Urban Design Guidelines Matrix — original pdf

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617 Colorado – Downtown Austin Design Guidelines Density Bonus Application AW.1 Area-Wide Guidelines Urban Design Guideline Create dense development Achieved? YES Applicant's Comments This project will deliver 132,655 square feet of hotel space comprising 344 rooms within Downtown Austin by utilizing additional FAR through the Downtown Density Bonus Program to 13:1. The project is situated on a very small site (+/- 10,000 sf) and will replace what is currently a surface parking lot. The development will contain 332 rooms of hotel space and 4,827 SF of community amenity space and cocktail lounge. Free use of this community amenity space will be made available to local teachers. No streets will be permanently closed with this project. The project will comply with applicable ordinances and regulations. The project will incorporate a mural sourced from local artists at the pedestrian level, both within the lobby along the Colorado façade and on the exterior of the building along the 7th Street façade. The project is not located in a Capitol View Corridor. This project is not designed to replicate any historical styles. The project is not adjacent to any historic buildings. The rooftop partially serves as an amenity deck for guests, providing a landscaped area that is visually appealing to both guests and adjacent buildings. Equipment on the rooftop will be screened on all sides either with parapet walls or architectural louvers integrated into the overall building design. This will not be a themed development. No buildings exist on the property, therefore building stock cannot be recycled. AW.2 Create mixed-use development YES AW.3 AW.4 AW.5 AW.7 AW.8 AW.9 Limit development which closes Downtown streets Buffer neighborhood edges Incorporate civic art in both public and private development YES YES YES AW.6 Protect important public views YES adjacent historical Avoid misinterpretations Respect buildings Acknowledge that rooftops are seen from other buildings and the street historic YES YES YES AW.10 AW.11 the development of Avoid theme environments Recycle existing building stock YES N/A 617 Colorado – Downtown Austin Design Guidelines Density Bonus Application Public Streetscape Guidelines Urban Design Guideline Protect the pedestrian where the building meets the street Achieved? YES PS.1 PS.2 PS.3 Minimize curb cuts Create a potential for two-way streets YES YES PS.4 Reinforce pedestrian activity YES PS.5 Enhance key transit stops YES PS.6 Enhance the streetscape PS.7 PS.8 conflicts Avoid pedestrian equipment Install street trees and between utility YES YES YES PS.9 PS.10 Provide lighting pedestrian-scaled YES Provide from cars/promote curbside parking protection YES Applicant's Comments The pedestrian pathway will be protected by a 8-foot clear zone, including street trees, and approved furniture and bike racks. The project is not proposing new curb cuts. The abutting roadways are two-way streets; the project will be designed in a way that does not disrupt adjacent directional traffic. The ground floor, while quite small, serves to activate the street through modern design which invites both guests and the community to experience the open staircase connecting to the public community amenity space on the second level. This area will feature seating areas set up for individual workspaces, a bar serving coffee, cocktails and small bites, as well as numerous living rooms which will serve as a neighborhood social hub to relax and play. Second floor balconies, together with the highly visible monumental stair on the first floor, will provide visible activity and connection to the street level. The project is adjacent to CapMetro bus stops with a covered awning and seating for several routes. This development will enhance the stop by providing Great Streets improvements and bringing activity to what is now an inactive area adjacent to a surface parking lot. The project will improve the streetscape with lighting, shade trees and vegetation. All utility equipment will be installed indoors or underground. The project will add street trees on both 7th Street and Colorado Street frontages. Shade trees will be provided in structured soil planters to encourage better growth and shade canopy for pedestrians. Pedestrian-scale lighting will be provided. Such lighting will be in accordance with applicable City regulations. Pedestrians are protected from cars coming to proposed hotel by providing drop off/pick up traffic adjacent to the building in the street. The existing driveway will be maintained for loading and deliveries at off-peak times, and which will 617 Colorado – Downtown Austin Design Guidelines Density Bonus Application PS.11 PS.12 PS.13 Screen mechanical and utility equipment Provide generous street-level windows YES YES Install materials at street level pedestrian-friendly YES be closed to other traffic with a gate. The ground level of the project on Colorado Street will be recessed, providing a larger pedestrian pathway for added safety and comfort. Mechanical and utility equipment will be screened from street view. The project’s ground floor will consist of floor- to-ceiling windows connecting the interior to the street. The ground level will include floor-to-ceiling windows and planters to provide a comfortable environment for pedestrian traffic. 617 Colorado – Downtown Austin Design Guidelines Density Bonus Application Achieved? N/A PZ.1 PZ.2 PZ.3 PZ.4 PZ.5 PZ.6 PZ.7 PZ.8 PZ.9 PZ.10 PZ.11 Plazas and Open Space Guidelines Urban Design Guideline N/A Treat the four squares with special consideration Contribute to an open space network Emphasize parks and greenways Incorporate open space into residential development Develop green roofs N/A Provide plazas in high use areas N/A connections N/A N/A to Determine plaza function, size, and activity Respond to the microclimate in plaza design Consider views, circulation, boundaries, and subspaces in plaza design Provide an appropriate amount of plaza seating Provide visual and complexity in public spaces spatial N/A N/A NA N/A YES PZ.12 Use plants to enliven urban spaces YES PZ.13 Provide interactive civic art and fountains in plazas YES PZ.14 PZ.15 PZ.16 safety Provide food service for plaza participants Increase through wayfinding, and visibility Consider plaza operations and maintenance in plazas lighting, N/A N/A N/A Applicant's Comments The project is not adjacent to one of the four Downtown Austin squares. The project is not adjacent to a park or greenway connection. The project site is not large enough to include a plaza. The entry staircase will be designed as an architectural feature that draws the public into the space from the street. Visual and spatial complexity components will be incorporated into the community amenity space. In addition to Great Streets, additional planters are being added to the streetscape near the entry to enliven the area. The project will contribute public artwork, at the street level, with a mural from a local artist that will be visible to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. 617 Colorado – Downtown Austin Design Guidelines Density Bonus Application B.1 B.2 Building Guidelines Urban Design Guideline Build to the street Achieved? YES Provide multi-tenant, pedestrian-oriented development at the street level YES Applicant's Comments This project will be built up to the property line on both sides of the project. The street level features an open, inviting lobby that uses stylish modern design (through furniture, lighting, and art) to welcome both guests and the community to the community amenity space on the second level. This community amenity space is conceived as a neighborhood social hub, an inspiring place to work, relax, and play. The 7,625 square foot space will include over 50 seats set up for individual workspaces, a 30-seat bar serving coffee, cocktails and small bites, as well as numerous living rooms where the public will be welcome to feel at home. Additionally, the second floor will have a large outdoor terrace, with seating for 24, that connects the inner life of the community amenity space to the outer life of the street and neighborhood. The pedestrian approach to the entry of the building will be accentuated and visible at the corner on the project, closest to the intersection of 7th Street and Colorado Street. The project is planning for collaboration with local artist(s) from the Austin and Central Texas area for the art installation at the ground-level of the building. There will be no on-site parking and there will be a dedicated pick-up and drop-off area along Colorado Street. The exterior design of the building includes enduring modern elements, including a mixture of aluminum and reinforced concrete panels, as well as insulated glazing. The design will engage the pedestrian-level streetscape at the first and second levels through vibrant murals, lush plantings, and active lobby and balcony spaces. The project, as designed, will achieve a minimum 3-star rating under the Austin Energy Green Building Program. The building will be designed to a scale and proportion at the street level appropriate and inviting to pedestrians. The first and second B.3 Accentuate primary entrances YES B.4 Encourage the inclusion of local character YES B.5 Control on-site parking YES B.6 Create quality construction YES B.7 Create buildings with human scale YES 617 Colorado – Downtown Austin Design Guidelines Density Bonus Application floor of the building will differentiate itself architecturally from the upper guestroom floors.