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CITY-WIDE PLANSS e c t i o n 2 . 2
Transportation Plan
Prattville has a strong and well connected system
of roadways to support the transportation demands
of its citizens and businesses. The City’s leadership
has actively sought to enhance the community’s
transportation infrastructure through new and
improved facilities. The biggest challenge of recent
years has been the scarcity of funding to pay for
needed projects. By all reasonable projections, the
funding challenge will become more pronounced
in future years as dollars appropriated for
transportation at the federal, state, and local levels
continue to shrink. An awareness of current and
future funding limitations has and should continue
to influence the vision for future transportation
goals in Prattville. Emphasis should be placed on
maintaining existing facilities so they provide the
best possible efficiencies for transportation users.
New capacity-building projects should be carefully
chosen to augment and connect with the existing
system, and they should have broad support within
the community.
During the development of the Project Prattville
comprehensive plan, several concerns were
repeatedly expressed by citizens and City leaders:
• Prattville’s east/west roadways need
improvement
• More pedestrian and bicycle facilities are
needed to encourage other modes of travel
• New or improved roadways are needed in the
north and northeast sectors of the city to
support future growth and development
• Street connectivity is very important to support
balanced and evenly dispersed traffic demand
• Street design and operation should be consistent
with the adjacent land uses.
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to
change; the realist adjusts the sails... William Arthur Ward
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CITY-WIDE PLANSS e c t i o n 2 . 2
These concerns seem to reflect a desire among citizens
that Prattville maintain its residential “home town”
character while still providing efficient travel options
that support growth. Several global strategies
will need to be implemented if that vision is to be
accomplished. The City will need to:
• Maintain the integrity of the existing transportation
system.
• Develop an appropriate street system in new
growth areas.
• Be sensitive to roadside context when planning
new or modified transportation projects.
• Consider the needs of all transportation users
(automobile, pedestrian, bicycle, transit,
truck, rail, air) in planning and designing new
transportation facilities.
• Apply access management principles to important
collector and arterial streets.
• Encourage alternative modes of travel through
design and policy decisions.
The following paragraphs provide more detailed guidance
and recommendations for these global transportation
strategies. Included in the discussion of the first
strategy is a summary of anticipated future traffic
volumes and levels of service on Prattville’s roadway
network. At the conclusion of the transportation
strategies discussion is a list of recommended projects
for short and long term implementation.
Global Transportation Strategies
Maintain System Integrity. In a climate of persistently
shrinking transportation funds, maintenance of
existing facilities has become a top priority. If you
can’t build new roadways, then it is imperative that
you get the highest possible performance out of the
roadways that you do have. System maintenance
includes managing a lengthy list of items associated
with roadway performance such as pavement,
drainage, markings, signage, and traffic signals. A
regular assessment of operational performance on the
city’s major roadways would be an excellent way to
identify low-cost improvements as well as higher-cost
projects that may take years to plan and implement.
The analysis completed as part of Project Prattville
provides such an operational performance assessment.
It is recommended that the City consider updating that
analysis in approximately five year intervals and adding
to it an assessment of crash patterns so that needed
safety improvements can be identified.
Figure 2.3 (following page) summarizes forecasted
average daily traffic volumes on Prattville’s street
system for the horizon year 2035 as well as level of
service measures for traffic operations with existing
travel lanes and, in some cases, with proposed
improvements. Level of service is a measure of
congestion that ranges from “A” (free flow conditions)
to “F” (very congested conditions). The results of the
level of service analysis were used to identify needed
capacity improvement projects like U.S. Highway
82, Fairview Avenue, McQueen Smith Road, and U.S.
Highway 31. Some needed improvements are not
easily identified through a level of service analysis
but were identified through field observations. Those
projects, like traffic signal optimization and turn lane
additions are low in cost but can be particularly helpful
for maintaining efficiency in an existing transportation
system. Detailed descriptions of all recommended
improvement projects are provided in the subsection
entitled “Recommended Transportation Projects”.
Develop Streets in New Growth Areas. Project
Prattville’s market study forecasts several major
growth areas for Prattville: the northern sector
along the U.S. Highway 31 corridor, the AL Highway
14 corridor near I-65 and McQueen Smith Road, the
Old Farm Lane corridor, the Homeplace development
Proposed improvements to McQueen Smith Road
at East Main Street
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Forecasted Traffic Conditions for Year 2035
AM PM AM PM
US 31 from Alabama River to US 82 Bypass 39000 4 Divided D B BUS 31 from US 82 Bypass to E Main St 23600 4 Divided B B B
US 82 Bypass from Cobbs Ford Road to just west of US 31 20500 4 Divided B A A
US 82 Bypass from just west of US 31 to Doster Rd Cutoff.31500 2 Undivided F F F 4 Divided C A A
US 82 Bypass from Doster Rd Cutoff to east of AL 14 31500 3 Undivided F F F 4 Divided C A A
US 82 Bypass from east of AL 14 to AL 14 26600 4 Divided B C CUS 82 Bypass from AL 14 to west of AL 14 16900 4 Divided B C CUS 82 Bypass from west of AL 14 to west of Malone Ct 16900 2 Undivided E E E 4 Divided B A AUS 82 Bypass from west of Malone Ct to West 4th St 13400 4 Divided B A A
US 82 Bypass at West 4th St 12800 3 Divided C E E
US 82 West from study area boundary to US 82 Bypass 10000 2 Undivided C E E
West 4th St from US 82 Bypass to S Court St 6400 2 Undivided C C C
West 4th St from N Court St to S Washington 4900 2 Undivided C C CS Washington from E 4th St to E Main Street 7600 2 Undivided C C CLower Kingston Rd from study area boundary to West 4th St 3300 2 Undivided B C C
Gin Shop Hill Rd from West 4th St to US 82 1900 2 Undivided B B B
Old Autaugaville Rd from US 82 Bypass to AL 14 1500 2 Undivided B B A
AL 14 (Selma Hwy) from west study area boundary to CR 4 8800 2 Undivided C D E
AL 14 (Selma Hwy) from CR 4 to US 82 Bypass 9200 2 Undivided C E EAL 14 (Selma Hwy) from US 82 Bypass to Deer Trace St 9600 2 Undivided C C DAL 14 (Selma Hwy) from Deer Trace St to E Main Street 12500 2 Undivided C D DCR 4 from AL 14 (Selma Hwy) to US 31 2200 2 Undivided A B B
