Bethesda Downtown Plan Design Guidelines Stakeholder Working Group Notes

Transcription

1 Bethesda Dwntwn Plan Design Guidelines Stakehlder Wrking Grup Ntes The fllwing ntes reflect input frm meetings with several Bethesda Dwntwn stakehlder grups listed belw. Nte: These were initial cmments reacting t staff s verview f the guidelines, and the grups will cntinue t prvide mre detailed feedback thrughut the prcess CBAR Meeting NAIOP Meeting Jint Meeting f the Bethesda Chamber f Cmmerce and the Wdmnt Triangle Advisry Grup (WTAG)

2 CBAR Meeting Sidewalk Width, Pedestrian Thrugh Zne and Outdr Dining: Required pedestrian clear pathway shuld be larger than 6ft n heavily trafficked streets and shuld aim fr 8-10 ft min. Because bikes can als be used n sidewalks, the pedestrian thrugh zne shuld be wider. May need t address where bikes shuld be allwed n sidewalks in the Bicycle Master Plan. Applicants shuld nt receive credit fr public use space if they will have utdr dining in that space. Dining tables in the planting zne shuld be discuraged t prevent waiters frm crssing and blcking pedestrian mvement. Enfrcement f clear pedestrian pathways needs t be imprved. Servicing, Access and Parking: Strng language shuld be included in the guidelines t prevent lading and cnflicts in travel lanes. All deliveries shuld happen within the building service area. Pull-ver space fr car share pick-ups shuld be cnsidered with new develpment. A delivery management plan shuld be required with site plan applicatin. Trash areas shuld be screened and separated frm the pedestrian pathway. Dumpsters shuld nt blck sidewalks. Cantilevering: Building cantilevers ver the sidewalk shuld be addressed in the guidelines because they inhibit the grwth f street trees and are impsing ver the sidewalk envirnment. Building Step-backs and Open Space n prperties nt wned by Applicant: Adjacent lw-scale buildings that the applicant des nt wn shuld nt cunt twards their step-back guideline. Open spaces n adjacent land nt wned r prvided by the applicant shuld nt cunt twards meeting guidelines r requirements.

3 NAIOP Meeting Plicy and Hw t Use the guidelines: Hw d the guidelines becme plicy and what is the relatinship t the ther plan dcuments? Review f all Site Plan applicatins will determine if a prject substantially cnfrms with the Sectr Plan recmmendatins and apprved Design Guidelines, See the Zning Ordinance Sectin Site Plan. The guidelines are apprved by the Planning Bard and may be updated as necessary. Where are the cmpatibility develpment standards in the zning rdinance? Sectin Cmpatibility Requirements Street Types: What flexibility will there be t change the street classificatins at the time f applicatin? This is the best time t review the prpsed street type classificatins and recmmend revisins befre apprval f the guidelines. Hw will crners and transitins between street types be addressed? Architects are expected t creatively mediate between the scales f different street types. Hw far may canpies and cantilevers extend int the sidewalk znes? This is utlined in the zning rdinance. What is the relatinship between the recmmended sidewalk znes build-t line and the rightf-way/prperty line? The build-t line is measured frm the street curb. Because prperty line lcatin varies, this maintains a cnsistent perceived sidewalk width fr pedestrians. In sme cases greater setbacks frm the prperty line may be required t achieve the recmmended sidewalk width. Building Frm: Cnstrained sites, particularly small lts, will have difficulty meeting all f the guidelines and will make less f an impact n the public realm s there shuld be mre flexibility t find alternate slutins t meet the intent f the guidelines. Is there a limit t hw much private cmmn area a prperty wner shuld prvide n the pdium r upper flrs because these spaces may remve peple frm the public spaces at the street and deactivate them? The guidelines encurage upper flr terraces and utdr spaces t help meet green cver requirements, prvide an amenity fr users and t help mdulate buildings and break up massing. Hwever, there is n specific guideline fr the amunt f cmmn area, this is t be determined by each prperty wner based n feasibility and market analysis. Are building frm guidelines intended t address massing and nt architectural style? Yes, the guidelines fcus n building massing and impacts n the public realm. We d nt want t place t many cnstraints n architectural expressin and variatin.

