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04/17/2017 - PacketPLANNING COMMISSION AGENDA – April 17, 2017 City of Tigard | 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 | 503-639-4171 | www.tigard-or.gov | Page 1 of 2 City of Tigard Planning Commission Agenda MEETING DATE: April 17, 2017 - 7:00 p.m. MEETING LOCATION: City of Tigard – Town Hall 13125 SW Hall Blvd., Tigard, OR 97223 1. CALL TO ORDER 7:00 p.m. 2. ROLL CALL 7:00 p.m. 3. COMMUNICATIONS 7:02 p.m. 4. CONSIDER MINUTES 7:04 p.m. 5. BRIEFING – TIGARD TRIANGLE LEAN CODE 7:10 p.m. 6. OTHER BUSINESS 8:10 p.m. 7. ADJOURNMENT 8:15 p.m. Page 1 of 4 City of Tigard Memorandum To: Tigard Planning Commission From: Susan P. Shanks, Senior Planner Re: Tigard Triangle “Lean Code” Briefing #3 Date: April 17, 2017 At last month’s Lean Code briefing, staff described the “form-based” elements of the Lean Code and how these work to create a specific urban form that supports the development of a comfortable, safe, and interesting place for pedestrians. At this briefing, staff will provide an overview of the entire code and describe some additional key elements. The Lean Code is proposed to replace the existing Tigard Triangle Plan District Chapter in its entirety (Chapter 18.620). The attached annotated Table of Contents (Attachment 1) shows the proposed code structure as it would appear in the Tigard Community Development Code (Title 18 of the Municipal Code) and summarizes each of the eleven code sections. Last month’s briefing discussed the code’s emphasis on form (i.e. site and building design standards) and de-emphasis on land uses. These elements are located in the following three code sections:  18.620.060 Land Uses  18.620.070 Site Design Standards  18.620.080 Building Design Standards This briefing will focus on the following five code sections:  18.620.020 General Provisions | One-Stop Shopping The Lean Code is designed, wherever possible, as a standalone set of regulations with minimal references to other provisions of the Tigard Community Development Code. The intent of this approach is to minimize regulatory complexity for all applicants, but especially novice applicants.  18.620.040 Review Process | Lean and Flexible The Lean Code is designed to allow many development proposals to bypass the land use review requirement and go straight to the development review process (e.g. Page 2 of 4 building permit, public facility improvement permit, etc.). The intent of this streamlined approach to reviewing development proposals is to reduce the cost, time, and uncertainty associated with land use reviews. A new staff-level Adjustment review process would allow applicants a path forward when a standard couldn’t be met or when an alternative design or district tree removal was proposed. All requested adjustments would be reviewed through the lens of walkability. The intent of this Adjustment process is to allow for flexibility where needed (i.e. due to topography or other site constraints) without compromising walkability.  18.620.050 Pre-Existing Development | Friendly to Incremental Development The Lean Code is designed to be friendly toward pre-existing development by not calling it “nonconforming.” A nonconforming designation can have financial repercussions and effectively prevent changes to sites that have nonconforming uses, structures, or site improvements. The intent of this approach is to allow pre-existing development to legally remain and to make infill development on these sites fairly easy, while at the same time requiring future changes to gradually come into conformance with the standards that most support walkability.  18.620.070 Site Design Standards: District Tree Preservation | Builds on Existing Character The previous briefing on form-based code elements generally touched upon all the site design standards in this code section but for one: district tree preservation. The Lean Code is designed to incentivize the preservation of Oregon white oaks located near existing or future public rights-of-way. These specimen trees have high aesthetic value, contribute to a distinct Triangle character, and are widely distributed throughout the Triangle. However, they are also very slow growing, and mature trees are hard to replace within any meaningful timeframe. The intent of this approach is to support urbanization of this area while retaining its distinguishing natural features.  