In mid-September 2005 at the work session of the Planning and Zoning Commission several members of the community, some of whom confessed to not having read all – or even any – of the proposed design standards, referred to them as “onerous” and “fiscally unreasonable.” Their concern appeared to be that these design standards would make construction so burdensome and cost-prohibitive that no company would choose to locate a large business here.

However, many Gunnison businesses have self-imposed some or all of the proposed design standards on themselves without being required to do, and apparently none of these businesses found these costs impossible to bear or budget-breaking. One might argue that these businesses took on these design costs because they perceived an economic benefit in making their buildings attractive.

A quick and by no means comprehensive survey of Main Street businesses this week provides some good examples of the proposed design standards:

• Under the standards, designers must insure that at least 60 percent of the ground floor space is devoted to arcades, windows, an entry area, or awnings.

» Arcades are a popular design element for businesses of all sizes, utilized most recently by True Value Hardware and Family Dollar.

Figure 1 – True Value Hardware and Family Dollar Store (Arcade)

» Large window space can be found in several buildings as well, including the newly remodeled building on the southwest corner of Main and Virginia streets as well as the Bank of the West, diagonally across the same intersection.

Figure 2 – Newly remodeled building at Main and Virginia

Figure 3 – Bank of the West Building (note ground floor windows)

» The Toggery features an awning, and The Print Shop, at its new location, recently applied to the city and received permission for its awning – a standard which would be automatically allowed for large buildings.

Figure 4 – The Toggery (awning)

Figure 5 – The Print Shop (awning)

» City Market offers an example of an entry area that would meet the proposed standards. In fact, much about the City Market building already incorporates features the ordinance would require, including the articulated primary façade with 10-feet variation in articulations. It also offers a color change on its secondary facades, one of the options for side wall design.

Figure 6 - City Market Front Façade (articulation)

Figure 7 - City Market Side Wall (color variation)

» Another choice is a series of reveals, such as those found along the second story of the Bank of the West (see figure 3, above).

» On the south side of The Grease Monkey, where chip-boarded bays await tenants, ribs make a design statement.

Figure 8 - The Grease Monkey (architectural ribs)

» Change in building material is a popular option in Gunnison, and can be found at Wells Fargo Bank, which also features a standard-conforming entrance.

Figure 9 - Wells Fargo Bank (color change, entrance)

• Entrances would be required to utilize at least three of twelve design elements: canopies, overhangs, recesses, arcades, corniced parapets, peaked roofs, arches, outdoor patios, display windows, architectural details, or planters. Note that a retailer could comply by using only three of the twelve elements listed.

» Comfort Inn offers a canopy and peaked roof.

Figure 10 - Comfort Inn (canopy and peaked roof)

» City Market incorporates several elements with its overhang, arcade, and outdoor patio (please see figure 6, above).

• Predominant building materials must be of high quality and color shades must help to unify the development. Materials such as brick, sandstone, native stone, tinted/textured concrete masonry, brick, or stone, wood and log – all acceptable materials - abound in existing buildings. Metal can be used for roofing and for accenting other siding materials provided that they have non-metallic luster. Some of the buildings on Main Street offer allowed materials up to the roof of the arcade before opting for disallowed metal siding.

Figure 11 - Sherwin Williams and Colorado Fitness (building materials)

» Community Banks of Colorado offers an extremely attractive brick façade while Rocky Mountain Real Estate is an excellent example of log construction.

Figure 12 - Community Banks (material: brick facade)

Figure 13 - Rocky Mountain Real Estate (material: logs)

» Both Bank of the West (figure 6) and the Gunnison Municipal Building are prominent in their use of glass.

Figure 14 - Gunnison Municipal Building (materials: glass)

» Gunnison Savings and Loan offers attractive shapes in a sandstone finish.

Figure 15 - Gunnison Savings and Loan (shapes, materials)

» Wal-Mart offers textured masonry topped by bricks.

Figure 16 - Wal-Mart (materials: textured masonry and bricks)

• Color shades must be low reflectance, subtle, neutral, or earth tone. Building trim and accent areas may feature brighter colors, including primary colors, but neon lighting is not permitted for trim or accent areas.

» Many Main Street businesses, including Wal-Mart, meet the proposed standards for color, which require neutral, light, or earth tones, with bright and primary colors reserved for accents.

» Parapets, offered as one means of addressing roof design, abound on Main Street, particularly downtown in the form of false fronts. A good example is the façade of the French Electric Dry Cleaners and Laundry.

Figure 17 - French Electric Laundry (parapet: false front)

» The Gunnison Arts Center offers roofline design elements, as well.

Figure 18 - Gunnison Arts Center (roofline elements)

» Multiple roof planes can be found on a number of buildings, including Wells Fargo Bank (figure 9) and Community Banks (figure 12).

» One building that deserves special mention is Back at the Ranch Furniture, which appears to have met or exceeded nearly all of the proposed design standards – before any of them were proposed. This business voluntarily adopted these standards, and it did not go broke doing so.

Figure 19 - Back at the Ranch Furniture

• Each retail establishment must provide at least two of the following: patio/seating area, pedestrian plaza or pocket park with benches, transportation center, shopping walkway, outdoor playground area, kiosk area, water feature, clock tower or other such deliberately shaped area enhances the community.

» City Market has a patio/seating area, while several businesses offer sculptures and other art work.

Figure 20 - City Market (patio/seating area)

• Where screening is required, screening must use opaque walls and landscaping.

» Wells Fargo has an attractive enclosure to screen its dumpsters from the street.

Figure 21 - Wells Fargo Bank (enclosure screening trash receptacles)

Conclusion

It is easy to find additional examples of voluntary compliance with the proposed design standards and we invite council and commission members, as well as the citizens of Gunnison, to tour the commercial district with a copy of the standards in hand to see them.

Sound design standards encourage a sense of pride in a community, make the community attractive to visitors who contribute to the economic vitality of the city, and provide a good return on investment to businesses. Companies such as the ones shown here have made an additional statement: that they consider themselves a vital part of Gunnison and that they intend to stay here for the long term. We should encourage the same commitment on the part of those who propose to join us here.