CITY OF EL DORADO, KANSAS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER FIVE - LAND USE (continued)
Commercial Development Potential
Downtown Redevelopment Potential
Standard Street Classifications
Designation of the Major Street System
The City of El Dorado Plan uses residential growth to make projections of non-residential growth. The plan assumes a pattern of low-to-moderate-density residential development. Non-residential growth in the near-term will be minimal due to the relatively modest absolute numbers of people projected to reside in the study area in the within the scope of this plan.
The objective of El Dorado’s economic development strategy should focus on increasing wealth in the community, which will result in improving the community’s overall quality of life, including strategies designed to result in achieving the following goals:
New private employment is fundamental to increasing El Dorado’s population, retail activity and income levels. The lower median household income in Butler County can be used as a strategic advantage in marketing and successfully attracting new businesses to El Dorado. However, specific actions are needed to provide the foundation for increased economic development. The strategies most suitable for El Dorado include the following efforts.
Commercial Development Potential
The comprehensive plan projects future, long-term retail development based upon an Urban Land Institute analysis of retail commercial patterns, summarized as follows:
The neighborhood center provides for the sale of convenience goods (food, drugs, and sundries) and personal services, those that meet the daily needs of an immediate neighborhood trade area.
A supermarket is the principal tenant in the neighborhood center. Consumer shopping patterns show that geographical convenience is the most important factor in the shopper's choice of supermarkets. The customer usually chooses such stores from among those most conveniently located, usually those nearest the shopper's home. Only as a secondary consideration does wide selection of merchandise or service come into play.
The neighborhood center has a typical gross leasable area of about 50,000 square feet but may range from 30,000 to 100,000 square feet. For its site area, the neighborhood center needs from 3 to 10 acres. It normally serves a trade area population of 2,500 to 40,000 people within a 6-minute drive.
The community center is built around a junior department store or variety store as the major tenant, in addition to the supermarket. Such a center does not have a full-line department store, although it may have a strong specialty or discount store as an anchor tenant.
Table 5.1 - Characteristics of Shopping Centers
Leading Tenant General Usual Minimum
(Basis for Typical Range in Minimum Support
Center Type Classification) GLA GLA Site Area Required
|
Neighborhood Center |
Supermarket or drug store |
50,000 sq. ft. |
30,000-100,000 sq. ft. |
3 acres |
2,500-40,000 people |
|
Community Center |
Variety, discount, or junior department store |
150,000 sq. ft. |
100,000-300,000 sq. ft. |
10 acres or more |
40,000-150,000 people |
|
Regional Center |
Mall development |
800,000 + sq. ft. |
|
50 acres or more |
150,000 people + |
SOURCE: Urban Land Institute
The community center has a typical gross leasable area of about 150,000 square feet but may range from 100,000 to 300,000 square feet. For its site area, the community center needs from 10 to 30 acres and, normally serves a trade area population of 40,000 to 150,000 people.
The regional center is a mall development with multiple retail vendors and enclosed shops, serving a trade population in excess of 150,000 persons.
Cluster Retail Development
Clusters Land Gross Leasable
Per Population Area Area (GLA) Employment
Neighborhood Center 1:10,000 6 acres 50,000 1.8/500 GLA
Community Center 1:35,000 20 acres 150,000 1.8/500 GLA
Regional Center 1:150,000 60 acres 800,000 1.8/500 GLA
SOURCE: Urban Land Institute
The El Dorado metropolitan area reflects the national economic outlook, according to Chapter One. Growth is forecast to be steady given stabilizing factors of proximity to Wichita as part of the MSA. No large-scale commercial, such as a regional center is forecast for the city. The Wal-Mart store represents a future pattern of commercial development likely in El Dorado: a community-wide retail center developed on the scale of a neighborhood center.
Recommendations -- Commercial Development
In reviewing development proposals, such as in site plan reviews, the city should promote orderly retail and office development which is compatible with residential land uses.
