Heritage Crossing Design Guidelines Ordinance

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CITY OF IRVING, TEXAS, ZONING ORDINANCE BYADDING SECTION 52-32h TO PROVIDE FOR THE CREATION OF A HERITAGE CROSSINGREDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AND ADOPTION OF DESIGN GUIDELINES; PROVIDING APENALTY NOT TO EXCEED $2,000; ESTABLISHING AN EFFECTIVE DATE; PROVIDING ASEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING FOR CONFLICT RESOLUTION.WHEREAS, the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council, in accordance with theprovisions of the Charter of the City of Irving, the state law, and the applicable ordinances of the city,have given the required notices and have held the required public hearings regarding this amendment tothe Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 1144 of the City of Irving;NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OFIRVING, TEXAS:SECTION 1. That Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance No. 1144 of the City of Irving, Texas, ishereby amended by adding Section 52-32h which shall read as follows:

Sec. 52-32h. Heritage Crossing Redevelopment District.

(a)

Purpose.

The purpose of the Heritage Crossing Redevelopment District is to encourage newdevelopment and redevelopment within the Heritage Crossing neighborhood that integrates housing,shops, workplaces, parks, and civic facilities into a close-knit community using the principles of NewUrbanism.(b)

Boundaries.

The Heritage Crossing Redevelopment District is bounded by Pioneer Drive onthe north, MacArthur Boulevard on the west, Shady Grove Road on the south and Britain Road on theeast, and includes those properties which front both sides of those particular streets.

-2-(c)

Overall design guidelines.

(1) Vision. Walkability, affordability, sustainability, and quality architectural design are keyelements of the Heritage Crossing Redevelopment District. Design guidelines are included toprovide property owners and developers with a clear set of design parameters that will instructsite planning, architecture, landscaping, streetscapes, and construction to result in a uniformcharacter throughout the Heritage Crossing Redevelopment District. Photos, drawings andother illustrations included in this Section 52-32h are for informational purposes only and areintended to provide examples of the types of standards envisioned by these regulations. Suchillustrations are not all-encompassing, and should there be a conflict between a photo orillustration and the text of this Section 52-32h, the text shall control.(2) Design principles.a.

Buildings should relate appropriately to surrounding developments and streets and create acohesive visual identity and attractive street scene.b.

Site design should promote efficient pedestrian and vehicle circulation patterns.c.

A high-quality street and sidewalk environment that is supportive of pedestrian and transitmobility and that is appropriate to the roadway context should be provided.d.

Trees, sidewalks, and buildings should be arranged in a manner that supports the creationof a safe, human-scaled, and well-defined roadway environment.

-3-e.

Trees or man-made shading devices should be used to create a pedestrian-friendlyenvironment both alongside roadways and connecting roadside sidewalks to businesses.f.

Buildings should relate appropriately to their roadway context, allowing for easypedestrian access to buildings and providing well-defined edges to the roadwayenvironment.g.

Building entrance ways should be convenient to and easily accessible from the roadsidepedestrian system.h.

Opportunities for roadside uses that enliven and enrich the roadway and pedestrianenvironment, such as outdoor dining, porches, patios, and landscape features should beprovided.i.

Vehicular parking should be accommodated in a manner that enriches and supports, ratherthan diminishes, the roadside pedestrian environment, and that does not create a barrierbetween the roadside environment and the roadside building. j.

Development should provide public social spaces that encourage a sense of communitywhere a wide diversity of people can coexist.k.

Outdoor room should be created wherever possible by providing seating, shade, trashreceptacles, and water features. Landscape barriers should be provided between suchoutdoor rooms and the parking lot to reduce glare and reflection from cars and create asense of enclosure.(d)

Landscaping regulations.

(1)

Landscape design principles.a.

The installation and continuous maintenance of landscaping to its attractive best isextremely important. Landscape materials should be chosen for their hardiness and heattolerance in areas within or adjacent to vehicular traffic, for their ability to provide shadeor screening of vehicles, utilities or trash receptacles, and for their attractiveness in thecontext of the building and surroundings.