Community Conversations

We Need to Hear From YOU! (Easy Survey!!)

Eric Galipo — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:06:00 GMT

As part of the Arts and Culture in Public Places Master Plan and Implementation Guide process we have listened to many residents, community leaders, and people working in creative industries in Round Rock. Based on these ongoing conversations we have identified eight criteria that will guide the specific proposals developed as the final product for this study.

WE NEED YOU TO HELP US RANK THESE CRITERIA

Follow this LINK to take a (very) short survey and help us better understand what is most important to you. The survey should take about 1 minute. REALLY!

Add your voice!

___________________________________________________________________________________
Read the The Arts and Culture Strategic Plan Blog
Email us at ArtRocks@round-rock.tx.us
Follow @ArtRocksRR on twitter

Arts and Culture Public Visioning Workshop Presentation Posted

Eric Galipo — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:30:00 GMT

On February 23rd, the City of Round Rock along with H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture and Webb Management Services hosted the second public event for the Arts and Culture in Public Places Strategic Plan.

If you didnt get a chance to attend, you can view the exhibit panels that were part of the event, by viewing them on Slideshare.

We will soon post some pictures of the event and make some further blog posts about what comes next.

Also, if you'd like to add your input, you can comment on the blog or email us at ArtRocks@round-rock.tx.us.

PUBLIC EVENT: Public Vision Workshop (Wednesday, February 23, 6:7:30pm - McConico Building - 301 W. Bagdad Avenue)

Eric Galipo — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 16:42:00 GMT

Arts and Culture Strategic Public Vision Workshop

The City of Round Rock invites you to coffee, snack and converse with us about your thoughts on Arts and Culture in YOUR city. This is the second in a series of public forums as the City embarks on a strategic plan and implementation guide to more effectively support the arts and culture in Round Rock.

DATE: Webnesday, February 23
TIME: 6:00-7:30pm
PLACE: McConico Building Community Room, 301 W. Bagdad Ave.

Exhibit panels from the previous public forum will be on display and there will be a presentation of finding and emerging themes which resulted from the extensive public outreach that has been done so far.

ABOUT THE STUDY
A flourishing artistic and cultural environment enhances the quality of life for residents and has proven to be an effective economic development tool for communities across the country. In short, success and rapid growth has in some ways created a cultural gap that needs to be filled in Round Rock. Filling this gap will help retain and attract residents, a competitive workforce, and ensure that Round Rock is a destination of choice. With your input we believe the initiatives that evolve out of the plan can lead to outcomes that promote civic pride, differentiate the city within the region, and play an important role in sustainable economic development through the power of the arts.

___________________________________________________________________________________
Read the The Arts and Culture Strategic Plan Blog
Email us at ArtRocks@round-rock.tx.us
Follow @ArtRocksRR on twitter

You're Invited: Arts and Culture Strategic Plan Vision Workshop and Public Meeting

Eric Galipo — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:35:00 GMT

What: Arts and Culture Strategic Plan Vision Workshop and Public Meeting
When: Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Time: 6:00pm - 7:30pm (come any time!)
Place: McConico Building - 301 W. Baghdad Avenue

We will be posting more information shortly, but wanted to start getting the word out.
So, come out on 2/23 and join us for a night of discussion about the future of arts and culture in Round Rock.
Bring your friends and family as well. All are welcome (and wanted)!

What is art and culture?

Eric Galipo — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 23:00:00 GMT

At the Community Coffee Public Event last week, we asked the question:

What is art and culture?

We got some very interesting responses that are cataloged in this video:

Please let us know if you've got other ideas by emailing us at ArtRocks@round-rock.tx.us or include the hashtag #artrocksrr in your tweets on Twitter.

Community Coffee Presentation Online

Eric Galipo — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 20:53:00 GMT

On January 20th, the City of Round Rock along with H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture and Webb Management Services hosted the first public event for the Arts and Culture in Public Places Strategic Plan. Over 80 members of the public attended one of the three sessions (morning, afternoon, evening) and shared their thoughts about the direction for Art and Culture in Round Rock.

If you didnt get a chance to attend you can view the exhibit panels that were part of the event, by following this link to view them on Slideshare.

We will soon post some pictures of the event and make some further blog posts about what we learned talking with the citizens of Round Rock.

Also, if you'd like to add your input, you can comment on the blog or email us at ArtRocks@round-rock.tx.us.

PUBLIC EVENT: Community Coffee (Thursday January 20th - McConico Building - 301 W. Bagdad Avenue)

Eric Galipo — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:47:00 GMT

New Year, New Ideas: Arts and Culture Strategic Plan Community Coffee

Tell us what you think about Art and Culture in Round Rock by joining us on Thursday, Jan. 20, at the McConico Building Community Room, 301 W. Bagdad Ave. There will be 3 sessions: a morning session from 7am until 9am.; afternoon from Noon until 2pm; and evening from 5pm to 7pm. Come to the session that works best for you.

The City of Round Rock invites you to coffee and conversation to discuss your thoughts on arts and culture. This will be the first in a series of three public workshops as the City embarks on a strategic plan and implementation guide to support the arts.

A flourishing artistic and cultural environment enhances the quality of life for residents and has proven to be an effective economic development tool for communities across the country. In short, success and rapid growth has in some ways created a cultural gap that needs to be filled in Round Rock. Filling this gap will help retain and attract residents, a competitive workforce, and ensure that Round Rock is a destination of choice. With your input we believe the initiatives that evolve out of the plan can lead to outcomes that promote civic pride, differentiate the city within the region, and play an important role in sustainable economic development through the power of the arts.

