City of Port August Aransas, 30 th, 2006 Texas Proposed Future Plan Open House Wednesday, Background The City of Port Aransas does not have an adopted Future Plan (FLUP). The last Future Plan for the City was prepared in 1971 but was never officially adopted. A Plan is an important part of city planning. All of a city s infrastructure, parks and other capital projects should be based on a comprehensive plan. In addition, State law states that zoning should be in accordance with a comprehensive plan. The last adopted Comprehensive Plan did not have a Future Plan. The City is currently in the process of preparing a new Comprehensive Plan and FLUP. The City has contracted with and has been working with consultants to develop a draft FLUP map. Purpose of this Project To develop a new Future Plan for Port Aransas. How will the Plan be used? The FLUP is not a zoning map, although it will be used as a guide to aid the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council in making decisions regarding zoning and land use. If adopted, the City will use the Plan for capital improvement planning and other efforts to enhance or protect the quality of Port Aransas. Process In 2004, the City embarked on an in-depth visioning process to determine what attributes in the City should be protected and those that need enhancement or improvement. This endeavor was part of Phase I in the development of the new Comprehensive Plan and FLUP; Phase I also included documentation of existing land uses throughout Port Aransas. The City Council has directed the Planning and Zoning Commission to work with the planning consultants to prepare a draft Plan for the City Council to consider. Phase II, the creation of the FLUP which is now underway, is intended to be completed by early fall. The City Council and Planning and Zoning will hold public meetings and hearings on the Plan prior to adoption. Page 1
Existing Prior to the drafting of the FLUP, a parcel-by-parcel documentation of existing land uses was conducted throughout the City. This existing snapshot was used in preparing the FLUP. The categories shown on the following page have been used to delineate the City s existing land use information on the Existing Map. (The colors shown are approximate to the map.) This information was gathered as baseline information from which to make Future Plan recommendations. Purpose of the Open House Over the past several months, the Planning and Zoning Commission has held workshops to provide input to the consultants preparing the Plan and FLUP. The Planning and Zoning Commission and consultants have completed a DRAFT Future Plan map that they believe will assist in building a better Port Aransas. Prior to formal consideration by the City Council, the Planning and Zoning Commission wanted to make sure that the general public, citizens, and property owners understood the various features of the Future Plan map. It was suggested that an open house type of forum would be helpful as anyone interested could attend, ask questions or simply learn more about the planning process. This meeting is intended to allow for an informal exchange of comments prior to the public hearing. Hopefully, questions can be answered at the Open House, or if future research is needed, the Planning Director can follow-up with a written verbal reply. Formal public hearings will still be held once the Planning and Zoning Commission finishes its work on the draft Plan map. Please refer to the information on existing land uses and future proposed land uses that is contained in the following pages of this handout. This information may be helpful in answering any questions you may have, and it may be helpful in supplementing any questions you may have for the consultants or a City representative. Page 2
Existing Categories Single-Family Townhomes Duplex Multi-Family Condominiums Manufactured Home Retail Office Commercial Public/Semi- Public Light Industrial Heavy Industrial Utilities Parks & Open Space Water Vacant Mustang Island Color Detached, low density homes, patio homes, and semi-rural residences at 1 to 5 dwelling units per acre Single-family attached, medium density units at 6 to 11 dwelling units per acre Two-family residential, medium density units at 5 to 6 dwelling units per acre Apartment and four-plex units at 12 to 20 dwelling units per acre Multiple units in a single building that are individually owned and that are at 12 to 20 dwelling units per acre Manufactured home, mobile home and travel trailer park Establishments providing merchandise for retail sale, including mall, daycare, shopping center, restaurant or bars, grocery store, souvenir shops, etc. Professional or corporate office, medical or doctor's office, administrative office such as real estate or insurance, bank, or savings and loan. (Light) Warehouse or office warehouse, mini-warehouse, hotel, movie theater, motel, stadium, equestrian center, automobile dealership, car repair, car rental, car wash, other wholesale uses but no outside storage, auto body repair, funeral home. (Heavy) Welding shops, cabinet shop, lumber yard, green house/nursery, motor freight terminal, bus station, railroad or switching yard, large equipment dealer, truck or trailer rental and sales, manufactured home or recreational vehicle sales, vehicle dispatch, auto storage or auction, other uses requiring outside storage of large equipment. School, university, governmental office, municipal, state or federal uses, hospital, nursing home, religious institution or church, cemetery, public transportation facility. (Light) Manufacturing, light assembly or fabrication of products or parts, but generally not processed from raw materials, computer assembly. (Heavy) Auto assembly, oil refineries, outside storage yard as a primary use, gas and oil storage tanks, auto salvage, metal salvage, oil rig construction, concrete batching, sand and gravel mining, landfill. Substations, rights-of-way easement, major power transmission line. City parks, private parks, greenbelts, public or private golf course Lakes, bays, marshes, etc. Crops, fields, pastures, vacant lots, etc. Page 3
Features & Designations of the Future Plan The following describes the FLUP features and recommendations in terms of land use designations. The Plan will contain both graphic (i.e., a map) and written recommendations or guiding principles. The FLUP Map shows different colors which represent the recommended land use categories for Port Aransas, categories which are described and illustrated below. Low Density Residential Colors Single-family homes of varying lot size Medium Density Residential Townhomes, two-family homes (duplexes), and three- and four-plex homes. Page 4
High Density Residential Colors Apartments and condominiums Mixed Use Residential A mixture of residential and non-residential uses, with the residential component comprising a greater percentage of the development than the non-residential component; this would be approximately an 80%/20% split. Non-residential uses should be limited office, retail, and public uses. Mixed use development could be vertical or horizontal (usually is it both). Manufactured Home Manufactured home, mobile home and travel trailer park (generally only recommended where these areas currently exist) Public/Semi- Public Educational, governmental or institutional uses. These uses are generally permitted within any area. The uses shown represent only those that are currently in existence, although others are anticipate with future population. Page 5
Parks & Open Space Color Parks and open spaces that are currently in existence, including private recreation areas. These uses are generally permitted within any area. Retail Establishments providing merchandise for retail sale, including a mall, daycare, shopping center, restaurant or bars, grocery store, souvenir shops, etc. Office Professional or corporate office, medical or doctor's office, administrative office such as real estate or insurance, bank, or savings and loan. Commercial Includes light and heavy commercial uses, such as boat farms, warehouses, hotels, movie theaters, automobile dealerships, car washes, auto body repair shops, funeral homes, lumber yards, storage units, and manufactured home or recreational vehicle sales. Page 6
Industrial Color Includes light and heavy industrial uses, including manufacturing, light assembly or fabrication of products or parts, oil refineries, outside storage yard as a primary use, gas and oil storage tanks, auto salvage, concrete batching, sand and gravel mining, and landfills. Mixed Use Non- Residential A mixture of non-residential and residential uses, with the non-residential component comprising a greater percentage of the development than the residential component; this would be approximately an 80%/20% split. Nonresidential uses should be limited office, retail, and public uses. Mixed use development could be vertical or horizontal (usually is it both). Newport/Other P.D. s Planned developments that the City has adopted. Page 7
Color Mustang Island Public beach areas Preserve Port Aransas nature preserve area Page 8
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