Sharonville City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 1117
Architectural Standards
1117.01 PURPOSE.
The purpose of this section is to establish architectural and building design standards that encourage higher quality development and function in order to protect property values, and protect real estate from impairment or destruction of value. These architectural and building design criteria can encourage quality development through the use of a variety of design and site techniques while continuing to provide for a wide range of economic development.
(Ord. 2022-22. Passed 5-10-22.)
1117.02 APPLICABILITY.
The following buildings shall be subject to the standards of this chapter, unless otherwise stated, which shall be reviewed as part of a site plan review process:
(a) New multi-family dwellings and rowhouse dwellings in all RM-D, SM-D, NLO, and PUD Districts;
(b) New principal buildings in the OB, LB, GB, CBD, SM-D, and PF Districts;
(c) New nonresidential, principal buildings in any PUD District, including mixed-use buildings that contain residential uses;
(d) Expansion of any principal buildings that are subject to the provision of this chapter; and
(e) Any accessory building that has more than 500 square feet in floor area located within the LB, GB, or OB zoning district.
(Ord. 2022-22. Passed 5-10-22.)
1117.03 GENERAL GUIDELINES.
Any buildings subject to the requirements of this chapter shall be designed with the following guidelines in mind:
(a) Materials should be appropriate for the use of building, for weathering and for relationship to other materials, including those used on adjacent buildings.
(b) Colors and textures should be appropriate for the size and scale of the building, for weathering and for relationship to the site and adjacent buildings.
(c) Architectural details and ornaments should be meaningful to the overall design and appropriate for the size and scale of the building and for weathering.
(d) Mechanical equipment should be considered as it affects rooftop appearance, sidewall openings, sound levels, smoke and other nuisance aspects. Also, mechanical equipment shall be considered as it relates to overhead wires, gas and electric meter stations, and any other visible appurtenances.
(Ord. 2022-22. Passed 5-10-22.)
1117.04 ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS FOR MULTI-FAMILY AND ROWHOUSE DWELLINGS.
The standards of this subsection shall apply to all multi-family dwellings and to rowhouse dwellings.
(a) All siding shall be either horizontal or vertical in placement.
(b) A minimum of seventy-five percent (75%) of all facades shall be constructed of brick, stone, wood, or other natural materials. The use of cultured stone, brick veneer, cementitious materials, or other fabricated materials that resemble natural materials is also permitted, excluding vinyl siding. The remaining twenty-five percent (25%) of facades may be constructed with any sturdy building material, including vinyl.
(c) Front facades shall incorporate variation in mass through one or more of the following methods every fifty (50) feet of facade frontage:
(1) Wall offsets in the form of projections and/or recesses in the facade plane; wall offsets shall have a minimum depth of two (2) feet;
(2) Bay windows;
(3) Facade color changes;
(4) Use of pilasters, columns, or other detailing to articulate the facades; or
(5) Roofline changes when coupled with correspondingly aligned facade material changes.
(d) In addition to wall offsets, front facades and side facades on buildings on corner lots shall provide a minimum of three (3) of the following design features for each residential dwelling unit fronting onto the street:
(1) One or more dormer windows or cupolas;
(2) A recessed entrance;
(3) A covered porch;
(4) Pillars, posts, or pilasters;
(5) One or more bay windows with a minimum of twelve (12)-inch projection from the facade plane;
(6) Eaves with a minimum of six (6 )-inch projection from the facade plane;
(7) A parapet wall with an articulated design, which entails design variation rather than a simple rectilinear form; or
(8) Multiple windows with a minimum of four (4)-inch-wide trim.
Figure 1117-A: Illustrative example of acceptable architectural design for multi-family dwellings
Figure 1117-B: Illustrative example of unacceptable architectural design for multi-family dwellings
(c) To the maximum extent practicable, all roof vents, pipes, antennas, satellite dishes, and other roof penetrations and equipment (except chimneys) shall be located on the rear elevations or configured to have a minimal visual impact as seen from the street. See Section 1117.05(i) and Section 1119.06. (Ord. 2022-22. Passed 5-10-22.)
