CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT STUDY
PRELIMINARY PLAN
ZEBULON, NORTH CAROLINA
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2010 with funding from
State Library of North Carolina
The preparation of this report was financially aided through a
Federal grant from the Urban Renewal Administration of the
Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Urbon
Planning Assistance Program authorized by Section 701 of the
Housing Act of 1954, as amended.
http://www.archive.org/details/centralbusinessd08nort
P repared For :
The Town of Zebulon, North Carolina
Town Manager - W. B. Hopkins
Town Board of Commissioners
Mayor - Worth Hinton
Pat 0. Farmer
G. K. Corbett
A . C . Lowery
J immy Medl in
Dr. N. P. Grogan
Town Planning Board ; GBP Block Captains :
Chairman - Wayne L. Davis - George Temple
Secretary «- Armstrong Cannady - James Wheeler
- Floyd Edwards - James Debnam
- Elizabeth Ellett - William Bunn
- R. F. Hendricks - Helen Screws
- John Billiard - Aaron C. Lowery
- Robert E. Horton - Lawrence Llles
- Percy Parish
- Paul Brown , Jr .
Prepared with Technical Assistance from :
NORTH CAROLINA STATE DEPARTMENT OE CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Division of Community Planning
Administrator - George J. Monaghan
Assistant Administrator - Randolph Hendricks
Central Area Office :
Director - Victor H. Denton
Planner for Zebulon - Emil Breckling
Research Assistant - Therese H. Ramsey
Draftsman - Ray Brown
Secretary i=-~Allene Woods
Price $1.00 September, 1966
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION 1
REGIONAL SETTING 2
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS 3
Retail Trade Area (Area of Economic Influence) 3
Population Trends and Projections 5
Employment 7
Income 8
Retail Sales 10
Summary of Economic Analysis 12
CONSUMER AND MERCHANTS OPINION SURVEYS 13
Consumer Opinion Survey 13
Merchants Opinion Survey 15
Summary of Consumer and Merchants Opinion Surveys ... 15
DELINEATION OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICT 17
True building and Land Values 17
COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN ZEBULON 19
DOWNTOWN 1966 - 1986 20
Design Objectives 20
Findings of Study and Plan 20
Uses of Buildings 24
Floor Space by Category 26
Vacant Land in the Central Business District 28
Functional Groupings of Floor Space - 1986 29
Buildings 30
CIRCULATION 32
PARKING 38
Appearance 41
SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND PRIORITY SCHEDULE 44
IMPLEMENTATION 45
Public Responsibility 46
Private Responsibility 46
Joint Responsibility 46
CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, APPROXIMATE
COSTS, AND SUGGESTED FINANCING 48
Private Projects 48
Joint Projects 50
Public Projects 54
APPENDIX follows . 42
ILLUSTRATIONS
Fo 1 lows Page
Regional Setting 2
Zebulon Retail Trade Area 4
True Value of Buildings and Land 17
Development Plan
Stage I 21
Stage II 21 â– .
Existing Land Use - 1966 26
Functional Groupings of Floor Space - 1986 29
Condition of Buildings - 1966 30
Building Construction ~ 1966 31
Height of Buildings - 1966 . 31
TrafficFlow (Twenty-four hour 1964 weekday) 32
Thoroughfare Plan i 33
Major Traffic Circulation - 1986 33
Major Pedestrian Circulation - 1986 36
Truck Loading, Unloading, and Service 37
On-Street Parking Inventory 38
Off-Street Parking Inventory 3 8
TABLES
Table Number IASI
1. Population Trends - Zebulon, Little River Township and
Wake County 6
2. Comparison 1959 Income of Townships and Counties of the
Retail Trade Area with the State 9
3. Central Business District Floor Space - 1966 25
4. Central Business District Floor Space - 1986 30
5. Inventory of Parking Spaces 39
6. Parking Demand 1966 - 1986 41
Append ix A
1. Distribution of Trade Area Population 1950 - 1986 . . 56
2. Age and Race Composition of Zebulon Population .... 56
3. Employment by Industry for Retail Trade Area Townships 57
4. Work Force Estimates - Wake County 58
5. 1959 Income Distribution by Family for Townships in
Retail Trade Area 59
6. Per Capita Income Trends for Select Areas 59
7. 1963 Sales in Wake County 60
8. Retail Sales Trends for Counties of the Retail Trade
Area 60
9. North Carolina Department of Revenue Retail Sales for
Wake County, 1950 61
Appendix B
10. 1966 Zebulon Customer Opinion Survey 62
11. 1966 Zebulon Merchants Opinion Survey 67
Appendix C
12. Existing Building Use Classification 7 & 71
13. Condition of Buildings 72
14. Central Business District Space in Class III Condition 72
15. Central Business District Core Parking Demand- 1966 73
16. Parking Demand by Block - 1966 73
INTRODUCTION
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A preliminary plan for the future development of
Zebulon's Central Business District is presented in this report.
