Steering Committee Meeting #2...Communication & Engagement Nationally recognized projects:...
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11/7/2018 1 Steering Committee Meeting #2 October 22, 5 to 7pm Athens-Clarke County Planning Department Welcome Back! Gavin Hassemer Special Projects Planner, ACC
Transcript of Steering Committee Meeting #2...Communication & Engagement Nationally recognized projects:...
11/7/2018
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Steering Committee Meeting #2October 22, 5 to 7pmAthens-Clarke County Planning Department
Welcome Back!Gavin HassemerSpecial Projects Planner, ACC
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Welcome to the Workshop!
1. Welcome & Process Check-in
2. Breakouts a) Initial Findings and Direction
b) Mobility Discussion
c) Economics Discussion
d) Priorities Workshop Overview
e) Thank You / Adjourn
Planning ProcessPlan DevelopmentVision & Fact Finding
Steering Committees Meeting #1
Foundations Report
Conditions Assessment
Steering CommitteesMeeting #4
Alternative Analysis
Communication & Adoption
Draft Report
Kickoff Meeting
MarchEarly
OctoberAugust 29/30
June 25May 7January/February
FinalReport
Public HearingVisioning Workshop(with Stakeholder
Groups)
AprilMid
November
Steering CommitteesMeeting #2 Open House
SummaryBrochure
Priorities Workshop(with SC Meeting #3)
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Sharing Initial Highlights of the Foundations AnalysisNAME
ATLANTA HIGHWAY
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Visioning Workshops ResultsKyle MayPlanning NEXT
Vision Workshop Overview
• Brief presentation from team on process and initial findings
• Two parallel engagement activities to collect feedback
• Strong, weak and opportunities places map based activity
• Table topic discussions
• Activity also available online• Focus groups convened throughout
the two days
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Vision Workshop Findings & Themes
Group Discussion Topics1. Function/Safety: What should we do to
improve the function and/or safety of the Atlanta Highway corridor? Why?
2. Aesthetics/Amenities: What would make the Atlanta Highway corridor feel more attractive in appearance? For investment? Why?
3. Business/Economics: How do we improve the economic viability for existing and future businesses along the Atlanta Highway corridor? Why?
4. Land use: What would make the Atlanta Highway corridor feel more like a cohesive “place”? Why?
Function & Safety
• Improve the connectivity of sidewalk network, improve crosswalks and stoplights, add street lights
• Identify and investigate known problem areas or intersections
• Traffic calming as one potential solution to key safety areas
• Wayfinding improved to increase both driver and pedestrian safety
• Concentrate crossings by reducing or working to limit curb cuts
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Aesthetics & Amenities
• Landscaping, trees, buffering, overall beautification
• Develop a brand, design standards, and overall cohesiveness to give identity to the corridor
• Wayfinding and signs should be included
• Preserving greenspace, adding more trees and parks
Business & Economics
• Attraction nodes along the corridor should be added, including: grocery stores, higher end restaurants, hotels, dry cleaners, and banks
• Various attractions should also be added to draw people to the corridors, including: parks, recreational complexes, further development of the airport, nicer shopping centers
• Development of access roads and feeder streets to help bring people in and make the area more efficient
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Land Use
• Develop a strategy for growth and density in the Lexington Road Corridor
• Further develop existing places that are seeing growth
• Improve streetscape and infrastructure along the corridor such as sidewalks, bus stops and benches
• Overall beautification and identity needs to be established
Composite Map
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Mapping Themes
Strong Areas• Revitalization or redevelopment
potential of key parcels have the potential to be transformative / catalytic
• Park spaces are strong and regional attractors for the area can be even better leveraged
• Number of uses with unique potential including the Airport important to direct this growth
Weak Areas• Congestion and traffic flow could be
improved especially at key intersections
• Aesthetics of the corridor can be improved made more regular, consistent, through landscaping, signage controls, and more consistent architectural standards
• The types of uses not adequately diverse to meet the needs of residents especially relating to entertainment / dining
• Safety is a concern especially at key intersections
Mapping Themes
Areas of Opportunity • Quality of life amenities like a farmer’s market, trails, etc. can /
should be extended into the eastside of Athens as well, corridor has several good opportunities areas for these
• Expand the spectrum of uses, examples include restaurants, diversifying the types
• Specific redevelopment or revisioning opportunities in retail heavy areas
• Improving sidewalk and biking infrastructure could create more of a multi-modal corridor /better connections between businesses and residential uses
• Still several big lots that should be well-considered when / if development occurs, opportunity to define these areas and improve quality of life and place
• Greenspace could be expanded in key areas along the corridor especially with linear greenways
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Emerging Topics and Themes
• Topic clouds reflect resonant topics and connected “ideas”
• Emerging themes from workshop, focus groups, previous processes
• Organized around three connected topics (Land Use, Economics, Mobility)
• Not a final list
Areas of Opportunity
• Specific locations along the corridor with special potential
• Recommendations take a more specific form
• Values / Vision Design Principles Site recommendations / vision
• Working list
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MobilityJonathan GuyKimley-Horn
Analysis Methodology
Traffic Analysis
Community + Agency Input
Community Growth Trends
Crash Locations
Corridor Profile
Geometrics + Timings +
Speed limits..
