First parking lot and building site study

For several reasons I am focusing SODO Moscow on the southern portion of the "South Block" (blue outline).

• Its a smaller chunk to finance
• Moscow's Intermodal Transit Center is considering the northern portion of the site. (reportedly the site is priority 3)

Here is the site, in the larger city context. (Original drawing by Bill Belknap exploring how existing property lines would need to be shifted to add street rights of way. This boundary change has not been agreed among the owners 12.29.2010)

Within the southern portion, this is my first study of parking lot and building footprints. Several questions and issues have become aperant.

• The 530 foot dimension needs to be shortened to contribute half to making of a public path. (need to see the design overlay for path width)
• The creek side needs a pedestrian path. 10 feet setback from the property line is shown for this purpose. 
• Can an easement with UI help widen this path?
• How will fire access work along this side?
• The eastern face is built to the property line. Fire access is assumed in the right of way along the old Main St alignment.
• The northern side shows a 15 foot pedestrian path - otherwise build to property line would close off all pedestrian access in an E-W route.

First sketch 12.29.2010 includes:

• 19 row houses (ave width 22 feet, depth 45 feet)
• one parking stall for each row house (either in garage or in alley)
• 44 stall parking lot interior to the block (at grade). Need to explore converting this space to structured parking.
• 4 building sites: 7000, 6700, 2900 and ?? sqft footprints.
• A 10x24 foot loading dock off the end of the alley.
• Two mid-block passageways 10 feet wide.

Gardening and Food Production

@Theresa Beaver and @Gerri Sayler each made comments about gardening in SODO. That was very interesting for me, adding another dimension to my thinking about how to define sustainability. Do you have additional thougths?

I rephrased the question: given the high land price/sqft, how can garden space be provided in ways that are affordable?

Roof top garden or greenhouse. Requires flat roof design, consideration of heavy roof loads, and provision of water and stairs to the roof.

Sunspace. May involve stepping upper floors back so that a sun space with glazed roofing can be included.

Container gardening. This could happen on a balcony (design considerations for weight) or in a patio outside the unit.


Gardening in the public space. The best example of this is The Silos on Styner Ave. Brenda gardens in raised beds for the cafe, but welcomes the community to enjoy her bounty.

Rain Gardens. What role do 'Rain Gardens' as stormwater management tools play in the gardening plans?

A vision for creekside row houses

A possible design for the south edge of SODO is row houses facing Paradise Creek, with a pedestrian path (but no vehicular access) to the front of the houses. There would be an alley and parking at the rear, see this first attempt at a parking and site plan.

I remembered that we have friends in St Andrews Scotland who live in a similar place. Thanks to Google Street View, here is a view from Kinnessburn Rd looking across the Kinness Burn (creek) at the row of houses. This link gives you another view, of Duck Crossing B&B.

The Smart Growth Manual (check it out at Amazon) section 12.6 gives more descriptions about what a row house ought to be and do. It defines rowhouses as "party wall houses placed on narrow lots, typically 16-30 feet... Rowhouses place a garage or carport on a rear lane... The garden is a key feature, it requires walls or fences for privacy...  The rear lane is also essential as rowhouses with front garages destroy any prospect of pedestrian life... Rowhouses have short front setbacks..."

Flood, Stormwater and Sewer Considerations

The site is promising because according to the FEMA flood map 1600900002d it is out of the flood plain except at the NW corner. Present attention is around development on the SE half, which is completely out of the flood plain.

Moscow's 2009 Comprehensive Plan (Chap 5 Map 5.1) identifies constraints in its storm water system for other parts of downtown, but not in the vicinity of the site. This is probably because there is no storm water system on or adjacent to the site. This is one of the utilities that the URA might become involved in developing.

There is presently no sewer on the site. Moscow's 2009 Comprehensive Plan (Chap 5, map 5.4) identifies that there may be constraints in sewer capacity in the vicinity of the site. This is one of the utilities that the URA might become involved in developing.

A Timeline of SODO activities in Nov-Dec 2010

Until I come up with a way to log my discussions and next steps that is more interactive I'm going to capture what I can still remember here.

Nov 10. Toured the Stubbs Seed facility (Hwy 8 & 95) with Shelley Bennett (agent for the Legacy parcel) to understand a comparable property in the vicinity of the Legacy site.

Nov 15. Visit with students in Wendy McClure's architecture class. Their project involves the super block along 6th avenue. Students presented this work to the URA Dec 8.

Nov 17. Coffee with Rick Bebee, former owner of the parcel I'm exploring developing. Need to follow up with Gerard Billington, UI.

Nov 19. Tried to have impromptu meeting with Gary Reidner, but he was busy. Dropped in on Bill Beklnap instead. Bill provided a sketch he created to explore how the current ownership lines might be adjusted to accommodate the public right of way for Almon St and Main St extensions.

Dec 7. Lunch with Mark Mumford. Discussed the need for 50-somethings to have a place to bring aging parents that is a less restrictive environment than Bishop Place or Good Sam. This has implications for "mother in law" apartments and/or wheelchair ready flats.

Dec 7. Emailed with Gerri Saylor about My Own Home. Follow up after the New Year.

Dec 8. Attended presentation by Wendy McClure's architecture students to URA regarding development at 6th and Jackson and more generally the whole superblock to the west-south of that corner. Some of the designs captured the urban character that the City is seeking in the Legacy Crossing Overlay Zone design guidelines.

Dec 9. Meeting with Gary Reidner (Moscow City Managere) and Jeff Jones (URA and Moscow Econ Development). Discussed the project generally and how the City and URA might be involved, including Brownfields assessment and Inter-modal Transit facility.

Dec 9. Later in the day meeting with Laurence Rose, Design West. Learned that the NW end of the property I'm exploring in one of the top 3 sites being explored for Moscow's Inter-modal Transit facility.

Dec 9. Lunch meeting with Phil Waite, WSU Landscape Architecture. Phil gave me several books to read.

Dec 13. Pat Vaughan (County Assessor) emailed a spreadsheet listing all residential property in Moscow: year built, address, and residence type.  I produced this analysis to explore the age distribution of existing residences. The implication is that a residential zoning decision is likely to have an impact on the city land use that lasts more than 50 years.

Dec 14. Meeting with Karen Lewis (Moscow Realty) to learn about market for townhouses. Karen provided some sales data for townhouses (closest thing Moscow has to a row house). Karen suggests that I "need a web page" for the project. I confirm that she is advising that I work the problem in public.

Dec 16. Lunch with Dan Rathmann (retired engineer) to explore his thinking about the Dumas facility on A street and to share what I know about the Legacy Crossing site. Dan is father of Kurt the strawbale guy (and architect) currently doing design-build in Spokane.

Dec 17. Meeting with Aimee Shipman (LEDC), who pointed me to a couple articles about college towns doing town-gown-retiree developments to attract alumni and retiring boomers.

Dec 20. Posted Huffington Post article on adult children living with parents. This has implications for design of spaces to support 2nd unit for live-in family member.

Dec 21. Meeting with Shelley Bennett to explore her thoughts about working the project in public. Shelley points to the successful use of the strategy at Eastside Marketplace (public input needs analysis), and more recently by the Anderson Group for the grain facility at 6th & Jackson. Shelley mentioned another project that is failing to get off the ground and is not taking her advice to build momentum in public. I asked Shelley to alert to owner of the Legacy parcel that I would have a public strategy up by New Years.

Dec 23. Launched SODO blog and Facebook group, see previous post.

List of next steps:
UI people to meet. Goal, learn more about how UI would be a neighbor/ partner

• Gerard Billington - suggested my several people including Bebee & Billington
• Ray Pankoff - suggested by Phil Waite
• Steve Drown - suggested by Phil Waite (also on URA)
• UI Comprehensive Plan

 Finance People to meet. Goal, learn more about how the money works

• Lee Gibbs - Zions Bank - recommended by several. Zions financed the URA purchase of 6th & Jackson
• Craig Knott - US Bank

Go Nano. Goal, learn more about their space needs when they want to move from the business incubator.

• Tim Kinkeade - CEO. talked 12/28.

Get list of membership of URA. Find what other connections these people have.

Update financial analysis spreadsheet and explore how to apply what I learned from Shelley about Capitalization rate: Rent / CapRate = Sales price

Look for images and start some image sharing in SODO FB group started 12/29

Get a better site drawing and develop some questions about parking and access along creek side. First version done.

