Prepared by the Master of Urban Planning Program Department of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning Texas A & M University
Team: Jeremy Cross Preeti Shankar Jian Shen Heather Wade
Under the guidance of Dr. Elise Bright
Troy, Texas Comprehensive Plan
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section I. State of the Community Report (Fact Base) ...... 13
Executive Summary ...... 13
History and Governance ...... 16
Natural Environment ...... 17
Floodplain ...... 17
Wetlands ...... 18
Slope ...... 19
Impervious Cover ...... 20
Tree Canopy ...... 21
Soils ...... 22
Hazards ...... 23
Flooding ...... 23
Tornadoes ...... 23
EPA Tracked Polluting Facilities ...... 24
Land Suitability Analysis ...... 25
Introduction ...... 25
Data Source ...... 25
Attribute Scores for Land Characteristics ...... 25
Composite Land Suitability Map ...... 30
Population ...... 39
Total Population and Historic Trends...... 39
Racial Composition ...... 39
Age Breakdown ...... 40
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Education Attainment ...... 41
Household Size and Income ...... 42
Commuting Time...... 44
Projections ...... 45
Conclusions ...... 45
Economy ...... 47
Methodology...... 47
Employment Rate ...... 49
Top Employers ...... 50
Location Quotient ...... 50
Shift-Share Analysis ...... 52
Growth Rate ...... 53
Linear Projection ...... 53
Conclusions ...... 56
Land Use ...... 57
Current Land Use ...... 57
Current Zoning ...... 59
Community Facilities ...... 61
Administration Centers ...... 61
Education Facilities ...... 61
Senior Centers ...... 61
Youth Centers ...... 61
Parks and Recreational Facilities ...... 62
Health Care Facilities ...... 62
Community Centers ...... 62
Public Safety Facilities ...... 62
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Housing...... 63
Value ...... 63
Rental Property ...... 63
Vacancy ...... 64
Infrastructure ...... 65
Existing Transportation Infrastructure ...... 65
Existing Water Infrastructure ...... 65
Existing Sewer Infrastructure ...... 66
Urban Design ...... 66
Regional Continuity ...... 67
Nodes & Landmarks ...... 67
Corridor District ...... 68
Historic Downtown & Main Street ...... 71
Residential District 1 ...... 72
Residential District 2 ...... 73
Residential District 3 ...... 74
Residential District 4 ...... 76
Survey Results ...... 77
Demographics ...... 77
Education, Work Status and Income Level ...... 77
Community Development Satisfaction ...... 77
SWOT Analysis ...... 81
Natural Environment ...... 81
Population ...... 82
Economy ...... 83
Land Use...... 83
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Community Facilities ...... 84
Strengths ...... 84
Housing ...... 85
Infrastructure ...... 86
Urban Design...... 86
Section II. The Future Troy (Vision, Goals and Objectives) ...... 88
1. Introduction...... 89
2. Future Environment ...... 89
Goal 2.1: Preserve open space, farmland, and environmentally sensitive areas...... 89
Goal 2.2: Deliver recreation that inspires personal growth, healthy lifestyles, and a sense of community. .... 90
Goal 2.3: Provide environmental community outreach and education programs...... 90
Action Strategies ...... 90
Funding Strategies ...... 91
3. Future Economy ...... 94
Goal 3.1 Provide and maintain A good environment for the existing major employers in Troy ...... 94
Goal 3.2 Encourage small local businesses that will serve residents on a daily basis ...... 94
Goal 3.3 Create attractive city image and mixed use development to inspire a dynamic commercial foundation ...... 94
Action Strategies ...... 94
Funding Strategies ...... 95
4. Future Land Use ...... 98
Goal 4.1: Generate a region of mixed use in the downtown region of Troy...... 98
Goal 4.2: Ensure appropriate levels of land use for the city’s needs ...... 98
Goal 4.3: Maintain buffers between incompatible land uses ...... 98
Action Strategies: ...... 98
5. Future Community Facilities...... 99
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Goal 5.1: Create community facilities that integrate and promote interaction among the residents...... 99
Goal 5.2: Develop and maintain facilities that adequately respond to the fire protection and public safety needs as quickly as possible...... 99
Action Strategies: ...... 99
Funding Strategies: ...... 100
6. Future Housing ...... 101
Goal 6.1: Provide a diverse housing market ...... 101
Goal 6.2 : Preserve existing housing ...... 101
Goal 6.3: Increase affordable housing for renters and homebuyers ...... 101
Goal 6.4: Promote Appropriate design and layout of future housing developments ...... 101
Action Strategies: ...... 101
Funding Strategies: ...... 102
7. Future Infrastructure...... 103
Goal 7.1: Maintain adequate service for all regions supported by Troy...... 103
Goal 7.2: Create and follow a schedule to update the infrastructure facilities ...... 103
Goal 7.3: Ensure an adequate level of water is provided to the city ...... 103
Action Strategies ...... 103
Funding Strategies ...... 103
8. Future Urban Design ...... 104
Goal 8.1: build a city that boosts Troy’s close-knit community character through urban design...... 104
Goal 8.2: Create a distinctive city center in the downtown that gives a sense of arrival...... 104
Goal 8.3: Preserve and accentuate historic buildings in the downtown...... 104
Goal 8.4: Instill confidence in downtown as primary market for development...... 104
Action Strategies ...... 105
Funding Strategies: ...... 106
Section III. Planning Alternatives ...... 109
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Environment ...... 109
Protected Areas ...... 110
Park System ...... 112
Economy ...... 117
Option 1: No Change ...... 117
Option 2: Wal-Mart ...... 117
Option 3: Neighborhood Grocery Store in Downtown ...... 118
Option 4: Flea Market, Farmer’s Market ...... 119
Land Use ...... 122
Option 1: No Change ...... 122
Option 2: Easily Attainable City ...... 123
Option 3: Ideal City 2030 ...... 125
Community Facilities ...... 127
Option 1: No change ...... 127
Option 2: Centralized Community Facilities ...... 127
Option 3: Spread-out facilities ...... 128
Housing...... 129
Option 1: No change ...... 129
Option 2: Expand Multi Family ...... 129
Option 3: Expand Single Family Residential to North ...... 129
Option 4: Mixed use in South and Downtown ...... 129
Infrastructure ...... 132
Option 1: No Change ...... 132
Option 2: Expanded Systems ...... 132
Urban Design ...... 134
Gateways Into City ...... 134
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Option 1: Face-lift, façade clean-up ...... 135
Option 2: Historic Downtown ...... 138
Option 3: Western-themed downtown ...... 147
Section IV. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION ...... 151
I. Regulatory Implementation ...... 151
1. Zoning Ordinance ...... 151
2. Historic Preservation Ordinance ...... 151
3. Tree Ordinance ...... 152
4. Annexation ...... 152
II. Capital Improvements ...... 152
III. Administrative Measures ...... 152
References ...... 153
Appendix ...... 154
LCAT Checklist of New Urbanism ...... 154
Checklist of Smart Growth ...... 157
Checklist of Design with Nature ...... 159
Population Analysis ...... 160
Land Use Requirements ...... 162
Prescribed Colors by National Trust for Historic Preservation ...... 163
From: Heather Wade, Preeti Shankar, Jian Shen, Jeremy Cross ...... 169
Troy Zoning Ordinance Review - Divisions of Document ...... 171
Definitions ...... 171
Kennel ...... 171
Home Occupation ...... 171
Family ...... 171
Mobile Home ...... 171
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Accessory Building ...... 171
Undefined ...... 171
Unnecessary Definitions ...... 172
Troy ...... 172
Model Zoning Ordinance (SZEA) ...... 172
Zoning ...... 173
Agricultural District ...... 173
Urban Estate ...... 173
Single Family Dwelling District 1 ...... 173
Single Family Dwelling District 2 ...... 173
Single Family Dwelling District 3 ...... 173
Mobile Home District ...... 173
Multiple Family Dwelling District 1 ...... 173
Multiple Family Dwelling District 2 ...... 173
Local Retail District ...... 174
General Business District ...... 174
Light Industrial District ...... 174
Heavy Industrial District ...... 174
Planned Development District ...... 174
Zoning Admendments ...... 174
Pyramidal Zoning ...... 181
Definitions ...... 181
Family ...... 181
Lot ...... 181
Plat ...... 181
Wildlife Management Use ...... 182
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Not defined ...... 182
Historic Preservation ...... 182
Sample Historic Preservation Ordinance For Troy, Texas ...... 182
Landscape Regulations ...... 189
A. Placement and Organization of Development...... 189
B. Landscape Materials...... 190
C. Implementation...... 190
Sign Regulations...... 190
1. Authority and Intent ...... 190
2. exemptions, Prohibited Signs, and Temporary signs ...... 191
3. Sign Permit Applications and Submission Requirements ...... 192
4. Types of Signs ...... 192
5. Sign Location and Area ...... 193
6. Sign Lighting ...... 193
7. District Regulations ...... 194
Design Standards ...... 195
Detailed Residential Design Standards ...... 195
Residential Design Options ...... 195
Residential Design Elements ...... 196
Roof Design ...... 197
Modulation and Massing ...... 197
Porches and Entries ...... 197
Architectural Details ...... 198
Approved Siding Materials ...... 198
Windows ...... 199
Garages and Accessory Structures ...... 199
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Architectural Regulations ...... 200
A. Philosophy ...... 200
B. Building Elements ...... 200
C. Conservation Standards...... 200
Parking ...... 201
1. Add “Purpose” Section...... 201
2. Parking ...... 201
3. Create a table for Minimum dimensions of off-street parking ...... 201
4. Development and maintenance of parking areas ...... 202
5. Parking for Disabled Persons ...... 202
Divisions of Document ...... 204
Millican Reserve ...... 204
Model Subdivision Regulations ...... 204
Comparisons ...... 204
Subdivision Ordinance Review and Suggested Changes...... 205
Subdivision Ordinance Review ...... 209
Procedures for Administration ...... 238
Content Evaluation ...... 238
Special Topics...... 238
Regulations ...... 238
Land Use ...... 239
Comparisons ...... 239
Zoning ...... 239
Single Family Residential ...... 239
Common Property ...... 240
Nature Preserve ...... 240
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Procedures for Administration ...... 240
Content Evaluation ...... 240
Regulations ...... 240
Land Use ...... 241
Division of Document ...... 241
Troy Subdivision Ordinance...... 241
Model Subdivision Regulations ...... 242
Definitions ...... 243
Procedures for Administration ...... 244
Content Evaluation ...... 244
Regulations ...... 244
Comparisons ...... 244
Team Bios ...... 245
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SECTION I.
STATE OF THE COMMUNITY REPORT
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SECTION I. STATE OF THE COMMUNITY REPORT (FACT BASE)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In order to create a comprehensive plan for the City of Troy, state of the community and SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analyses were performed. The following topics are evaluated and presented in this document: history, natural environment, population, economy, land use, community facilities, housing, infrastructure, urban design, and survey results. The state of the community report ends with the SWOT analysis.
When evaluating the natural environment, the following variables were analyzed: floodplain, wetlands, slope, impervious cover, tree canopy, soils, and hazards. Many of these variables are good indicators of development suitability. Particularly, floodplain, wetlands, slope, and tree canopy help to identify environmentally sensitive areas that warrant permanent protection. Additionally, soils can be analyzed to find suitable areas for development. Finally, hazards are covered to raise awareness of the impacts flooding and tornadoes can have on the community.
The population of Troy in 2000 was 1,378 people. Projections show that the population will reach 2,347 people in 2030. In general, Troy’s population is young. The majority of the population is under 30 years of age. Compared to the state and county, Troy shows a higher percentage of females. The population is well educated. Around 80% of the population has a high school diploma or equivalent. The median household income was $39,250 in 1999, which is higher than the county and lower than the state. Most of the households are neither wealthy nor in poverty but there is a higher percentage of households with income levels lower than $10,000, as compared to the state and county level. Most of the residents travel for 15-20 minutes to work, indicating that a high number of the working population might work in adjacent cities, such as Temple.
Troy has a very low unemployment rate. The major employment sectors are educational, health and social services; manufacturing; retail trade; and transportation, warehousing and utilities. Retail trade is growing faster than other sectors, despite that they are basic industries. Historical trends show that, except for retail trade, the other sectors are losing local competitiveness. Therefore, the projection suggests that retail trade will be the top employer. If Troy wants to continue to prosper in the future a considerable amount of attention must be given to the future demand for space requirements, water and sewer facilities, schools, parks, and other infrastructure and community facilities and services to accommodate these growing and vitally important industries.
The land use in Troy has some variety, but is mostly dominated by agriculture and open space areas. The developed parts of town mostly consist of single family residential. There is also a bit of industrial and commercial mixed in, mostly along the highway. The zoning for Troy mostly matches the existing land use, though there are a few exceptions and some zones that may need to be reclassified to limit uses better. The commercial zoning may need to be reduced to ensure that commercial land values stay high enough to attract good commercial venues.
Troy’s ISD has excellent campuses and is one of the biggest employers; its quality is also a reason that many young families move into the city. The City Hall and community center are adequate and can be redesigned to be the central node of the city. There is a need for youth centers and senior centers. The nearest health care facility is 8 miles from Troy; a small clinic is an immediate requirement. The existing parking is well-designed, and can be expanded. New parks with walking trails can be designed.
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Housing was analyzed in terms of value, rental property, and vacancy. The estimated median house value has risen from $58,700 in 2000 to $84,910 in 2007, indicating that more expensive housing is being built in Troy, older homes are being renovated or that people are seeking housing outside of Temple in a close, but smaller town. This suggests there is an increased demand for housing in the city. Additionally, more than 60% of the rental areas are clustered in two parts of the city. Finally, a smaller cluster of residential housing at the south end of town includes 15-25% of vacant structures.
Current transportation infrastructure in Troy is limited to roads with a few sidewalks in newer areas. Things to consider for Troy’s transportation infrastructure are that I-35 is expanding and will change the shape of the town, and that a Safe Routes to School grant has been received to expand the walking network around the schools. The water network has been expanded with the city buying new lines in the north from the Elm Creek Water Supply Corporation, and the existing well has been expanded. These recent changes have made Troy’s water infrastructure strong for the immediate future. The sewer network of Troy is in a good position to supply support for the town. Overall the infrastructure of Troy is providing adequate or better service and has good opportunity to expand as necessary.
Presently, the views along the highway are not very pleasing due to the unattractive uses located along it. The city does not have a prominent gateway or sign that gives a sense of arrival into Troy. The historical downtown is the landmark of the city and provides redevelopment opportunities to provide a central civic space for the community. The churches are important meeting nodes.
The views of the highway give a very misleading picture of the town character. The houses are mostly well- designed and maintained, although many streets lack basic streetscape elements, such as trees and attractive lighting. Older houses along Main Street have a unique style and need to be preserved. The newer developments provide a range of housing sizes.
The survey results show that people are satisfied with the quietness and small town atmosphere of Troy. However, strong concerns over the lack of community facilities, senior centers, parks and street improvements were apparent in the survey. Regarding economic development, respondents prefer local businesses that will improve the convenience of life, as opposed to huge growth that will disturb it. Finally, more walkability and connectivity are desired. The majority of respondents to the City of Troy survey are above the median household income level, well-educated and all have long residency in the community.
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The following SWOT was created based on the state of the community:
Strengths Weaknesses - strong school system -Poor first impression -I35 corridor -lack of community facilities -active church population -inadequate parks, trails, and sidewalks -low crime -drug abuse -long time caring residents -code enforcement -natural features (i.e. tree canopy, wetlands, creeks)
SWOT
Opportunities -capital increase from interstate Threats -commercial growth -landlocked by Temple -annexation -Losing small town feel -population growth -Increase in crime -space for high quality, planned development -Decrease in the standard of living -downtown revitalization -Poor strip commercial development -pedestrian and bike connections
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HISTORY AND GOVERNANCE
Troy is a small rural town in central Texas, located in the northeastern portion of Bell County. It is a bedroom community that sits along Interstate Highway 35 between Temple and Waco.
The City of Troy is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). This city was founded around a railway station on the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad in 1882, and persisted as a shipping point for cotton, livestock, and other agricultural products of the region. The population grew rapidly from 1978 (population: 704) to 1990 (population: 1395) due to the development in single-family housing neighborhoods on the east side of town. The population estimate program of the US Census gives 1,425 as the total population in 2008, indicating that the population size is starting to stabilize.
Troy is a Type A general law city. Cities with population less than 5000 are general law cities. They operate under specific state statutes prescribing their powers and duties. Type A general law cities are governed by a city council Figure 1: Location of Troy which consists of a mayor and five council members. In addition to the city council, other municipal officers include a treasurer, tax assessor-collector, city secretary, city attorney, and engineer. General law cities are restricted to do what the state permits them to do, and some powers extend outside the city limits into an area called the extraterritorial jurisdiction.
As per Chapter 42 of the Local Government Code,”extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality is the unincorporated area that is contiguous to the corporate boundaries of the municipality and that is located within one-half mile of those boundaries, in the case of a municipality with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants”.
Troy can annex areas in the extraterritorial jurisdiction only if a majority of the qualified voters of the area vote in favor of becoming a part of the city; any three of those voters may prepare an affidavit to the fact of the vote and file the affidavit with the mayor. The city can annex areas that it owns within the ETJ.
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NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Troy is located within the Texas Blackland Prairies. This level III ecoregion is distinguished from surrounding regions by its clay soils and a predominant “prairie potential natural vegetation” (Department of Horticulture at Purdue1). However, this region now contains more cropland than surrounding regions, although a lot of the land has been converted to urban and industrial use more recently.
The environment of Troy has high potential in terms of natural growth. However, a majority of surrounding land cover is designated for agriculture and cropland. The area is known for its prairie grassland potential and predominantly clay soils. There are several environmental elements that should be monitored and given attention to that will help the city in its comprehensive planning. These include: floodplain, wetlands, slope, impervious cover, and tree canopy.
FLOODPLAIN
It can be seen that most of the city is not located within the floodplain (See Figure 2). However, there are four main sections of the city located within both the 100 year and 500 year flood plains. The northernmost tip of the city is largely located within Figure 2: Floodplain in Troy the 100 year floodplain, while most other floodplain areas are located within the ETJ. This will need attention in both comprehensive planning and zoning. Floodplain, especially in cities, warrants protection and should not be developed. The majority of floodplain is undeveloped, however there are two sections of the city that are developed and in the floodplain. Central Troy, along I35, is developed and mostly commercial and residential. The east side of Troy, which includes the major residential subdivisions, has small sections of floodplain dispersed throughout.
1 http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropmap/ecoreg/descript.html
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WETLANDS
There are a series of wetlands surrounding the city along with small sections of wetlands dispersed throughout the developed community (See Figure 3). The majority of the wetlands are located north of the historic downtown. Small areas of woody wetlands are located directly south of downtown Troy and directly west of downtown Troy and I-35.
Figure 3: Wetlands of Troy, TX
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SLOPE
Slope is one of the variables considered when selecting land suitable for urban activity and different land use types. In general, the closer to zero percent the slope is, the flatter the land will be. The closer to one hundred percent, the steeper the slope will be.
Land Description Slope
Flat land 0-3%
Moderate slope 3-10%
Hillside 10-15%
Steep hillside 15-30%
Very steep slope Greater than 30%
While any slope can be built upon or constructed, building on steep slopes may incur high construction costs and damage to ecological processes. This is inherently unsustainable. A sustainable development practice will consider the form of the land. Different slopes can support different types and intensities of uses. These supported uses and intensities must be balanced skillfully with other pressures and considerations of urban form and development.
The following slope map was created using GIS to examine the intensity of slopes throughout the city of Troy. Steep areas are marked in red while flat land is marked as green.
Figure 4: Troy + ETJ Slope, Source: Texas Forest Service
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Impervious Cover
Impervious cover refers to areas of the environment where water cannot penetrate through. An area with pervious cover would be an area where water can be absorbed. Data provided by the Texas Forest Service was used to create a map of impervious cover in ArcGIS. Impervious surfaces are marked in red while pervious surfaces are shown in green.
Figure 5: Troy Impervious Cover
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TREE CANOPY
Tree canopy data was provided by the Texas Forest Service and mapped using GIS. Areas marked in darker green represent strong tree canopy areas and may warrant protection from development. Specifically, there are stretches of tree canopy located on both the easy and west side of the I35 corridor that can aid in providing the community an urban forest.
Trees are part of a city’s green infrastructure and should be protected as much as possible. The trees in a forest are not the only thing considered to be part of green infrastructure either. The trees maintained within the urban boundaries of a city are also part of the green infrastructure and provide many benefits to cities. Green infrastructure includes parks, open space, trees, and other green spaces. Green infrastructure is “one of the best infrastructure investments a local government can make”. Some other benefits of greenways include: providing residents alternative means of commuting in a community, providing opportunities for recreation, and offers protection to sensitive lands, habitats, and species.
Figure 6: Tree Canopy of Troy
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SOILS
The majority of soils in Troy are silty clay. The next most common soil is clay. Other soil types found in both the city limits and the ETJ include clay loam, gravely clay loam, loam, and shaly clay. In general, the soil types in the area are moderately suitable for development, while the northern portion of the city and ETJ are most suitable. Clay loam soils, in this case, are the best areas for development.
Figure 7: Soils of Troy
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HAZARDS
All communities must be aware of and educate for the natural and man-made hazards that can and do impact their communities. A community must use the following interventions to absorb hazards: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
FLOODING
Flash flooding is a hazard that should be given attention by the city. Troy is located within the “flash flood alley”, which is the most flood prone region in the country. Figure 8 shows this path. Refer to Figure 2 for specific floodplain areas in Troy.
Figure 8: Flash Flood Alley, Source: Bright and Neuman, 2007
TORNADOES
Severe weather is a hazard of concern Figure 9: Tornado Events by County; Source: Bright and Neuman, 2007 for the city of Troy. Tornadoes may not initially seem like a threat to the city, but it is a fact that these events do take place. We can see from Figure9 that tornado sightings are very common in Bell County. In fact, the county is colored the second highest level of tornado sightings according to the legend key. This adds to the vulnerability to the region and the city of Troy.
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EPA TRACKED POLLUTING FACILITIES
Figure 10: Polluting Facilities
The City of Troy has 5 polluting facilities that are currently tracked by the EPA Toxic Release Inventory (See Figure 10).For a small town, this number is surprisingly high. The industries tracked are C and H Die Casting, Troy Waste
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Water Treatment Plant, Troy Salvage, Anderson Auto Salvage, and High Horizon Enviromed. Below is a list of chemicals released from some of the main polluters:
Troy WWTP: · Chromium · Selenium
· Arsenic · Copper · Zinc
· Ammonia · Lead C and H Die Casting:
· Bod · Mercury · Lead Compounds
· Cadmium · Nickel · Zinc Compounds
· Chlorine · Polychlorinated Biphenyls
LAND SUITABILITY ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
The Land Suitability Analysis (LSA) is a GIS-based process for evaluating the suitability of land for development. The meaning of suitability is that a piece of land has the required feature to support a proposed land use, considering social, physical, spatial, and economic factors. The major outputs a land suitability analysis are the composite land suitability maps.
DATA SOURCE The land characteristics we look into are: slope, floodplain, soil condition, imperviousness, tree canopy and wetland. Here are the sources from which we get the data. Imperviousness: Texas Forest Service Wetland: Texas Forest Service Tree Canopy: Texas Forest Service Slope: Generated from Digital Elevation Model for Troy, Texas Soil: Natural Resources Conservation Service SSURGO data for Bell County Floodplain: FEMA Q3 Flood Data for Bell County
ATTRIBUTE SCORES FOR LAND CHARACTERISTICS
Scores are assigned to each land characteristic from low to high according to the attribute they have and the suitability to for development.
Factor Attribute Scores 0-5% 5 5-9% 4 Slope 10-15% 3 15-19% 2 >20% 1
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Inside 100-yr Floodplain 1 Floodplain Inside 500-yr Floodplain 3 Outside Floodplain 5 Clay Loam 5 Soil condition Gravely Clay Loam; Loam 3 Clay; Silty Clay 1 0 - 7 5 7 - 24 4 Imperviousness 24 - 45 3 45 - 71 2 71 - 100 1 0 – 18 5 18 – 36 4 Tree Canopy 36 – 54 3 54 – 72 2 72 - 90 1 0 5 Wetland 100 1
The highest scores represent the most suitable for development and the lowest score are the least suitable for development. For each of these land characteristics, we can make individual maps to represent the geographic distribution of land in terms of different their suitability scores for development.
1. Slope
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2. Floodplain
3. Soil Condition
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4. Imperviousness
5. Tree Canopy
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6. Wetland
COMPOSITE LAND SUITABILITY MAP
If we overlay all individual land suitability maps for each land characteristics, we can get a composite map that represent the geographic distribution of land suitability for development considering all relevant land characteristics.
The formula for the overlaying is
Composite Score = ∑ (A1* Weight1 + A2 *Weight2 + A3 * Weight3 + A4 * Weight4 + A5 * Weight5 + A6 * Weight6)
Here, A1, 2, 3, 4, 5 represents the suitability scores of Imperviousness, Floodplain, Tree Canopy, Wetland, Slope and Soil. Therefore, to calculate the composite score, we need to find out the weights of each factor according to their importance in deciding the land suitability for different types of land use.
For deciding the weights of land characters, we choose a pair of land characters each time for comparison, and then evaluate the relative importance of each character in different type of land use. The dominant one will get 5 points while the other gets 1 point, if they are equally important, both of them will get 3 points. The results are shown in the following tables:
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Importance of Land Characteristics for Low Density Residential Use
Imperviousness Floodplain Tree Canopy Wetland Slope Soil Total
Imperviousness 3 1 5 5 5 5 24 Floodplain 5 3 5 5 5 5 28 Tree Canopy 1 1 3 1 1 5 12 Wetland 1 1 5 3 5 5 20 Slope 1 1 5 1 3 5 16 Soil 1 1 1 1 1 3 8 Total: 108
Importance of Land Characteristics for Multifamily Residential Use
Imperviousness Floodplain Tree Canopy Wetland Slope Soil Total
Imperviousness 3 1 5 5 5 5 24 Floodplain 5 3 5 5 5 5 28 Tree Canopy 1 1 3 1 1 5 12 Wetland 1 1 5 3 5 5 20 Slope 1 1 5 1 3 5 16 Soil 1 1 1 1 1 3 8 Total: 108
Importance of Land Characteristics for Commercial Use
Imperviousness Floodplain Tree Canopy Wetland Slope Soil Total
Imperviousness 3 5 5 5 5 5 28 Floodplain 1 3 5 5 5 5 24 Tree Canopy 1 1 3 3 1 1 10 Wetland 1 1 3 3 1 1 10 Slope 1 1 5 5 3 5 20 Soil 1 1 5 5 1 3 16 Total: 108
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Importance of Land Characteristics for Industrial Use
Imperviousness Floodplain Tree Canopy Wetland Slope Soil Total
Imperviousness 3 5 5 5 5 5 28 Floodplain 1 3 5 5 5 5 24 Tree Canopy 1 1 3 3 1 1 10 Wetland 1 1 3 3 1 1 10 Slope 1 1 5 5 3 5 20 Soil 1 1 5 5 1 3 16 Total: 108
Importance of Land Characteristics for Park Use
Imperviousness Floodplain Tree Canopy Wetland Slope Soil Total
Imperviousness 3 5 1 1 5 5 20 Floodplain 1 3 1 1 5 5 16 Tree Canopy 5 5 3 3 5 5 26 Wetland 5 5 3 3 5 5 26 Slope 1 1 1 1 3 5 12 Soil 1 1 1 1 1 3 8 Total: 108
By dividing the total points under each type of land use by the total points of each land character, we can get the weights. For example, the weight for Imperviousness in developing low density residential use are 24/108 = 0.22 (shown in Table 1). All of the weights calculated in this method are shown in table 6.
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Weights by land use types
Low density Multi-family Commercial Industrial Public use residential use residential use
Imperviousness 0.22 0.22 0.26 0.26 0.19
Floodplain 0.26 0.26 0.22 0.22 0.15
Tree Canopy 0.11 0.11 0.09 0.09 0.24
Wetland 0.19 0.19 0.09 0.09 0.24
Slope 0.15 0.15 0.19 0.19 0.11
Soil 0.07 0.07 0.15 0.15 0.07
Now we have weights and individual scores, by using the formula listed before, we can calculate the composite score for each type of land use in GIS software and get the final products – the composite land suitability maps.
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1. Low Density Residential
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2. Multiple Family Residential
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3. Commercial
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4. Industrial
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5. Park Use
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POPULATION
TOTAL POPULATION AND HISTORIC TRENDS
The City of Troy was incorporated in 1964, and contained a population of approximately 275 residents. The city experienced tremendous growth over the next three decades as the population reached 1,581 people in 1988. However, two years later in 1990, the city faced a decrease in population to 1,395 people, and would continue to see a decrease until the turn of the 21st century. The population started to grow once again after 2000, and in 2008, there was an estimated 1,425 residents in the city of Troy. In order to fully understand the context of the comprehensive planning process, it is necessary to analyze other demographics as well, to become aware of the makeup of individuals living in Troy.
RACIAL COMPOSITION
Currently, Troy is approximately 81.1% White Non-Hispanic, with 16.1% Hispanic residents, 1.2% Black, 0.1% American Indian and 0.4% Asian. The remaining 1.2% is comprised of other races or two or more races. Compared to the county and state level, Troy has a similar share of Hispanic population as Bell County. It is much lower than the Texas level, which was 32% in 2000. However, the Non-Hispanic White population in Troy takes much higher share than the state and county level. There is a much lower share of the African American population, as well as Asian and other races. Evidently, Troy appears to be a predominantly white community. During the 10 years between the 1990 and 2000 census, the general population composition remained the same. There was a slight increase in the Hispanic population in both Troy and Bell County, but it was slower than that of Texas.
Table 1: State, County, and Local Racial Composition
Texas Bell County Troy
Year 1990 2000 1990 2000 1990 2000
Hispanic 25.5% 32.0% 13.1% 16.7% 13.4% 16.1%
White(Non-Hispanic) 60.6% 52.4% 65.4% 57.3% 84.7% 81.1%
Black or African American alone 11.6% 11.3% 18.3% 19.9% 1.4% 1.2%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone 0.3% 0.3% 0.4% 0.5% 0.1% 0.1%
Asian and Pacific Islanders 1.8% 2.7% 2.7% 2.9% 0.2% 0.4%
Other races 0.1% 1.2% 0.1% 2.7% 0.2% 1.2%
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AGE BREAKDOWN
The historical trend shows that the population of Troy is getting younger over time. In 1980, the population of age cohorts is evenly distributed (see figure 10). From 1990, the age cohorts of 0-30 displays with much larger percentage than the other cohorts. At the state and county level, the youthful population is also evident (see figure 11). Of particular interest is the fact that the female population in Troy is relatively larger than the male population, when compared to the state and county level. Take the 2000 population for example: the sex ratios of Bell County and Texas are all 50%, while the one of Troy is 47% to 53%. From the graphics we can see that several age cohorts (31-40, 41-50) display a gap between the male and female population.
Figure 11: Age Cohorts of Troy, TX over time
2000 Bell County Population 2000 Texas Population 81+ Male Female 71-80 81+ Male Female 61-70 71-80 51-60 61-70 41-50 51-60 31-40 41-50 21-30 31-40 11-20 21-30 0-10 11-20 0-10 10% 5% 0% 5% 10%
10% 5% 0% 5% 10%
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Figure 12: Age Cohorts by State and County
Souce: 2000 Census Data
EDUCATION ATTAINMENT
Given a look at the education attainment level, 81% of the male population and 79% of the female population in Troy acquired a high school or higher degree, which is approximately the same with that of the county and state level. However, people in Troy who have received bachelors or higher degrees are much less than the county and state level in terms of percentage of the total population (see table 2). Also, the female population as a whole is slightly more highly educated, with 14% of the women receiving a bachelors or higher degree. Only 9% of the male population obtained the same level of education.
Table 2: Educational Attainment Troy, TX
Texas Bell County Troy
Male: 6,195,038 66,955 364
High School graduate 75% 87% 81%
Bachelor's Degree 25% 20% 9%
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Texas Bell County Troy
Female: 6,595,855 70,475 454
High school graduate 76% 82% 79%
Bachelor's degree 21% 19% 14%
HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND INCOME
The average household size of Troy is 2.71, smaller than the state level but larger than the average of Bell county. The total number of housing units declined from 546 in 1990 to 527 in 2000.
Table 3: Household Size Troy, TX
Year Texas Bell County Troy
2000 2.74 2.68 2.71
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Souce: 2000 Census Data
The estimated median household income for Troy residents was approximately $39,250 in 2000, which is higher than the state and county level. Troy has a higher percentage of people in the median income level between $40,000 and $75,000 than the county and state level. However, it has a lower percentage of households that earn more than $100,000 but a higher percentage of households whose incomes are below $10,000, compared to the county and state level. According to the American Community Survey, the estimated household income for Troy residents increased to $51, 182 in 2007. This could possibly be an indicator of increasing education levels, or an increase in the number of white-collar jobs in close proximity to the city of Troy.
Table 4: Household Income Comparisons
Texas Bell County, Texas Troy city, Texas
1989 27,016 23,755 27,171
1999 39,927(+47.8%) 36,872(+55.2%) 39,250(+44.5%)
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Table 5: Household Income over time
Household Income in 1999 14.0% 12.0% 10.0% 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% Texas 2.0% Bell County, Texas
0.0% Troy city, Texas
$200,000 or more $200,000
Less than $10,000 than Less
$50,000 to $59,999 to $50,000 $10,000 to $14,999 to $10,000 $19,999 to $15,000 $24,999 to $20,000 $29,999 to $25,000 $34,999 to $30,000 $39,999 to $35,000 $44,999 to $40,000 $49,999 to $45,000 $74,999 to $60,000 $99,999 to $75,000
$125,000 to $149,999 $125,000 to $199,999 $150,000 $100,000 to $124,999 $100,000
COMMUTING TIME
Troy has a high percentage of people (30.4%) that spent 15-20 minutes traveling to work, indicating that a great amount of the working population might work in the city of Temple. This indicates that there are not a lot of opportunities for employment within the City of Troy itself.
Table 6: Commuting Time Troy, TX
Commuting Time 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% Texas 5.0% 0.0% Bell County, Texas
Troy city, Texas
5 to 5 9 minutes
10 to1014 minutes to1519 minutes to2024 minutes to2529 minutes to3034 minutes to3539 minutes to4044 minutes to4559 minutes to6089 minutes 90 or90 moreminutes Lessthan 5 minutes
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PROJECTIONS
The first approach we used in the population projection is the ratio/share model2. The result suggests that the City of Troy’s population will grow by nearly 500 residences between the years 2010 and 2030.
