C I T Y P O M F L A N N I N G D E S I G N I D E P A I R T M E A M I N T R E V I E W N T E N T The Planning Department is advocating architecture based on sound urban design principles that yield developments that contribute to the economic and physical permanence of the City. To address the expressed interest of the citizens to improve the quality of life in our built environment and assist the development community in expediting the application process, the Planning Department will provide the applicant with pre-application design review comments prior to a project’s submission to the Large Scale Development Committee. The Planning Department welcomes and encourages the applicant to seek review of the project by the Committee at an early stage and as many times as desired in order to expedite development while working together to achieve the common goal of building on a tradition of great architecture and sound urban design principles. DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE Committee Members: Urban Design and Land Development Division staff. Submissions Due: Every Friday by 4:00 PM. Meeting Date: Every following Tuesday of the week at 2:00 PM. Comments Due: Tuesday following Meeting Date by 6:00 PM. The applicant receives a written list of comments that represents the Planning Department’s unified vision for the project. All comments are intended to facilitate the applicant with the application process. \\dataserver1_5\users\Riverside\PLANNING & ZONNING\_Shared\CURRENT PLANNING\CURRENT PLANNING\PROJECTS - Design Review Committee\Design Review\GENERAL 1 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com C I T Y P O L A N N I N G D S M F D U B M I S S I O N R P A R E S I G N E I R T M E A M I N T E V I E W E Q U I R E M E N T S Due to the preliminary nature of the Committee’s review of the project, the applicant may submit the submission requirements in the form of schematic sketches or hard line drawings. The schematic drawings do not need to be signed and sealed but must include dimensions to determine minimum zoning requirements. C ONTEXT P LAN /S ITE P LAN Indicating the proposed project within its context/neighborhood. (examples: aerial photo with project inserted, 3D model showing proposed project and context, etc.) The documentation provided shall show the proposed project and existing buildings within at least three blocks, including buildings’ placement in plan as well as their heights. F LOOR P LANS Ground floor plan indicating how building addresses pedestrian realm. Typical floor plans may be submitted for the upper levels of multi-story projects that have identical floor plans. E LEVATIONS A contextual sketch or a computer photo-image of the project elevations with the context. L ANDSCAPE P LAN Indicating the disposition and determination of all landscaping and trees in the proposed project. If applicable, include a tree survey, portraying the location, species, size, quantity, overall height, diameter and spread of all existing trees. R ENDERING ( S ) The submission of a 3 dimensional sketch(s) or a schematic massing model that helps explain the concept of the project is optional but recommended. Q UESTIONNAIRE Summarizing project information. \\dataserver1_5\users\Riverside\PLANNING & ZONNING\_Shared\CURRENT PLANNING\CURRENT PLANNING\PROJECTS - Design Review Committee\Design Review\GENERAL 2 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com C I T Y P O L A N N I N G D G E S I G N E N E R A L D M F D I A M I E P A R T M E N T R E V I E W E S I G N C R I T E R I A The objective of the design criteria focuses on the evaluation of projects based on the quality, compatibility and contribution to the architectural and urban fabric of the city. The design criteria are intended to create an architecture that engages primarily the public domain and human scale rather than the private domain and automobile scale. I. Context a. All projects need to be site specific and respond to the context with emphasis on the architectural proportion, character and scale of the surrounding neighborhood. b. Tall buildings may not be appropriate when placed adjacent to low-density residential neighborhoods. In this situation, the massing and articulation of the large project should be developed to provide an appropriate transition between the high-density and low-density neighborhoods. c. Projects shall provide positive urban design characteristics (see comments below regarding building massing and pedestrian considerations), even if abutting properties fail to do so. II. Building Massing, Design and Site Disposition a. Variation, appropriate proportions and human-scale detail in architecture is crucial. b. In no case shall the street side façade of a building consist of an unarticulated blank wall, an exposed parking garage or an unbroken series of garage