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10 <br />Highway 70 Corridor <br />The Highway 70 corridor is an important east-west transportation route. A variety of land uses, <br />including residential uses, are located along the corridor. Balancing residential and non- <br />residential uses along the Highway 70 corridor is an important aspect of preserving the <br />community character of the planning area. The following recommendations are made regarding <br />the Highway 70 corridor: <br />1. A mix of uses should be allowed along the Highway 70 corridor but non-residential uses <br />should be low-impact (i.e., low traffic generators, etc.) office and commercial types of <br />uses. In order to achieve this, a corridor overlay plan and zoning district should be <br />created. The plan/zoning district should incorporate the following ideas: <br />a) Additional mixed use and urban development should be served by the sanitary sewer <br />system. <br />b) In order to protect community character while permitting appropriate growth, low <br />impact non-residential uses such as offices should be encouraged. High traffic <br />generating uses should not be allowed. Limits on the amount of permitted parking <br />should be established and parking should be located at the sides or rears of buildings <br />rather than directly in front of the buildings. <br />c) Because they are not in keeping with existing community character and tend to be <br />high traffic generators, `formula' (i.e., `chain' or franchise) restaurants and/or drive <br />through restaurants should not be permitted along the Highway 70 corridor unless <br />they are implemented in a manner that modifies the typical design to blend with the <br />community. <br />d) The number of curb cuts along Highway 70 should be minimized. Uses should be <br />allowed only one curb cut on the Highway and/or be connected as part of the frontage <br />road access management system. Additionally, opportunities for re-development and <br />the re-combination of small lots should be identified and encouraged. <br />e) The corridor overlay plan should include a streetscape plan and design guidelines for <br />new buildings and uses. The guidelines should encourage appropriate conversion of <br />existing residential structures into commercial uses so that the feel of a residential <br />corridor is preserved. The guidelines should also address signage standards to be <br />applied to the corridor. The current eclectic, vernacular character of the area should <br />be preserved and homogenous design should be discouraged. <br />f) The corridor overlay plan should balance commercial and residential uses. The <br />Highway 70 corridor should not be permitted to become a predominantly commercial <br />corridor. <br />g) The corridor overlay plan should address how to allow the expansion of existing <br />appropriate commercial uses that are not in conformance with current zoning <br />regulations ("nonconforming uses"). <br />h) New or redeveloping non-residential uses should utilize existing housing stock and/or <br />build at a scale and character that complements the existing architecture. <br />i) Non-residential uses in the Highway 70 corridor should be encouraged first at the <br />following intersections: Buckhorn Road, Frazier Road, Richmond Road, and Efland- <br />68 <br />