HomeMy WebLinkAboutRES 85-369 R E S O L U T I O N
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF BEAUMONT:
THAT the City Manager be, and he is hereby , authorized to adopt the
Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood Plan, a copy of which is attached
hereto as Exhibit "A" .
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Beaumont this
the day of (�.�.�cJ 1985.
hiA,leMAW E
Mayor -
For Council Adoption 10/22/85
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CHARLTON-POLLARD
NEIGHBORHOOD
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
City of Beaumont
Planning Department
November, 1984
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
1: INTRODUCTION
Planning Process. . . . . . .. .. ... . . . . . ... .. . . . .. . . .. . ... . .. . . 1.2
Functions of the Plan. . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . .. . .. . .. . .. .. . .. . . . . 1 .7
Location of the Neighborhood. .. . . . . . .. .. .. . . . .. .. . . . . . . .. 1.8
2: ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES
3: PRINCIPLES, CONCEPTS AND STANDARDS
The Neighborhood Unit Concept. . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 3.2
Locational Principles for Residential Development. . . . . .. . 3.7
Residential Development Standards. . . . . . .. . . .. . .. . .. . . .. . . 3.12
Residential Density Standards. . .. . . ... . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . 3.15
Housing Development Costs. .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. .. . . . . . . .. . .. . 3.17
Standards for Schools. . . . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . . .. .. .. ..
Neighborhood Shopping Center Standards. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 3.22
Parks and Recreation. . . . . . . .. . . . . .. .. . .. . . . . . .. . . .. .. .. . . 3.23
Streets and Sidewalks. . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . ... . .. . . 3.26
Street Lighting. . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. .. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . . . 3.27
4: INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS
Demographics, . . .. . .. .. . .. . .. . . . . .. . . . . 4.1
Land Use, Zoning and Housing. . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . 4.5
Public Capital Infrastructure. . . . . .. . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . .. 4.17
Public Services and Facilities. , . .. . . . .o . . . . .. . . .. .. .. . .. 4.22
Sketch Analysis. .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. .. . .. . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. . 4.27
5: NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
Goals, Objectives and Recommendation. . .. . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . 5.4
Development Concept 1 . . . . .. . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. .. 5.10
Development Concept 2. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. .. 5.11
Recommended Development Concept. . . . .. . . . . .. .. . . . .. . . .. .. . 5.12
Appendix
Minutes, Neighborhood Meeting Starlight Baptist Church. . . A-1
Minutes, Neighborhood Meeting Blessed Sacrament Church. . . A-3
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE # PAGE
1-1 The Planning Process. . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . .. .. . . . .. .. .. . . . 1.3
1-2 Summary of the Planning Process. . . . . . . .. . .. . . .. . .. . . 1 .6
1-3 Functions of the Neighborhood Plan. . . . .. . . .. . ... . . . . 1.7
1-4 Neighborhood Location. . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . 1.8
1-5 Neighborhood Boundaries. . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . .. .. .. .. . 1.9
3-1 Neighborhood Unit Concept. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . 3.3
3-2 Land Use Composition of a Prototype Neighborhood. . . . 3.14
3-3 Single Family Housing Development Costs. .. . . . . .. . .. . 3.18
3-4 Typical Housing Occupancy Costs for a Homeowner. . . . . 3.18
4-1 Population Trends Comparison. . . . .. . . . . . . . . .. .. .. . . . . 4.1
4-2 Population Trends for Selected Ages. . . . . . .. .. . . . . .. . 4.2
4-3 Zoning Districts. . . . .. .. .. . . . .. . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.6
4-4 Land Uses. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . 4.9
4-5 Vacant Land. . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . .. . . . . .. . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . 4.10
4-6 Proposed Foreign Trade Zone Map.. . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.11
4-7 Housing Condition by Block 1978. . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 4.14
4-8 Housing Condition by Block 1984. . . .. . .. . . . . . . . .. . . . . 4.15
4-9 Housing Rehabilitated/Demolished by Block
Total 1978 - 1984. .. . . . . . . . .. . .. .. .. . .. . .. . . . .. . . .. . 4.16
4-10 Street Classifications and Traffic Volumes. . . . . . . . .. 4.18
4-11 Public Improvements. .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . .. .. . . 4.21
4-12 Bus Routes. . . . . . .. .. . . . .. . . .. .. .. . .. . . . . . . .. . . .. .. . . 4.24
4-13 Distance of Public Facilities and Services. . .. .. .. . . 4.26
4-14 Sketch Analysis of the Neighborhood. . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . 4.30
5-1 Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood Development Plan. . . . . . 5.4
5-2 Development Concept one. . . . . . . . .. . .. . .. . . . .. . .. .. . . . 5.10
5-3 Development Concept two. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . 5 .11
5-4 Recommended Development Concept. . . . .. . . . . . . . .. . . .. . . 5.12
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE # PAGE
3-1 Net Dwelling Densities and Building Coverage. ... .. .. 3.17
3-2 Site Development Cost Comparisons for
Residential Housing. ...... ... . ... . .. .. . ... . . ..... .. . 3.19
3-3 School Facility Standards. .... . .. .... . . ... .... .. .. .. 3.21
3-4 Neighborhood Shopping Centers. ... ......... . ... . .... . 3.23
3-5 Park Site Standards. . .... .. .. . . ... .... ...... .... . .. . 3.24
3-6 Recreational Facility Standards. ... ....... ..... ... .. 3.25
3-7 Street Functional Standards. . .. .. . ... ... .. ...... .. . . 3.26
3-8 Sidewalk Standards. . .... ... .... ... ... .. . .. . .. .. .... . 3.27
4-1 Demographic Characteristics. . . ... . ... .. ........ .. .. . 4.4
4-2 Zoning and Land Use. .. . . .. ..... .. ........ .... .. .. .. . 4.7
4-3 Number and Condition of Building Structures. .... .... 4.13
4-4 Neighborhood Densities. .. .. ..... .... ..... . .. ... ... .. 4.13
4-5 Neighborhood Improvements since 1976. ........ .... .. . 4.20
4-6 Crime Statistics. ... ... . . .. . .. .... ...... ..... .. ... . . 4.22
Chapter One
INTRODUCTION
•Planning Process
•Functions of the Plan
•Location of the Neighborhood
i
INTRODUCTION
The neighborhood plan is a public document detailing a series of goals,
objectives and recommendations through which specific actions are
implemented to benefit a small geographic area. The larger, city—wide
plans, although important to the overall development of the city, can not
respond directly to neighborhood problems and concerns. Each individual
neighborhood has differing social, economic, and physical conditions that
require attention. These conditions have to be analyzed at the
neighborhood level to prepare an effective course of action. The
neighborhood plan is the appropriate mechanism for responding to the
problems and concerns of the neighborhood.
The neighborhood plan serves many purposes. The plan is used when
establishing city policies that may effect the neighborhood. It also
serves as a policy guide for the development and revitalization of the
area. The plan is an importantant instrument that will provide a guide
for necessary improvements and subsequent allocations of funding.
General city, capital improvement, and community development block grant
funds can be allocated so as to produce results that most benefit the
neighborhood. As an adopted set of goals, objectives and recommendations
by the city council, the neighborhood plan signifies an official city
committment to the neighborhood.
1. 1
JV
The Charlton—Pollard Neighborhood Plan consists of four major parts: 1)
a brief discussion of major local neighborhood issues; 2) a summary of
the planning principles, concepts and standards which guided the
development of the plan; 3) an inventory and analysis of the existing
neighborhood; and 4) written and graphic representations of goals,
objectives, and recommendations for future development. This
introductory chapter explains the process followed in preparation of the
plan, the intended functions of the plans, and other background
information regarding development of the plan.
THE PLANNING PROCESS
A seven—phase "issue oriented" planning process was utilized in the
preparation of this document. The seven phases are illustrated
diagramatically in Figure 1-1. As shown by the diagram, the process is
continuous and the plan must be periodically evaluated and updated in
response to changing issues and conditions.
Issues
Major unresolved land use and development issues were surveyed as a
means of identifying topics worthy of special attention in the research
and data collection and goal and policy formation phases of the planning
process. Chapter 2 focuses upon these issues.
Principles, Concepts and Standards
Professionally recognized planning, development, and real estate
references were consulted for principles, concepts and standards related
to land use and urban development. These standards were used in
forecasting future needs for land of different use categories and in
developing land use policies and proposals.
Inventory and Analysis
Surveys of existing land use patterns, population distribution, the
structural condition of housing, socioeconomic characteristics of the
population, the local economic base, environmental resources, streets and
utilities, and public facilities were conducted as part of a research
program to provide a data base for all elements of the neighborhood plan.
Economic and population projections were prepared to provide a forecast
of future land use and needs. The inventory and analysis phase of the
planning process also included review of existing ordinances and
regulatory development standards as to their effects on land use
concerns.
Goals and Objectives
A set of general goals and objectives for future land use policy was
formulated and proposed by the Planning Department staff to address the
issues identified in the first phase of the planning process.
Recommendations
Based upon the issues, deficiencies, resources, projected demand,
goals, and objectives identified in the earlier phases of the process, a
body of written and graphic recommendations for physical development was
formulated. These are contained in Chapter 5.
1.45--3/0 7
Implementation
This phase of the planning process involves enactment of the
policies and proposals of the plan. A wide range of mechanisms,
including capital improvements projects, ordinance revisions and the
Community Development Block Grant program are available for
implementation of the plan.
Monitoring and Maintenance
The monitoring and maintenance phase of the planning process is
essential if the plan is to retain its relevance and usefulness over the
years. The issues, problems and concerns which influence the formulation
of land use policy are subject to change, as are the social, economic,
and technological factors which dictate the future needs. By reviewing
the plan annually and revising it when needed, the plan's policies and
proposals can be kept up to date. In this way, the planning process
becomes more or less continuous.
1.5
Figure 1-2
SUMMARY OF THE PLANNING PROCESS
PLANNING PROCESS STEPS ACTION AGENT
ISSUES
Fundamental points of debate and Residents
controversy in the neighborhood.
PRINCIPLES, CONCEPTS AND STANDARDS
Professional planning information used Planning Dept.
to guide development.
INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS
Collection of information and data Planning Dept.
exclusive to the neighborhood,
identification of deficiencies, and
future requirements projected.
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
A goal is a general expression of a Planning Dept.
desired outcome, and an objective
is a specific end to be achieved Residents
through some form of action.
Citizens Advisory
Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS
Frame w rk to guide the development Planning Dept.
and conservation of the neighborhood.
IMPLEMENTATION
Enactment of the policies and proposals Planning Dept.
of the neighborhood plan.
City Council
MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE
Periodic review and revision of the Planning Dept.
neighborhood plan.
Residents
Citizen Advisory
Committee
Figure 1-3
FUNCTIONS OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
The Neighborhood Plan should - -
- Establish specific policies for development and
redevelopment of the neighborhood
- Provide a mechanism for periodic evaluation and
improvement of the policies
- Provide for citizen involvement In the physical development
decision making
- Direct future land development and decision making in relation
to the larger context of the neighborhood plan
- Assist in the preparation and acquisition of State and Federal
grants
- Assist in targeting and prioritizing capital improvement projects
in the neighborhood
- Coordinate interrelated activities of the different branches of the
City government as they effect the neighborhood
LOCATION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
The Charlton-Pollard neighborhood is located in the City of Beaumont,
Jefferson County, Texas. It is situated at the extreme eastern edge of
the City, abutting the corporate city limits on three sides. It is
bordered by the Port of Beaumont to the north, Mobil Oil refinery to the
east and south, and Irving Street to the west. See Figures 1-4 and 1-5.
Figure 1-4
NlIGHBORHOOD LOCATION
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Chapter Two
ISSUES & OPPORTUNITIES
ISSUES AND OPPORTUNITIES
The neighborhood planning process offers the residents of the
Charlton-Pollard neighborhood and elected officials a means of
periodically taking stock in the area -- its resources, its problems, and
its prospects for the future. In order to chart a land use policy
framework to guide the neighborhood's future physical growth, it is first
necessary to identify major policy areas of concern or uncertainty
(issues) and areas of potential improvement (opportunities). The
recommendations of the plan should address the issues and capitalize upon
the opportunities.
As current issues are resolved and new issues and opportunities
emerge, revisions to the plan's goals, objectives, and recommendations
will be warranted. For this reason, the issue-oriented planning process
must be continuous. When the plan is reviewed each year, it will be
evaluated as to its relevance to any major new issues which have
developed. Any shortcomings of the plan in light of the new issues
should be readily apparent, and the plan will be updated accordingly.
