(a) Streets. In keeping with the UVD design intent to create an integrated mixed-use, urban village environment, the criteria in this section for public roads may vary from current Springboro subdivision standards and shall be submitted for review and approval to the Planning Commission.
(1) Street Design and Materials. Beyond the likely predominant use of either conventional standard asphalt or concrete, the UVD requirements strongly encourages incorporating differing specialty paving materials such as brick, cobblestone, pavers, colored or infused concrete, stamped and colored asphalt pavement and/or other pavement products, to demarcate special pedestrian walk and/or activity zones, dual pedestrian/vehicular crossing areas, feature street surfaces, crosswalks, pathways, unique 'arrival' zones and entries. Where viable, such areas should be made zero curb elevation zones to facilitate ease of pedestrian use, and as a visual cue for traffic calming in these specific areas. Such zones or feature streets can have vehicular and pedestrian zones segregated by use of either fixed or removable bollards that can be changed for programmed public events. For specific UVD Site Development areas with public roadways, pavement design must be based on calculations that anticipate future traffic conditions and must be submitted to and approved by the Planning Commission. Creation of roadways featuring landscaped islands, boulevards, arrival courts and roundabouts are also encouraged where feasible.
(2) Street Right-of-Way. The standard right-of-way width for all roads within the UVD varies depending on service level for that particular street or roadway, service drive or entry. The standard maximum right-of-way width for a conventional two-lane/two-way road shall be fifty feet within the UVD. This dimension includes a two-lane, twenty-four foot roadway, one side of parallel parking; eight feet wide, and a sidewalk/landscape area on each side of no less than twelve feet, featuring a sidewalk of no less than six feet on each side. With the remaining areas each side to be landscape buffer, up to either a building, setback line, landscape area, or adjacent building or property line. Additional dimensional width is added for the following uses;
A. For an additional parallel parking lane, add eight feet.
B. For each additional travel lane, add eleven feet.
C. To add angled-in parking on any one, or a double side, add an additional twenty feet in lieu of the parallel spaces to the right-of-way.
D. Landscaped medians in the center of two-way entrances or within roadways, shall be no less than six feet), or no more than twelve feet.
E. One-way streets shall have travel lanes no wider than sixteen feet.
These dimensions ensure that streets developed within the mixed-use urban village have fairly narrow drive lanes to shorten pedestrian crossings and inhibit drivers from traveling at high speeds within and through these neighborhoods. Specific UVD Site Development enhancements that do not fall within these basic right-of-way requirements, such as service roadways, boulevards, roundabouts, arrival courts, and streetscape features (such as street furniture, water features, sculpture, hardscape/landscape features) and/or in combination with on-street parking, will be assessed in context with a specific development's design intent, in context with any existing adjacent development. And especially if any such development dramatically adds to the pedestrian experience of the UVD.
(3) Utility Easements Along Streets. All public street utility easements shall fit within planned street rights-of-way or in dedicated service lanes where possible, and are to be located under pavement, landscape and sidewalk areas as necessary.
(4) Roadway Widths. UVD roadway minimum widths shall be a minimum of sixteen feet for one-way streets, and a maximum of twenty-eight feet for two lane streets, (back to back of curbs, without cut-ins for drop-off/service zones, parallel/angle parking, additional travel lanes, or landscape islands). Locations and dimensions are presently not fixed, but shall be designed to accommodate intended end users and to facilitate the mixed-use village streetscape pedestrian environment. Specific UVD Site Developments will allow for the addition of service lanes, landscaped islands, boulevards and/or on-street parking.
(5) Street Corner Radii & Clear Zones. Corner curb radii shall be between eight feet and twenty-five feet as determined by the intended use (residential areas up to fifteen feet, and mixed-use areas up to twenty-five feet). These fairly tight turning radii are intended to shorten pedestrian crossings and inhibit drivers from turning corners at high speeds. To allow emergency vehicles (e.g. fire trucks) to turn corners, a twenty-five-foot radius Clear Zone may need to be established free of all vertical obstructions including but not limited to street lighting poles, decorative bollards, wayfinding signage, sign poles, fire hydrants, utility boxes, or dense vegetation landscaping or street trees. Curve and radius data and intersection details for public roads shall be submitted for review and approval by the Planning Commission. Where viable, the curve should also be used to create bump-out landscape and walk areas that cap rows of either parallel or angle-in parking spaces.
