Community Growth Vision Statement

High Point

Community Growth

Vision Statement

Final: November 3, 2006

!!!!! !!!!!

Topic Page

Background 1

Vision Statement 1

A. Natural and Cultural Resources 2

B. Neighborhoods 3

C. Mixed Use Areas 4

D. Downtown 5

E. Transportation 6

F. Economy 7

Vision Map 8

Contents

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________High Point Community Growth Vision Statement Page 1 of 8

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Background

The City of High Point conducts on-going plan-ning on both a city-wide and area-specific basis.Before focusing on any particular area of HighPoint, it is important to establish consensus onthe future of the overall community. This is donethrough creating a vision for the future. This vi-sion provides the foundation for more focusedand detailed plans, policies and programs thataim to achieve the established vision.

The following Vision Statement consists of aseries of goals and objectives that are based upona variety of public participation approaches.Among the key methods used to solicit inputwere a Community Growth Survey completed byover 450 citizens, and a Community GrowthWorkshop in which approximately 50 commu-nity stakeholders were split into five teams tocreate their own “visions” for the future of HighPoint. The Community Growth Vision Statementwas forged out of these two public processes,as well as related background research andmeetings.

The following six key issue categories are ad-dressed within this Vision Statement: natural andcultural resources, neighborhoods, mixed usecenters, downtown, transportation and theeconomy. While each issue category is num-bered, they are not sequenced in an order of pri-ority. Also, a Vision Statement map is providedon page 8 to help illustrate the key ideas.

VISION STATEMENT:High Point’s future growth will respect natural and historicresources, encourage Core City redevelopment, insure anefficient use of land, promote mixed use centers and tradi-tional neighborhood development, support alternativemodes of transportation, and accommodate a diverse andstrong economy.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Objective 1A:Preserve and link open spaces where opportuni-ties exist, and leverage them as community andeconomic assets.

Objective 1B:Preserve and link environmentally sensitive landssuch as floodplains, wetlands and steep slopes.

Objective 1C:Protect the city’s water supply through compatibleuse and design innovations, and minimizing thedisturbance of land.

Objective 1D:Preserve and revitalize key historic landmarks andunique areas in High Point.

Objective 1E:Explore a variety of regulatory tools to preserve bothcommercial and residential historic areas merit-ing such protection.

Objective 1F:Encourage private sector efforts toward natural andcultural resource conservation by creating incen-tives and securing funding sources.

Objective 1G:Promote development and infrastructure that re-flects and reinforces High Point’s culture and his-tory.

GOAL 1:

Preserve and enhance High Point’smost important natural andcultural resources.

Objective 1H:Support the continued growth of the City’s educa-tional institutions for their many educational, cul-tural and economic benefits.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GOAL 2:

Improve High Point’s older urbanneighborhoods, while ensuringbetter future neighborhoods.

Objective 2A:Improve the existing housing stock through the re-habilitation of older buildings, including mitigatinglead-based paint threats, and through the elimina-tion of substandard housing when rehabilitationcannot be justified.

Objective 2B:Stabilize older neighborhoods by offering a rangeof new housing types, cost ranges, and both rentaland purchase options, with an emphasis on af-fordable housing and neighborhood character.

Objective 2C:Enhance existing neighborhood parks and recre-ational facilities, and create new ones whereneeded.

Objective 2D:Develop an extensive network of sidewalks through-out all neighborhoods, and provide greenwayswhere opportunities exist.

Objective 2E:Provide retail, service and dining opportunitieswithin a walkable distance to most residents.

Objective 2F:Pursue measures to increase security and the per-ception of safety in neighborhoods where crime isan issue.

Objective 2G:Plan new neighborhoods based upon the principles

of discernable boundaries, varied housing typeoptions, both older and new housing, mixed useneighborhood centers, convenient parks and recre-ation facilities, sufficient and well-maintained side-walks and infrastructure, and respect for the

neighborhood’s architectural character.

Objective 2H:Redirect a portion of High Point’s future residentialgrowth to the Core City to revitalize the area.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GOAL 3:

Create more mixed use areas,while reinforcing existing ones, tominimize traffic, maximize theutilization of infrastructure, and sopeople can live, work and play inone location.

Objective 3A:Revitalize and expand existing mixed use areasthrough building rehabilitations and new infill de-velopment.

Objective 3B:Establish new or redeveloped mixed use areas atkey intersections where suitable land use and de-velopment patterns exist.

Objective 3C:Attract commercial tenants that will offer daily goodsand services to nearby neighborhoods.

Objective 3D:Include high-density residential development as acomponent of existing and new mixed use areasfor the purposes of utilizing land efficiently, pairingpeople with convenient goods and services, sup-porting the commercial uses, and minimizing traf-fic.

Objective 3E:Apply development standards to ensure that mixeduse areas are human scaled, pedestrian friendly,and physically integrated through mixed use build-ings and buildings that front onto streets rather thanlarge parking lots that separate buildings and theiruses.

