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City of Rexburg Development Code: COMMERCIAL
CHAPTER 7: COMMERCIAL ZONES
*All Zoning Standards apply.
(See 3.01-3.06)
COMMERCIAL DESIGN STANDARDS
7.00.010. Purpose and Objectives
7.00.020. Definitions
7.00.030. Back and Sides of Building A. Structures Less than 25,000 sq. ft.
7.00.040. Central Features & Community Spaces 7.00.110. Facades
7.00.050. Entryways
7.00.060. Exterior Materials and Colors
7.00.070. Outdoor Storage, Trash Collection & B. Structures 25,000 sq. ft. and greater
Loading Areas 7.00.120. Facades
7.00.080. Parking Lot Orientation 7.00.130. Entrances
7.00.090. Pedestrian Flows 7.00.140. Building Reuse and Maintenance Plan
7.00.100. Roof Lines
OTHER REQUIREMENTS
(See 7.00.150.)
7.00.010. Purpose and Objectives
The purpose of the Commercial Design Standards is to augment the existing criteria contained in the current
commercial zones with more specific interpretations for Large Scale Commercial Developments while minimizing
the potential nuisances to residential zones. Design standards have been adopted by the City of Rexburg to promote
high quality development and growth and to coordinate the overall community presentation with an overall
community design in mind. These standards require a basic level of architectural variety, compatible scale,
pedestrian and bicycle access, and mitigation of negative impacts.
a. Objectives.
1. The design standards will help stabilize and possibly increase property values by providing investors
assurance that property adjacent to theirs will be meet minimum design standards.
2. Design standards will promote a more interesting City and better create a “sense of place.”
3. A community with an expectation of high quality development will attract businesses and employers
that feel the same about their companies, thus perpetuating a higher quality community that promotes
quality business.
4. Understanding these standards and applying them initially will ensure a shortened approval process.
b.
These standards are to be used in conjunction with the Subdivision Ordinance and other City Development
Regulations.
c.Exception: Central Business District.
These standards do not directly apply to the Central Business
District as that particular zone has its own individual specific requirements.
d.
Standard sections 7.00.010 -7.00.100 are applicable to all Commercial buildings. Sections 7.00.110-
7.00.140 are additional requirements specific to the size of the commercial structure.
7.00.020. Definitions
The following terms are defined in Chapter 2:
Articulate Facade
Breezeway Large Scale Commercial Structures
Building Face, Front Pedestrian Oriented Development
Building Face, Public Pedestrian Walkway
Design Standards Public/Private Right-of-Way
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7.00.030. Back and Sides
(See Entrances)
The rear or sides of buildings often present an unattractive view of blank walls, loading areas, storage areas, HVAC
units, garbage receptacles, and other such features. Architectural and landscaping features should mitigate these
impacts.
a. Facade Faces Residential.
Where the facade faces adjacent residential uses, an earthen berm shall be
installed, no less than six (6’) feet in height.
Landscaping of Berm.
1. At a minimum, the berm shall contain a double row of evergreen or deciduous
trees planted at intervals of fifteen (15’) feet on center.
b. Additional Landscaping.
Additional landscaping may be required by the Planning and Zoning
Commission to effectively buffer adjacent land use as deemed appropriate.
7.00.040. Central Features and Community Spaces
a.Objectives.
1. Buildings should offer attractive and inviting pedestrian scale features, spaces and amenities. Special
design features such as towers, arcades, porticos, pedestrian light fixtures, bollards, planter walls, and
other architectural elements that define circulation ways and outdoor spaces should anchor pedestrian
ways.
2. Entrances and parking lots shall be configured to be functional and inviting with walkways
conveniently tied to logical destinations.
3. Bus stops and drop-off/pick-up points shall be considered as integral parts of the configuration.
4. The features and spaces should enhance the building and the center as integral parts of the community
fabric.
b.
Each commercial establishment subject to these standards shall contribute to the establishment or
enhancement of community and public spaces by providing at least two (2) of the following:
1. Patio/seating area
2. Pedestrian plaza with benches
3. Transportation center
4. Window shopping walkways
5. Outdoor play area
6. Kiosk area
7. Water feature
8. Clock tower
9. Steeple
10. Other such deliberately shaped area and/or a focal feature or amenity that, in the judgment of the
Planning and Zoning Commission, adequately enhances such Community and public spaces.
c. Materials.
Any such areas shall have direct access to the public sidewalk network and such features shall
not be constructed of materials that are inferior to the principal materials of the building and landscape.
d. Bus Areas.
