College Station held a kickoff event June 23 at City Hall to gather community input and present data during its first phase of creating the Harvey Road Corridor Redevelopment Plan.
The overview
According to the project website, the overall goal of the plan is to provide a “comprehensive roadmap for transitioning the area into a dynamic, mixed-use destination with a strong identity and economic trajectory, while tailoring it to the unique needs and opportunities of the area, including the consideration of the area’s existing conditions, current economic landscape, key attributes, and future growth potential.”
The redevelopment of the Harvey Road corridor, according to city Principal Planner Heather Wade, has been included in the city’s Comprehensive Plan since 2009. She cited the importance of revitalizing the 1970s-era infrastructure and of gathering public input as critical to the Planning and Development Services’ efforts.
“We want to do everything we can to bring it back to life,” Wade said.
Zooming in
The meeting at City Hall featured infographics with current information on the Harvey Road area, including:
- Demographics of the area in terms of age, housing units, population and tenure status of occupied units
- Economic indicators of visitors and types of employment and the visits during different times of day
- Development activities along Harvey Road, including years of homes being built and total housing units
- Current land use in terms of lots, commercial, residential and governmental
- Current transportation routes and challenges, such as public, micromobility and roads
With
96% of Harvey Road residents being renters and a large majority of those renters being students at Texas A&M University, according to Staff Planner Joe Allen, walkability, pedestrian connection and active transportation are likely to be major considerations of the redevelopment.
The results
The meeting also featured public input in two different ways.
A map of the Harvey Road Corridor with all principal locations illustrated, where people could leave stickers with corresponding comment cards that allowed input for three items:
Residents also had a “Top Priorities for Harvey Road Corridor” board, where they could put stickers on what they felt was most important. Top-voted stickers included:
- Parks, trails and green space
- Supporting local businesses
- Walkability, bikeability and transit options
- Preserve existing apartments and neighborhoods
The meeting is part of the first phase of the plan. The four phases are broken down as such:
What’s next
According to Wade, the city has set up multiple ways for the community to give input:
Wade also said the city plans on having pop-up events at different locations to gather public input face-to-face. Anyone who has a connection to Harvey Road can participate, including those who don’t live in the city.
“We really want to hear from everybody, regardless of where you are,” Wade said.
