Louisville Report

green street

walnut street

mulberry street

Prepared for the citizens of the City of Louisville

vacant lot with townhome or condo potential proposed residential inďƒžll

the markethouse

pine street alley parking new oak trees add form and character to the west block of broad street

dining terrace the courthouse

screven street

proposed passive park

City of Louisville

Urban Redevelopment Plan 2011

Downtown Louisville:

Southern charm meets dynamic opportunity

Credits The funds for this plan were provided by a 2008 US EPA Brownfield Petroleum Assessment Grant. This grant was administered

by CTC PBC, providing brownfields redevelopment consulting services for communities across the southeast.

For more information about CTC PBC and their work, visit www.ctcbrownfields.com.

Published by the Fanning Institute, a Public Service and Outreach unit at the University of Georgia

Fanning Institute University of Georgia 1240 South Lumpkin Street Athens, GA 30602 706-542-1108 www.fanning.uga.edu Prepared by: Danny Bivins Emily Boness Jan Coyne Langford Holbrook Courtney Tobin Cover by: Lilli Agel, intern/CED-UGA student Special thanks to all the UGA students who participated in putting this plan together.

• Kaitlin McShea for creating all the designs • Lilli Agel for sharing her senior thesis project and creating a master plan • Ashley McCormack for putting together the cultural asset map • Andrea Dent for researching codes and ordinances • Phuong Nguyen and David Gutierrez for conducting public engagement interviews • Justin Bullock for summarizing potential incentives Report Layout and Design by: Eleonora Machado, Center for Community Design & Preservation, College of Environment & Design (CED-UGA) (www.ced.uga.edu/pso)

“We don’t want to lose the small town charm. It’s a redevelopment, not a development.”

CONTENTS Visioning Committee Letter

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Introduction

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Plan Goals

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Location and History

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Urban Redevelopment Act

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Methodology

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Housing

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Economic Development

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Community Improvement

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Heritage Tourism

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Implementation Plan

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APPENDICES

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Appendix 1: Demographics Appendix 2: Resolutions Appendix 3: Input

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Visioning Committee Letter

June 3, 2011 ville:

To the Citizens of Louis

in 2008 to spur nfields Assessment Grant ow Br a ed eiv rec le vil y’s downtown area The City of Louis properties within the cit ld fie wn bro key of nt y to partner with the redevelopme provided funds for the cit nt gra e Th or. rid cor al ating a redeveland key commerci titute for assistance in cre Ins ing nn Fa s ia’ org Ge its community the University of n will guide the city and pla s thi t tha pe ho r ou is go and unite the opment plan. It the community wants to ere wh of ion vis a ng partners in creati themes. citizens around common want to thank many hours of work. We of ult res the is n pla nt on of the plan. We This redevelopme participated in the creati o wh y nit mu com the k time to fill out the members of be interviewed, who too to eed agr o wh ple peo nk you to all the want to thank the up. We also owe a big tha gro us foc a in te ipa tic par etings happen. the survey or to t people to make these me tac con and e nat rdi coo people who helped e. The members of the visioning committe nts ipa tic par the nk tha es during a five We’d also like to munity and met three tim com the of n tio sec ss cro tiring devotion of are from a broad session. Without the un ur ho e fiv a in ing nat mi e been possible. month period, cul ment plan would not hav lop eve red the e, tte mi the visioning com ville and have enidents have about Louis res r ou t tha n sio pas the s plan. With this We are proud of g the development of thi rin du er oth h eac th wi t ville will continue joyed sharing tha have no doubt that Louis we ns, ize cit its m fro n kind of dedicatio e. to be a vibrant place to liv Sincerely,

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Introduction

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at the University of Georgia, to conduct research, obtain public input, and to develop priorities for downtown Louisville. While Fanning was responsible for research and coordination, this plan comes from the community members of Louisville. Eighteen members of the community served on a visioning committee, which ultimately determined the vision and priorities for the Louisville Redevelopment Plan. The group also decided that downtown Louisville encompasses more than the historic downtown area — it also includes a part of the Peachtree corridor that leads into the downtown and should be more connected to the historic district.

In July 2008, the City of Louisville received a $200,000 Environmental Protection Agency brownfields petroleum cleanup grant to assess its brownfield sites. The city hired CTC Public Benefit Corporation (CTC PBC) to conduct environmental site assessments on six high priority sites in the downtown area. In addition, the city conducted a review of property records and developed an inventory of fourteen sites in the city that might have petroleum contamination. As the city worked with CTC PBC on these assessments, the city and community leaders realized that redevelopment of the individual sites needed to be done under a broader plan. The City of Louisville’s most recent plan for the downtown area was done in 1992; city leaders also knew that additional funding and resources could be available with a redevelopment plan in place.

The city hired the Fanning Institute, a unit of public service and outreach

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Over the course of several months, Fanning conducted thirty-four individual interviews with members of the community, including long-time and newly arrived residents A few of the interviews were with people who worked in Louisville but lived outside of the city. Fanning also facilitated six focus groups, including meetings at the city’s service organizations and one at Jefferson County High School. A community survey was distributed to businesses and individuals, and an online version of the survey remained open from mid-February to mid-May. Approximately 30 people responded to the community survey.

Public input was compiled and presented to the visioning committee, which the committee used to guide its work and decisions. In addition, the visioning committee members were asked to complete a photo survey, in which they took pictures of what they like and do not like around Louisville. Using all of the public input, as well as analyzing resources and community infrastructure, Fanning created a menu

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of options for the community and presented the possibilities for redevelopment to the community to prioritize. Kaitlin McShea, a UGA masters of fine arts and historic preservation student, created designs of specific sites that showed how these sites could look in the future. Fanning also relied on the work of Lilli Agel, a UGA masters of landscape architecture student from Louisville. Her senior project focused on Louisville and many of the elements of her work fit with goals of the plan.

