Title
North Main Street Charrette Report (B)
Report to the City Commission on the North Main Street Charrette of February 15, 2011.
Explanation
Planning & Development Services Department staff has produced a final report on the North Main Street Charrette. The Gainesville City Commission in 2010 requested that the Planning & Development Services Department hold a public planning workshop (or charrette) to allow residents, businesses, and other interested parties to voice their recommendations and concerns regarding an area in the North Main Street corridor. The 213-acre Charrette Area is located between North 8th Avenue and North 23rd Avenue, between Northeast 2nd Street and Northwest 6th Street south of Northwest 16th Avenue, and between the railroad right-of-way north and Northeast 2nd Street north of Northwest 16th Avenue. Public notice for the Charrette was published in the Gainesville Sun on February 10, 2011.
The North Main Street Charrette was a two and one-half hour, evening event held at the St. Patrick Interparish School on February 15, 2011. Approximately 100 people attended, including several City Commissioners and members of several citizen advisory boards. A background information document was provided for attendees, various large maps were displayed, and staff from several City departments and from Alachua County Public Works were in attendance and served as resources for the Charrette. Presentations on the Charrette Area were made by City staff on land use and census information, transportation, code enforcement, and on crime and traffic incidents. A presentation was also made by a developer's representative on the redevelopment of a vacant car lot at 1703 North Main Street into a two-story medical office building for UF & Shands Family Medicine. After the presentations, participants broke into discussion groups on Transportation Topics, Neighborhood Concerns, Business & Development Opportunities, and Land Use & Urban Design. Spokespersons from each group then presented their group's comments to the re-assembled charrette participants.
Planning staff has provided summary comments from the four discussion groups in the North Main Street Charrette report. Staff has also provided updated information on projects within the Charrette Area. These include projects discussed at the Charrette such as the Main Street resurfacing and signalization project from NW 8th Avenue to NW 23rd Avenue, and the UF & Shands Family Medicine office building. Of particular note are two City transportation projects that have been built and/or funded as a result of public input provided at the Charrette. The first is the construction of sidewalks on NW 14th Avenue between NW 2nd and NW 4th Streets, and between NW 5th and NW 6th Streets. This project was not previously programmed by the Public Works Department. The second project is the reconstruction of NE 2nd St between NE 10th & NE 16th Avenues. Subsequent to the Charrette, the City Commission amended the CIP to include funding for project design in FY13 and construction in FY15. Another City project is GRU's
water distribution system rehabilitation and replacement in the Grove Street Neighborhood. This was in response to GRU's investigation of customer reports of rusty water in the Grove Street Neighborhood during the past year, including comments made by Charrette participants.
Fiscal Note
None.
Recommendation
Staff to City Commission - Hear a presentation on the North Main Street Charrette, receive a final report document about the Charrette, and provide comments to staff.