DEPARTMENT: Department of Planning & Community Development
DEPARTMENT HEAD: John Dugan, AICP
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
A briefing on the current status of the City of San Antonio's three growth-related plans including the Comprehensive Plan, the Strategic Multi-Modal Transportation Plan and the Sustainability Plan, collectively named "SA Tomorrow."
SUMMARY:
A briefing on the current status of the City of San Antonio's three growth-related plans including the Comprehensive Plan, the Strategic Multi-Modal Transportation Plan and the Sustainability Plan, collectively named "SA Tomorrow."
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Comprehensive Plan
Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group
The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group (Advisory Group) is a stakeholder group representing government, business, community and non-profit entities that have significant interest in the growth of San Antonio. The Advisory Group serves as a platform for the exchange of information and alignment of existing and future planning efforts. It is expected that the Advisory Group will continue to dialogue and engage with the City after the adoption of the Comprehensive Plan. Each stakeholder group participating in the Advisory Group is asked to make available technical staff to assist with the Plan Element Working Groups (technical policy development committees), engage their constituencies and workforces in the planning process, lend institutional resources to the Comprehensive Planning process, and to openly provide their organization's long-term plans for synchronization with the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group will meet once each quarter.
The first meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group took place on January 13, 2015 at the Central Library, with approximately 60 attendees. The meeting provided an introduction to the Comprehensive Planning process and oversight structure, as well as the three growth-related plans. The significance of the Comprehensive Planning process to the future of the city was emphasized as was the importance of having stakeholder participation in the Plan Element Working Groups.
Plan Element Working Groups
The Plan Element Working Groups (Working Groups) are comprised of industry and community leaders drawn from the various organizations of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group and supplemented by subject matter experts identified by the planning team and their partners. In collaboration with these working groups and City staff, the MIG Team (Comprehensive Plan Consultants) will lead the development of a series of topical policy papers that include assets, opportunities, and challenges, and that will be utilized in the formation of the City's three growth-related plans. These papers will be a key step in the planning process and will provide the basis for more specific policy recommendations. The Working Groups will each have a representative who serves on the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee.
The first Plan Element Working Group meeting was held on March 24, 2015 at the Pre-K 4 SA East Center, with approximately 120 participants attending. This first meeting brought all of the Working Group participants together for an introduction and "big picture" discussion of the City's greatest assets and challenges, both now and in the future. Future meetings will likely be held every 4-6 weeks throughout 2015, and will be smaller as the nine individual Working Groups focus on their specific Plan Elements:
· Housing
· Growth & Urban Form
· Historic Preservation
· Transportation & Connectivity
· Green & Healthy Neighborhoods
· Public Facilities and Community Safety
· Military
· Jobs & Economic Competitiveness
· Natural Resources & the Environment
Baseline Studies and Existing Conditions Report
MIG, the City's lead Comprehensive Plan consultant, is finalizing an Existing Conditions Report that will serve as a baseline for analysis informing the City's comprehensive planning process. The Existing Conditions Report builds on research and analysis completed by EPS in 2014, which detailed the City's infill development capacity, jobs and economic opportunities within the City Limits, and the fiscal impact of alternative development scenarios. These studies and reports will be used by the Plan Element Working Groups and consultant teams, and will be made available online for the public.
Strategic Multi-Modal Transportation Plan
Analysis is underway regarding the technical aspects of the Strategic Multimodal Transportation Plan. This includes assessment of current and future demographics and the impact on the City's roadway network between now and 2040. Pedestrian Priority Zone criteria is being drafted; the City's Bicycle Master Plan is being assessed for implementation priorities for public and private projects; and the Major Thoroughfare Plan is being evaluated for roadway alignments that have yet to be built, as well as existing roads that may need to be expanded and/or redesigned. Collaboration with VIA is on-going as they continue to update their 2040 Transit Plan. An underlying theme is safety.
Sustainability Plan
The Office of Sustainability contract with consultant Neutral Forum, LLC was awarded by City Council on January 29, 2015. The selected prime consultant is Neutral Forum, LLC, dba Galen Driscol/Kim Lundgren Associates, Inc. and sub-consultants include Adaptation International, LLC, ATMOS Research & Consulting, and Erin L. Deady, PA. The contract has been executed and implementation of the work plan has begun with including the baseline data collection.
Office of Sustainability staff has been requesting, receiving and processing data from COSA departments, SAWS, CPS, and SARA for the Sustainable Tools for Assessing and Rating (STAR) Communities system, which is a national framework for the Sustainability Plan. The draft sustainability scan and draft consultant baseline reports have been received: "Climate trends in San Antonio and an overview of climate projections for the South Central Region".
The consultants have begun the development of a public engagement plan and tools. This includes the draft Public Engagement Plan, Sustainability Plan Fact Sheet and the Sustainability Plan Website content. The consultant has secured the use of MindMixer for the SA Tomorrow planning process and is developing the content with Comprehensive and Multimodal Transportation plan teams. MindMixer is a virtual townhall, where the public can discuss issues and share ideas.
The Sustainability staff and consultant team will continue to execute the contract in the next quarter including finalizing and implementation of the public engagement plan, identifying goals and developing strategies for each focal area.
SA Tomorrow - San Antonio's Three Growth-Related Plans
Branding
Staff has developed the brand by which the Comprehensive Plan, the Strategic Multi-Modal Transportation Plan and the Sustainability Plan will all be known: SA Tomorrow. The brand features distinct logos for each of the three plans as well as a logo combining the graphical elements of the individual plan logos, representing the close coordination and unified vision of the plans. The combined branding is used on the website.
Website
Staff has developed a website for use by all three plans. The SATomorrow.com website will include one primary landing site for the tri-plan program, as well as individual sites for the Comprehensive Plan, the Strategic Multi-Modal Transportation Plan, and the Sustainability Plan. SATomorrow.com will be informative, engaging and interactive by including mapping applications, surveys, a document library, public event announcements, and mailing list sign-up. The site will go live the first week of April 2015.
Public Engagement and Outreach
City staff is creating an Enhanced Public Engagement Plan to ensure the engagement of key demographic groups throughout the comprehensive planning process. Meaningful public engagement using a variety of methods, will help the public learn about the issues facing our community, will provide opportunities for open dialogue, and will ensure that the Comprehensive Plan reflects the values and core interests of the public. The process will include targeted engagement for the general public and the following key stakeholders to include, but not limited to, the following:
· Neighborhood and homeowner association representatives
· Real estate developers, building owners and managers, property owners, architects, and contractors
· High school and college students
· Senior citizens
· Young professionals
The public will have multiple opportunities to provide input to and participate in the SA Tomorrow planning process. In addition to the website, we will utilize a series of videos and public service announcements, as well as multiple social media platforms.
Press Conference
Press conference held March 25, 2015 to announce the branding of SA Tomorrow for the three growth-related plans. Mayor Taylor and Councilman Nirenberg presented their vision for the SA Tomorrow process. Coverage was provided by KSAT-12 News, KTSA Radio, Rivard Report, San Antonio Express-News / MYSA, Time Warner Cable News, WOAI News 4, WOAI Radio.
Social Media
Social Media campaign on Facebook and Twitter launched in February. Current activity includes 815 "likes" on Facebook, and 628 "followers" on Twitter. Overall social media outreach includes 65,662 "impressions" and 2,196 people "engaged."
Kick-Off Event
The SA Tomorrow public engagement process will officially start with a Community Kick-Off Event that is scheduled for April 11 from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM at the Alamo Convocation Center.
The purpose of the Community Kick-Off event is to begin the public engagement process of developing the SA Tomorrow plans. There will be interactive activities for youth and families that will help make the event exciting, fun, and informative.
Interest has already begun on social media through Facebook (Facebook/satomorrow2040) and Twitter (@satomorrow2040). An SA Tomorrow invitation flyer regarding the event is attached to this memo.
Other Outreach for Kick-Off
· E-blasts to 5,000+ email list
· E-blasts to partner agencies and organizations
· Flyer distribution including: 1,600 Pre-K 4 SA students, 800 churches, all San Antonio Libraries
· Paid Advertisement beginning the week of April 1, 2015
· Siclovia participation to raise awareness about population growth through 2040, transportation needs, and the upcoming Kick-Off event.
ISSUE:
This City Council "B" Session is a quarterly recurring "B" Session briefing to the entire City Council on the progress and future work associated with developing and completing the three growth plans. Significant milestones are scheduled for all three-growth related plans during the third quarter of 2015. It is projected that the three-growth related plans will be completed by the Spring of 2016.
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact associated with this briefing.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends the City Council receive briefings on the current status and work plan for the City of San Antonio's three growth-related plans.