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developmentprocesseswillbelimitedtosinglelot,in-fill,orsmalltractprojects(orthroughCity/County <br />specialassessmentprocesses). <br />SantaClara <br />ThepatternoflocalstreetsintheSantaClaracommunityisgenerallymoreuniformthanwithRiverRoad. <br />Asageneralcharacterization,localstreetsinthemoresoutherlypartsofSantaClaralookmuchlikelocal <br />streetsbetweenHowardandBeltline.StreetsgraduallybecomemorecurvilinearandÒcontemporaryÓ <br />(e.g.:morecul-de-sacsandgrid-likewithfewerperfectlyrectangular,2:1ratiolots)thefurthernorthone <br />goesinSantaClara.Thereisalsoahighcoincidencebetweenthesemorecontemporarysubdivisions <br />andincorporationintotheCity.WhilethereappeartobemoreundevelopedtractsinSantaClarathanin <br />RiverRoad,theneighborhoodisstillrelativelyclosetobuild-out,atleastbasedontheparameterof <br />plattedlots.Generally,thecontrastingpatternofdevelopmentbetweenthetwocommunitiesmayhave <br />thepracticalimplicationofmakingpreservationoflocalstreetscapesmoreofanissueinRiverRoadthan <br />inSantaClara,inthesensethatthereappearstobeagreaternumberofÒruralÓlocalstreetsectionsleft <br />intheRiverRoadcommunity. <br />TransitionandHeritageOptions <br />TransitionOptions <br />OtherthancontinuingtosustainthecurrentcooperativeeffortsbetweentheCityandLaneCountywith <br />respecttoroadjurisdiction,maintenance,andimprovements,therearenoÒtransitionÓoptionsinSanta <br />ClaraandRiverRoadassuch.Potentialstandardsandprogramsbelowalladdressheritageoptions <br />(e.g.:thosethatwillhelptosustainaspectsofthecommunityÕshistoricruralcharacter). <br />HeritageOptions <br />Whenexistingolderstreetsareupgraded,theCity <br />OptionNo.1:StreetTreePreservation- <br />coulddevelopasuiteofoptionsthathelptopreservestreettreesandvistas.Theseoptionscan <br />applytoarterialsandcollectorsaswellaslocalstreets.Suchaccommodationscouldinclude <br />offsettingstreetsectionswithintheright-of-way,reducinglanewidth,eliminatingorreducing <br />sidewalksononeorbothsides,orbuildingthestreetsectioncloserthannormallypermittedto <br />existingdevelopmentsiftheexpectedlifespanofthetreesisgreaterthanthatoftheexisting <br />development(e.g.:whentheolderstructuresarereplaced,preferredsetbackscanbere- <br />establishedbutthelonger-livedtreeswillstillbethere). <br />Preservesaverysignificantstreetscapeelement;addressesaspecificand <br />Advantages: <br />significantissueofconcernformanycommunityresidents;theCityCodealready <br />includesprovisionsfordesignatingandpreservingÒheritageÓtrees <br />Availableright-of-wayandageand/orlocationofabuttingdevelopmentmay <br />Challenges: <br />makesuchaccommodationsdifficult;couldinvolvesignificantvariancefromCity <br />standards;probablyneedstobeimplementedasaCity-wideoption <br />.Ifresidentsonlocal(andperhapsminorcollector) <br />OptionNo2:LeaveLocalStreetsÒAs-isÓ- <br />streetsexpressaclearpreferenceforopenditchdrainage,nosidewalks,narrowersections <br />and/orotherÒhistoricÓcharacteristicsofthestreet,theCitycouldletmattersremainÒas-isÓ.This <br />couldberelativelystraightforwardactionwherelotsabuttingaresidentialstreetareessentially <br />built-out.Insuchcases,theCitywouldsimplybecontinuingthestatusquo.Inothercases,where <br />continuedinfillorredevelopmentincreasesdensities,surfacewaterflows,ortrafficlevels, <br />conventionalupgradestandards(andconnectivityrequirements)couldbetriggeredwhenpre- <br />determinedthresholdsarereached. <br />Presently,theCityÕsbacklogwithrespecttopavingunimprovedstreetsandreplacingworn <br />infrastructureonotherlocalstreetsissogreatthatÒas-isÓisineffecttheCityoperationalpolicy. <br />Localstreetsaretypicallyonlyupgradedinresponsetoresidentdemand. <br />RiverRoad/SantaClaraCommunityTransitionProject36 <br />TransitionandHeritageWhitePaperMay2006 <br /> <br />