WEBVTT

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 >> Good afternoon and welcome to the City of Denton's planning and zoning commission

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 meeting for Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

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 This is our work session and with the quorum present I will call us to order at 5.02 p.m.

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 Let the record show that Commissioner Thaggard is absent at this time.

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 First item on our work session agenda is the clarification on tonight's agenda.

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 We have just public hearings today, so I'll go ahead and call up to ACA240002.

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 That is Julie's and we'll see if anyone has questions.

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 Hi, Julie.

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 >> Hi.

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 I don't have a work session presentation unless you'd like to go over it, but I'm happy to

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 answer any questions that you may have regarding the plan.

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 We also have Chai Roos here to answer any questions as well.

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 Awesome.

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 Commissioner Pruitt.

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 >> What was your favorite part about the process?

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 >> You know, we learned a lot with the public engagement and I'll say that we've -- especially

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 public engagement is less about holding a meeting at a community center and expecting

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 the public to come to you.

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 And I think that was one of the biggest lessons learned with this plan is that we've got to

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 have boots on the ground in the community, getting in front of the community.

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 And I think that has been the most fun thing and just like we've made a lot of friends.

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 And so it's just been delightful getting to know the members of the community and being

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 with them over the last year.

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 >> That's great.

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 Thank you.

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 I'm a fan of popsicle engagement.

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 >> We are too.

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 >> That was a great question.

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 Anybody else?

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 I think we're just all so thrilled that we're at this stage of this plan.

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 It's so exciting.

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 >> We are too.

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 >> Yeah, I know.

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 >> All right.

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 Thank you.

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 >> Awesome.

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 Thank you.

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 Okay.

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 Next one would be 2B, DCA240008.

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 Keisha's here for -- just a quick little brief and we'll see if anybody's got questions

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 since our last time we visited with us.

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 >> Yes.

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 >> Did we -- I think we hammered things out last time.

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 >> Good evening.

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 Keisha Siriano, assistant planning director.

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 So tonight we'll be putting together the proposal to you all for the planning and zoning commission

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 adding the operational procedure for you to be able to reconsider agenda items.

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 This does still include the processes we discussed at the last work session where you would have

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 the option to have a -- whether the -- excuse me.

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 Whether the item is already publicly noticed to council, the timeframe for that versus if

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 it has not been a second timeframe for that, we are recommending approval of this item.

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 And I'm here if you have any questions before we go to public hearing.

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 >> Awesome.

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 Thank you.

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 Anybody have questions?

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 Thank you.

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 Great.

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 Thank you.

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 Okay.

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 Then we've got 2C, DCA 240009.

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 Erin's here for that.

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 Hello.

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 >> Good evening.

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 Okay.

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 Good evening, chair, members of the commission, Erin Stanley, assistant planner.

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 This is DCA-0009 proposed charter school amendments to the DDC.

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 So in the most recent legislative session, some changes were made to state statute regarding

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 charter schools.

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 House Bill 1707 requires that cities treat charter schools the same as they do public

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 schools if they meet certain criteria, and that is listed in the second sub bullet point

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 here being that if the charter school does not have any administrator, officer, employee,

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 or governing body member that benefits financially in any way, the city is required to treat

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 the school the same as they would a public school in terms of development regulations.

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 Currently, we would more so review charter schools as private schools.

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 So with this House Bill change, we wanted to propose some updates to the DDC to come

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 into compliance.

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 So the -- so staff is proposing the updates you see in the proposal section here.

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 Mainly we're creating a charter school use to our definitions and updating the table

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 of allowed uses, creating a use specific standard just to refer back to that second bullet here

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 about no financial gain, and then updating the parking requirements as well.

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 And staff is recommending approval as it complies with all of the criteria for code amendments,

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 and then I'll have a more detailed presentation for the main session.

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 >> Yeah.

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 Do we have time?

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 >> Mm-hmm.

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 Commissioner Pruitt.

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 >> Just to get out of the way so I'm not annoying later, I noticed that previous to this, the

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 public schools were permitted by right in the residential districts, and private schools

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 require an SUP.

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 Now that charter schools must be treated like public schools, why -- and obviously tonight

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 isn't the time to do this, but what's the reasoning for requiring an SUP just for private

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 schools, but not for charter or public schools?

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 >> Tina might want to speak on that.

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 I can give my answer, but you want to?

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 >> I can if you want me to.

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 So over the last several decades, or at least throughout my career, private schools traditionally

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 have been treated differently than public schools because public schools are governed

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 by a governmental organization, right?

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 They get their powers from the state, and we have very limited regulatory authority over

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 public schools.

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 It's different when it comes to private schools.

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 Private schools are not governed by a governmental organization, and so they are treated differently

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 from that perspective.

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 With private schools, you know, depending upon the community, some communities put additional

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 controls in place, such as a specific use permit to make sure that the operations associated

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 with the private school will be complementary to other businesses or uses and where they're

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 proposing to locate.

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 >> Okay.

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 Thank you.

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 That helps.

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 And then the -- because public schools are a separate government entity, and we don't

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 -- while we have descriptions of what we would like them to do in our zoning code, we don't

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 have regulatory control over some of them.

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 Is that the same as the charter schools are going to be?

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 Or do we still have plan approval, and they have to go through our process, even if they're

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 not just playing nice?

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 Does that make sense?

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 >> They would still go through a plan approval process, just like our public schools do,

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 right?

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 So public schools do submit zoning compliance plans to us and civil engineering plans, and

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 DISD is very good about doing that with us, and we work with them through our development

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 process, and typically they comply with the regulations.

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 When it comes to governmental operated and owned schools, like I said, they get their

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 powers from the state, so sometimes they don't always have to comply with our zoning regulations,

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 whereas private schools would.

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 And I would think with the charter schools -- and Erin, correct me if I'm wrong -- while

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 we have to treat them similar as we would public schools, the -- you know, if there

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 was a provision that they did not want to comply with, I think we would just have to

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 work through that and see what legal grounds we have to be able to enforce the provision.

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 >> Okay.

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 Thank you.

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 >> Thank you.

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 Anything else for Erin at the moment?

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 Okay.

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 Thank you very much.

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 Okay, and that would get us through our agenda, so we've got one work session report today,

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 and that's 2A-PZ24131, Receive a Report, Hold a Discussion, Give Staff Direction Regarding

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 Amending the Development Code to Include Section 212, Affordable Housing Incentive Procedures.

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 >> Good evening, Commission.

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 My name is Leah Atkinson.

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 I'm the Housing Programs Coordinator on the Community Services Department.

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 It's happy -- I'm happy to see you again.

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 And today, we're here to talk about affordability incentives.

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 In summary, our staff's proposal is to update the Dutton Development Code to include Section

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 212, Affordability Incentive Procedures.

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 This amendment would introduce nine different development incentives, each of which offers

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 slight deviation from the standard DDC requirements.

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 Any residential development would have the option to utilize one or more of these incentives

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 in exchange for including affordability within that residential development.

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 This proposal is presented in alignment with a few different planning documents.

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 First and foremost, the Affordable Housing Strategic Toolkit, as well as City Council's

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 priority to foster economic opportunity and affordability, but also the Economic Development

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 Strategic Plan and the 2040 Plan.

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 So what is housing affordability?

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 I know I've discussed this with some of the commission in the past before, but just as

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 a refresher, housing is considered affordable if a household is spending 30 percent of their

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 income or less on their housing.

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 If you have a bit of brain space, I tend to recommend that you think about your household

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 and what a third of your income is in comparison to what you pay for your housing as a household.

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 So from a development perspective, affordable housing is designed to meet that threshold

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 for a household that's at 80 percent of the area median income or less, also known as

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 a low-income household.

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 There are three different categories within low-income households.

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 First is extremely low-income, those who are at 30 percent of the area median income or

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 less.

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 For a little bit of context here, I'd like to add a one-person household that's living

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 at that extremely low-income threshold is working full-time, making $11 an hour.

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 Just so you kind of have that wage comparison for yourself.

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 Sixteen percent of Denton households are extremely low-income.

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 Next, there's very low-income, between 30 and 50 percent of the area median income,

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 which accounts for 14 percent of Denton households.

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 And lastly, low to moderate income, which account for 18 percent of Denton households.

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 In total, that's 48 percent of households who are low-income in Denton, which is another

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 way of saying that nearly half of Denton households could qualify for affordable housing.

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 So what can we leverage to include more housing affordability in our city?

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 These are the incentives that staff are proposing, a 20 percent deviation from minimum yard and

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 setback requirements, building coverage requirements, minimum lot width, depth and area, those three

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 separate incentives, maximum building height.

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 As a note, that would not exclude, that would exclude building height in transition areas.

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 Those rules would still apply completely.

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 And then minimum unit size as a deviation.

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 And next, a 10-point reduction from the landscaping area point system.

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 And lastly, a parking reduction down to one spot per affordable dwelling unit.

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 Notably, that's not per dwelling unit.

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 In a mixed-income development where only 20 percent of the units were affordable, that

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 reduction would only apply to those 20 percent of units.

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 In exchange, the city would require this table of affordability for just one incentive.

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 Staff is proposing that the city require 20 percent of the units in the development be

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 held at affordable rates.

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 That's broken down further by those subcategories.

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 So five percent of the total units would be required to be rented to extremely low-income

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 households.

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 Ten percent would be set aside for very low-income households.

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 And that last five percent would be set aside for low to moderate-income households.

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 For just one incentive, the city would require a commitment of 20 years of that affordability.

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 And then that scales up, the more incentives that are used, with a maximum of 65 percent

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 of units for a total of 45 years.

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 In order to access these incentives, a developer would submit a request for affordability incentives.

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 Both development services and community services would review that application and approve

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 or deny it based on our written standards.

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 Then that application or that development would go through the typical development review

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 process, follow all the other steps anyone else would, just with this application attached.

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 And then finally, when everything is completed, prior to building permits being issued, both

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 the city and the developer will sign an affordability incentive program agreement.

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 That would outline all of the requirements for affordability.

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 It would also include deed restrictions to ensure terms are upheld, as well as outline

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 steps the city may take if terms are not upheld.

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 Community services department will be responsible for monitoring that development for the full

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 compliance period.

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 This is something we're very good at.

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 We've been doing it for a long time.

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 So we thought we'd take you through a quick example development of what this could look

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 like.

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 Some will say that Very Good Apartments Incorporated bought some land in Denton and they want to

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 build as many units as possible.

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 Right now they can only fit 15 units on there.

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 And they are required to build 21 parking spots.

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 Their cost per unit is about $172,000.

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 If we follow the traditional 1% rule, that puts their rents at $1720, which is not particularly

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 competitive for a small studio in Denton.

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 Additionally, none of our low-income households can afford that rate.

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 So what could their design look like if they utilized the parking incentive?

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 They could actually add six more units, building up to 21 units, and just adding four more

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 parking spots because they're utilizing that parking incentive.

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 The cost per unit would come down to around $160,000 and set that rent closer to $1,600,

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 which is a little bit closer to market rate for a new studio apartment in Denton right

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 now.

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 They would be required to hold units affordable.

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 So they would hold two units for low and moderate income households at $15.45 a month, three

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 for very low-income households at $9.66 a month, and two for extremely low-income households

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 at $5.80 a month.

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 Those rates would change year to year.

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 This is just for this specific example.

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 And meanwhile, their market rate units are still enjoying lower rents due to the shared

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 cost of land.

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 And meanwhile, the development is seeing increased monthly rent due to the increased units.

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 This development makes more financial sense for the developer and provides a greater benefit

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 to the community.

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 So our next steps throughout July and August will continue conducting public engagement,

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 talking to the community.

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 Depending on this commission's considerations and recommendation, we'll proceed to a public

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 hearing August 14th.

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 And pending a recommendation at that time and your direction then, we may proceed to

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 a public hearing with city council on September 17th.

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 I want to thank you all very much for your time and your consideration.

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 What questions can I answer?

00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:34.400
 Questions?

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 I guess the first thing that comes to mind, so these incentives, they're just going to

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 be approved at the staff level, right?

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 Correct.

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 So there's going to be no hearing process of that.

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 I'll go ahead and put those incentives up for easy reference.

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 Thank you.

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 Yes.

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 This would be approved at the staff level.

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 Oh, please, go ahead, Tina.

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 Tina, want to add something to that?

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 Yes.

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 So keep in mind, the public hearing process is available with the incentives being proposed

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 as part of a zoning ordinance amendment.

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 So we believe that one of the benefits that if the commission and ultimately council are

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 agreeable to allowing for this flexibility in the code for those projects that meet the

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 affordability requirement, then we've established that through a public hearing process to formally

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 amend the debt and development code.

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 And then with the approval ultimately by council, then we've acknowledged that these are acceptable

00:17:31.600 --> 00:17:33.040
 for the community.

00:17:33.040 --> 00:17:36.440
 By taking care of it this way and building it into the debt and development code, it

00:17:36.440 --> 00:17:41.400
 also helps with the development community saving time and money, particularly for affordability

00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:47.000
 projects because anytime a developer has to go through a zoning change process, that adds

00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:48.920
 time and money associated with the project.

00:17:48.920 --> 00:17:53.640
 So if we're trying to encourage more affordable housing occurring within our community, then

00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:56.880
 we're trying to look at ways that we can build some of that flexibility within the debt and

00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:01.040
 development code instead of them consistently having to go through some sort of zoning change

00:18:01.040 --> 00:18:07.240
 to a planned development district to get relief or potentially having to go thinking that

00:18:07.240 --> 00:18:09.840
 they might be able to go through the Zoning Board of Adjustment, which they would not

00:18:09.840 --> 00:18:15.240
 be able to meet the criteria that are associated with variances through the Zoning Board of

00:18:15.240 --> 00:18:16.240
 Adjustment.

00:18:16.240 --> 00:18:20.760
 So we feel like this is a good option to go ahead and address formally amending the code

00:18:20.760 --> 00:18:25.200
 doing the public hearing process at this time so that the code then already has the flexibility

00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:28.600
 built into it for affordability projects.

00:18:28.600 --> 00:18:33.820
 - Okay, and affordability projects now we just don't have a process for?

00:18:33.820 --> 00:18:35.920
 They're mainly through state things?

00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:39.320
 - So they just comply with our current zoning regulations.

00:18:39.320 --> 00:18:47.800
 So one of the things that we are trying to work on is we know, if you recall from some

00:18:47.800 --> 00:18:53.120
 of Leia's prior presentations, that we have an affordability housing issue that we're

00:18:53.120 --> 00:18:59.080
 trying to help address and we, the city, cannot address the affordability issue alone.

00:18:59.080 --> 00:19:02.800
 We need the private development community to be able to assist with providing those

00:19:02.800 --> 00:19:04.280
 housing options.

00:19:04.280 --> 00:19:11.720
 So one of the things that we've looked at is how can we offer some incentives to encourage

00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:14.280
 affordable units being provided within those developments.

00:19:14.280 --> 00:19:18.560
 So we looked at these options here that are being proposed forth and we felt like these

00:19:18.560 --> 00:19:25.360
 were some items that would be reasonable that could be accommodated within projects and

00:19:25.360 --> 00:19:27.960
 allow a developer to take advantage of it.

00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:31.760
 In exchange for this incentive being offered, they obviously have some performance obligations

00:19:31.760 --> 00:19:33.920
 that they have to meet as Leia outlined.

00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:37.200
 - Thanks, that was perfect, yeah.

00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:38.200
 - Thank you.

00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:39.200
 - I've learned from y'all.

00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:48.120
 - Okay, Commissioner Pradhan.

00:19:48.120 --> 00:19:51.720
 - Can you explain how y'all determine the percentage for each low-income category?

00:19:51.720 --> 00:19:52.720
 - Sure.

00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:53.720
 - On the number developed?

00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:54.880
 - Specifically on this table?

00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:55.880
 - Mm-hmm, yes.

00:19:55.880 --> 00:19:59.420
 - So this was generally set by the needs in our community.

00:19:59.420 --> 00:20:03.240
 We have a pretty large need for units at the very low-income level.

00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:08.960
 It's also a level at which rent is still competitive and attainable for a lot of our

00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:14.940
 households but does not entirely make a project's budget blow up and so we wanted to focus a

00:20:14.940 --> 00:20:19.040
 little bit on that but also make sure that we spread across the whole board.

00:20:19.040 --> 00:20:22.280
 If this is something that the commission has direction on, that's something staff can certainly

00:20:22.280 --> 00:20:23.280
 take back.

00:20:23.280 --> 00:20:24.280
 - Thank you.

00:20:24.280 --> 00:20:25.280
 - Mm-hmm.

00:20:25.280 --> 00:20:26.280
 Commissioner Prud?

00:20:26.280 --> 00:20:29.980
 - Thank you, Chair.

00:20:29.980 --> 00:20:32.880
 Thanks for all the great work.

00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:37.680
 I know we have a housing needs assessment that dictates how many affordable units we need

00:20:37.680 --> 00:20:40.080
 over the next five years or something like that.

00:20:40.080 --> 00:20:44.360
 Are we building to linearity on that or are we behind?

00:20:44.360 --> 00:20:50.280
 - Hi, Danny Shaw, Director of Community Services.

00:20:50.280 --> 00:20:53.320
 We are not technically behind because we've been having some success in the low-income

00:20:53.320 --> 00:20:59.320
 housing tax credit program which is really just funding from HUD that allows for affordable

00:20:59.320 --> 00:21:01.640
 development through the state.

00:21:01.640 --> 00:21:08.280
 So we're keeping up with the market rate and the affordable rental units in multifamily

00:21:08.280 --> 00:21:11.560
 but that's the only tool that we have and that was sort of why I came up to answer your

00:21:11.560 --> 00:21:15.400
 question earlier too is that's the only tool we have and that's not our tool.

00:21:15.400 --> 00:21:16.400
 It's the federal government's tool.

00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:19.100
 They have to go through a competitive process through the state.

00:21:19.100 --> 00:21:23.960
 So we are technically keeping up but we will be behind if we don't have these other tools

00:21:23.960 --> 00:21:29.000
 because out of last year's applications, only one got selected.

00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:33.100
 So it depends on how competitive they are in the state program to whether or not we're

00:21:33.100 --> 00:21:37.680
 even gonna get housing here and we had housing that was already in the queue to be built

00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:40.840
 up from 2016 on that are just now coming online.

00:21:40.840 --> 00:21:43.200
 So that's kept us up with our numbers so far.

00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:44.720
 - Okay, thank you.

