§ 1411-33. Design Review of Parking Garages.

A building having more than 100 above-street-grade parking spaces and devoting more than one-half its above-street-grade gross floor area to parking may not be constructed in Parking Subdistrict W or X unless the design of the building is reviewed and approved under §1411-43 or by the Zoning Hearing Examiner. The following guidelines apply to parking garage facades facing any right-of-way greater than 50 feet in width or the skywalk:

(a)

Parked cars must be screened from public view from every adjacent public way greater than 50 feet in width.

(b)

Garage entrances and exits must be designed and located so as to minimize hazards to pedestrians.

(c)

Facades must contain openings that, in their scale, size and placement, are compatible with the same qualities of openings in surrounding buildings.

(d)

Facades must contain articulations to achieve a sense of scale, rhythm and texture.

(e)

The facade of the ground-level floor must be differentiated from upper floors to establish the appearance of a base to the building. By way of example, this differentiation can be achieved through the use of several of the following techniques:

(f)

A taller ground floor.

(g)

A change in color.

(h)

A change in material

(i)

A change in detailing.

(j)

Banding at the top of the ground floor.

(k)

Other architectural means.

The design of facades may not reveal or imply sloping floor levels that may be behind the facade.

Facades must be compatible with the design, materials and overall character of surrounding buildings with regard to the scale, color and texture of materials, form, massing and design detailing.

(Ordained by Ord. No. 15-2004, eff. Feb. 13, 2004; a. Ord. No. 0346-2007, § 7, eff. Oct. 13, 2007)