Problems of parking, traffic, land use, pedestrian circulation,
and the visual appearance of the business district are analyzed.
Trends in population, employment, income, and retail sales were
studied in order to estimate area needs for floor space, parking,
and pedestrian circulation on the plan.
Zebulon's Central Business District has developed over
a number of years without benefit of an overall plan. Physical
facilities in the business district (streets, parking, buildings,
etc.)> are becoming obsolete as a result of customers' demands for
greater shopping convenience. Shopping centers in Raleigh, Wilson,
and Rocky Mount now offer the customer another shopping experience
in convenient, well-planned shopping areas.
Shopping centers are now located on the outskirts of
Raleigh (18 miles to the west) Wilson (23 miles to the east), and
Rocky Mount (30 miles to the east) and perhaps similar centers will
soon be built in Zebulon. The present disorganized arrangement of
shops in the Central Business District does not compare favorably
with a well-designed shopping center. It is obvious that with com-
petition from shopping centers in Raleigh and other towns little
additional trade can be attracted to the Zebulon business district
without downtown impr ovemen t s o It is essential, if the local
merchants desire to increase their sales, that a coordinated ad-
vertisement, downtown improvement, and merchandise improvement
effort be made .
Progress should be made in solving problems in the
Central Business District, for when shopping patterns are broken
they become more difficult to re-establish. Coordinating of the
numerous people involved in the business district cannot be accom-
plished quickly. If the town's business district is to continue
to grow, however, some of the downtown problems will need to be
corrected soon. Efforts should also be made to increase incomes
in the retail trade area by attracting more local employment; with
additional income , inc rea se s in sales will follow.
1 -
y^^^f^
REGIONAL SETTING
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Zebulon is located in the eastern end of Wake County
18 miles from Raleigh- Major highways serving Zebulon include
UoSo 64 and 264, and NoCo 96 and 97o Twenty-three miles to the
east of Zebulon is Interstate Highway 95o
Rail service is provided t? the town by the Norfolk
Southern Railroad.
The travel distances to adjacent towns of equal or larger
population size are listed below (See Regional Setting Map).
Distance
a/
Wende 1 1
Ra 1 e igh
Wake For e s t
Loui sbur g
Rocky Mount
Wi 1 s on
Smithfield
in miles)
P.
op u 1 a t i on
5
1,6 20
18
93,931
17
2,664
21
2,862
30
3 2. 14?
23
28,7.?3
25
6 , 1 1 7
1 / U„So Census of Popalation , 1960,
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
The purpose of this section of the study is to delineate
the retail trade area of the Central Business District and to
analyze economic factors of the town and trade area that influence
the business districts Past and present trends of population, em-
ployment, and income in the trade area were studied in relation to
retail saleso
RETAIL TRADE AREA - (Area of Economic Influence)
The growth of the Central Business District is dependent
upon a number of factors but one of the most impotant is the
economy of the retail trade area- The retail trade area, delineatec
in the Zebulon Land Development Plan report , encompasses an area
from which the town merchants may expect to draw over 50 percent
of the potential retail tradec
Larger cities such as Raleigh can provide a greater
selection and price range of goodso As a result, their trade
areas encompass smaller towns such as Zebulon. An indication of
the magnetic effect of the larger business areas is that some of
the customers living in the Zebulon trade area do all or part of
their shopping in Raleigho
When the state ratio of personal income spent on retail
sales _ is compared with comparable figures for the retail trade
area delineated, a little over 30^2 percent of the sales potential
in the retail trade area is received in Zebulono
l_/ Computed by dividin;
ratio (67 percent) «
tate income by state sales equals
As defined, the primary trade area includes parts of the
following townships: the southeastern part of Little River (Wake
County), the southern part of Dunn (Franklin County), the western
part of Ferrells and Dry Wells (Nash County), and the northern
part of O'Neal's (Johnston County). The Zebulon trade area also
includes the communities of Wakefield and Pilot. (See retail
t rade area map) .
