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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2575-19 - ADMIN Ordinance - City Council - 2019/11/18Ordinance No. 2575-19 Ordinance relating to Section 36-4 Definitions and Section 36-366 Architectural Design to establish transparency requirements for ground floor street facing facades in the C-1, C-2, and MX Districts, and retail, service, and restaurant uses in the O and BP Districts The City of St. Louis Park does ordain: Section 1. The City Council has considered the advice and recommendation of the Planning Commission (Case No. 18-70-ZA). Section 2. Sections of Chapter 36 of the St. Louis Park City Code are hereby amended by adding underscored text and deleting strikethrough text. Section breaks are represented by ***. CHAPTER 36 ZONING Section 36-4 Definitions ************ Ground Floor Transparency means the measurement of the percentage of a facade that has highly transparent, low reflectance windows at the pedestrian level, measured between 2’ and 8’ above grade. ************ 36-366 Architectural design ** (b) Standards. ** (3) Ground floor transparency. a. The following façade design guidelines shall be applicable to all ground floor street-facing facades in the C-1, C-2, and MX Districts, and retail, service, and restaurant uses in O and BP Districts: i. Window paintings and signage shall cover no more than 10 percent of the total window and door area. ii. Visibility into the space shall be maintained for a minimum depth of three (3) feet. Display of merchandise is allowed within this three (3) feet. DocuSign Envelope ID: FB26E196-7C0F-4F14-BC49-251F410F595D Ordinance No. 2575-19 2 iii. Interior storage areas, utility closets and trash areas shall not be visible from the exterior of the building. iv. No more than 10 percent of total window and door area shall be glass block, mirrored, spandrel, frosted or other opaque glass, finishes or material including window painting and signs. The remaining 90 percent of window and door area shall be highly transparent, low reflectance windows with a minimum 60 percent transmittance factor and a reflectance factor of not greater than 0.25. v. For all new buildings constructed after January 1, 2019, and existing buildings which expand the gross square footage of the building by more than 50 percent, the minimum ground floor transparency shall be 50 percent on the front façade, and 20 percent on all other ground f loor street facing facades. vi. The city acknowledges a degree of flexibility may be necessary to adjust to unique situations. Alternatives that provide an increase in pedestrian vibrancy and street safety including but not limited to public art and pedestrian scale amenities may be considered and may be approved by the Zoning Administrator, unless the development application requires approval by City Council, in which case the City Council shall approve the alternate transparency plan. (3)(4) Additions and accessory structures. The exterior wall surface materials, roof treatment, colors, textures, major divisions, proportion, rhythm of openings, and general architectural character, including horizontal or vertical emphasis, scale, stylistic features of additions, exterior alterations, and new accessory buildings shall address and respect the original architectural design and general appearance of the principal buildings on the site and shall comply with the requirements of this section. (4)(5) Screening. a. The visual impact of rooftop equipment shall be minimized using one of the following methods. Where rooftop equipment is located on buildings and is visible within 400 feet from property in an R district, only the items listed in subsections 1 and 2 shall be used. 1. A parapet wall. 2. A fence the height of which extends at least one foot above the top of the rooftop equipment and incorporates the architectural features of the building. 3. The rooftop equipment shall be painted to match the roof or the sky, whichever is most effective. b. Utility service structures (such as utility meters, utility lines, transformers, aboveground tanks); refuse handling; loading docks; maintenance structures; and other ancillary equipment must be inside a building or be entirely screened DocuSign Envelope ID: FB26E196-7C0F-4F14-BC49-251F410F595D Ordinance No. 2575-19 3 from off-site views utilizing a privacy fence or wall that is at least six feet in height. A chain link fence with slats shall not be accepted as screening. c. All utility services shall be underground except as provided elsewhere in this chapter. (5)(6) Parking ramps. All new parking ramps shall meet the following design standards: a. Parking ramp facades that are visible from off the site shall display an integration of building materials, building form, textures, architectural motif, and building colors with the principal building. b. No signs other than directional signs shall be permitted on parking ramp facades. c. If the parking ramp is located within 20 feet of a street right -of-way or recreational trail, the facade facing the street shall be subject to the same requirements for exterior surface materials as for buildings. (6)(7) Awnings and canopies. a. Awnings and Canopies. 1. Construction. Awnings and canopies shall have noncombustible frames. If an awning can be collapsed, retracted or folded, the design shall be such that the awning does not block any required exit. 2. Projection. Awnings and canopies less than 25 feet in width may extend up to two feet from the face of the nearest curb line measured horizontally. 3. Clearance. All portions of any awning and canopy shall provide at least eight feet of clearance or any walkway and twelve feet of clearance over nay driveway or roadway. 4. Supports. Canopy posts or other supports located within a public right-of- way or easement shall be placed in a location approved by the city engineer. b. Permit required. A building permit shall be issued prior to the installation of any awning or canopy. In addition to the building permit, an encroachment agreement shall be issued by the city engineer prior to the installation of any awning or canopy that extends into, upon or over any street or alley right-of- way, park or other public property. The encroachment agreement shall include provisions that hold the owner of the awning or canopy liable to the city for any damage which may result to any person or property by reason of such encroachment or the removal of such encroachment. Additional conditions may be imposed on encroachment permits to protect the health, safety or welfare of the public or to protect nearby property owners from hardship or damage or to protect other public interests as determined by the city engineer. DocuSign Envelope ID: FB26E196-7C0F-4F14-BC49-251F410F595D Ordinance No. 2575-19 4 c. Submission requirements. The following information shall be submitted prior to the installation of an awning or canopy. 1. Application form and fee. A separate fee shall be required for the building permit and encroachment agreement. 2. Dimensioned and scaled site plan and building elevations. 3. Four sets of drawings for each awning or canopy proposed. d. Projections to be safe. All such projections over public property shall be structurally safe, shall be kept in a safe condition and state of repair consistent with the design thereof and repaired when necessary in the opinion of the city engineer or building official by and at the expense of the person having ownership or control of the building from which they project. e. Removal upon order. The owner of an awning or canopy, any part of which projects into, upon, over or under any public property shall upon being ordered to do so by the city engineer remove at once any part or all of such encroachment and shall restore the right-of-way to a safe condition. Such removal and restoration of the right-of-way will be at the sole expense of the property owner. The city may, upon failure of the property owner to remove the encroachment as ordered, remove the encroachment, and the reasonable costs of removing such encroachment incurred by the city shall be billed and levied against the property as a special assessment. Section 3. This ordinance shall take effect (December 13, 2019) Reviewed for administration: Adopted by the City Council November 18, 2019 Thomas K. Harmening, city manager Jake Spano, mayor Attest: Approved as to form and execution: Melissa Kennedy, city clerk Soren Mattick, city attorney First Reading November 4, 2019 Second Reading November 18, 2019 Date of Publication November 28, 2019 Date Ordinance takes effect December 13, 2019 DocuSign Envelope ID: FB26E196-7C0F-4F14-BC49-251F410F595D