Catapult Central Clarksville (3C) Master Plan

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CATAPULT CENTRAL CLARKSVILLE Master Plan


TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 4 TOWN COUNCIL ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4 REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������4 PLANNING COMMISSION ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4 TASK FORCE �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5 TOWN STAFF �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 7 INTRODUCTION �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8 PROCESS ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������8 KEY ISSUES ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10 VISION ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������10 GUIDING PRINCIPLES �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12 DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12 MASTER PLAN OVERVIEW ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������12 MASTER PLAN SIGNATURE ELEMENTS ������������������������������������������������������������������������14 ASSESSED VALUE IMPLICATIONS ������������������������������������������������������������������������������15 PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IMPLICATIONS ������������������������������������������������������������������15

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INTRODUCTION ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17 BACKGROUND �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������18 PURPOSE ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������20 PROCESS ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������20


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ANALYSIS ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 23 EXISTING CONDITIONS ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������24 MARKET ANALYSIS ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������50 KEY ISSUES ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������56

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REDEVELOPMENT PLAN ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 61 VISION & GUIDING PRINCIPLES ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������62 GUIDING PRINCIPLES �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������66 REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������70 FUTURE LAND USE �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������73 SIGNATURE ELEMENTS ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������77 ANNOTATED MASTER PLAN ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������99 ASSESSED VALUE IMPLICATIONS OF MASTER PLAN BUILD-OUT ����������������������������113 PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IMPLICATIONS OF MASTER PLAN BUILD-OUT ����������������114

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IMPLEMENTATION ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 117 HOW TO USE THIS PLAN �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������118 ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS �������������������������������������������������������������������������������120 POLICIES AND PROGRAMS ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������121 IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������158 POTENTIAL FUNDING, RESOURCES, AND TOOLS ����������������������������������������������������167

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APPENDIX ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 175 INPUT SUMMARY ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������176 MARKET ANALYSIS ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������194 DESIGN CONCEPTS ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������202


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Catapult Central Clarksville (3C) Master Plan would not have been possible without the many residents, business owners, stakeholders, Town Officials, and Town Staff who devoted their time, attention, and ideas to help aid in creating a future vision for Central Clarksville. We would like to thank each Town Council member, Redevelopment Commission member, Plan Commission member, Task Force member, and Town Staff member who helped make this possible and for their dedication and commitment throughout the process.

TOWN COUNCIL Karen Henderson

Council Person At-Large

Jennifer Voignier

REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION Patrick Duggins

Council Person At-Large

John Gilkey

Tim Hauber

Mike Mustain

District 1

John Gilkey

Secretary / District 2

Ryan Ramsey

President / District 3

Mike Mustain

Vice-President / District 4

Aaron A.D. Stonecipher District 5

Aaron A.D. Stonecipher Jennifer Voignier

PLANNING COMMISSION Daniel Bamforth Doug Fisher John Gilkey Tim Hauber Mike Mustain Don Sloan Carey Stemle

* = former member who participated in various meetings throughout the process


TASK FORCE

Tim Hauber*

Former Plan Commission President

TOWN STAFF

Former Rails Property Owner

Karen Henderson*

Town Manager

Sam Anderson Jesse Ballew

Property Owner (Jesse Ballew Enterprises)

Tina Bennett

Superintendent of the Clarksville Community School Corporation

Melissa Bennett-James

Resident and Neighborhood Representative of Lincoln Park Neighborhood

Lydia Casey

Resident (Lincoln Park Neighborhood)

Wendy Chesser

President of One Southern Indiana

Chris Cullen

Property Owner (Greentree Mall)

Thomas Dykiel*

Chief Financial Officer of the Clarksville Community School Corporation

Jim Epperson

Executive Direction of SoIN Tourism

Christian Evans

Representative of the Building & Development Association of Southern Indiana

Paul Fetter*

Former Town Council President

Council-Elect (Town Council At-Large)

Laura Hubinger

Chief Financial Officer of the Greater Clark County Schools

Scott Martin

Executive Director of River Heritage Conservancy

Kevin Baity

Nic Langford

Redevelopment Director

Mike Keeling

Capital Project Manager

Ryan Ramsey

Clarksville Town President

Paula Metzger

Jacob D. Arbital

Mike Mustain

Dylan Fisher*

Ryan Ramsey

Prepared by:

Charlie Smith*

Rundell Ernstberger Associates

Representative of One Vision Credit Union Former Council-Elect (District 4); Plan Commission President Former Council-Elect (District 3); Town Council President CEO of Building and Development Association of Southern Indiana

Cary Stemle

Director of Planning Former Redevelopment Director

618 East Market Street Indianapolis, IN 46202 website: www.reasite.com

Plan Commission Member

Aaron A.D. Stonecipher

Redevelopment Commission President

David “Red” Worrall*

AECOM

website: www.aecom.com

District 3 Representative

John Gilkey*

Town Council Member

CWC Latitudes, LLC



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


• Implementing complete streets recommendations.

Use Study Area

ADAMS ST

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VAXTER AVE

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• Being considerate of the impacts to Lincoln Park Neighborhood when proposing future land use patterns.

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The Town of Clarksville hired the multidisciplinary team of Rundell Ernstberger Associates (REA), AECOM, and CWC Latitudes to guide Town leadership, staff, and residents through the process of developing a Master Plan that will re-invigorate the roughly 660-acre area along Lewis and Clark Parkway. The project started

• Promoting infill and reclamation projects which increases residential density and walkability.

LYNCH LN

PROCESS

Key

• Transitioning predominately commercial corridors into ones that can effectively support residential development.

Legend

BLACKISTON MILL RD

Although the plan spans a potential 30 year time horizon, many of the projects identified are intended to occur in a much shorter time period as resources become available. Larger development and redevelopment projects will likely occur as market forces dictate. It is anticipated that many of the existing businesses and land uses will continue on for some time until larger redevelopment projects become possible, and that major changes to private property will largely be voluntary and market driven.

• Facilitating redevelopment so that it strengthens existing areas rather than reshuffling development around Town leaving vacant areas, underutilized areas.

EASTERN BLVD

The 3C Master Plan outlines a vision for strengthening the function, appearance, and economic potential of the Central Clarksville area. It establishes a series of physical improvement recommendations and a strategy to guide public and private investment, ultimately resulting in a vibrant mix of businesses, residences, recreational amenities, and multi-modal transportation options within the area. This plan will continue to develop the Central Clarksville area as a destination within Southern Indiana and establish the framework for the creation of a truly walkable, mixed use district.

in September 2019 and was completed in September 2021. The four-phased planning process, Discovery, Visioning, Synthesis, and Action, takes a community through a welldefined process that documents assets and issues, benchmarks market realities, generates aspirational and visionary ideas, develops action steps, and identifies implementation partners. This results in a master plan meeting Town goals for this project, which include:

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INTRODUCTION

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Aerial view of the Central Clarksville Master Plan area.


Bird’s eye view of the fully realized Master Plan Concept

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KEY ISSUES

Since the beginning of the project, multiple public outreach opportunities were offered. From these input opportunities, several issues were identified that have been addressed throughout the planning process. The most prominent issues identified include: • Transfer of development from one area of town to another. • Address homelessness that has increased along the corridor and in the area. • Address the quality, age, type, and availability of the existing housing stock. • Address the destabilization of the Lincoln Park neighborhood. • Decrease the amount of pavement in the area. • No walkability or connection to neighborhoods.

VISION

The vision for Central Clarksville describes the future state when the area has been fully redeveloped. The vision is purposefully broad to illustrate the transformation of Central Clarksville into a dynamic center of culture, commerce, and community. As government, philanthropic, civic, and other partners work together to make significant social and capital investments, it spur on private investment which will increase the create a vitality to Central Clarksville, enhance the quality of place and life, and raise property values, wages, and the overall tax base. There are many attributes that communities need to make a place succeed. During the initial phases of Discovery and Visioning when the physical conditions, market data, and community input had been collected and analyzed, there were four main outcomes that emerged – Soul and Identity, Economic Resilience, Environment, and Quality of Place. Together, investments in these four outcomes will be aligned to tangibly elevate people, institutions, businesses, and places at the heart of Central Clarksville.

• No authenticity, identity, or inspiration on the most historic and iconic roadway Lewis and Clark Parkway. • Diversify the land uses.

Central Clarksville is losing businesses and increasing the amount of vacant buildings

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There is a lack of diverse development, including housing, and many empty lots available for development


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GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The Catapult Central Clarksville Master Plan development concepts are organized around a series of industry accepted design principles that were tailored based on the existing conditions, site opportunities and challenges, and community input. The principles that guided the development of the master plan are: • Encourage connectivity. • Increase the amount of green space. • Establish Central Clarksville as a place. • Incorporate amenity infrastructure. • Cultivate green infrastructure solutions. • Increase mixed-use development. • Foster diversity of housing. • Promote economic resilience.

DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

To transform this over-retailed area and change the development pattern, there are many factors to be considered. The existing conditions physically on the ground including the number, type, and condition of structures; the current and future market demand; the types of uses present; the targeted uses marketed by the Town; inclusion of residential, building, and proposed street layout all which influence the vision, development program, and design. To carry out this vision, assumptions are made of buildings that were nearing the end of their useful life, buildings that could be rehabilitated, and others that would be demolished. From this information a preliminary development program and several concepts were generated to illustrate potential regional market absorption over multiple decades.

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MASTER PLAN OVERVIEW

The purpose of the future land use map is to help decision-makers, developers, property owners, and the community understand the Town’s desired redevelopment strategy and the intent for how the Town’s resources should be used over the next thirty plus years regarding type, location, and intensity of development. The future land use map is conceptual in nature and portrays a high-level view of future redevelopment strategies and the desired outcome of the community. The future land use map and land use descriptions found in Chapter 4 will be used to guide actions about development, public investment, and capital improvements over time. The land use component is a recommendation of policy and should be reviewed from time to time to ensure it remains flexible given the fluctuations in Clarksville’s economy, resources, and values. This portion of the redevelopment plan is implemented through the Town’s development regulations and other various public and private development decisions. This redevelopment plan, with its subsequent land use descriptions and redevelopment areas, should serve as the basis for evaluating potential future zoning ordinance updates and rezoning petitions.

Key

Legend

Use Quantity Retail / Restaurant 2,000,000 sq.ft.1 Office / Flex 1,260,000 sq.ft. Hospitality 9,400,000 sq.ft. TOTAL COMMERCIAL 4,200,00 sq.ft. Single Family Detached 977 units Single Family Attached 833 units Multi-Family 3,200 units TOTAL RESIDENTIAL 5,010 units Mixed Use -2 Greenspace Parking Existing Development 1 Includes existing retail footprints to remain 2 Quantities are included in Retail and Multi-Family Residential totals


FUTURE LAND USE PLAN

BROADWAY ST

HORN ST

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MASTER PLAN SIGNATURE ELEMENTS

The full build-out of the redevelopment plan is the physical representation of the vision and design principles established to provide guidance on the type of redevelopment that is desired in Central Clarksville. Due to the large study area, it will take decades for the area to redevelop completely. The redevelopment plan allows the Town to prioritize improvements that so it might best leverage its critical tax dollars in any public-private partnerships to redevelop the area.

Lewis and Clark Parkway continues to serve as a multi-modal spine of the community but with a greater mix of employment and office uses than retail commercial and restaurants. The redevelopment plan provides for greater density as well as much more open space, parks, public spaces, and recreation amenities that interconnect Clarksville as well as to the larger region. The redevelopment area was organized around nine signature elements including:

For Clarksville to better weather future shifts in the economy, diversity is needed in the land use mix. Single-use commercial districts, like much of the current Central Clarksville area, are more susceptible to changing economic conditions, which can subsequently have significant tax revenue implications for the entire community. Additionally, replicating similar character of uses like what once was on Eastern Avenue, then in Central Clarksville, and now on Veterans Parkway is not the answer either. All this serves to do is hollow out areas of the community, transfer uses throughout the community, limit assessed valuation increases, and slow overall growth of the community.

1. Complete Streets Network

The redevelopment plan illustrates a concept that is different from Veterans Parkway and South Clarksville. Veterans Parkway is the new commercial core for Clarksville, while South Clarksville is poised to become the new Town Center. Central Clarksville is positioned to become a new residential hub that provides a mix of residential choices, with nearby mixed uses that contain various service and daily need shopping opportunities to support the increased residential population.

7. Signature Park

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2. Amenity Infrastructure Network 3. New Neighborhoods 4. Lincoln Park Neighborhood Revitalization 5. Employment District 6. Mixed-Use District

8. Discovery Trail Promenade 9. Hospitality District


ASSESSED VALUE IMPLICATIONS

At full build-out, the master plan identifies clear potential to unlock significant additional real estate value 4x greater than current corridor valuation. Currently, the study area has an estimated $272 million in total assessed value (2021 dollars), across residential and commercial retail estate. The program at full build-out (including the current properties to remain) is projected to be worth $1.2 billion dollars in assessed value (2021 dollars). The full build-out’s assessed value will be more than 4x greater than today’s current assessed value. The actual total assessed value and property taxes generated from the Master Plan will be a factor of realized program phasing, real estate values, and tax policy.

PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IMPLICATIONS

The Master Plan’s full build-out is estimated to generate over 3x more property taxes than the current study area, increasing the Town’s funding resources. The study area currently contributes an estimated $7.7 million in property taxes. Of that $7.7 million of property taxes, $1.4 million will remain and $6.3 million will come offline. The new development is estimated to generate three times more property taxes than the property poised for redevelopment does today. The $1.4 million in remaining property’s taxes plus the new development’s $23.6 million in revenue results in the total study area contributing nearly $25 million worth of property taxes annually. The Master Plan’s full build-out is estimated to generate over three times more property taxes than the properties do currently. The 3C Master Plan has the potential to provide the Town with greater property tax resources to support school districts and Town provided services by growing the real estate value base of the study area.

Assessed Value

Current vs. Plan Full Build-Out (2021)

$1,218,310,000

$272,010,000 Current Study Area Assessed Value

Proposed Full Plan Assessed Value (Gross)

Property Tax Revenues at Full Build-Out $25 Million Total Build-Out

$23,580,000

New Development

$1,400,000

Current Remaining

-$6,300,000

Demolished

Total New Revenue Added

Revenue Remaining Revenue Removed

Notes: 1. Property taxes were estimated at the property tax cap rate without deductions or levy limits 2. All values are in present, 2021, dollars which assumed one year of 2% inflation on the 2019 assessment year values

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INTRODUCTION


The Town of Clarksville embarked on a process to develop a Master Plan to re-invigorate roughly 660 acres along the Lewis and Clark Parkway. The Master Plan provides policy direction to create a long-term community vision for the Town’s commercial core and how it can be redeveloped with a focus on infill and mixed-use development that can support existing commercial activities while encouraging a more diverse range of residential, office, recreation, and professional activities over the next 50+ years.

BACKGROUND

Central Clarksville is accessed by two major corridors, Lewis and Clark Parkway and Veterans Parkway, and is visible from Interstate 65. The project study area includes Lewis and Clark Parkway from Providence Way to Interstate 65, Broadway Street from Lewis and Clark to Woodstock Drive, Greentree Boulevard from Lewis and Clark to Blackiston View Drive, and adjoining properties. The study area is comprised of primarily commercial land with two regional shopping malls, several smaller neighborhood commercial developments, and surrounded by single-family and some multi-family housing.

Clarksville, like many other communities across the U.S., is experiencing a change in retail trends with the closure of brick and mortar stores due to increased online shopping. This has left many store fronts along Lewis and Clark Parkway with increased vacancy. To better plan for shifting retail trends, the master plan will address the impacts of reduced demand for retail space and increased big-box vacancies, identify appropriate locations for new housing and employment opportunities, and identify future public infrastructure needs. It will accomplish this by reflecting market potential, identifying locations for housing, mixed-use, recreation, entertainment, destination retail, and employment uses within the study area.

Lewis and Clark Parkway at Hale Road looking north

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Bass Pro Shops at River Falls Mall

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PURPOSE

The Catapult Central Clarksville (3C) Master Plan must be a vision for strengthening the function, appearance, and economic potential of the Central Clarksville area. The master plan will establish a series of recommendations to transform the auto-oriented commercial district into a vibrant, walkable, mixed-use destination. The plan creates a framework for redevelopment projects capitalizing on existing area assets while increasing residential density, improving walkability, and creating active community amenities. While this is not a transportation plan, opportunities to support the Town’s complete streets policy with additional multi-modal facilities and safety improvements are explored.

PROCESS

The project started in September 2019, with the hiring of the consultant team, expected at the time, to take approximately a year. The fourphased planning process takes a community through a well-defined process that documents assets and issues, benchmarks market realities, generates aspirational and visionary ideas, develops action steps, and identifies implementation partners. All to meet the goals of the Town for this project which include: • Facilitate redevelopment so that it strengthens existing areas rather than reshuffling development around Town leaving vacant areas, underutilized areas.

• Transition predominately commercial corridors into ones that can effectively support residential development. • Promote infill and reclamation projects which increases residential density and walkability. • Consider impacts to Lincoln Park Neighborhood when proposing future land use patterns. • Implement complete streets recommendations. The four phases are Discovery, Visioning, Synthesis, and Action.

In order to facilitate redevelopment, a catalyst project is a common way to indicate to developers that the market is primed and incentives are available. Through this study, the Redevelopment Commission is evaluating all sites and alternatives and looking for potential partners who will create a dynamic, mixed-use core development that sets the stage for new private investment in the area.

The process chart above shows the breakdown for how each phase was organized during the planning process.

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The Discovery Phase is the first phase the project. The consultant team collected existing data, analyzed data, researched the market, identified communities facing similar conditions and issues, and publicly kickedoff the project. During this phase of the project, the community outreach and engagement process was developed and implemented. The purpose of the second phase, the Visioning Phase, was to develop conceptual design alternatives and strategies for the redevelopment of Central Clarksville. One of the most effective tools to quickly generate innovative design and redevelopment concepts, engage key stakeholders and constituents, generate buy-in, ownership and consensus, and, ultimately, a collective community vision for the Master Plan, is a community vision workshop. This workshop built upon the results of the Discovery Phase through a four-day workshop where the first day was a full-day of public input from project stakeholders ending with a community open house. The remaining days led to the confirmation of the key issues, the development of the preliminary program, and a series of preliminary redevelopment scenarios for the study area. The Synthesis Phase is the third phase where the preliminary redevelopment scenarios were developed into one preferred redevelopment Master Plan. Supporting diagrams, cross sections, and illustrations are generated and refined. Written recommendations are developed that transform the physical plan into the policy realm where zoning, design guidelines, and transportation recommendations can all be implemented to bring the physical plan to reality. At the end of the Synthesis Phase, estimated probable costs, economic impacts, incentives, partners, funding, timeline, and prioritization of all projects is developed and put into an action plan for implementation.

The Visioning Workshop which took place January 13 - 16, 2020 helped lead the design process for the master plan

Lincoln Park Neighborhood Meeting held on November 5, 2020

During the final phase, the Action Phase, the draft Master Plan report summarizing the project process, outcomes, vision, redevelopment plan, and recommendations is unveiled at a public open house for the public to offer input. After a given time-period, the Master plan will then be taken through adoption and become a part of the comprehensive plan.

Public Open House held on July 1, 2021

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ANALYSIS


EXISTING CONDITIONS

This process started with an extensive existing conditions analysis of the study area. Maps are used to help understand the land use and development pattern of the Central Clarksville area, transportation network, environmental constraints, and identify assets within and near the study area. The Planning Area identified on the map on the next page comprises 660 acres in Central Clarksville. Lewis and Clark Parkway, which is a heavily traveled roadway between New Albany and Jeffersonville, runs east-west through this site. Veterans Parkway which turns into Greentree Boulevard is located just north, outside of the study area, but Greentree Boulevard is within the area. This site stretches from the I-65 interchange with Lewis and Clark Parkway on the east, to Hale Road on the west.

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PLANNING AREA

The study area is the commercial center of Clarksville. It is home to two malls, River Falls and Green Tree, several car dealerships, big-box department stores, and some hotels. Unfortunately, the district has been experiencing commercial decline from some large, big-box retailers to smaller stores and restaurants, both within the malls and across the area. Commercial development is also located north, outside of the site limits, surrounding Veterans Parkway. There is only one formal neighborhood within the study area, Lincoln Park, which has experienced population decline as commercial uses have encroached upon the neighborhood.


PLANNING AREA Key

Legend

Use Study Area

ADAMS ST

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CEDAR ST

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MADISON ST

VAXTER AVE

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The PLANNING AREA (as of March 12, 2020)

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EXISTING ZONING

Zoning regulates the type of development that can occur on any parcel of land, and the characteristics of that development. The zoning map shows that the majority of land in the 3C area is zoned for general business (commercial uses) in red. Additionally, the areas shown in pink are part of the Veterans Parkway Corridor Zone. Zoning Districts included in the master plan study area are: R-1 – Single-Family Residence R-2 – Single and Two-Family Residence R-3 – Single, Two, and Multiple Family Residence B-1 – Local (Neighborhood) Business B-2 – General Business GO – General Office

Green Tree Mall is located at the center of the study area

RPO – Residential/Professional Office VPCZ – Veterans Parkway Corridor Zone PUD – Planned Unit Development EBCZ – Eastern Boulevard Corridor Zone MED – Medical Zone

River Falls Mall is located adjacent to Green Tree Mall and is the second mall within the area

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Percent 5.8% 5.6% 1.2% 3.3% 54.9% 0.6% 0.5% 26.0% 0.5% 1.3% 0.4%

GREEN TREE BLVD

WOODSTOCK DR

BROADWAY ST

BLACKISTON MILL RD

ADAMS ST

HORN ST

VAXTER AVE

CEDAR ST

MADISON ST

LYNCH LN

Use Study Area R-1 R-2 R-3 B-1 B-2 GO RPO VPCZ PUD EBCZ MED RYAN LN

Key

Legend

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

EXISTING ZONING (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

27


EXISTING LAND USE

While zoning and existing land use frequently align, that is not always the case. Zoning identifies what can be developed on a parcel; land use is how the property is currently being used. Most of the parcels in the study area align with the their zoning designation and are used for various commercial uses. However, a sizable portion of the study area is underutilized because it is vacant, undeveloped, or surface parking for businesses along Lewis and Clark Parkway, Greentree Boulevard, and Broadway Street. Similarly, the area has seen an increase in commercial vacancy as businesses have relocated to the Veterans Parkway Corridor, elsewhere in the community, or unfortunately closed.

Several big box retailers can be found in Central Clarksville

Residential use is primarily limited to the Lincoln Park neighborhood on the east side of the area, and additional single family homes along Johnson Lane, McTavish Drive, and Hale Road, to the west. There is limited multi-family residential development within the study area, but several large complexes are nearby.

Several businesses such as car dealerships and park lots make up a lot of the land in Central Clarksville

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Percent 4.1% 6.5% 0.2% 4.2% 56.7% 0.1% 0.9% 1.3% 2.1% 24.0%

GREEN TREE BLVD

ADAMS ST

BROADWAY ST

BLACKISTON MILL RD

WOODSTOCK DR

HORN ST

VAXTER AVE

LYNCH LN

MADISON ST

CEDAR ST

Use Study Area Agriculture & Open Space Single-Family Residential Two & Three-Family Residential Multi-Family & Hotel Commercial Office Entertainment Industrial Institutional Vacant RYAN LN

Key

Legend

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

EXISTING LAND USE (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING BLOCK SCALE COMPARISONS

Central Clarksville is an automobile-oriented commercial district and as such, has been primarily designed to facilitate vehicular travel. The area is difficult to walk or bike due to Lewis and Clark Parkway and Greentree Boulevard being highly traveled roadways in the area. Sidewalks are present along these thoroughfares, but the higher travel speeds may deter someone from walking from one destination to another. Additionally, while sidewalks may be present within the public right-of-way, there are few pedestrian connections from street-side sidewalks, through large parking areas, to building entrances. To better illustrate how the road network in Central Clarksville is laid out compared to other cities and towns, a section of the area was compared to these other block layouts. New Albany and Jeffersonville have smaller blocks within the same three-quarter mile by three-quarter mile area. This means that there is a denser development pattern with more buildings and less parking surface. Similarly, this pattern alludes to more pedestrian and bicycle access for people to travel safely. Looking at the other comparisons, the additional street connections provide vehicle traffic more opportunities to get to and from their destinations. Rather than having to travel the same roads with limited access points, the increased roadway network provides more access to main streets and opportunities to avoid congested areas.

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Use Study Area Comparison Sample Area Outside the Public Right-of-Way

WOODSTOCK DR

ADAMS ST

BROADWAY ST

BLACKISTON MILL RD

HORN ST

CEDAR ST

LYNCH LN

MADISON ST

VAXTER AVE

RYAN LN

GREEN TREE BLVD

Key

Legend

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

EXISTING BLOCK SCALE COMPARISONS (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE

Impervious surfaces are any type of surface that do not absorb rainfall including rooftops, driveways, sidewalks, streets, and parking lots. Large amounts of impervious surface can be an environmental concern. They eliminate the ability for land to absorb and filter rain water; they create run-off issues which can lead to flooding; the surfaces collect heat making the area hotter and increasing the energy consumption in buildings; and they can harm tree canopies and other living vegetation as the surface blocks nutrients from getting to the vegetation and allowing it room to grow. Pervious surfaces can be used for driveways, walkways, and patios as an alternative to impervious ones that are more harmful to the overall environment. The map on the next page depicts just how much of the Central Clarksville area is covered by impervious surfaces.

Several access points in Central Clarksville connect drivers to large parking lots and big box retailers

The vast majority of the area is made up of parking lots

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Percent 15.5% 62.6%

WOODSTOCK DR

BROADWAY ST

BLACKISTON MILL RD

HORN ST

LYNCH LN

MADISON ST

VAXTER AVE

RYAN LN

ADAMS ST

CEDAR ST

Use Study Area Buildings Impervious Surfaces Right of Way

GREEN TREE BLVD

Key

Legend

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

EXISTING IMPERVIOUS COVERAGE (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING BARRIERS TO REUSE & CONNECTIVITY

The barriers to reuse and connectivity map on the next page shows how the two malls and other big box developments create a physical barrier for redefining the street network and increasing connectivity within the study area. For many of the existing streets to connect through the district, a road would need to be constructed through an existing building. If buildings are not removed, new roadways will have to be designed around the existing buildings to increase connectivity. Given the relative age, size, and position in the retail market of some of these structures, they are approaching the end of their useful life. As redevelopment occurs, buildings that create a barrier to connectivity improvements should be removed or remodeled to better promote walkable scale block organized around a more regular grid pattern. Given the site is 660-acres, there are multiple individual property owners which will impact how quickly some of these through connections can be made.

Thru streets are hard to construct with the existing development pattern and large retailers

Many of the larger buildings found within Central Clarksville are 40+ years old (see pages 54 and 55). From a reuse perspective, several of these larger footprint structures are obsolete. There are fewer and fewer retail businesses looking for such large spaces. Also, small, individual spaces may better allow businesses to control their brand identity without being tied to a long-term lease. Creating more opportunities for smaller spaces, closer to the streets, and along walkable streets can increase revenues and result in greater business diversity.

