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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Comments from Steve S. DOWNTOWN MERIDIAN DESIGN GUIDELINES COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT STAFF REPORT TO: FROM: Hearing Date: December 20. 2005 City Council Steve Siddoway, Principal City Plmmer Meridian Planning Department 884-5533 --- 0 /' COW" 'i,; '-/VLerldiân --,,;"\ 'í \~. lIMBO J~. ~ . '.. ~~ _m/"' -<;r."<t ".. ""-'!-'>/ i -. ~I,~."'L"1'~-'--- "'me! SUBJECT: Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines CP A-05-003 - Comprehensive Plan Text Amendment to add Design Guidelines for the Old Town District. 1. SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF APPLICANT'S REQUEST This Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA) application proposes an addendum to the City of Meridian Comprehensive Plan. The proposed document, Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines, is considered a text amendment to the Plan. Section 11-2D-4 ofthe ODC contains the following standards for development in Old Town: D. Administrative design review: 1. All new construction and exterior modifications shall be subject to administrative design review in accord with the procedures set forth in CHAPTER 5 ADMINISTRATION of this Title. 2. The criteria for the administrative design review is set forth in the document Downtown Meridian Desien Guidelines. [Underline added.] 3. Any applications that do not meet the criteria in the Design Guidelines shall be subject to a conditional use permit as forth in CHAPTER 5 ADMINISTRATION. [Underline added.] Adopting the guidelines will support and complete this provision of the new ordinance. It will also help ensure quality construction for downtown projects into the future, support downtown revitalization, and help attract the benefits of a vital downtown as presented in this report. 2. SUMMARY RECOMMENDATION Staff and the Planning & Zoning Commission are recommending approval of the subject Comprehensive Plan Amendment (CPA-05-003). The Meridian Planning and Zoning Commission heard the item on October 3,2005. At the public hearing they moved to recommend approval. a. Summary of Public Hearing: i. In favor: none ii. In opposition: none iii. Commenting: none iv. Staff presenting application: Steve Siddoway v. Other staff commenting on application: none Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 1 of 14 b. Key Issues of Discussion by Commission: i. Downtown Parking Requirements. c. Key Commission Changes to Staff Recommendation: i. The parking section of the Guidelines originally proposed no minimum parking requirement. That was changed to state that "the applicant shall provide one off-street parking space per 500 square feet of building area or an equivalent in~lieu fee." d. Outstanding Issue(s) for City Council: i. If this application is approved, Council will need to direct legal counsel to prepare a resolution for adoption. 3. PROCESS FACTS c. The subject application will in fact constitute a comprehensive plan amendment as determined by Idaho State Code. By reason ofthe provisions of the Idaho State Code §67-6509, a public hearing is required before the City Council on this matter. Newspaper notifications published on: September 5, September 19, and September 26, 2005 (for Planning & Zoning Commission) and November 28 and December 12 (for City Council). Public Service Announcements were sent to television, newspaper, and radio stations on September 19, 2005 (for Planning & Zoning Commission) and December 12 (for City Council). a. b. 4. PROJECT OVERVIEW Three years ago, in 2002, the City of Meridian (City) and the Meridian Development Corporation (MDC) identified a desire to make the development process in downtown Meridian more streamlined. For example, it was noted that a retail store on the edge of the City could be built in a commercial zone with only staff level approval, while the same retail store built in the Old Town zone would require a Conditional Use Permit (which requires at least two public hearings and approximately four months longer). This creates a disincentive for downtown development that we wanted to remove. At the same time, it was noted that we did not want the design of downtown structures to be "anything goes" architecturally. For example, we did not want to allow blank CMU block structures to be built in Old Town. Several such buildings built in commercial zones at the time underscored this issue. Also, we desired that structures be built up to the street with parking behind, not set back behind asphalt parking areas. Such designs were deemed [me for an office park or a general commercial setting, but not for downtown. Downtown should be a place for buildings