Annual review will also provide an opportunity to measure the degree of
success in resolving "old" issues, possibly pointing to the need for
alternate problem solving approaches.
This chapter provides a broad overview of land use issues and
opportunities that the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood must confront as the
twenty-first century approaches.
LAND USE ISSUES
• Uses of vacant land and resulting impacts on surrounding'
property and the neighborhood.
The third most prominent land use in the neighborhood
is vacant land, which currently causes unsightly,
unhealthy, and unproductive conditions. The
marketability of such properties generally lends itself
to less desirable land uses. Both these conditions
then add to the diminishing residential quality of
the area. If utilized and directed in a beneficial
manner, however, the vacant land can provide
the incentives for revitalization of the neighborhood.
• Dissatisfaction with the type, quantity, quality and
deterioration of commercial development.
Residents need neighborhood retail stores and services
within relatively close proximity to their residence.
They should pose minimum physical, visual, and
environmental disruption to the neighborhood. When
commercial development occurs without adequate land
use controls, however, the area is subject to
development that reflects the general quality of
the neighborhood. To avert and remedy such occurrences,
policies of the plan should provide mechansims to
direct future commercial development.
• Commercial encroachment into residential areas.
The existing commercial land use patterns displayed
2.2
in the neighborhood are typical of a neighborhood
developed without present-day land controls. Commer-
cial enterprises are sprinkled throughout the neighbor-
hood, and land is being used in direct conflict with
the surrounding residential area. Such presence of
the non-conforming uses is a direct result of the lack
of effective zoning to control such development.
• High rate of commercial vacancies.
There is a definite correlation between the population,
environmental quality, and economic viability of a
neighborhood and the location of desirable commercial
enterprises. With a corresponding increase in population
and improvements to the general condition of the
neighborood there is potential for new commercial
development.
URBAN DESIGN ISSUES
• The general poor appearance, organization, and condition
of the neighborhood environment.
The overall character of the neighborhood is currently
not conducive to physical or economic growth. This
negative image has to be eliminated as a prerequiste to
significant positive change. Redevelopment will direct
attention and stimulate interest in the neighborhood.
• Improper maintenance of the general neighborhood environ-
ment.
Many parts of the neighborhood can be classified
generally blighted. The poor upkeep of
individual and public properties, the deteriorating
physical and visual quality of the housing, and random
location of incompatible land uses all reinforce the
condition. All of these land use problems are reflected
in the neighborhood.
HOUSING ISSUES
• Lack of maintenance of the housing stock.
Many of the houses in the neighborhood have been
neglected and unmaintained for years. Many units
have peeling or weathered paint, and some are totally
devoid of any type of protestant. Some units also need
structural repairs. If left unattended, severe
structural problems may arise in the near future.
• Presence of substandard or deteriorating housing.
A majority of the housing in the neighborhood is clas-
sified as substandard. Many of the units can be
brought back to standard levels at minimal or
considerable cost, whereas others are beyond any hope
of rehabilitation and should be eliminated as a safety
measure.
2.4 ����
TRANSPORTATION ISSUES
Excessive traffic and vehicular congestion on local
neighborhood streets.
• The neighborhood street system is congested with
traffic on several different occasions during a given
day. Most traffic is generated by employees of the
Mobil Oil Plant and employees particpating in similar
industrial type work near the plant. Congestion
is also caused by large volumes of traffic that circu-
late onto streets that dead-end, are narrow, or are
used to park cars.
• Lack of sidewalks.
Sidewalks add to the safety of pedestrian traffic and
help direct traffic in and out of the neighborhood.
Since the neighborhood is in an older part of town,
there are some sidewalks interspersed throughout the area.
There are gaps between blocks, however, which discourage
use, especially by children.
• Accessability to the public transit system.
Public transportation is of grave importance to many
individuals without access to a private automobile.
It is an extremely critical issue, especially when public
services and facilities, commercial enterprises, and
other essential services are not within relatively close
walking distance.
2.5
MUNICIPAL AND PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES
• Incidence of crime and public nuisances.
Crime is a product of the environment in which it thrives.
Certain land uses, lack of preventative measures, inade-
quate protection, and a poor general appearance of the
neighborhood provide the opportunity for crime. Not
only does crime constitute a safety problem for the
neighborhood, but various public nuisances, such as
roaming dogs and cats, can pose as a serious problem.
• Flooding and open ditch drainage problems.
Portions of the neighborhood are subject to minor resi-
dential street flooding. Although a series of under-
ground and open drainage systems traverse the area,
they are not adequate to handle average rainfall. Many
of the open ditches are overgrown with weeds and litter
which adversely effect the quality of the neighborhood.
• Provision of new parks and upgrading of existing park
facilities.
The location and condition of Carroll Street Park in
the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood is of concern.
Adjacent industrial uses subject the park to noise,
traffic, odors and visually poor quality. Some
equipment in the park is unmaintained or inoperable.
The location of the park on the far edge of the neighborhood
is not readily accessible for small children living in the
neighborhood.
2.6 4W j 91� ;1
ECONOMIC ISSUES
• The high rate of unemployment
Unemployment in the neighborhood is approxmately
6% higher than that of the city. This reduces
the capital flow into the area limiting any
form of private reinvestment. This leads to the
general decline of neighborhood conditions.
• Lack of neighborhood retail services.
Neighborhood residents should have the opportunity to
purchase essential goods and services close to their
homes. The availability of retail goods and services
within convenient distance has declined steadily over
the years.
Chapter Three
PRINCIPLES, CONCEPTS.
& STANDARDS
• Residential Development
. Concepts & Standards
• School Standards
• Neighborhood Shopping Centers
• Parks & Recreation
• Streets & Sidewalks
• Street Lighting
INTRODUCTION
This section of the Charlton—Pollard Neighborhood Plan documents relevant
land use principles, concepts, and standards for evaluating the adequacy
of existing development and for planning future growth and development.
The standards were generated from professionally recognized literature.
Included in this section are principles, concepts, and standards related
to residential development, commercial development, park and
recreational facilities, and other public facilities and services.
Housing constitutes the predominant form of land use in most urban
areas of the United States. In the Charlton—Pollard neighborhood over
37% of the total inventory of developed land is made up of residential
development. Because a large proportion of the neighborhood's developed
area is devoted to residential land, planning for development or
redevelopment of residential areas (and their support facilities, such as
schools, parks, and shopping areas) is of central concern to land use
planning. Furthermore, in order to develop and maintain an economically
and socially viable community, the neighborhood must be able to provide
sufficient quantities of housing in a variety of structural types and
ranges.
This section of the Charlton—Pollard Neighborhood Plan provides
explanations of key planning principles and concepts, such as the
neighborhood unit concept. It also includes a discussion of the various
principles and standards which should guide the residential growth and
development of the neighborhood.
3.1
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS
Neighborhood Unit Concept
The neighborhood unit concept is one of the most widely used and
accepted practices in urban land use planning. It was developed as a
physical and social planning concept by Clarence A. Perry and first
described in the Regional Survey for New York and Its Environs published
in 1929 by the Russell Sage Foundation.
The neighborhood unit would be based on the
elementary school, with other community facilities
located at its center and arterial streets at
the perimeter. The distance from school to
perimeter would be based on a comfortable walking
distance for a school age child; there would be
no through traffic or industrial or commercial uses. l
The neighborhood unit concept was converted to operational form by
the Committee on the Hygiene of Housing of the American Health
Association in 1948 in its publication on Planning the Neighborhood and
it became the widely followed and accepted approach to residential
planning. Figure 3-1 on the following page illustrates the neighborhood
unit concept as modified and refined by the Planning staff of the City of
Beaumont. It is consistent with the earlier developed concept having
major emphasis on a centrally located combined park and elementary school
site, and collector streets which route internal traffic to major
thoroughfares without bisecting the neighborhood or encouraging
through—traffic to enter the neighborhood. The following design
principles are central to the neighborhood unit concept.
l.-Historical Development of American City Planning," The Practice of
Local Government Planning, Laurence Conway Gerkins, (Washington, D. C.
International City Managers- Association, 1979) p. 40
3.2
� 6� �
• Major streets are routed around the perimeter of the
neighborhood.
• Collector streets disperse local traffic to major streets
without bisecting the neighborhood. Collector streets
should be designed so as to discourage their use as
crosstown, arterial streets.
• Children can walk to school and play areas through pedestrian
ways or open space corridors separated from streets and the
hazards of moving automobiles.
• Minor streets should provide good access to residential units,
but should be planned so that they will not be used as through—
traffic routes. Cul—de—sacs, curved street layouts, and light—
duty surfacing should be used to promote low traffic volumes
and preservation of residential character.
• The elementary school and neighborhood park and playground
is located in the center of the residential area while major
streets are routed along the perimeter. This enables children
to travel between home and school or play areas without having
to cross arteries of heavy traffic. Each family should be
within one—half mile of the neighborhood center.
• Public buildings and multi—family dwellings are located so
as to form a buffer between the more intense activity of the
shopping center and the quiet atmosphere of the single family
residential areas.
• The neighborhood shopping center is located on arterial streets.
This gives good access both from within and outside of the
neighborhood. Residents of other areas can reach the shopping
center without traveling through the neighborhood.
Location of the elementary school and neighborhood park at the
approximate center of the neighborhood unit is critical to the ultimate
success of this physical planning concept. Unfortunately, recent
demographic trends, as reflected in the decline in birth rates, have
meant a drop in the number of elementary school age children. School
administrators operating under severe financial constraints and faced
with the need to economize have closed inefficient schools and postponed
construction of new schools.
In addition to the cost—cutting demands on school administrators,
educational services have become the vehicle for implementing national
social policy with respect to achieving racial integration. The value of
the neighborhood school as both a physical and social planning concept
has been lost in many communities.
Critics of the social function aspects of the neighborhood unit
concept as conceived by Perry have pointed out that the neighborhood is
simply no longer the focus of community life for many families--the
social, cultural, religious, and recreational interests of today's urban
residents often extend well beyond the neighborhood and may even have
very little to do with the immediate neighborhood environment. Yet,
there are sociologists who see value and benefit to the parental
relationships and involvement in neighborhood school activities and
recreational programs. And many educators believe that expanded parental
participation and involvement in local schools is critical to the
ultimate success of the entire educational process.
Solutions that are being advocated by educators
are centered on reaching students earlier and
encouraging involvement of parents in the daily
life of the school. The success of these measures
in providing the necessary support will involve
various elements of the city plan such as
distance between school and home or school and
work place, accessibility to public transportation,
and accessibility to necessary health and social
services.2
2"Education Services," The Practice of Local Government Planning,
Georgia K. Davis, (Washington, D.C.: International City Managers'
Association, 1979) , p.304.
Most importantly, there is a growing body of support by educators
for smaller neighborhood schools based on the perceived benefit which
such schools appear to have on learning performance.
Models that draw on the experience of the
British infant schools are being advocated
in the United States. Such schools accommodate
children from the ages of three to eleven in
relatively small schools, for approximately
300 children. . . . A trend toward smaller schools
may also gain momentum from a renewed emphasis
on compact, energy—efficient neighborhoods and
on bus transportation cost increases.3
While the validity of the classic concept of the neighborhood unit
as a socially cohesive whole may be questionable, the value and
importance of the neighborhood unit as a physical planning concept is not
disputed.
It should be noted that a system of spatially
defined neighborhood areas does serve a useful
purpose in physical planning, e.g. , in estimating
housing requirements, in analyzing community
facility needs, and in defining efficient
service areas for service delivery systems.4
Generally, arterial streets in urban areas are spaced approximately
one mile apart (this varies widely, of course, depending on population
density and unique traffic needs) . Four arterial streets, therefore,
generally enclose a land area of approximately one square mile. A
one square mile planning unit lends itself well to provision of
accessible neighborhood recreational, educational, day care and shopping
facilities. Location of high density dwellings and shopping
31bid. , p. 306.
4 F. Stuart Chapin, Jr. , and Edward J. Kaiser, Urban Land Use
Planning, Thid Edition, (Chicago: University of Illinois Press,
1979) p.397.
3.6 ���
facilities on arterial streets and clustering high intensity uses
at intersections are consistent with widely accepted private sector
real estate development practices.
Neighborhood units can be readily grouped into "districts" of three
to seven neighborhoods, with several of these districts being, in turn,
grouped into "communities", providing efficient physical planning units
for organization of service areas for larger support facilities such as
community shopping centers or district parks. Adherence to Perry's
separation of crosstown traffic and internal neighborhood traffic is in
accord with accepted transportation planning practices and can help to
maintain property values and the single-family residential character
of the neighborhood interior. Perhaps the greatest strength of the
neighborhood unit concept as a physical planning tool is that, properly
designed, the neighborhood unit provides locations for a diversity of
housing types, community facilities, commercial centers, and
high-capacity transportation routes.
