>>>
>>> WCNC
>>> WCNC TV CHARLOTTE. THIS IS FLASHPOINT. >> GOOD SUNDAY MORNING, THANK
YOU FOR JOINING US ON
FLASHPOINT.
I AM BEN THOMPSON.
HERE'S HOPING YOU HAD A HAPPY
THANKS GIVING.
WE ARE DEDICATING TODAY SHOWED
A TOPIC THAT AFFECTS EVERYONE
OF US BUT RARELY DO WE TALK
ABOUT IT OR REPORT ABOUT IT ON
THE NEWS.
IT TOPICALLY A TOPIC WE DON'T
CARE ABOUT UNTIL IT'S IN OUR
OWN BACKYARD.
LITERALLY.
THAT'S ZONING.
IT'S THE WAY THE CITY MARKS
CERTAIN LAND, HOW IT CAN BE
USED.
FOR EXAMPLE, AN AREA CAN BE
DEDICATED TO COMMERCIAL OR
INDUSTRIAL OR A RESTRICTION ON
HOW MANY HOUSING UNITS CAN BE
BOTH.
DEFINITELY SOUNDS MUNDANE, YES,
BUT THIS IS FLASHPOINT AND WE
DID DEEPER INTO THESE TOPICS.
ZONING TAKES PLACE AND DEPEND ON
WHERE WE LIVE, CAN DETERMINE
SCHOOLS, PARKS, DOCTORS OFFICE.
IN A CITY GROWING LIKE
CHARLOTTE IT WILL AFFECT YOU
WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
WE ARE HOPING IN THIS EDITION
OF FLASHPOINT WE HOPE YOU WILL
BE MORE INFORMED AS A VOTER,
NEIGHBOR, AND CITIZEN AS WELL.
JOINING ME TODAY IS CHARLOTTE
CITY COUNCILMAN TREVOR CARLY
DIRECTOR OF PLANNING DESIGN AND
DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY
ACTIVIST KLEPPE FOREST.
THANK YOU FOR COMING ON.
THIS ALL STEMMED FROM A
CONVERSATION YOU AND I HAD ON
THIS SHOW A FEW WEEKS AGO AND
WE GOT LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE
A WHOLE EPISODE ABOUT IT.
SO ABOUT A WEEK AND A HALF AGO
NOW, WE ARE AFTER THANKSGIVING,
THE CITY MADE SOME BIG NEWS
WHEN IT CAME TO ZONING.
>> I THINK, IN MODERN HISTORY
THE SINGLE LARGEST REZONING
THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED IN CHINA
AND ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE DID IS
WE TOOK AROUND, I THINK, 1800
ACRES OR SO AROUND THE LIGHT
RAIL AND REZONED IT IN A MORE
KIND OF DENSE, TRUE TALL,
TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT
MATTER.
>> WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT?
>> THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF
YOU LOOK AT OUR BLUELINE
QUARTER FOR LONG, WITH A NON-
TRANSIT SUPPORT. FOR THE
BILLION-DOLLAR INVESTMENT THAT
WE MADE IN THAT LINE, THE TYPES
OF PRIORITIES WE HAVE IN THE
CITY SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING
AND MIXED USAGE, IT'S IMPORTANT
TO REZONE THOSE SO YOU CAN HAVE
TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT IN MODERN
CITIES ALONG THAT CORRIDOR.
ALSO MORE IMPORTANTLY THAT YOU
DON'T HAVE ORIENTED USAGE SO
CLOSE TO TRANSIT.
THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
>> WHY IS ZONING IMPORTANT?
>> TO ME, I LIKE
INTENTIONALITY.
WHEN I LOOK AT SOUTH CHARLOTTE
I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS MORE
INTENTIONAL ZONING WITH
WRAPAROUND BENEFITS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AFRICAN-
AMERICAN CORRIDORS, THERE IS
MORE INTENTIONALITY WITH
WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND THE
DETRIMENTS LIKE LIQUORS AND
CIGARETTE SHOPS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE AND
HEAR MORE ABOUT THE
INTENTIONALITY FOR THE POSITIVE
BENEFITS ON BOTH SIDES OF
CHARLOTTE.
THE WHITE AND THE BLACK.
>> LET ME ASK YOU ALL THE SAME
THING.
WHY IS ZONING IMPORTANT
QUESTION MAXIMUM ZONING IS
IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S A TOOL
WE USE TO IMPLEMENT A POLICY
FOR THE CITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAVE
INTENTION YOU WANT TO BUILD
AROUND, THE LIGHT RAIL FOR
EXAMPLE, YOU WANT TO GO TALL
AND DENSE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE
TOOLS TO ALLOW YOU TO DO THAT
AND THAT IS WHY ZONING IS
IMPORTANT.
AGAIN, FOR WELFARE AND HEALTH
SO YOU DON'T HAVE THAT NEXT TO
INDUSTRIAL.
THAT IS WHY ZONING IS AN
IMPORTANT TOOL FOR ANY
COMMUNITY.
>> QUITE SIMPLY, THOSE ARE THE
RULES BY WHICH WE, CITY
COUNCIL, AND ALL THE STAFF
DICTATE ON WHAT YOU ARE ALLOWED
TO DO. THAT IS JUST SO
IMPORTANT FOR ANYWHERE BUT
PARTICULARLY A CITY LIKE
CHARLOTTE.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS I'VE
LEARNED THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE,
PROBABLY A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T
KNOW.
WE ARE LESS DENSE TODAY, AS A
CITY OF CHARLOTTE, THEN WE WERE
IN 1940.
I THINK PEOPLE WOULD SAY WOW.
OBVIOUSLY THE MAP IS GROWN AND
DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT
WE HAVE'S RENT THE LAST SEVERAL
DECADES REALLY GROWING OUT AND
WE HAVE REACHED REALLY ALMOST
THE END OF HOW FAR OUT WE CAN
GROW.
NOW WE ARE GOING TO SEE THE MAP
CHANGE AND WE ARE GOING TO
START GROWING UP.
IF YOU LOOK AT CITIES LIKE
ATLANTA, WHICH WE GET COMPARED
TO A LOT, AND OTHER THINGS LIKE
THAT, GRIDLOCKED TRAFFIC, A LOT
OF SPRAWL.
THE DECISIONS WE MAKE TODAY ARE
THE THINGS THAT WILL DICTATE
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN
CHARLOTTE 15-20 YEARS FROM NOW.
AND ZONING AND REZONING IS
REALLY THE MOST POWERFUL TOOL.
BECAUSE THE CITY, GOVERNMENT
DOESN'T BUILD AFFORDABLE
HOUSING UNITS OR ANYTHING LIKE
THAT.
WE SET THE ECOSYSTEM THAT
ENABLES WHAT IS GOING TO BE
BUILT AND WHAT WE INCENTIVIZE.
>> WHEN YOU ARE ON HERE A
COUPLE WEEKS AGO YOU MENTIONED
THE PHRASE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT
ORDINANCE EASE.
IF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT, THEY
NEED TO KNOW IT NOW.
WHAT IS IT?
>> IT'S ESSENTIALLY WHERE WE
ARE WORKING TOWARDS AND I FEEL
GUILTY BEING EXTRA TYPO
EXPLAINING.
>> IS THE ONE THAT LIKE BROUGHT
IT UP.
>> I'LL SAY IT IN THE
KINDERGARTEN MOVEMENT WAY AND
WE CAN MOVE FROM THERE.
WE KIND OF OPERATE IN THIS
PATCHWORK QUILT IN THE CITY OF
CHARLOTTE OF ALL THESE
DIFFERENT ORDINANCES THAT ARE
STREWN AROUND.
SOME OF THEM CONTRADICT EACH
OTHER.
THE TREE ORNAMENTS VERSUS THE
SIDEWALK ORDINANCE, AND ALL
THESE THINGS. IT'S HARD TO GET.
WE ARE MARCHING TOWARDS THE
DIRECTION UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP
WERE ESSENTIALLY WE ARE
REWRITING ALL OF OUR KIND OF
OVERALL VISION AS A CITY.
THEN INTO A UNIFIED PLAN.
ALL THESE LITTLE PLANS THAT
EXIST AND ULTIMATELY THAT'S
GOING TO BE AN OVERHAUL IN THE
ORDINANCES AND THAT'S WHAT WE
REFER TO WITH THIS ORDINANCE.
AS A NORMAL RESIDENT OUT THERE
WHO HAS ALREADY FALLEN ASLEEP
ON THIS TOPIC I'LL TELL YOU,
THEY'LL WAKE UP AS SOON AS WE
WERE TO GET IT WRONG AND IT
DOLLAR GENERAL OR ARBY'S IS
NEXT DOOR TO THEIR HOUSE.
>> THAT'S MY DILEMMA.
BECAUSE OF WHEN I TALKED
EARLIER, THE INTENTIONALITY OF
ZONING, ZONING PREDICATES
DEVELOPMENT.
YOU HAVE FIVE OR SIX FAMILY
DOLLARS BACK TO BACK TO BACK.
THAT IS NOT ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT FOR AFRICAN-
AMERICAN COMMUNITIES.
NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT FREEDOM,
I WENT TO WEST LEHIGH FOR 20
YEARS.
NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT MY
CORRIDOR OF FREEDOM DRIVE, NOW,
BECAUSE OF GENTRIFICATION,
ZONING ORDINANCE ARE CHANGING
SO YOU HAVE A BARNES & NOBLE, A
SMOKEHOUSE, MICHAEL JORDAN
PRESBYTERIAN, YOU NOW HAVE A
GOOD LIFE GOOD TO BY ROBBIE
McNEAR.
SO ZONING PREDICATES
DEVELOPMENT AND SO THERE HAS TO
BE MORE INTENTIONALITY TO ZONING
IN A POSITIVE ECONOMIC INFUSION
MANNER IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN
CORRIDORS.
>> ZONING, AS A TOOL IN OUR
CITY, IT CAN ALSO BE A TOOL FOR
SEGREGATION.
IT CAN ALSO BE A TOOL FOR
CREATING EQUITY IN THE
COMMUNITY.
BUT AGAIN, THAT GOES BACK TO
WHAT I SAID EARLIER.
IT IS A TOOL TO IMPLEMENT THE
VISION THAT WE SET FOR.
IN A CITY WHERE SOMETIMES AND
SOME OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT
COLETTE IS TALKING ABOUT, THE
AREA PLANS ARE OUTDATED LIKE
1992.
A DECISION THAT GUIDED
DEVELOPMENT THAN IS NO LONGER
RELEVANT TO TODAY. A REASON WHY
WE HAVE TO UPDATE AND ORGANIZE
AND CODIFY THE RULES THAT WE
HAVE TODAY SO THAT THEY CAN BE
PREDICTABLE, TRANSPARENT, AND
ALLOW PEOPLE TO HAVE INPUT INTO
THE PROCESS.
BUT THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
WITH THE DIVISION, IF THEY SAY
THAT IS NOT THE TYPE OF WHAT I
WANT IN MY COMMUNITY, THIS IS A
TYPE OF USE THAT WILL
ACCOMMODATE NOT ONLY PEOPLE
LEAVING, BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE
COMING.
THEN TWO, WHAT SHE TALKED
ABOUT, IT CAN HELP US UNPACK
AND CREATE THE COMMUNITY WHERE
WE WANT TO LIVE.
SO IT CAN BE USED TO FIX THINGS
BUT IT CAN ALSO BE USED TO
SEGREGATE AND WE WANT TO START
TWEET TWEAKING THAT.
>> IMAGINE YOU HAVE PROTESTERS
GATHERED ALONG THE STREET IN A
REGULAR BASIS.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN
A CHERRY NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN THE
PLANNED PARENT HOOD OPENED.
PEOPLE WERE UPSET BECAUSE THEY
SAY THE CLINIC CHANGE THE AREA
BRINGING ALONG SEVERAL
DIFFERENT NUISANCES.
CHIEF AMONG THEM STRANGERS
COMING IN TO PROTEST THE CLINIC.
BUILDING THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE
BEFORE, SO THEREFORE NO NEW
ZONING WAS REQUIRED ANY PUBLIC
MEETING WAS NOT NECESSARY.
TO ME, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT
EXAMPLE OF WHY ZONING DOES
MATTER AND WHY CITIZENS AND
NEIGHBORS HAVE TO BE INVOLVED
IN HAVE TO BE AWARE.
>> IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IN THE REZONING WARD WE SAY
THERE ARE TWO TIGHT OF ZONING.
THE CONDITIONAL AND THE
CONVENTIONAL.
WE PUT SOME CONDITION ON YOUR
USE WHEN YOU ARE ZONING.
THEN THERE IS THE CONVENTION
THAT DOES NOT EVEN HAVE TO GO
TO COUNSEL.
YOU JUST HAVE TO PULL A PERMIT.
IN SOME CASES YOU DO IT BY
WRITING.
THAT CAN ONLY BE A SET DATE
WHERE PEOPLE CAN PARTICIPATE.
WE ARE GOING THROUGH RIGHT NOW
A COMPREHENSIVE 2040. SO IF YOU
WANT TO REALLY BE ABLE TO
CHANGE THE WAY THE COMMUNITY
LOOKS AND YOU WANT TO BE ABLE
TO CARVE CHARACTER AND
PERSONALITY IN THE COMMUNITY,
YOU NEED THAT THE VISIONING
PROCESS.
THAT WAY IT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO DO
CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY WANT
TO DO WITHOUT HAVING TO GO
THROUGH COUNSEL.
BUT WE MAKE SURE IT IS
CONSISTENT WITH THE VISION THAT
THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY