CRESCENT HILL NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN - Prepared for the Mayor, the Board of Aldermen, the Neighborhood Development Cabinet and the residents of the Crescent Hill Neighbor- hood of the City of Louisville. The preparation of this document was financed in part with federal Housing and Community Development funds. October, 1985 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY INTRODUCTION I . LAND USE A . Needs Assessment 1 . Summary of Findings ............... 1 2 . Existing Conditions ............... 1 3 . Neighborhood Profile ..............10 4 . Analysis .................... 12 5 . Government and Non-Government Actions ......17 6 . Summary of Problems and Issues .........18 B . Projection of Existing Conditions .......... 21 C . Alternatives and Recommendations 1 . Alternative Strategies .............23 2 . Recommended Land Use Plan ............27 D . Implementation ....................31 E . Priorities ......................41 LAND USE FIGURES I1 . TRANSPORTATION A . Needs Assessment 1 . Summary of Findings ...............43 2 . Existing Conditions ...............43 3 . Analysis of Existing Conditions .........47 4 . Issues and Problems ...............54 5 . Government and Non-Government Actions ......55 B . Projections .....................58 C . Alternatives and Recommendations 1 . Alternative Strategies ............. 60 2 . Recommended Transportation Plan ......... 66 D . Implementation .................... 69 E . Priorities ...................... 76 TRANSPORTATION FIGURES APPENDIX Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A. BACKGROUND 1. Plan Preparation The Crescent Hill Neighborhood Plan was prepared in the Spring and Summer of 1985. The staff of the Louisville and Jefferson County Planning Commission worked closely with the Planning Committee of the Crescent Hill Community Council to develop this plan. The Planning Committee is composed of neighborhood residents with expertise in a variety of fields related to neighborhood improve- ment. Prior efforts by the Planning Committee established issues and recommendations that were to be addressed in the Crescent Hill Neighborhood Plan. Development of this plan was carried out under a contract with the City of Louisville Neighborhood Development Cabinet, at the request of the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen. The Plan was prepared in part with federal Community Development Block Grant funds. This,Plan was developed in accordance with the Neigh- borhood Plan Ordinance (Ordinance No. 22, Series 1980, City of Louisville). 2. Purpose of Plan The purpose of this plan is to identify the needs of Crescent Hill residents and businesses in terms of land use and transportation. The Plan is intended to provide specific recommendations that will promote the revitalization and long-term stability of residential areas, improve neighborhood stores and shopping areas, correct existing and projected traffic problems, and provide adequate transportation services for the study area. After the plan is adopted by the Board of Aldermen, it will guide decision-making by the Board and the Mayor in matters concerning the Crescent Hill area. Specifically, the Board of Aldermen: - - will consider the plan's recommendations in the development of city-wide plans, provision of services and preparation of budgets; -- may act as applicant for zoning change proposals recommended by the plan; and - - will consider the plan as official planning evidence in its review of zoning changes requested by individual property owners. Similarly, the Executive Branch and associated agencies will use the plan to : -- develop city-wide plans and policies; -- guide the provision of services; and - - prepare and review General Revenue and Community Development budgets. 3. Neighborhood Plan Ordinance Compliance The Crescent Hill Plan was developed in compliance with City Ordi- nance No. 22, Series 1980. This ordinance establishes the required content and process for preparation and adoption of neighborhood plans. The Crescent Hill Neighborhood Plan consists of a land use and transportation section. Adoption by the Board of Aldermen will be sought for the Plan's land use and transportation section. B. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations of the Crescent Hill Neighborhood Plan consist of a series of guidelines (written recommendation statements) and two maps. The guidelines are on pages 27 through 29 (land use) and 66 through 68 (transportation). The land use and transportation recommendation maps, Figure 1-6 and Figure 11-7, appear at the end of the land use and transportation sections, respectively. Proposed zoning changes are illustrated on Figure 1-7. Existing conditions in Crescent Hill, issues facing the neighborhood and recommendations for the area are summarized in the following paragraphs. 