Traffic Counts
• Level of Service• Delay (intersection, approach,
movement)
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What We Heard
Crash Hotspots
Congestion and traffic flow a major concern
Average Daily Traffic Volumes
39,200
33,700
14,700
36,100
33,700
34,300
24,900
41,600
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Study Area
964
875
10
1112
1314
1 Atlanta Highway at Monroe Highway/Tall Tree Road
2 Atlanta Highway at Monroe Highway Off Ramp
3 Atlanta Highway at New Jimmie Daniel Road/Trade Street
4 Atlanta Highway at Subway Driveway/Cleveland Road
5 Atlanta Highway at Athens Perimeter Hotel/Marilyn Farmer Way
6 Atlanta Highway at Huntington Road
7 Atlanta Highway at Athens Parkway SB Ramps
8 Atlanta Highway at Athens Parkway NB Ramps
9 Atlanta Highway at Jennings Mill Road/Logan's Access
10 Atlanta Highway at Timothy Road/Mitchell Bridge Road
11 Atlanta Highway at Athens W Parkway/Athens Town Blvd.
12 Atlanta Highway at Ultimate Drive/Target Access
13 Atlanta Highway at Heyward Allen Parkway
14 Atlanta Highway at Epps Bridge Road
15 Atlanta Highway at Old Epps Bridge Road
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Existing Level of Delay - 2018
964
87
13 5
10
1112
1314
LOS D (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS B (AM)
LOS C (PM)
LOS D (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS B (AM)
LOS B (PM)
LOS D (AM)
LOS E (PM)
LOS C (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS A (AM)
LOS B (PM)
LOS B (AM)
LOS C (PM)
LOS F (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS B (AM)
LOS B (PM)
LOS A (AM)
LOS A (PM)
LOS B (AM)
LOS C (PM)
LOS B (AM)
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Future Level of Delay - 2038
964
87
13 5
10
1112
1314
LOS F (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS C(AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS E (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS C (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS E (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS E (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS B (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS C (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS F (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS B (AM)
LOS C (PM)
LOS A (AM)
LOS A (PM)
LOS C (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS C (AM)
LOS D (PM)
Future Level of Delay - 2038
964
87
13 5
10
1112
1314
LOS F (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS C(AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS E (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS C (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS E (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS E (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS B (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS C (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS F (AM)
LOS F (PM)
LOS B (AM)
LOS C (PM)
LOS A (AM)
LOS A (PM)
LOS C (AM)
LOS D (PM)
LOS C (AM)
LOS D (PM)
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Corridor Overview
600 ft
1,450 ft
750 ft
300 ft 1,500 ft
What We Heard
1. Improve bicycle and pedestrian mobility
2. Address congestion and safety issues at key intersections
3. Create a cohesive identity throughout the length of the corridor
4. Support long term development efforts through transportation improvements
FactbookSteering
CommitteeFocus Groups
Visioning Workshop
Plan for a corridor that serves multiple purposes ─ gateway, regional thruway, and local connection
Primary Priority Secondary Priority
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How do we coordinate this corridor’s gateway treatments
with other city gateways?
What sort of improvements would support the corridor’s
economic development goals?
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What improvements are needed to encourage more biking, walking, and transit use?
