J. - Site design standards.

Figure 8. Building Setbacks

1.

Building Setbacks.

The placement of a building on a site is critical to creating a vital and coherent public realm. The intent of the building setback standards is to shape the public realm, and strengthen the physical and functional character of the area. Figure 8 depicts the types of setbacks and Table 6 shows the required setbacks.

a.

The setbacks shall be measured from the property line, except for the following:

i.

Setbacks from an urban walkway, a green space or a trail shall be set in conjunction with the approval of the master plan.

ii.

The street setbacks stated in Table 6 assume that the street in front of the development meets the standards of Section P (Street Standards). For streets that have not been updated to those standards, the setback shall be provided in a way that permits the future update of the street to meet the standards of Section P.

b.

For attached dwellings and townhouses, the end units of each grouping shall meet the minimum side yard setback noted in Table 6.

c.

The placement of buildings at the rear of a site is permitted as long as one or more buildings are placed in front to meet the requirements of this code (see Figure 9 for an acceptable design alternative). In such cases, access drives shall be incorporated into the site layout to create connectivity to other sites and streets. The main access drive shall be centered on the anchor building and shall be lined with buildings or sidewalks and urban landscaping.

Figure 9. Multiple Buildings on a Site

Table 6. Building Setback Requirements

	Village Center	Employment	Interchange	Transition	Neighborhood
(1) Front/   Street Side	Min.: 8' Max.: 20'	Min.: 10' Max.: 20'	Min.: 10' Max.: 20'	Min.: 10' Max.: 20'	Min.: 15' Max.: 30'
(2) Side	Min.: 0' (20' min if adjacent to a Neighbor-hood character zone) Max.: See Building Frontage Section.	Min.:7.5' (20' min if adjacent to a Neighborhood character zone) Max.: See Building Frontage Section.	Min.:7.5' (20' min if adjacent to a Neighborhood character zone) Max.: See Building Frontage.	Min.: 0' (15' min if adjacent to a Neighborhood character zone) Max.: See Building Frontage.	Min.: 5' Max.: NA
(3) Rear	Min.: 10' (20' min if adjacent to a Transition or Neighbor-hood character zone)	Min.: 10' (20' min if adjacent to a Transition or Neighborhood character zone)	Min.: 10' (20' min if adjacent to a Transition or Neighborhood character zone)	With Alley: 5' min. No Alley: 20' min.	With Alley: 5' min. No Alley: 20' min.

 

Notes: All setbacks shall be measured from the property line.
The building access treatments listed in Figure 16 may project into setback up to eight (8') feet, but not into the public right-of-way.

2.

Building Alignment.

Building facades facing a right of way shall be built parallel to the property line, as shown on Figure 10.

Figure 10. Building Alignment

Figure 11. Building Frontage Calculation

3.

Building Frontage.

The purpose of the following building frontage requirements is to ensure façade continuity and activity along the street, in addition to avoiding large expanses of blocks that are not framed by buildings. The building frontage standards are stated as a proportion of the building width (within the required building setback) relative to the width of the development site measured at the site frontage line. Portions of the building façade outside the required building setbacks do not count as building frontage (see Figure 11). The standards of this section do not apply to single family homes and duplex units.

a.

The minimum building frontage (a+b+c) varies based on the character zone and street type. The requirements are as follows:

Table 7. Building Frontage Requirements

	Village Center	Employment	Interchange	Transition	Neighborhood
Arterial Streets (4 lanes)	50%	50%	50%	50%	NA
Primary Street	80%	50%	50%	50%	NA
Secondary Streets	50%	NA	NA	NA	NA

 

b.

Sites with frontages on multiple streets shall meet the minimum required primary frontage along all streets.

c.

Exceptions to the Building Frontage requirements:

i.

In the event the proposed building width is too narrow to meet the minimum frontage requirement, the applicant shall have the option of dividing the lot into smaller, narrower lots to meet the dimension requirements, as shown on Figure 12. No platting will be required, but the master plan shall show the new lots as available for future development.

Figure 12. Exceptions to the Building Frontage

ii.

In the case where the required building frontage cannot be met due to the need to provide vehicular access from the street, a gateway, arch, or similar feature shall be provided to preserve the block continuity and may be counted toward meeting the building frontage requirement, as shown on Figure 13.

Figure 13. Gateway Features

iii.

Libraries, places of religious assembly, public utility buildings, and schools (elementary, middle and high) are not subject to the minimum frontage requirements.

iv.

Drive-through facilities proposed as part of a development subject to the requirements of this section must be designed to comply with the building frontage requirements. Additionally, the drive-through window(s) shall not face the street.

v.

Developments with frontage on Kelly Park Road or Plymouth Sorrento Road may deviate from the Form-Based Code, provided the following standards are met:

(a)

A 3-foot high garden wall with wrought-iron fence to a total maximum wall height of 6 feet may be counted as "building" for calculating the minimum building frontage requirement.

(b)

A vehicular entrance feature may be exempt from the building frontage calculation, provided it includes at least four of the following items:

•

Water features.

•

Increased landscaping.