Plan Goals The community goals for this plan are to:

• Guide the city and its partners to create a vibrant downtown region • Capitalize on the existing assets and focus on areas of potential • Prioritize redevelopment efforts in a way that is appropriate for the community • Serve as a platform to access resources and incentives that are available for communities with a plan in place • Establish out implementation strategies for the first eighteen months • Fulfill the requirements of an urban redevelopment plan as outlined in O.C.GA. § 36-61-7

As one individual explained, this plan does not try to redo what has already been done. Rather, the plan should build on what is working and already in place and direct attention to those areas that are not working as well.

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Location and History debate over the famous Yazoo land fraud, a sale of 35 million acres to speculators which turned into a large scandal.1 With significant American leaders contributing to the debate — Patrick Henry and George Washington were reported to have taken sides on the issue — the Yazoo land fraud has come to be a significant event in Louisville’s history that has contributed to the historical development of the state.

been one of the important contributors to the development of this state and its residents look forward to maintaining their town as a place where families and friends can travel to have a good time and indulge in southern history and culture.

In 1864, Louisville was the site of yet another significant historical event when several of its buildings were burned during the Union Army’s brief occupation.

“Located just two hours from Savannah and about an hour from Augusta, Louisville is a charming small southern town with a larger than life history.”

The City of Louisville serves as the county seat for Jefferson County and is the most populated of the six incorporated cities in the county.

Originally built in 1786, Louisville’s location was selected because it was centrally located between the state’s previous two capitals: Savannah and Augusta. The small town was named Louisville in honor of the king of France — Louis XVI —who at the time was supporting America’s struggle for independence from Britain. With the completion of the major state buildings around 1795, Louisville served for eleven years as the state’s first permanent capital from 1796 until 1807.

During this time, Louisville hosted its first legislative session in January of 1796 with its most prominent 1

www.georgiaencyclopedia.org; City

2

Louisville has come to be known for its southern small town hospitality and historical richness. Since the 1930’s, the town has continued to grow and today most of its downtown buildings are reminiscent of the city’s development in the latenineteenth and early-twentieth centuries (1890’s-1930). There are several unique buildings, such as the Market House — one of the city’s oldest buildings — thought to have been built in 1795 and served as a general trading site for the early years of Louisville’s establishment.

Another historic building is the Jefferson County Courthouse, originally completed in 1904 by Louisville’s own Willis Denny.

Denny is an important Georgia architect who designed many buildings, including residences and churches.2 With such a rich history, it is no surprise that the residents of Louisville are proud of their roots and welcome any and all visitors.

With its small southern town charm and rich historical significance, Louisville prides itself on having

Louisville,

Credits: Postcard source: ourlouisville.com

“Louisville needs to stay small, we don’t want to be a suburb – this is one of the friendliest places I’ve ever lived – we want to retain the friendly, rural atmosphere.”

Market House

photo credits: The Library of Congress, American Memory Survey.

Ibid.

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Urban Redevelopment Act Redevelopment Area The redevelopment area encompasses downtown and part of the Peachtree Street commercial area. It includes the Downtown Development Authority and Downtown Commercial Historic districts, along with adjacent industrial and residential areas. Most of Louisville’s brownfield sites are located within the redevelopment area.

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Historic district

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Georgia’s Urban Redevelopment Act (URA), O.C.G.A. § 36-61-1, is a tool by which cities or communities can guide redevelopment in a way that meets the needs and the desires of the community. With an urban redevelopment plan and a resolution designating a geographical area as a “slum area,” the City of Louisville will have “specific powers to rehabilitate, conserve or redevelop any defined geographical area that is designated as a slum area.”1

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Louisville

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To enact the powers of the act, Louisville’s city council must adopt 1) a resolution describing the area in this plan as a “slum area,” and 2) the urban redevelopment plan.

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There are sample resolutions in the appendix. Prior to adopting the final resolution of the plan, the city must make a draft of this plan available for the public to review and hold a public hearing to receive comments on the plan.

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The URA can be used in combination with other available redevelopment tools.4 In addition, with an urban redevelopment plan in place, a community may be eligible for other programs such as higher job tax credits through an opportunity zone, or have a competitive edge on applications for Community Development Block Grants.5

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The powers bestowed by the URA can be used by the City of Louisville, or the city may assign the specific powers to the Louisville Downtown Development Authority, a housing authority or may create an Urban Redevelopment Agency that is appointed by the local government.

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A Guide to Using Georgia’s Urban Redevelopment Act, Georgia Department of Community Affairs, April 14, 2005, p 1.; City

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Designation of a Redevelopment Entity The City of Louisville is primarily responsible for the oversight of the implementation of this plan.

However, the Downtown Development Authority will also play a role in implementation.

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Consistency with Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan

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The Louisville Urban Redevelopment Plan 2011 is consistent with the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan 2004-2024. The goals and objectives outlined in the Comprehensive Plan are broad and are aligned with the goals and objectives detailed in this plan. In fact, one of the goals of the Comprehensive Plan is to designate Urban Redevelopment Areas.

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The public engagement process identified several conditions within the redevelopment area that are detrimental to the economic and social well-being of the community, such as: • high incidence of vacant and dilapidated structures within the described areas.

• high commercial vacancy rate and high concentration of underutilized buildings.

• significant visual blight, including empty parking lots, vacant lots and overgrown alley ways with cracked and broken roads.

• substandard in public park, lacking public restrooms for visitors.

• large percentage of the population living below the poverty level (see appendix). All of these blight indicators are sufficient to demonstrate a need for redevelopment and to meet the threshold requirement of a “slum area” as defined in the Act. (see appendix)

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Negative Conditions Within Redevelopment Area

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The city has a current land use map of the area. This plan proposes no changes to the land use objectives or zoning. All current zoning and ordinances are still binding. One implementation strategy of this plan is to undertake an analysis of the zoning and conduct an ordinance audit to identify potential areas of change in the future. The city is currently working on enacting a blight tax, as allowed in the Georgia Constitution, Article IX, Section II, Paragraph VII (d).

