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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-12-10 - AGENDA REPORTS - DESIGN GUIDELINES (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT City Manager Approv Item to be presented by: Wendy Deats PUBLIC HEARING DATE: December 10, 2002 SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF THE CITY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN GUIDELINES. DEPARTMENT: Planning and Building Services RECOMMENDED ACTION City Council conduct a public hearing and adopt a resolution approving the City's Architectural Design Guidelines. BACKGROUND Currently, the City has Design Guidelines that are broad and do not address issues pertaining to green building, grading, open space or other current specifications for landscaping. The City hired RRM Design Group, a team of urban designers, architects and landscape architects to begin the preparation of the Architectural Design Guidelines. This document will expand and replace the existing guidelines. The intent of the Architectural Design Guidelines is to achieve consistent, high quality architectural design for developments and private property improvements throughout the City. These guidelines will serve as a tool for developers and property owners to address community demands while balancing the project economics. The guidelines include recommendations for developers and property owners to address building height, architectural styles, building orientation, massing, and material and colors. An Architectural Design Guidelines Review Committee was formed to provide input for the preparation of the City's Architectural Design Guidelines. The Committee consists of two members of the City Council and Planning Commission, one Parks and Recreation Commissioner, and other members and representatives from various community groups and developers. This Committee conducted a camera survey to collect examples of desirable architecture from surrounding communities. In addition, the Committee members were interviewed by RRM Design Group to identify elements for the Architectural Design Guidelines. A preliminary administrative draft was prepared and distributed to staff and the Architectural Guidelines Review Committee for review and to provide comments. The Committee met several times during the process to discuss the organization and content of the guidelines. The City's Development Review Committee (DRC), which consists of "f25:b tl 17� Agenda Item: staff from the various City departments, has reviewed the guidelines and provided comments to ensure consistency with codes and requirements. The formal Draft Architectural Design Guidelines was sent to the DRC members and additional comments may be incorporated as a result of a formal DRC meeting. The Parks and Recreation Commission reviewed the document, received the report and provided comments on October 3, 2002. The Planning Commission reviewed the document and made a recommendation to adopt the Architectural Design Guidelines with some additional changes to the City Council on October 15, 2002. The changes as requested by both the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Planning Commission are in the errata attached to the Draft Architectural Design Guidelines. ANALYSIS General Plan and Unified Development Code Consistency The City Architectural Design Guidelines is supported by and implements several goals and policies within the City's General Plan. The guidelines are consistent with Goal 2 of the Community Design Element "to encourage design excellence in the development of all public and private projects in the City," Goal 6 "to protect and enhance open space areas that provide visual and aesthetic character and identity to the community," and Goal 8 "to ensure that signage throughout the City is visually attractive and minimizes distraction." In addition, staff will review the UDC during the next update to ensure that any revisions required as a result of the Architectural Design Guidelines will be incorporated as part of that update. Architectural Design Components The City Architectural Design Guidelines is divided into four main areas: the Single -Family Residential Design Guidelines; Multi -Family Residential Design Guidelines; Commercial Design Guidelines; and Industrial Design Guidelines. Each section provides recommendations to the building design, including building massing, continuity of structures, scale, proportion, color schemes and roof forms. In addition, site planning is addressed through recommendations for utility screening, lighting, signage, landscaping, and other site layout elements. Green building principles are incorporated into each section of the guidelines. These principles include energy and water efficient design with low or reduced impact building materials, in addition to encouraging pedestrian friendly development. Relationship to the City Beautification Master Plan The City Council adopted the City Beautification Master Plan on December 11, 2001. This master plan identifies beautification treatments on public property throughout the City. In addition, the plan identifies a theme for the City of Santa Clarita along with identification for individual communities. The master plan addresses public rights-of-way and will include design standards for the following features: freeway on/off ramps; medians; street signs; street lights; bus benches; bus stops; street trees; city entry signs and community identification signs; and pavement treatments at intersection. The Architectural Design Guidelines identifies opportunities to provide a high quality design for developers, business owners and property owners. The guidelines will improve the quality of the overall visual and aesthetic environment for private property within the City. The guidelines provide recommendations that, if implemented, would improve citywide developments, including building form and massing, lighting, trash enclosures and utility equipment, building colors, fencing, landscaping and other private property improvements. Community Outreach An Architectural Design Guidelines Review Committee was formed consisting of two City Council members, two Planning Commissioners, one Parks and Recreation Commissioner, and two members from local community groups. In addition, representatives from the Building Association Industry (BIA) and local developers were also invited to provide input. A camera survey was conducted providing pictures of high quality architecture within the Santa Clarita Valley and in surrounding communities. Interviews were conducted to determine the character of communities and develop elements of the guidelines. The draft guidelines were reviewed by the Committee and various comments were incorporated. Furthermore, the guidelines were routed in-house to the Development Review Committee (DRC) members, consisting of City staff, for review and comment. Furthermore, the Architectural Design Guidelines were built upon the outreach conducted through the City Beautification Master Plan (CBMP) process. As part of the CBMP, City staff conducted various meetings with citizen groups and stakeholders to receive input as to the beautification concerns, needs and goals of each community. These meetings helped to develop design themes and possible logos to capture the character of each individual community. The design concepts identified in these initial meetings were integrated into the draft City Beautification Master Plan. FISCAL IMPACT None ATTACHMENTS Resolution Draft City Architectural Design Guidelines (October 21, 2002) Errata to the Draft Architectural Design Guidelines (November 24, 2002) CITY COUNCIL READING FILE Planning Commission Staff Report and Resolution JJL:VPB:LH:WD:lep pbs\current\!2001\01-147\city council agenda report CITY OF SANTA CLARITA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN: A Public Hearing will be held before the City Council of the City of Santa Clarita in the City Hall Council Chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd., 1" Floor, Santa Clarita, California, on the 10th day of December, 2002, at or after 6:00 p.m. to consider Master Case No. 01-147 - City Architectural Design Guidelines. The plan incorporates visual and aesthetic enhancement to private property improvements. The Architectural Design Guidelines will provide guidance for the construction of new developments, remodels and other private property improvements. These guidelines will ensure high quality development throughout the City. A Negative Declaration is available for review. Proponents, opponents, and any interested persons may appear and be heard on this matter at that time. Further information may be obtained by contacting the Planning and Building Services Department, Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Third Floor, Santa Clarita, CA. 91355, (661) 255-4330, Wendy Deats, Project Planner. If you wish to challenge this action in court, you may be limited to raising only those issues you or someone else raised at the public hearing described in this notice, or in written correspondence delivered to the City Council, at, or prior to, the public hearing. Dated: November 6, 2002 Sharon L. Dawson, CMC City Clerk Publish Date: November 18, 2002 phdesign