1990 Urban Design Plan - a catalyst for investment

Concept drawing shown of Union Point Park improvements

Concept drawing of streetscape improvements
in downtown New Bern

In January 1989, the Kellenberger Historical Foundation notified Swiss Bear their application for a $25,000 grant to assist with funding of an Urban Design Plan was approved with the condition the City would provide matching funds which the City agreed to do at an April Board of Aldermen meeting.

To insure broad representation of the community, nonprofit organizations and area businesses and each Ward, they appointed 23 people to serve on the Urban Design Plan Steering Committee and Susan L. Moffat was appointed chairwoman.

Throughout the next six months the Steering Committee researched and sent letters to twenty five firms requesting their participation (RFP). Of the seventeen replies, five firms were interviewed with a final requirement of a summary and fee. The Committee’s final selection was Land Design Research, Inc. (LDR) of Columbia, Md.

On Nov. 14, the Steering Committee presented their recommendation to the Board of Aldermen for approval. The recommendation led to a confrontation between board members. Robert Raynor, Don McDowell and Max Freeze voted against the committee’s recommendation, citing they felt their Wards weren’t represented adequately in the process, even though the representatives they appointed from their respective wards served on the committee. With a final four to three vote, the city approved hiring LDR for $50,000. Development of the Plan began in January 1990.

In March 1990, Swiss Bear discussed expanding the plan to take in the Broad Street corridor from East Front to First Street which included the Five Points commercial area. Encouraging investment in that corridor was important and the increased traffic flow downtown and across the two bridges, with continual opening and closings, was creating major traffic problems. If funding for a new bridge over the Neuse River required permanent removal of the Cunningham Bridge, the Broad Street corridor would be the primary access into downtown.

The additional cost ($11,000) to expand the Plan came from funds from the Union Point Project contributed by three local banks and Weyerhaeuser and $4,000 of Community Development Block Grant money.

To address the overriding concern that downtown should retain its distinctive “sense of place,”the LDR team spent a great deal of time extracting the elements that made downtown New Bern unique: many historic homes, a largely intact commercial area, its intimate scale, the close relationship to the water and Tryon Palace and worked to reinforce this traditional pattern throughout the plan.

The project/process received great community support and input beginning with a public meeting on Feb. 14 at the Sheraton Hotel, attended by several hundred people. Throughout the year, the process, one of openness, public forums and many meetings enriched development of the plan and refinement of the final product.

On Dec. 11, 1990, the city officially approved the New Bern Urban Design Master Plan as the official policy to be used in decisions on public/private development in the downtown and Five Points area. The packed courtroom,  cheered when the final comprehensive 56 page Urban Design Plan was presented and approved by the Board of Aldermen, the culmination of the efforts of many businessmen and women, members of various organizations and interested citizens.

Highlights of the Plan:

Plan recommendations were intended to guide development and redevelopment decisions by the public and private sector over the long term, providing a unified sense of direction for the future. The implementation and strategies recommended were meant to suggest appropriate and effective steps to ensure implementation of the plan, the final form might vary somewhat from the Plan’s recommendation, but should not be considered if it compromised the Plan itself or prevented it from being endorsed in principle.

The $61,000 spent on developing the 1990 Urban Design Plan leveraged millions of dollars of investment in new construction and rehabilitation projects. In the early 1990’s, projects in excess of $12 Million were underway, including two new waterfront hotels, a new court house annex, business expansions and the First Baptist Family Life Center. The Urban Design Plan was the catalyst for the momentum and completion of priority projects throughout the decade.

UDP Steering Committee members:
Michael Avery, Planning/Community Development; Julius Parham, Ward 1; Kermit Moffit, Ward 2; Pete Monte, Ward 2;  Nancy Bottorf, Ward 3 and Appearance Commission; Ray Downing, Ward 4; Frank Evans, Ward 5; Roland Hill, Ward 6 and Planning and Zoning Board. John Thomas, New Bern Preservation Foundation; Harold Talton, Swiss Bear; Gray Wheeler, New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce; Alex Donaldson, Craven Arts Council & Gallery; Josh Willey, New Bern Historical Society; Margie Holton, New Bern Civic Theater; Kay Williams, Tryon Palace; Bill Faulkenbury, Historic District Commission; Tom Faulkenberry, Downtown Business & Professional Association; Lonnie Pridgen, Mayor’s Appointment/Developer, John Wilson, Hotel; Ray Rogers, Banking; Stewart Smith, Real Estate.

