Community Goals (2 of 2)

Charlotte needs to address the large number of public parks that are only accessible via automobile.

Sounds admirable but vague. How do you maintain the identity of existing neighborhoods? If this is a goal, then why are there no metrics. How is this reconciled with higher density?

We've long admired our city for its tree canopy. Most promotional images of Charlotte include a great angle to capture trees in the image. This place-making and identity is going away quickly. The city is too soft on how development treats the landscape, tree canopy, and allows the payment of fines so clear cutting can proceed. The fine will pay for trees planted somewhere else, but this does not help the immediate neighborhood and our urban forest. As this continues, our identity fades into "just another paved over city". Not a goal we should identify with.

Protecting and enhancing the tree canopy is long overdue. This cannot wait and needs aggressive attention right now. Even with the greatly appreciated efforts of Trees Charlotte, the city continues to allow developers to remove trees, reduce green space, and plant inferior species. We are taking one step forward and two steps back - every day. Why does this continue to be part of the unwritten plan?

"Variety" of trees should be specific: a diverse mix of natives.
"Plantings" should be more specific: primarily natives.
Green Building practices must now include the surrounding campus.
The word “enhance” is too vague. We need to be more aggressive here, just as development is aggressive in minimizing these.
Let's not settle for small improvements here as we continue to lag far behind other cities our size with similar growth challenges. It's as though Charlotte is very satisfied with our below average US ranking in terms of quality green space. Please remember that this goal has been a top priority of Charlotte citizens for decades!

How will we accomplish this since we have been unable to do so in the past? Tree canopy is shrinking and with higher density, permeable surfaces will be reduced further increasing run off and flooding.

Green space needs to be a priority, as is shown in the Plan. Green space needs to be increased significantly or Charlotte will become a concrete place where no one wants to live. Our tree canopy is under siege, and just saying we need more trees is not going to have much impact. Our community needs a funding commitment at both the City and the County levels that pays for maintaining what we have (which is not being done adequately at present) and increasing green options throughout the City, and especially in less economically advantaged neighborhoods. I would also like to see a concerted effort to create a Charlotte Central Park.

The idea of the tree-canopy as being an essential aspect of the plan is wonderful. I do hope, however, that the city has plans for what species to plant and the long-term health of city trees. Its suggested in recent studies that the more biodiverse we plant, the healthier the city's trees will be overall. I hope we don't plant big swathes of the same species over and over again throughout the city.

Thanks for your time.

Austin