[00:00:01]
OKAY IT'S 6:00, WE WANT TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE JOINT WORK SESSION OF THE BEDFORD CITY COUNCIL.
[CALL TO ORDER/GENERAL COMMENTS]
IT'S TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH, 2023.I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SAY THIS NOW.
THIS IS NOT THE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING ON THE INVESTIGATION INTO HUNTER BIDEN'S LAPTOP.
I DO NOT LIKE LOOKING DOWN ON Y'ALL, BUT WE ARE ALL EQUALS IN THIS ROOM.
SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING HERE.
WE HAVE OUR WONDERFUL PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION HERE, AS WELL AS STAFF AND OTHER RESIDENTS.
AND WE HAVE SOME PROS WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO ARE GOING TO HELP US DEVISE THAT NEW MASTER PLAN.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, ANDREA ROY.
[JOINT WORK SESSION]
SEE, I HAVE TROUBLE TOO.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR. COUNCIL, P&Z AND RESIDENTS.
WELCOME TO OUR, I GUESS, OFFICIAL KICKOFF FOR OUR MASTER PLAN.
WE ARE EXCITED TO GET THIS STARTED.
AND AND HONESTLY, WE ACTUALLY KIND OF GOT STARTED AHEAD OF YOU.
SO THEY HAVE BEEN BUSY COLLECTING ABSOLUTELY TRUCKLOADS OF DATA ON BEDFORD.
SO THEY HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY BEHIND THE SCENES GETTING THINGS TOGETHER.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO DRIVE AND TOUR WITH THEM.
WE WERE IN THE CAR FOR HOURS AND I'M SURE THEY'RE THRILLED ABOUT THAT ENDEAVOR.
BUT WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO HAVE A KICKOFF MEETING WITH STAFF AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE STAFF LEVEL ON INITIATIVES WHERE WE THOUGHT WE HAD STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT WAS REALLY A GREAT BEGINNING.
BUT THIS IS INDEED OUR OFFICIAL PUBLIC KICKOFF.
SO THEY NOW HAVE ENOUGH KIND OF DIRT ON US TO GET GOING AND WE'LL PROBABLY WASN'T TOO DIFFICULT.
BUT YEAH, WE'LL HELP FILL IN THE GAPS TONIGHT AND GET THEM GOING.
SO I WILL STOP TALKING BECAUSE I AM NOT HERE TO TO RUN THE MEETING.
AND THIS IS REALLY INTENDED, AS THE MAYOR KIND OF ALLUDED, THIS IS INTENDED TO BE A CONVERSATION.
ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR [INAUDIBLE] APPROACHING MAY I SPEAK? YES, SIR. THIS IS JUST JUST A LITTLE HOUSEKEEPING ITEM.
IT'S NOT LABELED OR TITLED PUBLIC HEARING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
AND SO IF THERE ARE ANY RESIDENTS THAT HAVE QUESTIONS, WE CAN'T FILL THE QUESTIONS TONIGHT.
BUT IF YOU WANT TO GRAB A STAFF MEMBER, EMAIL THE QUESTIONS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT I ASSURE YOU THERE ARE GOING TO BE A TON OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT AND INFORMATION GATHERING. SO IF WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ANSWER THEM.
I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO FEEL LIKE WE'RE BLOWING YOU OFF.
IT'S JUST BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE AGENDA IS STRUCTURED.
WELCOME. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR.
COUNCIL PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
AND WE'RE JOINED WITH CLARK CONDON.
AND OVER THE NEXT YEAR, THIS WILL BE THE TEAM THAT YOU'LL BE WORKING WITH ON THIS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND THIS EXCITING PROJECT AND BRINGING A VISION AND PLAN TO THIS COMMUNITY. AND BEFORE WE GET INTO TONIGHT'S PROGRAM, WE JUST WANT TO SPEND A FEW MOMENTS TO JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT WHO WE ARE SO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'LL BE WORKING WITH BECAUSE IT'S A REFLECTION OF THE PRODUCT AND PLAN AND THE PROCESS THAT WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH WITH YOU.
TONY AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER FOR OVER 20 PLUS YEARS, TOO MANY YEARS TO COUNT.
BUT WE DID WORK EVERYWHERE WITH COMMUNITIES LARGE AND SMALL, DIFFERENT CHALLENGES AND NEEDS, AND WE SPENT A NUMBER OF YEARS WORKING WITH THEM ON THEIR PLANS AND BRINGING VISION TO LIFE. WE ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORLD, SO BOTH OF US GOT TO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES ON MAKING THEM MORE MARKET COMPETITIVE, INCREASING INVESTMENT IN COMMUNITIES.
AND WE ALSO HAD A STRONG FOCUS ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALL BUSINESSES.
SO WE DID THAT FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND COMBINED THAT WITH OUR PLANNING EXPERIENCE AS WELL.
[00:05:07]
PARTNERSHIPS. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT AND I WANTED TO BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE WE REALLY BRING A HOLISTIC BACKGROUND.WE HAVE PLANNING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, FINANCE AND IMPLEMENTATION, AND THAT'S SOMETHING YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO SEE WITH US REFLECTED IN THIS PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND IN THE PLAN DOCUMENT THAT YOU ACTUALLY GET.
AND IN OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND HOW WE APPROACH THINGS.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR US IS AT THE CORE OF EVERYTHING WE DO AND EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE.
WE HAVE ALSO SAT ON YOUR SIDE OF THE TABLE.
SO WE DO HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTAND FROM THE CITY SIDE HOW IMPORTANT THIS DOCUMENT IS.
WE ARE ALSO JOINED BY CLARK CONDON ASSOCIATES, AWESOME LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE FIRM, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BRING ADDED VALUE TO OUR TEAM THROUGH SOME OF THE PLACEMAKING LANDSCAPING PARKS, OPEN SPACES, STORMWATER WATER MANAGEMENT ASPECT OF IT.
THEY'LL BRING THAT ADDED VALUE TO OUR TEAM AND WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE THEM WORKING WITH US.
I'M GOING TO THROW THIS BACK TO TONY TO KICK THIS PROCESS OFF.
SO I LOVE THE FACT THAT THIS STARTED OFF AS A CONVERSATION.
AND SO WE START WITH THE PRESENTATION.
JUST WE'LL START AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL POSSIBLE, RIGHT? SO SOCRATES, IN TALKING ABOUT THE SO TO GET US A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME, WE ALSO BORROWED A QUOTE FROM BEAR BRYANT HAVE A PLAN.
FOLLOW THE PLAN AND YOU'LL BE SURPRISED HOW SUCCESSFUL YOU CAN BE.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A PLAN, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S EASY TO BEAT MOST FOLKS.
SO WE PUT THAT UP THERE WITH INTENTION.
YES, HE'S TALKING ABOUT FOOTBALL, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR COMMUNITIES TO TAKE THE SAME CONCEPT AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE LOOKING TO WIN INVESTMENT AS A COMMUNITY.
YOU'RE LOOKING TO IMPROVE YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE AND BE THE BEST COMMUNITY YOU CAN BE.
THEY'RE IMPORTANT FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS, BUT ONE OF THOSE IS THAT IN ORDER TO REMAIN RELEVANT AS A COMMUNITY AND REMAIN COMPETITIVE AS A COMMUNITY, YOU HAVE TO BE THINKING OF YOURSELVES AS WHAT CAN WE BE DOING TO CONTINUE TO BRING REVENUE AND QUALITY OF LIFE AND IMPORTANCE INTO OUR COMMUNITY? HOW DO WE KEEP OURSELVES ATTRACTIVE? HOW DO WE KEEP OURSELVES MEANINGFUL? AND SO WE WANT TO KEEP THAT IN THE BACK OF OUR MINDS.
AND THAT'S WHERE IT'S EXTREMELY CRITICAL TO BE THINKING.
IT'S GAINING THAT CERTAIN LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING.
AND WE PUT THIS GRAPHIC UP HERE SPECIFICALLY FOR A REASON, BECAUSE EVEN WHEN YOU THINK YOU AGREE, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF EXACTLY WHAT IS IS, RIGHT. AND SO THE PART OF THIS PROCESS THAT IS IMPORTANT IS NOT ONLY ESTABLISHING COMMON GROUND FROM THE STANDPOINT OF, OKAY, WE ALL UNDERSTAND AND WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT REALLY UNDERSTANDING EXACTLY WHAT THAT PAGE IS.
AND SO THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE'RE GOING TO DIVE INTO GAINING COMMON UNDERSTANDING, LOOKING AT AN ASSESSMENT OF THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF IT. AND WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
UNDERSTANDING THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE ALL GOING TO AGREE.
THAT'S NOT THE IMPORTANT PART.
THE IMPORTANT PART IS HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING AND THEN BUILDING FROM THAT A COMMON VISION, BUILDING FROM THAT COMMON VISION, A PATH FORWARD, AND THEN FROM THAT PATH FORWARD, UNDERSTANDING THE ACTIONS NECESSARY TO GET THERE.
AND THAT, IN A NUTSHELL, IS WHAT YOUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SHOULD BE.
IT SHOULD BE THAT TOOL THAT YOU CAN RELY ON FOR ALL OF THOSE COMMON INGREDIENTS.
SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS, ALSO FROM THE UNDERSTANDING, IT'S AN UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO DEALS WITH THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT IN ONE WAY, SHAPE OR FORM AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH IT AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT CALL THIS CALL BEDFORD HOME.
AND THESE ARE JUST A SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE THROWN OUT ACTUALLY, WE'RE CHEATING.
[00:10:04]
THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO BUILD BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH CITY STAFF AND OUR DRIVING TOUR AROUND THE COMMUNITY.AND IT'S NOT THAT THESE ARE THE ONLY QUESTIONS THAT COME UP, BUT THEY'RE QUESTIONS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY ASK, YOU KNOW, HOW SHOULD THE COMMUNITY GROW? YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE PROVIDE GREAT SERVICES? WHAT WHAT SHOULD BEDFORD LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE THE EXPERIENCES YOU WANT INDIVIDUALS TO EXPERIENCE WHEN THEY COME INTO THE COMMUNITY? AND WE WE USE THAT WORD VERY INTENTIONALLY BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE INVEST IN EXPERIENCES, PARTICULARLY TODAY, MORE SO THAN EVER BEFORE.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND.
HOW DO WE ADDRESS DRAINAGE? HOW SHOULD WE BEST USE OUR ROADWAY CORRIDORS? BECAUSE PEOPLE'S PREFERENCES ARE CHANGING EVERY DAY.
AND SO WE NEED TO BE ADAPTABLE TO THOSE CHANGES.
HOW DO WE ADD TRAILS, GREEN SPACES? HOW DO WE BRING THOSE GREAT PLACES TO BEDFORD WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO HANG OUT? AND THEN MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOW DO WE AFFORD TO DO ALL THE STUFF THAT WE WANT TO DO? SO ALL OF THESE THINGS COME IN LINE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WHAT IT SHOULD DO FOR BEDFORD WE GO BACK TO THAT POINT.
MAKING BEDFORD MARKET COMPETITIVE FOR INVESTMENT OVER THE LONG TERM.
SO THIS IS WHAT'S GOING TO KEEP YOU COMPETITIVE FOR DECADES TO COME.
AND IT'S MEANT TO BE A FLEXIBLE PRODUCT.
SO FROM THAT STANDPOINT, IT CHANGES AS THE NEEDS AND DEMANDS CHANGE.
IT CREATES THE COMMON GROUND, AS WE SAID, BUT IT CREATES IT NOT JUST FOR THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, BUT IT CREATES COMMON GROUND FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS, APPOINTED OFFICIALS, STAFF DEVELOPERS, ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS, THE GENERAL PUBLIC, YOU NAME THEM.
EVERYBODY HAS A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF AND AN EXCITEMENT FOR THE DIRECTION FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THEN FINALLY, IT PROVIDES THE GUIDE FOR MAKING DECISIONS.
IT'S A GREAT POLICY TOOL THAT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEAN ON AND NOT JUST ON THE EASY STUFF, BECAUSE AS YOU ALL KNOW, YOU GET THE TOUGH STUFF TOO, AND YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LEAN ON THAT COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO GIVE YOU A LEVEL OF GUIDANCE AS TO HOW TO MAKE THOSE TOUGH CALLS AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE.
IT CAN HELP GUIDE US THROUGH SOME OF THE TOUGHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO.
AND THOSE ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH IS ESSENTIALLY A FIVE STEP PROCESS.
WE'RE IN PHASE ONE NOW AND THAT'S THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT.
SO FROM THERE, WE'RE GOING TO BE TAKING A LOOK AT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT WILL BE ITS OWN SEPARATE REPORT, WILL BE THE ASSESSMENT PIECE.
AND THEN FROM THERE, WE TALK ABOUT ESTABLISHING IDENTITY, AND THAT'S REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE COMMON VISION AND THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT WILL BE KIND OF THOSE OVERARCHING TOOLS THAT WE'LL USE TO DIVE DEEPER INTO THE PLAN.
REPOSITIONING BEDFORD IS AGAIN LOOKING AT THE MAJOR FEATURES OF THE COMMUNITY YOUR LAND USES, YOUR PLACES, MOBILITY, CONNECTIVITY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT ALL OF THAT TOGETHER IN TERMS OF WHAT THOSE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS ARE AND HOW THEY NEED TO BE TWEAKED A LITTLE BIT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO PUT YOU WHERE YOU WANT TO BE AGAIN, TO BE MARKET COMPETITIVE.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE HARD START, HARD PART ACTUALLY BEGINS, BECAUSE THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN IS TO GIVE YOU THAT TOOL, BUT IT'S ALSO TO SET YOU ON THAT NEXT STEP OF THE PATH AND REALLY BRINGS TO THE NEXT QUOTE THAT WE'VE STOLEN FROM IS JACK WELCH.
IN REALITY, STRATEGIES IS ACTUALLY VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
YOU PICK A GENERAL DIRECTION AND YOU IMPLEMENT LIKE HELL.
AND I COULD NOT HAVE SAID THAT BETTER MYSELF.
THANKS. SO WE WANT TO SPEND A COUPLE OF MINUTES JUST TALKING TO YOU ALL ABOUT WHY DO YOU PLAN WHY DO YOU SET A VISION? AND REALLY, LIKE TONY SAID, IT'S ABOUT MAKING IDEAS INTO REALITY.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE JUST WANT TO SPEND A FEW MINUTES WITH YOU ALL IS SHARING SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE WE'VE SEEN PLANS AND IDEAS COME TO FRUITION AND COME TO REALITY AND HAVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED SUCCESSFULLY.
SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE A REAL QUICK WITH YOU JUST TO KIND OF SHOW YOU WHAT IS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS AN OLD STRIP CENTER EVERYWHERE.
