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Commission signals preference to keep Ridge Pike corridor commercial and consider driveway consolidation
Summary
Commission discussed NC (neighborhood commercial) zoning along Ridge Pike and several members urged a strictly commercial corridor, discouraging residential conversions and motels; staff proposed possible new Ridge Pike commercial district language and driveway consolidation incentives to reduce curb cuts.
Upper Providence commissioners discussed potential zoning changes for the Ridge Pike commercial corridor, with several members voicing a preference to keep the corridor strictly commercial and to discourage residential conversions and motels.
Staff outlined how the NC zoning district currently works (permitted uses by parcel size) and noted that some parcels are under half an acre while others exceed an acre or three acres; that mix creates pressure for parcel consolidation. "I don't want to see any of this developed residentially," Jeff (staff) said when describing the commission's preference for commercial uses on Ridge Pike.
Commissioners suggested several concrete policy directions: (1) remove or tighten a provision that permits residential units above street-level commercial uses if the commission wants to exclude apartments; (2) remove motels as a permitted use; (3) encourage consolidation of parcels and shared-driveway/back-alley connections to reduce the number of curb cuts; and (4) consider creating a distinct Ridge Pike commercial district that standardizes permitted uses and design expectations across the corridor.
Staff said the corridor is likely to evolve through parcel consolidation and noted the trade-offs (driveway consolidation can encourage more efficient access but larger consolidated parcels may enable larger commercial uses). He said staff will draft potential ordinance edits and zoning-language options for future review.
