Historic Preservation is an idea that has been given a bad rap in
Elizabethton. Many people, rightly, associate Historic Preservation
with the Historic Zoning Commission here in Elizabethton. Many assume
that this Commission will freeze everything in place, stripping the
property owners of the right to do as they wish with their property.
Yes, the Commission does regulate some aspects of the exterior of
buildings, but this generally is just ensuring that the materials and
style of the building remain true to when it was originally constructed
and still allow a property owner to make changes as needed. While the
interior of all buildings can be completely modernized, one goal is to
keep historic structures and neighborhoods in our community, well,
looking historic!
Another reality our Commission faces is
that an occupied historic building is better than an unoccupied historic
building. An occupied building is maintained much better that one that
is unoccupied, so limiting the regulation on these buildings to some
aspects of the exterior allows the business to modify the interior of
the building to however they see fit in order to ensure the success of
their business. Franklin, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina have
done an excellent job of doing this!
The ultimate goal of the
Historic Zoning Commission and other preservationists is to preserve
the unique and historic places in Elizabethton. In other-words, to
preserve the places that have meaning to our community. I often hear
from people who tell me the Lynnwood Hotel was so beautiful and such a
treasure to this community. I wish I would have been able to experience
it as well and I’m sure many of you wish you children and grandchildren
could experience it. This is an example of Historic Preservation at its
core.
If other buildings that had meaning in our community
fell in the name of progress, I would argue, years later, many would
feel homesick for those buildings and scenes just like I see for the
Lynnwood Hotel. Had the Historic Zoning Commission been around at the
time, the Lynnwood Hotel might still be with us, rehabilitated back to
its former beauty for another use.
I can understand frustrations with an extra layer of approvals, but take a moment to reflect on the alternative.
What are the places in Elizabethton that have meaning to you? Share
with us your pictures of a place and a short sentence about why that
particular place has meaning to you. Use this as an opportunity to begin
the conversation about preserving places that have meaning in our
community. Let’s talk about it!
Monday, September 29, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
Getting from here to there in Elizabethton
Transportation networks have been vital elements in cities
throughout history. With them come the positive of economic success and
the negative of congestion and constant movement. Transportation
networks, both motor vehicle and pedestrian oriented, create the bones
of a city. Today I want to talk about different types of transportation
in Elizabethton and encourage you to help decide what new types of
transportation is needed in our community.
Motor vehicle transportation plays a very important role in our community since 55% of the households in Elizabethton have two or more vehicles. Motor vehicle transportation networks consist of three types of road classifications - arterials, collectors, and local roads.
Arterial streets are the major routes through a community with the simple goal of moving traffic quickly and efficiently. In order to do this we limit the number of business entrances allowed, increase lane widths and speed limits, and space traffic lights ideally a half-mile apart.
Collector routes are in between arterial and local roads and serve to move traffic from local routes to arterial routes. These road types are the major roads through a neighborhood instead of a city and may have some entrances to businesses located along them. On these roads, we strive to narrow lanes and decrease the speed limits to make it more appropriate for neighborhoods.
Lastly, local roads are designed to provide access to property, businesses, and homes. These roads tend to have narrow lanes and will allow unmarked on-street parking. They tend to have many entrances for homes or businesses and very low speed limits. These roads are designed specifically for pedestrian friendliness.
I also want to bring up another type of transportation, which is the pedestrian transportation network. These include elements such as sidewalks, bike lanes, and walking and biking trail systems. More and more we recognize the equal importance of these types of transportation options as much as motor vehicle options. They promote good health, are good for the environment, and best of all, are much cheaper options than a motor vehicle.
We can be very thankful that Elizabethton has our new Tweetsie Trail and the Riverfront Linear Path as safe pedestrian transportation options. We, however, do lack sidewalks and bike lanes in our community.
What do you think? How is our balance of motor vehicle transportation options compared with the pedestrian transportation options? Let’s talk about it!
Motor vehicle transportation plays a very important role in our community since 55% of the households in Elizabethton have two or more vehicles. Motor vehicle transportation networks consist of three types of road classifications - arterials, collectors, and local roads.
Arterial streets are the major routes through a community with the simple goal of moving traffic quickly and efficiently. In order to do this we limit the number of business entrances allowed, increase lane widths and speed limits, and space traffic lights ideally a half-mile apart.
Collector routes are in between arterial and local roads and serve to move traffic from local routes to arterial routes. These road types are the major roads through a neighborhood instead of a city and may have some entrances to businesses located along them. On these roads, we strive to narrow lanes and decrease the speed limits to make it more appropriate for neighborhoods.
Lastly, local roads are designed to provide access to property, businesses, and homes. These roads tend to have narrow lanes and will allow unmarked on-street parking. They tend to have many entrances for homes or businesses and very low speed limits. These roads are designed specifically for pedestrian friendliness.
I also want to bring up another type of transportation, which is the pedestrian transportation network. These include elements such as sidewalks, bike lanes, and walking and biking trail systems. More and more we recognize the equal importance of these types of transportation options as much as motor vehicle options. They promote good health, are good for the environment, and best of all, are much cheaper options than a motor vehicle.