In summary, the neighborhood unit is an important physical planning
concept which should be used in the preparation of the Comprehensive
Plan, in the development of neighborhood plans, and in making zoning and
subdivision decisions. The general planning principles set forth in the
neighborhood unit concept classify streets according to their function,
provide space for each type of land use on the basis of need and
performance, and give appropriate consideration to convenience,
efficiency amenities for the residents of each neighborhood.
3.7 e—f.,)��J�
It is obvious that there will be some land parcels which are
suitable for residential development that cannot qualify as a
neighborhood unit because of size or location. However, this need not
limit the value of such parcels or preclude their eventual development
and servicing. Usually they can be combined with other areas to form an
acceptable planning unit of appropriate size. The principles expressed
in the neighborhood unit are suitable for adaptation to special planning
problems as they arise. A wide variety of housing groups, street
patterns, park and playground areas and sites for public buildings can be
provided throughout the city using the neighborhood unit principles of
development.
LOCATIONAL PRINCIPLES FOR RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT
General Locational Principles
An important aspect of the Land Use Element is the spatial
distribution and location of future residential development. Developers
delight in pointing out that the three most important factors in site
selection for any type of development are: location, location, and
location. The following lengthy quote from Urban Land Use
3.8
Planning describes many of the general principles relating to the
location of residential land uses.
Living areas should be located in convenient
proximity to the work and leisure—time areas
and where there are nearby transit and thorough-
fare routes to insure easy access. The spatial
configuration of residential communities should
take the activity and residential preference
patterns of various categories of households
into account. Living areas should be in con-
venient proximity to large open spaces and should
include smaller open spaces with residential
areas within easy walking distance of community
facilities. They should be located in areas
protected from traffic and incompatible uses,
in areas which are economic, energy—efficient,
and attractive to develop, and where desirable
residential denities with a range of choice
can be insured.
A system of spatially defined residential areas should be developed
and depicted in the neighborhood plan in order to faciliate the various
intended functions of the residential environment. The following is a
representative listing of the most common need—based functions of the
residential environment which should be considered in developing the
spatial distribution for the residential component of the neighborhood
land use plan.
o The shelter function encompasses the traditional concerns of
residential area planning -- housing and basic community
facilities and services required for protection from the
elements, basic public health, and access to the dwelling.
o The security function has to do with providing a safe, stable,
and ordered setting free of danger from traffic, violence,
criminal actions, and other physical and psychological hazards.
5F. Stuart Chapin, Jr. , and Edward J. Kaiser, Urban Land Use
Planning, Third Edition, (Chicago: University of Illino
p. 367. is Press, 1979) ,
o The childrearing function is concerned with the residential
community as a locale for familistic pursuits; transmission
of values through the family, neighbors, peer groups, churches,
community organizations, and schools; education; and play.
o The symbolic identification function relates to the capacity
of the residential environment to provide a sense of place,
of sociocultural affiliation, and a sense of belonging, of
achievement, pride, or satisfaction with the neighborhood and
community.
o The social interaction function is served by the social
opportunities provided by formal and informal social networks
and organizations and the existence and spatial organization
of physical facilities to facili ate such opportunities.
o The leisure function addresses the need for residential
communities to accommodate the increasing availability of
leisure time, especially to the young, the old, and the single,
but including the childrearing, career—building households as
well, through recreation, entertainment, cultural, and
educational facilities and programs and the availability of
open space.
o The function of accessibility to activity opportunities
virtually required to maintain a household in our society
addresses the need to provide accessibility to employment,
shopping, and personal services.
o The investment protection function refers to the fact that
for many households their residence represents a large
financial investment, probably their largest, and is intended
either as a lifetime investment for financial security in later
years or as a secure jumping—off place for the next step up on
the mobility ladder to long—term residential and social
aspirations.
o The public efficiency function addresses the need to minimize
public or societal costs of meeting the other functions of
the residential environment, including the costs of providing
water and sewer, garbage and trash collection, fire and police
services, recreation, transportation services, and maintenance
of public investment. 6
As an illustrative example the Neighborhood Land Use Plan could
provide for residential development based on the following locational
factors, consideration and requirements:
6 Ibid. , pp. 397-398.
3. 10 _
In Developed Areas
• Residential communities protected from inimical uses, traffic
intrusion and floods or other natural hazards.
• Facilities located to conform with varying service area concepts--
some metropolitan in scope, some community serving, and some
neighborhood serving.
• Residential environments designed to be sensitive to the existing
social order, pattern of ethnic groups, and economic constraints,
and to the symbols important to residents, their activity
systems, and their life—styles.
• Residential environments designed to reflect creative use of
space for all stages in the life cycle, from young single
persons to childrearing families to retired couples, for various
forms of social interaction, community participation, and
leisure—time activities.
Locational Compatibility Principles
The spatial distribution of residential land use in the
Charlton—Pollard neighborhood is limited and restricted by the presence
of the conflicting land uses and incompatible forms of development.
One of the key factors in selection of a site for residential
development is that it should be "free from grossly unfavorable
factors."
The perfect site seldom exists. Judgement must
be made on the one hand as to those limitations
which wholly preclude satisfactory development,
and on the other hand as to those site defects
which can be brought within satisfactory limits
or must, in a given case, be accepted as minor
but necessary evils. 7
7 Planning the Neighborhood, American Public Health Association,
Committee on the Hygiene of Housing (Chicago: Public Administration
Service, 1948 and 1960) p.4.
3. 11
The American Public Health Association warns against placing
residential development in areas unless they are relatively free
from hazards and nuisances. In particular, nuisance sources of
odors, smoke, dust, noise and vibration should be avoided, as well
as areas with fire or explosive hazards from industrial sources.
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) recognizes that land use
compatibility is a critical factor in the success of any residential
development. In its Residential Development Handbook the ULI identified
the following types of activities or uses which are in conflict or which
are potentially incompatible in varying degrees with residential
development:
• Primary among those uses which may pose problems for the
residential development are railroad tracks, rundown commercial
development, noxious industrial uses, and shoddy, poorly sub-
divided residential development.
• Heavy traffic volumes. . .exert just as adverse an influence
as shoddy development or unsightly commercial and industrial
uses. Noise and fumes from cars, trucks, and buses are
objectionable.
• Proximity to large storage tanks of gas, oil, and other
flammable materials should be avoided.
• A site should be free from smoke and offensive odors emanating
from nearby or distant uses. 8
8 W. Paul O'Mara, Residential Development Handbook, (Washington,
D.C. : the Urban Land Institute, 1979) , pp. 39-41.
3. 12
�.-
Compatibility enchances the probability of eventual residential
development of prospective areas. The Urban Land Institute has suggested
that the following areas are particularly attractive and desirable for
residential development:
• Most desirable from residential developers' standpoint are
sites adjacent to public open space and cultural facilities
such as parks, recreation areas, museums, libraries, and
similar amenities.
• Existing residential areas are a desirable environment
for new residential development.9
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Minimum Requirements for Healthful Living
Before a residential area can qualify as what the American Public Health
terms "an adequate environment," it must provide for its residents at
least the following:
1. Protection against accident hazards.
2. Protection against contagion and provisions for maintenance
of cleanliness.
3. Provision for adequate daylight, sunshine, and ventilation.
4. Protection against excessive noise.
5. Protection against atmospheric pollution.
6. Protection against fatigue and provision of adequate privacy.
7. Provision of opportunities for normal family and community
life and protection against moral hazards.
8. Provision of possibility for reasonable aesthetic satisfaction.10
9 Ibid., pp. 38-39.
10 American Public Health Association, Committee on the Hygiene of
Housing, Planning the Neighborhood (Chicago: Public Administration
Service, 1960) , p.vii
3. 13 �LJ�'�,��9
Health codes and zoning ordinances based on quantitative standards
are designed to insure the provision of most of these requirements for an
adequate environment. However, quantitative methods for the measurement
of aesthetic quality are unavailable. The provision of the possibility
for reasonable aesthetic satisfaction can be achieved only by the
creataive design and the development of residential areas and open space.
Though standards do not exist, the aesthetic quality of a residential
area may be increased by:
1. Creatively making the best possible use of land and open
space.
2. Establishing variety in the physical development of
residential areas in order to extend freedom of choice
and community integration.
3. Encouraging maximum compatibility between types of housing
and between housing and other neighborhood functions.
4. Protecting and properly utilizing the unique physical
features of the land.
5. Providing the maximum desirable privacy for each dwelling unit,
while also creating adequate public places for use by the
residential area inhabitants.
6. In addition to the activities usually provided within the
interior of the dwelling, the following functions must be
provided for within and/or outside of the dwelling:
a. Play space for children.
b. Patio and garden area.
c. Storage for refuse, garden tools, bicycles, etc.
d. Clothes drying.
e. Yard space for light and air corridor for dwellings
which may be combined with other functions.
f. Driveway and off—street parking for storage of
resident and visitor automobiles.
In addition to providing these minimum requirements for healthful
living and privacy, the amenities of residential areas can be greatly
increased by following the basic principles of the neighborhood unit
concept reviewed in the beginning of this chapter.
3.14
Figure 3-2
LAND USE COMPOSITION
OF PROTOTYPE NEIGHBORHOOD
Commercial (32 Ac.)
Community Facilities ..
5%
ulti-Fanil
esidenti '
i u u n n u i i l i Singie Family
93.1 Ac,) Residential
IIIIIIIIIII
14.696 305 Ac.)
47.6%
<I Pf
Streets �+
(160 Ac.)
2596
A theoretical neighborhood development one square mile in area. (640 Ac.)
SOURCE: Planning Department, City of Beaumont
3.15
RESIDENTIAL DENSITY STANDARDS
This section deals with the density of development within
residential areas. Much of the information provided in this section was
obtained from the American Public Health Association's publication on
Planning the Neighborhood.
Governing Criteria for Density
The intensity of land use should not be so great as to cause
congestion of buildings or to preclude the amenities of adequate housing.
Specifically, densities should be limited to provide:
a) adequate daylight, sunlight, air and usable open space
for all dwellings according to standards given earlier
in this chapter;
b) adequate space for all community facilities;
c) a general feeling of openness and privacy.
The importance of density measurements as a planning tool arises
from the fact that densities reflect with a certain degree of accuracy
important characteristics of site planning. Densities show the crowding
of people and structures on the land and the amount of open space
available to the families. For example, the percent of land covered by
buildings reflects, in general, the amount of open space available for
gardens, children's play and outdoor living.
Since densities bear an obvious relation to the spacing of building
and their height, another important factor is measured by densities,
namely the approximate amount of light and air admitted to dwellings.
3.16 O -.r,,✓ -,3,� ?
Measures of Density
The intensity of residential use can be expressed by different types
of density calculations, showing mathematical relationships between the
area of a given piece of land and the population load or building bulk.
There are two major classifications of density masurements:
1) density measures for residential areas of the neighborhood
(called residential or dwelling densities) to insure
adequate open space, light and air for residential facili-
ties;
2) density measures for the entire neighborhood (termed
neighborhood densities) , taking all land uses into account,
to insure provision of adequate community facilities in
relation to population load.
Neighborhood density is defined as the number of dwelling units per
acre of total neighborhood land (net residential land plus streets and
land used for schools, recreation, shopping and other neighborhood
community purposes). Neighborhood land excludes non—neighborhood uses
and unusable land within the neighborhood boundaries.
Acceptable Densities
The APHA has concluded that the neighborhood density should be a
minimum of 4, 000 to 5, 000 persons in order to provide for the minimum
necessary utilization of neighborhood community facilities and services.
Housing densities and dwelling types should vary in accordance with the
overall density plan established for each neighborhood.
3.17
Table 3-1
NET DWELLING DENSITIES
AND BUILDING COVERAGE
Net Dwelling Densities
Desirable aximum Net Building
Dwelling Type Standard Standard Coverage
One and Two Family
Single-family 5 7 30%
Two-family 10 12 30%
Multi-Family
2-story 25 30 30%
3-story 40 45 30%
6-story 65 75 25%
9-story 75
13-story 85 95 20%
Source: Planning the Neighborhood, American Public Health Assn.
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT COSTS
Housing development costs are an important factor to consider when
preparing a land use plan. The residential spacial arrangement, density
and any land use standards directly influence the final cost of housing,
and thus have. an effect on the public's ability to afford ownership.
