Commercial Uses in Subdivisions

Part of the issue of including other uses in PRD neighborhoods is the overall viability of these secondary uses.  

The Planning Commission was concerned that allowing small-scale commercial or office uses might result in businesses that fail and leave the neighborhood with vacant space right in the heart of the neighborhood.   The issue was one of ensuring the balance between residential and secondary uses is appropriate to foster success.  

Staff clarified to the Planning Commission that the proposed Code language is opening PRDs to the possibility of including mixed use or town center concepts with supportive secondary uses. The final decision is one to be made by the applicant, who will decide what the viability of the commercial uses will be.  Staff also pointed out that some types of uses may be more viable in the future with new gridded street patterns and development patterns being developed as a result of the Code changes initiated by this project.  

Concerns over the types of uses that could be integrated in the PRD were also discussed.  These were addressed when staff talked about how the Code would be structured to include a strictly defined set of uses (as described by the Planning Commission as “service-oriented commercial" - dry cleaners, barbershops, etc.).

Mixed-use Buildings vs. Neighborhood Center

One of the issues that was addressed by the Planning Commission during their last meeting was the integration of other land uses into PRD developments.  The PRD Code has always envisioned the integration of supportive uses in residential PRD subdivisions.

One of the suggested amendments presented for the PRD Code update is to create more refined standards for the integration of other uses in PRD neighborhoods.   

The concept of commercial in residential areas (provided they are tightly regulated to ensure compatibility) was seen as a positive by the Planning Commission.  The preference being the integration of mixed uses in residential PRD developments with developments that are more like "Town Centers" than mixed-use buildings. 

The regulations that structure how these "Town Center" type additions to PRDs are designed will focus on many different aspects, including:

• walkability;
  
• appropriate architecture:
  
• appropriate location (central to new PRD);
  
• addressing impacts such as building size, traffic impacts, orientation to the street; and,
  
• specifically defined list of approvable uses that are compatible.  

Draft Code: PRD Open Space

The other main area of discussion during last month's Planning Commission meeting was the development of standards for the design of open space within Planned Residential Developments (PRD).

The main interest was to address the difficulty inherent in reviewing open space plans for PRDs caused by the structure of the Code and limited direction it provided to assess proposed open space designs.

Resulting from that discussion, the following draft Code has been written to provide parameters for creating more accessible, usable, and visible open spaces within neighborhoods. The new regulations will define things such as minimum sizes and dimensions; provision of necessary connectivity for pedestrians; required amenities; and, integration of stormwater facilities. The Planning Commission will be reviewing this language as part of its regularly scheduled meeting next week.
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19.31.xxx– Design – Active Open space.
Common open space shall be provided for use as recreational, park or environmental amenity for the collective enjoyment by occupants of the PRD project, and designed as follows:
(1) Common open space shall comprise at least 10 percent of the gross area of the PRD;
(2) Common open space shall not include public or private streets, driveways, buffers, screens, perimeter landscaping, parking areas or the required or provided yards for buildings or structures;
(3) A minimum of 50 percent of all required open space in a PRD shall be “active” open space. Active open space provides opportunities for physical activity to residents of the PRD. Active open space must meet the following requirements:
(a) Be a minimum of 5,000 square feet in size to be counted toward the minimum 10 percent open space requirement. The space must also have a minimum width of 50 feet and depth of 90 feet.
(b) Have a minimum of 40 feet of frontage on a public street.
(4) Shall contain such accessory or complementary structures and improvements as are necessary and appropriate for the benefit and enjoyment of residents of the project, and shall include at a minimum:
(a) Pedestrian-oriented lighting
(b) Seating
(c) Signage indicating what the operational hours and rules for the use of the open space
(d) Trash can(s)
(e) An activity center such as children’s play structure, tennis courts, basketball courts, walking / bicycling paths or a trail-head kiosk at the entrance of a trail system. There are other types of activity centers other than those listed here which can be proposed by applicants. Any proposed activity centers within active open spaces shall provide exercise opportunities for residents of the PRD.
(5) Active open spaces must be visible and accessible to users, not hidden behind residential lots.
(6) Active open spaces must have pedestrian connections to both sides of a residential block on which it is located.
(7) All open spaces shall be privately-owned and maintained by the homeowners association.
(8) If a public open space or park is designated on the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan within the boundaries of a proposed PRD, it must be provided and can be credited toward the required 10 percent open space.
(9) Trails and adjacent open spaces can count toward the minimum required 10 percent open space requirement in PRDs, provided that the trails meet the requirements of OHMC section 19.XX.XXX.
(10) 50% of stormwater ponds may count as open space within the PRD. However, no more than 25 percent of the required 10 percent open space in a PRD may be stormwater pond. Ponds which are counted toward open space requirements must meet a high level of design and be an amenity to residents and must have all of the following characteristics:
Be landscaped. At least 75 percent of the pond basin (sides and bottom) shall be landscaped.
(a)Be a “wet-pond” not a “dry-pond.” Wet ponds provide both detention and treatment functions and contain some water during most parts of the year.
(b) Be surrounded by a trail or be located adjacent to another active open space, Locating children’s play structures next to ponds is prohibited.
(c) The pond must be curvilinear in shape, not rectangular.
(d) Only 30 percent of the pond may contain berming.
(e) Materials: no ecoblock shall be used in the construction of the pond. Baffles shall be made of aesthetically pleasing material.
(f) The slope of the pond shall be 3:1 or flatter and landscaped per requirement (a) above.
(g) The pond access shall be made of geogrid or other aesthetically pleasing materials. Gravel and asphalt shall not be used.
(h) No fencing shall be provided around the pond.

