§ 106.31.040. Commercial Project Design

A.

Purpose. The City's commercial areas present special urban design challenges. The present character of these areas reflects both the architectural styles of nonresidential, automobile-oriented development that were predominant when many of the structures were built, and various modernization and renovation efforts thereafter. This Section provides guidelines for new and renovated commercial structures.

B.

Applicability. The standards in this Section apply to all retail, office, service commercial, and other commercial development within the City. Large-scale commercial development (including buildings of 50,000 square feet or larger, and retail centers with five or more shops) is also subject to the standards in Section 106.31.050 (Large Scale Retail and Retail Center Design).

C.

Overall design objectives for commercial projects. The design of each project should work toward improving the visual character and quality of the City, and achieve the following objectives.

1.

Consider residential neighborhoods adjacent to the commercial area and demonstrate sensitivity to the design context of the surrounding area.

2.

Avoid "boxy" structures with large, flat wall planes by articulating building forms and elevations to create interesting roof lines, building shapes, and patterns of shade and shadow.

3.

Incorporate pedestrian connections within and to the site that are safe, convenient, and direct for both internal and external circulation.

4.

Provide landscaping as a project amenity, and to help screen parking, equipment and storage areas.

5.

Provide logical and safe access to the site, and design parking and internal circulation areas to avoid awkward or cramped turning movements. In general, on-site access driveways should be located away from street intersections to minimize conflicts with turning movements from traffic on adjacent streets.

6.

Consider the need for signs and their appropriate scale and locations early in the design process, so that they are not an afterthought.

7.

Locate outdoor equipment, trash receptacles, storage, and loading areas in the least conspicuous part of the site.

8.

Grading for commercial development should be minimized, and proposed development should be designed to accommodate and maintain the natural topography to the greatest extent feasible.

D.

General architectural design guidelines.

1.

Architectural style. No particular architectural style or design theme is required in the City, but the compatibility of new projects with existing structures should be a priority, to maintain desired community character. "Canned" or "trademark" building designs used by franchised businesses in other cities are discouraged in Citrus Heights, as they collectively have the effect of making the commercial areas of the City look like anywhere in California. Corporate or franchise colors should be used as accent only.

2.

Design consistency. Building designs should demonstrate a consistent use of colors, materials, and detailing throughout all elevations of the building. An elevation that does not directly face a street need not have the same appearance as one facing the street, but its design should relate to the other building facades. See Figure 3-17.

3.

Form and mass. Building design should provide a sense of human scale and proportion. Horizontal and vertical wall articulation should be expressed through the use of wall offsets, recessed windows and entries, awnings, full roofs with overhangs, second floor setbacks, or covered arcades. See Figure 3-18.

4.

Rooflines. Roof design contributes strongly to the image of a structure as having quality and permanence.

a.

A structure with a pitched roof, or pitched roofs over key building elements can sometimes project a more small town image and reinforce the pedestrian orientation that is prominent in many parts of Citrus Heights. Structures with flat roofs and parapets require special attention to the wall-to-parapet juncture, and cornice details.

b.

Pitched roofs may be gable, hip, or shed-style, but should either be full pitched or should appear so from the street. Any flat portions (i.e., equipment wells) should be relatively small and not visible from streets or other public areas. On larger structures, pitched roofs should be multi-planed to avoid large, monotonous expanses.

c.

Flat roofs should be used only with a continuous screening parapet topped with coping, or a cornice. Green or vegetated roofs are permitted with complimentary architectural design. Mansards should be used only if they maintain the same roof pitch as surrounding structures and are both high and deep enough to create the illusion of being a true roof. Steeply-pitched mansard roofs are discouraged.

5.

Awnings. Awnings should be retained and/or incorporated where feasible and compatible with the storefront.

a.

Where a commercial building facade is divided into bays (sections defined by vertical architectural elements, such as masonry piers), awnings should be placed within the vertical elements rather than overlapping them.

b.

Awning shape should relate to the window or door opening the awning covers. Barrel-shaped awnings should be used over arched windows while square awnings should be used over rectangular windows. See Figure 3-19.

c.

Awnings shall not be internally illuminated.

d.

Canvas or standing seam metal are the preferred materials for awnings. Plastic, vinyl, or other glossy materials are not appropriate.

e.

A single building face with multiple tenants should use consistent awning design and color on each building floor, unless the building architecture differentiates the separate tenant spaces.

6.

Parapets. Parapet walls should be treated as an integral part of the building design, with architectural detailing consistent with the rest of the facade, and should not appear as unrelated elements intended only to screen the roof behind them.

7.

Entries. Building entries should be important and obvious elements in the design of a facade. See Figure 3-20.

a.

Each entry should be protected from the elements and should create an architectural focal point for the building.

b.

Wall recesses, roof overhangs, canopies, arches, columns, signs, and similar architectural features should be integral elements of the building's entry design, and used to call attention to its importance.

8.

Additions to existing structures and centers. The design of a proposed addition should follow the same general scale, proportion, massing, and detailing of the original structure, and not be in stark contrast to the original structure. Incorporating the main characteristics of the existing structure may include: extending architectural lines from the existing structure to the addition; repeating bay, window, and entrance spacing and cornice details; roof design and ground-level details; use of the same or complementary colors and materials; and including similar architectural details (such as window/door trim, lighting fixtures, tile/brick decoration). New building pads should not significantly block views of interior commercial buildings from the street, or significantly block views from interior commercial buildings to the street.

9.

Building materials. Building materials shall be carefully chosen to enhance the consistency of the architectural theme and design.

a.

Materials should be used honestly. Artificial or decorative facade treatments, where one or more unrelated materials appear "stuck-on" to a building (such as artificial columns or posts), should be avoided. While authentic materials such as brick, stone, and wood are preferred, artificial products that effectively imitate real materials may be appropriate in limited situations. If artificial stone-like materials are used, they should look like local natural materials.

b.

Exterior finish materials should be chosen and applied so that they do not appear "thin" and otherwise artificial, as in the case of "brick" veneer applied to a single building face so that it is obviously only ¼-inch thick when viewed from the side. Veneers should turn corners, avoiding exposed edges.

c.

Downspouts and drain pipes should preferably be placed within building walls. If they must be placed on a building exterior, they shall be integrated with the architectural design, colors, and finish materials of the building.

d.

Bulkheads should be constructed of a durable material other than stucco, such as tile, brick, rock, or pre-cast concrete.

10.

Windows. Existing windows should be maintained, and not "walled-in" or darkened to provide more interior wall or storage space. Ground floor windows are highly encouraged. These should ideally provide pedestrians with views into the building, but even display windows can improve the pedestrian experience of the building at the street or sidewalk level. See Figure 3-21.

11.

Colors. Colors should be compatible with the colors of existing buildings in the surrounding area but need not duplicate existing colors.

a.

Large areas of bright, intense colors should generally be avoided. While more subdued colors usually work best for large facade areas, brighter accent colors may be appropriate for trim, windows, doors, and other key architectural elements. Bold stripes of color are not a substitute for architectural detailing.

b.

The transition between base and accent colors should relate to changes in building materials or the change of building surface planes. Colors should generally not meet or change without some physical change or definition to the surface plane.

12.

Corporate identification. Colors or logos identified with an individual company should be employed as building accent features, and not used as the main or dominant architectural feature of any wall.

13.

Signs. Each structure should be designed with specific consideration for adequate signing, including provisions for sign placement, sign scale in relation to building scale, and readability. The colors, placement, and materials of all signs should be integrated with the architecture and facade details of the structure. See Figure 3-22. Sign permits (see Chapter 106.38 (Signs) shall be required for color schemes, architectural features, and other design details that are:

a.

Primarily designed to advertise or to provide information in the nature of advertising, to direct or attract attention to a person, institution, business, product, or service;

b.

Used as the main or dominant feature of a building, building surface, or structure; and

c.

Determined by the Director to not demonstrate sensitivity to the design context of the building or surrounding area.

14.

Equipment screening. The attractive appearance of a building can be ruined by mechanical equipment (for example, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) in highly visible locations on the roof, or on the ground adjacent to the structure.

a.

Mechanical and utility service equipment (e.g., compressors, air conditioners, pumps, heating and ventilating equipment, generators, solar collectors, satellite dishes, communications equipment, transformers, gas meters, etc.) and any other type of mechanical equipment should be located within the building or in an equipment room with an exterior entrance. If located outside the building, equipment should be screened from public streets and neighboring properties, and should be insulated as necessary to prevent noise generated by the equipment from being audible off the property. Screening methods may include landscaping placing components below grade, screen walls or a combination of these methods approved by the Director.

b.

Roof-mounted mechanical equipment and vents should be screened by a building parapet or other effective roof design.

c.

All ground-level screening shall be provided graffiti-resistant finishes.

E.

Site planning. Project site planning should comply with the following guidelines:

1.

Building and parking location.

a.

Buildings should generally be oriented parallel to streets. A site with multiple buildings should be planned to provide adequate visibility of each building from the street.

b.

The orientation of the building and its entrances should respond to the pedestrian or vehicular nature of the street. A building with high pedestrian use, or on a street where the City is working to create a pedestrian orientation, should face and be directly accessible from the sidewalk.

A building in a part of the City that is more suburban and auto-oriented in character should not face a large parking lot located between the building and the street, but should instead face major on-site open space and streetscape elements provided for pedestrian use. In the case of new commercial structures located on major arterials, it may also be appropriate to provide landscaped setbacks between buildings and streets.

c.

The City encourages shared parking arrangements. Parking areas on adjoining parcels should be connected to allow continuous vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian access. Pedestrian linkages between parcels should be located separately from vehicle connections where possible and, in all cases, clearly differentiated from vehicle ways. Driveways should be consolidated and shared between properties and parking areas to the greatest extent feasible.

d.

Multiple buildings in a single project should be designed to create a visual and functional relationship with one another. Whenever possible, multiple buildings should be clustered to achieve a "village" scale, with plazas and pedestrian areas, and without long rows of buildings. When clustering is impractical, a visual link should be established between buildings through the use of arcades, trellises, colonnades, landscaping and trees, or enhanced paving.

e.

