Pittston City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XV
Main Street Overlay District
§ 480-54 Purpose.
The Main Street Overlay District (MSOD) is designed to closely match the City's Main Street boundaries. The MSOD key objectives are to establish a vibrant pedestrian-friendly mixed-use neighborhood, promote development strategies that encourage the rehabilitation of existing buildings, support cultural character and quality of the City's commercial Main Street through design standards that incorporate urban design principles. All use regulations in the MSOD are governed by the underlying zoning district's requirements. The MSOD governs additional design standards for structures and signage.
§ 480-55 Building design standards.
A.
Applicability. The standards in this article apply to all new development, redevelopment and alterations to existing buildings or sites within the Main Street Overlay, with the following exceptions:
(1)
For alterations to existing buildings or sites, the standards shall apply to the element being developed or altered, rather than the entire site.
(2)
Flexibility in the interpretation of any standard may be granted by the Planning Director only in cases where specific physical conditions of a building or site would make compliance difficult or inappropriate.
B.
Requirements and standards.
(1)
New development. New development shall relate to the design of identified historic buildings adjacent to the site, where present, in scale and character. This can be achieved by maintaining similar setbacks, facade divisions, rooflines, building materials and colors and proportions of openings.
(2)
Building placement. Buildings shall be placed at or close to the sidewalks to the extent practical. At intersections, buildings shall hold the corner, that is, have front and side facades aligned at or near the sidewalks of both streets.
(3)
Entrance orientation. The primary building entrance of all new buildings shall be oriented to the primary abutting public street. Secondary entrances may be oriented to a secondary street or parking area.
(4)
Facade articulation. A building width of 40 feet or less is encouraged. New buildings of more than 40 feet in width shall be divided into smaller increments, between 20 feet and 40 feet in width, through the articulation of the facade. This can be accomplished by the following techniques:
(a)
Stepping back a portion of the facade.
(b)
Vertical divisions using fixtures or different materials.
(c)
Division into storefronts with separate display windows.
(d)
Awnings, window bays, arched windows or balconies at intervals equal to the articulation interval.
(5)
Walls. No blank walls shall be permitted to face the public street. Buildings shall be designed with a base, middle and a top created by variations in detailing, color and materials.
(6)
Door and window openings. For existing structures, windows must fit existing openings with no exception. If the building has already been altered to change existing openings, windows must fit the original openings that existed prior to the alteration. For new commercial, mixed-use or civic buildings, windows and doors or openings shall comprise at least 50% of the length and at least 40% of the area of the ground-floor primary street facade. Glass on windows and doors shall be clear, allowing views into and out of the interior. For windows in areas that are not shaded, use either blue or green tinted glass with maximum transparency (minimum visible transmittance rating of 0.70).
(7)
Colors and finishes. Exterior colors and finishes shall match existing buildings. Bright colors or color patterns not currently used are prohibited.
(8)
Ground-floor residential uses. Ground-floor residential uses are prohibited.
(9)
Equipment and service area screening. An outdoor storage, service, laundry or dumpster area visible from a public street or walkway shall be screened by a decorative fence (chain-link and vinyl fencing disallowed), wall or screen of planted material at least six feet in height. Fences and walls shall be architecturally compatible with the primary structure.
(10)
Screening of rooftop equipment. Rooftop equipment shall be screened by the building parapet or shall be located out of view from the ground. If this is infeasible, the equipment shall be grouped within a single enclosure. This structure shall be set back a distance of 1 1/2 times its height from any primary facade fronting a public street. Screens shall be of durable, permanent materials (not including wood) that are compatible with the primary building materials. Exterior mechanical equipment, such as duct work or restaurant venting, shall not be located on the primary building facade.
(11)
Nonresidential or mixed-use buildings.
(a)
Buildings shall be constructed of high-quality materials, such as brick, stone, textured cast stone, or tinted masonry units. The following materials are not acceptable:
[1]
Unadorned, plain or painted concrete block.
[2]
Tilt-up concrete panels.
[3]
Prefabricated steel or sheet-metal panels (unless designed by an architect for a specific design element of an overall facade design).
[4]
Reflective glass.
[5]
Aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass, asphalt or fiberboard siding.
§ 480-56 Parking structure and parking area design standards.
A.
Parking structure. The ground floor of any parking structure abutting a public street or walkway shall be designed and detailed in a manner consistent with new commercial or mixed-use buildings as follows:
(1)
Upper floors shall be designed so that sloped floors typical of parking structures do not dominate the appearance of the facade.
(2)
Windows or openings shall be provided to echo those of surrounding buildings.
(3)
Entrance drives to structured or underground parking shall be on a secondary street where feasible.
B.
Parking area. Screening is required wherever parking abuts public streets, sidewalks or paths or is adjacent to residential or open space uses. These areas must include the following:
(1)
A landscape buffer strip of a minimum of four feet. The buffer strip shall consist of drought-tolerant shade trees, low shrubs or perennial plants and a decorative fence (not chain-link or vinyl) or masonry wall. Plantings and parking lot screen walls or fences shall be between two to three feet in height to allow views into and out of parking areas.
(2)
Parking bays shall have landscaped islands at each end, and bays in excess of 15 spaces in length shall be divided by intermediate landscape islands. Landscape islands at ends of bays shall provide at least 250 square feet of area for trees, shrubs or ground loops. Intermediate landscape shall provide at least 180 square feet of planting area.
(3)
All parking lot signage must be approved by the Planning Director and must comply with the look and design of Main Street Overlay signage.
C.
Security roll down grills are prohibited.
§ 480-57 Fencing design standards.
A.
Chain-link, barbed wire and blade fencing materials shall not be used.
B.
Fences shall not to exceed four feet in height, except for equipment and service area screening which shall not exceed seven feet in height.
C.
Use continuous brick screen wall or a raised curb with a landscaping buffer along the perimeter of the parking area(s).
D.
Integrate pedestrian light posts within the masonry screen wall to provide lighting for pedestrian areas.
E.
Use decorative metal fencing as an inset panel between brick piers at the perimeter of site (area not covered by building). Picket-style fencing, outward pointing or curved picket fencing are prohibited.
F.
Security fencing along the street/sidewalk is prohibited.
G.
Use high quality materials for fencing, such as steel and wrought iron. Aluminum fencing is not recommended.
§ 480-58 Entryways design standards.
A.
Create identifiable entry to building lobbies and building uses that are open to the public by emphasizing and enhancing the level of architectural details such as change in plane, differentiation in material and color, and enhanced lighting.
B.
Clearly identify and locate an active entrance to the building directly from the public sidewalk.
C.
Locate utility, mechanical room, or service entrance doors away from public sidewalks of major and secondary streets.
D.
Use glass entry doors with the same solar qualities as those of the storefront window design.
E.
Maximize entrances to individual retailers and businesses from public sidewalks.
F.
Locate entryways to residential levels so they are accessible to and from the public sidewalks.
§ 480-59 Awnings, canopies and marquees design standards.
A.
Locate awnings and canopies at a minimum of 8 1/2 feet above the sidewalk, and at no higher than 12 feet above finished grade.
B.
Extend awnings and canopies over the sidewalk not more than one-half the width of the sidewalk and not to exceed 10 1/2 feet.
C.
Anchor and support marquees so no structural support is projecting in the public sidewalk or within an eight-foot six-inch envelope above the sidewalk.
D.
Provide awning and canopy material such as metal or glass. Vinyl and plastic are prohibited.
E.
Signage text and/or graphics on awnings and canopies are prohibited. Product advertising is unacceptable.
F.
Use lighting above or to the sides of awnings to illuminate the sidewalk and the storefront. Internally illuminated awnings are unacceptable.
G.
Use awning to define individual storefront openings. Continuous awnings along blank walls are prohibited.
H.
Design awnings and canopies so not to conceal architectural features such as pilasters, piers or transom windows.
I.
Use color schemes to coordinate with building facade colors. Shiny, glittering colors or stripping is prohibited.
J.
Use simple and triangular-shape awnings with valance face not to exceed 10 inches.
§ 480-60 Lighting design standards.
A.
Use special lighting to accentuate building facade. Floodlighting shall only be used for enhancement of civic, architecturally or historically significant landmark buildings.
B.
Locate, aim and shield lighting fixtures so that they do not produce light spill, glare and distracting reflections. Bulbs shall not be visible.
C.
Neon and flashing strobe lights are prohibited.
D.
For buildings, use wall-mounted decorative lighting fixtures such as wall sconces to illuminate building piers or highlight building cornice above. The use of industrial "wallpack" light fixtures is prohibited.
E.
Use gooseneck-type or other extended arm light fixtures to externally illuminate facade signs or sign bands above transom windows.
F.
Incorporate display window lighting to illuminate storefronts.
G.
Use coordinated lighting design to illuminate architectural features, entries, sidewalks, parking area, signage and alleys.
§ 480-61 Landscaping design standards.
A.
Create landscape design that is integral with the overall appearance and function of the development.
B.
Incorporate landscaping with architectural features to screen loading and trash areas, meters and other unattractive views.
C.
Integrate a special landscape feature, such as a seating area or a fountain.
D.
Maintain and replace plant materials, as required, to preserve the quality of landscaping.
E.
Provide a mechanical irrigation system as part of the overall concept to ensure landscaping maintenance.
F.
Provide immediate visual impact in the quality of development by using mature trees and other plant materials.
G.
Use architectural landscape lighting to heighten the effect of right-of-way trees and other special landscape features.
H.
Provide planting, trees and shrubs to soften hard surfaces of pavement and building facades and to link the development to the existing network of streets and adjacent developments.
I.
Coordinate planting materials with building facade design and signage.
J.
Screen the back of commercial uses with planting materials and/or other landscaping buffer.
K.
Protect edges of landscape areas from vehicle aisles, parking and circulation areas by raised curbs or another hard surface treatment.
§ 480-62 Signage design standards.
This section applies only within the Main Street Overlay District and shall be used in addition to the general provisions for signs found throughout this chapter. Where differences occur between the Main Street Overlay District standards of this section and those found elsewhere in this chapter, the Main Street Overlay sign standards of this section shall prevail.
A.
Special definitions. The following special definitions shall apply throughout the Central Business (C-2) District sign standards.
PROJECTING SIGN
Any business or identification sign which sole means of support is by attachment to a legal structure on a zoned lot and which projects more than 12 inches into a public right-of-way. A projecting sign shall contain no more than two sign faces which include lettering and these sign faces shall be back-to-back. These signs may be attached to a building wall and no part of the sign shall project more than four feet at a height below 120 inches from the grade beneath the sign. Signs attached to the building at a height above 120 inches from the bottom of the sign to the grade beneath the sign shall not project more than three feet from the building.
B.
Number of signs.
(1)
Street level business. For each street level business, a maximum of one wall sign or two window signs and one projecting sign shall be permitted for each facade of a structure facing a street.
(2)
Upper floor business. For each upper floor business, a maximum of two window signs, one door sign and one projecting sign shall be permitted for each facade of a structure facing a street.
(3)
Area of all signs. The maximum area of all signs shall be 15% of the area of the face of the building on which the signs are proposed.
(4)
For individual businesses that have multiple right-of-way exposures, a maximum of three signs are permitted regardless of sign type used.
C.
Sign placement. In the Main Street Overlay District, the sign may project into the public right-of-way, but may not be erected closer than three feet to any street curbline.
D.
Portable signs. Portable signs are not permitted in the Main Street Overlay District. Sandwich board signs are permitted.
E.
Sandwich board signs.
(1)
Design standards.
(a)
Area. Sign face area shall not exceed 10 square feet per sign face.
(b)
Width. Sign face width shall not exceed three feet measured at the widest point of the sign face.
(c)
Height. Sign height shall not exceed five feet measured from the ground to the top of the sign.
(d)
Ballast. A ballast shall be installed at the base of a sandwich board sign to ensure stability in windy conditions.
(e)
Portability. Signs shall be truly portable and shall not be permanently affixed to any structure or sidewalk.
(f)
Color/illumination. The sign shall not be painted traffic yellow or construction zone orange, nor shall it be reflective, fluorescent or illuminated.
(g)
Signs shall not resemble or contain any MUTCD-compliant traffic control devices in size, shape, message, or color.
