§ 72-303. [Nonresidential development design standards.]

(a)

Purpose and intent. While the county encourages economic growth and nonresidential development in areas with access to county thoroughfares, it also encourages protection of residential and agricultural interests from the impacts of nonresidential development. The integration of flowing traffic circulation and pedestrian accessibility is one primary concern for new development and redevelopment. In addition, the county encourages the design of new development to be visually sensitive and attractive to surrounding development and the environment. The purpose of the architectural guidelines contained herein, is to promote design treatments that enhance the visual appearance of development, ensure compatibility of buildings, and create a strong community image and identity and to protect community aesthetics.

(b)

Applicability.

(1)

Lands. The following design standards are applicable to lands located along identified county thoroughfares or adjacent to cities with gateway/corridor standards. In the event that the said lands are located within one mile of a municipality which has adopted gateway/corridor standards, within an area served by a municipal utility, or within the urban portion of the designated urban growth boundary area, whichever area is greatest, the adopted municipal gateway/corridor standards shall apply in their entirety to said lands.

(2)

Uses. These design standards shall apply to retail, office, industrial, institutional, public and other similar facilities.

(3)

Development permits. These design standards shall apply to all development permits except those for redevelopment, expansion, or alteration of an existing structure, which does not increase the cumulative gross floor area by more than 25 percent.

(4)

Conflict with other sections. Development and use of all said lands may occur only in compliance with both this section and with the provisions of this article that govern the underlying zoning classification in which the land is located. When there is conflict between this section and the provisions applying to the underlying zoning classification, this section governs. Design standards applicable under this article to a community of special interest shall prevail over either conflicting county or municipal design standards provided for by this section.

(c)

Site plan design standards.

(1)

Site layouts shall be designed with special attention to the creation of an attractive, safe and functional urban environment based upon the following standards:

a.

Building orientation. The location of buildings on sites varies depending upon which area of the county the development is located. In the older urban areas, buildings should be located closer to the street to preserve the traditional layout, while newer development in traffic oriented areas should have the buildings located further away from the street. In either case, the building layout selected should contribute to the creation of a healthier pedestrian environment and a more cohesive urban context.

Building Orientation

1.

Buildings shall be oriented to face the public right-of-way.

2.

Buildings shall be oriented to maximize pedestrian access and view of adjacent water bodies and other amenities, even if there is another primary facade on the public right-of-way.

3.

Building location and mass should relate to nearby buildings and to the urban context with off-street parking areas located to the side and rear of the site in the older urban areas where a grid pattern is prevalent.

4.

When parking areas are located behind the businesses, a secondary entrance should be provided in the back of the business. A rear entrance can provide direct service and customer access to the store from parking areas as well as improve circulation between the parking lots and the street. Architectural embellishments, awnings, landscaping and signs shall be used to mark the secondary entrance and the design of the rear of the building shall be consistent with the front facade.

5.

Where the parking is located in front of the building, the parking area shall be designed to avoid the appearance of large masses of pavement, and shall be conducive to pedestrian access and circulation as set forth in subsection (f) of this section.

(2)

Outparcels. Nonresidential developments that have a primary building and/or anchor tenant and outparcel developments on the same site must conform to the following guidelines:

a.

In order to provide a unified design with the main structure and enhance the visual impact of outparcels, all exterior facades of the outparcel buildings shall be considered primary facades and shall employ architectural and landscape design treatments similar to the primary building and/or anchor tenant.

b.

Interconnection of pedestrian walkways with the main structure and adjacent outparcels is required.

c.

Consolidated parking areas are encouraged. The main structure and adjacent outparcels shall share driveway access.

d.

Vehicular connection between the outparcel, the main structure, and adjacent outparcels is required to provide for safe and convenient vehicular movement within the site.

(d)

Architectural design standards.

(1)

Building design. Buildings shall have architectural features and patterns that provide visual interest from the perspective of the pedestrians and motorists. Buildings shall include substantial variation in mass such as changes in height and horizontal plane.

Variation in Mass

a.