Several strip centers with commercial businesses or available space for tenets can be found across the area

34


Use Study Area Existing Building Footprint Intuitive Improvement to Existing Street Network

WOODSTOCK DR

ADAMS ST

BROADWAY ST

BLACKISTON MILL RD

HORN ST

CEDAR ST

LYNCH LN

MADISON ST

VAXTER AVE

RYAN LN

GREEN TREE BLVD

Key

Legend

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

EXISTING BARRIERS TO REUSE & CONNECTIVITY (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING COMMUNITY ASSETS

There are many assets in the study area. Most of these are located centrally in the district and to the west. Some assets identified include the Clarksville Public Library, Goodwill Children’s Learning Center, United States Post Office, and Clarksville Fire Department Station Three. There is one park within the study area, Cedar Park, near the Lincoln Park neighborhood, but several others are located nearby just outside the area including the Discovery Trail which runs along the southern portion of Central Clarksville. The Clarksville Municipal Government Center (Town Hall and Town Council), Police Department, Fire Department, and the Wastewater Treatment Facility are north of Veterans Parkway just outside the study area. Additional community assets are identified on the map on the facing page.

Cedar Park near Lincoln Park Neighborhood

Clarksville Public Library entrance sign

36


Use Study Area Parks and Open Space Trail Educational Facilities Library Government Facilities Grocery Store Medical and Wellness Religious Institution Financial Institution Cemetery

WOODSTOCK DR

WOODSTOCK DR

3

GREEN TREE GREEN BLVD TREE BLVD

3

HORN ST

HORN ST

BROADWAY ST BROADWAY ST

CEDAR ST

LYNCH LN

LYNCH LN

5

N

TE L EGA

L APP

7 14

N

AIL

MADISON ST

TE L EGA

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

2

ERY TR

6

15 MADISON ST

10

4

7

V DISCO

13

7

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

11

10

CEDAR ST

MILL RD BLACKISTONBLACKISTON MILL RD

1

ADAMS ST

L APP

EASTERN BLVD EASTERN BLVD

12

ADAMS ST

1

VAXTER AVE VAXTER AVE

2

RYAN LN

Key

Legend

8

5 10

N N

AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

EXISTING COMMUNITY ASSETS (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING VACANCY AND FOR-LEASE SPACES

The vacancy and for-lease map helps to identify underutilized sites and buildings, and more specifically: vacant lots, vacant structures, partially vacant structures, and buildings or land for lease or sale during the planning process. These properties are opportunities for the Town to reinvest in or look towards new development options. The importance of this information is for developers, business owners, and the Town to know what is happening within the area and plan for the future. The primarily commercialized area is going through a transitional period which can be seen with this map. As large footprint anchor businesses close or move, the district begins to lose the critical mass and volume of customers needed to sustain the smaller retail stores, service businesses, and restaurants. Aging buildings and shifts within the retail sales market, with more transactions occurring online, may also be leading to increased vacancy within Central Clarksville.

For sale land in Central Clarksville

Vacant storefront of the former TJ Maxx

38


Use Study Area Vacant Structure Building or Land for Lease or Sale Vacant Land Partial Vacancy

WOODSTOCK DR

ADAMS ST

BROADWAY ST

BLACKISTON MILL RD

HORN ST

CEDAR ST

LYNCH LN

MADISON ST

VAXTER AVE

RYAN LN

GREEN TREE BLVD

Key

Legend

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

EXISTING VACANCY AND FOR-LEASE LOTS (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING ENVIRONMENT

The environmental map on the next page identifies key environmental conditions and concerns within the study area. This includes the floodplain, essentially limited to the western portion of the Lewis and Clark Parkway corridor; other bodies or water, wetlands, and detention areas; parks and open spaces; underground storage tanks; formally identified brownfield sites; and Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) clean-up sites. Within the 3C area, there are: • Eleven underground storage tanks identified (including one along Eastern Boulevard), • Four brownfield sites, and

Stormwater drainage ditch in Central Clarksville

• Three IDEM clean-up sites.

Stormwater drainage path from parking lot to the street

40


Use Study Area Underground Storage Tank

WOODSTOCK DR

Brownfield

BROADWAY ST

ADAMS ST

VAXTER AVE

HORN ST

MADISON ST

LYNCH LN

BLACKISTON MILL RD

RYAN LN

GREEN TREE BLVD

IDEM Clean-Up Site Bodies of Water 100-Year Floodplain Wetlands Detention Parks Institutional Control IDEM

CEDAR ST

Key

Legend

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

EXISTING ENVIRONMENT (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION & ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (AADT)

The functional classification map helps identify the hierarchy of the roadway system and the annual average daily traffic counts for key segments. This is important for understanding how these roadways may facilitate (or inhibit) future development, how existing roadways might be impacted with new development, and making sure that the roadways will still be accessible and able to carry necessary traffic volumes in the future. Bus routs are also labeled and important to consider for any future street reconfiguration. Bus stops should be safe and accessible for people in Central Clarksville; future expansion of the bus system should be considered as the roadway network expands. Amenities such as a covered waiting space, benches, and trashcans should also be provided.

Roadways such as Lewis and Clark Parkway are designed to support and handle high amounts of traffic throughout the day

Bus stops should have adequate room for people waiting for the bus and those using the sidewalk, and have amenities such as benches and trash cans located nearby

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Use Study Area Interstate Other Freeway or Expressway Principle Arterial Minor Arterial Major Collector Local Roadway Bus Routes AADTBLUE Breaking Points HEADING Body text gray

GREEN TREE BLVD

BROADWAY ST

WOODSTOCK DR

ADAMS ST

HORN ST

VAXTER AVE

CEDAR ST

MADISON ST

LYNCH LN

BLACKISTON MILL RD

RYAN LN

Key

Legend

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

Body text gray

N

AIL ERY TR

V DISCO

L ATE LEG

APP

EASTERN BLVD

HEADING BLUE

N

EXISTING FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION & ANNUAL AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (AADT) (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING SIDEWALKS, TRAILS, AND SIGNALIZED

The map on the next page depicts existing pedestrian facilities such as sidewalks, signalized intersections, and trails. These amenities should be safe and accessible for those walking or riding bikes. Examining the map, the blue lines identify existing sidewalks, the green dotted line depict existing trails, and the yellow dotted lines identify where proposed trails are located within and nearby the study area. Sidewalks are located along Lewis and Clark Parkway and Greentree Boulevard, but are sparse across the rest of the area. Eastern Boulevard and Broadway Street also have sidewalks. Connections between existing facilities within the right-of-way and those internal to each development are rare, making walking and biking throughout the district difficult and at time, unsafe. Sidewalk condition must also be considered. For sidewalks to be accessible and walkable, they should be able to accommodate those with disabilities including the blind and individuals in wheelchairs. This means making sure the sidewalks are ADA accessible and crosswalks are safe. Sidewalks should be clear of cracked concrete, significant grade changes and concrete that is not level within the pathway, and any type of utility pole or other obstruction that may interfere with and encroach into the pathway.

Some sidewalks along Lewis and Clark Parkway are more well kept with a small green divider and shrubs lining the path

Sidewalks should be free of any obstacles encroaching on the space

44


Use Study Area Sidewalks Trails - Existing Trails - Proposed Signalized Intersections

BROADWAY ST

WOODSTOCK DR

ADAMS ST

HORN ST

VAXTER AVE

CEDAR ST

MADISON ST

LYNCH LN

RYAN LN

BLACKISTON MILL RD

GREEN TREE BLVD

Key

Legend

AIL

N

ERY TR

V DISCO

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N

EXISTING SIDEWALKS, TRAILS, AND SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING BARRIERS TO MOBILITY

When analyzing the transportation network, major barriers, neighborhood connections, and problematic intersections were identified to help understand how residents, employees, and commuters view the transportation network. It is important to note that the neighborhood connections have been designed primarily for vehicles, and typically have little to no sidewalk connectivity, making connections from the neighborhoods to the commercial businesses that serve them especially difficult. This lack of connectivity required additional vehicle trips, which then continues to impact the potential for pedestrian travel.

Lewis and Clark Parkway looking east; Lewis and Clark Pkwy is difficult to cross due to high speeds and traffic

The problematic intersections were identified with the help of the community throughout the engagement process. These four locations were identified due to safety concerns, congestion, and accessibility issues to the nearby businesses.

Access to businesses located close to intersections can be difficult to navigate

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Key

Legend

Use

Study Area Problematic Intersection Neighborhood Connection (car only) Major Barrier

BROADWAY ST

ADAMS ST

HORN ST

VAXTER AVE

CEDAR ST

MADISON ST

LYNCH LN

RYAN LN

BLACKISTON MILL RD

GREEN TREE BLVD

WOODSTOCK DR

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

EASTERN BLVD

N

L ATE

LEG

APP

AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

N

EXISTING BARRIERS TO MOBILITY (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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EXISTING COMPLETE STREET OPPORTUNITIES

The map on the next page is a preliminary analysis of roadway redesign locations and expansions. In order to create a block pattern similar to what is found in New Albany and Jeffersonville, the street network needs to be expanded and enhanced to allow for multi-modal connectivity. This mean allowing for people who walk, bike, and drive to be able to use the same stretch of road all at once and safely. Lewis and Clark Parkway and Greentree Boulevard can be reconfigured to increase access, but additional roadways will have to be developed in order to increase connectivity across the entire district. As new development of housing, businesses, parks, and offices progresses and new residents and employees move in, the area should be easy to navigate and offer a variety of routes and facilities. This allows for more active transportation modes and reduces the need to utilize either Lewis and Clark Parkway or Greentree Boulevard directly.

Complete Streets will enhance streetscapes and redefine the travel lanes across Central Clarksville

Existing: Lewis and Clark Parkway looking west is difficult to cross due to the multiple lanes a person has to cross, traffic, and the various speeds that vehicles travel

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Key

Legend

Use

Study Area Potential Road ROW Re-Allocation Potential Intersection Improvements

WOODSTOCK DR

BROADWAY ST

ADAMS ST

HORN ST

VAXTER AVE

CEDAR ST

MADISON ST

LYNCH LN

RYAN LN

BLACKISTON MILL RD

GREEN TREE BLVD

Potential Gateway

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

EASTERN BLVD

N

L ATE LEG

APP

AIL ERY TR

V DISCO

N

EXISTING COMPLETE STREET OPPORTUNITIES (as of March 12, 2020)

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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MARKET ANALYSIS LOUISVILLE REGION

The Town of Clarksville is a part of the Louisville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Louisville MSA has been a growing and leading market in the Ohio River region as evidenced by the MSA’s average annual population and job growth rate outpacing neighboring Cincinnati and Evansville MSAs’ between 2010 and 2017. The Louisville MSA added over 85,000 new jobs and 43,000 new residents in that same time, but rates of job growth between 2017 and 2018 have slowed below the national trend. However, since job growth has been faster than population growth over the last decade, the Louisville MSA’s 3.8% unemployment rate is closely aligned with the national trend (3.7%) recovering to levels below pre-recession figures. In addition, median household income is 4% higher than the US median and rates of growth since 2010 have been larger than the national trend. While all three MSA’s have seen growth since 2010, all face challenges of an aging population that is older than the national median age by 2 years with Louisville and Cincinnati’s populations aging faster than the national trend.

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Between 2010 and 2017 Louisville’s job growth outpaced its Ohio River MSA peers and the nation; however, growth has slowed at a rate trailing the national trend. In addition, Louisville has a higher median household income than the nation and its median household income grew faster than its peers and the country at 1.9 percent annually. Within the Louisville MSA, annual population growth rates have been falling in the Kentucky counties surrounding Jefferson County. Meanwhile, the Indiana counties have added 29,800 residents since 2000, maintaining their MSA share of population as well as housing units. More recently, the Indiana counties have seen a 1% loss in share of households and jobs (since 2010). However, the Kentucky side of the river has a higher median household income and home value compared to the Indiana counties within the MSA.

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is the rate of return that would be required for an investment to grow from its beginning balance to its ending balance, assuming the profits were reinvested at the end of each year of the investment’s lifespan.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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CLARK COUNTY

The Indiana counties had been maintaining their MSA share of population up until 2010. With Kentucky counties growing at faster rates since 2010, the Indiana counties have begun to lose share. Clark County has held its position as the second largest county in terms of people and jobs in the MSA after Jefferson County, KY (Louisville), with job growth also outpacing population growth. All the MSA counties outside of Jefferson County are bedroom communities (less than 35 percent of the labor force live and work in the same county). However, the Kentucky counties are more affluent with higher median household incomes and home values, but the jobs they do have are lower paying. At nine percent of the MSA, Clark County has the second largest population, housing, and job market share, all of which are growing either in line with or faster than the national average. More workers are commuting into Clarksville than residents who leave for employment elsewhere. Therefore, since 2000, Clark County has sustained its position within the MSA compared to residents, jobs, employed labor force, households, and housing units. In general, Indiana counties’ real estate is priced at a larger discount to the national median than the Kentucky counties in the MSA. The U.S.

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is the rate of return that would be required for an investment to grow from its beginning balance to its ending balance, assuming the profits were reinvested at the end of each year of the investment’s lifespan.

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median home value is 3.4 times the U.S. median household income. In the Louisville MSA, home values are only 2.7 times the median household income. Homes in the Indiana counties are priced 26 percent below the national expected value compared to the Kentucky counties smaller 18 percent discount. Jefferson County’s home value to income ratio is the closest to the national proportion resulting in just a 9 percent discount. Clark County has the fourth lowest median household income and the third lowest median home value in the MSA, resulting in home values being only 2.5 times household income. Therefore, homes are priced at one of the largest discounts in the MSA (26%) with only two counties having higher discounts.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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TOWN OF CLARKSVILLE

Clarksville’s population has remained relatively constant since 2000, while annual population growth in Clark County has been concentrated north and east of Clarksville. Clarksville remains one of the largest towns in the county, second only to Jeffersonville. With the growth happening outside of Clarksville, the town has lost county share of population, households, and housing units since 2000. Clarksville also has the fastest aging population, a growing share of non-family households, and the oldest housing stock in the county. Clarksville’s shrinking number of households and household size is coupled with the oldest population in the county and a median age older than the nation and the MSA. Like population, Clarksville has the second largest housing market after Jeffersonville, but towns smaller than Clarksville, including Sellersburg and Charlestown, added more housing units between 2010 and 2017. In comparison to its neighboring towns in Clark County, Clarksville has the oldest housing market. Over 75 percent of its structures are over 40 years old. With stagnant population growth, smaller than average household size, a growing number of non-family households, and the oldest median age in the county, Clarksville’s housing stock is not attracting young families with children, or adults aged 24 – 29 years old. Clarksville has one of the lower valued housing markets in the county and MSA. However, having one of the highest income-to-home value ratios in the county, new construction home values replacing aging housing stock has the potential to raise home values.

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Regarding employment, Clarksville and its neighbors, Jeffersonville and New Albany, deviate from their region trend by having a net inflow of people. This means more workers travel into town for work than residents who travel out. While Jeffersonville and New Albany see a greater proportion of residents who also work in each respective community, all three communities experience less than half of their resident populations also working within the town, indicating they are bedroom communities to Louisville. Clarksville has the second largest job market in the county, providing 25% of the county’s jobs. However, Jeffersonville is outpacing Clarksville in job growth causing Clarksville’s share of county jobs to decline. Since Clarksville’s annual job market growth is larger than its population and housing unit growth, Clarksville’s aging housing stock is likely contributing to an inability to retain employees and residents at higher rates.

Clarksville has over 5.4 million square feet of building space for retail, office, and commercial uses in its core. Nearly 38% of Clarksville’s retail space is over 40 years old, and higher vacancies are seen in the older spaces. In fact, approximately 50% of the study area buildings are over 40 years old, with 37% of those 40-yearold buildings vacant. Some of this increased vacancy is likely a result of changes to the retail landscape. In 2009, there was a significant decline in shopping and visiting restaurants. Recovery has been slow and shopping at department stores, big box specialty stores, and superstores might not ever get back to where they were in the early 1990s given the increase in online retail spending. Online shopping has transformed the commercial industry leaving a large footprint behind to be filled with new, innovative ways to replace businesses no longer there.


1980s

89,000

495,000

584,000

15%

1990s

365,000

1,083,000

1,448,000

25%

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION BY YEAR & STATUS 2000s

19,000

393,000

412,000

5%

2010s Total

0 795,000

226,000 3,333,000

226,000 4,128,000

0% 19%

TOTAL W. VETERANS Decades of construction Pre-1980

Vacant

Occupied

Total

Vacancy %

322,000

1,136,000

1,458,000

22%

1980s

89,000

547,000

636,000

14%

1990s

365,000

1,155,000

1,520,000

24%

2000s

61,000

1,489,000

1,550,000

4%

2010s Total

16,000 853,000

295,000 4,622,000

311,000 5,475,000

5% 16%

4

1 3 PRE-1980 1980-1989

2

1990-1999 2000-2009 2010-2019

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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KEY ISSUES

Since the beginning of the project, multiple public outreach opportunities were offered. These have included stakeholder meetings, public meetings, and online surveys. Over 40 people participated in stakeholder discussions, more than 100 people attended the open house, and over 300 people responded to the online survey early in the process before the pandemic. From these input opportunities, several issues were identified that were addressed during the planning process. Additionally other larger community or region wide issues were noted. While these cannot be solved in this plan, there may be recommendations or a component in this plan that can address this particular need. The most prominent issues include: The transfer of development from one area of town to another. The first commercial area in Town was along Eastern Boulevard. As River Falls Mall and Greentree Mall were developed, commercial services and offices left the storefronts of Eastern Boulevard to newer storefronts along Lewis and Clark Parkway where traffic counts were higher, and malls provided destinations for the region. Then as Veterans Parkway developed with a new layout, different access, less parking in front of buildings, and

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different architecture, stores moved again. Each time, vacant buildings, less commercial services and offering were available for nearby residents. Each newly developed area was cannibalizing development from existing areas instead of attracting different or new uses into the community. This plan will examine the gaps in the market, what can be supported, what is over saturated, and propose the right mix of uses and development strategies that will minimize the transference of development from one area of Clarksville to another. Address the homelessness that has increased along the corridor and in the area. As the economy continues to change and the housing crisis continues, homelessness increases in communities across America. Small towns like Clarksville are no different. There has been a noticeable increase of homeless people in and around the Central Clarksville area. Some of this can be attributed to the lack of housing availability in Clarksville. The region held a summit on homelessness early in 2020 to develop a region-wide strategy to address this issue. While this master plan cannot specifically solve the problem of homelessness, there can be strategies contained within that address some of the conditions that lead to homelessness.


Address the quality, age, type, and availability of the existing housing stock. Within the study area boundaries, there is very limited housing available except for a few single family homes at the western end of Lewis and Clark Parkway, single family homes located along Ryan Lane and the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Both the Ryan Lane area and the Lincoln Park neighborhood have vacant parcels available for future residential development. By the end of 2020, the Town of Clarksville’s current single-family subdivisions will have all been fully developed. So their only option in the future is to redevelop land if they want to continue with population growth. With the redevelopment plan an opportunity exists for the integration of mixed uses and to provide a variety of housing types, sizes, and styles to attract new people into the community, to allow others to continue to growth their family within the community and stay in Clarksville, and others to age in place.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

Address the destabilization of the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The Lincoln Park neighborhood is an older, established neighborhood located on the northeast side of the study area. It is wedged between the River Falls Mall and the hotel developments. This neighborhood has a mix of homeowner and rental occupancy. It also has a higher percentage of elderly and minority population than other neighborhoods in Clarksville. Over time, the residential lots in this neighborhood have been purchased by a few investors with the intent of this area to transition to commercial. However, some of the residents who still own their property and live in the neighborhood would like to see this neighborhood remain and efforts taken to stabilize the neighborhood so that it could be rebuilt to be a strong community again.

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Decrease the amount of pavement in the area. Within the study area, approximately 78 percent of the land area is covered by either buildings (16%) or parking lots (62%). This is due to the two regional malls, several strip centers, and big box stores, which require a high ratio of parking. While these parking lots were busy in the past on weekends and holidays. With the shifts in retail trends to less brick and mortar stores and more online shopping, much of this existing parking is now unnecessary. Parking also adds to the maintenance costs of property owners. The vast amounts of pavement in this area has increased runoff and thereby caused local flooding issues. It also causes heat islands, affecting the microclimate and raising the temperature in Central Clarksville. It is an underutilized space. The design for future parking lots and requirements are changing with less parking required and better integration within a development so that every business has equitable access. Additionally, different types of parking solutions are offered in developments including on-street parking, shared parking, rideshare drop off/pick up points, and eventually driverless docking space.

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No walkability or connection to neighborhoods. When the Central Clarksville retail area was developed, access to Lewis and Clark Parkway and other areas of Clarksville were limited. Through connections were ended. Very few north and south roads connected existed except for Blackiston Mill Road, Lynch Road, and Greentree Boulevard. Additionally, few of the northern neighborhoods had good sidewalks for people to walk to the area. This means that pedestrian and cyclist access and safety to Greentree or River Falls Mall, was not as much as option as driving. Today, residents of these neighborhoods complain about the amount of traffic on Veterans Parkway during peak times of the day. Creating more connections in the street grid would increase connectivity throughout the area potentially addressing some of the congestion on Veterans Parkway. Sidewalks adds connectivity by providing safe access by means other than a vehicle. Sidewalks and multi-use paths allow for people to walk from place to place safely while providing an opportunity to connect to other regional trails and amenities which increases the economic value of properties and the overall health and quality of life in a community.


No authenticity, identity, or inspiration on the most historic and iconic roadway Lewis and Clark Parkway. While this site is a successful commercial core, its age, design, layout, and the changing retail trends have left a void within the heart of the community. Even in its prime, as residents, workers, and passersby traveled through the corridor, there was nothing to attract attention or to tell a driver something unique about Clarksville. The corridor looked like every other retail corridor in Anywhere USA. As commercial development built out on Veterans Parkway, tenants move where the cars went, and the Lewis and Clark Parkway continued to remain the same. There is a lack of identity to anything in this area, and Lewis and Clark Parkway, Greentree Boulevard, and Veterans Parkway are primarily streets used to connect someone from New Albany to Clarksville and Jeffersonville. As the redevelopment process begins, an opportunity exists to look at the history and the natural beauty of the environment in the area and develop an identity that would make Central Clarksville significant to the community, draw people to the area, and create inspiration as workers start their workday.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

Diversify the land uses. Central Clarksville was developed with predominately one use: retail. As history has shown for most communities, when a significant amount of land is devoted to a single use such as retail, manufacturing, or other industry; when it changes, it can devastate a community. Today’s best practices in planning show that many developments and neighborhoods are more economically successful if they have a mix of uses in an area. This can be in the form of a mixed use building, or a mixed use development. Given that there is over 600 acres in this site, and it’s the only remaining area in the town that can be redeveloped, careful consideration should be given to maximizing and encouraging development potential.

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REDEVELOPMENT PLAN


philanthropic, civic, and other partners make significant social and capital investments to enhance quality of place and spur private investment.

The vision is organized around four themes that emerged during the process. These themes The vision for this plan is to set the stage for include: Soul and Identity, Economic Resilience, the transformation of Central Clarksville into Environment, and Quality of Place. a dynamic center of culture, commerce, and community as private individuals, government,

VISION

Legend

Use Study Area WOODSTOCK DR

BLACKISTON MILL RD

VAXTER AVE

MADISON ST

LYNCH LN

RYAN LN

ADAMS ST

BROADWAY ST

Key

GREEN TREE BLVD

The vision and redevelopment plan for Central Clarksville was developed through extensive engagement with key stakeholders, the community and Town leaders and staff to create

a redevelopment plan that offers a range of diverse and vibrant land uses that offers new neighborhoods, recreation, entertainment, shopping, and jobs, all while providing economically sustainability and a sense of identity.

CEDAR ST

With over 660 + acres in Central Clarksville, it took more than 30 years for the area to develop as the bustling commercial center with two malls. It will take just as long for this area to be redeveloped; however, a plan is needed to help guide that redevelopment to ensure that it addresses the issues and needs identified earlier in this plan. This chapter focuses on the vision of the full build out of the redevelopment plan, the principles that support the vision and guided the design of the concept, the future land use plan, the nine signature elements, and the annotated master plan.

HORN ST

VISION & GUIDING PRINCIPLES

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

E LN

GAT

EASTERN BLVD

LE APP

AIL ERY TR

V DISCO

Aerial view of Central Clarksville

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N


Bird’s eye view of the fully realized Master Plan Concept

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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SOUL & IDENTITY

Central Clarksville is the heart of the Town that visually and mobility-wise connects the surrounding neighborhoods to a bustling core of activity. Central Clarksville is a mixed used destination where people live, work, shop, and play. The layout of street, building design, and integration of open space and plazas is a unique gem in southern Indiana. The iconic gateway structures pay homage to Lewis and Clark as visitors and residents enter and exit Clarksville.

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ECONOMIC RESILIENCE

Clarksville has a strong tax base due to a mix of employment uses in Central Clarksville. The multistory buildings in Central Clarksville can accommodate flex, manufacturing, commercial, and office space on the ground floor. Central Clarksville is no longer just a commercial core it is home to service-based businesses, entrepreneurial type businesses, and fosters the development of emerging clusters of industries that build on the regions’ competitive strengths. Partnerships between public, private, and non-profit partners broaden business retention and expansion that diversifies the tax base and continues to bring new businesses into Central Clarksville for people to live and work in Town.


ENVIRONMENT

Central Clarksville, as the heart of the Town, is the connector to the natural environment including the Ohio River and Silver Creek. Intertwined throughout, is a linear greenway looped system that connects public spaces and plazas to neighborhoods and mixed use areas. The use of natural systems including green infrastructure, landscape, and water features have lessened flooding, storm water runoff, and heat island effects. This amenity infrastructure now replaces the previous impervious pavement which have significantly increased property values and made this a place where everyone wants to be.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

QUALITY OF PLACE

Central Clarksville is a thriving, walkable, pedestrian oriented vibrant mixed use core that is organized around nodes of activity that draws people to the area. This area is a unique mix of compatible and supportive retail, restaurants, recreation, employment, hospitality, civic, institutional businesses and has a variety of types of housing to meet the demands of the region. A series of parks, public spaces, and loop trails connect neighborhoods, shops, restaurants, activities, playgrounds, the library, and schools.

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GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The Catapult Central Clarksville Master Plan development concepts are organized around a series of industry accepted design principles that are based on the existing conditions, site opportunities and challenges, and community input. Encourage Connectivity: Creating simple connections within surrounding neighborhood to Central Clarksville supports increased accessibility for pedestrians, bicyclists, bus riders, and drivers. An opportunity exists to return to a connected street system, where the grid streets of the neighborhood are connected through Central Clarksville creating greater access and re-establishing the grid system which promotes scalable, pedestrian friendly, walkable blocks. Additionally, the street network within Central Clarksville can be designed to implement Clarksville’s complete streets policy with facilities for pedestrians, bicycles, and buses, as well as vehicles.

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Increase the Amount of Green Space: Throughout Clarksville, there are significant natural resources surrounding the Town with the Ohio River to the south and Silver Creek running through the west of Town. Silver Creek is just northwest of Central Clarksville and a tremendous opportunity exists to connect this natural feature into the heart of the area, thereby, increasing green space, bringing about a natural element to the area, and significantly decreasing the amount of paved surface that currently exists. This linear greenway can link parks, public gathering spaces, people, and destinations and is essential to the health of residents and the physical environment.


