Design Review Guidelines and Code Provisions
Contents
- General Multifamily and Commercial Design Guidelines
- Design Review of Downtown Development
- Single-Family Design Review
- Historic Preservation Design Review
- Guidelines for Transportation Corridors
- Guidelines for Large-Scale (Big-Box) Retail Development
- Subarea and Neighborhood Design Guidelines
General Multifamily and Commercial Design Guidelines
This section includes sample general design review manuals and guidelines for commercial, mixed-use and multifamily development. It includes some code provisions and design review processes.
- Arlington Development Guidelines and Central Business District Design Standards (
12.4 MB)
- Bainbridge Island Municipal Code, Ch. 18.41 - Design Guidelines
- Bellevue Land Use Code, Part 20.30F - Design Review
- Camas Design Review Manual: Gateways, Commercial, Mixed-Use and Multifamily Uses (578.8 KB) 2002
- Edmonds
- Edmonds Municipal Code, Ch. 20.10 - Architectural Design Review
- Design Guidelines (2001 Draft) (1.5MD)
- Ellensburg
- Enumclaw Municipal Code, Ch. 19.12 - Design Regulations
- Gig Harbor
- Gig Harbor Design Review Manual (8.7 MB) 2004
- Gig Harbor Municipal Code, Ch. 17.98 - Design Standards and Review ()
- Gig Harbor Design Review Manual (
- Langley Municipal Code, Ch. 18.34 - Design Review Board (scroll to Ch. 18.34)
- Mill Creek Municipal Code, Ch. 17.34 - Design Review
- Oak Harbor Design Regulations & Guidelines, 2006 Update
- Olympia
- Olympia Municipal Code, Ch. 18.76 - Design Review Board
- Olympia Municipal Code, Ch. 18.100 - Design Review
- Olympia Municipal Code, Ch. 18.110 - Basic Commercial Design Criteria
- Puget Sound Regional Council, Design Guidelines Manual, Destination 2030, Physical Design Guidelines (2.0 MB)
- Redmond Community Development Guide, Ch. 20.40 - Design Standards (see Sec. 20.40.100 - City Center Design Standards and subsequent sections regarding commercial design standards)
- Seattle Design Review Guidelines (including design review guidelines for downtown, multifamily and commercial development and neighborhood-specific guidelines)
- Snohomish Design Standards and Guidelines (outside the Historic District) (1.0 MB) April 2004
- Sumner
- Sumner Urban Design Concept Plan and Design and Development Guidelines (5.1 MB) 2003
- Sumner Municipal Code, Ch. 18.40 - Design and Development Guidelines
- Sumner Urban Design Concept Plan and Design and Development Guidelines (
- Tumwater Municipal Code, Ch. 18.43 - Design Review Guidelines
- Vancouver Municipal Code, Ch. 20.265 - Design Review.
Out of State
- Austin (TX) Downtown Design Guidelines (also available as pdf)
- Fort Collins (CO Land Use Code, Division 3.5 - Building Standards
- Portland (OR) Design Guidelines - Links to a variety of design guideline documents
- Portland (OR) Zoning Code, Ch. 33.218 - Community Design Standards (651.8 KB)
- Vancouver (BC) Design Guidelines and other documents.
Design Review of Downtown Development
- Downtowns Developed Around Themes (MRSC)
- Bellingham City Center Design Standards (973 KB) 2002
- Burien Municipal Code, Ch. 19.47 - Downtown Design Standards (70 KB)
- Kirkland Design Guidelines for Pedestrian-Oriented Business Districts (5.4 MB) 2004
- Leavenworth Municipal Code, Ch. 14.08 - Old World Bavarian Architectural Theme
- Lynnwood City Center Design Guidelines, () LMN Architects, 2005
- Portland (OR) Central City Fundamental Design Guidelines, 2001 (Several documents under Design Guidelines)
- Seattle Design Review Guidelines for Downtown Development (3.2 MB) 1999
- Spokane Downtown Design Guidelines (1.34 MB) October 2000
- Tumwater Town Center Street Design Plan (540.2 KB) March 2004
- University Place Municipal Code, Ch.19.50 - Design Standards for Town Center
- Vancouver, Downtown Design Guidelines Manual (2.3 KB) 1995
- Walla Walla
- Walla Walla Municipal Code, Ch. 20.178 - Design Standards for Downtown Walla Walla
- Downtown Walla Walla Foundation Design Standards - Summary information about downtown design review.
