shall be assessed in terms of the design standards contained in this section. Each
application is required to demonstrate how the proposal fulfills the following design standards in a written and/or graphic manner. The
shall fulfill the following criteria unless a portion of the criteria do not apply or relate, in whole or part, to a specific proposal. The examples listed in this section are for illustrative purposes. Specific solutions used to fulfill these criteria are contingent upon the size, scale, site conditions, design, uses and impacts of a proposed development.
1.
Height: The height of any structure shall be compatible with the existing buildings in the area, and proposed structures within the project site, and meet airport clearance regulations.
2.
Placement or location of buildings: Consideration shall be given to the most appropriate location of buildings based upon access and direct visibility. The location of any building should not interrupt a continuous visual pattern from public view or a public street. Building location should be planned to accomplish a transition with the landscaped areas, pedestrian areas, and parking areas. Building setbacks can vary in order to allow appropriate building location. The setback on the perimeter of the planned development district shall be large enough to protect the privacy and amenity of adjoining uses both existing and anticipated.
3.
Preliminary Building Design or Architecture: Building design should be designed in a compatible architectural style if part of a large commercial, residential, industrial or office center. Individual buildings not part of larger development should be compatible with surrounding structures. Sites which are subject to architectural requirements through adopted land use studies shall follow said requirements. All structures shall have a consistent design treatment on all facades. The unified architectural style or building design shall also apply to materials, colors, roof types and entrances, and shall include traditional, regionally influenced architectural forms and elements and shall allow variations within it. Traditional styles such as Georgian, Federal, I-House, Cape Cod, Craftsman, Tudor, Queen Anne, Italianate, early 20th century commercial structures, and local farm structures may be used as models. Contemporary or transitional styles of comparable quality may also be considered. The architectural theme shall also relate to existing structures on the project site and adjacent sites, especially if such existing structures are historic.
4.
For attached or multi-family residential developments and commercial or office developments, the predominant building materials shall have a solid appearance, such as could be achieved with brick, stone, and architectural grade cast concrete products designed to replicate natural materials. Roof designs shall have a finished appearance through the use of three dimensional pitched roof forms with architectural grade roofing and/or the use of defined parapets with cornice lines. Long building facades and roof planes shall be interrupted through the use of three dimensional jogs in the building footprint and secondary roof forms such as hips, dormers, and gables. Such buildings shall include architectural detailing for cosmetic enhancement, largely use natural colors, and use a consistent design treatment on all facades. The use of architectural guidelines or building prototypes is required for all multi-phased projects.
5.
Developments should be mixed-use in character with multi-level buildings where commercial services are proposed. Walkability must be planned for when locating commercial and residential uses in proximity to each other. Office and residential uses are strongly advocated above commercial uses in business districts to decrease dependence on the automobile.
6.
Scale and Pedestrian Orientation: Consideration shall be given to the scale of each building and architectural detail, which relates to the size of an individual and the natural environment. In general, planned developments shall have a pedestrian scale and orientation. In rendering this decision, emphasis should be given to building mass and how it relates to open space.
7.
In general, planned developments shall have a pedestrian orientation, where it is possible to live, work, shop, and play in the same immediate vicinity without a required dependence on the automobile. This may be accomplished through the use of comprehensive pedestrian circulation networks including multipurpose paths and walks along main routes and open spaces such as stream corridors, between major destinations within the development and adjoining areas, secondary walk connections to the multipurpose paths, the creation of a designed pedestrian environment including street trees in addition to other required landscaping, decorative street lights and other street furniture, and seating areas, and the use of integral curb walks where appropriate along streets. Disruptions in major paths due to street and drive intersections shall be minimal. Additionally, in commercial areas, pedestrian orientation can be accomplished by placing buildings in close proximity to the street with parking areas to the side and rear of buildings, mixing uses within the same multi-story buildings, building entrances directly facing streets with reduced setbacks, architectural design which employs display windows, projecting signs, and awnings at street level, and designed outdoor seating and gathering spaces at the street level. Each development proposal must demonstrate in detail how the project will be made walkable throughout.
8.
Elevation: The elevation of any site or structure should be determined by the grade of any existing or proposed public road. Consideration should be given to the relationship between the width and height of the front, side and read elevation of any building from a public road. Exposed foundations and building elevations from a public street should be minimized.
9.
Historic and Prehistoric Features: Historic features on the project site shall be retained, utilized, and incorporated into the overall project design if physically and economically feasible.
10.
Paved Surfaces: Emphasis should be placed on preserving at a reasonable rate the amount of open space. The interior road system, sidewalk system, and parking lot should be designed with this in mind. Paved surface refers to cement, brick pavement, asphalt, cobblestone, or other similar type surfaces. Parking areas should be treated with decorative elements, fence, or wall extensions, plantings, berms as other means so as to screen parking areas from public view or soften their visual impact. Large parking lots shall be designed with landscaped islands. Parking lots and driveway aisles should be either asphalt or concrete. Landscaped entrances with trees and bushes should be encouraged near the entrances of any commercial, retail, or industrial development and any structures used to demarcate entry points shall visually correlate to the planned architectural theme by the use of consistent design details, materials, and colors.