The location of open space areas should be accessible from the majority of structures, and should be oriented to take advantage of sun or shade, as appropriate.

f.

The visual impact of parking lots should be minimized by locating these facilities to a portion of the site least visible from the street and by providing adequate screening and parking lot landscaping.

g.

Driveways should be consolidated.

h.

Parking areas should be connected to building entrances by means of enhanced (patterned or stamped) paving.

i.

Handicapped access should be provided into the property from the nearest point of public transit, and enhanced paving should be used to improve accessibility.

j.

Loading facilities should not be located at the front of buildings where they will interfere with customer and employee traffic and be difficult to adequately screen. These facilities are usually more appropriate at the rear of buildings; however, loading areas should not look like an afterthought. They should be screened from street and off-site views to the maximum extent feasible, and shall be architecturally integrated with the design of the building.

Special attention must be given to the design of loading facilities adjacent to residential uses. Techniques such as block walls, enhanced building setbacks with landscaping, and careful attention to the location and shielding of lighting can help minimize adverse impacts to residents. It is sometimes preferable to require that tenant spaces within a commercial project receive and ship products through the "front door," rather than subject adjacent residential uses to the noise and night time glare associated with loading facilities.

2.

Pedestrian and bicycle features.

a.

Pedestrian connections. Safe and direct pedestrian routes should be provided from public sidewalks, through parking areas, and along building facades to primary entrances.

(1)

Clearly demarcated and direct pedestrian routes should extend from peripheral public sidewalks and transit stops to the internal sidewalks that front commercial buildings, at least once in each 200 linear feet of sidewalk adjacent to the project.

(2)

Pedestrian connections should be provided to existing centers on adjoining sites.

b.

Bordering and internal sidewalks.

(1)

Sidewalks of at least five feet are required, and eight feet in width are encouraged along all sides of the lot that abut a public street.

(2)

Sidewalks must be provided along the full length of the building along any facade with a customer entrance, and along any facade abutting a parking area.

(a)

Sidewalks must be located at least six feet from the facade to provide area for landscaping, except where the facade incorporates pedestrian-oriented features such as pedestrian entrances or ground floor windows.

(b)

Sidewalks should be eight feet wide, exclusive of any area planned for outdoor display or storage.

(c)

The sidewalks should have wells for canopy trees at 30-foot intervals along the sidewalk edge adjacent to parking areas or vehicle access ways, so that the combination of building wall, sidewalk, and trees provide an enhanced pedestrian experience.

(3)

Pedestrian walkways within the site should be provided covered for weather protection within 15 feet of all customer entrances, which should also cover nearby short-term bicycle parking.

(4)

Light or utility poles, guy wires, transformer or relay boxes, gate/door swing radii, bus benches or shelters, or permanent traffic or informational signs may be sited adjacent to, but shall not encroach upon, sidewalks or other marked pedestrian or bicycle pathways.

c.

Pedestrian walkway identification. Pedestrian walkways within the site must be distinguished from driving surfaces through the use of special pavers, bricks, or colored/textured concrete to enhance pedestrian safety and the attractiveness of the walkways. Pedestrian circulation in parking areas should be parallel to traffic flow toward building entrances. Sidewalk landings should be provided and extended between parking spaces where needed to connect pedestrians to walkways.

d.

Sitting and activity areas. Site planning should include an outdoor use area or focal point adjacent to major building entrances as appropriate to the scale of the development. The area should provide public amenities, examples of which include water features, benches, landscaped areas, public square, etc. A project with two or more structures should group the buildings to define this space.

3.

Landscaping. Landscaped areas should be planned as an integral part of the overall project and not simply located in "left over" areas of the site.

a.

Landscaping should be used to help define outdoor spaces, soften a structure's appearance, screen parking, loading, storage, and equipment areas, manage stormwater, and recharge groundwater.

b.

The use of on-site pedestrian amenities (such as benches, shelters, drinking fountains, lighting, and trash receptacles) is encouraged. These elements should be provided in conjunction with on-site open spaces and be integrated into the site plan as primary features.

c.

Landscaping should be designed to minimize pollutants and improve water quality, including post- construction stormwater Best Management Practices such as grassy swales, detention basins with low flow swales, and approved underground vaults.

F.

Outdoor lighting. The design, size, and placement of outdoor lighting fixtures on buildings and in parking lots should be complementary to the architectural style of the buildings. More, smaller-scale parking lot lights instead of fewer, overly tall and large parking lot lights should be installed. Outdoor light fixtures mounted on building walls should relate to the height of pedestrians and not exceed eight to ten feet. All lighting fixtures shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 106.35 (Outdoor Lighting).

G.

Solar access. Commercial structures should be oriented to maximize solar access to encourage the use of passive solar, photovoltaic solar, etc. Solar equipment shall be screened by a parapet or other building feature or incorporated into the building architectural design.

(Ord. No. 2008-15, § 1, 12-11-2008; Ord. No. 2015-010, § 1, 12-10-2015)