TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: W. Calvin Horton, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Public Forum on Findings and Recommendations of the Mobility Assessment of the Northside Neighborhood Report
DATE: June 20, 2005
The Council is holding this Public Forum to hear citizen comments on the findings and recommendations of the Mobility Assessment of the Northside Neighborhood Report (Attachment 1).
This memorandum reviews the findings and recommendations of the Report and includes recommendations from Town Advisory Boards. After the Council receives citizen comments tonight, we will prepare a draft proposal for implementing recommendations for Council consideration on September 26, 2005.
Chapel Hill contracted with North Carolina Prevention Partners to prepare the Mobility Assessment of the Northside Neighborhood Report through the Town’s Active Living By Design Grant program. Prevention Partners is a non-profit group involved in promoting public health initiatives.
The Active Living By Design program is intended to promote more active lifestyles among Town residents through education, programming and improvements to the physical environment. Expanded opportunities for physical activity can improve health and encourage the use of alternative modes of transportation such as walking and bicycling.
The goal of the Northside Report was to identify barriers to mobility within the neighborhood and recommend ways to increase opportunities for neighborhood residents to be more active.
The Report was submitted to the Council in early 2005. The Council referred the Report to Town Advisory Boards on February 28, 2005.
The Assessing Barriers to Mobility in the Northside Neighborhood Report provides an overview of the health challenges posed by the lack of physical activity.
The Report summarizes the results of a physical assessment of pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the Northside neighborhood. The Report identifies areas within Northside that need sidewalk repair or the construction of new facilities. The Report also identifies areas where the speed of traffic might create safety problems for pedestrians. This assessment was completed by staff from North Carolina Prevention Partners.
We address below the specific recommendations of the Report. All of the recommendations included in the tables are drawn directly from the Report prepared by North Carolina Prevention Partners.
1. Repair and Construction of Sidewalks
The table below includes a summary of portions of incomplete sidewalk sections and those recommended for improvement.
Northside Report Recommendations for Improvements to Existing Sidewalks
|
Church Street |
Uneven sidewalks need to be leveled at driveway and street entrances |
|
Rosemary Street |
-Fix broken sidewalk between Columbia & Pritchard Streets - Complete sidewalk on both sides of Rosemary Street: Parts are missing along the north side of street between Columbia & Pritchard Streets, next to Church Street, and in front of Tate Realty Parts are missing along the south side between N. Roberson Street and Sunset Drive |
|
Caldwell Street |
Cut back vegetation growing over sidewalks from ground and trees |
Preliminary Comment: Town staff meets on a quarterly basis to monitor issues related to pedestrian facilities within the community. The working group includes representatives from Planning, Engineering and Public Works. We recommend referring this list of projects to that working group to coordinate and help prioritize sidewalk repairs and how best to implement those repairs. The Public Works Department will remove vegetation as warranted after working with property owners.
The Report also includes recommendations for additional sidewalks listed in the table below.
Northside Report Recommendations for Additional Sidewalks
|
Whitaker Street |
Need sidewalk on one side of street - many kids use this street to get to Hargraves - parents are concerned for their safety |
|
Sykes Street |
Need sidewalk along east side of road |
|
Rosemary Street |
Need sidewalks on both sides of street - High levels of pedestrian and vehicular traffic |
|
Sunset Drive |
Room for sidewalk along east side of road |
Preliminary Comment: We agree that the construction of new sidewalks would result in improved mobility within the Northside neighborhood. The Town’s 2004-2005 sidewalk construction program does include funding for sidewalk improvements along Rosemary Street, including the areas recommended in the Report. Sidewalk construction priorities are developed by Town staff from the list of sidewalk projects approved by the Council in the Town’s 2004 Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. Rosemary Street and Sykes Street are included in the list of possible sidewalk projects, while Sunset Drive and Whitaker Street are not. We recommend that these streets be included in the list of projects to be evaluated for funding in the 2005-2006 fiscal year.
We are aware that there are differences of opinion among residents of Northside about the type and location of new sidewalks within the community. Given the small size of residential lots within Northside the provision of new sidewalks along certain properties might have a negative impact on those properties. Providing sidewalks might result in the loss of front yards, increased slopes and conflicts with landscaping. Residents also have raised concerns about the possible increase in loitering outside their homes that might result from the construction of new sidewalks. We will continue to work with Northside residents and property owners to develop improvement to pedestrian facilities that are acceptable.
The Report also identifies several locations for the provision of cross walks.