USA HAS THESE OLD UNDERUTILIZED PROPERTIES AND IT WAS REDEVELOPED INTO REPURPOSED TO A COUPLE OF RESTAURANTS WITH SHARED OPEN SPACE THAT THEY CREATED MORE OF A DESTINATION, A WALKABLE AREA. THERE WAS SOME PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS WITH NEW STREET SCAPE AND IT REALLY JUST ADDED TO THE MARKET VALUE OF THAT AREA AND THE INVESTMENT AND INCREASED THAT AREA AS A DESTINATION.
[00:15:01]
AND THIS WAS ALSO REDEVELOPED HIGHER DENSITY USES.THEY PUT IN AN OFFICE BUILDING WITH FIRST FLOOR RETAIL.
BUT WHAT'S NEAT ABOUT THIS IS RIGHT BEHIND IT WAS A DETENTION FACILITY AND THEY WENT AHEAD WITH PUBLIC INVESTMENT AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AS WELL IN THIS IS RETOOLED THAT PROPERTY TO MAKE IT MORE OF A PARK AND THEY ADDED TRAILS AND THE AMENITIZED IT AND THEY ACTUALLY THOSE RESTAURANTS ACTUALLY BACK ONTO AND UTILIZE THAT AMENITY SO THEY CREATED A DESTINATION.
SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT REDEVELOPMENT, BUT THOSE ROADWAYS THAT WE HAVE CAN SOMETIMES BE RETOOLED OR REPURPOSED TO MAKE MORE WALKABLE OR MEET THE CHARACTER THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. MULTIMODAL THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS SIMPLE RESTRIPING AND ADDING IN PARKING AND BIKE LANES AND NARROWING THAT ROADWAY DOWN FURTHER DOWN ON THAT SAME ROADWAY SECTION, THEY ADDED A MEDIAN AND WIDER SIDEWALKS TO MAKE IT A MORE WALKABLE.
AND THEY ACTUALLY CONNECTED THE TWO DEVELOPMENTS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ROADWAY.
SO IT WAS JUST ENHANCING THAT AREA AS A DESTINATION AGAIN.
ANOTHER RETOOLING THE ROADWAY.
THEY NARROWED THE ROADWAY DOWN BY ADDING BIKE LANES.
SO THEY ADDED THE BIKE LANE AND BARRIER SEPARATED VERSUS JUST ADDING THE STRIPING.
INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS, JUST AGAIN, MAKING AN AREA MORE WALKABLE, MORE ATTRACTIVE WITH PAVERS, ADDING LIGHTING, LANDSCAPING AND JUST ENHANCING THAT INTERSECTION AGAIN, MAKING THE AREA A LITTLE MORE MARKET COMPETITIVE.
SIMPLE THINGS OF USING EXISTING DRAINAGE WAYS THAT YOU HAVE AND ADDING A TRAIL.
SO PARKS, RETOOLING PARKS, THIS WAS AGAIN AN OPEN SPACE THAT THEY WERE USING AS DETENTION AND THEY WENT AND HAD AND ADDED PARK FACILITIES TO IT TO ADD TO THE PARKS DEFICIT IN THE AREA AND BEGAN MAKING MULTIPLE USE OF GREEN SPACE IN THIS AREA.
AND THIS IS A COMMUNITY, A SMALLER COMMUNITY WITH NO DOWNTOWN, NO PLACE TO REALLY GATHER.
AND THE CITY PURCHASED THIS SITE AND THEY WANTED TO BUILD MORE OF A MUNICIPAL COMPLEX AND MORE OF A MIXED USE AREA WHERE THEY COULD HAVE A PLACE TO GATHER, AN OPEN SPACE, WHERE THEY COULD HAVE EVENTS AS WELL.
THAT SOUNDS SO FAMILIAR WHEN YOU SAY THAT [LAUGHTER].
THIS IS NOT YOUR COMMUNITY, BUT ANOTHER ONE WE'RE WORKING ON.
BUT THEY SELECTED A DEVELOPER AND THIS IS ACTUALLY FUNDED AND IT'S ON ITS WAY.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH THEM ON THIS PROJECT.
WHY ARE YOU PLAN AND SET THAT VISION? EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE PROJECTS HERE, THEY STARTED WITH AN IDEA AND A CONVERSATION AMONGST THE COMMUNITY AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO WITH YOU ALL HERE TODAY.
AND THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE WANT TO START TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE IDEAS AND THROUGH THIS PROCESS, WE'LL HELP YOU WITH THAT VISION AND THAT PLAN SO THAT YOU ALL CAN MOVE BEDFORD FORWARD IN THE DIRECTION THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT GO. OH, MY GOD.
I'M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SOCRATES SAID.
AND YOU KEEP THROWING UP THESE OTHER QUOTES.
YEAH, THE QUOTES SOMETIMES MAY BE CORNY, BUT NOBODY CAN ARGUE WITH SOCRATES.
THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DREAM.
HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE POSSIBILITIES FOR BEDFORD.
AND THAT'S THE EXCITING PART OF THIS PROCESS.
SO LAST QUOTE A GOOD PLAN IS LIKE A ROAD MAP.
IT SHOWS THE FINAL DESTINATION AND USUALLY THE BEST WAY TO GET THERE IS SUPER SIMPLE.
I DID NOT TRY TO BEAT SOCRATES, SO IT'S BUT I THINK AGAIN, BEGINS WITH THAT CONVERSATION.
AND SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CUE THIS BACK.
MR MAYOR, TO HAND THIS BACK TO YOU.
EXCELLENT TO BEGIN THAT CONVERSATION AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN AS NEEDED.
APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S WILLINGNESS TO HELP LURE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TO BEDFORD.
AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THOSE POSSIBILITIES.
FANTASTIC. WE'RE MAKING A NOTE.
I TONIGHT I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THIS IS A KICKOFF.
THIS IS A HIGH LEVEL BEGINNING TO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT IS NOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO DIG INTO THE WEEDS AND GET INTO SPECIFICS, BUT REALLY IT'S REALLY OUR OPPORTUNITY TO TALK BIG PICTURE AND A DREAM A LITTLE BIT.
[00:20:02]
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS BEFORE I KIND OF KICK THE COUNCIL.LET'S JUST ASK QUESTIONS AND AND JUST TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME.
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH.
AND AGAIN, I JUST THINK THIS IS AN EXCITING DIRECTION FOR THIS CITY.
AND SO SOME OF MY QUESTIONS ARE KIND OF RELATED TO THAT IS AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT KIND OF WORK PRODUCT ARE WE GOING TO GET FROM YOU? WHAT'S IT GOING TO LOOK LIKE? SO YOU'RE GOING TO END UP WITH TWO TOOLS ESSENTIALLY TO START WITH.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE ASSESSMENT OF THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, AND IT REALLY IS THE WHO WE ARE TODAY.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THAT CONCEPT.
YEAH, IT'S START WITH HONESTY.
I KNOW. WELL, AND I'LL SAY THIS IS THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SETS US APART, HONESTLY, BECAUSE WE WE TEND NOT TO GLOSS AROUND AND SUGARCOAT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO HEAR.
AND BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IT'S IMPORTANT TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE REALLY RELEVANT AS FAR AS YOUR ASSETS OF THE COMMUNITY TOO, BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET YOU TO THAT BUILDING, THAT MARKET, THAT TO BEING MARKET COMPETITIVE IF WE'RE NOT TELLING YOU THE TRUTH.
AND YOU'LL BE SURPRISED HOW MANY COMMUNITIES DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT.
SO IN YOUR WORLD, IN YOUR BUSINESS, IS THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SEPARATES YOU FROM OTHER CONSULTANTS? UM, I THINK I WOULD SAY YES FROM, FROM ONE STANDPOINT.
FROM THE STANDPOINT I WOULD SAY TOO THE WAY THAT AND NINE AGAIN SAID IT EXACTLY RIGHT FROM THE STANDPOINT THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE AND WE HAVE SAT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS AND IT'S OUR GOAL TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A DOCUMENT THAT IS ACTIONABLE, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN EMBRACE, BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO WORK WITH.
YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THIS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE EXTREMELY HARD DECISIONS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A PLAN THAT HELPS YOU MAKE THOSE HARD CALLS.
AND THOSE ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT ARE THE ACTION STEPS YOU CAN TAKE.
AND THOSE EXAMPLES THAT NINA GAVE YOU IN TERMS OF SOME OF THOSE ARE VERY SIMPLE TYPES OF THINGS, AND THEY CAN START VERY SIMPLE IF YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT A ROAD LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT'S SKINNIED UP WITH BIKE LANES ON THE SIDES, YOU JUST PUT SOME YOU PUT SOMETHING TEMPORARY OUT THERE AND AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE ALSO SAYING THAT THIS EFFORT, THIS DOCUMENT.
IS ONLY USABLE, IT'S ONLY BENEFICIAL TO US IN THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY EXECUTE OFF OF IT.
THAT WE CAN TAKE THIS GUIDE AND WE CAN IMPLEMENT IT.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT TO SAY THAT, HEY, YOU WANT TO HIRE US FOR ALL THE PROJECTS.
WE'RE SAYING IT FROM THE STANDPOINT, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAVE SAT ON THE OTHER SIDE AND WE HAVE DEALT WITH PLANS WHERE WE HAVE LOOKED AT THAT AND THOUGHT, OH, THIS IS SO BIG PICTURE, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GO NEXT.
YOU SHOULD HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT YOU CAN TAKE TO WORK AND PUT IT TO USE.
AND THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT BOTH FROM THE POLICY SIDE AND THE ACTION SIDE.
CAN YOU ELABORATE MORE ON WHAT'S THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT IN THE PROCESS? YEAH. SO ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK IS GOING TO BE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT IS THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR ONLINE.
AND I THINK THE CITY STAFF HAS BEEN GRACIOUS TO TO HELP HOST THAT SITE.
AND SO WE TRY TO BUILD THOSE IN AS WE GO.
A LOT OF THAT TRUE ENGAGEMENT IS GOING TO BE ENGAGEMENT THAT CAN HAPPEN ONLINE BECAUSE QUITE FRANKLY, WE LEARNED THROUGH THE PANDEMIC THAT THAT ENDS UP BEING THE EASIEST FORM FOR AN INFORMAL CONVERSATION.
AND YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SPOKEN TO THIS AS FAR AS ONCE WE HAVE A WORKABLE PLAN HERE, THAT YOU APPROACH IT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE IS THAT IT'S USABLE. IT'S A LONG BALL APPROACH TO IT, THAT IT CAN BE USED FOR A SIGNIFICANT PERIOD OF TIME, BUT IT MAINTAINS SOME DEGREE OF FLEXIBILITY IN ITS DESIGN. ABSOLUTELY.
[00:25:03]
RIGHT? WE USED TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OH, YOU'VE GOT A PLAN THAT'S GOING TO LAST YOU 30 YEARS, AND WE'D LOVE TO STILL SAY THAT.BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS OUR WORLD CHANGES IN FIVE THESE DAYS.
SO WE LOOK AT IT FROM A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE.
BUT THE IMPORTANCE IS YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY AGREES ON AS THE COMMUNITY INVOLVES.
YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO BACK AND ASK NOT JUST HOW DO WE IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN, BUT ARE THERE PIECES OF THIS PLAN THAT ALSO NEED TO EVOLVE? AND SO YOU HAVE THAT CHANCE TO HAVE THAT FLEXIBILITY TO CHANGE OR REINTERPRET AS YOU NEED TO, TO STILL MAINTAIN THAT VISION AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO THIS PROCESS THAT YOU SHOWED US UP ON THE GRAPHIC, HOW LONG DOES THAT ENTAIL, THOSE FIVE STEPS? TRYING TO REMEMBER, DID WE SAY IT'S ABOUT A YEAR LONG PROCESS GETTING THROUGH APPROVALS AS WELL.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OBSERVATIONS? AND WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU SEE IN PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN FOR BEDFORD? SO I WOULD SAY TO START WITH AND NINA PLEASE CHIME IN ON SOME OF THE OBSERVATIONS.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WHEN WE DROVE AROUND IS YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF UNDERUTILIZED OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVEN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, TAPPED INTO OR CAPITALIZED ON. SO THAT'S ALL I'M GOING TO SAY.
ALL RIGHT. AND I'LL STEP AWAY. THERE WE GO.
ABSOLUTELY. TO MAKE THEM USABLE.
IT'S WHY I CALLED THEM OPPORTUNITIES.
WE HAVE A MATURE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE BUILT OUT.
I MEAN, HOW DO YOU LOOK AT THAT? SO IT'S THIS IS AND CLEAR TO ME.
IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY. I BELIEVE IT IS.
ABSOLUTELY. AND COMMUNITIES THAT GET TO THIS STAGE, YOU SEE THEM FALL INTO TWO, TWO BRACKETS, RIGHT? YOU GET THE COMMUNITY THAT SAYS THAT WE HAVE REALIZED OUR VISION, WE'RE DONE.
OUR NEIGHBORS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO LOOK THIS WAY.
THE COMMERCIAL PEOPLE WILL JUST COME IN AND CONTINUE TO TURN THE COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW.
BUT YOU HAVE THE OTHER COMMUNITIES AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE YOU ARE, WHERE YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS AS THE NEXT CHAPTER WHERE YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, OKAY, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? OUR COMMUNITY HAS WE'VE HIT BEDFORD 1.0 AND NOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE BEDFORD 2.0.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, IT'S BUILT OUT.
DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT'S DONE.
IT JUST MEANS YOU'RE READY FOR THE NEXT STEP.
OKAY, SO I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS IN TWO.
HANG ON, TERRY. TERRY, TERRY, HANG ON, TERRY, HANG ON JUST A SEC.
OH, COUNCIL DO Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, GIVE ME ONE SECOND.
OH, THAT'S FINE. COUNCIL MEMBER DAWKINS.
THANKS, MR. MAYOR. SO I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
I THINK YOU YOU KIND OF HINTED OR THE MAYOR HINTED ON THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A MATURE COMMUNITY.
AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ARTICULATE SOME OF THE EXPERIENCE YOU HAD IN PROVIDING STRATEGIC PLANS FOR MORE MATURE COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE NEW DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE SEVERAL COMMUNITIES THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH OVER TIME.
AGAIN, WHEN NINA AND I HAVE DONE, I THINK IT'S ALMOST 60 PLANS OVER TIME.
LET'S MOVE ON. LET'S LET'S LET'S START WITH CHAPTER 2.0.
AND THAT'S EXCITING BECAUSE IT'S A HARDER IT'S A HARDER HURDLE WHEN WE HAVE TO CONVINCE YOU WHY YOU WANT TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP, BUT YOU'RE ALREADY THERE. WELL, I'M KIND OF RELATED TO THAT.
