[1. Call to Order]
[00:00:02]
I LIKE TO CALL THIS SPECIAL WORKSHOP, THE WATER THIS MORNING.
UM, KRISTA, WE NEED COMPLIANCE THE FREEDOM INFORMATION ACT.
WE ARE MAKE THE WOLF WOLF ME PLEASE.
MR. BROWN, WALKING IN MR. HARKINS, MR. AMES, MRS. BECKER, MR. LENNOX, MR. STANFORD, MAYOR MCCANN.
UH, SO WE'RE JUST MISSING, UH, COUNCILMAN BROWN.
[4a. Mid-Island Initiative Area Initial Redevelopment Strategy and Character Visioning]
TODAY'S WORKSHOP DISCUSSION WILL BE ON THE GOOD ISLAND TRACK, WHICH WE NEED A NAME FOR PRETTY SHORTLY.UH, FIND OUT A COUPLE OF NAMES LAST NIGHT, BUT WE'D LIKED.
SO NONE OF THEM MADE ANY DIFFERENT.
SO IT WAS, THAT WAS EASY ALONG THE WAY TODAY.
WE'LL START ON THE CAPITAL PROJECTS MANAGER WOULD TELL US THE UPDATE ON WITH MSK ON THE BIN ISLAND TRACK.
I ALREADY WAS THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL, MARK SENIOR STAFF.
AND FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO LET US SHARE THIS EXCITING PROJECT, AS YOU KNOW, WE STARTED THIS PROJECT IN AUGUST WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL WORKSHOP TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS AND ALSO WITH ROBUST STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT.
AND MOST RECENTLY WE WILL BE FOLLOWING YOU IN FEBRUARY WHERE WE DISCUSS THE ANALYSIS AND PROGRAMMING, AS WELL AS, UM, SOME OF THE INITIAL THOUGHTS ON WHAT WAS TO COME AND TODAY.
UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT BOTH OF THE INITIATIVE AREA FROM THE INITIAL STANDPOINT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT, UM, A STEP OR TWO BEHIND THE BARK OR THE TRACT.
THAT ONE IS, UM, THE THOUGHTS CAME OUT MUCH CLEARER.
SO WE WERE MOVING FASTER ON THAT ONE AND THE REDEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
WE'RE ON THE INITIAL THOUGHTS.
UM, AND STEVEN HERE THAT WE'VE HEARD YOU, BUT THE CONSULTANT TEAM LISTENED TO BOTH, UM, COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY, AND THEY HAVE PLANS THAT ARE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT OUR COMMUNITY DESIRES TO SEE HAPPEN IN THIS AREA.
AND WE WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO THAT TODAY, AND THEN HOPEFULLY COME BACK TO YOU THIS SUMMER TO GET APPROVAL, TO MOVE FORWARD INTO THE NEXT ROUND.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO BRIAN.
IF WE HAVE TIME, WE WILL HAVE PARENTS BY CITIZENS.
IF WE DO NOT HAVE THAT TIME, WE WILL NOT HAVE A FINE GOOD MORNING.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, STAFF AND TOWN MANAGER, JENNIFER BRIAN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
AND, AND, AND FOR QUITE SOME TIME, WE'VE BEGUN LOOKING AT THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE, THE, UH, MID ISLAND TRACT, 102 ACRES OF TRACT IS GEOGRAPHICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY THE CENTER OF THAT AREA IN MANY WAYS.
UM, AND, UH, WE HAVE ADVANCED THE PARK A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF THE TRACK, WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY A PARK, UH, AHEAD OF THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE.
UH, SO THIS DISTRICT REVIEW IS AN INTERIM, THE PARK AS MUCH FURTHER ALONG.
UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, BUDGET, UH, BUDGETING FOR THE PARK AND PHASING AS WE GET INTO MAYBE OUR NEXT MEETING SOMETIME LATER IN THE SUMMER.
AGAIN, WE WANT TO, UH, AS JENNIFER SUGGESTED RECAP, THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, WE'VE LISTENED TO NOT ONLY THIS BODY, BUT THE PUBLIC, UH, THROUGH MANY VEHICLES, UH, ALL GREAT COMMENTS, UH, AND A LOT OF ROBUST INVOLVEMENT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, UH, THE, UH, INTERIM OF THE REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, IF YOU WILL, REDEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES FOR THE DISTRICT, BUT A FAIRLY WELL BAKED CONCEPT FOR THE MID ISLAND TRACT ITSELF.
AND THEN WE'LL OPEN IT UP TO DISCUSSION.
AND AS ALWAYS, NO, ONE'S GOING TO HURT OUR FEELINGS BY MAKING COMMENT OR ASKING QUESTIONS WITH THAT.
I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO ANDREW, LET HIM GO THROUGH THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE STAY THERE.
I'LL BRING THE CONTROLLER OVER TO YOU AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO THE, THE TRACK.
GLAD TO BE HERE TODAY AND WANT TO SORT OF RECAP SINCE IT HAS BEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A COUPLE MONTHS SINCE WE'VE GOTTEN TOGETHER.
UH, SO I'VE GOT SOME THINGS WE'VE PROBABLY SEEN BEFORE, BUT WE WANTED TO SORT OF BRING THAT BACK AND, AND REMIND FOLKS WHERE WE STARTED.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF GREAT PLANNING.
THAT'S PROCEEDED, UH, THIS WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE AS A, AS A COMMUNITY.
UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S FOLDED IN HERE AND SEE THAT, UH, IN, IN THIS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING TOGETHER.
UM, AND WE ALSO HAD A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT LAST SUMMER, BEGINNING IN AUGUST, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, THINGS THAT HAPPENED OUT ON THE MID ISLAND
[00:05:01]
TRACK.UH, AND, AND I THINK, UH, ONE OF YOUR HIGHEST, YOU KNOW, RESPONDING SURVEYS THAT YOU'VE DONE, UH, HERE IN THE TOWN, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDER SESSIONS, UM, THAT REALLY HELPED US SHAPE THE CONVERSATION AND THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE HERE TOGETHER.
UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE THE A HUNDRED PLUS STAKEHOLDERS REPRESENTATIVE OF, YOU KNOW, SORT OF ALL, ALL, UM, MANNERS OF, OF INPUT KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, UH, IN THIS, UH, THIS PART OF THE ISLAND, UH, HAD A GREAT CHANCE TO HAVE ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE, GROUP MEETINGS, UH, WITH SOME OF THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS BACK, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR AS WELL.
SO TAKING ALL OF THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, HERE'S SOME, SOME PICTURES OF SOME OF THOSE, UH, UH, EVENTS THAT HAPPENED AS PART OF THE OPEN PARK DAYS, A REALLY GOOD CHANCE TO GET TO KNOW PEOPLE HAVE SOME OPEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT WHAT'S HAPPENING, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE, UM, THAT, THAT ARE REALLY, WE KEPT GOING TO AND SAYING, ARE WE, ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THING? WE CHECKED IN ON, ON WHAT INPUT WE GOT BACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND THIS, THIS CHART COMES FROM, UH, THE SURVEY RESPONSES ABOUT WHAT WHAT'S MISSING IN THIS, UH, MID ISLAND DISTRICT.
UH, YOU CAN SEE PARK WAS, WAS FAR AND AWAY, UH, THE TOP CHOICE FROM THE COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT PEOPLE ALSO STARTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF THE PLACE AND WHAT'S MISSING THERE AS WELL.
SO WALKABLE STREETS, MORE DINING, UH, COMMUNITY EVENTS, SHOPPING, WORKFORCE HOUSING, SORT OF, UH, UH, KNOWLEDGE THAT WE NEEDED A MIX OF USES, UH, IN THIS PART OF THE ISLAND AND THAT THERE WERE CERTAIN THINGS WERE MISSING.
UH, AND THEY PUT, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS SORT OF PUT A BIT OF A FINER POINT ON IT.
I'LL START WITH THE DISTRICT, UH, SUMMARY, UH, BELOW HERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WALKABILITY AND SAFETY.
I KNOW WE'VE HAD A FAIR AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC AND VEHICLE PEDESTRIAN CONFLICTS ON SOME OF THESE STREETS, UH, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
SO, UH, REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE LISTEN TO THAT, SO THAT WALKABILITY AND SAFETY IS KEY.
UM, BUT I THINK ALSO PEOPLE SORT OF UNDERSTAND THE, THE SHOPPING AREAS OF THE COMMERCIAL AREAS ARE NEGLECTED AND THEY, THEY COULD BE MORE THAN THEY ARE TODAY.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT, ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, ADDING HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORKFORCE HOUSING IN PARTICULAR, AND DOING SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY, UH, EMBLEMATIC OF THE CHARACTER OF THE ISLAND.
SO WE WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TODAY AS WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO THE PARK, UH, PRESERVING NATURE AND NATURE OBSERVATION OPPORTUNITIES, PRIMARILY MERELY A PASSIVE PARK.
