Bryan Fire Station No. 5 is up and running. Check.
About $400,000 each year is allocated for the replacement of traffic signals. Another check.
The city, which hired a new parks director, now holds regular meetings with the Bryan Independent School District that have led to cooperative ventures, including redoing the soccer fields behind Mary Branch Elementary, investigating natatorium possibilities at Rudder High School and utilizing schools for recreational programs. Check.
While none of these issues are related, each were on a 16-point to-do list identified in a comprehensive plan created in 2007 by a committee made up of citizens, staff and council members. Bryan officials recently released a progress report on that plan to illustrate the strides the city has made in addressing residents' top concerns.
Deputy City Manager Joey Dunn said the report was to help city staff stay on track with moving projects forward. He said they've made "good progress" to date on most of the issues.
City staff members still were looking into how to handle different drainage issues, a problem discussed over the years. A Storm Sewer Master Plan was developed within the comprehensive plan and ranked projects according to importance. The floodplains in the Cottonwood Branch and Still Creek watersheds still are being studied, according to the report. Officials also are in the process of preparing a Stormwater Master Plan that will take a look at the overall drainage system and prioritize specific projects.
Dunn said the comprehensive plan serves as a road map for the city's growth and development.
The progress report addresses the city's plans for maintaining systems already in place, implementing improvements and taking a proactive approach to meeting the goals identified. Sixteen issues -- known as "The Sweet 16" -- were highlighted by the committee. Concerns include downtown Bryan, community appearance, neighborhood redevelopment, proactive code enforcement, parks and recreation, pedestrian ways, historic preservation and the South College master plan.
Overall, Dunn said, the report was a positive assessment of everything including infrastructure, transportation, development, land use and housing.
"This is something that's important to make sure it's a living, breathing, up-to-date document," Dunn said.
The issue ranked most important by residents during the planning process was a continued emphasis on downtown.
The city has been facilitating the redevelopment of downtown with capital projects and restarting a facade improvement program. The downtown improvement program works to make the area attractive, increase economic vitality of the buildings and up the sales tax revenue and property values, while preserving and enhancing architectural and cultural history, according to the progress report.
The report pointed out how Phase 2 construction of infrastructure improvements have been completed along Bryan Avenue from 28th to 24th streets and some side streets from Parker to Main streets.
Phase 3 pushes the downtown effort to the north and includes $10 million in capital projects that will remove and replace pavement and sidewalks along Main Street from 24th Street to Pruitt Street, according to the report. Utilities will be replaced while landscaping, streetscaping and historic lights will be included. The master plan calls for high-density residential developments to be included in the new development. The city is currently in the process of selecting a master developer for "downtown North," which they want to make plans for high-density residential structures to be built, Dunn said.
Residents ranked community appearance as the No. 2 issue needing attention, specifically improving the appearance along public rights of way and major corridors.
The city is handling the request through a combination of code enforcement, code development and corridor planning.
Resources have been added to help proactively address code violations. City staff is also updating all three development-related ordinances that will incorporate design guidelines and standards for both private and public development projects.
Targeted areas for a more comprehensive approach include Texas Avenue, Wellborn Road and College Main. The city is investing about $250,000 for the design and construction of 6- to 8-foot-wide sidewalks along both sides of Texas Avenue from the Tejas Center to the southern city limits.
The report highlights how city staff has developed a proactive plan to maintain the city's water system. Each water distribution line in the system was identified by age and detailed leak history to help develop a prioritized replacement and repair list. City officials have identified areas with inadequate fire protection and implemented an ongoing program to ensure these sites have adequate protection by replacing old fire hydrants, adding new hydrants and upsizing water lines.
An essential part of the plan is ensuring the current level of core city services is maintained, according to the report. Those services include the provision and maintenance of utility lines, streets, drainage, solid waste, community facilities, parks and emergency services. A guide has been developed with specific tasks for each department to ensure the level of services are kept up-to-date. Residents can follow the progress online as the city tracks each project by type, date, description and total costs.
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