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.