§ 6.8. STREETSCAPE STANDARDS
6.8.1
Intent
The streetscape standards ensure the coherence of the street-space. They also serve to assist building owners and operators with understanding the relationship between the street-space and their own lots. This code requires that sites will be developed with buildings placed at the required building line along the outer edge of the lots they occupy. These standards also establish an environment that encourages and facilitates pedestrian activity. Native trees and plants contribute to privacy, reduction of noise and air pollution, maintenance of the natural habitat, and conservation of water.
6.8.2
General Principles
A.
Streetscape
1.
Building façades are part of the public realm and therefore are subject to more regulation than the rest of the property.
2.
Street trees are part of an overall streetscape plan designed to provide both form (canopy) and comfort (shade) to the street-space. Street trees give special character and coherence to each street-space. The desired aesthetic shall be achieved through the use of native or proven hardy adapted species.
B.
Fronts And Rears
1.
Building façades are the public "face" of every building. Owners are encouraged to place planters and window boxes with flowering plants and/or climbing vines within 12 inches of the building façade.
2.
The private, interior portions of the lots (toward the alley or rear lot line) allow commercial operators to utilize these spaces as efficient working environments unseen by the public and allow residents to have private and semi-private (for apartment and condominium buildings) gardens and courtyards.
6.8.3
Standards
A.
General Provisions
1.
All plant material (including trees) shall conform to the standards of the American Association of Nurserymen and shall have passed any inspections required under State regulations.
2.
Mechanical and electrical equipment including, but not limited to, air compressors, pumps, exterior water heaters, water softeners, private garbage cans (not including public sidewalk waste bins), and storage tanks may not be stored or located within any street-space. (Water pumps not visible are not included in this prohibition.)
3.
All streetscape shall be maintained by the adjacent property owner, Property Owners Association, or Business Owners Association. A hose bib shall be required within 50 feet of the fronting street-space.
4.
Street lighting and bicycle racks shall be placed along the street tree alignment line.
B.
Street Trees
At the time of development, the applicant is responsible for installing/planting the following street trees in the space fronting their property between the required building line and the travel lane:
1.
Each street-space shall have street trees planted along the street tree alignment line (generally three feet, six inches from the back of the curb) at an average spacing not greater than 30 feet on center (measured per block face). Required tree planting area widths are specified in the Street Type Specifications or on the regulating plan. Where necessary, spacing allowances may be made to accommodate curb cuts, fire hydrants and other infrastructure elements, however, at no location shall spacing exceed 45 feet on center.
2.
Street tree planter areas (tree pits and tree lawns) shall be located at grade or with their soil surface elevated not more than 12 inches above the adjacent sidewalk or top of curb. The open soil surface area shall be not less than 80 square feet per isolated planting area or 50 square feet per tree for connected soil (tree soil strip) configurations. Any planter area's minimum soil surface dimension shall be not less than six feet. Raised planter boxes shall not be used.
3.
At planting, street trees shall be at least two and one-half inches in diameter (measured two feet above grade) and at least six feet in overall height. Species shall be selected from the Form District Street Tree List. Consult the Planning Director for the designated tree species for a particular street-space.
4.
Any unpaved ground area shall be planted with groundcover, flowering vegetation, or climbing vines.
5.
Street trees shall be "limbed up" as they gain appropriate maturity so as to not interfere with pedestrian or truck travel (minimum seven feet clear over the sidewalk and 14 feet over the travel lanes of the street).
C.
Street Lighting
1.
At the time of development, the applicant is responsible for installing street lighting in the space fronting their property between the required building line and the travel lane, as prescribed in the appropriate street-type specification.
2.
A street light luminaire shall be installed on both sides of streets, along the street tree alignment line, unless otherwise designated on the regulating plan, at intervals no greater than 60 feet on Warehouse General and Neighborhood Center sites (and 75 feet on Warehouse and Main Street Local sites), measured parallel to the street, unless otherwise designated on the regulating plan. Street lights shall be between 12 and 16 feet above ground in height. Lighting standards for street-spaces and alleys should be developed to meet the minimum standards of the Illumination Engineering Society (with the design criteria giving equal weight to the lighting of the pedestrian areas and the automobile areas).
D.
Rears
At least one tree per 600 square feet of the required open (unpaved) area shall be planted in the rear lot area not closer than five feet to any common lot line. Such trees shall be at least two inches in diameter (four feet above grade) and ten feet in overall height at installation. Species shall be selected from the Form District Tree List. Sites that are reusing existing structures on sites that have no ground level open area are exempt from this requirement.
E.
Sidewalks
1.
At the time of development, the developer is required to install sidewalks.
2.
Sidewalks not otherwise designated in the regulating plan or street type specifications are a minimum of six feet wide and shall be constructed to meet all City specifications.
3.
Turf and Groundcover (where clearly visible from the street-space and along the alley)
a.
All turf grass must be solidly sodded at installation—not seeded, sprigged, or plugged.
b.
Vegetative groundcovers may be used in place of turf grass.
c.
In addition to the lot, the owner must maintain the following areas:
d.
