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[CALL TO ORDER AND ANNOUNCEMENT OF QUORUM ]
JOINT MEETING OF THE BAY TOWN CITY COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION ORDER.TODAY IS THURSDAY, JANUARY 28TH, 2021.
IT IS 5:07 PM WE ARE IN BAYTOWN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
WE DO HAVE A QUORUM, I BELIEVE, OF BOTH BODIES.
SO FIRST WE HAVE AN ITEM ONE A FOR DISCUSSION.
[1.a. Discuss the 2021 City of Baytown State Legislative Priorities.]
THIS DISCUSSED THE 2021 CITY OF BAYTOWN STATE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES, MR. DAVIS.AS YOU KNOW, THAT WE, UH, WE REDRAFTED SOME, UH, OF OUR POSITIONS, UH, THAT WE INTEND TO DISTRIBUTE TO OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION, AND IT SERVES AS KIND OF THE FOUNDATION AND BASIS, UH, PHILOSOPHICALLY OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO APPROACH THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
UM, I'VE, UH, RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK THAT'S BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE, THE CURRENT, UH, FORMAT THAT YOU SEE.
AND IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE AT THIS TIME, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THOSE.
UH, YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO, UH, CONSIDER THOSE FOR RATIFICATION ON THE REGULAR COUNCIL AGENDA.
SO, UM, I KNOW, UH, LAST TIME I THINK THERE WAS, UH, SOME, A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, REWRITE OF THE PRIORITIES AND HOW IT WAS PRESENTED.
AND SO I THINK NOW THERE'S BEEN TIME FOR ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO REVIEW THE PRIORITIES.
UM, I THINK THAT THE OUTCOME, THE NEW OUTCOME IS CERTAINLY MORE IN LINE WITH, WITH, UH, AN APPROACH TO OUR STATE OFFICIALS.
SO WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION, OBVIOUSLY, AT, AT THIS WORK SESSION.
BUT, UH, ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, UM, TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING'S TO YOUR SATISFACTION.
[1.b. Discuss the City of Baytown’s Community-based Strategic Plan, Comprehensive Plan, committees, processes, and timelines.]
ONE B, DISCUSS THE CITY OF BAY TOWN'S COMMUNITY-BASED STRATEGIC PLAN, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMITTEES, PROCESSES, AND TIMELINES.UH, THANKS FOR EVERYBODY, UH, TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
UM, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR ASSISTANCE IN, IN GETTING THIS PROCESS STARTED.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, IT'S TIME FOR US TO GET STARTED ON OUR NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE, AS WELL AS THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, UPDATE.
SO ON STAFF, UH, BRIAN MORAN IS, UH, UH, HEADING UP THE CHARGE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND IN, UH, PLANNING AND AND DEVELOPMENT.
UM, FRANKIE IS, UH, DOING THE, UH, SHE'S HEADING UP THE, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT, UM, WHAT WE ARE LUCKY ENOUGH TO, TO GET IS, UH, ONE, UH, CONSULTANT THAT CAN HELP KIND OF COORDINATE EFFORTS ON BOTH PLANS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO TONIGHT WE'RE KICKING THAT OFF, AND OUR CONSULTANT IS, UH, KEN KEITH COLLABORATIVE, AND, UH, GARY MITCHELL AND MEREDITH DANG ARE HERE TONIGHT TO, UH, TO HELP US GET STARTED WITH THAT.
SO, FOR THE MOST PART, I'M GONNA SIT AND PARTICIPATE WITH THE REST OF YOU AND LET, UH, GARY AND MEREDITH KIND OF KICK THINGS OFF.
BRIAN, I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU WANTED TO SAY ANYTHING AS HE PUTS FOOD IN HIS FACE,
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I WILL HAND IT OVER TO, UH, GARY AND MEREDITH AND LET THEM RUN THE SHOW FOR THE NEXT HOUR OR SO.
UM, WE APPRECIATE THE TIME TONIGHT.
WE KNOW YOU HAVE A BUSY NIGHT AHEAD WITH THE COUNCIL AGENDA AS WELL.
UM, VERY QUICKLY, THAT'S WHAT WE LOOK AT, LIKE WITHOUT THE MASKS ON.
SO, MEREDITH, WE'LL, YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM MEREDITH SHORTLY, BUT, UM, I WANNA GIVE YOU A QUICK RECAP OF HOW WE GOT TO THIS POINT, UH, FOR MAYOR AND FOR THOSE WHO WERE ON COUNCIL A YEAR AGO.
IT WAS EARLY MARCH THAT WE GOT THE GREEN LIGHT TO WORK ON THE CITY'S CONFERENCE PLAN UPDATE AND ALSO THE BAYWAY DRIVE CORRIDOR PLAN.
AND A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN WITH CORONAVIRUS, AND, UH, WE DECIDED WITH THE CITY TO PUT THE CONFERENCE PLAN ASIDE FOR A BIT.
UH, THOSE PLANS REALLY NEED A LOT OF COMMUNITY INTERACTION AND DIALOGUE.
SO, UM, NOT THE BEST TIME FOR THAT.
SO WE FOCUSED ON THE BAYWAY DRIVE CORRIDOR PLAN THAT'S ON THE COUNCIL AGENDA FOR TONIGHT AS A FINAL PROPOSED ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO IN THE MEANTIME, THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE CAME AROUND FOR AN UPDATE.
IT'S BEEN FIVE YEARS, AND SO WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION WITH STAFF, AND NOW THE CONFERENCE PLAN AND THE STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATES WILL BE ON THE PARALLEL TRACKS AS WE STARTED TO 2021 HERE.
I CAN'T TELL YOU ENOUGH HOW GREAT THAT IS, THAT THESE ARE BEING DONE AT THE SAME TIME.
I'M NOT GONNA DWELL ON THAT, BUT SOME EXPERIENCES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY WERE NOT IN SYNC.
SO, SO TONIGHT IS PARTLY TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND, AS MENTIONED ABOUT THE PROCESS, THE TIMELINES.
WE'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK, WHERE YOU WILL PLUG INTO THAT PROCESS.
BOTH THE COMMISSION AND COUNCIL, UM, GIVE YOU SOME MORE OF THE CONTEXT ABOUT THESE PLANS.
AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DISCUSSION ITEMS, UH, ALONG THE WAY THAT WE WANNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, MAKE SURE THAT WE COME AWAY WITH A GOOD SENSE OF DIRECTION WHERE YOU'D LIKE TO SEE
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THESE PLANS PROCEED.AND, UH, WE HAVE SOME PRINCIPLES THAT WE WANNA PUT IN FRONT OF YOU AT THE END, AND JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOOD TO GO AND CAN PROCEED WITH THESE EFFORTS.
SO, SO FIRST WANTED TO, I KNOW WE'RE THROWING AROUND SOME TERMS HERE JUST TO CLARIFY, STRATEGIC PLAN ON THE ONE HAND, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ON THE OTHER.
UM, BOTH AS SHOWN ON THE SLIDE, ARE MEANT TO BE FROM THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL, INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHAT ARE THEIR ASPIRATIONS, THEIR CONCERNS, THEIR HOPES FOR THE FUTURE OF YOUR CITY.
UM, BUT ONE, THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS MORE THAT SHORTER TERM OUTLOOK.
THE NEXT FIVE YEARS LONG, THE CONFERENCE PLAN REALLY LOOKS DOWN THE ROAD SEVERAL YEARS OR SEVERAL DECADES, EXCUSE ME.
AND WE OFTEN SAY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE THINGS ON THE LIST, INFRASTRUCTURE, ROADS, HOUSING, YOU'RE PUTTING THINGS ON THE GROUND THAT ARE GONNA BE THERE FOR THE LONG, LONG TERM.
SO, UM, THIS PLAN REALLY SHAPES THE, UH, THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF YOUR CITY.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, CAN COVER A LOT OF THE SAME GROUND.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS, UH, THERE'S A TYPICAL SET OF ITEMS THAT A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOCUSES ON IN TERMS OF THINGS LIKE HOUSING, THE THINGS LISTED, PARKS, ALL THOSE PHYSICAL PIECES, BUILDING BLOCKS OF A CITY STRATEGIC PLAN.
WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE THAT DISCUSSION MAY LEAD.
UH, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S REALLY MEANT TO HELP, UH, YOUR CITY GOVERNMENT, CITY DEPARTMENTS, ULTIMATELY YOUR BUDGET.
UM, HAVE A FOCUS AND BE FOCUSING ON THE, THE PRIORITIES OF YOUR COMMUNITY, YOUR CITIZENS, AS FAR AS THE USES OF THE PLAN, UH, THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AS THOSE ON COUNCIL KNOW, ESPECIALLY, UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO FLIP MANY PAGES INTO THE CITY BUDGET UNTIL YOU SEE, UH, THE REFERENCES TO THAT PLAN AND YOUR OWN GOALS AND, UH, IMPLEMENTATION PRIORITIES FOR THE YEAR BASED ON THAT FIVE YEAR PLAN.
SO THERE'S THAT PROGRESSION, THE 20 YEAR OUTLOOK, THE FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLANNING, AND THEN PUTTING THE MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS.
WHERE DO THE RESOURCES GO, UM, AS FAR AS PURSUING THOSE PRIORITIES.
SO THE STRATEGIC PLAN DOES SUPPORT YOUR BUDGETING RESOURCE ALLOCATION, UH, BUT THAT DAY-TO-DAY FOCUS OF CITY GOVERNMENT, STARTING WITH THE MISSION ON DOWN, SO WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON THOSE ASPECTS.
ON THE ONE HAND, THEN THAT HELPS DRIVE, UH, THAT LONGER RANGE VISION OF THE, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS ALSO, UH, FROM A STATE LEGAL PURPOSE, UH, REALLY THE BASIS FOR YOUR ZONING REGULATIONS AS WELL.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE REGULATING PRIVATE PROPERTY, THAT'S THE PLAN THAT REALLY LAYS OUT WHAT THE PURPOSES ARE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
SO THIS SLIDE, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION HERE, BUT, UH, VERY BRIEFLY ON THE TOP IS THE STRATEGIC PLAN, UH, TIMELINE.
THE BOTTOM IS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, WHAT'S GREAT IS WITHIN THOSE FIRST SIX TO NINE MONTHS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO BE DOING BOTH EFFORTS AT THE SAME TIME.
