§ 16-32.015. Relationship of building to street.

1.

Delineation of building floors at third story above sidewalk level and lower shall be executed through windows, belt courses, cornice lines or similar architectural detailing.

2.

The primary pedestrian entrance to all uses and business establishments with sidewalk-level street frontage:

a)

Shall face and be visible from the street.

b)

Shall be directly accessible, visible and adjacent to the sidewalk, supplemental zone, pedestrian plaza, courtyard or outdoor dining area adjacent to such street.

c)

Shall remain unlocked during normal business hours for nonresidential uses.

d)

Shall face and be visible to an arterial street when located adjacent to such arterial street.

3.

Buildings shall provide continuous street-fronting sidewalk level commercial, office or residential uses.

4.

Building façade line:

a)

Arterial streets: Shall be no less than 20 feet and no more than 30 feet from the street curb, with the exception of the provision for public parks and plazas and the provision of on-street parking (Pursuant to subsection 16-32.011(3)d, Development controls).

b)

All other streets: Shall be no less than 15 feet and no more than 30 feet from the street curb, with the exception of the provision for public parks and plazas.

5.

A building façade line within a block where 50 percent or more of the buildings were built before 1950 shall:

a)

Have a distance from the street which is equal to the average width of the nearest two buildings which were built before 1950; or

b)

Have a distance from the street which is equal to the nearest adjacent building built before 1950 and which is closest to a 15 foot building façade line.

6.

A street address number shall be located above the primary building entrance, shall be clearly visible from the sidewalk and shall be a minimum of six inches in height.

7.

Fenestration:

a)

All street-fronting sidewalk level development, with the exception of churches and fire stations, shall provide fenestration for a minimum of 75 percent of the length of the frontage, beginning at a point not more than three feet above the public sidewalk, for a height no less than ten feet above the sidewalk. Fenestration for commercial uses shall allow views into the interior or display windows and shall not have painted glass, reflective glass or other similarly treated fenestration.

b)

Variations in fenestration requirements may be permitted by the director of the bureau of planning:

i.

Fenestration may be varied in keeping with the scale of the nearest commercial storefront built before 1950 in the same or adjacent blocks, which is closest to meeting the requirements above in subsection 16-32.015(7)a.

ii.

Fenestration may be varied where there are development constraints related to topography.

8.

Sidewalk level development shall have a maximum length of ten feet of façade without fenestration.

9.

Fences and walls.

a)

Fences:

i.

No fences are permitted between the building and the sidewalk.

ii.

Fences which are not located between the primary building and the sidewalk shall have a maximum height of six feet.

b)

Walls:

i.

No walls, except retaining walls, shall be located between a building and the sidewalk, with the exception of walls which screen loading areas and dumpsters, which shall have a maximum height of six feet.

ii.

Retaining walls located adjacent to a public right-of-way shall have a maximum height of two feet and shall be faced with stone, brick or smooth stucco. In no case shall the combined height of a fence and retaining wall adjacent to a sidewalk be greater than five and one-half feet. See subsection 16-29.001(25)b. Retaining walls greater than two feet in height between the building façade line and the street, where topography prohibits retaining walls of a lesser height may be permitted by the director of the bureau of planning.

iii.

Walls which are not located between the primary building and the sidewalk shall have a maximum height of six feet.

10.

No barbed wire, razor wire, chain link fence or similar elements shall be visible from any public plaza, outdoor dining area or public right-of-way.

11.

Gasoline fuel dispenser structures, canopies or associated service area shall not be located between a building and the street. Fuel dispenser structures shall be limited to a maximum of four, with a maximum of eight fueling position spaces.

(Ord. No. 2000-52, § 1, 9-26-00)