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Highland Green Building Clears Sidewalk Ahead Of Schedule
Bardstown Road Sidewalk (photo by Public Works via CART)
After a stir this week over pedestrian rights at construction zones focusing on a high-visibility site on Bardstown Road, CART is reporting that developer Michael Jones has opened up the sidewalk two and a half weeks ahead of schedule. CART (Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transit) held a rally at the site on Monday to draw attention to the city’s sidewalk closure permit process that doesn’t provide pedestrians a viable path around construction sites.
Kudos to Michael Jones of Highland Cleaners and Doric Real Estate as well as Councilman Tom Owen and Public Works for responding quickly to community concerns. Thanks as well to CART for drawing attention to the needs of pedestrians in Louisville. Now on with Bardstown Road’s newest sustainable infill development.
I have believed all along the problem is not with any particular development but is a structural issue in the permitting process. Hopefully that issue can be resolved in the future before there’s a need for another installment of Operation Sidewalk Defense.
PrintOperation Sidewalk Defense Successfully Promotes Pedestrian Safety
Operation Sidewalk Defense on Bardstown Road (Photo courtesy CART)
Yesterday’s pedestrian safety rally dubbed Operation Sidewalk Defense on Bardstown Road at the site of of the recently demolished car wash has been declared a success. Sponsored by CART (Coalition for the Advancement of Regional Transportation), the rally reportedly saved countless lives as supporters helped pedestrians navigate around an unruly construction fence.
CART employed bright neon-colored signs with slogans such as “Pedestrians are sexy” and “Your feet are neat” to get their message across and even had their trusty chicken on hand to ensure all motorists were aware of the danger. Apparently, up to ten pedestrians were forced onto the street at a time during the rally and the police showed up to order the pedestrians out of the street. I’ll have more details later. Check out a few more photos of the rally on flickr.
At issue are sidewalk closures common in construction zones. Safe pedestrian lanes aren’t always required under these permits resulting in scenarios like the one on Bardstown Road. Property owners are only required to fulfill the requirements set forth in the permit, so they have technically done nothing wrong, but if the city would stipulate that safe passage on foot is required, everyone would be a little safer.
David Morse, president of CART, says that henceforth, an ultimatum has been issued to the city:
“The new system for sidewalk closures: if the city issues a dumb sidewalk closing permit, they’ll be hearing from citizens. We’ve given them a pass, but not anymore. Walking is not optional. Walking is the fundamental human transportation, and freedom to walk is a civil right. A city that lightly dismisses walking has lost sight of its first asset – closely packed people. A city that regulates sidewalk closings and messes up this badly has shown that it has a flaw in its system.”
He also points out that Louisville has recently established a plan to improve such issues in the Louisville Community Walkability Plan adopted in 2008, but there are obviously many challenges ahead. I’m glad these issues of pedestrian safety are being pushed to the fore especially in light of Louisville’s dismal national rating for pedestrian safety.
Green Architecture Planned At Bardstown Road Car Wash Site
Rendering of the Highland Green Building (Courtesy Design Plus)
Bardstown Road is gettings its own “green building.” A new two-and-a-half story mixed-use structure is proposed for the site of of a former car wash on the corner of Bardstown Road and Edgeland Avenue and will contain a Highland Cleaners, retail space, and two condos.
Michael Jones, owner of Highland Cleaners and Doric Real Estate, hopes to set a precedent for sustainable architecture on the Bardstown Road corridor with his structure dubbed the Highland Green Building. Among the green amenities planned are passive and active solar technologies, a green roof, pervious concrete, geothermal heating and cooling, and even a greenhouse above the garage that will be able to grow food year round. Jones is also planning a sidewalk educational feature with a computer screen showing how the green technology works.
Two lofted condos are planned above the first floor retail space. One retail space will include a Highland Dry Cleaners drop off location. No dry cleaning will be handled on site due to the chemicals involved in the process.
The proposed structure was designed by Design Plus Architecture of Bardstown Road who also recently designed the Bardstown-Eastern Building housing a Heine Brothers Coffee Shop just down the street. John Warmack, principal at Design Plus, says the building will be a little more modern than the B-E Building but will still blend with the neighborhood through scale and material. The building facade will primarily be brick.
A drive-through for Highland Cleaners is planned despite the green nature of the building in a walkable area, but Jones says it’s an important part of the dry-cleaning business and customers demand ease of access. Warmack says the drive-through and parking were placed at the back of the narrow site to minimize its appearance on Bardstown Road.
Construction could start as early as next month, but Doric Real Estate is still in the process of acquiring permits. The project has already been through the Bardstown Road Overlay Distrist and a demolition permit has already been approved for the old car wash and site clearance should occur soon.
Jones and Warmack both agree tearing down the car wash and building an urban edge along the street will fundamentally improve the streetscape and create a synergy with other businesses in the area.
Click through for site photos, a map, and another rendering.
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