Final Metro Park Designs Guidelines

8/9/2019 Final Metro Park Designs Guidelines

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METROPOLITAN PARK

ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA

DESIGN GUIDELINES

JANUARY 23, 2004

Revised to incorporate design featuresrecommended or conditioned by the ArlingtonCounty Planning Commission and Board as ofFebruary 10, 2004.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface

Framework Plan

Street Classification

Circulation: Pedestrian, Vehicular Bicycle

Entrances: Residential, Parking, Service

Phasing

Overview

Street Sections:

12th Street Extended

15th Street

South Fern Street

South Eads Street

Elm and 14th Streets

13th Street

East and West Elm Street

Typical Tertiary Streets

Open Space

Public Art

Building Guidelines

Height and Massing

Architectural Elements

Materials

Ground Floor Retail Characteristics

Signage

Landscape Guidelines:

Streetscape Features

Pedestrian Arcade Detail

Crosswalk Plan

Plant Materials

Quality and Size

Soil Over Structure

Suggested Plant Species

Street Furniture Illustratives:

Benches and Tables

Lighting and Trash Receptacles

3-12

13-14

15

16

16

18

19

19

20

20

21

22

23

24

25-26

27-28

29

30

30

31

32

33-36

37

38

40

40

41-42

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2METROPOLITAN PARK

Purpose and Intent

The Metropolitan Park Design Guidelines have been derived from

design principles that were identified and discussed in a companionProject Book dated November 12, 2003. The guidelines in this book

detail the pattern of development for this future residential community,and establish standards for streets, buildings, open space, andlandscaping as a means of insuring quality and consistency as phaseddevelopment proceeds over time.

This Design Guidelines document and its companion Project Bookrepresent the evolution of Pentagon City planning and development and

set the stage for the completion of the residential component of thePentagon City Plan.

Sufficient detail is provided in the Design Guidelines document for the

community and residents to know the quality of development which isexpected, but not so rigid as to stifle design and innovation for the

future.

The Design Guidelines insure a level of quality which can be easily

referenced for future buildings.

This Design Guidelines document is to be adopted by reference into theCounty Board approval of the Planned Development Site Plan (PDSP)for Pentagon City.

Revised as of February 10, 2004


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3 Revised as of February 10, 2004


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4METROPOLITAN PARK

PREFACE

The Metropolitan Park Design Guidelines is a

companion to the project book compiled by Robert A.M. Stern Architects dated November 12, 2003.Excerpts of that project book are reprinted here toprovide context for the Design Guidelines.



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PREFACE

6METROPOLITAN PARKRevised as of February 10, 2004


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PREFACE



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PREFACE



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PREFACE



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13

Framework Plan

Lower buildingelements alongSouth Fern Street

Three tall buildings in theproject core will anchorthe site and complimentexisting development tothe east

Lower building heights at 15thstreet will complimentresidential development on the opposite side of the streetand provide variety at the site edges



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FRAMEWORK PLAN

The street grid shall provide for theextension of 12th Street and construction of

13th

and 14th

Streets between South Fernand South Eads Streets.

A park feature shall approximate 2 acres in

size and be accessible to the public.

Building heights shall vary throughout thedevelopment generally tapering up from

lower density residential development.The number of stories portrayed on theFramework Plan reflect locating all of theapproved residential units between 12th

Street and 15th Street. The actual numberof stories may vary slightly with theapproval of the 4.1 site plans. Maximumheights are indicated in each phase ofdevelopment.

Ground floor retail shall be provided alongSouth Fern Street and 12th Streetextended.

Sidewalks shall be provided along both

sides of streets and parks with otherpedestrian passageways provided as

appropriate to enhance access into thesite. Final landscape design and the exactlocation of street trees will be determinedat the time of site plan review andapproval.

Conceptual Ground Level Plan

Ground level retailalong South Fernand 12thStreetextended

Residential along 15thStreetand South Eads Street

The following key features will be an integral part

of Metropolitan Parks development plan.

14METROPOLITAN PARK

15th Street

14th Street

13th Street

12th Street

Elm

Str

ee

t

Elm

Street

S.Fe

rnStr

eet

S.Ea d

sS

tre

et

E.

Elm

St r

ee

t

W .E

lmS

tre

et



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P

P

P

P

P

P

P

PP

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STREET CLASSIFICATION

Primary streets are located around theperimeter of the development. They

connect the proposed development withthe surrounding Pentagon Center area.12th Street shall be extended betweenSouth Fern and South Eads Streets. All

primary streets shall be public streets.