UM, SOME ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS THAT CAN BE COORDINATED, DATA GATHERING, UM, BUT THE, JUST LOOKING AT WHERE BAYTOWN IS TODAY, UM, BUT THEN AT THAT SEVEN TO NINE MONTH POINT, UH, THE STRATEGIC PLAN SHOULD BE WINDING DOWN.
WE'RE NOT PUTTING A FIRM LIMIT ON IT, BUT TRYING TO WIND DOWN THAT CONVERSATION AT THAT POINT, BRING THAT BACK TO COUNCIL, AND THEN THE CONFERENCE OF PLAN PROCESS WILL CONTINUE.
THAT'S RIGHT WHEN WE'LL BE TURNING TO THE FUTURE CITY PORTION OF THE PLAN AFTER WE'VE LOOKED AT WHERE BAYTOWN IS TODAY, AND REALLY SETTING THAT LONGER RANGE, UH, ROADMAP.
SO, SO WE SEE A LOT OF GOOD SYNERGY THERE.
UM, THAT'S, THE CONFERENCE PLAN IS MEANT TO BE ABOUT THE 15 MONTH TIMEFRAME THAT PUTS US INTO NEXT SUMMER ABOUT THE JUNE TIMEFRAME.
WE DEFINITELY HAVE, UH, UM, A NUMBER OF WAYS THAT BETWEEN US AND STAFF, WE WANT TO BE REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY FOR BOTH EFFORTS.
UM, THIS WORKSHOP TONIGHT IS AT THE TOP OF BOTH OF THOSE LISTS.
WE'RE KIND OF, UH, TOUCHING ON BOTH PLANS THROUGH THIS FIRST JOINT WORKSHOP ON THE CONFERENCE OF PLAN SIDE.
WE'LL COME BACK TO THIS GROUP COUNCIL AND COMMISSION TWO MORE TIMES ALONG THE WAY.
UM, THE NEXT POINT WILL BE WHEN WE'RE AT THAT PLAN DIRECTION STEP, WHERE WE'VE SAID, HERE'S WHAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY, HERE'S WHAT THE NUMBERS THE DATA IS SHOWING US.
HERE'S WHERE WE THINK THE PLAN SHOULD FOCUS.
MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S COMFORTABLE WITH THAT DIRECTION.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AT THE END WHEN THERE'S A ENTIRE DRAFT PLAN TO PUT BEFORE YOU, AND MAKE SURE THAT'S READY TO PROCEED TO PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION.
UM, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE LEDGER, UH, STRATEGIC AND COMPREHENSIVE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, A COMMITTEE PROCESS, STRATEGIC PLAN, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
SO YOU'LL HEAR SPAC AND CPAC A LOT IN THE MONTHS AHEAD.
UM, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY OUT RIGHT NOW, UM, FOR APPLICATIONS TO BE PARTS OF THOSE COMMITTEE, UM, ONLINE SURVEYS, CERTAINLY IN THIS TIME OF COVID.
BUT IN GENERAL, THESE ARE VERY EFFECTIVE, UM, WAY TO REACH THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE'LL BE DOING THOSE AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
UM, ON, WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, CERTAINLY WANTING TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, THE PLAN IS TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF EVENT IN EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT ALONG THE WAY.
CERTAINLY WE'LL COORDINATE WITH THE INDIVIDUAL COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THOSE AND THEN COME BACK TO COUNCIL AT THE END.
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ONE ITEM ON THAT LIST, UH, MEETING IN A BOX, WHAT THAT MEANS BASICALLY IS BEYOND WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING AND STAFF.HERE'S SOME MATERIALS WHERE, UH, A CITIZEN, A HOMEOWNER'S GROUP COULD HAVE A MEETING, UH, PACKAGE THE RESULTS, GET IT BACK TO US, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STAFF WILL BE WORKING WITH US ON AS WELL TO EXPAND THE ENGAGEMENT EFFORT.
UH, CERTAINLY SINCE, UH, BAYTOWN ENGAGE CAME ALONG, THE NEW WEBSITE AND WHOLE PLATFORM FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, SUCH A GREAT RESOURCE TO BE ABLE TO USE.
NOW, THE BAYWAY DRIVE CORRIDOR PLAN EARLIER, THIS, UH, IN LAST YEAR WAS ACTUALLY THE FIRST PROJECT FOR THE CITY THAT TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THIS PLATFORM.
UH, SURVEYS, MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENTS, PUTTING THE DRAFTS OUT THERE.
UH, SO BETWEEN US AND STAFF, IT'S BEEN GREAT TO LEARN THIS PLATFORM AND NOW SEE ALL THE WAYS WE CAN USE IT.
WE WILL DEFINITELY BE DOING THAT, UH, FOR BOTH PLANS.
AND THESE PAGES, BY THE WAY, ARE OUT THERE.
SO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECTS IS ONLINE ALREADY.
SO AS WE, UH, TALK WITH STAFF ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO COORDINATE THESE TWO PLANS, THESE ARE SOME MORE EXAMPLES OF JUST ALL THE WAYS WE SEE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, BE DOING THINGS THAT BENEFIT BOTH PROJECTS AND MOVE THE TIMELINE ALONG.
UM, THAT'S FROM THE VERY BASICS OF DATA, AS I MENTIONED, THE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, BUT ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO, UH, THE ULTIMATE CONTENT AND EVEN, UH, THE, THE DESIGN AND FRAMING OF THESE DOCUMENTS.
SO ANYTIME WE START, ESPECIALLY A CONFERENCE OF PLAN PROCESS, THE CITY DID A CONFERENCE OF PLAN RIGHT AROUND THE 2000 TIMEFRAME IN 99, AND THEN AN UPDATE IN THE 2007 TIMEFRAME.
BUT WE ALWAYS LIKE TO LOOK BACK AND EVEN WELL BEFORE THEN, JUST TO, OF COURSE, THINK ABOUT HOW THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPED ORIGINALLY.
UH, WE HAVE A SERIAL SERIES OF AERIAL IMAGES HERE, EVEN BACK TO WHEN THERE WEREN'T AERIALS TO COVER THE WHOLE AREA.
GOING BACK TO THE 1940S, I'M GOING TO SKIM TO THESE ON A FIRST PASS.
AND OF COURSE, WE KNOW THE HISTORY OF THREE SEPARATE COMMUNITIES THAT, THAT KIND OF BLENDED TOGETHER OVER TIME.
BUT, UH, THERE'S THE 1950S INTO THE 1970S, AND BY THE WAY, THE YELLOW LINES ARE TODAY'S HIGHWAYS AND MAJOR STREETS.
AND THEN LOOKING AT, TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, UH, MUCH DIFFERENT CITY FROM, UH, JUST EVEN 60, 70, 80 YEARS AGO.
BUT LET ME GO BACK THROUGH THOSE ONE MORE TIME.
UH, ONE OF THE THEMES, OF COURSE, IS, UH, GROWING MAYBE AWAY FROM THE SHORELINE AND, UH, NORTHWARD INLAND.
CERTAINLY WHEN I 10 CAME ALONG, UH, THAT WAS A MAGNET AND A DRAW, BUT IT TOOK SOME TIME TO GET THERE.
GROWTH, UH, EAST TOWARDS CEDAR BIO, OF COURSE, HAPPENED AS WELL.
THEN, UH, YOU START TO SEE THE CORRIDORS BECOME MORE IMPORTANT.
UH, MAIN STREET, CERTAINLY GARTH, OVER TIME, WHEN WE GET INTO THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES, UH, WE WERE ACTUALLY INVOLVED WITH THE CITY'S, UH, 2000 OR THAT 1999 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE.
AND, UH, THAT WAS JUST WHEN WE WERE STARTING TO SEE THE SUBDIVISION ACTIVITY LEAPFROG NORTH OF I 10, AND, UH, START TO SEE THAT AREA START TO TAKE OFF.
SO WHEN YOU GET TO TODAY'S MAP, CERTAINLY JUST ALL THAT INFILL AND DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA.
UM, BUT NOW WE HAVE THE GRAND PARKWAY 99 CORRIDOR, UH, 1 46 DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENED ALONG THERE, ESPECIALLY UP TOWARD I 10, THE I 10 CORRIDOR ITSELF.
BUT THEN THAT CONCENTRATION AROUND GARTH ROAD, OF COURSE, UH, WE, WE RETREATED FROM THE SHORELINE IN SOME PLACES AS FAR AS THE BROWNWOOD HISTORY, BUT NOW HAVING THAT ASSET IN THE NATURE CENTER, SO, SO INTERESTING TO LOOK AT HOW THE, THE DEVELOPMENT FOOTPRINT OF THE ENTIRE CITY HAS CHANGED.
BUT A FIRST QUESTION WE WANTED TO PUT BEFORE THE GROUP, AND THIS IS MEANT TO BE VERY INFORMAL, UH, ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO CHIME IN, AND THIS IS NOT JUST ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT, CITY OF BAYTOWN, BUT WHEN YOU THINK BACK OVER THE LAST ROUGHLY 10 YEARS, BUT TO THE LAST TIME THE CONFERENCE OF PLAN WAS UPDATED IN 2007, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU'RE REALLY PROUD OF, UH, THINGS THAT YOU LIKE TO TELL ABOUT THAT BAYTOWN HAS ACCOMPLISHED AS A COMMUNITY IN THE RECENT DECADE OR SO? AND AGAIN, UP FOR ANYBODY? WELL, I GUESS WE CAN'T ALL TALK AT ONCE, BUT, UM, I GUESS WE'LL START WITH P AND Z.
I MEAN, THEY SEE THERE'S SOME, SOME LONG-TERM MEMBERS.
IS THERE ANYTHING, I GUESS YOU CAN, THAT YOU CAN EXPRESS, I GUESS, WITH WHAT WAS PRESENTED JUST A WHILE AGO, THAT'S NOT ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I DON'T, WELL, I KNOW WE HAVE TWO NEWBIES, BUT I THINK DEFINITELY THE CONNECTIVITY THROUGH TOWN, UM, HAS BEEN A, A BIG PIECE.
UM, WHETHER IT WAS THE, UM, OUR TRANSIT, UM, OR ADDITIONAL ROUTES, SAN JUSTINO BOULEVARD, I MEAN, WE'VE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF NEW CONNECTIONS THROUGHOUT TOWN THAT I THINK IS MAKING IT EASIER
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TO GET AROUND.I WOULD SAY THE DEVELOPMENT OF, UM, NEW COMMUNITIES, MASTER PLAN COMMUNITIES, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WANTING.
