Meeting Minutes
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**Our next Quarterly Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 6, 5:15-6:30pm at the AIA Building on Peace Street. Join us!
We will discuss the PSP Special Task Force recommendations. See notes below.
PSP Special Task Force - - Recommended ACTION ITEMS are bulleted A & B under each item.
November 26, 2018
1. Review “pilot” permit parking program, and based on feedback from both residents and businesses,
recommend “tweaks” in the current program. After two district tours and initial discussion about the pilot, it
is generally agreed that there is no desire to revert to a traditional parking program, but to improve pilot
program by reviewing signage options and street markings which are more business/neighbor friendly? City
staff has indicated that they are willing to listen to the recommendations in this process of review.
2. Review how people are ticketed and claims of predatory ticketing and make recommendation if needed.
3. Review claims that businesses affected by the new pilot parking have indeed lost customers, to what extent,
and continue to have problems in having their patrons ticketed as well as other issues related to the pilot and
make recommendations.
4. Review information that residents’ interaction with business patrons and other residents re: parking and
noise continues to be problematic and confrontational and make recommendations.
5. Review and emphasize the term, “Neighborhood Business District” and discern ways to create a district which
helps to bring businesses and neighbors together and how to better solve differences when they arise.
owners to identify and locate new potential parking areas. Once these new parking areas are identified and
secured, create a map of the district with parking options identified, post to PSP website, and potentially
create new info slots with parking flyers around the district. Note: Historic Oakwood has indicated that they
might provide funding for this type of project.
7. Review and recommend valet parking options in the district and make recommendations.
8. Review liability insurance as a factor in opening private parking up to the public and make recommendations
re: any mitigation.
9. Review bike and pedestrian options for the district and surrounding neighborhoods and make
recommendations for new PSP initiative, “Walk/Bike Person”.
10. Develop a PSP logo which clearly identifies any parking or info signage in the district.
11. Review and recommend plans for a public/private parking garage for the district.
12. Review and recommend that City staff move forward with district streetscaping as part of Phase Two of the
Blount Person Street Corridor project.
13. Develop protocol for reporting and addressing complaints in the district and recommend to PSP
14. Recommend that business owners create their own merchants’ association to deal with marketing and
special business promotions for the district. The PSP is currently an informal advocacy group of stakeholders
in and surrounding the district and is not able to provide these services to the businesses.
15. Review claims that the popularity of the business district is negatively impacting nearby residential homes in
terms of their historical value and any other ramifications which might decrease the aesthetic, qualitative,
and end use values. Make recommendations to mitigate any related findings.
The following discussion took place in the group about the above recommendations:
In order to review the impact of the pilot permit parking program, Philip held two walking tours of the area. The
morning tour was comprised primarily of neighborhood business employees, neighbors, patrons and business
owners. The feeling of the group was that we need better signage, since the current signs are difficult to fully
comprehend. This group also recommended that the City consider addressing parking in a way that considered
the needs of the businesses as well as those of the residents. The primary issue is that the two-hour parking part
of the sign is at the top and easily readable while the “permit parking only 4pm-12am” is overlooked at the
bottom of the sign. Philip noted that the city did a good job of grouping available parking spaces to consolidate
them into one area for signage and keep people from blocking driveways. One suggestion was to mark each of
these groupings or “zones” differently to make the regulations more visible. The signage could make it clearer
that the area switched to permitted parking after 4pm and that ticketing was a real possibility for violators.
Philip suggested that the PSP conduct a PR campaign to avoid people getting parking tickets. He also
recommended that businesses inform their customers of the “potential” of receiving a ticket under the new
parking program.
Philip noted that the next step is to contact Tony Howard at the city to ask him to consider tweaking the pilot
program before the year long review time period is over. While Tony has indicated that he is open to
improvements, his flexibility is limited by NC DOT signage regulations. Suggestions to make the signage more
effective included printing the “permit required” portion in red or flipping the two portions of the sign so that
the permit portion is on the top. Philip reported that this is a year-long pilot program, and we are six months
into the process.
Philip noted that there had been complaints about possible predatory ticketing, with people getting tickets
immediately after parking in the Person Street Plaza lot after hours or walking to a business outside the plaza
area. A company has been hired by the management company to monitor the parking lot and give out tickets
when people park and go to other locations outside the plaza lot even if only for a brief period.
It would be helpful to determine whether or not Person Street businesses have lost patrons due to the pilot
parking program and/or ticketing. The taskforce members could contact a sampling of business owners to see if
their sales figures show a drop-off in business since the pilot program began.
Philip noted that the second pilot program walking tour was held at 6pm and included primarily nearby
residents. Some of them have reported problems with people ignoring the parking regulations (even when
confronted) or being noisy after the businesses close. The PSP may need to provide some public service
announcements and/or signage that encourages patrons to remember that they are in a residential
neighborhood. (Wilmington has this type of signage in the water front area.) We may be able to get a grant to
install such signage. Philip also noted that the PSP web site has an area for “district guidelines” that could be
used to showcase places to park to avoid conflicts with neighbors. The PSP can continue to mediate when
there’s a noise issue caused by an area business or its employees.
The neighborhoods could be encouraged to bike and walk to area business to lessen the parking problem. Task
force member, Mary Sell, serves on the bike/pedestrian commission that is focused on this issue citywide.
However,it was noted the Person Street businesses cannot survive on neighborhood patronage alone so
available parking should be explored and noted.
Philip noted that there are many parking spaces in the business district on private property that are not fully
utilized, especially after hours. Business owners are reluctant to open those spaces to people who are not
employees or patrons due to liability issues and negative experiences with people who have abused thes
privileges in the past. Philip cited the Wright Electric parking lot as an example. It was suggested that the city
could might hold another charette (last one was in 2008) with these business and property owners to come up
with solutions to their concerns.
Philip reported that he had discussed a valet parking option with the owners of the Oakwood Pizza Box and
Crawford & Son.