Bus areas shall be provided or designed to accommodate possible (future) bus service and the
growing number of private bus services (i.e., nursing home/assisted living, student housing complexes, etc.)
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Example of a center with numerous special features and community spaces
7.00.050. Entryway
Entryway design elements and variations should give orientation and aesthetically pleasing character to the building.
a.
Each principal building on a site shall have clearly-defined, highly-visible, customer entrances featuring no
less than three (3) of the following:
1. Canopies or porticos
2. Overhangs
3. Recesses/projections
4. Arcades
5. Raised corniced parapets over the door
6. Peaked roof forms
7. Arches
8. Outdoor patios
9. Display windows
10. Architectural details such as tile work and moldings which are integrated into the building structure
and design.
11. Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscaped areas and/or places for sitting.
b.
The Planning and Zoning Commission may waive this requirement as part of an agreed upon development
plan.
7.00.060. Exterior Materials and Colors
Exterior building materials and colors should be aesthetically pleasing and compatible with materials and colors
used in adjoining neighborhoods.
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a. High Quality.
Predominant exterior building materials shall be high-quality materials. These include,
without limitation:
1. Brick
2. Wood
3. Sandstone
4. Other native stone
5. Tinted, textured, concrete masonry units
6. Stucco, EIFS, Dryvit
7. Materials that are designed to appear as wood (excluding vinyl)
b. Colors
1. Facade colors shall be low-reflectance, subtle, neutral, or earth-tone colors.
2.The use of high-intensity colors, metallic colors, black or fluorescent colors is prohibited.
3.Building trim and accent areas may feature brighter colors, including primary colors, but neon tubing
shall not be an acceptable feature for trim or accent.
e.
Predominant exterior building materials, as well as accents visual from street or public parking shall not
include the following:
1. Smooth-faced concrete block
2. Tilt-up concrete panels without mitigating surface treatment
3. Pre-fabricated steel panels
4. Vinyl siding
5. These materials may be used on building sides that are not visible from a street or public parking.
7.00.070. Outdoor Storage, Trash Collection, and Loading Areas
(See 3.02.100 & 120.)
Loading areas and outdoor storage areas exert visual and noise impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.
a.
When visible from adjoining properties and/or public streets, these areas should be screened, recessed, or
enclosed.
b. Location.
1. Areas for outdoor storage, truck parking, trash collection or compaction, loading, or other such uses
shall not be visible from public or private rights-of-way.
2. No areas for outdoor storage, trash collection or compaction, loading, or other such uses shall be
located within twenty (20’) feet of any public thoroughfare or street, public sidewalk, or internal
pedestrian way.
3. Appropriate locations for loading and outdoor storage areas include areas between buildings, where
more than one building is located on a site and such buildings are not more than forty (40’) feet apart,
or on those sides of buildings that do not have customer entrances.
c. Service Functions.
Loading docks, truck parking, outdoor storage, utility meters, HVAC equipment, trash
dumpsters, trash compaction, and other service functions shall be incorporated into the overall design of the
building and the landscaping so that the visual and acoustic impacts of these functions are fully contained
and out of view from adjacent properties and public streets, and no attention is attracted to the functions by
the use of screening materials that are different from or inferior to the principal materials of the building
and landscape.
d. Non-enclosed areas for the storage and sale of seasonal inventory
shall be permanently defined and
screened with walls and/or fences.
Materials, Colors, and Designs.
1. Materials, colors, and designs of screening walls and/or fences shall
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conform to those used as predominant materials and colors of the building.
Cover.
2. If such areas are to be covered, then the covering shall conform to those used as predominant
materials and colors on the buildings.
e. Temporary sales/displays
, such as Christmas trees, landscape materials, and fireworks, shall follow all
outdoor requirements for all of the Commercial zones, except Central Business District, as described in the
Development Code.
1. Location and time/duration of such sales/displays shall be reviewed and approved by the Zoning
Administrator or designee.
7.00.080. Parking Lot Orientation
Parking areas should provide safe, convenient, and efficient access for vehicles and pedestrians. They should be
distributed around large buildings in order to shorten the distance to other buildings and public sidewalks and to
reduce the overall scale of the paved surface. If buildings are located closer to streets, the scale of the complex is
reduced, pedestrian traffic is encouraged, and architectural details take on added importance.
a. Front Yard Parking.
No more than sixty (60%) percent of the off-street parking area for the entire
property shall be located between the front façade, within the front yard of the principal building(s), and the
primary abutting street, unless the principal building(s) and/or parking lots are screened from view by out-
lot development (such as restaurants) and additional tree/bush plantings and/or berms.
b. Buffered from adjoining streets.
