Design Review Program
Applicant's Toolbox: Design Guidelines

Multifamily and Commercial Buildings | Downtown Development | Neighborhood-Specific Design Guidelines

Design Review Guidelines for Multifamily and Commercial Buildings

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D-4 Design of Parking Lots
Near Sidewalks		 next>
D-6 Screening of Dumpsters,
Utilities, and Service Areas

Guideline D-5: Visual Impacts of Parking Structures
The visibility of all at-grade parking structures or accessory parking garages should be minimized. The parking portion of a structure should be architecturally compatible with the rest of the structure and streetscape. Open parking spaces and carports should be screened from the street and adjacent properties.

 

Explanation and Examples
The following examples illustrate various methods of improving the appearance of at-grade parking structures:

  • incorporating pedestrian-oriented uses at street level can reduce the visual impact of parking structures in commercial areas. Sometimes a depth of only 10 feet along the front of the building is enough to provide space for newsstands, ticket booths, flower shops and other viable uses.
  • setting the parking structure back from the sidewalk and installing dense landscaping
  • incorporating any of the blank wall treatments listed in Guideline D-2
  • visually integrating the parking structure with adjacent buildings
  • continuing a frieze, cornice, canopy, overhang, trellis or other devices at the top of the parking level
  • incorporating into the parking structure a well-lit pedestrian walkway, stairway or ramp from the sidewalk to the upper level of the building
  • setting back a portion of the parking structure to allow for the retention of an exisiting significant tree
  • using a portion of the top of the larking level as an outdoor deck, patio or garden with a rail, bench or other guard device around the perimeter 
<previous
D-4 Design of Parking Lots
Near Sidewalks		 next>
D-6 Screening of Dumpsters,
Utilities, and Service Areas

 

 

Last Updated: July 15, 2005