Boaters take note....

At Swiss Bear’s request in the interest of public safety and to facilitate the free and safe movement of pedestrians during MUMFEST weekend, effective 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. October 12 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 13, the Commander of the Fifth Coast Guard District issued a temporary deviation and the draw span will only be allowed to open every two hours on the hour.

Please help us pass the word to your boating friends, the press and area yacht clubs.

Although it may be a bit of an inconvenience, it would be tragic if there was a major accident on the bridge. We appreciate and thank everyone for their cooperation and patience over the two days, be it pedestrians or boaters.

Susan Moffat Thomas

Meeting the challenges of change, keeping the vision in focus

Downtown New Bern
mid-to-late 1980s

By the late 1980’s most of the downtown development occurring up to that point was initiated by the private sector and funded through private development efforts and the Municipal Service District (additional property tax to downtown property owners).

From 1980 to 1986, approximately $17.5 million was invested in rehabilitation and new construction. Numerous events and promotions were attracting people back downtown. The arts and cultural organizations were developing an agenda of theater productions, art exhibits and concerts.

Tourism was now the county’s fourth largest industry. Two new waterfront hotels and marinas graced the waterfront and the newly established Craven County Tourism Development Authority promoted Craven County with funds generated from a hotel/motel occupancy tax creating a growing need for conference meeting space.

The changes brought new challenges and by 1988 they were beginning to surface. The many projects underway were being done on a piece meal basis and the professional resource team funded by the Pride In Place: Small Town Image Building Program pointed that out during their three day stay in mid-February.

While the Pride-in-Place team’s immediate task was to investigate the potential-use of the Kress store/Elks building to accommodate the need for meeting space, they said that task needed to be viewed in the context of other developments in the immediate vicinity and downtown as a whole. The public and private sector needed a master plan/urban design plan to guide development and redevelopment decisions and provide a unified sense of direction. Continual progress was dependent on public sector participation through a coordinated program of public improvements and development incentives.

The concept of an urban design plan was not fully understood and there was no consensus among the Aldermen to fund development of such a plan. They chose to rely on the recently commissioned Waterfront Conservation & Development Plan (WCDP) to develop long range plans for New Bern’s waterfront and a Coastal Area Management Act (CAMA) grant concentrating on preserving water quality, increasing public access to the water and addressing storm water run-off in Union Point, Lawson Creek Park, Glenburnie Park and redevelopment property near the Towers.

At Swiss Bear’s April Board meeting, Tyler Harris, county manager reported NCDOT initiated a study on a U.S. 17 New Bern by-pass and/or replacement/relocation of the Neuse River and Trent River bridges. The increased traffic flow through downtown and across the Neuse and Trent River bridges was creating major traffic problems that would continue to increase. Options being studied were a New Bern bypass carrying traffic far outside of New Bern, construction of a high-rise bridge extending from Bridgeton to the vicinity of Hatteras Yachts or construction of a high-rise bridge from Sandy Point to James City and closing the two existing drawbridges.

A twelve member committee met with DOT officials expressing the third option for a new bridge system would best serve the needs of the community. A new bridge system would take seven to twelve years to move forward and if the project received funding from the Federal Bridge Replacement Act, it would require removal of the two existing bridges.

Facing this potential challenge, Swiss Bear Board members concurred it was vitally important to complete redevelopment of Union Point and other downtown improvements before any bridge and road improvements would take place.

In August 1988, the presentation of the WCDP study on the waterfront from Lawson Creek to New Street recommended improvements to Lawson Creek Park, acquisition of two parcels of land near the housing authority for a public space and developing a waterfront walkway from New Street to Hancock Street as a long term goal. Redevelopment of Union Point Park required more study.

