Neighborhood analysis and housing submarket analysis, Henderson, North Carolina

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NEIGHBORHOOD
ANALYSIS
AND
HOUSING
SUBMARKET
ANALYSIS
HENDERSON
North Carolina
ABSTRACT
TITLE: Neighborhood Analysis and Housing Submarket Analysis, Henderson,
North Carolina
AUTHOR: State of North Carolina, Department of Local Affairs, Division of
Community Planning
SUBJECT: Examination of blighting indices and recommended corrective
action. Examination of submarket conditions and proposed
solutions to problems of housing for low income families.
DATE: June 1971
LOCAL
PLANNING
AGENCY:
Henderson Planning and Zoning Commission
SOURCE
OF
COPIES:
City of Henderson
City Hall, P. 0. Box 125
Henderson, North Carolina 27536
Division of Community Planning
P. 0. Box 1991
Raleigh, North Carolina 27602
National Technical Information Service
Springfield, Virginia 22151
HUD
PROJECT
NUMBER:
N. C. P-131-45
SERIES
NUMBER:
N.A.
NUMBER
OF
PAGES:
101
ABSTRACT: Conditions such as poor housing, low income, unpaved streets,
tuberculosis, public assistance, fires, arrests and vehicular
accidents are related to the need for improving the living
environment of disadvantaged citizens. Proposals are made
relative to types of treatment needed in each neighborhood,
these are based on existing conditions and the most feasible
methods with which to make significant improvements necessary
to remove blighting factors.
Data such as existing housing stock, projected population change,
family size, income distribution, and trends of the past housing
market are related to the projected housing needs of low- and
moderate-income families. Recommendations for specific housing
projects are presented based on the analysis.
NEIGHBORHOOD
ANALYSIS
AND
HOUSING
SUBMARKET
ANALYSIS
HENDERSON
North Carolina
The preparation of this report was financed in part through an
urban planning grant from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, under the provision of Section 701 of the Housing
Act of 1954, as amended.
CITY OF HENDERSON, NORTH CAROLINA
0. H. Freeman, Jr., Mayor
R. W. Buck, City Manager
City Council
W. Duke Champion
J. Lee Lassiter, Jr.
J. E. Harris
R. D. Robertson
Owen E. Gupton
Blanton A. Hartness
Dr. M. W. Wester, Jr,
Charles P. Rose
Planning and Zoning Commission
Eric Flannagan, Jr., Chairman
A. P. Ervin
Author Poole
William L. Stark
L. H. Harvin, III
James A. Bissett
0. K. Tharrington, Jr.
William Spain
James Cheatham
Albert Moss
Dr. W. W. Noel
Rowland G. Turner
HOUSING AUTHORITY
Spurgeon T. Ayscue, Chairman
Rev. James A. Brown
Richard B. Davis, Jr.
Technical Assistance for the preparation of this report by:
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS
G. Irvin Aldridge, Director
DIVISION OF COMMUNITY PLANNING
George J. Monaghan, Administrator
CENTRAL AREA OFFICE
Blan W. Hale, Director
Robert W. Upchurch, Project Supervisor
James B. Taylor, Project Planners-
James E. Kivett, Draftsman
Ann Sensenich, Secretary
'Responsible for this Report May 1971
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Henderson Planning and Zoning Commission wishes to express its
appreciation to the following individuals and organizations whose help
and cooperation made this report possible.
Robertson W. Buck
John Hamme
Rabon Steagall
F. L. Ramsey
T. 0. Wilkerson
J. B. Bobbitt
Miss Betsy Rose Jones
Dr. J. U. Weaver
A. Woodrow Taylor
Fred W. Hege
City Manager, Henderson
Civil Engineer, Henderson
Building Inspector, Henderson
Public Works Director, Henderson
Fire Chief, Henderson
Chief of Police, Henderson
Director, Vance County Department
of Social Services
Director, Vance County Health
Department
Superintendent, Vance County Schools
Executive Director, Franklin-Vance-
Warren Opportunities, Inc.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation
http://archive.org/details/neighborhoodanal1971hend
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Page
PART I.
PART II.
PART III
ANALYSIS OF HENDERSON AND ITS NEIGHBORHOODS
Neighborhood Delineation . . . 3
Henderson's Neighborhoods 4
Occupancy Characteristics ... 14
Water and Sewer Facilities 16
Unpaved Streets 23
Vehicular Accidents ... 23
Arrests ........ . 27
Fire Calls ............. 28
Public Health ....... 31
Public Assistance ........... 35
Education ................. 39
Recreation .............. 42
COMMUNITY ACTIONS AND IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS
The City ................ 43
General Recommendations „...,.. 44
Exemplary Urban Renewal Sketch Plan . . 49
SUMMARY OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT
Neighborhood 1 ........ 53
Neighborhood 2 , . . . 54
Neighborhood 3 . . - 55
Neighborhood 4 • • • • • 57
Neighborhood 5 60
Neighborhood 6 ........ . 61
Neighborhood 7 ...... . 62
Neighborhood 8 „<..... 62
Neighborhood 9 . - * . . 63
Central Business District ..... 66
Page
Extraterritorial Area 66
Neighborhood 10 ........... . 67
Neighborhood 11 .......... . 68
Neighborhood 12 . „ . . 71
Neighborhood 13 .... 71
Neighborhood 14 ............ • 74
PART IV. HOUSING SUBMARKET ANALYSIS
Introduction .................. 79
APPENDIX
TABLES
1. External Housing Conditions 13
2. Occupancy and Rent Characteristics 15
3. Water Supply and Waste Disposal in Blighted Neighborhoods . 17
4. Arrests by Place of Residence 27
5. Social Services Assistance ..... 35
6. Vance County Schools ............. 41
MAPS
External Structural Conditions ......... 11
Water Facilities 19
Sewer Lines . 21
Unpaved Streets and Vehicular Accidents ....... 25
Fire Calls ............ . 29
Health Factors of Blight ......... 33
Social Services Assistance . 37
Existing Neighborhood 4 Map 50
Exemplary Urban Renewal Plan 51
Recommended Treatment Areas ..... 77
Housing Market Area ...................... 81
INTRODUCTION
Blight is defined as "that which frustrates one's plans or withers one's
hopes; that which impairs or destroys".
In Henderson, blight is substandard housing, overcrowded homes, high-density
housing, lack of running water, inadequate sewer facilities, unpaved
streets, broken windows, broken homes, open drainage ditches, privies, illegit-imate
children, illiterate parents, low income, poor health, high crime rates,
abnormal numbers of fires per given number of houses, high vehicle accident
rates and a host of other undesirable conditions, whether physical, social or
economic, which detract from the quality of life in the town.
To curb the spread of blight and to clear existing blight is a major
task that requires the understanding and help of every citizen in the Henderson
area. Before a solution can be reached or even considered, the scope and extent
of the problem must be defined. The first part of this report will present a
detailed analysis of the factors of blight. From this analysis will stem
recommendations for a course of positive action to be followed by both the
public sector and the private sector in order to arrest the spread of blight
and to renew the declining neighborhoods of Henderson.
The basic task of the Neighborhood Analysis is to document the degree of
blight present in a community and to determine the underlying causes. This
task is accomplished by a series of surveys that include: 1) a structural
conditions survey, 2) a survey of social conditions, 3) a general survey of
neighborhood facilities such as water, sewer, fire protection, police
protection, schools, recreation, shopping, and public transportation, and 4) a
general survey of environmental conditions not related to individual structural
conditions.
The exterior structural conditions survey is the most important apparent
indicator of blight, Structural conditions in Henderson and the surrounding
Planning Area were surveyed in December of 1970 rating all structures, using
three classifications similiar to those used by the U. S. Bureau of the Census:
-1-
Sound : Structures which have no defects or only slight defects which
are corrected during regular maintenance.
Deteriorating : Structures which need more repair than would be provided
during the course of regular maintenance, but which are economically feasible
to repair.
Dilapidated : Structures which are unfit and unsafe for human occupancy.
Such housing has one or more critical defects resulting from continued
neglect or lack of repair. It is not economically feasible to repair such
structures.
The term substandard, as used in this study encompasses housing of
deteriorating and dilapidated condition.
-2-
PARTI
ANALYSIS OF HENDERSON
AND ITS NEIGHBORHOODS
NEIGHBORHOOD DELINEATION
Neighborhood boundaries can be determined on the basis of a number of
physical and social factors that tend to hinder social and physical interaction
between geographical areas. Physical boundaries can be either natural or man-made.
Manmade boundaries consist of: 1) heavily traveled streets or highways
that would prevent normal pedestrian movement, 2) railroad lines with few
crossings, 3) abrupt changes in land use such as from commercial to residential,
and 4) changes in quality or character of buildings or architectural styling.
Natural boundaries would be: 1) rivers or waterways wide enough to limit
crossings, 2) topographic restrictions, or 3) extreme soil or water conditions
such as a marsh.
Social boundaries are difficult to define and are not likely to be stable
over long periods of time. Changes in race or ethnic groups do not normally
constitute long term neighborhood boundaries, although at any given point in
time there may be some delineation between such groups. Where such boundaries
appear to be stable there is usually some physical boundary contiguous with
the social boundary.
The delineation of neighborhoods in the Henderson Planning Area takes
into account both manmade and natural boundaries. The city itself is divided
into nine neighborhood areas and the Central Business District. The one-mile
planning area around the city (within which Henderson may enforce zoning and
subdivision regulations) is divided into five neighborhoods.
-3-
NEIGHBORHOOD 1
Neighborhood 1 is bounded on the north and east by the city limits and
on the south by Interstate 85. This neighborhood is the smallest in area and
has the least dwelling units (44). Thirty-nine of these (89%) are sound and
four (9%) are deteriorating, while 1 house (2%) is dilapidated. Most of the
houses on Lincoln and North Streets were constructed at the same time, while
those along Townsville Road are relatively new with the exception of the
single dilapidated structure. The area is devoid of any commercial land use
with the exception of one auto repair shop operated as a home business. The
larger portion of land is in farmland or undeveloped. Traffic on residential
streets in Neighborhood 1 is limited to local trips since none of these are
through roads. N.C. 39 had a I969 per day volume of 1,800 cars. The Land
Use Plan published in the Henderson Thoroughfare Plan (I969) shows the future
neighborhood development as residential, and the proposed Zoning Ordinance
under study by the Planning Board has the area zoned residential-agricultural.
NEIGHBORHOOD 2
Neighborhood 2 is bounded on the north and east by the city limits, on
the south by Garnett Street, and on the west by Ford Avenue and Cooper Avenue.
This neighborhood is primarily residential with some strip commercial land use
along Garnett Street and various spot commercial uses, mostly small grocery
and snack shops, throughout the residential area. Eighty percent of the 475
houses or 383 are sound but most of these need minor maintenance to prevent
approaching deterioration. Ninty-one houses (19%) are in a state of
deterioration that will require major repairs, while one house is utterly
dilapidated. The only undeveloped land in this neighborhood lies along I-85
to the north and is not suitable for residential development because of
terrain and traffic volume on the interstate.
-4-
NEIGHBORHOOD 3
Neighborhood 3 is bounded on the north and east by Garnett Street and
the city limits, on the south by East Avenue and Liberty Street, and on the
west by Andrews Avenue. Residential uses constitute over 90$ of the land
use, with Henderson Cotton Mills occupying the northernmost section. Isolated
neighborhood commercial uses dot Andrews Avenue. Few incompatible uses exist,
excluding the exceptions noted above. Of the 382 homes counted, 336 (88$) are
in sound condition, 42 houses (11$) are deteriorating, and 4 are dilapidated.
While the majority of the houses are sound, they are old and care must be
taken to see that they are not allowed to become deteriorated. The houses
along Water Street are in generally poor condition and of poor original
construction. Houses on Farrar, Adams, and East Avenue exhibit a repetitive,
monotonous design which might tend to induce apathy among property owners to
maintain neighborhood appearance.
NEIGHBORHOOD A
Neighborhood 4 is bounded on the north by the Central Business District
line which runs behind the commercial land uses along William Street from
Spring Street to Andrews Avenue, on the east by Andrews Avenue and the city
limits, and on the south and west by the city limits. This neighborhood has
the largest number of houses with 1,157.5 1 5 060 (91$) of which are sound.
Ninety-two (8$) are deteriorating and five (1$) are dilapidated. The sound
houses range from very old two story structures in need of careful maintenance
to new brick ranch types. There are several rest homes in the neighborhood,
in addition to the Vance County Health Department. Commercial and light
industrial land uses dominate William Street from Mitchell to Peachtree
Streets,, Numerous isolated commercial land uses are distributed throughout
the neighborhood, particularly along Andrews Avenue near U.S. 1. Harriet-
Henderson Cotton Mills completely dominates the southern section of the
neighborhood along Alexander Avenue.
-5-
NEIGHBORHOOD 5
Neighborhood 5 is bounded on the north by Oxford Road, Bellwood Drive,
Brookrun Road, Cypress Drive, Cedarwood Terrace, and Parker Lane, on the east
by the Southern Railway and on the south and west by the city limits. The
irregular configuration of this neighborhood is due to an attempt to achieve
homogenity in general character of the neighborhoods. This area is almost
completely residential with the exception of Dabney Drive which has both
light industry and commercial land use along the east side adjacent to the
railroad. There are 416 houses in Neighborhood 5, 412 in sound condition and
4 in a state of deterioration. These 4 are older homes that have suffered
neglect over a period of years.
NEIGHBORHOOD 6
Neighborhood 6 is bounded on the north by a branch of Red Bud Creek, on
the east by Cedarwood Terrace, Cypress Drive, Brookrun Road and Bellwood
Drive, on the south by Oxford Road, and on the west by the city limits. It
abuts the Henderson Country Club, and is the neighborhood of the upper socio-economic
class, clearly evident by the size and quality of the I85 homes, all
of which are in excellent condition. The area is devoid of commercial and in-dustrial
development and the streets are quiet and shady.
