The Cheyenne, Wyoming City Council voted down a measure that would have implemented design standards for new construction and building additions downtown.
The goal was to help jumpstart the revival of the state capital’s central business district. Detractors said this move could backfire and dampen downtown development. The standards would regulate how far buildings must be set back from the street, what construction materials could be used, and how open spaces are included in the projects. There are currently no building design standards for the city’s downtown. It is the only zoned district in the city without that type of regulation.
One critic told the Wyoming News that downtown is a perfect place to allow architects and developers to experiment with different styles and building materials rather than forcing them to match the character of surrounding buildings.
A local architect and downtown property owner said guidelines can help to raise the quality of designs, but added that it would be a good idea to include a flexible appeals or exemption process for developers who want to build quality projects with "innovative and modern designs" that might not meet all the design regulations.
(http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2014/11/25/news/01top_11-25-14.txt#.VHXlUjTF_ng)
(http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2014/11/19/news/19local_11-19-14.txt#.VG30yDTF_ng)
Related Stories
| Jul 26, 2012
Wisconsin may establish stormwater storage requirement for green roofs
Green roofs and other green infrastructure would be required to capture stormwater under a draft state wastewater discharge permit from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
| Jul 26, 2012
SouthPark Mall in Charlotte reopens after heavy rains collapse part of its roof
Code enforcement officials in Charlotte, NC gave the okay for the SouthPark Mall to reopen after two parts of its roof collapsed following heavy rains last week.
| Jul 26, 2012
New NRCA photovoltaic roof systems guidelines released
The National Roofing Contractors Association’s update of its Guidelines for Roof Systems With Rooftop Photovoltaic Components is now available.
| Jul 26, 2012
DOE/ASHRAE design guide aims to cut energy use at hospitals, schools, retail stores
The Advanced Energy Design Guidelines from the Department of Energy and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers aims to provide ways for hospitals, schools, and large retail buildings to trim their energy consumption by 50%.
| Jul 19, 2012
Bayview Property Managers agrees to record $800,000 building code fine
A San Francisco property-management company has agreed to pay a record $800,000 civil fine for hundreds of building code violations at rental properties.
| Jul 19, 2012
Glass ‘biodome’ helps Parkview Green FangCaoDi project in Beijing achieve LEED Platinum
A glass envelope acting as a kind of biodome encapsulates four mixed-use towers at Parkview Green FangCaoDi, an 800,000 sf mixed-use development in Beijing. The glass structure helped the development to achieve LEED Platinum certification.
| Jul 19, 2012
UMass-Boston's Bevington: 'Financing alternatives crucial to energy-efficiency upgrades'
It’s conceivable that innovation in project finance can do for building efficiency in the coming century what 30-year mortgages did for home ownership in the last, this article asserts.
| Jul 19, 2012
NYC eases building code to create ‘micro apartments’ in Kips Bay
New York City has implemented a program to encourage construction of "micro-apartments" in the Big Apple, where rents are exorbitant and the number of singles is on the rise.
| Jul 19, 2012
NRCA: Roofing insulation performance, local climate keys to computing R-value
To minimize the loss of thermal resistance in design, the R-value of roof insulation should be computed based on the actual performance of the insulation material and the local climate, says the National Roofing Contractors Association.
| Jul 16, 2012
Business school goes for maximum vision, transparency, and safety with fire rated glass
Architects were able to create a 2-hour exit enclosure/stairwell that provided vision and maximum fire safety using fire rated glazing that seamlessly matched the look of other non-rated glazing systems.