[00:30:05]
SO WE HAVE TAKEN SOME INITIAL STEPS WITH INCREMENTAL PLANS.SO WE HAVE A MASTER PARKS PLAN.
WE HAVE A STREET IMPROVEMENT PLAN.
WE ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY WITH THE PIECE OF LAND THAT WE HAVEN'T BUILT OUT BEDFORD COMMONS.
WHY CAN'T WE JUST DO IT? AND SO HOW DO WE STITCH TOGETHER OR, YOU KNOW, RECOGNIZE SOME OF THE ASSESSMENTS WE'VE DONE IN THE INTERIM SINCE OUR LAST PLAN? SO WE'RE ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN A TARGETED WAY AND NOT GETTING FEEDBACK FATIGUE.
SO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS MAY SOUND THE SAME AND THAT'S GOING TO BE INEVITABLE.
THERE WILL BE SOME THINGS THAT WE ASK OURSELVES OR THAT SHOW UP IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT SOUNDS SIMILAR, BUT THEY'RE ASKED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS OR A DIFFERENT A MORE HOLISTIC APPROACH.
AND WE MAY AGAIN, WE LOOK AT THINGS FROM THE WORLD OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
TO START WITH, EVERYTHING IS ECONOMICS TO US.
AND SO OUR QUESTION MAY BE THE SAME, BUT IT'S MEANT DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO IT'S IT'S A QUESTION OF MAKING SURE THAT WE RESPECT WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN ASKED.
BUT IF WE SEE SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED, ASKING IT AGAIN.
IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW FAR WE'VE COME.
WE CAME FROM A SCENARIO OF WE WEREN'T ASKING ANY QUESTIONS.
SO NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY ASKING ABOUT WHETHER THERE'S QUESTION FATIGUE OUT THERE.
I THINK I THINK IT'S A POSITIVE STATEMENT THAT YOU'RE MAKING.
TWO MORE QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS.
I THINK YOU ARTICULATED THAT IT WOULD BE TWO DELIVERABLES.
SO THERE'S THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT.
AND THEN WHAT ELSE? THE OTHER PIECE IS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
OKAY. YES, SORRY, I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT PART.
I GOT LONG WINDED AND DIDN'T GET TO FINISH, WHICH IS THE WHOLE REASON WHY WE'RE HERE.
THERE'S THAT OTHER DOCUMENT. I FORGET.
WHAT'S THAT THING CALLED? SO YEAH, THE SECOND DELIVERABLE IS THE ACTUAL PLAN ITSELF.
AND SO THEN MY, MY LAST THOUGHT IS SO AND YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THIS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE WE HAVE A HISTORIC PART OF THE COMMUNITY THAT'S PROBABLY MORE NEGLECTED THAN THE NON HISTORIC PART.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE A PART OF BEDFORD THAT HAS BEEN NEGLECTED AND APPROACHED IN A PATCHWORK WAY.
AND SO REALLY TAKING AN EYE ON MAKING SURE THAT WE TAKE A LENS TO THAT PART OF BEDFORD AND REALLY COMING UP WITH SOMETHING SPECIAL TO MAKE, MAKE, MAKE, PROVIDE PRIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
YEAH. SO FOR US AND WE'VE RECOGNIZED YOU HAVE THAT I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT A DIVIDE.
BUT YOU HAVE A DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? IT'S A DIFFERENT CHARACTER.
BUT WHAT'S EXCITING FOR US IS THAT WHEN WE THINK OF THINGS IN TERMS OF REDEVELOPMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY PUSH THE ENVELOPE, SOME OF THE AREAS THAT PEOPLE MAY SEE AS STRUGGLING AREAS ARE ACTUALLY YOUR BEST PLACES FOR YOUR YOUR NEXT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY.
SO AND WE'VE SEEN THAT HAPPEN.
AND EVEN IN SOME OF THE SLIDES THAT NINA WAS SHOWING, SOME OF THOSE WERE SITES THAT PEOPLE LOOKED AT AND THEY SAID, OH, YEAH, THIS IS THIS IS THE PART OF TOWN THAT DIDN'T GET THE ATTENTION. AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S IT'S THE BOMB THAT IS THE ATTENTION AND.
SO IT'S AND WE FIND, TOO, THAT PEOPLE'S PEOPLE'S OPINIONS CHANGE THE THINGS THAT THE THINGS THAT MY DAUGHTERS AND MY SONS ARE LOOKING FOR IN HOMES AND PLACES TO VISIT ENTIRELY DIFFERENT THAN THE PLACES I WANTED.
SO AND WE'RE SEEING THAT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF HOUSING PATTERNS THAT ARE INDICATIVE IN THE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF BEDFORD ARE THE PIECES THAT ARE DESIRABLE TO MY CHILDREN, QUITE FRANKLY.
THE SAME WAY AS MY DISCO PANTS ARE NOW BACK IN FAVOR.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SHOPPING CENTERS THAT HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESSES.
IS THAT GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO REVITALIZE THAT WITH WITH THE OWNERS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH ON THESE SHOPPING CENTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT? SO GREAT QUESTION.
[00:35:01]
AND AGAIN, IT DEPENDS THOSE VACATED OVER TIME.AND SOME OF THAT WAS PLANNED WITH FORESIGHT IN ADVANCE, AND SOME OF IT JUST NATURALLY WENT AWAY.
THAT WAS ACTUALLY THE PUBLIC CAME IN ON THE DETENTION POND.
IT WAS JUST A PRETTY CRAPPY DETENTION POND.
AND THEY TURNED THAT INTO A PARK AND AN AMENITY.
AND THOSE TWO SHOPPING CENTERS REDEVELOPED AROUND THAT.
AND THE RESTAURANT ACTUALLY THEIR PATIO BACKS UP TO THAT.
SO THEY CREATED MORE OF A DESTINATION.
SO SOME OF THAT IS WORKING WITH IT TOGETHER.
EACH CASE IS DIFFERENT. YES, SOMETIMES IT'S CASH FLOWING AND THEY DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING.
EXACTLY. AND IN EVERY CASE IS DIFFERENT.
AND YOU'VE GOT TO WORK IT SOMETIMES DIFFERENT ANGLES AND DIFFERENT WAYS.
BUT IT DOES WITH THAT DISCUSSION, WITH THAT PROPERTY OWNER, IT'S GOT TO MAKE MARKET SENSE FOR THEM.
SO I'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN BOTH WAYS.
SOMETIMES YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY ARE JUST NATURALLY VACANT, SOMETIMES THEY DON'T.
AND IT'S HAPPENING OVER TIME AND THEY'RE PREPPING FOR THAT.
COUNCIL MEMBER COGAN DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? OH, NO. OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER STEVES.
DURING THE PUBLIC INPUT PERIOD.
ARE YOU REACHING OUT TO OTHER STAKEHOLDERS LIKE THE SCHOOLS OR THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE CURRENT BUSINESSES THAT ARE THAT ARE AROUND BEDFORD? SO THAT IS PART OF OUR INITIAL.
SO WE'LL BE REACHING OUT. YES, ABSOLUTELY.
THANK YOU. AMERICAN LEGION HALLS.
OKAY. SO, MR. SMITH. SO SO GIVEN THAT YOUR WIDE RANGE OF EXPERIENCE OVER 20 YEARS, CAN YOU PINPOINT 2 OR 3 TRULY SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS STORIES AND SPEAK TO THAT COMMUNITY SO THAT WE HAVE A RELEVANCE OF WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? AND WHAT WERE THE DRIVING FORCES IN THAT REVITALIZATION? SO I'M GOING TO THINK NOT OF A COMP PLAN.
I'M GOING TO THINK WHEN WE WORKED BACK ANY YEARS AGO.
LEWISVILLE DOWNTOWN PLAN SORRY. MANY YEARS AGO, WE WORKED ON THE LEWISVILLE DOWNTOWN PLAN BEFORE WHAT YOU SEE, LEWISVILLE TODAY WAS NOT, AND THAT WAS WITH A DIFFERENT FIRM AND DIFFERENT COMPANY.
AND SO THAT WAS A LOT OF PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD TO COME FULL CIRCLE PROBABLY 15 YEARS LATER.
AND WE ARE ACTUALLY THEIR CONSULTANT NOW WITH ALL THEIR REINVESTMENT ZONES.
SO I'VE GOT TO SEE THAT COME TO FRUITION AND ACTUALLY SEE THAT DOWNTOWN COME TO LIFE OVER.
SO YES, THAT'S DIFFERENT, BUT DIFFERENT PART OF THE DIFFERENT PART OF TOWN.
BUT THE AREA THAT WE WORKED ON WAS THE DOWNTOWN AT THAT TIME.
SO YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT A PLAN THAT ACTUALLY CAME TO LIFE AND WAS SUCCESSFUL.
THEY ALSO HAD A REINVESTMENT ZONE.
THEY ALSO HAD FUNDING FROM TXDOT.
THEY REALLY LEVERAGED THEIR RESOURCES VERY WELL.
SO THEY DID A NUMBER OF THINGS.
SO IT'S REALLY TO BE TRULY SUCCESSFUL AND TONY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IT'S A NUMBER OF THINGS.
SO IT WAS A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT THEY DID THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
I THINK EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE THAT PLAN IMPLEMENTED RIGHT AWAY AND IT TOOK YEARS.
AND IT TAKES IT TAKES A COMMUNITY AND IT TAKES ALL YOUR RESOURCES IF EVERYBODY WORKING TOGETHER.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP [INAUDIBLE] WERE YOU RESPONSIBLE? YOU KNOW HOW THEIR CITY HALL.
AND THEN THERE'S A PARK, AND THEN THERE'S A WALKWAY THAT LEADS INTO OLD TOWN LEWISVILLE.
YOU WERE INVOLVED WITH ALL OF THAT.
SO I WASN'T INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
WE WERE PART OF THE PLAN, AND THEN WE GOT TO COME BACK.
WE WE HELP THEM WITH THEIR TOURS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'LL GO INTO COMMUNITIES AND THEY'RE VERY NICE, BUT IF YOU PUT COMMUNITY A, B AND C AND YOU PUT THEM NEXT TO EACH OTHER, THEY'RE KIND OF THEY'RE NICE, BUT THEY'RE KIND OF COOKIE CUTTER. AND I'LL USE THE MAYOR'S TERM AND THAT'S UNIQUE.
[00:40:04]
OKAY. AND I GUESS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS THAT UNIQUENESS THAT SOMEBODY GOES BEDFORD DID YOU KNOW THEY HAD WHATEVER THAT UNIQUE THING IS? AND I MEAN, DO YOU GET INTO THAT OR ARE YOU JUST KIND OF JUST DOING AN OVERALL PLAN? IF YOU SEE WHERE I'M TRYING TO SAY NO, ABSOLUTELY.AND I'M GOING TO BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THIS ALL THE TIME.
WE DO. I MEAN, TRULY EMBEDDED IN ALL OUR PLANS, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR.
AND I'LL LET TONY ELABORATE ON THAT [INAUDIBLE].
I APOLOGIZE THAT YOU ASKED THE QUESTION [INAUDIBLE].
IN MOST CASES, THEY JUST DON'T KNOW IT YET.
AND PART OF THE EVOLUTION OF THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT PROCESS IS DISCOVERING AND FERRETING OUT THOSE SPECIAL THINGS THAT YOU CAN PULL OUT THAT MAKES THAT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE COMMUNITY STAND OUT.
AND REALLY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MARKET COMPETITIVE, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT'S PART OF THAT SPECIAL, THAT SPECIAL SAUCE THAT MAKES YOU MARKET COMPETITIVE BECAUSE IN A GROUP OF PEERS, IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY CITIES, RIGHT? SO IF YOU ASK ANYBODY WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT COMMUNITY A.
YOU WANT INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE HERE AND WORK HERE TO SAY, THAT'S EASY.
I CAN ANSWER THAT IN 20 SECONDS.
SO THAT'S THE THING THAT SETS YOU APART AND MAKES YOU MARKETABLE IS NOT WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO SELL THE COMMUNITY, BUT WHEN YOUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND WHEN YOUR YOUR PROPERTY OWNERS AND YOUR BROKERS AND EVERYBODY ELSE INVOLVED, YOUR GENERAL PUBLIC IS ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION OF WHAT MAKES YOU SPECIAL.
AND WE FOR FOR THE LONGEST TIME, SOME OF THE JUST TO GIVE YOU A SMALL HISTORY LESSON, FOR THE LONGEST TIME, A LOT OF THE CHALLENGES IN [INAUDIBLE] AND BEDFORD WAS WE WERE ALL HOMOGENEOUS THAT PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHERE ONE BORDER CHANGED AND YOU WENT INTO ANOTHER CITY.
AND WE STILL HAVE SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES NOW.
BUT I KNOW THAT THAT WITH THE HELP OF THE FOLKS HERE ON PLANNING AND ZONING WITH THIS CAMP, THIS THIS COUNCIL, I MEAN, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON, YEAH, THE UNIQUENESS AND THE THINGS THAT, THAT SEPARATE US FROM THE PACK.
EXCELLENT. YES, PLEASE, MR. [INAUDIBLE]. TONY, GOING BACK TO SQUARE ONE HERE, THE ASSESSMENT, WOULD YOU MIND WALKING THROUGH SOME OF THE BOXES YOU CHECK OFF WHEN YOU'RE RIDING AROUND? WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT WHAT'S THE SCOPE OF THE ASSESSMENT? SURE. AND A LITTLE TINY BIT OF BACK TO THE SO THE FUN PART OF THIS IS, YES, WE HAVE A CHECKLIST OF CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE ABSOLUTELY WANT TO BE LOOKING AT, BUT WE SPEND MOST OF OUR TIME JUST ABSORBING THE COMMUNITY.
AND AND I CAN'T SAY HOW IMPORTANT IT IS SOMETIMES TO DEVIATE FROM THAT CHECKLIST BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU START TO FIND THE SPECIAL THINGS, WHETHER IT'S THAT LITTLE HISTORICAL SPECIAL, SOMETHING THAT THAT STANDS APART OR IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THE DIFFERENT THE CHARACTER OF THE THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE PARTS OF YOUR COMMUNITY ARE MARKETABLE TO SOME PEOPLE, OTHER PARTS ARE MARKETABLE TO OTHER PEOPLE.
AND IT'S UNDERSTANDING THAT AND BEING ABLE TO DRAW THOSE CERTAIN PIECES OF CHARACTER OUT AND UNDERSTANDING THOSE CHARACTER TYPES AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT THEIR POTENTIAL IS, THAT REALLY SETS IT APART. AND YOU CAN'T FIND THOSE ON A CHECKLIST.