NEIGHBORHOOD 7
Neighborhood 7 is bounded on the north by the city limits, on the east by
the Southern Railway, on the south by Parker Lane and a branch of Red Bud Creek,
and on the west by the city limits. All of the 226 houses in Neighborhood 7
are in sound condition although some along Dabney Drive are beginning to show
signs of neglect. The construction of Vance Mall on Dabney Drive between
Glover Street and Lynne Avenue has generated a larger volume of traffic on
Dabney which may tend to contribute, along with other factors, to a decline in
the quality of life in the immediate area.
-6-
NEIGHBORHOOD 8
Neighborhood 8 is bounded on the north by the city limits and Interstate
85, on the east by a branch of Nutbush Creek, Young Avenue and Spring Street,
on the south by the Seaboard Coastline Railroad to the city limits, and on
the west by the city limits and the Southern Railway. Several textile
finishing companies are located beside the railroad on Parham Street. The
only commercial land uses are along Raleigh Road between Oxford Road and South
Garnett Street. All of the 604 houses are sound save two which are deteriorating.
The area south of Parham Street consists predominantly of older homes which re-quire
more maintenance to prevent deterioration.
NEIGHBORHOOD 9
Neighborhood 9 is bounded on the north by Interstate 85^ on the east by
Townsville Road-Ford Avenue, on the south by Chestnut Street, and on the west
by Young Avenue and a branch of Nutbush Creek. Included in this neighborhood
is the Red Hill area which is composed almost entirely of low-income rental
houses of extremely poor quality. The neighborhood has the highest percentage
of deteriorating houses with I36 (24%) out of 568 houses. Dilapidated houses
account for 3.3% (18 houses), leaving 414 houses (72.7) classified as sound.
As is the case in other neighborhoods discussed, if immediate action is not
taken to reverse the current decline, many of the houses now considered sound
will soon be deteriorating. Just completed and now being occupied are 50
apartments on Young Avenue at Thomas Street. These 2 and 3 bedroom units were
constructed under Section 236 of the National Housing Act and rent for $90.00-
$95.00 per month with a rent supplement. Neighborhood 9 is largely residential
with several blocks of commercial and industrial land uses on Chestnut Street
abuting the Central Business District. Elmwood Cemetery utilizes a rather
sizable parcel of land almost directly in the center of the neighborhood area.
-7-
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD)
The Central Business District is bounded on the north by Chestnut Street,
on the east by Cooper Avenue, on the south by the commercial land uses along
William Street, and on the west by Spring Street. This area comprises the
major portion of the retail business community of Henderson, It is also the
governmental, financial, and entertainment center of the city. There are 36
residential structures located within the C.B.D. Eighty-eight percent or 31
of the houses are in sound condition. Although these are all old and in
various stages of neglect, they could be preserved in sound condition with
only normal maintenance. Five houses {12%) are in deteriorating condition
and require correction of substantial defects.
This neighborhood is a mixture of business types with residences on the
northern fringe, Incompatible land uses are prevalent in the area and yet
there appear to be several vacant business structures, indicating a general
decline in the drawing power of the downtown area.
NEIGHBORHOOD 10
Neighborhood 10 includes a large area north of the city limits. This
area is bounded on the south by Interstate 85 and the city limits and on
the north by the one mile extraterritorial limit. The area is rural in
character and is likely to remain so because of the physical barrier of
1-85; which should long postpone the northwest expansion of development. Of
the 103 houses in this neighborhood, 66 (64%) are sound, 22 (21.4%) are
deteriorating, and 15 (14.6%) are dilapidated.
-8-
NEIGHBORHOOD 11
Neighborhood 11 is bounded on the north by Interstate 85, on the east by
the one mile extraterritorial limit and a branch of Sandy Creek, on the south
by Water Street (Secondary Road 1518), and on the west by the city limits.
This is the area known as North Henderson. Neighborhood 11 has a wide variety
of mixed land uses ranging from residential to commercial and industrial.
Henderson Cotton Mills and several neighborhood commercial uses flourish
along Old Norlina Road and the railroad. Strip commercial activities pre-dominate
along N. Garnett Street (U.S. 1 Business) with several motels
clustered around the U.S. 1, I58 and I-85 intersection. Housing in the
neighborhood is 85% sound with 489 houses out of 576 in this category, 75
(13$) are deteriorated and 12 (2%) are dilapidated.
NEIGHBORHOOD 12
Neighborhood 12 is bounded on the north, east and south by the one mile
extraterritorial limit, and on the west by U.S. 1 Bypass, the city limits,
and a branch of Sandy Creek. The area contains two large industrial land
uses, Americal Corporation and Johnson Lumber Company, both of which are
located just outside the city limits. The rest of the neighborhood is
residential and agricultural-woodland. The city water supply is drawn from
Fox's Reservoir which is located just east of the fairgrounds. There are
230 houses in Neighborhood 12, 212 (92%) of which are sound, 14 (6%) are
deteriorating, and 4 (2%) are dilapidated.
NEIGHBORHOOD 13
Neighborhood 13 is bounded on the north by the city limits, on the
east by U.S. 1 Bypass, on the south by the one mile extraterritorial limit,
and on the west by the Seaboard Coastline Railroad. This neighborhood
-9-
contains the unincorporated area South Henderson. The northernmost section
of the neighborhood is occupied by Harriet-Henderson Cotton Mills, but the
most prevalent industrial land use is Perry's Junk Company. The junkyard
occupies the area between Skene Avenue, Cedar Street, Mason Street and
Nicholas Street and is incompatible with the homes in the immediate area.
Of the 434 houses in the neighborhood, 388 (89.4$) are sound, 36 (8.3$) are
deteriorating, and 10 (2.3$) are dilapidated.
NEIGHBORHOOD 14
Neighborhood 14 encompasses the western extraterritorial area of the
city. Beginning at the point where the Seaboard Coastline Railroad crosses
the southern city limits, the area is bounded by the railroad south to the
extraterritorial limit, then westward around the one mile extraterritorial
radius to Interstate 85, then eastward to the city limits and then along the
city limits back to the railroad. Industrial and commercial land uses in
Neighborhood 14 are located along Raleigh Road (U.S. 1 Business). There
are 315 houses in the neighborhood, 269 (85.4$) are sound, 33 (10.4$) are
deteriorating, and 13 (4.2$) are dilapidated.
-10-
HI
/
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•4
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contains the unincorporated area South Henderson. The northernmost section
of the neighborhood is occupied by Harriet -Henderson Cotton Mills, but the
most prevalent industrial land use is Perry's Junk Company. The junkyard
occupies the area between Skene Avenue, Cedar Street, Mason Street and
Nicholas Street and is incompatible with the homes in the immediate area.
Of the 434 houses in the neighborhood, 388 (89.4/0 are sound, 36 (8.3/0 are
deteriorating, and 10 (2.3%) are dilapidated.
NEIGHBORHOOD 14
Neighborhood 14 encompasses the western extraterritorial area of the
city. Beginning at the point where the Seaboard Coastline Railroad crosses
the southern city limits, the area is bounded by the railroad south to the
extraterritorial limit, then westward around the one mile extraterritorial
radius to Interstate 85, then eastward to the city limits and then along the
city limits back to the railroad. Industrial and commercial land uses in
Neighborhood 14 are located along Raleigh Road (U.S. 1 Business). There
are 315 houses in the neighborhood, 269 (85.4%) are sound, 33 (10.4%) are
deteriorating, and 13 (4.2%) are dilapidated.
-10-
HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA
tXTEBHAL STRUCTURAL
DECEMBER 1970
DETERIORATING
DILAPIDATED
TABLE 1
EXTERNAL HOUSING CONDITIONS
HENDERSON, NORTH CAROLINA
TOTAL
HOUSING
NEIGHBORHOOD UNITS SOUND
VACANT
SUB- SUBSTANDARD
% STANDARD DETERIORATING DILAPIDATED %
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
CBD
10
11
12
13
14
CITY
44 39 88.7
475 383 80„6
382 336 88.0 1
1,157 1,060 91,6 9
416 412 99.0
185 185 100.0
226 226 100.0
604 602 99.6
568 414 72.8 13
36 31 83.3
103 66 64.O 2
576 489 84.9 27
230 212 92.1 2
434 388 89,4 8
315 269 85.4 5
4,093 3,688 90.1 23
4
91
42
92
4
2
136
5
22
IS
14
36
33
376
9.1 1
19.2 1
11.0 4
7.9 5
1.0
—
—
.4
23.9 18
16.4
21.4 15
13.0 12
6.1 4
8.3 10
10.4 13
2.2
.2
1.0
.5
9.1 29
3.3
14.6
2.1
1.8
2.3
4.2
.8
EXTRA-TERRITORIAL
1,658 1,424 85.8 44 180 10.9 54 3-3
TOTAL 5,751 5,112 88.8 67 556 9.7 83 1.5
SOURCE: Visual External Structural Conditions Survey by Division of Community
Planning, December 1970. .
-13-
OCCUPANCY CHARACTERISTICS
Although the external appearance of the housing structures and the environ-ment
of the neighborhood may reveal adequate information for classifying general
neighborhood qualities, it was felt that a more detailed study would provide' more
usable information for solving the problems in neighborhoods where intensive
blight was obvious. A twenty-five percent sample survey of the blighted dwellings
was made in Neighborhoods 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 13 and 14. The survey consisted of
interviews and interior inspections conducted by Kittrell College students under
the supervision of fieldworkers from Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunities, Inc.,
and the Division of Community Planning (see Appendix 1). The information and
conclusions drawn from the survey are included in the following sections.
Homeowners account for 24% of the blighted homes in the Henderson Planning
Area and renters for the other 76%, according to the 25% survey of blighted
houses cited above. The U.S.. Bureau of the Census 1970 data shows that 53% of
the homes in Henderson are owner occupied. Renters in the sampled neighborhoods
pay an average gross-" rent of $62.25 per month compared with an estimated average
gross rent of $69.00 for Henderson as a whole. The blighted neighborhood shelters-rents
range from $13.00 to $82.00 in one neighborhood as shown in Table 2.
According to the 1970 Census, blacks account for 41% of Henderson' s popu-lation
(22.4% of State Population) yet the sample survey of blighted neighborhoods
indicated that blacks occupy 97% of the substandard housing within the city, 51%
of that in the fringe areas, and 80% of the total within the planning area. In
I968 the annual per capita income for Vance County was $2,258. According to data
from the blighted neighborhoods survey, residents of substandard homes have a per
capita income of $808 annually, nearly 1/3 of the County average. Multiplying by
3.3 (the 1970 Census figure per occupied rental unit) gives an average family an
income of $2,667, well below the poverty level of $3,100.
Gross rent refers to costs for renting shelter and includes the costs of
utilities
.
Shelter rent refers to costs for renting shelter only, and is exclusive of
housing costs for heating, electricity, gas, water and telephone.
-14-
TABLE 2
OCCUPANCY AND RENT CHARACTERISTICS
OF BLIGHTED NEIGHBORHOODS, HENDERSON, 1971
NEIGHBORHOOD 2 3 4 9 10 11 13 14 Plan.
Area
Number Surveyed 27 26 25 71 11 38 15 23 236
% Owner 22 31 16 15 45 21 50 43 24
% Renter 78 69 84 85 55 79 50 57 76
Shelter Rent Class
$12.50 - $17.50 __ 5 2 3 1 — 3 — 15
17.50 - 22.50 1 4 — 14 3 — 2 3 27
22.50 - 27.50 5 4 10 18 1 __ __ 2 45
27.50 - 32.50 8 __ 5 12 1 4 — 2 32
32.50 - 37.50 3 5 2 7 1 4 1 1 24
37.50 - 42.50 1 1 3 4 — 9 — 4 24
42.50 - 47-50 __ __ __ __ 11 1 1 14
47.50 - 52.50 3 — — — — 1 4
52.50 - 57.50
57.50 - 62.50 __ 2 1 __ 1 5
62.50 - 67.50
67.50 - 72.50 __ __ __ __ __ 1 1
72.50 - 77.50
77.50 - 82.50 __ __ __ __ __ 1 1
Average Shelter
Rent 32.50 24.75 28.25 27.75 23.50 41.75 23.50 36.75 31.00
Average Cost of
Utilities 31.50 35-75 32.25 32.85 24.35 40.00 29.50 33.25 31.25
Average Gross
Rent 64.OO 60.50 60.50 60.10 47.85 81.75 53.00 70.00 62.25
Estimated Gross
Rent from 1970 $69.00
Census
SOURCE: Kittrell College and Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportunities, Inc., 25$ sample
survey of blighted neighborhoods, March 1971, and U.S. Bureau of Census,
1970 • -15-
WATER AND SEWER FACILITIES
Henderson's water supply has adequate reserve capacity for the present.
Rated capacity of the treatment plant is 3-6 million gallons per day. A planned
improvement to the filter system will increase the capacity of the plant. Average
daily flow is now about 2.9 million gallons per day, with a peak demand of about
3-5 million gallons per day. Distribution lines extend to practically all areas
within the corporate limits, and out into portions of Neighborhoods 10, 11, 12,
13, and 14. In almost every neighborhood, there are lines 2 inches or less (See
map on page 19) which are below accepted standards for adequate pressure and
fire protection. Fire hydrants on any line less than 6 inches cannot give
adequate protection to the residents of the neighborhood.
The capacity of the city's sewage treatment facilities is 3-8 million gal-lons
per day. The reserve capacity of the system is now approximately .8 million
gallons per day. All areas within the corporate limits are generally served,
portions of Neighborhoods 11, 12, and 14 are served, but no part of Neighborhoods
10 or 13 have sewer service (see map on page 21). Extension of service into
these neighborhoods will probably require installation of pump stations and
force mains.
