Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutOur TownCollege Station, Texas Home of Texas A&M University The City of College Station grew up as many small Texas towns often did around a central town square. In this instance, however, the “town square” was Tex- as A&M College, today a university and a world-renowned educational and research institution that boasts a student population of over 45,000. Established through the Morrill Land Grant Act, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas became the first public institution of higher learn- ing in Texas in October of 1876. Situated four miles to the north was the Brazos County seat of Bryan. Other than a few roads, the only transportation connection between the col- lege and Bryan was the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. The sign on the train station depot read: “College”, which gave rise to “College Station.” The scene was set for the in- dependent and progressive development of College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M University. In the early beginnings of A&M College, all stu- dents, faculty, and staff lived on campus. The surrounding areas were comprised mainly of prairie and farmland. The fertile Brazos Valley made it a prime location for agrarian businesses. Immigrants from Europe in the outlying com- munities worked the land with the help of recently freed African-American slaves. Indigenous Hispanic groups, and those emigrating from Mexico, also worked the land. Small shops and places of business sprang up around the outskirts of the campus. Around 1920, the Northgate en- trance to A&M became the area’s earliest “strip mall,” con- sisting of a U.S. Post Office, a hamburger shop, and a camera supply store. More businesses soon sprang up at the Eastgate and Southgate entrances to the campus, setting the physical boundaries for the location of the community The college built homes for faculty and staff in an effort to provide for the growing campus and its residents. An on-campus grade school was built to provide education for the children they called the “campus kids.” This school was the forerunner of the A&M Consolidated Schools now celebrating their 100th anniversary. In 1931, the campus growing pains forced the removal of the faculty and staff housing. The addition of numerous “campus houses” fur- ther developed the few neighborhoods which had sprung up around the university over the years. The last house was moved off campus in the early 1960s. In 1938, when the community named for the train stop incorporated, the election was held in the train depot. The incorporation passed with a vote of 217 to 39. The first City Council was made up of members of the A&M faculty. The city relied heavily on A&M for meeting space, a fire department, and utility lines. This close knit connection be- tween the college and the community continues today and has fostered a highly educated city, rich in a variety of cul- tures, grounded in agriculture, and with all eyes on the fu- ture. The sign on the train station depot read: “College”, which gave rise to “College Station”. "nn"nn "nn "nn "nn "nn "nn "nn"nn "nn "nn "nn IC IC IC BEAT 70 BEAT 10 BEAT 80 BEAT 60 BEAT 30BEAT 20 BEAT 40 BEAT 50 SH 6 SH 40 OL D EN CAI N OAKS FM 158 O L D T I G R A H AM V IS T A I& G N TURK F & B MI LE RA N C H E R O A B BA T E CHRISTI N E F M 2 1 5 4 C A R L L T U R K R A N C H LORI SH 47/ R.S. G U S R O Y AGRONOMY GA B B A R D S H 4 7 / R .S. BAHIA CAPSTONE BALL EARL RUD DER ROCK PRAIRIE TURKEY CREEK RI T C HEY H A UPT AUGUSTA FINFEATHER HOWE DALLIS JONES H A L T O M QUALITY MORGANS WILLIAMS F I R E S T O N E COLTON STE R L I N G LAURA LEE M EI R C R EAGOR JANE AST E R OL S E N JUSTIN S A R A PIN O N M A RIN E R S GUADALUPE MILAM W I N D H A M RANCH TODD SHIRE NORTON FARAH TEXAS LAMAR M ISTY NEW W H I T E W ING PIER R E PENBERTHY VENTURE SPRING ROYDER AUSTIN MEADOWLAND C O RS A I R VAN HORN MUNSON BERKELEY EA R L RU D DER HARRINGTON ROSS WAYNE M IL LI F F G ATEWAY TEAL JAMEY ABBEY DOVE STRAND MOSHER PRO VILLAGE N A N T U C K E T A ZALE A HARVEY MITCHELL SANDY BIRMING HAM NEWARK T W IN P O N D FOXBOSWELL RED H I L L I V Y STALLIN G S VIE N N A ESSEN INCOURT BRIDLE HALEY A R R I N G T O N WI LLIAM K ING COLE M O SS LAKEWAY ASH PARNELL APPLEBY OLYMPIA EMERALD S EBESTA PAMELA CORONADO PUFFIN SU MT E R PUEBLO SA L LI E D AV I D 'S SOUTHL A N D LONGMIRE SH 30 NEAL PICKETT M O SE S CR E E K K A R T EN TARA RIV E R A DA Y T O N PHEASANT COPPERFIELD P A R K FINNEY TIMBER E DW A R D