Spencerport City Zoning Code
ARTICLE XIV
Architectural Design Standards
§ 340-83 Purpose.
The Village Board of Trustees hereby finds that excessive uniformity, dissimilarity, inappropriateness or poor quality of design in the exterior appearance of any buildings erected, altered, remodeled or extended in any neighborhood adversely affects the desirability of the immediate area and neighboring areas for residential and business purposes or other purposes and, by so doing, impairs the benefits of occupancy of existing property in such areas, impairs the stability and value of both improved and unimproved real property in such areas, prevents the most appropriate development and use of such areas, produces degeneration of property in such areas, with attendant deterioration of conditions affecting the health, safety and general welfare of the community, and impairs a proper relationship between the taxable value of real property in such areas and the cost of municipal services provided therefor. It is the purpose of this article to prevent these and other harmful effects of such exterior appearance of buildings and related exterior improvements erected or altered in any neighborhood so designated for architectural review and thus to promote the health, safety and general welfare of the community, conserve the value of the buildings and encourage the most appropriate use of land within the Village of Spencerport.
§ 340-84 Title.
This article shall be known as the "Architectural Design Standards Local Law."
§ 340-85 Definitions.
Unless the context of this article otherwise requires, the following definitions of words and phrases shall be used in the interpretation and construction of this article:
A strategic design objective.
Certain additional minimum design elements required to achieve a performance goal. As used in this article, complying with all performance standards does not guarantee achievement of a performance goal.
§ 340-86 Architectural design requirements.
No certificate of appropriateness shall be issued within the Architectural Review District for any project requiring such certificate of appropriateness within the Architectural Review District unless the Architectural Review Board determines that the project complies with all performance goals and all performance standards contained in this article. Where a standard contained in a performance goal is deemed inconsistent with a standard contained in a performance standard, the most restrictive standard shall apply.
§ 340-87 Performance goals.
A.
Architectural theme: to preserve, promote, restore and enhance a nineteenth-century canal Village. The overall design will focus on improvements which promote pedestrian activity and social interaction through the appropriate use of scale, materials, detailing and site planning.
B.
Renovating existing buildings. Creative improvements to existing buildings can enhance the vitality of, and protect, the commercial district; consider additions of appropriate window and entry architectural elements, construction of second floors, provision of additional entrances in side and back of buildings; and coordinate building improvements with site improvements such as walkways and plantings. Materials used for renovating existing structures should be consistent with the materials used when the structure was originally built. Original details should be preserved and restored whenever possible.
C.
New buildings. The design of new buildings should reflect the historic architecture of the Village in terms of scale, massing, roof shape, gable orientation, window size, shape and spacing and exterior materials. New building design should creatively reflect these concepts, while not necessarily replicating them. Special attention should be paid to adjacent buildings and the context of the project site with its surroundings, particularly when these are historic or otherwise of redeeming design value. Commercial and institutional structures should be oriented to the sidewalk, pedestrians and the street.
D.
Historic buildings. Adaptive reuse and appropriate additions to historic buildings should be encouraged, rather than demolishing them to build new structures.
E.
Large buildings. Large buildings can be made to fit into the Villagescape by designing breaks in the building mass and rooflines and by including appropriate architectural detail. Window and door openings should be maximized for facades facing the public realm. New buildings should be scaled down into groupings of smaller structures to avoid large bulky masses.
F.
Parking and traffic.
(1)
Parking location. Parking should be subservient to the buildings and pedestrian system. It should be located behind, or occasionally along the side of, commercial structures to visually screen it from the road and to create a more interesting streetscape. Smaller parking areas are preferred. Creating additional (side and back) entrances to buildings will render side and back parking lots more attractive to customers.
(2)
Internal roads. Internal roads should be logically arranged to serve the buildings. The roads should be designed to link and unify the uses in a project and provide pedestrian and vehicular connections to the public realm along existing frontage streets. Main streets within a commercial project should include the amenities associated with a pedestrian-scale environment. These shall include curbing, trees, sidewalks and lighting.
