No timetable established …
The City of Arlington adopted earlier this year, a comprehensive development plan for Hwy 287 from I-20 to Turner Warnell Road, approximately 4.5 miles. It includes the land along either side of 287. {{more:Read more …}}While it did not specifically address the building of the new Kroger store at the corner of US 287 and Sublett, it fits the plan.borders city limits , includes parts of KISD …
The development blueprint does not involve the City of Kennedale but it does border the Kennedale city limits and includes portions of Kennedale ISD. And, of course, it involves all that travel the area via 287. Areamap of plan
The Kennedale News did an early report on the plan as it was being considered and little was changed from that preliminary report. The plan was under review for nearly a year and was approved in late April.
The purpose of the plan, called Focus 287, is to provide goals for future development in the area and targets area neighborhoods and businesses for reinvestment opportunities.
While there is no immediate impact expected from this adoption, it will set the direction of whatever does comes.area 2/3rds the size of Kennedale …
The area includes 4,328 acres or 6.8 square miles. In comparison, the City of Kennedale is 9.27 square miles and the Kennedale ISD is 10.6 square miles.
Just about 17 percent (720 acres) is vacant land with less than 1 percent considered undevelopable. Dedicated to parks and open space is 380 acres. Approximately 2,423 acres or 56% is single-family residential use and business use is 18 percent.emphasizes high quality, low density …
The plan does call for zoning changes that would emphasis high-quality, low-density development including residential as oppose to high density apartments that currently line part of I-20/287.
Current large apartments would remain but future large scale appartment would would be ruled out with the called for rezoning. Zoningmap for Focus 287
This is welcomed news for the Kennedale School District, which years ago purchased land that had been zoned for large scale multi-story apartments development.
The plan also includes ?matching? grants that would provide for upgrades to existing businesses and neighborhoods to improve quality of life and home values.
roads, sidewalks and trails …
And, it would include street projects that would improve traffic flow and pedestrian mobility as well as walk/bike trails. Map– Hike/bike plans
It does show a new connector between Sublett Rd and Eden Road with the extension of Joplin Road and a traffic light at Joplin/Sublett and a roundabout on Eden. Roadimprovements
no immediate relief for dangerous Sublett crossing …
While the plan does include the widening of Sublett Road from US 287 to the Kennedale city limits and the replacement of the bridge at Steeplechase and Sublett with sidewalks on both sides, it does not set any time table for this increasingly dangerous section.Part of the road improvement will be done with the construction of the new Kroger store but not the bridge portion. This is a very real safety issue for the students, many of whom are Arlington residents, who must cross the narrow two lane bridge without sidewalks.also addresses Bus 287 …
It does focus on parts of Business 287 that is in the Arlington city limits just southeast of Kennedale. This is an area that includes a number salvage yards. The plan does calls for redevelop of the area by encouraging new ?quality? development.It makes for interesting reading. Read more at:
