140 apartments on 7th

A packed crowd at Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church heard Chris Branch of the Boulevard Company and Tony Miller of Miller Architecture deliver preliminary details of the planned development on 7th Street for the Roy White properties tonight. The highlights:

• 140 one- and two-bedroom apartments.
• 4 and one-third stories.
• About 5,000 square feet of commercial space.
• Between one and two parking spaces per bedroom.
• No parking visible from the street.
• No plans yet for the properties across 7th Street.

After the Branch/Miller presentation and some Q&A, they left and an open discussion started. Afterward we were to vote on whether we supported the project. I had to leave early, and I wasn't clear on what exactly we were supposed to vote on. I hope someone can fill me in. Branch said that their contract required them to submit their rezoning request by tomorrow. But the details we got tonight were too sparse, I think, for us to tell whether we favor the project or what conditions we might seek to impose. Clearly there will be further steps in this process.

My initial thoughts on the proposal was that it's a good start. The drawings looked handsome, and I like hidden parking. But 5,000 square feet of retail seems kind of small. I know the deed restrictions on most of the property require residential use, but I wonder if there isn't a way to get a little more retail at street level. Also, the size of the thing dwarfs the homes that border it, including the house at the corner of Clement and 7th and the houses on Clement and 8th streets. That's really huge for the people that live there. And 140 apartments? That seems like a lot.

What do you think?

Boulevard meeting site changed

Dana Inge writes:

The Boulevard Company will be making a presentation to the ECA at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 11 regarding their proposal for their 7th Street properties. At the present time, we know that they will present their proposal for the Krug Properties (Philosopher Stone to former Violin Shop), but they also have the Roy White properties under contract and they may address their plans for those parcels as well.

Due to the larger group attending, we are changing our meeting location this month to Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church, 501 Hawthorne Lane, in the Joy Outlook classroom on the second floor of the educational wing (signs will direct you from the parking lot).

The Boulevard Company will be applying for a rezoning of the properties and the ECA will be writing a letter to City Council either in support or opposition, depending upon how the ECA members vote once the Boulevard Company has made all of their presentations to the ECA. We expect that this will be the first meeting where they present their intent for the properties. After the presentation and the Boulevard Company has left the meeting, we will discuss and vote on what the ECA will provide the Boulevard Company with respect to whether the community can support the proposed zoning change, what we would support, etc. The Boulevard Company would then have another presentation(s) to the Board at another board meeting(s) which would be more detailed plans of their proposed development. We will have a vote after each meeting on what we will convey to the developer in terms of support, opposition and direction of what we would support if such is different from what the developer presents at the meeting.

We need everyone's participation at this meeting and we need everyone to get the word out in the community about this meeting. This is likely to be a sizable development and one which will have a long term impact on the residents of Elizabeth. All Elizabeth residents are invited and all ECA members present at the meeting will have a vote on how we will respond to this proposed rezoning.

The one you've been waiting for

What will happen to the Roy White property on 7th Street? What will happen to the properties assembled by David Krug across the street? Find out Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. when Chris Branch of the Boulevard Company makes a presentation to the Elizabeth Community Association at the Hawthorne Rec Center. Boulevard has apparently either acquired or is in the process of acquiring both sets of properties, and will be seeking rezoning from the city. They'll want to get input from the ECA first. The meeting Dec. 11 will be the first steps in that process.

Boulevard did the Laurel Ridge development at Randolph and Laurel. You may recall they originally sought a rezoning that would have allowed more units on that site. The city, after consulting with the ECA, denied the rezoning request for higher density.

I don't think I can overstate the importance of the 7th Street projects to the neighborhood. If you live in Elizabeth or if you just occasionally drive on 7th, you have a stake in the results. Come to the meeting and let your voice be heard.

Conformity on Commonwealth

Now is your chance to speak your mind on what should happen to the vacant lot at the corner of Pecan and Commonwealth. Elizabeth's Conformity Corp., headed by resident Monte Ritchey, owns the property. Ritchey told the Observer he plans to do some market research to find out what residents and business owners want to see there. There was a push recently to turn the lot into a park, but I'm not sure what happened to that effort. While a park would be nice, it seems unlikely at this point. What's the best use for that land? Let Conformity know: 704-334-5516.

Pressures in Commonwealth-Morningside

Our neighbor Commonwealth-Morningside is seeing big changes, none more so than the development of Morningside Village. They're also seeing the pressures renovations can bring to a neighborhood. "People are buying the old, little bungalows and putting up these 3,800-square-foot homes that aren't in keeping with the neighborhood," said Krista Murphy. So, wisely, the neighborhood association held a meeting, bringing builders, architects and neighbors together to talk about renovations. The association has no power to stop people from doing what they want. But better to be proactive than reactive. While we watch how things play out in Commonwealth-Morningside, we probably want to continue to pursue our own Small Area Plan. Will it make everyone happy? Probably not. But if we don't get everyone together to talk about what we want our neighborhood to be, we won't know what makes people happy until after they become unhappy.

