Recommended Uses

Based on the market research presented in Chapter 2 and the existing development patterns, it is recommend:

· This area continue to infill with medium-density residential development, including apartments, duplexes and condos, to maintain a buffer between the single-family residential development to the east and USH 41/141 to the west.

· Professional (i.e., law, real estate, insurance, engineering) and small-scale medical (i.e., dental offices or small specialty practices) offices be established along the Veteran’s Avenue frontage.

· Near the intersection of Veteran’s Avenue and Sunset Beach Road, small businesses catering to the needs of the local office workers and the residents living in the immediate area should be encouraged. Specifically, the following types of activities are recommended:

o pharmacies

o banks

o dry-cleaners

o beauty salons / barbers

o day care centers

o fitness facilities

o video/DVD rental stores

All development in this area should seek to maintain as much of the wooded areas as possible to retain the "northwoods" atmosphere.

 

Renovation to of existing buildings and new construction within the area of the Northwoods should follow established design guidelines outlined belowto provide continuity in the design and continue the established theme. Architecture should include thematic references to rustic structures such as heavy timber lap sided cedar or log style low rise and single story office and professional buildings.

· Building Design and Materials- Prototypical designs should include such architectural features as:

oCedar siding;

 

 

 

 

 

o Metal roofs;

o Double hung and casement windows with traditional mullion patterns; and

o Structural steel, limestone and field stone exterior facade materials.

Roof pitches should be consistent with existing structures in the Town Center. Traditional rustic wood structures incorporate roof pitches ranging from 8:12 to 10:12. Porches, overhangs and shed roofs should have shallower pitches of 4:12 to 6:12. Rooflines should incorporate cupolas, gable-end ornamentation or sunbursts, tapered wood columns and shake style cedar or asphalt roofing.

Paint, stain and trim colors used in the Northwoods area should be in keeping with the themethe existing buildings. Color palettes established for rustic buildings usually fall within the earth tone range but forest greens, rust, red and copper could be used as accent colors. Natural wood stains, wood sealers, and exposed galvanized metal should be considered for major façade and roof treatments as well.

Access to the existing and new commercial buildings should utilize deep setbacks from the roadway (i.e 40 feet or more) to accentuate the natural landscaping and incorporate off-street parking lots in near proximity to the buildings. The following illustrations are examples of architectural features of Northwoods building design.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·Streetscape Elements- It is important that the architectural context and natural beauty of the Northwoods Development be carried through to the street furnishings. The design development of street furniture and amenities for the parking and pedestrian areas will reflects a unique theme, image and identity for the Northwoods Development. A "rRustic Design design" theme for light poles, and fixtures, and street furniture should be incorporated into the parking and pedestrian areas. The use of colored and stamped concrete applied in areas to emulate English YorkstoneCanyon Stone should be a consideration for crosswalks, pedestrian sidewalks and building entrances. Split rail fences used to define property boundaries and accentuate walk-up features of buildings setback from the parking lot should be encouraged. Entrance or "gateway" signage should be incorporated into the rural roadway geometry to announce to motorists and pedestrians that they have arrived at the Northwoods developmentDevelopment. Rustic signage materials of copper, wood and fieldstone should be considered for the gateway or entrance signage. The shape and layout of the gateway or entrance signagestyle and design of this sign should be emulated in entrance signageused as feature or entrance signage for the Velp Corridor, Historic Hamlet and the Highway/Community Service Area as well.

· Landscaping Features- Landscape materials and species should be carefully selected to accentuate the natural forest-like character of the area and match with existing plantings. Recommended species include but are not limited to:

o spruceSpruce, pine and fir trees for border definition and wind block;,

o Red maple, marshall ash, river birch and American larch for parking island areas and as shade or over story trees;

o Honey suckle for screening;

o Purple leaf sand cherry, staghorn sumac and autumn brilliance serviceberry in applications where clusters of small ornamental trees are desired;

o Small shrubbery installations should incorporate winterberry, hosta, mockorange and dogwood species; and

o Shrub roses, azaleas and rhododendrons can be considered, but should be used only in protected locations and as recommended by landscape professionals.

