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YEAH. WE'RE. WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS. OKAY. ALRIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, AND
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WELCOME TO A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE HARLINGEN CITY COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. TODAY IS NOVEMBER 13TH, 2025. THIS AGENDA HAS BEEN POSTED AS REQUIRED BY STATE LAW. WE HAVE A FULL QUORUM OF THE COMMISSION, AND WE WILL OPEN THE CITY COMMISSION SIDE. AND I'LL PASS IT TO THE PLANNING. MAYOR. AGAIN, THIS IS A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING OF THE HARLINGEN CITY COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. THURSDAY,[00:10:01]
NOVEMBER 13TH, 5:30 P.M. I WOULD THIS ENTERTAIN OR NOT ENTERTAIN? CALL THE MEETING TO AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE A FULL. WE DO HAVE A QUORUM OF THE PNC. WE HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER NOT PRESENT, BUT ALL OTHER COMMISSIONERS ARE PRESENT. CORRECT? OKAY. AND AT THIS TIME, WE WILL ASK FOR EVERYBODY TO PLEASE STAND FOR THE INVOCATION LED BY COMMISSIONER MORALES.FATHER, SON. HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN. AMEN. ETERNAL FATHER, WE HUMBLY OFFER THEE OUR POOR PRESENCE AND THAT OF THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END OF THE WORLD. AND ALL THE MASSES THAT EVER HAVE OR EVER WILL BE PRAYED. WE OFFER THEE ALL THE PAINS, SUFFERINGS, PRAYERS, SACRIFICES, JOYS, AND RELAXATIONS OF OUR LIVES IN UNION WITH THOSE OF OUR DEAR LORD JESUS HERE ON EARTH. MAY THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, ALL HIS BLOOD AND WOUNDS AND AGONY, SAVE US THROUGH THE SORROWFUL AND IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. AMEN.
AMEN. NOW THE PLEDGE. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. CLERK. UNDER STATE LAW, CONFLICT OF INTEREST EXISTS WITH COMMISSION MEMBER OR CERTAIN MEMBERS OF THAT PERSON'S FAMILY HAS A QUALIFIED FINANCIAL INTEREST IN AN AGENDA ITEM. MEMBERS OF THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN THE DISCUSSION OR VOTE ON THE AGENDA ITEM. ARE THERE ANY KNOWN CONFLICTS OF INTEREST TO DISCLOSE AT THIS TIME? NO. NONE.
NONE. NONE. NONE. AND NOW FOR THE. ON BEHALF OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. NO. NO NO. NONE.
ALL RIGHT. FANTASTIC. AND NOW, MOVING ON TO CITIZEN COMMUNICATION FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN. DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? YES, MA'AM. WE DO HAVE ONE. OKAY. AND AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND LET MISS DIANA GARCIA PADILLA SPEAK. AM I USING A SPEAKER OR DO I? YES, YOU CAN, IF YOU'D LIKE TO STAND UP HERE. HOLD IT. BECAUSE I NEED MY PAPER. OKAY.
IF YOU CAN HOLD IT. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DIANA PADILLA. MY NAME IS DIANA PADILLA, AND I LIVE AT 19741 MORRIS ROAD. I HAVE 75 ACRES AND ORGANIC FARM IN HARLINGEN.
AND I'M HERE TO SHARE MY CONCERNS ON HOW THE CITY OF HARLINGEN AND HARLINGEN IRRIGATION DISTRICT HAVE IMPACTED OUR LAND. I ASK YOU TO NOT SPEND TAXPAYER DOLLARS ON BEHALF OF MR. SIMMONS ON OUR EXPENSE. THIS ISSUE BEGAN WHEN MR. LEONARD SIMMONS TOOK PART IN A DECISION TO TRANSFER EASEMENT RIGHTS OVER OUR PROPERTY TO THE CITY, BASED ON A 1912 LAW THAT CREATED A REGIONAL BLANKET EASEMENT FOR THE IRRIGATION RIGHTS. THIS DECISION BENEFITED MR. SIMMONS. HE HAS BEEN ABLE TO USE THE EASEMENT FOR HIS SUBDIVISION AND AVOID BUILDING A DETENTION POND ON HIS LAND. HIS PROFIT FROM SELLING LOTS WHILE WE LOSE LAND AND VALUE, THERE IS CLEAR CONFLICT OF INTEREST. AND HE WHO WAS THE CITY HARLINGEN CITY ENGINEER FROM 2022, DESIGNED THE SUBDIVISION AND NOW WORKS FOR CHOICE DEVELOPERS, WHICH IS THE IS OWNED BY MR. SIMMONS. AT THE SAME TIME, MAYOR BOSWELL WAS IN OFFICE AND HIS WIFE IS SIMMONS SISTER. TODAY WE ATTENDED A COURT HEARING FOR AN INJUNCTION AND TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER. IT'S CONFUSING, BUT THE CITY WANTS ACCESS TO OUR LAND TO ENLARGE THE WATERWAY. CITY ATTORNEY MARK SAUSSY CLAIMED WE DENIED ACCESS. AND THEY NEED ACCESS BECAUSE OUR AREA FLOODS. BOTH STATEMENTS ARE FALSE. OUR AREA DOES NOT FLOOD. AND I HAVE PROOF FROM ALL MY NEIGHBORS AS WE ARE ON HIGH GROUND. WHITE OAK SUBDIVISION HAS WATER ISSUES, BUT THEY'RE APPROXIMATELY A MILE AWAY FROM US. WE ARE. WE ALLOWED THE SURVEYORS TO COME ON OUR PROPERTY, AND WE ASKED THE CITY TO WAIT, USING HIGH HEAVY EQUIPMENT UNTIL THE JUDGE COULD DECIDE IF THE EASEMENT TRANSFER WAS EVEN LEGAL. MR. SAUSSY WAS AGGRESSIVE TODAY ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, BUT THERE'S NO EMERGENCY. THE $40,000 THAT IS ALLOCATED FOR WIDENING THE WATERWAY IS ONLY GOING TO BENEFIT MR. SIMMONS IF THE CITY ENGAGES IN THE WATERWAY, AND WE LATER WIN BACK OUR LAND, WE WILL BE FORCED TO SUE THE CITY.
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IN VERSE CONDEMNATION. WE WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE. EXCUSE ME. OUR LAND DOES NOT FLOOD AND WE ARE AGAINST ENLARGING THE LAND FROM 30 TO 100FT. THE 700FT WIDE. THIS IS EXCESSIVE AND ONLY BENEFITS ONE PERSON, MR. SIMMONS. I ASK AGAIN, PLEASE THINK ABOUT IT. YOU ARE USING GOVERNMENT MONEY TO BENEFIT MR. SIMMONS. WE DO NOT. I HAVE LETTERS FROM ALL MY NEIGHBORS. DO NOT FLOOD IN OUR SECTION. YOUR TEN MINUTES ARE UP. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME, HAVING NO ONE ELSE SIGNED UP ON THE CITY OF HARLINGEN CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, WE WILL CLOSE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION AND PASS IT OVER TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR ANY CITIZEN COMMUNICATION SIGNED UP ON THEIR BEHALF. YES, MA'AM. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE IS NO ONE SIGN UP FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION. COMMUNICATION? YOU'RE GOING TO BE UNDER THE PUBLIC HEARING, RIGHT? YES, YES. OKAY. YES. MR. DARCY IS HERE AND HE'S GOING TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY. SO AT THIS TIME, WILL YOU BE CLOSING THE. YES, MA'AM. WE'RE CLOSING.OKAY. AND MOVING ON TO ITEM FOUR, PRESENTATION BY FREESE AND NICHOLS ON THE PROPOSED COMPREHENSIVE DOWNTOWN AND PARKS PLAN TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ADOPTION BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CITY COMMISSION, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, FOR HAVING US HERE TONIGHT. WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO ZIP THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION PRETTY QUICKLY JUST TO RESPECT EVERYBODY'S TIME HERE THIS EVENING. BUT WE DO WANT TO DO JUSTICE TO THE LAST YEAR'S WORTH OF WORK. IN THE APPROXIMATELY 400 PAGES OF DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED FOR YOU GUYS HERE. SO LET'S SEE, JUST TO REMIND YOU, SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE ARE FRIESEN NICHOLS. WE WERE THE PRIME CONSULTANT WORKING ON THIS PROJECT. WE HAD SUBCONSULTANTS FROM LOI ENGINEERS AND TXP THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH MULTIPLE OF YOUR DEPARTMENTS. THE PLANNING, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THE DOWNTOWN DIVISION, AND PARKS AND RECREATION. WE STARTED THIS BACK IN OCTOBER OF 2024. AND WE ARE NOW HERE AT THE END OF OUR PROCESS GOING THROUGH FINALIZATION AND APPROVALS. THIS IS A LIST OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE LAST YEAR. WE'VE HAD THREE STEERING COMMITTEE MEETINGS. THAT WAS A CITIZEN STEERING COMMITTEE, EIGHT NINE STAKEHOLDER CONVERSATIONS WITH SPECIFIC TOPICAL GROUPS AND EXPERTS IN THE COMMUNITY, THREE PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE EVENTS. WE HAD AN ONLINE COMMUNITY SURVEY, AS WELL AS OTHER ONLINE INTERACTIVE TOOLS, INCLUDING A PIN MAP AND WHERE PEOPLE COULD LEAVE COMMENTS. AND THEN WE ALSO HAD THE ONLINE PUBLIC DRAFT REVIEW OF THE FINAL VERSIONS OF THESE DOCUMENTS THAT WAS AVAILABLE IN THE MONTH OF OCTOBER. SO WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, JUST TO GIVE YOU A REMINDER OF WHAT WAS IN THIS PLAN. SO WE START WITH A COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT THAT'S LOOKING AT DEMOGRAPHICS AND DATA ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE TODAY. WE HAVE AN ESTABLISHED COMMUNITY VISION AND SET OF GOALS THAT THEN FILTER INTO TOPICAL CHAPTERS RELATED TO LAND USE, HOUSING, INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORTATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND ALL OF THAT WRAPS UP WITH AN IMPLEMENTATION AND ACTION PLAN. SO WE'RE GOING TO QUICKLY GO OVER EACH OF THOSE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL. BUT ONE THING I DID WANT TO NOTE IS THIS WAS A PROJECT THROUGH THE TEXAS GLO RCP RESILIENT COMMUNITIES PROGRAM, WHICH REQUIRES CERTAIN THINGS AROUND RESILIENCE AND SPECIFICALLY FLOODING, AND LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE TOPICS THROUGH THAT LENS OF ENHANCING RESILIENCE. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS 100% GRANT FUNDED. SO THE CITY FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PIECE DID NOT PUT IN ANY CITY MONEY. IT'S 100% GRANT FUNDED. NO MATCH. THIS IS A VERY HIGH LEVEL QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY ACROSS ALL OF THOSE ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. SO NUMBER ONE THING WE HEARD IS PEOPLE WANT AFFORDABILITY AND ADDITIONAL JOB OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS ENTERTAINMENT, SHOPPING AND DINING OPTIONS AND CHOICES WITHIN THE CITY. FOCUS ON THE ENHANCING THOSE COMMUNITY VALUES, SAFETY, DIVERSITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE RESILIENCE. ON THAT FRONT, WE DID HEAR ABOUT FLOODING, HEAT AND INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES THAT THE CITY WAS HAVING. THERE WAS
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SOME SUPPORT FOR MIXED USE HOUSING VARIETY AND IMPROVED MOBILITY, ESPECIALLY IN CERTAIN AREAS THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE LAND USE PLAN. AND THEN A DESIRE FOR CONNECTED AND FAMILY ORIENTED CITY. THIS IS JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES, AGAIN, FROM WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY. SO SOME OF THE STRENGTHS THAT PEOPLE SAID THEY LIKED ABOUT LIVING IN HARLINGEN IS THE AFFORDABILITY AND THE ACCESSIBILITY. AS THE CENTER OF THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, RECREATIONAL ASSETS, THAT SENSE OF COMMUNITY, KIND OF THAT SMALL TOWN COMPARED TO MAYBE SOME OF YOUR NEIGHBORING CITIES AND THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE HERE FOR RESIDENTS, SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT WHERE WE COULD BE DOING BETTER INCLUDE DEVELOPING VACANT PROPERTIES, EXPANDING ON THE IDEA OF ECO TOURISM IN THE REGION, SOME PLACEMAKING INITIATIVES, REALLY CREATING THAT BRAND AND THAT BEAUTIFICATION OF THE CITY AGAIN, THAT RETAIL AND DINING GROWTH. PEOPLE WANT TO BE ABLE TO SPEND THEIR DOLLARS IN THEIR CITY AND NOT HAVE TO GO TO BROWNSVILLE OR TO MCALLEN TO GO OUT TO EAT AND TO GO SHOPPING. AND THEN INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. SO WE START WITH THOSE COMMUNITY VALUES, CREATIVE VISION STATEMENT THAT GOES INTO A SERIES OF SIX VISION ELEMENTS THAT WE'LL LOOK AT A LITTLE CLOSER IN A MOMENT.THOSE FUNNEL INTO A SET OF GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND THEN ULTIMATELY THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE POLICIES WITHIN THIS PLAN. ONE THING I DO WANT TO REITERATE IS THAT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS NOT REGULATORY. IT IS A GUIDING VISION DOCUMENT. IT IS A BLUEPRINT IS THAT IT IS A DECISION MAKING TOOL. BUT IT IN AND OF ITSELF IS NOT REGULATORY.
