17.56.050 Development Standards | McMinnville Municipal Code

17.56.050 Development Standards.

Large-dimensioned, plain, building facades are typically perceived as architecturally monotonous and do not reflect the existing or desired character of the McMinnville community. Toward reducing the visual scale of such buildings, McMinnville supports architectural designs that relate to both the pedestrian as well as to those traveling within adjacent rights-of-way.

To implement that vision, McMinnville requires that large commercial structures, as defined in this chapter, provide architectural features that “break up” or articulate the building’s horizontal plane, and that provide visual interest. Examples of elements supportive to this design include, but are not limited to, the use of vertical columns, gables, a variety of compatible and complementary building materials, the provision of openings in the building façade, and landscaping, both around the perimeter and throughout the site.

This vision for development is addressed through the following four sections of this chapter identified as: Building facades; roof features; site design; and, energy efficiency.

A. Building Facades. Buildings shall have architectural features and patterns that provide visual interest relating to both the pedestrian as well as to those traveling within adjacent rights-of-way. The following elements shall be integral parts of the building fabric, and not superficially applied trim, graphics, or paint.

1. Architectural Projections or Recesses. Features such as projections and recesses can create an interplay of sun and shadow along the façade and provide the building a sense of depth and substance. Additionally, projections and recesses can also provide strong visual focal points and are often used to emphasize specific aspects of the design such as an entry or adjacent plaza.

Standard: Building facades shall include architectural projections and/or recesses incorporated into each exterior wall design. The proposed design shall be of such dimension to relate significantly to both the pedestrian as well as to those traveling within adjacent rights-of-way.

2. Design Features. Large structures that provide a combination of design features add visual interest to the building, and help it relate the pedestrian scale. Further, the provision of customer amenities such as covered walkways also help to create a more inviting atmosphere for the community at-large. In an effort to avoid the construction of large, architecturally plain commercial facilities, McMinnville encourages architectural variety and character in its building design and the provision of pedestrian amenities to create a more livable and enjoyable outdoor environment for the community.

Standard: Buildings shall include at least two design features along the majority of the main façade such as canopies, awnings, porticos, covered walkways, or transparent display windows.

3. Loading Facilities. To aid in mitigating negative visual impacts commonly associated with off-street loading facilities, such facilities shall be visually screened by either a wall designed to architecturally complement the building exterior, an evergreen vegetative screen, or a combination of these two options. Solid waste and recycling enclosures shall be designed as required by Chapter 17.61 MMC (Solid Waste and Recycling Enclosure plan) of the McMinnville zoning ordinance.

4. Entrances. To provide architectural interest to the building and to provide meaningful focal point(s), the customer entrance(s) of each large commercial structure shall be clearly visible and architecturally prominent.

5. Repeating Elements. All building facades shall include a repeating pattern that includes at least three of the following four elements, one of which shall repeat horizontally:

a. Color change

b. Texture change

c. Material change

d. Architectural or structural bays provided through a change in plane of at least 12 inches in width, such as a reveal, projecting rib, or offset.

a. At least 75% of exterior building materials shall include:

i. Brick

ii. Rock

iii. Stone,

iv. Tile, and/or

v. Tinted and textured concrete masonry units

vi. Other materials as approved by the planning director

b. Exterior building materials may include the following architectural and design elements as approved by the planning director; the applicant shall demonstrate compliance of the design guideline goals and standards of this chapter:

i. Smooth-faced concrete masonry units

ii. Metal siding

iii. Smooth-faced tilt-up concrete panels

c. Exterior building materials shall not include:

i. T-111 siding

ii. Plain plywood, and

iii. Sheet Pressboard

7. Multiple-Tenant buildings. When large commercial structures contain multiple tenants, each business that occupies less than 15,000 square feet of gross ground-floor area, and with separate exterior entrance(s), shall have transparent windows along at least 50 percent of the horizontal length of its storefront. The bottom of the ground floor windows shall be no more than three feet above the adjacent exterior grade. These requirements are in addition to all other requirements of this Chapter.

