Survey responders call for shops, services, walkways, parks and more businesses for job opportunities in the city

The Kennedale City Council this past summer began a review of the Comprehensive Plan for the City of Kennedale that was developed in 2012. {{more: continue …}}

The purpose of that plan was to plan for the future of Kennedale by developing a vision and an outline of goals and objectives to achieve that vision. It included a land use plan that would guide the development of the community for new residential and commercial development.

?

Recently, some have question the validity of the six year old plan and called for a review of the plan and maybe a redo.? This led the city council to conduct a review of the 2012 plan. As part of this review, an effort was made to gain community input on future development in Kennedale.

?

Restaurants,

retail shopping, neighborhood shops and services along with pedestrian amenities,

parks, improvements along Kennedale Parkway and attracting companies for job

growth rank high on list of priorities for Kennedale?s future growth, so say survey

responders.

Survey results ? scale: 1 = not at all, 2 = slightly important, 3 = fairly important, 4 = important, 5 = very important.

Survey ratings on kinds of development ?

• Restaurants ? 90% support with rating going from fairly important to very important
• Retail & Shopping – 89% fairly important to very important
• Neighborhood Shops (Coffee, small retail) ? 88% fairly important to very important
• Neighborhood Services (bank, dry cleaners, vet, etc) ? 86% fairly important to very important
• Medical Services ? 81% fairly important to very important
• Variety of Housing (size, architecture, type) ? 79% fairly important to very important
• Professional Services ? 72% with most ranking fairly important
• Light Industrial Uses (auto service/sales, self-storage, light manufacturing) ? 42% fairly important to very important
• Heavy Industrial Uses ? 19% with 69% rating as not at all important

Survey ratings on different options and/or opportunities ?

• Pedestrian amenities ? 95% fairly important to very important
• Parks ? 94% fairly important to very important
• Improvements/Kennedale Parkway ? 91% fairly important to very important
• Vacant/underdeveloped land on Kennedale Parkway ? 89% fairly important to very important
• Attracting companies & office space for job growth ? 87% fairly important to very important
• Housing for people of varying needs/preferences ? 74% fairly important to very important
• Bicycle amenities ? 71% fairly important to very important
• Additional types of housing ? 70% fairly important to very important

How the 2018 survey compares to the 2012 Comprehensive Plan …

?

The 2012 Comprehensive Plan listed three planning principles that reflected the community’s core values and provide the foundation and guidance of actions and policies. Each principle included multiple goals to help define and guide the application of the principle. Below is a summary of these principles and goals:?

• Principle #1 ? Connected City

• Create a multi-modal transportation system ? support all modes of transit including driving, walking, bicycling and mass transit.
• Support a walkable built environment ? Reduce the need to drive by providing connections for pedestrians, bicycles and transit.
• Promote human and environmental health ? utilize green infrastructure such as greenbelts and open space?

• Principle #2 ? Economic Prosperity

• Promote access to housing ? provide housing options for people of varying financial means and residential preferences
• Promote access to jobs ? Support opportunities to educate and train Kennedale’s workforce. Create job opportunities in Kennedale to help stabilize the local tax base and allow residents to work close to home.?
• Create a stable and equitable tax base ? Diversity the mix of land uses across the city to reduce residents’ tax burden.?
• Support sustainable business practices ? Encourage businesses to conduct their operations in support of the local economy.?

• Principle #3 ? Thriving Community

• Respect and promote Kennedale’s heritage ? Preserve and celebrate Kennedale’s history as the community grows.
• Create vibrant centers ? Promote social integration and economic activity through the development of different-scale centers throughout the community.?
• Promote engagement ? Coordinate decisions with the public, private partners, and community stakeholders to instill a sense of pride and ownership throughout the community. Identify opportunities for civic events throughout the year.?
• Establish a sense of place ? The sense of community should be visible throughout the city. Create an identity or “brand” to be used throughout Kennedale.?

City staff concludes there is agreement in survey and 2012 plan …?

Based on the responses from the 211 surveys submitted after the meetings, the city staff? has concluded that the 2012 Comprehensive Plan is still consistent with the goals of the significant majority of Kennedale residents.

?

As such the city staff has recommended actions that could promote quality development of vacant and underutilized land in Kennedale:

• When opportunities arise, phase out heavy industrial uses such as salvage yards, particularly along Kennedale Parkway, to create the opportunities for commercial, office and residential development.?
• Explore the opportunity for a zoning overlay or rezoning of Kennedale Parkway that would encourage a mix of uses and synergy of developments in a walkable, attractive environment.?
• Explore opportunities to work with property owners in identified “Neighborhood Village” and “Urban Village” areas to initiate rezoning to Neighborhood Village and Urban Village. (Note: A definition of a neighborhood village is one that possess the best qualities of small town and that encourages neighbourly relationships. Urban village planning should give a community the opportunity to develop a mix of residential and commercial uses, create a unique redevelopment vision, boost economic development and encourage a safe and attractive pedestrian experience.)
• Explore opportunities to utilize city/Economic Development Corporation owned land for the purposes of redevelopment in a way that is a catalyst for additional development.
• Work with the EDC and developer of TownCenter to determine the type of development on remaining land that will enhance synergy (collaboration) and demand in the core of Kennedale.

Further action will fall to the Kennedale City of Council.