Establish Central Clarksville as a Place: Adding the right elements to a development that draws people into a large area is critical to help spur economic development. It often is a catalytic project or development promotes redevelopment. The project serves as a destination piece. It can be a small development or large. Typically, it is developed around a common theme, an activity, or a historic element in the community. Usually there are four components to the development including an initial draw of a built attraction that serves as a focus such as entertainment, shopping, or culture like a museum. The second component is food related which could be temporary such as food trucks, seasonal farmers market, or permanent such as a restaurant. The third component is usually either hospitality such as a hotel or other supporting components such as iconic structures or natural assets including a park, public space or water element like a splash pad. The last component is year-round programming. All these things together make a success place and therefore destination.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

Incorporate Amenity Infrastructure: Communities that promote a high quality of life offer a multitude of services and intangibles to their residents. One of the intangibles is amenity infrastructure which includes parks, trails, sidewalks, community gathering spaces, dog parks, and amphitheaters. All these items draw people into the area, attract businesses, increase the quality of life, and increase property values. With the amount of pavement that is present in Central Clarksville, and the vast natural features nestled just beyond the area, an opportunity exists to provide physical and visual connections to this amenity that could address other quantifiable issues such as drainage problems, flooding, and safety.

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Cultivate Green Infrastructure Solutions: Using the natural systems in Clarksville, green infrastructure systems can be one of the solutions to address storm water drainage and address flooding issues. Green infrastructure can function across many properties and be at different scales. Planning and designing it into the development pattern prior to redevelopment will be key so that it is part of the framework.

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Increase Mixed Use Development: With the changing markets, single use developments are changing. Mixed-use developments including commercial, office, residential, and recreational are now more commonplace so one can work, shop, live, and play all in one place. This increases activity 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Organizing elements such as streets and buildings allow much easier design of mixed use developments that are multiple story and can serve many different types of uses and users. A mixed land use approach allows the Town to focus on attracting talent and businesses to locate in developments that are walkable, easy to maintain, and provide easy access to retail, office, or services with even faster access to a larger region.


Foster Diversity of Housing: Clarksville housing stock is older with a significant amount predating 1980 and on average it is about ten percent smaller than houses in the region. What this means is that there is very little housing diversity and likely not the size or amenities families are looking for when moving to an area. Therefore, different types of housing are needed in Clarksville to attract a variety of people to the Town while allowing others to age in place. There are a number of neighborhoods surrounding Central Clarksville, with the amount of available land to be redeveloped, an opportunity exists to incorporate a variety of housing types, sizes, shapes, values, and at various densities to make successful transition between more intense uses and the adjacent single family residential neighborhoods. This diversity of housing would support people of all ages, income, cultures, and races.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

Promote Economic Resilience: The Lewis and Clark Corridor once was the preeminent commercial corridor for the Town. With a four-lane corridor connecting to I-65 and two major shopping malls, this was the destination that the region came to. With the changing trends in retail, the changes in rent, and the changes in design and development, tenants moved to the next hottest area in the community leaving behind old strip centers and in Clarksville’s case, River Falls Mall. No community can have a corridor completely devoted to one type of use, especially commercial. To truly have economic resilience, the Town needs to ensure that Central Clarksville has a diverse mix of uses that is different from other areas in Town. This will ensure that Central Clarksville does not compete for development, pulling revitalization from other areas. Additionally, with the location of Central Clarksville, attracting employment uses and supporting services will enhance the tax base and help the Town even out the economic shifts that happen over time.

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REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Central Clarksville developed over more than 30 years. To transform this over-retailed area and change the development pattern there are many factors to be considered. The existing conditions physically on the ground including the number, type and condition of structures, the current and future market demand, the types of uses present, the targeted uses being marketed by the Town, inclusion of residential, building and street layout all influence the vision, development program, and design. Economists use this information and similar projects, market data, and with the help of design professional determine with the design program should be and what the market will absorb to create a preliminary development program that will be absorbed by the market over the next 20 to 30 years. This guides the initial concepts for Central Clarksville. The first column in Figure 1 illustrates the Preliminary Program. The preliminary development program is broken down into a conservative and aggressive approach. It is a range in which the market could potentially absorb, or owners could successfully lease the supply of square feet based on the demand. The preliminary program is at a very high level for

Property Type

Preliminary Program Sq. Ft.

concept generation. There are three subcategories including commercial, hospitality, and housing. Under this redevelopment vision, the Town will retain approximately one million square feet of existing retail, restaurant, office/flex, and singlefamily detached uses as the following table illustrates. The Master Plan program identifies full build-out capacity for 10.2 million square feet of development in the 660 plus acre study area in thirty plus years. The plan will have approximately 9.2 million square feet of new development. The full build-out increases density in Central Clarksville greater than once was present, and slightly greater than adjacent neighborhoods, but it is still compatible. The full build-out of the development plan falls within the preliminary development program that was identified during the market analysis phase of the process. While housing needs are great, there is still some capacity and ability for the Town to provide even greater density if the products are high quality in nature and meet the vision and intent of the plan.

Current Remaining Sq.Ft.

New Program Sq.Ft.

Full Build-Out Sq.Ft.

conservative

aggressive

2,500,000

2,600,000

480,000

1,500,000

1,980,000

Office / Flex

615,000

1,255,000

20,000

1,090,000

1,110,000

Hospitality

200,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

750,000

Multi-Family

1,140,000

1,650,000

0

3,220,000

3,220,000

4,250,000

6,250,000

0

1,250,000

1,250,000

140,000

1,810,000

1,950,000

8,705.000

12,055,000

990,000

9,260,000

10,250,000

Retail / Restaurant

Single-Family Attached Single-Family Detached TOTAL

Figure 1. Program Square Footage by Property Type and Property Status (Current Remaining vs New Development) Notes: The following residential square feet per unit assumptions were used to estimate residential program square feet • Multi-family: 1,000 sf per unit • Single family attached: 1,500 sf per unit • Single family detached: 2,000 sf per unit

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Central Clarksville 660+ acre site potential to support residential, mixed use, employment, office, hospitality, and retail development over a thirty plus-year period. The ability to realize this large amount of development is dependent on various x-factors, such as offering unique or missing products, rich amenities, or attracting anchor tenants. The Town’s vision for Central Clarksville establishes ambitious goals to maximize development. It will take a public-private partnership to realize the middle to aggressive projections of the development program. The 3C Master Plan seeks to create distinct walkable neighborhoods comprised of a dynamic mix of uses. The full program’s real estate land use (excluding open space) will be nearly two thirds residential and one third commercial. The residential uses (62% of the real estate program) will include multi-family, single family attached and singlefamily detached housing. Retail will remain a prominent land use comprising 19% of the program. The remaining commercial uses are hospitality (11%) and Office / Flex space (7%) which similar to the other uses will be a mix of existing properties and new development. Figure 2 shows a breakdown of this information.

19.3%

19.0%

10.8%

12.2%

7.3% 31.4% Retail / Restaurant

2,000,000 sq.ft.

Office / Flex

1,260,000 sq.ft.

Hospitality

940,000 sq.ft.

Multi-Family

3,200 units

Single Family, attached

833 units

Single-Family, Detached 977 units Figure 2. Full Build-Out Program Square Footage by Property Type

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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FUTURE LAND USE PLAN Use Retail / Restaurant Office / Flex Hospitality Single Family Detached Single Family Attached Multi-Family Mixed Use Greenspace Parking Existing Development

BROADWAY ST

HORN ST

CEDAR ST

ADAMS ST

VAXTER AVE

BLACKISTON MILL RD

GREEN TREE BLVD

WOODSTOCK DR

LYNCH LN

MADISON ST

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N

L ATE

LEG

APP

EASTERN BLVD

RYAN LN

Key

Legend

N RAIL

VERY T DISCO

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FUTURE LAND USE

The purpose of the future land use map is to help decision-makers, developers, property owners, and the public understand the Town’s desired redevelopment strategy and the intent for how the Town’s resources should be used over the next thirty plus years regarding type, location, and intensity of development. The future land use map and land use descriptions are conceptual in nature and portray a high-level view of future redevelopment strategies and the desired outcome of the community. The future land use map and land use descriptions will be used to guide actions about development, public investment, and capital improvements over time. The land use component is a recommendation of policy and should be reviewed from time to time to ensure it remains flexible given the fluctuations in Clarksville’s economy, resources, and values. This portion of the redevelopment plan is implemented through the Town’s development regulations and other various public and private development decisions. This redevelopment plan, with its subsequent land use descriptions and redevelopment areas, should serve as the basis for evaluating potential future zoning ordinance updates and rezoning petitions. The following descriptions correspond to classifications on the future land use map. Each land use classification describes the intended character of the area and the appropriate uses that could be located there. It should be noted that this is a policy document to provide guidance and does not take place of the actual zoning of property.

active, connected gathering places. Buildings should be arranged so that they frame and define the street network; internal drives should resemble streets rather than parking lot drive aisles. Outdoor seating and landscape plantings should be used to create more attractive developments and buffer adjacent residential areas. A coordinated pedestrian system should be provided throughout the retail area, connecting uses on the site and between the site and adjacent properties. Entertainment retail is designed to accommodate a range of potential entertainment, recreation, and retail activities. These uses may include open air attractions with limited or small building forms or may be larger footprint structures for indoor recreation and entertainment. A defining characteristic of this area is that customers will plan a special trip there and the overall concept is the experience as opposed to shopping for a particular good. Generally, consumers are willing to travel longer distances to destination commercial centers and will spend longer periods of time there. Additionally, office uses may be present as well as support services such as restaurants and bars. This area benefits from high visibility along I-65, and as such, quality design facing the interstate is important. The design of development in this area should accentuate regional character, include amenities for pedestrians, and promote connections to adjacent development.

COMMERCIAL

Retail/Food Service/Entertainment: The Commercial area designation is intended for activity centers including office, retail, hospitality, restaurants, and professional service businesses. These areas have the potential to be employment and tax revenue generators for the community. Pedestrian oriented retail and mixed use areas contain a mix of active uses that serve surrounding residential concentrations. These centers should be compatible with and contribute to neighborhood character and livability. They should be defined by building frontages and an activated street, not by parking lots. Retail and mixed use areas should be pedestrian-friendly places with high-quality architecture, plazas, outdoor dining, sidewalks, and other pedestrian and bicycle amenities that create

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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Mixed Use: Mixed Use areas provide for a diverse combination of highactivity uses within a connected and walkable block layout. These areas may be characterized by individual buildings that contain a mixture of uses or by single use buildings that contain different uses in close proximity to each other. Appropriate uses include restaurants, small-scale retail and professional services, offices, multifamily apartments and condominiums, townhomes, and recreation amenities. Building height should typically range from two to four stories, with active commercial uses on the first floor and office or residential uses on upper floors. Mixed use centers should have coordinated development patterns at a pedestrian scale, with high-quality architecture, plazas, sidewalks, and pedestrian and bicycle amenities to activate the street and connect these centers to the residential neighborhoods they support. Building setbacks from the primary street should be minimal. All buildings should have an entry oriented toward the primary street; first floor non-residential uses should include large windows to allow views into and out of the space to better activate the adjacent streetscape.

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Office/Flex: Office and flex areas are for uses including office, research and development, small-scale prototyping, and institutional uses. Building types may include both large footprint users with multi-story buildings on large parcels or groups of smaller structures in a business park setting. Research and development and small-scale prototyping uses should conduct all operations within an enclosed building and should not use extensive outdoor storage areas or operations. When potential conflicts between uses may occur, buffering and landscaping should be used to minimize these impacts. Flex areas may include limited commercial support uses such as restaurants and personal service businesses, but these should be as a secondary element that follows the office development.


Hospitality: Hospitality classification is intended for uses such as hotels, motels, event centers, restaurants associated with hotels. It can also be used in combination with the retail, mixed use, and entertainment subsubcategories of the commercial use. Building types are typically multiple stories, large footprints, located near I-65 for easy access. Parking should be minimized or shared with other uses, if possible. Best if located or developed adjacent other commercial or residential uses due to similar characteristics. This category should be limited the market can only bear so much with Louisville nearby.

HOUSING

The following housing types should be considered throughout the entire Central Clarksville Redevelopment. The most successful residential components are when they are in mixed residential developments and designed around natural features to highlight natural features such as ponds, landscape, and water features, as accessible community amenities. Parks, schools, religious institutions, and other community facilities may be included in the mixed density residential areas at appropriate locations. Multi-Family: Multi-family housing can include triplex, quadplex, live/work, and apartments. This are typically found in mixed use developments on the second or third stories of office or retail developments. These will be proper at certain locations given surrounding development patterns and the nearby transportation system. These areas should be developed in a walkable and connected grid pattern to reinforce traditional neighborhood design. Infill and redevelopment should keep the traditional residential character; architecture, building setbacks, housing types, and massing are important components of infill design.

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Single-Family Attached: The Single-Family attached classification is intended for a range of attached single family housing types including townhomes, apartment style condos, and duplexes style attached buildings. Densities and housing types may vary but should always consider surrounding character; more dense portions of a development should scale down to reflect adjacent context. These areas allow for greater flexibility in form and scale to achieve active, cohesive, and vibrant neighborhoods.

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Single-Family Detached: The Single-Family detached classification is designed primarily for individual single-family homes of varying lot and dwelling sizes. The defined character may vary by neighborhood, but new developments should include a transition or landscape buffer from the existing development patterns in adjacent neighborhoods. New neighborhoods should have walkable, well-connected street systems that connect to surrounding neighborhoods and nearby destinations. They should be designed around natural features to highlight landscape, public plazas, places, ponds, and water courses as accessible community amenities. Parks, schools, religious institutions, and other community facilities may be included in the single family detached classification at appropriate locations.


SIGNATURE ELEMENTS THE CONCEPT

The full build-out of the redevelopment plan is the physical representation of the vision and design principles established to provide guidance on the type of redevelopment that is desired in Central Clarksville. An illustration is created to provide guidance on land use layout, density recommendations, and combinations of uses that integrate the design principles set forth earlier in this document. Due to the large study area it will take decades for it to redevelop. The redevelopment plan allows the Town to prioritize improvements that so it might best leverage its critical tax dollars in any public-private partnerships to redevelop the area. The redevelopment area was organized around nine signature elements including: 1. Complete Streets Network 2. Amenity Infrastructure Network 3. New Neighborhoods 4. Lincoln Park Neighborhood Revitalization 5. Employment District 6. Mixed-Use District 7. Signature Park 8. Discovery Trail Promenade 9. Hospitality District

COMPLETE STREETS NETWORK

Over the years, the study area has developed with a very limited roadway network. This is due to the massive land uses, specifically River Falls Mall and Green Tree Mall, which were developed with traditional ring roads and feeder roads into that ring road. This has lead to the entire 660 acre study area only having 7.6 miles of public roads, which is very limited. The development of the malls within Central Clarksville limited the extension of roads northwest of Veterans and Lewis and Clark Parkway to connect to the south side of Clarksville limiting access for both vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. See Figure 3 on the next page.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

New Albany and Jeffersonville develop as more walkable communities compared to the existing conditions of Central Clarksville due to the increased number of roadways and smaller block sizes. The Complete Street Network in this plan involves significant infrastructure improvements, including street grid expansion. Increased connectivity and a network of complete streets are necessary for the redevelopment of this area to be successful for businesses and residences. Complete Streets provide the community with accessible multi-modal environments for people to work, live, and play. Sidewalks and walking paths, bike lanes, street trees, and on-street parking are all factors of complete streets. Street grid expansion will help make the area more connected and walkable by creating blocks that are easy and safe to walk or bike along with supporting infrastructure features. As redevelopment proposals are presented to staff, the redevelopment commission, plan commission, and Town Council, the following should be integrated into development proposals: • Creation of more human-scaled blocks in Central Clarksville; • Extension of the traditional street grid is necessary and becomes an organizational feature that sets the framework for pedestrian scaled development; • Designed and incorporation of all modes of transportation, into each development will create a safer environment for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists; • Expanded Complete Street Grid with sidewalks and multi-use paths to increase walkability and connectivity; and • Decrease vehicular reliance on Lewis & Clark Parkway. Figure 4 shows the redevelopment plan with a Complete Streets network that will add 19.5 miles of public roads, increase access throughout Central Clarksville, and help create streets that are beautiful places to travel along. Figure 5, Lewis & Clark Parkway and Figure 6, Green Tree Boulevard illustrates how the existing right of way of both roadways can be reconfigured to add in pedestrian and cyclist facilitates without changing the design of the roadway.

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EXISTING STREET NETWORK

GREEN TREE BLVD

WOODSTOCK DR

BLACKISTON MILL RD

LYNCH LN

BROADWAY ST

HORN ST

MADISON ST

VAXTER AVE

RYAN LN

CEDAR ST

ADAMS ST

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

RAIL

VERY T DISCO

N Figure 3. Before: 7.6 miles of roadway; no consistent block pattern is defined throughout the area

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STREET NETWORK EXPANSION

BLACKISTON MILL RD

LYNCH LN

MADISON ST

VAXTER AVE

RYAN LN

BROADWAY ST

ADAMS ST

CEDAR ST

Complete Streets provide the community with accessible multi-modal environments and decrease vehicular reliance.

HORN ST

GREEN TREE BLVD

WOODSTOCK DR

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

Figure 4. After: 14.4 miles of public roadway is added throughout the site; a total of 22 miles of public roadway is available for multi-modal use

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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LEWIS AND CLARK PARKWAY REALLOCATION

Proposed

Existing Figure 5. Lewis and Clark Parkway existing and proposed right-of-way configuration.

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GREENTREE BOULEVARD REALLOCATION

Proposed

Existing

The existing cross sections for Lewis and Clark Parkway and Greentree Boulevard depicts the typical lane configuration but actual right-ofway width varies. Improvements are planned within the existing right-of-way but additional right-of-way dedication may be required for safety and access reasons as redevelopment of adjacent properties occurs. Figure 6. Greentree Boulevard existing and proposed right-of-way configurations.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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AMENITY INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK When creating a destination, you want to create a place where people want to be. Members of the public described Central Clarksville as lacking an identity and like any other community next to an interstate. An amenity infrastructure network are those intangible amenities that together in totality create a network of uses, spaces, recreation, art, trails, culture, within a community that adds to the quality of life of residents. There are many ingredients that go into making a quality place. A mix of uses, quality public space, access to broad-band, multiple transportation options to and from the area, multiple housing options integrated into the development, art and programming, element of recreation, greenways and greenspaces, and linkages to nature and the environment. The key is making sure amenities are connected to residential areas and key commercial, employment, and civic nodes. With the redesigned street patterns and blocks that create the organizational framework for the new development pattern, layering on public amenities will establish Central Clarksville as a quality place which will increase the quality of life of residents, attract businesses and residents, and increase property values.

Open spaceStreets Complete with a provide small theater the community for local performances with accessible and multi-modal environments and decrease vehicular reliance. events

Trail Expansion and Green Spaces are other features of the plan. Figure 7 shows the trails and green spaces that are intended to connect these public spaces to key destinations, residential areas in Central Clarksville to neighborhoods in Clarksville, and to the regional network outside of Clarksville. These amenities will help increase the safety and quality of life for residents.

Trail expansion and construction

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AMENITY INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK

BLACKISTON MILL RD

LYNCH LN

MADISON ST

VAXTER AVE

RYAN LN

CEDAR ST

ADAMS ST

BROADWAY ST

N

900 FT

CATAPULT CENTRAL CLARKSVILLE MASTER PLAN

HORN ST

Before: 9.3 acres of parks and open space; poorly connected and hard to access

GREEN TREE BLVD

WOODSTOCK DR

N

TE L EGA

L APP

EASTERN BLVD

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

Figure 7. After: green space, parks, and trails will span 56.8 acres of development and be easily accessible, which is an increase of 47.5 acres from the existing 9.3 acres within Central Clarksville

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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A variety of residential types are needed in Central Clarksville.

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NEW NEIGHBORHOODS The challenge in developing new neighborhoods in this area will be land assemblage. The two malls, River Falls and Green Tree have the greatest amount of land that could be assembled at one time that could be developed for housing. As property is available on the market, the Redevelopment Commission may The land in Central Clarksville provides Clarksville choose to purchase this land to help facilitate with the opportunity to develop more housing. redevelopment. With more than 660+ acres there is a tremendous opportunity for housing. The redevelopment plan It will be imperative that design standards shows a variety of options including single family, are developed to ensure the principles and attached single family/townhouses, row houses, recommendations encompassed in this plan are duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes that are incorporated into development petitions. designed to look like single family houses, and apartments. These neighborhoods are located It is also critical that more housing types are offer than just single family residential. This might throughout the entire study area. require incentives such as density bonuses, increased heights, more signage, change in land use mix, and decreases in parking requirements. At the time the redevelopment plan was created, Clarksville was close to having no remaining parcels left to build new housing units. The region, including Clarksville, is in a housing crises with very little affordable housing or even available housing.

Before: rural roadway with a very low density of housing

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MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

NEIGHBORHOOD PARK

ADAMS ST

BROADWAY ST

EXISTING HOUSING

VAXTER AVE EXTENSION

TOWNHOMES & DUPLEX HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

MADISON ST

After: the neighborhood is revitalized with various housing types and access to nearby amenities and destinations including office space, parks, and shops and restaurants

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LINCOLN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION The Lincoln Park neighborhood is considered one of the foundational neighborhoods establish decades ago with many long-time families still owning property. The people who live here now vary in age, income, and diversity as compared to other areas of Clarksville. Because of this diversity in age, income, and ethnicity, it was critical that the Town and the consultant team create additional outreach efforts to ensure members of this neighborhood had an opportunity for their voices to be heard in this process. The outcome of this redevelopment plan is that the neighborhood would remain and residential infill development would be the focus with new

residential subdivisions adjacent to Lincoln Park neighborhood to support revitalization. Based on discussions with the neighborhood, there are five main goals to be mindful of when reviewing redevelopment petitions:

• Single-family housing shall remain within the neighborhood, but at key corners other variations of housing types, or in some cases mixed use, may be developed on the outer edges

• Focus on preservation and stabilization of the neighborhood rather than transiting it to a new uses;

• Design standards must be included and height limited to two stories and materials remain consistent with existing homes without over-shadowing them

• Improvements that need to be kept in mind are sidewalks, crosswalks, stop signs, and encouraging slower driving speeds throughout the area

• Access to parks and open space is a necessity for residents in the neighborhood

Before: Lincoln Park Neighborhood surrounded by underdeveloped land and the River Falls Mall parking lot

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EXISTING HOME DEPOT

OFFICE-FLEX WITH STOREFRONT

LEWIS AND CLARK PKWY

After: a new employment area for office and flex spaces, commercial spaces, and parking for employees and visitors to use when shopping at new businesses and Home Depot

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EMPLOYMENT DISTRICT In an effort to diversify land uses, and add higher uses. There should be no outside storage with wage jobs, an employment district has been any of these uses. Building types may include identified as a signature element. a traditional office building, manor type, or workshop type. This will depend on the location, This area is located in the northeast quadrant of lot size, proximity to roadway, Central Clarksville. It is south of Madison Street, south of the Hospitality District, along Lewis and The goal is to ensure that building located north Clark Parkway and adjacent to I-65. of Lewis and Clark Parkway retain its smaller scale, smaller block, pedestrian orientation, The goal is to have buildings that fit with the with entry of the building facing the primary character of the area but on the inside are street. Some architectural design consideration devoted to uses such as office, makers spaces, should be given to the building and certain flex light industrial uses, production, and light materials such as aluminum siding should not manufacturing. be permitted. Other elements such as window The employment district is specifically designed features, parking lot design and location, loading to encourage economic growth and job creation dock screening and location, landscaping design through the development of office, research and elements, employee seating areas, and trails development, flex/light industrial, production, should be considered as an amenity to attract advanced manufacturing, and institutional higher wage employment uses.

All operations should be conducted within an enclosed building and should not utilize outdoor storage. When potential conflicts between uses may occur, buffering and landscaping should be used to minimize these impacts. Where areas are subdivided for development of a business in front of another business, opportunities for shared open space and connection to the Town’s nearby amenities and facilities should be explored. These areas should include commercial support uses such as restaurants and personal service businesses, but these should be as a secondary element that follows the employment uses.

Before: existing Home Depot space and several parking lots for additional businesses

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After: expansion of Complete Streets throughout Central Clarksville will make the area more safe to travel and less dependent on the use of vehicles to travel to various destinations.

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MIXED USE DISTRICT The redevelopment plan identifies a targeted mixed use district along Greentree Boulevard and Lewis and Clark Parkway. This is because these two corridors will remain highly traveled corridors and can handle the traffic of more intense uses. The mixed use district can be characterized as a pedestrian-oriented development that provides two or more significant uses such as residential, retail, entertainment, office, hospitality, civic, cultural, recreation; and integrates density and compatibility of those land uses while layering a level of amenity infrastructure that creates a walkable area with uninterrupted pedestrian connections. This type of mixed use district allows people to live, work, play, and shop all in one area which

becomes a destination for people outside the community. Due to the location of the mixed use district it forms a gateway into Central Clarksville. It provides for the active use on the ground floor with other uses second and third floors. Mixed uses allow for a more 24/7 activity in an area, ensuring that redevelopment appeals to a range of businesses, visitors, and residents. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that the uses at the key intersections of Greentree Boulevard/Veterans Parkway and Lewis and Clark Parkway/Greentree Boulevard are managed through zoning as these are very viable intersections. Additionally, these the intersection of Lewis and Clark Parkway/ Greentree Boulevard is likely the one to have the greater building heights as it is the core of the entire study area. Changes to the zoning code

will be necessary to permit this mixed use district but also protect key areas from uses that can be found in “Anywhere, U.S.A.” Consideration should be given to ensuring that most buildings are located close to the street. It might make sense if a portion of the building was set back for outdoor seating/dining. Buildings shall be well lit, be well landscaped, include pedestrian and bicycle amenities, as well as off-street parking if designated by the Town. Any other parking should be located behind the building with a secondary access located in the rear for guests arriving from the rear. Shared parking with adjacent users should be encouraged. Focus on form elements when reviewing development petitions.

Before: winding roadways, parking lots, and several businesses.

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CONVENTION CENTER OUTDOOR SEATING & PLAZA EVENT LAWN

PLAYGROUND

PROTECTED BIKE LANE

NEW ROADWAY CONNECTION

ON-STREET PARKING

After: the primarily asphalt lots have been redesigned into an activated, pedestrian-friendly green space for events and other activities

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SIGNATURE PARK River Falls Park is a signature park that transformed a former auto dealership and mall into a compelling community destination and landmark space. It was envisioned the re-imagined space would advance the Town’s revitalization goals for Central Clarksville and as an anchor and transition for the Hospitality and Employment Districts. The park was designed to enhance access and connectivity, contain a variety of programmable spaces, incorporate attractions, and a develop an ecosystem to address localized flooding in the area. The new River Falls Park would help attract and retain residents and businesses to Central Clarksville and catalyze private investment. The design intent was to create purposeful spaces and experiences informed by the uses surrounding it,

connect to and build upon the local and regional natural features and ecosystems, and expand connectivity and access to and through the site and future neighborhoods. Input from Town officials and residents guided the design program for the vision of the park. A mix of active elements (play space, bocce ball courts, outdoor fitness circuit, multi-modal pathways) and passive activities (gathering areas and overlooks, spray park, events lawn) were integrated with ecological and habitat enhancements (green infrastructure, native plantings, daylighted storm drainage pipes), and connectivity and access improvements (extension of local trail and regional network, new sidewalks, paths, and intersection improvements, new parking).

Before: a car dealership and excess surface parking lot for the department stores

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DISCOVERY TRAIL DUPLEX HOUSING DEVELOPMENT MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT WITH PARKING GARAGE

GREEN PROMENADE

TOWNHOMES & MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPMENT LYNCH LN EXTENSION

After: the space is re-imagined into an active area complete with various development types; the focal point is a park space that has nearby access to the Discovery Trail and new trailhead.

