Thoburn Reinvents?

[Metro Jacksonville]

Thoburn Reinvents?

Consider this recent piece by Mary Kelli Palka of the Florida Times Union.Brad Thoburn, the controversial appointee of Mayor John Peyton to head the Planning Department, has emerged as a newfound stalwart of New Urbanist design ideals.Thoburn's appointment was opposed by many in the local blogosphere on the grounds of his inexperience in planning.   (Especially here)In his first public foray, however, Brad has surprisingly chosen to adopt remarkably sensible design concepting into the city planning process: Here is the article:As Jacksonville residents began fleeing from the urban core to the suburbs decades ago, shopping centers followedNow, a drive along parts of Beach or Atlantic boulevards or many other major thoroughfares reveals row upon row of strip malls.           City officials want to change that landscape.            We have to think of these corridors, and many times they really are, the front door of our neighborhoods,  Planning Director Brad Thoburn said. Thoburn is hoping to shift from the strip mall concept to designs similar to the St. Johns Town Center, where buildings are clustered, parking isn't a focal point and walking from store to store is encouraged. With help from a planning contractor, the city has developed a set of draft guidelines for new commercial developments. Though the city has the authority to approve zoning changes, Thoburn said he isn't sure yet if the guidelines eventually will become mandatory or simply be recommendations. mary.palka@jacksonville.com (mailto:mary.palka@jacksonville.com), - Some buildings in urban developments should be close to the main roadways and be arranged so they limit the view of large parking areas.               - Vary the store heights in suburban centers; include set-backs of the second floor and above of buildings higher than 40 feet.               - Encourage a mix of retail, commercial, office, restaurant and high-density residential spaces.               - Cluster buildings in large scale developments to allow for patrons to park in one area and walk among the shops.~~~Looks               - Vary wall heights, roof pitches and other architectural designs to reduce the scale of large buildings.               - Entrances, awnings, display windows and other similar features should comprise at least 60 percent of the ground floor exterior in urban shopping centers.               - Hide Dumpsters and service areas behind screens or walls.~~~Pedestrian-friendly               - Feature canopies, seating areas or fountain displays in developments.               - Include walkways in parking areas and plazas in the middle of developments.               - Set back buildings with uncovered storefronts far enough from the curb to provide 4 feet of landscaping and 8-foot-wide walkways. If outdoor dining is included, the walkway should be 6 feet wide.~~~Landscaping               - Place overhead utilities underground when possible. But when overhead lines are in a development, don't put large-canopy trees nearby.               - Use plants as buffers on the outside of buildings and in pedestrian areas.               - Include planter islands and other landscaping in the parking medians.~~~Lighting               - Place lighting and electrical connections underground.               - Use shields on lights or recess lighting and don't use lights that cause a glare.               - Place lighting near building entrances; don't point lights toward the sky.                              

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/459

[Lunican]

Thoburn is hoping to shift from the strip mall concept to designs similar to the St. Johns Town Center, where buildings are clustered, parking isn't a focal point and walking from store to store is encouraged.

I don't think the St Johns Town Center is the greatest  model for avoiding parking as the focal point  and promoting walking between stores. I think the St Johns Town Center does a pretty poor of both.

[thelakelander]

Kudos to Thoburn and the planning department for considering ways to improve the look and layout of stirp centers across our suburbia.  However, I'd agree with Dan, the SJTC does do a poor job of avoiding parking as the focal point and promoting walking between both sides of the center.  In fact, outside of the older districts, like San Marco Square and Five Points, Jax is still waiting for a new shopping center that fully embraces these concepts.  Anyway, the list of suggestions should become a part of the zoning code, instead of recommendations.  Its about time this community start requiring quality, as opposed to settling for any bland design that comes into city hall for approval.

[JUSTDAVE]

I really don't mind people that say there ought to be a law but watch out what you are advocating for. Remember America is still the land of opportunity I am not saying everyone sold be able to put two abandend bicycles together call it a hot dog cart somehow and stand on the side of the road but what about the guy who has a good recipe and can afford to rent an abandend building  Will he need 100,000 to get into business? Convince me that what you are advocating allows more than just the very privledged to get into business.
On day that small business guy could be you or me, MAYBE WITH JUST A GOOD IDEA THAT MADE A PROFIT OUT OF OUR GARAGE and now needs a storefront.
Middle and lower class people starting businesses is what keeps assuring us America will have a middle class
I don't think I have overstated the situation any arguement that says things are already bad for the opportunity of people without a whole lot of money  to get into business and a lot of building requirements only makes things just a little worse is a weak arguement.  

[thelakelander]

Yes, this is America, but you still need rules and guidelines to ensure proper development and to uphold the rest of the community's property values.  Without them, there would be nothing to stop me from purchasing a property right next to your residence and opening up a Paris Hilton 24/7 whore house or Porky Pig meat packaging facility.  Just apply the same idealogy to strip malls.

Just because you have a thoughtful and well planned design layout, doesn't mean it has to cost anyone additional money.  Something as simple as requiring that new construction buildings must front the sidewalk, with parking being placed behind the building won't cost you one more red cent, in construction costs.  

However, it would be a world of a difference to the local pedestrian walking on the sidewalks, cyclists, the visual appearance of your property from the street and it's integration into the surrounding community.  All those things can be easily put in place with proper zoning, which in turn create "connectivity", which creates "synergy".  At the end of the day,  because of good zoning, you can have the things for free, that this community continues to give incentives for.

Also, if you want to protect the lower/middle class business owner, you need to hook up with the historic society and fight to save as much of our existing urban fabric as possible.  Its always easier for the mom & pop shop to open up in an existing storefront, as opposed to purchasing dirt and constructing a new facility from scratch.

[Michael Lewyn]

even allowed good urban design, let alone required it.  But that would require cutting back on quite a few regulations: setback, minimum parking, street design, you name it.

[zoo]

St. John's Town Center and Ben Carter have been the reason downtown is taking longer to turn around, because now there is an alternative to a revived urban core. Jacksonville had pent up demand for current, non-mall retail which would have thrived just about anywhere in this city.

I don't know when planning, purchasing, incentivizing for SJTC began (anybody else?), but is it possible that if BC had directed funds to purchasing parcels and restoring structures downtown, the retail there would have come along in the same time frame? Jacksonville inviting Ben Carter to be involved in downtown retail planning is like inviting the fox into the henhouse.

Who, with an interest in downtown, can come close to competing with him for retailers' attention/interest?

[JJ]

Our city leaders sat on their hands and let downtown rot. Ben Carter plopped an upscale mall in the middle of the highest income area of town. He built the regions first upscale mall. It was a fantastic business move and he is reaping the benefits.

[cinch2win]

To heck with Lavilla, if you touch that area, you will see heat from all the activists who want to develop the transportation hub or build an amusement park next to the convention center. Plus, when and if the courthouse is built, Lavilla will fill in with law offices, so leave it be.

Think about Brooklyn, nothing there, sure lots of plans, but still lots of dirt. The new Auchter building on Riverside will have street front retail and at least 1 restaurant in the bottom. It could be contagious up and down that corridor. If Brad's vision can permiate that area and develop a mini SJTC for that area on the bald areas of land, that would be a good thing for all of us who live close to downtown.

[thelakelander]

Hallmark's 200 Riverside

If that area develops, as already planned, it should become a nice stretch of urbanity, at least on the westside of Riverside Avenue.  The Miles (Brooklyn Park) and Hallmark (200 Riverside) projects , alone, will fill all the dirt between the Skyway's maintenance yard and Forest Street.  Thoburn's ideas on improving strip center development, would be bolstered by using these projects as examples, instead of SJTC's.