DesertFoothills LE DA SCOTTS OF TO N R T’ S WN ES THE W CITY ImplementationPlan MO AR June ST WES TE IZ O N A 1999 City Council Planning Commission Sam Kathryn Campana, Mayor Cynthia Lukas, Councilwoman Mary Manross, Councilwoman Robert Pettycrew, Councilman Dennis Robbins, Councilman Richard Thomas, Councilman George Zracket, Councilman Marilyn Armstrong, Vice-Chair Jim Brouhard Fred Davidson Betty Drake Margaret Dunn Keith Holben Harry Paston, Chairman Desert Foothills Working Group Community Planning John Aleo Les Conklin Howard Myers Tony and Marg Nelssen Sue Noack Jane Rau Bob Sanekoff Debbi Dollar, Community Planning Administrator Molly Edwards, Associate Community Planner Don Hadder, Sr. Community Planner Gary Neiss, Community Planner Desert Foothills Character Area - Implementation Table of Contents • Introduction .......................................................................................................................... Page 4 • Implementation Techniques .................................................................................................. Pages 5 - 9 • Design and Performance Guidelines .................................................................................... Pages 10 - 26 • * Low Density Single Family Residential ................................................................... Pages 11 - 13 * Private Equestrian Residential .................................................................................. Page 14 * Ranches, Stables and other Major Equestrian Facilities........................................... Page 15 * Places of Worship ..................................................................................................... Pages 16 - 17 * Public Facilities, Amenities and Infrastructure........................................................ Pages 17 - 24 * Streets ....................................................................................................................... Pages 24 - 26 * Open Space ............................................................................................................... Page 26 Action Plan ........................................................................................................................... Pages 27 - 34 Desert Foothills Character Area Introduction Implementation Plan Welcome to the Desert Foothills Character Study Implementation Plan! The Implementation Plan is the companion document to the Character Area Plan. The Implementation Plan outlines how to achieve the vision, goals and strategies that were defined in the Character Area Plan. The Plan is divided into three sections: • Implementation Techniques • Design Guidelines,, and • Action Plan. It is important to note that the Implementation Plan is NOT a regulation, therefore, it does not have the enforceability as law. However, it does establish the foundation for the application and or modification of regulations by establishing a common vision, direction and priorities for the area. There exists a broad range of implementation techniques that will help preserve the Rural Desert character of the Desert Foothills study area. The Implementation Technique section summarizes these techniques and how they relate to the design guidelines. The Design Guidelines give more specificity to the strategies outlined in the Desert Foothills Character Area Plan. These guidelines will help decision makers, property owners, real estate agents and city staff determine the appropriateness of a development proposal within the Desert Foothills study area. The Guidelines are not regulations but a statement of the desired building and construction approaches; however, the guidelines do provide the foundation for future implementation techniques that can be more legally binding. The Action Plan groups the action or work items by the various implementation techniques and defines the work items of highest priority. These work items will begin with the City Council approval of the Desert Foothills Character Area and Implementation Plans. These work items must also be weighted against existing city staff work loads so an appropriate and efficient time line is established. Page 4 City of Scottsdale Draft Character Plan Implementation Techniques The matrix on the following three pages is a summary of the enforcement techniques available. The techniques are defined as follows: Policy: This concept is embodied in broad-based intents and actions of the City, including General Plans, the City Budget, Resolutions, etc. A policy is not regulatory, however, a change in policy may influence a change in a city regulation. Zoning Stipulations: This may be applied as part of stipulations or conditions attached to the approval of zoning or use permit cases. This is regulatory and becomes part of the zoning of a property. This will not apply if the property is developed with existing zoning designations. Development Review Stipulations: This may be applied as Community Planning Design Guidelines: This will be viewed as a standard for review of development proposals but has no regulatory status. Subdivisions with deed restrictions will be encouraged to include this or similar approaches. Implementation Techniques Regulation: This concept is controlled by City laws, such as zoning, subdivision or floodplain ordinances, the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Ordinance, or by State Statutes. part of a Development Review case (site plan, architecture, landscaping) for uses other than single family homes and as part of a preliminary plat case. This has a regulatory effect. The City Charter does not allow development review stipulations to be applied to the design of single family homes. New Regulation: This is not included in existing regulations but could be applied to existing or new ordinances. A new overlay ordinance, or revision of specific zoning categories could be a technique which modifies existing zoning district standards and would be a new regulation for the Desert Foothills area. Other: This concept will not be included in the City’s review of development proposals because of City Charter or other legal restrictions, but developers and builders are encouraged to incorporate the ideas in deed restrictions and design Page 5 Desert Foothills Character Area Concept Existing Regulation New/Existing Policy Possible Zoning Stips Possible DR Stips New /Existing New Regulations Guidelines Other Building colors and textures Building envelopes Building form Building grouping Building heights Building location Implementation Techniques Building massing Building materials Building setbacks City entry features Construction envelopes Distances between homes Drainage mitigation Equestrian facilities Equestrain facility location Improvement Districts Page 6 City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation Concept Existing Regulation New/Existing Policy Possible Zoning Stips Possible DR Stips New /Existing New Regulations Guidelines Other Infrastructure construction Lighting Public Facilities Lighting Streets Lot size Minimizing cuts and fills Open space Open space buffer Open space corridor along washes Outdoor lighting Implementation Techniques Open space corridor (extended RSB) Recreation facilities orientation Recreation planning & design Recreation parking lots Pedestrian access Perimeter fencing/walls Plant material Community Planning Page 7 Desert Foothills Character Area Concept Existing Regulation New/Existing Policy Possible Zoning Stips Possible DR Stips New /Existing New Regulations