Town of Georgetown
Design Guidelines
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Introduction
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Between the Historic Commercial and Historic Residential Character Areas lies a portion of the historic district that has developed with influences from both areas. The Historic Mixed-Use Character Area serves as a buffer between the traditional two-story commercial center of downtown and the surrounding, smaller residential buildings.
As development occurred outside the downtown commercial core, buildings naturally reduced in size down to reflect less intense commercial activity. Commercial buildings were one- and two-story, wood frame construction with gabled roof forms and false fronts, and also appeared less transparent than their counterparts in the commercial core.
Larger institutional structures also appear in this area. These uses were typically located here because of the proximity to the downtown and the nature of their business-where goods and services are typically not for sale. The elementary school, Clear Creek County building and the old power station are some of the institutional buildings found here.
Summary of Key Characteristics
Key design characteristics of this Character Area include the following:
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mix of commercial and residential uses
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commercial and institutional buildings aligned at the sidewalk edge
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residential buildings set back with a front yard
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one- to two-story size
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wood frame construction dominates
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simple details seen on buildings
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vertically oriented, double-hung windows on residential, commercial and institutional buildings
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a combination of large storefront windows and smaller, multi-paned commercial display windows, where they exist
Design Goals
The Historic Mixed-Use Character Area should continue to develop with
small-size buildings that relate to the building forms seen traditionally.
Preservation of the original "transitional" character is an
important goal for this area. Each historic building significantly contributes
to the integrity of the town. This is especially important as new development
occurs. It is critical that new construction be compatible with the
historic character of the area.
The design goals for the Historic Mixed-Use Character Area are:
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To preserve all historic buildings that significantly contribute to the integrity of the town
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To maintain the small-size character of the area (e.g., Except for a few large institutional buildings, most structures are one- to two-stories in height.)
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To reinforce the "transitional" nature between the commercial core and the surrounding residential areas (e.g., New developments should not introduce building designs that were not a part of the tradition. For example, a two-story brick commercial building would be inappropriate.)
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To continue the wide range of uses found in the area including: houses, retail businesses, offices and institutional facilities
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To continue the wide range of traditional building materials found in the area, although it is preferred to use those materials seen on historic structures
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To develop an appropriate landscaping design for a site's use (e.g., When developing a residential site, use a front yard with accent landscaping or a fence to define the space. When developing a commercial or institutional site, provide amenities that will help to enhance the pedestrian experience.)
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To promote friendly, walkable streets (e.g., Projects that support pedestrian activity and contribute to the quality of life are encouraged.)
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To minimize the amount of light spill from a structure
Organization of This Chapter
This chapter presents the design policies and guidelines that are applicable
to both new construction and alterations of non-historic buildings located
in Georgetown's Historic Mixed-Use Character Area. They are organized
into three sections dealing with the following issues:
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Setting
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Building mass, size and form
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Building features
1. Mass and Size
The original residences and small, false- front commercial buildings contribute greatly to the overall character of this area. Although a few larger institutional structures exist, the smaller size and sloping roof forms of the simple residences and businesses dominated the scene historically and should continue to do so.
A. Maintain the average size of one- and two-story buildings.
- As a means of minimizing the perceived mass of a project, consider developing a set of smaller buildings, with one primary building and other subordinate structures, rather than one large structure.
- Consider a series of small building modules, or components, that may be interconnected.
B. Maintain the similarity of building heights.
- The apparent height of the primary facade should not exceed two stories. This includes additions and new construction.
- Limit the height of foundation walls to those seen historically.
2. Building and Roof Form
Historically, individual building forms were simple rectangular solids with gabled roofs, and false-front facades obscuring them on commercial structures. This tradition should be continued in new developments.
A. Use building forms similar to those residences found traditionally.
- Vertically-oriented rectangular shapes are typical and are encouraged.
- One simple form should be the dominant element in a building design.
- Building forms that step down in size to the rear of the lot are encouraged.
- Smaller, secondary buildings should be simple rectangular shapes, as well.
B. Rectangular forms should be dominant on commercial facades.
- Rectangular forms should be vertically oriented.
- The facade should appear as predominantly flat, with any decorative elements and projecting or setback "articulations" appearing to be subordinate to the dominant form.
C. Use roof forms that are similar in form and size to those used historically.
- Sloping, gable roof forms should be the dominant roof shapes on residential type buildings.
- Traditional roofs are simple and steeply pitched and most have hip or gabled ends facing the street. Most primary roofs have pitches of 9:12, although some are as low as 7:12.
- Use flat roof lines as the dominant roof form on commercial buildings. Gabled roofs may also be used if a false front or parapet with horizontal emphasis obscures it.
- Roofs composed of a combination of roof planes, but simple in form, are also encouraged.
- Roofs should be similar in size with those on historic structures.
3. Building Setbacks
As a group, buildings in this area do not relate to the street in a similar manner. Residential buildings are typically set back from the street edge, behind a front yard, while small commercial buildings are locate at the sidewalk edge. Within this area, these sitings literally occur on adjacent lots. New developments should therefore respect the siting patterns of those historic structures located on adjacent properties.
A. When developing a commercial storefront type building, site it at the sidewalk edge.
- Locating entire building fronts behind an established line of commercial storefronts is inappropriate.
B. When developing a residential building, site it within the established setback for neighboring structures.
- New construction should be set back to match the average alignment of historic buildings on the street and to maintain the traditional front yard. This includes porches, bays and other building elements.
- Landscaping and fences that help define the yard's front edge are encouraged.
- Use porches to define entrances and to provide a sense of scale to building fronts.
4. Architectural Characters
Historic buildings in the area were simple in style, and did not have much architectural ornamentation. New buildings should also be simple in architectural style.
A. Building details that maintain the simple character of this area are encouraged.
- Ornamental trim and decoration that is in character with the manner in which ornamentation has been applied historically is encouraged.
- Consider eaves, mullions, corner boards and brackets.
- Use architectural ornamentation in limited amounts on individual buildings.
B. Repeat the patterns created by similar shapes and sizes of traditional building features.
- Double-hung, vertically proportioned windows similar to those used historically are particularly encouraged.
Book 2 Chapter 2 | Book 2 Chapter 4