The issue of incompatible waterfront development surfaced in September when Southern Home Management and New Bern Associates requested amending a zoning ordinance allowing Central Business District (CBD) residential structures to exceed 35 feet height restrictions. They were interested in developing residential housing in Bicentennial Park. Zoning regulations were inconsistent with no height restrictions on non-residential buildings in the CBD and a 35 foot height restriction on residential buildings. The Historic District Commission administered stringent guidelines for historic structures but not on new structures, setbacks, parking or public improvements.

At the same time, Morton Construction and Southern Home Management proposed construction of 52 condominiums (260 feet wide and 60 to 65 feet in height) or a five story hotel on the vacant three acre tract adjacent to Union Point Park on East Front Street.

This became a highly contentious controversial issue. Many objected to “blocking their view of the waterfront” even though it was privately owned property and there was a need for downtown investment and residential housing.

The Planning Board felt they needed to compromise to keep New Bern’s skyline intact and still allow development to move forward. The New Bern Preservation Foundation and New Bern Historical Society’s position was to leave the ordinance as it was until a land use study and urban waterfront design plan were completed with a moratorium on any waterfront construction until studies could be completed.

Swiss Bear board members voiced concern there were no height restrictions on non-residential buildings, that residential and non-residential development was needed and understood action taken on height restrictions would only be a quick fix.

At an October Public Hearing in City Hall, the Planning Board recommended amending the ordinance. Residential and non-residential construction could not exceed the height of the tallest building within 100 feet. Numerous people spoke for and against the amendment. Swiss Bear chairman, Harold Talton stated Swiss Bear’s support for the amendment was unanimous.

At the Dec. 6, 1988 Board of Aldermen meeting, the amendment became official. When Mayor Ella Bengel concluded the meeting saying it is the belief of Swiss Bear and other organizations an Urban Design Plan was urgently needed to eliminate problems like those associated with this amendment, Swiss Bear immediately committed to assist the city in raising funds to commission an Urban Design Plan to provide a vision/blueprint to guide planned growth during the next five–to-ten years.

The Magic of MUMFEST!

  

MUMFEST weekend, October 12 -13, attracts festival goers from across the southeast to experience this award winning festival located in the restored historic downtown of New Bern, NC. Mumfesters can spend a little or a lot with over 300 commercial and non profit exhibitors to choose from including pottery, crafts, and art. Some might say the temptation is too much when they discover dozens of booths filled with a wide variety of savory foods guaranteed to tempt anyone’s appetite.  

MUMFEST fits all budgets with two days of free entertainment including live bands with music ranging from beach to barbershop, dance troupes, magicians, roving street performers, face painters, and clowns. In addition to all the free entertainment there’s a riverfront amusement park with lots of exciting rides, including a waterfront Ferris Wheel ($).

Talk about exciting rides, what is more exciting than NASCAR? TitleSponsor, Joe Alcoke Auto and Truck Center, is bringing NASCAR to MUMFEST with an exhibit from the Richard Childress Racing Team featuring three famous stock cars, #3, #29, #31 and two racing simulators. That’s right, legendary No. 3 will be at MUMFEST. The two racing simulators will allow Mumfesters to test their driving skill – all for free!

Free family entertainment also features the X-POGO Stunt Team performing the most talented extreme pogo exhibitions in the world! The team is coming straight from POGOPALOOZA in New York City where they just won several world championship titles. These world class athletes fly up to 9 feet in the air, doing flips and other stunts on their high-powered pogo sticks.

Everyone’s MUMFEST favorites are back this year, including Alex Clark, the super funny comedian who performs jaw dropping stunts, the Purina Incredible Dog Team with canine athletes making amazing aerial disc catches, the Silver Drummer Girl, a huge Model Train Show, NBPD’s K-9s will be back along with Weller Kennels Labrador retriever demonstrations.