Washington Ferry Rd from AL 14 to south of CR 4 2500 2 Undivided A B C
Doster Road from US 31 to AL 14 4000 2 Undivided B C C
Cobbs Ford Road from I-65 to US 82 Bypass 50200 6 Divided E D D
Cobbs Ford Road from US 82 Bypass to Silver Hills Dr 26600 5 Undivided D C CE Main Street from Silver Hills Dr to US 31 25600 4 Undivided C C CE Main Street from US 31 to Jeanette Dr 27100 4 Divided D D DE Main Street from Jeanette Dr to New Moon Dr 26000 4 Divided C B B
E Main Street from New Moon Dr to S Washington St 23060 3 Undivided E E E
E Main Street from S Washington St to S Chestnut St 12700 3 Undivided C D D
E Main Street from S Chestnut St to S Court St 12700 2 Undivided D D DS McQueen Smith Rd from US 82 Bypass to E Main St 12500 2 Undivided C E E 4 Divided B C CShelia Blvd from US 31 to Seasons Dr 7500 2 Undivided C D CShelia Blvd from Seasons Dr to E Main St 7500 3 Undivided C D C
N McQueen Smith Rd from E Main St to Fairview Ave 28300 5 Undivided C B B
AL 14 (Fairview Ave) from I-65 to Summit Pkwy 46300 4 Divided C C C
AL 14 (Fairview Ave) from Summit Pkwy to west of Medical Ctr Dr 42400 5 Undivided C C C
AL 14 (Fairview Ave) from west of Medical Ctr Dr to Jasmine Tr 26600 4 w/ turn lanes C B BAL 14 (Fairview Ave) from Jasmine Tr to US 31 22000 / 17000**2 Undivided F E E 2 w/ turn lanes D E EUS 31 from 6th St to north study area boundary 15000 2 Undivided D E E 4 Divided B A AUS 31 from SR 14/Fairview to 6th Street 21000 4 Divided B C C
US 31 from E Main Street to SR 14/Fairview 33500 6 Divided D D D
Powell Road from Martin Luther King Dr to US 31 7000 2 Undivided C D D
Martin Luther King from Moses Rd to 6th St 6600 2 Undivided C D D
N. Chestnut Street from 6th St to 4th St 6100 2 w/ turn lanes C C CS. Chestnut Street from 4th St to E Main St 7700 2 Undivided C C CWetumpka Street from US 31 to North Washington St 14100 3 Undivided D D DCR 59/Upper Kingston from N Court Street to study area boundary 4300 2 Undivided C C C
Proposed New Roads
Fairview Extension 8000 4 Divided B A ANorth connector road between Old Ridge Rd & MLKing 600 2 Undivided A A ANew connector road between MLKing and Upper Kingston 1500 2 Undivided A A A
AADT LOS w/
ImprovementSegment
Peak Hour LOSPeak Hour LOSAverage Daily
Traffic Volume
Existing
Laneage Median
AADT
LOS
Proposed
Laneage Median
Figure 2.3: Forecasted Traffic Conditions
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P R O J E C T PRATTVILLE2.22
CITY-WIDE PLANSS e c t i o n 2 . 2
and area along U.S. Highway 82. In a few of these
areas, like the northern sector along U.S. Highway
31, there are large amounts of undeveloped land with
very little street network. As these areas develop, it
will be important to plan for and construct a street
system to provide access as well as to disperse traffic
in a balanced, less concentrated fashion. As these
areas begin to develop, it would be wise for the City
to require a master plan that designates a hierarchy
of streets (alley, local, collector, and major collector)
that is sufficient to support the vision for land use and
density. For the Project Prattville traffic operations
assessment a new roadway connection between Old
Ridge Road and Upper Kingston Road was tested in
the regional travel demand model. Forecasted traffic
volumes for the new connector road are very low
which would indicate the project is not a short term
priority. On a long term basis, however, the connector
road would improve east/west travel choices and
connectivity between major north/south routes and
Prattville High School.
Be Sensitive to Roadside Context. In each public meeting
for Project Prattville, citizens expressed concerns
about maintaining quality of life in their community.
Perceptions about quality of life and aesthetics are
often heavily influenced by transportation facilities.
Throughout the United States one can find numerous
examples of roadways that were “improved” in a way
that increased capacity and travel speed, but did
significant damage to the appearance and quality of
the adjacent community. An alternative approach
is to consider the roadside context when making
transportation decisions. Mobility, typically measured
as capacity or level of service, is not the only important
consideration for transportation improvements.
Instead, transportation decision making should
consider a wide range of issues, including but not
limited to safety, community values, environmental
impacts, aesthetics, cost, and mobility. Prattville has
some streets that will have deficient capacity and less
than desirable traffic operations in the coming years.
For some of those streets, adding capacity would
mean a significant trade-off for adjacent land uses.
As Prattville considers future projects and priorities,
it is strongly recommended that a collaborative public
process be used to encourage broad consideration
of the impacts and opportunities created by those
projects.
Consider All Transportation Users. The City of Prattville
has been proactive in pushing for consideration of
pedestrian accommodations on state-funded projects
located within the city limits. The fruits of those
efforts are now being seen in the planning and design
for improvements to Old Farm Lane and McQueen Smith
Road. It is recommended that city leaders consider
formalizing and broadening their commitment to other
modes of travel by adopting a “Complete Streets”
policy. “Complete Streets” is a name adopted by
the National Complete Streets Coalition to describe a
process of planning and design that considers the entire
roadway area (travel way, shoulders, and adjacent
space) and all potential users.
Encourage, Implement and Enforce Access
Management. Access management is the planning,
design, and implementation of various land use and
transportation strategies to maintain traffic flow and
safety along a primary roadway, while still considering
access needs of various land uses and development
types. Allowing unlimited or unrestricted access
to roadside development eventually degrades the
carrying capacity and safety of a roadway. By managing
roadway access however, a governing agency can
increase safety, extend the functional life of a major
road, reduce traffic congestion, support alternative
modes of transportation, and improve appearance and
quality of the built environment. Prattville should
consider adopting some basic access management
Pedestrians, cyclists and cars share a road
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P R O J E C T PRATTVILLE2.23
CITY-WIDE PLANSS e c t i o n 2 . 2
guidelines to assist with the site plan approval process
for new developments. It is also recommended that
the City designate several important roadways as
“access management corridors” where the city would
either retrofit access management where feasible or
enforce access management principles on existing
properties when they re-develop over time. A list of
the recommended access management corridors is
provided in the recommended projects subsection of
this report.
Support Alternative Modes of Travel. The City of
Prattville is currently quite limited in availability
of choices for travel. There is a modest network of
sidewalks, even fewer acceptable bicycle routes and
no fixed route transit service. Encouraging the design
and construction of new bike and pedestrian facilities
is an excellent way to support and encourage citizens
to make alternative choices for their transportation.
Establishment of park and ride lots for commuters
to Montgomery would help to encourage carpooling.
Within the next decade, it may even be feasible to
start a small transit initiative to provide service to
downtown and other commercial districts.
Sample image: Local transit bus
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P R O J E C T PRATTVILLE2.24
CITY-WIDE PLANSS e c t i o n 2 . 2
Parks and Trail Network Plan
Throughout the Project Prattville effort, there has been
a recurrent theme with regard to greenspace: People
want more. While this is not atypical for a community
(Who doesn’t want more parks?), in Prattville the
sentiment is born out by the existing conditions. As
mentioned in the Inventory and Assessment, the City
is very much underserved by greenspace, with many of
the peripheral neighborhoods having grown beyond the
reach of local parks. An integral part of the remedy for
this is the creation of a Parks and Trails Master Plan.
While this document can not create a detailed plan,
it can provide the baseline for all future greenspace
planning efforts.
The attached map (Figure 2.3, following page) is
that baseline. There are two primary components
of this illustration: Greenspace Target Areas, and
the Trail Network. The Greenspace Target Areas
represent general locations that should, as the plan
is implemented, be considered as potential sites for
communal greenspace. Practicalities preclude the
identification of specific parcels as targets: The plan
can not, at this level, parse out the suitability of all the
pieces land in a target area. The plan can, however,
illustrate areas of need within which future analyses
can be conducted in order to focus in on the best
sites. These areas of need were identified through a
number of means: a review of the current land use
pattern; an analysis of the sustainability matrices
from the Inventory and Assessment phase; and a study
of the growth pressures and trends that may come to
bear in the near future. The identification of these
areas of need should not be taken to omit any other
potential sites outside those areas. Should the City
be presented with “targets of opportunity” – perhaps
some land becomes available for below market, or a
developer would like to add to an existing greenspace
– these should be by all means considered. Given the
general dearth of park space within the City limits,
any opportunity should be considered. However, these
target areas are meant to show where the greatest
specific need lies, and where the focus of future efforts
should fall.
The second component of this map is the Trail Network.
Within this network, there is a variety of trail types
that are available:
• Greenway trails. These are multi-use paths that
wind their way through parks, fields, conservation
areas, floodplains, etc. and do not follow any
existing or planned street right-of-way. These
would accommodate multiple modes of travel,
including pedestrians, rollerbladers, bicyclists,
and golf carts.
• Multi-Use paths. These are paths that, in general,
parallel an existing or future roadway, but are set
off from that roadway, usually by a planted strip
or some similar buffer. These could also support
a full array of modes, including golf carts.
• Bicycle lanes. These are on-street paths that are
portions of the right-of-way clearly delineated as
‘bicycle only’. They are usually striped as such,
but in some cases can be separated by a curb
or median as well. Due to their proximity to an
active (and often higher-speed) automotive ROW,
these would typically be limited to bicycles only.
Pedestrians and rollerbladers would be relegated
to a sidewalk, if available, and golf carts would
be prohibited.
• Bicycle routes. These are existing or future streets
that are identified, usually via signage, as bike
routes. These routes would usually be through
lower-speed, lower-traffic areas like residential
neighborhoods and would provide linkages
between more formalized parks and trails. Bike
routes are a very easy and cost-efficient way to
fill in potential gaps in the network.
A new bike lane and improved sidewalk on
Martin Luther King at Ridgewood
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Figure: 2.3 - Parks & Trails Network
Multi-Use Paths & Trails
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On-Street Bike Paths &
Bike Routes
Green Space &
Conservation
Target Areas for New Parks
Community Centers
LEGEND:
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Schools
Cultural Centers
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The guiding principle of the network is to provide a
realistic alternative to automotive travel, one that links
residential areas to desirable destinations like schools,
parks, and shops. At the same time, it provides in itself
an opportunity for recreation for those who would like
to use it as such. The network is designed not only
to connect points of interest, but also to provide a
number of circuits around which cyclists, runners, etc.
could travel with minimal interruption.
The network as shown attempt to connect both existing
attractions as well as those anticipated with future
growth. The segments of the network can be broken
out as numerous separate projects, and are identified
as several discrete efforts in the Implementation
portion of this report (Section III). Prior to actual
construction, however, it is recommended that a
feasibility study be conducted for priority portions
of the network. Such a study would help identify
potential issues with items such as ROW acquisition,
grade navigation and traffic conflicts, among others. It
is likely that the final network will differ substantially
in its layout from the one shown here, but this initial
plan should be considered a guideline for those ongoing
considerations.
Pedestrian bridge as part of a multi-use path
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Development Plan
While the public involvement process provided a
wealth of information, both broad and specific, Project
Prattville is also tasked with providing a plan that is
not only desirable, but economically feasible. To help
cross-check the planning aspect of the study, Project
Prattville also includes the aforementioned market
assessment.
Real estate markets can generally be divided into four
major sectors: residential, retail, office, and industrial.
To create a comprehensive market assessment,
Market + Main, as part of the Project Prattville team,
reviewed each of these sectors for both Prattville and
the surrounding area. Information was obtained from:
stakeholder interviews; phone surveys; government
documents; and nationally published public and
private data sources. The following is a brief overview
of the findings and recommended development
characteristics for each of the real estate sectors,
along with the overall development recommendations
for the City of Prattville. The full and detailed analysis
can be found in Book Four - Resource Manual.
No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into
account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be...
Isaac Asimov
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Residential Market Analysis Overview. The City of
Prattville is a suburb of the greater Metropolitan
Montgomery area and has grown tremendously over the
past four decades. The City’s housing is predominately
single-family, but apartments and mobile homes also
make up a significant portion of the housing stock. As
with most parts of the country, single-family housing
growth in Prattville has slowed dramatically in the last
two years because of the national recession.
Multi-family units constitute a small proportion
(10.5%) of Prattville’s housing stock. Apartment
communities in Prattville vary greatly in size, age, and
physical characteristics. Of the fifteen communities
surveyed by Market + Main, five identified themselves
as tax credit properties while ten were market rate
(although two of the market rate communities accept
Section 8 vouchers). Occupancy rates are significantly
higher for the tax credit properties than the market
rate properties. Most of the market rate communities
would be considered Class B+ properties at best, and
many would be considered Class C.
Approximately one percent of housing units in Prattville
are classified as attached single-family. Condominiums
and townhomes have rarely been built in Prattville,
and the few projects that have been built have usually
not been well received by the market.
The following are Recommended Residential
Development Characteristics for the City of Prattville.
• Detached Single-Family Homes: The majority of
home buyers moving to Prattville are looking for
the suburban lifestyle represented by the single-
family home and a yard. Until the housing market
rebounds, the strongest market will be for single-
family homes under $200,000. Once the economy
recovers, the market for homes in the price range
of $200,000 to $350,000 should return.
• Attached Single-Family Homes/Townhomes: This
product type has historically not sold well in
Prattville. Because the City is largely a bedroom
community, it will be difficult to grow this market.
It is likely, however, that there would be a demand
for a townhome product geared towards the
active adult (age 55 and older) community.
• Downtown Housing: Currently, Prattville doesn’t
have a lot of housing options to appeal to the
single young professional. The most logical
place to create this type of housing would be in
the historic downtown. This would be a small
market, and the product would most likely need
to be rental.
• Garden Style Multi-Family Apartments: Currently,
there is a much greater demand for tax credit
units than market rate units. Future market rate
units built in the City will need to have better
architectural design, landscaping, and amenities
if they are to hold their value over the long-
term.
Prattville Residential Demand Forecast,
2013 - 2028
Project Prattville
Market Assessment
Page 9May 2009
downturn in the housing market. This assumption is reasonable because, although the
Montgomery area has been negatively impacted by the recession, the local economy has not
suffered major structural damage or changes.
There were approximately 13,190 households in Prattville in 2008. The number of households
is projected to grow to approximately 15,000 by 2013 and reach 20,400 by the year 2028.3 In
order to calculate future demand, the overall vacancy rate is assumed to be two percent. This
results in a demand for approximately 7,355 new housing units over the next twenty years, with
1,850 of these units needed in the next five years. As with any forecast, future projections of
demand become less certain the further one looks into the future. With this in mind, the five-
year projection should carry the strongest weight.
Currently, single-family homes account for 80% of total housing units. Based on recent
development trends, it is assumed that this will drop slightly to 75%, with 67.5% detached
single-family and 7.5% attached single-family.This indicates an average annual demand for
approximately 275 new single-family homes and 92 new multi-family rental units.
Moving forward with assumptions on annual household growth; tenure characteristics (owner
versus renter), housing preferences, and residential product trends were then reconciled to
produce the final residential demand preferences.
Prattville Residential Demand Forecast, 2013 - 2028
Total Demand for Additional Housing Units
5-Year 10-Year 15-Year 20-Year
Single-Family Detached 1,250 2,485 3,725 4,965
Single-Family Attached 140 275 415 550
Multi-Family 465 920 1,380 1,840
Total 1,850 3,685 5,520 7,355
Source: Market + Main.
RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS
Detached Single-Family Homes: The majority of home buyers moving to Prattville are
looking for the suburban lifestyle represented by the single-family home and a yard. Until the housing market rebounds, the strongest market will be for single-family homes under $200,000.
Once the economy recovers, the market for homes in the price range of $200,000 to $350,000 should return. The City has the opportunity to develop a market for homes in the over
$350,000 range, although it will have to grow slowly over time. According to local agents, some of the previous attempts at higher end housing resulted in homes that were priced much
higher per square foot than other houses in the market. Prattville buyers in this price range expect to get a larger home for the higher price. Additionally, agents say that these buyers have
so far not been receptive to new urbanist developments with large homes on small lots with
3 See Project Prattville: Inventory & Assessment Report, Chapter 3 – Demographics, January 2009.
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Retail Market Analysis Overview. While there are retail
developments throughout the City of Prattville, most
major retail centers are located in three subareas:
Downtown; the area surrounding the intersection of
Memorial Drive and East Main Street (Prattmont); and
Cobbs Ford Road from its intersection with Highway 75
east to I-65. Retail in other areas of the City consists
largely of small, anchorless strip centers.
A great deal of new retail space has been added to the
Prattville market in the last two years. By 2008, the
City of Prattville had approximately 93.9 square feet of
retail space for every person residing in the City; this
is well over twice the national rate. While the figure
for Prattville is extraordinarily high, it is not surprising
when one considers the larger trade area served by
Prattville retail developments. It is unlikely, however,
that future development can continue to take place
at such a rapid pace. Already, vacancy problems are
beginning to show up in the market.
While there does not appear to be a great deal of
demand for additional retail space over the next five
years, there will be opportunities for new neighborhood
retail centers in underserved areas of Prattville. While
this retail would be successful, it could also likely
create vacancy in the older shopping centers closer to
the center of the City.
The following are Recommended Retail Development
Characteristics for the City of Prattville.
• Big Box/Regional Retail: Considering both current
and under construction retail developments, there
will most likely be little demand for additional
space for retailers drawing from the larger region
over the next five years.
• Neighborhood Retail: With continued population
growth, there will be a limited amount of
demand for new neighborhood retail in the form
of grocery-anchored retail centers located closer
to residents. Although there are already several
grocery-anchored centers in the City, they are
located along the corridor between downtown
and the interstate, which is inconvenient for a
large portion of the population.
• Downtown: For the foreseeable future, downtown
doesn’t need any additional retail space. Efforts
should focus on adding more customers instead
of more buildings. The exception would be
the addition of retail as a part of mixed-use
redevelopment or infill within the existing
Downtown framework.
Prattville Retail Demand Forecast,
2013 - 2028
Project Prattville Market Assessment
Page 18May 2009
slightly larger, and provides a wider variety of shops, making merchandise available in a greater array of styles and prices, as well as providing convenience goods and personal services.
Current demand is estimated to be a total of almost 3.2 million square feet. Retail demand is
forecast to grow to just under 3.4 million square feet in five years and to over 4.6 million square feet in 20 years. A breakdown of the components of existing demand is shown in the
following table, as well as the projections for future demand. Convenience Goods are primarily grocery store and drug store purchases. Shopper Goods are the balance of retail
items, such as apparel, home furnishings, hobby-related goods, etc. Food and Beverage is primarily restaurants and liquor stores.
Prattville Retail Demand, 2008
Convenience
Goods
Shoppers
Goods
Food &
Beverage
Total
ExistingDemand
Neighborhood Serving 301,975 613,530 191,730 1,107,235
Community Serving 369,080 1,431,575 287,595 2,088,250
Total 671,055 2,045,105 479,325 3,195,485
Source: Market + Main.
Prattville Retail Demand Forecast, 2013-2028
Total Demand for Additional Retail Space
5-Year 10-Year 15-Year 20-Year
Neighborhood Serving 70,010 225,405 368,080 510,755
Community Serving 107,235 397,030 663,110 929,185
Total 177,245 622,435 1,031,190 1,439,940
Source: Market + Main.
It is important to note that the current square feet of retail space in the City is 3,260,690, which
exceeds current demand by just over 65,000 square feet. This is not surprising when one looks at the rising vacancy rate in the last year, as a great deal of new space was added to the market.
While demand is projected to grow by 177,000 square feet over the next five years, this would call for only 112,000 square feet of new space. This demand figure may prove to be overly
optimistic. While retail square footage per person has been steadily growing in the past, it is likely that this figure could begin to decrease in the future as shopping habits may be
permanently changed by the current recession.
While there does not appear to be a great deal of demand for additional retail space over the next five years, there will be opportunities for new neighborhood retail in underserved areas of
Prattville. While this retail would be successful, it would also likely create vacancy in the older shopping centers closer to the center of the City.
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Office Market Analysis Overview. In general terms,
office uses can be divided into two broad categories:
local-serving tenants and regional tenants. Local-
serving tenants are those whose primary customer
base are local residents. Regional office tenants
provide a service to other companies or individuals
on a regional, national, or international basis. These
are the office uses that bring outside dollars into a
community. The overall office market in Prattville is a
tiny fraction of the metro area’s office market, and it
is made up almost entirely of local-serving tenants.
In the past, Prattville has not had locations with
the amenities and atmosphere that are conducive
to drawing the regional office tenant. However, the
recent addition of new retail, restaurant, and hotel
developments near the interstate has created an
area where office development is more likely to be
successful, coupled with aggressive attraction efforts.
The following are Recommended Office Development
Characteristics for the City of Prattville.
• Local-Serving Office: While this market is
expected to grow with the population, existing
retail space in strip shopping centers will provide
a great deal of competition for these tenants.
New office space will have to be in one-story
buildings that can compete on rental rates with
these older shopping centers. It might be wise
to meet the demand for local-serving office by
converting one of the older shopping centers into
office space and then constructing new buildings
in the parking lot to create the feel of an office
park.
• Regional Office: Prattville now has the necessary
amenities in place to support the creation of a
regional office market. To begin with, the buildings
will have to be two- or three-story, stick-built
structures that have a commercial architecture.
These must be a step above the current office
buildings in the City, but still inexpensive enough
to compete on price with other areas of metro
Montgomery.
Prattville Office Demand Forecast,
2013 - 2028
Project Prattville
Market Assessment
Page 23May 2009
Prattville Office Demand Forecast, 2013-2028
Total Demand for Additional Office Space
5-Year 10-Year 15-Year 20-Year
Local-Serving 32,130 63,920 95,765 127,610
Regional 50,000 125,000 200,000 275,000
Total 82,130 188,920 295,765 402,610
Source: Market + Main.
When the two types of office products are added together, it provides for an increase of just
over 82,000 square feet of office space over the next five years, and a total increase of
approximately 400,000 square feet over the 20-year period. As with any forecast, future
projections of demand become less certain the further one looks into the future. With this in
mind, the five-year projection should carry the strongest weight.
RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS
Local-Serving Office: While this market is expected to grow with the population, existing
retail space in strip shopping centers will provide a great deal of competition for these tenants.
New office space will have to be in one-story buildings that can compete on rental rates with
these older shopping centers. Because of the large number of retail centers in the City that are
no longer attractive to national retailers, it might be wise to meet the demand for local-serving
office by converting one of the old shopping centers into office space and constructing new
buildings in the parking lot to create the feel of an office park.
Regional Office: Prattville now has the necessary amenities in place to support the creation
of a regional office market. To begin with, the buildings will have to be two- or three-story,
stick-built structures that have a commercial architecture. These must be a step above the
current office buildings in the City, but still inexpensive enough to compete on price with other
areas of metro Montgomery. This office space should be located close to the interstate and
retail/dining, and the surrounding area must be conducive to Class A office. The HomePlace
development is a natural location for this type of development, but other areas north of Bass
Pro Shop could also work for office space. While Prattville has the amenities in place to begin
building an office market, creation of this market will most likely not happen on its own. It
will take planning, marketing, and recruiting on the part of the City and the Chamber of
Commerce.
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Industrial Market Analysis Overview. Existing industrial
uses in Prattville are located largely in the southern and
western portions of the City. There are also available
industrial sites located in two existing industrial parks
in the City, with a third industrial park located outside
the City limits to the north along I-65.
The existing industrial buildings and sites in Prattville
are largely uninviting. Some sites appear ill-
maintained and could even be depressing neighboring
land values. Industrial uses can sometimes overwhelm
an area because of the sheer size of the buildings and
their ancillary development. However, with careful
planning and the use of regulations, industrial uses
can be attractive and look and function like business
parks.
Prattville’s location along I-65, along with the
availability of City services, makes the City attractive
to potential industrial uses looking to locate in the
Montgomery area. While major industry is currently
clustered in the southern and eastern parts of the
metro Montgomery area, there are no major factors
precluding their location in Prattville.
The following are Recommended Industrial
Development Characteristics for the City of Prattville.
There are two potential markets for industrial growth
in Prattville.
• The first is the small owner-occupied building
with an office component. This type of product
is commonly referred to as “light industrial,”
but it could also be considered “heavy office.”
Often, these buildings consist of an office space
with several employees and a small warehouse
in the back for storage or distribution. To draw
these businesses, the building would have to
be attractive, close to the interstate and retail
development, and located in a business park-type
setting.
• The second potential market would be the general
industrial users drawn to the area because of
access to the interstates. These uses might locate
in one of the City’s two industrial parks, but the
parks would most likely need major physical
upgrades to attract them.
