Castleberry Hill

Meeting Notes - Steering Commitee May 2000 (1st)

4th Meeting

Meeting Minutes
Castleberry Hill Master Plan

Participants:
Kate Siegel
Jerry Hoy
David Butler
Herman J. Russell
Bill Bounds
Jim Schneider
Bruce Gallman

Prepared by:
Michael Hodge

Re:
4th Meeting at Bill Bound’s loft
Castleberry Hill Design Guidelines Steering Committee

Meeting Date:
5-02-00

Agenda:
Discussion of revisions from prior meeting.

The following items were discussed:

Butler distributed a map and a draft of committee recommendations and there was discussion.

The map showed the 70 foot height zone along Northside proposed in the previous meeting. The east boundary of the proposed zoned showed three possible lines proposed at the last meeting.

Schneider said the group needed to pick one of the lines.

Russell said he had studied the site with his architect, and felt like 300 feet was a safe number, and would leave 500 feet to Walker.

Schneider said the depth to Walker was narrower at one point to another-it pinched. He said he could live with 250.

Bounds said if the buildings were allowed to sit back (from Northside) it would encourage parking in the front. The narrower zone would encourage it to be flipped with the buildings on Northside.

Russell said he wanted to set back 6,7, or 8 feet for street cafes.

Bounds said that would enhance the appearance from the street.

Bounds said this was an opportunity to widen the sidewalk.

The group went through the draft one at a time.

Schneider said he had spoken with Rachel Conway who owned land on Whitehall and invited her to participate. She said she was happy with the I-1 zoning and didn’t want to sell anything or develop anything.

The group dwelled on a statement about the displacement of residents

Schneider said that in the past there were many single family detached residences in the Neighborhood, whereas today there are only a few. It almost seems we should go back and say single family is out of context today.

The group decided to phrase displacement as encourage a diverse population.

The three height zones in Subarea 2 – 70, 50, and 40 were discussed and approved. Anything north of Nelson along Northside would be 50 feet.

It was agreed that the recommendation for measuring height would be to the roof rather than the parapet, because a developer would not be interested in building a tall parapet at his economic expense.

Russell asked whether pitched roofs would be appropriate. Schneider and Bounds said it seemed so.

The discussion turned to sidewalks and how to make them wider.

Bounds stated the developer should be required to put in a sidewalk if he isn’t already.

Schneider said the group should see if a pedestrian space plan could be applied to the neighborhood.

Bounds asked if having buildings set back varying distances along Walker was appropriate.

Kate said Denver and Wichita require a continuous front, and Bounds said it would look goofy otherwise.

The group decided the continuous line of facades was important.

Gallman said if you had a long frontage you could step back a little without looking awkward. Bradbury can’t have a sidewalk. He said if there was one generous sidewalk in the neighborhood people could use it.
Fair should have a sidewalk.

Bounds proposed if the frontage was over 200 feet the sidewalk could be wider.

Gallman said why not say if a setback was going to be used it should be sidewalk, otherwise the building had to align with the others.

Butler proposed the neighborhood ultimately have its own pedestrian space plan.

Schneider stated it was important to keep townhouse or suburban type developments in Subarea 1.

Butler said one way to do it would be to require a certificate of appropriateness from the UDC. It wasn’t necessary for this group to go into exhaustive detail but the UDC or planning department would write the actual chapter. Are there any thoughts on zoning mechanism.

Siegel said she understood that a Landmark District called for a view of everything. For a Historic District a certificate could be required only for specially defined things

Schneider said he thought if transitions zones were Landmark you could do historic types of things to relieve the burden on people.

Gallman said we are talking just about Subarea 1.

Bounds said he thought it should be a Historic District.

Schneider said he thought Landmark.

Gallman said it didn’t make a difference to him.

Kate said she thought Subarea 1 should be Landmark.

Russell said Northside drive was not historic at all.

Kate said we should get guidance from the UDC.

Gallman said parking lots for hire could be prohibited.

Butler said the neighborhood had a need for parking.

Gallman said it could be excepted for neighborhood use with careful wording. There should be no parking pressure from other areas on subarea 1.

Russell said why penalized yourself if you don’t have to.

Bounds suggested no big box retail.

Gallman suggested if there is retail the customer entrance be on the street.