HomeMy WebLinkAboutMS-18-06 - Supplemental - 1068 Williston Road (5)Proposed Hampton Inn Building, 1068 Williston Road
Miscellaneous Application MS-18-06
Narrative to Accompany Request for Consideration under Alternative Entrance Standards
BMA Architects - November 21, 2018
RE: Alternate Compliance for Entrances in T4
The purpose of this narrative is to outline why alternative compliance is sought and the ways in
which this project meets (and aims to exceed) the intent of “developing a built environment
conducive to pedestrian activity.” We also present how the perforce behind the projects position
as a primary building in the Gateway Area of the T4 District is enhanced to form a strong
northern nexus for the City Center and South Burlington as a whole. Perspectives are attached
to help further explain and define the project’s; street presence, juxtaposition to existing and
proposed streets, and general advancement of the specific objectives set forth in both the
Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Regulations.
Project Entrance Design
Alternative compliance for entrances is being sought due to security requirements for the hotel
guests and the hotel premises in general. Hilton standards (typical of the industry and
increasingly so of other industries) state that all publicly accessible entrances (during normal
business hours or not) must be within clear view of the hotel’s Front Desk. While the security of
guests is of paramount importance in the hotel industry; the project’s lobby is designed to meet
these concerns while providing visual control at three doors; two of which are publicly primary
entrances in terms of visual hierarchy. The two doors facing east in the lobby’s main span of
glass (Primary Facade) face toward the new connector street, fully engaging with the
streetscape, in concert with public seating on ground level terrace, to provide unimpeded and
inviting access to hotel guests and the public at large. The main lobby entrance facing North
(toward the Holiday Inn Lobby) is the third public entrance, and would be accessible to the
public at all hours through the buildings Porte Cochere portal and colonnade. The lobby area
design accomplishes the necessary front desk functions (greeting, interaction, and controlled
access to private guest room sleeping areas) while providing essential, quality connections to
the community.
Beyond the strategy utilized at the Front Desk to provide multiple publicly accessible entrances,
every practical opportunity for implementing the visual intent of the T4 entrance standard
(frequency of visible entrances along all primary and secondary facades) has been
implemented. Glazed entrances have been provided along pedestrian facing (North, East, and
South) facades as allowable for the hotel uses in these spaces. The hotel doors facing South
towards Williston Road provide all important visual and physical access for an engaging street
presence. Direct public access at these Williston Street doors is provided to registered hotel
guests via electronic card key and the general public may enter these doors at will when
accompanied by a hotel guest or during a public event held in the meeting areas which face
Williston. Other glazed entrances are provided on the South and North facades, but are
designated for employee use only and will not be accessible to hotel guests nor the general
public, but provide the visual intent of the Entrance Standards.
Alternative Designs
The Entrance Standards as specified in Section 8.13(C)(6)(a-e), whose foundation is
established in the South Burlington Comprehensive Plan’s outline of the Central District, framed
throughout the South Burlington Land Development Regulations, and further refined in LDR
Proposed Hampton Inn Building, 1068 Williston Road
Miscellaneous Application MS-18-06
Narrative to Accompany Request for Consideration under Alternative Entrance Standards
BMA Architects - November 21, 2018
Section 8 City Center Form Based Code District 8.06(H), as to “establish a regular, consistently
pedestrian-friendly environment”, which is “designed to foster a built pattern consisting of
attractive, engaging, and interactive built forms.” Providing pedestrian users an experience of a
design which delineates an “inviting street presence of the building” which is to be “engaged
throughout its(the building’s) length.” With this framework in mind the project utilizes the
following strategies to meet and exceed the standards defining this intent.
[A]
The project’s design advances the specific objectives of the Central District (City Center and
surrounding areas) of the Comprehensive Plan, beyond the base Building Envelope
Standards. As stated in the Comprehensive Plan, the original 1985 City Center objectives called
for “directing development to the City’s existing urban core via higher densities and
infrastructure investment, creating a mixed-use, high density City center, and encouraging more
pedestrian and transit friendly development along the City’s major arterials.” The following
intentions have been surmised from the Comprehensive Plan and implemented in the following
ways.
Compact and Intense Land Use
“compact and most intensely developed..... and support employment”
“..higher value, compact development, more efficiently using land in this core area and
supporting walkability throughout.”
The project is designed to create a dense site, which efficiently uses its land, and position as a
gateway building to; maximize street presence and create opportunities for public gathering. In
approaching from I-89 and Williston (East Bound), this gateway building, works in concert with
the HolidayInn (existing and proposed addition) to form a strong visual mass (edge) to the City
Center, which builds in hierarchy and as it approaches the intersection of Williston and Dorset.
