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HomeMy WebLinkAboutARB201200141 Review Comments Miscellaneous Submittal 2012-11-26ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD STAFF REPORT Project #/Name ARB- 2012 -141: Brown Mercedes Building Renovation Review Type Preliminary Review of a Building Permit Parcel Identification Tax Map 78, Parcel 14A Location 1381 Richmond Road, on the south side of Route 250 East, approximately 800' west of Hansen Road Zoned Highway Commercial (HC), Entrance Corridor (EC) Owner /Applicant S &B Realty Venture LLC c/o Brown Toyota/Daggett & Grigg (Clark Gathright) Magisterial District Rivanna Proposal To renovate the exterior of an existing ARB- approved automobile showroom to meet national branding standards. Context The site is located on the south side of Route 250 East in the Pantops commercial area. This part of Pantops is characterized by a number of automobile dealerships, most of which predate the establishment of the EC. Visibility The front elevation of the existing building is readily visible from the Entrance Corridor, although it is set back approximately 100' from the road. Visibility of the side elevations is limited due to the proximity of buildings and trees; however, the roof of the Mercedes building is visible above the nearby development for greater distances along the corridor. ARB Meeting Date December 3, 2012 Staff Contact Margaret Maliszewski PROJECT HISTORY DATE APPLICATION RESULT 2/5/1999 ARB- 1998 -16 and ARB- 1998 -63 Certificate of Appropriateness issued for the Brown Mercedes building. 9/9/1999 ARB- 1999 -64 Wall and freestanding signs approved. 11/16/2010 1 ARB- 2010 -116 1 Wall signs approved. PROJECT DETAILS The proposed renovation includes: • A new stucco fagade to wrap the showroom elevations, extending above the existing walls. • Four 20' -tall blue metal columns supporting a dark pewter horizontal steel structural member and low- profile canopy at the front elevation; the canopy turns the corner on the side elevation for a few feet. (Note: The color renderings show the horizontal steel structural member as blue, but dark pewter is the proposed color.) • New curtain wall front elevation with storefront glass at the entrance and black spandrel glass to cover the brick walls, extending above the existing front wall. (Note: The color renderings do not distinguish between the storefront glass and the black spandrel glass.) • New EIFS entry portal in blue. (Note: The portal is not shown in the side elevations.) • Existing brick that is not covered by stucco is to be painted white. • Add metal sign band on front elevation, above entrance; add logo signs. • There are no changes proposed to the layout or landscaping of the site. ANALYSIS REF GUIDELINE ISSUE RECOMMENDATION 1 The goal of the regulation of the design of The materials, features and details of the proposed Maintain the architecture development within the designated Entrance renovation do not reflect the traditional architecture of of the building as Corridors is to insure that new development the area. The existing building, which was approved originally approved by the within the corridors reflects the traditional by the ARB in 1999, does exhibit materials, colors, ARB. architecture of the area. Therefore, it is the forms and details that reflect Albemarle's historic purpose of ARB review and of these architecture. The existing building is an example of a Guidelines, that proposed development contemporary design that is compatible with the within the designated Entrance Corridors traditional architecture of the area. The proposed reflect elements of design characteristic of renovation would almost entirely obscure the existing the significant historical landmarks, building. The scale, materials and form of the buildings, and structures of the proposed design destroy the compatibility of the Charlottesville and Albemarle area, and to existing building with the historic architecture of the promote orderly and attractive development area. The renovation would establish a more within these corridors. Applicants should monumental, rather than human, scale building. The note that replication of historic structures is expanse and application of glass at the front elevation neither required nor desired. do not reflect traditional architecture. The overall impression of the proposed design is that of a 4 The examples contained in Appendix A should be used as a guide for building contemporary structure promoting corporate identity. 2 design: the standard of compatibility with As such, the design does not contribute to orderly and the area's historic structures is not intended attractive development on the EC. to impose a rigid design solution for new development. Replication of the design of the important historic sites in the area is neither intended nor desired. The Guideline's standard of compatibility can be met through building scale, materials, and forms which may be embodied in architecture which is contemporary as well as traditional. The Guidelines allow individuality in design to accommodate varying tastes as well as special functional requirements. 