___________________________________________________________________________________
Read the The Arts and Culture Strategic Plan Blog
Email us at ArtRocks@round-rock.tx.us
Follow @ArtRocksRR on twitter

Get in touch with arts and culture

Eric Galipo — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:41:00 GMT

The success of the Round Rock Arts and Culture Strategic plan depends on YOU!

We want to get you involved!
We want to hear what you have to say!
We want to get to know you better!

In order to help with that, we've set up THREE ways to learn more, to interact and to stay informed:

1. The Arts and Culture Strategic Plan Blog, which will also be posted on the Round Rock Facebook Page .

2. You can email us at ArtRocks@round-rock.tx.us

3. You can follow us on TWITTER: @ArtRocksRR .

Tell your neighbors! Tell your friends! Lets Rock The Arts In Round Rock!

Progress Report: Stakeholder Interviews and Cultural Facilities Inventory

Eric Galipo — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 21:21:00 GMT

In early December, the consultant team from H3 HARDY COLLABORATION ARCHITECTURE and WEBB MANAGEMENT SERVICES were in Round Rock for three days of stakeholder interviews and site visits. With the assistance of the Round Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the Round Rock Area Arts Council (RRAAC), we reached out to community leaders, elected officials, business owners, educators, and people working to bring arts and cultural programming to Round Rock.

The interview process is designed to assess the current state of cultural offerings in Round Rock, to understand the existing market demand for those cultural offerings, to take an inventory of existing cultural facilities, and investigate the needs of arts and cultural organizations doing business in Round Rock. We will use what we have learned during these interviews to inform the directed investigations we will do as part of our wider public outreach efforts over the coming months.

Below is a list of groups, individuals or organizations we met with or visited during the interview process. If you know of other groups or individuals who are working to bolster arts and culture in round rock that would have valuable input, please have them contact us at ArtRocks@round-rock.tx.us

AFFILIATION	NAME	TITLE
Art Institute of Austin	Monica Jeffs	President
Art Institute of Austin	Carol Kelley	Dean, Academic Affairs
Arts Center of Willimason County	Michael Hammons	Director
Austin Community College - Round Rock	Judy Vancleve	Campus Manager
Bacca Center	Deborah McRoberts	Director
Baker, Aiklen & Associates	Michael Robinson	Former Councilperson and Mayor
Chisolm Trail Quilt Guild	Sue Malicoat	President
City of Round Rock	Will Hampton	Director, Communications Division
City of Round Rock	Brooks Bennett	Technology Specialist
City of Round Rock	Brad Wiseman	Manager, Development Services
City of Round Rock	Carlos Salinas	Councilperson, Mayor Pro-tem
City of Round Rock	Kris Whitfield	Councilperson
City of Round Rock	Joelle Jordan	Department of City Planning - Historic Preservation Commission
City of Round Rock	Alan McGraw	Mayor
City of Round Rock	Sharron Prete	Former City Official
City of Round Rock	JoAnne Lands	Former City Official
City of Round Rock / Round Rock Area Arts Council	Cindy Demers	Assistant City Manager / Member, Board of Directors
City of Round Rock	Nancy Yawn	Director, Convention and Visitors Bureau
Cordovan Art School	John Howell	Director
First Texas Bank	Jon Sloan
Fisterra Studio	Jennifer Chenoweth	Owner/Operator
Framers Gallery (Georgetown)	Fred Bolgen	Owner/Operator
Georgetown Arts Commission / Georgetown Public Library	Eric Lashley	Member, Board of Directors / Staff Representative
Nancy Gray Arts Consulting	Nancy Gray	Owner/Operator
Old Settler Association	Randy Michna
Palace Theater (Georgetown)	Larry McCormack	Vice President, Board of Directors
Pennfold Theater Company	Zena Vaughn	Managing Director
Pennfold Theater Company	Ryan Crowder	Producing Artistic Director
Premium Outlets	Tamarra Andrews	Manager
REI, Inc.	Todd Callaway	Manager
Round Rock Area Arts Council	Anne Phillips	Member, Board of Directors
City of Round Rock	John Moman	Councilperson/ Owner, Moman Architects, Inc.
Round Rock Area Arts Council	Cathy Kincaid	President, Board of Directors
Round Rock Area Arts Councol	Jeanne Marie Ellis	Member, Board of Directors
Round Rock Area Arts Council	Laurie Mahnke	Member, Board of Directors
Round Rock Area Arts Council	Rick White	Member, Board of Directors
Downtown Business Owner / Round Rock Area Arts Council	Sue Faulk	Member, Board of Directors / Owner, Main Street Sweets
Round Rock Area Arts Councol	Judy McLeod	Member, Board of Directors
Round Rock Area Arts Council / Minuteman Press	Tommie Huggins	Member, Board of Directors / Owner
Round Rock Ballet Folklorico	Yolanda Sanchez	Director
Round Rock Chamber of Commerce	Doug Kurkul	President/CEO
Round Rock Chamber of Commerce	Joe Vining	Senior Vice President
Round Rock Community Choir	Randi Bolding	Director
Round Rock Community Choir	Dr. Linda Bolding	Founding Director
Round Rock Doughnuts	Paul Guderyahn	Owner/Operator
Round Rock Public Library / Round Rock Area Arts Council	Dale Ricklefs	Director (retired) / Member, Board of Directors
Round Rock Symphony	Beverly Mintz	Executive Director
RRISD - C.D. Fulkes Middle School	Kim Humble	Vice Principal
RRIS - RRISD Performing Arts Center	Betty Jo Byrne	Performing Arts Manager
RRIS - RRISD Performing Arts Center	Jim VanZandt	Fine Arts Director
Theater Action Project	Karen Lashelle	Executive and Artistic Director
Williamson County	Ron Morrison	Commissioner, Precinct 4
Williamson County	Lisa Birkman	Commissioner, Precinct 1
Williamson County Museum	Mickie Ross	Director
Williamson County Symphony	John Gordon	Chairman of the Board
Willimason County Arts Guild	Wes O'Dell	Secretary
YMCA of Greater Willimason County	Jessica Stookey	Director, Quality Programs
	Nancy Rabb	Citizen
	Ella Jez	Citizen
Local Business Owner	Charles Avery	Citizen / Developer / Philanthropist
Local Business	Carol Chafin	Real Estate Agent
City of Round Rock	Taylor Horton	Planner, Development Services
Sam Bass Theater Company / C.D. Fulkes Middle School	Tara Bonds	Vice President / Director Theater Arts Program
City of Round Rock	George White	Councilperson
City of Round Rock	Rufus Honeycutt	Councilperson
Hotel Alliance	Hank Patel	Owner, Comfort Suites
Hotel Alliance	Dimish Patel	Owner, Country Inn Suites
Hotel Alliance	Robert Murdoch	GM, Hilton Garden Inn
Hotel Alliance	Kyle Covington	Manager, Austin Marriott North
Downtown Business Owner	Sean Faulk	Star Co. Coffee/Cafe
City of Round Rock	Peter Wysocki	Director, Department of Planning and Community Development
City of Round Rock	Nathaniel Strosburg	Planner, Department of Planning and Community Development
City of Round Rock	Christian Collier, GISP	GIS Coordinator
City of Round Rock	Nathaniel Strosburg	Planner, Department of Planning and Community Development
City of Round Rock	Christian Collier, GISP	GIS Coordinator