Guidelines Other Porches/covers Public access areas Retaining walls Roadway curbing Roadway width Roof slopes Implementation Techniques Roof types Scenic corridors Single/two story residences Street access Street alignment Street medians Street signage Streetscapes Trail design Trail location Page 8 City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation Concept Existing Regulation New/Existing Policy Possible Zoning Stips Possible DR Stips New /Existing New Regulations Guidelines Other Trail standards Trailheads Utility infrastructure Vegetation Vista setbacks Wall /fence alignment Wall /fence design Wall /fence length Wall /fence location Implementation Techniques Wall /fence height Wall/fence style Wastewater infrastructure Water infrastructure Water reservoir design Community Planning Page 9 Desert Foothills Character Area Guidelines Design Guidelines About the Design Guidelines These Guidelines have been developed to give more specificity and clearer direction from the vision, goals and strategies outlined in the Desert Foothills Character Area Plan. The Desert Foothills Character Area Plan was a result of a broad-based public outreach process outlined on pages 2-5 of the Character Area Plan. These Guidelines will assist decision makers, property owners, real estate agents and city staff determine the appropriateness of a development proposal or public works project within the study area. In addition, these guidelines provide a foundation for future implementation techniques which may be more legally binding than these Guidelines and further preserve the These guidelines provide a character of the study area. foundation for future implementation techniques Structure of the Design Guidelines which may be more legally The Guidelines are divided according to the prominent land uses within the Desert Foothills binding and further preserve the character of the study area. area: • single family, These guidelines do NOT have • private equestrian/livestock residences, the enforceability of law. • ranches, stables and other major equestrian facilities, • places of worship, and • public facilities and infrastructure. Each of the land use categories contains subcategories regarding location, sensitivity to setting, and physical character of land use development. These subcategories help to clearly define the acceptable development practices which promote the Rural Desert character. Following each guideline in parenthesis are techniques that are currently used or may be used to help achieve the guideline. These techniques are further explained in the next section of the Implementation Plan. Page 10 City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation Low Density Single Family Uses • • Location Standards These uses may occur anywhere within the character area, being the dominant land use of the area. (policy) - Wherever possible locate buildings and improvements so mature saguaros and desert trees can be left in their natural location. (DR stip/ design guideline) Guidelines Sensitivity to Setting Lots should have well defined construction envelopes so that encroachment into natural areas is minimized. (DR stip) - - The construction envelopes should be placed on the least sensitive portions of the site (i.e. out of washes). (DR stip/ design guideline) Where construction envelopes are placed on slopes of 10% or steeper, the building and surrounding improved areas should be stepped or terraced in order to minimize cuts and fills. (design guideline/other) - Designate grading/construction envelopes prior to the development of a site to protect the surrounding natural desert areas from construction encroachment. (DR stip/design guideline) Community Planning Page 11 Desert Foothills Character Area Guidelines (Low Density Single Family Continued) • 4 foot undulating Physical Character Building heights generally should not exceed 24 feet in height. Up to 20% of a building’s floor may exceed one story, provided that such volumes are stepped back from the perimeter of the building. (design guideline/new regulation overlay) Buildings should have multiple massing segments which allow the building to follow the form of the land. This becomes more important as the slope of the land becomes steeper. (new overlay) - - regulation - overlay/other) - Page 12 All lawn areas should be surrounded by buildings or walls of at least 4 feet in height which use colors and textures that blend into the surrounding natural desert setting. Lawn areas wall are appropriate for private activity areas but should be separated from natural areas so that the natural areas are not affected by the watering and management of the turf. (other/new regulation - - Continuous perimeter walls should not be used so that the open desert character within neighborhoods is maintained and wildlife access is retained. (policy/DR stip/guideline) Walls should be no more than 4 (four) feet in height (except as required to secure swimming pool areas) so they blend into the desert and don’t cut off vistas. (DR stip/guideline/other) Vertical and horizontal alignments should continuously undulate with the terrain and around existing desert vegetation. (guideline/other) City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation (Low Density Single Family Continued -physical character) - Wall designs should be based on traditional ranch designs so that the rural character is reinforced. Fences are preferred to walls. (design guideline/ other) - Walls should take into consideration wildlife corridors and drainage needs. (policy/design guideline/new regulation ) - - regulation - overlay) - Accessory buildings should not front onto major collector or larger streets and should be screened from views from streets and other public vantage points. (regulation) Colors and textures should blend into the adjacent natural desert setting so that the setting retains visual dominance across the area. (new regulation - ESL design section/other) - - Multiple roof types/forms should be used, unless the building is less than 1,000 square feet in size. Hipped roofs are preferred instead of gable ends. These techniques can help to reduce the apparent size of buildings, encourage building forms to blend with the terrain and achieve a rustic rural character. (other) Depth and shadowing on building facades are encouraged. Recessed windows, threedimensional wall faces, and column features are ways to achieve this. This helps to blend buildings into the organic character of the desert setting, which has multiple forms and shadows. (other) - depth and shadowing of building walls Community Planning Indigenous and rustic types of building materials are preferred in order to maintain a rural character. (other) Page 13 Guidelines - Corral fencing and any walls should be set back at least 25 feet from any street right-of-way. (design guideline) Accessory buildings should be compatible in form, materials, style and color with the main building. (other/new Desert Foothills Character Area Private Equestrian/Livestock Residences The following design guidelines should be used to supplement the low density single family residence guidelines when equestrian facilities are located on the same parcel. Guidelines • Location Criteria Equestrian uses should be located where environmental conditions are least sensitive and access to major open spaces is most likely. (policy/other) • Physical Character Facilities and structures should incorporate traditional Arizona ranch designs and materials that blend with the desert and reinforce the rural