Recommendations -- Strip Commercial Design Guidelines
The commercial strip centers serve as districts for commercial activity and focal points. The guidelines (set forth in the Zoning Regulations amendments) are intended to accomplish the following:
The guidelines supplement the City of El Dorado’s regulatory review process. Each of the nine design elements or sections includes a statement of purpose and a listing of key issues. The applicant will be expected to address these issues by: a) complying with the guidelines for each section; or b) proposing alternative solutions that specifically address the identified issues.
The guidelines should be officially coordinated with adopted zoning and subdivision regulation amendments; however, the process is intended to remain flexible. The applicant is encouraged to propose innovative alternatives that accomplish the stated purpose of the guidelines.
The guidelines will be used by staff in initial discussions with the applicant as he prepares his submission. Upon receipt of a zoning case, concept plan, or site plan, the staff will evaluate the request based on its compliance with guidelines or upon how effectively it addresses the intent of each section through alternative solutions. The applicant shall clearly show how he addressed the key issue(s) with supportive information and data.
When an applicable zoning case, circulation plan, land use plan, preliminary site plan, or site plan is presented to the Regional Planning Commission and/or Governing Body the staff's recommended action will be included. Staff's recommendation will be based on its determination of the proposal's conformance to the guidelines and/or its effectiveness in meeting the purposes and issues of the various design elements.
Recommendation -- Urban Design
Create good urban design along commercial thoroughfare corridors by linking developments with common and consistent design patterns to promote orderly commercial development.
When regulating new commercial development on arterial roads such as West Central Avenue, protect the capacity of the road to carry arterial traffic.
Downtown Redevelopment Potential
Downtown redevelopment and economic development are most effective when they are pro-active rather than reactive. To be successful, development strategies require the cooperative support, participation and leadership from elected and appointed public officials, along with business and civic organizations.
Real potential exists for El Dorado to grow economically stronger and downtown El Dorado to become more diversified in the future. Downtown El Dorado, the city’s historic retail district, is experiencing the same changes confronting other cities its size throughout Kansas and the U.S. - a decline in locally owned retail establishments and a shift toward national retail franchises and establishments in close proximity to major thoroughfares such as I-35 and West Central Avenue. The attraction of new retail investment and retail establishments into Downtown must be carefully targeted since the degree of success will be closely connected to under-represented components of the retail sector. Therefore, local officials, other residents and business persons must recognize the revised role that the city’s downtown area will serve in the future and carefully target the attraction of new business.
Downtown El Dorado cannot be expected to return to its historic role as the retail center for the community due, in part, to the location of I-35 and the presence of large national retail stores on West Central Avenue. Downtown El Dorado can, however, continue to play a special role in the life of the community. Recognizing these market forces will enhance the ability of local businesses to pursue the opportunities that these changes have created leading to enhanced activity, appearance and pride in Downtown.
Citizens showed strong support for the continued improvement and investment in Downtown during the Downtown Awareness Walk conducted with City officials, business owners and residents. Participants identified positive and negative aspects of downtown and identified opportunities to address issues specific to downtown. A summary of the Awareness Walk is included in the Appendix.
Recommendations -- Downtown Improvement Actions
Target New Retail and Office Commercial Uses.
Implement the Neighborhood Revitalization Act
Establish a Downtown El Dorado Business Improvement District (BID)
The BID is a "benefit district" of property owners, in partnership with the city, to assist with determining, planning and financing certain improvements such as:
The city should also seek CDBG funding from the state to supplement local financing efforts.
Expand and Enhance Public Parking
Encourage Mixed Use Development
Establish a El Dorado Business Incubator
Create a Downtown Enterprise Zone
Recommendations—Downtown Development Standards
Regulate the quality of new infill development in the Downtown to foster attractive mixed-use development in the central business district corridors. Important factors to be considered include:
Recommendations--Industrial Development
The City of El Dorado, in seeking opportunities for the development of light industrial uses, should select appropriate sites in compatible locations relative to neighboring residential land uses and the natural environment. Development on the existing industrial park sites in the northwest sector of the city should be augmented by achieving site-specific urban design based on the following objectives:
For development outside the industrial park areas, follow normally accepted site selection criteria for evaluating proposed industrial developments, including the following considerations:
Return to Top
Recommendation -- Public Facilities
Research and Consider Adoption of an "Adequate Public Facilities" Policy Relating to Road Improvements, Public Utilities and Other Capital Improvements.
