DOWNTOWN MASTER PLAN. Analysis Summary - May 2018

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1 C O OWOW S nalysis Summary - ay 2018

2 XCUV SU he City of eridian owntown aster lan was initiated to support the city s vision for growth and development through the ive ove Grow campaign. his initiative aims to: Give the citizens of eridian reasons to feel good about where they live. ecognize incentives for businesses to invest in the city. ncourage citizens to be involved in their community. S GOS he goals of the aster lan are to: Create a visionary planning framework that will support and enable the objectives of the city s ive ove Grow campaign. Create a pedestrian-oriented community through a defined pedestrian network. lan for the highest and best use of the city s significant historical and cultural assets through sustainable, planned development. Create gathering spaces and amenities for increased quality of life and visitor experiences. evelop comprehensive traffic and parking recommendations to support the master plan and growth projections. While the purpose of a master plan is to propose long-term strategies, the plan will identify smaller moves that make an immediate impact. UOS O H CUS S he City of eridian is at a critical juncture where the decisions it makes will have a long-term impact on the quality of life and economic development for downtown eridian. K rchitects was selected to create a master plan that provides a planning framework and action plan for the city. he downtown master plan was directed to provide a framework for the decision-making process while advocating design concepts that support the mission and vision of the city. he development of the master plan is organized as a multi-phase planning process. ata collection and research for the aster lan commenced in July G SSUS s a result of the data collection process, specific planning issues were noted: ack of parks and green space Urban life is encumbered by the lack of suitable outdoor community spaces. hese spaces should enhance the vitality of the city. Car culture Cities of the past century were designed for cars. Successful cities of the 21st century rely on pedestrian infrastructure to ensure a quality urban experience. raffic flow, streetscape, and parking issues. Underutilized building and streetscape infrastructure. Quality Vacant and poor building conditions are a major issue. Wayfinding and ccess edestrian and vehicular movement throughout the city are inconsistent and deficient. 22nd venue ntry Corridor egative entry experience. S SOS nitial opportunities and concepts have been identified: andscape lan evelop a landscape plan for enhanced parks, green space, and streetscape design. raffic and arking lan evelop a comprehensive plan. xisting Cultural and rchitectural ssets Organize the planning framework around the significant assets in downtown eridian. ront Street nhance the pedestrian infrastructure along this spine to create a mixed-use zone along a rail park. 22nd venue ntry Corridor mplement boulevard improvements between -20 and the 22nd venue bridge. Growth nsure the highest and best use of existing buildings and spaces while planning for future development opportunities. 2

3 G OCSS OCSS he development of the master plan is organized as a multi-phase planning process. ata collection and research, the first phase of the process, commenced in July uring this time, the planning team conducted individual meetings with the mayor and council. he planning team confirmed the scope of work and initiated a traffic study with the traffic consultant. Stakeholder focus groups continued into the fall of 2017, with a 1-day public design charette held in early ovember. he design charette, which included representatives from the community, downtown businesses, and city officials, identified planning issues and prioritized goals of the master plan. uring the analysis phase, the planning team conducted various studies including existing land use, vehicular and pedestrian circulation, parks, infrastructure, and new development. n early pril, a work session was held during an executive city council session, during which K provided an update on the master plan and presented this analysis to the city council. t this meeting, K recommended that a public hearing should be held to solicit questions and input from the community. he public hearing was held in mid-ay. With the community and council s input, data collection, and analysis, the planning team will move forward to develop initial concepts in a draft report. ollowing review by the city, the concepts will be prepared as final presentation graphics to be used in a master plan document. he purpose of this document is to serve as a living master plan and roadmap for implementation. he planning team has worked throughout this process to identify low-hanging fruit, or goals that are easily achievable, to help move the master plan forward. he planning team has guided recent discussions on plantings, landscape, crosswalks, and lighting in downtown eridian. K values their role in the development of the City of eridian s vision and will assist in outlining the implementation process to achieve the master plan goals. S OCSS OGZO he process was organized into the following phases: hase : ata Collection hase : nalysis hase : Concept efinement hase V: lan evelopment Outline Goals, dentify reas of nalysis, echnical ata Gathering, and iscovery eetings Comparative nalysis, nalysis of Systems, nitial Concepts, and ivergent hinking Concept efinement, etailed ecommendations, and Sustainable Strategies ocument reparation ollowing inal resentation of deas to the City of eridian WH W H o one knows the City of eridian better than the people who live, work, and participate in the community. he design team held a series of meetings with the mayor, council, and representatives from the community and downtown businesses. hroughout the analysis phase, business leaders in the downtown community submitted input through compiled questionnaires. Common themes emerged, which include: his is an investment we all need to make. Create a comprehensive communication plan. lanning consistency is key. Create green space along the railroad. nstall parking meters to increase revenue. Close the gap between -20 and downtown. ake downtown eridian a pleasant place for shoppers and visitors. We need to work together to ensure the preservation of our downtown it s now or never. 3