Primary building facades shall be enhanced by the use of vertical and horizontal elements. Landscaping may be used to enhance the architectural features and to break the visual monotony but shall not be used in lieu of the following requirements:

Primary Building Facades

1.

Facades shall not exceed 30 horizontal feet, and ten vertical feet, without two of the following elements:

i.

A change in plane, such as an offset, reveal or projecting rib. Such plane projections or recesses shall have a width of no less than six inches and may include but are not limited to columns, planters, arches, and voids, etc.

ii.

Architectural details such as raised bands and cornices.

iii.

Awnings.

iv.

Change in color.

v.

Change in material.

vi.

Change in texture.

vii.

Doors.

viii.

Windows.

2.

Facades that extend for more than 100 feet in length shall incorporate, in addition to two of the above requirements, at least one of the following elements:

i.

A change in plane, such as an offset, reveal or projecting rib. Such plane projections or recesses shall have a width of no less than three feet, and a depth of at least six inches; or

ii.

Architecturally prominent public entrance; or

iii.

A tower.

b.

The ground floor of the primary facade shall have at least two of the following elements for at least 60 percent of the width of the facade:

1.

Public entrances.

2.

Arcades, or other roof treatment, such as awnings or secondary roofs, to provide shade and facade interest.

3.

Windows/display windows.

4.

Awnings, associated with windows or doors.

5.

Landscaping, adjacent to the building.

c.

Secondary facades, which are not readily visible from the street right-of-way, shall provide at least two of the elements required for primary facades.

d.

All additions, alterations and accessory buildings shall be compatible with the principal structure in design and materials.

e.

The first floor of all buildings, including structured parking, shall be designed to encourage pedestrian scale activity.

f.

Overhangs/awnings shall be no less than three feet deep to protect pedestrians from inclement weather.

g.

The highest point of a first floor awning on a multistory building shall not be higher than the midpoint between the top of the first story window and the second story windowsill.

Position of Awning

h.

Accessory structures including, but not limited to, carwash buildings and gas station/convenience store canopies, shall have the same architectural detail, design elements and roof design as the primary structure.

(2)

Fenestration.

a.

At least 30 percent of primary facades shall be comprised of windows and doors. However, nearly continuous expanses of glass for walls shall be avoided. Patterns are encouraged by alternating solid elements and windows.

Patterns in Facades

b.

Windows and display cases should be provided along pedestrian corridors.

c.

Where nonresidential buildings contain multiple, separate tenant stores, with separate, exterior customer entrances, the street level facade of such stores shall be transparent between the height of three feet and eight feet above the walkway grade for no less than 60 percent of the horizontal length of the building facade of such additional stores.

d.

Views into the interior of retail storefronts and restaurants are encouraged for pedestrian activity, safety and to create a community window-shopping environment. The use of darkly tinted or reflective glass on these structures is prohibited. Reflective glass will be defined as having a visible light reflectance rating of 15 percent or greater and darkly tinted glass windows include glass with a visible light transmittance rating of 35 percent or less. All plans submitted to the county shall include the glass manufacturer's visible light reflectance and visible light transmittance ratings for review and approval.

e.

Windows shall be recessed a minimum of one-half inch, and shall include visually prominent sills, shutters, stucco relief or other such forms of framing.

(3)

Entrances.

a.

Multiple entryways or architectural features shall be incorporated into the design in order to break up the apparent mass and scale of large structures. All entrances shall be architecturally prominent and clearly visible from the abutting public street. Entrances may lead to tenant spaces other than the primary retail tenant.

Prominent Entrance

b.

Primary customer entrances should face the street. Buildings larger than 30,000 square feet located on corner lots should provide customer entrances on both streets (movie theaters are exempt), or a corner entrance. Additional entrances are encouraged facing local streets, parking lots, plazas, lakefronts and adjacent buildings.

c.

Primary customer entrances shall be clearly defined and highly visible through the use of architectural detail for all structures. Primary entrances to anchor stores shall be highlighted with tower elements, higher volumes, tall voids, special building materials and/or architectural details. Entrances to smaller stores shall be recessed or framed by a sheltering element such as awning, arcade, porch or portico.