AND IT'S SORT OF PUT A FINER POINT ON THAT, UH, WHEN WE STARTED TO REALLY PULL ALL THOSE, UH, ENGAGEMENT THEMES TOGETHER.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY YOU'LL SEE THESE THEMES, UH, TIED INTO, INTO SOME OF THE IDEAS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
UH, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, PROTECTING AND CONNECTING, UH, OPEN SPACES AND GREEN SPACES IN THE DISTRICT, UH, CREATING A WALKABLE DISTRICT THAT'S CONNECTED AND SAFE, AND THEN LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL MIX OF USES WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME OF YOUR DAILY NEEDS THAT ARE IN WALKING DISTANCE OF, UH, OF WHERE YOU LIVE, UH, OR EVEN A PLACE THAT YOU MIGHT PARK ONCE AND VISIT A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES, OR HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, DIFFERENT SORTS OF COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES.
UH, SO THE NEED FOR HOUSING, COMMERCIAL OFFICE AIRPORT SUPPORTING USES, WE'LL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE MARKET WORK THAT WAS DONE TO SUPPORT THIS AND IN CREATING A DISTRICT IDENTITY AND REALLY USING, UH, UH, THE MID ISLAND TRACK, DOES THAT CATALYST, THAT HEART HEARTBEAT OF, OF THIS PART OF THE ISLAND AND BRIAN WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
UH, AS WE LOOKED AT THE TRACK THAT THESE WERE SORT OF THEMES THAT CAME OUT, UM, AS WE LOOKED AT THAT, UM, CONNECTING THIS TRACT AND THEN I'LL ATTRACT THE OTHER GREEN SPACES, PARKS, TRAILS, NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, AND ENHANCE THOSE NATURAL FEATURES, UH, THE GULLAH HISTORY AND CULTURE THAT NEEDS TO BE EXPRESSED HERE.
UH, THE ABILITY TO MAYBE HAVE AN OPEN AIR MARKET HERITAGE GARDEN, UH, POTENTIALLY, UH, SOME OTHER COMMERCIAL USES POTENTIALLY IN THE PARK.
UH, BRIAN, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT REALLY SOMETHING THAT SERVES THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE AND, AND SOMETHING THAT CAN BE PHASED IN OVER TIME, AS WE'RE TALKING, AS BRIAN MENTIONED ABOUT A BIG, A BIG PART OF THE ISLAND, HOW DO YOU START TO PHASE THAT IN OVER TIME AND MAKE SURE THAT FITS WITH YOUR OVERALL BUDGETING GOING FORWARD? SO I JUST WANTED TO RECAP THAT, UH, BEFORE WE REALLY DOVE TOO FAR IN, AND WE'LL START, UH, I'LL START BY TALKING ABOUT THE MID MID ISLAND INITIATIVE AREA.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE'LL TALK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT, CONSIDERATIONS, CHARACTER, AND CONNECTIONS.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK A LITTLE ABOUT NEXT STEPS BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO TALKING ABOUT, UH, THE MID ISLAND TRACT.
AND PLEASE STOP ME AT ANYTIME IF YOU HAVE ANY, ANY THOUGHTS FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, WE'LL GO THROUGH, UH, THESE DEVELOPMENT, UM, CHARACTERISTICS.
AND I WANT TO SAY WE'VE WORKED REALLY CLOSELY WITH OUR TEAM, SO IT'S NOT JUST MKS K.
WE HAVE KIMBERLY WARREN ON OUR TEAM.
THAT'S DONE MARKET ANALYSIS FOR US, AND WE ALSO HAVE, UH, DOVER COLON PARTNERS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH CLOSELY, ESPECIALLY AS WE START TO THINK THROUGH, UH, THESE DEVELOPMENT CONSIDERATIONS.
AND, UH, VICTOR IS UNDER THE WEATHER AND COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
UH, BUT WHAT I'M ABOUT TO PRESENT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, THAT THE VICTOR LIKES TO TALK ABOUT.
AND I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE START TO FRAME THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT CAN,
[00:10:01]
WHAT CAN CHANGE OR WHAT CAN EVOLVE, UH, IN THIS PART OF THE DISTRICT.SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS A LIST OF SORT OF DO'S AND DON'TS, UH, AND I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS TOLD US, IN TERMS OF BOTH WALKABILITY, CONNECTEDNESS, SAFETY, UH, BUT ALSO THE, THE, THE VIBRANCY OF THE PLACE, THE NEED TO MAYBE REINVEST IN SOME OF OUR COMMERCIAL AREAS, WHICH YOU HAVE TODAY FOR THE MOST PART IS SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THIS LIST.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SURFACE PARKING LOTS, IT'S SPREAD OUT, IT'S SINGLE USE, UH, IT'S ISOLATED FROM OUR RESIDENTIAL AREAS, IT'S AUTO FOCUSED, AND THEN SOME OF IT REALLY COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
IT COULD BE ANYWHERE IN THE SOUTHEAST.
UH, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT'S MAYBE QUITE IN CHARACTER AND KEEPING WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE ISLAND.
AND SO WE'D LIKE TO TALK THROUGH IS WHAT WE, WHAT WE SHOULD HAVE THIS LOOK LIKE IN GREEN IS THE FIRST WORD ON THIS LIST.
UH, WE WANT TO CREATE, UH, INTERESTING AND ACTIVE PLACES THAT ARE CONNECTED WALKABLE, UH, AND MEMORABLE.
SO A SERIES OF IMAGERY, JUST TO START TO LET YOU KNOW HOW WE'RE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT THESE SPACES FIRST AND FOREMOST, GREEN.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT, UH, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHERE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE.
I REALLY TAKE THIS TO REALLY BE TALKING ABOUT THE SORTS OF INTIMATE GATHERING SPACES.
YOU MAY TURN THE CORNER AND HAPPEN UPON A PLAZA OR SOME OUTDOOR SEATING OR A PLACE TO, YOU KNOW, A BEER GARDEN LIKE THIS, A PLACE TO GATHER, UH, AS THE COMMUNITY.
SO YOU THINK ABOUT THESE SPACES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE.
THEY CAN'T REALLY TAKE PLACE IN A PARKING LOT.
UM, THEY ARE REALLY NEIGHBORHOOD FOCUSED AND VERY INTERESTING, UH, SPACES.
YOU HAVE SOME OF THEM, UH, TODAY, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A MIX OF DIFFERENT USES.
THIS IS HARBOR TOWN, UH, PLACES TO SIT PLACES, TO GATHER PLACES WHERE THE COMMUNITY REALLY, UH, CAN, CAN COME TOGETHER AND THEY'RE CONNECTED.
UM, SO THAT IT'S EASY TO MAKE THE DECISION TO PARK ONE TIME, GET OUT OF YOUR CAR, UH, YOU KNOW, GET ON A BIKE, UH, MOVE AROUND, UH, HILTON HEAD.
AND WE SEE THAT WHEN WE SAT OUTSIDE HAVING BREAKFAST THIS MORNING, THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE, RIGHT? YOU MAY NOT WANT TO CREATE THE SAME SORT OF OPPORTUNITIES, UH, IN THIS PART, UH, THIS PART OF THE ISLAND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT SHOULD SCREAM GET OUT OF YOUR CAR AND WALK AROUND.
AND, UH, I LIVE, UH, OUTSIDE OF COLUMBUS, OUR APP WAS OUTSIDE OF COLUMBUS, UM, THIS WEEKEND WITH MY SON DOWN IN A SOCCER TOURNAMENT IN CINCINNATI, IN MARIEMONT, WHICH IS A GARDEN CITY THAT WAS BUILT IN THE TEENS AND TWENTIES.
AND THAT'S A PLACE WHERE YOU DRIVE IN AND HE'S LIKE, I GOT TO GET RID OF THIS CAR AND WALK AROUND AND EXPERIENCE THESE GREAT ALLEYS AND MUSE AND, AND PUBLIC SPACES THAT ARE INTERCONNECTED AROUND THESE BUILDINGS.
I THINK, UH, BOOKING THAT SAME SORT OF FEELING AS WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN HERE.
SO AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT SAYS, GET OUT OF YOUR CAR, WALK AROUND AND ENJOY THE SPACE AND CREATE THOSE MEMORIES, UH, THAT I THINK IN CERTAIN PLACES OF THE ISLAND, WE HAVE THAT CHARACTER AND OTHER PLACES WE DON'T.
SO THAT'S JUST SORT OF A FRAMING OF, OF THE KIND OF CHARACTER THAT WE THINK IS POSSIBLE HERE.
AS WE START TO LOOK AT, UM, EVOLVING SOME OF THOSE USES THAT HAPPEN, UH, HAPPENED TODAY, AND YOU HAVE GOOD EXAMPLES OF THAT.
UH, HERE ON THE ISLAND, UH, SHELTER CODE BEING ONE OF THEM, YOU HAVE A MIX OF PARK SPACE, RESIDENTIAL RETAIL, COMMERCIAL RESTAURANT, ALL OF THOSE USES SORT OF WORK TOGETHER.
UH, AND I MENTIONED HARBOR TOWN BEFORE.