Northside Report Recommendations for Crosswalks
Intersection |
Reason |
Whitaker and NorthRoberson Streets |
- Many children cross at this intersection to and from Hargraves Center and home- Area can be dark at night |
Rosemary andRoberson Streets |
- Existing intersection is poorly designed- Many residents cross here when attending church and to access Franklin Street |
Preliminary Comment: We recommend that these items be referred to the Town’s Traffic Engineer for evaluation.
2. Streetlight Improvements
The Report recommended the following locations for streetlighting improvements.
Northside Report Recommendations Areas for Improved Lighting
|
Street |
Reason |
|
Rosemary Street |
All of Rosemary should be well-lit. |
|
Sykes Street |
Area needs more lighting because many people walk along street. |
|
Whitaker Street |
Area needs more lighting because many people walk along street. |
|
Sunset Drive |
Sunset Drive & Starlight Streets is a high-crime area. |
|
Lindsay Street |
Corner of Mitchell and Lindsay Streets is dark. |
Preliminary Comment: The Town has previously prepared assessments of lighting needs with the Northside community. Staff from the Public Works and Police Department regularly meet to identify lighting improvements, including the location of burnt out lights and possible provision of additional lighting. We recommend that the Public Works Department prepare an assessment of the areas recommended for street lighting improvements.
3. Public Safety Improvements
The Report included the following public safety improvements.
Northside Report Recommendations to Improve Public Safety
|
People loitering in streets |
More police presence in west side of neighborhood |
|
Drug dealing |
More police presence in west side of neighborhood Residents of Sunset Drive are concerned about people hanging out and selling drugs. Residents identified Sykes Street and Whitaker Street as areas that are targets of drug dealers.
|
|
Emergency call buttons needed |
· Nunn Alley · Corner of Sykes and Whitaker Streets · Outside the Hargraves Center – after hours, no phone available for emergencies |
|
Abandoned Houses |
Need to renovate & sell houses or board up properly |
Preliminary Comment: The Police Department continues to monitor conditions in the Northside community and develop responses to improve public safety. A working group of staff from the Police, Planning, Public Works and Inspections Departments have been meeting on a regular basis to discuss issues in the Northside community. We have forwarded the findings and recommendations of the Northside Report to the Police Department for consideration and a report.
The Town’s Inspections Department is engaged in a continuing program to identify abandoned houses and cars within the Northside neighborhood and to take corrective actions. We have provided the Inspections Department with the observations of the Report and they will review the locations identified and report findings and actions.
We will review the comments made at tonight’s Forum and prepare revised recommendations for the Council’s consideration on September 26, 2005.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Housing and Community Development Advisory Board: (Attachment 2) The Housing and Community Development Advisory Board voted 5-0 to recommend that the Town move forward with the recommendations of the Report.
Greenways Commission: (Attachment 3) The Commission noted that the Report does not adequately address the current Tanyard Branch Trail. The Commission also noted that the study area of the proposed phase 3 Bolin Creek Trail project could bring a major paved trail connection to Northside.
Planning Board: (Attachment 4) The Board voted 7-0 to forward the following recommendations to the Council.
Preliminary Comment: We agree that input from the residents of the area is important when considering the provision of new sidewalks or crosswalks. Chapel Hill Police have carried out a range of programs to provide increased safety in the Northside area including all of the techniques recommended by the Planning Board. We will forward the recommendations to the Police for consideration. The Town Inspections Department has been active in identifying abandoned houses and taking corrective actions. We expect these efforts to continue.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board: (Attachment 5) The Board gave general support to the Report and the three highest recommendations, including improved lighting, additional sidewalks and repair of existing sidewalks, and improved safety. The Board recommended use of Community Development Block Grant funds to implement the recommendations of the Report. The Board noted that the recommended sidewalk improvements in the Report should be included in the Town’s larger list of improvements evaluated for funding.
Preliminary Comment: The Town has utilized Community Development funds when possible to provide pedestrian improvements. We will continue to evaluate eligible projects for funding. We agree that the projects identified in the Report should be included in the Town list of projects to be evaluated for funding in 2005-2006.
Transportation Board: The Transportation Board has not yet developed a recommendation on the Report. The Board is expected to complete their review of the Report in August, 2005.
Active Living By Design Advisory Board: The Transportation Board has not yet developed a recommendation on the Report. The Board is expected to complete their review of the Report in August, 2005.
Manager’s Preliminary Recommendation: We have offered preliminary recommendations in our comments above and will take into account comments from citizens, advisory boards, and the Council as we prepare a final report for the Council’s consideration in September.
1. Housing and Community Development Advisory Board Recommendation (p. 7).
2. Greenways Commission Recommendation (p. 8).
3. Planning Board Recommendation (p. 9).
4. Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board Recommendation (p. 10).
5. Assessing Barriers to Mobility in the Northside Neighborhood Report (begin new page 1).