8/31/06 Bailey Road Charette Meeting

Background
The Town Board of Commissioners recently instructed Staff to update the 1999 Land Use Plan to allow for greater economic development opportunities at strategic locations within the town.  This plan came at the culmination of an economic development study by the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute that denoted this area for future commercial development and the Transportation Plan that detailed the need for additional east-west connectivity with specific improvements along Bailey Road.

As a result, Staff hired the consultants of Cole, Jenest, and Stone to conduct a day long charette to develop a plan that would provide a tool for future development along this corridor.  A charette is an urban planning technique for consulting with all stakeholders – in this case the property owners along that stretch of Bailey Road.  A charette promotes joint ownership of the solution, by bringing together property owners, developers and municipal officials to discuss future alternative land uses.

Staff and consultants held two meetings in the morning with property owners of the current residentially zoned property and property owners of the industrial zoned parcels.  The consultants took the comments of all parties and designed a plan that addressed specific concerns of the citizens along this corridor.

Description
The Bailey Road Small Area Plan (note: illustration is large and will take a few minutes to load) includes property along Bailey Road from US 21 to NC 115 encompassing approximately 125 acres.  The plan proposes to update the 1999 Land Use Plan and rezone strategic residential properties to encourage economic development along this corridor.  The Bailey Road re-location and cross section of the plan takes into account the existing property owner’s concerns and the proposed use to allow for increased mobility along the roadway.  The adjacent property owners have been protected from the more intense use by natural buffers and large building setbacks. 

The plan proposes an 80 foot right-of-way that includes a 4 lane undivided cross-section, multi-purpose path and planting strips.  In addition, a 50 foot landscape buffer was proposed that would screen front yard parking.  An additional 220 feet was provided for the building footprint and service area with additional buffer between the adjacent uses.  The north side of Bailey Road has an additional 25 foot service drive to allow access behind the buildings.  There is an additional swim buffer between that drive and the adjacent uses.  View the street plan.