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PLAN COMMISSION TEXT NABIL UR.WELCOME TO THE JULY 13TH MEETING OF THE GARLAND PLAN COMMISSION.
THIS IS OUR CUSTOM WE COMMISSION START A MEETING WITH A PRAYER AND A PLEDGE.
WHETHER YOU'RE DUE OR NOT, NO WAY AFFECTS THE DECISIONS OF THIS COMMISSION.
TONIGHT'S PRAYER AND PLEDGE WILL BE LED BY COMMISSIONER JENKINS.
IF YOU ARE SO INCLINED, PLEASE BOW YOUR HEAD.
JULIUS JENKINS STANDS, GOD, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE OF US.
THANK YOU FOR THIS LOVE AND THE PRESENCE OF OUR SHORTCOMINGS, OUR STUMBLING, AND OUR SIN.
WE PRAY FOR THOSE AROUND THE WORLD LIVING IN CONFLICT FOR THOSE DEALING WITH THE IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASTERS, AND FOR THOSE WHO RUN TOWARDS THE DANGER TO HELP PROTECT AND SAVE LIVES.
FINALLY, WE PRAY FOR THIS CITY, FOR ITS RESIDENTS, FOR ITS LEADERS, AND THEIR STAFF AND FAMILIES, AND FOR THE WISDOM TO ORDER OUR DECISIONS AND THE INTEREST OF ALL.
NOW, PLEASE JOIN WITH ME AS WE RECITE THE RECITATION OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOUR COMMISSIONERS A DESK, OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL PEOPLE.
GOOD EVENING AND, AND OH, AND WELCOME TO OUR MEETING.
I SEE SOME OF YOU ALREADY FOUND OUR SPEAKER CARDS.
IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TONIGHT, IF YOU'LL PLEASE FILL THESE OUT AND HAND IT TO THE PLAN COMMISSION, SECRETARY, THEN I CAN CALL YOU UP TO THE FRONT.
AND WHEN YOU COME UP, UH, PLEASE SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONES AND WE DO NEED YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR OUR OFFICIAL RECORDS.
APPLICANTS WILL BE GIVEN 15 MINUTES TO PRESENT THEIR CASE.
OTHER SPEAKERS, WE ALLOW THREE MINUTES FOR SPEAKING FOR AN ORGANIZATION SHOULD SUCH AS A BUSINESS GROUP OR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION.
YOU ALLOW MORE TIME AFTER EVERYBODY'S SPOKEN IF NEEDED, WE ALLOW THE APPLICANT BACK UP TO RESPOND TO ANY COMMENTS.
AGAIN, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
FIRST ITEM IS ITEM ONE A JUNE 22ND, 2026.
THE MAN CONTINUES TO LOOK DOWN AT HIS DESK.
AND COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH, HE LOOKS LEFT THEN DOWN AT DESK.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING.
AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MIRANDA? THAT IS CORRECT.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
TEXT MOTION BY BOB DUCKWORTH, SECONDED BY EDGAR MIRANDA.
ZERO ABSTAINED, TWO, AND THAT, AND THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING.
ITEM TWO A, HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER THE APPLICATION OF THE DIMENSION GROUP REQUESTING APPROVAL OF A SPECIFIC USE PROVISION FOR MORTUARY SLASH FUNERAL HOME USE ON PROPERTIES ZONE INDUSTRIAL DIS DISTRICT, AND A CONCEPT PLAN FOR MORTUARY SLASH FUNERAL HOME USE.
THIS SITE IS LOCATED AT 36 14 SECURITY STREET.
UH, THIS IS KIAN, THE PLANNER WITH THE CITY.
UH, UH, AS WE CAN SEE, THE REQUEST IS, UH, FOR AN SUP FOR A MORTUARY OR FUNERAL HOME USE.
UH, THE PROPOSED USE IS A PET AFTERCARE AND CREMATOR CREMATION FACILITY, WHICH IS CLOSELY CLASSIFIED AS A OR FUNERAL HOME ACCORDING TO OUR GD CS, UH, DEFINITION, WHICH REQUIRES AN SUP IN THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING.
UH, THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS ADDRESSED AT 3 6 1 4 SECURITY STREET AND HAS AN AREA OF ABOUT LIKE 0.80 ACRES.
IT'S PART OF, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT'S SAKE.
AND THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPED WITH AN EXISTING INDUSTRIAL BUILDING, WHICH IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
AND THE PROPOSAL IS FOR ADAPTIVE USE OF THE EXISTING BUILDING WITH NO INCREASE TO THE, UH, BUILDING FOOTPRINT OR HEIGHT.
THIS IS A LAND USE ZONING MAP.
UH, THE SITE HAS ACCESS FROM BOTH SECURITY STREET AND RESERVE STREET, AND THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES ARE PREDOMINANTLY INDUSTRIALLY ZONED AND ARE DEVELOPED WITH INDUSTRIAL AND AUTOMOTIVE RELATED USES.
THE FUTURE LAND USE, UH, UH, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RECOMMENDS, UH, INDUSTRY CENTER, UH, FOR THIS SITE.
THE PROPOSED, UH, USE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INDUSTRY CENTER DESIGNATION AS IT WOULD ALLOW THE ADAPTER USE OF EXISTING INDUSTRIAL BUILDING AND THE PROPOSED USE WILL MAINTAIN THE INDUSTRIAL AND SERVICE RELATED CHARACTER
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OF THE PROPERTY WHILE PROVIDING A SPECIALIZED SERVICE THAT IS COMPATIBLE WITH SURROUNDING INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.THESE ARE SOME SITE PICTURE AND ALSO THE ZONING SIGN CHANGE, UH, ON THE PROPERTY.
HERE IS THE CONCEPT PLAN PROVIDED BY THE APPLICANT, WHICH SHOWS THE EXISTING BUILDING, UH, EXISTING CANOPY AND THE PAVED AREAS AND MAP SHOWS BLUE BUILDING MAGENTA CANOPY.
UH, THEIR OPERATIONS ARE FOCUSED ON PETS, PHYSICAL REMAINS AND MINERALIZATION AFTER THEY PASS AWAY.
UH, AND ALSO THE APPLICANT PROPOSED, UH, PORTED PLANS, UH, TO, UH, LIKE THEY'RE PROPOSING SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE SITE AS A, A PART OF THIS SUP REQUEST, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, WHICH INCLUDES PORTED PLANS IN THE, UH, FRONTAGE OF THE BUILDING ALONG SECURITY STREET, AND ALSO THE, UH, RELOCATION OF REFUSE CONTAINER BEHIND THE BUILDING AS SHOWN IN THE CONCEPT PLAN.
AND HERE ARE SOME ELEVATIONS OF TEXT ELEVATIONS.
AND THE SITE HAS LIKE, UH, EXISTING 20 PARKING SPACES.
AND BASED ON THE G'S REQUIREMENT, UH, 55 SPACES ARE REQUIRED FOR THE USE.
SO THE APPLICANT INTENDS TO SUBMIT AN ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REQUIRE, UH, REQUEST, UH, AFTER THE BUILDING 11,000 SF APPROVAL OF THIS SUP, UH, AND THE APPLICANT.
UH, THE ELEVATION SHOWS THE PRO, UH, PROPOSED LOWERED MECHANICAL ROOF SCREENS TO SCREEN THE EXISTING ROOFTOP EQUIPMENT, UH, FROM SECURITY STREET AND ALSO FROM THE RESERVE STREET.
THE SCREENING MATERIALS MUST BE CONSISTENT WITH, UH, AND COMPATIBLE WITH THE MAIN BUILDING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SECTION 4.46 OF GDC TEXT SUP.
THE SUP TIME PERIOD GUIDE RECOMMENDS EIGHT TO 15 YEARS FOR THE REQUEST, UH, INVOLVING, UM, MINOR, UH, UH, UPDATES TO THE SITE.
THE PROPOSED OPERATION IS LIMITED TO ONLY PET AFTERCARE AND CREMATION SERVICES.
THE FACILITY WILL NOT OPERATE AS A REGULAR RETAIL USE WITH LIMITED OR NO PUBLIC VISIT.
VISITATION STAFF, UH, RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE SUP AND THE ASSOCIATED CONCEPT PLAN FOR, FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS, SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
UH, THE FUNERAL OR FUNERAL HOME USE SHALL BE LIMITED TO A PET AFTERCARE AND CREMATION FACILITY AND OPERATIONS ASSOCIATED TO IT SHALL BE CONDUCTED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE EXISTING BUILDING, AND IT SHALL NOT BE OPEN TO GENERAL PUBLIC AND SHALL OPERATE AS A NON-RETAIL USE.
WITH LIMITED OR NO PUBLIC VISITATION, A TOTAL OF NINE PORTED PLANS SHALL BE INSTALLED AND MAINTAINED ALONG THE NORTH FRONT OF EXISTING STRUCTURE FACING SECURITY STREET.
THE REFUSE CONTAINER SHALL BE RELOCATED BEHIND THE BUILDING AS SHOWN ON THE CONCEPT PLAN AND THE SCREENING OF, UH, TEXT 10 ROOFTOP, UH, ROOFTOP MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, UH, SHOULD BE CONSISTENT AND, UH, HOURS OF OPERATIONS SHALL BE LIMITED TO MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY FROM EIGHT TO FIVE, AND THE FACILITY SHALL BE CLOSED TO GENERAL PUBLIC ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS.
HOWEVER, THE LIMITED INTERNAL OPERATIONS MAY OCCUR ON WEEKENDS WITH NO MORE THAN FOUR EMPLOYEES ON SITE.
AND STAFF HAS MAILED ABOUT, UH, 71 TEXT SCOTT ROBERTS NOTICES TO THE SURROUNDING PROPERTY OWNERS.
WE RECEIVED ONLY ONE AGAINST THE, UH, REQUEST AND THERE WAS LIKE NO MAJOR COMMENTS MENTIONED.
UH, SO WITH THIS I'M OPEN TO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH, MAN DESK NAME.
YOU, COULD YOU REPEAT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE PARKING? THEY HAVE 15 PLACES.
UH, THEY HAVE 20 PARKING SPACES RIGHT NOW.
THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE LIKE 55.
BUT, UH, THEY USE IS ONLY LIMITED TO LIKE, UH, COLLECTION OF, UH, PET UH, BODIES FROM THE OUTSIDE SOURCES.
SO THERE WON'T BE MAJOR LIKE MAJORITY, THERE WON'T BE ANY LIKE PUBLIC VISITATIONS IN GENERAL.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WHY THEY ARE, THEY ARE IN, UH, THEY WANT TO GO THROUGH THE ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE PROCESS.
SO THEY'RE GONNA, IF THEY GET THE SUP, THEY'RE GONNA COME BACK AND REQUEST A YES SIR.
THEY, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO DO IT, UH, THROUGH STAFF VIA PROVIDING A PARKING STUDY.
IT'LL BE A, AN ADMINISTRATIVE COST ADMINISTRATIVE.
PART OF OUR NEWER STREAMLINED PROCESS.
UM, BUT IT WAS MOSTLY USED FOR INDUSTRIAL, INDUSTRIAL
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USE ALL THE TIME SINCE THE, OKAY.COMMISSIONER JENKINS, THEN COMMISSIONER CORNELIUS CHAIR.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.
A COMMENT IS RELATING TO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS LISTED IN THE REPORT.
I WANTED TO VOICE SUPPORT FOUR ITEMS, TWO AND THREE THAT ARE LISTED IN THE REPORT.
I THINK THE REASONING AND LOGIC THAT I PROVIDE, UH, THERE IN OUR SOUND.
FOUR PEOPLE RETURN TO THE TABLE.
THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THE INFORMATION.
MY QUESTION IS, HAVE WE EVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE THIS COME BEFORE GARLAND PLANNING, BEFORE THIS PARTICULAR AFTERCARE CREMATORY, AS FAR AS ANYONE KNOWS? NOT IN THE PAST 20 YEARS.
LOOKS UP AND DOWN AT HIS DESK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING DOWN.
I THINK THE APPLICANT HAS THREE PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT.
I'LL CALL, UH, AND YOU CAN COME UP IN WHICHEVER ORDER YOU WANT.
UH, KEATON MAN FROM THE DIMENSION GROUP OR ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO COME UP.
AND AGAIN, NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE.
CHAIRMAN ROBERTS LOOKS TOWARD THE AUDIENCE AND SMILES.
I AM AT 1 0 7 5 5 SAND HILL ROAD, DALLAS, TEXAS.
UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING.
I'M THE DIMENSION GROUP, THE APPLICANT HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL MIGHT HAVE, AND I HAVE REPRESENTATIVES OF GATEWAY SERVICE HERE AS WELL.
UH, SORRY, I MISSED A LITTLE DOT OVER YOUR NAME HERE.
OH, THAT'S WHY I THOUGHT IT WAS AN N.
SCOTT ROBERTS LOWERS A PAPER AND LOOKS DOWN AT HIS DESK.
COMMISSIONER DALTON, THREE MEN AND WOMAN, A DESK.
UM, YOU'RE GOING TO RUN A CREMATORY SERVICE HERE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THERE IS CERTAIN AROMAS THAT WILL OCCUR.
IS THERE PLANS TO SCRUB THAT IN SOME MANNER PRIOR TO EXITING THE BUILDING? I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO DEFER TO GATEWAY ON THE EXACT OPERATIONS OF THE BUILDING, BUT I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS PART OF THEIR OPERATIONS IS THAT THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, MEET ALL LAW REQUIREMENTS TO KEEP MY STANDS OF PODIUM THAT ARE ON THE BOOKS THAT REGULATE THAT TYPE OF BUSINESS.
BECAUSE I'M THINKING IN TERMS OF THE SURROUNDING BUSINESSES AND WHAT THEY MIGHT CONSIDER A QUESTION THEY WOULD RAISE.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE INS AND OUTS.
I'M THE CIVIL ENGINEER, SO OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING IS ALL I KNOW
AND WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE SPEAKERS, UH, FROM NEIL.
TEXT SCOTT ROBERTS CHAIR, SIT BEHIND DESK.
LOOKS DOWN AT PAPERS, THEN UP, THEN BACK DOWN.
I I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION FROM THE, UH, SITE PLAN.
IS THERE PLENTY OF A PARKING AISLE SPACE? UH, I DON'T RECALL THE IN FRONT OF THE, ON THERE.
I DO NOT RECALL THAT, BUT A LITTLE BIT TO THE PARKING.
I THINK THE WAY THE SUV'S WRITTEN IS IT MENTIONS A FUNERAL HOME.
AND SO I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE CODE THAT PROBABLY BEST FIT.
AND SO THE WAY WE OPERATE, OR THE WAY GATEWAY OPERATES, IT DOESN'T HAVE THAT FORWARD CUSTOMER FACING AS MUCH.
THE MAJORITY OF THE BUSINESS IS BUSINESS TO BUSINESS.
SO YEAH, THERE'S NOT THE GENERAL PUBLIC STOPPING BY.
SO WE DID DO A PARKING ANALYSIS THAT WE'VE SHARED WITH STAFF AND ARE GONNA DO THE ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE PLAN.
WELL, I I WAS MORE CONCERNED, AND YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK, MAKE SURE YOUR PARKING SPACES ARE COMPLIANT.
I KNOW YOU'VE ANGLED SOME OF THEM, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A LESSER PARKING AISLE AND THEN STRAIGHT ON ONES AND JUST LOOK A LITTLE TIGHT.
YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT.
AND I HAVE A OH OH, ONE MORE QUESTION.
YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE LANDSCAPING SCREENING REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENTED BY STAFF.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR TEXT, JULIUS JENKINS, UH, ANGST OR ANXIETY ABOUT ANYTHING THAT STAFF IS RECOMMEND RECOMMENDING AT THIS POINT? NO.
I MEAN, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE EXISTING SITE IS ESSENTIALLY A HUNDRED PERCENT PAVED.
THERE'S SOME EXISTING PLANNER BOXES IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND, YOU KNOW, IN AN ATTEMPT TO BEAUTIFY IT, I THINK THE HOTTED PLANTS, WE DON'T TAKE ANY ISSUE WITH DOING WHAT STAFF WANTS.
IS IT NINE THERE ALREADY OR DID STAFF COME UP WITH NINE? THEY'RE NINE IS THE NUMBER THAT STAFF CAME UP WITH.
I THINK THERE'S THREE RAISED PLANTERS OUT THERE EXISTING, WHICH, YOU KNOW, ARE EMPTY NOW.
AND THEN ADDITIONAL POTTED PLANTS WOULD BE PROVIDED.
THAT'S A, MY NEXT QUESTION'S GONNA BE FOR STAFFS.
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YOU BOTH WANT TO COME UP HERE OR WHATEVER, IF YOU'RE BOTH WITH THE SAME COMPANY AND NAME AND ADDRESS TEXT SCOTT ROBERTS.UH, ADDRESS IS TWO DANIELS WAY CRANSTON, RHODE ISLAND 0 2 9 2 1.
UM, I PUT MY HOME ADDRESS ON THE CARD.
2226 CHANDLER STREET, FORT COLLINS, COLORADO.
MISTY SEARCH SPEAKS, GESTURING.
UH, LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT GATEWAY.
SO WE'VE BEEN IN BUSINESS SINCE THE EARLY 1990S.
WE ARE THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF PET AFTERCARE IN NORTH AMERICA.
THIS IS WHO WE ARE, UH, REGARDING YOUR QUESTION.
UM, FOR ODOR, OUR LOCATIONS, WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF LOCATIONS THAT WE OCCUPY.
UM, SOME OF THEM ARE MULTI-TENANT BUILDINGS WHERE WE HAVE ANOTHER TENANT THAT'S JUST SEPARATED BY A DEMISING WALL, AND THEN WE HAVE FREESTANDING BUILDINGS.
ODOR HAS NEVER BEEN A CONCERN, AND WE DO SCRUB THE BUILDINGS ENTIRELY WHEN WE VACATE.
SO IT WILL BE RETURNED BACK TO THE CONDITION THAT IT'S IN TODAY OR WHATEVER WE'VE COME UP WITH, WITH THE LANDLORD PER THE LEASE.
BUT AS FAR AS CLEANING THE FACILITY, IT WILL BE CLEAN.
A FEW OTHER QUESTIONS THAT ARE USUALLY ASKED BY US.
WE HAVE NO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ON SITE.
WE DO NOT DISPOSE OF ANY OF THE ASHES ON SITE.
MISTY SEARCH STANDS AT A PODIUM.
UM, WE APPLY, WE, WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH ALL EPA REGULATIONS.
TEXAS IS ONE OF THE MOST CONSTRAIN CONS STRINGENT IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO WE HAVE LOCATIONS IN TEXAS, WE HAVE LOCATIONS IN CALIFORNIA.
WE HAVE LOCATIONS IN OREGON, SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.
THOSE ARE THE GUIDELINES THAT WE FOLLOW FOR ALL OF OUR LOCATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.
SO WE DO HAVE HEAVY COMPLIANCE STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
FOR THE EPAI AM JUST, I, I'M THE OPERATIONS MANAGER.
JUST TO GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR OPERATIONS, WE'RE A I B2B BUSINESS.
WE ARE, UH, AN EXTENSION OF THE VETERINARY SERVICES.
SO YOUR, UH, VET HOSPITALS DON'T HAVE CREMATION UNITS THEMSELVES.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE BASICALLY COME IN THE BACK DOOR, TAKE THE ANIMALS, UH, DO THE SERVICES, BRING THEM BACK TO THE VET, AND THEN THEY GIVE THEM BACK TO THE PUBLIC.
SO IT'S NOT A PUBLIC FACING SPACE.
WE'RE A, UM, EXTENSION OF THE VET SERVICES AND WE DO A LOT OF BEHIND THE SCENES WORK.
UM, IT'S NOT THE PRETTY PART OF OWNING A PET, BUT, UH, WE, WE DO IT VERY, UH, DISCREETLY AND, UH, WITH A LOT OF COMPASSION AND CARE.
AND, UM, MY IN SEARCH OF PODIUM, IT'S, THAT'S THE BUSINESS.
AND AS KEATON MENTIONED, THAT'S WHY OUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS ARE SO LOW, UM, BECAUSE THE 55 SPACES ARE USUALLY FOR A FUNERAL HOME AND THEY'RE HAVING FUNERALS.
WE DON'T OFFER THAT TYPE OF SERVICE TEXT.
WAYNE BOLTON AT LARGE, SECOND VICE CHAIR COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH.
UH, THAT'S A 10,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING.
AND Y'ALL ARE GONNA UTILIZE IT THE ENTIRE BUILDING FOR THIS SERVICE.
IS THERE ANY LIMIT ON THE SIZE ANIMAL YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF? TEXT JAR JONES, DISTRICT FIVE, PATRICK CABBEL, DISTRICT SIX? WE, UH, NO.
THERE'S, I MEAN, WE, IT'S BASICALLY, IF YOU CALL IT A PET, WE, WE CAN CREMATE IT.
SO I MEAN, UP TO THE SIZE OF A HORSE, BUT THAT WOULD BE PRETTY RARE AROUND HERE.
UH, IT, 99% OF OUR BUSINESS IS CATS AND DOGS.
BUT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE LARGE ANIMALS? WE COULD IF REQUIRED.
I WAS JUST SURPRISED BECAUSE I, I HAVE A FRIEND WHO, WHO OWNS A CREMATORIUM AND THE SIZE OF THAT JUST KIND OF, IT'S LIKE, DO YOU REALLY NEED THAT MUCH ROOM? BUT WE'RE GRATEFUL YOU'RE TAKING UP AN, AN EMPTY BUILDING AND PUTTING IT BACK ON THE TAX ROLL, SO TO SPEAK.
SO WE, WE ALSO, IT IS A SERVICE THAT'S NEEDED AND, UH, I'M SURE THE PUBLIC RE APPRECIATES IT.
A LARGE PART OF THE SPACE HAS TAKEN UP, UM, FOR COLD STORAGE.
WE HAVE A LARGE MORGUE TO KEEP THE ANIMALS OKAY.
UM, COLD IN, SO IT'S NOT JUST MAKES SENSE.
SO NOW THAT, NOW YOU TURN THE RIGHT LAST SWITCH ON.
KEEP IN MY GESTURES TEXT EDGAR MIRANDA, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YOUR ANSWER ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.