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DISCOVERY TRAIL PROMENADE Transforming former impervious parking lots into a vibrant, walkable mixed-use district, the Discovery Trail Promenade project establishes a destination public open space comprised of an innovative multi-modal boulevard/linear park and events plaza that connects to local and regional trails. Design, detail, and amenities combine to provide a distinctive place that enhances connectivity between the Town’s new residential neighborhoods, serves as a central hub for the Town’s overall trail system, integrates resilient design best-practices, and attracts new residents, businesses, offices, restaurants, shops, and programming.

thriving activity center. The creation of an inviting, inclusive, and equitable environment for people of all ages and backgrounds is a testament to the beneficial impact of high-quality public space design on a Clarksville’s physical, environmental, social, and economic health.

Overall the vision of the promenade is that it is a multipurpose median containing separate, dedicated paths for bicyclists and pedestrians meandering through a diverse array of gathering spaces, gardens, and amenity zones. The median would be flanked by low-speed vehicular lanes with curbside parking. Wide, tree-lined sidewalks complete the cross section to accommodate The linear park provides an innovative public walkways, cycle tracks, and expanded outdoor space that can serve as the catalyst for the storefront space and dining. reinvention of underutilized urban landscape as a

Within this framework, are a diverse collection of signature amenities, including neighborhood greens, arts plazas, community tables and benches, food kiosks, shade structures, playscapes, a spray plaza, game courts, public art, and outdoor cafés. A distinctive palette of highly durable materials could be used to ensure longevity. Asphalt paver bike and walking paths, permeable clay paver street lanes, and pervious curbs and pavers could comprise the horizontal surfaces, which would enlivened with artworks, lighting, furnishings, a robust tree canopy, and vibrant plantings. A wide array of seating opportunities, firepits, and shade structures would extend use and visitation throughout the year and enable visitors to find their own place to rest, linger, or interact.

Before: ample parking lots for several of the businesses within Central Clarksville

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PARKING GARAGE

LINCOLN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD

EXISTING BASS PRO SHOP CONVENTION CENTER

NEW ROADWAY CONNECTION

SIGNATURE PARK

MADISON ST EXTENSION

River Falls Mall redesigned with a convention center and signature park space west of Lincoln Park Neighborhood.

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HOSPITALITY DISTRICT At the start of this redevelopment process, Southern Indiana Tourism issued an RFP to locate a smaller events center that could hold approximately 1,500 to 3,500 people. During the market analysis phase, the economists determined that the market existed that Clarksville could support several more mid-range hotels as well as a small flexible events space. The redevelopment master plan capitalizes off the existing Bass Pro shop that exists today and utilizes the existing parking garage from the River Falls mall to connect a hotel and events center. It is envisioned that the hotel would be equivalent to a 4-star brand hotel that could connect to the parking garage and events space.

The events space would remain as a flexible space. The events space could be configured to host indoor sporting events, conventions, dance competitions, and more. During the process, there where other ideas generated for inclusion into this events space including: restaurant with seating on the edge of the park, a test kitchen with ability to have a pop up restaurant, a gym, even a day care.

use is adjacent to residential uses, the Town may consider stepping down the uses. This could include buffering the edges of the site with mixed use, or higher density residential such as townhomes or apartments before transitioning to single family homes.

This district is one where the Town might want to proactively rezone the property so its ready for redevelopment. As part of that rezoning, design guidelines or a new zoning district should be created to guide development in this area, especially since it is within close proximity to the Lincoln Park Neighborhood. Anywhere this

Before: River Falls Mall and Bass Pro Shops

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ANNOTATED MASTER PLAN

WOODSTOCK DR

3

3

1

LYNCH LN

HORN ST

MADISON ST

5

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

7

TE L EGA

14

N

2

AIL

L APP

7

ERY TR

6

15

4

8

98

13

7

11

V DISCO

10

BROADWAY ST

BLACKISTON MILL RD

10

EASTERN BLVD

RYAN LN

8

1

1

9

CEDAR ST

12

10

ADAMS ST

VAXTER AVE

GREEN TREE BLVD

2

5 10

N


ANNOTATED MASTER PLAN For Clarksville to survive shifts in today’s economy, diversity is needed in land use and a single commercial area like Central Clarksville use to be cannot be repeat any where in the future. Additionally, replicating similar character of uses like once was on Eastern Avenue, then in Central Clarksville, and now on Veterans Parkway is not the answer either. All this serves to do is hollow out areas of the community, transfer uses throughout the community, limit assessed valuation, and growth of the community. Creating land use themes and diversification of land uses helps the Town weather economic shifts. In the last five to ten years, the commercial market has shifted. Many brick and mortar commercial stores are closing, some permanently, while others are moving to an on-line presence to

Key

Legend

compete with Amazon. Integrating other uses such as new housing options like row houses, apartments, and duplexes, provides different price points and product into a market that has mostly detached single family. Different housing options also mean different options regarding block arrangements and multiple stories which allow more compact, walkable development. This allows for parking to be tucked behind buildings to limit visibility and allow for more amenities like plazas and gathering spaces.

Lewis and Clark Parkway continues to serve as a multi-modal spine of the community but a greater mix of employment uses than commercial uses. The redevelopment plan provides for greater density as well as much more open space, parks, public spaces, and recreation that interconnect The redevelopment plan illustrates a concept, Clarksville as well as to the larger region. or redevelopment theme that is different from Veterans Parkway and South Clarksville. Veterans Parkway is the new commercial core for Clarksville, while South Clarksville is poised to 1. Single-Family Detached Residential become the new Town Center. Central Clarksville 2. Single-Family Attached Residential

Use Quantity Retail / Restaurant 2,000,000 sq.ft.1 Office / Flex 1,260,000 sq.ft. Hospitality 9,400,000 sq.ft. TOTAL COMMERCIAL 4,200,00 sq.ft. Single Family Detached 977 units Single Family Attached 833 units Multi-Family 3,200 units TOTAL RESIDENTIAL 5,010 units Mixed Use -2 Greenspace Parking Existing Development 1 Includes existing retail footprints to remain 2 Quantities are included in Retail and Multi-Family Residential totals

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

is positioned to become a new residential hub that provides a mix of residential choices, with nearby mixed uses that contain various service and daily need shopping opportunities to support the increased residential population.

NUMBER GUIDE 3.

Multi-Family Residential

4.

Retail/Restaurant

5.

Office/Flex Space

6.

Hospitality

7.

Mixed-Use Development

8.

Green Space

9.

Parking

10. Existing Development 11. Lewis and Clark Parkway Corridor 12. Greentree Boulevard 13. Signature Park 14. Discovery Trail Promenade 15. Lincoln Park Neighborhood

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ANNOTATED MASTER PLAN DESCRIPTIONS 1. Single-Family Detached Residential is a high priority for this commercial area. In order to create diverse neighborhoods and revitalize the economic base of the area, residential development is a part of the plan. Single-family detached homes will bring the existing neighborhood developments nearby into the area with a seamless flow. The additional housing development requires more roadway infrastructure which will increase connectivity for those residents to more easily access their neighborhoods as well as the whole of Central Clarksville.

1. Example of single-family detached housing

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2. Single-Family Attached Residential is another high priority for this commercial area. These development types include housing options that are very limited if offered within the Town. Townhomes and duplex development (or other development types of similar nature) will be scattered throughout the Central Clarksville site, at the edges of single-family attached developments, to increase density and offer other housing options for residents. This development will help buffer single-family attached housing from larger developments of other uses, and create a mixed residential area with a unique sense of community for residents and visitors. Development should be of high quality.

2. Example of single-family attached housing. Pictured above is a fourplex (quadplex) housing style which combines four units into one building.


Birds eye view of the entire redevelopment area showing the scale of the redevelopment, diversity of uses, and the connection of places via complete streets and a robust amenity infrastructure network.

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3. Multi-Family Residential is included in the design to increase the available variety of housing options. This will help cater to, but is not limited to, those who are looking for a smaller space, just starting in their careers, or anyone in a transitioning phase in their lives. Most multi-family development is clustered to buffer between single family and commercial. Development types may be apartment or condominium housing types, must be high quality design, and should not exceed more than three stories to not overwhelm surrounding residential development.

4. Retail/Restaurant options as a stand-alone business is limited in this concept. A central gathering space is designed for this scenario and surrounded by what would become a new destination not only for the Central Clarksville area, but the whole Town and surrounding communities. Changing trends in the retail industry suggest that the whole footprint of stand-along businesses can shrink and be located in buildings with other uses as well.

3. Example of a multi-family housing development. Pictures are townhomes which differs from apartments by allowing direct access to the street from the front door, and sharing a common wall with additional units.

4. Retail and restaurant development can become a staple of a community and act as a popular destination for residents and visitors.

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GREENTREE BLVD MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT

ENHANCED INTERSECTION & STREETSCAPE

LEWIS AND CLARK PKWY

Before - Lewis and Clark Parkway and Greentree Boulevard intersection

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

After: the intersection is redesigned with Complete Street elements that make it more pedestrian friendly

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5. Office/Flex Space has been designed into the space to allow for the changing market trends over the next 20 plus years and to respond to the needs of various businesses and opportunities that may arise. These buildings are arranged in nodes along Lewis and Clark Parkway near the Blackiston Mill Road intersection and as frontage redevelopment at Clarksville Commons (Home Depot and Dollar Tree). These buildings should be versatile and may be used in a combination with office, research and development, quasi-retail sales, industrial processing, or high tech businesses. They should not exceed three stories and remain compatible with surrounding land uses. 6. Hospitality has been increasing in the area along the I-65 and Lewis and Clark Parkway interchange. In this design, hospitality uses have been limited to the general eastern edge of the area for continued development in the future. 7. Mixed-Use Development is where much of the commercial development will likely be found along Lewis and Clark Parkway, Greentree Boulevard, and surrounding the central gathering space near much of the commercial development. This development type should not exceed three stories and the first floor should be used for office, retail, and other sales related purposes while the second and third stories will be for residential uses. The residential uses are most closely associated with multi-family apartment or condominium styled design.

5. Example of office/flex space that can be used for traditional office space, entrepreneurial space, research and development, high tech businesses, and multiple other uses including retail uses and industrial processing.

6. Hospitality spaces can be designed with a unique feature to add interest to the building. Pictured is the Branson Convention Center in Branson, Missouri. Photo by: Branson, Missouri (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ bransonmo/15548443868

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Before: former Slone Pre-owned Car Lot near Home Depot

After: a building in the employment district which is designed to encourage economic growth and job creation through the development of office, research and development, flex/light industrial, production, advanced manufacturing, and institutional uses

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8. Green Space is a large component of the plan to increase quality of life amenities for the residents in and surrounding Central Clarksville. These green spaces are designed to decrease the amount of impervious surface in the site and will have a variety of uses including gathering spaces, community gardens, neighborhood hangouts, and playgrounds. The larger grand park that is surround by commercial and mixed-use development should be open for year-round events for residents and visitors for continued use in the colder months. 9. Parking is one of the largest dedicated areas of land currently in the site today identified in a dark gray color. In the design of this concept, parking should be oriented behind buildings to hide it from the direct sight-line from the street while buildings are brought closer to the street to encourage walkability. Parking may also be located along the street in front of businesses. This strategy is designed to help decrease the speeds traveled along roadways and make bicycling and walking safer within the site. 10. Existing Development is noted in the concept using light gray coloring. While much of the site is redeveloped in this concept, existing features are retained such as One Vision Credit Union and the McCulloch House, Clark Station (Kroger), the library, housing within Lincoln Park neighborhood, and Clarksville Commons (Home Depot and Dollar Tree) near the I-65 and Lewis and Clark Parkway interchange.

7. Mixed-use development combines retail and commercial uses with residential uses in the same building and/or within close proximity of one another. This helps to create an active space that is pedestrian friendly and walkable.

8. An example of green space being used for showing a movie outdoors. Green space provides opportunities for the community to come together at events and to be used for leisure activities.

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Before: open space ready for redevelopment

After: a basketball court where children and adults can go to spend free time that is easily accessible and increase quality of life for the community and nearby residents

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PROGRAM FEATURES 11. Lewis and Clark Parkway Corridor is the main east/west thoroughfare through the study area. As redevelopment occurs and additional connector streets are constructed, the existing Lewis and Clark Parkway right-of-way may be reallocated to better support complete street goals. Proposed changes maintain the existing vehicle travel lanes while adding bus pull off lane, bike path, and dedicated walking paths. 12. Greentree Boulevard will see a change in design as well with four travel lanes, onstreet parking lanes, walking paths, and the inclusion of a bike path. Reconfiguration of streets should include the inclusion of bike lanes and on street parking

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MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT

Before: Lewis and Clark Parkway; street level view

ENHANCED ROADWAY WITH CENTER MEDIAN

STREET TREES & GREEN STRIP

ON-STREET PARKING

SEPARATED SIDEWALK

PAVED CYCLE TRACK

Lewis and Clark Parkway reimagined; street level view. Lewis and Clark Parkway will continue to have its existing travel lane capacity. This rendering depicts on-street parking due to adjacent residential development which may be appropriate to include as redevelopment occurs.

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13. Signature Park is a feature point in this design. This park is designed for year-round activities that will be surrounded by other commercial development such as retail spaces and restaurants. This focal point will become a new destination that attracts residents and visitors and become a host to a variety of activities. 14. Discovery Trail Promenade is a feature point in this design. It is designed as a destination for visitors using the Discovery Trail and as a park space for adjacent residents. Year-round activities may take place here, similar to the signature park. 15. Lincoln Park Neighborhood is the main existing residential feature in all of the Central Clarksville area. This plan shows single-family attached housing as infill development to help strengthen and preserve the neighborhood, with additional housing surrounding the adjacent properties. This plan includes singlefamily attached housing options which will create a more dense community and act as a buffer from the nearby mixed-use and retail uses.

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Feature points along the promenade may include sculptural elements, seating, and lighting


Before: underutilized space between commercial and housing developments

The Discovery Trail trailhead will be easily accessible by residents in new housing development and users of the trail for a rest stop.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

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Before: a car dealership within Central Clarksville

After: a re-imagined space in Central Clarksville used as a sculpture park to increase greenspace and quality of life for residents and visitors

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ASSESSED VALUE IMPLICATIONS OF MASTER PLAN BUILD-OUT At full build-out, the master plan identifies clear potential to unlock significant additional real estate value 4x greater than current corridor valuation. Currently, the study area has an estimated $272 million in total assessed value (2021 dollars), across residential and commercial retail estate. The program at full build-out (including the current properties to remain) is projected to be worth $1.2 billion dollars in assessed value (2021 dollars). The full build-out’s assessed value will be more than 4x greater than today’s current assessed value. The actual total assessed value and property taxes generated from the Master Plan will be a factor of realized program phasing, real estate values, and tax policy.

Assessed Value

Current vs. Plan Full Build-Out (2021)

$1,218,310,000

$272,010,000 Current Study Area Assessed Value

Proposed Full Plan Assessed Value (Gross)

The Master Plan program’s $1.17 billion in new development, is in addition to the $50 million of assessed value attributed to the current property that is to remain. Therefore, the full Master Plan program, in present day dollars, is estimated to be $1.2 billion. However, it is important to note that the $1.17 billion in new construction is not completely new assessed value being added to Clarksville. The new construction is the redevelopment of existing property. In order to enable new development, there will first be a loss of $221 million in assessed value, which then ultimately does get replaced by the new program. More detailed analysis of assessed value implications can be found in the Appendix.

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PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IMPLICATIONS OF MASTER PLAN BUILD-OUT The Master Plan’s full build-out is estimated to generate over 3x more property taxes than the current study area, increasing the Town’s funding resources. The study area currently contributes an estimated $7.7 million in property taxes. Of that $7.7 million of property taxes, $1.4 million will remain and $6.3 million will come offline. The new development is estimated to generate three times more property taxes than the property poised for redevelopment does today. The $1.4 million in remaining property’s taxes plus the new development’s $23.6 million in revenue results in the total study area contributing nearly

Property Type Retail / Restaurant Office / Flex Hospitality Multi-Family Single-Family Attached Single-Family Detached Other Uses TOTAL

$25 million worth of property taxes annually. The Master Plan’s full build-out is estimated to generate over three times more property taxes than the properties do currently. The 3C Master Plan has the potential to provide the Town with greater property tax resources to support school districts and Town provided services by growing the real estate value base of the study area. More detailed analysis of property tax revenue implications can be found in the Appendix.

Current $4,920,000 $310,000 $550,000 $80,0000 $0 $70,000 $1,780,000 $7,710,000

Demolished (to be Redeveloped) $4,400,000 $240,000 $0 $80,000 $0 $30,000 $1,560,000 $6,310,000

Current Remaining $520,000 $70,000 $550,000 $0 $0 $40,000 $210,000 $1,390,000

New Development $6,100,000 $4,170,000 $1,320,000 $8,360,000 $1,480,000 $2,150,000 $0 $23,580,000

Full Build-Out Total $6,620,000 $4,240,000 $1,870,000 $8,360,000 $1,480,000 $2,190,000 $210,000 $24,970,000

Notes: 1. Property taxes were estimated at the property tax cap rate without deductions or levy limits 2. Other includes industrial, vacant land, agriculture land, other commercial (including parking) and identical structures 3. All values are in present, 2021, dollars which assumed one year of 2% inflation on the 2019 assessment year values

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Before: underutilized land north of the Lincoln Park Neighborhood

Redesigning public right-of-way across the study area to make it more pedestrian friendly while increasing the density of uses will change the character, but not function of the roadway.

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IMPLEMENTATION


IMPLEMENTATION The 3C Master Plan outlines a vision for strengthening the function, appearance, and economic potential of the Central Clarksville area. It establishes a series of physical improvement recommendations and a strategy to guide public and private investment, ultimately resulting in a vibrant mix of businesses, residences, recreational amenities, and multimodal transportation options within the area. This plan will continue to develop the Central Clarksville area as a destination within Southern Indiana and establish the framework for the creation of a truly walkable, mixed use district. Although the plan spans a potential 30 year time horizon, many of the projects identified are intended to occur in a much shorter time period as resources become available. Larger development and redevelopment projects will likely occur as market forces dictate. It is anticipated that many of the existing businesses and land uses will continue on for some time until larger redevelopment projects become possible, and that major changes to private property will largely be voluntary and market driven. The plan addresses how the area should redevelop in the event of changes in market conditions and property ownership. It also identifies specific, targeted infrastructure improvements, ideas for changes in zoning and development control, and city-expedited redevelopment projects that will result in visible, dramatic, and positive change for this evolving commercial district. This foundation will set the stage for broader future transformations that will attract investment, further financial sustainability for the Town, and provide a place where a broad cross-section of residents will want to live and work.

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HOW TO USE THIS PLAN INTERPRETATION

The 3C Master Plan does not contain the actual decisions that the Plan Commission, Redevelopment Commission, or Town Council must make regarding development and redevelopment; however, it does provide guidance of the community’s collective vision for future growth and desired change for the area and should be interpreted as such. Town staff, Plan Commission, Redevelopment Commission, and Town Council members should keep in mind that this plan reflects the community’s values, and the spirit of this plan should be adhered to in order to ensure that community input is respected. The policies, programs, and projects detailed in this chapter are intended to direct the shorter-term decisions concerning more specific and task-oriented activities. Interpreting the plan in this way will enable the members of Town boards and commissions to justify their approval, or denial, of development proposals. When a zoning change, subdivision, or site plan review request is filed, Town planning staff as well as other Town departments should review and evaluate the application against the 3C Master Plan, as well as the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and zoning ordinance, to provide a staff report with a formal recommendation to the Plan Commission regarding its findings. The staff report should include an evaluation of the development and the degree to which the proposed project conforms to this master plan’s vision, goals, objectives and key recommendations. Zoning protects the rights of property owners while promoting the general welfare of the community. In determining where different zoning districts should be applied, the Town must consider such things as public utilities, transportation access, and the established development pattern of the area. When an application for a rezone or planned unit development (PUD) is submitted, the Plan Commission and Town Council should consider the recommendations of the master plan in deciding whether to approve the rezone or PUD. Should the Plan Commission recommend approval to the Town Council for numerous rezones that are substantially inconsistent with the master plan, the plan should be updated to respond to whatever the changing conditions have been.


IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE & WORK PLAN

For the plan to be a living document, it must be used to define the Town’s work plan and agenda for the physical, fiscal and policy implementation mechanisms. Therefore, the Plan Commission, Redevelopment Commission, and Town Council should jointly create an Implementation Committee to help guide the Town staff in preparing and prioritizing elements of the master plan. The Implementation Committee should develop an annual work plan by prioritizing the recommendations and actions steps for the fiscal year and develop a strategy for moving these items forward. This information should be shared and approved by the Town Council, since they control the budget for the Town. It will be important that this is completed prior to Town budgeting time in order to ensure adequate funding is in place for those policies or programs that require financial resources. It is best to try to develop a work plan in two-year increments so that the Plan Commission, Redevelopment Commission, and Town Council and supporting department staff can allocate budgetary resources to help implement the appropriate recommendations prioritized for the upcoming year.

ANNUAL REVIEW & REPORT

Annually, Town staff should perform an audit of development activity and how it relates to the master plan. Generally, the planning department keeps track of the number and type of cases that are before the Plan Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals. They also know how many building permits are approved each year by building type. These should be summarized in an annual report and provided to the Plan Commission, Redevelopment Commission, and Town Council at the beginning of the following year. This gives these bodies the ability to see trends emerge regarding growth and development patterns of the Town as well as the impact government policies are having.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

MONITORING & UPDATING THE PLAN

Planning does not have a defined beginning and end. It is an on-going process that responds to new information and circumstances and incorporates changing conditions into decisions. Circumstances that may change include physical conditions of buildings and/or infrastructure, the economic climate, the natural environment, and social and community goals. Once the plan is adopted it will need to be revised from time to time to ensure that it stays consistent and relevant to current conditions. This plan should be updated approximately every five years, unless otherwise directed by the Plan Commission, Redevelopment Commission, or Town Council. This update does not need to be a complete overhaul or rewrite of the plan. The Town’s prime consideration in deciding when an update is needed based on what changes have occurred since the master plan was created or last updated. These changes may be in such areas as the economy, the environment, changes in administration, traffic congestion, jurisdictional priorities, or projected growth. The plan update should include a thorough review and evaluation of the vision, goals, objectives, and key recommendations. Within that review, each development policy and program should be reviewed for achievement, in process or lack of relevancy. Policies that have been achieved or are not relevant should be changed or removed from the plan. New policies should be developed, if necessary, to accommodate any changes in conditions and ensure the plan is still effective. A plan update should also include a thorough review of the validity of all the information contained within the plan and should include additional opportunities for involvement by the community, business and property owners, boards and commissions, elected and appointed officials, staff and other affected interests.

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ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS

The Central Clarksville area includes multiple different zoning classifications within the study area boundary. With 660+ acres, there is not a simple solution to zoning. Instead, it must be a series of updates over time to support the redevelopment of the entire study area. Some rezonings should be proactive, while others will be needed as redevelopment occurs. What is critical however, is the need to be flexible and the ability to understand the end goal of achieving the vision set forth in this redevelopment plan, and that will require negotiation. Zoning is not always black or white. There are frequently gray areas that require interpretation. Unless the Town is going to complete a re-write of their entire zoning ordinance, then the following steps should be taken. To allow the flexibility for redevelopment in this area the Town will need to take three steps for redevelopment: 1. Create an overlay district for Central Clarksville (Central Clarksville Zone (CCZ)) that will cover the study area of this plan. This should be completed within the first 3 to 6 months after adoption of the plan. This serves two purposes. First, it covers every district in Central Clarksville and doesn’t require the changing of any of the base zoning districts. Second, it allows the Town to immediately address issues specific to Central Clarksville without amending the entire ordinance. As part of the creation of this overlay the following should occur: • Restrict all non-compatible uses that are not supported by this plan • Permit uses that are called for in this plan but are not currently allowed in base districts – this might require creating subdistricts or tiers in the overlay district. This overlay district should encourage mixed-use development, employment and technology centers, residential development of single-family attached and detached units, and multi-family dwellings.

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• Require open space/public space in new development or create a “fee in lieu of” program where funds can be held for the Town to construct future public spaces such as the signature park. • Require minimum pedestrian and bicycle and pedestrian facilities for any new development, redevelopment, or infill development. • Allow administrative modification waivers for certain standards. • Allow administrative approval processes for certain items pertaining to Central Clarksville to foster quicker redevelopment. 2. The Veterans Parkway Corridor Zone (VPCZ) covers an eastern portion of the Central Clarksville study area. The land east of Broadway Street and River Falls Mall is zoned for the VPCZ district. The Town might consider removing or amending the VPCZ district in this area to better align with the goals of this plan. 3. Once the overlay district is in place, create a more detailed, form based zoning district amendment. The goal is to only have one district cover the area. This district would be a hybrid district, combining use, form, and development standard requirements. It might be feasible for the Town to create a Central Clarksville District for individuals to rezone to, while also having the same standards in an overlay district for those areas where it’s not feasible for that to happen. In other cases, a Planned Unit Development may still be needed due to peculiar circumstances of a particular site. More comprehensive changes to occur include: i.

Set/update building types including existing types currently in Town as well as adding desired building typologies.

ii.

Update form elements based on redevelopment master plan.


iii. Add architectural standards, aesthetic standards, lighting standards, street standards, civic spaces, parks, trails, and open space standards. iv. Adjust allowable building heights, especially around the Lincoln Park Neighborhood and along key roadways. v.

Update use standards including permitting multiple uses within one building.

vi. Adjust setback/build to requirements to allow buildings to be developed closer to the street.

POLICIES AND PROGRAMS

After taking into consideration the master plan vision, communicated needs of the Town, and the information and ideas discussed throughout the planning process, a list of policies and programs has been organized under each of the nine signature master plan elements. These initiatives have been identified to help guide and prioritize Town investment and create a defined set of actions to transform the master plan vision into a series of manageable projects. During plan review periods, the Town should reassess current conditions and adjust program and policy needs accordingly. The program and policy initiatives on the following pages are not listed in any particular order of priority.

vii. Adjust other lot dimensional standards (width, lot coverage, depth). viii. Update review processes providing administrative review processes, waivers, and modifications to better facilitate redevelopment while providing timely review to applicants. ix. Create a robust nonconforming provisions section that addresses uses, structures, lots, signs, and design elements that should not be perpetuated in the study area. x.

Update sign regulations (quantity and type) along Lewis and Clark Parkway and Greentree Boulevard.

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CREATION OF NEW NEIGHBORHOODS

Allow accessory dwelling units on single family residential properties.

Promote the inclusion of multiple dwelling types within individual development projects to support market demand.

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is an additional or secondary dwelling located on the same property as a single-family home. Since these properties are built on the same lot as the primary home, they cannot be sold separately. Often these dwelling units are converted basements, attics, apartments above a garage, or a separate structure in the home’s backyard. Many times, these units are built to house a family member or to provide supplemental income for the primary owner in the form of rent.

A healthy neighborhood must be socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. Sustainability includes providing options to allow residents to remain in their same neighborhood, even when housing needs change due to life events, families, or other circumstances.

ADUs can offer benefits to a community, strengthening it without dramatically changing the neighborhood character. Some communities have a strong demand for housing, but the supply is not adequate. Creating ADUs in existing single-family neighborhoods can seamlessly add additional supply to the housing market. ADUs are typically rental units and can be more affordable than purchasing a home, while not concentrating rental housing in certain portions of the community. This solution is also popular because it can utilize existing infrastructure and does not require costly system upgrades. The zoning ordinance should be amended to allow ADUs in residential districts without the need for a variance or special exception approval.

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Currently, many modern subdivisions contain a homogeneous housing stock that caters to one particular market segment. Oftentimes, an individual will not have the same demands through their entire life and find they need to relocate outside of their neighborhood or community to meet their housing needs. As families expand, there is more demand for areas in which different family generations can live closer together. Integrating different housing styles and types within a single neighborhood can have a huge impact on the long-term viability of a neighborhood and the ability to meet the needs of Clarksville’s residents as their situations and preferences change.


