CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The City of Charlotte presented a new recommended draft of the Charlotte Future 2040 Comprehensive Plan Thursday afternoon.
The draft is available online at cltfuture2040.com.
The plan incorporates input from thousands of Charlotte residents collected during the past three years at events and forums held throughout the city. The events, including several town halls hosted by city council members, covered key topics such as single-family zoning and 10-minute neighborhoods as well as the fiscal impacts of the plan.
When asked if the plan won't fuel gentrification and push more people out, Assistant City Manager, Taiwo Jaiyeoba said, "I will not use the word promise, but I will use the word protect."
He added the plan is to protect the integrity of communities.
Mayor Pro Tem and Chair of the Transportation, Planning and Environment Committee Julie Eiselt and Assistant City Manager and Director of Planning, Design and Development Department Taiwo Jaiyeoba discussed key revisions to the plan and next steps in the process.
“This plan reflects input from literally thousands of Charlotte residents across our city,” Eiselt said. “Together, we are creating a plan that will guide Charlotte’s development and create a city that fosters opportunity in every neighborhood.”
Among the highlights are zoning rules for housing. The plan would "allow duplex and triplex housing units on all place types where single-family housing is allowed and require conformance with residential lot size requirements, setback requirements, and other site development standards specified within the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)."
It's in an effort to create more density for an ever-growing city.
"The 400,000 people who are going to move here in the next 20 years -- where are we going to put them," Eiselt said.
The plan also changes tower restrictions to Uptown Charlotte. It states that any tower that is built more than 30 stories tall in Uptown 'should' include or contribute community benefits, such as affordable housing or public space.
"Of course we want new businesses to feel like they can move to charlotte and build and building and employ people," Eiselt added, explaining that it would all be on a case by case basis so the city doesn't keep businesses from building in the Queen City.
To help fight displacement, the plan includes the creation of an anti-displacement commission and an anti-displacement strategy, along with a dashboard to track the cities progress with keeping people in their homes and in the city.
City seeks continued resident input
Residents will have the opportunity for further input during an upcoming community conversation with planning staff. The live conversation about the recommended draft will allow residents to provide feedback prior to the staff’s presentation of the final draft plan for adoption by the City Council.
Interested residents must complete the community conversation sign-up form to participate. Staff will also be taking questions submitted through the Facebook and YouTube video comments.
Residents are also encouraged to provide their feedback and comments online, via email at cltfuture2040@charlottenc.gov, or leave a message at 311 through June 3, 2021.