Copy of ELNT Neighborhood Final Plan

EASTER LAKENEW TOWN

PLAN

CITY OF DES MOINESCOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTPLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN DIVISION

The plan is intended to be used by:

l Area residents to gain certainty about the development that will takeplace near their homes.

l The Plan and Zoning Commission and City Council to evaluatedevelopment proposals to assure the creation of high-quality, welldesigned neighborhoods.

l Public agencies such as the schoolboard, library board, and park andrecreation board to aid in the location of public facilities.

l Developers to understand the city’s goals for the Easter Lake NewTown area to aid in the development of a specific project or masterplan and to more easily complete the process of review and approval.

l The real estate community to aid in marketing the area to prospectivehome buyers and retailers.

Easter Lake New TownA LAND USE PLAN FOR THE SOUTHEAST AREA OF DES MOINES

A component of Des Moines’ 2020 Community Character Plan,

adopted by Des Moines City Council, on

January 8, 2001 by Roll Call # 01-131

City of Des Moines Planning Staff

James M. Grant, Community Development Director

Larry Hulse, Community Development Deputy Director

Gary Lozano, Planning Administrator

Mary Kay Wilcox, Project Manager

Anne Discher, Intern

Laura Lutz-Zimmerman, Intern

Steve Klinkefus, Planning Technician

Consultants

Town Planning Collaborative

Michael Lamb, Project Manager

Richard McLaughlin, Principal Designer

in association with

Snyder and Associates

Gary Gemer, P. E.

Table of Contents

I. Introduction............................................................1-4Planning to Date

II. The Easter Lake New Town Landscape..............5-8Topography

Existing Landscape Character

Woodlands and Wooded Areas

Wetlands and Wet Sites

Agricultural Lands

Map – Natural Features and Open Space

III. Easter Lake New Town Land Use Plan.............9-16

A. Development Principles

B. Land Use FrameworkA gradient of land-use intensity, from “village” to rural

Natural boundaries

C. Three Character ZonesMap – Land Use Concept

Conservation Character Zone

General Development Character Zone

Urban Village Character Zone

D. Village Civic Center

Building Types and Site Design Standards

Map – Village Center Concept Plan

i

Easter Lake New Town Plan

IV. Park and Open Space System..........................17-20Publically Accessible Parks and Open Space

Community School Parks

Neighborhood Activity Nodes

Map – Proposed Park and Open Space System

V. Street System and Character............................21-24Thoroughfare Design Standards

Map – Proposed Street System

Map – Village Civic Center Throufare Plan

VI. Implementation.......................................................25Urban Village Character Zone



Appendix A -Building Types and Site Design Standards...........A1-A16

Appendix B -Throughfare Design Standards................................B1-B7

Appendix C -Infrastructure.............................................................C1-C5

Map – Utilities Electric

Map – Utilities Sanitary Sewers

Map – Utilities Storm Water Improvement Structures

Map – Utilities Water Mains

Appendix D -Easter Lake New Town Land Use Plan...................D1-D3

Map – Easter Lake New Town Land Use Plan

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Introduction

The Easter Lake New Town is an emerging area of over 1900 acres in the SEcorner of Des Moines that will need to accommodate growth over the next 25years. This plan is intended to guide the development of the area into cohesiveneighborhoods that preserve the overall natural resource amenities that currentlyexists while providing for a mix of residential and neighborhood-oriented com-mercial uses.

The area is a 15-minute drive from downtown and from the Des Moines Airportand a 5 minute drive from Southridge Mall, a regional shopping center located atSE 14th and Army Post Road. The Highway 5/65 bypass is located to the east andsouth of the Easter Lake New Town area with interchanges at Army Post Roadand Highway 69 providing access. The freeway bypass will complete a ringaround the city of Des Moines by 2002 connecting to I-80 in Altoona and to I-35in the southwest metro. (See map.)

Location of Easter Lake New Town area within metropolitan Des Moines

Polk County

Warren County

Easter Lake New Town Area

Downtown Des Moines

Racc

oon River

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es

Rive

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De

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Four M

ileC

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Easter Lake

Grays Lake

WEST DES MOINES

CLIVE

URBANDALE

GRIMES

WINDSOR HEIGHTS

ALTOONA

PLEASANT HILL

JOHNSTON

NORWALK

CARLISLE

DES MOINES

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The Easter Lake New Town area is located immediately south of Easter LakePark, a regional recreational amenity managed by Polk County, and east ofEwing Park, a component of Des Moines park system that serves the southeastpopulation. (See map.) The area’s landscape is defined by rolling hills, scatteredresidential acreages, farms and woods that create a rural feel prized by residents.(See photo.)

Easter Lake New Town Area

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Easter Lake

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4TH

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E. ARMY POST RD.

WATROUS AVE. WATROUS

EASTER LAKE DR.

