A.

APPLICABILITY MATRIX. Table 106.75-1 shall establish the applicability of the different standards in this section based on the type of development.

A.

PURPOSE AND INTENT. The intent of this section is to establish design and development standards that foster attractive and enduring non-residential development. The standards are intended to:

(1)

Protect and enhance the character and quality of retail, office, institutional and industrial areas in Crowley;

(2)

Protect and enhance the long-term market value of property within Crowley;

(3)

Enhance the compatibility between residential neighborhoods and adjacent commercial uses;

(4)

Mitigate negative visual impacts arising from the scale, bulk, and mass of large commercial and industrial buildings and centers;

(5)

Promote building design and construction practices that are enduring and adaptable to multiple uses for extended building lifecycles;

(6)

Establish a sense of place for the commercial areas in Crowley; and

(7)

Balance the community's economic and aesthetic concerns.

B.

APPLICABILITY. Table 106.75-1 shall establish the applicability of this section to new development and redevelopment. These non-residential design standards shall apply to all new non-residential buildings and building expansions as established in Table 106.75-1 in all zoning districts except:

(1)

Downtown District (standards in Article 4 shall apply)

(2)

Planned Development Districts and Mixed-Use Districts that have alternative building design standards adopted as part of an approved Ordinances.

C.

COMMERCIAL BUILDING AND SITE DESIGN STANDARDS. This section shall apply to all development in the following districts: OC Office Commercial, GC General Commercial, I Industrial, and PD Districts (unless exempt per 106.76.B.(2) above). Development in the CP Civic Public District shall also meet the standards in this section to the extent feasible and alternative standards may be proposed to meet the specific needs of the specific civic or public building or site.

(1)

Cross access or shared access easements to adjoining sites (developed and undeveloped) shall be required unless topography makes the connection unfeasible.

(2)

Building Entry Design:

a.

The primary building entrance shall be readily apparent as a prominent architectural component from the street, thus creating a focal point. However, non-residential buildings with multiple tenants on the ground floor or multiple primary entrances shall have all entrances treated architecturally.

b.

Primary building entrances are to be defined and articulated with architectural elements such as pediments, columns, porticos, porches, and overhangs.

(3)

Building Design

a.

Purpose: Building design directly influences the character and function of non-residential development. Generally, building design should focus on creating an attractive and coherent design with buildings that are adaptable for multiple uses over time based on changing market conditions.

b.

Building Articulation: Buildings having primary facades wider than 60 feet shall be designed to reduce apparent mass by dividing the primary facade into a series of smaller components. No individual component shall have a length of more than 60 feet. Components shall be distinguished from one another through three (3) or more of the following:

1.

Variations in roof form or variations in roof height or parapet of two feet or more;

2.

Changes in wall plane of a minimum ten percent in width and a minimum 24 inches depth;

3.

Variations in the arrangement and recessing of doors and windows;

4.

Recognizable changes in texture or material; or

5.

Decorative columns.

c.

Windows and Transparency:

1.

At ground level, buildings shall have a high level of transparency. All facades and walls that face any street, pedestrian walkways, and plazas (except rear or side service facades) must have windows for at least 30 percent of the façade between 2 feet and 7 feet above the grade.

2.

Where the internal arrangement of a building makes it impossible to provide transparency along a portion of a wall as determined by the Administrator, a combination of building articulation, changing color or texture to imitate the rhythm of windows or storefront displays may substitute for the required transparency along these facades, except when fronting a plaza or sidewalk café areas.

d.

Roof Forms: Variations in rooflines shall be used to add interest and reduce the scale of large buildings. Roof features shall correspond to and denote building elements and functions such as entrances, arcades, canopies, etc. They shall also complement the character of the overall development.

1.

Flat Roofs: Unless the Administrator determines otherwise, flat roofs shall include parapets that adhere to articulation requirements for the main face of the structure in Section 106.76.C.(3).b. The average height of the parapet shall not exceed 15 percent of the height of the supporting wall, unless rooftop equipment cannot be sufficiently screened. Parapets shall look complete from when viewed from the primary street. Parapets shall be constructed of the same material as the primary façade.

2.

Sloped Roofs: Pitched roofs shall have a minimum pitch of 4:12 for all structures. This requirement excludes roofs for entries and dormers.

e.

Façade Color: Facade colors shall be low reflectance, subtle, neutral, or earth tone colors. The use of metallic colors, black, or fluorescent colors may only be allowed with an Administrative Modification.