SLICE SECOND SIE N NA FROST HILLSIDE BOSQUE M O R T IER GLADE SUMM IT B U R T TONI J O N E S-B U T LER ARROYO PUT T E R CRAYKE WAL T O N TOURNAY S K YLI N E F R A N C I S GINGER COKE T Y L ER L Y N X EBBTIDE DROGO MUL L IN S HEMI NG W AY L U T H ER HONE Y S U C K LE JAMES PICADILLY LONGLEAF E A G L E HEREFORD WI LLOW P O N D NORTH FOREST C L O I S TER S MANU E L PL A N O STONEBRIAR FRIAR B U C KIN G HA M BIZZELL W ILL IAM D . FI T C H LINCOLN NIMITZ DANV ILL E S C RI M S H A W MIDSUMMER CENTRAL PARK HOLL E M A N LINDA DARTMOUTH POST OAK CAMILLE STASNEY GREENS PRAIRIE ANTELOPE FRE N E A U CECI LIA LY C E U M FOXFIRE ASHBURN F R O N T R O Y A L OR R B R ADL E Y D O MINI K BARRON BROOKW AY HAINES LIENZ ONYX LAUREN H ARR IS FIRST G R O V E DECATUR A P P O M A T T O XPARK PLACE NAGLE BRAZO S WOO D TURTL E DOVE ONRAMP 6 G EORG E B U S H F O R ES T K R E N E K T A P AUTUMN FRONTA GE 6 WELSH SPENCE N O R M A N D EASTMARK PASLER RAYMOND STOTZ E R B I R D P O N D O L D A R R IN G T O N S O U THWEST PO N DEROSA WELLBOR N LE WI S POL O O F F R A M P 6 HARVE Y OL D M A IN U N I V E R S I T Y ANDERSON HOUSTON COLLEGE M A RI O N P U G H DOWLING GRAHAM O N R A M P 6 UNIVERSITY F & B W I L LI A M D. F I T C H HARVEY MITCHELL JAMES OLSEN A R R I N G T O N FM 2154 HAR V E Y W E L S H T U R K E Y C R E E K G R A HAM FRONTAGE 6 F R O N T A G E 6 ROCK P R A IRI E H A R VEY FRO N TAGE 6 TEXAS LONG MIRE F M 2 1 5 4 GE OR GE BUSH F & B H O L LEM AN COKE WI LLI AM D . FI T C H L U T H E R BARRON ROYDER TEXAS K R E N E K T A POLSEN U NIVERS ITY GRA H A M UNIV E R S ITY W IL L IA M D. F ITCH S H 4 0 ROCK PRAIRIE FM 2154 SH 40 AUSTIN H A R V E Y FM 2154 FRONTAGE 6 SH 40 W ELSH SH 6 L U T H E R FROST SH 6 SO UTHWE S T JO N ES-B U T L E R G R A H A M SH 6 FRONTAGE 6 CAI N SH 40 F RONTA G E 6 H ARVEY FOXF IRE SH 6 HARVEY MITCHELL I& G N HAR V E Y SH 6 MULL INS F R OST H O LLEMAN SH 6 TEXAS TO D D SH 40 H ARV E Y F M 2 1 5 4 W I L L I A M D . F IT CH SH 40 TEXAS W I L L I A M D . F I T C HGLADE OAKWOODINTERMEDIATEOAKWOODINTERMEDIATE SOUTH KNOLLELEMENTARYSOUTH KNOLLELEMENTARY FOREST RIDGEELEMENTARYFOREST RIDGEELEMENTARY PEBBLE CREEKELEMENTARYPEBBLE CREEKELEMENTARY ROCK PRAIRIEELEMENTARYROCK PRAIRIEELEMENTARY COLLEGE HILLS ELEMENTARYCOLLEGE HILLS ELEMENTARY CYPRESS GROVE INTERMEDIATECYPRESS GROVE INTERMEDIATE SOUTHWOOD VALLEYELEMENTARYSOUTHWOOD VALLEYELEMENTARY COLLEGE STATIONMIDDLE SCHOOLCOLLEGE STATIONMIDDLE SCHOOL A & M CONSOLIDATEDHIGH SCHOOLA & M CONSOLIDATEDHIGH SCHOOL A & M CONSOLIDATEDMIDDLE SCHOOLA & M CONSOLIDATEDMIDDLE SCHOOL CENTER FOR ALT LEARNINGALTERNATIVECENTER FOR ALT LEARNINGALTERNATIVE S. Cabrina ScottCrime AnalystNovember 14, 2008 SECTOR C SECTOR B SECTOR A Legend IC MEDICAL FACILITIES "nn CS SCHOOLS TAMU POST OAK MALL EASTERWOOD AIRPORT COLLEGE STATION POLICE DEPARTMENT 2009 COLLEGE STATION POLICE DEPARTMENT BEAT MAP . BEAT 40Sgt. Calder Lively(979) 764-5013Clively@cstx.gov 60 BEATSgt. Kyle Patterson(979) 764-5013KPATTERSON@cstx.gov BEAT 10Sgt. Doug Muxworthy(979) 764-5012Dmuxworthy@cstx.gov BEAT 20Sgt. John Campbell(979) 764-5012JCAMPBELL@cstx.gov 30 BEATSgt. Mike Dean(979) 764-5012MDEAN@cstx.gov BEAT 70Sgt. Todd Van Dresar(979) 764-3627Tvandresar@cstx.gov BEAT 80Sgt. Blaine Krauter(979) 764-3627bkrauter@cstx.gov FIELD OPERATIONSAsst. Chief Jeff Capps(979) 764-3626JCAPPS@cstx.gov SECTOR CLt. Mark Langwell(979) 764-5090MLANGWELL@cstx.gov SECTOR BLt. Mike Pavelka(979) 764-3600Mpavelka@cstx.gov SECTOR ALt. Steve Brock(979) 764-3613SBROCK@cstx.gov BEAT 50Sgt. LeeAnn Alvarez(979) 764-5013lalvarez@cstx.gov A New Police Chief A New Plan When Police Chief Michael “Ike” Ikner arrived in Col- lege Station last May, he had a plan. Chief Ikner’s plan involved getting out into the community and working with College Station residents in the areas they live, work and play. Beginning this January, his plan made its way onto College Station streets. On January 5 2009, the College Station Police Department (CSPD) implement- ed a new policing structure designed to provide community-oriented policing emphasizing geographic accountabil- ity. Under the new plan, police collaborate with neighborhoods in re- aligned patrol beats to support a more personalized policing service. In order to achieve this, the city is divided into three sectors, with each sector under the command of a police lieutenant. The sectors are divided into beats with a to- tal of eight beats with a patrol sergeant assigned to each beat. Ultimately, it is the hope of CSPD that residents will get to know their sergeant