Examine alternative means of funding major road improvements, for example, an excise tax for engineering and construction, rights-of-way acquisition, utility relocation, bridge construction, and other improvements associated with major road development.
Recommendation -- Landscaping and Buffering
Poor transitions between land uses of differing intensity create incompatibility, hardships and long-term negative effects on surrounding development and the community as a whole. Ideally, all transitions between a high-intensity use and a low-intensity would take place along a definitive boundary, separation by a roadway, creek or other physical and visual barrier. Reality proves that many such transitions do not take place along clearly identified boundaries. As such, residential neighborhoods are impacted by the activities of commercial and industrial development. Glare from lighting, unobstructed views of trash dumpsters and loading docks, and noise from daily activities are all problems associated with these transitions. Likewise commercial and industrial development suffers from fierce opposition to development.
In order to minimize these and other similar conflicts El Dorado should institute landscaping and buffering standards. These standards would specify combinations of landscaping and other screening materials required between land uses of differing intensity. In addition, these standards would specify landscaping required to minimize the impact of other adverse elements of development such as parking lots, loading areas, signage and trash collection areas.
Landscaping and Buffering Standards
Recommendation -- Proactively increase public safety by encouraging the use of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles.
Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED) is a set of site planning principles which—when properly applied—can help reduce crime. As part of a new site plan review process CPTED (pronounced "sep-ted") theories contend that planners, architects, landscape architects, interior designers, other related professionals, and law enforcement can create a climate of safety in a community, right from the start of planning and development approval. CPTED's goal is to prevent crime through designing a physical environment that positively influences human behavior -- people who use the areas regularly perceive it as safe, and would-be criminals see the area as a highly risky place to commit crimes.
CPTED's Basic Principles are summarized as follows:
These principles are blended in the planning or remodeling of public areas that range from parks and streets to office buildings to housing developments. Some jurisdictions have incorporated these principles into more comprehensive approaches. One way to involve CPTED principles in community development or renovation projects is through development of an advisory relationship with local emergency service agencies. As Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design is a goal of the El Dorado Police Department, a requirement to for developers to meet with and/or provide proposed development plans to trained police staff should be required. Trained staff would review proposed development and provide advice on how the CPTED principles can be utilized. In fulfilling this advisory role, a three-step review process would be generally followed.
Several key intersections and corridors within El Dorado serve as a primary means of access to the community. Thus, these intersections and the activities surrounding them are often a visitor’s first impression of the City. These key intersections and corridors will function as "gateways" into El Dorado. These gateways not only influence visitors’ perceptions, but can also help promote the quality of life and vitality of the community with El Dorado residents. As such, special attention and planning consideration should be given to these locations.
The planning and design considerations given to gateways should be based upon a hierarchy of importance, based upon purpose, location, traffic volumes, street function and visibility. Gateways should be identified as primary, secondary and transition gateways.
Primary Gateways
The major features of these gateways should include:
Secondary Gateways
As opposed to primary gateway features, those of the secondary gateways are intended to be at a pedestrian scale. The major features of the secondary gateways are:
Transition Gateways
Transition gateway features are on a smaller scale than primary or secondary gateways. The major features of the transition gateways are:
Figure 5.1 - Transitional Gateway Signage Feature
Monument signs announce the entrance
into Downtown El Dorado.
The City should work closely or partner with local developers to ensure that adequate aesthetic considerations are given to development near identified gateway locations. As part of the site plan review process the city should consider the visual impacts of development at these locations. Development should incorporate architectural features such as building recession and projections, canopies and awnings, window and high-quality materials to accent and complement the gateway development. Building orientation and parking should also be carefully planned to minimize the adverse impacts of the negative features of the site. Trash dumpsters, loading areas and parking should be screened with appropriate landscaping.
Many of the gateway locations identified have been developed, making the efforts to establish the gateway concept difficult. Initial improvements may focus around landscaping. Over time, as redevelopment occurs or partnerships are formed, and as funding becomes available, the larger-scale elements like public art, monuments and signage can be added.