that create a highly walkable, pedestrian oriented heart of the City consistent with the revitalization goals of the City and MDC. Thus, the Conditional Use Process provided a necessary opportunity, in the absence of any design guidelines, for City leaders to review any proposal for the Old Town area and determine if it was in the best interest of the City to approve it. It allowed the Platming & Zoning Commission and City Council to consider design issues related to downtown structures. The City could not simply eliminate the Conditional Use process without first having design guidelines for proposed development in Old Town. If the Conditional Use process were simply eliminated, there would be no way to regulate the design or layout of a structure in downtown. With a desire to create and adopt design guidelines for downtown, the City hired Sherry McKibben, McKibben and Cooper Architects. While the City provided the funding and proj,ect management, it Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 2 of 14 was always considered a joint effort with MDC, the City's urban renewal agency for downtown. An initial committee was formed of City Staff and MDC leadership to work with Sherry McKibben and create a first draft of the guidelines. That early draft was completed at the end of2002. The City then sponsored a workshop in February 2003 and invited developers, potential project owners, architects, real estate brokers, downtown business owners, Meridian Merchants Association, downtown residents, historical organizations, MDC board members, land use planning firms, and governmental agencies to review and discuss the draft guidelines. The workshop was very well attended with over 40 people who participated in the process from various professional backgrounds. The workshop included group processes that allowed people from similar viewpoints to brainstonn issues, as well as group processes that mixed people from a variety of backgrounds to brainstorm solutions. A copy of the full participant list and results from the workshop are provided as Attachment A. Any interested workshop participants were invited to participate in a subcommittee to revise and refme the design guidelines based on the results of the workshop. The members of the subcommittee included: Craig Slocum Rich Allison Terry Amos Walter Lindgren Tony Hickey Clarence Jones Malcolm MacCoy Anna Canning Brad Hawkins-Clark Dave McKinnon Steve Siddoway John Bertram Sherry McKibben The subcommittee then spent over eight hours in several meetings over the next few months in detailed, point-by-point discussions about the design guidelines. The result was a stronger set of design guidelines (text only at this point) with widespread agreement among the various stakeholder groups. At the same time, the MDC began the process to create the Downtown Marketing Strategy. A decision was made and ratified by City Council to postpone further action on the Downtown Design Guidelines until after the Marketing Strategy was complete and adopted. The Marketing Strategy helped establish the area of downtown, appropriate building heights and clarified other issues for the design guidelines. The subcommittee then met again in 2004 and reached consensus on a final draft. This final draft was then sent out to the full list of workshop participants for review and comment. No requested changes or concerns were received back. At this time, the effort to create the City's new zoning ordinance, the Unified Development Code (UDC) was also underway. Another decision was made to combine the design guidelines effort with the work of the UDC committee. Early thinking was that the design guidelines may be codified as standards in the new ordinance, but it was later determined that adopting them as guidelines, as an addendum to the Comprehensive Plan, would be more appropriate and provide both flexibility and enforceability. Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 3 of 14 In the interim, several diagrams, illustrations and photos have been added to support the guidelines. The photos are used to clearly present the "do's" and "don'ts" of the guidelines and provide graphical reinforcement of the text. The result is a more user-friendly document with examples that illustrate the intent behind the guidelines. The new ODC has now been adopted. The UDC will make many uses, such as retail, a Pennitted Use instead of a Conditional Use in Old Town if they adhere to the proposed Design Guidelines. Therefore, it is time to send the Design Guidelines for public hearings and adoption, as per the new UDC. 5. CPA APPLICATION QUESTIONS (ftom Meridian's CPA application form) 1. Specific definition of the change requested. The Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines (Guidelines) are proposed to be adopted as an addendum the City's Comprehensive Plan (Plan). As such, no specific changes, per se, to the existing text are requested. The Guidelines are proposed to be a stand-alone document, an addition to the existing Plan. The design guidelines address the following issues: . Setbacks . Building Orientation . Building Height and Form . Façade Treatment, Entrances and Roofs . Mid~Block Pedestrian Pathways . Streetscape Design . Landscaping . Parking The guiding principles/assumptions behind the guidelines are provided on page one of the document. The pUIpose and applicability statements can be found on page two. 2. Specific information on any property involved. The Guidelines are proposed to apply to all properties in the Old Town zoning district. The current boundaries of the Old Town zoning district are generally from Carlton Ave. on the north to Franklin on the south and from Meridian Road on the west to E. 3rd Street on the east. Some additional properties do exist outside this boundary with Old Town zoning. In addition, more properties are eligible for Old Town zoning in the future per the Old Town land use designation on the current Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map. All properties zoned Old Town now or in the future would be expected to comply with the design guidelines for any future development or redevelopment. 3. The condition or situation which warrants a change being made in the Plan. A renaissance is underway in downtown Meridian. The MDC is moving forward under the leadership of Clair Bowman and the MDC Board to revitalize the downtown area. New buildings, such as Farmer's and Merchants Bank have recently invested in downtown. We need to ensure that future development is compatible with these new investments, as well as existing historic structures. Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 4 of 14 Also, as noted earlier in this application, the City desires to make many uses, such as retail, office, or restaurants a permitted use in the Old Town area to promote revitalization efforts. However, we have not wanted to eliminate the conditional use process without first having design guidelines for Old Town. Adopting the proposed guidelines will support the new UDC and opens the door to a more streamlined approval process for quality projects in the downtown area. Proposed projects that do not comply to the design guidelines will still be subject to the Conditional Use process. 4. The public need for and benefit from such a change in the Plan. The public has repeatedly expressed a desire for the revitalization of downtown Meridian. According the adopted marketing strategy for downtown, "There are two essential priorities for the future vitality of Downtown Meridian: I) that the downtown environment be one that people would find as a Great Place to Be, and 2) that the infrastructure is designed to encourage people to go To rather than Through the downtown district. Developing Downtown with a true sense of place establishes the "Great Place to Be." Desirable characteristics for Meridian's city center should be that it is family oriented, attractive, accessible, livable, convement, active, and fun. Toward these ends, desi~.. .is stron!:!:lv encouralZed." [underline added.] According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation's Main Street Program, a vital main street: . Is a symbol of community economic health, local quality of life, pride, and community history; Retains and creates jobs, which also means a stronger tax base; Is also a good incubator fro new small businesses; Reduces sprawl by concentrating retail and other uses in one area and uses commumty infrastructure wisely; Increases the community's options for goods, services, housing and entertainment; Provides a civic forum where members of the community can congregate for parades, special events and celebrations; . . . . . The proposed design guidelines are aimed at helping to create the "Great Place to Be" in downtown Meridian. Design guidelines are only one piece of the revitalization puzzle, but they are an important one. By supporting the various ongoing efforts to create a vital downtown, it is the intent of these guidelines to help create the public benefits listed above, by: . Supporting commumty and cultural identity in the historic center of Downtown Meridian; Encouraging the rehabilitation and conservation of existing historical buildings; Creating infill mixed-use building of character, height, scale, and proportion compatible with the existing historical buildings; Reinforcing the urban pattern by minimizing intelTUptions in the wall of street-facing building facades; Slowing traffic by shaping the street "room" and providing "eyes on the street"; Creating a comfortable environment for pedestrian activities Reducing off-street parking requirements. . . . . . . 