Place Types - Open Space: Preserved
Place Types - Open Space: Preserved
Place Types are a classification of land that provides guidance for how future development should look and function. They describe types and intensities of land use as well as important characteristics such as scale, site design, and accessibility. These draft policies will be reviewed by staff and the community, with a final draft document anticipated in Fall 2018. You are reviewing Open Space - Preserved, one of 14 different Place Types. Thank you for your time and interest in shaping the future of our community.
DRAFT Document - Open Space: Preserved
Click this link to open a full copy of Place Types - Open Space: Preserved
You'll need this for reference as you take the survey.
Summary
(Sidebar on right side of document)
This section summarizes the intent and rataionale for the "building blocks" of Place Types. These "building blocks" range from Land Use to Transportation.
Please share any questions/comments you have on the following "building blocks".
Goals
- Protect land that is intended to remain as open space in perpetuity. Land is typically publicly owned or permanently protected by privately held conservation easements or similar tools.
- Contribute to quality of life of residents and visitors by providing places to gather and recreate, and further the environmental quality of our ecosystems including the habitats, tree canopy, water, and air.
Land Use
- Uses may include public parks, wildlife refuges, nature preserves, cemeteries, and major storm water detention/retention areas.
- Passive spaces within parks provide space to relax and support the health of our air, water, and land.
Urban Design
- Buildings and impervious surfaces are limited and generally associated with civic uses. If included, buildings should be sited prominently with regard to location, but in a manner that is conscientious of any sensitive environmental features.
- Sites should protect environmentally sensitive land like steep slopes, natural habitats, and watersheds
Transportation
- Open spaces may be located along any street classification.
- If present, the internal transportation network typically consists of Local Streets to provide access to different facilities.
Typical Mix of Uses
Zoning Districts
- This Place Type may have one or several zoning districts that acknowledge the various functions as part of the Charlotte landscape and environment.
- Specific Zoning Districts will be developed for this Place Type – TBD.
Building Types
- Buildings are generally for civic uses such as nature centers, restroom facilities, and shelters to support the users and maintenance of the open space.
- Buildings are low-rise commercial and civic/institutional.
Building Size
- Building size may vary depending on the context of the surrounding area.
- Buildings are typically less than 5,000 square feet.
Building Length Along The Street Frontage
- Building length varies based on the context of the area.
- If located near a Neighborhood or Center or near a Transit Station, shorter building lengths of no more than 100 feet without breaks in the building are appropriate to provide a more interesting and comfortable pedestrian environment and allow for better, more integrated block structure.
Building Height
- The height of buildings depends upon the context in which they are located, however most buildings will be a single story.
Yards
- Varies by context.
Orientation
Note: Arterial Streets are higher volume streets (not freeways) that travel to and through Places. The terms Main Street, Avenue, Boulevard, and Parkway refer to the more specific design classifications (from the Urban Street Design Guidelines) that refine the generic Arterial Streets into context-based streets. Arterial Streets is used generically here, with USDG classifications applied where necessary to make distinctions between expected design and context. Local streets are lower-volume streets that provide direct access to land uses off of Arterial Streets. References to buildings are intended for buildings primarily open to the public, not those intended primarily for maintenance.
- Buildings are typically located internal to an Open Space – Preserved site and oriented toward the internal Local Street network.
- If buildings are located on sites along a Local Street, Main Street, Avenue with on-street parking, or near a Transit Station, buildings should be oriented toward the street and provide at least one entrance along the street.
- If sites are located along Arterial Streets, is is preferable that they orient to the street if it is in an Avenue or Boulevard. Along Parkways, buildings may orient toward internal streets. Buildings set farther back from an Arterial Street should still include clearly visible and direct pedestrian connections.
Building Fronage Along Streets
- Buildings should include operable entrances and significant transparency along street frontages.
- Buildings not located adjacent to the street should include clear pedestrian connections from all nearby streets.
- Parking (other than on-street parking) should not be located between the building and Main Streets or Avenues.
- At least one building entrance should be provided from the sidewalk along the street.
- Space between the building and the sidewalk may provide appropriate locations for outdoor seating or usable open space, which can positively contribute to an improved public realm.
Building Coverage and Impervious Surface
- Impervious surfaces typically cover up to 5% of an overall Open Space - Preserved area.
- Building coverage is typically less than 1% of an overall open space area.
- Impervious surfaces may be made up of buildings, driveways, streets and sidewalks, and parking.
