Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-29-14 Comp Plan Steering Committee Agenda Mission Statement Westlake is a unique community blending preservation of our natural environment and viewscapes, while serving our residents and businesses with superior municipal and academic services that are accessible, efficient, cost-effective, and transparent. Westlake, Texas – “One-of-a-kind community; natural oasis – providing an exceptional level of service.” Page 1 of 2 TOWN OF WESTLAKE, TEXAS Vision Statement An oasis of natural beauty that maintains our open spaces in balance with distinctive development, trails, and quality of life amenities amidst an ever expanding urban landscape. COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA October 29, 2014 WESTLAKE TOWN HALL 3 VILLAGE CIRCLE, 2ND FLOOR WESTLAKE, TX 76262 COUNCIL CHAMBERS Work Session: 6 :00 p.m. Page 2 of 2 Work Session 1. CALL TO ORDER. 2. REVIEW OF INPUT RECEIVED AT THE THIRD AND FINAL PUBLIC INPUT MEETING. 3. DISCUSSION OF FINAL PLAN ELEMENTS AND PRESENTATION OF THE PROPOSED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO THE PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION AND TOWN COUNCIL. 4. ADJOURN. CERTIFICATION I certify that the above notice was posted at the Town Hall of the Town of Westlake, 3 Village Circle, October 22, 2014, by 5:00 p.m. under the Open Meetings Act, Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code. _____________________________________ Kelly Edwards, TRMC, Town Secretary If you plan to attend this public meeting and have a disability that requires special needs, please advise the Town Secretary 48 hours in advance at 817-490-5710 and reasonable accommodations will be made to assist you. Steering Committee Meeting #4 (Pre-Joint Work Session) Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Agenda: 1.Recap: Purpose of a Comprehensive Plan 2.Recap: Sept. 10th Public Workshop 3.Recap: Three “Legs” of The Plan 4.The Planning Elements of The Plan 5.Moving Forward Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Recap: Purpose of The Comp. Plan The Comprehensive Plan is a: •Living document •Guide for Policy/Decision Making •Example: Council refers to The Plan when a development project needs rezoning or platting to make sure it is in line with the publicly supported vision for the future of Westlake. Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Recap: Purpose of The Comp. Plan The Comprehensive Plan is a: •Living document •Guide for Policy/Decision Making •Example: Council refers to The Plan when a development project needs rezoning or platting to make sure it is in line with the publicly supported vision for the future of Westlake. A Planner’s Duty is to: •Provide a Plan that promotes “sound development…public health and welfare” (Texas Govt. Code Section 213.001), which •Takes into consideration the extent of all existing entitlements and development rights should they be realized in full or not. Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Recap: Purpose of The Comp. Plan The Comprehensive Plan is a: •Living document •Guide for Policy/Decision Making •Example: Council refers to The Plan when a development project needs rezoning or platting to make sure it is in line with the publicly supported vision for the future of Westlake. A Planner’s Duty is to: •Provide a Plan that promotes “sound development…public health and welfare” (Texas Govt. Code Section 213.001), which •Takes into consideration the extent of all existing entitlements and development rights should they be realized in full or not. Therefore, the Plan should be: •General enough to give flexibility in decision making but •Thorough enough to provide sufficient direction should the full extent of entitlements be realized. Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Recap: Sept. 10th Public Workshop •Major Challenges: •Inevitable growth •Limited capacity Public response was generally accepting •One written comment about public versus private trails •Public consensus regarding Thoroughfares: •SH 144 is a non-starter for east-west movement and the Town needs to start planning for greater capacity •“New” Dove Rd. has strong support as an alternative to regional traffic on the pastoral section of Dove Rd. •Steering Committee members were successful at addressing all questions verbally Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Recap: Three “Legs” of the Plan Major Challenges: Inevitable growth with limited capacity Respond with The Plan, specifically: 1.Thoroughfare Plan –about capacity 2.Open Space Plan –about preserving character 3.Future Land Use Plan & Transfer of Development Square Footage –about market responsiveness/growth management, preserving character, and implementation Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Moving Forward Steering Committee Roles Planning Team Roles Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Joint Work Session Committee Role – Introduction Planning Team Roles –Present Definitions, Use of Plan, TDSF, Case Study, Future Updates Potential Date: 1st week of Dec. Moving Forward Potential Date: Beg. January Steering Committee Roles Planning Team Roles Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Joint Work Session Committee Role – Introduction P&Z Commission Hearing for Recommendation to Council Committee Roles - Introduction, Present Presentation, Answer Questions Planning Team Roles –Present Definitions, Use of Plan, TDSF, Case Study, Future Updates Planning Team Role –Assist with creation of presentation, Answer Questions Potential Date: 1st week of Dec. Moving Forward Potential Date: Beg. January Steering Committee Roles Planning Team Roles Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Joint Work Session Committee Role – Introduction P&Z Commission Hearing for Recommendation to Council Committee Roles - Introduction, Present Presentation, Answer Questions Town Council Hearing for Adoption Committee Roles - Introduction, Present Presentation, Answer Questions Planning Team Roles –Present Definitions, Use of Plan, TDSF, Case Study, Future Updates Planning Team Role –Assist with creation of presentation, Answer Questions Planning Team Role –Assist with creation of presentation, Answer Questions Potential Date: 1st week of Dec. Potential Date: Mid-January Moving Forward Potential Date: Beg. January Steering Committee Roles Planning Team Roles Steering Committee Meeting #4 October 29, 2014 Joint Work Session Committee Role – Introduction P&Z Commission Hearing for Recommendation to Council Committee Roles - Introduction, Present Presentation, Answer Questions Town Council Hearing for Adoption Committee Roles - Introduction, Present Presentation, Answer Questions Use of Plan after Adoption Committee Roles - Form on-going advisory committee like “United Kyle” or “United Brownsville” Planning Team Roles –Present Definitions, Use of Plan, TDSF, Case Study, Future Updates Planning Team Role –Assist with creation of presentation, Answer Questions Planning Team Role –Assist with creation of presentation, Answer Questions Planning Team Role –Consultation upon request Potential Date: 1st week of Dec. Potential Date: Mid-January LAND USE PLAN The land use districts shown on this map in no way modify the permitted uses and/ or conditions of use (FAR, building height, etc.) specified in any zoning or Planned Development Ordinance approved by the Town of Westlake. These land use districts are intended to guide the Council in their evaluation of site plans submitted for their approval and/ or property owner requests to transfer commercial square footage from one land use district to another when the legal mechanism for such transfer has been adopted by the Town of Westlake. Views and Vista Define the Experience of Westlake Land Use Relationship to View Conditions: The View Shed Analysis discussed in the Framework Plan section of this Comprehensive Plan identifies 5 view conditions as follows: 1. Vista Points Zone: Sectors of Westlake from which the recognizable views, generally considered typical of the Town, are attained. These are typically northerly views from areas from areas along, and south of, Dove Road. These elevations are generally higher than elevations along Highway 114. Views identified by Planning Workshop participants as characteristic of Westlake’s pastoral, picturesque, and rural identity are mostly seen from this zone and the view is toward the north. 2. Vista Termini Zone: Areas of Westlake, generally north of Dove Road, where land elevations equal or exceed elevation 690 to 700 ft. above sea level and create promontory landforms that define the end point of any vista which in- cludes them. In many cases, these are the land related objects viewed. 3. Vista Shade Zone: Areas of Westlake, generally along Highway 114 and north of the vista termini (discussed above) that contain land elevations lower than 690 – 700 ft. above sea level and are largely obscured from view by these higher elevations in the foreground of any vista toward them. 4. View Shed Zone: Areas of Westlake that are not visually screened or ob- scured by foreground land elevations and consequently lie within the vista at- tained from the Vista Point Zone. 5. View Corridor Zone: Lineal views, usually along creek ways as they descend in a northerly direction that are attained from the Vista Point Zone. These views host the water bodies and wooded areas that are important visual as- sets of the Town. The Land Use Plan is a Management Tool that guides Town consideration of site development pursuant to zoning and Plan Devel- opment Ordinances that have already been established but not yet built-out. Therefore, the Land Use Plan defines community types instead of repeating the land uses already specified in the zoning and Planned Development Ordinances. The Community Types are distinguished by the desired character of future development within them. Community types are determined by their: • Sensitivity to development as a result of the established views and vistas of Westlake; • Proximity to adjacent residential and/or commercial land uses; • Association with natural features; • Continuity with intensity of existing development on adjacent sites. LAND USE PLAN Community Commercial 1 (CC1) • Lies mainly along 114 • Transitional zone between highways and CC2 - 3 • Buildings can be somewhat taller than those in CC2 – 3, except when within view corridor zone • Project freeway identity with portals • Parking to be hidden from freeway Open Space (OS) • Contains identifying landscape and waterways • Intent to preserve vistas/view corridors while pre- serving essence of pastoral setting • Meant to be undeveloped/little development • FARs should be similar to Deloitte Town Core (TC) • Serves viability of TC1 through supporting hospi- tality, entertainment and office uses • Portions in view shade zone may exceed 5 stories • Portions in view shed or view corridor zones to retain lower building heights • More street engagement, more composed land- scaping, and transitional FARs Pastoral Community (PC) • Large residential lot development • Cluster development form surrounded by vast open space (gross density same as traditional large lot development) • Preservation of current home values key to future residential development • Dominantly residential; some institutional and of- fice at .1 to 1 FAR Regional Commercial (RC) • Most intense commercial district in Westlake • Can accommodate buildings in excess of 8 stories • Lies primarily along highways • Wider streets, more intense parking/parking structures, formal street landscaping • Calls for over arching architectural continuity and site design compatibilities Community Commercial 3 (CC3) • Commercial development in “office campus”- like form • Residential adjacency important issue • FARs similar to Fidelity; building heights 4 stories or less • Water detention in form of retention ponds Town Common (TCO) • Defines the pastoral identity of Westlake • A place for expression of civic-ness • A place for events and gathering • Experience the landmark landforms • An open space supported by appropriate enter- tainment and specialty uses Community Commercial 2 (CC2) • Commercial development in “office campus”- like form • Residential adjacency important issue • FARs similar to Fidelity; building heights 4 sto- ries or less unless in View Shade Zones • Water detention in form of retention ponds In some cases the appropriate district character is more intense than development permitted by existing zoning or Planned Development Ordinances. In other cases, ap- propriate district character is less intense or comprised of a different development type. Where appropriate development is less intense, the land use plan encourages the transfer of development square footage to locations within the Planned Development where development character can be more intense. Therefore, the Land Use Plan is a strategy for potential redistribution of development square footage so that: • Needed road dedications are incentivized • Desired open space is set aside and/or environmental preservation is incentivized • More campus like development in locations closer to residential areas is incentivized • Needed emergency facilities are incentivized Incentives are necessary to manage future growth toward outcomes that fulfill the vision of future development as expressed by the residents of Westlake. The Thoroughfare Plan is intended to address traffic potentially generated by fu- ture development in accordance with existing zoning and Planned Development Ordinances, should such levels of development actually occur. System connectiv- ity must be established and linkages must be extended to minimize delay caused by intersections that function at levels near congestion (Level of Service “D”) and/ or when street capacity is reached. The Thoroughfare Plan identifies key connections and linkages which collectively comprise a system of movement that: • Distributes the traffic in such a way as to avoid future congestion, mini- mize choke points, and discourage non-residential traffic encroachment on residential streets; • Facilitate crosstown trip making that doesn’t rely on Highway 114 or High- way 170 • Provides a framework for orderly development. The Thoroughfare Plan is composed of key connections (the arrowheads as shown on the Plan) and linkages (the dashed lines shown on the Plan). Collectively, connections assure that the thoroughfare system serves