4 G OCSS G OCSS Outline Goals dentify reas of nalysis - raffic Study - ssets & iabilities - nfrastructure - arks & Green Space Stakeholder ocus Groups - eetings (lected Officials) - Small Group eetings - Wayfinding & Signage - esign Charette iscovery Summary Comparative nalysis nitial Concept evelopment resentation of nalysis & nitial Concepts - raffic Study esults - edestrian-oriented Community - Utilization of ssets - ighting & Safety Confirm nalysis / Concept referred Options Cost stimates & hasing Shell of aster lan eport resentation of Concepts & eview - ayor & Council - auderdale County - SU eridian - BC / ocal Businesses - Other Stakeholders roduction repare raft eport inal resentation inal ocumentation iving aster lan ocumentation / ublication Status of the aster lan process, presented at the public meeting held ay 14th,

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6 SOUCS & CHOS OBSVOS hroughout the data collection process, specific resources and anchors were noted: Cultural & ducational he City of eridian has several significant cultural and educational resources including the SU iley Center and X. uture projects and cultural opportunities will be incorporated in the master plan. Civic & Historical esources within and around the established owntown Historic istrict and the frican merican Business istrict include City Hall and the historically significant Union Station. conomic he ast ississippi Business evelopment Corporation and edical istrict are important participants in the continued development of downtown eridian. evelopment Building upon successful projects in recent years, additional opportunities for major development projects to serve as anchors for the overall master plan occur at the old mall site, the former cotton compress site, and the proposed Children s useum. 6

7 US OBSVOS Overlaying land use, building use, and vacancies in and around downtown eridian, highlighted several planning issues: solation t present, the downtown core is isolated from the main access point (-20 & 22nd venue off-ramp) by the rail corridor and industrial use. Vacancies Several buildings and lots remain vacant. ecent proposals include the planned re-use of the old police station and redevelopment of the former Sears site for the Children s useum. nconsistent Use Buildings and property should contribute to the highest and best use of the potential land use opportunities to improve overall conditions. he lack of defined districts hinders the sense of cohesive community. he city should focus on developing a mixed-use district within the downtown core, a consistent commercial zone along 22nd venue with boulevard and signage improvements, and provide amenities to promote public health for the entire community and surrounding residential neighborhoods. 7

8 C & KG OBSVOS Overlaying major/minor vehicular routes and both surface parking and parking structures provide an analysis of movement to and around downtown: 22nd venue his route provides primary access to the downtown core, which requires major improvements and will support existing and new development. arking lthough large areas of surface and street parking exist, a comprehensive parking plan is needed to address current parking issues for downtown businesses. traffic study was also conducted by the engineering consultant, ickering, nc. he study evaluated the traffic impacts of proposed development, which is anticipated in the city s master plan. he study assessed trip generation for proposed development, projected trip distribution based on the generated trips, and evaluated the capacity and level of service at each study intersection. Based on traffic volumes at each study intersection, the study conducted signal warrant analysis of existing unsignalized intersections. inally, the study assessed the need for mitigation measures based on the impacts. hese finding will be incorporated into overall master plan recommendations. 8

9 UB SS G OBSVOS Urban analysis revealed the following opportunities: evalue the rail corridor (C High ine & Charleston ow ine ark concepts). edestrian network opportunities (streetscape design and trails). nhance pedestrian connections across the rail corridor. ncourage mixed-use development. xpand traffic study to include a comprehensive parking plan. Utillize green space and development anchors to organize future development projects. mprove public transportation. mprove access to groceries and markets to provide healthy food options. mprove front door entrance at 22nd venue corridor. Create development opportunities at old mall site. evalue Sowashee Creek (entry to downtown). 9

10 COCS S SOS nitial planning concepts include: ail ark (C High ine, Charleston ow ine, and Birmingham ark concepts). Comprehensive traffic and parking plan. ront Street ixed-use evelopment. ublic and private development opportunities. eridian central green (City Hall ark). owntown alley re-use concept to support dining and entertainment. mprove public transportation (trolley link between cultural and park assets). edestrian friendly (rail etwork). 22nd venue corridor street improvements (boulevard concept). ecreational and commercial development at the old mall site. Sowashee Creek restoration. he planning team will move forward to develop preferred concepts in a draft report. ollowing review by the city, the concepts will be prepared as final presentation graphics. he master plan will be evaluated at regular intervals and serve as a living master plan and roadmap for implementation. 10