2 Visitors to the significant historical sites in The proposed renovation includes some features that Maintain the architecture the Charlottesville and Albemarle area are found in today's typical auto dealership design: of the building as experience these sites as ensembles of neutral color walls with bold color entrance and originally approved by the buildings, land, and vegetation. In order to accents; front elevation composed primarily of glass; ARB. accomplish the integration of buildings, blocky forms with raised parapets and smooth - land, and vegetation characteristic of these surfaced wall textures; a flat roof (or the suggestion of sites, the Guidelines require attention to one). Some of these elements have been approved for four primary factors: compatibility with renovations of buildings in the Rt. 250E corridor — significant historic sites in the area; the buildings originally constructed prior to the character of the Entrance Corridor; site establishment of the ECs. The Brown Mercedes site development and layout; and landscaping. differs from those examples because it is an existing 3 New structures and substantial additions to building whose original design was approved by the existing structures should respect the ARB and it meets the EC Guidelines as is. Adding the traditions of the architecture of historically significant buildings in the Charlottesville standard auto dealership forms to the Brown Mercedes and Albemarle area. Photographs of historic building would not enhance compatibility with buildings in the area, as well as drawings of Albemarle's significant historic sites. Instead, it would architectural features, which provide promote corporate identification and whittle away at important examples of this tradition are the unique character of the county. Continued contained in Appendix A. repetition of the standard auto dealership elements is not required to establish compatibility on the Rt. 250 5 It is also an important objective of the Guidelines to establish a pattern of East corridor or to establish a balanced design in this compatible architectural characteristics throughout the Entrance Corridor in order to achieve unity and coherence. Building designs should demonstrate sensitivity to other nearby structures within the Entrance Corridor. Where a designated corridor is substantially developed, these Guidelines require striking a careful balance between harmonizing new development with the existing character of the corridor and achieving compatibility with the significant historic sites in the area. location, particularly when the existing building is already a compatible, balanced, positive contribution to the corridor. By enveloping and obscuring the architecture of a building that meets the EC Guidelines, the proposed renovation demonstrates insensitivity to the site and the architectural traditions of the area. 10 Buildings should relate to their site and the surrounding context of buildings. 9 Building forms and features, including The proposed materials (stucco, EIFS, steel, and a Maintain the architecture roofs, windows, doors, materials, colors and glass curtain wall) and colors (white, medium blue, of the building as textures should be compatible with the cobalt blue, pewter and metallic silver) generally originally approved by the forms and features of the significant historic constitute a modern palette. Used in the forms ARB. buildings in the area, exemplified by (but proposed, they do not illustrate compatibility with the not limited to) the buildings described in area's historic buildings. The proposed renovation - OR - Appendix A [of the design guidelines]. The obscures appropriate forms and features in favor of standard of compatibility can be met over - scaled forms that do not reflect local traditions. Provide accurate color through scale, materials, and forms which renderings, correcting may be embodied in architecture which is The columns and canopy form a tall, thin colonnade colors for the horizontal contemporary as well as traditional. The across the front elevation. Colonnades have a strong steel structural member and replication of important historic sites in Albemarle County is not the objective of history in local architecture, but the height, scale and the spandrel glass. these guidelines. general character of this colonnade appear uncoordinated with the proposed walls that wrap the Revise the design to make building. The colonnade looks out of proportion with the colonnade and building the top -heavy stucco wall above it. The same top- walls compatible in scale heavy look characterizes the side elevations, where the and character. height of the walls above the doors and windows extends to out -of -scale proportions to hide the existing Consider the appearance of pitched roof. A monolithic, over - scaled appearance the spandrel glass and results. revise the building design to establish compatibility The use of the blue color for the columns and entrance among glass, colonnade portal exists primarily as corporate identification. and walls. The application of glass at the front elevation has no relationship to historic forms, although the existing storefront design (which would be obscured by the proposed design) follows more traditional patterns. It is anticipated that the black spandrel glass will not have an appropriate appearance because it will contrast too sharply with the other materials, it will add to the non -human scale, and it will lend a blank appearance to the front elevation. Its use as a means of hiding the existing brick is inappropriate. 