Calendar:
Tuesday, July 4
Independence Day Holiday - City Offices Closed
Information Items:
Revisions to PED, TOD and TS Zoning Districts
Staff Resource: Krista Neilson, 704-432-1535 - kneilson@ci.charlotte.nc.us
On June 26, 2006, staff mailed 1,700 letters to citizens notifying them that we will be exploring changes to the Pedestrian Oriented Overlay District (PED), Transit Oriented Development District (TOD) and the Transit Supportive Overlay (TS) in the upcoming months. The mailings can be summarized as follows:
- 790 letters were sent to citizens who own property that is currently zoned PED or TOD. (There are no properties currently zoned TS.) These citizens were notified that any changes to the standards of the districts could impact how their property can be used or developed in the future.
- 828 letters were sent to property owners within the boundaries of the South End Transit Station Area Plan, notifying them that staff will not be initiating large-scale corrective rezonings to TOD until changes to the districts are complete. Property owners were invited to submit their own requests for TOD zoning to the Planning Commission for review and possible sponsorship.
- 82 letters were mailed to neighborhood organizations that directly abut areas where TOD or PED zoning is or could be applied, as well as to members of the development community.
All of the letters informed the recipients that there will be a public involvement process as part of this effort and that they will be notified of public meetings. Since the mailing, staff has received numerous phone and email inquiries - mainly in reference to PED zoned property and impacts on existing buildings. It should be clarified that the standards of PED, TOD and TS apply only to new development and existing development that expands or changes the use. Property owners who wish to continue their existing use without expansion should be unaffected by any changes to the districts.
4th of July Preparation
Staff Resource: Chuck Adkins, 704-353-0477 - cadkins@cmpd.org
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, in conjunction with other City and County service providers, has completed planning for this year's Independence Day celebration in the center city. The planning is comprehensive in nature, with the intention of creating an orderly vehicle traffic flow and fostering a safe, secure family environment. Involved in the planning were representatives of the business community, Fire Department, MEDIC, and CDOT.
The fireworks shoot site is the CPCC parking deck located at the intersection of Elizabeth and Independence Boulevards. This will necessitate the temporary closing of some streets in that immediate area due to hot-ash fallout. Private viewing locations secured by the event's title sponsor, Clear Channel Communications, are confirmed and traffic and security plans have been made for each location. While there are no street closures planned to accommodate a public viewing area, we are anticipating viewers to be scattered throughout the First and Second Ward sections of the center city, plus the Midtown, Plaza-Midwood and Elizabeth neighborhoods. Traffic and safety planning are in place for each of these areas as well.
Northeast Transit Corridor Alignment
Staff Resources:
Tom Flynn, 704-432-1396 - tflynn@ci.charlotte.nc.us
Debra Campbell, 704-336-2205 - dcampbell@ci.charlotte.nc.us
On June 28, the Metropolitan Transit Commission (MTC) adopted an alignment and station locations for the Northeast Transit Corridor. Staff from Planning, CDOT, E&PM and ED worked with CATS staff to develop the recommendation that the MTC adopted.
There were two alternative alignments considered for the section of the corridor between the intersection of Sugar Creek and the North Carolina Railroad (NCRR) and the intersection of Old Concord Road and North Tryon Street. The first alignment option runs along the NCRR to Old Concord Road and then travels along Old Concord Road to North Tryon Street, and then in the median toward UNC Charlotte. The second option travels along Sugar Creek, runs through Tryon Mall and then moves into the median of North Tryon Street. The second option, the North Tryon alignment, has been estimated to cost more than the NCRR alignment, primarily due to increased real estate costs.
Staff recommended the first alignment (along the NCRR) for the Locally Preferred Alternative. However, staff also recommended further study and evaluation during Preliminary Engineering for both the NCRR alignment option and the Sugar Creek/North Tryon Street option. Both of these options will be documented in the Draft Environmental Impact Study (DEIS). The additional evaluation of the Sugar Creek/North Tryon Street alignment option was recommended because of the potential economic development benefits associated with this alignment. The additional study will document economic development opportunities and impacts, as well as construction costs and issues, for both alignment options.
Depending on the results of the additional study which is anticipated to be complete by the end of 2006, staff may recommend that City Council request that the MTC change the Locally Preferred Alternative to include the Sugar Creek/North Tryon alignment instead of the NCRR alignment. However, CATS will require additional resources from the City to implement this alignment due to the cost difference between the alternatives. Staff believes that potential revenue sources for the additional cost could include self financing bonds, sale of property acquired for the Sugar Creek/North Tryon alignment, business corridor improvement funds and other similar sources.