SAME THING, YOU HAVE ALL OF THOSE THINGS, SORT OF INTIMATELY WORKING TOGETHER.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO SPEND TIME, A PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY.
AND WE SEE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE SAME SORT OF THINGS HERE.
WE LOOKED ELSEWHERE, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH, WITH VICTOR AND HIS TEAM, YOU KNOW, OLD TOWN, BLUFFTON IS ANOTHER GREAT LOCAL NEARBY EXAMPLE OF, OF PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED ARCHITECTURE AND STREETS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT SMALL STREETS IN INTERIOR TO THOSE, THOSE BLOCKS THAT CREATE THAT WALKABILITY.
UM, BUT ALSO THESE GREATS, YOU KNOW, SPACES, YOU TURN THE CORNER AND YOU MIGHT HAVE, UH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THE SORT OF OUTDOOR PATIO AND WHERE THEY HAVE LIVE MUSIC, UH, ON THE, IN THE EVENINGS, UH, THAT SORT OF SURPRISE YOU, YOU KNOW, AND THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF PLACES I THINK THAT ARE, THAT ARE MISSING A LION IN, UH, IN MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA, AGAIN, LOW COUNTRY ARCHITECTURE.
UM, WHAT'S AMAZING ABOUT THIS IS, AND YOU SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING AND DIFFERENT USES HERE.
UM, YOUR DAILY NEEDS ARE ALL WITHIN A WALKING DISTANCE OF, OF YOUR FRONT PORCH, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, THAT'S PRETTY SPECIAL AND PRETTY UNIQUE, UH, THERE, UM, PALMETTO BLUFF AGAIN AND ALSO, UH, OVER IN BOSTON, HOW THEY WITH, UH, HISTORIC, UH, UH, LANDSCAPE AND NATURE, THAT'S THERE, UM, CREATING REALLY, I THINK, UNIQUE, UH, RESIDENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES,
[00:15:01]
BUT ALSO WHAT WE'VE STARTED TO CALL SORT OF NEIGHBORHOOD UPS, PLACES WHERE YOU SORT OF GATHER.SO IT MIGHT BE A HANDFUL OF SHOPS, UH, THAT SORT OF POP UP AT THESE, AT THESE SORT OF NODES OF ACTIVITY, UH, THROUGHOUT PALMETTO BLUFF AND REALLY CREATE A UNIQUE PLACE.
SO AGAIN, MIXING THOSE USES IN, ON CAN BE DONE IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS, UM, HALE VILLAGE CENTERED DOWN IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA.
UM, THIS IS PRIMARILY A RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT AT ITS CORE, IT HAS THIS MIXED USE CENTER, UH, THAT HAS, UH, HAS SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS AND GATHERING PLACES WHERE WE, WHERE THEY HAVE FARMER'S MARKETS AND FESTIVALS AND EVENTS.
UM, SO AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A WAY TO SORT OF HAVE A PLACE WHERE THE COMMUNITY COMMUNITY CAN COME TOGETHER AND YOU SEE, AGAIN, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING, UH, THAT PROVIDE, UH, PROVIDE SOME, UM, UH, SOME DENSITY AND OTHER TYPES OF RESIDENTIAL TYPOLOGIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE MISSING HERE, UH, IN THE ISLAND.
AND THEN FINALLY SEASIDE AGAIN, A VERY WALKABLE, UM, PEOPLE CENTERED DESIGN, HUMAN SCALE ARCHITECTURE, A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF USES.
IT MANAGES TO BE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE LIVE AND PEOPLE VISIT, UH, AS WELL.
SO, UM, THEY'D DONE THAT IN A WAY AGAIN, UH, BY MAKING IT PEOPLE FOCUS, GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS, UH, AND LETTING THAT, UM, LETTING THAT, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UH, SORT OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE THERE EITHER FOR THE DAY OR THEY LIVE THERE FULL TIME.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE STARTED TO THINK THROUGH IS WE LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR EVOLVING, UH, DIFFERENT TYPES OF, OF USES IN THE DISTRICT AND PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, TAKING A FRESH LOOK AT SOME OF THE RESIDENTIAL THAT'S AROUND, UH, THEN ISLAND DISTRICT AS WELL.
SO, UH, WE'LL REALLY START TO LOOK AT IT AS AGAIN, UH, WE WANTED TO CREATE, UH, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH, WITH TOWN STAFF CREATED AGAIN, ANOTHER SORT OF CHECK AND BALANCE TO HOW WE DO THIS WORK.
SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE WANT TO PROTECT AND ENHANCE WHAT'S THERE TODAY.
SO THAT'S THE PEOPLE, THE NEIGHBORHOODS, THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, UH, THE PRESERVES AND PARKS, THE PARKWAY CHARACTER, UH, THAT IS, THAT IS IN THIS DISTRICT.
THERE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO, TO REALLY USE AS BUILDING BLOCKS.
UM, SECOND, WE WANT TO CONNECT PEOPLE, OPEN SPACES, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND REALLY CREATE COMMUNITY GATHERING PLACES, COMMUNITY HUBS, UH, WITHIN THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVEN AFTER SOME CONVERSATIONS, WE'VE HAD THE LAST 24 HOURS, WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD HUBS AND SOME OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS WE NEED TO INCLUDE IN THIS.
UM, AND WE WILL, UM, AGAIN, WORK IN PROGRESS.
UM, BUT WE THINK THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THERE.
WHAT'S WHAT WHAT'S OUR FUTURE LAND USE IN THIS AREA LOOK LIKE? UH, WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MIX OF USES POTENTIAL RESIDENTIAL INFILL, AND THEN WHAT SHOULD THOSE STANDARDS BE? BECAUSE I THINK EVERYONE HAS A VERY CLEAR EXPECTATION OF WHAT THINGS SHOULD BE, UH, WHAT THOSE STANDARDS ARE THAT GUIDED OR ARE REALLY IMPORTANT AS WE GO AHEAD.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THAT AS WELL.
SO AS A STARTING POINT TO THINKING ABOUT THE DISTRICT, AND AGAIN, I THINK WE MAY, UH, UH, EXPAND THIS, UH, UH, UP TO, UP TO, UH, A, UP TO BAGEL.
UH, BUT, UM, AND WE WANTED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ARE THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, WHERE ARE WE IN TERMS OF THESE, THESE GREEN SPACES AND HISTORIC PLACES WE NEED TO CONNECT TOGETHER? UH, SO AGAIN, UH, REALLY A KEY STARTING POINT, UH, FOR LOOKING AT THIS DISTRICT, UH, WE HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH, UH, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE FAA ABOUT THE AIRPORT, UH, CONSIDERATIONS, UM, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE NOISE CONTOURS YOU SEE HERE.
UM, BUT ALSO THE POTENTIAL USE IN HEIGHT, BUILDING HEIGHT, UH, AROUND THIS AREA.
AND AGAIN, WHAT, WHAT THOSE ALLOWANCES WILL BE, UH, AS A STARTING POINT, WE HAD A REALLY GOOD CONVERSATION.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT IS LOOKING AT POTENTIAL CHANGES IN VIEWS AND WHAT THOSE, UH, SHOULD, COULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, THEY HAVE SORT OF A DEVELOPMENT TOOL.
THEY CAN, WE CAN PLUG, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO FORWARD, TOWN CAN PLUG THOSE CHANGES INTO THAT AND SORT OF SEE WHAT, SEE WHAT REGULATIONS COME BACK.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE TO START FROM WHAT WE, WHAT WOULD WE LIKE TO SEE AND THEN CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM.
BUT WE HAVE HAD A VERY PRODUCTIVE OPENING, UH, SET OF CONVERSATIONS, UH, OBVIOUSLY LOOKING AT EXISTING ZONING, UH, SORT OF WHAT'S, UH, WHAT'S THERE TODAY, BUT IN SOME CASES REALLY, WE'RE MORE FOCUSED ON WHAT THOSE LAND USES ARE.
UH, AND WHERE DO WE GO FORWARD FROM HERE? HOW MIGHT WE SIMPLIFY THIS MAP? AND SO WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF PLACES, UH, WHERE WE'RE SUGGESTING, UH, WE DO SOME SIMPLIFICATION, UH, AND START TO THINK THROUGH WHAT'S THE KIND OF DEVELOPMENT WE'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN HERE.
UH, WE'LL ALSO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EXISTING RESIDENTIAL AREAS AND HOW THOSE, UM, THOSE CAN START TO MAYBE, UH, HARNESS THE VALUE OF THEIR PROPERTY, UH, AND, AND, AND HAVE SOME HOUSING, UH, THAT ADDS TO THE OVERALL NEEDED SUPPLY, UH, ON THE ISLAND.
ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT AND JUST REMIND FOLKS THAT WE'VE ALSO DONE A MARKET STUDY.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, UH, WORK TOGETHER, UH, THERE'S ANALYSIS THAT WE DO, UH, THERE'S STAKEHOLDER INPUT, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
UM, WE ALSO MET WITH, WITH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS LIKE THE FAA AND THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
UM, WE'RE ALSO DOING SOME ANALYSIS ABOUT WHAT COULD BE WHAT'S THE OVERALL DEMAND, UH, IN THIS AREA.