(4)

Building Lighting: All outdoor lighting (building and site) shall comply with the International Dark Sky Association (IDA)'s model ordinance (dated 2011), including the use of cutoff fixtures, utilizing optical systems and shielding to prevent light from being directed above 90 degrees from horizontal.

(5)

Design of Auto-Oriented Elements: All drive through and drive-up facilities in the applicable districts shall meet the standards in Article 7: Parking and Transportation.

D.

INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICE BUILDING AND SITE STANDARDS. This section shall apply to all development in the I Industrial and OC Office Commercial Districts.

(1)

Building Entry Design:

a.

The primary building entrance shall be readily apparent as a prominent architectural component from the Primary Street, thus creating a focal point.

b.

Design of primary building entries shall employ architectural elements such as canopies, recessed lobbies, contrasting materials, and colors. Main office, lobby, and reception functions within industrial buildings should face the Primary Street.

c.

Service entries shall be placed to the side or rear of the building and away from the Primary Street frontage.

(2)

Building Design:

a.

Purpose: Building design directly influences the character and function of a business or industrial park. Generally, building design should focus on creating an attractive and coherent design with buildings in a "campus" like setting.

b.

Primary Building Facades: Service, loading, unloading, and truck bay functions shall not be located along the primary building facades or primary street frontages. Along all other facades, they shall be screened from view of any street by using wing walls or evergreen trees or combination of the two that is at least as high as the service bays being screened.

c.

Building Articulation: Buildings having facades fronting FM 1187 or Crowley Road (FM 731) and primary facades wider than 90 feet shall be designed to reduce apparent mass by dividing the primary facade into a series of smaller components. No individual component shall have a length of more than 90 feet. Components shall be distinguished from one another through at least three (3) or more of the following:

1.

Variations in roof form or variations in roof height or parapet of two feet or more

2.

Use of canopies or awnings to add shade and define building entrances

3.

Changes in wall plane of a minimum ten percent in width and a minimum 24 inches depth

4.

Variations in the arrangement and recessing of doors and windows

5.

Recognizable changes in texture or cladding material

6.

Use of architectural patterns or panels

7.

Use of columns or pilasters

d.

Windows and Transparency:

1.

At ground level, at least one street facing or the primary facade of buildings, shall have windows for at least 20 percent of the façade between 2 feet and 7 feet above the grade.

2.

Where the internal arrangement of a building makes it impossible to provide transparency along a portion of a wall as determined by the Administrator, a combination of building articulation, changing color or texture to imitate the rhythm of windows may substitute for the required transparency along these facades.

e.

Roof Forms: Variations in rooflines shall be used to add interest and reduce the scale of large buildings. Roof features shall correspond to and denote building elements and functions such as entrances, tower elements, arcades, canopies, etc. They shall also complement the character of the overall development.

1.

Flat Roofs: Generally, flat roofs shall include parapets that adhere to articulation requirements for the main face of the structure, unless the Administrator approves otherwise. The average height of the parapet shall not exceed 15 percent of the height of the supporting wall, unless rooftop equipment cannot be sufficiently screened. Parapets shall look complete from when viewed from the primary street frontage. Parapets shall be constructed of the same material as the primary façade.

2.

Sloped Roofs: Pitched roofs, if used, shall have a minimum pitch of 2:12 for all structures. This requirement excludes roofs for entries and dormers. Any overhanging eaves shall extend at least two feet past the supporting walls.

(3)

Building Materials:

a.

Purpose and Applicability: This section shall apply to development in the I Industrial District only. Material and color selection for industrial buildings should reinforce overall massing and architectural concepts while portraying a sense of quality and permanence.

b.

Standards:

1.

All primary street facing facades shall be finished with 60 percent of any approved material.

2.

All other street facing or side facades shall be finished with 30 percent of any approved materials.

3.

All non-street facing rear facades shall have no minimum requirement for approved materials.

4.

The approved material coverage calculation shall not include doors, windows, chimneys, dormers, window boxes, or bay windows that do not extend to the foundation.

5.

Remainder areas may be finished with approved materials, accent materials or other materials not on the list but shall not include prohibited materials.

c.

Approved building materials for exterior walls shall include:

1.

Native stone, brick, or tile laid up unit by unit and set in mortar

2.

Stucco (exterior portland cement plaster with three coats over metal lath or wire fabric lath)

3.

Cultured stone or cast stone

4.

Architecturally finished block (i.e. burnished block, split faced concrete masonry units, or architecturally finished tilt wall that is made to look like masonry)

5.

Architecturally finished pre-cast wall that is profiled, sculptured, or provides three-dimensional interest similar to masonry

d.

Prohibited Materials shall include:

1.

Wood or plastic (vinyl) siding

2.

Exposed aggregate

e.

Accent Materials shall include:

1.

Corrugated metal or other metal siding or cladding (including architectural metal) shall only be permitted as an accent material

2.

EIFS may be permitted on rear and/or non-street fronting facades above 10' in height only without limitation.

f.

Facade Color: Facade colors shall be low reflectance, subtle, neutral, or earth tone colors. The use of metallic colors, black, or fluorescent colors may only be allowed with an Administrative Modification.

(4)

Building Lighting: All outdoor lighting (building and site) shall comply with the International Dark Sky Association (IDA)'s model ordinance (dated 2011), including the use of cutoff fixtures, utilizing optical systems and shielding to prevent light from being directed above 90 degrees from horizontal.

(5)

Design of Auto-Oriented Elements: Any drive through and drive-up facilities in the OC or I Districts shall meet the standards in Article 7: Parking and Transportation.

A.

PURPOSE. The standards of this section are intended to:

(1)

Promote high-quality residential developments that are distinctive, have character, and relate and connect to established neighborhoods;

(2)

Provide variety and visual interest in the exterior design of residential buildings;

(3)

Create new neighborhoods that age gracefully and add long term value to the city; and

(4)

Protect property values.

B.

SINGLE-FAMILY AND DUPLEX RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DESIGN STANDARDS

(1)

Applicability: This section shall apply to all new single-family and duplex residential development in all zoning districts with the following exceptions:

a.

Downtown District (standards in Article 4: Special District Standards shall apply)

b.

Planned Development Districts or Mixed-Use Districts that have specific residential design standards as part of the approving ordinances.

(2)

Building Design:

a.

The residential structure must incorporate at least three (3) of the following façade design elements:

1.

Bay or box windows;

2.

Porches, stoops or covered entries;

3.

Dormers;

4.

Structural offsets a minimum of four feet from the principal plane of the front facade;

5.

Accent materials with banding highlights;

6.

Ornamental or decorative window grills and shutters;

7.

An increase in roof pitch to a minimum of 8/12 on the main structure; or

8.

Other comparable features as approved by the Administrator.

b.

The residential structure must also comply with the following minimum roof pitches:

1.

6/12 on the main structure;

2.

4/12 on secondary roofs such as porches, sheds, bay windows, etc., but 2/12 is allowed where the secondary roof is metal

(3)

Garage Design:

a.

Where alleys are present, garages shall be accessed from the alley to the extent possible.

b.

For front-entry garages:

1.

The garage shall be setback a minimum of ten (10) feet from the front façade of the residence; and

2.

The total width of the garage doors shall not occupy more than 50 percent of the width of the ground floor façade.

(4)

Lot Landscaping:

a.

Front yard:

1.

Front yard landscaping shall be per Article 8. Landscaping, Screening and Open Space

2.

No more than 30% of the front yard shall be dedicated to driveways or parking or other impervious areas.

b.

Rear yard:

1.

No more than 50% of the rear yard shall be impervious. All decks, swimming pools, pavers, shade structures, etc., shall be considered as impervious cover under this standard.

2.

All pervious areas shall be landscaped through the use of live landscaping such as ground cover, sod, shrubs, grasses, or trees. Xeriscaping may also be used in pervious areas for water conservation.

C.

THREE-FAMILY TO MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL BUILDING DESIGN BUILDING STANDARDS

(1)

Applicability: This section shall apply to all new three-family to multi-family residential buildings in all zoning districts with the following exceptions:

a.

Downtown District (standards in Article 4: Special District Standards shall apply)

b.

Planned Development Districts or Mixed-Use Districts that have specific residential design standards as part of the approving ordinances.

(2)

Site Design and Building Orientation

a.

Site Access:

1.

New multi-family developments with 100 or more units shall have primary access from an arterial street and shall comply with the following standards:

i.

A minimum of one secondary point of vehicular ingress/egress into a multi- family development may be required for public safety access as determined by the Fire Department.

ii.

No primary vehicular access from a multi-family development shall be provided on a local street serving existing single-family detached development; however, secondary vehicular access may be provided onto local streets.

iii.

Pedestrian connectivity shall be required to all perimeter streets.

2.

New multi-family development with fewer than 100 units may take primary vehicular access from a collector street, if approved by the Fire Department and the City Engineer. Pedestrian connectivity shall still be required from all perimeter streets.

b.