Figure 3-3 identifies the four major components regulating housing costs.
Construction materials account for the largest single cost contributor,
followed closely by the acquisition and improvements of the land.
Construction financing, labor, and other miscellaneous costs alone have
relatively little impact.
The cost of a house is a primary concern to a potential buyer,
and thus has consequences for the future development of the
neighborhood. Figure 3-4 shows the typical housing occupancy costs for a
homeowner. The cost of the housing unit alone requires a considerable
3.18 Je_f E_3_4
Figure 3-3
SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT COSTS
FINANCING
11%
17%
OTHER CONSTRUCTION
(Fees,overhead, Profit)
(Labor. Materials)
47%
LAND
(Aquisition. improvement)
25%
Figure 3-4
TYPICAL HOUSING OCCUPANCY
COSTS FOR A HOMEOWNER
MAINTANANCE
AND
REPAIRS
UTILITIES 10%
15%
MORTGAGE PAYMENT
(Principle, Interest)
TAXES
20% 55%
Source: The Practice of Local Government Planf*
International City Management Assn.,
1979
3. 19
investment of financial resources.
The cost to developers and the local government is also related to
selected residential land uses. As Table 3-2 shows, site development
costs (grading, streets, utility lines, etc.) per dwelling unit can be
reduced substantially by using alternatives to typical single family
detached lots.
As the size of individual lots is reduced, the square footage of the
unit is condensed, the dwelling unit densities can be increased, and the
costs for site development and the housing unit can be reduced
reasonably. The local municipality is also provided a more efficient
land use pattern that will reduce the costs of providing services per
dwelling unit. It should be noted, however, that there is an equilibrium
level where too intense a development can actually raise the costs of
providing infrastructure and services.
Table 3-2
SITE DEVELOPMENT COST COMPARISONS
FOR RESIDENTIAL HOUSING
TYPE OF DWELLING AVERAGE LOT SITE DEVELOPMENT
DEVELOPMENT UNITS/ACRE SIZE/DU S.F./UNIT COSTS/DU
Single Family 4 DU 9,675 S.F. 2,000 S.F. $6,242
Detached
Single Family 5 DU 7,390 S.F. 2,000 S.F. $5,039
Zero Lot Line
Multi-Family 7.25 DU 4,888 S.F. 2,200 S.F. $3,433
Duplex
Multi-Family 8.25 DU 4,628 S.F. 900 S.F. $3,138
Quadraplex
Source: Cost Effective Site Planning, Land Design/Research,inc., 1976
3.20
STANDARDS FOR SCHOOLS
Schools are a very important component in the physical and social
development of any community. This is emphasized in the neighborhood
unit concept, which acknowledges its importance as the central focal
point for the neighborhood. Even long after the school has served its
function as an education facility, it can serve for conversion to a
community or neighborhood facility for many activities, such as
community meetings, day care centers, sports, adult education, and senior
citizens activities. Thus, the location of a school in the neighborhood
becomes of great importance to the residents. Because of its importance,
it is essential that the residents and government planners make decisions
for the future in regards to the following: the location of new schools,
the number of new schools needed (as well as their size and capacity),
and the social and economic characteristics of the students to be served.
School Preservation Criteria
1. The age and condition of the school facility
2. The adaptability. of the school to modern education requirements
3. The availability of excess capacity in adjacent schools
4. The decline in enrollment for the current period and the expected
decline in enrollment in relation to other candidate schools
5. The effect of closing specific schools on overall racial
integration of the system
6. The presence or absence of community programs including those for
which alternative sites would be difficult to secure
7. Mid— and long—term projections of land use changes and neighborhood
population composition changes
8 . The accessibility and general effect on spacing of each of the
schools as candidates for the new system, which will by definition
have new and larger service areas. 11
11 International City Management Association, The practice of Local
Government Planning, (Washington, D. C.: 1979, pp 315.
3.21
Table 3-3
SCHOOL FACILITY STANDARDS
Nursery Elementary Junior Senior
School School High High
Population Served 1, 000 2, 000 10, 000 10, 000
to to to to
3, 000 7, 000 2 0, 000 35, 000
Students Served 70 to 90 700 800 900
to to to
900 1, 000 2,500
Age Groups Served 2 to 5 6 to 11 12 to 14 15 to 18
years old years old years old years old
Number of Students
Per Classroom 20 30 30 30
Optimal Square Footage
Per Student 40 70 90 110
Number of Classrooms 4 27 40 57
Building size in
Square Feet 3,200 56,700 108, 000 187, 000
Building Site in
Gross Acres 1 to 3 7 to 14 14 to 30 18 to 40
Offstreet Parking 1 space 1 space 1 space 1 space
per two per per per
classrooms classrooms classrooms teacher
plus three plus six plus
additional additional staff &
students
Service Radius one quarter one half one mile two miles
mile mile
Source: Manual of Housing Planning and Design Criteria, De Chlara and Koppleman, 1976
3.22 4 45 �/
Criteria For Retention, Abandonment, or Replacement of Schools
I . Selection for retention and renovation of older school facilities,
which may involve the joint development of programs for other
community services such as day care, services for the elderly, etc.
2 . Sale, demolition, or adaptive reuse of school facilities which are
no longer needed for educational purposes
3. Location, size, and program mix for schools to be housed in new
facilities in connection with neighborhood revitalization programs
(these arrangements are likely to include planning 1or other social
services in multicenters or in community schools) .
NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING CENTER STANDARDS
This type of smaller shopping center is located within or near the
residential neighborhood and primarily provides convenience goods and
personal services for day—to—day living needs. Usually it is built
around a supermarket as the major tenant with approximately 7 to 15
retail stores providing mainly daily convenience goods and services such
as food, liquor, drugs, dry cleaners, laundry, bakers, shoe repair and
beauty shops. This type of center will range in size from 25, 000 to
100, 000 square feet in floor area and will occupy a site of 4 to 10 acres
in size. It is designed to serve from 5,000 to 2 0, 000 people and is
located within two miles or less of its customers.
Some neighborhood shopping centers have a substantial walk—in trade
in addition to their drive—in customers. This center serves the same
people that the cluster of shops at the street car stop served in 1920.
This is where people go to buy food, pick up dry cleaning, wash laundry,
or obtain a haircut. Convenience is the primary emphasis and comparison
shopping items are limited.
12 Ibid, pp 314.
3.23 / �
Table 3-4
NEIGHBORHOOD SHOPPING CENTERS
1. Major function Sale of convenience goods and
personal services
2. Leading tenants Supermarket and drugstore
3. Location Intersection of collector
a/c secondary roads
4. Radius of service area 1/2 mile
5. Min. population to support
center 4,000
6. Site area (gross land area) 4-8 acres
7. Desirable maximum size of center 1.25%
as percentage of total area served (1 acre/1,000 pop.)
8. Ranges of Gross Floor Area 30,000-75,000 sq.ft.
9. Number of stores and shops 5-20
10. Parking requirements Parking ratio 4 to 1
Source: Planning Design Criteria. De Chiara and Koppleman, 1969
PARKS AND RECREATION
The urban park system consists of a heirarchy of facility types
ranging in size from half-acre mini-parks with service areas of a few
blocks to regional parks containing several hundred acres and serving an
entire city or region. The following is a summary of standards for the
basic classifications of park sites corresponding to neighborhood use.
3.24
Mini-Parks
Mini-parks are small, neighborhood oriented parks of one-half acre
or less. Facilities contained in mini-parks vary with the needs of the
immediate neighborhood populations; a mini-park in a neighborhood with a
large population of elderly persons requires different facilities than a
park serving neighborhoods with high concentrations of small children.
Location and size of mini-parks is dependent upon the availability of
vacant land parcels in residential neighborhoods.
This type of park is most useful as a response to a serious short-
age of land for park usage in intensely developed areas.
Table 3-5
PARK SITE STANDARDS
MINI—PARK NEIGHBORHOOD PARK
Acreage 1/2 or less 5-10
Service Area 1/4 neighborhood 1/2 mile radius;
one neighborhood
Population Served 500-1000 2,000-10,000
Location Corner lots on minor Near center of
streets in densely neighborhood on
developed areas. collector or
minor street,
ideally next to
an elementary
school.
Facilities Playground equipment, Playground
benches, picnic area, equipment, picnic
hard—surface play areas, shelter,
areas; varies with wading pool,
needs of neighborhood. athletic field,
softball diamond,
basketball courts;
varies with
neighborhood
needs.
3.25
Neighborhood Parks
Neighborhood parks are parks of between five and ten acres,
serving neighborhoods of approximately one-square mile and two-thousand
people. Of each ten acres of total park system acreage, 2.5 acres should
be devoted to neighborhood parks. In addition to playground equipment
and basketball and tennis courts, playfields and softball diamonds are
often included. Ideally, neighborhood parks should be located adjacent
to elementary schools, thereby consolidating the additional schoolground
open space with that of the neighborhood park. Neighborhood parks should
be located in the neighborhood interior away from arterial streets.
The practice of providing each neighborhood with a centrally located
neighborhood park is beneficial to neighborhood residents in a number of
ways; children can walk or bicycle to the park without crossing major
thoroughfares, neighborhood residents are provided with a scenic open
space recreation area, new parks can be specifically planned to meet
the unique needs of neighborhood residents based upon age composition,
and the park can help in providing the neighborhood with a sense of
identity.
Table 3-6 RECREATIONAL FACILITY STANDARDS
FACILITY STANDARD
Tennis Courts 1 per 2000 persons
Softball Diamond 1 per 3000 persons
Golf Course (18-Hole) 1 per 54000 persons
Swimming Pool 500 square feet per 1000 persons
Hard Surfaced Multi- 1 per 1500 persons
Purpose Court
Community Center 1 per 20,000 persons
Playgroundl 1.5 acres per 1000 persons
Soccer/Football Field 1 per 20000 persons
Sources: 1Planning Design Criteria, de Chiara and Koppleman. 1969
r
AN other standards: National Recreation and Park Assn.
3.26
STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
An adequate street and pedestrian network is essential for the safe
and efficient movement of persons and goods throughout the neighborhood.
A properly conceived transportation layout is a beneficial asset to the
neighborhood, whereas a poorly-planned system will be detrimental to its
cohesiveness. A good transportation system will have a proportionately
balanced network of local, collector, and arterial streets. Each type of
street has a specific function and has a direct relationship with land
use patterns. Table 3-7 highlights principles and standards for
collector and local streets.
Table 3-7
SYSTEM
ELEMENT COLLECTOR LOCAL
SERVICE FUNCTION:
Movement Equal Secondary
Access Equal Primary
Principal Trip Length _ Under 1 mile Under h mile
LINKAGE:
Land Uses local areas individual sites
SPACING: h mile ---
PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL
SYSTEM: 20-35%* 65-80%
*This percentage combines arterial and collector streets.
Source: The Practice of Local Government Planning,
international City Management Assn., 1979
Sidewalks and pedestrianways also are essential public facilities.
It is necessary to physically separate pedestrian traffic from vehicular
traffic to ensure a safe environment. In some cases, the network is
integrated into the street system, and in other cases is completely
independent. Minimum sidewalk requirements are shown below in Table
3-S.
Table 3-8
Sidewalks
Minimum Requirement: A walk on at least one side of any
street- in an urban area (excluding
very short local streets and service
drives) .
Minimum size: 4' width; V-8' on collector walks.
Acceptable Materials: Concrete, asphalt (most widely ac-
cepted, monotonous) , gravel, brick,
stone.
Source: Site Planning, Kevin Lynch, 1971
STREET LIGHTING
Street lighting provides safety, security and convenience. It is
expensive to install and uses significant amounts of energy. Energy
savings, however, cannot be justified when the trade off involves
pedestrian security. Likewise convenience, as the sole justification for
lighting may have to be sacrificed to energy conservation, especially in
low-density settings where pedestrian traffic may be a rarity.
3.28
Street and path lighting should be selected to have a high
illuminating efficiency and to provide no more illumination than is
necessary. Unnecessary lighting should be avoided, but lighting
essential for security or safety should always be provided. Continuing
needs for energy conservation are undefined but appear certain.
Street lighting and bicycle or pedestrian path lighting should be
located or mounted to prevent light shining upon residential windows or
into the eyes of. drivers, pedestrian, or bicyclists.
