APPENDIX D
Mixed-Use Design Guidelines*

*    Editor’s Note: See Section 17.34.110 for guidance on the use of these Design Guidelines.

Purpose

The Mixed-Use Design Guidelines are intended to assist designers to understand the city’s goals and objectives for high quality development within the CMU commercial mixed use district. The guidelines complement the mandatory provisions contained in Chapter 17.34 by providing examples of desirable and undesirable mixed-use development.

Applicability

The design guidelines and illustrations are general and may be interpreted with some flexibility in their application to specific projects. The guidelines are to be used during the city’s design review process (Sections 17.18.090 and 17.20.030) to encourage the highest quality of design, while at the same time provide the flexibility necessary to encourage creativity by project designers. The guidelines also may be imposed as a condition of approval. In any instance of conflict between the provisions of these design guidelines and other provisions of the zoning ordinance, the other provisions of the zoning ordinance shall prevail.

The guidelines apply to new construction and additions to existing development in areas subject to the CMU commercial mixed use district. Any addition, remodeling, relocation or construction requiring a building permit within these areas shall adhere to these guidelines, where applicable.

In addition to the mixed use design guidelines defined herein, the residential design guidelines (see Section 17.32.090) commercial design guidelines (see Section 17.34.080) and/or industrial design guidelines (see Section 17.34.120) may be appropriate for development in the mixed-use overlay districts.

General

Buildings containing commercial stores and multi-family residential units, and/or office space are encouraged where public transportation is convenient, particularly in the El Portal district, 23rd Street district, Market Avenue district, and the Alvarado district. Mixed-used buildings typically include ground floor storefronts, second floor office space and/or residential units, and residential units on succeeding floors. Parking for stores may be located in front of a building, with parking for residences and offices behind the building. Shared parking can also be located below the building (see Figure 1).

Figure 1 — Example Mixed-Use Commercial/Residential Project

Mixed-Use Districts

The following design guidelines are broadly consistent with goals, policies and actions of the General Plan. Public amenities and design features are intended to stimulate and support such land uses as employment, entertainment, public institutions and transit stations in appropriate districts.

Gateway District. In the entertainment area, design features that are integral to new development projects such as the following are encouraged:

•    Pedestrian walkways, including paseos and covered walkways;

•    Outdoor gathering places, including cafes and plazas; and

•    Lighting, landscaping, banners and signs, and specially designed paving patterns to establish an entertainment design theme.

El Portal Public Transit District. To create a pedestrian-friendly downtown, the following design features are encouraged:

•    A central plaza for outdoor festivals, activities and markets;

•    A pedestrian crossing of San Pablo Creek to connect neighborhoods to the south with Helms School and the International Marketplace Shopping Center, to the north of the creek;

•    Signs along San Pablo Avenue to replace non-conforming signs;

•    Use of awnings and canopies along sidewalks to encourage window-shopping in storefronts;

•    Street trees and a canopy of parking lot shade trees to delineate parking aisles and create a more attractive, pedestrian-friendly downtown; and

•    A design theme at the intersection of El Portal Drive and Church Lane to signal this gateway to downtown.

•    A range of housing from high-density single family, to high density multifamily;

•    Housing organized around well-defined internal pedestrian and open space networks, with pedestrian connections to adjacent uses in the district;

•    Avoidance of gated communities, in preference to less obtrusive measures to provide security and privacy; and

•    Variety in housing types, forms, colors, materials, building heights and other features to highlight the individual dwelling units.

23rd Street District. To strengthen the commercial district, the following design features are encouraged:

•    Storefronts with display windows and awnings located at the back of sidewalk. Awnings may extend over pedestrian sidewalks, pursuant to sign controls in Section 18.04.090(C)(8);

•    Continuation of the colorful, expressive design theme of the neighborhood, including unusual signs and building colors and materials in new construction and additions to buildings in the district;

•    Incorporation of existing decorative masonry columns that are located at intervals along the back of sidewalks into development layouts that include driveways and building entrances; and

•    Landscaping within, and adjacent to, off-street parking lots and driveways leading to parking and along landscaped, masonry walls adjacent to residential land uses (see Section 17.34.080, Commercial Design Guidelines).

Market Avenue District. Measures to maintain the low-scaled pedestrian character of the district include the following:

•    Public improvements to transit stops, sidewalks, street trees and pedestrian-scaled lighting designed to foster pedestrian circulation.

Rumrill Boulevard District. The following features are intended to allow potentially incompatible land uses to be developed adjacent to each other, and to allow new development that reflects the diversity of the area:

•    Buffers between commercial/industrial uses and residential properties;

•    Development allowing varied architectural design solutions that reflect the diversity of the district; and

•    Commercial uses on the east side of Rumrill Boulevard that include adequate off-street parking through lot consolidation and development up to 0.7 FAR.

Alvarado District. The following design features are encouraged to reflect the district’s historic importance as San Pablo’s original town center:

•    New buildings organized around pedestrian amenities including plazas, fountains, covered walkways, balconies, paseos, courtyards and parks;

•    Development which incorporates a variety of seating, accent lighting, integration of public and private areas, a variety of paving and tile materials, etc.; and

•    Commercial buildings designed in the early California mission style, and other historic styles in the city, particularly along San Pablo Avenue and Church Lane near their intersection.

Giant Trade Center Business Park District. The following design features encourage new industrial development that will not be disruptive to nearby housing:

•    A landscaped masonry wall built to a height of between six and eight feet along the east property line of the Giant Trade Center to help protect existing adjacent residential uses from industrial activities.

•    Commercial/light industrial development that is fully contained within industrial buildings to minimize visible or auditory impact to the adjacent neighborhood.

Hillside Area District. The following design features are intended to manage hillside open space and help to maintain the rural character of the hillside:

•    Clustered residential development to retain trees, open space, and views; and

•    Pedestrian open space connection between hillside housing and shopping centers along the south side of San Pablo Dam Road, which may foster development of a pedestrian-accessible neighborhood commercial center.