18.620.090 Transportation Facility Standards | Friendly to Incremental Development and Pedestrians The Lean Code is designed to facilitate small development proposals by exempting them from street frontage improvements and to provide flexibility by allowing fee-in- lieu-of-construction of street frontage improvements in certain situations. The intent of the fee-in-lieu-of-construction approach is to save applicants the time and expense Page 3 of 4 of managing a public infrastructure project and/or to avoid requiring isolated or premature improvements. The Lean Code is also designed to provide street improvements that support walkability and a vibrant streetscape. On-street parking on all streets (with the exception of possibly Dartmouth St and 72nd Ave) would slow vehicles and provide a buffer between pedestrians and vehicle travel lanes. Wide sidewalk corridors would accommodate street trees, pedestrian amenities, and commercial activity such as outdoor dining and merchandise display. Lean Code Schedule Staff plans to have a public draft of the Lean Code completed by mid-May. Public hearings to adopt the Tigard Triangle Strategic Plan and Lean Code are expected to start in June before the Planning Commission, with public hearings before the City Council expected to start in August. Update on Related Efforts Rezoning the Tigard Triangle to be consistent with the Lean Code requires a comprehensive traffic analysis and development of a parking management plan. With the aid of a traffic engineer, staff from the City and the Oregon Department of Trans portation recently agreed upon a traffic analysis methodology. The City’s consultant is in the process of doing the analysis. This is anticipated to take several months. As a result, the effective date of the Lean Code amendments, if approved by Council, will need to be contingent upon the successful completion of the traffic analysis, Transportation Planning Rule (TPR) findings, and subsequent rezone. Overview of Past Analysis In early 2016, the city hosted a 4-person graduate student team from Portland State University and contracted with State of Place, an urban form analytics firm, to identify urban design features that could enhance walkability and maximize economic value in the Tigard Triangle. State of Place found that the area currently has a walking score of 33 out of 100—a low but unsurprising number. In comparison, Downtown Tigard scored 66. The State of Place score is based on 20,000 data points, which were collected block-by-block by the 4-person graduate student team. This quantitative assessment provides a snapshot of the quality of the built environment and, more importantly, what kinds of improvements would have the greatest positive impact on the area, both in terms of walkability and a return on public and private investment. Page 4 of 4 Of the ten urban design dimensions measured and shown on the bar graph below, the analysis strongly suggests that the city should focus on improving the area’s density, proximity, parks/public spaces, pedestrian/bike amenities, and traffic safety. Density refers to the presence of developed land (as opposed to vacant land), multifamily housing, and vertical mixed-use buildings. Proximity refers to the presence of a mix of commercial uses (such as grocery stores, restaurants, retail stores, etc.) within walking distan ce of housing and employment. See Attachment 2 for more detailed information about these urban design dimensions. In summary, the State of Place analysis provides us with guidance for making decisions about the kinds of investments to make in the Triangle that support its transformation into a thriving mixed-use and pedestrian-oriented district. Based on this analysis, the city should encourage a range of investments and interactions. Transportation improvements, particularly those that address traffic safety and provide pedestrian/bike amenities, are important, but so is creating parks and public spaces and helping businesses and developers improve the area’s density and proximity score. Page 1 of 3 | Tigard Triangle Plan District TIGARD TRIANGLE PLAN DISTRICT Annotated Table of Contents 18.620.010 Purpose  Implements the city’s land use and development vision for the Triangle as outlined in the Tigard Comprehensive Plan and further detailed in the Tigard Triangle Strategic Plan and Tigard Triangle Urban Renewal Plan  Implements the city’s Strategic Plan with regard to walkability and connectivity  Removes regulatory and financial barriers to small-scale incremental development  Simplifies the development review and approval process 18.620.020 General Provisions  “One-Stop Shopping.” This chapter is designed as a standalone set of regulations with minimal references to other provisions of the Community Development Code of the City of Tigard. References to other applicable procedures and standards are embedded in the chapter as needed. 18.620.030 Applicability  Applies to: (1) properties located in the newly created Triangle Mixed Use (TMU) Zone, and (2) existing and planned streets within the entire Tigard Triangle area.  Does not apply to: (1) properties located in the existing General Commercial (CG) Zone. These standards are proposed to be moved to the Commercial Zoning Districts chapter (Chapter 18.520). 18.620.040 Review Process  Streamlines the development review process by removing the land use review requirement for many types of development proposals. This approach is possible because all proposed site and building development standards are clear and objective.  