Dilworth Projects (Kenilworth, Morehead, East)

[nonillogical]

Italian Pie appears to be closed. I never went, heard it was mediocre. I may be mistaken since Sole didn't last, but I really feel like Dilworth could support one more higher-end restaurant and that space would be a good fit.

I have heard people complain that traffic is worse since they city reduced the number of lanes on East Blvd. I love the smaller road, but most people do not look at it from a pedestrian or a bicycler perspective, only from a car perspective. I do agree though.....traffic does get bad.

I experience it often since I go home for lunch usually and need to go almost the whole stretch of East, but I still think the griping is overstated. It can't possibly add more than 2 minutes to anyone's commute versus if the road was completely clear.

[kermit]

^ I agree, most of the day traffic on East is fine. It is also MUCH better for pedestrains and bikers. I drive the street everyday, my impresion was that traffic was actually better after the road diet at each end. Things got much worse (at rush hour primarily) when the middle section was re-stripped.

I am not in any way saying that the road diet portion of East should change. Some modfications to the middle section might help however.

[Windsurfer]

East Boulevard never seemed inhospitable to pedestrians and bicyclists before, to me at least. It had the nice wide boulevard feel to it that made things relaxed. Now, you have to watch out for those curbs...be it on bicycle or in a car. Same thing with Elizabeth Ave, except that Elizabeth has the added feature of rails you have to contend with. On a bicycle those things are a nightmare.

[southslider]

^Even pre-"road diet," I enjoyed walking the edges of East Boulevard. It was crossing the super wide street that was "inhospitable." It used to be hard to guage how fast approaching vehicles were traveling. Now, cars go much slower, though admittedly, it's often a more steady stream of cars, meaning it sometimes takes just as long (if not longer in peak periods) to find a gap to cross, when doing so away from a traffic signal.

[nonillogical]

^ I thought it was a nightmare to cross before, and uneasy to bike down. Now cars are travelling at 30mph instead of 50, seem more aware of pedestrians and bikes, and it looks a TON better.

[tozmervo]

At peak, I'm usually biking much faster than traffic. It's kind of awesome

[kermit]

site work is well underway at the Cottages on Euclid site.

[Miesian Corners]

a few minor observations:

1) lots of "No Walgreens" signs have recently sprouted on Dilworth rd east and west.

2) Curb, gutter, sidewalk are about half finished on McDonald ave

3) Teardowns and neo-mansion rebuilds are continuing on McDonald ave. I noticed two new teardowns today near Ideal Way, 4-5 others are in various stages of completion between South blvd and Magnolia.

4) Traffic on East blvd is _really_ bad at rush hour

I drove down McDonald today. Curb, gutter and sidewalk only on one side? Please tell me both sides will be done and this isn't an example of Charlotte "half-assedness".

[nonillogical]

I think we all have the same opinion on this, but the site plan for the proposed Walgreens and Office project at Morehead and Kenilworth has been updated. The nature of it isn't any different, but the aesthetics are a little better and less South Park-y, with less shingled sloped roof and getting rid of that church-like steeple. A mini nook of green space has been added at the corner.

New: http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2012/071-083/2012-071%20site%20plan%202nd%20rev.pdf

Previous: http://ww.charmeck.org/Planning/Rezoning/2012/071-083/2012-071%20site%20plan%20rev.pdf

[southslider]

^The site plan still has a drive-thru, an antithesis to the newly adopted Pedestrian Overlay zoning.

[dubone]

The architecture and aesthetics are worlds better, that's for sure. The first cut wasn't the worst possible, but was still really mediocre replacement for almost century old structures.

I do think that pharmacy pick up windows are a little less of an issue than restaurants. I go past the CVS at Graham and 6th all the time and rarely remember that they even have a pick up window because I almost never see people using it. Meanwhile, it draws many pedestrians in because that is the nature of the neighborhood. Dilworth is a walkable neighborhood, but has lower density and older population, so it seems likely that this window would be used more, though.

[southslider]

^Then it should also be ok for the South Blvd. CVS to likewise add a drive-thru. As competition grows, there goes the neighborhood.

[atlrvr]

I recently moved very close to the proposed Walgreens site. My wife is for it as she would walk there as the closest retail. I'm against it, but would be neutral if they would eliminate the drive-thru.

The 4th Ward drive thru is not all that convenient for commuters in my opinion, but it would be at both the outbound side of Morehead and outbond side of Kenilworth. There is no reason for a neighborhood to "subsidize" lazy suburban commuters. If they want a drive-thru, then find one in a non-walkable location that is already a driving bliss.

CVS in Dilworth does just fine without a drive-thru.

[tozmervo]

Not to mention that Rite Aid, CVS and Walgreens all have very accessible uptown locations. Just pick up before you get on the road. I don't know what the obsession is with forcing a drive through there.

[Norm2]

I am not opposed to a drive through as as the building is more urban oriented as this one is. The parking lot is in the back and the building is against the street with a park. I think the design is awesome. I wish they would get rid of the shingled roofs all together, but the design is much better. I know that urban planeteers hate drive through, but in this design, and because of the elderly who may not be very mobile, I will support it.