YOU DO HAVE LARGE COOLING CAPACITY AND EVERYTHING, AND, AND YOU'RE PROBABLY USING STATE-OF-THE-ART, UH, FURNACES THAT SCRUB AND CLEAN AND, UH, CLEAN BURNING FOR SAKE OF A BETTER TERM.
AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE MACHINES THAT WE USE ARE CUSTOM MADE FOR PETS.
WE'RE NOT ADAPTING, YOU KNOW, A MACHINE FOR HUMANS.
THESE ARE PET CREMATORY UNITS MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, PROBABLY MANY OF US IF NEED YOUR SERVICES AS FAR TOO OFTEN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHTY.
THESE ARE THE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THESE ARE THE ONLY SPEAKER CARDS I HAVE.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THIS CASE? SCOTT ROBERTS PUTS PAPERS ON DESK.
COMMISSIONER JENKINS, I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR STAFF IF I MAY.
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THE, THE QUESTIONS ARE REALLY, UH, TWOFOLD.ONE, HOW DO WE GET TO THE NINE, UH, TOTAL, UH, PLANTER RECOMMENDATIONS? UH, AND THE SECOND IS, ARE WE DEFINING A USE? IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE CONSIDERATIONS, THE, THE TERM OF THE, I GUESS THE USE IS REALLY CLEARLY DEFINED, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT PART OF THE SUP INCLUDES THE DEFINITION THAT STAFF HAS WORKED ON.
SO THOSE ARE MY TWO QUESTIONS.
UH, REGARDING THE PLANTATIONS, UH, WE WERE, UH, LIKE, KIND OF LIKE INITIALLY PLANNING TO LIKE REQUEST, LIKE RECOMMEND MORE LIKE ORNAMENTAL PLANTATIONS, BUT THEY WOULD BE LIKE, UH, IT'S MORE LOOKING LIKE UNFIT.
IT WOULD BE UNFIT LIKE BECAUSE OF THE SPACE CONSTRAINTS THE SITE WAS HAVING.
SO LIKE, IT WAS JUST LIKE WE, UH, DEPENDING UPON THE AVAILABILITY OF SPACE AND LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE SITE OF THE POTTED PLANS, WE JUST CAME UP WITH A NUMBER.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING, UH, WE DON'T HAVE LIKE SPECIFIC CALCULATIONS THAT WE USED TO GIVE THAT NUMBER.
JUST, UH, I JUST, UH, SAW SOME, UH, AVERAGES OF A POTTED PLANT SIZES.
AND THAT'S WHAT I FELT LIKE WE FELT LIKE THEY WOULD FIT.
THEY, THEY WOULD BE FITTING THERE.
THE MAN SPEAKS AT A PODIUM WITH LAPTOP AND M**K HANDS ON PODIUM.
IF YOU CAN SEE ALONG SECURITY STREET, THAT'S WHERE THE THREE RECTANGULAR GREEN BOXES ARE.
THAT'S WHERE THE NINE TEXT PLAN COMMISSION POTTER PLANS WILL GO.
SO IF YOU LOOK IT, IT IS KIND OF EVENLY DISTRIBUTED ALONG THE BUILDING.
SO IF THREE OF THOSE HOLD, EACH OF THOSE HOLD THREE PLANS, WE THOUGHT THAT WOULD BEAUTIFY THE BUILDING, UM, IN A FAIRWAY.
AND IN TERMS OF THE DEFINITION, YES.
SO PLAN COMMISSION, JULY, THE FUNERAL HOME IS THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE LAND USE DEFINITION THAT WE HAVE.
BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT CANNOT BECOME THAT IF THIS BUSINESS FOR SOME REASON, UM, LEAVES THIS SITE.
SO WE HAVE COME UP WITH A SPECIFIC CONDITION THAT WILL ADDRESS THAT.
THAT THIS CAN ONLY BE A PET AFTERCARE FACILITY AND CANNOT BECOME A FUNERAL HOME.
THAT IS A CONDITION IN THE SUP.
MY, I GUESS THE LOOKING AT STAFF RECOMMENDATION, NUMBER ONE SPECIFICALLY, IT SAYS THE FACILITY NOT, SHALL NOT OPERATE.
IT'S A GENERAL PUBLIC MORTUARY FUNERAL HOME OR RETAIL SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT.
PART OF THEIR BUSINESS IS GOING TO THE VETS TO SAY, HEY, WE WANT YOUR BUSINESS.
SO ARE, ARE WE LIMITING THEM IN SOME WAY BY INCLUDING THAT SORT OF LANGUAGE? I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO MM-HMM
TWO DISPLAY SCREENS ON THE WALL SHOW.
I, I DO NOT SEE WHAT THEY WERE DESCRIBING AS A, HAVING TOO MUCH CONNECTION WITH THE RETAIL SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT.
I DON'T THINK THAT'LL BE AN ISSUE, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN WORK WITH THEM TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY ISSUE THAT THEY SEE WITH THIS DEFINITION, BUT I THINK THAT'S FINE.
WE, WE CAN ASK THE APPLICANT BACK UP TO ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE ANY, FOR SAKE OF A BETTER TERM, WALK-IN TRAFFIC IF ONE OF YOU WANT TO COME BACK UP AND ANSWER THAT FOR US.
I, I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GETTING IN RIGHT? TEXT PLAN COMMISSION IS, UH, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR BUSINESS COMES FROM VETS AND WHAT PERCENTAGE MAY BE FROM PUBLIC THAT WANTS TO, UH, KEEP MY PODIUM HAND MOVES? UH, I, I CAN'T PUT A PERCENTAGE ON IT, BUT LARGE, LARGE MAJORITY IS FROM THE VET DIRECTLY.
UM, BUT IT'S ALWAYS POSSIBLE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEONE'S PET PASSES AT HOME, THEY GO TO THEIR VET, THE VET TELLS THEM TO BRING STRAIGHT TO US THAT IT CAN HAPPEN.
BUT, UM, MOST OF OUR BUSINESSES WORKING WITH THE VET SERVICES.
I I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE THE MODEL AND YOU COULD EVEN OFFER TO PICK IT UP AT THERE WHERE THEY ARE.
OUR PREFERENCE IS TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH, UH, THE VET HOSPITALS.
BUT I MEAN, IF SOMEONE WALKS IN THE DOOR WITH A, UM, DECEASED PET MM-HMM
YOU'RE NOT GONNA TURN 'EM AWAY.
IS THAT, DOES THAT HELP, SIR? THANK YOU.
HE LOOKS DOWN THEN UP AND LEFT.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION OR A MOTION? COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY, UH, FROM MR. JENKINS' DISCUSSION, WE'RE NOT, THIS MOTION IS, OR THIS PRESENTATION IS NOT GONNA LIMIT THE PUBLIC COMING INTO THIS FACILITY, IS IT? NO.
I DIDN'T WANT Y'ALL TO BE HAM HANDICAPPED BY THAT.
I, I THINK STAN'S WRITING WRITTEN IT SO IT'S NOT A WHOLESALE PUBLIC DEAL WITH SIGNAGE AND EVERYTHING.
SCOTT ROBERTS LOOKS LEFT THEN STRAIGHT AHEAD.
HE MAKES A SMALL GESTURE WITH HIS HAND.
SCOTT ROBERTS ADJUST HIS GLASSES AND SMILES SLIGHTLY.
SCOTT ROBERTS LOOKS DOWN AT HIS DESK.
UH, I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS, UH, SUP AS PRESENTED WITH STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE ALL EIGHT ITEMS IN THERE.
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SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH, A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER JONES TO APPROVE THIS APPLICATION PER STAFF RECOMMENDATION, INCLUDING ALL ITEMS IN, SORRY, I DIDN'T STIPULATE.THE, THE SUP TERM, WHAT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION WAS 10 YEARS.
THREE MINUTES A DESK SCREEN SHOWS GARLAND.
ANY DISCUSSION? SCOTT ROBERTS LOOKS FROM PAPERS THEN DOWN.
OKAY, LET'S GET READY TO VOTE.
WHOOP, DID I JUST WIPE, WIPE OUT THE MOTION.
AND COMMISSIONER JONES A SECOND.
YOU'LL HAVE TO VOTE AND I KEEP FORGETTING.
SCOTT ROBERTS LOOKS TO HIS RIGHT.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ITEM TWO BGDC AMENDMENT 26 DASH FIVE.
HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER ZERO TWO ZONING REGULATIONS, CHAPTER FOUR, SITE DEVELOPMENT AND CHAPTER FIVE, RELIEF PROCEDURES AND ENFORCEMENT GENERALLY RELATED TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
DID I GET A YELLOW CARD FROM YOU? NO, JUST KIDDING.
UM, I WON'T REPEAT THE REQUEST, UM, BUT IT'S ORDINANCE NUMBER 26 DASH ZERO FIVE.
UH, A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON THIS ITEM.
UH, THE GDC CURRENTLY PROVIDES, UM, A FEW DIFFERENT RELIEF PROCEDURES AT SECTION FOUR 20 K, UH, THAT ALLOW A DEVELOPMENT TO EXCEED PARKING REQUIREMENTS, UM, BY VERY SPECIFIC PERCENTAGES, UM, BASED ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE PROJECT.
UM, THESE EXISTING REGULATIONS ARE VERY COMPLEX, UM, AND REALLY DON'T PROVIDE ENOUGH, UH, RELIEF AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL.
UM, UH, SO THIS PROPOSAL WOULD, UM, JUST SIMPLIFY THESE RELIEF PROCEDURES AND STREAMLINE, UM, REVIEW OF REQUESTS FOR DEVIATIONS TO PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO THE AMENDMENT IS BROKEN DOWN INTO A FEW DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
UM, FIRST, THE CHANGE TO THE LAND USE MATRIX.
UM, SO ALL PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN THE GDC ARE LISTED BY USE IN THE LAND USE MATRIX.
UM, HOWEVER, IT'S CURRENTLY UNCLEAR, UH, WHETHER THESE REQUIREMENTS ARE THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF SPACES REQUIRED OR IF IT'S THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SPACES.
UM, SO ONE OF THE, UH, CHANGES WOULD JUST SPECIFY THAT THESE PARKING REQUIREMENTS ARE THE MINIMUM REQUIRED.
UM, AND THEN BUILDING FROM THERE, UM, OF COURSE DUE TO, UH, SB EIGHT 40 WE'RE, UH, REQUIRED TO HAVE OUR MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT BE ONE SPACE PER DWELLING UNIT.
UM, HOWEVER, WITH THIS, WE ARE ADDING A MAXIMUM PARKING RE, UH, REQUIREMENT THAT IS ESSENTIALLY OUR OLD MINIMUM, UM, BEFORE WE HEAD TO CHANGE IT, UM, DUE TO SB EIGHT 40.
UM, SO THAT WOULD BE ONE SPACE FOR AN EFFICIENCY UNIT, UH, 1.5 SPACES FOR ONE BEDROOM, AND THEN, UH, TWO SPACES, UH, FOR ANY UNIT THAT HAS TWO OR MORE BEDROOMS. UM, AND THEN ANYTHING BEYOND THAT MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY ADDITIONAL, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY RELIEF PROCEDURE, UM, NECESSARILY.
UM, THE ONLY OPTION SOMEONE WOULD HAVE WOULD BE TO SUBMIT, UM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER PARKING RATIO, UM, THROUGH A PD REQUEST.
UH, AND THEN ON THE NON-RESIDENTIAL SIDE, UM, SO ANY, UM, INCREASE ABOVE THE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT, UP TO 15% OF THAT MINIMUM, UM, FOLKS WOULD NEED TO FILE ANY KIND OF RELIEF PROCEDURE, ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REQUESTS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THEY COULD JUST, YOU KNOW, SORT OF DO IT.
UM, HOWEVER, ANY INCREASE MORE THAN 15% AND UP TO 30% OF THAT MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT, UM, WOULD REQUIRE A PARKING DEVIATION REQUEST, UH, WHICH I'LL GET INTO HERE IN A SECOND.
UM, AND THEN ANYTHING MORE THAN 30%, THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY KIND KIND OF RELIEF PROCEDURE.
UM, AN APPLICANT WOULD JUST NEED TO FILE THAT THROUGH A PD REQUEST.
UM, SO AS FAR AS THE RELIEF PROCEDURE ITSELF, UM, THE PARKING DEVIATION REQUEST, UM, MAY BE SUBMITTED FOLLOWING THE SAME PROCESS AS AN ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE REQUEST.
IT JUST FOLLOWS THE SAME PROCESS.
UM, HOWEVER, THE REQUEST WOULD REQUIRE A PARKING GENERATION STUDY PREPARED BY A LICENSED TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER THAT DEMONSTRATES THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING.
UM, OR WE'VE ADDED AN OPTION WHERE AN APPLICANT CAN ALSO SUBMIT OTHER DOCUMENTS THAT AT THE DISCRETION OF THE PLANNING DIRECTOR, UH, DEMONSTRATE THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PARKING.
UM, AND THEN ANY PARKING DEVIATION REQUESTS WOULD NEED TO BE MITIGATED, UM, THROUGH METHODS SUCH AS PERVIOUS PARKING, INCREASED LANDSCAPING, INCREASED STORM WATER CONTROLS, JUST SOMETHING THAT OFFSETS THAT ADDITIONAL PAVEMENT, UM, THAT WE WOULD BE ALLOWING IF WE APPROVE THE REQUEST.
UH, AND THEN, UM, ANY KIND OF, UH, STRUCTURED PARKING WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THESE MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, IT'S STRUCTURED PARKING IS PRETTY PRICEY.
UM, SO IT'S VERY RARE THAT SOMEONE WOULD EXCEED THE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
[00:30:01]
HOWEVER, WE WANTED TO ADD THAT TO THE CODE TO JUST MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE, UM, FOR FOLKS TO PROVIDE STRUCTURED PARKING WITH THEIR DEVELOPMENTS.UM, IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO, THEY WOULDN'T BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A PARKING DEVIATION REQUEST OR ANY OTHER KIND OF ADMINISTRATIVE RELIEF LIKE THAT.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS JUST INTENDED TO ELIMINATE, UM, FRICTION FOR THOSE DEVELOPERS.
UM, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, CHAIR ROBERTS, UM, SUGGESTED THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE ALL THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
AND, UM, WE WANTED TO ADD, UM, TO THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT, UM, SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO PARKING DOWNTOWN.
SO ANY ADDITIONAL PARKING, UM, DOWNTOWN, UM, WOULD BE EXEMPT FROM THIS MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT IN THIS PROCESS WE'VE OUTLINED.
UM, BUT ONLY IF THAT ADDITIONAL PARKING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE A, A PARKING NEED DOWNTOWN, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEEKENDS WHEN WE HAVE EVENTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UH, SO WE WANNA, UH, LOOK FOR WAYS TO PROVIDE, UM, ADDITIONAL PARKING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AS WE CAN.
UM, SO WITH THAT SAS RECOMMENDATION IS APPROVAL AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS OR THINKING ABOUT IT.
OUS PARKING, CAN YOU GIMME AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE THAT MIGHT BE? PERVIOUS PARKING.
LIKE PARKING ON GRAVEL OR YEAH.
WHERE WATER CAN RUN OR DRAINAGE CAN GO.
UM, THAT WOULD KIND OF FALL OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF THIS ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
WE DIDN'T REALLY LOOK AT THAT.
UM, WE, THIS, THIS IS JUST TO KIND OF, UH, FLEX OUR PARKING DEVIATION.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT WAS IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT THAT'S PROBABLY WORKED INTO THE ENGINEERING STANDARDS AND CALCULATING RUNOFF.
'CAUSE THERE IS SUCH A THING AS GRASS CREEK, WHICH RIGHT.
IN ESSENCE KIND OF LOOKS LIKE A CONCRETE BLOCK ON THE SIDE AND GRASS CAN GROW.
YOU CAN STILL DRIVE OVER IT, SO, RIGHT.
I, I, THAT'S JUST IN MY, WHEN I READ THAT, I THOUGHT, I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD TAKE YOU TO A PLACE AND SAY THIS IS APPLICABLE TO THIS TERM.
NAME BANNER SHOW DISTRICT MEMBERS, UH, FOR PERVIOUS PARKING.
WERE YOU TALKING ABOUT LIKE, UM, THE ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE PROCESS AND MITIGATING THE, AM I USING THE RIGHT TERM? WHAT DID I SAY? IMPERVIOUS OR PERVIOUS? IT'S PERVIOUS.
PERUS, P-E-R-V-I, WHICH IS WHERE WATER CAN RUN OFF OR DRAIN THROUGH.
IF I SAID PERVIOUS, I MEANT IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
BRIAN MOY STANDS AT A PODIUM WITH A LAPTOP.
UM, SO YEAH, THAT WOULD BE A POTENTIAL OPTION, UM, TO MITIGATE THAT ADDITIONAL PARKING.
UM, AS FAR AS EXAMPLES, UM, IN THE CITY, I'M, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY.
UM, SO THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO WORK OUT WITH ENGINEERING BECAUSE THE MATERIAL IS SPECIFIED IN THE TECHNICAL STANDARDS MANUAL.
IT'S ALSO SPECIFIED IN THE GDC THAT REQUIRED PARKING HAS TO BE CONCRETE.
BUT, UH, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT AS FAULT IN THE MIDDLE OF A PARKING LOT.
THERE COULD BE CONCRETE BLOCKS OR PAVERS WITH GAPS OR WIDER JOINTS WHERE WATER CAN RUN OFF IN THE, IN, IN THE MIDDLE.
SO THOSE THINGS WILL HAVE TO WORK OUT WITH THE, WITH THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IN A WAY THAT WILL NOT DECREASE THE LOOK AND FEEL OF OUR PARKING LOT.
IT'LL KEEP IT INTACT, BUT IT HAS SOME ENGINEERING OPTIONS TO MAKE IT ENVIRONMENTALLY A LITTLE BIT MORE SUITABLE.
SO WE'RE, WE ARE HEADING TOWARD PERVIOUS PARKING THEN? YEAH.
WITH IT, IF, IF THEY'RE PROVIDING MORE THAN 15%, THAT IS ONE WAY THAT THEY CAN MITIGATE.
BUT THEY CAN PUT MORE LANDSCAPE VIOLENCE.
THEY CAN PUT MORE LANDSCAPING.
SO RYAN WAS TRYING TO PUT IN SOME TOOLS MM-HMM
FOR THE DEVELOPERS TO AVAIL IF AN ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE, UM, REQUEST COMES IN.
AND, AND IT'S WRITTEN WHERE IT'S OPEN FORM TO CONSIDER OTHER THINGS.
'CAUSE IT SAYS METHODS SUCH AS YEAH.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? OH, I'M SORRY.
UH, ON YOUR, ON YOUR UH, LIST, UH, YOU ADDED, UH, AT THE TOP OF THAT, UM, MINIMUM PARKING APPLIES TO EVERY ITEM ON HERE.
SO THAT WOULD, THOSE WOULD BE CHANGES TO THE, UH, THE LAND USE MATRIX.
UM, JUST THAT ONE COLUMN THERE THAT OUTLINES THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS BY USE.
UM, JUST SPECIFYING THAT THOSE ARE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
'CAUSE BEFORE IT WASN'T REALLY CLEAR IF THEY WERE THE MINIMUM OR THE MAXIMUM.
WELL, I, YOU KNOW, I ASKED YOU ABOUT THE MEETING.
I WENT BACK AND LISTENED TO IT AND AT THE CLOSE THEY TALKED ABOUT BRINGING MINIMUM PARKING BACK LATER.
SO APPARENTLY Y'ALL HAVE PULLED THAT FORWARD TO, IN THIS PRESENTATION THAT WILL BE ANOTHER GDC AMENDMENT FOR A FUTURE TIME.
OH, IT WAS, THAT WILL REQUIRE A LOT OF RESEARCH
SO THAT WILL BE A FUTURE ITEM.
THIS WAS A QUICK REMEDY FOR THE MAXIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENT, BUT YES, IN, IN FUTURE YOU'LL
[00:35:01]
SEE THAT, UH, COME FORWARD AS WELL.I'M GONNA ASK IF THERE'S ANYBODY ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO ADDRESS THIS ITEM.
I SEEN A COMMISSIONER'S MOTION DISCUSSION TEXT SCOTT ROBERTS CHAIRMAN.
HE LOOKS UP BRIEFLY THEN BACK DOWN.
AND COMMISSIONER CORNELIUS WISHES TO MAKE A MOTION.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE, UM, MOTION TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL PER, UH, STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MIRANDA.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CORNELIUS AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MIRANDA TO APPROVE THE GDC CHANGE PER STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
ANY DISCUSSION? TEXT SCOTT ROBERTS CHAIRMAN.
THE CHAIRMAN RESTS HIS RIGHT HAND ON THE DESK AT THE END OF THE SEGMENT.
A DARK OVERLAY APPEARS WITH VOTING RESULTS.
TEXT MOTION BY GEORGIE CORNELIUS, SECONDED BY EDGAR MIRANDA.
INDIVIDUAL VOTES ARE LISTED FOLLOWED BY A SUMMARY DISPLAYING YES.
ONE A CIRCULAR GARLAND LOGO IS IN THE BACKGROUND AND PASSAGE UNANIMOUSLY.
ALRIGHT, UH, NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS A MISCELLANEOUS ITEM THREE, A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF CITYWIDE PLANS AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES.
AND THAT'S BEING PRESENTED BY OUR CITY MANAGER MIKE BETS.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO LISTEN TO VERY CAREFULLY 'CAUSE THE FUTURE OF THE CITY AND THE DIRECTION WE NEED TO GO IS BASED QUITE A BIT ON THIS STUDY, IN THIS PRESENTATION, AND WILL HOPEFULLY GUIDE SOME OF THE DECISIONS WE END UP MAKING.
MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
UM, I CAME HERE TONIGHT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE GARLAND ON THE RISE STRATEGIC PLAN AND HOW IT IMPACTS THE WORK THAT YOU DO HERE AT THE PLAN COMMISSION.
UM, I WANNA START BY, UH, THANKING EACH OF YOU FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU GIVE THIS CITY.
A LOT OF OUR RESIDENTS DON'T REALIZE THAT YOU SERVE HERE WITHOUT PAY AND GIVE UP MANY EVENINGS, UH, GOING THROUGH THE CASES THAT WE PRESENT TO YOU.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, I AS CITY MANAGER, I KNOW THE STAFF IS VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE WILLING TO COME AND GIVE THEIR TIME AND LISTEN TO CASES AND DECIDE CASES AND UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THOSE CASES FOR OUR CITY.
