Complete UDC - Forsyth County Government

Chapter 13, Design Guidelines for Activity Centers
Unified Development Code of Forsyth County -13-3-
13-2.7 Signage. Window panes should not be painted for permanent advertising purposes, but lettering
for the identification of the place of business is encouraged, provided the letters are not greater than six inches in
height. Wooden signs of a small scale that hang from a projection support by chain adjacent to pedestrian ways and
sidewalks are encouraged to provide a main street atmosphere. Monument signs are strongly encouraged over polemounted
signs.
13-2.8 Parking. For any sites or developments that include significant amounts of parking, site design
should avoid a "sea of parking" impression from the fronting streets (i.e., where vast amounts of surface parking
dominate the view(s) from the fronting street(s) to the site’s primary buildings). This design guideline is particularly
applicable to shopping centers.
The presence of vast parking lots between the fronting street and the buildings results in the principal buildings
being set back from the roadway to such an extent that it discourages pedestrian access to the site and will frustrate
any future transit connections to the site. Streetscapes that are dominated by parking lots detract from the character
proposed to be created by the activity center. Single, very large parking lots should be avoided. Rather than having
a single, very large contiguous parking area between the fronting street and the buildings, the parking should be
broken up into smaller lots or fields of 50-100 cars by landscape strips, peninsulas, or grade separations. Generous
amounts of parking should be directed to the rear and sides of the buildings or site. This guideline does not mean
that there should be no parking areas between the fronting street(s) and the principal buildings in shopping centers or
other large nonresidential or multifamily developments. The intent is to significantly reduce the amount of large
surface parking between the fronting street(s) and the principal buildings, allowing the buildings to be brought closer
to the fronting street(s), in support of a more attractive and pedestrian-friendly environment.
Parking lots that face a street should be partially screened from the street by a low fence, wall, hedge, berm, or
vegetated buffer. If a parking lot fronts an arterial or major collector, and is of such a size that it dominates views
from the fronting arterial/collector and detracts from the overall streetscape and community appearance, then it is
recommended that the parking lot be screened or buffered in its entirety from view along the fronting roadway(s).
Parking aisles should be separated from one another by planted medians with shade trees. When possible, it is
recommended that parking aisles and their shade trees be aligned in a solar orientation to cast shade on parked cars
during the summer months, if such an orientation does not compromise other design criteria in this chapter.
13-2.9 Landscaping, Trees, and Natural Environment. Significant landscaped and/or natural
streetscapes along roadways are encouraged. Landscaping areas should be combined to form larger clusters at
highly visible locations. Landscape design should create variety, interest, and view corridors for visibility. Plant
materials should be placed intermittently against long expanses of building walls, fences, and other barriers to create
a softening effect. Foundation planters should be provided as appropriate along front building façades. A variety of
deciduous and evergreen species should be used to provide visual interest and resist disease; however, a minimum of
one-third of the plantings should be evergreen coniferous species.
Existing vegetation and large specimen trees should be preserved and incorporated into site design when
possible, in order to create a natural appearance and the impression of a mature landscape. A sufficient number of
trees, of appropriate type, should be preserved along road frontages adjacent to and within the activity center.
Additional trees should be planted between curbs and sidewalks to create a tree canopy that helps to define the
streetscape and that provides shade at maturity. Parking aisles should be separated from one another by planted
medians with shade trees. Trees should be incorporated around the building exterior to soften the building
appearance and to create a place of relief from the summer sun.
Trees recommended for providing large canopy potential include but are not limited to Live Oak, Maple,
Sycamore, Elm, Hickory, and Ash. Trees with a pyramidal canopy potential include Slash Pine, Red Cedar,
Magnolia, Cypress, American Holly, and River Birch. Understory trees, six to eight feet in height, and that may
reach a height of twenty feet at maturity include but are not limited to Dogwood, Wax Myrtle, and Crepe Myrtle.
Large shrubs, four to six feet in height at time of planting, and that may reach a height of at least eight feet, include
Elaeagnus, Photinia, Juniper, Holly, Viburnum, and Pampas Grass. Tree installation and removal shall be in
compliance standards provided in Ordinance Number 98 of Forsyth County (Tree Preservation and Replacement
Ordinance), as may be amended from time to time, and administrative standards for the preservation and
replacement of trees as adopted and as may be amended from time to time.
Development should generally conform to the natural terrain to the extent practical, but not at the expense of
compromising other guidelines, or at the expense of precluding innovative design that would be an asset to the
community, in accord with the general spirit and intent of these guidelines.
13-2.10 Public Spaces and Streetscape Improvements. Elements such as landscaping, street furniture,
public open spaces and plazas, and amenities create contrast to and soften the built environment by making the
walking experience more enjoyable and inviting. Landscape areas should be designed to form plazas, open spaces,