4 Base Twer Tp Varying base height is difficult frm a design, cnstructin and cst perspective. Are there ther ways t articulate the base that wuld be acceptable? Yes, there are several ways t articulate the building base, which include but are nt limited t variatin in material and clr, and plane changes n the façade. What shadw studies and analysis has the department cnducted n the effect f twer step backs? The department has created 3D visualizatins, researched similar step-back guidelines frm ther jurisdictins in ur regin and lked at buildings with step-backs t analyze the impact f step-backs n the public realm. What buildings are expected t have a special tp? Buildings in prminent lcatins including thse with the highest heights, adjacent t majr parks and thse that terminate majr axes/view crridrs. There shuld be an encuragement t integrate high perfrmance design int the frm f the twer tp (energy generatin, passive heating and cling, etc.) Public Parking: With the cuncil recmmendatin fr all f the PLD lts alng the Eastern Greenway t becme green spaces, hw will public parking be addressed? With any plan t replace PLD lts, parking replacement will have t be addressed. Is there an pprtunity t incentivize applicants t ffer replacement parking fr the spaces that be lst n the greenway? This may be an pprtunity fr public benefit pints fr a majr public facility if the replacement is in clse prximity t the riginal PLD lt.

5 Jint Meeting f the Bethesda Chamber f Cmmerce and the Wdmnt Triangle Advisry Grup (WTAG) Hw t Use the Guidelines The design guidelines need t be flexible because there may be unintended cnsequences f prescriptive guidelines as seen frm previus plans. The guidelines are mre imprtant nw because they are a mandate with the new zning rdinance and shuld be written in terms f gals and visin and nt standards (wrds nt numbers). Many attractive buildings d nt meet the guidelines, like 7770 Nrflk. Recently cnstructed buildings shuld be studied t see which meet the guidelines recmmended and which d nt. There is nt a ne-size-fits-all standard and buildings shuld be treated differently in different cntexts. Nt all buildings require a step-back wedding cake apprach. The Planning Bard shuld have the pprtunity t deviate frm the guidelines. Language in the guidelines shuld be carefully cnsidered may vs. shall vs. shuld Design Advisry Panel What is the anticipated date fr frmatin? The panel will be established thrugh the Bethesda Overlay Zne Zning Text Amendment. Wh appints the members, and will there be prfessinal members? The Planning bard will appint members, and this will include 5 members: prfessinal architects, develpers, and citizens as well as the Planning Directr and Senir Urban Designer in the Directr s Office. What authrity will the panel have? The panel will be advisry, but their recmmendatins will be given great weight. The panel review needs t be early in the prcess arund cncept plan because therwise it will be difficult t make changes. The design panel review prcess shuld nt delay the verall develpment review prcess. Hw has the design review panel wrked in Alexandria? What have been the challenges fr develpers? Building Frm Guidelines Restrictins n maximum flr plate are nt recmmended. A typical cmmercial flrplate is apprx. 25,000sf and these guidelines shuld nt restrict the ptential fr viable cmmercial develpment in Bethesda. Vancuver has very restrictive requirements fr pint twers and als sme f the highest husing csts. Step-backs ften create sme f the wrst buildings, as evidenced by buildings in New Yrk required t d step-backs. Twer separatin creates a suburban character and des nt acknwledge the difference fr midblck buildings that may be infeasible if they need t prvide separatin n bth sides. Nt everyne likes sme building designs, it is difficult t dictate t architects that they must design a building that will appeal t all stakehlders. There is ptential fr the result t be generic building design. Smetimes numbers help architects t guide design.

6 Crners between different street types shuld be carefully cnsidered. Hw d street types meet? Small sites are cnstrained and will be mst penalized by guidelines. We d nt want t nly encurage large parcel assemblage in an infill cntext like Bethesda. Guidelines shuld perhaps adjust prprtinally t the size f the prperty. Limiting flrplates will restrict rftp size at a time when rftp space is ne f the mst imprtant amenities in multi-family buildings. In rder t create an urban envirnment, we shuld embrace the cntinuus street wall. Shuld allw at-risk windws n the prperty line, this prevents blank walls but allws develpment mre space n cnstrained sites. Parks and Open Space Guidelines D nt ver-design pen spaces, simpler is better. Site Design Difficult t achieve green cver requirements because f sil vlume needed ver undergrund parking. Review Prcess There may be t many review steps: cncept plan, sketch plan, preliminary plan and site plan. Cncept plan cmments shuld be given befre DRC. Cmments frm all agencies shuld als be brad and nt address detailed dimensins.