building the comprehensive plan

Building the Comprehensive Plan

Enterprise, Alabama

Planning Objectives for 2005:

• Devise a physical vision—a strategic concept for development and conservation of Enterprise

• Prepare a plan to guide development—land use, accessibility, infrastructure

• Update the city’s zoning ordinance and subdivision regulations

• Prepare Enterprise citizens to carry out their plans

Enterprise: Overview

• Parks• Main Street• School system• Small city atmosphere• Recreation Dept /

facilities• Cultural Alliance• Boll Weevil Circle• Accessibility

• Maneuverability• New residential

construction• Local merchants / stores• Hometown feeling• Medical Center• Fort Rucker• Senior Center• Churches

Assets:

Town Meeting 2005

• Vacant lots• Abandoned homes & cars• Inadequate Civic Center• Lack of sewer on north side• No public transportation• Main Street area standards• No cultural activity venue • No art museum

• Incomplete medical facilities• Incomplete streets & sidewalks• Underutilized industrial sites • Air quality around the mills• Insufficient road capacity• Downtown parking inadequate• Signals and pedestrian x-ings• Blind intersections

Liabilities:

Town Meeting 2005

• Fort Rucker• New industry• Retirees moving in• Land use succession• Proximity to Interstate

10• Impact of growth on

our sense of community

• Impact of growth on utilities, civic facilities, fire department

• Draining effect of Dothan on local businesses

• Impact of 4-laning US 84

Outside Forces:

Town Meeting 2005

• Small town• People /

personal• Values / ideals• Attitudes• Relaxed• Pace of life• Hometown• Pride

• Affordable• Safety• Jobs• Kids• Schools• Church• Military• Multi-national

Why live / work / invest in Enterprise:

Town Meeting 2005

• Heritage• Friendly• Support• Service• Location• Climate• Quality of

life• Environmen

t

• Comprehensive Plan • Global strategy• Community image

upgrade• Legible city limits• City expanded south

& west• Community utilizing

its resources

• More trees / saved trees• Land use compatibility• Commercial needs met

locally• Historic downtown

upgraded• Systematic code

enforcement• Development

management system

Missing from personal visions for the city:

Town Meeting 2005

• Traffic congestion resolved• Public transportation• SR 167 and US 84 (4-

Lane)• Walkable city• Sidewalks in

neighborhoods• Utilities upgraded• Expanded city hall, police

& fire department facilities

• New Civic / Conference Center

• Outdoor recreation• Aquatic facility• Therapeutic recreation

facilities• Family fun center• Welcome Center • Higher education expanded• Entry-level jobs / training

…also missing from personal visions for the city:

Town Meeting 2005

• Global strategy• Citywide legibility• Gateways to Enterprise• Image corridors• Access management• Downtown / Main

Street• Neighborhood

interaction, focus & communication

• Annexation

Essential elements:

Strategic Development Concept

• Development management• Commercial centers• Commercial corridors• Industrial infill• Residential infill • Expansion south & west• Medical Center expansion• Higher education

expansion• Fort Rucker connections

…more essential elements:


• Sewer & water system• Expanded city hall• Expanded police facilities• More fire stations• Conference and civic

center• 4-Lane US 84 and SR 167• Sidewalk network

expansion• Street system

enhancement



• Green Infrastructure• Greenway & trail

system• Tree cover• City park system• Outdoor recreation• Therapeutic recreation• Aquatic center



Testing the Concept

• Enterprise development will be guided by priorities that put people first.

• Those aspects of the community we value most will remain and be improved.

• Water and sanitary sewer service will be available in all parts of the city.

Testing the Concept

• Downtown will be revitalized and connected to its traditional edges.

• The now-vacant mills will be redeveloped as vital parts of the community.

• There will be significant infill and redevelopment of vacant and underutilized property, both inside and along Boll Weevil Circle.

Testing the Concept

• Enterprise will be truly walkable, and its declining neighborhoods will be revitalized.

• There will be park and recreation facilities for all ages and interests.

• Enterprise will have many points of interest – a variety of places for our diverse population to go and do things.