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The city will not acquire any property as part of this redevelopment plan.

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The city will not demolish or rehabilitate any structures as part of this redevelopment plan.

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Strategy for Relocating Displaced Residents

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No residents will be displaced by this plan. This plan only provides for redevelopment of vacant, abandoned or underutilized properties. As such, the city has not adopted a strategy for relocating displaced residents.

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Covenants and Restrictions to be Placed on Properties The city will make no changes to the existing covenants and restrictions as part of this redevelopment plan.

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The visioning committee has created an implementation strategy for the first set of priorities. The implementation strategies address the redevelopment needs and focus on the next 18 months of work. Other areas of need and possible solutions are identified in the appendix and will be part of an implementation strategy following completion of the first set of priorities.

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Leveraging Private Resources

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Many of the implementation strategies require the city to partner with private enterprise to spur redevelopment. Wherever possible, the city will partner with private resources to maximize potential.

Industrial Single-family residential

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Single-family residential A Two-family residential Mobile homes and other residential

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Methodology

The visioning committee identified several broad themes as the focus of initial work under this plan.

Fanning helped the committee hone the themes into four priorities: • housing, • economic development, • community improvement, and • heritage tourism.

The next four sections are a discussion of each of these categories as well as potential solutions to the challenges that the community had identified. From these potential solutions, the visioning committee selected two top priorities under each theme on which to focus and created an implementation strategy for each priority.

While the visioning committee has laid out the priorities and work plan for the next 18 months, there is still rich information in this plan that can be used after the first phase of implementation. The results of broad community engagement provide a background for future areas that can be addressed.

The members of the visioning committee are: Helen Aikman, co-founder of Firehouse Gallery Sherry Combs, Louisville City Council Rita Culvern, former Jefferson County Hospital administrator Bill Easterlin, Queensborough Bank Lil Easterlin, Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Patricia Edwards, Jefferson County Library Jasmine Gause, high school student Don Handberry, Cotton State Insurance Rev. David Hibberts, Pastor at Louisville United Methodist Church Matt Hodges, Oconee Fall Line Technical College-Jefferson County John Johnson, Manager of Goody’s Jasmine Kelly, high school student Hulet Kitterman, Jefferson County Board of Education Mayor Larry Morgan, Mayor of Louisville Margaret Newberry, owner of The Bookworm Don Rhodes, City Manager Billy Valduga, State Farm Insurance Aaron Watson, high school student

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Housing “Like to see us continue on where we’re headed – expand on this and be unique – not trying to copy other places – our retirement community is our niche.”

GICH: Georgia Initiative for Community Housing Many community members talked about housing during the development of this plan. Experience, research and work with downtown communities have shown that housing is a critical part of making and keeping a downtown vibrant.

Housing comes first, before work and before play.

Dilapidated houses, in particular historic old homes that are literally falling down, concern native and

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new residents alike. Other consistent areas of concern were the lack of sufficient affordable housing for first time homebuyers and there are few options other than lofts for downtown housing.

One possibility is to promote infill that is consistent with the surrounding buildings and in keeping with the Southern and historic feel of the city. A design of this is shown below, demonstrating infill housing along Broad Street.

Citizens recognize the importance of the residential neighborhoods immediately adjacent to the downtown area and some residents also see Louisville as a potential retirement community. To accommodate this would require more housing for retirees.

The visioning committee decided to address this issue by applying to be part of the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing, or GICH,

Program. This is a three year program involving a comprehensive community team that creates and implements a housing vision and implementation plan. The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) works with housing specialists at the University of Georgia to assess and provide help on the necessary next steps to address a community’s housing needs. This technical assistance includes a mentoring component from similarly-sized communities, along with retreats and meetings with other GICH communities.

“Apartments above Twisted Sister and Firehouse gallery do well, but living downtown hasn’t really been tried.”

Design of potential downtown infill City

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Economic Development

The community members of Louisville are interested in economic development in addition to aesthetic redevelopment. This means different things to different people, but generally people want jobs for people who live in Louisville and jobs to attract new people to Louisville. Residents also spoke about trying to bring young people back to Louisville and having jobs for college graduates.

Brownfield Redevelopment Incentives in Georgia Redevelopment of Louisville’s brownfields sites within the urban redevelopment area can create economic opportunities. Within the defined plan area are 14 brownfield sites, many of which are former gas stations. Three of these sites along Peachtree Street have vacant buildings on the site and two of the sites are vacant lots. The remaining sites have buildings on them that are currently being used.

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849 Peachtree St.

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926 Peachtree St. Brownfield redevelopment projects are essentially real estate transactions with one additional consideration — environmental contamination. A brownfield is a piece of commercial or industrial property that is contaminated (soil, water or both) and therefore more difficult to redevelop than green space or other uncontaminated sites. These properties are often in locations desirable for redevelopment with infrastructure intact, but fears about liability for environmental contamination have created barriers to redevelopment. Under the CERCLA (Superfund) joint and severable liability scheme, anyone

In Georgia, two types of incentives are available to prospective purchasers of brownfields — a limitation of liability and a tax incentive. If a

person or entity has contributed to the contamination of a piece of property, or they have taken title to the property (even if they did not cause or contribute to contamination on the property), they are not eligible for Georgia brownfield incentives.

Prospective purchasers must apply for the incentives prior to taking title to a piece of contaminated property. Both public and private entities (i.e. a city, a development authority, a private developer) may take advantage of the incentives and the tax incentive may be transferred to later purchasers of the property.

Madeleine Kellam Madeleine_Kellam@dnr.state.ga.us

To discuss taking a particular brownfield property through the state brownfields program contact: City

who purchases or acquires title to (even through a ‘gift’) is potentially liable for all the contamination on that site, regardless of who caused it. State brownfield laws such as the one in Georgia provide a path for an innocent purchaser to acquire brownfield properties without assuming liability for the contamination on the site. However, Georgia has strict requirements for obtaining this liability protection.