E. COUNTY LINE RD.

HWY. 5/65 BYPASS

EWING PARK

Location of Easter Lake New Town area within Southeast Des Moines

An existing farm in the Easter Lake New Town area

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The Easter Lake New Town area is comparable in size to the area of BeaverdaleNeighborhood bordered by 30th Street to 50th Street on the east and west andForest Avenue and Douglas Avenue on the north and south. (See graphic.) Theequivalent area of Beaverdale is served by one high school, five elementaryschools, and two private schools. It also has a significant amount of commercialland uses along Beaver Avenue in addition to a shopping center at the intersec-tion of Beaver Avenue and Urbandale Avenue.

DOUGLAS AVE.

URBANDALE AVE.

HICKMAN RD.

FRANKLIN AVE.

48TH

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GLENDALE CEMETERY

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BLOO

MFIELD RD.

HWY 65-69

EASTER LAKE

EWING PARK

YEADER CREEK LAKE COUNTY PARK

Comparison of Easter Lake New Town area to equivalent size areaof Beaverdale Neighborhood

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Planning to Date

In 1987 the City of Des Moines annexed the Easter Lake New Town area, whichthen consisted primarily of farms and acreages, with the intent of providing landfor orderly new development within the city limits. A primary factor in theannexation was the construction some years earlier of a major trunk sewer linethrough the area. Shortly after annexation, the City undertook the development ofthe Southeast Annex Area Comprehensive Stormwater Study and Master Plan(Snyder and Associates, Inc.) to reduce the flow of sediment into Easter Lake.This master plan calls for a series of stormwater detention basins and othererosion-control structures south of the lake, all linked by greenways. Several ofthese projects have already been constructed, and more are planned.

During the last half of the 1990s, driven by a strong metro economy and avail-able sewer service, new development interest in the Easter Lake New Town areaemerged. By 1998 and 1999 builders were constructing nearly 100 homes a yearin several suburban-style single-family developments south of the lake. Theprospect of a patchwork of homogeneous subdivisions, developed independentlyof an overall cohesive plan for the area based on preserving open space andbuilding integrated neighborhoods, concerned both old and new residents.

In 1999 a steering committee of neighbors and city staff was formed to begindeveloping a land use concept for the area based on preserving key open spacesand the development of distinct interconnected neighborhoods. The planningprocess included meetings with representatives from the City’s Park and Recre-ation, Transportation, Engineering and Library departments. In early 2000 theCity hired Snyder and Associates, a Des Moines area civil engineering firm, andTown Planning Collaborative, a Minneapolis urban design firm to help create aland use plan for new neighborhoods south of Easter Lake to include a streetlayout, an open-space system and urban design standards for buildings.

The Easter Lake New Town area is currently experiencing population growth thatis expected to continue in the first decades of the 21st century. As more peoplemove to the area, both commercial and public services will likely follow. Withprojected growth rates the City of Des Moines anticipates the need for one ormore new elementary schools, a public library, aquatic center and major commu-nity park, as well as neighborhood-oriented retail as the area develops out.

The Easter Lake New Town Land Use Plan, is a component of Des Moines 2020Community Character Plan. The 2020 Community Character Plan emphasizespolicies to protect the traditional character of Des Moines — mixed-use,walkable neighborhoods connected by a grid of streets — and encourage tradi-tional-style development in new areas. The Easter Lake New Town Neighbor-hoods Plan is aimed at assuring development that both reflects the best of thecity’s traditional neighborhood characteristics and in addition preserves the bestof the area’s rural character.

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The Easter LakeNew Town Landscape

Topography

The topography of the Easter Lake New Town area is that of the Southern IowaDrift Plain, a landscape characterized by rolling hills with some steep slopes. Theland, drained by numerous small channels and drainage ways that branch outacross the land, is the result of 500,000 years of erosion since the last glacier.Active erosion is often seen where the smaller channels empty into larger streamsand eventually into the rivers. Few of the natural wetlands remain in this region,but those that do include oxbows, floodplains and floodplain wetlands, hillsideseeps, artificial lakes, and farm ponds.

The Easter Lake New Town area makes up approximately 40 percent of theEaster Lake Watershed. The remainder of the watershed drains into Easter Lakevia Yeader Creek, which crosses Des Moines’s southside and enters the lake at itswestern end. Easter Lake, built as a flood control structure, also serves as arecreation resource for Des Moines. Within the Easter Lake New Town area twosmall channels, each with numerous smaller channels and subdrainages, flowdirectly into Easter Lake. A portion of the southeast corner of this area is notcontained in the Easter Lake Watershed but is instead part of a watershed thatflows into Warren County.