Wake-up call for Elizabeth

Hope you're watching what's happening to our friends in Dilworth. They face the same pressures we do as a popular inner-city neighborhood dealing with growth. But they have a wild card we don't: Light rail. Mass transit for our corridor has been put off so far in the future it likely will never happen. Unfortunately that does not relieve us of the burden of preparing for what it might bring. Look what happened Monday.

Charlotte City Council approved a rezoning that will allow a massive project on the edge of Dilworth -- despite opposition from the Dilworth Community Development Association, despite reservations (pdf) from city planners. "The vote is a test case for the kind of development the city will allow along the rail line," the Observer reported.

Anyone who follows local politics knows developers hold tremendous sway over all our elected bodies. I'm not suggesting anything untoward. The Dilworth project will increase revenues for the city, put people to work, provide housing and likely spur further development. A few neighbors and planners can't compete against that -- even in a society where the "will of the people" is supposedly sacrosanct.

This should serve as a wake-up call for Elizabeth. How do we make sure we don't get steamrolled by the city and developers in the future? We get together now, all of us, and decide what's right for our neighborhood. Let's start with a small area plan (not that it helped Dilworth in this case) and go from there. Maybe we work with our friends in surrounding neighborhoods. Democracy it won't easy. Demoracy isn't. But if we don't start acting now, it will only get harder.

Rezoning approved

The city approved B&E Properties, LLC request for a rezoning at the corner of Hawthorne Lane and E. 5th Street Monday night. A medical office building is planned for the site.

Challenge in Cherry

Interesting situation in nearby Cherry. A developer wants to tear down 63 homes and replace them with townhomes and condominiums. Residents are rightly worried that the development will lead to higher property values, which could price people out of the neighborhood. Frankly I'm surprised it took so long for developers to descend on Cherry, although they've been encroaching on it for some time now. Will be interesting to see how this shakes out.

7th Street anniversary

At this time of year it is appropriate to give thanks to the people who fought so hard for what we enjoy now. Like a three-lane 7th Street.

From a Nov. 8, 1985 Charlotte Observer story headlined Plan To Widen 7th Street Dropped:

Faced with neighborhood opposition, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission has backed down from its recommendation to widen 7th Street through the inner-city Elizabeth neighborhood....

More than 30 neighborhood residents, including city council member Pam Patterson, crowded into the commission`s meeting room to watch the vote. Over the past few weeks, residents had lobbied against widening the street`s four lanes. They complained that a wider road would split the neighborhood and destroy its character.

Planning commissioner Joe Griffin disagreed. ``I certainly don`t want to ruin Elizabeth,`` he said. ``But this is a chance to get another artery flowing into town. I`m in favor of doing it.``

City transportation planners told the commission that 7th Street will eventually need to be widened for safety reasons. Once construction begins on Independence Boulevard, they said, more traffic is expected on the street.

But, said Planning Director Martin Cramton, ``If we begin saying capacity and safety are more important than surrounding neighborhoods, we may as well kiss inner-city neighborhoods off. We need to make a strong statement in Charlotte.``

So thanks Pam Patterson (who still lives in Elizabeth) and Martin Cramton. And a big lusty boo to Joe Griffin. And while you're digesting your turkey, don't forget that there are many more Joe Griffins out there (especially at NCDOT), and they would dearly love to widen 7th Street so folks in Union County can get home faster.

I miss it already

2500 block of 7th

Anonymous reports:

I'm following up on the question about what's going on on the 2500 block of 7th street where it's been bulldozed.

For whatever reason, even though there's a "financed by Wachovia" sign in the middle of the land, most of the people I've called have tried to say as little as possible. I was told the "official release" will be in a couple of months. I called around and was able to get this info:

-The plans are for 45 townhomes
-3 stories
-They will be 1700 to 1800 sq/ft
-The avg townhome will have 3 bedrooms and if I understood correctly, 3.5 baths.
-They will have a 1.5 car garage
-The pre-construction prices will be "in the low 2's". I asked what they meant and was told "215-220".
-They are being built by gateway homes

There are several condemed and nearly condemed properties on that block and right next to the soon-to-be-built townhomes, but the demolition for this project is complete. I was told they woul "probably look similar to the homes ate www.PrestonTownHomes.com", although they don't know if they'll be brick or not.

one more thing: completion of the project will be 14 months from now.

Conformity on Seventh

The secret is out. Plans are underway to develop the Roy White property on Seventh. Monte Ritchey may have been playing coy with the Business Journal, but he made a presentation to the ECA meeting Tuesday night. Let's hope he can do something good for the neighborhood with that property and end the long-running saga.

More neighbors

What is the biggest threat to home values in Elizabeth? Could it be this? Or this? Or this? Or this?

