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50-75 ORDINANCE NO. 50-75. AN ORDINANCE OF TtIE CI[?Y COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, ESTABI, ISHING THE SUPPLE- MENTAL CRITERIA AND PROCEDURAL RULES TO BE USED BY THE CO~4UNITY APPEAF~_NCE BOARD IN EVALUATING THE APPLICATIONS REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED TO SAID BOARD BY ORDINANCE NO. 27-75. WHEREAS, on July 28, 1975, by Ordinance No. 27-75, the City Council of the City cf Delray Beach established a Co'.~unity Appearance Board; and, ;~K{EREAS, in Section 2-34(c) of said ordinance, the standards for evaluating applications submitted to the Community Appearance Board were to be those set forth in Ordinance No. 27-75 and a set of Supplemental Criteria and Procedural Rules to be adopted by the Co~unity Appearance Board after its formation; and, WHEREAS, the members of the Community Appearance Board have been' duly appointed and pursuant.to the requirements of Section 2-34 set forth above have determined that the Supplemental Criteria and Procedural Rules set forth herein be recommended to City Council, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DELRA~ BEACH, FLORIDA, AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. That the following will comprise the Supplemental Criteria and Procedural Rules for the Community Appearance Board of Delray Beach: DEFINITIONS. PROPER DESIGN CONCEPTS - refers to architectural planning and to the analysis of the whole structure in terms of form and function as it relates to aesthetics and composition, color, materials, and surface decoration. It includes scale in relationship to scale of adjacent buildings and landscape. It applies to inner character of the individual project. It applies in the same manner to alterations and advertis- ing on the project (building). No one will be permitted the excuse that the area contains other unsightly buildings. HONEST DESIGN CONSTRUCTION - concerns proper design of all work in its details, the uses of weather resistant material, etc. Applies also tc advertising. Poorly designed work must always be discour- aged. ' APPROPRIATE TO SURROUNDINGS - this does not mean uniformity in style or subordination to existing buildings, but rather to bringing new buildings into an orderly relationship with landscape and nature, other buildings and open areas. Again, scale and composition come into importance, related here to adjacent properties. Surroundings are not only the buildings within a neighborhood, but shall be con- sidered as the total p$cture. Future surroundings must also be weighed. Advertising signs on buildings must be appropriate to the surroundings in the same way. SCALE - the character of any architectural work is determined both in its internal space and in its external volume by the fundamental factor of scale, the relation between the dimensions of man. SPACE - the experience of space, a characteristic of architecture, as~ts extension in the City, in the streets, squares, alleys and parks, in the playgrounds and in the gardens, wherever man has defined or limited a void and so has created an enclosed space. If, in the in~erior of a building, space is defined by six planes (floor -cTff~fi-i[~j--~-.~[-d'-~U~-Y~<[]7~7, this does not mean-that a void enclosed by five planes instead of six - as, for example, a roofless courtyard or public.square, cannot be regarded with equal validity as space. All urban space, wherever the view is screened off, whether by stone walls or rows of trees or embankments, presents the same features we find in architectural space. Every building creates two kinds of space: its internal space, completely defined by that building and the others around it. All objects - bridges, fountainq, groups of trees, walls and, in particular, the facades of buildings are brought into play in the creation of urban space. PROPORTION - the relation of one portion to another, or to the whol~ or of one thing to another, as respects to magnitude, quantity or degree and ratio. GARISH - too bright or gaudy; shoddy, glaring; also cheaply brillian~ or involving excessive ornamentation. PRELIMINARY REVIEW REQUIREMENTS. Preliminary review by the Community Appearance Board is discreti6nary. An applicant desiring to use the preliminary review mechanism shall, prior to requesting preliminary review, submit the following material to the Board which shall include two completed items on which the owner or his representative may desire consultation with the Board: Two sets of preliminary drawings and specifications which maM include any or all of the following items on which the owner or his representative may desire consultation with the Board: a. Site plan showing all improvements, existing conditions, fully dimensioned. b. Landscape Plan (may be incorporated into site plan) showing all plant material existing and proposed with required