A proposed land use plan recommends rezoning the areas along the north side of Hwy. 290 almost exclusively to commercial use while adding mixed-use development south of the freeway.[/caption]
A June 25 joint special session between Jersey Village City Council and the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission concluded with a public hearing being set for July 20 on the adoption of a new comprehensive plan.
After consultants from the planning firm Freese and Nichols reviewed the plan, and the process by which it was formed, city council members got another chance to address planners with any final concerns. The Planning and Zoning Commission, after having its own discussion, unanimously recommended moving forward with the public hearing.
The comprehensive plan, which is meant to guide the city for the next 20 years, is broken up into nine chapters covering economic development, parks, transportation and implementation strategies, among other topics. The plan also comes with 21 priority recommendations, which include developing a trail system to connect parks and neighborhoods, improving city identity with primary and secondary gateways and upgrading city facilities.
Input from Jersey Village citizens was gathered from multiple sources, including two public forums with more than 120 attendees and 247 online survey responses.
“The trails system was well-received, and people were also very favorable of keeping the golf course,” Freese and Nichols planner Shad Comeaux said. “The only real controversial aspect of the plan was the recommendation to extend Jersey Meadows Drive [to Rio Grande Street]. That’s something council will have to take a look at and weigh the pros and cons.”
Planning Manager Dan Sefko with Freese and Nichols reminded council the plan can be amended after adoption.
“It’s rare for any city to have the funding to achieve everything laid out in a comprehensive plan,” he said. “[The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee] took 150 recommendations and narrowed them down to 21 that they thought were most important. It’s up to city staff to decide how they will be tackled through the yearly budgeting process.”
Jersey Village Mayor Justin Ray suggested setting a city council work session to distinguish short-term goals from longer-term goals, and need-to-have objectives from nice-to-have objectives. City Manager Mike Castro agreed with the suggestion, citing how financial constraints and restrictions as a result of Hwy. 290 construction made certain items more obtainable in the near term than others.
“The reality of the Hwy. 290 situation means that some of the larger ticket items will have to come further down the road,” Castro said. “But I think we can come up with three or four projects for the next 12-24 months that are short, sweet and achievable.”
The date of the city council workshop will be decided immediately after the July 20 public hearing. Barring any complications, the plan is expected to be adopted after the hearing as well. A draft of the 196-page plan can be viewed on the
Freese and Nichols website.
A proposed land use plan recommends rezoning the areas along the north side of Hwy. 290 almost exclusively to commercial use while adding mixed-use development south of the freeway.[/caption]
A June 25 joint special session between Jersey Village City Council and the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission concluded with a public hearing being set for July 20 on the adoption of a new comprehensive plan.
After consultants from the planning firm Freese and Nichols reviewed the plan, and the process by which it was formed, city council members got another chance to address planners with any final concerns. The Planning and Zoning Commission, after having its own discussion, unanimously recommended moving forward with the public hearing.
The comprehensive plan, which is meant to guide the city for the next 20 years, is broken up into nine chapters covering economic development, parks, transportation and implementation strategies, among other topics. The plan also comes with 21 priority recommendations, which include developing a trail system to connect parks and neighborhoods, improving city identity with primary and secondary gateways and upgrading city facilities.
Input from Jersey Village citizens was gathered from multiple sources, including two public forums with more than 120 attendees and 247 online survey responses.
“The trails system was well-received, and people were also very favorable of keeping the golf course,” Freese and Nichols planner Shad Comeaux said. “The only real controversial aspect of the plan was the recommendation to extend Jersey Meadows Drive [to Rio Grande Street]. That’s something council will have to take a look at and weigh the pros and cons.”
Planning Manager Dan Sefko with Freese and Nichols reminded council the plan can be amended after adoption.
“It’s rare for any city to have the funding to achieve everything laid out in a comprehensive plan,” he said. “[The Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee] took 150 recommendations and narrowed them down to 21 that they thought were most important. It’s up to city staff to decide how they will be tackled through the yearly budgeting process.”
Jersey Village Mayor Justin Ray suggested setting a city council work session to distinguish short-term goals from longer-term goals, and need-to-have objectives from nice-to-have objectives. City Manager Mike Castro agreed with the suggestion, citing how financial constraints and restrictions as a result of Hwy. 290 construction made certain items more obtainable in the near term than others.
“The reality of the Hwy. 290 situation means that some of the larger ticket items will have to come further down the road,” Castro said. “But I think we can come up with three or four projects for the next 12-24 months that are short, sweet and achievable.”
The date of the city council workshop will be decided immediately after the July 20 public hearing. Barring any complications, the plan is expected to be adopted after the hearing as well. A draft of the 196-page plan can be viewed on the Freese and Nichols website.