The out of water 13^th Annual Boat Show is a must see for boaters and wannabe boaters. There’s still plenty of good weather to enjoy a new boat and there is nothing like being out on the water letting your boat drift along with the tide listening to relaxing music.   

More music an be found on Saturday in the Christ Church Ministry at 305 Middle Street with the Fairfield Harbour chorus, ENCORE Craven Community Chorus and Down East Dulcimers / New Bern Suzuki Strings.

The NC Songwriters Co-op will entertain Mumfesters with their original music on Sunday afternoon. If you hope to become a songwriter, the NC Songwriters Co-op members are happy to share helpful tips and offer positive critiques if you bring them examples of your song writing,

All this singing makes everyone thirsty! Wine and beer connoisseurs will enjoy sampling a wide variety of craft wines and beers at the Galley Store’s “Juice on the Neuse Festival” with music and hors d’oeuvres at Persimmons Waterfront Restaurant included in the admission fee. NC grown wines may be sampled and purchased in the elegant Little River Wine Tasting Room on Craven Street ($). The Doubletree by Hilton is hosting its first Beer Garden Festival.

BIG KIDSTUFF and Lil’ Kidstuff is back this year with Poly and Ester, the famous Gabardine Sisters, Steve Myott, a master storyteller and mask maker, Steve Wille and Gary Shelton’s Magic shows and the amazing Zoltan, the levitating man!  Kidstuff is in a new location this year so check the map in the Sun Journal’s MUMFEST tabloid.

Every MUMFEST has lots of chrysanthemums and Tryon Palace serves them up in their magnificent gardens, which are open free Friday throughSunday. The palace also has its bi-annual Heritage Plant Sale on Fridayand Saturday. Gardeners will be on hand to answer your planting questions. Inside tours require a ticket but outside tours of the palace’s many gardens are free.

On your walk back from Tryon Palace stroll over to see the New Bern Firemen’s Museum to learn New Bern’s fascinating firefighting history.. Be sure to stop by the popular Farmers Market for all kinds of crafts and jellies and jams.

On Sunday morning join in the 5K Run sponsored by the Coastal Women’s Shelter. Registration begins at 7 a.m. at Union Point Park.

Make plans now to come to MUMFEST by water taxi, trolley or park downtown – however you get here – come join the fun because there really is something for everyone!

To learn all about MUMFEST go to www.mumfest.com. 

Something for everyone at Mumfest 2013

Sun Journal: September 19, 2013

New Bern’s largest outdoor festival — Mumfest — is less than a month away, with crowds of 90,000 expected to flood the city streets and waterfront Oct. 12 and 13.

More than 300 commercial and nonprofit exhibitors will be on hand with pottery, crafts and art, along with dozens of food booths.

The festival fits everyone’s budget, since it is two days of free entertainment, including live bands with music ranging from beach to barbershop, dance troupes, magicians, roving street performers, face painters and clowns.

In addition to all the free entertainment, there’s a riverfront amusement park with lots of ticketed rides.

Here is a glimpse at some of the other top attractions:

The Richard Childress Racing Team knows all about exciting rides, and title sponsor Joe Alcoke Auto and TruckCenter brings NASCAR to Mumfest with three famous stock cars — including the No. 3 of the late Dale Earnhardt.

Two simulators will allow fans to feel the racing experience.

Free family entertainment also features the X-POGO Stunt Team performing the most extreme pogo exhibitions in the world. The team has won several world championship titles in competition held in New York City.

Many favorites return, including comedian/stunt man Alex Clark; the Purina Incredible Dog Team; the Silver Drummer Girl; a huge model train show; New Bern Police’s K-9s and the Weller Kennels Labrador retriever demonstrations.

The 12th annual Mumfest Boat Show features coastal and offshore vessels on display in Union Point Park.

The N.C. Songwriters Co-op performs Oct. 13, sharing songwriting tips and critiquing visitors’ songwriting ability. The Co-op will also entertain original songs.

The traditional Lil’Kidstuff stage has programming both days, with magic shows, storytellers and other entertainment.

