§ 5.16. Traditional neighborhood design (TND).

The objective of the traditional neighborhood design type is a compact, pedestrian-scaled development incorporating a diverse, mixed range of uses to promote community interaction, convenience, housing options for all income levels, and civic participation. The following regulations are offered to guide this type of development in accordance with design principles compatible with the historic nature of the county, and in harmony with the applicable county ordinances and the comprehensive plan.

A.

Applicability. .....These provisions apply to new developments of fifty (50) acres or more, zoned PD-R, PD-MH, and PD-MX.

In the case of expanding existing subdivisions of ten (10) lots or more, these guidelines can be applied to any development residentially zoned and proposing at least five (5) additional lots. The following standards do not exempt the applicant from compliance with the other sections of this ordinance which protect the general health, safety, and welfare of residents.

B.

Development standards.

1.

[Location:] .....All residents should be within approximately one-fourth (¼) mile radius or a five-minute walk from existing or proposed commercial, civic, and open space areas.

2.

Open space: .....At least forty (40) percent of the gross acreage of the traditional neighborhood development must be open space. Open space may include undevelopable areas such as steep slopes and wetlands, and stormwater detention and retention basins. At least fifty (50) percent of the open space must be common open space dedicated to the public for recreation. Additionally, ninety (90) percent of the dwelling units shall be within a one-fourth (¼) mile radius or a five-minute walk from common open space.

3.

Stormwater management: .....The design of the traditional neighborhood development should minimize off-site stormwater runoff, promote on-site filtration, and minimize the discharge of pollutants to ground and surface water. Natural topography and existing land cover should be maintained/protected to the maximum extent practical. New development shall meet the standards of section 5.8, stormwater management.

4.

Lot and block standards:

A.

Street layouts should provide for blocks that are a minimum of two hundred fifty (250) feet in length and a maximum of five hundred (500) feet in length; however, longer length shall be allowed with mid-block pedestrian pass-throughs every five hundred (500) feet.

B.

Blocks should be wide enough to allow two (2) tiers of lots at minimum depth as required by the underlying zoning. The subdivision agent may approve a single tier of lots of minimum depth where environmental conditions restrict the lot layout.

C.

A variety of lot sizes should be provided to facilitate housing diversity and choice and meet the projected requirements of people with different housing needs.

C.

Circulation standards. .....The circulation system shall allow for different modes of transportation. The circulation system shall provide functional and visual links within the residential areas, mixed use area, and open space of the community and shall be connected to existing and proposed external development. The circulation system shall provide adequate traffic capacity, provide connected pedestrian and bicycle routes (especially off-street bicycle or multi-use paths or bicycle lanes on the streets), control through traffic and promote safe and efficient mobility through the neighborhood. All TND transportation elements should be presented to the locality and VDOT for discussion and approval of unique features.

1.

Pedestrian circulation. .....Convenient pedestrian circulation systems that minimize pedestrian-motor vehicle conflicts shall be provided continuously throughout the TND. Where feasible, any existing pedestrian routes through the site shall be preserved and enhanced. All streets, except for alleys, shall be bordered by sidewalks on both sides. The following provisions also apply:

1.

Sidewalks in residential areas. .....Clear and well-lighted sidewalks, five (5) feet in width, shall connect all dwelling entrances to the adjacent public sidewalk.

2.

Sidewalks in mixed use areas. .....Clear and well-lighted walkways shall connect building entrances to the adjacent public sidewalk and to associated parking areas. Such walkways shall be a minimum of five (5) feet in width.

3.

Disabled accessibility. .....Sidewalks shall comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and VDOT standards.

4.

Crosswalks. .....Intersections of sidewalks with streets shall be designed with clearly defined edges. Crosswalks shall be well lit and clearly marked with contrasting paving materials at the edges or with striping. In addition, curb extensions shall be incorporated where pedestrian facilities intersect higher-volume streets within the development to protect parking areas and reduce pedestrian crossing times.

2.

Bicycle circulation. .....Bicycle circulation shall be accommodated on streets and/or on dedicated bicycle paths. Where feasible, any existing bicycle routes through the site shall be preserved and enhanced. Facilities for bicycle travel may include off-street bicycle multimodal paths and separate, striped, five-foot bicycle lanes on streets. If a bicycle lane is combined with a lane for parking, the combined width should be thirteen (13) feet and the bicycle travel lane shall be located between the vehicular travel lane and parking lane.

