Niskayuna Town City Zoning Code
ARTICLE VIIIE
Design Guidelines and Standards for Shopping Center Commercial CS Zoning District
[Added 5-18-1999 by L.L. No. 8-1999]
§ 220-48.20 Purpose and objectives.
A.
It is the purpose of this article to promote development within the Shopping Center Commercial Zoning District that is compatible with the essentially residential character and scale of the Town of Niskayuna. The following guidelines and standards are intended to encourage building designs and site layouts for retail developments that incorporate basic features of the existing built environment of the Town and to add to it in complementary ways.
B.
Massive developments which are out of scale or character with the small-scale, residential character of Niskayuna do not contribute to or integrate with the Town in a positive way. These guidelines and standards have been developed to promote a basic level of architectural variety, compatible scale, pedestrian access and use of open space which is reflective of the Town's existing physical character. They are by no means intended to limit creativity; they are intended to augment the requirements of site plan review of Article VIIIA with additional criteria that are specific to the design of large retail developments. They are placed within the framework of the Zoning Ordinance and provide for waivers from the requirements if the property owner or applicant faces undue hardship as a result of their strict application.
§ 220-48.21 Applicability; guidelines, standards; waivers.
A.
Guidelines and standards. The following guidelines and standards are intended to be used as a basis for design by developers proposing retail developments in the Shopping Center Commercial Zoning District. They are also intended to be used as an evaluation tool by the Planning Board in its site plan review processes. These guidelines and standards apply to all projects in the Shopping Center Commercial Zoning District. Guidelines are not mandatory, but explain the design objectives. Standards are mandatory unless their strict application will result in undue hardship as determined by the Planning Board.
B.
Waivers. The Planning Board may waive one or more of the standards of this article upon a showing by the applicant that the strict application of the standard imposes an undue hardship due to such factors as existing conditions, site topography or site configuration. The Planning Board shall approve the minimum waiver necessary. The applicant for any such waiver shall have the burden of showing that the proposed waiver shall have a minimum negative effect on aesthetics and compatibility with neighborhood character.
§ 220-48.22 Building features.
A.
Facades and exterior walls.
(1)
Guideline. Facades should be articulated to reduce the massive scale and the uniform, impersonal appearances of large retail buildings and provide visual interest that will be consistent with the Town's identity, character and scale.
(2)
Standard.
(a)
Facades greater than 100 feet in length, measured horizontally, shall incorporate wall plane projections or recesses having a depth of at least 3% of the length of the facade and extending at least 20% of the length of the facade. No uninterrupted length of any facade shall exceed 100 horizontal feet. (See Figure 4E.)[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Figure 4E is located at the end of this chapter.
(b)
Ground-floor facades that face public streets shall have a combination of arcades, display windows, entry areas, awnings or other such features along no less than 60% of their horizontal length. (See Figure 4F.)[2]
[2]
Editor's Note: Figure 4F is located at the end of this chapter.
B.
Retail features:
(1)
Guideline. Buildings should have architectural features and patterns that provide visual interest, at the scale of the pedestrian, reduce massive aesthetic effects and recognize local character. The elements in the following standard should be integral parts of the building fabric and not superficially applied trim, graphics or paint.
(2)
Standard.
(a)
Building facades shall include a repeating pattern that shall include no less than two of the elements listed below. At least one of these elements shall repeat horizontally. All elements that repeat horizontally, shall repeat at intervals of no more than 30 feet horizontally.
[1]
Color change.
[2]
Texture change.
[3]
Module-to-module material change.
(b)
Building facades shall include an expression of architectural or structural bay through a change in plane no less than 12 inches in width, such as an offset, reveal or projecting rib. (See Figure 4G.)[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Figure 4G is located at the end of this chapter.
C.
Roofs.
(1)
Guidelines. Variations in roof lines should be used to add interest to, and reduce the massive scale of, large buildings.
(2)
Standard. Roofs shall have no fewer than two of the following features:
(a)
Parapets concealing flat roofs and rooftop equipment such as heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) units from public view. The average height of such parapets shall not exceed 15% of the height of the supporting wall and such parapets shall not at any point exceed 1/3 of the height of the supporting wall. Such parapets shall feature three dimensional cornice treatment. (See Figure 4H.)[4]
[4]
Editor's Note: Figure 4H is located at the end of this chapter.