YOU FIND THOSE JUST BY PAYING ATTENTION.
AND BOTH NINA AND I ARE BIG FANS OF ADAM GRANT AND AND HIS THINK AGAIN BOOK AND THE CONCEPT OF OF KEEPING YOUR MIND OPEN TO THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHAT YOU SEE AS OPPOSED TO THE TYPES OF THINGS WE'VE LEARNED.
AND WE DO WE LOOK AT YOUR GATEWAYS, WE LOOK AT YOUR COMMERCIAL MIX, WE LOOK AT YOUR HOUSING MIX, WE LOOK AT HOW THEY ARE CONNECTED TO EACH OTHER, THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO GO TO POINT A TO POINT B, WHETHER IT'S BY CAR OR BY WALKING ET CETERA.
WHAT ARE THE TRENDS GOING ON TODAY AND CAN YOU COMPETE FROM THOSE THOSE PIECES TO.
[00:45:02]
BUT BOY, THEY ARE NOW.SO NINA YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS.
AND THAT REALLY IS WHAT WE REALLY OBSERVED FROM BEING IN THE COMMUNITY AND OBSERVING THE COMMUNITY.
MAYOR [INAUDIBLE] HAS THE CITY EVER DONE ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE? YES. 2010.
OKAY. THERE WAS A COMP PLAN DONE, SO WE BROUGHT IN AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS.
SO I AM VERY EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE OF THE CITY O SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED IN JUST THE PAST THREE YEARS HAS BEEN AMAZING.
AND THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN WITHOUT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AND EVERYONE IN THE CITY.
RIGHT. AND I AM TRULY VERY EXCITED.
I MEAN, WE'RE FINALLY GOING FORWARD.
WE FINALLY HAVE THE CITY NOT ONLY IN DRIVE, WE'RE IN WE'RE IN OVERDRIVE.
WE'RE WE HAVE WE HAVE BIG THINGS HAPPENING.
THERE ARE BIG THINGS IN THE PIPE FOR THE FUTURE.
I MEAN, IT'S SO AND AND THIS IS THIS IS EXCITING.
THIS IS VERY THAT WAS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS IS A PSA. THE MORE YOU KNOW.
GET PEOPLE TO AGREE THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY THERE, THAT WE'RE NOT AT END OF LIFE, THAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE, AND TO BE WILLING TO EXPLORE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
WE JUST NEED TO WE NEED HELP IN CRAFTING THE DIRECTION AND CRAFTING THE GUIDE.
SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF WHAT'S EXCITING ABOUT WHERE WE'RE AT.
I JUST THINK THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME.
I AGREE WITH YOU. YEAH, I'M SORRY, MR. JACOBSON. WE SEEM TO BE IN THE PLANNING AND ZONING.
WE LIVE IN THE WORLD OF ZONING DISTRICTS, AMONG OTHER THINGS.
AND ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS, WILL ONE OF YOUR END PRODUCTS, CAN YOUR DELIVERABLES, BE A MAP THAT SHOWS ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT YOU EXPECT IN BEDFORD? BECAUSE ONE OF THE REASONS I'M THINKING ABOUT IS THE INTERCONNECTIVITY OF THE CITY.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU DO OR ARE EXPECTING TO DO? SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET A COUPLE OF DELIVERABLES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A FUTURE LAND USE MAP THAT WILL BE A PART OF THIS.
SO AGAIN, IT'S MEANT TO BE A GUIDING TOOL TO MAKE THOSE HARD DECISIONS, RIGHT? THE OTHER PIECE IS THAT WE LOOK AT WE LOOK AT THEM.
IT DOESN'T DEAL WITH THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THEM AND IT DOESN'T DEAL WITH THE FACT THAT WHEN YOU THINK OF RESIDENTIAL, I CAN LIST 20 DIFFERENT KINDS, RIGHT? AND SO WE ALSO WORK IN THE WORLD OF CHARACTER.
SO THE SCALE OF THAT COMMUNITY, THE ARCHITECTURE, THE HOUSING TYPES, COMMERCIAL TYPES, HOW THEY RELATE TO, AGAIN, YOUR ABILITY TO GET UP IN THE MORNING AND WALK DOWN THE STREET AND HAVE A COFFEE OR SOMETHING.
IS THAT POSSIBLE? SO IN YOUR PLACE TYPES TELL YOU THAT STORY AND SO AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE ROADWAYS.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A THOROUGHFARE PLAN AND THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN IS CHEATING A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE TELLING YOU WHERE TO BUILD NEW ROADS.
[00:50:04]
IN PLANNING AND PLANNING AND ZONING OR AS COUNCIL TRYING TO MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON SPECIFIC CASES.AND THE REASON I BRING UP A MAP AGAIN IS BECAUSE IF A PORTION OF THE CITY IS ADVERSELY AFFECTED OR SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED MAY BE ABLE TO SEE A BIG TIME ON A MAP SO THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD ENGAGE MORE EFFECTIVELY.
SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE MAP.
YEAH, NO, IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I WILL SAY, TOO, AND I WANT TO BE CLEAR, TOO, SO WE GIVE YOU THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
WHAT WOULD YOU TERM TO BE THE BEST CATALYSTS FOR THAT ? SO, OKAY, THIS IS GOING TO SOUND REALLY DUMB ON MY PART, BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT WE'RE NOT THE ONES ACHIEVING THE SUCCESS.
WE'RE HERE TO FACILITATE YOUR PROCESS, AND THE SUCCESS COMES FROM THE INDIVIDUALS THAT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON IT, AND THAT CAN BE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT.
AND AND THAT HAPPENS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND ACTUALLY NINA YOU WANT TO TELL THEM A COUPLE STORIES OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS WE'VE WORKED WITH.
COULD IT NOT BE SAID THAT WE NEED TO ASK THAT OF OURSELVES? HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEFINE SUCCESS? YEAH. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE PROCESS IS INTENDED TO GIVE YOU THAT.
IT'S INTENDED TO TO BUILD, AGAIN THAT COMMON GROUND AND THAT COMMON VISION OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SOMETIMES IT COMES FROM THE INDIVIDUALS IN THIS ROOM.
SOMETIMES IT COMES FROM A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT SAYS, HEY, THIS IS GREAT.
WE'LL TAKE THAT BALL AND RUN WITH IT AND WE'LL DO THAT NEXT THING.
OR IT COULD BE A DEVELOPER THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW WHAT, I LIKE WHERE THIS IS HEADED.
SO. YEAH, I MEAN, I CAN ELABORATE WITH EXAMPLES, BUT IT'S EXACTLY THAT.
THE MOST SUCCESSFUL ONES HAVE INVOLVED MULTIPLE PARTIES AT THE TABLE AND LEVERAGING OF RESOURCES.
SO MY QUESTION IS KIND OF, IS IT IN THE ENTERTAINMENT FIELD? IS IT IN THE RESTAURANT FIELD? IS IT IN THE YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? WHAT? THERE'S ALWAYS A CATALYST AND YOU HOPE THAT BY EMBRACING THOSE CATALYSTS AND IMPLEMENTING IT, IT CREATES FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.
SO ABSOLUTELY. SO I THINK IT'S COMMUNITIES EVOLVE AS PEOPLE HAVE EVOLVED.
SO RIGHT NOW IT'S DESTINATIONS AND EXPERIENCES.
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE WANT.
AND SO THAT ACTUALLY GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE.
A LOT OF THE REDEVELOPMENT IS CREATING EXPERIENCES, CREATING DESTINATIONS.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY JUST A RESTAURANT OR ENTERTAINMENT.
IT'S EVEN IN THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT.
IT'S CREATING A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
OUR GREATEST ASSET IS LOCATION.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT ON THE EDGE OF SOMEPLACE THAT'S DYING.
SO ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO MARKET THAT TO OUR INDIVIDUALS AND OUR INVESTORS TO THAT ASPECT? I MEAN, WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN A BEDROOM COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND NOW WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO REINVENT.
YOUR ROLE IS TO WORK WITH US TO CREATE A GUIDE FOR WHAT THE FUTURE OF BEDFORD IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TO MARKET IT ON OUR BEHALF.
IS THAT WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THAT? WELL, I'M JUST SAYING THAT IT'S GOING TO IT'S ALL GOOD DOWN TO MARKET, YOU KNOW.
BUT THEY ARE HERE TO HELP US CREATE THE COMP PLAN.
I'M LOOKING AT ANDREA ROY, I'M LOOKING AT WES MORRISON AND I SEE AN EMPTY MICROPHONE.
SO THEY'LL GIVE US THE PLANS, THE GUIDELINES, THE TOOLS WE'LL FORMULATE HOW WE'RE GOING TO GO ABOUT IT, AND THEN IT'S OUR JOB TO TAKE IT AND MARKET IT. SO WE'RE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE OUT THERE HOOFING IT AND SELLING IT TO THOSE.
BUT AGAIN, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YES, IT WILL BE TO ALL OF THOSE GROUPS.
WE WILL HIT ALL OF THOSE, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE US SOMETHING THAT IS MARKETABLE.
[00:55:01]
YEP. JUST ON AN IDEA.ALL RIGHT. GOTCHA. YES. YEAH, I'VE BEEN NEGLECTING KATE HERE, MISS BARLOW.
I KIND OF HAVE THREE AREAS OF QUESTION IN THE TOOLS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING.
ARE YOU GOING TO BE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT FORECASTS THAT ARE OUT THERE AS FAR AS WHAT WE SEE HAPPENING? WE KNOW DFW IS A HIGHLY GROWING AREA.
THINGS THAT WE CAN BUILD UPON.
WHAT DO WHAT DOES THE STATE THINK IS HAPPENING? WHAT DOES COG WORKING WITH THAT? THE SECOND ONE IS WHAT TYPE OF PARTNERSHIPS MIGHT WE CONSIDER WITH OTHER CITIES AS WE LOOK AT I LIVE IN SOUTHLAKE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND SO WE HAD THIS GREAT ORGANIZATION WITH METRO PORT LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION, HOW WE CAN BUILD UPON, HOW WE CAN LEVERAGE THOSE DOLLARS.
AND THEN THE THIRD AREA IS WHAT TYPE OF INFORMATION CAN YOU GIVE US ABOUT INDUSTRIES? HOW HAS THAT CHANGED? I MEAN, WE I AGAIN, I JUST HAVE TO WONDER WHAT'S REALLY GOING TO BE HAPPENING TO RETAIL.
WE KNOW THAT MEDICAL IS GROWING A LOT AND WHAT CAN WE BUILD UPON THOSE AREAS? YOU'RE GOING TO CALL ME OUT.
OKAY, SO THE FIRST ONE, I THINK, WAS ABOUT DATA AND THE COG.
AND SO YOUR SECOND QUESTION WAS, SO THE FIRST ONE WAS HOW DO WE DO OR WILL THERE BE ANY DIFFERENT TYPE OF FORECAST? WE THINK WHAT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN WITH DFW GROWING, WHAT DO WE SEE HAPPENING? AND LIKE I SAID, WHEN I GO BACK TO SOUTHLAKE NOW, I'M JUST SURPRISED AT THE DIFFERENT THE CULTURES ARE SO DIFFERENT WHEN YOU JUST WALK THROUGH A COSTCO.
OKAY. AND SO YOU'RE TALKING REALLY HOW AND HOW LIKE HOW YOU WERE SAYING RETAIL CHANGES AND TRENDS CHANGES, RIGHT? YEAH. SO ABSOLUTELY, BECAUSE THAT CAN FEED INTO THE TYPES OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU AS WELL.
AND IT'S GOING TO FEED KIND OF THAT IN-BETWEEN.
BETWEEN THAT, HERE'S OUR OBSERVATIONS OF WHERE YOU ARE NOW.
HERE'S WHERE THINGS ARE GOING AND FEEDING INTO THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
YES, YES. SO THAT WILL FEED INTO THAT.
THAT WILL FEED INTO THAT PIECE.
OKAY. CAN I ADD TO THAT? JUST REAL QUICK? SO SORRY.
ONE OF THE THINGS, THOUGH, JUST AS A CAUTIONARY STATEMENT, BECAUSE WHEN WE LOOK AT TRENDS AND STATISTICS, THE THING WE WANT TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS OF IS UNDERSTANDING NOT JUST WHERE YOUR TRENDS ARE TAKING YOU, BUT WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THOSE ARE TWO DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, WELL, HERE'S THE TREND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ASK OURSELVES, IS THAT THE TREND WE LIKE OR IS THERE A DIFFERENT TREND? AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT, AGAIN, TO ESTABLISH WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO YOU, NOT JUST UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE FORECAST ARE TELLING YOU, BECAUSE YOU DO HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER YOUR DESTINY. NOT COMPLETE, BUT YOU HAVE SOME CONTROL.
YEAH. I WAS WONDERING ON THE COMP PLAN WHEN YOU WERE GIVING US A FINAL, I'M WONDERING ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND IF YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE SETTING A DIRECTION FOR US AND IT'S GOING TO BE FLEXIBLE AND LONGER LASTING, ARE THERE GOING TO BE INCLUSIONS FOR MEASURES FOR SUCCESS? SO THAT WAY IF WE SAID LIKE, OUR VALUES ARE THIS OR OUR PRIORITIES ARE THIS, AND THEN WE WENT, OH, WE WENT AND BUILT X, Y AND Z TO DO THAT, ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE DID THAT THING WE BUILT ACHIEVE WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR? WAS IT DIVERSITY? WAS IT WALKABILITY? WAS IT SENSE OF COMMUNITY? ARE YOU GOING TO BE PUTTING IN SOME KIND OF MEASURES OR RECOMMENDATIONS OF MEASURES OF HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE WE'RE STAYING ON TRACK AND WHERE TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS? I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I THINK WE NEED TO CHALLENGE OURSELVES TO WHAT ARE THE RESULTS WE WANT TO GET OUT OF THIS.
THAT'S MY PERSONAL OBSERVATION.
IS THAT FAIR IN YOUR WORLD? YES, ABSOLUTELY. I WILL JUST ADD, THOUGH, IT'S PART OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM, THERE WILL ACTUALLY BE SPECIFIC ACTION ITEMS FOR YOU ALL TO ACCOMPLISH THAT CAN BE EASILY CHECKED OFF AS A MEASURE OF SUCCESS AS WELL.
AS YOU SAID YOURSELF, YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE US A LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENT HERE THAT IS FLEXIBLE.
ABSOLUTELY. THAT WE CAN TAKE AND POTENTIALLY USE IT FOR THE LONG RUN HERE.