A business district-wide liability policy may be another part of the parking solution by enabling area businesses
to open up spaces on private property when they’re not being used by employees or customers.
A PSP logo could be developed for parking and informational signage in the district.
A public/private parking garage has been discussed since the 2008 Person Street charette. The question
continues to be where to put such a structure and whether or not this would change the character of the
district.
The taskforce also has recommended that the city move forward with business district streetscaping, which is a
part of the yet-unfunded Phase 2 of the Blount/Person Street project. Philip reported that at the next MCAC
meeting, Jason Myers from the city will provide a report on the status of Phase 1. This phase includes paving and
restriping the corridor and instituting the traffic calming “road diet.” It also creates additional parking spaces on
the west side of Person Street in the district. The city has identified a contractor and appears ready to move
forward. Philip reminded the attendees that we’ve been talking about Phase 1 projects for almost 13 years. If
questions arise from neighbors, we need to remind them of the time that has gone into the review and
discussion of this project.
Another issue raised by the taskforce was the protocol for reporting and addressing complaints in the district.
Philip noted that there were some noise issues when restaurants began to offer late hours, but those were
addressed quickly by the PSP as it reached out to these businesses and established good means of
communication between all parties. Businesses now share phone numbers with neighbors so that they can
report complaints and have started to inform nearby homeowners of special events. There is an ongoing issue
with the Person Street Bar and one of their neighbors that the PSP is willing to mediate if requested to do so.
Philip noted that the PSP is focused primarily on advocacy and does not have a way to fund staff and serve as a
merchants’ association. (Dana Deaton does provide PR for area businesses and events as a volunteer.) The
taskforce has suggested that area businesses create their own merchant focused association to promote the
their businesses in the district. The PSP would like to plan an organizational meeting in the first part of 2019 to
help coordinate and kick off this effort.
Another issue raised by the taskforce was the question of whether or not the Person Street business district
decreases/increase the property values particularly of more historic homes in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Philip noted that many homes, like the Haywood Grimes home on Wake Forest road had been sold to buyers
who were attracted to the Person Street area and were being revitalized particularly the exterior. We don’t
want the business district to become so commercial that it negatively impacts the surrounding areas. Up until
now, the Person Street business district
After the discussion of the taskforce recommendations, the attendees brought up a few additional issues.
Would the city consider extending the R Line to the Person Street Business District to alleviate some parking
pressure?
How will the Lime Bikes and the new scooters impact the business district and parking lots/sidewalks?
Do we want people to flow between Seaboard and the business district? How would that happen?
How do we involve the city in the discussion about parking, connectivity, transportation issues, etc.? How do we
involve businesses near the district that have unused parking spaces like the funeral home, Peace University,
Holy Trinity, etc.?
Philip noted that the taskforce members will be asked to come up with answers to the issues raised above and
formulate action items. Hopefully, much will be accomplished before the end of the year.
PSP Meeting - Winter 2018
March 5, 2018, AIA Headquarters
Minutes
Philip welcomed approximately 15 people to the first PSP meeting of 2018.
PSP business updates:
-- Renovations to Pelagic’s new space continues to drag on with no definite completion date. In the
meantime, Pelagic continues to enjoy it current space and business is good. Update 4/14: Pelagic has
decided to remain in its current space which will open up the current space being renovated on Person
Street for another business.
-- The former Retro Fitness building is under contract for a second time after another buyer withdrew
his offer after due diligence. No word on the identity of current potential buyer is but the agent is
hopeful and pleased with this prospect. Suggested ideas for the large space are a shared work space or
some type shared retail space similar to Hunt and Gather at Seaboard Station but with a more modern,
funkier feel. Update 4/14: Hobby Properties has purchased this property.
-- Three major properties are under contract on Wake Forest Road just north of the business district.
These and other properties were the focus of our last PSP meeting in October as the PSP explores how
the Person Street business district might expand to the north in many properties which have a
residential character but are zoned neighborhood business. The former Haven House on the corner of
WFR and Sasser Street, the former Gables Motor Lodge, and the Williams Haywood Grimes house at 821
WFR are all under contract.
-- Local Oakwood resident Tift Merritt and her business partner who is owner of the Durham Hotel are
under contract for the Gables Motor Lodge. Tift has reached out to the PSP and several nearby
neighbors and neighborhood leaders to gather input on the future use of the historic motor lodge which
will most likely require a rezoning. Tift will give an update of her plans at the next Mordecai CAC
meeting. Philips hopes to invite Tift to our next PSP meeting in May should her plans to purchase the
Gables progress to a closing on the property.
-- The buyers for the other two properties are unknown. The agent for 821 WFR is pleased with their
prospect who plans to use the property for their business headquarters and seem to be open to ideas
from the neighborhood on how the outdoor area might be shared with the neighborhood.
-- Philip has contacted the owners of the Marsh Woodwinds property. While Rodney continues to
recover from a broken ankle, the owners have cleaned up the front of the property. Currently, they have
nothing new to report on the status of Marsh Woodwinds the current tenant. Update: Rodney Marsh is
now back in the space and the lights are on. Welcome back Rodney, we wish you the best of luck!
2018 City Livability Tour in the North End This Year
Tappan Vickery with Wake-Up Wake County spoke to the group about Wake-UP Wake County which is a
citizens’ organization advancing good growth planning and sustainable, healthy communities. They are
sponsoring their 4 th annual 2018 City Livability Tour on Saturday April 21, 2018 from 1 – 5pm which is a
self-guided walking tour of the “bustling” Person/Blount Street corridor. Tour participants will be invited
into businesses, residences, and historic properties to learn how urban design and sustainable
development come together to create a community and good quality of life. The tour will start at the
AIA Building on Peace Street.
Historic Pilot Permit Parking Initiative
Next up was Sarah Rex, a resident on Pace Street and a business owner on Person Street. She has
spearheaded an effort to create an historic permit pilot parking program which allows residents to apply
for a parking permit that allows each resident to purchase a permit from the City which then allows
them to park in a designated parking space that is physically painted on the street in front of their
residence. Along with signage designating the spot, the space will be available 24/7 to that resident.