Project Schedule: Arts and Culture in Public Places Strategic Plan

Eric Galipo — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:30:00 GMT

The table below outlines the current schedule and major public milestones for the Arts and Culture Strategic Plan. We will update it with any changes as the project progresses and provide more information in separate posts as each milestone draws near or is completed.

Project Schedule

DATE	EVENT	STATUS
December 2010	Project kickoff meetings	Complete
December 6-8, 2010	Stakeholder interviews	Complete
December 6-8, 2010	Cultural facilities inventory and site visits	Complete
January 20, 2011	Community Coffee Open House	Next Step
February 2011	Community visioning workshop
March 2011	Alternatives and strategies
April 2011	Final Public Presentation

Allow Us To Introduce Ourselves

Eric Galipo — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 15:58:00 GMT

H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture and Webb Management Services are pleased to have been selected to conduct the formal study for the Round Rock Arts and Culture in Public Places Strategic Plan.

We will be spending a lot of time in Round Rock over the next few months, but if you'd like to get better acquainted with who we are, we've posted short biographies of our firms below. If you'd like more information on the expertise that each firm brings to this study, you can visit our websites from the links provided.

H3 HARDY COLLABORATION ARCHITECTURE is a collaborative community of professionals founded in 2004 by celebrated architect Hugh Hardy, FAIA and guided by six partners. H3’s team delivers a distinctive approach to planning and design that fosters dialogue among history, innovation, and contemporary use. We have worked with many city, state and federal government agencies as well as community, homeowner, and citizen groups. We respect and encourage a diversity of community voices by providing an open forum to address unique issues or concerns. Cities offer experiences impossible to find elsewhere. The essence of this experience lies in great public places: streets, theaters, museums, restaurants and parks. H3 has been involved in numerous planning, programming, and feasibility studies for the arts as well as studies for the establishment of arts and entertainment districts. These projects typically involve collaboration with financial and arts consultants to determine the market viability of various private and public artistic/entertainment uses. We then examine mechanisms to implement such districts and facilities. Our planning efforts lead to implementation of policies that support and foster local cultural economies, arts and creative facilities, vibrant public spaces with major cultural programming, and streetscape design that form art corridors.

WEBB MANAGEMENT SERVICES is one of the nation’s leading providers of cultural and project planning services having completed over 250 assignments. Our mission is to support the creative process with sound and imaginative planning and services that lead to cultural and community development. We believe the arts play a vital role in shaping our world. Through consulting, training and research, our firm works to strengthen the management and planning skills of the decision-makers who create and sustain diverse cultural communities. Clients include local governments, colleges and universities, nonprofit arts organizations, development agencies and other entities exploring cultural development.

Finally, my name is Eric Galipo and I will be administering the digital presence of the Arts and Culture in Public Paces Strategic Plan. I am an urban planner and designer with H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture. You can find a short biography of my experience here.

Round Rock Arts and Culture in Public Spaces Strategic Plan

Eric Galipo — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 16:46:00 GMT

The City of Round Rock has retained H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture and Webb Management Services to develop an Arts and Culture in Public Spaces Strategic Plan and Implementation Guide in support of Round Rock's strategic vision to be the “City of Choice”.

The Strategic Plan and Implementation Guide is intended to coordinate citywide efforts for bolstering the presence of arts and culture in Round Rock and coalesce ambitions of the arts community more effectively. The plan will assist the city in arriving at a formalized community vision for arts and culture in public places through an extensive stakeholder outreach process. With the assistance of the Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Round Rock Area Arts Council, the visioning process will be informed by understanding what differentiates the city physically and culturally, understanding the existing market demand for cultural offerings, and providing best practices insight based on successes in other creative cities.

A clear action plan will be generated with near-term, mid-range, and long-term initiatives that respond to specific objectives generated from the overall visioning and outreach process. Ultimately, the plan will leverage arts and culture as a tool for economic and community development, while enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors.

Come take part in the actual design of the Plazas this Thursday!