destinations within the Town as well as points of ingress/egress to the Town. Linkages assure that there is system continuity from east to west and north to south. Not only does a sound system of well-connected street networks result in more direct routes and shorter travel times, it provides more travel options to discour- age non-local travel on sensitive existing roadways, like the easternmost portion of Dove Road, beginning at the GlenWyck neighborhood. By providing more connections and linkages, this section of Dove Road may remain a low-traffic pas- toral street. THOROUGHFARE PLAN Town of Westlake - Proposed Thoroughfare Plan[ Deloitte Way W Dove Rd Ro a n o k e R d A ll i a n ce G a t e w a y F r e ew ay Pr e c i n c t L i n e D r W Dove Rd Solana Blvd Capital Pwy N P e a r s o n L n Ot t i n g e r R d Ot t i n g e r R d Ot t i n g e r R d N M a i n S t Da v i s B l v d LEGEND Existing Roads Water Features Study Area Boundary LINK TYPE Existing Proposed Regional Arterial Town Arterial Pastoral Collector Randol Mill South Connection Dove/114 Continuity 114 C o n n e c t i o n # 4 114 C o n n e c t i o n # 3 114 C o n n e c t i o n # 2 114 C o n n e c t i o n # 1 Dove/170 Continuity Pearson South Connection Ottinger South Connection Dove/170 Continuity 170 Connection Ottinger/170 Continuity 170/114 Continuity Pearson/114 Connection 0 0.2 0.40.1 Miles Note: Future road alignment between connection points is to be determined by development site design as site plans are submitted for coordination of connection and continuity. 114 114 170 377 377 114 Future road alignment between connection points is to be determined by development site design as site plans are submitted for coordination of connection and continuity. Therefore, final road alignments may differ from this plan. Pastoral Collector Typical Section with and without Traffic Calming THOROUGHFARE PLAN Town Arterial Typical 4 Lane and 3 Lane Sections Regional Arterial Section Within this system of connections and linkages are three thoroughfare system street types: • Regional Arterials: Streets that serve regionally-oriented trips and the Regional Community as defined in the Land Use Plan. Regional Arterials are Westlake’s primary connection to regional roadways approaching and bordering Westlake and provide continuity with the Town’s street network. • Town Arterials: Streets that serve destinations within in the Town and provide continuity with the regional system. Town Arterials are places where locally originated and imported traffic comingle in the kind of robust flow to and from desired local destinations that is typical of a vibrant Township. • Pastoral Collectors: Streets gathering residential traffic as it moves to and from residential neighborhoods. The Pastoral Collectors and the Regional Arteri- als are transitional levels of connectivity ascending and descending from the Town Arterial. This transition is what protects the Pastoral Collectors (residen- tial streets) from commercial traffic encroachment and it is what keeps Town based movement from being channeled through Regional Roadways (a condi- tion afflicting many corridor Cities such as Allen, Texas). The Thoroughfare system provides a robust framework of smaller streets, which is more conducive to both pedestrian and cycling trails and allows the Town to consider future enhancements such as local transit. Westlake’s proposed arterial system is intended to provide sufficient capacity for regional traffic such that it mitigates the attraction of Pastoral Collectors for cut-through trips. However, additional measures are proposed to discourage regional travel on Pastoral Collectors and to encourage appropriate residential speeds. There are two types of traffic calming measures: • Vertical deflection: Measures that encourage appropriate motor vehicle speeds through changes in the elevation of the pavement. Examples in- clude speed bumps/humps and speed tables. • Horizontal deflection: Measures that encourage appropriate motor ve- hicle speeds through changes in direction. Examples include bulb-outs, median islands and roundabouts. • Town Trails: Primary pedestrian connection routes between neighborhood trail heads (as described in the Town Structure Plan) and bike/ pedestrian path- ways to points of destination, such as shopping, working, and/ or schools. Town trails are meant to reduce locally generated vehicular trips and make the Town more pedestrian friendly overall. PARKS & OPEN SPACE PLAN The open space configuration and land area thereof, shown on the open space plan in no way modifies the open space illustrated by any approved PD Plan or represented by the language/standards of any PD Ordinance. In addition, the open space shown may be either public or private and an open space may not be available to public use or access. This open space configuration and land area is meant to be a guide to the Council in their review of development site plans submitted for their approval, requests by any property owner to amend/ revise any PD plan or PD Ordinance language, request a change of zoning, and/or requests to transfer commercial square footage from one land use district to another; are submitted for Council approval (when the legal mechanism for such transfer has been adopted by the Town of Westlake). The recreation and park facilities shown on the open space with parks plan in no way modifies the language of any approved PD Plan or Ordinance. The location of a public recreation or park facility is to be determined through a cooperative Town/ property owner process which takes place as site plans, requests for amendment of any existing Planned Development Ordinance, a request for rezoning, and/or requests to transfer commercial square footage from one land use district to another; are submitted for Council approval (when the legal mechanism for such transfer has been adopted by the Town of Westlake). Preservation of Open Space/Landscape HeritageThe Parks, Open Space, and Trails Plan is a vision of a connected and integrated natural fabric that preserves the natural assets and pastoral vistas of Westlake while providing the recreational opportunities necessary to serve the present and future population. Therefore the Parks, Open Space and Trails Plan for Westlake considers passive open spaces, whose primary effect is to preserve, active recreational parks, whose primary effect is to serve the recreational needs of the permanent and daytime population, and hybrid open spaces which have aspects of both preservation and recreation. More specifically, the types of Open Spaces presented in the Plan include: Passive Open Spaces • Natural Preserves/ Landmark Landforms: Areas of relatively undisturbed land- scape (sometimes a restored landscape) for the purpose of maintaining the presence and health of natural systems (such as water flow), tree and other vegetative communities, and ecotone diversity. • Rural Ranch landscapes: Areas of culturally significant and/ or historic agricul- tural activities that are part of the identity of Westlake. • Greenway/ Creekway Corridor: Lineal open areas that preserve the flow-way and bank conditions of Westlake’s distinctive creek environments. These usu- ally lie within view corridors as identified in the view shed analysis discussed in the Land Use portion of the Plan. Hybrid Open Spaces • Nature Trails: Interpretative pathways are means of public access into natural preserves and other open areas where interpretation is offered. Nature trails are low impact, in terms of the disturbance they im- pose upon natural landscapes, and provide an op- portunity for a civilized encounter with the natural condition. TRAILS PLAN The alignment and connection of trails, shown on the Trails Plan, that are not trails within a street right of way do not modify any approved PD Plan, PD Ordinance, or zoning. Such trail alignments and connections are to be determined through a cooperative Town/ property owner process which takes place as site plans, requests for amendment of any existing Planned Development Ordinance, and/or requests to transfer commercial square footage from one land use district to another; are submitted for Council approval (when the legal mechanism for such transfer has been adopted by the Town of Westlake). • Neighborhood Trails: Collection networks within neigh- borhoods that gather household populations onto the Town Trail system. Neighborhood trails are typically pri- vately developed as part of the residential development. Neighborhood Trails connect households with the trail heads that are portals to the Town Trail system. • Community Park: Central community park areas that provide opportunities for shared community activities. These can include open fields for impromptu sport activities as well as park bench areas, dog-park facilities, Pavilions, picnic areas, etc. Active/ Recreation • School Park: Group recreational facilities for organized activities such as team sports. Recreational spaces developed by, or in conjunction with, schools allow dual use and development of a better equipped facility. • Neighborhood Park: Small recreation facilities serving the recreational needs of a small population, typically children and their parents. Therefore, these facilities can contain playgrounds and multipurpose space for unstructured child/ parent activi- ties.• Regional Trails: Pass through pathways for regional traffic that connect with the town trail system and make Westlake a destination within the regional net- work. • Mini/ Urban Park: Vest pocket open spaces in urban- ized areas for the use of daytime populations. These will typically be provided by the private developer and are meant to serve the physical/ mental health needs of the workforce population. • Town Center Public Gathering Space: Ceremonial gath- ering space for the purpose of collective celebration of seasonal, festive, corporate, fraternal, and other social interactive events. Public gathering spaces are fundamental for any center to meet the demands of being a central location in terms of the Town life. In addition, there are articulated points of trail convergence/ intersection which serve to connect the trail types, thereby creating a pedestrian movement sys- tem for Westlake. The points of trail convergence/ intersection are: • Trail Hub: A trail Hub is a point of trail intersection where more than two trails intersect. This convergence of movement makes such points places of interchange. At the interchange points decisions have to be made regarding route relative to destination. • Trail Type Intersection: When a Town trail intersects with or converges with a Regional Trail a trail head is recommended. It is at such locations that destination decisions are made, that one needs to understand their leaving the Town System and embarking on the Regional system which will take them farther from home, and that traffic (both pedestrian and bike traffic) may be heavier on the Regional system which poses a safety concern. • Neighborhood Trail to Town Trail Interface: Citizen Participants in the Public Planning Workshop expressed significant concern that neighbor- hood trail systems are protected from invasion by non-neighborhood traffic. Yet participants want a complete trail system that connects their house with natural, educational, and commercial destinations. There- fore, a unique type of trail head is needed at places where the Town System interfaces with (transitions to) the neighborhood system. Such a trail head would be equipped with a portal that controls access be- yond the point of interface, signage identifying the transition, the name of the neighborhood being served, and orientation signage identifying the distance to key destinations. • Mid Trail Focal points and/ or Interpretative Stations: Because Preserva- tion is one of the primary objectives of open space development, inter- pretation of the natural setting is important. Therefore, key points of in- terpretation (primarily along the Nature Trails) will be identified through an interpretation program in association with the Westlake Academy. This Park, Open Space and Trail Plan builds upon this typology of open space and trail types to create a coherent and connected open space system, park, and trail system. Once the types of facilities are identified, it is important to define the level of service that the Town should maintain. TOWN DESIGN STRUCTURE PLAN The location of urban design elements, not located within a street right of way and shown on the Town Design Structure Plan, in no way modifies any approved PD Plan, PD Ordinance, or zoning. The location of Urban Design Elements (other than those located within the a street right of way) is to be determined through a cooperative Town/ property owner process which takes place as site plans, requests for amendment of any existing Planned Development Ordinance, and/or requests to transfer commercial square footage from one land use district to another; are submitted for Council approval (when the legal mechanism for such transfer has been adopted by the Town of Westlake). The essence of this Town Design Structure Plan is to visually pull together the various landmark and thematic features installed by private (such as the towers at Solana) and public (such as the bridges along Dove Road) parties and create a unified identity for the Town. Therefore, the Town Design Structure defines a typology of design that articulates hier- archy, sequence, portal, focal point, and sub-district in visual terms. More specifically, the Design Settings are: • Streets: Streets are the primary experiential venue from which resi- dents and visitors gather identifying images and impressions. Also, streets are essential to understanding location and progress toward a destination. There are three distinct streetscapes recommended for Westlake that build upon the streetscapes already in place. • Intersections: A key aspect of streets is the character of important intersections. Important intersections include: o Intersection of a Town Arterial with a Pastoral Collector: These happen at places where Dove Road and the southern portions of Roanoke Road intersect with new east/ west arterials. o Intersection of a Town Arterial with another Town Arterial: These happen in places where the two main east to west arterials of the Town System are tied together by north/ south connectors. o Intersection of a Town Arterial with a Regional Arterial: These hap- pen where the east west Town Arterials intersect with a primary commercial street of the Regional Community that connects with Highway 114. TOWNSCAPE TOWN DESIGN STRUCTURE PLAN • Trails and Sidewalks: Like Streets, Trails are also an experiential venue with significant power to communicate Town identity and orientation. This is accomplished with landscaping, signage, pedestrian furniture/ fixtures, trail heads, signage, and street crossings. Key trail types include: o On Street Bike Trails o Street Parkway Trails o Trails Engaging Neighborhoods o Trails Through Open Spaces • Edges: Edges are experience starting points; the recognition of which signals when the identifying visual im- pressions will commence. Edges require points of connection. It would be difficult to have a Town Structure without edges as a foundational element upon which to build the structure. Like places of arrival, edges are places of beginning. Edge conditions include: o Regional Edges (Highway 114) o Neighborhood Edges o Commercial Edges o Open Space Edges • Arrival and Focal Points: For points of arrival, points of focus/ interchange, or points of significance must be recognizable in order to give meaning to the Town Structure. The Town Structure imparts information meant to support recognition and without such demarcation to recognize, the cognitive structure fails its purpose. Key Arrival and Focal Point conditions include: o Town Common o Southern Entry Points o Highway 114 Entry Points • Active Public Spaces: An important point of arrival/focus will be active pubic space (such as public plaza, recreational parks, and city cultural assets). Therefore, such active open spaces should have identifying ele- ments that visually connect them to the Town Structure. These identifying elements include monumentation, paving, pathway connections, pedestrian furniture/ fixtures, information systems, lighting, and signage. Key Active Public Space conditions include: o Major Gathering Spaces o Minor Gathering Spaces o Recreational parks • Passive Public Spaces: According to the Land Use Plan, Passive Open Space will be a significant visual expe- rience acquired from streets, trails, and Vista Points throughout the Town. These passive open spaces are the essence of Westlake’s identifying character. Therefore, it is important to maintain them in a condition reflective of that identity. This essential character is rural which is manifest in fencing type (edge definition), pathway alignment, pasture land to wooded land balance, and landscape materials. Key Passive Open Space conditions include: o Conservation Open Spaces o Landmark Landforms o Rural Heritage Areas • Public Facilities: As Westlake grows it will likely need additional pubic facilities such as police and fire facili- ties. These are opportunities to further reinforce the identity of Westlake through site placement, signage, paving, landscaping, and pedestrian connection. Key Public facilities include: o Police facilities o Fire Facilities o Municipal Facilities • Site Open Space: As Westlake grows, the abundant openness of the landscape will begin to infill with devel- opment. Therefore, it is important to establish minimum open space allotment areas within any site. While recommended restrictions to building coverage (as specified in the Land Use Plan) accomplish most of this goal, further clarification is justified in the Town Structure Plan. Key Site Open Space settings include: o Parking Lots o Site Landscaping o Buffers Within the Town Design Structure, and its framework of component parts (presented above) various design initia- tives are needed that will, in their manifestation, create a coherent Urban Design Fabric for the Town; a fabric which distinguishes Westlake from other cities, enhances value, and enriches quality of life. These design initiatives include: • Pavement • Lighting • Signage • Landscaping • Information Systems • Furniture • Traffic Signalization • Bridges • Cross Drainage Structures • Facilities and special features • Traffic Calming • Pedestrian Crossings • Trail heads • Portals • Landscape Buffers/ Setbacks • Major Monuments • Minor Monuments • Banners/ Flags • Built Amenities/ Public Art • Furniture TOWNSCAPE TOWNSCAPE TOWNSCAPE TOWNSCAPE TOWNSCAPE • The Town Common: A Town Hall in this location would be perched high on one of Westlake’s landmark land forms, visible to Highway 114 and 170, and connected with the central civic activity space of the Town. A building design that remembers the rural heritage of Westlake is recommended. • The site of the present Fire Station: Once the new fire stations are built to better serve Westlake’s residential and non-residential ar- eas within an acceptable response time frame; the Town could build its Town Hall on this civic site. This would place the Town Hall in closer relationship with the residential portions of Westlake. POLICE SERVICE AT BUILD-OUT Westlake Additional Daytime Population 45,121 60% Population Reduction Due to Private Commercial Security 18,048 Current Keller Law Enforcement Employees per 1,000 residents 2.0 Law Enforcement Employees Needed at Current ratio 36 Westlake Build-out resident Population 7,000 National Average Law Enforcement Employees per 1,000 residents 2.2 Law Enforcement Employees Needed at National Ratio 15 Total Law Enforcement Employees Needed at Build-out 51 FIRE SERVICE AT BUILD-OUT (Residential Equivalent Method) Commercial Square Footage at Build-out 18,000,000 Westlake Square Feet per Resident, Single Family Households 1,611 Commercial Equivalent Population at Single Family Household Conversion rate 11,174 National Median (Pop.>25,000 res.), Firemen per 1,000 residents 1.25 Firefighters Needed at National Ratio 14 Westlake Build-out Resident Population 7,000 National Median (Pop.> 25,000 res.), Firemen per 1,000 residents 1.25 Firefighters Needed at National Ratio (less than current ratio of 9/ 1,000 pop.)9 Total Firefighters Needed at Build-out (using current 9 instead of 7)23 FIRE SERVICE AT BUILD-OUT USING ADDISON COMPARABLE Commercial Square Footage 2013 28,600,000 Resident Population, 2013 15,179 Total Firemen, 2013 53 National Median (Pop.>25,000 res.), Firemen per 1,000 residents 1.25 Addison Firefighters Needed at National Ratio for Residential Population 19 Firemen Serving Non-residential Need 34 Non-residential Square Footage Per Fireman 841,176 Westlake Firefighters at National Ratio for Residential Build-out 9 Westlake Firefighters at Addison Commercial Ratio, for Commercial Build-out 21 Total Firefighters Needed at Build-out 30 The Plan recommends 3 possible locations for a 20,000 square foot Town Hall facility: • Entrada: Located adjacent to public space within this develop- ment place the Town Hall within one of the Town’s major shop- ping environments. The design of the Town Hall will likely be in keeping with the Tuscan/ Euro- pean Village character of the En- trada Development. FACILITIES & TOWN HALL PLAN The Emergency Facilities and Town Hall location shown on this Facilities Plan, in no way modifies any approved PD Plan, PD Ordinance, or zoning. Emergency Facilities shall be sited/located as determined through a cooperative Town/ property owner process which takes place as site plans, requests for amendment of any existing Planned De- velopment Ordinance, and/or requests to transfer commercial square footage from one land use district to another; are submitted for Council approval (when the legal mechanism for such transfer has been adopted by the Town of Westlake). The Emergency Facilities and Town Hall Plan is a Level of Service Identification Tool that assures the permanent and daytime populations of Westlake that emergency services in response to catastrophe/endangerment/crime will be available within a reasonable time frame (service area) and that sufficient municipal facility space is available to maintain local governance. It is unlikely that a future Westlake, which is considerably bigger (in terms of emergency services demand) than the neighbor- ing communities from which the Town purchases emergency service, can continue to provide that service to standards of re- sponse time that the future population of Westlake would find satisfactory. Therefore, the Emergency services portion of the Comprehensive Plan determines how many policemen and fire fighters will likely be needed to serve the residential and non- residential sectors of the Town. The process of determination applies national standards while also considers comparable cit- ies (such as Highland Park and Addison, Texas). The Plan deter- mines that Westlake (at build-out) will need 27 fire fighters and 51 law enforcement personnel. These service personnel can be accommodated in 2 fire station/ police station dual service facili- ties (one serving primarily the non-residential and the other, with EMS capability, serving primarily the residential area) located so that most of the town residential and non-residential fabric falls within a 5 minute response time “Service Area” (the circles on the Facilities Plan). The Plan also addresses the Town’s need for Town Hall space to conduct the functions of governance. Many of the administrative demands to be placed upon the agencies and political officials of Westlake will come from activities related to development. Because the currently approved en- titlements allow commercial prop- erty owners to build more than 25 million square feet of non-residential space; it is clear that the commercial component of the Town will require the greatest governmental capacity. Therefore, the Facilities Plan address- es future need for a Town Hall. The Plan recommends the Town Common location as such a location for the Town Hall fa- cility as it is more in line with the citizen input received at Public Input Workshop 1 and 2. The permeable pavement BMP incorporates a porous pavement section whose surface can have an appearance similar to concrete or asphalt. The subsurface can consist of a stone course with enough voids where runoff is temporarily stored as it infiltrates into the subsoil. Permeable Pavers Rain Barrels and Cisterns Riparian Buffers Riparian buffers are areas along a stream protected from development to physi- cally protect and separate it from future disturbance and encroachment. It can also provide flood storage and stream ecosystems and habitats. This BMP is aimed at preservation of streams, lakes, and wetlands and the integrity of ecosystems and habitats. Storm Water Management The Town has striking vistas and topography that frames two major drainage wa- tersheds, Marshall Branch and Tributaries as well as Kirkwood Branch and Tribu- taries. These watersheds are not only the key to storm water management for the Town but also support the natural landscape and ecosystem that gives the Town its distinctive visual character. ). It is through the following BMPs that these miti- gation efforts can be accomplished: • Rain Gardens/bio-retention cells • Elimination of Curb and gutter • Bio-swales • Green parking • Infiltration Trenches • Inlet protection devices • Permeable pavement • Permeable pavers • Rain barrels and cisterns • Detention/Retention Rain Gardens/Bio-retention Cells Elimination of Curb and Gutter By implementing this BMP, new roadways are designed and constructed without curb and gutters to allow for infiltration by increasing sheet flow and reducing runoff volumes. Runoff could be left to flow to bio-swales (see description below) or bio-retention cells (see description above). This will help prevent erosion and also maintain predevelopment runoff conditions. Bioswales Green Parking Design Infiltration Trenches Infiltration trenches are rock-filled ditches with no outlets that collect runoff and allow it to infiltrate into the soil increasing storm water infiltration and pollutant removal. This BMP is restricted to sites/areas where potential ground water con- tamination, soils, and clogging are of concern. Inlet Protection Devices This BMP is used to separate sediments, oil, grease, trash, and other storm water pollutants from the run- off in areas where pollutants are more likely to occur at higher concentrations. Permeable Pavement STORM WATER & WATER CONSERVATION PLAN How the natural streams and floodways within the Town are addressed as development occurs will have a large impact on the degree to which the Town can retain those characteristics it wishes to preserve, how well it can interlace community districts, and ultimately the preservation of the Town’s visual character. Best Management Prac- tices (BPMs) can also serve as the underpinning of sustainability efforts with regard to water use and conservation. Vegetated Filter Strips This BMP consists of utilizing bands of dense vegetation planted downstream of a runoff source and are used for treating runoff from roads and highways, driveways, parking areas, roof downspouts, and other impervious areas. Additionally they can be employed along streams and/or open vegetated waterways to treat runoff from adja- cent riparian areas. Storm Water Detention Water Conservation Practices The Town’s current and future water consumption could be driven by a wide variety of needs that could include domestic, commercial, industrial and institutional users. BMPs can be adopted that will improve water use efficiency for the Towns operation of the system as well as for the end user customers. The following BMPs could drive the Town to achieving those goals: • Appoint Conservation Coordinator • System Water Audit & Water Loss • Water Conservation Pricing • Prohibition of Wasting Water • School and Public Education • Water Survey of Customers • Landscape Irrigation Ordinance • Water Fixture Ordinance • Water Wise Landscape Design & Conversion Programs Putting BMP into Action There are programmatic and policy initiatives that are needed to implement BMP. These include: • Appoint Conservation Coordinator • System Water Audit & Water Loss • Water Conservation Pricing • Prohibition of Wasting Water • School and Public Education • Water Survey of Customers • Landscape Irrigation Ordinance • Water Fixture and Toilet Ordinance • Water Wise Landscape Design & Con- version Programs HOUSING PLAN The Housing submarket configuration and lot size recommendation for such configuration, in no way modifies any approved PD Plan, PD Ordinance, or zoning nor does it give any area currently entitled additional residential entitlement. The transition of existing non-residential areas to a residential use or the amendment of the permitted lot size/ unit density of any Planned Development Ordinance or zoning which permits a residential use; shall be determined through a cooperative Town/ property owner process which takes place as site plans , requests for amendment of any existing Planned Development Ordinance, and/or requests to transfer commercial square footage from one land use district to another; are submitted for Council approval (when the legal mechanism for such transfer has been adopted by the Town of Westlake). The Housing Plan is a value preservation strategy that seeks to protect Westlake’s unique position as a place for high value residential as the Town grows. Howev- er, Westlake’s present day status as a retreat away from the rapid urban expansion of Dallas and Ft. Worth will see dramatic change as the Town becomes surrounded by, and central to, the emerging urban condition. In this setting, Westlake will become attractive to multiple housing markets and price points. In addition, current Zoning and Planned Development Ordinances grant residential rights to various land owners for significantly smaller lots and rental units. These residential entitlements are embedded in the sub-districts of various Planned Development Ordinances, resulting in a random and dispersed pattern of residen- tial land use. This lack of clear residential organization in discrete sub-market clusters ultimately weakens Westlake’s attractiveness for the high price point residential communities it now hosts. There are four housing objectives for the Town of Westlake addressed in the Housing Plan: 1. Preserve value in a changing context. Assuring that Westlake continues to capture the higher-end market. 2. Diversify the higher-income market to attract younger buyers. Facilitating West- lake’s attraction to more of these younger/ high end buyers. 3. Meet future housing needs of an aging population. Promoting high-quality residen- tial products to accommodate life stage changes of current Westlake residents so they can continue to live within their community. 4. Mitigate value encroachment. As Westlake grows toward 170 and Keller, protecting the Westlake market from the effects of closer association with lesser price point areas. Existing housing entitlements do not accomplish the above objectives. Various products and price points are incoherently distributed across the Town, and several land use con- flicts exist, both of which can lead to instability and degradation of value and price point advantage. The recommended strategy to accomplish the above objectives involves the establishment of distinct submarkets within the Town that create an orderly distribution of varying uses within a single, multi-faceted community. The purpose of the submarkets is to provide commercial separations, accommodate traffic, and overcome any associations with external markets encroaching upon Westlake. Submarkets will have a spatial definition relative to market attractors rather than competition, and will be separated and connected by thoughtfully distributed amenities, trails, and open spaces. R-1 = 1 ac. PD 3-5 = 5,000 if detached, 0 if attached R-2 = 2 ac. R-1, PD 3-1, & PD4 = 30,000 –1 ac + PD 1-3 = 23,500, average = 30,000 PD 1-2 = 400 (322 lots) R-5 = 5 ac. PD 3-1 = 20,000 PD 3-1 = 12,000 –15,000 PD 3-6 = 6,000 –12,000 PD 3-9 = 248 MF. R-1 = 1 ac. NOTE: Spatial chaos and potential instability leads to weakening of price point advantage Existing Housing Entitlements New Home Demand Annual New Home Demand: Northeast Fort Worth Submarket: 2015 –2030 SOURCE: ESRI; MetroStudy; RCLCO 0 3 107 594 340 606 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Less than $150K $150,000 - $199,999$200,000 - $249,999$250,000 - $349,999$350,000 - $499,999 $500,000 and above Westlake Target HouseholdsEmployee Housing outside of Westlake HOUSING PLAN Housing Market Potential in Westlake Supports a Plan Based on Creating Clearer Sub-market Identity: The majority of northeast Tarrant County’s new housing demand is concentrated at prices below $750,000. While this area contains almost 14,000 households earning over $200,000, Westlake is capturing a small portion of this demand because it offers predominantly large-lot products that appeal only to a certain type of buyer. The in- clusion of more product types will allow Westlake to capture more of these affluent households, and thus, higher-quality employers, while employee housing priced un- der $750,000 (or higher) can be accommodated in areas outside of Westlake. In particular, Westlake’s quality of life will appeal to affluent households without chil- dren, encompassing 57% of total demand for homes over $500,000 north of Southlake Boulevard. These households will be more motivated by Westlake’s strong access, site aesthetics, and access to employment and retail when compared to households with children, who are largely motivated by the presence of the Westlake Academy. Young professionals and young families, classified as households age 25 to 34, will generate annual demand for more than 15 new homes priced over $1 million in the area north of Southlake Boulevard. According to the U.S. Census, Westlake currently contains just three affluent households between the ages of 25 and 34. Retirees will be another large source, with demand for more than 11 homes per year over $1 mil- lion. With just 17 current affluent retiree households in Westlake, the area is likely to see a strong increase in households over age 65 as commercial uses are added and mature professional households age in place. In light of articulated objectives and market potential, the Westlake Housing Plan ar- ticulates a clearly residential dominant sector of the Town, within which are clearly defined, spatially defined, amenity-supported sub-markets. The value distribution es- tablished by the Housing Plan can preserve and protects areas of greatest value and allow Westlake to also attract a younger, high-price point market. Tuscan Village Age-Restricted Community: Lakeway, Texas Montgomery Farm, Allen, Texas: Younger High End Buyer Caruth Homeplace, Park Cities, Texas: Older Low Maintenance/ High Security Buyer. East Shore, The Woodlands, Texas: Mixed Market Existing Westlake Households and Annual New Home Demand: Incomes over $200K, Homes Priced over $500K SOURCE: ESRI; MetroStudy; RCLCO 3 64 34 17 71 109 44 54 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Young Families (25-34)Mature Professionals (35-54)Empty-Nesters (55-64)Retirees (65+) Existing Westlake HH, Incomes over $200K Annual New Home Demand: North of Sotuhlake Blvd. Potential households attracted to Westlake with alternative product preferences Potential households attracted to Westlake with alternative product preferences Product • Two to three story common wall Town Homes • Street facing carriage garage and en- try courts • Prices range from $800,000 - $1.3+ Product • Estate Homes: $1.8M - $4M+ • Condo: $400,000 - $600,000+ • Row Homes: $500,000 - $700,000 Product • Townhomes, 1-2 story Villas • Townhomes have rear-loaded garage; Villa products contain front- and rear- loaded garages • Prices range from $270,000 - $600,000 Product • Townhomes, 1-2 story Villas • Strong environmental ethic in home design and land planning. 