(A) Designed with a grid street pattern, as required by the Legislature, it surrounded the county courthouse following a north-south alignment. As the population increased, the basic grid pattern has been expanded to accommodate the growth.
(B) The development pattern of the city has been greatly influenced by natural and man-made features. The man- made features included the Milwaukee and Monon Railroad tracks and numerous major highways and quarries.
(C) Natural features include the valleys for Leatherwood, Salt, Spider, and Pleasant Run Creeks. In some cases, they pose insurmountable barriers to the development of major thoroughfares. Another natural barrier to development is the Karst topography in the area. “Sinkholes,” formed by the natural enlargement of fractures by the underground drainage of rainwater, can be very treacherous for development.
(D) Commercial goods and services were primarily concentrated around the courthouse square forming the Central Business District (CBD). Other commercial establishments have developed adjacent to the major arterials. A shopping center has developed in recent years on the western perimeter of the city near the intersection of S.R. 37 and 450. Another center was to have developed south of Pumphouse Road, east of S.R. 36. However, upon completing the superstructure, the project was discontinued.
(E) The CBD is in very good shape from both a physical and an economic viewpoint. Many communities are having difficulty keeping businesses in the CBD; however, Bedford does not appear to have that problem because there are relatively few vacancies around the square. Although the structures in the CBD represent several different architectural designs, without a particular pattern, they do appear to be well-maintained. Some of the structures have had aluminum siding or another material placed to hide the original material. A big drawback for the center of the city is the L & N Railroad which extends from 22nd to 12th Streets parallel to J Street. The tracks, at street level, are quite disruptive because the trains stop all east- west movement for 15 to 20 minutes several times each day.
(F) The CBD continues to function as the primary commercial and governmental center of the area. However, any revitalization programs should focus on the specific role of the CBD. Potential for multi-uses should be addressed, such as residential over commercial uses.
(G) Within the corporate limits of the city, there are approximately 7,000 acres. Approximately 3,400 acres are developed with urban uses. The remainder is in non-urban uses such as vacant, water bodies, or agricultural uses. The percentage of each use is presented in division (I) below.
(H) Of the urban uses, residential activities use the most land, with streets and alleys a close second. In the industrial sector, there are 400 acres; 179 acres are used for commercial goods and services.
(I) Existing land use.
Existing Land Use - 1982
| |||
Category | Area in Acres | % of Total City | % of Total Developed City |
Existing Land Use - 1982
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Category | Area in Acres | % of Total City | % of Total Developed City |
Residential | 1671.3 | 22.61 | 48.08 |
1 and 2-Family | 1603.5 | 21.70 | 46.13 |
Multi-Family | 33.2 | .45 | .96 |
Mobile Homes | 34.6 | .46 | .99 |
Commercial | 205.3 | 2.78 | 5.91 |
Industrial | 405.8 | 5.49 | 11.67 |
Recreational | 179.1 | 2.40 | 5.15 |
Existing Land Use - 1982 | |||
Category | Area in Acres | % of Total City | % of Total Developed City |
Public and Semi-Public | 167.4 | 2.27 | 4.82 |
Street and Alleys | 847.1 | 11.47 | 24.37 |
Total Developed Area | 3,476 | 47.06 | 100.0 |
Vacant Agricultural and Water Areas | 3,910.8 | 52.94 | |
Total City | 7,386.8 | 100.00 | |
Data source: HNTB.
(Res. 17-1984, passed 8-14-84)
Cross-reference:
Map of generalized land use, see App.§ 2
Map of planning area, see App. § l