Parking areas should be visually buffered from adjoining streets to
minimize the visual impact of off-street parking. (See 3.04.040.)
7.00.090. Pedestrian Flows
Pedestrian accessibility opens auto-oriented developments to the neighborhood, thereby reducing traffic impacts
with the placement of public sidewalks and internal pedestrian circulation systems that can provide user-friendly
pedestrian access as well as pedestrian safety, shelter, and convenience within the center grounds.
a. Sidewalks.
Sidewalks shall be at least five (5’) feet in width, (six (6’) feet in width where vehicle
overhang will occur).
Along Right-of-Way.
1. Sidewalks shall be provided along all sides of the lot that abut a public or
private right-of-way, excluding interstates.
Along Building
2.. Sidewalks shall be provided along the full length of the building along any facade
featuring a customer entrance, and along any facade abutting public parking areas.
From Facade.
3.Sidewalks shall be located an average of six (6’) feet from the facade of the building to
provide planting beds for foundation landscaping, except where features such as arcades or entryways
are part of the facade.
Doors.
4. Entry/exit doors shall not be allowed to encroach upon the required sidewalk width when
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opened.
5. The Planning and Zoning Commission may waive this requirement as part of a development
agreement.
b. Internal Pedestrian Walkways.
Continuous internal pedestrian walkways, no less than five (5’) feet in
width (six (6’) feet in width where vehicle overhang will occur), shall be provided from the public sidewalk
or right-of-way to the principal customer entrance of all principal buildings on the site.
Connections.
1. At a minimum, walkways shall connect focal points of pedestrian activity such as, but
not limited to, transit stops, street crossings, and building and store entry points.
Landscape.
2. Walkways shall feature adjoining landscaped areas that include trees, shrubs, benches,
flower beds, ground covers, or other such materials for no less than fifty (50%) percent of their length.
Materials.
3. All internal pedestrian walkways shall be distinguished from driving surfaces through the
use of durable, low maintenance surface materials such as pavers, bricks, or scored concrete to enhance
pedestrian safety and comfort, as well as the attractiveness of the walkways.
Signs.
4. Signs shall be installed to designate pedestrian walkways.
7.00.100. Roof Lines
Variations in roof lines should be used to add interest to and reduce the massive scale of large buildings. Roof
features should complement the character of adjoining neighborhoods.
a.
Roof-lines that are visible from a city street, public way, or any facility or parking lot used by the general
public shall be varied with a change in height every one hundred (100’) linear feet in the building length.
b.
Parapets, mansard roofs, gable roofs, hip roofs, or dormers shall be used to conceal flat roofs and roof top
equipment from public view.
c.
Alternating lengths and designs may be acceptable and can be addressed during the preliminary
development plan.
A.Structures less than 25,000 sq. ft.
Principal buildings shall contain additional, separately-owned stores, which occupy less than twenty-five
thousand (25,000) square feet of gross floor area, with separate, exterior, customer entrances.
7.00.110 Facades
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Facades should be articulated to reduce the massive scale and the uniform, impersonal appearances of large
commercial buildings and provide visual interest that will be consistent with the community’s identity, character,
and scale. Facades should encourage a more human scale that residents of Rexburg will be able to identify with their
community. The resulting scale will ensure a greater likelihood of reuse of the structure by subsequent tenants.
a. Wall Projections and Recesses.
Developments with a facade over sixty (60’) feet in linear length that are
visible from a city street, public way, or any facility or parking lot used by the general public shall
incorporate wall projections or recesses a minimum of two (2’) feet in depth and a minimum of eight (8’)
contiguous feet for each sixty (60’) feet of length and shall extend over twenty (20%) percent of the facade.
b. Animating Features.
Developments shall use animating features such as arcades, display windows, entry
areas, or awnings on at least forty (40%) percent of the facade.
c.
Where there are additional, smaller separately-owned stores, with separate, exterior customer entrances
located in the principal building or development side, the following standards apply:
Street Level.
1. The street level facade of such stores shall be transparent between the height of three
(3’) feet and eight (8’) feet above the walkway grade for no less than forty (40%) percent of the
horizontal length of the building facade of such additional stores.
Windows.
2. Windows and window displays should be used to contribute to the visual interest of
exterior facades.
a) Windows shall be recessed and should include visually prominent sills, shutters, or other such
forms of framing.
B.Structures 25,000 sq. ft. and Greater
Principal buildings can contain additional, separately owned stores, which occupy more than twenty-five
thousand (25,000) square feet of gross floor area, with multiple exterior customer entrances.