information as to location, name (either common or botanical), size and quality. c. Exterior elevations with material designations. d. Outline specifications of facade and roof treatments. e. Sketches of signs and their dimensions. f. General exterior color description, including signs. FINAL REVIEW REQUIREMENTS. The final review is that stage in the review process cf the Community Appearance Board after which the Board'makes a formal decision with regard to the recommendation it will make to the City Council on an application for a permit to erect a building, structure or sign, or to materially alter the elevation of a building, structure or sign. Prior to initiating the final review of the Community Appearance Board, the applicant will submit the following material to the Board: Two copies of the Community Appearance Board application form and two sets of final working drawings which shall include: a. Site Plan showing setbacks, and all site development as · required by this ordinance. b. Final Landscape Plan (may be incorporated into site plan) showing all plant material existing and proposed with required information as to 1-cation, name .(either common or botanical), size and quality. c. Building Plans (including roof plan). d. All exterior elevations. (Elevations must include all items affecting the appcarance of the building, including but not limited to, air conditioning, compressors, signs.) - 2 - Ord. No. 50-'/5 e. Detailed drawings for all signs, except those which cannot be determined because the occupancy of the space is not known. Any Signs not approved by the Board for this reason must be approved prior to the issuance of a sign permit. f. Exterior surface treatments, including roofs. g. Exterior color samples shall be submitted with the applica- tion, including that of signs. Approval of this Board on any project shall be in the form of stamped and signed sets of drawings returned to the Building De- partment. Three (3) members of the Board will sign the approval. The approval will state that "No changes shall be made to the in- formation on this approved set of drawings during or after the construction period, that would in any way constitute a change in the aesthetic character of the project, without ~pproval of the Community Appearance Board". GENERAL REQUIREmeNTS. The general requirements outlined in this section are minimum aesthe- tic standards for all site development, buildings, structures, or alterations within the corporate limits of Delray Beach, Florida, except single family residences. It is required that all site development, structures, buildings or alterations to site development, structures, or buildings, show proper design concepts, express honest design construction and be appropriate to surroundings. BUILDINGS. GENERAL. a. Buildings or structures which are a part of a present or future group or complex shall have a unity of character and design. The'relationship of forms and the use, texture, and color of materials shall be such as to create a harmonious whole. When the area involved forms an integral part of, is immediately adjacent to, or otherwise clearly effects the future of any established section of the City, the design, scale, and location on the site shall enhance rather than detract from the character, value and attractiveness of the surroundings. b. Buildings or structures located along strips of land or on single sites, and not a part of a unified multi-building complex, shall strive to achieve visual harmony with the surroundings. If they are built in undeveloped areas, the three primary requirements shall be met - express honest design construction, show proper design concepts, and be appropriate to the City of Delray Beach. c. Ail facades visible to public or adjacent property shall be designed to create a harmonious whole. Materials shall ex- press their function clearly and not appear as a material foreign to the rest of the building. d. To be harmonious it is not to be inferred that buildings must look alike or be of the same style. Harmony can be achieved through the proper consideration of scale, proportions, site planning, landscaping, materials and color. e. Look-alike buildings are not allowed unless,~_in the opinion of the Board, there is sufficient separation~-to preserve the aesthetic character of the present or evolving neighborhood. --3-- Ord. No. 50-75. This is not to be construed to prohibit duplication of 7floor · plans and exterior treatment in a planned development ~here, in the opinion of the Board, the aesthetics of the develop- ment depend upon, or are enhanced by the look-alike buildings and their relationship to each other. f. Buildings, which are of symbolic design for reasons of ad- vertising, unless otherwise compatible with the criteria herein, will not be approved by this Board. Symbols attached to buildings will not be allowed unless they are