Item 6A (2)An overriding goal of the Southlake 2025 Plan was to maintain and enhance the
city’s unique sense of place and create a community that will have lasting value.
In order to implement this goal the plan specifically recommended the creation
of the urban design study in conjunction with the median plan for Southlake.
The Urban Design Plan is intended to leverage and compliment private
development and investment by making the public realm a priority
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Improve the safety, operations, and aesthetics of the Southlake and Davis
Boulevard Corridors with a comprehensive plan for raised medians that
maximize access to private property while meeting TxDOT’s standards for
median design.
Develop a conceptual plan for the design of landscape, hardscape, public
art, pedestrian amenities, and other elements
for the medians and parkways of the roadway corridors.
Develop conceptual design recommendations for proposed roundabouts in
the city, including
landscape, hardscape, and criteria for public art.
Develop a palette of design options to create and reinforce identity
throughout the corridors including entry features,
development identity, wayfinding, and other elements based on the context and
scale of surrounding development.
Develop recommendations for intersection treatments including pedestrian
amenities,
public art, and trail features.
Develop design recommendations for the S.H. 114 corridor including
gateways, identity markers, bridge treatments (underpass and overpass),
burying overhead utility lines, tree preservation, and development standards
consistent with the scale and context of a 6-lane divided freeway.
Develop a prioritization plan with possible funding sources and options.
Recommend a specific plan for implementing all the elements of the plan.
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Layout of the Report
Chapter 2 of this report analyzes the city’s three major corridors (F.M. 1709, F.M. 1938, and S.H. 114)
with respect to their design potential based on existing contexts. It
provides a detailed evaluation of the design opportunities along each section of the
roadways. Specifically, the roadway corridors are identified as having three distinct character
zones.
Chapter 3 provides a comprehensive design palette for several elements of the built environment.
Recommendations include landscape and hardscape standards for
medians, parkways, and intersections. The plan also recommends gateway/entry features and their
locations as well as improvements for the
S.H. 114 corridor including bridge façade and embankments improvements.
Chapter 4 summarizes the recommendations for medians on F.M. 1709 (Southlake Blvd.) and F.M. 1938
(Davis Blvd.).
Chapter 5 makes recommendations for development standards for private development in the S.H. 114
and F.M. 1709 corridors. Special consideration has been
given to the S.H. 114 corridor due to its scale and development context within the city.
Chapter 6 describes implementation and prioritization recommendations based on the work group
discussions. This chapter also
identifies available funding sources for constructing improvements.
Appendix A includes the methodology, key issues and recommendations for median and median opening
locations.
Appendix B includes the U-turn analysis study undertaken in conjunction with the Median Plan.
Appendix are the cost estimates for the recommended improvements
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The Town Center, with its formal and urban character, is comprised of the existing Town Square and immediately
adjacent areas of similar density and mixed-use. Predominant architectural materials are brick, cream limestone and
stucco; the area’s layout and architecture are designed for the most part
along traditional lines.
Commercial Parkway zones are characterized by office and commercial uses, deep building setbacks, some
attractive planted parkways, curvilinear sidewalks and existing trees.In the Commercial Parkway zones, there are
some hilltop views at key locations (such as
the intersection of Kimball Ave. and Southlake Blvd.,) which are dominated by wellarticulated,
limestone façade (or limestone colored) buildings and red tile roofs.
Two Estate Residential zones are characterized by residential subdivisions and communities, grand subdivision
gateways, wide grassy parkways, a few large rural estates and existing trees in parkways and undeveloped lots.
Collectively, the three corridor character images encountered along Southlake Boulevard create a positive visual
impression, although
incidences of overhead utility lines, older residential fencing and undeveloped parkway segments offer design
challenges.
State Highway 114 also presents visual opportunities and challenges. It is the public face and dominant impression of
the
community for thousands of freeway commuters and travelers daily.
View of S.H. 114 at Southlake Town Square
As with any extensive freeway, “landscaping” the entire corridor is both cost prohibitive and unsustainable, but
interchanges at
offer five well-spaced locations for enhancement projects—primarily through improvements to bridges,
road crossings
side slopes and
paved islands—to improve the corridor’s aesthetics and build upon the community’s positive image. The northern edge
of
Southlake Town Square along Highway 114 also presents an opportunity to highlight city identity with a strong visual
statement.
The critical challenge along the S.H. 114 corridor is to establish private development standards that can create a
sense of place along
this highway corridor. Essentially, the scale and character of future development along the highway corridor will be
able to better define
the corridor due to the expanse of the highway right-of-way.
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Identifies the three character zones
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Collectively, the city’s major boulevards, entry points, and freeway interchanges provide
opportunities for enhancement and placemaking that can make these resources a strong
reflection of the community’s spirit and values, and an important investment in positioning the
city as the region’s most desirable home and business location. To realize this potential, these
impressions must be translated into usable architectural terms,
and guided by overarching concepts that tie the individual parts together into a perceivable and
pleasing whole.
