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TEMPLE HEIGHTS PARK
Key Considerations: New Playground. A new playground is proposed for the property along the 49th Street. While a small portion of the proposed overall Temple Heights park, this portion of the park will be open during school hours for the general public.
Avenue R Sidepath. The Avenue R Sidepath provides access along the southern portion of the school property. This sidepath will provide access to both the neighborhood park, the school, and the schools play field.
Secure School Zone. Scott Elementary will still maintain control of a significant portion of the overall site during school hours to maintain a safe and secure environment. A security fence that has some degree of automation will allow for expanded use of the play field when school is not in operation.
Neighborhood Conservation
Housing Infill Considerations
The Temple Heights core is defined by its single-family housing stock, specifically the southwest portion of the neighborhood. The contributions of these structures are a defining element of the character for the plan area.
Key Single-Family Elements
Key Duplex Elements
Architectural Enhancements
Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District
A Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District is a tool used to manage a neighborhood’s revitalization to ensure that inherent character elements remain. This tool is an extension of the base zoning district and typically focuses on lot size, setbacks, streetscapes, and tree protection. These protections focus on providing certainty and compatibility between new and existing development. A Neighborhood Conservation Overly District may include both residential and commercial land uses.
Only in certain circumstances would it be appropriate to use a Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District. Neighborhoods must possess a distinct land use pattern, predominant scale/spacing, similar construction type, contributing open space/streetscape elements, and proximity to or contributing impact on historic landmarks or districts. Additionally, there must be support from the affected population within the proposed Neighborhood Conservation Overlay.
Desired Outcomes from a Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District
• Promote high quality of life and livability standards
• To protect and promote unique physical features and valued aesthetic appearances
• To stabilize and invigorate neighborhood economic conditions
• To reduce conflicts from development and investments into the neighborhood through added regulatory certainty
• Encourage a sense of place and source of neighborhood pride
• Provide a path forward for orderly redevelopment within the City.
Criteria to consider for a Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District
• Contain at least one block face or all lots on the same side of a block
• The area has been developed for at least 25 years
• 75% of land in the proposed area must be presently improved
• Possess “principal design feature” that is cohesive for character establishment:
• Scale, size, and type of construction
• Spatial relationships between buildings
• Lot layouts, including setbacks, sidewalks, and alleys
• Natural or public space characteristics such as creek beds, parks, greenbelts, or street landscaping
• Land use patterns and/or an identifiable mix in of similar uses
• Abuts or links to designated historic landmarks and/or districts.
Establishing a Neighborhood Conservation District Overlay
• Director of Planning and Development initiated rezoning, pursuant to a neighborhood or community plan adopted by City Council, or city or community revitalization program; or
• Neighborhood initiated application for rezoning (support from majority of affected landowners)
• Boundary and site inventory review (establishment of a base district boundary for zoning map)
• Create development standards and identification of “principal design feature”
• Create voluntary design guidelines (extra design or architectural guidance)
• Public hearing and final adoption to be conducted by Planning & Zoning Commission and City Council.
There is a significant presence of alleys within the Temple Heights Neighborhood, with most being unpaved corridors for utilities. The amount of vehicle access afforded by the alley varies block to block. The value and role alleys play within the character of a neighborhood are not always evident. As part of this planning document, this section will highlight some of the key benefits of alleys and provide a guide for utilization.
Alley Benefits
The following descriptions provide context to how alleys are a beneficial addition to the built environment through both form and function.
Utility Placement
In many circumstances, alleys are home to electric, gas, water, and sewer lines that provide services to individual lots. This consolidation reduces congestion of the right-of-way, giving priority to utility trunk lines, and limiting maintenance impacts on roadway traffic. Additionally, by placing utilities in the alley it frees up more space for street tree growth both in the below-ground rootzone and tree canopy.
Improved Lot Access
Alleys provide direct vehicular access to the rear of a property, providing more opportunities for parking and, in turn, reducing street clutter by eliminating a need for a frontyard driveways and diminishing vehicular and pedestrian conflicts. On-street parking availability increases, allowing more comfortable accommodation of neighborhood visitors.
Aesthetic Contributions
The impacts of improved lot access and utility access allow for an increase in aesthetic enhancements to the neighborhood character. Street trees grow unencumbered, reaching maturity faster, and absent the impact on their overall form. Eliminating garages from the front of the houses removes the banality of the garage door from the front facade and increases the overall architecture interest of the structure. The result is a neighborhood block where children run across uninterrupted front yards under the shade of large trees contributing to the long-term health and vitality of the neighborhood.
Alley Breakdown
Examining the composition of the Temple Heights Neighborhood’s alleys within the plan area is important in determining the role they have in the built environment. The examination will help create an organizational framework for establishing recommendations for the plan area’s alleys. There is a total of 91 blocks in the plan area with a predominate north-south direction. The following graphs highlight particular alley characteristics.