Newspaper circulation of the Zebulon Record covers some-
what the same area as that shown on the retail trade area map.
Advertising influences the customers' choice of shopping facilities
and therefore plays an important part in establishing the trade
area .
In questioning the 52 business merchants operating stores
in the Zebulon Business District it was found that they support
the area drawn, as the merchants' estimated 78 percent of these
sales came from the trade area delineated on the map following
page 4 (see below).
E s timat e d Perce nt of Sales
Merchants Survey
1/
Town limits of Zebulon
Retail Trade Area (outside town)
Area beyond retail trade area
26,
.0
51.
.0
11~
.0
100.0
}_' Survey made in February, 1966 by vo 1 unt ee rs f rom the Lions and
other civic clubs, and by the Division of Community Planning.
ZEBULON RETAIL TRADE AREA
POPULATION TRENDS AND PROJECTIONS
Population increases are usually preceded by economic
development and accompanied by increased demand for retail goods.
The total number of inhabitants in the retail trade area and in
Zebulon are therefore discussed. Past trends in both population
and economic growth were considered in projecting the future popu-
lation.
Zebulon
Incorporated in 1907, Zebulon has had a great deal of
variation in its population growth rate, due to actual migrations
into the community and to annexations. After being incorporated
in 1907 the population almost doubled within the next decade,
however, during the p re-dep r e s s ion period (the 1920's), a decrease
in population was recorded. From 1930 to 1950 the percentage
population increase was rather consistent - from 24% to 297o per
decade. The growth rate dropped to less than half this percentage
between 1950 and 1960 but increased at a more rapid rate from 1960
to 1966. Based on past growth trends to 1966, a population of
2,100 in 1970 and 3,100 in 1986 was estimated. (See Table 1 page 6.)
Little River Township (includes Zebulon)
Little River Township's most rapid population growth
occurred during the early 1900's. From 1930 to the pre-sent the
population has remained rather static and actually decreased
during the 1930 to 1940 and 19 5 to 1960 period. It is expected
the township population will continue to decline due to an out-
migration of rural families to urban areas where better paying
jobs are available. (See Table 1 , page 6.)
Retail Trade Area Population
The past growth trends of the population of the retail
trade area — are shown in Appendix A, Table 1. Townships of the
retail trade area, just as Little River Township, lost population
in the decade 1950 - 1960. It is expected the trade area popula-
tion will continue to decrease because of an ou t -ra i gra t ion from
rural to urban areas where better job opportunities are available.
1/ U.S. Census of Population.
TABLE 1
POPULATION TRENDS
ZEBULON, LITTLE RIVER TOWNSHIP, AND WAKE COUNTY
Z e bu 1 o n
Little River Twp .
W
ake
Count
y
No
%
No
%
No
%
Year
No .
Change
C hange
No.
Change
Change
No.
Change
Change
I 910
483 ±1
-
-
3498
_
33.2
63,229
_
15.7
1920
953
470
97.3
5701
2203
63.0
75,155
11
926
18.9
1930
860
-93
-9.8
6277
576
10. 1
94,757
19
602
26. 1
1940
1070
210
24.4
5912
-365
-5.8
109 ,544
14
,787
15.6
1950
1378
308
28.8
6331
419
7 . 1
136 ,450
26
,906
24.6
1960
1534^/
156
-11.3
6053
-278
-4.4
169 ,082
- 32
,632n
23.9-]
1966
1873
339
22. 1
-
-
-
197 ,423
28
,341
16.8
1970
2100
-566
•35.8
5508
-545
-9.0
211 ,853
42
,771
25.3-
1980
2600
500
27 . 1
5388
-120
-2.2
269 ,421
57
,568
27.2
1986
3100
500
16.2
5286
-102
-1.9
-
-
-
_a/ Incorporated in 1907
_^' Part of Little River Twp. annexed to town
SOURCE: U.S. Census of Population , 1910 - 1966; projections by the
Division of Community Planning
â– Age and Race Composition of the Popu lation
In comparison to the total town population (percent of total
town population) a decrease was registered from 1950 - 1960 for the
younger age segment of the town population, that age group from 15 -
34. This decrease indicates an out-migration of this group, which
usually makes large purchases such as houses, cars, etc.
.(See Appendix A, Table 2).
The non-white segment of the population also decreased by
L.67o from 1950 - 1960 (27.0% to 25.4%).
EMPLOYMENT
Employment has a direct relation to income, population,
and retail sales growth. As an example, if ten additional jobs
were added each with an average annual salary of $5,000, this
could be expected to add approximately $34,000 annually in retail
sales. — A corresponding loss of ten jobs would represent a
similar decrease in retail sales.
