Planning 2014-04-24 COMPLETE AGENDA PACKET

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L SITE PLANNING Streetscape — the transition from public to private spaces The transition from the streetscape of Southcenter Blvd to the private townhomes proposed in this project is achieved through a combination of topography, landscaping, fences, and patterned pavement. Pedestrian- oriented entries include steps connecting from the sidewalk along Southcenter Blvd to the pedestrian pathways leading to front doors of the units facing Southcenter Blvd. A tree is proposed on each side of the driveway, which helps create a gateway into the site. From the street front of Southcenter Blvd, the landscaping otherwise transitions from lawn located in the majority of the front yard area to areas with groundcover, shrubs, and trees extending up to the front of the buildings. The two units facing Southcenter Blvd (units 1 and 4) have their front doors facing the street. The building elevations facing Southcenter Blvd have been designed to include horizontal and vertical modulation so that the height of each building steps up from street front starting with the front porch, to the roofline of the entry facade, to the roofline of the main portion of the building. This vertical and horizontal modulation is illustrated best in Attachment C, colored elevation sheet 3 of 4 (see left side of top sketch labeled "East Elevation Triplex) and 4 of 4 (see left side of top sketch labeled "Interior Courtyard East Elevation Duplex). Cultured stone is proposed on the facade, in the area to the left and the right of the front door of both of the end units. The cultured stone on either side of the front door of the end units projects out from the facade to appear as columns to which the brackets for the porch are attached. Use of the cultured stone and the porch structures on the end units serve to make the front entries to these units distinctive. The project proposes to use patterned pavement as a way to indicate a transition from the sidewalk to the private townhome development, as well as to indicate the location of the front entries of units that do not face Southcenter Blvd. The front doors to these units are located within the shared auto court, and have also been designed with cultured stone and architectural porch elements to indicate front entry areas. Natural Environment Existing vegetation on the project site includes a multi -stem deciduous tree located in the front yard, a large shrub located on the east side of the existing driveway, and shrubs typical of front yard landscaping located at the front of the existing house. The general topography of the site will remain the same, with the steepest slope located in the area from the back of the sidewalk to the front property line, and a very gradual slope up from the front to the rear property line. However, the project proposes to lower the site approximately four to five feet in order for the new driveway to meet the grade requirements for Fire Department vehicle access. The grading will require removal of the existing vegetation and construction of retaining walls along the west property line and portions of the north and east property lines. The retaining walls will be less than four feet high, and will be topped with four foot tall cedar fencing. Cedar fences will separate the project site from properties to the east, west, and north, and will be used to separate the backyards of the individual units from one another, as well as to separate the front yard landscape area from the backyard areas of units 1 and 4. JR Page 6 of 15 04/16/2014 W: \Users \Jaimie\BOULEVARD TOWNHOMBS \SR L13 -0063 PL14 -001 BoulevardTownhomes 4- 13- 14.doc 10