KYLE — Kyle City Council approved the 2030 Comprehensive Plan at its Jan. 16 meeting.
According to senior planner Will Atkinson, the plan has been a year and a half in the making and is focused on helping the city head in the right direction in development throughout the next several years.
“City officials change over time, so this document serves as the constant guide. It lays out the game plan for Kyle. It expresses the goals and direction of the community. Clear expectations and responsibilities are outlined so meaningful progress can be made. It is Kyle’s official statement on policy and direction,” reads the plan.
Marshall Hines, Verdunity Creative Director, walked council members through a presentation that detailed the plan and its overall goals.
The intent of the plan was an aspect that Hines emphasized, stating that there are several goals that it hopes to accomplish: inform and educate, communicate the city’s fiscal story and provide a framework for decision making. These goals were set because it is important for all members of the community to understand the document, not only council members, and it allows for council and staff to continue to make Kyle’s land productive in the future and provides questions to ensure that what is important to the community is being addressed.
Hines broke down each chapter and noted various commentary in each one.
Chapter one
• The first chapter of the plan focuses on the educational aspect
• The plan explores how the massive expansion has affected the city fiscally
• It also discusses building height and how it can affect revenue, as well as how the character and intensity of a building is a reflection of the community
• It sets up and explains how engagement is an important part of the Comprehensive Plan
Chapter two
• Shows a holistic view of the city’s financial situation
• Displays a budget breakdown and how much the city is spending to maintain its infrastructure
• The plan is to work toward a future where the funds developed through the development pattern are enough to pay for the services that the development pattern needs
• Identifies a series of revenue- per-acre goals
• It shows what a more fiscally sustainable development pattern looks like and the benefits, such as providing more housing options and open space
Chapter three
• Discusses major components, land use and growth management
• It suggests using vacant land that already has services, such as water and wastewater, so new constructions can be where investments have already been made
• Introduces and explains “place types,” which are designed to create more flexibility
• Covers the mixing of housing typologies and the benefits of it, including more affordable housing
Chapter four
• Discusses how the implementation is designed to make meaningful changes through a series of small actions rather than a select few large projects
• Key decision making principles are included, which were decided by council and the public
• Poses questions to make sure that the decisions made are in line with what the community found value in
Council member Miguel Zuniga stated that he wanted more clarity on the “connectivity” of the city, to which Hines responded, “You’ll notice a number of recommendations and actions in the implementation chapter that speaks specifically to better east and west connectivity that speak to better access to services and needs on both sides of [IH] 35.”
As far as parks and green space, city manager Bryan Langley stated that, if he remembers correctly, there is a policy that requires a park to be within a 10-minute walking distance of a resident, so, in the future, they can assess the gaps to see where parks should be added.
“My hope is that this council will take some of what this document has to say to heart and build upon it, so that we can be more predictable, but also making sure that what we’re doing on a week in week out basis is moving us closer to the vision of this document,” said Mayor Travis Mitchell.
The item passed 7-0. Because it passed unanimously, the item does not have to return for a second reading, as most planning and zoning items do. To view the 2030 Comprehensive Plan, visit bit.ly/3S69r15.