1. Land Use a. Existing Conditions Crescent Hill neighborhood as defined in this study is bounded by Ewinq Avenue on the west, Brownsboro Road and Madelle Avenue on the north, the city limits on the east and Lexington Road on the south. Most of Crescent Hill is occupied by housing or large institutional uses (Masonic Home, Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville Water Company, St. Joseph's Orphanage). Taken together the institutions occupy 46% of Crescent Hill; homes occupy 39%. Shops and offices occupy only 2% of Crescent Hill; they are located in intermittent commercial strips.along Brownsboro Road and Frankfort Avenue. Existing land use is indicated on the maps starting on page 9. Existing zoning in Crescent Hill is residential (96%) and commercial (4%). In residential areas the most cbmmon zoning is the R-5 (single-family) zone, followed by the R-5A and R-6 apartment zones. Existing zoning can be read from the maps beginning on page 14. Homes in Crescent Hill are generally in very good condition. One-half of the neighborhood's dwelling units are owner-occupied, 60% are single-family homes. The population of Crescent Hill in 1980 was 8,700. Median family income in Crescent Hill is signif- icantly higher than in the city as a whole. b. Issues and Recommendations Several institutions have large land holdings in Crescent Hill. The open space they provide adds to the neighborhood's "small town" character. Redevelopment of these sites in the future could have a significant effect on Crescent Hill. The Plan recommends that the Crescent Hill Community Council maintain contact with the institu- tions concerning future use of their sites. The neighborhood should provide input on future development, to ensure compatibility with existing development. In addition, the Plan recommends meas- ures to preserve open space corridors where undeveloped land exists along major streets. Crescent Hill contains a large historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. However, there is no review process of new development to protect the area's architectural resources. The Plan proposes a voluntary program to promote com- patible development based on a design consultation service. The Plan further recommends a city-wide procedure whereby government agencies would seek neighborhood review of new development that may have a significant effect on residential areas. Steep slopes and tree-covered hillsides are an important part of Crescent Hill's character. The Plan proposes preserving these areas as open space or limiting them to lower intensity development designed to protect the environment. Cluster development on the least sloping portion of steep sites is recommended; development at a lower intensity than permitted by existing zoning is also en- dorsed. Protection and maintenance of the Hilliard Scenic Easement is endorsed. Frankfort Avenue and Brownsboro Road are commuter routes for afflu- ent sections of Louisville. An expansion of commercial use may occur along these streets in the future. At the same time there is a need to improve existing stores, especially along Frankfort Avenue. Under-used shops that are not well maintained detract from the area's appearance. A lack of off-street parking is an impedi- ment to businesses in this area. The Plan delineates proposed boundaries for commercial use (Figure 1-6,). Additional parking is proposed by marking the curb lanes of Frankfort Avenue for parking, using vacant land at the rear of shops and exploring use of the railroad property for parking. Improved signage, better property maintenance, alley improvements and an effective business associa- tion are also recommended. Much of Crescent Hill was rezoned after the 1974 tornado, and is appropriately zoned for existing development. However, in some areas residential zoning allows higher density use than presently exists; some single-family areas are zoned for apartment use. There are also limited instances of homes zoned for commercial develop- ment. The Plan proposes rezoning residential areas to the lowest density zoning district consistent with existing use. Based on this recommendation a map of proposed zoning changes has been prepared, Figure 1-7. Billboards along major streets do not contribute to the neighbor- hood's appearance. Some parking lots in Crescent Hill lack screen- ing and landscaping. The Plan proposes adoption of more stringent billboard regulations and supports removal of existing billboards. Beautification of existing parking lots and enforcement of city requirements for landscaping new parking lots are recommended. Beyond these specific improvements, the Plan proposes several actions to enhance the appearance of Crescent Hill: beautification of the railroad right-of-way, consistent business signs, a symbol or focal point for