Another approach we used is to use the number of building permits issued to calculate the population growth. There are 48 building permits issued from 2008 to 2010. Assume the number of building permits and average household size is constant then the annual number of building permits will be 16 and the average household size in 2000 is 2.71 then number of population growth annually will be 43. Then the growth of population during the 10 years between 2000 and 2010 will be 430. So the 2010 population will be 1808. Using 2000 as the launch year, if we assume the annual growth of population is constant, the projection of population in 2030 will be 2668. If we assume the growth rate of population is constant, the population will be 3112. Therefore, the projection of population in 2030 will be within the range between 2668 and 3112 using this second method.
As the population continues to grow there will be more demand for infrastructural services (i.e. water, sanitary sewers, roads, etc.), housing (both multi-family and single-family residences), and public services/amenities (e.g. parks/playgrounds, community facilities, schools, and health care services). There are 48 building permits issued in troy from 2008 to 2010.
Table 7: Ratio-Share Projection Troy, TX
YEAR Bell County City of Troy
1980 157,820 1,026
1990 191,216 1,395
2000 237,974 1,378
2010 281,866 1,832
2020 321,188 2,088
2030 361,039 2,347
Conclusions
Troy’s historical trends imply that the population will be young (age 0-30) and will continue to grow. If Troy wants to maintain a sense of identity and community in light of these population trends, then Troy must develop a land use plan that not only provide more opportunities for a youthful population, but also prevents the negative effects associated with sprawl, which include but are not limited to the following:
Increase costs for public infrastructure (roads, sewers, and water lines) Greater automobile independence and traffic congestion
2 Assuming that the share of Troy’s population share within the larger Bell County will remain at roughly 0.65%. This assumption was based upon the averages of Troy’s historical shares.
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A drainage of fiscal and human resources from the historic downtown area Health concerns associated with physical inactivity
If Troy follows the conventional low-density development that characterizes many of America’s communities, then it is likely that Troy will have difficulty in accommodating each new increment of population growth. It is highly recommended that Troy seeks to create a land use plan that departs from the conventional land use planning practices with the overarching goal to guide individual market decisions toward producing a more sustainable urban form. This goal can be achieved by improving education, strengthening governance, redeveloping and infilling within the historic area, maintaining quality built environments, and preserving valuable natural areas and landscapes. Zoning can be used to accomplish these objectives by using land use zones to safeguard the environment, encourage neighborhoods with mixes of building types and housing affordable to a range of incomes, and requiring the city to be more compact and walkable.
Moreover, making Troy more compact and walkable will be even more imperative with the expansion of I-35, which will eliminate the angled downtown parking and limit the city to either parallel parking or no parking at all on Main Street for the downtown merchants, customers, and vendors. If Troy wants to create a vibrant and economically viable historic downtown, then the downtown must be within a relatively easy and accessible walking distance from the surrounding neighborhoods through the creation of safe pedestrian corridors, otherwise the city will be forced to expand existing parking lots or start demolishing existing commercial building and/or houses to allow for off street parking.
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ECONOMY Employment forecasts and economic analyses are used to estimate the demand for land for the various economic sectors, such as commercial. Land for transportation and other infrastructural services is based on the land needed for residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial uses. Thus, the economic analysis as well as the population projection for the City of Troy will largely determine the need for land, infrastructure, community facilities, and urban services. Moreover, identified economic opportunities, or lack thereof, are basic determinants of population growth, stagnation, or decline for cities. Population also largely determines the size and type of labor markets, as well as consumer purchasing power.
Population and economic analyses are useful in that they provide a measure of the size, composition, and relative condition of the community. These types of analyses are useful for: Economic developers, commercial and residential real estate developers, and community officials involved in public investments in community facilities and public infrastructure--from water and sewer plants to schools to highways and public transportation systems. Land use planners, because they provide information regarding existing and emerging conditions in the community that provide the basis for examining trends that can be used as a starting point for preparing a land use plan. Calculating future land requirements.
An economic analysis was conducted with the purpose of creating a forecast of changes to employment, and an analysis of the industrial composition of the City of Troy. This was done by comparing 2000 employment numbers with 1990 employment numbers as provided by the Census Bureau for both the City of Troy and the State of Texas. The techniques used in the analysis were: Location Quotient Shift-Share Analysis Linear Trend Projection
Assumptions Assumptions within economic models are dominant and implicit in determining forecast outcomes, and are important to acknowledge when considering their validity. The most significant types of assumptions made involve past growth patterns, the patterns of relationships between a given study area and its region, fertility/mortality/migration rates, and/or the relationships between industries; will these continue the present trends, increase in degree, decrease in degree, or otherwise change in the future? For simplicity’s sake, this economic analysis assumes that previous growth rates, trends, and patterns are maintained into the future. However, it is important to realize that other variables (e.g. social, economic, and environmental) could alter the predictions and projections made within this analysis.
Methodology
Top Employers Employment data for the residences of Troy was obtained from the Census Bureau. This data was assorted into industry types and then ranked. The data reflects which industry each resident in the labor force (age 16 and over) is employed in. So, the data shows the categories in which each resident works, and not the jobs in each sector
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within Troy. This will allow for a better understanding of all the employment opportunities in and around Troy, as well as potential industries that may be contributing to residences commuting outside of Troy. Moreover, this method will help in creating a more accurate forecast of employment figures in the future by taking into account industries that could grow or decline rapidly within the larger region.
Location Quotient The location quotient (LQ) method compares an industry’s share of regional economic activity to the nation’s share of economic activity for that industry. It is important largely in the fact that it identifies which industries are especially strong and especially weak in the study area—in this case, the City of Troy. It is calculated as follows.
LQi = (ei/eT)/(Ei/ET)
Where ei= local employment in industry i eT= total local employment Ei= state (or national) employment in industry i ET= state (or national) total employment
Location quotients identify which industrial sectors are basic and which are non-basic in your city’s economy. It is important to remember that: Industries with LQs greater than 1.0 are assigned to the basic sector and are considered part of the economic base of a local economy Industries with LQs less than 1.0 are considered non-basic or local industries LQs between 0.75 and 1.25 are considered to be meeting local demand You would want to pay special attention to industries with LQs higher than 1.25, as potential exporters
Shift-Share Analysis The shift-share analysis partitions local employment into three components: State share (SS): reflects trends in the larger economy of which the area is a part Industrial Mix (IM): reflects industry-specific factors Local factors (LF): reflects local influences on industry performance SS + IM + LF = change in local employment
State Share (SS)—how many jobs would have been created if the industry sector had grown at the same rate as the whole state’s economy? 1990 2000 1990 SSi = ei ((E /E )-1)
State growth rate
Industry Mix (IM)—The difference between the growth rate for the industry across the state and the overall state growth rate
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1990 2000 1990 2000 1990 IMi = ei ((Ei /Ei )- (E /E ))
State State growth rate growth rate in industry Local Factors (LF) – indicates how strong/weak an industry is within the local economy compared to the same industry’s growth rate for the state and then calculates how many jobs would have been gained/lost accordingly.
1990 2000 1990 2000 1990 LFi = ei ((ei /ei ) - (Ei /Ei ))
Local State growth rate growth rate in industry in industry
Linear Projection A linear trend was used to project local employment growth for all industries out in ten-year increments to 2010 and 2020 by following these steps:
1. Use historical data to calculate growth rate over historical period
t’-t t’ t t ri = (ei – ei )/ei
Where rit’-t = local growth rate eit’ = employment in the industry in year t’ (2000) eit = employment in the industry in year t (1990)
2. Apply growth rate to launch year (2000) employment to project number of jobs in 2010 and 2020.
e2010 = (1+r)e2000
Where e2000 = local employment in launch year r = growth rate over eight year period e2010 =projected local employment e2020 = (1+r)e2010
EMPLOYMENT RATE
According to the 2000 census, Troy has 94% of the male population and 96% of the female population in the labor force that are employed or in the Armed Forces. Compared to the County and State level in the same year, the number shows a slightly higher employment rate in Troy. (See table 8)
Table 8: Troy, TX Employment Rates 2000
Texas Bell County, Troy city, Texas Texas
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Male: 94% 96% 94%
Female: 94% 92% 96%
TOP EMPLOYERS The following table lists the top four employer categories by percentage of the entire employed population within the City of Troy. Remember, these figures take into account residences that work outside of Troy.
Category Percentage of Work Force Educational, health and social services 26 Manufacturing 19 Retail trade 12 Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 8
The educational, health, and social services category provides the most jobs within the City of Troy. This is likely due to the presence of four public schools (one high school, one middle school, and two elementary schools), as well as the large health care system located in Temple. The educational, health, and social services category combined with the manufacturing category comprise roughly half of the city’s entire employment, making these two categories extremely vital to Troy’s sustained prosperity.
LOCATION QUOTIENT The following table indicates which categories have a location quotient above 1.25. The highlighted industries not only make up the base of Troy’s economy, but could also serve as potential exporters. Again, the location quotient compares the share of regional employment in industry i with the share of national employment in industry i. So, the higher the location quotient is for the category within the City of Troy, the more specialized and strong Troy is for that category.
Industry Location Quotient Manufacturing 1.9 Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 1.3 Basic Educational, health and social services 1.3 Public administration 1.2 Retail trade 1.0 Wholesale trade 1.0 Local Other services (except public administration) 0.9 Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services 0.7 Under- Construction 0.7 developed Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing 0.6
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Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 0.4 Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management 0.4 services Information 0.3
Manufacturing had the highest LQ at 1.9 making it a category of particular importance for Troy. A considerable amount of attention should be paid to the above information when planning for the City of Troy, as these employment categories form the backbone of the city’s economy. Important employers within each of the highlighted industries mentioned above include or have included: 1. Manufacturing a. C&H Die Casting d. Permian Fiberglass b. Kopriva Cabinets e. LIDE Fiberglass Tanks c. Lely Manufacturing 2. Transportation and warehousing, and utilities a. Old West Express b. Mini-Storage of Troy c. Troy Country Attic d. Ball Park Self Storage e. Open Storage Lot f. U-Haul 3. Educational, health and social services a. Troy Independent School District b. Scott and White Memorial Hospital c. Temple Junior College
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SHIFT-SHARE ANALYSIS The table below shows the shift-share analysis for all industry categories ranked from highest to lowest employment according to the Census Bureau’s data for 2000. Shift-Share Analysis Industry State Industry Local Employment Share Mix Factors Change Educational, health and social services 72 22 -75 19 Manufacturing 57 -51 2 7 Retail trade 19 -4 25 39 Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 33 -7 -44 -19 Construction 25 27 -65 -13 Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and 15 5 -14 6 food services Public administration 9 -2 8 15 Other services (except public administration) 10 5 -7 8 Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing 11 0 -6 5 Professional, scientific, management, administrative, 17 26 -55 -12 and waste management services Wholesale trade 17 -16 -14 -13 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 5 -5 -3 -3 Information 9 -1 -24 -16 Total: 298 -3 -272 23
Remember that the shift share analysis answers the following questions: . State Share (SS)—how many jobs would have been created if the industry sector had grown at the same rate as the whole state’s economy? . Industry Mix (IM)—The difference between the growth rate for the industry across the state and the overall state growth rate. . Local Factors (LF) – reflects local influences on industry performance . Employment Change — How many jobs were created or lost between 1990 and 2000?
State Share: the results show that 298 jobs would have been created if the industries employing Troy’s residences had grown at the same rate as the whole state’s economy with educational, health, and social services, and manufacturing gaining the most (72 and 57 respectively). This indicates that Texas’ economy, as a whole, has been growing much more rapidly than Troy’s economy, which added a total 23 jobs.
Industry Mix: the numbers in this column show how strong or weak an industry’s growth rate for the state is compared to the overall state’s growth rate. The results show that the following industries had a relatively stronger growth rate than that of the entire state’s growth rate: . Construction . Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services . Educational, health, and social services The employment change for the first two were negative (-13 and -12 respectively) indicating that these industries experienced a much weaker industry mix than that of the state. However, educational, health, and social services had about the same employment change as that predicted by the industry mix indicating that this industry plays
just as a significant role for the City of Troy as it does for the State of Texas. The results also show that the manufacturing and retail trade industries had a much stronger industry mix than predicted as they experienced positive growths (7 and 39 respectively) whereas they would have been negative (-51 and -4 respectively) if they had had the same industry mix for the state.
Local Factors: The LF for most of Troy was fairly weak across all industries, indicating that the State of Texas had a larger percent increase in employment per industry as compared to the percent increase per industry for the City of Troy. However, Troy’s growth in employment (23) proved to be much stronger than the LF prediction (-272).
GROWTH RATE The following growth rates were calculated by comparing the employment growth/decline within a particular economic category between 1990 and 2000; this information was then used to project the employment by category for 2010 and 2020. The table below lists all of the growth rates by industry ranked fastest to slowest.
Industry Growth Rate Retail trade 1.0 Public administration 0.8 Other services (except public administration) 0.4 Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing 0.2 Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services 0.2 Educational, health and social services 0.1 Manufacturing 0.1 Construction -0.2 Transportation and warehousing, and utilities -0.3 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining -0.3 Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management -0.3 services Wholesale trade -0.4 Information -0.8 Retail trade and public administration (e.g. financial planning, marketing, public relations) were the top two fastest growing employment categories, which is likely attributable to the population growth and economic expansion of Temple. Wholesale trade and the Information industry were the two fastest declining categories; however, these categories only employed 5% (cumulatively) (see Linear Projection tables) of the residents in 2000, which lessens the impact of their potentially detrimental decline on the local economy.
LINEAR PROJECTION The following two tables rank the employment categories by percentage of residents employed for the City of Troy in 2000, and projected for 2020. The 2020 numbers were derived by applying the growth rate from 1990 to 2000 (NOTE: this assumes that the growth rates stay constant).
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Industry (2000) % of Work Force # of Employees Educational, health and social services 26 171 Manufacturing 19 127 Retail trade 12 79 Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 8 50 Construction 6 40 Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food 6 38 services Public administration 5 34 Other services (except public administration) 5 30 Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing 4 28 Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and 4 25 waste management services Wholesale trade 4 23 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 1 7 Information 1 4 Total: 100 656
As mentioned before, the fact that educational, health and social services is the top ranking employment category for the City of Troy, is likely attributable to the presence of the four public schools. The main employers that comprise the manufacturing industry are listed below: LIDE Fiberglass Tanks C&H Die Casting Permian Fiberglass Lely Manufacturing
The large number of people employed within retail trade, as mentioned before, is likely attributable to Troy’s proximity to (and the expansion of) Temple. This is important because many of the people employed in this sector will likely be commuting to work unless Troy begins to expand its own retail trade industry.
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Below are the projected employment figures for 2020 and 2030, if current trends stay constant.
Industry (2020 Projection) % of Work Force # of Employees Retail trade 31 308 Educational, health and social services 22 216 Manufacturing 14 142 Public administration 11 109 Other services (except public administration) 6 56 Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food 5 54 services Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing 4 41 Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 3 26 Construction 2 23 Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and 1 11 waste management services Wholesale trade 1 9 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 0 3 Information 0 0 Total: 100 1000 Comparison of 2000, 2020, 2030 Employment 2000 2020 2030 Retail trade 79 308 632 Public administration 34 109 198 Other services (except public administration) 30 56 82 Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and 28 41 48 leasing Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and 38 54 66 food services Educational, health and social services 171 216 228 Manufacturing 127 142 169 Construction 40 23 20 Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 50 26 17 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and 7 3 2 mining
Professional, scientific, management, 25 11 9 administrative, and waste management services
Wholesale trade 23 9 5 Information 4 0 0
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Note that the retail trade category becomes the number one employer in 2020 and that the transportation, warehousing, and utilities category drops from 8% in 2000 to 4% in 2020. This is important because the transportation, warehousing, and utilities industry has been a fairly important industry for Troy, given the fact that it had a fairly high LQ of 1.3 from 1990 to 2000. This fact, coupled with the public administration sector becoming much more predominant for the City of Troy, indicates that the overall structure of Troy’s economy could potentially be going through a transition.
CONCLUSIONS
The City of Troy’s economy is primarily made up of the following three industries: Educational, health, and social services, Manufacturing, and Retail trade If Troy wants to continue to prosper in the future a considerable amount of attention must be given to the future demand for space requirements, water and sewer facilities, schools, parks, and other infrastructure and community facilities and services to accommodate these growing and vitally important industries.
Educational, health, and social services has been and will continue to be an important part of Troy’s economy. The schools in Troy probably make up a large part of this category, and are likely to expand as the population continues to grow. Some of the key recommendations for maintaining this industry from a planning perspective would be to emphasize: Potential for a walk/bike zone--this is of particular importance in light of the expanding I-35 highway and the safety hazards that it will impose; it will act as a physical barrier between the East and West sides of Troy. The connection of walk/bike zones with a highly connective network of pedestrian-friendly walkways/trails and open spaces. Potential for schools to be used for multiple uses, such as outdoor play space and community meetings for surrounding neighborhoods.
The rapidly growing employment within the retail sector is an important emerging condition for the City of Troy. As mentioned before, this is likely due to the expansion of Temple, and Troy’s proximity to it. The majority of Troy’s residents employed in this industry are thus likely to be commuting to work, which is likely attributing to the large population (55%) that commutes 15-20 minutes for work. Troy should focus on implementing creative ways to attract retail trade while maintaining a sense of identity. Ways to do this could include: Downtown revitalization along Main Street that would attract and maintain local businesses, Growth management policies that would deter, or at least mitigate, the impact of strip malls and ‘big box’ stores (i.e. traffic congestion, air pollution, degradation of historical identity), The creation of a vibrant downtown that is connected to a network of walking trails/paths and pedestrian activity nodes, and The inclusion of a historical, or theme related, landmark along the highway that would attract the attention of passing motorists (e.g. a large Trojan horse or something related to an ‘old railroad town’).
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LAND USE
CURRENT LAND USE
Troy currently does not have a large amount of diversity in its land use. The center of town is mostly composed of single family residential. The next largest land use is Institutional most of which is the four schools found inside the city limits. There is a limited amount of commercial lots near the highway, mostly concentrated near the entrance and exits to the highway. Just south of the main section of town are some currently undeveloped lots. Then at the southern border of town is found Troy’s industrial sector. Near the center of town are some small areas of multifamily residential and a few small areas of mobile homes. Surrounding the whole town are large sections of agricultural areas.
Looking at building permits for the previous three years, residential construction has been the main type of construction in recent history. Since the beginning of 2008 only eight commercial building permits were issued; of those five were for the schools, and two were incomplete. No industrial building permits were issued in that time frame. This means that current trends indicate that Troy has seen little expansion of non-residential uses in the past three years. While this is a relatively short time frame it does mean that Troy should be careful about over- zoning non-residential uses. Currently Troy’s land use, including ETJ, is 63.01% agricultural, 1.18% commercial, 3.32% industrial, 2.34% institutional, .15% multi- family residential, .05% mobile home, 22.68% open space, 5.74% single-family residential, and 1.38% vacant land. This breakdown shows that currently Troy is mostly an agricultural town with some single-family residential at its core. Using these numbers and both economic and population projections we can project future land use needs. The numbers in the table below were calculated by looking at the current population and acreage of each land use, then using the population projections to determine the population change. Using the population change and the density of the existing use gives the
Figure 13: Troy, TX Land Use
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acreage necessary for future use.
ETJ ETJ City City Acres ETJ Acreage City Acreage Land Use Acres Percentage Acres Percentage Needed Needed Agricultural 4660 63.12 1717 50.87 -2662.86 -981.14 Commercial 87 1.18 84 2.49 128.47 124.04 Industrial 245 3.32 190 5.63 -29.35 -22.76 Institutional 173 2.34 159 4.71 50.49 46.41 Residential 439 5.95 277 8.21 144.63 91.26 Open Space 1779 24.10 948 28.09
Total 7383 3375
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CURRENT ZONING
The current zoning of Troy is not fully in line with the current land use. The entire western side of the highway is zoned commercial, which currently is mostly agricultural or residential. Near the highway on the east side most of the land is zoned either commercial or industrial, with a little bit of Local Retail District and Agricultural mixed in. The center of town is mostly zoned Single Family District 1; Local Retail District is also zoned in the center right along Main Street. The mid-west edge of town is zoned for Multi Family Dwelling District 1. The undeveloped area just south of the center of town is zoned for Multi Family Dwelling District 2. A small zone of Single Family District 2 is zoned on Debora St. Single Family Dwelling District 3 does not seem to be currently zoned anywhere. Almost directly in the middle of town is a small area zoned for Mobile Homes, as this is the currently existing mobile home park.
Currently when compared with existing land use too much land is zoned for commercial, as not much commercial development is currently occurring and even extensive future development will not come close to filling it. Over zoning for commercial will lead to
Figure 15: Land Use Conformity
Figure 14: Troy, TX Zoning lower property values which will lead to poorer businesses. One thing to note is that for all zones except the industrial zones single family residential is an allowed use; this can create major incompatibilities. As shown in red in figure 14 currently only a few actual nonconforming uses are occurring in Troy, with a few industrial uses occurring in commercial areas, and a few multi-family residences in single-family zones. With these being few and isolated these nonconformities are not major concerns but should be looked at in the future. Figure 14 also shows uses which are allowed
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by current zoning definitions but are not the focus of the zone; most of these are single-family residential occurring in commercial zones. The rest are the institutional buildings which are not the focus of any zone and therefore conditional uses, but are not currently a problem. The zoning allowing single family usage in commercial zones is an issue that may need to be addressed at some point.
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COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Troy has basic facilities such as schools, churches, police and fire stations, but lacks every other kind of community facilities. Community facilities bring about cohesion in the community, as they act as meeting places for residents. The lack of these, further decreases possibilities of social interactions.
ADMINISTRATION CENTERS
The city hall is the administrative center of the town. The city hall complex also houses the municipal court and community center. The city hall serves it purpose of administration but is not one of the prominent buildings in town and does not showcase much of the city’s character.
EDUCATION FACILITIES
The independent school district of Troy was established in 1896 and caters to the towns of Troy, Pendleton, Little Mexico, Belfalls and Oenaville. Due to its location at the border of the county, the schools serve the neighboring counties too. The ISD has approximately 1280 students spread over its four campuses: Troy Elementary School, Troy Middle School, Troy High School and the Edna Bigham Mays Elementary School. The schools employ 160 teachers and support staff, and are one of the biggest employers in the city.
SENIOR CENTERS
There are no specific centers for senior citizens in Troy. The churches act as the meeting place for the community seniors.
YOUTH CENTERS
In a town with a major percentage of population being children, Troy lacks youth facilities and centers such as pools, playgrounds, etc. The only park and fields Map Showing Community Facilities
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of the schools are the only facilities available to the children.
PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITIES
Troy has only one park; on the eastern side of the town. A major portion of the houses are on the east side of town and hence the park serves the neighborhood well. Additional facilities such as swimming pools, playgrounds and fields are not present.
HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
There is no health care facility in Troy, although a major employer of its residents is the Scott & White clinic in Temple, which is the nearest health care facility for Troy. The residents of Troy have to drive 10.5 miles to Temple for any medical attention.
COMMUNITY CENTERS
The city hall doubles up as the community center. The community center cannot be used on the days of council meetings. Troy is in immediate need for a community center which is separate from the city hall that can accommodate more than 100 people. A public library can also be started within the community center; seating areas and games can also be incorporated within it. Currently, the public library is housed within the newspaper office building.
PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES
The Troy police department consists of four full-time officers. The community partnership between residents and police is excellent. Overall, the criminal activity in Troy is low and is easily handled by the police. The Troy volunteer fire department functions out of two fire stations, and is adequate for the population.
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HOUSING
VALUE
The estimated median house value has risen from $58,700 in 2000 to $84,910 in 2007, possibly indicating that more expensive housing is being built in Troy, older homes are being renovated or that people are seeking housing outside of Temple in a close, but smaller town, therefore creating an increased housing value. As the graph below shows, Troy has a higher percentage of households worth less than $100,000, compared to the county and state level. In 2000 there were 508 households in Troy, and approximately 78% of the households in Troy are family households (Texas, 71%; Bell County, 73%), revealing the need for single-family housing, parks, outdoor activities, restaurants, grocery stores and adequate schools in close proximity to the neighborhoods.
100.0% 90.0%
80.0% Less than 100,000 70.0% 100,000-500,000 60.0%
50.0% 500,000-1,000,000 40.0% More than 30.0% 1,000,000 20.0% 10.0% 0.0% Texas Bell County, Texas Troy, Texas
Rental PROPERTY
Rental properties of Troy are mapped using GIS. It can be seen in Figure 12 that rental properties are clustered together in Troy. These rental areas are located directly northeast and southwest of downtown. These two cluster areas have more than 60% of the land in rental property.
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Figure 16: Troy Rental Property Figure 15: Troy Vacancy Status
VACANCY
Vacancy rates are also mapped by block groups for the city of Troy using GIS. It can be seen in Figure 15 that there is a smaller cluster at the south end of town that comprises of 15-25% vacant structures.
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INFRASTRUCTURE
EXISTING TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Currently Troy has three types of road, I-35, the I-35 feeder road, and local roads. The local roads have few markings and are not very wide. For the existing population and make of Troy having the main road network consist of smaller roads works well as it minimizes maintenance. The feeder road for I-35 is mostly fronted by some commercial and industrial buildings. The feeder road is also not very wide but seemed to be a bit larger than the local roads. Exact measurements will need to be retrieved at some point.
In terms of alternative transportation infrastructure Troy is significantly lacking. Almost no place in the town has even basic sidewalks. A small newly developed neighborhood a few blocks south of the city hall has had sidewalks added, but they do not connect to any other infrastructure. While based on size and speed limits of the local roads bicycles could share the road. There are no bike lanes, or signage indicating that bikes may be in the area. Troy also has no walking or biking paths in the city limits. This lack of alternative transportation infrastructure is something to focus on.
EXISTING WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
The existing water network for Troy is currently well laid out and appears to be able to distribute water to all regions of the city. The only region of the city that looked to be possibly lacking is the northeast section of town which seems to have fewer pipes. Most of the water lines are pipes that are 6” in diameter or larger, though there are some smaller 4” pipes still in use, mostly near the center of town. The water network seems to be a top priority for Troy and has been well maintained and updated.
Recently Troy purchased the Elm Creek Water Supply Corporation’s pipeline northwest of Troy, which expands their water coverage to a new, large region. Troy has also expanded the size of their existing well which will provide almost all the water necessary during the winter and a large percentage during the summer. So with these expansions Troy seems to be set for water infrastructure for the immediate future.
Figure 16: Water Distribution System
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EXISTING SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE
The existing sewer system seems to be able to meet current demand. The majority of the sewer system is composed of PVC pipes, but a few pipes near the middle of town are made of clay. Neither the city council nor the few surveys returned mentioned the sewer system, which would indicate that it currently works as expected.
URBAN DESIGN
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Troy is geometrically a rectangular town, elongated along the north-south direction and narrower along the east- west direction. The interstate running north-south splits the city into two parts.
REGIONAL CONTINUITY
The first impression of Troy that strikes the passerby is that it is an eyesore and a rundown town. The corridor along the highway houses a salvage yard, a shooting range, a fireworks store and a lot of vacant land. Apart from a sign announcing the Troy city limits, no other feature draws a viewer’s attention. The city of Temple (south of Troy) has the city name on a stone board and a water tower with Temple written on it. These features help in identifying a town from the highway and invite people to stop and visit the town.
NODES & LANDMARKS
The town lacks public places and plazas that form a city center. There is a historical downtown which is comprised of a handful of buildings. Most of these buildings were previously occupied but are not presently. The feed store, salon, western wear store, pizza place and the general store (open only on weekends) are functional. The downtown does form some sort of a node and landmark but is not well- maintained. The Pizza Pit is the social gathering spot in town. It has various images of the school sport teams, the Map Showing Nodes & Landmarks Troy Trojans. This place has more community character than the City Hall. The City Hall is a building that can be easily missed, as it is not prominent in terms of scale or materials used. On the west side, there is no single node but various centers are formed by the churches, high school and elementary school.
The town is divided into districts (shown on map) and the characteristics of each district are described below:
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CORRIDOR DISTRICT
The stretch of land on either side of I-35 running parallel to it forms the corridor district. It has been zoned as commercial and industrial. The frontage road towards the downtown on the east side has a few houses opening into it. The widening of I-35 will be towards the west and two of the churches will be removed.
The corridor in such towns tends to give an impression of the whole city to a passerby; people make assumptions of the character of a town based on its first impression. The first impression of Troy is very misleading. It has very well-maintained residential developments which are not visible from the highway. Hence, the corridor has to be developed to enhance the visual quality of the town.
1. Public spaces- There is a Mexican restaurant in a gas station in the center of the town which is a popular spot for stopping. There are no picnic spots or resting areas along the corridor. There are many vacant lots which could be developed to entice people to stop. 2. Street- The frontage street is wide and has no sidewalks. Walking is not a favorable option in this stretch hence the lack of sidewalks is not a major concern here. 3. Roadside elements- The frontage street has a fair amount of trees, though they are not equidistantly placed and are part of the landscaping of the houses. Non-descript light poles are present. 4. Parks- There are no parks along the corridor. A lot of vacant lots are present which could be utilized to develop parks. 5. Plazas- No plazas or public meeting places present. 6. Setbacks- The houses/commercial establishments are at a distance of 20 feet from the street and a minimum of 20 feet between adjacent houses/ commercial establishments is maintained. 7. Building heights- All houses, the ExtraCo Bank and commercial establishments are single-story. 8. Pedestrian entrances- Primary entrance are from the public street the building faces and each individual commercial use has a separate public entrance from the street. 9. Parking/ Driveways- Parking for the bank and restaurant are facing the road. The parking lots are 100% paved and made of impervious materials. 10. Roofs- Houses have pitched roofs and commercial establishments have flat roofs. 11. Façades- The façades of houses have windows and are of different colors. The materials used appear to be brick and stone. The façade of the Mexican restaurant is very static, while the bank has appropriate percent of transparency. 12. Signs- The sign for the Trading Post store is rustic, small in size and suits the character of the store. The bank has an impressive sign which is visible from the highway.
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13. Landscaping- The front yards of houses have shrubs and trees.
Figure 17: Pizza Pit
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Map Showing Districts
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HISTORIC DOWNTOWN & MAIN STREET
The historic downtown district is the center of the town. It houses a few old buildings which are not well- maintained. There is a convenience store, general store, hair salon, antique store, western wear store, laundry mat, feed store and a pizza place.
The city hall, community center, elementary school and middle school are also located on Main Street. Main Street also has houses on it, some of which are in very good condition while some are relatively old. Most houses have a porch which gives a very cozy feel to the street.
Figure 18: House on Main Street Figure 19: Downtown
1. Public spaces- The City Hall also has a Community Center and this is currently the only formal meeting space for the residents. The downtown has a pizza place, The Pizza Pit which appears to be the social gathering spot in town. The Pizza Pit has a huge display of pictures and memorabilia of the Troy Trojans. In a town lacking of public spaces, the Pizza Pit is the only place to turn to. 2. Street- The street is wide and has no sidewalks. This street connects the residential neighborhoods to the downtown and can be developed as a walkable commercial street. 3. Roadside elements- The street has a fair amount of trees, though they are not equidistantly placed and are part of the landscaping of the houses. Non-descript light poles are present. There are no continuous sidewalks, benches or trash cans. No bike lane or bike racks are present although the school is on the same street. 4. Parks- There are no parks in this district. Most lots are occupied and there is no scope for inclusion of a park. 5. Plazas- The parking area in front of the Pizza Pit can be developed to form an outdoor plaza, but additional parking has to be provided. 6. Setbacks- The houses are at a distance of 25-30 feet from the street and a minimum of 20 feet between adjacent houses. In the downtown buildings are built to the edge of sidewalks. 7. Building heights- The buildings in the downtown are mostly single-story with a few two-story buildings. All houses with the exception of one are single-story. 8. Pedestrian entrances- Primary entrance are from the public street the building faces and each individual commercial use has a separate public entrance from the street. 9. Parking/ Driveways- Parking for the Pizza Pit faces the frontage road and Main Street. There is a city-owned parking lot behind the feed store which is completely paved and made of impervious materials.
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10. Roofs- Houses have pitched roofs and commercial establishments have flat roofs. 11. Façades- The façades of houses have windows and are of different colors. The materials used appear to be brick and stone. The façade of the buildings in the downtown is of brick, and ill-maintained. 12. Signs- The signs for the stores in the downtown are barely visible. The Pizza Pit has a legible sign but none of the other signs in the downtown are attractive. 13. Landscaping- The front yards of houses have shrubs and trees.
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT 1
Residential District 1 is in the north half of the eastern part of town between Main Street and East Austin Street. It consists mainly of single-family residences. Troy Middle School and Troy Elementary are located here, as well as the only park in Troy.
The schools are located within the single-family residential area and the children can walk to school. Bicycles outside the school serve as evidence that children bike to school.
Figure 22: Elementary School Figure 23: Middle School
Figure 24: A residential street
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1. Public spaces- The schools serve as the public congregation space while dropping off, walking children to school. 2. Street- The streets are 20-25 feet wide and there are no cul-de-sacs. All neighborhood streets are connected. However, there are no sidewalks or bike lanes and therefore, these do not form a connected pedestrian network. 3. Roadside elements- The streets have few trees, and are part of the landscaping of the houses. Insufficient lighting is provided by light poles placed at every hundred feet approximately. There are no sidewalks, benches or trash cans. No bike lane or bike racks are present although these streets are very close to the school. 4. Parks- There is one park in this district which is also the only park in Troy. Its facilities are very basic and it does not fulfill needs of all residents. There are many vacant lots which can be converted into pocket parks. 5. Plazas- There are no plazas present. 6. Setbacks- The houses are at a distance of 25-30 feet from the street and a minimum of 20 feet between adjacent houses. 7. Building heights- All houses are single storied. 8. Pedestrian entrances- Primary entrance are from the public street the building face. 9. Parking/ Driveways- The parking for houses is in the garages, although people park on-street (undesignated) also. Driveways are at the front side of houses. 10. Roofs- All houses have pitched roofs. 11. Façades- The façades of houses all have garages. There are adequate windows and there is not much variation in façade color. The materials used appear to be brick and stone. 12. Signs- Signs with street names are of appropriate size and clearly visible. 13. Landscaping- The front yards of houses have shrubs and trees.
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT 2
Residential District 2 consists of new developments and is located to the south of the Eastern half, beyond East Austin Street. The houses are in very good condition and are brand new. They are located close to the school. The development is confined to one part of the southern side, while the other side is vacant lots.
Figure 25 & 26: Streets in the New Development
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1. Public spaces- There are no public spaces. 2. Street- The streets are 20- feet wide and there are no cul-de-sacs. All neighborhood streets are connected. There are no sidewalks on one side of the street and no bike lanes. 3. Roadside elements- The streets have no trees or lighting. There are no benches or trash cans. No bike lanes are present although these streets are very close to the school. 4. Parks- There are no parks in this district. The vacant lots, if owned by the city could be developed into parks and the close proximity to the school makes it an ideal location. 5. Plazas- There are no plazas present. 6. Setbacks- The houses are at a distance of 15-20 feet from the street and a minimum of 15 feet between adjacent houses. 7. Building heights- All houses are single storied. 8. Pedestrian entrances- Primary entrance are from the public street the building face. 9. Parking/ Driveways- The parking for houses is in the garages, although people park on-street (undesignated) also. Driveways are at the front side of houses. 10. Roofs- All houses have pitched roofs. 11. Façades- The façades of houses all have garages. There are adequate windows and there is not much variation in façade color. The materials used appear to be brick and stone. 12. Signs- Signs with street names are of appropriate size and clearly visible. 13. Landscaping- The front yards of houses have very little vegetation, possibly due to the fact that they are new.
RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT 3
Residential district 3 consists of a majority of single- family residences, a multi-family residential complex, churches, the Edna Bigham Elementary School and Troy High School. This district is on the western side of the town.
Figure 27: A Residential Street Figure 28: Troy High School
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1. Public spaces- The schools serve as the public congregation space while dropping off, walking children to school. 2. Street- Most of the streets in the north part form a connected network, whereas the connection is barely be seen in the south part. However, none of the streets have pedestrian sidewalks or bike lanes. 3. Roadside elements- The streets have very few trees, and are part of the landscaping of the houses. Insufficient lighting is provided by light poles placed at every hundred feet approximately. There are no sidewalks, benches or trash cans. No bike lanes are present although these streets are very close to the school. 4. Parks- There are no parks in this district. The vacant lots, if owned by the city could be developed into parks and the close proximity to the school makes it an ideal location. 5. Plazas- There are no plazas present. 6. Setbacks- The houses are at a distance of 25-30 feet from the street and a minimum of 20 feet between adjacent houses. 7. Building heights- All houses are single storied. 8. Pedestrian entrances- Primary entrance are from the public street the building face. 9. Parking/ Driveways- The parking for houses is in the garages, although people park on-street (undesignated) also. Driveways are at the front side of houses. 10. Roofs- All houses have pitched roofs. 11. Façades- The façades of houses all have garages. There are adequate windows and there is not much variation in façade color. The materials used appear to be brick and stone. 12. Signs- Signs with street names are of appropriate size and clearly visible. 13. Landscaping- The front yards of houses have shrubs and trees.
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RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT 4
Residential District 4 is located at the northern edge of the city on the western side. It consists of very few low density high income residential units. The approach streets to the district are not very well developed.
Figure 29 & 30: Houses in the Low Density District
1. Public spaces- There are no public spaces. 2. Street- Most of the streets form a connected network. However, none of the streets have pedestrian sidewalks or bike lanes. 3. Roadside elements- The streets have very few trees, and are part of the landscaping of the houses. Insufficient lighting is provided by light poles placed at every hundred feet approximately. There are no sidewalks, benches or trash cans. 4. Parks- There are no parks in this district. 5. Plazas- There are no plazas present. 6. Setbacks- The houses are at a distance of 50- 100 feet from the street and a minimum of 200 feet between adjacent houses. 7. Building heights- All houses are single storied. 8. Pedestrian entrances- Primary entrance are from the public street the building face. 9. Parking/ Driveways- The parking for houses is in the garages and these garages are separate units. Driveways are at the front side of houses. 10. Roofs- All houses have pitched roofs. 11. Façades- The façades of houses have a variation in materials. There are adequate windows and are elaborately designed. The materials used appear to be brick and stone. 12. Signs- Signs with street names are of appropriate size and clearly visible. 13. Landscaping- The front yards of houses are well-maintained, vegetation includes shrubs and trees.
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SURVEY RESULTS
DEMOGRAPHICS
The total number of respondents of this survey is 21, of which 17 live within the limit of the city and 4 do not. The predominant race is Caucasians (16 respondents). There are 10 male respondents and 10 female respondents (the other one did not respond). All of them are English speakers. 18 of the respondents are currently married; two are divorced. Nine respondents have children under 5 in their household. 57.1% of respondents are between 30-60 years old, which is considered to be in the work force. The 6 people who are over 60 years old have lived most of their lives in Troy; most of the survey respondents also have lived here for more than 10 years. Therefore these respondents should be very familiar with this community. Although the number of respondents is low, a clear picture of a family based bedroom community with predominantly youthful and white population emerges, and is an accurate reflection of the community.
EDUCATION, WORK STATUS AND INCOME LEVEL
All of the respondents have attained high school education and 24% of them have a bachelor or higher degree. Respondents who are currently working all commute outside of the city. The average commuting time is 20 minutes. The major cities they work in are Waco and Temple, which is near Troy. 57% of the respondents have their annual household income within the range from $35,000 to $75,000; this is higher than the city median income.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SATISFACTION
On the whole, the respondents are mostly satisfied with the city services, the neighborhood, and the quality of life. Most of the respondents feel that Troy is a nice and safe place with a good reputation, road network, and proximity to work and they like raising their children here. People are satisfied with the police services, fire department and waste/recycling system, but not with code enforcement and lack of transit; large amount of respondents are very dissatisfied with them. Most respondents mentioned the nice churches, schools and small town atmosphere as the most enjoyable things of Troy.
However, when it comes to community facilities (senior centers, park and recreational facilities) people show huge dissatisfaction. Over half of the respondents are very dissatisfied with the youth centers, parks, health care facilities and historic preservation. According to some of the comments, the community facilities need improvement in both quantity and quality, but there are respondents who point out money will be an issue in the implementation.
Also, major dissatisfaction is shown towards the economic development of Troy, especially job creation and local business support. Some respondents point out that little attention has been paid to the support of local businesses and the closeness to Temple hinders the growth of local businesses. But there is also opinion that since most of the people work outside the community, there is less need for the growth of local business within the community.
Regarding infrastructure, although respondents are fairly satisfied with the drainage and water improvements, they are not satisfied with street improvements, lighting, sidewalks, or traffic congestion. One main comment is
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that speed should be limited near the school area, as there are children using the streets and drivers don’t slow down. More than one respondent pointed out Church Street needs attention and improvement regarding safety for children.
Housing issues did not get much attention from the respondents. Most of them merely chose “do not know”. However, there is a comment complaining about too much affordable housing. Also, a large portion of the respondents are very dissatisfied with senior housing, residential rehabilitation and homeownership assistance.
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Do not Housing Issues Satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied know
Affordable for-sale housing 9.5% 42.9% 19.0% 0.0% 28.6%
Quality affordable rental housing 4.8% 23.8% 23.8% 4.8% 42.9%
Disabled housing 4.8% 9.5% 28.6% 14.3% 42.9%
Homeownership assistance 4.8% 9.5% 19.0% 23.8% 42.9%
Residential rehabilitation 4.8% 4.8% 33.3% 23.8% 33.3%
Senior housing 4.8% 19.0% 4.8% 33.3% 38.1%
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Do not Community Facilities Satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied know
Senior Centers 15.0% 30.0% 10.0% 30.0% 15.0%
Youth Centers 5.0% 10.0% 20.0% 50.0% 15.0%
Park and recreational facilities 5.0% 25.0% 20.0% 50.0% 0.0%
Health care facilities 10.0% 0.0% 10.0% 50.0% 30.0%
Community Centers 20.0% 25.0% 25.0% 25.0% 5.0%
Historic Preservation 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 40.0% 15.0%
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Do not City Services Satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied know
Police Services 45.0% 40.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0%
Fire Department 45.0% 45.0% 10.0% 0.0% 0.0%
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Waste/Recycling 30.0% 35.0% 20.0% 10.0% 5.0%
Building Code Enforcement 15.0% 25.0% 20.0% 25.0% 15.0%
Public Park Maintenance 15.8% 52.6% 26.3% 5.3% 0.0%
Public Transportation 5.3% 0.0% 21.1% 36.8% 36.8%
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Economic Development Do not know Satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied
Work force training 10.0% 5.0% 15.0% 25.0% 45.0%
Local business support 5.0% 15.0% 10.0% 55.0% 15.0%
Job creation 0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 40.0% 30.0%
Job retention 5.0% 5.0% 20.0% 35.0% 35.0%
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Do not Infrastructure Satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied know
Drainage improvement 10.0% 45.0% 10.0% 25.0% 10.0%
Water improvement 15.0% 40.0% 5.0% 25.0% 15.0%
Sewer improvement 20.0% 35.0% 10.0% 20.0% 15.0%
Street/Alley improvement 4.8% 19.0% 23.8% 42.9% 9.5%
Street lighting 15.0% 10.0% 20.0% 40.0% 15.0%
Sidewalk improvement 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 40.0% 30.0%
Amount of Traffic congestion 10.0% 20.0% 25.0% 25.0% 20.0%
The availability 10.0% 10.0% 20.0% 35.0% 25.0%
Very Somewhat Somewhat Very Do not Neighborhood and quality of life Satisfied satisfied dissatisfied dissatisfied know
The general appearance of the streets, grounds and buildings in 14.3% 42.9% 9.5% 19.0% 14.3% the neighborhood
The reputation of the neighborhood 23.8% 38.1% 19.0% 4.8% 14.3%
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The shopping convenience for 23.8% 28.6% 4.8% 28.6% 14.3% everyday needs like bread and milk
They safety of the neighborhood 35.0% 40.0% 10.0% 0.0% 15.0%
They quality of the schools that your children attend (or would 42.9% 23.8% 9.5% 0.0% 23.8% attend if you had children)
The neighborhood as a place to 38.1% 38.1% 9.5% 0.0% 14.3% raise children
The commuting time to work 25.0% 40.0% 0.0% 10.0% 25.0%
The majority of the respondents show a preference for the small town and family character of Troy. Most grew up in Troy and have all their family living in the city. They do not want much growth within the area, but they do want more recreational facilities, grocery stores, small retail businesses like Dairy Queen and a Dollar Store, and they want walking trails to create connectivity and walkability among them.
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SWOT ANALYSIS
Strengths Weaknesses - strong school system -Poor first impression -I35 corridor -lack of community facilities -active church population -inadequate parks, trails, and sidewalks -low crime -water dependence on Temple -long time caring residents -drug abuse -natural features (i.e. tree canopy, wetlands, creeks) -code enforcement
SWOT
Opportunities -capital increase from interstate Threats -commercial growth -landlocked by Temple -annexation -Losing small town feel -population growth -Increase in crime -space for high quality, planned development -Decrease in the standard of living -downtown revitalization -Poor strip commercial development -pedestrian and bike connections
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
STRENGTHS
The city of Troy has natural elements that strengthen the city’s green infrastructure and scenic aesthetic quality. The city has a strong tree canopy and wetlands inventory that the city can use to its advantage. Additionally, there is a lot of open space within the ETJ.
WEAKNESSES
Due to the location of Troy directly on the I-35 corridor, impervious cover will be a weakness that must be addressed in planning and development of the city. Additionally, parts of the city are located within the floodplain which makes part of the community more vulnerable to hazards such as flooding. The park system is weak with no walking trails.
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OPPORTUNITIES
The city has many opportunities to preserve its natural environment. Areas that are strongly occupied by tree canopy and wetlands can be preserved and integrated into a park system. This will not only help add connectivity to the community, but offer more recreation opportunities to Troy residents and protect the environment.
THREATS
Growing unplanned development threatens the natural environment of Troy. Additionally, the expansion of Temple industry towards Troy threatens the natural environment with industrial pollution.
POPULATION
STRENGTHS
Troy has a fairly youthful population which implies huge potential of growth in the city. Also, the population in Troy is mostly settled in families. People often have their family members living close to each other. A lot of them have lived their whole life in this town and built deep and wide roots in the community. The family based character provides stability and identity for the community which will hold the residents together, and is very important to a small town. Moreover, 81% of the male population and 79% of the female population in Troy have high school education or higher. Compared to the State level, Troy has a higher percentage of high school graduates. In addition, The median income of Troy is $39,250, (higher than the county level) and Troy has higher a percentage of households with median income from $40,000 to $75,000, as compared to the state and county.
WEAKNESSES
Troy is a small bedroom community with only 1,378 people in 2000. Also, the female population in most of the age cohorts is more than the male population. Finally, although the median household income level is above the state level, Troy has more than 12 percent of households with income less than 10, 000, which is much higher than the county and the state level.
OPPORTUNITIES
Troy’s population stopped growing in 1988, when the total population was 1, 581. After that the population kept dropping until 2000, when the population became 1,378. However, the population in 2008 is estimated to be 1,425, which indicates that the city is growing again. A growing population will generate vitality and great opportunity in the future.
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ECONOMY
STRENGTHS
The unemployment rate in Troy is relatively low compared to the state level. Manufacturing, education, transportation and retail business are the major occupations in Troy. These occupations account for over 50% of the employment. Also, the proximity to Temple gives Troy the advantage of sharing the increasing job opportunities there.
WEAKNESSES
As a bedroom community, Troy truly lacks local businesses. The businesses in the historical downtown area are mostly shut down or only open for a couple of days per week.
OPPORTUNITIES
First, Troy has a population with good median household income level and a low unemployment rate, so there is good demand for retail trade businesses. Also, the growing Temple area, which is adjacent to Troy, will be able to share job opportunities and customers with Troy. The fast growing retail trade business is a result of the closeness to the Temple area. According to the projection, retail trade will become the major employer in 2020. The I-35 corridor will add to Troy’s advantages in commercial development. Troy’s high school football has a good tradition and long history. Troy has a large amount of vacant land that is available for development. Finally, the widening of I35 presents a unique opportunity to redesign the most visible part of the city, possible making it a desirable stopover for travelers.
THREATS
Educational, health and social service, manufacturing and transportation, warehousing and utilities are the major occupations in Troy, covering over 50 percent of the residents. However, education, transportation and manufacturing are facing decline in local competitiveness. In the 10 years from 1990 to 2000, these three industries generated fewer employment opportunities than both the state level and the average level in the same industries. Also, the vacancy rate in downtown is high. Most of the stores are not open and the facades of the stores are old and lack maintenance. If the local businesses keep losing customers, it will be a big threat to Troy’s economy in the future.
LAND USE
STRENGTHS
There are a number of different but mostly compatible land uses in walking or biking distance to each other, which could allow the possibility of a walkable community to form. The current zoning regulations are being followed well with few nonconformities and none that are a major issue. Overall the town has done well at keeping
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compatible uses close and incompatible uses separated. Finally, there is an abundance of vacant developable land which offers plenty of opportunities.
WEAKNESSES
The current zoning creates an overabundance of commercial zones which can lead to low land values. The zoning also creates very distinct zones that do not allow for good mixed use to occur, however almost all zones allow single family residential, which can create incompatibilities.
OPPORTUNITIES
Interstate 35 is expanding and creating the possibility of new growth for Troy. If planned correctly this rearrangement of Troy could help start a new and vibrant town based on a good mixed use center. Another opportunity is that a lot of land around Troy is currently used for agriculture or general open space; this gives Troy a lot of land to work with in the future.
THREATS
Temple is expanding on Troy’s southern border. Temple also currently plans to build their industrial park in the northern part of Temple. These are issues that Troy will have to deal with. A large industrial section just south of town could hurt land values in Troy and keep possible residents away. The growth of Temple to the north will could also hurt Troy’s chance to expand its commercial or mixed use land uses.
COMMUNITY FACILITIES
Strengths
Troy ISD has more than 1200 students in four campuses. The excellent school system is one of the biggest employers and also a reason for many young families to move into the city. Schools can be marketed to attract more people.
A single park serves as the recreational space for the entire city. Although small, it is well designed and well used by the residents. The central location of the park makes it more accessible by people on the west side of town. Improving and expanding the park system will improve the quality of living.
The police and fire departments are first-rate and share an excellent working relationship with the residents.
WEAKNESSES
The City Hall is a small building which houses the community center and municipal court. A new facility is needed.
Troy has no senior centers, youth centers or health care facilities. Churches serve as social gathering places, but are not adequate. The population of Troy is fairly young and needs more youth centers, a better public library, ball fields and parks. The existing public library is not in a prominent location and needs to be integrated with other
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community facilities. Presently, people drive to Temple for any health care needs. This is a substantial distance in case of emergencies.
OPPORTUNITIES
The vacant middle school provides a great opportunity to create a central community center with additional facilities like a library, youth center, and senior center, to integrate all these facilities into one big complex.
The abundance of vacant land presents an opportunity for playgrounds, swimming pools and parks. The only park in town can be expanded and new parks can be added in residential areas.
Senior centers can be integrated with the community center to serve the many elderly people. A small health clinic has a good market base in Troy.
THREATS
The close proximity and ever growing city of Temple attracts more people to it. This reduces the tax base and portrays an undesirable image of the city. The dissatisfaction of residents due to the deficient facilities reduces the quality of living and harms the close knit community character.
HOUSING
STRENGTHS
The city already has areas designated for housing that have not yet been developed. This is a strength in that there is room and planning for growth. Additionally, projections of housing density also indicate that Troy can expect population growth over the next twenty years. Vacancy rates are typically low in the city and can be seen as a strength.
WEAKNESSES
Increased housing density threatens the natural environment if not planned well. The decline of green infrastructure, including open space, can be seen as a weakness. Additionally, multifamily housing is not strong in the city, and renter occupied housing is clustered.
OPPORTUNITIES
Opportunities to plan for growth are very apparent. Opportunities to employ mixed use are great. Instead of clustering multifamily housing to certain parts of the city, they can be dispersed throughout. Finally, vacant areas can be put to good use as sites for innovative, noteworthy community development.
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THREATS
Future projections of development indicate that over the next twenty years most green space will be gone, and the town will primarily be urban. This threatens the natural environment and ecologically sensitive areas (i.e. wetlands, floodplain, and tree canopies). Furthermore, an increasing population means more residents will need basic services. This is a challenge worth planning for in advance.
INFRASTRUCTURE
STRENGTHS
On either side of the highway the road network is fairly well connected and has the ability to meet the demands of the people of Troy. Both the water and sewer systems are well maintained and able to meet demand.
WEAKNESSES
The ability to cross I-35 is low so that travel between the east and west side of town is limited to a few areas. While the streets are generally walkable, there are few sidewalks in town and no walking or biking trails. Although the city’s water network covers the city well, the city is not entirely independent regarding current water needs.
OPPORTUNITIES
Troy has received a Safe Routes to School grant and will be able to work on generating some safe walking routes soon. With I-35 expanding there is a possibility that additional paths across I-35 could be generated, even if only for walking and biking. Troy has expanded its well and is renegotiating its water contract with Temple, which could increase Troy’s security regarding water. Troy is also planning to buy existing pipelines in the northwest part of town to increase their waterline coverage and allow development there.
THREATS
The final I-35 design could actually reduce the number of crossings between east and west Troy which would significantly hurt the town. Relying on another city to provide water could become an issue if for some reason the other town was unable or willing to provide the water.
URBAN DESIGN
STRENGTHS
The buildings downtown have very well designed façades. The location of downtown also is a strength.
Houses along Main Street are older than other houses in the city and have a character and style of their own. The porches, landscaping and fenestration are unique and provide excellent gateways to the other residential areas.
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The residential areas are well designed, the streets are in good condition and the houses are excellent. Houses are closely placed; very few vacant lots exist. The styles of houses are very cohesive and contribute to forming a friendly atmosphere.
WEAKNESSES
The I-35 corridor leading to the city is the first contact with Troy. It houses a salvage yard, fireworks store, shooting range and lots of vacant land. The area is very run-down and badly maintained. No prominent visual marker indicates the city limits.
The downtown is badly maintained. A few vacant buildings are in very bad condition and are eyesores. This provides a misleading image of the city, as the residential areas are very nice.
The width of Main Street does not allow for the addition of sidewalks and bike lanes. It is difficult to improve the streetscape, as it is a high traffic street and requires its present width.
The railroad and overhead utility lines bring down the city’s visual aesthetics. Lack of trees and views of silos etc., further reduce the visual quality.
OPPORTUNITIES
The projected growth and population and expansion of I-35 provide a lot of scope for improving the community’s visual quality; for example, adding trees to buffer the effects of the highway. I-35 will bring in more people and there is immense opportunity to develop commercial and retail uses along it. Commercial zones can be designed with emphasis on maintaining the rural character of the city and aesthetic appeal.
Downtown can be preserved as a historical district and business can be improved within it. The revitalization of the downtown will improve the image of the city.
Single-family and other residential developments will increase with the projected growth. Ordinances can be revised to include design standards for houses, planting more trees, and providing sidewalks and bike lanes.
THREATS
If the uses along the highway are not improved, they will continue to be an eyesore and reduce visual aesthetics. Unplanned development of strip commercial uses along the highway will make the city look like any other city. Design guidelines need to be set to improve the image of the city, and give it a unique identity.
Inaction to revitalize downtown will lead to bad entry points to the city and city hall. The businesses in downtown will not improve, and vital land will get wasted.
With no ordinances added to improve design conditions of neighborhoods, the entire city will lack sidewalks and trees. The concept of improving health and making the city more attractive and liveable will be lost.
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SECTION II.
THE FUTURE TROY
VISION, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES
SECTION II. THE FUTURE TROY (VISION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES)
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1. INTRODUCTION
Vision
A small-town community that provides an exceptional quality of life, values and supports quality education, and provides a safe environment for its residents.
The International City Management Association (2010) offers three general goals for communities beginning to undertake planning:
● Support the rural landscape
● Help existing places thrive
● Create great new places
The following eight goals are general goals that the plan follows to achieve sustainable development and prosperity in Troy, Texas.
1. Mix Land Uses
2. Create Compact Developments
3. Provide Housing For a Wide Range of Life Stages and Incomes
4. Create Pedestrian Friendly Communities
5. Develop a Sense of Place and Community Character
6. Preserve Open Spaces, Farmland, and Environmentally Sensitive Areas
7. Direct Development to Existing Areas
8. Encourage Community and Stakeholder Participation in Planning and Decision-Making Processes
2. FUTURE ENVIRONMENT
Overall goal: Permanently preserve, protect, maintain, improve, and enhance natural resources, parkland, and recreational opportunities for current and future generations. The City of Troy shall provide places and recreation opportunities for all people to gather, celebrate, contemplate, and engage in activities that promote health, well- being, community, and the environment.
GOAL 2.1: PRESERVE OPEN SPACE, FARMLAND, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS.
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Objective 2.1.1: Preserve 40% of wetlands, tree canopy, and floodplain by 2012.
Objective 2.1.2: Establish one fully undeveloped and protected corridor of green space by 2013.
GOAL 2.2: DELIVER RECREATION THAT INSPIRES PERSONAL GROWTH, HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, AND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has developed standards for parks, recreation and open space development that are intended to guide communities in establishing a hierarchy of park areas. The general standard established by the NRPA for park acreage per 1,000 people is between 15 and 17 acres, or 1.5 to 1.7 acres for every 100 people. Currently, Troy needs 30 acres of parkland, but only has approximately 3 acres. By 2030, Troy will need approximately 35-40 acres of parkland.
Objective 2.2.1: Establish a city wide park system with trail connectivity by 2013.
Objective 2.2.2: Establish a rails-with-trails program by 2014. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/rwt/ http://home.comcast.net/~phyilla1/sstrails/railswithtrails.html
GOAL 2.3: PROVIDE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
Objective 2.3.1: Deliver team sports opportunities to the community.
Objective 2.3.2: Deliver weekly education programs to the community.
ACTION STRATEGIES
SHORT TERM (ACTIONS TO BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE)
Adopt a Tree Ordinance (See appendix for example). Employ environmental protection zoning to restrict development in sensitive areas. These are zoning districts, overlay zones, or other regulations that prohibit or restrict development in environmentally sensitive areas. Use mechanisms such as development exactions (requirements) and impact fees (money) on development to alleviate limited financial capacity. For example, the city can require that a developer dedicate a certain percentage of land to the city park system. An impact fee will require a developer to pay an amount of money determined by the city.
MEDIUM TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER SEVERAL YEARS)
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Adopt a Hazards Awareness Program to increase awareness and preparedness for flooding and severe weather by 2013. Provide incentives to developers for conserving open space and employing clustered style developments. Some examples of incentives are tax abatements, the waving of hookup fees, and density bonuses.
LONG TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT 10-20 YEARS
The city can adopt a clustering ordinance giving developers a development density bonus if they cluster development at least 500 feet away from environmentally sensitive areas (i.e. floodplain, wetlands, tree canopy, etc.). Encourage conservation-oriented developments, conservation subdivisions, and planned unit developments. These not only protect the environment, but can reduce the amount of roads and utility lines needed for new developments, and therefore reduce the cost of housing and public services. Maintain rural character of open spaces and scenic views by using zoning districts for residential clusters, determining balance of lot size, density, and the desired amount of preserved open space, and allow developers increased density in exchange for more open space and smaller lots.
ONGOING ACTIONS
Use toolbox for preserving open space - public ownership, outright acquisition, purchase of development rights, and transfer of development rights, donation of land, conservation easements, urban growth boundaries, and infrastructure target areas. Partner with schools to establish an outdoor after-school program Encourage people to experience the natural environment by providing and maintaining, where feasible, trails and access points that serve people of all ranges of ability Encourage historic preservation and economic development by revitalizing dilapidated buildings instead of developing open space.
FUNDING STRATEGIES
1. Outdoor Recreation Grants http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/grants/trpa/
This grant provides 50% matching grant funds to municipalities, counties, MUDs and other local units of government with populations less than 500,000 to acquire and develop parkland or to renovate existing public recreation areas. There will be two funding cycles per year with a maximum award of $500,000. Eligible sponsors include cities, counties, MUDs, river authorities, and other special districts. Projects must be completed within three years of approval. Application deadlines are March 1st and August 1st each year (the master plans submission deadline is at least 60 days prior to the application deadline). Award notifications occur approximately 6 months after deadlines. For complete information on this grant, please download the Outdoor Recreation Grant Application.
2. Indoor Recreation Grants
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http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/grants/trpa/
This grant provides 50% matching grant funds to municipalities, counties, MUDs and other local units of government with populations less than 500,000 to construct recreation centers, nature centers and other indoor recreation-related buildings. The grant maximum is $750,000. The application deadline is August 1st each year (the master plans submission deadline is at least 60 days prior to the application deadline). Award notifications occur the following January. For more information on this grant, please download the Indoor Recreation Grant Application.
3. Small Community Grants
This grant was created to meet the recreation needs of small Texas communities with a population of 20,000 and under. The grant provides 50% matching grant funds to eligible municipalities and counties. The maximum grant amount is $75,000. Funds must be used for development or acquisition of parkland. Eligible projects include ball fields, boating, fishing, and hunting facilities, picnic facilities, playgrounds, swimming pools, trails, camping facilities, beautification, restoration, gardens, sports courts and support facilities. The deadline for this grant is March 1st each year.
4. Urban Outdoor Recreation Grants http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/grants/trpa/
Grants are available to cities and counties with populations over 500,000 for the acquisition and development of park land. This assistance program is distributed in the form of 50% matching grant funds up to $1,000,000. Local governments must apply, permanently dedicate project areas for public recreational use, and assume responsibility for operation and maintenance. The deadline for this grant is March 1st each year.
5. Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) Grants http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/grants/trpa/
The CO-OP grant helps to introduce under-served populations to the services, programs, and sites of Texas Parks & Wildlife Department. This is not a land acquisition or construction grant; this is only for programs. Grants are awarded to non-profit organizations, schools, municipalities, counties, cities, and other tax-exempt groups. Minimum grant requests are $5,000 and maximum grant requests are $50,000. The application deadline is February 1st and October 1st with awards on April 15th and December 15th.
The Community Outdoor Outreach Program (CO-OP) will be conducting grant writing workshops around the state to help applicants prepare for upcoming deadlines. Applicants will be able to apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to expose participants to environmental and conservation programs as well as outdoor recreation activities.
6. Recreational Trail Grants http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/grants/trpa/
TPWD administers the National Recreational Trails Fund in Texas under the approval of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This federally funded program receives its funding from a portion of federal gas taxes paid
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on fuel used in non-highway recreational vehicles. The grants can be up to 80% of project cost with a maximum of $200,000 for non-motorized trail grants and currently there is not a maximum amount for motorized trail grants (call 512-389-8224 for motorized trail grant funding availability). Funds can be spent on both motorized and non- motorized recreational trail projects such as the construction of new recreational trails, to improve existing trails, to develop trailheads or trailside facilities, and to acquire trail corridors. Application deadline is February 1st each year.
7. Donations of land or use of land can also aid in reaching environmental goals of Troy. A donation of land or interest in land is the simplest way to arrange outright transfers of title, no financing or negotiations over price, landowner need only obtain approval from agency or organization to which it will be given, and then deed the land to recipient. Landowners can donate their property and receive tax benefits for doing so; donor no longer pays the real estate taxes, income taxes reduced, and estate is reduced in size so that estate taxes will diminish correspondingly, donor can claim an income tax deduction of the market value of the land as determined by a qualified appraiser.
8. Park Dedication can be encouraged through incentives or required by the City of Troy. For example, the city can require that a developer include a park with a residential or commercial development.
9. Ordinance Fees can be enforced by the City. Through careful evaluation and review of development and building standard, the city can impose ordinance fees on those developers and property owners that do not meet regulations.
10. General Budget and Bonds
11. Conservation easements are a legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values, allows landowners to continue to own and use their land, and sell it or pass it on.
Conservation easements offer great flexibility. An easement on property containing rare wildlife habitat might prohibit any development, for example, while an easement on a farm might allow continued farming and the addition of agricultural structures. An easement may apply to all or a portion of the property, and need not require public access. Payment in lieu of dedication might be sought. Where local governments are concerned with natural resource protection, easements with little or no public access make sense. Where recreation is a need, land dedication or purchase is suggested so full public access is assured. If the donation benefits the public by permanently protecting important conservation resources, and meets other federal tax code requirements, it can qualify as a tax-deductible charitable donation. Easement values vary greatly; in general, the highest easement values result from very restrictive conservation easements on tracts of developable open space under intense development pressure. In some jurisdictions, placing an easement on your property may also result in property tax savings.
A conservation easement can be essential for passing undeveloped land on to the next generation. By removing the land’s development potential, the easement typically lowers the property’s market value, which in turn lowers potential estate tax. Whether the easement is donated during life or by will, it can make a critical difference in one’s heirs’ ability to keep the land intact.
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3. FUTURE ECONOMY
GOAL 3.1 PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN A GOOD ENVIRONMENT FOR THE EXISTING MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN TROY
Objective 3.1.1 Improve street walkability in the school area and the downtown area
Objective 3.1.2 Build better connection between the west and east parts of the city
GOAL 3.2 ENCOURAGE SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES THAT WILL SERVE RESIDENTS ON A DAILY BASIS
Objective 3.2.1 Attract neighborhood grocery stores
Objective 3.2.2 Establish a seasonal or year-round Farmers Market in town
Objective 3.2.3 Establish a flea market in town
GOAL 3.3 CREATE ATTRACTIVE CITY IMAGE AND MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT TO INSPIRE A DYNAMIC COMMERCIAL FOUNDATION
Objective 3.3.1 Revitalize the historical downtown area
Objective 3.3.2 Establish noticeable city signage
Objective 3.3.3 Create mixed use developments
ACTION STRATEGIES
SHORT TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE)
1. Adopt phased historical revitalization plan that includes building facade standards, streetscape standards and landscape standards by 2012.
2. Apply traffic calming devices within school areas to limit vehicle speed by 2012.
3. Extend sidewalks to create better pedestrian connectivity by 2012.
4. Use zoning tools to create mixed use development districts in downtown area and in the south part of city by 2012.
5. Establish administrative board for Farmers Market and Flea Market by 2012.
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MEDIUM TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER SEVERAL YEARS)
6. Create improvement districts to support aesthetic and public improvements in the city. For example, the historic downtown can be an improvement district. This can be done through levying special taxes or assessments.
FUNDING STRATEGIES
There are a good number of other grants and loans that Troy shall look into:
1. Capital Access Fund: Office of the Governor Economic Development and Tourism. http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/ecodev/ed_bank/cap_access
This program may be a great resource for Main Street businesses that may have trouble getting a low-interest loan because of an unfavorable credit rating. The Texas Capital Access Fund was designed as a public/private partnership between the state of Texas and the lending institutions to assist “near bankable” businesses in accessing the capital they need. Small businesses are priorities of the program; however, there is also an emphasis placed on childcare providers and businesses located in enterprise zones. This loan does not have a maximum amount, just what the lender feels comfortable lending the business.
2. Texas Leverage Fund: Office of the Governor Economic Development and Tourism. http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/ecodev/ed_bank/enterprise_zone
This program may be used by Main Street Communities who are 4A, 4B, or both 4A and 4B for additional revenue. The Texas Leverage Fund is an “economic development bank” offering an added source of financing to communities that have passed the economic development sales tax. This program allows the community to make loans to local businesses for expansion or to recruit new industries.
3. Texas Capital Fund: Infrastructure Development Program, Texas Department of Agriculture Rural Economic Development Division. http://www.agr.state.tx.us/eco/rural_eco_devo/capital_fund/fin_infrastructure.htm
This program is an economic development tool designed to provide financial resources to non-entitlement communities. Funds from this program can be utilized in Main Street Communities for public infrastructure needed to assist a business that commits to create and/or retain permanent jobs, primarily for low and moderated income persons. This program encourages new business development and expansions.
4. Economic Development Sales Tax
The economic development sales tax was first created in 1989 to give smaller Texas communities the financial resources to attract primary jobs and create wealth.
All cities located in a county with a population of less than 500,000 may impose the Type A sales tax if the new combined local sales tax rate would not exceed 2 percent. Some cities located in counties with a population of 500,000 or more (Bexar, Dallas, El Paso, Harris, Hidalgo, Tarrant and Travis) may also adopt Type A sales tax for economic development efforts, but a city’s eligibility varies from county to county.
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Type A sales tax can fund manufacturing and industrial facilities; research and development facilities; recycling facilities; dis-tribution centers; small warehouse facilities and distribution centers; military facilities; primary job training facilities; corpo-rate headquarter facilities; job training classes; career centers; telephone call centers; business infrastructure; airport facilities; ports; mass commuting facilities; parking facilities; and operation of commuter rail, light rail or commuter buses.
