20.640.020 Applicability.
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A. Purpose. Establishment of Boundaries. In general, the Columbia River to the south, Interstate 5 to the west, Fourth Plain Boulevard to the north and East Reserve Street to the east define the plan area, as illustrated in Figure 20.640-1.
B. Zoning designation. Property within the Vancouver Central Park Plan District is primarily zoned Vancouver Central Park Mixed-Use (CPX). The CPX zoning designation enables development in accordance to the adopted policies of the Central Park Plan, Fort Vancouver National Historic Site General Management Plan, Vancouver National Historic Reserve Cooperative Management Plan, and the Vancouver National Historic Reserve Long Range Plan and as covered by the Comprehensive Plan Ordinance and map (see Ordinance M-3865, M-2184 and Ordinance M-2295).
Properties zoned Park or Community Commercial within the Vancouver Central Park Plan District shall comply with their respective code requirements and the development standards and guidelines under VMC 20.640.020(D) as well as the development standards and guidelines under each of the respective conservation districts. The CX zoned properties shall comply with all CX code requirements, the Downtown Design Guidelines, and the development standards and guidelines under VMC 20.640.020(D). If there is a conflict, the most restrictive shall apply.
C. Conservation Districts. There are four identified conservation districts within the larger Vancouver Central Park Plan District. This chapter includes sections specific to each Conservation District that include: Officers Row (20.640.030), Historic Reserve (20.640.040), Education and Recreation (20.640.050), and the Social and Health Services Conservation District (20.640.060).
D. Development Guidelines and Standards. Development in the Vancouver Central Park District shall comply with the following design guidelines and standards:
1. Gateways at Interstate-5. The four major street intersections at Interstate 5 that include: Columbia Way, Evergreen Street, Mill Plain Boulevard, and Fourth Plain Boulevard are essential east/west connections that should be enhanced to act as prominent gateways that unify Vancouver Central Park Plan District and the Vancouver City Center. These prominent locations shall include design elements that provide a safe and welcoming environment, unify the east and west sides of I-5, and create gateways that announce the arrival to Central Park to visitors and residents in all modes of travel. New connections between Vancouver Central Park Plan District and Vancouver’s City Center shall also be made when any realignments and/or upgrades are added to I-5. Design elements shall include, but are not limited to the following:
a. Special gateway plantings. A gateway planting shall be required and shall include, in addition to required street trees: 1) small groves of native evergreen trees such as Douglas fir, Western Red Cedar, and Grand Fir, in groupings of three, five or seven and, 2) under-story or smaller ornamental trees, shrubs, and groundcover plantings that display year round seasonal color. Groves shall be located to create a gateway appearance at the major I-5/street intersections listed above. Additionally, public art work or special gateway structures subject to the City of Vancouver’s Public Art Policy may be integrated into the gateway plantings. The City Urban Forester or the Parks Design Division shall approve gateway plantings.
b. Full multimodal access between Vancouver Central Park Plan District and the Vancouver City Center shall be provided including a pedestrian bridge over I-5 at 7th Street and a freeway park (lid) over I-5 at Evergreen Boulevard.
c. Way finding features subject to VMC 20.960.
2. Great Streets. The intention of a “great street” is to provide full multimodal facilities that include equally safe access for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and drivers. Great streets are also visually appealing with design features that should include street trees, landscaping, special paving, pedestrian scale lighting, and street furniture. All streets in the Vancouver Central Park Plan District should be developed, as much as practicable, with Great Street design elements such as:
a. Sidewalks that are no less than eight feet wide, unless as specified otherwise herein, on both sides of the street.
b. Enhanced pedestrian crossings that are built with varying textures, colors and patterns and/or are raised.
c. Traffic calming elements that include bulb-outs, street medians, and planting strips with street trees and landscaping;
d. Street trees that provide a large, wide canopy over the streets in Central Park and shall be selected from the Street Tree Selection List found in Appendix A of the ‘Street Tree Manual’. Street Trees shall be approved by the City Urban Forester and planted in accordance with VMC 20.925, Street Trees.
3. Pedestrian Connectivity. Sidewalks and walkways shall provide linkages between the various facilities, transit stops, and parking areas within the Vancouver Central Park Plan District and into the surrounding areas. Pedestrian crossings of major streets shall be safe and effectively located to enhance district cohesiveness and reduce walking distances. Pedestrian crossings of major streets should be no more than 400 feet apart.
4. All site and development design should incorporate sustainable practices to minimize the use of energy, water, and other natural resources and to provide a healthy productive environment. Sustainable design concepts and practices such as, but are not limited to the following:
a. Reduce heat islands using landscaping and building design methods;
b. Minimize development of open space by replacing and renovating buildings and by using land efficiently;
c. Site buildings to be able to integrate passive and active solar strategies, take advantage of natural ventilation, and maximize daylight use;
d. Incorporate building materials for maximum energy efficiency;
e. Create interior spaces within buildings that relate to or take advantage of exterior environments;
f. Develop multifunctional stormwater management systems that dispose of the building’s stormwater.
g. Incorporate functional rooftop facilities and eco-roofs;
h. Select and group plants appropriately; and
i. Create practical turf areas or a “less-lawn” landscaping concept.
5. Fencing and screening.
a. Fencing located along properties that front Fourth Plain Boulevard, McLoughlin Boulevard, Mill Plain Boulevard, Columbia Way, East Reserve Street and Fort Vancouver Way should be built with materials that allow views into the site, except that chain link fencing should not be used along these street frontages unless the fence is setback at least 6 feet from the back of the sidewalk and trees or landscaping are located between the fence and the back of the sidewalk or the fence has black vinyl coating. Refer to VMC 20.912 for additional development standards.
b. All trash collection areas, exterior storage areas, and mechanical equipment shall be screened from view from streets and public areas.
6. Building Design.
a. New construction built with a 20-foot or less street frontage setback shall avoid large areas of uninterrupted wall surfaces by incorporating human scale elements.
b. All buildings within the Central Park Plan District shall comply with VMC Chapter 20.570, Airport Height Overlay District.
E. Wireless communications facilities– special provisions. VMC 20.890, Wireless Communications Facilities, provides certain special provisions to the uses and development standards provided by this Chapter. (Ord. M-3891 § 12, 11/03/2008; Ord. M-3643, 01/26/2004; Ord. M-3307 § 22, 1997)