Objective 3F:Encourage mixed use centers as an alternative to“strip commercial ” corridors that would use landinefficiently, generate unnecessary traffic, and cre-

ate traffic congestion and safety challenges be-cause of frequent driveways and their associatedturning movements.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GOAL 4:

Make Downtown High Point and itsenvirons a vibrant, diverse andmixed use environment.

Objective 4A:Expand the role of Downtown High Point and itsenvirons as the community’s cultural and institu-tional hub through a variety of public facilities.

Objective 4B:As a supplement or alternative to the existing Down-town core, develop North Main between approxi-mately the main library and Eastchester as “Up-town” to function as a traditional downtown.

Objective 4C:Make the High Point Market more competitive byenhancing pedestrian access, transit and otherservices to the showrooms.

Objective 4D:Establish more retail shops, services, restaurants,and entertainment through zoning and/or incen-tives.

Objective 4E:Create more rental and for-purchase housing, bothas new development and within existing older build-ings.

Objective 4F:Introduce new uses and creative industries, includ-ing artist studios and living space, small businessincubators, and live/work units, and support themthrough zoning.

Objective 4G:Improve Downtown High Point’s streetscapes by

providing buildings with human-scaled facades andgroundfloor transparency, and streetscape furnish-ings that are attractive, functional, well-located andhuman-scaled.

Objective 4H:Create public spaces with a variety of scales, de-signs and functions, and couple them with uses

that will help to activate them, such as civic uses,retail and housing.

Objective 4I:Improve public safety through urban design tech-niques, security-based programs, and increasesin residential, employment and visitor populations.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GOAL 5:

Balance the efficient movement ofvehicles with the needs of pedestri-ans, alternative transit modes, andaesthetic quality.

Objective 5A:Transform major thoroughfares from barriers intoattractive and user-friendly corridors that pull areastogether through boulevard treatments such aslandscaped medians and crosswalks.

Objective 5B:Focus particular attention on the appearance of keygateways into High Point to convey to visitors a posi-tive first and last impression of the community.

Objective 5C:Where appropriate, convert Downtown High Point’sexisting one-way streets to two-way traffic flow tomake them safer by encouraging slower drivingspeeds, to reduce the barrier effects on pedestri-ans, and to minimize visitor confusion.

Objective 5D:Develop new streets and retrofit existing streets inaccordance with design standards intended to bal-ance efficient vehicular flow with other planningobjectives, such as creating pedestrian-friendlyenvironments.

Objective 5E:Require that street systems connect with one an-other whenever possible to move all modes of traf-fic efficiently, to avoid congestion along key corri-dors, to improve traffic and pedestrian safety, andto enhance emergency management access.

Objective 5F:Expand and enhance bus service in High Point,and explore other mass transit options for trans-portation within the region.

Objective 5G:As an alternative means of transportation, expandthe greenway system and add bike lanes to key

roads linking activity centers and important desti-nations.

Objective 5H:Limit extremely large-scaled stores - “big box retail”- to key street intersections to best accommodatetheir potentially high traffic volumes.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

GOAL 6:

Keep High Point’s economystrong and make it morediversified.

Objective 6A:Put a greater emphasis on work force prepared-ness, such as local education and job training, withcommunity colleges and technical schools playinga key role.

Objective 6B:Given the direct economic benefits derived from theHigh Point Market, as well as the invaluable inter-national recognition it brings to the community, con-tinue efforts to sustain, promote and support theHigh Point Market.

Objective 6C:Identify and recruit new industries that complementor leverage the furniture industry, including designand “style” related businesses.

Objective 6D:Continue to identify and recruit new industries thatare unrelated to the traditional industries of furni-ture and textiles in order to achieve greater diversi-fication.

Objective 6E:Avoid “retail leakage” to other communities by keep-ing retail centers viable with strong anchor tenantsand by attracting new businesses that are not det-rimental to High Point’s existing businesses.

Objective 6F:Prioritize measures to enhance High Point’s over-all quality of life to retain and expand existing indus-tries and to attract new ones. Photograph courtesy of High Point Economic Development Corporation

Objective 6G:Revise current incentive policies and implementother policies to encourage job growth in the CoreCity.


______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Vision Map

The map at right is intended to paint a broadconceptual vision of the preceding pages. Be-cause of its conceptual nature, site-specific as-pects of the map are only generalizations, in-cluding the location of greenways, mixed usecenters and similar elements.

Nat

ural

Res

ourc

es

Bou

leva

rds

Mix

ed U

se C

ente

rs

Alte

rnat

ive

Tran

spor

tatio

n

His

toric

Pre

serv

atio

nU

rban

Infil

l Hou

singV

ibra

nt &

Div

erse

Dow

ntow

nMap Key

Mixed UseCenter

Open Space& Greenways

Core CityBoundary

City Boundary

Planning AreaBoundary

Documents

Community Growth Vision Statement