Roger Heaney — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 19:19:00 GMT

Special thanks to all of the residents and local business owners who took part in our Open House/General Input Meetings on September 21st & 22nd. Click on our Open House Survey Results.pdf to review our current public feedback. Please also view our Design Inspiration Video we put together to give you ideas about some of the amenities that could be included in the final plaza designs.

Please join us for our upcoming Design Charrette and Concept Design Open House:

Design Charrette Meeting

3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, McConico Building, 301 W. Bagdad, Bldg 1

The design charrette will be an opportunity for residents and local business owners to be involved in the actual design of the three plazas. City staff and the design consultants will spend the meeting drawing multiple ideas and design concepts for the three plazas. The charrette format allows the residents and business owners to sit at a table with the design professionals and help them create a design concept for the plazas.

Concept Design Open House

5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1, Allen R. Baca Center, 301 W. Bagdad, Bldg 2

City staff and the design teams will be present at the meeting to present and gather feedback on the proposed design concepts for each of the three plazas. The input gathered at this meeting will result in the development of a final design concept that will be presented to the City Council.

Final Design Concept - Presentation to City Council

7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov 9, City Council Meeting , City Hall, 221 E. Main St.

The final design concepts will be presented to the City Council at this meeting. City staff and the design teams will gather feedback from the City Council that will be used to develop the construction plans for the City Hall Plaza and MOC Plaza, as well as the final master plan for the Town Green.

Tentative construction schedule is March 2011 to June 2011 for the City Hall Plaza and the Municipal Office Complex Plazas only. No construction funding or time frame has been established for the Town Green.

Share your ideas on downtown plaza parks designs

Roger Heaney — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:59:00 GMT

Round Rock residents identified downtown plaza parks as a priority in the Downtown Master Plan and a number two priority in the Game Plan 2020 Parks and Recreation Master Plan and our Parks Development team has begun work on some exciting new developments.

City Hall Plaza:
The first project is a design for the current green space located next to City Hall and the new ArtSpace offices.

Municipal Office Complex (MOC) Plaza:
The second project is the development of the green space behind the McConico Building and next to the Baca Center known as the Municipal Office Complex Plaza.

Downtown Green Plaza:
The third project is the development of the Town Green Space located near the iconic Round Rock Water Tower on Round Rock Avenue.

When completed, the plazas will offer a welcoming, family-friendly atmosphere. The three parks will be connected with pedestrian-friendly streetscapes for all to enjoy. Some of the Downtown Plazas could feature interactive water features, art, beautiful landscapes, festival areas and more.

Please join us for the following planning meetings.

Initial Open House/General Input Meetings

5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21, Allen R. Baca Center, 301 W. Bagdad, Bldg 2
5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 22, Allen R. Baca Center, 301 W. Bagdad, Bldg 2

These meetings will be general input meetings in which City staff will discuss the proposed themes and potential amenities of each of the three downtown plazas. City staff will be gathering ideas and input from residents and local business owners to help guide the City in the development of the downtown plazas.

Design Charrette Meeting

3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, McConico Building, 301 W. Bagdad, Bldg 1

Concept Design Open House

5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1, Allen R. Baca Center, 301 W. Bagdad, Bldg 2

Final Design Concept - Presentation to City Council

7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov 9, City Council Meeting , City Hall, 221 E. Main St.

City Council ready to vote on Downtown Master Plan

Will Hampton — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 14:33:00 GMT

The Round Rock City Council is scheduled to make its first reading vote on the Downtown Master Plan at its meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 10. The City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission held a joint work session on Monday, June 7, to discuss specific aspects of the plan.

The Council held a public hearing on the Plan at its May 13 meeting. At that time, some Councilmembers had questions about some specific elements of the Plan so Mayor Alan McGraw suggested Councilmembers meet with staff to discuss specific issues prior to the June 7 joint work session. Meetings have included City Manager Jim Nuse, Planning Director Jim Stendebach, Chief of Public Works Operations Tom Word and Project Manager Will Hampton.

Below are the main points/issues discussed in the meetings, as well as at Monday's work session.

Traffic, street network, parking and walkability

Mays Street recommendations – A number of Councilmembers have expressed concerns about traffic patterns and flows downtown in general, and, specifically, about the recommendation to reconfigure Mays Street from four lanes (two each north and south) to three lanes (one each north and south and one continuous left turn lane). Tom Word explained that would improve traffic flow on Mays by improving the capacity of the intersection at Mays and Main. Allowing concurrent left turns would result in moving more cars through the intersection in a shorter period of time. Tom presented a detailed explanation at Monday’s meeting.

Here is a helpful graphic (PDF), prepared by Gary Schatz, P.E., our transportation subconsultant, last year that shows how Levels of Service at the Main-Mays intersection are likely to improve with the reconfiguration of Mays Street. Levels of Service are scored A through F, with A being no delays and F being prolonged delays. As graphic shows, the overall Level of Service for the intersection improves to a C from an E in the morning peak times, and to a C from an F in the afternoon peak.

The proposed changes to Mays Street were covered in this blog post last year. That post includes a link to Gary's full analysis.

When Tom explained the Level of Service graphic at Monday's joint work session, it prompted the question of how can we get that intersection to an A or B? Tom noted that in urban environments, a Level of Service D is generally considered acceptable. To get to an A or B would likely require the City to purchase the businesses and properties along Mays Street to widen the road to five or six lanes, Tom said.

