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A. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to establish design criteria for properties in the Downtown neighborhood that will guide development to be attractive in appearance and functionally integrated, and to promote pedestrian and recreational activities within the neighborhood.

Each zone is related to the other through circulation, sustainable implementation, building scale, and open space relationships. The design criteria for the zones are intended to identify general objectives and specific guidelines that will implement the objectives.

Map 62.1
Downtown Zones Map

Map 62.1 Downtown Zones Map

Note: Online users may click the map for a full-size version in PDF format.

B. Uses/Buildings Along Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Right-of-Way (ROW).

1. Intent. As the BNSF ROW is foreseen to be improved as part of the open space and trail system for Downtown and may also be reactivated for rail use in the future, the intent of this section is to ensure that buildings and uses along the ROW are designed to engage with and provide access to the ROW, while also ensuring that uses do not hamper rail use in the future if the rail line is reactivated.

In view of the elevated grade and steep side slopes of the portion of the BNSF ROW in the vicinity of the trestle crossing of Redmond Way and the Sammamish River, the provisions of this division shall not apply to the properties within the portions of the Sammamish Trail and Trestle zones that adjoin the BNSF ROW.

2. Design Criteria.

a. Building Orientation and Access.

i. Buildings along the BNSF ROW should orient to the ROW as well as to the streets, and should include storefronts and entrances to, and through, the building from the ROW/future trail.

b. Site and Building Design.

i. Where a site adjoins the BNSF ROW, the development shall complement the ROW with connecting landscaping, plazas, and other pedestrian features.

ii. New structures should incorporate structured parking or mechanical stacked parking systems inside garages. Parking garages facing the ROW shall be designed with ornamental grille work in garage openings or other architectural features on solid walls to ensure that blank, sterile walls do not loom over the ROW.

iii. Attractive, high-quality building materials and architectural detailing shall be included on all sides of the buildings, including the facades visible from the ROW.

iv. All ground floor space constructed adjoining the BNSF ROW, including garage floors at the street grade, shall have a minimum ceiling height of at least 10 feet. Ground floor garage space constructed facing and abutting the BNSF ROW that is later converted to commercial/retail space facing/fronting the BNSF ROW/future trail with entry doors and storefronts shall be exempt from providing required parking for the space converted from parking stalls to commercial space, and is exempt from replacing any parking stalls eliminated by the conversion of the ground floor parking stalls to retail/commercial space.

C. Development Along Downtown Shorelines and Parks.

1. Intent.

a. The shorelines and associated parklands of the Sammamish River and Bear Creek are assets to the Downtown neighborhood that should be enhanced, enjoyed, and highlighted.

b. Development and uses along these water bodies and their associated parklands should enhance the natural features and open spaces.

c. In addition to the design standards established for the individual zones, these criteria shall apply to Downtown properties that are in the Shoreline Jurisdiction and Downtown properties that adjoin parklands that are in the Shoreline Jurisdiction.

2. Design Criteria.

a. Building Orientation and Access.

i. Development and uses adjoining the Sammamish River, Bear Creek, and their associated parklands shall provide convenient pedestrian access through the site to these feature, excepting developments and uses lying between NE 83rd Street (if extended) and the BNSF ROW to the south, which shall provide a pathway or walkway between the development and the Sammamish River Trail, unless modified through an approved development agreement where access from the site to the river or creek/parkland is provided.

ii. Buildings within 100 feet of a property line of a waterway or park, except single-story retail buildings, shall provide building entrances, balconies, or other such building features or site features (for example: plazas or pedestrian features) on the facade fronting waterways or parks to allow users of the buildings to interrelate with the waterway or park.

iii. Buildings next to trails and walkways along waterways and parks shall incorporate pedestrian-scaled/friendly architectural features on the facades facing the trails/pathways.

b. Site and Building Design.

i. Where a site adjoins a park, the development shall complement the park with connecting features, such as landscaping, plazas, and other pedestrian features.

ii. Parking facilities next to parks and waterways shall be screened by natural-looking landscape buffers with tall trees and understory vegetation between the parking facilities and the parks or shoreline. Planter widths for these screening buffer areas shall be no less than 30 feet wide to accommodate the plant materials in a natural-looking planting pattern.

iii. When surface stormwater facilities are placed near the shorelines and parks, they shall be designed to include naturally occurring ponds and amenities rather than barriers between the use and the shoreline or park.

iv. Building height is encouraged to be modulated on sites next to shorelines and their associated parks, with lower portions of buildings being adjacent to the trails/parks and taller portions being beyond the Shoreline Jurisdiction.

D. Corner Lots - Building Design.

1. Intent.

a. Encourage pedestrian activity within the Downtown, including informal gatherings, through public and private investment in improvements along the streetscape.

b. Maintain and enhance the traditional Downtown “main street” character, which includes continuous pedestrian-oriented storefronts and pedestrian-scaled streetscapes, through specific attention to architectural detail, components of the streetscape, and the relationships between them.

c. Ensure that new development on Redmond Way and Cleveland Street includes street-level building and landscaping design that enhances the long-term pedestrian character of these streets and complements Old Town.

2. Design Criteria. Buildings on corner lots should reinforce and celebrate the street corner by providing pedestrian entrances that orient toward the corner and by incorporating architectural detailing, cornice work, or frieze design that orient toward and highlight the corner.

Figure 21.62.020A
Corner Lot Design

Corner Lot Design

The following corner sites are identified:

East-West

NE 85th Street

NE 83rd Street

NE 80th Street

Redmond Way

Cleveland Street

BNSF

North-South

158th Avenue NE

160th Avenue NE

161st Avenue NE

Leary Way

164th Avenue NE

166th Avenue NE

Map 62.2
Corner Lots - Building Design Map

Map 62.2 Corner Lots - Building Design Map

E. Open Space.

1. Residential Usable Open Space. At least 100 square feet of common usable open space shall be provided for each unit, up to a maximum area equivalent to 20 percent of the site. Units with at least 200 square feet of private open space, where the smallest dimension is no less than 10 feet, shall be exempt from common open space requirements. Front yards may not be counted as common open space, except per RZC 21.62.020.F.3.b.iv. Private usable open space shall be provided for each unit per RZC 21.62.020.E.2, Open Space Size and Dimensions. Common and private open space shall meet the dimensional criteria below. Indoor recreational space may be substituted for common usable open space.

2. Open Space Size and Dimensions.

a. The following table specifies the minimum open space size and dimensions for both common and private usable open space areas.

Table 21.62.020A
Residential Usable Open Space Size and Dimensions

Type of Usable Open Space

Minimum Length

Minimum Width

Minimum Height

Minimum Area (in square feet)

1. Common

12 feet

12 feet

As specified in IBC for habitable overhead height

200

2. Private

– Patio

8 feet

8 feet

Same as above

80

– Balcony

5 feet

5 feet

Same as above

50

b. Balconies may be reduced to 12 square feet in area for up to 50 percent of the units when double doors are provided to the balcony.

3. Use of In-Lieu Fee for Downtown Open Space.

a. Balconies. If the street front facade of a building is deemed to be too cluttered, monotonous, or over dominated by too many balconies being too close together, the number of balconies on the facade may be reduced with the approval of the Design Review Board in order to effect a more balanced and attractive facade. An in-lieu fee for each required balcony not provided shall be paid to the City for parkland purchase and improvements within the Downtown neighborhood. The fee for each balcony not provided on the building shall be equivalent to 50 percent of the park impact fee for a multifamily residence. No less than 50 percent of the units shall include private open spaces.

b. Common Open Space. An in-lieu fee for each 100 square feet of common open space not provided shall be paid to the City for parkland purchase and improvements within the Downtown neighborhood. The fee for each 100 square feet of required open space not provided on site shall be equivalent to 50 percent of the park impact fee for a multifamily residence. No less than 50 square feet of common open space per unit shall be provided on-site.

4. Screening of Open Space. Private usable open space shall be screened as specified in the table below.

Table 21.62.020B
Screening of Open Space

The Area from Which Open Space Must Be Screened

Screen Height

1. Common open space

4 feet, 0 inches

2. Corridors

4 feet, 0 inches

3. Streets or other public right-of-way

3 feet, 0 inches

4. Units on same level

4 feet, 0 inches

5. Units across interior side yard

4 feet, 0 inches

5. On-Site Recreational Amenities. All developments shall provide:

a. Irrigated planters with seating between 18 inches and 24 inches in height. See Figure 21.62.020B, On-Site Recreational Amenities, below.

Figure 21.62.020B
On-Site Recreational Amenities

On-site recreational amenities

b. Projects with 21 or more units shall provide at least one on-site amenity, such as a recreation room of 300 or more square feet, furnished with recreational facilities, a swimming pool, or other recreational amenities such as playground equipment. The facilities shall be appropriate for the target housing market segment, as judged through site plan review.

F. Residential Standards.

1. Residential Privacy Standards.

a. Intent. The intent of this division is to ensure that new residential development provides adequate privacy and comfort for the tenants and their adjacent neighbors.

b. Applicability. Privacy standards shall apply to all residential occupancy areas, as defined by the International Building Code.

c. Standards. The privacy standards in the table below apply to the shortest horizontal distance between the specified window and the specified property line, or to the window or wall of another unit in the same project. Each unit in a project must meet these standards in each room.

i. The measurements indicated in the table below are “line-of-sight” measurements from window to window.

ii. In the case where windows in one room are of equal size, either window may be selected by the builder as the largest window.

iii. Measurements noted in the table below are for structures that are three or more stories in height unless otherwise noted.

Table 21.62.020C
Privacy Standards

Primary Room Largest Window

On-Site

At Property Line

Secondary Room Largest Window

Blank Wall

Public Corridor

Front

Side

Interior Rear

Side Street

Primary Room The Largest Window
(Living Room, Dining Room)

(A)

45 feet

30 feet for 1-2 story buildings

(B)
30 feet
20 feet for 1-2 story buildings

(C)

15 feet

(D)

8 feet

(E)

Front Yard Setback

(F)

15 feet

(G)

15 feet

Front Street Setback

Secondary Room The Largest Window
(All Other Rooms)

(B)

30 feet

20 feet for 1-2 story buildings

(H)

15 feet

(I)

10 feet

(J)

0 feet

(K)

Front Yard Setback

(L)

Side Yard Setback

(M)

15 feet

Side Street Setback

Blank Wall

(C)

15 feet

(I)

10 feet

5 feet

0 feet

Front Yard Setback

Side Yard Setback

Rear Yard Setback

Side Street Setback

Figure 21.62.020C
Residential Privacy Standards

Residential Privacy Standards

2. Public Corridors. Public circulation corridors may be located within window-to-window or window-to-wall spacing distances. However, such corridors shall also have a minimum privacy spacing distance from primary and secondary windows as established in the table above.

3. Minimum Residential Courtyard Dimensions.

a. Intent. The courtyard provision is intended to create attractive and comfortable on-site open spaces for residents so they may enjoy outdoor living and recreational activities. Where courtyards are proposed to be used to meet common open space requirements, courtyard designs shall conform to the standards as specified. Exceptions to the minimum dimension requirement may be granted through the site plan review process only if the Design Review Board, Technical Committee, or Code Administrator finds that the alternative design improves the overall quality of the development and meets the intent of the courtyard provision.

Figure 21.62.020D
Residential Courtyard Dimensions

Residential Courtyard Dimensions

b. Requirements. Standards are as follows:

i. The minimum dimension (width and depth) of any courtyard shall be no less than 1.0 times the tallest building or segment of building enclosing the courtyard (a ratio of 1.0:1.0), but shall not be required to exceed 55 feet.

ii. The height of the building wall shall be measured from the courtyard elevation to the roof eaves of the enclosing building(s).

iii. The courtyard dimension is a measurement of the usable open space between two building walls or to a property line. If balconies or corridors project into a courtyard, the dimension shall be measured from the edge of the projecting balconies or corridors. (See Figure 21.62.020E below.)

Figure 21.62.020E
Residential Courtyard Dimensions

Residential Courtyard Dimensions

iv. Special incentive is provided to encourage courtyards which are visibly open to the street. If 50 percent of the courtyard width is open to the street, the area that is contiguous with the courtyard, in the setback area, can be counted as usable open space. (See RZC 21.62.020.F.3, Example #2.)

v. If the enclosing walls terrace upward and back with succeeding stories, the courtyard dimension may be reduced but shall not be less than 1.0 times the height of the ceiling of the lowest enclosing floor. (See Figure 21.62.020F below.)

Figure 21.62.020F
Residential Courtyard Dimensions

Residential courtyard dimensions

4. Residential Access Building.

a. Intent. To ensure that orientation of the primary entrance is toward the street and adds interest to the building design.

b. Front Entry Requirements. Every multifamily building shall have a covered front entryway developed in accordance with the following standards in order to provide a front entry design element:

i. Orientation. The primary entry shall face the front property line or front yard.

ii. Size. The entry shall be at least eight feet wide.

iii. Walkway. A decorative paved walkway, separated from and not crossing driveways, shall be provided between the entry and the Downtown pedestrian system.

iv. The entry of ground floor units and ground floor foyers/lobbies along street fronts shall be between two and four feet above the grade of the adjoining pedestrian system in order to provide visual interest in the yard abutting the street. This requirement shall not apply to residential projects with ground floor commercial uses.

Figure 21.62.020G
Front Entry Requirements

New multi-family development shall utilize half-flight-up entries off of the street, giving privacy as well as a view of the street and sidewalk.

Front entry requirements

Figure 21.62.020H
Front Entry Requirements

Front Entry Requirements Front Entry Requirements

Where patios/private open spaces for units front the street (as opposed to front doors), walkways from the public sidewalk to the patio shall also be included to provide a “front” to the unit along the street.

5. Ground Floor Residential Uses on Type II Pedestrian Streets.

a. Intent. In order to ensure that dwelling units at street level are safe and comfortable for the occupants of the units, while also ensuring that the exterior of the unit is attractive and pedestrian-friendly for people walking on the street sidewalks, the following design requirements shall apply.

b. Requirements. Standards are as follows:

i. Ground floor residential units along the street shall be set back a minimum of six feet from, and no more than eight feet from, the back of the required street sidewalk to ensure that there is adequate separation from the ground floor unit and pedestrian way.

ii. The finished floor of the ground floor residential units shall be elevated at least two feet above sidewalk grade to provide additional privacy for the residences at the street level.

iii. The finish floor of the ground floor unit designated for ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessibility may have a front door at the same grade as the street sidewalk.

iv. Primary or secondary access shall be provided to the unit via front door at the street or walkway to patio/porch along the street. See examples below.

Figure 21.62.020I
Ground Floor Residential Uses on Type II Pedestrian Street

Ground Floor Residential Uses on Type II Pedestrian Street Ground Floor Residential Uses on Type II Pedestrian Street

6. Required Residential Facade Modulation and Exterior Building Treatment.

a. Intent. In order to provide architectural interest and to evoke and demonstrate a look of permanence in materials and construction.

b. Front and Side Street Facades. To foster a sense of permanence and long-lasting quality, facades visible from streets, parks, or other public spaces shall be clad with superior exterior cladding materials on 100 percent of the facades, excluding windows, as accepted by the Design Review Board. When these standards are inconsistent with the standards for the Old Town zone, RZC 21.62.020.L, Old Town Zone, shall apply.

c. Interior Facades. In order to provide interest and variation appropriately scaled to the building and neighborhood, facades facing interior property lines and interior portions of the lot, that are visible from the street, shall be modulated approximately every 40 feet, depending on unit separation location, building bulk, and scale of existing and future buildings in the neighborhood.

d. Modulation Standards.

i. In order to provide interest and variation appropriately scaled to the building and neighborhood, facades facing streets shall be modulated approximately every 40 feet, depending on unit separation locations, building bulk, and the scale of existing and future buildings in the neighborhood.

ii. Minimum depth of modulation shall be four feet.

Figure 21.62.020J
Reduction in Modulation

Reduction in Modulation Depth for Balconies

iii. When balconies are part of the modulation and have a minimum depth of six feet and a minimum area of 60 feet, the minimum depth of modulation shall be two feet.

iv. The minimum width of modulation shall be five feet.

v. The maximum width of modulation shall be 30 feet.

vi. Except for the commercial portion of mixed-use buildings with ground floor commercial space, the maximum width of a building shall generally be 120 feet, or the facade shall have major breaks in the facade plane, such as significant building modulation, or change of exterior material and roofline, to appear as separate buildings or wings.

vii. Facades that are all brick or masonry which have a high degree of fenestration, traditional masonry detailing, and traditional window styling, including recessed windows in the openings and use of multi-panes, as shown below in Figure 21.62.020K, shall be exempt from these modulation requirements.

Figure 21.62.020K
Exemption from Modulation Requirements

Exemptions from Modulation Requirements Exemptions from Modulation Requirements
Exemptions from Modulation Requirements Exemptions from Modulation Requirements

7. Residential Parking and Access.

a. Access to Parking.

i. Access to parking shall be provided via alley, where one exists or is determined by the Technical Committee through site plan review to be feasible and desirable to mitigate parking access impacts. Access from parking onto public streets is governed by the City’s access regulations, RZC 21.52, Transportation Standards.

b. Location of Parking.

i. At-grade parking is prohibited within required yard areas, except that developments with ground floor commercial uses and enclosed parking garages adjoining nonresidential zones should maintain a zero-foot side yard setback in the front one-half of the lot. Open parking shall provide the minimum perimeter planting required in RZC 21.32, Landscaping.

Figure 21.62.020L
Location of Parking

Location of parking

ii. Semi-subterranean parking may be located within five feet of interior property lines when screened with Type II landscape buffers at the perimeter. The base of the parking level visible at any pedestrian walkway shall be finished concrete, painted, or clad in masonry.

iii. Subterranean parking may be located up to interior property lines when sufficient soil depth (three feet) is provided atop the garage for landscaping in required yard areas and when not encumbered by easements.

iv. At-grade and semi-subterranean parking garages along an alley may project up to the property line in accordance with building codes. Alley widening may be required if the alley is substandard in width. For parking stalls and garage openings taking direct access from the alley, proper aisle and stall width dimensions shall be provided per the table located in RZC 21.40.010.E, Design Requirements for Parking Facilities.

v. For garage access from public streets, garage doors shall be set back a minimum of 20 feet from the curb face.

vi. Garage openings visible from streets shall include decorative architectural screening/artwork to soften the appearance of the garage facade.

c. Residential Screening - Parking. Parking shall be screened from direct street view by the front facade of a structure, garage doors, fence, or wall between five and six feet in height. When a fence or wall provides screening along a street, there shall also be a Type I or II landscape buffer in the yard abutting the street, depending on light and glare from within the parking area.

8. Residential Landscaping. All required yards and common usable open space areas shall be landscaped. Additional landscaping requirements shall apply as follows:

a. General. The requirements specified in RZC 21.32, Landscaping, and the design standards in RZC 21.60.040.C, Landscaping, shall apply.

b. All new development shall provide the following landscaping quantities in addition to the general requirements. Additional material may be required through site plan entitlement.

i. One tree for each 125 square feet of required yard area, including front yards, side yards, rear yards, and common usable open space; and

ii. Three shrubs of not less than five-gallon size shall be provided for each tree planted.

G. Valley View, Bear Creek, and Trestle Zones.

1. Intent. The intent of these zones is to provide for everyday basic shopping needs and services, such as groceries, pharmacies, and other convenience retail goods and services. Development and redevelopment in these zones should be compatible with the goal of meeting the shopping and service needs of the community and surroundings, as well as with the long-term vision of encouraging a more pedestrian-supportive, mixed-use environment in these zones. As the three zones are located at the three entry points to the Downtown neighborhood, development and redevelopment of buildings and centers at these gateways shall enhance the visual appeal of these entrances to Downtown.

2. Design Criteria.

a. Building Orientation and Access.

i. Buildings are not required to be sited on the pedestrian system, but shall provide safe and accessible pedestrian connections to it.

ii. Orient buildings toward the streets and locate parking on the side or rear whenever possible.

b. Building and Site Design.

i. Building and site design of properties located at the entrances to Downtown shall also orient facades, open space, and pedestrian features toward the streets in order to enhance the gateway nature of the sites.

c. Mixed-Use Villages. Development proposals in these zones may be allowed increased building height, to a maximum of four stories, provided the proposal meets the following criteria:

i. The site must be a minimum of two acres in area.

ii. The site plan and conceptual building elevations demonstrate there will be creation of a traditional downtown pattern by providing new internal private or public streets with curbside parking, street trees, and buildings fronting on street sidewalks and plazas. Within these developments, new internal streets and pathways shall be provided approximately every 300 feet to establish/enhance a finer urban grid between existing Downtown streets bounding the sites. See conceptual example below.

iii. On sites that include existing grocery stores, pharmacies, and other convenience retail uses meeting daily needs, spaces for such uses shall be provided in the new development proposal. Retention of grocery stores is of the highest priority.

iv. Buildings taller than three stories fronting on existing public streets shall include building height modulation to reduce building scale at the street edge. Upper floors, higher than three stories, shall be set back 20 feet from the main building face.

Figure 21.62.020M
Height Modulation

Height modulation

v. In areas where a street roadway may be more than one story above the ground floor elevation of a building because of topography, such as the southwest corner of NE 90th Street and Woodinville-Redmond Road, building height may be increased to a maximum of five stories on the lower side of the site, provided the height of the building does not exceed four stories along the higher street elevation, and provided the net developable floor area of the property covered by the conceptual master plan does not exceed the floor area allowed by the maximum building height of four stories.

H. Sammamish Trail, Anderson Park, and Town Square Zones.

1. Intent.

a. These zones are intended to provide areas of greater density adjacent to the retail core of Old Town and to foster the evolution of mixed-use residential/office neighborhoods in an attractive, high-quality, pedestrian-friendly environment within walking distance of daily retail and recreational opportunities, and transit services.

b. Density and building height are increased in the Town Square zone nearest the center of Downtown to encourage development of structures of larger scale and size. Structured parking is encouraged as heights increase over four stories to reduce the impact of on-site parking and allow greater open space at the ground level. Retail uses are also encouraged at ground floor levels to further encourage pedestrian activity.

Figure 21.62.020N
Retail Uses on Ground Floor

Retail uses on ground floor

c. Heights and density are moderated in peripheral areas of the Town Square zone to complement and transition with the adjoining residential and convenience shopping areas.

2. Design Criteria.

a. Building Orientation and Access.

i. Buildings shall abut the pedestrian system on at least one side. Buildings fronting on Type I or II pedestrian streets per RZC 21.10.150, Pedestrian System, shall abut the street front sidewalk and orient the primary entrance, or entrances, toward the street.

Figure 21.62.020O
Orientation to the Street

Orientation to the street

ii. Where possible, parking structures shall not front on the mid-block pedestrian connection system. Should this occur, then the parking structure shall be screened with pedestrian amenities, such as artwork, trellises, awnings, benches, and the like.

iii. When ground floor commercial spaces abut mid-block pedestrian paths, entrances to the commercial spaces should be oriented toward the mid-block paths as well as toward the streets. The area alongside the required mid-block sidewalk should be developed as a usable plaza with a combination of hardscapes, planters, and seating areas.

Figure 21.62.020P
Building Orientation to the Street

Building Orientation to the Street

Figure 21.62.020Q
Building Orientation to the Street

Building Orientation to the Street Building Orientation to the Street

b. Building and Site Design.

i. Landscaping shall be designed with consideration of shade and sun; plazas and outdoor areas shall be oriented to sunlight where possible and provide areas of shade.

ii. Outdoor and ground floor areas should be designed to encourage outdoor activities, such as vendors, art displays, seating areas, outdoor cafes, abutting retail activities, and other features of interest to pedestrians.

iii. Building materials shall be visually appealing, high quality, and durable. A high proportion of exterior building materials shall be those materials, such as brick, stone, and masonry, or other high-quality and durable materials. Building materials and colors should minimize light reflection and glare.

iv. Rooftops shall incorporate features that soften rectilinear forms.

v. Buildings shall be designed to provide for weather and wind protection at the ground level. Buildings fronting on Type I or II pedestrian system segments shall provide pedestrian weather protection by way of awnings and overhangs, a minimum of 48 inches in depth. The elements shall be complementary to the building’s design and design of contiguous weather protection elements on adjoining buildings. Materials and design shall engender qualities of permanence and appeal.

Figure 21.62.020R
Pedestrian Weather Protection

Pedestrian weather protection

vi. Provide a variety of shapes, angles, and reliefs in the upper stories of structures over four stories.

vii. Where possible, pedestrian elevators and stairwells serving structured parking shall be located in a public lobby space or out onto an active public street.

viii. Column and bay spacing along street fronts should be provided no greater than 30 feet apart in order to maintain a pedestrian-oriented scale and rhythm.

ix. Trails – Bicycle. Facilities for parking and locking bicycles should be provided and be readily accessible from bicycle trails.

I. Town Center Zone.

1. Intent.

a. The Town Center zone consists of three subareas as shown and described below:

Figure 21.62.020S
Town Center Subareas

Town Center Subareas

i. The Town Center Mixed Use area emphasizes a pedestrian-oriented and connected district that complements the transportation network of the Old Town zone and provides a progressive architectural transition from historic character of Old Town to the surrounding modern districts. Primary design features for the Town Center Mixed Use zone include pedestrian-oriented uses along street frontages and sidewalk designs integrated into building architecture.

Figure 21.62.020T
Town Center

Town Center

ii. The Gateway Office area design concept features multilevel office buildings and an urban gateway facing SR 520. Building height, location, and architectural character are intended to create a strong urban perimeter and a varied urban texture connecting the site with the Downtown.

Figure 21.62.020U
Town Center

Town Center

iii. Bear Creek Retail area provides for auto-oriented retail tenants. The freestanding buildings with surface parking are distinct from the other two areas. However, architectural character, featured design elements, and pedestrian linkages incorporate a design commonality with the rest of the site.

b. Gateway to Downtown. The Gateway Office area functions as a gateway to the City from SR 520. Development in this area should complement the other components of this gateway, Marymoor Park, and Bear Creek, by providing attractive, interesting urban activity. Development should be consistent with the natural environment by minimizing glare, providing indirect lighting, avoiding intense signage, and providing a soft edge where the urban and natural environments meet.

c. Downtown Integration. Connection to existing roads, including landscape treatment, road surface, sidewalk size and placement, with respect to the existing grid system, streetscape, and character consistent with current standards and regulations. Development in the design area shall further City goals for the following subareas:

i. Leary Way. Leary Way between the Sammamish River and the BNSF right-of-way shall remain as a “green gateway” to the City of Redmond.

ii. Northern Boundary – Leary Way to 164th Avenue NE. Building siting will maintain continuity of building frontage in order to integrate new development with the Old Town zone.

iii. Northern Boundary – Leary Way to 170th Avenue NE.

A. This area should provide linkage capability between existing public roadways north of BNSF right-of-way and private roadways south of same. These new alignments should provide extension of the established visual corridors.

B. New connections on the site to existing north/south roads in this area should be compatible with the character of the existing older improvements.

C. Retail buildings located at the northern edge of the site within the Town Center Mixed-Use area will establish functional and visual continuity with the Downtown. The character of the new buildings will be compatible with older existing buildings.

iv. Bear Creek.

A. The edge along Bear Creek should be kept as a natural area, with uses limited to passive activity and trail/pathway connections.

B. Signage in this area shall be limited to traffic, safety, and directional information, or be consistent with the public recreational use of the area.

C. Structures consistent with and supporting passive use of this area may be allowed, and should be kept to a minimum.

v. Sammamish River.

A. The edge along the Sammamish River shall serve as an extension of existing activity on the Sammamish River Trail just north of this design area. Uses should include trail and pathway activities.

B. Signage shall be limited to traffic, safety, and directional information or be consistent with the public recreational use of the area.

C. Structures consistent with and supporting trail/pathway activities may be allowed, and should be kept to a minimum.

vi. BNSF Right-of-Way (ROW) – Pedestrian Crossings. Design and construct City-approved architectural/urban design features, walkways, and landscaping on 164th Avenue NE and other locations as determined to be necessary.

2. Design Criteria.

a. Architectural Guidelines.

i. Siting of Buildings. Buildings should be sited to enclose either a common space or provide enclosure to the street. All designs should appear as an integrated part of an overall site plan.

Figure 21.62.020V
Town Center

Town Center Town Center

A. Encourage varieties of shapes, angles, and reliefs in the upper stories of structures over four stories.

B. Large buildings should avoid continuous, flat facades.

C. Avoid the use of false fronts.

D. The ground floor of buildings should provide pedestrian interest and activity. The use of arcades, colonnades, or awnings to provide pedestrian protection is encouraged. Column and bay spacing along street fronts should be provided no greater than 36 feet apart in order to maintain a pedestrian-oriented scale and rhythm.

Figure 21.62.020W
Town Center

Town Center

E. Building design should utilize similar or complementary building material, colors, and scale of adjoining Old Town.

F. Buildings and facades in the Town Center Mixed-Use area should be a combination of brick, stucco-like finishes, smooth-finished concrete, and architectural metals. Building facades in the Town Center Mixed-Use and Parkway Office areas should have a greater proportion of voids (windows) than solids (blank walls) on pedestrian levels. Buildings and facades in the Bear Creek retail area should be primarily masonry products with concrete and architectural metals used for detailing if desired. In all design, there should be emphasis upon the quality of detail and special form in window treatments, columns, eaves, cornices, lighting, signing, etc.

G. Buildings and the spaces between them should provide easy and open access to the external public areas or plazas.

H. The scale of all structures in relationship to other structures and spaces is important. The scale should be two to three stories in the retail core. Some variation in heights contributes to the variety and complexity of the environmental experience, and is encouraged.

I. The development of ground level viewpoints on each building level which take advantage of solar access and views of the site’s open spaces is encouraged.

J. Storefront design and materials should be unique while integrating into the architectural theme of the building facade of which they are a part.

ii. Building Entry. Orient building entrances to the street in a manner which provides easily identifiable and accessible pedestrian entryways. Highlight building entrances through landscape or architectural design features. Building entries should be designed in conjunction with the landscape treatment of pedestrian ways in the parking areas that directly relate to the entry.

iii. Public Art. Encourage public art in public areas of the Town Center zone, particularly in and around the Town Center Mixed-Use area.

iv. Building Orientation. Uses in the Town Center zone should be oriented externally as well as internally (as is applicable) by using outward-facing building facades, malls, entrances, and other design techniques.

A. Buildings in the Town Center Mixed-Use and Parkway Office areas should abut the sidewalks on at least one side and orient the primary entrance, or entrances, toward the street.

Figure 21.62.020X
Town Center Orientation to the Street

Town Center Building Orientation to the Street

v. Building Colors and Materials. Building colors and materials shall be selected to integrate with each other, other buildings in the Old Town zone, and other adjacent commercial areas, while allowing a richness of architectural expression for the various buildings.

A. Buildings should be constructed of materials that minimize light reflection and glare.

B. Care should be taken to avoid clashing colors on individual buildings and between adjacent buildings.

vi. Windows and Displays. Windows and display areas shall be located along pedestrian routes to enhance the pedestrian experience.

A. Storefronts should be visually open wherever practical. Stores should use enough glass so that the activity inside the store is obvious to the passerby. In all cases, merchandise should be easily visible to pedestrians.

B. Windows shall be provided on the street level in the Town Center Mixed-Use buildings rather than blank walls to encourage a visual and economic link between the business and passing pedestrians. A minimum of 60 percent of ground floor facades facing streets in the Town Center Mixed-Use area shall be in nonreflective, transparent glazing. Where windows cannot be provided, artwork in window boxes may be used with site plan review approval.

Figure 21.62.020Y
Town Center Outdoor Pedestrian Areas

Town Center Outdoor Pedestrian Areas

vii. Future Development Pads. Future development pads shall be consistent with the design standards and shall provide pedestrian-scale exterior features.

viii. Design Consistency. Each phase of the development and redevelopment of parcels throughout the zone shall be designed to be consistent with, but not necessarily the same as, the balance of the project architecture, including materials, colors, and general style.

ix. Pedestrian Features. Provide pedestrian-scale external features, including such items as window and glass display cases, street furniture, and covered walkways.

x. Outdoor Pedestrian Areas. The outdoor pedestrian areas shall include special paving treatments, landscaping, and seating areas.

A. Outdoor and ground floor areas shall be designed to encourage outdoor activities, such as vendors, art displays, seating areas, outdoor cafes, abutting retail activities, and other features of interest to pedestrians.

xi. Site Entrances. Entrances to buildings, open spaces, gathering areas, and clustered buildings in Town Center shall be emphasized with landscape treatments to strongly indicate the pedestrian orientation of these areas.

A. Architectural/urban design treatment of 166th Avenue NE shall encourage pedestrian circulation from the project to the Cleveland Street Retail area.

xii. Rooftops. Rooftops will be of a color that reduces glare and other types of visual impact on the adjacent residentially developed hillsides.

b. Transportation Guidelines.

i. Vehicular.

A. Street Configurations.

1. Streets that are above existing grade should be designed in a manner to reduce visual impact of pavement area, such as using landscaping or berms.

2. Encourage alignment of all streets to minimize the removal of all existing significant, healthy trees.

3. Streets shall not be wider than four travel lanes with the appropriate number of lanes at intersections between the zone and areas targeted for integration with the Downtown.

4. Vehicular circulation shall connect the various uses on the site to each other. Streets shall be designed to enhance viability of the project components.

B. Parking – Surface.

1. Where possible, locate parking behind buildings and away from areas of high public visibility. Landscape and screen surface parking areas visible to the public.

2. The size and location of parking areas should be minimized and related to the group of buildings served.

3. Visual impact of surface parking areas should be minimized from the SR 520 corridor.

4. Landscaping should be provided to screen surface parking areas and provide transition between the project and surrounding areas, particularly when viewed from SR 520, Leary Way, and adjacent hillsides.

Figure 21.62.020Z
Town Center Parking

Town Center Parking

5. Landscaped medians shall be provided where access and traffic allow.

6. Conflict between pedestrians and automobiles shall be minimized by designing streets to provide well-defined pedestrian walkways and crosswalks that reduce vehicle speeds.

7. Design and locate parking areas in a manner that will break up large areas of parking and encourage shared parking with existing Downtown uses.

8. Patrons of the retail center shall be allowed to use parking while patronizing other businesses in the Downtown. No rules, signage, or penalties shall be enacted by Town Center to preclude this parking allowance.

C. Parking – Structured. At least 50 percent of the parking provided for the entire site should occur in parking structures. The ratio of minimum structured parking shall be maintained for all phases of development of the Town Center Mixed-Use and the Parkway Office areas.

ii. Pedestrian.

A. Linkages.

1. Link proposed development to walkways, trails, and bicycle systems in the surrounding area by connecting and lining up directly to existing linkages, closing gaps, and treating crossings of barriers, such as the railroad, Bear Creek Parkway, and driveways, with special design treatment, minimizing barriers, designing with consistent materials, widths and locations, and providing safe, easy, and clearly identifiable access to and along the linkages. Safe, convenient, and attractive connections to Marymoor Park, the Sammamish River Trail, and the Bear Creek Trail system should be provided.

2. The sidewalk system shall be emphasized with landscape treatments to provide readily perceived pedestrian pathways through and around the Town Center zone.

B. Sidewalks.

1. When extending an existing sidewalk, the new walkway shall meet current standards and regulations where there is sufficient right-of-way, and be constructed of a material and dimension which are compatible with and improve upon the existing character.

2. Sidewalks shall meet similar standards to those of the approved pedestrian linkage system.

3. Paving of sidewalks and pedestrian crossings should be constructed of a uniform material that is compatible with the character of the zone. The private use of sidewalk rights-of-way areas may be appropriate for seasonal cafe seating or special displays.

4. Encourage alignment of new sidewalks to minimize the removal of all existing significant, healthy trees.

C. Arcades, Colonnades, and Canopies.

1. Buildings should be designed to provide for weather and wind protection at the ground level. Buildings fronting sidewalks shall provide pedestrian weather protection by way of arcades, colonnades, or canopies a minimum of 48 inches in depth. The elements should be complementary to the building’s design and design of contiguous weather protection elements on adjoining buildings. Materials and design should engender qualities of permanence and appeal.

2. Awnings or sunshades should be in keeping with the character of the building to which they are attached. Materials should be durable, long lasting, and require low maintenance. Back-lit awnings are discouraged.

D. Trails – Pedestrian. Special design treatment and appropriate safety features should be designed for pedestrian trail crossings at public rights-of-way and at the BNSF right-of-way tracks.

E. Trails – Bicycle. Facilities for parking and locking bicycles should be provided and be readily accessible from bicycle trails.

F. Plazas/Pedestrian Malls. Plazas, pedestrian malls, and other amenity open spaces shall be developed to promote outdoor activity and encourage pedestrian circulation between the Town Center zone and the balance of the Downtown.

c. Landscape Guidelines.

i. Urban Landscape Treatment. Building entries, primary vehicular entries, and building perimeters should be enhanced with landscaping which could include ornamental vines, groundcovers, shrubs, or trees selected for their screening, canopy, spatial enclosure, and seasonal variation.

ii. Site Furnishings. Benches, kiosks, signs, bollards, waste receptacles, street vending carts, water fountains, lighting standards, perch walls, sidewalks, pathways, trails, and special water features should be designed to be compatible elements of like materials and design.

iii. Perimeter Landscaping. Landscaping on the perimeter of the site will create a transition between the project and the surrounding area.

iv. Landscaping on Streets. Landscaping on streets should be simplified to allow adequate visibility from automobiles to businesses.

v. Trees, Plants, and Flowers. The use of potted plants and flowers as well as street trees is encouraged, but should not impede pedestrian traffic.

d. Open Space Guidelines.

i. Tree Retention and Open Space Landscaping. Preserve existing natural features, particularly healthy mature trees and stream courses.

A. Preserve 100 percent of all trees within the 44 acres of public access open space as identified in the Public Access Open Space Area Plan per Figure 21.62.020AA. This area includes the cluster of trees along the east side of Leary Way for the purpose of preserving the corridor’s green gateway image and the healthy trees along the Bear Creek and Sammamish River corridors. Trees that cannot be retained due to approved street or utility construction shall be replaced with native nursery stock of similar or like variety at a one-to-one ratio, with tree sizes in accordance with RZC 21.72.080, Tree Replacement, pursuant to a landscape plan approved in conjunction with site plan review. Trees removed as a result of construction activities, which are intended to be preserved, shall be replaced per RZC 21.72.080, Tree Replacement. Replacement trees shall be located in the immediate vicinity as is practical.

Figure 21.62.020AA
Town Center Public Access Open Space

Town Center Public Access Open Space

B. Minimize new grading in this area.

C. Install landscape screening between this open space area and adjacent parking areas.

D. Encourage passive recreation, including a walking trail, bicycle trail, seating and rest areas, pedestrian lighting, and site furnishings. Provide pedestrian connections to the Justice White House, Town Center Mixed-Use area, Marymoor Park, Sammamish River Trail system, and other open space areas.

E. The “soft edge” landscape treatment to the south of Town Center along Bear Creek shall provide for a true transition between the natural, riparian area of the creek to the more urban mixed-use retail area.

F. The informal nature of the west, south, and east portion of the site should be maintained by retaining native materials and random planting of compatible plant materials consistent with the Downtown neighborhood.

ii. Justice White House/Saturday Market. The areas around the Saturday Market and Justice White House shall be retained as open space. Areas at the Justice White House should encourage active and passive recreation. These areas should connect to other open spaces, trails, and the mixed-use retail area.

iii. Sammamish River. Open space shall be retained along the Sammamish River. The open space may be enhanced by:

A. Providing grade separation for trails at all appropriate and feasible locations;

B. Making connections to other open space zones;

C. An ongoing stormwater outflow monitoring program for private drainage systems. The monitoring program shall consider specific contaminants which may likely be present in the runoff and shall be revised periodically as appropriate.

iv. Bear Creek. Open space along Bear Creek shall be retained. The open space may be enhanced by:

A. Encouraging passive recreation areas and activities, and discouraging active recreation.

B. All stormwater swales and recharge areas should be integrated with the natural environment.

C. Protecting vegetation of the riparian habitat in this zone by limiting access to the creek to designated access points.

D. Providing connections to Marymoor Park, the Sammamish River, other open spaces, and Town Center.

E. Facilities within this area shall include a pedestrian pathway, bicycle path, equestrian trail when required, passive water access area, seating, and site furnishings.

F. An ongoing stormwater outflow monitoring program for private drainage systems. The monitoring program shall consider specific contaminants which may likely be present in the runoff, and shall be revised periodically as appropriate.

v. Public Access Open Space. Public access open space should be retained, enhanced, and made available for public use in this zone as shown in the Public Access Open Space Area Plan.

A. At least 44 acres shall be preserved by easement to the City or controlled by other methods that would permanently assure the open space to the City. This Downtown public access open space shall serve as a visual amenity and passive recreation open space.

vi. Open Space Acreage. Public access open space as shown in the Public Access Open Space Area Plan shall include a minimum of 44 acres. This will include natural areas inclusive of the floodway, and the areas around the Justice White House and the Saturday Market.

e. Lighting Plan.

i. A lighting plan and program which encourages nighttime pedestrian movement between the adjacent commercial areas, particularly Leary Way and 166th Avenue NE, shall be maintained.

ii. The height and design of street lighting should relate in scale to the pedestrian character of the area. The design of the light standards and luminaries should enhance the design theme.

J. River Bend Zone.

1. Intent.

a. Leary Way, between the Sammamish River and the BNSF right-of-way, shall remain as a “green gateway” to the City of Redmond. Setbacks from Leary Way should be adequate to preserve significant stands of trees on the west side of the road to preserve the “green gateway” image.

b. Signage on Leary Way for traffic control, directional information, and business identification shall be kept at a minimum, in both size and number.

c. Bear Creek Parkway, between Redmond Way and Leary Way, should also be treated as an urban gateway to the Downtown neighborhood, evolving with a more traditional ground floor storefront character as it redevelops over time.

d. Ground floor building facades along the westerly Bear Creek Parkway extension, as it is envisioned to extend from Redmond Way on the west to Leary Way on the east, should be pedestrian friendly and pedestrian scaled, with narrow storefronts along the sidewalk edges, awnings for pedestrian comfort, and ample storefront windows.

e. Developments on larger interior lots, with relatively little existing street frontage, should be designed as mixed-use villages with internal pedestrian-friendly streets and pathways serving mixed-use buildings.

2. Design Criteria.

a. Building Orientation and Access.

i. Vehicle access and parking shall be designed to minimize curb cuts along Leary Way and Bear Creek Parkway and to minimize the loss of existing trees within the zone.

b. Building and Site Design.

i. The setback from the property line on this portion of Leary Way shall be at least 100 feet where there is an existing grove of significant trees (six trees within a quarter-acre area). No parking shall be allowed within the setback. No clearing, grading permit, or site plan approval shall be granted until the approval authority determines that the existing trees will be preserved to the maximum extent possible within the setback.

ii. New landscaping needs to reinforce any remaining groves of trees within the zone. Large trees and shrubs, both evergreen and deciduous, shall be used to enhance the natural character of this zone.

iii. Buildings and site layout should be designed to be consistent with the mixed-use retail character of the adjoining Old Town zone which includes features, such as narrow ground floor storefronts on pedestrian-oriented streets, shops fronting on street sidewalks, and pedestrian-scale architecture. On larger lots with relatively little existing street frontage, building and site layout should be designed to extend the traditional Downtown street grid into the site, with storefronts fronting on internal streets and paths.

iv. Column and bay spacing along street fronts should be provided approximately 30 feet apart in order to maintain a pedestrian-oriented scale and rhythm of storefronts.

v. Pedestrian connections from buildings within this zone shall be provided to the adjoining Old Town and Town Center zone and to the north/south pedestrian path on the west side of the forest/grove.

K. River Trail, Carter, and East Hill Zones.

1. Intent.

a. These zones are intended to provide a variety of housing choices. These zones are intended to provide comfortable and attractive living environments with a variety of housing types, and only limited mixed-use opportunities, in developments that include more typical residential features, such as front yards, landscaping, and ground-related patios and porches.

b. The intent for the East Hill zone is to allow Downtown’s original single-family neighborhood to evolve from its existing collection of houses into a denser multifamily neighborhood that honors the character of the original single-family houses and neighborhood character. New multifamily development, as well as conversions of the existing single-family residences to commercial uses, should maintain and enhance the residential look and character of the zone.

c. In the East Hill zone, ensure that conversions of single-family residences to commercial uses are done in a manner that does not negatively affect the “residential” character of the existing structures and front yards.

2. Design Criteria.

a. Building Orientation and Access.

i. Buildings shall be oriented toward the streets.

ii. Primary entrance of buildings shall be oriented to the street, and ground floor units that have patios along the street should be designed with walkways from the patios to the street sidewalk in order to establish a “front door” relationship with the streets. See example below.

Figure 21.62.020AB
Front Yard Separation

Front Yard Separation

iii. Yards of ground floor residential units fronting on streets should be designed to provide a separation between public and private spaces, while also providing maximum territorial view of the street front from the units’ private open spaces.

iv. Vehicular access to sites from streets shall be minimized. Alley access should be utilized where possible and feasible to minimize curb cuts along street fronts and to maximize the amount of available curbside parking.

b. Building and Site Design.

i. Primary entrances shall not be hidden from the street or accessed via the side yard.

ii. Buildings and private usable open spaces shall be appropriately set back from property lines to provide ample light, air, and privacy for the on-site tenants and adjacent neighbors.

iii. Parking shall be enclosed within the subterranean or semi-subterranean parking whenever possible to provide maximum amounts of usable open space on parking decks and to minimize building heights.

iv. Mixed-use buildings in this area should be designed with a residential character, in terms of building materials, roof design, fenestration, and front yard landscaping.

Figure 21.62.020AC
Mixed-use Buildings

Mixed-use Buildings

v. Open exterior corridors, fronting and visible from streets and public spaces, shall be minimized in use and length in order to reduce their negative visual impacts on surrounding streets and properties. They should be placed on the interior of developments whenever feasible.

vi. Surface parking spaces shall not be located between the building and the street.

vii. Common usable open spaces and yards shall be adequately lighted and visible from private spaces within the developments to ensure security and safety of the tenants, residents, and their guests.

viii. Conversions from single-family residences to commercial uses shall not significantly alter the residential character of the original single-family structures or front yards. Additions or modifications to these structures for commercial use shall maintain or enhance the residential look of the property.

3. Perrigo’s Plat Subarea.

a. Intent. The intent of this section is to retain the quaint and inviting character of this subarea, which includes a variety of building styles and features, generous front yards, sense of quiet and peacefulness, large trees along the street, and unique bungalows, by establishing design criteria that encourage new development to emulate and enhance the traditional residential character of the subarea.

b. Design Criteria. In the Perrigo’s Plat subarea of the East Hill zone, as shown below, these additional standards shall apply.