SO WE KNOW THERE'S SOME NEED THAT WE'VE HEARD
[00:20:01]
FROM THE COMMUNITY FOR HOUSING.UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S A DESIRE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT KIND OF RETAIL.
UH, AND SO WE LOOK AT WHAT THE DEMAND CAPACITY IS, UH, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE SHOWING AND WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT, UH, MAKES SENSE.
AND IT'S SUPPORTABLE IN THE MARKETPLACE.
IT'S NOT SAYING THAT ALL OF THIS SHOULD OR COULD BE BUILT, BUT IT DOES SAY THAT THERE ARE, THERE'S A MARKET SUPPORT, UH, TO, TO THIS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
UH, AND THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
UM, SO IT'S A HELPFUL, UH, IT'S ANOTHER PIECE OF HELPFUL INFORMATION.
AND I THINK IT'S INTERESTING NOT JUST TO GET HUNG UP ON THESE NUMBERS ARE REALLY FOCUSED, TOO HARD ON THOSE NUMBERS, BUT REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE TYPES OF USES THAT ARE NEEDED.
SO THIS WE'RE STARTING TO MESH TOGETHER, UH, THE NEED THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS EXPRESSED WITH, UH, THE MARKET SUPPORTABILITY.
AND I THINK IT'S INTERESTING TO LOOK AT THE HOUSING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, A MIX OF DIFFERENT, UH, DIFFERENT HOUSING TYPES THAT I THINK ADDRESS A LOT OF, UH, COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
SO, UM, DETACHED AND ATTACHED HOUSING MARKET RATE MULTIFAMILY, BUT ALSO ACTIVE ADULT, UH, MULTI-FAMILY SENIOR CARE AND THEN INCOME TARGETED.
SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO SHOW THAT THERE'S A WIDE VARIETY OF HOUSING TYPES THAT ARE SUPPORTED IN THE MARKETPLACE, THAT ALSO THEN STRATEGICALLY MATCH UP WITH THE TOWN'S NEEDS, ESPECIALLY AS WE START TO THINK ABOUT RETAIL, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RETAIL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YES, IT'S BRAND NEW, BUT IT'S MORE NEIGHBORHOOD IN SCALE.
IT'S NOT BIG BOX STORES, IT'S SMALLER, UM, SMALLER, UH, DESTINATION TYPE OF RETAIL, UH, W WOULD BE AMENITIZED BY CONNECTIVITY, WALKABILITY, AND PARK SPACE, THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, SO IT'S MORE OF AN EXPERIENCE AND LESS OF A, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A DRIVING DESTINATION FOR THE ENTIRE ISLAND.
AND THEN THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER USES HERE AS WELL.
I THINK THE OFFICE IS DEFINITELY A LONGER-TERM PLAY, ALTHOUGH THERE'S PLACES WHERE THAT MIGHT WORK AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE SOME MEDICAL OFFICE AND SMOTHER DEVELOPMENTS ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE, UH, IN THE DISTRICT ALREADY, UM, REALLY IDENTIFIED IN THE MARKET WORK THAT WE DID WITH KIMLEY-HORN THE NEED FOR, FOR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE, FLEXIBLE, UH, COMMERCIAL SPACES.
AND SO AROUND THE AIRPORT, WE REALLY THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO STILL HAVE SOME OF THOSE USES.
UH, AND SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY HOSPITALITY, UH, AND THERE'S A, THERE'S A, UH, AN ABILITY THERE, UH, AROUND THE AIRPORT TO PROBABLY ALSO HAVE SOME HOSPITALITY, UH, PIECES AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE SORT OF TAKING ALL THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS A, SORT OF A WORKING DRAFT THEN WHERE DO WE SEE THESE THINGS, UH, HAPPENING? UH, AND SO WE'VE GOT SORT OF EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS IN ORANGE.
UH, THOSE WERE SORT OF NEIGHBORHOOD HUBS.
I THINK WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE UP TOWARD MITCHELLVILLE THAT WE NEED TO ADD TO THAT AFTER SOME CONVERSATIONS YESTERDAY, UH, WE'VE GOT MAIN STREET OUT ON, UH, SORT OF THE MODERN CLASSICS SITE THAT THE, THAT THE TOWN OWNS RIGHT NOW, UH, POTENTIAL THERE, WE HAVE THE MID ISLAND TRACT AND WE HAVE THE, THE AIRPORT WE'RE GONNA TALK THROUGH EACH OF THESE.
AND THEN REALLY AT THAT CROSSROADS, THE BIG PURPLE THAT'S, WHERE WE'VE GOT ALL THE COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, UH, CENTERS TODAY THAT ARE REALLY STARTING SOME OF THEM AND REINVESTING, UH, BUT I THINK SOME OPPORTUNITIES MAYBE THINK ABOUT THOSE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, SO AGAIN, THE WAY OF SORT OF FRAMING THE CONVERSATION AND, AND DEVELOPING SOME THOUGHTS HERE, BUT WE REALLY START, UH, ALL THE WAY BACK AT, AT THAT GREEN NETWORK.
THAT'S THE FORMATIVE PIECE AND HOW DO WE CONNECT THIS UP TO THOSE, UH, HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS? SO, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S WATER COURSES.
WE NEED TO PROTECT, UH, THERE'S PRESERVES AND POTENTIAL PARK SPACE.
ALL OF THESE NEED TO BE INTERCONNECTED.
SOME, SOME OF THEM ARE VERY CONNECTED TODAY, BUT WE THINK WE CAN DO A LITTLE BIT OF A BETTER JOB AS WE START TO MAYBE THINK ABOUT SOME ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE.
UH, AND THEN THE GREEN EDGES ALONG THE PARKWAY.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST TIME GOT SORT OF 150 FOOT SETBACK.
IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE HARD TO SEE AT THIS SCALE OF MAP, BUT WE'VE SORT OF THROW ON THAT GREEN RIBBON ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PARKWAY.
THEY HAVE THAT SORT OF GREEN EDGE, UH, ALONG THE PARKWAY.
THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT, CONSISTENT CHARACTER TO CARRY THROUGHOUT, UH, THE DISTRICT.
AND THEN, UH, THIS IS A LOT ON ONE DIAGRAM.
SO WHEN I BREAK IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME, BUT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONNECTIONS, UH, THAT, THAT EXISTS HERE.
SO WE'LL WALK THROUGH THAT A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME, UH, STARTING WITH THE PARKWAY AGAIN, THAT, THAT GREEN SETBACK, THAT GREEN EDGE, UH, REALLY STARTS TO CREATE THAT PARK, UH, LIKE FEEL IN THE DISTRICT AND HONESTLY THE ENTIRETY OF THE ISLAND, UH, FOR THAT MATTER.
AND THEN WE LOOK AT THEN THE NEXT LEVEL OF STREETS, UH, AND, AND THIS IS MATTHEWS STEM TO STERN IS, IS SORT OF YOUR COLLECTOR STREET.
UM, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WE THINK WE COULD TAKE THAT CHARACTER OF, OF HAVING, UH, THE MULTI-USE PATH ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET, AGAIN, VERY GREEN.
UH, BUT AGAIN, IT'S THAT CONNECTOR BETWEEN, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD USES, UM, ALONG, ALONG MATTHEWS, PRIMARILY HERE, AND THEN WHAT WE'RE CALLING PARK ROADS, THESE ROADS THAT ARE REALLY HAVE PARK ON, ON EITHER SIDE OF THEM.
UM, THEY ARE ROADS THAT OUGHT TO BE, UH, VERY PARK-LIKE AND CHARACTER HAVE A MULTI-USE PATH, PERHAPS AREN'T JUST ON THE PARK SIDE OF THAT ROAD, UH, AND REALLY PROVIDE THOSE CONNECTIONS TO THE IMPORTANT, UH, GREEN SPACES, UH, THROUGHOUT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT AND THEN INTERIOR TO THE BLOCK.
SO AS WE START TO THINK ABOUT CHANGING THE CHARACTER OF THESE, UM, UH, COMMERCIAL AREAS THAT ARE
[00:25:01]
INSIDE OF THE MID ISLAND DISTRICT, WE NEED TO START TO CREATE, INSTEAD OF DRIVEWAYS DRIVE ISLES, PARKING, LOTS THINGS THAT START TO LOOK MORE LIKE STREETS.SO THAT'S WHAT YOU SORT OF SEE IN THESE, UH, UH, PINK COLORS ARE, AS YOU COME OFF, BOTH, UH, MATTHEWS, COME OFF THE PARKWAY, YOU ENTER INTO THESE, UH, SITES AS A POTENTIALLY EVOLVE AND REDEVELOP.
UH, THESE ARE BECOME MORE NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE STREETS.
THEY START TO BREAK DOWN THE SCALE OF, OF LARGE PARKING LOTS.