Sarah gave an update saying the issue has been delayed in getting on the Council’s agenda and asked for
our support in writing a letter to Council to speed up the review. Update: The PSP reached out and
spoke individually to Councilors Branch, Stephenson, and Stewart and the proposal is now on the
agenda for Tuesday April 17, 2018 during the 11:30 session under Recommendations from the City
manager and listed on the 11:30am agenda as: Pilot Program - Controlled Parking Residential Area -
Historic Mordecai and Portions of Oakwood Residential Areas. The PSP will send the following letter to
all Council Members in support of this effort:
Dear Councilors,
The Person Street Partnership (PSP) is in support of the Pilot Program - Controlled Parking Residential
Area - Historic Mordecai and Portions of Oakwood Residential Areas which is on this Tuesday’s morning
session agenda under recommendations from the City Manager.
The PSP has been an active participant and promoter for this pilot program during its inception and
vetting with the surrounding neigbors and businesses. We believe this pilot program is a win/win for the
Person Street businesses and the residents as it allows residents to depend on a permanent parking
space near their home while leaving the rest of the spaces open for the neighboring businesses to use
24/7.
We encourage you to support this program by making a motion of support and voting “Yes”!
Respectfully, etc.
We encourage PSP partners to send their own letter of support and you are welcome to use this letter
as a guideline. Letters can be emailed to all City Councilors at: citycouncilors@raleighnc.gov
Follow-Up Items from 2017 Fall PSP Meeting
During the rest of the meeting, the group discussed follow up questions on our previous meeting last fall
where City planner Matthew Klem and City transportation planned Jason Myers attended and gave
updates and information about zoning and transportation issues in and surrounding our district.
One question that came up during the meeting regarded the roof top terrace being constructed on the
old barbershop building on the corner of Person and Pace Streets as part of the renovation of that
space. According to the UDO, there are only 8 seating spaces allowed for the roof top deck, BUT there is
no mention of how many people will be allowed to stand in the space. Noise and smoking issues are a
concern of nearby neighbors, so the PSP will reach out to Mr. Klem for more details on how this space
might be used.
The PSP also reached out to Mr. Meyers to inquire about when Phase One of the Person/Blount Street
corridor project would begin along with the much-needed repaving of the northern half of the corridor.
Myers reported that the bid package was about to be sent out to contractors with the hope that a
successful bidder could be secured, and if not, it would need to be resubmitted. It was noted in the
meeting that Phase One has been delayed numerous times for various reasons and is now scheduled to
begin this spring. With the bid package only recently going out and the question of a possible re-
submittal, the PSP wonders if a spring start date is realistic? Again, the PSP has reached out to and
spoken individually with Councilors Branch, Stephenson, and Stewart and asked for their support to
speed up this lagging implementation of Phase One. One item that was brought to Mr. Myers attention
is the added on-street parking of the west side of Person Street in the business district. The current plan
shows one of the entrances of the Person Street Plaza being closed which is not viable and there is also
ongoing concern among business owners with off street parking areas having visibility issues due to cars
parked on the street.
Phase Two!
With Phase One and Three funded, we discussed moving forward with plans to advocate for the funding
of Phase Two which will be for streetscaping and the most expensive phase. Philip suggested that the
PSP begin to work on a streetscaping plan for the Person Street district and ask City planning to help
guide us in this process. Philip also suggested that any streetscaping plans would try and preserve the
“rustic” neighborhood character of the street and surrounding historic neighborhoods.
We also discussed the PSP’s current quest to promote more walk-in retail on Person Street and our
desire for Person Street to be a well-balanced downtown neighborhood shopping area with a good mix
of restaurants, bars, services, and retail shops and its applauds the current efforts of businesses like The
Pharmacy and So and So Books and In Situ who are sharing spaces for different types of businesses in
one location. The PSP constantly advocates for more walk-in retail in its outreach to new property
owners as some key business locations on Person Street are coming up for sale and changing hands.
PSP Moving Forward in 2018
The last item on the agenda was a discussion about the PSP’s future role in the business district now
that their efforts to revitalize Person Street have been successful and business is booming! Up until now,
the PSP has been an informal advocacy group with no legal structure or budget per se and general
discussion in the group leaned toward keeping it this way. The PSP has never sought to be a Person
Street merchants association and is not set up to collect dues or provide member services to merchants.
The PSP encouraged the business partners in attendance to form a merchants’ association if they felt
one was needed and the PSP would continue to act as a liaison with the surrounding neighborhoods,
partners, and City Council and staff. We will continue to have our quarterly meetings which are well
attended, informative, and continue to promote Person Street through our well established social media
channels. A big “thank you” goes out to Dana Deaton who tirelessly promotes the PSP and Person Street
through these channels. Please reach out to Dana if you need help in promoting your business or special
event.
One specific promotional idea that was discussed in the meeting was for the PSP to explore ways that
would encourage people in the surrounding neighborhoods to “walk” to Person Street. With limited
parking, we will be thinking of ways to encourage people to “WALK TO PERSON”. This will be the topic
for discussion at our next PSP Social which will be held at The Station on the last Tuesday in April. A
separate notice will go out about this event.
The next PSP meeting will be in late May or early June. Many thanks to all those who attended this
meeting.
____________
PSP Fall 2017 Meeting
Home of Pam and Ron Calliari
821 Wake Forest Rd., Raleigh, NC
Oct. 17, 2017
Minutes
___________
PSP Spring 2017 Meeting
April 25, 2017
AIA Building
Minutes
_____________
PSP Fall 2016 Meeting
Dec. 6, 2016, AIA Building
Minutes
____________
APRIL 16, 2016 SPECIAL MEETING:
The PSP met at 9:30am on April 16, 2016 the Person Street Bar.
We discussed important details about the partial two way conversion of Person Street between Peace and Delway streets. Thanks to everyone who attended as we looked at specific details on how this conversion will be made.
