Neighborhood Preservation Through Neighborhood Planning

1
Neighborhood Preservation Through Neighborhood
Planning

• November 10, 2007
• Bob Duncan Center Vandergriff Park

2
Welcome and Introductions
3
Agenda

• Have fun!
• Neighborhood Planning overview
• Arlingtons neighborhood planning program
• Case Study Oak Hill
• Questions Discussion

4
When were done

• Be able to look at your neighborhood in a
  different way
• Learn ideas to help preserve your neighborhood
• Understand how neighborhood planning can make a
  difference

5
Ideal Neighborhoods?
6
A Real Neighborhood Story
Old Granary Burying Ground
7
Neighborhood Planning 101

• What is a neighborhood plan?
• Why do a neighborhood plan?
• Whos involved?

8
What?

• Comprehensive Plan vs. Neighborhood Plan

9
Why Plan?
Dont buy the house, buy the neighborhood. Russia
n proverb

• Builds stronger neighborhoods
• Finds common interests
• Use as a guide to evaluating public and private
  investment decision
• Increases residents knowledge of the area and
  commitment to the neighborhood
• Ownership of the future of the neighborhood

10
Who?

• Residents
• City leaders and officials
• Others

11
Principles of Neighborhood Participation

• Deprofessionalize
• Decentralize
• Demystify
• Democratize

4 D's
12
Greater Participation Leads To.

• Accurate reflection of needs and concerns
• Greater ownership of the plan
• Higher significance of the plan

13
The Planning Process
14
Collect Information
15
Pinpoint Issues
16
Set Goals
17
Select Alternatives
18
Put the Plan Together
19
Make It Happen
20
Monitor and Update
21
Get Others Involved

• Personal contact

Media
Information sharing
Local office
Partnerships
22
Get Others Involved
23
How to Find Information

• Published requests
• Interviews
• Talk to your neighbors
• Stop and Look
• People watching
• Walking tour
• Surveys

24
People Getting Together
Open house
Workshops
Small living room meeting

• Large community meetings

25
What it takes

• Time and energy

Skills
Organization
Money
Information
26
See How It Can Work

• Case study on Oak Hill will go over process in
  more detail

27
Having Fun
28
Having Fun
29
Oak Hill
30
Oak Hill
31
Oak Hill
32
Initiated process

• Petition
• Meeting with City staff

33
Existing Conditions

• 132 acres
• 686 population
• 275 households
• 80 year history
• Aging infrastructure
• UTA
• Abram Street offices

34
Existing Conditions

• 111,300 average house value
• Typical house
• Built in 1959
• 1,813 square feet
• Central heat and a/c
• Single car garage

35
Existing Conditions
36
Existing Conditions
37
Kickoff meeting
38
Steering committee

• Members
• Responsibilities
• Representation by streets

39
Communication
40
Neighborhood Assessment Survey
41
SWOT

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats

• S
• W
• O
• T

42
SWOT
43
Visioning
44
Identity Crisis
Adamdale
Wilemon
Elliott
Wildflower Estates West
Robert Fielder
Wildflower Estates
Iondale
Vellenga Acres
Jerry Jordan
Summit Grove
Lattimore
Oak Hill Acres
Medlin
North Oak Hill Acres
45
Identity Crisis
Historical Oaks
University Gardens
Oak Hill
University Oaks
46
Oak Hill Vision Statement

• The Oak Hill area is characterized by its many
  unique, historical homes, large lots and old
  trees. Specimens include post oaks, black jack
  oaks and O.S. Gray Nursery pecans. Residents
  describe the neighborhood as a quiet, safe place
  to live.
• Oak Hill celebrates diversity and its unique
  heritage. Many of the original homeowners played
  important roles in Arlington and/or Texas
  history. Residents practice responsible
  stewardship of the areas architectural, cultural
  and natural environment.
• Oak Hills close proximity to UTA, downtown,
  shopping centers and medical facilities gives the
  area a small-town feeling. Residents wish to add
  more green spaces and preserve the intimate scale
  of the neighborhood for the future.

large lots and old trees
quiet, safe place
unique heritage
green space
UTA
47
Goals and Strategies
48
Goals and Strategies

• Steering Committee actions
• Brainstorming
• Four meetings from May to July
• Developed 4 main goals with numerous strategies

49
Goals and Strategies

• 1. Create a safe environment for families
• Implement a crime watch program
• Improve streets and lighting
• Incorporate aesthetic methods of traffic control,
  to reduce speeding
• Provide incentives to reduce property code
  violations

50
Goals and Strategies

• 2. Enhance quality of life and protect property
  values
• Acquire new signage for streets and bury existing
  utility lines
• Create new green spaces and a neighborhood park
• Ensure the primary land use is single-family
  detached dwellings
• Establish a set of guidelines for future in-fill
  of existing sites and add-ons

51
Goals and Strategies

• 3. Preserve the historic and unique character of
  the neighborhood
• Celebrate the areas diversity and heritage with
  annual gatherings
• Document the history of area and former residents
• Protect the native Post and Black Jack Oaks
• Ensure that the subdivision of large lots,
  rebuilding after tear-downs, and new construction
  are consistent with the scale of the area

52
Goals and Strategies

• 4. Strengthen relationship with UTA and the City
  of Arlington
• Encourage residents to attend and participate in
  UTA events
• Establish a Neighborhood Plan recognized by the
  City of Arlington
• Prevent the encroachment of businesses into
  residential areas
• Work with the City of Arlington and businesses to
  improve aesthetics and parking

53
Neighborhood Meeting

• August 9 at central library
• Feedback from residents
• Interaction and conversations among residents
• Provide information
• Create unity

54
Information Provided to Residents
55
Creating Unity
Adamdale
Wilemon
Elliott
Wildflower Estates West
Robert Fielder
Wildflower Estates
Iondale
Vellenga Acres
Jerry Jordan
Summit Grove
Lattimore
Oak Hill Acres
Medlin
North Oak Hill Acres
56
Implementation

• Development policies
• Implementation program
• Neighborhood design and character
• Funding resources

57
Implementation

• Implementation program

Time
Partners
Goals
Strategies
58
Implementation
Conservation District Overlay

• Adopted neighborhood plan
• One block face minimum
• 75 of structures over 25 years old
• 75 of lots presently improved

59
Implementation

• Neighborhood design and character

• Architectural guidelines
• Infill development
• Land use
• Lot requirements
• Residential teardowns
• Signs
• Streetscapes
• Transportation

60
Implementation

• Funding resources

• Capital Improvements Plan
• Street Maintenance Sales Tax
• Neighborhood Matching Grants
• Arlington Tomorrow Foundation grants

61
The Plan

• Introduction, Goals and Strategies
• Planning Process and Participation
• Assessment of Existing Conditions
• Implementation and Policies

62
Accomplishments

• To date, Oak Hill has
• Created unity through neighborhood identity
• Submitted three grant applications
• Scheduled a crime watch organizing meeting
• Established relationships with UTA and local
  businesses
• Written a history of the Oak Hill area

63
Your Opportunity
64
Questions Discussion