All cities are eligible to adopt the Type B sales tax if the combined local sales tax rate would not exceed 2 percent. Type B sales tax funds can be used for the same purposes as listed for Type A. In addition, Type B sales tax can also fund retail business incentives (if city population is less than 20,000); sports and athletic facilities; entertainment, tourist and convention facili-ties; public parks and related open space improvements; affordable housing; and water supply and conservation programs (with special voter approval). https://www.texasedc.org/files/File/4a%204b/Ed_Sales_Wrap_062909_V3.pdf
5. Texas Enterprise Zone Program: Office of the Governor Economic Development and Tourism. http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/ecodev/ed_bank/enterprise_zone
This program may help Main Street communities maintain financial health through the encouragement of job creation and business development. The purpose of the Texas Enterprise Zone program is to encourage job creation and capital investment in areas of economic distress by providing communities with an economic development tool through which they can offer state and local incentives and program priority to new or expanding businesses located in these designated areas.
6. Texas YES! Program: Texas Department of Agriculture Rural Economic Development Division. http://www.TexasYes.org
This is a program that may assist Main Street communities in funding promotional events. A community can apply for the Texas Yes! Hometown STARS (Supporting Tourism and Rural Success) program, a competitive matching fund reimbursement program that will help offset the cost of promotional activities associated with marketing local tourism events. The program will reimburse communities for half of their promotional costs up to $15,000. To be considered for funding, interested communities will submit tourism event proposals to TDA for review by the Hometown STARS Review Team, an independent panel with expertise in marketing, promotion, media and tourism.
7. Small Business Administration (SBA): Small Business Administration Loans. http://www.sba.gov/financing/indexloans.html
The SBA has a variety of financing options for small businesses that may be located in Main Street communities. These financing options include long-term loans for machinery and equipment, a general working capital loan, a revolving line of credit, or a micro-loan. One of the most common SBA loans is the 7(a) Loan Guarantee Program that provides loans to small businesses unable to secure financing on reasonable terms through normal lending channels.
9. Planning and Capacity Building Fund: Office of Rural and Community Affairs.
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http://www.orca.state.tx.us/index.php/Community+Development/Grant+Fact+Sheets/Planning+and+Capacity+Bui lding+%28PCB%29+Fund
This program may help non-entitlement Main Street communities with funding for various planning activities. The Planning and Capacity Building Fund helps communities become more involved in the community planning and economic development process. Funding provides assistance for planning activities that assess local needs, develop strategies to address local needs, build or improve local capacity, or result in comprehensive, plan-related elements. Awards are made on a biennial basis through a statewide competition and the maximum grant award amount is $50,000.
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4. FUTURE LAND USE
GOAL 4.1: GENERATE A REGION OF MIXED USE IN THE DOWNTOWN REGION OF TROY.
Objective 4.1.1 Update the zoning ordinance to create a mixed use zone.
Objective 4.1.2 Offer incentives to attract both businesses and residential to the mixed use region.
Objective 4.1.3 Actively enforce the zoning ordinance when new development occurs.
Objective 4.1.4 By 2013, revitalize 40% of dilapidated buildings.
GOAL 4.2: ENSURE APPROPRIATE LEVELS OF LAND USE FOR THE CITY’S NEEDS
Objective 4.2.1 Once a year compare existing land use with the projections of land use requirements to ensure appropriate levels are maintained.
Objective 4.2.2 Use incentives to encourage developments in areas that are lacking based on the yearly reviews.
GOAL 4.3: MAINTAIN BUFFERS BETWEEN INCOMPATIBLE LAND USES
Objective 4.3.1 When new development or redevelopment is proposed, the city council should ensure that the land use will be compatible with existing uses nearby.
ACTION STRATEGIES:
LONG TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT 10-20 YEARS
Phase out any non-conforming land use as the uses reach their life span.
ONGOING ACTIONS
Follow the zoning ordinance with few or no exemptions.
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5. FUTURE COMMUNITY FACILITIES The City of Troy shall develop and maintain a coordinated framework for the provision of community facilities within its city limits and extraterritorial jurisdiction. This City shall maintain a 20 year schedule to address needs of projected population and maximize the use of existing facilities.
GOAL 5.1: CREATE COMMUNITY FACILITIES THAT INTEGRATE AND PROMOTE INTERACTION AMONG THE RESIDENTS.
Objective 5.1.1: Maintain community cohesion by providing gathering places for all residents.
Objective 5.1.2: Promote the development of a central community facility building to cater to all age groups.
Objective 5.1.3: Encourage citizen participation by organizing classes and providing facilities such as a public library and senior centers.
Objective 5.1.4: Maintain a long range capital improvement program for parks, which balances acquisition and development.
GOAL 5.2: DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN FACILITIES THAT ADEQUATELY RESPOND TO THE FIRE PROTECTION AND PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
Objective 5.2.1: Establish a reliable reputation of providing immediate service during emergencies.
Objective 5.2.2: Provide a uniform level of fire protection and public safety throughout Troy.
Objective 5.2.3: Ensure the new areas annexed receive the same level of protection, as funds become available.
ACTION STRATEGIES:
SHORT TERM (ACTIONS TO BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE) Establish a Parks Committee Approach Scott & White to set up a small health clinic in Troy. As a lot of Troy residents work at Scott & White and there is an existing market, this should not be difficult. Collaborate with churches to provide opportunities for senior citizen activities weekly. Collaborate with Troy ISD to allow children to access school playgrounds after school hours, if not being done already.
MEDIUM TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER SEVERAL YEARS) Develop park along highway. Plan for expansion of fire and police departments to serve the project population. This plan will have to be developed based on population increase.
LONG TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT 10-20 YEARS Review the service area of fire and police departments every five year to see if they are proportional to the population number.
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FUNDING STRATEGIES:
1. USDA Rural Development- Community Facility Grant. http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/HAD-CF_Grants.html
This grant is awarded to communities with less than 20,000 population to construct, enlarge and improve community facilities for health care, public safety, and community and public services.
Upto 75% of project costs is awarded by this grant but it is also given based on population and median income of the city. Cities with populations less than 5,00 are given higher priority.
2. Texas Park and Wildlife- Recreation Grants Program- Small Community http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/grants/trpa/
This grant is specially created for small Texas communities with less than 20,000 population. The grant provides 50% matching grant funds with a maximum of $75,000. The funds can be used for acquisition of parkland, picnic facilities, swimming pools, trails, playgrounds, beautification, and restoration.
3. US Department of Agriculture- Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program http://www.hud.gov/offices/cpd/communitydevelopment/programs/stateadmin/index.cfm
The grant is provided to communities with 20,000 population or under to develop essential community facilities including, libraries, medical clinics, and community centers.
4.Texas State Library- Library Building/Renovation Funding Sources http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ld/funding/building/
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6. FUTURE HOUSING
GOAL 6.1: PROVIDE A DIVERSE HOUSING MARKET
Objective6.1.1: Encourage a greater mix of housing types to accommodate residents in all stages of life, and with special needs.
Objective6.1.2: Encourage higher density redevelopment and more compact infill development within downtown area, the residential districts, and along transit corridors.
GOAL 6.2 : PRESERVE EXISTING HOUSING
Objective 6.2.1: Reduce substandard housing through a combination of rehabilitation and code enforcement programs.
Objective 6.2.2: Protect existing residential neighborhoods from destabilizing external impacts.
Objective 6.2.3: Strengthen and empower neighborhoods to proactively maintain their properties.
GOAL 6.3: INCREASE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR RENTERS AND HOMEBUYERS
Objective 6.3.1: Expand programs which provide greater opportunities for homeownership.
Objective 6.3.2: Identify and remove impediments to housing affordability.
GOAL 6.4: PROMOTE APPROPRIATE DESIGN AND LAYOUT OF FUTURE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS
Objective 6.4.1: Encourage housing options which are convenient to commercial areas, employment centers, and transportation.
ACTION STRATEGIES:
SHORT TERM (ACTIONS TO BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE)
Expand the use of mixed use zones. The city can promote and encourage mixed land uses by providing developers incentives to create developments in already existing areas and providing housing for mixed incomes. The city can require that developers create housing for mixed incomes or offer incentives to do so.
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MEDIUM TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER SEVERAL YEARS)
Create improvement districts to support aesthetic and public improvements in the city. For example, the historic downtown can be an improvement district. One way to do this is through levying special taxes or assessments.
LONG TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT 10-20 YEARS
Provide incentives to developers for conserving open space and employing clustered style developments. Some examples of incentives are tax abatements, the waiving of hookup fees, and density bonuses. Adopt a clustering ordinance giving developers a development density bonus if they cluster development at least 500 feet away from environmentally sensitive areas (i.e. floodplain, wetlands, tree canopy, etc.). Encourage conservation-oriented developments, conservation subdivisions, and planned unit developments. These not only protect the environment, but can reduce the amount of roads and utility lines needed for new developments, and therefore reduce the cost of housing and public services. The Planning and Design Institute suggests that a town can “maintain its rural character of open spaces and scenic views” by using the following tools: create a new zoning district for residential clusters Determine balance of lot size, density, and the desired amount of preserved open space. allow developers increased density in exchange for more open space and smaller lots (PDI, 2007)
ONGOING ACTIONS
To develop multifamily housing, the city may consider making single family housing nonconforming use in multifamily zone
FUNDING STRATEGIES:
1. Planning and Capacity Building Fund http://www.tdra.state.tx.us/TxDRA/programs/TxCDBGhomepage/txcdbgGrants/pcb.aspx
Grants for local public facility and housing planning activities. Awards: Up to $50,000.
2. Community Development Fund http://www.tdra.state.tx.us/TxDRA/programs/TxCDBGhomepage/txcdbg.aspx
Grants to improve public infrastructure, water/wastewater facilities, streets, drainage and housing activities. Awards: $75,000 - $800,000.
General Budget
Housing and Urban Development programs and grants.
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7. FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE
GOAL 7.1: MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SERVICE FOR ALL REGIONS SUPPORTED BY TROY.
Objective 7.1.1 Once a year review service levels provided by Troy.
Objective 7.1.2 When necessary increase service to undersupplied areas by adding additional capacity.
GOAL 7.2: CREATE AND FOLLOW A SCHEDULE TO UPDATE THE INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES
Objective 7.2.1 Determine which pipes are the oldest, or worst condition, and create prioritized list of necessary replacements
Objective 7.2.2 as soon as funds allow, replace the section of infrastructure that is at the top of the list.
GOAL 7.3: ENSURE AN ADEQUATE LEVEL OF WATER IS PROVIDED TO THE CITY
Objective 7.3.1 Once every three months check water supplies provided to the city with population growth.
Objective 7.3.2 If water levels are not to standard then pursue additional water from Temple as short-term solution while searching for options to expand the existing well system.
ACTION STRATEGIES
ONGOING ACTIONS
Actively monitor infrastructure quality and ensure that high levels of maintenance are provided. Watch for opportunities to expand infrastructure system to provide better benefits to Troy.
FUNDING STRATEGIES
1. EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) http://water.epa.gov/grants_funding/dwsrf/index.cfm
“The Safe Drinking Water Act, as amended in 1996, established the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to make funds available to drinking water systems to finance infrastructure improvements. The program also emphasizes providing funds to small and disadvantaged communities and to programs that encourage pollution prevention as a tool for ensuring safe drinking water.”
2. USDA Rural Development Funds http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/Utilities_Assistance.html
Grants and loans are available for communities under 10,000 in population to help with water and waste water systems. Communities can apply at any time.
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8. FUTURE URBAN DESIGN
Use urban design elements to unify different parts of the city and make the downtown a highly active node. Old buildings shall be preserved and protected, and the downtown will be promoted as a primary market for sustainable development.
GOAL 8.1: BUILD A CITY THAT BOOSTS TROY’S CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY CHARACTER THROUGH URBAN DESIGN.
Objective 8.1.1: Preserve a sense of community identity and history as the city grows.
Objective 8.1.2: Encourage use of design styles, materials and architecture that are cohesive with existing styles.
Objective 8.1.3: Promote small and medium scale developments to enhance the small town atmosphere.
Objective 8.1.4: Promote mixed use developments by allowing a range of uses in close proximity to each other.
Objective 8.1.5: Strengthen city boundaries with open spaces to celebrate entrance gateways.
GOAL 8.2: CREATE A DISTINCTIVE CITY CENTER IN THE DOWNTOWN THAT GIVES A SENSE OF ARRIVAL.
Objective 8.2.1: Reinforce the traditional physical organization and density of downtowns.
Objective 8.2.2: Retain old historic buildings and re-establish street and block relationships.
Objective 8.2.3: Provide economic opportunities within downtown.
Objective 8.2.4: Ensure connectivity with alternate transportation modes such as pedestrian and biking traffic.
Objective 8.2.5: Enhance plazas and open spaces in the downtown.
GOAL 8.3: PRESERVE AND ACCENTUATE HISTORIC BUILDINGS IN THE DOWNTOWN.
Objective 8.3.1: Protect historic buildings and revitalize them to create an active downtown.
Objective 8.3.2: Encourage adaptive reuse for preservation of historic buildings and for sustainable growth.
GOAL 8.4: INSTILL CONFIDENCE IN DOWNTOWN AS PRIMARY MARKET FOR DEVELOPMENT.
Objective 8.4.1: Create a diverse economic strategy.
Objective 8.4.2: Support a variety of project types – small and medium businesses that are unique to Troy.
Objective 8.4.3: Capitalize on existing infrastructure and buildings.
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Objective 8.4.4: Promote downtown as a food destination and support coordinated events and marketing.
ACTION STRATEGIES
SHORT TERM (ACTIONS TO BE DONE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE) Add bike racks in the downtown. Repair awnings of buildings in downtown. Register for the Texas Main Street Program. Adopt a Historic Preservation Ordinance for the downtown area to preserve the old buildings. Improve sidewalk connectivity between downtown and residential areas. Relay sidewalks in downtown to be uniform. Rebuilt steps in front of stores in downtown to be uniform Require the screening of the auto salvage yard using screens and landscaping.
Figure 20: Options for bike racks Source: Google images
MEDIUM TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER SEVERAL YEARS) Develop a central plaza in the parking lot in front of Pizza Pit. Add statue of horse in the corner of the plaza to serve as a landmark. Add new pedestrian scale lighting in the downtown area. Add benches and trash receptacle in downtown Plant trees in the downtown. Install paved crosswalks n the downtown area to promote pedestrian activity. Install way finding and pedestrian signs in the downtown.
LONG TERM (ACTIONS TO TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT 10-20 YEARS Adopt design guidelines to promote responsible growth along the highway.
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Figure 21:Examples of paved sidewalk and crosswalk Source: Google images
FUNDING STRATEGIES:
1. Texas Department of Agriculture, Capital Funds- Downtown Revitalization. http://www.agr.state.tx.us/agr/program_render/0,1987,1848_6053_0_0,00.html?channel=6053
This fund is awarded to revitalize downtowns of cities with less than 50,000 population. The fund can be used for sidewalk construction, improvements, lighting, ADA ramps and rails, public parking lot constructs and improvements. The minimum amount awarded is $50,000 and a maximum of $150,000 is awarded.
Deadline: July 12, 2012.
2.Texas Department of Agriculture, Capital Funds- Main Street Improvements. http://www.agr.state.tx.us/agr/program_render/0,1987,1848_6055_0_0,00.html?channel=6055
This fund is awarded cities with less than 50,000 population that are registered in the Texas Main Streets Program. The fund can be used for sidewalk construction, improvements, lighting, ADA ramps and rails, public parking lot constructs and improvements. The minimum amount awarded is $50,000 and a maximum of $150,000 is awarded.
Deadline: October 4, 2012.
3. Texas Historical Commission- Texas Preservation Trust Fund. http://www.thc.state.tx.us/grantsincent/gratptf.shtml
This fund is for restoration, preservation or for the planning and educational activities leading to the preservation of historic properties. Grants are awarded on a one-to-one match basis and are paid as reimbursement of eligible expenses incurred during the project.
4. Texas Historical Commission- Texas Main Street Program. http://www.thc.state.tx.us/mainstreet/msdefault.shtml
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The Texas Main Street Program, part of the Texas Historical Commission's Community Heritage Development Division, helps Texas cities revitalize their historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts by utilizing preservation and economic development strategies.
5. Art Competition
An art competition can be held for the design of the horse statue and for other public art in the downtown. The winner will get a $1000 cash prize and their work will get displayed in the downtown.
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SECTION III.
PLANNING ALTERNATIVES
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SECTION III. PLANNING ALTERNATIVES
ENVIRONMENT
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PROTECTED AREAS
Figure 22: Protected Areas Options for Planning
OPTION 1: NO CHANGE
This option meets no goals.
The first option for protected areas would be to instill no change to current trends of Troy. The city does not protect environmentally sensitive areas and shows a trend for developing in areas that are not suitable for development.
OPTION 2: PROTECT FLOODPLAIN
This option meets goal 2.1.
The second option is for the city to protect the floodplain (See Figure 23). Floodplain areas are scarce and would be fairly easy to protect. The city can protect these areas by adopting a floodplain ordinance, setting buffers that
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minimize disturbance to the floodplain, and using zoning to restrict development from taking place in the flood prone areas.
OPTION 3: PROTECT ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
This option mets goal 2.1.
The third option is for the city to protect environmentally sensitive areas as identified through wetlands, tree canopy, and slope data (See Environmentally Sensitive Areas Map). The city can protect the most sensitive areas by adopting ordinances such as a tree ordinance, setting buffer zones to minimize disturbance to ecologically sensitive areas, and using zoning to restrict development from taking place in those areas.
OPTION 4: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
This option meets goal 2.1, 7.4.
The fourth option is to implement sustainable development in Troy. Sustainable development can take place in many different ways but typically protects the most environmentally sensitive areas of a city. Some methods to employ to successfully implement responsible development include clustered residential developments in the north, large lot developments, and mixed use developments in downtown and South Troy (See Figure 22).
Figure 23: Clustered Development in North Troy
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PARK SYSTEM
Figure 24: Park System Options
OPTION 1: NO CHANGE This option meets no goals.
The first option for the park system in Troy is to provide no change. This would mean leaving the two parks, the rest area and original east side park alone. This leaves a very small and minimal park system for the city.
OPTION 2: EXPAND ON EXISTING PARKS
This option meets no goals but is a step in the right direction toward Goal 2.2.
The second option for Troy would be to extend the current parks. First, land directly north of the rest area can be converted to a city park. It will be most feasible to only develop part of the lot and leave the rest for a public park.
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The east side park can be extended by establishing a park with property currently owned by the city (See Figure 22).
OPTION 3: EXPAND SYSTEM TO WEST SIDE OF TOWN
Land on the west side of town was identified by the City Council as land that is possible to acquire, and is strongly desired for park use. One property has just been inherited by family and the city council believes the family would be willing to sell. A property located north of that property is desired by the City Council but may be difficult to acquire. Finally, there is property in the southwestern district of the city that might also provide great parkland (See Figure 22).
OPTION 4: EXPAND SYSTEM ADJACENT TO SCHOOLS
This option combined with 2 and 3 meet Goal 2.2.
The fourth option for the city park system is to expand the location of parks directly adjacent to school buildings. As can be seen in Figure 2, all of the schools are located next to open space, which provides great opportunities for environmental preservation and recreation.
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Figure 25: Parks with Trails
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OPTION 5: OTHER PARK IDEAS
This option meets goal 2.3.
SKATE PARK
Another option would be to provide a skate park. Surveys and public meetings in Troy show that there is a need for centers where youth can come together. More specifically, a large portion of the Troy youth population skates, but has no place to do so. It is recommended that Troy develop a skate park for this group of older youth.
One option is to take the old highway that will go under the new I35 overpass in Troy and transform it into a skate park. This is a feasible option in that this area will already be covered in concrete. See Figure 3 to see an example of an area under an overpass turned into a skate park.
The second option for the skate park would be to develop a skate park next to the old middle school.
The third option for a skate park would be to reuse a vacant building in downtown Troy to create an inside skate park.
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Figure 26: An Example of a Skate Park Under an Overpass, Boise, Idaho
A skate park is desired by the residents, and can be installed in a park. This would not require a lot of space and does not take long to install. Pre-fabricated skate parks can be installed in a day or two.
DOG PARK
A dog park can be located at the existing park or a future park that has been proposed. A proper dog park will include fencing, waste bags, and appropriate receptacles for waste.
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ECONOMY
OPTION 1: NO CHANGE
The first option for economic development is to continue the current trend, that is, to maintain the current economic status and a bedroom community character. Recommendations from a planning perspective would be: First, to emphasize the potential for schools to be used for multiple uses, such as outdoor play space and community meetings; Second, to emphasize the potential for a walk/bike zone to connect the east and west sides of the expanding I-35 highway and to create a network of pedestrian-friendly walkways/trails and open space; Third, to zone the entire west side of I-35 as a commercial zone to attract businesses. This would create a highway commercial corridor. The disadvantage of this option is that the current commercial zoning on the west side of I-35 will not encourage sustainable commercial development to be built in the town and the demand of the citizens for convenient daily shopping within walking distance will not be met.
OPTION 2: WAL-MART
The second option for Troy is to attract Wal-Mart into the community to provide a centralized shopping option. By adopting an market analysis approach, we looked at the possibility of a Wal-Mart Big-Box store being supported by the purchase power that Troy residents can provide. The data we used for the market analysis is retrieved from the American Community Survey Data on Census website. The method is basically calculating purchase power by using Average Household Income and the number of households within the community. Then based on the average store size and amount of sale revenue per square feet, we are able to calculate the number of Wal-Mart stores that Troy is able to support. The result of the market analysis is shown in the following tables:
Market Analysis Wal-Mart-Type Shopping Center
(1) Primary Market Area (PMA) INCOME $30,271,114.00 (Household Income X Number of Households)
(2) Income Percentage in Retail 50.00% (Percentage of Income spent in retail)
(3) Capture Rate 80.00% (Percentage of purchase captured by target shopping center)
(4) Total (1)*(2)*(3) $12,108,445.6
(5) PER SQ. FT. SALES $240.03
(6) TOTAL SUPPORTABLE SQ. FT. (4)/(5) 50,446
(7) PER AVG. STORE SIZE 162,810
(8) NUMBER OF STORES SUPPORTABLE (6)/(7) 0.31 Source: Dollar & Cents of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute, 2006; American Community Survey 2005-2009 5-year Estimate
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According to the results of market analysis, the option of attracting a big box store is not feasible based on the current population and average household income that Troy has. There is a possibility that Troy may grow into a future point where it has sufficient purchase power to support a Wal-Mart store. Also, Troy may be able to seek the chance of sharing Wal-Mart’s market area with another adjacent city.
OPTION 3: NEIGHBORHOOD GROCERY STORE IN DOWNTOWN
Neighborhood Sized Grocery Store
(1) Primary Market Area (PMA) INCOME $30,271,114.00
(2) Income Percentage in Retail 50.00%
(3) Capture Rate 80.00%
(4) Total $12,108,445.6
(5) PER SQ. FT. SALES $200.65
(6) TOTAL SUPPORTABLE SQ. FT. 60,346
(7) PER AVG. STORE SIZE 24,766
(8) NUMBER OF STORES SUPPORTABLE 2.44 Source: Dollars & Cents of Shopping Centers, Urban Land Institute, 2006; American Community Survey 2005-2009 5-year Estimate
Given the results of the market analysis, the current purchase power that Troy residents can provide can support several neighborhood sized grocery stores. Neighborhood grocery stores can serve the needs well for daily shopping. The suitable place to locate neighborhood grocery stores will be Troy’s historical downtown area. To help these stores keep in business, downtown revitalization may be needed to create a more walkable and visually attractive environment. Troy is built beside I-35, which means the travellers on the highway can be potential customers for stores in the downtown area. However, the current status of the downtown area will not make people passing by Troy actually want to stop and spend time in the city. Downtown revitalization can make the downtown area more identifiable and inviting by: a.Improving facades b.Adding sidewalks, bike lanes, benches, landscaping c.Adopting a consistent signage style d.Providing adequate parking e.Installing pedestrian scale lighting f. Converting parking in front of Pizza Pit into a plaza
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Picture Example of Artisan Shop and Neighborhood Grocery Stores (Source: Google Images)
OPTION 4: FLEA MARKET, FARMER’S MARKET
According to the survey results and the feedback from the city council meeting, the residents of Troy need places in town for Wal-Mart-type retail and places for social activities. However, the area’s buying power is not large enough to attract a Wal-Mart type grocery. In considering that, a flea market and farmer’s market will be a good way to provide these functions .Troy has plenty of vacant land that is not in use, which can be used as park space and occasionally be used as places for a flea market and farmer’s market.
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Flea Market Example: Canton, Texas, First Monday Trade Day (Source: Google Images)
Canton, Texas is a small community with a population of less than 3,500. Every month, thousands of vendors from across the country come to this small town to trade rare antiques and collectibles, furniture, fine home decor, arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, tools, produce, and much more. Canton attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to its First Monday Trade Days, now known as the world’s largest flea market.
Photo: First Monday Trade Days, Canton, TX
Farmers Market Example: Brazos Valley Farmers Market, Texas
Brazos Valley Farmers Market provides year round market in the Bryan/College Station area, serving hundreds of shoppers per week. It provides with a direct connection to our vendors with deep roots in the Brazos Valley, including farms, nurseries, and specialty foods producers. Also, the farmers market serves as a vibrant gathering place where friends meet and shop. A resource for learning about food, agriculture and nutrition.
Brazos Valley Farmers Market is governed by an all-volunteer board. The organization is funded through vendor fees and countless hours of volunteer time. Brazos Valley Farmers Market receives no city, state, or federal funding.
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Photo: Brazos Valley Farmers Market, Texas (Source: Google Images)
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LAND USE
OPTION 1: NO CHANGE
Current land uses and zoning would be kept as they currently stand. One disadvantage to this option is there is too much land zoned commercial and this devalues all the commercial land, allowing cheap and low quality commercial providers to appear. This would also weaken any effort to produce a viable downtown, as no focusing would occur which would make it difficult for any one business to do well downtown. Following this route would also not protect any of Troy’s natural resources. This option would not meet any goals.
Figure 27: Troy Current Land Use
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OPTION 2: EASILY ATTAINABLE CITY
With this option Troy would condense the areas that are used for commercial purposes, focusing on the downtown section of Troy (though existing commercial uses will continue to be allowed where they currently are). The park system would expand to include a few new parks in areas that the city already owns. Condensing the commercial activity would allow for a synergy to occur, where the commercial buildings will build off each other allowing all of them to perform better than would occur separately. The downtown region was selected for this because it already has a history of being a commercial center and has the buildings available to achieve this.
This option focuses on creating a better Troy in the short-term. It takes the options that easy to achieve from the other sections presented. This option attempts to correct some of the issues and requests given from Troy residents while not creating a large financial strain on the town.
This option would meet goals 5.2 and 5.3.
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Figure 28: Troy Proposed Land Use
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OPTION 3: IDEAL CITY 2030
This option will focus on slowly moving most commercial into an expanded downtown region to create a strong focus area for shopping. The park system will be greatly expanded on both sides of the freeway and environmental protection will be high. Larger lot housing will be clustered in the north while smaller multifamily (such as duplexes) and medium single family lots will be focused in the middle of town.
This option is similar to option 2 in that commercial would be focused downtown to create the synergy necessary to create a viable commercial center. The main difference is that this would create and promote a mixed use center downtown. The goal of this mixed use center is to generate a region of public interest that would draw residents from all over town, and even visitors from out of town, to Troy’s downtown even when not simply shopping. This would create a dynamic and strong core that Troy could use to expand in the future.
The park and trail options would also be greatly expanded; this would create places for residents to go, and ways for them to get there. Having these sorts of options would make Troy a place people would want to live while helping maintain a small town feel.
Clustering housing in the north would help the environmental protection aspect of the plan while generating some higher-end housing that would attract residents to Troy. This helps Troy grow while protecting its resources. This also helps Troy grow in the direction growth must occur while ensuring that the growth is sustainable.
This option would meet goals 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3.
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Figure 29: Proposed Land Use
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COMMUNITY FACILITIES
OPTION 1: NO CHANGE
The facilities remain in their current location with only an addition of a park on the city owned land along I 35. This option involves minimum expenditure. However, it does not meet the community goals, especially Goal 6.1- to create facilities that integrate residents. Lack of integration spaces for the residents will not allow for any meetings, gatherings, or strengthening of community bonds.
OPTION 2: CENTRALIZED COMMUNITY FACILITIES
This option will include a central administrative and community center and meet Goal 6.1. The middle school on the east is the proposed location. This centralized facility will include the city hall, court and a community center. The community center will include a public library (moving it from its current location), using the gymnasium as a play area for kids and providing space for hobby groups and classes. Separate entrances will be provided for the city hall and community center to facilitate easy access and movement. The central facility will be a place where all age groups of the city could “hang out”- a place where seniors can meet, read; adults can have activity classes, and kids can play. The classrooms can also be used for any other classes or administrative uses.
The old city hall will house the police department, and the fire department can expand to the current police department in order to meet Goal 6.2. The park on the east side along the highway is also proposed in this option.
This option meets our long term goals and vision of the city. A centralized facility will help create a focal point for Troy, and will provide a focal point other than the downtown. The city will have to work with the Troy ISD and negotiate a long term lease.
Figure 30: Suggested Façade Treatments for the new center
Source: Google images
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OPTION 3: SPREAD-OUT FACILITIES
This option proposes spreading the community facilities all over the town, also supports Goal 6.1. The city hall remains in its current location, as do the fire and police departments. A community center is proposed in the city owned land, north of the downtown. Vacant buildings in the downtown can be used for hobby classes or for bingo games once a week. A skate park is desired by the residents, and can be installed in the existing park. This would not require a lot of space and does not take long to install. Pre-fabricated skate parks can be installed in a day or two. The city can work with the churches to provide some activities for seniors once a week. A health clinic can also be located in the new strip development, north of the downtown.
This option also meets Goal 6.1. Spreading out facilities will give easy access to these facilities to residents all over the city and could also help connect both sides of the city once the overpass is built. Separating the uses will also allow for more interaction between specific age groups.
Figure 31: Examples of Skate Parks in Existing Parks
Source: Cedar Park, TX and Henderson Skate Park, Bryan, TX , Google images
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HOUSING
OPTION 1: NO CHANGE
This option meets goal 7.2
The first option for housing is to keep Troy the same. This option is not desirable because it does not expand housing for future population growth and does not meet all the community housing needs.
OPTION 2: EXPAND MULTI FAMILY
This option meets goal 7.1 and goal 7.3.
The second option would be to expand the use of multifamily housing. There are various suitable locations for multifamily development. First, on the west side of I-35 and the North side of Main Street behind the Exxon gas station, there is already multifamily apartment housing. The first choice could expand multifamily development to the adjacent vacant land. The second choice would be multifamily development in the south part of Troy, where it is currently zoned as multifamily use.
OPTION 3: EXPAND SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL TO NORTH
This option meets goal 7.1
This third option for Troy would be to expand single family residential development to the north section of Troy. This seems to be an appropriate change since north is the only direction in which the city can grow.
OPTION 4: MIXED USE IN SOUTH AND DOWNTOWN
This option meets goal 7.1, goal 7.3 and goal 7.4
Expanding mixed use development in the south part of town and in downtown area would be the fourth option for providing housing. The area south of the city is mostly agricultural and open space right now. In that area, the west side of I-35 has a secondary cluster of commercial development which includes some real estate dealers, a gas station and U-Haul, etc. There is potential for Troy to connect the west and east side of I-35 to create a mixed use development in downtown. The historical downtown can be revitalized into both horizontal and vertical mixed use area. In the historical downtown area, 2-3 storage buildings can be renovated, with first floor small businesses and apartment housing above (See Figure 31).
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Figure 32 Example of mixed used; Source: Google Images
.
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Figure 33: Housing Options
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INFRASTRUCTURE
OPTION 1: NO CHANGE
Maintain the system as it currently is. The already planned expansion for the water system, and the planned routes for Safe Routes to Schools will be built. This option would meet Goal 8.1
OPTION 2: EXPANDED SYSTEMS
The infrastructure networks will be expanded in a controlled method. More bike lanes and walking paths will be added to the network. Possible expansions to the water and sewer systems will be considered for north of town.
A plan to expand the water network north has already been created. The plan has Troy taking control of some of the pipes that are currently owned by the Elm Creek Water Supply Corporation. This would expand where Troy could distribute water in the north and give Troy better control over the water infrastructure in town. The existing plan does not expand as much as originally, so as Troy grows keeping the option to expand by buying more of the Elm Creek Water Supply Corporation lines needs to be considered.
A schedule of maintenance and a possible replacing of the clay pipes with PVC should be the focus for the sewer system. Troy also needs to make sure that as the city grows the sewer network continues to grow as well to ensure that demand is met. Figure33: Proposed Bike Lanes and Sidewalks Several members of the Troy city council mentioned a desire for paths that could be used for walking and biking around town. The mayor has indicated that Troy has received a grant to help create a safe route to schools program, which would help create a path children could use to go to school. Some of the surveys mentioned that potholes in the roads were an annoyance. The goals of maintaining existing infrastructure and creating new alternative transportation infrastructure should be the focus for Troy.
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A potential placement for walking/biking paths has been created (see Figure 33); this path would connect to all the schools and provide everyone a good way to get around town. Focusing on connecting the schools first helps generate support from families and helps the majority of the residents of Troy as the schools are located at the four corners of the main residential neighborhoods. Once a path has been created connecting the schools then Troy can look at expanding the network sometime in the future.
One big issue about future transportation infrastructure that is sure to affect Troy is the expansion of I-35. The current plan is for I-35 to be raised above ground level rather than be sunken as it currently is, and to have a bridge go over Main Street to keep the existing connection. Maintaining the existing connection is important as Troy needs Main Street to be continuous to create a strong sense of place in the middle of town and to ensure that the two halves continue to function as one whole town.
Another main part of the I-35 expansion is that a large part of the western side of I-35 will be destroyed for the expansion. A number of the churches and some of the commercial buildings in the main part of Troy are in the current path of the expansion and will be forced to relocate. This will cause a large amount of disturbance for those using the buildings.
This option would meet goal 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3
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URBAN DESIGN
A vibrant city is a place we would want to be visit and stay, because of the choices it provides and its unique character. Urban design improvements can be used to make these places more enjoyable and attract people towards it. Good design preserves the character and history of the city, celebrates these features, and creates unique locations that draw people to the area.
GATEWAYS INTO CITY The city of Troy does not have a prominent sign along I 35 apart from the standard green sign. New sign ideas are proposed to improve city identity and image. Apart from being placed at a strategic location, it is important that the sign is attractive and portrays the character of the city, so passersby will be drawn into downtown Troy. One sign on the north and one on the south at the beginning of the city limits are indicated in the map below.