AND YOU HAVE, UH, SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE THESE IMAGES, UH, HERE ON THIS SLIDE THAT START TO CREATE SOME CHARACTER INSIDE WALKABLE CHARACTER INSIDE OF THOSE DEVELOPMENTS, ONCE YOU'RE SORT OF OFF THE MAIN MAIN STREETS, AND THEN THE PATHWAY NETWORK, UH, I THINK AS WE LOOK AT THE PARKWAY, UH, WRIT LARGE, WE REALLY THE GOAL BEING, UH, HAVING MULTIUSE PATHS ON BOTH SIDES OF PARKWAY.
SO WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT CHARACTER EXISTS, UH, SAME THING ON MATTHEWS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, GOING DOWN INTO MARSHALING, CONNECTING THROUGH THE ASHMORE TRACK WITH THE TRAIL, UH, TO INTERCONNECT WITH THE MID ISLAND, UH, TRACK, AND THEN ALL THE WAY UP, UH, TO MITCHELLVILLE FREEDOM PARK, UH, WHERE IT HAS SOME EXISTING, UH, PATHWAYS THERE, UH, POTENTIALLY, UH, SOME, SOME WAYS TO WALK AROUND THE NORTH RIDGE TRACK AS WELL.
AND WE'VE GOT THIS INTERCONNECTED SET OF GREEN SPACES, UH, THAT, THAT ENABLED PEOPLE TO GET AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN A DIFFERENT WAY.
UM, BUT ALSO, UH, MAKE THE CHOICE, UH, THAT THEY WANT TO SORT OF LEAVE THE CAR AT HOME AND BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE, UH, AS THEY GO TO SOME NEW COMMERCIAL SPACES OR VISIT SOME OF THE GREEN SPACES WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
SO AGAIN, THE, THESE, THESE OFF, UH, OFF-ROAD, MULTI-USE INTERNAL PATH, UH, CONNECTIONS TYING INTO THE EXISTING PATH NETWORK IS SUPER CRITICAL AS WE LOOK AT THE DISTRICT, UH, AND THEN, UH, IMPROVING THESE INTERSECTIONS.
UH, SO WE KNOW WE WILL NEED TO SAFELY GET ACROSS 2 78, UH, SIGNIFICANT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, OPPORTUNITY THERE TO MAKE THAT CROSSING A LOT BETTER FROM, UH, ONE SIDE OF 2 78 TO THE OTHER, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER SMALLER INTERSECTIONS AS YOU GO DOWN A MATTHEWS AS YOU HEAD UP, UH, DYLAN, AS YOU GET CLOSE TO, UH, SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, OTHER PARKS, UH, AS HE THREW UP TOWARD MITCHELLVILLE, UH, WHERE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING PEOPLE SAFELY, UH, AROUND, UH, AROUND THE DISTRICT AS WELL.
UH, SO REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT WERE THOSE CONFLICT POINTS ARE BETWEEN VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S SAFE TO BE ABLE TO RIDE YOUR BIKE OR WALK, UH, FROM ONE THING TO ANOTHER, UH, IN THE DISTRICT.
SO REALLY, REALLY KEY IMPORTANCE THAT THAT WILL, UH, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THERE.
SO THESE STREETS START TO GIVE US, UH, SOME CHARACTER TO BUILD ON.
SO IF WE HAVE A GREAT GREEN PARKWAY, WE HAVE AN INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM, UH, OF, OF GREEN STREETS AND PATHWAYS, UH, THAT CONNECT OUR PARK SPACES, OUR COMMERCIAL AREAS TOGETHER, WHERE DO WE THINK WE COULD START TO EVOLVE, UH, UH, EVOLVE SOME, SOME LAND USES, AND WE'LL START WITH SORT OF THE MIXED USE CHARACTER, UH, THAT WE THINK IS POSSIBLE HERE IN THESE, THESE PURPLE AREAS, AS THINGS CHANGE AS MAYBE PROPERTY CHANGES OVER, UH, THERE'S A DESIRE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN THE BIG BOX, UH, SORT OF, UH, PARKING LOT ORIENTED COMMERCIAL SPACES YOU HAVE TODAY.
WHAT COULD THESE THINGS START TO LOOK LIKE? UH, GOING AHEAD.
SO WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT HERE ABOUT THE MIX OF USES THAT ARE, UH, POTENTIALLY THERE, UH, RESIDENTIAL RESTAURANT, UH, TOWNHOMES, MAYBE SOME OFFICE, POTENTIALLY SOME INSTITUTIONAL SPACES, UH, ALL SORT OF BUILT AROUND SMOKING SPACES THAT I THINK WE WOULD BE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE TO, TO GET TO SOME OF THESE THOUGHTS IS START TO LOOK AT THE CAPACITY, UH, OF THESE SITES, WHAT THE COMMUNITY DESIRES ARE, WHAT SUPPORTABLE IN THE MARKETPLACE.
AND THAT'S HOW WE ARRIVE AT SOME OF THESE, UH, THESE DENSITIES.
THAT, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THIS ONE'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE MAINSTREAM CATEGORY YOU HAVE TODAY.
UM, BUT 12 TO 18 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.
UM, THAT'S SORT OF BELOW WHERE I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, HARBOR TOWN AND OTHER PLACES ARE.
UM, BUT WE THINK, YOU KNOW, IN FITTING WITH, WE KNOW WE'VE GOT SOME HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS BECAUSE OF THE AIRPORT AND LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THESE THINGS TO PARK THEMSELVES, HAVE SHARED PARKING.
IT STARTS TO DICTATE, YOU KNOW, HOW THESE THINGS START TO LAY OUT.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT THAT SETBACK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PRESERVE 150 FEET OFF THE PARKWAY AS WELL.
SO REALLY STARTING TO THINK THROUGH, UH, WHAT COULD, WHAT COULD WORK HERE AND WHAT'S THE CHARACTER, UH, GOING AHEAD, UH, THAT'S BOTH SUPPORTED IN THE MARKETPLACE, DESIRED IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, AND AGAIN CAN START TO SHOW WHERE WE COULD FIT IN THIS MIX.
ABUSES HAVE ACTIVE BROWN FLOORS HAVE WALKABLE STREETS INSIDE OF THESE PARCELS, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT MAKE IT MORE OF A DESTINATION, UH, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND OTHERS THAT MAY BE VISITING.
UH, THIS AREA AROUND THE AIRPORT, UH, MENTIONED THE MARKET STUDY REALLY CLOSELY SHOWED THAT WE WE'VE GOT THAT WE HAVE A NEED FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE, UH, TYPE SPACES ON THE ISLAND.
THAT'S SORT OF WHAT'S IN THERE TODAY.
WE DO EXPECT THAT THIS PROBABLY EVOLVES A LITTLE BIT AS THE AIRPORT BUILDS A REFRESH TERMINAL, AND THEY HAVE SOME USES THERE THAT THEY'RE, UH, THAT THEY'RE ADDING.
THERE MIGHT BE SOME HOSPITALITIES AS THEY COME INTO THIS, UH, BUT COMMERCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES, UH, WE'VE SEEN ALREADY IN THIS AREA, UH, BREWERY SORT OF OPEN
[00:30:01]
UP.SO AGAIN, ALLOWING FOR THAT SORT OF QUIRKY MIX OF ABUSES IS OKAY.
UH, AND THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF SPACES WHERE I THINK CREATE, YOU KNOW, IT'S LOW COST.
IF YOU CAN HAVE A CREATIVE SORT OF STARTUP TYPE BUSINESS, UH, THAT COULD LOCATE IN A PLACE LIKE THIS.
AND AGAIN, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN AIRPORT ADJACENCIES, SO WE'RE LIMITED IN TERMS OF HEIGHT AND, UH, THE PARKING SORT OF DICTATED BY, UH, OTHER PERFORMANCE MEASURES, UH, IN THIS AREA.
BUT IT PRIMARILY IS A SELF-PARK DEPENDING ON THE USE.
AND THEN THE FINAL CATEGORY THAT WE LOOK AT ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, IN EXISTING RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
COULD THERE BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL INFILL? UH, SO AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, LOWER SCALE HOUSING, LIKE WE'RE SHOWING IN THESE, UH, BENCHMARK IMAGERIES, SINGLE-FAMILY MAYBE SOME TOWNHOMES, UH, SOME PARK UNDER TOWN HOMES AND COTTAGES PARKING HANDLED SITE, UM, ALLOWING FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL.
SO, UH, THAT'S SORT OF THE BUSINESS IN THE HOME TYPE OF TYPE OF COMMERCIAL SPACE.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN, I KNOW A LOT OF CONVERSATION AS YOU'VE GONE THROUGH, UM, THE, UH, UH, THE GULLAH GEECHEE CULTURE, UH, PRESERVATION REPORT, DIFFERENT TYPES OF DENSITIES.
SO YOU HAVE FOUR TO EIGHT, YOU HAVE EIGHT TO 12, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE.
UH, WE SORT OF PUT THE TOP END IN THERE FOR THE SAKE OF CONVERSATION TODAY.
