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1~ <br />research space, .300,000 square feet of residential space, and about 70,000 square feet of <br />service/retail.. Mr. Firstenberg emphasized that the retail area would not be designed to <br />attract outside interests but to meet the needs of the people who are there,. <br />Mayor Foy asked if the gateway area being shown would be Phase I. Mr. Firstenberg <br />replied that it would be a logical place to start, from a planner's perspective, but that they <br />would address the airport issues later in his presentation. Mayor Foy asked why it was a <br />logical place to start. Mr. Firstenberg replied that the airport land had already been <br />disturbed and was level. And there would be the opportunity with the gateway entrance <br />to make a statement about the quality of the development and the types of users, he said. <br />Also, coming off Airport Road makes that the least expensive place for the project to <br />start, Mr. Firstenberg pointed out. <br />Mr. Firstenberg said that UNC intended to have surface par]<ing at the initial phase and <br />replace it with structured parking in Phases VI and VIh This would make it denser <br />without ever having to expand it out, he said. <br />Council Member Ward commented, "So there are about two people listening in this room <br />who are ever going to see stntctured parking on Phase h" Mr. Firstenberg agreed that it <br />would be about 50 years before Phase I would have structured parking. <br />Council Member Verkerk asked if there was a plan to use public transit, Mr. Firstenberg <br />replied that they were envisioning upgrading bus service on Airport Road for the earliest <br />phases. The rail line would be a potential long-term transit solution, he said. Mr. <br />Firstenberg explained that roads were being designed to allow efficient bus circulation <br />tlunughout the project. Council Member Verkerk asked about the ratio of parking to <br />students and employees, noting that within ten years main campus would have one space <br />to every two employees or students. Mr. Firstenberg offered to answer that question later <br />in his presentation. <br />Mayor Foy stated that it would be helpful to know this phase by phase, since Phase I <br />might be built "while those of us who are here can see it and also experience it." He <br />noted that, from the Town's perspective, transportation was the primary issue with regard <br />to Carolina North. Mr. Firstenberg agreed to provide that information but said that he did <br />not know it off the top of his head. He agreed that LING and the Town should discuss all <br />such issues. "I-Iow we,juggle priorities, how we deal with fiscal realities, are things that <br />we need to be doing together," he said. Mr. Firstenberg said that he would be pleased to <br />provide the information and sit down with the appropriate people to start working <br />though those issues to come up with the right plan. <br />Mr. Firstenberg said that one of the obvious things to do during the initial phase is to <br />make it convenient for people to get there. Enhancing the public transit that already <br />exists will encourage its use, he said, adding that this was another advantage of starting <br />on the Airport Road side. Council Member Greene pointed out that convenient parking <br />was not as important to the Town as parking that will not overflow and which supports <br />the Town's goal of more use of mass transit. <br />