SO THE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE PLANS AND GOALS, THE PLAN GOALS THAT WE CAME UP WITH, NUMBER ONE, RESILIENT COMMUNITY, AGAIN, THAT IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE GLO GRANT PROGRAM THAT WAS USED TO FUND THIS. WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME GOALS AROUND RESILIENCE, DIVERSITY OF HOUSING, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY. AND YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE GOAL STATEMENT THAT'S UNDER EACH OF THESE. AND THEN THRIVING LOCAL ECONOMY, ECO TOURISM AND A HUB FOR ARTS AND CULTURE. I WILL NOTE WE'RE DOING SOME WORK IN BROWNSVILLE TO WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT HARLINGEN ARTS AND CULTURE SCENE. SO YOU GUYS ARE I THINK THAT'S A REAL STRENGTH THAT YOU GUYS HAVE. NOT SURPRISED. SO JUST TO GIVE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS IN THE PLAN, LIKE I SAID, THIS PLAN HAS BEEN OUT SINCE EARLY OCTOBER, SO I'M HOPING THAT MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE PLAN DOCUMENT. SO I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO EVERY DETAIL THAT IS ACROSS ALL 400 OF THESE PAGES. BUT JUST TO HIT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE GOOD OF THE FOLKS IN THE ROOM. SO EACH TOPIC. SO EACH OF THOSE TOPICAL CHAPTERS BEGINS WITH A SIMILAR SET OF PAGES THAT INCLUDES 2050 POLICY DIRECTIVES. AGAIN, NOT REGULATORY. THEY'RE JUST POLICY DIRECTIVES. A SUMMARY OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THAT TOPIC, A SPREAD THAT MAKES THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN RESILIENCE AND THE TOPIC OF THAT CHAPTER. AGAIN, FOLLOWING THAT GUIDELINES. AND THEN ANY KIND OF BACKGROUND DATA OR MAPPING ANALYZES THAT SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THAT CHAPTER. SO THE FIRST CHAPTER IS LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT. THE FIRST THING WE DO IS LOOK AT POTENTIAL POPULATION GROWTH SCENARIOS. AND WE PAIR THAT WITH WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY. AND WE DISCUSS THINGS LIKE TRADE OFFS, AND WE IDENTIFY A SET OF LAND USE CATEGORIES THAT ARE DESCRIBED IN THE PLAN. WE ALSO IDENTIFY SOME SPECIAL DISTRICTS IN EACH OF THOSE DISTRICTS HAS A DEVELOPMENT DASHBOARD AGAIN AS A HELP TO GUIDE DECISIONS, AS THE CITY COMMISSION, AS THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, AS YOU HAVE THINGS COME IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU IDEALLY ARE USING THIS AS KIND OF A JUSTIFICATION FOR THE DECISIONS YOU'RE MAKING. AND THEN SOME URBAN DESIGN BEST PRACTICES THAT WE INCLUDE IN MOST OF OUR PLANS THAT ARE ARE TRULY THOSE BEST, THOSE INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICES THAT EVERY CITY SHOULD BE FOLLOWING. SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES IN THAT CHAPTER THAT ARE ADDRESSED ARE WEST SIDE INVESTMENTS, SPECIFICALLY FACILITIES, ROADS, THINGS LIKE THAT. THE IDEA OF THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY AND RETAINING MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. SO WHAT KIND OF HOUSING AND QUALITY OF LIFE ARE THOSE FOLKS LOOKING FOR, AND HOW DO WE PROVIDE THAT TO ATTRACT THOSE FOLKS AND THAT THERE'S KIND OF WE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT THERE'S THINGS ON IN THE MIDDLE WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF HOUSING THAT'S KIND OF IN MIDDLE, BUT WE'RE LACKING ON BOTH ENDS. THAT LUXURY AND ALSO THAT AFFORDABLE MARKET RATE HOUSING. SO KIND OF THE TWO ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM. HOW DO WE GET SOME MORE VARIETY OF HOUSING WITHIN THE CITY? AND SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE THOSE
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DISTRICTS THAT I TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAND USE CATEGORY DEFINITIONS AND HOW THOSE ARE APPLIED THROUGHOUT THE CITY. FOCUS ON MIXED USE CORRIDORS. SO YOU'LL SEE SOME CORRIDORS SPECIFICALLY NOTED IN THE LAND USE PLAN FOR THAT MIXED USE. AND THEN LAND USE IS REALLY ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY IS CROSS-CUTTING ACROSS ALL OF THESE TOPICS. SO YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THESE THINGS RECURRING AND SOME OF THE OTHER TOPICS AS WELL. THE NEXT CHAPTER IS COMPLETE COMMUNITIES. THIS IS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT HOUSING AND ACCESS TO GOODS AND SERVICES AND JOBS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WE LOOK AT THE HOUSING STOCK AND SUPPLY, THE DIVERSIFICATION OPTIONS FOR DIFFERENT HOUSING PRODUCT WITHIN THE CITY. WE LIKE TO USE THE HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION INDEX RATHER THAN JUST THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. THIS TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION. SO YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD THE DRIVE TILL YOU QUALIFY KIND OF THING. SO THAT'S THE MAP YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE IS THAT WHEN YOU PUT TOGETHER BOTH THE COST OF HOUSING AS WELL AS THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION ON AVERAGE, HOW AFFORDABLE IS KIND OF THE LIFESTYLE GENERALLY, NOT JUST LOOKING AT THE HOUSE ITSELF, LOOKING AT NEIGHBORHOOD COMPLETENESS AND ACCESS. SO THAT IS SAYING, DO PEOPLE HAVE TO DRIVE REALLY FAR TO GO TO THE BANK OR TO GO GROCERY SHOPPING OR FOR A DAYCARE? HOW COMPLETE IS THAT COMMUNITY? HOW CONVENIENT IS THE LIFESTYLE? AND THEN THINGS RELATED TO STRENGTHENING THAT SENSE OF PLACE AND COMMUNITY THAT WE HEARD A COUPLE OF TIMES NOW AND THEN WE LOOKED AT HOW THE PUBLIC REALM AND THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT CAN IMPACT HEALTH AND WELLNESS OF THE COMMUNITY. SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES HERE AGAIN, ARE THE DIVERSIFYING HOUSING OPTIONS. HOW DO WE MAKE WALKABLE, CONNECTED NEIGHBORHOODS, PUBLIC SPACES AND PLACEMAKING? THAT IDENTITY, THAT BRANDING, THAT KIND OF SENSE OF PRIDE. HOW DO WE ADDRESS SOME OF THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY CHALLENGES? THAT'S A BIG TOPIC. THE COMP PLAN ALONE IS NOT GOING TO ADDRESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, BUT IT IS ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. AND THEN WHERE ARE THE APPROPRIATE SPOTS FOR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT. SO SOME OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES INCLUDE MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING PRODUCTS. SO THAT'S THE ABILITY TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DENSITY. BUT WITHOUT DOING LIKE BIG APARTMENT COMPLEXES. SO THINGS LIKE DUPLEXES AND TOWNHOMES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFFORDABLE AND WORKFORCE HOUSING, DOWNSIZING OPTIONS. WE HEARD A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO STAY IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO, KIND OF AS EMPTY NESTERS OR RETIREES. AGAIN, THAT LUXURY HOUSING TO ATTRACT PROFESSIONALS, ESPECIALLY IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY. AND THEN HOW DO WE INCORPORATE THAT MIXED USE AND IDENTIFY NOT JUST THE MIXED USE, BUT ALSO HOW IS THAT CONNECTED THROUGH TRANSIT? AND DON'T ALWAYS YOU KNOW, TRANSIT IS MOBILITY. MOBILITY IS MAYBE A BETTER WORD THERE.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS JUST, YOU KNOW, BUSSES AND STUFF LIKE THAT, PUBLIC FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE. SO WE TAKE AN INVENTORY OF CURRENT FACILITIES. THIS IS WHERE WE LOOK AT RESILIENCE STRATEGIES AROUND HARDENING INFRASTRUCTURE, REDUNDANCY OF INFRASTRUCTURE, THINGS LIKE THAT, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE SYSTEMS ACROSS THE CITY CAN KEEP WORKING IN TIMES OF LIKE A DISASTER OR OTHER DISRUPTION. WHAT ARE THOSE PUBLIC FACILITY AND SERVICE NEEDS, AS WELL AS SOME DESIGN BEST PRACTICES FOR FUTURE CITY PUBLIC FACILITIES TO BETTER MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY. WE LOOK AT THE WATER AND WASTEWATER SYSTEMS AND PROVIDE SOME HIGH LEVEL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENTS, AS WELL AS SOME UTILITY SERVICES. BEST PRACTICES. SOME OF THOSE KEY ISSUES. THERE ARE DEFINITELY SOME ESSENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES THAT HAVE COME OUT IN THAT CHAPTER. ENHANCING RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THAT INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS REALLY JUST NOT ONLY IS THAT ABOUT THE SERVICE AND BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE PROVIDING THE SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT REDUCING MAINTENANCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THOSE COSTS FOR THE CITY, BETTER CONNECTIVITY AND FACILITY MODERNIZATION OF PUBLIC FACILITIES IS ADDRESSED AS WELL. SO SOME OF THE BIG RECOMMENDATIONS ARE EXPANDING ELECTRICAL, ELECTRICAL, SUBSTATIONS, BROADBAND IMPROVEMENTS IN WEST HARLINGEN. YOU HEAR THAT A COUPLE TIMES COMING UP. ON THAT PART ON THE THE WEST, THE WEST HARLINGEN. YEAH. SO WHEN WE WERE TALKING TO PEOPLE, THINGS LIKE SO THIS IS INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS IS UTILITIES. IT'S ALSO ROADS. AND SO WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT WE HAD SOME PEOPLE COME TO OUR MEETINGS THAT WERE FROM WEST HARLINGEN. AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THEIR ROADS AREN'T MAINTAINED AS WELL OR THEY DON'T HAVE THE UTILITY SERVICES THAT THE REST OF HARLINGEN DOES. AND SO, YEAH. YEAH. ARE THERE STORMWATER? YES.
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WE ADDRESSED STORMWATER AND DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, SIDEWALK AND TRAIL CONNECTIVITY.SOME OF THE BIG PUBLIC FACILITY OUTCOMES ARE. AN INDOOR RECREATION CENTER WAS IDENTIFIED AS A NEED FROM THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE NORTH SIDE OF THE CITY. NEXT CHAPTER IS TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY. SO WE LOOK AT EXISTING CONDITIONS AGAIN, HOW TRANSPORTATION AFFECTS PUBLIC HEALTH. WE LOOK AT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMERCIAL TRANSIT WITH RAIL, FREIGHT, AIR AND THE IMPACT OF BINATIONAL TRADE. AND IT RECOMMENDS AN UPDATE TO THE FUTURE THOROUGHFARE PLAN, AS WELL AS STREET DESIGN, CROSS SECTIONS AND GUIDELINES BASED ON CONTEXT. SO SOME OF THE NEEDS THAT CAME OUT WERE ENHANCED CONNECTIVITY, A REALLY STRONG STREET GRID, HIGH QUALITY STREET DESIGN, SOME INVESTMENT IN TRANSIT, AND AN INCLUSIVE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK. AGAIN, WE HEARD SOME OF THESE THINGS ABOUT NOT EVERYWHERE HAS THE SAME LEVEL OF ROADS OR THE SAME QUALITY OF ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS. SO WE TALK ABOUT SAFETY AND CONVENIENCE, MULTIMODAL MOBILITY. SO THAT'S CARS, BUT IT'S ALSO WALKING AND BIKING AND PUBLIC TRANSIT AND PLANNING HOW YOU PLAN FOR FREIGHT IN YOUR THOROUGHFARE PLAN. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LOOKS AT DEMOGRAPHICS AND ECONOMIC PROFILES, SPECIFICALLY THAT VISITOR AND TOURISM NUMBERS, WHAT THOSE FUTURE DEMANDS MIGHT BE AND MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS. SO SOME OF THE ISSUES ARE THE DIVERSITY OF JOBS, THE MINIMAL GROWTH AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. SO PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THAT EXPANDED RETAIL AND ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS, INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT ALL OF THESE EFFORTS. AGAIN, YOU SEE SOME OF THAT CROSS CUTTING GOING ON HERE.