and form ef- fective partnerships to address persis- tent neighborhood concerns. Community-oriented policing puts police at the core of the problem, working in neighborhoods, where we spend a majority of our time. The de- partment’s shift from a reactive to a more proactive problem-solving entity allows CSPD to focus on the underly- ing causes of crime, not just reacting to their “symptoms.” “We are all working in collab- oration to support the sergeants and beat officers who provide services to residents and businesses in each par- ticular beat,” says Chief Ikner. “Col- laboration is key to problem solving.” Under the new plan, CSPD will col- laborate to achieve four main goals: reducing crime, reducing the fear of crime, establishing and maintaining effective partnerships, and improving overall quality of life. “It is my personal goal to make College Station the safest and most vi- brant town and gown community in the nation,” says Chief Ikner. So far, the chief’s new community-oriented polic- ing plan is putting College Station in a position to do just that. College Station Citizens’ University An Invaluable Education In 1997 the City of College Station was experiencing what most cities do at one time or another. A series of projects, issues and decisions were eliciting some intense nega- tive media coverage. Determining how to help the public to understand the issues was becoming increasingly complex and difficult. City leaders and staff discussed ways of help- ing residents understand not only how their city government works, but how decisions are made and the philosophy be- hind those decisions. There was also a need to develop new leaders to sit on boards, commissions and elected positions. Current elected leaders and staff decided to develop a course that would allow citizens an in-depth look inside their city. A 10-week curriculum was developed called “Citizens’ Uni- versity.” The curriculum included strategies for bringing the class members into contact, not only with elected lead- ers and staff, but to bring them into different departments sites to give them first-hand information and perspective on operations. An application process was developed and the optimum number of participants was determined to be 24 students. Criteria for acceptance included being: a registered voter in College Station, 21 years of age or older, a resident for a minimum of one year, and no one who was running for elected office during the sessions would be accepted. In January of 1998, the City of College Station held its first Citizens’ University class. The format was to meet on Monday evenings at 5:30 at the designated site, have dinner together, and then begin the classes at 6 pm, allowing three hours for the entire class. Presenters were encouraged to give the students in- formation in a variety of formats and hands-on experience, so that every class offered something for every type of learn- er. One particular highlight of the class was taking a ride in the electrical bucket truck. Class members acted as though they had been on a trip to the carnival. But the most valuable thing that the classes provided to the city was a very well-informed group of residents, who not only began to understand how their city worked, but be- came rather excited about getting involved in the workings of their city. They were seen as some of the strongest support- ers of city initiatives in the community and were also able to communicate with neighbors, family and friends about what they had learned. Currently after 12 years there are more than 200 residents who are still in the community and are graduates. Each year the group makes up a large number of those serving on boards and committees. Becoming a member of the Citizens’ University is one of pride and each year there is generally a waiting list of those who want to take the class. In fact, the Citizens Uni- versity has proved to be some of the best spent time and money that the city uses in the area of community relations. Convention Center Enhancing Tourism in College Station The City of College Station announced its plans to construct a first class convention center, the first of its kind in the region. In October 2008, the City Council authorized the purchase of approxi- mately 8 acres at the intersection of Tarrow Street and University Drive. The site is currently the home of the Chimney Hill Shopping Center. City ownership of the property is critical to successfully building a conven- tion center that will best serve the