40% com- munity open space. • Prices range from $600,000 - $1M+ Market Audience • 70% empty-nesters and retirees, 30% young single professionals and couples • Main purchase motivations include proximity to Highland Park Community, and reduced maintenance Concept • 169-acre enclave on the eastern edge of Lake Woodlands, located near The Woodlands Town Center • Close proximity to employment core and town center, offering a variety of housing types • Serves as a transitional district between mostly residential sections of the com- munity and employment concentration Amenities • Clubhouse, central park, library • Access to yacht club and marina in Rough Hollow, a nearby master-planned com- munity Amenities • Specialty shopping, office employment, open space, trails, public art. • Access to operating farm, tree farm, art activities, land conservancy. a. Traffic Driven Retail: i. Ubiquitous in Nature: Appear over and over along major traffic corridors. ii. Plate Dominated: Typically big box retailers. iii. Volume Sales: Move large volumes of product. iv. Price Sensitive: High volume sales are related to price. Therefore lower prices are typical. v. Urgent Inventory: Typically sell hardware, groceries and/ or dry goods of a type that is tailored to drive in - drive out demand patterns. Things needed on the way home, etc. b. Destination/ Specialty Retail: i. Unique in Nature: Typically location specific because they depend on loyal patronage. ii. Smaller Plate: Smaller operations, often associated with an anchor. iii. Specialized Sales: Target specialized product sales (such as the Art of Shaving store in North Park or specialty Jewelers) iv. High Dollar: Generally sell a more expensive product in smaller volumes. v. Inventory for Shopping: Inventories are geared to the shopper who is prepared to spend more time in the shopping environment. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN The Economic Development Plan is a multi-tiered strategy that employs 35 tactics in 9 different initiative areas, to accomplish three primary Economic Development out- comes. The Economic Development outcomes are: 1. Corporate Center Locations (A): It is determined that the higher value office products are generally those developed as corporate headquarters. Most speculative office product must be accomplished within cost thresholds determined by rent capabilities and that most corporate headquarter facilities are built to higher stan- dards, driven by corporate self-image. Much of the current office development generally viewed as having attained a “Westlake” level of quality is for corporate headquarters purposes (such as Solana and Fidelity Investments). 2. Destination/Specialty Retail Dominance (B): Traffic driven retail tends to dominate the landscape of Highway/ Freeway locations. Traffic driven retail and destina- tion/ specialty retail have important differences that relate to value. These are: Destination/ Specialty retailers tend to bring greater value from and ad valorem perspective, while traffic driven retailers may generate more sales tax (due to their volume sales). Therefore, promoting a dominance of destination/ specialty retail is an economic development target of the Economic Development Plan. 3. Higher Price Point Housing (C): Of paramount concern to citizen participants in the Public Planning Workshops is maintenance of residential value as the Town builds out. In addition, participants want to see younger buyers present in the higher price point market select Westlake as a place to live. Finally, the older population of Westlake will face life transitions over the next few years but they desire to continue residence in their Town. This means that other high price point housing options are needed in the housing inventory of the Town. Tactics aimed at attracting higher price point housing are presented in this Economic Development Plan and a Plan for spatial definition of Housing Submarkets within Westlake is presented in the Housing Plan Element. The interrelationship if these three outcomes requires that the Economic Development Plan be broad (spanning from office to residential initiatives). Corporate Centers located within Westlake enhance the Town’s desirability for executive housing and more generally preserves the contextual assets that support higher residential value and quality of life. Relocation literature reveals that quality of life is among the most important selection criteria for corporations and their executive leadership. At the same time, concentrations of wealthier residents promote an identity favorable to sustaining destination/ specialty retail/ entertainment and the proximity of such retail/ enter- tainment enhances attractiveness to higher price point housing markets. Therefore, it can be said that a reciprocal relationship exists between the three desired economic development outcomes and it would be difficult to achieve meaningful success in one area of outcome without achieving success in the other areas. These Economic Development Outcomes are attained through 9 Economic Development Initiatives. Each of the 9 Economic Development Outcomes is fa- cilitated by one or more of the Economic Development Initiatives (as illustrated on the Economic Development Plan Circle of Economic Development. The 9 Economic Development Initiatives are: 1. Target Recruitment: Promoting Corporate Location through Targeted Recruitment of desired corporate residents for Westlake. 2. Cluster formation: Working from existing business as a basis, and reach- ing out to align other business investment that vertically or horizontally expands the local base. 3. Circulation and Information Networks: Providing vehicular, pedestrian, and information pathways to facilitate information exchange, transac- tion, commuting, social interface, and quality of life. 4. Proximities: Value is largely determined by closeness to something that is valuable or reinforces locational distinction. 5. Identity: Selection decisions are heavily influenced by identity which has market relevance. 6. Amenity/ Recreation: Promoting higher value Retail Specialization and Housing Price Point through enhancement/ enrichment of the public domain and preservation of the identifying landscape and characteristic views of Westlake. 7. Associations: Associations differ from identity because identity is experi- ential while associations are potential connection. Associations refer to the collective affiliations that make for community cohesion. 8. Education: Constant education in an environment of passive and ac- tive measures intended to continually educate and raise the awareness of the Town population. Education is on-going community awareness, flowing from mentorship to better traditional schools (giving more edu- cation options to Westlake residents). 9. Land Use Context: Promoting Higher Price Point Housing Options through creation of an organic association of Land Uses and a clear definition of residential sub-markets. These nine Economic Development Initiatives are comprised of 35 specific actions, called Economic Development Tactics. The Economic Development Tactics are listed on this presentation board under the Economic Development Initiative they support.