THE GARLAND ON THE RISE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS PRESENTED, UH, A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE COUNCIL, AND THEY ADOPTED IT ALMOST A MONTH AGO NOW.
UH, SO IT IS NOW THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF THIS CITY.
UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVEN'T WATCHED EITHER THE SATURDAY PRESENTATION WHERE WE, UH, INFORMED THE COUNCIL AND, AND TALKED ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN OR THE, UH, MONDAY NIGHT WORK SESSION WHERE WE HAD A, UM, BRIEFER, UH, PRESENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO THAT.
UH, I'M NOT GOING TO REITERATE THE ENTIRE PLAN TONIGHT, BUT INSTEAD I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN ASKS FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THIS ROOM WHO DECIDE LAND USE CASES, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO PLAY A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, BECAUSE MUCH OF WHAT WE'RE DOING INVOLVES LAND USE AND HOW TO FIX PROBLEMS THE CITY HAS THAT ARE RELATED TO THE LAND USES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY.
AND SO THE REASON FOR THIS, AND THEN I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE REASON FOR THE PLAN AND DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CONDITIONS THAT GOT US HERE.
SO YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
THE REASON FOR THIS SESSION IS BECAUSE HAVING ADOPTED THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND AS I SAID, IT'S, IT'S ON THE, THE WEBSITE, IT'S GOT FOUR BASIC COMPONENTS.
ONE IS TO MAINTAIN CORE SERVICES OF OUR CITY.
YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, OF COURSE WE'LL MAINTAIN CORE SERVICES.
WELL, THE PROBLEM IS WE'RE INCREASING IN AN INCREASINGLY TIGHT FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENT AS A RESULT OF BOTH LEGISLATION AND, UH, A LONGER TERM DECLINE IN OUR HOUSING AND COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS.
UH, THAT'S CAUSED, UH, INCREASINGLY TIGHTENING BUDGETS.
AND SO ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE PLAN IS TO TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN TO MAINTAIN CORE SERVICES OVER THE NEXT DECADE WHILE THE PLAN IS IMPLEMENTED.
UH, ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART OF THE PLAN IS FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP.
THAT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CITY IS USING, UH, MONEY AS WISELY AS IT CAN AND SAVING MONEY AS MUCH AS IT CAN, AND SPENDING, UH, MONEY TO REVITALIZE OUR NEIGHBORHOODS TO USE THE MONEY TO, TO GROW OUR WAY OUT OF THIS PROBLEM THAT
[00:40:01]
WE HAVE, THAT I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT IN A MOMENT.THE THIRD MOST IMPORTANT, OR THE THIRD PART OF THE PLAN IS THE ONE THAT REALLY IMPACTS THIS COMMISSION, WHICH IS TEXT WEATHER, THE SESSION ECONOMIC, UH, REDEVELOPMENT IN OUR CITY.
UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE LIVED HERE FOR DECADES AND DRIVE THROUGH OUR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS, UH, IN MUCH OF THIS PART OF THE CITY, UH, AND SOUTH AND EVEN THE NORTH PART OF THE CITY SOUTH OF ONE 90, HAVE NOTICED A SLOW GRADUAL DECLINE IN OUR COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS.
ONCE THRIVING SHOPPING CENTERS IN VARIOUS PLACES HAVE BECOME, UH, ECONOMIC AREAS THAT ARE, UH, NOT VERY PRODUCTIVE.
AND MUCH OF THE HOUSING, UH, IN PARTS OF OUR CITY HAS SUFFERED A SLOW LONG-TERM DECLINE THAT YOU'LL SEE FROM TIME TO TIME IN INNER CITIES AND IN INNER RING CITIES, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE.
WE'RE THE FIRST OF THE SUBURBAN AREAS GROW OUT.
WE'VE BEEN GROWN OUT FOR 40 OR 50 YEARS NOW, UH, OR OR MOSTLY GROWN OUT.
AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU'LL SEE A DECLINE IN THE HOUSING STOCK AS A RESULT OF ITS AGE, THE COMMERCIAL QUARTERS AS A RESULT OF ITS AGE.
SO THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE ECON OF THE PLAN, THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WITH RESPECT TO THIS COMMISSION, IS GOING TO BE THE REDEVELOPMENT THAT WE PLAN TO DO.
AND YOU THIS COMMISSION ARE WHERE THE PLAN MEETS EVERY PARCEL IN THE CITY THAT IS IMPACTED BY THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
YOU ARE THE FIRST LINE TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT HOW THOSE PARCELS WILL BE USED GOING FORWARD.
THE COUNCIL HAS DETERMINED THAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY.
AND I THINK IF YOU WATCHED EITHER THE SATURDAY OR THE MONDAY, UH, WORK SESSIONS THAT WE HAD IN THAT, YOU WOULD SEE THAT THE COUNCIL IS BOTH UNANIMOUSLY AND STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO UNDER THIS STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY.
I TOLD THE COUNCIL, AND I WILL SAY IT HERE, WE'RE AT A CROSSROADS IN THE CITY OF GARLAND.
WE'RE AT A CROSSROADS BECAUSE WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE THE SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE COME TO DEMAND AND COME TO EXPECT CANNOT BE SUPPORTED FINANCIALLY GOING FORWARD WITHOUT TURNING THE CITY AROUND, WITHOUT ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT AND WITHOUT, UH, TRYING TO GROW OUR WAY OUT OF A LONG-TERM STRUCTURAL PROBLEM.
THAT'S BEEN EXACERBATED BY SENATE BILL TWO, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MOMENT.
BUT WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE, UH, GET OUT OF THE INCREASINGLY TIGHT FINANCIAL ENVIRONMENT WE'RE IN SO THAT WE CAN 10, 15 YEARS FROM NOW, MAKE SURE WE CAN PROVIDE OUR RESIDENTS THE SERVICE THAT, THAT THEY'VE COME TO EXPECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS PLAN DOES.
AND AS I SAY, WE'RE AT A CROSSROADS BECAUSE WE CAN DO ONE OF TWO THINGS.
WE CAN DO NOTHING AND THEN THE ECONOMIC FORCES WILL DETERMINE WHAT THE FUTURE OF THIS CITY IS, OR WE CAN HAVE A PLAN AND GROW OUR WAY OUT OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE.
THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AS I EXPLAINED TO THE COUNCIL, CHOOSES THE SECOND PATH.
THAT IS WHERE WE DECIDE OUR OWN FUTURE, WHERE WE DECIDE WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN TO GROW OUR WAY OUT OF SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF SOME OF THE LONG TERM DECLINES IN SOME OF OUR, UH, COMMERCIAL AREAS.
AND AS A RESULT OF SOME FINANCIAL PRESSURES THAT I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT IN JUST A MOMENT.
AND THE REASON THAT I SAY THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT, UH, FOR THE PLAN COMMISSION IS BECAUSE THE REDEVELOPMENT THAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE COMING YEARS, AND THAT IS UNDERWAY AND THE WORK IS UNDERWAY FOR WILL TAKE CA, WILL TAKE, UH, SHAPE ONE LAND USE CASE AT A TIME.
AND THOSE CASES COME HERE FIRST.
THIS IS WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD WITH RESPECT TO WHETHER WE ARE SUCCESSFUL OR UNSUCCESSFUL IN REDEVELOPING THE CITY.
EVERY ZONING CASE YOU HEAR, EVERY SUP CASE, YOU HEAR, EVERY COMP PLAN AMENDMENT THAT YOU HAVE IN THE YEARS AHEAD WILL EITHER MOVE US CLOSER TO THE PLAN OR MOVE US AWAY FROM THE PLAN.
THERE'S REALLY NO MIDDLE GROUND EITHER.
WHAT YOU'RE DOING AS A PLAN COMMISSION AND WHAT YOU'RE RECOMMENDING TO THE COUNCIL MOVES US CLOSER TO SUCCESS OR FURTHER AWAY FROM SUCCESS.
EVERY SINGLE CASE SLIDE SHOWS DATA.
COLLINS, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE MATH THAT HAS DRIVEN US HERE.
THE SENATE, UH, SENATE BILL TWO IN 2019, I BELIEVE IT WAS, UH, DECIDED THAT THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE COULD, UH, GAIN EVERY YEAR OVER THE PRIOR YEAR, THE ANNUAL REVENUE INCREASE FOR OUR OPERATING BUDGET WAS GONNA BE CAPPED AT 3.5%.
SO NO MATTER WHAT INFLATION IS, NO MATTER HOW MUCH COSTS HAVE GONE UP FOR THE CITY, WE'RE LIMITED TO GAINING 3.5% REVENUE.
AND I EXPLAIN IT THIS WAY, IMAGINE YOU RAN A BUSINESS AND YOUR COSTS WENT UP 10% A YEAR.
[00:45:01]
MATERIALS AND YOUR COSTS OF THE GOODS YOU'RE SELLING GO UP 10% A YEAR.AND THE STATE PASSES A LAW THAT SAYS THE MOST YOU CAN RAISE YOUR PRICES ANY YEAR IS THREE AND A HALF PERCENT.
I WOULD ASK YOU, HOW LONG ARE YOU STAYING IN BUSINESS? NOT VERY LONG.
AND THE TRUTH IS, OUR ANNUAL COSTS GO UP ABOUT 7% A YEAR AND ALL FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
IT'S ACTUALLY A LITTLE MORE THAN THAT FOR SOME OF THE YEARS, BUT WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 7% RIGHT NOW.
NOW YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, WAIT, INFLATION IS NOT AT 7%.
HOW IS IT THAT OUR COSTS GO UP 7%? WELL, THINK ABOUT THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT A CITY PURCHASES.
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, RIGHT, TO BUILD STUFF.
ANYBODY WHO'S BUILT ANYTHING IN THE LAST 10 YEARS KNOWS WHAT THOSE PRICES HAVE DONE.
THE COST OF CONCRETE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS DRAMATICALLY HIGHER.
WE BUILD ROADS AND SIDEWALKS AND OTHER THINGS OUT OF CONCRETE.
BIG VEHICLES, WE BUY FIRE TRUCKS.
FIRE TRUCKS ARE DRAMATICALLY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THEY WERE FIVE YEARS AGO, ALMOST DOUBLED IN PRICE.
WE ALSO PAY FOR THINGS LIKE PROPERTY INSURANCE FOR OUR BUILDINGS.
PROPERTY INSURANCE PRICES HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF AS A RESULT OF CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
WE PAY FOR HEALTH INSURANCE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS HAVE GONE THROUGH THE ROOF.
AND SO 7.7% ANNUAL GROWTH IS A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE ARE FACING IN THE GENERAL FUND AS AN UPWARD COST.
BUT WE'RE LIMITED TO 3.5% REVENUE IN THE GENERAL FUND FROM OUR PROPERTY TAX BASE.
TEXT THE MAP BEHIND EVERY DECISION.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE FACE IS THAT'S A VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGE TO SOLVE BECAUSE 63% OF OUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW, ALMOST TWO THIRDS OF OUR BUDGET GOES TO PAY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
THAT IS POLICE AND FIRE, MEANING ALMOST THE ENTIRE SQUEEZE GETS PUT ON THE REST OF THE BUDGET.
THAT'S OUR PARKS, THAT'S OUR LIBRARIES, THAT'S OUR CULTURAL ARTS, THAT'S OUR STREETS, THAT'S EVERYTHING ELSE HAS TO GO INTO THAT.
THE OTHER IMPORTANT FACT YOU NEED TO KNOW IS THAT GARLAND IS A VERY MODEST COMMUNITY AND IT IMPACTS THE 3% REVENUE CAP AS FOLLOWS.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR PER CAPITA, THAT'S PER PERSON TAX BASE.
IN GARLAND IT'S ABOUT $354 PER PERSON LESS.
IF YOU JUST SAID, WELL, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE PERSON PAY IN MUNICIPAL TAXES, WHETHER THROUGH SALES OR PROPERTY TAX A YEAR, WHAT'S THE AVERAGE PERSON PAY ACROSS THE METROPLEX IN GARLAND, THEY PAY $354 PER RESIDENT.
THAT RESULTS IN HAVING $90 MILLION LESS, $90 MILLION LESS IN OUR GENERAL FUND EVERY YEAR.
WHY DOES THAT HAPPEN? WELL, TWOFOLD.
NUMBER ONE, WE'RE A VERY MODEST COMMUNITY WITH A FAIRLY LOW TAX BASE IN TERMS OF OUR PROPERTY VALUES.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES IN THE ENTIRE METROPLEX RIGHT HERE IN GARLAND.
THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S AN AFFORDABLE PLACE TO LIVE.
THE BAD NEWS IS WE DON'T GET A LOT OF PROPERTY TAX.
THE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENS IS WE HAVE A VERY MODEST SALES TAX.
OUR SALES TAX, UH, IS MUCH LOWER, MUCH, MUCH LOWER THAN MOST PLACES IN THE METROPLEX.
WHY? BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR COMMERCIAL SHOPPING CENTERS THAT WE ONCE HAD THAT WERE GENERATING IN, UH, PROPERTY TAX, I'M SORRY, SALES TAX, THAT SALES TAX BASE HAS DISAPPEARED AS OUR COMMERCIAL CENTERS HAVE AGED OUT AND TURNED INTO NON-PRODUCTIVE USES.
SO WHERE WE ONCE HAD SHOPPING CENTERS THAT HAD LOTS OF GOODS SOLD AND RESTAURANTS AND THINGS OF THIS NATURE IN OUR QUARTERS, WE NOW HAVE, UH, VERY LOW PRODUCING USES.
AND, UH, AND YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THOSE USES AND SEEN THEM.
IF YOU'VE DRIVEN AROUND OUR CITY, IF YOU'VE LIVED HERE FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME AND YOU GO BACK 25 YEARS AND ASK WHAT SOME OF OUR NICER SHOPPING CENTERS LOOK LIKE THEN AND GO DRIVE BY 'EM TODAY, YOU WOULD SEE THE USES ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
IN FACT, THERE ARE PARTS I I TELL PEOPLE, IF YOU, IF YOU GO UP NORTH AND YOU GO SAY INTO ONE OR TWO MILE STRETCHES OF PLANO OR ONE OR TWO MILE STRETCHES OF RICHARDSON, THEY HAVE MORE SALES TAX IN JUST A COUPLE OF MILES THAN OUR ENTIRE CITY HAS IN SOME OF THESE AREAS, AND THEY HAVE THRIVING SHOPPING CENTERS AND RESTAURANTS AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF.
WHAT CAUSED THEIR DECLINE IN OUR SHOPPING CENTERS? PART OF IT IS A RESULT OF THE HOUSING, UH, DECLINE THAT MAN AT PODIUM WITH FEW PEOPLE.
BECKY KING WILL TALK TO YOU ABOUT, TELL YOU ABOUT THE CZB HOUSING STUDY.
THE MAN GESTURES WITH HIS HANDS.
AND THAT CAUSES, BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING DECLINE, THE SHOPPING CENTERS DON'T HAVE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE AREAS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THEM.
AND SO THEY CAN'T MAKE AS MUCH MONEY.
[00:50:01]
UP AND THEY MOVE.AND THEN LOWER VALUE USES MOVE IN.
SO THIS IS THE MATH THAT WE'RE FACING.
THE MATH IS GOING TO DO WHAT THE MATH IS GOING TO DO.
IF WE HAVE 7% INCREASES EVERY YEAR AND 3.5% MAXIMUM REVENUE GROWTH EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR THE CITY ENDS UP $5 MILLION.
FURTHER SHORT, WE HAVE $30 MILLION LESS IN A GENERAL FUND TODAY, EVERY YEAR THAN WE HAD SIX YEARS AGO WHEN SENATE BILL TWO CAME IN.
NEXT YEAR, WE WILL HAVE $5 MILLION LESS THAN THAT.
THE YEAR AFTER THAT, $10 MILLION LESS THAN TODAY.
FIVE, 10 YEARS FROM NOW, WE'LL HAVE $50 MILLION LESS THAN THE GENERAL FUND THAT EXCEEDS THE BUDGET OF THE PARKS, THE LIBRARIES, THE CULTURAL ARTS, SPECIAL EVENTS, AND UH, MANY OTHER BUDGETS THAT WE HAVE FOR, FOR SERVICES OTHER THAN THE MOST BASIC SERVICES OF POLICE, FIRE, WATER STREETS, TEXT PLAN COMMISSION, JULY 13TH.
THESE ARE SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS HAVE COME TO DEPEND ON AND RELY ON AND WANT IN OUR CITY.
SO WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT SO THAT, UH, RESIDENTS CAN HAVE THE SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE GROWN ACCUSTOMED TO.
THE WAY WE DO THAT IS THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND WHAT WE SAY IS WE DON'T NEED A BIGGER GARLAND.
SOME CITIES HAVE DEALT WITH SENATE BILL TOO BY GROWING OUT AND THEY MAKE THEIR CITY BIGGER.
AND THEN THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IS EXEMPTED FROM THE SENATE BILL TO CAP.
THERE'S NOT MUCH MORE LAND FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION IN GARLAND.
WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF PARCELS, BUT WE'RE PRETTY MUCH LANDLOCKED.
WE'RE PRETTY MUCH COMPLETELY BUILT OUT.
AND SO WHAT WE, WE DON'T NEED A BIGGER GARLAND.
WE NEED A FINANCIALLY STRONGER GARLAND.
AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED A CONCENTRATE REINVESTMENT IN PLACES THAT ARE READY TO GROW.
AND THAT'S WHAT THE, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN DOES.
IT IDENTIFIES CERTAIN ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS AND BECKY WILL TALK ABOUT THEM.
ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS WHERE THE CITY WILL PUT PUBLIC MONEY IN THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THIS.
HOW DO THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE BECOME WHAT IS NOW A THRIVING ECONOMIC AREA? ANYBODY WHO WAS HERE 15 YEARS AGO, IF YOU WERE OUT THERE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, 15 YEARS AGO AT NINE O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, YOU WERE PROBABLY LOST.
THERE WAS NOBODY ON THAT SQUARE.
YOU COULD WALK AROUND AND TUMBLEWEEDS WERE BLOWING THROUGH THERE, THERE WAS NO ECONOMIC ACTIVITY GOING ON.
NOW ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, I SIT IN MY OFFICE SOMETIMES AND I, AS THOSE OF YOU UH, ARE HERE, KNOW I TEND TO WORK LATE.
I'LL LOOK ACROSS THE SQUARE ON A FRIDAY NIGHT AT NINE O'CLOCK, AND IT'S A BASTION OF ACTIVITY.
THERE'S PEOPLE EATING AT RESTAURANTS, THERE'S PEOPLE GOING IN AND OUTTA THE SHOPS.
THERE'S ALL SORTS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY THAT DID NOT HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT.
THAT HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF COUNCIL LEADERSHIP DECISIONS MADE BY THIS COMMISSION AND BY THE CITY COUNCIL, BY THE SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC IN PUTTING PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE THERE.
AND THEN WE PUT PUBLIC MONEY IN AND PRIVATE DOLLARS FLOAT IN.
WHEN THE PUBLIC PUTS PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN PRIVATE SECTOR WILL COME IN AND RESPOND AND PUT DEVELOPMENT IN THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE IS PROOF OF THAT.
TODAY, AS I SAID, IT'S A MUCH DIFFERENT PLACE THAN IT WAS 15 YEARS AGO.
THE MODEL IS WE DON'T NEED A BIGGER GARLAND, WE NEED A STRONGER GARLAND.
HOW DO WE MAKE IT STRONGER? WE INVEST IN CERTAIN AREAS, UH, IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND IN PLACEMAKING AND IN IN ENHANCING, UH, CERTAIN OF OUR ECONOMIC QUARTERS.
AND I, UH, BECKY WILL IDENTIFY THOSE FOR YOU.
AND WHEN WE DO THAT, THE IDEA IS PUBLIC MONEY WILL FLOW IN.
WE'VE PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS.
THAT IS, WE HAVE LOWERED THE RISK FOR PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO BUILD THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR CORRIDORS.
THOSE IMPROVEMENTS WILL ALSO EXTEND TO THE RESIDENTIAL AREAS SURROUNDING THOSE CORRIDORS.
ONE OF THE THINGS DEVELOPERS WILL TELL YOU WHEN THEY COME IN TO LOOK AT SOME OF OUR ECONOMIC CORRIDORS AND THEY THINK ABOUT CITING A BUSINESS HERE, THEY DRIVE THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEY DETERMINE THAT THE CONDITION OF THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS CREATES TOO MUCH RISK FOR THEM TO BUILD THEIR BUSINESS HERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO IS NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD GO IN AND HELP THE RESIDENTS IMPROVE THE, THE CHARACTERS OF THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS BY IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS AND MAINTAINING MINIMUM PROPERTY STANDARDS.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE COUNCIL HAS DEALT WITH.
SO THE THE WAY WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT THE LAND USE LINK IS IMPROVING THAT VALUE IT.
AND THE WAY WE'RE MEASURING IT IS PER ACRE, NOT PER BUILDING OR USE.
AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR HIGHER VALUED USES IN THE ECONOMIC CORRIDORS.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS HOUSING OF THE TYPE THAT WILL FEED THE NEARBY SHOPPING CENTERS.
THAT IS HOUSING OF THE TYPE THAT WILL ATTRACT PEOPLE, UH, AND, AND FAMILIES THAT WILL COME AND LIVE HERE THAT WILL SUPPORT THE NEARBY SHOPPING CENTERS.
THAT MEANS, UH, MIXED USE THAT WILL GIVE, UH, MULTIPLES OF TAX VALUE PER ACRE OVER SOME OF THE EXISTING USES THAT WE HAVE.
THAT MEANS USES THAT HAVE RECURRING SALES TAX THAT FLOW BACK INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND WE'RE LOOKING TO AVOID USES THAT HAVE LITTLE
[00:55:01]
FOOT TRAFFIC OR LITTLE, UH, TAXABLE VALUE ON A BIG FOOTPRINT AND THAT GENERATE ALMOST NO SALES TAX.WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO AVOID LOW INTENSITY USES THAT WILL LOCK IN THAT PROPERTY FOR DECADES TO COME.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT EVERY DECISION THAT YOU MAKE, WE THINK, WELL THIS IS JUST ONE USE, ONE LITTLE LAND USE.