AND TO SEE THEM STARTING TO COME, AND NOT JUST ONE, BUT MULTIPLE, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RE THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SAY.
I THINK WE'VE SEEN EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE GARTH ROAD, NEAR I 10 ALSO, NEW DEVELOPMENT AND SEEING MORE EVERY DAY TO THE POINT OF NEEDING TO DO TRAFFIC STUDIES AND THINK ABOUT HOW TO DEAL WITH IT.
BUT ABSOLUTELY THAT TAX BASE BENEFIT TOO.
I THINK ALSO THE CONNECTION WITHIN THE CITY THROUGH, I MEAN, IT'S AN AMENITY, BUT IT'S ALSO A NECESSITY IN, IN DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, BEING ABLE TO CONNECT THROUGH TRAILS, THROUGH THROW AFFAIRS.
I THINK THAT, UM, THE CITY'S DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF CREATING WIDER SIDEWALKS SO PEOPLE CAN GET AROUND MORE.
I THINK THE BIGGEST MOVEMENT WE'VE SEEN, UH, PERIPHERAL TO THE CORE CITY IS THE, UH, UH, ETJ DEVELOPMENT, WAREHOUSING AND THAT, THAT KIND OF WORK COMMERCIAL, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT PERIPHERAL TO THIS CORE CITY.
THAT'S BEEN THE BIGGEST, BIGGEST MOVEMENT IN THE LAST 15 YEARS, UH, THAT, UH, CHAMBERS COUNTY AREA IS BLOOMING AND BAYTOWN SUPPORTS A LOT OF THAT.
YEAH, I MEANT TO MENTION CEDAR PORT TOO, OF COURSE.
THAT 14,000 ACRES THAT US STEEL STARTED IS ALMOST DEVELOPED.
AND THAT WAS IN THE LATE, UH, NINETIES, EIGHTIES, SEVENTIES, BACK STARTING IN THE SEVENTIES.
ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT'S IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN FROM FIVE YEARS AGO IS, UH, COMMUNITY APPEARANCE AND IMAGE REPUTATION, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, UH, WE MENTIONED THE STAFF WHEN WE FIRST GOT INVOLVED, UH, FOR TRYING TO WORK WITH THIS PROJECT.
UH, HAVING SEEN BAYTOWN FOR MYSELF, I WORKED AT HGAC, THE HOUSTON GALVESTON AREA COUNCIL DURING THE 1990S.
UH, MEREDITH WAS THERE MORE RECENTLY, BUT HAVING, AND I GREW UP IN HOUSTON, SO JUST HAVING SEEN BAYTOWN FOR SO LONG, WHAT STRUCK ME AFTER I HADN'T BEEN INTO THE CITY AS MUCH IN RECENT YEARS WAS THE BEAUTIFICATION EFFORTS, THE APPEARANCE, AMENITIES, THINGS THAT WERE IN THOSE COMPREHENSIVE PLANS 20 YEARS AGO.
AND THESE ARE LONG RANGE PLANS.
IT TAKES SOME TIME TO MAKE THOSE INVESTMENTS AND THE PARTNERSHIPS SOMETIMES TO GET THOSE THINGS DONE.
SOMETIMES WE, WORKING WITH SO MANY COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE THE BLINDERS ON.
YOU SEE YOUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY.
YOU DON'T SEE SOME OF THOSE DIFFERENCES.
PEOPLE LIKE US THAT HAVE BEEN GONE AND COME BACK.
THERE ARE SOME DEFINITE ACCOMPLISHMENTS VISUALLY THAT, UM, WERE JUST WORDS ON PAPER 20 YEARS AGO.
THE THING I REMEMBER MOST HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHEN THE CEDAR BARREL BRIDGE WAS PUT IN ON NINE NINE WHEN IT FIRST WENT IN THE TURN BRIDGE TO NOWHERE,
ALRIGHT, I WANT TO MOVE OUR CONVERSATION ALONG AND TURN IT OVER TO MEREDITH AS WE START TO LOOK TO THE FUTURE.
UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
I'M GONNA PROVIDE JUST A FEW DATA POINTS IN OUR, UH, INITIAL DATA GATHERING ABOUT, UH, BAYTOWN AS IT IS TODAY.
AND THEN WE'LL TURN THE DISCUSSION TO, UM, WHAT WE WOULD LIKE BAYTOWN TO BE LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
SO WE KNOW THAT BAYTOWN IS GROWING AND IS, UH, PROJECTED TO CONTINUE TO GROW INTO THE FUTURE.
THE LATEST ESTIMATE FROM LAST JANUARY WAS POPULATION OF 80 2017, WHICH IS A 23% GROWTH OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, WHEN THE YEAR 2000 POPULATION WAS 66,500.
LOOKING AT THE DEMOGRAPHICS, YOU KNOW, THAT BAYTOWN HAS A RELATIVELY SLIGHTLY YOUNGER POPULATION, THEN THE, THE STATE AND THE HOUSTON METRO REGION AS A WHOLE.
UH, THE MEDIAN AGE HERE IN BAYTOWN IS 32.9, UH, COMPARED TO NATIONALLY.
UM, A BIT HIGHER AT 38.2, LOWER IN TEXAS AT 34, AND, UH, ABOUT THE SAME IN THE HOUSTON METRO AREA.
SO THAT POPULATION OVER 65 IS JUST AT 11.6%.
SO WE DO LIKE TO KIND OF KNOW WHO IS, WHO IS HERE AND WHAT THEIR DIFFERENT NEEDS OF DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS MIGHT BE LOOKING AT HOUSING UNITS.
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BEEN, UH, QUITE A LOT OF NEW HOUSING THAT HAS COME ON BOARD IN THE PAST 20 YEARS WITH OVER A QUARTER OF ALL THE HOUSING UNITS IN BAYTOWN HAVING BEEN BUILT SINCE THE YEAR 2000.THERE IS 50% OF 58% OF THE HOUSING IN BAYTOWN IS OWNER OCCUPYING, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN THE OVERALL RATE IN HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, BUT A LITTLE BIT LOWER THAN, UH, THE NATIONAL AND THE STATE RATES AND, UH, LOWER THAN THE VERY HIGH RATE IN, IN CHAMBERS COUNTY OF, OF 83% OWNER OCCUPIED.
SO THAT WAS JUST A, A FEW DATA POINTS ABOUT, UH, BAYTOWN AS IT IS TODAY.
BUT OF COURSE, BOTH OF THESE PLANS REALLY FOCUS ON BAYTOWN AS WE WOULD LIKE IT TO BE, UH, IN THE FUTURE.
SO I'D LIKE TO TURN THE DISCUSSION TO WHERE TO FOCUS AS WE START TO, UH, INITIATE THESE TWO DIFFERENT PLANNING PROCESSES.
AND WOULD LOVE TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO YOU ALL TO HEAR WHAT YOUR, UH, TOP ISSUES ARE.
COULD BE SOMETHING THAT IS AN ONGOING ISSUE OR PERHAPS A NEW OR EMERGING ISSUE, AS WELL AS WHAT YOUR, YOUR PERSONAL HOPES AND PRIORITIES FOR BAY TOWN'S FUTURE ARE, AND ANY ISSUES THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL NEED TO BE TACKLED, BUT THAT ARE PERHAPS, UM, DIFFICULT.
WHY DON'T WE START WITH ANY ONGOING ISSUES, SOMETHING THAT YOU SEE REALLY CARRYING FORWARD FROM, UM, PAST PLANS THAT STILL NEEDS TO, TO BE ADDRESSED.
SINCE THE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES DISCUSSION DIDN'T TAKE QUITE AS LONG, I THINK WE'VE GOT A ENOUGH TIME TO WORK WITH HERE THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE'D LIKE TO KIND OF GO DOWN THE ROAD AND JUST GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND KIND OF, IT'S UP TO YOU MULTIPLE CHOICE WHETHER YOU'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, AS MEREDITH MENTIONED, SOMETHING THAT'S ONGOING EMERGING OR SOMETHING THAT'S VERY PERSONAL TO YOU, MAYBE YOUR REASON YOU DECIDED TO, TO VOLUNTEER AND BE ON THE COMMISSION OR, OR RUN FOR OFFICE.
SO, UM, WHY DON'T WE START WITH NANCY
UM, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ALMOST IN THE ENTRANCES OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND ALSO, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF BETTER REGULATIONS AS IT RELATES TO DEVELOPMENT OF SUBDIVISIONS.
IN OTHER WORDS, WIDER STREETS OR SETBACK.
UM, WE HAVE A REAL ISSUE OF PARKING ON THE STREET.
THERE NOT BEING ENOUGH DRIVEWAY FOR PEOPLE TO PARK IN, SO THEY PARK ON THE STREET, WHICH MAKES THE NEIGHBORHOODS LOOK LESS FOR WHAT PEOPLE WANT.
UH, ANOTHER ISSUE IS TRAFFIC, AND IT'LL ALWAYS BE AN ISSUE.
UM, I WOULD SAY WE STARTED SEEING A LOT OF 40 FOOT LOTS COMING IN, 35 AND 40 FOOT LOTS.
I THINK WE WOULD ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE IF WE START SEEING A LITTLE BIT LARGER BOTS, UM, IN OUR, UM, PLANNED COMMUNITIES.
UM, LLOYD IS ASKING IF YOU CAN SPEAK UP
UM, I, I MENTIONED THE 40 FOOT LOTS.
WE SEE A LOT OF 40 FOOT LOTS COME INTO PNZ AND, UH, HOPEFULLY LOOKING FOR SOME LARGER LOTS COMING IN.
A PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT JUST CAME INTO US AND IT WAS 50 AND 55 FOOT LOTS, AND THAT WAS GOOD NEWS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S ONGOING AND I'M ALWAYS EXCITED ABOUT IS THE SHOPPING.
AND I KNOW OUR MALL GOT STALLED BECAUSE OF COVID.
UM, BUT I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO NOT DRIVING TO BAYBROOK
UM, I'M HELEN, AND I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS I SAY IS ONGOING AND EMERGENT ISSUES IS THE CONTINUATION OF, UM, TO REVITALIZING OF, OF COMMUNITIES AND, AND AREAS THAT, THAT NO LONGER WAS GETTING THAT, BUT WE'RE NOW LOOKING EMERGING TOWARD THOSE COMMUNITIES AND CONTINUING TO REVITALIZATION OF THOSE COMMUNITIES AREAS THAT THAT WAS, THAT LESS POPULATED NOW, BUT THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT TO CONTINUE.