Existing Landscape Character

The Easter Lake New Town area is a rural landscape with rolling hills and farmfields, small acreages and new housing subdivisions. The wooded stream chan-nels, wetlands, and steep slopes are residual areas that have been neither farmednor developed due to the physical constraints of the land. The area is not apristine landscape, but a working landscape, with large portions of the area inagricultural production. However, although quite fragmented, the natural areas –wetlands, large wooded areas along streams, fence rows, and even the filter stripsplanted in farm fields –have immeasurable aesthetic value and provide a varietyof habitat opportunities for wildlife. Two key things are important with regard tonatural areas. First, the size of the natural area will impact the type of wildlifethat can inhabit the site. Usually, but not always, a larger natural area is better.Second, more plant and animal diversity is better for creating a more stableecosystem. In this area, there are white-tailed deer, a variety of birds – fromsongbirds to larger hawks and owls – as well as many frogs and toads. No federalor state endangered species have been documented in the area. (See NaturalFeatures and Open Space map).

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Woodlands and Wooded Areas

Wooded vegetation can be found along the stream channels and fence rows. Thewooded areas vary in size and canopy cover, from large densely covered treeareas to a few scattered large trees and woody shrubs. Along several of thechannels are significant wooded areas. For the most part, trees in these areas arecharacteristic of the floodplain forests and river-lake margin communities.

The woodland canopy is The understory layers aredominated by these species: dominated by these species:

Common Hackberry American ElderGreen Ash Eastern RedbudKentucky Coffeetree White and Red MulberryAmerican Elm Redosier DogwoodSlippery Elm Gray DogwoodBoxelder Sandbar WillowSilver Maple Virginia CreeperEastern Cottonwood Wild GrapeBlack Willow Poison IvySwamp White Oak

Boxelder, Elm, and Mulberry are the most common trees, found in every woodedarea. However, each woodland area has its own dominant species.

The fence rows and windbreaks are also mostly made up of Boxelders, Elms andMulberries. The fence rows vary in width and length. In some of the housingsubdivisions, the fence rows have been preserved and incorporated into thedevelopment. The windbreaks are typically a combination of deciduous andevergreen tress, similar to the many other windbreaks that dot the Iowa land-scape. Large groupings of pine trees have been planted on some of the properties.

Wetlands and Wet Sites

Wetlands are scattered throughout the area. Wetlands are “those areas that areinundated or saturated by surface or ground water at a frequency and durationsufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances do support a preva-lence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions. Wet-lands generally include swamps, marshes, bogs, and similar areas.” (Section 404of the Clean Water Act.) Easter Lake-area wetlands vary in size and quality, withsome of the wetland severely disturbed by agricultural or development practices.The wetlands are typically dominated by Cattails, Fox Sedges, Yellow FruitSedge, Dark Green Bulrush, and Willows. Some of the wetlands are dominatedby mature tree cover (alluvial floodplain forest).

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In addition to the wetland sites there were many “wet sites.” Many of these sitesare grassed waterways or bottom land areas that do not have the hydric soil orhydrophytic vegetation present that would delineate them as wetlands. Coolseason grasses are often found planted on these sites. The purpose of theseplantings is usually to filter chemical pollutant and sediments from agriculturaland urban areas. These areas with cool season grasses vary in size, from largebuffer strips spanning the length of a field to small, narrow strips scatteredthrough the field.

Agricultural Lands

There are several pasture areas in the Easter Lake New Town area; some areactively grazed while others have not been grazed in some time. In the siteswhere grazing has occurred, exotic plants occur at higher frequencies. A largeportion of the woodlands in the area has been grazed and need some managementto restore their health. Many of the large pasture areas have large man-madewatering ponds for the stock. Often wetland vegetation can be found aroundthese ponds. These farm ponds can play a significant wetland role in the South-ern Iowa Drift Plain, offering a source of habitat and forage to wildlife in thearea.

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elntnatural featuresand open spacegraphic

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Easter Lake New TownLand Use Plan

A. Development PrinciplesThe following principles governed the development of the land use plan, andapply to all new development in the Easter Lake New Town.

Protect natural features through innovative development

Compact development achieved through higher densities and multi-story,rather than single-story, buildings, as proposed in certain areas, allows thecity to reserve more land for parks and greenways and still meet the demandfor new construction.

Offer a variety of housing types and a mix of uses

There is approximately 1,000 acres of developable land available in theEaster Lake New Town area excluding natural features and existing develop-ment. Those acres should accommodate a mixture of housing types, includ-ing apartments, condominiums, townhomes and single-family houses on avariety of lot sizes. Diverse housing stock provides options for single adults,families with children, empty-nesters and seniors to continue living in thecommunity as their housing needs change over time. The mix of uses shouldalso include neighborhood-oriented retail to meet the needs of local resi-dents. A mix of housing and land uses ensures a neighborhood that sustainsitself over time.

Emphasize high-quality design and material

Streetscape and buildings alike should feature attractive architectural detailand durable building materials. These will help the Easter Lake neighbor-hoods endure gracefully, maintaining their quality and desirability as a placeto live.