PEOPLE WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE IDEA OF ECOTOURISM. AND HOW CAN HARLINGEN CAPITALIZE ON THAT MORE FOR THE REGION, OF COURSE, CROSS BORDER TRADE AND THEN DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION, WHICH REALLY SHOWS UP IN THE DOWNTOWN PLAN. SO SOME OF THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE DEVELOPING A BRAND DEALING WITH VALLEY VISTA MALL AND HOW YOU REDEVELOP THAT AREA, INVESTING IN CORRIDOR SPECIFICALLY. AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE IN THE LAND USE PLAN, THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THOSE MIXED USE CORRIDORS ARE IDENTIFIED. SO INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THAT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. HOW IS THE CITY GOING TO MAINTAIN SUSTAINABLE FISCAL RESOURCES, AND HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE ACCESS TO AMENITIES FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE? SO THE LAST PIECE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS IMPLEMENTATION. WE PROVIDE SOME GENERAL BEST PRACTICES AND PLAN MAINTENANCE. SO MAKING SURE YOUR PLAN STAYS UPDATED. IDEAS AROUND PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE IMPLEMENTATION. BOTH OF THOSE ARE GOING TO HAPPEN. AS PART OF THIS PLAN, THERE WILL BE SOME THINGS THAT YOU, AS THE COMMISSIONERS, WILL BE ABLE TO PROACTIVELY MOVE FORWARD. BUT THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE MOMENTS WHERE YOU HAVE TO REACT TO THINGS THAT COME IN FRONT OF YOU. AND SO USING THIS PLAN AS A WAY TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND JUSTIFY YOUR ACTIONS. AND THEN THERE'S AN ACTION, A VERY SPECIFIC ACTION MATRIX THAT IDENTIFIES THE TOP TEN ACTIONS FOR EACH OF THOSE TOPICS. AND THEN SOME IDEAS AROUND WHERE YOU MIGHT GO TO FIND SOME FUNDING FOR ALL OF THESE PROJECTS. I WILL NOTE. SO WE DON'T HAVE THE ORDINANCES TODAY, BUT AT A FUTURE MEETING YOU WILL SEE SOME ORDINANCE UPDATES. THIS IS PART OF THAT GLO GRANT REQUIREMENT THAT YOU UPDATE YOUR ORDINANCES FOR HAZARD RISK MITIGATION. MOSTLY THAT RELATES TO FLOODING. SO WE'RE WORKING WITH HONORE THROUGH THOSE RIGHT NOW. AND THOSE WILL BE COMING IN FRONT OF YOU IN A FUTURE IN A FUTURE MEETING. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU GUYS ARE DOING PRETTY DANG GOOD ON THAT. THERE WEREN'T ACTUALLY A LOT OF CHANGES THAT NEEDED TO BE MADE TO MEET THE GLO REQUIREMENTS.
SO WITH THAT, LAHARI IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN AND PARKS PLAN. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. OH YEAH. SO NOW LET'S SHIFT OUR GAZE TOWARDS DOWNTOWN PLAN. SO HERE'S EVERYTHING WHAT WE COVERED. LIKE, YOU KNOW, IN DOWNTOWN PLAN. LIKE WE STARTED WITH ANALYSIS. LIKE OBSERVING.
WHAT'S THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, LAND USE AND ACTIVITY PATTERNS. AND THEN WE IDENTIFIED A FEW VISION FOR THE DOWNTOWN LIKE ESPECIALLY WITH THE VISION AND GOALS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DID THESE ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES AND THE SURVEY AND EVERYTHING. THAT'S HOW WE IDENTIFIED THE VISION AND THE GOALS, LIKE HOW PEOPLE WANT TO SEE THEIR DOWNTOWN. AND THEN THE
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FRAMEWORK IS THE BIG IDEAS THAT WE HAVE, LIKE HOW THE GROWTH CAN HAPPEN IN DOWNTOWN. AND WE ALSO LOOKED CLOSELY AT THE MOBILITY STUDY, LIKE WE LOOKED AT THE CONNECTIONS THAT CONNECT TO THE KEY DESTINATIONS, AND ALSO SOME PARKING AND WALKABILITY THINGS. AND ALSO WE IDENTIFIED FEW DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT CAN SPARK SOME REINVESTMENTS.AND THEN FINALLY, WE'VE WRAPPED THE PLAN WITH ACTION PLAN AND SOME FUNDING MECHANISMS. SO THIS IS THE STUDY AREA THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT. SO IT'S FROM WEST MADISON TO THE WEST, VAN BUREN NORTH ON THE SOUTH. IT ALSO HAS SOME KEY SPOTS LIKE GUTHRIE PARK, CENTENNIAL PARK AND LOZANO PARK AND ALSO THE RETAIL STREET LIKE THE JACKSON. THIS IS WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE SURVEY OR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS THAT WE DID SO FAR. SO PEOPLE LOVE ALL THE LOCAL BUSINESSES AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE EVENTS LIKE MARKET DAYS AND STUFF. AND ALSO PEOPLE PRIORITIZE MORE SHOPS, RESTAURANTS, NIGHTLIFE AND PUBLIC RESTROOMS. AND SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS ARE LIKE THE LIGHTING, SIDEWALK AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY. AND PEOPLE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE MORE INVESTMENTS IN THE MIXED USE HOUSING, BOUTIQUE HOTELS AND DINING. AND THE GOAL IS A VIBRANT AND A SAFE DOWNTOWN THAT PEOPLE LIKES TO GO AND SPEND TIME. SO HERE'S THE KEY ANALYSIS THAT WE DO. IT'S MORE LIKE A SWOT ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND, LIKE THE STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, THREATS AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL DELIVER A BETTER PLAN. SO SOME OF THE TRENDS THAT WE IDENTIFIED IS THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT AND THE IDENTITY. LIKE PEOPLE LOVE THEIR SMALL COMMUNITY HERE. SO THAT'S A GREAT THING. AND MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT LIKE YOU LIKE THEY SEE LIKE THE POTENTIALITY OF HAVING MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS, SOCIAL GATHERING SPACES AND A STRONG DESIRE FOR THEM. YOU KNOW, LIKE ON THE FOCUS ON ACTIVATION AND SOME REINVESTMENTS AND BY CULTURAL ECONOMY GATEWAY STUFF AND SOME OF THE THREATS, WHAT WE FOUND WAS LIKE FLOODING, YOU KNOW, LIKE LOCAL FLOODING, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN, LIKE THE LAST SEASON, THAT THAT LIKE PEOPLE IDENTIFIED THAT A LOT. LIKE IF WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THAT, THAT WOULD BE SO HELPFUL FOR THEM. AND THEN LACK OF SUSTAINABLE FUNDINGS AND ALSO INCREASE IN THE ECONOMIC VIABILITY AND WEAKNESSES IS LIKE ESPECIALLY LIKE HOW WE MENTIONED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, LIKE THE WEST SIDE OF THE HARLINGEN HAS SOME INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICIENCIES THAT WE IDENTIFIED. AND ALSO PEOPLE SPOKE A LOT EVEN IN DOWNTOWN WHEN IT COMES WHEN IT CAME TO THIS EVENTS, LIKE THEY SAID, LIKE, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN HARLINGEN HAS SOME SPOTS WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE LOCAL FLOODING IS AN ISSUE. SO SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THINGS AND LACK OF EVENING ACTIVITIES AND ALSO SOME LACK OF CONSISTENT HOURS HAVE BEEN SOME OF THE WEAKNESSES. AND WITH ALL THIS, THIS GAVE US LIKE AN OPPORTUNITIES LIKE FEW OF THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE LIKE THE RETAIL LIKE ON THE SECOND FLOOR IS QUITE VACANT. SO ACTIVATION OF THAT SECOND FLOOR AND INFILL ACTIVATION IS ONE SUCH THING. AND ALSO POTENTIAL LIKE, YOU KNOW, PLACEMAKING AND PUBLIC REALM ENHANCEMENTS AND CULTURAL AND NIGHTLIFE GROWTH. SO THE NEXT THING IS LIKE THE PRELIMINARY PRIMARY RECOMMENDATIONS OR THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES. SO WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM ALL THOSE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS OR THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS WE DID, IS THAT'S WHAT TAKING US TO THESE GUIDING PRINCIPLES. SO PEOPLE WANTS TO HAVE LIKE A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN, A SAFE, WALKABLE, CONNECTED ENVIRONMENT, RESILIENT AND BEAUTIFUL WITH PUBLIC REALM AND ALSO LIKE INCLUSIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INNOVATION AND A CULTURAL HUB FOR CULTURAL EVENTS AND A GOOD COMMUNITY LIFE. SO THESE ARE THE CHARACTER AREAS. SO AS I SAID, LIKE THE STRETCH IS FROM THE STUDY AREA STRETCHES FROM THE WEST, MADISON TILL THE NORTH OF VAN BUREN ON THE SOUTH.
SO THIS IS DIVIDED INTO THREE PIECES. SO THE TOP ONE, THE ON THE NORTH SIDE IS LIKE THE TRANSITION DISTRICT. SO IT'S MORE LIKE A WALKABLE DISTRICT WITH DIVERSE HOUSING THAT ALLOWS A LITTLE HIGHER DENSITY. AND THE COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL DISTRICT IS A VIBRANT CORE THAT FOCUSES ON THE LOCAL SHOPS, DINING, MORE WALKABILITY, STOREFRONTS, AND THE. AND THE OTHER PIECE THAT'S ON THE WEST, JACKSON AND THE WEST VAN BUREN IS ARTS AND CULTURAL DISTRICT.
SO IT'S LIKE A HOME FOR PUBLIC ART, FRIENDLY ATTRACTIONS, FAMILY FRIENDLY ATTRACTIONS THAT HAS ALSO LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE TWO BIG PARKS LIKE THE CENTENNIAL PARK AND THE GUTHRIE'S PARK. SO THE NEXT BIG PIECE IS THE DOWNTOWN FRAMEWORK THAT I'M GOING TO TALK. SO I'M
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NOT GOING TO COVER EVERYTHING, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU SOME QUICK HIGHLIGHTS. AND IF YOU CAN SEE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THOSE WE IDENTIFIED FEW CATALYST SITES THAT COULD SPARK SOME REINVESTMENTS. AND WE ALSO IDENTIFIED FEW STREETS LIKE, YOU KNOW, STREET ACTIVATION OR ALLEY ACTIVATION OR GREEN STREET ACTIVATION. AND ALSO WE HAVE FEW BIG IDEAS FOR LIKE TWO OF THE PARKS THAT IS EXPANDING CENTENNIAL PARK SO THAT IT IS LIKE A YEAR ROUND CELEBRATION.THEN JUST ON THOSE MARKET DAYS. AND FOR EVEN GUTHRIE'S PARK, LIKE, YOU KNOW, A FEW BIG IDEAS, LIKE MAKING IT LIKE MORE LIKE AN ART PARK SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE A LIKE MORE MURALS OR SPLASH PAD. AND THOSE WERE A FEW OF THE SUGGESTED THINGS, LIKE MAKING THEM MORE ACTIVE AND WELCOMING WITH MURALS, SPLASH PAD, AND FAMILY FRIENDLY SPACES SO PEOPLE CAN RELAX, GATHER AND SPEND SOME TIME. AND ALSO FOR THE CENTENNIAL PARK, MAKING IT LIKE A YEAR ROUND USABLE LOCATION AND ALSO LIKE THE ORANGE ONES. WHAT YOU SEE IS THE CATALYST SITES. MAYBE THAT THOSE ARE THE SPOTS THAT WE COULD IDENTIFIED AS LIKE A POTENTIAL OR REINVESTMENT FOR FUTURE HARLINGEN DOWNTOWN. AND WE ALSO IDENTIFIED SOME GREEN SPACES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY LIKES TO HAVE THAT SMALL PARK TO GATHER AND, AND ALSO IDENTIFIED FEW PARKING LOCATIONS AND ALSO SOME RESTROOM LOCATION AT THE LOZANO PARK. SO HERE ARE THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT FROM THE PLAN. LIKE WHEN YOU LIKE THESE FOCUSES ON THREE KEY AREAS THE PUBLIC SPACES, MOBILITY AND THE ECONOMIC PIECE. SO UNDER LIKE PUBLIC SPACES, LIKE ADDITIONAL PARKS, LIKE HOW WE IDENTIFIED FEW PARKS IN THE FRAMEWORK LIKE THAT CAN ACT AS A SPACE THAT PEOPLE CAN COME, GO SPEND SOME TIME AND ALSO REIMAGINE LIKE SPACES LIKE GUTHRIE'S PARK, CENTENNIAL PARK AND LOZANO PLAZA. AND ALSO THAT ART PARK, ART AND NATURE CENTER IN THE MIDDLE, LIKE IN THE DOWNTOWN CENTER, THAT CAN ALSO ACT LIKE AN ANCHOR. AND THE NEXT BIG PIECE IS THE MOBILITY. SO THE WHOLE IDEA IS WE WANTED TO MAKE THESE STREETS MORE FRIENDLY, LIKE WALKABLE, WALKABLE, SHADED, AND ACTIVE, AND ALSO LIKE EVEN THOSE SMALL ACTIVATIONS LIKE ALLEY ACTIVATIONS ARE SMALL, BUT IT CAN CREATE A BIG IMPACT WHEN IT BRINGS PEOPLE AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE PEOPLE LIKE TO HANG OUT. AND EVEN WHEN WE DID ALL THESE ENGAGEMENTS, LIKE PEOPLE WERE REALLY INTERESTED IN SEEING SOME ALLEY ACTIVATION PROGRAMS TO MAKE A SPACE MORE ACTIVE AND LIVELY. AND ECONOMICS IS ABOUT KEEPING THE DOWNTOWN STRONG. SO LIKE SUPPORTING SOME PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, GRANT FUNDS OR MATCHING AND FACADE AND SIGNAGE PROGRAMS AND ALSO SOME HOUSING INITIATIVES OR LIKE TOURS. SO THIS IS ALL LIKE THIS IS LIKE THE BIG FRAMEWORK THAT WE SPOKE, LIKE ALL THESE THREE PIECES. IT'S ABOUT MAKING THE DOWNTOWN A PLACE MORE ALIVE AND GETS PEOPLE IN THAT GENERATES MORE MONEY. EXCUSE ME, I HAVE A QUESTION ON THE DOWNTOWN. DID YOU HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY THAT WOULD BOOST THE DOWNTOWN'S ATTENDANCE? YOU MEAN WHETHER IT'S RETAIL, ANOTHER BAR OR ANOTHER HANGOUT? WHAT? DID YOU. YEAH. DID YOU IDENTIFY ANYTHING SO THAT CAN BE BROUGHT IN? SURE. SO PART OF THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A CITY PLAN. SO THE CITY IS NOT GOING TO GO BUILD A RETAIL STORE OR OPEN A BAR. RIGHT? SO THIS REALLY FOCUSES ON THE PUBLIC REALM IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE CITY CAN BE DOING TO SPUR ADDITIONAL PRIVATE INVESTMENT AND REINVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWN. SO THINGS LIKE MAKING THE STREETS BETTER, MAKING THE STREETS MORE WALKABLE, SOME OF THOSE DOWNTOWN OPEN SPACES LIKE THE EXPANDED CENTENNIAL PARK.