AGAIN, AREN'T WE GOING ME? YES.
AND ARE YOU REALLY NEEDS IMPROVEMENT FOCUSED ON, UM, PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE MOBILITY, TRANSIT, UM, VEHICLE AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC.
[00:25:01]
OKAY.UM, I'M GONNA TALK, I'M, MINE IS, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF BUSINESSES AND, AND SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE NOT TO THE NORTH SIDE.
UM, SPECIFICALLY MORE TOWARDS THE WEST SIDE AND THE SOUTH SIDE WHERE WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A LARGE POPULATION THAT, THAT THEY DON'T WANNA DRIVE SO FAR GROCERY STORES THAT MIGHT BE NEAR THE PEOPLE IN THE NORTH SIDE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THERE'S THINGS LIKE, UH, AMENITIES THAT I THINK COULD HELP.
UM, I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ARE, WE'RE PUTTING IN AS A CONVENTION CENTER, BUT THERE'S NOTHING REALLY AROUND THERE FOR PEOPLE TO GO AND DO.
YOU KNOW, WE USED TO HAVE A GOLF COURSE THERE, BUT EVEN BEYOND THAT, YOU KNOW, SEEING, PUTTING THOSE KIND OF DEVELOPING BUSINESSES AROUND THAT AREA WOULD HELP, UM, BRING MORE, I THINK MORE EVENTS TO THAT CONVENTION CENTER, CREATING THAT DRAW TO BRING IN MORE.
AND, AND JUST IN GENERAL IN THE COMMUNITIES, THESE COMMUNITIES SOMETIMES ARE A LITTLE BIT NEGLECTED BECAUSE OF AGE.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A BIG SHIFT FOR THE NORTH SIDE BECAUSE OF PEOPLE, THAT'S WHERE THEIR LAND IS.
BUT THERE'S, PEOPLE LIVE DOWN HERE IN THESE AREAS AS WELL.
UM, CLEANING UP AND UTILIZING OUR WATERWAYS AND IS REALLY, IT WOULD DRAW DIFFERENT TYPES OF BUSINESSES THAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY ENJOY, UH, A LOT IN HOMES.
I MEAN, BACK THEN YOU ONLY HAD ONE OR TWO CARS.
NOW A FAMILY'S GOT FIVE, SIX, AND SOME OF THE STREETS YOU CAN'T EVEN GET OUT OF YOUR HOME BECAUSE PEOPLE PARK CRAZY DOWN THE STREET.
IF THE WATERFRONT IS REALLY A UNIQUE, THE WATERFRONT IS OUR BIGGEST ASSET.
COMMUNITIES, YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T CREATE THAT.
SO, SO HAVING THAT IS, IS REALLY A WONDERFUL ASSET.
UM, I, I THINK FOR ME IT WOULD BE OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, WE'VE DEVELOPED, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S ALWAYS GONNA BE AN ISSUE, UM, EVEN AS SOME OF OUR NEW MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENTS CONTINUE TO AGE.
AND SO I THINK FOR PROPERTIES SOUTH OR, OR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE, UM, I GUESS CONTINUED EFFORTS, UM, AROUND THAT AREA AND MAYBE HELPING, UM, HOMEOWNERS A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND WE'VE GOT SOME GREAT PROGRAMS. LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST TRY TO GET AWAY TO HAVE OUR HOMEOWNERS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE AND MAYBE FUNNELING ADDITIONAL MONIES TOWARDS THAT.
UM, AND THEN I'D ALSO, UM, HAVE TO GO WITH, I WOULDN'T SAY RELAX, BUT I KNOW WE HAR UH, COUNCILMAN PRESLEY AND I HARP ON THIS A LOT, BUT, UM, I, I GUESS ADJUSTED CODE ENFORCEMENT OR, OR REGULATIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND EVEN HOMEOWNERS IN OLDER HOMES WHERE THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, UH, AFFORD, YOU KNOW, CODES THAT WOULD APPLY TO BIG BOX STORES OR, YOU KNOW, CHICK-FIL-A MAY HAVE THE MONEY TO DO CERTAIN ADJUSTMENTS, BUT IF WE HAVE A MOM AND POP SHOP THAT'S WANTING TO OPEN, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN WE ADDRESS THAT BUILD OUT WITHOUT HAVING THEM GO THROUGH ALL THESE DIFFERENT LOOPS? AND I KNOW WE'VE ADDRESSED SOME OF THESE, UM, AT COUNCIL BEFORE, BUT I, I THINK THAT'S STILL, AS WE'RE WORKING TO, UM, INCREASE BUSINESSES AND, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THESE AREAS, I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY AN AREA WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID.
OF COURSE, THE MOBILITY, OF COURSE.
AND I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS THAT AS, AS WE CAN.
UM, OF COURSE THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE'VE DONE, WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE A LOT TOWARDS THAT WITHIN THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
UM, I AGREE WITH AUGUSTINE ON THIS PART OF TOWN AND, YOU KNOW, I, I, MYSELF AND ANOTHER COUNCIL MEMBER TO FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO, WE KIND OF HELPED DEVELOP THE NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT ZONE AS AN INCENTIVE WAIVED PERMIT FEES, A WAIVED IMPACT FEE.
BUT THE, THE CHALLENGE IS THAT I THINK EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE NEW BUSINESSES IN A GROCERY STORE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT TYPICALLY THE RECIPE IS THAT THAT FOLLOWS ROOFTOPS AND NEW ROOFTOPS AND DEMAND AND PURCHASING POWER.
SO IT'S A CHALLENGE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO, TO TRY TO INCENTIVIZE AND, AND DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP BRING PEOPLE TO THIS SIDE OF TOWN, NUMBER ONE.
AND, UH, INCENTIVIZE THE BUSINESSES.
AND, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, WHATEVER IT TAKES TO, TO INCENTIVIZE 'EM TO TRY TO GET 'EM DOWN HERE NEEDS TO BE DONE AS WELL.
AND WE, WE'VE TRIED TO DO THAT TO DO THAT, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND THE ONLY OTHER TOPIC ON, UH, IT
[00:30:01]
MIGHT FALL UNDER MOST DIFFICULT ISSUES FACED, BUT I KNOW THAT COUNCIL, WE, WE'VE TALKED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, WE'VE EVEN, UH, DEVELOPED A MULTI-FAMILY ORDINANCE TO WHERE WE HAVE A DISTANCE REQUIREMENT NOW.BUT I, I THINK I SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND, AND PROBABLY A FEW OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL, THAT I REALIZE WE, WE'VE APPROVED ONE OR TWO EVEN WITHIN THE LAST YEAR.
BUT I, I THINK THE COUNCIL'S PROBABLY TO THE POINT WHERE WE'VE SEEN THE NUMBERS, WE'VE SEEN THE STOCK THAT WE HAVE, AND WE, WE'VE REALLY HAD OUR FAIR SHARE NOW FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE TO ALLOW 'EM, MAYBE WE MANDATE THAT THEY DO COME TO THE OLDER PART OF TOWN WHERE WE NEED NEW RESIDENTS AND NEW PURCHASING POWER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT IN TIME WE'VE SAID, NO, NO MORE NEW MULTIFAMILY FOR FOUR OR FIVE YEARS NOW.
BUT WE CONTINUE TO APPROVE IT.
SO AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DRAW THE LINE IN THE SAND.
I HAVE WRITTEN DOWN HERE ENTERTAINMENT, WHICH WOULD GO WITH AMENITIES.
I HAVE TO AGREE WITH MR. KARNS WHEN HE SAYS MOBILITY AND SEPARATION OF GRADE TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF TRAINS.
AND THAT AFFECTS EVERY PART OF TOWN.
WE, WE, WE'VE HEARD THE FRUSTRATIONS OF CITIZENS HAVING TO WAIT 15 TO 30 MINUTES OR TRYING TO GO AROUND, FIND AN ALTERNATE ROUTE THAT WOULD HELP WITH THE SEPARATION OF GRADE.
UM, I HAVE WRITTEN HERE INCENTIVE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, ESPECIALLY IN THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN, AND NOT JUST IN THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN, BUT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO, WHO'S NOT A COSTCO, A-D-S-W-A, MCDONALD'S, THINGS WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM WANT TO BE HERE AND HELP THEM BE VIABLE WHILE THEY'RE HERE.
ZONING TO HELP BRING BUSINESS TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS OR NEAR THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, WE CAN ACTUALLY HELP THAT WITH ZONING AND COMBINE THAT WITH INCENTIVES.
AND I THINK WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THINGS MOVING IN ANOTHER DIRECTION.
BUT AS MS. WILLER SAID, UM, WE CAN'T STRESS MOBILITY ENOUGH OR, OR TRAFFIC, WE'RE A GROWING CITY.
I THINK I'VE HEARD THAT IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OR SO, WE COULD BE A CITY OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE.
I SAW A STUDY OF, UM, A CITY NEAR DALLAS WHERE THEY ACTUALLY FOCUSED ON TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY TO PREPARE FOR THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE, RESIDENTS THAT THEY SAW COMING IN.
AND THAT MAY BE SOMETHING WE WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALSO.
YOU WANNA GO LAST, NOW WE GO HERE.
I'LL JUMP BACK THERE WITH A COUPLE ISSUES.
I'M GONNA TAG ON MOBILITY AS WELL.
THAT'S SOMETHING, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON IT.
UM, AND IT'S A LONG TERM ISSUE.
LIKE I SAID, WE GOT A PLAN FOR STUFF THAT'S 10 OR 15 YEARS, YOU KNOW, THE BRIDGE TO NOWHERE.
WELL, IT WASN'T A BRIDGE TO NOWHERE.
WE, SOMEBODY WAY BACK WHEN KNEW WHAT WAS COMING AND, AND WE NEED TO KEEP THAT PHILOSOPHY ON THIS COUNCIL.
YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA LOOK BY 10 YEARS FROM NOW, IT MAY NOT MAKE MUCH SENSE TODAY, BUT WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING.
UM, WE'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL OPPORTUNITY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF TOWN.
YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE, WHAT CAN WE DO TO BRING SOMETHING TO THIS AREA? AND YOU'LL HEAR THAT FROM THE THREE DISTRICTS ARE IN THIS PART OF TOWN, THE OLDER PARTS AND THE SOUTHERN PARTS 99, THE GRAND PARKWAY.
WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON BRINGING THE, THE PROPER COMMERCIAL RETAIL TO THAT LOCATION.
