The gateway corridor (GC) overlay district provides enhanced design standards for developed corridors of special importance to the city by virtue of their location in the city, their high visibility, and their strategic importance to the overall development of the city. These special design standards apply to commercial, office, and residential development within these corridors and will improve both the quality and function of projects developed in these areas. The need to enhance the city's gateway corridors through the adoption of enhanced design standards is identified in the city's comprehensive development plan.

(Code 1970, § 38-126; Ord. No. 3088, § 2(exh. A), 12-1-2015)

The boundaries of the corridor overlay districts are hereby established as follows: All structures that are within 300 feet of either side of the right-of-way (existing or future if additional right-of-way is required, whichever is greater) for the following identified corridors:

(1)

XXX.

(2)

XXX.

(Code 1970, § 38-127; Ord. No. 3088, § 2(exh. A), 12-1-2015)

The overlay district provisions apply to any base zoning district set forth in this section that exists within the defined overlay area. Permitted uses shall be subject to the provisions of this section and shall be further subject to requirements of the applicable base zoning district.

(Code 1970, § 38-128; Ord. No. 3088, § 2(exh. A), 12-1-2015)

(a)

These standards apply to sites (including all principal and accessory buildings) that are within the GC overlay district unless otherwise specified herein, and apply to all use categories.

(b)

Farm structures are exempt from these requirements provided they meet the base zoning district requirements.

(c)

Existing single-family structures are exempt from these requirements provided they meet the base zoning district requirements.

(d)

Expansions to buildings that exist on the date the ordinance from which this section derives is adopted are exempt from the requirements of this article for any building additions that do not exceed 50 percent of the existing building square footage. If multiple building expansions are conducted after the adoption of this article, the expansion that causes the total square footage of expansions to reach or exceed a 50 percent expansion of the original building square footage shall thereafter be required to conform to the requirements of this section.

(e)

If overlapping regulations appear in other sections of this zoning chapter, those regulations stated herein shall take precedence.

(f)

Unless otherwise noted in this section, the standards of the underlying base zoning districts shall apply.

(Code 1970, § 38-129; Ord. No. 3088, § 2(exh. A), 12-1-2015)

(a)

Site design guidelines; relationship to landforms.

(1)

Buildings shall maintain a minimum buffer of 30 feet from the edge of any floodway or from the edge of any wetlands identified by the National Wetlands Inventory or a site specific inventory of wetlands.

(2)

Site design shall minimize cut-and-fill and, to the maximum degree possible, follow the natural topography of the site.

(3)

Developments shall preserve natural and scenic areas, streams and natural drainageways, floodplains, prairies, and wetlands. Developments shall, to the maximum degree possible, preserve individual trees or stands of trees specified by the city's list of recommended tree species. Developments that remove specified trees shall replace such trees according to the following schedule. All replacement trees must also be listed on the list of recommended species and shall have a caliper of at least three inches.

(b)

Building location and orientation.

(1)

Facades with principal entrances shall be oriented to the project's primary street or to an active pedestrian or public zone within the site. For multi-tenant buildings, at least 50 percent of the entrances shall be oriented to the primary street or pedestrian or public zone, such as an internal community street. Facades with principal customer entrances may be turned perpendicular to the primary street if they provide a direct pedestrian connection from a public sidewalk to the major customer entrance without interruption by vehicular traffic. The primary street for a development is any arterial or collector street that fronts the development or an internal community street. When the development has two primary streets, the project design may designate one of the streets as primary.

(2)

Drive-through facilities shall be substantially screened from view from adjacent arterial streets.

(3)

Developments should maximize the amount of parking located to the side or rear of buildings and should locate buildings near their primary fronting streets.

(4)

Developments at intersections shall identify or emphasize their corners with significant landscaping or similar public feature.

(c)

Pedestrian access.

(1)

Multi-building developments shall provide clear and safe walkways at least five feet in width that connect all buildings on the site. Buildings not intended for routine customer access or intended solely for drive-up services are excluded from this requirement.

(2)

In parking lots with over 200 stalls, the required walkways specified in this section shall be located in landscaped medians or corridors that include trees and groundcovers for at least 50 percent of their combined length. Landscaped walkways provide credit toward overall site landscaping requirements set forth in article XXIX of this chapter.