The Christ Church Ministry Center has several programs on Oct. 12 — the Fairfield Harbour Chorus, ENCORE, the Craven Community College chorus and also the Down East Dulcimers and New Bern Suzuki Strings.

Wine and beer connoisseurs will enjoy a variety of wine and beer samples at the Galley Store’s “Juice on the Neuse Wine Fest.” N.C. grown wines can be sampled and purchased at the Little River Wine Tasting Room on Craven Street.

Every Mumfest needs lots of chrysanthemums and Tryon Palace serves them up in their magnificent gardens, which are open free Oct. 11 to 13. The palace also has its bi-annual Heritage Plant Sale on Oct. 11 and 12. Gardeners will be on hand to answer your planting questions. Inside tours require a ticket, but outside tours of the palace’s many gardens are free.

The New Bern Firemen’s Museum is a popular venue to learn about New Bern’s fascinating firefighting history.

New Bern Parks and Recreation is offering a 5K run Oct. 13, with registration at 7 a.m. The 5K is at 7:30 a.m. Those events start and finish at Union Point Park. It features a flat course that winds its way through downtown New Bern. The cost is $25 for pre-registration and $30 for day of registration. Registration forms can be filled out on Active.com.

Contact Trevor Freitas at 639-2907 or freitast@newbern-nc.org

There is also a 1-mile Fun Walk scheduled after the 5K begins.

Visitors can come to the festival by water taxi, trolley or park downtown.

On the web: mumfest.com

Program helps build a small town's image

In October 1987, New Bern was one of 15 communities selected from 61 potential communities in the Main Street programs of Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, to participate in the Pride In Place: Small Town Image Building Program.

Pride In Place was a collaborative program sponsored by the North Carolina Arts Council, South Carolina Arts Commission and Tennessee’s Arts Commission. Main Street co-sponsors were the North Carolina Main Street Center, South Carolina Downtown Development Association and the Tennessee Main Street Project.

The program matched and provided a resource team of architects, urban planners, art directors and preservationist to spend three days in a town to review the issues and opportunities presented by the community, determine its feasibility and to design a conceptual framework in which it might occur.

In the application, the Swiss Bear director noted the issues and opportunities were to determine if it would be feasible to renovate the vacant 23,000 square foot Kress Building into a cultural arts/conference meeting center type facility and the five-story Elks Temple (75 percent vacancy) into a modern public office/mixed use facility. Downtown was faced with a lack of adequate meeting space for larger groups wishing to hold conventions in New Bern and there was need for a cultural arts center to serve area residents.

Both buildings and a vacant parcel of land on Hancock Street were available for development. The Kress Building, in the 300 block of Middle Street, recently donated to the city by C.C. Robinson of Elizabeth City, appeared to have the potential for meeting New Bern’s need for a cultural arts and conference center.

A small group meets to discuss the
Kress building

Declining memberships and poor maintenance led to the Elks Lodge membership’s interest in selling the Elks Temple, at the corner of Pollock and Middle Street. The city’s need for additional office space and the potential/feasibility of rehabbing the building, a pivotal commercial downtown landmark, for this purpose needed to be explored and the vacant lot (on Hancock Street) had adequate parking. The Kress Building was within three blocks of two hotels and four inns and four blocks from two other hotels. With the increase of tourism, lack of meeting space for small conventions and cultural activities was beginning to hamper downtown’s expanding tourism market.

Swiss Bear organized the team’s three day stay in February 1988 that included meetings with state representatives, county commissioners, the Mayor and Aldermen, downtown merchants, members of the Craven Arts Council, Tourism Development Authority, New Bern Historical Society, New Bern Preservation Foundation New Bern Civic Theatre, Tryon Palace and the New Bern Area Chamber of Commerce. The team, which worked inside the Kress Building during its visit, heard many positive comments from the public and an evening open house meeting drew more than 200 people. The dialogue and synergy between the community and the team resulted in a proposal/report that went beyond the original request.

