20D.40.107 Development Along Downtown Shorelines and Parks.

20D.40.107-010 Intent.

(1)    The shorelines and associated parklands of the Sammamish River and Bear Creek are assets to the Downtown neighborhood that should be enhanced, enjoyed, and highlighted.

(2)    Development and uses along these water bodies and next to their associated parklands should add to the attractiveness of the natural features and open spaces.

(3)    In addition to the design standards established for the individual districts, these criteria shall apply to Downtown properties that are in the shoreline jurisdiction and Downtown properties that adjoin parklands that are in the shoreline jurisdiction. (Ord. 2302; Ord. 1993)

20D.40.107-020 Design Criteria.

(1)    Building Orientation and Access.

(a)    Development and uses adjoining the Sammamish River, Bear Creek, and their associated parklands shall provide convenient pedestrian access through the site to these features (excepting developments and uses lying between NE 83rd Street (if extended) and the BNSF ROW to the south, which shall provide a pathway or walkway between the development and the Sammamish River Trail) unless modified through an approved development agreement where access from the site to the river or creek/parkland is provided.

(b)    Buildings within 100 feet of a property line of a waterway or park, except single-story retail buildings, shall provide building entrances, balconies, or other such building features or site features (for example: plazas or pedestrian features) on the facade fronting waterways or parks to allow users of the buildings to interrelate with the waterway or park.

(c)    Buildings next to trails and walkways along waterways and parks shall incorporate pedestrian-scaled/friendly architectural features on the facades facing the trails/pathways.

(2)    Site and Building Design.

(a)    Where a site adjoins a park, the development shall complement the park with connecting features, such as landscaping, plazas, and other pedestrian features.

(b)    Parking facilities next to parks and waterways shall be screened by natural-looking landscape buffers with tall trees and understory vegetation between the parking facilities and the parks or shoreline. Planter widths for these screening buffer areas shall be no less than 30 feet wide to accommodate the plant materials in a natural-looking planting pattern.

(c)    When surface storm water facilities are placed near the shorelines and parks, they shall be designed as attractive and naturally occurring ponds and amenities rather than barriers between the use and the shoreline or park.

(d)    Building height is encouraged to be modulated on sites next to shorelines and their associated parks, with lower portions of buildings being adjacent to the trails/parks and taller portions being beyond the shoreline jurisdiction. (Ord. 2302)