For projects that have a housing component that receive Town incentives or direct benefits such as infrastructure improvements, the developer should be required to provide a minimum of 10% affordable units for low-income households.

Examine the potential of creating or working with a land bank program to acquire and exchange parcels for infill residential, mixed use, and employment projects that are consistent with the 3C Master Plan.

Housing is considered affordable when the rent or mortgage costs are at or below 30% of a household’s income. One form of affordable housing is a mixed income housing development. It is a strategy to integrate all types of income earners within the same area, without discriminating against low-income earners. Mixed income development works to combat this by dispersing housing rents without showing externally the differences between higher-income earners’ housing and lower-income earners’ housing. Mixed income housing development can come in multiple forms, either larger apartment developments, mixed use projects, or through neighborhoods with more single-family, townhome, and duplex dwellings.

A land bank program may be established as either a public agency or a nonprofit organization. They are created to acquire, hold, sell, and sometimes redevelop property in order to return vacant and underutilized properties back to productive use, often to serve goals such as increasing affordable housing or stabilizing property values in the surrounding neighborhood.

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A land bank could serve a number of goals for the Central Clarksville area, including providing a mechanism for assembling tax-delinquent or abandoned parcels for the purpose of redevelopment, acquiring and holding strategically important properties until they can be developed for affordable housing or other products not being served by the market, and acquiring properties to convert to other uses such as mixed use, parks, or open space. In addition to acquiring and holding land, the land bank can lease or sell property.

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Partner with local housing organizations to preserve and expand affordable rental and for sale options in the area. The construction and management of affordable housing is often done by non-profit agencies and non-profit developers specialized in such projects. In addition to construction and management, these organizations may also provide housing assistance services, deliver social services, and advocate for affordable housing. Local municipalities are often partners in these projects to coordinate funding and other incentives. Private sector developers rarely develop affordable housing without financial assistance from non-profits or local governments or without the use of state and federal tax credit programs. They may also lack knowledge of the funding and approval processes, and on a geographic level, where the affordable housing is needed most. Non-profits and private sector developers can collaborate on mixedincome projects to the benefit of both groups. Private sector developers can provide technical building and development expertise and a different set of financial resources while the Town and non-profits can help to identify the areas of need, receive alternate funding not available to private developers, and help to navigate the affordable housing process. Clarksville should work to facilitate these partnerships and provide assistance where possible.

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LINCOLN PARK REVITALIZATION As the housing market strengthens, work with public officials and community leaders to establish mechanisms to reduce or limit property tax impacts to existing homeowners. When investment and the potential to attract higher-income households increases in previously lower-income neighborhoods, there is a risk of displacing existing residents. While renters are particularly vulnerable because landlords may seek to sell in the stronger market or raise rents, homeowners may also experience adverse impacts. As redevelopment and reinvestment occur, surrounding property values increase, which then increases the assessed value of long-term residents’ property. Assessed value increases result in larger tax burdens, which is especially problematic for long-term and elderly homeowners, who may not be able to afford the higher tax because of low or fixed incomes. So, while the increased valuation of a person’s property sounds good in theory, it may result in their displacement from the neighborhood. To prevent these impacts and potential displacements, the Town should explore mechanisms to cap annual property assessment increases. For example, the City of Philadelphia operates the Longtime Owner Occupants Program (LOOP). It provides tax relief for eligible homeowners whose property assessments have increased by 50% or more from the previous year. Participants must meet income limits and length of home ownership requirements.

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Focus pedestrian infrastructure improvements throughout the Lincoln Park neighborhood, including at intersections. There are multiple strategies that help make streets, and especially intersections, safer for non-motorized travel, including high visibility crosswalks, ADA accessible ramps, curb extensions (bump outs) where on-street parking is present, pedestrian-scaled lighting, and signal priority for pedestrians and bicyclists. Locations where improvements are recommended include Madison Street intersections with Cedar Street, Horn Street, and Broadway Street; Adams Streets intersections with Cedar Street, Horn Street, and Broadway Street; and Woodstock Drive intersections as it may be extended east in the future. Most conflicts between roadway users occur at intersections, where travelers cross each other’s path. For pedestrians and bicyclists, conflicts are exacerbated due to their greater vulnerability, lesser size, and reduced visibility. Principles of good intersection design include: • Clearly defined spaces and travel paths for different modes. • Legibility in symbols, markings, and signs for all modes. • Corners clear of obstructions. • All corner features should meet standards for ADA accessibility and universal design. • Intersections should be adequately lighted. • Pedestrian crossing distances should be minimized wherever possible.

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Create a neighborhood pattern book to guide new development so that it complements the existing character and form of the area and is consistent with the vision of the master plan. There are multiple opportunities within the Lincoln Park neighborhood for additional housing through development of vacant/abandoned lots or removal of obsolete or unsafe structures. This activity would improve the fabric of the existing neighborhood, but it is important that infill development reflect the context of the existing neighborhood including its architectural history. This does not mean replicating structures that are already there, but how new development can respond to the basic patterns and valued aspects of the neighborhood.

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In order to better promote development that complements existing character and form, the Town should create a neighborhood pattern book. A pattern book aims to guide homeowners, builders, and design professionals to appropriate maintenance and design decisions. It would include building and site design considerations and recommended strategies, a number of infill building prototypes, and photos of appropriate infill projects from other communities.

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Develop policies and programs that help to keep Lincoln Park residents in their homes or in the area as housing needs may change. Displacement of long-time residents, frequently in neighborhoods that have seen disinvestment when given the opportunity for profit, is the essence of gentrification. This displacement can happen directly as rents increase significantly and housing choices for low-income residents become increasingly limited, or indirectly as the businesses and services that support these residents are removed. Obviously, investment in a neighborhood is not inherently bad for residents. Gentrification can lower poverty rates, bring more services to an area, increase competition amongst businesses leading to lower costs for goods and services, and generally provide greater opportunity for residents. These advantages of new development and investment can only be realized when long-term residents are not pushed out. Efforts should be focused to fight against displacement specifically, not development in general. Potential policies and programs to combat resident displacement include: • Community land trusts are nonprofit, community-based organizations designed primarily to ensure long-term housing affordability. The trust acquires land and maintains ownership of it permanently. Instead of a traditional sale, prospective homeowners enter into a long-term, renewable lease. When the homeowner sells, the owner earns only a portion of the increased property value. The remainder is kept by the trust, preserving the affordability for future low- to moderate-income families. Length of the lease varies but is typically 99 years. Percentage of increased value earned by the homeowner can also vary by program.

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• Reduce, freeze, or limit property tax increases to protect long-term residents. Several cities across the county have programs aimed at helping long-term homeowners in at-risk neighborhoods. Specifics vary from freezing assessed values, limiting property tax increases to a certain annual percent, or deferring property tax increases until the property would be sold. • Policies to regulate landlord-tenant relationships such as rent control and “Just Cause” eviction ordinances can help prevent sudden dramatic rent increases and ensure the right to lease renewals. Displacement frequently occurs to renters at the end of a lease when the landlord can simply elect to not renew or extend the current lease. “Just Cause” eviction ordinances prevent such “non-renewals” unless there has been a specific violation of the lease agreement; essentially, non-renewal is no longer an option without cause. • Encourage housing construction in other areas of the community to reduce displacement pressures in at-risk neighborhoods, including but not limited to affordable housing. By incentivizing housing development in general, pressured on overall housing affordability can be reduced. In all cases, Clarksville must determine the appropriate mechanisms and continually monitor and evaluate such programs and policies to ensure the efforts aimed at minimizing gentrification of the Lincoln Park neighborhood are in fact working.


Expand the home-owner assistance program with priority given to the most in need areas. Clarksville currently operates the Property Improvement Program. The aim of this program is to make safety, valuation, and aesthetic improvements to the Town of Clarksville by improving the street-facing exteriors of residential and commercial properties. The Town has annually dedicated $100,000 to this project through the Town’s Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) fund. Half of the grant funding is allocated to residential projects on a first-come, first-serve basis until all funds are depleted for the year. Residential properties are eligible to receive $1,000 to $5,000 in matching funds for approved projects. If the program becomes too competitive for residential projects, the Town should consider additional funding allocations or definition of priority areas that may receive preferential review and award for eligible projects. If so, the Lincoln Park neighborhood should be one such priority area. Additionally, the Town should advertise the program to targeted neighborhoods and assist homeowners with the application process. Because the program operates on a reimbursement basis, it may prevent some owners from fully benefiting if they don’t have the full funds on hand. For target areas or homeowners who meet income requirements, the program could be amended to provide funds up front, as opposed to reimbursement. This may make the program more accessible to those homeowners most in need. Encourage increased home ownership by connecting renters and potential homeowners with services such as Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s down payment assistance program and other financial programs. The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) operates a program where borrowers can qualify for down payment assistance, based off the lesser of the sales price or appraised value of

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the home being purchased and depending on the type of loan financing. The First Place Program offers up to 6% of the home price to qualifying first-time homebuyers and veterans. The Next Home Program offers up to 3.5% of the home price to qualifying first-time homebuyers and may be combined with other benefits such as the Mortgage Credit Certificate. The assistance comes in the form of a second mortgage, but carries no interest and no payments. The down payment assistance funds must be repaid in full if the borrower chooses to refinance or sell within the forgiveness period. After the forgiveness period, the down payment assistance is forgiven with IHCDA and turns into equity for the buyer. The Town of Clarksville should identify a liaison to assist current renters and potential homebuyers with application efforts. Many residents may not know such programs exist, and even if they do, they may be unsure if they quality or uncomfortable trying to navigate the application process. The Town should help coordinate these efforts so residents may better take advantage of such offers, without the Town having to provide funds or operate a similar assistance program.

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EMPLOYMENT DISTRICT Ensure employment, retail, and mixed use development is appropriately buffered from residential areas. Given the dominance of commercial uses in the existing Central Clarksville area, there have been minimal land use conflicts. However, as the area redevelops and more residential dwelling types are constructed, there will be a greater need to mitigate potential conflicts between more intense and less intense uses. Buffer standards in the zoning ordinance should be amended to potentially include some combination of: increased setbacks, building height limitations, additional landscape material or fencing requirements, design considerations to limit lighting spillover from site lighting or vehicles in parking areas, and strategically located parking lots. Buffer requirements should be used to mitigate potential impacts, while allowing the uses to be adjacent to one another. Buffers should not be so restrictive that they limit development potential or reinforce practices that perpetuate suburban development patterns at the expense of walkable, urban patterns. Leverage redevelopment of the 3C area as a potential employment generator by adopting local hiring practices. A local hiring policy would require businesses that receive public resources or incentives to hire workers living in Clarksville or from certain populations with the community. These policies require strong networks between employers, the Town, and organizations that can assist in referring qualified job candidates. The businesses are generally required to meet hiring benchmarks, or some of the incentive or public funding must be repaid. Local hiring practices benefit the community by increasing job access for workers who face barriers to employment, increasing employment and household incomes, and benefit businesses by identifying a reliable source of local workers. In essence, a local hiring program is intended to ensure that a share of the jobs created by public investment benefit the local community, and frequently, those with the greatest need.

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Incentivize job-creating development, especially those that offer higher wages. Incentive tools such as town-financed infrastructure improvements, tax abatements, and the creation of tax increment financing (TIF) districts to fund other enhancements, are an important component of economic development efforts to help attract and retain key businesses that will generate jobs and wealth for the local economy. It is important that a good assessment is done prior to approving incentives to assure that public investment will benefit the overall community. There are a number of best practices that other communities have used to help protect public investments in the private sector, but also make sure that they remain competitive in growing the community. Best practices include: • Aligning incentives with a well-defined economic development strategy. • Conducting cost-benefit analysis of potential incentive candidates. As a part of the review process, this will help decisionmakers better determine the overall net fiscal impact for deploying incentives in relation to the economic return to the community both short and long-term. • Establishing performance standards that must be met by those awarded incentives, such as a certain amount of job generation, increase in assessed value, minimum wage standards, participation in workforce training programs, or infrastructure development. Penalties, often called “clawbacks” are provisions within an incentive package that require those that receive incentives to pay back the incentive to the community if performance criteria are not met. • Evaluating incentive programs on a recurring basis. A mistake many communities make is that once incentives are given, there is not often the oversight or monitoring to track compliance with performance criteria, or more importantly, determine whether a particular incentive program is truly generating the economic returns intended.

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Connect entrepreneurs to business mentoring services, technical assistance and other support programs to foster makers and small tech jobs in the area. Starting or maintaining a small business is a complicated endeavor. Compliance with federal, state and local regulations, maintaining cashflow and financials, and human resources can be arduous and timeconsuming. Obviously, Town staff can’t mentor individual businesses, but they can work to facilitate connections between area small businesses and resources such as One Southern Indiana, Southeast Indiana Small Business Development Center, and other entrepreneurial development efforts. In addition, the Town can create a one-stop center to provide an easier way for small business owners within the Town to get information on local regulations, code compliance, and licensing all in one place. It can also serve as a liaison with other Town departments to help solve issues or make application processes more efficient. A one-stop center can also help steer business owners to the correct state and federal agencies for issues that may be outside of local control. A good one stop center should be able to address: • All planning and development matters of concern to local business • Local economic indicators and labor market statistics • Local development plans • Land availability • Building regulations and permits • Business licensing and related permits • Connections with local financing and capital providers

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Create a “makers” or incubator hub for light industrial and artisan small businesses in the area south of Lewis and Clark Parkway. Similar in theory to an office co-working and business incubator, a makers space contains shared shop space, offices, individual incubator units, and flex production area for artists, designers and makers. It creates an environment to grow small businesses that don’t fit into the typical co-working/incubator model. Oftentimes these businesses will grow out of the makers space and into smaller light industrial and fabrication shops. Such a hub, on the east end of the 3C area and south of Lewis and Clark Parkway, would add richness and an active “makers spirit” into the neighborhood. Given surrounding context, this location offers a more defined and buffered area for appropriately scaled light industrial and flex development, including the makers space and other non-retail businesses.


MIXED-USE DISTRICT Ensure that land use combinations work in the context of surrounding development and the broader regional market. Mixed use development can provide a useful transition between purely commercial uses and primarily single-family districts. However, it is still more intense than single family development, and therefore requires thoughtful site design and buffering of key areas, such as parking lots, loading zones, mechanical and utility equipment, garbage collection, and other service areas. Amendments to the zoning code to include transitional areas standards can be used to ensure context sensitive design depending on adjacent use and character. Requiring mixed use by the zoning code may help to implement the vision for the 3C area. However, it can create market inefficiencies by dictating a use mix that would otherwise not be provided. For example, there may be a market for apartments, but not retail or office space. Conversely, the area may be in need for new commercial spaces but the apartment market is saturated. Also, some developers will be comfortable constructing one use or the other. By requiring mixed use, project financing becomes more complex and there may be a smaller potential pool of developers to help implement the district redevelopment vision. That said, the Town’s longterm interest for a walkable, diverse, and sustainable Central Clarksville very much aligns with the benefits of mixed use development. It will be important for the Town to monitor market trends and the development regulations included in the zoning ordinance for various development types as new development and redevelopment progresses.

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Create additional opportunities for small businesses, retailers, and restaurants to locate or stay in the area so that daily needs of residents and employees can be met. As properties in the 3C area are redeveloped and the number of residents and workers increases, it will be important to create new opportunities for small businesses that serve the daily needs of both groups. This should include smaller retail spaces, flexible lease terms, and affordable rents, all of which can help foster small business development. Regional serving retail businesses as well as hotels will continue to serve the larger region, but it’s important that they do not comprise an out-sized segment of the commercial market. Increasingly, studies are showing that small-scale, locally owned businesses create communities that are more financially prosperous, see increased levels of entrepreneurship, are more socially connected, and generally better off across a number of metrics. Rather than catering to big box development and large strip malls, Town policies, including this plan and the zoning ordinance, need to support pedestrian-oriented mixed use development that includes a combination of small and large commercial spaces. A variety of building forms offers opportunity to a broader range of businesses. Additionally, the Town could require a portion of retail space in new developments be reserved for locally-owned businesses. Because development financing is often tied to lease agreements, too much new development is oriented to national chains. Commitments as a condition of development approval can help to overcome this issue. Lastly, economic development incentives too often favor big companies. Instead of subsidizing large, national businesses, Clarksville should strive to direct public economic development incentives to local businesses, thereby keeping those resources in the local community.

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Maintain and support affordable rents for local businesses. Local and small businesses can face many of the same pressures as residents in neighborhoods seeing reinvestment and potential gentrification. Higher rents affordable only to certain businesses, such as bars and restaurants or national chain retailers, may result in forced relocation of local and specialty retailers. Other times, it may feel like forced eviction because as the district changes, it simply no longer feels like the home the business was established in. The result can be a more uniform district that lacks the organic variety and use mix that makes a place unique. By ensuring affordable rents for local businesses, the Town will be supporting a more competitive district because it is home to more unique businesses, and not replicated in countless other suburban shopping districts across country. Mechanisms to maintain and support affordable rents include: • Broadening ownership of commercial property by independent retailers, as either ownership of the whole site or a portion of the building as a commercial condominium. • Town ownership of commercial buildings with preferred leasing and/or reduced rents for local businesses. This is especially beneficial to facilitate business relocation within the district as redevelopment progresses. • Ensuring the zoning ordinance allows for development of small commercial spaces. Incentives or reduced standards may be used for smaller spaces. It may even go as far as to limit the overall size or footprint of retail spaces to prevent big box stores from dominating the area. • Provide incentives, such as grants or tax abatement, to commercial landlords that agree to long-term leases with local businesses. Grants may also be used directly by local businesses to help them purchase their spaces. Clarksville should explore similar programs across the country and determine mechanisms that could be supported and implemented locally.

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Limit the development of single use commercial buildings to key intersections in the Central Clarksville area to keep from pulling commercial from other areas of the community. By promoting the vision of a mixed use district and planning for multiple land uses, the 3C area will be able to combine employment generators in close proximity to new housing products, retail destinations, and community recreation amenities. Benefits of such compact mixed use development include: • Reduced infrastructure costs because of fewer miles of roads and pipes, which reduces fiscal impacts and subsequently tax burdens. • Higher property values associated with pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and roadways as opposed to purely auto-oriented thoroughfares. • Environmental benefits from reduced emissions associated with fewer vehicle miles traveled when people can live near job centers. • Improved public health given walking and bicycling opportunities. • Increased community interaction through the provision of bicycle and pedestrian facilities and community gathering areas. However, the master plan also recognizes the reality of continued demand for single use commercial buildings for certain businesses or tenants. This includes large footprint retailers and national chains that primarily locate in commercial-only districts. The intent is to limit the location of these single use buildings to strategic locations in the context of the overall plan. While the plan anticipates some internal relocation of businesses within the 3C area, the intent is to minimize opportunities for existing Clarksville businesses from outside the 3C area to chase the newer market and move here as redevelopment efforts progress, thereby increasing commercial vacancy rates in other parts of the community.

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Obtain/maintain ownership of limited property in the short-term to facilitate business relocation and retention efforts while acknowledging the Town should not be a long-term owner of commercial property. One of the key ways to ensure future development meets the vision of the 3C Master Plan is for the Town to obtain or maintain ownership of property. In some of the existing, large retail developments, being one of the many property owners gives the Town a seat at the table and say in future redevelopment scenarios. While Town-owned commercial property may bring in revenue in the form of rent, there is often a property management cost to the Town as well as lost tax revenue. For this reason, the Town should only be purchasing property to further the strategic goals of this plan and only in the short-term, meaning several years, not indefinitely. In addition to prescribing the redevelopment vision, short-term ownership of commercial property may be beneficial to aid in relocation efforts of existing businesses as larger redevelopment projects take place. As retail, restaurant, personal service, or office uses may be displaced by redevelopment, the Town could provide short-term leases in Town-owned buildings at comparable rent rates, or potentially even below market rates, to aid small businesses and ensure their retention in Clarksville. Again, this strategy would represent a cost to the Town and does expose some financial risk dependent on the success of the project.

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SIGNATURE PARK Locate smaller parks throughout the Central Clarksville area to provide equitable access to park space and enhance connections between these park and public spaces. Lapping Park and Ray Lawrence Park are major community assets with active trails, sports facilities, and passive open spaces for residents. The issue is access to these amenities, as major thoroughfares such as Lewis and Clark Parkway, can create a barrier for some Central Clarksville area residents. Other master plan recommendations focus on improving connectivity and safe crossings of major thoroughfares, which should improve access to these parks. In addition to accessibility improvements to existing parks, there are smaller open spaces within Central Clarksville and surrounding neighborhoods that could be better utilized for recreation. As new neighborhoods and mixed use developments are created, more pocket parks should also be created. The Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department is unlikely to fund all of these improvements. Some will be developer led, while grant programs should be explored to find funding applicable to proposed improvements at each future location.

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Create a centralized community gathering space that can also be used for hospitality events for the Town. Located immediately south of Bass Pro Shops, a new signature community park is central in making the 3C area attractive to a wider range of residents and visitors while also attracting investment for new development and redevelopment on surrounding properties. This new space will become the anchor of the proposed amenity infrastructure for central Clarksville. This prominent location is ideal for a gathering space given visibility on Greentree Boulevard, proximity to Bass Pro Shops and the proposed hotel and conference center, and potential for increased bicycle and pedestrian connections throughout the district. Features in this new space could include an open lawn for general gathering and play as well as viewing performances on a proposed event stage and canopy. During the winter, the lawn can repurpose as an ice skating rink to maintain seasonal interest. Additionally, the park should include a spray pad or some other form of water play to be enjoyed by families with children. Other features recommended for the park include public artworks, shady seating areas, playgrounds, food vendor spaces, spaces for reflection, and bicycle parking. This new space should be programmed year-round, to ensure its success. Offer new recreational facilities and programs, such as soccer fields and basketball courts with particular focus given to larger parks near neighborhoods like Ryan Lane, and Greentree Park. While the importance of parks and gathering spaces can’t be overstated, it is not enough to simply have those spaces. They must be programmed with activities that draw people to them. Programming refers to the

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activities and events facilitated at a space as a function of its design and amenities. This may be regularly occurring events, one-off events, or informal activities. Clarksville parks need to be active and vibrant, and programming of recreational facilities and other spaces can get more people to come central Clarksville, stay longer when they’re there, and have a reason to come back again. A robust programming schedule should include a wide array of activities that appeal to different groups and ages happening throughout the year. Obviously, it is easier to attract participants in warmer months, but year-round activity is important to sustain nearby businesses. Not all programming events and activities should be organized or led by the Town. To truly be successful, partnerships with local businesses and organizations need to be developed. These organizations can provide programming to attract people to the area, while getting marketing exposure to further their business or non-profit mission.

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DISCOVERY TRAIL Design and construct the Discovery Trail multi-use path and trail along the abandoned rail line connecting it to the regional trail network. A complete bicycle and pedestrian network which is convenient and comfortable for all users can lead to more walking and biking for short trips within Central Clarksville. Walking and biking can reduce congestion, energy consumption, and driver frustration by reducing the number of vehicular trips. Fewer vehicles on the road lessen the demand for wider roads and bigger parking lots providing infrastructure savings for the public. In addition to providing connections between the neighborhoods and parks, the pedestrian and bikeways off-road network provides a system of linear parks. Each new project which is in natural areas or along waterways provides an ancillary opportunity for the town to invest in the natural environment with preservation and restoration projects within these corridors. This can include stream bank restoration, invasive plant removal and native plantings. The Discovery Trail which is an off-road facility will connect to existing and planned neighborhood to a larger regional network and the Origins Park. Discover Trail should be designed as a shared use path. Shared use paths provide a shared space for both cyclists and pedestrians and provide enhanced safety for cyclists and pedestrians. Shared use paths should be used when pedestrian and cyclist volumes are low enough that conflicts rarely occur, or in areas where physical space is too constrained to provide for separated facilities. Shared use paths can be on one side of the street or both. As volumes increase over time, the pathway should be monitored for the need to improve the corridor to a separated facility for pedestrians and bicycles. Some guidelines to consider*: • Minimum width of at least 10 feet but 12 feet and greater is a plus • Widths as narrow as 8 feet are acceptable for short distances under physical constraints.

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• Widths exceeding 10 feet are recommended for locations with heavy volumes of pedestrians. • A path should be designed to suit the characteristics of bicyclists. This includes establishing a design speed (typically 18 mph) and designing curb radii appropriately. • To accommodate high volumes and reduce conflicts between different user types, a path wider than the minimum can be provided or modes can be separated by constructing parallel paths for bicyclists and pedestrians. • On a path that is shared by both transportation and recreational bicyclists, additional path width is desirable to allow users to pass. • Signage to remind users to keep right except to pass should be provided on wider paths • Consider adding amenities such as benches, rest areas, and scenic overlooks along paths that provide attractive recreational opportunities • A 2 foot or greater shoulder on both sides of the path should be provided. An additional 1 foot of lateral clearance (total of 3 feet) is required by the MUTCD* for installation of signage or other furnishings. • If bollards are used at intersections or access points, they should be brightly colored or supplemented with reflective materials which are visible at night. *Indiana Design Manual (2013) AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities (2012) FHWA Shared-Use Path Level of Service Calculator (2006) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (2009)

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Improve bicycle safety, build new bicycle amenities, and promote bicycle programs such as bicycle friendly businesses and bicycle riding clubs in Central Clarksville. Creating a complete network of bicycle and pedestrian facilities provides Clarksville with more than a transportation network for various modes of travel. The infrastructure improvements have significant benefits in the form of improved community health, increased property values, greater economic development with new business attraction, lower healthcare costs for residents and safer facilities for all users. A community’s quality of life is one of the first attributes that businesses and people look at when relocating to a new community. In areas where people walk, there is a sense that these are safe and friendly places to live and visit. Creating communities where walking and bicycling are accepted and encouraged increases a community’s livability in ways that benefit all residents. Bicycling and walking help to keep kids and adults active and helps to decrease the prevalence of health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. Indiana is the 15th most obese state in the U.S. According to the 2019 CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, over 34 percent of Indiana adults are overweight or obese. Obesity disproportionately affects low-income and rural communities. Walking is the number one activity recommended by doctors and preferred by Americans to stay fit. Safe and desirable walking facilities create more opportunities for residents to exercise, increasing their health. Recent studies have shown that bicycling can reduce the risk of dying early by 28 percent and adding walking to daily routines reduces the risk by 39 percent. Walking and biking are the most affordable forms of transportation. Much of the population is unable to drive, including children, individuals with disabilities, seniors, and those unable to afford the cost of owning and operating a vehicle. The average annual cost of operating a bicycle is

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$308, compared to $8,220 for the average vehicle. Access to bicycle and pedestrian facilities provides an affordable means of transportation for low-income and disadvantaged residents. Trails, sidewalks, and on-street bikeways are cost-effective components of a multi-modal transportation system. Increases in property taxes, local spending and tourism activity provide additional tax revenue for local governments, providing strong returns on investment for bicycle and pedestrian projects. In addition to tourism dollars, building new facilities for walking and biking can include rising property values, increased business at local establishments, improved worker productivity, and savings from reduced traffic congestions. A 2016 report on the economic impacts of bicycling and walking in Colorado found that bicycle and pedestrian activities had an estimated $1.1 billion impact on the Colorado economy. One of the programs the Town could implement is becoming a bicycle friendly community. This is a designation given to communities, businesses, universities, and nonprofits by the League of American Bicyclists. This could be a pilot program started in Central Clarksville.