(3)
Landscaping. The Village requires landscaping of parking areas that will provide visual relief and shade and buffer adjoining uses. Trees, shrubs, flowers and ground cover should each be used as appropriate. Large areas of asphalt should be divided into smaller units through the use of landscaping or other techniques. Planting islands should be large enough to support mature trees. Parking areas within 50 feet of a right-of-way shall have a planted screen between the parking perimeter and the right-of-way, and said planted screen shall be at least three feet high.
(4)
Linkage. Adjacent commercial areas should be encouraged to share parking areas and provide connections between them. This will reduce traffic problems caused by drivers having to pull into roadway traffic to get from one shop to the next. Reducing the number of curb cuts required will reduce congestion, make safer sidewalks and create intersections that are easier to control at peak hours. This will also increase the potential for enhanced business activity by facilitating access among area businesses.
(5)
Transit. Park-and-ride lots, bus shelters and other commuter services should be planned into the construction and rebuilding of larger commercial areas.
(6)
Bikes and pedestrians. Nonmotorized transportation access should be considered with each commercial project. Creating connections between existing and proposed trails and sidewalks is particularly important.
G.
Design elements.
(1)
Building mass. Buildings should be located close to the sidewalk and along the street to form a strong architectural and visual group by complementing each other. A small setback of approximately 30 feet would be appropriate in a commercial setting. This will allow screening of rear parking and vacant spaces and make the storefronts more pedestrian-friendly. New buildings should also be scaled down into smaller masses of various sizes and orientations to create smaller, human-scaled environments and provide strategic openings in building lines to access important vistas and public spaces.
(2)
Building height. Two- and sometimes three-story buildings should be encouraged in commercial areas. Three-story buildings can be located along the corner lots. Single-story commercial structures, typical of newer construction, often do not create the strong sense of enclosure that is so inviting in older areas and unnecessarily consume the landscape.
(3)
Rooflines. A variety of roof types, heights and gable orientations in proportion with the volume of the building will help to retain the Village's diverse, yet traditional, character. Extensive use of very steep or flat or very low-pitched roofs should generally be avoided.
(4)
Nineteenth-century architectural design. Building and structure design should creatively reflect traditional elements of the Village. Diversity that is in tune with the massing, proportion, decorative design elements and street relationships of traditional buildings should be encouraged. Clusters of buildings with internal open spaces are desired, rather than single buildings separated by vast expanses of parking lots. Old and new structures should appear as a comprehensive sequence in size and shape. Architectural detailing can be used to create variety and interest on new buildings.
(5)
Materials. Surface qualities of structures like color, texture, pattern and their impact on the entire project or district are extremely important. The use of traditional materials, such as painted or stained wood clapboards and trim and natural brick, shingles and stone, should be encouraged to create a sense of connectivity with the existing buildings.
(6)
Windows. The proportion and the placement of windows are important in terms of blending new construction with the old. Ground-floor windows should permit pedestrian views. A variety of traditional windows can be used to create new concepts. Windows should be designed and placed in proportion to the general scale and mass of the building. Window areas for display with appropriate lighting, awning canopies, window boxes and the overall creation of store identity will be encouraged. Sufficient windows and clerestories shall be used to provide natural light and ventilation.
(7)
Pedestrian interaction. Locating storefronts close to the sidewalk and placing main entrances near the public sidewalk and retractable storefronts, patios and balconies which bring internal activity to the sidewalk during warm weather are to be encouraged.
(8)
Signage.
(a)
Visual communications or signs as design elements are important elements in the urban environment. Signs should be at a scale appropriate to the use and volume of facility. Retail commercial uses require a greater signage level than office or other limited-use commercial facilities. Signs can help unify a commercial district or corridor and create a positive image regarding the goods and services available there. Signage must be managed to avoid visual blight and provide a fair and competitive economic environment. Commercial buildings can be designed with dignity to grace the public realm.
(b)
Buildings or their architectural treatments should not, however, be so garish in line, color or effect so as to constitute a sign in themselves. Tasteful building design and appropriate signage can provide an important role in identifying a business while contributing positively to community character.
