Charlotte's Urban Lowe's Home Improvement

[Charlotte_native]

Those living near the store might actually make more "unique" trips, also. Currently if I have to drive to Home Depot or to the Lowes super store at 485, I am careful to make a list so I won't have to drive out there again. If I miss something I don't run right back out there to get it -- I wait. With a store just down the street, the liklihood of being less efficient could affect plenty of people just running around the corner to get something. Whether that is unique or not, it would be additional trips.

[Conformity]

This sounds great, but I lived on Tremont. People, not from the neighborhood, already use this as a cut through. I can guess as well as anyone why, but the reality is they DO. Perhaps it is to avoid traffic lights, backed up traffic, construction on South Blvd (though this was happening before the current lanes being blocked). People cut through neighborhoods. It is a fact. If this store generates higher traffic counts (from folks that no longer drive to Woodlawn but drive to Iverson Way -- not a unique trip, but a trip none-the-less) the traffic will be new and more than in the past. I am not bashing this project, just pointing out that claiming no internal neighborhood traffic increase is just not valid. Cut through traffic is already high through there WITHOUT this store.

If traffic continues to increase and remains heavy on South Blvd like it already IS -- efficient alternatives: From Myers Park, any neighborhood up and down Park Road, anyone east of South Blvd, come down Park, left on Ideal Way, right on Springdale, sneak up on Lowes from behind OR continue on Park, changes to Tremont, left on Euclid, sneak up on Lowes. To say people don't avoid thoroughfares seems to ignore that fact that they certainly use cut-throughs. If they don't why have four way stops, traffic "calming" humps, actual barriers, been put in place throughout the city to stop it?

Again, not saying Lowes should not be here -- just that the traffic, as a former resident of the area, is about to increase quite a bit.

The "no unique trips" argument is a global one. Taken on balance city wide....this store does not add trips and demonstrably reduces VMT (vehicle mile travelled). I think the store in many ways addresses the classic "needs of the many (sustainable development patterns city wide) balanced against the needs of a few (Dilworth)." I recognize that while the trips may not be unique, they are coming to a store that heretofore did not exist so the trips are "unique to the area". I realize that traffic patterns will not be totally unaffected by the advent of the store, but C N, Metro and I disagree on the amount of cut-through that will result. Certain of our streets seem custom built for cut through. Tremont, Westfield, Brandywine, Henley, Circle, Vail and others. I would argue that their function should be reconsidered as part of a transportation plan. They alone (along with folks choice to live on them) cannot steer the city away from the type of planning solutions effected by developments such as the South End Lowes store (again, the test always being "balance" which I think has been achieved). For the record, my house faces a four lane corridor, with a bus line and 11,000 cars a day....so I am not living in a cocoon.

[lptk]

For the record, my house faces a four lane corridor, with a bus line and 11,000 cars a day....so I am not living in a cocoon.

Mine, too! (last house, current is on quieter street, but one that is a cut-through).

And I'm with you on this but could not have expressed it this well, thanks. The cut through options are part of what make the neighborhood special - easy to get around, options to bypass traffic problems. If you don't want some cut through traffic, move to a cul-de-sac.

Maybe I'm cutting through on Tremont at the wrong time of day, but when I'm using it as a cut through, I seldom see more than 2-3 other cars on the road.

[Charlotte_native]

For the record, my house faces a four lane corridor, with a bus line and 11,000 cars a day....so I am not living in a cocoon.

Question, though, was your house on a major road when you bought it (therefore being aware of what you were getting into) or did it change AFTER you moved there?

For the record, again, I am not implying I think the Lowe's should not be there, I believe in open market, market dictated development, and the needs of a growing city and urban core being met with adding density. I just don't agree with some of the "pitch" for this project -- there will be a greater impact than sold. That is it. It is also one of the reasons I sold my house on Tremont last year and moved to the other end of the neighborhood. Plenty of others are now moving to the exploding McDonald Avenue, Ideal Way, Springdale area where 900 SF homes are being razed or added to create 3000 SF homes. This won't kill this area, but it most certainly will increase through traffic. 'Nuff said on my part.