313 E. Broad St.

Brownfields Coordinator Georgia Environmental Protection Division Hazardous Waste Management Branch 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. SE, Suite 1154 East Tower Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone 404/656-7802 | Fax 404/651-9425 of

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5/AFTER

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An abandoned building could be turned into a restaurant, and each new job would be eligible for the job tax credit.

Here is a design of what a pizza and pasta restaurant might look like, complete with greenery on the building.

6/AFTER

A vacant lot provides an opportunity for a something completely new. It is important that new buildings are constructed and designed in a manner that is consistent with standards that ensure Peachtree Street looks good.

7/AFTER

An old gas station could become a deli that looks like an old gas station. Sometimes redesigning what already exists is better than starting all over.

14/AFTER Sometimes all it takes to improve a site it to clean it up. This vacant lot across the street from the library could be cleaned up by simply removing a dilapidating building and adding grass or trees.

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1. 318 & 313 W. Broad 2. 102 W. Broad 3. 231 W. Broad 4. 620 Peachtree 5. 711 Peachtree 6. 849 Peachtree 7. 926 Peachtree 8. Peachtree 9. 2915 Hwy 1 South (Peachtree) 10. 1037 Peachtree 11. 1044 Peachtree 12. 609 Walnut Street 13. 101 E. Broad Street 14. 313 E. Broad

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Economic Development Opportunity Zone An additional way to spur economic growth is to take advantage of available tax credits. The opportunity zone program, run by the DCA that provides a tax credit to any business in a designated zone that creates two or more jobs. This tax credit — $3,500 per job — may be taken against the business’s income tax liability and state payroll withholding. To become a designated opportunity zone the City of Louisville must adopt this urban redevelopment plan and then apply to DCA and fill out the application.

The application requires documentation that the area is within or adjacent to a census block group with 15% or greater poverty (see appendix for census block map).

To begin the Opportunity Zone application process, contact Joanie Perry joanie.perry@dca.ga.gov Georgia Department of Community Affairs 60 Executive Park South, NE Atlanta, GA 30329 404-679-3173 http://www.dca.state.ga.us/economic/ DevelopmentTools/programs/opportunityZones.asp

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or consolidated government taxes, including school district taxes, at the time it sells or otherwise disposes of property; provided, however, that, with respect to school district taxes, the authority shall first obtain the consent of the board of education governing the school district in which the property is located. In determining whether or not to extinguish taxes, the authority shall consider the public benefit to be gained by tax forgiveness with primary consideration given to purchasers who intend to build or rehabilitate lowincome housing…” O.C.G.A.§ 48-4-64(c)

The land bank members are required to maintain the sites acquired and conduct a classification of land suitability for each property. The land bank authority has sole discretion in the sale, trade, or disposal of all properties, and in Georgia land banks have the power to bid (once) on properties ordered to be sold at a tax sale.

For more information on Land Bank Authorities, contact: Jamie Baker Roskie jroskie@uga.edu Managing Attorney Land Use Clinic University of Georgia School of Law (706) 583-0373 http://www.law.uga.edu/landuseclinic/index.html

Land Bank Authorities in Georgia Land banks are governmental or nongovernmental nonprofit entities that focus on the conversion of vacant, abandoned properties into productive use. The Georgia legislature has authorized the formation of land banks in Georgia and variations have been established in Macon, Savannah, Valdosta and Augusta. Georgia Code §484-60 provides for interlocal agreements between cities and counties which establish land bank authorities.

One significant benefit of having a land bank authority is its ability to acquire tax delinquent properties for the purpose of returning them to productive use related to housing, new industry, and jobs. As a part of this process, the land bank authority may sell the property and recoup or extinguish the past-due taxes. According to the statute:

Additional Information on Land Bank Authorities HUD’s site has information on best practices and strategies for setting up a land bank authority. www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/about/ conplan/foreclosure/landbanks.cfm Megan Zeigler memo: www.rivercenter.uga.edu/education/ upper_coosa/documents/spring09_ memo_landbanks_zeigler.pdf

“When a property is acquired by the authority, the authority shall have the power to extinguish all county and city

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Community Improvement

The idea of community improvement is to have public infrastructure in place that supports redevelopment of the designated area. This includes addressing issues such as water, sidewalks, lighting, streetscapes, recreational space and parking. Public infrastructure makes both businesses and people want to live and come to Louisville.

Many of the elements of a desirable community are already in place.

People told us they were generally proud of the public education available for Louisville’s youth. There are community gatherings and functions throughout the year that bring the people out to mingle and socialize, including an annual road race and festival in the park. There are also events where the stores stay open late to accommodate shoppers after hours.

a road race with music, games and food. Although this park is widely praised, many residents expressed the desire to see more amenities in the park, such as a bathroom and a bandstand.

One of the primary reasons people come downtown is to pick up their mail and many residents maintain post office boxes despite the availability of home delivery. Older residents use their daily trip to the post office as a social event and often spend time outside to chat and catch up with their neighbors. But some residents found the outside park space inadequate. In addition, after picking up their mail, people gather outside around the Market House. One resident suggested that seating under the Market House or near it would make the area more inviting and accessible.

Pine Street The City of Louisville owns a large tract of land west of town that includes the Revolutionary [War] Cemetery. It is located on the west side of town near the intersection of state highway 221 and West Peachtree Street, and backs up to Pine Street. While the cemetery is well-kept, clean, and is well shaded, the area directly behind the stores on Pine Street is a different story.

The area is used in part as a dumping ground, partly as a parking spot and just generally discourages use.

The space provides an opportunity to connect with the Rocky Comfort Creek and cemetery. Development of this tract of land into a park and community space would open up acres of unused land and provide both parks and parking.