Secondary streets shall form a modified

street grid pattern within the developmentbetween South Fern and South EadsStreets, and between 15th and 12th Streets.The north/south road shall be broken by

the central park feature both to promotetraffic calming and to maximize openspace. All secondary streets shall beprivate with public access easements

placed in them.

Tertiary streets shall provide internal

access for individual phases of thedevelopment. All tertiary streets shall beprivate with public access easements

placed over them and where appropriate,the streetscape may incorporate unique

design elements such as specialty paving,awnings and landscaping to create settingsfor particular buildings.

Street names, as shown are i llustratives.Final names will be approved by ArlingtonCounty.

Streets shall be classified as primary, secondary,

and tertiary.

Legend:

Primary streetSecondary street

Tertiary street

Pedestrian connections

Bike Lane

Two-way street

One-way street

Parking entrance

Service entrance

Residential entrance

P

SR



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16METROPOLITAN PARK

CIRCULATION

12th, 13th , 14th and Elm Streets shall be

constructed through the property to provideaccess for the development, and to break up thecurrent superblock so that access through it is

enhanced.

Sidewalks shall be provided along both sides ofstreets, and around/through parks, with other

pedestrian passageways provided as appropriateto enhance access into and through the site.

Parking along both sides of the streets will be

provided to the extent possible to accommodateshort term visitors and retail customers, and topromote traffic calming as a means of enhancingthe pedestrian experience. Parking on both

sides of project streets may reduce the amountof park acreage.

A bike lane shall be provided along 15th street.

Residential, Parking, Service

Residential buildings shall have majorentrances on interior secondary and tertiarystreets, with dual access to primary streets as

depicted on the exhibit (opposite page).

Parking and service entrances shall be limitedto tertiary streets and non-park-frontagesecondary streets.

Residential service and loading will be handledinside the building and managed so as to avoid

blocking the street.

Sufficient parking reserved for commercialusers shall be provided in each phase of thedevelopment. In Phases 3 and 4, commercial

parking will be consolidated to facilitateconvenient access to all spaces by customers.Construction will be completed in the phasewith which the parking spaces are associated.

ENTRANCES

Vehicular, Pedestrian, Bicycle

The following improvements shall be made to enhancevehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle circulation:



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17

Phased DevelopmentBuildings, Streets and Open Space

Legend:

Street construction to beimplemented with current phase

Street construction to beimplemented with previous phase

SouthFernStr

eet

Alley

SouthEadsStr

eet

15thStreet

Existing condition Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4

Phase 5 Phase 6 Phase 7 Phase 8 Proposed buildout withnew street grid pattern

12thSt.

13thSt.

14thSt.

15thSt.

SouthFern

St.

WestElmSt.

EastElmS

t.

ElmSt.

ElmSt.

SouthEadsSt.



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12th Street Extended and 15th Street

Key Map

12th Street**View Looking West

**Streets shall be officially designated 12thStreet South and15thStreet South per the adopted Transportation Plan.



STREET SECTIONS


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20METROPOLITAN PARK

STREET SECTIONS

South Fern and South Eads Streets

South Eads Street

View Looking North

South Fern StreetView Looking North



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Key Map

Elm and 14th Streets

14th Street (at Phase 1)**View Looking West

14th Street (at Phases 6-7)**View Looking West

**Streets shall be officially designated South Elm Street and14thStreet South per the adopted Transportation Plan.

Elm Street**View Looking North


STREET SECTIONS


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22METROPOLITAN PARK

STREET SECTIONS

13th Street


**Street shall be officially designated 13thStreet Southper the adopted Transportation Plan.

Planting at building base

Alternate: Hardscape up to building base



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West and East Elm Streets

Key Map

West Elm Street**View Looking North

East Elm Street**View Looking North

** West Elm Street shall be officially designated South Fair Street and East ElmStreet shall be designated South Elm Street, per the adopted Transportation Plan.


STREET SECTIONS


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24METROPOLITAN PARK

STREET SECTIONS

Typical Tertiary Streets

Typical Tertiary Street Section (at Phase 1)**West Elm Street View Looking West

**The Phase 1/Phase 7/Phase 8 tertiary street will be officiallydesignated 14thRoad South per the adopted Transportation Plan.

The Phase 3/Phase 4/Phase 5 tertiary street will be officiallydesignated 12thRoad South per the adopted Transportation Plan.



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Pathway Hierarchy

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Central Green

Central Green


OPEN SPACE


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26METROPOLITAN PARK

A Central Green shall be designed as acontinuously accessible ground plane made upof large and small open space components witha prominent north/south pedestrian connectionthat helps to organize the open space. Asresidential build-out occurs and community

needs are assessed, this portion of the park maybe programmed for a variety of active andpassive recreation. Large and small open spaceareas shall therefore be sized to accommodate

outdoor community gatherings, more active usessuch as frisby toss and impromptu ball games

with friends and family, recreation alternatives forsmall children, and passive uses such as sitting,strolling, and reading. A tot lot shall beincorporated into the open space plan.

