Fremont City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1151
Architectural Design Standards
1151.01 PURPOSE.
The purpose of architectural design standards is to ensure the exteriors of both new construction and new additions to existing buildings are well designed, detailed, and crafted to embody high standards of architectural design and to ensure the long-term viability of nonresidential structures in the City. This purpose shall be supported and accomplished through the use of the standards of this Chapter.
(Ord. 2020-4053. Passed 1-7-21.)
1151.02 APPLICABILITY.
The development standards of this Chapter shall apply to:
(a) Multi-family Development. All multi-family development that contain three or more dwelling units.
(b) Nonresidential Development. All nonresidential development in the R, B, R-O, and IC Districts.
(c) Exemption. These standards do not apply to the Downtown Historic District which is regulated by Chapter 1169: Historic Preservation Procedures and Standards.
(Ord. 2020-4053. Passed 1-7-21.)
1151.03 DESIGN REVIEW PROCEDURE.
(a) New Buildings. The architectural design of new nonresidential buildings shall be reviewed and approved in accordance with the requirements of this Chapter as part of the site plan review provisions of Chapter 1161.
(b) Expansions to Buildings. For buildings existing prior to the effective date of this Zoning Ordinance, major building improvements or expansions that require site plan approval may be permitted without a complete upgrade to meet the standards of this Chapter, provided there are reasonable improvements to the building in relation to the scale and construction cost of the building improvements or expansion. Major exterior renovations shall be consistent with the building design standards herein to the extent deemed practical.
(c) Exterior Changes to Existing Structures. Exterior changes in conformance with this Chapter may be made to existing structures. Changes which bring the structure closer to conformance are allowed. Proposed changes that are not in conformance or do not move closer to conformance, are prohibited. Exterior changes include but are not limited to building permits which result in facade alterations and/or in a change in facade material and color.
(Ord. 2020-4053. Passed 1-7-21.)
1151.04 GENERAL BUILDING STANDARDS.
(a) Building Orientation. Buildings shall be parallel to the street they front unless an alternate orientation is consistent with existing adjacent development.
(b) Primary Entrances. The primary entrances of buildings shall be oriented:
(1) Towards a street along the perimeter of the development; or
(2) Towards streets or roadways in the interior of the development if none of the building’s facades has frontage on a public street or as approved under the site plan review provisions of Chapter 1161.
(c) General Building Facade Requirements. The following shall apply to new nonresidential development regardless if it is infill development or a “Greenfield” development.
(1) Blank building walls facing streets are prohibited;
(2) Rear and side facades, if visible from public streets, shall have a similar architectural treatment as utilized on the primary or front facade; and
(3) These requirements shall not apply to those walls that are not visible from a street and only visible from an alley, or the rear yard of another nonresidential site.
(Ord. 2020-4053. Passed 1-7-21.)
1151.05 ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS FOR MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS.
Design of Front Facades.
(a) Front facades fifty (50) feet wide or wider shall incorporate wall offsets in the form of projections and/or recesses in the facade plan a minimum of every forty (40) feet of facade frontage.
Figure 1151.05-1 Facade offsets for Multi-family Structures
(b) Wall offsets shall have a minimum depth of two (2) feet.
(c) In addition to wall offsets, front facades shall provide a minimum of three (3) of the following design features for each facade that faces onto a public or private street:
(1) One or more dormer windows or cupolas;
(2) A recessed entrance;
(3) A covered porch;
(4) Pillars, posts, or pilasters;
(5) One or more bay windows with a minimum twelve (12) inch projection from the facade plane;
(6) Eaves with a minimum of six (6) inch projection from the facade plane; and/or
(7) A parapet wall with an articulated design, which entails design variation rather than a simple rectilinear form.
(Ord. 2020-4053. Passed 1-7-21.)
1151.06 ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS FOR NONRESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
(a) Architectural Character.
(1) Shopping Centers. The architectural design of buildings within a development, including freestanding outparcel structures, shall be organized around a consistent architectural theme in terms of the architectural style, materials, texture, color, and scale of buildings. Themed restaurants, retail chains, and other franchise-style structures should adjust some aspects of their standard architectural model to be consistent with the development’s architectural theme.
(2) Individual Business or Franchise. Building design that is based on a standardized formula associated with a business or franchise shall be modified if necessary, to meet the provisions of this Chapter.
(3) Multi-Sided Architecture. Although the front facade of a building is expected to be the focal point in terms of the level of architectural character and features, all sides of buildings shall incorporate architectural detailing on all facades that is consistent with the front facade.
(4) Infill Development. All new development or redevelopment shall be compatible with the established architectural character of the surrounding area utilizing a building design and style that is complementary to the surrounding uses and structures. Compatibility may be achieved through the repetition of similar rooflines, similar proportions in relation to height, size, scale and mass, similar door and window patterns, building materials and color, and building orientation.
Figure 1151.06-1 Illustration of Inappropriate (Top).
and Appropriate (Bottom) Infill Development
(b) Building Transparency for Retail and Commercial Development. Building transparency provided by storefront windows, entrances, and other openings is a key element to establish a pedestrian-oriented context, and should be provided by retail and commercial development in the following amounts:
(1) Strip shopping centers or other multi-tenant commercial buildings should dedicate a minimum of forty percent (40%) of the length of the front facade, of each tenant space, to windows or transparent entrances.
