Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/06/2014

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Typical Block Path a, v U� 26' 1 I 8 Path. „ .., 50' 26' Typical Street 50— ®A typical block and street section for a work - at -home village. THE WORK -AT-HOME VILLAGE CONCEPT AND GUIDELINES The work -at-home village would be compact in design to encourage walking, communication, and social connection. Therefore the total site area should not exceed zoo acres and no arte- rial streets should divide the village. Streets would be 26 feet curb to curb, and beyond the curb, both sides of each street would be de- signed for nonmotorized traffic, including pe- destrians, scooters, bicycles, and accessibility equipment. These paths should be a minimum of eight feet wide. This way multiple modes of transportation can be safely accommodated within a 50-foot street right-of-way, which is narrower than many conventional suburban residential streets. The paved street simply serves as access to the units and for service and delivery vehicles. In order to keep the village compact, lot sizes would be limited to the space that the twin home requires with approximately 12 feet between structures. Setbacks from the pathway would be about 20 feet to allow for parking in driveways, and rear setbacks would be based on the unit depth and patios. The distance from the fronts of units on either side of the street would be about go feet instead of the no feet typical in many residential subdivisions. The interior block space would be common and would include rain gardens for stormwa- ter collection and pathways for inter -block communication. Block lengths should be limited to the distance required to accommo- date five buildings (io units) per block or approximately 60o feet. The ends of blocks should not be developed with home units to allow access through the interior of the block for pedestrians and maintenance vehicles. Block ends could also include parking bays for the additional guest parking but not long-term parking for resi- dents or the storage of vehicles. Cul-de-sacs should not be utilized as they disrupt pedestrian flow. Pedestrian -level lighting would be provided on all streets at not more than 250- foot intervals and at intersections. A recom- mended maximum height for pedestrian light- ing is 12 feet. A space would be required in the center of the development for a village gathering place for easy access from the dwelling units. This village place would be housed in a single build- ing containing convenience retail, personal services, and shared office space. Outside landscaping could include play equipment and sitting areas in gardens. The village place would be the primary social connection for the village and could include some programming such as dance, exercise, games, and crafts. The coffee shop and other shared gathering spaces would pro- vide opportunities for exchanging ideas, men- toring, and simply accounting for each other. Groups of professionals may meet in think-tank sessions. Community caring develops through these connections. Day care may be provided for children and adults. Children or grandchil- dren of work -at-home professionals would benefit from this day-care connection, and the professional would be relieved of some respon- sibilities to encourage more efficient and af- fective work. Adult day care can provide some relief from caregiving and also keeps those adults socially connected. Work -at-home pro- fessionals may want to meet with clients at the center or hold small group meetings. Meeting space would include amenities such as interac- tive whiteboards, projectors, and wired or wire- less connections for web -based conferences. The success of this development concept would likely require some additional guidelines or rules. These may include building design guidelines, rules for parking, limits on exces- sive outdoor activity bothersome to neighbors (e.g., auto repair in driveways), and provisions for refuse and recycling storage and collection (e.g., a common collection service). These ad- ditional guidelines or rules may be enshrined in a development agreement or in private cov- enants, conditions, and restrictions imposed by an owners association. ZONING FOR THE WORK -AT-HOME VILLAGE Local jurisdictions may face some challenges if a work -at-home village is proposed. City councils and planning commissions may not be comfortable with new concepts. The approach of mixing commercial with residential in the work -at-home village would need to be present- ed with a comparison to familiar development concepts, such as a golf course community, and must include development standards. The narrower street design and right-of-way may require amendments to regulatory ordinances. Plans would need to clearly demonstrate that this is a complete development concept and not simply a way of mixing land uses through flexible zoning. The work -at-home village would not be permitted as -of -right in most Euclidean zon- ing ordinances. Because this development concept is contingent on specific site and building design features and would include some commercial activities, it is, perhaps, best accommodated through the creation of a new planned development district. Suggested model standards are provided below. The work -at-home village is not simply a series of home occupations but is a lifestyle that may ZONINGPRACTICE 1.14 AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION 'pages