The team members, Nancy Howell, executive director, Lancaster County Council for the Arts, S.C.; Ray Huff, architect, Charleston, S.C.; John Jaques, professor of architecture, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.; John Morgan, economic development, Columbia, S.C.; Stroud Watson, urban designer and professor of architecture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, were immediately impressed by the over-all beauty and scale of the town and its surroundings. After listening to presentations by the city, county and various organizations, the team clearly understood the sense of purpose in the downtown effort and the importance of maintaining its sense of place.

While the team’s immediate task was to investigate the potential re-use of the Kress and Elks Buildings, this action needed to be viewed within the context of the downtown as a whole.

They were very impressed with the city’s “ideal plan” prepared in 1710. The nine blocks of the original settlement and the Tryon Palace grounds, set apart within the neighborhood immediately to the south of the downtown, bordered on the converging rivers forming the town’s northern and eastern edges. As the town grew and the nine blocks filled in with buildings, certain potentials and problems emerged they identified as:

Legibility: It was important to provide visual clues so visitors could find their way within the downtown. It was difficult to gain a sense of direction/orientation with many landmarks and few vistas to specific points.

Circulation: Broad Street should have a visual emphasis as the major north/south connector; Pollock Street emphasized as the link between Tryon Palace and the Neuse River; and, Middle Street as the major shopping street with its link to the Trent River.

Open space: New buildings constructed to the sidewalk’s edge with parking and open space in mid-block areas. Landscape those areas and preserve the beautiful greenery surrounding Christ Church.

River edges: Steps should be taken to carefully plan for the futures of the river edges. Public access, visual corridors, community functions etc. needed to be choreographed with commercial development in order to ensure this most valuable physical asset is enjoyed by all.

The team recommended New Bern should locate a convention/conference center along the river-edge as part of a coordinated plan. Union Point Park needed to be redeveloped along with other forms of public and private community-oriented activities along the scenic waterways.

Consistent lighting standards, special pavers, festive banners and well-designed street furniture were needed to provide further clarity in the downtown.

Their main task led to the conclusion the city would soon need a full service conference center. The short-term conferencing needs could be alleviated by renovating the Kress building for meeting room, break out spaces and exhibitions areas, however, a conference/convention center should be developed as part of a coordinated river edge development program. They determined the Elks Temple was adaptable for office or residential uses at the upper levels and retail at the lower level.

Their final recommendation: commission an Urban Design Plan to develop a long-range plan for the future development of downtown New Bern. The progress of the city now depends on redefining current issues and addressing them.

NBFD Kid's Fire Safety House at MUMFEST

NBFD Kids Fire Safety House

We are happy to announce the NBFD's Kids Fire Safety House will be at MUMFEST again, thanks to the Robinson and Stith Insurance Agency.

Sparky the Fire Dog

The agency is providing the funds to have Kids Fire Safety House at MUMFEST 2013. Their employees provide the volunteer help, distribute free fire prevention coloring books, crayons and stickers and Sparky the Fire Dog will "meet and greet" adding to the fun.

The City acquired the Kids Fire Safety House in the early 1990's, funded through a FEMA grant targeted for fire safety education. It was seen as an opportunity to expand fire safety education by the fire department and connect with the community and school children.

The House, stored at the Main Fire Station on Broad Street, is primarily utilized during Fire Prevention Week. It is taken to public and private schools to educate first graders on the proper way to evacuate a house in case of fire and the importance of defining a meeting place outside the home for all members of the family so everyone can be accounted for. Designed to resemble a home with a kitchen, living room and bedroom, the children are taken through it by firemen, room by room who teach fire safety with lectures and hands-on exercises. Simulated smoke teaches kids how to safely evacuate from a second floor bedroom and how to properly call 911.

This is an important teaching tool and we appreciate Robinson and Stith for making it possible to have this venue at the festival. We invite families with young children to embrace this opportunity and have their children take the tour. It is a fun way to learn fire safety lessons and how to act quickly and decisively in life threatening emergencies.

The Fire Safety House will be located on Craven Street near City Hall during festival hours October 12-13.

Susan Moffat-Thomas
Executive Director