Councilmembers also asked where Mays Street would taper from four lanes to three. Tom believes the best places would be north of Brushy Creek bridge (but south of Sunset), and north of Logan. Tom also noted we plan to test the reconfiguration by re-restriping Mays Steet before we make physical improvements as a way to gauge how successful it would be without having to make a major investment.
Road network – Councilmember John Moman raised a pair of issues on traffic/roads: First, he believes an east-west arterial along creek (as shown on map of “Street Hierarchy” on Page 126,) could help divert cut through traffic from Liberty and provide a catalyst for creekside development. Second, street sections shown on pages 127-130 should be more clearly labeled as “recommended” or “examples.”
Mayor Pro Tem Clifford felt Sheppard Street should be labeled as a “secondary street” on the Street Hierarchy map since it is now a Catalytic Project.
Walkability, parking – Councilmember Rufus Honeycutt had questions about walkability. The cities he visited in California (Los Gatos, Palo Alto and Mountain View) had cars primarily circulating on the perimeter of their downtown, which made it easy for pedestrians. Here, we’ve got Round Rock Avenue, Mays and Main bisecting the area. Pages 80-81 in the Plan present short-term and long-term recommendations for parking reform downtown. Tom noted that, like in Southwest Downtown, the various streetscaping projects recommended in the Plan will add a significant number of on-street parking spaces.

At Monday's work session, Mayor McGraw and Councilmember Whitfield both mentioned that Fort Collins, Colo., has major streets that bisect its downtown, which is thriving. Our Plan suggests a "park-once" strategy with parking garages located at key sectors of the Plan area. Honeycutt noted that we need to begin identifying locations for future park-once garages to complement the existing garage next to City Hall and the parking garage and transit center currently under construction in Southwest Downtown.

Catalytic Projects/Programming Document

Phasing of projects – Mayor Pro Tem Clifford asked about phasing of capital improvements, because we have such a large Plan area. Both Clifford and Councilmember Carlos Salinas felt like focusing improvements in one key area first would be the best way to get results, as opposed to spreading dollars around the entire Plan area.
Programming Document – For each Catalytic Project, the City will develop and maintain a dynamic “programming document” that will include the following types of information:
-- A critical path timeline, with milestones
-- Zoning, infrastructure and public space needs
-- Potential sources of funding, including identification of anticipated timing
-- Summaries of input from developers regarding which public investments and other actions are likely to spur economic activity

The Programming Document will become a key planning and decision making tool for Councilmembers. Our plan is to fully develop the Programming Document after the Plan is approved by the City Council.

Other issues

Marketing – Councilmember Salinas asked about a marketing plan and branding elements. He felt a gateway at Mays Street at Brushy Creek would be crucial early branding element for the area, as so many cars come into downtown via Mays Street. Councilmember Salinas said a market effort should run parallel to planning and construction of infrastructure improvements. Page 51 provides an overview of marketing and branding needs for activating downtown. Wayfinding is key element covered here. Locations for gateway signs are on page 37, with illustrations of possible designs on pages 38-39.
Timing – Councilmember Moman asked how downtown development proposals would be handled during the period of time between Plan adoption and Form Based Code adoption. Jim Stendebach said existing zoning rules would apply, but that PUDs could also be developed if zoning changes are requested.

City Council wants more time to discuss details of Downtown Master Plan

Will Hampton — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:21:00 GMT

The Round Rock City Council held a public hearing on the Downtown Master Plan on Thursday, May 13, but tabled the ordinance to approve the document, which will be an amendment to the General Plan.

Five people spoke during the public hearing. All support the Plan; some had specific concerns about a particular aspect of the Plan. Two speakers, who live on East Liberty, are concerned about an increase in neighborhood cut-through traffic if the City moves forward with the Round Rock Avenue-Liberty Avenue realignment (PDF). Another worried about increasing property values. One spoke of the opportunity to attract more Creative Class businesses, and one thanked the City Council for addressing his specific concern about creating more flexibility in the Plan so he can more easily add a room to his single family home in the future.

You can watch the presentation, public hearing and Council discussion on Round Rock Replay (click on Item 9B1).

After the public hearing, Mayor Alan McGraw asked City Councilmembers to identify specific concerns/issues they have regarding the Plan for City staff. Those concerns can be then addressed comprehensively at a joint work session with the Planning and Zoning Commission, scheduled for June 7. The City Council and P&Z were already scheduled to discuss the General Plan 2010-2020 at that meeting. Now, they'll use the meeting time to discuss both plans.

Updated copies of Downtown Master Plan document are available

Will Hampton — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:17:00 GMT

Updated copies of the Downtown Master Plan document can be found online here or at the Round Rock Library, 216 E. Main Street.

The Plan document now includes the changes detailed in the last post, regarding edits the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission made to the Plan. The document now also contains a letter from the City Council noting, essentially, the Plan is a guidebook, not a rule book, regarding future development downtown. The letter is in Chapter 1, preceding the Executive Summary on Page 1.

There is one other notable change to the document. At its meeting on May 5, the City Council directed staff to make one change to the recommendations regarding the Form Based Code. Previously, the Plan recommended that the Form Based Code, when adopted in the future, apply to properties when “a renovation or new construction is proposed such that the proposed square footage increase is 20 percent or more of the building footprint.” Because the Council wanted to provide additional flexibility to property owners wishing to add space to their homes, the trigger for the new code to apply is now 35 percent.

You comments are always welcome.

Round Rock City Council scheduled to vote May 13 on Downtown Master Plan

Will Hampton — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:25:00 GMT

The Round Rock City Council is scheduled to make a first reading vote on May 13 to adopt the Downtown Master Plan. A public hearing will precede the vote. The meeting is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. at City Hall, 221 E. Main St.

The City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission held a joint work session on March 30 to discuss the Plan. The Councilmembers and Commissioners focused on clarifying the broad purposes of the Plan document, as well as evaluating the Catalytic Projects listed in Chapter 3.

