Chapter 3 Special Districts Appendix 3B Downtown Overlay District Page 2 of 4

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East-West Downtown District
1. Building should be about 20 feet from the sidewalk in the East-West Downtown District, a distance generally consistent with the setback pattern established by past Urban Renewal projects and developments. The 20-foot area should be mainly lawn-covered or landscaped.
2. To allow adequate light and air, high-rise buildings should generally:
  1. Keep about 100 feet between other tall buildings.
  2. Make the upper stories of tall buildings progressively narrower (similar to the Empire State Building); the higher the story, the narrower.
3. The shapes and forms of a building and its orientation to the street, to the people and to nearby buildings should:
  1. Enhance existing views and vistas--or potential one
  2. Be sensitive to the impact on the pedestrian, including overexposure to the sun, too much wind, or not enough light or air.
  3. Relate strongly to nearby buildings, particularly at the edges of the districts where stepbacks and changes in buildings height and volume are important.
4. Rooftops should avoid looking cluttered from any vantage point. All mechanical or utility equipment should be well-integrated into the overall design.
5. The exterior of any new construction and improvements should be designed and detailed so that is fits well into its architectural surroundings. Exteriors should:
  1. Be compatible with the general character of nearby buildings.
  2. Reinforce the character of any buildings having historic or architectural significance according to the Downtown Development Plan.
  3. Follow the latest edition of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation as a guide whenever historic or architecturally significant structures are involved; in short, don't alter significant features.
6. Lighting--interior and exterior--is important in making buildings and the downtown in general look and feel more inviting 24 hours a day. Lighting should
  1. Be integrated into the exterior design.
  3. Help create a greater sense of activity, security and interest to the pedestrian.
7. Garages or parking lots visible from the street should be set back from sidewalk, or a distance equal to the prevailing building line, whichever is greater.
8. Any parking garage visible from the street should be integrated into its surroundings. The garage should:
  1. Follow all guidelines for Building Design.
  2. Avoid ramped floors that are clearly visible from the street.
  3. Make sure the predominant vertical and horizontal architectural forms and patterns within the district are followed.
  4. Be sensitive to conflicts between cars and pedestrians.
  5. Have openings and entrances that are in scale with people.
  6. Provide adequate direction and information signs for motorist.
9. Surface parking lots should ideally not create gaps along the street and sidewalk. Any surface lot in the district should:
  1. Use landscaping, trees, colonnades or other construction to maintain the line formed by buildings along the sidewalk.
  2. Make sure there is adequate perimeter landscaping that is high enough to screen but low enough to let people feel safe.
  3. Interior landscaping--should especially include shade trees.
  4. Provide adequate direction and information signs for motorist.
10. Any newly developed or improved open space accessible to the public should generally:
  1. Reinforce the "campus-like" feeling associated with the East-West Downtown District.
  2. Create a comfortable and interesting place to rest.
  3. Let people know it's there and it's accessible.
  4. Provide plenty of seating (about 1 linear feet for every 30 square feet of paved open space).
  5. Have enough lighting to create a safe nighttime environment.
  6. Use fountains or other water features.
  7. Incorporate public art.
11. The Downtown Banner Guidelines (pursuant to Ordinance No. 99, Series 1992 and Street Banner Program Guidelines II. D, and IV. A, B, C) apply.
12. Fences and walls should create or imply the continuation of the sense of frontage on the sidewalk established by surrounding buildings. (See Open Space and Off-Street Parking Guidelines.)
13. Broadway, Second Street, and Roy Wilkins Boulevard/Ninth Street have been identified as future parkways. These streets should be tree-lined and parkway-like in appearance, with landscaping and other right-of-way improvements.
14. For the sake of visual continuity, large shade trees should be planted in the right-of-way every 25 feet to 35 feet along the curbline in order to create a continuous canopy.
15. A mix if ornamental and shade trees can be planted outside the right-of-way for both shade and visual variety.
16. Landscaped areas should have lawn, evergreen ground covers, shrubs, or ornamental plantings that create a pleasant environment for pedestrians.
17. Signs should be sensitive to the architectural character of the district, building and project. Accordingly:
  1. Integrate the sign into the design of the building or project; signs should fit, not cover.
  2. Avoid gaudy, moving or harshly illuminated signs.
18. Advertising signs and billboards are discouraged and should:
  1. Avoid blocking views and vistas or creating a cluttered appearance.
  2. Be integrated into the design of a building or project.
  3. Relate strongly to the character of the district.
19. Public art should be available for the enjoyment and enrichment of all the people within the community. Inclusion of a meaningful allowance for the commissioning of public art in the planning and construction of all significant building project is encouraged.
20. The public art planning and selection process should begin at the onset of individual projects. It should be designed, executed and/or supervised by artists or other design professionals to integrate the artwork with the overall project and aesthetically enhance the urban environment.
Main-Market District
1. All new construction or improvements should be built to the property lines.
2. New buildings and improvements should respect the strong cornice lines and the sense of light and air in the Main-Market District. Therefore:
  1. Step back any new construction or additions in the district above the cornice line of Main Street so that the addition or new construction isn't visible to a person standing on any Main Street sidewalk.
3. Whenever nearby buildings are primarily built to the sidewalk, the shapes and forms of new construction or improvements should create a strong, well defined base at pedestrian level that fits well into its context. As a general minimum, this base should be two to three stories.
