A proposal to strengthen the city’s design guidelines ordinance for retail, commercial and industrial buildings was approved Monday night by the Peachtree City Planning Commission.

The new requirements are about building height and massing, which is the overall geometric shape of the building. As for the height, developers will be required to “coordinate” the height of proposed buildings with other nearby structures and also use design linkages such as window lines in a pattern to reflect neighboring buildings.

As for the building massing, developers must break up facades with architectural elements including windows and entries along with porches, arcades and awnings. Larger buildings, for example, can be articulated by pilasters, piers and differentiation in material, texture or color.

Other potential architectural features include canopies, awnings, trellises and pergolas.

Planning Commission Marty Mullin said that good design also incorporates good landscaping. He pointed to the large island of trees at the Aberdeen Village shopping center as an example.

If a developer today came in with a similar design, Mullin joked he might have a heart attack. As the city has grown, more and more developers are looking to maximize the use of their parcels, city officials have said.

Planning commissioner John McCann said he wished the ordinance was more forceful in its requirements instead of being suggestive in nature. The ordinance was approved unanimously for recommendation to the City Council, which will consider whether to formally adopt it or not.