Figure 34: Proposed locations of city signs
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Figure 35: Proposed Designs of City Sign Source: Google images
OPTION 1: FACE-LIFT, FAÇADE CLEAN-UP
In line with Goal 9.1 and Goal 9.4, this option proposes cleaning up façades of buildings and giving a cosmetic face- lift to the buildings. The façades of downtown buildings should be cleaned, windows repaired and re-painted, especially the corner building next to the feed store and the furniture store. All awnings should be repaired or replaced, and awnings added where needed. Sidewalks should be of the same level and have steps at the ends, rather than steps in front of each store. The sidewalk material should be changed to brick or concrete pavers. Patterns of pavers will improve the look of downtown. All signage styles should be similar for visual unity. Potted plants should be placed on the sidewalks.
The city hall façade should also be redone to give it a more impressive look. A new sign and more landscaping can also be added. The auto salvage yard along the highway should be required to provide screening from the highway.
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Figure 36: Examples of Façade Facelifts Source: Galion Downtown, VA and Dayton downtown, VA, Google images
Figure 37: Recommended design for highway commercial Source: Preeti Shankar and Google images
Commercial uses should be concentrated in specific zones along the highway. This will prevent strip developments that cause a loss of city identity and reduce property values. Adopt zoning ordinances specifying design standards that promote human scale of buildings, preserve historic character. Add trees as a buffer between the highway and feeder road to decrease effect of air and noise pollution. In order to increase attractiveness of businesses along
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highway, provide rest areas, picnic tables and rest room facilities in these commercial zones to attract customers off the highway.
Encourage developers of these commercial zones to provide parking at the back of the buildings, with a central open public space that is landscaped with trees and has benches etc. Sharing driveways will reduce the number of access points on to the frontage road and the close proximity of businesses also help them grow off of each other. Provide good internal pedestrian connections on site from parking lots to the stores.
Figure 38: Comparison of highway development pattern Source: Google images
Figure 39: Recommended parking lot design Source: Google images
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OPTION 2: HISTORIC DOWNTOWN
This option corresponds to Goal 9.2 and Goal 9.3, to provide a distinctive center that draws people to it. Expanding the downtown to the west, after the overpass is constructed will increase economic opportunities and connect both sides of the city.
Signage in the downtown is very important and must be in the following hierarchy:
1.Gateway signage - Signs indicating downtown should be added at the exit to the downtown. At the junction of the feeder road and Main Street, a historic themed sign indicating the direction of the downtown should be added. A metal archway supported by metal posts is one option that is shown below.
Figure 40: Gateway Signs Source: Google images
2. Way finding signage- Way finding signs direct people to major buildings, public spaces and parking. These signs should be directed towards motorists and pedestrians. All signs should have a historic theme and complement the buildings.
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Figure 41: Way finding signs Source: Hollister Downtown Plan, Google images
3. Store signage- Set design standards restricting format and design of store signs. New owners would choose from a range of prescribed signs. The city can assist existing owners financially in meeting new sign design regulations.
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Figure 42: Examples of store signs Source: Google images
Use the color palette prescribed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (see Appendix). Better store front designs should be encouraged; large windows with consistent materials for the frame should be used. Materials which contrast with the original façade material should not be allowed. Consistent façade features should be enforced for visual alignment. Awnings should complement the building proportions and colors.
Convert the parking lot in front of Pizza Pit into a civic plaza. The location of the lot is ideal to develop it as a plaza. The plaza can be used as a gathering space with a fountain, landscaping and seating. This area should be screened from the neighboring gas station. A “Historic Downtown” sign at the corner of the plaza provides a sense of arrival.
Figure 43: Proposed Plaza Source: Google images and Preeti Shankar
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Sidewalks should be made even throughout the downtown. Proper steps should be added for parts of the sidewalk that are higher. Various patterns and types of pavers can be used to enhance visual appeal. Street art may be used as an alternative to pavers to create diversity. Properly designed curb ramps must be built for people with mobility disabilities as per ADA Standards
Figure 44: Existing storefront steps and suggested improvement Source: Downtown Plan, Rockwall, TX, Google images
Figure 45: Curb ramps Source: Google images
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Figure 46: Options of sidewalk design Source: Google images
Improve streetscape- The condition of the sidewalks should be improved by using a mix of paving materials and pattern to create an interesting visual appeal. Benches, trash cans, bike racks and landscaping should be added. A landscaped buffer between the street and sidewalks should be provided; potted plants are an easy way to provide landscaping.
Figure 47: Examples of improved streetscapes Source: Kennewick downtown, WA and City of Rome, GA, Google images
Crosswalks- Crosswalks are essential in creating a pedestrian friendly environment. Well designed crosswalks ensure pedestrian safety from vehicular traffic. Crosswalks can either be painted or paves using brick or concrete pavers. Pavers distinguish the crosswalk, add to the historic character of downtown and motorists reduce speeds after seeing prominent crosswalk making the downtown more walkable.
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Figure 48: Proposed design of crosswalks Source: Google images
Pedestrian scale lighting- Lighting should be at a more pedestrian scale and should follow the historic theme of the district. Ensure lighting under the overpass is sufficient and prevents misuse of the space below overpass. Specific style of lighting must be used throughout Main Street to distinguish it from other streets.
Figure 49: Options for Lighting Source: www.smart-garden.com and www.crestock.com. Google images
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Street furniture- A single bench outside the Western wear store is the only street furniture in the downtown. Additional benches should be provided closer to the buildings facing towards the street. Bike racks should also be provided.
Figure 50: Street furniture Source: Google images
Limited parallel parking on one side of the street must be provided. And additional parking can provided behind the buildings. The existing parking lot behind the feed store must be screened from street view. The city owned property to the north of the downtown can also be converted into a parking lot.
Once the over pass is built, a sign of Troy can be put up below it. This will enhance the feel of the downtown and break the monotony of the concrete.
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Figure 51: Proposed Design of Main Street Intersection by Preeti Shankar
Figure 52: Proposed Storefront Design by Preeti Shankar
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Figure 53: Proposed location of downtown parking
Figure 54: Cross section of downtown
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OPTION 3: WESTERN-THEMED DOWNTOWN
This option, as per Goal 9.2 and Goal 9.4 will look at catching the attention of highway users and making it an attractive stop-over. The look and feel is inspired by the Stockyards, Fort Worth with a variety of BBQ restaurants and steak houses. Rustic Texan style wooden awnings and lighting fixtures would be used throughout the downtown.
Figure 55: Facade treatments Source: www.skockyardsfortworth.org.Stockyards, Fort Worth
The corner of the downtown towards the highway (in front of Pizza Pit) would be converted into a plaza with a landmark statue of a horse on a pedestal. This would provide a sense of arrival, and a meeting place for residents and visitors. A fountain in this plaza will provide visual interest and will invite passersby to stop and explore the downtown.
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Figure 56: Proposed Plaza and Horse Statue Source: Google images and Preeti Shankar
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The downtown would be a pedestrian-oriented place with an active street life provided by restaurants with patios facing the street, paved crosswalks, attractive sidewalks, benches, bike racks and landscaping. Sidewalks with street trees and planters and awnings would provide shade for pedestrians and lighting for safety of pedestrians.
Figure 57: Paved Crosswalks Source: Downtown Plan, Rockwall, TX, Google images
Figure 58: Restaurant with Patios Source: Downtown Plan, Rockwall, TX, Google images
The Western wear store would fit in very well with this theme. Art works inspired by the “silhouette of the man” outside the Western wear store would be used in the downtown. Parallel parking would provide protection for pedestrians from cars. Additional parking would be provided behind the stores. A Vintage truck gallery or some similar attraction can also be included in the downtown.
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SECTION IV.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
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SECTION IV. COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
The Comprehensive Plan is a set of goals and objectives that are intended to guide land use decisions and to coordinate other City plans, decisions, and regulations. Before, plans have been used as advisory policy documents. Now, comprehensive plans will have legal, regulatory standing and all other community plans, policies, and regulations must be made consistent with the adopted comprehensive plan. It is the aim that this Comprehensive Plan will aid in protecting and promoting the public health, safety, morals, and general welfare.
The following section discusses some of the land use regulations and techniques for implementing the policies and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. The City presently utilizes some of the implementation tools, which therefore may only require review for consistency with the Plan. Other implementing actions may be pursued by the City to further the implementation of the Plan. These may include actions that expand on and develop adopted policies, and that may be formally adopted later as part of the Plan. Regulatory measures to implement the Plan must be adopted as legal instruments in the form of ordinances. Administrative actions and decisions of the City also should be based on implementing the goals and policies of the Plan.
I. REGULATORY IMPLEMENTATION
Troy will need to review its existing land development regulations following adoption of the Comprehensive Plan, to insure that the regulations are consistent with the adopted Plan. Some of the primary regulations used to implement the Comprehensive Plan are described below, but is not an exhaustive list.
1. ZONING ORDINANCE
The current zoning ordinance for the City of Troy was adopted in May 2000. It regulates and restricts the use of land, the location and construction of buildings and structures, and establishes use districts within the City to implement the land use plan map. The zoning for the City of Troy is included in the appendix. The existing zoning map is consistent with the proposed land use map. The city may review other aspects of the zoning ordinance to fine tune development regulations for implementing the goals and objectives of the Comprehensive Plan. The main proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance will condense the single family zones, remove the pyramidal zoning (which creates land use conflicts), and expand the Local Retail district into a zone allowing mixed use developments. Refer to the appendix for specific changes to the ordinance.
2. HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE
The Troy ordinance provides for historic preservation. However, Troy has a downtown that could be made historic through the implementation of a historic overlay district and historic preservation ordinance. In order to successfully integrate historic preservation into the city’s rules and regulations, Troy shall create a set of rules that will govern how the buildings are preserved. Establishing a historic preservation section in the ordinance will help Troy keep the small, older Texas town atmosphere. Refer to appendix for sample ordinance.
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3. TREE ORDINANCE
The purpose of the tree ordinance is to facilitate the protection and preservation of trees within the city limits as a part of the future land development process and to protect the public health, safety and general welfare of the city of Troy. The tree ordinance shall include rules and regulations to restrict the consumption of tree canopies and to maintain a certain percentage of tree coverage so that the environmental integrity may be protected from growth. Refer to the appendix for a sample ordinance.
4. ANNEXATION
The City of Troy can use annexation to further meet comprehensive plan goals. The city could provide incentives, such as the expanded water system or other infrastructure improvements, to local residents for requesting to be annexed into the city. The annexation of land will allow Troy to expand in the controlled manner and direction desired by the city.
II. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
A Capital Improvements program is another major implementation tool for the Plan. It sets out the capital projects that are identified needs in the Community Facilities Element. The schedule should be updated annually, with the first year of the schedule acting as the capital budget for the fiscal year. During the annual updating, the City may revise its capital project priorities, and should review cost estimates and funding sources to reflect any additional information received during the year. The City should periodically review and monitor adopted level of service standards to include additional capital projects that may be necessary to maintain service levels.
III. ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES
The Comprehensive Plan includes objectives that are implemented through administrative actions that may include interlocal agreements or development review procedures. Refer to the appendix for specific changes to procedures.
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REFERENCES http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropmap/ecoreg/descript.html http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/level_iii_iv.htm http://www.landscope.org/map/
FEMA
Bright, Elise and Neuman, Michael. “Texas Urban Triangle. Framework for Future Growth.” (2007) Pages: All. Print. http://www.troyisd.org/education/district/district.php?sectionid=1 http://www.ci.troy.tx.us/police-department/index.html
ICMA. “ Putting Smart Growth to work in Rural Communities.” 2010. http://icma.org/en/icma/knowledge_network/documents/kn/Document/301483/Putting_Smart_Growth_to_Wor k_in_Rural_Communities http://www.pdisite.com/htmdocs/portfolio/planning/codes_guide/holland.html
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APPENDIX
LCAT CHECKLIST OF NEW URBANISM
1. Does the Yes West Side: There is not one center but several neighborhood have a significant locations. There are four-five churches, one discernible center? elementary school, one high school, two convenience stores (commercial). However, these nodes, in the city center, and their location seems to be well connected from each other. East Side: At Main Street and I-35 there is a small Historic Downtown. Also there is a community center, an elementary school, a middle school, and a city playground.
2. Are most of Yes West Side: Most of the dwellings are at a 5-10 minute the dwellings within a walk able distance from the community buildings. five-minute walk of However, some of the single-family residential units are the center? far from the center. East Side: Some of the dwellings are with a 5-10 minute walking distance, but most are not. There are no sidewalks that would make walking an option.
3. Are there a Yes There are: variety of dwelling · Medium Density single family residential units types? (Apartments, · High Density multi-family apartments offices, etc.) How · Low Density single family residential units many of each? · Duplexes
4. Are there Yes West Side: There are two convenience stores at the varied types of shops edge of the city, one of which also has a gas-station. No and offices at the offices. edge of the East Side: There are a few stores along the frontage neighborhood? How road including a salvage yard, shooting range, and a many? What kind? fireworks store, but within town there is a convenience store, general store, hair salon, antique store, western wear store, laundry mat, feed store and a pizza place.
5. Is there an Yes West Side: There is an elementary school, Edna Brigham elementary school Mays Elementary School, on Luther Curtis Road. It is close enough so that accessible to most of the Single-Family Residential Units most children can and Multi-Family Residential Apartments and is at a 5- walk from their 10 minute walking distance away. home? East Side: Troy Elementary is located on East Austin Street across the street from a single-family residential area in which children could walk. There were bicycles outside of the school which served as evidence that children do bike to school.
6. Are there Yes; there are school West Side: There are three small baseball fields and one
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small playgrounds owned facilities, but football field (High School) in the city. These are accessible to every unaware if the public is accessible and at a walkable distance for most of the dwelling - not more able to take advantage dwellings. than a tenth of a mile of the playgrounds and East Side: There is a city playground located on East away? fields Austin street. However, it is not in a central location for the residences. Some homes are within a 10 minute walk.
7. Do the Most of them do, but West Side: Most of the streets in the north part of the streets and other not all. city form a connected network, whereas the connection paths within the could barely be seen in the south part. However, none neighborhood form a of the streets have pedestrian sidewalks or bike lanes. connected pedestrian North Side of the City: network? (# of paths # of paths: Eight to # of junctions - # of junctions: Eight map) East Side: There are no cul-de-sacs. All neighborhood streets are connected. However, there are no sidewalks or bike lanes and therefore, these do not form a connected pedestrian network.
8. Are the Yes and No West Side: The streets are narrow, 20-25 feet, with on- streets relatively street parking (not designated) on them, but have no narrow and shaded by trees nearby. There is also a hierarchy of roads that will rows of trees? provide space for future transit. East Side: The streets are approximately 30 feet in width and some have a few trees along the road, but there is not any distinct shading.
9. Are the Yes West Side: Most of the buildings have a 25-30 feet front buildings in the setback and the building to building setback (the neighborhood center distance between houses) is approximately about 20 placed close to the feet. street? What are the East Side: Most house setbacks were 25-30 feet close to setbacks? the center of town. Along Lower Troy Road, some setbacks were 200-400 feet, and some up to ¼ of a mile. In downtown, buildings are built up to sidewalk’s edge.
10. Is parking No, except in historic · There is on-street parking on almost all the streets, relegated to the rear downtown the city has although not specifically designated. of buildings? purchased a lot for · All the off-street parking spaces are in the front of (accessed by alleys) parking in the rear the buildings/dwellings. behind the Feed Store, · Churches, Schools and Multi-Family Residential Salon, Western Wear Apartments have off-street parking lots.
11. Are there No There are no prominent sites at the termination of prominent sites at the street vistas. However, at the T-junction (Aikman Drive termination of street and North Waco Road), there is a high school located. vistas or in the City buildings such as city hall, the police station, and neighborhood center fire station are all located at the corner of Main and in which there are Cypress Ave.
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civic buildings?
12. Is there a No There are no pedestrian sidewalks or bike lanes on any pedestrian road at of the streets. least 5 feet wide?
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CHECKLIST OF SMART GROWTH
1.) Note any areas No There is not a distinct region with any kind of mixed use, that seem to be mixed but there is a small neighborhood center with a gas use. In these areas station, a church, multi-family residential and single note the mix--for family residential units. Most of it is medium density example, about 15% single family residential. apartments, 20% commercial 60% single family, 5% churches and schools.
2.) Are there any No There are not many multi-story structures, so there is no areas with vertical use vertical mixing of uses. mixing? If so map them, and explain what uses are mixed.
3.) Assess the visual West Side: Most of the pleasing areas are in the quality of the area residential areas; especially the northern part of the (using your own town with has high income, low density residential area. judgment): Map areas Some of the vacant lots and the region around the that are pleasing and warehouse located in southeast Troy along I-35 can be any eyesores, and termed as eyesores. note why you mapped East Side: Most residential units seem to be built prior each. (Dilapidated to 1980, with the exception of a development south of properties, ugly signs, the city center. Most of the historic buildings are in etc.) Shown on map decent condition and seem to have been well kept. The areas along the frontage road (what you see from the Interstate) are not visually pleasing, salvage yard and mobile homes for example.
4.) Are there any No There are some high/medium density residential areas, areas with compact but they cannot be termed as areas with compact building design (high- building design. The areas of higher/medium density density levels)? Map represent a few apartment complexes, but they are and explain. small in number.
5.) Where are No There were some trees around some of the residential sidewalks, benches, areas, but there are no sidewalks, bike lanes or any street trees, other other kind of streetscape along any of the land uses. features that improve walkability present? Map and explain.
6.) Is there a sense of No, except for the There is no sense of uniqueness or identity, since most place (uniqueness of Historic Downtown of the region is residential, except for the small Historic identity: physical, Downtown District environmental, etc.)?
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Map and explain.
7.) Are open space No There is a lot of open space, which is mostly due to lack and/or scenic views of development rather than with a view to preserve preserved? Map and open spaces. There are some regions with pleasing explain. scenic views, especially in the northern region of the town and the far east side which has creeks, woodlands, and agricultural lands. These are natural scenes, not man-made.
8.) Is there evidence No, West Side West Side: Since there has been limited development of revitalization Yes, East Side there are a lot of vacant lands. No revitalization or infill and/or infill development can be seen. development in East Side: In the Historic Downtown/Main Street District existing communities? there is evidence of revitalization and infill because a Map and explain. few of the buildings downtown have modern facades.
9.) Are there a variety No There no bus stops and no bike lanes; the only mode of of transportation transportation is the automobile. choices (bus stops, bike lanes, etc.)? Map and explain.
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CHECKLIST OF DESIGN WITH NATURE
Water--Map out a.) There were drainage ditches near the farmland and 2 All the areas where creeks that flow on the East Side. there may be surface water, either permanent (as, a flowing stream) or temporary/seasonal (as, a dry creek bed or drainage ditch), and b.) Any development in or near these areas that might affect them.
Make written notes One creek that passed under Lower Troy Road was for each area distant from any residential units. The creek that runs explaining a.) What it very near the city center was surrounded by residential is (pond, drainage development and a mobile home park. ditch, flowing creek, dry creek, etc.), and b.) How the development (if any) that you noted might affect it.
Wetlands Not Applicable
Steep Slopes Mostly, the region is flat. There is a region with steep slopes in the northern part of the town which has low density single family residential land use and at the creeks on the East Side.
Forest and woodlands Yes There is mainly farmland and residential on the west side, but on the east side there are forests, woodlands, and agricultural land.
Pollution The presence of the highway causes noise and air pollution.
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Superabundant Not Applicable Stimuli
POPULATION ANALYSIS
Population Trends
The population trends and projections, coupled with the economic analysis, will constitute the majority of the information needed to formulate a coherent planning process for the City of Troy. The information provided within these analyses will provide measures of the size and composition of the population (and economy) in forms that represent “needs” for suitable land, infrastructure, community facilities, and natural resources. Furthermore, the analyses will provide estimates of past and present conditions as well as forecasting future population (and economic) characteristics. Lastly, it is our intention that the information presented here will be comprehensible, compelling, and adaptable to the needs of users in the planning process, and will also constitute as a high-quality “fact basis” for future land use plans.
METHODOLOGY Current and Historical Trends Data regarding the population structure of Troy was compiled by collecting data from the Neighborhood Change Database, which gives users instant access to US Census data from 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000 at the census tract level. The data that was gathered was sorted into population cohorts of 10 year increments, which were then translated into percentages of the entire population and visualized as a population pyramid. These population pyramids are useful in determining the age structure of a specified area. This level of data is an important dimension because of the implications for services needs: the needs of children for schools and the elderly for health services and particular housing options, for example.
Population Projection The population projection for Troy was calculated by using the ratio/share technique. To do this the following steps were followed: . Population data for 1990 and 2000 was obtained from the Census Bureau for both Troy and Bell County. . The share of Troy was then calculated by dividing Troy’s population by the total population of Bell County. . Projections from the Texas State Demographer for Bell County were then obtained. . Lastly, the Troy’s historical shares were then applied to the demographers 2010, 2020, 2030, and 2040 estimates.
The figures obtained from the state demographer were from the one-half 1990-2000 migration scenario. This scenario has been prepared as an approximate average of the zero (0.0) and 1990-2000 (1.0) scenarios. It assumes
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rates of net migration one-half of those of the 1990s. The reason for using this scenario is that many counties in the State are unlikely to continue to experience the overall levels of relative extensive growth of the 1990s. A scenario which projects rates of population growth that are approximately an average of the zero and the 1990 2000 scenarios is one that suggests slower than 1990-2000 but steady growth.
Assumptions Assumptions within population projections are dominant and implicit in determining forecast outcomes, and are important to acknowledge when considering their validity. The most significant type of assumption made is whether assuming past growth patterns, the patterns of relationships between study area and region, or fertility/mortality/migration rates, increase in degree, decrease in degree, or otherwise change in the future. The assumptions made in the following projections include: . Assuming that the share of Troy’s population share within the larger Bell County will remain at roughly 0.65%. This assumption was based upon the averages of Troy’s historical shares. . The one-half 1990-2000 migration scenario was also assumed as mentioned above (see: Population Projection) The primary reason for making these assumptions is because cities with small populations, like Troy, are notoriously problematic, especially when attempting to obtain accurate fertility and migration rates. It is because of this that the ratio/share model is used rather than a more complex model that includes survival, fertility, and migration rates.
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LAND USE REQUIREMENTS To determine what land uses will be necessary in the future a few calculations had to be performed. First the current land use acreage was calculated using geographic information system software. Once calculated the current population of either workers or residence is used to determine the density of each land type. Next using population projections we determine the population of workers or residents for each area in the future. We determine the population change from the existing population to the future population and divide that population change by the density. This will give us what land requirements we will need in the future.
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PRESCRIBED COLORS BY NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION The National Trust for Historic Preservation has put together an extensive list of 250 historic colors. These colors were documented from historic sites all across the country. The list of the 250 colors is given below. Buildings within the Historic Preservation Ordinance of Troy must use one of the following colors. More information can be got at the web link below: http://www.preservationnation.org/about-us/partners/corporate-partners/valspar/.
BELLE GROVE Belle Grove Aloe Green (#5006-5) Belle Grove Antique White (#7001-16) Belle Grove Brass (#3010-10) Belle Grove Buff (#3006-10) Belle Grove Flamestitch Red (#1008-5) Belle Grove Light Amber (#3006-8) Belle Grove Moss (#6002-30 Belle Grove Old Rose (#1005-10) Belle Grove Sorbet (#5006-5) Belle Grove Spruce (#5003-6) Belle Grove Valley Fog (#5003-1) Belle Grove Victory Blue (#4007-6) BETSY ROSS HOUSE Betsy Ross House Blue (#5002-8) Betsy Ross House Brown (#6011-2) Betsy Ross House Moss (#6005-3) CAROLINA INN Carolina Inn Brass (#3007-8) Carolina Inn Club Aqua (#5004-3) Carolina Inn Crossroads Gold (#3008-6A) Carolina Inn Lobby Yellow (#3008-6B) Carolina )Inn Peach (#2003-6) CHESTERWOOD Chesterwood French Green (#6001-8) THE CHURCHILL HOTEL Churchill Hotel Bronze (#3001-7) Churchill Hotel Brown (#3010-9) Churchill Hotel Ecru (#3002-10) Churchill Hotel Hazy Yellow (#3004-8) Churchill Hotel Ivory (#3007-8) Churchill Hotel Lace (#7003-17) Churchill Hotel Maple (#2008-8) Churchill Hotel Navajo White (#7003-12) Churchill Hotel Olive (#5008-2) Churchill Hotel Vanilla (#7002-22) Churchill Hotel Wheat (#3005-10) CINCINNATIAN HOTEL Cincinnatian Hotel Abbey (#5004-9) Cincinnatian Hotel Ashley Atrium (#4007-5) Cincinnatian Hotel Briggs Beige (#3008-10) Cincinnatian Hotel Carl Tan (#3002-9) Cincinnatian Hotel Dominica (#3003-6) Cincinnatian Hotel Filson Blue (#4003-8)
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Cincinnatian Hotel Hannaford (#3007-10) Cincinnatian Hotel Hunter Blue (#4003-7C) Cincinnatian Hotel Lindner Blue (#4005-3) Cincinnatian Hotel Nichols Taupe (#2007-10) Cincinnatian Hotel Olivia Blue (#4003-7B) Cincinnatian Hotel Vandersall Red (#2002-7) CLIVEDEN Cliveden Camelback Sofa (#3005-3) Cliveden Colonial Rose (#2001-3) Cliveden Forest (#5006-4) Cliveden Gray Morning (#6001-1) Cliveden Henna Red (#1008-7) Cliveden Leather (#3004-10) Cliveden Mist (#6007-1) Cliveden Pasture (#6001-6) Cliveden Sandstone (#3007-10) Cliveden Virginia Soil (#1003-9) COOPER MOLERA ADOBE Cooper Adobe Brown (#3011-9) Cooper Melon (#7003-2) Cooper Molera Fandango Red (#1007-5) Molera Garden Ochre (#3005-5) Molera Vaquero Red (#2001-7) CORAL GABLES BILTMORE Coral Gables Biltmore Mediterranean Caramel (#2007-8) Coral Gables Biltmore Mediterranean Mocha (#2005-10) HOTEL DEL CORONADO Del Coronado Amber (#3005-5) Del Coronado Brickstone (#1006-9) Del Coronado Costal Peach (#2001-6) Del Coronado Dusty Rose (#1007-8) Del Coronado Tequila (#3008-10) THE FAIRMONT HOTEL Fairmont Lobby Cream (#3005-6) Fairmont Penthouse Garnet (#1009-5) Fairmont Penthouse Mosaic Blue (#4009-6) Fairmont Penthouse Mosaic Green (#5008-8) Fairmont Penthouse Stone (#6008-1) Fairmont Suite Clay Red (#2009-4) Fairmont Suite Gold (#3003-8) FILOLI Filoli Antique Lace (#3002-10) Filoli Ballroom (#5005-4) Filoli Carriage House (#6003-1) Filoli Dark Iris (#4009-5) Filoli Garden Pool (#5003-10C) Filoli Ginkgo Tree (#5006-4) Filoli Gold Ecru (#3008-8) Filoli Honey (#3005-6) Filoli Majestic Oak (#2008-7) Filoli Morning Glory (#5003-10B)
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Filoli Yew (#5008-2) GRAND HOTEL Grand Hotel Awning Yellow (#2008-1) Grand Hotel Geranium Pink (#1005-1) Grand Hotel Mackinac Blue (#5007-9) HOMESTEAD RESORT Homestead Apricot (#2005-3) Homestead Ballroom Gold (#3003-7) Homestead Booth Peach (#2007-5) Homestead Resort Accent Gold (#3003-5)) Homestead Resort Antique Lace (#7003-18) Homestead Resort Buff (#3001-8) Homestead Resort Cameo White (#7002-21) Homestead Resort Cream (#7002-23) Homestead Resort Gold (#3005-5) Homestead Resort Jefferson White (#7006-1) Homestead Resort Moss (#6006-6) Homestead Resort Olive (#6005-4B) Homestead Resort Pale Olive (#60050-4A) Homestead Resort Parlor Sage (#6006-5) Homestead Resort Parlor Taupe (#7003-1) Homestead Resort Parlour Raspberry (#1006-3) Homestead Resort Pumpkin (#3003-6) Homestead Resort Sky Blue (#7004-5) Homestead Resort Spa Aqua (#5004-5) Homestead Resort Spa Green (6004-5) Homestead Resort Sunwash (#7003-19) Homestead Resort Tea Room Cream (#3004-4C) Homestead Resort Tea Room Yellow (#3004-4B) HOTEL ST. FRANCIS Hotel St. Francis Clay Angel (#7002-1) Hotel St. Francis Fawn (#3001-9) Hotel St. Francis Sangre de Christo (#1010-6) Hotel St. Francis Spirit Blue (#5010-10) HUBBELL HOUSE Hubbell House Clayo (#2006-9) Hubbell House Golden Maize (#3004-5) Hubbell House Pajarito Red (#2001-7) Hubbell House Rio Grande Mud (#2005-7) Hubbell House Tamarisk (#6004-5) JEKYLL ISLAND CLUB Jekyll Club Cherokee Rust (#2011-7) Jekyll Club Cherokee Tan (#6008-2) Jekyll Club Cottage Brick (#2010-8) Jekyll Club Pulitzer Blue (#4008-4) Jekyll Club Veranda Blue (#4004-6) Jekyll Club Veranda Ivory (#7003-20) Jekyll Club Veranda Yellow (#3005-6) Jekyll Clubhouse Peach (#2004-6) Jekyll Clubhouse Terra Cotta (#2002-5) Jekyll Clubhouse Yellow (#3006-6)
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Jekyll Crane Cottage Green (#6004-3) Jekyll Crane Cottage Yellow (#3005-8) Jekyll Grand Dining Sea Mist (#5005-3) Jekyll Sans Souci Green (#5004-4) LA FONDA La Fonda Antique Red (#2002-5) La Fonda Artisan Green (#5009-7) La Fonda Boulder (#3001-10) La Fonda Cactus (#6006-4) La Fonda Copper (#2008-5) La Fonda Dawn (#1004-10) La Fonda Deep Blue (#4011-7) La Fonda Deep Clay Red (#2003-7) La Fonda Deep Olive (#6006-6C) La Fonda Earth (#2007-7) La Fonda Ecru (#3006-8) La Fonda Fiesta Blue (#5003-10) La Fonda Fireberry (#1010-1) La Fonda Flamenco Pink (#2004-3) La Fonda Geranium Red (#1010-4) La Fonda Grassy Knoll (#6001-6) La Fonda Honeysuckle (#1007-10) La Fonda Jalapeno (#6005-6) La Fonda Midnight (#4004-4) La Fonda Mindoro (#1004-10) La Fonda Mirage (#5003-5) La Fonda Moss Rose (#1007-7) La Fonda Nightfall (#5003-4) La Fonda Olive (#6006-6B) La Fonda Ortiz Gold (#3004-5) La Fonda Plaza Green (#5007-6B) La Fonda Sagebrush (#3008-9) La Fonda Sante Fe Brown (#2006-7) La Fonda Sombrero (#2008-5) La Fonda Sonoran (#1005-10) La Fonda Spanish Dancer (#2005-3) La Fonda Spice (#3003-5) La Fonda Teal (#5007-8) La Fonda Terra Cotta (#2003-7) La Fonda Territory Green (#5004-2) La Fonda Tile Red (#2002-5) La Fonda Tortuga (#5007-6A) La Fonda Trail Green (#6009-5) La Fonda Turquoise (#5006-10) La Fonda Villa Fountain (#5002-4) La Fonda Wild West Green (#6006-4) PRESIDENT LINCOLN’S COTTAGE Lincoln Cottage Black (#4009-2) Lincoln Cottage Brown (#1004-9) Lincoln Cottage Lattice Green (#5003-2) Lincoln White Sash (#7004-14)
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LYNDHURST Lyndhurst Castle Sand (#5008-1) Lyndhurst Celadon Green (#5004-1) Lyndhurst Celestial Blue (#5003-9) Lyndhurst Duchess Blue (#5002-5) Lyndhurst Estate Cream (#3004-8) Lyndhurst Estate Peach (#2006-8) Lyndhurst Gallery Beige (#2006-10) Lyndhurst Gothic Tan (#3002-8) Lyndhurst Jade (#5004-3) Lyndhurst Mahogany (#2002-9) Lyndhurst Mushroom (#3007-9) Lyndhurst Rich Brown (#1006-7) Lyndhurst Roseglow (#1006-10) Lyndhurst Shady Grove (#5006-3) Lyndhurst Spring Eve (#6003-3) Lyndhurst Stone (#3007-10) Lyndhurst Timber (#2007-9) Lyndhurst Victorian Rose (#2003-10) MARK TWAIN HOUSE Mark Twain Gray Brick (#4005-2) Mark Twain House Bark (#2004-9) Mark Twain House Brown (#2011-8) Mark Twain House Gold (#3006-7) Mark Twain House Gray Brick (#6007-4) Mark Twain House Oak (#3004-9) Mark Twain House Olive (#6001-2) Mark Twain House Ombra Gray (#4004-2) Mark Twain House Peach (#2006-6) Mark Twain House Tan (#2008-8) Mark Twain House Yellow (#3011-3) MONTPELIER Montpelier Ashlar Gray (#6004-1) Montpelier Madison White (#5008-1) Montpelier Olive (#5004-2) Montpelier Palmetto Green (#6009-6) Montpelier Peach (#2006-6) Montpelier Red Velvet (#1009-6) Montpelier Wedgewood (#4004-6) OATLANDS Oatlands Dainty Blue (#4008-5) Oatlands Daisy (#3007-4) Oatlands Gold Buff (#3004-8) Oatlands Shutter Green (#5009-3) Oatlands Spring Kiss (#5007-5) Oatlands Subtle Taupe (#6005-1) Oatlands Upholstery Red (#1008-3) Oatlands Velvet Night (#4001-8) Oatlands Violet (#4001-6) Oatlands Yellow (#3004-6) REDSTONE INN
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Redstone Blue Spruce (#5003-4) Redstone Dakota Sandstone (#1001-10) Redstone Dining Room Gold (#3006-8) Redstone Guest Blue (#4003-6) Redstone Lasso (#3006-9) Redstone Mountain Brown (#2009-8) Redstone Osgood Green (#5005-6) Redstone Ponderosa Pine (#5004-4) Redstone Western Red (#1007-7) WOODLAWN Woodlawn Bedroom White (#6004-1) Woodlawn Blue Angel (#5003-9) Woodlawn Charm (#5008-8) Woodlawn Colonial Gray (#6004-1) Woodlawn Dewkist (#7004-11) Woodlawn Juniper (#5001-4) Woodlawn Lace (#3006-10) Woodlawn Lewis Gold (#3005-7) Woodlawn Marmalade (#2003-6) Woodlawn Misty Morn (#6008-3) Woodlawn Music Room (#3007-3) Woodlawn Promised Land (#5007-6) Woodlawn Salsa (#2003-3) Woodlawn Silver Brook (#5001-1) Woodlawn Snow (#6003-1) Woodlawn Sterling Blue (#5001-3) Woodlawn Valley Haze (#5004-5) Woodlawn Whitewash (#6008-1) WOODROW WILSON HOUSE Woodrow Wilson Blush (#3002-8) Woodrow Wilson Linen (#3005-10) Woodrow Wilson Maize (#3005-8) Woodrow Wilson Presidential White (#7006-15) Woodrow Wilson Putty (#6006-1)
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From: Heather Wade, Preeti Shankar, Jian Shen, Jeremy Cross
Date: November 16, 2010
Re: Zoning Ordinance Review Message
A zoning ordinance review was conducted comparing the zoning ordinance of Troy, Texas to an innovative community in Texas. The review covered the following topics: divisions of document, definitions, zoning, procedures for administration, content evaluation, regulations, land use, and comparisons to the Standard Zoning Enabling Act and an innovative community. Based on an in depth review, the following recommendations and/or changes to the zoning ordinance are given:
1. There are many definitions given in the Troy Zoning Ordinance that may not be necessary. Unneccessary definitions are those that are obvious and redundant. For example, the City defines what an antique shop is, which should be obvious to a reader. An antique shop is a retail shop that sells antiques. This kind of definition only takes up space. 2. Some definitons provided in the zoning ordinance are not clear or do not make sense. For example, the definition for kennel is okay, but does not cover other domesticated pets such as ferrits or rabbits. Another strange definition is for family. This definiton is not clear and brings further questions to mind. Do three people living together, not of the same blood, really qualify as family? According to the City of Troy Zoning Ordinance, it does qualify.