Provides flexibility (new staff-level Adjustment process) when a clear and objective standard cannot be met or when a developer opts to propose an alternative design or remove a district tree. All requested adjustments would be reviewed through the lens of walkability. 18.620.050 Pre-Existing Development  Allows existing uses and site improvements to be legal under the new code to avoid financial repercussions of “nonconforming” designation.  Facilitates incremental development on sites with pre-existing development by making infill development easy, while at the same time requiring future changes to gradually come into conformance with the standards that most support walkability. Page 2 of 3 | Tigard Triangle Plan District 18.620.060 Land Uses  Allows a wide range of residential, commercial, and civic uses. Limits the footprint of light industrial uses and retail sales (e.g. big box stores). Prohibits heavy industrial and most auto- oriented uses.  Emphasizes “form” over “use” to achieve an urban mixed-use walkable environment. 18.620.070 Site Design Standards Site design standards address:  Building location  Surface parking location and design (including loading areas)  Bicycle parking location and design (including landscaping)  Vehicle access (including alleys)  Clear vision  Retaining wall, fencing, and street screen design  District tree preservation  Tree grove preservation (existing incentive-based program) 18.620.080 Building Design Standards Building design standards address:  Building height  Ground floor and upper story heights  Building entry location and design  Building façade glazing  Parking structure design 18.620.090 Transportation Facility Standards and Procedures  Simplifies cross section requirements by treating all streets in the Triangle the same except for 72nd Ave and Dartmouth.  Exempts small development proposals from street frontage improvements (but not ROW dedication).  Allows option of fee-in-lieu-of-construction of required street frontage improvements (but not ROW dedication) in certain situations.  Allows some existing improvements to remain (e.g. curbs, trees) even when they don’t meet standards to avoid removal of expensive infrastructure and mature trees.  Explicitly allows use of public sidewalks for commercial purposes (e.g. customer seating, A- frame signage, and merchandise display) and pedestrian amenities (e.g. street furniture, bicycle parking, trash cans, and drinking fountains). Page 3 of 3 | Tigard Triangle Plan District 18.620.090 Transportation Facility Standards and Procedures (continued)  Creates a new Transportation Facilities Review process when a Transportation Impact Study identifies an off-site unmitigated impact. 18.620.100 Sign Standards and Procedures  Allows a wide range of signs appropriate in a pedestrian-oriented environment, including A- frame, canopy, and projecting signs.  Does not allow suburban and auto-oriented signs, including roof, pole, and monument signs.  Utilizes existing sign permit process. 18.620.110 Land Division Standards and Procedures  Requires no minimum lot size but any new lot must: (1) have frontage or approved access to a public street, and (2) be of a size, shape, and configuration to support an allowed use.  Utilizes existing land division and property line adjustment review process. Tigard Triangle Your State of Place Index 33 URBAN FABRIC DESTINATIONS HUMAN NEEDS & COMFORT LIVELINESS & UPKEEP STATE OF PLACE PROFILE Form Density Connectivity Proximity Parks & Public Spaces Recreational Facilities Pedestrian Amenities Traffic Safety Aesthetics Personal Safety STATE OF PLACE INDEX INDEX & PROFILE REPORT PROJECT AREA The State of Place Index & Profile, together, provide a quantitative assessment of existing walkability, which facilitates an objective assessment of built environment assets and needs, highlights urban design features to be targeted for potential redevelopment/inter- vention, and (when a whole neighborhood is assessed) indicates which blocks or set of blocks need the most TLC. It lays the ground- work for more data-driven, evidence-based urban design, planning, and development. The State of Place Index is a walkability and place- making score from 0-100. It is based on 286 built environment features – like sidewalks, benches, street trees, and land uses – that we collect block by block. It indicates how walkable – convenient, safe, pleasurable, and livable – a block, group of blocks, or neighborhood is. The State of Place Profile breaks down the State of Place Index into ten urban design “dimen- sions” empirically known to impact people’s perceptions of walkability and quality of place (e.g. Density, Pedestrian Ameni- ties, Traffic Safety, etc.). 