Town of Malta Downtown Design Standards

Town of Malta
Downtown
Design Standards
June 2003
Updated July 2004
Prepared by:
Town of Malta, NY
Planning Update Committee
Design Standards
Town of Malta
Co p yri gh t 2 0 03 Baillie re Co n su ltin g
Town of Malta
Downtown Design Standards
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Town of Malta
Saratoga County, New York
Supervisor:
David R. Meager
Town Board Members:
Robert Allen, Sue Nolen, Cliff Lange, Deputy Supervisor Gerald Winters
Planning Department:
(phone) 899-2685 (fax) 899-4719
(e-mail) [email protected]
Code Enforcement:
(phone) 899-2685 (fax) 899-4719
[email protected]
[email protected]
Malta Town Hall
2540 Route 9 Malta, NY 12020
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This document was prepared by Michael Allen of Bailliere Consulting with assistance
and guidance from the Planning Update Committee members Paul Sausville
(Chairman), Linda Kovach (Secretary), Sue Nolen, Cliff Lange, James Keller, Miles
Cornthwaite, Fred Larson, Bill Cuddy, Tim Farnum, Karen Heggen, Bill Parker, Bill
Shaw, Steve Shaw, John Natale, and Heather Atkinson.
Additional copies of these standards, as well as other related information, can be obtained at
the Town offices listed above, or on the Town Web site: www.malta-town.org.
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Town of Malta
Design Standards
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Purpose of the Design Standards…………………………………………………………….. 4
The Design Review Process………………………………………….................................... 4
Standards
Neighborhood Design…………………………………………………………………………… 5
Site Design………………………………………………………………………………………. 6
Building Height & Massing……………………………………………………………………… 7
Roof Design……………………………………………………………………………………… 8
Building Scale…………………………………………………………………………………… 9
Building Proportions…………………………………………………………………………….
11
Façade Composition……………………………………………………………………………. 12
Fenestration……………………………………………………………………………………… 13
Building Materials & Colors……………………………………………………………………. 14
Signage & Lighting……………………………………………………………………………… 16
Malta Town Map………………………………………………………………………………… 18
Malta Downtown Map…...……………………………………………………………………… 19
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Design Standards
Town of Malta
INTRODUCTION
Purpose of the Design Standards
The increasing popularity of corporate chain store construction across America has created an
identity crisis for our cities and towns which are all beginning to evolve into the same strip
developments. Such development often undermines the heart of our town, and fails to reflect
the personal character born from our unique history or architecture of the community. These
standards are intended to help correct this loss, and provide a vision for the future.
Malta’s Master Plan states “The Town will only be as great as the vision that guides it.” The
Town’s vision for the Routes 9 and 67 area is to create a downtown that gives identity to Malta
and the people who live here. We envision a traditional downtown – a walkable downtown with
an attractive traditional early American architecture – a downtown close to people who have
ownership in the Town and its appearance as a community and a downtown for families who
want to raise their children here and call Malta their hometown. In our Master Plan this
downtown area is identified as “Neighborhood #6” and is illustrated on page 19.
These architectural standards are intended to provide consistency, to assist property owners
and the town in the process of developing a coherent and attractive architectural identity in the
downtown area.
The standards have the following objectives:
• Raise public awareness of the importance of local
architectural character.
• Increase the appeal of a building’s façade and
neighborhood presence.
• Create design that is pedestrian friendly in the
downtown area.
• Stress the importance of how buildings can work
together to create an attractive theme or identity.
• Create a well designed environment that can
increase property values and improve safety.
The Design Review Process
The Town of Malta Master Plan shows one of its goals to be the development of architectural
standards for the downtown area. The standards will continue the traditional early American
theme for new and renovated structures. The design standards manual is specifically aimed at
accomplishing that goal and is intended to assist the Planning Board, Town Board, Building and
Planning Coordinator and property owners in the review process.
When initially coming in to Malta to build new or renovate, a pre-application meeting is required
between the Building and Planning Coordinator and the applicant. The design standards manual
is an advisory document which will be used as a guide during the process. Please note that the
manual may not be applicable to all buildings.
The illustrations and photos provided within these standards are intended as examples only and
should not be taken as literal architectural instructions. For additional information concerning
development within the Town of Malta, please refer to the Final Comprehensive Master Plan
and the Zoning Regulations.