We can be very thankful that Elizabethton has our new Tweetsie Trail and the Riverfront Linear Path as safe pedestrian transportation options. We, however, do lack sidewalks and bike lanes in our community.
What do you think? How is our balance of motor vehicle transportation options compared with the pedestrian transportation options? Let’s talk about it!
Vehicles Available per Household
|
1st Congressional District
|
Elizabethton
|
No vehicles available
|
6.3%
|
5.9%
|
1 vehicle available
|
32.7%
|
38.8%
|
2 vehicles available
|
38.4%
|
35.8%
|
3 or more vehicles available
|
22.6%
|
19.5%
|
Monday, September 15, 2014
Giving Elizabethton a Green Urban Thumb
We have all heard that certain colors can bring our certain
feelings and emotions. Well, what about the color green? Green, it is
said, relaxes and renews you; a green streetscape is supposed to bring
people together, but is this true?
What if I told you that you could make a little extra on the sale if you started by planting a tree and adding greenery? Well, it's true! A 2010 study in Landscape and Urban Planning Journal found that homes in Oregon neighborhoods with street trees sold $8,870 higher than those without them and was sold 1.7 days quicker on average.
What about speeding traffic through your neighborhood? Trees can take care of that too! The presence of street trees in a neighborhood dropped the average speed of traffic by 3 miles-per-hour, according to a 2008 ITE Journal On The Web study.
Trees even have the power to reduce crime! A 2001 study in Chicago comparing neighborhoods with trees and greenery with those with no trees and little greenery found that property damage crimes had been reduced by 48 percent while violent crimes had been reduced by 56 percent!
Trees even have the power to make us spend more. A 2003 study found that customers were willing to pay 12 percent more for an item if the retail or shopping district had trees in it (hint: this is why you see trees, bushes, and greenery in indoor malls!).
There are many other benefits as well, such as encouraging people to exercise, helping to reduce storm flooding, and cleaning the air and water in our cities. Who knew that trees could make so much of a difference!
In Elizabethton, we require that new construction adds trees, bushes, and greenery to their parking lots, buildings, and along the streets. Yes, it does cost more and creates less parking, but it also makes walking to the building more enjoyable, keeps your car cool while you're shopping, and creates a more attractive community.
The next time you see an affordable tree or bush, buy it, plant it in your front yard or add some landscaping to your house. Buy some pots and plant flowers and other greenery in it and place it next to the entrance to your home or business. What more should we be doing to make Elizabethton more green? Let's talk about it!
What if I told you that you could make a little extra on the sale if you started by planting a tree and adding greenery? Well, it's true! A 2010 study in Landscape and Urban Planning Journal found that homes in Oregon neighborhoods with street trees sold $8,870 higher than those without them and was sold 1.7 days quicker on average.
What about speeding traffic through your neighborhood? Trees can take care of that too! The presence of street trees in a neighborhood dropped the average speed of traffic by 3 miles-per-hour, according to a 2008 ITE Journal On The Web study.
Trees even have the power to reduce crime! A 2001 study in Chicago comparing neighborhoods with trees and greenery with those with no trees and little greenery found that property damage crimes had been reduced by 48 percent while violent crimes had been reduced by 56 percent!
Trees even have the power to make us spend more. A 2003 study found that customers were willing to pay 12 percent more for an item if the retail or shopping district had trees in it (hint: this is why you see trees, bushes, and greenery in indoor malls!).
There are many other benefits as well, such as encouraging people to exercise, helping to reduce storm flooding, and cleaning the air and water in our cities. Who knew that trees could make so much of a difference!
In Elizabethton, we require that new construction adds trees, bushes, and greenery to their parking lots, buildings, and along the streets. Yes, it does cost more and creates less parking, but it also makes walking to the building more enjoyable, keeps your car cool while you're shopping, and creates a more attractive community.
The next time you see an affordable tree or bush, buy it, plant it in your front yard or add some landscaping to your house. Buy some pots and plant flowers and other greenery in it and place it next to the entrance to your home or business. What more should we be doing to make Elizabethton more green? Let's talk about it!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Making Downtown Elizabethton a Vibrant Place
There has been talk about aesthetic improvements and new
businesses in Downtown Elizabethton recently. This is great to hear!
Each community's downtown plays a vital role in the pride and identity
of the community. I now feel that downtown Elizabethton is ready to take
the next step to become more vibrant, but it will take commitment and
working together to achieve this.
Many people have heard of the Main Street Program which has helped hundreds communities throughout Tennessee and the Country revitalize their downtowns. While Elizabethton may not be ready to take this big of a step yet, I believe the concepts of the Main Street Program should start to be evaluated. Repeatedly, these steps have proven to be effective and will strengthen our Downtown as well. The program identifies eight guiding principles, but today I want to focus on just three of those principles.
First is comprehensiveness. In order for downtown to be successful, a plan for comprehensive aesthetic improvements, promotion, and organization must be implemented. All the businesses and stakeholders must take an active role in working together to make downtown one united place instead of multiple individual places. After all, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Next is the principle of self-help. To put it bluntly, no one else is going to help or save our downtown. We must invest in ourselves now and know that rewards will be reaped in the future. After all, we don't build a house and then let it deteriorate. We perform annual maintenance and make improvements so that the house will increase in value. Our downtown is much the same, businesses and stakeholders must invest in our downtown to increase the value. No one else is going to do this for us!
