Nathan2

Friday at 08:00 PM

3 minutes ago, tozmervo said:

As long as it doesn't violate building code or the development ordinance, the city/county doesn't have any say in the material of the cladding. The State specifically prohibits municipalities from dictating exterior building materials and style in general zoning ordinances.

This isn't entirely true. The state only prohibits municipalities from dictating materials for residential structures which are only considered single-family to Quads. Anything 5 units or greater is subject to commercial code, which the state does not regulate. The city has full discretion to act on materials chosen and create ordinances that require certain materials (not sure if there is anything in the UDO that does this).

Friday at 07:01 PM

I had such high hopes for this and the white point building and both have value engineered their buildings to a point that it should be criminal. How hard would it have been to at the very least match the paint with the brick? Long term this building will look run down and shabby as the paint will inevitably fade. How does the city allow these modifications?

April 29

On 4/27/2024 at 8:35 AM, DEnd said:

1 because it is a commuter line. and 2: Likely because of the realities of the line. IIRC there is still at least one customer on the O-line, and the Y at Graham is still used for turn arounds, also it will go through the classification yard in Charlotte. That means heavy rail, which kind of requires larger trains, which likely requires higher paid operators. That means there is a substantially higher operating cost per vehicle, over say a bus or light rail. It's unlikely to ever really be able to do 5 minute service due to having to interoperate with NS, but it is also a start.

Commuter lines around the county are failing to attract riders so investing in a commuter line and not a regional line that people can use at all times of the day is not a smart investment. We will have to wait and see if the thing holding it back is NS, but the goal should be frequent and all day or people are not going to use it in high numbers.

April 17

Why is CATS still treating this as a commuter line instead of a regional line? CATS even addresses the fact that riders wouldn't necessarily be following the traditional commuting schedules because of the new reality of working from home. Hourly frequencies outside of peak hours will push almost everyone to their car. As someone who works in Huntersville but lives in Charlotte the proposed schedule just would not be reliable enough to use.

March 27

1 hour ago, RANYC said:

Also Alyson Craig did make a statement in the council meeting that triplexes in a car centric place like Charlotte where unit occupiers each have one or two cars tends to create even more car sitings with triplexes. At the corner with two street frontages, the triplex could have 2 different access points to potentially rear garages thus minimizing the parked car impact on the block and reducing driveway frequency.

Im not opposed to triplexes, but given the overall goal is more density, allowing townhomes in N1 potentially gets us to the objective faster than the current regs. By the way, SFO elimination is still in place because duplexes still allowed everywhere.

Then the city should start looking at how we can allow and incentivize all building types closer to uptown and maybe limiting building types farther out towards the exurbs. This would be a political win for all parties by giving density in areas that have the infrastructure and grid and limiting it in areas where politics is risking the UDO for everyone.

March 27

21 hours ago, RANYC said:

Nah, I’m fine with triplex corners. Plus, it appears they’re planning to allow townhomes in N-1 districts. I’ll take townhomes up and down N-1, including A through D, over triplexes any day. Townhomes currently not allowed in N-1. Planning added them to N-1 E & F, and Victoria shared she’d be open to townhomes in all N-1 zones which would be a meaningful increase in density allowances.

That's even more moronic. Why cherry-pick housing types? There's no rhyme or reason to it, just allow more middle missing. Allow what the market will bear. The questions we should be asking are why are we so afraid of specific housing types and why is our government leaders bending to the suburban scare tactics where none of these housing types are allowed anyway because of HOAs?

March 27

Should be big news!

March 26

Is Charlotte ever going to redesign its streets so they are safer for all users? Some of the most walkable areas in Charlotte are overrun with cars and wide roads, the only thing that will make these places better is redesigned streets. It's absolutely frustrating that the City continues to do almost nothing on this front. They continue operating on the idea that pedestrians should just wear hi-viz and watch out for cars. God for bid drivers have to tale an extra 20 secs to travel somewhere.

March 26

23 hours ago, RANYC said:

Now imagine that exploration on foot or on bike? You bolted out of fear and you were in the carapace of your 1-2 ton motorized machine. I’m convinced our car obsession and desire to be tucked away in nature comes from our deep-seated insecurity and suspicion of our fellow countrymen.

