City hides alternate widening of Independence Blvd

[PACMAN]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/0 ... scale.html

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/03/23/1331203/state-didnt-share-plans-to-scale.html

City didn't share plans to scale back road work
Some residents upset the public had been unaware of proposal for Independence Blvd.
By Steve Harrison
sharrison@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Tuesday, Mar. 23, 2010

A state proposal to scale back reconstruction of Independence Boulevard - to possibly lessen impact on nearby homes and businesses - wasn't shared with the public before it was rejected, angering some residents and one state representative.

In December, the N.C. Department of Transportation proposed to city officials that instead of transforming Independence into an expressway from Albemarle Road to Conference Drive as planned, it could spend the $172 million to make smaller improvements all the way to Interstate 485.

That proposal would have made Independence a "super street," according to Barry Moose, a division engineer with the N.C. Department of Transportation. Some traffic lights would have remained, which would slow traffic.

Moose said N.C. Transportation Secretary Gene Conti proposed the plan because residents are concerned about the negative impacts of converting Independence to an expressway. He said Conti didn't want the city to think the N.C. DOT was forcing an expressway onto east Charlotte.

"We said, 'We don't want to force this down your throat,'" Moose said.

The stretch of Independence from uptown to Albemarle Road was converted into an expressway more than a decade ago, and has since suffered the failure of several shopping centers. Some residents believe it accelerated east Charlotte's decline.

Moose said the city of Charlotte staff ruled out the "super street" option. He said he was surprised the city didn't float the idea by the public.

State Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Democrat who represents Matthews, said she asked the city to discuss the scaled-back plan with residents.

"I was shocked and disappointed," Cotham said. "That isn't the way to govern. The public has no idea about this."

Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx, who attended the meeting when Conti proposed the "super street" plan, tasked city staff with working with the N.C. DOT to review what's best for Independence.

Following original plan

The Charlotte City Council heard a presentation Monday night in which the city's transportation department recommended moving forward with the original plan for Independence between Albemarle and Conference roads. That would convert the 1.5-mile stretch into an expressway without stoplights. It would also extend lanes reserved for buses only.

Norm Steinman of the Charlotte Department of Transportation said city staff and the N.C. DOT decided earlier this year they wanted to stay with the original plan. The task force agreed to tweak the expressway plan to possibly include a roundabout at the Idlewild Road ramp and lengthening the bridges.

Nancy Carter, who represents east Charlotte, said there had been numerous "staff to staff" meetings about Independence and the scaled-back proposal.

She said stakeholders - made up of area residents and business owners - had previously said they wanted an emphasis on transit, and a project that kept traffic lights would be a "traffic meltdown." That helped staff rule out the N.C. DOT's "super street" proposal, Carter said.

"I'm not sure how informed (the stakeholders) had been," said Carter. "But we respected their wishes."

Ed Garber, chairman of the Eastside Political Action Committee, said residents weren't told about the state's proposal.

Garber said that slower-moving traffic on Independence could help businesses along the highway because motorists could see them. He also said that removing interchanges at Sharon Amity and Idlewild could also make it easier for drivers to frequent area businesses.

"How come the public never got the choice?" Garber said. "The city had already made up their mind."

The city said a citizen advisory group will meet in mid-April, and a public meeting on Independence is scheduled for April or May. Garber said that's too late because the city has already shunned the state's proposal.

The state plans to begin buying land for the project this spring.

[PACMAN]

Independence Boulevard Task Force
Resource:
Norm Steinman, CDOT, 704-336-3939, nsteinman@charlottenc.gov

The Independence Boulevard Area Plan has been underway over the last two years and is nearing completion. City and NCDOT staff are currently working together to evaluate the design for NCDOT's project to widen Independence Boulevard between Albemarle Road and Conference Drive. City staff may recommend changes to the state's design to increase consistency with the City's land use plans and to identify appropriate steps to minimize adverse impacts to area businesses. Staff's recommendations for the roadway widening project will be completed by March 2010.

As this joint staff review nears completion, City staff will schedule the public meeting for presentation of the draft Independence Boulevard Area Plan. Staff anticipates a public meeting in late March or April.

Information about the Independence area plan is available on the Planning Department website at www.charlotteplanning.org

[PACMAN]

From: "Osborne, Alysia" <adosborne@ci.charlotte.nc.us>
Date: Tue, 23 Mar 2010 17:54:41 -0400
To: (Removed e-mails Staff & CAG members)
Subject: RE: Independence Area Plan

Mr. Garber,

We sincerely appreciate the patience and commitment the Independence Area Plan Citizen Advisory Group has given to the plan development process.
City staff is currently scheduling a meeting with the Independence CAG to share information about the recent technical team meetings and how those discussions relate to the community’s vision within the Independence Boulevard Area Plan. Similar to other public meetings we’ve had during the area plan process, we are working to have an NCDOT representative present to answer specific questions about the road project. Tentatively, we’re looking at early April, but as soon as the meeting dates and locations are finalized, we will send a meeting notification.

At any rate, we are always available to meet or discuss concerns.
______________________________________
Alysia Davis Osborne, AICP
Principal Planner, Long Range Planning Services
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department
600 East Fourth Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704.336.3910
Fax: 704.336.5123

[PACMAN]

Public notice given to CAG 2.5 hours prior to presenting draft of Land Use Plan to city council

From: "Osborne, Alysia" <adosborne@ci.charlotte.nc.us>
Date: Mon, 22 Mar 2010 15:38:23 -0400
To: (Staff & CAG E-mail addresses removed )Subject: RE: Independence Area Plan

Citizen Advisory Group Member,

Through January and February 2010, a technical team of City and NCDOT staff evaluated and recommended changes to the current Transportation Improvement project along Independence Boulevard. The recommended changes, as information only, will be shared with the Charlotte City Council during a dinner briefing tonight. Those recommended changes will be shared with the Citizen Advisory Group in April 2010. A public meeting for the draft area plan is also tentatively scheduled for late April/early May 2010. We will send notifications with specific meeting dates and locations once they have been finalized.

