Warrensville-Van Aken Transit Oriented Development
The Context:
Transformation of the Warrensville/Van Aken area into a downtown destination with residential, office, retail and recreation amenities begins with a traffic study and transit-oriented development (TOD) plan. Visit Thinking Big: Transformation & Growth of the Warrensville./Van Aken District for more background information.
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The Project: Upcoming Meetings
The draft Warrensville/Van Aken Transit Oriented Development Plan will be presented to Council at two meetings in April:
- Monday, April 14, 2008, 7:00 P.M. - Council Work Session
- Monday, April 28, 2008, 7:30 P.M. - Council Meeting
Background: Public Workshop #3 Summary
Public Workshop #2 Summary
Public Workshop #1 Summary
The third and final public workshop for the plan was held in February. More than 60 residents were in attendance—many for the first time in the process. They reviewed the preferred alternative for redeveloping the intersection. This alternative was developed based on analysis by the consultants over the past five months and feedback from the first two public workshops.
Key elements of the proposed, preferred alternative include:
- Changing the six-way intersection at Chagrin and Warrensville into a standard four-way intersection;
- Reconfiguring Van Aken to extend straight east between Farnsleigh and Warrensville;
- Reconfiguring Northfield to connect with Warrensville near the Post Office;
- Maintaining the rapid transit line in its current diagonal configuration; and
- Extending the rapid transit line through the Chagrin/Warrensville intersection to a new transit/bus terminal near the University Hospitals Administrative building.
New development parcels for retail, office, housing and community uses would be created along a grid of internal streets extending from Lomond and Winslow. Existing and new businesses would benefit from added on-street parking and parking garages. The entire area would be pedestrian-friendly and walkable, and include a central green space.
Participants reviewed the proposed alternative and provided feedback on the road pattern, public space, buildings, transit and pedestrian access. Feedback was also requested on neighborhood traffic concerns. As a closing exercise, groups were asked to write a headline that might appear in the local paper in 2015 celebrating the opening of the new development.
Consultant presentations and other materials from the February meetings are available below. The final draft plan will be presented to City Planning Commission and City Council in April.
Downloads (all in Adobe PDF format)
Public Workshop #2 Summary
The second of three public workshops was held on January 23. More than 90 residents attended, working in small groups to review maps of four options for redevelopment of the intersection.
The options showed configurations to improve traffic and to extend or relocate the rapid transit tracks. Each group provided feedback on the four options, including comments on transit, roads, buildings and open space.
Completion of the study will identify ways to:
- Transform the area into a mixed-use district to enhance the tax base,
- Alleviate traffic congestion,
- Improve pedestrian safety, and
- Enhance transit service.
On January 24, the consultant presented to Council a summary of the work completed over the previous two days. Based on information gathered from the public workshop, meetings with technical advisory groups, and traffic study results, the four options presented Wednesday were narrowed to two.
Both concepts close Van Aken between Farnsleigh and Warrensville and relocate Northfield to connect with Warrensville near the Post Office. Preliminary results from the traffic study show that this:
- Improves traffic flow by creation of a standard, four-way intersection.
- Allows for additional development in the area without negative impact to the surrounding neighborhoods.
- Reduces the wait time at the traffic light from two minutes to approximately 60 seconds.
- Diagonal Transit Concept:
RTA tracks remain in their current location with an extension diagonally through the intersection. A bus/rapid transit station would be located near the University Hospital administration building.
- Straight Transit Concept:
RTA tracks relocate to extend straight to Warrensville with bus/rapid station on the east side of Warrensville Center Road.
Both options will be further refined for the next public workshop to show how they create a safe, pedestrian-friendly area. The final public workshop is scheduled for Wednesday, February 27 at 7:00 PM in the Shaker Community Building.
Downloads (all in Adobe PDF format)
Public Workshop #1 Summary
The first of three public workshops for the plan was Wednesday, December 5. A summary of the meeting is available for download here.
120 residents participated in small table groups gathering ideas about Warrensville/Van Aken area.
The consultant presentation from this meeting is available for download.
Table Group Exercises
Each group brainstormed positive attributes of the area.
Top attributes included proximity to Thornton Park, transit, connection to the neighborhoods, existing shopping and potential for more shopping, resident support.