[dubone]

I believe that anyone who buys a home on a public street should have a reasonable expectation that cars will use that street. I'm not saying there isn't room for proper stratification of street duties, with smaller neighborhood streets only carrying a few cars and thoroughfares carrying a lot more.

But the culdesac culture has created an expectation that almost no cars should be on neighborhood streets. That just really isn't reasonable in an urban environment, and people really need to get over that.

If your kids have to play in the street, then I'd recommend you lobby the Mecklenburg Park and Rec to get a park in your neighborhood. You'll just have suffer through a garbage dump for 30 years before they build it.

[voyager12]

The whole area encompassing Lowes and further down South is undergoing a development sea change with the Scaleybark village going up and many other mixed used projects lining the edge of Dilworth. Judging from the DCDA meetings I have attended, you are never going to make these people happy. City neighborhoods are going to have growing traffic. I live on Park right near Tremont and I like the noise of cars and people walking by...it's "urban"

[lptk]

Another thing to consider is that the turnover in this part of the neighborhood is very high right now. So high, and with such elevated values that anyone living in that part of the 'hood could cash out at any time and sell to a developer.

Many of the homes being razed are actually far less than 800 sq ft...

[dubone]

Home values in this section of Dilworth are higher than ever. Lowe's isn't going to hurt this neighborhood, it will help it.

A long time ago, I almost bought a home that turned out to be very close to the site. If I lived there, I would have welcomed the Lowes to come there. They are bringing higher values, more sidewalks, quaint little roundabouts, and a useful retailer in convenient proximity.

[Charlotte_native]

Home values in this section of Dilworth are higher than ever. Lowe's isn't going to hurt this neighborhood, it will help it.

A long time ago, I almost bought a home that turned out to be very close to the site. If I lived there, I would have welcomed the Lowes to come there. They are bringing higher values, more sidewalks, quaint little roundabouts, and a useful retailer in convenient proximity.

I've not debated any of these points. Just stated that the inter-neighborhood traffic seems extremely understated in all the press and studies and sales pitches I have seen about this project. Nothing more.

[dubone]

That is a fair argument, C_N.

I think you are probably right that there will be more traffic on those neighborhood streets. In general, though, I'm just thinking that it will be a nominal percentage of the total traffic in the neighborhood.

[Conformity]

Soil is scheduled to begin moving on the SouthBorough site in November. A sales center will open across from the site in January of 2007. The sales center will be located in the Village Lofts along South End Village Drive (Blue Sky's deal nestled into Furman's deal) The project will be built without regard for presales....so tell your friends and associates to keep their money in their pockets because Conformity is coming to SouthEnd and it's going to be awesome. That is my wholly biased opinion.

[A2]

Soil is scheduled to begin moving on the SouthBorough site in November. A sales center will open across from the site in January of 2007. The sales center will be located in the Village Lofts along South End Village Drive (Blue Sky's deal nestled into Furman's deal) The project will be built without regard for presales....so tell your friends and associates to keep their money in their pockets because Conformity is coming to SouthEnd and it's going to be awesome. That is my wholly biased opinion.

This is awesome to hear! I will be looking forward to visiting the sales center once it opens. Thanks for the head's up Conformity!

A2

[reverbandwhiskey]

Soil is scheduled to begin moving on the SouthBorough site in November. A sales center will open across from the site in January of 2007. The sales center will be located in the Village Lofts along South End Village Drive (Blue Sky's deal nestled into Furman's deal) The project will be built without regard for presales....so tell your friends and associates to keep their money in their pockets because Conformity is coming to SouthEnd and it's going to be awesome. That is my wholly biased opinion.

When you move I'll buy you a pint! Welcome to the neighborhood.

[cyrusuncc]

What location is Southborough going to be in? is it next to the Lowe's?

[dubone]

Cyrus, please read through the thread. You will find a lot of history and information and helps you catch up on things without needing to ask someone to type it again.

But your answer is "yes". Along Magnolia on the north side of the Lowes site, which is surrounded by Lyndhurst, Iverson, Magnolia, and South.