For those areas that are not currently developed or in which limited development has taken place, efforts to establish the gateway concept should begin immediately. Conceptual plans for development of gateways in these locations should be developed, so that as development does begin to occur a clear vision can be presented. This vision would serve as the basis for requirements for land dedication or acquisition and special design considerations.
Figure 5.2 - Landmarks as Gateway Features
Gateway features may consist of prominent architecture or local landmarks within the City, welcoming visitors, reminding residents of the El Dorado quality of life, and instilling a local pride.
The ability to transport people and goods from one place to another is one of the basic components of the economic and social system upon which a community depends. Consequently, the adequacy of the major street system will have a substantial impact on the rate and pattern of its future growth. To ensure that the street system is able to expand efficiently and that it remains consistent with the Future Land Use Plan requires careful, long-range planning.
This section will review the street and highway system of El Dorado. This examination will include and explanation of the various types of streets and the designation of the major system.
Standard Street Classifications
Street classifications are based on the functions of a hierarchy of vehicle origin-destination movements. Movement from one section of the city to another is carried on arterials that are, ideally, uninterrupted corridors designed for the smooth flow of a large volume of traffic. Sub-section movement occurs on collector streets that connect residential areas with arterials and local traffic generators. The lowest level of the system, local streets, carries the traffic flow to abutting properties.
The following is a further explanation of these classifications and their design standards.
Arterial streets should function to connect areas of principal traffic generation and important rural highways. They provide for distribution and collection of traffic to and from collector streets and local streets. The arterial street is given preferential treatment over collector and local streets in signing and signalization of intersections. It is preferable that local streets do not have direct access to arterials, but are provided access to the arterial through the collector street system. Arterials in El Dorado intersect with many local streets in the older parts of the city because of the grid pattern of development. Of greater concern on an arterial such as Central Avenue, however are the multiple drive approaches. Parking on arterials should be restricted in all cases where it interferes with traffic flow.
Access to private property along an arterial should be controlled to avoid hazards and the interference of traffic flow due to ingress and egress traffic movements. Access control can be achieved at differing levels through subdivision design, street design, and curb cut regulations. Two such methods include restricting curb cuts and utilization of shared parking among businesses. A landscaped buffer along the arterial will help maintain the viability of abutting land for residential purposes.
The following criteria are recommended for arterial streets:
Right-of-Way Width 80-120 feet
Pavement Width 34-60 feet
Moving Lanes 2-4 (12-foot moving lanes)
Parking Lanes 0-2 (10 feet wide)
Volume 6,000-20,000 vehicles per day
Driving Speeds 20-45 miles per hour (20 in CBD)
Collector streets serve traffic desiring to travel between major arterials and local streets and are used mainly for traffic movement within residential, commercial and industrial areas. Collector routes provide the combined services of through traffic service or are developed to discourage any long distance of continuous through traffic.
For safe accommodation of local traffic movement and effective preservation of the character of residential areas, experience has shown that collector streets should be spaced at intervals of about one-half mile, though in El Dorado the street system is not as systematic.
The following criteria are recommended for collector streets:
Right-of-Way Width 70-80 feet minimum
Pavement Width 34-44 feet
Moving Lanes 2 (12-foot moving lanes)
Parking Lanes 0-2 (10 feet wide)
Volume 1,000-6,000 vehicles per day
Driving Speeds 20-30 miles per hour
The primary function of local streets is to provide access to abutting property. Continuity of local streets is not important and through traffic should be discouraged. Local streets should be designed to intersect with a collector street and provide easy access to adjacent property.
The following criteria are recommended for local streets:
Right-of-Way Width 60 feet minimum
Pavement Width 29-36 feet
Moving Lanes 2 (11-foot moving lanes)
Parking Lanes 0-2 (7 feet wide)
Volume Up to 1,500 vehicles per day
Driving Speeds 10-30 miles per hour
The purpose of a rural arterial, such as North Main, is to serve as a temporary link in the circulation system until development warrants constructing the road to urban standards. Frequently, it is necessary to complete such a link years before the adjacent areas develop; therefore, their interim use is to connect presently developed areas with existing highways, commercial areas, etc. In addition, by designating these roads as rural arterials, sufficient right-of-way width can be acquired through appropriate dedications as an area develops. Rural arterial construction is similar to that of urban arterials except that curb and gutter is absent.