5. Documentation that no other solutions to the problem are presented by the current policy of the Plan are possible or reasonable. The current Comprehensive Plan supports and even calls for the adoption of the design guidelines. On page 40, Chapter V, Goal II is to "Ensure that downtown is the vital center of the community." Action #8 specifically states a plan to "Create and adopt specific downtown design lZUidelines and standards that will ensure that downtown Meridian remains the historic center for mixed-use Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 5 of 14 tourism, business, retail, residential, and governmental activities in Meridian." [Underline added.] Thus, the adoption of design guidelines are actually recommended by the current policy of the Plan. The need to adopt design guidelines are also called for in the Downtown Marketing Strategy. Under "First Year Goals," Goal 3 is to "Establish Design Guidelines" for downtown. It is suggested to be one of the early organizational goals to lay the framework for coming revitalization/development activities. 6. Development intentions for any land involved. The City of Meridian intends to build a new City Hall downtown. MDC is investigating the potential for future parking structures in downtown. The City and MDC both hope to attract additional new businesses downtown to further the redevelopment and revitalization efforts. The proposed guidelines would apply to all new structures in the Old Town district, as well as façade improvements and/or building additions. 7. Any other data and information needed by the Planning and Zoning Commission in evaluating the proposal, such as who does it help, who does it hurt, how much is it going to cost and who's going to pay for it. The City recognizes that the design guidelines can create a significant expense to development projects when compared to cheaper construction alternatives. At the same time, the design guidelines will enhance the appearance and customer attraction of commercial areas, improve the liveability of adjacent residential neighborhoods, increase property values, and screen undesirable views. The entire City and all of its residents stand to benefit from a well-designed downtown that provides the true heart of our community. The benefits of such a downtown will be well worth the added investment created by the guidelines. Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 6 of 14 Attachment A DOWNTOWN DESIGN STANDARDS WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT LIST & SUMMARY Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 7 of 14 DOWNTOWN DESIGN STANDARDS WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT LIST Confirmed yes: [40] Developers æ Gary Benoit - bencorpllc(â)cs.com (also Downtown Committee) John Boyd - ~ Dennis Baker - dmbwinc(ã)yahoo.com Potential Project owners æ Clarence Jones -- çjones(â)fmsþ.com (also MDC Board member) Russ McCrea (Zamzows) - russ(ã)dynamitemarketing.com Guiseppe Veneziano (Creamery Project) - 888-3988, no e-mail. Architects r71 Mike Simmons - mike(ã)zga.com Stephen Teed - please fax 888-4838 Stan Olson - stancœolsonarchitects.com Rob Thornton - rthornton@etarchitects.com Stan Cole - scole@colearch.com Steve Christiansen - schristian(â)lcarch.com Joseph La Marche (Hummel Architects) - ilamarche(â)hummelarch.com (maybe Greg Allen) .ReaLEstate æ Rich Allison - rallisoncœmindspring.com (also Downtown Committee) Tony Hickey - thickey(â)avanterealty.com (also Historic Pres.) Mike Ballantyne - mjb(â)tokre.com Business Owners/MMAI Downtown Residents r61 Mike or Terry Armes - tannin9hutcœrmci.net John Forsberg - johnnylynnf@msn.com Perry and Patty Gillaspy - pattycog86(ã)aol.com Linda Schwacofer - dlschwacofer(â)aol.com Gwen Alger - brentalger(â)aol.com (also Historical Society) Historical Organizations [2J Walter Lindgren - lindgren@johnsonarchitects.com (also architect) Terry Smith - SMITHPARK(â)aol.com (also Downtown Committee) Other Agencies [QJ Joe Rosenlund (ACHD) - jrosenlu(ã)achd.ada.id.us Kelly Fairless (Valley Ride) - kfairless(ã)valleyride.ora Pam Sheldon (CCDC) - sheldon ccdcboise.com Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 8 of 14 Terry Amos tamos@fmsb.com (Farmers & Merchants, rep. Chamber of Commerce) Charles Trainor (Compass) - ctrainor(â)comDassidaho.org Craig Steele (Parks Commission) - costeelg@vahoo.com Planners [1} Mike Wardle - mdwardle(â)wardlegrouD.com Nancy Taylor - nat(â)jub.com John Bertram (Planmakers) - Sherry is inviting Mark Butler (Planner) - mark(â)landconsultants.net MDC Board Members/Revitalization