(3)

Sidewalks no less than eight feet in width and separated by curbs from adjacent vehicular circulation ways shall be provided along the full length of the building along any facade that either includes a customer entrance or adjoins a customer parking area.

(4)

Canopy shade trees, landscape features, and seating, or other pedestrian amenities near colonnades, storefronts, and pedestrian routes, shall be incorporated into the site.

(5)

Pedestrian connections to adjacent developments shall be provided. If adjacent properties are undeveloped, the development plan shall indicate how future connections will be provided.

(d)

Parking.

(1)

Parking shall be grouped into parking blocks that are defined by pedestrian paths, landscaping, and buildings.

(2)

A maximum of 200 parking stalls may be located in any one parking block.

(3)

Buildings on sites located at major intersections along the identified corridor (i.e., at intersections with designated future arterial roadways or traffic corridors as identified herein) shall be sited in the corner of the intersection with parking areas in the rear or side yard.

(e)

Signs.

(1)

Attached signs shall be designed as an integral part of the building elevation and integrated into the overall design of the building. Attached signs shall be located above the building entrance, storefront opening, or at other locations that are consistent with and emphasize the architectural features of a building.

(2)

All new commercial or office development shall use monument or ground signs. The width of any vertical element over 15 feet in height shall not exceed ten feet. Pole signs shall not be permitted for new commercial or office development covered by these guidelines.

(3)

A landscaped base area shall be provided for monument or ground signs appropriate to the mass and height of the sign. As a guideline, a base area of 1½ square feet shall be provided for each square foot of sign area. The landscaped area may include trees, shrubs, flowering perennials, ornamental tall grass, fountains, water features, decorative stonework, planters, sculpture, and decorative paving. Turf grass, loose stone, or mulch are not credited for satisfying this requirement.

(4)

Other sign regulations and requirements are set forth in article XXXI of this chapter.

(f)

Screening.

(1)

Developments shall provide year-round screening of loading docks, truck parking, outdoor storage, utility meters, HVAC equipment, trash collection and processing, and other service functions. Screening shall be provided for 75 percent of the smaller of the height of the feature to be screened or eight feet. Trash enclosure gates shall furnish a steel frame with decorative steel or wood covering, or another design acceptable to the city's planning director. Chain-link fencing with inlaid wood or metal slats shall not be considered acceptable. Screening shall be integrated into the overall design of buildings and landscaping and fully contain the visual impact of these service functions from adjacent public streets and neighboring properties.

(2)

Architectural elements, materials, colors, and design of screening walls, coverings, and fences shall be consistent with the predominant materials, colors, and elements of the primary building.

(3)

Other screening requirements are set forth in section 38-914, screening standards.

(g)

Lighting.

(1)

All lighting used to illuminate an off-street parking area, sign, or other structure shall be arranged so as to deflect light away from any adjoining property and from public streets through fixture type and location. When lighting is mounted to the underside of canopies, these lights shall be recessed so that the visible light source is no lower than the plane of the underside of the canopy.

(2)

The maximum height of lighting standards shall be 35 feet, unless the city grants a specific exception as part of the application approval process.

(3)

Exterior lighting of buildings shall be limited to low-level spotlights, floodlights, and similar illuminating devices hooded in such a manner that the direct beam of any light sources will not glare upon adjacent property or public streets. The city may approve exceptions to these requirements for sports and athletic field lighting, flagpole lighting, public street lighting, temporary lighting for seasonal/holiday or special events, and lighting used for public safety.

(Code 1970, § 38-130; Ord. No. 3088, § 2(exh. A), 12-1-2015)

(a)

Mass and scale for buildings over 20,000 square feet.

(1)

Breaks shall be incorporated into the mass if the building at significant entrances or along walls that front plazas or other significant pedestrian features. Methods of breaks may include towers, pediments, or facade articulations or variations, changes in the horizontal plane, or enhancements in color and materials, consistent with the overall design of the building.

(2)

Primary building facades shall meet one of the following guidelines:

a.

Facades greater than 100 feet shall incorporate projections or recesses in the wall plane with a depth of at least three percent of the length of the facade and extending for at least 20 percent of the length of the facade. Maximum uninterrupted length of wall shall be 100 feet.

b.

Facades shall display a repeating pattern of at least three cycles of color change, texture change, material change, or expression of structural bays with an offset of at least 12 inches from the ruling plane of the facade.

