§ 106.31.070. Industrial Project Design

A.

General design objectives. The following guidelines address the overall approach to industrial project design favored by the City:

1.

A variety of building and parking setbacks should be provided to avoid long monotonous building facades and to create diversity within the project.

2.

Building setbacks should be provided proportionate to the scale of the structure and in consideration of existing adjacent development. Larger structures require more setback area for a balance of scale and so as not to impose visually on neighboring uses.

3.

The placement of structures to create plazas, courts, or gardens is encouraged. Setback areas can often be used to provide space for patio and outdoor eating areas.

4.

The main elements of preferred business park/industrial site design include the following:

a.

Easily identifiable site access;

b.

Service areas located at the sides and rear of buildings;

c.

Convenient access, visitor parking and on-site circulation;

d.

Screening of outdoor storage, work areas, and equipment;

e.

Emphasis on the main building entry and landscaping;

f.

Placement of buildings to provide plazas and courtyards;

g.

Landscaped open space; and

h.

Multiple buildings on the same site clustered to create a campus-like setting that takes advantage of shared open space and pedestrian amenities.

B.

Architectural design. The inherently utilitarian nature of industrial buildings need not prevent the design of attractive industrial areas within the city.

1.

Architectural style. The architectural style of business park and industrial buildings should incorporate clean simple lines. Buildings should project an image of high quality through the use of appropriate durable materials and well landscaped settings. See Figure 3-31.

2.

Mass and scale of structures. As a category of structure type, typically bland industrial buildings often present unattractive, unadorned, "box-like" forms. A variety of design techniques should be used to help overcome this situation and to produce a cohesive design statement.

a.

Provide articulated facades with offsets and recessed entries.

b.

Entries to structures should have a quality appearance while being architecturally tied into the overall building composition and scale.

c.

Alteration of colors, textures, and materials should be used to produce diversity and enhance architectural forms.

d.

A compatible variety of siding materials (i.e., metal, masonry, concrete texturing, cement or plaster) should be used to produce effects of texture and relief that provide architectural interest.

3.

Undesirable elements. Undesirable design elements to be avoided include:

a.

Large blank, unarticulated wall surfaces;

b.

Exposed, untreated precision block walls;

c.

Chain link fence and barbed wire;

d.

False fronts;

e.

Steeply pitched Mansard roofs;

f.

Materials with high maintenance (such as stained wood, shingles or light gauge metal siding);

g.

Mirror window glazing;

h.

Loading bays or doors facing a street; and

i.

Exposed roof drains and downspouts, except where integrated with the colors, materials, and other details of the building architecture.

C.

Parking and vehicle circulation. Parking lots should not be the dominant visual elements of a site. Large expansive paved areas located between the street and the building are to be avoided in favor of smaller multiple lots separated by landscaping and buildings and located to the sides and rear of buildings whenever possible.

1.

Site access and internal circulation should be designed in a straightforward manner that emphasizes safety and efficiency. The circulation system should be designed to reduce conflicts between vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

2.

Entrances and exits to and from parking and loading facilities should be clearly marked with appropriate directional signage where multiple access points are provided.

3.

Parking lots adjacent to and visible from public streets must be adequately screened from view through the use of rolling earth berms, low screen walls, changes in elevation, landscaping or combinations of these features.

D.

Pedestrian circulation.

1.

Clearly demarcated and direct pedestrian routes should extend from peripheral public sidewalks and transit stops to the sidewalks that front on-site buildings, and along driveways.

2.

Pedestrian walkways 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.

3.

Wheel stops shall comply with the requirements in Section 106.36.080.I (Wheel stops/curbing).

E.

Loading facilities. Loading bays are key elements of the function of many industrial buildings, but can be problematic in creating an overall building design that is attractive from the public view.

1.

To alleviate the unsightly appearance of loading facilities, these areas should not be located at the front of buildings where it is difficult to adequately screen them from view. Loading facilities are generally more appropriate at the rear of a building where they are more functional and can be more effectively screened.

2.

When site features prevent the placement of loading facilities at the rear of the building, loading docks and doors may be at the side of the building but must be screened from view by a combination of screen walls, ornamental landscaping and/or portions of the building. Gates should be located so as not to allow views from the public right-of-way into loading areas.

3.

Rolling shutter doors located on the inside of the building are the preferred method for providing large loading doors while keeping a clean, uncluttered appearance from the exterior.

4.

Loading areas must be designed so that trucks will not need to back-in from the public street onto the site.

F.