(6) Pedestrian & Bicycle Access. A network of multi-use pathways and/or sidewalks and potential bike paths shall link all open spaces, residential, mixed use and commercial areas within the UVD. All site plans developed for parcels within the UVD, or subsequent additions and alterations of existing uses, should make this a primary feature of their specific overall site development, and look to connect adjacent sites/uses, and/or to tie-into cross-site public pathways/walkways/sidewalks or bike paths, and into the adjacent historic district and other City of Springboro neighborhoods abutting the UVD.
(b) Utility and Equipment Locations. All utility distribution lines shall be located underground, and all in-ground utility access boxes placed as to not interfere with pedestrian zones, parking areas and roadways. All transformers, switchgear, phone pedestals/cabinets, metering, exposed pipes and valves, generators, landscape/hardscape amenity or irrigation control systems, and any other mechanical equipment or other above-ground utility functions, as well as dumpsters, grease traps, recycling, compactors or any other back-of-house functions shall be grouped in screened areas of all sites, as far as is practical from public view, preferably in rear, side or interior service zones, and adequately screened from public view with mounding, screen walls and/or landscaping/landscape devices. Where such locations are exposed to public view (such as at parking areas at the rear of buildings), screening shall be provided as far as is practical and shall also incorporate low-profile landscape planting at the base of any non-opening screen device.
(c) Utility and Equipment Screening. For exposed service structures requiring open air locations, particularly rooftop utility and/or other mechanical equipment or other functional hardware such as generators whether on roof, ground or located attached or near other building wall areas that are not public functions, these shall be screened from public view with landscaping, or screen walls fabricated to match materials harmonious with the building, and/or painted to match where applicable at the discretion of the Planning Commission. Developers will need to show sectional and plan diagrams depicting the effectiveness of any proposed screening, and its visibility from any public right-of-way. Where possible and viable, setting such elements into lower grade areas is also encouraged.
(d) Loading.
(1) Service Area Screening. Recessed and/or raised loading areas shall be screened from public rights-of-way. Recessed loading areas and loading areas with raised docks that face out to public parking lots at rear of buildings shall be screened from side view and constructed of materials and patterns to mimic primary structure, and with screen doors where viable. Fully screened service zones that provide truck/service access and are not directly visible to public view shall not be subject to such side screening. Service entrances located at rear of buildings shall be screened, unless such areas are comprised only service doors, accessed by hand and trolley delivery on-street, curbside loading area. On-street, curbside loading area need not be screened from view, but should be made dual-purpose to encourage other uses after hours parking uses. Hours of loading/servicing shall be coordinated with owner/developer's management to limit service hours to less congested, preferably early times of the day.
(2) Loading Space Requirements. In the Village Center areas, loading may be accomplished at curbside locations. Curbside loading spaces shall not be screened, but should be made dual-purpose where practical and functionally viable for daytime, public parking use.
(3) Loading in Required Yards. Loading spaces in other than Village Center areas, shall not occupy any part of a required yard setback, unless it is at rear yards, per the Planning Commission.
(e) Residential Site Development.
(1) Maximum Block Size. The maximum perimeter of any block shall be no more than 500 linear feet. Pedestrian pathways and bike paths that inter-connect and link any one development to the wider UVD shall be provided at intervals no greater than 250 feet, or between any eight attached townhomes in any one row, or at the discretion of the Planning Commission.
(2) Alleys. Where viable, rear and side alleys shall be incorporated in the Springboro Village Center UVD residential neighborhood requirements to provide access to parking and service areas behind rows of town house-style units and to access single family-style lot developments, to lessen the number of curb cuts, and foster un-interrupted pedestrian sidewalk movement. Alley locations and dimensions are not fixed but shall be designed to accommodate the alley's purpose, preferably no less than twenty feet from building edge to building edge across any one alley way to facilitate proper backing out of any one garage space. Alleys may also be incorporated into parking lots as drive aisles and fire lanes.
(3) Lot Coverage. Multi-family dwellings may not cover more than eighty percent of an overall parcel area. This does not include any outboard freestanding garages or covered spaces/areas.
(4) Building Fronts and Backs. The front or side of every building must face the street, right-of-way or courtyard. Rear facing buildings, overhead doors and service entries are prohibited on street facades.
(f) Screen Wall Construction and Materials. The building materials and colors of walls and fences, visible from any public right-of-way or parking area with more than five parking spaces shall be uniform and compatible with the base-building architectural style, color and building materials of the principal building and its surroundings.
(g) Fencing. Chain link fence is only permitted in very limited areas, when they are not visible from any public right-of-way.
(h) Open Space Area Requirements. Open space shall be provided at ratios of fifteen percent in residential areas and five percent in mixed-use areas other than the Village Center for individual developments, and in aggregate in a multi-building setting.
(Ord. O-20-2. Passed 1-2-20.)