00:21:44.720 --> 00:21:54.680
 And the proposed incentives, do we believe these are large enough to make developments

00:21:54.680 --> 00:21:59.280
 which are not LIHTC funded, pencil?

00:21:59.280 --> 00:22:00.280
 - That's the hope, yes.

00:22:00.280 --> 00:22:04.720
 I've run a few different kind of mock-up developments like the one that I showed you today and we

00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:10.080
 do find that these can be the difference between making a project work and not work but of

00:22:10.080 --> 00:22:12.880
 course we'll have to see what the development community says as well and that's part of

00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.720
 that public engagement we're currently conducting.

00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:17.240
 - Sure.

00:22:17.240 --> 00:22:22.360
 Is there a proposal on how to handle rounding of the percentages of units?

00:22:22.360 --> 00:22:25.560
 - So in our example I rounded up, that can be a detail that we work out throughout this

00:22:25.560 --> 00:22:26.560
 process, yeah.

00:22:26.560 --> 00:22:34.280
 - Okay, I'm not speaking for anybody else but my preference is to round down but requiring

00:22:34.280 --> 00:22:41.520
 a single number just so that we don't make it, we don't end up requiring a large project

00:22:41.520 --> 00:22:48.840
 size 'cause we know that has an impact, larger impact on neighborhoods and that sort of thing.

00:22:48.840 --> 00:22:51.440
 - Of course.

00:22:51.440 --> 00:22:57.640
 With this tool, would we have the ability to require accepting housing choice vouchers

00:22:57.640 --> 00:23:00.640
 within the market rate units?

00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:04.400
 - Within the market rate units, I don't believe that we have that written but we do have it

00:23:04.400 --> 00:23:08.000
 currently written in that in the affordable units we are requiring housing choice vouchers

00:23:08.000 --> 00:23:09.000
 to be accepted.

00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:10.000
 Did I misremember that?

00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.960
 - Yeah, well, yeah, excuse me, it'll end up applying across the board to the development

00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:20.280
 so we will, we'll make that, that's our goal to provide a couple and the same with a couple

00:23:20.280 --> 00:23:23.840
 of other tools that we're implementing where housing choice vouchers would have to be accepted

00:23:23.840 --> 00:23:26.960
 since the state restricts us from doing that in policy generally.

00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:33.540
 - Okay, yeah, I just, I don't know what our limitations are but I've read some research

00:23:33.540 --> 00:23:44.760
 that suggests that when acceptance of HCVs is limited, it can essentially fill people

00:23:44.760 --> 00:23:50.640
 in income restricted units which already had an approved HCV that they could have gotten

00:23:50.640 --> 00:23:54.880
 the funding from somewhere else and so I just want to make sure we're maximizing our opportunity

00:23:54.880 --> 00:24:00.080
 to use that HCV funding which is coming from a different bucket essentially.

00:24:00.080 --> 00:24:01.080
 Does that make sense?

00:24:01.080 --> 00:24:04.480
 - Yeah, no, it makes perfect sense in exactly where we're headed so with every tool where

00:24:04.480 --> 00:24:09.400
 we have the ability to negotiate and it's not set policy, so again, state law prohibits

00:24:09.400 --> 00:24:13.480
 us from source of income protection except for veterans so we have that currently in

00:24:13.480 --> 00:24:19.880
 our NDO ordinance that they have to accept it for veterans but this will allow us through

00:24:19.880 --> 00:24:25.620
 agreement process to require that in all development that accepts incentives from the city so that's

00:24:25.620 --> 00:24:30.240
 the plus of doing an incentive based program and we've already done that with our PFC,

00:24:30.240 --> 00:24:33.560
 our public facility corporation organization so we'll extend that to everywhere where we're

00:24:33.560 --> 00:24:35.680
 using any tool within our system.

00:24:35.680 --> 00:24:41.880
 - Okay, thank you and just a couple of comments, great job.

00:24:41.880 --> 00:24:47.740
 I would hope that we would revisit these percentages, maybe I don't know what the right frequency

00:24:47.740 --> 00:24:56.480
 is just to make sure that it's getting us where we need to and bump them up if necessary.

00:24:56.480 --> 00:25:06.480
 I would also say that it seems like a fairly tiptoeing in as far as the types of things

00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:12.760
 we're offering, I would be prepared to say look, we are five, 10 years behind, let's

00:25:12.760 --> 00:25:20.680
 do something big, let's say if you're gonna build in whatever the number is, 35% affordability,

00:25:20.680 --> 00:25:28.680
 you no longer need an SUP to do multifamily NSC zoning so thank you.

00:25:28.680 --> 00:25:32.160
 - Commissioner Villarreal.

00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:37.480
 - Thank you Chair and thank you for the presentation, just a quick question, I know in the presentation

00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:42.320
 you discussed monitoring them over the course of the period of affordability, could you

00:25:42.320 --> 00:25:46.680
 describe, I don't know if y'all have decided this yet, what the potential penalties would

00:25:46.680 --> 00:25:50.960
 be if they violated that during that 20, 30, 40 year period?

00:25:50.960 --> 00:25:54.600
 - That hasn't been decided on firmly yet but we can speak a little bit to other things,

00:25:54.600 --> 00:26:05.440
 I know TDHCA has a penalty that's 25 dollars per unit of the entire development as a fee,

00:26:05.440 --> 00:26:10.320
 we might try experimenting with that and see do we think that has enough teeth for us,

00:26:10.320 --> 00:26:14.880
 do we think it has too many teeth for us, we'd probably start looking at other examples

00:26:14.880 --> 00:26:17.720
 and go from there, yeah.

00:26:17.720 --> 00:26:24.800
 - Have you had any discussion yet prior to this with the development community?

00:26:24.800 --> 00:26:31.420
 - Yes, yeah we have of course, we've certainly had these discussions with affordable developers

00:26:31.420 --> 00:26:36.440
 that we do have relationships with already but we also presented this at the developer

00:26:36.440 --> 00:26:43.640
 town hall a couple weeks ago, appreciate the invitation to that, so yes and we expect those

00:26:43.640 --> 00:26:45.960
 conversations to continue.

00:26:45.960 --> 00:26:49.640
 - What has feedback been?

00:26:49.640 --> 00:26:56.320
 - Parking incentive is incredibly desired, do you have anything to add to that?

00:26:56.320 --> 00:27:01.540
 - That's fair, that's the one they feel like makes the most bang.

00:27:01.540 --> 00:27:04.880
 - Yes but we do hear that these others could work in specific development situations as

00:27:04.880 --> 00:27:05.880
 well.

00:27:05.880 --> 00:27:10.320
 - And Leah, you're also making this information available during the pre-application conferences

00:27:10.320 --> 00:27:14.800
 on residential developments also to let folks know that we were gonna be proposing this,

00:27:14.800 --> 00:27:15.800
 correct?

00:27:15.800 --> 00:27:19.580
 - We are doing that on residential pre-application since it's got scheduled, yes.

00:27:19.580 --> 00:27:25.320
 - And then what is the plan for July and August public engagement, what are you doing?

00:27:25.320 --> 00:27:29.960
 - We'll be continuing to get out in the community, we'll go to the different nonprofits and things

00:27:29.960 --> 00:27:32.840
 like that, we'll schedule out meetings with further developers which you've already had

00:27:32.840 --> 00:27:38.360
 a few of and then we'll probably take some guidance from planning as well and we know

00:27:38.360 --> 00:27:42.440
 that they have a lot of success with public engagement so we'll take a few notes from

00:27:42.440 --> 00:27:44.760
 their book as well.

00:27:44.760 --> 00:27:47.240
 - And then we're seeing this again?

00:27:47.240 --> 00:27:51.520
 - Yes, so should you give us the direction we will bring this back for public hearing

00:27:51.520 --> 00:27:54.360
 and I believe the date that we said, I'll scroll back to the end so I don't get the

00:27:54.360 --> 00:27:57.600
 wrong one, it was August 14th, I remember that now.

00:27:57.600 --> 00:28:00.240
 So yeah, the earliest date that we could come back for a public hearing would be August

00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:01.240
 14th.

00:28:01.240 --> 00:28:03.240
 - It'd be August 14th for our recommendation.

00:28:03.240 --> 00:28:04.240
 - Correct.

00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:07.280
 - Given that this is a new topic, we wanted to be able to do a work session discussion

00:28:07.280 --> 00:28:12.520
 first to be able to introduce it to you to see if you had any questions, concerns, comments,

00:28:12.520 --> 00:28:15.560
 and especially if there were any comments that we needed to incorporate in the proposed

00:28:15.560 --> 00:28:18.800
 draft ordinance before we brought it back in a formal public hearing.

00:28:18.800 --> 00:28:19.800
 - Okay.

00:28:19.800 --> 00:28:26.680
 I mean, I'd almost like to see it again before that, after the public engagement 'cause I

00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:31.520
 feel like seeing it just now for the first time where we're all kind of like, okay, we

00:28:31.520 --> 00:28:35.800
 think it looks good but maybe we need to tweak these numbers and then you're gonna have some

00:28:35.800 --> 00:28:39.480
 public engagement and then we're gonna see it again August 14th and you're gonna want

00:28:39.480 --> 00:28:44.160
 a recommendation and we're gonna say, well, you know, I mean, is there a way to sneak

00:28:44.160 --> 00:28:46.280
 in another one of these?

00:28:46.280 --> 00:28:53.000
 I don't know if that would work with the timeline but I feel like we'd be better prepared to

00:28:53.000 --> 00:28:59.400
 know what we're actually recommending on the 14th than going from today to whatever your

00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:04.800
 public engagement is gonna be and then we're gonna see it on the 14th and I don't know

00:29:04.800 --> 00:29:07.440
 where we're gonna be then, I guess is what I'm saying.

00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:08.440
 - Yeah.

00:29:08.440 --> 00:29:11.680
 Yeah, you got it.

00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:13.360
 - We're open to that feedback.

00:29:13.360 --> 00:29:19.320
 We've been a bit on a delay so the conversation about being behind in units, we're behind

00:29:19.320 --> 00:29:24.400
 in getting this in front of you and so we really do have the goal to get this moving

00:29:24.400 --> 00:29:27.840
 as quickly as possible now because we've been waiting a long time to get in front of you

00:29:27.840 --> 00:29:32.160
 to talk about this so we'd hope to do it as fast as possible but we'll take your feedback

00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:37.560
 and I hear that you wanna hear what the development community is saying as well for that consideration

00:29:37.560 --> 00:29:41.120
 so if that's your direction, we will certainly push for that.

00:29:41.120 --> 00:29:44.320
 - Yeah, I'm just thinking maybe our meeting before that, I don't know exactly what our

00:29:44.320 --> 00:29:49.040
 calendar looks like, I don't have it in front of me.

00:29:49.040 --> 00:29:52.480
 - We do not have another planning with the exception of next week and our agenda's pretty

00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:53.960
 full on that.

00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:59.200
 Our next meeting would be August 14th for the Planning and Zoning Commission so if the

00:29:59.200 --> 00:30:01.080
 commission was wanting to see this again.

00:30:01.080 --> 00:30:02.080
 - Hello, Angie.

00:30:02.080 --> 00:30:08.640
 - I think Angie's got something to add so I'll defer to her, I think she's looked at

00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:09.640
 the calendar.

00:30:09.640 --> 00:30:12.400
 - I think Angie has something to say, I'm sorry.

00:30:12.400 --> 00:30:15.280
 - Sometimes when Tina ignores me, I act like a cat.

00:30:15.280 --> 00:30:20.360
 Angie Manglis, Development Review Manager, just in looking with the calendar briefly

00:30:20.360 --> 00:30:26.160
 with Haley and hearing some of the discussion and kind of ran it by Leah briefly, I think

00:30:26.160 --> 00:30:30.880
 one option could be to look to hold a town hall similar to what we did with short-term

00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:36.880
 rentals hopefully between now and maybe the 14th so that item could be discussed again

00:30:36.880 --> 00:30:41.760
 and workshopped again and then we could possibly look at moving that public hearing back to

00:30:41.760 --> 00:30:42.760
 the 28th.

00:30:42.760 --> 00:30:49.400
 It does look like there could be some flexibility in the schedule to work with some of the dates

00:30:49.400 --> 00:30:54.560
 in August but to possibly allow for something similar to, and we obviously just talked about

00:30:54.560 --> 00:30:58.400
 it right now so I would work out with them what that would look like but that could be

00:30:58.400 --> 00:31:01.200
 an option that we look at doing.

00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:06.320
 - I don't know how the rest of the commission feels but I think it would be nice to see

00:31:06.320 --> 00:31:11.720
 again and it looks like we've got a month in between when we would hear it August 14th

00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:15.280
 and when it would go to City Council on the 17th of September that maybe we could play

00:31:15.280 --> 00:31:16.560
 with those dates even.

00:31:16.560 --> 00:31:17.560
 Hello Scott.

00:31:17.560 --> 00:31:20.560
 - Hi, Scott McDonald, Director of Development Services.

00:31:20.560 --> 00:31:25.240
 I might offer off a suggestion from Haley whether we can get in front of the Dallas

00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:30.800
 Builders Association which we likely could do so I'll make that contact then additionally

00:31:30.800 --> 00:31:36.160
 we're going to put together another group similar to one that was formed a while back

00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:41.080
 so we're going to have several developers, several local engineers, several local or

00:31:41.080 --> 00:31:45.360
 a couple architects, couple of home builders, couple commercial builders and we're going

00:31:45.360 --> 00:31:49.320
 to have a group that we're just going to kind of work through all of our issues with so

00:31:49.320 --> 00:31:50.480
 we get more feedback.

00:31:50.480 --> 00:31:54.520
 We have town halls, we don't get the feedback that really we want so in light of really

00:31:54.520 --> 00:31:58.680
 some of this conversation, what we're doing in conjunction with that and you know that

00:31:58.680 --> 00:32:03.240
 potential for a town hall we can probably solicit some good feedback through that group

00:32:03.240 --> 00:32:04.240
 that is forthcoming.

00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:05.240
 - Yeah, that's great.

00:32:05.240 --> 00:32:06.240
 Okay.

00:32:06.240 --> 00:32:07.240
 Commissioner Crick.

00:32:07.240 --> 00:32:13.360
 - Yeah, I mean if there's an opportunity to share it again and get some feedback I think

00:32:13.360 --> 00:32:14.360
 that's fine.

00:32:14.360 --> 00:32:20.040
 I know you have to take the temperature of council and see what their desire is but I'd

00:32:20.040 --> 00:32:26.560
 be interested to know how much of a benefit they would see being able to build multifamily

00:32:26.560 --> 00:32:32.520
 in SC would be in the SC zoning district.

00:32:32.520 --> 00:32:38.240
 Just because I'm not a real estate lawyer put me at ease that we're going to be able

00:32:38.240 --> 00:32:45.640
 to make sure there's something in the closing packet for buyers of properties that says

00:32:45.640 --> 00:32:48.040
 this has this restriction and you know this.

00:32:48.040 --> 00:32:52.080
 - Yes, our team is already working with Hillary and Scott and our awesome legal team on that,

00:32:52.080 --> 00:32:53.080
 yes.

00:32:53.080 --> 00:32:55.600
 - Thank you.

00:32:55.600 --> 00:32:58.640
 - Anything else?

00:32:58.640 --> 00:32:59.640
 Thank you.

00:32:59.640 --> 00:33:00.640
 - Thank you.

00:33:00.640 --> 00:33:01.640
 - Thank you.

00:33:01.640 --> 00:33:07.680
 - Okay, that will conclude our work session so I'll go ahead and adjourn us at 5.35 p.m.

00:33:07.680 --> 00:33:13.320
 and we will reconvene for our regular meeting at 6.30 in council chambers.

00:33:13.320 --> 00:33:13.520
 Thank you.

00:33:18.680 --> 00:33:21.600
 - Good evening and welcome to the City of Denton's Planning and Zoning Commission meeting

00:33:21.600 --> 00:33:25.280
 for Wednesday, July 17th, 2024.

00:33:25.280 --> 00:33:28.520
 With a quorum present, I will call us to order at 6.30 p.m.

00:33:28.520 --> 00:33:33.320
 I'll let the record show that Commissioner Thaggart is absent from today's meeting.

00:33:33.320 --> 00:33:40.000
 First item on our agenda is the Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags.

00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:46.120
 - I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for

00:33:46.120 --> 00:33:54.160
 which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

00:33:54.160 --> 00:33:57.000
 - Honor the Texas flag.

00:33:57.000 --> 00:34:06.320
 I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state, under God, one, and indivisible.

00:34:06.320 --> 00:34:08.880
 - Thank you.

00:34:08.880 --> 00:34:12.160
 We've just got a few public hearings on our agenda tonight.

00:34:12.160 --> 00:34:17.240
 The first one is 2A CA240002.

00:34:17.240 --> 00:34:21.120
 I will invite Julie up for presentation and open the public hearing.

00:34:21.120 --> 00:34:22.120
 Hello, Julie.

00:34:22.120 --> 00:34:23.120
 - Hello.

00:34:23.120 --> 00:34:24.120
 Good evening.

00:34:24.120 --> 00:34:25.120
 All right.

00:34:25.120 --> 00:34:27.520
 We are, I'm Julie Wyatt.

00:34:27.520 --> 00:34:39.200
 I am principal planner with the City of Denton and we are delighted to present the Southeast

00:34:39.200 --> 00:34:42.520
 Denton area plan to you this evening.

00:34:42.520 --> 00:34:49.320
 I have the project team with us so, well, one is virtual.

00:34:49.320 --> 00:34:53.480
 So Mitchell Silver, he worked on the plan with us.

00:34:53.480 --> 00:34:55.400
 He's done a lot of our public engagement.

00:34:55.400 --> 00:34:58.320
 He unfortunately couldn't be here tonight, so he is zooming in.

00:34:58.320 --> 00:35:03.440
 So I'm hoping I do this correctly and I don't hang up on him, but he'll be speaking with

00:35:03.440 --> 00:35:04.960
 you in just a few minutes.

00:35:04.960 --> 00:35:11.680
 I also have Shy Ruse here who also worked on the plan with us, Mia Hines who worked

00:35:11.680 --> 00:35:21.080
 on the plan and she's been my fearless, she's keeping me in line.

00:35:21.080 --> 00:35:28.160
 So this has, the Southeast Denton area plan is a consolidation of what we have heard from

00:35:28.160 --> 00:35:30.720
 the community over the last year.

00:35:30.720 --> 00:35:37.240
 We've been in the community since March of 2023 and so, and so this really is a culmination

00:35:37.240 --> 00:35:39.280
 of that effort.

