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Memo-Blake Road Streetscape Concept t:;,\ . . . " MEMO To: . City Council Nancy Anderson October 2,2003 Blake Road Streetscape Concept From: Date: Subject: Attached is the Blake Road Streetscape Concept. This was done along with the East End Study. This concept gives various streetscape elements for different sections of Blake Road. The streetscape concept has not changed since the Commission reviewed it several months ago. The streetscape does create many challenges in the terms of right-of-way needs for the implementation of a streetscape. But, when Blake Road is upgraded in the future, this concept can be used as a basis for a streetscape design. The Zoning and Planning Commission unanimously recommended approving the Blake Road Streetscape Concept to the City Council. The City Council's action is to recommend approval of the Blake Road Streetscape Concept. ;; . Blake Road Streetscape Concept Report Summary - September 30, 2003 In 2001 Hoisington Koegler Group began the East Hopkins Land Use and Market Study, a plan that explores development alternatives in an area adjacent to Excelsior Boulevard and Blake Road. In conjunction with this Land Use Study, the City of Hopkins asked HKGi to explore a range of possibilities for upgrading the character of Blake Road as it passes along the eastern edge ofthe City between Excelsior Blvd. and Highway 7. The City has recently undertaken efforts to improve streetscapes on several of its more prominent streets, and Blake Road certainly qualifies as an important street within the City's hierarchy. As development pressures in the area continue to mount and system- wide traffic volumes continue to increase, the pressure for Blake Road to accommodate a variety of uses increases, as does the potential for this street to present an attractive face ofthe community along its eastern edge. . With limited space for improvements and presumably a limited budget with which to work~ the potential impacts of several issues and opportunities had to be evaluated. Sidewalks occur only sporadically along the corridor, and little if any land is available behind sidewalks in which to make aesthetic improvements. Frequent curb cuts make for unsafe conditions for pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Large overhead lighting gives the corridor more of a highway feeling than that of a city street in a fairly dense neighborhood. And Minnehaha Creek passes beneath Blake Road virtually unnoticed today. Through the use of an informal community survey and several meetings with stakeholders and City staff, HKGi created and refined several concepts that addressed the challenges and opportunities presented by the corridor. The final concept combines elements familiar from streetscape projects found elsewhere in the community with spatial solutions unique to this corridor. Limited space and budget will make implementation challenging, but this plan represents a framework upon which future streetscape planning efforts can be built. ... . . . : ~; 'l: ' , -' " . I, 1 _ ~~;-' <~:..< ~ r-" I I ~ ~ "of, ',) , ,~, .. :tIJI / Blake Road Streetscape Concept City of Hopkins, Minnesota April 2003 prepared by Hoisington Koegler Group, Ine. 123 North 3rd Street Suite 1 00 Minneapolis, MN 55401 INTRODUCTION . In 200 I, Hoisington Koegler Group (HKGi) was retained to explore land use alternatives associated with redevelopment in an area of Hopkins adjacent to Blake Road and Excelsior Boulevard. In conjunction with this Land Use Study, the City of Hopkins asked HKGi to explore a range of possibilities for upgrading the character of Blake Road as it passes along the eastern edge of the City and the Study Area. The City has recently undertaken efforts to improve streetscapes on several of its more important streets, and the feeling is that Blake Road certainly qualifies as an important street within the City's hierarchy. As development pressures mount in the area and system-wide traffic volumes continue to climb, the pressure for Blake Road to accommodate a variety of uses increases. As the volume of use increases, so too does the opportunity for this street to present an attractive face of ,the community along this, its eastern edge. The area of Blake Road affected by this study lies between the intersection with Highway 7 on the north and Excelsior Boulevard on the south. The purpose of this study is two-fold: It is intended to detemune what enhancements can be accomplished within a limited amount of physical space and within a limited budget. Additionally, it is intended to detemune what, if anything, are those most directly involved with Blake Road--business and property owners--interested in seeing happen along the corridor, and to what degree are these stakeholders willing to participate financially. ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES . The biggest constraint to potential improvements along Blake Road is the amount of available right-of-way within which improvements can be undertaken. There is seldom an abundance of excess right-of-way beyond the back of the curb and there are frequently clear zones and other restrictions limiting what can be done in this zone, particularly when the roadway in question is a state or county highway, as is the case with Blake Road (Hennepin County 20). Other factors limiting what can be done include existing land uses, frequency of curb cuts (driveways,) traffic volumes, and availability of financial resources. Nonetheless, opportunities do exist within this corridor to create amenities that are at once unique to Blake Road and recognizable as being part of the broader community of Hopkins. Part of the objective of this study is to determine how best to configure the corridor in order to maximize its potential as a mover of peop Ie in all fonus, and to enhance the identity of this part of Hopkins by seizing on the unique qualities that it can offer the community. BLAKE ROAD STREETS CAPE CONCEPT Hopkins, Minnesota Page 1 . . Early in the process, the City conducted an informal survey of property owners along Blake Road, and several items of concern emerged. Some specific items the study is intended to address include: Aesthetics - As an important street within the Hopkins street network and one at the community's edge where it also acts as a gateway of sorts, Blake Road is not very attractive in its present fonn. Accommodation of pedestrian traffic - With a number of higher density housing units in the area, the proximity of public transit and pedestrian destinations at either end, (eg. Knollwood Mall and its surrounding commercial), the corridor serves as an important pedestrian link in the neighborhood and its pedestrian features are currently grossly underdeveloped. This observation is reinforced by the existence of impromptu "cow paths" where sidewalks don't exist, yet people still walk along the corridor. Improving access to Minnehaha Creek - Passing beneath Blake Road virtually unnoticed is one of the most important waterways in the Metropolitan region, Minnehaha Creek. While grades preclude any sort of direct connection of a public nature at Blake, making a visual connection would help remind those travelling along Blake that the creek is there. Continued accommodation of vehicular traffic - While improving access for other forms of transportation is important, the primary function of Blake Road will continue to be moving cars and trucks through tlle corridor safely and efficiently. An impromptu path created bJ pedestrians along Blake Roal underscores the need for pedestrial amenitiefJ BLAKE ROAD STREETSCAPE CONCEPT Hopkins, Minnesota Page 2 . EXISTING CONDITIONS . 't\\~h~';Y 7 !.....~- ( ',("',.:. ~' i f . i N O.R T If ~ i ;: rJ'!l r I1_. :'~"~l" ~.;.. ~l' r i f----tl' , l.'~~,'----~i I ' , 1 '11, I' -1 d ,~ .. " ~'" ~,i: \ ~J\ t ~J..r . 1/ I f -,,' . , .., 1\ . ,- -~ ",~ ~ .: 1 . '. 11 t, > l' . .n, I / , .., --'- / ./ ,-' \~~cc\,\pt -' ------~ ----- ---_.____---l ': ";~i;;f'j , J ::) ~.i~if~;) f i \ I ! ! . nh'L~! BLAKE ROAD STREETSCAPE CONCEPT Hopkins, Minnesota Page 3 . PRELIMINARY CONCEPTS Preliminary streetscape concepts recognized the fact that Blake Road is not the sanle along its length, and that opportunities and lnnitations would vary depending on where concepts were being tested within the corridor. Study of the corridor suggested that the Blake Road corridor could be brolcen into three different street types. The segment on the far north end is where the greatest traffic levels exist, where the busiest cOlmnercial exists, and where the highest volume of pedestrian traffic exists. This segment, therefore, was identified as a "Main Street" segment of the study area. Just south of this segl11ent, traffic volumes (both vehicular and pedestrian) drop slightly, but the scale and density of developlnent, as well as the amount of available right-of-way is still distinctly urban; this segment was identified as an , "Urban~' ,streetscape segment. South of the Urban seglnent, tIle street takes 01.1 a Inore suburban feel, witll greater distances between building frontages and more green spaces. This segment was identified as a "Boulevard" segment. At the far south end of the study area, density of development and volumes and patterns of traffic again suggest a much busier street life. This area was designated as a second "Main Street" segment. . A unique level of improvement is applied to each unique streetscape type, but the pallette of 111aterials and patterns maintains a consistency throughout the length of the study area. The resulting street corridor should feel united along its lengtll, yet respond to the varying levels of life and activity within different zones of the corridor. A description of the elelllents included in each street type follows. . A. "MAIN STREET" STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS BOULEVARD - (6'-8', turfwith shrubs and perennials) STREET TREES - (tight spacing, in 1/2 tree grates at back of boulevard) SIDEWALK - (8', with banding of concrete pavers and/or colored concrete, nlatch elsewhere in Hopkins) APRONS - (concrete to match sidewalks) STREET LIGHTS - (16'-18' tall, tight spacing, matell ornamental street lights elsewhere in Hopkins) BENCHES & TRASH RECEPTACLES - (match those found elsewhere in Hopkins) BRICK PIERS & ORNAMENTAL METAL FENCE - (separate public from private, matcll elsewhere in Hopkins) FLOWER PLANTINGS - (in boulevard and in space between public walk and building) . . . . . . . r- I f~. .