Building the Plan

Major Ingredients

• Existing Land Use

• Green Infrastructure

• Activity Centers

• Neighborhoods

• Accessibility

• Infrastructure

Building the Plan

Neighborhoods

• Community

• Livability

• Appearance

• Diversity

• Accessibility

• Convenience

• Safety

• Affordability

Building the Plan

Neighborhood Principles

• Citywide open space system

• Design appropriate to context

• Neighborhood focal point

• Walkable, interconnected streets

• Calm streets designed to be appropriate to scale

Building the Plan

Green Infrastructure

• Surface water

• Floodplains

• Parks and open space

Building the Plan

Green Infrastructure Policies

• Conserve green infrastructure and landscape form

• Organize development to capitalize on critical open spaces

Building the Plan

Activity Centers

• Downtown

• Community Commercial

• Commercial Corridors

• Regional Commercial

• Employment Support

• Institutional Support

• Citywide Recreation

Building the Plan

Center Characteristics

• Compact core

• Anchor of activity

• Internal circulation

• Pedestrian accessible

• Pedestrian orientation

Building the Plan

…more characteristics

• Positive sense of place

• Vehicular accessibility

• Visual coherence

• Well-defined edges

Building the Plan

Citywide Policies

• Preserve and enhance the city’s open space system

• Design each activity center to relate to its context

• Create discernable, compact activity centers

• Design each activity center to maximize accessibility

Building the Plan

Downtown

• Image

• Commerce

• Accessibility

Building the Plan

Image

• High quality public facilities

• Appropriate appearance of properties

• Attractive and effective signs and displays

Building the Plan

Commerce

• Citywide land use patterns

• Activities supporting a healthy business environment

• Healthy mix and pattern of downtown uses and activities

• Image of downtown and its access corridors

Building the Plan

Accessibility

• Build legible traffic patterns

• Minimize pedestrian/vehicle conflicts

• Clearly visible parking facilities

• Adequate loading and service zones

• Safe and convenient sidewalks

Downtown

Building the Plan

Community Commercial

• Relatively small

• Primarily single-use areas

• Predominantly auto-oriented

• Seldom pedestrian accessible

• Infill to street edges

• Should relate to adjacent neighborhoods

Community Commercial

Building the Plan

Commercial Corridors

• Mostly extensive and loose

• Mix of independent uses

• Exclusively auto-oriented

• Parking dominated


• Infill and redevelop nodes of activity

Commercial Corridors

Building the Plan

Regional Commercial

• Very large centers

• Big box anchors

• Typical of major intersections

• Exclusively auto-oriented

• Parking dominated


• Infill and redevelop nodes of activity

Regional Commercial

Building the Plan

Employment Support

• Large, relatively level sites

• Freestanding operations or industrial parks

• Reliance on good accessibility

• Relative isolation desirable


• Infill and redevelop aging centers

Employment Support

Building the Plan

Institutional Support

• Government, education, medical center, civic center

• Access and parking essential

• Very people-oriented

• Good community connections essential

• Bicycle and pedestrian access desirable

Institutional Support

Building the Plan

Major Recreation

• Government, education, medical center, civic center

• Access and parking essential

• Very people-oriented

• Good community connections essential

• Bicycle and pedestrian access desirable

Major Recreation

Land Use and Transportation

Major Themes

• Protect green infrastructure

• Build a city of neighborhoods

• Support neighborhoods with major activity centers

• Maintain community character

• Expand access opportunities

• Protect and invest in the community

Land Use Plan

Major Functions

• Avoid and resolve land use conflicts

• Identify and sustain desirable land use patterns

• Forecast infrastructure needs

• Provide a foundation for development management

Mobility and Access

Gateways and Corridors

• This is how visitors come to know Enterprise

• Reinforce a sense of place

• Build a sense of legibility

• Nodes, landmarks, edges and districts

• Reinforce the corridors and important decision points

Access vs Mobility

Roadway Improvements

Enterprise Planning Process

Coming attractions:

• Public Investment Plans

• Plan Implementation System

• Public hearings and adoption

• Update zoning and subdivision regulations

• Public hearings and adoption

building the comprehensive plan

Documents

civic facilities

civic center4lane us

developmentland use

laning us

plans enterprise

personal visions

inland use successionproximity

south westcommunity