1117.05 ARCHITECTURAL STANDARDS FOR NONRESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
(a) Building Orientation.
(1) Buildings should generally be parallel to the street they front unless an alternate orientation is consistent with existing adjacent development and is approved by the Planning Commission during site plan review.
(2) The primary entrances of buildings should be oriented:
A. Towards a street along the perimeter of the development or towards a public space, if located adjacent to the proposed project; or
B. Towards streets in the interior of the development if none of the building's facades has frontage on a public street; or
C. As approved by the Planning Commission during site plan review process.
(b) Building Facades. Blank building walls visible from public streets (including alleys adjacent to nonresidential or mixed-use buildings) are prohibited. These requirements shall not generally apply to those walls that are not visible from a street or are completely hidden due to topography or natural features preserved as open space.
(c) Building Materials.
(1) A combination of materials, textures, colors, and finishes should be utilized to create visual interest. Vinyl siding and corrugated metal or steel siding material shall be prohibited unless specially approved by the Planning Commission during site plan review.
(2) Exposed metal panels (such as copper, bronze, or other decorative metal) may be permitted on building elevations as an accent or as a minor exterior material.
(3) Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems (EIFS) shall be prohibited from use on the first floor of any nonresidential building. The Planning Commission shall have the authority to approve the use of EIFS on the first floor during the site plan review process if the applicant can demonstrate that the area coated in EIFS will be protected from damage and maintained to prevent deterioration.
(d) Building Design and Mass.
(1) All architectural elevations of principal buildings shall consist of a base, a body, and a cap. See Figure 1117-C.
Figure 1117-C: Illustration of the cap, body, and base of a building.
(2) The base shall occupy the lowest portion of the elevation, and should have a height no less than eight percent (8%) of the average wall height. The base shall be composed of brick, tile, stone or cast or cultured stone, concrete or pre-fab concrete panels, split-face block, or other material if specially approved by the Planning Commission during site plan review.
(3) The body shall occupy the middle portion of the elevation, and should have a height no less than sixty percent (60%) of the average wall height. The body may be composed of brick, stone, cast or cultured stone, stucco (EFIS), or other material if specially approved by the Planning Commission during site plan review.
(4) The cap shall occupy the highest portion of the elevation, excluding the roof, and should have a height no less than eight percent (8%) of the average wall height, not to exceed the height of the base. The cap may be composed of brick, tile stone or cast or cultured stone, concrete or pre-fab concrete panels stucco (EFIS), or other material if specially approved by the Planning Commission during site plan review.
(5) The base and cap shall be clearly distinguishable from the body through changes in color, material, pattern, profile, or texture.
(6) The cap shall consist of at least one of the following architectural features: (See Figure 1117-D and Figure 1117-E)
A. A cornice;
B. A parapet;
C. An awning;
D. A canopy; or
E. Eaves.
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Figure 1117-D: Example of a cornice (left image) and parapet (right image),
both highlighted in the red rectangles.
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Figure 1117-E: Example of an awning (left image) and canopy (center image -
highlighted in red rectangle).
Figure 1117-F: Example the use of eaves, highlighted in red rectangles.
(7) This section shall not be construed to prohibit metal roofs, flashing, aluminum storefront associated with windows, or high-quality metal siding applications such as copper, bronze, or other decorative metal.
(8) Architectural elevations for all new buildings shall include design, massing, materials, shape, and scale that create a unified design on the premises.
(e) Facade Massing.
(1) Offset Required. Front facades sixty (60) feet wide or wider shall incorporate wall offsets of at least two (2) feet in depth (projections or recesses) a minimum of every forty (40) feet. Each required offset shall have a minimum width of twenty (20) feet. See Figure 1117-G.
Figure 1117-G: Illustration of how the facade offset provisions may be applied.
(2) Offset Alternative. The following alternatives can be used in place of the required front facade offsets as shown in Figure 1117-H:
A. Facade color or material changes following the same dimensional standards as the offset requirements;
B. Pilasters having a minimum depth of one foot, a minimum width of one foot, and a minimum height of eighty percent (80%)of the facade's height; and/or
C. Roofline changes when coupled with correspondingly aligned facade material changes.
Figure 1117-H: The above image illustrates material changes, pilasters, and other architectural features break up the appearance of a single facade.
