G ASTONIA 2025 C OMPREHENSIVE P LAN O UR P LA C E IN THE F UTURE GASTONIA 2025 our place in the future G ASTONIA 2025 C OMPREHENSIVE P LAN Adopted May 17, 2011 Mayor Sr. Executive of Special Steering Committee Jennifer T. Stultz Projects & Strategic Planning Members 2020 Planning Staff James L. Kiser, AICP Robert Barnhill Cherie Jzar, AICP City Council Reverend Benjamin Hinton Planner II Walker E. Reid, Jr., Mayor Pro Tem City Attorney Brian Borne R. Dale Burkett L. Ashley Smith Ned Carpenter Jason Thompson Brenda B. Craig Bob Cinq-Mars Senior Planner John B. Howren, Jr. Assistant City Attorney Jane Cole Dave Kirlin Melissa A. Magee Mark Epstein Kim Wallis, GISP Keith Tidwell Peggie Ferguson Planning & GIS Specialist III Planning Commission Jerry Fleeman City Manager Bob Cinq-Mars, Chairman Tom Hauer Nancy Ross James Palenick Mark Epstein, M.D., Vice-Chairman Jan Mahannah Planning & GIS Specialist III Ina Biggers Don Massey Assistant City Manager / Charles Elliott Rev. John McCullough Hank Graham, AICP Director of Human Resources & Steven Fender Tommy McCray Senior Transportation Planner Administrative Services Jerry Fleeman Dr. Robert Neunzig Larry W. Wood William Gross Richard Penegar Bernie Yaccobucci Katherine Sanders May Robinson Transporation Planner Assistant City Manager / Michael Satterfield Michael Satterfield Public Infrastructure Linda Slade Candice Owenby J. Philip Bombardier, P.E. Director of Planning & Judy Smith Administrative Assistant III Development Services Heather Stroupe Michelle E. Nance, AICP Carl Stewart Wes Styers Dennis Turlington B’Ann Vance Aknowledgements Staff Contributors (names in alphabetical order) Robert Cook, AICP MPO Secretary, Mecklenburg Union County MPO Timothy Lee Adams, Police Chief Bill Duston Director of Planning, Centralina Council of Rachel Bagley, Director of Communications & Marketing Governments Matt Bernhardt, Director of Public Works & Utilities David Fogarty Director, Gaston County Cooperative Extension Rusty Bost, Assistant City Engineer Jori Frazier U.S. Census Bureau -Partnership and Data Services Michael Bynum, Civil Engineer III Malissa O. Gordon Research Specialist, Gaston County Economic Edward Cross, Water Treatment Plant Division Manager Development Commission Charles Dellinger Jr., Director of Parks & Recreation Steve Hancock Former Bicycle Planner, City of Charlotte Diane Dil Planner (Resigned) Donny Hicks Director Gaston County Economic Development Danette Dye Case Management Specialist Commission Chris Harker Senior Database Analyst Harrison Marshall Planner III, Statewide Planning Branch, NC Susan Hinely Community Improvement Director (Retired) Department of Transportation Patricia Johnson Keep Gastonia Beautiful Administrator Tancred Miller Policy Analyst NC Department of Environment & Donna Lahser Gastonia Police Public Information Specialist Natural Resources Don Lowe City Traffic Engineer Mary Newsom Associate Editor, The Charlotte Observer Thorne Martin Chief Engineer of Development Services Dennis Rash Executive-In-Residence, UNCC Center of Candice Owenby Administrative Assistant III Transportation Policy Studies Drew Pearson Zoning Services Administrator Bonnie Reidy Gaston County Schools Chief Communications Officer Paul Ratchford Surveyor Cad Administrator Carol Rhea, AICP Carol Rhea Consulting Cass Roberts Administrative Assistant III Al Sharp Executive Director, Centralina Council of Stephanie Scott-Sims Planner (Resigned) Governments (Retired) Annie Thombs Community Development Administrator (Retired) Burt Tasaico Project Administration, NC Department of Phillip B. Welch Fire Chief Transportation Vincent Wong Customer Service Supervisor Jake Terzo President, Singular Design and Construction Inc. Bernie Yacobucci Transportation Planner David Walters Professor of Architecture, UNCC David Williams, AICP Gaston County Director of Planning and Information and Assistance Provided By: Development Services Susan Bailey Former Health Education Coordinator, Gaston County Health Department Special Thanks to: Warren Burgess Planning Director, Town of Davidson (Deceased) The Citizens who attended the 2025 Comprehensive Plan informational and Vicki Bott Senior Policy Associate -UNC Charlotte Urban Institute public meetings. Mike Bush Former Chairman, Connect Gaston, Inc Bob Clay President, Clay Reality Advisors LLC TABLE OF CONTENTS Gastonia 2025 Comprehensive Plan Economic & Human Development 1 Introduction 1-1 4 Trends and Future Direction 4-1 The Planning Process 1-8 Human Resource Development 4-13 Business and Industrial Outlook 4-16 Key Guiding Principles Issues 4-26 Objectives & Tools 4-27 Executive Summary 1 The Key Guiding Principles 2 Public Utilities & Community Services Key Issues and Guiding Principles - In Depth 3 The Photo Assignment 10 5 Overview 5-1 Community Character Survey 12 Public Utilities 5-1 Community Services 5-15 Issues 5-30 Growth Patterns & Direction Objective & Tools 5-32 2 Growth, Population & Demographic Trends 2-1 Population Growth and Population Distribution 2-6 Open Space, Parks & Recreation Population Projections 2-14 6 Why is it Important? 