Be subject to design approval by the Village of Medina Planning Board; and

Comply with the additional requirements and provisions enumerated in this article as well as complying with all the requirements and provisions of the underlying zoning district.

Provide standards for the determination of the entity charged with the responsibility for design review in the Village of Medina, in order to minimize decisions based on individual preferences in the review and approval process;

Establish clear and easily understood design criteria to guide property owners and their tenants in the appropriate design of new construction and building alterations in the commercial districts;

Foster attractive building and site designs with enduring aesthetic appeal;

Foster designs that have continuity with the better design traditions and values of the community;

Foster designs which are likely to evoke feelings of pride in one's community;

Foster the aesthetic appeal of spaces around and between buildings for the visual enjoyment of the public;

Foster designs that are sensitive to the character of adjacent residential neighborhoods; and

To seek aesthetic continuity on contiguous parcels which can be viewed from public rights-of-way.

It is intended that a basic harmony of architecture shall prevail among the buildings while allowing for individual expression of taste.

The face of each building that fronts a street shall be constructed entirely of masonry material such as brick or precast concrete or shall have this material a minimum of 1/3 the height of the building in a continuous band from the ground up to maintain a high quality of construction and appearance and to provide interesting and tasteful exteriors. R-Wall and other like materials are allowed only with the approval of the Planning Board. The remaining exterior walls of the buildings are to be constructed of masonry, concrete, metal panel, or other suitable material, as approved by the Planning Board. Brick should generally be of a uniform size and texture on building facades. Concrete masonry units shall be broken-faced brick with marble or granite aggregate.

Colors to be used on the exterior building materials should be intrinsic to the material, or factory applied. Nonreflective earth tone colors such as tans, browns, reds and grays that recede into the landscape are preferred. The contrast between brick and mortar should be moderate to low.

For areas zoned Light Industrial, vertical roof projections such as towers, vents, stacks or roof-mounted equipment shall be avoided. Any penetrations that must be made through the roof (e.g., mechanical equipment, skylights) must be effectively screened from public view, in an architecturally compatible manner. The manner of screening must be approved in writing by the Planning Board before construction.

Building setbacks shall be as required by the Village of Medina Zoning Regulations.

Parking shall be provided at a minimum ratio of two permanently paved, off-street passenger car parking space for each 1,000 square feet of light manufacturing or warehouse building area and 3 1/3 spaces per 1,000 square feet of office building area, or as required by stricter provisions of the Village of Medina Zoning Regulations.

All parking areas shall be screened from the public right-of-way by planting, berming, opaque fencing or a combination approved by the Planning Board prior to construction. If fencing is used, it shall be of wood, left natural or stained a dark color and a minimum of three feet in height. No parking or other vehicular surface will be closer than 20 feet to a building line except in the case of an automobile dropoff, a loading area or vehicular entry into the building. Parking is not permitted on any street or at any place other than the paved parking spaces provided. Each owner and lessee shall be responsible for compliance by his or her respective employees and visitors.

All parking lots, driveways and walks shall be surfaced with bituminous material, concrete or unit pavers and shall meet or exceed minimum Village of Medina requirements for parking areas.

Service areas must be located at the side or rear of the building and effectively screened from the public right-of-way in a manner approved by the Planning Board prior to construction. No articles, goods, materials, storage tanks, refuse containers or like equipment shall be kept in the open or exposed to public view.

If permitted by local zoning laws and if it shall become necessary to store or keep such materials or equipment in the open, such open storage shall only be in the rear yard and shall be screened from view in a manner approved in writing by the Planning Board.

Said screen shall be either dense planting or a solid enclosure and of a height at least equal to that of the materials or equipment being stored, but in no event less than six feet in height. Screening of parking, loading and service areas shall consist of tree and shrub plantings, earthen berms, fences, walls, or any combination of these methods so as to establish an effective visual screen.

When fences or walls are used for screening, trees and other plant materials (shrubs, vines, ground covers, perennials) shall also be used. They should be planted no closer than five feet to the edge of pavement.

Developments shall provide sufficient buffering and screening located in the required minimum rear and side yards for the vehicle use areas. Buffering and screening may consist of trees and shrubs existing on the site prior to development. Supplemental plantings may be required in addition to existing vegetation as determined by the Planning Board to improve the screening properties of the buffer.

