Chapter 27.12
STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES
Sections:
27.12.010 Architectural features and materials.
27.12.030 Landscaping and public amenities.
27.12.010 Architectural features and materials.
Architectural features are intended to provide variations in massing, be at a human scale, and provide variety in design that work to reinforce the importance of the civic, public and open spaces.
(a) All buildings facing Horizon Drive shall use materials that are durable, including but not limited to stone, brick, precast concrete and architectural metals.
(b) Materials prohibited for any building facing Horizon Drive include metal-clad prefabricated buildings and building made from pre-cast concrete and tilt-up wall systems that are structural in appearance.
(c) Building entries shall have a strong visual and pedestrian relationship to the street.
(d) Buildings shall provide the following architectural design elements:
(1) Buildings shall provide their main entry facing Horizon Drive. When not feasible, a side or rear of a building may face Horizon Drive. However, the facade fronting Horizon Drive shall give the appearance of a front facade in terms of quality of architecture, materials and detailing.
(2) Building form shall provide recessed or projecting elements to provide facade articulation. This can be accomplished through the design of entryways, awnings, rooflines, projecting bays, pilasters, columns or other features. Articulation shall occur a minimum of every 30 feet for all sides of the building.
(3) The first floor of a building designed to accommodate a restaurant or retail use shall have windows facing the public right-of-way that create visual interest to pedestrians and provide views from inside of buildings to the street.
(e) In addition, the site shall exhibit a minimum of three of the following seven architectural design elements:
(1) Variation in materials, material modules, expressed joints and details, surface relief and texture to break up building forms and wall surfaces. Such detailing may include sills, headers, belt courses, reveals, pilasters, window bays or similar features for all sides of the building.
(2) Variation in roof lines/roof materials in order to add interest to and reduce the scale of buildings or expanses of blank wall. This can be accomplished through design elements such as overhangs, eaves, recesses, projections, raised cornice parapets over doors or bays and peaked roof forms.
(3) Establishing the main building entrance on the street with facade features that emphasize the primary building entrance through projecting or recessed forms, detail, color and/or material.
(4) Outdoor patio in combination with or without outdoor seating located between the building and the primary street.
(5) Ground story transparency of at least 50 percent in the form of windows and/or door(s) for facades facing all public street frontages.
(6) Public art, as approved by the Director.
(7) Other architectural or site features that achieve the goals of the overall Horizon Drive District Overlay vision or concept, as determined by the Director.
(Ord. 4911, 4-15-20)
27.12.020 Site design.
Elements required or encouraged for site design are intended to minimize vehicular orientation and emphasize pedestrian activities such as ease of access from the public way and safe access to parking areas, increase walkability of the district especially between the public way, transit facilities and other buildings. They are also intended to provide safe access to businesses from the street and sidewalks, as well as parcel interconnectivity to minimize multiple access points to Horizon Drive.
(a) Clearly visible and direct pedestrian paths with adequate lighting should be established between neighboring buildings, between buildings and outlying parking areas, and between buildings and transit facilities.
(b) A six-foot-wide concrete sidewalk is required from the street to the front of the primary building main entrance.
(c) New development shall be required to close redundant or multiple accesses to Horizon Drive from a single site. Access location and turning movements shall be limited to those which can be safely accommodated as determined by City of Grand Junction traffic engineers.
(d) New development shall be required to consolidate accesses with neighboring properties to the extent practicable.
(e) Bicycle parking shall be provided at locations that do not obstruct the flow of pedestrians, are easily identifiable and visible and convenient to customer entrances.
(f) Where pedestrian circulation paths cross vehicular routes, a change in paving materials, textures, or colors shall be provided to emphasize the potential conflict point, improve visibility, enhance safety and enhance aesthetics.
(g) On-site signage and traffic markings necessary to facilitate circulation and improve public safety and awareness are required.
(h) Drive-up windows such as those used for banks, restaurants, groceries and pharmacies or drive-through facilities such as gasoline service islands and car wash or vacuum bays shall be oriented as to not be visible from the public right-of-way.
(Ord. 4911, 4-15-20)
27.12.030 Landscaping and public amenities.
This section is meant to ensure appropriate landscaping improvements and the creation of public amenities that enhance the character of the district, and to utilize xeric principles in landscaping design encouraging the planning of low water plants that are appropriate for Grand Junction’s arid climate. The intent is also to encourage future development to include civic areas and open space (parks).
(a) Landscaping shall be designed to provide drought tolerant plant species that are native to the region or otherwise suitable to the climate.
(b) For all development, street trees planted every 40 feet shall be planted along all public rights-of-way.
(c) For all development with landscaped areas fronting Horizon Drive, any groundcover provided shall be visually similar to existing landscape rock (e.g., crushed red granite) in place on Horizon Drive.
(d) Art, sculpture, transit shelters, benches, planters, bike racks, trashcans and other hardscape feature, plazas, landscaping and other amenities shall be included where appropriate.
(Ord. 4911, 4-15-20)
27.12.040 Signage.
Signage is intended to communicate information and reduce existing visual clutter as well as prohibit new visual clutter. Signage shall provide visual continuity within a single project.
(a) Signs shall be consistent in design, color, typeface, materials and construction details with each project.
(b) Freestanding signs shall comply with the following requirements:
(1) Shall be placed perpendicular to the right-of-way.
(2) Shall be constructed with a stone or veneer base. The sign may be single- or double-faced. If single the back side of the sign shall be painted the same color as the cabinet and poles.
(3) Shall be located no closer than 10 feet from a property line and no closer than six feet from the curb of a street or drive.
(4) The height shall be measured from finished grade.
(5) One freestanding sign shall be allowed per street frontage.
(6) Up to two small, freestanding directional signs may be allowed that are three square feet or fewer and no more than 30 inches in height.
(7) The sign allowance per frontage can only be used on that frontage and shall not be transferred to any other frontage.
(8) Maximum sign dimensions shall not exceed the following:
(i) For properties fronting Horizon Drive between G Road and 27 1/2 Road and H Road:
(A) Forty feet in height;
(B) One hundred square feet for properties with up to 150 feet of linear frontage;
(C) One hundred twenty square feet for properties with 150 to 200 feet of linear frontage;
(D) One hundred sixty square feet for properties with 201 to 300 linear feet of frontage;
(E) Two hundred square feet for properties with greater than 300 linear feet of frontage.
(ii) For properties with frontage on Horizon Drive between 7th Street and G Road (27 1/2 Road), the maximum sign dimensions shall not exceed the following:
(A) Twelve feet in height;
(B) One hundred square feet.
(iii) For properties with Interstate 70 frontage maximum sign dimensions are subject to GJMC 21.06.070.
(iv) For any regulated cannabis business, the maximum sign dimensions shall not exceed the following:
(A) Twenty feet in height;
(B) Seventy-five square feet.
(c) Flush wall signs may be either nonilluminated or internally illuminated.
(d) No off-premises signs or outdoor advertising shall be permitted, except where existing at the time of adoption of the ordinance codified in this title, provided such signs are appropriately permitted through the City of Grand Junction.
(e) Projecting signs shall be permitted as per GJMC 21.06.070.
(f) Roof signs are not allowed.
(Ord. 5070, 5-4-22; Ord. 4911, 4-15-20)