POWELL — Powell has new standards for the design and architecture of downtown homes and businesses after city council adopted official guidelines last week.
The new downtown design guidelines and updated architectural guidelines replace the previous ones, established in 1988 with a graphics update in 2016.
“The guidelines are a supporting document to help preserve the character of downtown Powell through architectural, design, site, and other related considerations,” Planning Director Logan Stang wrote in a memo to council.
Stang said the update came parallel to the zoning code rewrite that council also recently approved.
“We have the planning and zoning code that was presented to you all last month. We have a new permitting software that launched today. So this is really the last step in all of these efforts,” Stang told council.
City planning staff have worked on updating the guidelines since May 2025, and the process included several opportunities for public input via surveys.
The 136-page document establishes standards and processes for receiving permits, landscaping, accessibility, branding, walkability and more.
For residents, the document provides education about future downtown development and processes for property alterations.
Business owners can use the document to manage their expectations for future development and property alterations.
Meanwhile, developers and designers will use the document to propose projects that align with Powell officials’ vision for preserving and enhancing the downtown character.
What are some of the major changes?
The guidelines serve as a tool for homeowners or business owners seeking to build new or make changes to an existing property.
It also outlines the zoning approval processes for historic vs non-historic properties, shown in the graphic below:
The third chapter lists out contemporary design considerations, which “should positively impact the community’s well-being, be inclusive and accessible, and contribute to downtown,” according to the document.
Those considerations are:
- Placemaking, which could involve public art or landscaped plazas.
- Well-being, which could include ample natural light for building occupants or including green space.
- Sustainability, which could include retrofitting existing buildings or using alternative energy sources.
- Walkability, which could include continuous sidewalks or installing safe pedestrian crossings.
- Inclusivity and accessibility, which could include ensuring universal access at main entry points and braille signage.
- Branding and uniqueness, which could include color usage and window appliques.
- And landscaping and signage, which could include adding trees or hedges.
Stang noted city staff will not use the standards to evaluate proposals, but he encourages developers and designers to follow the considerations.
Chapter Four specifies how the planning department analyzes development proposals based on the four downtown district zones: the historic zone, the residential zone, and the interface zone and transition zones, which both involve mixed-use properties.
New development in the historic zone should be sensitive to its context and have more strict zoning standards that must be followed, separate from these guidelines.
The interface zone, which sits adjacent to the historic zone, encourages restaurant, retail, entertainment, office and other uses “to support a vibrant downtown core.”
Chapter Five provides an overview and definition of different types of development depending on historic and non-historic properties, as there are different considerations depending on the type.
Residential and commercial guidelines
Chapter Six provides specific guidelines for residential development for things such as building form, accessory buildings, architectural character, building materials and colors, and streetscape.
“A lot of this is about trying to encourage a complimentary, aesthetic, design choices and feel, but still allow for a lot of flexibility to each individual property,” Stang said.
For example, a new home being constructed near existing homes should have a similar height, porch size and setback from the street and sidewalk.
Chapter Seven discusses similar topics, but for commercial buildings.