long term needs of the community. The new convention center will greatly enhance tourism in College Station and become a significant as- set in developing the community’s hospitality industry. ... a significant amount of tourism revenue is lost each year due to the lack of a con- vention center facility. B-CS Convention and Visitors Bureau College Station has a unique advantage in being an ideal destination for conventions and large-scale meetings and events. Further, the community is roughly in the center of the most heavily populated areas of Texas and within 3.5 hours from about 80% of Texas’ population. Another major advantage of the Chimney Hill site is its proximity to area hotels. As the graphic below illustrates, the new site is within one to two milesof 20 hotels and Texas A&M Uni- versity. The City is investigating a variety of financing options. A short list of the funding tools includes the sale of surplus real estate, facility usage fees, a tax in- crement reinvestment zone, lease revenue, the hotel oc- cupancy tax, a venue tax, and the ad valorem tax. Cur- rently no funding method has been chosen and multiple sources are possible. The City is seeking the funding method that is most effective while minimizing the financial burden on the citizens of College Station. Qualifications for design teams are currently be- ing reviewed. The selected firm will work with the City to develop a master plan for the site. Current estimates call for ground breaking on the facility in early 2010.     Satellite photographs of proposed Convention Center. College Station Utilities The College Station Utilities Electric Department is ahead of the game when it comes to providing reliable, affordable power to College Station residents. In March 2009, College Station Utilities (CSU) received the prestigious Reliable Pub- lic Power Provider (RP3) designation at the Platinum Level through the Ameri- can Public Power Association. Prior to 2009, no electric utility in the state of Texas had received this designation. Moving forward with innovative ideas, while simultaneously making existing programs more beneficial to residents, CSU continues to remain a leader in municipally owned power systems. Approximately 54% of Col- lege Station Utilities’ electric distribu- tion lines go unseen because they are underground. CSU is at the top of the list in percentages of underground fa- cilities throughout the state of Texas. Underground electric lines are more aesthetically pleasing in the commu- nity and can provide better reliability in inclement weather. “This continued investment has allowed us to develop a system that has an Average Service Availability Index of 99.9963%, which makes us one of the most reliable electric systems in Texas!” Tim Crabb, assistant director Keeping customers’ energy bills low is also a top priority for CSU. They offer commercial and residential customers several energy saving pro- grams: • Good Cents New Home Program • Energy Back II Rebate Program • On-site energy audits Innovatively, CSU began offer- ing its residential customers an alterna- tive energy source in the form of wind energy in January 2009. Wind energy is being purchased from the South Trent Mesa Wind Farm in west Texas. Cus- tomers can choose to sign up for vary- ing levels of participation in the Wind Watts program including 10%, 50%, or 100% wind power. Additionally, College Station Utilities is moving forward with a new street light monitoring program, which will be one of the first systems installed in a Texas city. “This new system will elimi- nate customers having to report street light outages, reduce our maintenance costs, energy consumption, and the carbon footprint of the City by about 210 tons per year,” David Massey, director of electric utility. Ahead Of The Game Managing the street lights will have the same environmental effect as taking about 35 vehicles off the road. The plan is to install the moni- toring system on nearly 2,000 thor- oughfare lights by summer 2009 and on the remaining nearly 3,000 lights within the next 24 months. The entire system should “pay for itself” in less than five years by reducing street light maintenance, saving energy, eliminat- ing street light patrols, and improving efficiency in routing crews. With a top-notch underground electric system, great energy savings programs, and innovative ideas in the form of Wind Watts and the new street light monitoring system, CSU is ahead of the game and will continue to stay a leader in municipally