We spoke up to support community area planning!

The city of Charlotte’s community area planning (or CAP, for short) process is underway. This is an important process that involves finding out the unique needs of each community within the city and implementing those needs into a more comprehensive framework for the future. Charlotte City Council is set to vote on the CAP process on May 28. 

Sustain Charlotte Urban Design Specialist Eric Zaverl spoke up during the public comment period in the council’s May 12 meeting to show our support for the CAP process. Below you’ll find a video and transcript of Eric’s remarks.

“Good evening, mayor and council members. Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you tonight. My name is Eric Zaverl. I am with Sustain Charlotte. I am one of those nerdy planning people. I have my master’s in urban design, and actually, my professor, Deb Ryan, spoke earlier, so I’m honored to be here in front of her speaking about this.

So, I get the planning is complex; it’s not a simple thing. It has many different variables, and I’m here to support the process. It’s necessary, it’s messy and involves change. However, the community area planning isn’t just about zoning and maps. It is about people; it’s about ensuring that every neighborhood has a voice in shaping the future.

For the first time in decades, Charlotte actually is undertaking a planning process. So that’s why it’s a mess. It’s going to be a messy process when we haven’t done it for many decades, but we want to make sure it’s inclusive in that process, that it brings together the residents, the stakeholders and the city staff to create a shared vision for how the community grows and thrives.

I want to recognize the work that has already been done. There’s been thousands of residents that have shown up in open houses, participated in workshops, and provided feedback. The planning staff has done, I think, the best they could do trying to get as many people involved and out to listen.

The community area plan is an essential part to the success of the 2040 Comprehensive Plan. It serves as a bridge between the citywide goals and the on-the-ground realities that we face. Without these details at this neighborhood level, we risk really missing the nuances that make every community in Charlotte unique. I want to urge you all to listen, to continue to support this community area planning process.

Thank you very much.”

Learn more about the CAP process from our previous blog post here.

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