Tap-on fees for water and sewer services must be paid in full before the
city will connect these services. For a resident, the fees are as follows:
Water - $96.00 plus cost of street cut ($10.00 to $30.00); Sewer - $108.00 plus
cost of street cut ($10.00 to $30.00). Such a large lump sum payment is beyond
the capability of most low income families. Landlords cannot supply the service
without increasing rents, thereby in many cases forcing tenants to seek lower
cost housing (without adequate plumbing facilities). The city needs to con-sider
a plan whereby low income families could pay these fees on an installment
plan, along with their monthly water and sewer bill, with interest on the unpaid
balance. An example of the problem is the Red Hill area in Neighborhood 9- The
city recently installed an 8 inch sewer line which most of the residents cannot
afford to utilize - the residents receive no benefit from the installation and
the city realizes no revenues from the sewer line.
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TABLE 3
WATER SUPPLY AND WASTE DISPOSAL IN BLIGHTED NEIGHBORHOODS
MARCH, 1971
NEIGHBORHOOD 2 3 4 9 10 11 13 14
Number
Surveyed 27 26 25 71 11 38 15 23
Figures below are percentages of each category
WATER
Hot and Cold 30 23 12 13 9 82
Cold inside 59 65 64 54 — 10
Cold outside
only 7 — 24 7
No water 4 12 — 26 91 8
SOURCE OF WATER
City 81 85 100 92 — 84
Individual 14 12 8 18 5
Other 2 3 __ __ 82 11
BATH
Yes 30 23 40 17 — 82
No 70 77 60 83 100 18
TOILET
Yes 74 74 84 51 — 82
No 26 26 16 49 100 18
WASTE DISPOSAL
City 70 92 100 51 — 10
Septic Tank 11 — — 1 66
Privy 19 8 — 48 100 24
54
23
15
77
23
61
39
61
39
69
31
22
22
22
34
48
9
43
27
73
27
73
17
10
73
SOURCE: Kittrell College and Franklin-Vance Warren Opportunities, Inc., 25%
sample survey of blighted neighborhoods.
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HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA
LINES 10 OR MORE IN SIZE
LINES 4" TO 8" IN SIZE
LINES 2" OR LESS IN SIZE
WATER PLANT
STANDPIPE
ELEVATED TANK
,
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HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA LINES 6 IN SIZE
LINES 8" TO 15" IN SIZE
LINES 18" OR MORE IN SIZE
1250 6PM PUMPS
UNPAVED STREETS
The condition of public facilities can influence the way residents feel about
their neighborhood. Where adequate facilities are available, residents and pro-perty
owners are likely to have a greater degree of pride in their homes and
property which tends to result in better maintenance and improvement of living
conditions.
Since the city paves minor roads only upon petition, assessing property owners
for part or all of the cost, areas of absentee ownership of low value homes and
rental properties are likely to remain unpaved. This is the case in several
neighborhoods in Henderson. Areas of low value rental homes tend to have unpaved
streets (See map on page 25). In fact, \1% of the homes surveyed in blighted
neighborhoods are on unpaved streets,
VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS
High vehicle accident rates generally indicate heavy traffic volumes, mixed
land use, and an inadequate street system. The majority of traffic accidents
in Henderson between 1969-1970» occurred in the CBD and along Chestnut Street,
which divides Neighborhood 9 and the CBD. Other locations of frequent accidents
include Dabney Drive, South Garnett Street, Andrews Avenue and several inter-sections
in Neighborhood 4- (See map on page 25-) In January I969, the State
Highway Commission completed a thoroughfare plan for Henderson. This study out-lines
a system of thoroughfares needed to serve the anticipated traffic and land
development needs of Henderson through 1990° Several recommendations made by
the study have been carried out (e.g. the realignment of N. C. 39 through the
city), and others are expected to be completed soon. The study makes specific
recommendations for handling traffic in the CBD, including off-street parking,
and lane changes which need to be implemented in order to decrease the volume
of accidents.
Data source: N. C. Highway Commission, Traffic Engineering Division.
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HEI
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HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA
VEHICULAR ACCII
1969-1970
AVEI
1970
2 NUMBER OF VEHICULAR ACCIDENTS
UNPAVED STREETS
ARRESTS
The Henderson Police Department records for 1970 show 311 arrests for major
crimes within the Henderson Planning Area. These include murder, rape, arson,
breaking and entering, and larceny. The table below shows the number of arrests
per neighborhood.
Neighborhood
TABLE 4
ARRESTS BY PLACE OF RESIDENCE, 1970
Arrests Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
CBD
10
11
12
13
14
3
45
41
93
3
1
10
89
3
8
8
5
3
8
3
4
1
8
10
9
5
2
8
10
6
6
7
8
SOURCE: Henderson Police Department.
It should be noted that in the Fringe Area around Henderson more arrests
may have been recorded by the Vance County Sheriff!s Department.
Arrests for crimes against persons and property indicate a direct assault
on community social and legal precepts that reflect social disorientation and
serious trouble. Residents of blighted neighborhoods may tend to feel resentful,
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irresponsible and alienated from the rest of society. Low standards of education,
lack of recreational outlets and apathy, in general, tend to play a major part in
generating incidence of crime in its various degrees.
FIRE CALLS
Although fires occur irrespective of social or economic barriers, they do
tend to occur more frequently in neighborhoods which contain older wooden
structures, high population and building densities, inadequate or faulty
electrical wiring, and unsafe heating systems.
The incidence of fire calls for the two year period, 1969-1970 plotted on
the map on page 29 indicates that Neighborhood 4 had 183 fire calls, 9 had 73?
2 had 71, 8 had 63, 3 had 50, 5 had 56, the CBD had 35, 13 had 16, 7 had 14, 6
had 13, 11 had 12, 1 had 7, 14 had 6, 12 had 4, and Neighborhood 10 had none.
It should be noted that neighborhoods 10 through 14 lie outside the city limits
and may have had more fire calls answered by the Vance County Fire Department
or Bear Pond Volunteer Fire Department. Henderson Fire Department records for
1969-1970 indicate that the Department responded to over 600 calls broken
down into the following categories.
False Alarms - either by phone or by Fire Alarm Box - 137
Accidental False Alarm - malfunction in automatic alarm system or calls
made by persons which were unnecessary - 46
Faulty heating system, cookstove malfunctions, electrical shorts, minor
damage - 166
Trash, grass, leaves or woods fires - 111
Vehicular fires - 94
Fires causing major damage to structures - 30
Arson, both attempted and successful - 9
Bomb scare calls - 4
Other calls recorded were for washing away spilled gasoline, and numerous
rescue calls for both humans and cats.
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HE
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irresponsible and alienated from the rest of society. Low standards of education
lack of recreational outlets and apathy, in general, tend to play a major part in
generating incidence of crime in its various degrees.
FIRE CALLS
Although fires occur irrespective of social or economic barriers, they do
tend to occur more frequently in neighborhoods which contain older wooden
structures, high population and building densities, inadequate or faulty
electrical wiring, and unsafe heating systems.
The incidence of fire calls for the two year period, 1969-1970 plotted on
the map on page 29 indicates that Neighborhood 4 had 183 fire calls, 9 had 73,
2 had 71, 8 had 63, 3 had 50, 5 had 56, the CBD had 35, 13 had 16, 7 had 14, 6
had 13, 11 had 12, 1 had 7, 14 had 6, 12 had 4, and Neighborhood 10 had none.
It should be noted that neighborhoods 10 through 14 lie outside the city limits
and may have had more fire calls answered by the Vance County Fire Department
or Bear Pond Volunteer Fire Department. Henderson Fire Department records for
1969-1970 indicate that the Department responded to over 600 calls broken
down into the following categories.
False Alarms - either by phone or by Fire Alarm Box - 137
Accidental False Alarm - malfunction in automatic alarm system or calls
made by persons which were unnecessary - 46
Faulty heating system, cookstove malfunctions, electrical shorts, minor
damage - 166
Trash, grass, leaves or woods fires - 111
Vehicular fires - 94
Fires causing major damage to structures - 30
Arson, both attempted and successful - 9
Bomb scare calls - 4
Other calls recorded were for washing away spilled gasoline, and numerous
rescue calls for both humans and cats.
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HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA
p) Is ir i»
1969- 1970
EACH DOT REPRESENTS 10 CALLS
PUBLIC HEALTH
Poor physical health can result from inadequate housing, unsanitary environ-mental
conditions or exposure to infected persons. Homes that are cold in the
winter, do not have a safe water supply or waste disposal facilities or are over-crowded,
contribute to discomfort and disease. Within an overcrowded neighbor-hood,
communicable diseases are more likely to spread at faster rates than in
lower density areas. Such living conditions then, are not only a danger to the
residents of the neighborhood but, should be an important concern to the entire
community.
Tuberculosis and Venereal Disease
Tuberculosis can develop only where the necessary tubercle bacillus is
combined with certain prerequisite environmental and physiological conditions.
A majority of the people who are exposed to tubercle bacilli do not contract the
disease. Overcrowded dwellings, providing inadequate sunlight and clean air,
are contributing factors in the development of tuberculosis. As illustrated by
the map on page 33? there are a total of 56 tuberculosis cases in the Henderson
Planning Area. Neighborhoods 2, 3? and 4 have over 35% of the total with 11, 10,
and 9 cases respectively; Neighborhoods 8, 9, 11, and 13 have 5 or 6 cases;
Neighborhoods 1, 5, CBD, and 14 each have 1 or 2 cases; while Neighborhoods 6, 7,
10, and 12 have no cases reported.
Data concerning the incidence of persons treated for venereal diseases
between 1969-1970 was obtained from the Vance County Health Department for anal-ysis.
It should be noted here that, generally speaking, this date may be biased,
in that persons of upper socio-economic strata who may contract venereal diseases
are usually treated by a private physician and thus may not be reported. The map
on page 33 indicates that Neighborhoods 2, 3 3 4, 9, and 13 have 57 (81$) of the
70 cases reported.
Illegitimate Childbirths
Data from the Vance County Health Department indicates that in the two year
period, 1969-1970, 96 illegitimate children were born in the Henderson Planning
Area. Neighborhoods 2,3,4, and 9 accounted for 71$ of these with 21, 10, 15,
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and 23 each. Eight were reported in Neighborhood 11 and 14, 5 in 13, 2 in 8 and
12, and 1 in 1 and 5- Here again, as is the case with venereal diseases, families
of upper socio-economic levels can more easily enable unwed mothers to deliver
while out of town on protracted vacations, using private adoption services, and
thus preclude appearance of the birth in local agency records.
Stillbirths and Infant Mortality
In the Henderson Planning Area between 1969-1970 there were nine stillbirths
and 17 deaths of children under five years of age. There were 12 more infant
mortalities and 8 stillbirths in Vance County outside the planning area. It is
difficult to cite exact causes for these deaths but indications are that such
health factors as lack of proper prenatal care, overcrowded unclean living
conditions, malnutrition, and child abuse result in early mortality.
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and 23 each. Eight were reported in Neighborhood 11 and 14, 5 in 13, 2 in 8 and
12, and 1 in 1 and 5- Here again, as is the case with venereal diseases, familie
of upper socio-economic levels can more easily enable unwed mothers to deliver
while out of town on protracted vacations, using private adoption services, and
thus preclude appearance of the birth in local agency records.
Stillbirths and Infant Mortality
In the Henderson Planning Area between 1969-1970 there were nine stillbirths
and 17 deaths of children under five years of age. There were 12 more infant
mortalities and 8 stillbirths in Vance County outside the planning area. It is
difficult to cite exact causes for these deaths but indications are that such
health factors as lack of proper prenatal care, overcrowded unclean living
conditions, malnutrition, and child abuse result in early mortality.
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HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE
Public assistance data recorded by the Vance County Department of Social
Services indicates a very definite correlation between blighted neighborhoods
and the use of public aid. Since the recipients of assistance tend to have
very low incomes they normally live in low rent areas which have a tendency
to be areas of unsound and unsafe housing. The Vance County Social Services
Department records show that for the month of March, 1971, within the Henderson
Planning Area, there were 245 cases of Old Age Assistance, 133 cases of Aid to
the Permanently and Totally Disabled, and 204 cases of Aid to Families with
Dependent Children. Data for the entire county indicates that for OAA, payments
range from a low of $5.00 to a high of $203-00 and average $67.00; for APTD,
payment range from $9.00 to $203.00 and average $69.00; for AFDC, payments range
from $9.00 to $203-00 and average $69-00; for AFDC, payments averaging $104-00
are made to 348 adults for assistance for 1, 088 children (3-13 children per
adult recipient). The map on page 37 shows the Social Services assistance
payments by neighborhoods, with Neighborhoods 2, 3,4,9,11? and 13 accounting for
524 (90%) of the 582 cases in the planning area. (See Table Below):
TABLE 5
SOCIAL SERVICES ASSISTANCE
HENDERSON, MARCH, 1971
Neighbor- OAA % of APTD % of AFDC % of All Programs % of
hoods Recip-ients
Total Recip-ients
Total Recip-ients
Total Neighborhood
Total
Total
2 31 12.6 18 13.5 40 19.6 89 15.3
3 21 8.7 14 10.5 24 11.8 59 10.0
4 74 30.2 35 26.3 59 28.9 168 28.8
9 44 17.9 21 15.8 33 16.2 98 I6.7
11 28 11.4 20 15.1 9 4-4 57 9.7
13 19 7.8 15 11.3 19 9.3 56 9-5
All Other
Neighbor-hoods
28 11.4 10 7.5 20 9.8 58 10.0
TOTAL 245 100.0 133 100.0 204 100.0 582 100.0
OAA = Old Age Assistance
APTD = Aid to the Permanently and Totally Disabled
AFDC = Aid to Families of Dependent Children
SOURCE: Vance County Department of Social Services
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HE
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HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA
MARCH 1971
• AID FOR DEPENDENT CHILDERN
• AID TO PERMANENTLY 8 TOTALLY DISABLE
STANCE
REPRESENT 10 CASES
EDUCATION
Effective with the I968-I969 school year, Henderson and Vance County School
Systems were merged into one system operated by Vance County. Because of this
change and the difficulty of obtaining sufficient data it is necessary to discuss
the entire system rather than merely the schools serving the Henderson Planning
Area. Data was obtained from both the Vance County Board of Education and the
State Department of Public Instruction on various indices including: student
population per school, number of teachers by school and type of teaching certif-icate,
pupil/teacher ratio, number of free and reduced price meals served in
January 1971> follow-up survey of I969 graduates, and numbers of transfers and
dropouts for 1969-1970. The confrontation and violence that troubled Henderson
during the first week of November 1970 shocked the community into awareness of the
social unrest that exists. General racial attitudes in the area crystallized
around the issue of the Federally forced integration of the entire school system.
