Page 9 - San Marcos, TX Design Manual

A APPENDIX Design Guidelines

Division 4: DEsiGn GUiDELinEs

Section A.1.4.1 Building Height

A. The variety in building heights that exist helps to define the character of the area. New development should continue the tradition of height
variation, expressing and supporting human scale and architectural diversity in the area. New buildings above three stories should set
back upper floors to maintain a sense of human scale at the street and minimize impacts to lower scale historic structures in the district.
The following Table 1.1 should be used when analyzing requests for additional height.

Table 1.1: Height strategy by Context
Design Context Goal(s) Additional Height in First and second Additional Height in Third Layer
Layer
University Edge Preserve key public views up the Alternatives which maintain sufficient Alternatives may be considered where taller
hill to campus. Create a transition in public access to key views up the hill may structures will provide greater residential
height from the Downtown Core to be considered. Building height that relates opportunities within proximity to campus
the University. to traditional building heights in the and key views are sufficiently maintained.
Downtown Historic District is appropriate. Additional height may be considered when
it is found to meet the requirements for
alternative compliance and especially the
design guidelines for varied massing and
expression within the First and Second
Layers.
Downtown Core Maintain compatibility with Flexibility for building height requirements No additional height adjacent to the
traditional buildings in the may be considered where it will not be Downtown Historic District. Additional
Downtown Historic District. visible from the square. Overall mass height may be considered where it will not
Courthouse Square. should maintain a sense of human scale obscure key views. Additional height may
and not appear out of character with be considered where it will not obscure key
Building height should be compatible with views, but additional height above five stories
the historic buildings in the Downtown is discouraged in this design context.
Historic District.
Residential/ Maintain a sense of scale that No additional height. Additional height should only be permitted if
Transition Edge relates to the adjacent residential it is not visible from the public right of way or
zoning districts and uses. Create the adjacent residential neighborhoods. No
a transition from higher scale additional height.
development in the Downtown Core.
Minimize impacts from higher scale
development on the character of
adjacent residential neighborhoods.
Provide a transition in scale
between the CD-5D zoning T5 zone
and the neighborhoods.

A:10 San Marcos Design Manual