3. The next issue that should be addressed in the zoning ordinance is the use of zones that are hardly different than other zones. For example, the city establishes a Single Family Dwelling District 2 and a District 3. The only difference is that District 2 has a minimum square foot lot of 6,000 square feet, while District 3 requires a minimum of 5,000 square feet. It would make more sense for these districts to be combined together to form one district.
4. The zoning ordinance should establish a planning commission and a zoning board of adjustments.
5. An entire section of the document is missing (Section 21) and should be replaced. This makes the document unreliable and hard to follow. Furthermore, misspellings take place throughout the document and should also be corrected (floodplain is not spelled flood plane).
6. The structure of the zoning ordinance document could use improvement. For example, procedures of administration are clear in the document, but are dispersed among different sections. One section would make the procedures easier to read and understand.
7. The document can gain credibility by having a solid structure, spelling check, and cross referencing throughout.
8. The zoning ordinance should provide for an institutional district to alleviate many of the conditional uses in the city.
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9. Provide comprehensive content. Mere mention of items in a subdivision regulation does not clearly explain a process or regulation to a citizen.
10. The subdivision regulations should be reformatted using hierarchical headings and subheadings. This will make the document easier to read and/or scan.
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TROY ZONING ORDINANCE REVIEW - DIVISIONS OF DOCUMENT
DEFINITIONS
KENNEL
The City of Troy defines a kennel as “a place in which five or more dogs or cats at least six months of age are kept, boarded, trained, by the owners of the dogs or cats or by persons providing facilities and care, with or without compensation” (Section 20, p85). This is a decent definition but does not cover other domesticated pets such as ferrets or rabbits.
HOME OCCUPATION
Home Occupation is defined by the city as “an occupation carried on in the home by a member of the occupant’s family, secondary to the use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes and which does not change the residential character thereof, without the employment of additional persons, without the use of a sign to advertise the occupation, without offering any commodity for sale on the premises and which does not create obnoxious noise or other obnoxious conditions to abutting residential property such as emission of odor, increased traffic, or generation of light or smoke and where the use is carried on in the main structure only” (Section 20, p84). This definition is clear and does not leave any loopholes.
FAMILY
Family is defined as “any number of individuals living together as a single housekeeping unit, in which not more than three individuals are unrelated by blood, marriage, adoption, or guardianship and occupying a dwelling unit” (Section 20, p82). This definition is not very clear. Does this definition mean that three people who are not related but live together, are considered to be family? The definition should be so clear that these types of questions do not arise.
MOBILE HOME
A mobile home is defined as “a movable or portable dwelling larger than eight feet in width and thirty-two feet in length constructed to be towed on its own integral chassis, connectable to utilities and/or designed to be made immobile with or without a permanent foundation for year-round living” (Section 20, p86). This is a good definition but is not distinguished from modular housing.
ACCESSORY BUILDING
An accessory building (detached) is defined as a building with a purpose that is “customarily incidental to the main structure… but not involving the conduct of a business or a guesthouse residence” (Section 20, p76). This definition is confusing and could be clearer.
UNDEFINED
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The following definitions are not defined under the definitions section of the ordinance:
Subdivision is not defined, however lots are defined. A lot is defined as “land occupied or to be occupied by a building and its accessory buildings, and including such open space as are required under this ordinance and having its principal frontage upon a public street or officially approved place” (Section 20, p85). While this definition is clear, it does not adequately replace defining subdivision.
UNNECESSARY DEFINITIONS
There are many definitions provided in the zoning ordinance, but most are not unnecessary. One unnecessary definition is antique shop. This seems to be redundant, in that an antique shop is a retail store that sells antiques!
TROY Section 1: Purpose Section 2: Definition Reference Section 3: Zoning Districts Established Section 4: Zoning District Map Section 5: Zoning District Boundaries Section 6: Temporary Zoning – Annexed Territory Section 7: Use of Land and Buildings Section 8: Area Regulations Section 9: Height Regulations Section 10: Vehicle Parking Regulations Section 11: Off-street Loading Regulations Section 12: Sign Regulations Section 13: Fence and Wall Regulations, Display for Sale, and Open Storage Section 14: Creation of a Building Site Section 15: Administration and Enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance Section 16: Appeals Section 17: Nonconforming Uses and Structures Section 18: Completion of Building Under Construction Section 19: Amendments Section 20: Definitions Sections 21-24: No headers and Section 21 is missing.
MODEL ZONING ORDINANCE (SZEA) Section 1: Grant of Power Section 2: Districts Section 3: Purpose in View Section 4: Method of Procedure Section 5: Changes Section 6: Zoning Commission Section 7: Board of Adjustment
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Section 8: Enforcement and Remedies Section 9: Conflict with Other Laws
ZONING
The City of Troy has designated thirteen zoning districts. There is one agricultural district, one urban estate district, three single family residential districts, two multi-family districts, one local retail district, one general business district, and one light industrial district, heavy industrial district, and one planned development district. Based on the current land use of the city, these districts make sense. However, the city may want to consolidate its single family residential districts into one or two districts. The districts are listed and defined:
AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT
A lot of the open land in Troy is under agricultural use. This district allows detached single family residences and related accessory structures on a minimum one acre tract of the lot.
URBAN ESTATE
The urban estate district allows detached single family residential uses and related accessory structures on lots 22,500 square feet in size.
SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 1
This district allows single family residences and related structures on a minimum 9,000 square foot lot.
SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 2
The minimum square foot lot for this district is 6,000 square feet.
SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 3
This district allows single family residences on a minimum 5,000 square foot lot.
MOBILE HOME DISTRICT
The mobile home district allows mobile homes in a mobile home subdivision, park, and single family residential lots. If the city is interested in phasing out the use of mobile homes, this section should be revised.
MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 1
This district allows apartment development of one to three stories at 20 units an acre.
MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 2
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This district allows conventional and high density apartment developments of greater than three stories, including boarding houses, hotels, motels, and nursing homes.
LOCAL RETAIL DISTRICT
The local retail district allows limited retailed services such as convenient stores, banks, barber and beauty shops, small cleaners, florists, and any residential uses except apartments.
GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT
This district allows any retail and most commercial land uses. This includes auto dealerships, building material sales, light manufacturing, and heavy machinery sales and storage. Residential uses are allowed with the exception of apartments.
LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
The light industrial district only allows light industrial uses defined in Section 7-400, Performance Standards (p19- 20).
HEAVY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT
The heavy industrial district only allows heavy industrial uses as defined in Section 7-400 through 7-406, Performance Standards (p19-21).
PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
This district is aimed at unique development proposals, special design considerations, and land use transitions. This district still requires a site plan approval but takes into consideration the surrounding land use and environment.
ZONING ADMENDMENTS
Section 2:
In Section 2-100 replace “Section 21 contains the Definitions” with “Section 20 contains the Definitions”
Section 3:
In Section 3-100 condense SF-1 and SF-2 into one SF section allowing lots of at least 5000 Square Feet.
In Section 3-100 in definition of GB remove mention of allowing residential uses.
Section 7:
In Sections 7-102 through 7-114 condense SF-1 and SF-2 into SF.
In Section 7-102 do not allow Single Family Detached Dwelling use for MH, MF-1, MF-2, or GB.
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In Section 7-102 add row Mixed Use Development allowed in LR, conditional in MF-1, MF-2, and GB.
Section 8:
In Sections 8-101, 8-201, 8-301, 8-401, 8-501, 8-601 condense SF-1 and SF-2 into SF.
Section 9:
In Section 9-101 condense SF-1 and SF-2 into SF.
Section 10:
In Sections 10-101, 10-103 condense SF-1 and SF-2 into SF.
Section 12:
In Sections 12-102, 12-134 condense SF-1 and SF-2 into SF.
Section 20:
In Section 20-101 in the Parking Lot definition and Residential Districts/Zones definition condense SF-1 and SF-2 into SF.
In Section 20-101 in the Kennel definition replace “cats or dogs” with “animals”
In Section 20-101 add new definition for Mixed Use Development as “A mixed use development is a zoning district in which new residential and non-residential (commercial and community facility) uses are permitted as-of-right.”
In Section 20-101 in the Mobile Home definition remove the line “larger than eight (8') feet in width and thirty-two (32') feet in length”
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Troy Ordinance Review and Suggested Changes Definitions SECTION 20 DEFINITIONS
20-100 Certain words in this ordinance are defined as follows.
ACCESSORY BUILDING (DETACHED) – In a residential district, a subordinate building detached and used for a purpose customarily incidental to the main structure such as a private garage for automobile storage, toolhouse, lath or greenhouse as a hobby (no business), home workshop, children's playhouse, storage house or garden shelter, but not involving the conduct of a business or a guesthouse residence.
ANTIQUE SHOP - An establishment offering for sale, within a building, articles such as glass, china, furniture or similar furnishings and decorations which have value and significance as a result of age, design or sentiment.
FAMILY – Any number of individuals living together as a single housekeeping unit, in which not more than three (3) individuals are unrelated by blood, marriage, adoption, or guardianship and occupying a dwelling unit.
HOME OCCUPATION – A home occupation is an occupation carried on in the home by a member of the occupant's family, secondary to the use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes and which does not change the residential character thereof, without the employment of additional persons, without the use of a sign to advertise the occupation, without offering any commodity for sale on the premises and which does not create obnoxious noise or other obnoxious conditions to abutting residential property such as emission of odor, increased traffic, or generation of light or smoke and where the use is carried on in the main structure only. A home occupation shall specifically exclude the operation of a repair garage, beauty shop, or barber shop. A child care center - small home-based facility - is allowed only if the conditions for this use can be satisfied on the property.
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KENNEL - A place in which five (5) or more dogs or cats animals at least six (6) months of age are kept, boarded or trained, by the owners of the dogs or cats animals or by persons providing facilities and care, with or without compensation.
MOBILE HOME - A movable or portable dwelling larger than eight (8') feet in width and thirty-two (32') feet in length constructed to be towed on its own integral chassis, connectable to utilities and/or designed to be made immobile with or without a permanent foundation for year-round living. It may consist of one or more units that can be telescoped when towed and expanded later for additional capacity, or of two or more units, separately towable but designed to be joined into one integral unit. A HUD code manufactured home represents the equivalent of a mobile home, but a modular home or industrialized housing shall not be considered to be a mobile home.
UPHOLSTERY SHOP - A business establishment engaged in the installation of soft covering 92 material such as fabric and underlayment for furniture and other objects. Except however, with respect to motor vehicles, it shall only include interior upholstering. In no event shall an upholstery shop include the manufacture or building of furniture or other objects.
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SECTION 3
ZONING DISTRICTS ESTABLISHED
3-100 The City is hereby divided into thirteen (13) zoning districts, the use, height and area regulations as set out herein shall be uniform in each district. The thirteen
(13) districts established shall be known as:
ABBREVIATED
DESIGNATION ZONING DISTRICT NAME
A Agricultural District
UE Urban Estate
SF-1 Single-Family Dwelling District-1
SF-2 Single-Family Dwelling District-2
SF-3 Single-Family Dwelling District-3
MH Mobile Home District
MF-1 Multiple-Family Dwelling District-1
MF-2 Multiple-Family Dwelling District-2
LR Local Retail District
GB General Business District
LI Light Industrial District
HI Heavy Industrial District
PD Planned Development District
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FP Prefix When prefixed to any District designation as it appears
on the Zoning District Map specified as a Sub-District
subject to provisions of 7-500 through 7-508
ZONING DISTRICT DESCRIPTIONS:
Zoning is used in Troy to achieve compatible land use arrangements. Complementary land use transitions are often capable of achieving a good land use "fit" between different uses and zoning districts. Summarized below are Troy's Zoning Districts, with a brief explanation of the principal uses allowed in each.
A AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT: Allows detached single family residences and related
accessory structures on a minimum one acre tract. Typical zone upon annexation.
UE URBAN ESTATE DISTRICT: Permits detached single family residential uses and related accessory structures on lots 22,500 square feet in size.
SF-1 SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 1: Permits detached single family residences and related accessory structures on a minimum 96,000 square foot lot.
SF-2 SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 2: Allows detached single family residences and related accessory structures on a minimum 6,000 square foot lot.
SF-3 SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 3: Allows detached single family residences and related accessory structures on a minimum 5,000 square foot lot.
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MH MOBILE HOME DISTRICT: Permits mobile homes in a mobile home subdivision, a mobile home park and single family residences on individual lots.
MF-1 MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 1: Permits typical garden apartment
development of 1 to 3 stories, allowing approximately 20 units per acre.
MF-2 MULTIPLE FAMILY DWELLING DISTRICT 2: Allows conventional and high density high rise apartment development over 3 stories, as well as boarding house, hotel or motel, and nursing home.
LR LOCAL RETAIL DISTRICT: Permits limited retail services, usually for a small
neighborhood area, with uses such as a convenience store, bank, barber or beauty shop, small cleaners, florist, as well as any residential use, except apartments.
GB GENERAL BUSINESS DISTRICT: This district allows all retail and most commercial land uses including auto dealerships with complete servicing facilities, building material sales, light manufacturing, and heavy machinery sales and storage. Also, residential uses are allowed, except apartments.
LI LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT: Permits light industrial uses as defined by performance standards in the zoning ordinance. Single family, duplex, and apartment uses are not allowed.
HI HEAVY INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT: Permits heavy industrial uses as defined by performance standards in the zoning ordinance. Single family, duplex, and apartment uses are not allowed.
PD PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT: Flexible zoning district mechanism, designed to respond to unique development proposal, special design considerations and
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land use transitions by allowing evaluation of land use relationship to surrounding area through site plan approval.
C.U.P CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT: Specified opportunity in zoning ordinance for land use approval, within particular zoning district, subject to evaluation of land use relationship to surrounding area and site plan approval. If approved, the base zoning of the property does not change.
PYRAMIDAL ZONING
The City of Troy should phase out pyramidal zoning from its zoning ordinance. For example, single family housing should not be allowed in all districts, only residential and mixed use districts. In order to remedy the use of pyramidal type zoning, the city can establish specific districts for residential, mixed use, and nonresidential uses. The permitted uses sections for these districts should provide language that is clear as to what uses are allowed in that district.
For example, residential districts will allow residential uses but not industrial uses. Nonresidential districts will not allow residential uses. Mixed use districts, however, will allow nonresidential uses such as commercial with residential uses such as multifamily residential.
DEFINITIONS
FAMILY
Family is defined as “one or more persons each related to the other by blood, marriage, or legal adoptions, or a group of not more than three individuals, none of which are so related together with their domestic servants to maintain a common household in a dwelling” (Article II, 1.13). Definition of the term “family” must comply with the requirements applicable to a family home under the Community Homes for Disabled Persons Location Act, Texas Human Resources Code §123.001.
LOT
Lot is defined as “a platted Lot of record, designated as such upon the Plat of Subdivision, or so designated in any other Plat of Subdivision pursuant to the provisions of this Declaration and affecting all or part of the Property to be recorded in the office of the Recorder of Brazos County, Texas” (Article II, 1.16) Lot and block definitions are not enough and do not adequately substitute for defining a subdivision.
PLAT
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Plat is defined as “any plat of subdivision for all or any part of the Property which shall have been filed for public record and containing such easements and reserves as are defined therein” (Article II, 1.22)
Further division is not allowed.
WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT USE
Wildlife management use is defined as “devoting the primary use of a property to a Wildlife Management Program carried out in compliance with Texas Tax Code Section 23.51(7)” (Article II, 1.33).
NOT DEFINED
A definition was not provided for subdivision or minor subdivision. Lot was defined, but lot and blocks are not an adequate division of property. Other definitions not included were kennel, home occupation, mobile home, or accessory apartment.
EXAMPLE TREE ORDINANCE
Fort Worth, Texas provides a great example of a tree ordinance. This ordinance can be found at http://www.fortworthgov.org/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Planning_and_Development/090310_U rbanForestryTextAmendFinal.pdf. This ordinance can be used and modified to fit the unique needs of the city of Troy.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
The Troy ordinance provides for historic preservation. However, Troy has a downtown that could be made historic through the implementation of a historic overlay district and historic preservation ordinance. In order to successfully integrate historic preservation into the city’s rules and regulations, Troy needs to create a set of rules that will govern how the buildings are preserved. Establishing a historic preservation section in the ordinance will help Troy keep the small, older Texas town atmosphere they desire.
SAMPLE HISTORIC PRESERVATION ORDINANCE FOR TROY, TEXAS
Sources: http://www.thc.state.tx.us/faqs/faqclg.shtml, http://shpo.sc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/C4BE484D-45D4-48AC-BCAD-F4A432A97B6C/0/fs7modelord.pdf
ESTABLISHING LOCAL HISTORIC PROPERTY DESIGNATION AND DESIGN REVIEW
SECTION 1 TITLE
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The title of this ordinance shall be Troy, Texas Historic Preservation Ordinance.
SECTION 2 PURPOSE
The purpose of this ordinance is:
(1) To protect, preserve and enhance the distinctive architectural and cultural heritage of Troy;
(2) To promote the educational, cultural, economic and general welfare of the people Troy;
(3) To foster civic pride;
(4) To encourage harmonious, orderly and efficient growth and development of Troy;
(5) To strengthen the local economy; and
(6) To improve property values.
It is the hope of Troy that by encouraging a general harmony of style, form, proportion and material between buildings of historic design and those of contemporary design, the city's historic buildings and historic districts will continue to be a distinctive aspect of Troy and will serve as visible reminders of the significant historical and cultural heritage of Troy and the State of Texas. This ordinance is part of the zoning ordinance of Troy and is enacted pursuant to Chapter 211 of the Texas Local Government Code Sections 211.001, 211.003, 211.005
SECTION 3 DEFINITIONS
ALTERATION
A change in the external architectural features of any historic structure or in the interior of any such structure if the interior feature is specifically included in the historic designation; a change in the landscape features of any historic site or place; or work having an adverse effect upon designated archaeological resources.
CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS
Document issued by the Board of Architectural Review, following a prescribed review procedure, certifying that the proposed actions by an applicant are found to be acceptable in terms of design criteria relating to the individual property or the historic district.
HISTORIC DISTRICT
An area, designated by the city council, upon the recommendation of the Board of Architectural Review and pursuant to the provisions of this ordinance.
HISTORIC PROPERTY
Any place (including an archaeological site or the location of a significant historical event), building, structure, work of art, fixture or similar object that has been individually designated by city council or designated as a contributing property within a historic district.
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PUBLIC SPACE WITHIN A BUILDING
Spaces designed for use by the public, such as auditoriums, court rooms, lobbies, entrance halls, etc. These spaces are usually gathering places as opposed to corridors for public use.
SUBSTANTIAL HARDSHIP
Hardship, caused by unusual and compelling circumstances, based on one or more of the following: a. the property cannot reasonably be maintained in the manner dictated by the ordinance, b. there are no other reasonable means of saving the property from deterioration, or collapse, or c. the property is owned by a nonprofit organization and it is not feasible financially or physically to achieve the charitable purposes of the organization while maintaining the property appropriately.
SECTION 4 ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW BOARD ESTABLISHED
4.1 CREATION
To implement the provisions of this ordinance, there is hereby established a Board of Architectural Review, hereinafter referred to as the Board, for the City of Troy consisting of 5 members. Members shall be appointed by the Troy city council upon the recommendation of the Board.
4.2 COMPOSITION AND QUALIFICATIONS.
All members of the board shall have a demonstrated interest in historic preservation. If available in the community, the board should have at least one member who is qualified as: 1. a historian, knowledgeable in local history, 2. an architect or if an architect is not available to serve, someone knowledgeable in building design and construction. (Other designated members can be listed, such as, a lawyer, a real estate agent, engineer, and representative of the historical society.) No members shall hold any other municipal office. (A representative of the zoning commission could serve only as an ex-officio, non-voting member.)Members shall assume their duties at the first regular meeting after their appointment. Members shall serve without compensation except for reimbursement for authorized expenses attendant to the performance of their duties.
4.3 Terms of Office.
The term of office for each member shall be two years. Any person who has served as a member of the Board for three consecutive terms shall not be eligible for reappointment for at least one year. A term of less than one year shall not be counted in determining eligibility for reappointment. Membership shall be identified by place numbers 1 through 5. Terms of office for members in the odd-numbered places shall expire in odd numbered years; terms for even numbered members expire in even numbered years, provided, however, that each member shall serve until his successor is appointed and installed.
4.4 Removal.
Any member of the Board may be removed by the mayor upon confirmation of the city council, for repeated failure to attend meetings of the Board or for any other cause deemed sufficient by the mayor.
4.5 APPOINTMENT TO FILL A VACANCY.
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If any place on the Board becomes vacant due to resignation, removal, or for any reason, the mayor shall appoint a replacement within 60 days for the remainder of the unexpired term, subject to confirmation by the city council.
4.6 CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
Any member of the board who has a personal or financial interest, either directly or indirectly, in any property which is the subject of, or affected by, a decision of the Board shall be disqualified from participating in the decision of the Board concerning the property.
4.7 LIABILITY OF MEMBERS.
Any member of the Board acting within powers granted by the ordinance shall be relieved from personal liability for any damage and held harmless by the City of Troy. Any suit brought against any member of the Board shall be defended by a legal representative furnished by the city until the termination of the proceedings.
SECTION 5 POWERS AND DUTIES
The responsibility of the Board is to promote the purposes and objectives of this ordinance, to review and recommend to city council the designation of individual historic properties and historic districts, and to review plans and applications, as hereinafter provided, for all construction within historic districts and construction or demolition pertaining to or affecting duly designated historic properties. The Board shall have the power to approve, approve with modifications or deny approval for such applications in accordance with the prescribed procedures and guidelines.
SECTION 6 HISTORIC PROPERTY INVENTORY
The Board shall maintain a local inventory of buildings, structures, objects, and sites more than fifty years old. These records shall be available to the public.
SECTION 7 DESIGNATION OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES.
7.1 CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION.
The Board shall review the local inventory and make recommendations for historic designation(s) to city council based on the following criteria. A property may be designated historic if it:
1. has significant inherent character, interest, or value as part of the development or heritage of the community, state, or nation; or 2. is the site of an event significant in history; or 3. is associated with a person or persons who contributed significantly to the culture and development of the community, state, or nation; or 4. exemplifies the cultural, political, economic, social, ethnic, or historic heritage of the community, state, or nation; or 5. individually, or as a collection of resources, embodies distinguishing characteristics of a type, style, period, or specimen in architecture or engineering; or 6. is the work of a designer whose work has influenced significantly the development of the community, state or nation; or 7. contains elements of design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship which represent a significant innovation; or 8. is part of or related to a square or other distinctive element of community planning; or 9. represents an established and familiar visual feature of the neighborhood or community; or 10. has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in pre-history or history.
7.2 OWNER NOTIFICATION.
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Owners of properties proposed to be designated historic shall be notified in writing thirty days prior to consideration by city council. Owners may appear before the city council to voice approval or opposition to such designation. (Additionally, the planning commission shall provide its formal comment to the council on ordinance adoption, amendment, and designation and may also serve as the entity conducting the required public hearing if so authorized by council.)
7.3 IDENTIFICATION ON TOWN ZONING MAP.
All locally designated historic properties and historic districts shall be clearly shown on the zoning map.
7.4 OPPOSITION TO DESIGNATION
Any property owner may object to the decision by the city council to designate his property as historic by filing suit against the City of Troy before the Courts of the State of Texas.
SECTION 8. JURISDICTION OF THE BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW
The jurisdiction of the Board, in general, is the city limits .The jurisdiction of the Board for the recommendation of properties to be designated historic is the City of Troy. The jurisdiction of the Board for the review of proposed alteration to exteriors of buildings, new construction, and demolition is the individual properties and areas that have been designated by the City of Troy council as historic.
SECTION 9. NOMINATIONS TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
The Board may conduct first review and evaluation of all proposed nominations for the National Register of Historic Places for properties that are within its jurisdiction, prior to consideration by the State Board of Review. The Board may send their recommendations to the State Historic Preservation Office for consideration at the meeting of the State Board of Review. The Board shall not nominate properties directly to the National Register; only the State Board of Review shall have this final review authority unless expressly authorized by federal statute.
SECTION 10. CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS GENERAL.
A Certificate of Appropriateness is required before a building permit can be issued for the demolition, new construction, exterior alteration, modification or addition to a designated historic property. Any building permit not issued in conformity with this ordinance shall be considered void. Application for a Certificate of Appropriateness must be signed by the owner or his authorized representative and the form must be signed by the chairman or vice-chairman of the Board stating its approval, denial, or approval with conditions and the reasons for the decision.
10.1 REQUIRED PROCEDURE.
An application for a Certificate of Appropriateness shall be obtained from Troy City Hall, and when completed, filed with the appropriate administrative official as designated by the Board.
10.2 TIME LIMITS.
Applications for a Certificate of Appropriateness shall be considered by the Board at its next regular meeting, provided they have been filed at least seven (7) calendar days before the regularly scheduled meeting of Board. If
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the Board fails to take action upon any application within 45 days after the complete application is received, the application shall be considered approved, except in cases where the Board has postponed an application to demolish a structure under the provisions contained in this ordinance.
10.3 BOARD ACTION ON APPLICATION.
The Board shall review the application, using the design guidelines appearing in Section 11 of this ordinance to make findings of fact to decide whether or not the applicant's plans are appropriate. The decision of the Board, along with the reasons for each decision, will be recorded in the minutes and will be available upon request as a public reference for preservation procedures.
10.4 CONTENTS OF APPLICATION.
The Board shall, in its Rules of Procedure, require data as are reasonable and necessary to determine the nature of the application. An application shall not be considered complete until all the required data have been submitted.
10.5 NOTIFICATION OF AFFECTED PROPERTY OWNERS.
Prior to the issuance of an approval or denial of a Certificate of Appropriateness, the Board shall inform the owners of any property likely to be materially affected by the application, and shall give the applicant and such owners an opportunity to be heard.
10.6 SUBMISSION OF A NEW APPLICATION.
If the Board determines that a Certificate of Appropriateness should be denied, a new application affecting the same property may be submitted only if substantial change is made in the plans for the proposed work.
10.7 MAINTENANCE, REPAIR, AND INTERIOR PROJECTS.
Nothing in this document shall be construed to prevent the ordinary maintenance or repair of any exterior architectural feature of structures designated as historic when that repair does not involve a change in design, material, color, or outer appearance of the structure. The Board shall not consider the interior arrangements or alterations to the interior of a building unless the interior of a public building or the public space of a private building is specifically described and designated as historic. The Board may authorize a staff member to approve minor projects involving repairs and ordinary maintenance that do not alter design, materials, color or the outer appearance of a structure or interior projects not subject to design review.
10.8 FINES AND PENALTIES.
The system of fines applied by the City of Troy for violation of the building code will apply to violations of this ordinance.
10.9 SUBSTANTIAL HARDSHIP.
In the event a Certificate of Appropriateness is denied, the property owner may apply for an exemption based on the substantial hardship of maintaining the property according to the design guidelines for historic properties. Substantial hardship is to be considered by the Commission where one or more of the following unusual and compelling circumstances exists:
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a. the property cannot reasonably be maintained in the manner dictated by the ordinance, b. there are no other reasonable means of saving the property from deterioration, or collapse, or c. the property is owned by a nonprofit organization and it is not feasible financially or physically to achieve the charitable purposes of the organization while maintaining the property appropriately.*
*The owner may be required to submit documents to show that he cannot comply with the design guidelines and earn a reasonable rate of return on his investment in the property. Information required may include: 1. costs of the proposed development with and without modification needed to comply with the design guidelines as determined by the Board, 2. structural report and/or a feasibility report, 3. market value of the property in its present condition and after completion of the proposed project, 4. cost of the property, date purchased, relationship, if any, between seller and buyer, terms of financing, 5. for the past two years, annual gross income from the property with operating and maintenance expenses, depreciation, and annual cash flow before and after debt service during that time, and 6. other information considered necessary by the Board to determine whether or not the property may yield a reasonable return.
10.10 DEMOLITION.
If the Board denies, or postpones for 180 days, a request to demolish a historic building, the Board shall work closely with the owner to find an appropriate use for the property, to help find a buyer or to obtain funding for rehabilitation, including low interest loans or grants. The Board shall inform the community concerning the threat to the building, it value as part of the fabric of the community and, through publicity and contacts with civic groups, seek to provide assistance in preserving the property.
SECTION 11. DESIGN GUIDELINES
11.1 INTENT.
It is the intent of this ordinance to ensure, insofar as possible, that properties designated as historic shall be in harmony with the architectural and historical character of the City of Troy. In granting a Certificate of Appropriateness, the Board shall take into account the architectural and historical significance of the structure under consideration and the exterior form and appearance of any proposed additions or modifications to that structure as well as the effect of such change or additions upon other structures in the vicinity.* *<(The Board can issue specific design guidelines for separately designated areas containing different categories of resources. Usually these guidelines are adopted by council.)>
11.2 THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S STANDARDS FOR REHABILITATION.
When considering an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness for new construction, alteration, repair, or restoration, the Commission shall use the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation as guidelines in making its decisions. In addition, the Board may adopt more specific guidelines for local historic districts and local historic buildings. These guidelines serve as the basis for determining the approval, approval with modifications, or denial of an application.
The Secretary's Standards for Rehabilitation are:
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1. A property will be used as it was historically or be given a new use that requires minimal change to its distinctive materials, features, spaces, and spatial relationships.
2. The historic character of a property shall be retained and preserved. The removal of distinctive materials or alteration of features, spaces, and spatial relationships that characterize a property will be avoided.
3. Each property will be recognized as a physical record of its time, place, and use. Changes that create a false sense of historical development, such as adding conjectural features or elements from other buildings, will not be undertaken.
4. Changes to a property that have acquired historic significance in their own right will be retained and preserved.
5. Distinctive materials, features, finishes, and construction techniques or examples of craftsmanship that characterize a property will be preserved.
6. Deteriorated historic features will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture, and, where possible, materials. Replacement of missing features will be substantiated by documentary and physical evidence.
7. Chemical or physical treatments, if appropriate, will be undertaken using the gentlest means possible. Treatments that cause damage to historic materials will not be used.
8. Archeological resources will be protected and preserved in place. If such resources must be disturbed, mitigation measures will be undertaken.
9. New additions, exterior alterations, or related new construction will not destroy historic materials, features, and spatial relationships that characterize the property. The new work will be differentiated from the old and will be compatible with the historic materials, features, size, scale, and proportion, and massing to protect the integrity of the property and its environment.
10. New additions and adjacent or related new construction will be undertaken in such a manner that, if removed in the future, the essential form and integrity of the historic property and its environment would be unimpaired.
SECTION 12. APPEALS
Any person may appeal a decision of the Board to the Courts of Texas pursuant to the Chapter 211 of the Texas Local Government Code Sections 211.001, 211.003, 211.005.
LANDSCAPE REGULATIONS
Residents of Troy, Texas are passionate in their love for the outdoors and the environment. The opportunity to live amongst and appreciate a robust rural and natural environment on a daily basis is a principal reason residents choose to live here. Accordingly, a thoughtful use of native plants will provide residents the opportunity to engage their daily lives with the native landscape offered in Troy.
A. PLACEMENT AND ORGANIZATION OF DEVELOPMENT.
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Placement of development should respond to the distinct orientation, character and assets of the specific lot. The placement of a home site should fully consider and capitalize on innate factors such as views, vegetation and topography.
Of primary importance when developing is heeding the notion that the built environment should be of the land, and not simply on the land. It is desirable that the lot lines and peripheries are not engrained and celebrated, but rather that they will visually fade over time, resulting in a more organic and integrated overall character.
Additionally, driveways shall be a maximum of 12 feet wide, and when locating the drive, emphasis should be placed on minimizing sight distances and homestead visibility from the road, minimizing impervious cover and preserving natural vegetation.
B. LANDSCAPE MATERIALS.
The palette of landscape materials, both built and organic, shall adhere to the community’s overall vision. Landscape materials should convey a timeless aesthetic that unites a cohesive community living in direct connection with the natural environment.
It is shall be required for development to preserve existing large trees and minimize disturbance. Preserving existing mature trees will be of primary importance. The City of Troy should require the use of primarily native plants that reflect the area’s regional character. Along with their appropriate and attractive aesthetic character, native and adapted species require less irrigation and coincide nicely with the community’s conservation efforts.
C. IMPLEMENTATION
Construction processes must be carefully planned and managed to ensure minimal site disruption and development impact. Impacted trees and plants should be protected as much as possible and astute construction phasing should be employed. Possible strategies for minimizing impact, to skillfully create the community out of a delicate rural ecosystem, include using site elements (such as trees that must be cleared). Strategically placed lay down areas can be used to store mulch during construction to limit landscape disturbance. Excavated soils and fill materials can be accumulated and used to restore disturbed landscape areas; this approach more effectively promotes revegetation than imported topsoil because it contains existing seed characteristics of the site’s native plants and grasses. These and other techniques can ensure minimal disruption to a precious and fertile ecosystem throughout the project’s implementation.
SIGN REGULATIONS
1. AUTHORITY AND INTENT
These regulations are enacted with the intent to ensure that all signs and advertising features are:
(a) Compatible with their surroundings;
(b) An enhancement to the city's visual environment;
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(c) Orderly, readable, and safe;
(d) Harmonious in color, material and lighting with the building to which it relates; and,
(e) Non-distracting to motorists.
