Item 5: Public Hearing on Ordinance Establishing Chambers Special Area Zone

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~ ~------ ~ .~ t---. Streets cape Diagram Illustrating the semi-public and public realm. Notice that the porch is a part of this semi-public realm and is an important part of the layering toward more private spaces. This photo shows the consistency of setback and lot width found in parts of the ETN. II STREETSCAPE The streets cape is made up of all the elements from the street itself to the facades and front doors of the individual houses. These elements make up a gradient of spaces that transition from the public street to the private house. Front yards are a key element of this transition. Some front yards are functional for the homeowner, in that they have productive gardens or usable outdoor spaces, but these characteristics are auxiliary to the basic roles of providing a semi-public realm for arrival and departure and a buffer from the public sidewalk and street. The shared space of the streetscape is what gives the ETN much of its character and makes older traditional neighborhoods such a pleasure for the pedestrian. The typical layering of spaces includes a street edge that encourages neighborhood parallel parking, a wide planting strip with street trees (generally wider than those of most new developments), a sidewalk, and a planted front yard. Last, forming the backdrop for the activities of the public room of the street, are the front porch and house facade, often with windows and a door for occupants to connect to the street from within the private realm. These layers promote neighborliness and a more cohesive neighborhood by creating a street as a well defined shared outdoor room.