Day 3 - Housing, Development and the Neighborhoods

The crowds continued to turn out for the charrette with another 200+ interested citizens, students, and key stakeholders participating in meetings today discussing workforce housing, development, student housing, and the neighborhoods. Without a doubt there was overwhelming consensus that the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), the town's zoning and development manual needs some significant updating. Also there was clear consensus that there needs to be an active, coordinated effort to provide a wider range of housing types, styles, and prices particularly in the price range below $250,000. Key recommendations or discussion topics included:

• The creation of a separate non-profit organization to focus on workforce housing, possibly in cooperation with ASU.
• Providing a clear, predictable development process that is sensitive to both mixed-use development and redevelopment.
• Protecting new housing aimed at families and professional from becoming student housing.
• Locating student close to campus and along transit routes (and making the housing transit friendly)
• Providing a pro-active neighborhood planning process to facilitate expectations for improvements including pedestrian and bicycle improvements, infill development, and adjacency issues.
• The completion of a full and comprehensive plan for the Kraut Creek corridor from the downtown to its crossing of 321. Note: The charrette produced a preliminary assessment and a series of recommended tools for improving various segments.

Today was also the last day of formal meetings. Tomorrow, the team will turn it attention to some infill housing opportunities, overall growth issues and where Boone will grow, and the completion of an urban design plan for the downtown among many other projects.

There will be an open studio Thursday and Friday and the public is invited to drop in at their leisure with any ideas or comments as well as to see the progress. Like tonight, there will also be a public pin-up session at 5:30 pm both Thursday and Friday.

Don't forget to fill out the survey. Everyone who participates in the survey will be entered in a raffle for a prize from the Mast General Store to be given away at the closing presentation next Tuesday night, October 28th.