Unity with Variety
. Consistent architectural and planting materials, colors,
sign fonts, and related elements will lend overall unity to the road corridors. While unity
is desirable, “sameness” is not. The three roadway “character zones” and the varying
configurations and site characteristics of the gateway sites and freeway interchanges will
allow this consistent palette to be interpreted in slightly different yet complementary designs,
providing variety within a unified whole.
Pulse points.
Median and parkway designs will provide a relatively consistent level of visual
interest, within which major
intersections will act as “pulse points” in the driving experience, enriched with special paving at
crosswalks, decorative traffic signal arms, wayfinding signage and corner plantings. Similarly,
interchange enhancements will punctuate the freeway corridor with
sophisticated design forms and eye-catching detail at regular intervals, producing a pleasingand
predictable visual rhythm in the freeway driving experience.
Quality and Timelessness.
The design forms for the city’s gateways, crossroads and corridors
should be rooted in its landscape and heritage, while coexisting comfortably with new
development, never looking “dated.” The city’s contemporary development has set a high
standard of quality in its design, materials and workmanship which is now identified with
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Implementation Steps:
1.Develop a wayfinding plan including identifying major destinations, decision
points, and routes
2.Preliminary design and cost estimates
3.Identify funding & phasing
4.Incorporate into CIP
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At high-visibility sites.
Implementation Steps:
1.Identify potential sites and establish design themes
2.Develop design concepts with public art committee/adjoining property
owners/business owners
3.Preliminary design and cost estimates
4.Identify funding
5.Incorporate into CIP
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Tower locations:
1.SH 114 and Town Square
2.SH 114 & Southlake Blvd
3.SH 114 & Dove
Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design and cost estimates
2.Identify funding
3.Incorporation into CIP
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Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design and cost estimates
2.Phasing plan
3.Identify funding
4.Incorporate into CIP
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Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design and cost estimates
2.Phasing plan
3.Identify funding
4.Incorporate into CIP
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Primarily for West Southlake Boulevard
Implementation Steps:
1.Prioritize trail amenity locations along W. Southlake Blvd. with highest
priority at Bicentennial Park and other park locations
2.Preliminary design and cost estimates (including property acquisition, utility
relocation, drainage, and other considerations)
3.Identify funding sources
4.Incorporate into CIP
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Implementation Steps:
•Preliminary design and cost estimates
•Identify funding
•Incorporate into CIP
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Primarily for East Southlake Boulevard
Implementation Steps:
1.Prioritize trail amenity locations with highest priority at major destinations
2.Preliminary design and cost estimates (property acquisition, utility relocation,
drainage, and other considerations)
3.Identify funding sources
4.Incorporate into CIP
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Intersections to receive treatments include 1709 and Carroll Ave, 1709 and
Central Ave, and 1709 and Village Center. Improvements should be made
to Carroll Ave first, followed by Central Ave and then Village Center.
Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design for intersection paving treatments including preliminary
cost estimates
2.Identify funding
3.Incorporate into CIP
4.Incorporate into CIP
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The initial trolley route and trolley stop locations have been determined.
Potential for shade structure/benches on Fountain Place (near fountain) and
in front of Central Market.
Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design and cost estimates for trolley stop locations (including
property acquisition, utility relocation, drainage, and other considerations)
2.Identify funding sources, including public-private partnerships
3.Incorporate into the CIP
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Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design and cost estimates
2.Phasing plan
3.Identify funding
4.Incorporation into CIP
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Schedule:
Oct, 2007 -TTC proposal authorization
Nov, 2007 –Schematics submitted to TxDOT Austin and FHWA
1 st Qtr, 2008 –Public Hearing Planned
Construction:
Phase I –Started (FM 2499 from Denton Creek to SH 121)
Grapevine/Southlake section start –2008 (Aggressive) or 2009/2010 (Likely)
Implementation steps:
1.Ensure input and participation with TxDOT during the design phase of the
FM 1709/SH 114 interchange
2.Develop preliminary design and cost estimates
3.Establish city share of costs
4.Identify funding
5.Incorporation into CIP
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Improvements may include repainting/staining, new “Welcome to Southlake”
sign, replacing railing, and possibly adding end cap treatments.
Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design and cost estimates
2.Phasing plan
3.Identify funding
4.Incorporate into CIP
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Includes repainting/staining, replacing signage, replacing the railing, and adding
end cap treatments/columns.
Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design and cost estimates
2.Phasing plan
3.Identify funding
4.Incorporate into CIP
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Includes repainting/staining, replacing signage, and replacing the railing.
Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design and cost estimates
2.Phasing plan
3.Identify funding
4.Incorporate into CIP
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Improvements at Dove and White Chapel, including staining and landscaping.
Implementation Steps:
1.Preliminary design and cost estimates.
2.Phasing plan
3.Identify funding
4.Incorporate into CIP
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Includes landscaping, public art, gateway columns, and other hardscape
improvements.
Implementation steps:
1.Establish design themes
2.Develop design concepts with committee/community input
3.Prepare preliminary design and cost estimates
4.Identify funding
5.Incorporate into CIP
Pages 28-29
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Pages 41-42 and Appendix A (page 57)
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