Item 2 • Item #2
City of
Elk -�-,
River
MEMORANDUM
TO: Planning Commission
FROM: Chris Leeseberg, Planner
DATE: August 13, 2002
SUBJECT: Downtown Design Standards
Request
After hearing comments from the last workshop meeting, staff has composed a draft outline
of the proposed downtown design standards. Please review the various items and bring your
• comments to the workshop meeting.
1111
• Definitions
Building Height: The dimension taken from the sidewalk on Main Street to
uppermost portion of the Parapet/Cornice.
Canopy: A fixed or operable horizontal projection or hood over a door,window,
niche,etc.
Cornice: Any horizontal projecting ornamental molding that finishes or crowns the
top of a building,wall,arch, etc. It shall be a minimum of 24 inches in height.
Display Area: The area from the top of the Kickplate to the head of the entrance
door.
Ganged: A combination of similar devices arranged for convenience to act
together.
Kickplate: The area from the sidewalk surface to the bottom of the Display Area.
It shall be 16-18 inches in height.
Parapet Panel: The area from the head of the uppermost windows to the bottom of
the articulated Cornice.
Primary Facade: Any building face fronting a public street or park. Corner Units
•
shall have two Primary Facades.
Secondary Facade: Any building face that does not front a public street or park.
Walls that extend above the roofline of an adjoining building shall be treated as
Secondary Facades.
Storefront: The one story portion from the Main Street sidewalk to the head of the
entrance door.
Stringcourse: An area that is located at the second floor line that separates the
Storefront from the Upper Facade. Usually created with a reveal and/or change in
the brick application (i.e. a Soldier Course).
Transom Area: The area between the head of the entrance door and the bottom of
the Stringcourse.
Unit or Unit Width: The 20-26 foot implied building width.
Unit Area: The area defined as the Unit Width times the Building Height.
Upper Facade: The one to two story portions from the Stringcourse to the bottom
of the articulated Cornice.
•
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• X. DD—Downtown District
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE: One of the reasons often stated for people's affection for
Downtown Elk River is that they like its "character." The doorways and windows that allow the
pedestrian to look into the buildings, the warmth of the building material,and the small town
architecture all combine to create a friendly and inviting atmosphere. Maintaining and enhancing this
character is an important aspect of both renovations and new construction. As Downtown Elk River
changes, future renovations as well as any new construction should reinforce the general character
and quality of the existing downtown,while clearly being an expression of the architecture of its own
time. The design of new construction should take into consideration the location of the proposed
building as well as incorporate traditional design elements.
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The purpose of the DD,Downtown District is to create this "character"with the appearance that
there is a multiple of 20-26 foot wide buildings that look different from one another yet will create a
uniform mass of buildings.
• A. Permitted Uses
i. Bla Bla Bla
B. Accessory Uses
i. Bla Bla Bla
C. Conditional Uses
i. Bla Bla Bla
•
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• D. Illustration of Commonly Used Terms:
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• UPPER FLOOR(S) WINDOWS
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IIIAWNING ELEMENTS
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• E. Exterior Building Finishes:
It is the intent of the City of Elk River to promote&encourage high
standards of creative traditional architectural design in the Downtown
District.
ii. In the Downtown District,the following are acceptable building materials
for Primary Facades:
a. Brick-with earth tone colors only
b. Cut stone such as granite,marble and limestone
In the Downtown District,the following are acceptable accent materials for
Primary Facades:
a. EIFS,stucco and other cementitious coating.
b. Wood(in the Storefront area only)
c. Integrally colored split face (rock face) Concrete Masonry Units (CMU)
that have a dimensional characteristic of brick(not to exceed 16 inches
in length nor 4 inches in height)
d. Tile: ceramic,porcelain,hand crafted or fired Site?
In addition,accent materials are required and shall comply with the following
requirements:
a. Accent materials shall be 5%-20% of the total Unit area (Unit Width x
•
Building Height) of a Primary Facade,with no more than 10% of one
single material.
b. Shall not be concentrated in any one location.
iv. In the Downtown District,the following are acceptable building materials
for Secondary Facades:
a. Stucco,EIFS and other cementitious coating
b. Integrally colored split face (rock face),burnished or glazed CMU
(excluding plain or painted)
c. Any material that is acceptable for the Primary Facades
v. In the Downtown District,the following are non-acceptable materials for
either Primary or Secondary Facades:
a. Plain gray or painted concrete masonry units
b. Wood sheathing such as plywood,T-111 or similar products
c. Fiberglass or aluminum panels
d. Metal construction
e. Glass curtain wall systems
f. Treated brick(such as glazed,dyed or painted)
g. Vinyl
h. Siding
i. Wood shakes
•
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• F. Building Design Construction Standards
General Junk?
a. The building shall maintain a zero lot line setback.
b. Unit Width shall be between 20-26 feet.
c. Building height shall not be less than 24 feet,above Main Street
sidewalk,with no less than two stories nor exceed 35 feet, above Main
Street sidewalk,with no more than three stories.
d. Building elevations shall be parallel to street.
e. A Primary Façade color shall not be the exact color as either adjacent
Unit.
f. A Stringcourse,located at the second floor line,shall be provided to
separate the Storefront and the Upper Façade.
g. A Stringcourse is not required for residential Units that have direct
access to Main Street (i.e. row house type unit).
h. The Unit Width of a Unit,on the northeast corner of Main Street and
Jackson Avenue,may be increased to 70 footin width.
ii. Storefront
a. Shall be 50-70%glazing.
b. Storefront treatments shall not extend across multiple Units in attempts
to unify them into a single unit.
