STEERING COMMITTEE #3September 17, 2019

1. Community Open House

2. Vision Statement/Goals

3. Market Analysis (Residential/Retail)

4. Transportation Summary

5. Next Steps

Agenda

2

1. Kick Off

2. Walking Audit

3. Windshield Survey

4. Stakeholder Interviews

5. Existing Conditions

6. Previous Plans

6. Community Engagement Plan

7. Proposed and Upcoming Projects

8. Goals/Vision

Progress Update

3

Attendance Summary

5

13%

23%

23%

9%

5%

13%

15%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

Mail

Word of Mouth

Neighborhood Association

Facebook

Flyers

Church

Other

110 Sign - Ins

6

7

Vision

8

Goals

9

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

Transportation

10

1. Daniel Morgan Avenue and Highland Avenue Intersection

1. Speeding (9)2. Dangerous Pedestrian Crossing (8)

2. Henry Street and Forest Street Intersection

1. Speeding (1)2. Dangerous Intersection (3)

3. Daniel Morgan Avenue and John B. White Sr. Boulevard Intersection

1. Dangerous Pedestrian Crossing (2)4. John B. White Sr. Boulevard and Imperial

Street Intersection1. Speeding (2)2. Dangerous Pedestrian Crossing (1)3. Blindspot (1)

Transportation

11

Land Use

12

14

512 14 12

22

7

19

11

9

8

5

99

6

7

6

8

7

116

52

3

5

3

4

2

5 93

3 11

29

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Total A Total B Total C Total D

Retail Priorities

13

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

Grocery Store Fast Food Convenience

Store/ Gas

Station

Coffee Shop Sit-down

Restaurant

Botique Retail Neighborhood

Services

Bank Health Facility Pharmacy

Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Priority 4 Priority 5 Priority 6

Investment

14

• Neighborhood Cleanup• Housing • Transportation • Community Services • Economic Development • Greenspace • Safety

Investment

15

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Greenspace Pedestrian/Biking

Infrastructure

EconomicDevelopment

Safety Job Training Recreation Transit Housing Health K-12

Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Priority 4 Priority 5 Priority 6

Key Takeaways

16

Vision/Goals• Focus on celebrating community assets (people, history and locations)• Desire for community development, economic development, and access to goods, services and jobs

Transportation• Concerns are concentrated along the northern portion of the neighborhoods where there is more

vehicular traffic observed due to a change in land uses. • Improvements requested focused on vehicular safety improvements and improving the character of

the corridors for a better pedestrian and bicycle experience.

Land Use• Preference for the core residential neighborhood to remain low density residential, there were areas

identified for higher density redevelopment close to Downtown Spartanburg, and large vacant parcels to the west.

• Preference for a grocery store, health facility, pharmacy, and neighborhood services. • The least preferred retail uses are convenience stores, coffee shops, and boutique retail.

Investment • Prioritize improving the housing stock within the neighborhood. • Interest in economic development, that attracts new commercial uses.• Construction and improvement of sidewalks to make the neighborhood more walkable, and to

improve pedestrian connections to other neighborhoods. • Supporting neighborhood cleanup.

SWOT

18

Strengths Weaknesses

ThreatsOpportunities

• Community spirit/people• Momentum• Anchor institutions• History, authenticity• Location• Meeting Street Academy• Farmers market

• Poverty• Internal crime• Perception• Limited resident engagement• Fragmentation of neighborhood

identity

• Buy in from stakeholders• Spartanburg growth and new housing• Knowledge building• Stewart Park• Development without displacement• Funding• Surrounding colleges• Opportunity zone• Food programs

• Uniform commercial uses/businesses• Displacement• Inability to gather city-wide support• Norris Ridge ownership• Housing market• Neighborhood competition (funding)• Transient residents

Vision Examples

19

“To increase the health, safety and public welfare of the community. This includes physicalhealth as well as fiscal health with the desire to spark economic development and revitalizethe neighborhood.”

- Highland Neighborhood Clemson Study (2017)

“To stop blight in underserved and neglected neighborhoods and to bring housingredevelopment efforts that will ultimately bring back new investments.”

- Five Year Consolidated Plan (2015)

“This Downtown Master Plan, inspired by visionary leadership and girded by recent investmentand success, serves to weave the basic assets of the City into a tightly-knit tapestry.”