[southslider]

^And the CVS in Dilworth on South Blvd. at Park Ave. also is built along the street with parking to the side and rear. So again, if this Walgreens with a drive-thru ultimately gets approved, don't be surprised when the competition will turn around and do the same.

[Prodev]

CVS would need to reconfigure the interior of the store to allow for a drive-thru. To my knowledge, they also didn't run out and attempt to add a drive-thru when the Eckerd was built with one down the street a few years after they opened.

[southslider]

Except Walgreen's will be stiffer competition for CVS than Eckerd or Rite Aid. More importantly, the City's approval of Walgreen's, means there will be no policy basis to then say no to CVS. Credibility to ask for any other business in Charlotte to follow plans and codes for TOD, PED, and other supposedly urban development standards will be lost and laughable.

[Norm2]

Except Walgreen's will be stiffer competition for CVS than Eckerd or Rite Aid. More importantly, the City's approval of Walgreen's, means there will be no policy basis to then say no to CVS. Credibility to ask for any other business in Charlotte to follow plans and codes for TOD, PED, and other supposedly urban development standards will be lost and laughable.

Just adding a drive through in an urban environment makes the city's urban development standards laughable? What about the suburban Bojangles in midtown!? That does not address the urban environment what so ever! This Walgreens is MUCH better than the Bojangles!

[southslider]

Just adding a drive through in an urban environment makes the city's urban development standards laughable? What about the suburban Bojangles in midtown!? That does not address the urban environment what so ever! This Walgreens is MUCH better than the Bojangles!

The Midtown Bojangles was built per conventional Business zoning, which is fairly suburban. That site was a bad location for a drive-thru as well, but it was actually allowed by the site's zoning. This Walgreens will be built under the PED zoning overlay, which is intended to be urban. This site is not only a disruptive location (to walking and intersection traffic) for a drive-thru, but it is not even allowed by the site's zoning.

But as you prove, most Charlotteans see no visible distinction in the City's zoning districts. And so if this Walgreens is built, that public perception will only get worse. Lose any distinction in standards, and the City will indeed be laughable to ask for any from other development in the future.

[dubone]

The fact that the city has already let the hospital destroy blocks and blocks of Dilworth with fairly terrible design has already made the city laughable. This is as pedestrian-supportive a retail design as we've seen. But I do agree in upholding standards, I just wonder exactly what is pedestrian about the gigantic parking decks that now dominate this part of Dilworth? I am ambivalent on the pick up window because I have seen it be a non issue in my neighborhood. This pick up window, like the CVS on Graham, seems to be a low volume convenience for non-ambulatory customers, unlike high volume fast food drive throughs that produce most of the building's sales from people unwilling to get out of their cars.

[Urbanity]

^ I agree with dubone's basic sentiment. I used to live at Post Uptown across from the CVS on Graham and the drive thru station did not make the area feel suburban - hell even the parking lots over there didn't make it feel suburban (I'm talking the side by the tracks) as there was enough density to balance.

I personally don't see that big a deal with the drug store at that location and the fact of the matter is that the design of the building offered is much better than what can be forced on by the designer/construction crew. As the developer said - they could simply build a 4 story bland business building there without any city/neighborhood involvement.

I also got to admit that part of my confusion over the whole ruining-of-the-neighborhood sentiment is that it is on a high traffic corner of a good traffic-volume intersection which makes me scratch my head wondering what exactly would go in such a space outside of a something of this nature.

*ok rant over*

[nonillogical]

I honestly never noticed the drive thru at that CVS and used it quite a bit when I lived uptown. I agree that the main danger in this case is in precedent, not in actual traffic.

[dubone]

To me, the real issue is the toothless support for retaining beautiful pre-WWII structures. The character of Morehead is quickly being destroyed, and it was one of my favorite streets when I first visited Charlotte. The superblock that CMC wiped out was replaced by absolute crap, when the very reasonably could have kept the pre-existing buildings as a buffer, but they wanted to get them out of the way as part of their project so they could have flexibility in the future. It's the quintessential story of Charlotte.

The same went for Beazer --> Charlotte Pipe & Foundry land, where old storefront buildings were wiped out bit by bit for no real reason and now we have a rural-style industrial buffer on land in the heart of the city.

The same went for the CHA-owned land at Morehead and Euclid, destroying an interesting looking historic hotel (Red Carpet Inn?) just to end with a bare lot.

Some of what is build is decent, but others are terrible in their design and scale. Strangely, while this project is destroying very attractive pre-WWII buildings, at least the new design is of a decent scale and design. So what can be done to save the character of Morehead? I am not so sure that holding the line at a window that opens on the side of a pharmacy is the answer. We have far bigger problems.

[New Name]

Well said Dubone. For all of the architects and planners in this city who claim to have learned the lesson that "Urban Renewal of the 60/70s" taught, there is still a prevailing attitude that cities should be "renewed" (re: "sterilized" re: "disinfected").