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RES 97-110
RESOLUTION NO. 22—ZIC) BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEAUMONT: THAT the currently existing "Economic Development Plan Element of the Comprehensive Plan" be and it is hereby re-adopted without change as set forth in Exhibit "A"; THAT the existing Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood Plan be and it is hereby repealed and that the Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood Plan as set forth in the attached Exhibit °B", be and it is hereby adopted; THAT the amendments to the "Transportation Plan Element of the Comprehensive Plan", as set forth in Exhibit "C" referencing amendments to the Major Street and Highway Plan map and "Appendix K of said Major Street and Highway Plan, be and it is hereby adopted, and that the currently existing Transportation Plan Element as amended by Exhibit "C" be and it is hereby re-adopted; THAT the "Parks and Open Space Plan" map and text, amending the existing plan element as set forth in Exhibit "D", be and it is hereby adopted, and that the currently existing "Parks and Open Space Plan Element of the comprehensive Plan" as amended by Exhibit "D" be and it is hereby adopted; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the currently existing "Land Use Plan Element of the Comprehensive Plan" be and it is hereby re-adopted with the exception that said land use plan is modified as set forth in the provisions of the land use component of the Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood Plan as set forth in Exhibit "B"; PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL of the City of Beaumont this the 49 day of 1997. - Mayor- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY PLAN RESOLUTION NO. 97-110 EXHIBIT "A" JANUARY 1 997 CONTENTS Preface......................................................................................................................2 Definition of Economic Development........................................................................3 Introduction...............................................................................................................5 Summary of Research Findings...................................................................................6 GoalStatement...........................................................................................................10 Objectivesand policies...............................................................................................12 LongRange Strategies...............................................................................................18 Development of an Action Plan..................................................................................18 Table 1 "Possible"Action Strategy" Topics.................................................20 Improving Zoning for Wholesaling,Distribution and Restricted Light Industry, Recommendations...............................................21 Expected Results, Implementation...............................................................22 1 l PREFACE On April 5, 1986, Beaumont's voters approved a major update of the City Charter. Most of the Charter revisions were intended to improve the way the City Government carries out its responsibilities to the public. One important change was a requirement for a new component to the City's Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan provides, in written and graphic form, goals, objectives, policies and proposals for Beaumont's future physical growth and development. Elements of the Plan address land use, transportation, parks and open space, utilities and housing. In the Charter election, the citizens voted to add an Economic Development element to the Comprehensive Plan. The new element was proposed by the City staff for two major reasons. First, most of the physical development policies and proposals contained in the Comprehensive Plan are closely tied to the related trends of employment and population growth. The physical development goals of the Plan cannot be achieved without expansion of Beaumont's economy. Second, the state of the economy is the most important development issue in Beaumont in terms of its direct effects upon the present and future quality of life of the citizens. It is only appropriate that the Comprehensive Plan should address the most important local issue of the 1980's and 1990's. With its adoption, the Economic Development Policy Plan will serve two major purposes; it will provide general policy guidance to the Planning Commission, City staff, and City council, and it will set the stage for development of an Action Plan of specific, immediate steps to be taken to improve Beaumont's economy. The Action Plan will include a number of actions to be taken by the City, but it will not be limited to the City. The City's elected and appointed officials will work with a wide array of citizens and organizations to implement a strategy which will create jobs. 2 DEFINITION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Economic development is a widely discussed, but often poorly understood, concept. Economic development is often seen as the attraction of new industries. While attraction of new industry is certainly a worthwhile goal and should be an important part of any comprehensive economic development program, an economic development program should also include activities designed to retain and expand existing businesses and industries and to create entirely new businesses. Research indicates that most industrial relocations involve moving to a new site within the same metropolitan area and that the number of organizations in the United States actively soliciting industrial prospects greatly exceeds the number of new industrial plants built each year. Most economic development practitioners agree that efforts at industrial retention/expansion and development of new small local businesses and industries often offer the greatest potential for successful economic development. Economic development also involves strategic planning: setting goals, determining the competitive strengths and weaknesses of the area economy and devising a course of action to achieve the desired goals. For the purpose of this plan, economic development is defined as follows: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS THE PROCESS OF USING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE RESOURCES TO CREATE NEW JOBS. THIS IS DONE THROUGH INDUSTRIAL ATTRACTION,EXPANSION OF EXISTING BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRY, AND CREATION OF NEW BUSINESS ENTERPRISES. THE SUCCESS OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EFFORT IS MEASURED IN TERMS OF NEW JOBS CREATED. 3 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY PART 2: ACTION PROGRAM ACTION <�7 STRATEGIES w v z a Z PRIORITIZE H STRATEGIES Z a to z IDENTIFY o IMPLEMENTORS - z 0 r E lm PLE ME NTATION o 0 4 INTRODUCTION The economic problems Beaumont faces are very real and very serious. Regardless of when or whether the oil industry revives, things will never be the same. We must also realize, however, that we have some very real strengths which we can use to rebuild our economy and put our community back on track. If our city is going to progress, we must make a truly heroic effort to develop a competitive edge in the worldwide economy of the 21 st century. To provide City council with a policy framework for addressing the number one local issue, economic growth, a preliminary Economic Development Policy Plan has been prepared. The Plan reflects the City's acceptance of a more significant role in economic development and the determination of the City Council to mobilize the City's resources for the crucial task of building a new Beaumont area economy. The Economic Development Policy Plan consists of goals, objectives, policies, and proposals for guiding Beaumont's future economic growth and development. The strategy was developed following an inventory and analysis of the characteristics of Beaumont's economy, obstacles to economic growth, opportunities for new employment, and Beaumont's competitive position in terms of locational attributes and business climate. The Policy Plan is the first major step in developing an action-oriented Economic Development strategy. The economic development policies are based on one goal: to increase the total number of permanent jobs available to citizens of Beaumont and the southeast Texas region. Five objectives have been identified to address this goal, and policies have been drafted to meet each objective. As the second major part of the process of activating an Economic Development Strategy, Action 5 Strategies for implementation of each objective will be proposed. The highest priority strategies will be identified and assigned to specific departments, agencies, or project teams. Those high-priority strategies will comprise an Action Plan. Progress of the Action Plan will be monitored necessary, as successful and unsuccessful strategies are evaluated. SUMMARY OF RESEARCH FINDINGS The policies and proposals contained in the preliminary Economic Development Strategy are based on a strategic planning process which involved an assessment of local and regional competitive strengths and weaknesses. The following conclusions emerged from the research/analysis phase of the planning process, and influenced the formulation of policies and proposals: • The decline in the Beaumont area's economy over the past five years is a result of long-term trends in the national and international manufacturing sectors. Since the mid 1950's, the proportion of blue collar jobs in the American economy has been declining. And, in recent years, industries such as shipbuilding, petroleum refining, and petrochemicals have been losing significant market shares to foreign producers. These two trends have had a larger impact on the Beaumont area economy than most other regional economics because of the area's high level of specialization in shipbuilding, oil refining, and petrochemical production. There is little, if anything, that can be done locally to reverse these long-term, global trends. What can be done locally is to assist local firms and plants to be competitive in the world economy. Although the U.S. has lost dominance in many traditional heavy industries, there are still growth- 6 markets to be tapped. Using the petrochemical industry as an example, foreign competitors with newly constructed plants may capture a large segment of the market for "commodity" industrial chemicals, however American producers will remain competitive in the production of more specialized products because of superior research and development capabilities. A similar trend toward developing more specialized products provides the opportunity to avoid head to head competition with foreign competitors,with their new facilities and cheap labor, in several other heavy industries, including refining and production of valves and fittings. • There are sectors of the local economy which have good growth prospects. Examples include health care and medical services, soft drinks, newspapers, commercial printing, industrial organic chemicals, high-performance valves and pipe fittings, radio and TV communications equipment, and optical instruments. These industries currently account for about 17,000 jobs in the 3-county metropolitan area. Growth in many of these industries at the national level is expected to generally exceed growth in the Gross National Product over the next several years. • One of the most effective economic development functions for a local government is to identify barriers to economic growth and, where possible, remove or reduce these barriers. Specific opportunities include: working with banks and Federal agencies to increase the availability of debt financing and venture capital for business expansions and start-ups. 7 simplifying and streamlining City regulations and permitting procedures affecting business expansion. providing leadership in developing a community attitude of unity and determination in the effort to rebuild the area economy. • There are several very significant resources Beaumont can build on in creating a new economy: Access to population of 259,000 in the three county, Beaumont/Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area(MSA). This provides a good market (the 8th largest MSA in the U.S.) for retail consumer goods and services. Access to an"expanded market area"with a population of 802,000 (consisting of the Beaumont/Port Arthur MSA and the counties and parishes within 50 miles of Beaumont) provides a good market base for specialized or high-quality retailing, health and other professional services, and "day-trip" tourism. The population of the"expanded market area" is also an asset in providing a large labor market for potential new industry and for providing g a sizable market for wholesaling and distribution activities. The labor force in the Beaumont area includes a diversified mix of skilled, unskilled, and trainable workers. Labor relations have improved tremendously in the last 5 years. Outside of the "big three", local industries (refining, petro-chemicals, and shipbuilding)the cost of labor is very competitive with the rest of Texas. According to local industrial real estate specialists, there is a more than adequate supply in Beaumont of industrial and commercial development sites with adequate utilities and good transportation access. 8 A widely diversified transportation system serves the area with freeway, rail, international port, and jet aircraft transportation. Unlike other regions in the southwest, the Beaumont area has a large reliable supply of fresh surface water. Lamar University provides the nucleus of new research and technology oriented businesses. Based on these and other findings, a preliminary Economic Development Strategy was prepared for public review and discussion, refinement, and adoption by City Council as an element of the Comprehensive Plan. The basic message of the Economic Development Strategy is that, although this area's economy has sustained some very severe setbacks, the situation is not hopeless and the community is not powerless to improve the economy. The Economic Development Strategy advocates concentrating on the problems that the community can do something about and using the area's resources to the best advantage. The objectives, policies, and strategies contained in the plan were formulated to address one simple goal: to increase the number of permanent jobs available to citizens of Beaumont and southeast Texas. In order to meet this goal, it will be necessary for the entire community to unite to make our businesses and industries competitive in the national and inter- national economic arenas. 9 GOAL: INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PERMANENT JOBS AVAILABLE TO CITIZENS OF BEAUMONT AND SOUTHEAST TEXAS The decline in manufacturing in the Beaumont-Port Arthur Metropolitan area, which began in late 1981, has resulted in the loss of 15,000 jobs in refineries, petrochemical plants, and shipyards. The resulting loss in buying power has led to declining employment in retail and wholesale sales, services, and residential and commercial construction. Sales tax revenues and properly taxes,the City's largest revenue sources, have been adversely affected, resulting in budget constraints which limit the City's ability to provide services and capital improvements. In order to alleviate human suffering, prevent a major our-migration of working-age families, and put Beaumont in a position to enter the 21st century as a city with a future, the community must make a prolonged, unified effort to attract and create new jobs (and to retain existing ones). WHAT KIND OF JOBS? While virtually any new jobs would help the community's economic situation, emphasis should be placed on the jobs which are most likely to lead to further job creation. Jobs in "basic" or "export" industries bring money into the region through production of goods or services that are exported outside of Beaumont. These jobs, which are generally relatively highly paid, create spendable household income, generating new jobs in sales and services. There are also some specific types of jobs needed to address Beaumont's unique population characteristics. Beaumont's female labor force is an asset which is under-utilized because the area economy has been dominated by heavy-industries which have had a traditionally male work force. Beaumont also needs jobs which can be filled by workers who were previously employed in shipyards, refineries, and chemical plants. These skilled workers are among Beaumont's most valuable economic resources and will leave the area if new job opportunities are not developed. Because of an especially high unemployment rate among Beaumont's sizable minority population, entry-level jobs with on-the-job training are needed to bring unskilled workers from low-income backgrounds into the work force. 