Highly Visible Entrance

d.

Multitenant structures larger than 75,000 gross square feet shall provide either a significant pedestrian amenity or a public entrance at a minimum of one per 75 linear feet of publicly visible facade. The public entrance may be to either the principal retail use or to any other tenant. Examples of significant pedestrian amenities include, but are not limited to, outdoor seating areas, play areas for children, and public courtyards. This provision shall not apply to more than three sides of any structure.

e.

Protection from the sun and adverse weather conditions for patrons should be considered for the entranceways. Awnings, canopies and arcades are allowed to project up to three feet into the required building setback.

f.

Covered visitor drop-off areas shall be provided at entries to institutional buildings.

g.

Each large retail establishment on a site shall have one or more clearly defined, highly visible customer entrances featuring no fewer than three of the following:

1.

Canopies or porticos;

2.

Overhangs;

3.

Recesses/projections;

4.

Arcades;

5.

Raised corniced parapets over the door;

6.

Peaked roof forms;

7.

Arches;

8.

Outdoor patios;

9.

Display windows;

10.

Architectural details such as tile work and moldings which are integrated into the building structure and design; or

11.

Integral planters or wing walls that incorporate landscaped areas and/or places for sitting.

h.

If multiple tenants are located in a nonresidential center, each individual establishment shall have at least one exterior customer entrance, which shall conform to the above requirements set forth in subsection (d)(3)g., of this section.

(4)

Roofs.

a.

Buildings shall have a recognizable top consisting of, but not limited to, cornice treatments, roof overhangs with brackets, steeped parapets, richly textured materials and/or differently colored materials. Color bands are not acceptable as the only treatment. Bands of color, typically used for advertising, are not allowed.

b.

Mechanical equipment located on roofs shall be integrated into the overall design of a building by screening it behind parapets or by recessing equipment into hips, gables, parapets or similar features. Plain boxes are not acceptable.

c.

Backlit awnings used as mansard or canopy roofs are prohibited.

d.

Roofs shall have no fewer than two of the following features:

1.

Parapets concealing flat roofs and rooftop equipment such as HVAC units from public view. The average height of such parapets shall not exceed 15 percent of the height of the supporting wall. The highest point of the parapet shall not at any point exceed 30 percent of the height of the supporting wall.

2.

A three-dimensional cornice treatment, a minimum of 12 inches in height, having a minimum of three vertical (not diagonal) changes in plane, and a variety of thickness in relief ranging from the greatest at the top to the least at the bottom.

3.

Overhanging eaves, extending no less than three feet past the supporting walls.

4.

Sloping roofs that do not exceed the average height of the supporting walls, with an average slope greater than or equal to one foot of vertical rise for every three feet of horizontal run and less than or equal to one foot of vertical rise for every one foot of horizontal run.

5.

Three or more roof planes per primary facade.

Roof Planes

6.

Any other treatment that, in the opinion of the zoning enforcement official, meets the intent of this section.

(5)

Corner lots. Buildings located at the intersections of thoroughfares shall be designed with architectural embellishments to emphasize their location as follows:

a.

Buildings on corner lots are considered to have double front/primary facades for architectural design purposes.

b.

Buildings on corner lots shall include at least one of the following embellishments: Cornice detail, arches, peaked roof forms, corner towers, clocks, bells or similar design features.

c.

Hardscape design, such as pedestrian plazas with artwork or fountains, may substitute for building embellishments on corner lots.

(6)

Exterior materials.

a.

Materials selected for buildings should have quality and stability in terms of durability, finish and appearance.

b.

Exterior building materials that are encouraged include wood siding, stucco, brick, stone and concrete masonry units. Masonry unit exteriors shall be textured and tinted to avoid the appearance of a smooth monotonous wall.

c.

Predominant materials that are not permitted include flat, corrugated or reflective metal panels, smooth or rib faced concrete block, cedar shakes, textured plywood, and plastic siding.