EconomicsKevin HivelyNinigret Partners
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Started in Dec 2001
Focus Areas:
Management Consulting Economic Development Strategy Communication & Engagement
Nationally recognized projects:
Sustainia’s 100 Best Climate Change Projects for Pittsburgh’s EcoInnovation District
CNU’s Freeways Without Futures for Route 34 in New Haven, CT
Fast Company United States of Innovation RISD Design for Manufacturing Innovation program
Geographic Experience:
Projects in New England, Midwest, Texas, Alabama, South Carolina, North Dakota, Georgia
Envision Athens & Athens Innovation Initiative
ATHENS ECONOMY & EMPLOYMENT
Shift in dominant employment sector. Gain of 2,000 Health Care and Social Asst. jobs, loss of 2,000 Manufacturing jobs from 2005
~48,000 private sector jobs8% from 2005
University the largest employer. 10,370 jobs, comparable to the total jobs in the largest private sector (health care & social assistance)
Still significant manufacturing base despite 8% decrease. 5,900 jobs led by Pilgrim’s Pride (1,700) and Caterpillar (1,700)
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Approximately 65% of workers come from this zone reinforcing development pressure along the western edge
Commuting patterns driving development pressure
These areas have higher concentrations of people at life stages that may cause changes in single family neighborhoods by downsizing or needing senior housing solutions.Neighborhoods with highest homeownership rates and high concentrations may have highest propensity for change
Neighborhood propensity to change
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Corridor strategy approach
• It’s not easy• Data sources don’t align to transportation
corridors but political jurisdictions• Requires marrying different pieces of information together
• Data sources lag behind the calendar so they are backward looking
• Important to think of the data in terms of the order of magnitude and trend – not the “decimal point”
Atlanta Highway is an important job center
1,846
2,149 2,1442,000
1,7611,853
2,212
2,395 2,4332,518
2,366
910 968 931 930
726 783890
1,107 1,101 1,164 1,132
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
3,000
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Atlanta Highway Employment Trends
Total Primary Jobs Retail Trade
Accommodation and Food Services Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
Transportation and Warehousing
• Represents 18% of Athens Clarke County retail jobs
• 17% of the logistics related jobs
• 10% of professional & technical employment
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The area imports workers to fill the jobs
• Almost ½ the workers commute over 25 miles
Atlanta Highway has seen investment
Commercial Building Permit Type (2013-2018 YTD)
# of Permits
$ of Permits
Accessory 33 $ 1,348,553
Addition 9 $ 813,561
Change of Use 2 $ 47,000
Foundation 1 $ 97,904
New 30 $ 17,823,786
Renovation 84 $ 21,691,933
Grand Total 159 $ 41,822,736
• But less than Lexington
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But has some high vacancy levels
Mall Total Square Feet Total Indoor
Spaces % Square
Feet Available for Lease
% Spaces Available for
Lease
Georgia Square Mall 686,517 115 27% 21%
Athens West 175,390 22 18% 5%
Clarke Crossing 71,648 16 3% 6%
• For reference the vacancy rate across malls in was 8.6% in the second quarter of
2018, based on a survey by Reis of 77 metropolitan areas across the country.
Retail “growth” is more a market share fight than meeting a “gap”
Retail Sector 5 Minute Drive 15 Minute Drive 30 Minute Drive
Furniture & Home Furnishings Stores $2,864,269 $8,121,002 $32,200,581
Electronics & Appliance Stores $3,182,755 $9,931,173 $44,068,740
Building Materials, Garden Equip. & Supply Stores ($4,691,438) ($15,005,458) $12,854,768
Food & Beverage Stores $18,718,674 ($108,539,325) ($897,022)
Health & Personal Care Stores ($4,597,617) ($41,896,512) ($8,731,563)
Clothing & Clothing Accessories Stores $4,743,264 ($53,877,690) ($16,818,952)
Sporting Goods, Hobby, Book & Music Stores $349,511 ($29,740,656) ($14,223,152)
General Merchandise Stores ($39,605,351) ($44,208,080) ($26,684,088)
Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers $2,040,214 ($9,773,431) $10,027,326
Food Services & Drinking Places ($3,007,930) ($175,999,285) ($91,474,974)
Office Supplies, Stationery & Gift Stores $735,350 ($2,301,942) $4,841,221
Retail Market Gap Analysis
• Market share fights become about finding points of differentiation
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Area appears to have a broad geographic draw
Based on cellphone data – May thru July 2018 – single visit
But its core market clusters to the county
Based on ubermedia cellphone data – May thru July 3 or more visits
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Core Market Area for Atlanta Highway
“Optimal geospace”
Key emerging questions
• Understanding the future and potential of the Georgia Square Mall…How do we address key community needs and evolving trends in retail, while also keeping the parcels fiscally productive?
• Should we promote the reuse of the buildings and pads to things other than retail?
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Things we’re seeing
• Repositioning empty big box stores as logistics / fulfillment centers for e-commerce
• Transformation of retail centers into a mix of uses including multi-family housing through infill development and adaptive reuse
• Malls as “Retailtainment” centers• Malls as anything but a retail mall • Reclaim the sites
