14.34.295 Downtown Development Design Standards.
(1) Purpose and Intent. This Section establishes design standards that are intended to improve the quality and compatibility of new development. These standards address building form, mass and scale, building materials, and compatible additions. They are intended to provide design standards for project applicants, staff, the Design Review Committee and the general public.
(2) Applicability. In addition to the requirements of Sections 14.34.280 (Design Review) and 14.34.285 (Single-Family Residential Design Standards and Guidelines), Provo City Code, the design standards set forth in this Section shall apply to all buildings and uses located in the General Downtown (DT1), Downtown Core (DT2), Downtown Gateway (GW), West Gateway (WG), and Interim Transit Oriented Development (ITOD) zones.
(a) In approving a project plan, the approving authority may impose reasonable conditions consistent with the purpose and intent of this Section. The requirements for this Section shall apply in addition to other applicable requirements of this Title. This Section shall be interpreted to supersede other requirements of the Provo City Code which may impose more restrictive requirements.
(b) All of the requirements of this Section shall apply, unless the Planning Commission approves an alternative design arrangement that imposes requirements equivalent to or more restrictive than the requirements set forth in this Section.
(3) Pedestrian Building Entrances.
(a) A minimum of one (1) pedestrian entrance to a commercial space, lobby, or residential unit shall be provided for every fifty (50) feet of building frontage along primary streets and one hundred (100) feet on secondary streets. Properties located in the Downtown Gateway (GW) and West Gateway (WG) zones must provide a minimum of one (1) pedestrian entrance to a commercial space, lobby, or residential unit for every one hundred (100) feet of street frontage. All properties with frontage on Center Street in the GW and WG zones must provide a pedestrian entrance that fronts Center Street.
(4) Building Facades.
(a) Ground Floor Treatment.
(i) Commercial Ground Floors. Each first floor commercial frontage situated along a primary street shall provide a minimum of forty percent (40%) completely transparent glass and on secondary streets thirty percent (30%) completely transparent glass.
(ii) Residential Ground Floors. Ground floor residential buildings shall provide twenty percent (20%) completely transparent glass on any street.
(5) Building Form, Mass and Scale.
(a) The facade of any multiple-family, apartment, or mixed-use structure shall:
(i) Be articulated in the horizontal plane to provide visual interest and enrich the pedestrian experience, while contributing to the quality and definition of the street wall;
(ii) Be vertically articulated to differentiate the ground floor facade, and feature high quality materials that add human scale, texture and variety at the pedestrian level;
(iii) Provide an identifiable break between the building’s ground floors and upper floors. This break may be accomplished by a change in material, a horizontal dividing element, a change in fenestration pattern, or similar means;
(iv) Be vertically articulated at the street wall facade, establishing different treatment for the building’s base, middle and top. Balconies, fenestration, shading devices, or other elements shall be used to create an interesting pattern of projections and recesses;
(v) Avoid extensive blank walls that detract from the experience and appearance of an active streetscape; and
(vi) Provide well-marked entrances to cue access and use. All public entrances to a building or use shall be enhanced through compatible architectural or graphic treatment.
(b) Exterior stairways, corridors, or landings shall not be located on the front or street side elevation of the building.
(c) Building additions shall not strongly alter the character of the original building.
(d) Windows, materials and doors shall be compatible with those of the original building.
(e) Roof forms shall be compatible with the existing structure.
(6) Building Materials.
(a) Intent. The intent of the facade materials standards of this Section is to:
(i) Provide minimum material standards to ensure use of well tested, high quality, durable surfaces, while permitting a wider range of materials for details; and
(ii) Encourage a high level of detail from smaller scaled, less monolithic materials in order to relate facades to pedestrians, especially at the ground level.
(b) Prohibited Exterior Materials. The exterior finish material on all buildings shall not consist of vinyl or metal siding (including sheet or corrugated metal), plywood, particle board or other wood products not intended as an architectural finish product, or manufactured stone.
(c) Limited Exterior Materials. The following finishes may not be used on more than twenty percent (20%) of each exterior facade face:
(i) Cement-based stucco;
(ii) Face-sealed EIFS synthetic stucco assemblies and decorative architectural elements; and
(iii) Synthetic stucco.
(7) Windows and Doors.
(a) All windows and doors, with the exception of ground level shop fronts, shall be square or vertical in proportion.
(b) Doors and windows that operate as sliders are prohibited on street frontages and facades.
(8) Roofs. Pitched roofs, if provided, shall be symmetrically sloped no less than 5:12 on all elevations facing a public street. Pitched roofs for residential porches and attached sheds may be no less than 2:12. This provision should not be construed to prohibit flat roof designs.
(9) Balconies. Balconies consisting of a minimum area of fifty (50) square feet shall be provided for a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of all residential units. Balconies may be inset into the building or may project into the street right-of-way a maximum of five (5) feet so long as ten (10) feet of vertical clearance is provided between the sidewalk and the balcony. Balconies facing a side or rear yard shall maintain a distance of at least eight (8) feet from the face of the balcony to the adjacent property line. Storage on balconies is limited to items such as tables, chairs, barbecue grills, and similar outdoor furniture. All new projects with residential units shall be required, as a condition of approval, to include language in their CC&Rs that restricts storage on balconies to acceptable items.
(10) Railroad Right-of-Way. All new buildings that are located within one hundred (100) feet of a railroad right-of-way shall include sound and vibration attenuating design and materials. Permit applicants shall provide documentation from an acoustical engineer or from the materials manufacturer that “best practices” for sound and vibration attenuation have been incorporated.
(11) Mechanical Screening. Mechanical equipment shall have an opaque screening barrier that is architecturally compatible with the primary structure. Only the minimal amount of screening necessary to fully screen such equipment shall be used.