Terraces at Bethany Visual Simulation 1
VISUAL ANALYSIS
THE PROPOSED PROJECT AND CONTEXT
The Terraces at Bethany is a proposed new construction senior housing facility to be located at West Main Street and Vera Avenue in the City of Ripon, California just inside the Historic Ripon district. The main entrance and porte cochere face Vera Avenue to the West. The proposed building would be three stories and 46.5 feet high above sidewalk level1. The approximate setbacks of the of the three story envelope are 20 feet from Vera Avenu, 20 feet from West Main Street, 56 feet from the East property line shared with Ripon Grace Church, and 80 feet from the Southern boundary. Carport structures on the South and East are set back 5 feet and 0 feet respectively. There is an 8 foot tall solid wall proposed on the Southern property line adjacent to a neighbor’s driveway access to parking.
The surrounding neighborhood land uses include several churches, senior citizen housing, a high school, a pre school, a Pilates studio, and predominantly one story single family and institutional residences.
Mature, deciduous street trees line West Main Street and there are relatively recent streetscape improvements such as meandering sidewalks, landscaped parkways and large planter urns on pedestals along West Main Street. The City required visual simulations to help evaluate the proposed project.
WHAT IS VISUAL SIMULATION
Visual simulations are a standardized representation of proposed projects shown in context of the surroundings. The purpose of these simulations is to provide the community and decision makers an impartial visual representation of the proposed housing facility in neighborhood context alongside a photo of existing conditions.
HOW THESE VISUAL SIMULATION VIEWS WERE CREATED
The visual simulations are created by photo collage method that combines a rendered scale model view of the proposed housing facility with a photograph of the site and context. A normal (50mm planar) lens is used to photograph the site from several vantage points and the same angle of view and eye height are used in the model to create the renderings. Several ground and aerial references were placed in the scene for position and height accuracy verification. The work was performed by a certified planner and urban designer with experience in creating visual simulations for public agencies.
Five simulations were created and shown on the attached exhibits.
VISUAL ANALYSIS OF THE SIMULATIONS
This analysis focuses on urban design considerations from the community’s viewpoint. CEQA Visual Resources evaluation is addressed separately by others.
There exist several established design criteria for evaluating buildings in neighborhoods. The most
1 Plus an additional 3 ft. for the elevator override on the East side of the building Terraces at Bethany Visual Simulation 2
fundamental visual considerations are what the project would present to the community from a visual and social perspective-how the proposed design address community interests and mitigates neighborhood concerns.
The proposed facility would represent a more intensive use of the site than what exists. The building’s 3 story visual mass is a primary interest in an area of smaller, one story structures but equally important concerns include the visual scale, the interface between private space and the public right of way, pedestrian access and neighbor’s experience on the street.
Specific design elements and the general design approach appear to shape the facility to fit this neighborhood environment. The building envelope, as distinguished from the carport structures, would be set back from the sidewalk with a softscape interface. Such setbacks combined with the City’s detached sidewalks on West Main Street are consistent with lower and medium density residential character. Attached sidewalks are used on both sides of Vera Avenue however buildings are set back from the walk way substantially. The site would be configured with parking behind the building from the street intersection although side views of parking would clearly be visible from the streets.
Pedestrian scale appropriate for the area would be established with the combination of building articulation, varied roof heights, application of contrasting brick and plaster exterior finish materials, fenestration (doors and windows) pattern and scale and the used of overhangs at building entries.
It is desirable for buildings to face the street, and for building architecture and streetscape improvements to establish clear visual definition of the public right of way. The immediate neighborhood is zoned for three story buildings consistent with the general plan and is likely to be developed at that height over time. Similar buildings could be developed across Vera Avenue in the future that would balance the view from the street. This would have the effect of giving stronger visual definition to the street and the intersection. Overhead power lines and poles along the Vera Avenue frontage would be placed underground as part of the project.
A street’s aspect ratio, the height of buildings or street trees compared with the distance between buildings or street trees across the street, is a measure of a sense of visual enclosure and public space delineation. Although subjective and without empirical basis, LEED for Neighborhood Development uses 1:3 ratio at the lower end of effective for visual definition. A ratio of 1:1 is considered by some the lower end of urban character streets. The existing typical aspect ratio on this block of Vera Avenue is approximately 1:6.5. If buildings on both sides of Very Avenue were developed to a height of 45 feet, the aspect ratio would be less than 1:2, a ratio that could give clear visual definition to that part of Vera Avenue where it meets West Main Street. Mature street trees that are spaced regularly on both sides of the street contribute to the sense of visual enclosure and affect the aspect ratio.
The Terraces would provide architectural interest at street level. The facility would face West Main Street and Vera Avenue, a positive design quality sometimes referred to as “turning the corner”. A single story angled building element would face the intersection. There would be strong visual connection between private and public space because of the placement of exterior activity patios, larger ground level windows, landscaping design, trellises and building entrances with walkway connections to the Terraces at Bethany Visual Simulation 3
public sidewalk. The site appears to be designed with pedestrian access a central consideration. These design aspects would support social connection and conversation between neighbors. Balconies and locations where someone could appear to look out on the street contribute to a perceived sense of “eyes on the street” and increase a feeling of security in the neighborhood.
Vehicular access to parking is via driveways placed far from the intersection. Sidewalks are not shown as continuous past the driveways. Provision of continuous sidewalks all along the streets and making driveways narrow with ramped curb cuts would be supportive of pedestrian comfort and walking.