Keep open space for public use

Residential and commercial development should front, not back-up tosignificant open spaces, such as neighborhood parks, ponds, greenways andwoodlands, so that they are readily accessible to everyone. Developmentpatterns that connect recreational amenities to the public realm result inhigher land values for properties within the vicinity versus only the lots thatmay directly back up to it. Also when civic or retail facilities are locatedadjacent to open spaces they help create a town center.

III.

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Create a coherent system of intersecting streets

A strongly interconnected pedestrian friendly street plan is the basis for thedevelopment of a cohesive neighborhood. It should be highly predictable andprovide flexibility of movement throughout. It should follow a hierarchy,with the existing east-west arterials principally used for regional trips. Localtravel should take place on smaller neighborhood-scale streets that form aninterconnected web. (See section V.)

B. Land Use FrameworkA gradient of land-use intensity, from “village” to rural

The proposed land use concept for the Easter Lake New Town area can bedescribed by the transect system of landscape classification (The Lexicon of the New Urbanism, Duany Plater-Zyberk & Company, 2000) that arrangesdevelopment in an orderly manner from urban to rural. (See illustration.)The land use concept for the Easter Lake New Town area is comprised ofthree character zones that change in intensity and character as one movesfrom west to east across the area. If one drew a transect across the EasterLake New Town area beginning at Indianola Avenue to the east, the proposeddevelopment for the area would transition from urban to rural in character.The density and scale and materials of buildings change, as does the character of open space including streets.

VillageCenter

VillageNeighborhood

GeneralDevelopment

RuralDevelopment

The land use concept is based on the transect system of classification that arranges development inan orderly manner from rural to urban.

○

○

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○

○

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○

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Natural Boundaries

The large, connected open space/watershed framework initially proposed toaddress stormwater quality issues on a regional level is the basis for defining theland use plan’s three Character Zones. * The area’s open space framework,developed as a multi-use greenway corridor system as part of future develop-ment, is intended to conserve important natural resources, accommodate wildlife,cyclists, pedestrians and provide a physical connection to village/neighborhoodcenters, the parks, shopping, schools and civic/institutional uses. (Please seesection IV. Proposed Park and Open Space System for further discussion.)

∗ (City of Des Moines Southeast Annexation Area Storm Water Master Plan,1993, Snyder and Associates)

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C. Three Character Zones

The Easter Lake New Town Land Use Plan identifies three areas of development.(See Land Use Concept.) The highest density development, The Urban VillageCharacter Zone, is a series of traditional, mixed-use “villages” located alongIndianola Avenue. The current development pattern — single-family homes at adensity of three to four units per acre — is proposed to continue in the GeneralDevelopment Character Zone. Low-impact residential development in conserva-tion subdivisions is proposed in the Conservation Character Zone in the easternedge of the area until it is needed for more intensive residential development.(See Easter Lake New Town Land Use Plan in Appendix D.)


The southeast corner of the Easter Lake New Town, is identified as the Conser-vation Zone, (also referred to as the “farmstead edge”). Its western boundary isdefined partially by the areas’s open space framework and partially by the easternedge of the sewer trunk line. This area’s rural character should be preserved asthe true “edge” of Des Moines until it is needed for urban development. Thefuture pattern would allow densities of 3-4 dwelling units per acre, comparable tothe General Development Zone described below, but require a greater percent ofopen space to be set aside. The proposed commercial development in this zoneshould be neighborhood-oriented and pedestrian scaled rather than automobile-scaled.


In the central area of the Easter Lake New Town, designated as the GeneralDevelopment Character Zone, new development will be consistent with currentdevelopment at densities of approximately 3-4 dwelling units per acre meetingthe area’s current market niche — large-lot, single-family homes. To create astrong neighborhood unit in the General Development Character Zone, the EasterLake New Town Plan proposes an interconnected street system that minimizesthe number of cul-de-sacs. (See Section V.)

The existing rural road profile of the east-west streets through this characterzone—Easter Lake Drive, Payton Avenue, Army Post Road, and Pine Avenue—fit with its rural aesthetic. These roads should be designated as scenic corridorswith few or no curb cuts and gutters. This would transition from the more urbanroad profile proposed for the section of these roads in the Urban Village Charac-ter Zone.

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Urban Village Character Zone

Concentrated development that forms compact villages is proposed in the west-ern-most area of the Easter Lake New Town with its proximity to IndianolaRoad. The area will be composed of three villages, each village is approximately½ mile square with a center made up of commercial or public uses. Densities of3-12 dwelling units/acre, with an average of 6-8 dwelling units/acre are pro-posed. The overall density and design character of development within thevillage will change as one moves from its centers to its edges.

