Recently, in The Wheel I commented on a proposed redevelopment of Clay Cooley VW. I feared that it wouldn't foster the vision or conform with the form-based zoning for the Interurban District. It's adding a repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot to its work underway to greatly enlarge the auto showroom already approved by the Richardson City Council.
Contrast that with another proposed redevelopment that came before the City Plan Commission on August 7. It's for "The Nest Wellness Village". This post is being written before that hearing, so by the time this is published, there will have been news that isn't included here. I just had some immediate thoughts that I wanted to get down on paper.
The proposed development is in downtown Richardson. It's called a "wellness village." I assume that means a development that brings together doctors, dentists, therapists, and various other health-related services. Fine, but that's not what I want to know. The Main Street District is governed by a form-based code. Form-based codes are less concerned with the use of the property than with the form taken by the buildings. A form-based code ties a neighborhood together rather than keeps its various uses apart. It emphasizes the relationship between one building and its neighbors, between buildings and public spaces, leading to more walkable and livable environments. Most important, it understands that land use evolves and therefore emphasizes that buildings should be adaptable. The Main Street District form-based code specifies that "properties, including the subject site, ..., are limited to residential, live/work, churches, and vertical mixed-use building that contain a minimum of 50% residential units."
How does this proposed wellness village look in that light? At first glance, it looks promising, with one big exception. The proposal is for a main building and a series of bungalow-like buildings surrounding a central courtyard. The applicant's description says, "The build will consist of a 4,000 sq ft main building with anchor tenants like Staycation, retail, and a community event space." The property doesn't include the Staycation coffee house (literally, a repurposed house), which is a block north, but if the build is compatible with a coffee house, then it's likely to be compatible with a lot of different uses that would be welcome in downtown Richardson, now and in the future.
What's missing is the use that's also needed in downtown Richardson. That's the form-based code requirement of "vertical mixed-use building that contain a minimum of 50% residential units." Nest Wellness Village, as proposed, contains no residential at all. Because of that, I would deny the request. If the property owner came back with a new plan that included a second story (or second and third) that contains residential units, I'd be much more receptive to the request. I might even be enthusiastic.
"Plans need to adapt.
Vertical mixed-use needed,
Missing residents."
—h/t ChatGPT
At the August 7, 2024, meeting, the City Plan Commission approved the application 7-0. My streak of being ignored continues. The only condition placed on the application is to increase the height of the wooden fence along the property line from 6 to 8 feet. Robert Frost may have said, "Good fences make good neighbors," but I'm not as comfortable with the aphorism in an urban downtown setting as in a rural setting that Frost was writing about.
ReplyDeleteAt the August 26, 2024, meeting, the City Council approved the application 7-0. Two Councilmember said they weren't bothered by the inconsistency of this proposal and the adopted vision for this district of mixed-use developments. My streak of being ignored continues.
ReplyDelete