3.

Public transit access. .....Where public transit service is available or planned, convenient access to transit stops shall be provided. Where transit shelters are provided, they shall be placed in highly visible locations that promote security through surveillance, and shall be well-lighted.

4.

Motor vehicle circulation. .....Motor vehicle circulation shall be designed to minimize conflicts with pedestrians and bicycles. Traffic calming features such as "queuing streets," curb extensions, traffic circles, and medians may be used to encourage slow traffic speeds. Arterial streets should not bisect a TND if pedestrian cross-access is not feasible.

a.

Street hierarchy. .....Each street within a TND shall be classified according to section 5.9.5 of this ordinance.

5.

Street layout. .....The traditional neighborhood development should maintain the existing street grid, where present, and restore any disrupted street grid where feasible. In addition:

i.

Intersections shall be at right angles whenever possible, but in no case less than seventy (70) degrees. Low volume streets may form three-way intersections creating an inherent right-of-way assignment (the through street receives precedence) which significantly reduces accidents without the use of traffic controls.

ii.

Corner radii. The roadway edge at street intersections shall be rounded by a tangential arc with a radius of fifteen (15) feet for local streets where the receiving street is projected to have less than four hundred (400) vehicle trips per day, and twenty-five (25) feet for intersections involving collector or arterial streets. Any reduction or increase in the proposed corner radii shall be subject to the approval of VDOT. The intersection of a local street and an access lane or alley shall be rounded by a tangential arc with a maximum radius of ten (10) feet.

iii.

Curb cuts for driveways to individual residential lots shall be prohibited along collector and subcollector streets with residential access recommended from alleys only. Additionally, curb cuts shall be limited to intersections with other streets or access drives to parking areas for commercial, civic or multifamily residential uses. Clear sight triangles (twenty-five (25) feet × twenty-five (25) feet) or as approved by VDOT shall be maintained at intersections unless controlled by traffic signal devices.

iv.

The orientation of streets should enhance the visual impact of common open spaces and prominent buildings create lots that facilitate passive solar design, and minimize street gradients. All streets shall terminate at other streets or at public land, except local streets may terminate in stub streets when such streets act as connections to future phases of the development. Local streets may terminate other than at other streets or public land when there is a connection to the pedestrian and bicycle path network at the terminus.

6.

Parking requirements. .....Parking areas for shared or community use should be encouraged. The number of parking spaces shall be in accordance with the zoning ordinance requirements. In addition:

a.

In the mixed use area, any parking lot shall be located at the rear or side of a building.

b.

A parking lot may not be adjacent to or opposite a street intersection.

c.

A shared parking agreement must be established and approved by the zoning administrator prior to site plan approval.

d.

Parking lots or garages must provide not less than one (1) bicycle parking space for every ten (10) motor vehicle parking spaces.

e.

Paving. Reduction of impervious surfaces through the use of interlocking pavers is strongly encouraged for areas such as remote parking lots and parking areas for periodic uses.

7.

Guidelines for lighting.

a.

Street lighting shall be provided along all streets. Generally more, low-intensity lights, as opposed to fewer, high-intensity lights, should be used. Street lights shall be installed at all street intersections (including alleys), at the end of all cul-de-sac streets, and on both sides of a street, alternating from one side of the street to the other at intervals of three hundred (300) to four hundred (400) feet. Lights shall not exceed ten thousand (10,000) lumens and shall be directed downward and opaquely covered at the top. Regardless of type of fixture and bulb and illumination characteristics, street lighting design shall follow dark sky guidelines and principles.

b.

Exterior residential lighting shall be shielded and directed downward in order to reduce glare onto adjacent properties.

c.

All commercial lighting shall be in compliance with article 11 of the zoning ordinance.

8.

Landscaping and screening standards. .....Overall composition and location of landscaping shall complement the scale of the development and its surroundings. In general, larger, well-placed contiguous planting areas shall be preferred to smaller, disconnected areas. Plant materials, specifications, installation and maintenance shall be in accordance with the zoning ordinance landscaping requirements.

a.

Street trees. .....A minimum of one (1) deciduous canopy tree per forty (40) feet of street frontage per street side, shall be required. Trees can be clustered and do not need to be evenly spaced. Trees should be located between the sidewalk and the curb, within the landscaped area of a boulevard, or in tree wells installed in pavement or concrete.

(5-21-15)

(5-21-15)