AND I DO THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU SAID, THAT HONEST ASSESSMENT FROM OUTSIDE EXPERTS, I THINK THAT'S SO CRITICAL AS WE LOOK TO DEVELOP OUR OWN PLAN TO HAVE INPUT FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF THAT HAVE SEEN OTHER COMMUNITIES AND CAN POSITION BEDFORD IN A IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ALL SAY, YEAH, WE'RE HERE, BUT WE WANT TO BE HERE.
[01:00:02]
AND I HOPE THAT'S PART OF THIS PROCESS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO GIVE OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT'S IT'S HARD FOR US WHO LIVE HERE TO ALWAYS BE PERFECTLY HONEST WITH OURSELVES ABOUT WHAT WE HAVE.IT'S SOMETIMES BETTER TO HAVE AN OUTSIDE SOURCE HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE AT, AND THEN WE WE CAN HELP DECIDE WHERE WE WANT TO GO FROM THERE.
YOU CAN'T ACCOMPLISH EVERYTHING BUT.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU ALL ARE HERE? ABSOLUTELY. YES. WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE TOGETHER.
YOU STATED THAT YOU'RE GOING TO IDENTIFY CHARACTER IDENTITY.
HOW DO YOU GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT? BUT ALSO THERE'S ANOTHER QUESTION.
SO 10-15 YEARS AGO, THE BIG THING WAS BUILD APARTMENTS, PUT RETAIL BELOW.
WERE YOU A PART OF THAT? YOU KNOW, DID YOU THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA? WAS THAT A GOOD TREND FOR YOU? BECAUSE IT'S NOT WORKING IN MOST COMMUNITIES.
I FEEL THE NEED TO INTERJECT HERE.
EVERY COMMUNITY IS UNIQUE THAT I HEAR YOU ALL SAY THAT.
OKAY. BUT BUT IT WAS IT WAS OVERPLAYED? CORRECT. SO WE HAVE A RUNNING JOKE THAT THAT WE CALL THAT WE CALL THE CAKE BALL THEORY.
AND DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN CAKE BALLS WERE THE THING? AND SO SUDDENLY EVERYBODY WANTED TO HAVE A CAKE BALL STORE TACOS.
SO EVERYTHING IS A FLAVOR OF THE MONTH.
AND BEFORE YOU KNEW IT, EVERYBODY HAD A CONVENTION CENTER.
WELL, THERE'S ONLY SO MANY CONVENTIONS YOU CAN HAVE.
SO EVERY TREND HAS A TENDENCY TO BE OVERPLAYED.
THE IMPORTANT AND THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE TRUE TO YOURSELVES.
THAT'S PART OF WHY WE SET UP THE VISION, THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES ET CETERA TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT SETS YOU APART, WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE, SET YOU APART AND BUILD ON IT, AND THEN THE CHARACTER THAT YOU HAVE CURRENTLY, AND THEN THE CHARACTER YOU WANT TO BE MAY BE EXACTLY THE SAME THINGS.
SO UNDERSTANDING IDENTITY IS FIRST, UNDERSTANDING WHAT MAKES YOU SPECIAL.
NOW, WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES? WHAT'S GETTING IN THE WAY? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE COMING YOUR WAY THAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT? WHAT ARE STRENGTHS, SOME OF WHICH YOU DON'T? EVEN SOME THINGS THAT WE FIND OUT ABOUT COMMUNITIES THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE ARE STRINGS.
AND WE'RE LIKE, WAIT, TELL US MORE ABOUT THAT THING.
AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, YOU'VE GOT YOUR SPECIAL SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY HAS SAID.
AND SO IT'S DIGGING OUT THAT SPECIAL THING AND BUILDING ON IT.
SO I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT WE HAVEN'T RECOMMENDED MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT TO GROUPS BEFORE, BUT WE HAD A MENTOR THAT WHEN AUSTIN WAS DOING ITS BIG THING WHERE EVERYTHING HAD TO BE COMMERCIAL BELOW AND RESIDENTIAL ABOVE, AND IT WAS OUR MENTOR AT THE SAME TIME.
THAT SAID, 80% OF THOSE ARE GOING TO BE VACANT GUARANTEED BECAUSE THEY'VE OVERPLAYED THEIR HAND.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND WE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THOSE TRENDS.
SO BUT AND IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, THE GOOD NEWS IS YOU CAN TELL US NO BECAUSE IT'S YOUR PLAN.
SO IT JUST SEEMS KIND OF ETHEREAL AS TO HOW YOU FIND THAT OUT FROM THE PUBLIC AND FROM US.
WE JUST LOVE BEDFORD, YOU KNOW? AND I DON'T EVEN THINK IT HAD TO DO WITH THE CITY SO MUCH AS IT HAD TO DO WITH THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, THE FRIENDS THEY HAD MADE THROUGH SCHOOLS.
AND TO MY HUSBAND AND I, IT WAS CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT AND HE HAD TO GO ALL THE TIME.
BUT ALSO IT WAS A VANILLA COMMUNITY.
SEE, TO ME, WE FOUND AN UNUSUAL THAT THERE WAS NO DOWNTOWN, THERE WAS NO SHOP ABILITY.
BUT IT WAS NOT IT DIDN'T REALLY.
AND WE AND YOU MENTIONED MARKET COMPETITIVE.
SO TO ME, THAT SAYS TO OUTCOMPETE OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE? SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS.
[01:05:08]
OPPORTUNITIES TO RAISE EACH OTHER UP SIMULTANEOUSLY.SO NOT EVERYTHING IS ABOUT HOW DO WE GET THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
BUT AND I THINK AND I USE A REFERENCE BACK TO APPLE.
APPLE MAY NEVER HAVE BEEN FIRST TO THE GAME.
THEY JUST DID IT BETTER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND SO AND THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE MANTRA.
AND SO IT'S TWO THINGS YOU NEED TO ASK YOURSELF WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR WHAT'S UNIQUE.
ONE IS THAT THING THAT YOU SAY IS SPECIAL ABOUT YOU.
CAN EVERYBODY ELSE SAY THE SAME THING? I'LL GIVE YOU A GOOD EXAMPLE.
OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS THE BEST SCHOOL DISTRICT AROUND.
WELL, IF EVERYBODY GETS TO SAY THAT, WHERE IS IT MARKETABLE FOR YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT TO BE THE BEST? SO IT'S THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE CHALLENGE YOU WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT MAKES SOMETHING SPECIAL, WE CHALLENGE YOU TO FIND THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND THEN WE DO THE DIGGING TO TO FIND OUT THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S SUPER SIMPLE THINGS.
ONE OF OUR RUNNING JOKES IS CONROE, TEXAS.
THERE IS A BRIDGE OUTSIDE OF CONROE WHERE BONNIE AND CLYDE USED TO MEET WITH THE FAMILY TO HOLD REUNIONS FOR THE BARROW FAMILY, FOR THE BARROW FAMILY, EXCUSE ME. AND THE UNDERSTANDING WAS THEY WOULD COME IN IN ADVANCE.
THEY WOULD TALK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
POLICE WOULD PATROL A CERTAIN PART OF THE COMMUNITY FOR THAT DAY.
THEY WOULD PATROL THE REST OF IT.
EXACTLY. I MEAN, SOMETIMES I MEAN, I FORGET WHICH COMMUNITY IT IS THAT HAS A MOSQUITO FESTIVAL.
WHO THE HELL DOES A MOSQUITO FESTIVAL? BUT THE POINT OF THE MATTER IS IT WORKS.
AND SO YOU FIND THOSE THINGS THAT CAN SET YOU APART.
SOMETIMES THERE ARE THINGS THAT NATURALLY GERMINATE FROM THE COMMUNITY SOMETIMES.
AND WE HAVE ONE MENTOR OF OURS THAT HAS TOLD COMMUNITIES, AND IF WE DON'T HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE FIND THAT'S SPECIAL, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SOMETHING UP AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CELEBRATE THAT.
SO, I MEAN, I GUESS MY IMPRESSION LISTENING TO YOU IS ALSO THAT THIS IS A DIALOG.
I MEAN, THIS THIS IS AN INTERACTION BACK AND FORTH TO DETERMINE THOSE THINGS.
MISS BARLOW, I HAVE A QUESTION.
[INAUDIBLE] BUT I'M TRYING TO THINK I MEAN, SOME OF THE MIXED USE PROJECTS HAD AN APARTMENT COMPONENT THAT WE'VE SEEN COME THROUGH WITH SOME OF THE CITIES WE'VE WORKED WITH.
SO BUT OTHERWISE, WE REALLY DON'T DO A WHOLE LOT WITH APARTMENTS.
REDEVELOPMENT YES. SO WELL, AND THE REALITY IS YOU HAVE APARTMENTS, RIGHT? AND SOME OF THOSE APARTMENTS MAY GO AWAY.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS THEN, IF YOU HAVE THEM, HOW DO YOU ALSO HELP THEM REMAIN MARKET COMPETITIVE? BECAUSE AS THEY'RE COMPETITIVE, SO ARE YOU.
SO WE HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT THE TYPES OF THINGS WE WANT AND THE THINGS WE WANT TO ACHIEVE.
AGAIN, WITH THE QUESTION OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMETHING IS NOT VACANT, SAME THING APPLIES.
SO WE NEED TO BE REALISTIC ON WHAT WE CAN ACHIEVE THERE AND HELP ELEVATE EVERYBODY.
ALL RIGHT, MR. GALLENSTEIN, THE NEW TREASURER.
AND YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTERWARDS BECAUSE THERE'S A PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP.
YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT THEY DID WITH YOUR PLAN.
AND YOU'VE SEEN SOME THAT HAVE PROBABLY BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND SOME THAT HAVE NOT.
WHAT HAS BEEN THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN THOSE? WHAT WERE THE MISTAKES THAT THE ONES THAT WEREN'T SUCCESSFUL DID FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND THE ONES THAT WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL, WHAT DID THEY DO IN IMPLEMENTING YOUR IDEAS? SO THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND WHEN TONY AND I WERE WORKING ON THESE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THEN WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ACTUALLY ON THE CITY SIDE AND WE WERE GOING TO WRITE OUR OWN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. WE DECIDED BECAUSE WE GOT TIRED OF THEM, THE ONES THAT WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL, THAT SAT ON THE SHELF AND THAT WERE NOT USED.
AND I THINK THERE'S A NUMBER OF FACTORS.
[01:10:02]
ONE, SOMETIMES IT'S THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, NOT REALLY GEARED TOWARDS THAT COMMUNITY.IT'S NOT ACTIONABLE, IT'S SOMETIMES TOO FLUFFY OR OUT THERE AND THEY CAN'T IMPLEMENT IT.
BUT IT'S ALSO ON STAFF'S SIDE.
THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT COULD MEET EACH OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS AND USES.
AND I REMEMBER ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WHEN WE STARTED TO DO IT FROM A CITY SIDE WAS EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT WAS ENGAGED FROM THE BEGINNING AND MAKING SURE THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO USE TO HELP FURTHER THEIR GOALS AND THEIR MISSIONS.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES SOME PEOPLE SEE THE COMP PLAN.
THEY SAY PLANNING DEPARTMENT ONLY.
SO THAT IS I THINK HAS BEEN TRULY WE TRY TO DO THAT WHEN WE WERE DOING THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST LOOKED AT, OH, THIS IS JUST A PLANNING DOCUMENT, AND THAT'S JUST FOR THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO DEAL WITH ZONING ONLY BECAUSE THERE IS THAT PERCEPTION AND IT REALLY DOESN'T GET BOUGHT IN BY PUBLIC WORKS OR YOUR POLICE AND FIRE.
SO I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY THE STRONGEST MOMENT BECAUSE USUALLY A LOT OF THEM HAVE GOOD PUBLIC BUY IN AND YOU'VE GOT THIS GENERAL VISION, I WOULD SAY, BUT IT'S REALLY ON THE STAFF SIDE. AND IT'S JUST CONSULTANT GOES AWAY.
IT JUST SITS THERE. STAFF DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT.
NONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS KNOW HOW TO USE IT.
P&Z, COUNCIL AND NOBODY REALLY KNOWS HOW TO USE IT TO MAKING THOSE DECISIONS.
SO SOME OF THE QUESTION THERE IS HAVE YOU WORKED WITH OUR STAFF BEFORE? [LAUGHTER] YES, WE HAVE.
AND DO THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO KNOW HOW TO USE? ABSOLUTELY. MS. FORD.
HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED ANY OF THE STRENGTHS THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY BUILD ON GOING FORWARD OF BEDFORD? THEY PROBABLY HAVE. [LAUGHTER] WE HAVE.
YOU KNOW, JUST THROUGH RETOOLING.
AND AGAIN, IT WILL GO THROUGH MORE IN THE VISION PROCESS.
IT WAS JUST MORE OF US DRIVING AND KIND OF SEEING OPPORTUNITIES, BUT EVEN CREATING KIND OF PLACES AND MORE OF THOSE DESTINATIONS, YOU COULD SEE SYNERGY BETWEEN PARCELS AND EVEN IF YOU RETOOLED AREAS.
SO I THINK THERE'S DEFINITELY OPPORTUNITIES AND WE'RE JUST IN THOSE BEGINNING PHASES.
YEAH, I WOULD SAY ADDING TO THAT, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S SPECIAL THAT YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IS AGAIN STARTING SMALL IN SOME CASES WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING EXPERIENCES.
AND IF YOU WERE TO ASK TEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WHERE DO YOU HANG OUT? HOW MANY TIMES ARE THEY GOING TO OF THE PEOPLE YOU TALK TO, HOW MANY OF THEM ARE GOING TO GIVE YOU A BEDFORD LOCATION? RIGHT. AND SO BUT YOU HAVE INCREDIBLE PLACES THAT YOU CAN BUILD INTO PLACES, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE THAT IN PLACE, EVERYBODY ELSE WANTS TO GO WHERE THE COOL KIDS ARE.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO WHERE THE COOL KIDS ARE.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT A SPECIAL PLACE THAT'S INTERESTING, THAT'S INTERESTING TO YOUR RESIDENTS WHERE THEY WANT TO PUT IN THEIR DISPOSABLE INCOME, EVERYBODY ELSE IS GOING TO WANT TO PLAY THERE, TOO. THE OTHER THING TO ADD ON TO WHAT NINA WAS SAYING IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE FOUND INTERESTING AND VALUABLE IS YOUR STREETS, BUT NOT FOR THE REASON YOU MIGHT THINK.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE VERY WIDE CORRIDORS IN YOUR STREETS, MUCH BIGGER THAN YOU REALLY NEED FOR CARS, BUT THEY MAKE GREAT MULTI-PURPOSE CORRIDORS AND YOU CAN DO THAT FAIRLY COST EFFECTIVELY AND START TO INCREASE THE CONNECTIVITY IN YOUR COMMUNITY IF FAIRLY QUICKLY AND FAIRLY COST EFFECTIVELY AGAIN.