character. (other) Equestrian facilities should be placed in the rear yard of the primary residence. Equestrian facilities should not front onto major streets and should be obscured from public views by using native vegetation to screen facilities. (other/new regulation - overlay) • Sensitivity to Setting Facilities for horses should be placed on slopes less than 5% since these generally need to be on flat surfaces and would result in substantial grading. (policy/other) Facilities for horses should be placed outside the 100-year floodplain to minimize erosion and downstream waste spillage. (policy/new regulation - - Outdoor lighting should be concentrated in the center of the property and shielded from neighboring properties to mitigate spillage and maintain the “dark skies”. (new regulation overlay) overlay) - • Page 14 Designate grading/construction envelopes prior to the development of a site to protect the surrounding natural desert areas from construction encroachment. (design guideline) Land Use Relationships In order to buffer homes without equestrian facilities from those that have equestrian facilities, large areas of connected desert open space should be used to buffer adjacent residences. (policy) City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation - Ranches, Stables and other Major Equestrian Facilities • overlay) • Land Use Relationships Ranches and stables should be linked to expansive areas of natural open space through a shared use trail system. (policy) Open space should be used to buffer major equestrian facilities from adjacent residential neighborhoods. (policy) • Physical Character Facilities and structures should incorporate traditional Arizona ranch designs and materials which blend with the desert and reinforce the rural character. (other) Outdoor lighting should not exceed the height of the native vegetation and should be screened to prevent spillage into adjacent neighborhoods. policy/new regulation - overlay) - • To minimize the traffic impacts of such uses, they should be placed along major streets along the perimeter of a neighborhood. (new regulation overlay) Sensitivity to Setting These uses should be located on sites with slopes less than 5% so that grading for these uses has minimal visual impact. (DR stip/design guideline/new regulation - overlay) - Facilities for horses should be placed outside the 100-year floodplain to minimize erosion and downstream waste spillage. (policy/DR stip/design guideline/new regulation - overlay) - (new regulation) - Colors and textures should blend into the adjacent natural desert setting so that the setting retains visual dominance across the area. (new regulation - ESL design section/other) Designate grading/construction envelopes prior to the development of a site to protect the surrounding natural desert areas from construction encroachment. (design guideline) Community Planning Page 15 Guidelines Location Criteria To minimize the impacts of grading and maximize the access to major public open spaces, place ranches and stables: * adjacent to a regional trail system, * in areas disturbed by fire, * in an area adjacent or near to existing stable and ranch uses, * away from flood plains, and * on a minimum parcel size of ten acres to ensure adequate open space buffers. (other/ Equestrian buildings larger than 10,000 square feet should provide increased setbacks in order to blend with the low scale residential character, maintain an open rural character and decrease visual impacts. (design guideline/new regulation - Desert Foothills Character Area impacts on nearby residential areas are constrained. (DR stip/design guideline/new Places of Worship (Churches, Synagogues, Temples, etc.) • Guidelines • Location Criteria To minimize the traffic impacts of such uses, they should be placed along major streets along the perimeter of a neighborhood. (new regulation overlay) Sensitivity to Setting These uses should be located on sites with slopes less than 5% so that grading for these uses has minimal visual impact. (DR stip/design regulation-overlay) • Physical Character The architecture character of buildings should respect the traditional, at times rustic character of buildings in the area. Some styles common to the area include Western Ranch, Pueblo, Santa Fe, and Mission. (zoning stip/design guideline/ new regulation-overlay) - guideline/new regulation - overlay) - - Designate grading/construction envelopes prior to the development of a site to protect the surrounding natural desert areas from construction encroachment. (design guideline) Buildings larger than 10,000 square feet should provide increased setbacks in order to blend with the low scale residential character, maintain an open rural character and decrease visual impacts. (design guideline/new regulation - Buildings should be layed out to maintain an open campus character which allows for reasonable view corridors between buildings. (zoning stip/design guideline/new regulation-overlay) - Outdoor lighting should not exceed the height of the native trees and should be screened to prevent spillage into adjacent neighborhoods. (design guideline/new regulation) - overlay) Building colors and textures should blend into the adjacent natural desert setting so that the setting retains the desert visual dominance across the area. (new regulation - ESL design section/ other) • Land Use Relationships Natural open space buffers should be placed around the entire perimeter of the facility to mitigate the impact on adjacent land uses. - (zoning stip/design guideline/new regulation-overlay) - Page 16 All service, loading and storage areas should be fully screened from adjacent streets and residential aras so that any noise or visual Solid walls should not be used except to enclose private or pedestrian areas. Wall design should blend into the natural desert setting through the use of desert tones appropriate textures, and undulate with natural terrain. (new regulation - ESL design section/other) - Parking areas should not be visible from adjacent streets or properties. Pavement should be kept to an absolute minimum and shielded City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation (Places of Worship Continued - physical character) from streets through the use of indigenous vegetation and earth berming. (zoning stip/design guideline/new regulation-overlay) - Public facilities and amenities should emphasize in their design the unique Sonoran desert environment through minimal disturbance to the site, desert responsive architecture and construction detailing. These facilities include: • schools, • active recreation facilities in association with schools, • trail heads, • shared use trails, • public equestrian facilities. A. Schools • Location Criteria Sites should front on to planned major collector or larger streets where traffic is highest and where uses can have minimal effect on nearby neighborhoods. (policy/new regulation - overlay) • Land Use Relationships Where possible, school sites should not abut existing very low residential density neighborhoods. (policy) All service, loading and storage areas should be fully screened from adjacent streets and residential areas so that noise and visual impacts on nearby residential areas are constrained. (DR stips/design guidelines/new regulation - overlay) - Open space buffers should be placed around the entire perimeter of the campus to mitigate the impact on adjacent land uses. (zoning stip/design guideline/new regulation - overlay) Community Planning Page 17 Guidelines - Native desert landscaping should