MEMORANDUM TO: South Burlington Development Review Board FROM: Ray Belair, Administrative Officer and Dan Albrecht, Planner Temporary Assignment DATE: October 3, 2014 Cc: Val Hunt, Applicant Re: Agenda #5, October 7, 2014 meeting DEVELOPMENT REVIEW BOARD Design Review Application #DR-14-08 340 Dorset Street Val Hunt, hereafter referred to as the applicant, is requesting after-the-fact approval to eliminate the requirement that siding be installed on the new wall approved under design review approval #DR-13-03, 340 Dorset Street. The Administrative Officer visited the property in mid-august 2014 for compliance with the Certificate of Occupancy and found that the clapboard siding described in #DR-14-03 had not been installed. The applicant indicated they thought they were in compliance because the Azak panel they installed was weatherproof. Staff indicated that the applicant could seek after-the-fact approval of what they had built. The subject property falls within Design District 2 of the City Center Design Review Overlay District. Pursuant to Section 11.01(D) (1) (b) of the South Burlington Land Development Regulations, the addition to or alteration of the exterior wall of a building or structure by tearing down or removing any portion thereof, or by filling in, sealing, boarding up, closing or enclosing any portion of any existing window, door, space, porch, etc shall be subject to design review by the Design Review Committee (DRC) and the Development Review Board (DRB). C. City Center Design Review Overlay Districts and Purpose Statements. The CCDR Overlay District is divided into the following three (3) sub-zones as depicted on the South Burlington Overlay Districts Map: Design District 1, Design District 2, and Design District 3. A brief description of the location and proposed design character of each district is provided below: (1) Design District 1 - (2) Design District 2 - This area includes all land on both sides of San Remo Drive. This area is unique in that it is the only area in the designated City Center which is substantially developed with buildings and uses. Many of the buildings, however, are in need of updating and aesthetic improvement. The City s vision for this area is that of a somewhat unique and eclectic neighborhood with a wide variety in design in terms of color, materials, building shapes and site layouts. It is the City s vision that the existing buildings and sites be improved for example by replacing metal facades with higher quality materials, adding windows and doors to the first 1
floors, and doing improvements to the sites to better relate the properties to the public street thereby promoting pedestrian movement. Design plans for properties within Design District 3 shall comply with the following design criteria, as outlined in Section 11.01(F) of the Land Development Regulations: F. Criteria for Approval. Prior to granting design plan approval, the Development Review Board shall find that any development or activity specified in Section (D) above shall conform substantially to the following design criteria: (1) Building Design (a) Consistent design. Building design shall promote a consistent organization of major elements; and decorative parts must relate to the character of the design. All sides of a building shall be designed so that they are compatible in terms of material, window treatments, architectural accents, cornice/parapet design, etc. In Design Districts 1 and 3, the design of a building should consider the design features of other structures in the area so as not to be harshly discordinate with other nearby buildings. (b) Materials used. High quality, attractive materials shall be used on all buildings. Natural, indigenous materials of stone and masonry are highly encouraged, if not required. Specific requirements for each Design District are as follows:.. (ii) Design District 2. A wide variety of both natural and high quality man-made materials are allowed. Examples of acceptable materials include red brick, indigenous stone (i.e., granite, limestone, and marble), architectural concrete, synthetic stucco, wood clapboard (synthetic materials such as vinyl siding may be used in place of wood provided it is of high quality and closely resembles wood clapboard/shingles), and glass or glass block. Other materials may be used as an architectural accent provided they are harmonious with the building and site. Examples of unacceptable materials include metal skin and laminated wood (e.g., T-111). (c) Colors and textures used. The color and texture of the building shall be harmonious with the building itself and with other buildings on the site and nearby. Colors naturally occurring from building materials and other traditional, subdued colors are encouraged. More than three (3) predominant colors are discouraged. The previously approved wall was to be constructed with marine grade plywood, grey vinyl clapboards to match the existing siding and finished with white azek trim boards. The Board found that design compatible with the remainder of the building. Staff has visited the site (see photos in packet) and offers the following comments: A white panel wall (the applicant indicates this is made of Azak paneling) was constructed that covers the top row of smaller windows and a portion of the bottom row of windows rather than the approved, grey clapboard. There is no trim or molding or other design element along the top of the bottom row of windows to distinguish it from the panel. Signs of the other tenants along the front of the building are installed over the grey clapboard siding.
