Final guidelines for Ghent Station October 2013

Urban Design Associates was asked by City Council to develop streetscape and site design guidelines for the section of 21st Street between Colley Avenue and Hampton Boulevard. The area is evolving from a commercial industrial area to one with a wider range of uses including retail and residential. It lacks the character of public space that is found east of Colley. The study was initiated partially in response to concerns about the proposed Ghent Station commercial and office development. In order to better understand the area prior to making recommendations, UDA asked that an informal workshop be held with adjacent property owners and members of the GBA who were most involved in the commercial operations of 21st Street. The workshop took place in March of 2013 and the results were summarized in a report in May.

The goal established by the workshops was to extend the positive character of 21st Street East of Colley Avenue into this area. This required an analysis of the successful part of 21st Street: (1) It is a hybrid type of commercial/retail district, with a mix of “parking lot oriented” retail and “street oriented” retail. (2) In most cases, “street oriented” retail is on one side and “parking lot oriented” retail is on the other. (3) All parking lots and streets have retail frontages facing them. The least successful areas are those with parking behind retail uses. (4) There is an interconnected network of pedestrian circulation including crosswalks and medians that tie two types of retail together to create a unified and convenient district.

Note: The images in this document are diagrammatic and intended as guidelines. Actual colors and materials will be indicated by the presentation of the developer’s architect.

DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR GHENT STATION DEVELOPMENTOctober 29, 2013

Based on this analysis, the UDA team endorses the location of the buildings and the configuration of parking areas in the Ghent Station proposal. The FreshMarket faces 21st Street across a relatively shallow parking area and the majority of the parking for the complex is behind the Medical Office Building. The Medical office Building is a street oriented building. This continues the 21st Street pattern of a mix of parking lot oriented retail and street oriented buildings. The parking lot is across the street from existing street oriented buildings.

However, we also recommend that the following elements be a provided:(1) An interconnected network of pedestrian circulation;(2) Streetscapes along 21st Street that continue the best examples found east of Colley Avenue on 21st Street, including a low brick wall and planting materials to buffer the sidewalk from the parking and street trees in a planted verge.(3) Crosswalks at Azalea Court, Woodrow, and in the middle of the block between Woodrow and Core Avenue, and at Core Avenue. (4) An 10’-0” wide path with pergola to the front door of FreshMarket from the crosswalk;(5) An 8’-0” wide path connecting the Woodrow Crosswalks across the face of the Medical Office building to the retail uses.(6) A pedestrian path connecting the Azalea Court crosswalks across the site to the retail uses;(7) A covered bicycle storage structure to define the eastern edge of the space;(8) Pergolas and facilities for outdoor seating and vending along the facade of the FreshMarket;(9) Architectural Facades that define the space and relate to each other(10) Landscaping within the parking areas to meet City Standards;(11) Screening of loading and servicing functions;

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!e existing sidewalks are uneven, in poor condition, too narrow, lacking a planted verge between the sidewalk and the street and need to be rebuilt as part of the new development. !e proposed cross section includes a planted verge, wider sidewalk and planted bu"er with low wall between the sidewalk and buildings and parking areas. !e entry to the path !e Fresh Market’s front door should be marked with a pavilion or pergola that can have the store’s identification.

View looking west on 21st Street with recommended streetscapes including median for crosswalk, screening for parking areas and a pergola to mark the path to the front door of the FreshMarket.


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STREET CROSS SECTION

It is possible to add a pedestrian island and left turn lanes within the existing curb-to-curb dimensions and maintain on-street parking. !ere will be two 11'-0" travel lanes, two 8'-0" parking lanes, and an 8'-0" wide island.

8'5'

5'

79'-4"

7'

7' 8'-10" 12'-6"8' 8'30'

46'

46'

11' 11'8' 8' 8'7'

EXISTING

PROPOSED

The proposed streetscapes provide: (1) on-street parking on both sides of the street, (2) a planted verge between the street and the sidewalk, (3) 8’-0” sidewalk and a 10’-0” buffer with hedges and a low brick wall, (4) a pergola to mark the entry from the crosswalk to the walk to FreshMarket and (5) Bicycle storage structure at the east end of the site.


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6e site plan uses the building forms that were developed collaboratively with by the developer’s architects. 6e key elements in creating an acceptable urban design for the area include:

6e placement of the buildings1. 6e cross section of the street that provides a landscaped verge and a 2. landscape buffer between the sidewalk and parking areas.Pedestrian crosswalks at Azalea Court, Woodrow Avenue, and mid-3. block on axis with the main entry to 6e Fresh Market.Pedestrian paths across the site as indicated in the plan.4. Small pavilions on 21st Street: One on axis with the entrance to 6e 5. Fresh Market can also carry the signage for the store. 6e second one could be a bike storage facility at the east end of the site.Screening on the east end of the site to block views of the loading dock 6. and the adjacent property.

The Fresh Market

Medical Office

Building

W 21st St

Cor

e A

ve

Woodrow Ave

Azalea Ct

W 21st StH

amp

ton

Blvd

The illustrative plan indicates the extent of the streetscapes in the context of one of the several alternatives proposed by the developer’s architect. It includes:a. On-Street Parking; b. Expanded Parking between Azalea Court and Hampton Boulevard; Crosswalks at Azalea Court, Woodrow, mid block between Woodrow and Core Avenues and at Core Avenue; c. Expanded Streetscape in areas in front of parking lots; d. Urban Streetscape to match that on the South side of the street in front of the Medical Arts Building.The current proposed site plan (below) includes these elements and the interconnected pedestrian network on site.


ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN GUIDELINES: The guidelines call for an architecture that is keeping with the character of 21st Street. This is most often seen in commercial and industrial buildings that have been renovated and adapted for current retail practice. Long buildings are articulated as a collection of individual buildings through the use of color, materials and changes in plane. In general, each “building” has the same color from ground to sky.. Diagrammatic views were developed by WPA/UDA based on the developer’s current proposal to illustrate the relationship between the buildings and the pedestrian circulation. Upper: View of entry to parking illustrating the relationship of the facade to the street and the bicycle building and pergola as well as the corner of the Medical Office building. Middle: View from Woodrow crosswalk illustrating the relationship between the buildings.Lower: View from Retail to the Medical Office Building


Documents

Final guidelines for Ghent Station October 2013