• c. Architectural detail elements, such as pediments, shall not extend above
the bottom of the Stringcourse line.
d. Maintain a regular pattern or rhythm with other facades along the
street.
e. Masonry columns,piers and/or pilasters shall compliment and/or
match the material used on the Upper Facade to help define the
storefront patterns or rhythm.
iii. Kickplates
a. Shall be 18-24 inches in height.
b. Material shall be an acceptable accent building material. Primary Facade
building materials shall not be allowed.
c. Color shall be neutral,blend and compliment with major building
materials.
iv. Display Area
a. Sills shall be elevated above the sidewalk 18-24 inches.
b. Clear glass only.
c. Wood and/or metal framing shall be finished a color to coordinate
with the building's overall color scheme.
d. Internal mullions in display windows are not recommended.
v. Transom Area
• a. Shall be the same as the Primary Facade building material.
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b. The Transom Area shall have at least 40-50% of the area devoted to
some design treatment(such as change in brick pattern or a recess) that
is unique,but shall be similar to adjacent Units.
c. If glazed,only clear glass,glass block and/or Stained Glass transoms
are allowed.
d. Transoms can be illuminated from the inside.
e. Incorporation of signage into the Transom Area is a desirable
treatment.
vi. Entrances
a. Entrance door shall be 45-50%glass,unless it is the entrance door to a
residential Unit at Main Street level (i.e. a row house type unit).
b. Recessed entrances are encouraged.
c. Entrance shall reflect the character and scale of space it accesses.
d. Materials shall be the same as the overall Storefront design.
vii. Upper Facade
a. An articulated Cornice,at least 24"in height, shall be required for each
building Unit Width
b. The same Cornice detail shall not be the same as the two adjacent Units
to each side.
c. Cornice height, from Main Street level, shall vary in height from Unit to
• Unit by at least 24 inches.
d. The Parapet Panel,if greater in height than four feet, shall have at least
35-40%of the area devoted to some design treatment(such as change
in brick pattern) that is unique,but shall be similar to adjacent Units.
The design treatment shall consist of the same primary material used at
the Upper Façade.
e. Repetition of"Medallion Inserts" shall not be allowed.
f. Upper Facade treatments shall not extend across multiple Units in
attempts to unify them into a single unit.
g. Cornice design shall be integrated as an overall part of the design and
shall be a Primary Facade building material.
h. Rooflines on mixed-use Units shall be flat.
viii. Windows
a. A minimum of three windows per floor shall be provided in the Upper
Façade.
b. The Unit Width minus the sum of all window widths per floor
(A+B+C+D+E,in Illustration of Commonly Used Terms) shall be
between 40-45% of the total Unit Width.
c. Window widths in Upper Facade shall not be greater than 32-inches.
d. No more than two windows can be ganged together in the Upper
Façade.
e. Upper Floor Windows shall align directly above one another from floor
to floor.
• f. All windowsills, on a given floor,shall be at the same height in a given
Unit.
g. Windowsills shall be articulated with an acceptable material.
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• h. Reflective,mirrored or colored glass shall not be allowed.
i. Lintels shall be a Primary Façade building material.
j. Wood and/or metal framing shall be finished in a color to coordinate
with the building's overall color scheme.
k. Shutters are not recommended. Do we all these?
1. Tinted glass is not recommended. Do we all these?
ix. Signs
a. Signs should complement,rather than compete with, the character of
the building and downtown.
b. Signs should be designed to fit within the proportions and scale of the
individual building.
c. Wall-mounted or projecting signs shall be no higher than the
Stringcourse.
d. Window and transom signs are encouraged.
e. Aside from a date and/or name stone no signage shall be placed within
the Parapet Panel area.
Not allowed:
i. Back-lit signs
ii. Molded plastic canister signs.
in. Signs with strobes lights, flashing elements or distracting
actions.
iv. Signs that call attention to themselves at the expense of
• neighboring businesses because of color, scale,lighting,
material, or other obtrusive and distracting features.
x. Awnings
a. Awnings shall be of a canvas material in either a solid or striped
pattern.
b. The use of "bright"pimp,colors shall not be allowed.
c. Awnings may be either fixed or operable.
d. All awnings shall be designed to fit the opening that is intended to
cover.
e. Awnings,if desired, shall be placed at a minimum over all Storefront
windows of a Unit.
f. With the exception of dome awnings,awnings shall project out
perpendicular from building.
g. Awnings shall extend a distance of three to four feet from face of
building.
h. Awnings shall not extend the entire width of a Unit.
i. The same style and color of awning shall not extend beyond one Unit
Width.
j. Bottom of Fringe shall not be lower than 7'-4"nor higher than 8'0"from
the sidewalk.
k. Storefront awnings shall not extend above the bottom of the
Stringcourse line.
1. No signage shall be placed on the Field or the Ends of the awing.
m. Lettering,not to exceed 4 inches in height, shall be allowed on the
awning fringe.
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n. Awnings for Upper Facade windows shall be individual to each
opening and be the same style and color as the awnings,if present,in
the Storefront area.
o. Awnings shall employ color schemes that will compliment the building
it is placed upon as well as adjoining buildings.
p. Awnings shall be compatible with the design of the building and the
streetscape.
q. Canopies shall not be allowed.
S
•
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