00:35:39.280 --> 00:35:42.800
 Tonight we're going to give a brief project overview and present some highlights of the

00:35:42.800 --> 00:35:43.800
 plan.

00:35:43.800 --> 00:35:48.560
 I know we talked about this a couple of weeks ago, but we did go over all the implementation

00:35:48.560 --> 00:35:52.660
 steps with the steering committee and that was a three and a half hour meeting.

00:35:52.660 --> 00:35:56.640
 We're not going to do that to you tonight, but we do want to make sure that we hit the

00:35:56.640 --> 00:36:01.840
 highlights of the plan and answer any questions that you and the community may have regarding

00:36:01.840 --> 00:36:02.840
 it.

00:36:02.840 --> 00:36:10.680
 Your role tonight is to receive the presentation and take action with hopefully a recommendation

00:36:10.680 --> 00:36:14.560
 of approval to go on to city council next Tuesday.

00:36:14.560 --> 00:36:19.280
 The plan was endorsed by the steering committee and it really shouldn't be a lot of new information

00:36:19.280 --> 00:36:20.280
 for you tonight.

00:36:20.280 --> 00:36:30.180
 It really is just the plan in total is what we're looking at tonight.

00:36:30.180 --> 00:36:34.360
 Before I turn it over to Mitchell, I have a couple of things I just want to talk about.

00:36:34.360 --> 00:36:40.760
 In April of 2022, council directed staff to begin an area plan for Southeast Denton.

00:36:40.760 --> 00:36:43.640
 There were several reasons for that.

00:36:43.640 --> 00:36:48.040
 First, to acknowledge that generational trauma that resulted from the forced displacement

00:36:48.040 --> 00:36:52.640
 of Quaker Town, as well as subsequent city actions.

00:36:52.640 --> 00:36:59.320
 Residents concerns about displacement due to development within Southeast Denton.

00:36:59.320 --> 00:37:06.320
 We wanted to identify areas that the community cherishes and wants to preserve, but also

00:37:06.320 --> 00:37:10.680
 identify areas that they may be open to change or want to see change.

00:37:10.680 --> 00:37:19.600
 Then finally, areas or places for public investment and improvements, things like parks, transportation.

00:37:19.600 --> 00:37:24.180
 That's really what the purpose of the plan was.

00:37:24.180 --> 00:37:32.240
 It began with a conceptual study area of 600 acres with McKinney to the north, Woodrow

00:37:32.240 --> 00:37:39.160
 to the east, Shady Oaks, Teasley and Dallas Drive to the south, and then Bell Avenue to

00:37:39.160 --> 00:37:40.600
 the west.

00:37:40.600 --> 00:37:45.440
 We talked with the community, found out what they thought about that boundary and how they

00:37:45.440 --> 00:37:48.960
 felt about it, and added a little more area.

00:37:48.960 --> 00:37:52.720
 We expanded that boundary a little bit to include a transition.

00:37:52.720 --> 00:37:58.040
 An additional 375 acres to that 600 acres.

00:37:58.040 --> 00:38:04.480
 That's because we want to make sure any development near Southeast Denton, that it's addressed

00:38:04.480 --> 00:38:07.320
 sensitively both in use and scale.

00:38:07.320 --> 00:38:11.320
 We know that what happens on one side of the street can affect the other side of the street,

00:38:11.320 --> 00:38:16.200
 and we want to make sure we take that in consideration.

00:38:16.200 --> 00:38:21.240
 With that, if all goes well with technology, I'm going to turn it over to Mitchell Silver,

00:38:21.240 --> 00:38:22.720
 if he can hear me.

00:38:22.720 --> 00:38:23.720
 I can hear you.

00:38:23.720 --> 00:38:24.720
 All right.

00:38:24.720 --> 00:38:27.000
 I'm going to forward the slides for you.

00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:28.000
 Hi, Mitchell.

00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:29.000
 All right.

00:38:29.000 --> 00:38:30.000
 Thank you, Julie.

00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:33.520
 Well, first, thank you for setting up the purpose of this planning effort.

00:38:33.520 --> 00:38:37.440
 I just want to say what a privilege it's been to work with both the planning staff and the

00:38:37.440 --> 00:38:42.600
 residents and stakeholders in the Southeast Denton area, but want to share with you the

00:38:42.600 --> 00:38:43.600
 community engagement.

00:38:43.600 --> 00:38:49.640
 Here are just some images, but it's so critical that we actually reach as many people as possible.

00:38:49.640 --> 00:38:54.680
 This was a very, very thorough engagement process, and some of those conversations were

00:38:54.680 --> 00:38:57.680
 uncomfortable if you read into the purpose of the plan.

00:38:57.680 --> 00:39:00.840
 We held stakeholder meetings and steering committee meetings.

00:39:00.840 --> 00:39:06.200
 We held very specific listening sessions to unpack some of the past harm that occurred

00:39:06.200 --> 00:39:07.640
 in Denton.

00:39:07.640 --> 00:39:12.160
 Because we felt we needed to hear more voices, we did intercept surveys, which is basically

00:39:12.160 --> 00:39:16.080
 going out to the community to capture some of those comments.

00:39:16.080 --> 00:39:22.040
 We had a visioning workshop and preference surveys and an implementation workshop to

00:39:22.040 --> 00:39:25.480
 make sure all departments are on board with the action items.

00:39:25.480 --> 00:39:27.840
 Next slide, please.

00:39:27.840 --> 00:39:29.720
 We just wanted to share with you what we've heard.

00:39:29.720 --> 00:39:32.480
 We did share this information before.

00:39:32.480 --> 00:39:36.600
 Julie captured it quite well, but the residents really want to improve communication between

00:39:36.600 --> 00:39:38.680
 the city and the community.

00:39:38.680 --> 00:39:43.240
 They really wanted to maintain some of these cherished assets as they see Southeast Denton

00:39:43.240 --> 00:39:44.240
 changing.

00:39:44.240 --> 00:39:50.600
 The history was so important, and also want to remember the lessons of Quaker Town, concerned

00:39:50.600 --> 00:39:57.340
 about long-term affordability, about infrastructure, but really, really start this process of beginning

00:39:57.340 --> 00:40:00.280
 the healing process for this community.

00:40:00.280 --> 00:40:04.000
 What we heard really drove into the community goals, and as you can see, we came up with

00:40:04.000 --> 00:40:09.760
 six goals that really guided the strategies and actions going forward.

00:40:09.760 --> 00:40:12.340
 Next slide, please.

00:40:12.340 --> 00:40:15.760
 What we really enjoyed, and this was really put together by the steering committee, is

00:40:15.760 --> 00:40:17.200
 a vision for Southeast Denton.

00:40:17.200 --> 00:40:21.640
 And I have to say it's quite moving that our vision really is for Southeast Denton to be

00:40:21.640 --> 00:40:26.840
 a harmonious future that ensures diverse, resilient, and inclusive community for generations

00:40:26.840 --> 00:40:27.840
 to come.

00:40:27.840 --> 00:40:32.680
 And they really wanted to cultivate trust with the city, to cherish and preserve the

00:40:32.680 --> 00:40:39.000
 rich black history and culture, discourages gentrification, ensures shared prosperity,

00:40:39.000 --> 00:40:43.400
 and elevates the overall quality of life through strategic investments.

00:40:43.400 --> 00:40:44.400
 Next slide.

00:40:44.400 --> 00:40:50.040
 So, I'll share some of the plan highlights of some of those both goals and recommendations.

00:40:50.040 --> 00:40:51.640
 Next slide.

00:40:51.640 --> 00:40:57.240
 In terms of the goal of building trust within the community and with the city as a whole,

00:40:57.240 --> 00:41:03.080
 strategy really 1.1 is to develop and implement an anti-displacement action plan specific

00:41:03.080 --> 00:41:04.520
 to Southeast Denton.

00:41:04.520 --> 00:41:09.960
 And there's a series of action items and recommendations, but really to fund and support eviction prevention

00:41:09.960 --> 00:41:16.640
 program, pre-approved ADA designs, and ensure equitable appraisals, and actually help people

00:41:16.640 --> 00:41:22.040
 appeal some of those appraisals that those that live there won't be forced out.

00:41:22.040 --> 00:41:27.040
 1.2 is to develop a communication strategy specific to Southeast Denton.

00:41:27.040 --> 00:41:31.040
 People want to stay in the know, and so there are action items about how we can develop

00:41:31.040 --> 00:41:33.040
 that communication strategy.

00:41:33.040 --> 00:41:37.920
 And then recruit more participants in the Denton 360 program for Southeast Denton.

00:41:37.920 --> 00:41:43.520
 We want to make sure people are engaged, educated, and knowledgeable about all the resources

00:41:43.520 --> 00:41:46.240
 and programs in the city.

00:41:46.240 --> 00:41:47.600
 Next slide.

00:41:47.600 --> 00:41:52.120
 In terms of goal number two of honoring the culture and heritage of Southeast Denton,

00:41:52.120 --> 00:41:57.440
 we all recognize it's changing, but it's important that we both use historic preservation

00:41:57.440 --> 00:42:02.760
 tools and incentives to recognize the built environment and the families who created it.

00:42:02.760 --> 00:42:08.160
 Those sacred places and spaces and stories need to be acknowledged and recognized, so

00:42:08.160 --> 00:42:10.760
 there are strategies to do just that.

00:42:10.760 --> 00:42:16.200
 And then strategy 2.2 to develop and implement a Southeast Denton history and cultural rules

00:42:16.200 --> 00:42:22.360
 program by creating this cultural district to acknowledge Southeast Denton's places and

00:42:22.360 --> 00:42:28.320
 families who created it and used that cultural district to honor past residents and all cultures

00:42:28.320 --> 00:42:31.080
 who call Southeast Denton home.

00:42:31.080 --> 00:42:34.000
 So that includes both Black and Hispanic residents.

00:42:34.000 --> 00:42:38.860
 So those are the two slides I'm going to share, and now I'll turn it over to Shai to talk

00:42:38.860 --> 00:42:45.500
 about the other highlights and strategies.

00:42:45.500 --> 00:42:47.720
 Thank you, Mitchell.

00:42:47.720 --> 00:42:53.360
 So I'm going to go ahead and talk about strategy 4.2.

00:42:53.360 --> 00:42:59.980
 So this goal 4 is strengthen neighborhoods and housing affordability.

00:42:59.980 --> 00:43:08.640
 I'm trying to see, yes, you all can see this map is the existing land use map, future land

00:43:08.640 --> 00:43:11.880
 use map in your Denton 2040 plan.

00:43:11.880 --> 00:43:17.740
 And then on the other side is the proposed Southeast Denton land use map.

00:43:17.740 --> 00:43:23.320
 So the main reason for creating this is to address some of the community concerns about

00:43:23.320 --> 00:43:30.160
 the downtown style development coming into the community.

00:43:30.160 --> 00:43:39.400
 And you can see that bright and the existing bright reddish color is the downtown land use.

00:43:39.400 --> 00:43:47.120
 What we've done on this side is where it joins the community, we're asking it to be changed

00:43:47.120 --> 00:43:49.680
 to neighborhood mixed use.

00:43:49.680 --> 00:43:57.000
 That's a little closer and a good transition into the residential area, which was also

00:43:57.000 --> 00:44:03.760
 something the community told us was which areas they wanted to be stable and preserve,

00:44:03.760 --> 00:44:05.680
 which could do with some change.

00:44:05.680 --> 00:44:15.480
 So inside the community wanted to keep their residential, it's single family, they've got

00:44:15.480 --> 00:44:21.420
 duplexes, they've even got fourplexes, but it's literally, it looks like a nice single

00:44:21.420 --> 00:44:24.020
 family neighborhood, so they wanted to keep that.

00:44:24.020 --> 00:44:31.080
 So that's a transition between, and you'll notice on, we've marked the main changes in

00:44:31.080 --> 00:44:32.920
 dotted blue line.

00:44:32.920 --> 00:44:39.980
 So the institutional change today, we're putting community mixed use on there.

00:44:39.980 --> 00:44:46.840
 And one of the reasons is the county, in case in the future, when they look at their facilities

00:44:46.840 --> 00:44:52.900
 plan, if they feel like they might want to redevelop, then this will give them the chance

00:44:52.900 --> 00:44:56.160
 to look at, oh, okay, how can we redevelop?

00:44:56.160 --> 00:44:59.960
 But only if they want to, of course, it's their property.

00:44:59.960 --> 00:45:05.400
 But we wanted to give them some direction if they changed their mind.

00:45:05.400 --> 00:45:12.960
 And then in the south, it always was community mixed use, and we just, on the other side

00:45:12.960 --> 00:45:16.520
 of the road, as you can see here, it is community mixed use.

00:45:16.520 --> 00:45:22.380
 So we just talked about how a roadway has its own character.

00:45:22.380 --> 00:45:27.440
 And so both sides would probably benefit from having similar uses.

00:45:27.440 --> 00:45:30.400
 So that's why this happened.

00:45:30.400 --> 00:45:33.360
 So that's the land use.

00:45:33.360 --> 00:45:40.680
 And then the next strategy is to establish overlay districts to protect the existing

00:45:40.680 --> 00:45:43.040
 neighborhood scale and character.

00:45:43.040 --> 00:45:51.200
 Again, there's four overlay districts that we're recommending in this plan, and the main

00:45:51.200 --> 00:45:58.440
 reason, again, is the community's desire to keep the community affordable, to not have

00:45:58.440 --> 00:46:01.520
 displacement.

00:46:01.520 --> 00:46:09.040
 And so as you can see, the first is in that yellow area is the residential overlay.

00:46:09.040 --> 00:46:15.720
 And the main purpose of that residential overlay is to ensure the scale.

00:46:15.720 --> 00:46:22.540
 So right now, it's two stories, kind of keep that scale of two stories, keep that scale

00:46:22.540 --> 00:46:31.380
 of residential, small residential footprints, so that even when developers come, they would

00:46:31.380 --> 00:46:35.720
 have to build to that if there was an overlay on there.

00:46:35.720 --> 00:46:40.480
 And then there's the height overlay, where we talked about next to the downtown land

00:46:40.480 --> 00:46:48.400
 use, we recommended a height overlay that's in blue, and that's a transition.

00:46:48.400 --> 00:46:54.140
 Currently, the downtown area allows maybe six stories.

00:46:54.140 --> 00:46:58.040
 This residential may allow two or three stories.

00:46:58.040 --> 00:47:00.360
 So how do you connect that?

00:47:00.360 --> 00:47:07.720
 So that's a height overlay in that neighborhood mixed use area that can help transition.

00:47:07.720 --> 00:47:14.040
 The third's an interesting, that pink area we see around Y, Robertson and Prairie.

00:47:14.040 --> 00:47:19.760
 That's a live work overlay, and that comes out of the community's desire.

00:47:19.760 --> 00:47:26.240
 So a lot of people very fondly remember the days when they had barbershops and neighborhood

00:47:26.240 --> 00:47:34.040
 type small businesses that people could hang out in that area.

00:47:34.040 --> 00:47:38.060
 But now that area is also, so this was the challenge, right?

00:47:38.060 --> 00:47:42.440
 The area has a very well established single family neighborhood right there.

00:47:42.440 --> 00:47:51.280
 So one of the ways we can do this is through the live work overlay, where people can have,

00:47:51.280 --> 00:47:58.440
 the structures would have to resemble, be compatible with the residential overlay structures,

00:47:58.440 --> 00:48:03.640
 but they could have a business in one part of the house while they live in the other.

00:48:03.640 --> 00:48:05.680
 So that's a requirement.

00:48:05.680 --> 00:48:12.680
 Hopefully, if you're living in that same house, you're not putting businesses that are disruptive

00:48:12.680 --> 00:48:14.880
 to living in the area.

00:48:14.880 --> 00:48:24.440
 So that was the idea of the live work, is people could get their neighborhood type uses,

00:48:24.440 --> 00:48:29.500
 get that street environment, but at the same time not disrupt residential.

00:48:29.500 --> 00:48:36.680
 And then the fourth is the commercial overlay, you can see in the south where we have community

00:48:36.680 --> 00:48:42.640
 mix use as the future land use, but there's a lot of industrial right now there.

00:48:42.640 --> 00:48:51.120
 So if that starts changing, the commercial overlay will help emphasize that compatibility

00:48:51.120 --> 00:48:56.760
 with the neighborhood and the uses around it to kind of bring it down in intensity a

00:48:56.760 --> 00:49:01.360
 little, but keep an eye on how it is doing it.

00:49:01.360 --> 00:49:04.840
 So those are the four main overlays.

00:49:04.840 --> 00:49:10.440
 So between the future land use recommendation and the overlays, the whole purpose is to

00:49:10.440 --> 00:49:15.160
 make sure the area develops the way the community wants to see it.

00:49:15.160 --> 00:49:23.200
 And then there's the goal six was about creating safe and connected multimodal travel system.

00:49:23.200 --> 00:49:31.200
 6.1 is improve street network to prioritize connectivity and multimodal connections.

00:49:31.200 --> 00:49:38.760
 So the main purpose of this strategy is enhance street connections.

00:49:38.760 --> 00:49:43.920
 Under this goal, we have many strategies and this is one, which is enhance the street connections.

00:49:43.920 --> 00:49:52.440
 Currently, as you can see, there aren't many connections to Woodrow or south to Shady Oaks

00:49:52.440 --> 00:49:54.240
 from this neighborhood.

00:49:54.240 --> 00:49:57.480
 So that's one of the recommendations.

00:49:57.480 --> 00:50:02.880
 The other is to make these orange dots that you all see are intersections.

00:50:02.880 --> 00:50:09.000
 And these were literally marked out by the people in the visioning workshop, people who

00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:16.320
 have had issues biking or walking in this area.

00:50:16.320 --> 00:50:23.120
 That was the main thing that came out is the roadways were intimidating for bikers and

00:50:23.120 --> 00:50:31.840
 for pedestrians and they wanted safe intersections and safe streets for biking and pedestrians.

00:50:31.840 --> 00:50:40.400
 So you can see some of the drawings here, we can create these kind of intersection designs

00:50:40.400 --> 00:50:44.080
 that slow down, have protected bike lanes.

00:50:44.080 --> 00:50:52.000
 Those are some of the recommendations, but one interesting is if you look at this where

00:50:52.000 --> 00:50:58.200
 my browser is in the south, there is homes right now, so we didn't show any connection

00:50:58.200 --> 00:51:04.160
 streets there, but there is a recommendation that if there is over five acre development

00:51:04.160 --> 00:51:12.280
 coming in, then they have to look at creating public street connections in that area.

