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HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/29/2020 - Minutes - Comprehensive Plan Evaluation Committee MINUTES COMPREHENSIVE PLAN EVALUATION COMMITTEE Wednesday, January 29, 2020, 5:30 PM CSU Meeting and Training Facility 1601 Graham Rd College Station, Texas, 77845 COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Dennis Christianson, Lisa Halperin, Dennis Maloney, John Nichols, Jeremy Osborne, Elizabeth Cunha, Julie Schultz, Brian Bochner Brad Brimley, Michael Buckley, Linda Harvell and Clint Cooper COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT: Shana Elliott CITY STAFF PRESENT: Director of Planning and Development Jennifer Prochazka, Assistant Director Molly Hitchcock, Transportation Planning Coordinator Jason Schubert, Long Range Planning Administrator Alyssa Halle-Schramm, Staff Planner Jade Broadnax and Staff Assistant Robin Macias 1. Call the meeting to order. The meeting was called to order at 5:30 p.m. 2. Consideration, discussion, and possible action to approve meeting minutes. • October 30, 2019 This agenda item was discussed after agenda item 5. There were no oppositions to the minutes. 3. Presentation and discussion of highlights of the Best Practices Report. Planning Next consultant Jaime Greene gave an overview of the report. There was general discussion amongst the committee regarding the case studies in the report.  Many of the studies shown have a slower rate of growth than Texas A&M.  Mobility was not featured in many of the case studies.  Most of the case studies have a large commitment from the Universities.  Surprised San Marcos was not part of the case study. 4. Presentation to introduce potential updates to the Comprehensive Plan Maps. Planning Next consultant Michael Curtis gave an overview of the Concept Map, Thoroughfare Map and Future Land Use map. He presented considerations for each. There was general discussion amongst the Committee regarding the different considerations of each map. Concept Map  Considerations o Make the map more strategic and highlight areas for change or areas with special plans o Show only neighborhood planning that have neighborhood plans o Add text showing a definition of each area  Discussion o Use hash lines for borders instead of harsh lines o Committee members expressed concern that citizens may believe these areas are more fixed rather than conceptual and ways the map could be depicted differently to emphasize it is conceptual. Thoroughfare Map  Considerations o Consolidate categories (major arterials) o Designate bike/pedestrian corridors on concept map o Placement of context zones in response to any changes to the concept map  Discussion o Possibly have a mobility map o If keeping different maps for bicycle and pedestrian mobility, they should be integrated with the Thoroughfare Map o Consolidating arterials would align with the MPO categories o Do not want bike paths to be over looked Future Land Use Map  Considerations o Consolidate land use categories from 25 to 15 o Rename future land use category names to be distinct form zoning district names  Discussion o Look at amount of zoning categories in comparison to other cities. 5. Presentation and discussion of proposed direction for scenario planning. Planning Next consultant Greene gave an overview of the six scenario areas: 1. University Dr. east of Texas Ave 2. Texas Ave. across from Texas A&M 3. Post Oak Mall area 4. Harvey Rd. across from the mall 5. George Bush Dr. and Wellborn Rd. 6. George Bush Dr. across from Texas A&M There was discussion regarding the committee’s definition of mixed use:  Is the term used solely for vertical mixed use or also horizontal? The committee preferred horizontal that allows for vertical, but not mandated vertical.  A good example of a mixed use development is Century Square  What are the qualities of a mixed use development: o Walkable o Green space between buildings o Public realm o Controlled entrance and exit o Multiple uses/variety of attractions for a mixed audience The committee discussed each scenario area to determine what they would like to see in each scenario: Scenario 1  Something that ties in with the new City Hall and the Eastgate neighborhood  Vertical development (10 stories or more) at old Albertsons site  Hospitality oriented with entertainment  Bicycle and pedestrian friendly  Internal connectivity  Limited entrances and exits / access management  Opportunity for Class A office space Scenario 2  Leverage new City Hall investment  Thomas Park integration  Move the Best Buy shopping center into Scenario 1 and start Scenario 2 at Lincoln Ave.  More of a multi-modal development  Bus access to City Hall  Bicycle and pedestrian walkway off Texas Ave. (Texas Ave. is noise and not pedestrian-friendly with the high volume of traffic and higher speeds) Scenario 3  A activity center or attraction people would want to go to  Business development  An example is The Domain in Austin  Better incorporate Wolf Pen Creek into the Scenario  No more student housing – maybe a retirement center  Convention center  Open air retail  Regional accessible area  Bring Wolf Pen Creek across Holleman Dr  Hotels with connections to conference centers – example: Kansas City Scenario 4  Restaurants  Lower density  Dependent on the development of the Mall site  No office space  Retail/commercial along Harvey then residential behind the commercial  More intense residential  Commercial establishments for tomorrow – something sustainable  Needs to be an experience Scenario 5  Mid Rise condos – 6 to 8 stories  Sensitive to what is happening around the neighborhood  Walkability  Improving current area – preserve that area of town  Must look at Wellborn Rd. and George Bush TXDOT improvements  Berkley House Scenario 6  Opportunity at Houston St. and George Bush (near the alumni center / Old Jersey St. area)  Educational and institutional that aren’t going away – look at what can happen around these developments  Owner-occupied historical homes in this area  New vision in certain sections – Redmond/Armistead/Rosemary area There were discussions about looking at the success of Downtown Bryan. The committee also agreed that there should be a variety of scenarios. 6. Presentation outlining next steps in the Evaluation process. The scenario workshops will be in late March / early April. The committee would like another meeting before the scenario workshops to discuss the proposed scenarios. 7. Adjourn. The meeting was adjourned at 7:43 p.m.