DESIGN GUIDELINES for the LAKE MERRITT STATION AREA 1 Introduction
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE LAKE MERRITT STATION AREA 1 Introduction ..............................................2 DECEMBER 2014 2 Existing Design Context.........................3 3 Historic Character ...................................5 4 Building Design Guidelines .................11 5 Streetscape Design Guidelines ..........37 6 Open Space Design Guidelines ..........44 7 Sustainability and Green Building .......................................46 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Building Location .................................. 11 Figure 2: Define Open Spaces ............................. 12 Figure 3: Sites Adjacent to the I-880 Freeway 15 Figure 4: Transitions in Building Height ............ 17 Figure 5: Step Back Above the Base Height .... 18 Figure 6: Towers .................................................... 19 Figure 7: Pedestrian Scale Articulation ............ 21 Figure 8: Streetwall............................................... 23 Figure 9: Blank Wall Limitation ........................... 24 Figure 10: Residential Ground Level Design ....... 27 Figure 11: Parking Structure Encapsulation ...... 34 Figure 12: Sidewalk Elements ............................... 38 1 Introduction DESIGN GUIDELINESDESIGN Intent is not intended to restrict innovation, imagina- tion and variety in design. A method that achieves Te Design Guidelines for the Lake Merritt Station associated principals to the same extent as a guide- Area Plan complement the existing zoning regulations, line may be considered in lieu of that guideline. citywide design guidelines, and the design review pro- cedures of the Oakland Planning Code. Te Lake Related Design Guidelines Merritt Design Guidelines provide certainty and pre- dictability in the design review process through estab- Other design guidelines that projects in the Plan- lishment of uniform decision-making criteria for all ning Area should consider: Design Guidelines projects in the Lake Merritt Station Planning Area. Tese Design Guidelines, in combination with any For small projects limited to minor changes The quality and character of the public other applicable citywide guidelines, serve as the basis to existing commercial, civic, or industrial realm is a critical component of how a place for design review approval fndings by City staf, and facilities, and the nonresidential portions of is used and experienced. In the Planning when necessary, the City Planning Commission and mixed use development projects, see the City of Area, the public realm is shaped by build- the City Council. It is intended to be specifc enough Oakland Small Project Design Guidelines. ings, streetscape, open spaces, and the to guide development, but also to be fexible and quali- All projects should review the surveys included spaces in between, all of which contribute tative enough to encourage creative design solutions. to the Planning Area’s identity. This chapter in the City of Oakland’s Crime Prevention provides guidance for new building devel- Te Design Guidelines in this document, in combina- through Environmental Design (CPTED) opment and enhancing the public realm to tion with other guidelines, land use designations, and Security Handbook. Several guidelines refect further reinforce and shape the identity of circulation improvements outlined in the Lake Merritt the concepts of CPTED, but all projects the Planning Area. Station Area Plan, will together shape the future of the should review the full survey to ensure design Planning Area and aim to meet the vision and goals of incorporates elements that promote public safety. the Lake Merritt Station Area Plan. For Residential Facilities with one or two primary dwelling units, or the residential Applicability portions of Mixed Use Development projects with one or two primary dwelling units, please Chapter 17.136 of the Planning Code determines see the City of Oakland Small Project Design the type of design review required for diferent Review Checklist Criteria for facilities with projects. Tese Lake Merritt guidelines supple- 1-2 Primary Dwelling Units, and the City of ment the design review criteria contained in that Oakland Interim Design Review Manual for Chapter and any other required criteria. One-and Two-Unit Residences. Note that additional guidelines that are In general, all applicable guidelines should be met adopted may also apply to projects in the to approve a proposal. However, this document Planning Area. 2 | DECEMBER 2014 2 Existing Design Context DESIGN GUIDELINESDESIGN Urban Form Tis small lot size creates a pedestrian-scale feel- ing and adds variety to the street. Parcels are larger Blocks for some government buildings and public facili- ties, including: the post ofce, the public