10 WHERE WILL THESE JOBS COME FROM? New jobs come from three sources; 1) expansion of existing businesses 2) creation of new, entrepreneurial enterprises 3) attraction of plants or businesses from outside the community. Research indicates that expansion of expansion of existing businesses and creation of new entrepreneurial enterprises account for 801/o to 90% of all new jobs. Many experts in the field of economic development recommend that communities should concentrate their efforts in business expansion and start-ups, rather than competing for major new plants. Because of the severity of Beaumont's economic situation, however, the community must make a concentrated effort to create jobs by all three techniques, including the most difficult, industrial attraction. 11 OBJECTIVE #1: ESTABLISH AN EFFECTIVE ROLE FOR THE CITY OF BEAUMONT IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. POLICY 1.1: Role of the City The City will serve in a leadership role in the following areas of economic development: a) strategic planning -- analyzing Beaumont's competitive strengths and weaknesses in the world economy and then taking aggressive action to capitalize on the strengths and overcome the weaknesses. b) legislative advocacy--working closely and diligently with State and Federal elected officials to secure major funding assistance, obtain major Federal defense-related contracts, and to enact or change laws to increase the strategic competitiveness of the local/regional economy. c) capital formation and financial packaging -- development of programs, or, when appropriate, custom-tailored financing packages to assist in fixed asset financing and start-up capital. d) leveraging and public/private partnerships -- using the limited resources available to the City government, such as grants, development incentives, infrastructure, land, and staff to attract private sector investments which will create or retain jobs and/or increase the tax base. e) develop and communicate a vision of the future -- the City's elected officials and staff must motivate the community to set its sights on the goal of becoming a first-class medium-sized city with a quality of life capable of attracting new private investment and population. In developing this"vision of the future", the city will develop "Neighborhood Redevelopment Plans" and will do so in such a manner that such plans will be supportive of the City's Comprehensive Plan of which this Economic Development Plan is a part. f) broadeningL the base of public involvement in economic development -- mobilizing the entire community, especially including labor unions and minorities, for economic development. All citizens must feel that they have 12 a personal stake in economic development and that their efforts will produce positive results. g) coordination -- The very loosely knit "economic development network" of over 20 groups as described earlier is a tremendous potential resource. The Mayor and city council_must provide a coordinating mechanism for working together with this network to meet the City's long-range and immediate economic development goals. The city will serve in a role in the following areas, participating actively and lending whatever support is needed to other members of the economic development network: a) promoti on: assisting the Chamber of Commerce, SET Inc., the Convention and Visitors Bureau, BUILD, Inc/Beaumont Main Street, and the other promotional groups in promoting Beaumont as a business location, tourist destination, etc. b) industrial attraction: assisting the Chamber/Economic Development council in competing for new industry. c) job training The City will not engage in activities which would duplicate or detract from activities being successfully conducted by other organizations. Policy 1.2: The City's Commitment The City will commit the assets it has available -- staff, land, taxing authority, infrastructure,tax-exempt bonding authority, and access to State and Federal grants -- to the local and regional economic development efforts. The City will also strive for excellence in conducting its basic responsibilities of providing public services and infrastructure, recognizing that an efficient, competent and responsive City government is one of the prerequisites for economic growth of a community. Allocation of resources for construction of new or the repair or extension of existing city infrastructure and new or revised city services will be implemented on the basis of need;however, the impact of such actions on the economic development of the city as a whole will be considered of overriding importance when deciding where to 13 allocate the city's resources among areas which are of equal need. Policy 1.3: Public Return on Investment In determining where and how its limited resource will be committed, the City will examine the potential return on the public's investment. Return on public investment will be measured in terms of jobs created,jobs retained, and broadening of the tax base. 14 OBJECTIVE # 2: CREATE A BETTER CLIMATE FOR BUSINESS GROWTH Policy 2.1: The City of Beaumont recognizes that the degree of cooperation and support of local government plays a major role in business location and expansion decisions. The City resolves to improve its efficiency in providing assistance and services to business. Policy 2.2: The City will examine and update its regulatory ordinances and procedures to eliminate"nuisance" regulations, reduce regulatory complexity, and increase permitting efficiency. Polip 2.3: The City of Beaumont will be committed to improving the quality of life for current and future residents. In recognition of the connection between economic development, the quality of life or livability of a city, and the development of a favorable sense of place among residents and non-residents alike, the City supports the inclusion of "quality of life" and "environmental quality" considerations in making planning and development decisions. Visual community appearance considerations in the City's planning and development efforts are to be considered important economic development actions which will improve Beaumont's ability to attract new businesses and employment opportunities. Inclusion of an "Urban Design" component to the Comprehensive Plan would therefore be considered a positive action to take in fostering the economic development of Beaumont. In realization of the fact that investing in the overall improvement in the quality of life or livability of the city is not a goal which can be achieved overnight, the city will concentrate its resources on the cleanup and rehabilitation of selected neighborhoods and on the development and implementation of urban design plans for selected open space, street corridor, and city entrance or gateway areas. Policy 2.4: The City will be committed to improving the equitability of property taxes and to reducing the property taxes and to reducing the property tax rate as quickly as financially feasible. Polia 2.2.5 The City will actively participate in the regional effort to improve labor- management relations. 15 OBJECTIVE #3: ATTRACT NEW BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES TO THE BEAUMONT AREA Policy 3:1 The City will work with the Chamber of Commerce, the Lamar University Small Business Development Center, the Partnership of Southeast Texas and BUILD, Inc., and other economic development groups in a team effort to bring new businesses and industries to the Beaumont area. Policy 3.2: Efforts to attract new business and industry will be targeted on industries whose locational needs are consistent with the Beaumont area's locational attributes. Policy 3.3: The City's support of efforts to attract industry will extend to the entire three- county region and will not be limited to Beaumont. Policy 3.4: The City will encourage broad-based community support and participation in the industrial attraction effort. OBJECTIVE #4: RETAIN AND EXPAND EXISTING BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES Policy 4.1: The City of Beaumont recognizes that existing businesses and industries are the community's most important economic resource and will support the efforts of existing businesses to expand and modernize. Policy 4.2 An "outreach" program to foster continuing open lines of communication between the city government and existing businesses and industries will be initiated. Policy 4.3: Lamar University will be utilized as a center of technological and management innovation with major emphasis on application of new technology to local industry and technical assistance for business. 16 OBJECTIVE #5 STIMULATE THE CREATION OF NEW BUSINESS Policy 5.1: Programs will be developed to provide supplemental financing assistance for new business. Policy 5.2: A small business incubator will be established to stimulate growth of new entrepreneurial business enterprises. (More than one incubator may be desirable.) Policy 5.3: Support services and technical assistance programs for new business start-ups will be expanded. Policy 5.4: Personal attention will be provided to address the needs and problems of emerging new business. OBJECTIVE #6 IMPROVE THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF THE BEAUMONT AREA ECONOMY. Policy 6.1: The City of Beaumont will assume a role of partnership with local business and industry in competing with producers in other regions, states and countries. This means City actions involving taxes, infrastructure, regulations and development incentives will be geared to making it easier, more efficient, and more advantageous to business in Beaumont. Policy 6.2: The City of Beaumont will work with Lamar University and major local corporations to develop a research and technology-based business sector of the local economy. Policy 6.3: Expand the scope of Beaumont's market area by capitalizing on the city's role as a regional center of trade, professional services, entertainment, distribution, and medical services. Policy 6.4: Expand the scope of markets available to local firms by promoting international trade. 17 LONG RANGE STRATEGIES Building a new economic base for the Beaumont area will take many years. Although there are actions that can be taken immediately to create new jobs, there are also some large-scale, long-range improvements that must be made to remove barriers to economic development and make Beaumont competitive. The following long-range strategies are recommended: • Improve academic and vocational educational opportunities at all levels (pre-school through graduate school). Educational attainment of the population and the quality of education available in a community will be the most important economic development considerations in the future. • Achieve an equitable and moderate tax rate. This can be achieved by broadening the tax base, increased reliance of user fees, and adopting a more efficient alternative to costly long-term bond financing for capital improvements. A moderate and equitable tax structure and a favorable business climate are Better overall economic development incentives than discretionary tax abatement decisions made on a case- by-case basis. • Improve Beaumont's quality of life by developing and improving recreation, health, education, and employment opportunities. Improving quality of life will also require improvements in the environment and the physical appearance of the city. • Continue to make progress in improving racial relations. A community divided along racial lines cannot make a unified effort to improve its economy. Successfully pursuing these long-range strategies will make Beaumont more attractive as a place to relocate, expand, or start a business venture. These strategies are also aimed at retaining and enlarging the middle-income population which provides a market for consumer goods and services. DEVELOPING AN ACTION PLAN Adoption of the Economic Development Policy Plan is the first stage in developing a strategy for rebuilding Beaumont's economy. The second phase of the process involves developing and implementing an Action Plan. 18 The city staff is preparing an Action Plan comprised of a group of Action Strategies -- specific actions with finite time frames, cost estimates, and designated groups, agencies or individuals responsible for their implementation. Since there is a limit to the time and money available to devote to implementing the Action Plan, the City will work with participants in the economic development process -- other economic development organizations, civic groups, businesses, and citizens --to prioritize the Strategies. Some Action Strategies, for which staff time and/or funding is currently available, are already being implemented. Table 1 is a list of Action Strategies currently being developed. An example of an Action Strategy is also attached. For the economic development effort to succeed, it will be necessary to create a much broader base of support than the city, Chamber of Commerce, and other organized economic development agencies. The entire community must be enlisted in the effort to rebuild Beaumont's economy. 19 TABLE 1 POSSIBLE "'ACTION STRATEGY" TOPICS *Improve availability of financing for business expansions and start ups • *Assign a City employee to act in a Business Liaison role • *Develop a "legislative advocacy" program to push for Federal grants, contracts, and favorable legislation • *Economic Summit • *"Adaptive reuse" of idle industrial facilities • *Review and revise the Zoning Ordinance and permitting process to encourage economic growth • *Develop a larger tourism industry by creating new attractions Expand and improve the City's programs to develop international trade • Build a university related"research park" • Build new industrial parks • Establish a"business incubator" to nurture new entrepreneurial enterprises • Create a revolving fund to underwrite the training and initial employment of workers in small "homegrown" businesses Identify and assist small local businesses to participate in city contracting and purchasing • *Improve zoning provisions for wholesaling, distribution, and light industry • Train City staff in all departments to develop an "economic development attitude" *Implementation in progress as of November, 1986. 20 • Support the Chamber of Commerce's efforts to attract"targeted" industries. Hire a national caliber consultant to refine and expand inventory of target industries, markets, and products • Actively pursue the location of additional State and Federal offices in Beaumont IMPROVING ZONING FOR WHOLESALING, DISTRIBUTION AND RESTRICTED LIGHT INDUSTRY Background Warehousing and distribution are often cited as being both desirable and realistic "target industries" for Beaumont's economy because of the City's locational attributes for these activities. The location of the Wall Street Journal's regional printing and distribution plant on Cardinal Drive illustrates Beaumont's competitiveness in wholesale trade and distribution. Many wholesaling, warehousing and distribution operations could operate on sites currently zoned General Commercial/Multiple Dwelling (GC-MD). A Specific Use Permit(SUP) is received for most heavy commercial operations in GC-MD Districts. The SUP process is designed to insure compatibility between intensive commercial uses and neighboring land uses. The Specific Use Permit process generally takes from S to 7 weeks. Historically, the SUP request has been routinely approved by City Council following recommendation from the Planning Commission. An inventory of sites zoned BD-MD indicated that these were large areas, especially along western Washington Boulevard and Cardinal Drive, where the SUP process for heavy commercial development was not necessary to protect the surrounding properties. RECOMMENDATIONS By rezoning properties shown on the attached map to "Commercial Manufacturing" (CM), regulatory complexity and delays can be reduced and the public interest will not be adversely affected. The CM district permits a wide range of wholesaling, warehousing, distribution, commercial services and restricted, non-polluting light industry without the requirement for a Specific Use Permit. 