(b)
Overhanging eaves, extending no less than 3 feet past the supporting walls.
(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 the 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.
D.
Materials and colors.
(1)
Guideline. Exterior building materials and colors comprise a significant part of the visual impact of a building. Therefore, they should be aesthetically pleasing and compatible with traditional materials and colors.
(2)
Standard.
(a)
Predominant exterior building materials shall be high-quality materials. Permitted materials are brick, wood, stone or tinted, textured, concrete masonry units, or a combination thereof.
(b)
Facade colors shall be low-reflectance, subtle, neutral or earth-tone colors. The use of high-intensity colors, metallic colors, black or fluorescent colors is prohibited.
(c)
Building trim and accent areas may feature brighter colors, including primary colors, but exposed neon tubing is not an acceptable feature for building trim or accent areas.
(d)
Predominant exterior building materials shall not include the following: smoothfaced concrete block, tilt-up concrete panels or prefabricated steel panels.
E.
Entryways.
(1)
Guidelines. Entryway design elements and variations should give orientation and aesthetically pleasing character to the building.
(2)
Standard. Each principal building on a site shall have clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances featuring no less than three of the following elements:
(a)
Canopies or porticos.
(b)
Overhangs.
(c)
Recesses/projections.
(d)
Arcades.
(e)
Raised cornice parapets over the door.
(f)
Peaked-roof forms.
(g)
Arches.
(h)
Outdoor patios.
(i)
Display windows.
(j)
Architectural details, such as tile work and moldings, which are integrated into the building structure and design.
(k)
Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscaped areas and/or places for sitting.
F.
Back and side facades.
(1)
Guideline. All facades of a building which are visible from adjoining properties, public streets and/or on-site roadways should contribute to the pleasing scale features of the building and encourage community integration by featuring characteristics similar to the front facade.
(2)
Standard. All building facades which are visible from adjoining properties, public streets and/or on-site roadways shall comply with the requirements of § 220-48.22A.
G.
Signage.
(1)
Guideline. Signs utilized by large retail establishments serve not only practical purposes but also help define the character and attractiveness of the building facades and general site location. Signs can be either potentially detrimental to community aspirations and sense of place or provide aesthetically pleasing elements that enhance the overall shopping experience and attractiveness of the site. The purpose of these standards is to promote the latter; signs should be visually compatible with their surroundings and avoid inappropriate design.
(2)
Standard. At any time that there is a new sign or a modification or a replacement of an existing sign in the Shopping Center Commercial Zoning District, the following standards shall apply. These sign requirements shall be a supplement to those standards in § 220-22. In all cases where there is a conflict, these standards shall take precedence over § 220-22 standards in the Shopping Center Commercial Zoning District.
(a)
Permitted signs. The following signs are permitted in the Shopping Center Commercial Zoning District:
[1]
Freestanding monument (ground) signs may be used only for site identification for sites of five or more acres. Freestanding signs are not permitted for individual businesses.
[2]
Facade signs.
[3]
Directional signs.
[4]
Temporary signs.
[5]
Price and product signs for gasoline sales.
(b)
Prohibited signs. The following signs are not permitted in the Shopping Center Commercial Zoning District:
[1]
Moving signs.
[2]
Flashing signs.
[3]
Animated signs.
[4]
Pennants/ribbons/logo flags.
[5]
Pylon signs.
[6]
Signs with exposed neon tubing.
[7]
Backlit canopies.
(c)
Minimum performance criteria. The following performance standards apply to signs in the Shopping Center Commercial Zoning District:
[1]
Materials. Monument signs and facade signs shall be constructed with materials compatible with the main structure. Directional signs shall be constructed of materials compatible with facade signs. Temporary signs may be constructed of cloth or vinyl plastic.
[Amended 6-1-2004 by L.L. No. 14-2004]
[2]
Height. Freestanding monument signs as permitted in Subsection G(2)(a)[1] of the section shall be no greater than eight feet in height above finished grade.