be used in all areas visible from outside the site. Turfed play areas, gathering areas as well as non-native landscaping should be enclosed by walls at least 4 feet tall or located in an enclosed patio or internal courtyard. (design guideline/new regulation) Building heights for all buildings except those used for assembly or as gymnasiums should be 24 feet. Assembly or gymnasium buildings may be taller but should be set back from the property line as much as is feasible and should use roof forms which visually reduce the apparent height. (design guideline/new regulation) Public Facilities, Amenities and Infrastructure Desert Foothills Character Area (Public Facilities, Amenities and Infrastructure Continued - schools) • Sensitivity to Setting Schools should not be placed on slopes exceeding 5% in particular because parking areas for such uses on steeper slopes typically result in substantial cuts and fills, greatly enlarging the physical impact of the use. (DR stip/ - The maximum building height should be 24 feet, except for public assembly buildings so that buildings are consistent in scale to the residential areas. (DR stip/design guideline/new regulation - overlay) design guideline/new regulation - overlay) Guidelines - Buildings should be low intensity, small in scale similar to residential scale. Any buildings larger than 12,500 square feet should provide increased setbacks in order to blend with the character of residential areas and achieve a rural character. (zoning stip/design guideline/new regulation overlay) - Designate grading/construction envelopes prior to the development of a site to protect the surrounding natural desert areas from construction encroachment. (DR stip/design guideline) • Physical Character Pedestrian walkways should be covered to provide shade for the users. (DR stip/ design - Any outdoor lighting not associated with recreation facilities should not exceed the mature desert tree canopy (approximately 18 feet) in height, and should minimize light trespass and promote a dark sky. (DR stip/design guideline/new regulation - overlay) guideline/new regulation - overlay) - - Page 18 Buildings should emphasize a close relationship between indoor and outdoor space via large windows and door openings, shaded outdoor patios and arcades, and outdoor classrooms. (DR stip/design guideline/new regulation - overlay) Building placement and orientation should face but not block significant views, and should provide convenient pedestrian circulation. (DR stip/ design guideline/new regulation - overlay) City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation (Public Facilities, Amenities and Infrastructure Continued - schools) - The minimum open space should be 25% of the gross site area. (zoning stip/DR stip/guideline/new regulation - overlay) - The minimum distance between buildings should be 25 feet in order to achieve an open, less intense arrangement of buildings. (DR stip/ design guideline/new regulation - overlay) - regulation) - - Landscaping should be of native Sonoran Desert (as referenced in the Design Guidelines & Policies for Environmentally Sensitive Lands manual). (design guideline/regulation) An architectural and landscape architectural design theme should be developed that is adhered to in all construction. Such things as building and paving materials, lighting standards, etc. should be consistent in materials color and style. (design guideline) Community Planning guideline) - - - Bridges and culverts should be designed for the maximum width and height to promote the movement of wildlife and allow for the safety of trail users. (design guideline) Where trails or pathways pass under bridges or through culverts, lighting should be provided in the crossing. Wash areas upstream, downstream, and under the bridge should not be concrete lined or otherwise hard surfaced unless water flow Page 19 Guidelines - Buildings, walls, and fences should be constructed of materials that blend with the natural surroundings, or complement the historic precedent set by existing historic buildings in the area. Historic materials would include native stone, wood, and stucco. Contemporary materials may include, but are not limited to, split faced concrete block, sandblasted concrete, cortin steel, galvanized aluminum, copper, or exposed aggregate concrete. (design guideline) Sonoran Desert compatible colors and textures (as referenced in the ESLO Section 7.854) should be incorporated into buildings, ramadas, wall, fences, and paving. (design guideline/ Roadways A colored concrete ribbon curb or a thickened asphalt edge should be used along all roadways, driveways and parking lots to make the curb less visually obvious. Where the road is carrying significant drainage, as determined by the road designer or engineer, the ribbon curb could transition into a rolled curb. (design guideline) Internal roadways generally should not exceed 24 feet of pavement width. (design guideline) When appropriate, perimeter roadways should be designed with a wide center landscape median with preserved desert landscape or landscaped with native vegetation in such a manner as to replicate the natural desert landscape. (design guideline) In general, internal roadways should cross washes with dip crossings. (design guideline) Any internal roadway requiring a bridge or culvert wash crossing for engineering reasons or public safety, should be built with materials that blend into natural desert environment. (design Desert Foothills Character Area (Public Facilities, Amenities and Infrastructure Continued - schools) - Guidelines - - - - - velocities are too high to permit otherwise. Natural looking engineering options should be used. (design guideline) Dense landscaping should be used as the primary means to block unwanted vehicular access into desert areas. (design guideline) Large non-indigenous rocks or boulders should not be used to form barriers along roadways as they create a cluttered look and are visually distracting. (design guideline) Parking lot landscaping should meet or exceed minimum standards set by the City of Scottsdale. (design guideline) Parking lots should be located in areas with the greatest existing landscape disturbance or in sparsely vegetated areas. They should be divided into small lots of maximum 30 spaces, separated by existing desert landscape areas or revegetated areas in order to minimize the visual impact upon a site. (design guideline) Parking lots should be screened with 3 feet maximum height walls or a combination of desert landscape and 3 feet maximum height berms. (design guideline) Parking lots should be constructed of colored concrete, asphalt and/or stabilized granite for use in special event overflow areas. (design guideline) • • B. Recreational Facilities Location Criteria Recreation amenities should be located away from sensitive or unique natural or cultural features in the area. (design guideline) Active recreational amenities such as turf playing fields, basketball, volleyball, tennis, etc. are preferred in locations where the landscape is of lower quality, or already disturbed or burned, in order to minimize the impact on the desert and located adjacent to schools. (design guideline) Land Use Relationships Active recreation areas should be buffered from adjacent residential uses by at least 150 feet of natural area. (design guideline) Active recreational amenities should be located adjacent to schools in order to create a core activity area and reduce the overall need for disturbance of the desert. (design guideline) Active