ONE LITTLE LAND USE IN PUTTING AN INCOMPATIBLE USE IN A SHOPPING AREA OR NEAR ONE OF OUR ECONOMIC, UH, CORRIDORS CAN PERMANENTLY DESTROY THAT CORRIDOR'S ABILITY, UH, TO BECOME ECONOMICALLY PRODUCTIVE.
IF YOU PUT A STORAGE PLACE OR, OR A ONE OF OUR SUP USES A LAUNDROMAT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN A SHOPPING CENTER THAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE INTO A PRODUCTIVE ECONOMIC CORRIDOR.
THE ACT OF DOING THAT ALONE, JUST BY PLACING THAT THERE WILL DRIVE AWAY DEVELOPERS WHO ARE GOING TO USE HIGHER VALUE USES FOR THAT LAND.
AND SO EVERY SINGLE DECISION YOU MAKE ABOUT WHAT TO PUT IN THESE ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS, EVERY SINGLE DECISION HAS CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE IT REALLY ONLY TAKES ONE AND IT CAN LOCK IT IN FOR 20 TO 30 OR 40 YEARS.
EVEN WHEN YOU DO AN SUP AND SAY, WELL, WE'LL JUST ALLOW THIS FOR FIVE OR 10 YEARS, ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF, IS THIS REALLY GOING TO JUST BE HERE FOR FIVE OR 10 YEARS? I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU EVER LOOKED INTO THIS, BUT IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY, I CAN'T ONLY FIND, BUT ONE OR TWO EXAMPLES OF GETTING TO AN END OF AN AN SUP AND TELLING A BUSINESS, I'M SORRY, YOUR SUP IS UP.
AND SO WE GIVE PEOPLE AN SUP BECAUSE IT'S A NON-PREFERRED USE, RIGHT? IT'S A USE THAT WE KNOW IS GOING TO HINDER US ECONOMICALLY.
AND YOU SHOULD JUST COUNT ON THOSE BEING THERE FOREVER BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE THERE FOREVER.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE COUNTING ON, UH, AS A, AS A, UH, CITY IS TO MAKE LAND USE DECISIONS THAT WON'T LOCK US INTO NON-PRODUCTIVE USES OF OUR LAND FOR ANOTHER 20 OR 30 YEARS.
WE'VE GOT TO TURN AROUND THESE ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS AND REVITALIZE THESE SHOPPING CENTERS.
I'M GONNA BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT THE HOUSING, UH, SITUATION.
BECKY'S GONNA TALK MUCH MORE ABOUT IT.
THE HOUSING TEXT MARKET GAP PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IS TWO SEPARATE CAPS.
WE HAVE AN AGING HOUSING STOCK AND IT'S SMALL AND AND AFFORDABLE ON THE ONE HAND, BUT WE HAVE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND WE HAVE OUTDATED STRIPS.
SHOPPING CENTERS THAT HAVE, SOME OF THOSE HAVE, ARE LONG PAST THEIR PRIME.
YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
IF YOU GO TO CERTAIN OF THE SHOPPING CENTERS THAT WERE BUILT 30 OR 40 OR 50 YEARS AGO, YOU PULL INTO THE PARKING LOT AND YOU RECOGNIZE IMMEDIATELY THAT THE PARKING LOT HASN'T SEEN A STRIPE SINCE 1985.
YOU LOOK UP AT THE BUILDING AND YOU SEE THE PEELING PAINT OFF AND THE METAL PEELING AWAY FROM THE BUILDING AND IT'S IN POOR CONDITION.
WE ONCE UPON A TIME REQUIRED LANDSCAPING IN THESE AREAS.
THE LANDSCAPING'S ALL GONE AND THERE'S JUST A PATCH OF SAND AND IT'S SEPARATED FROM THE PARKING LOT BY A CURB AREA.
AND WHAT DO YOU SEE THERE? THE CURB IS BROKEN IN, THE SAND IS RUNNING INTO THE PARKING LOT THAT HAS NO STRIPES AND IS COVERED WITH, UH, POTHOLES.
ALL THOSE ARE CODE VIOLATIONS THAT ARE INDICATIVE OF A AGING, UH, COMMERCIAL AREA THAT IS NO LONGER ECONOMICALLY PRODUCTIVE.
THE OTHER PROBLEM WE HAVE IS WE, YOU, YOU'LL ALWAYS HEAR, THEY TALK ABOUT BIG BOX STORES.
YOU HEAR PEOPLE OUT IN THE RURAL AREAS WANNA KNOW WHEN ARE THEY GONNA GET A COSTCO OR WHEN ARE THEY GONNA GET AN HEB? AND YOU'LL HEAR THE, THE SMART MONEY TELL THEM, YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOFTOPS.
YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOFTOPS.
WE HAVE PLENTY OF ROOFTOPS IN GARLAND.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS, AS A RESULT OF THE DECLINE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE FACT THAT EVERY TIME A NEIGHBORHOOD DECLINES, THE NEXT PURCHASER WHO COMES IN HAS LESS VALUE AND LESS MONEY.
THEY HAVE LESS, LESS MONEY THAT THEY CAN SPEND, UH, ON THEIR HOME TO KEEP THEIR HOME UP AND LESS MONEY TO SPEND IN THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR.
AND AS THAT DECLINES MORE THAN ANOTHER FAMILY COMES IN, ANOTHER, UH, BUYER COMES IN AND THEY HAVE EVEN LESS MONEY.
UNTIL YOU SEE THIS SLOW, GRADUAL DECLINE, BECKY WILL EXPLAIN THESE TWO RELATED PROBLEMS AND, AND HOW WE GET OUT OF IT.
BUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE THE PLAN COMMISSION, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED A VARIETY OF, UH, HOUSING CHOICES AND, UH, HOUSING VARIETY IS IN FACT THE LAND USE CHOICE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS WE NEED THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT HERE THAT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE.
WHAT THEY SAY IS WE DON'T HAVE THE MISSING MIDDLE.
WE HAVE LOWER INCOME FAMILIES, UH, IN PARTS OF TOWN, AND WE HAVE HIGHER INCOME FAMILIES IN PARTS OF TOWN, AND WE'RE MISSING THE MISSING MIDDLE.
THAT'S THE, THE MIDDLE, UH, CLASS FAMILIES ARE THE ONES WHO SUPPORT THOSE COMMERCIAL SHOPPING CENTERS THAT HAVE GONE INTO DECLINE.
WE NEED THOSE, WE NEED MARKET RATE ROOFTOPS NEAR OUR MAJOR COMMERCIAL NODES.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS EITHER MARKET RATE, MULTIFAMILY OR MARKET RATE SINGLE FAMILY.
WE NEED HIGHER, UH, UH, VALUE MARKET OR CLOSER TO MARKET RATE, UH, HOUSING CHOICES
[01:00:01]
NEAR OUR COMMERCIAL NODES.WHY? BECAUSE THOSE SUPPORT THE COMMERCIAL NODES.
IF YOU HAVE MARKET RATE, IF YOU HAVE, UH, FAMILIES WITH DISPOSABLE INCOME, THEY, THEY SUPPORT THE CORRIDOR, UH, SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.
AND SO OUR, OUR GOAL IS TO REINVEST IN THOSE AREAS AND TO STABILIZE THOSE EXISTING, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, SOME PEOPLE WONDER, DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE'RE GOING TO DISPLACE THOSE FAMILIES WHO LIVE THERE? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO DISPLACE THE FAMILIES WHO LIVE THERE.
YOU BRING THE NEIGHBORHOOD UP AS PEOPLE SELL HOMES IN THE NATURAL COURSE.
THE NEXT BUYER WHO COMES IN, WE'LL HAVE MORE MONEY.
WE'RE NOT ASKING ANYBODY TO LEAVE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA TEAR DOWN HOUSES AND TELL PEOPLE LIKE THEY HAVE IN SOME CITIES.
YOU NEED TO FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO LIVE.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BRINGING THE QUALITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD UP BY IMPROVING THE CONDITIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK BY BLOCK ONE AT A TIME, SO THAT AS THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS GET INTO AN UPWARD RATCHETING SPIRAL, INSTEAD OF A DOWNWARD RATCHETING SPIRAL, THEY'RE ABLE TO SUPPORT THE, UH, FINANCIAL NEEDS OF THE CORRIDORS OF THE ECONOMIC CORRIDORS.
SO WE CAN HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THE QUARTERS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT GARLAND, 60%, 60% OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM PROPERTY TAX, AND 40% COMES FROM SALES TAX AND COMMERCIAL TAX.
THAT'S EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT IT IS IN OTHER CITIES.
MOST OF THE CITIES IN THE METROPLEX, 60% OF THE MONEY COMES FROM SALES TAX AND COMMERCIAL TAX.
AND 40% COMES FROM RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX.
AND SO WHEN PEOPLE SAY THAT THEIR TAXES ARE HIGH IN GARLAND, THAT'S A RESULT OF THE FACT THAT TO SUPPORT THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED, WE HAVE A TAX BASE THAT'S PRIMARILY RESIDENTIAL.
IF WE TURN THAT AROUND AND HAVE A THRIVING COMMERCIAL, PAGE SEVEN OF 18 COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS AND HAVE SALES TAX REVENUE, WE'LL NEED LESS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
SO IF THIS PLAN IS SUCCESSFUL, WHICH I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE A GOOD PLAN AND THAT IT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL, IF THIS PLAN IS SUCCESSFUL, THEN IN THE FUTURE, LESS OF THE TAX BURDEN WILL BE BORN BY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, AND MORE OF THE TAX BURDEN WILL BE B BORNE BY SALES TAX AND COMMERCIAL TAX, WHICH IS HOW IT IS IN OTHER CITIES.
SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE, UH, LEARNED, WELL, ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT WE DECIDED TO DO UNDER THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS FOCUS ON CERTAIN AREAS.
IF YOU TRIED TO, TO REDEVELOP AND YOU TRY TO REVITALIZE AN ENTIRE CITY ALL AT ONCE WITH A LIMITED AMOUNT OF MONEY, AND IT'S NOT CLEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT $75 MILLION IN BONDS FOR ECONOMIC REDEVELOPMENT, PROBABLY ANOTHER 30 OR $40 MILLION IN ONE TIME MONEY WE CAN USE OVER THE NEXT DECADE OR SO.
IF YOU SPREAD THAT MONEY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY INSTEAD OF FOCUSING IN, IN ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS, YOU WOULD EXPECT WHEN YOU CAME BACK IN 10 YEARS TO NOTICE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, IT WOULD LOOK EXACTLY THE SAME AS IT DID.
WHY? BECAUSE IF WE, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING OUR INVESTMENT DOWNTOWN HAD SPREAD THAT MONEY THROUGHOUT THE CITY, YOU WOULD SEE NOTHING AS A RESULT OF IT.
SO WHAT THE EXPERTS HAVE TOLD US TO DO IS TO FOCUS OUR ECONOMIC EFFORTS IN KEY CORRIDORS THAT ARE READY TO GROW.
IT'S NOT A SUGGESTION THAT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ONE AREA IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANOTHER.
IT'S JUST MORE LIKELY TO BE PRODUCTIVE NOW THAN ANOTHER.
AND IT'S A SEQUENCING STRATEGY.
YOU DEVELOP ONE ECONOMIC NODE AND YOU GET IT TO START THROWING OFF SALES TAX AND PROPERTY TAX.
AND THEN THE, AND WHEN THAT STARTS THROWING OFF MONEY, YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT NODE AND YOU DEVELOP THE NEXT NODE AND YOU DO THEM ONE AT A TIME.
AS THEY THROW OFF MONEY, YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND THAT'S A STRATEGY THAT'S DELIBERATE.
IT'S NOT A CHOICE OR A SUGGESTION THAT ONE NEIGHBORHOOD IS BETTER THAN ANOTHER OR MORE DESERVING THAN ANOTHER.
IT'S ONE IS MORE READY FOR REDEVELOPMENT THAN ANOTHER AND IS MORE LIKELY TO THROW OFF MONEY AND THROW OFF ECONOMIC BENEFIT SO THAT WE CAN THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S A SEQUENCING STRATEGY.
THE ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS, AND, AND BECKY WILL SHOW YOU, THESE ARE DOWNTOWN, UH, THE AREA AND THE IMMEDIATE AREA DOWNTOWN WHERE WE HAVE THE SQUARE.
UH, WE'LL PROBABLY ADD ABOUT 2000, 2,500 HOUSING UNITS OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
AND IT'S AN EXTENSION OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE DOWNTOWN.
THE, THE EXPERTS WHEN THEY CAME IN AND LOOKED AND SAID, THERE'S MORE ECONOMIC VALUE TO BE HAD GROWING THE DOWNTOWN AREA, AND YOU'LL STABILIZE IT FOR DECADES IF YOU ADD SOME ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND FINISH BUILDING IT OUT.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SEE DOWNTOWN IS THE RESTAURANTS ARE BUSY AND IT SEEMS TO BE THRIVING.
THE CONCERN THAT THE EXPERTS HAVE IS SOMEDAY THE NEW WILL WEAR OFF.
THE PEOPLE WHO COME IN FROM OTHER CITIES TO SEE THIS WILL BE LESS FREQUENT.
'CAUSE THEY WILL COME HERE LESS FREQUENTLY BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY EATEN AT ALL THE RESTAURANTS ON THE SQUARE.
AND AT THAT POINT, YOU NEED TO HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE, IN THE VICINITY TO MAINTAIN THOSE RESTAURANTS AND THOSE AREAS.
AND SO WE'LL BE ADDING HOUSING UNITS DOWNTOWN.
AND AGAIN, DOWNTOWN SERVES FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AS AN IMPORTANT PROOF OF CONCEPT.
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PUBLIC, WHERE YOU BUILD PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOLLOWS.AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED DOWNTOWN.
THE NEXT AREA IS A WEDGE, WHICH IS A TRIANGULAR AREA THAT HAS NODES AT KINGSLEY AND FIRST STREET.
AND BECKY WILL SHOW YOU THE MAPS, KINGSLEY AND SATURN, NORTHWEST HIGHWAY AND SATURN.
UH, SHE'LL SHOW YOU THAT AREA.
IT'S AN AREA THAT THE, UH, THE EXPERTS HAVE LOOKED AT AND SAID, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE THESE HOUSES AND THE CORRIDORS ARE SUCH THAT, THAT A SMALL AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT, THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT THAT WE CAN AFFORD IS ACTUALLY LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL AND BE ECONOMICALLY SUCCESSFUL.
AND TO TURN THOSE CORRIDORS AROUND BELTLINE.
AND NORTH CAROLINA IS ANOTHER AREA WHERE THEY SAY, IF YOU, IF YOU PUT A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THERE, YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE A LOT OF RETURNS.
AND THE LAST NODE IS DOWN IN BROADWAY FROM BROADWAY.
NO, IT'S BROADWAY AND WIND JOICE.
AND IF YOU GO IN THE BROADWAY, LOWER BROADWAY AREA AND COMPARE THAT ONCE UPON A TIME, THAT WAS A THRIVING COMMERCIAL AREA, AND TODAY IT'S NOT.
YOU'LL SEE WHY THEY RECOMMEND THAT AREA.
IT'S A PLACE WHERE THERE'S ROOM FOR, UH, MIXED USE.
THERE'S ROOM FOR SHOPPING CENTERS THAT COULD BE, UH, REVITALIZED AND, AND BECOME ECONOMICALLY PRODUCTIVE.
SO HERE'S THE HABIT THAT WE NEED TO BREAK IF WE'RE GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL WITH THE TEXT CEMENTING DECLINE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I HEAR AND I'VE HEARD FOR 20 YEARS WHILE I'VE SAT AT THESE MEETINGS.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, I SAT OVER THERE AND MS. HO'S CHAIR, UH, FOR MANY YEARS AND ADVISED THIS COMMISSION, YOU'RE PROBABLY HAPPY TO BE RID OF ME WHEN I LEFT
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LAND USE WAS MY FAVORITE THING TO SAY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD SITTING IN THAT CHAIR, OR ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE IN THE RECENT PAST AND AT COUNCIL MEETINGS IS THE MUSING OUT LOUD.
AND I'VE HEARD COUNCIL, I'VE HEARD COUNCIL MEMBERS AND COMMISSIONERS BOTH MUS WELL, THAT THAT GOES WITH WHAT'S THERE.
AND AS I MENTIONED TO THE CHAIR ONCE UPON A TIME AT LUNCH, SEE, WE CALL YOU GUYS THE PLAN COMMISSION, NOT THE WHAT'S HERE COMMISSION BECAUSE YOU'RE PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
YOU'RE PLANNING FOR WHAT GOES WITH WHAT WE'RE PLANNING IN THE FUTURE.
WE HAVE PLANS FOR THESE ECONOMIC NODES LOOKING AND SAY, WELL, THAT GOES WITH WHAT'S THERE.
IF YOU LOCK IN WHAT'S THERE, THERE NOW, THEN IT'LL BE VERY DIFFICULT IN THE FUTURE TO REDEVELOP AND RIGHT REVITALIZE THOSE AREAS.
IF YOU PUT IN A LOW VALUE USE TODAY, BECAUSE IT GOES WITH WHAT'S THERE TODAY IN ONE OF OUR ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS, YOU'RE PROBABLY WALKING IN THAT AREA TO BE A LOW VALUE AREA FOR DECADES AHEAD.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT THE CITY IS ABOUT TO SPEND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF STAFF AND OTHER EFFORT TO REVITALIZE THESE CORRIDORS SO THAT THEY DON'T STAY THE WAY THEY ARE TODAY.
AND IF YOU PUT A USE IN THAT, YOU SAY, WELL, THAT GOES WITH WHAT'S THERE TODAY.
THE QUESTION SHOULD BE A DIFFERENT ONE.
IT SHOULD BE, DOES THIS USE MOVE TOWARDS WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN GARLAND ON THE RISE STRATEGIC PLAN? OR DOES IT MOVE AWAY FROM IT? THE QUESTION SHOULD NOT BE, DOES IT FIT WHAT'S IN THE CORRIDOR TODAY? 'CAUSE IF YOU PUT WHAT'S IN THE CORRIDOR TODAY, A USE THAT FITS, YOU SAY THIS WILL GO WITH WHAT'S THERE TODAY.
YOU'RE BASICALLY SAYING, I WANT WHAT IT IS THERE TODAY TO STAY THAT WAY FOR A DECADE WHILE THE CITY IS PUTTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO TRYING TO IMPROVE THOSE CORRIDORS.
AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU, LOOK, NOT, DON'T ASK THE QUESTION, DOES THIS FIT WITH WHAT'S THERE TODAY? I WOULD TELL YOU TO ASK THE QUESTION.
IS THIS USE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH RESPECT TO REVITALIZING THESE ECONOMIC CORRIDORS, ESPECIALLY IN THESE ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS? AND THAT'S THE MAIN POINT THAT I WANNA STRESS TODAY, IS THAT YOU SHOULD NOT JUDGE WHETHER A USE IS APPROPRIATE BY WHAT'S THERE, BUT YOU SHOULD JUDGE WHAT'S APPROPRIATE BY THE FUTURE THAT WE ARE PLANNING FOR THAT CORRIDOR.
BECAUSE IF WE CONTINUE TO PUT THINGS IN A CORRIDOR THAT GO THERE TODAY, THE CHANCE OF CHANGING THE CHARACTER OF THOSE ECONOMIC AREAS IS VERY SMALL.
WHEN YOU PUT A LAUNDROMAT OR ANOTHER SUP USE SOMEPLACE WHERE YOU SAY, WELL, THAT WOULD GO TODAY, THAT GOES WITH WHAT'S THERE TODAY.
YOU'RE LOCKING THAT IN FOR A DECADE OR TWO DECADES OR MORE.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS TRAINING, EVERY THING YOU APPROVE HERE BECOMES A 20 YEAR COMMITMENT IN THAT CORRIDOR.
YOU PUT SOMETHING IN, IT'S GOING TO BE THERE AT LEAST 20 YEARS, EVEN WHEN YOU GIVE IT AN EIGHT YEAR SUP, I WILL EAT MY HAT IF I COME BACK HERE IN NINE YEARS AND YOU'VE SAID, OH, SORRY, YOUR EIGHT YEARS IS UP, GET OUT.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF GARLAND.
AND I'VE BEEN AROUND HERE AND THE CHAIRMAN'S BEEN HERE A LONG TIME TOO.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN, MR. CHAIRMAN
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TIMES WHEN WE SHOULD HAVE GOOD TIMES, WE SHOULD HAVE.WE LOCK THESE USES IN AND WE MAKE A ESSENTIALLY LIFETIME FOR THAT ECONOMIC QUARTER LIFETIME COMMITMENT TO WHATEVER WE'RE PUTTING IN THESE THINGS.
A LOW VALUE USE THAT YOU PUT IN WILL SIT THERE FOR 30 OR 40 YEARS AND MAKE AND HARM THAT CORRIDOR ECONOMICALLY FOR 30 OR 40 YEARS.
AND NOT ONLY DO THEY PERSIST, THEY COMPOUND BECAUSE YOU PUT A LOW VALUE USE IN A HIGH VALUE USE WON'T GO IN NEXT TO IT.
AND WHAT SHOWS UP NEXT? ANOTHER LOW VALUE USE.
AND YOU ONLY NEED DRIVE DOWN TO SOME OF OUR, UH, AGING COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS.
AND YOU CAN SEE ALL THE USUAL SUSPECTS THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
ONE AFTER THE NEXT IN STRIP SHOPPING CENTERS THAT WE'RE ALL ONCE THRIVING ECONOMIC, UH, UH, CENTERS OF ACTIVITY THAT HAVE BECOME ONE LOW USE, ONE LOW VALUE USE AFTER ANOTHER.
WHY? BECAUSE WE ALLOWED THEM TO BE THAT WAY.
YOU MIGHT SAY, WELL, IF WE DON'T ALLOW THIS USE, THE LAND WILL SIT VACANT.
THAT WOULD BE FAR BETTER, FAR BETTER TO HAVE VACANT LAND THAT WE CAN ATTRACT DEVELOPERS TO AND THAT WE COULD USE FOR HIGHER VALUE USES THAN TO PUT A LOW VALUE USE IN THAT WILL LOCK THE VALUE OF THAT LAND INTO LOW VALUE USES FOR THE NEXT TWO DECADES.
THIS CITY CANNOT AFFORD THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE GOT TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS PLAN.
THAT'S THE ONLY CHANCE WE HAVE WITH THIS DOWNWARD DECLINE THAT SENATE BILL TWO HAS PUSHED US INTO.
