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Home My WebLink About090407 Worksession 4646 Dakota Street S.E. Prior Lake, MN 55372-1714 CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION MEETING DATE: SEPTEMBER 4, 2007 PREPARED BY: PAUL SNOOK, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR DOWNTOWN BUILDING DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKSHOP TOPIC: INTRODUCTION: City Council is asked to: 1. Review the Downtown Building Design Guidelines 2. Consider recommendations contained in this report, and 3. Provide input to staff and consultant regarding the draft guidelines HISTORY: At the July 20, 2007 City Council meeting staff and consultant Tom Dobbs presented a draft of the Downtown Building Design Guidelines. City Council provided positive comment and feedback and directed changes as follows: 1. Make sure the guidelines reference the entire downtown zone, and 2. Include a map that shows: a. The entire downtown zone b. Future street layout according to the County Highway 21 Corridor Study In addition to the above changes, staff met with the consultant to incorporate numerous other changes, ranging from correcting typos to inserting clearer and more descriptive language and images (See attached editing notes). The updated guidelines are enclosed for review and comment. CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES: The revised Downtown Building Design Guidelines focus primarily upon building design but also refer to the overall downtown as directed by the City Council. There are some modifications to the document which could be made if the council believes they will add value to the document and help the end user to fully understand the guidelines and the current and future situation of downtown: 1. Section 1: "Introduction" - Could be modified to more explicitly articulate the relationship between the 2030 www.cityofpriorlake.com Phdile952.447,9800 I Fax,-952~44 7.4245) Comprehensive Plan, 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan, Downtown Design Guidelines and Zoning Ordinance. 2. Section 2.1 "Study Area in Context" and Section 2.3 "Streets, Circulation and Project Area" could be relocated adjacent to one another to make them a more significant component of the document. They are presently separated from one another by Section 2.2 "Urban Form and Historic Development Patterns". 3. A narrative section could be added before or after the downtown map on page 2.8 which addresses the following as a means of giving the user the "vital statistics" of downtown: · Traffic counts for CSAH 21 and CSAH 13 · Future traffic signal at Arcadia and CSAH 21 · Future right-in right-out at Main Avenue and CSAH 21 · Meaning of Blocks 2, 4, and 15 · Meaning of Transitional Town Center zoning on south side of CSAH 21 · Preference for multi-story mixed use buildings in the downtown district · Expected transition from surface lot parking to greater emphasis on vertical parking structures · Any other observations the City Council deems relevant Staff proposes that the next steps for document completion are: 1. Hay-Dobbs I Staff updates document with changes from September 4th City Council Work Session. 2. October 1 st or 15th City Council meeting - City Council considers adoption of final Downtown Building Design Guidelines for: a. Incorporation into Downtown Redevelopment process (RFQ-RFP) b. Inclusion in updating of the Zoning Code 3. November - City Council discusses Downtown redevelopment RFQ/RFP which contains Downtown Building Design Guidelines 4. City Council considers adoption of new Zoning Code which contains Downtown Building Design Guidelines by reference I I (111.~./ . i ,L . --.. I . I i I (./ V~:' EDITING NOTES - DOWNTOWN BUILDING DESIGN GUIDELINES 8-20-07 · In addition to the notes below, see editing notes in the document Cover: Should have a photo' rendering' image on the cover Acknowledgments: Add City Council, Planning Commission and Econ Dev Advisory Committee P. 1-2 addition: Guide property owners wishing to expand, renovate existing buildings or construct new buildings within the downtown area p. 1-5 addition: This project will complement the 2030 Comprehensive Plan p. 2-2 addition: (City staff is doing this) Should add and aerial or map showing the entire downtown C-TC Zone (Town Center), and T-TC (Transitional Town Center), and future street layout including Arcadia Ave as a through street to Pleasant, and Main Ave as a right-in' right out at County Highway 21... (OR place this aerial' map on p. 2-7?) p. 2-3 addition: (first paragraph toward bottom)... supportive of residential or office use, topped by a flat roof with articulated parapet and cap. The predominant roof shape in the downtown is flat (slightly sloped to drain), hidden behind articulated parapet walls and caps. p. 2-5 addition: (Solid-Void Ratio) (before last paragraph) For the ground level storefront, no less that 70% of the street level fayade front of a building shall be transparent, and no less than 30% on side streets and rear of building. For upper floors, no less than 40% of the fayade shall be transparent glass. p. 2-8 additions: (last sentence, 2nd paragraph) While these guidelines apply to the entire downtown district. Main Avenue should be the focus and emphasis of development for the foreseeable future, since it has the best physical and economic attributes to enhance and build upon the traditional character of downtown. (last sentence, 3rd paragraph) In all cases parking should have limited visual impact on the continuity and character of Main Avenue by blending with facades of nearby buildings. p.2-9: (first paragraph, first sentence) While development or redevelopment will occur and be encouraged throughout the downtown, the primary emphasis should be placed on Main Avenue. (3rd paragraph) delete "Stand Alone' residential units or p.2-11: We should have a close-up photo of a storefront that illustrates the language in the first sentence. p.2-16: (2nd paragraph) "and incremental process" should be emphasized in bold type Should we have a photo on this page? * * p. 2-16 & 2-17 have the same exact narrative p. 2-18 addition: (2nd paragraph) "Main Avenue and secondary and tertiary frontage of perpendicular streets and nearby parallel streets" should be in bold type. Insert photo examples of #4, #5, #6 or reference to existing photos in document Insert as new # 7: Infill and new building roofs shall be flat and hidden behind parapet walls and caps that articulate the rhythm of the building. Roof edges should be related in size and proportions to adjacent buildings. p.3-4: How do Basic Wall Type 1 and Basic Wall Type 2 differ? (they look similar), Need to change. p.3-8: Need to better explain why the three examples are not acceptable. Add as 1st paragraph: The visual attractiveness of building materials has a notable impact on the perception of any building. High-quality finish materials project feelings of authenticity, permanence and quality. If not coordinated with nearby buildings, inconsistent or substandard materials can make buildings look "cheap" or shoddy. p. ~-9: (2n paragraph) For residential buildings need to change so that masonry is primary material on ground floor, and EIFS can be used on upper floors (EIFS cannot be primary on the ground floor. Other · Include a "Downtown Building Design Guideline Supplement" or Appendix of Prototypical Downtown Building Design that contains additional photos f examples of desirable downtown building design elements. Include captions near each photo that describes the desirable building design elements. · We prefer at least a two story building in downtown, but what if a developer wants to build a one story building? We may want to include illustrations and photos showing good examples of one story buildings.