owned power in the coming years. For more information on pro- grams offered by College Station Utili- ties, visit www.cstx.gov/utilties. College Station is a great place to call home. From the golf courses at Pebble Creek to the charm and diver- sity of the historic Southside neighborhood, there is surely a neighborhood in College Station to suit everyone. College Station is also home to over 45,000 Texas A&M students and faculty, most of whom live in neighborhoods around the city plus many retirees and young families who call College Station home. This diversity makes the neigh- borhoods generally representative of these various ages, family units, and living arrangements. The College Station City Council has made Neigh- borhood Integrity a key component of their Strategic Action Plan for the community. Neighborhood Integrity is the term used to maintain character and feel of a neighborhood re- mains stable and protected over time. Neighborhood Integ- rity also deals with the quality of life in a neighborhood and a city. The city works closely with neighborhood leaders to address issues affecting them. There are over 60 organized and active neighborhood and homeowners associations in the city that work to make their area of the city a great place to live. Within the last year, the issue of Neighbor- hood Integrity has been front-and-center in College Sta- tion. Both the city and neighborhood leaders are commit- ted to making College Station a great place to work, live and play for all those involved. With College Station’s large student population, the city is always challenged to continue to educate on laws, ordinances and rules that govern the city when they live in neighborhoods. The goal is to make every neighbor- hood safe and as peaceful as possible. Neighborhoods with large student populations have issues with parking, noise, trash and pets. City of College Station Police, Code Enforcement, Parking and Animal Control Departments work together to keep the neighborhoods clean, safe and quiet. In addition, the Neighborhood Services Coordinator works with neighborhood leaders and citizens to handle special neighborhood challenges and find solutions. With the city’s effort to ensure Neighborhood In- tegrity has come some very strong policy actions. • Rental Registration Ordinance • Party Host Responsibility Ordinance • A strong partnership with the Texas A&M City staff from Code Enforcement, Police, Neigh- borhood Services, Municipal Court, Community Relations, and the Fire Department meets with TAMU Student Life rep- resentatives and Student Senate leaders to discuss ways to work together on student-related com- munity issues. This partnership which has been named, AGGIE UP, implies that Aggies are expected live up to their title and be good neighbors and good citizens. It has brought about a way for city and uni- versity staff, with the involvement of student leadership,to find new and creative solutions to neibhorhood issues that occur. Partnerships are the key in the city’s efforts to make neighborhoods safe and peaceful. Whether it is working with neighborhood leaders, students or university staff, the city is committed to maintaining a high quality of life for everyone. Welcome To The Neighborhood! Maintaining a High Quality of Life Anticipated Project Duration* Project Fiscal Year (October 1st – September 30th) 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Library Expansion Fire Station #6 Creekview Neighborhood Park Neighborhood Park Improvements Lincoln Center Addition Central Park Improvements Lick Creek Park Trail Completion Skate Park East Dist. Maint. Shop Replacement Neighborhood Parks Revolving Fund Lick Creek Park Nature Center Jones-Butler Phase 1 Traffic Signals Victoria Avenue Barron Road Widening – Phase 2 Hike/Bike Trail Completion Barron Road East/Lakeway Drive Sidewalks Rock Prairie West ROW Lick Creek Hike and Bike Trail University Dr. Pedestrian Improvements *The project order and/or duration may be subject to change at the discretion of the current City Council or extenuating circumstances. 