8.1 SR 10-18-2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Neighborhood Commercial Neighborhoods in the far northeast and northwest of the city should have greater access to goods and services. New neighborhood commercial development should be strategically located at major intersections in primarily residential areas that would benefit from having additional commercial options nearby. Neighborhood commercial uses should include local -serving commercial that provide surrounding residents with daily goods and services like specialty food stores, daycares, or cafes. Neighborhood commercial should also be designed to knit into the fabric of the neighborhood with connections to local sidewalks and trails, "360-degree" architecture that is attractive from all sides, and buildings and parking located in a manner that minimizes impacts to adjacent homes. While still auto -oriented, neighborhood commercial development should also be easily accessed by pedestrians and have a smaller scale as compared to commercial development along the Highway 169 or Highway 10 corridors. Update Land Development Regulations The character of neighborhood commercial development should be very different than highway business uses. The desired type of development in neighborhood commer- cial areas fits neatly within the city's C-1 Central Business District zoning category in that it should be contextual to the character of surrounding developments. However, neighborhood commercial should not be limited to only the historic central business district, core area of the city. Rather, neighborhood commercial should be permitted in all areas of the city. Since the C-1 Central Business District is potentially redundant with the DD Downtown District, the city should consider repositioning the C-1 Central Business District to include language about integrating commercial into residential neighborhoods. Another approach to accommodate neighborhood commercial uses is to create a new zoning district that applies exclusively to this type of development. Create Design Standards for Neighborhood Commercial The city should establish design standards to direct the scale, appearance, orientation, and overall character of new neighborhood commercial areas. The design stan- dards should discourage cookie -cutter design and require architecture that is contextual to the surrounding residen- tial neighborhood. Contextual architecture should take into consideration the bulk and massing of adjacent buildings and improve facades with articulation and design details like cornices, transoms, window hoods, bulk heads, and masonry piers. These standards should support creating pedestrian -oriented developments that provide side- walk and trail connections to neighboring subdivisions. The design standards should be easy to understand and provide direction on how to enhance Elk River's image and identity. Example: Neighborhood commercial context sensitive Dunkin Donuts 6o Economic Development Plan • Elk River Comprehensive Plan 191:7_\arri7:1:1: LVAl�ViVKi701WO