Chapter 11-17 PEDESTRIAN COMMERCIAL (PC) ZONING DISTRICT Sections: 11-17-01 GENERAL PURPOSE 11-17-02 PERMITTED BUILDING TYPES 11-17-03 USES PERMITTED WITH DESIGN REVIEW 11-17-04 USES PERMITTED BY CONDITIONAL USE WITH DESIGN REVIEW 11-17-05 PROHIBITED USES 11-17-06 SETBACK REQUIREMENTS 11-17-07 GENERAL PROVISIONS 11-17-08 HEIGHT 11-17-09 PARKING AREAS 11-17-10 TRANSITION YARDS 11-17-11 STREET YARDS 11-17-12 SIGNAGE 11-17-13 ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR RESIDENTIAL USES IN THE PC DISTRICT Section 11-17-01 GENERAL PURPOSE The Pedestrian Commercial (PC) district is coded to provide for the pedestrian-friendly design of retail, office and mixed use developments. This code sets forth development standards for properties in areas designated on the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map and Vision Map as Commercial or Mixed Use. The PC District may also be used to demonstrate compliance with Comprehensive Plan policies when a commercial use is requested but the parcel in question has not been designated on the Land Use Map for Commercial Use, or as a means of permitting mid-block commercial development that meets the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. Residential uses are encouraged in conjunction with commercial uses in this district. The purpose of these provisions is to facilitate convenient access, minimize traffic congestion, and reduce visual clutter along arterials and collectors, while fostering a pedestrian-oriented design. Buildings must be located and designed to relate to the street with a pedestrian scale. Generally, parking is permitted to the side or rear of the buildings only. Parking may also be permitted in a courtyard area created by the articulation of the building (or buildings) around the lot. No parking space shall be closer to the street than the building. (5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-02 PERMITTED BUILDING TYPES Three types of buildings may exist along highways under the standards of this code: A. Rear Yard Building This type of building occupies the front of its lot, full width, leaving the rear portion as a private space. This is a relatively urban type appropriate for neighborhood and town centers, as well as pedestrianfriendly highway commercial areas. The building facade clearly defines the edge of the public space while the rear elevation may be articulated for functional purposes. The depth of the rear yard can contain substantial parking.
B. Side Yard Building This type of building occupies one side of the lot with the primary open space to the other side. The visual manifestation of the side yard on the street front causes this building type to appear freestanding, so that it may be interspersed with other building types. If the adjacent building is also a side yard type with a blank party wall, the open space can be quite private. This type permits systematic climatic orientation with the long side yard elevation facing the sun or breeze. The side yard can be used for parking. C. Courtyard Building This type of building occupies all or most of the edges of its lot while internally defining one or more private spaces. This is the most urban of types and it is able to completely shield the private realm from a public realm of great intensity. If the front or rear of the courtyard is left open, the courtyard interior may be used for parking.
(6315, Amended, 04/20/2004; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-03 USES PERMITTED WITH DESIGN REVIEW - Commercial Uses (including Retail, Dining, Service, Medical/Dental, Schools, Office, Wholesaling) up to 30,000 square feet of individual building area. - Residential Uses (6226, Amended, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-04 USES PERMITTED BY CONDITIONAL USE WITH DESIGN REVIEW
- Commercial Uses as defined above with individual buildings that exceed 30,000 square feet of building area. - Entertainment Uses (including Theaters, Arcades) - Hotel/Motels - Gasoline Sales combined with Convenience Retail. - Taverns and Brew Pubs (6226, Amended, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-05 PROHIBITED USES - Adult Businesses - Automotive/Boat/Heavy Equipment/Manufactured Homes Sales and/or Service - Car Washes - Gasoline and Service Stations without Convenience Retail - Heavy manufacturing and/or warehousing - Outdoor Sales and/or Storage as a primary use - Parking Lots as a primary use - Residential uses that are not secondary to a principle commercial use - Truck Terminals - Uses of similar nature which do not typically cater to pedestrians (6226, Amended, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-06 SETBACK REQUIREMENTS Building Setbacks Minimum Front: - 20 feet on arterials - 15 feet on arterials when one or more of the following conditions are present, and subject to discretionary approval under Section 11-17-11G: 1. Legal on-street parking exists adjacent to the project 2. A landscape median exists in the roadway adjacent to the project 3. The arterial is designed as a 3-lane roadway adjacent to the project - 15 feet on local streets and collectors; Maximum Front: - 30 feet on arterials, 22 feet collectors and local streets. Exterior Side: - Same as Front Minimums and Maximums except 0 feet for side alleys. Interior Side: -0 feet unless abutting existing residential, then 10 feet. Rear: - Buildings up to 35 feet in height - 15 feet minimum (Exceptions: 0 feet for buildings that are located on public alleys; five feet for covered parking accessed from an alley, or when the rear of the lot abuts another parking area of at lease 30 feet in depth). - Buildings greater than 35 feet in height - 30 feet (Exceptions: 15 feet when the rear of the lot abuts a non-residential use or when the rear of the lot abuts another parking area of a least 30 feet in depth.) a) Front and exterior side setbacks shall be measured from immediately behind the curb. b) Utility easements, when located in the front landscape strip, shall be in addition to the minimum required landscape area and setback. c) Awnings, colonnades and similar architectural features may extend five feet over a private walkway in the front and exterior side setback area, provided they do not block pedestrian access on either the public sidewalk or the private walkway. d) Parking and storage areas shall be set back a minimum of 10 feet from the rear property line. e) All structures and facades shall meet the clear vision triangle standards of Section 11-01-01.4.
