The Vision for the Bridge Street District will be implemented principally by property owners and developers as market opportunities emerge. There is significant interest in development in the Bridge Street District, with momentum in the local and national development community as many potential applicants are meeting with the City Administration to discuss potential development opportunities. The Administration has committed to engaging Bridge Street District property owners and developers to identify strategic opportunities and partnerships that are likely to have a catalytic impact on the continuous development and implementation of the Bridge Street District Vision.
The City expects to partner with developers to implement portions of the Bridge Street Corridor Vision, including the creation of community open spaces and some new streets. The City will use a combination of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district funds and Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funds to pay for certain public improvements with community-wide impact. The City will also monitor the progress of development in the Bridge Street District over the long-term to ensure that all development is aligned with the City’s objectives for this critical part of Dublin.
Implementation Actions
Once City Council adopted the Bridge Street District Vision Report in October 2010, and City staff and consultant teams completed their transportation analysis, fiscal impact analysis, and water, sewer, and stormwater modeling, the next step was the adoption of comprehensive zoning regulations that implemented the Vision Principles and the illustrative elements of the Vision Plan. Further implementation elements included the production of new stormwater management design manual more relevant to urban spaces.
The City is now engaging in more refined planning efforts to specifically answer public project issues such as the relocation of Riverside Drive, roundabout improvements at Riverside Drive and SR 161, investigating the location and design for a new pedestrian bridge connecting the Historic District to the east side of the Scioto River, the relocation of Post Road to help improve the Frantz Road/SR 161 intersection, and many others. The City has also begun to engage major private development interests in new residential, commercial and entertainment facilities.
Full implementation of the Bridge Street District’s vision and principles will not occur for many years. The City is taking a careful, well considered approach to development throughout the District, taking into account the diverse financial, recreational, social, economic, and environmental considerations that must go into making this District a vibrant, sought after Place.
Bridge Street District Zoning Regulations
Development in the Bridge Street District will transition over time from today’s conditions to tomorrow’s vision, resulting in implementation over many years. As a means of laying the foundation for implementing the Bridge Street District Plan, Dublin’s City Council and community leadership desired a new approach to land use regulation appropriate to match the bold vision for the Bridge Street District. Creating zoning regulations tailored specifically to the Bridge Street District was critical to ensuring that all new development activity places the concepts of walkable, mixed use development at the forefront of development plans. The City engaged a consultant team of Clarion Associates, Farr Associates, and McBride Dale Clarion to draft special zoning regulations for the Bridge Street District that would respond directly to the issues and opportunities identified in the Bridge Street Corridor Vision Report and the design objectives embodied in the Urban Design Framework and Vision Principles.
Form-Based Zoning Regulations
The adopted Bridge Street District zoning regulations take a hybrid approach to conventional and form-based zoning. “Form-based zoning” is an alternative to traditional zoning and design regulation intended to create a well-planned mix of land uses that focus on people rather than cars through design, open space, and the placement of buildings and parking areas in relation to streets. The Bridge Street District zoning regulations are a “hybrid” of conventional and form-based codes because they allow for a combination of conventional zoning regulations, such as permitted and conditional uses, parking requirements, and landscape requirements, while incorporating many elements common to form-based codes, such as building form and the location of buildings on lots in relation to streets. Buildings located closer to the street with parking located to the side or rear of most buildings will contribute to the creation of high quality streetscapes that are comfortable and inviting to pedestrians and bicyclists.
The Bridge Street zoning regulations include provisions for the following form-based elements, all of which function to result in the creation of vibrant, walkable neighborhoods:
- Street Type requirements intended to establish a comprehensive network of streets configured to accommodate multiple modes of transportation, organized by a hierarchy of street character families, consistent with the placemaking principles of the Bridge Street Corridor Vision Report.
- Lot and Block requirements intended to establish a network of interconnected streets with walkable block sizes with special streets designated as “Principal Frontage Streets” prioritized to create continuous, pedestrian-oriented block faces of front building façades and limited driveway interruptions.
- Building Type requirements intended to provide a range of high quality residential, commercial, mixed-use and civic buildings to reinforce the character of each district.
- Open Space Type requirements intended to ensure that a variety of functional, well-designed open spaces are thoughtfully distributed throughout the Bridge Street District, located and planned to enhance the quality of life for residents, businesses, and visitors. Open spaces should complement adjacent land uses and contribute to the creation of a comprehensive, corridor-wide open space network.
Bridge Street Zoning Districts
Special zoning district designations were also established for properties within the Bridge Street District to accompany the zoning regulations. As a hybrid form-based code, the zoning regulations use the combination of land uses and the design and location of buildings on a site to create the distinct character of each neighborhood throughout the Bridge Street District. While some zoning districts emphasize a specific land use, such as residential development, all Bridge Street zoning districts allow a diverse mix of uses.
