GRIFFITH SHELL APPLICATION

SEE THE MAY 29 BLOG POST FOR A REMINDER OF THE GRIFFITH SHELL APPLICATION DETAILS.

WHEN THIS CASE WAS CARRIED OVER TO JULY 18, THE COLLABORATIVE HAD ASKED THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND THE GRIFFITH APPLICANTS TO USE THE LIMITED B2 ZONE ON THE 3 PARCELS IN QUESTION INSTEAD OF A FULL B2 ZONING, AND INCLUDE A LIST OF INAPPROPRIATE BUSINESS OPERATIONS AS A VOLUNTARY OWNER RESTRICTION. THIS WOULD INVOLVE UPZONING A B1 AND AN R1 ZONE TO LIMITED B2, AND DOWNZONING A B2 PARCEL TO LIMITED B2—A FAIR COMPROMISE WITH THE VOLUNTARY EXCLUSIONS WHICH GRIFFITH’S REPRESENTATIVE VERBALLY SUPPORTED AT THE JUNE MEETING. NO ONE, HOWEVER, HAS YET SEEN THOSE VOLUNTARY EXCLUSIONS IN WRITING. WE HOPE GRIFFITH AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVE WILL PROVIDE THOSE PRIOR TO THE POSTING ON THE CITY WEBSITE FOR THE JULY 18 MEETING.

BLOOD PLASMA DONOR CENTER at GOVT AND DIP AT THE LOOP

THE CITY WEBSITE IS CARRYING NOTICE OF PERMITTING FOR A BLOOD PLASMA CENTER TO OPEN AT THE OLD PHARMACY AT THE LOOP (SE CORNER OF GOVT AND DIP). SINCE THE SITE IS ALREADY B2, NO FURTHER ZONING APPLICATION IS NEEDED. NEITHER THE PROPERTY OWNERS, STIRLING PROPERTIES, NOR THE OPERATOR OF THE PLASMA CENTER HAS REACHED OUT TO COMMUNITY GROUPS IN ANY WAY TO DISCUSS PLANS.

THE POSITION OF THE COLLABORATIVE IS:

THIS AREA, ON THE CITY FUTURE LAND USE MAP, IS DESIGNATED AS A TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, INTENDED FOR THE TYPE OF COMMERCE NEEDED FOR THE DAILY LIVES OF AREA RESIDENTS. IT IS NOT A DISTRICT (REGIONAL) COMMERCIAL CENTER WHICH IS AIMED AT DRAWING IN CLIENTS FROM A WIDER GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. A BLOOD PLASMA CENTER IS MORE APPROPRIATE TO A DISTRICT COMMERCIAL NODE IN THE CITY. THE LOOP IS A DENSELY POPULATED AREA OF FAMILY RESIDENCES, SO THERE ARE MANY TYPES OF BUSINESSES NEEDED TO SUPPORT THEIR DAILY LIVES. EXAMPLES: THERE IS NO CLOSE GROCERY MARKET. THERE IS VERY LIMITED NEARBY RETAIL FOR GIFTS OR HOME OR PERSONAL ACCESSORIES, ESPECIALLY SINCE ANTIQUES AT THE LOOP MOVED. THERE IS ONLY ONE DRY CLEANER IN THE AREA, NO FRESH PRODUCE MARKET ALONG GOVERNMENT STREET, NO SERVICES SUCH AS ALTERATIONS OR EYEGLASSES, AND LITTLE RESTAURANT VARIETY NEARBY. THERE IS NO CLOSE FULL SERVICE HARDWARE STORE, A VERY REAL NEED. THIS NOT A BUSINESS WHICH WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THE LOOP BUSINESS ASSOCIATION’S WORK TO ELEVATE THE AREA FOR BOTH NEEDED NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCE AND FOR RESIDENTS. IT WILL USE ONE OF THE LARGEST AVAILABLE COMMERCIAL SPACES, PERFECT FOR A HARDWARE STORE OR A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT OFFERING SMALL SHOPS ON STREET LEVEL AND RESIDENCES ABOVE. BECAUSE THIS IS OUTSIDE A HISTORIC DISTRICT, NO PRESSURE CAN BE BROUGHT TO BEAR ON THE PHYSICAL SITE DEVELOPMENT PLANS. THE BLOOD PLASMA CENTER WILL LEASE FROM OWNER STIRLING PROPERTIES. COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO LEARN ALL ORDINANCES AND MONITOR AND REPORT ANY AND ALL INSTANCES WHERE ORDINANCES ARE BREACHED. THE COLLABORATIVE SUPPORTS COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORS, BUT THE GOAL IS BUSINESS WHICH IS APPROPRIATE FOR AND CONTRIBUTING TO A TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CENTER.

THE CITY’S “FUTURE LAND USE PLAN” DEFINES THE TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER, THE ROLE OF IT, AND THE TYPES OF COMMERCE APPROPRIATE TO IT, IN THE CITY’S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, AS FOLLOWS:

“NEIGHBORHOOD CENTER (NC)

This land use designation applies to smaller hubs of mixed commercial, community, and recreational activity that cater to adjacent residential areas. Many of these centers exist today in some form. Therefore, the following common principles apply not just to the future development of new centers, but also to the redevelopment (wholesale or incremental) of existing centers.

General Principles for Neighborhood Centers:

• ›  NC should support a limited amount of commercial employment

• ›  NC should incorporate some residential use, which may vary in type from detached single family, townhouse, accessory and live-work units in mixed use and low-rise multifamily structures.

• ›  The residential density in NC designations –ranging from 4 to 10 du/ ac— must be compatible in character with that of surrounding residential development, providing appropriate transitions in height, massing and other buffering from one land use district to the next.

• ›  The retail and housing uses should merge around vibrant, compact, accessible nodes, located at key neighborhood intersections or along short road segments.

› The NC nodes should be connected to the surrounding neighborhood and nearby public uses (e.g., schools, parks, etc.) via well-designed sidewalks and complete streets.

While the above-listed principles are common to all NC districts, the design attributes of neighborhood centers generally vary depending on whether a center is in a more “traditional” or more “suburban” context.

Additional Attributes of Neighborhood Centers:

› NC in traditional contexts: These tend to be in those areas east of
the Beltline and correspond to MxDR neighborhoods. In these NCs, buildings should orient to the street, with on-site parking typically pushed to the back of the site. The design qualities of the public realm are emphasized, including the provision of continuous sidewalks, tree canopy, pedestrian amenities, on-street parking and bicycle facilities where appropriate.