Single-Family Design Review
Single-family design guidelines generally focus on specific situations, such as neo-traditional development, garage design, steep slopes or unique lot conditions, or transitional areas adjacent to more intensive uses. Design review for single-family development is more common in California and Arizona than in the Northwest.
- Bainbridge Island, Design Guidelines for R-8SF Urban Single-Family Overlay District (92.1 KB)
- Gig Harbor, 3.13.01 "Single-Family Housing Standards," p. 87, in Gig Harbor Design Review Manual (8.7 MB) 2004
- Kennewick Municipal Code, Ch. 18.96 - Design Standards, Design Standards for Single Family Residential Development
- Oakland (CA) Special Residential Design Review Standards and Criteria, 1992, revised 2004
- Peoria (AZ) Single Family Design Review
- Phoenix (AZ) Single Family Design Review - Includes ordinance, guidelines and worksheet
- Sacramento (CA) Single Family and Two Family Design Standards
- San Mateo (CA) Single Family Design Review – Background and Guidelines
- Sumner, "Single-Family Residential/Traditional Neighborhood Community Design Optional Development Standards," p. 73, in Sumner Urban Design Concept Plan and Design and Development Guidelines (5.1 Mb) 2003.
Historic Preservation Design Review
Design review for historic properties is common and includes development within historic districts as well as individual designated structures outside of district. Design review of changes to historic properties addresses both preservation of key features of designated buildings and the compatibility of adjacent new development with historic buildings. Landmarks and historic district boards typically review changes to historic structures for compatibility with adopted guidelines that address important designated features of a building and/or characteristics of buildings within a historic district. Many historic preservation guidelines for design review are based on The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Most preservation boards have adapted The Secretary of the Interior's Standards by developing their own guidelines for changes to historic properties.
- Clark County Historic Preservation Commission, Rules and Procedures for Design Review
- Creating & Using Design Guidelines, National Park Service - Series of articles about historic preservation design guidelines
- Historic Preservation Design Guidelines from around the U.S., University of Georgia, College of Environment and Design, Owens Library - Links to documents from other states
- Preparing a Project for Design Review, Technical Paper No. 13. 1999, King County Historic Preservation Program - Explains the purpose of design review and Certificate of Appropriateness process
- Snohomish Historic District Design Standards (2.3MB) 2003
- City-County of Spokane Historic Preservation Office, Design Review.
Guidelines for Transportation Corridors
Some communities have developed special design guidelines for major transportation routes, including scenic corridors. These are different from public works street design manuals, which focus on engineering construction specifications.
- Edmonds Highway 99 Enhancement Project, () Makers Architecture and Urban Design, 2004 and report cover ()
- Kitsap County Bethel Road Corridor Development Plan (includes design guidelines and development standards)
- Main Street Silicon Valley Report: Connecting Communities along El Camino Real and Monterey Highway (CA), () Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network, October 2004
- Neighborhood Street Design Guidelines, An Oregon Guide for Reducing Street Widths (1.5 MB) Oregon Transportation and Growth Management, 2000
- Pacific Highway Design Manual / City of Tukwila, 1997. [PL 10.4000 T8 P33 1997] (Request from MRSC Library)
- Portland (OR) Terwilliger Parkway Design Guidelines (85 KB) 1983
- Seattle, Terry Avenue Street Design Guidelines
- Shoreline Aurora Corridor Project
- Sumner, East Main Design Strategy
- Whidbey Scenic Isle Way Corridor Management Plan (8.4 MB) 2004.
Guidelines for Large-Scale (Big-Box) Retail Development
Some communities have developed special design guidelines to address big-box retail development, such as Wal-Mart, Costco, Home Depot, and other warehouse-type commercial development.
- Design Guidelines, section of MRSC Web page on Regulation of Large Retail Establishments (Big Box Retail).
Subarea and Neighborhood Design Guidelines
- Seattle, Applicant's Toolbox: Design Guidelines (select by neighborhood)
- Austin (TX) Neighborhood Design Guidelines.