| A. | Buildings shall generally relate in scale and design features to other surrounding buildings, showing respect for local context.
As a general rule, buildings shall reflect a subtly graduating changes in scale; by maintaining building scale or by subtly graduating changes in scale; by the use of front porches on residential or mixed-use buildings; by maintaining cornice lines, in buildings of the same height; by extending horizontal line of fenestration; and by echoing architectural styles and details, design themes, building materials, and colors used in surrounding buildings.
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| B. | Buildings on corner lots shall be considered more significant structures, since they have at least two front facades visibly exposed to the street. If deemed appropriate, such buildings should be designed with additional architectural embellishments, such as corner towers, relating to their location. |
| C. | Buildings shall avoid long, monotonous, uninterrupted wall or roof planes. A wall surface shall be no longer than 100 feet without a break. Building wall offsets, including both projections and recesses, and changes in floor elevation shall be used in order to add architectural interest and variety, and relieve the visual effect of a single, long wall. Similarly, roofline offsets shall be provided, in order to provide architectural interest and variety to the massing of a building and relieve the effect of a single, long roof. |
| D. | The front facade of a building shall be architecturally emphasized through fenestration, entrance treatment and details. The architectural treatment of the front façade shall be continued, in its major features, around all visibly exposed sides of a building. All sides of a building shall be architecturally designed to be consistent with regard to style, materials, colors, and details. Blank wall or service area treatment of side or rear elevations visible from the public view shed is discouraged. |
| E. | All visibly exposed sides of a building shall have an articulated base course and cornice. The base course shall align with either the kickplate or sill level of the first story. The cornice shall terminate or cap the top of a building wall, and may project out horizontally from the vertical building wall plane and may be ornamented with moldings, brackets and other details. The middle section of a building may be horizontally divided at floor, lintel, or sill levels with belt or string courses. |
| F. | It is encouraged that gable roofs with a minimum pitch of 9/12 be used to the greatest extent possible. Where hipped roofs are used, it is recommended that the minimum pitch be 6/12. Both gable and hipped roofs should provide overhanging eaves on all sides that extend a minimum of one (1) foot beyond the building wall. Flat roofs should be avoided on one (1) story buildings and are recommended on buildings of a minimum of two (2) stories in height, provided all visibly exposed walls have an articulated cornice that projects out horizontally from the vertical building wall plane. Other types of roofs should be appropriate to the building's architecture. Mansard roofs are generally discouraged, particularly on buildings less than three (3) stories in height. Architectural embellishments that add visual interest to roofs, such as dormer, belvederes, masonry chimneys, cupolas, clock towers and other similar elements are encouraged. |
| G. | Fenestration shall be architecturally compatible with the style, materials, colors and details of a building. Windows shall be vertically proportioned wherever possible. To the extent possible, the location of windows on the upper stories of a building shall be vertically aligned with the location of windows and doors on the ground level, including storefronts or display windows. |
| H. | Blank windowless walls are discouraged. Where the construction of a blank wall is necessitated by local building codes, such wall should be articulated by the provision of blank window openings trimmed with frames, sills, and lintels, or by using recessed or projecting display window cases if the building is occupied by a commercial use. Intensive landscaping may also be appropriate in certain cases. |
| I. | All entrances to a building shall be defined and articulated by architectural elements such as lintels, pediment, pilasters, columns, porticos, porches, overhangs, railing, balustrades and others, where appropriate. Any such element utilized shall be architecturally compatible with the style, materials, colors and details of the building as a whole, as shall the doors. |
| J. | In mixed-use buildings, differences between ground floor commercial uses and entrances for upper level commercial or apartment uses shall be reflected by differences in façade treatment. Storefronts and other ground floor entrances shall be accentuated through cornice lines. Further differentiation can be achieved through distinct but compatible exterior materials, signs, awnings, and exterior lighting. |
| K. | Storefronts are an integral part of a building and shall be integrally designed with the upper floors of a building to be compatible with the overall character of the façade. Ground floor retail, service and restaurant uses shall have large pane display windows on the ground level. Such windows shall be framed by the surrounding wall and shall not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the total ground level façade area. Buildings with multiple storefronts shall be unified through the use of architecturally compatible materials, colors, details, awnings, signage, and lighting fixtures. |
| L. | Fixed or retractable awnings are permitted at ground floor level, and on upper levels where appropriate, provided they complement a building's architectural style, are compatible with its materials, colors and details, do not conceal architectural features, such as cornices, columns, pilasters or decorative details, do not impair façade composition, and are designed as an integral part of the façade. Canvas is the preferred material, although other water-proofed fabrics may be used; metal or aluminum awnings are discouraged. In buildings with multiple storefronts, compatible awnings should be used as a means of unifying the structure. |
| M. | Light fixtures attached to the exterior of a building shall be architecturally compatible with the style, materials, colors and details of the building and shall comply with local building codes. The type of light source used on the exterior of buildings, signs, parking areas, pedestrian walkways and other areas of a site, and the light quality produced, shall be the same or compatible. Facades shall be lit from the exterior and, as a general rule, lights should be concealed through shielding or recessed behind architectural features. The use of low pressure sodium, fluorescent or mercury vapor lighting either attached to buildings or to light the exterior of buildings shall be prohibited. Mounting brackets and associated hardware should be inconspicuous. |
| N. | All air conditioning units, HVAC systems, exhaust pipes or stacks, elevator housing and satellite dishes and other telecommunications receiving devices shall be thoroughly screened from view from the public right-of-way and from adjacent properties, by using walls, fencing, roof elements, penthouse-type screening devices or landscaping. |
| O. | Fire escapes shall be visible from any street right-of-way. In buildings requiring a second means of egress pursuant to the local building codes, internal stairs or other routes of egress shall be used. |
| P. | Solid metal security gates or solid roll-down metal windows shall not be permitted. Link or grill type security devices shall be permitted only if installed from the inside, within the window or door frames; or, if installed on the outside, if the coil box is recessed and concealed behind the building wall. Security grilles shall be recessed and concealed during normal business hours. Models that provide a sense of transparency, in light colors, are encouraged. Other types of security devices fastened to the exterior walls are not permitted. |
| Q. | All materials, colors and architectural details used on the exterior of a building shall be compatible with the building's style, as well as with each other. A building designed of an architectural style that normally includes certain integral materials, colors and or details shall incorporate such into its design. Where appropriate to the architectural style of a building, shutters shall be provided on all windows fronting a street or visible from the public right-of-way. Shutters shall be proportioned to cover one-half the width of the window. |