At any rate, thanks for the photos of River District’s progress. Many trees felled for this development, but alas, I think I’d rather see this area developed as part of a master plan than chaotically and sporadically which would have resulted in more tree loss and probably more car-oriented strip mall sprawl.

The river district is a car-oriented strip mall sprawl, they just put a little lipstick on it. Honestly think the river district is an ecological disaster. The last bit of forested land by the river should've been saved. This whole development will inflate VMT and clog roads.

February 20

1 hour ago, KJHburg said:

as this is a drive through for a very small specific credit union the Firefighters I doubt there will be too much traffic generated by it. I think this will be developed as approved.

I mean high use or not. It still will need to fit a drive-thru which greatly impacts the design of the site especially given the small footprint. Seems like a wasted opportunity for a low-traffic use.

February 20

12 hours ago, KJHburg said:

City Council approved Daniel Levine's apartment building on Commonwealth. He slashed the height to 126 feet from 150 feet due to complaints. My thoughts is that a parcel that backs up to 6 lane expressway US 74 and this parcel at the Plaza and Commonwealth is the start of the main business district of PM area. With the instense development going on at the new Commonwealth mixed use project 3 blocks away I dont think this is too tall for the area especially since it is backing up Independence. It would rise next to Julien apartment building he developed which is 4 stories. I am assuming with the less height and floors there will be less apartments too. I think 175 were planned at the taller version.

this was approved tonight.

Agreed. I do have concerns that the board had no objections to a drive-through being permitted on-site. Levine sold this as a pedestrian-focused development, which is not possible with a drive-through. Commonwealth has increasingly become unsafe for pedestrians because of the increase in traffic, mixing with lots of curb cuts and parking along property frontages. Cars will always be present but I have always thought that a public garage on the outskirts of the business district would help reduce these problems.

February 20

On 2/16/2024 at 1:46 PM, nicholas said:

Was stunned to see a speed trap set up by the Mecklenburg Sheriff Dept on I-485 yesterday afternoon out by Harrisburg Rd. Again though I have to ask what the point even is, because speeding is the only law I have ever seen enforced, and it's only enforced at the most pointless times at literally the most meaningless locations. Rea Rd in Ballantyne? Sure. Tryon St through Uptown/South End? Absolutely. Central Ave in Plaza-Midwood? Definitely. I-277? Probably. But I don't see what is accomplished by posting up a row of cops along an interstate, located far outside of a city, designed for speeds well in excess of its 70 mph posted speed limit, on a random Thursday afternoon when traffic is fairly light. Especially when people continue to do actually dangerous things like clog up traffic in the passing lane, tailgate, text, refuse to use turn signals, etc, or go racing down crowded city streets lined by pedestrians.

It amazes me there are never speed traps or DUI checkpoints along Central. The number of speeding and drunk drivers on that road every weekend is astounding. I see a drunk driver crash into other cars at least once a week here.

February 14

Has anyone else ever wondered how many homes and businesses could be added here if the Ary Reserve site was moved elsewhere? The base is right in the middle of a thriving neighborhood alongside a nice park, adding a dense walkable development would really help to knit the neighborhood together and provide more housing. Doubt the Army Reserve Base would ever move, especially since they've spent that past year upgrading the site.

February 14

36 minutes ago, XRZ.ME said:

Then silver line does not need to go to Matthews or put Union and Gaston county into consideration if the destination does not have much office space.

It could end at airport at west and Idlewild road or Margaret Wallace Road at south east.

I am personally not a fan of the silver line alignment as it follows highways instead of penetrating deep into dense neighborhoods making it harder to pull in higher ridership. That being said, I think having a transit connection to Mathews is needed to reduce car trips along Independence. I do think the silver line needs to be split up into two phases in order to get the most important sections built now at a lower cost. The first phase from the airport to Albermarle rd and the second phase extending to Gastonia and Mathews.

February 12

You can argue what middle missing is supposed to be all day long. The reality is that more housing creates more options for people no matter what income bracket they are coming from. As someone looking for housing in Charlotte right now, it's fairly slim pickings out there. We would kill for more options in established neighborhoods. Is Dilworth truly historic? Historic enough to protect people's existing artificially inflated housing values and artificially deflate the housing supply here while preventing more people from being close to a transit-rich neighborhood? Forcing multifamily units to be along major roadways is a problem within itself, Multi-Family dwellers shouldn't have to be subjected to increased noise and car pollution. People deserve options and deserve to be able to live in Charlotte.

