Oak Harbor Downtown Streetscape

Streetlights

Streetlights illuminate pedestrian and parkingaisles and define a design accent to streetfurnishings.Streetlights should be located at the edge of thewalkway to define the boundary between parkedcars and pedestrians, and within plaza areas tomaintain design themes.Light standards should be located close enoughto provide a continuous illuminated walkwaywhen there are no other lighting sources – butmay be spaced apart as accents when other lightsources are sufficient for pedestrian safety.Standards should provide electrical outlets forseasonal and special event power, irrigation driplines for seasonal flower baskets, and speaker jacks for special event broadcasts.

Example

– downtown LaConner streetlights onMaple Avenue.

Oak Harbor Downtown Streetscape

Street trees

- columnar

Street trees provide cover from sun and rain,season accent and color, and texture for thebuilding frontages along major walkways andcurbside parking areas in the district.Street trees should be located at the edge of thewalkway to define the boundaries between theroadway and pedestrians. Tree species should beslim and vertical to provide scale but not growinto awnings, signage, or buildings – or obscureretail windows and pedestrians. As the treesmature, the foliage should be pruned up to 12 to15 feet above the walkway to spread aboveawnings and windows.

Columnar European Hornbeam – Carpinus betulus ‘Fastigiata’

– are native to Asia Minorand Europe, including southeast England, andcultivated in Europe and North America as ahedge, park, or street tree.The Hornbeam is tolerant and hardy in cityconditions with excellent resistance to pests anddisease. The Columnar variety is fast-growing tocreate an upright, uniform, symmetrical shapethat can adapt to buildings and verticallyrestricted environments. At maturity, theColumnar variety spreads about 15 to 20-feet indiameter and 40 to 60 feet in height. The treecreates finely textured dark green foliage thatturns yellow in fall.The Hornbeam flowers in March with catkinsabout 1.5-inches long. Fruiting catkins may be 3-inches long and turn brown in November. Bark isgray striped brown and vertically ridged orfluted.

Oak Harbor Downtown Streetscape

Accent trees

Street accent trees provide cover from sun andrain, season accent and color, and texture forthe principal roadways in and through theHistoric Business District.Street accent trees should be located at the edgeof crosswalks or curb extensions to definepedestrian crossing areas, in parkway medianplantings, and within major plaza or activityareas. Tree species should be expansive enoughto provide cover and accent across the roadwayand plaza areas but not so large as to obscuredowntown buildings. As the trees mature, thefoliage should be pruned up to 12 to 15 feetabove the road and walkway to spread aboveawnings and windows.

Greenspire Linden – Tilia cordata “Greenspire’

- are native to eastern NorthAmerica, and cultivated for shade or ornament innorth-eastern states and Europe. The Greenspireis a hybrid of the American Lime or Linden orBasswood and the Small-leafed Lime or Linden.The Greenspire Linden is tolerant and hardy incity conditions with resistance to pests anddisease. The Greenspire variety grows to createan oval, uniformly symmetrical shape about 40to 50-feet in diameter and 50 to 80-feet inheight. The tree creates finely textured foliagewith a strong central trunk and yellow fall colors.The Greenspire flowers in July with small budsabout 0.5-inch on stems in clusters of about 5 to10 each. Fruits are about 0.125-inches across,smooth and hairless. Leaves are small for mostlimes, about 1.5 to 2.75-inches long andhairless. Bark is grayish brown and rough,ridged, and textured.