1. CENTRAL WEST SMALL AREA PLAN
The Basics
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Approximately 100 acres north (28 acres) and south of the Estes Dr. at MLK Blvd.
Community requested development of a small area plan based on concerns about Chartwell process
Process and committee structure proposed by community residents and adopted by Council
Steering committee had 17 members – 8 neighbors, 9 representatives of boards and broader community
Decisions made by 2/3 supermajority vote
Key Elements of Plan
Use
Total
Residential
Office
Retail
Commercial
Hotel
Institutional
620 units
100,000 sf
25,000 sf
30,000 sf
65,000 sf
50,000 sf
It should be noted that retail and commercial are similar uses – commercial generates more traffic than retail for purposes
of traffic analysis
Benefits of Plan (to Neighborhoods and Town)
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Walkable and “bike-able” destinations for new and existing residents
– Community-oriented retail
– Public gathering spaces
Responds to concerns about traffic
– Traffic no worse than current situation with reasonable mitigation measures
– Improved safety
Major improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists of all ages
– Improves walkability and bikeability to schools
– Estes becomes a “complete street”
– New greenway and connections to existing greenway network
Respects existing neighborhoods
– Greenway buffer
– Compatible transitions between new and existing development
Respects and protects the environment
– Storm water management master plan
– Preservation of tree canopy and other natural features
Other Points to Remember
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Plan attempted to balance a number of factors including:
o Traffic
o Safety
o Economic impact on Town
o Economic viability for developers
o Respect for existing neighborhoods
o Need to improve all forms of connectivity
Plan should be viewed as an integrated whole – piecemeal changes to one component or another could make it
infeasible