot of vertical rise for every three feet of horizontal run and less than or equal to one foot of vertical rise for every one foot of horizontal run.

(d)

Three or more roof slope planes.

4.

Materials and colors. The following standards are intended to ensure that large structures are consistent with the community's aesthetic values:

(a)

Predominant exterior buildings materials shall be high quality materials. These include, without limitation: brick, wood, rock, or tinted and textured concrete masonry units.

(b)

Building trim and accent areas may feature brighter colors, including primary colors, but these colors may not comprise more than 30 percent of any building facade. [Amended Ord. 10/04/05]

(c)

Not more than 20 percent of exterior building materials shall include the following: pre-fabricated steel panels. [Amended Ord. 10/04/05]

5.

Entryways. Large retail buildings should feature multiple entrances. Multiple building entrances reduce walking distances from cars, facilitate pedestrian and bicycle access from public sidewalks, and provide convenience where certain entrances offer access to individual stores, or identified departments of a store. Multiple entrances also mitigate the effect of the unbroken walls and neglected areas that often characterize building facades that face bordering land uses.

(a)

All sides of a principal building that directly face an abutting public street shall feature at least one customer entrance. Where a principal building directly faces more than two abutting public streets, this requirement shall apply only to two sides of the building, including the side of the building facing the transportation corridor, and another side of the building facing another street.

(b)

Entryway design elements and variations should give orientation and aesthetically pleasing character to the building. The following standards identify desirable entryway design features. Each principal building on a site shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances featuring no less than three of the following:

• Canopies or porticos

• Overhangs

• Recesses/projections

• Arcades

• Raised corniced parapets over the door

• Peaked roof forms

• Arches

• Outdoor patios

• Display windows

• Architectural details such as tile work and moldings which are integrated into the building structure and design

• Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscaped areas and/or places for sitting.

6.

Mechanical appurtenances. External mechanical appurtenances such as heating and air conditioning equipment shall be screened and finished to match the colors of adjacent building materials.

ARTICLE VII. USE LIMITATIONS

Land within the transportation corridor may be used as permitted in the underlying zoning district in which the land is located, subject to the conditions of this ordinance and the following: