Only one item was on the regular agenda for the April Design Review Board Meeting-Urban Panel. But the board also reviewed two informal items – including a plan to combine streetlights with cell towers downtown.
Sign exception at Duvall Drive
This application is to install a 20-foot pylon sign with a 48-square-foot sign face at 107 Duvall Dr. Sonic Automotive plans to redevelop the former Greenville motel site adjacent to I-85 and is looking for a larger sign than is allowed in the sign ordinance. The applicant said the sign would be “more of a monument-type sign” and at the board’s request it would be repositioned closer to the highway. The board agreed the request was reasonable and approved the application.
Northpointe
During the informal review session, the board reviewed new renderings for the Northpointe mixed-use project. Northpointe plans include a 53,000-square-foot Harris Teeter grocery store, 285 multifamily units, 30,000 square feet of commercial space, 100 surface parking spaces and a six-story, 665-space parking deck along Stone Avenue and Wade Hampton Boulevard.
While the design is greatly improved from initial ones, with a larger variety of materials and a “different but similar” look to the buildings, city staff said additional work needs to be done on the back side of Harris Teeter, specifically along Wade Hampton Boulevard where the back of the grocery store will be visible to the street.
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VIEW // New renderings of Northpointe >>
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“The last thing we want to see as people come into downtown is the back of a building,” said DRB member Carmella Cioffi.
Railings on the apartments were reworked and stairways were redesigned. A plaza area at Harris Teeter was added for outdoor dining. A two-story entrance to the grocery store and a glass elevator were also added. More windows included in the design will give the store more natural lighting.
Additional discussion took place regarding height modulation and vertical variation of the buildings and the grade of the site. After board member Danielle Fontaine said the entrance to the project along Wade Hampton Boulevard looked like a church, the DRB advised that the design be carefully reviewed for “symbolic” representation. The board’s comments will be reviewed by the planning commission, which is expected to take a formal vote at its April 21 meeting. After that, it will go before City Council.
Cell towers downtown
The board informally reviewed an application to replace existing streetlights downtown with a new combination streetlight and cell tower to accommodate the growing concentration of people and cellphone usage.
The city is looking at several locations within the central business district, on Main Street and on side streets. The new combo cell/light has a larger base and is taller than existing streetlights. The vendor (an independent telecom provider whose name was not given at the meeting) said the new poles will be custom-designed to look as close as possible to the existing lights. Cioffi said as long as the lights match and have the same quality, she’s fine with the plan. No formal vote was needed and the board was generally in favor of the application. City staff will review.