Typical Cross-Section on Arterial (6226, Amended, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-07 GENERAL PROVISIONS A. Accessory buildings, satellite dishes and other similar structures shall be constructed in the rear yard only and shall adhere to the standard setback requirements of this code. B. Drive-through windows and services shall be accessed at the side and rear property lines. C. Driveways to parking areas shall not exceed 24 feet in width (two lanes) or 12 feet in width (one lane). D. Alleys shall be 20 feet in width and constructed to the standards of the Ada County Highway District. E. All ancillary equipment or facilities (gasoline pumps, car washes, etc.) shall be set to the side or rear of the principle building. F. Hedges, garden walls and fences may be built on property lines provided that they do not obstruct sidewalks or drive aisles. Front yard fences and walls shall not exceed 4 feet in height. Side and rear yard fences shall not exceed 6 feet in height. G. Trash containers, mechanical equipment and outdoor storage shall be located in the rear yard and shall be screened from view with a wood fence, brick wall, landscaping or any combination thereof.
H. Main customer access shall be in the front half of the building nearest the fronting street. I. Bays and garages may not face the street. J. Zero-foot setback interior side yard building walls shall be constructed without windows and with an appropriate fire wall in order to allow the future attachment of an adjacent building. K. Height and setback provisions of this code vary dependent upon whether the subject site abuts an arterial/collector or a local road, and upon the number of lanes. When determining the street type and appropriate setbacks, the ultimate right of way and lane design as indicated in the most recently adopted North Ada County Regional Transportation Plan shall be used. L. Conditional Use applications under this code are intended for unusual uses and/or larger projects that may not easily comply with the standards or intent of this code. When considering such a Conditional Use application, the Commission may grant deviations from the code (such as to allow a large shopping center to have buildings dispersed around a site, not just at curb-side) without need for granting of a variance, provided that the intent of the code to provide a pedestrian-oriented design and an attractive, uncluttered street scene that is not dominated by parking lots is met. (6226, Renumbered, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-08 HEIGHT Maximum height for all structures: 50 feet on four or more lane arterials (or streets with 80 feet of rightof-way), 35 feet on all others. Two to three story buildings are preferred on four or more lane arterials. When a building is on a corner lot and has frontage on both an arterial and a collector, the height allowed for the arterial frontage may also be allowed for the collector frontage. (6226, Amended, 04/22/2003; 6226, Renumbered, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-09 PARKING AREAS A. Parking lots shall not dominate the street frontage, interrupt pedestrian routes, or negatively impact surrounding neighborhoods. All parking areas shall be located to the side or rear of the principle building. Parking lots should be located behind buildings or in the interior of a block whenever possible. B. Parking areas shall not abut street intersections, be adjacent to squares or parks, or occupy lots which terminate a street vista. A street vista means the view, framed by buildings, at the termination of the axis of a thoroughfare. C. All sites, where feasible, shall provide two-way cross-access to adjacent parcels. D. Parking ratios for non-residential uses shall be as established in Chapter 11-10, Off- Street Parking Requirements, except that a 10% (cumulative to 30%) reduction in non-residential parking is allowed for each of the following categories of criteria that a development can be found to meet: i) Located on an active transit route (10%) ii) Located on a street with a striped bike lane (10%) iii) Includes an integrated residential component pursuant to this code that constitutes at least one-third of the floor area of the development; or shares primary vehicular and pedestrian access with an abutting residential use (the residential street and sidewalk system bisect the shopping center and primary access to the pedestrian commercial development is
taken from the residential street) (10%). E. All developments shall provide bike racks in a prominent location at a ratio of one space per 5,000 square feet of gross building area. F. All developments are encouraged to provide joint use of parking facilities pursuant to Section 11-10, of the zoning ordinance. Allowance of joint use may be made in addition to the maximum 30% reduction allowed for in this code. G. No development may provide parking in excess of 10% more than the minimum requirements established in Chapter 11-10. H. Alley loaded covered parking shall be set back five feet, behind a paved apron. I. No off-street parking shall be located within any front yard. (Exception: Disabled Parking). J. Parking spaces and drive aisles shall be constructed in accordance with the standards established in Chapter 10, Off-Street Parking and Loading Requirements. K. Landscaping Requirements shall be as established in Chapter 10, with the exception of section 11-17-11 below for Transition Yards and section 11-17-12 below for Street Yards. (6842, Amended, 05/08/2012; 6226, Amended, 04/22/2003; 6226, Renumbered, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-10 TRANSITION