The future growth of the Zebulon Central Business
District is dependent upon an increase in basic employment and
income (source of income from outside the trade area). On the
other hand, a decline in basic employment would probably result
in a reduction of new commercial building activity and a lower
rental market. Jobs do not necessarily have to be added in the
trade area; those jobs that can be commuted to daily also bring
new money into Zebulon.
Employment information for Little River Township,
Retail Trade Area, and Wake County are next discussed.
Little River Township (Census Tract 0043)
Manufacturing, retail trade, and construction (in that
order) are the major employment activities in Little River Town-
ship. Most of the jobs in manufacturing and a few of those in
construction would be considered basic activities.
Employment in Little River Township in 1960 was two-
thirds male and one-third female.
Male
Wh i te
Non-wh i t e
808
459
1 ,267
% of tot a l employment
42 .9
24. i
67 .3
Wh i t e
Non-wh i t e
405
213
21,5
11.2
Total
1 ,1
100.0
_!/ Estimated by applying the state ratio of 67% of total
personal income in North Carolina spent for retail sales,
Retail Trade Area
Employment information for the retail trade area reveals
that three- four ths of all jobs in the trade area were located in
Little River and Dunn Township. Most of the workers in the trade
area were employed in either manufacturing, trade, or service.
(See Appendix A, Table 3).
Wake County
Work force trends for Wake County indicate that during
the past three years jobs in agriculture decreased by 470, but
those in manufacturing increased by 1,420.
About one-third _ of all workers living in the retail
trade area are employed in Raleigh (See Appendix B, Table 10,
Que s t ion 2 .)
INCOME
More than the population or employment factors, income
determines retail sales and the growth of the Central Business
District. (Approximately 67?o of the total personal income in
North Carolina is spent directly for retail goods.) The percentage
of family income spent for retail trade is much higher in an area
where the per capita income is below that of the state average.
People in the lower income groups must spend more of their income
for the consumption goods (the necessities of life).
Information on incomes within Zebulon is not available,
therefore, Little River Township income Information is discussed.
Little River Township includes over half of the total trade area
income .
Little River Township's 1960 per capita income ($889)
is almost 30% lower than the state average per capita income
($1,260). When compared to other townships in the retail trade
area, however, it has a higher per capita income than all other
townships of the trade area ($369 higher than Ferrell's Township).
(See Table 2, page 9 .)
The low per capita income found in the retail trade area
is closely related to the lack of manufacturing employment, educa-
t ion , etc.
WSurvey made in February, 1966 by volunteers from the Lions and
civic clubs and by the Division of Community Planning.
TABLE 2
COMPARISON 1959 PERSONAL INCOME OF
TOWNSHIPS AND COUNTIES OF THE RETAIL TRADE AREA WITH
THE STATE
% Dist. of Total Families by Family Income Group
:OWN SHIPS
COUNTIES
I ncome Little Dry
Class River Dunn Ferrells Wells ONeal's Wake Franklin Nash
Under
$3,000
$3 ,000-
7,999
$8,000-
5i.
55.8 65.6 63.2 66.7
38.8 40 . 3 32.3 33.5 29.5
29.1 58.3 48. (
49. 7 35.6 41.2
6.6 3.9 2.1
3 .3
3.8
21.2 6.1
10.2
100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
100.0 100.0 100.0
Ave .
Fam i 1 y
Ave .per
cap i t a
Wh i te
Per
capita
Non
White
per
capita
3,985 3,295 2,648 2,908 2,665 5,872 3,282 4,160
889
813 520
il6 1,571
775
1 ,228 1 ,025 655
919
392
279 173 216 258
49.3
13. 6
100.0
4,838
1 ,250
SOURCE: U.S. Census of Population , 19 60
D istribution of Incomes
The scale of family income determines the kind and price of
merchandise desired. For example, families in lower income groups
spend considerably more of their income for food and the daily
necessities of life. The distribution of families by income groups
is an important factor which must be considered in the merchandising
o ;â– goods. Within the townships of the retail trade area from 557. to
6o% of all families earn less than $3,000 l''annually (a poverty wage
l-'u.S. Census of Population, 196(
when compared to the national level). Some increases in family
income have taken place during the past six years , however.
The middle family income group earning $3,000 - $7,999 _
includes almost half of all families in the state average, but a
substantially smaller percentage of all families within the town-
ships of the retail trade area( 32 to 40 percent).