21 EXPECTED RESULTS Rezoning appropriate GC-MD tracts to CM will reduce costs and approval times for commercial and light industrial projects and will thereby make Beaumont more competitive for these developments. IMPLEMENTATION To be performed by: City Planning Staff Start: October, 1986, (mapping and research) Conclude: February, 1987, (vote by City Council) Cost: Staff time and expenses, already budgeted 22 CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN Purpose of the Charlton-Pollard Plan ofBeaumont's Downtown District,and all the remaining area as a conservation and revitalization area. The purpose of this document is to provide guidance in the planning and implementation of both short and long term This Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood Plan will present more "public"development/re-development actions which might be specific land use issues. Furthermore, the adoption of this initiated in the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood. neighborhood plan will amend the Charlton-Pollard portion of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Specifically,it is the intent of this document to identify, evaluate,and make recommendations relative to the issues About the Neighborhood of publicly assisted new home construction, public facility improvements, and housing rehabilitation,within the The geographical area covered by this Charlton-Pollard Charlton-Pollard neighborhood. In doing so,this document neighborhood Plan is that area bounded by Blanchette Street will offer alternative actions or recommendations which are and the Port of Beaumont on the north,the Mobil Oil Company designed to improve the physical appearance of the area, refinery on the east and south,and MLK Parkway on the west. expand the available housing opportunities for the residents of This plan covers a larger area than in past plans or studies, the area,and spur economic development opportunities within where the area east of Irving Street was the primary focus. The the area and the city.The scope of issues addressed in this plan study area now includes portions of the neighborhood on both will be limited to those pertaining to housing development, sides of Irving. transportation,and,in a limited way,public safety and public service facilities. The predominant use of developed land is single family residential. Only a few commercial uses,primarily in the form Examples of the physical improvement issues to be addressed of convenience type stores and service shops, remain in the by this plan include but are not limited to the following: area. The area along Penn. Ave., Neches Street, and along MLK Parkway north of Penn. Ave. contains the relics of a *the problem of poorly maintained lots; former commercial district. Although the neighborhood is *the existence of open drainage ditches; basically surrounded by industrial uses on all sides except the *the total absence of any landscaping along major streets in the western side,few industrial uses are actually located within the area; neighborhood. A major exception is the presence of a *the poor condition of many of the structures in the area; manufacturing facility on Irving Street and a few small salvage *the need to demolish dilapidated structures; or storage type uses located near Hemlock Street and below *the poor location of the area's recreational facilities; Grant Street. *the absence of sidewalks; *poor street conditions; Environmental concerns in the Charlton-Pollard area are *the lack of curbs and gutters along area streets;and significant for those portions adjacent to the industrial areas *limited housing opportunities. bordering the eastern, southern, and northern borders of the neighborhood. Of primary concern is the danger of hazardous substances being manufactured and/or stored near the area. On The Comprehensive Land Use Plan the western side of Charlton-Pollard neighborhood,noise from MLK parkway and the KCS rail line is a concern but is much The Comprehensive Land Use Plan for the city was passed by less significant than that of the physical dangers affecting the City Council in August of 1982. It consists of the goals, other borders of the neighborhood. The center of the objectives, policies and proposals of the City Council for neighborhood is therefore the area with the least environmental guiding the long-range physical growth and development of concerns. Beaumont. This plan designates most of the Charlton-Pollard area as a Conservation and Revitalization area. Conservation The majority of the area is most profoundly impacted by vacant and Revitalization areas are those areas where immediate structures,most of which are in poor physical condition,by action is deemed necessary to prevent or reverse deterioration vacant lots that have become covered in weeds and junk,and which is characterized by fair to poor housing conditions, by incompatible land uses. Such conditions cause unsightly incompatible mixtures of land uses,and declining numbers of and unhealthy conditions and encourage criminal activities,all housing units and small businesses. of which diminish the residential quality of the area. It is highly desirable that the redevelopment of the Charlton- Through the joint efforts of the City of Beaumont, the Pollard area occur in a manner consistent with the general Innovative Housing Development Corporation,the Southeast provisions of the City's Comprehensive Plan and with the Texas Community Development Corporation, and Texas specific provisions of the Land Use and Major Street Commerce Bank, fifteen(15)new homes have recently been components of that plan. The current Comprehensive Plan is constructed homes and an additional fourteen(14)homes are however very general in nature as it pertains to the future under construction. This development has taken the first step development of the area. The land use component of the plan in efforts to revitalize and repopulate the neighborhood and only identifies three categories of uses for the neighborhood. also to meet the goal of adding one hundred twenty-five(125) Those uses are an industrialized area noah of Buford and east new single-family homes and to the neighborhood within three of Carroll,a small area near Blanchette Street as a continuation years. RESOLUTION NO. 0_110 EXHIBIT "B" GOALS AND OBJECTIVES For the purpose of this document,a goal is defined as a"general expression of a desired outcome,"while an objective is defined as a"specific end to be achieved"through some form of action taken in pursuit of a goal. Thus,in the process of formulating goals and objectives one moves from the general to the specific. First, general goals are formulated;then objectives are defined and adjusted to be more applicable to the issues and needs that were identified during the goals development phase of the process. The primary goal of this plan is to provide some general guidance in making decisions concerning new home construction and housing rehabilitation actions and the implementation of future public improvements. A second goal is to identify some new development/re-development opportunities and to suggest some priorities for specific short-term implementation. A third goal is to make specific regulatory and physical improvements targeted to the area that will spur private sector development and re-development. Some of these goals and objectives should be accomplished by the City, some by area residents and business owners and operators, and others through the joint participation of all three. Specific goals and objectives are listed below but not in any order of priority. Goal 1: Make an immediate improvement in the area's street network to discourage through traffic, physical appearance of both the occupied and vacant correct traffic safety problems, and improve the lots in the area. quality and safety of the neighborhood environment. Objective 1-1: Clean up and cut the grass on vacant properties Objective 1-3: Where appropriate, close off neighbor-hood in the area that need such action. streets by the construction of cul-de-sacs. Objective 2-1: Take the necessary action to correct zoning Objective 2-3: Develop or re-develop,as a street or for some violations in the area. other use, any existing street rights-of-way not presently developed or which may be determined to be un-necessary as Objective 3-1: Take the necessary actions to correct for a street. violations of the City's Building and Environmental Codes including the demolition of structures where needed. Objective 3-3: Improve access to Dunbar Elementary School. Objective 4-1: Clean the litter from open drainage ditches in Objective 4-3:Extend Grant Street to Sabine Pass. the area. Objective 5-3: Improve street signage; particularly the Objective 5-1: Assist home owners in making minor repairs designation of truck routes. Post and strictly enforce rules and re-painting their homes. concerning truck traffic on streets not designated as a truck route. Objective 6-1: Within public rights-of-ways,trim or remove trees that need pruning or cutting down. Objective 6-3: Survey area streets to identify specific locations where traffic studies might be conducted to improve traffic flow and public safety. Goal 2: Improve the physical condition of local residential and collector streets in the area. Goal 4:Provide recreational facilities in appropriate Objective 1-2: Provide sidewalks and curbs and gutters along locations that serve all age groups but with emphasis streets in the vicinity of Dunbar school. on teenagers and the elderly. Objective 2-2: Re-construct area collector streets to provide Objective 14: Re-locate Carroll Street Park to a location more sub-surface drainage,curbs and gutters,and sidewalks. in the center of the neighborhood. Objective 3-2: Re-pave deteriorating local residential streets Objective 2-4: Construct park facilities which provide for in the area. active and passive recreational opportunities such as a walkingrogging trail plus several spots for passive sitting,bike Objective 4-2: Review the City's current policies for sweeping paths,and landscaped and open green spaces. /cleaning city streets and the specific schedule for such actions within the Charlton-Pollard area to see if changes are possible Objective 3-4: Provide increased opportunities for youth that would improve the process. recreational, educational, and social activities. Do so by providing a building for indoor day/night time activities. Goal 3: Improve the design and construction of the Objective 4-4: Construct a community garden center where GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (Continued) local residents can grow vegetables and flowers. Objective 2-7: Create identifiable"gate-way"entrances to the Objective 5-4: Provide an activity center for older adults and area and to neighborhoods within the area. These gateway the elderly. areas could also serve as places where residents, with the approval of the City, could develop or place appropriate Objective 6-4: Re-locate the facilities of Pipkin Park which are memorial or other such representations. located between Park and Penn. streets to a location more accessible to the residents of the area. Objective 3-7: Landscape the major streets and public facilities in the area. Goal 5: Improve public safety and health facilities and Objective 4-7: Increase the use of street and yard lighting to services. create a safe and attractive environment. Objective 1-5: Provide a Police sub-station for the area. Objective 5-7: Design and develop an Open Space Area,in a readily seen location,which is suitable for the construction of Objective 2-5: Provide improved street lighting,particularly a Memorial for the Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood. at intersections,schools,parks,and other high pedestrian areas. Objective 3-5: Construct covered bus stops at high traffic Goal 8•Encourage the start-up of new businesses and locations and off-street bus bays on some area major streets. increased employment opportunities in the area. Objective 4-5: Provide sidewalks and curbs and gutters along Objective 1-8: Retention and Exyansion of Existing streets in the vicinity of Dunbar school and around parks within Businesses. Develop a data bank of information on the the area. existing businesses in the area and contact those businesses to see what assistance the City might be able to provide that Objective 5-5: Clean up drainage ditches in the area. would result in the continuation and/or expansion of those businesses. That assistance should be in the form of technical Objective 6-5: Provide incentives in the form of land, low and financial assistance. interest loans and/or reduced development fees in order to encourage health service facilities to locate in the area. Objective 2-8: Business Start-ups. Provide incentives in the form of land,low interest loans,and/or reduced development fees in order to encourage new businesses to move into the area Goal 6: Improve housing opportunities in the area, and existing businesses to expand or move to a more particularly single-family dwelling units. Continue appropriate location in the area. implementation of the current City goal of adding one hundred twenty-five(125)new single-family homes in Objective 3-8: Development of a Small Commercial Shopping 4 the area by 1998. Center(3-5 businesses). Assemble and develop parcels of land for use as a small commercial shopping center. Provide this Objective 1-6: Construct a minimum of ten (10) new land to prospective business owners who have viable plans to residential dwelling units in 1997. start and/or expand a business and who would agree to make a long-term commitment to the area. I Objective 2-6: In 1998,build the remaining eighty-one(81) single-family homes to meet the total goal of 125 units by Objective 4-8: Encouragement for moving existing 1998. commercial / industrial businesses to a more appropriate location in or near the neighborhood. Assemble and develop Objective 3-6: Provide incentives in the form of land, low parcels of land for commercial/industrial uses. Make these interest loans and/or reduced development fees in order to parcels primarily available for the re-location of existing encourage private sector home builders to construct and commercial/industrial businesses and secondarily to new rehabilitate homes in the area. business start-ups. Objective 4-6: Rehabilitate as many existing residential dwelling units as possible. Goal 9: Encourage public transit usage by area j residents. `I Goal 7: Improve the physical appearance and public Objective 1-9: Conduct a study to determine how transit perception of the area, its separate neighborhoods, services in the neighborhood might be improved. and major streets. Objective 2-9:Design and build one or more transit stops in Objective 1-7: Make efforts in achieving goal 6 occur first on the area which contributes to safe usage and the overall in-fill properties in concentrated awas rather than being appearance of the neighborhood. randomly dispersed throughout the area. CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN The Charlton-Pollard Land Use Plan(see map on following This plan recommends street light improvements along Irving page) is intended to produce a"vision of the future"for the St.,Sabine Pass,Penn.Ave.and Park Street. The streets west neighborhood over the next twenty or so years. of Penn.St should be enhanced with ornamental street lighting due to the historical and architectural character of the existing Residential Areas residential structures. This plan identifies immediate opportunities for new single- This plan recommends that gateway entrance signs be provided family home construction. In-fill type housing is preferable in at major points of entry into the neighborhood. Potential sites existing residential areas of the neighborhood. Future in-fill are at located at Irving at Madison and Park at Blanchette. development in the area generally west of Irving and north of Frederick Street should be in character with the remaining physical elements of the area's past. This area contains a Parks and Recreation number of pre-1950 residential structures which should be inventoried and evaluated for historical significance. This plan recommends the relocation of Carroll Street Park and a portion of Pipkin Park to more central locations within the Both rehabilitation and new construction projects are,where neighborhood. Both parks are located at the periphery of the practical,to be concentrated in one or more areas rather than neighborhood and are therefore difficult to access. A new park dispersed over the entire area. Such concentrated housing is proposed to be located west of Irving and south of development should also be limited to those areas where large McGovern. Depending on the availability and cost of land,the tracts of vacant land are more common,generally in the central park could extend as far south as the existing Jacob Street Park and eastern sections of the neighborhood. However, re- and as far west as Sabine Pass.With the relocation of Carroll development of the far eastern portion of the neighborhood Street Park,it may be desirable to move the Texas Historical near the refinery area is hindered by potential environmental Marker commemorating the original townsite of Santa Anna to hazards associated with the manufacturing and storage facilities a more appropriate and visible site.The feasibility of such an there. The area east of Hemlock Street is therefore not action should be examined in the future. considered as an area suitable for the development of publicly funded housing. Presently, Pipkin Park has two components,recreational and monumental,which are separated by Pennsylvania Street. The Other new residential opportunities should include the recreational portion of this park is proposed to be moved introduction of multi-family housing amid the commercial further south,to potential locations as indicated on the map,in uses along Irving Street and Sabine Pass. order to improve access to the park. Street Improvements Commercial Areas Streets in the Charlton-Pollard area are generally in good It is intended that commercial development would primarily be condition with many being curb and gutter concrete streets. located in