(7)

Colors. Color has one of the strongest visual effects of all elements of building design. Therefore, colors shall be selected to ensure harmony of the building with adjacent structures:

a.

A wide selection of low reflectance exterior colors should be utilized to promote variety and diversity. The generally approved paint colors for nonresidential uses include light pastel and earth tone colors. Color schemes must be submitted to the county building and zoning division for review and approval.

b.

The following colors are prohibited: Use of intense, fluorescent or day glow colors, black as the predominant exterior building color and monochromatic color schemes (all one paint color).

c.

Building, trim and detail colors must be complementary. Clashing trim colors will not be permitted.

d.

A solid line band of color shall not be used for architectural detail.

(8)

Corporate design. National corporate chains that typically design their buildings to read as signage shall modify their designs to comply with the requirements of this article.

National Corporate Chains

(e)

Minimum tenant mix requirements. Developments with single retail tenants that have more than 75,000 gross square feet shall provide additional tenant spaces occupying the equivalent of 25 percent or more of the primary tenant. Individual tenant spaces shall not exceed 30,000 square feet in gross floor area. In lieu of providing separate tenant space, a developer may construct a design that creates the appearance of individual tenant spaces.

(f)

Site circulation and access. Safe, comfortable and consistent pedestrian connections are required as set forth herein:

(1)

The use of joint access easements is required between sites to reduce the number of access points and driveway area, to increase the amount of landscaping, and to increase traffic safety.

Joint Access Easements

(2)

A safe and landscaped pedestrian circulation system connecting to public streets external sidewalks and outparcels, shall be provided on-site.

(3)

Pedestrian walkways within the development shall be differentiated from driving surfaces utilizing a change in materials.

(4)

To increase pedestrian safety, sidewalks and walkways shall be one step up at a different grade than the vehicular parking lot, and shall be landscaped and have pedestrian scale lighting.

(5)

Large scale retail development with one or more retail tenants of 75,000 gross square feet or more and adjacent to an arterial street, which is or may be used as a transit route, shall provide on-site accommodations for public transit access, including a bus pullout and shelter. All other such developments shall anticipate the need for public transit access and shall provide bus pullouts as warranted.

(6)

Mixed-use and large-scale developments shall incorporate bicycle parking/storage.

(7)

Crosswalks are required wherever a pedestrian walkway intersects a vehicular area. All crosswalks shall be a minimum of five feet wide and shall be paved with concrete modular paving or integrally colored poured concrete.

Walkways

(8)

At least one significant pedestrian amenity, such as an outdoor seating area, play area for children, or courtyard, shall be provided for every 75,000 square feet of gross floor area of structure. Required pedestrian amenities may be combined into one or more locations, in order to create a larger amenity.

(g)

Off-street parking standards. While off-street parking is necessary to accommodate automobile demands, it displaces a large percentage of the county's open space and separates structures from the main pedestrian concourses. The purpose of the following guidelines is to avoid large expanses of asphalt and conflicts between vehicles and pedestrians:

(1)

Where a mix of uses creates staggered peak periods of parking demand, shared parking may be utilized to reduce the total amount of required parking.

(2)

Large parking lots shall be visually and functionally segmented into smaller lots with landscaped islands and canopy trees. No single parking area shall exceed 120 spaces.

(3)

Where a nonresidential use abuts an agricultural, residential or mobile home zoning classification, the parking area shall not be located within the building setback abutting the residential area.

(4)

Parking areas should be located behind the building face to prevent parking from dominating the image of the site. Wherever feasible, landscaping should be used to screen the parking area.

(5)

As an incentive to reduce asphalt and encourage landscaping, parking space depth in nonresidential developments may be reduced by two feet if abutting a landscape area as long as vehicle parking will not interfere with required plantings or encroach on sidewalks.

(6)

Vehicle use areas shall be sufficiently screened from public rights-of-way by utilizing landscape berms, themed streetscapetrees with landscape materials, trellis designs and/or low urban walls that incorporate architectural detail. Perimeter design shall be determined with the assistance of the department to promote the community image for the area in which the development is located.