00:51:12.280 --> 00:51:15.320
 So hopefully that will take care of it.

00:51:15.320 --> 00:51:21.920
 If that area were to get redeveloped, it would get redeveloped the way people want it, but

00:51:21.920 --> 00:51:29.600
 also with this added recommendation, we would get new connections through the new development.

00:51:29.600 --> 00:51:36.200
 So with that, I will pass on to Julie.

00:51:36.200 --> 00:51:43.680
 Okay, so just to wrap this up, the next steps.

00:51:43.680 --> 00:51:47.240
 So we have a public hearing tonight.

00:51:47.240 --> 00:51:53.480
 Of course, we're looking for a favorable recommendation to go to city council next week.

00:51:53.480 --> 00:51:58.140
 If that's the case, it would go to city council next week for adoption.

00:51:58.140 --> 00:52:04.320
 If approved, this would amend our comprehensive plan, especially those future land use elements

00:52:04.320 --> 00:52:11.000
 and those goals and strategies associated with it, and that concludes the presentation.

00:52:11.000 --> 00:52:15.600
 I will be happy to answer any questions, and Shai and Mitchell will be happy to answer

00:52:15.600 --> 00:52:18.280
 any questions as well.

00:52:18.280 --> 00:52:19.280
 Thank you.

00:52:19.280 --> 00:52:20.280
 Thank you all.

00:52:20.280 --> 00:52:24.000
 At the moment, I don't see any questions for you all, but stand by.

00:52:24.000 --> 00:52:26.000
 All right, thank you.

00:52:26.000 --> 00:52:27.000
 This is a public hearing.

00:52:27.000 --> 00:52:29.880
 I do have a couple of cards in front of me at the moment.

00:52:29.880 --> 00:52:37.080
 The first one I have is Donald McDade, are you wishing to speak?

00:52:37.080 --> 00:52:39.920
 You'll state your name.

00:52:39.920 --> 00:52:40.920
 Your time will begin.

00:52:40.920 --> 00:52:41.920
 Hi.

00:52:41.920 --> 00:52:42.920
 Good afternoon, Commission.

00:52:42.920 --> 00:52:43.920
 My name is Donald McDade.

00:52:43.920 --> 00:52:51.680
 I live at 926 East Prairie, and I wasn't really watching the screen, but I'm curious if you

00:52:51.680 --> 00:52:57.620
 actually showed the type of homes that the committee had approved for that area.

00:52:57.620 --> 00:52:59.680
 Did y'all actually show that?

00:52:59.680 --> 00:53:01.240
 So the neighborhood can see?

00:53:01.240 --> 00:53:03.240
 It's in the plan.

00:53:03.240 --> 00:53:08.080
 Is that a plan that they can see, or what plan?

00:53:08.080 --> 00:53:11.640
 I'll find out if there is a slide that we can pull up for that.

00:53:11.640 --> 00:53:12.640
 Okay.

00:53:12.640 --> 00:53:18.480
 But I'm actually here in support of the plan, but with a caveat.

00:53:18.480 --> 00:53:28.440
 The caveat is I'm here to support the plan as it's presented July 17th, 2024.

00:53:28.440 --> 00:53:32.660
 I know we're looking at the 2040 plan that's 16 years away.

00:53:32.660 --> 00:53:39.120
 A lot of the neighborhood is skeptical because of homeowners like myself who are 60 and 70

00:53:39.120 --> 00:53:40.120
 and 80 plus.

00:53:40.120 --> 00:53:45.440
 You're looking at 16 years, and that's one thing that the city has that we don't, and

00:53:45.440 --> 00:53:49.440
 that's all the time in the world.

00:53:49.440 --> 00:53:57.000
 Our biggest concern is, and I'll use me as an example, they talk about not forcing people

00:53:57.000 --> 00:54:00.720
 out, that there's a lot of ways to force people out.

00:54:00.720 --> 00:54:04.000
 I built my home in 2008.

00:54:04.000 --> 00:54:07.300
 It only cost me $108,000.

00:54:07.300 --> 00:54:13.400
 Here it is, 2024, my home is worth over $300,000.

00:54:13.400 --> 00:54:14.400
 That's a lot.

00:54:14.400 --> 00:54:20.640
 My taxes have pretty much tripled, and I think that's what everybody's issue is, and I haven't

00:54:20.640 --> 00:54:26.760
 added one new brick to my home, but yet my value has tripled.

00:54:26.760 --> 00:54:31.680
 So God forbid, I'm no longer here in the next few years.

00:54:31.680 --> 00:54:35.360
 My children are going to have to suffer that burden because they're not old enough to get

00:54:35.360 --> 00:54:36.360
 a home exemption.

00:54:36.360 --> 00:54:41.880
 They're not going to be able to pay all those taxes, and what's the next best thing?

00:54:41.880 --> 00:54:45.640
 Just go ahead and sell it and get out from under.

00:54:45.640 --> 00:54:47.320
 That's my biggest concern.

00:54:47.320 --> 00:54:58.360
 I was also skeptical about this plan, I don't see this plan going through in the next 16

00:54:58.360 --> 00:54:59.360
 years.

00:54:59.360 --> 00:55:05.880
 I mean, I hate to say it, but as I sat on the board and I heard other communities come

00:55:05.880 --> 00:55:11.320
 and say what they presented to us, it's not what we got.

00:55:11.320 --> 00:55:20.160
 I can actually see that happening here because for years, we wanted a lot of changes in Southeast

00:55:20.160 --> 00:55:22.560
 Denton, and we never got it.

00:55:22.560 --> 00:55:27.880
 But when they came to do the beautification and all the road, we were the first one that

00:55:27.880 --> 00:55:33.760
 they came to, and I've already told them, when you want to sell something, you don't

00:55:33.760 --> 00:55:39.640
 leave it as is, you beautify it so when they come, they have something to look at.

00:55:39.640 --> 00:55:45.640
 So this is going to be the new downtown, they came, they beautified the area, now they can

00:55:45.640 --> 00:55:48.220
 go back and they can sell it.

00:55:48.220 --> 00:55:55.800
 That was my biggest concern, and I'm pretty sure that's a concern of everybody here because

00:55:55.800 --> 00:56:02.040
 the last 50 years, I remember when the roads weren't even paved, and I'm only 60 years

00:56:02.040 --> 00:56:03.040
 old.

00:56:03.040 --> 00:56:04.040
 That's 1964.

00:56:04.040 --> 00:56:11.080
 Now, they're coming in and they're putting in new drainage, new streets.

00:56:11.080 --> 00:56:12.080
 That's not for us.

00:56:12.080 --> 00:56:15.080
 That's what's coming down the road.

00:56:15.080 --> 00:56:19.100
 I wish it was for us, but we all know it's not.

00:56:19.100 --> 00:56:27.160
 So they're trying to sell it, it may already be sold, we just don't know.

00:56:27.160 --> 00:56:40.560
 As I say, my biggest concern is, and I've said it all along, is I've always wanted to

00:56:40.560 --> 00:56:47.000
 just say, hey, come in, say what you mean, mean what you say, the last 100 years, you

00:56:47.000 --> 00:56:53.980
 talk about distrust, I don't really see that changing, I tell people all the time, I do

00:56:53.980 --> 00:57:03.880
 believe that the contracts here are written in pencil and in visible ink.

00:57:03.880 --> 00:57:10.040
 Because I hear so many people say, that is not what we ask for, but we were presented

00:57:10.040 --> 00:57:14.540
 something different, and I just don't see that changing.

00:57:14.540 --> 00:57:19.720
 The first few years, 100 years, nobody lives in the southeast, and I really don't see that

00:57:19.720 --> 00:57:20.720
 changing.

00:57:20.720 --> 00:57:21.720
 Thank you.

00:57:21.720 --> 00:57:28.480
 Yeah, Julie, I don't know if you had that slide in there or not.

00:57:28.480 --> 00:57:56.840
 I'm going to pull up a copy of the plan, if that...

00:57:56.840 --> 00:58:12.120
 It's thinking.

00:58:12.120 --> 00:58:28.960
 Oh, great.

00:58:28.960 --> 00:58:58.720
 I'm going to pull up a copy of the plan, if that's what you're saying.

00:58:58.720 --> 00:59:26.200
 I'm going to pull up a copy of the plan, if that's what you're saying.

00:59:26.200 --> 00:59:41.400
 I'm sorry, my computer is a little slow, it's bringing it up, but I had a suggestion in

00:59:41.400 --> 00:59:55.800
 your recommendation, you can ask us to add a page of those pictures right after the overlay.

00:59:55.800 --> 01:00:00.200
 It's a good strategy where we recommend the overlay or the action step that talks about

01:00:00.200 --> 01:00:11.320
 the overlay, we can add a full page of pictures that the community chose.

01:00:11.320 --> 01:00:24.980
 I have no idea how to connect it to this, because my computer won't allow it.

01:00:24.980 --> 01:00:30.800
 If we can make it work, there we go, there you go, perfect.

01:00:30.800 --> 01:00:31.800
 Perfect.

01:00:31.800 --> 01:00:40.600
 These are the type of housing that the community had chosen.

01:00:40.600 --> 01:00:46.640
 As you can see, these are the pictures the community was shown and they chose.

01:00:46.640 --> 01:00:56.860
 We have the books that have the blue and the yellow dots, and so we can add the photos

01:00:56.860 --> 01:01:02.040
 in this report that the blue dot is the one the community likes.

01:01:02.040 --> 01:01:08.600
 So each of the house that they like, we can put it in here with the action step does say

01:01:08.600 --> 01:01:16.040
 that they would write the overlay regulations to make those kind of houses happen.

01:01:16.040 --> 01:01:18.720
 Thank you for answering that question, appreciate it.

01:01:18.720 --> 01:01:21.320
 Should I remove this?

01:01:21.320 --> 01:01:25.080
 You can leave it there for now while we're talking about it, if you'd like.

01:01:25.080 --> 01:01:28.640
 That will remind us to add that little amendment.

01:01:28.640 --> 01:01:31.520
 Okay, I do have another card here.

01:01:31.520 --> 01:01:37.440
 It's Willie Sellers.

01:01:37.440 --> 01:01:48.440
 Hi, if you'll give us your name, your time will begin.

01:01:48.440 --> 01:01:49.440
 Hello.

01:01:49.440 --> 01:01:50.440
 Hello.

01:01:50.440 --> 01:01:54.440
 Yeah, Willie Sellers, 930 Sky Drive, Denton.

01:01:54.440 --> 01:02:01.640
 Hey, I share some of the same concerns that Mr. McDay has, talking about the steering

01:02:01.640 --> 01:02:07.160
 committee that you set up, or Ms. Julie set up.

01:02:07.160 --> 01:02:08.720
 Who was on the steering committee?

01:02:08.720 --> 01:02:14.360
 Was it just nothing but city employees and those type of people?

01:02:14.360 --> 01:02:21.460
 Because I look up, I pull this up, and it says the agencies, it has acronyms.

01:02:21.460 --> 01:02:28.720
 And then all of the acronyms within this brochure right here are people that work for the city.

01:02:28.720 --> 01:02:36.520
 And there are no people on those steering committees or, and it says external partners,

01:02:36.520 --> 01:02:40.440
 appraisal district, one of the same things he was talking about.

01:02:40.440 --> 01:02:45.760
 The appraisal district can appraise you out of your home, you know, because they continue

01:02:45.760 --> 01:02:48.640
 to raise the value.

01:02:48.640 --> 01:02:53.960
 I noticed some of these bullets on here, and I noticed that you had NRSA, and I said that's

01:02:53.960 --> 01:03:01.740
 the neighborhood revising strategies, strategy area.

01:03:01.740 --> 01:03:13.920
 On this, I looked in here, and on action 4.2, it says coordinated with the facility, facility

01:03:13.920 --> 01:03:22.560
 planning efforts to ensure land use is designed to use county property and compatible with

01:03:22.560 --> 01:03:23.780
 surrounding neighborhood.

01:03:23.780 --> 01:03:27.120
 So does the county own property within southeast Denton?

01:03:27.120 --> 01:03:28.120
 I know it's 972 acres.

01:03:28.120 --> 01:03:32.040
 That's a question that I have for you also, so you can answer that.

01:03:32.040 --> 01:03:45.880
 And it was also in action 6.2, it says improve safety and install ADA compliance, pedestrian,

01:03:45.880 --> 01:03:51.400
 I guess crosswalk, et cetera, for bail and bikini and stuff like that.

01:03:51.400 --> 01:03:59.700
 So when I look at the structure that you had there for bike trails, et cetera, et cetera,

01:03:59.700 --> 01:04:06.360
 and he mentioned that the people are going to be 80, 60, 70 years old.

01:04:06.360 --> 01:04:12.360
 Those people are not going to be able to use those type of investments that you want to

01:04:12.360 --> 01:04:15.240
 implement in southeast Denton.

01:04:15.240 --> 01:04:20.160
 But the only thing that I can see southeast Denton is it's probably a microcosm of what

01:04:20.160 --> 01:04:22.000
 happened in Quaker Town.

01:04:22.000 --> 01:04:26.160
 And don't get me wrong, I'm not in opposition of improvement.

01:04:26.160 --> 01:04:30.280
 But the improvements have to have a value added for the remaining people that are going

01:04:30.280 --> 01:04:33.200
 to be there that can't go anywhere else.

01:04:33.200 --> 01:04:39.880
 Because as he stated, the property is going up, up, and up.

01:04:39.880 --> 01:04:46.320
 And say if you sell your house for whatever his value was, and that value, you go try

01:04:46.320 --> 01:04:51.760
 to purchase that same home somewhere else, that home is going to cost more.

01:04:51.760 --> 01:04:57.400
 You're not going to be able to purchase a home of the same square footage, et cetera.

01:04:57.400 --> 01:05:00.720
 And these models up here, they're okay.

01:05:00.720 --> 01:05:02.960
 They're tiny homes.

01:05:02.960 --> 01:05:10.960
 Another thing about southeast Denton, I see southeast Denton being targeted as a habitat

01:05:10.960 --> 01:05:16.720
 humanity area, and I talked to Ms. Hines about that.

01:05:16.720 --> 01:05:22.080
 And I shared with her the only thing that I think that southeast Denton is, is that

01:05:22.080 --> 01:05:25.280
 it's the cheapest land in Denton currently.

01:05:25.280 --> 01:05:32.640
 So therefore, you can target at that for southeast Denton for habitat humanity homes.

01:05:32.640 --> 01:05:37.800
 I don't know why you wouldn't take it out by 288, out there by Collins Stadium, nice

01:05:37.800 --> 01:05:43.000
 area, plenty of land, but you targeted southeast Denton.

01:05:43.000 --> 01:05:50.440
 Another thing that I noticed, the downtown area is going to be the Mecca for Denton.

01:05:50.440 --> 01:05:51.440
 It's moving this way.

01:05:51.440 --> 01:05:54.780
 You can't go north, T.W. owns all that.

01:05:54.780 --> 01:06:00.160
 You can't go west because you got the historical district and you have UNT that owns everything

01:06:00.160 --> 01:06:01.160
 behind.

01:06:01.160 --> 01:06:02.560
 So you got to come get us.

01:06:02.560 --> 01:06:03.960
 You got to come.

01:06:03.960 --> 01:06:04.960
 No problem.

01:06:04.960 --> 01:06:05.960
 No problem.

01:06:05.960 --> 01:06:12.000
 So what I'm saying is that you're going to create an additional problem because whenever

01:06:12.000 --> 01:06:21.600
 you put concrete down, water would take the path of least resistance, which is going to

01:06:21.600 --> 01:06:24.320
 be, it's going to run real fast.

01:06:24.320 --> 01:06:28.440
 So until you do all the drainage, and I noticed you got the drainage in here.

01:06:28.440 --> 01:06:34.480
 You got drainage installed in here, but you're going to have to take some things from people

01:06:34.480 --> 01:06:43.280
 to make drainage, Mr. Matalock's house, the corridor behind, Clara's Kitchen, Mount Pilgrim.

01:06:43.280 --> 01:06:45.520
 Those things are going to have to go away.

01:06:45.520 --> 01:06:50.840
 I know you are, I see you already identified some areas that are, that are sacred, Carl

01:06:50.840 --> 01:06:55.960
 Jean Park, the cemetery, Martin Luther King Center, et cetera.

01:06:55.960 --> 01:07:06.000
 But what are the targeted areas, what are the targeted areas that you are going to assume

01:07:06.000 --> 01:07:09.280
 or consume for your project with this?

01:07:09.280 --> 01:07:13.880
 Because you know, everybody knows where they are, but you're not sharing it with us.

01:07:13.880 --> 01:07:17.760
 So we can start making plans to do what we have to do.

01:07:17.760 --> 01:07:23.000
 Okay, Mr. Matalock, your time is up, so I'll let you just wrap up here and we'll get some

01:07:23.000 --> 01:07:24.000
 of your questions answered.

01:07:24.000 --> 01:07:25.000
 Oh, I didn't hear, I didn't hear.

01:07:25.000 --> 01:07:26.720
 Yeah, the bell didn't go off.

01:07:26.720 --> 01:07:30.080
 The timer went off a couple of times, but I'm not sure what happened to the bell.

01:07:30.080 --> 01:07:32.560
 So that's why, if you wanted to wrap up real quick.

01:07:32.560 --> 01:07:33.560
 Okay, yeah.

01:07:33.560 --> 01:07:38.720
 Well, the thing that, you know, you said the steering committees and you know, this, the

01:07:38.720 --> 01:07:44.240
 only way that I heard about this meeting and heard about any meetings going forward was

01:07:44.240 --> 01:07:51.160
 I passed by the bridge down here on Robertson Street where you got Ms. Minners and Ms. Carl

01:07:51.160 --> 01:07:59.000
 Pitcher hung up, it was a little teeny-wee side there, and I QR-coded, my son, he QR-coded

01:07:59.000 --> 01:08:00.000
 too.

01:08:00.000 --> 01:08:01.000
 He and I started hashing.

01:08:01.000 --> 01:08:02.000
 What is this?

01:08:02.000 --> 01:08:03.000
 First I heard of it.

01:08:03.000 --> 01:08:10.720
 So would you give us some insights, I mean, bring the people up to date, because you talked

01:08:10.720 --> 01:08:16.680
 to a few people and those people are not a representation of the entire Southeast Indian

01:08:16.680 --> 01:08:17.680
 area.

01:08:17.680 --> 01:08:18.680
 I'm done.

01:08:18.680 --> 01:08:19.680
 Thank you, Mr. Sellers.

