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11-46-07-Ordinance-Adopting the Comprehensive Plan-11/19/2007 to 4 rrt,w. ORDINANCE #11-46-07 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SANGER, TEXAS ADOPTING THE SANGER COMPREHENSIVE PLAN; PROVIDING FOR AN EXHIBIT "A", BEING `THE CITY OF SANGER COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN'; PROVIDING FOR AN EXHIBIT `B" BEING THE BROCHURE TITLED 'COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN AND THOROUGHFARE PLAN'; AMENDING AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN; PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR ENGROSSMENT AND ENROLLMENT; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, Chapter 113 of the Local Government Code provides for municipalities to adopt comprehensive plans for the long-range development of the municipality; and WHEREAS, the City Council has determined that direction is necessary to update the long range development efforts of the City; and WHEREAS, the City of Sanger has engaged the firm of Municipal Planning Resources Group, Inc, to assist in developing strategies to implement these long range efforts and have documented these strategies in the document titled "City of Sanger Strategic Land Use Plan" and the brochure document titled "Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Thoroughfare Plan"; and WHEREAS, during the planning process, the City of Sanger held workshops with the general public, a citizen's task force, the planning and zoning commission, and the city council; and WHEREAS, all said workshops and meeting have been open to the public for input; and WHEREAS, the Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on November 8, 2007 for the purpose of receiving public input and subsequently unanimously recommended that the city council adopt the "City of Sanger Strategic Land Use Plan;" and WHEREAS, the City Council held a public hearing on November 19, 2007 for the purpose of receiving public input and subsequently adopted the "City of Sanger Strategic Land Use Plan;" NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANGER, TEXAS: SECTION 1 That the document attached as Exhibit `A' and titled "City of Sanger Strategic Land Use Plan" and the brochure attached as Exhibit `B' titled "Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Thoroughfare Plan" be adopted as the Comprehensive Land Use Plan for the City of Sanger, Texas. Page 1 of 2 SECTION 2 This ordinance shall be and is hereby declared to be cumulative of all other ordinances of the City of Sanger, and this ordinance shall not operate to repeal or affect the Code of Ordinances of the City of Sanger or any other ordinances except insofar as the provisions thereof might be inconsistent or in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance, in which event such conflicting provisions, if any, in such Code of Ordinances or any other ordinances are hereby repealed. SECTION 3 It is hereby declared to be the intention of the City Council that the phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs, and sections of this ordinance are severable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional by the valid judgement or decree of any court of competent jurisdiction, such unconstitutionality shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this ordinance, since the same would have been enacted by the City Council without the incorporation in this ordinance of any such unconstitutional phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section. SECTION 4 The City Secretary of the City of Sanger is hereby directed to engross and enroll this ordinance by copying the caption and the effective date clause in the minutes of the City Council and filing the ordinance in the ordinance records of the City. SECTION 5 This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and it is so ordained. AS ED AND APPPROVED by the City Council of the City of Sanger on this fGday of w Ir' , 2007. ATTEST: 01 City Secretary P Page 2 of 2 yor City of Sanger, Texas 10 Comprehensive Land [Ise Plan _ - �`�'•:.�,�La'��y ''AEI -=-+ai A City of Sanger, Texas Comprehensive Land Use Plan City Council Joe Higgs, Mayor Glen Ervin, Mayor Pro-Tem Andy Garza Rusty Patton Mike Walker Thomas Muir Planning and Zoning Commission Gary Bilyeu - PEU Chairman Russell Martin - Vice Chairman Paul Edleman Shelley Ruland Brian Hutcherson Kay VanHauen Glenn Jensen Steering Committee Joe Higgs - Mayor Rusty Patton - Councilmember Brian Andrus - Property Owner Jeff Morris - Sanger ISD Board member Gary Bilyeu - PEtZ Commissioner John Springer - Sanger Development Board Richard Muir - Sanger Industrial Development Board City Staff Mike Brice, City Manager Cecile Carson, Director of Economic Development Assisted by. Municipal Planning Resources Group, Inc. November, 2007 City of Sanger, Texas Comprehensive Land Use Plan Representatives at project implementation August 2006. City Council Joe Higgs, Mayor Glen Ervin, Mayor Pro -Tern Andy Garza Rusty Patton Mike Walker Mike James Planning and Zoning Commission Jerry Jenkins- PU Chairman Gary Bilyeu- PU Vice -Chairman Paul Edleman Russell Martin Jimmy Frazier Thomas Muir Brian Hutcherson Steering Committee Joe Higgs - Mayor Rusty Patton - Councilmember Brian Andrus - Property Owner Jeff Morris - Sanger ISD Board member Jerry Jenkins - PU Commissioner John Springer - Sanger Development Board Richard Muir - Sanger Industrial Development Board City Staff Jack Smith, City Manager Cecile Carson, Director of Economic Development Assisted by: Municipal Planning Resources Group, Inc. Table of Contents Description Chapter 1 General Information Purpose History of Sanger Location Planning Process Chapter 2 Sanger Goals Purpose and Definitions Land Use Goals Sanger Community Vision Chapter 3 Population /Demographics Methodology Social Characteristics Age Characteristics Socio-economics Growth Projections Chapter 4 Existing Land Use General Land Use Characteristics Comparison with Other Cities Chapter S Thoroughfares Introduction Definitions Thoroughfare Classification System Bicycle and Pedestrian Thoroughfare Plan Protecting the Capacity of Streets Street Improvement Program Chapter 6 Planning Principles Purpose and Definition of Urban Design Elements Residential Development Forms Residential Amenities Commercial Development Forms Connectivity Screening Walls and Buffers Focal Points and Entry Statements CITY OF SANGER Page 2 2 2 3 4 6 6 6 8 11 11 11 13 13 14 16 16 21 23 24 25 29 30 32 33 35 36 41 48 62 63 64 23 35 Page i ('.0h TPT7FTTFNCTVP T .ANTI I Top PT AN TahlP of (nntPntc Chapter 7 Future land Use Physical Features Planning Principles Future Land Use Chapter 8 Heritage Preservation Heritage Element- Commercial Styles Heritage element- Scale and Placement Heritage Element - Original Structure Design Heritage Element- Signs Heritage Preservation Plan Heritage Preservation Need in the Comprehensive Plan Preparation of Heritage Preservation Plan Adopt Heritage Preservation Design Document Heritage Preservation Commission Conduct Historic Structure Survey Designation as Certified Local Government Chapter 9 Park Plan Chapter 10 Economic Development Economic Development Strategic Plan Guide Implementation Plan How Are We Doing? Strategic Plan Goals Implementation Incentives Policy Summary Chapter 11 Implementation General Application of the Plan Adopted Policies Ordinance Application CITY OF SANGER CYlWRFiNRNCTVF T .ANTI TTCF PT AN 67 I.. 73 74 75 75 76 77 78 79 80 80 81 81 83 87 87 90 91 91 92 93 94 .' 95 95 97 99 Page ii Tahla of C'nntPntc SNgeTSYlS Gv]M@o s(M-91r Cor,/PRRT-TRNCTR T .ANTI TTCT: PT AN TnhlP of f'nntantc Notes Chapter 1. General Information Pu The purpose of a Comprehensive Land Use Plan is to give direction to future development in order to avoid the creation of incompatible physical impacts. Although nothing will insure that all land will develop exactly as it should directed planning will enable City leaders to address many potential problems before they become permanent and undesirable landmarks. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan covers the entire jurisdiction of the municipality and has a long time horizon, typically 20 years. However, it is recommended that a review of the Plan be completed at least every three years. In addition to the theoretical purpose of developing a Comprehensive Land Use Plan, there are also practical and legal reasons for this effort to be completed. The legal authority for preparing a Comprehensive Land Use Plan is found in state statutes that provide municipal authority for Comprehensive Planning and for zoning. Chapter 213 of the Texas Local Government Code specifically empowers cities to "adopt a Comprehensive Plan for the long range development of the municipality." The stated purpose in the state statutes is "for the purpose of promoting sound development of municipalities and promoting health, safety, and welfare." Section 211.004 of the Texas Local Government Code, which authorizes zoning, states, "Zoning regulations must be adopted in accordance with a Comprehensive Plan..." This legislation establishes the City's authority in making zoning decisions in accordance with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. History of Sanger In 1886 the town of Sanger was founded. It soon became an important stop on the Santa Fe Railroad as a cattle town. Cattle from the ranches in north Texas were driven up the old cattle trails to the railhead. Along with the cattle industry, agriculture, primary in the form of wheat -growing also supported the region. History accounts for the name of the community as coming from the prominent Sanger family who operated retail stores in Waco and Dallas and was a valued CITY OF SANGER Page 2 C.nhAPRPHFNRTVFT.ANnTTCFPT AN CiPnPral Tnfnrmatinn customer of the Santa Fe Railroad. The town was laid out like many western towns along the axis of the railroad. The original townsite was located on land owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Huling. In 1919 the road between Sanger and Dallas was constructed, which provided critical access to the regional markets activity as the railroad was declining. The road was used to move agricultural products such as wheat, oats, maize, millet, and cotton from the field to the marketplace. Population of the town was generally small until 1980 when it experienced an increase to 2,574, which was a 60% increase. No doubt this increase in population was influenced by the close proximity to Denton and Lake Ray Roberts. The City is currently a `home rule' city with a population in excess of 6,000 persons. Location Sanger is strategically located along Interstate 35, adjacent to Lake Ray Roberts and just north of the City of Denton. It's location places it directly in the growth corridor of north central Texas. The growth dynamic of the metropolitan community of Denton directly influences the southern limits of the community. I-35 is a major economic dynamic in international trade. Whereas the Interstate divides in Denton to funnel commercial traffic to Fort Worth and Dallas, the freeway carries the total commercial traffic through the limits CITY OF SANGER Ray Robert Lake Cooke Co. Denton Co. Hot Point FM 455 danger ubrey M Krum US 380 Denton Ponder f�s� 14 Page 3 SO�Li,224s- HM(A),(�5 C(-)WPPHT,WCTVF T .ANTI TTCF PT AN apnPrsl Tnfnrmatinn of Sanger. As such much of the north/south traffic bisecting the nation from Canada to Mexico runs through the City of Sanger. The City's location is well placed to take advantage of the recreational opportunities of The Texas Motor Speedway located 25 miles to the south as well as water activities provided by Lake Ray Roberts located on the eastern boundary of the City. It is a community of approximately 6,700 as of January 2007, as estimated by the North Central Texas Council of Governments. Recent land development activity, which precipitated healthy growth to many communities within the north central Texas area promises increased growth to the City of Sanger. Plannina Process Although the planning process may differ from community to community depending on the individual needs of the citizens, there are some common elements found in most Comprehensive Land Use Plans. The Planning Process usually begins with an inventory phase. Before planning for the future, it is important to have a sense of the present state of the city and the probable future direction of the city. The Sanger Comprehensive Planning process started with a data gathering and forecasting. Public input is critical to the development and ultimate success of a Comprehensive Land Use Plan. In order for the Plan to accurately reflect the desires of the community, it is necessary to provide opportunities for the public to participate in the planning process. For this planning effort a citizen's steering committee was established to provide input and direction to the planning team. The Steering Committee members are listed in the front of the report and included a variety of stakeholders and special interests. In addition to input provided by the Steering Committee a number of citizens workshops were conducted during the course of the study. Significant public input was received from the Community Vision Survey that was posted on the Internet and well received. The third phase of the planning process is the formulation of the plan. The Goals formulated with the citizens' input, discussions regarding thoroughfares and land uses, and professional planning principles are considered and weighed, in order to determine the most desirable outcome for the City at the point of total development. Major emphasis was placed on the development of a Master Thoroughfare Plan that provided for significant improvements to the roadway network in Sanger. With the proposed transportation system as the framework, various alternative land use CITY OF SANGFR Page 4 SaW12-93 Notes C NAPpm-mNiRTVFT.ATTnTTRFPT AN C:PnPrsl %fnrmntinn configurations were considered. Once the analysis was complete, decisions were made as to what alternative(s) was the most beneficial to the community and that could best achieve the goals set forth in phase two of the planning process. Following the adoption of the Plan by the City, the implementation phase is a very important part of the planning process. By establishing an implementation plan, city leaders provide a mechanism by which the goals in the Comprehensive Plan can be realized. A number of methods may be used to implement the Comprehensive Plan, and the City may choose one or a combination of these methods. Implementation measures are discussed further in the Implementation chapter of this document. In many cases, municipalities consider the planning process complete when it reaches the point of implementation. However, it is important to note that the planning process is a cycle. Depending upon growth rates occurring in a city, all elements of the Comprehensive Planning process should be addressed at least every three years. As the planning process continues, the land use plan will change and evolve. Land use, demographics, the economy, and development patterns greatly affect the growth rate and pattern of a city. By reviewing the Plan on a regular basis, decision -makers may be assured that it continuously represents the changing needs of the citizenry. The twenty-year planning period should never be realized, but should continually be extended five more years at the occasion of each revision. CITY OF SANGER Page 5 S(il�'ZXS Notes C(_)T,i RFT-WMgTvT7T.AmnITRFPT.AM Cv-.naral %fnrmatinn Chapter Z. Sanger Goals Purpose and Definition The foundation of a Comprehensive Land Use Plan is the set of Goals developed through the public participation process. The City of Sanger Goals are tangible directives raised by citizens to guide the development of the city into the next century. These directives were used to establish the relationships among land uses on the Future Land Use Plan Map, and will guide officials as they make decisions regarding growth and development of the City. Goals are general statements of the community's desired ultimate physical, social, economic, or environmental status. Goals set the standard with respect to the community's desired quality of life. The goals and objectives developed herein are a culmination of direction and input provided by the Steering Committee during the development of the Comprehensive Plan. The effort did not have a specific session on developing goals and objectives but rather these were formulated and evolved during the discussions and workshops related to the various elements of the plan. Land Use Goals m Maintain and improve upon the existing country living atmosphere by: encouraging large lots and increased building line setbacks for new subdivisions; restricting commercial uses to major thoroughfares and high traffic intersections; requiring attractive, permanent screening between residential and non-residential uses; requiring dedication of floodplain areas for green belts and open space; requiring pedestrian friendly designs for subdivisions and street projects; and by minimizing the adverse effects of noise pollution. rvql CITY OF SANGER Page 6 n n 4? CC)T,TP1?PVWNCTVP I .ANTI ITRR PT AN CnnaP.r CTnnlc Encourage the establishment of new commercial businesses and the expansion of existing businesses by encouraging retail along the principal arterials, including I-35. Apply the principals of corridor commercial design as the primary commercial form and utilize node commercial design in less intense areas where arterials intersect in outlying areas. Overlay to maximize the positive character and aesthetics of higher intensity development. Encourage development and preservation of the Historic Downtown Area by developing historic preservation procedures for future development and redevelopment; and, by also establishing standards that are unique to the character of the area. Improve the relationship of mixed land uses and provide optimum opportunity to live and work in Sanger by promoting transitional uses and the buffering and screening of incompatible land uses. Improve the Sanger street network by providing a system of thoroughfares that enable circulation around and through the City in conformance with the Sanger Thoroughfare Plan. This should include a system of looping thoroughfares that tie back to I-35. Encourage job development through expansion of existing industrial uses and attraction of major industrial users/employers that will provide a strong economic base for the City of Sanger. Encourage development of quality single family_ residential neighborhoodsby encouraging future development in Sanger to be such that ruql CITY OF SANGER Page 7 n (i ('nWRFT-TFNCTVF T .ANTI TTSF PT AN ganaer CTnals value and quality of neighborhoods shall be the basis for measurement; and these are determined by the character of the amenities that are provided with each subdivision. Develop expand and maintain the Sanger Park System with a variety of parks open spaces and recreation facilities in conformance with the Park Plan provided in the Comprehensive Plan. This should be done through continued park and open space dedication, preservation of floodplain areas, park and trail capital improvements, and grant funded improvements. In addition the development of a more detailed Park Plan should be encouraged. Sanger Community Vision During the course of development of the Comprehensive Plan, a community survey was conducted to determine the public's position relative to critical growth related issues. These positions assisted the planning team in developing the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. A total of 471 persons completed the survey, which was available on the Internet and at city offices in a paper form. Of those who responded the following information was obtained. • Approximately 90% of those responding lived in the City of Sanger. • The increase in population was reflected by the respondents, with 25% being new residents of one to five years. Another 25% had lived in Sanger for over 25 years. • The majority of the respondents were homeowners, with 92% of those responding indicating they owned their home. • Approximately 40% of those responding were employed within the corporate limits of Sanger with 25% working in the City of Denton. • The top three issues relative to growth and quality of life were listed as being Planning For Growth, Traffic and Circulation Needs, and Street & Road Maintenance. CITY OF SANGER Page 8 ruqln n 4? CON/1PRFWM.0TV-P T.Amn TTCT: PT .AM Qanaer Crnnlc • Items that were rated high on the list of quality of life issues included Variety of Housing and Costs, Employment Opportunities, Active and Passive Parks, Sidewalks and Walking Paths, and Enhancement of Downtown. All of these issues were rated as being important by over 80% of those responding. • Respondents were supportive of "mixed use" development by only plurality of 49% with 10% of the respondents voicing no opinion on the subject, which concludes that any "mixed use" type development must be closely monitored regarding quality and value. • Those persons responding felt that their neighborhood was a good place to raise families but were disappointed in the parks and recreation facilities provided, with approximately 47% of those responding indicating parks and recreation facilities were poor. • Generally, the respondents greatly supported most forms of corporate and retail growth, with the strongest support, all over 90%, being for Office and Corporate building, Retail Development, Downtown Development, Grocery Stores, "Sit-down" Restaurants, Indoor Entertainment, and Medical Facilities. • Approximately 6S% of the respondents expressed a general dissatisfaction in the amount of retail opportunities currently existing. However, a great majority of those responding, 87%, confirmed they were satisfied with the appearance of new homes in the community. • Regarding City services, the respondents were very pleased with the services provided by the police and fire departments and were least pleased with services afforded the senior citizens. • Approximately 63% of the respondents expressed a need to add more sidewalks and pedestrian paths which are currently deficient in the city. • Respondents also expressed interest having new developments provide additional park land or funds for future parks. They also expressed a desire to improve code enforcement of current regulations and to establish more site development standards for commercial development. CITY OF SANGER Page 9 run, n n �? ('ouppm-TFNCTVF T .ANTI T Top PT AN Ranapr Cinals • Approximately 88% of those responding supported preservation of the historic character of the downtown area. A more detailed accounting of the survey results is available at the City offices and has also been posted on-line on the City's webpage. CITY OF SANGER Page 10 (�(IArIPRPvwmoTVR T .ANTI T TNP PT AN Cnnapr (Tnnle Chapter 3. Population/Demographics Methodol The demographic character of a city plays a large role in long range planning exercises. In order to provide public facilities and services that will best serve the future needs of the citizenry, it is necessary to study the past and present composition of the community, and finally to make projections which cover the planning period, in this case, twenty years. Demographic data for the Sanger Comprehensive Land Use Plan was gathered from the U.S. Census Bureau, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), and population projections by the Texas Water Development Board. The 2007 population estimate for the City of Sanger is 6,700. The city has shown a steady increase in population since 1960. The population of Sanger has increased at an average annual rate of 3.75 since 1960. The historic population trend for Sanger is provided in Table 3.1 Historic Population of Sanger, Texas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, NCTCOG, Social Characteristics A comparison of the racial characteristics of the City of Sanger population in 2000 vs 1990 are shown in Table 3.2 Total Population by Race and Hispanic Origin. A majority of the population of Sanger is white, accounting for 88.5 percent of the total CITY OF SANGER C nMPT?FF-MMgTVF T.ANTn iTRF PT AM Page 11 n n Pnm ilatinn/llPmnoranhir.s population. Black population has more that doubled during the period and account for 3.5 ,00 2000 Population Percentage by Race percent, while American Indians, Asians, and Ts so ❑ Banger Pacific Islanders combined account for 1.8 45 Ito DBFW Are" percent The remaining 6.3 percent represent a ° Yfhile Black Amer. Asian OMer Hap. combination of other races. Persons of Hispanic Indwn Origin origin represent 9.9 percent of the city's population. The percentage of Hispanic residents is not included when arriving at the racial total of the city because a member of any race may also be of Hispanic origin. Table 3.2 Total Population by Race and Hispanic Origin Change cif 000 Total Population by Race 3.508 4.534 1.026 29.2% (Hispanics included all races) lWhite 3,271 93.2% 4,039 89.1% 768 23.5% Black 109 3.1% 138 3.0% 29 26.6% American Indian 31 Asian or Pacific Islander Other Race** 95 2.7% 190 4.2% 95 100.0% Two or More Races* N/A N/A 111 2.4% N/A N/A Hispanic Origin (Any Race) 273 7.8% 513 11.3% 240 8% Source: U.S. Census Bureau & NCTCOG The bar chart compares the racial composition of the City of Sanger with the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex. The percentage of all racial minorities is less in Sanger, and therefore the percentage of white residents is greater that the overall metropolitan area. CITY OF SANGER fIAdPRFAFNCTVF T .ANTI I TRF PT AN Page 12 n n Pnniilatinn/DP.mnaranhirs Age Characteristics The distribution of population by age is provided in Table 3.3, Age Distribution of the City of Sanger. Age distribution is important in the planning of public facilities such as parks, schools, and senior citizen centers. The residents of Sanger are relatively young; according to the 2000 U.S. Census, approximately 55 percent of residents are below the age of 35 and the median age is 31.5 years old. Residents under 20 years old constitute 33.2 percent of the population, those in the 35 through 59 age group Table 3.3 Age Distribution of the City of Sanger Under 5 yrs 368 8.1% 5-9 423 9.3% 10-14 373 8.2% 15-19 345 7.6% 20-24 292 6.4% 25-34 719 15.9% 35-44 708 15.6% 45-54 525 11.6% 55-59 177 3.9% 60-64 162 3.6% 65-74 232 5.1% 75-84 143 3.2% 85 + 67 1.5% TOTAL 4,534 100% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census Socio-economics account for 31.1 percent of the city, and those over 60 years of age comprise 13.4 percent of the population. In addition to planning community facilities, age distribution is an important factor to consider when planning residential housing options. Due to the relatively young population residing in Sanger, it is important to provide housing that is appropriate for first time homebuyers. Alternative housing for older residents may need to be considered as the population ages. Socio-economic data for Sanger, shown in the chart on the next page, is a comparison of Census information gathered during the 1990 and 2000 Census efforts. The types of occupations of Sanger residents have been divided into six general occupational types. The increases in the management and office occupations show a significant change in the income types that is quantified by a dramatic increase in the median household income. The median household income in 1990 for Sanger was $28,605. The median income in 2000 was up almost $12,000 to $40,380. The composition of occupations in the City of Sanger is provided in Table 3.4, Proportional Mix of Occupations of the City of Sanger. ruql CITY OF SANGER Page 13 n n C.(1mPRFNFNRTvPT.ANTITTop PTAN Pnnids lnn/T)PmncranhlcC Table 3.4 Proportional Mix of Occupations of the City of Sanger Occupation Type i Management, professional, & related occupations 13.2% 2000 23.1% Sales and office occupations 29.2% 29.8% Service occupations 17.5% 16.3% Farming, forestry, fishing occupations 3.7% 0.1% Construction, extraction, & maintenance occupations 13.7% 14.0% Production, transportation, & moving occupations 22.7% 16.7% TOTAL 100% 100% Source: 1990 & 2000 U.S. Census Growth Proiections The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) continually monitors regional growth and development trends. Growth projections are calculated using a variety of methodologies and cross checked with each other. Unlike the area -bound municipalities located within the metropolitan area of Dallas/Fort Worth, Sanger has a significant amount of undeveloped land; and, has opportunity to expand into the extra -territorial jurisdiction. This means that there is an abundance of land for residential development and future population growth. In addition to the property that is already in the city limits the City of Sanger has an extensive extra territorial jurisdiction (ETJ). `; , I 1 i " City Limits and ETJ _ T All City of Sanger CITY OF SANGER Page 14 t2LN_L(2__ rnA/ PRFT-iFNCTvF T .ANTI T TRF PT AN Pnnnlstlnn/1lPmnarAnhlnC The City of Sanger has grown and matured from a suburban residential community to a residential, commercial, and industrial full -service city in the years since its early incorporation. As the city continues to evolve, it can expect a steady continued growth, which will be managed most effectively by careful planning and citizen involvement in the governmental process. By the year 2030 the City of Sanger can expect a population of over 16,000, if the average annual growth rate for the last decade is applied forward. 16,000 14,000 12,000 0 10,000 a 8,000 O J15101181 CITY OF SANGER N C()T,APRFRNCTVF T .ATin T TcF PT AN Page 15 Pnrn ilatinn/namnoranhice Chapter 4. Existing Land Use General Land Use Characteristics Before developing a plan for the future, a city must first have an understanding of its present condition. In addition to demographic data, this understanding is gained through an analysis of existing land use, which represents how land is currently being used. An analysis of current land use can provide documentation of development trends that have been and are being established. This analysis will also provide City officials with an opportunity to correct trends that may be detrimental to future development and to initiate policies that will encourage development in accordance with goals and objectives developed by the citizens. The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) prepares existing land use data based upon aerial photography, census data, Appraisal District information, and data provided by city governments. The NCTCOG data provided general area figures generated by their GIS system and at times may not be as accurate as city generated data. However, these figures provide general "rule of thumb" numbers from which comparisons may be drawn. The data also provides an understanding of how the City of Sanger measures up to average percentages of the nine county NCTCOG area. The following table titled Sanger Existing Land Use Comparison Table juxtaposes the existing land use data for easy comparison. An analysis of the NCTCOG data for 2000 reveals the following information. The overall land area of the City of Sanger is 2,157 acres, or approximately three -and -a -half (3 Y2) square miles. The developed area of the city is approximately 1,077 acres, or fifty (50) percent of the city. This developed area includes residential, commercial, industrial, institutional, park area, or major roadways. The remaining 1,080 acres were vacant, representing the other fifty (50) percent of the city. The categories of land use, corresponding acreage, and total percentages are shown in Table 4.1 Summary of Sanger Existing Land Use. A comparison of land uses located within the City of Sanger is compared to the land uses within the incorporated areas in the nine county NCTCOG area. It is interesting that the amount of land use substantially exceeds the average CITY OF SANGER Page 16 ?W nun q? CnWRFWMO,TVF T .AN1l T TRF PT .AN F.xi di no T .n nd T Tca for the nine county area; however, the presence of a significant amount of freeway right-of-way for I-35 likely accounts for this difference. The next area to note is that the commercial land use exceeds the percentage amount of the nine county average. In addition, the areas dedicated to single family residential use is noticeably under the average. Other land use percentages appear to be comparable to the nine county percentages. The physical locations of the different land uses within the City may be found on the City of Sanger Existing Land Use Map. Table 4-1 Sanger Existing Land Use Comparison Table Sanger 1995Area • , of %Developed Area Single Family Res. 307 28 5% 10.0% 36.9% Multi -Family Res. 8 0.7% 0.7% 2.1% Other Residential 39 3 6% 0.7% 2.1% Industrial 22 1.5% 5.2% 21% Commercial 102 9 5% 1.5% 5.2% Institutional 27 2 5% 1.1% 3.4% Infrastructure 549 51.0% 7.3% 25.6% Parks & Floodplain 23 21% 1.7% 5.7% Water 0 0 0% 3.6% 12.6% Under Construction 0 0 0% 0.3% 0.6% Developed 1,077 49.9% 28.4% 100% Vacant 1,080 50.1% 71.6% NA TOTAL 2,157 100% Note Percentages shown are the percent of the developed land. CITY OF SANGER ('nMPRFNFNCTVFT.ANTITTop PT AN ruql Page 17 n n (2 F.xictino T.nnrl TTcP NCTCOG Existing Land Use Map CITY OF SANGER C07,4PRVT4T,WqTvF T.ATTn I T.op PT AN ---------- Single Family M industrial r Flood Control • Multi -Family Transportation M Vacant 92 Mobile Homes Roadway M Parking (CBD) Group Quarters M Utilities Water W Office M Airport M Runway Retail M Parks Recreation M Expanded Pat l'inrl Institutional M Landfill 0 Stadium Hotelmotel Llrvlei Construction P-5rljrnf'.-Jr.`v1,, Source: North Central Texas Council of Governments Gila Existing Land Use City Of Sanger run, Page 18 -F-zi0incy I.nnrl TTqp. Residential Land Use Residential land use accounted for the largest quantity of land use in the city, with the exception of the Infrastructure land use. Approximately 354 acres or 38.2 percent of the developed portion of Sanger was developed as residential use. This type of land use consists of low -density residential units (single-family homes), moderate density units (duplex or manufactured housing), and high -density (multi- family apartment) units. The text below provides information regarding residential development in Sanger, as recorded by NCTGOG. Low Density Residential. Low -density residential use refers to single family detached dwelling units, developed at a density of under six units per acre. There were approximately 307 acres of low -density residential land use in the city limits, which represented 28.5 percent of the total developed land. There are new subdivisions that have been platted and are currently being developed within the city, which are not included in this figure. The Existing Land Use Map provides information regarding the pattern of existing residential development within the City of Sanger. The neighborhoods located in the eastern portion of the City are newer and generally conform to the Neighborhood Concept, a planning concept that is described in the Urban Design chapter of this document. The other neighborhoods are generally less homogeneous, and are characterized by more of a rural development pattern. There are also pockets of incompatible land uses located adjacent to some of these rural residential areas. Invasion of commercial or industrial land uses into residential areas tend to reduce neighborhood cohesiveness. Moderate Density Residential & Manufactured Housing. Moderate density residential development refers to residential development containing from six to twelve dwelling units per acre. This type of housing primarily consists of duplexes with a limited amount of triplex and four-plex units. Data provided by NCTCOG indicates that moderate density residential use accounted for approximately 39 acres of land area within the City. Manufactured housing units in Sanger are located in clusters and parks. Moderate density residential and manufactured housing are combined in the NCTCOG classification system as "other residential", since they tend to have similar densities (number of dwelling units per acre [DU/AC]). These combined uses accounted for approximately 3.6 percent of the developed land area within the City. CITY OF SANGER C nXAPRFTaMM.9TVP T .ANTI T TRF PT AN rvql Page 19 VWf n (R F.xi0ina T.nnrl TTse High Density Residential. High -density residential land uses consist of multi -family apartment developments, built at a density of thirteen or more units per acre. High - density residential development represented approximately 8 acres of land, which is 0.7 percent of the developed land area in Sanger, according to NCTCOG. Although this is a very small amount of apartments within the Sanger city limits, they provide for alternative housing options for residents of the Sanger area. Many of these apartment developments consist of small numbers of units located in the older portions of town. The future plan will be for any development of multi -family to be of sufficient size and area to provide for a wide option of amenities. Commercial Land Use. The commercial land use category includes both service and retail uses. NCTCOG indicates that approximately 102 acres of commercial land use were located in Sanger, which accounted for approximately 9.5 percent of the developed area of the city. Most commercial development is located along the I-35 and FM 455 corridors and in the downtown business area. Industrial Land Use. According to NCTCOG, Industrial land use accounted for approximately 22 acres of land within the City. Industrial land use accounts for 19.1 percent of the developed area within the City. Most of the industrial land uses in Sanger are located along the I-35 corridor and in the downtown business area adjacent to the railroad. Public & Semi -Public Land Use. Public and semi-public land uses includes municipal, county, state, and federal government uses, cemeteries, and schools. These land uses were listed as "Institutional' in the NCTCOG designations. Land uses typically considered quasi -public include churches, electric, gas, telephone, and television utility uses. Approximately 27 acres were utilized by this type of use in the City of Sanger. Public and semi-public uses accounted for approximately 2.5 percent of the developed area in the City. Parks and Open Space. Public parks or open space occupied approximately 23 acres of land within the city limits. This calculation included active and passive park area, open space, and floodplain area that was likely to remain undeveloped for environmental reasons. There are additional FEMA designated floodplain areas that are not currently included in this number, but may be in the future. Surface Water. The surface water area in Sanger is virtually nonexistant. NCTCOG did not indicate any water surface area located within the City. CITY OF SANGER Page 20 VW n n S) C`.IIWRFT-TFNCTVF T .ANTI T TCF PT AN F.xi sting T .and T Trn. Infrastructure. Approximately 549 acres, or 51 percent of the developed area of the was occupied by public right-of-way within the City of Sanger. This number attempts to approximate the total right-of-way including the various local streets. While right-of-way is not developable public property, the access provided by the street and roadway network is the framework or "skeletal system" that other land uses in the city are developed on. Sound planning principles and urban design guidelines should be adhered to in order to limit negative land use development that may have a tendency to develop in these areas. Under Construction. Another land use category that NCTCOG has added is "Under Construction". Since existing land uses were calculated using aerial photography, the planners were unable to classify property that is being developed at the time of the aerial photography. No land was listed as being under construction at the time the NCTCOG was preparing this land us analysis Undeveloped Land. There were approximately 1,080 acres of undeveloped land in the City of Sanger. This undeveloped land accounted for 50.1 percent of the total land area within the City. The undeveloped land is distributed across every area of the city, with the majority being located in the eastern reaches of the City due to the availability of land. The City has ample areas of ETJ located in all directions, which offers future opportunities for development as dictated by the market. Comparison with Other Area Cities During the planning process, the question always is asked, "What the perfect ratio of land uses, according to planning professionals?" The response to this question is that there is no real preferred ratio. Each community is unique regarding its dynamics as well as its goals for the future. However, Sanger and five other area cities were compared in order to demonstrate the relativity of land uses among the communities. These other cities were: Argyle, Denton, Krum, Justin, and Pilot Point. These cities "comparable" in that they are either similar in size, proximity to a large water body, near the Interstate, or adjacent. Unlike Table 4.1, which presented percentages of land uses relative to developed area. Table 4.2, Six City Comparison of Land Use Areas by Acres, provides percentage numbers that include the vacant land area in the total compilation. As presented in Table 4-1, single family residential varied from 40% to 49% and multifamily (apartments) ranged from 0% to 6.5%. The committee was most CITY OF SANGER (soh/ PRFTTFNSTVF T .ANTI T Top PT AN ruql Page 21n n (fp F.xictino Lnnd Uce interested in commercial which ranged from 4.5% to 8.2%. Sanger had the highest percentage of industrial with 19.1%, compared to 0.8% to 10% in the other cities. The answer to "perfect ratio" is that there is no magic number. The type and quality of commercial and industrial land uses can vary significantly. High end retailers may generate larger sales tax and utilize less land. Manufacturing may provide more local jobs, but warehousing and other uses classified as industrial will occupy more land area. The mix of land uses in each city is dynamic and is constantly changes. The land use mix varies and is part of the character of the community. Six City Comparison Table 4-2 of Land Use Areas by Acres Sanger 307 8 39 22 102 27 549 23 0 0 1,080 2,157 14.29b 0.4% 1.89 1.0% 4.7% 1.3% 14.29 1.1% 0.0% 0.0yo 50.1Y Argyle 1,775 0 52 8 11 24 607 3 0 0 4,761 7,241 24.5% 0.0% 0.7% 0.19b 0.2% 0.396 24.5% 0.0% 0.0yo 0.0% 65.8% Denton 4,988 501 418 1,025 1,217 878 6,051 720 78 116 24,354 40,345 12.49vo 1.2% 1.0% 2.5% 3.0% 2.2% 12.4% 1.8% 0.2% 0.39b 60.4% Justin 244 11 0 39 23 27 201 7 2 54 868 1,477 16.5% 0.7% 0.0% 2.69vo 1.6% 1.8% 16.5% 0.5% 0.1 % 3.7% 58.8% Krum 432 0 0 2 7 49 163 3 0 0 564 1,220 35.4% 0.09b 0.0% 0.2% 0.6% 4.0% 35.4% 0.2% 0.0% 0.0% 46.2% Pilot Point 406 2 8 10 151 36 386 25 0 0 955 1,978 20.5% 1 0.1% 1 0.4% 1 0.5% 1 7.6% I 1.89 1 20.5% J 1.3% 1 0.0% 1 0.0% 1 48.3% CITY OF SANGER C'0XAPRFFMMgTVP T .ANTI T Top PT AM Page 22 r9n, n n (P F.xietinv T.snri TTce Chapter 5. Thoroughfares Introduction Transportation planning is an integral part of the City of Sanger Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The Steering Committee spent a significant amount of time discussing transportation issues. The Sanger Master Thoroughfare Plan (MTP) was the focus of Planning Workshop #4. Street and roadway improvements were the top items discussed for expenditure of public funds. Consideration was given to both the internal transportation needs of the residents of Sanger and the regional transportation needs of others that travel through Sanger. The Regional Thoroughfare Plan prepared by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and the City of Denton Thoroughfare Plan were consulted for input into the Sanger MTP The movement of people and goods within the City and the surrounding area is an important function; such movement is dependent upon the arrangement and condition of local streets and highways. As the city changes, the thoroughfare system must be capable of handling traffic movement in a safe and efficient manner. The City of Sanger Thoroughfare Plan is coordinated with the Future Land Use Plan and provides the guidelines to develop a transportation system that can accommodate the needs of existing and future land use. This adopted Thoroughfare Plan is a valuable tool for the City of Sanger in requiring the appropriate dedication of right-of-ways and the construction of the appropriate roadway improvements as the city continues to develop. The primary form of transportation in the City of Sanger is the individual gasoline - powered vehicle. Whether that vehicle is a pickup truck, an automobile or an SUV (Sport/Utility Vehicle), most Sanger residents rely on their individual vehicles as their sole means of transportation. For this reason, the transportation element of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan is focused on the system of public roadways, which is designed to expedite traffic movement and enhance safety. The Thoroughfare Plan also includes recommendations for developing alternate modes of transportation within the city, as well as recommendations which create a continuous process of planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation to CITY of SANGER Page 23 n n C(lW1?FT P11J0TvPT.AAmINPPT.AN Thnrnnohfarac assure that the mobility needs for citizens of Sanger will be met as development occurs. This Thoroughfare Plan should enable the City to implement a systematic process of upgrading and developing thoroughfares in accordance with the City's Future Land Use Plan. This process should include: (1) an evaluation of proposed roadway improvement regarding compliance to the Thoroughfare Plan; (2) preparation of detailed route studies to locate the exact location of a street that is shown conceptually on the Thoroughfare Plan; and (3) preparation of engineering plans and geometrics (including extra turn lanes at major intersections) once detailed routes have been established. Definitions A number of terms used throughout this chapter should be defined in order to provide an understanding of existing and future transportation needs. These terms include the following: Functional classification. The roadway classification system is intended to categorize streets by function for the purpose of clarifying administrative and fiscal responsibility. A complete circulation system provides separate facilities for the movement, transition, distribution, collection, access, and termination of trips. Freeways and arterials handle principal movement functions. Collector streets serve to gather traffic from local streets and feed it to the arterial system and to provide access in commercial and industrial areas. Local streets provide direct access to adjacent property. Capacity. The capacity of a roadway as defined by the Highway Capacity Manual, is the maximum hourly rate at which vehicles can reasonably be expected to traverse a point or section of a roadway during a given time period under prevailing roadway, traffic, and control conditions. Roadway conditions refer to the geometric characteristics of the street such as type of facility, number and width of lanes, horizontal and vertical alignment, and design speed. Traffic conditions refer to the type of vehicle mix and the distribution of vehicles in available lanes. Control conditions refer to the types and specific design of traffic control devices such as traffic signals, signs, and turn restrictions. Other factors that affect the capacity of a roadway include weather and driver characteristics. CITY OF SANGER C'.nt,APT2 PNFNRTvP T . A Till T TRF PLAN Page 24 n n 4? Thnrni i ahfarPc Traffic Volume. Traffic volume is a measurement of the total number of vehicles that pass a given section of a roadway during a given time period. Volume is generally expressed in terms of annual, daily, or hourly rates. Traffic volumes vary by the time of day, day of the week, season, and month. Annual average daily traffic (AADT) is the average daily traffic on a roadway, averaged over a full year, and is often used in travel forecasting and planning. Within this report the term vehicles per day (vpd) is used to reflect traffic counts made over a 24-hour period that have not been converted to annual average daily traffic and, thus, may not account for daily, weekly, or seasonal variations. Through Traffic. This term is used in two ways, depending on the particular discussion: 1) to identify trips that do not have a local destination (i.e. are not stopping within Sanger); and 2) to identify trips that may have a local destination, but are traveling through a particular section of the city (i.e. trips using Sanger -New Hope Road to travel from Fort Worth or Arlington to one of the race tracks would be considered through traffic). Thoroughfare Classification System Streets located within municipalities generally are various sizes, and have different numbers of vehicle traffic lanes and design requirements. This Plan has categorized Sanger's streets according to the Standard Street Classification System used by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Each type of roadway in the classification system has right-of-way widths, lane widths, number of lanes, and medians appropriate to the traffic and speed required of the street. Table 5.1 Summary of Street Classification provides the following information in tabular format. Table 5.1 Summary of Sanger Street Classifications DesignationStreet Classification Freeway FW Controlled Access w/Multiple Lanes Principal Arterial Street P4U Principal Arterial 4-Lane Undivided Principal Arterial Street P3U Principal Arterial 3-Lane Undivided Minor Arterial Street M4U Minor Arterial 4-Lane Undivided Minor Arterial Street M3U Minor Arterial 3-Lane Undivided Collector Street C2U Collector 2-Lane Undivided Local Residential Street R2U Residential 2-Lane Undivided CITY OF SANGER CnKA-PRFvwNRTVF T .ANTI T TCF PT AN Page 25n Thnrnnc,hfarP.c Freeways. Freeways consist of controlled limited access roadways with divided lanes for directional traffic. Freeways are designed to move high volumes of traffic, typically in excess of 40,000 vehicles per day, with maximum efficiency. Freeways generally have from 4 to 8 lanes and require 250 to 500 feet of right-of-way. They provide no direct access to adjacent property, and main lanes are grade separated at intersections with arterial roadways. Service roads may be provided along the freeway to facilitate access to and from the main lanes and to provide access to adjacent property. This is the most intense thoroughfare as it relates to traffic volume. There is only one thoroughfare of this magnitude that impacts the City of Sanger: Interstate Highway 35 (I-35). This freeway is a north/south thoroughfare of four lanes of traffic separated by a wide grass median. I-35 bisects the nation from virtually the southern border with Mexico and the northern Canadian border. It was approved by the Texas State Highway Commission in 1962 and has proven to be an essential element of the economic vitality of the nation. It has also been unofficially designated as the NAFTA highway because of its obvious connection of both the northern and southern US borders. Plans to expand I-35 to a six lane freeway have been prepared by the Texas Department of Transportation. Principal 4-Lane Undivided Thoroughfare. Principal arterials are designed to serve major traffic movements through the city by carrying large volumes of traffic across or through the city as efficiently as possible. These roadways should be continuous in length, connect with freeways, and serve major traffic generators. Typically, principal arterials should be spaced between two and three miles apart. They are designed to carry between 10,000 and 40,000 vehicles per day requiring from four to six lanes. Access management is essential to ensure maximum operating efficiency of the roadway. However, because commercial development generally occurs along arterial streets, control of access is often difficult to achieve. Intersection spacing should be at intervals of not less than one-fourth mile. Intermediate non -signalized access points and median breaks to accommodate public streets or private driveways should be minimized. To facilitate the flow of traffic, designated turn lanes and acceleration/deceleration lanes may be required in areas of commercial development. Thoroughfares within the City of Sanger with this classification include the proposed extension of Belz Road from I-35 to McReynolds Road. This roadway will serve potentially as an outer loop to serve new development and alleviate future traffic volumes. A minor arterial roadway will connect the loop by extending to CITY OF SANGER COMPRFURNCTvP I .ANn I NP PT AN Page 26n n Thnrni i ahfarPc Rector Road. This extension is highly recommended but location may vary from the location on the map to accommodate existing and proposed development. An additional MU roadway is planned for East Chapman Road from the railroad to Union Hill Road, at which point it is reduced to a M4U roadway and continues to Lake Ray Roberts. Principal 3-Lane Undivided Thoroughfare: Characteristic of communities that have experienced rapid growth, the volume of traffic produced by that growth has outgrown the lanes of traffic and the rights -of -way provided. Usually the older and original parts of the community are the ones experiencing this issue. Rights -of -way may easily be extended in areas that are undeveloped. But, older developed portions of the community do not have room to expand due to existing development. Expansion of these rights -of -way require property to be purchase and often older established residences and businesses being relocated. As a rule, this should be avoided. Solutions to this issue often include designating `one way couplets' that provide for expanded directional lanes without altering the right-of- way width. In the case of FM455, providing `one way couplets' is not feasible. First of all there is not another east/west roadway that may work in tandem with the roadway. Secondly, the intersection of I-35 is the critical element of the roadway and the source of the problem. Even if there were another roadway to serve as a couplet, there is only width under the Interstate for limited lanes. A three lane roadway is viable at this location to enable through traffic without impeding access to the businesses on either side of the roadway. When the intersection at I-35 is redesigned to permit multiple traffic lanes as well as turn lanes and in the event that property were to be acquired on either side of FM 455, expansion to four -lanes with turn lanes may be considered. But, for the time being, a three -lane thoroughfare is planned to address traffic volume at this site. Similar to the issue of adequate right-of-way experienced on FM 455, Fifth Street offers the same problems in the north/south direction. Fifth Street does not carry the same volume of traffic experienced by FM 455, however, the Thoroughfare Plan sees Fifth Street being used as an enter loop through the older part of the City. The configuration of the roadway will move traffic from I-35 on the southern limits of the City to a point north of the FM 455 intersection with I-35. This inner loop is an important element of the circulation plan for the thoroughfare. CITY OF SANGER CnVrPRPT-MM q1 V P T. A i\rn T TCR PT AM Page 27 rugilyw n n Thnrni i ohfnras Minor 4-Lane Undivided Thoroughfare: Minor arterials are designed as four -lane roadways. They may be either divided or undivided, and are designed to connect the primary arterials and provide system continuity. Generally, minor arterials are spaced at approximately one -mile intervals, and define the limits of a neighborhood. They are designed to carry traffic volumes of 10,000 to 15,000 vehicles per day, and like primary arterials, direct access should be limited. Intersections should be spaced at intervals of no less than one-fourth of a mile. Intermediate access points to accommodate public streets or private driveways should be minimized. These roadways serve to move large volumes of traffic from neighborhood to neighborhood; they may or may not traverse the entire city. The right-of-way for these roadways may be between 70 to 90 feet in width. There are a number of these roadways provided in the Thoroughfare Plan; McReynolds, Sam Bass Rd., Lois Rd., FM 2164, and FM 455 outside of the urban area near I-35. Commercial activity may occur at the intersections of these roads with other arterial roadways, but will not normally have significant commercial development occurring along the right-of- way. Collector 2-Lane Thoroughfare: Collector streets are intended to serve internal traffic movements within an area and carry traffic from local streets to the arterial network. Generally, collector streets are designed with two lanes, are between 1 and 1/2 mile in length, and carry traffic volumes between 1,000 and 10,000 vehicles per day. Minor collector streets should be located to provide access to the local street system in a neighborhood and be curvilinear in design, in order to discourage through traffic in neighborhoods. Typically, they include two moving lanes and two parking lanes. This is the smallest roadway in the thoroughfare system. Its purpose in Sanger is to function as a less intense minor arterial and move volumes of traffic from neighborhood to neighborhood. However, its primary purpose is to relieve the traffic from local roads and feed the arterials. The rights -of -way of these streets may be between 60-80 feet in width. The additional width permits wider shoulders that may be used for parking or additional lanes if needed. The major collector roadways are shown on the Thoroughfare Map. However, collectors may be required within the neighborhood to collect and funnel internal vehicular traffic to arterial roadways. Therefore, a collector roadway is more a product of function than location on the thoroughfare map. In addition, commercial roadways that are planned to carry significant truck and commercial traffic may also be designated as being collectors, depending on the nature of each individual development. CITY OF SANGER C (-)NAPRFTTFNCTVF T .Atom T TcF PT AN Page 28n n Thnm iahfaras Local Street: Local streets provide access to residential property and feed the collector street system. Local roads typically carry volumes of less than 1,000 vehicles per day. They are no more than two lanes and should be designed to discourage any kind of through -traffic, either through a curvilinear arrangement, the incorporation of loops and cul-de-sacs, or both. Bicycle and Pedestrian Pedestrian and bicycle transportation are often forgotten as viable modes of travel in today's mobile society. In order to provide for easy and safe pedestrian and bicycle travel, sidewalks, pathways, and crosswalks should be required to be included in future development plans. This type of access is needed to commercial centers, along arterial streets and between residential areas and schools. By requiring appropriate infrastructure for pedestrians in new developments, and retrofitting existing developed areas, traffic and parking issues may be lessened in intensity, and quality of life may be improved. Bikeways and sidewalks should be encouraged to make Sanger more pedestrian friendly and to as alternate modes of transportation. The City of Sanger should consider developing a bikeway plan that would coordinate the development of a greenbelt hike and bike trail system with a comprehensive system of bikeways throughout the City. Key elements of the bikeway plan should include methods to provide bikeways within the rights -of -way of major streets as well as separate bikeway facilities, and to encourage developers to provide bike facilities in new developments. To accommodate pedestrians, the City should require sidewalks in new developments and redevelopment areas. Specifically, the City should consider the following: • Require sidewalks along both sides of arterial and collector streets; • Require sidewalks in residential areas on all streets; • Encourage the connection of sidewalks in residential areas and to commercial and recreational areas by working with developers as projects are planned; ruql CITY OF SANGER Page 29 vqqnnp__ C`nhAPRFTWMRTVF T .ANTI T TRF PT AN Thnrnnahfaras • Provide pedestrian pathways in public recreation areas and through greenbelt areas connecting pathways to sidewalks in residential areas; • Implement a low cost, shared resident/public program to replace older, substandard sidewalks. This could be done in conjunction with the street improvement program; and • Consider including projects that retrofit older developed areas that do not have sidewalks into the Capital Improvements Program (CIP) for arterial and collector streets. Thoroughfare Plan The City of Sanger has classified its streets in categories of residential streets, collector streets, minor arterials, and primary arterials. The proposed thoroughfare plan network is shown on Figure SA Thoroughfare Plan Map. The thoroughfare design for the City of Sanger emphasizes circulation. Interstate 35 provides the primary north/south option to travel through the entire limits of the city at great speed. However, it does not lend itself to commerce and accessibility to the general populace of the city wishing to travel to points within the city. The major north/south avenues within the corporate limits include Keaton Road on the east and Fifth Street on the west. East/west access is satisfied by Lois Road, Belz Road, FM 455, McReynolds, and Duck Creek Road... A number of local roads permit access to the north/south as well as the east/west through neighborhoods at reduced speeds Future thoroughfares will be widened at locations and as development .increases; in addition, they will also be extended into the ETJ at future proposed widths. Critical to circulation is a system of loops for the thoroughfare system. On the east part of town, Fifth Street provides the inner -loop from I-35 near Duck Creek Rd to I-35 north of FM 455. The next loop will utilize portion of Rector Road and turn north to intersect with Belz Road. The outer loop of the thoroughfare system is comprised of Lois Road and Union Hill Road, eventually turning south through the southern flood plain and intersecting with I-35 in the southern reaches of Sanger. CITY OF SANGER Page 30 CnA/fPRP CTVFT.ANTITTCRPTAN Thnrnnchfarez C�� h O 1 t • � V � � nrw �9R ❑i L� nrw nil — a My u n �� d II i n Fa w M I 7 nz�-g.� a' n . _ 7l ma nzo M 7^ - nrw ,[i i nzo V � 1 - CITY OF SANGER C C)X/iPRP.T-TP.NCTVp. T .ANjn T TCF. PT AN Page 31 n n Thnrm(yhfarec Protecting t� he CapaciiyofStreets Funding for construction and improvements to thoroughfares represents a major public investment. In the past thirty years, federal and state funds have been widely available to assist cities in building and maintaining an efficient and safe system of highways and arterial roadways. Today, however, funding from federal and state sources is becoming increasingly harder to obtain as more and more projects compete for limited dollars. As a result, it is important for the City to implement policies to protect the capacity of their major streets. In addition, the City should consider all funding options, including bonds, general funds, grant programs, and private developer participation. Roadway capacity is a function of the number and width of lanes, design speed, horizontal and vertical alignment, type and number of traffic control devices, and access and turning movements. Capacity can best be preserved by limiting points of access through subdivision and development ordinances, prohibiting left turn traffic movements by restricting the number of median breaks, and requiring acceleration/deceleration lanes at high volume commercial driveways. Ideally, no direct access should be allowed onto arterial and major collector streets except at intersections. Developments should have access provided via local streets that intersect the arterial and collector roadways. A minimum frontage requirement should be set in order to limit curb cuts in corridor commercial and industrial developments and individual developments should each have only one curb cut. The review process for site plans is an appropriate time to include consideration of cross access and limiting the number of driveways for site -specific developments. Policies to limit access have often proven difficult for cities to implement because properties adjacent to the road may not meet the minimum frontage requirements and courts have held that owners cannot be denied access from the roadway. Therefore, any consideration of cross access and limitation of driveways must address available right-of-way. It is especially difficult to implement access management when improvements are planned along roadways where developments have existing driveways. Under these circumstances, the City must often wait for redevelopment to occur before the desirable changes can be made. The City of Sanger should continue to explore access management strategies that have been successful in other areas. CITY OF SANGFR Page 32 I VW n n Yr CnMPRFNFNCTVFT.AMnINP,PT AM ThnmiiahfareQ Street Improvement Program The City of Sanger currently identifies necessary roadway improvements for inclusion in an ongoing Capital Improvement Program. Refinement of the current process by using a systematic street evaluation process will assist the City in maximizing the street improvement needs with the available sources of funding. A Street Improvement Program to provide a systematic process for street reconstruction and maintenance should be incorporated into the current street construction and maintenance efforts. This program should include the following: 1. Arterial Street Needs: Implement a City -funded program to meet arterial street improvement needs through the year 2015. This program would support TOOT efforts within the City as well as provide funds for arterial improvements for which the City has sole responsibility. 2. Street Reconstruction and Maintenance: Implement a ten or fifteen year street reconstruction and maintenance program that will bring Sanger's street system to a satisfactory level of serviceability throughout the life of the program. Implement a uniform program of maintenance and reconstruction after the fifteen years to maintain the City's street system in serviceable condition for the foreseeable future. 3. Design Standards and Access Management: Strengthen ordinances to require adequate street widths and to assist in managing access on arterial and major collector streets during development and redevelopment. CITY OF SANGER Page 33 I VW n n (2 C.nN/PRPW..NRTVFT.Ai\mTTSPPT AN ThnrnnahfarPs Ch a p ter 6. Planning Principles Purpose and Definition of Urban Design Elements The foundation of a Comprehensive Plan is the set of goals or urban design elements, which are developed through the public participation process. The City of Sanger urban design elements are tangible directives, developed by the Steering Committee, which are intended to guide the development of the City into the next century. These directives were used to establish the character of future land use in the Comprehensive Plan and the nature of the design policies that will be applied to future development. Therefore, by definition the urban design elements for this effort are the general statements of the community's desired ultimate physical, aesthetic, economic, or environmental status. These urban design elements set the standard with respect to the community's desired quality of life. After discussion of a number of goals and objectives with the Steering Committee, the basic approach to future growth was summarized in five planning principles; 1. Future development in Sanger should emphasize value and quality. 2. The focus on value and quality shall not be restricted to size of lot but shall emphasize amenities. 3. Future growth shall promote opportunities for pedestrian as well as vehicle connectivity. 4. Established commercial forms of `Node" and "Corridor" development shall be emphasized. 5. Future growth shall promote the Heritage of Sanger in consideration of its Historical character. The term "urban design" refers to the planning of development in a comprehensive manner in order to achieve a unified, functional, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing physical setting. Urban design consists of a number of elements that are accepted by planning professionals as desirable and necessary for the orderly growth and CITY OF SANGER Page 35 n n (P ('MAPRMTWMCTVF T.AMn I NP PT.AN Plnnnina Prinrinles development of an area; they enable planners to effectively create the desired form of the city. The urban design elements that have been applied in the City of Sanger Comprehensive Land Use Plan are the neighborhood concept, commercial corridor and commercial node development forms, edges and transitions, screening walls and buffers, and focal points and entry statements. The urban design elements are applicable to future development, and should also be applied to existing development whenever possible. These elements should be considered when opportunities for redevelopment and revitalization arise in established areas of the city. By exercising flexibility in applying these elements to older areas of Sanger, existing development may be retrofitted to also utilize these planning principles and modify the existing development patterns and the city as a whole will benefit from increased efficiency and aesthetics. Residential Developm en t Forms A significant portion of the City is currently undeveloped. It consists of larger parcels that have been used primarily for agricultural purposes. The environment and character provided by these very large tracts have historically provided the area with its rural character, and is a real part of the character that the City is seeking to maintain. It is inevitable that residential growth will occur. The residential development market will pressure the division of these larger lots into significantly smaller lots. The challenge for the City is to permit the subdivision of this once rural land into urban lots and still maintain the rural nature that is desired. The inclusion of open space into subdivisions will greatly assist in accomplishing this. One way of accomplishing this is to establish a density per acre that is acceptable and then provide flexibility of development as long as that density is maintained. Density Equivalent Development. This concept is known as Density Equivalent Development. A policy of density equivalence has been applied to residential �••77i V ip +AL I" - Undeveloped Condition. _.: Example of 45 acre raw ranch- land that provides open space �•� 4 �� visability from roadways Y rrryl CITY OF SANGER ( 0TMPRPT-MMgTVR T .ANTI T TAR PT AN development. The following series of illustrations indicate two possible alternatives for developing the current undeveloped areas within the limits of Sanger. It is important to note that these two may be applied exclusively or may be Page 36n n� Planning PrinrinlPc modified to apply to the unique characteristics of each individual parcel. In addition, other development patterns relative to mixed -use development may be applied by using a Planned Development Conventional development typically uses all of the land for lots. Development of Sanger's undeveloped areas and open spaces, in this manner, would utilize all of the undeveloped land area for residential development Fortunately, large five -acre and even one -acre tracts of land do not bring the visual urban clutter that the typical 8,000 sq.ft. lot subdivision bring. But the integrity of the open spaces of the ranches is lost just the same. Even five- ' ►•�j» \ j r �" acre subdivisions require roadways to be constructed -4 1 /�� L��� k�i L Conventional Development throughout the subdivision. The + + 45Acres will be developed into smaller five -acre tracts still have JP,. L • 200 residential lots • 8,000 scift Per lot significant open space; however • No park or open space residences, out -buildings, and 1 + fences are much more numerous, • —� - creating a visual clutter of its own. Utilizing the Density Equivalent Development concept, the City can protect and preserve the open space ranch characteristic desired by the City. In addition, the visual impact from the perimeter roadway conveys a rural character under developed conditions. The development utilizes the existing open space area for • *_+!} �y' ist` j` Density Distrubution Develpment ` k�+t':r►�; �' `, • 45 Acres will be developed into: s i �• ` �' fry • 200residential lots ,�. y • 4.4 Units perAcres Density < <� t r;; , r r �' • 6,000 sci tt. Per lot �►;�`�'' ` r " • 10Ac. Of Parks and Open SpacE 11' L 7_ Y p �� !_11� A ; -I"'- '�d • Each lot has open space view • Total street paving reduced . » ` w • Rural view from the road r+. , L t �• '� • Same density as conventional • .. •, • •• buffers from adjacent roadways and to provide trail linkages to environmental features. This is a more cost effective alternative since expense to the City is less and there are less linear feet of roadway to maintain. Neighborhood Concept. The neighborhood concept is one of the oldest and most widely used and accepted practices in urban land use planning. This concept helps to create quality spaces in which people may live. The concept places primary emphasis on creating neighborhoods that are buffered from the impacts of elements from outside the neighborhood system. By utilizing a transition of land use CITY OF SANGER C'nT,M?FT-TTWRTVF. T .Amn T TNF PT AN Page 37 VWn n (P Plannino PrinrinlPc intensity, the most sensitive neighborhood element, residential use is protected from the effects of intense commercial use. The foundation of a neighborhood is its streets. Streets serve two primary purposes in neighborhood systems: to facilitate the movement of people and goods, and to serve as physical boundaries between adjacent land uses or neighborhoods. Streets should be designed and located so as to accomplish their purpose of efficient traffic service, while discouraging through traffic in neighborhoods. In order to maximize visibility and safety, intersections of more than two streets should be avoided, and intersections are required to meet at ninety -degree angles. The types of streets, their functions, and characteristics are described in detail in the Thoroughfares chapter of this document. Arterial streets define the limits of a neighborhood by bordering the area on all sides. These roads, which are designed for heavy traffic, are appropriate locations for commercial uses. The number of entrances from arterials into the neighborhood should be limited. This enhances the efficiency of the arterial system, while preventing a high volume of traffic from entering the neighborhood. Collector streets provide for circulation within the neighborhood; they connect local streets to the arterials. Collector streets are appropriate locations for moderate and limited high -density housing. Curvilinear street layout, rather than traditional grid patterns, should be designed, in order to limit traffic and slow traffic speed. Local streets provide direct access to residences, and carry a low volume of daily traffic. Like collectors, these roads should be curvilinear in design. In addition, the use of loops and cul-de-sacs will further reduce traffic speed and volume. The neighborhood concept considers the most appropriate location of different land uses within the neighborhood and on its boundaries. Low density housing should typically be located on the interior of the neighborhood, in order to protect the sensitive residential area from intense land use effects on the periphery of the neighborhood. Typically, larger neighborhoods should also provide for the location of schools and community facilities such as parks and fire stations within this central area. Moderate or high -density housing should be located toward the periphery of the neighborhood and on collector streets. These residential land uses may be used as a buffer area between commercial and lower density residential land uses. Commercial land uses should be located on the outer limits of the rvql CITY OF SANGER Page 38 n n ('11wT7F.T-TPNRTVF T.Amn TNP PT.AN Plannino Prinninlac neighborhood at intersections of arterial streets. These should be oriented toward the arterials, so as not to encourage commercial traffic in the residential neighborhood, and should incorporate buffer yards and/or screening fences when located adjacent to residential uses. Commercial land use within a neighborhood should be limited to retail sale of goods and personal services primarily for persons residing in the adjacent residential areas. The Neighborhood Transitions from higher to lesser intense uses should be considered whenever possible. Concept Parks should be located in the interior of the neighborhood, and accessed by a collector street. Floodplains may be utilized where possible. Arterial streets located at periphery of neighborhoods to carry traffic through the community and not through neighborhoods. F Conmrercial Land Uses should be oriented toward arterials. High traffic intersections are typically well suited. Primary access to commercial property should be restricted ,•`" when at all possible, to arterial streets. C-0 Multi -family residential land uses should take access from arterial or collector streets. Local streets should not carry the majority of multi -family traffic. Collector streets provide access to arterials and are designed to discourage through traffic. Their purpose is to collect traffic within the neighborhood onm and carry it to the arterial. 5 nopp�nq C.n'�e, Residential lots should never front on to arterial streets, even if it requires double frontage type lots. Elementary schools should be located in the interior of the neighborhood and along a collector street. Medium density residential land uses should be located such that access is provided from collector or local streets. Commercial property should not exceed 300 or 400 feet in depth, unless it is to be used as a shopping center In addition to the configuration of streets and the location of land uses within the neighborhood, criteria for lot design should be considered. Lots adjacent to arterial streets and corners should be deep and wide, with adequate rear and side yard setbacks to facilitate sight distances at street intersections. Low -density residential lots should not have direct access to adjacent arterials. This access would create safety hazards to the residents and impede traffic flow on the arterials. The above characteristics and criteria function collectively to protect the integrity of the neighborhood from external pressures and to enhance its identity. New Urbanism. In the last few years an emphasis has been placed on land development that increased the density of uses in order to conserve on utilities and natural resources. This emphasis has been called "smart growth". Its objective is to provide quality living, recreation, shopping, and work spaces that are located in close proximity to each other. In fact, the purest form of New Urbanism is to create rull CITY OF SANGER Page 39 n n (P C'nK/fPRRFfRNCTVR T.Amn TTCF Pt AN Plannino, PrinrinlPc mixed uses that discourage vehicular movement and encourage pedestrian movement. Grid system encourages pedestrian Streets are grid pattern to permit activity within the neotraditional easy access through neighbor - neighborhood unit. hood M11 ME � � � � Commercial core area contains NO ME ME � Al" mixed uses with residential, office, _ _ and retail uses ME ME "`lam a® " ME ON MEME -J ME ME Residential core area contains a 1�►A �, ® , d�:' t� mixture of residential densities IF MW -� am. on no �t 1 Single family core area contains a r B d 6 a a 111 �► � higher single family densities. New Urbanism / Neotraditional Neighborhood Concept The principles of New Urbanism can be applied increasingly to projects at the full range of scales from a single building to an entire master -planned development. The characteristics of New Urbanism or NeoTraditional have been summarized by the Congress of New Urbanism (www.NewUrbanism.com). These characteristics are provided below: ➢ Walkability: Most destinations, whether recreation, shopping, or dwelling, should be located within a 10-minute walk of home and work. The development should have a pedestrian friendly street design. Buildings are located close to the street. Porches, windows and doors are prevalent on the front of structures and face the tree -lined streets. On street parking is encouraged. The parking lots are designed so that they are secluded and hidden from street view. The residential garages are located along rear alleys. The streets are designed narrow to slow vehicle speeds through the neighborhood. ➢ Connectivity. The New Urbanism neighborhood is interconnected. The street grid network disperses traffic and eases walking. A high priority is given to providing high quality of pedestrian network that connects home to office and to play areas. CITY OF SANGFR Page 40 VW n CC)A/fPRRNRTTRTVR T .ANTI T TRF PT .AN Planninv Princinle ➢ Mixed Use: A mix of shops, offices, apartments, and homes are located on site. Mixed -uses occur within neighborhood, within block, and within buildings. The conventional segregation of land use as most "Euclidian zoning' provides does not occur. In its place coordinated placement of all types of land uses occur on one site. ➢ Mixed Housing: A varied range of types, sizes and prices of residential housing is located in closer proximity than in the conventional Neighborhood Unit Concept. ➢ Quality Architecture and Urban Design: The New Urbanism concept places an emphasis on beauty, aesthetics, human comfort, and creating a sense of place. Special placement of civic uses and sites within the community is encouraged. ➢ Smart Transportation: A primary goal of the New Urbanism concept is the promotion of having a network of high -quality trains connecting cities and towns together. The transportation goal of the New Urbanism community is to emphasize a pedestrian -friendly design that encourages a greater use of bicycles, rollerblades, scooters, and walking as daily transportation. ➢ Sustainability. New Urbanism is very ecology conscience. The application of this development style should have a minimal environmental impact on the environment. It should encourage less use of finite fuels. It increases more local production and promotes more pedestrian activity. It should be noted that the New Urbanism is a concept as is the Urban Neighborhood Unit concept presented earlier. Either residential development pattern can be acceptable, depending on the growth goals and objectives of the City. Residential Amenities The Steering Committee determined that the value and quality of residential development was not necessarily dependent on the size of the residential lot. The potential for large lot subdivisions to be less than desired quality was just as possible as subdivisions with smaller size lots. However, it was perceived that the potential for subdivisions, with smaller lots, to magnify undesired traits is greater because of the greater number of lots that occur when the subdivision is not of the highest quality. The desire is not to limit the number of lots, but to increase the potential for high quality features in the subdivision. This is accomplished by ruql CITY OF SANGFR Page 41 n n 4? CohAPRFT-TFNCTVF T.A11M TTOP PT AN Planninv PrincinlPc focusing on the amenities that are provided for the subdivision. Amenities may include items such as: ➢ Masonry exterior construction. ➢ Neotraditional residential construction. ➢ Articulation for structures. ➢ Landscaping. ➢ Subdivision entry design features. ➢ Perimeter walls and screening features. ➢ Pedestrian friendly neighborhoods. ➢ Decorative street features and signage. It would be rare indeed to find residential subdivisions that apply all of these features in one development. However, the application of numerous elements increases the opportunity to obtain a high quality residential development that establishes and maintains the value in residential development that is desired by the City. Amenity: Masonry Exterior Construction. It is the public perception that structures constructed of masonry, rock, or stone generally tend to be of higher construction standards, are more durable, and obtain greater appraised value than contemporary frame structures with wood siding. Masonry construction wears better and is generally less expensive to maintain. The general perception is that masonry constructed structures tend to be more aesthetically pleasing than wood siding structures. However, this perception may be somewhat flawed when considering architectural designs that promote the use of wood, such as Victorian construction CITY OF SANGER COhAPRFTIFNCTVR T .ANTI I TCF PT AN styles, which are found in many historic districts in Texas. It is not the intent of the Plan to endorse a particular construction material over another. With proper design any exterior construction would be satisfactory if it was consistent with the area environment rvnl Page 42 n n 4? Plannino Prinninlea and enhanced the property aesthetically, as well as economically. As an example, exterior construction materials in the historic areas west and south of Downtown should be consistent with the materials used in the historical homes. Amenity: Neotraditional Residential Construction. The home designs in Sanger should promote community. Neotraditional residential construction has become associated with the concept of neighborhoods that encouraged communication between neighbors. This occurs when places to live are designed into the subdivisions, particularly porches. Developments in other portions of the country have encouraged shorter set -back distances that encourages communication with neighbors walking along sidewalks and those sitting on the porches. Full Porch Limited Porch 1 Yrf' Amenity: Articulation For Structures. Home designs in Sanger should promote visual interest by providing a variety in appearance by changing horizontal and vertical planes in the surface of the structure. Unbroken planes on the surface of structures provide very little design opportunity and may be considered as mundane and uninteresting. The aesthetic value of the property is enhanced by visual articulation of these surfaces. Unarticulated Residential. - This residential structure appears to be significant in size; however the straight and unbroken surfaces of the roof and exterior walls are plain and uninteresting. They add nothing to the design of the structure. CT. i vl vruv�ui� Articulated Residential - Real visual interest is created by the varied planes and surfaces of tine design. Notice a variety of breaks in the roofline as well as the addition of dormers to add interest to the roof. The exterior walls have a variety of angles and affects to add to the articulation of the structure. -,43 C OMPRFT-MMgTVu T.AT\m TTop PT AM Plannina Prinrinlac Amenity: Landscaping. Landscaping adds to the quality of life of the residential neighborhood. Although much of the area covered by Sanger is prairie land, trees and other live landscape material is encouraged. Landscaping should include a variety of plant material. In addition, the planting should include material that will reach maturity in a short period of time. Planting of tree less than 3" caliper is discouraged. When possible, existing trees should be preserved. In addition, landscaping that encourages conservation of water should also be used. However, it is more critical to use native plants and trees than to use desert plants that are not native to North Central Texas. Amenity: Subdivision Entry Design Features. Entry features create, identify and emphasize the character and theme of a subdivision. All major subdivisions, those of 10 lots or greater shall provide a major entry for the subdivision. The entry provides an opportunity to continue a theme established by the City or neighborhood. The use of stone, landscaping, topographical relief, walls, public art, and water features should be used to create the desired theme. tv 7 I • Major subdivision entries typically Walls may be constructed of a have a divided landscaped blvd. variety of material, but many are of stone or decorative brick. • Design features such as public art should be of appropriate scale and should set the theme of the subdivision Amenity: Perimeter Fencing and Screening Features. All residential subdivisions should have decorative walls around the perimeter of the subdivision along identified thoroughfares. These walls identify the subdivision and help to establish the theme of the subdivision. It is also important that the perimeter fence/wall be installed as one unit. Often perimeter fences and walls are built on a "piece -meal" basis, with incremental portions being installed as construction occurs on the individual lots. This encourages inconsistency in material and weathering. CITY OF SANGER C C)N/rPRFNRNSTVF T .ANTI T TRF. PT .AN Page 44 n n Plnnnina Prinr.inlPc The fences and walls located along the perimeter roadways of a subdivision should be considered differently than those located in the interior of the subdivision, which may have common lines with other subdivisions. For fences and walls located on perimeter roadways, the City will require decorative walls to include varying combinations of masonry, stone, wood, and metal. In addition, these walls shall have articulation occurring vertically and horizontally and have landscaping integrated into the design. Fences and walls located along the interior boundaries of the subdivision may have much simpler designs that limit the masonry content to the support columns. Split rail fence may be decorative as well as funnctional. Split rail is particularly acceptable for interior boundary fences Combination of metal fence with masonry cohmns and base permits "openness " along the perimeter. Notice that extensive landscaping is included along the Perimeter line. Combination of wood fences with masonry columns mid bases is an appropriate fence. The capstones provide the vertical articulation. However, lmndscaping should be included as a pat of mry fence located along perimeter streets A natural rock wall is compatible with the environment and may be consh7ncted in such a manner that it appears to have historical significance. curbl'ne perimeter sheet curbine perimeter street roe fine � ro I' e screeni g wal easement ��(� screenT}g w7 eas F — • ` — masonry columns 3' o • emfions iron sections — - Fence Designs. Three foot screening wall easement allows for the screening fence to have horizontal aticulation. Lmndscaping should also be included as part of the fence/wall design CITY OF SANGER Page 45 (1 rl rfIwRFHFN3iVF LANTI TTRF. AT AN Alnnnino Prinninlaa Amenity: Pedestrian Friendly Neighborhoods. Sanger is committed to creating opportunities for pedestrian activity throughout the community. All new development must indicate how it plans to utilize the existing flood plain area for pedestrian purposes. In addition, linkage opportunities must be provided between neighborhoods and to the floodplain areas. Standard design parameters shall be developed and incorporated into the subdivision and site plan design criteria that provide for all new development. s V� 6' min. 1 6'•14' T Mn. Mull -Use Paths. ll'hen com- bined with equestrians use, the clearwice shoidd be a min. of 12 feet. Pedestrian Access to paths and trails mast be provided from subdivision interior to the pathway. Table 6.1 Recommended Minimum Standards For Trails and Paths Trail Type Minimum Standard Comments Minimum width should be used Multi -Use Paths. 6-10 feet only when volumes are low and sight distance is good. Sidewalk along local roadway. 4-6 feet Located in interior of neighborhoods. Roadway separation on 5 feet A physical barrier should be installed where the minimum Thoroughfare. standard cannot be met. 1 foot for pedestrian only Should be graded to the same slope Shoulders. as the path. 2 feet for multi -purpose Additional Lateral Clearance. 1 foot Should be graded to the same slope as the path. 8 feet for pedestrian and bicycles Vertical Clearance. 12 feet for equestrian CITY OF SANGER C nT,/fPRT7vmNCTVF T .ANTI T TCF PT AN Page 46 �n n (2 Planning PrinrinlPc Amenities: Decorative Street Features. Value is established in subdivisions where the "extras" are visible amenities. These extras indicate to visitors in the neighborhood that attention to detail has gone "the extra mile" in the subdivision. Providing "extras" of this nature will require that the subdivision have a homeowner's association that collects dues from the residents that allow maintenance of the amenities installed as extras. Brick enclosure. [Ndle it Double metal boxes Ornamental boxes provide Simple metal single. matches the structure and is provides separate boxes for separate boxes for owners Simple designs provide structurally strong, it is owners wid still provides on a single pedestal. aesthetic effect but do not without design and can be utility for mail carriers. Custom designs become a overpower the curb. overpowering at the curbside. These metal boxes are not natter of taste. overowerim, at the curb. Decorative Street Lamps. These come in a wide variety of styles. It is important that airy design address the "dark skies " connnitnrent that Sanger has made. In addition, the street lanps located in the interior of a subdivision may be on a smaller scale than those located along the perimeter roads. It is preferable that the style be simple and transferable to other subdivisions. Flexibility in design for each subdivision should be carefully weighted with the need for consistency between subdivisions. Regulation standards may be applied to wood carved signs for aesthetic appeal. Uniform Color on [� stylized posts may be used to combine design: with the established theme of the development. CITY OF SANGER i`nMPT?RNFNCTvR T .A1,M T TRF PT .AM Wood Post with simple design provides aesthetic variation in public rights -of -way. Other styles using metal posts may also apply. Page 47 n n (2 Plannina PrinninlPs Special Paving Treatment should be used at locations for emphasis, such as corner crosswalks or at locations where pedestrian paths and trails cross local roadways. Variation of different styles cmi add to the aesthetic quality of the site. Commercial Development Forms Variety of Colors and Styles are available and provide ,flexibility in design themes and texture of Residential goals and design approaches satisfy the community's needs where people live. The non-residential goals and design approaches expands that area of impact beyond the residential neighborhood. Not only are the residents living in the community impacted by the goals and design approaches presented by non- residential development, but those who visit and pass through the community receive their first impression of the community by the character of the non- residential development that is presented along the thoroughfares and intersections of the community. The Steering Committee was particularly focused on the corridors and intersections of the City as they developed the following goals and approaches. Although there will likely be opportunities to develop commercial properties in the context of the New Urbanism design pattern, the primary commercial development patterns will be in accordance with the commercial corridor and commercial node. The principles of these two patterns are general in nature and may be altered to fit the physical and special conditions of the site. The commercial node and corridor models are intended to prevent the development of "strip commercial" areas. The familiar characteristics of strip commercial include the following: ❑ Shallow lots, usually between 100 and 200 feet deep; ❑ Numerous small parcels with individual owners; ❑ Numerous curb cuts for entrances; ❑ Numerous small buildings with no architectural unity; ❑ Minimal (or no) landscaping in and around the parking lots; ❑ Limited parking usually restricted to the front setback area or along the street; and ❑ The lack of landscaping or other buffers, especially in the rear, with the adjacent residential areas exposed to a blighting influence. CITY OF SANGER oA/fpRFTTFNCTVF T .ANTI T TCF PT.AN ruql Page 48 n n (P Plnnnino PrinrinlPs Unchecked this development style will likely occur, and will be difficult to correct in the near future. However, future commercial development in Sanger should be required to incorporate the elements of Corridor and Node Commercial models into their design plans. Strip Commercial. Usually occurs along older established corridors that were existing prior to regulations that would prevent it. Notice: ❑ the multiple driveways, ❑ the f •ont entry parking off of the arterial street ❑ lack of lmidscaping in the front ymd ❑ lack of architectural unity mid design of the buildings ❑ shalloiv lots ❑ numerous narrow business Commercial Corridor Pattern, The commercial corridor development form emphasizes the location of commercial uses along an arterial. This development form is characterized by high intensity commercial use located near the intersections of major arterials, with less intense commercial uses located along the arterial between intersections. Commercial corridors should be limited in depth to 300 feet, in order to prevent conflicts in land use and minimize the potential of land - locking some properties. In order, to create cohesiveness among a variety of Commercial Corridor fLr r yam - Access to commercial property should not encroach Parking lot interiors and perimeters should be into residential neighborhoods. Primary access is landscaped to screen automobiles and break-up large directly from arterial streets. areas of pavement. Buffering between single family and commercial Corridor development should orient traffic toward •♦ uses may consist of landscaping, and/or solid walls. In arterial streets and discourage entry to residential addition, dumpsters and mechanical equipment areas neighborhoods. should be screened. Depth should be restricted to not more than 300 feet and not less than 150 CITY OF SANGER C0 MPRFT- FNCTVF T .A1.m T TqF PT AtJ Page 49 n n <2 Planning Prinninlez commercial uses, development guidelines should require uniform signage, shared driveways, and landscaping along the thoroughfare in commercial corridor developments. The Commercial Node Pattern. The commercial node development form consists of commercial land use that generally develops around intersections of major thoroughfares and around intersections of collector streets with arterial streets. A distinguishing characteristic of nodal development is that the commercial activity is directed toward the intersection, and does not extend along the intersecting streets. The size of a commercial node is generally not limited, but is determined by the type of commercial use at a particular location. A node may be small, containing neighborhood service type uses, or large shopping centers with a number of commercial structures. High intensity commercial uses are typically located at the intersection of arterial streets, while less intense commercial uses such as Commercial Node I ` ---a a//4 "A a a EPi pA0. Q D_LL ❖ Parking lot interiors and perimeters should be landscaped to screen automobiles and break-up large areas of pavement. ❖ Commercial Node activity is oriented toward the intersection of the intersecting arterial streets and does not extend laterally down the ------------- ❖ Unlike Corridor Commercial, Commercial Nodes should not be ^� restricted to 300 feet or less in depth. The commercial activity should determine the depth. i ti• Access to commercial property should not encroach into residential neighborhoods. Primary access is directly from arterial streets. ❖ Buffering between single family and commercial uses may consist of landscaping, and/or solid walls. In addition, dumpsters and mechanical equipment areas should be screened. professional offices may be used as a buffer between the high intensity uses and neighboring residential land use. Additional screening or landscaping should be used to further reduce the effects of the commercial uses on adjacent residential uses, and to define the boundary of the adjoining land uses. CITY OF SANGER C nr,APPPT-mmouvP T.ANTI TTCF PT AN Page 50 n n (P Plannino, Prinninlac Feature: Number and Location of Curb Cuts/Drives. Adequate distances between driveways will help to ensure the safety of motorists and pedestrians by reducing areas of potential conflict between vehicles attempting to enter or exit corridor properties. Conventional thinking of commercial development, in times past, Each business provided for a total of d driveways 0 0 0 0 1 2 S 4 Corridor Without Access Control at Undeveloped Condition Each business provided with two driveways for a total of 12 driveways control con- Fully developed corridorwithoutac- cess control encourages ,multiple driveway locations and creates poten- tial traffic conflicts. j mf1TilTlTfffT11_� � � IL�� -=IU- -11 " LIE:1- I ./ 0 00 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 S 4 3 6 7 a 9 10 41 12 Corridor Without Access Control at Developed Condition Each business provided with two access opportunities Fully developed corridorwith access control encourages use of shared driveways and cross access easements. m1j1jjj1jil11j11Hj numunwnuun 1 2 S 4 S 6 Corridor With Access Control at Developed Condition ruql CITY OF SANGER Page 51 , w n n (2 C'OT,i RRT-PMgTVR T.AhTTITTop PT AN Plnnnino PrinninlPs sought to provide numerous opportunities (at least 2 driveway cuts) for circulation on and off of each individual commercial site. Whereas this certainly provided access, there is no documentation that indicates a direct relationship with business profits and the number of driveways that are provided on a site. What has been documented is that the increased opportunity for traffic conflicts presented by increasing the number of intersections along a roadway significantly increased the vehicle collisions on the arterial. Increased distances between driveways do not necessarily inhibit access to commercial businesses. However, increased design speeds require increased separation distances, which certainly will be a challenge to commercial development. Table 6.2 Minimum Driveway Separation 25 105 30 125 35 150 40 185 45 230 50 275 Increasing the separation between driveways will, without a doubt, cause some properties to have a difficult time providing a driveway curb cut on their property. This is not unusual. Shared access between commercial properties and cross -access easements that provided access across property has been utilized to provide adequate access for commercial properties Feature; Shared Access and Cross LotAccess Easements, Shared driveways and cross - lot access easements are design methods that can provide adequate access while reducing the number of access driveways. These design methods are required for commercial development unless otherwise approved by the City. Shared driveways and easements will require the dedication of a joint -use, private access easement on each affected property. Shared easements must encompass the entire width of the planned driveway plus an additional width of one foot on both sides of the drive. rvql CITY OF SANGER Page 52 VW n n 2 C nKAPi?PT-wmgTVF T .AI Jn I TCF PT AN Pfanninv PrinninlPc Iiiilllllllll( "THHHHTrn III'�'''1■■■■ HHHHHHi HHHHUML —_�� -- -- -- • (11I I I�I Illl��l Il1llTTl1 , I I I I I I I I I I I I I 1111 I 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 150 ft. Minimum 1 150 ft. Minimum 150 ft. Minimum ' I !�—�tBttaly--i' epa to Minimum Driveway Separation at 35 mph Corridor Design Speed n(Illlummu nn 1 ' f55 a. Minimum �� f55 ft. Minimum 1 ' 1$5 ft. Minimum 1 epara non Separanon epara non04 Minimum Driveway Separation at40 mph Corridor Design Speed ' 230 8. Minimum 230 f. Minimum 1 Separation 0.4 .4 Separation 1 Minimum Driveway Separation at 45 mph Corridor Design Speed CITY OF SANGER Page 53 t22fn-(2-- ('OWRPTTTWO,TvP T .AIM TTRR PT AN Plnnnino PrinninlPs Feature: Distance From Intersection. The minimum and maximum distances to intersections from access driveways along an arterial roadway will be between 100 feet and 250 feet. The City Engineer will evaluate each driveway to determine a specific combination of dimensions within this range based upon the anticipated traffic flow and safety characteristics of the driveway and public street. The distance will be measured from the nearest edge of the driveway return to the intersecting street curb return. Feature: Service Drives. In conjunction with cross access easements and shared driveways, short service drives parallel to the thoroughfare will be implemented whenever possible. This is particularly important along corridors with narrow lots where individual driveways could result in numerous closely spaced driveways. In largely undeveloped areas, an individual temporary driveway would serve each site until adjacent lots were developed. At that time, a service road would be constructed to serve multiple lots, and the temporary drives would be closed and consolidated into one or two access points. At the time of development, easements would be reserved for use when the future permanent drive is developed. Feature: Parking Lot Designs. Parking lots, with their large expanses of asphalt and concrete and clutter of parked cars can be unsightly. Parking lots and drive lanes will comprise a significant amount of corridor area. Design of these improvements must provide an aesthetic appearance and still insure safe and efficient traffic circulation. • Curbs: Curbs must be provided on all driving and parking surfaces. Parking lots and driving areas generally have poor edge treatment. Often, the paving simply stops at grassed areas without the use of curbing. Therefore, a raised curb will be required for all parking and driving surfaces. • Wheel Stops (Curb Stops): When vehicles extend over the curb, landscaping can be destroyed. Wheel stops will be required for all head -in parking spaces adjacent to landscaped areas. Wheel stops will be designed so that the overhang of vehicles is contained totally within the parking space. • Striping. All parking lots will be striped in a manner that will clearly delineate parking spaces, fire lanes, and pedestrian crosswalks. Curbstop should be designed so that the landscaping and sidewalk area are protected for automobile overhang rvql CITY OF SANGER Page 54 Ffi n n 4? C .nNAPRFHFNCTVF T .ANTI T TCF PT AN Planning Princinlac In large lots with two-way drive lanes, directional arrows will be provided. Directional arrows will be provided for all one-way drive lanes and driveways. • Parking Lot Maneuvering. Off-street maneuvering areas and internal driveways must be sufficient for all vehicle movements into a parking space, up to a loading dock, or to safely accomplish any other turning movements. No back -in or back -out vehicle maneuvering from a driveway will be allowed onto any public street or right-of-way. Feature: Commercial Entry Statements. Every commercial development must have an entry feature that is appropriate in scale to the size of the development. Entry features can contribute to corridor safety and aesthetics by providing unique driveway entrances that are easily recognized and accessible. Entry features can also create identities for individual developments and help establish the character of the corridor as a whole. The incorporation of walls, berms, decorative fencing, and landscaping into any entry feature design is encouraged. Decorative signs, either freestanding or attached to a decorative wall or fences, which identify the project, should be encouraged at the primary project entrances. Stand-alone developments may provide the entry statement on either side of the drive entrance; whereas, multi-user commercial developments may incorporate the entry feature into a boulevard entrance. Entry.features should establish the theme of the commercial development. Material should be natural elements, including stone and rock. Plan should incorporate landscaping and special street treatment, in addition to signs and public art. Typical Entrance Feature CITY OF SANGFR Cf1WT2FNF1,JCTVF T .ANTI T TaF PT AN Page 55 n n R Planning PrinrinlPc Feature: Landscaping. The most flexible feature within commercial development is the landscaping. The developer has a wide range of options regarding the style and character of the landscaped area. However, it is important that the application of landscaping be consistent with an overall theme and not appear to be forced on the area. The use of large planters may be appropriate in areas that have an extensive quantity of concrete (see photo on next page). Plant material used on commercial sites should consist of a mixture of ground cover, shrubs, trees, and flowering plants that provide seasonal color. The tree material should generally be of varieties that require a minimum amount of maintenance. It is critical that an irrigation system be required for all landscaped area. Popular landscape trees for interior drive medians and parking lots include Live Oaks, Red Oaks, Aristocrat Pears, Mexican Plums, and Crape Myrtle for seasonal color, as shown below. L.Y. Live Oak Red Oak Pear Mexican Phan i Crave Mwile As part of the statement, shrubs and tall grasses are suggested to be incorporated into the treatment. The physical character of these grasses should be such that visible movement is apparent when blown by the wind. The following photographs are examples of these plant materials. Juniper Texas Needle Grass Dwarf Pampas Grass CITY OF SANGER Page 56 n n (. nhA-PRFNFNCTvF T.ANTITTwPLAN Plannina PrinrinlPc Occasionally, commercial development has vast expanses of concrete or asphalt. The usually inclination is that concrete hard surface areas prevent landscaping. However, innovative landscape treatment can utilize special containers and planters to provide a landscaped area on the hard surface. Landscape ordinances should be prepared to require a 'good faith' effort of the development community in providing landscape opportunities for all developments. Feature: Special Pavement Treatment. Special treatment of driving and walking surfaces can provide a noticeable and dramatic impact on the aesthetics of a commercial development. Pavement treatment may be used to: ❑ claim attention to the motorist by causing a series of vibrations during travel; ❑ define specific areas for pedestrian safe access across thoroughfares; and ❑ call attention to significant entry points by aesthetic application. The materials and techniques available for pavement treatment are varied. Intersection and crosswalks can be defined by construction of pavement with interlocking pavers in a variety of shapes and styles, as shown below. CITY OF SANGER CnNAPRFNFNRTVF T .ANII T TCF PT AN C—. ruql Page 57 VW n n g? Planning PrinrinlPc In addition to actual brick and stone paver material that can be arranged into aesthetic patterns, concrete may also be stamped to show a desired design. These "cookie -cutter" patterns often look like brick and stone pavers, while maintaining the integrity of the poured concrete. Examples of stamped paving treatment are provided below. Particular emphasis should be given to specific locations where pedestrian traffic crosses interior drive lanes. These accented pedestrian cross walks serve to identify the selected location for pedestrian traffic and discourage pedestrians from crossing drive lanes at uncontrolled and undesignated locations. J The intersection depicted, in the adjacent photograph indicates two different treatments. The crosswalk is shown in a dark paver with accent stripes on the edges. The intersection itself is accented with red brick pavers that call attention to the intersection. This result may be obtained hu usina the street navers as Feature: Illumination and Lighting. Illumination may create glare, reduce visibility of the night sky, and intrude upon adjacent properties. There is no question that illumination levels must be adequate to meet safety requirements and should enhance the visual quality of Sanger's commercial corridors. However, shielded light fixtures and appropriate illumination levels can accomplish this goal without causing light to extend to areas where it is not intended. • Illumination: Lighting should not produce glare across the bounding property line into a residentially zoned property; and, illumination levels must not exceed that which is necessary to adequately illuminate an area for the intended purpose. In addition, all lighting, including security lights, should be fully shielded with 80% cutoff, and should not allow upward CITY or SANGER C'f1wRRT-TANCTVR. T .ANTI T NT7 PT AN Page 58 n n Plannino Prinr.inlPc distribution of light Finally, all lighting not required for security purposes should be turned off after business hours. • Light Fixtures: Decorative lighting fixtures are encouraged. The design of lighting fixtures must be consistent with the character of the project and should be limited to the height and illumination required for safety purposes. uhe dl hat Is born unre r dd,'e and levelare of g ary N O The ht peens M urtac aptaWea n un ecglare and YESFleblensfbbuesprmttleeue7eriw face l'ghr gwtAn grealryreduced gsre and np up"gn Unshielded lights prevent appropdati cul-off of N O awn rgM yse f ues a eld am 20%h sending amut 2090 br he agra upnam and a0x nbrzOrQalyae- excessive light ating dare Unshielded Perking Lot Lights YEStna �eseng duek�aa,.naecurryrgfrsandresmen- tlal streetlghts can be r hbtlatl aih a f ap Nal pNides fu'l-cutuff I9"wih wda area coverage II 'ill 80°Cut-od t� @ NOUd;acem:Jed apjacrohts provide ertessh'elAs nd eded tidecn as,f a g a<rdsspmpedy boUntlalEs and pro- Ntle e>xesstx Bare renectbre. h,ebw 4ure vonfrol he JgMt intern YESFlat ense shore and gnt tra paS the mInInk internal no up'ig" is prmuced. 90° cut-0fi Shielded Parking Lot Lights Feature: Signs. In an attempt to attract attention from passing motorists, merchants tend to desire signs that are larger, taller, and brighter than others in the area. This often results in "sign pollution", which is a clutter of signs that are confusing to read and unpleasant to view. Fewer and shorter signs with less intense illumination can present a sense of order and can improve the view for passing motorists. In addition to currently existing City sign regulations, commercial developments shall provide an integrated sign design for the City's evaluation and approval. The City's evaluation will include consideration of, but will not be limited to, features such as sign material, shape, location, total size, size in proportion to signs on adjacent and nearby properties, and integration with the design and style of the structures. In addition, multi -tenant signs are encouraged to help reduce the number of signs within a commercial development. Pole signs shall be discouraged in the City, with the possible exception of signs located adjacent to I-35. Because of the increased speeds along these freeway ruql CITY OF SANGFR Page 59 VWn n ( IlWRFNFTTCTVF T .ANII TTNF PT AN Plannina Prinninlaa systems, Pole signs will be appropriate, however only under strict height and spacing regulations. All other locations may have monument type signs as freestanding signs or structure attached signs. Feature: Building Articulation. Building design is an important component of the appearance of the commercial corridor. It is a major element contributing to corridor identity and character. Although it is not necessary for all projects along the length of a corridor to have the same architectural style, the architecture of each project should accomplish the following: ❑ Help create an identity for the project, ❑ Reflect the character of the community, and ❑ Enhance the image of the corridor. The architectural appearance of a building is related to its shape, roof design, window and door treatments, porches, and the number of surface planes created. For example, flat roofs are unattractive as compared to roofs with slope. The corridor regulations should encourage articulation in the structures. Square buildings with straight, box -shaped storefronts should be discouraged. The following architectural features should be addressed in the corridor design standards. ❑ Except in primarily pedestrian oriented areas where buildings would be located close to the sidewalk, two-story structures are prohibited within the first 100 feet of any lot It is important to maintain the scale and aesthetic character of the corridor. Multi -story structures set close to the corridor tend to disrupt the visual effect of the landscaping and other aesthetic treatments applied throughout the corridor. ❑ All exterior surfaces of structures are limited to brick or stone. Concrete block and stucco are prohibited. Metal on exterior facing public property is prohibited. However, allowances may be made to permit the use of wood, glass, or other material, when that material completes the architectural theme of the structure. Use of these materials must be specifically approved. CITY OF SANGER Page 60 F n n? C..(IwRFT-TFNCTVF T.ANTI ITcF PT AN Plannina PrinninlPs ❑ The structure should include articulation in the walls and roof design. Single, uninterrupted surface -planes should not be permitted. The roof of the structure may be a flat roof construction, but must provide a variation of the roofline, which may include a pitched roof for architectural relief. ❑ Coordinated awnings, signage, window treatment, and/or other similar building components should be encouraged in order to establish a coordinated theme and project identity. Surface relief produced by changing the material and color of brick and stone can add to the appearance and create variations that may not be as pronounced as they actually are. Lack of Articulation: Even extensive treatment of landscaping, awnings, and otherfrills cannot overcome a structure that has no variety in its horizontal and vertical surfaces. Articulation provides a break i, the horizontal and the vertice surfaces of the structure. I addition the cured entr treatment adds to the diversit of the structure. lccents provided by varying the tone material mid pattenu add 7 the diversity of the structure. fecents around the windows crud on the comers cause the eye 7 perceive articulated sunfaces. Feature: Building Exterior Construction. The material used for building construction shall be compatible with native material. Brick, stone, and rock are required. The use of wood as trim for doors and windows is an appropriate application of natural materials. High-tech glass buildings, although architecturally ruql CITY OF SANGER Page 61 n n 4? C.OhifPRPUPNTRTVP T.AI TM TNP PT.AN Plnnnina Prinr.inlPs acceptable in most areas, does not lend itself well to the rural context of Sanger. Although glass is not prohibited in any manner, its use should enhance and accent the native materials common to Sanger. COnnectNl It is an established fact that the purpose of residential neighborhoods is for dwelling and recreation. As such, neighborhoods should be pedestrian oriented. Contemporary designs for residential neighborhoods have emphasized the circulation of vehicle traffic to, through, and around the neighborhood. Most residents do not use their vehicle inside the neighborhood. Circulation through the neighborhood by the residents of the neighborhood is preferred to occur on foot or by other modes of transportation, such as bicycles, in -line skates, and in some cases golf -carts. Unfortunately, the development community has emphasized the construction of streets and minimized the provision of circulation systems for pedestrians. The well -designed neighborhood should include the appropriate circulation of both vehicle and pedestrian interests. It is also critical to note that streets are designed for vehicles not pedestrians. Therefore, the reliance on a ribbon of concrete adjacent to the street as a pedestrian pathway is the least desirable manner of providing pedestrian circulation facilities. Each subdivision should be designed such that a separate pedestrian circulation system and a vehicular circulation system are provided. The two systems may coincide occasionally, but the vehicular roadways must not be the sole evidence of pedestrian circulation. Pedestrian traffic should not be ♦� • ?r 3'.P�y s f� " �� t F � dependent on vehicular streets; ` � however it can run adjacent along ;� `��� some street sections A.;' %-A, ~ ��� i iIL r Vehicular traffic should be conform r to thoroughfare classifications; however roadways must connect w F adjacent and future neighborhoods CITY OF SANGER CON4PPFNFNCTVF. T .ANTI T TCF PT AN rvql Page 62 VWn n (2 Plannino Prinrinit.c Screening Walls and Buffers Unfortunately, it is inevitable that conflicting land uses will occasionally be located next to one another. When this occurs, the appropriate action is to provide a means to soften the impact of the more intense use. This may be accomplished in two ways: by constructing screening walls, or by providing a buffer area between the two incompatible uses. The preferred option would be to have a significant open space area located between the uses. When that is not possible, the next preferred option would be to have the combined use of a screening wall and landscaping. Screening Walls. Walls that are used for the purpose of screening incompatible uses should be solid. Wooden fences should not be allowed for this purpose because the properties of a wooden fence cannot offer an adequate barrier to offensive impacts from adjacent uses, and they have a tendency to deteriorate over a short period of time. They may eventually lose panels and cease to function as a visual barrier. The visual unsightliness of deteriorated wooden fences may constitute a more offensive situation than the unscreened incompatible uses. For these reasons, it is recommended that screening walls consist of solid masonry material. When combined with landscaping, this type of buffer provides an adequate barrier from visual and sound pollution of adjacent incompatible uses. Screening walls placed adjacent to public roadways should always be combined with a variety of landscaping material. This will help to avoid a "tunnel effect" which may occur along a road which is lined on both sides with fencing or screening walls. Landscaping combined with fencing or screening walls not only improves the appearance along the roadway, but increases protection from the noise of a high traffic thoroughfare. In addition to landscaping, construction techniques should be used that provide for a visual variation in wall pattern and elevation. In addition, instead of a straight alignment along the property line, a ten -foot screening easement may be permitted adjacent to the property line to permit a curving in -and - out alignment within the easement. Landscape Buffers. Incompatible land uses may also be effectively screened with the use of landscaping material. There may be occasions where a screening wall, while limiting access, does not provide adequate characteristics to buffer against sound or visual effects from adjacent property. This may occur, for example, when an intense commercial or industrial use is located on an elevation significantly CITY OF SANGER Page 63 f C(lWRFNFMgTVP T.ANTI TNP PT AN Plnnnina PrincinlPc above a less intense residential use. When the elevation at the foot of the screening wall is at least four feet lower than the base of the commercial or industrial structure being screened, a wall may not sufficiently screen the commercial or industrial use. Since it is unreasonable to expect a wall to be constructed that would be tall enough to accomplish the screening, the use of landscaping is necessary. For all sites which exhibit this condition, it is recommended that trees, at least three inches in diameter at planting, be placed along the screening wall at acceptable intervals. If sufficient land area exists between the incompatible land uses, the commercial or industrial use may wish to incorporate the use of berms in the screening and buffering plan. Focal Points and Entry Statements Focal points and entry statements are design elements that are used to draw attention to significant areas of the city. These elements, which are intended to make a statement about the community, may incorporate a combination of landscaping, decorative pavers, banners or signage, street furniture, and statuary in order to create interest in a particular jocation, and establish a community theme throughout the city. Focal points are used in locations where unique characteristics are evident such as Downtown. This area is different from other areas of the city because of the amount of traffic and visibility. Other areas could also become focal points in order to emphasis the unique character of these other locations. It may be beneficial to establish a theme, when similar elements are placed throughout the community. Focal points could also be established at other city owned facilities by using uniform signage incorporating the city's logo at each location. Focal points may be simple or elaborate; the primary importance is placed on setting special areas apart and establishing a theme for the City.' CITY or SANGER Page 64 n11g.� ('nNATPRi7ui7mCTVR T .ANn T TOP PT AN Plnnnina PrinninlPc Entry statements, like focal points, are intended to communicate to a resident or visitor that they have entered a new place. Entry statements, as the name implies, are special treatments applied where significant amounts of traffic enter the city. Monument signage, a flag with the City's logo, or landscaping treatment may be used to maximize these locations and focus a driver's attention. Major points of entry for the City of Sanger are the roadways from the grade separations along the freeways; and are indicated on the Future Land Use Plan. Flags & Decorative Signage dt §� iiii { r Walls & Landscaping Entry Statement Examples Both entry statements and focal points should be unique to Sanger, and should cause those entering the community to recognize that they have entered Sanger, Texas. Points of entry and focal point statements should be seen as an opportunity to "put the City's best foot forward." CITY OF SANGER Page 65 J fin f ONAPRPUPWCtVP T .Aim T NP PT .AN Plannina PrinrinlPa criapier 7. Future Land Use Plan A number of factors must be considered when planning for the future development of a city. The primary factor is the set of goals and objectives developed by the citizens and city leaders. These goals and objectives are the foundation on which the future development of the city should be based. They work together to compose an image of the type of city that residents want Sanger to be at the point of ultimate development. The Future Land Use Plan map indicates how all of the land in the City is planned to be utilized, based on these goals and objectives. The City of Sanger's goals and objectives are described in the Goals and Objectives chapter of this document. Physical elements (including major roadways, railroads, the floodplain and flood - prone areas) also have an impact upon a city's development. These physical features serve as barriers to development, and can be either naturally formed or man-made. A number of physical features affect present and future development in Sanger, but with careful planning, these potential obstacles may be turned into opportunities. There are also several basic planning principles that must be considered when preparing a Future Land Use Plan. Nodal and corridor commercial development forms and the neighborhood concept are the basis for land use configurations in the Sanger Comprehensive Land Use Plan. These concepts are described in detail in the Planning Principles chapter of this document. Physical Features The City of Sanger has physical boundaries located on the south and east. To the south is the 100 year Clear Creek floodplain and to the east is Lake Ray Roberts. The railroad tracks Interstate 35 are major barriers within the City of Sanger. These two modes of transportation, while providing significant opportunities for economic development and access, also restrict internal movement and tend to bisect and separate the city into two discernable halves. CITY OF SANGER Page 67 n n C.nT,APPPPVWRTvP T .ATM I TCF PT ATQ Flltltt P. T .And I TCP. Min Freeways. I-35 is a man made barrier that impacts the physical growth possibilities within Sanger. The noise from the freeway and traffic volumes around the I-35 makes the areas in close proximity generally undesirable areas for residential development. The good transportation access provided by the freeway serve these same areas as very desirable for commercial, heavy commercial or industrial use. By locating intense uses in close proximity to transportation venues, heavy truck traffic may be reduced in lighter commercial areas. In each of these situations, landscaping and screening should be incorporated to lessen the harsh visual impact of the industrial uses on adjacent properties, and especially to present an attractive view for travelers on I-35 traveling through Sanger. Railroad. The railroad track creates a major obstacle to development, since there are no roadway grade separations within the corporate limits of the City of Sanger. With major trains passing through the city several times a day the traffic flow is disrupted, emergency services are compromised and local residents are inconvenienced. Since these are at -grade crossing they also pose a safety hazard for automobiles, commercial, bicycles and pedestrians. Although all of the at -grade crossings are signalized with flashing lights and some with traffic control arms, the possibility of accidents is always present Even though the number of railroad crossing accidents is low, the fatality rate for accident victims involved in a railroad related accident is usually very high. Clear Creek Floodplain. The City of Sanger has several creeks that are natural barriers to development. Areas along the creeks are designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as flood prone land. Where flood prone land is located in close proximity to freeways and major arterials, the suitability for residential development decreases. However, opportunities for residential development may be enhanced by permanent open space adjacent to flood prone areas. Flood prone areas can then be incorporated into linear parks, public open space, and other recreation schemes compatible with residential development. The floodplain area is an appropriate location for linear parks, equestrian trails, and pathways for pedestrians and bicycles. These can all be done while preserving the natural beauty and existing trees and vegetation of the floodplain area. Planning Principles The planning principles used in the Sanger Comprehensive Land Use planning effort help determine the urban form of the City. Urban form is generally defined as the CITY OF SANGER Page 68 n n C(1Ti m7T-wm.vr F T .Aim T TRF PT AN Fi4ime. T Anfl T TSe. PIAn physical pattern and configuration that cities take as land is developed. The urban form elements used in the City of Sanger Comprehensive Land Use Plan are detailed in Chapter 6. Although development opportunities may arise in the future that are not consistent with the Future Land Use Plan map, such development would not necessarily be inconsistent with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. In these situations, the development should be required to occur in accordance with the planning principles and development goals as defined in this Comprehensive Land Use Plan text document. Therefore, in situations where it appears that the character of development is consistent with the principles described in the Comprehensive Plan text, deviations and/or variations from the Future Land Use Plan map may occur. Sanger's neighborhoods are currently developing and have not yet achieved the classic neighborhood concept form. As the streets and roadway develop in conformance with the Master Thoroughfare Plan these neighborhoods should grow and mature. Future Land Use The Future Land Use Plan illustrates the future pattern of land use for the City of Sanger. This plan was developed through the workshops of the planning process. Residential Land Use: Although the zoning ordinance may permit a variety of residential districts, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan addresses three densities: Rural Residential, Urban Low Density, and Urban High Density. These designations are not intended to represent zoning categories but reflect a direct relationship between these categories and zoning districts. Higher densities will be promoted and appropriate upon site specific application on individual properties. Uses other than single family will be permitted by specific approval of each project. This flexibility will permit zero lot -line and higher density development as provided for in this text at site specific locations and upon approval of a planned unit development~ The Rural Residential area is generally that area that is planned for the lowest density in the City, whatever that density may be. Currently it is one unit for every five acres. However, this plan realizes that development may occur in this area and provide for lots less than five acres. In that sense, the Rural Residential designation represents lots that are greater than 1-1/2 acre and possibly greater than five acres. run, CITY of SANGER Page 69 1 (1 n rr C.ON/tPRFT-MNSTVF T .A71M T Top PLAN FntnrP T .nnd T TcP Plan The Urban Low -Density Residential areas represent property that will likely be between 1 acre and 1-1/2 acres. These are generally areas that have already been developed as subdivisions and are not candidates for future development The Urban High -Density Residential area represents properties that are candidates for development normally associated with platted lots within the corporate limits of a city. This designation does not intend to zone lot sizes for these purposes but is basically directing higher density growth into this area if it is to occur. It is important to note that higher density zoning may occur in any of the above described areas if such development has been approved by the City Council. However, the principles of design, buffer, and transition will still be applicable for any development. Commercial Land Use. Outside of public and quasi -public uses, non-residential uses in Sanger are generally limited to commercial type uses. The zoning ordinance provides for office, retail, and commercial type uses. These uses are concentrated along IH 35 and along Fifth Street and FM 455. Commercial uses are generally limited to node type commercial that are focused on specific intersections of principle arterials. The Node Commercial principle encourages all traffic at these sites to be focused on the arterial. No traffic is permitted to invade the residential community. It is likely these will be basic service and retail businesses. Corridor Commercial uses are generally focused on major and minor arterial roadways such as I-35 and FM 455. These corridors are typically 250 to 300 feet in width. Distances greater than 300 feet run the risk of having out -parcels divided off in the rear removed from visibility and access by the property along the highway. This does not mean that commercial property that exceeds the 300 foot depth is not permitted; upon presentation of specific plans developments greater than the 300 foot distance will certainly be appropriate. Commercial Land Use. Outside of public and quasi -public uses, non-residential uses in Sanger are generally limited to commercial type uses. The zoning ordinance provides for clean industrial type uses; however, there is a limited amount of property particularly suited for industrial, since those are generally located adjacent to railroads or Interstate Highways CITY OF SANGER Page 70 r n n nN/fPRFT-MM'gTvF T .Atom T TRF PT AN Fi itt ire T .and TT-,P. Plan Industrial Land Use. Industrial land uses are the most intense in nature. This intensity makes location requirements very important. Industrial uses should be located near major arterials in order to provide easy access to semi -trailer trucks. Commercial land use and open space should be used to buffer residential development from the effects of industrial land use. Regulations regarding landscaping and performance standards should be imposed, in order, to ensure that future industrial land uses will be an asset to the City of Sanger. It must be noted that industrial use planned for Sanger should be what is commonly described as "clean industrial". This means industrial uses that do not emit discharges into the air or water. Offensive uses such as rendering plants, food processing plants, and feed lots are also unacceptable industrial uses. Industrial uses are planned to be located between I-35 and the railroad, generally north of FM 455, In addition a small portion of industrial is located and will continue to be located on the eastern limits of the downtown area. This is dictated partially in that industrial uses are already in that vicinity. However, the focus on new industrial uses will be directed to the area located north of FM 455. CITY OF SANGER Page 71 �n CnN/fPRF1-WM0,TVF T .ANTI I TCF PT AN Fiitnre T .snrl T TcP Plan w N J ��z Ivi �y I _AlL CITY OF SANGFR Page 72 n n CnwRFT- i;wgTvF T .AWn T TcF PT AN Fntiire. T .and Ike Plan Chap ter• & Heritage Preservation Sanger has a rich heritage that is present in much of its existing structures. Although there are significant residential structures with historic significance, the focal of the historic emphasis should first be the commercial downtown. The historic interests in the City should determine, with the City government, the nature and focus of historical efforts within the city. At a very minimum, the City should consider establishing basic regulations that preserve and encourage the rural heritage of the city. This will require the historic preservation ordinance and in addition to zoning criteria to enforce any such historic preservation efforts. Further efforts should be addressed as a follow-up to this Comprehensive Plan. Among those efforts include: ➢ Identification and establishment of a historical district. ➢ Adoption of zoning regulations in the historical district. ➢ Historical Preservation Commission to promote preservation of commercial and residential structures. ➢ Preparation of a Historical Design Guideline for Commercial and Residential structures. ➢ Preparation and adoption of a Historic Preservation Plan. Historic or Heritage preservation efforts should include at a minimum the following elements: CITY OF SANGER Page 73 CnhAPT?FummgTVF T.Amn TTSF PT AN HPritnae PrecPrvation Heritage Element - Commercial Styles The structural styles found in the Sanger downtown are generally of three styles, as defined by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, as defined in The Buildings of Main Street - A Guide to American Commercial Architecture. Future construction and reconstruction should be consistent with the design characteristics contained there in. Most of the structures are comprised of a One -Part Commercial Block, Enframed Window Wall, or Two -Part Commercial Block style. The scale of future construction should be consistent with these styles. The One -Part Commercial Block style is simple box construction that has a decorative facade and definite urban characteristics. It is a common style that is prevalent in small towns across Texas. Most of these structures were constructed in the late 191h century and early 20th century. A sizable wall area often exists between the windows and the cornice for the purpose of providing for advertisements and to make the structure appear to be larger than it actually is. ci l o - Pa'� ConL C r�tmercial Two one - Part 9i In comparison the Enframed Window Wall style was a product of the early 20th century, with its popularity extending into the 1940's. Although, the units located in the above photograph all have period awnings, the enframed window structures often did not have an awning at all. These structures accented the advertising nature of the contents within the window by framing large expanses of glass with little or no wall structure between them. The Two -Part Commercial Block style was the most common style of commercial structure that was used for small and modest -sized structures. These structures were generally limited to two to four stories in height. There are only two story structures located in Sanger. This style was prevalent within the time period of 1850 to 1950. The two parts reflect the different uses of the CITY OF SANGER C'oK4PRFT m.gTVP. T .AXTn T Top PT AST Two -Part Block rull Page 74 n n TTP.ritAOP. PrPePrvation structures on the different floors. The first floors were generally retail and service commercial uses. The upper story was utilized for uses that were more private and less intense than the first floor. The uses on the second floor could consist of office space, hotel rooms, meeting rooms, and even residential spaces. Heritage Elements Scale and Placement When we consider scale and placement for structures in the Sanger downtown area it is important that we realize that a reasonable rule of thumb is to maintain the consistency of the existing structures. Currently, the majority of structures are single story. All of the two story structures are of a Two -Part Commercial Block style. Therefore any future structure should be of a similar style. However, even then, it would be uncharacteristic to construct any two story mid -block. Most of the Two -Part Commercial Block structures are located on the corners. All future construction should be of either the One -Part Commercial Block, Enframed Window Wall, or Two -Part Commercial Block. An illustration pertaining to the relationship of sizes of structures placed in infill sites is provided as follows. MOM ���� 11111111 il: I,.. N I- min Heritage Element - Original Structure Design In order to maintain the Heritage of the Sanger downtown, it is important that the original style of construction be maintained. As identified earlier, the three basic styles of One -Part Commercial Block, Enframed Window, and Two -Part Commercial CITY OF SANGER Page 75 n n C0MPRRT-TAN1,TVA T.ANTITTCRPT AN HPritaoa PrP.SP.rvAtlnn Block should be applied for any new construction located within the designated heritage overlay area. In addition, any reconstruction or remodeling should also encourage the removal of modern storefront modifications. Many communities have had business owners apply false facades to the original buildings. This often consists of aluminum siding or construction of mansard type construction on the original commercial facility. Remodeling and reconstruction should not encourage the construction of such facades and should encourage the removal of any existing modernization of the original structure. Heritage Element; Awnings and Canopies. Awnings and canopies have always added both a design feature as well as a functional element to the front of commercial buildings. Whereas the `bubble' style of awnings is functional and appropriate at some locations, they are not appropriate for the Heritage area. Awnings and canopies that are historically significant are `rolled' awnings or 'flat' canopies. Awnings and canopies should be made of canvas or metal, which are characteristic of historic commercial buildings. In addition, the placement of awnings should relate to each individual window and not extend continuously across the face of the building incorporating all the windows under one awning. Heritage Element - It is apparent that the signs located in the Heritage District should be such that they do not detract from the historical character of the area. Regulations should be adopted that reflect the appropriate signage that is permissible within the district. There are some rule of thumb parameters that should be considered, and may be incorporated into regulation at a later date. CITY OF SANGER C(-)WT?FRFNCTVF T .Aiin T TNF PT AN Page 76 n n 4? HP.rltnae.. PTPCPrvntlnn n This is a two-part cau- �" inercial block structure that {• :, •-,'`�. has the appropriate scale ID si•gnage, but notice due lt awning is rwrlirururcc rather �. `. than indiridaul /ar each - ice: t j u'indmr which is pre%erred One -purl commercial block i 1 - SUvcture with signs propor- tional to the scale and churac•- II :ate Ier of the.cn'uc•nar Avoid clutter and limit the number and size of the signs. Where this has already occurred, future permits and development of the property will correct over time. Signage should be integrated into the design of the building where at all possible. Smaller signs are encouraged that are pedestrian in scale. These are signs that are not required to be of a size that they can be read from a moving vehicle. These signs include projecting signs over the walkway, awning signs, and sandwich boards, The signs should be limited to generally one to business on structures that have multiple businesses. Prohibited signs include roof -mounted signs, off -premise signs, flashing light signs, or neon signs. It is preferred that the lighting of signs not be backlit. Heritage Preservation Plan Efforts with the City of Sanger have determined that the desire of the City is to maintain the visual impact of the City's early heritage. Although adherence to historic preservation principles will be encouraged, the design criteria for the Heritage area will use historical architectural guidelines to protect the appearance CITY OF SANGER Page 77 n n 4? CnWRFUTWSTVF T .AT�TD T Tci;' PT AN HP.ritAOP. PTP.SP.rvAtinn of historical areas. The desire is to maintain the character of the early heritage of the City. This does not mean that historical accuracy will be ignored; rather it intends to provide flexibility in maintenance and new construction within the Heritage area. The approach to preserving the physical history of buildings and places is a very subjective thing for municipalities. Likewise there are numerous programs and processes that may be selected to accomplish the desired end. There is no mandatory rule regarding action or process that a City must observe. Depending on the individual interest and commitment there are a number of directions in which Sanger could choose that would provide reasonable attention to the historic needs of the City. None of these directions or efforts is a prerequisite for the other, although there is a logical sequence in which some of them occur. In addition, all or any combination of these efforts may be appropriate for the City to pursue, depending on the desire and interest of the City: ➢ Identify Historic Preservation needs in the Comprehensive Plan. ➢ Prepare a Historic Preservation Plan for Sanger. ➢ Adopt a Historic Preservation Overlay District and/or Design Guidelines in the Zoning Ordinance. ➢ Prepare a Historic Preservation Design document. ➢ Support Historic Preservation Commission. ➢ Conduct a Historic Structure Survey (THC). ➢ Acquire certification as Certified Local Government Heritage Preservation Needs in the Comprehensive Plan Historically, the Comprehensive Plan has identified actions that need to be addressed to assure the orderly and appropriate development of land uses for a community. Preservation of historic structures and places is not always a central tlleme In many Comprehensive Plans. However, when the goals and objectives of future development determine that preservation of the historic heritage is a critical element of the growth of a municipality, it should be addressed in the plan. It is not necessary that a detailed historic preservation plan be provided in the Comprehensive Plan. In fact, simply to identify the needs, give basic direction as to CITY OF SANGER Page 78 C'.nK4PRFVMMgTVF T .ANTI T TNF PT AN Mt-..ritnaP. Pracarvatinn the City's goals for historic places and locations, and designate a boundary may be adequate information in a Comprehensive Plan. Identification of the historic direction of the City in the Comprehensive Plan will provide authority and justification for further action in that area by the City. Zoning ordinances are authorized and justified by the state statutes when they are developed in accordance with a Comprehensive Plan. So, although detail information is not provided in the Comprehensive Plan, revisions and amendments to zoning ordinances and future detailed studies may be a logical outgrowth of identifying the historic needs in the Comprehensive Plan. Therefore, in any future update of the Comprehensive Plan the topic must be addressed. Preparation of Heritage Preservation Plan Typically, once a city has identified the need to document its historic development needs, a more detailed study will follow as an outgrowth of the Comprehensive Plan. In particular, the Preservation Plan would identify locations of particular historic interest, identify and describe individual structures of historic interests, and possibly identify structures that have historic significance that may not particularly be considered as being qualified for the state and national historic register. The Heritage Preservation Plan will identify specific needs and approaches to historic efforts by the City. Specific plans regarding urban design of the streetscapes will be provided. Themes for development of particular areas such as the core business area, adjacent historic homes, and business corridors will be selected and presented. This process usually involves persons who have particular interests in historic character of the community and by all means it would include the property owners. This document would function as the base document for detailed implementation documents, which may include regulatory documents. In addition, it may me quite detailed regarding facades, signage, material, and design. The document would certainly identify possible steps of implementation of the Heritage Preservation Plan and could be adopted by the Council as a Historical Preservation policy statement Adopt a Heritage Preservation Overlay District and Design Guidelines At any time that the city determines that they have particular historic characteristics within certain areas of the community they can establish rules and regulations governing how land is used and developed within those areas. The district regulations rvql CITY OF SANGER Page 79 u.�m C ..(1WRFWMRTVF T .Atin T TSF PT .AN Heritn oP PTP.CP.rvAtinn L� contained within the ordinance is totally dependent on the level of attention that the community wishes to pay to the designated areas. At a minimum, new construction will be required to promote the period or character of the existing structures. These regulations will likely require additional review requirements at the time of site plan approval or rezoning. Uses permitted within the district will be carefully limited to those uses that will enhance the historic theme of the district Specific regulations regarding to signage, parking, and building material would also be addressed. It is important to note that, although architectural control is important, the overlay district is riot required to have art Architectural Control Board established to review arty changes made to the structures. Many cities handle this with the Planning and Zoning Commissior. and Council. The Planning and Zo..ing Commission may Ax I advisory . bodies selected that can provide technical input by providing an independent architectural review; However, that is usually arcrompliched by independent sources knowledgeable in historic preservation techniques. _Prepare a Heritage Preservation nesian nocament This document is an implementation tool for individuals responsible for historic preservation within the community. It is also a necessary document for property owners wishing to know what is required of new and rehabilitation construction for structures. This document is more detailed and specific than the Heritage Preservation Plan, described earlier. The design document outlines specific designs and treatment for structure and property located within the historic preservation area. It is not necessary to adopt the Heritage Preservation Design Document as part of the Heritage Preservation Overlay District It can actually be adopted as a reference document to the Overlay District and the Heritage Preservation Plan. There are many communities that do not develop a Design Document but rely totally on the information provided in the Preservation Plan. Heritage Preservation Commission Communities recognize that there are people within the community who are particularly talented and gifted regarding working with historic structures and sites. It is often prudent to select a group of these people to serve as a committee to review proposed changes and applications of new construction and reconstruction within the designated Heritage area. The commission will use the adopted documents as their guide in their review of the submitted applications. CITY OF SANGER Page $0 C'nT, PRFUFNRTvF T .ANn T TcF PVAN UeritaoP PrPePrvatinn The authority provided to this board may be either advisory or regulatory. In many cases the commission will act in an advisory capacity to the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council. However, the City may give the commission the level of authority that it deems required to fulfill the City's Heritage Preservation Goals. It must be noted that many cities that have active commission who function as regulatory bodies having authority to deny and approve submitted applications, also have paid staff members who work as liaison persons with that board. The commission may also be responsible for reviewing demolition requests as well as reviewing architectural enhancements and remodels. Conduct a Historic Structure Survey (THC) Cities may elect to participate in programs established by the Texas Historic Commission and/or the National Register of Historic Places. Listing in these registers is a highly selective process and requires that the property be evaluated by an extensive process. This is often aided by the Historic Structure Survey that is normally prepared in the preservations programs funded through and approved by the Texas Historical Commission. Although, a preservation program on which a municipality has based its regulatory documents does not require a historic structure survey, those that participate in the Texas Historic Commission and/or National Register of Historic Places do. The survey is an extensive documentation of the structures located within the area. The documentation generally defines architectural style and construction provides the construction date, provides historical information, and is accompanied by a photograph. If the City has chosen to participate in the state and national programs, a historic preservation plan following the THC guidelines must be prepared, and subsequently a Historic Structure Survey. Designation as a Certified Local Government - An additional historic preservation resource is the designation of local governments as a "Certified Local Government" That designation permits the local government to receive technical assistance and grant funding, in small amounts, from the National Park Service. The designation is achieved by submitting application to the Texas Historical Commission. CITY OF SANGER Page ai _�� n n g? CnmPRFT-TFNCTVF T .ANTI T Top PT AN HPritsaa PrecPrvatinn Grants and Fundin.0 nnnort-unities There are a number of avenues to search for grants and funding of historic preservations effort Funds from the Texas Historic Commission may be awarded to prepare historic preservation plans that meet their requirement These funds can finance the study as well as the structural surveys needed to meet the historic preservation requirements. In addition, private concerns may qualify for funding and tax relief when the property or structures have been identified and registered on the National Register. A cit,/s approach to historic preservation is dependent on the desired level of involvement -that it wishes to expend in area. It is not necessa. y to attain the level of Certified Local Government or registry on the state and national level to initiate efforts to preserve the heritage and character of a community. Many communities have established standards for local historic significance that are implemented by ordinance and regulations without pursuing the higher critical standard of state and national registry. The nature of historic preservation is that the level of involvement of the city may increase sequentially as the resources, both human and financial, increase. At this point in time, it is critical that the City establish at least a basic level of involvement That involvement should, at least, include the establishment of a Heritage Preservation Ordinance that creates a basis for future efforts. Future historical preservation efforts can be built upon this basic effort as expertise, personnel, and funds are realized. These early basic efforts may include the establishment of a citizen's group that provides technical reviews of historic applications on an as needed basis. Sometime during the process, it is advisable that a set of guidelines, whether provided in the Heritage Preservation Plan or Heritage Preservation Design document be prepared to give the city and the applicant guidelines on which to base historic preservation decisions. The final determination as to the extent and level of participation in historic preservation efforts is founded on the desires of the City. However, at such time that extensive historical preservations efforts are needed, it is critical that personnel familiar with the historical preservation process be obtained to prepare and administer the programs. CITY OF SANGER Page 82rvql ('.nhAPRRT4VNCTVR T.ANTI T TNP PT AN HP.ritAffP. Prr.servatinn �c i Z. Park riu 6h apn Areas dedicated for passive and active recreation is a critical part of the community dynamic. Any effort considering the long range use of land should also include an analysis of the existing and future park plan goals, which in the case of the City of Sanger was addressed in the community survey. This Comprehensive Plan addresses basic elements of the park plan, being more particularly the type of park, size of parks, and the location of those parks. Actual design and configuration of future parks should be addressed in a more detailed Parks Plan to be prepared under separate cover. There are generally two types of parks: active parks and passive parks. Active parks contain regulation designed play areas such as ball fields, basketball courts, swimming pools, and other types of particular sports. These active parks usually are dedicated primarily to competitive, organized sports or have paid employees maintaining and administering the activities. Passive parks consist of simple green areas with minimum or no facilities other than designated walk paths to parks with ball fields and basketball courts used for unorganized "pick-up" games. Playgrounds with pavilions and rest benches are usually a central feature of passive parks. In order to have a well balanced parks Parks Classification and Standards (National Standards) Community Park 5 to 8 Acres 25 Acres Several 1 to 2 mile radius Neighborhoods Neighborhood Park 1 to 2 Acres 15 Acres 4,000 to 5,000 1/4 to 1/2 mile radius people Mini -Park 0,25 Acre 0.25 to 1 Adjacent 1/4 mile radius Acres Neighborhood Special Use or Varies Varies Varies Varies Linear Park CITY OF SANGER Page 83 ' I I -2 CnMPRRNRNRTV P T .ANTI T TNR PT AN Park plan system, both types of parks should be planned and accessible to all the residents of the community. Parks are further defined according to service area and size, ranging from Community Parks which may be greater than 50 Acres, depending on the population of the City, to Mini -Parks which may be only a fraction of an acre. An inventory of the City of Sanger confirmed the sentiment expressed in the community survey. The City is woefully below the standards expected of park systems. The four developed parks located in Sanger comprise a total of twenty- three acres of active and passive arks. B national standards several tulles that area should be provided. Summary of Sanger Parks - Inventory "SpeciaM"l Downtown Purpose 1.5 Ac (0-5 Ac.) Ftag Display 1/4 Mile Radius Park Gazebo Playground Benches Community Neighborhood 4.1 Ac (5-25 Ac) Soccer Fields 1h Mile Radius Center Park Municipal Swimming Pool Playground Tennis Court Beach Volleyball Horseshoe Pits Picnic Tables Community Building Carney- Mini -Park 0.7 5 Ac Basketball CA. 1A Mile Radius Patton Park Play Equipment Quail Run Mini -Park 0.75 Ac Basketball Courts 1/ Mile Radius Park Playground Railroad Community 16.2 Ac (25-100 Lighted Diamonds 2 Mile Radius Ave. Ac.) Baseball Park The Park Plan proposes to locate neighborhood parks throughout the planning area. Community Center Park, which is actually a neighborhood park but serves as a community which serves the entire community very well. Eventually, plans should be considered to relocate these facilities to a community park elsewhere, where more land area may be dedicated; however its central location serves its purpose. ruql CITY OF SANGER Page 84 rnmPRFHFNRTVF T.ATM I Tw PT AN Park Alan Railroad Ave. Baseball Park functions as a community park. Eventually the park should be expanded to allow for more parking and additional facilities. As the City is developed, it is critical that land area for neighborhood parks be dedicated as development occurs. According to that end, the Park Plan has located neighborhood park facilities throughout the City, as shown on the Park Plan. In addition, to these neighborhood facilities, linear parks and special use parks should be provided as appropriate. Flood plain areas are well suited for passive parks. In addition, all subdivisions should incorporate a pedestrian pathway system that encourages pedestrian circulation throughout the neighborhood as well as linkages to the developing park systems. CITY OF BANGER Page M _ I nun �? ('.OhAPRFWMRTvP T .ANT1 T Top PT AN Park Plan CITY OF SANGER Page 86 M� rnh/rPR FTiFN CT V F. T ,ANTI T TCF PT AN Park Min n 6 huY1.ci i U. c 0110111ie Development Economic Development Strategic Plan Guide In the 25 to 30 _years that state and local governments have practiced economic development, economic development theory and principles have become increasingly sophisticated. Tactics have evolved from early untargeted bidding competitions to attract any business that might be considering relocation to current efforts focused on developing and supporting a quality of life that makes a community attractive to individuals and companies. The preparation and use of a strategic economic development plan is an important step in assuring that investments in economic development efforts use precious local resources (dollars and time) effectively and efficiently. Most importantly, a strategic plan for economic development will provide communities with a rational, consistent, and defensible basis for determining which economic development opportunities to pursue and perhaps equally important which economic opportunities to decline. A strategic economic plan is designed to identify the community's economic assets and liabilities, describe its economic goals, delineate a plan for how to get there, and include a set of evaluative measures for both the planning effort and the resulting long-term outcomes. Economic plans do not need to be formally adopted, in fact, it is best to adjust the plan as market and economics changes take place over time. Strategic economic development plan typically includes four basic steps: Analysis, Vision (Goals), Action flan and Evaluation. Each strategy is unique, reflecting the challenges and opportunities facing the City. The analysis should assess the state of the area economy, the opportunities and threats posed by external trends and forces and the availability of partners and resources for economic development. The community's issiori and goals, together with an appraisal of the city's competitive advantage, should set the strategic direction for the action plan. The action plan should present priority programs and projects for implementation. Finally, the strategy should describe the process for evaluation and periodic update. CITY OF SANDER Page 87 C..nwRFNFNCTVFT.AhTnTTop PT AN FcnnnmicnPVPInnment Where Are We Now? An analysis of the city should answer the questions, "Where are we now?" and "Where are we heading?" The planning process includes demographic research and preparation of analysis related to the city, such as those for land use, water/sewer, roads and over all quality of development and the process developer's go through to accomplish their projects. The analysis should clearly and succinctly address the following: • The state of the area economy. The analysis should identify strengths and weaknesses of the area economy, as well as what and where the growth sectors and clusters are located. The Partners who will be participating in economic development efforts should be identified. It is critical that the important partners in the community including organizations, businesses, individuals, and other landowners be enlisted in the efforts. s External trends and forces. The analysis should reveal both the opportunities and threats to economic development of the area. In addition, a good understaning of how the city is positioned in the DFW economy. To fully address the condition of the local economy the community must consider economic and demographic data as well as subjective impressions. Critical questions to be answered quantitatively include: • What industries and local employers are growing? (locally and regionally) • Who area major employers? (locally and regionally) • What industries and local employers are in decline? The University of North Texas Center for Economic Development conducted a survey of major employers in 2007. The perception of the business climate in Sanger is mixed, with both the positive and negative aspects revolving around growth and labor. In rating Sanger's overall business climate, 66 percent of the respondents said it was "fail" or "poor" while 22 percent rated the climate "good. The most frequently cited negative issue facing Sanger companies was competition from Denton followed by problems with labor, both in terms of supply and quality "Competition from Gainesville" was also cited. Among the most serious "challenges" confronting the firms polled, labor issues and costs of doing business (which included utility costs, taxes, and rising costs of goods) were most often, referenced. CITY OF SANGER Page 38 K?9? n n 2 C..rIT,QPRFT-mm,,ivF T .ANTI T Top. PLAN F.rnnnmir. Devpinmmnnt By contrast, when asked about issues that positively impact development plans and what are the best opportunities facing companies in light of Sanger's business climate, the overwhelming response was the "growth of the area." For issues that "positively impact your organization's development plans," "growing local market" topped the list in frequency of responses. Growth issues regarding population and business accounted for 53.8 percent of responses in the "three best opportunities currently facing your firm" section of the survey. It should be noted that while a majority of survey respondents felt the overall business climate in Sanger was "fair" or "poor," in the frequency counts of "issues that positively impact" development plans "cooperation amongst Sanger businesses" and "business friendly local government" scored 'nigh. A final consideration at this point in the process, is to review prior economic development efforts, determine the strengths and weakness of previous policies, and needed adjustments. Where do we want to be? Starting with an understanding of the current conditions and future trends provided in the first step, the planning process could consider a strategic visioning process, perhaps contrasting where the participants believe the community will be in 5 years with no intervention with the participants on how they would like Sanger to look in the future. The vision needs to set a clear direction for the future based upon: • Desired future. What is our vision for the area in the next ten to twenty years? What are our goals? • Potential for excellence. What are the areas in which the region can build competitive advantage? How can we maximize the region's strengths and opportunities and mitigate its weaknesses and threats? A series of sessions or workshops is the most common way to develop a vision statement. These workshops should begin with a presentation of the analysis, and should encourage participation by partners and the general public. The steering committee, with assistance from economic development staff, might: • Coordinate the visioning process. • Draft a vision statement that includes goals and competitive advantages and circulate it widely. • Present to the governing body for review and approval. CITY OF SANGFR Page 89 M nn2 C()TdPRFT4FNRTVP T.ATTTI TTRF PT AN Fcnnnmic nP.vP1nnmP.nt How Do We Get There? The action plan answers the question "How do we get there?" and is based on a 5-year time horizon. The action plan describes activities, and groups them into programs, designed to achieve the desired future and to turn potential for excellence into reality. The action plan also needs to present responsibility, resources, time frame, and priorities for implementation. The strategies and actions should be sensitive to the organizational and fiscal capacities of the community. Recommended strategies that are beyond current capacity levels should be accompanied by commitments to build the capacity to implement and sustain the recommendation. IM-We entation Plan Identify the most important activities and propose an implementation plan for each, in multiple phases if needed. The should show the range of public, private, and non profit support for the comprehensive economic development strategy. The proposals should answer the following questions: • What are the activities and what are their expected benefits? • When will they be implemented? • Who will be responsible? • How much will they cost? •- What are the sources of funds? • What is the status of other associated projects? Guidelines/Considerations for Implementation. Broad community support typically makes it easier to attract the resources necessary to implement the plan. When in doubt, it is wise to be inclusive. • Strategies should be clear and concise. When possible, statements should describe the long-term outcome of successful implementation. • Patience is an ally in business attraction efforts. Often times the first opportunity isn't the best. Use the economic development plan to provide the CITY OF SANGER Page 990 n n,P C(_) APRFT-MM.gTVF T.ANII TTRF PT AN Frnnnmir. DevAnnment basis for waiting for good opportunities and decline opportunities that provide less value/impact than expected. • Patience and inconsistency can be the enemy. Studies suggest that consistent public behavior that can be anticipated by the private sector is an important influence on investment. This is especially true in regards to timing of projects, do not let organization delays and inconsistencies affect timelines. How Are We Doing? A strategic economic development plan should not be a static document. The decades ahead are likely to continue to witness the rapid and dramatic changes in technology and business practices that have affected Texas' economy in the past decade. As such it is important that the community continues to monitor progress against current goals and, as new data becomes available, to review the appropriateness of the previously established goals and action steps Evaluation is an ongoing effort to answer the questions "How are we doing?" and "What can we do better?" The community may want to consider an annual economic development retreat where the previous year's progress is reviewed and, if necessary adjustments are made. An annual evaluation of performance is key to continued community support. Strrrtep it Plnnning f oah Each of the following target areas are based on revenue generation, wages, community compatibility, existing or planned infrastructure and the realistic prospect of industry attraction. Sanger potential goals are divided between primary and secondary. Primary are those areas that would be most desirable to the community and likely to be eligible to receive City incentives. Retail Retail sales taxes are a primary revenue source to operate the local government. Both large and small retail users that meet ordinance requirements are encouraged to locate in designated retail areas. CITY OF SANGER Page 91 C'.nhAPRFT-TRNCTVF T .ANTI T NP PT AM Fcnnnmic T)PVP.1nnmPnt Goal: Create a viable retail community with a variety of businesses that serve the residents, visitors along I35, and other surrounding communities. Light Industrial Due the City of Sanger's proximity to the metroplex and the fact that Sanger has a major interstate highway in the center of the city, industrial should be one of the recruitment targets for economic development. These businesses are generally mid -size to large companies that need little office space and larger manufacturing, assembly space and warehousing areas. The Sanger community is poised to accommodate these business opportunities in the industrial areas indicated in the Comprehensive Plan. Goal: Create an Industrial Marketing/Recruitment plan to include an inventory of needed infrastructure and available land parcels. Tourism The City of Sanger's rural setting, close proximity to Lake Ray Roberts and location near the DFW Metroplex makes this a goal. Possible future uses may include eco- experience resort, farmers market and promotion of the historic aspects of Sanger. Goal: To create a tourist destination community with multiple attractions and opportunities to include Lake Ray Roberts and historic Sanger. Implementation 1. Conceptualize and implement local economic development support activities that primarily involve City government functions, such as public services and infrastructure, financial assistance from public sources, redevelopment and land use, and other regulatory issues. 2. Designate the Development Director as a single point of contact for new businesses to interface with City government. The ED Director will facilitate City regulatory review and City assistance; serve as liaison to all City departments relating to development. The City will offer streamlined/parallel processing of applications as an option to speed permitting. 3. If an interested business contacts the Chamber of Commerce first, the CITY OF SANGER Page 92 I PW nn4? ( nh4PRFTTFNRTVP TAM TTRF PT.AN Frnnnmir. Deup.lnnmPnt Economic Development Director will handle the initial "intake" process in regard to needs from the City. 4. Prepare and maintain a checklist package of materials to assist businesses to move through its permitting and licensing process. This should also include a Frequently Asked Questions sheet with answers to common inquiries regarding City processing along with a flow -chart that illustrates the process. The City will develop informational materials appropriate for new businesses that need to purchase land and build facilities as well as for existing businesses that want to remodel, expand, relocate, put up a sign, etc. The City will conduct outreach to local real estate brokers and developers to educate them about the process they or their tenants can expect when Seeking planning and business licensing approvals. S. The City will monitor the supply of vacant land and infrastructure availability for commercial development and initiate planning and or capital improvement projects to remedy deficiencies. The City will conduct other monitoring activities as deemed necessary to provide prospective businesses and local leaders and decision -makers with information in support of economic development activities. 6. The City will maintain a link on the City website for a building and land inventory via a database in the Economic Development Department~ Incentives Policv Businesses expect some form of an incentive. The City Council, City Manager and Economic Development Director, along with the Sanger Industrial Development Board and Sanger Development Board will need to work together during the recruitment process to form a package that benefits the city and the business. The City tax abatement policy needs to be reviewed every two years in order to keep up with the changes in the market place. Just a few years ago the standard was a ten year term with varied or adjusted percentages based on investment levels and jobs. The standard in 2007 is three to five years with percentages being slightly higher. CITY OF SANGER Page 93 FPW n n (2 COAAPRFVTRNCTVP T .ANTI T TNF PT.AN F.ennnmin T)pVPlnnmP.nt Incentives are a tool; however, we must always be cognizant that we are the stewards of the Taxpayers of our community. A Cost Benefit Analysis needs to be performed for every incentive request that comes to the City. Incentives that may be considered in full or partial by Mayor and Council 1. Waiver of Planning and Zoning Filing fees 2. Waiver of Engineering Review Fees 3. Waiver of Plan Check and Building Permit Fees 4. Sales tax incentive S. Chapter 380 agreement 6. 4A/4B Sales Tax - grant/loan 7. Public contribution of off -site improvements limited to driveways, curb cuts, median installation and landscaping 8. Expedited permitting process after Council approval of the Site Plan, Building Elevations and Landscaping Plan 9. Marketing and promotional assistance 10. Assistance in obtaining government grants or technical assistance 11. For properties zoned Historic, tax abatement, help with grants and information on Federal Tax Credits will be provided. 12. Tax Abatement 13. Facade grants for historic restoration 14. Enterprise Project Designation (State) Summary The City of Sanger's Comprehensive Plan anticipates substantial interest in the community over the next several years. The goals outlined attempt to focus on areas of interest by the citizens, business and Council. The stakeholders in the Economic Development Plan should communicate their concerns and successes with the Mayor, City Council and Community on a regular basis. CITY OF SANGER Page 94 rvql PW n n 2 C ..OWRFT-TFNCTVF T .ANTI T TCF PT .AN F.ennnmi c T)evAnnmPnt Imp cemencuczun General A critical component of the planning process is the implementation, or execution, of the plans that have been developed. An implementation strategy will have the effect of turning this Plan from a study document into a tool that will help Sanger achieve the land use Goals and Objectives. If implementation measures are not included in the Comprehensive Planning process, these goals may never be realized. A number of methods may be used to implement the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The City may wish to use some or all of the following measures: • Ordinance Application; • Official Map Maintenance; • Checklists, Forms, and Applications Revision; and • The Planning Program The Comprehensive Land Use Plan is usually implemented by utilizing a combination of the above methods. One method may adequately implement one portion of the Plan, or a number of methods may be required. The following text addresses the different implementation methods and provides a description of how they are recommended to be used in the implementation of the Sanger Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Application of the Plan What do the Goals for the City of Sanger say? The Comprehensive Land Use Plan provides guidance for future development in three primary ways. First, all planning and zoning decisions should be made with regard to the Goals developed during the planning process. If a proposed development would be in accordance with the Goals, it should be seriously i ITY" OF SANGER Page 95 C nhAPPPT-TRNCTVF T .Ai T,m I NP PT AN Tmn1PmP.ntatinn considered for approval. If the proposed development is in conflict with the Goals, it should be revised in order to reflect the stated land use desires of the citizens. How should Planning Principles be applied to this situation? Second, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan has provided a description of applicable planning principles for Sanger. They include the neighborhood concept, neo- traditional development, nodal and corridor commercial development forms, the establishment of edges, and the use of transitional land uses, buffering, and screening techniques. These planning principles should be considered by city officials when making decisions affecting development in the city. The neighborhood concept and commercial development forms should be employed when determining the placement of land uses and infrastructure in future developments. Edges, transitional uses, buffering, and screening techniques will be beneficial when considering the compatibility of adjacent land uses and their effects on one another. What does the Future Land Use Map recommend for this area? Finally, planning and zoning decisions should be made in agreement with the Future Land Use Map. This map is provided in the Future Land Use Plan chapter of this document The Future Land Use Map provides a general picture of how land uses may be arranged to reflect the growth goals of the City. It is important to note that this map does not serve the same purpose as the City's zoning map. The Future Land Use Map is not law. It does not dictate exact boundaries of land uses. Therefore, it should be considered to be somewhat flexible. Changes other than those literally shown on the map can be made with the assurance that they are not in conflict with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan if they are in agreement with the goals and the planning principles provided in this text document. Adopted Policies Adopted policies are often credited with a great amount of authority. The staff and officials of many cities consider adopted policies as only one step short of law. Generally, official policies provide the city staff, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the City Council with specific guidelines regarding development issues. The purpose of the goals in the Comprehensive Plan is to give the city staff and elected officials direction so that official policies may be developed. The following policies are examples of those that may be adopted by the City regarding CITY OF SANGER Page 96 rnTvTPRFTTFNRTvFT.AtmTTRFPT AN TmnlPmPnfafinn development issues. While this is not an exhaustive accounting of all possible development policies, it is recommended that the following policies be adopted in order to provide guidelines to assist the staff and appointed and elected officials in following through with the adopted goals of the City. Recommended Policies: • Conformance with the Plan: The City should establish a policy requiring new development and redevelopment to conform to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. All zoning and platting requests are measured for compatibility with the Plan. Staff reports written on platting and zoning issues should include commentary on the conformance with the request to the Plan, and non-conformance with the Plan may be sufficient grounds for denial or a negative recommendation of the request. • Maintenance of the Plan: The effectiveness of the Plan should continue to be monitored annually. Monitoring allows the City to measure progress of plan implementation. It also serves as an indication of changing conditions and trends that may suggest the need for revisions to the Plan. Items to be addressed in the annual staff review should include conformance with current development trends, number of zoning requests granted that did not conform to the Plan, and recommendations of the Plan that are being implemented or have been implemented. The result of the report will be to recommend that the Plan be maintained in either its current condition for another year or that it be revised to comply with current development goals being observed by the City. • Cooperation with other governmental entities: The City should continue to maintain an open channel between governmental entities, advising them of Sanger's plans, and should remain cognizant of their plans. If conflicts arise between Sanger and another agency, the city staff should communicate these conflicts to the city leaders and work toward minimum negative impact on all participants affected. • Update Applications and Procedures: The city staff should refine and update applications, checklists, and procedures to insure that CITY OF SANGER Page 97 n n (' (1WRPT-MM91VP T .ANTI T TCP PT AN TmnlPmPntatinn development controls are adequate to retain long term property values and quality of life. • Code Compliance: The City should enforce current ordinances and regulations and adopt new ordinances and regulations that will better assist in controlling signage, refuse, nuisance, animal control, clean up and removal of junk, elimination of dilapidated and unsafe buildings, and other code enforcement issues. • City Initiated Re -zoning: The City may choose to review existing zoning. if deemed appropriate, the City may initiate rezoning of areas that do not conform to the general guidelines for development or reflect the proposed 'land use., according to the updated Future Land Use Plan Map. • Compliance with Thoroughfare Plan: The City should also be in the practice of considering the Thoroughfare Plan when making land use decisions that may be affected by traffic. The City should periodically review the Thoroughfare Plan to evaluate its consistency with current growth philosophies. • Annual Review of Comprehensive Plan: In June of each year the Planning and Zoning Commission should conduct a review of all P & Z actions as they relate to the Comprehensive Plan and note special areas that may need additional study and report findings to City Council. The timing of this review is intended to feed into the City Council budget process by submitting the "special areas for additional study" for budgetary considerations. • Develop and Adopt a Planning Program: Establishment of a sound Pianning Program is the most effective method to implement a Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Program should continue to be updated as needed to implement the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, and ensure that development occurs in a coordinated manner. This would include the appointment of a citizen planning committee and a complete review of the Comprehensive Plan every three years. CITY OF SANGER Page 9$ _1 292 n n (2 C..OXAPRPT-TFNCTVP T .ANT1 T NP PT.AN TmnlemPntatinn Ordinance Application Ordinances are recognized as municipal law and are binding as such. Two documents that are adopted in ordinance form and should be continually maintained are the Zoning Ordinance and the Subdivision Regulations Ordinance. These serve as the primary implementation tools for the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Zoning Ordinance: The basic purpose of the Zoning Ordinance is to carry out the land use policies and recommendations that are contained in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Specifically, the Zoning Ordinance classifies and regulates the use of land, buildings, and structures within the City. The ordinance is divided into two elements that are dependent upon one another: the zoning text and the zoning map. The zoning text tells how the land may be used. The zoning map indicates where it may be used in the manner described in the zoning text. Subdivision Regulations: Subdivisions may be required to comply with the general layout of streets, placement of corridors and arterials, and the general urban form principles as provided in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Each plat should be reviewed by the planning staff and addressed by the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council regarding this compliance. Noncompliance with the Plan may constitute a position contrary to the public health, welfare, and general safety of the residents of the community. Language in the Subdivision Regulations should be reviewed to Confirm that compliance with ish 'the Comprehensive urpreLensive Land 'Use Plan is required. Tin addition, the Subdivision Regulations should be updated to include recent changes in state law, ..'hid, have occurred. Official Map Maintenance The Future Land Use Map and Zoning Map are the primary maps associated with the implementation of Comprehensive Planning efforts for Sanger. The Future Land Use Map provides the desired general location of all land uses in Sanger. The locations of land uses on this map are influenced by the Thoroughfare Plan, which facilitates access and traffic circulation throughout the planning area. The Thoroughfare Plan is described in the Thoroughfares chapter of this document. It is important to note CITY OF SANGER Page yy L C0hAPT?FTTTWgTvP T.ANTI TTCF PT AN TmnlPmPntntinn that since the Future Land Use Map indicates land use in a general manner, it will not necessarily show specific information on specific properties. Nevertheless, as development occurs in Sanger, the Future Land Use Map will provide guidance regarding land use principles and expected development trends. All property in the City of Sanger is zoned. The Official Zoning Map represents the legal zoning classifications of all property within the City, and is enforceable as provided by state statute. Following adoption of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, city staff and planning consultant will be comparing the Zoning Map with the Future Land Use Map, in order to identify areas that are in conflict on the maps. One method of resolving differences between the maps is by the city initiating the rezoning of property. As long as the appropriate procedures of due process are observed, city -initiated rezoning may be used to bring property into compliance with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Criteria should be established to determine the appropriateness of rezoning specific property, and a public information campaign may be necessary if a large number of properties are proposed for rezoning. The conflict between the zoning of properties and their future land use designation may also be resolved over an extended time period by applying the Future Land Use Map to future zoning requests as they are requested. Checklist, Form, and Application Revision Checklists, forms, and applications are the basic "hands on" tools that assist the zoning official in determining compliance with adopted City plans and policies. The City's checklists, forms, and applications that relate to land use development should contain language that requires compliance with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Capital Improvements Program (CIP) One of the most familiar programs that cities use to implement long range plans is the Capital Improvements Program. The Capital Improvements Program consists of a listing of planned physical improvements that are to be undertaken during a specific period of time, usually five years. Staff time and financial resources are allocated to the elements of the program, in order to ensure that the projects are appropriately budgeted. CITY OF SANGFR Page 100 run, n n �? CnrAmuFr-r mvavF T.arrn TTow Pr AN TmnIpmPntntinn (Rus page intentionally left blank) ruql CITY OF SANGER Page 101 n n Co h/fPRRTTRNNTVF. T .ANTI T TNP PT AN Tmnle.mPntatinn o1")INANCE NO. 1-46-07 TEXO DINANCE OF THE CITY OF LADING THE CO SANGER, ZONING ORDINANCE MPREHENSIVE SANGER, AS HERETOFOOF THE CITY OF GRANTING A SPEC RE AMENDED, By ORGANIC FERTILIZER PA SE PERMIT FOR AN ON A TRACT LAND qVAGING FACILITY PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED98 ACRES MORE ATTACHED HERETO AND AS EXHIBIT ,A„ HEREOF; PROVIDING SPECIAL APART PROVIDINGNDITIONS; ING A SA REPEALING CLAUSE; PROVID_ RABILITY CLAUSE; FOR A PENALTy OF PROVIDING OF TWO SU FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE FOR EACH OFFENSE DOLLARS LASE, AND PROVIDING DATE, AN EF- DULY PASSED by the City Council of the City of Sanger, Texas, on the 19 day of November 2007. APPROVED JOE HIGGS MAYOR ROSALIE CHAVEZ CITY SECRETARY L r � �_ II � II November 2007 II A (omprehensiue Plan Shall Not (onstitute loning I Regulations or Establish loving District Boundaries P P A P P • son P �: �A■■ _ r it La•---M �40 , o II O ----- �l E II I 4p J— — — IlRector II Cn I \� �ffi+ Ni Ison \\ Re for 1 Rector } I I 11 n J Future Land Use Legend 0 Rural Residential M 153 � Urban Low Density Residential � Moderate Density Residential (Includes Manufactured Housing) � High Density Residential � Commercial (Includes Retail, Service, and Office Commercial) _ Industrial � Parks � Open Spaces &Flood Areas � Public (Includes Religious, Governmental, and Educational) Potential Entry Statement Location � General Area for Future Neighborhood Park u ure an se a 0 .Z ' Municipal tnning Resources - -- Duck Creek AMW IV114U "thoroughfare Legend M4U rm4U FM 2153 FW Freeway NU Principal Arterial Four Lane Undivided 'Dr P3U Principal Arterial Three Lane Undivided Ll M4Q Minor Arterial Four Lane Undivided U C� ----- Collector Two Lane Undivided C2U Ni I.. — — — — — Alternative Alignment (Pending ROW) li Thoroughfare Map C 0 Sczng ity ofer I i October 2007� i I� � N Belz Rd it i Riil ,am ■■m In \4 FM /Im in �co■� m i �mo�ii imp ■I Sri lug � 4 MC n , 14 Duckeraek.8d. Parks Legend F� Asa Existing Special ,S g Future Neighborhood Park ; Purpose Park ; (Inside City Limits) n ;'/ ; O Existing Mini -Park �I i� IIRec r /o � ��� _ __ - _ _ _ � /O� Future Neighborhood Park (Outside Current City Existing Neighborhood Limits) Park i, Ni Ison O Existing Community -- 1 r lr i Rector = II Park 1 � %r. or Parks Ma C 0 H ity of S INTRODUCTION Sanger is a home rule city located in Denton County. It is strategically located along Interstate 35 and adjacent to Ray Roberts Lake and just north of the City of Denton. It’s location places it directly in the growth corridor of north central Texas. It is a community of approximately 6,700 as of January 2007, as estimated by the North Central Texas Council of Governments. For many years Sanger hovered around a little more than one thousand persons. However, recent dynamics of growth in north central Texas has promised that Sanger also will experience an increased growth. In 1886 the town of Sanger was founded. It soon became an important stop on the Santa Fe Railroad as a cattle town. Cattle from the ranches in north Texas were driven up the old cattle trails to the railhead. Along with the cattle industry, agriculture, primary in the form of wheat-growing also supported the region. History accounts for the name of the community as coming from the prominent Sanger family who operated retail stores in Waco and Dallas and was a valued customer of the Santa Fe Railroad. The town was laid out like many western town along the axis of the railroad. The original townsite was located on land owned by Mrs. Elizabeth Huling. In 1919 the road between Sanger and Dallas was constructed, which provided critical access to the regional markets activity on the railroad was declining. The roads were used to move agricultural products such as wheat, oats, maize, millet, and cotton. Population of the town was generally small until 1980 when it experienced an increase to 2,574, which as a 60% increase. No doubt this increase in population was influenced by the close proximity to Denton and Lake Ray Roberts. The City is currently a ‘home rule’ city LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY The Texas Local Government Code (TxLGC) authorizes the adoption of a comprehensive plan in Chapter 213 “for the purpose of promoting the sound development of municipalities and promoting public health, safety and welfare,” and that “zoning regulations must be adopted in accordance with a comprehensive plan”. The state statues give further guidance by specifying that land use decisions be designed to (1) lessen congestion in the streets; (2) secure safety from fire, panic and other dangers; (3) promote health and the general welfare; (4) provide adequate light and air; (5) prevent the overcrowding of land; (6) avoid undue concentration of population; and, (7) facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water , sewers, schools, parks and other public requirements. DEMOGRAPHICS The 2007 population estimate by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) for Sanger is 6,700 persons. The City’s population remained steady, between 1,119 and 1,190 for forty years from year 1930 to 1960. At that time it began a steady increase, likely due to the increased mobility provided by Interstate 35 and the creation of Ray Roberts Lake. The entire region experienced this healthy growth. However, from 1990 to the present date the average annual growth has been a very steady and healthy 3.9% . This growth translates into approximately 1,115 housing units over the seventeen year period. Applying the average annual growth rate of 3.9% for the next twenty-three years, or to year 2020 that housing increase should represent an additional 2,650 housing units or a population of approximately 10,974 persons. Population forecasts prepared by the Texas Water Development Board provide an even more aggressive growth rate, indicating populations of approximately 15,000 in year 2020 and 24,000 in year 2050. If the average annual growth rate of 3.9% were to extend to year 2030 the population forecast for Sanger would be approximately 16,042 persons, which is consistent with the aggressive growth projected by the Texas Water Development Board. COMPREHENSIVECOMPREHENSIVECOMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANLAND USE PLANLAND USE PLAN ANDANDAND THOROUGHFARE PLANTHOROUGHFARE PLANTHOROUGHFARE PLAN 112 MMMMMMPPPPPPRRRRRRGGGGGG iiiiiinnnnnncccccc...... November2007 IMPLEMENTATION A critical component of the planning process is the implementation, or execution, of the plans that have been developed. If implementation measures are not included in the Comprehensive Planning process, these goals may never be realized. A number of methods may be used to implement the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. The City may wish to use some or all of the following measures: Ordinance Application; Official Map Maintenance; Checklists, Forms, and Applications Revision; and The Planning Program The Comprehensive Land Use Plan is usually implemented by utilizing a combination of the above methods. One method may adequately implement one portion of the Plan, or a number of methods may be required. The following text addresses the different implementation methods and provides a description of how they are recommended to be used in the implementation of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Application of the Plan How should Planning Principles be applied to this situation? The Comprehensive Land Use Plan has provided a description of applicable planning principles for Sanger, which are provided in the Urban Design chapter of this document. They include the neighborhood concept, nodal and corridor commercial development forms, the establishment of edges, and the use of transitional land uses, buffering, and screening techniques. These planning principles should be considered by city officials when making decisions affecting development in the city. The neighborhood concept and commercial development forms should be employed when determining the placement of land uses and infrastructure in future developments. Edges, transitional uses, buffering, and screening techniques will be beneficial when considering the compatibility of adjacent land uses and their effects on one another. What does the Future Land Use Map recommend for this area? Planning and zoning decisions should be made in agreement with the Future Land Use Map. This map provides a general picture of how land uses may be arranged to reflect the growth goals and objectives of the City. It is important to note that this map does not serve the same purpose as the City’s zoning map. The Future Land Use Map is not law. It does not dictate exact boundaries of land uses. Therefore, it should be considered to be somewhat flexible. Changes other than those literally shown on the map can be made with the assurance that they are not in conflict with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan if they are in agreement with the goals and objectives and the planning principles provided in this text document. retail growth, with the strongest support, all over 90%, being for Office and Corporate building, Retail Development, Downtown Development, Grocery Stores, “Sit-down” Restaurants, Indoor Entertainment, and Medical Facilities. Approximately 65% of the respondents expressed a general dissatisfaction in the amount of retail opportunities currently existing. However, a great majority of those responding, 87%, confirmed they were satisfied with the appearance of new homes in the community. Regarding City services, the respondents were very pleased with the services provided by the police and fire departments and were least pleased with services afforded the senior citizens. Approximately 63% of the respondents expressed a need to add more sidewalks and pedestrian paths which are currently deficient in the city. Respondents also expressed interest having new developments provide additional park land or funds for future parks. They also expressed a desire to improve code enforcement of current regulations and to establish more site development standards for commercial development. Approximately 88% of those responding supported preservation of the historic character of the downtown area. A more detailed accounting of the survey results is available at the City offices and has also been posted on-line on the City’s webpage. CITIZEN’S SURVEY During the course of development of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, a community survey was conducted to determine the public’s position relative to critical growth related issues. These positions assisted the planning team in developing the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. A total of 471 persons completed the survey, which was available on the Internet. Of those who responded the following information was obtained. Approximately 90% of those responding lived in the City of Sanger, with 44% living east of I-35 and south of FM 455. The increase in population was reflected by the respondents, with 25% being new residents of one to five years. Another 25% had lived in Sanger for over 25 years. The majority of the respondents were homeowners, with 92% of those responding indicating they owned their home. Approximately 40% of those responding were employed within the corporate limits of Sanger with 25% working in the City of Denton. The top three issues relative to growth and quality of life were listed as being Planning For Growth, Traffic and Circulation Needs, and Street & Road Maintenance . Items that were rated high on the list of quality of life issues included Variety of Housing and Costs, Employment Opportunities, Active and Passive Parks, Sidewalks and Walking Paths, and Enhancement of Downtown. All of these issues were rated as being important by over 80% of those responding. Respondents were supportive of “mixed use” development by only plurality of 49% with 10% of the respondents voicing no opinion on the subject, which concludes that any “mixed use” type development must be closely monitored regarding quality and value. Those persons responding felt that their neighborhood was a good place to raise families but were disappointed in the parks and recreation facilities provided, with approximately 47% of those responding indicating parks and recreation facilities were poor. Generally, the respondents greatly supported most forms of corporate and 2 LAND USE PRINCIPLES A number of factors must be considered when planning for the future development of a city. The primary factor is a clear image of the type of city that the residents of Sanger want at the point of ultimate development. The Future Land Use Plan Map shows how the City plans to use land in the future. This Plan is based upon input from the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council during this planning process, with input from citizens during the development process. Physical elements, including major roadways, railroads, the floodplain, and flood- prone areas, also have an impact upon a city’s development. These physical features can be either naturally formed or man-made, and can serve as barriers to growth. 11 exterior covers have been added through the years. Generally, it is recommended that aluminum and wood exterior coverings eventually be removed. Future construction should mirror the construction style of the original structures. The historic interests in the City should determine, with the City government, the nature and focus of historical efforts within the city. At a very minimum, the City should consider establishing basic regulations that preserve and encourage the rural heritage of the city. This will require that a historic preservation ordinance be established, zoning criteria to enforce any such historic preservation efforts, and design guidelines established for future alterations and construction of structures located within any established historic designated area. When we consider scale and placement for structures in the Sanger downtown area it is important that we realize that a reasonable rule of thumb is to maintain the consistency of the existing structures. Currently, the majority of structures are a mix of single story and two story. All of the two story structures are of a Two-Part Commercial Block style. Therefore any future structure should be of a similar style. However, even then, it would be uncharacteristic to construct any two story mid-block. Most of the Two-Part Commercial Block structures are located on the corners. Scale of structure in relation of adjoining structures is critical in the aesthetic character of the downtown streetscape. Structures exceeding the height of the existing two-story buildings should be discouraged. An illustration pertaining to the relationship of sizes of structures placed in infill sites is provided as follows. A number of design elements should be accounted for to assure the heritage of Sanger be preserved in the downtown area. Features such as signs, awnings, store fronts, and street furniture and streetscape, should encourage the character of the downtown area. Signage:Signs should avoid clutter and be limited according to size and number of signs. Sandwich signs for menu boards and hanging signs from eves and awnings should be uniform and not obstructive. Signs along the walkway should be pedestrian oriented. Parking:Head-in parking along the street should be encouraged. This does not prohibit additional parking in the rear of the structures or lots that are within walking distance of the downtown area. Even the location of parking spaces should encourage pedestrian activity. Awnings and Canopies:Awnings and canopies have always added both a design feature as well as a functional element to the front of commercial buildings. Whereas the ‘bubble’ style of awnings is functional and appropriate at some locations, they are not appropriate for the Heritage area. Awnings and canopies that are historically significant are ‘rolled’ awnings or ‘flat’ canopies. Awnings and canopies should be made of canvas or metal, which are characteristic of historic commercial buildings. In addition, the placement of awnings should relate to each individual window and not extend continuously across the face of the building incorporating all the windows under one awning In order to provide for the regulatory tools necessary to preserve any historic area, a number of tools must be developed. The City of Sanger is in the process of developing these even as the Comprehensive Plan is being prepared. These tools include the following: Identification and establishment of a historical district. Adoption of zoning regulations in the historical district. Formation of a Historical Preservation Committee for commercial and residential structures. Preparation of a Historical Design Guideline for Commercial and Residential structures. Preparation and adoption of a Historic Preservation Ordinance. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Economic Development’s services are designed to attract, retain, generate, and facilitate expansion of high quality business and industry resulting in a stable, diverse local economy and an improved standard of living for the citizens of The City of Sanger. Economic Development assists existing businesses in the City in expansion, relocation, and retention issues, and recruits new businesses to the City from foreign and domestic markets that may be interested in expansion. The Department also works to designate additional areas of the Comprehensive Plan for development and to recruit industries and retail to the City of Sanger. As Sanger develops according to the physical plan of the Comprehensive Plan, it will need a well organized economic plan to facilitate that growth. Efforts to coordinate the physical and economic growth are evident in the recent economic development actions, which include the development of a Mission Statement and goals. Mission: To enhance the quality of life in Sanger by promoting and assisting the development of meaningful and rewarding employment opportunities and greater access to desirable goods and services. Slogan: Preserving the Past, Promoting the Future Goals: Each of the target areas are based on revenue generation, wages, community compatibility, existing or planned infrastructure and the realistic prospect of industry attraction. Retail:Create a viable retail community with a variety of businesses that serve the residents, visitors along I-35, and other surrounding communities. Light Industrial:Create an Industrial Marketing / Recruitment plan to include an inventory of needed infrastructure and available land parcels. Tourism:To create a tourist destination community with multiple attractions and opportunities to include Lake Ray Roberts and historic Sanger Urban Design Elements The term "urban design" refers to the planning of development in a comprehensive manner in order to achieve a unified, functional, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing physical setting. Urban design consists of a number of elements that are accepted by planning professionals as desirable and necessary for the orderly growth and development of an area. They enable planners to effectively create the desired form of the town. The urban design elements that have been applied in the City of Sanger’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan are described in the following pages of this brochure. The urban design elements are applicable to future development, and should also be applied to existing development whenever possible. It is important to note that the residential concepts provided herein are usually applied to developments that have much higher densities than is projected in the goals of Sanger. However, this does not alter the application of the these principles. The intent of this plan is to assist the City maintain and encourage residential and nonresidential development that continues to provide high value and excellent quality for the residents of the City. Neighborhood Concept The neighborhood concept is one of the oldest and most widely used and accepted practices in urban land use planning. This concept helps to create quality spaces in which people may live. The concept places primary emphasis on creating neighborhoods that are buffered from the impacts of elements from outside the neighborhood system. By using a transition of land use intensity, the most sensitive element of a neighborhood, residential use, is protected from the effects of intense commercial use. The neighborhood concept recognizes that the foundation of a neighborhood is its streets. Streets serve two primary purposes in neighborhood systems: to facilitate the movement of people and goods, and to serve as physical boundaries between adjacent land uses or neighborhoods. Streets should be designed and located so as to accomplish their purpose of efficient traffic service, while discouraging through traffic in neighborhoods. Curvilinear street patterns are encouraged. In addition, a high priority is placed on connectivity of subdivisions to insure appropriate traffic circulation. This concept of connectivity also includes pedestrian traffic. Rural Neighborhood Concept The Rural Neighborhood Concept,as illustrated in Rural Application of the Neighborhood Concept,functions to maintain the character of some areas located in the ETJ. This concept is a variation of the Neighborhood Concept as applied to urban areas. Its primary emphasis is placed on large-lot residential areas (lots 1-1/2 acres or greater) and locating urban land uses in a manner that protects sensitive, residential areas from the effects of urban development. Limited neighborhood commercial services within rural, residential areas are located only at the intersection of major arterials. All other urbanized development is located in districts, separate zones along arterial roads that will not threaten the nature of rural neighborhoods. Additionally, rural design features differ from those in urban areas by ensuring that development maintains the rural, natural character of the County. For instance, drainage channels should be natural as opposed to lined with concrete, and buffers should consist primarily of open space and natural vegetation as opposed to walls or other hardscape materials. New Urbanism or Neo-Traditional Development In the last few years an emphasis has been placed on land development that increased the density of uses in order to conserve on utilities and natural resources. This emphasis has been called “smart growth”. Its objective is to provide quality living, recreation,shopping, and work spaces that are located in close proximity to each other. Smart growth includes the planning concepts of New Urbanism, or Neo- traditional, development. The primary characteristics of the New Urbanism/ Neo-Traditional concept as summarized by the Congress of New Urbanism (NewUrbanism.com) are: Connectivity Mixed Use Mixed Housing Quality Architecture and Urban Design Smart Transportation Sustainability 310 element of the economic vitality of the nation. It has been unofficially designated as the NAFTA highway because of it’s obvious connection of both the northern and southern US borders. Principal 4-Lane Undivided Thoroughfare:The purpose of this thoroughfare is to carry vehicular traffic through the City as quickly and efficiently as possible. It serves as a regional thoroughfare and as a result these roadways are often members of the state or federal highway system. Its width varies but will likely require between 100 and 120 feet of right-of- way. The impact of the volume on these roadways is often subject to dynamics that occur outside the community’s borders; however, the local impact can be significant on property adjacent to the roadway if sufficient rights-of-way are not adequate to carry the traffic. Thoroughfares within the City of Sanger with this classification include the proposed extension of Belz Road from I-35 to McReynolds Road. This roadway will serve potentially as an outer loop to serve new development and alleviate future traffic volumes. An additional P4U roadway is planned for East Chapman Road from the railroad to Union Hill Road, at which point it is reduced to a M4U roadway and continues to the lake as FM 1190. Principle 3-Lane Undivided Thoroughfare:Characteristic of communities that have experienced rapid growth, the volume of traffic produced by that growth have outgrown the lanes of traffic and the rights-of-way provided. Usually the older and original parts of the community are the ones experiencing this issue. Rights-of-way may easily be extended in areas that are undeveloped. But, older developed portions of the community do not have room to expand due to existing development. Expansion of these rights-of-way require property to be purchase and often older established residences and businesses being relocated. As a rule, this should be avoided. Solutions to this issue often include designating ‘one way couplets’ that provide for expanded directional lanes without altering the right-of-way width. In the case of FM455, providing ‘one way couplets’ is not feasible. First of all there is not another east/west roadway that may work in tandem with the roadway. Secondly, the intersection of I-35 is the critical element of the roadway and the source of the problem. Even if there were another roadway to serve as a couplet, there is only width under the Interstate for limited lanes. A three lane roadway is viable at this location to enable through traffic without impeding access to the businesses on either side of the roadway. In the event the intersection at I-35 were to be redesigned to permit multiple traffic lanes as well as turn lanes and in the event that property were to be acquired on either side of FM 455, expansion to four- lanes with turn lanes may be considered. But, for the time being, a three- lane thoroughfare is planned to address traffic volume at this site. Similar to the issue of adequate right-of-way experienced on FM 455, Fifth Street offers the same problems in the north/south direction. Fifth Street does not carry the same volume of traffic experienced by FM 455, however, the Thoroughfare Plan sees Fifth Street being used as an inner loop through the older part of the City. The configuration of the roadway will move traffic from I-35 on the southern limits of the City to a point north of the FM 455 intersection with I-35. This inner loop is an important element of the circulation plan for the thoroughfare. Minor 4-Lane Undivided Thoroughfare:These roadways serve to move large volumes of traffic from neighborhood to neighborhood; they may or may not traverse the entire city. The right-of-way for these roadways may be between 70 to 90 feet in width. There are a number of these roadways provided in the Thoroughfare Plan: McReynolds, Sam Bass Rd., Lois Rd., FM 2164, and FM 455 outside of the urban area near I-35. Commercial activity may occur at the intersections of these roads with other arterial roadways, but will not normally have significant commercial development occurring along the right-of-way. Collector 2-Lane Thoroughfare:This is the smallest roadway in the thoroughfare system. Its purpose in Sanger is to function as a less intense minor arterial and move volumes of traffic from neighborhood to neighborhood. However, its primary purpose is to relieve the traffic from local roads and feed the arterials. The rights- of-way of these streets may be between 60-80 feet in width. The additional width permits wider shoulders that may be used for parking or additional lanes if needed. The major collector roadways are shown on the Thoroughfare Map. However, collectors may be required within the neighborhood to collect and funnel internal vehicular traffic to arterial roadways. Therefore, a collector roadway is more a product of function than location on the thoroughfare map. In addition, Commercial roadways that are planned to carry significant truck and commercial traffic may also be designated as being collectors, depending on the nature of each individual development. Local Street:Local streets provide access to residential property and feed the collector street system. Local roads typically carry volumes of less than 1,000 vehicles per day. They are no more than two lanes and should be designed to discourage any kind of through-traffic, either through a curvilinear arrangement, the incorporation of loops and cul-de-sacs, or both. HERITAGE PRESERVATION Sanger has a rich heritage that is present in much of its existing structures. Although there are residential structures with historic significance, the focal of the historic emphasis should first be the commercial downtown. Sanger is particularly unique in that it has a central square area but is not a county seat town. The square is an important feature that provides identity and development opportunity as a focal point for the community. It is critical that as many city government activities be located adjacent to the square as possible, primarily for the purpose of bringing residents into the downtown area on a regular basis. The style of the structures in the Downtown area are a mixture of one-part and two part commercial structures. The original structures were brick; however, alternative One-Part and Two-Part Store Fronts Along Elm Street located neighborhood park facilities throughout the City, as shown on the park plan. In addition, to these neighborhood facilities, linear parks along the designated floodplains and special use parks should be provided as appropriate. Flood plain areas are well suited for passive parks and linear trails should be located therein. Subdivisions should also incorporate pedestrian pathways which encourages pedestrian circulation throughout the neighborhood as well as linkages to the developing park systems. THOROUGHFARE PLAN Transportation planning is an integral part of the City of Sanger Comprehensive Land Use Plan. As the Town changes, the thoroughfare system must be capable of handling traffic movement in a safe and efficient manner. The City of Sanger’s Thoroughfare Plan is coordinated with the Future Land Use Plan and provides the tools to develop a transportation system that can accommodate the needs of existing and future land use. The primary form of transportation in Sanger is the automobile. For this reason, the transportation element of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan is focused on the system of public roadways, which is designed to expedite traffic movement and enhance safety. Thoroughfares located in the City of Sanger are relatively simple in scope and include a simplified combination of the Functional Classification System that includes a Principal and Minor Arterials, Collector roadways, and local residential streets. Local roadways are typically not included in the overall Thoroughfare Plan; however, upon experiencing added growth in the community, these roads should be re-evaluated periodically to be included as collector roadways. Functional Classification The roadway classification system is intended to categorize streets by function for the purpose of clarifying administrative and fiscal responsibility. Pedestrian and Vehicular Connectivity It is an established fact that the purpose of residential neighborhoods is for dwelling and recreation. As such, neighborhoods should be pedestrian oriented. Contemporary designs for residential neighborhoods have emphasized the circulation of vehicle traffic to, through, and around the neighborhood. Most residents do not use their vehicle inside the neighborhood. Circulation through the neighborhood by the residents of the neighborhood is preferred to occur on foot or by other modes of transportation, such as bicycles, in-line skates, and in some cases golf-carts. Unfortunately, the development community has emphasized the construction of streets and minimized the provision of circulation systems for pedestrians. The well-designed neighborhood should include the appropriate circulation of both vehicle and pedestrian interests. It is also critical to note that streets are designed for vehicles not pedestrians. Therefore, the reliance on a ribbon of concrete adjacent to the street as a pedestrian pathway is the least desirable manner of providing pedestrian circulation facilities. Each subdivision should be designed such that a separate pedestrian circulation system and a vehicular circulation system are provided. The two systems may coincide occasionally, but the vehicular roadways must not be the sole evidence of pedestrian circulation. Commercial Development Forms Commercial development, because of its infrastructure needs, intensity, and traffic volume, is a critical land use to the urban form of a community. Elements such as building orientation, lot depth, land use intensity, and location should be planned so that commercial development becomes an asset to the community, rather than an eyesore. “Strip commercial” is a common, but undesirable, type of commercial development. The primary characteristics of strip commercial are: Shallow lots Numerous small parcels Numerous curb cuts for entrances; Numerous small buildings with no architectural unity; Minimal (or no) landscaping Limited The lack of landscaping or other buffers, To avoid this type of undesirable development in the future, commercial developments in Sanger should be required to incorporate the elements of the commercial node and commercial corridor models into their design plans, as should redevelopment of older areas. Commercial Corridors The commercial corridor development form emphasizes the location of commercial uses along an arterial. This development form is characterized by high intensity commercial use located near the intersections of major arterials, with less intense commercial uses located along the arterial between intersections. To create cohesiveness among a variety of commercial uses, development guidelines should require uniform signage, shared driveways, and landscaping along the thoroughfare in commercial corridor developments. The following are the primary elements of commercial corridors: Depth should be restricted to not more than 300 feet and not less than 150 feet. Parking lot interiors and perimeters should be landscaped to screen automobiles and break-up large areas of pavement. Access to commercial property should not encroach into residential neighborhoods. Primary access is directly from arterial streets. Buffering between single family and commercial uses may consist of landscaping, and/or solid walls. In addition, dumpsters and mechanical equipment areas should be screened. Corridor development should orient traffic toward arterial streets and discourage entry to residential neighborhood. Commercial Nodes The commercial node development form consists of commercial land use that generally develops around intersections of major thoroughfares and around intersections of collector streets with arterial streets. A distinguishing characteristic of nodal development is that the commercial activity is directed toward the intersection, and does not extend along the intersecting streets. The size of a commercial node is generally not limited, but is determined by the type of commercial use at a particular location. These physical elements may serve as barriers to contain intense land uses. The following are the primary elements of commercial node development: Parking lot interiors and perimeters should be landscaped to screen automobiles and break up large areas of pavement. 4 Summary of Sanger Street Classification Street Classification Designation Plan Classification Freeway FW Controlled Access Multiple Lane Principal Arterial Street P4U Primary Arterial 4-Lane Undivided Principal Arterial Street P3U Primary Arterial 3-Lane Undivided Minor Arterial Street M4U Minor Arterial 4-Lane Undivided Minor Arterial Street M3U Minor Arterial 3-Lane Undivided Collector Street C2U Collector Two Lane Undivided Local Residential Street R2U Residential Two Lane Undivided 9 A complete circulation system provides separate facilities for the movement, transition, distribution, collection, access, and termination of trips. The hierarchy of the functional classification system ranges as follows: Principal Arterials, Minor Arterials, Collectors, and Local streets. Streets located within municipalities generally are various sizes, and have different numbers of vehicle traffic lanes and design requirements. This Plan has categorized Sanger’s streets according to the Standard Street Classification System used by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Freeway:This is the most intense thoroughfare as it relates to traffic volume. It is a controlled access freeway system. There is only one thoroughfare of this magnitude that impacts the City, Interstate Highway 35 (I-35). Interstate Highway 35 is a north/south freeway that bisects the nation from virtually the southern border with Mexico and the northern Canadian border. I-35 was approved by the Texas State Highway Commission in 1962 and has proven to be an essential There are generally two types of parks: active parks and passive parks. Active parks contain regulation designed play areas such as ball fields, basketball courts, swimming pools, and other types of particular sports. These active parks usually are dedicated primarily to competitive, organized sports or have paid employees maintaining and administering the activities. Passive parks consist of simple green areas with minimum or no facilities other than designated walk paths to parks with ball fields and basketball courts used for unorganized “pick-up” games. Playgrounds with pavilions and rest benches are usually a central feature of passive parks. In order to have a well balanced parks system, both types of parks should be planned and accessible to all the residents of the community. Parks are further defined according to service area and size, ranging from Community Parks which may be greater than 50 Acres, depending on the population of the City, to Mini-Parks which may be only a fraction of an acre. An inventory of the City of Sanger confirmed the sentiment expressed in the community survey. The City is woefully below the standards expected of park systems. The four developed parks located in Sanger comprise a total of twenty- three acres of active and passive parks. By national standards several times that area should be provided. The Park plan proposes to locate neighborhood parks throughout the planning area. Community Center Park, which is actually a neighborhood park but serves as a community which serves the entire community very well. Eventually, plans should be considered to relocate these facilities to a community park elsewhere, where more land area may be dedicated; however it’s central location serves its purpose. Railroad Ave. Baseball Park functions as a community park. Eventually the park should be expanded to allow for more parking and additional facilities. As the City is developed, it is critical that land area for neighborhood parks be dedicated as development occurs. According to that end, the Park plan has Commercial Land Use:Outside of public and quasi-public uses, non- residential uses in Sanger are generally limited to commercial type uses.The PARK PLAN Areas dedicated for passive and active recreation is a critical part of the community dynamic. Any effort considering the long range use of land should also include an analysis of the existing and future park plan goals, which in the case of the City of Sanger was addressed in the community survey. This Comprehensive plan addresses basic elements of the park plan, being more particularly the type of park, size of parks, and the location of those parks. Actual design and configuration of future parks should be addressed in a more detailed Parks Plan to be prepared under separate cover. Unlike Commercial Corridors, Commercial Nodes should not be restricted to 300 feet or less in depth. The commercial activity should determine the depth. Buffering between single family and commercial uses may consist of landscaping. Edges and Transitions Well-defined edges and gradual transitions of land use are important to the function of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Edges are boundaries of land uses that clearly indicate the beginning and termination of a land use type, while transitions are land uses that serve as a buffer zone between uses of differing intensities. Edges are generally recognized as physical elements, such as creeks/floodplains, interstate freeways, or thoroughfares. These physical elements may serve as barriers to contain intense land uses. Screening Walls and Buffers:When conflicting land uses must be locatednextto one another, a means must be provided to soften the impact of the more intense use. This can be accomplished by providing screening walls or landscape buffer areas between the incompatible uses. Screening Walls:Walls used to screen incompatible uses should be solid. Wooden fences are not recommended for this purpose because the properties of a wooden fence cannot offer an adequate barrier to offensive impacts from adjacent uses, and they have a tendency to deteriorate over a short period of time. It is recommended that screening walls consist of solid masonry materials, combined with landscaping. Screening walls that are adjacent to public roadways should always be combined with a variety of landscaping materials. Landscape Buffers:Incompatible land uses may also be effectively screened with the use of landscaping material. There may be occasions when a six-foot screening wall, while limiting access, does not provide adequate characteristics to buffer against sound or visual effects from adjacent property. In such cases, it is recommended that rapid growing trees, at least three inches in diameter at the time of planting, be placed along the screening wall at intervals that will provide full coverage at ultimate tree growth. If sufficient land exists, berms may also be used. Focal Points and Entry Statements Focal points and entry statements are design elements that are used to draw attention to significant areas of the town. Focal points are intended to make a statement about the community and to establish a City theme by using such elements as uniform signage and the City logo. Other elements that may be incorporate could be a combination of landscaping, decorative pavers, banners, signage, street furniture, and statuary. These elements can create interest in a particular location, and establish a community theme throughout the town. Focal points are used at locations where characteristics unique to Sanger are evident such as in an area where the amount of traffic and visibility are high. Entry statements are special treatments applied where significant amounts of traffic enter the City. They are intended to communicate that one has entered the City. FUTURE LAND USE PLAN The Future Land Use Plan illustrates the future pattern of land use for the City of Sanger as summarized below. Residential Land Use:Although the zoning ordinance may permit a variety of residential districts, the Comprehensive Land Use Plan addresses primarily only single family residential uses. Higher densities will be promoted and appropriate upon site specific application on individual properties. Uses other than single family will be permitted by specific approval of each project. This flexibility will permit zero lotline and higher density development as provided for in this text at site specific locations and upon approval of a planned unit development. Residential density is limited to a minimum of 1-1/2 acres lots by straight zoning. Densities smaller than that are possible upon specific approval of the City Council. However, the Future Land Plan Map indicates at least three densities on the plan: Rural Residential, Urban Low-Density Residential, and Urban High-Density Residential. These designations were not intended to represent zoning categories and should not be associated as such. However, there is a direct relationship between these categories and the zoning districts. The Rural Residential area is generally that area that is planned for the lowest density in the City, whatever that density may be. Currently it is one unit for every five acres. However, this plan realizes that development may occur in this area and provide for lots less than five acres. In that sense, the Rural Residential designation represents lots that are greater than 1-1/2 acre and possibly greater than five acres. The Urban Low-Density Residential areas represent property that will not exceed the five acre minimum and will most likely be limited to 1-1/2 acres. These are areas that have already been developed as subdivisions and are not candidates for future development. The Urban High-Density Residential area represent property that are candidates for development less than the 1-1/2 acres minimum as provided in the zoning ordinance. This designation does not intend to zoning lot sizes for these purposes but is basically directing higher density growth into this area if it is to occur. It is important to note that higher density zoning may occur in any of the above described areas if such development has been approved by the City Council. However, the principles of design, buffer, and transition will still be applicable for any development. Commercial Land Use:Outside of public and quasi-public uses, non- residential uses in Sanger are generally limited to commercial type uses. The zoning ordinance provides for clean industrial type uses located adjacent to the railroad and Interstate Highways. Commercial uses are generally limited to node type commercial that are focused on specific intersections of principle arterials. The Node Commercial principle encourages all traffic at these sites to be focused on the arterial. No traffic is permitted to invade the residential community. It is likely these will be basic service and retail businesses. Corridor Commercial uses are generally focused on Interstate Hwy 35 and FM 455. The corridor is located generally 300 feet on either side of the right- of-way line. Distances greater than 300 feet run the risk of having out- parcels divided off in the rear removed from visibility and access by the property along the highway. This does not mean that commercial property that exceeds the 300 foot depth is not permitted; upon presentation of specific plans developments greater than the 350 foot distance will certainly be appropriate. 58 Park Typed Acres/ 1000 Population Minimum Acres Population Served Service Area Community Park 5 to 8 Acres 25 Acres Several Neighborhoods 1 to 2 mile radius Neighborhood Park 1 to 2 Acres 15 Acres 4,000 to 5,000 people 1/4 to 1/2 mile radius Mini-Park 0.25 Acre 0.25 to 1 Acres Adjacent Neighborhood 1/4 mile radius Special Use or Linear Park Varies Varies Varies Varies Parks Classification and Standards (National Standards) 76