(d) Windows and doors. Window and door treatment (i.e., the arrangement of windows and doors into a pattern) shall be a careful response to the buildings interior organization as well as the features of the building site. The treatment of windows and doors shall be in a manner that creates a rhythm that gives necessary order and unity to the facade, yet avoids monotony. In Design Districts 1 and 2, for sides of buildings that front or face a public street, existing or planned, the majority of the first floor s facade area shall consist of see-through glass in order to promote pedestrian activity, however, the windows and/or doors should be of a human scale so as to welcome, not overwhelm, the pedestrian. While the project does reduce the amount of see-through glass along the top half of the feature, it does reduce the monotony of the building s long glass façade. (e) Use of human-scaled design elements. Larger buildings shall incorporate the use of design elements, such as pilasters, colored or textured bands, or window and door treatments, in order to reduce the larger building s apparent overall size and, therefore, avoid a large or long monotonous appearance. The proposed wall would provide a visual break to the long façade which is mostly all glass. (f) Roofs as a design element. Roofs shall be part of, or define, the style of a building. They shall be used creatively to break up long facades and potentially long roof lines. Specific requirements for each Design District are as follows: (i) Design Districts 1 and 2. For one-story structures, the minimum and maximum slope of a pitched roof shall be 8 on 12 and 12 on 12, respectively. Only a small portion of roof area on one-story buildings may be flat provided it is not visible from the public street, existing or planned, and does not detract from the overall design and harmony of the building. For structures of two (2) or more stories, the minimum and maximum slope of a pitched roof shall be 5 on 12 and 12 on 12, respectively. Where flat roofs are used, particularly on structures of two (2) or more stories, architectural elements such as cornices and parapets shall be included to improve the appearance and provide interest. Large, low-slope (i.e., less than 5 on 12) gable forms are discouraged. There are no changes proposed to the roof or roofline. (g) Orient buildings to the public street. Buildings shall be designed in a manner that relates the building to the public street in order to protect the integrity of city blocks, present an inviting street front and promote traditional street patterns. In Design Districts 1and 2, new buildings shall be built to the street property line. The Development Review Board may approve building locations, or portions thereof, that are set back from the street property line, provided, the Development Review Board finds the overall site layout to be in conformance with the City Center goals. The primary entrance to buildings shall be designed as such and shall be oriented directly on the public street rather than facing parking lots. The upper floors of taller buildings (i.e., floors four (4) and up) may need to be stepped back or otherwise sited to avoid creating a canyon effect and to maintain a pedestrian friendly public edge. In all Design Districts, for existing buildings undergoing renovation, improvements shall be done to relate the building better to the public street. Such improvements could include the installation of doors and windows along the sides of the building facing the public street, or the construction of walkways between the building and
street. The building is already oriented to the street. (h) Conceal rooftop devices. Rooftop mechanical equipment and appurtenances to be used in the operation or maintenance of a structure shall be arranged so as to minimize visibility from any point at or below the roof level of the subject structure. Such features, in excess of one foot in height, shall be either enclosed by outer building walls or parapets, or grouped and screened in a suitable manner, or designed in themselves so that they are balanced and integrated with respect to the design and materials of the building. (i) There are no rooftop devices. Promote energy efficiency. Where feasible, the design of a building should consider solar energy and the use of natural daylight by capturing the sun s energy during the winter and providing shade during the summer. As the building is not new, it would not be feasible to apply this criterion. (j) Pedestrian promenade along Market Street. In Design District 1, the provision of a covered pedestrian promenade along Market Street is required in order to protect pedestrians from inclement weather and promote walking. Any pedestrian canopy, or portion thereof, that is proposed to be located within or encroach into the public R.O.W. shall meet the specifications identified in the City Center Streetscape Guidelines. An applicant may elect to incorporate a covered pedestrian promenade as a component of the building and completely on the applicant s property, provided the promenade is at least 10 feet high and 8 feet deep. The Development Review Board may waive the requirement for a covered pedestrian promenade or canopy on a building or portion thereof if the Development Review Board finds that the block on which the building is located is adequately covered by other existing promenades/canopies. RECOMMENDATION This criterion is not applicable to the subject application. The Board should determine if what was constructed is compliance with the criteria above especially (a) Consistent design, (b) Materials used and (c) Colors and Textures used Respectfully submitted, Raymond J. Belair, Administrative Officer