[3]
Size. Freestanding monument signs as permitted in Subsection G(2)(a)(1] of this section shall have a maximum area of 80 square feet per sign face for the primary sign and 24 square feet per sign face for any secondary signs. For facade signs, one square foot of sign area shall be permitted for each linear foot of building frontage. Such facade signs shall be attached only to the building facade, shall not protrude more than one foot from the building facade and shall be single-faced. Where uses are joined by a common wall, the sign area for facade signs shall not be combined into a common sign area. Under no circumstances shall any one facade sign exceed 50 square feet. Double-faced signs are permitted for all signs other than facade signs. For all other signs, the size standards specified in § 220-22 shall apply.
[4]
Illumination. Sign lighting should minimize glare and maintain the aesthetic character of the area. Therefore, signs may be internally lit, backlit, and externally lit.
[Amended 6-1-2004 by L.L. No. 14-2004]
[5]
Logo. In the event that a picture logo is displayed on a sign, it shall be incorporated into the permitted sign area and comprise not more than 30% of the sign area. All colors associated with a logo, as defined in this chapter, may be permitted.
[6]
Colors. Except as provided in Subsection G(2)(c)[5] above, a maximum of three colors shall be utilized for a sign. Colors shall match or complement the predominant building color.
[7]
Lettering. A maximum of two lettering styles shall be permitted on signs, except that all lettering associated with a logo, as defined in this chapter, may be permitted.
[8]
Setbacks. Freestanding monument signs shall have a minimum setback of 10 feet from the right-of-way line and 10 feet from the side property line and shall be located in a manner that does not interfere with required minimum sight distance at driveways or intersections.
[9]
Number of signs. A maximum of one facade sign per use is permitted, except that a use fronting on two streets or on-site roadways may have one sign for each building front. A maximum of one freestanding monument sign as described in Subsection G(2)(a)[1] of this section is permitted per driveway up to a maximum of three signs, except that for two or more signs, driveways must be separated by a minimum of 200 feet as measured center line to center line.
§ 220-48.23 Site design and relationship to surrounding community.
A.
Entrances.
(1)
Guideline. 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 areas that often characterize building facades that face bordering land uses.
(2)
Standard. Where a building over 20,000 square feet faces two or more public streets or on-site roadways, at least two sides of the building shall have at least one customer entrance, with one of the sides being the side of the building facing the primary street or on-site roadway and another side of the building facing a second street or on-site roadway.
B.
Parking lot orientation.
(1)
Guideline. Parking areas should provide safe, convenient and efficient access. They should be distributed around large buildings in order to shorten the distance to other buildings and public sidewalks and to reduce the overall scale of the paved surface. If buildings are located closer to streets, the scale of the complex is reduced, pedestrian traffic is encouraged and architectural details take on added importance.
(2)
Standard.
(a)
No more than 50% of the off-street parking area for the lot, tract or area of land devoted to the large retail establishment shall be located between the front facade of the principal building(s) and the abutting public street(s).
(b)
Islands with landscaping shall be utilized to delineate parking and provide aesthetic benefits.
C.
Outdoor storage; trash collection; loading areas.
(1)
Guideline. Loading areas and outdoor storage areas have visual and noise impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. These areas, when visible from adjoining properties and/or public streets, must be screened, recessed or enclosed. While screens and recesses can effectively mitigate these impacts, the selection of inappropriate screening materials can exacerbate the problem. Appropriate locations for loading and outdoor storage areas include areas between buildings, where more than one building is located on a site and such buildings are not more than 40 feet apart, or on those sides of buildings that do not have customer entrances.
(2)
Standard.
(a)
Areas for outdoor storage, trash collection or compaction, loading or other such uses shall not be located between the building and any public street or within 20 feet of any public sidewalk, on-site roadway or internal pedestrian way. These provisions shall not apply to individual outdoor trash receptacles and recyclable receptacles intended for use by pedestrians or visitors, as provided in § 220-48.23E.