01:08:19.680 --> 01:08:25.840
 Julie, I'll have you come up here for just a minute, because I want to get a couple of

01:08:25.840 --> 01:08:30.200
 things kind of straightened out.

01:08:30.200 --> 01:08:33.480
 First of all, there's a steering committee.

01:08:33.480 --> 01:08:39.720
 It is in the plan under acknowledgments of who all of those people were.

01:08:39.720 --> 01:08:43.360
 There was tremendous community engagement for a very long time, and I think you said

01:08:43.360 --> 01:08:52.800
 at the beginning of your presentation, so yeah, if you want to maybe, what page is that?

01:08:52.800 --> 01:08:54.720
 Yeah, page three.

01:08:54.720 --> 01:08:55.720
 Page three.

01:08:55.720 --> 01:08:56.720
 Yeah.

01:08:56.720 --> 01:08:57.720
 Yeah.

01:08:57.720 --> 01:08:59.480
 If we could have the screen back on the...

01:08:59.480 --> 01:09:07.840
 Oh yeah, we can get the eye in the sky gone and do the other.

01:09:07.840 --> 01:09:08.840
 Thank you, Julie.

01:09:08.840 --> 01:09:09.840
 There we go.

01:09:09.840 --> 01:09:10.840
 It's a little small.

01:09:10.840 --> 01:09:11.840
 Yeah, there it is.

01:09:11.840 --> 01:09:15.040
 So it's a little hard to read, but yeah.

01:09:15.040 --> 01:09:23.120
 So the steering committee is listed, and certainly there have been much engagement there.

01:09:23.120 --> 01:09:30.040
 So I think I want to back and just try to clarify what it is that we're discussing.

01:09:30.040 --> 01:09:34.600
 So we're discussing a small area plan for Southeast Indian.

01:09:34.600 --> 01:09:45.360
 So it's not anything that is planned out with specifics of certain development that is happening

01:09:45.360 --> 01:09:48.480
 right now, but what this is is a guiding document.

01:09:48.480 --> 01:09:55.520
 That's what this is, and it's really very well done, very thought out, and it is there

01:09:55.520 --> 01:10:02.560
 to protect, to preserve, and to grow the area the right way through the engagement that

01:10:02.560 --> 01:10:03.800
 has been done.

01:10:03.800 --> 01:10:12.320
 That's what this is, is a guiding document for development and preservation as we go

01:10:12.320 --> 01:10:13.320
 forward.

01:10:13.320 --> 01:10:18.400
 So to answer the other questions, is there county property?

01:10:18.400 --> 01:10:19.400
 And the answer is yes.

01:10:19.400 --> 01:10:20.400
 Yes.

01:10:20.400 --> 01:10:39.600
 Let me get back to the presentation that might get to the future land use map.

01:10:39.600 --> 01:10:45.220
 This property here, there at the intersection of Woodrow and McKinney, there's a large county

01:10:45.220 --> 01:10:51.960
 facility there with courts and the Juvenile Justice Center and the Adult Justice Center,

01:10:51.960 --> 01:10:52.960
 I believe.

01:10:52.960 --> 01:10:54.840
 So they have a lot of facilities there.

01:10:54.840 --> 01:10:59.280
 They have a lot of open land too.

01:10:59.280 --> 01:11:03.600
 Right now, we're not aware of the county moving facilities.

01:11:03.600 --> 01:11:09.760
 The intent of the future land use map was to imagine, this is probably better.

01:11:09.760 --> 01:11:14.700
 Right now, our current future land use map shows that just as a county facility.

01:11:14.700 --> 01:11:21.040
 We wanted to imagine if in 30 years the county decided to move their operations off to the

01:11:21.040 --> 01:11:25.000
 loop or somewhere else, what kind of uses would go there?

01:11:25.000 --> 01:11:35.480
 And so that really was the intent of that new symbology on this proposed Southeast Denton

01:11:35.480 --> 01:11:39.880
 future land use map and to show that right now it's a government facility, but in the

01:11:39.880 --> 01:11:45.360
 future it could be a shopping district or additional housing.

01:11:45.360 --> 01:11:49.800
 So a lot of opportunities there potentially in the future.

01:11:49.800 --> 01:11:52.520
 So it's this large area right here.

01:11:52.520 --> 01:11:56.000
 That's what Shy had pointed out when she was presenting.

01:11:56.000 --> 01:12:02.200
 And so again, like in the guiding document that we're talking about here, so it's county

01:12:02.200 --> 01:12:09.740
 owned now, it's theirs, but if for some reason it's not, it's in the guiding document now

01:12:09.740 --> 01:12:12.760
 what does the neighborhood want it to be?

01:12:12.760 --> 01:12:16.040
 What should it be if it gets developed down the road, if the county decides that they

01:12:16.040 --> 01:12:17.040
 don't want it?

01:12:17.040 --> 01:12:21.600
 We've got something here in place that can guide the future development.

01:12:21.600 --> 01:12:26.960
 Should that be something that comes back to the city that can be developed?

01:12:26.960 --> 01:12:28.760
 Did I explain that properly?

01:12:28.760 --> 01:12:29.760
 Yeah.

01:12:29.760 --> 01:12:30.760
 Okay.

01:12:30.760 --> 01:12:39.040
 I do have, I'm sorry Tina, did you have something to add to that?

01:12:39.040 --> 01:12:44.200
 If you would like to, yeah, go right ahead.

01:12:44.200 --> 01:12:48.000
 So in order to address some of the other comments were made, I want to offer some clarification.

01:12:48.000 --> 01:12:54.720
 So as Julie pointed out, one of the reasons why city council directed us to do this project

01:12:54.720 --> 01:13:01.840
 is that we realize that the city as an organization's relationship with the residents of Southeast

01:13:01.840 --> 01:13:05.860
 Denton in the past has been very challenged, right?

01:13:05.860 --> 01:13:10.520
 When you think about the events of 100 years ago when the city itself as an organization

01:13:10.520 --> 01:13:16.640
 forced the relocation of the prominent African-American community in Quaker town to Southeast Denton,

01:13:16.640 --> 01:13:20.640
 we know that those stories have been passed down generation upon generation as if those

01:13:20.640 --> 01:13:23.300
 events just happened here recently.

01:13:23.300 --> 01:13:28.560
 So the city made the commitment that yes, we need to do this community plan and hear

01:13:28.560 --> 01:13:33.360
 from the community as to what people who live within the community today, what they want

01:13:33.360 --> 01:13:37.320
 for themselves as they continue to reside in the community, as well as persons who may

01:13:37.320 --> 01:13:40.080
 want to move into Southeast Denton.

01:13:40.080 --> 01:13:43.600
 The comments with respect to regarding the infrastructure being made, that the infrastructure

01:13:43.600 --> 01:13:48.680
 is being made for future residents, we the city have a responsibility to maintain our

01:13:48.680 --> 01:13:53.040
 infrastructure for all residents within the community, regardless of where you reside

01:13:53.040 --> 01:13:54.620
 within the community.

01:13:54.620 --> 01:13:58.360
 We have been behind on delivering on our infrastructure projects.

01:13:58.360 --> 01:14:02.860
 Our capital projects team has been working very diligently to get all of our projects

01:14:02.860 --> 01:14:07.340
 from our past bond programs that residents like yourself have supported so that we can

01:14:07.340 --> 01:14:09.640
 get those improvements done.

01:14:09.640 --> 01:14:12.740
 One of the things you'll find in the document and we learned this about the community is

01:14:12.740 --> 01:14:18.120
 many times people think of Southeast Denton as being an area of our community where we

01:14:18.120 --> 01:14:23.920
 have many elderly people that are living and that we're not doing things for them.

01:14:23.920 --> 01:14:29.520
 When we look at the demographics of the Southeast Denton community, what we learned is 64% of

01:14:29.520 --> 01:14:34.080
 the residents who live in the Southeast Denton area are under the age of 40.

01:14:34.080 --> 01:14:37.580
 The Southeast Denton community is also a very young community.

01:14:37.580 --> 01:14:41.000
 So when we're making infrastructure improvements and we're talking about what the community

01:14:41.000 --> 01:14:47.180
 wants for itself longer term, we're also hearing from people that are in the younger age categories

01:14:47.180 --> 01:14:51.120
 that are wanting to continue to live in Southeast Denton and wanting to have nice things being

01:14:51.120 --> 01:14:53.720
 built for them within their community.

01:14:53.720 --> 01:14:57.520
 So that's another reason why we do the infrastructure improvements.

01:14:57.520 --> 01:15:02.000
 That's another reason why we talk to the community and find out, you know, where -- what kind

01:15:02.000 --> 01:15:06.000
 of improvements do you want to be made that we, the city, have the ability to influence

01:15:06.000 --> 01:15:07.760
 and be able to deliver.

01:15:07.760 --> 01:15:11.960
 Julie shared the slide that showed, you know, intersections where people need to have the

01:15:11.960 --> 01:15:14.680
 opportunity to have safer connections there.

01:15:14.680 --> 01:15:19.960
 You know, we tried to make sure that we put infrastructure in place that is safe for all

01:15:19.960 --> 01:15:23.560
 users regardless of what your age is.

01:15:23.560 --> 01:15:28.380
 Whether you're 8 years old or 80 years old, we want to ensure that we deliver safe infrastructure

01:15:28.380 --> 01:15:32.460
 and we do those infrastructure -- or that we do those intersection improvements.

01:15:32.460 --> 01:15:36.440
 We know that we have missing sidewalks within the Southeast Denton community.

01:15:36.440 --> 01:15:41.200
 We heard from the community a need to complete the sidewalks and provide those safer connections

01:15:41.200 --> 01:15:43.880
 for people who reside within the community.

01:15:43.880 --> 01:15:48.280
 That's why we have recommendations related to that and with the infrastructure.

01:15:48.280 --> 01:15:53.960
 The -- you know, so I know, you know, the comment was made that there's concerns regarding

01:15:53.960 --> 01:15:56.000
 this plan as invisible ink.

01:15:56.000 --> 01:16:00.840
 And so to help educate you all, you know, one of the reasons why we do these plans is

01:16:00.840 --> 01:16:07.120
 so that these plans get adopted and they provide the action items for us to begin working on.

01:16:07.120 --> 01:16:11.800
 We have to work with the community first to understand what the community wants in terms

01:16:11.800 --> 01:16:16.360
 of their vision for their community, their descendants, for their friends who may want

01:16:16.360 --> 01:16:19.280
 to move within to the neighborhood and be part of the community.

01:16:19.280 --> 01:16:23.120
 But we have to figure out what that community's vision is for the next 15 to 20 years.

01:16:23.120 --> 01:16:28.200
 And then we figure out what are the goals that we're trying to aspire to achieve.

01:16:28.200 --> 01:16:30.400
 And then we put action items in place.

01:16:30.400 --> 01:16:34.000
 So that's why this plan document, if you've had an opportunity to look at the hard copies

01:16:34.000 --> 01:16:38.520
 that are being passed around, have a series of action items that are within it.

01:16:38.520 --> 01:16:42.460
 The acronyms that are included within there that was spoken to.

01:16:42.460 --> 01:16:47.320
 So one of the things that this plan does, it focuses on what actions that we as a public

01:16:47.320 --> 01:16:52.560
 agency can take and to be able to help influence the delivering on those action items.

01:16:52.560 --> 01:16:56.960
 We've also identified partners because we realize there are some other agencies out

01:16:56.960 --> 01:17:02.180
 there that maybe can achieve the action item much better than what we, the city, can.

01:17:02.180 --> 01:17:05.820
 So how can we leverage those partnerships to be able to have the successful entities

01:17:05.820 --> 01:17:08.180
 being able to deliver what they do best?

01:17:08.180 --> 01:17:13.720
 So that's why when you see those acronyms in there, it's to be able to help identify

01:17:13.720 --> 01:17:17.760
 where those partners are because we know we, the city, cannot do it all.

01:17:17.760 --> 01:17:19.960
 The concern regarding property values.

01:17:19.960 --> 01:17:22.600
 We know that that's a concern of the residents.

01:17:22.600 --> 01:17:28.880
 One of the action items, and I think Mitchell had spoken to it, was with respect to working

01:17:28.880 --> 01:17:33.440
 with the central appraisal district to ensure that equitable property assessments are being

01:17:33.440 --> 01:17:34.440
 done.

01:17:34.440 --> 01:17:38.240
 Because we've heard from the community that my property values continue to increase, but

01:17:38.240 --> 01:17:39.840
 yet I've done nothing to my home.

01:17:39.840 --> 01:17:41.480
 I haven't moved one brick on my home.

01:17:41.480 --> 01:17:47.160
 I haven't made one improvement on the interior, but my property values continue to increase.

01:17:47.160 --> 01:17:49.440
 That's the situation all throughout Denton.

01:17:49.440 --> 01:17:53.560
 People are not able to make improvements to their home, yet their property values still

01:17:53.560 --> 01:17:54.680
 increase.

01:17:54.680 --> 01:17:58.960
 So one of the things that we want to work with the central appraisal district is that

01:17:58.960 --> 01:18:03.600
 when they are assessing properties, that they are actually putting eyes on the property,

01:18:03.600 --> 01:18:08.920
 but also being able to help educate the residents in getting you connected with programs to

01:18:08.920 --> 01:18:14.600
 be able to address and learn how you can appeal that appraisal of your property.

01:18:14.600 --> 01:18:19.520
 And so we looked at this from a holistic approach on what strategies that we can put in place

01:18:19.520 --> 01:18:21.560
 to be able to help the community.

01:18:21.560 --> 01:18:26.200
 I know comments were made regarding future development happening within southeast Denton.

01:18:26.200 --> 01:18:31.280
 One of the challenges, an opportunity and a threat within southeast Denton is the vacant

01:18:31.280 --> 01:18:33.000
 land that is there.

01:18:33.000 --> 01:18:38.520
 We know that property owners today may choose to sell their property and that is their decision.

01:18:38.520 --> 01:18:43.840
 Texas is a very property right state, so as residents within our community, you have the

01:18:43.840 --> 01:18:47.160
 ultimate say as to what you choose to do with your property, whether you choose to keep

01:18:47.160 --> 01:18:49.280
 it or you choose to sell it.

01:18:49.280 --> 01:18:53.840
 But one of the things we've heard from residents through all of the engagement that we've done

01:18:53.840 --> 01:18:57.840
 and all of the comments that we have received from residents within the southeast Denton

01:18:57.840 --> 01:19:02.760
 is people are very interested in staying in their homes and protecting the character of

01:19:02.760 --> 01:19:05.040
 their single family residential neighborhoods.

01:19:05.040 --> 01:19:10.640
 So the actions that we've put forth in this plan are designed towards what can we do in

01:19:10.640 --> 01:19:14.680
 actions that we can take to preserve the existing character of the neighborhood.

01:19:14.680 --> 01:19:18.720
 If the neighborhood is desiring all two story homes that are built of a certain architectural

01:19:18.720 --> 01:19:23.400
 style that's comparable to the architectural styles that exist within their neighborhoods,

01:19:23.400 --> 01:19:27.860
 then us, the city, being able to work with the neighborhood to put design requirements

01:19:27.860 --> 01:19:32.400
 in place so that whether you tear down your home and build a new home or you sell your

01:19:32.400 --> 01:19:36.720
 property to somebody else who decides to build a new home or you own a vacant lot and you

01:19:36.720 --> 01:19:41.400
 sell it to somebody who decides to build a new home, that that new home is built where

01:19:41.400 --> 01:19:45.320
 it fits in with the existing neighborhood fabric that's there and the existing neighborhood

01:19:45.320 --> 01:19:47.620
 character that's there today.

01:19:47.620 --> 01:19:53.000
 So when we talk about this plan is based upon what we've heard from the community and all

01:19:53.000 --> 01:19:58.680
 of our engagement efforts, it truly is and we're happy to visit with anybody and entertain

01:19:58.680 --> 01:20:04.160
 any more questions about it, but I know tonight's presentation is a high level summary of all

01:20:04.160 --> 01:20:05.760
 of the work that's been done.

01:20:05.760 --> 01:20:10.440
 I can assure you, Mitchell addressed all the public engagement events that we've done.

01:20:10.440 --> 01:20:15.080
 Our team has gone to Martin Luther King Center.

01:20:15.080 --> 01:20:16.560
 We've been to the American Legion.

01:20:16.560 --> 01:20:21.160
 We've done listening surveys where we've invited people within the community to come

01:20:21.160 --> 01:20:25.320
 and listen so that we can come and hear what you have to say.

01:20:25.320 --> 01:20:28.860
 We've utilized the steering committee who are representatives within Southeast Denton

01:20:28.860 --> 01:20:31.200
 to be able to help get the word out.

01:20:31.200 --> 01:20:32.920
 We've done traditional workshops.

01:20:32.920 --> 01:20:40.680
 We've also gone to restaurants and I told Julie and Mia and Shai, they've gone to restaurants

01:20:40.680 --> 01:20:45.920
 where people frequent in the Southeast Denton community and asking them in the 100 degree

01:20:45.920 --> 01:20:48.120
 heat, can we ask you a few questions?

01:20:48.120 --> 01:20:51.080
 We'd like to share some information with you to be able to get that feedback.

01:20:51.080 --> 01:20:55.280
 We've truly tried to go to the community, but also building relationships with the community.

01:20:55.280 --> 01:20:58.840
 We've provided updates with the Southeast Denton Neighborhood Association.

01:20:58.840 --> 01:21:03.620
 If you're involved with that, I know Ms. Collette leads those meetings monthly and has been

01:21:03.620 --> 01:21:10.760
 gracious with the Neighborhood Association's time in allowing us to be able to have the

01:21:10.760 --> 01:21:16.040
 opportunity to present to the neighborhood and update them on where we are on the project.

01:21:16.040 --> 01:21:20.300
 For those of you that are hearing about this for the first time, my apologies.

01:21:20.300 --> 01:21:24.080
 Would love to educate you more on what we've done and what we would like to do moving forward

01:21:24.080 --> 01:21:28.600
 with the community, but know that we've done an extensive amount of public engagement in

01:21:28.600 --> 01:21:32.360
 order to be able to ask the community what is it that you want for your neighborhood

01:21:32.360 --> 01:21:37.440
 for the next 15 to 20 years so that we can put a plan in place and have that ink in the

01:21:37.440 --> 01:21:42.600
 adopted plan so that it's not invisible, but to provide us that path for moving forward

01:21:42.600 --> 01:21:47.480
 as we implement the action items that we've heard from the community that they want.