the western half of the area and in nodes along Irving The most obvious deficiencies are the narrowness of some Street. These areas are appropriate for commercial uses streets on the eastern side of the neighborhood. Street lighting because of their proximity to major streets such as M.L.King deficiencies and lack of curb and gutters are also apparent Blvd.,Irving,Park,Pennsylvania and Sabine Pass. throughout the area. This plan recommends the addition of sub-surface drainage, Transitional Area curbs and gutters, new pavements and the addition of sidewalks along at least one side of the following streets: This plan features a"transition area" generally located along the area's northern and northeastern boundaries. In this *Flowers St.from Sabine Pass to St.Anthony Street; transitional area mixed uses,including residential,commercial, *Neicy St.from Sabine Pass to St.Anthony Street; warehousing and possibly some light industrial uses would be *Mary St.from Sabine Pass to St.Anthony Street; allowed only with special permission from the City Council. *Emmett from Pennsylvania Avenue to Blanchette; *Craig from MLK Parkway to Pennsylvania Avenue;and *Gray St.from Blanchette to Irma Street. Transit Service Improvements Additionally, this plan recommends the repaving of the At present transit service in the neighborhood appears following streets: adequate. However, implementation of the redevelopment proposals in this plan may make it necessary to revise the *Johns St.from Blanchette to Irma;and routes in the future. There is a need for covered transit stops in *Sabine Pass from MLK to Buford. some areas of the neighborhood. Specifically,landscaped bus shelters might be developed along the north and south sides of This plan recommends the extension of Grant Street to Sabine Royal Street between Sabine Pass and Pennsylvania Avenue. Pass. CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN Ad ,diddi PORT OF BEAUMOMT Q BLJFORD ❑ � o aQ �Qo FLI IRE STREET F-1 F-1 F] 0 F-1 F�.E] mom MIiOI50N DD LEGEND Low Density Residential Transitional Area Med/High Density Residential Transportation r. Mixed Use Comm/Residential Port of Beaumont M Commercial Public . Mixed Use Comm/Warehousing Parks Light Industrial Green Buffer F Heavy Industrial Major Street A Prepared by the City of Beaumont Planning Division,Beaumont,Texas December 1996 NORTH POTENTIAL ZONING CHANGES CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD Purpose of the Rezoning Plan would help improve the existing single family areas as well as A Rezoning Plan is needed that supports the land use plan encourage and protect new single family residential created for the neighborhood. Generally,a Rezoning Plan for development. the Charlton-Pollard Neighborhood should encourage the development and sustainment of new residential and The far western portion of the neighborhood currently zoned commercial areas as indicated in the adopted land use plan. RCR (Residential Conservation and Revitalization), which Over time,the adoption of the rezoning proposal would result allows a mix of uses with a specific use permit,might also be in non-conforming uses being replaced by conforming uses changed to single family residential zoning in order to stabilize thus ensuring a more cohesive,harmonious urban fabric within the architectural style and single family residential character of the area. the area. The map shown on the following page indicates some potential changes in the current zoning which would help improve the Transitional Area neighborhood and achieve the goals set forth in this Plan. However,a more detailed analysis of the rezoning needs of the An area in the northeast portion of the neighborhood is area needs to be accomplished before any rezoning actions are envisioned as an area of mixed uses where each requested taken. change from its present use would require a specific use permit from city council. This requirement would act to protect existing homes from the encroachment of undesirable uses Single Family Residential while at the same time allowing compatible non-residential uses to develop. Each proposed development in this area Housing development will play an important part in the would be examined on a case by case basis. The area in revitalization and sustained health of the neighborhood. The question is currently zoned RM-H (Residential Multiple- housing stock which has been lost over time needs to be Family, Medium / High Density) and RCR (Residential replenished in order to increase the number of neighborhood Conservation and Revitalization). It is recommended that a residents. Increased population will offer increased support study be under taken to identify how the regulation of such a for existing businesses and may possibly attract other transitional area might be implemented. businesses to the area. Of specific importance is the large amount of land currently Other Changes used for low density residential use which might be rezoned from RM-H (Residential Multiple-Family, Medium / High A small area in the northern part of the study area,presently Density) to RS (Single-Family Residential) or RM-M zoned RM-H(Medium/High Density Residential)might at (Residential Multiple-Family,Medium Density)zoning. The some point in the future,be rezoned for commercial in order to RM-H classification is the predominate zoning district in the support neighborhood commercial uses at that intersection. area,however,only a very small amount of land zoned RM-H However,multi family dwellings would not be precluded from is actually used for multi-family uses, and where it is, the developing there, as they are also allowed in general density of use is much lower than is permitted by the zoning commercial districts. In short this rezoning should provide classification.A change to a lower density residential district additional development opportunities for this site. :WW-wlrxw W.{�*is Y _ ._.----�1..�CF.• _ y7,ye. These are examples of the new homes currently under construction in the Charlton-Pollard neighborhood and reflect the need for rezoning activity which wilt greater encourage and protect the single-family residential areas of the neighborhood. POTENTIAL .BONING CHANGES CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD Cl FTIF l.J 4 ❑DOG' o❑ ❑ ❑oEIE ME =0 El E I EE� 0=0 El 1-1 F-1 F-1 oo❑❑ ❑(� �❑°❑ � ❑❑ oo o ❑ � ❑❑� oDo❑o i Zoning Legend Change from RCR to Low or Med. Density Residential ❑ Change from RM-H to Low or Med.Density Residential Change from RM-H to Commercial RCR with Transition Overlay District RM-H with Transition Overlay District Prepared by the Planning Division,City of Beaumont,Texas December 1996 NORTH i UVId as fl PuRrI oo .io p 2p u �u . K pjvjjojmuojjjvq3 71M ._ r VOLLL sexal `luowneag L386 x08 'O'd uoisinia buiuueid luowneag 10 40 ABOUT THE CHARLTON-POLLARD NEIGHBORHOOD The Charlton Pollard neighborhood is an area roughly bounded by the Port of Beaumont and Blanchette Street on the north, the Mobil Oil Company refinery on the east and south, and M.L.K. Parkway on the west.Presently, The Charlton- Pollard neighborhood is in need of numerous physical improvements resulting from the deterioration and neglect of existing homes and businesses due to a loss in population over the years. Due to these and other factors and an expressed desire from the Charlton Pollard Neighborhood Association to preserve and revitalize the neighborhood, the City of Beaumont Planning Division began the process of creating this neighborhood plan. The Charlton Pollard Neighborhood Plan was adopted by City Council,Resolution , on Beaumont City Council Beaumont City Planning Commission The Honorable Mayor David W Moore Laurie Leister, Chairman Councilwoman At-Large Becky Ames Marva Provo, Vice-Chairman Councilman At-Large Andrew Cokinos Sally Bundy Councilwoman Lulu Smith, Ward I Bessie Chisum Councilman Guy Goodson, Ward 2 Dale Hallmark Councilman John Davis, Ward 3 Dohn LaBiche Councilwomen Bobbie Patterson, Ward 4 Bill Lucas Cleveland Nisby PROPOSED CHANGES To.The Currently Adopted MAJOR STREET AND HIGHWAY PLAN(MS&HP) (Last Revised on January 3, 1995 by R-95-10) Beaumones officially adopted Major Street and Highway Plan(MS&H Plan)is proposed to be amended by the addition,deletion,and modification of the streets and roadway system as described below and graphically illustrated on the accompanying maps. Adoption of the following recommended major street plan revisions will require amendment of both the map representing the MS&H Plan a,nndd"Appendix A",the major streets inventory and recommended improvements table which is a part of that plan. Amendment of Appendix A,in accordance with the following recommendations,is provided under section 6 at the end of this document. 1). Shakespeare Drive between Gladys Street and Calder Avenue is currently listed on the MS&H Plan as a Major Collector street. The only portion of the street which does not physically exist is that portion between Prutzman Road and Brandywine Drive. On two separate occasions,December 7, 1992 and January 5, 1995,the deletion of Shakespeare between Prutzman and Brandywine has been considered but denied. The fact that this portion of Shakespeare does not exist results in Collier Road being used as the southern outlet for Shakespeare traffic bound for Major Drive. The designation of Collier Road,as a Major Collector from Shakespeare west to Major,is unlikely to result in any more traffic than it currently carries as an un-designated collector street. In fact,it is highly probable that the future extension of Shakespeare southward to Prutzman and thus to Calder would increase traffic on Collier Road and Shakespeare because it would permit traffic to avoid the traffic and traffic signals at Major and Gladys and at Major and Phlean. To avoid this increased traffic in the neighborhood and the cost associated with the questionable benefits which might be received with the development of Shakespeare between Brandywine and Prutzman,it is recommended that-- Shakespeare Drive,as a Major Collector between Collier Road and Calder Avenue,be deleted from the Major Street and Highway Plan and that Collier Road between Shakespeare and Major be added to the MS&H Plan as a major collector street. 2). The northern end of Shakespeare,as an existing street and as an officially designated major stmt, ends at Gladys Street. The area north of Gladys Street is currently void of any urban development but at some point in time the current oil field will be developed. The extension of Shakespeare as a Major Collector street to connect with the Delaware Extension to Dishman Road at Major would provide collector road facilities for the area. It is therefore recommended that--- Shakespeare Drive be extended as a Major Collector street from Gladys Street northward to intersect with the Delaware/Dishman arterial connector. 3). For at least ten years,Manion Street has been on the MS&H Plan as a collector street extending from Major Drive westward to Keith Road. It currently serves as the primary access way to Major Drive for a large area of small lot,single-family homes,a significant number of townhouse and apartment dwellings,and a high school. Near Major Drive,the right-of-way of Manion exceeds the 60 to 65 foot standard for collector streets. The Planning Staff was requested to investigate the possibility of deleting Manion Street from the MS&H Plan from its current end westward to Keith Road. A potential developer of the site which Manion would traverse suggests there is no need for this section of Manion nor UN-3 as currently designated on the MS&H Plan. In 1992,a 390 acre regional storm water detention facility was RESOLUTION NO. 97-110EXHIBIT -'C" completed west of Evangeline Meadows Subdivision. As a result,the Manion extension would traverse this storm water detention facility. The Planning Staff has reviewed various options for traffic circulation in this area and has determined that the area's traffic needs can be adequately addressed with the following modifications. It is therefore recommended that-- Manion Street,as a Major Collector from its present end westward to Keith Road,be deleted from the MS&H Plan. Move the existing designated collector street identified as UNR 3 somewhat to the east in order to provide neighborhood residents with access to Old Sour Lake Road via Manion. NOTE: The true alignment of UNR 3 should remain un-designated That decision can be made at a later date as the property to the south of Manion develops. 4). With the increased development near the Dowlen Road/Old Dowlen Road intersection,congestion is occurring at several area intersections. The intersection of Old Dowlen Road and State Hwy. 105 is one example. In this case,traffic flow problems are the result of a lack of lane capacity and the fact that the Old Dowlen Road/State Hwy. 105 intersection and the State Hwy. 105/Eastex Freeway intersection are too close together. To correct these problems,it is recommended that-- Old Dowlen Road be re-aligned to connect to State Hwy.105 at Caswell Road;that Old Dowlen Road be upgraded from a collector to a Secondary Arterial street;and that Caswell be added to the MS&H Plan as a two-lane Secondary Arterial street with turning lanes provided at State Hwy.105. It is further recommended.that the improvement of Old Dowlen Road be in the form of a divided,four lane roadway having at least a 14 foot landscaped median its full length except where turning lanes are provided. 5). Currently,State Hwy. 105,west of Eastex Freeway,is designated as a Major Arterial. From Eastex Freeway eastward to its current end at Concord Road,State Hwy. 105 is not designated as a major street. However,it once was designated as a Major Arterial with a proposed R/W of 100'with two 24'roadways. East of Concord,State Hwy. 105 was proposed for a 120'R/W with two 33' roadways. The designation of State Hwy. 105 as a Major or Secondary Arterial from Eastex Freeway eastward to Helbig Road needs to be given serious consideration while undeveloped land still exists in that corridor. ' If an additional crossing of the Neches is to ever be achieved,it is likely to occur north of the current IH-10 bridge. The connection of State Hwy. 105 to that crossing would be highly desirable because inter-regional traffic from west to east and east to west would be better served by that location. Although a second Neches River crossing via a connection to Tram Road would be possible,it would be less desirable because City and inter-regional traffic would be served less efficiently at that location. Even as it is now,the proposed extension of State Hwy. 105 would likely have to share rights-of-way with DD#6 drainage channel 001-A. It is therefore recommended that- - State Hwy.105 from Eastex Freeway to Helbig Road be designated on the MS&HP as a Major Arterial with a 100'R/W having two 24' roadways plus a turn lane. NOTE: The roadway from Concord east to Helbig Road can only be designated as State Hwy. 105 by the State. The proposed roadway east of Concord is referred to as the extension of State Hwy. 105 in order to give the proposal an identifiable name. 6). The adoption of the above recommendations would require the amendment of"Appendix A"of the Major Street and Highway Plan as follows: Delete all references to Shakespeare from Collier Road to Prutzman and from Prutzman to Calder. Add a reference to Shakespeare by listing it as a Major Collector extending from Gladys Street to the extension of Delaware between Dowlen and Major Drive at Dishman and list as having no existing right-of-way or pavement widths but proposed as a 60'R/W with a 36'pavement width. Add Collier Road as a Major Collector extending from Shakespeare to Major Drive and having a proposed R/W of 60'and a pavement width of 361. Delete all references to Manion Street as a Major Collector from 230'west of Meadowridge to Keith Road. Change the street classification of Old Dowlen Road from a Major Collector to a Secondary Arterial and the width of the proposed R/W to 100'with two 24' roadways with a 14' median. Delete the Major Collector designation for that portion of Old Dowlen Road from where it will relocate to the west north to St.Hwy.105. Add Caswell Street as a Secondary Arterial with a proposed R/W width of 60'and a pavement width of 24'.with a turning lane provided at State Hwy.105. List the existing R/W width at 40' and the pavement width at 16'. Add State Hwy.105 between Eastex Freeway and Helbig Road as a Major Arterial having a proposed R/W of 100' and a proposed pavement width consisting of two(2) 24' roadways with a median. List the existing R/W from Eastex Fwy.to Concord Road at 100' and the existing pavement width at 22'. List as having no R/W or pavement between Concord and Helbig Road. Consideration of Amendment of the Major Street and Highway Plan SHAKESPEARE DRIVE & COLLIER RD. UNR-48 '- - - -�% Current Plan: Major Arterial Secondary Arterial Major Collector --- - - Westgate — — — •_ 1 Portion to s% be changed Y • c•1 • �l 1• I � _ cal.v. (Us YO) •N 3r �JCl�D 4 tY p Drill nks Hole tn Un-changed Major Streets e e J g1 - Drill p Holes Major Arterial p 2t7T i `r ; °• ••• 23 3 A9® Secondary Arterial ='x 0 1 ,' ,r,. •` 1 o ass:° M Major Collector - i Tanks 'y R o - Park . o - Proposed Changes To Plan: sdh Major Collector (new) Major Collector l Y (To Delete) At Ichum ° t a Note:Proposed abgnment on map is only illustrative. ibsu h 33 Consideration of Amendment of the Major Street and Highway Plan MANION STREET& UNR-3 Current Plan: Dishman 1 Major Arterial r Secondary Arterial st ' Manion t Major Collector q t Proposed Changes To Plan: Major Collector Dishman U 1 � .il�tiliOn Consideration ofAmendment of the Major Street and Highway Plan OLD DOWLEN ROAD & CASWELL ROAD :'p;,� ; Current Plan: Major Arterial - 1 ' mot •/ i Secondary Arterial mmmu�� i all UNR-5 i ��--I — -- � � Major Collector z t FoNa11 � Uttle ♦ UNR-68 s wood 0 *.