- Downtown Masterplan (2007)

“Dallas Highway will be a safe, pleasant, pedestrian and bike-friendly corridor that seamlesslyconnects the North Side’s parks, schools, churches, businesses, and residents to DowntownDouglasville, serving as a gateway that establishes the community as a unified ‘downtownneighborhood.’”

- Dallas Highway LCI (2019)

Highland Vision

20

“The Highland neighborhood…

…will utilize equitable improvements to housing, infrastructure, education, and park space…

…to build a unified, vital, and valued community within Spartanburg’s historic core that attracts new jobs, goods, and services…

…and to create a safe, healthy, and diverse neighborhood that celebrates and protects its history, people, residential character, and assets like the Bethlehem Center and Stewart Park.

Goals

21

1. Conservation 1. Protection of legacy and low-income residents 2. Preservation of the community’s natural assets (creeks) 3. Promoting investment in community assets 4. Celebrating the Community’s history and culture

2. Accessibility 1. Providing opportunities for goods and services 2. Improving and expanding transportation options 3. Creating economic opportunity4. Building vibrant spaces that attract and serve diverse groups

3. Restoration 1. Providing reinvestment in new and existing housing options2. Encouraging compatible land uses 3. Promoting neighborhood safety and stability

Market Analysis

23

ResidentialSummarizes existing residential market for study area and anticipates future trends which might affect redevelopment potential

RetailExisting retail supply and demand is tabulated and future trends are predicted

Economic Projection(Presented at next steering committee meeting)

Market Analysis

24

Residential Market Analysis Study Area Map

Five neighborhoods near Downtown:

• Highland• Wofford College• Northside• Hampton Heights• Downtown/Converse Heights

Residential Market

25

Spartanburg County Population Projection Study Area Population

Study Area Average Household Size

Residential Market

26

Spartanburg City Residential Permits from 2016 to 2018

Residential Market

27

Percentage of Bachelor Degree or Higher Percentage of Age 25 - 34

Percentage of Income Over $40,000

Residential Market

28

Median Home Value

Highland Building Age Map

Average Sales Price After 2014

Notes: The local construction cost of a single-family home is about $65 per sq. ft. The construction cost of a 1,400-sqft , 3-bedroom

home will be $91,000. Such homes can be sold at $120,000 to $140,000.

Residential Market

29

Study Area Historical Average Sales Price

Highland Sales Price Map For Homes Sold After 2017

Residential Market

30

Source: American Community Survey

Highland and Converse Heights Rent Distribution Units

Source: American Community Survey

Highland Rent Distribution Units

Residential Market

31

Highland Housing Affordability Gap

Source for income limits: Department of Housing and Urban Development

Residential Market

32

Opportunities• Proximity to Downtown• Potential Development

Sites• Potential Home Buyers and

Renters

Challenges• Low Income and Educational

Attainment• Lack of Recent Construction• Older Existing Housing Stock

Residential Takeaways

33

1. The market for new construction for purchase units in or around Downtown is largely unproven

2. Neighborhoods like Hampton Heights and the North Side are seeing some growth, but the wide availability of unimproved stock limits the demand for new construction, limiting spillover effects

3. Highland is unlikely to see a dramatic growth in the demand for new market-rate for-purchase or rental housing over the next five years

4. The demand for the rehabilitation of older units in Highland could begin to reverse over the next five years

5. The need for affordable housing in Highland remains strong

6. Due to Highland’s location near Downtown and Hampton Heights, catalytic redevelopment projects could potentially improve desirability of the neighborhood by improving perception and desirability of the Highland

Retail Analysis

34

Retail Analysis

35

Most Common Retail Types

1. Restaurant

2. Automobile Service / Auto Sales

3. Hair and Beauty Supply

4. Convenience Store

5. Tax Service

Missing Retail

36

1. Health Clinic

2. Grocery Store

3. Pharmacy

4. Laundry

Missing Retail

37

Trends

38

1. Growing Metropolitan Population and Economic Prospects

2. Stabilizing Downtown Population

3. Growing Downtown Businesses

4. Food, Drink, and Thriving Events Scene

5. Closing of Grocery Stores

Challenges/Opportunities

39

Challenges• Low Highland household incomes• Negative perception• Small number of local households

Opportunities• Downtown spillover• Highly trafficked perimeter roads• Larger, assembled undeveloped property• Growing awareness of need for health food access

• Demographic Considerations (US Census)

• Based on Census Tract 208 which covers almost the entire Study Area

Transportation Overview

41

• In Highland, over 45% of households don’t have a vehicle

• Compared to just 7.8% in entire City

• This lack of household vehicles is a critical data point in understanding the transportation needs

DemographicConsiderations

42

45.9% 30.8% 23.4%

0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0% 70.0% 80.0% 90.0% 100.0%

Household Vehicles Available

No vehicle available 1 vehicle available 2 or more vehicles available

• Cars are most heavily used, however, over 30% of people in Highland carpool on a daily basis

• Only 10.7% of the City carpools

• Walking/Biking comprises 16% of Highland workers

• Only 5.3% in City

DemographicConsiderations

43

84.1%

7.7% 8.3%0.0%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%Means of Transportation to Work

Car Public Transit Walk Bike

• Significant number of people leaving outside of typical AM commuting hours (after 9am)

• In Highland, 54.6% of people leave after 9am

• Compared to just 34.6% in entire City

DemographicConsiderations

44

7.0% 8.8%

19.7%

9.9%

54.6%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%Time Leaving for Work

Before 6am 6am to 7am 7am to 8am 8am to 9am Later than 9am

20.4%

42.2%

19.5%

17.9%

Travel Time to Work

Less than 10 minutes

10 to 20 minutes

20 to 30 minutes

More than 30 minutes

• Over 60% of Highland residents work within 20 minutes of the neighborhood

• Distribution consistent with City of Spartanburg

• Longer travel times to work could be a result of distance to job or travel mode

DemographicConsiderations

45

• Daniel Morgan Avenue, Forest Street, and John B White Sr Boulevard provide local connections

• Main Street provides regional connection, specifically to the west

Transportation Assessment

46

Functional Classification

Transportation Assessment

47

• SCDOT traffic count data from 2018

• Shows Average Annual Daily Traffic

• Highest volumes along John B White Sr Boulevard and Main Street

• Daniel Morgan Avenue sees the highest volumes on streets that cut through Highland

Traffic

Transportation Assessment

48

• Decent coverage with bus routes through the neighborhood

• Only one bus shelter (next to Stewart Park)

• Bus stops limited to just a single sign

Transit Facilities

Transportation Assessment

49

• Dedicated bike facilities are fairly limited

• Only Forest Street and Main Street have bike lanes

• No bicycle connections to the east

Bicycle Facilities

Transportation Assessment

50

• City and project team assessed sidewalk conditions

• Adequate coverage of sidewalks

• Lack of ADA compliant crossings

• Sidewalks in interior of neighborhood are unassessed but generally in fair condition, some cracks and patches

Pedestrian Facilities

Transportation Assessment

51

• Floodplain and creek south of Stewart Park offers opportunity for greenway/trail

• Floodplain areas and topography offer challenges for connects south and southwest in the neighborhood

Environmental Considerations

• Spartanburg Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan

• One Spartanburg

• Clemson Study

• Moving Up: Transportation and Economic Mobility

• Spartanburg County Comprehensive Plan

• SPARTA Comprehensive Operational Analysis

Transportation Assessment

52

Planning Efforts

These plans and studies have been reviewed for relevant recommendations and impacts on transportation in the Highland Neighborhood

• SPARTA Transit Study

• Intersection improvements at:

• John B White Sr Boulevard and Daniel Morgan Avenue

• Daniel Morgan Avenue and Forest Street

• Road enhancement design along Daniel Morgan Avenue

• Future Comprehensive Plan Process

Transportation Assessment

53

Planning Efforts, Ongoing

These plans and studies are currently active or ongoing and should be monitored throughout the planning process.

• The population in Highland doesn’t rely solely on automobiles for daily travel. How do we enhance multimodal connectivity?

• Transit should be easy and safe to access, and frequency should consider time of day that residents are going to work.

• Recommendations should support ongoing work to enhance Daniel Morgan Avenue and its intersections.

• What are our low-hanging fruit options for enhancing connectivity and encouraging multimodal travel? Trail south of Fairforest Creek, improved sidewalk conditions, ADA ramps and painted crosswalks.

Key Takeaways

54

Upcoming Dates

56

1. Public Meeting #2 – Late October

2. Steering Committee Meeting #4 – 11/4/19

Next Steps

57

1. Public Meeting #2

2. Economic Analysis Projection

3. Decision Making Matrix

4. Land Use and Master Plan