SODO and Facebook

I shared the link from the previous post in this blog to Facebook (using the button at the bottom of the blog post). It attracted a variety of support and useful comments. I've now created a FB Group and am exploring how it could help with the collaboration.

Below is my opening comment in FB and the chain of reaction that followed:

Gerri Sayler named this project SODO (South of Downtown) Moscow. I'm looking for your help imagining and converting the current eyesore into a sustainable vibrant place to live and work.

SODO Moscow: South of Downtown Moscow

11 hours ago ·Like · Comment · View Feedback (10)Hide Feedback (10) · Share

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  Judy LaLonde and Rebecca Rod like this.
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    Nils Peterson I'm figuring out creating a Facebook group page where we can collaborate, sharing pictures and ideas.
    

    10 hours ago · Like
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    Dale Le Dancin The Town & Gown Park & Parking area for the trail system, of course (and surrounding area's) with the Moscow Arboritum and Jazz museum!!!
    ;-)
    

    8 hours ago ·Like
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    Rebecca Rod I think that's exactly the place I've been eyeing for some time -- talking about it last night w/ Gerri & friends. Talking about residential w/ some shared space as well -- community bldg w/ art studio, meeting room, kitchen ... I'm IN!
    

    8 hours ago · Like
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    Tom Ivie a pedestrian bridge across the creek for sure. Does Gritman own some or all of that?
    

    8 hours ago ·Like· 1 person
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    Theresa Beaver Wow, what a great idea, especially for us folks who are going to need the convenience of 'downtown on foot' as we age! I like the idea of the creekside units. Will there be any with distance/big sky views? I don't have a lot of investment money, but might be interested in something like that someday. Will there be a community garden??
    

    7 hours ago · Like
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    Gerri Sayler Moscow SODO: if it's built, people will come.
    

    6 hours ago · Like
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    Gerri Sayler

    Hmmmm — Coop housing modeled after well-designed boutique hotels that are equipped with suites featuring high ceilings and lots of windows PLUS (1) fitness center, hot tub and lap pool (2) large flexible meeting/party room with kitchen faci...lities for shared dining/entertaining (3) small conference room(s) (4) craft/project work room (5) garage for shared electric cars and/or scooters and workshop equipped with hand/power tools and (6) yes !!! community garden space. This is the kind of high-density residential dwellings within walking distance of downtown that boomers, eager to downsize, will sink their teeth into.See More

    
    

    6 hours ago · Like · 1 personLoading...
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    Dale Le Dancin sw-ne oriantations, so that it becomes frameing for view of town & gown, not a wall...
    

    6 hours ago · Like
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South of Downtown Moscow

We all travel through it, the area between Moscow's downtown and the UI campus. Regardless of your reaction to the grain elevators being removed, now the area is an eyesore that needs to become something new. There is a parcel for sale that I've been thinking about for awhile. Now, I'm asking for your help envisioning and developing it.

I'm exploring ideas for a mix of commercial and residential. A few apartments, but mostly owned residences. Some row houses along the creek. Some flats, perhaps wheelchair ready. Some commercial office space, maybe with residences above. Not much retail, because its not well situated to compete with retail downtown. Perhaps a sandwich shop catering to the local lunch trade. Perhaps UI would have some 'edge of campus' uses that benefit from easier parking and public access.

It has a great solar potential, so I'm imagining energy efficient designs, perhaps near 100% solar for heating and hot water in the residences. (Explore SODO's 'sustainability' ideas.)

I'm imagining the creek side of the site as a promenade without cars, and walking routes to campus and downtown.

What do you think? What should be here?

Returning to Legacy Crossing

It's been a year since I was last exploring developing in Legacy Crossing. A year post-Copenhagen climate meetings of seeing international paralysis on carbon emissions. I've renewed my interest in the southern parcel in Legacy Crossing and in developing it as model for the district.

Model of what?

• Mixed use development. I've been watching the City and Urban Renewal Agency advance their vision for the area, and repeatedly thought, nice vision but somebody has to build it.
• Tie between downtown and campus. We all travel through the area to get from town to campus, what about living there instead of passing through? 
• Net zero energy use.  I think that for heating and domestic hot water that might be achievable in row houses. For water on the landscape, maybe. Might it get the residents out of their cars, or into fewer cars?