**�*�.:*rss«**s*ss•s•*�♦ssss*sssse**s*#**«s****ss#** Proposed Changes To Plan: 9T ! .�.�,r./;�• _ fir n _.=// 'i�•,:. 337' .Substa / .� /:�.• r w / � ��• • ���' Rosedat Secondary Arterial -��+ I111LIL�� 37•. /% �` •••'•'• �!}�4T " R Tr. 1:. 31 .// •. .r : ;!:. : /• JCAD 50�. .34 JCAD2AZMK•!°l .. . : .. . n•.• •.... �••pi' ♦� rti .•:�.w9,BMx" • ;•;%/j . .•!'• 105 iii:29T ,3T•F__'. °� ' 32 / i *♦ DRIVE .f. �• •~•t ` 'r✓� ¢ Rodio, 1 57 Towero At C364 y - 2/ Substa:, 29 �!p .; Portion � A To Be ---------- o W Deleted !� ®3-/99 Hu TT • ��. RD i C28T NOTE.Proposed aligment on map is only illustrative. 3/T --_-�-����«��������.-�--------�����=tea . . JCAD-fi Consideration ofAmendment of the Major Street and Highway Plan EASTWARD EXTENSION OF STATE HWY. 105 (Between Eastex Freeway and Helbig Road) Current Plan: Major Arterial Secondary Arterial Major Collector — -- �- o Voth Cut.;-Off :Piny h0�nd gayo _ 1 u 9:6 c . . of M zl • al O S J 1 r Chinn i tP4, ♦ e J �♦ " 'Rolsol �. ` 461 it State Nwy. 106 EASTWARD EXTENSION OF STATE HWY. 105 (Between Eastex Freeway and Helbig Road) Proposed Changes To Plan: Major Arterial Secondary Arterial Major Collector 26T seman,/�� /041,010 Park � ); // - i n �Ib�Relines 26 T cA►t aR►rE 29 3- o, •BEAUM T -- I S/a w ROAD r//� •• HaYrtes y' • ' Parks x t LANE •w is 287' ii r Substa CErn 34T drop i Rose al " •B NETT RD C.r- ti..j� •`°9 yR fr°.•• 32T ;31 1i:: :i ; • I� �. JCAD 80•••• 1 Am '11'29T • •32\\ i:I• 33T . 28••y r� •'� j,l•• .• 3/ / 22T Rodio Towero o •\\ B �` Substa • \ Substa 29 1 [\ P. in st 23 T E PARKS OPENSPACE PLAN An Element of The Comprehensive Plan of the City of Beaumont, Texas DVe-M TTmTnu *1n 07_1 1 n PARKS OPEN SPACE PLAN An Element of The Comprehensive Plan of the City of Beaumont, Texas Prepared by the Planning Division of the Department of Public Works, City of Beaumont. Prepared for the City Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Department. January 1997 i Beaumont City Council The Honorable Mayor David W. Moore Councilwoman At-Large Beckey Ames Councilman At-Large Andrew Cokinos Councilwoman Lulu Smith,Ward 1 Councilman Guy Goodson,Ward 2 Councilman John Davis,Ward 3 Councilwomen Bobbie Patterson,Ward 4 Beaumont City Planning Commission Laurie Leister,Chairman Marva Provo,Vice-Chairman Sally Bundy Bessie Chisum Greg Dykeman Dale Hallmark Dohn LaBiche William Lucas Cleveland Nisby Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee John Adams Gary Celli Myra Clay Vernon Dunn Jack Follmer Tim Gregory Clifton Guillory Robert Harris Walter"Buddy" Hebert Lula Henry Adrian Hudspeth Bruce James Nell Phillips Brett Vickers PROOF OFADOPTION INTRODUCTION The Parks and Open Space Plan is the official and complete statement of public goals, objectives, policies, and recommendations endorsed by the Beaumont City Council concerning the future development and redevelopment of the City's parks and recreational facilities and open space resources over the next twenty to thirty years. It is needed in order to insure objectivity,consistency,and equality in meeting the parks,recreational,and open space needs and desires of all the residents of Beaumont. The Plan makes it possible to document and justify decision making actions in accordance with predetermined and agreed upon goals,objectives,and policies. Development and adoption of this Plan clearly places the responsibility for setting the City's parks,recreation,and open space goals,objectives,and policies with the elected officials of the City. The Parks and Open Space Plan must be adopted by the City Council in order to make it clear to the community that the Plan does,in fact,represent the official views and policies of the City Council. However,the adoption of this Plan does not mean that its goals,objectives,policies,and proposals are static or end-state. As conditions change and new issues and information come to the forefront,the City Council may have to amend this Plan in order to meet those changing conditions. Also,with experience,some policies may prove to be unworkable or unrealistic and need to be revised or deleted from the Plan. Therefore, to insure that the Plan is kept up-to-date and reflects the intentions of the City Council,this Plan is to be publicly reviewed and re-adopted by the City Council ever two years. This Parks and Open Space Plan is an official element of the City's Comprehensive Plan. GOALS AND OBJECTIVES Goals and objectives are considered the cornerstone of any effective planning process. Among other things,goals and objectives are needed to:(1)provide direction to the planning studies;(2)to identify specific areas of concern to be researched and evaluated in the planning process;(3)to provide a mechanism for reflecting public input;and (4)to provide benchmarks for monitoring and evaluating the success of implementation actions. A distinction must,however,be made between goals and objectives. For the purposes of this Plan,a goal is defined as a"general expression"of a desired outcome,while an objective is defined as a"specific end"to be achieved through some form of action taken to achieve a goal. The actual process of formulating the goals and objectives moves from the general to the specific;first,general goals are formulated;then,after base data is collected and analyzed,the goals and objectives are refined, made more specific and adjusted to be more applicable to the issues and needs that were identified during the preliminary research and analysis phase of the planning process. Finally,in the advanced stages of the planning process,policies are formulated which are intended to provide a means of implementing specific goals and objectives. During the early preparation stage,draft goals and objectives were formulated by the planning staff using goals and objectives from a 1972 Planning Department parks study, from the 1980"Parks and Open Space Plan",as amended, and from the"1991 Recovery Action Plan"(the City's parks and recreation rehabilitation plan for meeting UPARR grant recipient qualifications). After the data gathering,preliminary mapping, and analysis phases of the planning process were completed,the assumptions underlying the preliminary goals and objectives were re-evaluated and the goals and objectives were revised as needed. After refinement of the draft goals and objectives,a set of development and implementation policies were prepared by the planning staff using the above listed documents as source material. The intention of those efforts were to provide a policy framework to guide the future development and continued conservation ofBeaumont's parks,recreational,and open space resources. (More details on the plan development process in Appendix A.) The following goals,objectives and policies were recommended for City Council adoption by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee and the Planning Commission of the City of Beaumont after a thorough review and with revisions of the Planning staffs draft efforts. GOALS - General and Long Term * To insure an equitable distribution of recreational opportunities among all of Beaumont's neighborhoods. * To provide a full range of park facilities,including neighborhood,community,urban,regional,and special parks. * To provide every neighborhood with a neighborhood park and every cluster of neighborhoods,commonly known as a community,with a community park. * To improve Beaumonts aesthetic appearance and thereby enhance the quality of life of its citizens by encouraging the development of green belts,the development and use of" environmentally sensitive" park planning principles, and adequately supporting park beautification and maintenance efforts. * To preserve environmentally and aesthetically significant natural resource areas,with special emphasis given to water bodies,wetlands,and flood plains. * To create jogging trails,hiking paths,nature trails,and bike paths in a manner that supports development of a linear park system linking centers of urban and recreational activities with residential areas. * Provide the public with more water-oriented recreational opportunities, particularly along the Neches River and Mllebrandt Bayou. * Insure the provision of a system of balanced recreational facilities and services that also meets the special needs of the City's elderly,physically challenged,and economically dis-advantaged population. * Develop and implement a planned and scheduled maintenance system for the entire parks,recreational,and open space system. * Utilize existing park land resources at maximum efficiency. * Cooperate with other governmental units/agencies and private entities such as BISD or other school districts,the YMCA, YWCA,Lamar University,state and federal agencies, and other recreational providers in increasing available open space areas and recreational opportunities for the general public. * Identify and aggressively pursue additional sources of park and recreational program funding. OBJECTIVES - General and Long Term * To acquire land for new park sites in advance of the development of future residential areas. * Where ever possible,acquire land to upgrade existing parks which do not meet acreage standards. * Identify and utilize potential open space corridors along area waterways,drainage ditches,and irrigation canals as linear parks and conservation areas. * Capitalize upon the urban design and beautification value of natural areas within the city. * Continue development of Riverfront Park and explore possibilities of other recreational usage and conservation efforts along the Neches River and Mllebrandt Bayou corridors. * Use maintenance personnel and equipment as efficiently as possible. * Develop and implement a city-wide tree planting and maintenance program for public properties as a long term effort for creating and maintaining an urban forest for improving the environmental and aesthetic quality of life of the community. 2 Short and Intermediate-Term Objectives Short-term objectives are considered to be those improvements which can be implemented within a one to three year time span. Implementation of projects considered to be four to ten years in the future are considered by this Plan as intermediate objectives. Both short and intermediate term improvement projects are implemented through the City's Five-Year Capital Improvements Plan (CIP). The City's "annual" Capital Improvements Program implements those specific short-term projects which the City determines,through the public hearing process,that it has the resources and public support to implement during the first year of the CIP. The Five-Year Plan presented with this Plan is intended to provide guidance in preparation of the City's Five-Year Capital Improvements Plan. Because of the difficultly in prioritizing projects beyond a three year time period,all intermediate- term objectives listed below are listed alphabetically. Only those intermediate-term objectives which are desirable to be accomplished within the next five years are listed on the Five-Year Plan. Short-Term Projects' Estimated Cost Estimated Cost 1).Alice Keith Pool Renovation $ 250,000 3).Babe Zaharias Info. $ 250,000 2). South End Activity Center(new constr.) $2,000,000 Center Renovation, Short-Term Projects' Estimated Cost Estimated Cost 1).Athletic Complex-Volleyball Court $ 140,000 3).Lefler Park-New Basketball $ 10,000 Court and Parking Lot 2).Tyrrell Park Golf Course Parking Lot(renov.) $ 150,000 4).Athletic Complex-New $ 1,350,000 Softball fields(3)lighted. Intermediate-Term Projects 4-10 year projects) Estimated Cost Estimated Cost 1).Amelia Area Park. * N/A 11).Ida Reed Park(Relocation)** N/A 2).Bigner Road Park* N/A 12).Magnolia Gardens Park* N/A 3).Bingman School Site(Development) N/A 13).Pipkin Park(Relocation) ** N/A 4).Boreley Heights Area Park* N/A 14).Riverfront Park-Phases 3&4* N/A 5).Collier's Ferry Park(Expansion) N/A 15). Sixth St./Terrell Ave.Area Park* N/A 6).Carroll Street Park(Relocation)** N/A 16). Sprott Park Expansion* N/A 7).Dolores Street Park** N/A 17).Walden Road Community Park* N/A 8).Edwards School Site Park** N/A 18).Weiss Park(Re-development) N/A 9).Fletcher Park** N/A 19). Wooten Rd./Shady Ln.Area Park* N/A 10). Giles School Site* N/A 20). Tyrrell Park Pavilion(Renovation) N/A ----------------------------------------------------------- *Acquisition **Acquisition and Development 'Category I projects from"1997-2001 CIP",City of Beaumont. 'Category II-A and II-B projects from"1997-2001 CEP",City of Beaumont. 3 POLICY STATEMENTS Implementation of this Plan will be based on the following policies: * Parks shall be located and developed in accordance with the functional classification and standards system established in this Plan. * Specific park improvements shall be based on an approved overall master development/re-development plan created specifically for each park. * The City will emphasize neighborhood parks as the central element of the City's park system and will use its Neighborhood Planning Process to ensure that local neighborhood organizations, residents,and users of neighborhood parks shall be involved in all decisions regarding neighborhood park development/redevelopment efforts. * Special facilities for the physically impaired shall be provided through out the park system. * Public involvement of residents, business interests, neighborhood organizations, and park users are considered a principle element in the City's ongoing parks,recreation,and open space planning and development process. * Where appropriate,parks and open space areas shall be planned for possible use as a buffer between conflicting or incompatible land uses. Landscaped buffers shall,where feasible,be provided between residential and commercial or industrial uses and between single-family and multi-family residential developments. * Cooperation and joint utilization between school and special purpose district facilities and City facilities shall be encouraged in the planning and provision of parks and recreational facilities and open space areas. * Whenever possible,parks shall be tied together and linked through a series of open space,multi-purpose green belt corridors. * Recreational and pedestrian/bicycle paths shall,where appropriate,be designed and developed in conjunction with drainage corridors and other water bodies in order to create a linear parks network. * In appropriate situations,cluster and planned unit developments shall be encouraged in order to provide or preserve natural areas and open spaces. * The private donation of land to the City for parks,recreational,and open space usage is encouraged;however such land will not be accepted for dedication unless the site and its location is useable and in accordance with the provisions of the Comprehensive Plan. * The Pine Island Bayou flood plain area should remain"primarily"as undeveloped open space,however,some limited recreational functions may be approved where deemed uniquely appropriate. * "Recycling"of abandoned school sites and other public sites or facilities for recreational purposes will be encouraged. * State and federal funding assistance, private sector grants,and material and labor donations shall be pursued in order to increase the City's capabilities to acquire,develop,and maintain the parks system. * Although the city is committed to providing quality and up to date recreational facilities and equipment to all areas of the City, the provision of park and recreational services to those who have none generally takes priority over the replacement of already existing facilities. 