AND WITH THE DOWNWARD DECLINE FROM OUR HOUSING CYCLE IS TO PUSH THAT CURVE SO WE HAVE AN UPWARD INCLINE, AND SO THAT WE BECOME MORE VALUABLE SO THAT THE VALUE OF THE LAND WE HAVE BECOMES MORE VALUABLE.
AND SO PATIENCE IS FAR BETTER THAN, THAN, THAN PUTTING A LAND USE IN PLACE THAT WILL PERSIST FOR DECADES AND MAKE, UH, SOME OF THESE COMMERCIAL CORRIDORS ECONOMICALLY INVIABLE FOR DECADES.
THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING IS DOES IT MAKES LAND ASSEMBLY HARDER FOR US? WE CAN'T FIND THE MORE PLACES, THE MORE ECONOMIC CORRIDORS WE DO THIS TO, THE HARDER IT BECOMES TO FIND PLACES TO, TO ASSEMBLE LAND THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY OFFER TO DEVELOPERS FOR HIGHER VALUE USES.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS SIGNAL TO INVESTORS THAT GARLAND IS PUTTING A TON, A TON OF MONEY.
WE'VE SPENT ALMOST A BILLION DOLLARS IN BOND FUNDS TO PUT OUT, TO BUILD PARKS AND, AND FIRE STATIONS AND LIBRARIES AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS THAT THE VOTERS SAID THAT THEY WANTED.
AND THAT SENDS A SIGNAL TO INVESTORS, RIGHT? THAT TELLS INVESTORS THAT CITY'S WILLING TO COMMIT PUBLIC MONEY TO THIS CITY BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN THIS CITY, AND I BELIEVE IN THIS CITY WHEN WE PUT A LOW, UH, VALUE USE OUT, AND WHEN WE PUT A LOW VALUE USE AND APPROVAL LOW VALUE USE, THAT SENDS THE OPPOSITE SIGNAL TO THE MARKET.
WHEN YOU TAKE A SHOPPING CENTER THAT IS, UH, ON THE TEETERING ON THE VERGE OF EITHER THRIVING OR NOT THRIVING AND PUT A LAUNDROMAT, A COIN OPERATED LAUNDROMAT IN IT WITH AN SUP, THAT'S A SIGNAL TO THE MARKET THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN UP ON THAT SHOPPING CENTER.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE A LOW VALUE USE FOR THE REMAINING OF ITS LI THE REMAINDER OF ITS LIFE.
WE NEED TO HAVE THE DISCIPLINE TO WAIT UNTIL THE PRIVATE CAPITAL SHOWS UP.
ONCE WE'VE SPENT ALL THIS MONEY IMPROVING THE CORRIDORS, IMPROVING THE GATEWAYS, AND WITH THE INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE MADE IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN ROADS, WE'VE MADE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF INVESTMENTS AND WE'RE MAKING UNDER OUR BOND PROGRAMS IN OUR, IN OUR STREETS AND ROADWAYS.
WE'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN OUR CORRIDORS, IN OUR ENTRYWAYS.
WE'RE MAKING INVESTMENTS IN OUR PARKS, IN OUR LIBRARIES, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT THE VOTERS HAVE SAID THAT THEY WANTED.
IF YOU TAKE ALL OF THAT AND THEN SPOIL IT BY TELLING THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY, WE'RE OKAY WITH A LOW VALUE USE.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA COME SITE NEXT TO IT AND IT'LL ALL BE HAVE BEEN FOR NAUGHT.
AND SO WHAT I SAY, AND THEN I'LL MOVE ON AND WE'LL, I'LL COME BACK LATER AND WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME, JUST A FEW SAMPLE CASES TO SHOW YOU HOW, HOW WE CAN THINK ABOUT THESE IS THERE'S FIVE QUESTIONS THAT YOU SHOULD REALLY ASK IN EVERY CORRIDOR CASE.
WHEN YOU HEAR IT'S IN AN ECONOMIC FOCUS AREA, YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF, DOES THIS USE MAKE THE QUARTERS PER ACRE VALUE HIGHER? OR DOES IT LOCK IN A LOW PERFORMING USE? WOULD APPROVING THIS CASE MAKE THE QUARTER'S TARGET FUTURE HARDER OR EASIER TO REACH IF YOU APPROVING A USE MAKES IT SO THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT ECONOMIC CORRIDOR BECAUSE WE APPROVED A LOW VALUE SUP USE.
AND WHAT THE ASK IS IS REMEMBER, WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING UNDER THE PLAN.
WE'RE PUTTING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN.
IF WE PUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TO TRY TO IMPROVE A CORRIDOR, AND THEN WE PUT A BUNCH OF LOW VALUE USES IN IT SO THAT CORRIDOR'S NEVER GOING TO DEVELOP TO ITS POTENTIAL.
WE SHOULD HAVE PICKED SOMEPLACE ELSE TO DO IT.
WHAT IS THIS PRECEDENT? WHAT IS THE PRECEDENT SET FOR THE NEXT PARCEL ON THE BLOCK? IT'S NOT ONLY THE PRECEDENT THAT YOU DID IT, IT'S WHAT DOES IT TELL THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY WHEN THEY SEE SOME OF THE LOW VALUE USES GOING TO THESE SHOPPING CENTERS? THEY SAY, THE CITY'S NOT SERIOUS ABOUT DEVELOPMENT HERE.
THE CITY'S NOT PREPARED TO PROTECT THIS
[01:15:01]
ECONOMIC CORRIDOR.AND SO I WOULD ASK YOU CONSIDER THAT WITH RESPECT TO ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS, IF YOU ONLY ASK THE QUESTION, DOES THIS FIT WHAT'S THERE? YOU'RE DEFENDING THE PAST INSTEAD OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH UNDER THE PLAN, YOU'RE SOLIDIFYING THE CONDITIONS THAT EXIST TODAY THAT ARE INCONSISTENT WITH OUR FINANCIAL FUTURE.
THE ASK IS THAT YOU LOOK AT THOSE FIVE QUESTIONS I'VE GIVEN YOU, UH, PLACEHOLDER CARDS TO LEAVE AT YOUR TABLE, I'M SORRY, AT YOUR TABLES GOING FORWARD AND AT YOUR PLACES GOING FORWARD THAT ASK THESE FIVE QUESTIONS.
AND I SAY TO YOU, WHEN YOU HAVE A CASE THAT'S IN THE ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS, UH, PLEASE LOOK AT THIS, THESE QUESTIONS AND ASK YOURSELF, AM I ROWING TOWARDS THE DIRECTION OF THE GARLAND ON THE RISE STRATEGIC PLAN? OR AM I ROWING AWAY FROM IT? AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO BECKY TO EXPLAIN IN MORE DETAIL EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING AROUND GOING ON IN OUR HOUSING MARKET AND FROM THE STUDY THAT WE HAD, HOW IT RELATES TO THE COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR.
AND THEN I'M GONNA COME BACK UP AND WALK THROUGH A FEW CASES AND SUM UP IF I CAN.
THERE MAY, MAY BE SOME INTERMEDIATE QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER JENKINS? YES, SIR.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, I, I HAVE, I HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO LISTEN TO A FEW OF, OF THESE PRESENTATIONS AND I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN MORE INTERESTED IN CITY MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION THAN I WAS JUST IN THAT LAST BIT.
UH, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PASSION FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU COULD TELL THAT YOU'RE VERY CONNECTED TO NOT ONLY THE, UH, INDIVIDUAL STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR INTERESTS, BUT ALSO THE, THE, THE BROADER VIEW.
MY QUESTION IS, UH, FOR, FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE NOT, THIS IS NOT OUR FULL-TIME JOB.
WE DEPEND UPON STAFF TO PROVIDE US WITH THE GUIDANCE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS.
MY ONLY QUESTION IS, I, I, YOU KNOW, READING A REPORT TONIGHT, I SEE WHAT THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS SAY.
I SEE THAT THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF IS SUCH THAT I WOULD ASK THAT THAT REPORT REFLECT THIS POLICY MOVING FORWARD EVERY TIME.
AND THAT, AND THAT STAFF HAS GIVEN US A FIRM DECISION AS IT RELATES TO THE RECOMMENDATION AND HOW THE RECOMMENDATION RELATES TO THIS POLICY.
I ALL, ALL IN ALL, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT POLICY AND THAT YOU'RE, YOU'VE GOT, I WILL DITO THAT, THAT WAS MY QUESTION HERE.
REPORTS SHOULD HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN COMPONENT IN IT.
YOU, YOU'LL SEE, AND NABIL AND I HAVE TALKED TODAY, UH, ABOUT THIS AND HAVE BEEN TALKING FOR SOME TIME ABOUT THIS.
ONCE THE PLAN WAS ADOPTED, YOU'LL SEE A RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF AS TO WHETHER WHAT IT IS IS BEING ASKED FOR IS CONSISTENT WITH OR INCONSISTENT.
AND SO IT'S EXACTLY THE RIGHT COMMENT IS YES, THAT'S THE LEAD, THAT'S THE GUIDANCE YOU NEED.
YOU NEED THE STAFF TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION BASED ON WHAT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND TO LET YOU KNOW, THIS USE WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH UNDER A STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IF IT'S NOT, YOU NEED TO BE TOLD THAT DIRECTLY.
THIS IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR UNDER THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
I SAY JUST BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE GET LOST IN THE POLITICS AND IN THE BACK AND FORTH HERE AT COUNCIL, ASK YOURSELF THESE FIVE QUESTIONS.
IS THIS CONSISTENT WITH ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THAT CORRIDOR OR AM I ALLOWING THIS? BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO GO WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW.
AND YOU CAN, I, I GET THE SENTIMENT OF THAT.
AND IT MAKES A LOT OF JUST BASIC SENSE.
YOU SAY, WELL, IT GOES WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW.
AND IF WE DIDN'T NEED TO CHANGE, UH, THE ECONOMIC CHARACTER OF SOME OF OUR QUARTERS, IF WE HAD THRIVING ECONOMIC QUARTERS, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT QUESTION TO ASK.
IF WE HAVE QUARTERS THAT AREN'T THRIVING THOUGH, AND WE ADD USES THAT GO WITH NON THRIVING QUARTERS, WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE A DECADE FROM NOW IS NON THRIVING QUARTERS.
AND WE WANT TO SEE THRIVING QUARTERS.
SO I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT MR. JENKINS, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE INTEND TO DO GOING FORWARD.
WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE, COMMISSIONER? NOTHING.
COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH, TEXT JARED JONES, DISTRICT SIX TEXT PATRICK AB BE DISTRICT TWO.
I WANNA DITO WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER JENKINS SAID YOU'RE, IT'S, IT'S PHENOMENAL TO SEE THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AND GOING ON IN OUR CITY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UH, AND I LIKE YOUR IDEA HERE.
AND I LIKE HIS IDEA OF KEEP FORCE FEEDING THAT TO US WHEN YOU BRING PRESENTATIONS TO US AND MAKE US THINK THROUGH AND PAST WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND DOING TO REMEMBER WHAT YOU'VE TOLD US TONIGHT.
AND IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, MAYBE IT'S BEEN A YEAR AGO BEFORE YOU BECAME CITY MANAGER, UH, WE, WE REZONED OR CHANGED THE DEVELOPMENT ON A PRETTY SIZABLE TRACK AND, AND ONE OF THE TARGET AREAS YOU'VE GOT YES, SIR.
I'M ANXIOUS TO HEAR FEEDBACK ON THAT AS WE MOVE ALONG.
IS IT'S, IS IT'S, UH, SOMETHING
[01:20:01]
YOU CAN TELL US OR HELP US TO LEARN? ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC CONCRETE PLAN RIGHT NOW, WE DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC TENANT OR A SPECIFIC GROUP OF PURCHASERS WHO WILL DEVELOP OR DEVELOPERS WHO WILL DEVELOP THERE.THE, THE ZONING CHANGES WERE DESIGNED TO ATTRACT HIGH VALUE USES AND TO MAKE SURE THAT THE LOWER VALUE USES THAT, UH, INVESTORS WHO WOULD PUT PROJECTS THERE WOULD NOT BE RUN AWAY BY.
SO YOU HAVE TO, WE'VE SOLIDIFIED IN THE ZONING SO THAT WHEN SOMEBODY COMES IN AND PUTS THEIR MONEY DOWN AND SAYS, I'M GONNA DEVELOP HERE, THEY KNOW THAT A LOW VALUE INCONSISTENT USE WON'T SHOW UP NEXT TO YOU.
AND I APPRECIATE, UH, THE SENTIMENT ALSO OF YOUR EARLIER REMARKS, MR. DUCKWORTH.
I, AS YOU KNOW, I LOVE THIS CITY.
AND I THINK IF I'M, UNLESS I'M THINKING INCORRECTLY, I THINK THAT'S A SIZABLE TRACK.
BUT YOUR YOUR EMPHASIS ON THE, SOME OF OUR SMALLER SHOPPING CENTERS, I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE YOUR I'M I'M HEARING NOW WE NEED TO TAKE THAT KIND OF A SAME ATTITUDE, UH, IN A SHOPPING CENTER THAT CORNERS FOUR, FOUR CORNERS OF A INTERSECTION.
WE NEED TO KEEP THAT THAT SAME THOUGHT IN MIND AS WELL.
AND, AND, UM, MS. KING, WHEN SHE COMES UP HERE, WE'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU EXACTLY WHERE THOSE NODES ARE.
BUT I THINK THAT IT, IT IS CRITICAL THAT WE LOOK AT THE DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE NODES, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY REVITALIZING THOSE NODES THAT WE LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT IN THOSE NODES AND MAKE SURE IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL ADD TO OUR ECONOMIC FUTURE.
DALTON PRESENTER PODIUM, SEIZE LAPTOP.
BETWEEN 10 AND 15 YEARS AGO, MYSELF, WHEN I WAS IN DISTRICT THREE COMMISSION AND THE DISTRICT FOUR COMMISSIONER DID A, WE WERE INVITED BY A CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT THINGS IN OUR DISTRICTS, SPECIFICALLY BROADWAY.
IN 30, WE RODE THROUGH THE AREA WITH THE CONSULTANT TALKING ABOUT WHAT WAS THERE AND SO FORTH.
AND A COMMENT MADE BY THE CONSULTANT TO ME FITS COMPLETELY IN WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
IT SAID, THERE'S PLENTY OF RETAIL HERE, IT'S THE WRONG KIND.
AND HERE IT IS 15 YEARS LATER AND IT'S STILL THERE.
I'LL JUST REITERATE WHAT THEY SAID AND, AND WE NEEDED THIS, UH, PRESENTATION.
IT, UH, IS REALLY GONNA BE BENEFICIAL.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST TO WE COMMISSIONERS THAT THOSE FIVE QUESTIONS GO BEYOND THE CORRIDOR, MAYBE NOT WITH THE SAME INTENSITY.
THAT WE LOOK AT ALL FIVE QUESTIONS IN EVERY SINGLE CASE.
MAYBE WITH A HIGHER SCRUTINY IN THE CORRIDORS THOUGH.
AND THE, THE QUESTION BEING IS THIS PUSHING THE CITY TOWARDS A HIGHER ECONOMIC VALUE USE? IS THIS IMPROVING THE VALUE PER ACRE OF THE PROPERTY WE ALREADY HAVE EVERYWHERE IN THE CITY? YOU DO THAT.
WE'RE FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY ON THE CORRIDORS 'CAUSE WE'RE INVESTING MILLIONS THERE.
BUT EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AT A CASE, YOU SAY, IS THIS IMPROVING THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THIS? AND AGAIN, THE PATIENCE TO BE ABLE TO SIT AND LOOK AND SAY, WELL, THIS MIGHT SIT EMPTY IF WE DON'T PUT A CAR WASH HERE.
THE RESPONSE I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT'S OKAY.
IF IT SITS EMPTY WITHOUT A CAR WASH, WE'LL BE OKAY.
BUT IF YOU PUT A CAR WASH THERE, AND IT MEANS WE DON'T HAVE A NICE RESTAURANT OR SHOPPING CENTER THERE IN 10 YEARS, THAT'S NOT GOOD FOR US.
SEE, THAT STATEMENT ALONE HELPS GIVE US PERMISSION TO SAY, OKAY, NO, NOTHING.
THE, THE BEAUTIFUL THING IS THE INVISIBLE HAND OF ECONOMICS WORKS.
SO IF YOU PUT NOTHING THERE AND WE SPEND, UH, MONEY IN OUR CORRIDORS TO IMPROVE OUR QUARTERS, DEVELOPERS WILL COME IN.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S GOING TO KEEP THEM OUT IF WE IMPROVE THESE CORRIDORS IS IF WE PUT USES IN THAT'S INCONSISTENT WITH THE USES.
YOU REMEMBER WE HAD A CAR WASH CASE HERE, AND THE, IT WENT TO THE COUNCIL AND THE DEVELOPER SAID, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S WRONG WITH CAR WASHES.
AND THERE WAS ONE OUT ON I 30 THAT WE APPROVED, AND IT'S RIGHT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY, NOT FAR DOWN FROM WHERE WE'RE PLANNING.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE PLANS THAT WE HAVE FOR A HIGH VALUE HOTEL AND MAYBE SOME VERY FANCY RESTAURANTS, RIGHT.
AND I SAID TO THE DEVELOPER IN THE HALLWAY, STOP ME AND SAID, WHAT'S WRONG WITH A, WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE LAUNDROMAT? AND I SAID TO HIM, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A RUTH CHRIS STEAKHOUSE? WELL, YES I HAVE.
HE SAID, I SAID, WHEN YOU'RE STANDING IN THE PARKING LOT OF A RUTH CHRIS STEAKHOUSE AND YOU LOOK AROUND, DO YOU SEE A LAUNDROMAT? HE SAID, OH, OF COURSE NOT.
IS THAT IF YOU WANT A RUTH CHRIS STEAKHOUSE AND YOU WANT A FANCY HOTEL, DON'T PUT A
[01:25:01]
UND MAT ACROSS THE STREET FROM IT.AND IT'S JUST BASIC ECONOMICS.
AND SO YOU'D RATHER THAT SAY, WELL, THE, THE PARCEL WILL STAY EMPTY.
BECAUSE WHEN THE RUTH, CHRIS AND STEAKHOUSE AND THE HOTEL MOVE IN, SOMEBODY WILL MOVE INTO THAT PARCEL WITH A HIGH VALUE USE.
AND IF, AND THAT'S HOW YOU TURN THE CITY AROUND.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE TAX INCREASE FROM THE STUFF INSIDE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE.
SO THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSION FOR YOUR CAREFUL ATTENTION IS I'LL BE BACK AT THE END TO WALK THROUGH A FEW CASES, AND WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. KING.
MR. BEAT STEPS AWAY FROM THE PODIUM.
BECKY KING APPROACHES THE PODIUM AND PLACES A NOTEBOOK AND PAPERS ON IT.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIRMAN ROBERTS AND COMMISSIONERS.
I AM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF, UH, COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT, AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT.
I WE GO WOMAN TURNS PAGE IN BINDER.
SO AFTER TWO YEARS, UM, MORE OR LESS OF STUDYING THE GARLAND HOUSING MARKET, THE CITY COUNCIL ON JUNE 16TH ADOPTED THE GARLAND HOUSING STRATEGY.
AND I BELIEVE YOU ALL HAVE, UH, COPIES OF THAT STRATEGY HOT OFF THE PRESS AT YOUR SEATS TONIGHT.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT THIS HOUSING STRATEGY NOT COLLECT DUST ON A SHELF, IT MUST BE IMPLEMENTED.
AND, UH, CITY MANAGER BETS HAS JUST COVERED A LOT OF THE REASONS WHY THE CITY'S FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY, UM, RESTS IN LARGE PART ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THAT'S WHAT BRINGS ME HERE TO YOU TONIGHT.
SO THE HOUSING STRATEGY YOU IMPLEMENT, NOT ONE YOU FUND, YOU MAY HAVE HEARD IF YOU HAVE WATCHED, UM, JUST, JUST AS MR. BETS WAS TALKING ABOUT THE CITY STRATEGIC PLAN, THE HOUSING STRATEGIC PLAN WAS ALSO PRESENTED IN, IN GREAT DETAIL, UH, AT THE JUNE 6TH SATURDAY WORK SESSION.
IF YOU WANT TO GO WATCH, THERE'S A TWO AND A HALF HOUR LONG PRESENTATION ABOUT THE HOUSING STRATEGY.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S A MUCH BRIEFER SUMMARY OF IT AT, UH, THE COUNCIL MONDAY NIGHT WORK SESSION ON JUNE 15TH.
I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER ALL OF, UM, THESE THINGS, BUT I'M GONNA TRY TO HIT POINTS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO YOU AS THE PLAN COMMISSION.
SO IN THOSE PRESENTATIONS, YOU MIGHT HEAR A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT CITY PROGRAMS, GRANTS AND INCENTIVES.
AND, AND THAT'S FOR THE CITY STAFF TO DO THE, THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS, THE INCENTIVES TO HOMEOWNERS, THE SOD GRANT IMPROVEMENTS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
BUT AT THE FOUNDATION OF THE HOUSING STRATEGY SITS LAND USE AND THAT IS YOUR ROLE.
AND YOU ARE OFTEN THE FIRST BODY TO SEE AND WEIGH IN ON THOSE DECISIONS.
AND THAT IS WHY, UM, ZONING, IF THE ZONING DOES NOT ALLOW OR UPHOLD THE VISION FOR A CORRIDOR OR REVITALIZATION, YOU KNOW, TARGET AREA, THEN ALL THE CITY PROGRAMS IN THE WORLD CAN'T FIX THAT.
ON YOUR, ON YOUR, UM, SLIDE THERE, YOU'LL SEE SOME EXAMPLES OF HOW THOSE MIGHT COME IN IN FRONT OF YOU.
REZONING CASES WHERE THE COMMISSION GUIDES WHETHER CORRIDOR LAND CAN BECOME WHAT THE STRATEGY NEEDS.
SPECIAL USE PERMITS DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT LOW VALUE USES REENTER THE CORRIDOR.
WE'RE TRYING TO LIFT PLA AND SITE PLANS DECIDING WHETHER A NODE MOVES TOWARDS A WALKABLE FORM OR GETS JUST ANOTHER AUTO USE PAD TEXT.
WHILE YOU ARE HEARING THIS, COMP PLANNED AMENDMENTS, WHICH WILL REVEAL WHETHER OR NOT THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS APPEL TEXT, TWO GAPS THAT FEED EACH OTHER.