Characteristics of Urban Village Development

The goal of development in the Urban Village Character Zone is to createcomplete neighborhoods. A complete neighborhood contains a number ofplaces to go and things to do within walking distance. It contains an assort-ment of residential buildings (i.e., houses, townhouses, apartments, garages,outbuildings), work place buildings (i.e., offices, studios, craft shops),commercial buildings (i.e., grocery stores, craft shops, boutiques, salons,rental stores, restaurants, delicatessens, bakeries), and public buildings (i.e.,schools, churches, libraries). The village’s mix of uses, rather than single usezoning, allows people the option of walking rather than relying on a car fortravel.

The village is scaled and arranged in a pattern to provide a complete neigh-borhood. The compact arrangement creates a strong pedestrian realm forthose who want to be part of an interactive community of place. Spacedefining elements such as tree-lined streets, sidewalks, greens, playgrounds,parks, benches, picnic shelters, and gazebos create a neighborhood’s charac-ter and offer amenities available to the entire community. It is the uniquecomposition of these components that characterize individual neighborhoods,whether they are old or new.

The emergence of a complete neighborhood unit is reliant on the followingten physical characteristics.

A. An area of 40 to 160 acres. Development of a complete,walkable neighborhood is best accommodated in an area of 40 to160 acres.

B. An average density of five residential units per acre or greater. Acritical mass of people in close proximity to daily services andactivities are necessary for mutual support between local resi-dents and local businesses.

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C. An internal balance of housing, jobs and services. Self-sufficientneighborhoods require many buildings that house a variety ofdaily activities within its boundaries.

D. An identifiable neighborhood center. The neighborhood center isboth a civic focus and informal place of gathering for the com-munity.

E. Designated sites for civic buildings. Buildings such as schools,libraries, museums, assembly halls, places of worship, and daycare facilities should occupy prominent places in the neighbor-hood and be planned in coordination with public open spaces.

F. A variety of public open spaces. Natural and landscaped openspaces are for the use, benefit, and enjoyment of the entirecommunity.

G. A hierarchy of interconnected streets. Complete neighborhoodsshould contain a range of street types that accommodate varioustraffic characteristics, connect with one another and be termi-nated by other streets.

H. Streets for both people and cars. Neighborhood streets are publicplaces meant to comfortably and deliberately accommodate allforms of transportation, including pedestrians and bicyclists.

I. Many separate and human-scaled buildings. Small-lot plattingand a variety of buildings not more than four stories in heightgenerate a cohesive urban pattern that allows streets to be civicplaces of circulation.

J. Outbuildings as flexible additional living space. Outbuildings onsingle-family lots can provide needed additional living spacesuch as studios, home offices, and student living quarters.

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D. Village Civic Center

The major civic and commercial facilities serving the entire Easter Lake NewTown Neighborhood are proposed to be located in a village civic center configu-ration near the intersection of Army Post Road and Indianola Boulevard. Theprogram for the Village Civic Center includes the following.

Library Commercial CenterElementary school Aquatic CenterNeighborhood Park

The Village Civic Center Concept Plan, (see map,) suggests an arrangement forresidential districts and for commercial and public buildings around a civicboulevard. Indianola Avenue is also proposed as a boulevard providing an urban-scaled prominent entrance to the village center from downtown Des Moines andother parts of the city.

Building Types and Site Design StandardsThis plan recommends the residential building types, as listed below. (SeeAppendix A. Building Types and Site Design Standards.) These housing optionsmeet the needs of senior citizens, young families and the increasing number ofpeople who work out of their homes. Each building type also has site designstandards which govern their massing, height and placement on the lot. Pleaserefer to the Village Civic Center Concept Plan, on page 16, to identify thelocations of each building type.

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Type I Main StreetType II Neighborhood ApartmentsType III Live/WorkType IV TownhouseType V Detached HouseType VI Twin HouseType VII Mansion HouseType VIII Accessory Unit

Easter Lake New Town Plan 16

V

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V IV I

V IV I

V I IV I IV I IV I I

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M E D I U M - D E N S I T Y R E S I D E N T I A L

M I X E D U S E A N D D E N S I T Y R E S I D E N T I A L

N E I G H B O R H O O D C O M M E R C I A L C E N T E R

P A R K / O P E N S P A C E - P U B L I C

P A R K / O P E N S P A C E - P R I V A T E

P U B L I C & S E M I - P U B L I C

B U I L D I N G T Y P E ST Y P E I M a i n S t r e e tT Y P E I I N e ig h b o r h o o d A p a r t m e n t sT Y P E I I I L i v e / W o r kT Y P E I V T o w n h o u s eT Y P E V D e t a c h e d H o u s eT Y P E V I T w i n H o u s eT Y P E V I I M a n s i o n H o u s e( s e e A p p e n d i x A f o r i l l u s t r a t i o n s )

EASTER LAKE NEW TOWNLAND USE PLAN

VILLAGE CIVIC CENTER

Park and Open Space System

A comprehensive park and open space system that provides a variety of recre-ational and leisure opportunities is a key element in attracting new residents whoare interested in buying into a community rather than just purchasing a lot in aresidential subdivision. The main components of the park and open space systemfor the Easter Lake New Town are:

• Easter Lake Park and Ewing Park form a significant piece of thepublic open space in this area. Owned by the Polk County Conserva-tion Board, Easter Lake Park is adjacent to Ewing Park, owned theCity of Des Moines. Ewing Park provides trails, picnic shelters,playground, and horseshoe courts. Easter Lake Park provides picnicareas, two playgrounds, and boat docks for fishing access on thelake.