3.29
Chapter Four
INVENTORY & ANALYSIS
• Demographics
• Land Use, Zoning, & Housing
• Public Infrastructure
• Public Facilities & Services
• Sketch Analysis
DEMOGRAPHICS
Characteristics of the Population
The Charlton—Pollard neighborhood is experiencing a dramatic
and continual decline in the size of its population. Since 1960 the
total population has dwindled by 48%from a high of 6,136 residents to
3,177 persons as of 1980. For the time period 1960 — 1970 the decline
corresponed to a general decline in the City of Beaumont's population,
but at a more accelerated pace. The reduction for the city was
proportionally insignificant compared to the intensive loss incurred by
the Charlton—Pollard neighborhood. Since 1970 the neighborhood has
continued to lose large numbers of residents, whereas the city has
maintained a relatively stable population.
Figure 4-1
POPULATION TRENDS FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT
AND THE CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD
CITY OF BEAUMONT CHARLTON-POLLARD
119,718 6,136
119-
-6
a
°
118— 118,058
?0 �5
0
\4,860
a
117,548
117-
-4
3.177 —3
1960 1970 1980 1960 1970 1980
Source: U.S. Census Years
4. 1
Population trends for certain age groups are even more dramatic than
those of the total population in the Charlton—Pollard neighborhood.
Although the city and the neighborhood are both experiencing a decline in
persons between 0-14 years of age, the neighborhood is losing a
comparably higher proportion of this population. Since 1960 this age
group has been reduced by 61%. The Charlton—Pollard neighborhood also
has a proportionally higher elderly population than the City of
Beaumont. 15.4% of the residents are 65 years or older compared to 11.4%
for the City.
Figure 4-2
POPULATION TRENDS FOR SELECTED AGES
FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT AND THE
CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD
CITY OF BEAUMONT CHARLTON—POLLARD
e,38,562
35
•
30—
h
27,215
25— —2.5
o 20— 2,i.2 —2.0
� o '�i 1,54 1
CL r 15— 13,177 �, —1.5
dv
10— r-•00 too
'
•100000'10,766 'r,1 —1.0
8,219 749
511 53 488 5
I I I I I I
1960 1970 1980 1960 1970 1980
Years
tmsi0-14 Years ■0m65 and Over
Source: 1960, 1970, 1980 U.S. Census
4.2 /
Given the past population trend of the Charlton-Pollard
neighborhood, it is likely that the population will continue to decline.
This will have consequences for the future stabilization and development
of the area. Houses will continue to be vacated, incompatable land uses
may begin to intrude into the residential areas, and the need for a
neighborhood school will diminish due to a reduction in the number of
school aged children.
Household Information
The Charlton-Pollard neighborhood has a total of 1 ,158 households
accounting for 2% of households in the city. The average of 2.74
persons per household is slightly higher than that of the city. Married
couples account for 37.2% of the population, with 54% having at least one
child. Residents in the neighborhood are also less mobile than other
city residents, with 63% of them having lived in the same residence 5 or
more years. This is 15% higher than the City of Beaumont.
Economic Factors
The Charlton-Pollard neighborhood generally displays lower family
incomes, higher poverty levels, and higher unemployment rates than the
City of Beaumont. The median family income is 47% less than the city,
13% of families are below poverty level, and 11.5% of the civilian labor
force was unemployed in 1980. These factors have an effect on the
potential for redevelopment and stabilization of the neighborhood.
Little or no personal monetary investment can be undertaken by the
residents, thereby leading to continued deterioration of the housing and
environment. New developments, especially commercial centers, are also
less likely to locate in the area due to the economics of the
neighborhood. This further hampers the potential for neighborhood
revitalization.
4.35- �
Table 4-1 DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD
1983
CITY OF CHARLTON-POLLARD DIFFERENCE FOR CHARLTON-
BEAUMONT NEIGHBORHOOD POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD
POPULATION rWARAC7SRISTICS
Total Population 118,102
White
72,057 61.0% `
Black ' ' -55:9%
Other 43,270 36.6$ +57.5%
2,775 2.3% 1.5%
Age: Persons over 65
years 13,439 11.4 4 + 4.0%
Sex: Males 56,788 48.1 , - 1.9%
HOUSEHOLD & FAMILIES
76ta HHouseholds 43,082 _
Avg. # Persons Per Household 2.68 + .06%
Number of Families 31,069 -
Married Couples
� 24,748 41.9$ �� �7.�1'1= - 4.7$
W/1 or more children 12,691 51.3%
Residence in ¢ _ + 2.8%
same house ,� :. .
for last 5
years or more 56,352 47.7 `� �,u> � ,� ?�
� � +15.3
flv� i
ECONOMIC FACTORS
Median Family Inocre
$21,906 , �a
Per Capita Incorre $7,583 -47.0
r -49.0%
Persons Below Poverty 18,566 15.7% +16.2
Families Below Poverty 3,758 12.1% R
Civilian Labor Force u \?�' � +13.4$
55,537 47.0$
Unenp yed 5.7% - 6.1%
10 3,188 ` �\
HOUSING (YEAR AROUND
Total Dwell' Units 46,702
Occupied Units a
43,134 92..4%
Owner Occupied 2.8%
28 602 66.3
wti Vacant Units 3,931 8.4$ r � ° \ - 6.4$
Overcrowed Units 1,967 4.6% ��� �\\ s + 3.0$
Median Gross Monthly Rent $232 - \ �
,z � + 2.3$
A,
\ e ; -32.0
Source: 1980 U.S. Census
LAND USE, ZONING AND HOUSING
Zoning Districts
Previous to the fall of 1977, the Charlton—Pollard neighborhood was
divided into two development zones: C-1 (neighborhood commercial) and
I-1 (light industrial) . These districts were in direct conflict with the
predominant residential land uses scattered througout the neighborhood.
To preserve the substantial residential areas located in the
neighborhood and encourage new residential development, the area was
rezoned to conform to the existing land uses. The first rezoning in
October 1977 separated the neighborhood into 5 zoning districts: 1
Residential, 3 commercial, and 1 industrial.
In the spring of 1981 the City of Beaumont adopted a new zoning
ordinance that presently effects the zoning in the Charlton—Pollard
neighborhood. Although the 1977 zoning boundaries remain the same, the
classification of each district was changed to conform to the new
ordinance. The neighborhood is currently zoned for Residential Multiple
Family—High Density (RM—H) , General Commercial—Multiple Family (GC—MD) ,
Light Industrial (LI), and Port Development (PD) .
The RM—H zone contitutes the largest area with 56% of neighborhood
lands, of which 21% is vacant and available for development. Port
Development (PD) is the second largest district with 21% of the land,
followed by the LI district (137.) and the commercial district (GC—MD) at
107.. Each zoning district has substantial developable vacant lands.
The present zoning policy of the Charlton—Pollard neighborhood has
not stimulated change, growth, or stability. contrarily, they have
tended to serve in maintaining the existing state of the neighborhood.
Incompatible land uses still penetrate into the residential areas
4.5 �--fs-a 6/
Figure 4-3
ZONING DISTRICTS
U FM PD
UF
❑ LEGEND
STEwAr RM-H: Residential Multiple
Family Dwelling.
Highest Density
District
JAMW GC-MD: General Commerical
—� Multiple Family
Dwelling District
Ll: Light Industrial
District
RNPD: Port Development
d District
PD
i
aurr
-- „► 8 CHARLTON POLLARD
scale NEIGHBORHOOD
0- 400' 800" � 1984
Planning Department, City of Beaumont
4.6 ri�a/_ q
Table 4-2 ZONING AND LAND USES IN THE
CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD
ZONING LAND USE
96 of % of Comparative % of Developed
Type Acres Land %Vacant Type Acres
Land Land Uses for City
RM-H 306.5 56% 21% Residential 153.7 28%
41%
'GC MD 56.7 10% 19% Commercial 23.1 4$
9$
a' LI 71.9 13% 20%
1_J Industrial 93.8 17% 2%
PD 109.9 21% 17% Public/Semi-Public 69.6 13$
10$
Vacant 110.7 20% --
Right-of-Way 94.1 18% 38%
TOM 545 100% -- TOTAL 545 100$ 100
HM°H (Residential Multi-Family - High Density) : Provides for highest residential density
ranging up to 29 dwelling units per acre, allowing for wide variety of residential dwelling
Gctes. High-rise apartments subject to a specific use permit.
® ®(General Commercial - Multi-Family Dwelling) : Intended for the conduct of community-
wi e personal and business services, specialty shops, general highway commercial uses,
shop ing centers, and multi-family residential development.
(Light Industrial) : Primarily for conduct of light manufacturing, assembling and
1
Airrication, and for warehousing, wholesaling and service
between heavy industrial and commercial development, operations. Intended as a buffer
p®(Port Development) : Any use which is not otherwise prohibited by applicable local
codes or ordinances.
Source: Planning Department, City of Beaumont
affecting the condition of the immediate surrounding area. The
structural and environmental quality of the neighborhood has continued to
deteriorate. The area is still economically depressed.
Land Use
The predominant land use in the area is single family detached
residential. This use combined with a minuscule number of multifamily
residences accounts for 28% of land uses in the neighborhood. This
percentage, however, has been declining over the years as houses
deteriorate, are vacated, and are demolished. From 1977 to 1980 the
residential stock was reduced by 105 units.
Commercial and industrial land uses account for 4% and 17% of
developed land respectively. Larger concentrations of commercial
uses are located along either Irving Street or adjacent to the
industrial area off of Groves Street. A number of small individual
enterprizes have also perforated into the residential neighborhood.
Industrial areas are basically restricted to the northern and eastern
periphery of the neighborhood, with the most obnoxious uses being the
Port of Beaumont and the Mobil Oil Refinery. Some non-conforming
industrial uses are also located in the interior of the neighborhood.
Public and semi-public land uses are also abundant in the neighborhood.
These uses
represent 13% of developed land. The uses include a school, park, child
care center, and proportionally high number of churches. The churches
are arbitrarily scattered throughout the neighborhood, located in both
commercial and residential areas.
The land uses displayed throughout the neighborhood are typical of
an area developed without present day land use controls. There is no
4.8 '~ �7L
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Figure 4-6
PROPOSED FOREIGN
TRADE ZONE
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A - 8 CHARLTON POLLARD
$yes® � NEIGHBORHOOD
19845'
0 400' 800' 4. 11 Planning Department. City of Beaumont
incompatable with the surrounding residential environment adversely
effect the stability of the area. Commercial and industrial uses
degenerate the residential ambience leading to general deterioration, and
hinders the potential for further residential development. Commercial
development is also made economically infeasible due to the scattered
arrangement.
Approximately 2M. of land in the Charlton—Pollard neighborhood is
vacant. Most is in the form of individual residential lots scattered
throughout the area. Large tracts of vacant land are also available in
or adjacent to the neighborhood, ulth a substantial proportion owned by
the Port of Beaumont. These lands present an opportunity for
revitalizing and stabilizing the neighborhood. Along with appropriate
assistance and incentives, residential, commercial, and industrial
development can be ignited. The potential for small in—fill development
or larger scale projects is enhanced by the vast amount of developable
acreage.
Housing
Between 1970 and 1980 the housing stock in the Charlton—Pollard
neighborhood was reduced by 24% to 1,262 units. It is estimated
that 52% of the current housing stock is substandard (poor or blighted
condition) . These high levels of poor housing conditions correspond to
the age of most of the units. According to the 1970 census, the majority
of housing was constructed prior to 1939. Another 38% was built between
1940 and 1959 .
The high levels of substandard housing and subsequent demolition of
structurally unsafe units has decreased the housing density of the
neighborhood. The net dwelling density is 4.05 units per acre. This is
1) z4ZT- 4l
Table 4-3
NUMBER AND CONDITION OF BUILDING STRUCTURES
IN CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD
-6
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0r��11�Jc��.��"o`er I9
Single Family 11480 60% 89 90 2 1,111 -369 49%
Residential
Multiple Family 188 74% 9 - - 153 -35 72%
Residential
Total 1,668 62% 98 90 2 1,264 -404 52%
Source: 1970 and 1980 U.S. Census
Planning Department, City of Beaumont
substantially lower than professionally accepted standards supporting an
. overall density of 8 units per acre.
Table 4-4
CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD DENSITIES
Current Permissible Desirable Possible Housing
Acres Units/Acre Units/Acre Units/Acre Unit Range
Neighborhood 541.6 2.29 0-29 7 3,791-15,706
Density
Net 306.8 4.05 0-29 7 2,142-8,897
Density
Source: Planning Department, City of Beaumont
The percentage of owner occupied units is slightly less than the
City of Beaumont, but is still relatively high at 60%. This may be
due to the low cost of houses in the neighborhood and the high number
of families having lived in their present residence 5 years or more.