THOSE ARE ALL CRITICAL DECISIONS.
MR. BETS SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, FINDINGS IN THE HOUSING STRATEGY.
AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IDENTIFIED IS THAT OUR HOUSING MARKET HAS A PROBLEM.
IT IS A SLOW STRUCTURAL DECLINE, BUT THAT DECLINE IS MASKED BY REGIONALLY RISING HOME PRICES.
SO EVERY YEAR YOU SEE YOUR APPRAISAL HOUSE PRICES ARE GOING UP, IT LOOKS LIKE THE GARLAND HOUSING MARKET IS MOVING WITH THE REGION.
IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE CASE TEXT PLAN COMMISSION IT, IT IS BEING MASSED.
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THESE TWO GAPS THAT HE MENTIONED.
ONE IS AN AFFORDABILITY GAP, ONE IS A MARKET GAP.
THE AFFORDABILITY GAP SIMPLY PUT IS THAT THE COST TO PRODUCE, ACQUIRE AND MAINTAIN HOUSING EXCEEDS INCOME GROWTH.
[01:30:02]
THE COST OF HOUSING RISES GREATER THAN THE COST OF INCOMES, AND THAT CREATES AN ABILITY GAP, AN ABILITY TO PAY GAP TEXT WHAT THE STUDY FOUND THAT IS MATERIALIZED IN, UH, DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OF HOUSING AND CAUSE BURDEN FOR HOMEOWNERS.AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY IN SOME OF THE DYNAMICS THAT, THAT MR. BETH HAS ALREADY DESCRIBED, THE THE CYCLE THAT HAPPENS AS A RESULT OF THAT, AT THE SAME TIME WE HAVE A MARKET GAP.
THE MARKET GAP SIMPLY PUT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COST TO CONSTRUCT, OBTAIN, AND MAINTAIN HOUSING AND PEOPLE'S WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR THAT HOUSING.
AND THAT'S THE GAP THAT YOU DON'T OFTEN HEAR ABOUT.
GARLAND DEFINITELY HAS A WILLINGNESS GAP.
THIS WILLINGNESS GAP IS NOT ONLY AMONGST HOMEOWNERS, BUT COMMERCIAL PROPERTY OWNERS, THOSE WHO ARE HERE, THEIR WILLINGNESS TO REINVEST IN THEIR PROPERTIES BECAUSE WILL THEY REALLY GET THE RETURN? WILL THE MARKET SUPPORT THE INVESTMENT THAT THEY MAKE? DO THE STANDARDS DEMAND IT? UM, BUT IT ALSO IS VERY PREVALENT IN THE HOUSING MARKET WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT POTENTIAL BUYERS AND POTENTIAL INVESTORS.
SO, AND THIS IS WHAT'S SHOWING UP, UH, IN THE DATA, IS THE WILLINGNESS TO BUY A COMPARABLE HOME IN GARLAND IS REFLECTED IN A, IN A DISCOUNTED PRICE FROM WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT SAME HOME IN ANOTHER SISTER COMMUNITY.
THERE'S RIPPLE EFFECTS OF THAT LIMITED WILLINGNESS TO INVEST RESULTS IN TOO FEW COMMERCIAL AMENITIES FROM RESIDENTS.
SO RETAIL, RESTAURANTS, COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR FORMULAS AND THEY RUN THE NUMBERS ON YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND IF YOUR COMMUNITY DOESN'T MEET THEIR FORMULA, THEY DON'T COME THERE.
POTENTIAL RESIDENTS WANT AMENITIES.
CURRENT RESIDENTS WANT AMENITIES.
UM, AND AS THIS CYCLE CONTINUES, ULTIMATELY SALES TAX CARRIES TOO LITTLE OF THE BURDEN, WHICH THEN IN TURN JUST CYCLES BACK AROUND AND HITS OUR AFFORDABILITY GAP AGAIN.
BECAUSE, AS MR. BETS MENTIONED IN GARLAND, BECAUSE OUR SALES TAX AND OUR COMMERCIAL TAX REVENUES ARE SO MUCH LOWER, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, IT MEANS THE RESIDENTS HAVE TO CARRY MORE OF THE BURDEN.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF STRUCTURALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO SHIFT BY ADDRESSING BOTH OF THESE GAPS AT THE SAME TIME, UH, DOING SO REQUIRES A VERY CAREFULLY CURATED, UM, PROGRAM OF SOLUTIONS.
TEXT THE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP, DOING MORE OF THE SAME, MAKES IT WORSE, FOUR BOXES.
SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, HOW THIS MANIFESTS.
SO ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS IN THE HOUSING STUDY REVEALED THAT GARLAND IS CAUGHT IN THIS NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP.
AND MR. BETS HAS DESCRIBED THAT TO SOME DEGREE.
I'LL TELL YOU, I'LL TAKE YOU THROUGH IT.
BUT BASICALLY DOING MORE OF THE SAME MAKES THINGS WORSE.
DOESN'T, THEY DON'T STAY THE SAME, THEY GET WORSE BECAUSE WE'RE IN A SELF-REINFORCING NEGATIVE LOOP.
SO HOUSING STOCK, STRIP CENTER STOCK AGES, THAT RESULTS IN A DRAG ON PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION OF THE COMMUNITY.
AS THEIR PERCEPTION DECLINES, THEIR WILLINGNESS TO REINVEST FALLS AS THEIR WILLINGNESS TO REINVEST FALL FALLS VALUES TRAIL, OUR NEIGHBORING CITIES AS VALUES TRAIL, THEN HOUSEHOLD INCOMES TO SUPPORT MORE AMENITIES FALLS AS AMENITIES DON'T COME.
THE MARKET REFLECTS THAT IN LESS, IN IN MORE OF A WILLINGNESS GAP, THEN THE TAX BASE STAYS THIN, AND THEN NOW IT PUTS MORE AND MORE PRESSURE ON HOMEOWNERS TO COVER THE TAX BURDEN TO MAINTAIN QUALITY CITY SERVICES.
BREAKING THIS LOOP TAKES A DIFFERENT KIND OF DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CORRIDORS, NOT MORE OF THE SAME.
SO HOW DOES THIS REALLY APPLY TO YOU? WELL, PART OF THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED, UM, BY MR BETS IN, IN THINKING OF HIGH VALUE USES.
UM, IT ALSO COMES TO YOU IN THE FORM OF WE REALLY NEED TO REBALANCE, UM, OUR LAND USE.
SO THE HOUSING STUDY FOUND THAT OUR HOUSING MARKET, OUR LAND USE AND OUR TAX BASE ARE STRUCTURALLY OUT OF BALANCE.
AND THIS IS THE MOMENT TO BEGIN CORRECTING THAT IMBALANCE.
AND YOU PLAY THE KEY ROLE TEXT LAND USE, REBALANCING, UM, DELIBERATELY SHIFTING THE MIX OF USES ON A CORRIDOR AWAY FROM LOW VALUE
[01:35:01]
AUTO ORIENTED INCOHESIVE, SINGLE PURPOSE USES TOWARDS HOUSING AND MIXED USE CENTERS THAT GENERATE VALUE, BALANCED LAND USE MIX, CREATE OVERLAPPING ACTIVITY CYCLES THROUGHOUT THE DAY.SO NOT JUST IN AREAS, UM, ACTIVE DURING THE DAY AND THEN IT SITS EMPTY AT NIGHT, BUT BALANCED, UM, USE AND SUPPORTS COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY.
SO HOW, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE? IT'S MOVING AWAY FROM AUTO ORIENTED PAD SITES AND DRIVE-THROUGHS AWAY FROM STORAGE, CAR WASHES AND USED AUTO.
NUMBER MAY ALSO BE MOVING AWAY FROM SINGLE TENANT STRIP RETAIL AND AWAY FROM USES THAT OCCUPY LAND, BUT FAIL TO ADDRESS THE AMENITY AND HOUSING GAPS THAT AN AREA HAS.
WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE MOVING TOWARD MEDIUM AND HIGH DENSITY INFILL HOUSING, MIXED INCOME AND MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, WALKABLE FORM AT OUR NODES AND THE USE AND SITE PLANS THAT WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE COHESIVE LIFESTYLE CENTERS AND ADDRESS STRUCTURAL GAPS.
TEXT, LAND USE, REBALANCING DEFINED DOWNTOWN NEEDS ABOUT 2,500 MORE HOUSEHOLDS.
SO WHAT KIND OF HOUSING IS NEEDED? MEDIUM AND HIGH DENSITY INFILL NEAR OUR CORRIDORS.
WIDER RANGE OF HOUSING TYPES IS MR. BETS MENTIONED MISSING MIDDLE, LIKE TOWN HOMES, MORE ZERO LOT LINE TYPE SOLUTIONS.
UH, MIXED INCOME, NOT MONOCULTURE.
SO MIXED INCOME STRATEGIES KEEP NEIGHBORHOODS STABLE WHILE RAISING THEIR MARKETS CEILING AND RAISING THE ACCESS TO AMENITIES FOR ALL.
AND THEN FINALLY, WALKABLE FORM AT THE NODES, BUILDINGS OUT TOWARDS THE STREET.
SHARED ACCESS, FEWER CURB CUTS.
SHIFTING PARKING LOTS FORM IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE USE.
THE HOUSING, THE CORRIDORS ARE WAITING ON DOWNTOWN IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW CRITICAL HOUSING IS TO THESE NODES AND TO THE CORRIDORS.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, IN AS WE GET INTO THE EFAS, BUT JUST AS AN EXAMPLE, WE NEED 2,500 MORE HOUSING UNITS IN DOWNTOWN TO MAKE, TO KEEP IT ECONOMICALLY THRIVING.
TEXT, WHEN YOU TALK QUALITY AND FORM WITH A DEVELOPER, PLACEMAKING IS A FISCAL STRATEGY, BUT PLACEMAKING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS LAND USE.
SO AS THE COMMISSION INTERACTS WITH DEVELOPERS ABOUT QUALITY AND FORM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT PLACEMAKING IS NOT JUST ABOUT BEAUTIFICATION, IT IS A FISCAL STRATEGY.
IN FACT, UM, THE HOUSING CONSULTANTS NOTED THAT TWO, TWO TO FIVE TIMES THE VALUE PER ACRE CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH PLACEMAKING OVER AUTO ORIENTED SINGLE USE DEVELOPMENT TEXT PLACEMAKING IS A FISCAL STRATEGY.
NODES THAT ARE AUTO ORIENTED PASS THROUGH TODAY.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE IN GARLAND.
IN FACT, YOU CAN ALL SIT HERE AND THINK OF CORRIDORS WHERE
BUT THE GOAL SHOULD BE TO CREATE PLACES THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LINGER.
BUT ZONING ALONE CANNOT OVERCOME THIS UNINVITING PUBLIC REALM.
SO FORM MUST BE PART OF THE CONSIDERATION.
IT MUST BE ABOUT HOW YOU EXPERIENCE A PLACE AND THAT GOING BACK TO THAT NEGATIVE FEEDBACK LOOP, HOW YOU PERCEIVE A PLACE, NOT JUST WHAT THERE IS TO DO THERE.
SO WHAT IS THIS ASK OF THE PRIVATE REALM? IN, IN THE FORM OF DEVELOPMENT, IT ASKS THAT BUILDINGS ENGAGE THE STREET THAT ENTRANCES FRONT THE STREET PARKING IS AT THE SIDE OR THE REAR FIRST FLOOR, TRANSPARENCY AND ARTICULATED FACADES, PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED GROUND FLOOR USES AND UPPER FLOOR RESIDENTIAL AND OFFICE.
WHAT IT ASKS OF THE PUBLIC REALM ARE SIDEWALKS OF SUFFICIENT WIDTH, FIVE TO 12 FEET ON ALL STREETS, HOPEFULLY WITHOUT UTILITY POLES IN THE MIDDLE OF
UM, MORE DETAIL ABOUT THESE THINGS WILL COME FORWARD IN THE NEW COMP PLAN.
SO, UM, I DON'T WANNA OVERWHELM YOU OR MAKE YOU THINK YOU'VE GOTTA REMEMBER ALL
[01:40:01]
THIS.THERE WILL BE MORE DETAILS COMING TO YOU, ESPECIALLY IN THESE FOCUS AREAS.
AND I TOLD 'EM THERE'D BE A TEST AFTER THAT.
TEXT PLACEMAKING IS A FISCAL STRATEGY.
SO THAT BRINGS US TO THE FOUR ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS.
WHILE THE EXAMPLES WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT ARE GOOD CONSIDERATIONS CITYWIDE, THERE ARE SPECIFIC AREAS WHERE THEY'RE CRUCIAL TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CITY STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE HOUSING STRATEGY.
UM, SO IN EACH OF THESE THERE ARE, THEY'RE MADE UP OF COMPONENTS.
SO WE CALL THEM ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS.
THOSE FOCUS AREAS CONSIST OF CORRIDORS, NODES, AND NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND THE STRATEGIES HAVE TOOLS AND, UH, PLANS AND PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS ALL OF THOSE TEXT ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS.
LET ME, I'LL GO THROUGH, UH, THE FOUR PLANS ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT WHEN AN APPLICATION FALLS INSIDE ONE OF THESE FOUR, FOUR AREAS, THE STRATEGY SHOULD BECOME THE STANDARD.
SO REFERRING TO WHAT THE STRATEGY CALLS FOR, REFERRING TO WHAT THE COMP PLAN CALLS FOR, THAT SHOULD BECOME THE STANDARD OF WHAT, HOW, HOW YOU EVALUATE A CASE.
SO THE FOUR ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS, AS MIKE MENTIONED, ARE DOWNTOWN THE WEDGE, AS WE ARE CALLING IT INTERNALLY, I GUESS NOW IT'S EXTERNALLY.
UM, AND I'LL SHOW YOU THESE BOUNDARIES, BELTLINE AND BROADWAY.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT DOWNTOWN REAL QUICK.
SO DOWNTOWN IS OUR STRONGEST EXISTING EXISTING ASSET AND THE PROOF THAT THE REDEVELOPMENT MODEL WORKS.
SO I WANNA TELL YOU JUST A LITTLE BIT OF STORY ABOUT HOW DOWNTOWN GOT TO WHERE IT IS BECAUSE IT IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING, WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING DOING IN THESE OTHER FOCUS AREAS.
IN 2005, WE HAD JUST RECENTLY HAD THE DARK LIGHT RAIL COME THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
WE ALSO EXPERIENCED, JUST AS MR. BETS DESCRIBED, A DECLINING DOWNTOWN.
IF YOU WERE HERE AFTER FIVE, THERE WAS NOTHING HERE WITH YOU.
BUT THE CRICKETS, EVERYTHING CLOSED AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
THERE WERE ONLY TWO RESTAURANTS AND THEY SURVIVED ALMOST ENTIRELY ON CITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEE BUSINESS AT LUNCH.
THAT, HOW DID WE TURN THAT AROUND? WHAT BECAME VERY CLEAR TO US WAS THE FIRST THING WE HAD TO DO WAS BRING PEOPLE DOWN HERE TO LIVE BECAUSE BUSINESSES CAN'T THRIVE OR A BUSINESS DISTRICT CAN'T THRIVE ON EIGHT TO FIVE TRAFFIC ALONE.
SO THE VERY FIRST THING WAS YOU HAVE TO BRING IN A LOT MORE HOUSING TO SUPPORT THE BUSINESSES.
THE SECOND THING THAT WAS VERY EVIDENT WAS THAT DOWNTOWN WAS CRYING OUT TO BE AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
AND WHAT DID THAT MEAN? IT MEANT THAT IT NEEDED USES THAT SUPPORTED AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
AND THIRDLY, IT NEEDED PLACEMAKING, IT NEEDED STREET SCAPING THAT DEFINED IT AS AN AREA AND IT NEEDED ACTIVITY THAT WENT ON SOMETIMES AS LARGE SPECIAL EVENTS, BUT DEFINITELY EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES, SERENDIPITOUS MOMENTS, PUBLIC ART, THINGS THAT BROUGHT OCCASIONAL VISIT VISITORS, BUT ALSO REPEAT VISITORS.
SO AS YOU THINK ABOUT THAT MODEL AND YOU SEE HOW IT'S BEEN MANIFEST IN DOWNTOWN, YOU NOW THINK CAN TAKE THAT AND APPLY THAT.
THESE OTHER FOCUS AREAS, I'M NOT SAYING WE WANT TO MAKE THEM ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS, WE DON'T.
EACH OF THEM WILL HAVE ITS OWN AND THE PLAN WILL CALL THAT OUT FOR YOU.
ITS OWN VISION OR TARGET OF WHAT IT CAN AND SHOULD BE AND HOW IT SUPPORTS THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD AND AREA.
SO THE DOWNTOWN, UM, AREA THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH SEEING ACTIVITY IS HERE IN THE GREEN.
THAT IS WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY ACTIVE.
IT'S GOT THE CORE OF DOWNTOWN, IT GOES MORE OR LESS FROM WALNUT DOWN TO AVENUE A I BELIEVE IT ALSO INCLUDES THE FREEMAN HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THAT'S THE AREA THAT YOU SEE IN GREEN THAT GOES UP TO TRAVIS STREET.
AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE THE AREAS WE HAVE CURRENTLY BEEN WORKING ON.
THEN AS YOU SEE THE YELLOW AREAS AND THEN EVENTUALLY THE RED AREAS, THAT'S SORT OF A PHASING PLAN OF HOW YOU'LL SEE THE CITY MOVE THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
THE 2,500 HOUSING UNITS THAT, UM, ARE NEEDED ARE ACTUALLY NEEDED, UM, TO MAKE DOWNTOWN A LONG-TERM THRIVING BUSINESS DISTRICT.
AND THERE'S ACTUALLY SOME RULES OF THUMB THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT.
UM, ABOUT WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OF HOUSING EXISTS WITHIN A MILE OF YOUR DOWNTOWN? UH,
[01:45:01]
THE MINIMUM YOU SHOULD HAVE IS ABOUT 18% OF YOUR RESIDENTS.AND SO THERE, THERE ARE ACTUALLY SOME STUDIES AND SOME, SOME FANCY MATH THAT GOES BEHIND SOME OF THESE TARGETS.
SLIDE TITLE, DOWNTOWN ECONOMIC, WHAT TO WATCH FOR DOWNTOWN.
SO THIS IS WHAT WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD FOR THE PLAN COMMISSION.
DOWNTOWN IS THE WHOLE BALLGAME.
A CASE THAT TRADES DEVELOPABLE DOWN DEVELOPABLE DOWNTOWN LAND FOR A LOW INTENSITY USE COSTS US AGAINST ACHIEVING THAT 2,500 HOUSING UNITS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A THRIVING DOWNTOWN COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.
THE NEXT FOCUS AREA, THE WEDGE.
SO THE WEDGE WAS SELECTED BY THE CONSULTANTS BECAUSE OF THE INTERCONNECTED THREE NODES THAT THEY SEE THAT HAVE REDEVELOPMENT READY POTENTIAL.
IT CREATES A CRITICAL MASK TO DEMONSTRATE SUCCESS AND THEY, THEY SOMEWHAT WORK TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS, UM, DOWNTOWN IS THE TOP PRIORITY, AND THE WEDGE IS ALSO HIGH PRIORITY.
THIS IS WHERE YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE CITY FOCUSING ITS RESOURCES FIRST IN THESE TWO AREAS.
DOWNTOWN, ROUGHLY, UM, IS BOUNDED BY THE CORRIDORS OF KINGSLEY ON THE NORTH, SORRY, NOT DOWNTOWN.
THE WEDGE KINGSLEY ON THE NORTH CENTERVILLE TO THE SOUTHEAST, 6 35 TO SOUTHWEST AND THEN GARLAND ROAD UP TO WHERE IT MEETS KINGSLEY.
IT ALSO INCLUDES THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT SURROUND THESE THREE KEY NOTES.
SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THE NODES ARE, UH, SATURN, NORTHWEST HIGHWAY, SATURN, KINGSLEY, AND FIRST IN KINGSLEY.
AND THEN THOSE BLUE CIRCLES ARE HALF MILE RADIA RADIUS RADII AROUND THE NODES.
AND SO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT FALL WITHIN, NO, THAT BLUE CIRCLE, UM, THOSE ARE PART OF OUR TARGET INTERVENTIONS WHERE WE'LL HAVE GRANT AND, UM, INCENTIVE PROGRAMS. SO WHAT TO WATCH FOR IN THE WEDGE, THIS IS WHERE WE PROVE THAT REDEVELOPMENT CAN WORK OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
SO AUTO ORIENTED PAD SITES MAY FIT THE EXISTING CONTEXT, BUT THEY CAN COMPROMISE FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSEMBLE LAND FOR A MORE CONNECTED MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM.
YOU HAVE THEM ON PAGES 58 AND 59 OF THE HOUSING STRATEGY THAT WAS PASSED OUT.
AND THEN, LIKE I SAID, ALSO THE COMP PLAN WILL BE FLESHING SOME OF THIS OUT, UM, EVEN MORE.
BUT WITHIN THAT DOCUMENT YOU WILL FIND SOME TARGETS.
SO THE, THOSE TARGETS AND DESCRIPTIONS TALK ABOUT THE SCALE AND CHARACTER THAT THE EACH OF THESE NODES TEST.
EACH NODE HAS A TARGET, UM, SHOULD, SHOULD DREAM TO ACHIEVE THE NUMBER OF HOUSING UNITS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED AT EACH OF THESE NODES.
UH, RECOMMENDED HOUSING TOTS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE AT EACH OF THESE NODES.
AND THEN FINALLY, A RECOMMENDED LAND USE MIX.
UM, AND SO THE LAND, THE CURRENT LAND USE MIX MAY BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT YOU SEE IN THE, UM, PROPOSED EVENTUAL LAND USE MIX TEXT.
THE WEDGE SATURN NORTHWEST HIGHWAY 500 TO 600, SATURN KINGLEY 300 TO 400.
THEN WE MOVE INTO SORT OF OUR FUTURE NODES.
SO, UM, WE WILL BE DOING SOME WORK IN THESE LAST TWO NODES I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT.
ONE IS BELTLINE, THE OTHER IS BROADWAY.
