Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-12-19 Com. Dev. Com MinutesDUBLIN CITY COUNCIL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Thursday, December 12, 2019 Minutes of Meeting Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes called the meeting of the Community Development Committee to order at 10:03 a.m. in Council Chambers. Committee members present: Ms. De Rosa, Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes, Mr. Reiner via telephone. Staff members present: Mr. Earman and Mr. Hammersmith. Discussion re. Streetscape/Tree Selection in Historic Dublin Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that she, Ms. De Rosa and staff completed a walk-through in the Historic District this morning. The goal of this meeting is to capture their thoughts about having an attractive streetscape in the urban areas of the City. Specifically, the discussion is focused on High Street, but the thinking is this could be applied to all urban streets in the City. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes outlined what the Committee viewed: Sawtooth oak trees and a number of other trees have been planted over the course of time, including crabapples. The City Forester explained that the Sawtooth oaks are all failing, largely because of the soil quantity and quality available to its root zone. There were other issues raised by the Committee, such as, although the building setbacks from the street on the east side of High Street are relatively consistent, on the west side, they are less consistent. The question is how to make the sidewalk feel more consistent given the inconsistency of the building setbacks. Perhaps a low stone wall, potentially bookshelved, or a low, stone seat wall would be appropriate, as this is on the parade route. When the City does plant the proper street tree in the proper location along an urban area, how can we ensure it has the capacity to survive? The street trees in Bridge Park were referenced, pointing out that because there was not sufficient root zone area for the trees, the decision had been made that those trees would be replaced every 5-7 years. The Committee then walked up to the northern part of High Street, near the new library and the Z1 and Z2 buildings, and viewed the Ginkgo tree installation. One of the policy updates needed concerns having clear trunk heights at the time of installation — approximately seven feet. Some of the lateral branches on the Ginkgos start between 30-40 inches off the ground, particularly on the west side of High Street in front of the library. She asked the Chair which agenda topic he preferred to discuss first — the South High Street treescape, the North High Street treescape, or urban street trees. Mr. Reiner responded that the discussion should begin with the current issue on S. High Street. The cadence of the trees could be increased. He stated that unanimity of tree type would be best. The tree installation between the curb, brick sidewalks and utilities must be done very carefully. He would recommend Lilac trees (He outlined the reasons.) Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes inquired about the ultimate size of the lilac trees. Mr. Reiner responded that the height should remain underneath the power lines. Committee Development Committee Minutes December 12, 2019 Page 2 of 5 Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that there has been discussion about the removal of existing power poles along High Street as part of the 2021 South Franklin Street improvements in the CIP. What are his thoughts about changing out the lilac trees if the overhead power lines would not accommodate them? Mr. Reiner responded there could be a more interesting streetscape and a better tree canopy if the power lines were eliminated. It would be possible to use a larger tree, with better bed preparation and good installation in the small space between curb and the sidewalk. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated perhaps a Pyramidal Hornbeam or Fastigiate Tulip tree could be used. What is his opinion of the volume of soil that needs to be available to such trees? Mr. Reiner responded that the Hornbeam grows very large, and he would not recommend the Fastigiate Tulip tree. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes agreed regarding the size of a Hornbeam. The space between the street and the building fagade is 8-12 feet. To place a canopy tree in there, it would have to be a largely one-sided canopy, which likely would have a negative impact on the tree overall. She agrees that the Hornbeam is not the right tree, but perhaps something slightly more similar to a Fastigiate would be appropriate. Otherwise, the head of the tree will be significantly out of balance. Discussion continued. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that discussion about a specific tree could take place later. At this time, the Committee should focus more on the visuals of urban street trees within the City. Mr. Reiner stated that the trees on the east side of the S. High street are large, mature and look great. They fill up the space effectively and soften the view of the buildings. The recent removal of the trees on the west side of S. High was due to a specific need, and he does not advocate cutting down the trees on the east side. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated the goal is to come up with a comprehensive plan. Mr. Reiner stated the question is if the Committee wants to plant smaller trees due to the power lines, or wait until 2021 and plant a larger scale tree? That is the first issue to be resolved. Ms. De Rosa asked for clarification about the future utility pole modifications planned for 2021. Mr. Hammersmith responded that the intent is not to bury anything along S. High Street, but to remove the existing poles. The service to the properties would then be extended from the rear. Ms. De Rosa stated she would prefer to plant a larger tree now, if it does not impact the movement of the poles in 2021. If we assume that we can do the movement of the power lines in 2021, planting the larger tree now makes sense. The sooner that vegetation can be planted, the better. Mr. Reiner stated that is an excellent point -- why install temporary trees and then remove them? The City should consider installing larger trees now that ultimately would produce a nicer canopy overarching the street, softening the entire streetscape. Between now and 2021, the trees would not grow significantly. Ms. De Rosa stated that she would defer to the landscape expertise of Mr. Reiner and Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes. There was also discussion about the streetscape — stone walls, shrubbery, etc. A question was raised about who would have maintenance responsibility. From a policy perspective, what could and should be done with items beyond the trees? Committee Development Committee Minutes December 12, 2019 Page 3 of 5 Mr. Reiner responded that the responsibility is determined by property lines and City right-of- way, which would need to be clarified. Mr. Earman stated that the City has maintenance responsibility from the sidewalk edge nearest the property to the street. The property owner is responsible for the landscaping from their building to the edge of sidewalk. Mr. Reiner stated that a landscape architect would need to review the streetscape in terms of aesthetics, specifically, whether stone walls should be added. Would they interfere with on- street parking? He is uncertain of the feasibility of adding amenities, given all of the elements involved. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated she is not certain there is sufficient soil there to support new trees. She does not want to hire a consultant to prepare a plan; the City can do this. Perhaps a list of three to four street trees to be used in different areas of the City could be prepared. A soil volume should be assigned to each of those trees that is necessary for the tree to meet a 60 - year mature height. It is important to determine the soil volume in place so that whatever is planted will be successful. A price tag needs to be assigned to the different urban streets in the City — Historic Dublin, Bridge Park — reflecting the cost associated with ensuring the right soil volume for long-term plant success. Then, we can have a conversation about the total number of trees needed and where this project should be prioritized in the CIP. A cost should be provided for the various urban streets — S. High Street, N. High Street, John Shields Parkway, Riverside Drive, and Banker Drive, etc. Congruently, the City needs to upgrade the tree specifications and associated costs for all streets being constructed within the City's urban districts. It is more expensive to do this after construction than before. Even if that means a change order is required for streets under construction today, it should be done. Mr. Reiner stated calculations would be easy to do for the preferred trees. Another important issue for the CIP is how to replace the buffering in the City and at what point is it replaced. The original intent of the City was that people driving through Dublin would see green views, not the back of houses or play equipment. Now, 40 years later, those screening elements are starting to dissolve and Dublin is becoming less attractive. Retaining the visual aspects and quality of the City is as important as building a new City Hall. A long-term program is needed to address the view shed issue. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes agreed that maintaining the street aesthetics going forward is an important item. She believes that a staff update about the Muirfield Drive landscape screening is pending. The intent is to re-establish the screening/buffering in that corridor, which has diminished over time. She recalls a prior discussion about engaging the neighborhood along Avery-Muirfield for this purpose. She requested a status report from staff. Mr. Earman responded that the intent is to engage the property owners in areas along Avery- Muirfield Road where the condition of the screening is inconsistent with the development text. There are other areas of the City where there is a need to ensure consistency with the Code is being maintained, as well. The property owners need to be informed of their obligations. The intent was to schedule a meeting with the neighborhood last fall to discuss the Code requirements and their responsibilities. However, that meeting has not yet been scheduled. Committee Development Committee Minutes December 12, 2019 Page 4 of 5 Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes added that Council's vision 30-40 years ago for the screening was good; however, the execution left much to be desired, as the City did not acquire easements in order to access the properties. Mr. Reiner added that the responsibility rests with Council for not requiring consistent large setbacks in the face of development pressure. The mounding on Brand Road that screens the Asherton development is 14 feet in height. The problem with the screening is that spruce