- ! BLAKE ROAD STREETSCAPE CONCEPT Hopkins, Minnesota Page 4 . B. "URBAN" STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS BOULEVARD - (none) STREET TREES - (tight spacing, in tree grates) SIDEWALK - (10', with banding of eon crete pavers and/or colored concrete, match elsewhere in Hopkins) APRONS - (concrete to match sidewalks) STREET LIGHTS - (16'-18,' tall, dense spacing, matell omalnental street lights elsewhere in Hopkins) BENCHES & TRASH RECEPTACLES - (lnatch those found elsewhere in Hopkins) ORNAMENTAL METAL FENCE - (at back of walk, nlatcll,elsewhere in Hopkins) , FLOWER PLANTINGS - (in space between public walk and building) . c. "BOULEVARD STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS BOULEVARD - (5', with shrubs and perennials) STREET TREES - (wider spacing, in boulevard) . . · SIDEWALK - (6', Wit11 banding of concrete pavers and/or colored concrete, Inatch elsewhere in Hopkins) · APRONS - (concrete to Inatch sidewalks) · STREET LIGHTS - (16'-18' tall, wider spacing, Inatch ornamental street lights elsewhere in Hopkins) · BENCHES & TRASH RECEPTACLES - (none) · BRICK PIERS & ORNAMENTAL METAL FENCE - (none) · FLOWER PLANTINGS - (in boulevard and in any space between walk and building or parking areas) . ~ BLAKE ROAD STREETSCAPE CONCEPT Hopkins, Minnesota Page 5 STREETSCAPE ELEMENTS While a number of different events, such as the creek overlooks or plaza intersections where important streets meet, punctuate travel through the corridor, the basic building blocks or elements that make up the streetscape remain the same. A pallette of materials such as common streetlights, benches, street trees etc...will help unify the corridor, while the patterns in which these elements are applied to each of the street types within the area will help distinguish the different segments of Blake Road. For example, the same streetlight would be used in each of the three street types, but spacing within the "Main Street" segment would be much more dense to reflect a more dense pattern of usa gel development. This strategy also relates to the speed at which the various components will be experienced. If a car is travelling more quickly near the middle of the study area, st~eetscape improvements in that segment should be directed at someone moving much faster than the pedestrians in the "Main Street" segments. So too should financial resources be more concentrated in the areas in which usage is concentrated. .. v '" ,. ... . FINAL STREETSCAPE CONCEPT/STRATEGIES . The final concept design takes advantage of opportunities where they exist and attempts to create opportunities where tlley do not currently exist. If, for example, there is room outside the right-of-way, the concept pushes the sidewalk further from the street and creates more of a planted buffer between pedestrians and vehicles. Where sufficient room doesn't exist within the right-of-way, the concept suggests planting easements on private property. Materials are consistent throughout and sidewalks and decorative street lighting are located throughout, yet different features like special paving at intersections, carefully placed flower gardens, and overlooks at the creeks punctuate a trip along Blake and differentiate between various points BLAKE ROAD STREETSCAPE CONCEPT Hopkins, Minnesota Page 6 . FINAL CONCEPT . til&4 / ,~..O' \ \ \ \ \ .\ . ''\, \, H'tl.... llN O\IIIIDf:ROW Ill'UOHfI..~ ."'e:tMO.IHIWITMElIIlATn Yd. ~.tCOflilfa~ourwmt ........ "0'" DflfYIWAY Al'ROHt NIl) CItOSIWAU(ll ,'1 , I '14 ~EC:IPTACl(llNClDOI1AL. ,: [' I I ; , ! i ____. ___---1 j __.. : : I I (,- Concept Dit1lCSigmmt 2 r.tel' 'L -. ---_._-_._-~ Concept Dew!. Segment J . ''',Ul' . l L~ ._J O'U'''MIEHTAlITll: 1ll4I<is=r'8" ">:..:.:. ~'::, _u.__.___L BLAKE ROAD STREETSCAPE CONCEPT Hopkins, Minnesota Page 7 . , along the street. The result would be a Blake Road corridor much different than it exists today. The street would project an identity that is at once unique and recognizable as being part of Hopkins. (OST ESTIMATE While these numbers are at best very preliminary, it is important that a basic understanding of the costs associated with streetscape improvments be understood. The following is a cost estimate based on projects of similar scope recently constructed. Blake Road Streetscape Concept Hopkins, MN Preliminary Cost Extimate - September 16, 2002 *this estimate does not include any necessary utility improvements or R.O.W. acqui item unit latv. 1 unit cost total :'_ ..: ~a~!::~.tr~_el~~~I?~ ' , " Tota/ ' ' , .... ,$~~7.!~Pl)!J:. .~. -.. 57,0001 cone. pvmt @ sidewalk/apron sf $4,00 $228,000.00 ornamental street light ea 56 $3,500.00 $196,000.00 shade tree ea 116 $400.00 $46,400.00 tree grate ea 25 $700.00 $17,500.00 tree grate (half) ea 40 $400.00 $16,000.00 turf sy 3,100 $3.00 $9,300.00 1 perennial bed sf 5,600 $15.00 $84,000.00 bench ea 20 $1,000.00 $20,000.00 trash receptacle ea 20 $1,000.00 I $20,000.00 ,,:., ~C1it!onalAJjlen-me~:---- ,- ~T' ,- ~ p - ;F . -". 'Tatar- ----: _0 $310:~oo6.oo" I [creek overlook@bridge !Iump . 21 $50,000,001 ffoo;ooo',OO Ilandscaped median If 18001 $150.00 $270,000.00 BLAKE ROAD STREETSCAPE CONCEPT Hopkins, Minnesota Page 8