Dynamic and Vibrant Street Scape
“Objective 41: Create a cohesive, diverse, dynamic and people-oriented City Center with a
strong identity and “sense of place” that incorporates harmonious design, an appropriate mix of
residential and non-residential uses and public amenities that complement adjoining
neighborhoods.”
“Objective 42: Establish vibrant streetscapes, civic spaces, public art and public facilities in the
Central District..”
“City Center initiative, which encompasses much of this District, will support this objective by the
use of vertical brick elements (towers) which recede in space as establishing and enhancing
public buildings and gathering spaces.”
The vibrant streetscape builds in interest as you approach the intersection of Williston and
Dorset. A small public seating terrace and pedestrian landscaping marks the intersection
drawing users up onto the New Street from Dorset at which point the user is visually drawn to
the primary terrace, which is frame by a vertical structure on each side. The use of vertical brick
elements (towers) which repeat along the primary street front and whose negative space
between indicates the primary public gathering location, in front of a pedestrian scaled glass
facade.
Proposed Hampton Inn Building, 1068 Williston Road
Miscellaneous Application MS-18-06
Narrative to Accompany Request for Consideration under Alternative Entrance Standards
BMA Architects - November 21, 2018
Development of a Urban District and the Public Transition Upon Entering
“The intent for this entire area – developed and undeveloped – is to create an environment that
has all of the elements, functions, programing and features to become South Burlington’s
principal downtown area.”
“Transition from Suburban to Urban Downtown. Perhaps the most significant area of focus,
time, and attention for all participants in the establishment of the City Center area is the
transformation of the area from a largely retail, auto-dependent, suburban environment to one
that functions as a full downtown.”
“City Center will become the front porch for South Burlington- a place to meet neighbors, greet
visitors, and inspire pride in the community. This will include high quality of design on buildings
facing public streets, new programmable public spaces and facilities, attractive streetscapes..”
[B]
The project advances the purpose of the Transect Zone [T4], beyond the base Building
Envelope Standards, as stated in the Land Development Regulations:
“Generally a multi-use, mixed use dense downtown built environment, typical of areas adjacent
to and supportive of main street(s). Housing, retail, and other commercial uses are typical;
parking facilities are also allowed. The built environment can be a mix of freestanding buildings
and shared wall buildings. T-4 is multimodal oriented with an emphasis on medium foot traffic
pedestrianism. Parking (not including on-street parking) shall be away (or hidden) from the
street.“
[C]
The project design advances the intent of the standards set forth in “Article 8.06(H): Alternate
Compliance for Entrances in T4” District for creating a project which is equal to or greater than
the Building Envelope Standards and;
“Establishes a regular, consistently pedestrian-friendly environment.”
“Fosters a built pattern consisting of attractive, engaging, and interactive built forms”
“Users are presented with an inviting street presence of the building, and are engaged
throughout its length.”
“support the viability of activities within adjacent buildings (existing or future) by creating a
pedestrian environment”
“Project provides users with reason and interest to walk the entire length of a building and
engage with the next building”
[D]
Proposed alternatives are incorporated along all facades of the building for which alternate
compliance is being sought and are distributed along the entire façade in a manner which meets
Proposed Hampton Inn Building, 1068 Williston Road
Miscellaneous Application MS-18-06
Narrative to Accompany Request for Consideration under Alternative Entrance Standards
BMA Architects - November 21, 2018
or exceeds the average frequency and maximum spacing as required by the BES. Awnings,
public terraces, architectural elements scaled to relate to the pedestrians, and highly
transparent and inviting interiors are provided through the whole length of the facades within the
pedestrian realm.
[E]
Proposed alternatives will not be counted or calculated as meeting or contributing to any other
required element or financial obligation within the Land Development Regulations.
[F]
Proposed alternative solutions described throughout this document will fulfill their
functions in all seasons. However, the designed exterior spaces will evolve and experience
seasonal transformations throughout the seasons and time of day (just as the surrounding
natural landscape does), but can still be a rich and pleasant pedestrian experience throughout
all seasons in the following ways:
Use of the designed exterior spaces will be fairly consistent through out Spring, Summer, and
Fall. Hotel guests will occupy the main terrace on the eastern side through out the day, but will
experience its densest occupancies in the morning at breakfast as guests soak up the morning
sun. Seated in alignment with Dorset street in the morning, the guests will create an active
street, encouraging vehicular traffic to park adding to the pedestrian traffic and will
simultaneously pull the hotel guests down Dorset Street to the shops which are opening for the
day.