trees must be replaced every 30 years. Ms. De Rosa stated that one of the goals of this discussion is to update some of the policies. Draft language should be brought forward by staff to update the policies in regard to setbacks and landscape/screening replacement. She concurs with the observations about the screening along the roadways. However, in order to provide direction to staff today, additional discussion is needed regarding the streetscape on S. High Street. Mr. Reiner stated that he would advocate for the planting of larger shade trees, as these will require time to develop. That would be preferable to installing temporary trees and removing them later. He inquired about the Code requirements for screening of parking lots. He has noticed the lack of screening around some car dealerships. Is this a Code enforcement issue, or has the landscape screening died out and not been replaced? Do we meet our own standards? Has the City appropriately screened the parking lot for Avery Park? That issue also needs to be addressed. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes suggested that the Committee focus on the issue before them today. She does not believe pictures or renderings are necessary for the South High Street streetscape. Mr. Reiner stated that there is no need for a master plan to be prepared for this project. The forestry staff and landscape architect, together with the Committee, can stake out the area for planting shade trees. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated she would like to see a list of approximately a dozen proposed trees for the urban areas of the City, six of which would be capable of providing a canopy width 40 feet and under, and six of which could provide canopy widths 40 feet and over. From that list, calculations should be prepared for the quantity of soil necessary for the 40 feet and under list and the quantity of soil necessary for the 40 feet and over list. The next step would be to identify the urban streets in Dublin and the available soil depth for street trees within the given area. If the calculation indicates 95 cubic yards of soil, yet only 65 cubic yards are available, recommendations are needed for achieving the additional 30 cubic yards necessary. That information should include where it would be available - under the street or under the sidewalk? Due to the urgency, the S. High Street area will be the first priority, but the same process and formula would be used subsequently for all urban street trees. Once a tree is selected, the canopies of those trees will determine the cadence. Additional enhancements can be discussed next, such as a stone wall for soil retention. She would like to see some progress within the next three weeks. Mr. Reiner agreed. Regarding the cubic yards of soil needed, in a sidewalk system like Bridge Park, a huge amount soil must be added to enable the tree growth, as it is completely encased by brick pavers, etc. For South High Street, trees will grow using the soil underneath the brick sidewalks. Committee Development Committee Minutes December 12, 2019 Page 5 of 5 Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes stated that per the earlier conversation, if there are areas where a section of street needs to be removed to amend what is underneath the street and make the soil available to the trees, that should be considered. Mr. Reiner summarized that the Committee has requested that staff provide lists of trees as outlined (40 feet and under canopy and 40 feet and over canopy) and a calculation to make this doable. The other issues discussed tonight are the buffers and screenings, as well as the parking lot screenings. Staff can report back on this. Ms. De Rosa inquired if it would take a few years of growth for the trees that are planted to have a visual impact on S. High Street. Mr. Reiner responded that it would depend upon the tree spread and cadence. Ms. De Rosa inquired what are some viable suggestions for the other streetscape issues. Are there opportunities to work with property owners on these? She encouraged the Committee not to use the current constraints for potential visioning. If the property owners are provided attractive options, they will be interested. As a phase 2 goal, she encourages bringing back some practical ideas, which also could be applied to other urban streets. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes inquired if the Committee had provided clear direction. Mr. Earman responded the Committee has provided the direction needed to proceed. He is anticipating this to be achieved in three phases: phase 1 would be the trees along S. High; phase 2 would be the streetscape; and phase 3 would be Code revisions to implement a policy going forward. Staff can begin work on this within a reasonable period of time, but given that the next opportunity for a Committee report is January 6, he will discuss with the City Manager the next steps in the process. Ms. De Rosa asked about the east side of Bridge Park and the treescape planned for the park edge. It would be beneficial to incorporate some of the recommendations of this discussion. Mr. Earman responded that the area along Riverside Drive, which will eventually become a promenade with trellis and landscaping, has not yet been programmed in the CIP. Vice Mayor Amorose Groomes asked if staff could provide a list of pending planting projects, so that it is not necessary to retrofit those areas later. Mr. Earman agreed to do so. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 10:47 a.m Deputy Clerk of Council