Prattville Industrial Demand Forecast,
2013 - 2028
Project Prattville
Market Assessment
Page 26May 2009
When looking at industrial demand for a small market, it is necessary to look at averages over a
period of time, because a community may go several years with very little industrial
development, and then draw a large industrial user. Because Prattville is a logical location for
any industry locating in Autauga or Elmore Counties, the potential future demand was
calculated by taking those two counties percentage of the metro area’s population (35.3%) and
then multiplying the expected future industrial demand for the entire metro area by that
percentage. For the purposes of this study, it was assumed that metro-wide demand would be
around 100,000 square feet per year for the next 20 years, which is close to the historic average.
As with any forecast, future projections of demand become less certain the further one looks
into the future. With this in mind, the five-year projection should carry the strongest weight.
Prattville Industrial Demand Forecast, 2013-2028
Total Demand for Additional Industrial Space
5-Year 10-Year 15-Year 20-Year
Industrial Space 176,500 353,000 529,500 706,000
Source: Market + Main.
RECOMMENDED DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS
There are two potential markets for industrial growth in Prattville.
�The first is the small (10,000 to 30,000 square foot) owner-occupied building with an
office component. This type of product is commonly referred to as “light industrial,” but it could also be considered “heavy office.” Often, these buildings consist of an
office space with several employees and a small warehouse in the back for storage or distribution. To draw these businesses, the building would have to be attractive, close
to the interstate and retail development, and located in a business park-type setting.This product would appeal to small companies serving metro Montgomery, such as
electrical contractors, etc. While there should be a relatively strong market for this type of industrial space, the City will have to work to recruit these businesses, at least in the
initial stages of development.
�The second potential market would be the general industrial users drawn to the area because of access to the interstates. These uses might locate in one of the City’s two
industrial parks, but the parks would most likely need major physical upgrades to attract them.
The City must strive to make sure that future industrial sites and buildings are attractive, well
landscaped, and well maintained so that they are viewed as assets by the community and not as eyesores to be hidden or separated from the rest of the community. If the City is serious about
drawing high-quality industrial uses, they should designate locations close to the interstate and close to shopping and dining. The area around the expanded Old Farm Lane would be a
logical place for this type of development.
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Development Recommendations
Expand and Leverage Partnerships. The City of Prattville
government can not alone make all the development
recommendations happen, particularly in these
economic times. It will take significant partnership
efforts to continue to move Prattville forward in the
future. Some of these partnerships already exist
and should be leveraged. If there are organizations,
sectors, or entities not at the table currently, they
should be invited into the implementation process
and embraced. The counties (Autauga and Elmore),
non-profits, foundations, Chamber of Commerce,
companies, State, regional neighbors, and new
organizations should all be participants in both the
work that has to be undertaken and the benefits that
can ultimately be gained. Pooling the resources of
all these entities can help to maximize exposure of
the Prattville area as a whole in terms of economic
development. Economic development has to have
a clear direction and cannot be successful without
strong collaboration.
Increase Job Base. Current development in Prattville
is weighted heavily towards retail and residential.
The office and industrial markets are very weak and
more reminiscent of a rural market than a suburban
one. To have a healthy and balanced economy, it is
vital that the City grow both its industrial and office
sectors. To draw industrial development, the City
should make sure that existing industrial parks are
attractive to potential users. The City should also
make room for additional industrial development close
to the interstate and the area’s amenities. Prattville
also has the ability to draw regional office tenants to
the City because of the recent development of new
retail and hotel projects. These office tenants will
only come to the area if there is a location with the
appropriate amenities and atmosphere that appeal to
the Class A tenant. Because the industrial and office
markets are so underdeveloped, it will take a concerted
effort to grow them. While Prattville has worked to
recruit industrial and office employment in the past,
these recruitment efforts must grow to become a top
priority if the City hopes to achieve strong results in
the future.
Nurture and Grow Downtown. Prattville can create a
regional draw out of its downtown with one-of-a-kind
specialty retailers and unique restaurants. There is
an opportunity to turn downtown Prattville into metro
Montgomery’s hip, cool shopping and dining district.
Many of the building blocks for this transformation are
already in place, but creating such a regional draw
will take commitment and planning by the City and by
downtown stakeholders. Some initiatives to consider
include: the creation of design guidelines for downtown
buildings; implementation of a façade grant program
to assist with exterior improvements to buildings;
creation of a revolving loan fund to make major building
improvements economically feasible; coordination of
revitalization efforts through a downtown manager;
installation of wayfinding signage to direct potential
customers to the downtown; construction of new
housing in the downtown to bring additional activity to
the area; creation of a coordinated marketing strategy;
and preservation of the historic mill building.
Make Healthcare an Anchor. From an economic
development standpoint, quality healthcare is vital to
a city. Many potential residents and businesses need to
feel confident that their basic healthcare needs can be
met within their community. Additionally, healthcare is
itself an economic engine and can provide a significant
number of jobs that are less subject to the effects of
economic downturns. The City of Prattville is fortunate
to have Prattville Baptist Hospital. Since the hospital
was first constructed, Prattville has been transformed
from a rural community into a major suburb. As the
community continues to grow, the hospital will most
New businesses increase job base
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likely need a new facility if it is to grow with the City.
A new facility at the site of the medical office building
on Highway 14 is in the hospital’s long range plans, and
it would be wise for the City to assist and encourage
this development in any way feasible. With a new
building, the hospital would likely become more of
a regional health care facility, drawing from a much
wider area north of Montgomery. The area around
a new hospital should be encouraged to become a
commercial node for the City, with a strong emphasis
on office instead of retail.
Increase Tourism. Prattville is uniquely situated to use
tourism as an economic development tool. The City
already has many of the pieces in place including: its
location along a major interstate, the recently opened
Bass Pro Shop, the new Marriott Hotel and Conference
Center, unique downtown shops and restaurants, and
the Robert Trent Jones golf course. The City of Prattville
can immediately begin to market these attractions to
potential visitors. The City can also build on these with
future developments. Some of these might include:
the development of additional mid-range hotels, the
creation of a regional sports complex for multi-sport
tournaments, and the leveraging of local bodies of
water to create additional attractions.
Locate and Diversify Housing Strategically. Some of
the older neighborhoods in Prattville are beginning
to show signs of disinvestment. The community
must find ways to encourage reinvestment in these
areas. In addition, the City should encourage all
newly built multi-family developments to have the
features and amenities that will make them attractive
for long-term reinvestment and upkeep. The natural
movement of residential growth in Prattville is to the
north. The City can, however, encourage this growth
to move into the western portions of the community
through the use of planning. For sustainable growth,
it also important that Prattville develop a diversity
of housing types; this simply means allowing mixed
products and a variety of price points. In Prattville,
there is a need for: housing for the young, single
professional; executive-level housing ($400,000 and
up); and communities specifically targeting the active
adult (age 55 and up).