01:21:47.480 --> 01:21:50.880
 Thank you, Tina.

01:21:50.880 --> 01:21:53.000
 I've got another card here to speak.

01:21:53.000 --> 01:21:54.680
 Charles Lee.

01:21:54.680 --> 01:22:00.200
 Good evening, if you'll give us your name and your time will begin.

01:22:00.200 --> 01:22:05.680
 Yes, my name is Charles Patrick Lee, and I just want to say this is really not going

01:22:05.680 --> 01:22:12.280
 to address the issue at all because the problem here, this is happening all over the country.

01:22:12.280 --> 01:22:14.480
 The problem is that's one of the reasons I'm not from here.

01:22:14.480 --> 01:22:21.440
 I'm from New Jersey, but it's happening all over the country because what it is, it's

01:22:21.440 --> 01:22:26.360
 really the federal government's problem because they're not balancing a budget and they keep

01:22:26.360 --> 01:22:31.400
 printing endless money, and that's why you have this gentleman over here is talking about

01:22:31.400 --> 01:22:36.580
 he bought a house for $100,000 and now it costs $300,000 because that's how much the

01:22:36.580 --> 01:22:42.260
 dollar has fallen in value, and it's going to keep falling in value until somebody in

01:22:42.260 --> 01:22:45.140
 Washington starts balancing a budget.

01:22:45.140 --> 01:22:49.620
 You guys stop spending all this money because all you're doing is spending more money and

01:22:49.620 --> 01:22:54.500
 people have to get more and more taxed, and it's just going to drive down property values.

01:22:54.500 --> 01:23:00.400
 I mean, it's just going to keep property values going up until nobody can pay it, and that's

01:23:00.400 --> 01:23:04.720
 what's going down because that's why I moved to Texas because I couldn't afford New Jersey

01:23:04.720 --> 01:23:05.720
 anymore.

01:23:05.720 --> 01:23:13.240
 The house my father brought maybe back in 1977 for maybe $85,000, it's going up over

01:23:13.240 --> 01:23:15.520
 a million dollars now in New Jersey.

01:23:15.520 --> 01:23:19.840
 So I got displaced, that's why I came to Texas because everything's more affordable.

01:23:19.840 --> 01:23:24.360
 And he's talking about a $300,000 house, I could barely afford that, and it's just going

01:23:24.360 --> 01:23:30.120
 to keep going, and you talk about this plan, this plan's not going to do anything.

01:23:30.120 --> 01:23:34.160
 The price is just going to keep going, going on up because the country's bankrupt because

01:23:34.160 --> 01:23:39.520
 nobody in Washington or anybody wants to live between their means and everybody's just spending

01:23:39.520 --> 01:23:45.480
 money recklessly and nobody wants to balance the budget, the budget hasn't been balanced

01:23:45.480 --> 01:23:50.440
 in Washington, I don't know since what, decades.

01:23:50.440 --> 01:23:56.360
 It's just more inflation on top of inflation, on top of inflation that's going to raise

01:23:56.360 --> 01:24:03.880
 the prices of everything up until everybody's bankrupt, and that's all I got to say.

01:24:03.880 --> 01:24:07.080
 I don't have any more cards in front of me, but this is a public hearing.

01:24:07.080 --> 01:24:11.240
 Is there anyone else wishing to speak?

01:24:11.240 --> 01:24:12.240
 This is Mitchell.

01:24:12.240 --> 01:24:13.240
 I'm sorry.

01:24:13.240 --> 01:24:15.080
 Hi Mitchell.

01:24:15.080 --> 01:24:20.000
 I first want to just thank Tina for her remarks.

01:24:20.000 --> 01:24:24.080
 Just want to add that I do this work all over the country, and I want to thank personally

01:24:24.080 --> 01:24:28.040
 the City of Denton for having the courage to do this work.

01:24:28.040 --> 01:24:32.480
 There's no question that as we listen to the community for over a year, and as I stated

01:24:32.480 --> 01:24:37.440
 these were some very uncomfortable conversations, those in the hearing room should know that

01:24:37.440 --> 01:24:39.920
 we listened and we listened carefully.

01:24:39.920 --> 01:24:45.320
 It wasn't just about addressing past harm, it was also about preventing future harm,

01:24:45.320 --> 01:24:47.480
 and so this plan does that.

01:24:47.480 --> 01:24:53.860
 It gives the policies and the actions to acknowledge what happened in the past, but also have policies

01:24:53.860 --> 01:24:57.040
 that really give protection and a path forward.

01:24:57.040 --> 01:25:02.000
 So again, just to put things in context, most cities around the country don't do this, and

01:25:02.000 --> 01:25:04.600
 so I just want to commend the City of Denton.

01:25:04.600 --> 01:25:10.040
 And the residents should understand that this is really important work being done, and very

01:25:10.040 --> 01:25:14.880
 proud that the stakeholders committee and the steering committee involved also endorsed

01:25:14.880 --> 01:25:19.280
 this plan because they were very intimate, very engaged with every aspect of this planning

01:25:19.280 --> 01:25:25.240
 process and ensured that we listened to the voices who came to meetings, but also all

01:25:25.240 --> 01:25:29.620
 the various intercepts to make sure as many voices were heard to help shape the future

01:25:29.620 --> 01:25:32.040
 of Southeast Denton.

01:25:32.040 --> 01:25:33.040
 Thank you, Mitchell.

01:25:33.040 --> 01:25:34.040
 Appreciate that.

01:25:34.040 --> 01:25:37.040
 Madam, did you want to come up and speak?

01:25:37.040 --> 01:25:40.040
 I'll just ask you a question.

01:25:40.040 --> 01:25:41.040
 Oh, come on up.

01:25:41.040 --> 01:25:42.040
 I'll call you up next.

01:25:42.040 --> 01:25:43.040
 Yeah, come on up.

01:25:43.040 --> 01:25:44.040
 My name is Karen Thomas.

01:25:44.040 --> 01:25:45.040
 Can you speak in microphone?

01:25:45.040 --> 01:25:46.040
 My name is Karen Thomas, 1212 McDonnell Drive.

01:25:46.040 --> 01:25:47.040
 I have a question about how much land Southeast Denton is losing in all of this?

01:25:47.040 --> 01:26:08.080
 There are some hash dotted lines going around and some, I would assume those are proposed

01:26:08.080 --> 01:26:17.720
 changes to draw the solid black line in.

01:26:17.720 --> 01:26:23.960
 I want to know when the city stopped working on all of these sidewalks that haven't been

01:26:23.960 --> 01:26:29.740
 completed, and where do all the Southeast Denton residents eat?

01:26:29.740 --> 01:26:39.040
 I'm also wondering about this new complex that seems to be going up when you're driving

01:26:39.040 --> 01:26:46.280
 down Duncan and you're going on to Lakey all the way down the street.

01:26:46.280 --> 01:26:47.920
 It used to be a church.

01:26:47.920 --> 01:26:54.000
 Now it's going to be some complex.

01:26:54.000 --> 01:26:59.040
 Then how much is the rent on those apartments going to be?

01:26:59.040 --> 01:27:00.040
 I don't know.

01:27:00.040 --> 01:27:01.040
 That's it.

01:27:01.040 --> 01:27:02.040
 That's it.

01:27:02.040 --> 01:27:03.040
 Thank you.

01:27:03.040 --> 01:27:04.040
 Julie, I'll bring you up.

01:27:04.040 --> 01:27:11.520
 Just the first question, Thomas had, land we're losing, so there's no land being lost.

01:27:11.520 --> 01:27:17.800
 This is, again, a plan where an area has been drawn to consider it Southeast Denton, so

01:27:17.800 --> 01:27:20.080
 I'll have you elaborate on that if you could, please.

01:27:20.080 --> 01:27:21.080
 Correct.

01:27:21.080 --> 01:27:25.720
 We started out this planning process with a conceptual boundary, and that's that McKinney

01:27:25.720 --> 01:27:31.560
 to Woodrow, Shady Oaks, Dallas Drive, and then Bell.

01:27:31.560 --> 01:27:36.520
 We talked to the community about what the community thinks of when they think of Southeast

01:27:36.520 --> 01:27:39.360
 Denton and where is that?

01:27:39.360 --> 01:27:44.520
 It was an iterative process that we started with the visioning, so we actually had community

01:27:44.520 --> 01:27:52.040
 members just really draw, and then we took those maps and we amalgamated them to create

01:27:52.040 --> 01:27:57.960
 some conceptual maps about what the other community members would think is Southeast

01:27:57.960 --> 01:28:03.760
 Denton, and then we went back to the community with those maps and had the community vote.

01:28:03.760 --> 01:28:13.560
 Really that's how we ended at this core boundary of that 600 acres within the transition area,

01:28:13.560 --> 01:28:20.640
 which is the Hatchmark, and really that transition area is intended to ensure that any development

01:28:20.640 --> 01:28:25.640
 would be sensitive to the needs and the goals and the vision of Southeast Denton, so it

01:28:25.640 --> 01:28:30.600
 doesn't pull anything out of Southeast Denton, it really is expanding that area kind of influence

01:28:30.600 --> 01:28:32.120
 of Southeast Denton.

01:28:32.120 --> 01:28:34.480
 Thank you.

01:28:34.480 --> 01:28:39.000
 I don't know anything about the Duncan and Lakey thing, and if you don't, maybe you can

01:28:39.000 --> 01:28:41.720
 just get with her off.

01:28:41.720 --> 01:28:47.880
 I believe that is that rail yard multifamily project that's being constructed along Sycamore.

01:28:47.880 --> 01:28:53.480
 Okay, and maybe if she wants specifics, you all can exchange information that way.

01:28:53.480 --> 01:28:54.480
 Thank you, Julie.

01:28:54.480 --> 01:28:57.160
 Ma'am, you wanted to come down and speak?

01:28:57.160 --> 01:29:02.600
 Hi, if you'll give us your name, your time will begin.

01:29:02.600 --> 01:29:03.600
 Elle Autry.

01:29:03.600 --> 01:29:09.440
 I pay rent at 1008 Scott in Southeast Denton.

01:29:09.440 --> 01:29:16.740
 So in the mail out that I got, it says Southeast Denton area plan, I have a question.

01:29:16.740 --> 01:29:25.560
 Can future city councils then opt to have then make their own plan or disregard that

01:29:25.560 --> 01:29:30.900
 which y'all have worked on in so much as time and effort has went into?

01:29:30.900 --> 01:29:35.120
 So that's my forward thinking, and could anyone speak to that?

01:29:35.120 --> 01:29:37.520
 Possibly the ladies who were on earlier.

01:29:37.520 --> 01:29:38.520
 Thank you.

01:29:38.520 --> 01:29:39.520
 Thank you.

01:29:39.520 --> 01:29:44.300
 Yeah, I'll have Julie or Tina speak on that, but basically if this plan gets adopted by

01:29:44.300 --> 01:29:51.560
 city council, I mean it will become part of our development code.

01:29:51.560 --> 01:29:55.440
 This will be part of that document.

01:29:55.440 --> 01:29:58.980
 So no, it cannot be changed, but I'll let you elaborate.

01:29:58.980 --> 01:30:02.480
 So and maybe a little bit of planning education here also.

01:30:02.480 --> 01:30:06.320
 So I know some had spoken to the Denton 2040 comprehensive plan.

01:30:06.320 --> 01:30:13.840
 So that's the city's plan that we've adopted that helps guide the city with future decisions

01:30:13.840 --> 01:30:20.160
 related to how land is used within the community, infrastructure investments, and also where

01:30:20.160 --> 01:30:25.520
 we invest in our public facilities, where we lay out the type of housing that's desired

01:30:25.520 --> 01:30:29.600
 within the community, address transportation issues, things of greater needs.

01:30:29.600 --> 01:30:32.600
 But think of it as a 30,000 level plan.

01:30:32.600 --> 01:30:36.280
 When we do this area plan like the Southeast Denton plan, that allows us to be more boots

01:30:36.280 --> 01:30:41.440
 on the ground, study the area in much greater detail to put that plan in place, to have

01:30:41.440 --> 01:30:45.480
 refined recommendations based upon the community's feedback that we've heard.

01:30:45.480 --> 01:30:50.440
 Because again, this plan reflects all of the feedback that we've received from the community.

01:30:50.440 --> 01:30:52.480
 Can this plan be amended in the future?

01:30:52.480 --> 01:30:54.880
 Yes, technically it can be.

01:30:54.880 --> 01:30:58.960
 If we are to amend this plan, we would go through a similar public engagement process

01:30:58.960 --> 01:31:03.400
 so that we could engage the community and hear from the community what's working well,

01:31:03.400 --> 01:31:09.080
 what needs to be changed, and be able to communicate that to council.

01:31:09.080 --> 01:31:15.680
 If we were to receive a request from a property owner or developer to rezone property within

01:31:15.680 --> 01:31:20.320
 the boundaries of the Southeast Denton plan, we would look to the plan and see what does

01:31:20.320 --> 01:31:22.280
 the plan recommend for the property.

01:31:22.280 --> 01:31:25.800
 Is what's being requested and proposed by the property owner, the developer, consistent

01:31:25.800 --> 01:31:27.080
 with that plan?

01:31:27.080 --> 01:31:30.800
 If it is, then we're going to tell the Planning and Zoning Commission and subsequent city

01:31:30.800 --> 01:31:36.240
 council that this request to develop this property is consistent with the plan.

01:31:36.240 --> 01:31:40.000
 Or if it's not, we tell them it's not consistent with the plan.

01:31:40.000 --> 01:31:44.760
 Staff's recommendations for future development activities that may occur in Southeast Denton

01:31:44.760 --> 01:31:48.320
 are going to be based on the Southeast Denton area plan.

01:31:48.320 --> 01:31:52.880
 Because again, we've done this finer review and engagement with the community to understand

01:31:52.880 --> 01:31:56.960
 what the community wants, where it is truly a community-based plan.

01:31:56.960 --> 01:31:59.680
 But it's, you know, technically can that plan be changed?

01:31:59.680 --> 01:32:03.260
 Yes, but it has to go through a similar process of like what we're doing tonight where we're

01:32:03.260 --> 01:32:08.740
 engaging the community, we're doing public notification, and then we are explaining why

01:32:08.740 --> 01:32:11.400
 it's appropriate to make these changes or not.

01:32:11.400 --> 01:32:13.680
 Thank you, Tina.

01:32:13.680 --> 01:32:15.700
 Commissioner Pridger, I know you've been in the queue for a minute.

01:32:15.700 --> 01:32:18.160
 Did you want to talk before the public hearing?

01:32:18.160 --> 01:32:19.160
 Yes.

01:32:19.160 --> 01:32:23.400
 So hearing from the members of the public about the steering committee in particular,

01:32:23.400 --> 01:32:28.120
 could staff give just a little insight on how the committee was developed?

01:32:28.120 --> 01:32:29.680
 Sure.

01:32:29.680 --> 01:32:31.440
 Absolutely.

01:32:31.440 --> 01:32:36.880
 So we asked the Planning and Zoning Commission members, we asked City Council, we talked

01:32:36.880 --> 01:32:41.200
 to community members, and those names were nominated.

01:32:41.200 --> 01:32:46.280
 And then we talked to those, looked for those community leaders as well as getting those

01:32:46.280 --> 01:32:52.480
 recommendations from P&Z and City Council for those positions in the steering committee.

01:32:52.480 --> 01:32:57.480
 And I guess if we could add to that, maybe Julie, if you could put up that list of members

01:32:57.480 --> 01:33:03.600
 and then be able to help people within the audience understand the categories that they're

01:33:03.600 --> 01:33:08.000
 represented, why we worked with selecting those individuals and ultimately that they

01:33:08.000 --> 01:33:09.320
 were appointed by City Council.

01:33:09.320 --> 01:33:10.320
 Sure.

01:33:10.320 --> 01:33:11.320
 Yes.

01:33:11.320 --> 01:33:17.920
 So at the outset, we looked at different categories that we wanted, that we felt were appropriate

01:33:17.920 --> 01:33:22.120
 for the steering committee, that we are looking for people to fill.

01:33:22.120 --> 01:33:27.640
 Things like resident under 40 years of age, to get that younger feedback, faith leader,

01:33:27.640 --> 01:33:31.720
 property owner, business owner, housing advocate.

01:33:31.720 --> 01:33:34.920
 Housing was something that was important, so we wanted somebody who was involved in

01:33:34.920 --> 01:33:38.320
 housing, LULAC member.

01:33:38.320 --> 01:33:44.620
 We had, because of the well-loved parks within Southeast Denton, we wanted to have a parks

01:33:44.620 --> 01:33:47.820
 board member, and that was Francis.

01:33:47.820 --> 01:33:49.760
 And then we just looked at some residents.

01:33:49.760 --> 01:33:52.020
 So we had also just a couple of residents.

01:33:52.020 --> 01:33:58.920
 So tried to have a broad slate of categories to really represent different stakeholder

01:33:58.920 --> 01:34:08.380
 groups within Southeast Denton and to provide that validation to make sure, give us feedback

01:34:08.380 --> 01:34:10.360
 on any parts of the plan.

01:34:10.360 --> 01:34:15.760
 So the steering committee met four times during the year.

01:34:15.760 --> 01:34:22.520
 That first time, they heard what we heard or what the project team heard at those listening

01:34:22.520 --> 01:34:23.520
 sessions.

01:34:23.520 --> 01:34:26.800
 And those were those really hard conversations that Mitchell was talking about.

01:34:26.800 --> 01:34:31.960
 And in fact, the city wasn't even in the first set of listening sessions because we wanted

01:34:31.960 --> 01:34:39.880
 the community members to be as frank and open and honest with the project team as possible.

01:34:39.880 --> 01:34:44.820
 So the steering committee validated what we heard.

01:34:44.820 --> 01:34:47.440
 They said, "This is what we've heard from the community."

01:34:47.440 --> 01:34:51.280
 They said, "Yes, that's right," or "No, that's not right."

01:34:51.280 --> 01:34:55.160
 And then we went back to them after the visioning and said, "Okay, this is what we've heard

01:34:55.160 --> 01:34:58.200
 in terms of the vision statement and the goals.

01:34:58.200 --> 01:34:59.200
 Is that accurate?

01:34:59.200 --> 01:35:00.800
 Is that what you're hearing?"

01:35:00.800 --> 01:35:05.400
 We talked to the steering committee about the existing conditions, made sure that we

01:35:05.400 --> 01:35:09.080
 were on the right track and that we were capturing the right data.

01:35:09.080 --> 01:35:14.900
 And then ultimately we talked to them about the strategies and those implementation tasks.

01:35:14.900 --> 01:35:23.040
 So throughout it, we really touched them several times during the year to make sure that we

01:35:23.040 --> 01:35:29.440
 were approaching it in a way that they thought was appropriate and was consistent with the

01:35:29.440 --> 01:35:36.200
 goals of the residents of Southeastern.

01:35:36.200 --> 01:35:39.560
 So just for clarity, when it says resident under the age of 40 or property owner, it's

01:35:39.560 --> 01:35:43.280
 specific to a resident or property owner within Southeast Denton?

01:35:43.280 --> 01:35:44.280
 Yes.

01:35:44.280 --> 01:35:45.280
 Yes.

01:35:45.280 --> 01:35:46.280
 Okay.

01:35:46.280 --> 01:35:47.280
 That's what that person is.

01:35:47.280 --> 01:35:48.280
 Yes.

01:35:48.280 --> 01:35:49.280
 Yeah.

01:35:49.280 --> 01:35:50.280
 Okay.

01:35:50.280 --> 01:35:51.280
 Thank you.

01:35:51.280 --> 01:35:52.280
 Thank you.

01:35:52.280 --> 01:35:53.280
 Thanks, Julie.

01:35:53.280 --> 01:35:54.280
 This is a public hearing.

01:35:54.280 --> 01:35:55.280
 I don't have any other cards.

01:35:55.280 --> 01:35:56.280
 Is there anyone else here wishing to speak who has not already?

01:35:56.280 --> 01:35:57.280
 Yeah.

01:35:57.280 --> 01:35:58.280
 Come on down.

01:35:58.280 --> 01:36:09.880
 Hi, if you'll give us your name, your time will begin.

01:36:09.880 --> 01:36:10.880
 Hello.

01:36:10.880 --> 01:36:11.880
 How y'all doing?

01:36:11.880 --> 01:36:14.360
 My name is Steven Richard, resident 1106 Moore Street.

01:36:14.360 --> 01:36:18.920
 I guess my biggest question is just the communications and the transparency about this, because I'm

01:36:18.920 --> 01:36:23.120
 one of those individuals who just recently found out about this as well, been a member

01:36:23.120 --> 01:36:28.840
 of Southeast Denton, a resident of Southeast Denton for 20 something years now, right?

01:36:28.840 --> 01:36:32.120
 And no, I'm not always the most engaged in what's going on with my community, but still

01:36:32.120 --> 01:36:38.000
 feel like I have a pretty decent finger on the pulse to kind of get what's going on.

01:36:38.000 --> 01:36:40.960
 I guess the concern with me is that it was stated that there were restaurants, we were

01:36:40.960 --> 01:36:43.160
 at restaurants, we really don't have any restaurants in Southeast Denton.

01:36:43.160 --> 01:36:47.360
 I mean, so I don't know what restaurants we were at or when these meetings were taking

01:36:47.360 --> 01:36:48.360
 place.

01:36:48.360 --> 01:36:49.360
 I'm sorry?

01:36:49.360 --> 01:36:50.360
 Clarice.

01:36:50.360 --> 01:36:53.840
 Clarice, okay.

01:36:53.840 --> 01:36:58.040
 And then I guess, and from that right there, I guess the communication that went out, that

01:36:58.040 --> 01:37:01.800
 was cascaded to everybody in the community to let them know, "Hey, we're having a meeting

01:37:01.800 --> 01:37:06.640
 at Clarice about engaged in or discussed in regarding your neighborhood, regarding what's

01:37:06.640 --> 01:37:11.120
 going to happen or the future developments of our neighborhood."

01:37:11.120 --> 01:37:14.560
 Communications like that, I mean, I'm pretty avid, stick to my mail, you know, bills come

01:37:14.560 --> 01:37:15.560
 in.

01:37:15.560 --> 01:37:18.920
 Really didn't see anything like that in the mail, like I said, like my father said.

01:37:18.920 --> 01:37:22.760
 We saw that sign right there on Robertson Street in Bell and it was like, "Wow, what's

01:37:22.760 --> 01:37:23.760
 going on?

01:37:23.760 --> 01:37:24.760
 This is a small little sign."

01:37:24.760 --> 01:37:29.120
 I feel like if you want to have a really good communication and get a full scope of everybody

01:37:29.120 --> 01:37:32.440
 in the community, go to the churches.

01:37:32.440 --> 01:37:36.480
 Nobody went to the churches, nobody was at a barber shop, nobody went to a beauty shop,

01:37:36.480 --> 01:37:41.840
 nobody went to any of those places that really have a solid finger and a solid pulse of our

01:37:41.840 --> 01:37:44.160
 neighborhood where we go and talk.

01:37:44.160 --> 01:37:45.160
 Anybody knows that.

01:37:45.160 --> 01:37:48.900
 You want to go, you want to get some information out, go to the church.

01:37:48.900 --> 01:37:49.900
 It didn't happen.

01:37:49.900 --> 01:37:53.800
 I mean, I wasn't really, I wasn't in town for the Juneteenth celebrations, but I don't

01:37:53.800 --> 01:37:57.440
 know if anybody was down at Juneteenth celebrations.

01:37:57.440 --> 01:38:02.280
 Those are the things that I'm saying, like I don't, yeah, I know a few of those individuals

01:38:02.280 --> 01:38:07.500
 up there, but all those individuals don't represent the greater, the greater Southeast

01:38:07.500 --> 01:38:08.500
 end.

01:38:08.500 --> 01:38:11.000
 There's still a lot of people that aren't represented or there's still a lot of demographics

01:38:11.000 --> 01:38:14.360
 that aren't represented on that from those group of people.

01:38:14.360 --> 01:38:18.880
 And if those meetings were occurring, it would just be nice to know when those are occurring.

01:38:18.880 --> 01:38:22.360
 So then we can all participate because this is important.

01:38:22.360 --> 01:38:25.960
 Like some of these individuals, like Mr. Magda, like he said, he's, he's in his sixties and

01:38:25.960 --> 01:38:29.840
 this plan is going to go over for the next, you know, 10, 15 years.

01:38:29.840 --> 01:38:32.840
 He might, he might not, he might not be able to be here for that, for those things, or

01:38:32.840 --> 01:38:36.800
 he might not be able to be vocal for that, but somebody like myself or the younger generations,

01:38:36.800 --> 01:38:41.400
 we can, but it's hard to be a participant of those things if we're not aware of them.

01:38:41.400 --> 01:38:42.400
 And that's just my thing.

01:38:42.400 --> 01:38:45.920
 If we can just get transparency and get a little bit better communication, open communication

01:38:45.920 --> 01:38:51.640
 with this, I think that would be fantastic.

01:38:51.640 --> 01:38:52.640
 Thank you.

01:38:52.640 --> 01:38:57.800
 And I will let staff speak to that because I believe they were much more engaged than

01:38:57.800 --> 01:39:02.680
 you have any idea and I'm going to let them tell them so you can understand it.

01:39:02.680 --> 01:39:05.280
 And I'm sorry that I'm thrilled you're here.

01:39:05.280 --> 01:39:09.120
 I'm sorry that it is just today that you've heard about this, but I'm going to let them

01:39:09.120 --> 01:39:14.300
 speak to all the places that they've been and, and, and this is not something that, that,

01:39:14.300 --> 01:39:15.960
 that was just this steering committee.

01:39:15.960 --> 01:39:21.520
 It's the steering committee that had to be formed so that this plan could be done.

01:39:21.520 --> 01:39:25.040
 But prior to that, there was tremendous amount of community engagement.

01:39:25.040 --> 01:39:30.720
 And I will let Tina and, and, and Julie let you know what that was.

01:39:30.720 --> 01:39:31.720
 Thank you.

01:39:31.720 --> 01:39:32.720
 Thank you.

01:39:32.720 --> 01:39:33.720
 Yes.

01:39:33.720 --> 01:39:41.840
 I'm so glad that we've got community members here tonight and I'm hoping as we're continuing

01:39:41.840 --> 01:39:47.360
 on this planning journey together that they'll come out and see us more.

01:39:47.360 --> 01:39:52.480
 We, we did send out postcards for our community meetings.

01:39:52.480 --> 01:39:59.040
 We put flyers in our, in our rec centers and in businesses, beauty shops and, and, and

01:39:59.040 --> 01:40:06.720
 barber shops within, within Southeast Denton in locations, restaurants.

01:40:06.720 --> 01:40:14.400
 So we, what, daycare center, we, we tried to get as, as much information out.

01:40:14.400 --> 01:40:16.600
 Of course, we, we could always do better.

01:40:16.600 --> 01:40:22.320
 One of our strategies in the plan is to develop a communication strategy for Southeast Denton.

01:40:22.320 --> 01:40:24.320
 So it's great information.

01:40:24.320 --> 01:40:31.040
 We can continue to improve as we're, as we continue to work with the Southeast Denton

01:40:31.040 --> 01:40:32.040
 community.

01:40:32.040 --> 01:40:37.760
 We, we have tried to be at every event that has been held in Southeast Denton in the last

01:40:37.760 --> 01:40:44.720
 year and that is includes both the 2023 and 2024 Juneteenth national night out last fall.

01:40:44.720 --> 01:40:52.280
 We, we set up, we do tabling at MLK when parents are coming to pick up kids and in the evenings

01:40:52.280 --> 01:40:59.040
 when people are coming out, we've done tabling at the American Legion hall.

01:40:59.040 --> 01:41:04.800
 So we've tried to, we, LULAC meetings, SEDNA meetings, tried to, tried to reach as many

01:41:04.800 --> 01:41:07.680
 people as possible, put out signs.

01:41:07.680 --> 01:41:12.040
 And so, you know, of course we'll, we'll continue to work with the community to make sure that

01:41:12.040 --> 01:41:14.000
 we, we reach all residents, of course.

01:41:14.000 --> 01:41:15.000
 Yeah.

01:41:15.000 --> 01:41:18.720
 Well, and I was going to say, and I would add to that, there's been articles that have

01:41:18.720 --> 01:41:20.840
 been published in the Denton Record Chronicle.

01:41:20.840 --> 01:41:24.360
 We've maintained a website with Discuss Denton because we realize a lot of people within the

01:41:24.360 --> 01:41:26.140
 community follow Discuss Denton.

01:41:26.140 --> 01:41:30.340
 So anything of, just, you know, FII, anything of significance that the city is working on

01:41:30.340 --> 01:41:34.740
 is, is typically posted on Discuss Denton, if you follow that.

01:41:34.740 --> 01:41:38.120
 One of the things that was interesting that we heard from the community is less of the

01:41:38.120 --> 01:41:39.800
 electronic communication, right?

01:41:39.800 --> 01:41:43.980
 They preferred more the old school methods of, of all the activities that Julie just

01:41:43.980 --> 01:41:46.880
 described where we were physically hosting events.

01:41:46.880 --> 01:41:52.040
 We were being out in the community and being part of, you know, Parks and Recreation was

01:41:52.040 --> 01:41:54.280
 hosting the Juneteenth Festival, then we were out there.

01:41:54.280 --> 01:41:58.560
 So because we knew that was an opportunity for us to be able to interact with the community.

01:41:58.560 --> 01:42:03.920
 But so it was, you know, as we worked through this project and we heard and received feedback

01:42:03.920 --> 01:42:06.880
 throughout, we tried to adapt accordingly.

01:42:06.880 --> 01:42:11.760
 And again, I'll make note, Julie and Mia were at Sedna meetings on a regular basis.

01:42:11.760 --> 01:42:15.980
 Ms. Collette was very polite to allow for my team to be able to make presentations and

01:42:15.980 --> 01:42:17.760
 provide updates.

01:42:17.760 --> 01:42:22.240
 I think the running joke became, "Julie, Mia, go home," right, because just because

01:42:22.240 --> 01:42:24.080
 they were, they were in the community so much.

01:42:24.080 --> 01:42:28.960
 So, you know, my apologies if some of you did not learn of this project as we've been

01:42:28.960 --> 01:42:30.560
 working on this.

01:42:30.560 --> 01:42:32.880
 We also, we did go to the churches.

01:42:32.880 --> 01:42:36.840
 One of the members that is on this steering committee, Reverend Logan, I know is very involved

01:42:36.840 --> 01:42:42.180
 within the black churches within Southeast Denton and trying to be able to get the word

01:42:42.180 --> 01:42:43.280
 out with the community.

01:42:43.280 --> 01:42:47.840
 So we tried to leverage all those relationships that we had in the community, even when former

01:42:47.840 --> 01:42:50.280
 Commissioner McDade was on the Planning and Zoning Commission.

01:42:50.280 --> 01:42:55.360
 And I know once he was no longer on the commission, he continued to stay involved, you know, being

01:42:55.360 --> 01:42:58.640
 able to rely upon persons like himself in order to be able to help get the word out

01:42:58.640 --> 01:42:59.640
 amongst the community.

01:42:59.640 --> 01:43:03.520
 So we tried to leverage all aspects that we could.

01:43:03.520 --> 01:43:06.880
 As Julie pointed out, you know, are there additional things we could have done?

01:43:06.880 --> 01:43:07.880
 Probably so.

01:43:07.880 --> 01:43:12.060
 But we tried to be able to get as much information out to the community in a variety of different

01:43:12.060 --> 01:43:15.680
 ways for people to learn that this project was going on.

01:43:15.680 --> 01:43:17.280
 Thank you.

01:43:17.280 --> 01:43:19.600
 I do have another card to speak.

01:43:19.600 --> 01:43:22.800
 It is Collette Johnson.

01:43:22.800 --> 01:43:30.360
 Hello, Collette Johnson, 327 Roost Street.

01:43:30.360 --> 01:43:37.880
 I am president of the Senate group and I'm just here to back Julie because they did put

01:43:37.880 --> 01:43:40.960
 the information out every single month.

01:43:40.960 --> 01:43:48.840
 They were at the meetings for a whole year and so those that attended the meetings knew

01:43:48.840 --> 01:43:50.480
 what was going on.

01:43:50.480 --> 01:43:55.600
 You guys have, y'all were at the National Night Out, like you said.

01:43:55.600 --> 01:43:59.040
 You've been to the American Legion Hall.

01:43:59.040 --> 01:44:06.240
 You were at Juneteenth and some people just don't get involved in stuff like that to know

01:44:06.240 --> 01:44:09.840
 about what's going on until it's too late.

01:44:09.840 --> 01:44:16.080
 But I'm just here to say that Julie has been at the meeting every month.

01:44:16.080 --> 01:44:17.920
 This information was out.

01:44:17.920 --> 01:44:19.640
 They did go to the churches.

01:44:19.640 --> 01:44:26.000
 Now, they may have not gone to every church, but they did come out to the churches and

01:44:26.000 --> 01:44:30.900
 they've been at the American Legion Hall and a lot of people say that Clara's is not

01:44:30.900 --> 01:44:33.640
 a restaurant, but they were at Clara's.

01:44:33.640 --> 01:44:36.200
 So the information was brought out.

01:44:36.200 --> 01:44:42.720
 I'm sorry if everybody didn't know about it, but we have those meetings every month and

01:44:42.720 --> 01:44:47.000
 I have invited people to those meetings every month.

01:44:47.000 --> 01:44:52.360
 So those that have been at the meetings knew about it and I just want to apologize for

01:44:52.360 --> 01:44:54.400
 those that didn't know about it.

01:44:54.400 --> 01:44:58.560
 I'm sorry, but we tried everything to get people involved.

01:44:58.560 --> 01:44:59.560
 So.

01:44:59.560 --> 01:45:00.560
 Thank you.

01:45:00.560 --> 01:45:01.560
 The neighborhood meetings.

01:45:01.560 --> 01:45:02.560
 Every month.

01:45:02.560 --> 01:45:03.560
 What do you have?

01:45:03.560 --> 01:45:04.560
 Four meetings.

01:45:04.560 --> 01:45:05.560
 Six o'clock in the okay.

01:45:05.560 --> 01:45:06.560
 Anybody's invited?

01:45:06.560 --> 01:45:07.560
 Anybody's invited?

01:45:07.560 --> 01:45:08.560
 Ms. Collette.

01:45:08.560 --> 01:45:21.440
 Could you restate when you do your Sedna meetings in the microphone?

01:45:21.440 --> 01:45:27.320
 Every fourth Monday we meet every fourth Monday at six o'clock at the MLK Center.

01:45:27.320 --> 01:45:34.740
 We do not meet in November, December because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

01:45:34.740 --> 01:45:38.760
 So we meet every fourth Monday, six o'clock.

01:45:38.760 --> 01:45:39.760
 Thank you, Ms. Collette.

01:45:39.760 --> 01:45:40.760
 Okay.

01:45:40.760 --> 01:45:43.720
 We can't have a dialogue this way, but you can talk to Ms. Collette after.

01:45:43.720 --> 01:45:44.720
 Yeah.

01:45:44.720 --> 01:45:45.720
 Thank you.

01:45:45.720 --> 01:45:46.720
 I just wanted to in support of Julie.

01:45:46.720 --> 01:45:47.720
 Yeah.

01:45:47.720 --> 01:45:48.720
 I appreciate that.

01:45:48.720 --> 01:45:49.720
 Thank you so much.

01:45:49.720 --> 01:45:53.540
 I don't have any other cards in front of me, but if you would like to speak, if you have

01:45:53.540 --> 01:45:56.440
 not already, please come on down.

01:45:56.440 --> 01:45:58.960
 Okay.

01:45:58.960 --> 01:46:01.400
 Seeing none, I will go ahead and close the public hearing.

01:46:01.400 --> 01:46:06.280
 I'm going to go ahead and open the floor for discussion or a motion.

01:46:06.280 --> 01:46:08.280
 Commissioner Villarreal.

01:46:08.280 --> 01:46:09.280
 Thank you, Chair.

01:46:09.280 --> 01:46:14.240
 I very much understand why there's apprehension regarding this.

01:46:14.240 --> 01:46:17.920
 Commissioner McDade, you know, I've, you know, voted against the Woodrow apartment complex

01:46:17.920 --> 01:46:22.240
 not once, not twice, but three times with you, and I was one of the only people to vote

01:46:22.240 --> 01:46:25.480
 with you against the rail yard complex.

01:46:25.480 --> 01:46:30.840
 But this plan is going to hopefully prevent developments that are going against the wishes

01:46:30.840 --> 01:46:32.400
 of the neighborhood.

01:46:32.400 --> 01:46:35.800
 This is a plan that will benefit the community greatly.

01:46:35.800 --> 01:46:36.800
 And I very much apologize.