An updated process schedule is attached and will be placed on the Planning Department’s website at www.charlotteplanning.org.

Again, thank you for your continued support and feel free to contact us with questions or concerns.
______________________________________
Alysia Davis Osborne, AICP
Principal Planner, Long Range Planning Services
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department
600 East Fourth Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
Phone: 704.336.2205
Fax: 704.336.5123

[PACMAN]

'Super Street' plans for Independence Boulevard criticized
Legislators want hearings on state's proposal to turn stretch into 'Super Street.'
By Steve Harrison
sharrison@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Friday, Mar. 26, 2010
The state may hold public hearings on a new concept to remake 1.5 miles of Independence Boulevard - a sign that the controversial plan to convert the highway into an expressway could be delayed.

In December, N.C. Transportation Secretary Gene Conti told Charlotte officials that the state had a less expensive and possibly less disruptive option for the highway.

Instead of making it an expressway, Conti and other state officials proposed making Independence a "Super Street." The state wouldwiden parts of the highway and make other improvements such as restricting left turns to keep traffic moving.

The "Super Street" wouldn't move traffic as efficiently, but it might be less disruptive to businesses along the highway.

But city of Charlotte officials said they wanted to move forward with the current plan to convert Independence into an expressway from Albemarle Road to Conference Drive. The city didn't hold public hearings on the alternative plan, and the Charlotte City Council on Monday night voted for the expressway plan, with a few small changes.

Now some elected officials are calling on the N.C. DOT to step in and hold public hearings to discuss its proposal.

State Rep. Becky Carney, a Charlotte Democrat, sent a letter Thursday to state DOT and city officials asking for public meetings.

"People are feeling that, oh my gosh, it's a done deal," Carney said. "We haven't had public input yet."

Said State Rep. Tricia Cotham, a Democrat who represents Matthews: "I want to get the citizens' input. I don't want them to be bypassed, and I feel like that's going on."

Danny Pleasant, director of the Charlotte DOT, said the city didn't seriously consider the "Super Street" idea because "there was no plan."

"It was just an idea," Pleasant said. "This project has already been delayed for 15 years. That has created a sense of uncertainty."

He said U.S. 74 needs to be an expressway from a traffic standpoint.

Making Independence into an expressway has been planned for decades. The state has been slowly converting the highway into an expressway, which now runs from uptown to Albemarle Road.

The project has moved at a glacial pace: The state has built one mile a decade.

Conti said Thursday that he would have handled Independence differently. He said the highway's cost - and impact to the community - might be too much to justify if he were starting the project today.

He said transportation planners now think differently about building urban interstates than they did in the 1960s and 1970s, when cities bulldozed older neighborhoods for interstates.

Many east Charlotte residents believe the conversion of Independence into an expressway in the 1990s accelerated the decline of businesses between uptown and Albemarle Drive.

"If this was a blank slate in uptown Charlotte, we'd do something different," Conti said. "That's the type of discussion we need to have for the next five miles (to Interstate 485)."

Improving 1.5 miles of Independence will cost $172 million. The state proposed spending that money to make smaller improvements along the length of the corridor.

Conti said he didn't want to force his scaled-back proposal on city officials, and he is OK with moving forward on the expressway project. The state is scheduled to begin buying land for the expressway this summer.

Conti said if the project were delayed, Charlotte wouldn't lose the $172 million budgeted for the project.

Pleasant said the city has worked hard to ensure that the areas along the expressway redevelop. He said that's already occurred along Independence, near uptown, where new apartments and condos flank the highway.

He said the "Super Street" idea doesn't work in an urban setting. He said Albemarle Road in east Charlotte has a similar design.

"Look at the development pattern there," Pleasant said. "I don't think that's what we want."

Charlotte City Council member Nancy Carter, who represents east Charlotte, said the "Super Street" proposal wouldn't have fulfilled a stakeholder-approved vision for the highway, which includes mass transit. Leaving Independence with traffic lights would make it difficult for transit to be effective, she said.

Conti said transit could still work on Independence even with traffic lights. Some cities such as Denver and Houston have light rail that operate in streets and stop at traffic lights.

Barry Moose, the division engineer for the N.C. DOT who oversees the Charlotte region, said the "Super Street" proposal could include lanes reserved for buses.

He said he's working with N.C. DOT officials to set up the public meetings.

[Diogenes]

With all the hub-bub surrounding the plan the state had to scale back on the desctructiveness of a full scale widening of Indy by 1/2 mile sections, and the letters from the state and others to the city, will we get a public hearing like what Becky Carney challenged the city to hold?
Mmmmmmmm maybe.
Again and again, the city refuses to be transparent.

[PACMAN]

FOUR State representatives have writen letters to Secretary of Transportation Gene Conti, NCDOT, CDOT, City staff, and City Council requesting further public input meetings for the Independence Land Use Plan. They have requestedthese input meetings to provide all alternate options including but not limited to ths "Super Street" proposal.

The 4 members of the Delegation are:
State Senator & Chari of the Senate finance Committee Dan Clodfelter
State Senator Bob Rucho
State House of Representatives & Chair of the Transportation Committee Becky Carney
State House of Representatives Tricia Cotham