§ 8C.5. Design Guidelines.

Design Guidelines for development in the Glen Lennox Area Neighborhood Conservation District-8C

The purpose of these Design Guidelines is to assist property owners in the planning of new structures and/or improvements to existing structures within the Glen Lennox Area Neighborhood Conservation District-8C (CD-8C). The hope and intent is that these guidelines will be followed to the greatest extent possible, helping to assure that improvements enhance the overall neighborhood quality.

Chapel Hill's Land Use Management Ordinance contains regulations and provisions that must be followed as any new development or redevelopment occurs with the Glen Lennox Area Neighborhood Conservation District-8C (CD-8C). These guidelines are intended to be a supplement to the regulations for development planned within the Glen Lennox Area Neighborhood Conservation District-8C (CD-8C).

BUILDING TYPOLOGIES

Overview

Great neighborhoods usually have a variety of building types that create a vibrant social environment. This section defines the potential building typologies for the Glen Lennox apartment and commercial property and identifies general locations for them within the plan, while providing guidelines on building placement, vertical and horizontal articulation, and general massing. These recommendations are intended to provide general guidelines for massing and articulation, yet are not of a regulatory nature.

Small Neighborhood Building

Detached, single-family dwellings; duplexes; townhouses; small, free-standing commercial units; and small professional offices are included in this typology. These are typically one-and-a-half (1½) to two (2) stories, and are most commonly residential in character although a mix of uses may be accommodated.

Medium Neighborhood Building

This building typology will have the massing and scale that is complimentary to the surrounding neighborhood. Composed facades and a pitched roofscape are sensitive methods for providing more scale, typically up to three (3) stories. This building type can still accommodate a mix of uses ranging from multi-family residential to small professional offices, restaurant spaces, artist studios, or the like.

Small Urban Building

Small urban buildings at Glen Lennox will range in height from four (4) to five (5) stories and are characteristic of traditional mixed-use buildings. They will accommodate both residential and commercial uses and will provide a transition in scale from the neighborhood buildings to the uses along Hayes Road.

Medium Urban Building

This type allows for a larger floor plan making it a good choice for commercial functions, while also accommodating a denser form of residential development. The height for these buildings will range from five (5) to eight (8) stories, depending on use and location.

The following pages provide a more detailed description of each of these types.

Small Neighborhood Buildings

Definition

These buildings contain one (1) dwelling unit within a single structure. They may be either detached in a single-family form, or attached groups of multiple units. These units typically have private yards on three (3) to four (4) sides. Front and side street setbacks provide a zone within which the building facade must be located. On-site parking may be accessed through either an alley or a side driveway.

Site Placement

» Front Setback: refer to setback diagram on page 60 in NCD Regulations.

» Side Setback (between buildings): n/a

» Alley (Rear) Setback: minimum five (5) feet.

Building Elements

» The main massing (yellow) should be simple geometries with additive elements (blue) to add facade variety and livable space to each unit. Special elements such as bay windows, roof dormers, balconies, decorative eaves and cornices, and ornamented doorways should be provided.

» Define base, middle and top (may use window composition, ornament and special feature to accomplish this).

» Residential entries should be raised when possible and take the form of a stoop or porch.

» The middle is characterized by residential windows.

» The top can be articulated by varying roofscaped to enrich the facade of the street.

Medium Neighborhood Buildings

Definition

This typology can be up to three (3) or four (4) stories and takes the form of a large house with a simple massing. Porches and balconies are often incorporated to provide outdoor living space. While these buildings are primarily residential, they can also accommodate retail and commercial uses on the ground floor. Parking should be placed behind the main massing and accessed through the rear of the building.

Site Placement

» Front Setback: refer to setback diagram on page 60 in NCD Regulations.

» Side Setback (between buildings): minimum seven (7) feet.

» Alley (Rear) Setback: minimum five (5) feet.

Building Elements

» Facades should be composed of vertical bays.

» Each vertical element may be distinguished by one (1) of the following: material, color, architectural style, height, window type, facade composition, storefront or entry type.

» Define base, middle and top.

» For mixed-use buildings, ground floor retail storefronts should sit at grade.

» Residential entries should be raised when possible and take the form of a stoop or porch.

» The middle is characterized by a continuous pattern of windows.

» The top can be articulated by varying roofscaped to enrich the facade of the street.

