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Planners propose large-site and commercial design standards to encourage walkable development
Summary
Staff introduced new large-site block and commercial-design standards to guide walkable development on sites over 10 acres, detailing minor and major block plans, transparency and entry-spacing rules, permitted materials, and pedestrian-scale elements; consultant Kim Littleton summarized pedestrian-design features and the board asked for sample illustrations.
City planning staff presented proposed code sections to guide design on large development parcels and to add commercial design standards that prioritize pedestrian-friendly frontages.
Under the draft large-site standards (sec. 110521), sites under 10 acres would follow a "minor block plan" while sites over 10 acres would follow a "major block plan." Staff said the rules would apply in EMD, BMD, CC and the innovation district and cited a roughly 54-acre "Core 5" site as an example where the standard could apply. "These are difficult things for a code to handle because they're just larger sites and they have a lot of unique things to it," a staff member said.
Staff also proposed commercial design standards (sec. 110523) for new construction and renovations that exceed 50% of assessed value in CCBMD and EMD districts: minimum ground-floor transparency (about 60/30% split), clearly identifiable entries spaced no more than 75 feet apart for multi-tenant buildings, pedestrian‑scale lighting and shielding, and a list of permitted (glass, architectural metal panels, wood, fiber cement, stone, brick) and prohibited materials (vinyl siding, mirrored glass, unfinished concrete block).
Kim Littleton of OHM, the consulting presenter, explained pedestrian-scale features such as canopies, awnings, blade signs readable by passing pedestrians and street furniture. "As you get down the pedestrian scale, you don't need the big signs," Littleton said, describing how smaller, human-scaled elements encourage people to linger.
Board members expressed support for adding design standards and asked staff to bring examples and visual guidance when the draft returns—staff noted the rezoning code amendments that go to City Council and then return to the board will provide additional opportunities for public review.
Staff will refine language, collect illustrative examples and coordinate the design standards with the rezoning and implementation schedule.