Problems arose, centering on the decision to reopen the segregated Nutbush School.
Blacks organized and protested the move, adding a long list of grievances con-cerning
policies and actions at other schools in the county. Insufficient advance
preparation for potential problem areas, and especially a lack of effective
communication between races, local officials, and community leaders, and between
young and old seemed to be at the core of the conflict.
The table on page 41 shows all schools in Vance County with current enroll-ment,
teacher qualifications, pupil/teacher ratio for each school, number of free
lunches served in the 1969-1970 school year. Schools at Townsville, Kittrell,
and Nutbush were closed this year. The system lost a total of 1,091 students
through graduation, transfers, and dropouts and gained 381 from transfers and
new starts for a net decrease of 710 students between the 1969-70 and 70-71
school year, A survey of I969 graduates of the Vance County School System
shows that 405 students graduated of which 150 (37-1%) enrolled in a college,
19 (4- -7%) enrolled in trade, business or nursing school, 25 (6.1%) entered
military service, 177 (43-8%) were gainfully employed, and 34 (8.3%) were
unaccounted for. The State averages are as follows: college, 40.98%; trade or
business school, 16,68%; military 3-8%; employed, 28.82%; and all others, 9-72%.
-39-
Comparison of these figures show that graduates from Vance County exhibit
proportionally lower college entrance, much lower trade and business school
entrance, a high proportion entering military service, and a high proportion
entering the work force directly upon graduation. Since military service and
immediate employment usually means unskilled or semiskilled labor, the school
system needs to place more emphasis on trade or business school preparation
which will lead to skilled employment. The per pupil expenditures are $446.56,
of which $52.84 are local funds, $291.55 are federal, and $102.17 are state
funds. When a student drops out of school for any reason (or leaves Henderson),
this public investment in human resources is lost, therefore, every effort
should be made to provide the student with incentive to stay in school. This
may include providing classes in subjects that will interest him or it may be
necessary to determine what social and economic reasons he has for dropping
out and attempting to correct them.
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TABLE 6
VANCE COUNTY SCHOOLS DATA
Number of
Pupils
Teachers by Certif
1970-1971
icate
Pupil/Teacher
Free & Reduced
Price Meals
Per Day
6
Dropouts 1969-1970
Number of
Pupils Grades Taught
Schools March '71 Graduates A B Other Ratio 1970-71 Jan. '71 Transferrec Dropped 1969-70 1969-70
Aycock 354 2 11 2 - 23.6 97.6 36 3 381 1-8
v„
Carver 531 2 13 5 1 25-3 126.4 28 2 442 1-7
Clark Street 375 1 14 3 - 20.1 101.2 22 2 415 1-6
V
Dabney 308 1 12 2 - 19.3 137.0 15 4 256 1-8
Eaton-Johnson 745 2 21 3 - 28.7 187.2 7 8 733 1-7
Henderson High 910 7 33 2 1 21.2 88.1 21 66 1,046 9-12
Henderson Institute
Junior High
358 3 14 1 - 19.9 85-5 5 63 613 10-12
Middleburg 311 - 15 3 - 17.3 170.6 145 11 424 1-8
v
New Hope 378 2 14 1 1 21.0 310.8 11 1 422 1-7
North Henderson 380 ~ 12 3 - 25.3 126.3 14 -- 279 1-7
v„ , „ 1
Oak Grove 103 ~ 5 - - 20.1 57.9 7 - 173 1-7
Pinkston Street 526 2 18 2 - 23.9 165. 12 26 416 8
2
E.M. ROllins/Annex 971/279 3 36 6 - 27.7 318/95.2 47 1 947 1-7
South Henderson 400 3 15 1 - 21.1 N/A 13 1 231 1-7
v 3
Townsville - - ~ - 5 4 170 1-8
V
Vance County High 773 6 33 3 - 18.4 218.0 32 32 887 9-12
2
Westend 279 - - - - - - 12 - 137 1-6
L.B. Yancey 204 1 7 3 - 18.5 91.5 1 1 225 1-7
V
Zeb Vance 360 1 12 3 1 21.2 170.9 5 7 264 1-8
v 4
Nutbush* - - - - - - - 4 - 102 1-7
v 5
Kittrell3 - - - - - - - 9 3 413 1-7
8,266 36 285 43 4 22.4 2,551.9 451 235 8,976
Oak Grove operated as a Kindergarten (ESEA)
.
Westend was annexed to E.M. Rollins for the 70-71 school year.
Townsville -v
Nutbush \ schools phased out of operation in 1970.
Kittrell
Transfer students to another system or dropped out of school for one of several reasons
School outside Henderson Planning Area.
SOURCE: Vance County School Board and N. C. Department of Public Instruction.
-41-
RECREATION
There is a critical lack of park and recreational facilities in Henderson.
The i960 Land Use Survey indicated that only about 50 acres of land in the area
were devoted to parks and recreation. In 1970, according to local officials,
the city has no public recreation facilities or parks in operation. The city
does own some property designated for parks, but it is not utilized. A
Recreation Plan prepared in 1956 by Charles M. Graves of Atlanta, Georgia, was
never implemented. The city does have a Recreation Commission, but it has been
unable to make tangible accomplishments even though it meets regularly. The
funds that the city appropriated for recreation go toward supporting baseball
and football programs for boys and several neighborhood playgrounds that are
set up through neighborhood efforts. At present, none of the industries in the
area are providing recreation facilities, even for their own employees.
As Henderson becomes more intensively developed over the years, the need
for parks and recreation space will become even more crucial than it is now.
Additional population will require more land for recreational purposes, while
this same population increase will mean that less land will be available for
such use. The vacant lots and open lands which now serve as play areas for
children living in nearby houses will be built upon. Playing in the streets
is undesirable from the standpoint of safety, and this will become a more
acute problem as the traffic increases with the population growth. The Graves
Recreation plan mentioned above recommends development of 250 acres of recreation
lands by 1980 with at least 70 acres of playground and playfield space. The
close proximity of the John H. Kerr Reservoir alleviates some of the area's
recreation demand, but neighborhood and community playgrounds for regular,
daily use are still needed for children unable to play in areas other than
the streets of Henderson.
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PART 1
1
COMMUNITY ACTIONS AND
IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS
THE CITY
The success of an individual in society is a function of opportunity. The
people who live in Henderson's blighted areas are there either by choice, or, as
is more likely, because they are denied a chance to compete effectively in society.
This disadvantage results in an inability to earn enough money to afford the cost
of a decent living. Specific deficiencies are in the areas of basic and technical
education, job skills and job opportunity.
People have to live somewhere. A family will live where they will be accepted
or allowed, but primarily where they can afford. Low value residential real estate
for the purpose of sale or rent is almost entirely associated with the least de-sirable
locations. The desirability of a residence is determined by many factors.
Some factors are directly related to health and safety, such as age and structural
decay, inadequate sanitary facilities and inadequate protection from the weather.
Other factors are the obvious relationships between the site and the surroundings,
such as land use conflicts, traffic nuisances, street lighting, street conditions,
accessibility of electricity, water, sewer, schools, shopping, and so on.
According to the 1970 census the racial composition of Henderson is approxi-mately
41 percent black and 59 percent white. Most of the black population was
found to be living in the blighted neighborhoods. The remaining population in
the blighted neighborhoods was low-income white families.
What can be -done to improve the lives of these people? The ultimate answer
lies in the determination of the total community to change the situation. The
recommendations in this report merely represent a beginning effort and not a
total answer or program. It is hoped that the result of these recommendations,
when implemented, would stimulate a desire in the people to become physically
and emotionally involved in the community and its improvement.
It is felt that the initial emphasis should be in areas most certainly
having a relationship to the poverty cycle. Therefore, immediate goals should be:
1. To reduce the large percent of the population that are presently illiterate.
2. To provide a means for the economically deprived persons to receive a
meaningful vocational skill.
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3. To promote constructive and meaningful race relations, especially in
areas of job opportunity.
4- To promote programs that will correct the physical inadequacies in the
blighted neighborhoods.
The ultimate goals of a community area are only limited by desires, our
resourcefulness and our efforts:
1. To provide every able citizen regardless of race, creed or color with
the education and vocational skills necessary to secure employment that
will provide the basic necessities for adequate support of a family.
2. To provide for those citizens who, for reasons of health, age, or mental-ity
are incapable of securing the basic necessities for a reasonable
and decent standard of living.
3. To provide job opportunities for all capable citizens,
4. To provide that job applicants will be considered on the basis of ability,
education and experience.
5. To create in every neighborhood of Henderson a physical environment that
is attractive, convenient, and healthy for all our citizens.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
The spread of blight in Henderson can and must be stopped. If programs of
prevention and correction are not instituted, the future citizens will find the
costs of correction almost prohibitive. Programs can be initiated which will
enable the community to begin to eliminate blight. The study has identified
many significant problems that are directly related to the issue. These facts
might be unpleasant, but the problems must be faced intelligently if we are to
deal with them.
The following is an explanation and discussion of various programs and rec-ommendations
which may be utilized in the upgrading of blighted areas and the im-provement
of the social and economic ills which beset the inhabitants of these
areas.
DEVELOPMENT PLANNING AND GUIDANCE
This type of activity is recommended in areas which are primarily undeveloped.
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The goal of this activity is to prevent future blight by planning for the orderly
development of vacant land and to insure strict regulation of the development of
factors that have influenced blighted areas in the past.
The two planning tools that must be implemented wisely in order to effectuate
this program are the zoning and subdivision ordinances. The land development plan,
community facilities plan and capital improvements budget also play a significant
role in the guidance of rational development.
Henderson must enforce strictly its Housing Ordinance, Building Codes, Zoning
Ordinance, and Subdivision Regulations to insure sound development.
It is recommended that Henderson enforce its ordinance that requires the re-moval
of junked cars from private property and also adopt an ordinance which
would require the screening of automobile junkyards. The Proposed Zoning
Ordinance has such provisions.
The street conditions in many areas of Henderson are poor. In many cases un-needed
streets can be closed and used as neighborhood tot lots. Adequate revision
of streets can be accomplished by cooperative efforts between the City and Federal
Government (clearance or conservation projects) or the City and the area residents
(nonfederal action).
HUMAN RESOURCE CONSERVATION
Human Resource Conservation can be termed as improving the quality of people.
To invest in the improvement of personal skills and resources, in developing the
ability of people to earn a productive place in society and to provide for the
aged and 'sick with respect, is the objective of this activity.
Two of the most serious problems that weaken the society are (1) the lack of
education and (2) the resultant employment situation. Specific corrective programs
should include the following:
1. A program to reduce the number of student drop-outs through:
A. Development of guidance and counseling program on the elementary
school level to deal with the potential drop-out during the more
formative years.
B. Improve the counselor/student ratio on the secondary level by hiring
more counselors and extend the counseling program into the summer.
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C. Establish a volunteer Parent Corps to assist the counseling program
and to work actively in the neighborhoods.
D. Enforce truancy laws rigidly.
E. Adopt a school policy to encourage young expectant mothers to remain
in their present school or to establish a separate program and provide
facilities.
F. Reevaluate the curriculum to provide relevant education for those who
are presently not completing school. Education for those who will not
go to college is equally important as college preparatory courses.
2. Reestablish programs that can provide subsistence incomes to persons
attending job training programs.
3. A coordinated effort must be made by the Public School System, Vance
County Technical Institute, the Employment Security Commission and the
Industrial Development Commission to encourage industries to locate in
Henderson that can provide the type of employment opportunities that
can break the poverty cycle.
4. It is also recommended that the various merchant associations endorse a
policy of nondiscriminatory employment practices.
5- Begin the organization of neighborhood improvement committees. Member-ship
in neighborhood improvement subcommittees would be made up of neigh-borhood
residents . The activities would include making surveys to deter-mine
the needs of the neighborhood residents, recommending solutions to
neighborhood problems and most importantly to be involved in the imple-mentation
of proposed programs,
PRESERVATION
Preservation is recommended for areas where physical, economic and social
conditions are average or above. The objective of this program is to prevent
future blighting in sound existing areas through local programs to maintain the
sound structures and to upgrade the few structures that might require it. Pro-tection
of the residential structures against invasion of nonconforming uses
which would downgrade the area can be effected through diligent zoning adminis-tration.
The maintenance of standard structural conditions can be accomplished
-46-
through housing inspection and a code enforcement program and by insuring a con-tinuance
of an adequate level of community facilities and services.
Continuous local efforts will be necessary to maintain and upgrade the physical
enviornment and housing conditions within the City. However, to rejuvenate some of
the more seriously blighted areas in Henderson may well prove to be beyond the re-sources
of the City alone. It may be necessary to apply for financial assistance
to cope with the problem areas. The Federal Government, under the Urban Renewal
Program, will contribute up to three-fourths of the cost of renewing blighted areas.
Funds spent by local governments, such as for streets, utility improvements, street
lighting, community facilities, and other expenses may be counted toward the one-fourth
cost to the City. Urban renewal offers three programs, Conservation, Re-habilitation,
and Redevelopment, which can be of use to Henderson in striving for
a better community for all its people.