One of the most important elements in the design of any site plan in the Village of Medina is the selection, organization and use of planting. Plant materials shall be used to provide continuity by establishing a hierarchy or organization to soften the edges of the buildings and to screen parking areas. All areas not covered by building, parking or walkways are to be landscaped according to the guidelines outlined here. All landscaping must also comply with the requirements of the Village of Medina.

The Municipal Tree Board shall provide advice, counsel, and recommendations to the Planning Board with regard to any site plan and/or site plan review of which tree plantings are a part, including but not limited to the review of proposed tree plantings and landscaping; and recommendations for appropriate tree size, placement, and species in accordance with all applicable sections of this article.

All plant species should be chosen to ensure a horticulturally manageable development. A range of plant materials, species, and cultivars shall be used to hedge against losses through disease, insect infestation, and/or lack of diversity.

The plant materials used in other areas, access drives, parking and related land areas shall complement the plantings used on adjacent parcels.

The primary emphasis of the landscape treatment shall be on trees. Shrubbery, hedges, grass and other vegetation may be used to complement the use of trees but shall not be the sole contribution to the landscape treatment.

The parcel owner or lessee shall plant entry drives and the parcel owner shall plant parking islands a variety of appropriate species of shade tree for the entry drive and for the parking medians at 40 feet on center. Parking areas shall be broken by planting medians every three bays, with a double planting island at the end of each bay. The median shall have a minimum width of 10 feet, with appropriate trees planted no closer than 15 feet and no further than 35 feet on center.

All interior landscaped areas shall have a minimum planting soil depth of three feet or more to allow trees to achieve their envisaged design size. All interior landscaped areas shall be free from all forms of construction debris and foreign material within the planting area.

Adequate soil area and depth should be specified to allow trees to achieve their envisaged design size. At least 600 cubic feet (for example 10 feet by 20 feet by three feet) shall be specified for each large shade tree. If trees are grouped in a contiguous soil area, 400 cubic feet of soil per tree may be used instead.

Where an open area of soil is insufficient to allow for these soil volumes, a combination of structural soil under pavement and open soil in a planting bed shall be used to achieve this. Information regarding proper use structural soil will be found at: http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/csc/index.html.

Installation of all islands and medians shall have six-inch-high concrete curbing as a minimum to protect plant materials from damage.

The dimensions of all islands and medians shall be measured from the landscaped side of the curb.

The use of ornamental trees and shrubs is encouraged as accents at the building entry along walkways and in lawn area to add interest, act as a focal point, or to soften the lines of the building.

The use of plastic or other types of artificial plantings or vegetation is prohibited.

All landscape plant material shall meet the American Standard for nursery stock quality, must be No. 1 or heavy specimen quality grade, and shall be obtained from a reputable nursery. Spring planting is recommended and preferable. Attention shall be paid to deciduous tree plantings that are a fall planting risk.

The following shall apply:

The Board may require larger plant sizes, such as twelve-to-fourteen-foot-high conifers and deciduous trees, to mitigate expected visual conditions that, in its view, may be inherent in the proposed location, design or use of the site.

The Planning Board reserves the right to reject any plant material that is not in compliance with the above specifications and criteria.

No landscaping or grading shall be undertaken except in accordance with a landscape plan first approved by the Planning Board in writing. All landscaping shown on a landscape or site plan submitted to the Planning Board in connection with another building or other improvements to be constructed shall be completed within 30 days after the completion of such building or improvement, subject only to reasonable seasonal delay, as approved in advance by the Planning Board.

Each parcel owner shall be responsible for maintenance of all landscape and buildings within the parcel boundaries. This includes the open space to the rear of the parcel, as well as for the street trees along the spine road.

All planting, including lawns, shall be watered regularly during the initial period of establishment and thereafter to maintain them in healthy condition.

Lawns shall be well maintained, cut and trimmed.

All landscaped areas required and/or permitted by these regulations shall be maintained and preserved according to the approved landscape plan. Landscaped areas shall be kept free of trash, litter, weeds, and other such materials. Leaves shall be removed from walks, parking lots, plant beds and lawn areas during the fall season.

Planting beds/tree sites should be appropriately mulched with two to three inches of organic mulch. Mulch shall not be mounded against tree trunks.