doors. c. Buildings should provide greater intensity, orientation and commercial activity towards pedestrian streets in order to stimulate pedestrian activity, support transit, and reinforce public space. d. Commercial building setbacks from public streets should be minimal. Setbacks should reflect the desired character of the area and bring buildings close to the sidewalk in order to establish a continuous street elevation. \\dataserver1_5\users\Riverside\PLANNING & ZONNING\_Shared\CURRENT PLANNING\CURRENT PLANNING\PROJECTS - Design Review Committee\Design Review\GENERAL 3 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com III. Ground Level/Pedestrian Considerations a. Buildings should address the street and sidewalk and create safe, pleasant walking environments. b. Buildings should activate the street by providing habitable space such as lobbies, retail space and restaurants at the ground level. If the project incorporates a plaza, the building should still maintain a minimal setback from the street, and the plaza should be incorporated with retail and restaurant spaces in order to create activity within the plaza. c. Street level windows and numerous building entries should be provided. Arcades, bays and balconies are strongly encouraged. d. Upper level balconies and terraces which address the street are recommended. e. Primary ground-floor commercial building entrances shall orient to plazas, parks, or pedestrian-oriented streets, not to interior blocks or parking lots. IV. Tropical Architecture a. Buildings at a residential and commercial scale should address the sub-tropical region we live in by providing: i. The use of a dense tropical landscape to provide shade for pedestrians and buildings and contribute to increasing the tree canopy in the city. ii. The use of a continuous line of canopy trees to provide continuous shade along pedestrian walkways and protect pedestrians from vehicular traffic. iii. Roof overhangs. iv. Open balconies, terraces and covered outdoor areas for recreation. v. A high level of transparency and cross-ventilation through buildings vi. High ceilings/increased floor to floor heights. V. Parking/Garages a. Parking shall be placed to the rear of buildings, or covered with a layer of program, in order for the parking garage not to be visible from public view and to increase street safety and activity by providing eyes on the street. It is possible to provide liner program on only the lower levels of multi-level garages, as this will help activate the pedestrian realm, although it is preferable to provide lining for the entire garage. (Note that in this case, the pedestrian line of sight must be obstructed by the liner.) b. In cases where the parking garage cannot be lined with program (along an abutting property), the garage shall be articulated with architectural features so that vehicles are not visible from public view. c. Curb cuts and entrances to garages shall be kept to a minimum number and dimension and provided from alleyways and secondary streets, as opposed to primary streets containing pedestrian activity, in order to reduce the number of pedestrian/vehicle conflict points. d. Loading services and vehicle drop-off areas should be provided within the building. \\dataserver1_5\users\Riverside\PLANNING & ZONNING\_Shared\CURRENT PLANNING\CURRENT PLANNING\PROJECTS - Design Review Committee\Design Review\GENERAL 4 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com C I T Y P O L A N N I N G D E S I G N P A R K I N G G M F D E P A I R T M E A M I N T R E V I E W A R A G E S W I T H L I N E R In order to foster a pedestrian-friendly city with an active and visually attractive streetscape, parking shall be placed to the rear of buildings, or covered with a layer of program, in order for the parking garage not to be visible from public view and to increase street safety and activity by providing eyes on the street. In cases where the parking garage cannot be lined with program (along an abutting property), the garage shall be articulated with architectural features so that vehicles are not visible from public view. The following pages illustrate examples of garages with habitable liner spaces, which may be implemented on various lot sizes. \\dataserver1_5\users\Riverside\PLANNING & ZONNING\_Shared\CURRENT PLANNING\CURRENT PLANNING\PROJECTS - Design Review Committee\Design Review\GENERAL 5 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com \\dataserver1_5\users\Riverside\PLANNING & ZONNING\_Shared\CURRENT PLANNING\CURRENT PLANNING\PROJECTS - Design Review Committee\Design Review\GENERAL 6 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com \\dataserver1_5\users\Riverside\PLANNING & ZONNING\_Shared\CURRENT PLANNING\CURRENT PLANNING\PROJECTS - Design Review Committee\Design Review\GENERAL 7 American LegalNet, Inc. www.FormsWorkflow.com