2. EXEMPTIONS, PROHIBITED SIGNS, AND TEMPORARY SIGNS
Permit Required
All signs, regardless of size, shall require the issuance of a zoning permit before public display unless otherwise specifically exempt by this Article.
Exemptions
The following types of signs are permitted in all parts of the city and shall be exempt from the requirements of this Article, for example
(a) Political Signs
(b) Highway and Official Sign.
(c) Directional Signs:
(d) Real Estate Sale/Rental Sign
(e) Flags:
(f) Contractor Sign.
(g) Property Restriction Signs.
(h) Holiday Decorations:
Prohibited Signs
The following types of signs shall be prohibited in all parts of the city:
(a) No person shall paint, paste, brand, stamp or in any other manner place on or attach to any tree, rocks or other natural feature, utility pole, or other pole on any street or public right-of-way, any sign, excluding an official sign, or other advertisement, bill, notice, card or poster.
(b) Any off-premise sign which advertises or otherwise directs attention to any commodity or activity sold, offered or conducted elsewhere than on the premises upon which such sign
(c) Any sign or supporting structure located in or over the traveled portion of any public right-of-way unless the sign is attached to a structural element of a building and an encroachment permit has been obtained from the department of public works.
(d) Any sign or other advertising device with visible moving or movable parts or with flashing animated or intermittent illumination (except signs indicating the time, date or weather conditions), and any sign that contains any fluorescent paint or device, including has the effect of intensifying reflected light.
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Temporary signs
The display of any such temporary sign(s) shall be limited to two non-consecutive 30-day periods per calendar year. Any other sign shall be considered permanent.
Non-Conforming Signs
Any sign or other advertising device which does not conform to the provisions of this ordinance in terms of location, area, illumination, type, or height shall be deemed a non-conforming sign. Non- conforming signs may remain in use at the same location, and ordinary maintenance and repair of such signs shall be permitted.
A non-conforming sign shall not be relocated, enlarged, replaced, redesigned, or altered in any way (except for a change of lettering, logo or colors using the same materials within an existing sign frame subject to obtaining a zoning permit) except to bring the sign into complete or substantially greater compliance with this Article.
3. SIGN PERMIT APPLICATIONS AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
1 A completed application form, and signed by the property owner, along with the applicable fee;
2 A scaled rendering of the proposed sign indicating this dimensions in square inches or feet (length, width, height), and all materials and colors used;
3 Applications involving freestanding signs shall include a scaled site plan indicating the location of all existing and proposed signs on the lot and all setbacks in feet from the property lines and/or rights-of-way.
4. Applications involving parallel and projecting signs elevation indicating the location face and the frontage dedicated to the establishment in linear feet.
5. Where applicable, the type and method of illumination (i.e. external, internal, or backlit), including the fixture style, placement, and bulb wattage and type;
6. The total square footage of all existing signs for the establish
7. Photographs of the building or site where the sign is proposed.
Such requests require only administrative review and approval pursuant to the procedural requirement and the requirements of this Article.
4. TYPES OF SIGNS (a) Freestanding Signs:
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(b) Kiosk Signs:
(c) Parallel Signs:
(d) Projecting Signs:
(e) Roof Signs:
5. SIGN LOCATION AND AREA (a) Obstruction:
No sign shall be placed in such a way that it prevents clear and unobstructed view of a highway or official sign or of approaching or merging traffic. (b) Setbacks:
No portion of any freestanding sign shall be located any closer to any property line than fifty per cent (50%) of the required yard setback for the district in which it is located. (c) Calculation of Sign Area
6. SIGN LIGHTING
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In addition to the outdoor lighting requirements, the following requirements shall pertain to the lighting of all signs: (a) Signs shall be illuminated such that the illumination does illuminate the surrounding area. (b) Externally illuminated signs: (c) Backlit signs: (d) Internally illuminated signs:
7. DISTRICT REGULATIONS
Signs shall be permitted in each district as specified in Table below and as further regulated by the provisions.
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DESIGN STANDARDS
The Troy Subdivision Ordinance has a Design Standards section at the end which covers streets, alleys, blocks, lots, fire hydrants, water and sewer, and street lighting. Street and utility standards are provided. However, the standards for street widths, sidewalks, water and sewer are not very detailed. A comprehensive set of standards will provide for a clearer document and easy to follow regulations.
DETAILED RESIDENTIAL DESIGN STANDARDS
RESIDENTIAL DESIGN OPTIONS
A. A dwelling with no garage or a detached garage
B. A dwelling with a front garage
C. A dwelling with a garage different masses and conditions
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RESIDENTIAL DESIGN ELEMENTS
A.
1. The design of the dwelling including dormers
2. The roof design utilizing a. Gable b. Hip.
3. The building façade offsets
4. A bay window
5. Windows and main entrance doors
6. Windows on all elevations (size and material)
7. A front facing balcony
8. Shakes, shingles, brick, stone or other similar decorative materials on the street facade
9. Garage doors (size, requirements)
10. The driveway pavement
11. Main entrance (size, direction, other requirements)
The above elements should be standardized through a process of discussion and consultation with architects, city planners and designers, city staff, and neighborhood representatives. We can utilize different sets of elements for each dwelling option. An example of standards for the above elements would be “Windows and main entrance doors that occupy a minimum of fifteen of the lineal length of the front facade”, or “All garage doors are a maximum nine feet wide”.
In addition to standards for these elements, more detailed design standards for building elements and architectural details may be provided. Following is an example from the Oregon City Ordinance modified to fit in Troy.
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ROOF DESIGN
A. Primary roofs shall be pitched at a minimum ratio of five-twelfths, except for non-gabled dormers, covered porches, or secondary masses.
B. Exemption: An exemption from the roof standard of A. above may be approved by city secretary or council if the resulting plan is consistent with the architectural style.
MODULATION AND MASSING
New homes shall have a massing and footprint that is compatible with the envisioned pedestrian friendly neighborhoods of the concept plan area.
A. Houses with footprints over one thousand two hundred square feet (not including porch or deck areas) shall provide for secondary massing (such as cross gabled wings or sunroom/kitchen/dining room extensions) under separate roof-lines. Each secondary mass shall not have a footprint larger than six hundred square feet.
B. Exemption: An exemption from the massing standard of a) above may be approved by city secretary or council if the resulting plan continues to provide for a pedestrian friendly design and provides sufficient architectural details to mitigate the impact of a house with a large mass on the surrounding neighborhood.
PORCHES AND ENTRIES
A. Each house shall contain a front porch with a front door that faces the street that is a minimum of twenty-four inches above average grade with skirting and is at least eighty square feet with no dimension less than six feet with the wider dimension parallel to the street. Porch railings are required. The front porch shall be covered.
B. Exemption: House styles that do not contain porches or require a reduction in the size of the porch or its location may request an exemption from city secretary or council from A. above, if another type of pronounced entryway is provided. Pronounced entrances may include a rounded front door, canopy or other articulated entrances, columns, and/or other similar features provided they are compatible with the architectural style of the house. A reduced porch may be allowed if there is sufficient architectural or topographical reason to reduce the size of the porch. All subdivisions shall have at least seventy-five percent of the housing utilize front porches as approved under subsection A. above.
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C. Each dwelling unit shall have a separate delineated pedestrian connection from the front door of the unit to the sidewalk a minimum width of three feet. The pedestrian connection shall be separate from a driveway.
ARCHITECTURAL DETAILS
Dwelling units shall contain architectural details. Each listed below are worth one point unless otherwise noted. Dwelling units must achieve the equivalent of five points worth of architectural details.
A. Stonework detailing on columns or across foundation.
B. Brick or stonework covering more than ten percent of the façade
C. Wood, cladded wood, or fiberglass windows on all four elevations of the building. (two points).
D. Decorative roofline elements (choose two): roof brackets, rake board at edge of all roof and porch, eaves, roof eaves that extend at least eighteen inches.
E. Decorative siding elements (choose two) barge board/frieze boards (minimum eight inches) under eaves, waterboard at foundation line and between floors (minimum six inches), corner board at all corners.
F. Decorative porch elements (choose one) scrolls, brackets, or wrapped and finished porch railings and posts.
G. Decorative shingle design covering ten percent of the façade.
H. Exemption: Other architectural detailing may be approve by city secretary or council if they are constructed with quality material, have a high level of craftsmanship and are consistent with the architectural style of the dwelling.
APPROVED SIDING MATERIALS
A. Brick.
B. Basalt stone or basalt veneer
C. Narrow horizontal wood or composite siding (five inches wide or less); wider siding will be considered where there is a historic precedent.
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D. Board and baton siding (wood or composite siding)
E. Exemption: Other materials may be approved by city secretary or council if they are consistent with the quality of the approved siding materials and have historic precedence in Troy.
WINDOWS
A. All windows on all elevations must be recessed at least two inches from the façade and incorporate window trim at least four inches in width. All elevations must provide an average of one window every fifteen feet of linear elevation on each floor of each elevation. If shutters are used, they shall be half of the window opening each such that the entire window opening is covered when they are closed.
B. Exemption: An exemption may be granted by city secretary or council from the window standard of A. above if the proposed windows provide for some amount recess depth and the side elevation is consistent architecturally with the front elevation of the house in window prominence. All subdivisions shall have at least seventy-five percent of the housing meet the standards under subsection A. above.
GARAGES AND ACCESSORY STRUCTURES
A. Garages must be detached, side entry or rear entry. For side entry garages: the garage area shall not be located in front of the living area. Accessory structures shall be designed consistent with the primary residence. Consistency of design includes the use of similar roofing, siding, and trim. For the purposes of this section, detached garages may be connected by a breezeway but consequently, will be subject to the setbacks of the underlying zone.
B. Exemption: An exemption from subsection A. above may be granted by city secretary or council if topographic or existing lot patterns prevent the ability to construct a detached, rear entry or side entry garage on-site or if the applicant proposing a design that city secretary or council believes mitigates the impact a front entry attach garage has on the pedestrian environment. The alternate attached garage design shall not project farther than the living area and shall be limited to garage door widths of ten feet or less.
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ARCHITECTURAL REGULATIONS
A. PHILOSOPHY.
The buildings of the Troy community should be a natural outgrowth of the regional environment. To accomplish this, designers must integrate contemporary residential requirements with the following criteria:
Respect the Landscape: Because residents are encouraged to “integrate” the houses with the natural landscape, the designs should work with the existing and native vegetation (for example: preserving large trees, using native vegetation, and imitating natural growing patterns rather than using “straight lined” foundation planting.
Respond to Climate: To facilitate cross ventilation, balanced light, and a strong connection to the outdoors, designs should follow the lead of early local vernacular architecture: One-room wide configurations, “dog-run” hallways that function as breezeways and generous porches provide natural ventilation and light to all spaces. Simple roof forms with generous overhangs protect walls and occupants from the sun and rain. Multiple porches and balconies that connect most interior spaces directly to the outdoors are required.
Utilize Appropriate Materials: As with many early vernacular houses, maintenance and longevity are important considerations when choosing materials. Wood finishes that weather gracefully will require less maintenance than painted wood. Modern materials, such as fiber cement siding, that hold paint longer are also an option at in Troy, as are pressure treated woods, hardwoods, and sheet metal, all of which require minimal annual maintenance. Metal roofs are also suggested as they require little upkeep and can last for generations.
By following this philosophy, Troy will maintain an architectural character that is rooted in and respectful of the past, but thoroughly contemporary and appropriate in its execution.
B. BUILDING ELEMENTS.
Because we want our community to evolve gracefully and organically, much like early farm and ranch compounds, we anticipate that structures may be constructed in phases, over time. Development in Troy will grow over generations to suit the needs of families; therefore minimum square footage restrictions are not central to our planning. We are after quality, not size. When designing a development, owners will be required to put together a “master plan” showing how they envision the compound to grow.
Development in Troy may be one or two stories, and will generally be planned with one-room wide designs with connecting breezeways and courtyards. Porches should be central to the design of a development, and these may be screened, glazed, or left open. Roofs will include generous overhangs to protect homes from sun and water.
All outbuildings (carports, sheds, etc.), shall be consistent (in form, material and style) with the rest of the development complex.
C. CONSERVATION STANDARDS.
As a conservation-focused community, the City of Troy seeks to minimize environmental impacts even while constructing healthy, valuable, and architecturally significant developments. To ensure that all homes embrace
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good environmental practices, developments in Troy are required to achieve a minimum LEED certified standard. See www.usgbc.org/leed/homes for certification process.
PARKING
1. ADD “PURPOSE” SECTION.
Example:
It is the purpose of this article to:
(a) Ensure there are adequate parking and loading facilities to serve the use or uses of the property;
(b) Reduce congestion in the streets and contribute to traffic safety;
(c) Encourage alternate modes of travel that will reduce dependence upon the single- occupancy automobile.
2. PARKING
The demand for parking is highly dependent on the context within which a given use or structure is located. Factors such as proximity to other related uses, availability of public transportation, the density of land uses, and the ability to share parking with nearby uses are all factors which influence the demand for individual and dedicated off-site parking.
Parking requirements in the table below can be divided into different categories, for example.
3. CREATE A TABLE FOR MINIMUM DIMENSIONS OF OFF-STREET PARKING
A table will be more clear and user-friendly. Here is an example:
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4. DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF PARKING AREAS
Some specific development and maintenance requirements can be provided, such as screening, fencing, surfacing, lighting, use, etc. Examples:
Screening An area with screening shrubs or a fence of acceptable design shall be required at the front yard setback line. If screening shrubs are used, any such planted area shall be served by an underground irrigation system. Such planted area shall not be surfaced in part or whole with concrete, asphalt or other surface material, but shall contain earth, and may, in addition, contain filters such as wood shavings, bark, volcanic rock or other similar mulch material.
Lighting Lighting, if provided, shall reflect away from residential areas and public streets.
Use Parking facilities shall be used for automobile parking only. No sales, dead storage, repair work, dismantling or servicing of any kind shall be permitted.
5. PARKING FOR DISABLED PERSONS
Example: Parking spaces for disabled persons shall comply with current the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines and shall be at least eight feet (8’) wide with an adjacent access aisle at least five feet (5’) wide. Parking access aisles shall be part of an accessible route to the building or facility entrance. Accessible parking spaces shall
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be designated as reserved for the disabled by a sign showing the symbol of accessibility. Painting of the paved area for the dedicated parking spaces alone shall not be sufficient as the sole means of identifying these spaces.
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DIVISIONS OF DOCUMENT
MILLICAN RESERVE Witnesseth Article I: Definitions Article II: General Purpose and Regulation of Uses Article III: Architectural Review Committee Article IV: Wildlife Management Use Article V: The Association Article VI: Common Property Article VII: Assessments Article VIII: Reservations and Easements Article IX: General Covenants and Restrictions Design Guidelines Design Review
MODEL SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS Article I: General Provisions Article II: Definitions Article III: Subdivision Application Procedure and Approval Process Article IV: Assurance for Completion and Maintenance of Improvements Article V: Requirements for Improvements, Reservations and Design Article VI: Public Facilities Impact Fees Article VII: Land Readjustments Millican Reserve does not allow resubdividing or replatting by any owner. This is found in Article II: General Purpose and Regulation of Uses Article VIII: Specifications for Documents to be Submitted
COMPARISONS
The CCR’s of Millican Reserve are very different from a model subdivision ordinance. First, the sections of Millican Reserve are very unique and do not match with those of the model subdivision ordinance. Second, Millican Reserve provides for very specific regulations regarding wildlife management, land management, and sustainable land use practices (for example, “outdoor laundry drying”). Further, the regulations provide for a land stewardship committee and an architectural review committee. Another strong section found in the Millican Reserve document not found in the model document is the use of landscaping regulations.
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TROY, TX SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE REVIEW
CHAPTER 10 SUBDIVISIONS
SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE REVIEW AND SUGGESTED CHANGES
Subdivision Regulations
Due- 2nd December 2010
The Subdivision Ordinance of Troy, Texas is adequate but some parts are ambiguous. The subdivision regulations have been adopted recently and have even been amended. . Incorporation of the following suggestions will make the ordinance clearer, legible and avoid loopholes.
1. The Policy section is missing. It could be added in section 1.101 after the “Short title” topic. The purpose can be stated as:
Orderly, planned, efficient and economical development- It is hereby declared to be the policy of the City Council to consider the subdivision of land and its subsequent development as one of the principal steps in carrying out the general purpose of adopted elements of the Troy Comprehensive Plan (once it has been adopted) for the orderly, planned, efficient and economical development of the City. Public safety and services- Land to be subdivided shall be of such character that it can be used safely for building and other purposes without danger to health, or peril from fire, flood or other menace. Land shall not be subdivided until adequate provision is made for drainage, water, sewerage and access, as well as other improvements required by these regulations, and unless adequate community facilities such as schools, parks, recreation areas are available within the subdivision or in reasonable proximity to the subdivision. Correlation with other regulatory documents- These regulations are intended to supplement and facilitate the enforcement of the provisions and standards contained in the building, housing and related codes, zoning ordinances and other regulatory documents governing development of the City. (Subdivision Regulation of City of New Orleans) 2. The Purpose section contains the above text. The purpose of the ordinance can be rewritten as:
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General welfare- To promote, protect and provide for the public health, safety, convenience, and general welfare of the residents of the City of Troy. Health and safety- To provide for adequate light, air, and privacy. To secure safety from fire, flood and other danger, and to prevent the overcrowding of land and undue congestion of population. Land uses- To protect, conserve and enhance the economic and ecological value of land and the value of buildings and improvements on the land, and to minimize the conflicts among the uses of land and buildings. Circulation- To provide for safe and efficient circulation of traffic with particular regard to the avoidance of congestion, to the proper separation between pedestrians and local and through traffic, and to provide for the proper location and width of streets, buffer zones and building lines. Environment- To prevent the pollution of air and water bodies, to assure the adequacy of drainage, and to encourage the wise use and management of natural resources in order to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the community and the value of land. To preserve the natural beauty of the land and to ensure appropriate development with regard to those natural features. Open space- To provide open space through efficient design and layout of subdivisions. To encourage the designation as permanent open space to those lands that are subject to flooding or unsuited for development for other geomorphological reasons. (Subdivision Regulation of City of New Orleans)
3. The Enactment section is missing and could be added section 1.101 after the purpose.
These regulations are hereby adopted and made effective as of August 9, 2007. All applications for subdivision approval, including Final Plats which are pending on the effective date of these regulations, shall be reviewed under these regulations except when both of the following conditions are met: (a) approval of engineering plans was obtained prior to the effective date of these regulations and (b) the subdivider has constructed subdivision improvements prior to submission of the Final Plat for approval. (Subdivision Regulation of City of New Orleans)
4. The Appeals section is missing and could be added section 1.101 after the severability and validity.
The decision of the City Council to approve, approve with conditions, or deny the Tentative or Final Subdivision Plan may be appealed t within 30 days following such decision. The Council’s decision is effective on the 31st day after rendering unless appealed within the interim 30 days. (Subdivision Regulation of City of New Orleans)
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5. The Variance section is missing and could be added section 1.101 at the end.
Whenever the tract to be subdivided is of such unusual size or shape or is surrounded by such development or unusual conditions that the strict application of the requirements contained in these regulations would result in real difficulties and substantial hardships or injustices, the Council may vary or modify such requirements, so that the subdivider is allowed to develop his property in a reasonable manner, but so that, at the same time, the public welfare and interests of the City are protected and the general intent and spirit of these regulations are preserved. Petition for variance from these regulations shall be made by written request of the applicant, stating fully the grounds for the request and the facts relied upon by the petitioner. The petition shall be filed with the Tentative Plan. (Subdivision Regulation of City of New Orleans)
6. The Requirement of Improvements section is not under one heading. Sections 1.124 to 1.131 should be placed under it. A general introduction as bellow could be added.
Plans for the improvements required in this Section shall be prepared by a licensed and registered engineer or surveyor, as applicable. The improvements listed below shall be installed prior to the approval of the Final Plan. All public utilities and facilities, such as sewer, gas, electrical, and water systems, shall be located and constructed to minimize or eliminate flood damage. (Subdivision Regulation of City of New Orleans)
7. The conditions for Replatting can include the following conditions. These could be added under section 1.122 (a):
Purpose statement -A purpose statement shall be provided on the proposed replat. This statement shall provide a brief synopsis of the reason for the proposed plat.
Screening and buffering- If screening and buffering is required for a proposed subdivision, plans shall be submitted to the planning department concurrently with the submittal of a replat. The screening and buffering plans shall be approved by the director of planning, prior to the approval of the replat.
Approval and variances- When a replat is found to conform to these regulations, or may be made to conform by making certain changes directed by the council, a copy of the replat with such changes made thereon, and the approval thereof by the council, conditioned as necessary on said changes, shall be transmitted to the subdivider. Approval of the replat as such shall in no way constitute final acceptance or approval of the subdivision.
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If the council finds that the replat does not conform to these regulations, and that requested changes to make it conform are not acceptable to the subdivider, the council shall have the authority to disapprove the replat. The subdivider at any time thereafter may submit a new design for council approval following the same procedure as required for the original application.
Variances- A variance to the requirements of this section may be granted by the city council in accordance with the provisions of section 1.136
Public hearing and property owner notification- Prior to taking action on a proposed replat, the planning and zoning council shall hold at least one public hearing thereon. If the proposed replat includes property that is zoned for residential uses for not more than two residential units per lot, notice of said public hearing shall be sent to all owners of property, or to the person rendering the same for city taxes, located within 200 feet of any property affected thereby, within not less than ten days before such hearing is held.
If the proposed replat includes property that is zoned for residential uses for not more than two residential units per lot, notice of said public hearing shall be given by publication one time in a newspaper of general circulation in the city, stating the time and place of such hearing, which time shall not be earlier than 15 days from the first date of publication. (Subdivision Regulation of City of McKinney)
8. Include the following conditions in the Amending Plats section 1.123: The amending plat shall be signed by all persons owning property within the tracts for which the amending plat is submitted. The amending plat shall be solely for one or more of the following purposes: o To correct an error in a course or distance shown on the preceding plat; o To add a course or distance that was omitted on the preceding plat; o To correct an error in a real property description shown on the preceding plat; o To indicate monuments set after the death, disability, or retirement from practice of the engineer or surveyor responsible for setting monuments; o To show the location or character of a monument that has been changed in location or character or that is shown incorrectly as to location or character on the preceding plat; o To correct any other type of scrivener or clerical error or omission previously approved by the municipal authority responsible for approving plats, including lot numbers, acreage, street names, and identification of adjacent recorded plats; o To correct an error in courses and distances of lot lines between two adjacent lots if: o Both lot owners join in the application for amending the plat; o Neither lot is abolished; o The amendment does not have a material adverse effect on the property rights of the other owners in the plat;
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o To relocate a lot line to eliminate an inadvertent encroachment of a building or other improvement on a lot line or easement; o To relocate one or more lot lines between one or more adjacent lots if: The owners of all those lots join in the application for amending the plat; The amendment does not increase the number of lots;
A notice, a hearing, and the approval of other lot owners are not required for the approval and issuance of an amending plat. The documentation submitted for approval of amending plats shall meet the record plat requirements of section 142-76, in addition to the following items:
Purpose statement- A purpose statement shall be provided on the proposed amending plat. This statement shall provide a brief synopsis of the reason for the proposed plat.
Variances- A variance to the requirements of this section may be granted by the city council in accordance with the provisions of section 1.136 contained herein.
(Subdivision Regulation of City of McKinney)
SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE REVIEW
Jeremy Cross
For this paper I am reviewing the city of Celebration, Florida and comparing it to Troy, Texas, the Standard Zoning and Enabling Act, and the Model Subdivision Regulations. Celebration, Florida uses the Osceola County Development Code as its main ruling ordinance, the development code has a both a section on zoning (chapter 14) and a section on subdivision regulations (chapter 8), this means that neither fully comply the standard versions.
1. This section will compare the major sections of the Standard Zoning Enabling Act and the Model Subdivision Regulations against the City of Troy and the City of Celebrations ordinances. I. The major divisions for the Standard Zoning Enabling Act are:
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II. Purpose: Troy has this, Celebration has covered in chapter 1, but 14 III. Definitions: Troy has this, Celebration has definitions in a number of places, but the main list seems to be in chapter 2 IV. Establishment of Districts: Troy has this, Celebration has this in section F of chapter 14 V. District Regulations: Troy does not directly have this, but has most parts in various parts of the ordinance, Celebration has this as 14.6-14.25 VI. Administration and Enforcement: Troy has this as section 15, Celebration has this covered in chapter 1 and 2
The major divisions for the Model Subdivision Regulations are:
I. General Provisions: Troy has this under different names in sec. 1.101- 1.103, Celebration has some of this at the start of chapter 8 II. Definitions: Troy has this in sec. 1.104, Celebration does not have this in chapter 14, but does have definitions in chapter 2 III. Subdivision Application Procedure and Approval Process: Troy has this more spread out as sec 1.105-1.121, Celebration has this in chapter 8.2 IV. Assurance for Completion and Maintenance of Improvements: Troy has this mostly in sec 1.125, 1.126, and 1.133 but is also somewhat covered in small parts in other sections, Celebration has this partially covered in chapter 8.7 V. Requirements for Improvements, Reservations and Design: Troy has this in Exhibit 1, Celebration has this in chapter 8.6 VI. Public Facilities Impact Fees: Troy does not have this though specific fee costs are mentioned at the end of the document, Celebration does not have this
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VII. Land Readjustment: Troy does not have this, Celebration has this in section E of chapter 8.2 VIII. Specifications for Documents to be Submitted: Troy has this is built into the application and approval process but not as a separate section, Celebration mentions that documents are required but does not have a location that names them all
2. This section will look at the definitions provided by both Troy and Celebration. I. Troy defines a kennel as: A place in which five (5) or more dogs or cats at least six (6) months of age are kept, boarded or trained, by the owners of the dogs or cats or by persons providing facilities and care, with or without compensation.
Celebration does not fully define a kennel but mentions that they are for the raising, breeding and/or boarding of domestic animals
including, but not limited to, canines or felines
Both of these definitions have problems, Troy only looks at dogs and cats, while Celebration potentially covers all domestic animals is very vague in general as it could possibly include pet ownership. II. Troy defines a Home Occupation as: A home occupation is an occupation carried on in the home by a member of the occupant's family, secondary to the use of the dwelling for dwelling purposes and which does not change the residential character thereof, without the employment of additional persons, without the use of a sign to advertise the occupation, without offering any commodity for sale on the premises and which does not create obnoxious noise or other obnoxious conditions to abutting residential property such as emission of odor, increased traffic, or generation of light or smoke and where the use is carried on in the main structure only. A home occupation shall specifically exclude the operation of a repair garage, beauty shop, or barber shop. A child care center - small home-based facility - is allowed only if the conditions for this use can be satisfied on the property. Celebration defines a home occupation in 15 subsections that are very thorough.
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Troy’s definition is more restrictive and seems written to ensure that home occupations do not occur. Celebrations definition allows for home occupation but limits it to occupations that will not cause a large impact rather than limiting it to one that will cause no impact as Troy’s attempts to do.
III. Troy defines Family as: Any number of individuals living together as a single housekeeping unit, in which not more than three (3) individuals are unrelated by blood, marriage, adoption, or guardianship and occupying a dwelling unit. Did not find a definition of Family given by Celebration
Troy’s definition of a Family seems acceptable and should not generally disallow related people to live together but will not allow large groups of unrelated people living together. Not being able to find a definition of family in the Celebration code is a problem, and something they should be concerned about.
IV. Troy defines Mobile Home as A movable or portable dwelling larger than eight (8') feet in width and thirty-two (32') feet in length constructed to be towed on its own integral chassis, connectable to utilities and/or designed to be made immobile with or without a permanent foundation for year- round living. It may consist of one or more units that can be telescoped when towed and expanded later for additional capacity, or of two or more units, separately towable but designed to be joined into one integral unit. A HUD code manufactured home represents the equivalent of a mobile home, but a modular home or industrialized housing shall not be considered to be a mobile home. Celebration says to see the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles for a definition of Mobile Homes.
The oddity in Troy’s definition is what happens if the home is not a wide or long as listed in the definition, as it then does not seem to be a mobile home and therefore not subject to their regulations. Celebration referencing another document is both good and bad, it keeps the definition consistent across documents, but makes it harder for the average person to find out what is classified as a mobile home.
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V. Troy Defines an Accessory Building as In a residential district, a subordinate building detached and used for a purpose customarily incidental to the main structure such as a private garage for automobile storage, toolhouse, lath or greenhouse as a hobby (no business), home workshop, children's playhouse, storage house or garden shelter, but not involving the conduct of a business or a guesthouse residence. Celebration broadly defines Accessory Structures as Permanent awnings, patio covers, carports, screen porches and storage buildings with some clarifications throughout the document.
In Troy an attached accessory structure is not counted while in Celebration it is, though Celebration is a lot more lenient with allowed uses for an accessory unit than Troy.
VI. Troy is generally good in their definition of things, though sometimes they get to specific which could allow some items through that were not suppose to come through. Celebration does not do well with its definitions at all, rarely defining things and when it does the definitions occur in random spots and are hard to find. I am not sure that either has an unnecessary definitions, but Troy defines an Upholstery Shop which seems like it would not be necessary most of the time.
VII. The definition of a subdivision in Troy is: A subdivision is the division of a tract of land within the City of Troy, Texas, or its extraterritorial jurisdiction into two or more parts (by lots, by metes and bounds or by any other method of subdivision or conveyance) for the purpose of thereby creating separate lots for ownership, usage or building purposes; for laying out any suburban lots or building lots, or any lots, streets, alleys or parks; or other portions intended for public use, or the use of purchasers or owners of lots fronting thereon or adjacent to the streets, alleys and parks. A division of land for agricultural purposes into lots[,] parcels or tracts of five (5) acres or more not involving a new street or alley shall not be deemed a subdivision. The term includes any other subdivision or resubdivision of land contemplated by the provisions of Chapter 212 of the Texas Local Government Code.
Celebration has two forms of subdivisions, long-form and short-form defined as: A long-form subdivision is a subdivision or re-subdivision of a
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lot or parcel which requires the creation of new streets, rightsof-way or access easements and/or improvements for water, sewer, drainage or other public facilities. In addition, long form subdivisions shall also include any subdivision or resubdivision of a lot or parcel greater than five acres in size in the nonrural areas of the County or greater than 40 acres in size in the
rural areas of the County. For those lots or parcels to be subdivided or resubdivided which are five acres or less in the non-rural area or 40 acres or less in the rural area of the County, and do not require the creation of new streets, nor improvements for water, sewer or other public facilities other than those services normally provided for individually platted lots, a short-form subdivision may be submitted. All lots in a short-form subdivision with 4 or more lots, shall abut a paved road built to county standards which is maintained by the County. For purposes of this section the ownership interest in the portion of the lot which abuts paved road must be in fee simple. While short-form subdivision applications need not include full construction engineering improvement plans as part of the final plan submittal, engineering plans for water management shall be required for short-form subdivisions.
Troy’s definition of a subdivision is very comprehensive and covers almost all angles. Celebration’s definition has a glaring section missing, which what constitutes a lot or parcel, the definitions of which I could not find.
3. In this section how the ordinances divide up zones will be studied.
I. Troy has 13 zones: 4 single family, 2 multi-family, 2 industrial, 2 commercial, 1 agricultural, 1 mobile home, and 1 planned development. II. Celebration has 34 zones: 1 agricultural, 4 Rural, 5 Estate, 9 Single-Family Residential, 3 Multi-Family Residential, 7 Commercial, 4 Industrial, and 1 Institutional
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Subdivision Regulations Comparison Celebration, Troy, Texas Florida Comparison 1 General Provisions City of Troy Subdivision The Community a. Title Ordinance Charter b. Policy Not stated. Not stated. To maintain health, safety and general welfare of people. Troy has no Celebration comprehensive plan, has no so it does not refer purpose which to it. The purpose is concerned succinctly covers a with health, wide range of overcrowding, intents in the No purpose clean air & c. Purpose purpose. stated. water etc. The Board of Directors are in As no planning charge for the commission exists, governance of the ordinance is the city. They adopted under the are not less than authority of Chapter three and not 212 of Texas Local more than seven d. Authority Government Code in number. Districts consist of housing units in Celebration is neighborhoods. divided into The area of Each district district for jurisdiction is elects one voting mentioned within director, and the purposes. Each the purpose itself. number of district has All parcels within the districts can not neighborhoods city limit and shall not exceed and units. extraterritorial number of Jurisdiction is jurisdiction are directors on mainly for e. Jurisdiction included in it. board. maintenance. Enactment not Enactment not f. Enactment stated. stated.
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In case of conflict between provisions of Florida law, Articles of Troy allows The ordinance sets incorporation, the stricter minimum the charter and regulation's requirements for by-laws, the provisions to subdving but if more provisions of prevail in case restrictive Florida law, the of conflict. regulations are charter, articles Celebration specified by the city of incorporation has the order in other ordinance, and by-laws(in of regulations the latter will this order) shall that prevail in g. Interpretation, Conflict & Separability prevail. control. conflicts. In case some phrases, sections are found invalid the entire ordinance will not be invalid. The severability clause is attached to the h. Saving Provision ordinance. Not stated. i. Reservation and Repeals Not stated. Not stated. Troy makes amendments to the Changes to the regulations charter are and the latest made as ones have to supplements. All be followed. Amendments are changes are Celebration made from time to subject to all has time and the terms, amendments developer is covenants, called responsible for conditions, supplements following the latest restrictions and to the original j. Amendments ordinance. easements. document. Police powers not Police powers k. Public Purpose mentioned. not mentioned.
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The Reviewer authorizes variance from complying with design guidelines under Variance is circumstances awarded such as based on topography, hardship in natural Celebration. obstructions, Troy has Variances are hardships or variances described later in aesthetic or mentioned the ordinance but environmental later in the l. Variances not in article one. conditions. document. Any construction in violation of the rules of the Conditions for filing Charter will be The Home plat are non conforming Owners enumerated. and have to be Association is Without plats no removed at the in charge of construction is owners expense. enforcements, allowed, no building In case of failure remedies are permit without of action, the very harsh in services, no permits Association can Celebration. and city take action and Troy's City authorization are the owner will Secretary look provided without have to bear the into the m. Enforcement, Violations and Penalties full compliance. expense. enforcement. Subdividing is Troy follows division of land into the 2 or more lots by conventional lots, metes and subdiving of bounds or by any developments. other method of It is necessary subdividing or No divisions, the to provide conveyance. Major whole definitions to and minor development is maintain subdivision not a huge new uniformity in mentioned in the urbanist the city. definition. development. Celebration is Agricultural lots of Subdividing lots a pre-planned more than 5 acres within the development divided without designed units is which does 2 Definition involving a new not permitted. not allow any
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street is not further considered a subdividing, subdivision. All and has no other definitions are definitions for well defined and subdivisions. unnecessary definitions are not present.