Trees and shrubs shall be pruned as necessary to remove dead branches and keep the plants in neat and vigorous condition.

Leaves shall be removed from walks, parking lots, plant beds and lawn areas during the fall season.

Plant materials which die or are not maintained in a healthy and growing condition shall be replaced within the next growing season with the same approved species/cultivars and appropriate required grade and size. In no case shall dead plant material be allowed to remain more than one growing season.

All trees shall be planted in accordance with the methods illustrated by the planting details required to be shown on the approved landscape plan. Trees not planted in accordance with these methods shall be replanted in accordance with the methods illustrated in the details, or the method of planting otherwise corrected so as to be acceptable to the municipality prior to the issuance of a final certificate of occupancy or certificate of compliance.

Where tree stakes and guy wires are used, they shall be removed from newly planted trees 12 months after planting.

Sign design is the art of informing visitors while not overwhelming them; additionally it respects the streetscape and does not detract from the place being created. Signage shall contribute to and enhance the unique character of the municipality and shall reflect sensitivity to the character of adjacent residential neighborhoods.

The use of monument signs is preferred and strongly encouraged. Monument-type signs shall not exceed six feet above the surrounding grade, and shall have a base consistent with the primary building material and a minimum of 50 square feet of year-round landscaping around all sides of the monument sign.

Sign graphics and lighting shall be designed to allow for clear communication but shall otherwise not be over lighted. Signs with exterior illumination shall not glare into vehicular or pedestrian traffic areas, and shall not glare to off-site locations.

Signs with interior illumination shall have only sign letters and logos lighted, not sign backgrounds. This concept applies to all site and building signage, including traffic entrance and exit signs, if lighted.

Exterior signage lighting is subject to review and approval of the Planning Board.

Building-mounted signs with interior illumination shall not have exposed cabinets or transformer raceways, but shall, for example, have channel-style letters with transformers and raceways concealed behind building facades.

Building design shall not serve to communicate or reflect the corporate identity or product marketed. Corporate identity and product marketed shall be communicated by signage, not by building color or architecture. Use of neon is prohibited as exterior building ornamentation or as part of signage.

The Board reserves the right to require substantial design alterations to corporate branding designs that it deems to be inconsistent with the design guidelines or is otherwise inappropriate to the general aesthetic character of the neighborhood.

All signs shall comply with all requirements of the Village of Medina Zoning Regulations.

Pedestrian walkway lighting shall be appropriate in style with the design character of the space. The bottom of pedestrian walkway fixture lenses is expected to be 14 feet above the surrounding grade. Raised concrete pole bases should be adjusted in height based on the style of pole base.

Traditional-style light poles that are not located in an area that exposes the fixtures to potential vehicular impact shall not have any raised base. They shall be set at the surrounding walk elevation. It is expected that special attention will be taken to select and coordinate a pole and fixture color that matches site furniture and accessory colors.

Pack lights, wall pack lights and similar lights that primarily shine perpendicular to (away from) a building's elevation shall not be permitted on any building elevation. The use of cutoff and full cutoff wall packs shall be permitted where appropriate. Decorative wall lights that shine parallel to (up or down) a building's elevation are subject to review and approval by the Planning Board.

All outdoor lighting shall be directed, reflected or shielded so as not to be of excessive brightness or cause glare hazardous to pedestrians or drivers, create a nuisance or unreasonably interfere with a neighboring property. Light spillage shall not exceed 0.2 fc when adjacent to a commercial district or 0.1 fc when adjacent to a residential district or existing residential use. Photometrical illustrations of proposed lighting shall be provided and are subject to review and approval of the Planning Board.

Pole heights shall correspond in scale to the parcel, building and parking lot size as well as the surrounding area. On smaller parcels pole height should be limited in height to correspond to the human scale of the site. A guideline of a twenty-five-foot maximum within parking lots and fifteen-foot maximum within nonvehicular pedestrian areas shall be observed.

In large commercial centers with large building footprints, parcels and parking lots, the pole heights can be higher to reduce the number of poles needed to adequately light the site. However, the Board may require lower light pole heights in larger parking areas where it deems the character of the project's design or the character of the neighborhood would be adversely affected by higher pole heights.

The following shall be prohibited: