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Item 10E PHASE 1 - VISION, GOALS, & OBJECTIVES Draft Recommendations of the Southlake 2025 Plan Steering Committee September 2003 I. OVERVIEW The following is the Southlake 2025 Steering Committee’s recommended vision statement, goals, and objectives. A community’s vision is a desired end result as articulated by the 1 residents after an appraisal of their community. The vision represents a future which can be achieved through the community’s proactive policies and strategies. The community’s goals and objectives help clarify the vision further. The goals are beginning points for policies toward which effort will be directed – they shall form the “framework” for the future of the city. The goals are general in nature to allow some flexibility in ways to achieve them. Together, the goals and objectives will serve as the structure for updating the city’s comprehensive plan (land use plan, master thoroughfare plan, etc.). Steering Committee members at work during a planning workshop in May 2003. The Southlake 2025 Plan Steering Committee’s recommendations are prefaced by their findings after an intensive nine (9) month review and analysis of relevant background information about the city. The findings represent a broad range of interrelated factors affecting growth and development in the city as well as in the Metroplex. 1 Planning for the Future: A Handbook on Community Visioning, Second Edition, Center for Rural Pennsylvania. Southlake 2025 Plan Vision, Goals, & Objectives 2 Last edited September 25, 2003 Draft Recommendations II. STEERING COMMITTEE FINDINGS 1.Neighborhoods & Housing  Southlake has a range of attractive and valuable residential and commercial developments which make it a desirable place to live, work, and play.  Residential development is occurring at a decreasing rate.  Southlake’s housing stock is 99% single family homes. The average home size is approximately 3,700 square feet.  Southlake provides limited choice in low-maintenance, but quality housing for maturing families with children over 18 not living at home (empty-nesters) and young professionals that do not have children. 2. Demographic Trends  Southlake’s population is primarily composed of children (38%) and adults between the ages of 35 and 54 (48%). The percentage of persons over 55 is 9%.  Under the 1998 Land Use Plan scenario, current population build-out projection is approximately 30,000 persons.  Under current city policies that are based on the 1998 Land Use Assumptions report (Impact Fee Ordinance), infrastructure is being designed to meet a build-out population of 35,841 persons. 3. School District  The Carroll Independent School District (CISD) is the city’s most important asset in attracting quality development. It is the foundation of Southlake’s property value base.  In order to maintain a fiscally sound school district, CISD requires steady increases in both student enrollment and property values. At the present time, CISD is projecting a flattening rate of student enrollment and property values increases, both of which have the potential to jeopardize Southlake’s most valuable asset. 4.Growth & Fiscal Health  Southlake is 23 square miles in area and cannot expand its municipal boundaries.  Southlake has 20% of its land remaining to be developed (2,900 acres) – largest concentration is located predominantly along S.H 114 (1,120 acres).  Southlake presently has 6.3% (900 acres) of its land with potential for redevelopment based on an analysis of land to current improvement value ratios. Southlake 2025 Plan Vision, Goals, & Objectives 3 Last edited September 25, 2003 Draft Recommendations  A significant number of undeveloped parcels face development challenges such as: 1) adjacency to established residential neighborhoods, commercial development, and/or major roadways, 2) environmental limitations, 3) airport over-flight zone, or 4) a lack of market demand.  Property value increases are occurring at a decreasing rate.  Certain types of office development (campus/corporate) are stagnant due to market conditions.  Attracting major campus office relocations to Southlake will require highly competitive incentive packages.  Southlake faces stiff regional competition for new retail/office development (Circle T Mall, Las Colinas, Opryland, etc.). 5.Location, Access, & Mobility  Southlake’s geographic location between DFW and Alliance airports gives it a unique economic advantage over other cities in the Metroplex.  Traffic volumes (vehicle trips per day) on the City’s streets are increasing annually and are projected to continue to increase in the future, specifically with the completion of SH 114 and the construction of the FM 1938 extension.  Commuting times to employment centers (Las Colinas, Dallas, Ft. Worth, Arlington, etc) will continue to increase (Mean travel time to work 30.8 minutes – Census 2000 data). 6.Recreational & Natural Amenities  Natural amenities, parks, and open spaces are important assets that attract people to Southlake.  The U.S. Army Core of Engineer (COE) property (700 acres) provides the largest contiguous open space in the city. The city currently leases 218 acres for passive recreational use.  The city currently provides 17 acres of open space per 1,000 persons (not including the leased COE property) with a future goal of providing 21 acres per 1,000 persons under build-out projection of 35,841 persons. 7.Public Safety  Southlake’s excellent public safety record makes it a safe and desirable community in which to live and conduct business.  Public safety requires three (3) DPS facilities in order to meet desired emergency response times and to provide service for future growth. Southlake 2025 Plan Vision, Goals, & Objectives 4 Last edited September 25, 2003 Draft Recommendations III. SOUTHLAKE 2025 PLAN VISION STATEMENT “Southlake will continue to enhance its status as a desirable, attractive, safe, healthy, fiscally sound community with quality neighborhoods, while maintaining a high standard of living, learning, shopping, working, recreation, and open spaces. Southlake will be a vibrant community that epitomizes both economic and environmental sustainability.” Southlake 2025 Plan Vision, Goals, & Objectives 5 Last edited September 25, 2003 Draft Recommendations IV. SOUTHLAKE 2025 PLAN GOALS & OBJECTIVES Goal 1: Promote quality neighborhoods with a sense of place that contribute to the overall community. Quality neighborhoods are the cornerstone of our community. Quality neighborhoods are well designed and maintained, attractive, pedestrian friendly and safe. Objective 1.1 Encourage the maintenance of existing neighborhoods in order to preserve property values and a sense of place. Objective 1.2 Promote the creation/preservation of attractive, pedestrian friendly streets with pleasing vistas that limit the visual impact of the automobile. Objective 1.3 Encourage neighborhood design that is in context with existing development patterns while creating unique places. To this end, promote the creation of well-designed, appropriately-scaled