Chapter 13-25 — Scenic Road and Highway Overlay District

The purposes of the scenic road and highway overlay district are to:

1. Implement the scenic road and highway designations of the General Plan.

2. Review proposed development within view of designated scenic routes in the City in terms of their visual impact.

3. Encourage aesthetically attractive architecture and design of new or expanded structures within the scenic road and highway overlay district through including provisions for clustering, reducing visual impact of building mass and glare, maintaining important scenic view corridors through the site, and avoiding use of designs and materials that are inconsistent with the visual quality of a scenic corridor.

4. Encourage attractive landscaping of development projects that is consistent with the existing terrain and landscaping of the scenic road or highway, softens the visual mass of building frontages and parking areas, provides attractive usable open space areas within the project, and meets the water conservation requirements of the City.

5. Encourage attractive and low profile signage fitting into the design theme of the buildings and landscape. [Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 25.100.]

The scenic road and highway overlay district is established for the area and properties with frontages along the scenic roads and highways designated in the General Plan.

1. The scenic road and highway overlay district shall apply to the corridor of a road or highway designated as scenic within the General Plan which shall include the road or highway right-of-way and the land within 200 feet of both sides of the right-of-way limits.

2. The scenic road and highway overlay district is established in conjunction with other zoning districts designated for a property; the boundaries of the overlay may or may not coincide with other zoning district boundaries.

3. The overlay shall add to the requirements of whatever other zoning district designation or overlay district is applicable to the area or buildings within the overlay boundary. [Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 25.200.]

Plans for all new and expanded development and uses within the overlay area shall be submitted to the Community Development Director as per Section 13-40.300. The following general conditions shall apply to all areas within the scenic road and highway overlay district.

1. All new and expanded development shall be subject to Chapter 13-42, Design Review. In addition, all new and expanded development shall be subject to the plan review and permit conditions of the land use zoning district designated for the property.

2. All new and expanded development shall require an administrative or conditional use permit. [Ord. 553 § 2, 2024; Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 25.300.]

The standard performance standards for development specified in Chapter 13-31 shall be met along with the specific performance standards required for the land use and other overlay districts designated for the property. In addition, the following specific performance standards shall be met:

1.A. The architecture and design of new or expanded structures within the scenic road and highway overlay district shall be aesthetically attractive. The qualities and design elements that are desirable for development within the scenic corridor include:

• 1. Clustered structures with a common plaza or other open space entry feature.
• 2. Articulated elevations to reduce the visual impact of building mass and bulk.
• 3. Visually interesting window treatments with nonreflective glass.
• 4. Pitched roofs with overhangs and multiple roof planes.

5. Richness of surface and texture for walls, roofs and other building features.

• 6. Protection of significant views through or over the site through building location and design.
• 7. Prominent access driveways.

• B. Design elements to avoid or minimize include:

1. Large, blank or unarticulated stucco and concrete block walls.

2. Square, boxy structures.

• 3. Reflective surfaces of glass, metal or other materials.
• 4. Metal siding on the main facade or other walls highly visible from the scenic road or highway.
• 5. Plastic or vertical wood siding.
• 6. Unpainted walls of concrete block or other “hard” materials.

7. Mix of unrelated architectural styles within a site and between adjacent or nearby sites within the scenic corridor.

8. Accessory structures and outdoor storage, loading and equipment areas that are visible from the scenic road or highway.

2. Landscaping.

A. Landscaping within the scenic road and highway overlay district shall be aesthetically attractive. The qualities and design elements that are desirable for landscaping and hardscapes within the scenic corridor include:

1. Landscaped front and side yards with groundcover and trees that soften building edges and complement the landscape design theme within the scenic road right-of-way and adjacent or nearby sites.

• 2. Landscaped and screened parking areas.
• 3. Plaza or other open space entry features including landscaped common areas.

• B. Design elements to avoid or minimize include:

• 1. Disjointed and unscreened parking areas.
• 2. Incompatible landscape themes and overuse of high water demanding exotic plants.
• 3. Landscaping that may grow to block scenic views from the road or highway.

3. Signage. A sign plan is required for all new or expanded development within the scenic road and highway overlay district. Signage should be attractive and low profile, fitting into the design theme of the buildings and landscape. Large, out of scale, flashy colored signs are discouraged. [Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 25.400.]

The following uses may be permitted in the scenic road and highway overlay district.

1. Uses permitted by the land use zoning district designations and other overlay districts for the property. [Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 25.500.]

The property development regulations within the scenic road and highway overlay district are as per performance criteria set forth in this Chapter in combination with the regulations of the land use zoning district and other overlay districts designated for a property; provided, that where a conflict between the regulations in this Chapter and those in other provisions of the Zoning Ordinance occurs, the more restrictive regulation shall prevail. [Ord. 515 § 2, 2018; ZO § 25.600.]

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The Hercules Municipal Code is current through Ordinance 555, passed March 25, 2025.

Disclaimer: The City Clerk's Office has the official version of the Hercules Municipal Code. Users should contact the City Clerk's Offi f di d b