Lastly, partnerships are the third principle for us to consider. This is a very broad principle, but generally, the businesses need to partner with each other, downtown organizations, other business organization, community leaders, and local governments. We must recognize that each partner can contribute something that another may not be able. At the same time, we must recognize that no one partner is more important that the other. Your local governments may only be able to provide improvements to streets, while other business organizations may help provide resources to improve the business environment.
What else can we do to make downtown a more vibrant place? Let's talk about it!
For more information on the Main Street program, visit www.mainstreet.org.
Many people have heard of the Main Street Program which has helped hundreds communities throughout Tennessee and the Country revitalize their downtowns. While Elizabethton may not be ready to take this big of a step yet, I believe the concepts of the Main Street Program should start to be evaluated. Repeatedly, these steps have proven to be effective and will strengthen our Downtown as well. The program identifies eight guiding principles, but today I want to focus on just three of those principles.
First is comprehensiveness. In order for downtown to be successful, a plan for comprehensive aesthetic improvements, promotion, and organization must be implemented. All the businesses and stakeholders must take an active role in working together to make downtown one united place instead of multiple individual places. After all, a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Next is the principle of self-help. To put it bluntly, no one else is going to help or save our downtown. We must invest in ourselves now and know that rewards will be reaped in the future. After all, we don't build a house and then let it deteriorate. We perform annual maintenance and make improvements so that the house will increase in value. Our downtown is much the same, businesses and stakeholders must invest in our downtown to increase the value. No one else is going to do this for us!
Lastly, partnerships are the third principle for us to consider. This is a very broad principle, but generally, the businesses need to partner with each other, downtown organizations, other business organization, community leaders, and local governments. We must recognize that each partner can contribute something that another may not be able. At the same time, we must recognize that no one partner is more important that the other. Your local governments may only be able to provide improvements to streets, while other business organizations may help provide resources to improve the business environment.
What else can we do to make downtown a more vibrant place? Let's talk about it!
For more information on the Main Street program, visit www.mainstreet.org.
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
... but I just know Target would do so well here!
Many of you may know that within the past year or two the City
Planning Department has taken the lead on retail recruitment, in
conjunction with Carter County Tomorrow, to bring more retail options to
Elizabethton and Carter County.
The entire recruitment process really takes two-step. First, we, must determine what our local economy can support. We do not want to bring in a big retailer then have them go out of business within a few years, after all. We also must determine where the retailer might be able to go and make contact with those property owners. Not every property is ideal for every type of retail business.
The second step is finding the retailer that matches our local criteria. In Elizabethton, for example, we have a need for more general merchandise stores; this would include stores like Kmart, Walmart, and Target. I have had multiple requests to bring a Target to Elizabethton. This is often followed by, "My friends and I would shop there all the time. I just know they would do so well here!"
Unfortunately, these stores are in this business to make money. They have determined which markets they should go in to make the most money and do not really care much about community incentives or how many people say they will shop at their store.
We then look at the requirements of each of the retail stores we want to recruit to determine if they are a match for us. Target, for example, requires a minimum of 40,000 people in a 3-mile radius of their location and an average household income of $45,000 before they will even consider looking to locate in your community.
In Elizabethton, we have about 19,927 people in a 3-mile radius and an average household income of $42,218. We could say we are half way to a Target!
Many times, we cannot provide the exact retailer our citizens desire simply because the business is not a match for the community. But we do strive to bring in retailers that provide the same or similar products and services and that are a good match for our community. What other retail opportunities would you like to see in Elizabethton? Let's talk about it!
The entire recruitment process really takes two-step. First, we, must determine what our local economy can support. We do not want to bring in a big retailer then have them go out of business within a few years, after all. We also must determine where the retailer might be able to go and make contact with those property owners. Not every property is ideal for every type of retail business.
The second step is finding the retailer that matches our local criteria. In Elizabethton, for example, we have a need for more general merchandise stores; this would include stores like Kmart, Walmart, and Target. I have had multiple requests to bring a Target to Elizabethton. This is often followed by, "My friends and I would shop there all the time. I just know they would do so well here!"
Unfortunately, these stores are in this business to make money. They have determined which markets they should go in to make the most money and do not really care much about community incentives or how many people say they will shop at their store.
We then look at the requirements of each of the retail stores we want to recruit to determine if they are a match for us. Target, for example, requires a minimum of 40,000 people in a 3-mile radius of their location and an average household income of $45,000 before they will even consider looking to locate in your community.
In Elizabethton, we have about 19,927 people in a 3-mile radius and an average household income of $42,218. We could say we are half way to a Target!
Many times, we cannot provide the exact retailer our citizens desire simply because the business is not a match for the community. But we do strive to bring in retailers that provide the same or similar products and services and that are a good match for our community. What other retail opportunities would you like to see in Elizabethton? Let's talk about it!
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