Design Elements — Boulevards
An entrance road designed as a landscaped boulevard is an attractive feature found in many successful conservation subdivisions. While this might not be appropriate in more rural areas where a subtle entrance is desired, it can work well in suburban or transitional areas. A key requirement is the provision of trees and other landscaping in the center portion of the boulevard.
Ordinance Considerations
Standards for a boulevard should be included in the street design section of the subdivision and land development ordinance. Landscaping requirements could be included in the Landscaping section of the subdivision and land development ordinance. Boulevard median plantings should have four-season interest to the extent possible and should not restrict sightlines.
Sample Ordinance Language for Boulevard Design
Boulevards may be provided as the primary entrance into a proposed development and shall meet the following design standards:
*Note: the municipality should choose a specific minimum width. Six feet is wide enough to accommodate a single row of trees. A wider boulevard median would allow for additional landscaping.
** Note: If on-street parking is to be permitted, these numbers may be increased to 18 feet and 56 feet respectively and language related to the boulevard extending to the first intersection should be omitted. If a high volume of traffic is anticipated, on-street parking is not recommended.
- The boulevard median shall be a minimum of six to eight feet in width.*
- The median shall be landscaped with a permanent groundcover and appropriate street trees planted at intervals of not more than forty feet. Plantings shall be shown on the landscaping plan submitted with the preliminary plan.
- The proposed landscaping shall not interfere with required sight distances set forth in Section of this ordinance.
- Maintenance responsibility for the median shall be determined prior to final plan approval and recorded on the deed.
- The cartway on each side of the median shall have a minimum paved width of sixteen feet and a minimum right-of-way width of fifty two feet.**
- At a minimum, the boulevard shall extend to the first intersection within the development. Median breaks shall be permitted beginning at two hundred feet from the beginning of the boulevard.
- Parking shall not be permitted along the boulevard.