4. 13 '4_2'P C-_a /�
Figure 4-7
HOUSING CONDITION
BY BLOCK 1978
i
?, LEGEND
MAW ❑ s,fw Emil]
Majority of Housing
Units in Bad or
Blighted Condition
A
0aw
MADISON L ��
VAN eule�►
anTON
CHARLTON POLLARD
scale NEIGHBORHOOD
1984
'
0 400' 800 4. 14 Planning Department. City of Beaumont
Figure 4—g
HOUSING REHABILITATED/
DEMOLISHED BY BLOCK
TOTAL 1978-1984
' ❑�
11E
3
» LEGEND
STEWMT
❑�
• 00 0 o Rehabilitated
' • Demolished
w ° •
0 ;es
• •
o oa
000
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0-1
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00 ••
. ' O L —•
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O O!roram T 2280 •�
urmaw —ff�J D(Imrn
'
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i � �� •• :o
00000 �� �❑ o I
0 0 _
CHARLTON POLLARD
scar® \ NEIGHBORHOOD c}
\ 1984
400' G t
0 400' 800 n 19Z Planning Department, City of Bea mont
The substantially low density and relatively high owner—occupied
rate provide incentives for revitalization and stability in the
neighborhood. The area is capable of absorbing intensive injections of
new housing stock without compromising the residential quality.
Alternative housing development can be employed to actually enhance the
livability of the neighborhood and provide a stimulus for more growth.
With a high owner—occupied housing rate the potential for stabilizing the
area is high. Neighborhoods exhibiting approximtey 75% owner—occupied
housing tend to be more stable compared to areas with very high rental
rates.
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE
Streets
The Charlton—Pollard neighborhood is laid out on a variation of the
grid—pattern street system. A total of 30 miles of linear pavement
traverses through the neighborhood on a North—South, East—West axis. 8(V.
of the streets are classified by the City of Beaumont as local, with the
balance of the system comprised of 5 collector streets.
Many of the streets do not meet current city standards established
for their functional designation. The deficiencies include parking,
right—of—way and pavement widths. Some streets have been widened and
repaved, and right—of—way is gradually being obtained. Some street
intersections also do not conform to established planning principles.
4. 17 'TJ `� �'�
STREET CLASSIFICATION
AND TRAFFIC VOLUMES
3,670
CREW ❑ —� Local
SWWMT ri i i i e e Excessively Traveled
Local Street
® Collector
vi
ev
. I co
d
❑❑ �❑ ❑❑ 577 �
�t
w
sewn
raws®i �—--�
i
Warr
� -���
3,316 U 2,220 592
w�oeoN
co ❑� 1,880
co
i
vow sup,►
E I � •
-- 8 CHARLTON (POLLARD
scale NEIGHBORHOOD
1984
0 400' 800' Planning Department, City of Beaumont
High traffic volumes move through the interior of the neighborhood.
Madison and Doucette streets move 1,880 and 2,220 vehicles respectively
in a 24 hour period through residential areas. Madison is classified as
a collector street and as such is designed to handle heavier volumes;
however, Doucette is classified as a local street, yet handles an even
higher number of vehicles than Madison Street. Doucette Street has
excessive traffic for its functional standard as a local street.
The sidewalk network is in general poor condition. Many sections of
the neighborhood are devoid of any sidewalks and much of the existing
concrete work is deteriorated. This disrupts the orderly flow of
pedestrian traffic.
Utilities
Portions of the Charlton—Pollard neighborhood are subject to minor
street flooding during periods of medium to heavy rains. In order to
correct this adverse environmental condition, it will be necessary to
provide a storm drainage system capable of handling the anticipated flow
of surface water run—off. At present the northern two—thirds of
the neighborhood is serviced by underground storm drainage pipe and a
concrete curb and gutter system. The rest of the neighborood has a
system of open drainage ditches. Some drainage deficiencies have been
corrected since 1980.
Street lighting is not adequately provided to all sections of the
neighborhood. The condition of the network is fragmented ranging from
good along major streets, to adequate, to non—existing in many sections
of the residential areas. Without adequate lighting, vehicular,
pedestrian and personal safety are jeapordized.
4. 19
Table 4-5
NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENTS SINCE 1976
to the
CHARLTON POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD
(CDBG & City Improvements)
1976 Street Improvements Phase 1 & 2 CDBG 1.397 Million
Water Line Improvements Phase 1 & 2 CDBG
1977 Nothing of Significance .0 Million
1978 Street Improvements Phase 3 CDBG .3 Million
Water Line Improvements Phase 3 CDBG .398 Million
Irving Street Underpass City 3.3 Million
Street Rehab Finnis & Greer to Wallace City .08 Million
1979 Street Improvements Phase 4 CDBG .304 Million
Street Rehab. Burt/Carroll to Mobile
Gate. Hemlock/RR Track to Madison City .16 Million
Carroll Street Park Improvements CDBG .04 Million
1980 Carroll Street Nursery CDBG . 153 Pillion
Carroll Street Park Improvements CDBG .025 Million
Sidewalk Rehabilitation CDBG .276 Million
Street Rehab Levy (Buford to Powell)
Port (Buford to Powell)
Leider (Buford to Grant)
Carol Street Parking Lot City .250 Million
Street Project Carroll/Bufford City 2. 1 Million
1981 Street Rehab Stanton( Irving to Brooklyn)
Burt (West of Carol) City .08 Million
1982 Street Rehab Van Buren (Sycamore to Grove)
Grove (Van Buren to Madison)CDBG .018 Million
1983 Drainage Work Irving Street Outfall CDBG .706 Million
9.587 Million
1976-May 84 Housing Rehab (118 Loans) CDBG 1.5 Million
1976-May 84 Demolitions 156 Structures
4.20
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Other public infrastructure such as gas and electricity, telephone,
sanitary sewer, and water are all available and adequate to support the
existing land uses and population. Water line improvements have been
completed as recently as 1980 using Community Development Block Grant
funds.
PUBLIC SERVICES AND FACILITIES
Police and Fire Protection
Criminal activity is higher in the vicinity of the Charlton-Pollard
neighborhood compared to the City of Beaumont. Violent crimes against
persons are 2®1 times more likely to occur in the general vicinity of the
neighborhood than throughout the entire city. Crimes against property
and personal crime are also considerably higher in proportion.
Table 4-1
CRIME IN THE CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD
Claself leation Number of Crimes More Likelihood
of Crime
Per Per In Neighborhood
Neighborhood l000 City 1000
Crimes Agaamt 156 32 1741 15 2.1 Times
persons:
Rape,Robbery,
Assault
Crimes Against 406 03 9262 78 1 1 Times
property:
Burglary,Theft,
Stolen Car,
Vandalism
Personal 120 25 2382 20 1 .3 Times
crimes:
'Abapons, Drugs,
Drunk/Disorderly
Police districts include Neighborhood 42,43,441/1983 Police Report
Based on the Planning Department 1984 Estimate of the Population
4.22 ie_er7�_l(07
The City of Beaumont Police Department assigns one patrol unit (1 or
2 officers in a car) to District 3, which includes the Charlton—Pollard
neighborhood. The district covers around 2 square miles with an
approximate population of 10-11 thousand residents. If necessary, two
additional police units provide overlapping protection to the area. A
total of 228 officers are employed by the City, providing a ratio of 1 .9
officers per 1000 residents. This is slightly higher than an average
standard of 1 .7 officers per 1000 persons.
Fire protection in the Charlton—Pollard neighborhood is adequate.
Fire Station number I is located on Sabine Pass Street just two blocks
west of the planning area. The farthest point from the station is
located 1 .4 miles away in the southea„tern corner of the neighborhood.
Fire Stations 3 and 11 also provide fire protection to the southern part
of the area and back—up service in the northern half.
Recreation
Recreational facilities in the neighborhood are basically confined
to Carroll Street Park located on the eastern boundary. Facilities and
equipment include a small clubhouse, tennis courts, softball fields,
playground equipment, and open playing fields . Many of the facilities in
the park are in generally poor condition, and it-. is also directly exposed
to the negative environmental and visual impacts of the Mobil Oil
Refinery. One other recreational area is a vacant lot located on the
interior of the neighborhood that has been converted into ballfields by
the residents. The lot is not maintained or operated by the City of
Beaumont.
4.23
Figure 4-12
BUS ROUTES SERVING
THE NEIGHBORHOOD-
1 TES
i
oo• 3 0 1161111- 46:Sefinory
K
I H
00000 #10: Buford
\(
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1"I , 0owntown ® North
.' IME INTERVALS
\ 30 Minutes
FUKIEN IL
d
ai
7 �
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If vAN ,I'a
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CHARLTON POLLARD
scale NEIGHBORHOOD
0 400 800 n 1)A Manning Department. City of eaurnont °'
Schools
Dunbar Elementary School is the only school located within the
neighborhood boundaries. It currently serves 430 students which
represents a very slight increase over 198 0's student population.
Previous to 1983 the school population had gradually declined. other
schools that serve students in the area are Crockett Jr. High School
approximately 3/4 of a mile away, and Beaumont Charlton—Pollard High
School approximately 2 miles to the north.
Health and Social Services
The closest health facility is located on Washington Blvd.
approximately a 1/2 mile west of the neighborhood, which is operated by
the City of Beaumont Health Department. No major hospitals are in close
proximity to the area, with all facilities at least 2 miles away.
The State of Texas Department of Human Resources has an office on
Pennsylvania about a 1/2 mile west of the neighborhood. A child care
facility is located within the area at Leiper and Schwarner, and has a
capacity of 119 children. The Charlton—Pollard nursery school is
operating at its authorized capacity and a waiting list remains. The
facility is operated as a non—profit organization, and is open to anyone
living in the city limits.
/ 63
4.25 )C_OV5�
Figure 4-13
DISTANCE OF PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES
FROM THE CENTER OF THE
CHARLTON—POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD
5
2 1
a 4
g
2 , 3
---- 11
+2 Miles 2 Mlles 1 MILE 1/2 MILE
1
1 Health Departments and Clinics 7 Elementary School
2 Hospitals 8 Jr. High School
3 Child Care a High School
4 Social Services 10 Park
t Police
8 Fire Station 11 Recreation Center
Source: Planning Department, City of Beaumont
4.26
SKETCH ANALYSIS
A sketch analysis is a pictorial layout reflecting the visual
impressions of an area as perceived while making observations around the
neighborhood. The sketch analysis of the Charlton-Pollard neighborood
was done by the Beaumont Planning Department.
Overall, the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood's appearance reflects a
condition of being economically and physically distressed. The
expenditure of over ten million dollars on improvements in the
neighborhood since 1976 has repaired several problems; however, several
basic problems of the neighborhood appear to have not been solved.
The Charlton-Pollard neighborhood's location within the city is
responsible for some of its problems. The neighborhood is enclosed on
three sides by heavy industrial land uses with no access in or out of the
neighborhood through these areas. The remaining side, the westside, is a
neighborhood overtaken by commercial uses that for the most part are
marginal and disruptive to residential neighborhoods.
Railroad traffic, auto, and truck traffic serving the surrounding
industry and commercial uses impacts the neighborhood tremendously.
Envirorunenally the industrial activities affect the neighborhood in terms
of air quality, noise, traffic, safety, hazardous materials and physical
appearance. The spin-off businesses serving the commercial and
industrial activities impact the neighborhood by locating inside the
neighborhood and provide little or no apparent services or benefits to
the neighborhood itself.
4.27
Non-conforming residential land use activities within the
neighborhood devalue the residential use of the nearby properties.
The results are abandonments, blighted structures, and unkept
properties which in turn affect other nearby properties. This trend has
aided in giving the neighorhood the quality of instability. Irving
Street, for example, as a whole is unstable and appears not able to
maintain most commercial uses, and therefore is at best a weak area for
commercial uses. The unstable effects of Irving Street are physically
apparent back to Pecan Street, creating an "edge zone" which is
undesirable for commercial or residential properties.
The lack of investors willing to improve and redevelop the
properties in the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood reflects the unstable
conditions of the neighborhood. The very low number of building permits
in the neighborhood compared to the rest of the city reflects the lack of
investment into the neighborhood. The overall appearance of the
neighborhood is physical deterioration reflecting instability.
The Charlton-Pollard neighborhood does appear to have a fairly
stable set of community facilities. Most of the streets are rebuilt even
through they are poorly organized; a major problem. The drainage
system and water lines have been improved. Many homes have been
rehabilitated and many blighted structures removed. Open space for park
activities is found in several locations in the neighborhood. The
Carroll Street Park, despite being poorly located at the edge of the
neighborhood and having poor access across a busy street, has been
4.28
improved to provide a wide range of neighborhood park services. In
addition, some social activities and services are returning to the
neighborhood, such as the new day care center.