The following criteria are recommended for rural arterial streets:
Right-of-Way Width 80-120 feet
Pavement Width 24 feet
Moving Lanes 2 (12-foot moving lanes)
Parking Lanes 0
Volume 6,000-20,000 vehicles per day
Driving Speeds 30-45 miles per hour
Required curb and gutter design is established by city policy. The integral curb and gutter system serves two functions. First, it provides a surface drainage channel along the side of the street. Second, access control is improved with the use of curbs. All urban streets should include curbs and gutters.
Designation of the Major Street System
The various types of streets described above fit together to form a network of streets to service the needs of each land use throughout the city. How well the transportation needs are met depends upon how closely the street network can be matched to the existing land use pattern. As the City of El Dorado grows, however, the demands made upon the street network could change. Therefore, it is important that the future land use pattern be considered along with the existing pattern when decisions regarding street classifications are made.
As a general rule, arterials should be located at one-mile intervals and collectors located midway between arterials. This general rule, however, must often be modified to accommodate land uses with high traffic demand, the existing street system, or natural and man-made features which disrupt the normal street pattern, such as the extensive oil field remnants, refinery, rail lines, Interstate 35, Walnut River, and El Dorado Lake.
Based upon an evaluation of the capacity of the existing street system and the projected growth of El Dorado, a Major Thoroughfare Map has been prepared. The map is coordinated with the KDOT Surface Transportation Program. Indicated on the map are extensions of certain arterial streets and the creation of certain new collector streets to carry future traffic to arterials. The thoroughfare plan should be consulted when preparing the Capital Improvement Program and ranking major street improvements.
To determine whether a roadway requires improvements, it is necessary to examine roadway condition, capacity and travel use. In general, a two-lane arterial outside the Central Business District should have the capacity to accommodate an average daily traffic (ADT) of up to 11,600 vehicles. West of the Central Business District, the capacity is somewhat reduced in that West Central is the primary commercial strip of the city. Multiple drive approaches for single business create turning conflicts.
The Major Thoroughfare Map indicates thoroughfare street extensions west of the corporate limits to serve projected growth. Other street extensions are to link projected developments to arterial streets via collector streets.
CITY OF EL DORADO
MAJOR THOROUGHFARE MAP
To implement the City of El Dorado Plan, including the future land use and major thoroughfare plan components, critical decisions about future public improvements must be made in a coordinated manner, using the Comprehensive Plan and city budgeting process. Secondly the city must coordinate efforts with Butler County to ensure appropriate growth patterns in suitable locations at the city’s urban fringe.
Implementation of the City of El Dorado plan will proceed as the city coordinates provision of services with private developers and new development within the City is built. The plan projects low- to moderate-density residential development to extend northeast and east. The plan supports expansions of moderate-to high-density residential development, which was identified as a need in the community.
Office and retail commercial and other non-residential growth is projected to occur primarily as infill along the major arterials, such as Central and North Main; however, the land use plan encourages clear demarcation between business areas and housing.
The City of El Dorado is in a position to more clearly establish itself as an urban center in Butler County as it responds to projected growth in the next 20 years. Based upon the findings and planning principles presented in the comprehensive plan, the following recommendations will lead to effective plan implementation in the near-term:
1. Continue applying land use and utility policies so that new housing developments are close-in to existing services, which in turn promotes cost-effective growth from existing utility mains, rather than dispersed in the planning area. Development should be encouraged:
2. Implement the recommendations of the comprehensive plan to create a regional planning commission, and obtain and apply extraterritorial zoning regulations, subdivision regulations and building codes to ensure that near-term, low-density development in the urban fringe of El Dorado does not foreclose long-term, higher-density development.
3. Continue coordination with the Butler County planning department to achieve mutually agreed objectives for locating urban land uses inside the city and its growth areas, rather than dispersed in rural areas.
Implement the new site development standards for commercial strip centers and the Downtown.