Community Design Workshop January 12, 2017
Agenda Opening Remarks / Introductions Scope of Work Existing Conditions Key Issues / Opportunities VPS Summary Draft Vision & Goal Statement Implementation Concepts Wrap-up & Next Steps Mableton parkway & Veterans Memorial Highway Community Design Workshop January 12, 2017 6:30 8:30 PM
Project Overview Purpose of the Project A. Develop road way and architectural standards that can be used during the land entitlement process to assist areas of the county in improving visual appeal, integrating historic features, and providing guidance to place making initiatives. B. The goal of the guidelines is to assist staff, architects, engineers, landscape architects, planners, developers, and the community to allow each disparate group to make informed design decisions for private developments and public facility investments. SCOPE OF WORK: 1.0 Initial Review & Analysis 2.0 Public Participation Process 3.0 Developing Design Guidelines 4.0 Approval Process PROJECT SCHEDULE: Initial Community Meeting: November 3, 2016 Design Workshop: January 12, 2017 Community Meeting: Early February, 2017
Site Map Aerial Photograph Veterans Memorial Highway 6.9 Miles Mableton Parkway 3.8 Miles
EXISTING CONDITIONS Hydrology, Parks & Trails
EXISTING CONDITIONS Transportation
EXISTING CONDITIONS Zoning LCI Study Areas
EXISTING CONDITIONS Future Land Use Map
EXISTING CONDITIONS Future Land Use Designations, Definitions & Guidelines
EXISTING CONDITIONS Site Photos Veterans Memorial Highway
EXISTING CONDITIONS Site Photos Mableton Parkway
EXISTING CONDITIONS Character Zones
Key Issues Aging Commercial Strip Development (More Along Veterans) Large Number of Small Commercially Zoned Parcels (More Along Veterans) Excessive Retail/Commercial Capacity (More Along Veterans) State Route / Federal Highway GDOT Control Limited Pedestrian Facilities No Bicycle Facilities Limited Public Transit - CobbLinc Service Only on Mableton Parkway Few Parks / Community Green Spaces Proximity to Multiple Schools Little to No Landscape Treatment Within or Outside the ROW (Newer Development is the Exception)
Reinventing Suburban Strips Urban Land Institute TEN PRINCIPLES: 1. Ignite Leadership and Nurture Partnership 2. Anticipate Evolution 3. Know the Market 4. Prune Back Retail-Zoned Land 5. Establish Pulse Nodes of Development 6. Tame the Traffic 7. Create the Place 8. Diversify the Character 9. Eradicate the Ugliness 10.Put Your Money (and Regulations) Where Your Policy Is
Examples Adaptive Reuse
Examples Adaptive Reuse
Key Opportunities Page 1 of 2 Encourage Redevelopment & Reinvestment Along the Corridor Concentrate Higher-Density, Mixed-use Development At Key Neighborhood Nodes / Intersections Increase Diversity of Retail/Commercial Uses Provide for Alternative Land Uses (Residential, Office, Institutional, Park) in the Segments Between Nodes Provide Incentives to Stimulate Investment Consider an Overlay District as an Implementation Tool Reduce the Auto-oriented Uses and the Auto-scale of the Corridor; Provide walkable/bikeable/accessible Activity Nodes
Key Opportunities (Cont.) Page 2 of 2 Provide / Increase Sidewalk & Multi-use Trail Connectivity to Adjacent Neighborhoods, Parks, Trails & Schools Provide Parks / Green Space Opportunities Provide/Reestablish CobbLinc Service Along Veterans Memorial Provide Public Realm (w/in ROW) Pedestrian Enhancements (Sidewalks, Lighting, Landscaping, Accessible Signalized Intersections) (Complete Streets) Requires Public Sector Investment Cobb County / GDOT
Vision Statement VISION To create a modern urban arterial that is attractive, walkable and safe and provides a variety of commercial/retail and housing options. To stimulate investment, encourage development or redevelopment, and enhance the corridors in terms of aesthetics, function and land use through the application of design guidelines and economic incentives.