The improvements to the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood need to keep
occuring; however, major changes will be needed to permanently stablize
the neighborhood. Investors will have to be willing to not just make
improvements, but to redevelop the neighborhood.
4.29
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Chapter Five
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
• issues, Goals, objectives
& Recommendations
• Development Concepts
NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN
The Neighborhood Plan, when adopted, will contain the official
statement of public goals, objectives, and recommendations by the City
Council of the City of Beaumont concerning desirable future development
in the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood. This plan is intended to guide
public and private decision making affecting all neighborhood
redevelopment efforts.
The Neighborhood Plan must be adopted by the City Council in order
to make it clear to the community that the plan does, in fact, represent
the official positions of the City Council. Adoption of the plan does
not mean that its goals, objectives, and recommendations will never be
changed. As conditions in the neighborhood change and new issues,
problems, or concerns come to the forefront, the City Council will have
to reconsider and maybe even alter its previous positions.
New information that becomes available will, in certain instances,
necessitate the need for revisions in the plan as some aspects may prove
to be unworkable or unrealistic. To ensure that the plan is kept current
and up-to-date and that it reflects the existing positions of the City
Council, it should be reviewed periodically.
There are substantive benefits associated with the periodic review
and adoption of the plan. Review serves to refresh the memories of the
City Council on the various provisions of the plan and to inform any new
5 . 1
Council members of its contents. Properly done, the review and amendment
procedure helps place the principal controversial issues of the preceding
year in perspective and encourages the members of the City Council to set
their sights on the major steps to be taken during the coming year to
carry out and implement the adopted goals, objectives, and
recommendations.
GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Goals and objectives are the cornerstone of any effective planning
process. Goals and objectives are needed to (1) provide direction to the
planning studies, (2) to identify specific areas of concern to be
researched and evaluated in the planning process, (3) to provide a
mechanism for reflecting public input, and (4) to provide for monitoring
and evaluating the success of implementation actions.
A distinction should be made between goals and objectives. For the
purposes of this plan, a goal is defined as a general expression of a
desired outcome while an objective is defined as a specific end to be
achieved through some form of action.
The process of formulating goals and objectives moves from the
general to the specific; first, general goals are formulated; then, after
base data is collected and analyzed, the goals and objectives are
refined, made more specific and adjusted to be more applicable to the
issues and needs that were identified during the preliminary research and
analysis phase of the planning process. Finally, in the advanced stages
of the planning process, recommendations are formulated which are
intended to provide a means of implementing specific goals and
objectives.
5 . 2
Figure 5-1 presents the preliminary goals, objectives, and
recommendations in tabular form. This technique demonstrates the
evolutionary aspects and relationships between specific goals,
objectives, and recommendations.
Figures 5-2 and 5-3 represent graphic Development Concepts that
relate to the goals, objectives and recommendations for the neighborhood.
These graphic representations were presented to the neighborhood
residents in two separate public hearings held in the neighborhood. The
neighborhood residents favored Development Concept One with some changes.
The Recommended Development Concept, Figure 5-4, includes the changes and
additions expressed by the neighborhood residents. As a supplement to
this plan the minutes from the two neighborhood meetings are added as an
appendix.
The Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood goals, objectives, and policies
for the Commercial Revitalization of the neighborhood are contained
within the Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood Conservation and Redevelopment
Plan . The City Council has directed that this Commercial Revitalization
Plan be a part of this Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood Plan. Attached as
an appendix are the goals, objectives and policies of the Commercial
Revitalization Plan, shown as Table 4-1.
5.3 �� �
IssuEs
GOALS
• uses of vacant land and resulting impacts on surrounding
property and the neighborhood
Direct the orderly arrangement of land uses into a
N • Residents dissatisfaction with the type, quantity, series of development pockets, selected on the basis
quality, and deterioration of commercial development of present land use conditions, that will be producti
• in stimulating new development and rehabilitation,
Figure 5-1 Z• Commercial encroachment into residential areas preserving the livability of the environment, and
enhancing the general character of the neighborhood
CHARLTON-POLLARD • A high rate of commercial vacancies
NEIGHBORHOOD
DEVELOPMENT _ Z S2 • The geneal app earance, organization and condition
Improve the quality of physical neighborhood element
PLAN co of the neighborhood such as housing, land uses, infrastrucutre, and natu
p • foliage, to acceptable levels while attaining a visu
• Improper upkeep and maintenance of the neighborhood appealing environment.
m
Issues, Goals, Objectives,
and Recommendations
Ensure an adequate number of decent, livable,
0 • Lack of housing maintenance visually appealing, and affordable housing units
• representing a wide variety of single-family and
0 • Presence of substandard or deteriorated housing multi-family units.
S
Z
Q • Excessive traffic and vehicular congestion on local provide a transportation network that ensures the se
neighborhood streets and undisrupted movement of pedestrians and vehicles
allows adequate access to general land use areas
O • Lack of sidewalks • (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) and
yindividual properties, and minimizes negative impact
Z (speeding, noise, congestion, etc.) to the neighborh
• Accessability to public transit system
F-
CITY OF BEAUMONT,
TEXASPromote the development of neighborhood related ret:
O • High rate of unemployment services (food stores, hardware, drug store, eating
Z • establishments, etc.) and labor intensive industry
U • Lack of neighborhood retail services providing employment opportunities for local resides
W
BEAUMONT PLANNING DEPARTMENT
co • Incidence of crime and public nuisances Ensure the provision of adequate public facilities
0)
(parks, library, etc.), services (police, fire, etc.
• and infrastructure (streets, water lines, drainage,
.j W • Flooding and open ditch drainage problems essential to the health, safety, and general welfare
U of the residents.
U. eg • Provision of new parks and upgrading of existing park facilities _ a
i
I
I OBJECTIVES L RECOMMENDATIONS
• Utilize vacant lands to their most productive potential
• Provide adequate quantities of land for non—residential development,
while impeding the encrochment of incompatabile land uses into residential areas. • Rezone the neighborhood to preserve stable residential areas and
encourage new residential and commercial development
• Increase the residential density of the neighborhood to 7 units per
acre of net residential land • Consolidate small vacant lots into more developable tracts of land
• Eliminate pockets of congested housing conditions. • Promote the development of a local neighborhood shopping district
• Improve individual lot and strdet scaping
• Initiate a landscaping program targeted at preserving healthy
• Improve the deteriorated quality of the neighborhood foliage and enhancing the visual quality of individual lots and
* the neighborhood
y • Improve and accentuate linear visual impacts of individual streets
• Remove trash, junk and debris from private and public property
and minimize the visual impact of obnoxious focal points
• Expand the use of trees and shrubery and the appropriate location of • Relocate utility lines underground and pipe open—ditch drainage
development as buffers between incompatible land uses • Intensify code enforcement activity
• Preserve a substantial proportion of the existing housing supply
and reduce the presence of hazardous structures • Support the continued allocation of rehabilitation funds to the area
• Increase the supply of new housing • Continue demolition activity where appropriate
• Provide adequate sized tracts of land for larger scale developments • Encourage the 4evelopment of low—cost housing targeted for low to
moderate income—families
• Increase new residential construction on vacant lots • Prepare on urban homesteading program intended to encourage residential development
• Designate a bike path system providing safety from automobile traffic uses
• Reduce traffic volumes and congestion on local neighborhood streets
• Eliminate hazardous street conditions • Improve the quality of existing sidewalks and lay new sections where necessary
• Provide an adequate bicycle and pedestrian system • Abandon streets that serve no useful purpose
• Identity streets that do not meet physical standards
• Improve accessability to the public bus system required by the City, and upgrade them to acceptable levels
• Build an access road to the Mobil Oil Refinery that by passes the neighborhood
• Increase the number and variety of neighborhood related businesses • Concentrate developable commercial lands
and services
• Target grant and loan programs to attract commercial and industrial business
• Maximize the potential for expanding employment opportunities to
neighborhood residents • Support the location of a foreign trade zone on the neighborhood periphery
• Solicit the location of neighborhood related business to the area
• Provide adequate infrastructure to stimulate new development • Initiate a series of meetings to inform residents about crime prevention programs
• Reduce crime and public nuisances • Install new infrastructure where needed, especially drainage and street lighting
• Upgrade the existing park and build an additional mini—park
• Provide adequate pack and recreational facilities
• Support the continued location of a school in the neighborhood
i
RECOMMENDATIONS
Land Use
Rezone the neighborhood to preserve stable residential areas and
encourage new commercial and residential development
The neighborhood should be rezoned to induce development to conform to
the neighborhood land use plan. A comprehensive study should be
conducted to determine the most feasible, yet effective zones to use, and
delineate zone boundaries. A diverse variety of properly located zones
will help preserve its residential character and be a catalyst for
redevelopment.
Consolidate small vacant lots into more developable tracts of land
The over--abundance of small vacant lots, scattered randomly throughout
the neighborhood, are not capable of sustaining substantial
redevelopment. The city has to provide the initiative to consolidate a
number of these properties into larger developable tracts of land. This
can be accomplished by direct acquisition of properties by the city, or
the promotion of incentives to stimulate private endeavors.
Promote the development of a neighborhood shopping center district
The city should actively solicit the placement of a neighborhood shopping
center in close proximity to the neighborhood and individual residences.
A supermarket and drug store are desirable establishments to be located
in the center. Other smaller specialty shops meeting the residents'
needs are also recommended. Special financing programs (loans, grants,
tax breaks, etc.) , property acquisition arrangements, and capital
infrastructure projects should be employed to attract prospective
developers and tenants.
Urban Design
Initiate a landscaping program targeted at preserving healthy foliage,
screening visually obnoxious land uses, and enchanting the general
quality of individual lots and the neighborhood
The program would incorporate a number of separate projects. An
informational "do—it—yourself" landscaping brochure should be made
available to all city residents. An extensive tree planting and care
campaign should be initiated. Specific landscaping projects should also
be designed for sections of the neighborhood needing substantial work.
5 . 4
Remove trash, junk, and debris from private and public property
The City of Beaumont should work with neighborhood residents, property
owners, and organizations to arrange a clean—up campaign. The city
should provide adequate equipment and personal to effectively support the
program.
Relocate utility lines underground and pipe open—ditch drainage
Telephone, electric, and cable television lines should be installed
underground when either they are replaced or new development occurs. The
open—ditch drainage system needs to be replaced with an underground,
piped system.
Intensify code enforcement activity
Active code enforcement should be specifically targeted in the area for
an effective period of time. Special attention should be given to the
clean—up and maintainance of vacant lots, and code violations
attributable to non—conforming land uses.
Housing
Support the continued allocation of rehabilitation funds to the area
The City of Beaumont currently administers a housing rehabilitation loan
program. Funding for the program should be continued and modified to
meet the needs of potential participants.
Prepare an urban homesteading program directed at encouraging residential
development and rehabilitation
Unutilized vacant lots and abandoned buildings would be acquired by the
City of Beaumont. Ownership should be transfered to persons agreeing to
either build or rehabilitate a dwelling on the property and live on said
property for a number of years. Grant and loan programs (Innovative
Housing Development Corporation, CDBG funds) should be used to supplement
the program. Special attention should be given to low to moderate income
families.
Encourage the development of low cost housing targeted to low to
moderate income families
The city should endorse cluster housing and attached single family units
as the prefered development in multi—family zones. This can reduce the
cost of construction. Costs can be further reduced by using alternative
construction methods .
Continue demolition activity where appropriate
The city should continue to monitor the condition of housing and remove
unsafe structures.
Transportation
Designate a bike path system providing safety from automobile traffic
uses
A bike path system should be designated to provide linkage between Dunbar
Elementary School, Carroll Street Park, a proposed mini-park, and other
major activity nodes. Special signs and/or markings should be placed on
designated streets.
Improve the quality of existing sidewalks, and install new sidewalk where
necessary
Repair or replace deficient sections of sidewalk and install new sections
of sidewalk to provide continuity of the pedestrian system. Sidewalks
serving pedestrian traffic to the school should be given first priority.
Abandon streets that serve no useful purpose
Streets that do not provide direct access to private properties, are not
essential for traffic curriculation, and pose hazardous conditions should
be abandoned as public roadway. The property should either be used for
other city purposes, sold, or transfered to abutting landowners.