AND I THINK AND THIS IS THE BEAUTY OF HAVING OUR FRIENDS FROM CLARK CONDON HERE IS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE OPEN SPACES, THE DRAINAGE WAYS THAT NINA TALKED ABOUT THE ROADWAYS AND FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN NOT ONLY MAKE THEM ATTRACTIVE, BUT INCREDIBLY HYPER FUNCTIONAL.
OKAY. SO WE WERE ORIGINALLY GOING TO GIVE YOU TEN MINUTES TO GIVE YOUR PRESENTATION.
[LAUGHTER] COUNCIL MEMBER COGAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
SO I GO BACK TO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
[01:15:01]
I JUST WANTED TO SIT BACK AND LISTEN TO EVERYTHING.AND WHAT I SEE IS THAT AT ONE POINT IN TIME, THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE SOLUTION, RIGHT? OH, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A YOUNGER DEMOGRAPHIC HERE WITH THIS MIXED USE.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, AS YOU SAID, IT GOT OVERPLAYED.
SO WHAT ARE WE USING IF THAT IS THE GOAL? THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO PURSUE.
WHAT I'M AFRAID OF IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO GET OUTDATED.
HOW DO WE AVOID THAT? YOU WANT TO GO? OR DO YOU WANT ME TO GO? SO THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND THERE.
AND I ACTUALLY LOVE THAT QUESTION BECAUSE, AGAIN, THERE'S.
SORRY, CAT LOVERS. THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SKIN A CAT.
YOU KNOW, SEVERAL OF THEM ARE AT THAT AGE WHERE THEY CAN CHOOSE.
AND WHAT THEY'RE CHOOSING IS HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THEY CAN INVEST IN AND DROP AN UNGODLY AMOUNT OF MONEY AND AND BEGIN TO TRANSFORM THE COMMUNITY THAT WAY, BECAUSE THAT'S THEIR PREFERENCE.
THEY CAN COME IN AND AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND BUILD IN AND BE A PART OF A COMMUNITY.
THAT'S WHAT'S SPECIAL TO THEM.
I HAVE ONE THAT'S VERY INTERESTED IN URBAN LIFESTYLE.
HE WOULD BE IN A MIXED USE ENVIRONMENT JUST LIKE THAT.
I HAVE THREE OTHERS THAT WOULDN'T THEY WOULD CHOOSE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CHARACTER.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WAYS TO BRING IN A NEW GENERATION OR TO BRING IN A YOUNGER GENERATION, WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THOSE TRENDS CHANGE ALL THE TIME, BUT THAT THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE EXCITED ABOUT DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLACES AND BEING ABLE YOU DON'T LOCK YOURSELF INTO A SINGLE PRODUCT.
YOU NEVER LOCK YOURSELF INTO IT.
YOU LOCK YOURSELF INTO OPPORTUNITY AND CHOICES, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO SET YOURSELF UP FOR.
AND THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THIS FLEXIBILITY COMES IN.
WE WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOME OF THEM WILL.
IF YOU'RE INTO DENSITY, WE'LL MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT INCLUDE DENSITY.
AND GIVEN THAT, WOULD YOU ALSO LOOK AT HOW WE GOT HERE? OF COURSE, IT'S GIVEN THAT CRITERIA, LET'S JUST SAY, HEY, WE'RE AN AGING COMMUNITY.
WOULD YOU SAY HOW DID IT COME TO PASS? WHY IS IT LIKE THIS? WHY, YOU KNOW, COMPARED TO OUR NEIGHBORS, DO WE HAVE AN OLDER DEMOGRAPHIC? WOULD YOU LOOK INTO THAT AS TO WHY THAT IS SO THAT WE CAN ALLEVIATE? BECAUSE AGAIN, I THINK WHEN YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE AT AND YOU STUDY IT AND YOU KNOW WHERE AND WHY IT'S THE WAY IT IS, WE CAN THEN MAKE THOSE CHANGES.
BEING ABLE TO MARKET THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT WE SEND THAT MESSAGE THROUGH SO THAT YOU KNOW OTHER FAMILIES CAN CAN START HERE SO WE CAN SEE YOUNGER FAMILIES BEGIN TO TAKE OLD, YOU KNOW, OLDER DEVELOPED HOMES AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED, REBUILD THEM.
SO I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, GOING FORWARD, TAKING A LOOK AT THOSE GOALS AND HOW WE GET THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS AND THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPORTANT TO THIS PROCESS IS UNDERSTANDING WHAT EXPERIENCES YOU'RE INTERESTED IN CREATING AND HOW YOU GO ABOUT CREATING THOSE, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU DRAW AN INVESTMENT TODAY.
MR. GALLENSTEIN. WHAT? WELL, I'M ORIGINALLY FROM CINCINNATI, AND THERE'S AN AREA CALLED OVER-THE-RHINE.
AND WHEN I GREW UP, THAT WAS NOT A PLACE YOU WANT TO BE AT NIGHT.
NOW IT'S THE HOTTEST PLACE IN THE CITY.
OKAY. IN FACT, THE MAYOR OF CINCINNATI OWNS A BAR THERE.
BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS, WHAT IS THE SPARK? NOW, WE DON'T HAVE BUILDINGS THAT DATE BACK TO THE 1850S IN BEDFORD, AND THOSE WERE OLD BRICK HOMES.
YOU SEEM TO BE FAMILIAR WITH IT.
AND BUT WHAT IS THE SPARK THAT CAUSES AND THAT'S NOT UNIQUE.
CINCINNATI'S NOT UNIQUE. THERE'S OTHER TOWNS THAT HAVE DONE THAT.
I HATE TO USE THE WORD GENTRIFICATION BECAUSE THAT HAS A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION TO IT.
BUT WHAT'S THE SPARK THAT DOES THAT? THAT MAYBE WOULD HAPPEN IN SOME OF THE PLACES THAT WE'RE A LITTLE OLDER IN BEDFORD.
WELL, WHAT IS THAT? WELL YOU'VE ALREADY ALLUDED TO THE SECRET SAUCE.
WHAT IS THE SECRET SAUCE? WELL, NOW YOU PUT ME ON THE SPOT.
THAT'S NOT FAIR. [LAUGHTER] WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS.
[01:20:01]
SO I'M FROM INDIANAPOLIS, OUTSIDE OF INDIANAPOLIS, SO I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE.BUT IT IS REALLY ABOUT UNDERSTANDING.
YOU HAVE DIFFERENT AUDIENCES THAT ARE ATTRACTED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE SAME AREA AS I AM.
INDIANAPOLIS WHEN I STARTED, I SERVED AS A TIME THERE WAS INDY NO PLACE WAS THE NICKNAME.
AND FOR GOOD CAUSE THOSE YOU CAN'T GET ONE OF THOSE STUPID LITTLE SHOTGUN HOUSES NOW FOR LESS THAN $750,000. IT'S ABSURD MONEY FOR A SHOTGUN HOUSE.
BUT THAT'S WHERE THE COOL KIDS WANT TO LIVE.
IS THERE A DRIVER. IS THERE A DRIVER FOR THAT? ARTISTS.
IT'S IT'S FUNNY HOW THE ARTS COMMUNITY CAN DRIVE REVITALIZATION OF ALMOST EVERYTHING.
AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A GREAT BOOK THAT'S WRITTEN ABOUT THE BOHEMIAN EFFECT.
IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T AFRAID TO TAKE THAT INITIAL INVESTMENT.
AND THEY TYPICALLY ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT LEFT OR RIGHT OF CENTER, AND THEY COME IN AND THEY START MAKING INVESTMENTS AND SUDDENLY EVERYBODY ELSE LOOKS AT IT AND SAYS, WOW, LOOK AT ALL THAT FUN STUFF.
AND THAT'S USUALLY HOW IT STARTS NOW TO GET TO THE GENTRIFICATION PIECE, THOUGH THERE'S A COMMUNITY THIRD WARD IN HOUSTON THAT IS IN THE PROCESS OF GENTRIFICATION, BUT IT'S GENTRIFICATION FROM THE INSIDE OUT.
SO IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE ME COMING IN TO NEIGHBORHOOD X AND THEN BRINGING ALL MY FRIENDS.
SO THERE'S ALSO EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE OPPORTUNITIES POSSIBLE TO BRING UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN THIRD WARD.
OF COURSE. NOW, THIRD WARD BUILT THEMSELVES UP.
NOW EVERYBODY ELSE WANTS TO BE THERE TOO.
SO IT'S NOT TO SAY IT'S STILL NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT IT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE TO HAPPEN ONE WAY.
OKAY. SO WE HAVE BEEN ASKING YOU QUESTIONS FOR THE LAST HOUR AND 23 MINUTES.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US? WE DO, ACTUALLY.
AND SORRY, YOU GAVE US TEN MINUTES AND I TOLD YOU.
DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT THEY WERE? [LAUGHTER] THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GIVE US A PLATFORM, RIGHT? DO YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU WHAT YOUR QUESTIONS WERE? I ACTUALLY HAVE THEM.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION THAT WE WOULD ASK AS THESE TWO BODIES.
LET ME SAY THIS. I THINK FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CONVERSATION, LET'S JUST FREE FLOW.
YEAH. I MEAN, BASED ON WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO ASK.
AND REALLY AND AGAIN, JUST QUICKLY, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE OUT OF THIS PROCESS AND FOR THIS COMMUNITY? AND WE'RE NOT HOLDING YOU TO A SPECIFIC THING.
WE'RE REALLY JUST INTERESTED IN HEARING WHAT YOU WANT TO GET OUT OF THIS.
IT'S QUIET. DESTINATION UNIQUENESS.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST SO EASY FOR ME TO SAY THAT.
OUTSTANDING. YOU'VE ALREADY SAID IT, THOUGH.
I THINK AS A FUNCTIONAL TOOL, WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR, PARTICULARLY IN THE CONFINES OF P&Z, IS TO HAVE A PLAN AND DOCUMENT THAT ALLOWS US TO UNDERSTAND WHEN THERE'S A INDIVIDUAL REQUEST ALREADY KNOWING HOW THAT WOULD FIT INTO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF WHAT'S NEXT TO IT, WHAT'S COMING.
WHAT'S NOT GOING TO BE THERE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THINGS NOT IN THE SPOTLIGHT OF THAT ITEM, BUT MORE IN A BROAD VIEW OF, WELL, HOW WOULD THIS YES OR NO DECISION AFFECT THE REST OF THE PLAN OR DOES IT FIT? DOES IT NOT FIT? IS IT A TOTAL OUTLIER OR IS IT JUST A MODIFICATION OF WHAT THE PLAN LOOKS LIKE TODAY? AND TO HAVE THAT TOOL TO GO BACK TO AND SAY, OKAY, DOES THIS FIT? OR ARE WE MAKING UP A USE OR AN APPLICATION OR DEVELOPMENT THAT DOESN'T FIT IN? IT GIVES US AT LEAST A FIRST SPOT TO CHECK YES OR NO.
IN THE SCOPE OF THE REST OF THE DOCUMENT AND THE REST OF THE VISION FOR THE CITY.
I'M GOING TO ECHO WHAT BRUCE SAID.
SOMETIMES WE FEEL TRAPPED BECAUSE IT'S OKAY.
[01:25:03]
THERE IT IS THAT'S ZONING IT FITS IT.NOW I REALIZE THAT FALLS MORE WITH ANDREA AND WES, BUT STILL, THAT'S A FEELING.
AND I THINK THAT'S SHARED AMONGST THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HERE.
AND BECAUSE WE WANT TO MOVE IT FORWARD, THAT'S WHY WE'RE SERVING ON THIS COMMISSION.
AND I'VE MADE A STATEMENT AND I MADE IT JUST TO MICHAEL WELLS EARLIER.
I MADE IT TO SOME OF THE FOLKS UP HERE.
I LIVED IN BEDFORD ALMOST 33 YEARS.
I LIVED IN CARMEL, INDIANA, [INAUDIBLE] FAMILIAR WITH INDIANAPOLIS.
BUT IF I WAS IN A COMA THE LAST TWO AND A HALF OR THREE YEARS AND I WOKE UP AND I SAW WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST TWO AND A HALF, THREE YEARS, I'D SAY I'M DREAMING BECAUSE SO MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE.
AND I'VE SAID THAT TO SOME OF YOU AND THAT THAT'S RIGHT.
BUT WE WANT TO KEEP GOING IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND THERE'S A LOT THERE'S A LOT OF RUNWAY TO GO.
SO IS IT IS IT FAIR FOR US TO CREATE A GUIDE THAT CREATES ENERGY FOR OUR CITY? ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S WHAT YOU HOPE THE DOCUMENT DOES.
YOU WANT TO HAVE A PARTY WHEN THIS IS DONE BECAUSE YOU'RE READY TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT ISN'T IT A DOCUMENT THAT KIND OF GIVES US A DIRECTION? SO IF YOU'RE ON P&Z OR YOU'RE ON COUNCIL, SO YOU LOOK AT IT AND YOU THINK THIS IS WHAT THE PLAN IS.
SO IT ALLOWS YOU TO BE A LITTLE OPEN WITH YOUR DECISION MAKING ONLY BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT THE BIG SCHEME THAT SAYS, WELL, IS THIS UNIQUE? WELL, IF IT'S NOT UNIQUE, WE DON'T NEED IT.
IF IT'S. DO YOU SEE IS THAT IS THAT A CASE SCENARIO OR? NO AND ABSOLUTELY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
YOU'LL USE IT. I MEAN, DIFFERENT WAYS, DIFFERENT TIMES, DIFFERENT DECISIONS.
BUT YOU SOMETIMES WANT TO LOOK AT, WELL, DOES IT MEET THE PRINCIPLES AND THE GOALS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OR THE INTENT OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN? AND THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN USE THAT FLEXIBILITY AND FALL BACK ON THAT IN MAKING DECISIONS.
ABSOLUTELY. AND SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A BIG PICTURE AWARENESS.
RIGHT. YEP. SO BUT BEDFORD BEING BUILT OUT 95%.
I WOULD ASSUME A LOT OF WHAT YOUR PROPOSAL WOULD ENTAIL IS REVITALIZATION OR REDEVELOPMENT, TWO THINGS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY AT OUR DISPOSAL TO DO WITHOUT SOME TYPE OF BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP.
OR AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THIS LAND BECOMES AVAILABLE.
AND A LOT OF OUR LAND IS BEING UTILIZED FOR APARTMENTS, ALL OF WHICH ARE 30 YEARS OR OLDER.
AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIG DILEMMA OR ONE OF THE BIG DILEMMAS OUR CITY FACES.
SO I'D BE INTERESTED WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR PROPOSAL, HOW YOU MAKE THAT PROPOSAL.
