Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/02/2012

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Design Guidelines in Barnstable County, Massachusetts By Sarah Korjeff The Cape Cod Commission has used design guidelines since the early 199os. As a regional planning and regulatory agency— one of only two in Massachusetts—we identi- fied the need for design guidelines both to direct development in the local communities and also to guide the design of projects under- going review by our own agency. DESIGNING THE FUTURE TO HONOR THE PAST Designing the Future to Horror the Past: Design Guidelines for Cape Cod was our first effort. Because the Cape Cod Commission is a regional agency, we first developed design guidelines to apply to the region as a whole. That could be challenging given the variation in neighborhood character throughout the Cape's 15 towns, so we focused on the dis- tinctive, traditional characteristics that were most common across those communities — the things that make the Cape unique and draw people there. Our initial publication included guidelines ranging from big- picture issues like site design down to more specific details like signage. We incorporated graph- ics as much as possible to help interpret the guidelines for the reader. The underlying principle of the publication was always to guide development to be consistent with the Cape's traditional character. We developed Designing the Future to Honorthe Past with help of a consultant and with numerous public meetings and oppor- tunities for comment. The design guidelines were adopted as a technical bulletin by the Cape Cod Commission and are used to il- lustrate how to comply with minimum perfor- mance standards in the commission's review of large -scale developments. In addition, the guidelines are used informally by several town planning boards, town planners, and architectural review boards in their site plan review and other local development reviews. In one town, Yarmouth, the planning board formally adopted the design manual for guidance during project reviews in their commercial business district. The manual, which won an Outstanding Planning Award from the Massachusetts Chapter ofAPA in 1995, has two key sections that make it more likely to be implemented. The first is a section titled "Case Studies," where we explored four typical development scenarios from the region: commercial strip redevelopment, compact residential develop- ment, historic village centers, and large-scale commercial development. We then applied the guidelines to each development scenario and illustrated how they could affect design there. The strip redevelopment scenario was perhaps the most complicated, and it begins by acknowledging key problems with exist- ing conditions: curb -cut conflicts, lack of consistent architecture, residential isolation, and visual clutter. The manual then attempts to address these issues in phases: first, lay- ing the groundwork by creating a plan for the area and amending zoning, then focusing on "Green Intervention" by consolidating curb cuts, installing sidewalks and street trees, and providing open space. The third phase introduces housing to the area through back -lot development and makes connec- tions to surrounding residential neighbor- hoods. Finally, the fourth phase looks at infill construction along the street edge, as well as introducing public transportation and improving signage. The second key section of the manual is titled "Making it Happen," which helps facilitate the changes discussed in the case studies. It acknowledges that zoning changes are not always easy to accomplish but recognizes they are a critical piece in guiding commercial zones to follow a more traditional surrounding context. In strip commercial areas we have worked with towns individually and dis- cussed those zoning changes that are needed to support the design guidelines— things Like adjusting building setbacks, requiring building transparency, adopting mixed use zoning, and amending parking lo- cation requirements. But "Making it Happen" goes beyond zoning. It addresses the need to work with property owners to identify incen- tives that will guide development to desired locations and in the desired forms. It covers options like streamlined review processes, transfer of development rights, and density @As shown in this sketch, lower roof heights on attached masses reduce the apparent scale of the building. ZGNINGPRACTICE AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION 'pages