4. To allow adequate light and air, tall buildings (over 14 stories) along Market Street should generally:
  1. Keep about 100 feet between other tall buildings within the same block.
  2. Make the upper stories of tall buildings progressively narrower.
5. The shapes and forms of a building and its orientation to the street, to people and to nearby buildings should:
  1. Enhance existing views and vistas--or potential ones.
  2. Be sensitive to the impact on the pedestrian, including overexposure to the sun, too much wind, or not enough light or air.
  3. Relate strongly to nearby buildings, particularly at the edges of the district where stepbacks and changes in building height and volume are important.
6. Rooftops should avoid looking cluttered from any vantage point. All mechanical or utility equipment should be well-integrated into the overall design.
7. The exterior of any new construction and improvements should be designed and detailed so that it firs well into its architectural surroundings. Exteriors should:
  1. Be compatible with the general character of nearby buildings.
  2. Reinforce the character of any buildings having historic or architectural significance according to the Downtown Development Plan.
  3. Follow the latest edition of the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation as a guide whenever historic or architecturally significant structures are involved; in short, don't alter significant features.
8. Blank, fortress-like walls at the street level are discouraged. Buildings in the district should:
  1. Strive to maintain the vertical street-level patterns of architectural details common throughout the district. Columns, doorways, entrances, storefronts and other vertical elements should be approximately every 20 to 40 feet at pedestrian level.
  2. Use glass to encourage people activity and make buildings look and feel more inviting to the pedestrian. As a general rule, 50 percent of the wall surface next to the pedestrian should be clear.
  3. Use design details to emphasize the building's base, so that there's a strong horizontal feeling to which people at sidewalk level can easily relate.
9. Lighting--interior and exterior--is important in making buildings and the downtown in general look and feel more inviting 24 hours a day. Lighting should:
  1. Be integrated into the exterior design.
  2. Help create a greater sense of activity, security and interest to the pedestrian.
10. Garages, surface parking lots and parking structures within 50 feet of Main Street are discouraged.
11. Any parking garage visible from the street should be integrated into its surroundings and provide an active and inviting street-level use and appearance. The garage should:
  1. Follow all guidelines for Building Design.
  2. Avoid ramped floors that are clearly visible from the street.
  3. Make sure the predominant vertical and horizontal architectural forms and patterns within the districts are followed.
  4. Be sensitive to conflicts between cars and pedestrians.
  5. Have openings and entrances that are in scale with people.
  6. Provide adequate direction and information signs for motorists.
12. Surface parking lots should ideally not create gaps along the street and sidewalk. Any surface lot in the Main-Market District should:
  1. Use landscaping, trees, colonnades or other construction to maintain the line formed by buildings along the sidewalk.
  2. Make sure there is adequate perimeter landscaping that is high enough to screen but low enough to let people feel safe.
  3. Interior landscaping should especially include shade trees.
  4. Provide adequate direction and information signs for motorists.
13. No new open space should be created within 50 feet of Main Street.
14. New open space along Market Street should reinforce the sense of building frontage along the street. As a general rule, any newly developed or improved open space should:
  1. Be 100 feet away from any other open space.
  2. Stay 100 feet from any intersection.
  3. Avoid being any wider or deeper than 100 feet.
  4. Use fences, trees, benches or other landscaping as a way to continue the sense of building frontage along the sidewalk.
15. Any newly developed or improved open space accessible to the public should generally:
  1. Create a comfortable and interesting place to rest.
  2. Provide plenty of seating (about 1 linear foot for every 30 square feet of paved open space).
  3. Have enough lighting to create a safe nighttime environment.
  4. Use fountains or other water features.
  5. Incorporate public art.
16. Any newly developed or improved open space not directly accessible to the public should be designed like a garden and should generally:
  1. Respect the sense of building frontage along the sidewalk.
  2. Let pedestrians have a full view of the garden.
  3. Use flowers and planting material that is attractive year-round.
  4. Create a comfortable and interesting place to rest.
  5. Have enough lighting to create a safe nighttime environment.
  6. Use fountains or other water features.
  7. Incorporate public art.
17. The West Main Street Urban Design and Streetscape Guidelines apply.
18. The Downtown Banner Guidelines (pursuant to Ordinance No 99, Series 1992 and Street Banner Program Guidelines II. D, and IV. A, B, C) apply to the Main-Market District.
19. Fences and walls should create or imply the continuation of the sense of frontage on the sidewalk established by surrounding buildings. (See Open Space and Off-Street Parking Guidelines.)
20. Roy Wilkins Boulevard/Ninth Street and Second Street have been identified as future parkways. These streets should be tree-lined and parkway-like in appearance, and landscaping and other right-of-way improvements.
21. For the sake of visual continuity, large shade trees should be planted in the right-of-way every 25 feet to 35 feet along the curbline on order to create a continuous canopy.
22. A mix of ornamental and shade trees can be planted outside the right-of-way for both shade and visual variety.
23. Signs should be sensitive to the architectural character of the district, building and project. Accordingly:
  1. Integrate the sign into the design of the building or project; signs should fit, not cover.
  2. Avoid gaudy, moving or harsh illuminated signs.
24. Advertising signs and billboards are discouraged and should:
  1. Avoid blocking views and vistas or creating a cluttered appearance.
  2. Be integrated into the design of a building or project.
  3. Relate strongly to the character of the district.
25. Public art should be available for the enjoyment and enrichment of all the people within the community. Inclusion of a meaningful allowance for the commissioning of public art in the planning and construction of all significant building projects is encouraged.
26. The public art planning and selection process should begin at the onset of individual projects. It should be designed, executed and/or supervised by artists or other design professionals to integrate the artwork with the overall project and aesthetically enhance the urban environment.

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