4 "Correcting Existing Deficiencies" in Park Facilities and Open Space Areas Several factors can influence how the city may best provide and deliver park and recreational services to its constituents.These include the demographics of the user population, trends in park and recreational activities, the costs associated with service delivery,and the resources which are available to the City. Although not identified or analyzed here,these factors where given consideration in preparation of this Plan. (See Appendices B,C and D for more details.) Service Area Problems When talking about the service area of a park,reference is being made to the specific area being served within a given distance of that park. For example,a neighborhood park is generally stated to specially serve those citizens living within a half mile radius of the park;thus the park has a service area of a half mile radius of its site. Beaumont's park service area standards,by applicable park classification,are provided on the map accompanying this document. A"service area deficiency"occurs when an area is not served by any park or when a barrier prohibits or severely restricts citizen's access to a park. Another type of service area problem occurs when parks are too close to one another and therefore have overlapping service areas. This overlapping of service areas results in a redundancy in the provision of services in the overlapped areas. This inefficient use of resources needs to be corrected as soon and as best is possible. Service area problems can be corrected by the following types of action: * by the provision of new parks; * by the re-location of an existing park; * by correcting access problems which limit citizens use of a park;or * by the re-classification of a park to place it in another service area classification. Actions taken to correct the problem of service area overlapping may,in many cases,also correct for the lack of facilities in an area. By moving a park whose service area overlaps the service area of another park,the re-location can result in the extension of park and recreational opportunities to areas not previously served. Briefly,the City's current situation regarding service area problems may be summarized as follows: On the western side of the City the problem is a lack of neighborhood and community parks while on the eastern side of the City the problem is both the lack of parks in some areas and a significant degree of service area overlapping in others. For the short-term,development of new parks should be emphasized on the west side of the city while the re-location and rehabilitation of existing parks should be the emphasis in the eastern portions of the City. Locational Problems A park may have one or more of a wide range of locational problems which may limit the quality,safety,and enjoyment of the park. These locational problems include limited accessibility,poor environmental factors such as excessive noise,pollution,or poor natural resources,and poor safety factors such as nearness to traffic,power lines,and other hazards. Such problems are difficult to correct once a park has been developed;furthermore,the scarcity of land for park development often creates a necessity to choose between a park with locational problems or no park at all. Short of re-locating parks,various planning actions and site design improvements can be implemented to overcome some of the ill effects of locational problems;for example,fencing or screening can be utilized to reduce safety,noise,and aesthetic problems. According to established City standards,neighborhood parks should be located near the center of a neighborhood,preferably on a local street or,if necessary,on a collector street and ideally next to an elementary school. Unfortunately,several existing Beaumont neighborhood parks are located on the periphery of their neighborhood;a location which does not allow them to serve their neighborhoods as effectively as desired. 5 Site Size and Configuration Deficiencies Park sites need to conform to site size standards as closely as possible in order to effectively serve the population within the service area,to meet park open space standards,and also to allow for any possible future expansion of facilities within the park. For Beaumont,one of the most common park site deficiencies,particularly for neighborhood parks, is that of substandard acreage. This is due,in large part,to the fact that most of the older,intercity parks were acquired and developed before the current standards were adopted. To correct a park acreage deficiency,the following five possible courses of action might be taken. 1) Acquisition of additional adjacent land to increase total park acreage. 2) Acquisition of a standard size replacement site within the service area of the substandard park. 3) Make design and facility improvements to maximize the recreational utility of the substandard site. 4) Provision of additional special parks within the substandard parks'service area. 5) Utilization of alternate sites for recreation,such as school grounds. Ideally,the first two actions would be the preferred method of correcting site size deficiencies;however,due to the realities of financing and land availability,the last three approaches are apt to be more workable,especially in fully developed areas where vacant land is prohibitively expensive or simply non-existent. Deficiencies in Equipment and Recreational Opportunities Overall,the Beaumont parks system provides for a wide variety of facilities for organized sports and active types of recreation. However,the system has less opportunities for the more passive types of recreational activities which individuals can do by themselves. Also,some of the newer recreational activities which are gaining popularity are not provided for. Specific areas of deficiency include the following: Aquatics Center: The city,and the region for that matter,lacks a quality,state-of-the-art aquatics center. Such a center needs to consist of a diving well,a wading pool,a main pool marked with swimming lanes,and the necessary support facilities,such as dressing rooms and offices. The facility should be designed to draw from and benefit the whole metro region. Roller Blade Arena: Participants in this increasingly popular recreational activity currently use city or private streets, sidewalks,and parking facilities. Such facilities are sometimes potentially dangerous when used for roller blading because of the condition of the facilities or the other activities occurring there. Conflicts between roller bladers and other citizens and damage to property can also result. The provision of a safe,specially designed facility for this type of recreational activity should be considered. Such a facility would likely draw participants from outside the city and therefore would be appropriate only for a regional or special park. Playg : Some parks have playground equipment which are not up to the present safety standards of the recreation industry or are antiquated and have served far past their useful lives. An example would be playground equipment in need of substantial upgrading in order to remove the unacceptable safety conditions associated with the materials used in fall zones. Such facilities should be replaced as soon as possible. There are also many playgrounds which are far too spread out to manage or maintain effectively, while others are poorly located on the park site. This can make accessibility difficult and can also preclude effective parental and public observation or supervision. Playgrounds should be reconfigured with equipment in play scape arrangements that groups the equipment in a more unified manner. Swimming Pools: A third city swimming pool has been considered for many years but never built. The southwest part of the city has usually been and still is considered as a potential site,however a west side site might also be considered. 6 Problems With Existing Parks City of Beaumont Park Name Service Locational Site Sue Equipment Remarks (Classification) Area Problem Deficiency Deficiency Problem * Athletic Complex(S) Babe Zabarias(S) Yes Cnrroll Street(ID Yes Yes Yes Yes Central (C) Yes Yes Yes -Radam4m.1 Irban Park Collier's F=(S) Open early 1997 Combest(hj) es Yes Yes Cottonwood(11) yfq Yes Fair Park(S) Lemed IQ nrivate gruip (M) Yes Replacc as Neigbborhaad Par Foreqt(hD Yes Yes Yes Yes Gilbert(ID Yes Haynes(11) Yes Yes Y Closure of I)nrk Tjebert(b� Yes Yes Yes Yes Closure of park Rcplacement Jncobq Street -------- Reclassify ns Special Park Klein CC) Lefler CC) Liberia J��D Yes Yes m2goolis CC) Yes McLenn(hD Yes Yes, Onkland/Maple(W Yes Ye's Closure of nark Pine Street Yes Yes Pipkin(24 Yes Yes Yes Partial relocation Roberts(hD Yes Yes Rogers CC) Sprott(24 Yes Reclnssif3�9.q Coinmjinijj�Park Wtitheiijig ighls * Not served by any park or a barrier prohibits or restricts access to park. ** Accessability limited,poor environmental factors such as excessive noise,air/water pollution,or safety hazards. *** Below acreage standards or site configuration restricts use of park. **** Includes lack and inappropriateness of plus safety concerns if significant. 7 Open Space Areas and the Open Space Network Generally,open space is thought of as undeveloped or vacant land,i.e.,land not used for urban purposes such as buildings or structures. In the context of this Plan,open space is that and more. Actually,the term open space should be considered as including any land,water,and air space that is perceived as a void or seam between and which acts to completely or partially physically separate urban uses or human activities. Open space is commonly open to view or trespass but it need not be and,in fact,sometimes can not be open if it is to achieve its intended purpose of providing some desired level of separation of urban uses or human activities. Because it is not always desirable to completely visually screen or physically separate urban and human activities,open spaces must often be designed to act as buffers to minimize the negative visual impact of a use or activity on surrounding uses or activities. Also,open spaces can be used to maximize the positive visual impacts of an activity or use on adjacent activities or uses. In this case,the open space acts to unify activities or uses rather than separate or buffer them. Open space areas can be of varying configurations and sizes. They can be single parcels or a string of parcels;preferably connected parcels,however,they may only be in close proximity to one another. A long narrow parcel or a string of parcels is often referred to as an open space corridor. Such corridors can serve multiple functions including visual and sound buffering between incompatible land uses,providing reduced flood hazards by maintaining the undeveloped and unobstructed character of natural drainage ways,and providing recreational opportunities that are adaptable to or require a linear site configuration. It is important to note that recreation is often a secondary consideration to the environmental conservation and buffering functions of open space corridors. Because of their configuration,recreation facilities in these corridors are usually restricted to nature or pedestrian trails and bicycle paths. When possible,corridors with bike and pedestrian trails should be used to link parks to other parks,schools,or residential areas thus forming a linear park system or open space network. The banks of natural streams are excellent locations for open space corridors. Utility rights of way,wooded areas,and drainage ways may also provide greenbelt corridor sites for linking the open space areas into a continuous network. However,usage of pipeline and power line rights of way should be carefully evaluated for safety considerations. City parks and private recreational open space areas such as golf courses and driving ranges form a major component of the network. Other open space is added in the form of the grounds of institutions such as universities,public schools and hospitals,and open space associated with high rise structures,office parks and industrial parks. Private open space areas required in cluster housing projects and planned unit developments should be worked into the open space network. Rear yards of residential lots backing on arterial streets can also contribute to the net effect as evidenced by the green belt effect that has occurred along portions of Phelan Boulevard in west Beaumont. �. g ' Tµ a '.rt £ WIFE Fs i Hillebrandt Bayou near the entrance to Tyrrell Park. 8 PROPOSALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Current Rehabilitation Needs Rehabilitation of existing parks and recreational facilities and the adaptive re-use of commercial and industrial structures and sites or any other facilities for recreational uses are important because they can significantly contribute to the City's urban and intercity neighborhood rehabilitation effects. City funds spent in a coordinated manner for housing and recreational rehabilitation can have a greater beneficial impact on a neighborhood than if these activities were carried out separately and without any consideration of the positive and negative impacts such activities might have on the other. Also rehabilitation,by its very nature of involving older facilities,generally affects lower income populations;populations which also are often composed of minority and elderly persons. Therefore, rehabilitation of neighborhoods usually involves improved recreational services /facilities for those populations least likely to be able to afford or have access to such services/facilities. The advisability of remodeling,rehabilitating,or developing new facilities varies with geographic location,age and size of the existing facility,and its extent of deterioration. Development of new parks in older fully developed neighborhoods is generally not feasible due to the lack of appropriate vacant sites. Exceptions are the "adaptive reuse" potential of unused public and commercial or industrial facilities. A promising approach to improving recreational opportunities in older,densely developed areas involve the rehabilitation of old,unused school sites and facilities for parks and recreational use. Current potential vacant school sites include:Edwards,Giles,Old Beaumont High,Tyrrell Park,Dick Dowling,and Charlton-Pollard High. Potential Parks and Open Space Rehabilitation Projects Rehabilitation of an existing park may encompass the replacement of obsolete or severely deteriorated equipment, structural rehabilitation of activity buildings and shelters,upgrading of dirt and hard-surface play areas,repair of damaged sidewalks and pool aprons,replacement of deteriorated,substandard swimnung and wading pools,and landscaping of park and building grounds. In addition to the sites listed and described at the bottom of the map which accompanies this text the following parks and We Mace areas are potential intermediate term rehabilitation projects. Perlstein Park(Special Park): The development of the Liberty/Laurel Overpass required the change in use of much of this park site from park proposes to street purposes. The remaining portion of this site might be redeveloped so it can serve as a landscaped open space park to compliment the new boulevard. Because of the unique use,location,and size of this park it now better fits the classification of a special park. McLean Park: This park might be re-designed as a more passive recreational facility in order to reflect the recently expressed desires of the neighborhood. Some of the current recreational equipment in the park could be relocated to another site in the general area. Potential"Adaptive Re-Use"Projects. In addition to the Edwards and Giles school sites listed and described at the bottom of the map which accompanies this text,the following parks and open space areas are potential intermediate term adoptive re-use projects Tyrrell Park School: This vacant building and its adjacent large acreage playground is accessible from two streets and is located in a neighborhood composed of large lot residential uses. As this residential area develops over time,the need for a neighborhood park will increase. The nearby Tyrrell Park is a regional park and therefore does not serve the area very well as a neighborhood facility. Although not ideally located within the neighborhood,this site may be useful for a neighborhood park or as a swap for land in a more appropriate location. Old Beaumont High School Building :Due to its location next to College Street and St. Anthony's Church,this site and some nearby vacant land has the potential to become an attractive urban green space;however,use of this site should only occur in the context of a re-development plan for the entire area. 9 New Park and Park Expansion Needs That area of the city which is generally north of Delaware Street and east of Eastex Freeway is grossly deficient in parks and recreational facilities and in open space areas. Currently, there is a minimum need of one neighborhood park for the area, however,two would be better. The current poorly located and seldom used Haynes Park is a leased site which is in the process of being de-activated and its recreational facilities moved to other recreational sites. A new park will be needed as a replacement for Haynes Park. In addition to the sites listed and described at the bottom of the map which accompanies this text,the following areas are potential intermediate term new or expansion projects. Barrett/Savery Road Area Piney Point Lane/Sherwood Street Area: Plant Rd.Area East of Helbig: For the central city area,i.e.,within IH-10 and Cardinal Drive(Loop 25 1)there is a significant need for re-locating existing parks as well as developing new parks. In addition to the sites listed and described at the bottom of the map which accompanies this text,the following areas are potential intermediate term new or expansion projects. St.Anthony's Church Area: Saint Anthony's Church is an important element of Beaumont's past and its future and should be given a more prominent visual presence in the future of downtown Beaumont. Vacant and dilapidated properties between the church and Park Street could be used to create an open space or special use park with the church as the focal point of the park as seen from Park Street. Combining this proposal with the adoptive re-use of the Old Beaumont High School property could provide downtown with a significant new"People Place"that would not only improve the looks of downtown but also contribute to the economic re-development of downtown. Dick Dowling Area: This area,which has lost a significant portion of its population and residential structures,is a potential residential re-development area that, if developed, would contribute significantly to the economic redevelopment of downtown Beaumont. Development of a park as the centerpiece of that re-development effort should be considered. The park should be designed to serve the specific needs of the re-development efforts and as a re- placement for Weiss Park which,in this Plan,is re-classified as a special park. For the western side of Beaumont,i.e.,west of Eastex Freeway and IH-10,the City's parks and recreational facilities are fairly new with little or no rehabilitation work needed. What is needed are more parks and recreational facilities,particularly in the form of neighborhood facilities. In addition to the sites listed and described below the map which accompanies this text,the following areas are potential intermediate term new or expansion projects. Dishman/Delaware Connector Road Area(Neighborhood Park) Folsom Between Major and Dowlen Roads(Community Park) Northwest Beaumont(Voth)Area(Neighborhood Park): Old Voth Rd./Hurly Rd.