(7)

The design of parking areas shall avoid the appearance of large masses of parked cars. No more than ten parking spaces may be located side by side without a landscaped parking island. In addition, the maximum amount of off street parking for any development shall not exceed ten percent of the development's minimum parking requirements as set forth in section 72-286, of the Volusia County Zoning Ordinance. The maximum number of parking spaces for nonresidential uses may not exceed 125 percent of the minimum spaces required by section 72-286, "Off-street parking and loading".

(8)

Shade trees shall be provided for parked cars, so that an average ratio of one tree per six automobiles is achieved. Trees shall be planted which will provide shade canopy over the parked cars.

(9)

Developments with buildings not exceeding 10,000 square feet in area shall provide no more than 50 percent of the required off-street parking between the front facade of the establishment and the abutting street.

(Ord. No. 2004-01, § 2, 1-22-04)

(h)

Service, utility, display and storage areas standards.

(1)

Areas for outdoor storage, trash collection and loading shall not be located adjacent to residential lots.

(2)

Loading areas or docks, outdoor storage, waste disposal, mechanical equipment, satellite dishes, truck parking and other service support equipment shall be located behind the building line and shall be fully screened from the view of adjacent properties both at ground and roof top levels with masonry, brick or durable manmade material wall.

Loading Areas

(3)

Areas for outdoor storage, trash collection and loading shall be incorporated into the primary building design and construction for these areas shall be of materials of comparable quality and appearance as that of the primary building. Facilities located adjacent to residential lots shall utilize a visual and solid opaque acoustic buffer.

(4)

Shopping cart storage shall be located inside the building or shall be screened by a solid landscaping hedge or a four-foot wall consistent with the building architecture and materials.

(5)

Fenced areas, such as garden centers or vehicle storage areas, visible from the public right-of-way shall be screened with vinyl-coated chain link or other decorative fencing material. The area shall be landscaped and designed to be compatible with the design of the building facade.

(6)

When the loading and/or refuse collection area is adjacent to a residential or mobile home zoning classification, deliveries and collections shall not occur between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.

(7)

To the extent possible, vehicular idling and standing shall not be allowed in areas adjacent to residential or mobile home zoning classifications. Signage shall be installed prohibiting vehicular idling in areas adjacent to these classifications.

(8)

Utilities for all nonresidential developments shall be located underground. Utility boxes must be totally screened from view of principal streets, as well as pedestrian walkways and areas. Utilities shall not be located within landscape buffers, tree protection and environmentally sensitive areas.

(i)

Landscaping and buffer requirements.

(1)

Landscaping shall provide a suitable setting for the development architecture and also shall serve to create a unified urban look, to define outdoor spaces, to buffer from sound and weather, to screen from view, and to accentuate building elements and vistas.

(2)

Existing trees shall be maintained to the extent possible and protected during construction as required by the Land Development Code, Ordinance No. 88-3, as amended.

(3)

Landscaping and grading shall be designed to enhance the presence of each building.

(4)

Except for public right-of-way, shaded areas must be provided for internal sidewalks at a minimum of 100 square feet of shaded area per 100 lineal feet of walkway.

(5)

Whenever possible, service and utility easements shall be located away from mature trees which must be saved as required by the Land Development Code, Ordinance, No. 88-3, as amended.

(6)

Wet retention areas shall be designed as amenities and shall appear natural by having offsets in the edge alignment to avoid perfect geometric figures. Landscaping is required to soften the visual appearance of the pond edges. Features such as fountains are encouraged to accent the ponds and provide adequate aeration to prevent stagnation.

Landscaping

(j)

Sign regulations. The sign regulations established in section 72-298 of the Volusia County Code of Ordinances shall also apply to any nonresidential development meeting the location guidelines of subsection (b) of this section; provided, however, the maximum permissible height for any ground sign is eight feet, and the maximum permissible copy area for any ground sign is 40 square feet.

(Ord. No. 2004-01, § 2, 1-22-04; Ord. No. 2008-25, § II, 12-4-08; Ord. No. 2018-05, § XI, 1-18-18)