library, Te majority of roadways in the Planning Area the County ofces, the County courthouse, and are designed in a typical grid system. Laid out in schools. the early 1850s, the streets frame small city blocks that measure approximately 1.6 acres (220 feet on the north-south face and 320 feet on the east-west Building Orientation face). Te major exception to this pattern is in the In the predominant block pattern, buildings are Peralta/Laney College Plan District along the Lake built at or close to the sidewalk edge. In the Chi- Merritt Channel and where institutional uses (the natown commercial area, where buildings have no Oakland Museum of California, Kaiser Conven- setbacks from the sidewalk, businesses activate the tion Center, and the Oakland Unifed School Dis- streets and create a dynamic pedestrian experience. trict Downtown Educational Complex) exist along In some residential areas of Chinatown, many 10th Street between Oak Street and 4th Avenue. houses are set back from the sidewalk about fve to In these areas, block sizes are much larger and ten feet to create a transition between public and break up the street grid pattern. private space. A few of the historic blocks in the Plan Area have In the large institutional blocks of the Plan Area, been merged through street closures. 10th Street buildings are set back from and often do not face between Webster and Broadway was closed in order or relate to the street. to convert four small blocks to two larger blocks to accommodate building of the Pacifc Renaissance In the Planning Area’s smaller blocks, parking is Plaza, Oakland Marriot Hotel, and Trans Pacifc generally at the interior of the block or in parking Centre. Te Pacifc Renaissance Plaza contains an structures, though there are a few surface parking internal courtyard and pedestrian pass-through. lots. Tese lots along with the large surface park- Alice Street, between 10th and 11th Streets, has ing areas in the institutional blocks present oppor- also been closed to connect the Lincoln Recreation tunities for redevelopment. Center with Lincoln Elementary. Clear pedestrian and bicycle through access was preserved. Architecture Parcels Ground Floor Conditions A century and a half of building has created diverse street and architectural conditions in the Planning Area. Parcel sizes are relatively small in Chinatown, Ground foor conditions vary throughout the Plan- along 14th Street, and in the Eastlake Gateway, ning Area, impacting the way that buildings relate with typical lot frontages between 25 to 50 feet. to the street in diferent areas. In the Chinatown LAKE MERRITT STATION AREA | 3 commercial center, ground foor building heights DESIGN GUIDELINESDESIGN are generally around 10 to 15 feet. Te ground foor is generally comprised of smaller pedestrian- scaled storefronts. Abundant windows and doors, and sometimes entirely open storefronts, allow vis- ibility to the inside of these neighborhood-serv- ing markets and create high levels of pedestrian interest and activity. Building materials vary from wood and stucco to concrete and brick. Tis is in contrast to the character of building façades of many of the Plan Area’s large institu- tional buildings, such as the Oakland Museum of California, the Kaiser Convention Center, and the ABAG/ MTC building. Tese buildings have very few openings to the street and few to no windows on the street at pedestrian level, creating a wall to the sidewalk. However, landscaping surrounding these institutional buildings positively afects their character and relationship to the street. Building Design Character Building design varies throughout the Plan Area, both in terms of scale and architectural style. Building heights range from one to 24 sto- ries. Architectural styles included Asian historic design, Queen Anne and other Victorian residen- tial design, early 20th century midrise residen- tial and downtown commercial design, modern design, and large-scale institutional design. Te varied architecture of the existing area refects the diverse range of uses in the Planning Area. When complemented with consistency in public realm features and pedestrian amenities, diverse architec- Building heights, lot sizes, uses, ground floor conditions, building period and architectural style vary widely throughout the Plan- tural design adds visual interest and helps establish ning Area. Together, this variation creates diverse and distinctive experiences throughout the area. neighborhood character. 4 | DECEMBER 2014 3 Historic Character DESIGN GUIDELINESDESIGN Introduction Historic Urban Form Characteristics Te Planning Area is one of the oldest areas Te small blocks formed by the original 1850s of Oakland and contains a wealth of historic street grid system are the setting for the many his- resources with special architectural characteris-