§ 27A-505. Squares, Civic Greens, Parks, and Recreation Facilities.

(a)

Intent.

(1)

These standards apply to those spaces that are either publicly owned or publicly accessible, if such spaces are being used to meet the minimum public space requirements of this Subtitle (see Part 3. Regulating Plans and Functional Overlays).

(2)

Squares, Civic Greens, and plazas should be situated at prominent locations within each Urban Neighborhood and should be dedicated to important events or citizens. The green plants and trees of squares and Civic Greens provide a landscape and civic architecture that complement the surrounding private building architecture.

(3)

Squares are active pedestrian centers. Civic Greens are spaces intended for less intensive foot traffic. Surface treatment is regulated accordingly.

(4)

Pervious paving materials (to allow oxygen for tree roots and absorb stormwater run-off) are encouraged in both squares and Civic Greens, and the percentage of impervious paving material is limited (see Section 27A-505(c)).

(5)

Small urban active fields, pocket parks, and indoor recreation facilities are appropriate to serve the recreation needs of the residents, workers, and visitors of an Urban Center or Corridor Node. The locations of these facilities shall be carefully considered and addressed during the preparation of the public facilities Functional Overlay and the Regulating Plan.

(6)

Parks consisting of large natural areas, active recreation areas including multiple ball fields and more than eight (8) recreation components, and special facilities such as equestrian centers, ice rinks, and tennis bubbles are not permitted within an Urban Neighborhood. These larger parks are encouraged within an Urban Center District at the periphery or between Urban Neighborhoods. Walking, biking, and hiking trails should be incorporated to the Regulating Plan to ensure full access to these local amenities.

(b)

Standards.

Squares and Civic Green shall be designed, planted and maintained according to the following requirements.

(1)

All squares and Civic Greens shall have not less than sixty percent (60%) of their perimeter fronting rights-of-way. Both types of spaces shall be surrounded by Street Trees. Their dimensions shall be no narrower than a one to five (1:5) ratio and no square or Civic Green width or breadth dimension shall be less than twenty-five (25) feet.

(2)

Appropriate to their high (pedestrian) traffic level they shall be designed with a higher percentage of paved surface area.

(3)

Squares and Civic Greens shall not include active recreation structures such as ball fields and courts.

(c)

Materials and Configurations.

(1)

General

(A)

Street Trees shall be planted along the Street Tree Alignment Line in accordance with Section 27A-504(b). They may be of a different species than those planted on connecting Streets.

(B)

The ground surface level elevation shall be between zero (0) and eighteen (18) inches above the top of the adjacent curb.

(C)

The maximum slope across any square or Civic Green shall not exceed five (5) percent.

(D)

Except for tree trunks, Street Lights, civic buildings, public art or monuments, there shall be a clear view between two (2) and eight (8) feet above grade. The foliage of newly planted trees may intrude into this area until the tree has sufficient growth to allow such a clear trunk height.

(E)

Trees within a square or Civic Green may also be selected from the Landscape Manual.

(F)

Asphalt is prohibited within a square or Civic Green.

(2)

Squares. Appropriate to their high pedestrian traffic level, squares shall incorporate a higher percentage of paved surface area. Surface treatment and materials (within the area back-of-curb to back-of-curb, excluding any civic building, public art or monument footprint) shall be a minimum twenty percent (20%) and a maximum forty-five percent (45%) unpaved pervious surface such as turf, groundcover, gravel, soil, or mulch.

(3)

Civic Greens. Appropriate to their less intensive character and because they are used less often by pedestrians than Squares, Civic Greens shall be designed with a lower percentage of paved surface area. Surface treatment and materials (within the area back-of-curb to back-of-curb excluding any civic building, public art or monument footprint) shall be a minimum fifty percent (50%) unpaved pervious surface area (such as turf, groundcover, gravel, soil or mulch).

(4)

Pedestrian Pathway. The area within a pedestrian pathway shall be a public access easement or public right of way. The easement width for these pathways shall not be less than twenty (20) feet with a paved walkway not less than ten (10) feet wide and shall provide an unobstructed view straight through its entire length, except where otherwise specified on the Regulating Plan.

(CB-1-2010)