Landscaping. Landscaping should be used on industrial sites to define areas such as entrances to buildings and parking lots, define the edges of various land uses, provide transition between neighboring properties (buffering), provide screening for outdoor storage, loading and equipment areas, manage stormwater, and recharge groundwater.

1.

Landscaping should be in scale with adjacent buildings and be of appropriate size at maturity to accomplish its intended purpose.

2.

Landscaping around the entire base of buildings is recommended to soften the edge between the parking lot and the structure and the view of the structure from the public right-of-way. Landscaping should be accented at building entrances to provide a focal point.

3.

Use berming at the edge of the building in conjunction with landscaping to reduce the apparent height of the structure and its mass, especially along street frontages.

4.

Development in areas with native vegetation or located within riparian, viewshed or other unique natural environments are encouraged to use landscape designs and material that are sensitive to and compatible with existing vegetation.

5.

Tree planting areas must be adequate to support the mature size of the species selected.

G.

Walls and fences. The fact that industrial uses often require large outdoor areas for production activities, parking, or storage necessitates the thoughtful design of surrounding walls and fences because they can become significant visual elements on the site. Fences and walls shall also comply with the requirements of Section 106.30.050 (Fences and Walls).

1.

If walls are not required for a specific screening or security purpose they should not be used. The intent is to keep walls as low as possible while still performing their screening and security functions.

2.

Where walls are used at property frontages, or screen walls are used to conceal storage and equipment areas, they should be designed to blend with the site's architecture. Landscaping should be used in combination with such walls whenever possible.

3.

Long expanses of fence or wall surfaces should be offset and architecturally designed to prevent monotony. Landscape pockets should be provided along the wall. See Figure 3-32.

Figure 3-32 Example of Wall Articulation

4.

With taller walls over five feet in height, it may be more appropriate to have a stepped design which allows for the creation of a planter area between wall components. The use of trailing vines or groundcovers in these planters is encouraged.

5.

When security fencing is required, it should be a combination of solid columns, or short solid wall segments, and wrought iron grill work, rather than the entire fence being a single material.

H.

Screening. The nature of some industrial uses and their sites may inevitably result in unsightly features. In these cases, screening features must be carefully designed so that their appearance is not equally unattractive.

1.

Exterior storage and loading areas should be confined to portions of the site least visible to public view where screening needs are minimized.

2.

Where screening is required, a combination of elements should be used including solid masonry walls, berms, and landscaping. Chain link fencing with wood or metal slatting is an acceptable screening material only for areas not visible from a public street or parking lot.

3.

Where permanent screening is required between a manufacturing zone and a residential zone, a decorative, solid masonry screening wall is required. Evergreen landscaping should be placed adjacent to the wall.

4.

Screening that includes a fence or wall shall also comply with Section 106.30.050 (Fences and Walls).

I.

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

1.

Unless roofing materials are a part of the design element (for example, tiles, concrete or metal roofing elements), the ridge line elevation should not exceed the parapet elevation.

2.

Piecemeal mansard roofs (used on a portion of the building perimeter only) should be avoided. Mansard roofs should wrap around the entire perimeter of the structure.

3.

Rooftop equipment must be screened.

J.

Metal buildings. All metal buildings should be designed to have architectural interest and articulation as is encouraged with conventionally built structures.

1.

In addition to architectural metal panels, exterior surfaces should include either stucco, plaster, glass, stone, brick, or decorative masonry. Stock, "off-the-shelf" metal buildings are highly discouraged as main structures.

2.

Metal buildings should employ a variety of building forms, shapes, colors, materials and other architectural treatments to add visual interest and variety to the building. Architectural treatments should emphasize the primary entrance to the building.

3.

All exterior surfaces of metal buildings that have a risk of being struck and damaged by vehicles or machinery should be protected with landscaped areas, raised concrete curbs, and/or traffic barriers.

K.

Signs. Every structure should be designed with a specific concept for adequate signing. Provisions for sign placement, sign scale in relation to building scale, and the readability of the sign should be considered in developing the overall project's signing concept.

1.

The design of each sign should be compatible with the design of the structure and site design relative to color, material, and placement.

2.

Monument signs are preferred for business identification. Where several tenants occupy the same site, individual wall mounted signs are appropriate in combination with a monument sign identifying the business park complex and address. See Figure 3-33.

3.

The use of carved wood, or backlit individually cut letter signs is encouraged.

4.

The industrial site should be appropriately signed to give directions to loading and receiving areas, visitor parking and other special areas.

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