Agenda - Planning Commission - 07/09/2015 - Work Session

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TC2 Commercial Overview Buildings in the Commercial Sub -district make a significant contribution to first impressions of the Town Center. Buildings form gateways at the major entries into the site, architectural elements and choice of materials convey a certain character and the scale or massing of structures begins to define the feel or experience of this place. These are not just `commodity' buildings, but instead should raise the bar in terms of overall design and specific details that make the Town Center unique, inviting and memorable. Architecture to be '4 - sided' at all locations visible to public areas. Emphasis to be on great design along public street frontage. Architecture guidelines include the following: TC2 Building Design, Character and Expression • Provide a variety of building types and styles, expressed both in large scale (overall building) and small scale (design details) • Emphasize transparency at street level to encourage two way viewing — both window shopping and eyes on the street • Promote interesting, animated architectural features without being thematic or artificial — faux decorative elements are discouraged • Avoid large, unarticulated facades • Emphasize important intersections and other nodes by placing distinctive architectural elements or interesting facades at these prominent locations • Provide a variety of front elevations for rows of buildings along any given block Architechture TC2 Scale, Proportion and Building Height • Provide a variety of building heights along any given block, perhaps related to changes in use or at demising walls — commercial buildings should express 12 foot first floor height • Articulate front facades with projections and recesses • Encourage increased building height and larger scale buildings adjacent to the railroad corridor, Armstrong Boulevard and as you approach the core sub -district • Promote multiple stories in this sub -district, but single story buildings are acceptable; continuous height rooflines should not dominate any street frontage and should be a minimum of 18 feet to the roofline TC2 Street Presence • Emphasize pedestrian experience with architectural features at street level — canopies, decorative light fixtures and material details • Encourage variety of color, texture and materials to complement other streetscape elements • Conceal service entries, loading facilities and mechanical services from view along public streets as much as possible • Create a continuous building edge for the majority of street frontage, visually connecting adjacent buildings with complimentary facade treatments — in limited areas where gaps occur, architectural treatments, windows and detailing of side facades should match front facade 20 Ramsey Town Center Development Guidelines