(3)

The city's planning director may waive these guidelines if the applicant demonstrates an alternative building design that, in the director's opinion, provides visual interest and scale to the building.

(b)

Mass and scale for buildings over two stories. Building mass and architectural elements shall differentiate between the base of the building and upper levels of the facade.

(c)

Architectural elements.

(1)

Front facades facing a primary street shall have visible, clearly defined customer entrances that include at least three of the following elements: canopies or porticos, overhangs, recesses or projections, arcades, raised cornice parapets over the entrance door, distinctive roof forms, arches, outdoor patios or plazas, display windows, or integral planters.

(2)

At least 20 percent of the surface area of front commercial facades up to a height of 16 feet from the ground up shall be transparent. Transparency may include glazed doors, windows, and display windows.

(3)

Front facades shall utilize variations in color, horizontal planes, materials, patterns, height, and other techniques to provide visual interest and scale to buildings.

(4)

All rear and side building facades oriented to a public right-of-way shall be subject to all requirements for front facade design with the exception of providing customer entrances.

(5)

Facades that do not face a public right-of-way may use a simplified version of the materials and design used on building facades that face a public right-of-way.

(d)

Building materials.

(1)

Permitted exterior building materials shall be high quality, durable materials that include, but are not limited to, brick; native or manufactured stone (Renaissance stone or similar masonry materials); integrally colored, burnished, textured, or glazed concrete masonry units; prefinished metal panel systems; quality metals such as copper; high quality pre-stressed concrete systems; and drainable (water managed) EIFS.

(2)

The following exterior materials are prohibited: Split shakes, rough-sawn wood; painted concrete block; tilt-up concrete panels without an architectural finish; field-painted or prefinished standard corrugated metal siding; standard single- or double-tee concrete systems; or barrier type EIFS.

(3)

Materials on all sides of the building shall be consistent with materials and colors of the front facade when visible from public streets and trails and adjacent residential areas.

(4)

These guidelines are not intended to inhibit creativity and innovation in building design. The city's planning director may permit the use of other materials if the applicant demonstrates that the use of such materials will result in a building that gives a sense of quality and permanence.

(e)

Roof forms.

(1)

Buildings with flat or slightly sloped roofs to drain shall incorporate parapets on all facades that face a public street or residential district. Variations in parapet height and articulation of cornice lines may be used to add interest.

(2)

Roof forms shall be designed to express various building functions and features, such as entrances.

(3)

Visible roof materials shall include clay or concrete tile, tern metal, architectural grade asphalt shingles, architectural metals, copper, natural or synthetic slate, or similar durable materials.

(4)

Mansard or false roofs shall not be used.

(5)

Roofs shall effectively screen all rooftop mechanical equipment from public view.

(f)

Functional site elements.

(1)

Trash enclosures and trash compactors shall be located such that they are not visible from the identified corridor.

(2)

Outdoor storage that does not consist of display of merchandise shall be located such that it is not visible from the identified corridor, by placing the outdoor storage on the opposite side of the building from the identified corridor, or by placing outdoor storage in an enclosed area that has the appearance of being integral to the building. All outdoor storage shall be fully screened from view through the use of an opaque decorative fencing material or architectural screen walls.

(3)

Loading and delivery areas shall not be located along the front or side of the building that fronts on the identified corridor, unless compliance is not reasonable feasible. Such areas shall be screened from view through the use of landscaping or architectural building elements that are consistent with the architecture and building materials used in the primary buildings.

(4)

Contractor yards, service yards, heavy equipment, salvage, and items of a similar nature shall be located away from public street frontages and shall be screened with opaque fencing.

(Code 1970, § 38-131; Ord. No. 3088, § 2(exh. A), 12-1-2015)

Submittal of plans. Construction and renovation of structures within the district subject to this section shall submit a site plan in accordance with Appendix F.

(Code 1970, § 38-132; Ord. No. 3088, § 2(exh. A), 12-1-2015)

Any applicant may appeal a decision of the zoning administrator on the interpretation of the requirements herein. The appeal shall be filed with the zoning administrator within ten business days following the decision.

(1)

The zoning administrator will notify all property owners abutting the subject property prior to the zoning board of adjustment taking action on the appeal, under the provisions of section 38-997.

(2)

The appeal fee shall be established by the city council and included in the city's fee schedule.

(Code 1970, § 38-133; Ord. No. 3088, § 2(exh. A), 12-1-2015)