TOWN PARKING LOT NUMBER 2 FOCUS GROUPS: DISCUSSION NOTES

Group Discussion Leader: Josh Gurlitz

February 16

• Connection between Rosemary and Franklin Streets
  
• North-south connection
  
• Concentration off people in East Franklin Street
  
• West Franklin has more open space
  
• Need grocery stores
  
• Land use: Rail-transport
• ation depot; link to Triangle
  
• How do we attract business with no parking?
  
• Parking: Keep spaces?
  
• Underground parking is not visible -- need signs
  
• Encourage public transportation
  
• Increase intensity
  
• Increase parking
  
• Better standards of underground parking
  
• Force use of cut-throughs, gateways by parking
  
• Public valet system?
  
• Automobile elevator
  
• Comments on entire site:
  
• Pedestrian bridges
  
• Reconnecting sidewalks
  
• Dress up street
  
• Parking decks
  
• Crosswalks
  
• Context/larger environment
  
• Gateways
  
• Lot 2
  
• Ownership attitude
  
• Garbage collection done in alleys
  
• 150' by 300'
• Put back parking and more
  
• Commitment of public to enhance Rosemary Street
  
• Making area more inviting; example: parking deck
  
• Providing leadership to start process
• Grocery store? No
  
• Maintain access through alley
  
• Retail/restaurant
  
• Outdoor space -- share with alley
  
• Shopping, offices, residential parking
  
• Underground parking -- uses, scale
  
• Replace 86 spaces
  
• Underground parking
  
• 25,000 square feet of retail at street-level
  
• 25,000 square feet of office (second level)
  
• Third-fifth floors: Residential
  
• 214 spaces to support program
  
• Street façade relates to surrounding buildings
  

Summary: Entire Site

• Gateways: connection between commercial and res.
  
• Underground parking
  
• Increase intensity, increase parking
  
• Alleyway throughout downtown
  
• Pedestrian/service connection
  
• Connect residential/commercial
  
• Bicycle path

March 23

Consistency with Feb 16 Ideas

• Make atrium wider, give apartments views to outside and inside
  
• Add a pedestrian bridge across the mall to connect residential areas
  

Other Ideas

• Smaller studio residential units
  
• Street-level entrances to residential units
  
• Consider 2-story residential units
  
• Make underground garage more open to street
  
• On Rosemary Street side, add structure (pergola, trellis) to pedestrian walkway
  
• On sidewalks, locate green strip between street and sidewalk
  
• Add pedestrian access from garage area to pedestrian walkway
  
• Differentiate storefronts/individual facades/break up mass
  
• Add pitched roof to upper stories; alternate with flat roof for variety
  
• Add stairs from pedestrian walkway to bridge crossing Rosemary Street
  
• The new building to the east should have a distinct design
  
• Western building, first floor could be used for grocery
  
• Scale: include pitched roof, bring scale down; generally scale is OK
  
• Uses: mixture of housing
  
• Impact on neighborhood: positive, including foot traffic, visually enhance Rosemary Street
  
• Building height: OK
  
• Parking: OK; below grade (225 spaces)
  
• Open space: good: it circulates
  
• Architectural style/materials: brick, vary facades, different size windows, awnings, pergolas, pitched roof, signage, stone walls
  
• Public art: pedestrian walkways, pedestrian bridge
  
• Parking: could be used for special events
  

Group Discussion Leader: Bob Reda

February 16

Notes from Group Discussion

• Open spaces: why people use or don't use
  
• Homeless problem -- sense of safety issue. Parking lots don't provide a safe feeling; Parking Lot 2 is safe and open
  
• Another use for the top of the existing parking deck; the space is not used or advertised, not a destination
  
• Parking Lot Number 5 should have better signage; it is under-utilized
  
• Take away the turning lane on 100 block of West Franklin Street and put in on-street parking
  
• Panhandling is a problem on East Franklin; Town could move shelter away from downtown and convert shelter space into retail, which may improve Rosemary Street
  
• Why take Lot #2 away if it is so well-used?
  
• Clean up business on Rosemary Street (for example the Treehouse) will encourage people to go down there, but what would be the initiative?
  
• Parking in Lot Number 5 should be based on a fee, not metered, which could increase usage
  
• What retailers would come downtown when there is now such a lack in parking?
  
• A grocery store is needed, but that leads to more parking
  
• Added residential leads to need for more stores (of all kinds)
  
• Downtown may feel more secure with the increased density
  
• Residential over commercial/office
• North/south connection
  
• Viability of retail on West Franklin Street
  
• Need link for rail downtown
  
• Celebration/gathering area
  
• Area with enclosure downtown
  
• Integration of mixed-use
  
• Look at areas where a small amount of work would bring large benefits

Note: Only one Lot 2 focus group met on March 23