01:46:36.800 --> 01:46:38.760
 We weren't able to get to everyone.

01:46:38.760 --> 01:46:45.000
 I do think this was, we were able to get a large swath, the community's viewpoints answered

01:46:45.000 --> 01:46:46.820
 and heard.

01:46:46.820 --> 01:46:48.760
 And with that in mind, I'm going to move approval.

01:46:48.760 --> 01:46:49.760
 Thank you.

01:46:49.760 --> 01:46:52.120
 Thank you, Commissioner Villarreal.

01:46:52.120 --> 01:46:54.880
 May I add just a little friendly amendment to that?

01:46:54.880 --> 01:47:00.240
 Would you consider adding what we talked about earlier with shy and adding the housing type

01:47:00.240 --> 01:47:02.000
 pictures into the plan?

01:47:02.000 --> 01:47:03.000
 Absolutely.

01:47:03.000 --> 01:47:04.000
 Apologies for forgetting that.

01:47:04.000 --> 01:47:05.000
 Yeah.

01:47:05.000 --> 01:47:06.000
 Thank you.

01:47:06.000 --> 01:47:07.000
 Commissioner Cole.

01:47:07.000 --> 01:47:08.000
 I second.

01:47:08.000 --> 01:47:09.000
 Okay.

01:47:09.000 --> 01:47:10.000
 We've got a first and a second discussion.

01:47:10.000 --> 01:47:11.000
 Commissioner Pruitt.

01:47:11.000 --> 01:47:14.000
 Thank you, Chair.

01:47:14.000 --> 01:47:18.260
 Question for staff, I guess.

01:47:18.260 --> 01:47:26.640
 I'm looking at the, all of the action items and the near term says one to two years.

01:47:26.640 --> 01:47:32.440
 I'm really excited about this, but there are 27 items there to be done in the next two

01:47:32.440 --> 01:47:33.440
 years.

01:47:33.440 --> 01:47:40.600
 Do we realistically have the capacity with the current staff to go execute on that?

01:47:40.600 --> 01:47:45.160
 Because what I'm hearing from the community is we've poured our hearts into this plan

01:47:45.160 --> 01:47:53.080
 for the last year and we are nervous because in the past we have seen things get forgotten.

01:47:53.080 --> 01:47:56.600
 I've been here on this commission for three years, as long as council doesn't kick me

01:47:56.600 --> 01:48:00.080
 off, I'll be here probably for three more.

01:48:00.080 --> 01:48:04.840
 If we really want to get those 27 actions done in the next two years, I'm going to hold

01:48:04.840 --> 01:48:06.520
 to it.

01:48:06.520 --> 01:48:12.160
 If we don't have the capacity, I want our recommendation to be clear to council that

01:48:12.160 --> 01:48:17.480
 this is what this is going to take to get it through that process in a timely manner.

01:48:17.480 --> 01:48:18.480
 Does that make sense?

01:48:18.480 --> 01:48:21.680
 I don't know, Tina, if anybody else can speak to that.

01:48:21.680 --> 01:48:27.240
 Sure thing, so you're right, the plan is aggressive with 27 action items identified within the

01:48:27.240 --> 01:48:29.540
 next one to two years.

01:48:29.540 --> 01:48:31.120
 We will do our best.

01:48:31.120 --> 01:48:35.360
 I would love to say that, yes, we will get them all done within the one to two year time

01:48:35.360 --> 01:48:40.820
 frame, but I realize that that may not also be realistic.

01:48:40.820 --> 01:48:43.240
 Some of them may require funding.

01:48:43.240 --> 01:48:48.120
 We tried to identify action items, especially those in the near term, that would be items

01:48:48.120 --> 01:48:50.480
 that we could hit the ground running.

01:48:50.480 --> 01:48:54.900
 Our focus following adoption of this plan is to work on the implementation because we

01:48:54.900 --> 01:48:59.120
 realize this plan is only as good as the implementation efforts.

01:48:59.120 --> 01:49:05.600
 We've been fortunate that the city has allowed us to add some staff to our team over the

01:49:05.600 --> 01:49:13.200
 years in order to be able to better prepare us for being able to move forward with implementation.

01:49:13.200 --> 01:49:18.680
 I can't 100% commit that we will get everything accomplished within the next two years, but

01:49:18.680 --> 01:49:23.360
 we will do our very best to make sure that we get the action items underway so that we

01:49:23.360 --> 01:49:26.880
 can show that we are implementing the plan because, again, this plan is only as good

01:49:26.880 --> 01:49:31.760
 as us being able to implement it, also being able to work with our partner agencies in

01:49:31.760 --> 01:49:34.560
 convincing them to be able to work with us.

01:49:34.560 --> 01:49:38.880
 We actually reached out to all of the partner agencies that we've identified in the plan,

01:49:38.880 --> 01:49:43.640
 met with them, shared with them the action items to see, okay, are these doable?

01:49:43.640 --> 01:49:45.280
 Can you provide us the support?

01:49:45.280 --> 01:49:48.580
 And we had favorable responses from those agencies.

01:49:48.580 --> 01:49:49.580
 Thank you.

01:49:49.580 --> 01:49:50.580
 That helps.

01:49:50.580 --> 01:49:57.140
 I'll just say that when we roll back around to next summer's yearly update, I'll be looking

01:49:57.140 --> 01:50:01.080
 to see how many of those 27 actions has been completed so far.

01:50:01.080 --> 01:50:07.320
 And if it's much less than, say, 15, then we're going to need to let council know that

01:50:07.320 --> 01:50:12.040
 something has to change in order to get through them in a timely manner.

01:50:12.040 --> 01:50:13.040
 Thank you.

01:50:13.040 --> 01:50:14.040
 Okay.

01:50:14.040 --> 01:50:18.760
 We've got a motion on the floor, first and a second, any other discussion?

01:50:18.760 --> 01:50:19.760
 Okay.

01:50:19.760 --> 01:50:22.600
 I'll just say thank you all for coming out.

01:50:22.600 --> 01:50:24.400
 Thank you for speaking.

01:50:24.400 --> 01:50:28.160
 Commissioner McDade, it is great to see you.

01:50:28.160 --> 01:50:34.920
 And I just want to commend staff, the steering committee, the consultants who worked so hard

01:50:34.920 --> 01:50:35.920
 in this.

01:50:35.920 --> 01:50:42.160
 It was fantastic public engagement throughout this process, truly.

01:50:42.160 --> 01:50:45.320
 It's wonderful, honestly, to see this moving forward.

01:50:45.320 --> 01:50:52.040
 So hopefully with council's approval, we'll have this guiding document in place for the

01:50:52.040 --> 01:50:57.920
 future growth in the preservation of this really special area in our city.

01:50:57.920 --> 01:50:58.920
 So well done.

01:50:58.920 --> 01:51:02.760
 I'll go ahead and call for a vote on the board, please.

01:51:02.760 --> 01:51:04.480
 Oh, I'm sorry, Commissioner Prodrone.

01:51:04.480 --> 01:51:06.600
 I did not see you until just right now.

01:51:06.600 --> 01:51:07.600
 Let's hold off.

01:51:07.600 --> 01:51:08.600
 Yeah, I apologize.

01:51:08.600 --> 01:51:09.600
 Go ahead.

01:51:09.600 --> 01:51:10.600
 No worries.

01:51:10.600 --> 01:51:15.760
 Again, I just want to thank staff for your diligence in trying to execute this project.

01:51:15.760 --> 01:51:21.160
 And I also want to thank Commissioner Pruitt for your recent comments, because I do think

01:51:21.160 --> 01:51:27.640
 that is important that if this plan is moving forward, that we do keep to what we're setting

01:51:27.640 --> 01:51:30.720
 out to change and to develop.

01:51:30.720 --> 01:51:35.240
 And I think that there should always be that special consideration given the history of

01:51:35.240 --> 01:51:40.880
 this community and protecting this particular space.

01:51:40.880 --> 01:51:42.560
 Just wanted to put that out there.

01:51:42.560 --> 01:51:43.560
 Thank you.

01:51:43.560 --> 01:51:56.280
 Okay, let's go ahead and vote on the board, please.

01:51:56.280 --> 01:51:59.440
 That motion will carry 5-0.

01:51:59.440 --> 01:52:02.180
 That will take us to our next public hearing item tonight.

01:52:02.180 --> 01:52:07.440
 That is 2B, DCA 24-0008.

01:52:07.440 --> 01:52:09.720
 I will go ahead and open the public hearing.

01:52:09.720 --> 01:52:15.000
 And Keisha is here for presentation.

01:52:15.000 --> 01:52:17.520
 Hi.

01:52:17.520 --> 01:52:27.320
 Good evening, Chair and Commissioners.

01:52:27.320 --> 01:52:29.480
 Keisha Suriano, Assistant Plan Director.

01:52:29.480 --> 01:52:37.320
 I'm here for item DCA 24-0008, planning and zoning reconsideration item.

01:52:37.320 --> 01:52:42.360
 So as we've discussed previously, this is a staff-initiated request based on a prior

01:52:42.360 --> 01:52:45.640
 reconsideration request that was made August last year.

01:52:45.640 --> 01:52:49.920
 Currently, you all follow the process for city council for reconsideration.

01:52:49.920 --> 01:52:51.000
 You don't have your own.

01:52:51.000 --> 01:52:56.560
 So we're bringing forward this item to create a process and update the DDC procedures so

01:52:56.560 --> 01:53:02.240
 that the planning and zoning commission has their own set of procedures to follow for

01:53:02.240 --> 01:53:03.400
 reconsidering an agenda item.

01:53:03.400 --> 01:53:12.460
 So again, the proposal is to amend the care and goal to establish a comprehensive reconsideration

01:53:12.460 --> 01:53:15.400
 process for the planning and zoning commission.

01:53:15.400 --> 01:53:18.040
 We discussed having the two processes.

01:53:18.040 --> 01:53:23.760
 So if there is an item that has been publicly noticed for city council the following week,

01:53:23.760 --> 01:53:30.920
 then if any member of commission on the prevailing side would like to reconsider the item that

01:53:30.920 --> 01:53:36.880
 will need to be into our office by the fall on Friday, if the item has not yet been publicly

01:53:36.880 --> 01:53:41.560
 noticed for the meeting, the following week for city council, then you will have until

01:53:41.560 --> 01:53:45.240
 Thursday before your next meeting.

01:53:45.240 --> 01:53:54.000
 Just to continue the proposal, if the motion to reconsider prevails, the item would come

01:53:54.000 --> 01:53:59.240
 back as an item for consideration first, and if it prevails, then we'll go through the

01:53:59.240 --> 01:54:03.240
 notification process to bring it back on for you all to be able to vote on it.

01:54:03.240 --> 01:54:08.160
 If it fails, then we'll go back through our public notice process in order for it to move

01:54:08.160 --> 01:54:12.120
 on to city council.

01:54:12.120 --> 01:54:16.320
 Commissioner does recommend approval of this item, and I'm here for any questions.

01:54:16.320 --> 01:54:17.600
 Thank you very much.

01:54:17.600 --> 01:54:20.600
 Any questions?

01:54:20.600 --> 01:54:21.600
 I do not see any.

01:54:21.600 --> 01:54:22.600
 Thank you.

01:54:22.600 --> 01:54:24.160
 This is a public hearing.

01:54:24.160 --> 01:54:27.120
 I don't have any cards in front of me on this item.

01:54:27.120 --> 01:54:29.440
 Is there anyone wishing to speak on this item?

01:54:29.440 --> 01:54:30.440
 Okay.

01:54:30.440 --> 01:54:35.680
 Seeing none, I'll close the public hearing and open the floor for a motion or discussion.

01:54:35.680 --> 01:54:36.800
 Commissioner Villarreal.

01:54:36.800 --> 01:54:40.360
 Since it was my reconsideration vote that led us down this rabbit hole, I guess I should

01:54:40.360 --> 01:54:43.080
 get a motion approval on this change.

01:54:43.080 --> 01:54:46.640
 Thank you, Commissioner Brewer.

01:54:46.640 --> 01:54:50.400
 And since I made a point of saying this should be a rare thing, but it's important when we

01:54:50.400 --> 01:54:54.640
 need it, I'll say that I happily second it.

01:54:54.640 --> 01:54:58.360
 We've got a first and a second for approval of this item.

01:54:58.360 --> 01:54:59.360
 Any discussion?

01:54:59.360 --> 01:55:00.360
 Okay.

01:55:00.360 --> 01:55:11.720
 Let's go ahead and vote, please.

01:55:11.720 --> 01:55:31.640
 Is it not working?

01:55:31.640 --> 01:55:45.640
 There we go.

01:55:45.640 --> 01:56:06.720
 Okay.

01:56:06.720 --> 01:56:09.280
 That motion carries 5-0.

01:56:09.280 --> 01:56:14.680
 That will bring us to item 2C, DCA240009.

01:56:14.680 --> 01:56:16.560
 I will open the public hearing.

01:56:16.560 --> 01:56:18.080
 And Erin is here for presentation.

01:56:18.080 --> 01:56:19.080
 Hi.

01:56:19.080 --> 01:56:22.080
 Good evening.

01:56:22.080 --> 01:56:25.400
 Okay.

01:56:25.400 --> 01:56:32.320
 This is a proposed charter school amendment to the DDC, Erin Stanley, Assistant Planner.

01:56:32.320 --> 01:56:39.080
 So in the most recent legislative session, a few changes were made to state legislature

01:56:39.080 --> 01:56:41.080
 about charter schools.

01:56:41.080 --> 01:56:49.760
 So in House Bill 1707, it required in the state education code as well as the local

01:56:49.760 --> 01:56:53.960
 government code that cities treat charter schools the same way they do public schools

01:56:53.960 --> 01:56:59.760
 when it meets certain considerations, being that the charter school, no administrator,

01:56:59.760 --> 01:57:06.120
 officer, employee, governing body member of the school benefits financially from any real

01:57:06.120 --> 01:57:08.160
 estate transaction with the school.

01:57:08.160 --> 01:57:13.840
 So if this is met, then they must be treated as a public school.

01:57:13.840 --> 01:57:17.440
 So because of that, staff is proposing changes to the DDC.

01:57:17.440 --> 01:57:23.280
 Mainly, we are creating a charter school definition, which we do not have now, and updating the

01:57:23.280 --> 01:57:28.760
 table of allowed uses, creating a use-specific standard for charter schools, and updating

01:57:28.760 --> 01:57:32.160
 the required minimum parking.

01:57:32.160 --> 01:57:37.320
 So currently, charter schools are viewed as private schools in our current development

01:57:37.320 --> 01:57:38.320
 review.

01:57:38.320 --> 01:57:42.320
 And we have three open enrollment charter schools in the city of Denton today, North

01:57:42.320 --> 01:57:49.480
 Texas Collegiate Academy, KI Charter, and Founders or Denton Classical Academy.

01:57:49.480 --> 01:57:55.660
 And the proposed amendments would create a charter school definition just to really identify

01:57:55.660 --> 01:58:01.160
 it separately from the public schools and eliminate any future confusion that staff

01:58:01.160 --> 01:58:07.320
 may have in reviewing charter schools, if they should be under private or public schools.

01:58:07.320 --> 01:58:13.200
 And then we would also update the table of allowed uses to add in charter schools there.

01:58:13.200 --> 01:58:17.440
 And you'll see that we're allowing it by right in every district that would allow a private

01:58:17.440 --> 01:58:18.680
 school.

01:58:18.680 --> 01:58:24.320
 And then as long as they meet the use-specific standard that ties back to the Texas Education

01:58:24.320 --> 01:58:28.800
 Code about no financial benefit, then they would be allowed by right in all of the districts

01:58:28.800 --> 01:58:33.920
 that would allow public schools as well.

01:58:33.920 --> 01:58:38.800
 And then we are also updating the table of required minimum parking.

01:58:38.800 --> 01:58:42.240
 So there's no change being proposed to public and private school parking.

01:58:42.240 --> 01:58:46.860
 We're simply consolidating those and adding them with the charter school parking just

01:58:46.860 --> 01:58:52.520
 to clean up the table as we needed to add charter schools in there already.

01:58:52.520 --> 01:58:57.080
 And with that, staff is recommending approval as the proposed amendments meet all established

01:58:57.080 --> 01:58:59.240
 criteria in the DDC for amendments.

01:58:59.240 --> 01:59:01.520
 And I'll stand for any questions.

01:59:01.520 --> 01:59:03.560
 Next up would be Council on August 20th.

01:59:03.560 --> 01:59:04.560
 Great.

01:59:04.560 --> 01:59:06.060
 Thank you, Erin.

01:59:06.060 --> 01:59:07.520
 Any questions for Erin?

01:59:07.520 --> 01:59:10.080
 I do not see any.

01:59:10.080 --> 01:59:11.080
 Thank you.

01:59:11.080 --> 01:59:12.080
 This is a public hearing.

01:59:12.080 --> 01:59:13.780
 I do not have any cards in front of me.

01:59:13.780 --> 01:59:16.440
 Is there anyone wishing to speak on this?

01:59:16.440 --> 01:59:18.280
 Okay.

01:59:18.280 --> 01:59:25.640
 I will go ahead and close the public hearing and open the floor for a motion or discussion.

01:59:25.640 --> 01:59:27.560
 Commissioner Cole?

01:59:27.560 --> 01:59:28.720
 I move for approval.

01:59:28.720 --> 01:59:29.720
 Okay.

01:59:29.720 --> 01:59:30.720
 Commissioner Pedrone?

01:59:30.720 --> 01:59:31.720
 I second.

01:59:31.720 --> 01:59:32.720
 Okay.

01:59:32.720 --> 01:59:33.720
 We've got a first and a second for approval.

01:59:33.720 --> 01:59:37.320
 Any discussion?

01:59:37.320 --> 01:59:49.520
 Let's go ahead and vote, please.

01:59:49.520 --> 01:59:56.200
 That motion carries 4-1.

01:59:56.200 --> 02:00:00.280
 That will move us to concluding items for this evening.

02:00:00.280 --> 02:00:03.280
 Is there any concluding items?

02:00:03.280 --> 02:00:05.840
 Okay.

02:00:05.840 --> 02:00:09.320
 Well with that, I will thank you all for being here on this special called meeting.

02:00:09.320 --> 02:00:11.000
 We do have a meeting next week.

02:00:11.000 --> 02:00:12.000
 So we'll see you then.

02:00:12.000 --> 02:00:15.200
 And I'll adjourn our meeting here at 7:57 p.m.

02:00:15.200 --> 02:00:15.440
 Thank you.