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Town of Malta
Design Standards
NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN
The Town of Malta is working toward Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) principles that will
help guide its development over the decades to come and create a rich and lively community for
future generations. To this end, the Town is working towards the following goals:
Example of Traditional Neighborhood Design: Photo courtesy of I’On Village, Mt. Pleasant, SC
1. The creation of a discernable downtown area with a strong sense of place, where buildings
are located close to the street and pedestrian travel is made easy.
2. To reinforce the prominence of the existing gazebo park as a
discernable “town center” within the downtown area where
people can gather for special events or recreation.
3. To create a diverse mix of shops, offices and residential
properties.
4. The creation of a walkable community, connected by a network of sidewalks and crosswalks,
which will allow people to explore their neighborhood safely.
5. The creation of tree-lined streets which provide an
attractive neighborhood setting and encourage safe vehicle
speeds.
6. To encourage architectural designs to work together as a
whole to create a more coherent community.
The standards contained within this document are designed
to help work towards these goals. We ask that people who
wish to build new structures or renovate existing ones keep
these goals in mind when proposing new development.
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Design Standards
Town of Malta
SITE DESIGN
New site development within the downtown is encouraged to work towards the goals of the
Town Comprehensive Master Plan, and to be sympathetic to the surroundings.
1. New development is required to sit
up close to the front lot line to enliven
the street edge. Parking should be
reserved for the side or rear of the
building. (A)
2. Large developments which require
a significant parking capacity should
break the parking areas up into
smaller, separate segments to reduce
their impact. These separate parking
areas
should
serve
different
businesses at both the front and rear
of the property, and should be
separated to landscaped islands and
walkways which promote pedestrian
travel. (B)
Figure 1: The main public entry to a building should always be from the street.
3. Special consideration should be given to corner lots. Whenever possible, additional building
mass should be focused at the corner to anchor the building and promote the corner as a
gateway within the community. (C)
4. Continuous sidewalks should be provided along the full width of the property line to
encourage pedestrian travel from one lot to another. (D) Sidewalks should be uniformly
constructed of reinforced concrete 5 feet wide by 6 inches thick. (Refer to the Town of Malta
Linkage Study for additional information about sidewalk requirements.)
5. New construction should be near the road
and should attempt to align with the front of
neighboring buildings as much as possible to
create a consistent setback distance. (E)
6. Curb-cuts should be minimized whenever
possible. Parking lots which are adjacent to one
another must be linked. (F)
7. Gas stations and similar buildings must be
constructed up close to the front of the lot to
match the setbacks of adjacent buildings. The
associated pumps, canopies and parking can
then be placed on the side and rear to be
screened from view. (G)
Figure 2: Preferred gas station layout.
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Town of Malta
Design Standards
BUILDING HEIGHT & MASSING
New construction proposed for the Town of Malta is required to work with and take design cues
from the surrounding buildings and environment, rather than act as a stand-alone entity.
Figure 3: The building in the middle takes design cues from the buildings on either side of it by
aligning different datum lines, roof levels and sharing similarities in window type.
1. The height of new construction should complement the size of adjacent structures. (A)
2. The use of “datum lines” on a façade is a useful way to relate to an adjacent building when it
is not practical for them to be the same height. (B)
3. A building can help to reconcile the differences in height between two neighboring structures.
(C). This “two-level” design has the added benefit of breaking up the overall mass of the building
and giving it a smaller scale appearance.
4. Buildings that are two or more stories in height are best for defining a strong “street edge”
and appear more stately than squat, one-story buildings. (D)
5. It is important to create a strong street edge by aligning buildings with each other along the
street. This “street edge” effect is strengthened the closer the buildings are to each other and
the road, which helps to define a pedestrian space. A street edge may also be created or
reinforced with landscaping. Hedges,
trees, walls and other landscape
features can be used to establish this in
places where there is no building. (E)
Figure 4: The building in the middle
helps to define a coherent street edge
by aligning with one of the two adjacent
buildings. Whenever possible, it is
required to align with the building that is
closest to the street. Landscaping helps
to reinforce this edge. For additional
information about building placement
and setback requirements, please refer
to the Town of Malta Zoning
Regulations.
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Design Standards
Town of Malta
ROOF DESIGN
The Town of Malta prefers the use of sloped roof designs which give a village-neighborhood
appearance and reinforces the traditional early American style architectural theme.
Figure 5: The building with the sloped roof utilizes dormers which act as both interesting design
elements and help to divert snow and rain from dripping in front of doorways.
