City to propose more codes for downtown facade design

The Jefferson City Planning and Zoning Commission will begin designing a draft for an overlay district for downtown. This would propose standards on new builders for how the buildings should look. Some design elements include a minimum two-story height and storefront windows, as illustrated in this photograph.
The Jefferson City Planning and Zoning Commission will begin designing a draft for an overlay district for downtown. This would propose standards on new builders for how the buildings should look. Some design elements include a minimum two-story height and storefront windows, as illustrated in this photograph.

Mostly three-story brick buildings dominate and define the shops and office spaces in Jefferson City's downtown. To preserve the area's distinct look, city staff plans to propose additional zoning codes to create a Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District for the area.

The codes would give building design guidelines for new structures or exterior changes in the downtown's core.

Some current downtown business owners said they want to keep the look but expressed reservations about additional codes and the city's reason for pursuing them.

Overlay districts are established through the Jefferson City zoning code. The creation of an overlay district includes review and recommendation by the Jefferson City Planning and Zoning Commission and final review and approval from the Jefferson City Council.

The proposed district would include what most people would consider the core of downtown, where the historic buildings are on High Street, Madison Street and Capitol Avenue, Jefferson City Planning Manager Eric Barron said.

With a potential vacant lot opening at 200 E. High St. - where a wall of the existing structure partially collapsed in June 2018 - the city is concerned about what could go in the space, Barron said.

Neidert Properties, which owns the building, applied for a demolition permit last week.

No plans for reconstruction on the property have come forward, but anything in that place would have a "high visual impact on the area," Barron said.

"We think it's important to put something in place sooner rather than later so we can be sure that if there is something that is proposed for that site that it's appropriate for our community," he said.

Barron presented the staff-initiated project to form an overlay district downtown to the city's Public Works and Planning Committee last week. The city hopes to move forward on plans and a hold public meeting this fall, he said.

"It's an additional set of rules on top of the zoning rules," Barron said. "These rules would be specific to building design to basically make sure that any new development or any modifications of existing buildings are compatible with the existing design of downtown."

Current downtown property owners would be "grandfathered in," but any major facade renovations or new building structures could affect current business owners, he said.

Jay Seaver owns 204 E. High St., which currently houses Bar Vino. He understands the city's intention to preserve the look of downtown considering the potential vacancy two doors down, he said. However, he said he also wants property owners to have their freedom.

"I do agree with the rights of a property owner to be able to do somewhat what they want within reason and building codes," Seaver said. "But should they be mandated to build a structure that looks like everything else? I don't think that is absolutely necessary either."

The city has similar standards in the 400-900 block of Capitol Avenue, which is in the Capitol Avenue Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District. Some of those standards include structures having at least one entrance facing the street, paved parking lots and driveways, and a front concrete walkway of at least 36 inches in width connecting the front door entry and the sidewalk, according to city code.

Owners of properties on Capitol Avenue damaged in the May 22 tornado must follow those guidelines when rebuilding.

The idea of adding similar standards downtown could cause concern for some business owners.

Lauren Moscato, part-owner of River City Florist at 212 Madison St. with her father, Mike Moscato, said she is concerned additional codes could turn away potential businesses.

"We want more businesses and more revenue downtown," Lauren Moscato said. "So why should we tell someone what to do with the facade of their building?"

However, Mike Moscato, who has been at River City Florist for more than 30 years, said the city should present minimum requirements to keep downtown looking good.

The Moscatos agreed additional zoning laws could help preserve the look of the area.

Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin, who owns Carrie's Hallmark Shop at 117 E. High St., said the proposed overlay district's standards hopefully would encourage new property owners and businesses to come downtown.

"They would know that their investment - whether it's through a building or a business - would have some protections on it, encouraging neighbors to maintain a certain standard," Tergin said.

She said the overlay district would make sense for when structures are rebuilt or replaced.

"The interesting thing about downtown is there is some unique architecture among the buildings yet it also flows together very nicely," Tergin said. "People really like the look of our downtown. Having an overlay is a way to keep it that way."

Potential design elements would include guidelines for entryway designs, minimum building height, minimum window requirements and roofline designs.

Those design elements would help protect the streetscape image of the current buildings, Barron said.

"In general, you will see - at least on High Street and a good part of Madison Street - you will see a storefront window," Barron said. "You look up to the second floor, and you'll see several windows. It would be odd to see a solid brick wall or anything like that with no windows at all on it."

Staff would look to other capital cities with historic downtown areas and around the state for ideas for potential guidelines, he said.

Jill Bednar, owner of Southbank Gift Company at 110 E. High St., said historical preservation is a good thing - but strict regulations could prevent some from bringing their businesses downtown, she added.

Of the 17 years she has been on the block, she's seen some buildings remain vacant. Having High Rise Bakery at 118 E. High St. open this spring with a slightly different design has brought more traffic to the area, she said.

The building's exterior is painted black.

"It's modern, but the flavor of every building downtown being a little different is part of downtown," Bednar said.

The city could include a procedure of reviewing unique project requests that wouldn't typically match the design standards, Barron said.

Ben Huhman, who owns High Rise Bakery and The Grand Cafe at 107 E. High St., said he would want to see the city's proposals before forming a firm opinion.

"I'd hate for somebody to come in and start changing the look of these buildings, these cool buildings down here," Huhman said. "I also wouldn't want the city coming in and telling the owners of these buildings what they can do with them and what they can't.

"I think that for the most part, people who buy buildings on High Street don't want to change them or make them look out of order or out of the normal."

The project has been in the city's long-range plan for quite some time, Barron said.

After design drafts are ready, the city will organize several public meetings and invite affected business and property owners to give feedback, he added. When residents present their concerns, some changes in the plans could be made to fit what the community wants.

"We're extremely interested in what the public thinks about it, especially the downtown property owners and the downtown business owners," he said. "We certainly don't want to try to move forward with something that the downtown collectively is not very supportive of. But we do feel there needs to be some protection in place, and the city has the tool to do that in the form of this overlay district."

No specific boundaries have been set, Barron said. However, a break at the alley - Wall Way - between McCarty and High streets could be a good divide because some of the buildings are "a different character," he added.