The purpose of this article is to create the Gilbo Avenue Design Overlay District as authorized by RSA 674:16; and to provide the rules, regulations and procedures applicable to the Gilbo Avenue Design Overlay District.

(Ord. No. O-2009-14-A, 3-17-2011)

The purpose of the Gilbo Avenue Design Overlay District is to foster and promote new construction that is in keeping with the City of Keene's prevailing downtown architectural, cultural and design characteristics. This purpose will be accomplished by:

(1)

Creating a pedestrian-scale environment within the built environment with buildings that are arranged, sized, and scaled according to the needs of a pedestrian;

(2)

Creating a sense of place through preserving public access, providing landscaping, ensuring proper lighting, and promoting an aesthetically pleasing streetscape;

(3)

Connecting uses and buildings within downtown Keene through ensuring pedestrian and vehicular access while prioritizing pedestrian access above vehicular access;

(4)

Providing location-sensitive transitions between neighborhoods and uses along Gilbo Avenue from Main Street to Colony Mill;

(5)

Reducing the impacts of parking through preventing large parking lots along the streetscape;

(6)

Planning for pedestrians and bicyclists to ensure that Keene's walkable and bicycle-friendly environment is extended along Gilbo Avenue; and

(7)

Providing open space and landscaping to provide shade and public spaces for social interaction and to enhance the visual appearance of Gilbo Avenue.

(Ord. No. O-2009-14-A, 3-17-2011)

Incorporated as part of this article, the Gilbo Avenue Design Overlay District, as described in a map entitled, "Gilbo Avenue Design Overlay District" dated September 1, 2009, is hereby adopted as an overlay to the official zoning map of the City of Keene.

(Ord. No. O-2009-14-A, 3-17-2011)

(1)

All buildings shall have a principal façade and entry (with operable doors) facing a street, public open space or plaza.

(2)

Buildings may have more than one principal façade and/or entry.

(3)

Within the Gilbo Avenue Design Overlay, doors or entrances shall be provided at regular intervals along the streetscape.

(4)

Lots with a property boundary(ies) that abut Gilbo Avenue shall orient new buildings such that principal façades are oriented toward Gilbo Avenue.

(5)

A new building proposed on a lot that has legally existing frontage on West Street at the time of the adoption of this article will be allowed to construct a principal façade that is oriented toward West Street, provided that all dimensional rules and regulations established within this article, with the exception of subsection (4), shall apply.

(6)

Any lot subdivided from a lot with West Street frontage after the adoption of this article that results in a lot with frontage on Gilbo Avenue shall be required to orient principal façade(s) towards Gilbo Avenue.

(7)

New buildings with principal façades on West Street shall have a fully functional pedestrian entrance on West Street.

(8)

On-street parking is allowed only within designated areas of the right-of-way.

(9)

Service alleys shall be no more than 15 feet wide.

(10)

Lighting and windows onto a service alley shall be placed at regular, evenly-spaced intervals.

(11)

Ground-level HVAC units are not permitted, unless completely screened from view.

(12)

Principal and secondary façades that front on Gilbo Avenue, West Street, St. James Street, and/or School Street, shall not be permitted to have façades greater than 40 feet in length that do not have articulation in the form of windows, doors, fully functioning pedestrian entrances, recesses, niches, ornamental projections and/or other articulations of the façade.

(13)

Secondary façades located at transition points into and out of the district and visible from the public right-of-way or abutting neighborhoods shall not be used for service functions (i.e. delivery, loading docks, maintenance areas, utility equipment, storage, etc.) unless fully screened with either and/or vegetation, fencing, designed components of a building.

(14)

Parking lots shall not be permitted at transition points into and out of the Gilbo Avenue Design Overlay District unless screened with either and/or landscaping, fencing, existing buildings, new buildings.

(15)

Parking lots shall be located at the rear or side of a building(s), and shall be no closer than six feet from a building.

(Ord. No. O-2009-14-A, 3-17-2011)

(1)

New buildings constructed within the Gilbo Avenue Design Overlay District shall have no fewer than two stories and no more than the maximum number of stories allowed in the underlying zoning district.

(2)

There shall be a maximum building setback of five feet from any Gilbo Avenue property line. Minor deviations equal to a maximum of 25 percent of street frontage are permitted for parks, open space or such architectural features as recesses, niches, ornamental projections, entrance bays, or other articulations of the façade, unless otherwise prohibited by the Historic District Rules and Regulations or City Code.

(3)

There shall be a maximum building setback of ten feet from any West Street property line. Minor deviations equal to a maximum of 33 percent of street frontage are permitted for parks, open space or such architectural features as recesses, niches, ornamental projections, entrance bays, or other articulations of the façade, unless otherwise prohibited by the Historic District Rules and Regulations or City Code.

(4)

There shall be no minimum side or rear setback requirements within this district.

(5)

Sidewalk widths along Gilbo Avenue shall be no less than ten feet and no greater than 20 feet, depending on the highest volume of usage.

(6)

Any vegetated buffer shall be a minimum of five feet and a maximum of nine and one-half feet in width.

(Ord. No. O-2009-14-A, 3-17-2011)

Projects requiring a certificate of appropriateness from the historic district commission will be decided upon according to the regulations established in the City of Keene Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18, Article V, Historic Districts.

Projects requiring site plan approval from the planning board will be decided upon according to the planning board site plan and subdivision review regulations.

(Ord. No. O-2009-14-A, 3-17-2011)