BUT IT, BUT WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO WORK EVERYWHERE AT ONCE, RIGHT? WE TALKED ABOUT IT'S A SEQUENCING STRATEGY, SO THESE ARE KIND OF QUEUED UP AS NEXT TO COME.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE WON'T BE ACTIVELY WORKING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE AREA THAT WE WON'T ACTIVELY BE WATCHING OR TRYING TO, UM, ENCOURAGE A LAND ASSEMBLAGE.
UM, AS WE GO, IT JUST MEANS THAT THINGS LIKE OUR GRANTS AND INCENTIVE PROGRAMS ARE FURTHER DOWN THE LINE.
SO IN BELTLINE, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT GATEWAY THAT KIND OF TAKES YOU FROM THAT, THAT HIGHWAY ONE 90 VISITOR DESTINATION AND FEEDS YOU INTO THE DOWNTOWN VISITOR DESTINATION.
OBVIOUSLY IN ADDITION TO, UH, LEVON DRIVE.
BUT THIS NOTE AT BELTLINE IN NORTH GARLAND IS ONE THAT THE HOUSING STUDY IDENTIFIED AS A GOOD POTENTIAL FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
UH, THE PRIORITIES HERE TO WATCH FOR BELTLINE ECONOMIC FOCUS AREA MAP SHOWN PAGE 12, UM, IS TRY TO RESIST, TRY TO BE PATIENT AND NOT
[01:50:01]
GO FOR THOSE LOW VALUE APPROVALS THAT CAN COMPROMISE REPOSITIONING THAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE.AND THEN FINALLY, BROADWAY WHERE THE CITY IS ALREADY PUTTING SOME MONEY DOWN MAGENTA CORRIDORS AND BLUE NODES.
SO THE CITY IS CURRENTLY INVESTING.
SO THE SOUTH DARLAND LIBRARY IS AT THE, THE SOUTHERN NODE ON THIS MAP.
UH, ONE OF THOSE NODES IS AT OATS AND THE OTHER NODE IS AT, UH, WIND JOYCE.
AND THE NODE AT OATS AND BROADWAY IS WHERE THE SOUTH GARLAND LIBRARY IS.
AND SO ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE, WELL, THE TOP REQUESTS FROM LIBRARY PATRONS WHEN WE DID OUR LIBRARY MASTER PLAN WAS THEY WANTED OUTDOOR SPACE.
THEY WANTED, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WANT, NEEDED TO TAKE A FUSSY KID OUTSIDE, HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM, OR THEY WANTED TO JUST HANG OUT AND READ OR THEY WANTED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUTDOOR PROGRAMS. THAT WAS THE TOP REQUEST THAT THEY HAD WHEN WE DID THE, THE MOST RECENT LIBRARY MASTER PLAN.
AND AS WE LOOKED AT THAT, MY FIRST THOUGHTS WERE, WELL, WE'VE GOT SOME, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SOME LAND, WE'VE GOT SOME PARKING SPACES OVER HERE AGAINST THE FENCE THAT DON'T USE THAT MUCH.
AND IT WAS ACTUALLY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UH, GISD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT WE, THEY HAVE AN ARCHITECTURE PROGRAM OVER THERE AND WE GAVE THEM THIS CHALLENGE AND THEY HIT IT ON THE MONEY.
AND THAT IS NO, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF PLACEMAKING.
AND SO THEY HAVE ACTUALLY CREATED A CONCEPT THAT WE HAVE FLESHED OUT AND DESIGNED COUNCIL HAS FUNDED.
AND IT'S, UH, ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT TO BE OUT FORBID, UM, WHICH IS TO CREATE GREEN SPACE THAT TAKES YOU, YOUR EYE FROM THE, THE CURB ON BROADWAY BACK TO THE BUILDING AND CREATES THIS OUTDOOR AMENITY AND ALSO BREAKS UP THIS GIANT, YOU KNOW, PARKING LOT WITH, IF Y'ALL KNOW THAT'S AN OLD, UH, FOOD LINE GROCERY STORE THAT THE LIBRARY'S IN.
IT'S ONE OF THE BIG BOXES THAT SITS WAY BACK.
WE'VE, WE ARE ACTUALLY, THERE'S A ADJACENT TO THAT IS A SIX ACRE TRACT OF GREENFIELD.
AND WE HAVE ALREADY STARTED TALKING TO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPERS ABOUT HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, WORK.
WE, WE ARE PLANNING AHEAD ON HOW TO MAKE THIS AMENITY SOMETHING THAT COMPLIMENTS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT ON THAT SIX ACRE TRACT.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS PART OF THE REQUEST HERE IS THE CITY'S ALREADY INVESTING MONEY THERE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU CONSIDER FUTURE APPLICATIONS FOR THAT AREA.
WHAT THE STRATEGY ASKS OF THE COMMISSION.
SO THE FOUR THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN AN ECONOMIC FOCUS AREA CASE, THESE ARE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT MR. BETS HAS ALREADY SHARED.
IS THE PARCEL IN OR NEAR AN ECONOMIC FOCUS AREA? IN WHICH NODE DOES IT SIT ON? DOES IT DELIVER THE HOUSING TYPES AND THE UNIT COUNT THAT THE HOUSING STRATEGY CALLS FOR AT THAT NODE? DOES THE FORM SUPPORT THE PLACE BUILDINGS TO THE STREET PARKING BEHIND SHARED ACCESS THAT ARE CALLED FOR IN THE HOUSING STRATEGY? AND DOES IT STRENGTHEN THE NODE AS A DESTINATION OR ADD ONE MORE AUTO ORIENTED PASS THROUGH EXPERIENCE TEXT GARLAND HOUSING STRATEGY.
AND YES, STAFF WILL FLAG ECONOMIC FOCUS AREA STATUS AND STRATEGY RELATIONSHIPS ON EVERY CASE REPORT TEXT, THE STRATEGY IS ADOPTED.
SO THAT IS THE, THE END OF MY PRESENTATION.
UM, THE STRATEGY'S ADOPTED NOW IT'S IMPLEMENTED.
ANY, ANY, ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? BECKY KING OF THE PODIUM.
SCOTT ROBERTS CHAIRMAN A ACTUALLY I ACTUALLY I'VE GOT A COUPLE
UH, SOME OF THIS IMPLEMENTING, ESPECIALLY THE HOUSES AND THE AUTO ORIENTED USE SEEMS LIKE ENFORCEMENT WOULD BE A BIG PARCEL IN THIS.
AND NOT ONLY BRINGING THEM UP TO DATE BUT INCENTIVIZING GOOD BEHAVIOR OR IN THE CASE OF SOME AUTO USE IS MAKING IT TOO EXPENSIVE FOR 'EM TO CONTINUE THAT USE.
'CAUSE SOME OF 'EM HAVE CARS JAMMED PACKED TOGETHER ON THE STREETS AND EVERYWHERE ELSE.
UH, ANOTHER THING THAT MIGHT HELP OUR VALUES IS OUR SCHOOLS.
OUR SCHOOLS HAVE PROGRESSED SO MUCH OVER THE YEARS, BUT IT'S NOT ADVERTISED.
AND I THINK MAYBE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WON'T DO IT.
RICHARDSON, FOR A LONG TIME LIVED OFF OF THE REPUTATION OF THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND WE'RE TRYING TO LIVE DOWN THE OLD REPUTATION OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE NEED TO BUILD THAT BACK UP, GET OUT THERE AND SELL IT.
IN ONE OF THE PODCASTS THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE NEW MARKET RATE APARTMENTS THAT ARE IN GARLAND.
THEY'RE ONLY LIKE RENTAL RATES OF 20 TO 50 BUCKS BELOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING IN PLANO, WHICH MEANS IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN GARLAND, WE DON'T HAVE
[01:55:01]
WHAT THEY WANT IN GARLAND.SO IT'S UP TO US TO TRY TO HELP THEM GET THAT WAY.
SCOTT ROBERTS LOOKS DOWN AND PICKS UP A PEN.
AND THEN THERE'S ONE TOOL THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THE PLAN COMMISSION AND THE CONSOLE A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
I KNOW THE POINT OF IT, BUT THAT'S THE DETAIL PLAN.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MIXED USE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NODES AND MOVING BACK AND FORTH WITH VERY GENERAL CONCEPT PLANS.
WHEN WE SEE THESE ZONING CASES, WE CAN'T TELL WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO I WOULD THINK MORE, A MORE HIGH LEVEL CONCEPT PLAN.
WE DON'T NEED TO KNOW IF THE SEWERS WORK BILL FIGURE THAT OUT, BUT PLANNING ON HOW THAT GOES.
AND I THINK YOU HAVE SOME INPUT ON THAT.
YEAH, I WANTED TO KIND OF SAVE THESE TOWARD THE END, BUT I THINK AFTER, UM, WHAT OUR CITY MANAGER SAID AND WHAT BECKY SAID, JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO COMMENT ON.
UM, I DO DO SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ON THE CONCEPT PLAN AND THE DETAIL PLAN, THE DIFFERENCE AND HOW THERE ARE MORE TOOLS THAT COULD BE USED IF THEY'RE THE PLANS THAT CAME THROUGH THE CITY PLAN COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL.
UM, THERE WERE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON, WE WILL BE FIGURING OUT.
UM, BUT BOTH OF THESE PLANS, THIS BOTH THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND THE HOUSING STRA STRATEGY, THOSE, THOSE ARE NEW.
BOTH WERE ADOPTED IN THE LAST MONTH.
SO THAT IS WHY YOU'RE HEARING ABOUT IT TODAY AS YOU'RE LEARNING IT.
WE WILL BE WORKING ON, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, DEFINITELY ON EACH CASE REPORT THERE WILL BE A SECTION THAT WILL TALK ABOUT WHICH EFA, IF IT'S IN AN EFA, IF NOT THE COMP PLAN IS COMING THAT WILL HAVE MORE GLOBAL UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, NOT JUST IN THE FOCUS AREAS.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS WE'LL BE FIGURING OUT.
AND AS WE ARE FIGURING THOSE THINGS OUT, THERE WILL BE LITTLE GDC AMENDMENTS THAT COME THROUGH.
THERE WILL BE BIG GDC AMENDMENTS THAT WILL COME THROUGH AND IT'LL ALL COME THROUGH THE PLAN COMMISSION.
UM, MY REQUEST IS THAT I'M REALLY, REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH MY TEAM TO MAKE THESE PLANS COME TO FRUITION.
UH, BUT PLEASE KEEP THE COMMENTS COMING SO THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM YOU AS WELL.
AND WE WILL TRY OUR BEST TO SAY THINGS IN THE REPORT THAT WILL TIE THINGS WITH THESE PLANS AND STU STUDIES AND MAKE OUR PRESENTATIONS SUCH AS WELL.
SO THAT'S OUR COMMITMENT, BUT ALLOW US A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO FIGURE IT ALL OUT FOR IT TO BE PERFECT.
BUT WE'LL START IT RIGHT AWAY.
YEAH, I'M JUST TOSSING OUT IDEAS.
OH C COMMISSIONER JENKINS, MARLA MAYS.
I I JUST WANTED TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THE CHAIRMAN'S SENTIMENT SPECIFICALLY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR ALL HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT IN YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE HAS PUT INTO THE POLICIES.
UM, THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO RAISE STANDARDS AND YOU'VE GOT THE CODE ENFORCEMENT POLICY THAT'LL ALSO BE HELPING A PROGRAM THAT'LL ALSO BE HELPING WITH THIS.
UM, I WOULD ONLY SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS IN THE CODE RELATING TO SUBSTANDARD, UH, HOUSING, UH, 32 0 3 AND 32 11.
I HOPE THAT YOU ALL WILL USE THEM, UH, TO, TO GREAT EFFECT AND, AND HOPEFULLY SEE SOME, UM, UH, CHANGES IN THE, IN THE CULTURE AND EXPECTATIONS OF COMMUNITIES REGARDING THE HOMES THAT THEY LIVE IN.
IMMENSE SMILES, WELL SEATED BEHIND A WOODEN DESK.
THE WOMAN STANDS AT A WOODEN PODIUM WITH A LAPTOP AND PAPERS.
AYAKO SCHUSTER, UM, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD, UM, CITY MANAGER, BES AND, UH, MS. KING, THIS NEWLY ADAPTED PLAN.
UH, THIS IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT'S A VERY, VERY SIMILAR CONCEPT.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE A LOT OF MAPS AND GRAPHS AND I'M GONNA GO REALLY QUICKLY.
UM, SO, UH, UH, CITY MANAGER MENTIONED ABOUT SB TWO.
IT WAS, UM, PASSED IN 2019, I BELIEVE.
AND SINCE THEN WE REALLY, UH, GAR THAT'S CREATED A LONG-TERM FISCAL CONSTRAINTS FOR GARLAND.
SO IT'S REALLY, WE NEED IT FOR HOW WE CAN FOCUS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH PROJECT IS REALLY BEST USED AND WHAT IS REALLY MOST TAX GENERATED DEVELOPMENT.
SO THAT'S REALLY, WE START FOCUSING ON THE D STRATEGY.
UM, SO CLARIFY THE PRIORITIES, PROVIDE DIRECTION, INFORMS FUTURE CITY DECISION MAKING.
IT WAS MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS INTERVIEW, IT WAS OVER 12 MONTH PERIOD.
UM, AND THEN WE FOUND A LOT OF, UM, FINDINGS, UH, CITIES POSITION WITHIN A DFW MARKET,
[02:00:01]
HOW COMPETITIVE WE ARE.AND IT REALLY, AT THE END, THIS PLAN SAID REDEVELOPMENT IS NOW ESSENTIAL FOR MAINTAINING THE CITY'S FINANCIAL STRATEGY.
SO THAT'S REALLY ALIGNED WITH ALL WE HEARD TONIGHT.
SO, KEY FINDINGS, UM, THERE IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT SEGMENT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO FOCUSING ON REALLY LAND USE RELATED TOPICS.
UM, SOMETIMES TRUTH HEART, BUT IT'S REALLY, WE LEARNED A LOT.
AGAIN, UH, GARLAND IS LARGELY, UH, BUILT OUT.
UH, WE ALREADY MENTIONED THAT.
AND THE 97, 90 8% BUILT OUT MEANS WE HAVE ONLY 2%, MAYBE 3% GREENFIELD THAT, SO THAT'S REASON REDEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? BUT THE DEVELOPMENT IS OFTEN DRIVEN BY COST OF PROPERTY AND INCOMES.
SO WHEN YOU DO THE REDEVELOPMENT, THE SHOPPING CENTER, WE ALREADY HAVE IMPROVEMENT ON THERE, SOME BUSINESS IN THERE, SO WE HAVE TO REPLACE IT OR RELOCATE THEM.
WHEN DEVELOPER LOOKING AT THE REDEVELOPMENT OF LAND ASSEMBLY, THAT'S THE COST AND TIME, THAT'S THE REASON THEY SKIP GARLAND AND GO TO NEXT CITY.
THEY CAN GET A HUNDRED ACRE PROPERTY, VERY EASY SINGLE ON SINGLE OWNERSHIP.
THAT'S HOW THE DEVELOPMENT SOMETIME WORKS.
AGAIN, INCOMING GARLAND IS MORE MODERATE, AND THEN THOSE DUE TO THE DIVERSE SPREAD OF INCOME, ONE SIZE FIT ALL APPROACH WILL NOT WORK.
SO HERE IS MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME MAP.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A Y GARLAND DOESN'T HAVE X, IT CAN BE GROCERY STORE, CAN BE RESTAURANT, CAN BE ENTERTAINMENT, UM, STORE.
SOMETIMES THAT'S THE REASON PEOPLE JUST WENT LOOKING FOR CHEAP PLANNED AND VERY SIMPLE DEVELOPMENT.
SO THIS IS A COMMUNITY AND THE MARKET CHALLENGES.
UM, YOU'VE HEARD ALL THE, UM, SALES TAX GENERATION AND, UH, WHAT IS OUR PUBLIC IMAGE, BUT IT'S REALLY HOUSING AFFORDABILITY IN GARLAND WAS KIND OF STRENGTH FOR LONGEST TIME.
BUT THAT'S, THAT IS REALLY LIMIT THE FEASIBILITY OF A HIGHER END, HIGHER END RETAIL.
SO THIS IS REALLY FOUR CITIES WE COMPARED AGAIN, THIS IS BACK IN 2021 NUMBER.
SO DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, SINCE THEN OUR HOUSEHOLD INCOME INCREASES ALL, UM, OTHER CITIES TOO COMPARED TO THESE CITY.
RICHARDSON, PLANO IS, AT THAT TIME IT'S CLOSE TO 90,000 FOR THE MEDIUM HOUSEHOLD, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
AND THEN THIS IS THE, UH, SALES TAX, UH, COLLECTIONS BY CATEGORY.
AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, IT'S VERY SMALL FUND, BUT, UM, IT'S REALLY, UH, TOWARDS LEFT, THE LEFT SIDE IS REALLY CONSUMER SPENDING.
UM, THIS IS 62% OF SALES TAX COMES FROM CONSUMER SPENDING.
THIS IS REALLY, YOU GO, YOU DO THE AMAZON ONLINE SHOPPING, OR YOU GO EAT, YOU GO SHOPPING.
NOW IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO OUTSIDE THE CITY OF GARLAND, AND IF YOU ARE SPENDING MONEY THERE, WE ARE MISSING THOSE OPPORTUNITY.
THAT'S REALLY AFFECTING THIS 62%.
IF WE HAVE A MORE PLACES TO SHOP AND DINE, AND IF OTHER PEOPLE COME TO CITY OF GARLAND TO SPEND MONEY, THIS NUMBER GONNA INCREASE.
THAT'S REALLY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THIS MAP SHOWS, UH, WHICH AREA IS GENERATING, UM, HIGHER TAX VALUE.
UM, NORTH GARLAND PART, IT'S OF COURSE DATA CENTER WAS AT THAT TIME STILL KIND OF UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BUT MOSTLY THIS ONE IS COMING FROM NEWER MULTIFAMILY.
AND THE WEST SIDE IS OF COURSE, UM, OUR INDUSTRIAL BASE.
A VERY, UH, STABLE, HIGHER TAX GENERATED, UH, BUSINESSES RIGHT THERE.
THIS IS ONLY SALE, UH, NOT SALES TAX INCLUDED.
THIS IS ONLY PROPERTY TAX AND THE BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.
AND IN THIS ONE, PROBABLY YOU FIND VERY INTERESTING.
THIS IS THE DEED TRANSFER AFTER 2010.
UM, SO WHAT IS THE, UM, UM, THE DEED TRANSFER WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP? AND THE ONE SIDE IS COMMERCIAL, THE OTHER SIDE, THE RESIDENTIAL, BUT THIS IS THE, UM, UH, BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL.
APPROXIMATELY 50% OF ALL THE PARCEL HAVE SOLD IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
THAT MEANS THE OWNERSHIP CHANGE AND THE NEW PROPERTY OWNERS COME FORWARD WITH THE LAND USE OF ZONING REQUEST TO YOU.
THIS IS THE TIME WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ENHANCE AND THEN GUIDE THE REDEVELOPMENT ALIGNMENT WITH OUR CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN CHART MARK'S COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE.
AND THIS ONE IS REVENUE PER ACRE BY BUILDING TYPE.
AGAIN, THIS IS, AT THAT TIME A DATA CENTER WAS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION, SO IT WAS
[02:05:01]
NOT FULLY OCCUPIED, BUT AT THAT TIME A DATA CENTER WAS $20,000 PER ACRE.AND THE NEXT HIGHEST USE WAS MULTI MULTIFAMILY, IS ABOUT 10,000 PER, UH, PER ACRE TAX DETAILS SLIDESHOW IN SUMMARY.
SO IN SUMMARY AND A VISION FOR GARLAND, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS WE REALLY NEED TO DIVERSIFY REVENUE THROUGH INCREASED SALES TAX AND CREATE A DESTINATION SO THAT PEOPLE STAY IN GARLAND, SPEND MONEY, AND THE PEOPLE COME TO GARLAND ALSO SPEND MONEY AND THE POSITION GARLAND AS A COMPETITIVE DESTINATION FOR THOSE SOME SPECIFIC AREA.
AND THEN THIS ONE IS ANOTHER INTERESTING MAP.
PROBABLY YOU WILL FIND WE HAVE ABOUT 29,000 ACRES IN GARLAND.
953 ACRES OF LAND ARE USED FOR ORDER RELATED BUSINESSES.
AND, UM, SO THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE OF APPROVING JUST ONE MORE, AND IT MAY BE THAT FIT IN THAT AREA.
SO EVERY TIME WE DO THAT, WE ARE CREATING LARGER, LARGER CLUSTERS OF THOSE SAME USE VISION FOR GARLAND.
TO AVOID THE REPEATING THIS PATTERN, WE MUST HIGHLY SELECTIVE AND STAY COMMITTED TO OUR LONG-TERM VISION FOR THAT, UM, FOR THE LAND USE.
SO THIS ONE, UM, YOU REMEMBER THIS MAP, AND THEN THIS IS THE MAP SHOWING THE, UM, WE LOOK AT.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF INTERESTING EVENTS AND A BIG EVENTS IN DOWNTOWN GARLAND.
YOU KNOW, 25,000, 30,000 PEOPLE COME TO GARLAND, WHERE PEOPLE COMING FROM.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO SEE, BUT IT'S SHOWING RED IS HIGH TRAFFIC CORRIDOR.
A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING FROM GEORGE BUSH EXIT IN LABON COMING DOWN TO DOWNTOWN.
ANOTHER ONE IS EXITING 6 35 GOING UP GARLAND AVENUE.
ANOTHER ONE IS COMING FROM A FOREST LANE AND 66 TEXT, PAGE 15.
THAT IS THE IMAGE OF GARLAND PEOPLE COMING THROUGH.
SO THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO, TO DO THE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT BEAUTIFICATION, THAT'S REALLY ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING THE IMAGE OF GARLAND.
SO THIS ONE, UM, MS. KING TALK ABOUT SOME, UM, AREA FOCUSED AREA AT THAT TIME, OUR CONSULTANT MENTIONED IN THE REALLY BROADWAY AND UH, BROADWAY CORRIDOR HAVE A REALLY HIGH OPPORTUNITY AND ALSO KIND OF MISSING NEIGHBORHOOD BASED RETAIL GARLAND, STRONG MAKER, ENTREPRENEUR BASE.
OKAY, IN SUMMARY, UH, WE NEED SHIFT FROM TRADITIONAL INDUSTRIAL FOCUSED STRATEGY TO MULTI-DIMENSIONAL, PLACE-BASED ECONOMIC MODEL.