CONSERVATION
A conservation program is primarily of value in maintaining and preserving
good, stable, neighborhoods which are free of more serious forms of blight. Al-though
housing conditions may vary greatly within the area, clearance is usually
not required. However, such items as provision of community facilities, modifica-tions
of the streets and extensions of some community services may be required.
Essentially, the problems can be solved through the efforts of local property
owners or tenants and the City.
REHABILITATION
Rehabilitation as a type of treatment is recommended in areas that have a
reasonably strong potential for blight or in areas that are already showing
serious signs of decline. The program is primarily intended to improve existing
conditions and to insure that a relapse will not occur. Spot clearance of
dilapidated dwellings is usually involved, along with extensive improvement in the
environment of the area. Systematic inspection and organized enforcement of
health, safety, sanitation, and housing codes will be necessary. Local govern-ments,
through their various departments play a key role, but the cooperation
and assistance of the residents of the neighborhoods is of the greatest import-ance
if the downward trend in these areas is to be reversed.
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REDEVELOPMENT
Redevelopment is recommended where conditions are so poor that extensive
renovation is impractical. This type of treatment would consist primarily of
clearance of structures which are beyond saving. In addition, major street
changes, major utility extensions, provision of community facilities may all
be required. Although good structures may be saved and renovated, the majority
of the area will probably be acquired, cleared, and prepared for reuse for
industrial, commercial, residential, public or other appropriate use.
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EXEMPLARY URBAN RENEWAL SKETCH PLAN
An illustrative "idealized" urban renewal plan for neighborhood four was
prepared to exemplify the potential benefits of an urban renewal project and to
contrast a redeveloped area of the local community with the existing neighborhood.
Chief among the problems of the existing area is an uncoordinated system of
streets, with multistreet intersections, deadends, an extreme excess of streets
(consuming too much land and resulting in higher public costs for maintenance),
intersections at curves, and offsets ("jogs") which contribute to accidents. The
industrial complex south of Alexander Avenue has poor access to U. S. 1 Bypass
resulting in excess traffic flow on Nicholas Street.
The renewal plan demonstrates numerous advantages over the existing neighbor-hood,
including a functional street pattern, with major thoroughfares buffered from
adjacent uses by a border of hedges and trees; residential streets are designed to
discourage traffic through the neighborhood. Overall street coverage is substanti-ally
reduced. Scattered individual commercial uses are eliminated, replaced by
unified neighborhood shopping centers at the edges of the neighborhood. Such uses
would be developed with adequate parking facilities. Water courses form the focus
of a public park and greenways stretching through the neighborhood. Multifamily
residential areas are provided adjacent to volume streets, further reducing through
traffic in single -family areas, as does the extensive use of cul-de-sacs. Common
open areas are provided in three blocks for open space use or development as re-creational
facilities by community associations. The junior high school site is
enlarged in area. A major street with ready access to U. S. 1 is provided for
industrial traffic.
This plan is included for illustrative purposes only, and is not recommended
for implementation because it was not prepared on the basis of detailed land use
demand forecasts and marketability projections, but is typical of the land use
and transportation amenities which can be achieved in a redevelopment project.
A workable plan for this area would undoubtedly represent a greater compromise
between the desirable ideal and existing development.
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HEIG
A OFFSET INTERSECTION
DEAD END
MULTISTREET INTERSECTION
//y EXCESSIVE STREETS
HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA
-SO-
HENDERSON, N.C.
XEMPLARY URBAN
NEIGHBORHOOD
RENEWAL
FOUR
N
PART 1 1
1
SUMMARY OF NEIGHBORHOOD
CHARACTERISTICS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
NEIGHBORHOOD IMPROVEMENT
The purpose of this section is to summarize the characteristics for each
neighborhood and those of the families occupying substandard housing. Informa-tion
and data is drawn from the previous sections on occupancy, public facilities,
health indicies, arrests, fire calls, public assistance, and education. Charac-teristics
of families living in substandard housing is drawn from the 25% sample
survey of blighted neighborhoods conducted by Franklin-Vance - Warren Opportunities,
Inc.
Recommendations are made for each neighborhood based upon current conditions
within the area. The general recommendations made in Part II are applied to fit
the needs of each neighborhood, however, the Human Resource Conservation section
can be applied to the planning area as a whole. The programs listed are needed
throughout the area to stop the outflow of Henderson's youth and thereby its
future.
NEIGHBORHOOD 1
Neighborhood 1 is located north of Interstate 85 and has the least number of
dwelling units. The Land Use Plan for Henderson and the proposed Zoning Ordinance
project residential and agricultural land use for this area.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. The neighborhood is racially mixed but predominantly black.
2. The terrain is rolling which will create problems with future development
unless care is taken to utilize land contour to the best advantage.
3. Eighty-nine percent of the structures are sound.
Recommendations
Development Planning and Guidance is recommended for this neighborhood. This
will prevent future blight by planning for the orderly development of vacant land.
Strict enforcement of the Housing Ordinance, Building Code, Zoning Ordinance and a
good set of Subdivision Regulations will insure sound development.
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NEIGHBORHOOD 2
Neighborhood 2 is located northwest of the CBD and just south of Interstate
85- Land use is predominently residential, interspersed with commercial, mostly-small
neighborhood groceries and snack shops. Undeveloped land along I-85 is
inaccessible because of terrain and the expense of providing public utilities.
The following is a detailed checklist of housing conditions, neighborhood
problems and characteristics of families living in Neighborhood 2.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Twenty percent of the dwelling units are deteriorating or dilapidated.
2. Most of the sound housing is in need of immediate minor maintenance to
prevent deterioration.
3. Residents in 96% of the substandard houses are black.
4- Fifty percent of the streets are unpaved or in need of repair.
5- Water and sewer is available to most of the area.
6. Neighborhood 2 residents receive 15.3% of the Social Services Assistance
in the Henderson Planning Area.
7. Neighborhood 2 ranks third in arrests for major crimes in 1970.
8. Neighborhood 2 had 71 fire calls reported in I969 and 1970.
9. Schools in the neighborhood had 83 withdrawals in the 1969-1970 school
year.
Characteristics of families living in Substandard Housing
1. Seventy-eight percent of the substandard housing is renter occupied.
2. The average gross rent is $64-00 or 33-6% of the average family income
of $2,280 per year.
3. Fifty-nine percent of the families have only cold water inside, while
11% have water outside or no water.
4. Sixteen percent of the families get water from sources other than the
City.
5- There are no bath facilities in 70% of the homes.
6. Twenty-six percent of the families have no inside toilet.
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7. Thirty percent of the families have septic tanks or outdoor privies.
8. The average level of educational attainment for household heads is
seventh grade.
9. Sixty-one percent of the heads of households are retired or have been
unemployed an average of 5-6 months within the last year.
10. Sixty-four percent of the employed heads of households are in unskilled
jobs.
Recommendations
Limited rehabilitation is recommended in Neighborhood 2. Enforcement of the
Housing Ordinance will enable the city to clear dilapidated dwellings, however,
the primary purpose of the program is to improve existing conditions and to insure
that a relapse will not occur. Street improvement, and involvement of the residents
in a Clean-up, Fix-up Campaign will all help to reverse the trend toward major
blight in Neighborhood 2.
NEIGHBORHOOD 3
Neighborhood 3 is east of the CBD and north of Andrews Avenue. The area is
largely residential, with isolated neighborhood commercial land uses along Andrews
Avenue. Very little land is available for development in the neighborhood. The
Proposed Zoning Ordinance calls for R-6 residential over most of the neighborhood
with B-3 general business along Andrews Avenue from Clark and Water Streets to
I
Cherry Street. Office-Institutional is planned for the block encompassed by
Andrews Avenue, William Street, Rock Spring, and Rowland Streets.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Twelve percent of the dwelling units are deteriorating or dilapidated.
2. Most of the sound units are old and in danger of becoming deteriorated
unless care and maintenance is administered. Some of the houses exhibit
repetitive, monotonous design which induces apathy among residents.
3. Residents in 98% of the blighted houses are Blacks.
55-
4. Streets in the neighborhood are in fair to good shape with only eight
blocks unpaved.
5. Water and sewer is available to all residents of Neighborhood 3.
6. Residents of this neighborhood receive 10% of the Social Services
Assistance in the Henderson Planning Area.
7. Neighborhood 3 ranks fourth in arrests for major crimes in 1970.
8. Neighborhood 3 had 50 firecalls reported in I969 and 1970.
9. The Pinkston Street School had 38 withdrawals in the I969-I97O school
year.
Characteristics of families living in substandard housing
1. Sixty-nine percent of the substandard housing is renter occupied.
2. The average gross rent is $60.50 or 22.4% of the average family income
of $3,228 per year.
3- Sixty-five percent of the families have only cold water inside, while
12% have water outside or no water.
4. Fifteen percent of the families get water from sources other than the
City.
5. There are no bath facilities in 77% of the homes.
6. There are no inside toilet facilities in 26% of the homes.
7. Eight percent of the families utilize either septic tanks or outdoor
privies.
8. Heads of households have an average educational attainment level of
seventh grade.
9. Thirty-eight percent of the heads of households are retired or have
been unemployed an average of 6 months within the last year.
10. Fifty percent of the employed household heads are in unskilled jobs.
Recommendations
Rehabilitation is recommended for the less blighted areas of this neighborhood
with removal and spot clearance of all dilapidated dwellings. Careful attention
must be given to enforcement of existing health, safety, sanitation, and housing
codes. The houses along Farrar, Adams, and East Avenue can be modified in appear-
•56-
ance so that they do not all look alike. This can be done by the use of paint,
the addition of shutters, imaginative landscaping, and the planting of trees and
shrubs. The neighborhood may be eligible for Federal financial assistance under
Section 117 (HUD) - Code Enforcement Grant Program (See Appendix). Major clearance
is not required in Neighborhood 3, however some is inevitable if strict code
enforcement is to take place. Where possible the City should improve streets and
require the utilization of public sewer and water through the enforcement of
G. S. 160-83, which states that a governing body, when making street or sidewalk
improvements, may direct that all property owners abutting on the improvement
shall connect their several premises with water, gas, and sewer pipes located in
the street adjacent. By G. S. 160-240, a governing body may require all owners
of improved property which may be located on or near any of such system of sewer-age
to connect with same all water closets, bathtubs, sinks or drains.
NEIGHBORHOOD 4
Neighborhood 4 is located southeast of the CBD and has the largest number of
houses. The neighborhood is the most diverse, with commercial and light industrial
land use along William Street, small isolated commercial (and nonconforming under
the proposed Zoning Ordinance) land uses distributed throughout the neighborhood,
and textile mills to the south along the city limits. The large residential area
is characterized by houses of all types, from older frame structures to new,
brick ranches. The neighborhood is composed of both black and white residents,
the black residential area being almost completely surrounded by white neighbors.
Zoning in Neighborhood 4 (according to the proposed Zoning Ordinance) includes
Central Business along College Street, Arch Street, and Mitchell Street; Office-
Institutional in the area encompassed by Charles, Rowland, and William Streets
and Andrews Avenue; General Business on Andrews Avenue from Norwell Street to
Cherry Street; General Industrial in the area of Harriet-Henderson Cotton Mill;
R-15 Residential from Chavasse Avenue to Zene and Arch Streets; and R-8 Resi-dential
from Chavasse Avenue to Davis Street. The remaining area is zoned for
R-6 residential with an Office-Institutional district for the existing resthomes
and County Health Department.
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Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Nine percent of the dwelling units are deteriorating or dilapidated,
however, in view of the large number [1,157] of total units this
amount is significant.
2. Many of the sound units are old, two story, frame dwellings on the
brink of becoming deteriorated. There are 10 mobile homes in the
neighborhood.
3- Residents in 92% of the blighted houses are blacks.
4. Streets in the neighborhood are generally good with most of them curb-ed
and guttered. The unpaved streets are primarily in black residential
areas around Flint Hill and the Falkner, Pinkston, and Swain Streets
area.
5. Water and sewer is available to all the residents of Neighborhood 4>
however, a large portion of the water lines are 2 inches or less which
is below accepted standards for adequate pressure and fire protection.
6. Residents of this neighborhood receive 28.8% of the Social Services
Assistance in the Henderson Planning Area. This is the highest per-centage
in the planning area.
7- Neighborhood 4 ranks first in arrests for major crimes in 1970.
8. Neighborhood 4 had 183 fire calls reported in I969 and 1970. This
is the largest number of any neighborhood.
9- The schools in the neighborhood had 111 withdrawls in the 1969-1970
school year.
Characteristics of families living in substandard housing
1. Eighty-four percent of the substandard housing is renter occupied.
2. The average gross rent is $60.50 or 34-9% of the average family income
of $2,076 per year.
3- Sixty-four percent of the families have only cold water inside, while
24% have water outside.
4. All families surveyed get water from the City.
5. There are no bath facilities in 60% of the homes.
6. There are no inside toilet facilities in 16% of the homes.
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7. All families surveyed utilize city sewer services, either privately,
or by use of shared facilities.
8. Heads of households have an average educational attainment level of
seventh grade.
9. Forty-eight percent of the heads of households are retired or have
been unemployed an average of 2.8 months within the last year.
10. Eighty-one percent of the employed household heads are in unskilled
jobs.
Recommendations
A Federally sponsored Redevelopment project is recommended for the central
area of this neighborhood. This area would include Montgomery Street from College
to Clark Streets; Winder Street from Clark to Harriet Street; Arch Street from
College to Mapel Street; and all the area encompassed by these streets. This
would include Flint Street, Mayo, Hillside Avenue, Brick, Owen, Booth, and
Marshall Streets. The area is generally poor in street design and layout and
in original construction of most homes. The majority of the area should be
acquired by the Henderson Housing Authority or a properly designated Redevelop-ment
Commission, cleared and prepared for reuse according to a plan for re-development.