•

Bridge roadway feature.

•

Gateway arch.

•

Brick paver roadway entrance.

•

Boulevard entrance (split roadway for entrance-exit).

•

Other similar features, subject to staff approval.

(c)

The primary entrance to a building may be shifted to the side or rear of the building, provided that faux frontages are provided facing the arterial road. Faux additions must consist of windows, doors and features simulating a store, business, or residential building. The primary entrance and other building features must adhere to Section J. Site Design Standards.

d.

No maximum lot width is prescribed for development within the Kelly Park Interchange Form-Based Code Area. However, the width of a lot shall not be justification for not meeting the building frontage requirements.

4.

Street Setback Zone Design.

The intent of the street setback (the area between the back of the sidewalk and the building) is to provide a transition, both physical and visual, from the street to the building. The zone created by the setback should vary in design depending on the level of privacy desired along the building façade. Commercial buildings usually have a setback zone designed to attract customers into the building, while residential and office buildings often have a setback zone designed to provide privacy to the ground floor rooms, as shown on Figure 14.

Figure 14. Examples of Street Setback Zone Activity

a.

Street setback zones in front of uses that benefit from pedestrian interaction along the front façade shall include urban landscaping such as containers and/or planter boxes that complement the building mass and architecture.

b.

Street setback zones in front of uses that do not require pedestrian interaction along the façade (e.g. offices, hotels, multifamily) may be landscaped with a combination of intermediate (understory) trees, palms, shrubs, vines and/or ground covers.

c.

Street furniture such as benches, trash receptacles, and/or bicycle racks may be installed within the street setback zone.

d.

Outdoor dining is permitted within street setback zones as long as restaurants are a permitted use in the character zone.

e.

Elements within the street setback zone (landscaping and architectural features) shall comply with the vision triangle requirements established using AASHTO standards.

f.

The proposed building ground floor along the street setback zone in the Village character zone shall contain active uses oriented to the street. Active uses may include display or floor areas for retail uses, waiting and seating areas for restaurants, atriums or lobbies for offices, and lobbies or dining areas for hotels or multi-family residential buildings.

g.

Cantilevered balconies, bay windows, roof overhangs and other elements may encroach into the street setback zone as specified in Figure 16 and the following:

i.

Storefronts. Storefronts are façades placed at or close to the setback line, with the entrance at sidewalk grade. They are conventional for retail uses and are commonly equipped with cantilevered or suspended canopies, or awning(s).

(a)

Storefront doors shall not be recessed more than 5 feet from the front façade. When doors are recessed more than 3 feet, angled walls leading to the door are recommended to promote the visibility of the entrance.

Figure 15. Awning Placement

(b)

The storefront windows shall not have opaque or reflective glazing. Where privacy is desired for uses such as restaurants and professional services, windows may be divided into smaller panes.

(c)

Clerestory windows are horizontal panels of glass between the storefront and the second floor. They are a traditional element of "main street" buildings, and are recommended for storefronts in the Village Center character zone.

(d)

Doors should be well defined and detailed and should match the materials, design, and character of the display window framing.

(e)

Cornices should be provided at the second floor (or roofline for a one-story building) to differentiate the storefront from upper levels of the building and to add visual interest. This also allows the storefront to function as the base for the rest of the building.

(f)

High-gloss materials or fabrics that resemble plastic and alluminum shall not be permitted materials for awnings.

(g)

The highest point of a first floor awning on a multi-story building shall not be higher than the midpoint between the top of the first story window and the bottom of the second story window sill (see Figure 15).

(h)

Awnings should not cover architectural elements such as cornices or ornamental features (see Figure 15).

(i)

Shutters and awnings should be sized to match the corresponding window openings. Their shapes, materials, proportions, design, color, lettering, and hardware also need to be in character with the style of the building.

(j)

Windows shall not be blacked-out or covered with signage, furniture, or similar elements.

ii.

Galleries and arcades. Galleries are façades with an attached colonnade that may extend above the ground floor.An arcade is a type of frontage where a cantilevered shed or a lightweight colonnade is placed in front of the building to provide protection from sun and inclement weather.

(a)

Arcades are encouraged along pedestrian commercial corridors.

(b)

Along storefront streets, the arcade/gallery opennings shall correspond to storefront entrances.

(c)

Galleries may be one (1) or two (2) stories.

(d)

Arcades and galleries must have consistent depth along a frontage.

iii.

Forecourts. Forecourts are uncovered courtyards within a frontage wherein a portion of the façade is recessed from the building frontage. The courtyard is suitable for outdoor activities such as dining or passive recreation.

(a)

Forecourts are not intended to be covered; however, awnings and umbrellas are permissible and encouraged.

(b)

The width of a forecourt shall not be more than fifty (50) percent of the main building frontage.

(c)

Forecourts shall be paved and enhanced with landscaping.

(d)

A fence or wall at the primary façade line may be used to define the private space of the court.

(e)

The court may be raised from the sidewalk, creating a small retaining wall at the primary façade line with entry steps to the court.

Figure 16. Building Access Treatments