 

Tumbled stone should be laid naturally around retention ponds and water features to help define the shape and configuration of any ponds.

Community Amenities to Tie the Theme Together

There are several design features that should will contribute to a unified look and feel for the Town Center. These features will help bridge the geographical and perceived gap between the four distinct commercial zones of the townTown Center.

· Entrance signage or "gateways" should be visible and welcoming to residents and visitors alike. The signage should be presented as subtle variations from a common design themethroughout the Town Center. The shape, size and location of the sign should be consistent in each theme area, but and different construction materials should be used to accentuate the particular area of the town Town Center where the sign is located. Sign materials in the Northwoods should incorporate the approved building materials for the district. Both the gateway and on-site business signage in tThe Northwoods development should be based on themay play off of the standard sign shape used in the other development areas, but be constructed of fieldstone, timber and copper.

 

 

 

· River Trail and Boardwalk- A trail system should be developed and utilized to help link pedestrians to the four theme areas within the town Town Center and to provide an amenity for recreation. The trail system should use similar enhancement features that are present in each of the theme areas to help create a unified design theme. Trailhead structures, pavement, lighting, banners, signage and furniture should be selected to reinforce continuity. For additional information about the trail system, refer to chapter 4.

· Sidewalk improvements - should consider integration integrateof standard gray concrete and with colored and stamped or patterned concrete. Each commercial area of town Town Center has a corresponding concrete pattern associated with it. Patterns can be introduced into sidewalks, cross walks, parking lot islands and building entrances. In the Northwoods, stamped concrete patterned to emulate Canyon Stone is recommended for crosswalks, pedestrian sidewalks and building entrances. Standardization in colored pigment choices for the concrete should be considered, but slight variation in the stamping patterns is expected. Texturing and finishing of the standard greygray concrete surfaces should also be uniform. Broom finishes, picture framing and trowel patterns are simple ways to add interest to concrete at relatively low cost.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

·Lighting fixtures should be selected for their application and thematic location within the Town Center. Fixtures will need to be different sizes, heights and wattages for their respective applications. Fortunately several manufacturers produce fixtures that complement one another for different applications. Northwoods lighting should be a play off of a rustic lantern theme or similar style fixture. Pole height, fixture size and wattage will vary with application. One common amenity that may be the same on all light poles is the application of banners, hanging pots, flag pole holders and festoon power outlets for lighted Christmas decorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

· Landscaping- Plant material selection along the trail system and among the four distince areas of the Town Center should help to enforce a unified theme and soften the transition between commercial areas. Plants selected should be considered for their heartiness, maintenance characteristics, and should not hinder visibility or create a safety concern. Species described for each commercial zone should be considered for the transitional areas as well.

In the Northwoods, special landscaping consideration must be given to provide adequate landscape buffers for existing adjacent residential development. This is particularly important in parking areas to provide landscape screens to block the headlights of cars pulling into and out of these areas. Furthermore, landscaping should serve as a stormwater management tool to minimize the impact of development on adjacent properties. Consideration should also be given to the use of the recommended coniferous trees as a visual screen between proposed commercial and office uses and adjacent residential development.

 

 

Recommended Sanitary/Utility Improvements - GIVENS

 

It is recommended that the Town of Suamico use this plan as a guide for installing improvements in the Northwoods Development Area. Obviously, detailed plans will need to be developed for the actual installation of the improvements, but the recommendations in this section address the appearance and scale of future improvements. Likewise, the recommendations presented in this chapter with respect to the appearance of development should serve as a guide for developers seeking to establish new businesses in the area. This chapter will serve as a supplement to the provisions outlined in the Town of Suamico Planned Commercial Zoning District.