• Two 20 acre Community School Parks including paved play areas,playground equipment areas, obstacle courses, kindergarten playareas, team sports facilities, walking, nature paths, picnic facilitiesand restrooms.

• Small neighborhood activity nodes with playground equipmentlocated approximately every ½ mile along the linear park system.

• An aquatic center or an indoor/outdoor swimming facility at amiddle school. Wading pools at elementary schools are also inconsideration.

• A linear park system that includes ponds and an extensive trailsystem that forms a series of loops that connect neighborhoods tomajor parks, schools and to the Village Civic Center at Army PostRoad and Indianola Avenue. Sections of the trail system also includewidened sidewalks as part of designated streets. (see Park and OpenSpace System Plan map.)

Publically Accessible Parks and Open Space

It is critical that the park and open space system for the Easter Lake New Town istied to the public realm ensuring it is easily accessible to all residents. This planpromotes a park system that is fronted by houses rather than located behind theback yards of housing in order for all residences to feel ownership of the parks aswell as have direct access to them. The proposed street system for the EasterLake New Town area is designed to support this, with streets lining the parks andopen spaces rather than allowing residential lots to back up to them.

IV.

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Community School Parks

Two elementary schools are anticipated to serve the population of the EasterLake New Town. Their outdoor recreational areas would be designed as commu-nity school park; a combined public park/school facility. The community schoolpark is a neighborhood park which functions as a classroom for the school and arecreational facility when school is not in session or holding special events. Inaddition to the recreational components of a community school park as describedabove, other school related facilities may be desired by curriculum staff.

Neighborhood Activity Nodes

Two to three acre neighborhood activity nodes are proposed approximately every½ mile along the linear park and open space system to serve the future residentsof the Easter Lake New Town. They will have play equipment and a shelter. PolkCounty is encouraged to develop these nodes within Easter Lake Park in theapproximate locations indicated on the Park and Open Space Plan if they do notalready exist.

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E. ARMY POST ROAD

EWING PARK

E. ARMY POST ROAD

E. LELAND AVE.

SE

19T

H S

TR

EE

T

E. DIEHL AVENUE

E PAYTON AVENUE

E ARMY POST ROAD

S. E

. 18

TH

ST

RE

ET

E. D

IEH

L AV

EN

UE

E. ARMY POST ROAD

EASTER LAKE DRIVE

E PAYTON AVENUE

SE

. 36T

H S

TR

EE

T

E. PINE AVENUE

SE

. 36T

H S

TR

EE

T

COUNTY

E. PINEAVENUE

E. ARMY POST ROAD

E. PINE AVENUE

E. ARMY POST ROADE. ARMY POST ROAD

E. PINE AVENUE

E. I

ND

IAN

OLA

AV

EN

UE

BLOOMFIELD ROAD

BLOOMFIELD ROAD

E. I

ND

IAN

OLA

AV

EN

UE

E. PINE AVENUE

E. I

ND

IAN

OLA

AV

EN

UE

E. PINE AVENUE

E. PINE AVENUE

E. ARMY POST ROAD

E. PAYTON AVENUE

EASTER LAKE DRIVE

E. I

ND

IAN

OLA

AV

EN

UE

SE

. 36T

H S

TR

EE

T

SE

. 34T

H S

TR

EE

T

EASTER LAKE

EASTER

LAKE

EWING LAKE

EASTER LAKE

EASTER LAKE

EASTER LAKE

EASTER LAKE

CREEK

EASTER LAKE PARK

EWING PARK

SCALE

0 500

PARK/OPEN SPACE - PUBLIC

PARK/OPEN SPACE - PRIVATE

NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVITY NODE

LEGENDFUTURE STREETS

BIKE TRAIL

EASTER LAKE NEW TOWNPROPOSED PARK & OPEN SPACE SYSTEM

Street System and Character The proposed street system for the Easter Lake New Town Neighborhood isbased on the following principles.

a) Create a grid of reasonably sized blocksTo ensure a circulation system that allows a variety of direct routes todestinations for automobiles and pedestrians, this plan proposes a gridpattern of interconnected streets. The average perimeter of all neighbor-hood blocks should not exceed 1300 feet. In addition, no block faceshould exceed 600 feet in length without a pedestrian pathway through it.Small block sizes and interconnected streets assure direct pedestrianroutes throughout the neighborhood. This grid system also distributestraffic more evenly rather than loading it onto a few collector roads.

b) Minimize dead ends / cul-de-sacsStreet patterns characterized by winding streets, dead end streets and cul-de-sacs result in a street pattern that is not interconnected and createsindirect routes to destinations. This type of street system is confusing tomaneuver and results in funneling traffic onto a few streets as there arefewer options to reach a destination. Some neighborhood streets may bedesigned with traffic-calming measures to ensure safe traffic speeds.

c) Keep open space amenities accessible to the publicA neighborhood street pattern should not result in residential lots back-ing up to major open spaces. Streets should align major public openspaces, tying them to the public realm.