UH, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS WE THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY IF, IF FOLKS IN THOSE AREAS WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL HOUSING THAT'S NEEDED ON THE ISLAND, UM, THE EVENTUAL DENSITY AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT THOSE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS LOOK LIKE IS, IS SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, THE IDEA IS THERE, IF PEOPLE WANT TO HARNESS THE VALUE OF THEIR PROPERTY, THAT THERE IS AN ABILITY TO DO SO.
AND I KNOW OVERLAY HAS BEEN SOMETHING YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR A MATTER OF MORE THAN A MATTER OF MONTHS, AND THAT WILL STILL CONTINUE PAST TODAY.
UH, WE WANT SORT OF ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING, AND THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE IF DESIRED, TO ADD TO THAT RESIDENTIAL SUPPLY, UM, THAT, THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED IN BOTH THE MARKET AND THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT THERE'S, THERE'S A NEED NEED FOR THAT.
SO A PLACE WHERE THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAPPEN IN ADDITION TO THE MIXED USE SITES THAT WE'VE SHOWN.
SO THAT'S HOW ALL OF THIS STARTS TO COME TOGETHER.
THAT'S, THAT'S OUR THINKING TO THIS POINT, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THOSE SYSTEMS OF BOTH GREENSPACES, UH, CONNECTED INTER INTERCONNECTED NETWORK OF STREETS AND, UM, UH, PATHWAYS AND HOW THEN DOES THAT START TO INFORM, UH, REDEVELOPMENT THAT COULD OCCUR AND EVOLVE OVER TIME AND WHERE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
OUR NEXT STEPS WILL BE TO HAVE SOME CONVERSATION TODAY, UH, WITH YOU ALL START TO THINK ABOUT, UH, FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS, BRING THAT BACK TO YOU IN THE SUMMER, AND THAT WE'LL HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE TOWN ACTIONS.
UH, SO ESTABLISHING THAT FUTURE LAND USE MAP, UH, LOOKING AT REVISING ZONING, IF NEEDED ESTABLISHING THOSE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND THEN CREATING, UH, REDEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR KEY PARCELS GOING AHEAD.
AND THAT WILL REALLY START TO GUIDE THOSE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE WE REALIZED SOME OF THIS IS TOWN ON THE GROUND.
SOME OF IT'S GROUND THAT IS OWNED BY PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS, AND YOU NEED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND SHAPE WHAT WILL CERTAINLY WILL CHANGE THINGS.
AREN'T GOING TO STAY THE SAME.
WHAT DO WE WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE? I MAY ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ON MY MIND.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU GOT A LOT OF EXCITING IDEAS HERE, AND WE CAN ALL GET FIRED UP ABOUT IT.
BUT ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IS THAT MOST OF THE LAND THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT IS NOT THE PARKSIDE, RIGHT, IS PRIVATELY OWNED.
A LOT OF THAT IS LARGE TRADITIONAL SHOPPING CENTERS, RIGHT? AND YOU'RE ENCOURAGING GETTING AWAY FROM THAT.
AND I CERTAINLY ACCEPT THAT NOTION AS BEING A WORTHY GOAL FOR US, BUT WHAT TOOLS ARE AVAILABLE TO COMMUNITIES TO PROMOTE THAT SORT OF CONVERSION FROM A LARGE PARKING LOT SHOPPING CENTER, UH, DOWN TO A NEIGHBORHOOD THIEL? WELL, WHAT ARE THE TOOLS THAT PEOPLE USE FOR THESE THINGS? I THINK IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND I THINK WE'RE STARTING TO, IF YOU LOOK AT PORT RAIL TODAY AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE, THEY'RE STARTING TO RESPOND TO THE MARKET.
SO THE MARKET DOES SHAPE SOME OF THIS, UH, WHICH IS, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THEY'RE STARTING TO TAKE THOSE LARGER BOXES AND SUBDIVIDE THEM INTO SMALLER SPACES.
SO YOU COULD ARGUE THAT THE MARKET IS ALREADY STARTING TO PUSH PEOPLE, UH, IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, AND STARTING TO THINK THROUGH THAT WITH, WITH THEM.
THERE'S AN INTERIM STEP WE'VE TAKEN WITH, WITH SOME, UM, PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT OPERATE SORT OF MORE TRADITIONAL, UM, UH, UH, SORT OF MURPHY SPACES.
AND THEN AS A START TO PICK AWAY AT THOSE, UH, DRIVE AISLES AND START TO TURN THEM INTO THINGS THAT LOOK MORE LIKE STREETS, HAVING OPEN SPACES, OUTDOOR SEATING ADDED TO THOSE THINGS.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME INTERIM THINGS THAT YOU COULD DO, UM, BUT REALLY IT STARTS WITH CRAFTING THAT VISION.
AND SO WE SAY, LOOK, THIS IS WHERE WE SEE OPPORTUNITY AND ENABLES YOU TO GO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THAT PROPERTY OWNER AND SAY, ALL RIGHT, WHAT IS YOUR VIEW OF THE FUTURE? THIS IS WHAT WE'VE TALKED TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT, SEE WHERE THINGS OVERLAP AND MESH.
UH, I THINK THERE'S OTHER SORT OF MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER TOOLS PEOPLE HAVE USED IS WHICH IS
[00:35:01]
ACQUIRING THE PROPERTY, RIGHT? SORT OF WHAT HAPPENED AT, AT SHELTER COVE, UH, OR WORKING WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS A DIFFERENT VISION FOR THE FUTURE.UH THAT'S UH, THAT'S IN THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, GAME.
SO AGAIN, STARTING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, I THINK YOU HAVE TO START FROM A POINT OF THE VISION AND THIS WAS WHERE THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, SEES THINGS GOING AND HOW DO, HOW DO WE GET THERE, UH, IS, UH, IS A CRITICAL NEXT STEP.
WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE A MORE CONVERSATION AND COMMENTS HERE ON WHERE WE'RE HEADED.
JUST TWO QUICK SUMMARY IS WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT SLIDE.
IT'S NOT ON ANY IT'S MID ISLAND TRACT AND THE PARTS EITHER.
SO AS WE KNOW, WE NEED TO ACCOMMODATE THE TRAFFIC UNDER SEPARATE EXTRAS, MUCH MORE DETAIL, INCLUDING THOSE INTERSECTS.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL SATISFY THOSE ISSUES.
THAT'S JUST WAIT THE TALENTS DEVELOP OVER TIME, UH, INCREMENTAL.
SO WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH A CENTER TO THE PLACE, PROVIDE FOR THE CONVENIENCES AND THE DAILY NEEDS OF THE FOLKS THAT LIVE IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE IN THE MID ISLAND.
SURE THE BABY HAS NOT BEEN HERE IN THE PAST.
EXCUSE ME, IF I COULD HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION ON GLEN'S, UH, STATEMENT, THE, UH, THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE TO AFFECT THIS CHANGE WOULD BE TO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, HARMONY OR THOUGHT WITH THE EXISTING OWNERS TO MOVE INTO A NEW DIRECTION.
SO I KNEW OWNER A CAN EXISTING OWNER IS GOING TO WANT TO, WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT CHANGING, POSSIBLY CHANGING WHAT THEY'RE DOING, UH, FROM A SERVICE STANDPOINT, FROM A RETAIL STANDPOINT, THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO KNOW, UM, I WAS STRONG AS THE MARKET BEHIND THAT, UH, VISION.
SO MY QUESTION IS, UH, HOW, HOW ROBUST IS YOUR MARKET ANALYSIS? IS YOUR MARKET ANALYSIS GOING TO BE DETAILED ENOUGH SO THAT AN EXISTING LANDOWNER STORE OWNER, UH, COULD SAY, UH, THIS DIRECTION, UH, COULD GET LEGS, UH, THIS DIRECTION COULD BE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, THE MARKET WORKED, IT'S BEEN DONE TO THIS POINT HAS BEEN PRIMARILY AROUND, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, TRENDS IN THE REGION AND THE DEMAND OVERALL DEMAND THAT'S PROJECTED BASED ON GROWTH AND WHAT'S MISSING IN THE MARKETPLACE.
UM, THE NEXT LEVEL OF MARKET ANALYSIS THEY MIGHT DO, UH, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DEVELOPER PEOPLE THAT GET FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF ALL RIGHT.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, UH, DEVELOPING, UH, A PROFORMA AND HOW WOULD YOU BUILD A MIXED USE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, DEVELOPMENT OR EVOLVE TO A, MORE OF A MIX OF USES OR ADDING RESIDENTIAL? THAT'S, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'RE DOING AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME, BUT THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT RECOMMENDATION TO MOVE AHEAD WITH THAT WOULD BE TO DO MARKET FEASIBILITY, WHICH WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP.
THESE, THESE DISTRICTS ALSO TYPICALLY REDEVELOP OVER TIME AND INCREMENTALLY, AND YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A WILLING PARTICIPANT IN THE EXISTING PROPERTY OWNER, BUT THAT EXISTING PROPERTY OWNER IS SERVICING LEASES THAT HAVE DIFFERENT TERMS TO THEM, HAVE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, SOME VERY BUY-ABLE, MAYBE SOME MARGINAL, UH, AND THIS ISN'T A NECESSARILY A WIPE, THE SLATE CLEAN AND START OVER PROPOSITION.