However in this case, a safe delivery truck and emergency vehicle access must be provided continuously around the building. The sidewalks in front of the drop off circle are separated by 40 feet of drive. A pedestrian sidewalk island could reduce the crossing distance for pedestrians without compromising car access.
SELECTED VIEWS
We studied the proposed project and neighborhood context with the goal of representing typical daytime visual experiences of neighbors, community members and visitors to the area. City Staff approved five views from which to create visual simulations. These are shown on the key maps on the attached exhibits. We eliminated several locations on Palm Avenue and mid-block on Second Street from further consideration after testing whether the proposed structure would be visible from these locations.
View A
View A is taken just inside the Historic Ripon gateway. Deciduous street trees along the Southern side of West Main Street would obscure much of the building from pedestrian and driver views during Spring and Summer and partially screen views during winter months.
Building setbacks from the two streets mitigate the appearance of the building’s mass. The building is designed to “turn the corner” with the façade, meaning it faces both streets. Pedestrian access and interface between public and private space are prominent and present a welcoming appearance from this view. Variation in materials along the street, scale and pattern of fenestration, and building articulation work together to establish human scale. Balconies, streetside patios, and the many windows contribute to an “eyes on the street” feeling of security.
View B
The View B camera position is on Maple Avenue where neighbors would approach West Main Street.
The three story façade and the parking area would be visually prominent from this location. Landscape screening of the parking area is proposed but cannot be increased to completely screen the parking to allow access. Articulation of this East side of the building, variation of roof heights and types and exterior finish materials differentiation help to mitigate visual impacts to this approach.
View C
View C is taken from the Southwest corner of the Ripon High School athletic field. The building is minimally visible from this vantage point. The view of the East side of the building from West Main Street here would be effectively obscured by the large street trees during half the year, and partially Terraces at Bethany Visual Simulation 4
screened the rest of the year. Ripon Grace Church would be in the foreground when viewed from further East. The carport would be visible beneath the tree canopy.
View D
The camera was positioned at the Southwest corner of Second Street and Vera Avenue. The building is prominent from this vantage point and appears as a grouping of separate buildings along Vera Avenue because of building massing, articulation, change in window pattern and spacing, and differentiation of materials. Large street trees along Vera Avenue could reduce the building’s visibility over time. The eight foot solid wall separating the site on the South side is a hard demarcation. There is no opportunity to plant on the neighbor’s side of the wall because of the neighbor’s drive location. Possibly the wall could be a lower open type fence that would use the planned landscaping on the project site as visual screening.
View E
View E was set approximately 200 feet North of View D and across Vera Avenue from the Southern vehicle entrance. The contrast in height between the proposed 3 story project and the single story school across West Main Street is prominent, but mitigated by the presentation of the proposed facility as a grouping of smaller buildings along Vera Avenue. A line of street trees is proposed as part of the project and their growth over time could reduce the building’s presence on the street.
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Proposed lighting is not evaluated because information on exterior lighting fixtures and lamping is not provided. Lighting fixtures that are shielded to prevent direct light from the site to project beyond the property would be desirable. Ambient light from the building interior and patio area should be enough when combined with the municipal streetlights to provide most of the street side illumination of the public way. Broad spectral distribution and color rendition of warm tone lighting could provide good visibility at lower light levels than higher levels of cool tone lighting with narrow spectral distribution and color rendition.
April 4, 2022
View A
Visual Simulation
CARL M. MAXEY, AICP A RCHI T EC T
[email protected]
831.236.0817
Camera
Proposed
Project
Existing
Proposed
Terraces at Bethany
Field of View: 46 degrees (Zeiss 50/f1.4 Planar lens)
View Origin and Direction shown below
Shadows: 1:15 PM 15 May 2022
Camera Location Google Earth © 2012
CARL
M. MAXEY, AICP
[email protected]
831.236.0817
April 4, 2022
View BVisual Simulation
Camera
Proposed Proposed
Project
Existing
Proposed
Terraces at Bethany
Field of View: 46 degrees (Zeiss 50/f1.4 Planar lens) View Origin and Direction shown belowShadows: 11:15 AM 15 May 2022 Camera Location Google Earth © 2012 G
CARL
M. MAXEY, AICP
[email protected]
831.236.0817
April 4, 2022
View CVisual Simulation
Camera
Proposed Proposed
Project
Existing
Proposed
Terraces at Bethany
Field of View: 46 degrees (Zeiss 50/f1.4 Planar lens) View Origin and Direction shown belowShadows: 11:00 AM 15 May 2022 Camera Location Google Earth © 2012 G
CARL
M. MAXEY, AICP
[email protected]
831.236.0817
April 4, 2022
View DVisual Simulation
Existing
Proposed
Terraces at Bethany
Field of View: 46 degrees (Zeiss 50/f1.4 Planar lens) View Origin and Direction shown belowShadows: 2:15 PM 15 May 2022 Camera Location Google Earth © 2012 G
CARL
M. MAXEY, AICP
[email protected]
831.236.0817
April 4, 2022
View EVisual Simulation
Camera
Proposed Proposed
Project
Existing
Proposed
Terraces at Bethany
Field of View: 46 degrees (Zeiss 50/f1.4 Planar lens) View Origin and Direction shown belowShadows: 1:30 PM 15 May 2022 Camera Location Google Earth © 2012 G