6-1 Gastonia’s Recreational Infrastructure 6-3 Housing & Neighborhoods Greenways 6-12 3 Neighborhoods - Why are they Important 3-1 Land Assembly and Funding Sources for Background 3-2 Parks, Open Spaces, and Greenways 6-14 Neighborhood Characteristics 3-3 Issues 6-19 Existing Housing Stock 3-4 Objectives & Tools 6-20 Future Trends & Needs 3-14 Issues 3-16 Objectives & Needs 3-17 Table of Contents i-1 GASTONIA 2025 Comprehensive Plan The Center City Water Quality 10-4 Areas of Significance 10-14 7 Overview 7-1 Summary: Environmental Problems & Concerns 10-16 Center City’s Planning Legacy 7-4 Issues 10-17 Components of the Center City 7-11 Objectives & Tools 10-18 Center City Neighborhoods 7-21 Achieving a Vision 7-25 Community Appearance & Identity Issues 7-28 Objectives & Tools 7-29 11 Overview 11-1 Background & Trends 11-2 Purpose & Vision 11-3 Franklin Boulevard Corridor Community Character Areas 11-7 8 Introduction 8-1 Community Design & Cultural Character 11-13 Location and Context 8-2 Policy Implications 11-17 Existing Conditions 8-4 Issues 11-18 Land Use 8-6 Objectives & Tools 11-19 Redevelopment Scenarios 8-8 Transportation Strategies 8-17 Transportation Issues & Opportunities 8-19 Implementation Plan & Policy Framework 8-24 12 Introduction 12-1 Challenges to a Growing Region 12-2 Regional Planning & Interjurisdictional Coordination Transportation Network 12-10 Land Use & Transportation Coordination 12-18 9 Introduction 9-1 Issues 12-19 Regional Collaboration 9-2 Objectives & Tools 12-20 Emerging Regional Planning Issues 9-5 Looking Ahead 9-8 Issues 9-10 Land Use & Development Objectives & Tools 9-12 13 Overview 13-1 Environmental Quality Land Use Trends 13-6 Land Use Principles 13-10 10 Overview 10-1 Existing Land Use 13-13 Air Quality 10-2 Future Land Use 13-20 i-2 Table of Contents GASTONIA 2025 Comprehensive Plan Issues 13-22 Objectives & Tools 13-24 Addendum: Sector Profiles 13-31 East Sector 13-32 Northeast Sector 13-36 Southeast Sector 13-41 Northwest Sector 13-45 Garden Sector 13-49 Crowders Sector 13-53 Southwest Sector 13-57 Table of Contents i-3 LIST OF FIGURES A High School Diploma or Greater, 1990-2009 2-10 Comprehensive Plan: Introduction Figure 2-18: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC-SC 1 MSA, Average Household Size, 1960-2009 2-10 Figure 2-19: Percent Increase in Owner Occupied Growth, Population History & Demographic Trends Housing, 1990-2000 2-10 2 Figure 2-1: Growth through Annexation 2-1 Figure 2-20: Map, Median Household Income, Figure 2-2: City of Gastonia Population, 1880-2010 2-1 2000 & 2009 2-11 Figure 2-3: Land Area in Square Miles 2-2 Figure 2-21: Chart, Median Household Income, Figure 2-4: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC-SC 2000 & 2009 2-11 MSA Area 2-4 Figure 2-22: Regional Poverty Status: Percent Figure 2-5: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill Below Poverty Level, 2009 2-12 NC-SC MSA, Population, 1970-2010 2-4 Figure 2-23: Percentage Living Below Poverty Level, Figure 2-6: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC-SC Gastonia 2-12 MSA, Share of MSA Population, 1970-2010 2-4 Figure 2-24: Individuals Below Poverty Level 2-12 Figure 2-7: City & County Population Growth, 2000-2010 2-5 Figure 2-25: Population by TAZ, 2005 Projected Out Figure 2-8: Gastonia Racial Profile, 2010 2-5 to 2035 2-14 Figure 2-9 City of Gastonia, Population Change 2-5 Figure 2-26: Planning Area Sectors 2-15 Figure 2-10: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC-SC MSA, Figure 2-26: Graph, Sector Population Projections 2-15 Households 2000-2009 2-5 Figure 2-27: Chart, Sector Population Projections 2-15 Figure 2-11: Change in Population, 2000-2010 2-6 Figure 2-12: Percent Population Growth, 2000-2010 2-6 Housing & Neighborhoods Figure 2-13: Population by Age & Sex, Gaston County 1980-2009 2-7 3 Figure 3-1: Density of Housing Within Planning Area 3-3 Figure 2-13: Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill NC-SC Figure 3-2: Gastonia Residential Building Permits, MSA, Race by Region, 1970-2010 2-8 2005-2010 3-4 Figure 2-15: High School Graduates in the Region, Figure 3-3: Percent of Housing, 35 Years and Older, 2010 3-4 1970-2009 2-9 Figure 3-4: Density of Housing, 50+ Years of Age 3-5 Figure 2-16: High School Graduates, 2000 & 2009 2-9 Figure 3-5: Age of Housing Units 3-5 Figure 2-17: 1990 Percentage of Population with Figure 3-6: Housing Type by Type of Structure 3-7 List of Figures ii-1 GASTONIA 2025 Comprehensive Plan Figure 3-7: Gastonia Housing Tenure: 1970 to 2010 3-7 Figure 4-8: Percentage of People Employed in Figure