The discussion resulted in the updated Mission, Aims, Principles and Strategies statements below. Much of the planning jargon has been removed, and a sharper focus is now on the economic goals of the Plan.

Mission
The goal of the Master Plan is to create a vibrant downtown that adds a thriving sector to Round Rock’s economy. The Plan aims to create an achievable design and policy strategy for an active town center featuring a mix of retail, dining, entertainment, residential and public spaces, in a walkable and historically sensitive environment.

Aims

Stimulate responsible and foresighted economic growth in downtown
Accentuate the area’s assets and build upon past planning efforts
Present a cohesive vision and identity for the area
Describe place-making concepts to achieve an activated and attractive downtown
Provide strategies to implement the urban design concepts

Principles

Community input on design that respects the complex and unique characteristics within the Plan area
Design of spaces and buildings that are inviting, encouraging people to stay for a while
Walkability and ease of mobility and accessibility
Respect for historic architecture
Respect for the original block network
Responsibility to the environment
Emphasis on enduring design and quality materials
Innovation to uncover new programs, policies, and designs

Strategies

Defining a series of walkable streets and connected neighborhoods that are differentiated from each other through streetscaping, building form, and program
Placing commercial/mixed use and multi-family buildings close to the street/sidewalk, creating an inviting outdoor room
Preserving and extending Round Rock’s historic district and building composition in terms of scale and architecture
Establishing compatibility among all modes of travel
Identifying and planning a series of greens / public spaces with adequate kid-friendly amenities
Incorporating sustainable urban design and building strategies

Chapter 3 changes

The following statement will be included at the end of the current text on Page 59, which introduces the Implementation Strategy for the Plan.

For each Plan Area, as described on Pages 30-36, the City will develop and maintain a dynamic “programming document” that will include the following types of information:

A critical path timeline, with milestones

Zoning, infrastructure and public space needs

Potential sources of funding, including identification of anticipated timing

Summaries of input from developers regarding which public investments and other actions are likely to spur economic activity

Also, any sequence or timing references on Pages 60-61, which list the Catalytic Projects, will be removed. We will also add the following to the list of Catalytic Projects:

Sheppard Street streetscaping
City Hall plaza green space
Municipal Office Campus green space

We'd love to hear what you think about the edits and additions.

Two meetings coming up for Downtown Master Plan

Will Hampton — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:13:00 GMT

We've got a couple of meetings coming up regarding the Downtown Master Plan.

First, we'll have a presentation and discussion with the City Council at its Thursday, March 11 meeting. Councilmembers have been taking driving tours of the Plan area this week, and the discussion will center on questions they have about the Plan. Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Al Kosik is also scheduled to attend the meeting, and will discuss the P&Z's extensive review of the Plan.

Here's a link to a memo (PDF) which lists the significant changes to the Plan from the first draft of the document, which was delivered in May 2009, as well as outstanding issues, i.e., public concerns about elements of the Plan that have not been resolved.

Next, we'll have a public meeting from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 23, at the Baca Center, 301 W. Bagdad Ave., to receive public comments on a design schematic (PDF) for the Round Rock Avenue realignment at Liberty Avenue and Brown Street. Transportation Planner John Dean has been meeting with business owners and landowners immediately adjacent to the proposed realignment over the past couple of weeks. The March 23 meeting will give everyone an opportunity to see what is proposed, and comment on it. It's a working draft, not a final set of plans, so we would really appreciate your input now.

The realignment will help accomplish two significant features of the Plan's vision: First, by routing traffic on Round Rock Avenue to Liberty and Brown (here's a before and after PDF graphic), we'll create a much safer pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Mays and Main streets. The realignment also allows for the creation a Town Green by removing Round Rock Avenue from Brown to Mays. The creation of a walkable downtown and a central gathering point are both fundamental to the placemaking aspect of the Plan.

Round Rock Jelly marks first anniversary

Will Hampton — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:04:00 GMT

OK, so this post isn't about the public process for approving the Downtown Master Plan, but a little break from that long march isn't such a bad thing, is it? Round Rock Jelly, which meets from 11 to 2 each Friday at Star Co. downtown, marks its first anniversary today. And, no, really, we do not digress. Jelly is a great example of the kind of activities the Plan calls for to bring more people downtown.

Major props to Round Rock resident and social media goddess Sheila Scarborough, who kinda sorta runs it. City of Round Rock tech guru Brooks Bennett and I often join the gang of what is now a regular crowd of about a dozen or so programmers, real estate agents, photographers, web designers, etc. It's a fun group and we do actually get work done. In fact, I finished the last Downtown Redevelopment blog post there last Friday.

We’re hoping/thinking it could lead to a co-working venture in downtown Round Rock. What do you hope/think?

Planning Commission unanimously recommends approval of Round Rock Downtown Master Plan

Will Hampton — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:30:00 GMT

The Round Rock Planning and Zoning Commission, following a final public hearing, on Feb. 3 unanimously voted to recommend approval of the Downtown Master Plan to the City Council.

While we will continue the public process as the Plan now moves to the City Council for deliberation, I’d like to give a quick shout out to the team members who have provided their considerable talents: city staff members from the Planning Department, Engineering and Development Services, Transportation Services, and Parks and Recreation Department; and, of course, our wonderful consultant, Torti Gallas and Partners, and their many sub-consultants.

And I'd like to give a not-so-quick shout out to the downtown area residents and business and property owners who have participated and provided the input so critical to getting the plan where it is today. You’ve turned out by the hundreds over the past 13 months, from the first charrette in January 2009 to this week’s public hearing. You’ve provided creative input, asked pointed questions, sometimes just checked in for an update, and offered your support.

