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2. Avoid deep setbacks or open corner plazas on corner buildings in the areas near downtown in order to maintain the traditional grid of the • commercial district. 3. On corners of the corridors, avoid deep setbacks or open corner plazas unless the design contributes to the pedestrian experience or improves the transition to an adjacent residential area. 4. For new governmental or institutional buildings, either reinforce the street wall through a minimal setback, or use a deep setback within a landscaped area to emphasize the civic function of the structure. 5. At transitional sites between two distinctive areas of setback, for instance between new commercial and historic commercial, consider using setbacks in the new construction that reinforce and relate to setbacks of the historic buildings. 6. New buildings should relate to any neighborhoods within the same design district. In terms of rear yard requirements, these new structures should have an open buffer between them and any residential structures. Also, this area should respond to any screening and landscaping requirements of the zoning ordinance. • B. Spacing Between Buildings Spacing between buildings depends on the size of the lot, the size of the building, and side -yard setback requirements. Consistent spacing between a row of buildings help to establish an overall rhythm along a street. 1. Maintain existing consistency of spacing in the area. New residences should be spaced within 20 percent of the average spacing between houses on that block. 2. Commercial and office buildings in areas that have a well-defined street wall should have minimal spacing between them. 3. In areas that do not have consistent spacing, consider limiting or creating a more uniform spacing in order to establish an overall rhythm. C. Massing and Building Footprint While the typical footprint of a commercial building from the turn of the twentieth century buildings might be 20 feet wide by 60 feet long or 1200 square feet per floor, new buildings in the downtown can be expected to be AdRL somewhat larger. Likewise, new buildings in the corridor may be larger than Design Review Guidelines Page 3 of 14