1. The roof of a building should meet the sky gracefully and be in keeping with the scale of the
structure itself. An early American style, pitched roof design is preferred, with a minimum slope
of 6:12. New flat roof structures are not desired. For remodeling of existing flat roof structures,
they are often best capped by a creative expression of the façade. (A)
2. Buildings with sloping roofs should employ the use of dormers and
gables on the street front to help maintain a prominent façade. (B)
3. Air handling units, condensers and other mechanical equipment
placed on the roof should not be visible from the street. (C)
4. Subtle breaks and fluctuations in the roofline can be used to
highlight important areas of the building such as the entry and break
up long runs of façade area. (D)
5. The roof of a structure must be designed so as to divert the fall of
rain and snow away from the pedestrian areas such as walkways and
doors. (E)
Figure 6: (Above) Example of a dormer being used to
both draw attention to a doorway into the building as well
as provide a diversion for rainwater runoff.
6. Longer overhangs are preferred at the eave and gable
ends of the roof.
Figure 7: (Right) Example of preferred traditional roof
style – separate “gazebo” entry canopy helps to direct
people to the main entry.
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Town of Malta
Design Standards
BUILDING SCALE
Building scale deals with the sizes of various parts of a building relative to each other and to
pedestrians. Structures which have a smaller scale appearance are generally required.
Figure 8: Two buildings of similar size, but different scale. The smaller building on the left has a
larger scale appearance because of its use of large concrete blocks and long, uninterrupted
window area.
1. The scale of new construction must be sympathetic to the scale of its neighboring buildings
whenever feasible. The use of similarly sized building materials and wall openings is one way to
help to achieve this effect. The larger blocks used at the corner of the one building are a
reaction to the large blocks used on the façade next door. (A)
2. A building’s appearance is more friendly and inviting if its scale is relatively small and
pedestrian oriented. By breaking the façade up into smaller sections and using smaller scale
materials, a more inviting design is created. (B)
3. Small scale materials such as brick and wood clapboard should be used on the street front
and other pedestrian areas. (C)
4. Larger scale materials, if necessary, should be reserved for the rear of buildings and out of
sight from the street. (D)
5. Large scale features, such as long rows of picture windows grouped tightly together, often
have the appearance of uninterrupted glass. (E) This effect can be avoided by breaking the
windows up into smaller groups, with larger divisions in between.
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Design Standards
Town of Malta
BUILDING SCALE
6. Parking lots, garage doors,
loading docks and drive-thru
facilities must be placed at the
side or rear of the building and
out of sight from the street. (F)
7. Large blank areas of wall
must not face the street. (G)
These should instead be
reserved for the side or rear of
the building and away from
pedestrian areas.
Figure 9: Using site design to
address issues of scale. Both
of these buildings put their best
face towards the street, and
have facades designed with
similar scale. The building near
the top also has a large
garage/warehouse component,
which it hides in back behind
the main building. By placing
the smaller scale element in
front of the larger one, it helps
to reduce the perceived scale
of the building.
8. Buildings of two or more
stories can often benefit from subtle divisions that help to differentiate the base, middle and top
portions of the structure. (H)
9. The scale and appearance of a building can be vastly improved with subtle articulations and
designs that can create a more interesting façade. (I)
10. Buildings which require large, bulky components such as warehouses or multi-bay garages
must place these structures as a separate mass in the back behind the main “front-office”
building. The main “front-office” building, even if it is smaller, will help to shield it from view.
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Town of Malta
Design Standards
BUILDING PROPORTIONS
Building Proportion deals with the relative shape of a building and its parts with regard to width
and height, usually understood as a ratio such as “1:2”. For example, a window which is four
times as tall as it is wide would have a ratio of “1:4 “, which is generally vertical in proportion.
Figure 10: Taking cues from your neighbor. Although these buildings look very different from
each other, they can share similarly proportioned elements to help tie them together visually.
1. The proportion of design elements, such as windows and bays, should be in keeping with the
proportions of adjacent structures. The buildings shown in Figure 6 have windows which are the
same relative proportion to each other. (A)
2. The relative proportions of design elements in a structure are most successful when kept
consistent throughout the design, creating a coherent overall picture. The buildings shown in
Figure 6 have both large and small windows which are generally the same proportion to each
other. (B)
3. Vertical proportioning systems used
throughout a design can help a building
appear taller than it really is and are
recommended because they have a nice
relationship to human proportions. The
vertically
proportioned
“bays”
are
represented by the porch columns and
the design elements above them. (C)
4. The proportion of structural elements
such as posts or columns must express
their strength and not appear to spindly
for the weight they carry. (D)
Figure 11: Detail of façade. The relative
proportions of the windows and columns
are illustrated. All of the windows are
twice as tall as they are wide. All of the
columns are 10 times as tall as they are
wide.