recreation amenities may be placed at the bottom of storm water basins to reduce the visibility of turf and associated lights. (design guideline) • Sensitivity to Setting Recreational facilities should be placed on low lying terrain, where possible. (design guideline) Active recreation and parking areas should be avoided on slopes of 5% or greater. (design guideline) - Page 20 Orientation should respect climatic conditions by minimizing heat gain and considering the City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation (Public Facilities, Amenities and Infrastructure Continued - recreational facilities) impact of shade on adjacent land uses and areas. - (design guideline) - - - (design guideline) • Physical Character General Maximum building height should be no more than 24 feet. (design guideline) Buildings, walls, and fences should be constructed of materials indigenous to the area, blend with the natural surroundings, or compliment the historic precedent set by existing historic buildings in the area. Historic materials would include native stone, wood, and stucco. Contemporary materials may include, but are not limited to, split faced concrete block, sandblasted concrete, cortin steel, galvanized aluminum, copper, or exposed aggregate concrete. ( design guideline) Sonoran Desert tones and texture should be incorporated into buildings, ramadas, walls, fences, and paving. (design guideline/regulation) Community Planning Main public entrances should be clearly signed and easy to see from parking areas. (design guideline) - - - - All site features should be designed and/or selected to promote continuity and compatibility throughout the facility. (design guideline) One design standard of benches, trash receptacles, drinking fountains, picnic tables, and bicycle racks should be selected for the entire facility. (design guideline) Outdoor furnishings should not clutter or dominate the setting. Where possible, furnishings should be grouped. (design guideline) Pedestrian access routes between parking areas and the main public entrance should be shaded, lighted with low level lighting, provide seating locations, and appropriate directional and interpretive signs. (design guideline) Page 21 Guidelines Structures should not block significant views from public access areas. (design guideline) When possible, buildings should be located in the least environmentally sensitive sites, in areas of sparse vegetation, and away from other significant natural features. (design guideline) Designate grading/construction envelopes during the development of a site to protect the surrounding natural desert areas from construction encroachment. (design guideline) Landscaping should be of native Sonoran Desert (as referenced in the Design Guidelines & Policies for Environmentally Sensitive Lands manual). (design guideline/regulation) An architectural and landscape architectural design theme should be developed that is adhered to in all construction. Such things as building materials, pavement materials, lighting standards, etc. should be consistent in materials color and style. This allows design creativity while providing design continuity and clarity. Desert Foothills Character Area (Public Facilities, Amenities and Infrastructure Continued - recreational facilities) Guidelines Other Structures Combining maintenance storage space and staff office space into one building lessens the sprinkling of small utilitarian buildings throughout the campus. Combined facilities generally should not exceed 4,000 square feet under one roof. However, if it does exceed 4,000 square feet, facilities may be separated into several small buildings arranged into a unified complex, creating usable exterior space and responding to site features and constraints. (design guideline) - - - - consistent with park design. (design guideline) Family Picnic ramadas and areas should be scattered throughout a designated picnic area to maximize privacy and be placed to provide a variety of experiences, set within dense trees, in an open area, adjacent to parking, separated from parking, on high points, or adjacent to washes. (design guideline) Group Picnic ramadas and areas should be clustered to create partially enclosed outdoor spaces that could accommodate a dance/activity area or a small playground. (design guideline) Service, utility, trash and/or storage areas should be screened from visitor areas, park roads, trails or other public use areas. (design guideline) Trash enclosure materials should be compatible with other park structures. (design guideline) - Trash enclosures should be oriented towards the rear or low visibility area of any structure or public use area. (design guideline) Ramadas Ramadas should be oriented to maximize shade in late afternoon and early evening, use internal lighting and low area lighting, and use colored or other specialized concrete or stabilized granite floor surface which blends into the adjacent natural environment and is Page 22 City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation (Public Facilities, Amenities and Infrastructure Continued - recreational facilities) guideline) Walls and Fences Walls and fences should be used to screen utility and service areas from public view and to delineate use areas. (design guideline) Seating walls of 18 inch height are preferred in public use areas to provide pedestrian rest areas and viewing locations. (design guideline) The use of native landscaping and berming is encouraged rather than long continuous walls. (design guideline) Community Planning - - Perimeter fencing of any kind is discouraged in order to promote wildlife moving in and around recreation areas. (design guideline) In areas where adjacent land is undeveloped or developed in such a way that the property line is not readily apparent, the boundary should be located along a surveyed property line at key locations to provide a visual line in the landscape such as a boundary sign or steel post. (design guideline) - - Split rail fencing may be appropriate in some areas if compatible with the park’s design theme. (design guideline) If needed for safety and control reasons, chainlink fencing around recreation fields should be painted or treated with dark desert tones in order to minimize their visibility. (design guideline) Lighting Other than for court and field lighting, area lighting intent is to provide a general sense of security rather than to fully light an entire park. Sensitivity will be used in providing state of the art lighting systems (e.g. currently metal halide) for outdoor recreational facilities to ensure participant safety and minimize trespass light into adjacent neighborhoods. Lights will be shielded and down lit with minimum light spillage. Lights will turn off at designated closure times. (design guideline) Shared-use trails and pathways should not be lighted, except in specially designated areas or as needed for safety. (design guideline) Page 23 Guidelines Shared-Use Trails In general, Scottsdale’s 2 foot minimum width rural trail standards should apply in this area’s parks in order to minimize the impact on natural areas. If heavy or extensive shared-use is anticipated, trail width could be widened up to the 8 foot urban trail standard. (design guideline) Trail design and construction should meet the standards set in Section 7.3 of the City of Scottsdale Design Standards and Policies Manual. (design guideline) Pathways in public facilities should incorporate colored concrete, special textured concrete, pavement width variation while maintaining