Small Urban Buildings

Definition

Small urban buildings tend to be sited in a more urban manner along the sidewalk. They range from four (4) to five (5) stories, and occur as residential only, commercial only, or mixed-use. Parking should be placed behind the building either in a surface lot or structured parking. Service is also provided in the rear of the building.

Site Placement

» Front Setback: refer to setback diagram on page 60 in NCD Regulations.

» Side Setback (between buildings): n/a

» Alley (Rear) Setback: minimum five (5) feet.

Building Elements

» Facades should be composed of vertical bays.

» Each vertical element may be distinguished by one (1) of the following: material, color, architectural style, height, window type, facade composition, storefront or entry type.

» Stepping the building stories back is encouraged to provide more visual interest to the streetscape and to keep with the current character.

» For mixed-use buildings, ground floor retail storefronts should sit at grade.

» The middle is characterized by a continuous pattern of windows.

» The top can be articulated by varying roofscaped to enrich the facade of the street.

Medium Urban Buildings

Definition

Medium urban buildings are most appropriate along the edge of the site on 15-501 and Lanark Road. They have simple massing and have a direct relationship to the sidewalk and the street. Buildings range from four (4) to eight (8) stories and accommodate a variety of uses. Parking should be placed behind the building either in a surface lot or structured parking. Service is also provided in the rear of the building.

Site Placement

» Front Setback: refer to setback diagram on page 60 in NCD Regulations.

» Side Setback (between buildings): n/a

» Alley (Rear) Setback: minimum five (5) feet.

Building Elements

» Facades should be composed of vertical bays.

» Each vertical element may be distinguished by one (1) of the following: material, color, architectural style, height, window type, facade composition, storefront or entry type.

» Stepping the building stories back is encouraged to provide more visual interest to the streetscape and to keep with the current character.

» For mixed-use buildings, ground floor retail storefronts should sit at grade.

» The middle is characterized by a continuous pattern of windows.

» The top can be articulated by varying roofscaped to enrich the facade of the street.

STOREFRONTS, SIGNAGE, AND MATERIALS

Storefront Design

Storefront Composition

» Storefront design must utilize the full height of the groundfloor facade frontage.

» Storefronts shall maintain a typical rhythm wherever possible.

Awnings

» Awnings are encouraged and may provide additional signage space by incorporating names and logos.

Openings And Transparency

» Storefront entrances shall be clearly distinguished from those serving floors above.

» Glazing should constitute a large portion of the groundfloor retail facades.

» Shop windows should provide views into the shop as well as its displays. The use of operational doors and windows that allow for direct connection and movement between the sidewalk and restaurant and shop interiors is encouraged.

Signage

Signage must comply with town's sign regulations per Land Use Management Ordinance Section 5.14 Signs.

Materials

Building materials should fit in harmoniously within the community's existing architecture, including a portion of the buildings utilizing brick compatible with the existing buildings, and also reflect the cherished characteristics of the regional architecture.

LANDSCAPE

Public Open Space and Parks

Public open spaces are the hallmark of a community. The range of public open spaces include the neighborhood parks accommodating passive and active use, squares as gathering space, courtyards, community gardens, playgrounds, nature preserve and trails. Once an overall park plan for Glen Lennox is established to program the various outdoor uses, the parks will contribute to the quality of experience and distinctiveness within the community.

Essential Elements

» Accessible by all

» Year-round landscape plant material for seasonal interest

» Dedicated site furniture including benches, trash receptacles, and lighting unique to specific spaces

» Preserve existing habitat

» Coordinated landscape and plant palettes

» Special lighting for public spaces

» Walking/running/bike trail when possible

Residential Landscape

A high-quality, sustainable residential landscape is an integral part of a Glen Lennox home. These landscapes will complement and soften the built environment and lend character to houses, streets, and neighborhoods. Furthermore, residential landscapes can create intimate outdoor rooms, reinforce entrances to houses, and help delineate property boundaries.

Sustainable Landscapes: Designing with Ecology in Mind

To help Glen Lennox be a sustainable community, the following is a list of sustainable devices and techniques encouraged for residents to use:

» Native plantings to reduce watering

» Increased yard planting in place of lawn to reduce maintenance

» Proper shade tree placement to reduce solar gain

» Pervious paving or the use of a driveway strip to enhance porosity

» Rain barrels, rain chains, and rain gardens to catch rain water for irrigation

» Greywater retention to recycle water

(Ord. No. 2012-05-30/O-4, § I(Att.), 5-30-2012)