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Design Standards
Town of Malta
FAÇADE COMPOSITION
Façade Composition concerns the arrangement of design elements, such as windows and bays,
in a recognizable and consistent composition. The consistent spacing of elements along a
façade, called “rhythm”, is one example of this. Symmetry is another common composition.
Figure 12: Two different buildings working with similar façade rhythms: The repeated bay
spacing of the porch on the left is mimicked by the window spacing on the right.
1. The use of an easily recognizable pattern in the façade often makes it more coherent and
understandable to the observer. (A)
2. Breaks and fluctuations in the overall rhythm of a building can be used to draw attention to
important areas such as the entry, or to simply relieve the monotony of a very long façade. (B)
3. The use of a front porch or colonnade is a very useful way of creating a strong rhythm, and
also provides shelter for pedestrians. (C) The expression on the facade of the structural bay
system within is another way to display rhythm.
4. Building design must complement the rhythms or bay systems of adjacent buildings when
they are expressed on the façade. (D)
5. Designs can also benefit from having multiple rhythms working simultaneously. For example,
a smaller pattern repeated inside a larger pattern. (E)
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Town of Malta
Design Standards
FENESTRATION
Facade Fenestration measures the fluctuations of depth (such as a recessed entry way) and
openings (such as window area) on a façade. Such fluctuations help to show depth and express
shadows on a façade.
1. Subtle fluctuations in the plane of the
façade can create an interesting design
and reinforce intended rhythms and
patterns. (A)
2. Multi-story buildings achieve a more
balanced façade
composition
with
decreasing fenestration levels on higher
floors. (B) For example, a building would
have deep recesses and large windows
on the first floor, but shallow recesses and
smaller windows on the upper floor.
3. At street level pedestrian areas,
buildings are encouraged to be open and
inviting, with large display windows for
people to glance into. (C) Sidewalks,
benches, and other amenities should be
provided to encourage pedestrian traffic.
Figure 13: Depth of a façade: The
shadows created by using depth give the
building a solid appearance, and create a
visual contrast.
4. Recessing windows slightly or expressing structural bays on the facade allows sunlight and
shadows to give the building a more solid and three-dimensional appearance. (D)
5. Openings in masonry façades should express a structural lintel or arch to show how it is
carrying the weight above. (E)
6. The entry to a building is the best place to be creative with the use of depth and façade
articulation. (F) The added design feature and shadows created by this will help to clearly
identify the point of entry to visitors.
7. The addition of awnings at selected places along a façade is also a great way to create
articulation and shadows.
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Design Standards
Town of Malta
MATERIALS & COLORS
Figure 14: The key to using different materials and colors together successfully is balance.
1. Building materials commonly found in the adjacent structures and surrounding area must be
incorporated within new design.
2. Smaller, natural materials must be used whenever possible, especially on the front façade
and pedestrian areas. (A)
3. When using more than one material in a façade, it is required to have one as the main theme
with the others acting only to complement and accentuate the design. (B) Likewise, when using
multiple colors on the exterior of the building, one color must be used as the dominant theme,
with the other colors used more sparingly to create accents.
4. The use of color on a building must complement the colors found nearby and be of a natural,
muted shade.
5. Normal concrete block is not allowed as a main façade material because of its flat, drab
appearance, but other varieties of colored and split block can be used effectively to create
design accents. (C) For a more complete listing of approved materials, please refer to the chart
on the following page.
6. Special patterns included in the brick, tile or roofing every now and then can create a lively
and interesting design. (D)
Figure 15: When making a transition from one type of material
or color to the next, it is required that the change be placed at
a hard edge or small “bump-out” in the façade.
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Town of Malta
Design Standards
MATERIALS & COLORS
The following list is intended as a general guide to the approved materials for use within the
Design Review District of Malta. It is not intended to be comprehensive. (Actual materials and
colors should be approved by the town.)
