Walkway locations

The proposal staff will be discussing with the Planning Commission will suggest that walkways are required to:

1) enhance the network of sidewalks by providing more direct routes through neighborhoods; and,
2) provide direct pedestrian connections to adjacent uses and neighborhoods.

This second point is intended to create a more complex “net” of connections and options for pedestrians to move throughout the community.

By not treating pedestrians the same way as cars (and only providing walkways/sidewalks that follow the same routes as streets), with these two new kinds of pedestrian infrastructure concerns in the design of new subdivisions, people will have more options and direct access to uses and services in Oak Harbor.

One of the suggested standards is to require pedestrian walkways connecting to the edges of all new plats for all boundary sides that are over 400 ft in length (or the maximum length of a block).

Pedestrian Oriented Design

The reason staff will be discussing pedestrian walkway design characteristics during the next Planning Commission meeting is because of the importance design plays in making these connections useful, effective, comfortable to use, and safe.

Pedestrian walkways will be required as part of the complex pedestrian transportation system, not as trails for pastime use. This is an important distinction, as trails are primarily a recreational amenity, and the walkway connections that are proposed for new subdivisions are intended to help people move around in Oak Harbor.

The importance of increased pedestrian oriented design in our communities for public health reasons has been highlighted for a number of years now. While this is an important aspect of creating an effective and efficient pedestrian network in Oak Harbor, it is not the sole reason for such changes to the OHMC as will be discussed by the Planning Commission.

It is valuable to remember that people without access to vehicles (many seniors, youth, people that can not afford a private vehicle, and some persons with disabilities) require an infrastructure system that allows them to move throughout their community; and pedestrian walkways are a significant part of that system.

In an effort to keep the design standards for subdivisions concise and easily understood, staff will be focusing on a few key characteristics:
1) walkway locations;
2) walkway width;
3) surface of the walkway
4) sight lines; and,
5) lighting.

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.

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.

Video Report - Parks Board March 10

The next video report will be posted this evening and outlines the Park Board meeting held March 10.

The discussion focused on pedestrian/bicycle connections and trails within our neighborhoods. The Chair of the Board also suggested that the City use the local radio station to get the word out on this project. That idea is being added to out "to do" flip chart. Feel free to leave comments about the content of the video under this posting.

The park board also discussed the current Comprehensive Park Plan update (see blog at www.cohparkplan08.blogspot.com). The issues of interconnectedness of neighborhoods and trials throughout the community were also part of that discussion. One aspect of how both projects are interrelated was the conversations about pedestrian/bicycle connections in neighborhoods and how that impacts park use and access to parks and open space. I will be explaining this more extensively at the Planning Commission meeting on April 22.

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.

Parks Board Update

During the March 10th meeting, the Parks Board discussed two characteristics of subdivisions:

1. existing requirements for open space in PRD subdivisions; and,
2. potential for improving pedestrian and bicycle connectivity between neighborhoods through pocket parks.

These will be further explored in the coming months and have been added to the Ideas Flip Chart; and will also be featured in future posts.