A total of but 100 families in the retail trade area
earned over $8,000 per year in 1959. When comparing the percentage
of all families in this income group it is less than one-half that
of the state average. (See Appendix A, Table 5).
Income Proiections
Total income of the retail trade area, more than that of
the town or that of townships of the retail trade area, represents
the potential of the Zebulon Business District. Total 1960 income
for the 10,023 people of the trade area was estimated at $7,790,000
or $780 per capita. Past trends indicate per capita income will
probably increase at approximately hO% per decade in constant 1959
dollars, reaching a per capita income of approximately $1,900 by
the year 1986 (almost two and one-half times that of 1960). Total
Personal income is expected to almost double (1.9) by the year
1986 (reflects the change in trade area population, see list
below and Appendix A, Table 6).
pe r capita income
$ 780
1 ,100
1 ,500
1 ,900
total trade area income
$ 7 ,790 ,000
9,913 ,000
12 ,441 ,000
14,841 ,000
Source : U.S. Census of Population , I960; Projections by the
Division of Community Planning.
RETAIL SALES
Retail sales is the most important determinant in the
growth and development of the Central Business District. Retail
sales can be converted into profits and improvements to the
physical facilities of the Central Business District. Zebulon
and Wake County sales information is next discussed in detail.
^Z U.S. Census of Population., 1960.
Z ebu Ion
Sales Information from the U.S. Census of Business for
Zebulon and Townships of the trade area is not available; however,
sales information for the town was obtained for fiscal year July 1,
1964 - June 30, 1965, from the North Carolina Department of Revenue,
During that year Zebulon retail merchants' sales totaled $5,133,400,
Wa ke County
Information from the U.S. Census of Business indicates
that a favorable rate of sales growth occurred in Wake County from
1958 to 1963 (33.47,,). In the counties of the retail trade area
from 1958 to 1963 sales increased by an average of approximately
4 1 7„ , most of which was probably absorbed in Raleigh, Rocky Mount,
and Wilson. (See Appendix A, Tables 7 and 8).
North Carolina Department of Revenue figures indicate
retail sales in Wake County increased by 3.7 times since 1950.
(See Appendix A, Table 9).
Retail Specialization
Food, gas, and automobiles account for 54 cents of
every dollar spent in the non-urban portion of Wake County (which
includes Zebulon). This indicates some specialization in these
items. This specialization is apparent in the retail establishments
located in Zebulon. (See figures below.)
1963
Division of Sales
Dollar in non-urban
Food
Gas stations
Au toraob i 1 e s
Eating and drinking places
General merchandise
Furniture and household appliances
Drugs
Non- store retailers
Apparel, lumber, building, materials,
and non-store retail stores
portion of Wake County
$ .25
. 16
.13
.09
.07
.04
.03
.01
.22
a/
$1 .00
a' U.S. Census of Business, 19 53
- 11 -
SUMMARY OF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
The Zebulon retail trade area covers a pear-shaped area
(7 miles by 10 miles) that encompasses the eastern end of Wake
County, the Southern end of Franklin County, the western end of
Nash County and the northern end of Johnston County. It includes
a 1960 population of 10,023 people.
Population trends for the town indicate a substantial
increase in population by 1986. (Total population of 3,100 people
by 1986). Within the trade area, however, a continued out-migration
of the rural population is expected. Recent trends for the trade
area indicate a continued decrease in trade area population (1986
popula t ion : 8 ,000) .
Trends in Wake County indicate a reduction in agricultural
employment and an increase in manufacturing employment. This re-
duction in agricultural employment is expected also for the retail
trade a rea .
In comparing the average family income in the townships
of the retail trade area with that of the state average, the former
averages are much lower. However, incomes are increasing due to
more local jobs being added^ hence higher incomes.
Retail sales in Zebulon are low when compared to total
trade area income; merchants are not attracting their share of
sales from the retail trade area. Only a little over one-half the
sales potential is attracted.
Much of the present retail specialization is in food, gas,
and automobiles sales.
The future growth of the Central Business District will
result from a number of factors: (1) a shift of trade area popula-
tion to the Zebulon vicinity (people in Zebulon tend to buy more
in the Central Business District) (2) increases in per capita in-
come, hence purchasing power; (3) improvement in physical facilities
and the appearance of the Central Business District; and (4) new
sales techniques and merchandising methods.
12
CONSUMER AND MERCHANTS OPINION SURVEYS
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