Beta Test

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Town of Culpeper, Virginia

• Beta Test
• Nelessen Associates, Inc.
• Vision, Planning and Community Design
• Belle Mead, NJ

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Effective Smart Growth Planning thru Public
Participation and Quality Urban Design Beta VPS
and Workshop
Culpeper Downtown Vision Plan
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• Mission Statement
• Maintaining and improving the livable quality
  of Downtown Culpeper while providing for the
  redevelopment of under-utilized properties for
  the purpose of improving quality of life and
  increasing wealth. and the tax base

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• Fundamental Lessons from 37 years of Downtown
  Design
• 1. There must be a shared three-dimensional
  vision of what the downtown wants to be.
• 2. There must be committed leadership at the
  top levels of government.
• 3. It must be supported by the market,
  merchants and residents.
• 4. It must have high quality urban design,
  with places and spaces cherished by pedestrians.
• 5. It must have an adopted form based code to
  achieve the vision.
• 6. It must be managed and maintained.

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• PRELIMINARY G O A L S
• Culpeper Downtown Visioning Study
• Create an innovative plan for
  pedestrians, parking and transportation in the
  areas surrounding Downtown Culpeper
• Create and enhance future downtown
  development needs of Culpeper
• Create an equitable plan where every existing
  property owner, business and resident benefits
  from the redevelopment activities
• Create a development plan that maximizes the
  public input and minimizes conflict.
• Create economic development potential.
• Create a plan that maximizes the land potential
  of the area while contributing to the tax base of
  the Town.

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VISUAL PREFERENCE SURVEY AND Questionnaire
The products that will flourish in the future
will be the ones presented not as commodities
but as concepts the brand experience as
Lifestyle.
Naomi Klein No Logo
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OVERVIEW OF PROCESS
How do you generate a shared vision, an
educated electorate, and supportive merchants and
residents?
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• generate an Active Community Planning Process
  that engages merchants, stakeholders, property
  owners, development organizations, citizens and
  civic associations with the local government to
  create a consensus vision for the future.

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Use the Visual Preference Survey to determine the
Vision for the future Use the Vision
Translation Workshops to generate concepts Use
the professional synthesis to generate a
realistic plan acceptable to the public.
Every image has a reaction that can be
measured
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Task 4 Development of VPS, Questionnaire
Everyone reacts to places all the time
Affects our psyche
By measuring the reaction we can determine
acceptability.
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Generate a range of potential development
scenarios, parking options and streetscape
improvements for people to evaluate.
This Beta Test will have a full complement of 160
images in multiple categories

• Streets
• Transit / mobility
• Parking
• Retail frontage
• Commercial / office
• Pedestrian realm
• Signs

• Civic
• Open spaces / parks
• Multi family residential
• Mixed Use buildings

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Infill Revitalization Options
1. Current Conditions 2. Minimum
Revitalization 3. Moderate Intensity
Revitalization 4. Maximum Impact Revitalization
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Preferred Option
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Visual Preference Survey and Questionnaire
Administer the Culpeper VPS and Demographic,
Policy and Marketing Questionnaire
How appropriate or inappropriate is the image you
are seeing now and in the future for the Town of
Culpeper?
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The visual responses are linked by computer ID
numbers to the demographic and market responses
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Using the VPS to Improve the Bottom Line
The positive images have the greatest market
value. They portray the character of place that
people want. The negative images have the
greatest potential for value creation, if they
are changed to the character and quality that are
captured in the positive images.
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Vision Translation Workshop
Example in Harford County, MD - Workshop
It becomes easier for people to imagine where
changes should occur after they have selected the
images of place in the VPS!
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The Vision Planning Process
Vision Translation Workshop

• Generate the Vision and Policies

• Vision Translation Workshops

Shows what people want ...
Workshops indicate where people want it located!
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The Vision Planning Process
Overview of the Visioning Process

• Professional Review of Inputs

• Professional Experience

Developer and Market Input
Preliminary Recommendations
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Professional Synthesis
Development of Recommendations
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The Vision Planning Process
Task 8 Final Presentation and Report

• Public Meeting on Plans

• Drafting of Illustrated Codes

Development or Redevelopment
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Preparation of Preliminary Recommendations Plan
and Program Review with Visioning Oversight
Committee Town Council to prepare a resolution
directing the Planning Board to prepare and
approve an Area in Need report. Town
Council to Prepare a Draft Redevelopment Plan

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Culpeper Community Visioning Beta Test Task 1
Introductory Discussion Task 2 Visual
Preference Survey Task 3 Questionnaire Task 4
Vision Translation Workshop
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Approximate Study Area
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Task 1 Understanding Place and Stakeholders
Understanding the culture, life and quality of
place.
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Task 1 Understanding Place and Stakeholders
Questions (Understanding the culture and life
quality of place.)
1. How would you describe Culpeper to someone
who has never been here? Descriptive words
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Task 1 Understanding Place and Stakeholders
Questions (Understanding the culture and life
quality of place.)
2. What do you like most about Culpeper?
Description
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Task 1 Understanding Place and Stakeholders
Questions (Understanding the culture and life
quality of place.)
3. What do you see when describing the
Culpeper Visioning Study Area? Descriptions

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Task 1 Understanding Place and Stakeholders
Questions (Understanding the culture and life
quality of place.)
4. What is the location of the most positive
image / place / location in the Culpeper
Visioning Study Area? Descriptions
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Task 1 Understanding Place and Stakeholders
Questions (Understanding the culture and life
quality of place.)
5. What do you like least about the Culpeper
Visioning Study Area? Descriptions
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Task 1 Understanding Place and Stakeholders
Questions (Understanding the culture and life
quality of place.)
7. What is the location of the most negative
image in the Culpeper Visioning Study
Area? Descriptions
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Goals for the Future of the Culpeper Visioning
Study Area The secret of unleashing power is
setting goals that are exciting enough to truly
inspire your creativity and ignite your passion.