Smaller parks to the north, south and east of the

central green shall be designed as integral partsof the residential components with which they areassociated while at the same time providing an

extension both visually and physically to theCentral Green.

Open space within the core of the project shall compriseapproximately 2 acres, be open to the public and be

designed to accommodate a variety of passive andmore active uses.

Landscaped courtyards located throughout theremaining areas of the site shall be designed to

enhance the pedestrian experience either visually in thecase of private courtyards or physically wherepedestrians are expected to pass by on their way toother destination points.

Public plaza space will be incorporated into thedevelopment as appropriate, either within the Central

Green or along primary street frontage.

All parks shall be designed to accommodate focal/public

art features.

Typical Residential Park

Walkways Inside Park Areas

Landscape Plan



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PUBLIC ART


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28METROPOLITAN PARK

Examples Of Public Art

A public art concept plan shall be developed forMetropolitan Park, coordinated with the County

Arts Commission, and approved by the County.At the time of approval of a final site plan foreach phase, a contribution shall be made towardfulfilling the concept plan, either in the form of

actual art or a monetary contribution to helpprovide public art in a later phase of the project.In anticipation of the development by others of apublic art plan for the 10 acres located to thenorth of 12th Street-extended, a portion ofMetropolitan Parks total public art contribution

may be allocated to art endeavors on thisadjacent parcel if such is determined to beappropriate during the art master planningprocess .

A public art consultant shall be retained todevelop the concept plan. Public art features

may include sculpture, fountains, specialtypaving or building details that have beenspecifically designed to promote art in the publiceye.

Consideration shall be given to location of public

art in relation to urban plazas, parks andpedestrian connections that are within the

development or along its periphery.


Building heights shall vary soas to add interest to the skyline


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The building base shall relate to the adjacentstreet and sidewalk and be scaled to enhance

the pedestrian experience. The base may becharacterized by light-colored masonry materialswith a darker water-table and an articulatedfaade for first floor residential uses, and the

addition of windowed facades for ground floorretail uses. Cornices may be used to differentiatethe building base from the shaft. First floor heightshall be a minimum of 18 feet .

The shaft may be designed as a darker f ield with

lighter accents so as to reinforce vertical andhorizontal rhythms of the architecture and break

the scale of the building.

The building crown shall define the building atthe skyline and shall incorporate as appropriatearchitectural elements to create a memorableimage.

Height and Massing

The project site shall be organized around 3, 22-story

buildings which will serve as anchors and referencepoints to the various phases in the development.

Buildings shall generally taper with height variation andsetbacks as they approach streets, to provide variety at

the street level, to compliment established developmenton opposite sides of public streets and to enhance openspaces within the project. The principle for tapering upfrom existing low rise residential will be adhered to, and

used where appropriate to enhance open space areas.The height of individual buildings shall be determined ona phase by phase basis once overall project density hasbeen established by the County under an amended

PDSP allocation. Height maximums shall be asindicated on the Framework Plan.

Individual buildings shall follow massing and stylistic

strategies of traditional classical buildings, such as thedivision into base, shaft, and crown. Building materialand color may vary from building to building so as toprovide variety.

as to add interest to the skyline

Building shall taper and step back fromthe streets, to provide variety at the streetlevel, compliment nearby established uses andenhance open space within the development

Three tall buildings in the core of thesite shall serve as organizing elementsand shall compliment established highrise residential development to the east

The building base willactivate the streetscape

and will be scaledto enhance the pedestrian

experience


BUILDING GUIDELINES


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30METROPOLITAN PARK

Street level residential shall feature individual

entrances, views of courtyard open space and /or building articulation, to animate the faade and

add interest to the streetscape.

Street level commercial shall feature largewindowed retail space with awnings and/orsignage that varies with the commercial use.

Architectural Elements

First floor facades shall be articulated to enliven the

street and enhance the pedestrian experience.

Where balconies are provided, they shall be designedas an integral component of the faade.

Mechanical systems shall either be internalized withinthe building or be carefully designed to blend into thebuilding faade.

Materials

Masonry (l ight and dark brick) with cast stonedetailing shall be the predominant building

material. The palette of materials may alsoinclude Rockcast, Precast, Arriscraft, pre-formedarchitectural details, and natural stone.

Windows shall be aluminum or steel in thefollowing configurations: casement, double hung,single hung, or slider. Color will be metallic orpainted to accent the architecture.

