The City has a vested interest in ensuring that all development is compatible with the industrial nature of the City and the pedestrian-friendly, hybrid industrial nature of its mixed-use districts. In addition to the mandatory standards of this title, the City implements Design Review (Chapter 17.86) to ensure that development achieves these aims. The standards and guidelines of this chapter are a resource for Design Review. As described in Section 17.86.020(B), Design Review will evaluate strict compliance with mandatory standards in this chapter. Design Review will also evaluate substantial compliance with guidelines in this chapter which are expressed with nonmandatory language, determining which guidelines are applicable to a particular project.

Applicability. These design standards and guidelines shall apply to all projects within mixed-use zones which are subject to Design Review as described in Chapter 17.86.

Location and Uses. Commercial uses, lobbies and other public-facing uses should be located on the primary street, with a direct entry from the sidewalk. For corner properties, these uses should prioritize access and orientation to Santa Fe Avenue, or in the MU-PH District, Hampton Street and Pacific Boulevard. Residential uses should principally be located above or behind the primary street ground floor frontage. Industrial uses may be located in a variety of locations, but it is encouraged that customer-facing areas of industrial uses, such as offices and showrooms, be located on the primary street.

Vehicular Access. Vehicular access (loading and parking) should be provided from rear alleys or side streets. If individual site conditions necessitate vehicular access from Santa Fe Avenue, or in the MU-PH District, Hampton Street or Pacific Boulevard, vehicular access points should be limited to one per property and be located in accordance with Section 17.56.060(L).

Scale and Rhythm. If the project is located in an area with a recognizable development pattern, it should respect the scale and rhythm of the area, as illustrated in Figure 17.54.030(A). Projects which are larger than the current development pattern can include features such as step-down adjacent to lower-scaled uses and establishing building modules which are of a similar scale to the existing development.

Residential Uses and Truck Loading. Residential uses (including multifamily dwelling uses, hotel uses, live/work uses, and residential care facilities uses) shall be located a minimum of 200 feet from any exposed loading dock demonstrated to have a minimum of 10 daily heavy truck trips. If the implementation of this requirement precludes the applicant's ability to develop residential uses on the site, residential uses may be constructed within 200 feet of the exposed loading dock provided that guidelines in Section 17.54.050, "Buffering and orientation," are applied to the fullest extent possible.

Truck Access. New nonindustrial development on a property which is adjacent to an existing industrial property shall not restrict their ability to access their truck docks and parking facilities and to ship goods into and out of their property in a like manner to that in use prior to the new development on the neighboring property.

Ground Floor Residential Uses. Ground-floor residential uses shall be limited to live/work uses that permit walk-in trade. The amount of ground-floor frontage permitted to be such uses is limited by the primary street ground floor active use regulations.

Upper Floor Uses. Upper floor uses, including residential and office uses, should incorporate setbacks and/or appropriate window orientation to ensure access to light and privacy. At minimum, upper floors of buildings shall comply with the fire separation requirements of California Building Code Table R.302.1.1 (Unsprinklered Buildings) or R.302.1 (Sprinklered Buildings).

Balconies. Balconies shall not project into the public right-of-way.

Residential Uses and Heavy Industrial Uses. Residential uses shall be separated from any adjacent heavy industrial uses (all industrial uses not included in Sections 17.23.020, 17.24.020, 17.25.020, and 17.26.020) located outside a mixed-use zoning district with acoustic and visual buffers. Unless the applicant can demonstrate that a different strategy will be similarly effective, the buffer shall consist of a minimum six-foot-high wall constructed of solid masonry and partially or fully covered with hedges, ivy, bamboo or other similar softening material, and a minimum five-foot-wide screen landscaping strip consisting of evergreen trees or an evergreen trellis structure of at least six feet in height.

Residential Orientation Away From Industrial Uses. Habitable residential spaces and windows should be oriented away from adjacent industrial uses to the greatest extent possible.

Open Space Orientation Away From Industrial Uses. Open spaces should be oriented away from adjacent industrial uses. Should they be constructed in an area which is open to adjacent industrial properties, screening should be used to lessen the impacts of industrial activities on the residential properties.

Security and Visibility. Every project should have adequate lighting to provide for security and visibility, particularly along walkways and driveways, entrances to parking areas, and open space areas.

Impact on Neighboring Properties. Site, parking lot and building security lighting should not impact surrounding or neighboring properties. The type and location of such lighting shall preclude direct glare onto adjoining property, streets, or skyward, and should not adversely impact residential units within a development.

Screening and Concealing. Outdoor storage areas, loading docks, mechanical equipment and trash enclosures shall not be visible from Santa Fe Avenue, Pacific Boulevard, Vernon Avenue or Hampton Street and shall be concealed or screened with a combination of building features, decorative walls and landscaping consistent with the architectural style of the building. Operational equipment for onsite businesses shall also be screened.

Loading Docks. Any loading dock designed for use of trucks/trailers with four or more axles shall be screened from Santa Fe Avenue, Pacific Boulevard, Vernon Avenue or Hampton Street by a building. Docks should be located toward the rear of such properties.

These standards apply in addition to the standards in Section 17.22.070(A)(3).

Acoustic Separation. All interior spaces shall be sufficiently acoustically separated from other on-and off-site uses, as required by the CBC and other regulations.

Air Filtering. All regularly occupied areas of mechanically ventilated buildings shall be equipped with air filtration media for outside and return air that provides a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 13.

Statement of Acknowledgement. Applicants for any development containing residential or office uses must sign a statement acknowledging that individuals choosing to live and/or work in an active, mixed-use community are willing to accept a greater mix and closer proximity of surrounding land uses, and the rights of neighboring businesses to continue their legal business activities without undue interference must be preserved.

Statement of Disclosure. A statement of disclosure shall be provided in all leases and condominium documents in which the lessee or buyer acknowledges the following:

Purpose. As described in Tables 17.23.020(A), 17.24.020(A), 17.25.020(A) and 17.26.020(A), larger residential projects are required to have a live/work component. Other projects will be fully live/work. The reasons to provide live/work units include:

Permitted Uses. Permitted uses within a live/work unit shall depend on the type of live/work unit as described below. No property owner or homeowners' association may restrict permissible uses beyond these categories, except for artist live/work space, and restrictions which can be demonstrated to be necessary for the health and safety of the residents.

Hazardous Occupancies. Hazardous occupancies shall be restricted by the requirements of the California Building Code.

Loading Docks. A minimum of one loading dock shall be provided for projects of over 10,000 square feet. Loading docks shall comply with the standards of Chapter 17.57.

Unit Design Standards. Each live/work unit shall comply with the following design standards:

Ground Floor Live/Work Spaces. Ground-floor live/work spaces should be designed in a special manner, which emphasizes the "work" component of live/work, and engages the public in the pedestrian realm. Due to active use frontage requirements, ground-floor live/work units will exist adjacent to commercial or light industrial uses and should be designed for small businesses with employees and walkin clientele.

Ground Floor Frontage Standards. Building frontages, particularly ground floors, should be designed to accentuate the walkability of Santa Fe Avenue as Vernon's historic main street. The regulations given here are intended to ensure that ground-floor spaces are economically and physically viable, and contribute to the pedestrian environment with active uses.

Minimum Streetwall. Ground-floors along primary streets shall incorporate a minimum streetwall at the building frontage, active use percentage, and minimum transparency as given in Tables 17.23.040(A), 17.24.040(A), 17.25.040(A), and 17.26.040(A). Portions of building elevations may be set back to allow for outdoor use, such as patio dining, public art or entry forecourts, and can still count toward the requirement for minimum streetwall at the building frontage. Parking, however, should never be placed in the front of the building.

Main Entrance Location. Main entrances shall be emphasized and oriented to the sidewalk or sidewalk-accessible open space.

Setback Along Santa Fe Avenue. Setbacks may vary within the permitted range of minimum to maximum setback, as illustrated in Figure 17.54.110. Any setback area provided along Santa Fe Avenue shall be hardscaped and allow for public access unless used for outdoor dining. Any landscaping must be located in a planter.

New Construction. For all new construction, ground-floor spaces shall have a floor-to-floor height of 18 feet minimum in order to ensure viability for retail or light industrial uses.

Primary Street Frontage. Ground-floor live/work units shall have a minimum length of 25 feet along the primary street frontage.

Awnings. Awnings are permitted to project up to six feet into the public right-of-way, provided that they are permitted by any other regulatory requirements such as utility pole clearances.

Sidewalk Dining. Sidewalk dining is permitted within the MU-CC and MU-S Zones with an Encroachment Permit. A minimum unobstructed sidewalk travel path of six feet, or 12 feet in front of City Hall, must be left at all times.

Outdoor Dining. Outdoor dining is allowed on private property, including rooftops and private patios without limitation. If outdoor dining is located on private property at the building frontage, the maximum front setback may be exceeded in order to accommodate the outdoor dining area.

Purpose and General Approach. Industrial character guidelines are intended to help retain the architectural character of existing buildings as defined by their initial use and historic context at their period of greatest significance. This can be achieved through implementing a combination of strategies such as: maintaining original character-defining features, structural elements, including reinforced concrete and open truss roofs, materials such as brick, concrete, and steel, windows and doors, etc. These strategies can be paired with the thoughtful addition and integration of new elements necessary to accommodate proposed uses and ensure the activation and continuous utilization of the building. Developments are encouraged to adapt existing buildings by retaining certain key features and elements in a way that celebrates the history of the structures, while incorporating new elements into a single, coherent design that ultimately allows for a greater range of usability. Elements to be maintained will need to be submitted, reviewed, and confirmed through the Design Review process.

Materiality and Architectural Style. New, ground-up construction should also incorporate the language of industrial structures, including use of exposed brick, concrete and steel, flat roofs and use of scale appropriate to the legacy industrial structures in the immediate area. Use of traditional residential or main street commercial architectural styles, such as Spanish or English Colonial, are discouraged in favor of more modern, contemporary styles.

Murals. Murals are an important part of Vernon's and Los Angeles' industrial fabric. New murals are encouraged within the mixed-use districts and are subject to approval through the Design Review process.

Purpose. Vernon is a nontraditional setting for certain uses, particularly residential. Open space in the Westside context is important to provide places for interaction, enjoyment of natural features (the air, soil, plants, etc.), and recreation for the population most likely to move into this type of mixed-use environment.

Open Space Regulations. All development is subject to the open space regulations given in Chapters 17.23, 17.24, 17.25, and 17.26, except as modified by the incentives of Chapter 17.53.

Common Open Space. Common open spaces should be designed and provide amenities to promote interaction between residents. They should be located along the most common paths of travel between primary entries and private units or spaces. Common open spaces may be open to the public.

Large Projects. Larger projects should incorporate public open spaces such as plazas, courtyards and paseos which provide access to or augment public-serving on-site uses, especially on-site uses which may be located in the rear of properties.

Residential Projects. Residential projects should incorporate recreational amenities appropriate to the site of the project and the intended population: for example, pools and large recreation rooms for larger projects, and barbeque areas for smaller projects.

Low-Impact Development Requirements. Projects shall satisfy all applicable low-impact development requirements. Accommodation of low-impact development requirements in a joint fashion among neighboring property owners is encouraged. An in-lieu fee may be charged to fund district-scale stormwater measures, such as stormwater BMPs along Santa Fe Avenue or in greenways.

Sustainability. Green roofs are highly encouraged in tandem with open spaces at the ground or podium level. Sustainable values of green roofs include stormwater collection, building insulation and urban heat island reduction. Stormwater drainage can be captured and harvested for re-use in landscaped areas through low-flow drainage systems.