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Task 1 Understanding Place and Stakeholders
Goals for the Future of the Culpeper Visioning
Study Area
1. What are your goals for the Visioning
Study Area in Culpeper in the short term future
(1 to 3 years) ?
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Task 1 Understanding Place and Stakeholders
Goals for the Future of the Culpeper Visioning
Study Area.
2. Describe the future 20 years from now?
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You will be rating images on the form provided
based on your response to the following question
How appropriate or inappropriate is the place
you are seeing now and in the future for the
Visioning Study Area in Culpeper?
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Visioning Mission Statement Determining the
positive building and spatial characteristics
that people want, and will support to generate
the highest quality of life, greatest wealth,
maximum sustainability and spiritual well being.

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Visual Preference Survey
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The intensity of the reactions to the various
images provides direction for future planning,
zoning, development, and redevelopment
Negative images illustrate examples of what
not to do. Images which receive high
positive ratings in a single category are the
highest priority for future planning and
engineering policies.
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What people want
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• Tools can be applied to help codify the vision
  for Culpepers Future

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Using the Smart Code v6.0

• The Smart Code breaks down development and
  redevelopment into Transect Zones or T Zones as
  they are commonly referred to.
• There is a total of seven categories associated
  with the Transect. There are six T Zones ranging
  from T1 to T6. In addition there are special
  districts which identify specific areas that do
  not fall within the parameters of a specific T
  Zone.
• Each T Zone highlights features such as street
  types, open space and park requirements, building
  types and commercial/retail opportunities. Each
  T Zone is different from the next, however if
  they are developed in succession they will form
  an extremely creative, innovative and vibrant
  place.

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Context Sheds
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The images represent alternatives for the future
in 7 categories T-1 Natural Areas - Areas
of Maximized environmental constraints. T-2 Preser
ved Areas - Areas to be reserved for future
growth with limited growth potential. T-3 Neighbor
hood Housing Area Lower density
neighborhood housing /streets T-4 Neighborhood
Core - Low density Urban- Classic suburban
Low density commercial mixed/multiple use
(Provides Core for Neighborhood) T -5 Town Core
Housing Area - Medium Density Urban, directly
supports the Town Core. T-6 Town Core
- Higher Intensity Mixed and Multiple use
Urban (Retail, Commercial, Residential) SD Specia
l District Including Strip Commercial,
Light Industrial, and Big Box Retail
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Transect Zones
How to define the transect
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Natural and Preserved Zones T1 and T2
Natural and preserved zones are areas within the
town that are off limits for development or are
eligible for restricted development in an effort
to keep and natural and preserved landscape. T1
Natural Zone In the case of Culpeper the
Natural Zones would include all water, wetland,
and floodplain areas currently not developed.
T2 Preserved Zone In Culpeper the Preserved
Zones would include all areas that are currently
not developed. Includingcemeteries, any
existing parks and any other undeveloped land.
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Neighborhood Housing Areas (T3)
A Neighborhood Area is less dense than a
neighborhood center and is the area located
within a 5 minute walk from a neighborhood
center. The neighborhood service area is known
as T3. The neighborhood service area may also be
in close proximity to the town core, but does not
have to be.
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Neighborhood Centers (T4)
Neighborhood centers are identified as areas with
a slightly higher density and may be located on
major streets. The neighborhood center is known
also as T4. The neighborhood center may be in
close proximity to the town core, but does not
have to be. It provides a sense of place for the
overall neighborhood it is within.
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Town Core Housing Area (T5)
The town core service area is the area that
directly supports the town core retail area and
is based on two elements. The town core service
area is known also as T5. The service area
consists of higher residential densities than
other places in town, as well as a maximum of a 5
minute walk to the town core.
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Town Core (T6)
The town core revolves around Davis Street and
is your main area of action in town. The Town
Core is known as a T6. The Town Core contains
major retail, commercial, civic and high density
residential functions and may be identified as
Culpepers Downtown or Center. Where is the
Core of your Town? In addition to outlining
your Town Core there is a Retail Core (Main
Street) associated with it.
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The Commercial Center (Within the Town Core)
On the left is a Main Street template. This
template illustrates a 1,000 to 1,200 foot long
main street pedestrian realm. Research indicates
that the pedestrian shopping experience is
limited to a 1,000 to 1,200 foot walking
distance. Beyond this distance, most people
automatically default to an automobile or dont
walk. The 500 to 600 foot dimension from the
center to the edge, is a distance that can be
walked in approximately 3 minutes. To encourage
people to walk this distance, the main street
experience must be positive and engaging.
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Special Districts
In the case of Culpeper, special districts are
Strip Commercial, Light Industrial and Big Box
Retail. Special Districts operate under their
own set of assumptions and design requirements.
For instance, the size of and type of signage is
much different in the special district than in
the town core.
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Transects Illustrated
Options for the physical, economic, and Quality
of Life transformations of the arterial generated
from previous public workshops
Existing Conversion to Urban Housing
Conversion to Mixed-use
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