20D.40.200 Overlake Village Design District and Overlake Design District – Supplemental Design Standards.

20D.40.200-010 Applicability.

All projects within the Overlake Village Design District and Overlake Design District shall adhere to Redmond’s Citywide standards in Chapter 20D.40 RCDG, Design Standards, as well as the supplemental design standards identified below. If the Citywide and Overlake standards conflict, the Overlake standards shall prevail. (Ord. 2385; Ord. 2383)

20D.40.200-020 Surface Parking Lots.

(1)    Intent. To limit the visual impact of surface parking lots.

(2)    Design Criteria.

(a)    Location.

(i)    No new surface parking lots are permitted along 152nd Avenue NE or 156th Avenue NE. Any surface parking lots shall be separated from these streets by a building or at least 60 feet of open space.

(ii)    On other streets in the Overlake Village Subarea, new surface parking lots located between the primary building and the public right-of-way are discouraged and may not occupy more than 50 percent of the lot frontage.

(b)    Access. New access to parking lots should be from an alley, court, or street that is not proposed as an alternative high-capacity transit/light rail transit alignment by Sound Transit. Creation of alley access to parking is encouraged to minimize curb cuts.

(c)    Landscaping and Screening. All parking lot landscaping shall meet the requirements specified in RCDG 20D.40.35-030, Parking Lot Landscaping, and RCDG 20D.80.10, Landscaping and Natural Screening. Interior parking lot landscaping may incorporate the use of rain gardens to retain and infiltrate runoff from the parking lot. (Ord. 2385; Ord. 2383)

20D.40.200-030 Parking Garage Design.

(1)    Intent. To reduce the visual impact of structured parking located above grade.

(2)    Design Criteria.

(a)    Ground level street frontage shall not be occupied by parking in the following locations:

(i)    152nd Avenue NE or 156th Avenue NE.

(ii)    Streets proposed as alternative high-capacity transit/light rail alignments by Sound Transit.

(iii)    Streets that are included as part of the urban pathway system as shown on the Overlake Village Subarea Map.

(b)    In other locations, no more than 120 feet of ground level building frontage may be occupied by parking. Parking structures wider than 120 feet must incorporate other uses along the street front to meet this requirement.

(c)    Where the garage wall is built to the sidewalk edge, the facade treatments shall include artwork, decorative grilles, special building material treatment/design, and/or other treatments as approved by the Design Review Board that enhance the pedestrian environment and obscure the view of parked cars. In order to meet transparency requirements, garages can incorporate openings with grillwork or other treatments to resemble windows.

(d)    Small setbacks with terraced landscaping elements can be particularly effective in softening the appearance of a parking garage.

(e)    Upper level parking garages shall use articulation, treatments that resemble windows, and/or other devices to break up the massing of the garage, add visual interest, and convey an appearance more like a typical building floor rather than a floor of visible cars.

(Ord. 2385; Ord. 2383)

20D.40.200-040 Building Form and Scale.

(1)    Intent. To maintain light and views, reduce the bulk of taller buildings, reinforce pedestrian scale on street frontages, and promote variety in building height.

(2)    Design Criteria.

(a)    Light for Residential Buildings and Courtyards.

(i)    Throughout the Overlake Village Subarea, residential or residential/mixed-use buildings over six stories in height shall be designed to provide and maintain adequate natural light for residential dwellings of the building.

(ii)    Enclosed courtyards shall not be permitted for structures over six stories in height except when:

(A)    Floors seven and higher do not exceed 50 percent of the structure’s floor plate; or

(B)    The courtyard, due to its size and orientation, is large enough to maintain light.

(iii)    The interior courtyard for U- or H-shaped buildings may be separated from the sidewalk to create a private area, provided that the enclosure is constructed of transparent building material.

(b)    Building Step Back and Height Limit.

(i)    Along 152nd Avenue NE, the upper stories of buildings over six stories in height shall be stepped back from the street to maintain a pedestrian scale along the street frontage.

(ii)    The step back shall be a minimum of 10 feet wide, measured from the building edge at the street frontage. The step back shall begin on at least floor seven and may begin as low as floor two.