2008 Bond Projects Will Lead College Station Into The Year 2015 In 2008, The City of College Station created a sep- arate Capital Projects Department headed up by director Chuck Gilman with a staff of six project managers and two land agents. This new department is indicative of the need and importance of having all capital projects carefully managed for economic effi- ciency, timeliness of construction, quality control over the finished product, and to ensure the voters that their tax dollars are being carefully spent. The new Capital Projects Department is respon- sible for implementing the City’s Capital Improvement Program, including the 2008 Bond Projects that were approved by the voters in November 2008. This does not include Information Technology or Electrical proj- ects The success of the 2008 Bond Election can be attributed to several key parties. One is the College Sta- tion City Council, for their long-range vision for what this community needs both now and into the future. Even more credit is owed to the citizens of College Sta- tion who recognized the need for growth and voted ap- proval. But there is another group of citizens that need to be recognized as well: the Capital Improvements Cit- izens Advisory Committee of 30 residents, headed up by Brian Bochner and Derek Dictson, who spent many months meeting and listening to all the proposed ideas for bond projects and making group recommendations on priorities. Without the dedication and participa- tion of so many people in this process, College Station would not be able to project into the future as it does today. This vision and commitment will assure that not only your children, but also grandchildren, will have a great place to work, live and play. “We attempted to evenly distribute the different types of approved projects over a 7-year period, while giving priority to those projects that currently have high demand,” comments Gilman. “For instance, the community can expect to see a transportation project and park improvement project in each of the next seven years.” This variety of projects will lead College Sta- tion into the year 2015 and will provide a great place for current and future residents to live and work. The following chart shows the final approved projects and a preliminary schedule, voted on by you in November 2008. Former students, family of Ag- gies and friends of Texas A&M University approached the City of College Station about creating a special area in the city’s proposed new cemetery. This unique area in the pro- posed new Memorial Cemetery of Col- lege Station is the “The Aggie Field of Honor.” The city started construction on the new Memorial Cemetery in 2008 on nearly 60 acres of property located at 3800 Raymond Stotzer Parkway, on the northwest corner of FM 2818 and FM 60. At least twenty beautiful, pris- tine acres have been designated as the Aggie Field of Honor (AFOH). With the support of Texas A&M University (TAMU) through a licensing agreement to use university imagery for this city project, the AFOH will feature unique, distinctive elements highlighted by a “Spirit Gate”, a committal shelter with covered seating, and a Center Plaza. The AFOH will have a tremendous view of Kyle Field, and will also be accented by an adjacent contemplation pond. Visitors to the site will be able to look up burial space or columbaria niche information with a computerized mapping system to be located at the information center. The entire facility will include native landscape construc- tion and many aesthetic features, such as the numerous columns and other significant structures located through- out the site. The site will offer both burial spaces and columbarium niches and those in the AFOH will be avail- able to current/former students, TAMU faculty/staff, family/friends of the uni- versity, and the general public as well. Phase 1 of the AFOH is sched- uled to be open in 2009. However, the city is processing burial spaces and columbarium niches sales now. For the AFOH, a standard space is $2,000 and a columbaria niche is $1,200. These costs include the maintenance and pro- fessional management of the Memorial Cemetery by the College Station Parks Memorial Cemetery of College Station “Softly Call The Muster...” and Recreation Department – one of only four nationally accredited parks and recreation departments in Texas. Hundreds from across Texas and from other states throughout the nation have already secured their final resting place in the AFOH. The city continues to share information about this opportunity with TAMU former student organizations and class agents. The “Spirit of Aggieland” will forever be held in this special place for all to remember friends and family. For more information on the Aggie Field of Honor, please contact Ross Albrecht at 979.764.3410 or at ralbrecht@cstx.gov. Also, everyone is encouraged to check out the AFOH webpage to view photos, videos and more at: fieldofhonor.cstx.gov.