According to G. S. 160-454 through 160-474, the Henderson City
Council may create a Redevelopment Commission, may designate the Housing Authority
to exercise these functions, or may act as a commission itself.
Rehabilitation is recommended for the dwellings immediately surrounding the
redevelopment area, and along Andrews Avenue. Spot clearance of dilapidated
structures is needed, and possibly, application for loans under Section 312
(HUD) for rehabilitation of deteriorating structures. Systematic inspection
and organized enforcement of health, sanitation, safety, and housing codes will
be necessary. The City government will need the assistance and cooperation of
the residents if the spread of blight is to be reversed in the area.
For the rest of Neighborhood 4, preservation and conservation is recommended.
The paving of all streets not affected by Redevelopment is urged, as well as the
upgrading of inadequate water lines. The enforcement of existing codes and the
enactment and enforcement of the proposed Zoning Ordinance will prevent the
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deterioration of the sound areas of the Neighborhood. Involving the residents
and civic clubs in a Clean-up, Fix-up, Paint-up Campaign will help to improve
the neighborhood and instill pride in the residents.
NEIGHBORHOOD 5
Neighborhood 5 is located on the western side of Henderson. This is a
middle income white neighborhood with a few older homes along Oxford Road and
Dabney Drive. The proposed Zoning Ordinance shows districts for General Business
along Dabney Drive, one block of Office-Institutional between Pine Street and
Deer Crossing Court; an R-8 Residential district between Pine Street and Birch
Circle, and the remainder of the neighborhood is residential with the except-ion
of Oxford Road (U. S. 158 Bus.) and Dabney Drive. Traffic volumes per day
in I969 on these two streets were 6,300 at the intersection of the two, 2,150
at the City limits on Oxford Road, and 4,800 at the City limits on Dabney Drive.
From this it can be seen that traffic volume can be a contributor to blight
unless provisions are made to provide adequate lanes for safe movement.
There is a lack of adequate recreational facilities in Neighborhood 5. The
E. M. Rollins School site is adequate for small children in the immediate
vicinity but more parks and playfields are needed throughout the neighborhood.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Four dwellings are deteriorating.
2. Most of the sound housing throughout the neighborhood is of about
the same quality and price range.
3. While water and sewer is available throughout the area, a few of the
homes south of Oxford Road have not connected to the sewer line.
Recommendations
Conservation of the neighborhood is recommended in order to maintain and
preserve the general soundness of the area. The provision of general recreation
facilities is needed.
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Strict enforcement of the zoning ordinance, health, safety, and sanitation
codes will help maintain the clean, neat appearance of the neighborhood and
prevent the encroachment of commercial and industrial land use on the resi-dential
areas.
NEIGHBORHOOD 6
Neighborhood 6 is a sound residential neighborhood located along the western
City limits of Henderson. The residents are primarily of the upper socio-economic
level. The Henderson Country Club lies just west of the city limits and is easily
accessible to neighborhood residents. This is the only recreational facility
available near the neighborhood and is for members only. Open space is available
for parks and recreation uses and needs only purchase and development by the
Henderson Recreation Commission.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. All of the dwellings are sound and generally quite large.
2. Streets in the neighborhood, having no through traffic, are quiet and
shady
.
3. Large residential lots, expensive homes and cars all indicate the good
life.
Recommendations
The entire neighborhood is zoned R-15 Residential under the proposed zoning
ordinance and needs only enforcement to prevent nonconforming land uses from
springing up along Oxford Road and throughout the neighborhood. Enactment of
adequate subdivision regulations and enforcement of existing building , health,
safety, and sanitation codes will preserve and maintain the soundness of the
neighborhood.
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NEIGHBORHOOD 7
Neighborhood 7 is located on Dabney Drive just south of I-85 which was
recently completed in this area. The neighborhood is basically residential
with the exception of Vance Mall, a new shopping center located on Dabney
Drive between Glover Street and Lynne Avenue. The shopping center is zoned
General Business and the rest of the neighborhood is R-8 Residential. Strict
enforcement of the ordinance will be necessary to prevent the encoachment of
business uses on the surrounding residences. The Henderson Thoroughfare Plan ,
published by the North Carolina State Highway Commission recommended the
widening of Dabney Drive from Glover Street to I-85 to handle an increased
volume of traffic generated by Vance Mall.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. All of the dwelling units are sound.
2. Dabney Drive and Graham Street are the only through traffic streets
in the neighborhood.
3. The neighborhood has virtually no recreation facilities as is the
case with most of the others.
Recommendations
Conservation is recommended in Neighborhood 7- Some improvement in
public facilities such as water lines, street and traffic control may be
needed but, basically, cooperation between property owners and the City
can solve any problem encountered in the neighborhood.
NEIGHBORHOOD 8
Neighborhood 8 is located west of the CBD and adjacent to the Southern
Railway. The residential character of the neighborhood is interrupted in only
two sectors; industrial land use located along the railroad at the intersection
of Corbett Road and Parham Street and along South Garnett Street adjacent to
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the railroad and the CBD; commercial land use occupies both sides of Raleigh
Road from Oxford Road to South Garnett Street. These areas are zoned to pro-vide
limited expansion of existing land uses according to the proposed Zoning
Ordinance. Residential areas are zoned in three catagories, R-6, R-8, and R-
15 to provide for existing lot sizes and for the orderly development of now
vacant land.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Only two dwellings are considered deteriorating.
2. Many of the homes south of Parham Street are old and in need of im-mediate
attention to prevent deterioration.
3. Parham Street is a minor thoroughfare and the 1990 projected traffic
volume is 6,600 vehicles per day, indicating a need to improve traffic
movement through increasing the street width.
Recommendations
Enactment of the proposed new Zoning Ordinance and a new set of subdivision
regulations, and enforcement of existing housing, health, safety, and sanitation
codes along with the extension of public utilities into areas currently unserved
will insure the continued soundness of Neighborhood 8.
NEIGHBORHOOD 9
Neighborhood 9 is located adjacent to the CBD in the northeast sector of
town. The neighborhood is largely residential with several blocks of commercial
and industrial land use on Chestnut Street adjacent to the Central Business
District. Elmwood Cemetery occupies a large tract of land in the center of the
neighborhood area. There is no development between the cemetery and Ross Mill
Road which was recently extended to join Roanoke Avenue. The proposed Zoning
Ordinance projects Office- Institutional, Central Business, and General Business
Districts along Chestnut Street northwest of Hargrove, Mulberry and Green Streets
The bulk of the current residential area is zoned R-6 Residential with some R-8
Residential and Office-Institutional on both sides of Ross Mill Road. A Highway
Business District is located along Townville Road (N. C. 39) to 1-85- This
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neighborhood contains the only park in the City located in a small wooded section
at the north end of Spring Street. Several sets of swings, benches, sand boxes,
and other items of playground equipment have all fallen into a state of disrepair
and need to be replaced or repaired.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Twenty-seven percent of the dwelling units are deteriorating or dilapi-dated.
2. Most of the sound housing is in need of immediate minor maintenance to
prevent deterioration.
3. Residents in 99% of the substandard houses are black.
4. Ninty percent of the substandard houses are on unpaved streets or streets
in need of repair.
5. Water and sewer is available to most of the area.
6. Neighborhood 9 residents receive 16.7% of the Social Services Assistance
in the Henderson Planning Area.
7. Neighborhood 9 ranks second in arrests for major crimes in 1970.
8. Neighborhood 9 had 73 fire calls reported in I969 and 1970.
9- There are no schools in the neighborhood, however, the attendance coun-selor
reports that for the year~l969-1970 there were 15 withdrawals
living in Neighborhood 9«
Characteristics of families living in Substandard Housing
1. Eighty-five percent of the substandard housing is renter occupied.
2. The average gross rent is $60.10 or 28.7% of the average family
income of $2,508 per year.
3. Fifty-four percent of the families have only cold water inside, while
33% have water outside or no water.
4. Eight percent of the families get water from sources other than the
City.
5. There are no bath facilities in 83% of the homes.
6. Forty-nine percent of the families have no inside toilet.
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7. Forty-nine percent of the families have septic tanks or outdoor privies.
8. The average level of educational attainment for household heads is 7.5
years
.
9- Forty-three percent of the heads of households are retired or have been
unemployed an average of 3-3 months within the last year.
10. Sixty-six percent of the employed heads of households are in unskilled
jobs.
Recommendat ions
Redevelopment is recommended for major portions of Neighborhood 9- Concent-rated
code enforcement in other less blighted sections of the neighborhood, com-bined
with rehabilitation of deteriorating structures that may be economically
feasible and spot clearance of dilapidated dwellings should revive the neighbor-hood.
(Several types of Housing Assistance Programs are available to Housing
Authorities, nonprofit Housing Development Corporations, and private developers;
see Appendix 3)- The newly constructed Young Avenue Apartments are a focal point
in an otherwise poor neighborhood. Clearance and redevelopment is suggested for
the "Red Hill" area immediately behind these apartments. Street design and lay-out
needs to be coordinated with the terrain in the area.
Development planning and guidance is recommended for the projected R-8 Resi-dential
and the Office-Institutional Districts along Ross Mill Road. The land
is currently vacant and this type of activity will prevent future blight and
plan for the strict regulation of the development of the area. For this purpose
the City needs to adopt the proposed Zoning Ordinance and enact stringent sub-division
regulations.
The Mulberry Street, Cross Street, Pettigrew, West Montgomery and Poplar
Street area has much blight that can be eradicated by a combination of rehab-ilitation
and redevelopment. Citizen involvement in neighborhood Clean-up, Fix-up,
Paint-up, and Neighborhood Beautification campaigns will not only achieve
physically better neighborhoods but can bring about better community relations
and understanding.
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CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT (CBD)
The CBD is the center of retail trade in Henderson. Most of the govern-mental,
financial, and entertainment facilities are located within the area
also. Residential land use in the CBD is limited to 36 homes which are gener-ally
sound but old. Normal maintenance can prevent any deterioration. Major
problems in the CBD are the handling of the vehicular traffic to and from the
area, circulation within the area, and providing adequate parking. Vacant
buildings showing lack of maintenance indicate that because of failure to
provide adequate solutions to the problems mentioned, the CBD is losing
business to the shopping centers.
EXTRATERRITORIAL AREA
Neighborhoods 10 through 14 lie in the one-mile zoning jurisdiction sur-rounding
the Henderson City Limits. The City does not currently exercise zoning
control and administer subdivision regulations within this area although the
proposed Zoning Ordinance will extend into the area. The County retains authority
for housing code enforcement within the area unless it delegates authority by
resolution to the City (G. S. 160-182). By G. S. 160-118, if a county is not
exercising its authority to enforce building, electrical, and plumbing regula-tions
within an area which is regulated by a city's zoning ordinance, the city
council may request in writing prior to April 1 of any fiscal year that the
county initiate such enforcement no later than the beginning of the next fiscal
year. If the county declines in writing or fails to initiate enforcement by
the next fiscal year the city is then empowered to do so. It is recommended
that upon enactment of the new Zoning Ordinance, the City Council of Henderson
negotiate with the Vance County Commissioners concerning G.S. 160-118 -
G.S. 160-182 so that some code enforcement programs may be planned for the
extraterritorial area.
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NEIGHBORHOOD 10
Neighborhood 10 lies north of I-85 and the City limits. The area is almost
completely devoid of development except farm land and rural homes. I-85 is a
physical barrier that precludes any major development in the near future. The
expense of providing adequate water and sewer to the area also limits the
possibility for development.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Thirty-six percent of the dwelling units are deteriorating or dilapi-dated.
2. Most of the sound housing is in excellent condition with few exceptions
There are 20 mobile home units in Neighborhood 10.
3. Residents in 98% of the substandard houses are black.
4. Thirty percent of the roads are unpaved or in need of repair.
5. City water and sewer is not available to most of the area.
6. Neighborhood 10 residents receive significantly less than 10% of the
Social Services Assistance in the Henderson Planning Area.
7. Neighborhood 10 ranks tenth in arrests for major crimes in 1970.
8. Neighborhood 10 had no fire calls reported in I969 and 1970 .
Characteristics of families living in Substandard Housing
1. Fifty-five percent of the substandard housing is renter occupied.
2. The average gross rent is $47-85, or 27-3% of the average family in-come
of $2,100 per year.
3. Nine percent of the families have hot and cold water inside, while
91% have water outside or no water.
4- All of the families get water from sources other than the city.
5. There are no bath facilities in 98% of the homes.
6. Ninty-eight percent of the families have no inside toilet.
7. All of the families have septic tanks or outdoor privies.
8. The average level of educational attainment for household heads is
6.6 years.
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9. Thirty-six percent of the heads of households are retired or work part-time.
10. Eighty-three percent of the employed heads of households are in unskilled
jobs.
Recommendations
Development planning and guidance is recommended for Neighborhood 10. Pre-paration,
enactment, and enforcement of subdivision regulations, the zoning
ordinance, and building codes will insure sound development. The Housing Authority
should hold public meetings in the neighborhood in cooperation with the county
supervisor of the Farmers Home Administration to advise the area residents and
other interested persons of programs sponsored by Farmers Home Administration
for rehabilitation and development of rural housing (see Appendix 3)' Technical
assistance is also available from the following sources:
North Carolina Department of Local Affairs
Governmental Relations Division
P. 0. Box 1991
Raleigh, North Carolina
North Carolina Low-Income Housing Development Corporation
Rural Program
P. 0. Box 1108
Durham, North Carolina
Franklin, Vance, Warren Opportunities, Inc.
P. 0. Box 1453
Henderson, North Carolina
NEIGHBORHOOD 11
Neighborhood 11 abuts the east City limits of Henderson and extends from
Chicken Farm Road to I-85. This neighborhood is the unincorporated area of
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North Henderson. In the northernmost section of Neighborhood 11 is a mobile
home park which has about 70 mobile units. This is the largest concentration
of mobile homes in the Henderson Planning Area and leaves much to be desired
in the way of lot size, design and layout, and general health and sanitary
conditions. The enactment and enforcement of a Mobile Home Park Ordinance can
prevent future occurrences of a similar nature.