AND THEN THE REAL THE BIG IDEA IS THAT ART AND NATURE CENTER, THAT BECAUSE YOU HAVE JACKSON, YOU HAVE JACKSON AVE, AND THEN YOU HAVE VAN BUREN. SO YOUR TWO PIECES SO EAST, YOU'RE ON JACKSON, WEST OF COMMERCE, YOU'RE ON VAN BUREN. AND SO LOOKING AT THAT NEXUS WHERE THOSE TWO THINGS COME TOGETHER AND POTENTIALLY DOING AN ART AND NATURE CENTER AS THAT DESTINATION FOR DOWNTOWN THAT GETS TO THE ARTS, THAT'S GOING ON IN DOWNTOWN, BUT THEN ALSO THAT NATURE AND ECOTOURISM THAT'S GOING ON IN THE AREA AS WELL. SO THAT'S SOME OF THE BIG IDEAS, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHAT THE CITY CAN BE DOING TO SPUR THE, THE, THE PUBLIC OR THE PRIVATE INVESTMENT, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO RUN A BAR OR A RESTAURANT, RIGHT, AS THE CITY. SO. I'M A BIG FAN OF Y'ALL'S IDEA ABOUT BRINGING IN RESIDENTIAL INTO
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THE SECOND SECOND STORY. I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO THE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE ABOUT THAT.HAVE YOU? WHEN YOU ALL DID YOUR ANALYSIS, DID YOU LOOK AT OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR FIRE DISTRICT AND THOSE ORDINANCES? AND DO YOU ALL HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW WE CAN OBVIOUSLY, ONE, KEEP THE PUBLIC SAFE, BUT TO MAKE IT FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO THEN DEVELOP THAT SECOND, THIRD STORY OF THEIR PROPERTIES FOR RESIDENTIAL. YEAH. SO. THAT IS GOING TO LIKELY TAKE SOME INVESTMENT FROM THE CITY TO HELP PEOPLE BRING THEIR BUILDINGS UP TO CODE AND BE SAFE. RIGHT. BECAUSE THAT IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND THAT IS A BARRIER. YOU NO LONGER HAVE A PED DISTRICT. SO THAT CHANGES SOME OF THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WHAT MONEY YOU HAVE TO DO, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS DOWNTOWN. BUT I MEAN, WE'VE SEEN IN OTHER PLACES WHERE THE CITIES HAVE GONE IN AND PAID FOR THE UPGRADES TO HAPPEN. THAT'S A MAJOR INVESTMENT. BUT IT IT WORKS, RIGHT? CITIES IN TEXAS, IT'S LIKE THE CITY OF LEWISVILLE, FOR EXAMPLE. LIKE DID THAT. THEY WENT IN AND THEY WERE HAVING THIS EXACT SAME PROBLEM, AND THEY SAID, WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT TO SPUR THAT AND TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT REALLY TOOK. SO, YOU KNOW, AS A AS A HIGH LEVEL PLAN LIKE THIS, THE DOWNTOWN FRAMEWORK, THE IDEAS, SOME OF THAT STILL HAS TO BE WORKED OUT, RIGHT. THOSE DETAILS ABOUT HOW YOU ACTUALLY GET THE STUFF DONE. BUT SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT THIS WORKS, CAN YOU DEFINE THAT FOR ME? LIKE WHAT WAS THE RETURN ON THE INVESTMENT FOR THAT COMMUNITY WHERE THEY TOOK OFF THE EXPENSE FOR? YEAH, I'D HAVE TO GET THEIR NUMBERS. I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT LIKE THEIR DOWNTOWN HAD A REVITALIZATION AND IS NOW JUST SEEING CONSISTENT INVESTMENT IN REDOING ALL OF THEIR DOWNTOWN. SO, I MEAN, I CAN GET YOU THOSE NUMBERS THOUGH. I CAN EVEN PUT YOU IN CONTACT WITH SOMEONE FROM THERE TO SEE HOW IT WORKED, I THINK. YEAH, DEFINITELY. BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT YOUR, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER MORALES'S POINT, IT'S GREAT THAT WE'VE GOT ALL THIS GREAT INFORMATION ON HOW WE CAN IMPROVE AND MAKE IT MORE DESIRABLE. BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE COMMUNITY IS THAT THEY WANT THE MIXED USE. BUT IF IT'S NOT, IF THERE'S THAT FINANCIAL, IT'S JUST THE BURDEN ON THE COST IS TOO HIGH, THEN WHAT DOES THAT ROI LOOK FOR LOOK LIKE FOR THE CITY SIDE? RIGHT. AND HOW CAN YOU ENSURE THAT THAT INVESTMENT IS REALLY GOING TO SPUR THAT? I GUESS THE VISION IS GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTED. SHOULD YOU MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS. AND IF THERE'S ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE, AND IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A SIMILAR COMMUNITY OR ANYTHING LIKE JUST AN IDEA WOULD BE WOULD BE GREAT. OBVIOUSLY IF IT'S IF IT'S SIMILAR WOULD BE FANTASTIC. BUT DON'T LIMIT TO JUST THAT. I THINK THAT IT'S WE'RE WE CAN KIND OF MAKE IT, YOU KNOW, RELEVANT FOR US IF YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION. YEAH.
I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET YOU GUYS SOME CASE STUDIES AND SOME CONTACTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN TEXAS, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE STATUTORY RESTRICTIONS ON HOW WE CAN USE MONEY. AND SO THE LEGAL WORKAROUND IS WHAT KIND OF CATCHES MY EAR, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE MONEY IN TERMS OF, YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE THE PIT, BUT WE DO HAVE MONEY THAT WE CAN INVEST. BUT WE, WE NEED WE NEED TO KNOW THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE TIED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. YEAH, YOU'LL SEE A LOT. YOU'LL SEE HOT TAXES USED A LOT FOR THIS KIND OF THING TOO, FOR DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU CHOOSE. SORRY TO DERAIL. YOU KNOW WE'RE THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS FOR.
YEAH. SO NEXT WEEK IS THE IMPLEMENTATION. THESE ARE LIKE THE TOP TEN PRIORITIES OR LIKE RECOMMENDATIONS. LIKE WE JUST WENT OVER A FEW LIKE THE SECOND FLOOR ACTIVATION LIKE FIVE YEAR DOWNTOWN FUNDING STRATEGY, REDESIGNING FEW OF THE PARKS. AND LIKE EVEN A LAUNCHING LIKE THESE CAN BE LIKE A QUICK WINS. LIKE FEW OF THE THINGS LIKE A PILOT ALLEY ACTIVATION BETWEEN HARRISON AND THE VAN BUREN AND CREATE A CULTURAL EVENT PLAN, AND ALSO EXPANDING EVENT PROGRAMING, EVENING PROGRAMING AND SOME OF THE COMFORT STATIONS AT FEW PARKS AND ALSO ATTRACT SOME ANCHOR TENANTS AND STRENGTHEN THE MAIN STREET FACADE GRANT PROGRAM. AND IT ALSO HAS, LIKE A SPECIFIC ACTION FOR EACH, LIKE IT FOR EACH LIKE ENVIRONMENTAL HAS LIKE SPECIFIC ACTION AND THE TIME FRAME LIKE WHETHER IT'S A SHORT TERM OR LONG TERM OR MID-TERM, SO THAT IT'LL BE LIKE A ROADMAP, LIKE WHERE TO INVEST IN NEXT. SO NOW LET'S MOVE TO
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THE PROSS PLAN. SO PROSS PLAN IS PARKS, RECREATION OPEN SPACES AND TRAILS PLAN. SO WHAT IS THIS. SO THIS IS A TEN YEAR PLAN THAT HELPS AND GUIDES THE CITY TO MAKE DECISIONS. AND ALSO LIKE IT'S A GOOD PRACTICE IF YOU UPDATE YOUR PARKS PLAN EVERY FIVE YEARS. IT ALSO CREATES LIKE A VISION. IT ESTABLISHES A VISION AND ALSO CREATES AN ACTION PLAN. BUT WHY WE DO THIS PARKS PLAN. SO WE IDENTIFY THE CURRENT AND THE FUTURE PRIORITIES. LIKE OKAY, WE MIGHT BE GOOD NOW, BUT IN FUTURE WE MIGHT NEED MORE PARKLAND OR MORE ACTIVITIES OR MORE INFRASTRUCTURE. SO JUST TO IDENTIFY THAT AND ALSO PLANS FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH AND PROVIDES THE PLANNING PARKS DEPARTMENT A ROADMAP FOR PLANNING AND LIKE PLANNING AND BUDGETING. SO HERE'S WHAT WE'LL COVER IN THE PARKS PLAN. SO COMMUNITY ANALYSIS LIKE BASED ON ALL THE THREE ENGAGEMENTS THAT WE DID SURVEY ANALYSIS WE CAME TO KNOW LIKE WHAT THEY REALLY WANT TO SEE IN THEIR PARKS. THAT MAKES THEM GO VISIT AND SPEND SOME TIME IN THE PARKS. AND THEN WITH THE PARK INVENTORY LIKE WE WENT TOURED FULL DAY, LIKE AROUND LIKE 20 PLUS PARKS IN HARLINGEN JUST TO SEE LIKE WHAT ARE THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, HOW THEY ARE AND LIKE HOW THEY FUNCTION OR LIKE WHAT CONDITION THEY ARE. SO WE IDENTIFIED BY DOING THIS PARKS INVENTORY. AND THEN WE DID THIS PARK ASSESSMENT. SO IT'S A THREE PART THING WHERE WE DO LIKE DEMAND BASED. SO DEMAND BASED IS LIKE WHAT PEOPLE WANTS TO SEE IN THE PARKS. AND THE STANDARD BASED IS WE COMPARED HARLINGEN PARKS TO THE NATIONAL STANDARDS. AND THEN RESOURCE BASED IS BASICALLY LIKE YOU HAVE THIS EXISTING NATURAL FEATURES. SO YOU KNOW, PLANNING OR THINGS THAT GUIDES AROUND THESE NATURAL FEATURES. AND THEN WE WRAP UP WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS LIKE WHAT FACILITIES YOU NEED OR LIKE THE TIME FRAME. LIKE THAT'S LIKE A ROADMAP THAT HELPS THE CITY TO MAKE FUTURE INVESTMENTS. SO THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FROM THE PEOPLE. LIKE WHEN THE WHEN WE DID THE COMMUNITY ANALYSIS FOR THE PARKS. SO PEOPLE HAVE STRONG DEMAND FOR TRAILS, RESTROOMS AND SHADED AREAS LIKE IT'S HOT. SO SHADED AREAS IS A THING THAT WE KEEP HEARING ON ALL THE THREE PLANTS. AND TOP PRIORITIES ARE LIKE BETTER MAINTENANCE, LIKE THERE ARE GREAT PARKS, BUT YOU KNOW, THE MAINTENANCE CAN BE LIKE IMPROVED. SO PEOPLE SAY THAT SOME BEAUTIFICATION AND HIGH INTEREST IN ART FESTIVALS AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE FARMER'S MARKET. BUT WE KEEP HEARING LIKE MORE EVENTS IN HARLINGEN AND SOME EQUITY FOCUS. LIKE, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A FEW AREAS THAT, YOU KNOW, STILL UNDERSERVED, LIKE ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST SIDE OF HARLINGEN. LIKE, I CAN TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT IN THE LATER SLIDES, BUT WE COULD IDENTIFY SOME SPOTS OR GAPS AND ALSO RESILIENCE BASED LIKE FLOODPLAIN PROTECTION, LIGHTING AND NATURAL NATURE BASED AMENITIES. SO PARK INVENTORY. SO WHEN WE DID THIS PARK INVENTORY, IT'S LIKE AN OVERVIEW OF THE EXISTING PARKS TRAILS, OPEN SPACES. WE ALSO, YOU KNOW IDENTIFY LIKE WHICH IS WHICH OF THEM ARE LIKE POCKET PARKS, NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS, COMMUNITY PARKS THINGS LIKE THAT. LIKE HOW MANY TYPES OF PARKS YOU HAVE, WHETHER YOU GUYS HAVE ENOUGH PARKS FOR THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE YOU HAVE IN HARLINGEN, AND ALSO THE FACILITY CONDITION, LIKE IS IT GOOD FUNCTIONING OR LIKE SOMETHING THAT NEEDS SOME REPAIR AND ALSO AMENITIES AND SOME IF THEY NEED SOME MAINTENANCE OR STUFF LIKE THAT. AND THE NEXT IS LIKE THIS IS LIKE A QUICK SNAPSHOT. LIKE A SNAPSHOT, LIKE HOW PARKS IN HARLINGEN RIGHT NOW. SO HARLINGEN HAS ABOUT LIKE ALMOST 176 ACRES OF PARKLAND AND THREE SWIMMING POOLS, TWO SPLASH PADS, 21 PLAYGROUNDS, 48 SPORTS FIELDS AND SPORTS COURTS AND TRAILS. AND WHAT WE FOUND IS LIKE ZERO OUTDOOR EVENT VENUES. AND THIS IS LIKE A WHAT IS THE ZERO OUTDOOR EVENT VENUES MEAN.SO EVENT VENUES LIKE WHEN PEOPLE WANT LIKE LIKE AN AMPHITHEATER. YEAH. AND WAS THAT AN SOMETHING THAT WAS DESIRED BY THE COMMUNITY OR JUST AN OBSERVATION THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE IT? IT'S BOTH. SO INSTEAD OF THIS, LIKE WE HAVE HEARD, LIKE WE WANT LIKE A RECREATION CENTER. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAME UP. NEXT SLIDE IF YOU SEE. I THINK I HAVE THAT I DID SEE THAT EARLIER. YEAH. WE'RE ACTUALLY WE'RE WORKING ON ONE. WE GOT A GRANT. AND SO WE'RE WE'RE IN WE'RE WE DEFINITELY WILL CHECK THAT OFF THE BOX. BUT I KNOW THAT THE CITY HAD AT ANOTHER TIME PREVIOUSLY HAD DESIGNATED FUNDS FOR AN AMPHITHEATER AND THEN IT IT NEVER TOOK OFF. AND I YOU KNOW, JUST WONDER IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE
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COMMUNITY COMMUNITY WANTS. I REALLY DON'T KNOW. I DON'T HEAR THAT OFTEN. AND I MEAN, I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF WHERE YOU HAVE TO LIKE, READ BETWEEN THE LINES TOO. RIGHT. SO WE HEARD PEOPLE LOVE THE EVENTS THAT ARE GOING ON. THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THAT. THEY THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO STAY CONNECTED TO YOUR NEIGHBORS THROUGH SEEING PEOPLE AT COMMUNITY EVENTS. SO THEY MAY NOT COME AND SAY, I WANT AMPHITHEATER, BUT THEY WANT MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS, SO WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO HOST THOSE? AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU FILL IN THE FILL IN THE GAP OF YOU NEED A PLACE TO DO THAT. LIKE BECAUSE WE HAVE THE, THE STATE, THE, THE BASEBALL FIELD WHERE WE HOST, I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT TO AN OUTDOOR EVENT VENUE THAT WE HAVE REPURPOSED FOR THAT. BUT IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY AN OUT, YOU KNOW, FOR EVENTS. IT SHOULD BE FOR A PARK FOR GAMES. AND WE'VE KIND OF REPURPOSED THAT FOR SOCCER GAMES ALSO. SO JUST CURIOUS IF THAT WAS ON HIGH ON THE LIST FOR PEOPLE. YEAH, I THINK EVENTS AND GENERAL EVENTS WERE A THING. PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT A LOT THAT THEY WANT MORE EVENTS. AND SO THEN THE ANSWER IS, OKAY, WHERE DO YOU DO THOSE EVENTS? YOU NEED AN OUTDOOR EVENT SPACE TO DO THAT. BASED ON OUR POPULATION, WHAT SIZE OF EVENT LOCATION ARE YOU THINKING? I MEAN, 20 YEARS. YEAH. I MEAN, WE'D HAVE TO I WOULD HAVE TO GO PULL THOSE NUMBERS. YEAH, LIKE MADISON SQUARE GARDEN IN HARLINGEN. NO. NOT THAT USUALLY WE SEE I MEAN, USUALLY A CITY OF YOUR SIZE, WE MIGHT SEE LIKE A 500 PERSON VENUE, AN OUTDOOR VENUE. YEAH. LIKE AN OUTDOOR 500 PERSON. AND AGAIN, IT DOESN'T EVEN HAVE TO BE LIKE A FORMAL AMPHITHEATER EITHER. IT COULD JUST BE A LAWN SPACE THAT COULD FIT A 500 PERSON, LIKE, SAFELY FIT 500 PEOPLE WITH LAWN CHAIRS AND A STAGE THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, ELECTRICAL AND THAT KIND OF THING. SO THERE'S OPTIONS. I FEEL LIKE WE DO HAVE THAT, BUT I GUESS IT WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW, COMMISSIONER LOPEZ SAYS, WHAT WHAT WOULD BE IDEAL FOR OUR OUR COMMUNITY JUST LONG TERM. RIGHT.NOT I THINK WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PRIORITIES. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S ON THE TOP OF THE LIST, BUT IT'S NICE TO TO KNOW MOVING FORWARD IF THAT'S SOMETHING. AND SHOULD IT BE OUTDOOR VENUE OR INDOOR BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, WE FOCUSED ON THE HEAT AND THAT IT'S HOT MOST OF THE TIME.
TODAY'S NICE AND PRETTY, BUT YEAH, MOST OF THE TIME IT'S NOT. SO THESE ARE THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE ANALYSIS. SO HARLINGEN HAS A DEFICIENCY OF 70 ACRES OF LAND IN LAKE PARK LAND WISE IN 2025 AND ABOUT 190 ACRES BY 2030. AND FEW OF THE FACILITY GAPS ARE LIKE SOCCER, FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL, PICKLEBALL AND SPLASH PADS. SO MOSTLY LIKE THE OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND CONNECTIVITY AND FOCUS ON THE AURORA, COLORADO AND EQUITY MORE LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEE ON THE MAP ON THE RIGHT SIDE, LIKE THE WEST, HARLINGEN AND THE RANGEVILLE AREA IS LIKE UNDERSERVED, LIKE THEY HAVE NO PARKS ON THESE LOCATIONS. DID YOU WERE YOU ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY? I KNOW YOU SAID WESTSIDE, BUT ARE THERE ANY WAS PART OF YOUR PLANNING? WERE YOU ABLE TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC AREAS THAT COULD BE TURNED INTO PARKS BECAUSE, LIKE, I KNOW WE'RE DOING THAT RIGHT NOW IN STEWART PLACE, WE GOT AN EMPTY SPACE THAT WE HAVE. WE'RE ABOUT WE'RE ABOUT TO TURN INTO A PARK, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY OTHER AREAS THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE TURNED INTO PARKS ON THE WEST SIDE. YEAH, THAT'S A BIT OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF A OF A PARKS MASTER PLAN LIKE THIS. WE IDENTIFY THE THE GAP AREAS, THE TARGET AREAS FOR FUTURE PARKS. WE DON'T GENERALLY IDENTIFY LIKE WHAT'S PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE AS SOON AS YOU IDENTIFY A LOT FOR A PARK, THE VALUE OF THAT LOT TENDS TO GO UP. JUST BECAUSE IT'S NOW IN AN ADOPTED PLAN FROM THE CITY. SO YEAH, WE KIND OF WE FOR THIS KIND OF PLAN, WE STOP AT THE IDENTIFYING TARGET AREAS FOR FUTURE PARKS AND NOT THE ACTUAL LOTS. OKAY, OKAY.
BECAUSE WE ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE WEST SIDE. WELL I KNOW ABOUT YEAH, BUT NOW IT'S OFFICIAL AND PART OF THIS TOO, I DON'T THINK WE MENTIONED YET WAS THAT THIS IS A TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE COMPLIANT PLAN. SO THIS ACTUALLY ONCE THIS IS ADOPTED IT GOES TO TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE AND THEY KEEP IT ON FILE. AND SO THEN WHEN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN GOES FOR FUTURE GRANTS FROM TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE, YOU ACTUALLY GET ADDITIONAL POINTS FOR HAVING AN APPROVED PLAN THROUGH THAT DEPARTMENT. SO THAT'S A BIG THING FOR ESPECIALLY THIS PARKS PLAN SPECIFICALLY, IS IT? IT GETS YOU HIGHER UP ON THE LIST FOR FUTURE GRANTS WITH TEXAS PARKS. SO HARLINGEN HAS QUITE A BIT OF PARKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY. PROBABLY MOST OF OUR SISTER CITIES. BUT HOW DO YOU WHEN YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, GOING AFTER GRANTS AND HAVING THIS AS A, YOU KNOW, GIVING YOU A BETTER SCORE OR ADDITIONAL THE GROUNDWORK HAS ALREADY BEEN
[01:00:04]
LAID TO PRESENT THAT. BUT WHAT IN TERMS OF LIKE THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN VERSUS THE NORTH SIDE OF TOWN, LIKE WHAT IS THERE A NUMBER LIKE A VALUE THAT YOU GAVE IT THAT SAID, OKAY, WELL WE NEED X AMOUNT OF PARKS IN THE WEST SIDE OF TOWN TO SERVE THE GROWING POPULATION, TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OKAY, NOW EACH OF THE PARKS ARE EQUITABLE. I GUESS THROUGHOUT THE IF YOU GO BACK ONE MORE. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF SMALL ON THE SCREEN HERE, BUT WE DO A SERIES OF ACCESSIBILITY MAPS. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT A NUMBER, BUT IT'S ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. SO WHAT THIS MAP DOES AND THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF IT. SO THERE'S LIKE A TRAILS ACCESSIBILITY A LIKE A SMALLER NEIGHBORHOOD PARK ACCESSIBILITY. AND THEN A LARGER LIKE REGIONAL PARK ACCESSIBILITY MAP. AND SO WHAT THESE DO IS IT LOOKS AT A QUARTER AND A HALF MILE RADIUS AROUND THOSE PARKS AND SAY, THAT'S KIND OF THE CAPTURE AREA OR THE CATCHMENT AREA FOR THAT PARK. AND SO WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE THOSE CATCHMENT AREAS COVERING PLACES WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING, THOSE WOULD BE YOUR TARGET AREAS FOR REALLY ANY KIND OF PARK GIVING THEM SOMETHING. SO IT'S LESS ABOUT DATA NUMBERS AND MORE ABOUT THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. OKAY. SO 71 ACRES BY 2025. THAT MEANS WHAT. SO THAT'S THE DEFICIT. SO THAT'S BASED ON YOUR POPULATION THAT IDEALLY YOU WOULD HAVE 75 MORE 71 MORE ACRES OF PARKLAND TODAY JUST FROM A QUANTITATIVE STANDPOINT. AND THEN LOOKING AT THE FUTURE POPULATION PROJECTIONS, THAT DEFICIT GROWS TO 190 ACRES BY 2035. IF YOU DON'T ADD ANY MORE PARKLAND. AND THAT'S JUST LOOKING AT THE CITY COMPREHENSIVELY, THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S JUST QUANTITATIVELY THE CITY AS A WHOLE. AND THEN THE MAPS IS WHAT THEN SHOWS YOU WHAT AREAS ARE LACKING THAT ACCESS. SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE JUST NEED A 200 ACRE PARK IN MY DISTRICT THAT WOULD CHECK A LOT OF THE BOXES. YEAH, EXACTLY. SO THANK YOU.YEAH. THE 200 ACRE PARK IS. SO HERE ARE THE FEW RECOMMENDATIONS LIKE EXPANDING LIKE FEW RECOMMENDATIONS OR GOALS, LIKE EXPANDING PARK ACCESS AND EQUITY. LIKE MAKING SURE LIKE, EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD HAS LIKE A PARK, LIKE EVERYONE LIKES TO GO TO A PARK. SO MAYBE JUST MAKING SURE, LIKE HAVING THAT EQUITY ACCESS AND MODERNIZING FACILITIES LIKE FEW OF THE PARKS HAVE LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGE, LIKE THEY NEED TO GO SOME UPGRADATION. SO FOCUSING ON THAT AND ALSO STRENGTHENING SOME COMMUNITY PROGRAMS AND EVENTS AND ALSO DESIGN FOR RESILIENCY AND SUMMARY OF THE NEEDS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY NEW PARKS LIKE WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GO. LIKE, I KNOW, LIKE WEST HARLINGEN IS ALREADY DOING THAT STUFF. AND ALSO LIKE MAJOR UPDATES TO OLD FACILITIES IDENTIFYING FEW PARKS. LIKE WE ALSO HAVE A DETAILED REPORT, LIKE WHICH PARK NEEDS TO HAVE THE UPGRADES FOR THEIR FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS AND ALL, AND LIGHTING, SAFETY, MAINTENANCE, COMMUNITY, MORE COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ALSO RESILIENT DESIGN FOR THESE PARKS. SO FEW OF THE PRIMARY RECOMMENDATIONS IS ALMOST SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAVE JUST DISCUSSED. THESE ARE BASED ON THE NEEDS SUMMARY OF THE NEEDS. SO AGAIN LIKE ACCESS GAPS, LIKE MAYBE A FEW MORE PARKS ON THE WEST AND UPDATING AMENITIES, NEW FACILITIES LIKE WHAT WE HAVE HEARD FOUND OR MISSING LIKE SPLASH PAD OR DOG PARK AND PICKLEBALL COURTS AND STUFF. AND I CAN FIND HERE LIKE INDOOR RECREATION CENTER AND MORE PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH AND ALL AGE GROUPS LIKE FARMER'S MARKET, ART FESTIVALS, AND SENIOR AND YOUTH GROUPS AND FUNDING LIKE BOND SPONSORSHIP, MODEST TAX INCREASE SUPPORT, DESIGN FOR HEAT LIKE MORE SHADE COOLING FEATURES AND WATER ACCESS, AND ALSO LIKE BIRD WATCHING, RESTORATION OF NATURE AREAS, BIRD WATCHING, NATIVE GARDENS AND EDUCATIONAL TRAINS, TRAILS. AND THE NEXT IS LIKE THE ACTION FACTORS LIKE. I'M EXPANDING THE ARROYO COLORADO TRAIL EASTWARD BECAUSE THAT WOULD REQUIRE EMINENT DOMAIN TO SEIZE PROPERTY FROM 22 HOMEOWNERS. I'M HAPPY WITH THE TRAIL EXPANDING WESTWARD AND OUT INTO THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM AND ALL THAT, BUT NOT EXPANDING IT ALONG AND SEIZING PROPERTY FROM PEOPLE.
OKAY, THAT. SO THE NEXT BIG THING IS THE ACTION PLAN. THE PLAN FOCUSES ON THREE MAIN
[01:05:04]
THINGS SYSTEM WIDE GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, THE PLAN SPECIFIC ACTION PLAN, AND ALSO THE FUNDING MECHANISM. SO EACH PARK HAS ITS OWN LIST OF THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, FOCUSES ON LIGHT, SHADE OR UPGRADATION OF THEIR FACILITIES. AND WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE TIME FRAME LIKE WHETHER IT'S A SHORT TERM OR LONG TERM, AND ALSO WITH THE POTENTIAL COSTS, LIKE WHETHER IT'S EXPENSIVE OR SOMETHING LIKE A QUICK WIN FOR THE CITY TO FOCUS ON. YEAH, I THINK WE'VE WRAPPED UP WITH ALL THREE PROJECTS, SO PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YES, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION. ECO TOURISM. YOU NOTE THAT WE HAVE THE BIRD FESTIVAL. YEAH, WE ACTUALLY MET WITH THE FOLKS THAT RUN THE BIRDING FESTIVAL. YEP. SO THAT WAS ACTUALLY PART OF THE CONCEPTUALIZING OF THAT ART AND NATURE CENTER. WE HAD THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW THERE'S THESE, THESE GREEN WAYS THAT KIND OF GO NORTH, SOUTH DOWN TO THE ARROYO COLORADO FOR THE BIRDS. AND THEN WE TALKED ABOUT KIND OF THE EAST WEST OF THE DOWNTOWN. AND SO WE KIND OF FOUND THAT MIDDLE OF WHERE THOSE THINGS MEET AND SAID THIS WOULD BE A COOL. YEAH. FOR THIS, THE CITY TO BUY, LET'S SAY ABANDONED PROPERTY AND JUST PLANT NATIVE TREES FOR ECO TOURISM, FOR THE BIRDS TO HANG OUT. AND WHEN THEY MIGRATE THROUGH LIKE THEY ARE NOW, THEY HAVE A PLACE TO CHILL. YEAH.AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE CONCEPT FOR THAT EXPANDED CENTENNIAL PARK, ONE OF THE THINGS IN THERE WAS MAKING SOME OF IT INTO MORE LIKE HABITAT REFRESHED, LIKE LIKE MAN MADE WETLANDS, KIND OF IN THAT AREA TOO. SO THAT WOULD BE NEXT TO THE NATURE CENTER. AND SO THE EXISTING USE OF THAT PARK WOULD REMAIN, BUT THEN UPDATING SOME OF IT TO BE FOR, FOR NATURE AS WELL. SO YEAH. WELL LADIES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK. AND THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL FOR US. I THINK THAT THE CITY COMMISSION, WE'VE KIND OF HAD A SIMILAR VISION. AND KNOWING THAT THE COMMUNITY IS ALIGNED WITH THE VISION THAT THE COMMISSION HAS GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD ON INITIATIVES, RIGHT, THAT WE'VE BEEN WANTING TO IMPLEMENT, BUT KIND OF BEEN HOLDING OFF TO ENSURE WE'VE GOT THAT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND A LOT OF INTERESTING STUFF WITHIN DOWNTOWN. I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY HERE FEELS LIKE THAT IS THE HEART OF, OF OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND I KNOW FOLKS FROM ALL DIFFERENT NEIGHBORING CITIES COME TO OUR DOWNTOWN, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO INVEST AND REVITALIZE THAT. AND WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM OUT THERE. SO I THINK THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO AT LEAST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED AS KIND OF MORE OF THE LOW HANGING FRUIT THINGS TO CHANGE. I THINK THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE. BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS. I THINK THIS IS HELPFUL. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE A LOT OF A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US, BUT WE DO APPRECIATE YOU AND I HOPE YOU ENJOYED YOUR TIME WHILE YOU WERE HERE IN HARLINGEN. I HAD A QUICK QUESTION. WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY HIGH VISIBILITY CROSSINGS? IS THAT LIKE CROSSWALKS OR. YEAH, YEAH. SO THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT CAN BE USED IN CROSSWALKS. SO LIGHTING DIFFERENT KINDS OF PAVING MATERIALS. YOU CAN ACTUALLY THERE'S ONES WHERE THEY'RE CALLED RAISED CROSSWALKS THAT ACTUALLY USE THE CROSSWALK UP TO THE SIDEWALK LEVEL. AND THE CARS KIND OF HAVE TO GO OVER A BUMP WHILE THE PEDESTRIANS STAY AT THE SAME LEVEL. THEN THERE'S THINGS LIKE THE PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT STRATEGIES THAT YOU CAN USE AT CROSSWALKS TO MAKE THEM SAFER AND MORE VISIBLE TO CARS WHEN PEOPLE ARE USING THEM. AND THAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I NOTICED BECAUSE I WAS READING THIS EARLIER AND I WAS NOTICING HOW ON ON ONE SECTION ON LIKE ON PAGE 141, YOU WERE MENTIONING DIXIELAND ROAD AND THEN THAT YOU WERE MENTIONING HOW, LIKE FROM THE EXPRESSWAY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO DIXIELAND ROAD, THAT YOU SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GAPS, LIKE ON THE SIDEWALKS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND YOU RECOMMENDED HIGH VISIBILITY CROSSINGS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE BECAUSE I WAS ALREADY CONTACTING CHRIS ABOUT ABOUT IT EARLIER, LIKE, WHAT CAN WE DO? BUT YEAH, I JUST WANT TO GET SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MEANT WITH HYBRIDS BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST CROSSWALKS. YEAH.
NO, THERE'S NO CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE HEARD THAT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLE IN, YOU KNOW, WALKING ACROSS THE ROADS AND STUFF. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE STRATEGY. MAYBE IT CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS LIKE A NEON PAINT GLOW UP OR SOMETHING. SO PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE'S A CROSSWALK AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE HAVING THAT VISIBILITY FOR BOTH PEDESTRIAN AND ALSO THE CARS. YEAH. THERE'S ACTUALLY A REALLY COOL EXAMPLE THAT WE SAW RECENTLY IN ALLEN, TEXAS, WHERE WHEN SOMEONE'S IN THE CROSSWALK, THERE'S LIKE A VERY BRIGHT
[01:10:01]
SPOTLIGHT THAT JUST ILLUMINATES THE CROSSWALK AREA. I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY COOL. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D EVER SEEN THAT. YEAH. SO YEAH, THERE'S EVERYTHING FROM JUST LIKE, WHAT COLOR ARE YOU PAINTING THE CROSSWALKS TO MAKE THEM HIGHER VISIBILITY UP TO, YOU KNOW, SOME BIGGER INVESTMENT TYPE THINGS WITH, WITH LIGHTING AND DOING PAVEMENTS OR A BIG THING, I THINK HERE IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US HERE IN THIS REGION HAVE A THAT'S A CHALLENGE, RIGHT, IS THE WALKABILITY OF OUR COMMUNITIES. AND I THINK ALL THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS, HONESTLY, IS THAT ISSUE. BUT I DO THINK THAT WE CAN WE CAN GET THERE. NOT OVERNIGHT, OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF AREAS. I KNOW IN YOUR DISTRICT, AND I KNOW YOU'VE TRIED FOR THE STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO CROSS ACROSS AND STUFF, AND I KNOW IN A LOT IN DISTRICT TWO, BUT IS THERE ANY COMMUNITIES I WROTE DOWN WHAT YOU SAID, ALLEN, BUT ARE THERE ANY COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE WALKABILITY OF THEIR COMMUNITIES THAT YOU'VE WORKED WITH THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED CHANGES WITHIN A SPECIFIC PERIOD? YOU KNOW, A REASONABLE PERIOD OF TIME? THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO KIND OF MOVE THE NEEDLE IN BECAUSE TEXAS, EVERYBODY DRIVES THEIR CAR. I WAS GONNA SAY, LIKE, OUTSIDE OF TEXAS, I HAVE A LOT OF EXAMPLES, RIGHT. BUT IT'S JUST IN TEXAS, EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT IT IN TEXAS TRYING. AND IT REALLY DEPENDS ON. LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU START. SO YOU CAN'T YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PROBABLY GO OUT AND BUILD OUT SIDEWALKS ALONG EVERY SINGLE STREET IN THE ENTIRE CITY, RIGHT? THAT'D BE GREAT IF YOU COULD, BUT THAT'S NOT REALISTIC. SO SOMETHING LIKE STARTING IN A DOWNTOWN AND IT'S SOME SOME OF A CULTURE SHIFT AS WELL. SO SOME OF IT'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT IT'S ALSO THAT CULTURE SHIFT. AND SO GETTING PEOPLE USED TO WALKING IN MAYBE A DOWNTOWN AREA, SMALLER AREA, AND THEN YOU START SEEING SOME OF THOSE ENHANCEMENTS. MAYBE THERE'S A SIMILAR IN LIKE AN ENHANCED INTERSECTION IN THE DOWNTOWN THAT YOU KIND OF PILOT, AND THEN YOU START USING SOME OF THOSE SAME STRATEGIES AROUND TOWN, AND PEOPLE KIND OF RECOGNIZE IT AND THEY KNOW HOW TO USE IT, BOTH FROM THE PEDESTRIAN SIDE, BUT ALSO FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THEY KIND OF RECOGNIZE WHAT IT IS. OH, THIS IS A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING KIND OF THING. BUT TO YOUR POINT OF AN EXAMPLE, I CAN PROBABLY GET YOU SOME. I'M JUST WONDERING IF WE SHOULD TRY TO INCENTIVIZE CERTAIN TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT LEND ITSELF TO THAT TYPE OF LIVABILITY, LIKE WE HAVE IN DISTRICT FOUR. THEY'RE CREATING, YOU KNOW, A WHAT DO YOU CALL THEM, TOWNHOMES. THE WHAT'S HIS NAME? CARRANZA. AND SO AND HIS IDEA IS OKAY FROM FROM MY HOUSE, I CAN WALK TO THE THEATER, I CAN WALK TO THE GROCERY STORE AND I CAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PLACES AROUND TO GO HAVE DINNER. AND SO IF I DIDN'T HAVE A VEHICLE OR IF I HAVE A VEHICLE, I COULD STILL KIND OF MOVE AROUND AND DO THAT. AND SO WOULD YOU RECOMMEND OR BASED ON YOUR RESEARCH OF HARLINGEN, INCENTIVIZING THOSE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS SO THEY CONTINUOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THEY BECOME MORE OF THE NORM INSTEAD OF THE EXCEPTION IN OUR COMMUNITY? OR DO YOU THINK THAT WE SHOULD JUST BE CREATING ADDITIONAL DISTRICTS, LIKE WE HAVE THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WE NEED TO MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU'VE LAID OUT FOR US, BUT MAYBE WE NEED ANOTHER ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT AND OR A, YOU KNOW, A PLACE TO A DINING DISTRICT. I SEE SOME COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY'VE GOT THESE INDOOR FACILITIES WITH ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF EATERIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THEN ARE SURROUNDING THEM. THEY'VE GOT THOSE. YEAH. SO WHAT DO YOU THINK IS, IS IS BEST IN A COMMUNITY LIKE OURS? I MEAN, IN ORDER TO BE WALKABLE. SO IT HAS TO BE THERE HAS TO BE THE HOUSING. THERE HAS TO BE THE AMENITIES. THERE HAS TO BE THEN THE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE PUBLIC REALM. AND ALL OF THOSE HAVE TO BE CLOSE ENOUGH TOGETHER TO MAKE IT MAKE SENSE, ESPECIALLY IN TEXAS WHEN IT'S HOT. RIGHT. SO IT MAKES THE MOST SENSE TO FOCUS ON A FEW SPECIFIC AREAS OF THOSE. AND IN THE LAND USE PLAN, THERE'S THAT WAS KIND OF THE IDEA BEHIND THE IDENTIFICATION OF SOME OF THOSE SPECIALTY DISTRICTS THAT ARE KIND OF LIKE ON THE PLAN. THEY'RE JUST KIND OF BLOBBY RIGHT NOW. BUT THERE'S AN IDEA OF THIS AREA OF TOWN. SO AROUND THE MEDICAL DISTRICT, AROUND THE CONVENTION CENTER, THOSE WOULD BE IDEAL SPOTS TO START ALLOWING SOME OF THAT TO START HAPPENING, WHERE YOU HAVE KIND OF A SMALLER AREA WHERE YOU'RE FOCUSING ON BRINGING IN SOME OF THAT MIX OF USES, CREATING THAT CONNECTIVITY WITHIN KIND OF THAT NODE. RIGHT. AND THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THE ISSUE. WELL, WHEN I SEE THE CITY, I'M LIKE, OKAY, THE CONVENTION CENTER IS HERE AND PEOPLE CAN COME IN AND THEY FLY IN AND THEY STAY HERE, BUT LIKE, WHERE ARE THEY GOING? IT'S NOT SAFE TO, YOU KNOW, CROSS THAT ROAD. AND SO HOW AND YOU CAN'T CHANGE IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S ALREADY IT. THE[01:15:02]
DECISION HAS ALREADY BEEN MADE. IT'S THERE. AND HOW DO WE WE INTENTIONALLY DEVELOP AROUND IT TO AT LEAST TRY TO CREATE THAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. IT SEEMS A LITTLE LIMITED. SORRY. YEAH. NO.SOMETHING I WAS THINKING IS THAT IN A LOT OF SPECIFICALLY IN COMMISSIONER MORALES DISTRICT, IN MINE, WE HAVE THE OLD NEIGHBORHOODS AND WHAT THEY'LL HAVE IS LITTLE OLD CORNER STORES. SO LIKE THERE'S ONE CATTY CORNER FROM JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY, THERE'S ONE IN ZONA ZAVALA, THERE'S SEVERAL OF THOSE. AND SO MAYBE WHAT WE DO IS WE LOOK AT GIVING INCENTIVES OR SOMEHOW INCENTIVIZING THE PROPERTY OWNERS THERE TO BRING THOSE BACK AND MAKE THEM INTO STORES AGAIN, SO THAT NOW YOU HAVE A COFFEE SHOP AND A BOOKSTORE THAT'S IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS THERE. YOU JUST NEED TO GIVE THEM A CARROT. YEAH. FOR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SCALE RETAIL. CORRECT. NOW AND FLIP TO ANOTHER SUBJECT, REVITALIZE THE MALL. SO STARTING IN 1970S, THE MALLS CAME AND THEY DESTROYED DOWNTOWNS. AND NOW THE INTERNET IS HERE AND IT'S DESTROYED THE MALLS. YEAH. I THINK IT'S SILLY TO REVITALIZE A MALL. YES. SO I WILL SAY IT'S NOT REVITALIZING THE MALL AS A MALL. IT'S REDEVELOPING THE MALL SITE AS SOMETHING ELSE. OKAY. YES, BUT THAT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY AND WE CAN'T DO THAT. NO, BUT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S EXAMPLES OF, LIKE, PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FOR OLD MALLS BECAUSE THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER, ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. YES.
IT'S NOT HARDLY. THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD EXAMPLES OF LIKE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.
AND IT DOESN'T ALWAYS NEED ACTUALLY TO BE THE CITY BEING THAT PUBLIC ENTITY EITHER.
YOU'VE SEEN ONES, MULTIPLE PLACES IN TEXAS I CAN THINK OF WHERE LIKE HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ARE PARTNERING WITH OLD MALLS, TAKING DOWN PART OF THE BIG BUILDING, AND THEN THEY'RE DEVELOPING THESE MIXED USE NODES AROUND IT IN THE SEA OF PARKING THAT USED TO BE FOR THE MALL THAT IS NO LONGER THERE. SO, YEAH, IT'S NOT REVITALIZING THE MALL ITSELF. IT'S REVITALIZING THAT SITE. WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN? I APOLOGIZE, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN TO BE THE BEST USE OF A REVITALIZATION OF A FORMER LAW MALL SITE? I MEAN, SO LIKE I SAID, HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS TEND TO BE REALLY GOOD BACK FILLERS OF OLD MALLS.
YOU SEE THAT GOING ON IN BROWNSVILLE? YOU SEE THAT GOING ON IN AUSTIN RIGHT NOW. UP IN GRAPEVINE, THEY'VE THE MEOW WOLF TOOK DOWN LIKE A BIG SECTION OF THE OLD MALL AND CREATED MEOW WOLF. HAVE YOU HEARD OF THAT? IT'S LIKE A YEAH, MEOW WOLF. IT'S SPELLED EXACTLY HOW IT SOUNDS. STARTED IT. YEAH. SO IT STARTED IN SANTA FE AND THEY'VE IT'S LIKE AN INTERACTIVE ART INSTALLATION, BUT THEY TOOK DOWN LIKE A BIG CHUNK OF THE OLD GRAPEVINE MALL AND DID THIS ART INSTALLATION THERE. SO I'VE SEEN LIKE PERFORMING ARTS CENTERS THAT TAKE DOWN, ESPECIALLY IF THERE'S LIKE AN OLD MOVIE THEATER LIKE TO THOSE BIG SPACES. SO, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF CREATIVE USES OUT THERE, BUT HIGHER EDUCATION IS ONE THAT YOU SEE PRETTY OFTEN, THOSE KINDS OF SPACES. OKAY. YOU DON'T SEEM HAPPY WITH MEOW WOLF. WHAT ABOUT HOUSING? HAS ANYTHING LIKE THAT UP? YEAH, I HAVEN'T SEEN AS MUCH HOUSE. I SEE HOUSING GOING AROUND LIKE ONCE THE MALL BECOMES SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THEN YOU SEE LIKE A, LIKE SOME MULTIFAMILY BEING BUILT, LIKE IN THE OLD PARKING LOT SPACE, BUT NOT IN THE MALL ITSELF. BUT I'M SAD TO SAY IT COULDN'T HAPPEN. PEOPLE ARE REALLY CREATIVE THESE DAYS, SO.
WELL, I GO TO THE SECOND CARSON DOWNTOWN, I LOOKED AT INTEGRATING SOME, I GUESS, INNOVATIVE POWER TO THE CITY OF ZANJAN HAS FIRE CODES THAT ADAPT TO HISTORICAL BUILDINGS.
THERE ARE SOME NEW FIRE CODES THAT BASICALLY GIVE YOU BUILDING MECHANISMS THAT ALLOW SPRINKLERS TO SPRINKLERS TO MEET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS. AND SOME CITIES DON'T HAVE THAT, BUT I THINK DOESN'T HAVE IT. YEAH, WE DIDN'T GET INTO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL OF ACTUALLY SUGGESTING INNOVATIVE FIRE CODES. I THINK WE DID RECOMMEND LIKE THAT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE LOOKED AT FOR INCLUSION AS LIKE A NEXT STEP TOWARDS THE IMPLEMENTATION.
YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. YOU GET A LOT OF EMAILS JUST LIKE FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS I BET. BUT YEAH FAIR ENOUGH. YEAH, THAT'D BE GREAT. THIS IS THE TIME TO IF THERE'S CHANGES THAT YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PRIOR TO GIVING YOU GUYS YOUR FINAL VERSION.
THIS IS THE TIME. SO IF I MAY, ON BEHALF OF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, WE WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR EFFORT, STAFF. AND ALSO COMMISSION FOR ALLOWING US TO BE PART OF THE OF THE PROCESS. THANK VIA THE THE PLAN IS I MEAN THE WORD ITSELF SAYS COMPREHENSIVE AND
[01:20:04]
IT LAYS DOWN THE EXCUSE ME FRAMEWORK FOR A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT THE CITY HAS DONE.IS AND OBVIOUSLY PLANNING CONTINUES TO BE SO EXCITED AND LOOK FORWARD TO BEING PART OF THE CONTINUOUS GROWTH OF THE CITY. THANKS. AWESOME. SO ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS DISCUSSION. NOPE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THEN ON THE ON THE CITY SIDE, WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE HAVE PUBLIC NUMBER FIVE A, A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, DOWNTOWN PLAN AND PARKS PLAN, PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 213 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. AND THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO THE CITY WILL OPEN ITS PUBLIC. WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE IT HERE. YOU HAVE IT AS PLANNING AND ZONING, NOT AS A CITY. I SEE. BUT I THINK THAT THE PNC CAN OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THAT ITEM. I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND PUBLIC HEARINGS TO CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, DOWNTOWN PLAN AND PARKS PLAN PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 213 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE. WITH. WITH THAT, AGAIN, WE HAVE ONE PERSON THAT SIGNED UP TO SPEAK UNDER THE CITIZEN COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC HEARING STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED THAT ADDRESS JESSE MARTINEZ BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK. AND. MAXIMUM FIVE MINUTES. SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT TIME. VISION. I TALK A LITTLE SLOWER BECAUSE OF MY CONDITION. CAN I USE THE MIC? YES, ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TIME. IT'S ON. YES IT'S ON. OKAY. CAN'T HEAR VERY WELL TOO. IT'S CALLED AGE. ANYWAY, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT TIME AND I'M GLAD THAT THE PNC IS HERE, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE SHORT TERM WAS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE DEVELOPMENT OF A WIDE OPEN SPACES THAT WE HAVE OF PARTICULARLY THREE ZONES OR DISTRICTS. THIS WASN'T DEVELOPED AS DISTRICTS. THIS IS A CITYWIDE TO ME. I WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT'S HOW THE WE'RE TALKING HERE. SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I'VE HEARD, BUT IT DIDN'T. I'M FINE WITH THAT. BUT IT SHOULD HAVE BECAUSE WE ARE A CITY OF FIVE DISTRICTS AND IT'S THE IT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THIS. WHEN WE WENT TO THE ELECTION, IT WAS PASSED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE VISION FROM EACH DISTRICT AND TWO DISTRICTS IN THIS PERIOD OF TIME OF 2025. AND THIS PLAN FOR THIS 25 YEARS, WHICH THE LAST ONE WAS IN 2016, IS DIFFERENT.