(iii)    Maximum building height when bonuses or transfer of development rights are used shall not exceed six stories within 50 feet of the west edge of the right-of-way of 156th Avenue NE or within 50 feet of the west edge of the right-of-way of Bel-Red Road, north of NE 24th Street.

(iv)    RCDG 20C.45.70-050, Note 3, provides height limits along 152nd Avenue NE and 156th Avenue NE for the Overlake Design District.

(c)    Design of Large Buildings. Large building mass shall be sited and designed to reduce the apparent mass and bulk, and avoid long, continuous flat facades through use of techniques such as:

(i)    Breaking up the mass into multiple buildings or designing a building to appear as multiple buildings through multiple defined entryways and storefronts;

(ii)    Articulation of facades into increments through use of architectural techniques, such as bay windows, offsets, recesses, and other techniques which break or minimize scale; and

(iii)    Provision of new internal streets and pathways at a minimum as shown in the Overlake Village Subarea Map to establish/enhance the urban grid.

(d)    Modulation. All building facades visible from streets, parks or other public spaces shall be modulated to provide visual interest and to reduce the apparent bulk of larger structures. Building facades shall be stepped back or projected forward at one or more intervals to provide a minimum 25 percent modulation of the horizontal width of the structure. No building facade shall exceed 120 feet without modulation in the facade plane. The minimum depth of modulation is 10 feet. Projections may begin on the third floor and may not extend any further into the right-of-way than one-half of the width of the sidewalk.

(e)    Use of Alternative Techniques. The Design Review Board may approve use of other techniques that improve the overall quality of the development and meet the intent of this section.

(Ord. 2385; Ord. 2383)

20D.40.200-050 Building Roofline.

(1)    Intent. To promote detailed roof expression to create a variable roofline throughout the Overlake Village Subarea and to create a skyline that is visually interesting.

(2)    Design Criteria.

(a)    Building rooflines visible from a public street, open space, or public parking area shall incorporate features to create a varied and visually distinctive roof form through features, such as prominent cornice or fascia, stepped roofs, emphasized dormers, chimneys, gables, or an articulated roofline.

(b)    The width of any continuous flat roofline should extend no more than 100 feet without modulation. Modulation should consist of either one or a combination of the following treatments:

(i)    For flat roofs or facades with a horizontal eave, fascia, or parapet with at least an eight-foot return, the minimum vertical dimension of roofline modulation is the greater of two feet or one-tenth multiplied by the wall height (finish grade to top of wall) if the segment is 50 feet or less, or at least four feet if the segment is more than 50 feet in length.

(ii)    A sloped or gabled roofline segment of at least 20 feet in width and no less than three feet vertical in 12 feet horizontal.

(c)    Mechanical equipment and rooftop penthouses shall be architecturally incorporated into the design of rooflines or into the overall building design. (Ord. 2385; Ord. 2383)

20D.40.200-060 Building Materials.

(1)    Intent. To promote visual interest, distinct design qualities, and an appearance of quality and permanence through use of durable building materials and effective architectural detailing.

(2)    Design Criteria.

(a)    Building Materials. Building materials shall provide architectural interest and evoke and demonstrate a look of permanence through use of superior exterior cladding materials, such as stone, masonry, copper, brick and similar materials, as accepted by the Design Review Board. At a minimum, superior exterior cladding materials shall be used for the facades for the first and second floors when visible from streets, parks or other public spaces. Use of superior exterior cladding materials is encouraged on upper stories. Building materials should minimize light reflection and glare. Use of cementatious panel is prohibited with the exception of locations such as accent areas and soffits.

(b)    Concrete Block. When used for the facade of any building, concrete blocks shall be split, rock- or ground-faced. To add visual interest, the use of specialized textures and/or colors used effectively with other building materials and details is encouraged.

(c)    Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS) and Similar Troweled Finishes (Stucco).

(i)    EIFS shall be trimmed in wood, masonry, or other approved materials and shall be sheltered from extreme weather by roof overhangs or other methods.