The proposed zoning ordinance provides districts that allow for moderate
expansion of most existing land uses and for curtailment of undesirable or
incompatible uses. Highway Business and General Business is permitted along
North Garnett Street. Office-Institutional and General Industrial use districts
are provided near the City limits, while the rest of the neighborhood is zoned
Residential-Agricultural and R-6 Residential.
Currently being constructed and scheduled for completion by February, 1972,
are 108 units of multifamily apartments in this neighborhood. These units are
being developed by a nonprofit corporation under Section 221(d) 3 Rest Supple-ment
Program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development and will consist
of 15 one-bedroom units, 33 two-bedroom units, 40 three-bedroom units, and 20
four-bedroom units.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Fifteen percent of the dwelling units are deteriorating and dilapi-dated.
2. Most of the sound housing needs only minor maintenance to prevent
deterioration. This neighborhood has 120 mobile home units.
3. Residents in 97% of the substandard houses are white.
4- Streets in Neighborhood 11 are under the jurisdiction of the State
Highway Department. Most of them are paved.
5. Water is available to most of the area, while sewer lines have been
extended into only a small portion of the area.
6. Neighborhood 11 residents receive 9-7% of the Social Services Assistance
in the Henderson Planning Area.
7. Neighborhood 11 ranks sixth, along with Neighborhood 12, in arrests
for major crimes in 1970.
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8. Neighborhood 11 had 12 fire calls reported in I969 and 1970.
9. Schools in the neighborhood had 14 withdrawals in the 1969-1970 school
year.
Characteristics of families living in Substandard Housing
1. Seventy-nine percent of the substandard housing is renter occupied.
2. The average gross rent is $81.75, or 26.6% of the average family income
of $3,684 per year.
3- Eighty-two percent of the families have hot and cold water inside, 10%
have only cold water inside and 8% have water outside or no water.
4. Sixteen percent of the families get water from sources other than the
City.
5. There are no bath facilities in 18% of the homes.
6. Eighteen percent of the families have no inside toilet.
7- Ninety percent of the families have septic tanks or outdoor privies.
8. The average level of educational attainment for household heads is
seventh grade.
9- Fifty-one percent of the heads of households are retired or have been
unemployed an average of 6 months within the last year.
10. Forty percent of the employed heads of households are in unskilled
jobs.
Recommendations
The City is currently conducting an annexation feasibility study in the
area. If it is economically feasible annexation is recommended for the neighbor-hood
areas that currently receive benefit of city services but do not contribute
to the city's tax revenues. Extension of sewer services into the neighborhood
is needed both in order to serve new development and to encourage property owners
to utilize fully the health and sanitary benefits of adequate waste disposal.
The undeveloped areas of the neighborhood can be protected from future
blight by Development Planning and Guidance and strict enforcement of the
zoning ordinance, subdivision regulations, and building codes. Conservation
and rehabilitation in existing residential areas will clear up the more serious
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signs of neighborhood decline. Spot removal of dilapidated structures and
enforcement of the housing code along with citizen involvement and participa-tion
in a Clean-up, Fix-up, Paint-up Campaign will develop community pride
in the neighborhood appearance.
NEIGHBORHOOD 12
Neighborhood 12 is located in the southeast sector of the extraterritorial
area. Farm land and woodlands are the primary land uses in this neighborhood
with the exception of the area adjacent to the City limits. This area contains
mixed land use with two large industrial uses and residences interspersed with
neighborhood commercial uses. A 50 unit mobile home park is located on Louis-burg
Road next to the City's sewage pump station. A new park with 17 mobile
units is located on the U. S. 1 Bypass near the outer limits of the extra-territorial
area. Proposed zoning in Neighborhood 12 calls for General Industri-al
districts along U. S. 1 Bypass, R-6 Residential in the developed sector near
the city limits on Vicksboro Road, and Residential-Agricultural throughout the
rest of the neighborhood.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Ninety-two percent of the dwelling units are sound.
2. The neighborhood is basically rural in nature.
3. There are only four through roads in the neighborhood.
Recommendations
Conservation and Development Planning is recommended for Neighborhood 12
with consideration given to annexation of parts of the area where it is economic-ally
feasible.
NEIGHBORHOOD 13
Neighborhood 13, the smallest of the extraterritorial neighborhoods, is
located in and includes the unincorporated area of South Henderson. The neigh-borhood
is racially mixed but exhibits segretated housing patterns. Harriet
-
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Henderson Cotton Mill and Perry's Junk Company are dominating factors in the
neighborhood. The Proposed Zoning Ordinance provides General Industrial District
for the two facilities and in doing so completely surrounds an R-6 Residential
District. Homes in the King Street, Edwards Street, and Dabney Avenue area are
generally in sound condition while the Nicholas Street and Lincoln Heights area
contains generally substandard dwellings.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Ten percent of the dwelling units are deteriorating or dilapidated.
2. Most of the sound housing is in need of immediate minor maintenance
to prevent deterioration.
3. Residents of 85% of the substandard houses are black.
4. The State Highway Commission has jurisdication over the streets in
this neighborhood and only through roads are paved.
5. Water is available in the area adjacent to the city limits. Sewer
lines have not been extended into the neighborhood.
6. Neighborhood 13 residents receive 9. 5% of the Social Services
Assistance in the Henderson Planning Area.
7- Neighborhood 13 ranks seventh in arrests for major crimes in 1970.
8. Neighborhood 13 had 16 fire calls reported in I969 and 1970.
9. Schools in the neighborhood had 16 withdrawals in the 1969-1970
school year.
Characteristics of families living in Substandard Housing
1. Fifty percent of the substandard housing is renter occupied.
2. The average gross rent is $53.00, or 28.3$ of the average family
income of $2,244 per year.
3. Twenty-three percent of the families have only cold water inside,
while 23% have water outside or no water.
4. Seventy-seven percent of the families get water from sources other
than the city.
5. There are no bath facilities in 39% of the homes.
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6. Thirty-nine percent of the families have no inside toilet.
7. All of the families have septic tanks or outdoor privies.
8. The average level of educational attainment for household heads
is eighth grade.
9. Sixty-seven percent of the heads of households are retired or have
been unemployed an average of 3 months within the last year.
10. Eighty-three percent of the employed heads of households are in
unskilled jobs.
Recommendations
Under the proposed Zoning Ordinance Perry's Junk Company will become a non-conforming
land use until such time as a Special Use Permit is applied for and
granted (Article 600, Section 613: Auto Wrecking Yards, Junk Yards, Salvage
Yards, Used Parts Yards, and Similar Establishments ). The city should add to
the proposed Zoning Ordinance (under Article 700: NONCONFORMANCES), a section
providing for the amortization of nonconforming uses. This section would
provide for various periods of time within which nonconforming uses must be
removed. The time period could range from as little as a year (for uses with
little investment in real property other than land) to as much as sixty years
where the real property investment is substantial. The addition of such a
section would force property owners of uses that require Special Use Permits
to fulfill the Special Use requirements and thus insure the provision of
necessary safeguards to the general health, safety, and appearance standards
that would improve the quality of life for local residents. Other uses would
have to be amortized and cease operations at the end of the established period,
which would commence on the effective date of adoption of the new ordinance.
The utilization of this technique necessitates the development of an inventory
of all nonconformities when the ordinance is adopted (and notification of
property owners involved). These should be mapped for easy location and
identification when rezoning occurs (a similar map of special exceptions and
variances granted should also be maintained). The nonconformities existing
at the time of adoption should be catalogued by termination dates, and closed
on the appropriate anniversary.
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Development Planning and Guidance is recommended for the undeveloped sections
of Neighborhood 13 . A conservation program should be utilized in the King Street,
Edwards Street, and Debnam Avenue area and a rehabilitation program is needed in
the Lincoln Heights area. The houses along Nicholas Street near the railroad should
be cleared and the area redeveloped in accordance with a suitable plan for renewal.
NEIGHBORHOOD 14
Neighborhood 14 is primarily a rural residential area composed mainly of
farmland-woodland north of Oxford Road and woodland in the southwest section.
The proposed zoning ordinance provides General Business and General Industrial
districts on Raleigh Road adjoining the City limits and Highway Business at the
intersection of 1-8 5 and N. C. Secondary Road 1128. The rest of Neighborhood
14 is zoned Residential-Agricultural with the exception of the area along Oxford
Road just south of the city limits which is R-8 Residential. This area is one
of two sections which are residential in nature. The other is south of the
city on Raleigh Road next to the outer limits of the Planning Area. Most of
the substandard houses are located in this latter section.
Neighborhood Characteristics
1. Fifteen percent of the dwelling units are deteriorating or dilapidated.
2. Most of the sound housing in the area west of Raleigh Road is in need
of immediate minor maintenance to prevent deterioration.
3. Residents in 95% of the substandard houses are black.
4. Most of the streets in the area west of Raleigh Road are unpaved or
in need of repair. The rest of the roads in the neighborhood are
paved.
5. Water and sewer is generally not available to the area.
6. Neighborhood 14 residents receive significantly less than 10% of the
Social Services Assistance in the Henderson Planning Area.
7. Neighborhood 14 ranks eighth, along with Neighborhood 5 and the C.B.D.,
in arrests for major crimes in 1970.
8. Neighborhood 14 had 6 fire calls reported in I969 and 1970.
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Characteristics of families living in Substandard Housing
1. Fifty-seven percent of the substandard housing is renter occupied.
2. The average gross rent is $70.00, or 26.4% of the average family-income
of $3,180 per year.
3. Twenty-two percent of the families have only cold water inside, while
S6% have water outside or no water.
4. Fifty-two percent of the families get water from sources other than
the City.
5. There are no bath facilities in 73% of the homes.
6. Seventy-three percent of the families have no inside toilet.
7. Eighty-three percent of the families have septic tanks or outdoor
privies
.
8. The average level of educational attainment for household heads is
ninth grade.
9. Twenty-seven percent of the heads of households are retired or have
been unemployed an average of 9 months within the last year.
10. Sixty percent of the employed heads of households are in unskilled
jobs.
Recommendations
The city should consider annexation of the area between Oxford Road and
the Seaboard Coastline Railroad. The area is basically sound and will require
only a good conservation program to maintain this condition. Street improvements
and the extension of Sewer Service into the area is recommended.
Rehabilitation is recommended for the residential area south of the city
on Raleigh Road. Spot clearance of dilapidated structures and housing code
enforcement to bring structurally sound but deteriorating houses up to standard
will be necessary. Citizen involvement is important in accomplishing the objec-tives
of this program.
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HE
#
i
i
HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA
DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
PRESERVATION
CONSERVATION
REHABILITATION
REDEVELOPMENT
MM!
INTRODUCTION
The essential purpose for a market study of any type is the provision of
data on anticipated market demand for those who will produce the goods necessary
to accommodate the demand for the commodity in question. This submarket analysis
of the Henderson housing market area was prepared to provide this information for
the Henderson Housing Authority, private developers, nonprofit sponsors, and
limited-dividend corporations operating in the community to provide housing
opportunities for low-income families incapable of securing safe, sound, and
healthful housing conditions at market rates.
Data for the survey was provided by a 25% sample survey of the residents
of deteriorating and dilapidated housing units in the Henderson planning area
(prepared for the Neighborhood Analysis); this survey was conducted by Franklin-
Vance-Warren Opportunities, Inc., under subcontract to the Division of Community
Planning. All other data was drawn from the U. S. Censuses of Population and
Housing for 1970 and prior years, building permits for the City of Henderson,
and previously-completed planning studies by the community's planning consul-tant,
City Planning and Architectural Associates of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
It is believed that the findings of the analysis will provide a valuable
source of information for groups working to improve the housing conditions of
Henderson and its adjacent communities.
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MARKET AREA DELINEATION
Ideally the housing market area should be comprised of the entire geographic
locus surrounding the subject community within which comparable housing types are
competitive. In practice, however, the market area must be defined within the
constraints of geographic areas for which data essential to the analysis are
systematically and regularly collected. In most instances (with the exception
of SMSA's) such units will be incorporated municipal areas. Where substantial
suburban development occurs, unincorporated place data (as defined by the Census
Bureau) or township-level data may be called for.
The Henderson housing market area is defined for the purpose of this study
as the incorporated area of the City of Henderson and the unincorporated Census
units North Henderson and South Henderson. Where data for the study was drawn
from the Division of Community Planning sample survey, the city neighborhoods
consist of numbers one through nine and the Central Business District; North
Henderson is approximated by neighborhood eleven and South Henderson by neigh-borhoods
thirteen and fourteen. North Henderson was first utilized as a data
collection unit in the 1950 census; South Henderson was not included until
I960. The market area is illustrated on the map on the page following.
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HEI
MARKET AREA DELINEATION
Ideally the housing market area should be comprised of the entire geographic
locus surrounding the subject community within which comparable housing types are
competitive. In practice, however, the market area must be defined within the
constraints of geographic areas for which data essential to the analysis are
systematically and regularly collected. In most instances (with the exception
of SMSA's) such units will be incorporated municipal areas. Where substantial
suburban development occurs, unincorporated place data (as defined by the Census
Bureau) or township-level data may be called for.
The Henderson housing market area is defined for the purpose of this study
as the incorporated area of the City of Henderson and the unincorporated Census
units North Henderson and South Henderson. Where data for the study was drawn
from the Division of Community Planning sample survey, the city neighborhoods
consist of numbers one through nine and the Central Business District; North
Henderson is approximated by neighborhood eleven and South Henderson by neigh-borhoods
thirteen and fourteen. North Henderson was first utilized as a data
collection unit in the 1950 census; South Henderson was not included until
i960. The market area is illustrated on the map on the page following.
