The design requirements of this Section shall apply to shore public walkways and supplemental public access areas, except as modified by Section 62-57 (Requirements for Supplemental Public Access Areas).

(a)        Circulation and access

(1)        In all districts, a shore public walkway shall provide a circulation path with a minimum clear width of 12 feet, except that in R3, R4, R5, C1, C2 and C3 Districts, and in C1 or C2 Districts mapped within R1 through R5 Districts, the minimum clear width shall be 10 feet.

Such path shall be located within 10 feet of the shoreline for at least 20 percent of the length of such shoreline, and the remainder of the path may be located anywhere within the shore public walkway or supplemental public access area. Secondary paths, when provided, shall be at least six feet wide. When two circulation paths are parallel to each other, they shall be connected by other paths or accessible lawn at intervals not to exceed 200 feet. In order to facilitate the future connection of pedestrian circulation paths, where a shore public walkway is on a zoning lot that is adjacent to a zoning lot without a shore public walkway, the portion of the circulation path that terminates at the common zoning lot line shall be located within 30 feet of the shoreline.

(2)        A supplemental public access area shall provide at least one circulation path with a minimum clear width of six feet that provides access throughout the supplemental public access area. This requirement may be met by a circulation path of the shore public walkway that traverses the supplemental public access area;

(b)        Seating

One linear foot of seating shall be provided for every 75 square feet of shore public walkway and supplemental public access area. Such seating may be located anywhere within such public access areas and shall comply with the standards of Section 62-652.

In addition, up to 25 percent of required seating may be located seaward of the shore public walkway and shall be subject to the provisions of Section 62-652, paragraph (h).

(c)        Planting

(1)        Planting areas

An area equal to at least 35 percent of the area of the shore public walkway and supplemental public access area shall be planted.

In addition, the following conditions shall apply:

(i)        Where a supplemental public access area is greater than 1,875 square feet, at least 15 percent of the required planting area of the shore public walkway and supplemental public access area, combined, shall be provided as lawn;

(ii)        Up to 30 percent of the required planting area may be provided as tidal wetland area and shall be measured in plan view and not along the planted slope; or

(iii)        When a dedicated bicycle path is provided within a supplemental public access area, a planting area with a width of at least five feet shall be provided between the bicycle path and any paved area for pedestrian use. For the purpose of calculating planting requirements, the area of the bicycle path may be deducted from the combined area of the shore public walkway or supplemental public access area.

Such planting areas in this paragraph, (c), may be located anywhere within the shore public walkway or supplemental public access area and shall comply with the standards of Section 62-655.

(2)        Screening buffer

(i)        A screening buffer shall be provided within the shore public walkway or the supplemental public access area, running along the entire upland boundary of such area where it abuts non-publicly accessible areas of the zoning lot, except as waived pursuant to paragraph (c)(2)(iii) of this Section. Any screening buffer provided pursuant to this Section may be used to meet the planting requirements of paragraph (c)(1) of this Section.

(ii)        The minimum width of the screening buffer shall be six feet. On shallow lots where the width of the shore public walkway may be reduced pursuant to Section 62-53, the width of the screening buffer may be reduced proportionally but shall not be less than four feet.

(iii)        No screening buffer shall be required:

(a)        adjacent to a private drive, a street or at the entrances to buildings; or

(b)        for a commercial or community facility use within a distance of 15 feet from the sidewalk or waterfront public access area, that is glazed with windows, transoms or glazed portions of doors in accordance with the provisions of Section 37-34 (Minimum Transparency Requirements).

(3)        Trees and additional planting

(i)        A minimum of one canopy tree shall be provided for every 2,000 square feet of shore public walkway and supplemental public access area. In no event may a shore public walkway have less than two canopy trees for every 100 feet of shoreline.

(ii)        In addition to the trees required pursuant to paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this Section, for every 1,250 square feet of shore public walkway and supplemental public access area, one of the following must be provided: a canopy tree, an ornamental tree or a multi-stemmed equivalent, 60 square feet of planting beds or 110 square feet of accessible lawn.

Trees and additional planting areas may be located anywhere within the shore public walkway or supplemental public access area and shall comply with the standards of Section 62-655.

(4)        Reduction in minimum required planting area

The minimum planting area, required by paragraph (c)(1) of this Section, may be reduced by 10 square feet for every linear foot of:

(i)        shoreline improved for boat launching or mooring or designed with architectural features to facilitate direct access to the water, such as steps or other forms of “get-downs,” except that rip-rap used as stabilized shore shall not qualify for a planting reduction; or

(ii)        WE uses with frontage adjoining, and having a public entrance on, the shore public walkway or supplemental public access area, provided that the screening buffer for such shore public walkway or supplemental public access area is waived pursuant to the conditions of paragraph (c)(2)(iii) of this Section.

However, where a supplemental public access area having an area of least 7,500 square feet containing a playground of at least 3,500 square feet in area and improved in accordance with the standards of the Department of Parks and Recreation is provided, the required minimum planting area may be reduced by one square foot for every five square feet of playground area. The playground area may be located anywhere within the waterfront public access area that is beyond 20 feet of the shoreline.

In no event shall the reduced planting area be less than 25 percent of the combined area of the shore public walkway and supplemental public access area.

(d)        Bicycle parking

Bicycle racks sufficient to provide at least four bicycle parking spaces shall be provided within a waterfront public access area.

Furthermore, when the combined area of the shore public walkway and supplemental public access area is greater than 8,000 square feet, two additional bicycle parking spaces shall be provided for every additional 2,000 square feet of shore public walkway or supplemental public access area.

Bicycle racks shall be adjacent to a circulation path and at least 20 feet from the shoreline. Such bicycle racks may be located in public sidewalks adjacent to the zoning lot. All bicycle racks shall comply with the standards of Section 62-657.

(e)        Trash receptacles

One trash receptacle shall be provided for every 4,000 square feet of shore public walkway and supplemental public access area, and all trash receptacles shall be located in visible and convenient locations. All trash receptacles shall comply with the standards of Section 62-658.