Livingston Commons – Evaluate Median Landscaping vs. Hardscaping and Sidewalk Width.

Meeting Date: March 18, 2014

Agenda Item #11. Livingston Commons – Evaluate Median Landscaping vs. Hardscaping and Sidewalk Width.

Note from TheGardeningSnail: Parts of this page may have been prepared by running a PDF file through a program that converts Image to Print. So there may be a few textual Gremlins that have slipped in. I may also have broken up some of the longer paragraphs, for easier reading.

STAFF REPORT

AGENDA ITEM: Livingston Commons -Evaluate Median Landscaping vs. Hardscaping and Sidewalk Width

MEETING DATE: March 18, 2014

PREPARED BY: Mario B. Gouveia, City Engineer REVIEWED BY: Jose Antonio Ramirez, City Manager

RECOMMENDATION:

Council to provide direction to Staff. BACKGROUND:

Off-site improvement plans for the Livingston Commons development have been submitted to the City for review and include proposed sidewalk improvements fronting the development on "B" Street and Winton Parkway and a raised median on Winton Parkway.

The existing raised median on Winton Parkway (see attached photo) is landscaped.

The proposed median is hardscaped with concrete. The proposed sidewalk is 5-foot wide while existing sidewalk on the West side of Winton Parkway (T/A and O’Reilly Auto Parts) is I O-foot wide and existing sidewalk to the North of the development (Jack in the Box) is 5-foot wide. The City’s sidewalk detail for commercial sidewalk is 10-foot wide.

DISCUSSION:

Raised Median – Landscaping vs. Hardscaping

Landscaped medians provide a more defined visual and physical barrier between vehicular traffic in opposite directions. Landscaped medians are also often considered more aesthetically pleasing than hardscaped ones. Landscaped medians require maintenance of landscaping and landscape irrigation and require a small amount of water and power to operate. Hardscaped medians are virtually maintenance free.

Sidewalks

Existing sidewalks near the project are 5-foot and IO-foot wide. The sidewalk contiguous with Livingston Commons is 5-foot wide. Previous improvement plan submittals for Livingston Commons were reviewed by the City and no comments were made regarding the width of sidewalks, despite not meeting City Standards. At this stage of design, widening of sidewalks will require significant modifications to the project along "B" Street and Winton Parkway.

FISCAL IMPACT:

None. ATTACHMENTS:

1. Sidewalk Detail DWG No. SCG2

2. Median and Sidewalk Photo