12 Architecture proposed within the Entrance The stucco walls that wrap the existing building do not Revise the design to Corridor should use forms, shapes, scale, create a cohesive whole. It is anticipated that glimpses coordinate the elements of and materials to create a cohesive whole. of the existing pitched roof will be visible above the the front elevation with the new walls. The form and scale of the columns /canopy rest of the proposed are not coordinated with the walls, and both the building. colonnade and the glass front appear tacked on rather than fully integrated architectural elements. (Digital models may help clarify the level of visibility of the roof.) 15 Trademark buildings and related features The glass curtain wall front, the blue columns and Maintain the architecture should be modified to meet the entrance portal, the column details, and the neutral of the building as requirements of the Guidelines. color /texture walls are all elements of today's typical originally approved by the automobile dealership design. This proposal is ARB. prompted by Mercedes Benz' goal to have all Mercedes locations display the company's national branding scheme. As such, the design is about corporate identity and advertisement, not compatibility with the historic architecture of Albemarle County. SIGNS A metal sign band is illustrated on the front Provide additional sign information for elevation, above the entrance. Logo signs are also review so a preliminary determination SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The concept of "wrapping" an ARB -approved building with a "trademark" design 2. The curtain wall front elevation, including black spandrel glass 3. The white/blue /silver color scheme 4. The coordination of the various building elements 5. Compatibility with historic buildings/balance with the character of the corridor Staff offers the following comments on the preliminary proposal: 1. Maintain the architecture of the building as originally approved by the ARB. —OR- 2. Submit a revised design for review that addresses the following: a. Provide accurate color renderings, correcting colors for the horizontal steel structural member and the spandrel glass. b. Revise the design to make the colonnade and building walls compatible in scale and character. c. Consider the appearance of the spandrel glass and revise the building design to establish compatibility among glass, colonnade and walls. d. Revise the design to coordinate the elements of the front elevation with the rest of the proposed building. e. Provide additional sign information for review so a preliminary determination can be made regarding appropriateness of the proposed signage. Note that complete sign information will be required with a separate sign permit application prior to the installation of any new signs. f. Provide complete information on proposed building lights for review. 31 illustrated on the front and west elevations. There is can be made regarding appropriateness of insufficient detail provided to determine if the signs the proposed signage. Note that complete meet the guidelines. sign information will be required with a separate sign permit application prior to the installation of any new signs. LIGHTING The drawings do not include information on Provide complete information on building lights, which could have an impact on the proposed building lights for review. appearance of the building. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Staff recommends the following as the primary points of discussion: 1. The concept of "wrapping" an ARB -approved building with a "trademark" design 2. The curtain wall front elevation, including black spandrel glass 3. The white/blue /silver color scheme 4. The coordination of the various building elements 5. Compatibility with historic buildings/balance with the character of the corridor Staff offers the following comments on the preliminary proposal: 1. Maintain the architecture of the building as originally approved by the ARB. —OR- 2. Submit a revised design for review that addresses the following: a. Provide accurate color renderings, correcting colors for the horizontal steel structural member and the spandrel glass. b. Revise the design to make the colonnade and building walls compatible in scale and character. c. Consider the appearance of the spandrel glass and revise the building design to establish compatibility among glass, colonnade and walls. d. Revise the design to coordinate the elements of the front elevation with the rest of the proposed building. e. Provide additional sign information for review so a preliminary determination can be made regarding appropriateness of the proposed signage. Note that complete sign information will be required with a separate sign permit application prior to the installation of any new signs. f. Provide complete information on proposed building lights for review. 31 TABLE A This report is based on the following submittal items: Sheet # Drawing Name Drawing /Revision Date A -1.0 Floor Plans 10 -22 -12 A -2.1 Elevations 10 -22 -12 A -2.2 Sections and Elevations 10 -22 -12 1 Description 10 -22 -12 2 Existing Conditions Site Plan 10 -22 -12 3 Existing Context Photos 10 -22 -12 4 New Site Plan 10 -22 -12 5 -7 Perspective views 10 -22 -12 8 North Elevation 10 -22 -12 9 East Elevations 10 -22 -12 10 West Elevation 10 -22 -12 11 Building Section 10 -22 -12 12 Floor Plan 10 -22 -12 A -2.1 Material /color samples: Sherwin Williams 6259 Scanda (blue) or equivalent (for STO EIFS in 310 Fine Sand); Sherwin Williams 7063 Nebulous White paint (for stucco plaster with medium sand finish); steel with Dark Pewter Metallic Mathews paint; Metallic Silver Mathews paint (MP 29784); Cobalt Blue Satin Mathews paint (MP 24761); 18 -ga brushed 316 stainless steel 10 -25 -12