Pittsburgh Zoning Districts - RIV Design Standards

By Kathleen Oldrey

Introduction

The Riverfront (RIV) is one of the relatively few base zoning districts to institute design standards, outlined in Section 905.04.G. For projects whose scopes require site plan review or review by Planning Commission, these standards are reviewed as part of design review. The scope and intensity of the design standards vary by whether proposed uses are residential or nonresidential, and by the subdistrict in which a project is located. Below, we’ll take a more detailed look at the design standards throughout the RIV.

Overview

Residential Design Standards

Residential design standards are in place for the following uses: single-unit attached residential, two-unit residential, three-unit residential, and multi-unit residential. Single-unit detached residential uses are not held to design standards.

For all residential uses, standards include cohesive design and materials for building facades, clear and visible public entrances, and, where open space is located along a river, surfacing and fencing requirements for that area.

For multi-unit residential uses, additional standards require that facades include at least two types of elements that break up a long facade and avoid long expanses of blank walls. Allowable elements for this purpose include but are not limited to changes in building projection or depth, architectural elements such as porches and balconies, material changes, and lighting. For single-unit attached residential uses, design standards cover the location of curb cuts and garages, calling for rear or side yard access, or shared driveways where front yard access is unavoidable. These residential design standards apply regardless of RIV subdistrict.

Nonresidential Design Standards

The applicability of design standards for nonresidential uses depends on which RIV subdistrict a site is located in. Depending on the subdistrict, design standards in place can cover not only building facades but also entry, window, and roof design, as well as site design elements such as curb cuts and surfacing.

With a few exceptions, building material standards apply (Section 905.04.G.4) regardless of the proposed use and subdistrict. These standards call for materials that are “durable [and] high quality.” This section includes a list of materials that are either limited (such as corrugated metal) or entirely prohibited (such as exterior insulating finish systems, or EIFS).

The design review regulations encourage building passages that break up facades and provide access through large structures.

Challenges

The RIV’s design standards cover many structural and site elements, and the design review step of the review process can require multiple iterations of application materials depending on the proposed project’s compliance with the requirements. The code includes an opportunity for an Administrator Exception, for projects that achieve the spirit of the design review requirements, if not the letter of the code.

Conclusion

The RIV is almost unique as a base zoning district in the extent of its design standards. While the code does call for some general elements, and introduces some restrictions regarding materials, there is significant flexibility in design specifics and through the Administrator Exception offered by Section 905.04.G.1.