The portion of the street-space between their lot line(s) and the back of the curb.
e.
The portion of the alley between the lot line(s) and the edge of pavement.
F.
On-Street Parking
1.
The parking space/tree planting pattern may be interrupted by existing or new driveways designated in the regulating plan, streets, alleys, and transit stops/stations.
2.
Parking spaces shall be constructed in a manner that allows proper drainage.
G.
Rules for Parking Lot Plantings
1.
Surface parking lots must have at least one canopy shade tree (from the Form District Tree List) for every six spaces planted in an "orchard" configuration.
2.
Subdivide surface parking lots into smaller areas through the use of landscaping and other visual elements. Landscaping shall be hardy and able to withstand soot and gas fumes.
3.
Incorporate convenient bicycle parking. The "U" Rack is recommended as the standard rack. A bicycle rack may be allowed along the street tree alignment line within the street-space with prior approval from the City of Peoria.
H.
Civic Greens and Squares
1.
The term square is generally used to describe spaces that have more paved surface area. The term civic green is generally used to describe a formally configured, small public lawn or park that is primarily unpaved.
2.
Civic greens and squares shall be designed, planted and maintained according to the following requirements. Civic greens and squares shall have at least 60% of their perimeter fronting rights-of-way and both spaces should be surrounded by street trees. Their dimensions shall be no narrower than a 1:5 ratio and no square or civic green width or breadth dimension shall be less than 20 feet.
3.
Squares are generally intended to be active pedestrian centers. They should be designed appropriate to their high (pedestrian) traffic level with a higher percentage of paved surface area. Civic greens are spaces intended for less intensive foot traffic. Pervious paving materials (to allow oxygen for tree roots and reduce storm water runoff) are encouraged in both squares and civic greens, and the percentage of impervious paving material is limited. The trees of squares and civic greens provide a landscape and civic architecture that complement the surrounding building architecture. A clear view through the public space (from two to seven feet in height) is required and is important for safety and urban design purposes.
4.
Situated at prominent locations within the Form Districts and often dedicated to important events or citizens, civic greens and squares shall not include active recreation structures such as ball fields and courts.
I.
Pedestrian Pathway
The easement width for these pathways shall not be less than 20 feet with a paved walkway not less than 10 feet wide, except where otherwise specified on the regulating plan, and shall provide an unobstructed view straight through their entire length.
6.8.4
Materials and Configurations
A.
General
1.
Street trees shall be planted along the street tree alignment line at an average spacing not greater than 30 feet on center (per block face). These required trees shall be selected from the Form District Street Tree List.
2.
The ground surface elevation shall be between zero and 18 inches above the top of the adjacent curb.
3.
Except for tree trunks, street lights, civic buildings, public art or monuments, there shall be a clear view between two and seven feet above grade. The foliage of newly planted trees may intrude into this area until the tree has sufficient growth to allow such a clear trunk height.
4.
Trees within the square or civic green shall be selected from the Form District Tree List.
5.
Asphalt is prohibited within the square or civic green, but may be incorporated in the (surrounding) travel lane design.
B.
Squares
Surface treatment and materials (within the site area back-of-curb to back-of-curb excluding any civic building, public art or monument footprint):
1.
Minimum 20% and maximum 30% unpaved pervious surface (turf, groundcover, gravel, soil or mulch).
C.
Civic Greens
Surface treatment and materials (within the site area back-of-curb to back-of-curb excluding any civic building, public art or monument footprint):
1.
Minimum 50% unpaved pervious surface area (turf, groundcover, gravel, soil or mulch).
6.8.5
Form District Tree Lists
The following list contains all species approved for use in the Form Districts. It contains native and acceptable adapted species. Other species may be used for planting within a lot. Invasive exotic species shall not be used anywhere on lots or other areas within the Form Districts. The use of alternate species may be permitted, but only if approved by the Development Review Board.
A.
Street Tree List
First Preference
• Swamp White Oak Quercus bicolor • Northern Red Oak Q uercus borealis • Red Maple Acer rubrum • Black Oak Q uercus velutina • American Linden Tilia americana • Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba • Scholar Tree Sophora japonica • Black Maple Acer nigrum • White Oak Quercus alba • Bur Oak Quercus macrocarpa • Kentucky Coffee Tree Gymnocladus dioicus B.
District Tree List
First Preference (in addition to the above, species that may be placed within squares, civic greens, and parks)
• Sycamore Platanus occidentalis • American Hophornbeam Ostrya virginiana • Hackberry Celtis occidentalis • Tulip Poplar Liriodendron tulipifera • Bald Cypress Taxodium distichum • Northern Caltalpa Caltalpa speciosa • Black Gum Nyssa sylvatica Second Preference
• Cucumbertree Magnolia Magnolia accuminata • Green Ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica • Black Ash Fraxinus nigra • Silver Linden Tilia tomentosa • European Hornbeam Carpinus betulus • Turkish Filbert Corylus colurna • Shagbark Hickory Carya ovata • White Ash Fraxinus americana • Basswood Tilia americana • Black Walnut Juglans nigra • Shellbark Hickory Carya laciniosa • Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua