Eastgate Neighborhood Plan Amendment - Developer Presentation

1. UNIVERSITY TOWN CENTER
REZONING

2. Requests
• Comprehensive Plan Amendment – amending
Eastgate Neighborhood Plan

3. Subject Property

4. Current Land Use

5. Urban
• This land use designation is generally for areas that should have a very
intense level of development activities. These areas will tend to consist of
townhomes, duplexes, and high-density apartments. General commercial and
office uses, business parks, and vertical mixed-use may also be permitted
within growth and redevelopment areas.

6. Eastgate Neighborhood Plan – adopted June 2011
• Plan states:
• “….access to Lincoln is to be restricted”
• incorporates single-family along Lincoln Ave with a rear alley pattern”
• incorporates multi-family and/or commercial behind the single-family
uses
• Wellesley & Vassar Courts should be looped and provide additional points
of access for this property
• Incorporate a hike/bike trail
• This property should utilize a PDD for zoning

7. Concept Plan

8. Neighborhood Planning Process
• College Station Neighborhood Planning process does NOT include conducting
a TIA when created
• Rezonings are the logical next step after the adoption of any land use plan
• Rezonings are required to perform TIA’s in an effort to see the impacts of the
land use plan recommendations

9. Changed Conditions since Eastgate Plan
adoption
• Importance of the public way connection
• Block Length Ordinance adoption – Sept 2013
• Commercial Preservation Report – Feb 2017
• TIA Results – Aug 2017

10. Importance of Public Way Connection
1. Viability of commercial development
2. Lack of Visibility from University Drive - lot depth
3. National retailers have looked at this property and are willing to live with lack of
visibility IF access to Lincoln is granted
4. Feeds commercial traffic to major collector (Lincoln) rather than residential streets
5. Without connection – only multi-family is viable on this rear 6 acres
6. Retailers/restaurants live and die by visibility and access
7. Examples
• Home Depot – multi-family behind
• Post Oak Square – Grandy’s & hilltop
• Buffalo Wild Wings – hotel
8. Connectivity between thoroughfares (block length)

11. Changed Conditions since Eastgate Plan
adoption
• Importance of the public way connection
• Block Length Ordinance adoption – Sept 2013
• Commercial Preservation Report – Feb 2017
• TIA Results – Aug 2017

12. Block Length
• In order to provide a public
street network that is
complimentary to the
Thoroughfare Plan and that
ensures uniform access and
circulation, block length shall
not exceed nine hundred
(900) feet in Suburban
Commercial and General
Commercial designations.

13. Block Length

14. Offset Intersections

15. Offset Intersections

16. Mitigation Efforts
• Cul-de-sac at Ashburn Avenue
• Emergency access gate across Ashburn Avenue
• Raised median on Lincoln Avenue
• Is it necessary?
16

17. Changed Conditions since Eastgate Plan
adoption
• Importance of the public way connection
• Block Length Ordinance adoption – Sept 2013
• Commercial Preservation Report – Feb 2017
• TIA Results – Aug 2017

18. Commercial Preservation

19. Commercial Preservation
University Town Center
• Property is 7 ½ acres located to the south of the existing
University Town Center development.
• Recommendation: Pursue City-initiated rezoning, in
coordination with the property owner, to preserve the area for
future commercial activities in lieu of multi-family development.
The Eastgate Neighborhood Plan recommends use of a PDD
Planned Development District for rezoning.
• Priority: First Phase. Staff will work with the property owner to
complete a Comprehensive Plan Amendment and to develop a
PDD Planned Development District zoning to address
development concerns and constraints cited in the Eastgate
Neighborhood Plan.
• Size: 7 1/2 acres (some portion should remain zoned for single-
family or townhome development)
• Property owner: Sahara Realty Group, Ltd (David Scarmardo)
• Future Land Use & Character designation: Urban and General
Suburban
• Other Studies: Eastgate Neighborhood Plan describes the access
to Lincoln Avenue as restricted and the land use adjacent to
Lincoln as future single-family
• Existing zoning: GS General Suburban
• Entitlements: None
• Existing development: Vacant

20. Retail Sales & HOT Tax Value
• Current University Town Center = $1.1million/year in tax revenue
• Future University Town Center + 7 acres - projected $1.5 million/year
in tax revenue
• Total Retail Sales & HOT Tax Value = $2.6 million/year
• Is it necessary?
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21. Changed Conditions since Eastgate Plan
adoption
• Importance of the public way connection
• Block Length Ordinance adoption – Sept 2013
• Commercial Preservation Report – Feb 2017
• TIA Results – Aug 2017

22. Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) Existing
Conditions
• Lincoln Ave
• 5,500 vehicles per
day
• Major Collector
type volumes
• Ashburn Ave, less than
350 vph
• Primarily
residential traffic

23. TIA Information
• Study required for request anticipated to generate 150 vehicle trips
per peak hour
• Site generates 223 AM trips and 195 PM trips
• Restaurant anticipated to generate around 65% of trips
Land Use Intensity /
Description Units
Townhouse 10 Dwelling Units
Hotel 100 Rooms
General Office 10,000 Square Feet
Shopping Center 15,000 Square Feet
High-Turnover Restaurant 25,000 Square Feet

24. TIA Global Trip Distribution
• Non-residential traffic
concentrated along
University Dr
• Munson provides
connectivity to Lincoln
Ave and Harvey Rd
• Little traffic along
Ashburn Ave
10%Texas
12% South
78% University

25. Scenarios Considered
1. Existing + Background Traffic
2. Original Study
3. Public Way Extension to Wellesley & Vassar Court
4. No Public Way Extension

26. Study Area – Existing + Background Volumes

27. Calculating Link Volume Difference
Scenario
Build Out
Volumes
Existing +
Background
Volumes
Link Volume
Difference

28. Study Area – Original TIA Link Volumes
Difference

29. Study Area – Public Way Extension to V&W
Court Link Volumes Difference

30. Study Area – No Public Way Extension Link
Volumes Difference

31. TIA Recommendations
• Connection between University Dr and Lincoln Ave provides:
• Site access to UTC
• Connectivity to the surrounding area
• Two southbound exiting lanes at the site access proposed along
Lincoln Ave
• Driveways to be laid out along Public Way extension be constructed to
lineup with W&V to the west
• Acceptable LOS = LOS D
• LOS C or better projected through Build Out

32. Scenario Traffic Impacts
Ashburn Munson W&V
Original Study –
Public Way
Extension to
Lincoln & W&V
AM Peak = +5
PM Peak = +4
AM Peak = +22
PM Peak = +20
AM Peak = +0
PM Peak = +0
Public Way
Extension to
W&V Only
AM Peak = +0
PM Peak = +0
AM Peak = +17
PM Peak = +16
AM Peak = +58
PM Peak = +52
No Public Way
Extension
AM Peak = +0
PM Peak = +0
AM Peak = +18
PM Peak = +14
AM Peak = +0
PM Peak = +0

33. Public Way Connection - yes or no?
• National retailers are not interested with no Lincoln connection
• Rear property will only develop as multi-family without connection
• Loss of approx. $1.5 million/year in tax revenue
• Council unanimously recommended and directed staff to pursue
Commercial Preservation of this lot
• Developer has relied upon Council direction in February 2017 for staff to
pursue Comp Plan amendment to remove restriction in Eastgate
Neighborhood Plan and pursue a PDD rezoning
• TIA results – no difference on Ashburn/Munson between connection vs no
connection
• Is it necessary?
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34. Pearland town center

35. Pearland town center

36. Alley

37. Alley

38. Alley

39. Traffic Concerns