AND THE REALLY IMAGE IMPROVEMENTS OR REVENUE STRATEGY, NOT COSMETIC ENHANCEMENT, TEXT SUSTAINED INVESTMENT.
UH, THE PLAN PROVIDE THE PATHWAY TO ATTRACT HIGHER INCOME RESIDENTS AND IMPROVING RETAIL FEASIBILITY.
AND IT REALLY LONG TERM SUCCESS REQUIRES ORGANIZATIONAL ALIGNMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY TEAM EFFORT AND IT TAKES A VILLAGE AGAIN, IT TAKES TIME AND, UH, IT'S EX EXPENSIVE PROCESS, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING DOWN.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH.
UH, AT THE VERY BEGINNING YOU TALKED ABOUT THE GARLAND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP MADE UP OF THE CITY SCHOOL AND UH MM-HMM
THAT GROUP USED TO BE VERY ACTIVE.
I ATTENDED A LOT OF THOSE MEETINGS.
IS THAT, IS THAT GROUP, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT GETTING REACTIVE AGAIN, BECAUSE I FOUND THOSE, THOSE MEETINGS VERY INTERESTING BECAUSE YOU GET ALL THREE OF THE LARGE PLAYERS BASICALLY TOGETHER IN A ROOM TO HEAR EACH OTHER.
AND IF WE DON'T DO THAT, SOMETIMES WE DON'T HEAR WHAT'S, WHAT'S GOING ON, WE COULD BE A PART OF.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO LOOK AT THAT AND, AND MAYBE THINK ABOUT, UH, REVITALIZING THAT GROUP TO, TO BUY INTO THIS, THIS PLAN BECAUSE, UH, BY AND LARGE IT IS GONNA TAKE ALL THREE OF US TO MM-HMM
OR ALL THREE OF THOSE GROUPS, UH, TO, UH, FOR THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THE LONG RUN.
UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, I, I GREATLY APPRECIATE THE COMMISSION'S PATIENCE THIS EVENING.
AND, AND I'LL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE A LONGER THAN I THOUGHT WE WOULD, BUT I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT INFORMATION, AND I THINK THAT ROBERTS LOOKS AT THE LAPTOP, UH, GETTING THIS RIGHT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS WORTH THE TIME THAT WE SPEND TONIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET RIGHT, WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY AND THE PATH THAT WE TAKE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
[02:10:01]
IS AT STAKE.UH, I WANT TO JUST, UH, GO THROUGH, I, I HAVE A SHEET HERE FOR YOU, AND I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE, BUT IT BASICALLY HAS, UH, THREE MOCK CASES ESSENTIALLY.
AND AFTER WHAT EVERYTHING WE'VE SAID TONIGHT, YOU'LL SEE THEY'RE REALLY EASY, BUT THEY'RE THE KIND OF CASES THAT WOULD COME HERE AND WE WOULD PUZZLE OUR PUZZLERS OVER THEM FOR HOURS.
WE WONDERING, IS THIS A GOOD USE OR NOT A GOOD USE? AND AFTER YOU'VE LISTENED TO US TONIGHT, THEY SHOULD SOUND REALLY EASY TO FIGURE OUT.
UH, THE FIRST ONE IS, AND, AND AGAIN, I SAY THAT NOT IN A, IN A FLIPPANT WAY.
I'VE SAT AND WATCHED AND, AND WITHOUT THIS INFORMATION, IT'S, I KNOW THAT'S A CAR WASH.
AND IF WE DON'T PUT THE CAR WASH THERE THAT MIGHT LAND, MIGHT SEE IT EMPTY FOR A DECADE OR FOR FIVE YEARS, WHICH WE WOULD SAY, GOOD, THAT'D BE PERFECT BECAUSE THEN WE'LL GET A USE THAT THE, UH, CORRIDOR WILL DESERVE AND THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL CONTRIBUTE ECONOMICALLY.
SO THE FIRST ONE THAT I HAVE IS THE SIX ACRE PRIVATELY HELD TRACK AT BROADWAY AND OATS.
THAT'S THE PROPERTY NEXT TO THE SOUTH LIBRARY THAT WE'VE JUST SPENT A BUNCH OF MONEY PUTTING PLACEMAKING IN, TRY TO MAKE A PLACE THERE TO TRY TO INCREASE THE VALUE OF THIS ECONOMIC NODE.
AND THE, THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU IS A CAR WASH HAS SHOWN UP AND SAID, HEY, WE WANNA PUT A CAR WASH HERE.
WELL, THE DEVELOPER'S SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS LAND'S BEEN FOR SALE FOR A LONG TIME AND, AND NOBODY'S BID ON IT, YOU KNOW, AND WE HAVE THIS CAR WASH USE AND THEY WANNA HAVE THIS CAR WASH USE.
AND, AND THE OLD WAY OF THINKING ABOUT IT, YOU'D LOOK AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU THINK ABOUT THAT CORRIDOR AND YOU SAY, YEAH, I GUESS I CAN SEE A CAR WASH THERE.
THERE'S NOT A LOT GOING ON DOWN THERE, AND IT'S NOT HOW, WHAT WOULD IT HARM? AND IN THE NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT IT, YOU'RE LIKE, THAT'S GOING TO HARM THE VERY CORE OF THAT NODE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DEVELOP.
AND I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, IF IF THERE'S A INTEREST AND THERE'S BEEN SOME INTEREST, UH, UNDER THIS SCENARIO OF, UH, OF A MIXED USE OR, OR HOUSING, UH, HIGHER END HOUSING, WAIT FOR THAT.
DON'T, DON'T SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE LAND'S BEEN VACANT FOR A WHILE, LET'S PUT SOMETHING ON IT.
AND SO THE FIRST CASE IS, IS THE HYPOTHETICAL CAR WASH THAT WANTS A SITE THERE AND LOOK AND SAY, DOES THAT GO WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW PROBABLY, I I THINK YOU WOULD BE, I THINK I WOULD BE MISLEADING YOU.
I SAY, NO, THAT DOESN'T GO THERE.
YOU'D GO DOWN THERE AND SAY, YEAH, MAYBE IT GOES WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW, DOES IT GO WITH WHAT WE'RE PLANNING THERE? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
DID WE JUST SPEND ALL THAT MONEY ON PLACEMAKING AND THE MONEY WE CAN SPEND TO IMPROVE THAT CORRIDOR SO WE HAVE ANOTHER CAR WASH AT THE CORNER, A LOW VALUE USE? OF COURSE NOT.
AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT I WANT US TO BE THINKING ABOUT.
THE NEXT ONE IS, YOU'VE GOT A, AN AGING COMMERCIAL NODE IN THE WEDGE AND THE DEVELOPER IS CASE ONE BROADWAY SNOWED.
UH, OR THE CURRENT OWNER IS TELLING YOU, YOU KNOW, THIS PROPERTY HAS REALLY NOT BEEN DOING WELL, IT'S FINANCIALLY NOT VERY VIABLE, AND IT'S STRUGGLING.
AND, AND THEY WANT TO PUT IN A, UH, LOW USE, UH, ORIENT, AUTO ORIENTED DRIVE THROUGH PAD SITE ON THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEDGE.
YOU SAY, WELL, WOULD THAT GO WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW? PROBABLY, PROBABLY.
BUT IF WE KEEP WHAT'S THERE NOW THERE FOR A DECADE OR TWO, WE'LL NEVER BE SUCCESSFUL REDEVELOPING THAT CORRIDOR.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD ASK YOU TO, TO CONSIDER IS THAT, IS THAT THE KIND OF USE THAT WE HAVE? YES.
DOES IT MATCH THE BLOCK? SURE.
IS THAT THE PATTERN THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IN THE, IN THAT NODE? NO.
IS IT STEERING US TOWARDS A WALKABLE MIXED USE PATTERN WITH, UH, STREET PRESENCE AND, AND PLACEMAKING? NO.
AND SO THE ANSWER THERE WOULD BE HOLD IT FOR ASSEMBLY, HOLD IT FOR SOMETHING BETTER TO COME ALONG.
AND THERE'S A REAL INCLINATION TO, AND I'VE, I GET IT.
I'VE GOT, UH, IN THIS SWIRL SEAT AND LISTEN TO IT.
THERE'S A REAL INCLINATION TO SAY, WELL, WE, WE, WE REALLY DON'T WANT IT JUST TO BE VACANT, SO WE'LL LET SOME LOW USE LOCK THE CHARACTER OF THIS CORRIDOR IN FOR TWO DECADES.
AND MY URGE TO YOU TONIGHT IS TO FIGHT THAT INCLINATION AND TO HAVE FAITH THAT WE'RE BUILDING THESE CORRIDORS OUT AND THAT THE MARKET WILL WORK.
THE DOWNTOWN IS PROOF THAT THE MARKET WORKS.
THE LAST CASE IS, IS A CASE THAT, UH, IS VERY SIMILAR.
IT'S, UH, IN THE BELTLINE, UH, EFA AND SOMEBODY HAS A HALF VACANT, UH, RETAIL CENTER AND THEY WANNA PUT IN A A AN SUP FOR A, EITHER A, AN AUTO USE, UH, OR A SELF STORAGE CONVERSION OF THE VACANCY BECAUSE YOU KNOW, HEY, IT'S VACANT.
WE DON'T HAVE, WE ONLY HAVE ONE TENANT LEFT THERE AND THE SHOPPING CENTER IS DYING.
AND SHOULD WE ALLOW THAT? AND THEN THE QUESTION IS, DOES IT GO WITH WHAT'S THERE NOW? AND YOU HEAR THIS SOMETIMES, WELL, IT'S BETTER THAN NOTHING AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU NO, IT'S NOT REALLY BETTER THAN NOTHING BECAUSE A USE THAT WILL LOCK IN A PATTERN OF ECONOMIC DECLINE FOR THE NEXT TWO DECADES IS NOT IN FACT BETTER THAN NOTHING.
IT'S BETTER TO WAIT AND LET US BUILD THE CORRIDOR OUT AND TO MAKE THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING IN THESE CORRIDORS AND HAVE A HIGH VALUE ECONOMIC USE
[02:15:01]
AND TO HAVE A LOWER VALUE ECONOMIC USE THAT WILL SOLIDIFY THAT AS A LOW ECONOMIC IMPACT AREA FOR THE NEXT GENERATION.AND SO I, I WILL TELL YOU THE COMMON THREAD IN ALL OF THESE, WHEN YOU SEE A SITUATION WHERE THERE'S A, A A, A PROPERTY THAT'S STRUGGLING ECONOMICALLY OR HASN'T DEVELOPED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE EASY YES IS OFTEN THE EASY DECISION TO MAKE.
BUT I WILL SAY IT'S OFTEN THE CORRIDOR KILLING.
YES, IT'S THE YES THAT YOU SAY YES TO A USE THAT WILL THEN LOCK THIS CORRIDOR IN TO ITS DEMISE FOR DECADES AHEAD.
AND THE ASK TONIGHT FOR YOU IS TO CONSIDER THAT AND TO LOOK AND SAY, THIS IS IN ONE OF OUR ECONOMIC FOCUS AREAS.
IF THE PLANNING STAFF TELLS YOU THIS IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE ARE PLANNING IN THE FUTURE, AS THE PLANNING STAFF, YOU, AS THE PLAN COMMISSION LOOKING FORWARD INTO WHAT'S UH, NECESSARY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, I WOULD URGE YOU TO HOLD AND WAIT FOR A USE THAT IS IN FACT CONSISTENT WITH THE USE.
UH, I WANT TO, I WANNA CLOSE BY SAYING WHAT WE'RE REALLY ASKING TONIGHT, THIS PLAN, AND I TOLD THIS TO THE COUNCIL, THIS PLAN IS GENERATIONAL AND IT'S CHANGE THAT WE INTEND TO IMPACT AND EFFECTUATE IN THIS CITY.
WE'RE GONNA MAKE A CHANGE THAT A GENERATION FROM NOW, PEOPLE WILL LOOK BACK AND REALIZE WE DID SOMETHING TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF THIS CITY.
AND YOU GUYS ARE THE FRONT LINE.
YOU'RE THE FRONT LINE OF SAYING YES OR NO TO WHETHER A PROJECT IS ECONOMICALLY GOING TO CONTRIBUTE AND CONTRIBUTE TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, OR IT'S GOING TO HOLD US IN THE PATTERN THAT WE'VE HAD.
AND THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I'D LIKE YOU TO ASK YOURSELF OUT LOUD AT MEETINGS AND SAY, IS THIS CONSISTENT WITH THE PLAN THAT WE HAVE FOR THESE AREAS? IS THIS CONSISTENT WITH THE CHANGE THAT WE NEED SO THE NEXT GENERATION CAN HAVE A CITY THAT'S DRIVING AS OPPOSED TO A CITY THAT WILL BECOME MORE AND MORE AN ECONOMIC DECLINE IF WE DON'T FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE.
AND I WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME DOUBT.
PEOPLE SAY, CAN YOU DO THIS AS A CITY? AND WHAT I TOLD THE COUNCIL AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER TRAN ASKED, IS THERE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS? CAN YOU SHOW ME AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE THIS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL? AND THE HOUSING STRATEGY FOLKS HAVE SOME CITIES THEY'LL POINT TO AND SAY, YEAH, IT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THIS CITY AND THAT CITY.
AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, FROM MY PERCH ON THE FOURTH FLOOR, I DON'T NEED TO SEE ANOTHER CITY.
I CAN JUST LOOK OUT MY WINDOW.
I CAN LOOK OUT MY WINDOW ACROSS THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE AND SAY, WE HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE AND WE'LL DO IT AGAIN.
AND WITH YOUR HELP, WE WILL DO IT AGAIN.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FOCUS THAT YOU'VE ALL GIVEN THIS TONIGHT AND ATTENTION THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MATTERS FACING OUR CITY.
JUST TO MAKE SURE WE GET THIS RIGHT.
AND YOU GUYS ARE THE FRONT LINE IN THAT, AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US THIS EVENING.
WITH THAT, MR. CHAIRMAN, I'LL ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY.
OTHERWISE I WILL THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AGAIN.
AND BEFORE, BEFORE WE GET INTO QUESTIONS, IF I CAN JUST MAKE A, A GENERAL STATEMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE, UH, STAFF TO TAKE THIS MEETING, CUT OUT THE BEGINNING AND CREATE A VIDEO THAT CAN BE USED FOR TRAINING OF ANY NEW INCOMING PLAN COMMISSIONER OR EVEN COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STUFF.
THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT PRESENTATION AND IN ALL MY YEARS HERE, WE'VE NEVER BEEN PRESENTED THIS KIND OF INFORMATION.
YEAH, WE HAVE REPORTS, WE HAVE PLANS, BUT WE HAVEN'T BEEN TOLD THE TRUE PURPOSE, THE TRUE WAY TO IMPLEMENT 'EM.
AND THE HOUR AND A HALF WHATEVER WE SPENT HERE HAS BEEN WELL WORTHWHILE, I THINK FOR EVERYBODY HERE.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DOING THAT.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER DUCKWORTH AND COMMISSIONER CORNELIUS, YOU HELPED DECIDE.
MR. BITS, I, I'M NOT A REAL CARD PLAYER, BUT ONE TIME I TRIED TO PLAY BLACKJACK AND I COULDN'T REMEMBER ALL OF THOSE COMBINATIONS AND STUFF.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT ONE OF THIS AND TWO OF THAT YOU HOLD AND YOU, I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY AS CLOSE TO THAT SIMPLE MECHANISM FOR US TO HAVE A, A MEMORY PATTERN FOR, FOR STAFF AND FOR US TO LOOK AT, UH, AS A, AS A SIL TO KINDA SIFT THESE THINGS TOO THROUGH TO SEE WHERE THEY FIT.
AND, AND I APPRECIATE IT A WHOLE LOT.
IT'LL BE A, THIS WILL BE A GREAT TOOL FOR ALL OF US.
I'LL HAVE THEM ATED AND THEY WILL BE AT YOUR PLACES NEXT MEETING.
WELL, I THINK, I THINK THIS IS GONNA FIT FOR ALL OF US FROM COUNCIL STAFF ALL DOWN IF WE ALL ADOPT THIS.
AND AS YOU SAID, IF WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING, FAILURES IN THE FUTURE, IF WE DON'T, WE DON'T DO SOMETHING.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER CORNELIUS.
UM, THIS IS AN EXCELLENT TEMPLATE.
THIS IS LIKE ONE OF THOSE, WHEN I FIRST CAME IN AS A COMMISSIONER, I HAD 12 MILLION QUESTIONS AND NO ONE COULD REALLY ANSWER THE QUESTIONS FOR ME.
I HAD TO DO A LOT OF DIGGING, UM, TALK TO A LOT OF PEOPLE ALL OVER
[02:20:01]
THE PLACE.THIS IS A VERY BASIC TEMPLATE THAT COULD BE USED FOR NEW PEOPLE FOR US JUST COMING IN.
AND I'M SITTING HERE THINKING, 'CAUSE MY THOUGHT WAS, OH, I'M GONNA CREATE THIS.
I USED, I SEE THE QUESTIONS, I'M GONNA CREATE A LITTLE TEMPLATE FOR MYSELF.
OH MY GOSH, I SEE THE CASE SCENARIOS HERE.
SO WHEREAS I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE A BIO BREAK RIGHT NOW.
I HAVE REALLY ENJOYED THIS TO THE POINT WHERE I HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT THE FACT THAT I COULD USE A BIO BREAK, BUT AWESOME.
BRAVO, I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL DOING THIS.
AND, AND I WILL SAY THOSE, THE CASES GENUINELY, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE TRAINING TONIGHT AND WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THESE CASES, YOU COULD IMAGINE YOURSELF GOING, WELL, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE DO THIS? AND WHEN YOU HAVE THE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD TONIGHT YEAH.
AND YOU LOOK AT THESE CASES, I DON'T EVEN NEED TO GO THROUGH THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE SIMPLE.
YOU ARE LIKE, OF COURSE WE WOULDN'T ALLOW THAT USE.
IT'S NOT CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE PLAN IS.
AND THAT WAS THE IDEA BEHIND THE PLAN.
THE CASES, WHEN I WAS PUTTING THEM TOGETHER, I WAS LIKE, THESE, THESE WOULD BE KIND OF HARD.
AND I REALIZED THEY WON'T BE HARD ONCE WE EXPLAIN WHAT THE GOAL IS.
BECAUSE THE ONE THING I KNOW FROM BEING WITH THIS COMMISSION IN THE PAST YEARS AND FROM WATCHING YOU ALL IN THE MORE RECENT YEARS, AS YOU LISTEN, YOU FOCUS, YOU UNDERSTAND THE MATERIALS THAT ARE HERE.
YOU JUST NEED SOMEBODY TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR.
AND IF WE TELL YOU THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SHOOTING FOR, IT BECOMES EASY.
AND THAT WAS THE GOAL TONIGHT, MA'AM.
AND REMEMBER, AS THE GREAT YODA ONE SAYS, THERE IS NO TRY ONLY DO.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
I, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT OTHER STAFF HERE.
WE'VE GOT, UH, YES, ANDY, HE, OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER WHO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING THESE PLANS TOGETHER AND IN WORKING WITH US ON, UH, HOUSING STRATEGY AND UH, AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND WITHOUT HIS EXPERT GUIDANCE AND THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THANK WE WOULDN'T BE HALFWAY WHERE WE ARE.
AND I DO NEED TO RECOGNIZE HIM TONIGHT THAT HE'S HERE.
AND NABIL HAS WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH US ON THESE MATERIALS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRAINING THAT WE PROVIDED TONIGHT WAS ONE THAT WOULD BE USABLE.
AND I DO NEED TO THANK THE STAFF.
WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING STAFF HERE IN THE CITY, AND I'M BLESSED TO BE AIDED AND ASSISTED BY.
IT TOOK AT LEAST TWO OR THREE HOURS TO PUT ALL THIS TOGETHER.
AND THE STAFF AND ALL MY YEARS HERE, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD GOOD STAFF AND I LOVE THAT YOU FOLKS LOVE THE CITY AND LOVE YOUR JOBS AND, AND BRING US ALL THE INFORMATION YOU CAN.
I, I WANTED TO MAKE A SUGGESTION.
I, I KNOW OUR COUNCIL, Y'ALL GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND I THINK I HAVE OBSERVED IN THE PAST THAT SOMETIMES I THINK WOULD'VE BEEN A GUIDE IDEA FOR THE PLAN COMMISSION AND EXECUTIVE AND THE COUNCIL TO HAVE HAD AN EXECUTIVE SESSION AND TALKED ABOUT THIS.
AND I'LL LEAVE THAT TO YOUR, SOMETIMES WE, WE, WE LOOK AT THINGS THAT COUNCIL HAS TALKED ABOUT IN EXECUTIVE SESSIONS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THAT KNOWLEDGE AND PERHAPS THAT MIGHT BE A TOOL TO, TO, UH, INCLUDE US IN SOME OF THESE HARD DECISIONS.
THIS, THIS, I THINK PROBABLY NOT ON, I THINK FOR SPECIFIC CASES THAT MIGHT BE USEFUL IN THE FUTURE.
UH, IF THERE'S SPECIFIC CASES THAT WERE COMING TO YOU ON THAT HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT, THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CHANCE FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I THINK FOR A TRAINING, A TRAINING LIKE THIS SHOULD BE DONE IN THE OPEN.
SO SURE, DEFINITELY STANDS 100% SURE.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING OF THIS COMMISSION.
AND THIS IS ITS IMPORTANCE TO THIS COMMUNITY SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE WANNA KNOW WHY IS THE PLAN COMMISSION SAYING YES TO THIS USE AND NO TO THAT USE, THEY UNDERSTAND.
WE AS A TEAM HAVE DECIDED THAT WE ARE GOING TO DO THIS AS A COMMUNITY AND WE'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN TURNING AROUND OUR CITY ECONOMICALLY.
AND NOT ONLY ARE YOU TRAINING US, YOU'RE TRAINING THE PUBLIC AND THAT, THAT IN THIS CHARTER, IT STATES THAT'S PART OF OUR DUTY IS TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THAT VIDEO CAN BE EDITED DOWN HOWEVER MUCH AND PUT OUT THERE FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC TO WATCH TOO.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS LIFE ITEM AND AGENDA.
I THINK SOMEBODY WANTS US TO, UH, ADJOURN REAL QUICK.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS JULY 27TH.