B. Roof Features. Rooftops and rooflines have the ability to define the skyline and become symbols of the building. Architectural variability in the roof design can enhance the character of the development and can add to its positive relationship to the neighborhood around it. McMinnville encourages roof designs that provide architectural variation and visual interest to complement the community at-large. Toward this end, roof features shall incorporate no less than two of the following features:

1. Parapets with cornices;

2. Overhanging eaves or cornices;

3. Prominent portions of the roof design exhibiting slopes with a plane of between 4/12 (33 degrees) and 6/12 (45 degrees).

1. Buffering. Where a property containing a large commercial structure(s) abuts land zoned for residential use, and no public street separates the residential-zoned land from the commercially zoned property, the proposed use shall provide screening in the form of sight-obscuring, evergreen plantings, shade trees, fences, walls, or combinations of plantings and screens. Where plant material is used, emphasis shall be placed on achieving an effective year-round vegetative screen as approved by the Landscape Review Committee. Chain-link fencing shall not be permitted.

a. Continuous 10-foot-wide pedestrian walkways shall be provided along the full length of any building facade featuring a customer entrance, and along any other building facade abutting customer parking areas for the distance that the parking lot abuts the building.

b. Continuous 10-foot-wide pedestrian walkways may be allowed to be separated from the building façade with planting beds for foundation landscaping except where features such as covered entrances, awnings or canopies are part of the building façade, wherein the walkway must abut the building façade. Such walkways shall include weather-protection features, such as awnings, within 30 feet of all customer entrances and connecting to the entrance(s).

c. Continuous six-foot-wide pedestrian walkways shall be provided from the sidewalk along the adjacent public or private street(s) to the principal customer entrance(s) of all large commercial structures. These pedestrian walkways shall feature abutting landscaped areas of no less than five-feet in width for no less than 50 percent of the length from the building to the adjacent street.

d. Pedestrian walkways shall be distinguished from driving surfaces through use of durable, low maintenance surface materials such as pavers, bricks, or scored or dyed concrete.

e. Walkways within a site with multiple structures shall be located and aligned to directly and continuously connect all commercial buildings, and shall not be located and aligned solely based on the outline of a parking lot configuration. Walkways within parking lots shall be raised or enhanced with a paved surface not less than six feet in width. Drive aisles leading to main entrances shall have walkways on each side of the drive aisle.

f. Where it is necessary for the primary pedestrian access to cross drive aisles or other internal roadways, the pedestrian crossing shall emphasize and place priority on pedestrian access and safety. The material and layout of the pedestrian access shall be continuous as it crosses the driveway, with a break in continuity of the driveway paving and not in the pedestrian access way. The pedestrian crossings must be well-marked using pavement treatments, signs, striping, signals, lighting, traffic calming techniques, median refuge areas, or other design elements as may be approved.

3. Parking. Parking spaces shall be provided at no more than 120 percent of the minimum required by Chapter 17.60 MMC (Off-Street Parking and Loading). Additionally, all parking areas shall be designed in a manner that is attractive, easy to maintain, and minimizes the visual impact of off-street parking. Bicycle parking accommodations shall be provided as required by Chapter 17.60.140 MMC (Off-Street Parking and Loading).

a. All parking facilities shall include landscaping to equal not less than ten percent (10%) of the gross site area supporting the proposed commercial development; exclusive of building footprint(s).

b. Landscaped peninsulas and islands shall be evenly distributed throughout all parking areas, and separated by no more than 60 feet, one from another. Such landscaped areas shall be provided with raised curbs, be a minimum of five feet in width, and shall each contain at least one deciduous tree. To achieve the maximum canopy coverage, all trees shall be non columnar in form or as may be approved by the Landscape Review Committee.

5. Dark Skies Lighting. Exterior lighting often creates a substantial amount of unintended sky-directed glare (sky glow). “Dark skies” lighting aims to protect the night sky from light pollution by use of partially and fully shielded lighting, and by more careful selection of lighting options for the application. These efforts help to ensure that the majority of the light reaches its intended target and reduces both vertical and lateral glare. Additionally, as energy prices increase, the city encourages the use of more efficient lighting.

Standard: Lighting of parking and landscaped areas shall be directed either into or on the site and away from property lines. Building accent lighting shall be directed and/ or shielded to place light on the intended target, and not result in skyward glare.