§ 16.20.060.7. Building design.

The following design criteria allow the property owner and design professional to choose their preferred architectural style, building form, scale and massing, while creating a framework for good urban design practices which create a positive experience for the pedestrian.

Site layout and orientation. The City is committed to creating and preserving a network of linkages for pedestrians. Consequently, pedestrian and vehicle connections between public rights-of-way and private property are subject to a hierarchy of transportation, which begins with the pedestrian.

Building and parking layout and orientation.

1.

New multi-building development shall relate to the development of the surrounding properties. This means there shall be no internally oriented buildings which cause rear yards and rear facades to face toward abutting properties.

2.

Buildings shall create a presence on the street. This means that a minimum of 60 percent of the principal structure's linear frontage, per street face, shall be built on the building setback line.

a.

For properties located within the Central Avenue Corridor Activity Center, ground floor residential dwelling units may be setback up to an additional six feet from the building setback line in fulfillment of the 60 percent requirement.

3.

All service areas and loading docks shall be located behind the front facade line of the principal structure.

4.

The principal structure shall be oriented toward the primary street. A principal structure on a corner property may be oriented to the secondary street so long as all street facades are articulated as primary facades. Buildings at the corner of two intersecting streets are encouraged to highlight and articulate the corner of the building.

5.

All mechanical equipment and utility functions (e.g. electrical conduits, meters, HVAC equipment) shall be located behind the front façade line of the principal structure. Mechanical equipment that is visible from the primary street shall be screened with a material that is compatible with the architecture of the principal structure.

6.

Parking, detention and retention ponds, drainage ditches, and accessory structures shall be located behind the principal building to the rear of the property. Detention and retention ponds and drainage ditches shall comply with the design standards set forth in the drainage and surface water management section.

Vehicle connections.

1.

Access to parking shall be designed to take advantage of the first available alternative in the following prioritized list:

a.

Access shall be made from the alley or secondary street.

b.

Where no alley or secondary street is present, access shall occur from the primary street.

For multi-unit structures, driveways shall serve the entire complex, not individual units, and shall not be wider than one lane in each direction.

Pedestrian connections.

1.

Principal entries to a structure shall be connected to the public sidewalk and the curb of the primary street with a sidewalk.

2.

Each ground floor multifamily dwelling unit or commercial unit that faces a primary street shall contain a primary entry, which faces the primary street. The primary entry shall include decorative door surrounds, porches, porticos or stoops, or a combination thereof.

3.

Where a single building includes separate commercial and residential entrances, the residential entrances shall be raised at least 16 inches above ground-level or recessed within the facade to reinforce a privacy zone and distinguish it from the commercial entrances.

Building and architectural design standards. All buildings should present an inviting, human scale facade to the streets, internal drives, parking areas and surrounding neighborhoods. The architectural elements of a building should give it character, richness and visual interest.

Building style. New construction shall utilize an identifiable architectural style which is recognized by design professionals as having a basis in academic architectural design philosophies.

1.

Renovations, additions and accessory structures shall utilize the architectural style of the existing structure, or the entire existing structure shall be modified to utilize an identifiable architectural style which is recognized by design professionals as having a basis in academic architectural design philosophies.

2.

All accessory structures, including, but not limited to, drive-throughs, canopies, storage buildings, and solid waste container enclosures shall be compatible with the architectural design of the principal structure. Compatibility shall be determined by reviewing building materials, finishes and other significant features.

Building form.

1.

Buildings should create a width to height ratio of no more than 1:1. Buildings that exceed the width to height ratio of 1:1 shall feature architectural fenestration creating a bay system that divides the building design into a maximum ratio of 1:1. This may be done through pilasters, arcades, building line and roof line off-sets, materials and other appropriate architectural features.

Streetwall. Articulating different uses at lower building levels will aid in creating a sense of human scale in mid-rise buildings. Addressing human scale may be achieved through architectural detailing and by variation in the three-dimensional character of the building mass as it rises skyward.

1.

Buildings shall use expression lines within the first two floors to delineate the divisions between the base and middle or top of the building. Expression lines may include a horizontal band, projecting material, shift in vertical plane, change in building material, or other treatment. Where existing, adjacent buildings have an established expression line, minor variations to this standard will be considered.

Wall composition. Wall composition standards ensure that ground-level storefronts and multifamily and single-family residential buildings offer attractive features to the pedestrian. Wall composition also mitigates blank walls and ensures that all sides of a building have visual interest.

1.

At least 50 percent of street facades shall have fenestration. At least 30 percent of the interior side and rear facades shall have fenestration. Entry doors shall count as fenestration if side panels or decorative windows are provided. Garage doors are not fenestration on streets facing facades.