But residents also identified things about Louisville that need to be fixed, or are already an asset but could be enhanced.

Parks Louisville’s residents are proud of the Helen Clark Memorial Park and consistently identify it as a valuable asset. Nestled between 9th and 10th street on the north side of Peachtree, this park is a community

Pine Street

Pine Street

“The Helen Clark Park is a real asset; it needs to be used more. There is only one organized function a year—the Buzzard Blast.” asset that would be sorely missed if lost. The park hosts one communitywide event each May, the Buzzard Blast. The Buzzard Blast combines City

of

Residents treasure the park

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residential inll

proposed inll frames broad street

PAGE 17

the markethouse

oad street

pine street alley parking

“The empty lot on Pinethe Street that courthouse runs behind all the stores could be turned into a park with parking.

And be used to connect to the Revolutionary [War] Cemetery.”

dining terrace

new oak trees add form and character to the west block of broad street

proposed passive park

screven street

a sidewalk connects downtown to the cemetery

revolutionary war cemetery

Turning Pine Street into a usable space provides parking for merchants and could be a park for residents to enjoy.

Note the possibility for a dining terrace and for easy access to Broad Street through the already existing alleys.

Transportation “We need raised speed bumps (like raised crosswalks) to make downtown safer for pedestrians.”

Another complaint frequently expressed was the difficulty for pedestrians to cross Peachtree Street to get to the park. As the city works

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with the GDOT to put in a pedestrian walkway, it is important to consider access to the park when determining where to place a pedestrian crosswalk.

Parking One of the things residents frequently noted was that Louisville lacks parking spaces. However, an inventory of available parking

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revealed that in reality Louisville has a significant amount of available parking that is not well marked or maintained. Louisville can undo the perception of a lack of parking with a strategy that clearly marks parking and maintains parking in a way that makes people want to use it. This might include paving gravel parking lots and providing lighting and lines on that indicate where parking exists.

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PAGE 18

“I would love for the owners to take pride in their buildings. But I am afraid the buildings are beyond repair and the renovations will be costly.”

Sinquefield Stables

The city has embarked on some strategies to encourage certain behavior. The Downtown Development Authority is sponsoring an awning program, in which businesses along Broad Street may apply for money mulberry street

peachtree street

There are fourteen vacant, abandoned, or non-income producing buildings in the historic downtown area and six along Peachtree Street. seventh street Blighted properties are a burden for the entire community. Many residents said that seeing buildings that are not kept up makes visitors feel unwelcome. Blighted

The city’s current zoning ordinances, which were passed in 1998, do not address vacant or abandoned commercial buildings and the city has not taken action to address the issue of abundant vacant buildings.

There are separate ordinances that do address nuisance and signs, but these regulations are fragmented and are not consistently enforced.

walnut street

Many community members believe something needs to be done about the vacant and abandoned buildings. People are discouraged by the vacant buildings in the historic downtown area and the many abandoned and dilapidated buildings along Peachtree Street.

to receive an awning for the building, as long as the awning meets certain requirements. This type of program might be expanded to include incentives for consistent types of signs or lighting.

In addition to an awning program, there are ways to use the law to create a more visually pleasing commercial area, one of which was put into place in June 2011. The city council passed a “Community Redevelopment Tax Incentive Program,” or blight tax, which allows for an increase in ad valorem taxes on properties deemed to be blighted. The Louisville tax allows for an increased rate of city ad valorem taxation equivalent to triple the normal millage rate.6 In addition, green street

properties distract from the good that is happening and discourages future development.

Rundown Buildings

green street

mulberry street

walnut street

peachtree street

seventh street

markethouse

markethouse

pine street alley

broad street

the courthouse

public library

pine street alley the courthouse

pine street alley

pine street alley

Vacant Buildings Lots in Downtown Louisville Vacant Buildings and Vacantand Lots Vacant in Downtown Louisville vacant lots--extra parking lots, unused grass lots, and concrete pads that show vacant lots--extra parking lots, unused grass lots, and concrete pads that show redevelopment potential

redevelopment potential

vacant buildings--truly empty buildings and storage buildings, some with historical character, that could be spaces to direct reinvestment

vacant buildings--truly empty buildings and storage buildings, some with historical character, that could be spaces to direct reinvestment

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PAGE 19 codes, which are vacant and being used in connection with the commission of drug crimes, or which constitute an endangerment to the public health or safety as a result of unsanitary or unsafe conditions.”

Once a local government has passed a nuisance ordinance, the local government may proceed to enforce the ordinances by bringing actions for nuisance abatement.

Abatement is the process by which a local government seeks to remove the nuisance. This can be done voluntarily by the property owner or by a legal enforcement action.

Potential redesign for Sinquefield Stables

the ordinance provides a detailed procedure to identify blight properties that includes an investigation by a public officer and a hearing in the Municipal Court.7 A second tool that the city may use is the enactment of nuisance laws.

The difference between a blight tax and nuisance ordinances lies in the punishment. Violations of nuisance laws concerning the condition of property are punishable by imposing fines on the property owner. A blight tax uses the ad valorem rate both as an incentive to rehabilitate a blighted property and a punishment if rehabilitation is not performed.

Nuisance law also provides cities with a means to maintain a safe

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and clean environment. Although private individuals cannot normally bring a claim for nuisance abatement, local officials do have the power to bring a nuisance claim.

Georgia statute § 41-1-1 defines nuisance as “anything that causes hurt, inconvenience, or damage to another and the fact that the act done may otherwise be lawful shall not keep it from being a nuisance.”

Local governments are authorized under § 41-2-9 to “adopt ordinances relating to the dwellings, buildings, or structures within such county or municipality which are unfit for human habitation or commercial, industrial, or business uses and not in compliance with applicable

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Once a local government has passed a nuisance ordinance, the local government may proceed to enforce the ordinances by bringing actions for nuisance abatement.

Abatement is the process by which a local government seeks to remove the nuisance. This can be done voluntarily by the property owner or by a legal enforcement action.

6 7

Redevelopment

Louisville Ordinance, Section 5, June 14, 2011.

Ibid, Section 4.

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PAGE 20

Heritage Tourism

Louisville is a historic town with a strong Southern, small-town character. The treelined streets of downtown, the adjacent “If Louisville wants neighborhoods, the beautourists, then it tiful homes, the historneeds to present ic commercial structures, itself differently. including the Market and It needs to do a the Livery Stable, all combetter job of getting bine to make Louisville a the word out about unique place. These must the historic assets.” be protected, preserved and marketed to the Jefferson County community, the region and others interested in historic Southern living.

its long-time role as a gathering place to conduct business and pleasure. People frequently mention the history of Louisville as the first thing that comes to mind when asked to talk about the city.

The community wants to use Louisville’s history to encourage tourists to visit, capitalizing on Louisville’s Southern small-town character, community heritage and historic homes. Residents want to promote these assets to attract tourists, which will result in increasing the revenue coming to Louisville from outside the community.

Some ideas to preserve and maintain Louisville’s historic Southern character and encourage heritage tourism emerged from public engagement.

The public engagement process showed that there is a real sense of community that is based on the historical downtown and Recommendations include: • Ensure that the historic district includes all significant historic structures and sites.

• Preserve historic structures by ensuring property owners can maintain them. o Enforce housing and building codes. o Identify resources to help owners rehabilitate structures in disrepair.

• Ensure new development and infill construction is consistent with the character and style of Louisville’s historic houses and buildings. o Develop and adopt design standards for new and infill construction.

City

of

• Clean, repair and maintain streets, sidewalks, yards, houses and commercial buildings so people can walk around town and enjoy Louisville’s southern small town feel and heritage.

• Develop a program of capturing oral histories of Louisville and its heritage to tell residents, future generations, tourists and other visitors.

• Develop a walking tour of Louisville’s historic assets and identify important historic places with markers explaining their historical significance.

• Focus the Downtown Development Authority on attracting business to downtown Louisville that serve residents but also bring in visitors who

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enjoy history and small-town southern character, targeting I-20 travellers. o Work with state tourism officials to get word out about Louisville and its history.

Place billboards on I-20. o Work with Jefferson County and Central Savannah River Association to attract tourists, business and development.

• Review and update land development and land-use ordinances to ensure the community gets the type of development it desires.

• Landscape and otherwise improve the entrance gateways to downtown, particularly along Peachtree Street.

• Build on existing cultural assets.

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101 E. Broad Street A drug store could be made to feel like a 1950s soda shop. A roll-up window on the side could be added to be sell ice cream or sandwiches to customers. Outdoor seating could be provided for people to relax and enjoy Louisville.

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se m ar y

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PAGE 22

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Louisville, Georgia 1786-1986

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0.2 Miles

LOUISVILLE, GA

HIGHLIGHTS:

C u l t u r a l A s s e t s I nve n t o r y Tr a d i t i o n a l Cultural E x p re s s i o n s

Cultural Sites

LOCAL HISTORIC MARKERS

HISTORIC SITES

Blue Star Memorial Highway (Wrens)

Civil War Heritage Trail

General Wood's Fort

Old Town Plantation

Louisville, Georgia

Magnolia Mornings (Bartow)

Louisville Academy Marker

NATIONAL HISTORIC REGISTER SITES

Louisville Academy Arch

Louisville Commercial Historic District

Old Quaker Road

Old Market

Old Savannah Road (near county line)

Jefferson County Courthouse

Old State Capitol

Bethany Farms (Wadley)

Old Town Plantation

Bartow Historic District

Rocky Comfort Creek

HISTORIC GRAVES AND CEMETERIES

Site of First Permanent Capitol of Georgia

Old Savannah Road (near Nails Creek)

Sylvan Grove

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Friends of Historic Downtown Louisville Historical Society of Jefferson County Museum and Archives

JCHS Advanced Placement Art Students’ Exhibit

Louisville's Farmers Market

Arts Guild Spring Exhibit

Cane Syrup Mill

Fall Arts Guild Show

Buzzard Blast

ART PROGRAMS

Fire House Gallery Days

Bustlin' on Broad

Fire House Gallery Art of Thinking

Louisville Christmas Parade

Fire House Gallery Internship

SCLC's Annual MLK Jr. Celebration Parade

Fire House Gallery Artist-led Workshops

4th of July Fireworks

Arts Guild Summer Art camp

ANTIQUES AND COLLECTIBLES

JCHS Advanced Placement Art

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Arts Guild of Jefferson County

ART CRAFTS

Spier's Turnout

Louisville Cemetery

Fire House Gallery’s Exhibits

Sinquefield Stables Auction

Site of Fort Wood

Revolutionary Cemetery

ART EVENTS

Louisville Lions Club Fair

Market House

The 20th Corps

Arts Guild Photography Group

Twisted Sisters

JCHS Photography Club

LOCAL FOOD

PUBLIC ART

Foster’s Restaurant

The March to the Sea (Grange) Ways Baptist Church and Stellaville School (Wrens) Yazoo Fraud

Chero-Cola Mural

Home Fresh Bistro

Louisville Mural

Purvis Barbeque

Willie Tarver Garden at Louisville Academy

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Jefferson County Library LOUISVILLE, GA

PAGE 23

Visual Arts

EVENTS,FESTIVALS AND CELEBRATIONS

Blue Star Memorial Highway (Louisville)

Excavation Site at Old Town Plantation

 First Permanent State Capital  March to the Sea  Yazoo Land Fraud

Louisville Garden Club

C u l t u r a l A s s e t s I nve n t o r y Pe r fo r m i n g A r t s EVENTS

Publishing and Printed Media EVENTS

JCHS One Act Play

Jefferson County Writing Contest in Public Schools

Music in the Park Fire House Gallery Summer Adventure in Shakespeare

Bookworm Books Author Events

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Library Author and Storytelling Programs