No platting 3 Platting Process process. The platting procedure is explained in The application has details, with to be filed and clear documents need to instructions on be provided within the Application 10 business days. requirements. Preliminary plat requirements and content are listed out in detail and leaves no room for discrepancies. A conformity review is done by the City Secretary. An engineer also needs to review the plat after which the City Council decides on Preliminary Plat its issuance. The final plat has similar approval process as the preliminary plat but the content varies. Construction drawings also need to be approved at Final Plat this stage.
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The developer has to assure the city that infrastructure will be installed for proper development of the subdivision. The infrastructure includes water, sanitary systems, drainage facilities and street construction. Inspections by city during construction will be done to check on materials, Does not have equipments and any such 4 Assurance for completion workmanship. procedure. Well defined. Performance bonds are furnished by developers before construction. The bond includes the cost of improvements and 10% of cost of construction. This bond is used in case the developer Does not have breaches the any such 5 Performance & Payment Bond obligation. procedure. Well defined. Maintenance bonds are furnished to the city by the developer after construction. 30% of the total cost of improvements is furnished to guarantee maintained of the Does not have subdivision during any such 6 Maintenance Bond the first year. procedure. Well defined.
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The Reviewer authorizes variance from complying with design guidelines under Variance is Variances are circumstances awarded granted when such as based on extraordinary topography, hardship in hardship is shown. natural Celebration. The request has to obstructions, Troy has be submitted when hardships or variances plat is filed for aesthetic or mentioned consideration of the environmental later in the 7 Variances City Council. conditions. document. Troy prescribes guidelines for street widths, block and lot sizes. All amenities required in a subdivision are Design also specified. standards do not Celebration mention has already construction laid out streets requirements. and amenities. They describe Any new the maintenance addition will part of it, as the be done in a streets have all similar fashion been laid out to existing 8 Design Standards already. properties. Minimum width curb to curb and of ROW are specified. Design guidelines for facing of lots, continuation of streets and sidewalk requirements a. Street specified.
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Alleys are mandatory in every subdivision and their widths are fixed to b. Alleys 20 feet. Guidelines are provided for length, width and shape of c. Blocks blocks. General design guidelines d. Lots mentioned. The spacing of the hydrant as per the land use is mentioned and the size is determined e. Fire Hydrants by the inspector. The size of the pipes are determined by the city engineer. For the next 10 years, any developer who ties his sewer and water lines to these lines have to pay the city a fee which the city reimburses to the f. Water & Sewer developer. Intervals of light spacing are specified as per functional classification of g. Street Lighting street. The capital recovery fee is applied on the basis of number of units in residential uses and by square footage for commercial developments. The method of Does not have calculation and any such 9 Impact Fee special provisions procedure. Well defined.
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are enlisted.
The same procedure of platting process is followed. Owners within 200 feet of the replatting property have to be Does not have notified by the City any such 10 Readjustment Secretary. procedure. Well defined. The documents that need to be submitted during preliminary and final plat are mentioned Does not have in the procedure for any such 11 Document Submission plat application. procedure. Well defined. Only design The Board of guidelines are Directors are in variable in charge for the Celebration Administration for governance of and under the Plat application the authority of process is very development. the Reviewer. comprehensive and Any design City Council is has no scope of guidelines have responsible for ambiguity. The to be passed platting and content and through the various documents to be Architectural amendments submitted are review and 12 Administration described in detail. Committee. adjustments. The whole The charter is Both have a document is number divided into good as 1.101 through chapters, each numbering 1.136. There is not chapter has system. Troy much scope to headings for has many sub- accommodate sections which sections and amendments to the are numbered. have higher regulations in E.g., 5.1, 6.8. level of numbering. Language used is numbering. 13 Format Language used is clear, consistent, Language used
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simple and non crisp and non- is clear and repetitive. Not many repetitious. It consistent in references to other uses legal words both. sections have been appropriately. made, but when made are clear. unnecessary use of legalese has not been made.
14 Standards Standards for street widths, sidewalks, Not very water and sewer detailed for have been laid out. Troy and They are not very absent in Street & Utility Standards detailed. Not stated. Celebration. Both have sign Three signs of ordinances for Sign regulations are 18" by 24" are residential absent. The permitted in uses, non ordinance speaks units containing residential only of residential political or such uses are not Signs subdivisions. endorsements. defined. Commercial establishments Only residential have been subdivisions are designed but specified in the they have their Not defined in 15 Non Residential Subdivisions ordinance. own covenants. both cases. The covenants are very different from the model ordinance. The Troy follows The model administration the model ordinance is detailed part and division ordinance, but in comparison. of governance is is not as Major topics are explained in detailed as it. covered in this detail. Design Covenants are ordinance but not standards are similar only in very mentioned in the comprehensively. rules, no administration Lot more design exclusive but design standards need to guidelines standards are 16 Model Ordinance be specified. available. very different.
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Zoning Ordinance/Subdivision Regulations Review Notes
Jian Shen
PLAN 658
Introduction
The cities I chose for zoning ordinance review are Troy, TX and Pasadena, CA. Troy is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,378 at the 2000 census. The population density was 387.5 people per square mile. It is a family based small community. Pasadena, Pasadena is the home of many leading scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). As of 2009, the estimated population of Pasadena is 143,667. The population density is 5798.7 per square mile. The city is bounded by hills and mountains. Of the two cities, one is suburban bedroom community and the other is urban development with high population density.
Zoning Ordinances Review
1. General Comparison
The comparison will be made between the Model of zoning ordinance in Standard Zoning Enabling Act and the zoning ordinances of my chosen cities.
First, the main body of Standard Zoning Enabling Act contains nine major sections:
Section 1. Grant of Power
Section 2. Districts
Section 3. Purpose in View
Section 4. Methods of Procedure
Section 5. Changes
Section 6. Zoning commission
Section 7. Board of Adjustment
Section 8. Enforcement and Remedies
Section 9. Conflict with other laws
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Troy’s zoning ordinance is under Chapter 14 of the city’s code of ordinances. It is divided into 24 sections.
Section 1. Purpose
Section 2. Definition References
Section 3. Zoning Districts Established
Section 4. Zoning District Map
Section 5. Zoning District Boundaries
Section 6. Temporary Zoning – Annexed Territory
Section 7. Use of Land and Buildings
Section 8. Area Regulations
Section 9. Height Regulations
Section 10. Vehicle Parking Regulations
Section 11. Off-Street Loading Regulations
Section 12. Sign Regulations
Section 13. Fence and Wall Regulations, Display for Sale, and Open Storage
Section 14. Creation of a Building Site
Section 15. Administration and Enforcement of the Zoning Ordinance
Section 16. Appeals
Section 17. Nonconforming Uses and Structures
Section 18. Completion of Building under Construction
Section 19. Amendments
Section 20. Definitions
Section 21. (Missing)
Section 22. That if any provision of this ordinance or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions
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or applications of the ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this ordinance are declared to be severable.
Section 23. That this ordinance shall take effect immediately from and after its passage, and it is accordingly so ordained.
Section 24. That it is hereby officially found and determined that the meeting at which this ordinance is passed was open to the public as required and that public notice of the time, place, and purpose of said meeting was given as required by the Open Meetings Act, TEX. REV. CIV. STAT. ANN. art. 6252-17 (Vernon 1991).
The zoning ordinance of Pasadena is under Title 17 of the city’s code of ordinance and it’s divided into 8 articles.
Article 1. Purpose and Applicability of Zoning Code
Article 2. Zoning Districts, Allowable Land Uses, and Zone-Specific Standards
Article 3. Specific Plan Standards
Article 4. Site Planning and General Development Standards
Article 5. Standards for Specific Land Uses
Article 6. Planning Permit Procedures
Article 7. Zoning Code Administration
Article 8. Glossary
Comments: The two ordinances have big differences in arranging the main body or content. Most obvious difference is the number of chapters. The Pasadena ordinance seems to be better organized while Troy’s ordinance could have some sections combined so that it can be easier to read. Also, there is a flaw with Troy’s ordinance that it does not have Section 21 while it claims in section 2 the definitions will be covered in Section 21. Actually the definitions are put in section 20 and it seems unnecessary to establish section 2 only for the purpose of pointing out definitions will be covered in somewhere else. They should be combined. Both of the two cities covered in their zoning ordinances the Grant of Power, Purpose, Districts, Methods of Procedure, Changes and Enforcement, although in different sections or Articles than the model. For example, Troy’s zoning ordinance made the grant of power section written together with the purpose. But when it comes to Zoning Commissions, Board of Adjustment, and conflict with
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other laws, these two ordinances have much more difference or missing information compared to the Model. Detailed comparison will be discussed later.
2. Comparison Table
The detailed comparison is conducted in the following table:
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Issues City of Troy, TX City of Pasadena, CA
Purpose Written in Section 1, at the opening of the Also written in the first Article of the zoning zoning ordinance. The content is exactly ordinance, incorporating the grand of power. the same with the ones in the model of However, the statement of purposes is not SZEA, such as to lessen the congestion in different than the model and the Troy’s the streets; to secure safety from fire, panic ordinance. Aside for the ones similar to the and other dangers; to provide adequate model, it also mentions the protection of light and air, etc. historical integrity and city character and to encourage a pedestrian-friendly community by promoting mix use and pedestrian oriented development.
Definitions The meaning of “shall” is defined as The Definitions are covered in Article 8 at the mandatory and not discretionary in the end of the zoning ordinance. There is a beginning of the Definition section. Most statement at the beginning of the sections for of the definitions are concise and the whole the conflict of definitions in the zoning code section is quite comprehensive. There is and in other provisions of municipal code and hardly any missing definition that should also a statement that zoning administrator has be added. the power to determine correct definition of terms that are not covered. These two statements are good for dealing with problems that result from ambiguity of terms Definitions are covered in Section 20. and give a lot of flexibility. There are definitions for Kennel, Home Occupation, Family, Mobile Home, Accessory Apartments, etc. There is no definition for kennel, but there are definitions for Large Animals and Small Animals, Animal Shelters and Animal Sales and Services. There is no definition for mobile home, but mobile home is included in the definition of Multifamily Residential Use.
Most of the definitions are adequate, logical and well written. Graphics and Sketches are well used to assist the definition.
Districts In Troy’s zoning ordinance, there is 13 There are 11 districts including 4 districts established, they are: subcategories: A(agricultural district); UE(Urban Estate); 1. Residential Districts: RS-1, RS- SF-1; SF-2; SF-3; MH(Mobile Home 6(single-family residential); RM-12, RM-16, District); MF-1; MF-2; LR(light retail RM-32, RM-48(multi-family residential); district); GB(general business district); 2. Commercial and Industrial Districts: LI(Light Industrial District); HI(Heavy CO(commercial office); CL(limited Industrial District); PD(Planned commercial); CG(general commercial); Development District). There are 7 IG(general industrial); residential districts, 2 commercial and retail 3. Special Purpose Districts: OS(open districts, 2 industrial districts and 1 planned space); PD(planned development); PS(public development district. The number of and semi-public) districts is adequate and normal. The 4. Overlay Districts: AD(alcohol statement of power to divide Troy into a density); HD(hillside development);
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number of districts is in none of the HL(height limit); HL-1(height limit for sections but at the beginning of the zoning multifamily residential); HH(hospital home); ordinance. IS(interim study); LD(land mark); ND(neighborhood for low-density residential); OC(office conversion); PK(parking); SS(specialty shop overlay Generally, the zoning districts are normal; district) there are descriptions for each district. Aside from conventional districts for residential, commercial and industrial, this ordinance has a large number of overly districts. This might be related to the special character of Pasadena which is a hillside touristic city. But some of the overlay districts might not be necessary. For example, HL-1 can be combined with HL.
Administration Troy has separate descriptions about The City of Pasadena has the role of authority administrations under different sections but determined fairly clearly in a form in its there is not a standard procedure of zoning ordinance. It has Director/Zoning application, review and decision making Administrator/hearing officer; the DC for land use permits and amendments very (Design Commission/HPC (Historic clearly in its zoning ordinance. Preservation Commission; BZA (Board of Zoning Appeals)/Planning Commission and the City Council. Generally, the city council has the power of final decision for approving The administrative bodies it mentions in master plans, zoning codes and amendments, the ordinance are: zoning maps and amendments, etc. The zoning commission has the power to Planning and zoning commission: recommend. But for the approval and land mentioned in the creation of building site use permits issuing, the decision power is to the Director/Zoning Administrator/Hearing City council: mentioned in classification of Officer, but appeals goes to the city council. new and unlisted uses; Conditional use permit; sign regulations, etc.
City Secretary: mentioned in classification Although the responsibilities of the of new and unlisted uses; Conditional use administrative bodies are well spelled out. permit; sign regulations, etc. There is limited information about the appointment and term of the zoning City council have the final power of commission members/zoning board of decision making in variances, amendments, adjustment members, zoning appeals, land use permits, etc. administrator/zoning director/hearing officer. The zoning and planning commission has the power to recommend;
City secretary has the duty and responsibility to interpret and enforce the zoning ordinance, forward appeals and request for variances to city council, etc.
Limited information on boards and
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commissions with respect to the responsibilities of planning and zoning commission and the appointment and term of the planning commission members. Moreover, there is no mention of zoning board of appeals/adjustment whatsoever.
Procedures Procedures for application and review for A standard procedure of filing and conditional use permits, variances are preparation of application for land use clearly spelled out, as well as amendments permits, amendments is written in the zoning and appeals. For specific topics such as ordinance. All application, review and sign erections and shooting ranges, the decision making should follow the procedure. general requirements and application procedures, variances are separately described in different sections. Also, procedures for temporary use permits, conditional use permits, variances are also clearly spelled out, easy to find according to But there is no description for standard the table of content. procedure of application, review, public hearing and decision making. The information are hard to find.
Special Topics Sign, Parking, Landscaping are covered in Sighs, Parking, Landscaping topics are separate sections. Each of them has General covered in Article 4 – Site Planning and requirements, variations, application and General Development Standards. Other than review procedures and authorities, etc. those topics, there are special topics covered Those topics are very clearly described. as well, such as Density Bonus and Also, there is one section, section 11, Incentives, Inclusionary Housing dedicated to off-street loading regulations, Requirements, etc. which is to regulate retail, commercial, industrial and services to provide off-street loading facilities.
Numbering of The numbering of sections in Troy’s The numbering of sections is logical and Sections, Cross ordinance is a failure. First of all, the cross references are well made so that readers Reference Usage of section 21 is missing while it is mentioned can be easily directed to relevant information Charts and language in section 2. Also the numbering is not that they need. The use of language is good logical and not helpful when trying to find and clear. Charts and forms are well used to specific information. And the consecutive assist the description. numbers make it hard to add new information in the future.
No cross reference of information, no table of contents. It is hard to navigate in the ordinance. Forms are well utilized to describe uses, which make it clear and easy to follow. Also, charts are used in describing certain definitions. Language used are clear and concise
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Regulated Items There are Separate sections for Height Aside from Height regulations and setback regulations, Area regulations. Floor regulations, the Pasadena’s zoning ordinance coverage, Floor Area Ratio and Side and also have regulations on other specific topics, Rear Yard setbacks are covered in Area like Outdoor lighting and Public Art. regulations. The information are clearly titled and spelled out
Pyramidal Zoning Troy’s zoning is evidently not pyramidal No evidence of pyramidal zoning zoning, for the permitted uses are not cumulative.
Similarity/Difference Troy shares a lot of similarity with SZEA Pasadena’s zoning ordinance has similar with SZEA in Major divisions and most of the arrangement of information with the SZEA. information. For example, it has basically It has the same general divisions with SZEA. the same description of purposes with But compared to Troy, Pasadena’s ordinance SZEA. However, with respect to authority has more innovations on the basis of that. of administration, troy has some First, Pasadena’s purposes incorporated some differences with SZEA. It does not have unique statements, such as historical zoning board of adjustment/appeals like the preservation and pedestrian friendly Model does. But it has the city secretary development. who’s responsible for zoning ordinance interpretation, enforcement and Pasadena’s zoning districts have a large administration, which SZEA does not. amount of
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Subdivision Regulations Review
1. Major Division Review
The Main Divisions of a Model Subdivision Regulations are:
Article one: General Provisions
Article two: Definitions
Article Three: Subdivision Application Procedure and Approval Process
Article Four: Assurance for Completion and Maintenance of Improvements
Article Five: Requirements for Improvements, Reservations and Design
Article Six: Public Facilities Impact Fees
Article Seven: Land Readjustment
Article Eight: Specifications for Documents to be Submitted
Troy’s Subdivision regulations has 36 Divisions from Sec.1.101 – Sec.1.136
Sec. 1.101 Administration
Sec. 1.102 Requirements
Sec. 1.103 Enforcement
Sec. 1.104 Definitions
Sec. 1.105 General Subdivision Development
Sec. 1.106 Procedure Summary
Sec. 1.107 Procedure for Application Submittal
Sec. 1.108 Preliminary Plat - General Requirements
Sec. 1.109 Preliminary Plat - Application Form and Content
Sec. 1.110 Preliminary Plat - Review Process
Sec. 1.111 Preliminary Plat - Method of Approval
Sec. 1.112 Preliminary Plat - Expiration
Sec. 1.113 Final Plat - General Requirements
Sec. 1.114 Final Plat -Application Form and Content
Sec. 1.115 Final Plat - Portions or Phasing
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Sec. 1.116 Final Plat - Review Procedure
Sec. 1.117 Final Plat - Lot Restrictions
Sec. 1.118 Final Plat - Construction Plans
Sec. 1.119 Final Plat - Method of Approval
Sec. 1.120 Expirations
Sec. 1.121 Filing of the Final Plat
Sec. 1.122 Replats - General Requirements
Sec. 1.123 Amending Plats
Sec. 1.124 Drainage
Sec. 1.125 Construction - General Requirements
Sec. 1.126 Performances and Payment Bond
Sec. 1.127 Inspections
Sec. 1.128 Work Times Limited
Sec. 1.129 Record Drawings
Sec. 1.130 Final Inspection
Sec. 1.131 Maintenance Bond
Sec. 1.132 Acceptance by the City
Sec. 1.133 Permits and Services Withheld Until Full Compliance
Sec. 1.134 Building Permits for Certain Lots
Sec. 1.135 No recorded Subdivisions
Sec. 1.136 Variances
Pasadena’s Subdivision regulations has 14 sections, they are:
Chapter 16.04 - general provisions and enforcement
Chapter 16.08 - definitions
Chapter 16.12 - design standards
Chapter 16.16 - improvements
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Chapter 16.18 - general procedures
Chapter 16.20 - tentative maps
Chapter 16.22 - vesting tentative maps
Chapter 16.24 - survey requirements4
Chapter 16.28 - final maps and parcel maps
Chapter 16.32 - dedications
Chapter 16.36 - bonds and deposits
Chapter 16.40 - minor land divisions
Chapter 16.44 - modifications
Chapter 16.46 - standards for conversion projects
Both of the two cities have the major parts covered in their subdivision regulations, like General Provisions with purposes and authority, Definitions, General Procedures, although those content are covered under chapters with different numbering and names.
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Issues City of Troy, TX City of Pasadena, CA
Purpose Basically, the purpose is to The purpose does not mention promote the health, safety and the promotion of health, safety, general welfare of the moral and general welfare. community. Instead, the stated purpose is to set forth rules and regulations for the subdivision of real property, all in conformance with the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act of the state of California. 1. Troy’s definition for 1. Pasadena’s definition Definitions “subdivision” is the division for "Subdivision" is the of a tract of land within the division, by any subdivider, of City of Troy, Texas, or its any unit or units of improved extraterritorial jurisdiction or unimproved land, or any into two or more parts (by portion thereof, shown on the lots, by metes and bounds or latest equalized county by any other method of assessment roll as a unit or as subdivision or conveyance) contiguous units, for the for the purpose of thereby purpose of sale, lease or creating separate lots for financing, whether immediate ownership, usage or building or future. Property shall be purposes; for laying out any considered as contiguous units, suburban lots or building lots, even if it is separated by roads, or any lots, streets, alleys or streets, utility easement or parks; or other portions railroad rights-of-way. intended for public use, or the 3. "Minor land division" use of purchasers or owners refers to any parcel or of lots fronting thereon or contiguous parcels of land adjacent to the streets, alleys which are divided for the and parks. purpose of transfer of title, 2. Does not have minor sale, lease or financing into 2, land division, but has 3 or 4 parcels Administrative Minor Plat, which is defined as having 4 lots or fewer, where all required infrastructure is present, may be approved by the city secretary.
Design Standard Design standards are covered Pasadena has a complete at the end of the subdivision sections dedicated for design
regulations. Street, Alley, standards. Requirements for blocks, lots, street lighting, street, block, lot design are water and sewer, fire hydrant clearly stated. Solar access is and septic tanks are regulated. also included in design standard. It is stated that all subdivisions shall provide for passive and natural heating and cooling opportunities within the subdivision to the extent feasible.
General Procedure Troy’s subdivision regulation Pasadena’s subdivision has a clear description of regulation does not have the general procedure for land term preliminary plat and it subdivision. The general does not have preapplication procedure is: conference in its general procedure. Tentative Map, 1. Preapplication Vesting Tentative Maps and Conference. Final Maps are the substitute for plats. Filing and preparation 2. Preliminary Plat procedures for those maps can 3. Final Plat and be easily found in the Construction Plans. regulations. 4. Posting of Performance Bonds. 5. Construction Improvements. 6. Posting of Maintenance Bonds. 7. City Acceptance of Improvements. 8. Filing of the Final Plat.
General Requirements The general information that The required findings for needs to be included in the approval of tentative maps, preliminary plat or final plat vesting tentative maps and final is clearly stated in the maps are well spelled out in the regulation. regulation.
Improvements No dedicated Section for The regulation has a dedicated Improvements, but it is stated section for improvements. in the Final Plat Section that Street improvements, utility
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All improvements shall be installations, grading and designed in accordance with stripping restrictions, planting the Design Standards strips and so on are covered in provided in the Design this section Standards section.
Numbering of Sections, Cross The table of content makes it Unlike Troy’s Subdivision Reference Usage of Charts easier for reader to find Regulation, Pasadena’s and language information fast. The tiles are regulation has more flexibility logical and relevant, which for amendment in its makes it easy to locate numbering. It’s easy to add information. information in between 16.16.010 and 16.16.020.
The numbering of sections is confusing. The whole Pasadena’s regulation also has regulation is numbered as a good cross reference between Sec1, which does not make different chapters. It’s easy to sense to readers. Also, the refer to relative information in consecutive numbers like101, this way. 102, 103 leave limited space for amendment the regulations in the future.
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TROY ZONING ORDINANCE REVIEW
A REVIEW OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE IN TROY, TEXAS
PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTRATION
Section 15 of the zoning ordinance covers administration procedures and enforcement guidelines. The zoning ordinance grants the authority to administer and enforce the document to the City Secretary. This section consists of two sentences and is too brief. While the procedures of administration are easily found and clear, they do not establish a planning commission or a zoning board of adjustment. Appeals and nonconforming land uses are covered in sections 16 and 17. These items require approval by the city council, but are documented with the City Secretary. Additionally, conditional use permits are covered in the land use section (Section 7).
CONTENT EVALUATION
The Troy ordinance is almost one hundred pages worth of content. While the document is bulky, the content is not the most reliable. First, an entire section of the document is missing (Section 21). Second, there are misspellings throughout the document (for example, flood plain is not spelled flood plane). Finally, the overall structure of the document is messy and chaotic. A solid structure, spelling check, and cross referencing would help provide this document with credibility. These procedures are clear, but may be more useful if combined into one section.
SPECIAL TOPICS
The following topics are covered in the Troy zoning ordinance:
Signs Parking Landscaping Performance standards
REGULATIONS
The following are regulated in the city’s zoning ordinance:
Land use: see land use section below. Area: establishes a minimum lot area, width, and depth, yard setbacks and requirements, maximum lot coverage and floor area ratio, and court standards for all districts (Section 8, p34-43). Height: establishes maximum building and structure heights for all structures (Section 9, p47). Vehicle Parking: establishes minimum number of parking spaces required for dwelling units in each district (Section 10, p48-51).
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Off-street Loading: provides for minimum berth space (Section 11, p52). Signs: establishes maximum area, districts permitted, and spacing standards (Section 12, p56-68). Fence and Wall Regulations, Display for Sale, and Open Storage: regulations are for height, screens, displays, and storing in public for all districts (Section 13, p68-70).
LAND USE
The use lists provided in the zoning ordinance in general make sense. Schedules of uses are provided in the following tables: primary residential uses, accessory and incidental uses, utility and service uses, recreational and entertainment uses, educational, institutional, and special uses, automobile and related service uses, retail and service type uses, agricultural uses, commercial type uses, natural resource storage and extraction uses, special industrial process uses, and general manufacturing and industrial uses. In general, uses permitted in each section are responsible and appropriate.
COMPARISONS
As compared to the SZEA, the City of Troy zoning ordinance did an adequate job. The zoning ordinance provides a grants of power section, districts, purpose, changes, enforcement and remedies, and method of procedures. However, the zoning ordinance lacks a section calling for a planning commission and a zoning board of adjustments. Additionally, it is not clear how legal issues are addressed.
MILLICAN RESERVE ORDINANCE REVIEW
A REVIEW OF THE DECLARATION OF COVENANTS, CONDITIONS, RESTRICTIONS, RESERVATIONS, EASEMENTS AND RIGHTS FOR THE MILLICAN RESERVE
ZONING
There are three zones in Millican Reserve. These include: single family residential, common property, and nature preserve.
SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
Millican Reserve defines Single Family Residential Use as “the occupation or use of an Improvement by a Single Family in conformity with this Declaration and the requirements imposed by applicable zoning laws or any other State, County or Municipal laws, rules, regulations, codes or ordinances” (Article II, 1.25). This definition is clear and makes sense.
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COMMON PROPERTY
Common Property is defined as “all real and personal property from time to time owned by the Association for the common use, enjoyment and benefit of all Owners including the areas of land shown on the Survey… and may have its primary use designated as a Wildlife Management area to be managed under a Wildlife Management Use Plan for the purpose of insuring that such land remains open space” (Article II, 1.06). This is an all encompassing definition for this specific community.
NATURE PRESERVE
Nature Preserve is defined as “the natural areas or such other areas as may be designated herein or by Declarant; which portions of may be protected by this Declaration and managed according to a Wildlife Management Use Plan” (Article II, 1.19) Again, this definition encompasses what the nature preserve is and does not leave loopholes.
PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTRATION 1. Architectural Review Committee 2. Variances 3. Plats 4. Design Review
CONTENT EVALUATION
The content of the Millican Reserve CCR’s is adequate. There are a few spelling mistakes and could use more structure.
REGULATIONS
The following items are heavily regulated within the Millican Reserve CCR’s:
Land use Combining lots Time for construction Readjustments Offensive activity Household pets Livestock Storage Maintenance Garbage Burning Storage Tanks Mineral Exploration Composting Outdoor Laundry Drying
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Radio Transmission Equipment Pumping Firearms Use of Recreational Vehicles Signs Grades and Drainage Mailboxes and Newspaper Holders Fences Service and Storage Yards Damaged Buildings Protection of Nature Preserve Herbicides and Other Chemicals Declarants Use
LAND USE
Residential lots shall only be used for private single family residential purposes.
DIVISION OF DOCUMENT
TROY SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE
Section 1.101 Administration
Section 1.102 Requirements
Section 1.103 Enforcement
Section 1.104 Definitions
Section 1.105 General Subdivision Development
Section 1.106 Procedure Summary
Section 1.107 Procedure for Application Submittal
Section 1.108 Preliminary Plant – General Requirements
Section 1.109 Preliminary Plat- Application Form and Content
Section 1.110 Preliminary Plat – Review Process
Section 1.111 Preliminary Plat- Method of Approval
Section 1.112 Preliminary Plat Expiration
Section 1.113 Final Plat – General Requirements
Section 1.114 Final Plat – Application Form and Content
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Section 1.115 Final Plat – Portions or Phasing
Section 1.116 Final Plat – Review Procedure
Section 1.117 Final Plat – Lot Restrictions
Section 1.118 Final Plat – Construction Plans
Section 1.119 Final Plat – Method of Approval
Section 1.120 Expirations
Section 1.121 Filing of the Final Plat
Section 1.122 Replats – General Requirements
Section 1.123 Amending Plats
Section 1.124 Drainage
Section 1.125 Construction – General Requirements
Section 1.126 Performance and Payment Bond
Section 1.127 Inspections
Section 1.128 Work Times Limited
Section 1.129 Record Drawings
Section 1.120 Final Inspection
Section 1.131 Maintenance Bond
Section 1.132 Acceptance by the City
Section 1.133 Permits and Services Withheld Until Full Compliance
Section 1.134 Building Permits for Certain Lots
Section 1.135 Nonrecorded Subdivisions
Section 1.136 Variances
Exhibit 1 Design Standards
Fee Schedule – Subdivision Fees
MODEL SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS Article I: General Provisions Article II: Definitions Article III: Subdivision Application Procedure and Approval Process Article IV: Assurance for Completion and Maintenance of Improvements
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Article V: Requirements for Improvements, Reservations and Design Article VI: Public Facilities Impact Fees Article VII: Land Readjustments Millican Reserve does not allow resubdividing or replatting by any owner. This is found in Article II: General Purpose and Regulation of Uses Article VIII: Specifications for Documents to be Submitted
The divisions of the Troy Subdivision Ordinance have similarities and differences from the model subdivision ordinance. The Troy Subdivision Ordinance should use hierarchical headings and subheadings which will make it easier to read. For example, a major heading could be Final Plat while subheadings would be General Requirements, Application Form and Content, Portions or Phasing, Review Procedure, Lot Restrictions, Construction Plans, and Method of Approval.
DEFINITIONS
The following definitions are provided:
Block: A tract or parcel of land bounded by streets or by a combination of streets and public parks, cemeteries, railroad right-of-ways, highway, stream or corporate boundary lines.
Design Standards: The design criteria and construction standards provided in this Ordinance in Exhibit “1”.
Final Plat: The one official plat and authentic map of any given subdivision of land prepared from actual field measurement and staking of all identifiable points by a Surveyor or Engineer with the subdivision location referenced to a survey corner and all boundaries, corner, and curves of the land division sufficiently described so that they can be reproduced without additional references.
Plat: A map of a subdivision showing the location and boundaries of actual or proposed tracts and/or lots as well as other information including streets and alleys, contours easements, survey, distance information and other required items.
Preliminary Plat: The graphic expression of the proposed overall plan for subdividing, improving and developing a tract shown by superimposing a scaled drawing of the proposed land division on a topographic map and showing in the plan existing and proposed drainage features and facilities, street layout and other pertinent features with notations sufficient to substantially identify the general scope and detail of proposed development.
Replat: The resubdivison of any part or all of any block or blocks of a previously platted subdivision, addition, lot or tract.
Resubdivision: Same as the meaning subdivision.
Subdivision: the division of a tract of land within the City of Troy, Texas or its extraterritorial jurisdiction into two or more parts for the purpose of thereby creating separate lots for ownership, usage or building purposes, for laying out any suburban lots or building lots, or any lots, streets, alleys or parks, or other portions intended for public use or the use of purchasers or owners of lots fronting thereon or adjacent to the streets alleys and parks.
The definitions provided are clear and succinct. Neither family nor lots are provided in the definitions list.
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PROCEDURES FOR ADMINISTRATION
The procedures for administration are clear and easily found in the Troy Subdivision Ordinance. The key players of power within this process are the city council and the city secretary. Of primary interest is it seems that the city secretary holds more power in this process than expected. The details of the process are clear and provide plenty of information for someone to understand the process.
CONTENT EVALUATION
In general, the Troy Subdivision Ordinance is well written and is better than the zoning ordinance in terms of formatting and content. The subdivision regulations provided are clear, concise, and covers all the subdividing processes necessary.
REGULATIONS
A set of design standards are provided. They are generally good. While some design standards could be addressed in a more comprehensive manner, they are sufficient. Sign regulations are not mentioned, but are provided in the zoning ordinance.
COMPARISONS
In general, the main contents of the model subdivision ordinance are all found in the Troy Subdivision ordinance. The most obvious difference between the two is the formatting of documents. Troy’s subdivision regulations would be stronger if they had a better division format.
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TEAM BIOS
Heather Wade is a Master of Urban Planning student and will graduate in May 2011. Her emphasis is on land use and environmental planning. She received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. Heather’s passion is in sustainability, conservation, environmental hazards, and community education. She has worked as the editor’s assistant for the International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters, a research assistant for a Hurricane Ike research project, and an intern for a conservation development. While she is excited to enter the workforce soon, she also hopes to eventually obtain her PhD in Urban Studies. Heather worked as the project manager, editor, and GIS technician for the Troy Comprehensive Planning Project.
Preeti Shankar is doing her graduate studies in Urban Planning and is specializing in Transportation Planning and Urban Design. She has an undergraduate degree in Architecture and has worked as an architect in India. She is interested in corridor planning, downtown revitalization and transit oriented developments. Preeti plans to work in the public sector for a few years before moving back to India. In addition to developing design alternatives, she has worked on the graphics and design of posters and brochures.
Jeremy Cross is a Masters of Urban Planning student at Texas A&M University focusing on Transportation. He has a B.S. in Computer Science and worked as a computer programmer for a few years before returning for his masters. After graduating he hopes to work for a city government somewhere in the greater Houston region. For Troy’s comprehensive plan he focused on the infrastructure and land use sections.
Jian Shen is a Master of Urban Planning student and will graduate in August 2011. His emphasis is on transportation planning. He has been working as a research assistant for the Texas Transportation Institute Transit Mobility Program. Jian worked on demographic, economic and survey analysis for the Troy Comprehensive Planning Project and also provided GIS technical support.
Elise Bright: A native southwesterner, Elise Bright worked as a planner for state and local governments before and after earning a Masters in City Planning from the Harvard School of Design. She earned her doctorate from A&M in 1980 and went to work for the federal government doing planning and impact assessment for airports, then started a consulting firm that completed planning and zoning work for small communities, landowners and developers throughout the southwest. Bright joined the faculty at UT Arlington in 1988, finally returning to TAMU as Professor and Masters of Urban Planning Program Director in 2005. She has worked with students to complete plans for more than two dozen Texas communities, and has won many APA awards for them over the years. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and a charter member of the American Planning Association. Bright has published numerous book chapters and journal articles, and her book Reviving America's Forgotten Neighborhoods won the Paul Davidoff Award for Best Book in Social Justice from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.
Troy, Texas Comprehensive Plan 2011 Page 245