(Boreley Heights)Area: (Neighborhood Park) Parkdale Mall-Dowlen Road/Hwy. 105 Area: (Neighborhood Park) The Meadows Retention Basin(Community or Neighborhood Park) Tram/Major Road Area(Community Park) 23rd and Cartwright St.Area(Neighborhood Park) Wooten Rd./Shady Lane Area(Neighborhood Park): Re-locations / Closures /Re-classifications. Alice Keith Park: This park is much too small to be classified as a community park. The adoption of this plan would re-classify this park as a neighborhood park and designate Sprott Park as the community park for the south side of the City. 10 Charlton-Pollard Sites: Two parks in the Charlton-Pollard area need to be re-located. First,the current Carroll Street Park needs to be re-located to a site more in the center of the neighborhood. A site on the east side of Irving Street between the existing Jacobs Street Mini-Park and Mary Street could provide such a site. The existing Jacobs Street Mini-Park might also be incorporated into the new park. Second,that portion of Pipkin Park located west of Penn- sylvania Avenue is poorly used and should be re-located to a more centrally located site within the neighborhood. The currently vacant block south of Royal Street between Neches and Park streets is recommended as a potential re- placement site. Any alternate site should be west of Park Street. Fletcher Park: Fletcher Mini-Park either needs to be moved to anew location adjacent to Fletcher Elementary School or needs to be expanded to include a significant portion,if not all,of the block in which it is currently located. If moved near Fletcher School,the project should be developed as a joint venture between BISD and the City as BISD expands and remodels the school. Haynes Park: This park is on a leased,five acre site which is located in a very sparsely populated area,contains very little equipment,and just meets the five to ten acre standard for neighborhood parks. Haynes Park is in the process of being de-activated and its recreational facilities moved to other recreational sites. This facility should be and is recommended to be replaced by a new park along Bigner Road. Oakland/Maple Street Park: This poorly located and seldom used park is in the process of being de-activated and its recreational facilities moved to other recreational sites. Other newly improved nearby parks can provide for the area's recreational needs. Old Town Area: Ida Reed Park needs relocating somewhere within the Oaks Historic District. The current site does not serve the neighborhood very well because of its location. With the site bordering IH-10,the site could be sold for commercial/office use and the proceeds used to relocate the park at another location. Hebert Park is not being used and should be closed. The only facilities there are two tennis courts which are in poor condition. If McLean Park is redesigned and redeveloped to emphasize passive recreational activities as a recent survey indicates,a new neighborhood or community park might be developed on the south side of Smart Street,near and in conjunction with the existing recreational facilities of Central High School. Consideration of this option should only occur in conjunction with the development and adoption of a neighborhood plan for the area. Sprott Park: Expansion of this park to include some of the vacant land east of the park and the development and classification of the parkas a community park is recommended. A community center/gym might be considered for this site. Weiss Park: This park is no longer needed as a neighborhood park because the residential population has moved from the area. Because the park is in such a prominent location,consideration should be given to the possibility of re- designing and re-developing the park as a special park possibly on a commemorative theme based on the monument located at the center of the site or some other historical aspect of Beaumont's past. Open Space Needs Based on a park's classification,this Plan establishes minimum desirable percentages of a park's total land area that should be set aside for undeveloped natural or developed and landscaped open space areas. The percentage of total park acreage so reserved may however depend upon the uniqueness of a park's location or resources.Desired percentages of open space by type of park are provided in the legend of the park map. Percentages of land devoted to open space on individual parcels of developed land are spelled out in the City's Zoning Ordinance by the type of use the land is put to. This Plan can not require nor does it need to duplicate such standards. For the City as a whole however this Plan encourages the development of a linear parks system to provide for increased open space within the City. Not only would a city wide linear park system make a significant amount of park and recreation space accessible,it could also improve pedestrian access to the central business district,schools,commercial areas,and places of employment. Such a system could provide benefits far beyond recreation. It could serve as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization and sustainable growth. 11 The following is a discussion of areas in Beaumont which could possibly further contribute to the formation of a linear park system. Significant Natural Resource Areas: Significant natural resource areas,as defined in the context of this Plan are areas which preserve wildlife and plant habitats,wetlands,natural wooded areas,watercourses or other bodies of water,drainage ways and watersheds,and water recharge areas. The flood plains of the Neches River and Pine Island and Hillebrandt bayous should be recognized as significant natural resources which could provide the basis for an extended parks and open space system. Protection of these areas from further encroachment would not only provide valuable land for addition to the parks system,but also may reduce the need for future flood-control or drainage improvements. Hillebrandt Bayou is a large watercourse located in the southern portion of Beaumont's ETJ which provides habitat for significant amounts of wildlife as well as attractive vistas to the residents of the area. The recreational potential of this watercourse has yet to be exploited. Crossings of Hillebrandt Bayou at Humble Road and Hillebrandt Road are already beginning to experience a minimal amount of recreational use such as boating and fishing activities without the existence of developed piers,boat ramps, picnic areas,or parking spaces. These two areas could become a major provider of water-oriented recreational activities in the region.The numerous acres of wetlands associated with Hillebrandt Bayou may warrant a conservation easement in the future in order to protect those natural resources and wildlife. Drainage ways and Irrigation Canals: Beaumont is criss-crossed with major drainage ways and irrigation canals. These open space corridors provide opportunities for linear park or"greenbelt"development,which can include hike and bike paths,jogging paths,landscaped passive recreation areas,or can serve simply as visually interesting buffers between land uses. Full exploitation of these existing open-space corridors will require cooperation between the City,Drainage District No. 6 and the Lower Neches Valley River Authority. Any use of these corridors should be designed in such a way to minimize safety hazards to potential users and should not interfere with the primary functions of the drainage and irrigation facilities. Furthermore,the general lack of parks in the west side of town further emphasizes the importance of keeping canals and drainage ditches in mind when choosing the location of new parks. These canals could possibly accommodate water-oriented recreational activities such as un-motorized boating,rowing,or canoeing. Transportation and Utility R.O.W.'s and Easements :Rights-of-way of roads and utility easements can serve as pedestrian and bikeway corridors between residential areas and commercial areas,park and recreational facilities,and natural resource areas. They also provide valuable green or open space areas for people living and working in urbanized areas since road rights-of-way often contain landscaped green spaces, especially along thoroughfares like Phelan Boulevard. Larger open spaces exist among the IH-10 and Eastex Freeway rights-of-way. M.L.K.Parkway has also provided a great deal of new landscaped open space for the older intercity area of Beaumont. Beaumont also has a significant amount of railroad rights-of-way which cover every area of town and have a great potential for connecting residential,commercial,recreational and open space areas. Perhaps these railroad rights-of-way could be utilized as connector trails in the east side of the city where canals and drainage ditches are scarce. Close cooperation with the railroad companies would be required to accomplish this. Retention Ponds: Located west of Dowlen Road and surrounding the unimproved Folsom Road right-of-way is a new water retention basin which is under construction and will,when completed, provide a significant amount of permanent open green space. This area could however be adapted to a recreational use and is a prime location for a future community park. Another benefit to this site are the many drainage ways in the immediate vicinity which could accommodate connector trails. Another retention facility which has recently been completed is the Meadows facility south of Dishman Road. This facility has been developed with soccer fields but still has sufficient land to provide for a neighborhood or community park. 12 Appendix A PLAN DEVELOPMENT PROCESS Appendix A: THE PLANNING PROCESS While most of the physical planning for the park system is achieved by the City Planning staff in the Department of Public Works, the planning and provision of park and recreation services and activities is accomplished by the Director of Parks and Recreation and the director's administrative staff. The City Planning staff is responsible for coordinating the comprehensive park planning process and producing reports documenting the planning and policies formulations process. A considerable amount of technical assistance is provided to the Planning staff by the Parks and Recreation Department. The City's fourteen member Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee provides guidance to the Parks and Recreation staff and the City Planning staff in planning for park facilities and recreational services. The following discussion explains how the process of developing this plan was planned, guided and executed. Preliminary Stage(mid-1995 to mid-1996) The primary participants in the early stages of development of this plan were the City Planning and the Parks and Recreation office staff. At this stage,staff members prepared drag outlines of the plan text and map,created inventory forms and began inventorying existing conditions,created survey forms and,in general,got the plan development process started. The Planning staff also began preliminary needs assessment activities. In this early stage of production,the City Planning staff began to formulate evaluations regarding the physical nature of the park system. This was possible through several field inspections throughout the park system in order to inventory park facilities and also to obtain firsthand information regarding various issues such as maintenance and park usage. Needs assessment activities were generally begun immediately following the inventory and analysis of the park system inventory. Planning for this Parks and Open Space Plan utilized two forms of needs assessment methodologies; resource-based and standard-based. Standard-Based Needs Assessment The National Recreation and Park Association has set standards regarding the size of a park's service area as well as the appropriate acreage and number of facilities needed for the given size of a community. A comparison between current National Recreation and Park Association Standards and the number,size,and condition of existing facilities can indicate whether or not a park adequately serves its given service area. Facilities or parks not meeting current standards indicate areas where new facilities should be provided or existing facilities be improved. Acreage standards are intended to be used as general guidelines for analyzing existing park resources and for planning future improvements and are not to be used as rigid formulas for determining park land needs. In no case should standards be used as the sole justification for acquiring additional park land. The specific needs of individual neighborhoods,the availability of funding for park system development at any given time,and factors such as the needs of additional maintenance personnel and operating expenses that would be generated by the new acquisition should be carefully evaluated when considering new additions to the City's park land inventory. Resource-Based Needs Assessment Ifthe City ofBeaumont is to purchase more land to meet future park needs,the cost can be substantial. In many cases, suitable public land needed to meet many of the Beaumont parks deficiencies already exists. By utilizing resource based methods of needs assessmment,existing resources are allocated to meet appropriate parks and recreation needs. The Parks and Open Space Plan considers the use of existing resources such as undeveloped park land,easements,or floodplain property to meet future park and recreation needs. Abandoned school sites,commonly available in Beaumont,are an example of existing resources which have a great potential for providing park services, especially to inner-city communities. Intermediate Stage(1996 to December 1996) After the initial development stage,participation was expanded to include input from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee,the Planning Commission,various Neighborhood Associations,other governmental officials and interested citizens. Several drafts of the plan were produced during this period reflecting the interaction with these various groups. Neighborhood Planning Program The Neighborhood Planning Program of the Planning Division of the Department of Public Works is now a major component of the planning office's work effort. In the development of neighborhood plans,parks,recreation,and open space planning is a major component of those plans. Public participation in the development of those neighborhood plans is extensive and involves grass roots,local participation. Since all neighborhood plans go through a public hearing process prior to official adoption by the City Council,city wide citizen participation also occurs. After surveying all of the citizen participation techniques available in the parks,recreation, and open space planning process, it has been decided that the neighborhood planning process should become the cornerstone of future neighborhood oriented parks, recreation,and open space planning and implementation activities. City Planning staff attended Neighborhood Association meetings throughout this intermediate stage of plan development. Park and recreation related issues brought forth from these meetings provided valuable information during the development of the plan. Although a city wide parks and recreation citizen survey was not administered during the production of this plan,citizen surveys were completed on the neighborhood level. For example,the West Oakland/Pear Orchard Neighborhood Citizen Survey,the College Street Corridor Area Citizen Survey and the Old Town Neighborhood Resident Survey are all recent surveys which have provided valuable public input regarding the parks serving those neighborhoods. Future planning at the neighborhood level should ideally utilize the citizen survey,thus providing more data regarding public opinions of the parks in the Beaumont system. Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee The Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee(PRAC)regularly meets with the Director and staff of the Parks and Recreation Department to discuss park planning and recreational needs and to identify goals,objectives,and priorities. The PRAC is responsible on an ongoing basis for advising the City Council and City Manager on these matters. Therefore the City considers PRAC workshops and public meetings and hearings as the primary citizen involvement forum for setting priorities and selecting projects. The Parks and Open Space Plan was presented for discussion and approval during a December 1996 PRAC workshop. Final Stage(December 1996 to February 1997) In the later stages of development of this plan,the City Council,the Planning Commission and the general public became officially involved through the public hearing process. City Council The City Council and Planning Commission are both involved to the extent that either body may hold public hearings to solicit public input for the planning efforts. Typically,the Planning Commission will hold public meetings during the intermediate planning stages and a joint City Council/Planning Commission meeting would occur in the later stages of plan development. Official approval of the Parks and Open Space Plan follows receipt of recommendations from the Planning Commission and public City Council deliberation and approval of those recommendations. The Planning Commission held a workshop in December 1996 to discuss the plan. A public hearing was held during a joint City Council and Planning Commission Meeting on February 3, 1997 to discuss the final draft of the plan. Execution Stage(February 1997 to present) The final draft of the Parks and Open Space Plan was placed into effect on the date of adoption and will he implemented as planned. Appendix B INVENTORY Table B-1 PARK FACILITIES INVENTORY Na T' Ac P E u ft.:. ..Te rtis' Basket Swi4rlmi :..:.,. rr#e.....:.:... .t3at :.:: ...::yl .; .: red.:;:. .....�cnic.. . _q.. t3-:.. :.;;.:Q<..;;: .::....:!.;::. Wading:::; Carnmurlty Rest« Creative ::. >.>::>:>::>:> >:;:::.:;:,.;...;::>.::>.»::.>:::»::;.::>: a .:. ba I:;:::. :::;::::::.;:::: II, Pool:::::: . Pcioll.:.:: Center Rouen I round;: Areas.;;:.:<;.rn nt. i ba . ....... .... ........................._... _.... .................................................._....................:.::.:.:::::.:::. .:::::.:.........:::..,:....._.._.........::::.::.:..... ................:......... 9 ........ .. ........__ ...._. _ _..._ ........ ...... ... . __.. _. _...... .......__ _._... ...... .._. .. .... . _.. Alice Keith 1931 C 9.06 X X 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 X Athletic Complex 1976 U 124.00 X X 9 8 2 8 X Babe Zaharias 1951 U 26.97 X 2 X Caldwood 1900 N 2.5 X X 1 1 X Carroll Street 1947 N 9.0 X X 2 2 1 1 2 X Central 1920 C 13.9 X X 1 4 2 1 4 X Chaison 1943 N 2.1 X X 1 1 1 X Collier's Ferry 1992 U 1232 Combest 1950 N 2.80 X X 1 1 X Cottonwood 1951 N 2.58 X X 1 2 1 X Fair Park 1931 U 60 X 10 Fletcher 1980 M .20 X X X Forest 1958 N 2.5 X X Gilbert 1927 N 2.07 X X 1 2 Guseman 1977 N 2.70 X X Halbouty 1992 N 6.04 X X 1 2 1 Spray X Ida Reed 1921 N 2.25 X X 1 1 2 X Jacob's Street 1974 N .50 X X 2 X Klein 1981 C 28.75 X X 1 2 2 X Lefler 1990 C 42.00 X X 1 1 Spray X Liberia 1927 N 4.25 X X 1 1 2 1 X Magnolia 1913 C 16.85 X X 1 2 2 1 1 Rec Center 2 X McLean 1943 N 2.75 X X 1 1 X Perlstein 1968 M 0.25 X X Pine Street 1949 N 8.64 X X 1 1 2 1 X Pi kin 1919 N 4.91 X X 1 1 X Riverfront 1978 U 4.15 X X 2 X Roberts 1915 N 2.07 X X 1 1 1 1 X Rogers 1964 C 15.49 X X 1 4 2 1 1 2 X Sprott 1970 C 10.00 X X 1 2 2 1 1 2 X Tyrrell 1926 U 516.00 X X 2 1 4 X Wiess 1916 S 2.76 X X X Mthering Heigh 1990 S 19.95 Totals 2179.9 30 1 30 1 26 29 34 2 13 7 42 26 DEFRMIONS:(X)=Facilities present C=Community Park M=Mini Park N=Neighborhood Park R=Regional Park S=Special Park U=Urban Park Source: Park and Recreation Department,City of Beaumont May,1996 Figure B - 1 SERVICE AREA DEFICIENCIES ----�, f Legend neighborhood park 112 mile radius other park 1 12 mile radius x±:r: service area gj • deficiency '`'':a,4K^::,"`C ••;.�{ it ih{� •'::}l::ti}{.: •\'i'•'•' r,.<4'Lvi`ii:i•iv:i i{•xY'•. u�{t'�.i4t, Y 4Y:{t:ti iLtij:•': :t':*Mtn;•uiQn'.;, •'�•.� ttt �' ;,t o oe�� ARE ■ ,�, �daw4+tnYn� .yR ■ � ffi LVEL p3 ■ > 2•{:v tt M W +1•��vv 4n •µ':2#y tttt•`.ti} :.{iv}i`v\i}"t L � �``:".`�?'`. •.�ti ±Sys~.+•' ::��.,+:+ys';. R NORTH _ *Deficiencies are not present in areas which are typically un-developed,highly industrialized,or highly developed such as business or commercial districts. Prepared by the Planing Division,City of Beaumont,Texas 1996 Appendix C DEMOGRAPHICS Figure C - 1 CENSUS TRACTS �—_ BEAUM©NT, TEXAS 1090 cuT-DFF f n 1 .02 1 .03 \ o 2 STATE Y. '105 COI, EAST LUCAS 6 7 ,� NIORTH ! _ g \ L (nn 9 J �! 3 DELAWARE J / of o g y—, ! Q 3 4 % 3.0 W I.H. 10 I GLADYS AVE 1 o 3.06 CALDER .(� N �4V0 oN DOWNTOWN V A PHELAN BLVD w 3.04 rAC0�0 1 3.01 F w 14 18 BUFORD LF COLLEGE ST L 013.02 21 20 19 17 f-' WASHINGTON L BROCKMAN 1 Z ('p A 3.0 3 SARAH LAVACA 22 =o C'IRO C pRIVE 25 2 2 6 t _ FLORIDA d 113 ,> L FRINT_ � .-. -.-.-.- - _.. /. BASE MAP SOURCE: BEAUMONT CITY PLANNING OFFICE Table C-1 POPULATION GROWTH BY CENSUS TRACT: 1980 to 1990 T ra ct 1980 1990 Change % Change 1 (pt.) 2778 3833 1055 38.0 .02 1776 189 121 67 1 .03 ( t.) 3007 2612 -395 -13.1 2 4017 4288 271 6.7 3 .01 (pt.) 2947 5966 3019 102.4 3.02 3737 4570 833 22.3 3.03 10264 1229 12.0 3.04 6911 6420 -491 -7.1 3.06 7451 3.06 4042 4 4303 4264 -39 -0.9 5 2713 2558 -155 -5.7 6 7299 6372 -927 -12.7 7 4422 3455 -967 -21 .9 8 (pt.) 1305 912 -393 -30.1 9 2542 2276 -266 -10.5 10 (pt.) 2492 1497 -995 -39.9 11 3586 3425 -161 -4.5 12 2538 2150 -388 -15.3 13.01 6092 5419 -673 -11 .0 1 3 .0 2 (p t.) 1967 3116 1 149 58.4 13 .03 (p t.) 1708 2267 559 32.7 14 1123 617 -506 -45.1 15 1029 642 -387 -37.6 16 (pt.) 345 911 566 164.1 17 3177 2171 -1006 -31 .7 18 (pt.) 2346 1449 -897 -38.2 19 3747 3064 -683 -18.2 20 2746 2464 -282 -10.3 21 4920 4125 -795 -16.2 22 (p t.) 3842 3108 -734 -19.1 23 6031 5124 -907 -1 24 3119 2995 -124 -4.0 25 (p t.) 3431 3592 161 4.7 26 (p t.) 5807 512 -682 -1 1 . 112 t.) 0 73 73 114 (pt.) 35 73 38 108.6 TOTALS 118102 1 14323 -3779 .00 1 -3 .2 * For the 1990 Census,Tract 3.03 was split into tracts 3.05 and 3.06. The indicated change reflected in the 1990 Census is for Tracts 3.05 and 3.06 combined. Source: U.S.Bureau of Census Figure C-2 Population Trends 1920 to 1990 Plus Projections to 2020 140000- 120000- XI NX 100000 - 80000- ..... .... ... ... ..... ..... ..... 60000- ...... ..... X X`11:1 40000 20000 0 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 [fl Beaumont Population Projections: year 2000 2010 2020 POP. 122109 129545 137434 Sources: U.S.Bureau of Census *Projections from the 1995 Water Quality Management Plan, South East Texas Regional Planning Commission Figure C-3 1990 Population by Age Group and Sex 10000- 8000- -XX 6000- 4000- X. X 2000- X, 0 ...... ...... ... I-------T- 0 to 4 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 34 35 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75&over Female Male Source: U.S. Bureau of Census Figure C-4 1990 Ethnic/Racial Characteristics ::::::................................::..::::.. White-52.9%• Asian-1.5% spamc-4.31 o k-41% White Black ® Hispanic Asian Native American Other Source:U.S. Bureau of Census Figure C-5 Changes in Ethnic/Racial Characterictics 1970-1990 70% xx 60% 50% 40% s0% 20% 10% 0% 1970 1980 1990 White Black Hispanic ■ Asian/Pacific Islander ® Native American Other Source:U.S. Bureau of Census Appendix D STANDARDS AND DESIGN CONCEPTS Table D-1 PARK STANDARDS iVEIGHBOIZHOOQ COMMUTIHTY URIA11t I'gRK RE+GIONAI"PARK SPl~C1Af PARK PARK. P.A.RI4 ...: ACREAGE 5-10 20-40 Varies, usually 30- 100+ Varies. 50. SERVICE AREA 1/4 to'/mile 1 mile radius; Varies, usually the Entire city. Varies,usually entire city. radius;one 3 to 7 entire city. neighborhood. neighborhoods. POPULATION 2,000-10,000 10,000-50,000 Entire City. Entire city Varies, usually entire city SERVED LOCATION Near center of Near Varies, usually on a Fringe of urbanized Varies, usually on a neighborhood on convergence of major thorough-fare. area. major thoroughfare. collector or minor several street,ideally next neighborhoods to an elementary on major school. thoroughfare; access to public transit desirable. FACILITIES Playground Playgrounds, Same as Community Picnic areas, Varies, usually special equipment, picnic picnic areas, Park. playgrounds,golf athletic or cultural areas,shelter, community course, nature trails, facilities. wading pool, center,jogging ponds or small lakes, athletic field, trails,swimming athletic fields,scenic softball diamond, pool,athletic natural areas,softball basketball courts; fields,softball diamonds, unique city- varies with and baseball wide attractions,such neighborhood diamonds as botanical gardens or needs I I I zoos NOTE: In most cases,only some of the facilities listed for each park type will be provided in any one park. The intensity and extent of development of each site will be determined on an individual basis,depending upon neighborhood needs,characteristics of the site and available funding. Sources: National Recreation and Park Association 1996 Parks and Recreation Department,City of Beaumont 1996 Appendix D: STANDARDS AND DESIGN CONCEPTS Neighborhood Unit Concept One of the most widely utilized planning principles is the neighborhood unit concept. The neighborhood is often described as the basic Thoroughfare building block of urban planning. Figure B - 1 Co ni nce illustrates the neighborhood unit concept, with Lower major emphasis on a centrally located combined Densities 0 tt Jr park and elementary school site, and collector hero streets which route internal traffic to major thoroughfares without bisecting the N hb ooa e neighborhood or encouraging through traffic to c (ec 15 r ark), e' , enter the neighborhood. rep ` cHigherlI �o\ t 0 Denal . The practice of providing each neighborhood _ _ m Dennsities with a centrally located neighborhood park is i m beneficial to neighborhood residents in a number District of ways: children can walk or bicycle to the park without crossing major thoroughfares, neighborhood residents are provided with a Thoroughfare scenic open space recreation area,new parks can be specifically planned to meet the unique needs of neighborhood residents based upon age composition,and the park can help in providing —' the neighborhood with a sense of identity. Figure D-1 : The Neighborhood Unit Concept Activity Center Concept The arrangement and location of public facilities and services to meet human needs in an efficient,economical,safe and functional manner is one of the principal reasons for comprehensive urban planning. In order to meet these needs,people,facilities,and services must be brought together. There are two primary mechanisms for bringing people and services together: distribution of facilities and services throughout the urban area,and transportation of people to facilities. In other words,services and facilities can be taken to the people, or the people can be transported to the services and facilities. Each method has its advantages; distribution of facilities reduces the need for travel,and therefore reduces the need for the financial,environmental,and energy costs associated with urban transportation systems. On the other hand,not all facilities can be distributed easily or economically, especially if they must be of a certain minimum size to operate efficiently. Obviously,neither transportation nor distribution can individually meet the people's needs for access to services and facilities;both methods must be used to make services and facilities available equitably,efficiently and conveniently. Mobility varies according to age, sex and income, while distribution of facilities is constrained by size, efficiency and economy, and accessibility requirements. For this reason,cities are structured in a hierarchial arrangement wherein people must travel different distances to reach different facilities and the facilities are characterized by having various sizes of geographic service areas,depending upon the function of the facility. All elements of Beaumont's Comprehensive Plan, including the Parks and Open Space element, are based in part upon this hierarchy of human activity centers. The activity center hierarchy serves the following purposes: 1) providing for each age,sex and income group a set of appropriate facilities; 2) determining for each set of facilities a service area; 3) establishing an activity center for each service area;and 4) facilitating the development of a hierarchy of neighborhoods,districts,communities and regions based on successively wider interests and activities. The following sections define and explain each of the six types of activity centers used in the formulation of all elements of the Comprehensive Plan. It should be noted that the term"center"refers to a cluster of facilities rather than a single building. Neithhorhood Center: The neighborhood center is located in the approximate geographical center of a residential neighborhood. The neighborhood is approximately 1 square mile in area,although the actual size depends on a combination of natural and man-made features. In most cases,thoroughfares that are routed around the perimeter of the neighborhood form its boundary. The neighborhood center includes an elementary school and neighborhood park and can also include social services facilities for the residents of the neighborhood. The center is primarily pedestrian oriented although collector streets and bikeways do provide for automotive and bicycle accessibility. District Centers: District centers are located at major thoroughfare intersections at the approximate geographical center and convergence of three to five neighborhoods. They may include and support a broad range of activities,facilities and services such as neighborhood shopping centers,professional office facilities,recreational facilities,junior high schools,churches,branch libraries,fire fighting facilities,and higher density residential development. Community Centers: Community centers are located at major thoroughfare intersections at the approximate geographical center of three to five districts. The community center,as a development concept,is essentially the same as the district center concept but expanded and refined in function,size and service capability. It may include community shopping centers,satellite health clinics, high schools, churches, office complexes, community recreational facilities, and higher density residential developments. Regional Centers: Regional centers are located at interchanges of major circumferential and radial freeways or expressways near the approximate geographical center of each region. They may include hospitals,branch libraries,governmental agencies, major office complexes,regional shopping centers,and higher density residential development. Metropolitan Centers: Metropolitan centers may include a downtown retail trade,financial institutions,high-rise offices and residential facilities, hotels,major convention and tourist facilities,cultural centers,recreational facilities,entertainment facilities,and major governmental offices. The five types of centers that have been reviewed will not necessarily have all of the preceding facilities,but would differ in character and composition in accordance with the various unique needs of each particular service area. Multi-Puruose Corridors: Multi-purpose corridors are located along freeways and expressways and can include highway oriented commercial facilities,wholesale and warehousing operations,restricted light industry,business offices,hotels and motels,and higher density residential uses. Application of the Activity Center Concept to the Park and Open Space System: Table D-1 describes the hierarchical arrangement of urban parks and lists standards for each type of park. The hierarchy contains neighborhood, community,urban , regional and special use park classifications. Neighborhood parks should be located in neighborhood activity centers; community parks should be located in district or community activity centers; urban parks should be located in either regional or metropolitan centers. Regional parks,because of their size and requirement for substantial scenic natural areas,are generally not located in activity centers. Special use facilities can be located in district,community,metropolitan, regional,or multipurpose corridor activity centers. Open space corridors could theoretically pass through any type of activity center,and,where possible,should be utilized as connecting pedestrian and bicycle corridors between activity centers. Original Map Located In Map Folder in Vault of Clerks Office