11.
Fences, Walls and Landscaped Berms: Consideration should be given to brick walls, fences, and landscaped berms, which would produce a continuous cohesive wall of enclosure on a lot line or adjacent to a road. These fences, walls and/or berms shall be designed and maintained in relationship with character of the surrounding land uses and structures.
12.
Landscaping: Consideration should be given to the quality and quantity of landscaping and an emphasis shall be given to streetscape areas, buffer zones, and the provision of significant landscaping (in terms of size of landscaped areas, and quantity and quality of landscape materials) within the developed portions of the site. Landscaping details will be evaluated on the entire site and surrounding any proposed structure and shall be reviewed in relation to adjacent properties. A special attempt should be made to preserve the existing vegetation and scenic areas, if any and encourage additional open space for the public's benefit. Existing topography, significant tree cover, and water courses and water bodies shall be largely preserved and incorporated into the project design, where appropriate and consistent with the remainder of this article. Plantings should be used to soften the impact of parking and loading areas. Properly designed street tree plantings may be permitted to fulfill some landscaping requirements as part of an overall amenity package. Plant material should be selected on the basis of texture and color and for its ultimate growth to provide a visual screen for the public. The use of landscape design guidelines is required for multi-phased projects.
13.
Open Space and Recreational Uses: Residential Planned Developments shall make a provision for preserving open space and devoting an appropriate portion of the site to meet the recreational (either active or passive recreation) needs of the residential population at a minimum, and such open spaces are strongly encouraged in Employment Planned Developments. These spaces may be provided in the form of linear parks, parks, plazas, arcades, commons, trails, sports courts or other athletic and recreational areas, outdoor areas for the display of sculptural elements, etc. Land reservations for community facilities may be considered in lieu of useable open space. The use of single loaded streets to provide linear parks with multi-purpose paths, activity or scenic areas, or to protect stream corridors, is strongly advocated. Any site proposed to be publicly dedicated or donated for park or open space purposes shall comply with the appropriate legislative body’s requirements for acceptance of such dedications or donations.
14.
Signage: Signage should be designed to protect the visual order of any site and to minimize the impact of adjacent properties. Consideration should be given to the number, location, size and height of any building mounted sign or free-standing sign. A consistent signage theme shall be provided within a planned development. Except in residential areas, building mounted signs shall be the predominate signage on the project site. Freestanding signs shall be monument style and of a limited size and height. Signage shall visually correlate to the planned architectural theme by the use of consistent design details, materials, and colors. The use of signage design guidelines is required for multi-phased projects.
15.
Utilities: All utility service lines to the building and possible main lines to or within the site shall be located and installed underground. Alternatives may be possible if this requirement is economically infeasible.
16.
Detention/Retention Ponds or Lakes: Large detention/retention ponds or lakes should be discouraged in the front yard or in an area subject to public view from a public street if not used both for stormwater management and aesthetic purposes. Smaller detention/retention ponds or lakes appropriately designed and landscaped should be encouraged and distributed throughout the site and may appear in the front yard or in an area subject to public view from a public street. Surface drainage and floodwater retention shall be planned to not adversely impact the adjoining properties.
17.
Transportation Design: Principal vehicular access shall be from major streets and access points shall be designed to encourage smooth traffic flow with controlled turning movements and minimum hazards to vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Maximum separation of vehicular traffic on major roads from pedestrian and recreational areas shall occur. The provision of transportation connections (street connections, pedestrian paths, multi-purpose trails, and sidewalks, bicycle facilities) shall be provided in all planned developments unless physically unfeasible or unsafe. This shall include connections to adjoining properties and developments, and inter-connectivity within the development itself, and contain minimal use of cul-de-sacs or other dead-end types of streets only when necessary. Transportation connections shall account for the County’s adopted Transportation Plan and any adopted greenway, trails, bikeway, and/or pedestrian plans.
18.
Multi-Modal Transportation System: Planned developments shall incorporate multi-modal transportation elements in the development, depending on the foreseeable needs of future residents and users of the site, and the relationship of the project site to the community at large. Such multi-modal elements may include provisions for mass transit stops or stations, car pooling lots, pedestrian and bicycle paths and lanes, bicycle parking areas, etc. Multi-modal facilities are encouraged to be combined with the pedestrian systems and open spaces described above.
19.
Location of Land Uses: Land uses shall be located primarily for convenience to the service area and compatibility with the adjoining land uses. If conflicting land uses are intended to be located near each other, measures shall be taken to mitigate the impact of the uses upon each other.