Tobacco Warehouse Could Light up as New Business Complex

Source from:  By Frank Ruggiero ruggiero@wataugademocrat.com 11/13/2007

The Coleman property in downtown Boone may be kicking the tobacco habit, so learned the Boone Town Council and Boone Area Planning Commission at Thursday's quarterly public hearing. A request for rezoning from Joseph E. Coleman Jr. would see the old Coleman Tobacco Warehouse on West King Street rezoned from light industrial (M-1) to central business (B-1) to permit a mixed use of housing and retail. The property consists of 2.2 acres and is located between West King Street and Poplar Grove Road, a Boone Development Services report reads, adding that the site is bisected by Boone (Kraut) Creek but is outside of the special flood hazard area. Rob Slack, real estate broker with Blowing Rock Realty, appeared to speak on behalf of the Colemans and his client, Oscar Longa of South Florida, who would develop the project. Slack said Longa envisions two phases for the property, the first being 20 units of multi-family housing, which could possibly meet a community need of affordable housing for staff and faculty of Appalachian State University. "There's also a tremendous demand of people who want to own property in Boone," he added, noting that the first phase would front Poplar Grove Road. The second phase of the project would face King Street and feature office space, retail and dining. Since Kraut Creek runs straight through the property, Slack said the natural feature would be incorporated into the project by means of green space, which would separate the residential building from the commercial. Planning commissioner Gayle Turner suggested that Slack meet with the Kraut Creek Committee to gather its input on the matter and work with members to reach a solution beneficial to both parties. Planning commissioner Patrick Heavner asked Slack to provide further detail on the apartments, as to whether or not they'd be townhouses or more traditional, smaller apartments. Slack said the units would likely be townhouse condominiums limited to two levels due to height restrictions. The biggest challenge, he admitted, would be parking. Slack said he'd contacted the county, which owns the lot adjacent to the property to store impounded vehicles, to discuss the possibility of building a parking deck there, where tenants could park and the county could still impound vehicles. "We realize that with the configuration of this whole project, parking will be a big concern, so that's another avenue we're pursuing, as well," Slack said. Slack said he and his client have consulted with Vannoy and Sons for construction, while ASU technology instructor and architect Chad Everhart will help develop green building plans. "We really want to do something that blends into the whole environment that we have here," Slack said. Council member Bunk Spann echoed Turner in that Slack and company should meet with the Kraut Creek Committee. Keeping Up Appearances The council and commission also heard a request from the Boone Community Appearance Commission (CAC) to update the town's commercial development appearance standards. Boone Development Services director John Spear said the CAC has met three times in the past two months to evaluate development in downtown Boone and search for areas where the regulations could be improved. The CAC found that improvements could be made in pedestrian orientation, in that buildings should be designed to support a safe pedestrian environment, with the primary façade and main entryway facing the primary public way. "We certainly encouraged that in the past, but there was no requirement for that," Spear said. Another suggested amendment would see buildings feature windows or displays on 10 percent of their ground-floor, street-facing sections. The new language would also affect parking structures, requiring ground-level parking facing the street to be sufficiently screened to a height of 42 inches above the finished floor through walls, landscaping or a continuous façade, which would also prevent headlights from projecting beyond the buffer. The regulations would require upper floors to be designed with a continuous façade, incorporating "window-like openings," the sills of which must be a minimum of 42 inches above the finished floor. Elevator and stair shafts would be required to feature gabled roofs or architectural features "and be so oriented that lobbies are visible from the street at each level." The requirements would also ensure lighting is uniform throughout the structure, "so that dark hiding places are not created." Spann asked if the regulations would address public concerns about the aesthetic appearance of parking decks in town, and Spear said they would encourage a more aesthetically-pleasing appearance, but that the council must understand that parking structures, by law, must have so many openings to facilitate air flow, as well as public safety. Council member Rennie Brantz asked if the proposed standards would provide for a parking deck more similar to the university's on Rivers Street, rather than its newer structure on College Street. Spear said the regulations would encourage the type on Rivers Street, which is more akin to the CAC's recommendations. Council member Lynne Mason said she favored the recommendations and that she's visited a number of communities with parking decks that incorporated such features "that you can't even tell they're parking decks." Next Up These two items will next appear before the Boone Area Planning Commission at its regular meeting Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. in council chambers at 1500 Blowing Rock Road. The commission will make recommendations, on which the Boone Town Council will take action at its meeting Thursday, Nov. 15, at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers. Enditem