New Ashton Meeting Place Design Unveiled continued, page 2
In the interior of the shopping area
there will be a two-level
parking area. There is a
major slope of the land that
makes the design challenging.
The parking area has a flat top
level and an underground parking
garage. People can walk
directly, on level pavement,
into the stores that have
entrances on the parking area,
including the grocery store.
There will be elevator access to
most of the stores from the
underground parking garage.
Landscaping for the area has yet
to be determined. There
are two entrances and exits for
the parking areas. This
design also meets the ADA
criteria for handicapped access.
At the rear of the shopping area will be a
road that circles between New
Hampshire Avenue and Route 108.
Because of the elevation
considerations, there will be a
stone wall on one side of the
road. On the other side of the
road there will be three single
family homes near New Hampshire
Avenue and another three near
Route 108. The homes will have
detached garages, and will be
different sizes (although the
site plan shows the homes as all
one size). In between the homes
are the wetlands and wetlands
buffer and the stormwater
management system. There will
be no encroachment on the
wetlands and wetlands buffer.
The six homes are allowed on the
R60-zoned land; the denied plan
had commercial parking on the
R60-zoned land, which is not
allowed.
There will be pedestrian access from the
streets and sidewalks throughout
the development.
Mr. Ted Connor, from Chesapeake
Watershed Solutions, plans to
improve the wetlands area by
planting a variety of seedlings
and grasses to create what he
hopes will be vibrant wetlands.
He plans on removing some of the
invasive species and to make the
area more pleasing to the eye.
The water quality will be
maintained. Mr. Connor will be
maintaining the area. He lives
a few doors away from the
development, has lived in Ashton
for a long time, and looks at
this project as a centerpiece
for the development.
A variety of materials will be used in the
buildings. There will a lot of
brick, but the brick will be
different colors in different
buildings, ranging from white to
maroon to red brick. Some of
the buildings will also have
stucco and stone. Roofs will
use a variety of materials,
including tin and slate-like
shingles.
Awnings will be used where appropriate.
There will be an awning on the
restaurant next to the green
space and on the coffee shop,
providing space for people to
sit outside.
The back of the grocery store will face the
houses, with the front of the
grocery store facing the parking
area. There will be curved
coverings over a place to walk.
Questions and Answers
Q: What is the size
in comparison to the AMP plan
that was denied by the Planning
Board?
A: The June 28
design was nearly 100,000
square feet. The new design is
74,000 square feet of commercial
space. This does not include
the residential homes, which
will each have a footprint of no
larger than 2,000 square feet.
Q: How many cars will
be able to park in the parking
area?
A; There will 80 to
90 parking places above ground,
and 250 parking places
underground.
Q: Does the design
meet the minimum parking
requirements, even if some or
all of the parallel parking is
not allowed by the State Highway
Administration?
A: Yes.
Q: Will there be a
queuing problem in the parking
area?
A: The plan includes
two places to enter and exit, so
it is anticipated that there
will not be a problem.
Q: Underground
parking can be dangerous. Will
there be a way to get into the
buildings from the parking lot?
A: All buildings will
be accessible from the above
ground parking lot. The parking
lots will be well lit. You will
also be able to get into a
number of the buildings,
including the grocery store,
from the underground parking
area.
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