residential neighborhoods. Objective 1.4 Encourage creativity in neighborhood design with special emphasis on environmental stewardship that conserves the city’s natural assets. Goal 2: Foster attractive and well designed residential developments to meet the needs of a diverse and vibrant community. Objective 2.1 Facilitate market driven housing products consistent with Southlake’s vision for quality neighborhoods which emphasize design details for homes, streets, open spaces, recreational amenities, etc. Objective 2.2 Ensure that new housing occurs in a manner which results in continued growth of school aged children, but at a rate that will not overburden any particular attendance zone, requiring a new school facility to be constructed. Objective 2.3 Allow for the development of smaller-scaled, low-maintenance, high quality single-family housing options at appropriate locations. Objective 2.4 Provide for the incorporation of smaller-scaled single-family residential uses as a part of an overall mixed use concept at appropriate transitional locations. Transitional areas are undeveloped or under- developed properties that are adjacent to established and/or future residential neighborhoods when such areas are adjacent to commercial development, and/or major roadways. Objective 2.5 Create a partnership between the citizens, the city and our school districts to address issues (i.e. revenue enhancement, education, facilities management) facing the community. Goal 3: Maintain a balanced approach to growth and development in order to preserve the city’s assets (schools, public safety, and competitive edge in the region) and its fiscal health. Southlake 2025 Plan Vision, Goals, & Objectives 6 Last edited September 25, 2003 Draft Recommendations Objective 3.1 Promote the development of commercial and mixed-use development with an emphasis on design detail and performance standards to keep up with changes in market conditions. Objective 3.2 Encourage a range of uses, including retail, office, hospitality, entertainment, industrial and residential, that is both responsive to changing market conditions and sustains growth in property values for the future. Objective 3.3 Evaluate and then incorporate approved methods that will help retain and enhance Southlake’s existing economic base. Objective 3.4 Support appropriate public-private financial partnerships. Goal 4: Develop a transportation system that minimizes traffic congestion, provides alternatives to the automobile, promotes energy efficiency, and allows expanded opportunities for its citizens to meet some routine needs by walking or bicycling. The design of the transportation system should act as framework that gives the city “character and functionality”. Objective 4.1 The Thoroughfare Plan --a component of the Southlake 2025 Plan— should address safety, design, and aesthetics elements such as landscaping, street design, lighting, sidewalk design, traffic calming, signage etc. in order to provide a distinct image for the City. Objective 4.2 Provide a street network that allows residents/workers to travel effectively to shopping areas, schools and places of employment without having to travel on the city’s major arterials (FM 1709, FM 1938, or SH 114), while minimizing cut-through traffic in residential neighborhoods. Objective 4.3 Promote contiguous bicycle/pedestrian/trail facilities which are user friendly, efficient, safe, economical, and connect parks, shopping, schools, work and residential areas. Objective 4.4 Investigate opportunities to link existing neighborhoods, shopping areas and employment centers to the existing/future trail system, as detailed in the Master Pathways Plan. Objective 4.5 Ensure that an adequate and efficient transportation system both internally and externally to the site is provided or planned prior to the approval of any land uses that create significant traffic demand. Objective 4.6 Mixed-use developments should encourage a pedestrian-friendly environment and minimize the need of the automobile for convenience shopping, work, or leisure trips. Objective 4.7 Encourage pedestrian and bicycle mobility when redesigning existing roadways or designing new roadways. Objective 4.8 Partner with adjoining communities and the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) to study the impact of the future light/commuter rail corridor proposed along the Cottonbelt rail line, adjacent to SH-26. Evaluate and determine appropriate land use designations along the rail corridor. Southlake 2025 Plan Vision, Goals, & Objectives 7 Last edited September 25, 2003 Draft Recommendations Goal 5: Support a comprehensive integrated open space and recreation system that creates value and preserves natural assets of the city. Open spaces may include a combination of natural areas, parks, trails, greens, squares, educational, or civic uses. Objective 5.1 Encourage developers to provide useable and functional open space that is integrated with new development. Access to such areas should be maximized through pedestrian/bicycle improvements and connections. Objective 5.2 Park and open space areas should conserve a property’s environmental features while maximizing accessibility and value to the development. Objective 5.3 Water conservation and reuse should be a priority in the design of parks and open spaces. Objective 5.4 Develop and utilize the city’s Storm Water Management Plan to protect against inundation from storm water runoff. Open space easements and corridors for preservation should be identified and integrated to this plan. Objective 5.5 The city should continue to work with the various school districts to explore opportunities to provide open space and recreation amenities in conjunction with city facilities. Objective 5.6 The city should continue to investigate public-private partnerships to create open space and recreation facilities with other types of developments including residential, retail, and employment. Objective 5.7 Protect open lands, natural land forms, agricultural landscapes and scenic vistas that create and define Southlake’s unique community character and quality of life. Objective 5.8 Ensure that development is respective of and appropriately integrated with the natural physical geography of the land in Southlake by requiring environmentally sensitive development to eliminate “scrape and build” development. Objective 5.9 Ensure that the character and quality of Southlake’s built environment, relative to commercial development, contribute to desired community character objectives and foster a positive relationship between the taxable value of real property and the corresponding cost of municipal services. Goal 6: Preserve effective and efficient professional police, fire and communication services. Objective 6.1 Support the provision of facilities, equipment and roadways to achieve desired emergency response times throughout the city. Objective 6.2 Support the location of substations in areas of greatest need. Southlake 2025 Plan Vision, Goals, & Objectives 8 Last edited September 25, 2003 Draft Recommendations