(ii)    EIFS may only be used in conjunction with other approved building materials. Generally, the use of EIFS for more than 50 percent of the building facade is discouraged.

(iii)    EIFS is prohibited on ground floor facades. Masonry or other similar durable/permanent materials shall be used. (Ord. 2385; Ord. 2383)

20D.40.200-070 Ground Floor Retail and Other Commercial Facades.

(1)    Intent. To promote ground floor retail and other commercial facades that are engaging and include features that are scaled to and of interest to pedestrians.

(2)    Design Criteria.

(a)    For nonresidential ground floor uses, windows, rather than blank walls, shall be provided on the street level to encourage a visual and economic link between the business and passing pedestrians. A minimum of 60 percent of the length of the storefront area facing the streets (between two feet and seven feet above the sidewalk) shall be in nonreflective, transparent glazing.

(b)    A permanent weather protection element such as a glass and/or steel canopy shall be provided along at least 80 percent of the building frontage and should be at least six feet in depth.

(c)    In addition, ground floor retail and commercial facades shall include at least three of the elements listed below. Standard corporate logos or architectural elements will not qualify.

(i)    Unique or handcrafted pedestrian-oriented signage.

(ii)    Artwork incorporated on the facade.

(iii)    Street furniture.

(iv)    Distinctive treatment of windows and/or door(s).

(v)    Distinctive exterior light fixtures.

(vi)    Unique or handcrafted planter boxes or other architectural features that are intended to incorporate landscaping.

(vii)    Distinctive facade kickplate treatment, including the use of stone, marble, tile or other material that provides special visual interest.

(viii)    Other details as approved by the Design Review Board that add visual interest to the storefronts.

(Ord. 2385; Ord. 2383)

20D.40.200-080 Blank Walls.

(1)    Intent. To ensure that, in locations in which glass windows are not used, there are still features that add visual interest and variety to the streetscape.

(2)    Design Criteria. Blank walls shall be treated by incorporating at least four of the following elements:

(a)    Masonry (but not flat concrete block).

(b)    Belt courses of a different texture and color.

(c)    Projecting cornice.

(d)    Projecting metal canopy.

(e)    Decorative tilework.

(f)    Trellis containing planting.

(g)    Medallions.

(h)    Vertical articulation.

(i)    Artwork.

(j)    Lighting fixtures.

(k)    Recesses.

(l)    Other architectural element as approved by the Design Review Board that meets the intent of this section. (Ord. 2385; Ord. 2383)

20D.40.200-090 Pedestrian Plazas and Open Spaces.

(1)    Intent. To ensure that pedestrian plazas and open spaces are accessible to the public, usable, welcoming, safe and visually interesting.

(2)    Design Criteria.

(a)    Buildings surrounding the pedestrian plaza or open space shall comply with RCDG 20D.40.200-070, Ground Floor Retail and Other Commercial Facades, and have windows and entrances that face the open space. Retail uses are encouraged fronting on plazas and open spaces.

(b)    Pedestrian plazas and open spaces should be within three feet of the nearest sidewalk or pedestrian pathway equivalent to five percent of the site and include all of the following:

(i)    Adequate amount and type of seating.

(ii)    Planting, including specimen trees, shrubs and seasonal planting.

(iii)    Significant solar exposure.

(iv)    Pedestrian-scaled lighting.

(v)    Quality materials, such as textured concrete, bricks, pavers or similar or better materials, for portions of the open space that are not landscaped.

(vi)    Visibility from the nearest sidewalk or pathway.

(vii)    Connection to the urban pathway system shown in the Overlake Village Subarea Map.

(viii)    Wayfinding elements that provide visual continuity to other open spaces in the Overlake Village Design District and the Overlake Design District.

(c)    Pedestrian plazas and open spaces shall also incorporate a minimum of three of the following features to add visual interest:

(i)    Artwork.

(ii)    Water feature such as a fountain or cascade that serves as a focal point.

(iii)    Information kiosks.

(iv)    Planters.

(v)    Permeable paving for pathways and hardscapes.

(vi)    Other similar treatments as approved by the Technical Committee. (Ord. 2385; Ord. 2383)