19.31.XXX Design – Passive Open Space. Passive open space is “non-active” open space which preserves natural areas and provides scenic amenities to a PRD. Passive open space shall meet the following minimum requirements:
(1) Passive open space may be no more than 50 percent of the total required open space in PRDs.
(2) Preserved natural areas, such as wetlands, streams, and woodlands may count as passive open space.
(3) Passive open space may include open fields and landscaped areas which are held in common by the homeowners association.
(4) All passive open spaces which count toward the minimum 10 percent open space in a PRD must be at least 5,000 square feet in area, with minimum dimensions of 50 feet wide by 90 feet deep.
(5) All passive landscape areas shall be accessible and visible to the residents of the PRD.

April Planning Commission Meeting

The next Planning Commission meeting to discuss the Subdivision Code Project will be held on April 28, 2009.

At that meeting staff will be discussing Code amendments dealing with pedestrian facilities and open space in new subdivisions.

Additionally, if time permits for adequate preparation staff will also be dealing with the characteristics of PRDs and design standards used for their review.

Code Analysis

The subdivision project has entered a new phase this month.  At this time we are assessing actual language of the existing Code (Oak Harbor Municipal Code Title 21, Subdivisions and Chapter 19.31, Planned Residential Developments) to determine what specific changes will be required.  

This step will take all the Project information, direction, and comments to-date and use it to identify the parts of the Code that need to be amended, deleted, or added to fulfill the Project intent.

This information will also be provided to CTED (WA State Department of Community Trade and Economic Development) to fulfill one of the requirements of the grant they have provided to the City of Oak Harbor for this project.

Poll Results

The results of our last on-line poll are in! 18 people voted and answered the question “Should walk/bike trails be required in new subdivisions, and should they connect to neighboring subdivisions?” with the following responses:

1. Yes, require them - 72% - 13 votes
2. No, don't require them - 16% - 3 votes
3. Yes, connect them - 66% - 12 votes
4. No, don't connect them - 5% - 1 vote.

These results point to a preference for using trails as neighborhood connections.

New Poll Question

A new poll question has been posted and will run until April 14th. “Should walk/bike trails be required in new subdivisions, and should they connect to neighboring subdivisions?”

Currently PRD subdivisions are required to have 10% of the gross area of the PRD as common open space, with at least ½ of that being for active or passive recreation. This has typically resulted in trails within the subdivisions. These trails generally have limited connections to neighboring subdivisions, as this is not a required condition within the Code.