THAT'S THE WAY SOME, UH, REDEVELOPMENTS HAPPEN, BUT THERE'S A WAY FOR US TO GROW UNDER OUR BRITCHES, AS THEY SAY, AND INCREMENTALLY REDEVELOP THESE PARCELS.
SO THAT IN THE END, WE'VE GOT WHAT IT'S AN AUTHENTIC A WALKABLE TOWN CENTER, NOT A 1970S MODEL COMMERCIAL STRIP CENTER.
AND I WOULD ARGUE THE MARKET'S ALREADY STARTING TO SPEAK THERE AND HE'S, AND WHOEVER, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, IS DOING THAT, LEASING IS LISTENING TO THAT BECAUSE THEY'VE TAKEN WHAT WAS LARGE SPACES,
[00:40:01]
AND THEY'VE SUBDIVIDED THOSE UP INTO SMALLER LEASABLE SPACES.UM, YOU HAVE A GROCERY STORE THAT'S COMING BACK IN AS WELL.
AND IT'S ONE THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE LOCAL TO HERE.
SO STARTING TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THOSE MARKET FORCES NATURALLY EVOLVING HOW HE'S USING THAT SPACE, UH, TODAY.
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN, BUT I WOULD ARGUE THE MARKET'S ALREADY SORT OF PUSHING IN THIS DIRECTION.
I GUESS I'VE GOT SOME FOLLOW UP COMMENTS TO, UH, UH, COUNCILMAN HOPKINS AND STANFORD HAVE ASKED.
UM, BUT I, I WANT TO FIRST SAY THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF THIS MID ISLAND EXERCISE IS IN MY WARD, UM, WITH, UH, THE EXODUS OF SOME OF THE BIG BOX, UH, ACTIVITY THERE.
ONE WOULD ARGUE THAT, UH, IT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED FOR A WHILE.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE ARE TAKING THIS MODEL.
AND FIRST, UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE SLIDES TALKED ABOUT PROTECTING AND WE PROTECTING THE PEOPLE, RIGHT.
AND, UM, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT WE'RE SHIFTING A BIT INTO DEVELOPING A, UH, SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOOD IN A SENSE, RIGHT.
UM, KIND OF GETTING AWAY FROM JUST RETAIL, BUT OFFERING UP RESIDENTIAL.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE NEED FOR MORE RESIDENTS ON HILTON HEAD, BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
AND IT STARTS TO TACKLE OUR, OUR BURDEN OF A WORKFORCE AT, AT THIS POINT.
UM, SO I WOULD, I WOULD JUST OFFER THAT AS WE START TO MOVE ALONG, AS FAR AS, UH, DENSITY AND LAND USE.
UH, WE ALSO START TO DIVE INTO THE CONVERSATION OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM AMI, UH, STANDPOINT.
UM, AND I THINK MR. THE AIMS FOR DOING A LOT OF HOMEWORK AND SHARING WITH US, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY TOOK AWAY FROM THE ARTICLE THAT HE SHARED WITH ALL OF US WAS, UM, SOME MUNICIPALITIES ARE SAYING 120% OF THE AMI AND UNDER, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT A RANGE 60 TO 80, 60 TO 100, 120 AND UNDER.
AND THAT IS REALLY, UH, INTRIGUING TO ME BECAUSE WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN PUT TOGETHER A VERY MIXED ENVIRONMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, CONTINUE TO GO DOWN THAT, THAT ROAD, UM, TH THIS AREA.
UM, PARTICULARLY WARD ONE IS THE MOST DIVERSE AREA ON HILTON HEAD FROM A LAND USE STANDPOINT, FROM AN ETHNIC STANDPOINT, FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT.
UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UH, A BEAUTIFUL THING HOW IT'S EVOLVED OVER TIME AND NOW IT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY TO ENHANCE IT.
UH, SO I'M VERY PLEASED ABOUT THE DIRECTION, UM, THE, THE, THE ONLY THING THAT I WOULD, I WOULD ADD BASED ON THE COMMENTS THAT I'VE HEARD THUS FAR, YOU KNOW, NEXT STEPS, DON'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC PORTION.
AND I KNOW IT'S DOWN THE ROAD, BUT I WANT TO SAY IT OUT LOUD, PUBLICLY THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE COULD CHANGE THE COLORS ALL DAY LONG, BUT UNLESS WE'VE GOT MONEY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, MONEY TO INVEST IN THIS IDEA OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY NEIGHBORHOODS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'LL JUST BE A TO TALK.
SO, UM, I'M JUST ENCOURAGING US TO, AS A COUNCIL TO REALLY THINK OUT OF THE BOX HERE, UM, NOT, NOT FROM A SUBSIDY STANDPOINT, BUT FROM AN INVESTMENT STANDPOINT.
THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO BE GOING, UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS EXERCISE.
UM, AND I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL BE BETTER OFF WITH, DOWN THE ROAD IF WE THINK OF THAT.
THAT SOUNDS, SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS, MR. MAYOR.
I HAD, AGAIN, YOU GUYS DOING A GREAT JOB THUS FAR, HONESTLY, EVERYTHING.
I THINK THE, UH, THE NEXT STEPS ARE APPROPRIATE.
UM, THE MARKET ANALYSIS FROM 30,000 FEET IS ALSO APPROPRIATE AS A FIRST STEP.
UH, I THINK, UH, I RECOGNIZE THAT THIS WILL BE DRIVEN, UH, BY THE MARKET ANALYSIS DONE AT BROWN LEVEL, UH, AND, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN INVEST AND
[00:45:01]
THAT INVESTMENT ACTS LIKE A CATALYST, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT HAPPENED ON POPE BABIN.UH, I THINK THIS WILL BE EQUALLY AS SUCCESSFUL EMMY, I THINK RIGHT NOW I'M LISTENING.
AND I THINK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A VERY JOB IN TERMS OF THE PLANNING AND LOOK FORWARD TO, AND WE DO AGREE THAT MARVIN ANALYSIS IN TERMS OF WHERE A LOT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT, UM, SPRINGS UP AND STARTS TO TAKE OFF, UM, WILL BE IMPORTANT TO SAY, UM, HOW THAT EVOLVES OVER TIME.
UM, I THINK IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT I SUPPORT ENTHUSIASTICALLY IN THE WORD THAT STAFF AND THE CONSULTANTS HAVE BEEN DOING.
I THINK THAT YOU PARSED THE CHALLENGES WELL, UM, I SUPPORT THE IDEA OF, UM, YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE ROADWAYS, THE PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACE.
UM, I ALSO SUPPORT THE NOTION THAT HIGHER DENSITIES ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE THE MIXED USE AREAS FUNCTION AND BE VIABLE FOR THE PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT.
I THINK THERE ARE PROBABLY THREE COMMENTS THAT I'LL MAKE THAT I THINK ARE STRUCTURAL ONE.
YOU USE THE WORD GENERIC, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO FOCUS ON HILTON HEAD, DIDN'T GET TO WHERE IT IS BY BEING GENERIC.
UM, AND WHAT I SEE HERE AS SORT OF FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE OF THIS IS THAT WE OUGHT TO BE THINKING LOCAL, UH, LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS, LOCAL OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR RETAIL AND LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESTAURANTS THAT THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS SONY AND LAND USE SHOULD DISCOURAGE TO THE EXTENT THAT IS POSSIBLE NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GENERIC TO ALL COMMUNITIES.
SO THE SCALE OF WHAT YOU'RE ANTICIPATING IS LOCAL, I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE THE ATTITUDE THAT WE'RE CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES.
SECONDLY, I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A MARKET RESEARCH REPORT THAT SAYS THERE'S A DEMAND FOR A VARIETY OF HOUSING AND RESORT, UH, EXPANSION HOSPITALITY, AND SO ON.
I THINK THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT WE MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHAT A MARKET REPORT SAYS THE MARKETPLACE WILL SUPPORT AND WHAT IS GOOD FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
SO IN TERMS OF HOUSING, IF IT SAYS THERE'S 1700 UNITS POSSIBLE, AND YOU MULTIPLY THAT BY THREE, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE 5,000 NEW PEOPLE ON THIS ISLAND ARE THOSE 5,000 PEOPLE GOING TO BE PEOPLE WHO ARE PUTTING EXISTING, UH, ADDITIONAL DEMANDS ON THE WORKFORCE, OR ARE THEY GOING TO BE WORKERS PROVIDING SERVICES TO CREATE THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT WE NEED ON IN THIS COMMUNITY? SO I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US AS A COUNCIL AND AS A COMMUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THAT AS WE BUILD DENSITY IN THIS COMMUNITY, WE ARE ALSO INCREASING POPULATION AND THE DEMAND FOR SERVICES.
AND UNLESS WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND FACE THAT FACT TODAY, WE ARE DIGGING OURSELVES DEEPER INTO A HOLE.