____________
PSP Fall 2015 Meeting
Minutes:
Approximately 10 people attended the quarterly meeting at the AIA Building. Philip welcomed the group noting that attendance at this meeting would be less than usual due to a neighborhood zoning meeting and other conflicts.
Business Updates:
Philip also noted that Person Street now has two full service restaurants, a café, two private bars, and two beer and wine shops. Feedback from the surrounding neighborhoods indicates that we have reached our desired capacity for places to purchase and consume alcohol and we are hoping to strive for a more well-balanced neighborhood business district. The PSP encourages property owners to open up more unique retail shops, a neighborhood coffee shop, and potentially some new restaurant options such as a wood fired pizza place. Local gallery owners would like to see more galleries helping to encourage a vibrant local arts district.
Updates from the PSP Special Events, Noise, and Parking Task Force:
Philip has met with Kate Cross from the newly formed City of Raleigh Special events office and she will be the neighborhood contact for special events in the Person Street area. The City has made many changes to the application process for special events including a three month time requirement and fees for street closures.
Here is follow up info from Kate with information about the Special Events office:
If you wish to contact the Special Events Office you can send an email to our Special Events inbox @ SpecialEvents@raleighnc.gov which is monitored by our office coordinator Sarah Heinsohn. This is the best email contact to give community members if they have questions about events and/or their associated closure details, how to apply for an event, our rules and policies, notification issues, complaints/concerns, etc. You can also always call into our office at 919-996-2200.
To quickly summarize the current resources of our office:
- Online Feedback Form: Designed for event attendees or community members affected by events to provide constructive feedback about specific aspects of the event, so that we can track and reference this information for future planning.
- Weekly Digest: A weekly email update that includes a brief description of upcoming events for the week, including the road closures associated with the event
- Online Calendar: A calendar resource with up-to-date information about all events currently scheduled within the City that are taking place on public right-of-way. Whenever possible this calendar provides road closure details and direct contact information for reaching event organizers.
- Public Notification Requirements: Going forward, we will be enforcing these requirements for all events. If ever you do not receive notification, please alert our office via the feedback form or email us at specialevents@raleighnc.gov.
And of course as we discussed, we will be contacting you directly to gain advance community feedback for any new event requests that will impact Person Street, Oakwood, Mordecai, and the surrounding areas. We look forward to working with you and the Person Street Partnership going forward.
Website, Logo Development, and Social Media:
Holiday Lightballs:
____________________
PSP Meeting Fall 2014
9-7-14, AIA building
Google presentation/agenda
November 26, 2018
1. Review “pilot” permit parking program, and based on feedback from both residents and businesses,
recommend “tweaks” in the current program. After two district tours and initial discussion about the pilot, it
is generally agreed that there is no desire to revert to a traditional parking program, but to improve pilot
program by reviewing signage options and street markings which are more business/neighbor friendly? City
staff has indicated that they are willing to listen to the recommendations in this process of review.
- A. Review “pilot program” at six-month mark with Tony Howard, parking analyst with COR, to give initial feedback about the program and possible revision of signage based on feedback.
- B. Petition City Council to consider better ways to improve parking and other issues between businesses and residents in neighborhood business districts like Person Street.
2. Review how people are ticketed and claims of predatory ticketing and make recommendation if needed.
- A. Document specific complaints about public and private ticketing procedures and identify if these type practices are indeed “predatory” and advise.
- B. PSP to identify parking areas where ticketing is more frequent and issue warnings to patrons on social media and other communication channels.
3. Review claims that businesses affected by the new pilot parking have indeed lost customers, to what extent,
and continue to have problems in having their patrons ticketed as well as other issues related to the pilot and
make recommendations.
- A. PSP to create survey of businesses and residents to ask questions about parking, noise, and other “growth challenges” to the business district and publish results in final task force report.
- B. PSP to organize special meeting one morning for businesses only to discuss specific issues such as these.
4. Review information that residents’ interaction with business patrons and other residents re: parking and
noise continues to be problematic and confrontational and make recommendations.
- A. PSP to document specific complaints which are representative of common problem issues in the district and advise with suggestions of possible solutions.
- B. PSP to create signage and other communication channels to encourage “best practices” in the business district.
5. Review and emphasize the term, “Neighborhood Business District” and discern ways to create a district which
helps to bring businesses and neighbors together and how to better solve differences when they arise.
- A. In future PSP meetings, the PSP will focus on ways to emphasize the word “neighborhood” in the neighborhood business district with an effort to create more balance between neighbors and businesses.
- B. Engage and speak to neighborhood organizations such as MCAC, SPHO, and HOA’s to foster good relations between the neighborhoods and business owners in the district.
owners to identify and locate new potential parking areas. Once these new parking areas are identified and
secured, create a map of the district with parking options identified, post to PSP website, and potentially
create new info slots with parking flyers around the district. Note: Historic Oakwood has indicated that they
might provide funding for this type of project.
- A. PSP to request assistance from the COR to help with our parking issues and to identify a district wide parking plan which identifies all parking places in the district including potential private parking areas.
- B. Once parking plan is created, PSP will advertise plan thru social media and other communication channels.
7. Review and recommend valet parking options in the district and make recommendations.
- A. PSP to identify if there is any interest or feasibility in establishing valet parking options in the district.
- B. Identify possible valet parking locations and feasibility.
8. Review liability insurance as a factor in opening private parking up to the public and make recommendations
re: any mitigation.
- A. Reach out to property owners in the district who have underutilized parking areas and review possible ways that they can share their parking or use it for employee parking.
- B. Help research ways to mitigate possible liability issues with public use of private parking options.
9. Review bike and pedestrian options for the district and surrounding neighborhoods and make
recommendations for new PSP initiative, “Walk/Bike Person”.
- A. PSP to ask bike/pedestrian speaker from COR to speak at future PSP meeting to review options for district.
