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HomeMy WebLinkAbout400 MOUNTAIN OAK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION ODP - 40 92 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVESMOUNTAIN OAK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PLAN STATEMENT OF PLANNING OBJECTIVES It is the goal of the Mountain Oak Neighborhood Association to see its area comply with the recommendations of the West Side Neighborhood Plan while providing the economic basis necessary to continue the revitalization that has been underway in recent years. The West Side Neighborhood Plan targeted the former RH Zoning District as a critical mixture of residences and low intensity development of existing structures that was essential as a buffering element between the high intensity commercial core of the city and the residential neighborhoods to the west. However, as a result of the City Council's action of October, 1991, none of the old RH Zone between Mountain Avenue and Oak Street was protected by the new N-C-B Neighborhood Conservation Buffer Zone. There is currently no buffer zone in the Mountain/Oak vicinity. The potential for conversion of residences to low intensity uses is critical to the economic health of the buffer area. Property value is dependent on the potential uses of a property balanced against the negative impacts of development (traffic, noise, congestion). Since there is no buffer zone in the Mountain/Oak area, the properties in .the new N-C-M residential zone immediately adjacent to the BG commercial zone must suffer the negative' effects of being located close to the center of the city, without the counterbalancing effects of an increased number of potential property uses. The immediate result of the. recent rezoning is a loss of property value in the Mountain/Oak area. The area 'within the Overall Development Plan has been in transition over the past several years. Many structures that were in decline are currently or recently under renovation as the residents make substantial investments in repairing and refurbishing their homes. The financial feasibility of such investments is now largely in question because of the loss of property value described above. The residents of the Mountain/Oak area are committed to restoring their properties. Of the seven structures located in the Overall Development Plan, two have been renovated in the past several years, three are currently under renovation, and a new residence is scheduled to be built next spring on a vacant lot. This is exactly the kind of neighborhood revitalization that is the goal of the West Side Neighborhood Plan, but this goal cannot be met without the financial basis necessary to make these renovations economically feasible. The Overall Development Plan addresses these problems by recognizing the importance of the potential for conversion of residences to low intensity uses in the Mountain/Oak vicinity, both as a means of conforming to the West Side Neighborhood Plan and as a way of providing the economic basis to continue the current revitalization. The Plan is also sensitive to the manner in which the.subject area is adjacent to exclusively residential areas. The overall approach utilized was an analysis of each use allowed under the new N-C-M Zone, whether the use is permitted as a use - by -right, through staff review process, or through the PUD process. Those uses that exhibit low intensity characteristics compatible with the existing land uses in the ODP area and will have the minimum impact regarding parking, traffic, site lighting, and reuse of existing structures will be encouraged within the ODP area. Such uses include professional offices (not including medical and dental clinics), bread and breakfast establishments, duplexes, private schools, and day care centers. Higher intensity uses that inherently require larger parking areas, demolition or substantial modification of existing structures, and have a heavier impact regarding traffic, noise, and site lighting will not be allowed in the ODP area. Such uses include triplexes, 4-plexes, personal• service shops, churches, recreation establishments, fraternity/sorority houses; and undertaking establishments. The overall emphasis is to preserve existing buildings as long as it is structurally feasible to do so, and allow only those uses that are compatible with the existing low intensity mixture of residences and professional offices. Refinements to the overall concept include a differentiation of uses allowed based on the orientation of the properties in the ODP area. The properties facing Mountain Avenue and Oak Street are oriented to the east/west axis and are more affiliated with the adjacent commercial areas to the east. The low intensity uses outlined above will be allowed in these areas. The three properties facing Sherwood Street (two duplexes and one vacant lot) are oriented on the north/south axis toward the more residential neighborhoods. The two duplexes are not included in the ODP because they are located on such small lots that they are as fully developed as possible under the present N-C-M Zoning. A single family residence is planned for construction next spring on the remaining vacant lot, and this property will be designated as exclusively residential. The Overall Development Plan provides an organized consistent guide for potential future conversion of residences to low intensity uses. The majority of parking is located on the alley in the center of the block where it will not be visible from areas outside the ODP. The parking surfacing consists of perforated paver blocks designed to allow grass to grow through, providing a parking lot that is more pleasing to the eye while reducing storm water runoff, heat buildup, and glare. Landscape buffers also reduce the visibility of parking areas.