Spokane Municipal Code

Title 17E Environmental Standards

Chapter 17E.060 Shoreline Regulations

Article VIII. Design Standards and Guidelines Specific to Shoreline Districts

1. Shoreline Relationships – Human Activity.

1. 1. Purpose.

To recognize that people’s relationship to the river and anticipated uses in the Campus district will inform the design of the built environment. The Campus district is an area in which passive recreation is interwoven with academic, commercial, residential, and light industrial functions. New development along the riverfront should contribute to the campus-like setting, focus attention on the river as a community asset, and improve the natural aesthetics for recreational activities. These include rowing, bicycling, walking, observing birds/wildlife, and learning the stories of the river through interpretive displays.

1. 2. New buildings shall provide at least two of the following waterward (R):

1. 1. 1. Outdoor seating areas.

1. 1. 2. Benches along pedestrian trail.

1. 1. 3. Outdoor balconies and decks.

1. 1. 4. Public plazas or courtyards with seating.

1. 1. 5. Public viewpoint with interpretive signs.

1. 1. 6. Public art.

2. Streets, Sidewalks, and Trails – Pedestrian Pathways.

1. 1. Purpose.

To result in a pathway design reflecting the form and intensity of adjacent development, as well as the moderate level of pedestrian activity.

1. 2. Pedestrian pathways shall be at least ten feet wide. (R)

1. 3. Lighting shall be provided, either from nearby buildings or from pedestrian-scaled fixtures. (R)

1. 4. Seating should also be provided at intervals. (C)

3. Site Design.

1. 1. Landscape Character Protection.

1. 1. 1. Purpose.

To protect, restore, and enhance the natural character of the river, including its geologic features and native vegetation.

1. 1. 2. Within the Campus district, it is expected that there will be a soft, more “naturalistic” approach to landscape design. Developments will be loosely arranged on the landscape, with a considerable amount of planting, including ground covers, understory, and trees. However, landscape designs that include large lawn areas requiring fertilizers and herbicides, or vegetation that is highly consumptive of water, should be avoided. (C)

1. 1. 3. Native vegetation should predominate. (C)

1. 2. Impervious Surfaces.

1. 1. 1. Purpose.

To recognize that the campus area will have more open development that can allow for pervious surfaces.

1. 1. 2. Development shall incorporate ways of capturing and filtering run-off so that when it reaches the river, it has been moderately cleaned. This shall be accomplished through creative designs of courtyards, greens, planting areas, parking lots, roof scuppers, and other features. New development shall achieve at least fifteen percent pervious surfaces on the site. The installation of “green roofs” can substitute for ground level treatment. (R)

1. 3. Pervious Surfaces.

1. 1. 1. Purpose.

To create a system of spaces integrated with the ecological systems of the shoreline.

1. 1. 2. Development shall include one or more of the following (R):

1. 1. 1. 1. Open spaces.

1. 1. 1. 2. Landscaped courtyards.

1. 1. 1. 3. Plazas.

1. 1. 1. 4. Greenways.

1. 1. 1. 5. Pathways; or

1. 1. 1. 6. Other spaces that allow for a seamless connection between streets and various uses.

1. 1. 3. Surfacing of these spaces shall allow for the capture of rainwater and filtration into a natural cleansing system of vegetation and sub-grade materials. (R)

1. 4. Planting Palette.

1. 1. 1. Purpose.

To recognize the softer landscape of campus settings.

1. 1. 2. Native plant material is strongly encouraged, with non-natives being an occasional exception. Campus settings typically involve a more “natural” array of plantings, rather than a manicured or formal arrangement. However, there may be some locations where specimen trees and formal configurations of plantings are appropriate, such as framing a public space or a building entrance. (C)

1. 5. Rain Gardens.

1. 1. 1. Purpose.

To incorporate innovative methods of capturing and filtering run-off, as a part of the overall campus site design and landscaping.

1. 1. 2. Rain gardens should be integrated into planting strips along streets, as well as in public spaces and general landscaped areas. (C)

1. 1. 3. Rain gardens shall not be adjacent to or within parking lots if it is determined that they will harm the aquifer. (R)

4. Building Design – Character Related to the Setting.

1. 1. Purpose.

To ensure that new buildings are complementary or visually subordinate to the natural splendor of the river and falls including its geologic features and native vegetation.

1. 2. Building design should not attempt to compete with the natural beauty of the river and the shoreline. Buildings should incorporate materials and colors that will be restrained and blend with native rock and vegetation. (C)

5. Lighting – Dark Sky.

1. 1. Purpose.

To reduce glare and spillover from lighting associated with parking lots or buildings.

1. 2. All lighting shall be directed downwards, with cut-off designs that prevent light from being cast horizontally or upward. (R)

1. 3. Building walls shall not be washed with light, nor shall high intensity security lighting be used to flood an area with light. (R)

1. 4. Parking lots shall be lighted with fixtures less than twenty two feet in height. Single, high masts with multiple fixtures shall not be allowed. (R)

Date Passed: Monday, November 3, 2008

Effective Date: Monday, July 26, 2010

ORD C34326 Section 2