Prune and Re-Use Retail Space. Prattville has a great
deal of strip center development that is ripe for
redevelopment. While finding new uses for Prattville’s
obsolete shopping centers will be a challenge, there
are many examples of successful conversions in other
cities including: county or city office buildings, private
offices (call centers, back office operations), libraries,
churches, parks/recreation/senior centers, and public
or private schools. For some shopping centers, it
may not be economically feasible to renovate them.
In these cases, consideration should be given to
demolishing the buildings and then using the vacant
land to construct new housing.
Protect and Improve Quality of Life. Consistently, the
residents of Prattville state that they love the City and
the quality of life that they enjoy here. This is one
of the strongest economic development tools that any
City can have, and it is one that should be protected.
Some of the issues that should be considered and
addressed include: quality parks and recreation
programs, adequate transportation infrastructure, and
a continued reputation for quality schools.Potential strip center redevelopment
in Pratt Plaza
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Community Facilities and Resources Plan
Related to the planning of future land uses and the
delineation of potential transportation and trail
networks are numerous additional community issues
that must be addressed in parallel. These are typically
concerns that are not reflected directly on the maps and
plans, but which have implications for the realization
of any planning efforts. These concerns are therefore
set out as policies, often adding detail to line items
from the Community Objectives. These policies are
set forth in this section, and will as appropriate be
reflected in the implementation portion of Project
Prattville.
School System. The quality of the schools in the City
of Prattville is considered not only a point of pride
but also a prime economic tool. The merits of the
Autauga County School System were the subject of
numerous stakeholder and public comments, and have
been a running theme throughout the study process.
There is some level of concern, however, with regard
to building upon, or even maintaining, that level of
excellence as the city grows. The concern is twofold:
• Many of the schools are at (or beyond) capacity,
and resources for upgrades and/or expansion
appear to be limited;
• The overlap of the City between two counties
(Autauga and Elmore) has the potential to cause
conflict as new residential areas develop in the
portion of East Prattville that is lies within Elmore
County.
One of the primary obstacles to moving forward
has been the lack of a clear plan for future schools
growth, and this has in no small part been hindered by
the lack of resolution with regard to the county line.
Given that funds are currently apportioned to schools
by county, and given that residents on the Elmore side
I am a part of all that I have met... Alfred Lord Tennyson
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of the City of Prattville would currently attend Elmore
County Schools, several ideas have been suggested:
• Create a City school system for Prattville. While
this would allow all students within the City to
attend the same system, there are worries that
“reinventing the wheel” would be cost-inefficient
– the City would likely have to purchase or lease
the facilities from the County, and come up with
a new board and administration – and would have
a deleterious effect on the remaining schools in
the unincorporated portion of the County.
• Create a hybrid school system. Some variation on
the notion of a City School System with some level
of control by the County would allow all children
to attend the same system without having to
recreate the educational infrastructure. The
downside is that this does not solve the issue of
funding discrepancy – that is, those residents in
the Prattville/Elmore portion of the City would
still be paying taxes to Elmore County, but would
be receiving an education from Autauga County
(and thus costing that county money).
• Creating a revenue-sharing agreement between
the two County Systems. This would appear
to be the most cost-effective route, but would
require multiple municipal interests to convene
and address the method in which this would be
implemented.
In the meantime, from a purely planning perspective,
it would be beneficial to create a master plan for
school construction and expansion, one which takes
into account the details and forecasts of the Project
Prattville effort.
Infrastructure. This covers a wide range of services,
but to ensure a smooth growth pattern and to minimize
disruption, it will be necessary for the City to map out
a detailed plan for infrastructure expansion. This has
several sub-categories:
• Police/Fire/Ambulance. Service is currently
considered to be sufficient, but to maintain
a satisfactory level – and to reduce the costs
that come with locating services after growth
has occurred – the Public Safety and Planning
departments should conduct twice-yearly joint
reviews. Geared primarily towards information-
sharing, this will allow Planning to identify
development patterns that might affect delivery
of public safety services, and would provide
Public Safety with the opportunity to “fill in
holes” before they even come in to existence.
• Water/Sewer. Often the most expensive to
implement, and the most disruptive to install, the
City should be aggressive about planning for the
expansion of the existing network. Indeed, should
the economic climate rebound favorably, it may
be in the City’s interest to lay the infrastructural
groundwork proactively. By setting the water and
sewer service before development occurs, the
City can guide that growth into preferred areas.
• Stormwater. An oft-unforseen repercussion
of development is the increase in redirected
stormwater runoff. This is in no small part due
to the increase in impervious surface associated
with new construction, but of similar concern
is the tendency of that redirected water to be
focused at a certain point or points, rather than
be more evenly distributed. Even when guided
towards existing facilities, if the capacity is
reached (or exceeded) this can create flood-risk
areas, erosion problems and public health issues
related to standing water. The City can, however,
take the opportunity to pre-empt runoff issues by
planning for new retention and detention facilities
in targeted areas (similar to the approach taken
with water/sewer service). One trend gaining in
Water Works offices
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popularity is a shared detention policy in which
the municipality (in this case, the City) builds a
centrally located facility or facilities, and allows
developers to buy in to its usage. This allows for
the more efficient (and lucrative) redevelopment
of property, and a more manageable centralized
system.
• Utility. Pole-mounted utilities and high-tension
lines are more easily placed after development.
The concern in this instance can be one of
aesthetics. To bury utilities that are typically run
above ground, it can be prohibitively expensive
regardless of when in the development process
the option is pursued. However, a cluster of
overhead lines can be a noticeable distraction and
a minus to the general appearance of a roadway
or corridor. As new development occurs, efforts
should be taken to run utilities off of the main
thoroughfares. One practice gaining acceptance
is to locate utilities along the backs of lots,
especially along busier, commercial-lined roads.
Such a policy should be advanced as a general rule,
and pursued more aggressively along main streets
where appearance is extremely important.