SO THE THIRD AREA IS THAT IF WE ARE LOOKING TO INCREASE DENSITY IN AN AREA TO MAKE IT WORK FROM A COMMERCIAL STAND, I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE TOWN IS GOING TO HAVE TO PLAY A ROLE TO MAKE THAT AFFORDABILITY WORK.
AND I THINK WE ARE AT THE POINT IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, HOW ARE WE GOING TO BUILD A COMPLETE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THE HOUSING DIVERSITY THAT WE NEED FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO FUNCTION.
[00:50:01]
SO I, I APPLAUD THE DIRECTION WE'RE HEADED AND I THINK THE PLANNING EXERCISE IS EXCELLENT, BUT I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO ACKNOWLEDGE IN ORDER FOR THIS TO BE IMPLEMENTED, WE HAVE TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.SO MY QUESTIONS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY NEED TO BE ANSWERED TODAY IS WHAT IS THAT FUTURE HOUSING DISTRIBUTION THAT WE NEED FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND THEN SECONDLY, WHAT IS THE TOWN'S ROLE TO MAKE IT ALL HAPPEN? HOW DO WE START THE BALL ROLLING? WHAT ARE THE, UH, OBLIGATIONS, THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, ET CETERA, TO MAKE IT WORK.
UM, COUNCIL, MY NAME'S YOU, YOU SAID A MOUTHFUL THERE AND COULDN'T, COULDN'T AGREE MORE WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT THOSE EXISTING PROPERTY OWNERS, OUR TOWN MANAGER HAS MADE A CAREER OUT OF DEALING WITH CAN AND SHOULD BE GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY AND VICE VERSA, BUT IT'S GOTTA BE A CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO.
WE JUST CAN'T TURN OVER RAW GROUND TO DEVELOPMENT, DUKE ENERGY DEMAND, PLANNING NOT COLLAPSED UP.
IT'S GREAT AND INFORMATIVE TO THE DEVELOPER OR THE GALS AND GUIDES.
WHAT IS THEIR FUTURES, THEIR COMPANY IN TERMS OF THE LINE AND ASSEMBLAGE AND SEWERS AND PARKS ALL THE TIME, BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE TOWN BUSINESS, WE RUN A TOWN, WE'VE GOT TO INVEST IN THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US.
THE RIGHT TYPES OF COMMERCIAL ARE IMPORTANT TO US TO FOLLOW OUR LIFE.
AND WE'VE GOT TO BE WILLING TO STEP UP AND MAKE THAT COMMITMENT.
THAT'S A NONPOLITICAL STATEMENT.
MIND YOU, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S MACRO ECONOMICS.
SO COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE STAY TUNED.
WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE WORK TO DO, BUT WE'RE OUT OF THE BLOCKS AS IT WERE.
THANK YOU, BRIAN PASSING OF THE BATON.
[4b. Concept Plan for Mid-Island Tract]
NOW FOR THE MID ISLAND TRACT, AS MENTIONED IN THE DISTRICT III PORTION OF THIS TRACT OF THIS DISTRICT IS THE TRACT AND VICE VERSA.WE'RE GOING TO QUICKLY GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AGAIN, WE'RE FURTHER ALONG ON THIS THAN WE ARE ON THE DISTRICT.
OUR CHARGE HAS BEEN TO CREATE A BEST-IN-CLASS PARK, NOT JUST ANOTHER, UH, ADDITION TO THIS WONDERFUL PARK SYSTEM WE HAVE, BUT A BEST IN CLASS.
UH, DARE I SAY, MONUMENTAL, UH, UH, PARK EXPERIENCE, UH, THE PARK AREA, UH, AREAS IN THE PLAN COMPONENTS, THE PROGRAMS WILL SPEAK TO THAT.
SOME, UH, WE'LL GO INCREMENTALLY THROUGH THE, WHAT IS A LARGE PIECE OF PROPERTY.
THIS IS 102.5 ACRES, UH, ASHMORE, WHICH WE COULDN'T HELP OURSELVES, BUT TO LINK TO THIS MID ISLAND TRACT IS ANOTHER 70 PLUS ACRES.
SO, UH, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE THIS LEVEL OF MAGNIFICENT, UH, OPEN SPACE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR, OF OUR TOWN.
WE ALSO HAVE, UH, BENCHMARKED AGAINST OTHER PARK DEVELOPMENTS ON THE ISLAND, IN THE REGION NATIONALLY, SO THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND CONTEXTUALLY THAT THIS ISN'T
[00:55:01]
SOMETHING, UH, UNIQUE.UH, THIS IS, UH, ALL ABOUT CREATING THE HIGHEST OF QUALITY, UH, PARKS AND OPEN SPACES FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
FIRST, THE PROCESS AS ANDREW SUGGESTED, WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN ALL THE GREAT PLANNING Y'ALL HAVE DONE.
AND THIS IS A DIRECT TRANSITION FROM THAT INFORMATION, UH, TOWN STAFF, BY THE WAY, HAS DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AT, UH, AT, UH, GOING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND TRYING TO ADJUDICATE DIFFERENT USES INTO DIFFERENT PARKS.
UH, JENNIFER AND TAYLOR AND ANNE AND SEAN HAVE BEEN, UH, EXCELLENT PARTNERS TO US.
AND THIS IS AS MUCH THEIR WORK AS IT IS OURS.
WE'VE DONE THE PHYSICAL ANALYSIS OF THIS PIECE OF GROUND, UNDERSTANDING THAT IN ITS MOST RECENT USE, THIS WAS A GOLF COURSE THOUGH.
UH, THIS PLACE NEEDS TO BE RESTORED BEFORE WE DO ANYTHING MOVING FORWARD.
IT'S GOT A SERIES OF PONDS THAT WERE USED LARGELY FOR IRRIGATION.
MANY OF THEM ARE, ARE, UH, LACKING IN HIGH WATER QUALITY.
WE'VE GOT, UM, STORM SURGE CONDITIONS.
SO AS YOU START TO PEEL BACK THE LAYERS OF THE ONION OF WHAT MOTHER NATURE HAS GIVEN US, THERE ARE CHALLENGES AND ISSUES TO BE SOLVED.
SO GROSSLY WE HAVE BROKEN THE PROGRAM DOWN INTO THE REUSE IS THE CIVIC AND CULTURAL USES RECREATION AND, AND THE NATURAL SYSTEMS. UH, WE WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY, UH, PREFER A PASSIVE PARK HERE.
WE'VE GOT OTHER PLACES TO PUT OUR ACTIVE RECREATION AND AGAIN, TOWN STAFF HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF FITTING ACTIVE RECREATION INTO OUR OTHER PARKS.
SO THAT ISLAND WIDE WE CAN ACCOMMODATE ALL, ALL NEEDS AND USERS.
SO WE HAVEN'T, WE'RE NOT MAKING THIS UP AS WE GO THOUGH.
UH, FORTUNATELY WE'VE GOT EXPERIENCE IN, UH, WORKING IN WONDERFUL CITIES AND TOWNS AND CREATING WONDERFUL PARKS, BUT, UH, COUNCILMAN, UH, AS, AS SUGGESTED TO US THAT WE NEED TO, UH, TEST THIS BACK AGAINST WHAT ARE RECOGNIZED NATIONAL STANDARDS.
UH, WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE INTENTIONAL DESIGN.
WE JUST DON'T CREATE AN OPEN SPACE AND PUT A PARK, SIGN OUT AND CALL IT THAT IT NEEDS TO BE INCLUSIVE AND WELCOMING TO EVERYBODY.
SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY IS BAKED IN IT.
WE GOTTA BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN IT.
IT NEEDS TO FIT THE ISLAND CHARACTER.
IT NEEDS TO BE FLEXIBLE OVER TIME.
THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE A SNAPSHOT THAT CARRIES ON INTO THE FUTURE.
WE'LL CONSTANTLY BE REMAKING THIS PARK.
IT NEEDS TO BE BRANDED AND COMMUNICATED.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'RE CREATING A CENTER TO THE TOWN.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A KEY COMPONENT TO THAT CENTER IN TOWN.
IT'S CERTAINLY AS A HEALTH AND WELLNESS, UH, COMPONENT TO IT.
UH, WE HAVE TO ADDRESS, UH, CLIMATE CHANGE AND SEA LEVEL RISE.
AND THIS IS GERMANE TO THIS SITE IN PARTICULAR, IT NEEDS TO SPEAK TO EVERY USER ON THE ISLAND.
THIS IS THE BACKYARD SPACE FOR OUR NATIVE ISLANDERS THAT LIVE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
LITERALLY PHYSICALLY THE BACKYARD TO SOME OF THEM.
IT ALSO NEEDS TO SPEAK TO ALL THE GENERATIONS.
IT NEEDS TO BE A PLACE FOR, UH, OLD GUYS LIKE ME AND FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AND EVERYBODY IN BETWEEN.
AND IT NEEDS TO BE DEMOCRATIC IN THE SENSE THAT IT IS WELCOMING TO ALL.
IT'S GOT SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY.
IT ISN'T EXCLUSIVE EITHER IN THIRD OR, OR, UH, STATED WE HAVE, THIS IS WONDERFUL TOURIST TRADE.