Council approves UV zoning for development near the town center

Last week, on July 16, the Kennedale City Council approved a zoning change for acreage with frontage on Kennedale Parkway and Sublett Road. It clears the way for a developer to initiate plans to build in the area. {{more: continue ?}}

The Council also lend support to an application by the developer seeking tax credits that will be important in seeking financing for the project.

What is it all about ?

The zone change was to UV ? Urban Village and would allow the development of the land to accommodate small commercial/retail along with apartments, lofts and townhomes.

Urban

village, a trend in city planning, is a designation that allows combined commercial and retail along with low density to moderate multi-family residential. It is usually tied in with the concept of ?walkability? ? meaning that residents have the ability to walk to nearby retail or food establishments.

A much larger example of this in this area is the development on 7th Street in Fort Worth, but, this is not an uncommon zoning option for many smaller cities in the area.

The tax credits issue comes about because the developer is seeking financing for “affordable housing” through a program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. The program was started in 1986 with the goal of providing affordable or workforce

housing of spurring economic development.

Village at Hammack Creek ?

Village at Hammack Creek portion with

frontage on Kennedale Parkway

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The new development would be called the Village

at Hammack Creek, a 16 acre development that would include almost 5 acres of retail/office space, a residential community of 16 townhomes, 212 lofts and apartments, a club house and a pool for the residents along with 2+ acres of “open space”.

Village at Hammack Creek portion with

frontage on Sublett Rd

Is it a good thing?

It depends on who you ask.

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For some, it is a disaster in the making, leading to gridlock during rush hours, crowding too many people into a small space, placing a strain on city services and increasing school student classroom sizes.

For others, this is vital for the continued economic growth of Kennedale, especially so, for the town center area, where many shop owners along Kennedale Parkway, are struggling to attract new customers. They also argue that it will increase tax revenue for the city while providing attractive housing options for those who work in the city or in the school district, especially young couples just starting out, who would have trouble pay rents as high as $1,500 to $1,800 or more a month for 2 or 3 bedrooms apartments. They also point out the school district has been informed and has raised no objections.

Is it a done deal??

There is still a lot that needs to happen for the developer to turn dirt. The financing has to be obtained which means the developer has to prove to the state that it is a reputable business and will be able to meet all the requirements for obtaining tax credits. Then there will be the studies that will be required to address traffic and environmental impacts including drainage and flood control issues. In addition, the builder will need to obtain all the necessary permits from the City of Kennedale that will be required at each stage of process.

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The short of it, it may be sometime in the new year, when any construction begins.

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Link to presentation: Village

at Hammack Creek

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