18.23.050 Additional development standards for C-2, central business zone.
A. Maximum Building Height.
1. The maximum height of that portion of a building that abuts a street(s) shall be no higher than the right-of-way width of the abutting street(s). Building height may increase; provided, that the building is stepped back one foot (from the abutting street right(s)-of-way) for each foot of increased building height.
2. If the building abuts more than one street and the abutting streets have different right-of-way widths, then the height of the building allowed at any street frontage shall be the average of the abutting street right-of-way widths.
3. The following rooftop features may extend up to 15 feet above the maximum height limit: stair towers, elevator penthouses, and screened mechanical equipment.
B. Minimum setbacks: none required, see subsection D of this section for specific building orientation requirements.
C. Fences shall be decorative and relate architecturally to the associated building. Acceptable materials are brick, wood, stone, metal, or textured concrete. Typical galvanized wire mesh (chain link), barbed wire or razor wire are not permitted. For further information see Chapter 18.31 ACC.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to temporary fences required during construction projects permitted by the city.
D. Building Orientation Requirements. The following requirements apply to the construction of all new buildings or structures:
1. Existing buildings or structures, including facades, that do not have setbacks or otherwise cannot comply are exempt from these requirements regardless of the amount of improvements made to the building, structure or facade as long as any alteration does not make the existing facade more nonconforming.
2. Existing buildings, structures, or facades that are set back and within 20 feet of a street shall comply to the fullest extent possible as determined by the planning director, with the following requirements when any cumulative structural improvements are made that exceed 50 percent of the assessed value of the existing building, structure, or facade.
3. Any addition to an existing building, regardless of value, that will be within 20 feet of a street shall also comply to the fullest extent possible, as determined by the planning director, with the following requirements:
a. For each lineal foot of frontage a building has on a street, there shall be provided an area(s) for pedestrian amenities at the rate of one square foot of ground area for each lineal foot of building frontage. Pedestrian amenities shall consist of such features as landscaping, benches, entryways with accents such as brick pavers, artwork, or a combination of these or similar features. The pedestrian amenities shall be located on the property between the street right-of-way and the building. The planning director shall approve the amount and type of the pedestrian amenities.
b. For buildings that have a street frontage that exceeds 50 feet, then at least 25 percent of the building’s frontage shall be immediately adjacent to the street right-of-way.
c. For buildings that have a street frontage that is less than 25 feet, then no pedestrian amenities will be required and the building may be located at the property line. There shall, however, be provided a landing in front of each door that opens to a street that is large enough such that no part of any door will encroach into the street right-of-way when the door is being opened or closed.
d. For buildings that provide additional setbacks, except as restricted by subsection (D)(3)(b) of this section, the area between the street right-of-way and the building shall only contain pedestrian amenities.
e. If a building has more than two street frontages, then at least two of the frontages shall comply with subsections (D)(3)(b) and (g) of this section and contain pedestrian amenities between the building and the street right-of-way. Any remaining frontages shall either have pedestrian amenities, windows, murals, flat surfaced artwork or other similar architectural features that would avoid large blank walls.
f. For new buildings that will infill between two other existing buildings, the new building shall be set back no further than either of the adjacent buildings unless additional setback is required to comply with subsection (D)(3)(a) of this section. The proposed setback shall be reviewed by the planning director to ensure the setback will maintain building continuity along the street.
g. Buildings shall have windows that encompass at least 60 percent of the first floor facade and at least 40 percent of the facade of each additional floor. At least 50 percent of the area of the first floor windows of nonresidential buildings shall provide visibility to the inside of the building. This subsection shall only apply to the facades of new buildings with street frontage and shall not lessen the requirements of the Uniform Building or Fire Codes.
h. The building’s principal pedestrian entrance shall be oriented to the street. If the building is at a corner, either street or alley, then the principal pedestrian entrance shall be at the corner unless a better architectural design is attained at another location and approved by the planning director.
i. Buildings that are at the intersection of either two streets or a street and an alley shall provide for a sight distance triangular setback as required by Chapter 18.31 ACC. These triangular areas may contain pedestrian amenities that satisfy the requirements of subsection (D)(3)(a) of this section.
j. A site plan shall be prepared by the proponent which addresses compliance with the requirements as outlined in subsections (D)(3)(a) through (i) of this section. The site plan shall be approved by the planning director prior to the submittal of any building permit.
k. For the sole purposes of this subsection D the term “street” shall include the right-of-way of private and public streets. The term shall also include pedestrian walkways, encumbered by an easement or similar means, that are used by the general public to travel from one property to another.
E. Mechanical equipment on rooftops shall be sited and designed to minimize noise and effectively screen the equipment from view from adjacent properties and rights-of-way. The following methods, or a combination thereof, may be used:
1. Set back from the roof edge to obscure visibility from below;
2. Integration into the building architecture, using building walls, roof wells or roof parapets to conceal the equipment;
3. Equipment enclosure or sight-obscuring fencing or landscaping;
4. Overhead trellis or roof to obscure visibility from above.
Materials used to screen mechanical equipment shall be the same as or compatible with the design of the principal structure.
F. Stair towers and elevator penthouses shall be designed to be architecturally integrated into the principal structure. This may include using the same building materials, repeating common building forms, colors or elements, or incorporating the roof and wall of the stair tower or elevator penthouse into the upper wall of the structure. (Ord. 6433 § 26, 2012.)