[cyrusuncc]

don't mean to have someone retype whats already there. I did a quick search before posting, and knew it was in the area, but not exactly sure if it was part of this development.

Any word on pricing/size of these units or the other ones surrounding?

[reverbandwhiskey]

Cyrus, please read through the thread. You will find a lot of history and information and helps you catch up on things without needing to ask someone to type it again.

But your answer is "yes". Along Magnolia on the north side of the Lowes site, which is surrounded by Lyndhurst, Iverson, Magnolia, and South.

To be fair it IS a 14 page thread.

[dubone]

I'm just giving the new guy a hard time. Although, 14 pages is pretty short for UP standards. Good luck to anyone trying catch up on the Wachovia building without asking.

[Skyline49er]

I'm just giving the new guy a hard time. Although, 14 pages is pretty short for UP standards. Good luck to anyone trying catch up on the Wachovia building without asking.

I actually got bored one night, and for the heck of it decided to try and read through all of the pages in the Wachovia thread. I think I got through maybe 40 pages or so. I think the thread itself had like 85 pages, so it was awhile ago. But yea, it took forever.

[cyrusuncc]

maybe a moderator should delete the Uptown Projects thread, that way, anyone wanting to know about the projects can sift through all the posts themselves!

[Conformity]

don't mean to have someone retype whats already there. I did a quick search before posting, and knew it was in the area, but not exactly sure if it was part of this development.

Any word on pricing/size of these units or the other ones surrounding?

Southborough features a variety of unit types and I mean true variety. The smallest is a 1 BR/1BA flat of approximately 700 feet and they start in the 170's (comes with a one car garage). There will also be 2 BR flats (comes with a 1 car garage). 2BR townhomes with 2 car garages, 3 bedroom townhomes with 2 car garages or structured parking and attached single family homes with a 2 car garage, 4BR, den and small courtyard. The attached SF start at $599,000. Entire site is heavily landscaped with two custom water features and is architecturally intense and superbly planned. If all goes well (and I think it will), you will be able to visit well known coffee, burger, and ice cream joints on site in the mixed use component at the corner which features 6000 feet of retail and 18000 feet of office (not to mention access to 2x4's around the corner).

Please call me on it UPers if I need to dial down the spin because I don't want to get kicked off.

[dubone]

(I'm just glad you are here to give us facts. We normally have to toothpick through public docs to get them).

By the way, by well-known, do you mean national chains, or are these popular local joints.

[Charlotte_native]

Southborough features a variety of unit types and I mean true variety. The smallest is a 1 BR/1BA flat of approximately 700 feet and they start in the 170's (comes with a one car garage). There will also be 2 BR flats (comes with a 1 car garage). 2BR townhomes with 2 car garages, 3 bedroom townhomes with 2 car garages or structured parking and attached single family homes with a 2 car garage, 4BR, den and small courtyard. The attached SF start at $599,000. Entire site is heavily landscaped with two custom water features and is architecturally intense and superbly planned. If all goes well (and I think it will), you will be able to visit well known coffee, burger, and ice cream joints on site in the mixed use component at the corner which features 6000 feet of retail and 18000 feet of office (not to mention access to 2x4's around the corner).

I'm glad to see a true unit mix in this project. Too many projects have one or two types of units with little variety (see Lela Courts). Also some large units that are big enough for families are nice -- not everyone is a single or couple that doesn't need any space.

[Conformity]

(I'm just glad you are here to give us facts. We normally have to toothpick through public docs to get them).

By the way, by well-known, do you mean national chains, or are these popular local joints.

Hmmmm..........

I gonna lean on the overall integrity of the plan. 110,000 SF on 2.8 acres including housing options, office and retail all wrapped around and screening a big box within 1 mile of the CBD, and walking distance to 2 transit stations. I take the 5th on the question you actually asked me.

[lptk]

Please call me on it UPers if I need to dial down the spin because I don't want to get kicked off.

Glad to hear your take, even with spin. I'm a neighbor to this project and am looking forward to watching the progress. Sounds like it will be a nice addition to the 'hood.