February 9

At this point is there even a need for a parking deck here? Why is the city involved in adding more parking to an already overparked area?

February 7

28 minutes ago, kermit said:

The Ledger decided to write today about how ‘neighbors are concerned about triplexes sprouting up.’ There was no discussion (in the free version) of how Mecklenburg has a housing shortage and a huge sprawl problem.

The Ledger has always struck me as anti-urban…

Are there any triplexes popping up? I haven't seen any duplexes or triplexes go up since the UDO passed. Where is the wave of character destroying missing middle housing that politicians cried about?

February 6

5 minutes ago, CLTranspo said:

Totally agree - like I said in a post a few years ago I'm saving up for a down payment in a city like Chicago that already has extensive transit and affordable condos. Charlotte has done nothing the last few years if convince me that is the right decision lol

Yea after COVID it looked like Charlotte was ready to make some radical changes. So far they have shown they don't care. We have a UDO that doesn't do much and they want to still gut it further, they have gotten rid of all pedestrian street trials, removed bus-only lanes, all but effectively canceled future transit expansion, and made housing extremely unaffordable. Not feeling any hope for the future here.

February 6

https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2024/02/05/udo-development-regulations-eliminating-single-family-only-zoning-city-council

What is going on with Charlotte's leadership obsession with dismantling the UDO, which hasn't even shepherded a massive increase in missing middle? Have they forgotten that we are in a housing crisis or do they only listen to wealthy single-family homeowners? Between this and the new "roads first" initiative I am wondering why I and younger people would ever view Charlotte as a place to put down roots. Younger generations want somewhere to live that doesn't involve being forced into a car paying large amounts of money just to drive to a grocery store while paying exorbitant amounts of money in a rental because we can't afford anything else.

January 22

The intersections at chesterfield and Shenandoah need a paint treatment to slow turning cars.

Also, How is parking behind Villani's allowed here? The sidewalk is falling apart, muddy and this area has become incredibly hostile to walk through as you now have to dodge cars on both sides of the sidewalk.

January 19

51 minutes ago, CLT Development said:

I'm stunned people even speed through here, must have been in the middle of the night?

People drive aggressively fast on this stretch of road for some reason. Villani's is also located right at the end of a bend in the road so I guess people loose control there. Most of these incidents have happened at night.

January 19

17 hours ago, KJHburg said:

Could Charlotte spend some of their tourism taxes (hotel tax and prepared food tax) on greenways? Asheville sure is to promote tourism. Ironically one of the greenways they mention in Asheville is one I have been on!

Are Charlotte leaders’ hands really tied when it comes to spending tourism tax money? | WFAE 90.7 - Charlotte's NPR News Source

Raleigh and Cary not having big arenas and stadiums to fund (well one arena) spends a lot more on parks and greenways than we do in Charlotte Mecklenburg as ours is tied up with a few big projects. Dare County home of most of the Outer Banks has great greenways, boardwalks and parks now and uses a lot of their money on items like this.

If this is true and we could change the law to put this money to better uses that benefit the city and not line billionaires pockets then we need to do that now. It's embarrassing that we haven't, especially if they have known they could do this. Updating stadiums should be at the bottom of the priority list after transit, housing, and recreation.

January 19

A car ran into Villani's bakery last night. This is the 4th time in the past two years that a car has hit a business, home, or a power line at this spot on Pecan. Maybe CDOT will wake up and realize a change is needed to slow cars down. This area is bad enough with the gravel parking lot. Cars are constantly parking and driving over the sidewalk here.

January 8

9 hours ago, kermit said:

1) Sigh… https://www.wfae.org/politics/2024-01-07/n-c-dot-orders-cats-to-pull-all-older-light-rail-trains-from-service-over-new-wheel-problem

2) Weird reporting, wheel flat spots are not uncommon or a big deal. Seems like there is something else here for the state to respond like this?

Steve Harrison has always seemed like he has a hard-on for crapping on transit in Charlotte. Weird reporting or not, It feels like CATS is still very far away from providing more reliable and frequent service.

January 5

The Commonwealth Development office tower is rising fast. Was able to snag this while stuck in traffic.

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