AND YOU SEE THAT ALL AROUND HOUSTON AS NINE, NINE COMPLETES.
YOU GIVE IT A FEW YEARS AND, AND, AND THE SERVICE ROADS, BECAUSE THEY'RE DEVELOPED WELL AND THEY BRING THAT, THAT, THAT RETAIL IN PLACE.
AND THEN, AND THEN THE RESIDENTIAL FALLS AFTER THAT.
UM, OR, OR YOU KNOW, THE BAY VIEWS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE'VE GOT LOTS OF PROPERTY THAT HAS BEAUTIFUL VIEWS, BUT IT'S NOT BEING DEVELOPED 'CAUSE THERE'S NO RESOURCES DOWN THERE.
WE NEED TO BE LOOKING THAT FAR AHEAD.
SO AGAIN, EVERY, EVERYTHING EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT IS THEY'RE RIGHT ON KEY.
UH, THEY'RE RIGHT ON POINT WITH THAT MM-HMM
UM, AND WE JUST NEED TO BE VISIONED ENOUGH TO LOOK OUT AND SAY, OKAY, IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH RIGHT NOW, BUT WE'VE GOTTA DO IT NOW SO IT'LL BE READY.
AS THEY POINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, CITIES IN NORTH TEXAS, THERE'S SOME CITIES UP THERE THAT AT A POINT IN TIME THEY WERE GROWING AT A THOUSAND POPULATION A MONTH.
CAN YOU, YOU CAN'T EVEN FATHOM THAT.
BUT THEY WERE, AND SOME OF 'EM STILL ARE.
AND YOU'VE GOTTA REALLY BE ON THE BALL TO PROVIDE THAT TYPE OF MOBILITY ISSUES.
RE RETAIL, RESIDENTIAL, I AGREE WITH IMPROVING THE, THE RESIDENTIAL
[00:35:01]
REQUIREMENTS.UM, 30 FOOT LOTS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET MUCH SUPPORT FROM ME, BUT, BUT WE NEED THE QUALITY LOTS.
YOU LOOK AT OUR AGE GROUP, THOSE FOLKS WANT QUALITY HOUSING, UM, AND, AND THEY'RE GONNA DEMAND IT.
SO WE NEED TO BE PREPARED TO TAKE THE HIT TO MAKE SURE IT'S AVAILABLE.
AND, AND JUST TO, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT JACOB HERE, BUT, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY PUT OUR FOOT DOWN IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS FOR CERTAIN, ON A LOT OF THE LOT SIZES AND MM-HMM
WE'VE ACTUALLY DEMANDED MORE AS FAR AS LOT SIZES GO ON SOME OF THE MASTER, I WOULDN'T SAY MASTER PLAN COMMUNITIES, BUT SOME OF THE NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
INFRASTRUCTURE AGAIN FOR THE THREE DISTRICTS, THE OLDER DISTRICTS, IF YOU WILL, INFRASTRUCTURE, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR REPLACEMENT IS CRITICAL FOR US.
ALL THE GROWTH IS MID CITY AND NORTH, BUT THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN ARE STILL GREAT PARTS OF TOWN.
LOTS OF NICE HOMES, IF YOU WILL.
BUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S 40, 60 YEARS OLD.
WE NEED TO, TO REFOCUS THAT, THAT INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED AND, AND THE BURDEN'S ON US.
AND THE CITY'S DONE A GREAT JOB, BUT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
THANKS OFF WHAT YOU SAID THERE.
HUH? CAN I HAND YOU OFF FOR SOMETHING YOU SAID THERE? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN HOUSTON? BIG TIME.
PEOPLE ARE MOVING OUT OF HOUSTON TO THE SUBURBS THAT'S COMING.
IT'S, AND IT'S COMING IN EVERY DIRECTION FROM BEER, LOTS MORE TRANSPORTATION, MORE INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND THERE, THERE'S A MASS EXIT OUT OF HOUSTON.
IT'S BIGGER THAN IT WAS IN 70.
UH, I, I WOULD SAY NO REASON TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE, BUT MOBILITY, IT'S PROBABLY THE THING THAT IN MY LENGTHY TENURE ON CITY COUNCIL ONE MONTH, UH, PROBABLY HEARD, I'VE HEARD, UH, PROBABLY MORE ABOUT MOBILITY THAN ANYTHING ELSE, JUST OVERALL TRANSPORTATION.
AND I DO THINK, AS YOU SAID, WE ARE ADDRESSING THAT.
UM, I KNOW WE HAVE PLANS FOR THAT THIRD CEDAR BIO CROSSING, UH, BUT THINGS AS SIMPLE AS THE RIGHT TURN LANES I THINK REALLY HELPS.
UM, JUST GETTING AROUND TOWN A LITTLE QUICKER.
AND SO CONTINUING THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND THEN JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE GROWTH WITH MORE HARD SURFACE ROADS, PARKING LOTS COMES THE RISK OF MORE FLOODING.
AND WE'VE HAD OUR, WE'VE DEALT WITH THAT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, AND, AND A LOT OF THAT AROUND DISTRICT FIVE AS WELL AS OTHER PARTS AROUND TOWN.
SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WITH ALL THE GROWTH WE'RE THINKING THROUGH WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH ALL THE, THE WATER.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT CAN BE TURNED INTO, UM, USABLE SPACE AS FAR AS PARKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT, THAT VULNERABILITY AND RESILIENCY IS DEFINITELY A TOPIC.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WE'LL BE LOOKING AT.
SHE HAD HER HAND UP FIRST, IF YOU DON'T MIND GOING.
AND I, I THINK IF ANYTHING, UM, WELL, ANOTHER THING THIS PANDEMIC HAS SHOWN US IS REALLY THE LACK OF CONNECTIVITY, UM, IN TERMS OF WIFI AND, AND EVEN ACCESS TO, UM, INTERNET FOR A LOT OF AREAS.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE REALLY NEED TO DO IS REALLY LEVERAGE AND, AND HAVE THESE TELECOMS, UH, MADE RESPONSIBLE, UH, FOR THE GROWTH IN OUR AREA AND THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEY HAVE FOR NOT E FOR THE, EVEN THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN.
UM, I COME FROM TELECOM AND SO I'VE TALKED TO SOME OF MY PREVIOUS PEERS AND THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, WE'RE JUST JUST INVESTING IN, IN THE NEW AREAS AND, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE ALREADY DIGGING UP.
AND SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA HEAR.
AND SO THE OLDER PARTS OF TOWN HAVE THAT SAME NEED.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LACK OF, UH, COMPETITION THAT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S A MONOPOLY IN THIS AREA OF INTERNET PROVIDERS.
AND, AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE, WHETHER WE FOCUS ON MAYBE SOME LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES TO ADDRESS THAT AND CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, DIFFERENT OPTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO ISPS, I THINK THAT'S DEFINITELY GONNA BE A NEED AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW.
RICK AND I HAVE HAD MEETINGS WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME A, A PROVIDER AND THEY SHOWED US A HEAT MAP OF WHERE THEY WANNA CONCENTRATE ON, BUT IT WAS ALL TO THE NORTH AND WE'RE LIKE, DID YOU KNOW THIS IS HAPPENING OVER HERE? DID YOU KNOW? AND THEY'RE LIKE, JUST WAT EYES WIDE OPEN.
AND IT'S LIKE, UNLESS WE REALLY HOLD THEM TO THE FIRE TO CONTINUE, UM, GROWTH THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND NOT JUST IN ONE CERTAIN AREA, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UM, IT, IT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO GET WORSE.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY ONE THING THAT WE HAVE BEEN FORWARD THINKING ON WAS OUR TRAIL SYSTEM.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT COME DOWN THE BAYTOWN ON THE WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS TO UTILIZE OUR TRAILS.
UM, KEEP FOCUSING ON IT AND THE NATURE CENTER.
THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN
[00:40:01]
THE MORNING TO GO FISHING AT THE NATURE CENTER AND JUST USE THE TRAIL SYSTEM THERE AND EXPERIENCE THOSE THINGS.IF WE COULD LOOK AT ADDING THINGS THERE, UM, EMPHASIZING MARKETING, IT, MARKETING OUR TRAIL SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT MORE ALSO THAT WOULD HELP GET MORE FEET ON THE GROUND.
AND IT MAY EVEN, UM, PLAY A PART OF SOME PEOPLE CONSIDERING MOVING HERE TO BAYTOWN ALSO BECAUSE I'VE HEARD THAT WE'VE HAD A TRAIL SYSTEM LIKE NONE OTHER OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY.
SO FIRST I'LL TOUCH ON MOBILITY 'CAUSE IT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, THERE'S NO DOUBT TRANSPORTATION AND GETTING VEHICLES, IF IT'S REGULAR, UM, UM, PASSENGER VEHICLES, WE HAVE TO GET 'EM FROM POINT A TO POINT B OBVIOUSLY.
LAST, UH, LAST JANUARY, THIS COUNCIL, UH, WE DID MAKE A DECISION TO TACKLE GARTH ROAD.
SO WE KNOW WE, WE HAVE TO GO AND CERTAINLY OUR, OUR OUR MOST, UM, TRAVEL COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, WE WERE WILLING TO SAY, LET'S IT'S TIME TO, TO DRAW A LINE IN THE SAND AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE FUNDING FROM, UH, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ON 75% OF THAT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THAT WILL CONTINUE TO, TO MOVE FORWARD.
UH, IDENTIFYING FUTURE THOROUGH AFFAIR, THOROUGH AFFAIRS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE KIND OF LINES ON MAPS, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE THINKING IF IT'S FIVE YEARS OR 20 YEARS.
SO WE KNOW THERE'S SOME EAST WEST CORRIDORS A POSSIBLE, UM, UH, BRIDGE OVER CEDAR BAYOU BETWEEN HARRIS COUNTY AND CEDAR BAYOU.
UH, THERE ON OUR, IN A, IN A SENSE, KIND OF ON OUR NORTHEAST SIDE, UH, MOBILITY THOUGH, IT'S, IT'S BEYOND JUST, UH, UH, RES UM, PASSENGER VEHICLES.
WE HAVE THE 1 46 CORRIDOR WHERE WE HAVE SCHOOLS NOW AND, UH, RESIDENTIAL AREAS THAT DEVELOPED ALONG SOMEWHERE THAT PROBABLY WASN'T MEANT TO BE A RESIDENTIAL AND SCHOOL AREA.