And, finally, a big thank you to the members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, who have pored over each draft of the plan document, and met in three regular sessions, four work sessions (two of those were half-day affairs), conducted a driving tour of the area and held two public hearings. That’s a lot of work (for which they volunteer, in case you weren’t aware) and their insights and experience with development in Round Rock have been invaluable. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

While the P&Z vote was a significant milestone, there’s more work yet to do. We’ll update the City Council at its Feb. 17 retreat, and seek direction on how they want to proceed with their review of the Master Plan.

Once the City Council approves the Plan, we’ll then begin work on the Form Based Code, which will specify the details of the land use and design standards the Plan document provides broad guidance on.

While much of the discussion with the P&Z has focused on the future land use and design issues, there's a lot in the plan about other initiatives -- like marketing and branding, and activating the downtown core -- that we can begin work on after City Council approval.

In other words, stay tuned!

Updated Downtown Master Plan document now available for review

Will Hampton — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:35:00 GMT

An updated version of the Round Rock Downtown Master Plan document is now online and at the Library for your review.

There are four chapters in the document. Chapter 1 (PDF) provides an introduction and overview. Chapter 2 (PDF) presents the Vision Master Plan. Chapter 3 (PDF) covers Implementation Policies and Strategies. Chapter 4 (PDF) is the Design Guide, and also includes the Appendix.

There will be a public hearing on the Plan at the Feb. 3 meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

While there could be parts of the Plan you disagree with, it is imperative that we have a plan to guide redevelopment in the downtown area. If we don’t plan adequately for downtown, we will lose the opportunity to re-establish downtown as the heart of the community with a distinctive sense of place.

Without a plan, haphazard development will be scattered throughout the downtown with no regard to the long-term viability of each distinct neighborhood. We’ll be without policies and ordinances to protect viable residential neighborhoods while supporting redevelopment where appropriate. We will be unable to ensure harmony between commercial and residential uses, and we will not have unifying design standards. Pedestrian, parking and cut-through traffic problems will get worse as those issues will go unaddressed in a comprehensive fashion. Infrastructure improvements necessary to ensure the success of the area will not be prioritized and funding options for those improvements will be limited. There will be a lack of consensus about what to do with green spaces in the area, which will result in nothing being done to improve them, and we’ll all continue to lament how Brushy Creek is an underutilized natural asset. Frustration among downtown business and property owners will build as the downtown continues to struggle without the vision and focus necessary to bring about the improvements everyone wants.

As a result, Round Rock will lose the opportunity to preserve its core and brand downtown as a destination, for shopping, dining and entertainment and lose the opportunity to compete at a regional level for tourism and economic development.

Your thoughts? Please comment here on the blog, or call me at 218-5409 or email me at whampton@round-rock.tx.us. I'd love to hear from you.

Downtown Master Plan open house follow-up

Will Hampton — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:50:00 GMT

We had approximately 60 people attend the Downtown Master Plan open house meetings Jan. 12-13. We met a fair number of newcomers to the planning process, and saw a lot of familiar faces too. Thanks to all for taking the time to attend. It was a very productive two days.

If you weren't able to attend but want to see what was presented, here are the exhibits (PDF). If you've got questions or comments, please make them here on the blog.

Most folks who attended were complimentary of the plan and the process, and those who had questions and concerns were able to speak with staff one on one and/or provide their input in writing. Based on the input, we'll be recommending another tweak or two to the Plan.

Here are some of the highlights:

A gentleman whose family owns a house on Pecan Street came to the meeting Tuesday evening, as did his two adult daughters who live in the home. He and one of the daughters spoke in opposition to the plan at the Planning and Zoning Commission public hearing Nov. 10. We had a very productive visit at the open house, and we understand his issue much more clearly now and think we have a way to enable his family to achieve their goal for the property while we still achieve the overall mission of the plan.

The Round Rock Donuts "extended family" visited Tuesday, as did a representative from First Baptist Church. They were anxious to see how the design is coming along for the realignment of Round Rock Avenue onto Liberty Avenue (Here is the page (PDF) from the plan showing "before and after" images of the realignment.) We anticipate receiving a draft design from our consulting engineer soon, and when we do we'll start visiting with nearby property owners.

The owner of Kawaii Shaved Ice on Mays Street expressed his opposition to the recommendation in the plan to take Mays Street from four lanes to three in the future. Here's our consulting engineer's analysis of the proposal (PDF), with an explanation of why the change will improve traffic flows on Mays by allowing for more effective signal timing at the Mays-Main Street intersection. It's certainly sounds odd, if not downright crazy, that reducing the number of lanes will allow traffic to flow better, but that's what will happen. For those who remain skeptical, know that we are planning to test such a change by simply restriping Mays to see how well it works in practice before we rebuild anything.

One display we had up that's not included in the exhibit download above is the Heritage Trail concept produced by our Parks and Recreation Department planning team. The plan would have the Heritage Trail start in Old Town Brushy by “the rock” with a number of sculptural stories and interpretative signs to tell the story of the frontier days in old town Brushy. As the trail continues east along Brushy Creek, the history of Round Rock would continue to be told through interpretive signs, sculptures and custom “time portal” view points. A pedestrian bridge would cross from the north side of the creek to the south side at approximately Lewis Street at Veterans Park.

Everyone was really excited about the Heritage Trail concept with one notable exception: those folks who own homes on Vista Avenue whose property backs up to the creek. They would much prefer the trail be built on the south side of the creek. They are concerned about safety, impact to creek views and the division of their property. These issues will be addressed during the design process for the trail, which will occur at some point in the future. There is no funding currently identified for the trail project.