DIFFERENT IN THAT THE 216 HAD PRIORITIES AND HAD NUMBERS. BUT AND I WAS HOPING THAT THESE PLANNERS AND THEIR ENGINEERS WOULD OBVIOUSLY THE SAME COMPANY HAS DONE THIS. IT'S DONE THE WATER WORKS PLAN FOR HALF A MILLION 400,000 HERE, AND THE $5 MILLION STUDIES GOING ON ON THE COMMERCE STREET. AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE RECENTLY, WHAT DEVELOPERS ARE LOOKING FOR AND INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENTS ARE LOOKING FOR IS EFFICIENCY AND TIME, BECAUSE TIME IS MONEY AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES FOR THEM TO INVEST YOUR MONEY OR THEIR MONEY, NEW MONEY, WHICH IS WHAT YOU NEED. AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE WE JUST MET WITH THE WELL, I DIDN'T MEET, I ATTENDED AND SEE WHERE MR. VELA SAID THE GENERAL DIRECTOR OF WORKFORCE. WE'RE AT THE HIGHEST RATE OF UNEMPLOYMENT. YOUR NUMBERS ARE BACKDATED OF UNEMPLOYMENT AS A RESULT OF ANOTHER HIT THAT WE GOT FROM ALL THESE SHELTERS, OR CLOSED SOUTHWEST KEYS, OR 3500 JOBS. AND THERE'S A HORIZON, BUT THEY ARE A HORIZON OF OTHER HITS.
BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE BORDER, WE TEND TO LOOK AT WHAT SOMEBODY ELSE IS DOING. I'M COOL WITH
[01:25:03]
THAT TOO. BUT WE GOT TO DO FOR OURSELVES AND SOME OF THESE THINGS DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, YOU GET. I ONLY WAS ABLE TO GET THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON. I'M A MASTER DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST AND PLANNER IN THIS AREA, AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE FAST INFORMATION TO THESE NEW INVESTMENTS AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES PUT DOWN, AS WE DID WITH WITH THIS COMPANY, CAME IN OR STORE WAS DONE IN 90 DAYS. I HAD A RESIDENCE THAT IT TOOK TWO YEARS TO GET A PERMIT. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WE NEED TO BE MORE INNOVATIVE, NOT ONLY WITH THINGS THAT ARE IN THE MARKET, BUT ALSO WITH HOW WE APPROACH WITH OUR SERVICES TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY. WE'VE SEEN SOME MAJOR FIRES, AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO BE MORE PROACTIVE IN GOING INTO THOSE COMMUNITIES AND MAKING SURE AS A PUBLIC SERVICE DOOR TO DOOR HAS TO WITH VOLUNTEERS OR WHATEVER, THAT THEY HAVE FIRE ALARMS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LIFE AND SAFETY, LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WE DON'T TOUCH ON. AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE DOING. BUT GELO LOOKS AT THIS AND ALL THE AGENCIES, FUNDING AGENCIES THAT THEY MENTIONED, YOU AND I KNOW IN THE BUSINESS, AND THEY WILL SAY, WHY DO THEY NEED THIS? OUR OUR RULES UP HERE IN YELLOW ARE FROM HUD. RULES OF LOW AND MODERATE INCOME. DIDN'T EVEN MENTION IT. THE BROWNSVILLE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE FORMER ONE ACTUALLY SAID THAT AND THEY GOT FUNDING. NOW THE WATERWORKS WAS I WAS IN THE BOARD. I TOOK THEM A WHITE PAPER AS I TOOK TO YOU WHITE PAPERS. THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO GET THE MONEY IN AND THE PARTICIPATION. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOU DOING ORDINANCES, BUT ACTIVITIES THAT ACTUALLY WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. YES. WITH THAT. AND NO ONE ELSE HAS SIGNED UP. WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE LINE TWO ITEMS, SIX A, WHICH ARE ORDINANCES. SIX A IS THE CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING, APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, DOWNTOWN PLAN AND PARKS PLAN TO SERVE AS THE OFFICIAL PLAN OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 213 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, AND THIS IS AN ITEM FOR THE CITY COMMISSION. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. MOTION TO APPROVE. MAYOR, I THINK THE PNC SHOULD APPROVE. WELL, MY MY MY CONCERN. AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS ASKING MARK OVER THERE. THE ITEMS LIST, IT SAYS HARLINGEN CITY COMMISSION. SO IF ON NOTICE FOR THE COMMUNITY IT SAYS HARLINGEN CITY COMMISSION, CAN WE CAN WE ADOPT IT? YES, MAYOR, THIS IS A SPECIAL JOINT MEETING. AND IT'S SO IT'S ON THE AGENDAS. YES. OKAY. SO THEN YOU WANT THE SO THE PNC, PNC SHOULD RECOMMEND FIRST AND THEN YOU GUYS APPROVE OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SECOND. SO IF I MOVE IN. I'LL READ THE THE ITEM AGAIN. YES, SIR. UNDER THE PLANNING AND ZONING ACTION ITEM. 60 READS CONSIDERATION OF POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING, APPROVING AND ADOPTING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. DOWNTOWN PLAN AND PARKS PLAN TO SERVE AS THE OFFICIAL PLANS FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 213 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, AND I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER VELASQUEZ AND MR. SERGIO PEREZ.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. ANYONE? THE MOTION PASSES. OKAY. UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PNC UNANIMOUS VOTE TO APPROVE, WE NOW HAVE THE ACTION ITEM ON. THANK YOU. SIX, EIGHT. YEAH. SO WELL DONE. DO THEY NEEDED TO READ THE CAPTION? NORMALLY. DON'T DO THAT. THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS CALLING A IT'S ALREADY SHE'S SAYING THAT YOU DON'T THEY DON'T NORMALLY DON'T READ THE CAPTION OKAY OKAY SO THEN THAT'S FINE. SO NOW UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE PNC
[01:30:06]
ADOPTING AND RECOMMENDING FOR APPROVAL, WE HAVE ITEM SIX A FOR THE CITY COMMISSION CONSIDERATION, POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING, APPROVING AND ADOPTING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, DOWNTOWN PLAN AND PARKS PLAN TO SERVE AS THE OFFICIAL PLANS OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH CHAPTER 213 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE MARK. I'M GOING TO READ THE CAPTION SIX A, SIX A FOR THE CITY COMMISSION, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF HARLINGEN, TEXAS, CALLING A PUBLIC HEARING TO BE HELD JOINTLY BY THE CITY COMMISSION AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. THE ADOPTION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND PARKS PLANS TO BECOME EFFECTIVE UPON THEIR PASSAGE AND APPROVAL. ALL RIGHT. NOW, WE HAD MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER KINSLEY AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER LOPEZ. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE. AYE. OPPOSED. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. IS THERE ANYTHING FOR THE RECORD, COMMISSIONER MORALES, THAT YOU'RE OPPOSED TO? YEAH. WELL, THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A NEWLY ELECTED COMMISSIONER AND THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THIS UNTIL AFTER THEY GET SWORN IN. THAT'S MY OBJECTION. SO YOU HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE PLAN? YOU'RE JUST OBJECTING TO THE ABSENCE OF SOMEONE HERE. THE FUTURE ELECTED COMMISSIONER THAT WILL BE SWORN IN ON MONDAY, I BELIEVE. OKAY, SO MY QUESTION IS, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THE PLAN IS A GOOD PLAN FOR THE CITY OF HARLINGEN? WE'LL HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS. BUT YES, OVERALL IT'S GOOD. OKAY. MOVING ON TO ITEM B CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON FIRST READING AMENDING THE HARLINGEN CODE OF ORDINANCES, CHAPTER TWO RELATING TO THE CREATION OF THE FOOD INSECURITY BOARD. YOU DID HAVE IN YOUR PACKET AN ORDINANCE FOR THIS. I PUT THIS ON, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE THE ORDINANCE. AND THEN UPON REVIEWING IT, I SAW A LOT OF TYPES OF. YEAH. SO YOU ALREADY SO YOU KNOW ISSUES THAT I HAVE JUST TO UPDATE THE COMMISSION. WE HAVE HAD A ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION WITH NONPROFITS IN THE COMMUNITY REGARDING FOOD INSECURITY FOR ABOUT THREE MONTHS NOW. AND SO WHO IS WE, THIS MYSELF AND YOUR ROTARY AND YOUR ROTARY AND ALL OF THE THE FOOD PANTRIES HERE IN THE CITY OF HARLINGEN AND DEALING WITH FOOD INSECURITY. AND SO UPON TALKING TO MARK, I THINK THAT IT'S PROBABLY BETTER FOR US TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO WORK TOGETHER INSTEAD OF CREATING A BOARD BECAUSE OF, YOU KNOW, THE RULE THAT APPLIES. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT JUST THERE YET. SUCH AN OPEN CIRCUMVENTION. I DON'T WANT TO FOLLOW THE RULE. WELL, WELL, BECAUSE WE ARE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON ITEMS OF IMPORTANCE IN REAL TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LADIES. WE APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. AND SO FOR THOSE REASONS I'M GOING TO WITHDRAW IT. BUT I IT'LL COME BACK IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION AT THE NEXT MEETING. AND I'LL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. YOU WANT US TO TABLE THIS THEN. NO, I'M GOING TO WITHDRAW IT BECAUSE IT WON'T BE A A ORDINANCE. I'M SORRY. IT WON'T BE A A BOARD. IT'LL BE A RESOLUTION FOR THE CITY TO WORK WITH THE NONPROFITS. SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT. AND THEN MOVING ON TO ITEM C, CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO APPROVE AN ORDINANCE ON SECOND AND FINAL READING TO ESTABLISH A UNIFORM PROCEDURE FOR PLACING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA OF CITY BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND DEPARTMENTS PROVIDING FOR EQUAL ACCESS BY THE BOARD MEMBERS. THIS IS A SECOND READING OF WHAT WE HAD AT THE LAST HEARING.I'M SORRY, THE LAST MEETING, AND I THINK MARK MADE SOME CHANGES THAT YOU HAD REQUESTED.
SECTION FOUR. HE DID A GOOD JOB. YEAH. AND THEN I ALSO TOOK AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH OUT TO THE EDC BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING CORPORATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. AND SO I TALKED TO ORLANDO AND HE ACTUALLY SPOKE WITH ALLEN, AND HE SAID THAT THEY WOULD SUPPORT THIS. THIS IS A GOOD WAY FOR THEM TO HAVE IT. YOU KNOW, MEMORIALIZE IT.
THIS IS THEIR INFORMAL PROCESS ANYWAY. SO THERE WAS NO ISSUE IN THAT REGARD. SO HAVING SAID ALL THAT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE. MAY I ASK A QUESTION? YES, SIR. HAS ANYBODY TALKED WITH THE MAYOR ABOUT THIS THIS WEEK? OKAY. MINE. THANK YOU. OKAY. I HAVE A QUESTION. I PICKED UP MY PACKET ON MONDAY AFTER 530, 6:00. AND THESE BOTH OF THESE ARE B AND C, PORTIONS OF THE ORDINANCES THAT YOU ADDED TO. ITEM ACTION SIX. WE'RE NOT IN THE PACKET NOW I SIT DOWN AND THEY'RE HERE. WHY IS THAT? I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TELL YOU THAT. THE ORDINANCE
[01:35:08]
WAS GIVEN TO ME TODAY BY MARK. THERE WAS A IT WAS THE SAME ORDINANCE FROM THE LAST WEEK, BUT THERE WAS A REQUEST FOR IT TO BE CHANGED. AND SO I'M ASSUMING MARK MADE THAT CHANGE.THAT'S CORRECT. I MADE THE CHANGES. AND CONSISTENTLY WITH COMMISSIONER LOPEZ, BUT IT'S IDENTICAL FROM WHAT WAS BEFORE YOU AT THE LAST MEETING, EXCEPT FOR THE CHANGE REQUESTED BY COMMISSIONER LOPEZ. MY OBJECTION IS THAT IT WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME WHEN I PICKED THIS UP ON MONDAY NIGHT. SO I SIT DOWN AND THE AGENDA HAS SWITCHED. THAT'S MY OBJECTION. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO WHAT YOU NEED OR WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, BUT JUST DULY NOTED.
THAT'S BEEN NOTED, COMMISSIONER. ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE IN A SECOND. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE.
OPPOSED. OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. AND NOW WE HAVE ITEM SEVEN, WHICH IS OUR FAVORITE.
WE ARE ADJOURNED. AND THANK YOU. WE NEED TO HAVE THE ADJOURNED TO.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.