Utilities

• Future residential development should be reviewed for compatibility with the typology, scale, and setbacks to adjacent residential development and should not be reviewed solely on the density of dwelling units. The intent of this plan is to compel and encourage quality development over the quantity of development and ensure that as new housing typologies are introduced, there is a scaling of a development that will not impact adjacent neighbors. Encourage residential development that mimics the type, scale, and density of adjacent or nearby residential development. Much of the development that has occurred along the Parkway has been residential subdivisions that lack nearby employment or commercial centers. Most of these subdivisions have larger lot sizes that have forced the conversion of agricultural land to residential land. These smaller developments have often required new road, sewer and water connections. Residential development is proposed in a variety of areas south of Upper Mount Vernon Road. Within each subdivision, a diverse set of housing types and lot sizes should offer new residents a variety of options. These neighborhoods should be integrated with natural features existing throughout the corridor. Within neighborhoods, it is desired that trails and park space will inter-connect with neighborhoods, commercial areas, USI, Majestic Place, and other future development to create a safe pedestrian and cyclist environment.

• Use context-based regulations to manage differences in setbacks and building massing to create enticing neighborhoods. New development should be compatible and connect to existing and future proposed amenities, while addressing the development standards described in the following sections. Some of these could include: - Preserve any natural features such as significant tree stands on the parcel. - Encourage visually appealing and appropriate design that are of a similar scale and character to the surrounding residential stock. - Encourage bicycle and pedestrian amenities that are connected to the planned system. - Ensure landscape buffering between uses as well as at the edge of the development.

Photo by Carolyn Torma, (CC BY-NC 4.0). Copyright 2005 American Planning Association

• Curb cuts for newer subdivisions should align with those of older, adjacent developments where feasible. Neighborhood streets should be extended to intersect with other local streets to improve neighborhood connections and access, and those streets should align with one another.

Stub streets should be required in new subdivisions, when adjacent to agricultural parcels that are recommended for future residential use. • New subdivisions shall be encouraged to develop compatible types, scale, and densities as adjacent or nearby subdivisions. In review of new subdivisions, a developer and the Area Plan Commission staff should review adjacent development up front to determine character, connectivity of bike/pedestrian access, transportation access and scale of development. The policy intent is to ensure that new subdivisions are compatible with existing development and foster connectivity to and within the corridor. • Improve connections/access between subdivisions. A lack of connectivity between subdivisions can lead to traffic issues in a community. A wellconnected road network has many short links, numerous intersections, and minimal dead-ends. As connectivity increases, travel distances decrease and route options increase, allowing more direct travel between destinations, creating a more accessible and resilient system.

Manage the location and type of non-residential development. Create a mix of commercial uses in a small-scale pedestrian focused pattern. University Parkway should not become the next commercial corridor. This means that big box development should be prohibited, and any commercial uses should be integrated into a coordinated, small neighborhood center that is well-designed, incorporates pedestrian amenities, has good access into and through the development, and is compatible with adjacent uses. These nodes should not greatly increase the amount of traffic beyond what was planned for in this study. • Commercial development should be focused at the front (east side) of Majestic Place along the main corridor into the development.

Majestic Place is located west of University Parkway and south of

Hogue Road and was rezoned to be a mixed use development. It is envisioned that Majestic Place will offer a diversity of shops, offices, services, and housing. No development plan was provided during the rezoning, but Use and Development Commitments were adopted. When Majestic Place comes before the Plan Commission for development plan/site plan review, the staff should ensure that

Majestic Place is a well-designed and well-integrated development.

To achieve this, the following policies should be kept in mind: - The preservation of natural features, including trees stands, on the parcel. - Scale development from its core outward to ensure compatibility with adjacent existing developments. - Limit individual commercial footprints. - Encourage visually appealing character and appropriate design. - Mixed use is a key component to this district to set it apart from nearby commercial zones. The C-4 commercial district should permit housing and mixed use, with limitation to building height. - Incorporate landscaping throughout the development as well as at the edges. - No parking or loading docks should face or be adjacent to University Parkway or adjacent residential neighborhoods. - Use green infrastructure as well as detention or retention ponds to limit stormwater runoff and enhance the natural environment. • To create a smaller, walkable, pedestrian-scale commercial district, on local streets, promote smaller front yard setbacks from arterial and collector roads. For those commercial areas that front University

Parkway, the establishment of a standard build-to line to frame

University Parkway and preserve the existing views is recommended. • For new commercial development, parking should be located to the side of or behind buildings. In some cases, it will be appropriate to create “two fronts” of a building, one along University Parkway or a major arterial, and one towards the parking lot. • All new non-residential development should have pedestrian friendly amenities like bike racks, wide sidewalks, and bike lanes that connect to the larger pedestrian system.