August 2004

Hickory by ChoiceHickory by Choice

Linking Land Use Linking Land Use and and

Air Quality Air Quality Planning Planning

Address Major ConcernsAddress Major Concerns• Congestion

• Sprawl, high energy use, loss of open space

• Transportation and neighborhood protection

• New development appearance

• Preserve older neighborhoods

• Protect air, water, open space

• Keep Hickory attractive and distinctive

• Sound economic development

Create Tools for Growth Create Tools for Growth PlanningPlanning• Zoning rules that include environmental

protection

• Specific plans for area development

• Growth boundaries

• Alternative transportation

Land Use Building BlockLand Use Building Block

Commercial Commercial DevelopmentDevelopment• Planning Principles

– Discontinue the corridor commercial development pattern for new development. Recognize that commercial establishments in Hickory serve a variety of customers ranging from residents in surrounding neighborhoods to regional customers.

– Promote the development of pedestrian friendly neighborhood and community commercial districts.

Commercial Commercial DevelopmentDevelopment• Planning Principles

– Establish appropriate design standards for commercial districts that reveal a “sense of place” and respect the surrounding residential neighborhoods.

29th Ave Drive NESandy Ridge RoadNeighborhood CoreHickory By Choice

Hickory Land Use andTransportation Plan

Not to Scale

Future Land UsePrimary ResidentialSecondary ResidentialRural ResidentialNeighborhood CoreCommunity CommercialHighway CommercialGeneral BusinessRegional CommercialIndustrialConservationParksPublic

Parcels.shp

MPO ThoroughfaresExisting ExpresswayExisting Major ThoroughfareProposed Major ThoroughfareExisting Minor ThoroughfareProposed Minor Thoroughfare

MPO Interchanges# Existing Interchange# Proposed Interchange$ Existing Grade Separation$ Proposed Grade Separation

Legend

Commercial Commercial DevelopmentDevelopment• Neighborhood Core Concepts

– Walking distance from housing– Mixed-use (retail, office, schools, civic space)– Scaled in proportion to neighborhood housing– Minimize impact of parking

Commercial Commercial DevelopmentDevelopment• Neighborhood Core Concepts

– Located along arterials or at major intersections– Pedestrian connections to adjacent uses– Slow traffic

TransportationTransportation• Planning Principles

– Promote multi-modal transportation options.– Promote vehicular and pedestrian connectivity

throughout the city.– Establish measures to ensure pedestrian and

motorist safety.– Reduce congestion and the amount of vehicle

miles traveled through relationship of home/work/shopping.

Transportation Transportation StrategiesStrategies• Match character of street to land use

– Move traffic quickly where appropriate– Slow traffic through residential and commercial

areas• reduce lane width• landscaping• landscaped medians• on-street parking• reduce curb radius

• Improve traffic safety/congestion through access control measures

Transportation Transportation StrategiesStrategies• Improve road connectivity• Improve roadway aesthetics -primarily

gateways• Develop new road hierarchy• Improve pedestrian circulation

– All neighborhood roads have sidewalks– Connections between residential and

commercial– Aggressive sidewalk planning and development

Natural Natural Resources/Community Resources/Community ImageImage• Planning Principles

– Conserve natural resources and open space of local and regional significance.

– Protect air and water quality.– Further develop recreational facilities and

public access to recreational/natural resources.

Natural Natural Resources/Community Resources/Community Image Image • Develop a comprehensive greenway plan

– Conservation greenways along specified waterways for water quality and flood protection

– Pedestrian greenways• Develop parks and open spaces

– Neighborhood parks and open space in northeast– Improve access to Lake Hickory– Regional open space - Henry Fork River watershed– Storm water management– Improve water quality– Conservation of wildlife and plant habitat

Natural Natural Resources/Community Resources/Community Image Image • Coordinate a long-range open space

protection plan with state and local governments and civic organizations

• Utilize conservation subdivision design for new subdivisions and industrial/commercial development in watershed areas

Conservation Conservation Subdivision Subdivision

SidewalksSidewalks• On both sides of streets in residential,

neighborhood core and community commercial areas. On one side only for cul-de-sacs with less than 200 cars per day

• Separated from traffic with 6’ planting area

• Can diverge from street in shopping and parking areas

• Accomplish 150 mile sidewalk plan in 20 years

Land Use and Land Use and Transportation PlanTransportation Plan• Neighborhood Core Districts are the foundation • Transportation reflects land use patterns• Advantages of the Land Use and Transportation

Plan include:– Less emissions of air pollutants and degradation

of water quality• new pattern reduces vehicle travel by 50% over

existing pattern

• overall, new plan reduces vehicle travel by 4% over existing projections

– Conservation of natural resources/open space

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Figure 16

Future Land Useand TransportationPlanHickory By Choice

Hickory Land Use andTransportation Plan

Page 42Not to Scale

Future Land UsePrimary ResidentialSecondary ResidentialRural ResidentialNeighborhood CoreCommunity CommercialHighway CommercialGeneral BusinessRegional CommercialIndustrialConservationParksPublic

MPO ThoroughfaresExisting ExpresswayExisting Major ThoroughfareProposed Major ThoroughfareExisting Minor ThoroughfareProposed Minor Thoroughfare

MPO Interchanges# Existing Interchange# Proposed Interchange$ Existing Grade Separation$ Proposed Grade Separation

Legend

Contact InformationContact InformationJohn Tippett

Western Piedmont Council of Governments

Hickory, NC

(828) 485-4237

john.tippett@wpcog.org