Regarding the East Main Street ballfields property owned by the Round Rock Community Foundation, we received a couple of written comments asking the property remain as is, or that a majority of it remain green/open space. The RRCF is planning for the property to be used by social service providers like Williamson-Burnet Counties Opportunities Inc. and Hope Alliance and to provide some open/green space on the site. A special zoning district (Planned Unit Development) will be required to develop this property because a portion of it is currently zoned single family residential, with the balance zoned commercial. The PUD process will include neighborhood input.

We anticipate having the final draft of the plan document ready by next Wednesday, Jan. 20, when we will be distributing copies to Planning and Zoning Commission members in advance of their Feb. 3 public hearing and recommendation vote. Once we've got the Plan posted online, we'll send an email to our stakeholder list and write a new blog post.

Upcoming meetings for Round Rock Downtown Master Plan

Will Hampton — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:03:00 GMT

We will hold two public meetings over the next month on the Downtown Master Plan. The first will be an open house meeting from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12, and 8 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Jan. 13, in the Community Room at the McConico Building, 301 W. Bagdad Ave. The second will be a formal public hearing at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting at City Hall, 221 E. Main St.

The open house will provide an opportunity to review the latest significant updates to the Plan document and ask questions of City staff in an informal setting. The public hearing is an opportunity to provide direct input to the Planning and Zoning Commission prior to its vote on the Plan.

Our vision is to create a vibrant, walkable downtown district that offers distinctive shopping, dining, working and living opportunities. The Master Plan is needed to guide the policies and ordinances, infrastructure and open space improvements, and financing options crucial to the orderly development and economic viability of a resurgent urban core.

Here are the issues brought up most recently regarding the plan:

Property rights
Some concerns we’ve heard since last January are about potential changes in the Flat, the neighborhood between Mays and Lewis streets south of Brushy Creek. There is nothing in the Plan that will force anyone to sell their home to make way for new development like condos or apartments. If you want your home to stay a single-family residence, then it will stay that way. You control what happens to your property.

That said, neighboring properties in the Flat may change. One of the reasons we are developing the Plan is because some downtown property owners are interested in redeveloping. The Plan is designed to provide a common vision for the area and offer some predictability to the types of redevelopment that occur. Without a plan, haphazard development will be scattered throughout the area with no regard to the long-term viability of the distinct neighborhoods in the area. We’ll be without policies and ordinances to protect viable residential neighborhoods while supporting redevelopment where appropriate.

East Main Street ballfields
Neighbors of the property have requested the draft Plan be amended to include a portion of the ballfields into the proposed Historic Residential Character Overlay zoning, and that the overlay be implemented with zoning of the first portion of downtown, if not sooner. The Greater Round Rock Community Foundation, owner of the property, has plans for building social service facilities and administrative offices on the land.

The Planning and Zoning Commission, at its Nov. 19 retreat, felt like the overlay was inappropriate for the property since there are no residential structures on it.

What we are recommending is that a note be included on the Vision Plan map (currently on page 27) and in the Design and Land Use recommendations in Chapter 4 of the Plan. The note will state the property should be designed as a combination of open space and family-oriented social service facilities and administrative offices, and that the property be comprehensively planned to effectively integrate those uses. A special zoning district (PUD) will be required to develop this property. This will include neighborhood input.
We want to the note and the Plan document to reflect the consensus reached at the special meeting held during the charrette last January.

Brushy Creek trail
The concerns brought up by residents who live on Vista Drive regarding the trail planned for Brushy Creek are understandable and legitimate. The issue was discussed briefly by the Planning and Zoning Commission at its Dec. 16 meeting. The issues – about safety, impact to creek views, division of property – will be addressed during the design process for the trail, which will occur at some point in the future. There is no funding currently identified for the trail project.

Form-Based Code
The Form-Based Code will codify recommendations made in the Plan for land use and design. We will begin work on the Code after the Plan receives recommendation from the Planning and Zoning Commission and approval by the City Council. The Plan provides general guidance; the Code will provide the specifics. There will be many details to work out as we develop the Code in conjunction with area residents and businesses, the development community and the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The basic idea of the Code is to allow for transitions in land use from higher density and mixed uses along arterial roads like Mays Street and U.S. 79, to lower density and primarily residential uses further from busy corridors. The Plan calls for the creation of “Transect Zones” to accomplish the zoning transition.

In response to input from residents in the area who live on Sunset Drive and Summit Streets, we have proposed changes to the future zoning recommendation for that area, which is bounded by IH 35 to the west and Mays Street to the east, the creek to the south and development on U.S. 79 and the church on the north. Because of the proximity to IH 35 and existing commercial and multi-family zoning west of Summit, we are recommending future zoning densities higher than the first draft of the Plan suggested.

It is important to remember that the future zoning recommendations are only recommendations. As stated in the Property Rights section above, nothing in the Plan will force anyone to change the use of their properties.

A brief update on Round Rock Downtown Master Plan ... more to come next week

Will Hampton — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 18:59:00 GMT

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Major mea culpa for not updating the tentative dates in the previous post when I knew they would change.

We did not have a public hearing or recommendation vote at the Dec. 16 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, as indicated in the previous post. At the P&Z retreat on Nov. 19, the Commissioners asked staff to get some feedback from the City Council regarding the timing of when and where the future form based code would go into effect once adopted. So we reported back to the Commissioners the input from the Council, and discussed a couple of other issues that we didn't get to at the retreat.

You can watch the Dec. 3 City Council presentation and discussion here (go to item 7C3), and the Dec. 16 P&Z update and discussion here (go to Item 3A -- it's toward the bottom of the list as the item was taken out of order during the meeting).

I'll have a more complete update next week, including date(s) for our next round of public input.