How to pick the best facility when developing a phase of Central Clarksville?

• Are there existing facilities which this corridor will connect with and what are the transitions needed to connect the different facilities?

Facility selection for the bicycle and pedestrian network requires good engineering judgement which can be applied to complex urban environments requiring treatments to be tailored to the individual conditions of each corridor. The process includes design of the broader network and roadway context and then looks at the conditions of the individual corridor to select the appropriate facility. Selecting the appropriate facility type requires consideration of the following:

• Are there barriers to completing the route within this corridor?

• What is the function of the corridor in the overall network? (north/ south or east/west connector, shorter distance neighborhood connector) • What user type will the corridor serve? (All Ages and Abilities or Somewhat Confident along with pedestrians) • What are the physical constraints of the corridor? (Are there buildings close to the right-of-way, are there major utility lines within the corridor) • What are the land use conditions of the corridor? (residential area with on-street parking and off-street available for each homeowner, busy business district with frequent trips) • What is the level and speed of vehicular traffic in the corridor? • Where is there existing bicycle and pedestrian demand? • Is this facility completing a gap within the existing network? • Are there short-term and long-term solutions appropriate for the corridor?

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Pedestrian facilities are provided through two facility types, the shared-use path and sidewalks. Shared-use paths are appropriate for all user types including cyclists and pedestrians. Bicycle Facilities include the following: • Shared-use paths • Cycle Tracks • Buffered Bike Lanes • Conventional Bike Lanes • Shared Lane Markings • Bicycle Routes Bicycle networks which are designed to be convenient and comfortable are the most effective and increase the number of people riding bikes. The Federal Highway Administration Bikeway Selection Guide identifies seven principles of bicycle network design. These include safety, comfort, connectivity, directness, cohesion, unbroken flow, and attractiveness. The first three of which are the most important. Bicycle and pedestrian facility design solutions should be selected to reduce the number of collisions and reduce conflicts between users. Bicycle facilities should be selected to provide a comfortable facility for the target design user and should reduce the stress, anxiety and safety concerns of that user. A bicycle network should provide complete connections to destinations within the network. Breaks or gaps in the network drastically decrease the number of users on facilities. Transitions between roadways and bikeways should be seamless and clear.

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HOSPITALITY DISTRICT Develop an overlay district for the hospitality district. A hospitality and entertainment district is a designated area that promotes the creative arts, public art, placemaking, entertainment, restaurants, and other supporting uses. Planning policies and incentives including zoning, economic development incentives, public spaces, investments in arts, programming, infrastructure investments and public-private partnerships all foster and support art, cultural, and entertainment activities in the district. Districts rely on collaborative efforts between the government, non-profits, and private entities to lead and successfully implement development efforts and programming. Even though the area within Central Clarksville is designated as a hospitality district, it doesn’t mean that art and cultural programs can’t occur elsewhere in Clarksville or the region. The purpose of establishing this district is to foster deliberate and thoughtful efforts to ensure it is successful and becomes a catalyst for redevelopment.

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Work with regional leaders and Clark County Tourism to develop an events and hospitality facility that connects to Bass Pro and forms the anchor for the redevelopment of the old River Falls Mall site. In early 2020, Clark County Tourism embark on a study to determine if the region could support a small events center. Louisville has a large events center that could hold large events, but there is a void of facilities to hold smaller 500 person events. Clarksville has an advantage with a large land area and parking garage standing from the vacated River Falls Mall. With the anchor tenant Bass Pro right now door and Greentree Mall across the street, a synergy exists for potential development of a small events facility and hotel. With easy access to I-65 and Louisville, large area primed for redevelopment, and a mixed use approach, this area has a lot of potential. While the physical master plan shows the location for the events center and hotel as well as signature park/public space and adjacent supportive mixed use, other management and organizational matters will need to be to ensure this facility is a success for the region. These include the following: • Management • Organization • Marketing program • Long term funding • Facility programming, leasing, and management • Maintenance of facility

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Photo by: Branson, Missouri (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ bransonmo/15548443868

Develop a community facility such as a YMCA that provides health and recreation facilities, career development programs, workforce training, and event spaces. Another amenity to consider as part of a successful redevelopment is a community facility such as community center that can offer a variety of services and amenities to a variety of new neighborhoods within walking distance of this facility. This was one of the elements that was mentioned over and over in the public outreach meetings. The significance of a community center is paramount because it can offer gathering space, health care, workforce development services, a gym, community classrooms, early learning center, café with street presence, and space for other community partners. The community center could be large enough to have multiple activities under one roof. This allows for several touch points for the community and caters to individual and family needs simultaneously. The facility could include services for young professionals, families, entrepreneurs, individuals, group organizations, outside events, and visitors to the Town.

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AMENITY INFRASTRUCTURE Require public art installations in new development and redevelopment in Central Clarksville. This may include freestanding installations as well as wall murals. Art can liven up a district and highlight culture, promote economic development, and add to the quality of life and image of the community. Public art can take many forms, but in general is designed with the intent to be displayed and experienced in the public realm. With a public art program, the community can develop a plan that identifies sites, concepts, and potential approaches for integrating public art into downtown. These installations may be publicly funded, paid for with grants, or initiated by the property owner. Successful public gathering spaces typically contain art, and more cities are using art coupled with programming in public spaces to highlight their culture, promote economic development, and add to the quality of life and image of the community. Public art is most effective when it results in awareness and interest in civic design within a community. Public art can take many forms, but in general is designed with the intent to be displayed and experienced in the public realm, as opposed to in a museum or gallery. Public art may include: • Wall murals • Sculptures • Interactive water features, video images, or light displays • Formally designed gardens • Integrated architecture and landscape architecture design • Pop-up or installations intended to be temporary

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The article “Why Public Art Matters,” published by the Americans for the Arts (2018), explores how public art impacts five community values: economic growth and sustainability, attachment and cultural identity, artists as contributors, social cohesion, and cultural understanding. Conclusions of the article include: Public art directly supports tourism and economic development strategies by attracting and retaining residents. Additionally, developers now use art to attract and keep renters. From a 2016 Americans Speak Out About the Arts Survey, “Half of the people with a college degree and a majority of Millennials and Generation X say they would strongly consider whether a community is rich in the arts when deciding where to locate for a job.” Art allows people to create a connection to their community or feel an attachment to a public space. Public art can make places unique by reflecting local history, design, and architecture. From a 2018 Americans Speak Out About the Arts Survey, “70 percent of Americans say they experience the arts in a non-traditional arts venue such as a park, hospital, shopping mall or airport.” Inviting local artists to contribute to the design of public space demonstrates the community’s commitment to cultural enhancement. Public art tells a visual story of the heritage of other cultures. Understanding other cultures promotes social cohesion and acceptance. From a 2018 Americans Speak Out About the Arts Survey, “72 percent of Americans believe the arts unify our community regardless of age, race, and ethnicity.” Art can be permanent, temporary, or pop-up for a day. Temporary public art has a predetermined life span. It is a great way for a community to introduce art into a community. Temporary art, such as a mural on the side of a wall, can add visual interest in the downtown. In effect, using rotating art within the community becomes an exhibit without residents


going to a museum. Some communities have even paid rent to artists to display art temporarily. Pop-up art is typically a temporary art event showcasing emerging artists and their work. Pop-up art can also be used to fill in a vacant downtown store to provide interest, detract from a vacant space, and increase traffic downtown. Most communities start small with temporary art or pop-up art events. Temporary art allows the community to gauge the interest of the public in an on-going art program. Typically, proactive art programs are linked to a redevelopment commission or board of works, where they can be incorporated into the capital improvement program. Other communities have established an art commission, created by the City or Town Council through an ordinance. With a public art program, a community will need to develop a plan that identifies sites, concepts, and potential approaches for integrating public art into capital projects. This plan would then be submitted to the arts commission and approved by the Town Council. Once approved, the staff would develop project parameters, a process for selection of artists, and coordinate artists’ work with the professionals designing a public space, park, or capital project. The arts commission, Town Council, and staff would need to determine how to fund this program. Many communities have used the following sources: • Fund as part of capital improvements plan. • Create a grant or other special funding programs for private donors and not-for-profits. • Charge a 1% public art fee to development applications to fund program. • Provide incentives if public art is included as part of a development.

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As redevelopment occurs, ensure that pedestrian, bicycle, and green connectivity is carried through each development so that it is all interconnected and works together as thought-out in the master plan. Connectivity and mobility in Central Clarksville are critical to maintaining the high quality of life of residents. Bicycling and walking are health and recreational activities, but also sometimes the only means of transportation to work, the store, or school. In the early phases of the project, an assessment was completed regarding the existing conditions of connectivity and green space within Central Clarksville. Green space and public amenities have been sparse with only 9.3 acres of parks and green space. The area was auto centric with only 7.6 miles of public road and very little of established grid to connect vehicles and virtually no sidewalks. During the online community workshop, attendee’s were asked questions specifically about pedestrian and bicycle facilities as well as connectivity issues. Sixty-Four percent (200 of the 313 individuals) of respondents indicated that more bike and pedestrian facilities were needed. SixtyFive percent indicated that they agreed or strongly agreed with the design principles to provide direct connections to existing neighborhoods, shopping, restaurants, and amenities through the additional development of the street network. Some respondents identified Blackiston Road, Broadway Street, Greentree Boulevard and Lewis and Clark needing sidewalks and other roadway improvements including intersection upgrades and signal timing. The results of these multiple survey responses reveal that there is broad support and desire to increase connectivity and enhance walkability in Central Clarksville. As redevelopment occurs, the Town needs to use

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momentum in working with developers to create more destinations for walking and biking. The Town needs to continue to invest in sidewalks, bike lanes, and multi-use trails so the opportunity exists for all residents to take better advantage of this bicycle-pedestrian network as a mode of travel to and from various destinations. To help quickly repair existing sidewalks in Clarksville, the Town could implement a 50/50 Sidewalk Replacement Cost Share Program in existing areas of Central Clarksville until a redevelopment project or street project is undertaken where new sidewalks could be built. The purpose of this program would be to assist residents in making improvements in their neighborhood while partnering with the Town. The property owner would submit a request to the Town for a partnership to replace a sidewalk. The Town would obtain a cost estimate and provide it to the property owner. If agreeable, the Town will start construction once the property owner submits their portion of the payment. This program would be on a first come, first serve basis until the money ran out for that fiscal year.


Additionally, opportunities may exist to incorporate new trails and sidewalk improvements into the design and construction of new developments. Updates to the Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance are needed to require developers of subdivisions, apartments, and mixed-use developments to incorporate these improvements into their design or to provide an easement for the Town to construct improvements later. The redevelopment master plan identifies multiple trails, sidewalks, and green spaces and ways throughout Central Clarksville. It is imperative that when new redevelopment/development proposals /petitions come before the Town for review the Town ensure that as each parcel or group of parcels is carefully review for its compliance to the vision and goal of connectivity. It is the responsibility of Town Council, Redevelopment Commission, Plan Commission, and staff, as they review and approve development plans and petitions to ensure that each development do their part to add to the interconnectivity of the area as well as to the region.

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Enhance art and culture programming in the 3C area to support businesses and create a vibrant mixed use district. There are many facets to consider when implementing a redevelopment plan including changes and diversification of land use, market support, infrastructure capacity, aesthetic and architectural enhancements, recreational and amenity infrastructure, and public spaces. Besides the policy and projects mentioned previously, programs are the third leg of the redevelopment stool. Successful programming has been shown to strengthen, leverage, and change the character of neighborhoods and public spaces, promote constant and consistent activity by attracting new residents and visitors, promote economic prosperity, social equity, protection of the environment, and cultural vitality. Entrepreneurs and small businesses what to ensure that the community they are investing in has a strong quality of life, diverse housing stock, available workforce, excellent educational opportunities, and cultural, historic, and recreational opportunities. By activating public spaces, incorporating arts and cultural programming into new development, and incentivizing local arts and cultural initiatives, Central Clarksville could leverage additional economic and social benefits including: • Increase private investment throughout Central Clarksville by allowing artist space

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projects, incorporation of art installations in parks and public spaces, programming for signature park. • Increase tax revenues by creating artists’ lofts in underutilized buildings, place murals on storefronts, community gardens on vacant lots all which can increase property values and therefore promotes redevelopment and increases tax base. • New job opportunities for local artists that creates a market to sell their work, creates increased private investment and results in small-scale job increases. • Attracting young professionals into Central Clarksville are more probable with cultural, social, and recreational opportunities. • Generate support for community development through various arts, cultural, and recreational initiatives to be an organizing tool, to help promote redevelopment. • Leveraging funds means being able to stack grants and other funding sources to maximize funding potential and attract new private investment in arts and culture. • Enrich neighborhood culture by engaging local artist in neighborhood redevelopment by providing them places to work on their craft, teach others, perform, or hold events.

As Central Clarksville redevelops, projects which promote the plan’s principles of encourage connectivity, increase the amount of green space, establish Clarksville as a sense of place, incorporate amenity infrastructure, increase mixed use development, cultivate green infrastructure solutions, foster diversity of housing, and promote economic resilience will naturally be ones that bring activity and vitality to Central Clarksville and that can truly transform the area.


Create new cultural programming to celebrate the diversity and history of the area include Lincoln Park, Lewis & Clark, and Clarksville. There is a lot of history in Clarksville from including the location of where Lewis and Clark started their exploration, home to the largest exposed Devonian period fossil bed, and the 1809 duel between Henry Clay and Humphrey Marshall. Clarksville is also home to a historically black neighborhood – Lincoln Park which is located within Central Clarksville. These pieces of history have impacted how Clarksville has grown and developed over time. These are some of the events that should be incorporated into the arts and culture of Central Clarksville as it redevelops. This type of cultural programming is becoming more poplar in creative placemaking and is now a strong identifier of quality of life in a community as part of an overall economic development strategy. Several communities don’t have the rich history that Clarksville must showcase or build upon. Creative placemaking programming can take any form including festivals, monthly events, open studio sessions, first Friday art events, and celebrations of cultural and ethnic experiences unique to Clarksville. Some of these events might be free to the public, associated with a museum or other building that offers entertainment or other experiences. These types of events can introduce people, both within Clarksville and the region to Central Clarksville. New programs and events can spur the creation of new jobs and increase spending in the area while also educating people about the history and culture. In the long term, it might attract individuals to relocate to a home in Lincoln Park or another neighborhood in Central Clarksville.

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Explore opportunities to partner with healthcare providers to expand resident access to primary and secondary health clinics, medical offices, and other support businesses in the area as it redevelops. Part of the vision of the redevelopment plan is to incorporate more health and wellness into all aspects of redevelopment. The vision is creating a distinct place through various neighborhoods, a hospitality district, an employment district, and the Discovery Trail Promenade. The emphasis is on turning a car-centric area into a pedestrian-centric place that focuses on walkability and multi-modal transportation, pedestrian scale buildings, and high-quality sustainable development that provides a unique experience for residents, employees, and visitors. These places are suitable for people of all ages – young professionals, families with children, empty nesters, and seniors. This type of development will activate the area 24-7, which is more that the retail-centric area it used to be. Have a variety of housing that allows people to age in place would fit with this vision of health and wellness. One idea discussed during the process was as more housing was added to the area, that partnerships be developed with local healthcare providers to develop a smaller scale neighborhood health care facility that can serve residents and employees of the area. This would allow residents or employees to walk to a doctor’s office or a health care clinic instead of driving to another community to get treatment.

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The other idea discussed was the development of more employment uses surrounding the support of the medical industry. That could include doctor’s offices or other health related jobs and medial supply. The drivers of this health care and wellness discussion included factors related to the market as well as: • The growing age of people over 65 years of age in the region; • General population growth due to redevelopment in Central Clarksville, but also due other redevelopment such as River Ridge Commerce Center and in New Albany; • Changes in insurance rules that have allowed for expanded number of citizens covered by insurance; • Impact of COVID and COVID related long-haul illness; • Supply chain shortages due to COVID; • Strong growth for potential for biosciences, pharmaceutical, medical devices, and related industries; and • Growing awareness of the need and benefits of health and wellness programs.


COMPLETE STREETS Develop an adopt a complete streets policy. Complete streets, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, “are streets designed and operated to enable safe use and support mobility for all users.” (website: Complete Streets | US Department of Transportation, August 12, 2021). Complete streets policies came about because communities wanted transportation agencies to change their approach to roadway design. When a community adopts a complete streets policy, they are directing their planners, engineers, and town managers to design and operate the entire roadway right of way for all modes of traffic, and not just vehicles. This means slowing down vehicles, and making the transportation network safer for people walking, biking, taking the bus, or driving. There is no single design for what a complete street looks like. Throughout this master plan, each street is treated differently. The design for Lewis and Clark Parkway is not the same for Greentree Boulevard, Madison or Adams Street. Each one must be design based on its development character set forth in the master plan. There are many benefits of adopting a complete streets policy. These include: • Multiple modes to get around Central Clarksville • Multiple routes to get through Central Clarksville without burdening Lewis & Clark Parkway, Veterans Parkway, Blackiston Road, or Greentree Boulevard • More connectivity which improves safety. A return to the grid means reliance on overly wide roads, and there are more intersections, leading to lower driving speeds. Travel times remain the same because distances are shorter, and routes are more direct and traffic signals can be timed to provide a consistent speed.

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• Consistent sized blocks that reduce the total distance an individual must walk or bike and provides direct access to properties. Smaller blocks allow more land to develop, which creates a more compact, mixed use form. • Increased connectivity with a complete streets policy. Communities sometimes must get creative with provisions to support connectivity. For example, in a community in Virginia updated their zoning ordinance to end maintenance support for culde-sac’s in the future to promote connectivity. Other communities have connected non-motorized paths between cul-de-sacs, stub streets, and trails to increase connectivity. Sometimes you must think outside the box. There are many examples of different complete streets policies. The Town might want to start with something just for Central Clarksville and then expand it later for the entire community.

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Reconnect the urban grid throughout Central Clarksville as the area redevelops as depicted in the master plan. Central Clarksville contains a vast amount of land to redevelop. The challenge is that it’s owned by multiple property owners and will not develop at the same time. There are pieces that might be developed by one master developer will others will be developed as individual lots. The redevelopment plan serves as a guide and one of the major tenet is that a greater street network is needed to support a denser, more urbanize area than once was present. As redevelopment occurs, opportunities exist to build new streets to reconnect the grid found in the older, more established neighborhoods. The advantages of a grid network is more uniform blocks that make walking easier, and if modifications of the grid are required due to development, infrastructure, or environmental or other development constraints, a grid network is easier and more adaptable than other types of street layouts. A grid network also maximizes developable land. This is important for Clarksville since it is land locked and Central Clarksville provide the opportunity to add an array of housing types and price points into the market. Grid layouts allows easy separation of public and private spaces with the public space facing and activating the street, while the private areas are the areas that face the interior of the block, a garden, or alley. In reconnecting the grid, traffic is also dispersed throughout an entire system instead of focused onto a few roadways as it currently is designed. The proposed grid design is more advantageous and promotes the development of a complete streets program. The Town will have to take leadership in the development of the street network as infrastructure is one of a more traditional role in implementation

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or oversight of a municipality in implementation of a master plan. With Lincoln Park, a historically African American neighborhood in the study area, there has been a under investment in transportation solutions in and around the neighborhood, especially as businesses and residents started to move away. A Complete Streets approach is to ensure that streets “are designed and operated to prioritize safety, comfort, an access to destinations for all people who use the street, especially people ho have experienced systemic underinvestment or whose needs have not been met through a traditional transportation approach, including older adults, people living with disabilities, people who cannot afford or do not have access to a car, and Black, Native, and Hispanic or Latino/a/x communities.” (Smart Growth America, Website, 8/10/2021). Complete streets are designed to allow multiple modes of transportation to operate efficiently and safely simultaneous adjacent to each.


Coordinate roadway and other infrastructure projects to realize cost savings and minimize disruptions to area businesses and residents. Given the vast amount of redevelopment that will occur in the area, disruptions to businesses and residents are bound to occur. Forewarning and constant communication is necessary to manage expectation and minimize disruptions. To the extent possible, as each roadway project is planned and designed, other infrastructure or streetscape projects that are or will be needed in the area should be evaluate and determined if it the project could be accelerated to be coordinated for construction with the roadway improvement. Oftentimes this brings about a cost savings because construction is completed once, there are less construction workers needed, and roadways last longer since they aren’t torn up a second time. This also leads to less frustrations on the part of businesses and residents because everything is constructed at the same time. One of the most often sought reasons for the lack of coordination of construction projects is funding. It is imperative that staff, the Redevelopment Commission, and Town Council work through these issues as it will benefit the town in the long run-in community satisfaction, costs, and long-term maintenance. The best mechanism to coordinate all of this is through the capital improvements plan.

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As residential density and mixed use activity increases, explore options for expanded public transit in the 3C area and broader Clarksville. What is critical to the successful redevelopment of Central Clarksville is the increase in density, the availability of a variety of housing types, and a mix of uses. Beyond those elements, a complete streets approach is critical. The redevelopment plan provides a strategy for a range of uses and densities that would be within a 10-minute walk radius as well as many different multi-use trails that interconnect local and regional trail systems. What is misses is expanding transit into the area. As of the creation of this plan, very limited bus service was in available in Central Clarksville which traveled along Veterans Parkway, Greentree Boulevard, and Lewis & Clark Parkway, and Applegate Lane. With over 5,000 housing units and 4.2 million square feet of mixed use (retail, restaurant, office, flex, and hospitality) the area could support expansion of service in the area. The Town should work with the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) as development continues to evolve to meet the needs of Central Clarksville and plan expansion of services and ensure funding is in place to support the service.

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Design and construct strategic infrastructure improvements that would benefit multiple parcels and spur development in key areas. Some of these improvements could include adding sidewalks; street maintenance and repair; constructing trails that complete connections to community or regional trail systems; water, sewer, or drainage improvements; and the construction of new roads. Central Clarksville is a complete redevelopment plan except for a few key anchor uses that will remain. However, that does not mean that redevelopment will occur over night. Redevelopment of this magnitude will take more than 30 years to be fully realized and the majority of that will be driven by property owners. This plan provides a vision and a guide for property owners, developers, and the Town could facilitate redevelopment. To help start redevelopment, a key catalyst project is typically used to show transition toward this vision. Oftentimes this is undertaken in partnership between the Town and property owners/developers. Once a key catalyst project is completed, it will spur on other development. Therefore, that first project is critical to set the stage for the design and quality of future redevelopment. To ensure success and facilitate redevelopment, the Town role in this partnership could be in a traditional role where they are constructing strategic infrastructure improvements. In this chapter and the previous chapter, several infrastructure projects were identified to facilitate and support the redevelopment of Central Clarksville. The Town Council or Redevelopment Commission could include this in a Capital Improvements Plan.

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IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX

The following matrix lists each of the proposed policies and programs organized under the nine signature elements. The relative timeframe, key partners, and guiding principles supported by each policy or program are identified. These timeframes are intended only to serve as a guide for plan implementation and should be considered flexible. Implementation will depend on funding limitations, staff availability, citizen involvement, and other changing conditions. The decision to undertake any project at a particular time is a discretionary policy decision, and these timeframes should not be interpreted as a commitment to complete these initiatives in the identified timeframe. It may be beneficial to reassess priorities as part of the annual review process. Timeframe Assumptions: Short-Term = 0-3 years Mid-Term = 4-7 years Long-Term = 7+ years

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Incorporate Amenity Infrastructure

Cultivate Green Infrastructure Solutions

Increase Mixed Use Development

Foster Diversity of Housing

Promote Economic Resilience

Establish Central Clarksville as a Place

Increase the Amount of Green Space

Long

Guiding Principles Encourage Connectivity

Medium

Policy / Program

Short

Timeframe

• • •

Plan Commission Town Council Property Owners

Plan Commission Redevelopment Commission Town Council Private Developers

Key Partners

NEW NEIGHBORHOODS Allow accessory dwelling units on single family residential properties.

Promote the inclusion of multiple dwelling types within individual development projects to support market demand.

• • • •

For projects that have a housing component that receive Town incentives or direct benefits such as infrastructure improvements, the developer should be required to provide a minimum of 10% affordable units for low-income households.

• • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Private Developers

• • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Non-Profit Community Development Corporation / Land Bank Property Owners Private Developers

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Non-Profit Community Development Corporation Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) Property Owners

Examine the potential of creating or working with a land bank program to acquire and exchange parcels for infill residential, mixed use, and employment projects that are consistent with the 3C Master Plan.

Partner with local housing organizations to preserve and expand affordable rental and for sale options in the area.

• •

• • • • •

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Encourage Connectivity

Increase the Amount of Green Space

Establish Central Clarksville as a Place

Incorporate Amenity Infrastructure

Cultivate Green Infrastructure Solutions

Increase Mixed Use Development

Foster Diversity of Housing

Promote Economic Resilience

Guiding Principles

• • • • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Clark Co. Assessor Clark Co. Auditor Property Owners

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Dept. of Public Works Property Owners

Key Partners

Long

Medium

Policy / Program

Short

Timeframe

LINCOLN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION As the housing market strengthens, work with public officials and community leaders to establish mechanisms to reduce or limit property tax impacts to existing homeowners.

Focus pedestrian infrastructure improvements throughout the Lincoln Park neighborhood, including at intersections.

• • • •

Create a neighborhood pattern book to guide new development so that it complements the existing character and form of the area and is consistent with the vision of the master plan.

• • •

Plan Commission Redevelopment Commission Town Council

• • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Non-Profit Community Development Corporation Property Owners

• • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Property Owners

• • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) Property Owners

Develop policies and programs that help to keep Lincoln Park residents in their homes or in the area as housing needs may change.

Expand the home-owner assistance program with priority given to the most in need areas. Encourage increased home ownership by connecting renters and potential homeowners with services such as Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s down payment assistance program and other financial programs.

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Medium

Long

Encourage Connectivity

Increase the Amount of Green Space

Establish Central Clarksville as a Place

Incorporate Amenity Infrastructure

Cultivate Green Infrastructure Solutions

Increase Mixed Use Development

Foster Diversity of Housing

Promote Economic Resilience

Guiding Principles

Short

Timeframe

Ensure employment, retail, and mixed use development is appropriately buffered from residential areas.

• • •

Plan Commission Town Council Private Developers

Leverage redevelopment of the 3C area as a potential employment generator by adopting local hiring practices.

• • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Employers

Incentivize job-creating development, especially those that offer higher wages.

• • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Employers

• • • • •

Redevelopment Commission Entrepreneurs Small Business Owners One Southern Indiana Southeast Indiana Small Business Development Center Non-Profit Community Development Corporation

Plan Commission Redevelopment Commission Town Council Property Owners Private Developers Non-Profit Community Development Corporation

Policy / Program

Key Partners

EMPLOYMENT DISTRICT

Connect entrepreneurs to business mentoring services, technical assistance and other support programs to foster makers and small tech jobs in the area.

Create a “makers” or incubator hub for light industrial and artisan small businesses in the area south of Lewis and Clark Parkway.

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• • • • • •

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Encourage Connectivity

Increase the Amount of Green Space

Establish Central Clarksville as a Place

Incorporate Amenity Infrastructure

Cultivate Green Infrastructure Solutions

Increase Mixed Use Development

Foster Diversity of Housing

Promote Economic Resilience

Guiding Principles

• • • •

Plan Commission Redevelopment Commission Town Council Private Developers

• • • •

Plan Commission Redevelopment Commission Town Council Private Developers

• • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Non-Profit Community Development Corporation Property Owners

Key Partners

Long

Medium

Policy / Program

Short

Timeframe

MIXED USE DISTRICT Ensure that land use combinations work in the context of surrounding development and the broader regional market. Create additional opportunities for small businesses, retailers, and restaurants to locate or stay in the area so that daily needs of residents and employees can be met.

Maintain and support affordable rents for local businesses.

Limit the development of single use commercial buildings to key intersections in the Central Clarksville area to keep from pulling commercial from other areas of the community.

• • •

Plan Commission Town Council Private Developers

Obtain/maintain ownership of limited property in the short-term to facilitate business relocation and retention efforts while acknowledging the Town should not be a long-term owner of commercial property.

• •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council

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Medium

Long

Encourage Connectivity

Increase the Amount of Green Space

Establish Central Clarksville as a Place

Incorporate Amenity Infrastructure

Cultivate Green Infrastructure Solutions

Increase Mixed Use Development

Foster Diversity of Housing

Promote Economic Resilience

Guiding Principles

Short

Timeframe

Locate smaller parks throughout the Central Clarksville area to provide equitable access to park space and enhance connections between these park and public spaces.

• •

Parks and Recreation Board Town Council

Create a centralized community gathering space that can also be used for hospitality events for the Town.

• • •

Redevelopment Commission Parks and Recreation Board Town Council

Offer new recreational facilities and programs, such as soccer fields and basketball courts with particular focus given to larger parks near neighborhoods like Ryan Lane, and Greentree Park.

• •

Parks and Recreation Board Town Council

Design and construct the Discovery Trail multiuse path and trail along the abandoned rail line connecting it to the regional trail network.

• • •

Parks and Recreation Board Town Council Property Owners

Improve bicycle safety, build new bicycle amenities, and promote bicycle programs such as bicycle friendly businesses and bicycle riding clubs in Central Clarksville.

• •

Parks and Recreation Board Town Council

Policy / Program

Key Partners

SIGNATURE PARK

DISCOVERY TRAIL PROMENADE

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Increase the Amount of Green Space

Establish Central Clarksville as a Place

Incorporate Amenity Infrastructure

Cultivate Green Infrastructure Solutions

Increase Mixed Use Development

Foster Diversity of Housing

Promote Economic Resilience

• • • • • •

Redevelopment Commission Plan Commission Town Council Clark County Tourism Property Owners Private Developers

• • • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Parks and Recreation Board Non-Profit Community Development Corporation Work One (Clark and Floyd Counties) Ivy Tech (Sellersburg Campus) Private Donors

Long

Plan Commission Town Council

Medium

• •

Short

Policy / Program

Guiding Principles Encourage Connectivity

Timeframe

Key Partners

HOSPITALITY DISTRICT Develop an overlay district for the hospitality district. Work with region leaders and Clark County Tourism to develop an events and hospitality facility that connects to Bass Pro and forms the anchor for the redevelopment of the old River Falls Mall site.

Develop a community facility such as a YMCA that provides health and recreation facilities, career development programs, workforce training, and event spaces.

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• • •


Encourage Connectivity

Increase the Amount of Green Space

Establish Central Clarksville as a Place

Incorporate Amenity Infrastructure

Cultivate Green Infrastructure Solutions

Increase Mixed Use Development

Foster Diversity of Housing

Promote Economic Resilience

Guiding Principles

• • • • • •

Plan Commission Redevelopment Commission Town Council Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana Property Owners Private Developers

• • • • •

Plan Commission Redevelopment Commission Town Council Dept. of Public Works Private Developers

• • • •

Redevelopment Commission Parks and Recreation Board Town Council Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana

• • • •

Redevelopment Commission Parks and Recreation Board Town Council Arts Alliance of Southern Indiana

• • • •

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Clark Memorial Health Other Healthcare Providers

Key Partners

Long

Medium

Policy / Program

Short

Timeframe

AMENITY INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK Require public art installations in new development and redevelopment in Central Clarksville. This may include free-standing installations as well as wall murals.

As redevelopment occurs, ensure that pedestrian, bicycle, and green connectivity is carried through each development so that it is all interconnected and works together as thought-out in the master plan. Enhance art and culture programming in the 3C area to support businesses and create a vibrant mixed use district.

Create new cultural programming to celebrate the diversity and history of the area include Lincoln Park, Lewis & Clark, and Clarksville. Explore opportunities to partner with healthcare providers to expand resident access to primary and secondary health clinics, medical offices, and other support businesses in the area as it redevelops.

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Coordinate roadway and other infrastructure projects to realize cost savings and minimize disruptions to area businesses and residents.

As residential density and mixed use activity increases, explore options for expanded public transit in the 3C area and broader Clarksville.

Design and construct strategic infrastructure improvements that would benefit multiple parcels and spur development in key areas. Some of these improvements could include adding sidewalks; street maintenance and repair; constructing trails that complete connections to community or regional trail systems; water, sewer, or drainage improvements; and the construction of new roads.

Promote Economic Resilience

Foster Diversity of Housing

Reconnect the urban grid throughout Central Clarksville as the area redevelops as depicted in the master plan.

Increase Mixed Use Development

Cultivate Green Infrastructure Solutions

Incorporate Amenity Infrastructure

Long

Establish Central Clarksville as a Place

Medium

Develop an adopt a complete streets policy.

Increase the Amount of Green Space

Short

Policy / Program

Guiding Principles Encourage Connectivity

Timeframe

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Transit Authority of River City (TARC)

Redevelopment Commission Town Council Dept. of Public Works

Key Partners

COMPLETE STREETS NETWORK

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• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Plan Commission Town Council Plan Commission Redevelopment Commission Town Council Dept. of Public Works Property Owners Private Developers Plan Commission Redevelopment Commission Town Council Dept. of Public Works Utility Providers

• • •

• • •


POTENTIAL FUNDING, RESOURCES, AND TOOLS

The funding, resources, and tools referenced here is not comprehensive and the programs regularly change as the law and funding mechanisms change. This is intended as a point of reference when looking for funding or implementation strategies. The entities providing the resources usually continue programs with some modifications that can be verified at each entities’ website.

AMERICAN PLANNING ASSOCIATION (APA) AND AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION (APHA) PLAN4HEALTH

The American Planning Association and the American Public Health Association (APHA) work to build an overarching collaborative strategy that brings APA members together with members of the American Public Health Association (APHA), Plan4Health builds local capacity to address health goals using planning strategies. Coalitions made up of APA chapters, APHA affiliate groups, and others are working to set a new paradigm for healthy planning and address tough problems by leveraging complementary expertise and influence. Plan4Health recognizes community design directly effects human health. Development patterns, zoning, and land use impact walkability and transportation options, access to services, the availability of healthy foods, and vulnerability to hazards. This will provide tools and technical support to members so they can integrate health into planning practice at all levels. Areas of focus include active living, healthy eating, and health in all planning policies. We implement our aims through applied research, place-based investment, and education.

BONDS

Bonds are usually issued by local government, and in Indiana multiple boards and commissions have the ability to issue bonds with certain limitations. These bonds are usually used to finance public projects such as roads, schools, infrastructure and infrastructure-related repairs. These bonds are backed by the taxing capacity of the community and/or the board or commission issuing the bonds. With the Redevelopment Commission there is also the ability to issue Economic Development Bonds where the Municipality or Developer can buy the bonds and that bond is paid off using the taxes generated from the development. This provides a viable funding option while not exposing the community to the burden of the bond.

CENTER FOR DISEASE (CDC) - HEALTHY COMMUNITIES PROGRAM

The Inclusive Healthy Communities Model uses a phased approach to create local-level change by using community coalitions to plan and implement sustainable healthy living improvements. Through policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes, this model focuses on increasing access to healthy living opportunities, such as: • Healthy eating; • Physical activity; • General accessibility improvements. Policy change is brought about by ordinance, resolution, protocol, procedure, agreement, or law that guides or influences behavior. Policy changes can be legislative or organizational and governmental or nongovernmental, and they can mandate environmental changes or other actions to increase the likelihood that changes will be sustainable. Once policies are written, they are signed or adopted through a voting process. Systems change affects a large amount of people beyond a single organization, such as an entire healthcare system, school system, or multiple sites for large companies. Systems changes often consist of policy changes that occur at a system level. Environmental change involves physical, social, material, and/or architectural changes to the environment that influence behavior and/or the practices of people within the environment.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION (EDA)

EDA is the only federal government agency focused exclusively on economic development, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration facilitates regional economic development efforts in communities across the nation. EDA is guided by the basic principle that sustainable economic development should be locally-driven, EDA works directly with communities and regions to help them build the capacity for economic development based on local business conditions and needs. EDA’s grant investments in planning, technical assistance, and infrastructure construction are designed to leverage existing regional assets to support the implementation of economic development strategies that make it easier for businesses to start and grow. EDA provides a number of program to assist in economic development such as some listed here: • • • • • • • •

Build to Scale Program Economic Adjustment Program Economic Development Integration Local Technical Assistance Planning Program Public Works Program Research and National Technical Assistance Trade Adjustment Assistance

IMPACT FEE

Investopedia defines an impact fee as an assessment on property developers to pay for infrastructure improvements that must be built due to new property development. The fee is usually based on the direct impact to current infrastructure and the type of development. These fees can then be used for a variety of infrastructure improvements and amenities such as multi-modal projects, park and recreation projects and transportation projects.

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INDIANA ASSOCIATION OF AREA AGENCIES ON AGING (IAAAA)

The vision of IAAAA is that Indiana’s long-term services and supports system ensures that every Hoosier is engaged in determining and meeting their individual support needs by providing them with access to quality, trusted information, a full network of services in their community and publicly-funded subsidies when needed. The mission of IAAAA is to support Indiana’s Area Agency on Aging network as it provides leadership, advocacy and expertise in helping people manage the social determinants of health in Indiana’s evolving long-term services and supports system. This program can provide information about resources and service providers, assesses needs for service, makes referrals to case managers, and monitors quality of life for those in need. Subsidies may be available based on age, level of disability, income and assets.

INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (IDNR)

IDNR has 14 divisions. Some divisions have resources such as grants that may assist in funding critical projects. Division of Outdoor Recreation has the following programs that may apply: • • • • •

Indiana Trails Program Next Level Trails Outdoor Recreation Grants Land and Water Conservation Fund Recreational Trails Program


INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (INDOT)

INDOT’s mission is to plan, build, maintain, and operate a transportation system that encourages safety, mobility, and economic growth, They provide assistance to smaller communities through Local Public Agency (LPA) Programs or through the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). INDOT also provides a variety of grants for a variety of projects depending on the funding source for paving projects, roadway, sidewalk, trail, and streetscape projects.

INDIANA HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (IHCDA)

IHCDA’s works with developers, lenders, investors, and nonprofit organizations that use IHCDA financing to serve low- and moderateincome Hoosiers. IHCDA leverages government and private funds to invest in financially sound, well-designed projects that will benefit communities for many years to come. Activities financed by IHCDA help families become more stable, put down roots, and climb the economic ladder. In exchange, communities are able to grow and prosper, broadening their tax base, creating new jobs, and maximizing local resources. Developers of multifamily housing are essential partners in IHCDA’s mission to provide safe, decent and affordable rental housing across Indiana. Through federal tax credits, tax-exempt bond financing, grants and loans, IHCDA leverages private capital to produce affordable housing for families, seniors, persons with disabilities, and persons experiencing homelessness. IHCDA provides assistance to residents through a variety of programs, some of which are listed here: • • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) Housing Trust Fund Low Income Housing Tax Credit Modular Workforce Housing Pilot Program Moving Forward Program Neighborhood Assistance Tax Credit Program Opportunity Investment Consortium of Indiana Placemaking Programs Rental Housing Tax Credits (RHTC) Supportive Housing Utility Allowances

INDIANA OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AND RURAL AFFAIRS (OCRA)

OCRA works with local, state and national partners to provide resources and technical assistance to aid communities in shaping and achieving their vision for community and economic development. A privilege of our agency is to award grants to fund public gathering places, fix water/sewer infrastructures, restore historic structures, build community facilities and revitalize commercial districts. These funds help communities improve their quality of life and ensure the health and safety of their citizens. Some of the programs include: • • • • • •

Blight Clearance Program (BCP 2.0) Main Street Revitalization Program Planning Grants Public Facilities Program (PFP) Stormwater Improvement Program (SIP) Wastewater and Drinking Water Program

Anchor Employer Workforce Housing Program Community Housing Development Organizations (CHDO) Community Services Block Grant Development Fund Environmental Review and Section 106

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INDIANA DESTINATION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (IDDC)

IDDC will promotes, brands, and tells Indiana’s authentic story to both attract and retain businesses, talent, students, and visitors. IDDC may also provide matching grants to cities, towns, counties, and non-profit groups in Indiana for assistance with marketing and destination development projects.

NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS - OUR TOWN PROGRAM

The National Endowment for the Arts supports exemplary arts projects in communities nationwide through grantmaking, initiatives, partnerships, and events.

Our Town - is the National Endowment for the Arts’ creative placemaking grants program. Through project-based funding, we support projects that integrate arts, culture, and design activities into efforts that strengthen communities by advancing local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes. Successful Our Town projects ultimately lay the groundwork for systemic changes that sustain the integration of arts, culture, and design into local strategies for strengthening communities. These projects require a partnership between a local government entity and nonprofit organization, one of which must be a cultural organization; and should engage in partnership with other sectors (such as agriculture and food, economic development, education and youth, environment and energy, health, housing, public safety, transportation, and workforce development). Cost share/matching grants range from $25,000 to $150,000, with a minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount.

Grants for Arts Projects - These grants support arts projects that use

the arts to unite and heal in response to current events; celebrate our creativity and cultural heritage; invite mutual respect for differing beliefs and values; and enrich humanity. Applicants may request cost share/ matching grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000. Designated local arts agencies eligible to subgrant may request from $10,000 to $150,000 for sub-granting programs in the Local Arts Agencies discipline. A minimum cost share/match equal to the grant amount is required.

Challenge America - offers support primarily to small organizations for projects in all artistic disciplines that extend the reach of the arts to populations that are underserved. Challenge America features an abbreviated application, a robust structure of technical assistance, and grants for a set amount of $10,000. Grants require a cost share/match of $10,000 consisting of cash and/or in-kind contributions. Total project costs must be at least $20,000 or greater.

PROJECT SPECIFIC INFRASTRUCTURE

Depending on the identified needs and goals a community may require the developer to pay for the necessary infrastructure improvements. These infrastructure improvements can take a variety of forms including but not limited to: circulation (bike, pedestrian and roads), utilities (electric, gas, fiber, sanitary, storm, and water) and parking. These improvements need to be related to and in proportion to the impact of the new development.

PROSPERITY INDIANA

Prosperity Indiana assists communities by providing advocacy, leveraging resources, and engaging an empowered network of members to create inclusive opportunities that build assets and improve lives to provide an environment that provides equitable access to economic and social opportunity. Prosperity Indiana provides online resources, research, technical assistance, and tools for employment generating activities, housing rehabilitation and construction, industrial and business development, real estate development, and social services.

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REDEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION OF INDIANA (RAI)

The tax credit award may not exceed the following:

This is a membership organization for elected officials, redevelopment boards, staff and consultants who assist local governments with their community development projects in areas of design, engineering, financial consulting, financing, and implementation in Indiana. The Redevelopment Association, which is under the AIM (Accelerate Indiana Municipalities) Organization operates with the focus on economic development, job creation, industry redevelopment of blighted areas and creating quality places to live. RAI provides a benefit of a forum to share ideas, best practices and creative solutions with members.

• If the qualified redevelopment site is between 15 and 29 years old, is vacant land, or a brownfield site over 50 acres, the IEDC may award up to 15% if the site is part of a Regional Development Authority’s (RDA) development plan or 10% if not included in an RDA plan.

REDEVELOPMENT TAX CREDIT

• If the qualified redevelopment site is more than 40 years old, the IEDC may award up to 25% if the site is part of a Regional Development Authority’s (RDA) development plan or 15% if not included in an RDA plan.

The credit is available to taxpayers that make qualified investments in the redevelopment or rehabilitation of a qualified redevelopment site. A qualified redevelopment site is considered vacant land, brownfield property over 50 acres, or a vacant building or complex of buildings that are at least 15 years old. The IEDC will evaluate a project based on a number of factors including its potential impact on the local community, the likelihood the project will spur additional investment, the level of support for the project from local and regional stakeholders, and the project’s alignment with a regional or local development plan. Only projects that the IEDC expects to have a positive return on investment will be eligible for a tax credit award.

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• If the qualified redevelopment site is between 30 and 39 years old, the IEDC may award up to 20% if the site is part of a Regional Development Authority’s (RDA) development plan or 10% if not included in an RDA plan.

The IEDC may increase the award amount by no more than 5% if the site is located in a federally designated Opportunity Zone or qualifies for New Markets Tax Credits and the applicant can show that this funding was actively pursued.

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TAX ABATEMENT

This tool, utilized by the council, provides the incentive of a negotiated approach of property taxes with the intention to encourage development in areas unlikely to grow through conventional means. This tool is primarily intended for commercial and industrial development and allows developers to pay reduced property taxes for improvements for up to 10 years. Communities can negotiate with the developer to abate property taxes up to 100% for up to ten years. Use of tax abatement requires Council to establish an economic development area.

TAX INCREMENT FINANCING (TIF)

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) can be used by many communities to fund local infrastructure improvement projects either by paying as funds are available or by bonding. When the allocation area is established, the base taxes are fixed and continue to flow to all taxing bodies. The taxes on new development flows to the redevelopment commission. TIF is typically used to fund redevelopment projects or infrastructure necessary to incent development. These improvements can be in the allocation area or serve that area. Some examples include bike, pedestrian and vehicular circulation, utilities (usually sanitary, storm and water), parking structures, and park and recreation facilities. Residential Tax Increment Financing (RTIF) is also available providing an number of criteria are met. This is tool is intended to incent single family development, which can help schools and provide critical workforce housing.

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA)

The USDA offers leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development, nutrition, and related issues based on public policy and effective management. USDA Rural Development forges partnerships with rural communities, funding projects that bring housing, community facilities, business guarantees, utilities and other services to rural America. USDA provides technical assistance and financial backing for rural businesses and cooperatives to create quality jobs in rural areas. Some of the assistance programs include: • • • • • • • • • •

Business and Industry Loan Guarantees Intermediary Relending Program Multi-Family Housing Loan Guarantees Rural Business Development Grants Rural Business Investment Program Rural Community Development Initiatives Grants Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program Single Family Housing Loan Guarantees Strategic Economic and Community Development


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APPENDIX


INPUT SUMMARY

This process involved a lot of feedback from the public both from in-person activities and online feedback through surveys and website submissions. Throughout the process, several meetings were held with a Task Force, groups in the Town, and residents of the Lincoln Park neighborhood. A summary of the events and meetings can be found below: ClarkFEST | October 18, 2019 The first event for the public to provide feedback was held at a booth at ClarkFEST. Two activities were able to be participated in: identifying areas for redevelopment potential and areas of concern across the study area, and providing thoughts for the future of Clarksville. The first activity provided a map where participants could use sticker dots and write notes about the areas of potential and concern. The second was a large speech bubble board that asked participants to answer what their “one idea for the Lewis and Clark Parkway and Broadway District” would be, write it down on a sticky note, and add it to speech bubble.

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Task Force Meeting 1 & Redevelopment Commission Meeting 1 | October 22, 2019 This was the kick-off meeting with the Task Force members and Redevelopment Commission and introduced them to the consultant team. An overview of the purpose of master planning was explained, current economic trends and changes in the market economy, and several examples of similar projects were discussed during this meeting to show how other former-commercial heavy developments were redeveloped into successful mixed-use districts with various development types including commercial, housing, and office spaces. Task Force Meeting 2 | December 17, 2019 This meeting with the Task Force included a review of the feedback received from the members in the previous meeting, and went through the analysis that the consultant team had been working on since October. Several questions were asked to the members involving the desired outcome of the project to help lead the creation of a vision and begin identification of some key topics and redevelopment strategies to include in the final master plan. The Visioning Workshop | January 13 – 16, 2020 The visioning workshop was a four-day long workshop for Town Staff and the consultants to work with the community to gather information, create a preliminary design strategy, and present the process to the public and continue to gain insight to continue refining the development plan. This included several focus group meetings, a public open house, and working with Town Staff over the four days.

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE JANUARY 13, 2020 | 5:00PM-7:00PM 748 E LEWIS & CLARK PARKWAY 47129

3C

MASTER PLAN

CATAPULT CENTRAL CLARKSVILLE

YOU’RE INVITED!

GET INVOLVED

The Clarksville Redevelopment Commission hired the Rundell Ernstberger Associates team to assist the Town in creating the Catapult Central Clarksville (3C) Master Plan. The purpose of this plan is to create long-term community vision for re-development of the commercial corridor along Lewis and Clark Parkway and Broadway Street. The Town needs your help to define what improvements are needed so these places can better serve you and the community. Please join us January 13th to provide your input.

FOLLOW OUR PROGRESS

The process is just beginning and will include multiple input and engagement opportunities as well as chances to review draft recommendations and provide feedback. We encourage you to follow plan progress at www.3cmasterplan.com and keep an eye out for future meeting announcements, surveys, and additional project materials.

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Focus Group Meetings | January 13, 2020

• Lazarus Group

Several focus group meetings were held in the morning and early afternoon to learn about the area. Stakeholders, business owners, residents, representatives of various groups and properties, and others such as Town Staff members were involved in these meetings. A list of these groups who were present and represented include:

• Coyle Auto Group

• Clark Station Shopping Center • Slone Automotive Sales • Montrose Building • 201 Lewis and Clark • 705, 707, and 711 Building • WorkOne • Personal Counseling Services • State Representative • Duke Energy • Ivy Tech College • Indiana American Water Company • One Southern Indiana • Agless Art • First Savings Bank • ARC • First Savings Bank • Form G Companies • Lopp Real Estate • ReMax

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• The Wheatly Group • Denton Floyd • Storage Express • Best Western • Broadway Properties • Align Southern Indiana • Community Foundation of Southern Indiana • MCM CPA • BlueSky Network • Clarksville BZA • ArtSeed • Old National Bank • Plan Commission • Knob Hill Homeowners Association • RHC • Hogan Real Estate • Kimmel Racing • 711 Shopping Center • Former Rails Restaurant Buildings


Public Open House 1 | January 13, 2020 This public open house was informal and let the public participate in various feedback activities and learn about the analysis that the consultants had been working on involving the existing conditions and market of the Central Clarksville area. Several activity boards helped the consultants learn more about the strengths and concerns of the area and understand what types of development styles the public would like to see in the area using an image preference survey. These activities were translated into an online survey for those who could not attend the meeting in person to still provide their opinions and help the consultant team develop a vision for the Master Plan. Visioning Workshop Presentation | January 16, 2020 A presentation was given at the end of the Workshop to Staff and the public that summarized the public feedback from the focus group meetings and open house on January 13, 2020 and reviewed the design process that the consultants and Town Staff worked on throughout the week.

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Town Staff Workshop with Consultant Team | February 5, 2020

Task Force Meeting 3 | February 11, 2020

Town Staff came to the consultant office to help refine the redevelopment strategy. During this meeting, a summary of results from the online survey that went live after the first Public Open House was presented. This included a summary of all responses to questions, mapping exercises, image preference results, and any additional feedback. The results can be seen over the next few page in combination with the public open house responses.

The third meeting with the Task Force covered all the information collected up to this point including the results of the online survey. During this meeting, a market analysis and development program was presented, the vision was reviewed, the design frameworks and concepts were discussed, and an initial plan for phasing the development was created to review with the members.

Focus group interview 6

5

4

* * *

* *

3

2

1

0

During the Focus Groups, these were the top issues identified. The topics with an asterisk was identified in the Request for Proposals (RFP) issued by the Town.

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*= Issues from RFP

OVER 40 FOCUS GROUP ATTENDEES OVER 100 OPEN HOUSE ATTENDEES OVER 300 PEOPLE COMPLETED ONLINE SURVEY Summary of attendance from the Visioning Workshop (including focus groups and the open house) and Online Survey which resulted in over 400 people learning about the project and providing feedback


Where are the OPPORTUNITIES for improvement, new development, or redevelopment in the study area? • All the empty or underutilized buildings

Are there any specific ISSUES within the study area that we should be aware of? • Traffic along L & C and Veterans

• The two mall properties

• Sewage smell

• Higher quality hotels as an alternative to Louisville

• Development along Eastern Blvd.

• Lewis & Clark Parkway (especially past Kia)

• Too many run-down apartments and homes in this area

• Greentree Blvd.

• Fill the empty malls, they are a damper on the community

• Eastern Blvd.

• Need to look beyond retail, that’s not the future of this corridor

• Opportunities to create gateways / gateway development

• We’re losing businesses to other neighboring cities/towns

• Make a more outdoor feel for shopping, with pedestrian amenities and green spaces

• Lack of sidewalks (especially along Blackiston Mill), trees, green spaces

• Food truck garden at one of the retail developments utilizing the excess parking lot

• Homelessness and drug use/issues

• Opportunities that attract younger families • Housing, in many forms and price points • Don’t want Clarksville to lose its small-town appeal • Redevelop under-utilized commercial areas into mixed-use developments • Woodstock Dr. needs to be reopened • Lower taxes and fees, permits, etc. Summary of answers given for the question “where are the opportunities for improvement, new development, or redevelopment in the study area?” (online summary)

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• Do not try to reuse existing structures that have been vacant for years. Best course of redevelopment for these areas (especially for different purpose) is a clean slate • Do not remove travel lanes • Connecting the neighborhoods into one community would be helpful. Everything is so separated that it creates a lack of cohesiveness • Housing, improve exiting stock, make more affordable, incentives for owner-occupied rehabs, prioritize home ownership over rental apartments Summary of answers given for the question “are there any specific issues within the study area that we should be aware of?” (online summary)

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What existing roadways and/or intersections needs to be improved to address safety or other concerns? Please be as specific as possible.

There were over 200 responses to the question “what existing roadways and/or intersections need to be improved to address safety or other concerns?” This map and comments are specific to feedback received pertaining to Lewis and Clark Parkway and surrounding development. (open house & online summary)

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What existing roadways and/or intersections needs to be improved to address safety or other concerns? Please be as specific as possible.

There were over 200 responses to the question “what existing roadways and/or intersections need to be improved to address safety or other concerns?” This map and comments are specific to feedback received pertaining to Broadway Street, Greentree Boulevard and surrounding development. (open house & online summary)

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What existing roadways and/or intersections needs to be improved to address safety or other concerns? Please be as specific as possible.

There were over 200 responses to the question “what existing roadways and/or intersections need to be improved to address safety or other concerns?” This map and comments are specific to feedback received pertaining to Blackiston Mill Road and surrounding development. (open house & online summary)

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What existing roadways and/or intersections needs to be improved to address safety or other concerns? Please be as specific as possible.

There were over 200 responses to the question “what existing roadways and/or intersections need to be improved to address safety or other concerns?” This map and comments are specific to feedback received pertaining to Veterans Parkway and surrounding development. (open house & online summary)

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Image Preferences: please select your preferred image for development types you would like to see in Central Clarksville. SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING

OPEN HOUSE

ONLINE

MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING

BOTH MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT

BOTH

OPEN HOUSE

ONLINE

PLAZA SPACE

GATEWAY STRUCTURE

PUBLIC SPACE ENHANCEMENT PARK SPACE

ONLINE 186

ART/LANDMARK


CREATE A BETTER OVERALL EXPERIENCE TREE LINED STREETS

PROTECTED TRAIL

ENHANCED PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY

RENEWABLE ENERGY

BOTH DESTINATION AND EVENT SPACES PLAYGROUND

PLAY IN FOUNTAIN (SPLASH PAD)

LOCAL STORES AND RESTAURANTS

SEASONAL FESTIVAL

BOTH

ONLINE

EXPERIENCE NATURE

FARMER’S MARKET

OPEN HOUSE

ONLINE

COMMUNITY GARDEN

OUTDOOR PERFORMANCE

The results of the image preferences come from the open house and online survey results. If “both” is listed on an image, it means that it was a top result for both those who attended the open house and who participated online in the survey.