• Sanitation. Similar to public safety, this is not
a physical concern that need be addressed
on advance of development. However, one
recurring concern has been the current manner
in which sanitation pick-up is being addressed,
in the Downtown area particularly. For all areas,
curb service should be mandatory through well-
maintained receptacles, or “herbie curbies”. This
is of prime importance along East Main Street,
approaching Downtown from the east. Only under
special circumstances should bags or loose refuse
be set out upon the curb. Another concern is the
location and disposal of collected refuse; the
City may wish to examine new potential sites for
both disposal of trash and collection of recycled
materials.
Downtown. As mentioned in the Market Assessment,
the Historic Downtown is an asset unique to the
region, and should be handled accordingly. There are
a number of strategies that can be implemented to
promote the Downtown and to increase its visibility
and retail traffic, but the one that is most likely
to have an immediate and effective impact is the
establishment of a Downtown Development Authority.
Creating and funding an organization with the sole
purpose of advocating for the Downtown will not
only improve general visibility of the district but will
also enable more influential programs. These could
include, but would not be limited to, the creation and
enforcement of Downtown Development Guidelines; a
Façade Grant Program for repairing and improving the
appearance of older buildings; a Revolving Loan Fund
for supporting downtown businesses; and wayfinding
improvements at the interstate and along Cobbs Ford/
East Main. The DDA would also be able to coordinate
and support various partnerships (with the Chamber
of Commerce, Cobbs Ford merchants, the Montgomery
Convention and Visitors Bureau, among others) to
increase exposure of the Historic District and all it has
to offer.
Recreation. While much of the focus has been on
the potential for a parks and trails network, there is
much more that goes in to a well-rounded recreation
environment for a city. Aside from maintenance
of the current park inventory, there are a couple of
other needs that have surfaced during the Project
Prattville process. A coordinated administrative board
for existing recreation facilities would be helpful in
the complex process of scheduling and maintaining the
varied and disparate public and semi-public resources
within Prattville. Currently, there appears to be some
level of disconnect among the entities that perform
Downtown Prattville
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these functions. Having a single coordinating body
would more efficiently allocate access to facilities,
mitigating to some extent the existing shortage, until
such time as more fields can be brought on line.
Related to that concern, the current effort to fund
and construct a Regional Recreation Center should be
formalized and staffed, most likely by the City. Local
advocates have already authored a rough vision for
such a center, the creation of which would address a
number of issues raised in this plan already: Attracting
more tourism, improving quality of life, and adding
greenspace. Finally, the City may wish to initiate a
study for the creation of a “Waterways Plan”. While
this might have some overlap with the trails network
effort, it should also help identify which of these
resources should be the focus of preservation efforts
and which could be used in concert with greenways and
trails. It may also – in conjunction with a stormwater
management effort – note sections of the watersheds
that might be at-risk from future development, and
suggest steps to preserve those areas.
Lastly, though not of minimal importance, the existing
Prattville branch of the library system is in sad physical
repair, and is undersized for the community. The City,
in cooperation with the County, should undertake an
effort to find suitable options for rebuilding, relocating
and/or replacing the current facility.
Regulation. A large part of ensuring an effective
comprehensive plan is making sure that the appropriate
legislation and ordinances are in place to support the
policies and goals of the plan. A logical starting point
is to conduct an analysis and re-write of the existing
zoning codes. Given the disparity between the
previous and proposed Future Land Use plans, and the
changes in the development landscape since the code
was last updated, it is not surprising to find that much
of what is suggested in the Project Prattville report
would be technically very difficult to implement under
the current regulatory framework. The mixed-use
designations in particular are not clearly supported by
existing zoning, and would need to be written in to a
new ordinance. In addition, the proposed designations
are unrefined; new zoning would want to add more
detail on percentages of uses and allowable uses by
designation, among other considerations.
Pending a review of the zoning code, there are a
number of options for implementation based on the
comprehensive plan recommendations. The City
could undertake broad-scale rezoning to comply with
the future land use recommendation. However, this
is both time- and effort-intensive and would not be
an efficient use of resources. More effective would
be to use a two-pronged approach: For high-pressure
development areas like corridors and some of the
eastern districts, create zoning overlays to put an
additive, incentive-based regulatory armature on top
of the existing designations; for all other areas, allow
case-by-case rezoning applications, judged against the
recommendations from Project Prattville.
Two points for consideration during a zoning review:
the inclusion of CPTED strategies, and the inclusion
of more detailed infill regulations. CPTED, or Crime
Prevention Through Environmental Design, is a series
of standards that seek to make the general design of
the public realm more cooperative with public safety
efforts. These include suggestions for maximum
landscaping heights and minimum tree limbing (to
provide clear views and reduce hiding spots for
potential criminals), and the painting and lighting of
parking decks (to improve the visual comfort of an
environment that is often perceived as unsafe), among
many others. Infill regulations would focus on existing
in-town neighborhoods, particularly in and around the
Historic Downtown. In supporting the state goal of
preserving the character of existing neighborhoods,
My two favorite things
in life are libraries and
bicycles. They both move
people forward without
wasting anything. The
perfect day: riding a bike to
the library... Peter Golkin
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P R O J E C T PRATTVILLE2.38
CITY-WIDE PLANSS e c t i o n 2 . 2
the need extends beyond buffering existing residential
areas from adjacent development. It also includes
the manner in which single parcels or small assemblies
are redeveloped amid strong existing context. Key
governing principles should include:
• Infill development can encompass a different use
from those adjacent (so long as the use is allowable
based on zoning) but should be sensitive to the
scale and style of its neighbors. New structures
should not tower above the adjacent uses, and
should be of a similar style as the pre-existing
structures.
• Infill development should not appreciably alter
the traffic patterns in the immediate vicinity.
Thus, for example, no gas stations or large parking
lots in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
• Infill development should not require a large-
scale upgrade in infrastructure.
More detail may be written into revisions of the zoning
ordinance, but this provides a guideline for intent.
Finally, the Project Prattville effort has reaffirmed the
local standard for transparency and openness in public
process and governance. The combination of scheduled
public workshops, an engaged Advisory Group, and a
frequently-updated website meant that the citizens
of Prattville could track the progress of the project
throughout its stages. Though this part of the process
is coming to a close, the policy of transparency can be
carried forward into implementation and beyond. The
projectprattville.com website was an excellent portal
for disseminating information, and may be used to
show how the plan is being put in motion. Likewise, a
yearly review of progress should be conducted, ideally
with an external Advisory Group, to see where efforts
might be falling short, or identify instances in which
the recommendations of the plan might need to be
altered or amended.
Community input at
the Implementation Workshop