Merry Oaks Neighborhood Association

MONA Zoning Meeting Update 12/5/2005

Neighborhood Drop-In to Discuss Re-zonings

Merry Oaks Neighborhood Association Opposes Central @ Briar Creek Rezoning Site Plan.
MONA asserts that the proposed site plan meets neither the recommendations of the Merry Oaks/Briar Creek-Woodland Small Aarea Plan adopted in 1999, nor the 1999 charette held by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commiossion for the Plummer property and the adjacent 8-acre Renfrow property. MONA does not oppose NC (conditional) rezoning with the proper site plan.
MONA cites 5 development criteria missing from the current site plan which should be included in order to meet the spirit of the Small Area Plan: (1) Vertically integrated (2-3 story) residential/retail/office mix with live/work spaces. (2) No free-standing retail. (3) Landmark architecture which celebrates the skyline view. (4) Joint master plan with the adjhacent 8-acre Renfrow property prior to rezoning. (5) Significant tree save.
The MONA Board believes that the recent announcements of several Central Avenue redevelopment projects, including the I'On project at Morningside Dr. juse one-half mile away, dramatically enhance the value and visibility of Central@Briar Creek. They believe that the current site plan underestimates the potential for Central@Briar Creek and that it lacks imagination, creativity and vision.
Board members point out that market research must take into consideration the current upward shift in neighborhood demographics which can only accelerate as nearby developments are completed and the Center City Streetcar arrives.
While opposing the current site plan (and hence the rezoning itself), the Board is also working on a short list of design conditions and post-construction conditions which will be presented to the developer as long as the current site plan and rezoning request remain up for consideration by City Council.


Oct. 13 Update---NEW!
If you are interested in how this 13-acre property develops, please attend a meeting Monday, October 17, at 6:30 PM at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 3601 Central Avenue. At the request of those who attended the last meeting, we will hear from City Planners about this rezoning process, what possibilities/drawbacks there are for the intersection from an architectural/infrastructure point of view, what neighbors can do to influence the site plan. In addition, we will hear from neighbors who are architects and others with knowledge and expertise to share. The emphasis will be on question-and-answer and sharing of ideas and knowledge.

This meeting will prepare us for a charette (design forum) the developers will hold later in October or early November for neighbors and interested parties to give input on how they would like to see the property developed.

Sign on to http://groups.google.com/group/Central-at-Briar-Creek to get periodic updates.

Background and report on September 29 meeting

In June we reported that a 4.75 acre parcel at the southwest corner of Briar Creek Road and Central Avenue, (the Plummer Property) was up for sale contingent on a rezoning from R-22 (multi family apartments) to NS-conditional (Neighborhood Services with negotiated conditions). NS zoning is consistent with the area's Small Area Plan, adopted by City Council in 1998. The developers are a limited partnership of Tuscan Development (residential), Neighboring Concepts (architectural) and MarkPiercePoole (retail). The property currently contains a two-story white wooden house, two brick ranches facing Briar Creek Road and one brick ranch facing Central Avenue west of the white house.

Since then, Rip Farris of Tuscan Development reports that his company, alone will also develop approximately 8 acres directly across Central Avenue from the Plummer Property, the Renfrow property. This property contains a two-story brick house facing Central Avenue with a brick ranch house behind.

This combined development of about 13 acres would be the largest new project on Central Avenue in many years. It has the potential to either vastly improve or vastly denigrate Central Avenue's future, depending on the quality of the development.

A site plan is on file for the Plummer property ( www.rezoning.org ). It calls for an 18,000 square feet grocery store (an Aldi, according to early plans), a 14,000 square feet drug store, a 6,000 square feet restaurant and townhomes or offices along the back overlooking a parking lot. It shows no pedestrian orientation to the street, no tree save, and the residential component is not assured. The developers have said they will withdraw this site plan. They have until early December to file a new plan for the combined sites. A public hearing is scheduled for January 17, with a February City Council vote.

On October 29 sixty-five neighbors from Merry Oaks, Briar Creek Woodland, Windsor Park, Medford Acres, Commonwealth Morningside, Chantilly, Plaza Midwood and NODA met at St. Andrews Episcopal Church to talk about the proposed development. This was an informational and issues-clarification meeting for and by neighborhood leaders.

The group heard three MONA Board members, Nancy Pierce Shaver, Tom Poston and Thomas Blue talk about the history of the properties, the zoning process and the impact of the planned Central Avenue Streetcar. Table groups discussed what they would like to see on the properties, then reported back to the larger group.

Generally the attendees wanted to see the properties developed mostly with ownership-residential, at a price point higher than the surrounding neighborhoods, with some very limited retail development. The point was made several times that there are empty big boxes at Eastway Crossing and struggling retail buildings the entire length of the corridor, so why add more? It would make more sense to add residential to support better use of the retail properties that already exist. In addition, there is a demand for close-in residential in recent years, as evidenced by successful residential developments off Central Avenue at Tippah Court and on Medford Drive, within a half-mile of Central @ Briar Creek..

An emerging issue is the current CDOT right-of-way which bisects the Renfrow property. Some meeting participants favored a pedestrian-bicycle connection from the Renfrow property to Cosby Place, and others asked to have that right-of-way abandoned.

Majority comments were as follows:

* Save the big trees and provide green common space
* Create a true neighborhood core and gathering place (Plummer property)
* Have pedestrian-oriented development at the sidewalk (Plummer property)
* Have multiple-storys with residential above, retail below (Plummer property)
* Create all or almost all residential on the Renfrow property
* Have maximum 30% commercial total including both parcels
* Minimize impervious surface. Use underground parking.
* Have no stucco walls or flat roofs
* Save the old houses or at least mimic their architecture in the new development
* Build quality construction (not merely a nice faade)
* Use "green" construction and water retention to protect Briar Creek
* Prohibit big box stores, drive-thrus, alcohol sales or 24-hour use.

Businesses which neighbors currently drive across town for that they would like to see in this area include:

* Bakery (whole grain), coffee shop, bagel shop, deli
* Farmers market, specialized/vegetarian/health food, bulk food co-op
* Copy shop/office supplies
* Bookstore, garden shop, consignment shops
* Alternative (intelligent) toy store, music store, video store
* Bicycle repair and sales, home furnishings
* Boutiques, antiques, art galleries
* Massage therapists, alternative health practitioners, medicine shop.

Attendees were reminded that they have little or no influence over what retail establishments land there first or eventually. Developers must have reliable national franchise retailers to assure a return on their investment. Ideally, through the conditional rezoning process, neighbors can influence the design and infrastructure so that good tenants will locate and remain there in the long run.

Sept. 29 meeting:
More than 65 persons attended a meeting at St. Andrews church to hear history of the Briarcreek/Central properties, streetcar and transit issues, explanation of zoning process. Neighbors discussed what they would like to see on the Plummer and Renfrow acreage including: 1. residential or retail or a mix? 2. Desirable and undesirable retail types? 3. Architectural considerations. 4. Traffic flow.

Contacts

- Any MONA board member
- www.zoning.org
- Nancy Pierce Shaver.
nancypierce@carolina.rr.com

Links

Char-Meck Rezoning
Group online discussion
Briar Creek/Woodland Small Area Plan