Entry feature design: The following landscaping standards shall apply to the primary entrance:

1.

The main site entry for multi-family developments shall be treated with special landscape elements that will provide an individual identity to the project.

2.

Site entry and access drives for multi-family development shall include at least one (1) of the following:

i.

a minimum 5-foot wide and 50-foot long landscaped median

ii.

textured paving, interlocking pavers, or other decorative pavement

iii.

gateway elements such as lighting, bollards, entry fences, or monuments

iv.

a roundabout containing landscaping, water feature, or artwork

v.

other improvements as approved by the Administrator

c.

Building Orientation and Common Open Space

1.

Building Orientation:

i.

At least one façade (primary façade) of each building in a multi-family development must be oriented towards either the perimeter streets, or an internal drive (i.e. private street) or open space amenity (excludes required yards), rather than orientation only to internal parking lots.

ii.

Garage entries, carports, parking areas, and parking structures shall be internalized in building groupings or oriented away from the street frontages.

2.

Common Open Space: Shall be a minimum of 5 percent of the gross site area and shall meet standards in Article 8: Landscaping, Screening and Open Space Standards of this Chapter.

(3)

Site Amenities Required: In conjunction with the common open space requirements, all multifamily projects shall provide two or more site amenities listed below for the residents. Amenities shall be centrally located for a majority of the residents, and may be located within the common open space areas.

a.

Swimming pool

b.

Sports courts, such as tennis, basketball, or volleyball

c.

Natural open space area with accessible and connected benches

d.

Jogging trails

e.

Fountains, art, or sculpture

f.

Playgrounds

g.

Other comparable amenity as approved by the Administrator

(4)

Building Design:

a.

Four-sided architecture: All sides of a multi-family building shall display a comparable level of quality and architectural detailing as on the front elevation.

b.

Articulation:

1.

Maximum length of any multi-family residential building shall be 200 feet

2.

The elevations of all multi-family buildings shall be articulated through the incorporation of at least three (3) or more of the following:

i.

Balconies, a minimum of 25 square feet in area

ii.

Bay or box windows

iii.

Porches or covered entries

iv.

Awnings or canopies

v.

Structural offsets a minimum of four feet from the principal plane of the facade

vi.

Accent materials such as brick, stone, or stucco with banding highlights

vii.

Ornamental or decorative window grills and shutters

viii.

Vertical elements such as towers or building end-caps that demarcate building modules

ix.

Other comparable feature as approved by the Administrator

c.

Building Entrances: Building entries next to a public street, private drive, or parking area must provide an expression of human activity or use and shall be designed in relation to building size. Doors, windows, entrance ways, and other features such as corners, setbacks, and offsets can be used to create pedestrian scale.

d.

Windows:

1.

All walls and elevations on all floors of multi-family buildings must have windows, except when necessary to assure privacy for adjacent property owners as determined by the Administrator.

2.

Windows should be located to maximize the possibility of occupant surveillance of entryways and common areas.

e.

Roof Design:

1.

On buildings with pitched roofs, the minimum roof pitch is 6:12.

2.

On buildings where flat roofs are the predominant roof type, parapet walls must vary in height and/or shape once every 50 feet along a wall.

3.

Changing roof forms or towers, if used, shall be designed to correspond and denote building elements and functions such as entrances and stairwells.

(5)

Additional Requirements:

a.

Screening of mechanical equipment: All floor mounted mechanical, heating, and air conditioning units shall be screened by a three-foot masonry wall and/or live screening, and such screening shall be maintained in good condition.

b.

Setback for trash containers: Trash containers and storage areas for refuse or materials awaiting disposal or recycling shall be setback a minimum of 30 feet from any public right-of-way.

c.

Sound transmission class and impact insulation class ratings: All interior walls, partitions, exterior doors, and floor and ceiling assemblies shall have a field sound transmission class (FSTC) rating of 55 or higher. All windows shall have an FSTC rating of 40 or higher. All floor/ceiling assemblies between dwelling units or between a dwelling unit and a public or service area within a structure shall have a field-tested impact insulation class (IIC) of 50 or higher. Field testing after construction meeting ASTM standards to verify FSTC and IIC is required.

d.

Building Lighting: All outdoor lighting (building and site) shall comply with the International Dark Sky Association (IDA)'s model ordinance (dated 2011), including the use of cutoff fixtures, utilizing optical systems and shielding to prevent light from being directed above 90 degrees from horizontal.