The Highpoint Village Center is located at about the midpoint of Portion Road, between the lake and Nicolls Road, which also the highest point of Portion Road. Geographically, it is the largest and longest of the three village centers, being situated in the area between Hans Boulevard and Holbrook Road. This presents some challenges for generating future redevelopment that still achieves the visioning goals. One possible solution suggested by the visioning planners was to create a new Main Street that runs north of, and parallel to, Portion Road. The feasibility of this solution will be investigated as the land use plan is developed.
Highpoint Village Center Visioning Goals
Land
Use
Establish future land use and zoning trends that
provide for appropriate commercial and residential
development in a traditional neighborhood pattern
in order to reduce commercial sprawl.
•
Develop a village center that is manageable and
compact and constantly active to foster a greater
sense of community.
• Develop defined transitional business and
residential districts outside of, and between,
village centers.
• Construct a variety of housing types and styles,
within walking distance (one-quarter mile) of the
village center, that provide dwellings for people
across their lifespan within the same community.
• Provide strong economic activity and incentives
to create jobs and an adequate tax base.
• Encourage redevelopment of previously developed
properties and buildings, as opposed to utilizing
virgin land.
• Encourage land use in the village center in the
following categories:
o Civic (public) spaces
o Civic (public) buildings
o Limited-access open space
o Small office and professional buildings (up to
1,000 square feet)
o Small retail and restaurant buildings (up to
1,200 square feet)
o Small assembly buildings (up to 150 people)
o Large restaurants (over 1,200 square feet)
• Encourage land use in the transitional district
outside the village center in the following
categories:
o Limited access open space
o Apartment buildings (over 8 units), lodging
o Large office and professional buildings (over
1,000 square feet)
o Large assembly buildings (over 150 people)
o Automotive uses, such as gas stations, service
stations
Pathways
Establish roadway improvements to adequately serve
the adjoining land uses. Provide alternate means of
access and travel, and enhance all forms of
transportation including vehicles, pedestrians, and
bicycles.
•
Introduce traffic calming measures to ensure safe
traffic flow for both local and through vehicular
traffic.
• Ensure that improved roadways are functional for
all users, including pedestrians, and aesthetically
pleasing, in both the village center and
transitional districts.
• Promote pedestrian activity within the village
center.
• Promote pedestrian access to the village center
from surrounding residences.
• Promote vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle
safety.
• Provide businesses with appropriate parking that
will reduce vehicle usage and encourage pedestrian
movement between businesses.
• Reduce the number of curb cuts on main
thoroughfares by encouraging shared parking, cross
access between business properties, and creating
parallel roads.
Placemaking
Provide for well-placed and centrally located
public and civic spaces and parks, including the
preservation of open space and sensitive lands.
•
Establish a transfer development rights or credit
program to offer increased density within the
village center in exchange for preserving green
spaces and reducing density within transitional
districts.
• Protect, preserve, and remediate freshwater
wetlands.
• Create pedestrian-friendly public parks and civic
spaces with attractive landscaping and street
furniture within the village center.
• Develop attractive locations for community
events, year-round, in the village center that will
increase civic identity and encourage
participation.
• Create new and protect existing green spaces,
with limited access, in transitional districts.
• Create a lateral green in the village center,
parallel to Portion Road.
• Establish a green space and 9/11 memorial on the
hilltop property on the south side of Portion Road.
Streetscape
Create attractive and appealing streetscapes to
create civic identity and promote pedestrian and
business activity.
•
Establish architectural guidelines to create a
sense of place and identity with in the village
center. The goal of guidelines is promote unity and
compatibility among buildings, including facades,
signage, canopies, awnings, lighting, etc.
• Improve the overall streetscape by providing
additional landscaping treatments along roadways,
installing street furniture for pedestrians, and
screening unappealing areas with landscaping.
• Establish guidelines for landscaping and street
furniture in the village center.
• Establish architectural guidelines to create an
appealing and appropriate transition between
village centers.
• Establish guidelines for landscaping and street
furniture between village centers.