Existing Alley Takeaways
The following bullets are key findings about the plan area’s alleys:
• Over 1/2 of the plan area blocks can utilize alleys
• Alleys primarily serve residential development
• Alleys primarily run north-south
• Of the alleys that serve commercial properties, all serve residential properties as well
Residential Infill
Alleys that primarily support residential provide local access for adjacent lots. Alley’s allow for a wider variety of infill housing types without impacting the curb appeal of housing with vehicle clutter. Safety and security measures are best addressed by property owners where placement of lighting and other security features can respond to individual lot conditions.
Alley Regulatory Guidance
Zoning Districts Applicable in all zoning districts. ROW 24’ max, 20’ min. for two way alley, 16’ for one-Way.
Pavement Hardscape, whether concrete, asphalt, or vehicular paver is preferred surface. For low traffic residential alleys, crushed rock or gravel may be appropriate.
Max Height Accessory buildings adjacent to alleys should be compatible with surrounding structures and not exceed the height of the primary structure or 2.5 stories, whichever is less.
Building Setback All buildings should be setback a minimum of 15’ from side street , unless zoning setback is intended to be 0’ then consideration of sight triangles should be observed.
Parking Is allowed adjacent to alley provided the parking space meets the minimum size of 9’ by 18’ and is clear of alley ROW.
Waste Receptacles For commercial properties, alley waste receptacles should be screened from view of adjacent residential properties.
Lighting Lighting should be present near alley and street intersection. Driveways along alleys should be lit for both vehicular and crime safety precautions.
Landscaping Trees with mature height of 25’ or less are preferred. Placement should minimize interaction with overhead utilities. All adjacent shrubs and groundcovers should be maintained to limit impediment of alley traffic.
Neighborhood Commercial
It is important for neighborhood commercial to maintain context sensitive design and in many instances this would mean orienting the building to directly front the street. If needed, parking should be in the rear of property directly off the alley or parking lot. Opportunities for shared parking agreements between commercial properties can help assist in a more organized approach to meeting parking demand.
Lighting Plan
This exhibit provides lighting recommendations for the plan area. Further explanation of the different lighting zones can be found on the following page.
General Street Zone
The General Street Zones are the pedestrian and vehicular corridors of the neighborhood. These streets see the largest portions of vehicular and pedestrian traffic both in and out of the neighborhood. As such, these corridors should have ample lighting and maintain high operating standards, while not overpowering residential properties.
Lighting Notes:
Lamp Size 15,000 Lumens, 150 Watts
Spacing 120’ poles staggered
*Average Foot-candles 0.6
*Information informed by Highway Illumination Manual, Texas Department of Transportation, 2018
Recommended application of dark sky fixtures that minimize glare while reducing light trespass and sky glow.
Neighborhood Zone
The Neighborhood Zone is the primary single-family residential portion of the plan area. This zone needs to balance lighting for safety concerns while maintaining residential privacy.
Lighting Notes:
Lamp Size 9,500 Lumens, 100 Watts
Minimum Spacing 150’ poles staggered
*Average Foot-candles 0.4
*Information informed by Highway Illumination Manual, Texas Department of Transportation, 2018
Recommended application of dark sky fixtures that minimize glare while reducing light trespass and sky glow.
Intersection Zone
The Intersection Zone highlights key pedestrian crossings. The traffic associated with these areas requires an increase in lighting to ensure both pedestrian and vehicular safety.
Lighting Notes:
Lamp Size 30,000 Lumens, 250 Watts
Spacing 1 light pole at each respective corner, 4 total.
*Average Foot-candles 2.0
*Information informed by Highway Illumination Manual, Texas Department of Transportation, 2018
Recommended application of dark sky fixtures that minimize glare while reducing light trespass and sky glow.
Park Zone
The Park Zone is intended to be a highly visible and active linkage. The lighting should be pedestrian scaled and well lit as to encourage extended use.
Lighting Notes:
Spacing 90’
Average Foot-candles 0.65
Recommended application of dark sky fixtures that minimize glare while reducing light trespass and sky glow.
BUSINESS/COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATIONS
The use of Backlight, Uplight, and Glare (BUG) ratings should be considered for business or commercial properties to promote dark sky principles and reduce off-site lighting impact on adjacent properties, especially near a residential neighborhood.
Neighborhood Identification
The improvement of sidewalk presence and access is an important focus of this plan. Additionally, the periphery of the plan area does not lend itself to natural gateways, where monumentation would have its intended effect. As such, it is recommended that sidewalks and sign toppers be the predominant source of branding and identification for the Temple Heights Neighborhood. One way that this can be accomplished is to give the sidewalks more interest by adding street name inlays.
Sidewalk Street Name Inlay
Neighborhood Symbol
One of the most iconic elements of the Temple Heights Neighborhood are its trees. There are a variety of large trees with established tree canopy that blanket the neighborhood with much need shade in the summer months. Of which the most common trees is the pecan. As such the tree’s pinnate leaf structure and signature nut are most appropriate symbol for the neighborhood.