YARDS Pedestrian Commercial lots which abut existing residential lots shall provide an opaque screen/buffer between the two uses in order to minimize visual contact and create a strong impression of spatial separation. This may include a wall, wood fence, landscaped earthen berm, planted vegetation, existing vegetation or any combination of these elements. Minimum planter width shall be 10 feet. Intermittent planting of deciduous and evergreen trees shall obtain a height at maturity of no less than twenty (20) feet and have no unobstructed openings wider than ten (10) feet between tree canopies upon maturity. Species selection shall be provided for in accordance with the Boise Community Forester s Tree Selection Guide or with approval of the City Forester. Pathway, driveway or roadway connections between uses may cross these buffer areas. When, in conjunction with a PC district development, new residential development is proposed on a back or side lot, with shared parking and/or vehicular access between the PC district and the residential district, the transition yard requirements may be waived or modified by the approving body, provided that the landscape requirements of Chapter 10 are met. (6226, Renumbered, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-11 STREET YARDS A. A minimum ten foot wide sidewalk, of which at least the outer five feet shall be secured by public easement, shall be constructed along the entire street frontage of the PC lot. The sidewalk shall be separated from the street curb by a landscape strip that meets the dimensional standards of this code, except where the strip transitions to meet an existing curbside sidewalk on adjacent properties or where other flexibility is granted by this code. B. On arterials, the landscape strip between curbside and the public sidewalk shall be 10-feet wide,
unless the alternative reduced standard is granted based upon the criteria in Section 11-17-06 and 11-17-11C and G below. On local and collector streets, a five foot wide landscape strip shall be provided. These landscape area dimensions shall be in addition to any utility easement that exists adjacent to the sidewalk or curb. Paved sidewalk connections between a curbside sidewalk and the building shall be provided through the landscape area on 50 foot intervals at a minimum. C. Exception to Separated Sidewalk: In cases where the applicant can demonstrate that utility locations, existing mature landscaping or other unique circumstances preclude the use of a separated sidewalk as required by this code, the Design Review Board may allow alternative designs such as a curb-side sidewalk or a variation in the dimensions of the sidewalk and landscape strip, provided that street trees are still provided as required by the code. D. Minimum two-inch caliper trees shall be planted in the front and exterior side landscape area. Tree spacing shall be determined by the spread of the mature tree, so crowns of adjacent trees touch at maturity. Where possible, Class II or Class III species shall be used to provide the maximum environmental benefits. Species selection shall be approved by the City Forester. E. Where any building or combination of buildings has a continuous street facing facade 100 feet or greater in length, provisions for a Class II tree within a sufficiently sized landscaped building offset shall be incorporated into the project subject to the approval of Design Review and the Boise City Forester. F. Where tree planting is to occur within public rights-of-way, a planting permit shall be secured from the City Forester prior to species selection. All species planted within public rights-of-way shall have the approval of the City Forester and be in compliance with the City Tree Ordinance (Title 9, Chapter 16). G. Alternatives to the provision of the full width front and exterior side landscape area (such as tree wells and street furniture) may be allowed with Design Review and City Forester approval in instances where pedestrian activity is expected to be high, adjacent roadway design (as per 11-17- 06) is conducive to smaller setbacks and/or the surrounding streetscape would be better enhanced with alternative landscape and hardscape treatments. In these cases, the setback from back-ofcurb may be reduced through reduction of landscape area. The presence of overhead utility lines in the landscape area may also be cause for modifications to the tree planting requirements of this code, subject to Design Review and City Forester approval. (6226, Amended, 04/22/2003; 6226, Renumbered, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-12 SIGNAGE Wall signs, projecting wall signs and free-standing signs, as per the Boise City Sign Code for the C-1 district, are permitted. (6226, Renumbered, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998) Section 11-17-13 ADDITIONAL STANDARDS FOR RESIDENTIAL USES IN THE PC DISTRICT Residential uses are allowed as a secondary use at ground level or on upper floors above commercial or entertainment uses on the ground floor subject to the setbacks and height limitations stipulated in this code. In addition, the following standards shall apply: Minimum lot area per unit...2000 sq. ft.
Minimum unit size...500 sq. ft. Private open space (patio or balcony) per unit...60 sq. ft. Parking Requirement...1 space/unit +.5 space for each bedroom beyond 2. Parking Access: Must be accessed from the same driveway as the commercial parking area, however, residential parking spaces may be designated for the exclusive use of the residents. (6226, Amended, 04/22/2003; 6226, Renumbered, 04/22/2003; 5872, Added, 11/10/1998)