Groups identified opportunities and sketched ideas on maps. Maps showed places for retail, housing, transit, parks and the arts.
Consultants used ideas to generate preliminary concepts the area. Composite lists of attributes and opportunities are available for download.
Visual Preference Survey
Attendees selected preferred photographs of six urban design elements from 12 photographs. Most favored urban design elements are listed below. Images are available in Council presentation download.
- Urban Street:
Quebec, Montreal (brick, pedestrian-only street)
Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
- Transit Street:
Portland, OR (in-street trolley)
- Urban Open Space:
Faneuil Hall, Boston, MA (active marketplace)
London, England (park in a square)
- Places for Cars:
Crocker Park, Westlake, OH (parking garage wrapped by buildings)
University of Houston, TX (parking garage with ground floor retail stores)
- Urban Sidewalk:
Santa Barbara, CA (landscaping, sidewalk café, benches, bike racks)
- Buildings:
Toronto, Canada (corner building, 5-7 stories tall, architecture)
Moreland Courts/Shaker Square, Cleveland, OH (7-10 stories, architecture)
Warrensville/Van Aken Ideas
A summary of information from the public workshop, meetings with advisory committees and resident/business owner focus groups was presented to City Council on December 6. It included:
- Sketches of several conceptual intersection/road realignment ideas for fixing the Warrensville/Van Aken/Chagrin intersection also presented.
- Ideas based on historic development patterns like a village street and a village square. Each includes places for housing, retail and office uses.
- All showed Van Aken closing between Farnsleigh and Warrensville and possible option for relocation of RTA tracks.
- Traffic simulation movie demonstrated how traffic moves through intersection now and how it would improve with Van Aken closing.
The consultant presentation from this meeting is available for download.
Design Principles
Based on meetings with community advisory committee and Council.
- The district will be authentic.
- The district will have a significant public realm, including beautiful tree-lined streets with wide sidewalks and civic space.
- The district will be a vibrant, diverse and mixed-use node that includes higher density housing.
- The district will have high-quality development that clearly establishes a “made-in-Shaker Heights” solution.
- Roads will continue to accommodate a high volume of traffic, which may travel at slow speeds.
- The district will include a fine-grained road pattern connected to adjacent areas.
- The district will balance all modes of transportation and will include the opportunity to expand transit in the very long term.
- The development strategy for the district will protect existing retailers and be flexible to accommodate market factors that may change over time.
- The district will protect adjacent stable residential neighborhoods.
- The district’s transit station will be integrated, providing a hub of activity and an asset for associated development.
Downloads (all in Adobe PDF format)
History:
The 60 Acre Warrensville-Van Aken District:
From the City's parking lot at Farnsleigh Road on the north to the University Hospitals Management Services Center (former Office Max headquarters) on the south and from the Lakeshore Buick (former Qua Buick) building on the east to the intersection of Van Aken and Farnsleigh on the west.
Why this area?
"The image and character of these commercial areas are not of the same quality as Shaker Heights' residential neighborhoods, and fail to serve as a shared focus of community pride and identity"
(Strategic Investment Plan)
The area has long been a problem due to its congested, accident-ridden, six-way intersection and the disconnected manner in which commercial development evolved. Revitalization of the area is dependent upon:
- Reconstruction of the intersection
- Improvement of the transit connections and transfer points
- Redevelopment of the the existing shopping centers into a mixed-use downtown
- Improvement of pedestrian connections between the station and surrounding areas
The TOD planning study will identify the steps necessary to implement this call to action. Overall goals of the study:
- Transform the Warrensville/Van Aken area into an exciting, urban, pedestrian-friendly downtown
- Design a safer and more efficient road layout and traffic pattern
- Create a transportation center to enhance the current transit experience and to accommodate future system expansion
- Evaluate and address automobile access and parking needs
- Add better pedestrian and bicycle connections between the station and the mix of uses in the surrounding area
- Increase the visibility of transit accessibility to positively influence both residential and business location decision-making
- Evaluate utility relocation needs
- Respect and strengthen the historic context and urban design of the surrounding neighborhoods
For additional information, contact Ann Klavora, Senior Planner, 216-491-1436.