(h)
A maximum of one sandwich board sign per individual business shall be permitted. No supplemental sign, notice, flag, balloon or other decoration shall be attached to the sign.
(i)
The sandwich board shall be manufactured to a professional standard of construction, finish and graphics, be fabricated of sign grade wood or metal and be freestanding and self-supporting and not be affixed to or mounted on wheels.
(j)
The sign shall be fold-over or breakaway in design, as to not be capable of producing serious injury to pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.
(k)
The sign shall be maintained in good repair.
(l)
The sign shall not obstruct building exits.
(2)
Placement.
(a)
Sidewalk width. Signs shall be placed only on sidewalks where a minimum four-foot clear sidewalk is maintained. The sign may be placed on the sidewalk fronting the place of business directly adjacent to the property line or building facade.
(b)
Removal. Sandwich board signs may be displayed only during the period a business is open to the public and shall be removed at close of business each day. Sandwich board signs shall not be placed in such a way as to interfere with snowplowing of the streets. The area around the sandwich board sign shall be free of snow and ice and shall be placed on the ground at all times. Sandwich board signs shall not be placed on snow banks. Businesses that utilize sandwich board signs will hold the city harmless from damage to the signs due to snow removal.
(c)
Location. Signs shall be located according to the following standards:
[1]
No sandwich board sign shall be placed within eight linear feet of another sandwich board sign, measured from the base of each sign.
[2]
Signs shall be placed a minimum of 36 inches from all obstructions within the sidewalk right-of-way, including newspaper boxes, outdoor tables/seating, trees and tree grates, bicycle racks, trash receptacles and any other item impeding pedestrian or wheelchair movement. Signs shall be placed a minimum of eight feet from a building corner of a pedestrian crosswalk. Signs shall not be closer than one foot from the face of the street curb.
[3]
Signs shall not block or interfere with any permanent or temporary traffic control devices.
(d)
ADA compliance. Sign placement shall meet all Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See 42 U.S.C. § 12101 et seq.
(3)
Enforcement. More than two violations of the sandwich board sign standards in one calendar year shall result in the removal of the sandwich board. A new sandwich board sign shall not be permitted for the business for a minimum of 12 months from the date of the sign permit revocation.
F.
Wall signs. Wall signs shall be flush-mounted or professionally painted directly on the wall. Wall signs shall be made of MDO, plywood, sandblasted or carved wood, raised letters or metal. Wall signs shall not conceal important building elements.
(1)
Design standards.
(a)
Wall signs shall not project more than eight inches from the building surface which must also include the mounting brackets.
(b)
Wall signs shall not extend above the lowest point of the roof, nor beyond the ends of the wall to which it is attached.
(c)
Wall signs shall not obscure architectural features of the building, including but not limited to windows, arches, sills, moldings, cornices, and transoms.
(d)
Wall signs shall not be mounted above the second-floor windowsill in multistoried buildings.
(e)
For multiple-story buildings in the Main Street Overlay District, wall signs shall only be permitted as follows (except as provided for in this chapter): a) On the building frieze; b) In the area between the first floor and the windowsill of the second story window; if no windows are present, then no higher than 20 feet.
(f)
In the Main Street Overlay District, no wall sign shall be erected within 10 feet of any other projecting sign; however, this provision shall not prohibit at least one wall sign per property tax parcel.
(g)
In the Downtown Main Street Overlay District, the width of the sign shall not exceed the width of the storefront.
(h)
Existing buildings with signage above the height of the window sill of a second story window may replace sign copy with a sign of the same size, shape, and lettering.
(i)
Wall signs shall only be externally lit. See § 480-60E.
G.
Projecting signs. Projecting signs shall be two-sided signs that shall be professionally painted and made of medium-density overlay (MDO), plywood, wood or metal. Projecting signs shall be mounted so that the bottom of the sign is at least seven feet above the sidewalk and projects out no further than four feet from the building face. Projecting signs shall only be lit externally by separate gooseneck light fixtures.
H.
Window signs. Window signs shall be professionally painted letters or letters applied to the interior side of the glass. Window signs shall not occupy more than 25% of the glass area.
I.
All other signs that are not expressly permitted in this section shall be prohibited.
