Richardson City Council/City Plan Commission Joint Meeting October 21st, 2024
OPENING
All councilmembers are present as well as City Manager Don Magner and City Secretary Aimee Nemer. Seven of the nine city plan commissioners are present. Commissioner Bohnsack and Commissioner Keller are absent. (This is such an important meeting to miss. I hope both of the absent commissioners are okay.)
First, Community Planning Month is recognized. City Manager Don Magner acknowledges city planners in the transportation, development services, engineering, and parks divisions. These are the people who plan our work. Council thanks the city’s planners for their work. Councilman Hutchenrider acknowledges that a goal without a plan is just a wish. He states that if it weren’t for these planners, we’d just have a whole lot of wishes.
PUBLIC HEARING – ENVISION RICHARDSON COMP PLAN
Now, a public hearing on the comprehensive plan update. First, City Manager Don Magner acknowledges six public comment cards on the draft comprehensive plan update. Mark Bowers of the Kimley-Horn firm presents. This will be the final update on public feedback throughout this process. A public hearing will be held on this draft plan by the CPC. Council will also conduct one more public hearing on the plan in November. Three periods of public engagement have been conducted since last summer. Approx. 7,300 individual interactions have taken place. Mark highlights the various methods of public engagement that were utilized. Mark also explains the order of the contents within this plan update.
The draft vision statement for the city is: “Richardson is an increasingly dynamic, diverse, and inclusive community with strong neighborhoods and attractive amenities, where people are connected and engaged, decision-making is guided by collaborative input and innovation, and fiscal, social, and natural resources are managed sustainably. It is a safe and livable place with opportunity for people and businesses to grow.”
60 guiding principles are also included. I won’t list those here. Land use is also a chapter within the plan. This chapter includes sections on guiding principles, placetypes, the future land use plan, and development implications. Action items are also included such as updating code and establishing criteria for considering secondary land uses. Transportation & Mobility is a chapter within the plan. This chapter includes the Active Transportation Plan and the existing multimodal networks throughout the city. This chapter also highlights transit facilities, safety, technology, and opportunities for partnerships. Action items are also included in this chapter.
Community Facilities is the next chapter in the plan. This chapter inventories existing facilities and currently planned capital projects for future facilities. This chapter also highlights safety and security and opportunities for partnerships. Action items are also included in this chapter. Community Infrastructure is the next chapter. This chapter includes guiding principles, an overview of infrastructure, opportunities for partnerships, the capital improvements program, and action items. The Neighborhoods & Housing chapter includes existing neighborhoods, a section on housing including missing middle housing, and action items.
The Parks, Trails, and Open Space Chapter includes an inventory of current facilities, the Parks & Open Space Master Plan, privately owned public spaces, and action items. The Natural Environment chapter is a new addition for this update. It includes regional initiatives, local initiatives, existing natural areas, urban tree canopy & biodiversity, resilient design practices, and action items. The chapter on Enhancement Areas focuses on the five identified enhancement areas and the vision statements for each. It also includes action items for achieving the enhancement of these areas. This update also includes a chapter on Economic Development. This includes the Economic Development Strategic Plan, identifying opportunities and challenges, existing economic development programs, and action items.
The final chapter is on Implementation. This includes sections on how to prioritize sustainability while implementing the plan. It highlights what would be considered successful implementation. It includes sections on monitoring and updating the plan and practicing flexibility during implementation. It also highlights regulatory challenges. Finally, it includes an implementation matrix and action items needed to implement this plan update.
Appendices are attached at the end of the plan. These regard Richardson’s history, data on transportation & mobility, and the implementation matrix. Mark notes that, rather than creating a chapter dedicated to sustainability, they included sustainability elements throughout each section of this plan.
Now, the CPC offers their feedback. Chair Marsh states that this plan update is more detailed than the 2009 update. He compliments the structure compared to the previous plan. Commissioner Roberts asks about the plan for accomplishing high-priority items on the implementation matrix. At least 30 items are marked as high priority. Mark answers that city administration and Council will have to decide what to prioritize from this list. City Manager Don Magner acknowledges that it will be a balancing act of reacting to unexpected circumstances and implementing various master plan initiatives. This is something that will be a constant challenge to successfully implement every item. Vice-Chair Southard also compliments the plan and hopes this document can be used to better justify decisions made by the city.
Now, the public hearing opens. One speaker is present. She is a UTD student. She supports the density, walkability, and mixed-use development that this plan encourages. She wishes the plan were bolder about establishing transit hubs and more student housing and amenities.
Council now offers their feedback. Councilman Corcoran compliments the plan’s cautious approach to implementing changes. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul makes some suggestions for improving the content structure within the plan. He also wants to see more zoomed-in detail on the Future Land Use Plan map. City Manager Don Magner acknowledges that this is not a perfect document. But, at some point, they have to decide if this document is ready to be finalized. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul emphasizes that sustainability will be about what is best for Richardson, not everywhere else. Councilwoman Justice compliments the consultants’ approach to prioritizing community input and letting that guide the direction of the plan. She also compliments the public safety planning for the expected population and development growth in the city.
Commissioner Costantino acknowledges that the difference between the 2009 update and this one is largely the amount of open space to develop. The 2009 plan laid out the vision for the available space for development at the time. This plan is different in that it has to decide what to do with already developed space. He sees this update as much more difficult to accomplish because it has to work around a filled-out, developed city. This plan has to balance the needs of stakeholders and try to achieve more affordability and livability.
Councilman Hutchenrider asks if they could include a stronger statement in support of DART. He also acknowledges that development and real estate partners will be vital for the successful implementation of this plan. Nothing will get done unless there are developers who come in with the ability to get it done based on market conditions and interest rates. Councilman Barrios agrees with Councilman Hutchenrider. (I don’t see any pigs flying outside, remarkably.)
Mark shares that a public hearing on the plan will be held by the CPC on Oct. 29th. A final public hearing before Council will take place on Nov. 11th. Adoption will take place in late November or early December.
Joint meeting adjourned.
VARIANCE REQUEST – BRAND DENTISTRY
Council reconvenes a few minutes later to conduct the remainder of their business on tonight’s agenda.
Councilman Hutchenrider leads a Christian prayer and the pledges.
No public speakers are present for the visitors forum.
Now Council considers Variance 24-02. This is Brand Dentistry’s request to reduce the side setback requirements by five feet while neighboring a residential district to allow for the construction of a dentist's office at 501 W. Campbell. This was also discussed at the Oct. 3rd CPC meeting. This is not a public hearing item. Staff presents a background of the request. The applicant steps forward to present their plans. Councilman Barrios asks why the 46 ft. separation requirement exists. Staff answers that this is just an open space requirement to separate the uses. Councilman Hutchenrider asks if this makes the intersection more difficult to improve or install a deceleration lane in the future. Staff answers that this layout is the most sensible keeping future needs of the intersection in mind. Council unanimously approves the request.
SIGN VARIANCE – TOYOTA OF RICHARDSON
Next is consideration of the Sign Control Board’s (SCB) recommendation to approve SCB Case #24-02, Toyota of Richardson’s request for a new 14 ½ ft. pole sign at 1221 N. Central Expy. According to the minutes of the Oct. 9th SCB meeting, this sign is meant to replace the current pole sign in the same location. This requested sign is almost twice the sq. ft. allowed by the sign ordinance. The property also has two pole signs within the 200 ft. proximity established by the sign ordinance. For these reasons, a variance is required. Staff presents a background of the request. This is also not a public hearing item. Council unanimously approves the request.
CONSENT AGENDA & CLOSING
The consent agenda is approved unanimously. It includes a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute terms and conditions for an advanced funding agreement with the state for pedestrian intersection improvements on Jupiter Rd. at Arapaho and Belt Line Rd. and bicycle improvements along Collins Blvd. These will cost $1.9M, 85% of which will be funded by the state. Four bid awards are also included: a $100K annual requirements contract to Bruce Miller Nursery for container plant materials, $1.4M to Tyler Technologies for payment systems, $374K to Sterling McCall Ford for a Mobile Intensive Care Unit for the fire department, and $374K to Associated Supply Company for two Case backhoe loaders. Two requests for proposal awards are also included: Blackmon Mooring, Restoration Specialists, LLC will be contracted for damage, disaster, restoration, and cleaning services. Blackmon Mooring and Armstrong Archives, LLC will be contracted for document recovery and scanning services. The respective quoted prices for all available services are $218K and $51K respectively though no maximum or minimum amounts are included in the contract. Finally, it includes an ordinance codifying the approval of ZF 24-23 (AutoSavvy).
Council discusses recent Eisemann Center performances, the birthday of regular Council meeting attendee Richard Strecker, the Network of Community Ministries Fork-off fundraiser, a community health fair at a local church, a mobility luncheon on the Arapaho/Collins TOD plans, and the Pawtoberfest pet costume contest (where my dog Leonard came in second place to a cat).
Meeting adjourned.