AND SO HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT THAT PORTION OF OUR CITY IS SAFE? UH, WITH THE GRAND PARKWAY? WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT, UM, IF IT'S EITHER THROUGH LEGISLATION OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, IS, UH, TO, TO DIVERT THE, UH, THE COMMERCIAL TRAFFIC, THE 18 WHEELERS FROM OFF OF 1 46 ITSELF ONTO 99.
UH, SO WE HAVE TO CERTAINLY THINK REGIONALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THAT TYPE OF CONNECTIVITY, BUT ALSO TRAILS AND SIDEWALKS.
UM, WHEN I FIRST GOT ON COUNCIL IN MAY, 2005 MM-HMM
I THINK ONE OF, ONE OF THE, UH, FIRST RIBBON CUTTINGS WE HAD WAS, UH, WAY HERE WAY OVER HERE BY BAIN ISLAND.
WE, UH, WE OPENED THE FIRST PER PORTION IN A SENSE OF THE, THE GOOSE CREEK TRAIL.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY SAID IT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE ABOUT A 15, 20 YEAR PLAN IN ACHIEVING THE TRAIL, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT WAS VERY TRUE, BUT IT, IT TOOK INTO TO ALMOST 2020 WHERE WE CAN KIND OF GO FROM I 10 ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BAYLEN ARENA.
SO, UM, BUT IT WAS ALL PART OF A MASTER PLAN AND THAT'S WHY WE MEET.
THIS IS WHY WE, WE KIND OF SET THOSE THINGS IN PLACE NOW SO THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE THOSE, THOSE TYPE OF OUTCOMES.
BUT MOBILITY HAS CHANGED, UH, URBAN MOBILITY NOW.
AND SO I'M RIDING A BIKE EVERY NOW AND THEN NOW.
AND SO, UH, MOBILITY HAS CHANGED.
COVID HAS PUT PEOPLE BACK EITHER ON THEIR FEET ON A BIKE OR SOMETHING SIMILAR LIKE THAT.
AND SO, UM, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT GETTING SOMEBODY ACROSS TOWN, BUT IT MAY BE GETTING SOMEBODY FROM THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFELY TO A RETAIL, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, PLACE OR SOMETHING NEAR THEIR HOUSE.
SO, UH, MOBILITY AND URBAN MOBILITY IS STILL, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL, UH, PIECES OF THAT PUZZLE.
UH, I DO AGREE WITH, I THINK MS. WARNER, YOU, YOU MENTIONED, UH, ABOUT KIND OF DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY.
UM, I'M NOT SURE IT WAS MS. WARNER OR MS. THOMAS WHO MENTIONED THAT WE, WE ARE FOCUSED ON DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE CITY.
UM, IF IT'S, IF IT'S, LOOK, IF IT LOOKS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S THE, UH, CHAMBERS TOWN CENTER AT 1 46 NORTH, IF IT'S ALEXANDER DRIVE, IF IT'S MARKET STREET CORRIDOR, IF IT'S, UM, BAYWAY, WE WILL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BAYWAY CORRIDOR TONIGHT.
UM, IF IT'S TEXAS AVENUE, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE TOWN SQUARE AREA, WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON EVERY AREA OF OUR CITY.
UM, IF IT'S EITHER THROUGH TRYING TO, UH, PROVIDE REINVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND ZONES, UH, AND THEN THE NEW AREAS.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE, WE ARE ABLE TO, UH, MOVE THE NEEDLE AND KIND OF DRAW THE LINE IN THE SAND ALSO, WHEN IT COMES TO DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I KNOW I'VE BEEN PRETTY, UM, FORWARD WITH DEVELOPERS WHEN THEY COME IN AND, AND THEY KIND OF HAVE AN INITIAL MEETING, UM, LARGER LOT SIZES.
UH, WE DON'T WANNA SEE ALL THE CARS DOWN A STREET THAT HAS THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TOO NARROW.
THERE'S KIDS THAT PLAY IN THE STREET.
SO, UH, THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN VERY CREATIVE.
I THINK THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY LOSE SOME OF THE AMOUNT OF ROOFTOPS THEY CAN, THEY CAN PUT, BUT, UM, WHAT YOU HAVE IS A HIGHER QUALITY DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE'VE MOVED THAT NEEDLE EVEN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE, UH, BOTH FOR, FOR DEVELOPMENT IN OUR CITY, UH, AND ALSO DEVELOPMENT IN OUR ETJ.
THE, THE STANDARD IS STILL THE SAME, IS THE EXPECTATION IS STILL THE SAME.
WE ONLY GET ONE CHANCE TO, TO TRY TO GET IT RIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO NEW DEVELOPMENT AND NEW HOMES.
SO WE CERTAINLY, UM, UH, WE DON'T WANT, WANT, UH, DEVELOPERS
[00:45:01]
TO, TO COME TO, TO COME TO BAYTOWN.I THINK THEY CAN JUST BUILD ANYTHING.
UM, AND SO WE, WE, WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO ELEVATE THAT.
AND I THINK THAT WE'VE DONE THAT OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS BY FAR, UH, LOCAL CODE.
UM, CERTAINLY THERE'S AREAS IN THE CITY, UH, I'LL GIVE A GOOD EXAMPLE.
TRYING TO FIND LAND FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF SANISON ELEMENTARY WAS AN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TASK.
THERE WAS NOT LAND AVAILABLE, RIGHT? AND SO IN, IN, IN SOME AREAS OF TOWN THERE, THERE'S NOT GREEN SPACE TO GO AND, AND DEVELOP 900 AC OR 900 HOME, UH, MASTER PLAN COMMUNITIES.
BUT THAT'S WHERE I LIKE WHAT, UH, WHAT I HEARD HERE AS FAR AS WE MAY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT DENSER, DENSER TYPE OF, OF, OF EITHER OWNER OCCUPIED OR, UH, SOMETHING ALONG THE, ON THOSE, ON THOSE, UM, ON THE, ALONG THOSE LINES, I GUESS, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO MULTIFAMILY, BUT THERE'S SOME AREAS OF TOWN WHERE THAT MAY BE THE KIND OF, THE ONLY OPTION IN SOME CASES.
'CAUSE LANDIS IS NOT AVAILABLE, SO YOU KIND OF HAVE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DENSER, UM, OPTION FOR THAT.
SO, UH, BUT LOCAL CODES, I KNOW I'VE, I'VE VOICED ON LOCAL CODES.
THERE'S, THERE'S AREAS OF TOWN THAT, UM, INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE MAY NOT FIT PERFECT AND IT MAY NOT BE THE BEST FIT FOR BAYTOWN.
SO THAT MAY BE, UM, UM, OTHER THAN LIFE SAFETY ISSUES, THAT MAY BE WHERE WE, WE CONSIDER, UM, RELAXATION OF SOME CODE THAT DOESN'T REALLY APPLY, DOESN'T REALLY BRING, UM, VALUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF.
UH, AND JUST INCREASES COST WITHOUT TRUE BENEFIT TO THE FACILITY OR, OR THE INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING.
UM, SO WE WANT TO EXPLORE THOSE THINGS.
UM, I THINK, UH, UH, WE MENTIONED DRAINAGE.
THERE'S NO DOUBT AS WE GROW, UH, I LOVE HAVING THAT PROBLEM, BUT IT IS STILL A PROBLEM.
UH, THE EAST SIDE, IF IT'S EAST HARRIS COUNTY, WEST CHAMBERS COUNTY, UH, WE HAVE TO REALLY BE FORWARD THINKING BECAUSE WE ARE GONNA BE THAT PLACE TO BE.
UM, I'M NOT SURE, I MEAN, YOU ALMOST GO, GO TO LINDORA IF YOU'RE HEADED NORTH OF HOUSTON.
UH, WHEN YOU'RE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE, THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA, YOU'RE ALMOST HALFWAY TO SAN ANTONIO IF YOU'RE HEADING I 10 WEST.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, BAYTOWN AND, AND WEST CHAMBERS COUNTY IS CERTAINLY GONNA BE A FOCUS.
AND SO WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE RETAIL AMENITIES, THE RESIDENTIAL AMENITIES, THE EDUCATIONAL, UH, AMENITIES, EVERYTHING HAS TO WORK IN CONCERT.
UM, SO THAT WE, WE ARE, UH, CERTAINLY, UH, SOUGHT AFTER COMMUNITY.
UH, AND THEN JUST GROWTH GR WE ARE FORTUNATE.
UM, WHEN I WAS TRAVELING FOR WORK, UH, I GO TO A LOT OF COMMUNITIES AND THEY HAVE THE OP OPPOSITE, UM, SITUATION.
I HOPE WE, I DON'T FORESEE US BEING IN THAT SITUATION, BUT THEY'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE JUST MAINTAIN, YOU KNOW, DECAY AND STUFF WHEN BUSINESSES LEAVE, UM, RESIDENTS LEAVE, WHATEVER THE CASE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE A DYING COMMUNITY IN SOME CASES.
AND WE'RE LUCKY THE HOUSTON AREA, CERTAINLY TEXAS AND CERTAINLY BAYTOWN, THAT THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO TRY TO, UM, BE AS SMART AS WE CAN WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF THAT GROWTH.
SO THAT'S WHY WE GO THROUGH THESE STRATEGIC, UH, EXERCISES.
IF IT'S FIVE YEARS, IF IT'S 20 YEARS, HOW DOES THAT ALL COME TOGETHER? UM, THE AMENITIES, SIDEWALKS AND TRAILS, WE'RE HAVING TO RETROFIT A LOT OF THAT.
BUT I, I THINK WE, WE, WE HAVE A LOT OF FOCUS ON THAT.
AND I KNOW IN OUR COUNCIL RETREAT WE CONTINUE TO REAFFIRM, UM, THOSE TYPE THINGS.
AND SO BY, BY BY THIS COUNCIL OR OR WHOEVER SITS UP HERE AT THIS DAIS ESTABLISHING WHAT IS THE POLICY, WHAT IS THE LOT, LOT SIZE POLICY WORKING WITH, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, BUT WORKING WITH PLANNING AND ZONING, SO HERE ARE THE RULES, RIGHT? SO OUR, OUR FOCUS IS KIND OF THE BIG PICTURE AND THEN PLANNING AND ZONING IS DOES IT FIT IN WHAT, WHAT THESE, UH, RULE WHAT THE RULE BOOK SAYS OR NOT, RIGHT? AND SO Y'ALL MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND SO, UM, BUT WHAT I WANT US TO DO, BOTH, BOTH US AND AND PLANNING ZONING, IS WE NEED TO BE, WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF, OF WHERE WE LOOK.