(f) Wall Openings (Doors and Windows).
(1) Blank walls (i.e., those devoid of openings such as windows and transparent doors) shall be prohibited on the front facade of any building. In no case shall a building have blank walls parallel to a public street or to its tangent, if the street is curved.
(2) Building elevations that are visible from a public street should contain window and door openings that occupy at least thirty percent (30%) of the total wall surface area. The bottom edge of the windows shall not be higher than three (3) feet above grade on the ground floor.
(3) Doors and windows should be positioned to create a uniform pattern or visual rhythm along the building elevation.
(4) All doors and windows shall be articulated through the use of lintels, sills, and thresholds.
(5) Doors and windows shall be rectangular in shape and vertical in orientation.
(6) The pattern of architectural features, such as windows and doors, shall be placed upon the facade of a building in a pattern that creates a building fenestration that has a constant rhythm, is harmonious in appearance, and is proportional to one another and surrounding buildings.
(7) These requirements shall apply to all street facing building facades and the first twenty percent (20%) of any non-street facing facade located perpendicular to any street.
(g) Roof Styles.
(1) The height of any pitched roof shall not exceed one-half of the overall building height.
(2) Roof Line Changes.
A. Roofline changes shall include changes in roof planes or changes in the top of a parapet wall, such as extending the top of pilasters above the top of the parapet wall.
B. When roofline changes are included on a facade that incorporates wall offsets or material or color changes, roof line changes shall be vertically aligned with the corresponding wall offset or material or color changes. See Figure 1117-I.
Figure 1117-I: Roofline changes shall be aligned with corresponding wall offsets and/or material or color changes.
(3) Flat Roofs.
A. When flat roofs are used, parapet walls with three-dimensional cornice treatments shall conceal them. The cornice shall include a perpendicular projection a minimum of eight (8) inches from the parapet facade plane.
B. Thin parapets that extend more than two (2) feet above the roof and have a depth of less than two (2) feet from the facade surface, are prohibited.
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Figure 1117-J: Parapet walls with cornice treatments are used to disguise flat roofs. The image on the right illustrates a tall, thin parapet wall that is prohibited.
(4) Asymmetric or Dynamic Roofs.
A. Asymmetric or dynamic roof forms allude to motion, provide variety and flexibility in nonresidential building design, and allow for unique buildings.
B. Asymmetric or dynamic roof forms shall be permitted on nonresidential buildings provided the criteria for flat roofs in Section 1117.05(g)(3), above, are met.
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Figure 1117-K: Examples of dynamic or asymmetric roof lines
(h) Refuse Facilities. Refuse facilities shall be enclosed by fences or walls that are compatible with the architectural materials and patterns of the principal building, or they may be screened in a manner allowed in Section 1119.06.
(i) Mechanical Equipment.
(1) Wall mounted mechanical, electrical, communication equipment, downspouts, gutters, service doors, and other building-mounted utility fixtures, shall be painted and maintained to match the building or be screened from view. All rooftop mechanical equipment, unless screened from view, should match the color of the structure or be visually compatible with the structure.
(2) Mechanical equipment such as transformers and HVAC units should not be located in front yards, unless appropriately screened from view.
(3) All mechanical equipment, including both ground-mounted and roof-mounted equipment, shall be screened from view from adjacent public rights-of-way, as well as from all property zoned or used for residential purposes.
(4) Screening elements may include walls (same material and color as principal structure), landscaping, mounds, parapets or enclosures constructed of the same materials used on the majority of the principal structure or any combination or as otherwise approved or required during site plan review. See Figure 1117-L.
Figure 1117-L: Illustration of the use of walls for the screening of mechanical equipment.
(j) Modification or Waiver of this Section. The requirements of this section may be modified or waived upon specific review and approval by the Planning Commission as part of an alternative equivalency review during the site plan review process. See Section 1129.10 Alternative Equivalency Review.
(Ord. 2022-22. Passed 5-10-22.)