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HENDERSON
NORTH CAROLINA
I MARKET MU
MARKET AREA
EMPLOYMENT CHANGE IN THE HENDERSON MARKET AREA
The Land Use Plan , published in I96I, indicates that prior to I958 there
had been no significant increase in manufacturing employment in two years. The
manufacturing base in the market area had been extremely specialized and very
dependent upon textiles activity. Since that time several new industries have
located in Henderson, including Laurens Glass Company, Marshfield Mobile Homes,
and the Americal Corporation. The tables below indicate that the civilian work
force in Vance County experienced a 27 *4% increase from 12,420 in I962 to 15,830
in I969. During this same period the area's unemployment rate was reduced from
9.2% to 3-9% due to the influx of new jobs in manufacturing; total employment
rose 40.1% from 10,860 to 15,220. Further examination reveals that manufactur-ing
employment rose from 2,220 to 4,730, an increase of 113.1%. Agricultural
employment has demonstrated a steady decline through the same period indicating
a lessening dependence of the area economy on farming as a basic enterprise.
Textiles accounted for the largest increases in manufacturing employment between
I966 and I969. These new jobs in manufacturing do not result in the only increases
in employment themselves, of course, but result in a multiplier effect in the
areawide demand for consumer goods and services, inducing further employment rises
in retail trade and services.
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH IN VANCE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA I963-I969
1962 I969 % Change
Civilian Work Force
Unemployment Rate
Total Employment
Manufacturing
Trade
SOURCE: North Carolina Employment Security Commission tabulations.
12,420 15,830 +27.4
9.2% 3.9% N.A.
10,860 15,220 +40.1
2,220 4,730 +113.1
1,820 2,730 +50.0
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391 440 +12.5
1,913 2,530 +32-3
244 300 +22.9
1,140 1,460 +28.1
MAJOR MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT IN VANCE COUNTY I966-I969
Industry Group I966 I969 % Change
Food
Textiles
Apparel
Other Manufacturing-"-
-"- Includes tobacco, stone, clay, glass, and transportation equipment,
SOURCE: North Carolina Employment Security Commission tabulation.
In summary, the area' s economy has demonstrated healthy growth in the recent
past, both in gross employment and diversification of the economic base itself
away from an agrarian character towards manufacturing, though manufacturing
is heavily weighted in the textile industry, characteristically paying lower
wages than higher technology operations and highly sensitive to the national
economy. Because community leaders are actively seeking to develop the manu-facturing
potential of the labor force, there is no reason to believe that
major shifts in the trends of recent years will not continue to foster continual-ly
improving economic conditions, resulting in steady growth of population in
the market area.
Income Change
There has been a substantial growth in average annual earnings in Vance
County for manufacturing workers, reflecting not only recent wage adjustments
resulting from inflationary living costs but also appreciable growth in real
income as well. This will enable these employees to afford better homes, as
indicated by the increase in the average value of owner-occupied units in
Henderson between i960 and 1970, according to the 1970 Census of Housing. In
1959 the median income for all families in Henderson was $3,792, while for
blacks the figure was $1,923. This is a significant difference and while the
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overall median has risen there is little reason to believe that this disparity
between the two groups has lessened. According to the 1970 Census, blacks
account for 41% of Henderson's population, yet a sample survey of the city's
deteriorating and dilapidated housing indicated that blacks occupy 80% of
the blighted units within the Henderson planning area.
AVERAGE ANNUAL EARNINGS, VANCE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA 1960-1970*
I960 $3,224
1962 3,536
1964 3,744
1966 4,160
1968 4,680
1970 $5,050*
-x- Insured employment
-x-x- Estimated by Division of Community Planning (linear projection)
SOURCE: North Carolina Employment Security Commission
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The initial step in establishing market demand for an area is the deter-mination
of anticipated population change, for the market must be responsive
to net migration. Population change in the Henderson housing market area and
projected future change is illustrated in the following graph and chart:
19,000 .
18,000 -
17,000
16,000 .
15,000
14,000
13,000
12,000
11,000
10,000
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
MARKET AREA
HENDERSON CITY
SOUTH HENDERSON
NORTH HENDERSON y
1920 1930 1940 1950 I960 1970 1975 1980
SOURCES: City of Henderson I98O forecast by City Planning and Architectural
Associates; I98O and 1975 market area forecasts are linear extrap-olation
of 1960-1970 market area change; all other data from U.S.
Census of Population .
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HOUSING MARKET AREA POPULATION TRENDS
HENDERSON, N. C.
AREA
NORTH SOUTH HENDERSON MARKET
YEAR HENDERSON HENDERSON CITY AREA
1920 — — 5,222 —
1930 — — 6,345 —
1940 — — 7,647 —
1950 1,873 — 10,996 —
I960 1,995 2,017 12,740 16,752
1970 1,997 1,843 13,896 17,736
1975 — — — 18,256
1980 — — 17,000 18,777
SOURCES: Ibid.
— = Data not available.
Because Henderson's recent population growth has been largely attribut-able
to annexation of surrounding territory (which constitutes a part of the
competitive market area itself) the market area population trend is based
upon the past ten year's change in the market area, which is more reflective
of net migration rather than changes in jurisdictional lines. This approach
results in a I98O market area population approximately equal to the I98O
Henderson City forecast plus one-half the current North and South Henderson
populations, both of which demonstrated insignificant change between i960
and 1970. Thus this forecast for the market area is a conservative one as
related to the City growth projected by City Planning and Architectural
Associates in I96I. Now that 1970 population data is available from the
U.S. Census, a new projection is needed for the city that will reflect a
lessor increase through I98O,
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Occupancy Trends
Once projected populations for the market area are established, housing
unit demand during the analysis period can be determined if trends in unit
occupancy are known. Unit occupancy characteristics for the components of
the market area are illustrated in the following graph and chart:
POPULATION PER DWELLING UNIT, HENDERSON MARKET AREA
1940 - 1970
NORTH SOUTH
YEAR HENDERSON HENDERSON HENDERSON
1940 4.17 — —
1950 3.56 — —
I960 3.4 3-33 3.33
1970 3.16 3.15 3-29
SOURCE: U.S. Census of Housing, 1940-1970.
— = Data not available.
POPULATION PER DWELLING UNIT, HENDERSON MARKET AREA
1940-1980
S. Henderson
2.0
1940 1950 I960 1970 1975 1980
Following the general trend of North Carolina urban areas, the popu-lation
per household in the market area has been declining over the past
forty years. Because the Henderson City area has a longer data history
(and contains the bulk of the market area population) it will be used to
typify the market. The trend line between i960 and 1970 has been graphically
extrapolated to arrive at a population per household of 3.1 for 1975*
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EVALUATION OF GROSS HOUSING UNIT DEMAND
The total demand for housing over any given period of time is essentially
resultant from the following factors:
1. Net Migration, which is the difference between persons locating in the
market area and persons leaving the area to locate elsewhere. This
variable is obviously closely related to local employment opportunity.
The injection of a large new industry or closing of an existing
operation in a small town can completely invalidate a market analysis
prepared beforehand. For purposes of this analysis recent trends in
economic growth and population change are assumed to prevail, and are
projected in linear fashion. This approach is considered suitable in
all instances where conditions have not experienced inordinate upheaval
in the recent past because of the limited time span for which the
analysis itself is considered valid (generally no more than five years).
2. Substandard Components of Existing Supply - All housing stocks contain
units which afford mere shelter rather than a desirable living environ-ment,
though occupied. The residents of such units constitute a
continuing ready market for housing units of higher quality at equivalent
rental or purchase rates. In addition to these dilapidated units of the
existing housing stock, approximately 20% of the units in deteriorating
condition at the beginning of the period can be expected to become
dilapidated at the end of five years.
3. Vacancy Requirements - The market must provide a suitable number of
standard vacant units at all times in order to have an inventory of
alternative choices for prospective occupants. The necessary vacancy
rate varies from city to city but generally must be higher in communities
experiencing rapid growth.
4. Displacement - The market must supply an adequate number of units for
persons displaced by urban renewal activities or public works con-struction
projects, over and above the normal parameters of market
demand outlined above. Code enforcement activities are not included
-89-
here, being accounted in category two above. No such activities of this
type are anticipated to significantly effect the normal market demand in the
subject area.
GROSS HOUSING UNIT DEMAND, HENDERSON, NORTH CAROLINA, MARKET AREA
1970-1975
Total Available Housing Units (April 1970) 5,835
Currently Dilapidated Units 64
Additional Loss (20% of Deteriorating) 104
168 -168
End of Period Standard Unit Vacancy
Requirement for Inventory (2.5%) -147
Carryover from Existing Housing Stock Remaining
at end of period 5,520
Projected 1975 Market Area Population 18,256
Projected 1975 Occupancy per Dwelling Unit 3.1
Projected Housing Unit Requirements, 1975 5,889
Required New Units 369
Required Average Annual New Unit Production 74
New Units Required by Net Migration Component 167
SOURCES: 1970 U.S. Census of Housing ; Housing conditions data from
external structural conditions survey of Henderson housing
market area by the Division of Community Planning; popu-lation
and occupancy forecasts by Division of Community
Planning.
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Henderson Housing Market Area Gross Demand Computation
The 1970 Census of Housing established that there were 5,835 available
housing units (of all conditions) in the market area at the time the census
was compiled (April 1970). Of these units, 83 were evaluated as being
dilapidated by the Division of Community Planning 's survey of externally-visible
structural conditions; an additional 104 units of marginally
deteriorating housing are expected to become dilapidated during the period.
Approximately 2.5% of the total 1975 standard unit requirements should be
provided to account for vacancies to provide an inventory at the end of the
period. Subtracting these requirements from the housing stock existing in
April of 1970 results in carrying forward 5*520 units at the end of the
period. At the estimated occupancy per dwelling unit figure of 3.1 the
projected end of period population of 18,256 will demand 369 new units in
addition to those carried forward from the existing stock. This results
in an average annual production demand for 74 new units per year. Approx-imately
167 of the new units required over the period will be needed to
meet the needs generated by population increase, with the balance resulting
for replacement demand for units lost due to condition.
MARKET/SUBMARKET ALLOCATION OF GROSS DEMAND
To determine the distribution of gross housing demand between market-rate
units and the submarket of subsidized housing, current information on
family income distributions of the total market area population must be
categorized into market groups; market rate demand is generated by families
with annual incomes above $7,000; families with incomes below this level
are eligible for housing assistance (dependent upon family size.)
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At this writing, the availability of family income data from the 1970
census was yet some months away. Thus in order to approximate current family
income distributions, family income groups presented in the i960 census were
converted to percentages, which were in turn applied to the current number of
families in the market area, resulting in a rough approximation of current
family income levels which are as follows:
NUMBER OF PROJECTED 1970
FAMILIES IN % OF TOTAL FAMILIES IN
FAMILY' INCOME I960 GROUP I960 FAMILIES INCOME GROUP
$ - $ 999 402 12.8 706
1,000 - 1,999 415 13.2 729
2,000 - 2,999 448 14.3 790
3,000 3,999 384 12.2 674
4,000 4,999 406 12.9 712
5,000 - 5,999 303 9.6 530
6,000 6,999 254 8.1 447
7,000 - 7,999 156 5.0 277
8,000 - 8,999 90 2.9 160
9,000 9,999 39 1.2 66
10,000 - 14,999 129 4.2 232
15,000 - 24,999 88 2.8 154
25, 000+
0TAL
24 .8 44
1 3,138 100.0 5,521
SOURCE: U. S. Census of Population, i960.
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Since families earning less than $7,000 are generally eligible for
housing assistance in the form of either mortgage-interest subsidies or
rent supplements, 4*588 of the 1970 families are eligible for such aid
based upon their income (family size formulas will make some of these
ineligible) . The remaining 933 families earning incomes in excess of
$7,000 are ineligible for housing assistance (except normal mortgage in-surance
such as the FHA 207 Program) . Application of this ratio to the
gross demand for new units (370) results in a market-rate demand for 94
units and a below-mark net rate demand for 276 new units for low and
moderate income families. Further breakdown of market-rate demand into
price categories (by applying the percentage distribution of residential
building permit values between 1967 and 1970) produces the following
schedule:
DEMAND FOR MARKET-RATE SALES HOUSING
HENDERSON, NORTH CAROLINA
HOUSING MARKET AREA, 1970 - 1975
Price Range Number of Units
Distribution as a
Percent of Total
Under $12,000
$12,000 - $17,000
17,000 - 25,000
Over $25,000
TOTAL
41
23
16
14
94
44
24
17
15
100
SOURCES: Gross Housing Demand schedule and City of Henderson Building Permits.
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D
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P
E
R
M
I
T
S
D
E
M
L
I
T
I
N
S
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
10
20
1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
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CHANGE IN HOUSING STOCK, HENDERSON CITY I96I-I969
Building Permits, Demolitions, and Average Value of Permits Issued in the
City of Henderson, North Carolina, I96I-I969
YEAR 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Building Permits Issued 92 65
Demolitions 1
Average Value of Permits Issued
(Thousands of Dollars) 7.5 9.5
102 54
9.5
46 44
7
35
11
44
9.5 14.5 11.5 12.5
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Proportional Demand for Below-Market Rate Unit Types
The table following this page illustrates the family income distribution
of families now occupying deteriorating and dilapidated housing to be replaced
in the market area; I64, or all but 3% of these families are within the
eligible income limits for one of the basic housing assistance programs of
the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Actual eligibility is a
function of both family income and family size. Only 15 families are within
the income limitations of the Section 235 mortgage-interest subsidy program
which enables homeownership (this group would also be eligible for units
constructed under the virtually identical 502 program administered by the
Farmer's Home Administration).
The bulk of the demand for replacement housing is thus in below-market
rate rental units. Most of the families now occupying deteriorating or
dilapidated units are eligible (on the basis of family income) for all
three of the basic rental assistance programs, including conventional public
housing, 22