NELSON
By JONATHAN YORK
Sofia Nelson is Kyle’s new planning director. She was previously a senior planner for San Marcos. She’s responsible for administrating the zoning and subdivision laws, talking to developers and to the public, helping the planning commission, and working with the city’s master plan. She answered questions in an email interview.
Why Kyle? I am excited to be working in Kyle for several reasons, but one of the primary reasons is because Kyle is a growing community that has demonstrated two important characteristics: first is that the city is not afraid to grow, and the second is a desire to plan more effectively for the future growth, both in the heart of the city but also in the previously undeveloped areas.
What will you do to encourage Kyle’s development and growth? I will work with developers and property owners to develop in a manner that retains the unique character that attracted many citizens to Kyle, encourages the use of best planning practices, and encourages the development of a variety of housing products and commercial development that is not only designed for automobiles but is also mindful of the pedestrian and cyclist.
What are the biggest challenges for planning in Kyle? While I haven’t had time to fully study all of the challenges going on in Kyle, some of the biggest challenges that I see and look forward to working on are encouraging more mixed-use and commercial development, not only on the Interstate 35 corridor but also in the downtown central business district, and finding a way to mix the regional traffic with the local traffic in a way that is efficient and sustainable.
A lot of people say that Kyle, despite its growth, should keep feeling like a small town. What do you say about that? Despite the rapid growth that Kyle has experienced and the growth that will take place over the next five to 25 years it is crucial to remember what makes Kyle unique. While the character of the “small town” feeling will evolve over time, it is important to remember what makes Kyle unique and work with developers and property owners to include those characteristics into new development.
Many renters and buyers came to Kyle because they couldn’t afford Austin. Can Kyle develop in such a way that working-class renters and homeowners will not eventually be priced out? One of the keys to developing successfully is to plan for all segments of our community. This includes providing for a variety of housing types to meet the different needs and stages of our lives and also planning for those with vehicles and those without. I absolutely believe that Kyle is capable of developing in a sustainable manner and look forward to facilitating such growth.
