Elverta Specific Plan, November 17 Workshop

Elverta Specific Plan

CAC Meeting #6: Design Principles Workshop

On November 17, 1999 the CAC and members of the community meet to review the status of the technical studies and formulate design principles.

On November 17, 1999, the Elverta Specific Plan CAC and members of the community participated in a workshop that established overall design principles. The workshop objectives included:

Review the land use plan and technical studies

Review design objectives from previous CAC meetings

Develop framework of design ideas and principles

The agenda for the workshop included reviewing the land use concept objectives and concepts; discussing the preliminary results of the technical studies; and participants working on planning teams to establish design principles.

Overall Summary

The participants' efforts resulted in concepts and principles for gateways and focal points; street image; and open space.

Gateways

The teams identified gateways to Elverta that reflected the entries to the larger community. They viewed the Dry Creek Bridge to the east and the fire station to the west as the initial gateways on Elverta Road. Other important gateways were the site edges on Elverta Road and 16th Street.

Focal Points

There were three primary focal points identified by the teams. These included the village center (commercial, higher density housing and community center) and the two schools and related neighborhood park sites.

Street Image

Teams identified image principles for the village center, neighborhood and ag-res streets.

Village Center Streets should:

Provide streetscaping that is urban in character
Have diagonal on-street parking
Include a rural village design theme

Neighborhood Streets should:

Have larger canopy trees
Maintain more relaxed and curvilinear streets
Include narrow streets with pedestrian lighting

Ag-Res Street should:

Maintain an open feel
Have larger setbacks
Include no sidewalks or street lighting
Provide frequent trail access

Open Space

Image principles were developed by the teams for three types of open space. They developed principles for the multi-use trail system within the village center; multi-use trails outside the village center; and the community center and adjacent park.

Multi-use Trails in the Village Center should:

Be integrated into the village center design
Vary in width and landscape
Be a gateway into the community center

Multi-use Trail Outside Village Center should:

Have a meandering habit
Include canopy trees
Have natural (not abandoned land) appearance

Community Center and adjacent park should:

Have a rural theme (ranch or farm)
Reflect the design of the village center
Include a landscape or water feature

Team Summaries

The participants in the workshop worked as members of three design teams. Each team's summary follows.

TEAM 1



Exercise #1: GATEWAYS AND FOCAL POINTS
Most important gateways and their image principles:
o Elverta E and W & 16th St. N & S
o Thematically consistent
o Unique to Elverta gateways

Most important focal points and their image principles:
o Schools, parks & community center
o Low density buffers
o Trails, etc.

EXERCISE #2: STREET IMAGE
Image principles for village center streets:
o Trails
o Landscaped setbacks
o Reflect density in design of Loop Road

Image principles for residential streets adjacent to the village center:
o Hidden garages
o Evergreen trees
o ???/color

Image principles for ag/res area streets:
o Large setbacks from streets
o No sidewalks (trails!)

EXERCISE #3: OPEN SPACE
Image principles for multi-purpose drainage ways and trails in the village center:
o Easy resident access
o Easy/low maintenance
o Physically in scale/still nature

Image principles for the multi-purpose trail system outside the village center:
o Natural (not vacant)
o Low maintenance
o Meandering dimensions

Image principles for community center and adjacent community park:
o "All age-friendly"
o Rural architectural theme
o Elverta image?

TEAM 2



Exercise #1: GATEWAYS AND FOCAL POINTS
Most important gateways and their image principles:
o Image of "occupied" rural
o Waterways, waterfalls, native rocks, trees
o Welcoming community center, sitting areas, amphitheater

Most important focal points and their image principles:
o Cobblestone walks, benches
o Stamped concrete ped. crosswalks
o Amphitheater

EXERCISE #2: STREET IMAGE
Image principles for village center streets:
o Off-street parking, bus turnouts, street structures
o Common architectural theme
o Pedestrian walking mall

Image principles for residential streets adjacent to the village center:
o Gradual curves within roadways
o Grass separation of sidewalks and street
o Mixed housing design, different front elevations, and porches

Image principles for ag/res area streets:
o Nice setbacks from road, possible separation from sidewalk
o No sidewalks, just gutters

EXERCISE #3: OPEN SPACE
Image principles for multi-purpose drainage ways and trails in the village center:
o Vary widths of drainage ways
o Informal, not linear planting
o Carry gateway theme into center

Image principles for the multi-purpose trail system outside the village center:
o Scattered trees, higher canopies (safety issue)
o Spots of nature along route, near detention ponds

Image principles for community center and adjacent community park:
o Consistent theme for gateway, community center & village center
o Natural wood/stone, neutral colors
o Outdoor attractions, walkways, small meeting areas, amphitheater

TEAM 3



Exercise #1: GATEWAYS AND FOCAL POINTS
Most important gateways and their image principles:
o E & W Elverta, N & S 16th
o Trees
o Large rural lots

Most important focal points and their image principles:
o Schools
o Parks & trails
o Village center

EXERCISE #2: STREET IMAGE
Image principles for village center streets:
o Diagonal parking
o Tree-lined separation between walks & road
o Wide sidewalks

Image principles for residential streets adjacent to the village center:
o Trees separate sidewalks
o Small turning radii
o Friendly, low-mounted street lighting

Image principles for ag/res area streets:
o No sidewalks
o Open feel
o Trail access along edge

EXERCISE #3: OPEN SPACE
Image principles for multi-purpose drainage ways and trails in the village center:
o Natural look
o Accessible trails
o Passive leisure (benches, etc.), water troughs, human/horse-friendly

Image principles for the multi-purpose trail system outside the village center:
o Riparian, native plants
o Natural, yet not abandoned
o Curvilinear

Image principles for community center and adjacent community park:
o More natural
o Permanent water feature
o Not forgotten

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