COR CPC Agenda Packet
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Collins/Arapaho TOD & Innovation District Rezoning Initiative Block Party and Online Survey Summary of Responses June-July 2019 Document Table of Contents Click on the links below to go to each section Section 1 Block Party Participant Results – Notes Summary – Block Party Photos – Additional Comments Section 2 Keypad Polling Results – Data Response Tables Section 3 Block Party Participant Survey – Open-Ended Comments Section 4 Online Survey Results – Illustrative Images – Open-Ended Comments Section 1 Block Party Participant Results Innovation District Block Party is a big success! Block Party Background As part of its Rezoning Initiative for the Collins-Arapaho TOD and Innovation District, the City of Richardson held an Innovation District Block Party on June 13 and 14, 2019. The event was held outdoors on the City-owned property at 1302 E. Collins, in the District along Duck Creek. An evening session on Thursday was held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. and a lunch session was held Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Innovation District Block Party had three primary objectives: • Engage a wide range of people in the discussion about the future of the District; • Gain input from participants that is relevant to the rezoning effort underway now; and • Use creative approaches to help everyone imagine opportunities for the future of this area. The Block Party was a collaboration between the City of Richardson, the consultant team hired for the Rezoning Initiative (Kimley-Horn, Inc., Strategic Community Solutions LLC and Jacobs) and the Better Block Foundation. The Block Party included nine stations where participants could talk to staff and consultants and then provide feedback and input on various aspects of the rezoning. The stations were designed to be interactive as well as informative. To demonstrate a different future for the area, Better Block constructed a ‘pop-up’ trail along Duck Creek, with two bridges across P a g e | 1 it. The demonstration also included tables, chairs and hammocks for relaxing along the creek. Participants could try out the demonstration open space area, and could also play a variety of games provided, enjoy music by The Special Edition Band and purchase food and drink from local food trucks. At registration, participants received a ‘passport’ which was stickered at each of the stations the participant visited. The completed passports were returned and entered into a drawing for twenty gift cards. All the activities described above were available to participants on Thursday night and Friday at lunchtime. On Thursday evening, a presentation was made about the project and its objectives. Keypad polling was used to gain input from the group gathered at that time. Results – Participation Turnout was great! A total of 373 people participated in the Block Party, with 252 joining on Thursday night and 121 participating on Friday. Participants completed and returned 197 passports. At registration, participants used dots to mark an aerial photograph indicating where they lived and worked. The dots placed on the map show that 83 participants work in the District and 10 live here. Results – Ideas Shared at Stations Each station generated a large number of ideas and comments – so many that a new set of maps were printed for the Friday session. The details of these station ideas are provided here in the following subsection. Among the highlights: P a g e | 2 Moving Around The District • All the major streets in and around the District were marked as routes where participants would bike or walk. • Concern was expressed about speed on Greenville and other aspects of safety, particularly for cyclists and pedestrians. • Suggestions were made for the use of pedicabs, electric scooters, shuttle buses and trolleys. • Trail extensions were proposed. An extension of the Duck Creek trail north of Collins, to connect to Greenville and Eastside, was particularly desired. • Street improvements were also proposed. Duck Creek Opportunity Site The top four attractions people would like to see along Duck Creek are: Exhibit 1: Top Duck Creek Attractions P a g e | 3 The four development types people think should be along Duck Creek are: Exhibit 2: Top Duck Creek Development Types Greenville Avenue Opportunity Site The five residential development building types that are most appropriate in the area along Greenville Avenue are: Exhibit 3: Top Greenville Residential Types P a g e | 4 DART Arapaho Station Opportunity Site The four things that represent the best fit for the area around the DART station are: Exhibit 4: Best Fit Around the DART Station The top four activities people would like to see near the DART station are: Exhibit 5: Top Activities Around the DART Station P a g e | 5 Industrial Core These are the five building finishes that would do the most to improve the physical appearance of the industrial core of the Innovation District: Exhibit 6: Top Building Finishes in the Industrial Core Living and Working These two types of live-work space are most appropriate in the District: Exhibit 7: Most Appropriate Live-Work Types P a g e | 6 Particular types of live-work space are appropriate in different parts of the District. Block Party participants overall thought that the five live-work types were appropriate as shown below. Concept 1. 33% of Block Party participants Traditional design, thought this design was appropriate with an office or most places in the District, 25 thought shop downstairs it was appropriate just along Greenville and bedrooms Road and 24% thought it was upstairs. appropriate everywhere in the District. Concept 2. 41% of Block Party participants Contemporary unit thought this design was appropriate with studio space most places in the District and 40% downstairs and thought it was appropriate everywhere bedrooms upstairs. in the District. Concept 3. 32% of Block Party participants Rowhouse design, thought this design was appropriate but with business everywhere in the District and 22% spaces included on thought it was appropriate most places the ground floor. in the District. On the other hand, 24% of participants thought it was not appropriate in the District. Concept 4. Ground 34% of Block Party participants floor businesses, thought this design was appropriate just near the DART Station. But 47% residential units of participants thought it was not above, mod. appropriate in the District. density. Concept 5. 25% of Block Party participants separate business thought this design was appropriate Spaces and housing just near the DART Station. But 26% units, in the same of participants thought it was not high-density urban appropriate in the District. building. P a g e | 7 Employment and Startups In the view of Block Party participants, the four top things that will help an existing business succeed are: • Parks, trails and pedestrian infrastructure • Improved appearance of streets • Resources for building improvements and modernization • More retain and shopping opportunities in the area. The four things that Block Party participants felt will be most beneficial to startups are: • More traditional office space • More activity centers • More multimodal transportation • Alternative office space Welcome to a Future Trail Ideas for the Duck Creek trail include: • Dog parks • Park benches under shade trees • Trail extensions connecting this area to other parts of town • A range of active recreational courts or equipment • Land of tolerance and diversity • Concern to prevent teen crime and theft • Restaurants and entertainment Results – Keypad Polling Keypad polling is a technique for obtaining input or feedback from a group of participants. It uses hand-held keypads and wireless technology to poll all participants at once. The polling is immediate and anonymous. The results are projected on the screen so participants can immediately see the results. As a result, all participants can quickly gain a sense of the group’s degree of agreement and the extent to which an individual’s own perspective is shared by other group members. This technique summarizes the responses from all group members to specific questions, so it complements the individual comments received through other participation techniques, such as open-ended question and answer sessions. A keypad polling exercise followed the presentation on Thursday night. About 110 people participated. The polling showed that Block Party participants represent the wide range of interests people have in the District, and that many participants come here very frequently, with half the participants saying they are here ‘nearly every weekday’. P a g e | 8 Participants identified improving the look and feel of the District’s streets and entrances as the idea that is most important to making the District a better place to work and own a business. Improving technology infrastructure and creating an identity are also rated as very important. All the activities suggested by the polling questions would cause participants to come to the District more often. The activities that would be most likely to bring people here are special events and places to eat and drink, at both Arapaho Station and Duck Creek. The rezoning initiative can modify the area’s zoning so these activities are more likely to locate here. The full report on the keypad polling is in Section 2 of this document. Results – Additional Comments Comment sheets were provided at registration so anyone who wanted to provide additional comments could do so. Eight people provided these comments. Their specific comments can be found in the subsection below. Some of the ideas shared are: • Plant trees along the trails to encourage people to bike and walk. • Provide many types of housing in this area. • Decrease Greenville to one lane and reduce speeds. • Consider drainage implications downstream of any changes made to this stretch of Duck Creek. • Add art, artists and events to the area.