Committee [QJ. Jim Johnson - rugerll(â)earthlink.net Clair Bowman - CBOWMAN(ã)comDassidaho.org Craig Slocum - craig.slocum(â)cshqa.com Tammy de Weerd - tdeweerd(ã)msn.com Linda Rupe - linruDe2(ã)aol.com Malcolm MacCoy - malmaccov(â)aol.com Maybe: [6] Winston Moore (Developer) - wh.moore(â)worldnetatt.net, he doesn't know if can attend but is interested. Tom Bauwens (Developer) - left message Scott Stewart (Developer) - left message Jay Johnson (Downtown Building owner) - faxing Joan Meitl (Stormwater) - left message jmeitl(â)mindspring.com No: [7] Bill Clark - bill cl rk evel mente m -- he will be out of town at that time David Turnbull - not able to make it Carolyn Jansen - çjwildwest@msn.com she will be out of town but is interested. Joan Craig - will be out of town, she is disappointed she is missing it gcra i ng mont(â)aol. com Carol Jetton - no has Historical Society Meeting, but please email info caietton(â)ca bleone. net State Dept of Commerce - Jan Blickenstaff, no they will not be attending Walt Mott- No, but would like to be included in the future Meg Peters - finerframes(â)aol.com Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 9 of 14 Downtown Design Standards Workshop Summary February 13, 2003 Top Concerns/Issues I. Parking-How do we get enough? 2. Attracting people downtown-need emotional attachment and other reasons to come. Historic mix: Do the standards accommodate a variety of uses? 3. Review process to approve projects: new vs. renovations. 4. Need flexibility-Too specific on certain elements-FAR, parapets, height variation, etc. Consider proportions vs. dimensions. Define "historic character". 5. How does the area around the core relate to the core? 6. Public education-enhance the standards with pictures, illustrations, etc. Meet with property owners. Top Solutions I. Parking: . Prepare a Downtown Parking Plan: CUlTent supply/demand vs. long tenn . Access parking from the alleys . Have on-street parking throughout downtown; look for areas to have diagonal parking . Encourage transit . Have pedestrian pathways at mid-block for good connectivity . Designate handicap parking spaces . Have fees for parking 2. Attracting People: . Need mixed uses: retail, office, residential, etc. . Be sure standards accommodate a variety of uses and not just a single user . Design transit into the space . Encourage a variety of activities on the sidewalks . Provide for flexibility and variation . Facilitate a developer's dreams, don't just restrict them 3. Review Process: . Eliminate the required CUP process . Designate pennitted uses, as well as prohibited uses (i.e. warehousing) . May need a board or design review committee to consider projects-especially if the standards include flexible guidelines. . Need illustrations in the standards Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 10 of 14 4. Flexibility: . Identify existing historic structures to pattern after . Include lots of photos and illustrations that depict the theme 5. Around the Core: . Need to respond to existing conditions . Allow surface parking today, build up as area densifies 6. Public Education: . Add graphics to the standards . Do outreach on downtown issues through water bills, etc. . Schools, civic groups, chamber of commerce, etc. presentations Verbatim Workshop Notes Likes: .:. Create comfortable space .:. Transit and pedestrian access .:. Active and vibrant .:. Enjoyable and active environment .:. Principles for STDSG .:. Consistency of design .:. Two story building fronts and facades .:. Welcoming .:. Building material standards .:. Allows exceptions to encourage mixed use .:. Standardization of design and materials used .:. Parking concept on street and parking lots .:. Traffic flow plan (taking control of our own destiny) .:. Mixing old and new, blending together .:. Consistent signage .:. Scale zero lot line - build to street .:. Activity support - generated .:. Protecting historical .:. New building compatible - façade .:. Awnings, streetscape, lights .:. Pedestrian friendly aspect - ease of use .:. Pedestrian walkways .:. Landscaped median .:. Building height .:. Parking - behind building - garages .:. Everything:) .:. Size of the core .:. Height/sizing of building .:. Buildings to front property line .:. Permanence of materials Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 11 of 14 .:. Historic emphasis .:. Elimination of off-street parking requirements .:. Glass store fronts .:. Parking in back .:. Ambiance Concerns: .:. Will plan actually be developed? .:. Participation .:. Economic viability of standards (e.g. height) .:. Scope of downtown plan >- Larger area needed >- Down to railroad tracks .:. Diagonal parking (safety hazard) .:. Design standards don't work for Fanners and