Centers & Corridors Design Guidelines Update
Background
Council Member Amber Waldref in collaboration with members of the community has been working on revisions to the Initial Design Standards and Guidelines for Centers and Corridors which were codified 2006 in SMC Section 17C.122.060. Council Member Waldref' s goal is to encourage quality projects in the City's targeted centers and corridors.
What's Happening Now
Changes to the Centers & Corridors Design Standards SMC 17C.122.060 were approved and will go into effect on September 2, 2015.
Final Documents:
Some of the proposed changes are:
- Changing some instances of discretionary language to required language: Changing "should" to "shall" in several instances
- Adding the ability for applicants to request Design Review Board process in certain instances. These are:
- Buildings Along Street
- Buildings Along Intersection Corners
- Transition Between Commercial and Residential Development
- Prominent Entrances
- Massing
- Roof Form
- Changing the language to require a percentage of the site frontage to have the building oriented to the street with no parking between the street and the building. (Build to Street)
- Adding a new section that requires buildings to be built to the intersection corner (Build to Intersection Corner)
- Adding a new section entitled “Materials” which guides the use of quality materials on the ground floor to enhance the pedestrian oriented development
- Clarifying the guidelines for Drive-Through Lanes shall not be located between the building and the street.
- Revising the landscape code SMC 17C.200 to change the buffer when residential is adjacent from a five-foot buffer to an eight-foot buffer.
- Changes the minimum parking requirements for residential development within CC1, CC2, and CC3 zones (SMC Table 17C.230-1)
Meetings
- July 20, 2015 Public Hearing held by City Council. The council voted to approve ORD C35280 (5 to 2 vote).
- June 10, 2015 Public Hearing held by Plan Commission. Commissioners recommended approval (8 to 0 vote) to the City Council.
- On February 25, March 25, April 22, and May 13, 2015 the Plan Commission held Workshops to review interim drafts.
- On February 4, 2015 an Open House was held at West Central Community Center to provide an opportunity to discuss these proposed changes. The posters from this meeting are in the “documents” section below.
- The City's Plan Commission held a workshop on this topic on December 17, 2014.
- Council Member Waldref met with a stakeholder group November 2014 to review proposed amendments to the Design Guidelines.
Other helpful links