Balconies shall have articulated rails or low wallsused in conjunction with a metal railing system.

Loading doors shall be a solid metal horizontal

slat door, painted to blend with the color of thebuilding. Garage doors shall be solid metal orhorizontal bar style designed to blend with thebuilding faade.

Base

Shaft

Crown

Cornice

Cornice


Ground Floor Retail Characteristics

Approximately 100 000 square feet of ground floor


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Approximately 100,000 square feet of ground floorretail space shall be located along Metropolitan

Parks South Fern Street and 12 th Street frontage.Storefronts shall be readily identifiable, anddifferentiation among tenants through individualsignage and storefront design shall be encouraged.The street faade shall be composed as a simple

plane with limited jogs and inclination interruptedonly by streets, pedestrian arcades providingaccess to the interior of the development, and lobbyaccess for designated residential buildings.

The maximum floor to floor story height l imitfor the ground floor shall be 24 feet.

The ground floor faade shall have between

60 and 90 percent fenestration (glass doorsshall count toward this requirement),

measured as a percentage of the faade thatis between 2 and 10 feet above the frontingsidewalk.

Awnings and overhangs will be encouraged.Where such is provided:

There must be a minimum clear height of10 feet above the sidewalk.

Awnings shall be made of canvas cloth orequivalent, metal or glass.

Quarter cylinder configurations shall be

discouraged. Windows and doors

Windows shall be made of anodizedaluminum, wood, clad wood, vinyl, or steel.

Window glass shall be clear or tinted. Noreflective glass shall be utilized. Specialtywindows may utilize stained, opalescent, orglass block but shall not be a predominantfeature.

Doors shall be made of wood, clad wood,steel, glass, aluminum and shall match or

compliment the storefront windows. There shall be functioning entry door(s)

along the street faade at intervals notgreater than 80 feet.

Recognizing the communitys desire toencourage commercial which helps to sustainthe residential development, the developer willprepare a Retail Attraction and Marketing Plan(RAMP) and will encourage professional offices(such as doctors and dentists) to locate within

the first floor retail areas. Ground floor commercial space in Phases 2

through 8 shall be serviced by loading facilitiesthat are internal to the building.


BUILDING GUIDELINES


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32METROPOLITAN PARK

Wall signs will be permitted within an area

between the second story floor line and the firstfloor ceiling, within a horizontal band not toexceed three feet in height. In no case shall thisband be higher than 20 feet or lower than 12 feetabove the adjacent sidewalk.

Letters shall not exceed 24 inches in height or

width and 8 inches in relief.

Company logos or names may be placed withinthe horizontal band noted above, or placed or

painted within ground floor windows. Companylogos or names shall not be larger than 9 squarefeet.

Street addresses shall be placed at street entrydoors using 6 inch tall non-cursive type letteringthat no less than 6 tall, unless otherwise

determined by County requirements.

Shop signs (not more than 18 inches vertical by3 feet horizontal with a minimum of 9 foot clearheight above the sidewalk) may be wall mountedor hung from an overhang or awning.

If lettering is applied to an awning, it shall belimited to the vertically hanging fabric on the curbside of the awning.

Awning shall not have internal il lumination.

Prohibited signs shall include billboards,marquees, any kind of animation, roof andpainted window signs (other than company

logos), flat plexiglas box signs, and signs paintedon the exterior walls of buildings. No flashing,traveling, animated, or intermittent lighting shallbe on the exterior of any building whether such

lighting is of temporary or long-term duration.Temporary sandwich board type signage shall

be permitted as long as a minimum clearsidewalk width of 8 feet exists.

Signage

Individual signs for residential buildings will be approvedwith each 4.1 site plan application. A temporarywayfinding sign package shall be developed and shall

remain in place until all secondary streets have been

completed. Signage for the commercial portion of thedevelopment shall comply with the following guidelines:



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LANDSCAPE GUIDELINES


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34METROPOLITAN PARK

Streetscape Feature

Streetscapes shall be designed to provide a safe meansof pedestrian circulation, easy access to buildings and

amenities within the development and linkages to thegreater Pentagon City community. Streetscape

conditions may vary, adding to the pedestrianexperience. However, consistency in sidewalk width,street tree species, tree pit details, and paving pattern

details shall be maintained along individual streets.

Street trees and ground plane planting shall beprovided between sidewalks and street curbs to

soften the interface between pedestrians andvehicles.

Buildings shall meet the sidewalk along retail

facades.

Planting areas may be provided at the base ofresidential buildings where individual unitentrances, stoops, etc. exist, so as to soften andenrich the streetscape and enhance theresidential character of the street.

