CITY OF TALLAHASSEE
CITY COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED ON: February 18, 2009
SUBJECT/TITLE: Discussion of Gaines Street Urban Design Guidelines
TARGET ISSUE: Long Range Community Based Planning
STATEMENT OF ISSUE
This agenda item requests the Commission’s review of the Planning Department’s draft of proposed urban design guidelines for the Gaines Street Design Review Districts.
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Option 1. Direct staff to complete the Urban Design Guidelines for the Gaines Street Design Review Districts and implement their use as a tool for discussing development projects with potential developers and designers in the Gaines Street Design Review Districts.
FISCAL IMPACT
Better urban design makes an area more desirable, attracting private investment and economic development. The fiscal impact to the City of Tallahassee budget will be staff time that is devoted to this project.
Wayne Tedder, Director, Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department
Anita Favors Thompson, City Manager
For information, please contact: Dan Donovan, 891-6456
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL/ISSUE ANALYSIS
HISTORY/FACTS & ISSUES
Following adoption of the Gaines Street Report in 2001, land development regulations were adopted for five Design Review Districts in the Gaines Street study area: University Urban Village (UV) district, and the ASN-A, -B, -C, and -D districts in the All Saints neighborhood. Land development regulations include dimensional standards, site planning standards, required design treatments such as transparency standards, and prohibited materials. While the land development code includes principles of urban design for the design review districts, and the regulations encourage certain features and treatments without requiring them, the land development code does not present well the broad vision for Gaines Street that the regulations support. Furthermore the code format does not allow a visual presentation of standards, guidelines, and vision.
Planning staff has drafted illustrated Urban Design Guidelines for the Gaines Street Design Review Districts that expand on the urban design principles included in the code, followed by guidelines in 18 areas of site planning and building design. Built examples are illustrated, including projects in Tallahassee. Guidelines include words such as “encouraged,” “should,” and “preferred,” that indicate actions or features that promote the intention for the district, but that are not necessarily required by or included as standards in land development regulations. It is hoped that the Guidelines present a broad range of potential and possibility for projects in the Gaines Street area, going beyond the necessarily prescriptive/proscriptive, checklist nature of the land development code.
The Urban Design Guidelines are intended for developers, architects, and builders, and for all who review projects, including City staff and the Urban Design Commission. Principal access to the Guidelines is intended to be through a City web site. The document can also be printed. The Guidelines are arranged so that sections can be added as Gaines Street design review districts are adopted. Urban design principles addressed apply to many settings in the City in addition to Gaines Street, and much of the material in the document may serve as guidelines for development and design in other parts of the City.
This draft of the Guidelines is 95% complete. Staff anticipates that the Guidelines can be on line by the end of March 2009. Drafts of the Guidelines were presented at the Economic Development Target Issue meeting on December 10, 2008; at the Long Range Community Based Planning Target Issue meeting January 7, 2009; to the Gaines Street Vitalization Committee on January 13, 2009; and to the Urban Design Commission on February 11, 2009.
CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS
None.
OPTIONS
1. Direct staff to complete the Urban Design Guidelines for the Gaines Street Design Review Districts and implement their use as a tool for discussing development projects with potential developers and designers in the Gaines Street Design Review Districts.
Pros: Existing land development regulations are enhanced with a visual presentation of desirable development and character in the Gaines Street districts.
Cons: Staff time is needed to complete the Guidelines document and post it to the web.
2. Direct staff to stop work on the Urban Design Guidelines for the Gaines Street Design Review Districts.
Pros: No further staff time will be spent on the project.
Cons: Developers and staff are limited to a text-only description of the Gaines Street “vision” in the Land Development Regulations. Illustrated guidelines for complying with regulations while promoting the desired character will not be available.
3. Provide staff with other direction.
ATTACHMENTS/REFERENCES
1. Contents, Urban Design Guidelines for the Gaines Street Design Review Districts, draft January 22, 2009.
2. “How to Use This Book,” pages 2-3, Urban Design Guidelines for the Gaines Street Design Review Districts, draft January 22, 2009.
3. “Transparency,” pages 50-51, Urban Design Guidelines for the Gaines Street Design Review Districts, draft January 22, 2009.
4. “Entrances,” pages 54-55, Urban Design Guidelines for the Gaines Street Design Review Districts, draft January 22, 2009.