(see Proposed Street System Plan.)

Thoroughfare Design StandardsStreets and public open spaces are the urban fabric of the neighborhood constitut-ing the most valuable public amenity, the public realm. This plan includes designstandards, describing the public rights-of-ways for the streets proposed in theEaster Lake New Town. (see Appendix B - Throughfare Design Standards.) Theyillustrate a typical section layout of travel lanes, parking, sidewalks, and streettrees for each street type. Refer to the Village Civic Center Thoroughfare Plan forthe location of each thoroughfare type.

V.

21


PARKING

EASTER LAKE DRIVE

SE

. 36T

H S

TR

EE

T

EASTER LAKE DRIVE

EASTER LAKE DRIVE

EA

ST

IND

IAN

OLA

AV

EN

UE

EAST INDIANOLA AVENUE

EWING PARK

EASTER LAKE DRIVE

E. I

ND

IAO

LA A

VE

NU

E

E. ARMY POST ROAD

E. PAYTON AVENUE

E. I

ND

IAN

OLA

A

VE

NU

E

E. PAYTON AVENUE

E. ARMY POST ROAD

EASTER LAKE DRIVE

SE

34T

H S

TR

EE

T

SE

. 36T

H S

TR

EE

T

E PAYTON AVENUE

E ARMY POST ROAD

E. ARMY POST ROAD

E PAYTON AVENUE

E ARMY POST ROAD

E. ARMY POST ROAD

EASTER LAKE DRIVE

E PAYTON AVENUE

SE

. 36T

H S

TR

EE

T

E. PINE AVENUE

SE

. 36T

H S

TR

EE

T

E. PINEAVENUE

E. ARMY POST ROAD

E. PINE AVENUE

E. ARMY POST ROADE. ARMY POST ROAD

E. PINE AVENUE

E. I

ND

IAN

OLA

AV

EN

UE

BLOOMFIELD ROAD

E. I

ND

IAN

OLA

AV

EN

UE

E. PINE AVENUE

E. I

ND

IAN

OLA

AV

EN

UE

E. PINE AVENUE

E. PINE AVENUE

E. ARMY POST ROAD

E. PAYTON AVENUE

EASTER LAKE DRIVE

E. I

ND

IAN

OLA

AV

EN

UE

SE

. 36T

H S

TR

EE

T

EASTER LAKE

FUTURE STREETS

PARK/OPEN SPACE - PUBLIC

PARK/OPEN SPACE - PRIVATE

LEGEND

EASTER LAKE NEW TOWNPROPOSED STREET SYSTEM

23

E. ARMY POST ROAD

E. PAYTON AVENUE

EASTER LAKE DRIVEE

AS

T IN

DIA

NO

LA A

VE

NU

E

L E G E N D

P L - 2 4 P a v e d L a n e

R S - 5 0 R e s i d e n t i a l S t r e e t

C R - 5 0 C o m m e r c i a l S t r e e t

C R S - 6 0 C o m m e r c i a l / R e s i d e n t i a l T r a n s i t i o n S t r e e t

B V - 1 0 0 B o u l e v a r d

C B V - 1 0 0 C i v i c B o u l e v a r d

N O T T O S C A L E

B V - 1 0 0R S - 5 0

R S - 5 0

R S - 5 0

P L - 2 4P L - 2 4

P L - 2 4

P L - 2 4

C R - 5 0

C B V - 1 0 0

C B V - 1 0 0

B V - 1 0 0

C R S - 6 0

EASTER LAKE NEW TOWNVILLAGE CIVIC CENTERTHROUGHFARE PLAN

Implementation

The Easter Lake New Town Plan is an element of Des Moines’ 2020 CommunityCharacter Plan, which is a component of Des Moines Comprehensive Plan. Theiplementation tools for each of the three character zones that make up theEaster Lake New Town Plan are described below.

The Urban Village Character Zone will be implemented primarily throughPlanned Unit Development (PUD) zoning. The village master plan, (seegraphic), will become the concept plan for the PUD. This concept planmay be adopted by any of the landowners or developers wishing to pro-ceed with development in this area. If a landowners or developer choosesnot to use this concept plan, and submit their own, it must be in compli-ance with this plan, as an element of the Des Moines 2020 CommunityCharacter Plan, in order to be adopted.