Street furniture such as benches and trashreceptacles shall be provided along streets and

within parks. Street furniture design may vary

within the development. Benches, lighting (perArlington County standards) and trashreceptacles provided along the retail edges of

South Fern and 12th Streets may differ, forinstance, from those provided along the moreresidential perimeter streets of 15th and SouthEads Streets. Yet another street furniture

package may be appropriate for park settingsand building entrances situated along secondaryand tertiary streets within Metropolitan Park.

Consistency shall be maintained, however, alongindividual streets and within individual parkcomponents.



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Pedestrian Arcade Detail

PedestrianArcades

Pedestrian Arcades will have a minimum height of 14 feet and will be lighted in accordance with

Arlington County standards with wall sconces, down lighting, ceiling fixtures or some combinationthereof. Arcade walls will be treated with the same building materials thatare specified for other public portions of the building face.




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38METROPOLITAN PARK

Crosswalk Plan

Note: Overall pedestrian circulation system is illustrated on page 5. Crosswalks



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Plant Materials Quality and Size


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40METROPOLITAN PARK

Plant Materials Quality and Size

All plant material and methods of installation shall be inaccordance with Arlington County standards and as set

forth in this design manual. Plants shall be nursery-grown and specified in accordance with the latest

edition of the American Standard for Nursery Stock(American Association of Nurserymen), ANSI Z60.1.Plants shall be true to species and variety, unless

specifically noted otherwise, and shall be sound,healthy, vigorous, well branched and densely foliatedwhen in leaf. Unless otherwise specified, street treesshall be a minimum of 4 to 4-1/2 caliper and spaced

approximately 30 on center.

Plant Materials and Soil Over StructurePlanting over structure shall be in accordance withArlington County standards and as set forth in this

design manual. Soil depth for trees shall be a minimumof four (4) feet, with one (1) foot of drain rock below anddrainage as required. Required soil depth may beaccomplished through mounding (where possible and/orpractical), depressing/folding the structural slab,constructing retaining walls not to exceed 30 in height,

or a combination of these methods. Soil mix shall be in

accordance with Arlington County standards and as setforth in this design manual. Root enhancementpractices (such as amended soil panels, root paths

and/or structural soil) shall be specified by County stafffor street tree plantings.



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Streetscape Plantings Primary and Secondary Park AreasSuggested Plant Species


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42METROPOLITAN PARK

Streetscape Plantings:

Deciduous Street Trees (canopy/shade trees)

Acer rubrum Red Sunset (Red Sunset Maple)

Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis Skyline (Skyline Honeylocust)Platanus acerifolia Bloodgood ( Bloodgood Londonplane Tree)

Quercus coccinea (Scarlet Oak)

Quercus imbricaria (Shingle Oak)

Quercus lyrata Highbeam (Highbeam Overcup Oak)

Quercus phellos Hightower(Hightower Willow Oak)

Quercus rubra (Red Oak)

Tilia cordata (Littleleaf Linden)

Tilia tomentosa (Silver Linden)Ulmus parvifolia Bosque (Bosque Lacebark Elm)

Ulmus parvifolia Allee (Alee Lacebark Elm)

Zelkova serrata Green Vase (Japanese Zelkova)

Tree pit groundcover plantings

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry)

Gaultheria procumbens (Wintergreen)

Hypericum calycinum (Aaronsbeard St. Johnswort)Juniperus horizontalis cultivars (creeping junipers)

Liriope muscari (Lilyturf)

Primary and Secondary Park Areas:

Deciduous Ornamental/Understory Trees

Amelanchier canadensis (Serviceberry)

Lagerstroemia indica (Crape Myrtle)Prunus x. yedoensis (Yoshino Cherry)

ShrubsAzalea cultivars and hybrids

Cotoneaster dammeri (Bearberry cotoneaster)

Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly)

Ilex glabra (Inkberry)

Ilex x meserveae Blue Princess (Meserve hybrid Holly)

Juniperus chinensis Sargentii (Sargent Juniper)Prunus Laurocerasus (Cherry Laurel)

Taxus baccata Repandens (Repandens Yew)

Taxus x media Densiformis (Dense Yew)

Pedestrian Alley in Central Green:

Canopy Trees

See street tree list, plus:

Acer rubrum Armstrong (Columnar Red Maple)

Magnolia grandiflora Greenback (Columnar Southern Magnolia)

Evergreen Trees

Metasequoia glyptostroboides (Dawn Redwood)

gg p


Street Furniture Illustrative: Benches and


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Tables



Street Furniture Illustrative: Lighting and


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Trash Receptacles


Documents

Final Metro Park Designs Guidelines