BECAUSE IF THESE IF THESE STRIP CENTER OWNERS WANT TO BE PASSIVE AND THEY DON'T WANT TO SELL AND THE AND THE APARTMENT COMPLEX OWNERS DON'T WANT TO REDEVELOP, WE END UP BEING A LITTLE STUCK.
SO AND I'LL JUST SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THAT.
I ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT LAND USE.
THIS PLAN IS ALSO ABOUT YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND YOUR PARKS AND YOUR TRAILS.
SO THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PLAN AS WELL.
SO IT'S THE BIG PICTURE OF THE WHOLE CITY.
BUT WE ARE I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, TERRY.
WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT A GUIDE OF WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
SO IT MAY BE EXAMPLE, AN APARTMENT BECOMES AVAILABLE AND OUR FUTURE GUIDE SAYS THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE AN APARTMENT DOWN THE ROAD, RIGHT? IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING ELSE.
AND THAT'S OUR PRINCIPLE TO ACT ON.
I DON'T KNOW. [INAUDIBLE] I'M JUST SAYING WHAT GAGLIARDI WAS THINKING.
[01:30:01]
SO QUESTION STILL APPLIES, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.ABSOLUTELY. WHAT ELSE DO WE WANT? SO I THINK THE.
YEAH. WHAT OTHER TYPES OF THINGS DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE FROM THE PLAN? WE CAN MOVE ON TO QUESTION NUMBER TWO WHEN YOU'RE READY BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO WEAR YOU ALL OUT EITHER.
WE'VE ALREADY EXTENDED MORE THAN OUR TEN MINUTES.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST FAR ENOUGH AWAY THAT YOU JUST CAN'T PUT A LITTLE CROSSWALK ACROSS, YOU KNOW? BUT I THINK IT ALL NEEDS TO BE PART OF THE PICTURE, THE BIG PICTURE AND MAYBE THAT'S HOW WE BECOME UNIQUE.
SO WOULD YOU TAKE A LOOK? DO YOU TAKE A LOOK AT OUR INDIVIDUAL ORDINANCES AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, AND THEN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON WHAT WE WE NEED TO DO? OR IS THAT WOULD WE UPDATE THEM AFTERWARDS? HOW DOES THAT THAT ALL BECAUSE OUR ORDINANCES ARE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COMES AFTER WE'VE TOTALLY TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF YOUR SERVICES AND SQUEEZED EVERY NICKEL OUT OF WHAT YOU'RE PROVIDING US, THEN WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON THAT.
THAT'S RIGHT. BUT YEAH, WE READ THE ORDINANCES.
I'M ONE OF THOSE IDIOTS THAT ACTUALLY ENJOYS READING ORDINANCES.
SO I'LL END UP READING ALL OF THEM AND HAVE YOU MET MR. HENDERSON HERE? [LAUGHTER] KINDRED SPIRITS.
HERE WE GO. [INAUDIBLE] WE WANT TO BE A DESTINATION.
DO YOU HELP US DEFINE HOW THEY BUILT ON THEIR MAIN STREET? DO YOU HELP WITH THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES? DO YOU GIVE SOME OF THOSE EXAMPLES SAYING HERE ARE THE HERE ARE THE OPTIONS THAT YOU CAN HAVE FOR BECOMING A DESTINATION BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE BUILDING ON YOUR STRENGTHS? OR HOW DOES IT WORK? SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT IS DEFINING CERTAIN AREAS THAT AND WHEN I SAY WE, THIS WILL BE COLLECTIVE, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE CERTAIN AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY AND THEN WHAT THAT OPPORTUNITY COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE.
OKAY. SO AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF OPTIONS OR ALTERNATIVES OR SUCH.
WE'LL GIVE YOU SOME IDEAS OF WHAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF LOOKING AT IT FROM ECONOMICS AS MUCH AS ANYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND SOMETHING THAT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE FOR AN INVESTOR TO COME IN AND SAY, OKAY, WELL, YEAH, THEY'RE THINKING.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT IT FROM THOSE PERSPECTIVES AS WELL.
SO SOME OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE SMALL.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT SWINGING FOR THE FENCES.
SOMETIMES, SOMETIMES YOU WIN THE GAME BASED ON SINGLES.
AND SO IT'S NOT JUST LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE BUILD THE BIGGEST AND BRIGHTEST? YOU CAN ONLY AFFORD TO DO SO MANY GENERATION PARK RIGHT? BUT IT'S SO BUT YOU CAN ALSO BUILD THE SMALL THINGS THAT ARE INTERESTING AT THE SAME TIME.
AND THOSE THINGS COLLECTIVELY BECOME A VERY BIG THING.
ARE YOU BASED IN IN DALLAS? WE'RE BASED IN HOUSTON.
YOU'RE BASED IN HOUSTON. OKAY.
YEP. I WANT TO MAKE AN OBSERVATION HERE, SINCE WE'RE KEEPING THESE GUYS ALL NIGHT.
THIS FEELS LIKE SENIOR YEAR COUNSELING BEFORE COLLEGE WHERE.
YOU GOT COUNSELING YOUR SENIOR YEAR . BUT WE HAVE A IN ESSENCE, UNIVERSITY HERE HAS LOTS OF OPTIONS, LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES, LOTS OF KNOWLEDGE.
AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE COULD BE OR WE COULD DO.
BUT LISTENING TO ALL THE QUESTIONS AND EVERYTHING TONIGHT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE OBSERVATION.
I THINK WHAT WE ALL NEED TO DO IS I'M NOT SURE WE ALL INDIVIDUALLY OR WE NEED TO AT LEAST BE READY TO START ARTICULATING WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE WHEN WE GROW UP. SO FAR I'M NOT HEARING A LOT OF THAT TONIGHT, BUT WE NEED TO GET OURSELVES TO THAT.
YEAH, I THINK THE QUESTION ON THE TABLE IS WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS? THAT'S THE QUESTION AT HAND.
AND AND THAT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT SEGUE TO INTO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
I THINK. SO THE NEXT STEP FROM HERE GETS STARTS TO DIG INTO THAT BECAUSE THE NEXT PIECE WILL BE
[01:35:09]
A VISIONING WORKSHOP.THAT'S WHERE WE ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES.
WE'LL HAVE BY THEN WE'LL HAVE THE ESSENCE OF THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT DONE.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO HIT SOME OF THAT AS WELL.
BUT IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE ABOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP, WHAT THAT NEXT STEP LOOKS LIKE, AND AND BUILDING FROM THERE YOU SAW IN THE PRESENTATION, IT'S ABOUT CREATING THAT VISION FIRST.
THAT WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE? AND THEN THOSE GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
AND THERE'S USUALLY ONLY WE TRY TO KEEP IT TO A NUMBER THAT'S SIX OR LESS BECAUSE STATISTICS HAVE SHOWN IF YOU GET ABOVE SIX, PEOPLE FORGET WHAT NUMBER SEVEN IS AND WE WANT THEM TO BE MEMORABLE.
SO YOUR VISION SHOULD BE EASY TO UNDERSTAND YOUR SIX GUIDING PRINCIPLES.
SO IT IS THAT WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE WHEN WE GROW UP? WHAT ARE THE WHAT DO WE WANT THAT TO LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE THOSE PRINCIPLES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US AND THEN HOW WE MAKE THAT POSSIBLE.
SO MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED FROM US TONIGHT? WELL, ACTUALLY, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN FANTASTIC FOR STARTERS.
SO I'M GOING TO SAY, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT DISCUSSION.
I THINK THIS IS THIS IS REALLY EVIDENT OF HOW MUCH WE'RE INVESTED IN THE FUTURE HERE.
WE'VE GOT THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WHO WHO WERE BLESSED TO BE A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION.
ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF COMMON GROUND.
AND THE THING THAT'S EXCITING IS THAT YOU ALL ARE ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS.
YOU'RE ANSWERING THE SAME WAY.
THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY EVEN BE THINKING THE SAME CITY.
SO AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE DECISIONS THIS GROUP MAKES HAS TO FEED INTO THIS GROUP.
AND THEN THIS GROUP IS STUCK SAYING, WELL, THEY SAID YES, AND WE REALLY DON'T LIKE THAT.
BUT YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT COMMON, YOU'VE ALREADY STARTED THE COMMON DIALOG AND THAT'S FANTASTIC.
GALLENSTEIN [LAUGHTER] COME ON, TURN THE DANG THING OFF.
WE CAN'T TAKE ROGER ANYWHERE, HONESTLY.
OKAY. WELL, WE APPRECIATE YOU HOGGING THE MICROPHONE TONIGHT.
I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO BE A FANTASTIC JOURNEY.
AND THIS IS THIS IS A HUGE STEP FORWARD.
AGAIN, TO ME, IT'S JUST AN EXCITING MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CITY.
NOW, OTTO, LAST MINUTE MR. OTTO, HOW LONG IS THIS GOING TO TAKE? [LAUGHTER] THAT BEING SAID, ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? OH, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECT.
THE PROCESS IN TOTAL WILL BE ABOUT A YEAR.
WE COULD ACTUALLY MOVE MUCH FASTER.
BUT WHAT WE FIND IS BY TRYING TO RUSH THE PROCESS, THEN WE MISS THINGS.
AND YOU AS A COMMUNITY MISS THINGS.
OKAY. HOW IS THIS GOING TO PLAY INTO WHAT ANDREA SHOWED YOU THE OTHER NIGHT ON CAMPUS WEST AND ALSO OUR DELIBERATIONS GOING FORWARD ON THE BEDFORD COMMONS? HOW THE 2 OR 3? HOW THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO COME TOGETHER.
I GUESS MY QUESTION, SO I'LL KIND OF GIVE IT FROM MY SIDE AND THEN I'LL LET NINA AND TONY MAYBE ANSWER THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE WHEN WE PROVIDED INFORMATION TO THEM ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND THAT LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT THEY ASKED FOR, WE HAVE SHARED WITH THEM THE ACTIVITIES ARE GOING ON ON BOTH OF THOSE PROPERTIES.
SO WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING AT THINGS, THEY ARE GOING TO BE CONSIDERING THE CONCEPT PLANS THAT ARE IN PLACE ON BOTH OF THOSE RIGHT NOW, KNOWING THAT THINGS COULD SHIFT SLIGHTLY HERE OR THERE. BUT GENERALLY THEY WILL TAKE WHAT HAS BEEN CONCEPTUALIZED ON BOTH OF THOSE PROPERTIES AND LOOK AT THAT AND INCORPORATE IT WITH INTO THEIR PLANS.
SO THAT'S THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IN SOME OF THOSE ITERATIONS I'M GOING TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN.
SOME OF THOSE ITERATIONS ARE REAL TIME.
SO YOU AS A BODY, US AS A BODY ARE GOING TO BE ACTING ON APPROVING WHAT THOSE PLANS ARE GOING TO BE.
[01:40:03]
AND SO WE CERTAINLY AREN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO STEER THE SHIP IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.WE WILL BE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION SO THAT THESE PLANS MARRY UP AS THEY'RE INTENDED TO .
BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I'LL PROBABLY BE ASKING.
SURE. DURING THE PLANNING ZONING PROCESS FOR CAMPUS WEST AND THEN BEDFORD COMMONS, IS THIS APPLICABLE TO THE GRAND PLAN SO IT LOOKS THE SAME OR IT WILL WORK, I GUESS? SURE. ABSOLUTELY.
YEAH. AND I THINK THE BEAUTY OF KIND OF WHERE WE ARE AND HAVING THE CONVERSATIONS WITH TONY AND NINA AS WE'RE DRIVING AROUND EVEN LITTLE TWEAKS HERE AND THERE, NOTHING IS GOING TO THE VISION FOR THOSE PROPERTIES IS IN LINE.
THERE'S NOTHING OUT THERE WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND SAY, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR NODS.
THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND SAY, THIS IS NOT AT ALL WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN HERE.
I DON'T. I THINK WE'RE ON TRACK WITH WITH THEM BEING AWARE.
SO THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A MAJOR LEFT TURN ANYWHERE WITHOUT THEM BEING AWARE.
AND WE'LL HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
THOSE ARE ALREADY WE'RE WORKING IN LOCK STEP TOGETHER THROUGH THE PROCESS.
OKAY. I DO THINK THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, STEVE.
OKAY. COMING TO YOUR FIRST COMMENT, ANYONE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR TONY AND NINA? THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
OBVIOUSLY, WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN HERE SOON AND I JUST HAVE ONE LAST COMMENT.
WE'LL TRY. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH [APPLAUSE].
THERE IS A SECOND PORTION TO THIS DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T HAVE ANY GRAND VISION FOR THIS CONVERSATION.
BUT LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION.
THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU ALL ARE DOING.
YOU ALL HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THIS CITY.
AND WHETHER YOU REALIZE IT OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT YOU HAVE AN IMPORTANT ROLE.
THE ABILITY FOR YOU AS A BODY IN THIS COUNCIL AS A BODY.
TONIGHT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN OPEN CONVERSATION WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT OUR THOUGHTS ABOUT ABOUT OUR PERHAPS SOME OF OUR VISIONS GOING FORWARD. I ALREADY KNOW FROM OBSERVING YOU GUYS THAT Y'ALL ARE THROUGH Y'ALL'S ACTIONS.
Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO BEGIN TO CREATE A VISION FOR OUR CITY.
I THINK Y'ALL ARE ALREADY MOVING IN A STEP.
THAT VISION TO ME FROM MY SIDE OF THE TABLE IS THAT WE'RE RAISING OUR STANDARDS, THAT WE WE NO LONGER HAVE TO TAKE THE MENTALITY OF WE'RE GOING TO BE BUSINESS FRIENDLY, WHICH MEANS WE'RE GOING TO ACCEPT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY NO.
AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT, BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE REACHING THAT CONCLUSION AS A BODY.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE THAT.
I'M GOING TO ENVISION THAT THE REST OF THE COUNCIL APPRECIATES THAT, TOO.
THANK YOU, MR. MAYOR. AS CHAIRMAN, I GUESS I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT ONE THING.
I THINK THAT WE ALL ON THE COMMITTEE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN IS IN WHATEVER FORMAT YOU CAN.
AND STAFF IS DOING A GOOD JOB OF UPDATING US ON WHAT HAPPENS WHEN IT LEAVES US AND COMES TO YOU.
BUT ALSO THE OTHER THING I THINK THAT COLLECTIVELY WE'D LIKE TO ASK IS, AS YOU MAKE PLANS AND WE DON'T ALL ATTEND EVERY CITY COUNCIL MEETING, BUT AS YOU START TO HARDEN SOME PLANS ON WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH THE STREET THING OR WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH THE DRAINAGE SITUATION, OR WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO TO PARK THAT ENCORE TOOK OVER, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE.
IN YOUR VISION OR IN THE STEPS AND AT THE CITY MANAGER'S DESK THAT WE MAY NOT BE PRIVY TO.
IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IN UNDERSTANDING.
SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING.
SO I GUESS, ANDREA, WOULD YOU MIND JOINING US IN THIS?
[01:45:02]
SO I GUESS ANY AND ALL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO IMPROVE THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TWO BODIES MAY BE BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH OF US.HOW WOULD YOU HOW WOULD YOU LOOK AT THAT? HOW WOULD YOU TAKE A SWAT AT THAT? SO I THINK ONE ONE THING IS WE'VE WE'VE STARTED THAT TONIGHT BY HAVING THIS JOINT WORK SESSION.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS FOR A LONG TIME TOGETHER.
SO I DO SEE THAT THE COMMUNICATION AND HAVING THESE A LITTLE MORE REGULARLY IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO CONTINUE AS FAR AS KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THE OTHER KIND OF PARAMETERS AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON THAT COULD IMPACT OR MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL TO KNOW ABOUT.
I THINK THOSE KIND OF THINGS ARE GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL.
AND AS AS I UNDERSTAND, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENTS AS WELL.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE VALUABLE FOR YOU TO OR YOU OR WES TO DO AT P&Z AS WELL, THAT SAME LITTLE SNIPPET AND GIVE TO THEM AS WELL SO THAT THEY HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION. ABSOLUTELY.
SO WES HAS ALREADY STARTED AN UPDATE TO THEM AND WE CAN CERTAINLY BUILD ON THAT AND ELABORATE.
BUT AS FAR AS OUR GROUP, ABSOLUTELY, THOSE ARE THINGS WE COULD SHARE.
I THINK THAT THE UPDATES FROM THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WILL BE BENEFICIAL AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT'S SAYING WATCH A LOT OF COUNCIL MEETINGS ALSO, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE BEST THING AND THE COMMUNICATION HONESTLY, AND I THINK THAT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO ON THE PLANNING SIDE IS ALSO MAKE SURE AS THINGS COME IN, WE'RE DEVELOPED.
I THINK THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO LOOK IN THE DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW WES HAS MADE SOME COMMENTS ABOUT ELABORATING, DIGGING A LITTLE DEEPER ON SOME OF THESE THINGS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S AWARE OF SOME OF THE OTHER PARAMETERS THAT ARE GOING ON. YOU KNOW, OTHER KIND OF ON THE PERIPHERY THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO A PROJECT.
SO THEY HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION.
SO I THINK WE'LL BE KIND OF TWEAKING THINGS AND EXPANDING ON WHAT WE'RE SHARING AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AGAIN, STILL MAKING SURE WE'RE LEGAL AND WE'RE STAYING IN OUR LANE.
AS FAR AS THOSE DECISIONS GO, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO DO THOSE THINGS.
YOU KNOW, WITH FOLLOWING UP AND AND I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT COLLECTIVELY WE ASK GOOD QUESTIONS.
MOST ALWAYS ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS.
SO I KNOW FROM ALMOST ALWAYS, I KNOW FROM AFAR.
I'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT THINGS.
IS IT VALID TO SAY THAT THAT Y'ALL ARE INTERNALLY IMPROVING THE COMMUNICATIONS WITH STAFF AND THE BOARD? THOSE HAVE IMPROVED OVER TIME.
FROM AN INFORMATIONAL STANDPOINT ARE YOU GETTING WHAT YOU NEED TO DELIBERATE? WE ARE. YOU ARE? YES.
AND THIS IS A GOOD GROUP OF PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION.
ARE YOU ABLE TO KEEP ROGER GALLENSTEIN WITHIN A TIME FRAME IN HIS CONVERSATIONS OR OKAY. FREE FLOW QUESTIONS.
COMMENTS. I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU.
YOU'RE ALL NEW TO P&Z AND THERE'S A HUGE DIFFERENCE EXCEPT FOR BRYAN.
BRYAN WAS ON BEFORE, BUT I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS AND IT DOES SEEM LIKE IT'S AN IT'S A COMPLETE CHANGEOVER FOR P&Z AND WE ARE MATCHING IN WHAT WE THINK AND WHAT WE DO.
WELL, THE ALTERNATES POP IN WHEN THEY NEED TO.
THAT'S WHAT I LIKE BECAUSE I WATCH YOUR MEETINGS.
AND IT WAS SO DISAPPOINTING TO SEE FOUR SHOW UP AND THEN THAT'S NOT REALLY FAIR TO THE APPLICANT.
SO I DO THINK YOU'RE DEDICATED AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE.
[01:50:01]
SO WHILE WE HAVE YOU HERE.SO HALF OF Y'ALL PASSED OUT SO WHILE WE HAVE EVERYBODY HERE, SO FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT.
WHAT COULD WE ON P&Z EITHER DO BETTER OR WHAT COULD WE DO TO BETTER HELP YOU? BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ALL AGREED UPON, IT'S OUR JOB TO DO ALL THE DETAILED MINUTIA, HOMEWORK PRIOR TO OUR MAKING OUR DECISION SO THAT WHEN IT COMES TO YOU AT YOUR DESK, YOU KIND OF GET AN ENCAPSULATED VIEW OF THE PROS AND CONS AND WHY WE DID WHAT WE DID SO THAT THEN YOU CAN SAY YAY OR NAY BASED ON HOPEFULLY GOOD INFORMATION AND GOOD DETAIL THAT WE PROVIDED TO YOU.
SO WHAT ELSE COULD WE AS A COMMISSION DO? I'LL SPEAK FOR YOU. I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO GET TOGETHER.
IT'S JUST BECAUSE WE WE'RE CONSTRICTED IN OUR ABILITY TO GET TOGETHER AS TWO GOVERNMENTAL BODIES.
WE. WE NEED TO MEET MORE FREQUENTLY BECAUSE WE CAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION.
YOU ALL HAVE COME A LONG WAYS BECAUSE I KNOW IN WITH PAST GROUPS THAT THEY WEREN'T DOING, FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM, THEY WEREN'T DOING THE HEAVY LIFTING. THEY WEREN'T THEY WEREN'T DIVING IN AND ASKING HARD QUESTIONS, IF THEY ASKED QUESTIONS.
IT'S CLEAR FROM THE NOTES THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING A LOT OF THAT NOW.
AND AND THERE IS I DON'T KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO BE THE BASIS WITH WHICH YOU ALL OPERATE, BUT THERE IS CONSIDERATION OF WHETHER THIS IS AMENABLE TO COUNCIL OR NOT.
MAYBE THAT'S NOT THE PRIMARY ROLE YOU ALL FULFILL.
BUT I THINK I THINK THERE'S BUT I THINK THERE'S CONSIDERATION TO THE REALITY OF THIS.
IS THIS SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS.
AND IT'S JUST EVIDENT IN THE NOTES THAT I SEE THAT YOU ALL ARE ALREADY DOING THAT.
THIS GROUP AND EVERYBODY IS REAL FOCUSED ON GIVING COUNCIL A REAL VIEW OF WHAT IS THIS PARTICULAR CASE ABOUT.
AND BECAUSE YOU'RE TAKING THAT EFFORT TO ENGAGE IN EVERY SINGLE ITEM, THOSE NOTES MEAN SOMETHING TO US NOW BECAUSE WE CAN SEE YOU'RE ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND THAT THAT YOU'RE TRULY DELIBERATING ON THAT.
AND THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS THE CASE.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU DON'T.
WE USED TO HAVE ONE PERSON IN PARTICULAR ALWAYS SAY, WE'LL JUST PASS IT ON TO COUNCIL.
HE'D SAY IT EVERY TIME. AND WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, REALLY? THERE'S NO POINT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S YOUR JOB IS TO DO WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT.
AND THEN IF IT COMES TO US, THAT'S GREAT.
BUT YOU'VE PRETTY MUCH TOLD THEM NO, AND THEN THEY STILL BRING IT TO US.
THAT'S THEIR THEIR PREROGATIVE.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT YOU DON'T JUST AUTOMATICALLY SAY, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW.
WE'RE GOING TO SEND IT ON TO YOU.
YOU'RE WELCOME. NO, I MEAN, THIS IS THIS IS THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF PROGRESS.
IT'S REALLY FOR ME, IT'S REALLY NEAT TO HEAR THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL HAVE TONIGHT BECAUSE, I MEAN, IT'S JUST EVIDENT WE'RE ALL PASSIONATE ABOUT WHERE THIS IS GOING AND WE'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT WE WANT THE CITY TO BE TOMORROW AND AND JUST THAT ENGAGEMENT AND THAT THAT THAT THE DEPTH OF THE QUESTIONS.
WELL, NOT AS OPINIONS OF THING, BUT SINCE WE'RE SITTING HERE, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO JIMMY AND ALL OF YOU FOR HOW THIS THE NEW GENERATION SPARK. YEAH, WE NEED MORE COMPLIMENTS IN THE FUTURE.
THE YMCA THING HAS REALLY THE NEW BUILDING GENERATION SPARK IS REALLY QUITE A THING.
AND MY GRANDDAUGHTERS LIFEGUARDING OVER THERE NOW.
BUT SATURDAY WHEN I SHE DROVE HERSELF TO WORK IN MY TRUCK WHEN WE DROVE IN FROM FOREST RIDGE.
ON SATURDAY. THE WEATHER WAS GREAT, BUT THERE WERE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE.
THEY WERE WALKING. PEOPLE WERE DOING THIS.
JUST THE FACT THAT THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE THERE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING WAS JUST AMAZING.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT TALKS ABOUT WHAT ANDREA HAS TO SELL.
YOU KNOW, THAT IS A NUMBER ONE, THIS IS WHAT THIS CITY IS CAPABLE OF DOING.
I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY GOT A PRETTY GOOD SALES POINT, PRETTY GOOD PRODUCT TO SAY.
AND I KNOW THAT DEVIATES FROM THIS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING TO BUILD FROM IS THAT'S HOW THAT LOOKS.
[01:55:05]
AND WHAT ELSE CAN WE MAKE LOOK LIKE THAT.I MEAN, THERE'S MORE ENGAGEMENT NOW THAN WE'VE EVER HAD AS AN ORGANIZATION.
AND YOU TALKED ABOUT QUESTION FATIGUE.
WHAT A WHAT A TREMENDOUS COMMENT OF HOW FAR WE'VE COME.
THERE'S WE'VE GOT SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES.
THIS IS JUST A GREAT TOWN, GREAT PEOPLE IN THIS TOWN.
WE HAVE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO DO BIG THINGS.
AND WE GOT THE WE GOT THE PEOPLE TO DO IT.
NOW, I HAVE AN OBSERVATION ON FAT TUESDAY.
I CONVINCED KIM THAT WE OUGHT TO GO TO THE NEW BOURBON STREET.
OH, YEAH. YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T GET CLOSE TO THE PLACE.
BUT A RESTAURANT DISTRICT, WE'VE GOT THE BEGINNINGS OF A RESTAURANT DISTRICT THAT BOURBON STREET, BECAUSE IT'S CAJUN FOOD, HAPPENS TO BE DIFFERENT, UNIQUE. IT'S NOT A CHAIN, BUT THE PEOPLE WILL COME IF WE PROVIDE IT.
YOU NOTICED THAT SHOPPING CENTER IS FULL.
THIS IS AN OWNER WHO'S INTERESTED.
HE'S OUT OF TOWN, BUT HE'S INTERESTED.
BUT I MET HIM WHEN HE FIRST CAME IN, JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO EXECUTE THE DEAL TO BUY IT.
AND THE FIRST THING HE HIT ME UP ON IS, WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP YOU? THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WE NEED ENGAGED IN BUSINESS IN THIS CITY.
SO WE'VE GOT TO FIND ONE FOR CHEDDAR'S, DON'T WE? YEAH. ANDREA, WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING? WELL, I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOSS, BUT IT'S NOW AN OPPORTUNITY.
YEAH. THAT SEEMS TO BE THE PHRASE FOR THE EVENING.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST YOU AND I'VE TALKED THAT JIM BEHIND PAPA.
PAPA DOES WHAT A WHAT AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT 2 OR 3 MORE RESTAURANTS AND REALLY CREATE SYNERGY UP AND DOWN 183. IF P&Z WOULD GET GOING.
WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO APPROVE THAT.
MR. MAYOR, LET ME JUST SHARE ONE THING.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S BEING BUILT HERE BUT I'LL TELL YOU THE STORY IN A COMPLIMENT.
WE THINK IT MIGHT BE MOVING OUT SHOP THAT'S THERE.
THEY WERE CONCERNED. THEY FELT THEY HAD A CRIME PROBLEM BEHIND THE SHOPPING CENTER.
WELL, I'VE SPENT 30 YEARS ON THIS SIDE OF THE DAIS.
I'M ONE OF THEM. I'M JUST A CITIZEN.
I'LL CALL THE CHIEF AND SEE WHAT MAYBE HE COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IF THERE'S A CRIME PROBLEM BACK BEHIND THIS SHOPPING CENTER, IT'S OVER NEAR MID-CITIES MONTESSORI, KIND OF IN THAT AREA, AND IT'S RIGHT ON THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN HURST AND BEDFORD.
THE CHIEF SAID, WHEN'S YOUR NEXT P&Z MEETING? WELL, THAT'S GOING TO BE ON THE 9TH OF MARCH.
AND HE SAID, WELL, GUESS WHAT? I'M GOING TO ATTEND.
AND ANDREA SAID TO ME AND SHE SAID, WELL, I JUST THOUGHT THAT WAS NORMAL.
AND I SAID, NOT WHAT I'VE EXPERIENCED.
AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT, TONY, WITH WITH WITH [INAUDIBLE], HE TALKED ABOUT THE THE COMMUNITIES THAT SEEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OF THIS PROCESS AND WHO MAXIMIZE THE GAIN FROM THIS PROCESS ARE THE ONES THAT ENGAGE EVERYONE IN THE ORGANIZATION IN THE DISCUSSION.
RIGHT. IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED HERE.
THEY'VE ALREADY HAD MEETINGS WITH WITH PEOPLE FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT.
IT'S JUST A IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE DO THINGS NOW.
[02:00:02]
YEAH. IT'S A CHANGE.YES. AND IT'S SO IT'S A IT'S A WE.
THEY CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU. IT'S A WE.
IS THAT IT? [LAUGHTER] ALL RIGHT.
SO MR. STATHATOS. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? NO, SIR. VERY EXCITING TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THOSE WORDS OF WISDOM.
UNLESS THERE'S OTHER COMMENTS, I'M JUST GOING TO ADJOURN AT 8:01.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.