secondary in appearance to the building and landscape and are an aes- thetic asset to the building project and neighborhood. g. Exterior lighting may be used to illuminate a building and its grounds for safety purposes, but in an aesthetic manner. Lighting is not to be used as a form of advertising in a manner that is not compatible to the neighborhood or in a manner that draws considerably more attention to the building or grounds at night than in the day. Lighting following the form of the building or part of the building will not be allowed if, in the opinion of the Board, the overall effect will be garish or detrimental to the environment. Ail fix- tures used in exterior lighting are to be selected for functional aesthetic value. h. Building surfaces, walls, and roofs that are considered garish by the Board will be denied approval. i. "Take out" or "Pick up" windows of retail or wholesale esta- blishments shall not be located on a building facade that faces a public right-of-way, unless they are designed in such a manner as to be an aesthetic asset to the building and neighborhood. j. Ail exterial forms, attached or not to buildings, shall be in conformity to, and secondary to, the building. They shall be an asset forth to the aesthetics of the site and to.the neighborhood. k. Ail telephones, vending machines, or any facility dispensing merchandise, or a service on private property, shall be con- fined to a space built into the building or buildings or enclosed in a separate structure compatible with the main building. GASOLINE STATIONS. Gasoline stations must fallow all criteria set forth in this, and all sections of "Supplemental Criteria and Procedural Rules of the Community Appearance Board". The following is added criteria: a. Symbolic color of the exterior facades or roofs may not be used unless they are harmonious with the atmosphere of the neighborhood and Delray Beach. b. Exterior display of.goods for sale or displays designating a service will not be allowed, except that a display of goods and tools of a service may be displaye~ on the pump island, provided the island is not considered by the Board to be | enlarged to take advantage of this provision, and provided the goods and t'ools be such that they can be used or installe at the island. For example: An oil rack is acceptable, but a tire display is not. c. Areas used to store material, such as mufflers, tires, packin¢ crates or cases, refuse and garbage, shall be screened from adjacent property and from the public view. --4-- Ord. No. 50-75. SIGNS. The aesthetic quality of a building, or indeed, of an entire neigh- borhood, is materially affected by achieving visual harmony of the sJ. gns on or about a structure as they relate to the architecture of the building or the adjacent surroundings. In addition to the mechanical limitations on signs imposed by Chapter 3 of the City Code of Ordinances, there are certain aesthetic considerations which must be met. a. The scale of the sign must be consistent with the scale of the building on which it is to be placed or painted. b. The overall effect of the configuration or coloring of the sign shall not be garish. The colors shall not conflict with other signs already on the building or in the immediate vicinity. EXTERIOR SPACE. The scale of exterior space is to be relative to its neighborhood, adjacent properties, buildings, access (roads and pedestrian 'routes) and its activity. Building facades enclosing a space must be harmonious. Where, because of their use or age, like facades are not possible, consideration should be given to unifying the walls of the space by the application of landscaping, or manmade objects of like design, at modular spacing. The floor of a space is of primary importance. Its materials, texture and color, contour and shadow on it are to be considered, not only in relation to the space, but to its setting. Careful consideration shall be given to the preservation of natural vistas and to the future development of vistas which open into undeveloped areas. GENERAL LANDSCAPING. a. Emphasis shall be' placed upon landscaping as a means of achieving beauty in the community. It will be required on all projects, and in some projects and areas, it will be the primary tool available. Delray Beach, with its sub-tropical vegetation and characteristics, is blessed with diverse areas of native plants and terrain to serve as guides and models. / b. Landscape design and planning shall be integrated with the over- all area design concept and not be considered merely as an after~ thought. Toward this end, proposed landscaping themes will be I evaluated as to their relationship to the existing natural land- scape, developed and other proposed landscape, including those on adjacent properties and street rights-of-way and the building or buildings existing and proposed. c. The existing natural landscape