- Approximately 95-99% of land in an Open Space-Preserved area is pervious. Many areas will be undisturbed in perpetuity to preserve the natural features. Limited areas may be landscaped or programmed for education activities or small group gatherings.
- Pervious areas can accommodate trees that contribute to the city’s tree canopy.
Open Space and Yards
- Open space is the primary element of Open Space – Preserved.
- Open Spaces of various types should occupy about 95-99% of an Open Space – Preserved area overall. Open spaces are typically in the form of pervious surface that are naturally landscaped.
- Types of Open Space - Preserved typically include nature centers, nature preserves, and/or natural resource areas.
- Smaller open spaces, for example community gardens, storm water re/detention, and landscaped areas may also occur but are typically part of the surrounding Place Type that they support (in a Neighborhood, Center, or Sector).
- Greenways are appropriate in Open Spaces and commonly traverse and connect Open Space – Preserved to other open spaces and places.
Connectivity
- An important goal is to make Open Space - Preserved sites accessible by all modes from nearby neighborhoods and destinations by connecting to street, transit, greenway, pedestrian, and bicycle networks.
- The street network should continue the block pattern of surrounding areas, as feasible without detriment to environmentally sensitive areas.
Pedestrian Network
- There should be clear and visible on-site sidewalk connections from streets directly to buildings.
- The Local Street network provides a high-quality pedestrian environment by being both well-connected and designed to accommodate large groups of people.
- Arterial Streets also support walkability by providing a high-quality public realm and frequent crossing opportunities.
- Off-street sidewalks should include connections from streets to adjacent greenways, parks, schools, and other streets where disruption of sensitive environmental features does not occur.
- In the appropriate context that does not disturb environmentally sensitive features intended for preservation, pedestrian connections should be provided through the site to enable patrons to traverse from one side of the Open Space - Preserved site to the other.
Parking
- Open Space – Preserved sites may include parking for patrons of passive open spaces. The effects of large surface parking lots should be mitigated with planting areas and trees located at intervals throughout the lot to provide shade and maintain tree canopy coverage and water quality. Pervious parking surfaces that are not detrimental to environmental quality should also be considered.
- Parking should be located to the side or rear of buildings. If located between buildings and streets, clear and direct pedestrian access should be provided between the street and the building entrance.
Vehicular Access
- Primary access to Open Space - Preserved sites is typically from Arterial Streets, however access points from Local Streets and nearby neighborhoods are encouraged.
- Smaller open spaces may not have vehicular access points.
Streets
- Open Space - Preserved sites may be located along any street type.
- Local Streets may be provided for access to or through a site. Target speeds for Local Streets should be low (preferably 20-25mph).
Sidewalks
- Arterial Streets typically have minimum 6 feet wide unobstructed sidewalks on Avenues and Boulevards and a minimum 10 feet wide unobstructed sidewalks on Main Streets.
- Internal Local Streets and driveways should have sidewalks, but routes may be altered to better integrate with the internal pedestrian network.
- There should be clear and visible on-site sidewalk connections from arterial streets directly to buildings and to the internal pedestrian network.
Green Zone
- The Green Zone is typically no less than 8 feet wide to accommodate shade trees, grass, and/or hardscape elements. It provides separation between pedestrians and vehicles, helps calm traffic, provides an attractive public realm, contributes to the City’s healthy tree canopy, and shades the streets and users.
- In Open Space - Preserved, grass planting strips are appropriate on Parkways, Boulevards, and Avenues without on-street parking. They are also appropriate adjacent to most residential uses without on-street parking.
- An 8 foot hardscaped Green Zone (with trees in grates or curbed planters) may be used on Local Streets and should always be used on Main Streets and Avenues with on-street parking. Hardscaped Green Zones will primarily occur on applicable external streets.
Bicycle Facilities
- Dedicated bicycle facilities are expected on most Arterial Streets, due to higher motor vehicle speeds and volumes.
- Dedicated bicycle facilities are not typical on internal Local Streets and Main Streets, since motor vehicles speeds and traffic volumes should be low and bicycles and motor vehicles can safely share the travel lane.
- Design of the bicycle facility varies (see general provisions, p. XX, for factors influencing bike facilities).
Street Furnshings
- Street furnishings should be located in the Green Zone or areas behind the sidewalk, not in the sidewalk.
- The Green Zone (if hardscaped), combined with building setback, should be wide enough to include trees in grates, pedestrian lighting, benches, transit stops/facilities, trash receptacles, outdoor seating/displays, doors and entrances, and bike parking.