minimum width throughout, custom edge treatment, all of which blend into the adjacent natural environment. (design guideline) Use of stabilized granite pathways in public facilities should be explored as an alternative to paved pathways in selected areas. (design Desert Foothills Character Area (Public Facilities, Amenities and Infrastructure Continued - recreational facilities) - Trailheads should have a minimal amount of area lighting for signs and trail entrance. Internal park drives and roadways are to be unlighted except for key intersections or along high activity areas. (design guideline) Guidelines Active Facilities Courts and fields should be located within the most disturbed or sparsely vegetated areas of the site and should be designed according to Scottsdale and national standards. Where possible fields may be located in detention basins to minimize visual impact. (design guideline) - Courts should be located to minimize visibility of lights from adjacent properties. (design guideline) - Shared-use fields should be developed to the greatest extent possible rather than specialty use fields to minimize turf areas. (design guideline) Water and Wastewater Systems Water and sewer lines should not cross natural area open spaces wider than 150 feet, except along roads and driveways or where required to maintain public health and safety. (policy/DR stip/ Streets General All local roads should provide foremost for the safety of its users. (design guideline) Street signs must be readable at night and under adverse weather conditions whatever the design of the sign. (design guideline/other) Where possible and in order to reduce the grading associated with roads, common driveways serving up to four residences should be used. (design guideline) A city entry feature should be installed at the designated gateway at 56th Street and Dynamite. (policy/design guideline) Character area entry features should be provided on Scottsdale and Pima Roads, Dynamite Boulevard, 64th Street and Dixileta. (policy/design guideline) - Special design features which reflect the unique identity of the area should be used on street signage, traffic signals and other public infrastructure along roadways. (policy/design guideline) design guideline) - Page 24 Reservoirs should be located in naturally hidden sites and or dug into the terrain in order minimize their visual impact. (policy) City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation (Streets Continued - scenic and collector) Collector Streets Provide an off-street trail that is separated from street traffic by a 10 to 15 foot natural desert setback from edge of curb. (design guideline) Place the improved street surface to one side of right-of-way and establish trail on alternate side to create the greatest separation between street and trail. (policy/design guideline) Blend all necessary street drainage improvements into natural desert environment by using appropriate materials and colors. (policy/design guideline) - guideline) - - - Special design criteria for light pole colors and designs, walls and fences and other street furniture should be developed. (policy/guideline) Road access points should be limited to 1/4 mile intervals in order to maximize the desert setting along the road. (design guideline) Desert Foothills Scenic Drive: provide special signage for drive and native plant identification and provide locations for pullouts to access desert interpretive facilities. (policy/design - Minimize the width of the street to one lane in either direction. (policy/design guideline) Provide turning lanes only at major intersections. (policy/design guideline) Maintain natural undulation in road profile. (policy/design guideline) Cluster mail boxes and screen with native vegetation. (policy/design guideline) If possible, alternatives to paving should be used to maintain the Desert Rural character. (design guideline) guideline) - Wherever feasible seek a minimum scenic setback from right-of-way of 100 feet on all designated scenic corridors. (policy/design guideline) Community Planning Page 25 Guidelines Scenic Corridors Provide a meandering shared-use trail along the scenic easements which link to other open space areas of the city. (policy/design guideline) Revegetate areas disturbed by undergrounding of utilities lines or improvement of other structures. (policy/design guideline) Where possible, the median should be widened between intersections to as much as forty-eight feet. If traffic volumes necessitate the expansion of the roadway to six lanes in the future one lane in each direction will be expanded into the median. (policy/design guideline) The revegetation along the scenic corridor and planting within the median should consist of indigenous plant material with similar densities as surrounding native plants. (policy/design Desert Foothills Character Area (Streets Continued - local) Guidelines Local Streets Maintain natural undulation in road profile. (policy/design guideline) Cluster mail boxes and screen with native vegetation. (policy/design guideline) Minimize the width of local streets to 20 feet to preserve the natural vegetation on shoulders. (policy/design guideline) Discourage cross-through vehicular traffic by visually and functionally disconnecting local streets. (policy/design guideline) Blend all necessary street drainage improvements into natural desert environment by using appropriate materials and colors. Open Space Corridors Vista corridors equal to the natural bank-tobank, the 100-year floodplain, or an average width of 100 feet, whichever is greater, shall be provided along all washes with a 100-year storm flow of 50 cubic feet per second (c.f.s.) or greater. (policy/guideline/new regulation) (policy/design guideline) - If possible, alternatives to paving should be used to maintain the Desert Rural character. (design guideline) Page 26 City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation ActionPlan About the Action Plan The Action Plan defines and prioritizes work items that will help to maintain the Rural Desert character of the study area. These work items include: • ordinance changes, • operational changes (the way the city “does business”, in regards to this character area), The Action Plan defines and • work items, prioritizes work items . . . • guidelines changes, and • new policy approval. Action Plan The Action Plan is divided into two parts: • Work Items and • Action Plan Priorities. The first part groups together work items that impact common techniques (see explanation of each technique in “Implementation Technique” section of the Implementation Plan). The second part of the Action Plan summarizes the highest priority work items, defines the process for acceptance/development and outlines potential budgetary impacts. Upon City Council approval of the Desert Foothills Character Area and Implementation Plans various city departments may begin to take immediate action on the highest priority work items. Further City Council action/approval may be required to ultimately implement many of these work items. Community Planning Page 27 Desert Foothills Character Area Work Items: Ordinance Changes: • Create a Desert Foothills zoning overlay to be potentially applied to the unsubdivided areas within the Desert Foothills study boundaries. This overlay will deal specifically with setbacks, wall heights, building heights and massing and connecting natural area open space. • Identify existing watercourses required to be maintained in their natural state by the Floodplain Ordinance and