Merchants .:. Insufficient attention to preservation of historical buildings (what value is placed on these) and incentives .:. Attracting people to area (historical, mixture, adequate parking, vision) .:. Parking fitting design and adequate spaces (is parking enough just behind buildings and convenient enough) .:. Working business and residential together .:. Bringing people downtown >- Obtaining critical mass of pedestrians .:. Lack of review process guideline enforcement .:. Need to ensure adequate parking .:. Conditional Use process .:. Cost of additional design requirements may discourage development .:. Improve traffic capacity .:. Adequate parking to support retail .:. Extend the core to the east side of3rd and shrink to adjust rest of Main .:. City Hall won't be redeveloped .:. Size was to big Main - 2nd, Broadway to Idaho plus Y2 block each side .:. Economic viability .:. How will the standards retain larger businesses needing larger building? .:. How to balance tenants and parking .:. Need to attract office .:. How to keep building lease rates competitive with other areas .:. Survival of retail .:. Need for high-tech infra-structure .:. Keep historic theme but don't make to restrictive .:. 2-story height = too limiting (3) .:. Streets cape needs to be same from block to block .:. Define "comer elements" .:. Better to clarify FAR purpose and relationship to height .:. The potential for second story to have "blank wall" effect .:. Not necessary to limit height .:. Need mixed-use element Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 12 of 14 .:. Materials on sides and alley's need to compliment facade .:. Keep guidelines away from percentages and specific dimensions on features - use exhibits versus numbers .:. Don't define just one element of building (e.g. parapet cap) .:. Focus on proportions .:. Podunk Idaho .:. Not enough parking .:. 3D-foot tall is to extreme, 20-feet more appropriate .:. Drainage not addressed .:. More attention needs to be given to roof design .:. Allow balcony seating on second floor .:. Needs more attention to public transportation .:. Educate property owners .:. Doesn't address a one-way street possibility .:. Who pays for bulb-outs and tree grates .:. Lack of developer incentives .:. Lack oflandscape standards (tree vaults, grates, irrigation) .:. No pictures or building material illustrations, building styles .:. No design review to detennine if new building fits downtown .:. Feasibility not addressed regarding elevators Process 2 Group I: .:. Parking: );> Should be rather immediate and equally distributed );> Ample street side parking >- Identify potential areas/sites for parking early (before developed) >- Parking study );> Some impact fee to acquire parking impact );> Downtown plan >- With possible future rebate );> Encourage transit to alleviate some of the "parking need' and shuttle );> Walking pathways (mid-block) to shorten distance to parking );> Detennine placement of handicap parking Process 2 Group 2: .:. Have people live downtown (adjacent) .:. Mixture of office use .:. Standards that create pedestrian ftiendly area .:. Transit access/space incorporation .:. Plaza's, seating areas, wide sidewalks in core (10-14) .:. Variation of heights - flexibility .:. Allow adjacent parking .:. Inter-connecting (ingress/egress pedestrian thru alley's Process 2 Group 3: Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 13 of 14 .:. Eliminate required Conditional Use >- Instead designate uses that are: >- Allowed >- Conditional >- Prohibited .:. Don't punish everyone for actions of few .:. Create a Design Manual - photos or illustrations of design types .:. If design meets guidelines and standards it can be approved at stafflevel (specific design review group- staff, private sector) Process 2 Group 4: .:. Use existing historic structures to model adjacent buildings and theme after (e.g. Heritage Building) .:. Include lots of photos and drawings that depict historic them we want .:. Must allow architects individual creativity .:. Need clear vision and standards so Design Review Committee is only confinning, not re-designing Process 2 Group 5: .:. Need planning for core around downtown .:. Need parking that will make today's businesses viable and will allow dense "urban" development later Process 2 Group 6: .:. Public hearings .:. New graphics .:. Including graphics in legal notices .:. Presentation to service groups (i.e. Kiwanis, Rotary, Senior Center, Chamber et cetera) .:. Including fliers in water bills .:. Press announcements .:. School project - elementary school project to fonnulate design standards .:. Turning negative publicity or comments into additional greater public awareness Downtown Meridian Design Guidelines Page 14 of 14