ELEMENT
Façade
Approved
Common red brick
• bare (consistent tone)
• painted approved color
Special masonry units
• textured
• colored
• split-face
Natural stone
Wood clapboard or shingle
NOT Approved
Beige brick
Multi-colored brick
Imitation brick siding
Pain (bare) masonry units
Vinyl siding
Metal siding
Exterior Insulation Finish Systems
Imitation stone
Asphalt siding
Trim
Wood
• finished grade
• painted
• stained
Bare wood (lumber grade)
Windows
Anodized aluminum frame
• approved color
Wood frame
• painted or stained approved color
Vinyl clad
• approved color
Lintels (over openings)
• brick
• limestone
• colored concrete
Clear/etched or frosted glass
Stained glass
Bare aluminum frame
Roof
Natural slate
Standing seam metal
• small seam width, approved color
Asphalt shingles
• black, single tone
Parapet caps
• stone, concrete or limestone
Imitation slate
Other
Canvas awnings
• 3 color maximum, approved colors
Walkway pavers/sidewalk
• brick, colored paving stone
• stamped or poured concrete
Plastic awnings
Mirrored glass
Asphalt walkways
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Design Standards
Town of Malta
SIGNAGE & LIGHTING
Figure 16: For best results, signage and lighting must be kept as simple and straightforward as
possible. Too much information on the outside of a building is distracting and appears cluttered.
1. All developments, renovations, repairs, and/or movement of location, which necessitate new
signage, must be approved and are required to satisfy signage standards as stipulated in this
section.
2. Logos and lettering are restricted to 18 inches or less. Window signs are not allowed on
window exteriors and cannot exceed 30% or 100 square feet, whichever is less, of the area of
window interiors. For businesses on streets where the speed limit is less than 45 miles per
hour, freestanding signs cannot exceed 10 feet in height. Freestanding signs in much of the
downtown business district cannot exceed 12 square feet; signs in other areas where speed
limits are less than 45 miles per hour cannot exceed 24 square feet.
3. Building signage must be simple and integrated into the design of the façade itself, scaled
down as much as possible. (A)
4. The street address must always be clearly displayed near the entry on every building so that
people can find their way around the neighborhood. (B) Their letters must be between 4” and 8”
tall, and contrast well with the background to be easily readable from the street. Buildings which
are set back very far from the road may instead display their address on an approved
identification sign near the street, if applicable.
5. Exterior awnings are often a nice method of helping to mark the entry to a
building, providing shelter for pedestrians and creating a place to display the
street address. (C)
6. Buildings with multiple tenants should work together to coordinate common
sizes, colors and placements for street addresses, names, etc. (D)
7. Building signs must always be near the main entry to a building, in front,
addressing the street and at least 15 feet from right-of-way. (E)
8. Freestanding signs must be small and unobtrusive, and placed so as not to obstruct the view
of drivers in vehicles pulling out into traffic. Their materials must be consistent with the materials
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Town of Malta
Design Standards
of the building and satisfy the “Malta Signs Color Scheme.” (Refer to Malta Sign Paint Choices
Color Chart)
9. Exterior lighting fixtures must be traditional “period” style, in
keeping with the traditional early American architectural
theme. (See Examples Below)
10. Exterior lighting must be between 100 – 150 watts
11. Lighting used for landscaping and signs must be kept to
comfortable levels (0.5 to 1.0 foot-candles) Higher levels of
lighting (2-5 foot-candles) are only needed in areas of high
security.
Figure 17: Example of period style lamps found in Malta.
12. Lighting used for landscaping and signs must include full shielding that eliminates glare with
no light projected above the horizontal level into the sky. The light from such fixtures must not
spill over onto adjoining properties. The surface of any bare, exposed bulbs must not be readily
visible.
13. Lighting for signs must be top mounted fixtures which
project downward only onto the sign surface itself.
Internally lit signs are not allowed. (Fig. 18)
14. The use of High Pressure Sodium lights are
recommended for typical exterior uses. Mercury vapor,
low pressure sodium, neon and laser lights are not
allowed.
Figure 18: Preferred sign lighting method.
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Design Standards
Town of Malta
15. Freestanding lamp posts must only be as tall as
necessary. Parking lot lights must be between 15 - 20
feet tall maximum. Street sidewalk lights should be
between 10 - 15 feet high maximum. Walkway lights
must not be taller than 3 feet. Lighting fixtures must
complement those of adjacent properties.
16. Exterior gas station canopy lights must be recessed
within their housing so as to focus their illumination
directly downward. Lamp styles which allow the canopy
lights to illuminate the surroundings beyond the pumping
area are not allowed.
Figure 19: Preferred lamp style casts
light downward only.
Examples:
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Town of Malta
Design Standards
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Design Standards
Town of Malta
Map of Downtown Area
Downtown district of Malta (Neighborhood #6) as defined in May 2003. Refer to zoning maps,
Final Comprehensive Master Plan and the Town of Malta Linkage Study on file in the town
offices for any updates or changes which may have occurred to this district.
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