Figure 21.62.020AD
Perrigo's Plat Subarea

Perrigo’s Plat Subarea

i. New developments, redevelopments, and remodeling projects shall emphasize features typically found in neighborhoods with older bungalow, Craftsman- and Victorian-styled homes, including but not limited to pitched roofs, dormer windows, front doors with porches or stoops oriented to the street, chimneys, and double-hung or multipaned windows.

ii. New development, redevelopment, and remodeling projects shall use high proportions of visually appealing, high-quality, exterior building materials, such as brick, stone, and masonry, on at least the base of the building. The cladding materials of the body shall also be durable, attractive, and complementary to the early 1900s Craftsman/Victorian residential style, including brick, horizontal siding, and wood (appearing) shingles.

iii. For developments consisting of multiple aggregated lots, the width of buildings fronting the street should generally be no wider than 100 feet to ensure that building mass remains consistent with the existing neighborhood character and scale. When there are buildings at the rear of the lot, behind those fronting the street, the buildings in the rear may be modulated in stories to provide a sense of building separation.

iv. New development, redevelopment, and remodeling shall be designed with front yards characteristic of single-family neighborhoods, including street trees along the street, with trees and landscaping in the front yard.

L. Old Town Zone.

1. Intent. The intent of this section is to preserve the existing historic landmarks within the zone, ensure that development and redevelopment complement the historic character and function of the Downtown’s original pedestrian retail area, and maintain or enhance the historic integrity of the Leary Way corridor. These standards are established to maintain and enhance the traditional “main street” character of the neighborhood, which includes continuous pedestrian-oriented storefronts and pedestrian-scaled streetscapes along the streets.

2. Site Design.

a. Intent. The core of this zone, developed between the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, encompasses a variety of periods. The intent of site design standards within the Old Town zone is to maintain the historic patterns of land development and general character of the zone that was created during this time frame.

b. Design Criteria.

i. Building Setbacks. Setbacks shall reflect historic patterns. Buildings shall front on the public sidewalk. Building structures to the side lot line is strongly encouraged, but no structure shall be set back more than five feet from the side lot line, not including access width. Rear setbacks may allow for a narrow alley access, for service entrances, or for several stalls of parking. Additions or other remodels are encouraged to match this pattern when feasible.

ii. New structures should incorporate structured parking or mechanical stacked parking systems. Visible structured parking shall not front along the sidewalk edge, except to allow placement of parking entrances. Structured parking should preferably be underground or in the back of structures. Surfaces masking parking shall continue design rhythms, colors, materials, and trims used in the other parts of the structure.

Figure 21.62.020AE
Parking Design

Parking Design

3. Building Design.

a. The intent of building design standards within the Old Town zone is to ensure that historic landmark buildings maintain their prominence within the zone and to ensure the character of the original Downtown core is maintained. These building design standards shall apply to all new structures. These standards will also apply to additions or other remodeling whenever it is feasible and in context with the existing structure.

b. Building Orientation.

i. Entrances shall front towards the sidewalk.

ii. Peaked roofs, primary roof ridgelines, or roof ridgelines predominant to the viewer shall run from front to back.

Figure 21.62.020AF
Roof Ridgelines for Peaked Roofs

Roof ridgelines for peaked roofs

c. Building Scale. New construction should be in scale with existing historic patterns. In cases where the scale of the building is larger, techniques should be used to break up the scale of the building to complement existing patterns. These techniques can include variations in roof height, vertical columns to break up facades, changes in roof or parapet detail, use of smaller repeating window patterns, use of fascia on the facade, facade articulation, and stepping back or modulating of upper stories.

Figure 21.62.020AG
Building Scale

Building Scale

Figure 21.62.020AH
Methods to Reduce Scale

Methods to reduce building scale

d. Building Design, Details, and Materials.

i. Buildings should incorporate vernacular architectural styles from the periods reflected in the zone.

ii. Buildings should incorporate materials similar to those used on existing historic structures. This includes brick, stucco that is used in the Art Deco style, wood, and stone.

iii. For one- to one-and-one-half-story structures, a false front is allowed on peaked roofs.

iv. Hipped roofs are discouraged unless they are in context with the period of architecture reflected in the zone.

v. Additions and other remodeling to existing buildings should closely match or complement the historic architectural styles reflected in the zone.

vi. Buildings shall incorporate details prevalent in the architecture reflected in the zone.

Figure 21.62.020AI
Building Details

Building details

vii. Details, such as parapets and bands, windowsills, and door frames, shall consist of contrasting materials or color to enhance detail.

viii. Size of individual windowpanes or false panes shall not exceed the smaller sizes typical of early period glass separated by mullions and rails. For windows above the first story, the height or vertical dimension shall be at least one to one and one-half times the width or horizontal dimension, or mullions or stiles that separate the panes to create a sense that the dimension of the vertical element exceeds the horizontal one.

ix. Building fenestration shall consist of numerous individual windows or larger windows having multiple panes to avoid large areas of solid surface.

x. For brick, stone, and art deco stucco structures, upper-story windows shall be punched or recessed, except for bay windows.

xi. Details, such as soldier course or solid lintels and sills, shall be used around windows in brick and stone structures.

Figure 21.62.020AJ
Windows

Windows

xii. Windows shall not start at floor level and shall repeat historic patterns that allowed views to the interior of a storefront.

xiii. Transom windows are encouraged.

Figure 21.62.020AK
Transom Windows and Windows Above Floor Level

Transom Windows and Windows Above Floor Level

xiv. Preferred window dimensions and type are illustrated in Figure 21.62.020AL.

xv. Recessed entrances are encouraged for storefronts. Porches, courtyard entrances, or stoops are encouraged for ground floor residential units where allowed.

Figure 21.62.020AL
Window Dimensions and Types

Window Dimensions and Types

e. Building Color.

i. Preferred colors are those that reflect the historic patterns of the zone; however, other colors, particularly on nonhistoric structures, will be allowed if they are complementary to surrounding structures and do not detract from the prominence of historic buildings in the zone.

4. Pedestrian/Customer Elements.

a. Intent. The Old Town zone characterizes a pedestrian shopping and gathering environment, with comfortable and attractive sidewalks, plazas, informal seating areas, and pedestrian amenities that are consistent with the historic character of the zone.

b. Design Criteria.

i. Trees, Plants, and Flowers. The use of potted plants and flowers as well as street trees is encouraged, and shall not impede pedestrian traffic.

ii. Street Lighting. The height and design of street lighting should relate in scale to the historic character of the area. The design of the light standards and luminaires should enhance a historic theme.

iii. Street Furniture. Public seating, trash receptacles, and informational/directional kiosks should be of uniform design and be provided throughout Old Town. Creation of informal gathering places that are integrated appropriately with the streetscape is encouraged.

Figure 21.62.020AM
Pedestrian Elements

Pedestrian elements Pedestrian elements
Pedestrian elements Pedestrian elements
Pedestrian elements Pedestrian elements

(Ord. 2679; Ord. 2803; Ord. 3114)

Effective on: 10/17/2015