Concept Diagram
Design Guidelines Overlay District Option An overlay district is used to establish alternative land development requirements within a specific area of your community that requires special attention, such as an environmentally sensitive area or rapidly developing strip corridor. The overlay is usually superimposed over conventional zoning districts. It consists of a physical area with mapped boundaries and written text spelling out requirements that are either added to, or in place of, those of the underlying regulations. http://www.dca.state.ga.us/intra_nonpub/toolkit/guides/overdist.pdf
Design Guidelines Potential Overlay District Components Land Use & Zoning Components: Encourage Medium to High Density Residential Redevelopment in older Commercial/Retail Segments Encourage Mixed-use Retail/Commercial Redevelopment in Key Neighborhood Center Nodes Consider Minimum Parcel Size for Redevelopment Encourage Active Mixed Uses at Key Nodes Design Standards: Landscape: Public Right-of-Way Street Frontage Zone Parking Lot Landscape Signage Building Scale, Mass, Orientation & Materials Stormwater / Green Infrastructure Transportation / Access Management Policy (Reduce Curb Cuts; Require Inter-parcel Access) Incentive Based Components: Node Conversion / Redevelopment Mixed-use / Commercial / Retail Segment Conversion / Redevelopment Residential / Office / Institutional
Design Guidelines Overlay District Commercial property Owner Incentives Commercial property rezonings, new building permits and/or major site plan revisions which incorporate the Study Area recommendations should be eligible for a range of specific incentives. The incentives should be proportional to the extent of the proposed impacts. These incentives could include: 1. Expedited Permit Review Process 2. Property Tax Credit / Abatement (3-5 year) 3. Increased Density / Lot Coverage and/or Building Height 4. Reduced Parking Requirements 5. Stormwater Credits For Green Infrastructure In addition to and/or in lieu of the above, in some cases there may be the potential for public/private cost-sharing for major community infrastructure elements (i.e. Multi-use Trails, Stormwater Infrastructure, Public Streets, etc.)
VPS Summary Commercial 4.42 3.87 4.05 4.29
VPS Summary office 3.62 Industrial 3.57 3.23 3.29
VPS Summary parking 4.41 4.03 4.08 3.68
VPS Summary Street frontage landscaping 3.79 4.28
VPS Summary Bicycles & Sidewalks 4.04 4.31 4.51
Design Guidelines Prototypical Section Constrained Right-of-Way
Design Guidelines Plan Diagram Constrained ROW 5 Lane Roadway R.O.W. Corridor Landscape Zone: Street Trees 36 Evergreen Hedge Corridor Frontage Zone: No More Than One Bay of Parking Permitted Main Building Oriented To Street All Service, Loading, Storage & Dumpsters Behind Building Existing Signage, Landscape Standards & Site Plan Regs Apply
Design Guidelines Prototypical Sections Wide Right-of-Way
Design Guidelines Plan Diagram Wide ROW 5 Lane Roadway Drainage Swale R.O.W. Corridor Landscape Zone: 36 Evergreen Hedge to Screen Parking Corridor Frontage Zone: No More Than One Bay of Parking Permitted Main Building Oriented To Street All Service, Loading, Storage & Dumpsters Behind Building Existing Signage, Landscape Standards & Site Plan Regs Apply
Design Guidelines Access Management Example
Building Character Activity Center
Building Character Village Center
Wrap up Summary & Feedback Summary: Redevelopment is difficult and takes time. Patience is required. It has to be market driven but incentives and government support can assist. The results can be transformative and are worth the effort. Your Feedback: Break-out tables Red Dot / Green Dot Exercise Sticky Notes to Explain/Add Comment Comment Card Next Meeting: Early February, 2017 Report Presentation
Wrap Up Break-Out Groups / Comment Cards