WE MAY HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF OUR ZONING.
UM, SO THE DEVELOPERS WHO WANT TO COME HERE, THEY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT COULD GO OR COULD NOT GO IN CERTAIN AREAS.
WE NEED TO BE AS CONSISTENT AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THEY CAN BE AS CONSISTENT AS POSSIBLE.
WHAT I DON'T LIKE SEEING WOULD BE, UM, DEVELOPMENTS THAT GO THROUGH PLANNING AND ZONING.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF, UH, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST, UH, HEY, YES, SLAM DUNK, UH, OR NO, THAT COULD NEVER HAPPEN HERE.
AND, AND THE RULE BOOK SHOULD BE OPEN TO PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO AND BUILD IN BAYTOWN SO THAT BOTH PLANNING AND ZONING AND COUNCIL, UH, IF IT FITS, UH, IF IT FITS OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, IF IT FITS THE RULE BOOK, THEN IT, IT'S, IT'S, UH, THERE ISN'T ANY CONTROVERSY.
THERE ISN'T ANY, UM, ANY STRUGGLE BETWEEN OBVIOUSLY ANY, ANY OF OUR, OUR BOARDS.
BUT CERTAINLY PLANNING ZONING, BECAUSE WE'RE LUCKY WE HAVE A PLANNING ZONING.
'CAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE A GROWTH CITY.
AND SO WE, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT IN, IN HOW WE APPROACH THAT AND THAT WE'RE SMART IN HOW WE APPROACH THAT.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
I HOPE ALL THIS WILL COME TOGETHER.
WE'RE EXCITED, UM, ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND CERTAINLY
[00:50:01]
THE STRATEGIC PLAN.UH, WE SEEK OUR CITIZENS' INPUT, UH, AS WE ALWAYS DO BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES, UH, WE, WE MAY HAVE SOME OF THE ANSWERS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.
AND SO WE SEEK PLENTY OF INPUT.
I THINK, UH, OUR STAFF, WE DO AN EXCELLENT JOB IN TRYING TO REACH EVERY AREA OF THE COMMUNITY TO TRY TO HAVE INPUT.
UM, WE USE EVERY MEANS POSSIBLE TO DO THAT.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HAVE.
AND JUST, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY WE HAVEN'T FOLLOWED EVERY RECOMMENDATION OF PNZ, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU WE DO THINK VERY DILIGENTLY ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATION OF PNZ.
AND WE DO VALUE YOUR TIME AND WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
SO I KNOW POLITICS BREAKS OUT SOMETIMES, BUT, BUT WE DO VALUE THE INPUT AND, AND WE DO APPRECIATE YOU GUYS DELIBERATING AND GIVING US A RECOMMENDATION.
WE SKIPPED OVER LEGISLATIVE A LITTLE BIT.
I 10 ACROSS THE SAN CENTER RIVER NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
THAT IS, NEEDS TO BE FIXED YESTERDAY.
AND IF I 10 SHUTS DOWN AT THE RIVER, BAYTOWN SHUTS DOWN.
YOU CAN'T GO ANYWAY, THEN YOU GOT THE DAMN TRAINS.
I, I, I'LL TELL YOU, THE TRAINS OBVIOUSLY WE LIVE, WE LIVE IN THE SAME NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE TRY TO GO PROBABLY TO GARTH ROAD AND IT'S DIFFICULT, UH, TRAINS.
UH, WE ARE, HOPEFULLY WE CAN REDUCE THE LENGTH, BUT, UH, GREAT SEPARATION AT CEDAR BI, AT CEDAR BI, LYNCHBURG, OBVIOUSLY IN WADE ROAD AND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, MASSEY T OR ANYWHERE COULD BE, UM, DIFFERENT ROADS.
UH, GREAT SEPARATION, AT LEAST ON THOSE TWO PARTS.
AND ESPECIALLY FROM EMERGENCY SERVICES.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A FIRE, A FIRE STATION OFF OF BAYWAY.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WE CAN EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS.
SEPARATION IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE CONSTRUCTION YOU CAN DO WHEN IT COMES TO MOBILITY, BUT YOU HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT.
AND SO, UM, I WOULD TOTALLY AGREE WITH THAT.
I WILL TELL YOU, UM, WE HAVE BEEN THE SQUEAKY WHEEL.
I THINK EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER, CERTAINLY MYSELF AND, AND, AND OUR CITY MANAGER, WE HAVE TRAVELED TO DC I WILL SAY, I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT APPEARS, UM, THAT BEING THE SQUEAKY WHEEL MYSELF AND, AND MANY OTHERS, UM, SAN RIVER BRIDGE, THERE'S NO DOUBT WE, UM, THAT THAT HAS TO BE RECONSTRUCTED.
I BELIEVE SPEAKING WITH TEXT ABOUT OFFICIALS THAT, UH, ONCE THEY DECIDE THE TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION, UM, THAT WILL BE THE FIRST DECISION.
AND THEN, AND AS YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE MULTI YEARS.
BUT, UM, IT WILL BE MULTI YEARS.
BUT WE HAVE TO, WE, WE CERTAINLY CAN'T.
IT, I I WILL TELL YOU THIS, IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS TURNED IN FROM A 20 YEAR MAYBE TO LET'S GO.
UM, IT'S, UH, HOPEFULLY FIVE YEARS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IN FIVE YEARS.
SO THIS IS, THAT'S, THAT'S SPEED.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN IT TO ME.
AND SO, UH, BUT WHAT I'M ALSO EXCITED ABOUT IS, IS WHEN I TALK ABOUT IT, YOU CAN'T JUST FIX ANDERSON RIVER BRIDGE.
THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A PINCH POINT.
AND SO, UH, A FANCY TERM I GUESS ENGINEERS LIKE TO USE IS LANE BALANCING.
'CAUSE WHAT I ASKED THEM TO DO IS WHEN THEY LOOK AT, AT BAYTOWN, THE BAYTOWN EAST FREEWAY, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT, AT BELTWAY EIGHT AND 10, AND YOU COME THIS WAY, YOU, YOU CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THREE LANES ON EACH, IT IS SIX LANES.
AND SO YOU CAN'T GO FROM SIX LANES DOWN TO TWO OR WHATEVER.
AND SO THE IDEA, THEY CALL IT LANE BALANCING, AND, AND I, AND THEY'RE REALLY DOING THE RESEARCH OF THE CORRIDOR FROM BELTWAY EIGHT, UM, BELTWAY EIGHT AND 10 TO REALLY, UM, THE TRAINING RIVER BRIDGE IS, IS 'CAUSE WE NEED, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TRUCK TRAFFIC.
UM, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF LANES EVEN BEFORE AND AFTER THE CENTER, CENTER RIVER, UH, SANTA CENTER RIVER BRIDGE.
SO THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT IN ITS ENTIRETY.
AND SO WE HOPE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN.
UH, BUT IT IS A FEDERAL, UH, HIGHWAY.
IT'S HANDLED BY THE, BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND, UH, WE WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WE, WE TRY TO EXPEDITE WHAT WE CAN OR PROVIDE THEM ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN SEE.
THAT ONE INTERSECTION THOUGH IS NOT JUST I 10, THAT'S 1 46 AND 2100.
IT'S A CONVERGENCE OF FN 2100.
ACTUALLY THREE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES COME TOGETHER RIGHT THERE.
AND IF THAT'S FIXED, THAT'LL MAKE A, TAKE A WHOLE LOT OF IT OUT.
YOU HAVE SEVEN OR SEVEN AND A HALF MULTI LEVEL.
YEAH, YOU HAVE SEVEN TO SEVEN AND A HALF LANES, AND THEY'RE MERGING TO TWO AND A HALF LANES FOR THAT ONE PINCH POINT.
THAT'S WHY IT'S A PINCH POINT.
BUT I THINK WE CERTAINLY BOTH AGREE IT, IT IS SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED.
I HOPE IT, I HOPE IT'S ADDRESSED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
UH, I HAVE SEEN PLANS, THEY'RE PRELIMINARY, VERY PRELIMINARY, BUT, UH, I, I, I AM HOPEFUL THAT, THAT WE MOVE OR WE EXPEDITED, UH, IN, IN RELATIVE TERMS OF, OF TRYING TO FIX THAT.
BECAUSE I THINK BAYTOWN SUFFERS.
IT'S NOT JUST A BAYTOWN ISSUE.
AND I'VE EXPRESSED THIS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SENATOR CORN AND CRUZ AND WHOEVER ELSE.
WE JUST ARE THE VICTIMS OF, OF THIS CONVERGENCE, OF, OF THESE HIGHWAYS.
UM, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S NATIONAL TRAFFIC THAT MOVES THERE.
WE HAVE OBVIOUSLY INDUSTRY IN THE AREA
[00:55:01]
WHEN THEY'RE, WHEN THEY'RE SITTING THERE IDLE, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A PRODUCT OR, OR, OR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT GETTING TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO GO.SO, UM, WHAT I DO HERE IS, YOU KNOW, OPTIONS OF, OF MAYBE DEDICATED TRUCK LANES TO GET THEM THROUGH, UH, THROUGH HOUSTON.
AND SO, UH, WE'LL SEE WHAT, WHAT TEXT COMES, COMES UP WITH.
BUT THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT, THAT, THAT, WHEN IT COMES TO MOBILITY FROM A REGION, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY NOT REALLY OUR SURFACE STREETS, BUT THAT IS, UH, VERY IMPORTANT.
SO IF, IF YOU WANT TO HELP THEM OUT, GO AHEAD.
I'M SURE THEY COULD USE ALL THE HELP THEY CAN GET.
I THINK THEY'RE KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW OF THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO GET SOMETHING LIKE THAT DONE.
KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, SO FROM A, YOU KNOW, IF WE BUILD A CONGLOMERATE OF COMMUNITIES THAT ARE STRONGLY AFFECTED AND KEEP THAT PRESSURE ON, THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO GET IT DONE.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT, UH, IT'S A, I WILL SAY IT'S A CONCERTED EFFORT BETWEEN, UH, YOU KNOW, STATE REPRESENTATIVES, O OBVIOUSLY THE CITY OF BAYTOWN, UH, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UM, UH, CONGRESS, CONGRESS FOLKS.