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When you think of Future Clarksville, what words or phrases come to mind? (top 10 answers) • Local businesses

What is your one BIG IDEA for Central Clarksville?

• Green spaces for walking, running, gathering, outdoor plaza, outdoor dining

• Greenspace

• Reimagine Central Clarksville as a place for people, not vehicles.

• Tree lined streets

• Affordable housing for all ages & stages.

• Farmer’s Market

• Use water to create a destination (canal or lake)

• Affordability

• Remove excess pavement • Locally owned businesses

• Breweries/wineries/outdoor dining

• Transform vacant space into useful space

• Walkable neighborhoods

• Make it more family friendly, attractions for kids, teens, families

• Sidewalk cafes

• Green buildings • Add more medical facilities

• Sit down restaurants

• Create a “downtown”

• Landscape

• Destination retail like Ikea or Costco • Music venue • Make it a more small-town/inviting feeling • Dog park • Need more/better grocery options • Better pedestrian access • To utilize the River Falls Mall as a possible Convention Center for Southern Indiana and to regrow the Green Tree Mall. • Widen Blackiston Mill and provide sidewalks throughout Central Clarksville • More community events • Modernization! I feel Clarksville has been left behind by New Albany and Jeff.

Top 10 answers given from the online survey to answer the question “when you think of Future Clarksville, what words or phrases come to mind?” There were over 200 responses. (online summary)

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Summary of answers given for the question “what is your one big idea for Central Clarksville?” (online summary)


Online Public Open House and Launch of New Public Website | open from May – June 2020 The Online Public House was created to replace the previously planned in-person open house event scheduled for March 16, 2020. The COVID-19 Pandemic took over, and the State went into lockdown the week before. Several internal meetings with Staff were held to review materials and upgrade the project website to include a more interactive feature for the public to utilize and learn about the project. Once the website was updated, a full page for the project was updated to include a detailed summary of findings and explanation of concepts one and two. The Online Public Open House was a secondary page that involved video and text explanation and integrated several questions in between these text explanations and videos to gain feedback.

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Redevelopment Commission Meeting 2 | June 23, 2020

Lincoln Park Neighborhood Meeting 1 | November 5, 2020

A project update was given to the Redevelopment Commission.

During the refinement of concepts one and two, the consultant and Town Staff reached out to the residents of the Lincoln Park neighborhood to participate in a neighborhood meeting that took place both in-person and virtually. Several residents of the neighborhood showed up to learn about the master plan, but more importantly, discuss the future of the neighborhood and help lead a discussion about design elements that should and should not be incorporated into the neighborhood. Concepts one and two were presented, but three additional options were presented by the consultant to held lead the discussion and provide a number of development options to show what can be done with neighborhood and adjacent properties.

Online Zoom Meeting – Project Update | August 13, 2020 A Public Forum was held via Zoom to provide a project update and answer questions from the public. An overview of the two concepts that were developed were discussed and several questions were answered by both Town Staff and the consultant team. Planning Commission Meeting 1 & Town Council Meeting 1 | September 1, 2020 A meeting was held with the Planning Commission and Town Council where the consultants reviewed concepts one and two with the members in detail. A handout with both concepts and several notes were provided to review the development ideas with all members, collect feedback and answer questions, and work to create the final development concept.

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Lincoln Park Neighborhood Meeting 2 | January 28, 2021 Following the first neighborhood meeting, a second combination in-person/ online meeting for the Lincoln Park neighborhood was held at the end of January. This meeting was attended by residents of the neighborhood and recapped the previous meeting notes and comments before presenting and discussing the revised Lincoln Park neighborhood concept. The previous meeting identified that the neighborhood should remain affordable, primarily have single-family housing options, and have access to nearby amenities such as shops, parks, and jobs. The revised concept builds on the existing housing development, and provides a buffer of more dense housing development to protect the neighborhood from being overcome with other, more intense uses including hospitality, employment, and commercial developments. Task Force Meeting 4 | May 6, 2021 The fourth Task Force meeting presented the final development concept, the big ideas leading the development design, and presented development programs and strategies for the Town to adopt and implement. This was the first time that renderings were presented which showed the existing conditions of a site and an after image of how that area could be redeveloped and redesigned. Task Force Meeting 5 | June 3, 2021 After the fourth Task Force meeting, a follow-up was scheduled a month later to let the members review the information and come back to the consultants with comments and questions. The meeting was a review of the previous presentation and discussed with the members some followup questions from the consultant team and Task Force members.

The final design concept that was recreated for the Lincoln Park neighborhood and presented at the second neighborhood meeting

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Public Open House 2 | July 1, 2021 The second Public Open House was held at the beginning of July and was entirely in-person. Two presentations were given during the open house which members of the community, stakeholders, business owners, and Town officials could come by to review the work, participate in a couple activities, and listen to the presentation and ask questions.

Results of the Piggy Bank Activity at the Open House on July 1, 2021 Topic

% Total Responses

Property Acquisition Financial Incentives to Property Owners/Developers Bicycle and Pedestrian Enhancements

9% 9% 19%

Parks & Public Gathering Spaces Funding to Non-Profit Community Development Corp. Roadway Enhancements

28% 12%

Beautification

16%

Utility Enhancements

5%

2%

The Piggy Bank exercise was utilized to help understand where the community thought public dollars would be best spent and to help determine project priorities in the future. The results are above.

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MARKET ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION

The Town of Clarksville engaged the multidisciplinary team of Rundell Ernstberger Associates (REA), AECOM, and CWC Latitudes to guide the Town’s leadership, staff, and residents through a master planning process to re-invigorate the commercial core in Clarksville. The study area is roughly 660 acres along Lewis and Clark Parkway, a main retail corridor serving Clarksville and the greater Louisville /southern Indiana region. As part of this effort AECOM has conducted the following: • Socio-economic analysis of Clarksville in context with the larger Clark County and Louisville metro • Study area real estate analysis of existing residential and commercial uses • Population and job growth projections to inform development scenarios and final program recommendations • Estimated, in current year dollars, the total assessed value and property tax revenue potential of the Master Plan’s new development program • Conducted a fiscal impact analysis comparing the current properties’ assessed values and property tax revenues with the Master Plan’s full buildout projections

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The following technical memo outlines AECOM’s fiscal impact analysis of the Catapult Central Clarksville (“3C”) Master Plan’s program. The analysis highlights how the proposed program has clear potential to unlock millions of dollars in property value, adding new and diversified housing stock, in context with new retail, office, and hospitality uses. Assumptions used in this analysis have been shaped by prior market analysis work, completed beginning in the spring of 2020, to understand salient trends in play across the study area. Key insights include: 1. Over the last decade, retail spending in Clarksville and nationwide has increased annually. However, growth has been largely driven by the shift towards e-commerce and away from traditional shopping malls. The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified this trend. In 2020, e-commerce as a share of national retail sales reached just over 20% whereas it had been between 13-16% in the preceding years. 2. Majority of Clarksville’s retail space (over 80%) is concentrated along the Lewis & Clark parkway. Today there is an excess of retail space in the corridor. This misalignment of retail supply and local demand, is evidenced by common challenges facing much of the country’s traditional retail spaces including, mall anchors unable to keep profitable retail sales on a per square foot basis leading to closer and older retail stock struggling to maintain tenancy amongst nearby new construction.

3. A contributing factor to Clarksville’s limited local retail demand is in the aging housing stock. Over three quarters of Clarksville’s housing stock pre-dates 1980 making it over 40 years old. Newer inventory, greater diversity of typologies, and increased population density in the study area would also help support local retail establishments. 4. Clarksville is at the center of the growing Louisville MSA region, however, the town, has been unable to maintain its share of regional growth in population, jobs, and households since 2000. The 3C Master Plan is a strategy to catalyze new developments that can hopefully allow Clarksville to see its own share of regional growth. Importantly, the analysis was not updated to account for COVID-19 induced changes in vacancy across the corridor.


ASSUMPTIONS & METHODOLOGY

The following fiscal impact analysis looked at the Lewis & Clark corridor’s current assessed value and property taxes and estimated the value and property taxes of the new development program in order to understand the value potential of the 3C Master Plan. To conduct this analysis the following assumptions were used.

PRESENT VALUE

All fiscal analysis figures including assessed values and property tax figures are in present value, 2021 dollars for comparison purposes. One year of inflation (at 2%) was added to the current property’s 2019 assessment year values (which are used for 2020 taxes). Construction assumptions were also set to 2021 dollars for new development. In addition, these figures do not factor in phasing as well as property value appreciation or tax rate increases.

Property Type

Construction Cost Per Sq.Ft.

Retail / Restaurant

$136

Office / Flex

$128

Hospitality

$111

Multi-Family

$130

Single-Family Attached

$119

Single-Family Detached

$119

Figure 1. Hard Construction Costs Per Square Foot Assumptions by Property Type ($2021)

VALUE OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

In order to determine the assessed value (the taxing capacity before deductions) of the Master Plan’s program of new development, construction value was used as a proxy for market value, which in the state of Indiana is equivalent to assessed value. AECOM applied hard construction cost per square foot assumptions to the new development program square footage in order to estimate the new development’s assessed value. Figure 1 shows the construction costs per square foot that were used for each real estate use type.

PROPERTY TAXES

Property taxes were estimated for both the current condition and the future build-out by applying the appropriate property tax cap rates to assessed values by property type. Figure 2 shows the property tax cap rate assumptions used for each property type in the study area.

Property Types

Cap

Single-Family Detached

1%

Single-Family Attached

1%

Multi-Family

2%

Other Residential Structure or Vacant Land

2%

Agriculture

2%

Hospitality

3%

Retail

3%

Office

3%

Industrial

3%

Other Commercial Structure / Vacant Land

3%

Exempt

0%

Figure 2. Property Tax Cap Rates by Property Type

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Master Plan Program identifies capacity for roughly 10 million square feet of built real estate spanning a mix of residential, retail, office and hospitality uses. The Master Plan program identifies capacity for 9.3 million square feet of new development to the 600-acre study area. In addition, the plan at full build-out will retain one million square feet of current real estate. The full build-out, the current square footage to remain plus the new development, will result in a program that is 10.3 million square feet (see Figure 3).

Property Type Retail / Restaurant

Current Remaining Sq.Ft.

New Program Sq.Ft.

Full Build-Out Sq.Ft.

480,000

1,500,000

1,980,000

20,000

1,090,000

1,110,000

350,000

400,000

750,000

Multi-Family

0

3,220,000

3,220,000

Single-Family Attached

0

1,250,000

1,250,000

Single-Family Detached

140,000

1,810,000

1,950,000

TOTAL

990,000

9,260,000

10,250,000

Office / Flex Hospitality

Figure 3. Program Square Footage by Property Type Notes: and Property Status (Current Remaining vs New The following residential square feet per unit Development) assumptions were used to estimate residential program square feet • Multi-family: 1,000 sf per unit • Single family attached: 1,500 sf per unit • Single family detached: 2,000 sf per unit

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The 3C Master Plan seeks to create distinct walkable neighborhoods comprised of a dynamic mix of uses. The full program’s real estate land use (excluding open space) will be nearly two thirds residential and one third commercial. The residential uses (62% of the real estate program) will include multi-family, single family attached and single-family detached housing. Retail will remain a prominent land use comprising 19% of the program. The remaining commercial uses are hospitality (11%) and Office / Flex space (7%) which similar to the other uses will be a mix of existing properties and new development. Figure 4 shows a breakdown of this information.

19.3%

19.0%

ASSESSED VALUE IMPLICATIONS

At full build-out, the master plan identifies clear potential to unlock significant additional real estate value 4x greater than current corridor valuation. Currently, the study area has an estimated $272 million in total assessed value (2021 dollars), across residential and commercial retail estate. The program at full build-out (including the current properties to remain) is projected to be worth $1.2 billion dollars in assessed value (2021 dollars). The full build-out’s assessed value will be more than 4x greater than today’s current assessed value. The actual total assessed value and property taxes generated from the Master Plan will be a factor of realized program phasing, real estate values, and tax policy.

10.8%

12.2%

7.3% Assessed Value

Current vs. Plan Full Build-Out (2021)

31.4% Retail / Restaurant

2,000,000 sq.ft.

Office / Flex

1,260,000 sq.ft.

Hospitality

940,000 sq.ft.

Multi-Family

3,200 units

Single Family, attached

833 units

Single-Family, Detached 977 units Figure 4. Full Build-Out Program Square Footage by Property Type

3C MASTER PLAN Catapult Central Clarksville

$1,218,310,000

$272,010,000 Current Study Area Assessed Value

Proposed Full Plan Assessed Value (Gross)

Figure 5. Assessed Value in Current Dollars: Current Condition vs Master Plan at Full Build-Out

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The table below (figure 6) showcases the estimated construction value and therefore assessed value by property type and Master Plan Subarea. At present value (2021 dollars), the Master Plan’s 9.2 million square feet of new development will translate into $1.17 billion of total assessed value.

Subarea 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 TOTAL

Retail / Restaurant $0 $0 $0 $17,770,000 $12,860,000 $1,480,000 $33,670,000 $93,830,000 $3,900,000 $0 $3,900,000 $0 $0 $0 $4,400,00 $14,220,000 $17,240,000 $0 $0 $203,270,000

Office / Flex $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $49,720,000 $0 $3,300,00 $0 $0 $24,760,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $61,120,000 $138,900,000

Figure 6. New Development Estimated Assessed Value by Property Type and Master Plan Subarea

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Hospitality $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $29,100,000 $0 $0 $0 $15,030,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $44,130,000

Multi-Family $0 $0 $0 $34,060,000 $24,650,000 $7,510,000 $64,520,000 $129,830,000 $22,120,000 $50,310,000 $7,480,000 $8,740,000 $0 $0 $8,420,000 $27,260,000 $33,050,000 $0 $0 $417,950,000

Single-Family Attached

Single-Family Detached

$0 $0 $5,340,000 $1,420,000 $11,390,000 $10,500,000 $15,660,000 $5,340,000 $2,490,000 $0 $0 $5,340,000 $0 $5,690,000 $4,800,000 $38,070,000 $22,240,000 $19,930,000 $0 $148,210,000

$22,770,000 $2,850,000 $19,210,000 $0 $42,220,000 $17,320,000 $51,000,000 $31,310,000 $10,200,000 $0 $4,270,000 $3,080,000 $10,910,000 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $215,140,000

Total $22,770,000 $2,850,000 $24,550,000 $53,250,000 $91,120,000 $36,810,000 $164,850,000 $339,130,000 $38,710,000 $53,610,000 $15,650,000 $32,190,000 $35,670,000 $5,690,000 $17,620,000 $79,550,000 $72,530,000 $19,930,000 $61,120,000 $1,167,600,000


The Master Plan program’s $1.17 billion in new development, is in addition to the $50 million of assessed value attributed to the current property that is to remain. Therefore, the full Master Plan program, in present day dollars, is estimated to be $1.2 billion. However, it is important to note that the $1.17 billion in new construction is not completely new assessed value being added to Clarksville. The new construction is the redevelopment of existing property. In order to enable new development, there will first be a loss of $221 million in assessed value, which then ultimately does get replaced by the new program. The Master Plan’s new development Subarea

Current Assessed Value

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 TOTAL

$920,000 $4,050,000 $3,640,000 $11,140,000 $17,180,000 $9,850,000 $63,260,000 $50,180,000 $1,760,000 $14,390,000 $8,440,000 $4,590,000 $13,840,000 $3,690,000 $2,540,000 $18,130,000 $13,580,000 $11,540,000 $19,290,000 $272,010,000

Demolished (to be Redeveloped) Assessed Value $920,000 $2,300,000 $3,640,000 $1,920,000 $17,180,000 $9,850,000 $63,260,000 $42,440,000 $1,450,000 $2,620,000 $290,000 $4,590,000 $11,130,000 $810,000 $2,540,000 $17,120,000 $13,580,000 $11,540,000 $14,120,000 $221,300,000

program is estimated to have a total assessed value that is more than 5x the value of the property’s current assessed value. The following table outlines the breakdown of demolished (to be replaced) assessed value, current remaining value, new development value and then the final buildout’s total assessed value. As previously mentioned, the full build-out’s total assessed value is estimated to be $1.2 billion dollars and is the sum of the current remaining assessed value and the new development’s gross assessed value.

Current Remaining Assessed Value $0 $1,750,000 $0 $9,220,000 $0 $0 $0 $7,750,000 $310,000 $11,760,000 $8,150,000 $0 $2,700,000 $1,890,000 $0 $1,000,000 $0 $0 $5,170,000 $50,700,000

New Development Gross Assessed Value $22,770,000 $2,850,000 $24,550,000 $53,250,000 $91,130,000 $36,800,000 $164,850,000 $339,110,000 $38,720,000 $53,610,000 $15,650,000 $32,190,000 $35,670,000 $5,690,000 $17,620,000 $79,560,000 $72,530,000 $19,930,000 $61,120,000 $1,167,600,000

Full Build-Out Total Assessed Value $22,770,000 $4,600,000 $24,550,000 $62,470,000 $91,130,000 $36,800,000 $164,850,000 $346,860,000 $39,020,000 $65,380,000 $23,800,000 $32,190,000 $38,380,000 $8,580,000 $17,620,000 $80,560,000 $72,530,000 $19,930,000 $66,290,000 $1,218,310,000

Figure 7. Assessed Values by Master Plan Subarea Notes: and Master Plan Condition 1. All values are in present, 2021, dollars which assumed one year of 2% inflation on the 2019 assessment year values

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PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IMPLICATIONS

The Master Plan’s full build-out is estimated to generate over 3x more property taxes than the current Lewis & Clark corridor, increasing the town’s funding resources. As outlined below in figure 8, the study area currently contributes an estimated $7.7 million in property taxes. Of that $7.7 million of property taxes, $1.4 million will remain and $6.3 million will come offline. The new development is estimated to generate three times more property taxes than the property poised for redevelopment does today. The $1.4 million in remaining property’s taxes plus the new development’s $23.6 million in takes results in the total study area contributing nearly $25 million worth of property taxes. The Master Plan’s full build-out is estimated to generate over three times more property taxes than the properties do currently. The 3C Master Plan has the potential to provide the town with greater property tax resources to support school districts and town provided services by growing the real estate value base of the study area.

Property Type Retail / Restaurant Office / Flex Hospitality Multi-Family Single-Family Attached Single-Family Detached Other Uses TOTAL

Current $4,920,000 $310,000 $550,000 $80,0000 $0 $70,000 $1,780,000 $7,710,000

Demolished (to be Redeveloped) $4,400,000 $240,000 $0 $80,000 $0 $30,000 $1,560,000 $6,310,000

Current Remaining $520,000 $70,000 $550,000 $0 $0 $40,000 $210,000 $1,390,000

New Development $6,100,000 $4,170,000 $1,320,000 $8,360,000 $1,480,000 $2,150,000 $0 $23,580,000

Full Build-Out Total $6,620,000 $4,240,000 $1,870,000 $8,360,000 $1,480,000 $2,190,000 $210,000 $24,970,000

Figure 8. Property Taxes by Property Type and Master Notes: Plan Condition 1. Property taxes were estimated at the property tax cap rate without deductions or levy limits 2. Other includes industrial, vacant land, agriculture land, other commercial (including parking) and identical structures 3. All values are in present, 2021, dollars which assumed one year of 2% inflation on the 2019 assessment year values

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Property Tax Revenues at Full Build-Out $25 Million Total Build-Out

$23,580,000

New Development

Total New Revenue Added

GENERAL LIMITING CONDITIONS

Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the data contained in this report are accurate as of the date of this study; however, factors exist that are outside the control of AECOM and that may affect the estimates and/or projections noted herein. This study is based on estimates, assumptions and other information developed by AECOM from its independent research effort, general knowledge of the industry, and information provided by and consultations with the client and the client’s representatives. No responsibility is assumed for inaccuracies in reporting by the client, the client’s agent and representatives, or any other data source used in preparing or presenting this study. This report is based on information that was current as of March 2021, and AECOM has not undertaken any update of its research effort since such date.

$1,400,000

Current Remaining

-$6,300,000

Demolished

Revenue Remaining Revenue Removed

Figure 9. Property Tax Revenues by Development Type Notes: 1. Property taxes were estimated at the property tax cap rate without deductions or levy limits 2. All values are in present, 2021, dollars which assumed one year of 2% inflation on the 2019 assessment year values

Because future events and circumstances, many of which are not known as of the date of this study, may affect the estimates contained therein, no warranty or representation is made by AECOM that any of the projected values or results contained in this study will actually be achieved. No abstracting, excerpting or summarization of this study may be made without first obtaining the prior written consent of AECOM. Further, AECOM has served solely in the capacity of consultant and has not rendered any expert opinions. This report is not to be used in conjunction with any public or private offering of securities, debt, equity, or other similar purpose where it may be relied upon to any degree by any person other than the client, nor is any third party entitled to rely upon this report, without first obtaining the prior written consent of AECOM. This study may not be used for purposes other than that for which it is prepared or for which prior written consent has first been obtained from AECOM. Any changes made to the study, or any use of the study not specifically prescribed under agreement between the parties or otherwise expressly approved by AECOM, shall be at the sole risk of the party making such changes or adopting such use. This study is qualified in its entirety by, and should be considered in light of, these limitations, conditions and considerations.

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DESIGN CONCEPTS

The design team has created two preliminary concepts for the 3C Master Plan. Both concepts are based on the previously discussed vision and guiding framework and subsequently share many characteristics. The concepts vary regarding incorporation of existing developments into the long-range redevelopment plan, organization of green spaces, and both residential and commercial development types and mixes.

CONCEPT 1

Concept 1 is a long-term vision focused on the ideas of mixed-use, walkability, compact development, and increased green and public spaces. Concept 1 is organized around a new commercial core, central plaza, and signature park in the area north of the intersection of Lewis and Clark Parkway and Greentree Boulevard. Both Lewis and Clark Parkway and Greentree Boulevard are envisioned as walkable, mixed-use corridors that feature a diverse array of businesses, enhanced bicycle and pedestrian facilities, and coordinated landscapes along the roadway. This concept is further defined by a range of dwelling types, intermixed to create diverse neighborhoods. The design intent and key themes present in Concept 1 include: • Re-imaging of the district away from large, regional malls. • Place-based commercial district built around new signature plaza and park. • Mixing of housing types to create diverse blocks and neighborhoods. • Continued hospitality development along the interstate. • Greenway loops to connect neighborhoods, retail and employment centers, and existing and new parks and public spaces.

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The central intersection of Lewis and Clark Parkway and Green Tree Boulevard is envisioned with buildings pulled up to the corners to create an entirely different development feel than what is there today. This development pattern is characterized by smaller blocks, taller buildings, and reduced setbacks so buildings are closer to the street. Parking is tucked behind the buildings to minimize its visual impact on the district. Lewis and Clark Parkway and Green Tree Boulevard have facilities and amenities so that bicyclists and pedestrians can safely ride along and cross these thoroughfares. There is also a signature grand park just south of Madison Street flanked by a retail/mixed use building that is oriented towards Green Tree Boulevard. This park would be programmed for year-round activity and use. South of Lewis and Clark Parkway is a new Discovery Trail neighborhood, designed to be a higher density, townhouse development built along the linear greenspace of Lewis and Clark Promenade. The greenspace serves as a park area but also a stormwater boulevard that catches runoff. The townhomes have access to the Discovery Trail, the nearby Goodwill Children’s Learning Center, and Ray Lawrence Park. Additionally, single family residential neighborhoods are proposed along Ryan Lane and areas further south of Kroger. These areas could include smaller lot housing, townhouses, attached single family houses, and mixeduse development at key locations. There would also be improvements to the Jeffersonville Township public library to accommodate the planned residential growth.


CONCEPT 1

GREEN TREE BLVD

WOODSTOCK DR

BROADWAY ST

CEDAR ST VAXTER AVE

HORN ST

MADISON ST

LYNCH LN

BLACKISTON MILL RD

RYAN LN

ADAMS ST

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N

L ATE LEG

EASTERN BLVD

APP

AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

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N

203


CONCEPT 2

Concept 2 is organized around the continued success of portions of both Green Tree and River Falls malls. These developments would be supported by mixed use infill projects along Green Tree Boulevard and Lewis and Clark Parkway, as well as significant office space development between Green Tree Boulevard and the interstate. Central to the area and between the mall developments would be a new hospitality-focused district with hotels, a conference center, and signature public space. The design intent and key themes present in Concept 2 include: • Enhance portions of both malls to ensure continued success of these anchors of the area. • Bicycle and pedestrian promenade to improve underutilized space south of Lewis and Clark Parkway with connections to Discovery Trail. • Enhanced focus on office/employment spaces. • Hospitality district with hotels, conference center, and public gathering space.

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• Multiple housing types but greater consistency on a block-by-block basis. In this concept, the Bass Pro Shop remains. A hotel with a restaurant and meeting space is located north of Madison Street. Single Family residential neighborhoods are built adjacent to the Lincoln Park neighborhood to revitalize and strengthen it. The area west of I-65 and south of Lewis and Clark Parkway is proposed to be an office and flex space district. This could be used to house a maker’s space, brewery, or small-scale manufacturing or prototyping businesses. Additionally, the single family residential neighborhoods proposed for Concept 1 are duplicated in Concept 2 for Ryan Lane and areas further south of Kroger. These areas can support smaller lot housing, townhouses, attached single family houses, and associated mixed use projects. There would also be improvements to the Jeffersonville Township public library to accommodate the planned residential growth.


CONCEPT 2

GREEN TREE BLVD

WOODSTOCK DR

BROADWAY ST

HORN ST

CEDAR ST

MADISON ST

VAXTER AVE

LYNCH LN

BLACKISTON MILL RD

RYAN LN

ADAMS ST

LEWIS & CLARK PKWY

N

L ATE LEG

EASTERN BLVD

APP

AIL

ERY TR

V DISCO

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N

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ROADWAY NETWORK

A complete streets network is one of the main concepts of this plan. Complete streets are streets that allow for multiple modes of transportation to be used on them at the same time. One of the immediate issues that was noticeable was the lack of street connections and access through throughout the area. Even on foot, Central Clarksville seemed massive, not walkable, and not safe. To change that, the existing street patterned was studied, including traffic counts, and future improvements. To increase access, the extensions of Broadway Street, Greentree Boulevard, Blackiston Mill Road, and Eastern Boulevard across Lewis and Clark Boulevard are needed. Then cross access perpendicular to I-65 could connect those roadways, re-establishing the traditional grid which institutes more pedestrian-scaled, walkable blocks.

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GATEWAY TREATMENT

Gateways are key entrances into a community, an area, or a district. They have special markers, structures, or signs which call attention to an area. Typically communities who want to call attention to a special area in their community often use additional elements such as limiting land use at the entry point of the district, special signage, elaborate aesthetic treatments, specially designed monuments, etc. What should be noted is that not all gateway points should be addressed in an identical manner, because not all gateway areas have the same significance. For example, Central Clarksville has at least two major entry points into the area – one at each end of the Lewis and Clark Parkway. The one near I-65 might include a larger monument or structure so that it can be seen from the highway, while the one located near Grand Park, may be a more natural piece designed with landscape. Below are some examples of constructed works and some ideas from the visioning workshop.


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