JCHS Chorus

PUBLICATIONS

JCHS Bands

Louisville MS Band Community Church Choirs

The News and Farmer

Schoolhouse Players

Historical Society’s Cemeteries of Jefferson County 1794-2000

Stephanie's Dance Explosion

A u d i ov i s u a l s BROADCASTS

WPEH, The Peach, 92.1 JCHS Warrior Nation Daily Broadcast

FILM

Historical Society’s A Look at Louisville Through Photographs of the Past Marion Little Durdon’s A History of Saint George Parish, Colony of Georgia, Jefferson County Helen Clark’s The Yazoo Land Fraud

LOCAL BUSINESSES

of

Louisville,

Georgia

Image Effects Photography

Twisted Sisters

Wasden Photography

Historic Louisville

John Kitchen’s Website Design

DIGITAL MEDIA

Community Design Center (proposed)

Friends of Historic Downtown Louisville's The Downtowner

Design

Fire Team Productions’ Jefferson Jet Weekend Report

LOCAL BUSINESSES Sassy Stitches

SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook

City of Louisville Georgia Little Louisville Georgia The Fire House Gallery Twisted Sisters Sassy Stitches Home Fresh Bistro

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Thigpin Printers

City

LOCAL BUSINESSES

Fire House Gallery

Fire Team Productions’ Jefferson County Goods

Bookworm Books

PAL Theatre

WEBSITES

The News and Farmer Online

JCHS Literary Magazine "The Battle Cry"

LOCAL BUSINESSES

C re a t i ve S e r v i c e s

New Media

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PAGE 24

Implementation Plan

To realize the goals of this plan, the visioning committee developed an implementation plan that will serve as the guide for the next 18 months of work. These implementation strategies will address some of the most pressing needs of Louisville and in some cases set the groundwork for more the more difficult work to follow.

1. Code enforcement 2. Zoning audit and update 3. Repair sidewalks 4. Greening of Peachtree Street 5. Communicate all current projects 6. Join Georgia Initiative for Community Housing 7. Become an opportunity zone 8. Create entrepreneurial culture & incubator A great example of the beauty of Louisville

1. Code enforcement • Responsible Party: City, Don Rhodes in partnership with County • Time Frame: 60 to 90 days • Budget: Small. Compensate County at $20 per inspection • Resources: City funds • Partners: County; Sheriff’s department, Enforcement • Obstacles o Relationships and history with existing property owners o Legal and threat of litigation o Lack of political will o Must be consistent in application

First Steps o Approach County about partnership o Review codes and state law o Develop list of office duties o Give community notice about plan to begin enforcement

2. Zoning audit and update • Responsible Party: City, Mayor Morgan • Time Frame: 60 days • Budget: Unknown • Resources: Don Rhodes, John Murphy, Developers • Partners: Regional Commission, Land Use Clinic at UGA Fanning • Obstacles o Need to be sure to work with developers

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First Steps o Call Regional Commission o Obtain a copy of current ordinances o List desired elements in ordinances

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3. Repair sidewalks • Responsible Party: City, Lil Easterlin • Time Frame: • Budget: • Resources: City, SPLOST, T-Grants, Path • Partners: RC, County, Service Clubs, SPLOST • Obstacles o Money o Time o Trees

First Steps o Complete a sidewalk inventory o Prioritize which sidewalks should be completed first o Research methods of repair that are sustainable given live oak trees

4. Greening of Peachtree Street • Responsible Party: DDA, Garden Club, Donna, Heidi • Time Frame: 12 months • Budget: Unknown • Resources: UGA Cooperative Ext., Regional Commission, DOT • Partners: DOT; Coop. Ext.; City; Property Owners; County; Prison Labor; Local Landscape Company • Obstacles o Money o Getting buy-in from property owners o Creating more images to choose from

First Steps o Contact DOT to get a list of DOT approved trees o Identify zoning for new developments o Contact property owners o Prioritize which sites to address first

This design shows what a building on the corner of Peachtree and Broad might look like.

A building on this lot is a long term idea; for simple short term ideas, see the next page.

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Corner of Peachtree and Broad This corner serves as an entry point to the historic downtown. Turning this vacant and unkempt space into a green parking lot provides parking for people working at nearby businesses. This reduced the clutter of cars parked in haphazard ways and makes this key corner a welcoming entry way to the city.

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Hadden’s Parking Lot on Peachtree The addition of trees, reduction of curb cuts, increased signage and better sidewalks all improve the look and feel of what used to be a vast parking lot of concrete. This improvement could be done in coordination with the garden club, the city and the property owner.

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PAGE 28

5. Communicate all current projects • Responsible Party: Don Rhodes, city clerk & community design studio • Time Frame: 60 days • Budget: none • Resources: library; newspaper; radio; downtowner; gallery • Partners: Chamber of Commerce; schools • Obstacles o Keeping the list up to date o Collection system o Collecting info o Volunteer

6. Join Georgia Initiative for Community Housing (GICH) • Responsible Party: City, Mayor Morgan • Time Frame: Applications dues September 2011 • Budget/Resources: Travel money • Partners: Housing authority, Regional Commission, developers, hospitals, schools, Queensborough Bank • Obstacles o long-term time commitment (three years)

First Steps o Host a brainstorming session o Deliver the information to the clerk to compile o Email notes of projects to everyone o Have the design studio provide the layout

First Steps o Create a housing committee o Attend the August 8-10th training in Athens, GA o Evaluate whether program is appropriate for Louisville o Gather the bigger cohort together to discuss goals o Complete GICH application o Visit other communities such as Sandersville

7. Become an opportunity zone • Responsible Party: Chamber, Lil Easterlin • Time Frame: Starting July 1, 180 days, DCA review • Budget: none • Resources: • Partners: DDA, City, County, Regional Council • Obstacles o Educate on the “slum” issue as people may not like the term

