TO: Mayor Collins and Town Council Members
FROM: Brian Dalke, Interim Town Manager
Jeremy Knapp, Community Development Director
DATE: November 1st, 2018
DEPARTMENT: Community Development
Staff Contact Jeremy Knapp, 480-348-3522
End
AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Approval of Resolution 2018-20 Accepting the Visually Significant Corridors Master Plan
Body
Town Value(s):
☐ Primarily one-acre, residential community
☐ Limited government
☒ Creating a sense of community
☐ Partnerships with existing schools and resorts to enhance recreational opportunities
☒ Improving aesthetics/creating a brand
☐ Preserving natural open space
The Visually Significant Corridors Master Plan meets the Town values of creating a sense of community by establishing a plan that aims to establish a Paradise Valley brand and improve aesthetics along the major arterials of Lincoln Drive and Tatum Boulevard.
Council Goals or Statutory Requirements:
Preparing the Visually Significant Corridors Plan meets both an implementation measure of the Town’s 2012 General Plan and a Town Council Quality of Life initiative.
CC&H 3.1.3.3 Enhanced Town Gateways. The Town shall ensure that public improvements and private development work together to enhance the sense of entry at key gateways to the Town through consistent decorative elements such as signage, landscaping, and art that captures the values of the Town and its setting.
CC&H 3.1.3.4 Visually Significant Corridors. The Town shall designate highly visible, prominent, streets, including Lincoln Drive and Tatum Boulevard, as Visually Significant Corridors. Streetscape design guidelines will be developed, to include a reasonable range of treatments of individual properties, to improve and manage landscape conditions as a means to demonstrate a positive and unique character and image of the Town, maintain views, and strive to mitigate the negative impact of traffic impacts while respecting private property rights.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Adopt Resolution 2018-20.
Background
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The character and brand of a town and its neighborhoods is largely determined by the appearance of its streetscape. The streetscape may include a variety of elements, such as vehicle travel lanes, bike lanes, sidewalks, street furniture, utility poles, trees, accent plantings, lighting, and signage. To encourage high-quality streets that demonstrate the positive character and image of the Town, the concept of Visually Significant Corridors has been included in the Town’s General Plan and is one of the Town Council’s Quality of Life Initiatives.
To ensure exceptional visually significant corridors are created, the Town retained Environmental Planning Group (EPG) and Michael Baker International to develop the Town’s Visually Significant Corridors Master Plan. The focus is on the major arterials of Tatum Boulevard and Lincoln Drive, but the plan also addresses fundamental quality of life issues within all of Paradise Valley’s streetscapes, such as promoting attractive treatments that reflect the Town’s identity and the Paradise Valley quality of life.
The attached master plan is a user-friendly manual, which includes design objectives and guidelines, diagrams, photographs and other information necessary to clearly illustrate appropriate streetscape design principals for Tatum Boulevard and Lincoln Drive, as well as other roadways the Town may wish to later designate as Visually Significant Corridors.
In light of the October 11th, 2018 Town Council Study Session discussion, staff has prepared an updated draft of the master plan to incorporate the feedback received. The revised draft makes all recommendations for single family residential properties guidelines in lieu of requirements. In addition, staff will be pursuing options for incentives to residents to implement elements of the plan moving forward, although this is not specifically addressed in the updated master plan.
Town projects identified have also been re-scoped. Specifically, the Contemplation Corner and Pillars of the Community Garden have been removed, and the Lincoln/Tatum Intersection Improvements have been modified to include a general improvement to crosswalks and enhanced landscaping. Finally, the scope of the gateways project has been reduced to considering a pavement transition and possible enhanced landscaping around the existing signs. Finally, minor text clean up items such as formatting or typos have been addressed.
SUMMARY OF DRAFT PLAN
The Draft Master Plan consists of five sections: Introduction, Guidelines Summary, Existing Characteristics, Implementation, and Appendix.
• The Introduction describes the origin of the Visually Significant Corridors concept, the purpose and need for the Plan, and the guiding principles. It introduces detailed guidelines and standards for the design of streetscapes, including sidewalk treatments and emphasis areas, street trees and landscaping, and street special paving treatment where appropriate.
• The Guidelines Summary identifies the three character zones (Patterns of Nature, Resort Living, and Rural Elegance) and describes each including the patterns, colors, and materials suggested for streetscape elements. The Guidelines provide visuals, graphics, and descriptions of the elements, materials, and their configurations that complement the natural beauty of Paradise Valley while providing an enriching experience for visitors and residents. The guidelines are divided into four sections: General Guidelines; Gateways + Focus Areas; Character Zone Guidelines; and “Good,” “Better,” and “Best” implementation options. The General Guidelines provide an overview of the common concepts, elements, and other information that applies to the corridors. Gateways + Focus Area Guidelines include recommendations for the entrances into the Town as well as for the Tatum Boulevard and Lincoln Drive intersection. Specific guidelines are then provided for the three Character Zones with flexible implementation options defined as “Good,” “Better, or “Best”.
• The Existing Characteristics section describes and illustrates the existing conditions of the street rights of way, streetscape, and adjacent characteristics. This section details the existing right-of-way and overall street dimensions along Lincoln Drive and Tatum Boulevard
• The Implementation section identifies a series of areas or steps in which the Plan can be implemented. Pilot projects are highlighted and instruction is provided to properly implement the recommendations of the Visually Significant Corridors Master Plan. The Implementation section includes additional guidance on the approach to applying the “Good,” Better,” and “Best” options and order-of-magnitude costs for the proposed improvements. Other Town Plans and Ordinances affected by the Plan are also discussed.
• The Appendix contains a summary of the General Plan goals and policies. It offers planning process content and scope of work efforts that occurred throughout the development of the Plan. It explains how the Visually Significant Corridors Master Plan fits into the goals of the previous planning efforts by the Town of Paradise Valley. The Appendix includes summaries of the applicable or affected Town Code sections that interface with the Plan. A summary of the Visual Preference Survey results, design charrette process, and public involvement timeline are also included for reference.
Planning Commission Recommendation
This plan was introduced to the Planning Commission on January 3, 2017 and then refined and reviewed by the Commission at meetings on 2/7/17, 8/1/17, 9/5/17, 3/20/18, 4/17/18, and 6/5/18. The Planning Commission on June 19, 2018 forwarded to the Town Council approval of Resolution 2018-20, accepting the Visually Significant Corridors Plan.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Prior to the Planning Commission public hearings, there were several other opportunities for public comment. A three-day design charrette was held at Town Hall. A Visual Preference Study was given at this design charrette as well as at several other meetings including: Stakeholder meetings, HOA meeting, and Town Safety Fair. A windshield survey was also completed with interested staff, Commissioners, and Councilmembers. Lastly, this topic was discussed at the Town’s Building Community meetings, several newspaper articles were published in The Independent, and a link to all materials is kept on the Town website http://paradisevalleyaz.gov/VSC.
BUDGETARY IMPACT:
Adoption of the Visually Significant Corridors Master Plan does not directly impact the current adopted Town Budget but it does identify potential future expenditures with eventual implementation through the Capital Improvement Program either as stand-alone projects or elements to be incorporated into other projects.
ATTACHMENT(S):
Attachment A - Visually Significant Corridors Master Plan
Attachment B - Resolution 2018-20
Attachment C - PowerPoint Presentation