- B. PSP to develop public service promotion to “Walk/Bike Person”
10. Develop a PSP logo which clearly identifies any parking or info signage in the district.
- A. Develop a more visual PSP color logo to help coordinate and unite any district wide signage
- B. Develop proper and welcoming signage to inform visitors and patrons about district rules and regulations.
11. Review and recommend plans for a public/private parking garage for the district.
- A. Meet with COR and WPU to begin discussion - - WPU already has a parking garage planned for property across from Raleigh City Farm. Maybe we could tie into that somehow?
- B. Research parking garages to discern best and most up to date examples.
12. Review and recommend that City staff move forward with district streetscaping as part of Phase Two of the
Blount Person Street Corridor project.
- A. Contact our City Councilor reps and ask for funding for district streetscaping plan
- B. Work with City Planning to develop plan
13. Develop protocol for reporting and addressing complaints in the district and recommend to PSP
- A. Develop accurate registry of businesses and property owners.
- B. Send out info about complaint resolution process and post on PSP website.
14. Recommend that business owners create their own merchants’ association to deal with marketing and
special business promotions for the district. The PSP is currently an informal advocacy group of stakeholders
in and surrounding the district and is not able to provide these services to the businesses.
- A. PSP to hold meeting just for business owners at a time convenient for them
- B. PSP to invite speaker to talk about how to form and Merchant’s association.
15. Review claims that the popularity of the business district is negatively impacting nearby residential homes in
terms of their historical value and any other ramifications which might decrease the aesthetic, qualitative,
and end use values. Make recommendations to mitigate any related findings.
- A. Develop fact sheet about the positive aspects of the Person Street business and its effect on surrounding neighborhoods.
- B. Develop program for neighborhood groups which talk about these aspects in person.
The following discussion took place in the group about the above recommendations:
In order to review the impact of the pilot permit parking program, Philip held two walking tours of the area. The
morning tour was comprised primarily of neighborhood business employees, neighbors, patrons and business
owners. The feeling of the group was that we need better signage, since the current signs are difficult to fully
comprehend. This group also recommended that the City consider addressing parking in a way that considered
the needs of the businesses as well as those of the residents. The primary issue is that the two-hour parking part
of the sign is at the top and easily readable while the “permit parking only 4pm-12am” is overlooked at the
bottom of the sign. Philip noted that the city did a good job of grouping available parking spaces to consolidate
them into one area for signage and keep people from blocking driveways. One suggestion was to mark each of
these groupings or “zones” differently to make the regulations more visible. The signage could make it clearer
that the area switched to permitted parking after 4pm and that ticketing was a real possibility for violators.
Philip suggested that the PSP conduct a PR campaign to avoid people getting parking tickets. He also
recommended that businesses inform their customers of the “potential” of receiving a ticket under the new
parking program.
Philip noted that the next step is to contact Tony Howard at the city to ask him to consider tweaking the pilot
program before the year long review time period is over. While Tony has indicated that he is open to
improvements, his flexibility is limited by NC DOT signage regulations. Suggestions to make the signage more
effective included printing the “permit required” portion in red or flipping the two portions of the sign so that
the permit portion is on the top. Philip reported that this is a year-long pilot program, and we are six months
into the process.
Philip noted that there had been complaints about possible predatory ticketing, with people getting tickets
immediately after parking in the Person Street Plaza lot after hours or walking to a business outside the plaza
area. A company has been hired by the management company to monitor the parking lot and give out tickets
when people park and go to other locations outside the plaza lot even if only for a brief period.
It would be helpful to determine whether or not Person Street businesses have lost patrons due to the pilot
parking program and/or ticketing. The taskforce members could contact a sampling of business owners to see if
their sales figures show a drop-off in business since the pilot program began.
Philip noted that the second pilot program walking tour was held at 6pm and included primarily nearby
residents. Some of them have reported problems with people ignoring the parking regulations (even when
confronted) or being noisy after the businesses close. The PSP may need to provide some public service
announcements and/or signage that encourages patrons to remember that they are in a residential
neighborhood. (Wilmington has this type of signage in the water front area.) We may be able to get a grant to
install such signage. Philip also noted that the PSP web site has an area for “district guidelines” that could be
used to showcase places to park to avoid conflicts with neighbors. The PSP can continue to mediate when
there’s a noise issue caused by an area business or its employees.
The neighborhoods could be encouraged to bike and walk to area business to lessen the parking problem. Task
force member, Mary Sell, serves on the bike/pedestrian commission that is focused on this issue citywide.
However,it was noted the Person Street businesses cannot survive on neighborhood patronage alone so
available parking should be explored and noted.
Philip noted that there are many parking spaces in the business district on private property that are not fully
utilized, especially after hours. Business owners are reluctant to open those spaces to people who are not
employees or patrons due to liability issues and negative experiences with people who have abused thes
privileges in the past. Philip cited the Wright Electric parking lot as an example. It was suggested that the city
could might hold another charette (last one was in 2008) with these business and property owners to come up
with solutions to their concerns.
Philip reported that he had discussed a valet parking option with the owners of the Oakwood Pizza Box and
Crawford & Son.
A business district-wide liability policy may be another part of the parking solution by enabling area businesses
to open up spaces on private property when they’re not being used by employees or customers.
A PSP logo could be developed for parking and informational signage in the district.
A public/private parking garage has been discussed since the 2008 Person Street charette. The question
continues to be where to put such a structure and whether or not this would change the character of the
district.
The taskforce also has recommended that the city move forward with business district streetscaping, which is a
part of the yet-unfunded Phase 2 of the Blount/Person Street project. Philip reported that at the next MCAC
meeting, Jason Myers from the city will provide a report on the status of Phase 1. This phase includes paving and
restriping the corridor and instituting the traffic calming “road diet.” It also creates additional parking spaces on
the west side of Person Street in the district. The city has identified a contractor and appears ready to move
forward. Philip reminded the attendees that we’ve been talking about Phase 1 projects for almost 13 years. If
questions arise from neighbors, we need to remind them of the time that has gone into the review and
discussion of this project.
Another issue raised by the taskforce was the protocol for reporting and addressing complaints in the district.
Philip noted that there were some noise issues when restaurants began to offer late hours, but those were
addressed quickly by the PSP as it reached out to these businesses and established good means of
communication between all parties. Businesses now share phone numbers with neighbors so that they can
report complaints and have started to inform nearby homeowners of special events. There is an ongoing issue
with the Person Street Bar and one of their neighbors that the PSP is willing to mediate if requested to do so.
Philip noted that the PSP is focused primarily on advocacy and does not have a way to fund staff and serve as a
merchants’ association. (Dana Deaton does provide PR for area businesses and events as a volunteer.) The
taskforce has suggested that area businesses create their own merchant focused association to promote the
their businesses in the district. The PSP would like to plan an organizational meeting in the first part of 2019 to
help coordinate and kick off this effort.
Another issue raised by the taskforce was the question of whether or not the Person Street business district
decreases/increase the property values particularly of more historic homes in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Philip noted that many homes, like the Haywood Grimes home on Wake Forest road had been sold to buyers
who were attracted to the Person Street area and were being revitalized particularly the exterior. We don’t
want the business district to become so commercial that it negatively impacts the surrounding areas. Up until
now, the Person Street business district
After the discussion of the taskforce recommendations, the attendees brought up a few additional issues.
Would the city consider extending the R Line to the Person Street Business District to alleviate some parking
pressure?
How will the Lime Bikes and the new scooters impact the business district and parking lots/sidewalks?
Do we want people to flow between Seaboard and the business district? How would that happen?
How do we involve the city in the discussion about parking, connectivity, transportation issues, etc.? How do we
involve businesses near the district that have unused parking spaces like the funeral home, Peace University,
Holy Trinity, etc.?
Philip noted that the taskforce members will be asked to come up with answers to the issues raised above and
formulate action items. Hopefully, much will be accomplished before the end of the year.
PSP Meeting - Winter 2018
March 5, 2018, AIA Headquarters
Minutes
Philip welcomed approximately 15 people to the first PSP meeting of 2018.
PSP business updates:
-- Renovations to Pelagic’s new space continues to drag on with no definite completion date. In the
meantime, Pelagic continues to enjoy it current space and business is good. Update 4/14: Pelagic has
decided to remain in its current space which will open up the current space being renovated on Person
Street for another business.
-- The former Retro Fitness building is under contract for a second time after another buyer withdrew
his offer after due diligence. No word on the identity of current potential buyer is but the agent is
hopeful and pleased with this prospect. Suggested ideas for the large space are a shared work space or
some type shared retail space similar to Hunt and Gather at Seaboard Station but with a more modern,
funkier feel. Update 4/14: Hobby Properties has purchased this property.
-- Three major properties are under contract on Wake Forest Road just north of the business district.
These and other properties were the focus of our last PSP meeting in October as the PSP explores how
the Person Street business district might expand to the north in many properties which have a
residential character but are zoned neighborhood business. The former Haven House on the corner of
WFR and Sasser Street, the former Gables Motor Lodge, and the Williams Haywood Grimes house at 821
WFR are all under contract.
-- Local Oakwood resident Tift Merritt and her business partner who is owner of the Durham Hotel are
under contract for the Gables Motor Lodge. Tift has reached out to the PSP and several nearby
neighbors and neighborhood leaders to gather input on the future use of the historic motor lodge which
will most likely require a rezoning. Tift will give an update of her plans at the next Mordecai CAC
meeting. Philips hopes to invite Tift to our next PSP meeting in May should her plans to purchase the
Gables progress to a closing on the property.
-- The buyers for the other two properties are unknown. The agent for 821 WFR is pleased with their
prospect who plans to use the property for their business headquarters and seem to be open to ideas
from the neighborhood on how the outdoor area might be shared with the neighborhood.
-- Philip has contacted the owners of the Marsh Woodwinds property. While Rodney continues to
recover from a broken ankle, the owners have cleaned up the front of the property. Currently, they have
nothing new to report on the status of Marsh Woodwinds the current tenant. Update: Rodney Marsh is
now back in the space and the lights are on. Welcome back Rodney, we wish you the best of luck!
2018 City Livability Tour in the North End This Year
Tappan Vickery with Wake-Up Wake County spoke to the group about Wake-UP Wake County which is a
citizens’ organization advancing good growth planning and sustainable, healthy communities. They are
sponsoring their 4 th annual 2018 City Livability Tour on Saturday April 21, 2018 from 1 – 5pm which is a
self-guided walking tour of the “bustling” Person/Blount Street corridor. Tour participants will be invited
into businesses, residences, and historic properties to learn how urban design and sustainable
development come together to create a community and good quality of life. The tour will start at the
AIA Building on Peace Street.
Historic Pilot Permit Parking Initiative
Next up was Sarah Rex, a resident on Pace Street and a business owner on Person Street. She has
spearheaded an effort to create an historic permit pilot parking program which allows residents to apply
for a parking permit that allows each resident to purchase a permit from the City which then allows
them to park in a designated parking space that is physically painted on the street in front of their
residence. Along with signage designating the spot, the space will be available 24/7 to that resident.
Sarah gave an update saying the issue has been delayed in getting on the Council’s agenda and asked for
our support in writing a letter to Council to speed up the review. Update: The PSP reached out and
spoke individually to Councilors Branch, Stephenson, and Stewart and the proposal is now on the
agenda for Tuesday April 17, 2018 during the 11:30 session under Recommendations from the City
manager and listed on the 11:30am agenda as: Pilot Program - Controlled Parking Residential Area -
Historic Mordecai and Portions of Oakwood Residential Areas. The PSP will send the following letter to
all Council Members in support of this effort:
Dear Councilors,
The Person Street Partnership (PSP) is in support of the Pilot Program - Controlled Parking Residential
Area - Historic Mordecai and Portions of Oakwood Residential Areas which is on this Tuesday’s morning
session agenda under recommendations from the City Manager.
The PSP has been an active participant and promoter for this pilot program during its inception and
vetting with the surrounding neigbors and businesses. We believe this pilot program is a win/win for the
Person Street businesses and the residents as it allows residents to depend on a permanent parking
space near their home while leaving the rest of the spaces open for the neighboring businesses to use
24/7.
We encourage you to support this program by making a motion of support and voting “Yes”!
Respectfully, etc.
We encourage PSP partners to send their own letter of support and you are welcome to use this letter
as a guideline. Letters can be emailed to all City Councilors at: citycouncilors@raleighnc.gov
Follow-Up Items from 2017 Fall PSP Meeting
During the rest of the meeting, the group discussed follow up questions on our previous meeting last fall
where City planner Matthew Klem and City transportation planned Jason Myers attended and gave
updates and information about zoning and transportation issues in and surrounding our district.
One question that came up during the meeting regarded the roof top terrace being constructed on the
old barbershop building on the corner of Person and Pace Streets as part of the renovation of that
space. According to the UDO, there are only 8 seating spaces allowed for the roof top deck, BUT there is
no mention of how many people will be allowed to stand in the space. Noise and smoking issues are a
concern of nearby neighbors, so the PSP will reach out to Mr. Klem for more details on how this space
might be used.
The PSP also reached out to Mr. Meyers to inquire about when Phase One of the Person/Blount Street
corridor project would begin along with the much-needed repaving of the northern half of the corridor.
Myers reported that the bid package was about to be sent out to contractors with the hope that a
successful bidder could be secured, and if not, it would need to be resubmitted. It was noted in the
meeting that Phase One has been delayed numerous times for various reasons and is now scheduled to
begin this spring. With the bid package only recently going out and the question of a possible re-
submittal, the PSP wonders if a spring start date is realistic? Again, the PSP has reached out to and
spoken individually with Councilors Branch, Stephenson, and Stewart and asked for their support to
speed up this lagging implementation of Phase One. One item that was brought to Mr. Myers attention
is the added on-street parking of the west side of Person Street in the business district. The current plan
shows one of the entrances of the Person Street Plaza being closed which is not viable and there is also
ongoing concern among business owners with off street parking areas having visibility issues due to cars
parked on the street.
Phase Two!
With Phase One and Three funded, we discussed moving forward with plans to advocate for the funding
of Phase Two which will be for streetscaping and the most expensive phase. Philip suggested that the
PSP begin to work on a streetscaping plan for the Person Street district and ask City planning to help
guide us in this process. Philip also suggested that any streetscaping plans would try and preserve the
“rustic” neighborhood character of the street and surrounding historic neighborhoods.
We also discussed the PSP’s current quest to promote more walk-in retail on Person Street and our
desire for Person Street to be a well-balanced downtown neighborhood shopping area with a good mix
of restaurants, bars, services, and retail shops and its applauds the current efforts of businesses like The
Pharmacy and So and So Books and In Situ who are sharing spaces for different types of businesses in
one location. The PSP constantly advocates for more walk-in retail in its outreach to new property
owners as some key business locations on Person Street are coming up for sale and changing hands.
PSP Moving Forward in 2018
The last item on the agenda was a discussion about the PSP’s future role in the business district now
that their efforts to revitalize Person Street have been successful and business is booming! Up until now,
the PSP has been an informal advocacy group with no legal structure or budget per se and general
discussion in the group leaned toward keeping it this way. The PSP has never sought to be a Person
Street merchants association and is not set up to collect dues or provide member services to merchants.
The PSP encouraged the business partners in attendance to form a merchants’ association if they felt
one was needed and the PSP would continue to act as a liaison with the surrounding neighborhoods,
partners, and City Council and staff. We will continue to have our quarterly meetings which are well
attended, informative, and continue to promote Person Street through our well established social media
channels. A big “thank you” goes out to Dana Deaton who tirelessly promotes the PSP and Person Street
through these channels. Please reach out to Dana if you need help in promoting your business or special
event.
One specific promotional idea that was discussed in the meeting was for the PSP to explore ways that
would encourage people in the surrounding neighborhoods to “walk” to Person Street. With limited
parking, we will be thinking of ways to encourage people to “WALK TO PERSON”. This will be the topic
for discussion at our next PSP Social which will be held at The Station on the last Tuesday in April. A
separate notice will go out about this event.
The next PSP meeting will be in late May or early June. Many thanks to all those who attended this
meeting.
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PSP Fall 2017 Meeting
Home of Pam and Ron Calliari
821 Wake Forest Rd., Raleigh, NC
Oct. 17, 2017
Minutes
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PSP Spring 2017 Meeting
April 25, 2017
AIA Building
Minutes
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PSP Fall 2016 Meeting
Dec. 6, 2016, AIA Building
Minutes
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APRIL 16, 2016 SPECIAL MEETING:
The PSP met at 9:30am on April 16, 2016 the Person Street Bar.
We discussed important details about the partial two way conversion of Person Street between Peace and Delway streets. Thanks to everyone who attended as we looked at specific details on how this conversion will be made.
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PSP Fall 2015 Meeting
Minutes:
Approximately 10 people attended the quarterly meeting at the AIA Building. Philip welcomed the group noting that attendance at this meeting would be less than usual due to a neighborhood zoning meeting and other conflicts.
Business Updates:
- Sadly, Piebird is no longer open - - Piebird is credited with being a restaurant pioneer on Person Street when many folks said a full service restaurant could not make it due to a lack of parking and neighborhood support. Many thanks go to Sheliagh Cassidy and George Duncan for their huge contribution to the revitalization of Person Street. Everyone hopes that Sheilagh’s wonderful pies will continue to find their way into our hearts and stomachs! Meanwhile, interest in the former Piebird location is high!
- Pelagic, http://pelagicbeerandwine.com, (a geological term referring to “of or pertaining to the sea”), a new craft beer and wine shop owned by Mordecai residents Matt and Amanda Allen opened early in December at 300 Pace Street behind the former Piebird location. This is a temporary spot for them until the former corner barbershop is renovated and they will move to that location leaving 300 Pace open for lease.
- Green Planet Catering http://greenplanetcatering.com has taken over the Person Street Café facebook.com/ThePharmacyCafeRaleigh/. Daniel Whittaker, owner addressed the group and said that his executive chef Patrick Cowden had years of experience at restaurants like the Weather Vane in Chapel Hill and the Tobacco Road restaurants. They are currently serving the same menu with plans to revise the menu in early 2016. Green Planet has an excellent management team and is looking forward to being a part of Person Street.
- Gather, http://shop.gathergoodsco.com, a beautiful plant filled gift shop and classroom has opened in front of Local Salon in the 200 block of Franklin Street next to Oak City Cycling.
- The grocery store at Standard Foods http://standard-foods.com has now opened after the restaurant opened in early November. A recent article about the grocery was featured in Garden and Gun magazine!
Philip also noted that Person Street now has two full service restaurants, a café, two private bars, and two beer and wine shops. Feedback from the surrounding neighborhoods indicates that we have reached our desired capacity for places to purchase and consume alcohol and we are hoping to strive for a more well-balanced neighborhood business district. The PSP encourages property owners to open up more unique retail shops, a neighborhood coffee shop, and potentially some new restaurant options such as a wood fired pizza place. Local gallery owners would like to see more galleries helping to encourage a vibrant local arts district.
Updates from the PSP Special Events, Noise, and Parking Task Force:
Philip has met with Kate Cross from the newly formed City of Raleigh Special events office and she will be the neighborhood contact for special events in the Person Street area. The City has made many changes to the application process for special events including a three month time requirement and fees for street closures.
Here is follow up info from Kate with information about the Special Events office:
If you wish to contact the Special Events Office you can send an email to our Special Events inbox @ SpecialEvents@raleighnc.gov which is monitored by our office coordinator Sarah Heinsohn. This is the best email contact to give community members if they have questions about events and/or their associated closure details, how to apply for an event, our rules and policies, notification issues, complaints/concerns, etc. You can also always call into our office at 919-996-2200.
To quickly summarize the current resources of our office:
- Online Feedback Form: Designed for event attendees or community members affected by events to provide constructive feedback about specific aspects of the event, so that we can track and reference this information for future planning.
- Weekly Digest: A weekly email update that includes a brief description of upcoming events for the week, including the road closures associated with the event
- Online Calendar: A calendar resource with up-to-date information about all events currently scheduled within the City that are taking place on public right-of-way. Whenever possible this calendar provides road closure details and direct contact information for reaching event organizers.
- Public Notification Requirements: Going forward, we will be enforcing these requirements for all events. If ever you do not receive notification, please alert our office via the feedback form or email us at specialevents@raleighnc.gov.
And of course as we discussed, we will be contacting you directly to gain advance community feedback for any new event requests that will impact Person Street, Oakwood, Mordecai, and the surrounding areas. We look forward to working with you and the Person Street Partnership going forward.
- The PSP continues to monitor issues with noise in the district by serving as liaison between the surrounding neighbors and the businesses. Please let Philip know if there are any ongoing issues related to noise particularly late at night. The PSP will also try to give advance warning to neighbors about special events where bands will be playing. If you are having an amplified event, please contact the PSP so that we can get out advance warning. Good communication between PSP partners has helped greatly to mitigate noise complaints.
- Philip met with Gordon Dash, the director of Parklink about the limited parking in the Person Street area. We will be working with Sherry Belville in their office to review all of the public parking in the district to see that parking spaces are maximized and at a safe distance from intersections.
- Sarah Dewitt, a local business owner and resident of Pace Street between Person and Blount, joined the meeting to present a unique proposal which if feasible (and legal) could avoid having residential parking restrictions placed on streets like Pace and Franklin which are used by both residents and businesses. Currently, residential parking permit zones only allow residents with permits to park in these areas during designated hours. Sarah’s proposal would allow each resident the ability to designate a parking space directly in front of each residence which would leave the rest of the spaces on the street open to anyone including business patrons. The PSP would like to commend Sarah and our residential partners on Pace, Blount, and Franklin for their continued patience and desire to work with the local businesses in encouraging workable parking solutions which benefit all in the business district.
- Businesses are also encouraged to reach out to each other to find alternative parking possibilities for their customers and staff. Standard Foods has reached out to Retro Fitness with a potential way to offer pay parking through a pay parking service in a portion of their lot. The PSP has reached out to Wright Electric with the idea of allowing employee parking for several businesses in their private back lot.
Website, Logo Development, and Social Media:
- The website is now up and running at northperson.com. Check it out! Thanks to Dana Deaton for building it and to the Mordecai CAC for providing funding for the domain name and server.
- We plan to launch our logo contest after the first of the year. The PSP is working with a graphic designer to develop the guidelines and conduct as professional a contest as possible.
- We’ll be reaching out to our PSP businesses to ask for 8 $25 gift certificates to the winner of the competition.
- Dana Deaton is also our social media contact and she is constantly updating our Facebook page and using both Twitter and Instagram to send info out about our businesses. When you send out info, please use our #northperson and Dana will make sure that you get extended coverage of your news and events.
- Also, when you send out info about your business or receive media coverage, make sure to mention your affiliation with the PSP. We’re promoting your businesses and we would like for you to promote the PSP - - the PSP is YOU!
Holiday Lightballs:
- Almost all businesses are now participating in the holiday lightball program.
- The neighborhoods love seeing the lightballs and the PSP get tons of positive comments about this popular holiday tradition which helped to build much needed momentum in our earlier years.
- The PSP would like to thank the following folks for helping with this project; The Village of Pilot Mill annual lightball workshop, Kim Gazella, Tom Grey, Ken Jacobsen, Stephan Kiefer, Joe Layton, and Becky Hayes.
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PSP Meeting Fall 2014
9-7-14, AIA building
Google presentation/agenda
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