0 20 40 60 80 100 33 Ease of access; lack of pedestrian barriers (e.g. six lane roads) Streetscape continuity and enclosure (e.g. setbacks, street width, building heights) Presence, quality and access to hard and soft scape public space Presence of outdoor and indoor physical activity facilities Quality and safety of the intersection; traffic calming features Features that make it comfortable for pedestrians and bicyclists (sidewalks, seating, etc.) Urban design features that make places dynamic and inviting Features that influ- ence perception of safety (graffiti, litter, broken windows, etc.) PROFILE DESCRIPTION URBAN FABRIC DESTINATIONS HUMAN NEEDS & COMFORT LIVELINESS & UPKEEP Form Density Connectivity Building compactness and height Diversity of land-use mix Pedestrian Amenities Traffic Safety Proximity Parks & Public Spaces Recreational Facilities Aesthetics Personal Safety To find out what features affected the score, contact: mariela@stateofplace.co GOAL: WALKABILITY URBAN FABRIC DESTINATIONS HUMAN NEEDS & COMFORT LIVELINESS & UPKEEP STATE OF PLACE INDEX WEIGHTED BY IMPACT (WALKABILITY) Form Density Connectivity Proximity Parks & Public Spaces Recreational Facilities Pedestrian Amenities Traffic Safety Aesthetics Personal Safety WEIGHTED BY IMPACT & FEASIBILITY (WALKABILITY) URBAN FABRIC DESTINATIONS HUMAN NEEDS & COMFORT LIVELINESS & UPKEEP Form Density Connectivity Proximity Parks & Public Spaces Recreational Facilities Pedestrian Amenities Traffic Safety Aesthetics Personal Safety URBAN FABRIC DESTINATIONS HUMAN NEEDS & COMFORT LIVELINESS & UPKEEP Form Density Connectivity Proximity Parks & Public Spaces Recreational Facilities Pedestrian Amenities Traffic Safety Aesthetics Personal Safety The State of Place Prioritiza- tion Process identifies which urban design dimensions should be emphasized, con- sidering four key factors: 1) A city’s current performance across the ten dimensions (the State of Place Index); 2) The predicted impact increasing the “performance” of an urban design dimension would have on key city goals (i.e., walkability, retail rents, retail revenues, office rents, residential rents and residen- tial for sale value); 3) The relative importance the city places on each of those goals; 4) The feasibility – or level of difficulty – of improving each of the ten urban design dimensions. This report showcases how these factors influence which urban design dimensions should be emphasized – focusing only on the city goal of walkability. It showcases how planning processes can be made more effective by not only considering existing conditions, but also efficacy, city goals, and feasibility, thereby helping cities to maxi- mize the use of their scarce resources – including capacity and budgets. 0 80 Form Density Connectivity URBAN FABRIC Parking Lot Coverage Driveways Surface Parking Lots Setbacks Parking Lot Size Blank Walls Form Feature Description Multifamily Housing Multiple Buildings Prominent Building Height Undeve- loped Land Vertical Mixed Use Yes 1.4% Vertical Mixed Use Continuous Streetscape Yes 1.4% Yes Other Paths Yes 7.0% Yes Yes 5.6% Dead Ends Yes 16.9% >None 69.0% 1 78.9% Vehicle Lanes >4 15.5% >25% 67.2% 50.7% 38% Block Length N/A N/A Yes 66.2% Yes 38% Intersection Density N/A N/A >10ft 57.7% >Small 56.4% >None 49.3% Density Connectivity Presence/ Quantity % Feature Description Presence/Quantity % Feature Description Presence/Quantity % Need to Increase Need to Minimize 0 5 10 15 20 Proximity Parks & Public Spaces Recreational Facilities DESTINATIONS Need to Increase Need to Minimize Vertical Mixed Use Coffee Shop Restaurants Soft Good Stores Proximity Plaza/ Square/ Courtyard Public Garden Park/ Playground Small Grocery Store Yes 0% Playing/ Sport Field Local Non- Chain Store Yes 0% Yes 0% Gym/ Fitness Centers Yes 1.4% Yes 0% Other Recreational Uses Yes 0% Yes 1.4% Yes 1.4% 1.4% Yes Yes Yes 2.8% Yes 1.4% 8.5% Parks & Public Spaces Recreational Facilities Feature Description Presence/Quantity % Feature Description Presence/Quantity %Feature Description Presence/ Quantity % HUMAN COMFORT 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Pedestrian Amenities Traffic Safety Need to Increase Need to Minimize Bike Racks Benches Curbcuts Sidewalk Buffer Sidewalk Incomplete Pedestrian & Bike Amenities Marked Crossings Angled/ On-street parking Convenient Crossings Bicycle Lanes Yes 1.4% Pedestrian Signals Midblock Crossings Yes 2.8% Yes 19% Vehicle Signals Yes Yes 32.4% Safe Crossings Yes 36.6% Yes 12.7% Yes 35.2% 14.1% Both sides Yes Yes 21.1% Yes 36% 50.7% Sidewalk Shade Yes 54.9% Sidewalks Both sides 56.3% 42.3% Traffic Safety Vehicle Lanes Speed Limit >4 15.5% >30 11.3% 2.8% Yes Feature Description Presence/ Quantity %Feature Description Presence/Quantity % Feature Description Presence/Quantity % Parking Lot Coverage Surface Parking Lots Parking Lot Size Blank Walls 0% 0% 0% 12.7% 18.3% 63.4% Monuments Interesting Benches Attractive Abandoned Buildings >25%66.2% Yes 66.2% 56.3% Yes 49.3% Poor >Small 26.8% Building Maintenance Poor Yes 0 20 40 60 80 100 Aesthetics Personal Safety LIVELINESS & UPKEEP Need to Increase Need to Minimize Plazas Street Vendors Decorative Sidewalk Paving Public Art Street Trees Aesthestics Litter Building Maintenance Dumpsters Banners Yes 66.2% Outdoor Lighting Outdoor Dining Yes 0% Yes 35.2% Yes 26.8% Yes Yes 18.3% 1.4% 1.4% Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 8.5% 7% 9.8% Personal Safety Feature Description Presence/ Quantity %