(b)
Loading docks, truck parking, outdoor storage, utility meters, HVAC equipment, trash collection, trash compaction and other service functions shall be incorporated into the overall design of the building and the landscaping so that the visual and acoustic impacts of these functions are fully contained and out of view from adjacent properties, public streets and on-site roadways. No attention shall be attracted to the functions by the use of screening materials that are different from or inferior to the principal materials of the building and landscape. These provisions shall not apply to individual outdoor trash receptacles and recyclable receptacles intended for use by pedestrians or visitors, as provided in § 220-48.23E.
(c)
Nonenclosed areas for the storage and sale of seasonal inventory shall be permanently defined and screened with walls and/or fences that screen such areas from public view. Materials, colors and design of screening walls, fences or covers shall be compatible with those used as predominant materials and colors on the building. If such areas are to be covered, then the covering shall conform to those used as predominant materials and colors on the building.
D.
Pedestrian flows.
(1)
Guideline. Pedestrian accessibility opens developments to the neighborhood, thereby reducing traffic impacts and enabling the development to project a friendlier, more inviting image. This subsection sets forth standards for public sidewalks and internal pedestrian circulation systems that can provide user-friendly pedestrian access as well as pedestrian safety, shelter and convenience.
(2)
Standard.
(a)
Sidewalks at least five feet in width shall be provided along all sides of the lot that abut a public street and shall be in conformance with Figure 4B.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Figure 4B is located at the end of this chapter.
(b)
Continuous internal pedestrian walkways, no less than five 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 and building and store entry points and shall feature adjoining landscaped areas no less than three feet in width that include trees, grass, shrubs, benches, flower beds, ground covers or other such materials for no less than 50% of their length.
(c)
Internal pedestrian walkways, no less than eight 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 walkways 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 Subsection D(2)(b) or (c) above shall provide weather protection features such as awnings or arcades within 15 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, scored concrete or other materials acceptable to the Planning Board to enhance pedestrian safety and comfort, as well as the attractiveness of the walkways.
E.
Central features and community spaces.
(1)
Guideline. Buildings should offer attractive and inviting pedestrian scale features, spaces and amenities. Entrances and parking lots should be configured to be functional and inviting with walkways conveniently tied to logical destinations. Bus stops and dropoff/pickup points should be considered as integral parts of the configuration. Pedestrian ways should be anchored by special design features, such as towers, arcades, porticos, architectural lighting, bollards, planter walls and other architectural elements and amenities that define circulation ways and outdoor spaces. Examples of outdoor spaces are plazas, patios, courtyards and window shopping areas.
(2)
Standard.
(a)
Each retail establishment shall contribute to the establishment or enhancement of community and public spaces by providing at least two of the following: patio/seating area, pedestrian plaza with benches, transportation center, window-shopping walkway, outdoor playground area, kiosk area, water feature, clock tower or other such deliberately shaped area and/or a focal feature or amenity that, in the judgement of the Planning Board, adequately enhances such community and public spaces.
(b)
Bike racks, trash receptacles and recyclable receptacles. Each retail development site plan shall include bike racks, trash receptacles and recyclable receptacles, as shown in Figure 4A.[2] These amenities are to be provided on the site plan and will be privately owned and maintained.
[2]
Editor's Note: Figure 4A is located at the end of this chapter.
(c)
Any such areas or amenities constructed or included pursuant to Subsection E(2)(a) or (b) above shall have direct access to the public sidewalk network, and such features shall be constructed of materials that are compatible with the principal materials of the building and landscape.
(d)
Lighting. Except as provided herein, lighting shall follow the requirements of Article VIIIB Guidelines for Lighting of Outdoor Areas Under Site Plan Review.
[1]
Architectural lighting shall be required for all internal pedestrian walkways and areas of congregation.
[2]
Architectural lighting shall meet the style and specification requirements as shown in Figure 4A and Figure 4C.[3]
[3]
Editor's Note: Figures 4A and 4C are located at the end of this chapter.
[3]
In general, pole-mounted architectural lighting shall not exceed a pole height of 18 feet from the finished grade.
[4]
At the discretion of the Planning Board, architectural lighting may depart from the requirements of Article VIIIB.