Gallatin on the Move 2020: Character Area Focus to Comprehensive Planning

In Case Studies, Publications, Quality Growth, Resource, Sumner
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Quality Growth Case Study

Written by Kasey Talbott, 2010

Following the success of the Downtown Revitalization, Gallatin has begun to address disinvested corridors within the immediate neighborhood. The goal of this project to upgrade streetscaping, design standards, and infrastructure in hopes of encouraging new development and commerce back toward the city core.

View the Gallatin on the Move 2020 Case Study, PDF

Background

The City of Gallatin located just 25 miles northeast of downtown Nashville has expanded rapidly over the last two decades and the city anticipates that the steady growth rate will continue over the next 20 years. City leaders felt compelled to address the current and future growth challenges through a comprehensive plan, Gallatin on the Move 2020 , which would address all of the cities challenges as one interrelated issue.

The overall goals of the plan were to fulfill the following:

Represent community’s vision of the future

Describes how, where and in what manner development occurs

Guide for decision-making and blueprint for community growth
Defines policies for a wide-range of activities

Serves coordinating function

Fulfils legal obligation

Zoning must be based on an adopted plan

Collaborative Leadership

Through a series of workshops and public meetings hundreds of Gallatin citizens participated in exercises designed to create a vision for the future.

Kickoff Meeting 2007

Introduced process
Presented of assessment data
Identified issues/ opportunities
Presented planning principles

Character Workshops

Prioritized Issues & Opportunities
Community Character Discussion
Character Preference Survey

Framework Workshop

Presented Prioritized Issues & Opportunities
Presented Updated Community Character
Presented Character Preference Survey Results
Transportation Planning Presentation

Program Action

Instead of zoning certain parts of the city as residential, industrial, etc. The city of Gallatin Planning Department assessed different areas of the city and created guidelines for future development depending on the character ofeach area. A good example is the South Water Avenue Area. South Water Avenue is a historic downtown gateway corridor which has fallen victim to car-centric development and disinvestment. The Gallatin comprehensive plan, Gallatin on the Move 2020 , aims to show how a good economic plan coupled with appropriate development can revitalize this important part of the city.

Visioning and Consensus

Based on community input through workshops during the Gallatin on the Move 2020 Plan, it was determined that new development or redevelopment in this historic area should respect established development patterns and building styles and provide new opportunities for amix of uses to create vitality as described in the Downtown Gallatin Master Plan.

Specifically the development pattern should seek to:

Maintain and enhance the area’s historic character
Represent a mix of uses that attract Gallatin residents to Downtown and create vitality
Encourage a creative, visual environment that encourages exploration and attracts patrons (such as attractive, changing window displays, public art, outdoor dining, benches and trees)
Make Downtown accessible to pedestrians, cars and transit
Provide attractive and safe pedestrian connections throughout the area
Accommodate redevelopment and infill opportunities that respect traditional development patterns and architectural styles

Strategic Implementation

Goals

Transportation

Low level of service
High level of connectivity
Properties accessed by public urban street and alleys
Signalized major intersections with pedestrian crosswalks
Regular-shaped, short urban blocks
Roads characterized by curb, gutter with wide sidewalks containing a high level of pedestrian orientation

Infrastructure

Full urban facilities and services
Civic spaces such as greenways, parks, common greenspace
Adjacent preserve areas
Neighborhood and pocket parks

Primary Land Uses

Vertical mixed use that includes: Urban residential including one family attached, detached on small lots, townhomes, upper-floor residential, apartment/ condo buildings, live/work units and senior housing
Commercial/Office/Retail/Hospitality
Public/Institutional

Policies

The Downtown Gallatin Master Plan listed several new policies for each Vision Theme goal.

Appropriate Intensity

5.0 FAR

Applicable Zoning Districts
Existing Zoning Districts

CC – Core Commercial

Proposed Zoning Districts

H-1 (Overlay District) (New for Downtow)

Strategies

Retain and enhance existing building stock and features with appropriate maintenance and rehabilitation
Preserve and reinforce traditional pedestrianscaled development patterns (including building placement, lighting, site features, signage, sidewalk use and amenities, traffic patterns, etc.)
Ensure infill development and changes to existing buildings are appropriate for the area in terms of building style, scale, placement, height, materials and use, as well as signage

Current Status

Thanks to the federal stimulus funds The South Water Street streetscape development is currently in construction phase and city zoning updates are also being implemented. However, Jim Svoboda, Community Development Coordinator for the City of Gallatin Codes/ Planning Department says that it’s also important to keep the big picture in mind.

“The plan will serve as our guide for development for as long as we need it to. The change will not be radical but phase by phase and it has the ability to adapt if need be.”