Build an access road to the Mobil Oil Refinery that by passes the
neighborhood
Washington Blvd. should be extended east across the Kansas City Southern
Railroad tracks, and parallel the southern neighborhood boundary into the
Mobil Oil Refinery. This will provide direct access to the plant from
Spur 380, which is to be expanded in the near future. The neighborhood
would benefit by reducing Mobil generated traffic through the residential
interior.
Economic
Concentrate developable commercial lands
A small neighborhood convenience retail area and a larger commercial
shopping center district need to be located in areas with traffic
volumes capable of supporting the respective developments. The
intersection of two highly traveled streets is preferable, especially for
a shopping center site. Strip commercial development and "spot"
commercial uses should be discouraged.
5 . 6 j4w:J' _3,67'
Target grant and loan programs to attract commercial and industrial
business
Commercial rehabilitation loans, Urban Development Action Grants (UDAG) ,
and Community Development Block Grant funds (CDBG) , as well as other city
funding sources should be used to attract business and industry.
Support the location of a Foreign Trade Zone on the neighborhood
periphery
The Port of Beaumont has applied for a Foreign Trade Zone designation.
Considerable acres of the land designated for the zone directly abutt the
Charlton—Pollard neighborhood. Because such a zone attracts industry and
employment opportunities, the city should support its development.
Solicit the location of neighborhood related business to the area.
The City of Beaumont and local civic organizations have to actively seek
potential business and industry that may consider locating in the
neighborhood.
Facilities, Services, and Infrastructure
Initiate a series of meetings to inform residents about crime prevention
programs
The Beaumont Police Department should conduct periodic meetings on public
crime prevention programs at a neighborhood site.
Install new infrastructure where needed, especially drainage and street
lighting
Water lines, sewer lines, utility lines and other infrastructure should
be adequate enough to handle any new development. Drainage problems and
street lighting deficiencies need to be remedied.
Upgrade the existing park and recreational facilities and build an
additional mini—park
Carroll Street Park needs some physical and environmental deficiencies
correcting, such as the replacement of old equipment or provision of
additional fixtures, and visual screening from the Mobil Oil Plant. A
small mini—park should also be located in the southwest section of the
neighborhood.
Support the continued location of a school in the neighborhood
The location of a neighborhood school is one of the most important
considerations for persons wanting to locate in a neighborhood. Dunbar
5 . 7 146
elementary school is the only school remaining in the neighborhood today.
Every effort should be made to maintain its function as a school.
cc
5 . 8 �, �r"��►�
APPENDIX
* MINUTES
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
STARLIGHT BAPTIST CHURCH
1090 BUFORD STREET
JULY 16, 1985 - 7:00 P.M.
A Neighborhood Meeting at Starlight Baptist Church was held
on July 16, 1985 at 7:00 P.M. with the following present:
Citizens Advisory Committee Members:
Raymond Chaison, and Olivia Gonzales.
CITY STAFF:
Polk C. Curtiss, Jr. , CDBG Administrator; Jerone Bassett, CDBG
Planner; Henry Brown, CDBG Planner, Ronnie Gipson, Human Resource
Planner; Sherell J. Cockrell., Community Development Senior
Director; Kirt Anderson, CDBG Neighborhood Planner; and
Jim Batten, Economic Development Planner.
000
A Neighborhood Meeting at Starlight Baptist Church was held to
review the First Neighborhood Plan Developed Specifically for
the Property Owners and Residents of the Charlton-Pollard
Neighborhood,
000
Polk C. Curtiss, Jr. , opened the neighborhood meeting and
introduced City Staff and Citizens Advisory Committee members.
Kirt Anderson, CDBG Neighborhood. Planner, gave a slide
presentation of the surrounding Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood.
CITIZENS COMMENTS
Gerald Henry - 1645 Verone - I 'm interested in applying for
the Rental Rehab Program for my two rental houses.
Benjamin Booker - 1230 Amarillo - I would like to see a
historical marker put in the Charlton-Pollard area
to restore it.
Lester Holmes - 1275 Doucette - I 'm interested in the demographics
of the Charlton-Pollard area.
A-1
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RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT
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NEIGHBORHOOD c,
1985
0 4 / Planning Department, City of Beaumont
APPENDIX
* MINUTES
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
STARLIGHT BAPTIST CHURCH
1090 BUFORD STREET
JULY 16, 1985 - 7:00 P.M.
A Neighborhood Meeting at Starlight Baptist Church was held
on July 16, 1985 at 7:00 P.M. with the following present:
Citizens Advisory Committee Members:
Raymond Chaison, and Olivia Gonzales.
CITY STAFF:
Polk C. Curtiss, Jr. , CDBG Administrator; Jerone Bassett, CDBG
Planner; Henry Brown, CDBG Planner, Ronnie Gipson, Human Resource
Planner; Sherell J. Cockrell., Community Development Senior
Director; Kirt Anderson, CDBG Neighborhood Planner; and
Jim Batten, Economic Development Planner.
000
A Neighborhood Meeting at Starlight Baptist Church was held to
review the First Neighborhood Plan Developed Specifically for
the Property Owners and Residents of the Charlton-Pollard
Neighborhood,
000
Polk C. Curtiss, Jr. , opened the neighborhood meeting and
introduced City Staff and Citizens Advisory Committee members.
Kirt Anderson, CDBG Neighborhood. Planner, gave a slide
presentation of the surrounding Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood.
CITIZENS COMMENTS
Gerald Henry - 1645 Verone - I 'm interested in applying for
the Rental Rehab Program for my two rental houses.
Benjamin Booker - 1230 Amarillo - I would like to see a
historical marker put in the Charlton-Pollard area
to restore it.
Lester Holmes - 1275 Doucette - I 'm interested in the demographics
of the Charlton-Pollard area.
Neighborhood Meeting
Starlight Baptist Church
1090 Buford Street
Page 2
CITIZENS COMMENTS
Cleveland Nisby - 4520 Corley - In the Charlton-Pollard area
there is too much truck traffic going into the residents.
I am opposed to any industrial development in the Charlton-
Pollard Area.
Raymond Chaison - 1130 Lamar - In this area we would like it to
stay residential and not commercial. I am opposed to any
industrial development where the old Charlton-Pollard
School resided on Carroll -Street.
Rudolph P. Antoine - 4640 St. Louis - Address social issues to
do something about the quality of life. It's fine to
have a beautiful outward physical appearance but, 'what
about the high crime rates.
Harvey L. Como - 1930 Chev Street - We need police patrol on
Irving Street because the company on Irving Street stops
moving traffic far hours talking to one another. We also
need a single housing place for low income family's.
James E. Minix - There need to be projects that would improve
the quality of life that will work in conjunction with
the physical improvements. Business people won't invest
in this neighborhood just look at the crime rate.
ADDITIONAL CITIZENS COMMENTS
Need satellite police and fire stations within our
neighborhood.
Need to extend the Residential/Commercial land uses
along the entire length of Irving Street.
There being no other business the meeting adjourned at 9:30 .PM.
A-2 ��
O&X
APPENDIX
* MINUTES
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH
799, PORTER STREET
JULY 18, 1985 - 7:00 PM
A Neighborhood Meeting at Blessed Sacrament Church was held
on July 18, 1985 at 7:00 PM with the following present:
Citizens Advisory Committee Members:
Herman Rogers, Chairman, Raymond Chaison, and Oliva Gonzales.
CITY STAFF:
Jerone Bassett, CDBG Planner, Henry Brown, CDBG Planner, Kirt
Anderson, CDBG Neighborhood Planner, and Sherell J. Cockrell,
Community Development Senior Director.
000
A Neighborhood Meeting at Blessed Sacrament Church was held to
review the First Neighborhood Plan Developed Specifically for
the Property Owners and Residents of the Charlton-Pollard
Neighborhood.
000
Jerone Bassett opened the neighborhood meeting and introduced
City Staff and Citizens Advisory Committee members. Kirt
Anderson, CDBG Neighborhood Planner, .gave a slide presentation
of the surrounding Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood.
CITIZENS COMMENTS
Lester A. Holmes - 1275 Doucette Ave. - In the Charlton-Pollard
Neighborhood we need to find access road to the Mobil Oil
Refinery for 18 wheelers to reduce truck traffic volumes
and noise control.
Joseph Laday - 1092 Doucette - What method is used to by pass
industrial traffic on Carroll Street?
Welton Owens - 450 Hemlock - In my neighborhood I have deteriorated
houses that need to be demolished.
Neighborhood Meeting
Blessed Sacrament Church
799 Porter Street
Page 2
Ruth White — 2295 Hemlock - We need in our neighborhood a mini-
park for senior:''citizens'. In the Charlton-Pollard
neighborhood we need pedestrian street crossing from
Buford Street to Dunbar Elementary for the children attending
the school. Need Senior Citizens Housing.
There being no other business the meeting was adjourned at 9:30 PM.
`6
A-4 '""' .(
Table 4- 1 APPENDIX
RELATIONSHIP OF GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES
Goals Objectives Policies
Comm rcial development in the neigh-
borhood shall be permitted only
with a specific use permit and
site plan approval.
Improve the facades and exteriorCode enforcement shall be expanded
appearance of comet rcial buildings. and commercial development sha 11
be required to meet all codes and
ordinances.
The City shall provide technical
assistance, loans and grants for
facade and structural improvements.
The zoning ordinance shall be re-
vised by developing a special
zoning district designed exclusively
to accommodate neighborhood con-
venience retail and service uses.
Limit commercial development to Commercial land shall 6e rezoned
compatible neighborhood convenience in accordance with the Charlton-
retail and service kinds of stores. Pollard Neighborhood Conservation
••. .e and Redevelopment Plan.
improve-the gwlftyr pltysieal�`ap-
pearantejand caapatthl Iffy of Commercial development shall be
commercial development.- required to provide a landscaped
buffer strip to protect abutting
residential development.
The zoning ordinance shall be re-
Eliminate incompatible adult nuisance vised by developing a special
uses and nonconforming uses from the zoning district designed exclusively
neighborhood. to accommodate neighborhood con-
venience retail and service uses.
The City shall provide loans and
grants for landscaping and general
Improve and beautify the physical site beautification improvements.
appearance of commercial sites and The zoning ordinance shall be re-
the streetscape, vised to require landscaping of
off-street parking areas.
The street lighting system shall
�� be improved and upgraded.
(V 1
V 11 Police service to the neighborhood
hhhNNN shall be expanded.
r Technical assistance, information,
Promote tiro hNltfi'sow aataty ai Reduce crime and vice in the and education shall be provided
residents tdnaimatrt`and hues t - neighborhood, to the business all be in
People in the nefghirorhood order to discourage criminal
activity.
Improvements to municipal services
which impact crime and facilities
such as lighting shall be provided.
The City shall provide assistance
in the formation of a merchants'
association which can participate
with other community organizations
to upgrade the nature and quality
" `' r•4,. Increase the number and quality of of commercial operations.
Promote gwlity andgwntfty.� commercial businesses in the neigh-
oomrarciel growth and developaent ;, boyhood and to achieve the moderns- The City shall make,available tech
in the neighborhood. nation and expansion of existing nical market data which demonstrates
z .-- convenience stores. local investment opportunities.
The City shall provide operating
assistance loans and grants.
The City shall work with lending
institutions to encourage commercial
loans in the neighborhood.
fcpalion he City shall establish a Neighbor-
ood Planning Commission to be
esponsible for the annual updating
100rove comauni ty eememmitatiea Establish a Neighborhood Planning f the Neighborhood Plan and to
and interaction in the"eighb000w. Commission and provide financial rovide for expanded citizen parti-
assistance to local action groups. i in governmental decisions
ffecting the area.
The City shall provide seed money,
meeting facilities, and Staff ass is Lance to local action groups.
Streets shall be upgraded in the
neighborhood in accordance with
Improve access to commercial minimum standards and a functional
development. classification System.
leOrove
the Wlf vao-• gu A sidewalk improvement program shall
q tyr'oawityamd be established to serve commercial
efficiency of public facilities.
and services supporting cgmeercial development.
derelapment in the neighborhood, anitary sewer,water and storm
Improve the utilities serving the drainage facilities shall be improved
neighborhood. in accordance with the proposals
of the Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood
Conservation and Redevelopment Plan.
The City shall establish a comner-
vsa;.:,r e cial loan program to finance energy
rt Entourage and hl'o'oteener4y epa Reduce ener conservation and efficiency improve-
servatton and e�flcienry for 9Y consumption and lower ments.
aercial development" uti H ty bills for businesses in the
_ neighborhood. The City working with Gulf States
Utilities shall provide technical
assistance to the local business
community.
A-5