To complete development in an orderly and phased manner, the city’s priority isto focus infrastructure development in the Urban Village Character Zone. Thiswill help ensure that the desired level of development will be achieved.


This area will continue to develop at R1-60 to R1-80 densities as it is currentlyzoned. The infrastructure in this zone will be the responsibility of the developer.Currently, there is a sanitary sewer trunk line that runs along the main channel(stormwater basins) across the area. The developers will have the option toconnect to this sewer as is fit for their development.


This area will continue to be zoned agricultural until a later phase of develop-ment. Providing sanitary sewer to the southeast corner of the area, which doesnot drain into the Easter Lake Watershed, will require construction of a pumpingstation. Therefore, in the short term, this area will be low priority for sewerimprovements by the City of Des Moines. As development reaches its peak,providing sewer infrastructure may be considered.

VI.

25


Appendix A -Building Types andSite Design Standards

A-1

Type IMain Street

A-2


Site Design StandardType I

Main Street

A-3

Type IINeighborhood

Apartments

A-4


Site Design StandardType II

NeighborhoodApartments

A-5

Type IIILive/Work

A-6


Site Design StandardType III

Live/Work

A-7

Type IVTownhouse

A-8


Site Design StandardType IV

Townhouse(rear-loaded)

A-9

Site Design StandardType V (a)

Detached House(front-loaded)

A-10


Site Design StandardType V (b)

Detached House(rear-loaded)

A-11

Site Design StandardType VI (a)Twin House

(front-loaded)

A-12


Site Design StandardType VI (b)Twin House(rear-loaded)

A-13

A-14

Type VIIMansion House

Easter Lake New Town Plan A-15

Site Design StandardType VII

Mansion House

Type VIIIAccessory Unit

A-16


Appendix B -Throughfare Design Standards

B-1

Type PL-24 (Paved Lane)

B-2


Type RS-50 (Residential Street)

B-3

B-4 Type CR-50 (Commercial Street)


Type CRS-60 (Commercial/Residential Transition Street)

B-5

Type BV-100 (Boulevard)

B-6


Type CBV-100 (Civic Boulevard)

B-7

Appendix C -InfrastructureStormwater Detention Basins

As part of a 1994 planning process, a series of ten stormwater basins were slatedfor the Easter Lake area. To date, four basins have been built and two are sched-uled to be constructed within five years.

The purpose of these basins is to manage the stormwater at the regional level,instead of the individual subdivision level. This decision was driven by the needto address stormwater runoff in a manner that is both consistent with City of DesMoines policy and is also economically feasible. South Easter Lake has receivedenough sediment to alter the water level several feet. The basins were preliminar-ily designed to accommodate the growth in the Easter Lake New Town area forthe next 30 years.

Sanitary Sewer, Water, Electric, Gas

Most of the major infrastructure required for development in the area alreadyexists. Water, gas, and electric services are all available. Sanitary sewer isreadily available in some portions of the area through a sewer trunk line thatfollows the main channel into South Easter Lake. A few extensions off of thisline have been made. (See Utilities maps.)

C-1


P a y t o n A v e

E a s t e r L a k e D r .

A r m y P o s t R d

P i n e A v e

Ind

ian

ol a

Av

e

36

th

St

5 7 t h S t

US

HW

Y 6

9

34

th

St

Double Circuit 161KV & 345 KV Line

Overhead Electric

Existing Streets

Utilities - ElectricUtilities - ElectricExisting StreetsDouble Circuit 161KV & 345 KV LineOverhead Electric Line

C-2

P a y t o n A v e


A r m y P o s t R d

P i n e A v e

Ind

ian

ol a

Av

e

36

th

St

5 7 t h S t

US

HW

Y 6

9

34

th

St

ICA Interceptor

Proposed Trunkline

Existing Streets

Utilities - Sanitary SewersUtilities - Sanitary SewersExisting StreetsICA Interceptor

Proposed Trunkline

C-3


P a y t o n A v e


A r m y P o s t R d

P i n e A v e

Ind

ian

ol a

Av

e

36

th

St

5 7 t h S t

US

HW

Y 6

9

34

th

St

Priorty 1 Structures



Priorty 2 Channel

Priorty 3 Channel

Retention Basin

Drop Spillway

Hood Inlet Spillway

Rock Check Structure

Rock Chute

Utilities - Storm Water Improvement StructuresUtilities - Storm Water Improvement StructuresPriorty 1 StructuresPriorty 2 StructuresPriorty 3 StructuresPriorty 2 ChannelPriorty 3 Channel

Retention Basin

Drop Spillway

Hood Inlet SpillwayRock Check Structure

Rock Chute

C-4

Utilities - Water MainsExisting Streets

Existing Water Mains

C-5


Appendix D -Easter Lake New TownLand Use Plan

D-1

Easter Lake New Town Plan D-3

Copy of ELNT Neighborhood Final Plan

Documents

Transcript of Copy of ELNT Neighborhood Final Plan