The large openings at the other first floor public gathering areas and hotel guest entrances will
also provide a high degree of transparency between inside and outside activities, thus working
to draw people out of the building into the streetscape as well as to draw pedestrians to the
building and the activities on display within it. People moving in both directions of travel are then
provided with the opportunity to mingle and interact in the terraces that occur on all pedestrian
facades. The activity in the southern facing plaza will likely peek in the afternoon and evening
depending on the varying events being held on any given day.
A strong connection to the street is provided In rainy weather and the winter season through the
large span of glass at the primary exterior terrace which renders the boundary between inside
and out nearly invisible in both the bright morning sun, and the darker atmospheres of rain and
short winter days. The motion of activities framed and the warmth of the interior environments,
then becomes a major drawing force to area pedestrians.
The terraces in winter will maintain the same ability to occupied by the public as in other
seasons, but to accommodate for the assumed decline of leisurely dwellers on the terraces in
winter, a seasonal ice rink is planned to help build pedestrian activity in and to the development.
[G]
The project provides creative alternatives for creating pedestrian friendly environments
consisting of original design elements throughout a variety of design scales. Many of the
previously discussed points can fall into this category as well, but its location as a Gateway
Building at the end of Dorset Street and Architectural Siting which subtly forms a terminus to the
City Center’s primary boulevard; a tower in the Holiday Inn which marks a small, plaza, park and
seasonal ice rink, which may prove its most powerful.
Proposed Hampton Inn Building, 1068 Williston Road
Miscellaneous Application MS-18-06
Narrative to Accompany Request for Consideration under Alternative Entrance Standards
BMA Architects - November 21, 2018
Additional Argument for Consideration:
The project is a Gateway building demarcating arrival in the City Center for vehicular traffic and
marking the transition from a suburban/ rural arrival (vehicular) to urban (pedestrian and
multimodal) environment.
As a Gateway building forming a terminus to an urban boulevard, the project site will never be
the central (cross through)point of pedestrian movement. However, it will play an equally
important role as the beginning point of dense pedestrian activity that will expand primarily to
the south down Dorset, but also to the east along Williston, from this site. As a multiple hotel site
the project is primed to bring pedestrians to the City Center streetscape.
Pedestrian interest should thus be considered from a Southern and an Easterly direction of
movement as pedestrians move out of the two hotel sites and into the surrounding urban
businesses. The intent of the door entrance regulation (as a regular and frequent publicly
accessible entrance for the purpose of inviting pedestrian engagement) is implemented in a
reverse movement pattern, so that pedestrian (almost entirely hotel guest) traffic moves from
the proposed hotels and out towards the existing and future developments.
The onus for pedestrian interest then falls on the creation of a series of exterior environments
that hotel guests will want to occupy (leaving the building enclosure to enter the streetscape)
and which will create a publicly active streetscape. The project design creates a series of
exterior spaces for the Hotel guests to lounge in, creating the opportunity to be pull them down
the streetscape into future T4 developments and welcomes them back to the site, encouraging
them to linger in the public spaces (interior and exterior) further activating the street.
Both the desire for hotel guests to become pedestrian participants and for offsite pedestrians to
feel like the site is a part of the continuous public realm is enhanced by the use of large spans of
glazing at the public areas at street level. This is further enforced by the placement of public
gathering spaces at the large glazing, putting the interior activities on display. This is true of
First Floor areas and Upper Floor areas, where additional street activity is created through both
second and 6th floor public spaces, which are highly visible to the street and visually connected
to the streetscape throughout all seasons. Drawing pedestrian activity to the Gateway
Intersection at Dorset and Williston.
As seen on approach from the south on Dorset Street and the east on Williston; the 6th floor
roof terrace is sited to place public activity as a prominent attractor on the site. Activity at this
prominent intersection and at this height indicates the presence of and access to and the
expectation of a vista of the mountain ranges beyond an evolving city center below. Views from
the roof terrace will allow visitors to create a mental map of the City Center and its various
attractions, encouraging further exploration of the city center by pedestrian traffic to areas that
might not be as visible to them at street level. All while being a participant in encouraging further
pedestrian traffic, which they will soon rejoin.
Proposed Hampton Inn Building, 1068 Williston Road
Miscellaneous Application MS-18-06
Narrative to Accompany Request for Consideration under Alternative Entrance Standards
BMA Architects - November 21, 2018