character shall be preserved whenever possible. As an example of this, in an area containing a stand of trees, the developer should preserve as many of these trees as possible, and further, landscape in a complementary manner, rather than destroy the existing trees and replant with a type of vegetation foreign to the immediate natural environ- ment. d. Landscaping includes n~t only trees and plantings, but paving, benches, fountains, exterior lighting fixtures, fences, and any other item of exterior furniture. All items of the land- scape are to be selected not only for their functional value, but for their aesthetic value, and must complement the whole. e. One of the uses of landscaping will be to screen. It is the masking out or concealing of any objectionable area. The achievement of this is left to the designer, whether by walls, fences, mounds of earth, or vegetation. It must be complement- ary to the whole as outlined above. Screening shall be employed to mask from the public view of adjacent properties such service -B- Ord. No. 50-75. areas as trash and garbage areas, outside equipment of unaes- thetic character, and accessory buildings or areas not enhancing or in keeping with the aesthetics of the project or nezghbor- .I hood. Screening of air conditioning units and other mechanical equipment shall be accomplished in a manner that does not inter- fere with the proper operation and/or maintenance of such equipment. f. Landscaping shall be designed in such a manner as to impart its aesthetic character when viewed from any area accessible to the public or from adjacent properties. This is to include view from higher structures. g. Ail landscaping and plantings designated on the plans approved by the Board shall be installed in accordance with the specified height, spread and quality before a Certificate of Occupancy is issued. h. Additional landscaping requirements can be found in Section 15C of the Code of Ordinances of the City of Delray Beach. CRITERIA FOR PARKING LOTS AND VEHICULAR USE AREAS. a. Parking lots and other vehicular use areas are to be designed as an aesthetic asset to a neighborhood and to the building, group of buildings, or facility'they serve. A parking lot is to be considered an outside space, a transitional space which is located between the access (Such as roads) and the building, group of buildings or other outside spaces, which it serves. The parking lot, because it is viewed from above as well as at eye level, should be designed accordingly. b. Parking lots, vehicular use areas, and their parked vehicles are to be effectively screened from the public view and from adjacent property, and in a manner that is attractive and com- patible with safe~y, the neighborhood, and facilities served. c. The atmosphere within the parking lot and vehicular use area is to be park-like, rather than the harsh hardstand of paving. Trees are of primary importance in the landscape. They are not to be minimized in either height or quantity. The tree imparts, especially in a relatively flat area, a sense of three-dimen- sional space. It casts shadows that reduce the monotony of the expanse of paving and creates a refuge from the tropical sun. Signs designating entrances, exits, and regulations are to be of a tasteful design and subject to review by the Board. The pave- ment is to be more than.wall to wall asphalt. It is recommended that pavement be varied in texture or color designating lanes for automobile traffic, pedestrian walks and parking spaces. Bright colored pavement is to be used only with restraint. In order to create a pleasant atmosphere, it is recommended that consideration be given to sculpture, fountains, gardens, pools and benches. Design emphasis is to be given to the entrances and'exits to the lot. Trash, refuse and unaes- thetic storage and mechanical equipment should be screened from the parking lot. d. Lighting is to be designed not only from 2he standpoint of safe- ty and resistance to vandalism, but for visual effect. It shoul~ avoid any annoyance to the neighbors from brightness or glare. It should not impart a prison-like atmosphere. Low lights of a modest scale can be used along with feature lighting empha- sizing plants, trees, barriers, entrances and exits. The fixtures are to be selected not only for their functional value, but for their aesthetic qualities. They are to be considered furniture of the parking lot visible both day and night. -6- Ord. No. 50-75. e. Additional off-street parking and loading regulations can be found in Chapter 29 of the Code of Ordinances of the city of Delray Beach. SECTION 2. That th~.s Ordinance shall become effective on Second and final reading. PASSED AA~D ADOPTED in special session on second and final reading on this the llth day of December , 1975. ATTEST: City Clerk First Reading November 24, 1975 Second Reading. December 11, 1975 - 7 - Ord. No. 50-75