2.

A zero lot line building, abutting another zero lot line building, is exempt from providing fenestration on any portion of the building concealed by the adjacent building. Portions of these facades, which are not concealed, shall meet fenestration percentages, but do not need to provide transparency.

3.

Where fire or Florida Building Codes prohibit the use of transparency along interior side or rear facades, total fenestration percentages must still be met, but without the transparency percentage.

4.

Structures which are situated on corner lots, through lots, or by the nature of the site layout are clearly visible from rights-of-way shall be designed with full architectural treatment on all sides visible from public rights-of-way. Full architectural treatment shall include roof design, wall materials, and architectural trim, and door and window openings. While it is recognized that buildings have primary and secondary facades, the construction materials and detailing should be similar throughout.

Transparency. The provision of transparency enhances visual connections between activities inside and outside buildings, thereby improving pedestrian safety.

1.

At least 50 percent of street level facades of commercial units shall be transparent. The bottom of these windows shall begin no higher than two feet above grade level, and the top of all windows and doors shall be no lower than eight feet above grade level. Taller windows are encouraged.

2.

At least two-thirds of the fenestration on each facade shall be transparent (i.e., window glass).

3.

Windows on the street side facades shall be evenly distributed in a consistent pattern.

4.

Windows shall not be flush mounted. Windows recessed less than three inches shall feature architectural trim including a header, sill and side trim or decorative shutters. Windows recessed three inches or more shall feature a window sill.

5.

Window sashes and glass shall be square or vertical, unless a different proportion is permitted or required by an identifiable architectural style.

Roofs. Rooflines add visual interest to the streetscape and establish a sense of continuity between adjacent buildings. When used properly, rooflines can help distinguish between residential and commercial land uses, reduce the mass of large structures, emphasize entrances, and provide shade and shelter for pedestrians.

1.

Buildings shall provide a pitched roof or a flat roof with a decorative parapet wall compatible with the architectural style of the building.

Garages. Garage standards maintain and enhance the attractiveness of the streetscape and are influenced by a hierarchy of transportation which begins with the pedestrian.

1.

Garage doors should face the rear or side of the property. A garage door facing the primary roadway shall be set back at least 20 feet behind the facade line.

Parking structures and surface parking lots.

1.

Parking structures shall utilize a recognized architectural style.

2.

Parking structures which are part of an overall project shall utilize the same architectural style, fenestration and detailing as the principal structure.

3.

Sloping interior floors shall not be visible or expressed on the exterior face of the building.

4.

Parking structures may be located at grade, provided that the perimeter along each street is devoted to active uses in accordance with the use regulations of this section. Parking structures located above the ground floor are encouraged to either encase the parking level with active uses or an architecturally compatible design that creates an attractive façade to screen the structure from the street (not alley).

5.

Surface parking lots that are visible from the street (not alleys) shall provide a solid knee wall not less than 36 inches high.

Building materials. Building material standards protect neighboring properties by holding the building's value longer, thereby creating a greater resale value and stabilizing the value of neighboring properties.

1.

Building materials shall be appropriate to the selected architectural style and shall be consistent throughout the project.

2.

The base of buildings, where the building meets the sidewalk and entryway, shall be constructed of high-quality, hardened materials. The use of high-quality materials will protect against damage caused by pedestrian traffic and thereby benefit the lifetime maintenance costs of the building.

Use regulations. For properties located within the Central Avenue Corridor Activity Center, non-vehicular, pedestrian-oriented uses shall be incorporated into no less than 60 percent of the linear building frontage along Central and 1st Avenues North and South.

1.

Non-vehicular, pedestrian-oriented uses shall have a minimum average depth of 25 feet;

2.

Non-residential, pedestrian-oriented uses including office, personal service, and neighborhood scale retail and café, are encouraged;

3.

Credit toward fulfillment of the 60 percent requirement shall also be granted for those portions of the building including limited residential support activities (e.g., lobbies, fitness centers) and where each ground floor, multi-family dwelling unit has a primary entrance along the street. The primary entrance shall include a decorative door surround, porch, portico or stoop, or a combination thereof.

Streetscape improvements. For properties located within the Central Avenue Corridor Activity Center, the abutting public sidewalk shall be generally improved consistent with the "Promenade: Level Two" streetscape treatment plan identified in the Plaza Parkway Design Guidelines, except as may be prohibited by the relevant permitting authority.

(Code 1992, § 16.20.060.7; Ord. No. 1029-G, § 19, 9-8-2011; Ord. No. 83-H, § 8, 12-19-2013; Ord. No. 287-H, § 41, 7-20-2017)