Agenda - Planning Commission - 02/02/2017 - Special

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Pedestrian amenities should be added first along the blocks with the greatest concentration of retailing or those with the greatest potential. In some cases, neighborhood shopping streets are too long and some blocks may no longer be suited for retail. In such cases, clearly designate the blocks that are targeted for retailing and concentrate pedestrian amenities there first. Sidewalks should be wide enough to accommodate outdoor dining while pro- viding enough room to allow an unimpeded pedestrian flow; tables should be permitted at the curb line to allow window shoppers to stroll next to the shop windows. Rebuilding sidewalks with brick or patterned concrete also can have a positive effect. Greening the street is necessary to make it more comfortable for pedestrians. Improvements should include tree canopies that provide shade from day one, green spaces where shoppers can linger and relax, and flowers and shrubs that enliven store fronts, tree boxes, light standards, and parking lots. VISIBILITY Transparency is critical. Buyers want to see inside the store — they want it to look safe, they want to see that it offers the goods or services they are interested in, and they want to feel comfortable that a salesperson is not hovering to accost them when they walk in the door. The best design provides visibility into the store and not just into a window display. ARCHITECTURE Buildings must look as though they belong in the neighbor- hood, especially in terms of scale, height, and character. Retail is most successful when it is on a single level, but offices and apartments work very well in levels over retail. The neighborhood vernacular should be expressed in the design of buildings. Good archi- tecture improves the quality of the neighborhood. In revitaliza- tion, it can serve as a model of good design. Flexible guide- lines that allow variation within acceptable ranges may be best. Even convenience stores can be accommodated with good design standards. The standard retail bay in the United States is 30 feet wide by 60 to 90 feet deep. Multiples of this module can accommodate larger users, such as restaurants. Neighbor- hood retail often has regular turnover, and adherence to these standards can help find new users. Windows that offer visibility into the store are good advertising and con- tribute to comfort on entry. Awnings or recessed entries provide comfortable shelter from rain and sun. LANDSCAPING Designs for visibility and land- scaping often conflict. Here again, the need for trans- parency and visibility of retail takes precedence. However, in addition to meeting a commu- nity's consumer needs, a retail street can be a place to social- ize or to relax and linger, es- pecially when the hard urban edge is softened and enhanced with high -quality plant mate- rial. Outdoor dining is an instant indicator of safety and congeniality, but it needs a minimum sidewalk depth of ten to 12 feet for convenient pedestrian flow. SIGNAGE, LIGHTING, AND STREET FURNITURE As in other design media, qual- ity sells —particularly over the long term. Signs, lighting, and street furniture (seating) are low-cost and highly visible ways of projecting a quality image. To ensure consistency and quality, adopt design guide- lines that regulate the scale, typeface, materials, and other design elements of signage, while at the same time encour- aging flexibility and creativity. A critical consideration is whether to allow freestanding or hanging signs on buildings. Flush mounting is desirable because it doesn't intrude into the pedestrian zone, but the need for signage to be visible to motorists and pedestrians should contribute to decisions about sign guidelines. Differen- tiation in retail graphics is both an indicator of unique offerings and a brand identifier. A graph- ics scheme should not prohibit free expression, but should set standards to ensure Tong -term quality. Lighting and street fur- niture in complementary design families add character and safety —lighting for visibility and seating to attract people to the street. William B. Renner, EDSA / Edward D. Stone, Jr. and Associates 10