7.00.120 Facades
Facades should be articulated to reduce the massive scale and the uniform, impersonal appearances of large
commercial buildings and provide visual interest that will be consistent with the community’s identity, character,
and scale. Facades shouldencourage a more human scale that residents of Rexburg will be able to identify with
their community. The resulting scale will ensure a greater likelihood of reuse of the structure by subsequent tenants.
a. Wall Projections or Recesses.
Developments with facades over one-hundred (100’) feet in linear length
shall incorporate wall projections or recesses a minimum of two (2’) feet in depth and a minimum of
twenty (20’) continuous feet within each one-hundred (100’) feet of facade length that is visible from a city
street, public way, or any facility, or parking lot used by the general public and shall extend over twenty
(20%) percent of the facade.
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b. Animating Features.
Developments shall use animating features such as arcades, display windows, entry
areas, or awnings along at least sixty (60%) of the facade.
c.
Where principal buildings contain additional, smaller separately-owned stores, which occupy less than
twenty-five thousand (25,000) square feet of gross floor area, with separate, exterior customer entrances, on
a development site, the following regulations apply:
Street Level.
1. The street level facade of such stores shall be transparent between the height three (3’)
feet and eight (8’) feet above the walkway grade for no less than sixty (60%) percent of the horizontal
length of the building facade of such additional stores.
Windows.
2. Windows shall be recessed and should include visually prominent sills, shutters, or other
such forms of framing.
7.00.130. Entrances
a. Multiple Entrances.
Large commercial buildings should feature multiple entrances. Multiple building
entrances reduce walking distances from cars, facilitate pedestrian and bicycle access from public
sidewalks, and provide convenience where certain entrances offer access to individual stores or identified
departments in a store.
Additional Stores.
1. Where additional stores will be located in the principal building, each store shall
have at least one (1) exterior customer entrance, which shall conform to the above requirements. The
number of entrances needed for a principal building shall be addressed at the preliminary development
plan stage.
2. All sides of a principal building that directly face an abutting public or private right-of-way shall
feature at least one (1) customer entrance.
Back and Sides.
a) Any back or side of a building visible from a public or private right-of-way shall
be built in accordance with paragraph 7.00.030 above. The Planning and Zoning Commission
may waive this requirement as part of an agreed upon development plan.
Primary and Secondary Facing.
3. Where a principal building directly faces more than two (2)
abutting public or private rights-of-way, two (2) sides of the building shall each feature a customer
entrance, including the side of the building facing the primary street, and another side of the building
facing a secondary street.
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Example of a development with customer entrances on all sides which face a public street.
7.00.140. Building Reuse and Maintenance Plan
Applications for large-scale, commercial structures or establishments shall include a reuse and maintenance plan that
will afford maximum opportunity, consistent with the sound needs of the municipality as a whole, for the
rehabilitation or redevelopment of the structure in the event of closure or relocation by the original occupant.
a.
Such plan will be approved if the Planning and Zoning Commission finds that all of the following items are
adequate:
Comprehensive Plan and Development Code Compliance.
1. The plan conforms to the city's growth
policy and the requirements of this title or parts thereof for the municipality as a whole.
Sound Financial Program
2. . A sound and adequate financial program exists for the financing of said
redevelopment.
Rehabilitation and Redevelopment
3.. The plan affords maximum opportunity for rehabilitation or
redevelopment of the structure by both private enterprise and the municipality.
Normal Upkeep and Repairs.
4. The reuse plan provides a maintenance plan for normal repairs and
upkeep of property, including but not limited to building, parking lots and surfacing, landscaping,
signage, and elimination of "ghost signage."
b. Development Agreement.
The City may enter into a development agreement with the owner of the real
property and undertake activities, including the acquisition, removal, or demolition of structures,
improvements, or personal property located on the real property to prepare the property for redevelopment.
1. A development agreement entered into in accordance with this Section must contain provisions
obligating the owner to redevelop the real property for the specified use consistent with the provisions
of this title and offering recourse to the City if redevelopment is not completed as determined by the
City.
7.00.150. Other Requirements.
a. Uses Within Buildings.
All uses established in a commercial zone shall be conducted entirely within a
fully-enclosed building except those uses deemed by the Planning and Zoning Commission to be
customarily and appropriately conducted in the open. Such uses may include, but would not be limited to,
service stations, ice skating, miniature golf, plant nurseries, etc.
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b. Trash Storage.
(See 3.02.120.)
Materials and Location.
1.
a) Materials used for screening should be consistent with the predominant material found in the
exterior construction of the building used by the business served.
b) As a minimum, a vinyl fence will be allowed.
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