DEPARTMENT: Department of Planning & Community Development
DEPARTMENT HEAD: John Dugan, AICP
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Briefing on the current progress of the City of San Antonio's SA Tomorrow three growth-related plans.
SUMMARY:
Briefing on the current progress of the City of San Antonio's SA Tomorrow three growth-related plans.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Comprehensive Plan
Comprehensive Plan Advisory Group
The first meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Groups (PEWG) took place on January 13, 2015 at the Central Library with approximately 60 attendees. The meeting provided an introduction to the planning process for the established governance/oversight of the three growth-related plans structure.
Plan Element Working Groups
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. Future meetings of the PEWG will be held every four to six weeks throughout 2015.
The PEWG are as follows:
· 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 during 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. The baseline studies also 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. An analytical assessment of current and future demographics and the impact on the City's roadway network between now and 2040 is currently being developed. 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 for the Multimodal transportation Plan 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 the baseline data collection.
The consultants have begun the development of public engagement plans 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 and stakeholders can discuss issues and share ideas.
SA Tomorrow - San Antonio's Three Growth-Related Plans
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. Staff has developed a website for use by all three plans (SATomorrow.com). The website includes on primary landing site for the three plans, we well as individual sites for each of the three plans. The website will be informative, engaging and interactive by including mapping applications, surveys, a document library, public event announcements, and mailing list sign-up.
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. SA Tomorrow also is engaging people through social media utilizing Facebook and twitter.
The SA Tomorrow public engagement process commenced with a Community Kick-Off Event on Saturday, April 11, 2015 at the Alamo Convocation Center. The purpose of the Community Kick-Off event was to begin the public engagement process of developing the SA Tomorrow plans. Approximately 400 people participated in the Kick-Off.
ISSUE:
Staff will provide the Comprehensive Planning Committee with an update on the progress of the City of San Antonio's SA Tomorrow planning process and provide a calendar of events that are scheduled for the next quarter (April through June). Significant milestones are scheduled for all three growth-related plans during the second quarter of 2015. It is projected that the three-growth related plans will be completed by the spring of 2016.
The significant milestones that are scheduled over the next quarter include Plan Element Working Groups meetings, monthly Comprehensive Planning Committee and Steering Committee meetings, the first neighborhood Symposium, and the first online public survey. A calendar of these events is attached to this memo.
ALTERNATIVES:
N/A
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is not a fiscal impact associated with this briefing.
RECOMMENDATION:
This item is a briefing only. There is not a recommendation associated with this briefing.