8. Create entrepreneurial culture & incubator

First Steps o Assess entrepreneurs in and around Louisville o Research what would be best approach o Assess current talents o Research other successful programs o Understand why young people leave town

• Responsible Party: : DDA and Chamber, Lil Easterlin, Bill Newberry, Helen Aikman • Time Frame: on-going, needs education • Budget: unknown • Resources: • Partners: Schools, SBDC, Sandersville Tech school, other private partners • Obstacles o Funding o Finding right person or entity to participate City

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First Steps o Finish redevelopment plan o Pass City resolution adopting redevelopment plan o Pass City resolution declaring area a slum o Submit application to DCA for review

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Appendix 1

PAGE 29

DEMOGRAPHICS Demographics The 2010 Decennial Census data is being released in phases starting with demographic and housing information. The Georgia profile including information about Louisville was released on May 12, 2011. Other information needed to apply for technical assistance will be released over the next couple of years. Meanwhile, the estimates for 2009 are available.

The City of Louisville has experienced some change since the 2000 Decennial Census. It has 219 fewer people than it had in 2000, a -8% change in population. That change occurred mostly among the white population. The black population, which decreased by only about 30 people, increased in overall percentage of the population from 65% to 70%. There is a small number of Hispanics and people of other races whose numbers increased in the last 10 years, but not enough to constitute a significant percent of the population.

Louisville has fewer houses and fewer families, and thus the ratio of families to non-family households remains essentially the same: 67%. Housing occupancy decreased as well, while the ratio of owners to renters stayed about the same: approximately 60% of houses are owner-occupied.

The City of Louisville has an estimated poverty level of 32%, compared with 15% for the state for 2009. The downtown area is located in three separate block groups, which have poverty levels of 28%, 36%, and 41% respectively.

Poverty by block group, 2009

1 2 5 6 3

4

Tract 9603

Total Income in the past 12 months population below poverty level

% below poverty

Block Group 1

960

111

11.56

Block Group 2

985

400

40.61

Block Group 3

1362

434

31.86

Block Group 4

912

326

35.75

Block Group 5

1123

309

27.52

Block Group 6

460

178

38.70

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey

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Appendix 2

RESOLUTIONS Sample Resolution: Declaring Slum and Blight WHEREAS, the City of Louisville has created this local Urban Redevelopment Plan (“plan”) in accordance with the Georgia Urban Redevelopment Plan Act (O.C.G.A. § 36-61-1 et. seq.) to foster the rehabilitation, conservation or redevelopment of the defined geographical area.

WHEREAS, the City of Louisville identifies the geographical area as the boundaries referenced in the plan on page 6.

WHEREAS, this defined geographical area is a “slum” and suffers from blight as defined by the Georgia Urban Redevelopment Plan Act and as described on page 7 of the plan, that negatively affect the growth of the community.

WHEREAS, the City of Louisville intends to focus its redevelopment efforts in this geographical area to eliminate and to prevent blight in the future.

WHEREAS, the City of Louisville finds that the rehabilitation, conservation or redevelopment of this area is in the interest of the public health, safety, morals or welfare of the residents of Louisville.

The City of Louisville resolves to adopt the defined area as the Urban Redevelopment Area.

Sample Resolution: Adopting Urban Redevelopment Plan WHEREAS, the City Council of Louisville, Georgia has created this local Urban Redevelopment Plan (“plan”) in accordance with the Georgia Urban Redevelopment Plan Act (O.C.G.A. § 36-61-1 et. seq.) to foster the rehabilitation, conservation or redevelopment of the defined geographical area.

WHEREAS, the plan area constitutes a slum and suffers from blight of which the redevelopment is “necessary in the interest of the public health, safety, morals, or welfare of the residents” of the area.

O.C.G.A. § 36-61-5(2).

The City of Louisville resolves to adopt this plan and exercise the powers delegated by the Urban Redevelopment Plan as defined in O.C.G.A. § 36-61-17(b).

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Appendix 3

PAGE 31

INPUT Interview, Focus Group and Survey Questions We asked people most or all of the following questions: 1. What do you consider to be Louisville’s downtown boundaries?

2. What makes downtown Louisville unique?

3. What is working well in downtown Louisville?

4. What is not working well?

5. What needs to change in the historic Louisville district?

6. What needs to change in the Peachtree street corridor?

7. Why do people come downtown now?

8. Why don’t people come downtown?

9. What could bring more people downtown?

10. What would you do to revitalize run down or substandard housing around downtown?

11. What kind of growth and development is appropriate for downtown Louisville?

12. Specifically, what would you like to see at the old gas station and the former Wrens hardware store site at the intersection of Walnut and Broad in downtown?

13. What else do we need to know about redevelopment in downtown Louisville that we haven’t asked about yet?

Results of Community Input The results of the community input, as well as notes from all the visioning committee meetings, can be found on the City of Louisville’s website and on Fanning’s website (www.fanning.uga.edu). The results are in the form of a PDF document and provide a summary of the surveys, interviews and focus groups. All community input was collected anonymously and is not attributed to specific individuals.

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C H A R AC T E R R u r a l

Charm

Southern – Live Oaks/Moss

Fanning Institute WILD L I F E S t ay i n g p owe r Yo u University of Georgia 1240 South Lumpkin Street n ’t w a n t t o l e av e Athens,d GA o 30602 706-542-1108 www.fanning.uga.edu

Background photograph credit: Market House, The Library of Congress, American Memory Survey.

I d e n t i t y Re l e v a n t to future Maintenance Historic assets Market house L i ve l y A c t i v i t y L i v i n g S h o p p i n g E a t i n g Wa l k i n g Dynamic Something that s t r i k e s yo u P H Y S I C A L LO O K 1 s t p e r m a n e n t capital of Georgia History Opportunity Bustling PRIDE Modernization Beauty