Item B: South Willamette Concept Plan Update

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South Willamette Concept Plan 5. DESIGN FEATURES AND PRINCIPLES TRANSITIONS AND COMPATIBILITY Introduction Transitions between building forms and from one use to the next contribute to the rhythm and interest of a mixed use neighborhood such as South Willamette. Attention to how these transitions occur has been a significant focus in developing the Concept Plan. Our community's values support gradual transitions between lesser and greater intensity of uses, with particular attention on creating comfortable places to live in multiple family and single family residential areas. Many transitions, such as those affecting light, privacy, views, and proportions can be addressed through the shape and form of buildings. Careful transitions can help mitigate noise levels and traffic in mixed use neighborhoods, by separating dissimilar uses with distance, parking areas, and landscaping. Also important is awareness that some adjacent uses will have dissimilar characteristics that cannot be completely mitigated. The District Sections, shown in Appendix B of this plan demonstrate many of the scale transitions being built into the plan. The watercolor illustrates the gradual transition in scale of buildings that the plan calls for from Willamette Street, over the distance of a few blocks, to a single family area. Setbacks, "step backs" and transitions, or step downs, elements illustrated in the sections, will be implemented through a "form based code" and design guidelines. These tools, different from traditional use -based codes, will guide the shape of building development. A form based code specifically defines a frame or "building envelope" that can be used to soften transitions between adjacent buildings and uses. The adjacent images illustrate a range of building and site alterations that can improve transitions and enhance neighborhoods with a mix of building types. Methods such as using open space and parking lots on the more intensive site to create separation and distance, stepping down heights and sloping roofs near smaller buildings, articulating or fragmenting the facades of buildings to reduce the scale of walls, and using walls and landscaping to strategically maintain privacy and frame views. 30'+ Roof Slope Blended building transitions, for example from apartments to courtyard or cluster houses to single family houses. --------- - - - - -� 36 ■ City of Eugene Only when adjacent to single family houses Courtyard housing on two lots