More than 3,000 new downtown condos have been announced in the last year, according to The Charlotte Observer. People who buy high-rise condos and people who buy old homes in Elizabeth are likely two different markets. But there's bound to be overlap. I'd love to live downtown. And I know of at least one couple who sold their Elizabethan house and bought downtown.

Part of what keeps housing prices high in Elizabeth -- and Dilworth and Plaza-Midwood and others -- is the proximity to downtown. The supply of housing close to downtown is limited. What will the affect of thousands of new homes downtown be on our neighborhood ?

Historic Elizabeth

What do Dilworth, Plaza-Midwood, Fourth Ward and Wesley Heights have that Elizabeth doesn't have? Historic District Designation. Should that change?

John Rogers of the Charlotte Historic District Commission talked to the ECA board at the October meeting. I think there's interest on the board in persuing historic designation. I also think there's a lot of opposition in the neighborhood. Last time the ECA pushed for Historic District Designation there was a lawsuit. Can we avoid that this time?

What do you think? What's good about historic designation? What's bad about it? Post a comment, or better yet join Under the Water Tower and tell us what you think.

Housing values up 18%

The average price of homes in the Elizabeth ZIP code of 28204 went up 18% last year, the Charlote Observer reports. That's one of the highest rates of increase in the county, although far short of the 35% of 28206, north of downtown. The numbers are for June 2004 to June 2005, and include only those homes sold through the Charlotte Multiple Listing Service. I understand that not too long ago homes in Elizabeth would sell without listing. Any real estate experts know if this is true? If so, what does it mean for the data?

Rezoning denied

Word from the Charlotte City Council meeting tonight is that council voted unanimously to deny the petition to rezone the property at Laurel and Randolph. This has been a fascinating example of how things work in our neighborhood and our city. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Real estate rumors

Rumor has it that the vacant lots on East 7th Street -- the Roy White property -- are for sale. It will be interesting to see who buys the property and what they plan to do with it. Some of you will remember that the last time the Whites tried to develop the property,they were taken to court. For more on that, look here and here..

Peter's note to Boulevard Co.

Rodney,

The Elizabeth Community Association (ECA) met last night and discussed The Boulevard Company's request to rezone the property at Laurel & Randolph. Of the concerns expressed, those relating to scale/density and the anticipated increase in traffic and resulting safety issues were at the heart of the sometimes 'heated' discussion. It was agreed upon that the areas of improvement to your plans given to us (dated 17 December 2004) would fall into 3 categories:1, ample vehicular access to the site, and its direct environs, so as not to unduly congest Laurel; 2, mitigate pedestrian safety along Laurel to Kenmore and at the intersections of Laurel/Randolph and Laurel/Vail; and,  3. building scale along Laurel edge to be more sympathetic to the existing scale and character of adjacent buildings.  We submit that these improvements will help balance the negative effects of your requested increase in density, and maintain the safety and great character our residents now enjoy. Placing the Elizabeth residents' safety in jeopardy will lead us to oppose the conditional rezoning. With your written agreement to these improvements the ECA will support the requested rezoning of the property.  

Please review the following requests and include on the conditional plans submitted and presented to City Council next week.

1. drive/parking entrance on Randolph road

2. fully fund left turn signals for existing turn lanes from Laurel (both directions) onto Randolph road, pending CDOT approval

3. new crosswalks (stamped, colored asphalt) at Laurel/Randolph (5 crossings) and Laurel/Vail (4 crossings) intersections

4. fully fund tightening of curb radii at north/west corner of Laurel/Vail (with approval with CDOT - should decrease speed from Laurel onto Vail

5. fully fund installation of concrete sidewalk on Laurel, from Vail to Kenmore, western side of street across from LaurelDale

6. no fewer than 1.5 parking spaces/unit

7. replace mature maple (probably lost to Randolph Road drive, pending approval of city landscape services) with 10 hardwood trees (currently $160 each, contracted with city) either on site or elsewhere in the Elizabeth community, as directed by the ECA

8. housing units on Laurel should have individual entrances off that sidewalk (facing Laurel)

9. the developer agrees not to temporarily or otherwise close any lane on Laurel during the construction of this project

Please call me if you have any questions concerning these improvements. In order to have time to submit letters to the City Council before next week we'd need to have a copy of the revised conditional plan by Thursday afternoon for ECA review. Without such written agreement we will be forced to oppose the rezoning, as it would lead to a decrease in safety and quality of life here in Elizabeth.

regards,
Peter Tart, president Elizabeth Community Association

Rezoning notice

Elizabeth residents,

There will be a presentation and open forum concerning the rezoning proposal of the parcel at Laurel and Randolph. The developer, The Boulevard Company, will present it's plans and elevations for review and comment/discussion. Please attend this important gathering on February 1st 2005 at Caldwell Memorial Church, East 5th Street (near Elizabeth Traditional School) at 6:30 pm. Help guide our community toward a better Elizabeth.

regards,
-Peter Tart
president, Elizabeth Community Association