(2) Buildings or tenant spaces that occupy 10,000 square feet or more of gross floor area should dedicate a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the length of the front facade to windows or transparent entrances.
(3) Outparcel structures should dedicate a minimum of thirty-five (35%) of the length of the front facade to windows or transparent entrances.
(4) Offices and other noncommercial structures should dedicate a minimum of twenty-five percent (25%) of the length of the front facade to windows or transparent entrances.
(5) Clear glass shall be used for commercial storefront display windows and doors.
(c) Facade Massing.
(1) Offset Required. Front facades sixty (60) feet wide or wider shall incorporate wall offsets of at least two (2) feet in depth (projections or recesses) a minimum of every forty (40) feet. Each required offset shall have a minimum width of twenty (20) feet.
Figure 1151.06-2 Facade offsets for Nonresidential Structures
(2) Offset Alternatives. The following alternatives can be used in place of the required front facade offsets:
A. Pilasters having a minimum depth of one (1) foot, a minimum width of one (1) foot, and a minimum height of eighty percent (80%) of the facade’
B. Roofline changes when coupled with correspondingly aligned facade material changes.
Figure 1151.06-3 Illustration of How the Facade
Offset Provisions may be Applied
(d) Roof Line Changes.
(1) Roofline changes shall include changes in roof planes or changes in the top of a parapet wall, such as extending the top of pilasters above the top of the parapet wall.
(2) When roofline changes are included on a facade that incorporates wall offsets or material or color changes, roof line changes shall be vertically aligned with the corresponding wall offset or material or color changes.
Figure 1151.06-4 Illustration of Roof Line Changes
(e) Building Design and Mass. All architectural elevations of principal buildings shall consist of a base, a body, and a cap.
(1) The base shall occupy the lowest portion of the elevation.
(2) The body shall occupy the middle portion of the elevation.
(3) The cap shall occupy the highest portion of the elevation and shall consist of at least one of the following architectural features: a cornice, parapet, awning, canopy, or eaves.
(4) The base and cap shall be clearly distinguishable from the body through changes in color, material, pattern, profile, or texture.
Figure 1151.06-5 Illustration Showing a Building Base and Cap
(f) Roofs.
(1) Roof Types. All roof types are permitted. When flat roofs are used a parapet wall having a three-dimensional cornice treatment shall conceal them.
(2) Roofs Materials. Where any non-architectural roofing materials (e.g., tar and paper) are utilized, such roofing shall be concealed with parapet walls that have 3-dimensional cornice treatments or similar screening methods.
(3) Screening Rooftop Mounted Equipment. Roof-based mechanical equipment shall be screened from view of adjacent properties and public rights-of-way. The method of screening may include a parapet wall having a three-dimensional cornice treatment.
Figure 1151.06-6 Examples of How to Screen Roof
Mounted Mechanical Equipment
(g) Customer Entrances. Buildings with a total gross square footage of 10,000 square feet or more shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances that include no less than three (3) of the following design features.
(1) Canopies/porticos above the entrance;
(2) Roof overhangs above the entrance;
(3) Entry recesses/projections;
(4) Arcades that are physically integrated with the entrance;
(5) Raised corniced parapets above the entrance;
(6) Gabled roof forms or arches above the entrance;
(7) Outdoor plaza adjacent to the entrance having seating and a minimum depth of twenty (20) feet;
(8) Display windows that are directly adjacent to the entrance;
(9) Architectural details, such as tile work and moldings, that are integrated into the building structure and design and are above and/or directly adjacent to the entrance, or;
(10) Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscape or seating areas. A wing wall is a wall secondary in scale projecting from a primary wall and not having a roof.
(Ord. 2020-4053. Passed 1-7-21.)
1151.07 BUILDING MATERIALS AND COLOR.
(a) Combination of Materials. A combination of materials, textures, colors, and finishes shall be utilized to create visual interest.
(b) Primary Building Materials. Durable natural or natural-appearing building materials such as brick, stone, stucco, split face block, or other similar materials are preferred primary building materials. Durable synthetic building materials that convincingly match the appearance of natural building materials may be used as a primary building material. Non-durable building materials such as EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System) may not be used on the base level of a building.
(c) Accent Building Materials. In addition to the above materials, acceptable accent materials include decorative precast concrete block, metal, stone and glass block.
(d) Prohibited Primary Building Materials. The following are considered inappropriate primary building materials: aluminum or vinyl siding; exposed metal panels (such as corrugated metal); smooth-faced concrete blocks; smooth-faced tilt-up concrete panels, and wood sheet goods.
(e) Facade Colors.
(1) Facade colors shall be low-reflectance, subtle, neutral or earth tone colors. Building trim and accent areas may feature brighter colors, including primary colors when complementary to the coloration of the primary facade and consistent with the architectural design of the building.
(2) Facade colors may be harmonious with the overall appearance, history and cultural heritage of the area.
(Ord. 2020-4053. Passed 1-7-21.)
1151.08 EXEMPTIONS TO ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS.
The City may, through the site plan approval process, modify or exempt all or parts of the architectural standards in this Chapter upon findings that that the request will not be contrary to the public interest where, owing to special conditions, a literal enforcement of the provisions of this Chapter would detract from the stated purpose of this Chapter.
(Ord. 2020-4053. Passed 1-7-21.)