ESLO. • Create local trails plans that will connect the neighborhoods within the Desert Foothills area to the desert and mountain preserves. • Develop a Desert Foothills information brochure that discusses appropriate building techniques, maintaining the dominance and openness of the desert, and an explanation of the unique environmental and physical elements within the study area. This brochure will be distributed to real estate agents, new residents and property owners and other interested parties in order to achieve a broad awareness and acceptance of the unique attributes and goals of this area. • Design and develop character area entry features at prominent visual points along Dynamite, Scottsdale and Pima Roads, Dixileta and 64th Street. Action Plan Operational Changes: • A desert open space management plan should consider appropriate public access points and facilities into the planned desert preserve. • Increase neighborhood involvement in the maintenance of trails and scenic corridors by proactively working with local neighborhood organizations and associations. • Seek new/additional funding sources (such as Tea-21) to provide for scenic corridors and trails. • Include funds in the city budget for entry features, special streetscapes and revegetation. Work Items: • Page 28 Hire a consultant who is an expert on street lighting to help amend lighting standards to ensure minimal lighting of streets. Design Guideline Changes: • Develop new desert sensitive standards for public recreation facilities/amenities that specifically address the sensitive siting, appropriate building design and use of building materials which blend into the natural desert setting. City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation • • Develop a new standard to stabilize dirt roads that meet the current/ongoing EPA standards/ requirements. Allow a minimal road cross section, narrower than the current road cross section for emergency access. • Develop a new street standard for local collectors and scenic corridors that is equestrian friendly, fits within the rural context of the area and meets or exceeds national safety standards. • Within public facilities, an architectural and landscape architectural design theme should be developed that is adhered to in all construction and reflects the natural desert setting. • Drainage culvert head walls should be rusticated in such a manner to help blend with the surrounding desert. • Culverts within regional trail corridors should be designed for the maximum width and height to promote the movement of wildlife and the safety of trail users. • Revegetate scarred/disturbed areas along major roadways in the area. • Establish local street plans in unsubdivided areas in order to provide reasonable access yet discourage cross-through traffic. • Develop public information resources and information program to reach: - current residents of the area, - realtors who frequent the area, and - home builders who work in the area in order to achieve a broad awareness and acceptance of the unique attributes and goals of this area. Provide adequate drainage for dirt roads to prevent erosion or silt deposition in the event of a flood and to minimize maintenance. Community Planning Page 29 Action Plan Develop special design guidelines and stipulations for all uses other than single family residences. New City Policy: • Washes in the area should not be concrete lined or otherwise hard surfaced. Allow ribbon curbs or no curbs on collector and residential streets. • • • Desert Foothills Character Area Action Plan Priorities: On the following pages are the work items considered to be the highest priorities for the Desert Foothills study area because: - they will preserve the scenic values within the area, - influence the quality of future development within the area, - preserve the existing rural lifestyles within the area, and - help identify/reinforce the uniqueness of this region of the city. These priorities are divided into several subcategories: - work item, - purpose, - process, and - budgetary impact. This format will help to summarize the dynamics of each work item and what the needs/requirements are to accomplish each. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Work Item: Develop new street standards for the scenic corridors and local collectors and incorporate them into the General Plan and the City Design Standards and Policy Manual. Purpose: The essence of these standards will be to provide safe movement of traffic, preserve the scenic desert views and link trails from local neighborhoods to future desert open space preserves. Process: The adoption of new street standards will require the recommendation for approval from the Transportation and Planning Commissions and approval from City Council. The following city departments will be involved in the development of the new street standards: • Transportation, (lead role) • Community Planning, • Municipal Services, and • Community Facility, Services and Maintenance. Budget Impacts: The City of Scottsdale will be responsible for the ultimate improvements of Scottsdale, Pima and Dynamite. These improvements have been incorporated as a future part of the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) program. Typically, development has paid for the improvement of collector and local streets in Scottsdale. Since there are no large developers in the study area, it is the responsibility of the individual property owner to create access to their property in the form of an unpaved street. In the future, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandate may force the city to address some of these unpaved streets with a specific traffic threshold. This is an unfunded mandate, thus the city must come up with the funding to fulfill this mandate or be fined over $23,000 per day and still be required to meet this mandate. City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation There is a strong desire from the residents of the area to maintain the natural surface of the street. In essence these streets help maintain the rural identity of the area and support the local equestrian interest who use these roads as trails. Some middle ground may be found in the use of stabilization products that potentially meet the EPA mandate as well as the desires of the local residents. It is presently unclear as to what the budgetary impacts are of stabilization vs. paving. City staff will be testing various stabilization products in the field and comparing the costs to install, replace and maintain the various surfacing applications that fulfill the EPA mandate. A CIP request was included within the last CIP review cycle to help fund this federal mandate. If approved, monies from this program will be used to fund these road surface improvements. In addition, the development of a trail system in concert with the street improvements can be achieved through the development of new street standards. The trails will be developed at the same time the street improvements are made. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Purpose: The intent of an overlay district will be to maintain the desert as the dominant element and preserve the rural identity of the study area. Community Planning The Planning Commission could initiate the overlay while city staff works with the residents and property owners to create the ordinance. Ultimately, a vote by City Council is required for approval of such an action. After the ordinance is adopted it would be necessary to apply this to specific properties by amending the zoning map. This can be initiated by the property owners, the Planning Commission or City Council. This process includes an extensive mail-out notification and could be subject to a legal protest. The following city departments will be involved with the formulation of the Desert Foothills overlay ordinance: • Community Development (lead role), • Community Planning, • Urban Design Studio and • Community Facilities, Maintenance and Recreation. Budget Impacts: The only foreseeable budget impacts will be within the public outreach efforts as well as the increased staff time to administer Page 31 Action Plan Work Item: Develop a zoning overlay district for the unsubdivided areas within the Desert Foothills study area. Process: The proposed zoning overlay will supplement the existing residential zoning districts within the unsubdivided areas of the study area. Since this overlay will impact several hundred property owners within the area, there must be further dialogue to discuss the details of the application of an overlay district. This public dialogue, the formulation of the overlay language and definitions and the public hearing process could take 8 to 12 months to complete. Desert Foothills Character Area the additional standards. This public outreach program will be conducted to engage the residents and property owners to solicit input on the proposed overlay, and if adopted, produce brochures and other media to inform those impacted by the ordinance. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Work Item: Develop a neighborhood trail system that connects the local neighborhoods to one another and other continuous areas of desert open space such as scenic and vista corridors and desert preserves. Action Plan Process: The Desert Foothills study area contains the largest number of Government Land Office (GLO) parcels within the city. These parcels of land average about two and one half acres. In addition, they contain a 33 foot easement around the entire perimeter of each parcel. These easements were granted to allow fellow GLO owners access to their respective property. In recent years, a number of residents have requested to abandon these easements since it was determined not all of these easements will be needed for future access to one’s property. This has created a conflict between some of the residents and property owners who have historically been using these easements as walking and equestrian trails. There remains an underlining desire to maintain at least a pedestrian/equestrian access easement that provides a loop trail system which connects portions of these areas. In order to work with these various residents and property owners in a more manageable manner, these areas can be broken down into Page 32 smaller units to define options for these trail routes and linkages to areas outside of their neighborhood. These local neighborhood planning studies can take up to twelve months depending on the complexity of issues. After which time, trails can be developed and access granted. The following departments will be involved with this process: • Community Planning (neighborhood planning -lead role) and • Community Facilities, Maintenance and Recreation. Budget Impacts: Through the development of a neighborhood trail system there may be funds associated with the Neighborhood Enhancement CIP program. These matching funds can be paid by the neighborhood through sweat equity or in-kind labor in the construction of the trails. If granted funds by the Neighborhood Enhancement Commission, these funds can be used to purchase materials, rent equipment and develop trail identification signs for the local neighborhood(s). ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Work Item: Develop new standards that specifically address the sensitive siting, appropriate design and use of building materials which blend into the natural desert setting for all public recreation facilities. Purpose: The present City Design Standards and Policy Manual contains sections on public recreation standards which include active and passive amenities. These standards although City of Scottsdale Character Plan - Implementation comprehensive must be supplemented to establish more desert sensitive development approaches. Although no active park facilities are planned within the Desert Foothills study area, there are several schools planned which will have active play facilities associated with them. In addition, specialty park sites for viewing scenic vistas along the scenic corridors and access points or trail heads are being planned within the desert preserves and scenic corridors. These amenities/facilities must be planned, designed and constructed to respond to the sensitive Sonoran desert environment. These new standards will help to create more desert sensitive facilities. Process: The development of these standards will be initiated by the Community Facilities, Maintenance and Recreation Department which oversees the planning, design, development, maintenance and operation of public parks and trails within the city. Community Facilities, Maintenance and Recreation will work with Community Planning and a consultant to develop these new standards. The Parks and Recreation Commission, Development Review Board and Council will all have opportunities to review these standards. Community Planning ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Work Item: Develop entry features which convey the unique qualities of the Desert Foothills area. Purpose: These entry features will help to identify and celebrate this unique area of the city. The entry features will help to physically define the significant entry points into the area and convey the unique identity of the area. Process: An artist will be selected through the Public Art Collection Committee (PACC) to help define the significant entry points and develop a unique entry feature which celebrates the area. The selected artist will work with the Desert Foothills community to help design these entry features. Once a design is supported by the Desert Foothills community and the Development Review Board reviews the design the bidding/ selection process for a contractor may begin. This entire process from the conceptual design to the construction of the entry features could take approximately 12 months. Community Planning will be taking the lead role on this project and will work in association with PACC, the selected artist and the Desert Foothills community. Page 33 Action Plan Once a draft of the guidelines is prepared, various city departments as well as the Development Review Board and Planning Commission will review these new standards before being adopted and incorporated into the City Design Standards and Policy Manual. Upon adoption, these new standards will be applied to public recreation facilities within desert sensitive areas. Budget Impacts: There are no foreseeable budget impacts with this work item. As public recreation facilities are planned and designed within the study area they will be required to meet these new standards. Desert Foothills Character Area Budget Impacts: Presently, there is funding for the planning and designing of these entry features within the Character Area Planning CIP program. These funds are limited and must be balanced throughout the city. Action Plan However, there is no funding source currently available for the actual construction of such facilities. The City Council would need to authorize such funding in order to follow through with construction. Page 34 City of Scottsdale