Agenda - Planning Commission - 07/09/2015 - Work Session

Home

Ramsey Town Center Development Guidelines 23 TC3 Workplace Overview The mix of medical, office, institutional and other uses in this sub -district suggest the potential for a campus -like arrangement of buildings on some blocks. These blocks would tend to be more internally oriented than in other districts, with driveways, parking lots, courtyards and walkway connections in the center, ringed by buildings around the outside. Buildings would still face adjacent streets, with both primary and secondary entries provided to animate these important facades, particularly along Ramsey Boulevard, Sunwood Drive and Rhinestone Street. While the Workplace sub -district also encourages mixed use, this desired development objective will likely occur mostly within blocks, not within individual buildings as seen in other districts. Site development guidelines include the following: TC3 Land Use • Encourage horizontal mixed use (within each block) throughout this district, and explore potential for vertical mixed use (within each building) where possible • Encourage residential development, perhaps targeting senior housing near the core sub -district and rental units above storefronts along Sunwood Drive or adjacent to the park • Include a mix of office, medical, institutional, housing, food venues and other uses that encourage a variety of activities throughout the day. TC3 Building Placement • Generally, buildings should be located at the street right-of-way line (zero setback), allowing recessed areas for building entries; no more than 60% of building beyond maximum setback • Buildings should be placed at all four corners of key intersections • Greater emphasis should be given to architectural elements, materials and other design features for buildings located at primary intersections, for example, at Sunwood and Rhinestone, or where streets intersect with parks, for example the streets that front on South Park — frequently these locations can be seen from several directions, perhaps terminate a view from a distance down the street or sit at a prominent activity node and will likely become future landmarks or helpful orientation/wayfinding icons as the Town Center develops • Minimize openings between buildings, although limited driveway access (one per block along destination streets) and some provision for pedestrian connections through blocks are encouraged — gaps in the building wall along street frontage to accommodate large surface parking lots, greater building setbacks or other purposes are discouraged • Encourage recessed entries and windows to create street -level interest, variety and pedestrian scale along street frontage • No more than 25% of street frontage can be utilized for surface parking lots Site Development TC3 Parking Strategies • Provide parking spaces to support typical daily use, satisfying both quantity and location needs through a mix of on -street, surface lots internal to the block, underground and ramped parking solutions • Encourage shared parking solutions that support special events or around the clock shifts in destination, audience —take advantage of peak/off-peak hours of operation for various uses within this, and adjacent sub -districts • Locate surface parking lots away from the major streets, either behind or to the side of primary buildings; large surface parking lots along major street frontage are not allowed • Discourage driveway access to parking facilities along Sunwood Drive in favor of side streets or along Civic Center Drive