(9)
Lighting. Pedestrian-level lighting should be on fixtures not exceeding 15 feet in height. These can be freestanding fixtures located along the sidewalks. Luminaires without cutoffs are acceptable for pedestrian-level lights. The fixture and luminaire should fit the design palette of the project, while complementing other nearby architectural styles. Lighting fixtures for parking lots should be between 15 feet and 25 feet in height and should not exceed 30 feet in height. Parking and circulation lighting fixtures should include a cutoff-type luminaire to prevent spillage of direct light above the fixture. All outdoor lighting should be screened by shields or hoods to prevent glares onto adjacent premises. Intensity levels of individual fixtures can be reduced by utilizing a larger number of smaller light poles. In smaller pedestrian areas, incandescent lights can be used to improve the quality of lighting.
(10)
Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) units and dumpsters. Screen these appliances with landscaping and architectural treatments coordinated with the project design palette.
(11)
Fences shall be designed with architectural treatments coordinated with the project design palette.
§ 340-88 Performance standards.
A.
Sign design standards.
(6)
Construction. All styles, materials, coatings and attachments which are not expressly permitted by this article are prohibited, except such adequate simulations thereof as approved by the ARD.
(7)
Lighting of signs. To protect the historic character of the Village, the following standards shall apply to lighting of signs:
(8)
Prohibited sign lighting types. The following sign lighting types are prohibited:
(9)
Permitted sign-lighting types. The following lighting types are permitted:
(a)
White light-emitting diodes (LED). No other colors shall be permitted.
(b)
Temporary lighting, used for no more than a six-week period for holiday and other special event decorations.
(c)
Camouflaged lighting. Lighting employing new technologies which reproduce the spectral appearance and lumen levels typical of incandescent lighting.
(10)
Light fixtures. All lighting of signs shall emanate from an approved lighting fixture. Except for temporary lighting, no bare-bulb illumination of signs shall be permitted.
B.
Materials and material configurations for general construction.
(1)
Building walls shall be faced with any of the following: wood clapboard, wood shingle/shake, wood board and batten, stone or clay brick. Architect-grade vinyl and simulations of the materials contained in this section may be deemed approved if the Village Architect finds that such materials will further the performance goals contained in this article.
(2)
Exterior chimneys shall be finished in brick or an enclosure matching the facing on the building wall.
(3)
Existing materials shall not be covered or replaced with extruded vinyl siding or aluminum siding, plywood, T-111, stucco or synthetic stucco.
(4)
Brick selected for new construction or renovation should be respective of period, form and patina.
(5)
All wood shall be finished using a paint, stain or clear finishes such as varnish, lacquer or polyurethane.
(6)
Skylights shall be flat type, in plane with the slope of the roof when closed.
C.
Prohibited materials and prohibited material configurations for general construction.
(1)
Security devices, such as coiling shutters, accordion gates or grilles on the exterior of a building facade.
(2)
Concave- or convex-type skylights.
(3)
Barbed wire.
(4)
Stockade fence or chain-ink fence.
(5)
T-111 siding.
(6)
Stucco or synthetic stucco siding.
(7)
Any other material or configuration not expressly permitted.
(8)
Metal paneling, metal siding, metal trim.
(9)
Diagonal siding.
(10)
Concrete block.
(11)
Awnings with a vinyl facing, wood components or any facing not simulating canvas.
(12)
Window tinting.
D.
Landscaping. All projects shall provide landscaping in addition to necessary screening materials. Landscaping shall include live plant material and aesthetic site improvements, but shall not include topsoil, grass, fences, fill, grading and paving associated with normal building requirements. A landscape plan prepared by a licensed landscape architect, showing his seal and signature, indicating the exact locations, varieties and minimum size of trees to be planted and of existing trees to be preserved and any other landscape features proposed, shall be provided. Said landscape plan shall have a one-year guaranty noted to protect all plantings. All pervious surfaces shall have at least six inches of topsoil suitable for planting and shall have a groomed ground cover.