UM, I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
AND SO, UH, I'M HOPING THAT THE NEW ADMINISTRATION WILL CERTAINLY BE INFRASTRUCTURE FOCUSED BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S A NEED, UH, BESIDE, I MEAN, NOT JUST HIGHWAYS, HIGHWAYS, AIRPORTS, BRIDGES, YOU NAME IT.
AND SO, WE'LL, WE'LL SEE WHERE ALL THAT THAT GOES.
BUT WE CERTAINLY HAVE BEEN THE SQUEAKY WHEEL.
I DO EVERYTHING OTHER THAN MAYBE ACTUALLY STRIKE THEM, BUT IT'S COME CLOSE.
BUT I THINK, UH, WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH, UH, OUR HOUSTON DISTRICT ENGINEER, ELIZA PAUL, AND WE, WE, I TALKED TO HER LAST WEEK.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, WE CONTINUE TO WORK AT IT.
THERE'S A PROJECT THAT WAS DISCUSSED MANY YEARS AGO, MAYOR, UH, THAT PROBABLY WOULD HELP WITH SOME OF THAT TRAFFIC WHEN THOSE ISSUES COME UP.
AND THAT IS EXTENDING GARTH ROAD TO 90 AND IT WAS DISCUSSED HEAVILY FOR MANY YEARS, AND THEN IT JUST KIND OF DROPPED AND WENT AWAY.
BUT IN, YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT WAS DONE AT 2100, AND OF COURSE IT'S NOT TOTALLY FINISHED, IT NEEDS TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL ATTENTION.
BUT THAT WOULD HELP US CONSIDERABLY IN GETTING NORTH AT LEAST, AND GETTING SOME OF THIS TRAFFIC THAT'S INDUSTRY RELATED AND CARRYING THOSE FOLKS TO THE NORTH PART OF HOUSTON.
AND SO SOMETIMES WE HAVE THESE, THESE LINES ON MAPS THAT ARE, UM, I WON'T CALL 'EM ROAD TO NOWHERES, BUT THEY'RE KIND OF LIKE SOMEDAY, RIGHT? YEAH, SOMEDAY.
AND SO I THINK I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THOSE LINES WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
UM, MAYBE NOT ALL THE WAY TO 90.
'CAUSE EVEN THAT WOULD EXTEND OUT OF EVEN OUR, OUR ETJ, BUT THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THERE'S SOME OPTIONS LIKE THAT.
UH, I KNOW WHEN I WENT TO THE NEW DEVELOPMENT OFF OF GARTH ROAD, UM, I WAS JUST BLOWN AWAY TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, THAT EVER THINK THAT A TWO LANE, I MEAN TWO LANE ROAD, I MEAN, NOW THERE'S, IT'S A BOULEVARD IN A SENSE.
AND SO I WAS, THAT, THAT REALLY TOOK ME BACK WHEN WE WENT OUT THERE FOR, FOR THE, UH, GROUNDBREAKING FOR THE NEW SCHOOL.
AND SO, UM, IT, BUT IT HAPPENS.
I MEAN, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT JUST HAPPENS.
WE WANNA, WE WANNA DO IT, WE WANNA MANAGE IT.
WE DON'T WANNA BE MANAGED BY IT.
UM, WE TRY TO BE AS SMARTLY, WE TRY TO TAKE THE SMARTEST APPROACH POSSIBLE.
WE HOPE THAT THROUGH THE WORK OF OBVIOUSLY THESE BOAT, BOTH COUNCIL AND AND PNZ, THAT, THAT, UH, THAT WE TRY TO GET THE, THE RIGHT DECISION EVERY TIME.
SO, WELL, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE NETWORK AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I THINK THIS DISCUSSION HAS REALLY PROVIDED US A GOOD FOUNDATION FOR CONTINUING THE DISCUSSIONS WITH ALL THE RESIDENTS OF, OF BAYTOWN.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR GIVING US THAT, THAT GOOD STARTING POINT.
I DO WANNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO GARY TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE PRINCIPLES AND PARAMETERS FOR HOW WE WILL BE UNDERTAKING THESE, THESE TWO PLAN PROCESSES.
SO THAT WAS A 15, 20 MINUTE DISCUSSION HERE IN BAYTOWN, AND I DIDN'T HEAR THE WORD EXXON ONCE.
AND THERE THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT WORD, IT'S EXXONMOBIL NOW.
BUT 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS AGO, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITHOUT THAT COMING UP.
ALL THE DISCUSSION ABOUT AMENITIES, HOUSING, UM, ALL THESE OTHER THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT, REVITALIZATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, INDUSTRY DID SLIP IN THERE AT THE END.
BUT IT JUST SHOWS TO ME THE EVOLUTION OF BAYTOWN BECAUSE THAT WAS THE CENTER OF DISCUSSIONS ALWAYS IN THE PAST.
SO, UM, WE WANTED TO PUT SOME PRINCIPLES IN FRONT OF YOU, JUST A, A SMALL SET OF, UH, OF, UH, THOUGHTS HERE, UM, OF HOW TO APPROACH THIS PROCESS.
THIS IS MAINLY ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT IT CERTAINLY CARRIES OVER TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AS WELL.
UM, LET ME TOUCH ON SOME OF THESE REAL QUICKLY.
UM, DATA DRIVEN IS NOT JUST NUMBERS AND THE WORK THAT WE DO AS CONSULTANTS, BUT IT'S THE INPUT SIDE TOO.
UM, AND CONVERTING ALL THAT CONVERSATION AND INPUT INTO UNDERSTANDABLE AND SUMMARIZE INFORMATION THAT THE COMMITTEE AND ULTIMATELY YOU AND US CAN WORK WITH.
[01:00:01]
IS SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT FROM EVEN FIVE YEARS AGO.UM, AND ESPECIALLY THE BAYTOWN ENGAGED TOOL.
UM, 4,000 PEOPLE ROUGHLY WERE REACHED, UH, THROUGH THE SURVEYS AND, AND WORK FOR THE 2016 STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT JUST WITH THE SIZE OF THE COMMUNITY FIVE YEARS LATER AND THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, WITH OUR CHALLENGES OF COVID, OF COURSE, WE'LL SEE HOW THE MONTHS AHEAD PLAY OUT.
UM, CERTAINLY INCLUSIVE, JUST REFLECTING EVERYTHING Y'ALL HAVE JUST TALKED ABOUT IN REACHING THIS ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, AND ALL THE DIVERSE GROUPS WITHIN IT.
UM, WE HAVE THOSE TOOLS ONCE AGAIN AND, AND WAYS THAT WE OUTLINED FOR DOING THAT.
AND THE FINAL ONE, UH, THIS THOUGHT OF NOTHING'S OFF THE TABLE.
UM, I MENTIONED THAT CONFERENCE OF PLANS TEND TO DEAL WITH A CERTAIN, UH, SET OF SUBJECTS, UH, IN TERMS OF PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE STRATEGIC PLAN DISCUSSION CAN GO A LOT OF DIRECTIONS AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE IN A COMMUNITY THAT HAS AN EXXONMOBIL GLOBAL, UH, INDUSTRIES AND ALL THESE EFFECTS, UH, TO YOUR COMMUNITY, HOUSTON SHIP CHANNEL RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
UM, WE, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ANYTHING THAT COMES UP, HOW IT RELATES BACK TO THIS COMMUNITY AND ULTIMATELY THE GOVERNMENT'S GOVERNANCE ASPECT.
SO JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IF THOSE RING TRUE.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD AS A, A SET OF PRINCIPLES TO FRAME THIS EFFORT AND ANY THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD TO THAT LIST FOR US? IF NOT, I'LL JUST WRAP UP BY SAYING, UM, YOU KNOW, I, MY BACKGROUND'S IN ECONOMICS, I COME TO ALL THIS PLANNING WORK FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE OF SCARCE, WE CALL IT RTE RESOURCES, TIME, ENERGY AND TRADE OFFS.
AND YOU KNOW, IN ECONOMICS THERE'S THAT IDEA OF OPPORTUNITY COST.
IF YOU DO THIS THING, YOU'RE NOT DOING THAT THING OR NOT DOING AS MUCH OF IT.
Y'ALL DO THAT ALL THE TIME, ALLOCATING RESOURCES FOR CITY GOVERNMENT.
BUT, UH, THAT'S REALLY SOMETHING WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE DO ALL THESE THINGS.
AS WE GO INTO THESE EFFORTS AND TAKE ALL THE INPUT, IT CERTAINLY NEEDS TO BE A DREAMING AND A WISHLIST EXERCISE.
WHAT'S ON PEOPLE'S MINDS? WHAT WOULD THEY LIKE TO SEE? THEN WE WORK OUR WAY BACK TO WHAT CAN BE DONE NEXT YEAR.
WHAT'S SOMETHING TO AIM FOR AS YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT 15, 20 YEARS, BUT GET TO WORK ON THAT.
SO, UM, I'LL JUST MENTION, IT'S, IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY HERE WITH YOUR CITY MANAGER, LITERALLY HAVING WRITTEN THE BOOK ON, UH, COMMUNITY BASED STRATEGIC PLANNING.
UM, BUT ONE THING THAT REALLY STRUCK ME IS THE GRASSROOTS ASPECT, THE INPUT FROM THE BOTTOM, BUT LEADERSHIP SUPPORTED.
UM, IT HAS TO MEET IN THE MIDDLE.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WILL BRING BACK TO YOU, THE RESULTS OF THE COMMUNITY BASED ASPECT.
UM, SO LOOK FORWARD TO BEING BACK BEFORE YOU SEVERAL TIMES AND MONTHS AHEAD.
UM, WITH THAT MAYOR, I KNOW YOU HAVE TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT MEETING, SO WE ARE DONE.
SO I THINK OTHER THAN THAT, UM, SINCE THIS IS PROBABLY THE, THE REASON FOR THE JOINT MEETING, IS THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS THAT ANYBODY, ANY MEMBERS OF THE P AND Z WOULD LIKE TO MAKE, UH, IF NOT ANY COMMENTS THAT COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO MAKE? NOPE.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM ONE C, WHICH, UH, WOULD BE TO DISCUSS ANY, ANY AGENDA ITEMS THAT, THAT'S ON OUR NEXT, OUR MEETING, UM, AT SIX 30 OR ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED.
SO BE IT THAT, UH, BOTH THESE, UM, UH, THE BOTH CITY COUNCIL AND PLANNING AND ZONING HAVE ADDRESSED, ALL POSTED AGENDA ITEMS. THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.