Introduction | Summary | Master Plan Document | Annual Reports | Implementation Strategies
2003 Master Plan Annual Report
Introduction
2003 Annual Report | Land Use | Economic Development | Community Appearance | Community Facilities and Services | Housing | Transportation | Implementation
Upper Arlington’s new Master Plan was adopted March 26, 2001, following three years of planning and participation from numerous community members.
Landlocked and fully developed, less than five percent of the City’s land use is dedicated to commercial activities and, of this, only 1.1 percent is in office use. Local income tax is a key revenue source and, as such, infrastructure maintenance and City service demands are outpacing the City’s funding capacity. Wishing to address these issues, Upper Arlington City Council initiated an update to the City’s 1962 Master Plan.
Eight goals helped direct development of the new Master Plan:
- Land Use – Recognize the City’s residential nature while enhancing redevelopment and revitalization.
- Economy – Place emphasis on creating a stronger, more diverse economy.
- Community Appearance – Preserve and enhance neighborhoods, natural surroundings and architectural amenities.
- Community Facilities – Maintain/expand community facilities for recreational, social and cultural opportunities.
- Community Services – Provide high-quality, cost-effective community services.
- Housing – Facilitate provision of a range of well-built housing to accommodate all ages.
- Transportation – Provide a comprehensive, safe and convenient network.
- Implementation – Emphasize accountability, fiscal soundness, monitoring and appropriate regulations, while fostering citizen and business involvement.
From these goals, 184 specific strategies for implementation were developed falling within four key actions the City must undertake to realize the overall goals of the Plan:
- Undertake redevelopment using the Study Areas as the framework – Several key areas are identified for potential redevelopment to create a mix of office, retail, residential, and civic use. These areas are: Kingsdale Shopping Center; Tremont Center; Henderson Road corridor; Lane Avenue corridor; Northwest Boulevard (south of Zollinger); the Mallway; and commercial areas along SR 33.
- Create land use tools – Develop tools to enhance and protect the City’s character while giving guidance and control for redevelopment. Update the City’s Planning and Zoning Code and create a series of development standards and guidelines to permit and encourage mixed-use development.
- Provide incentives to encourage desirable change – To stay competitive in the region and attract desirable development, consider a combination of economic and zoning incentives.
- Improve the City’s fiscal capacity – To ensure the community has adequate, stable funding, redevelopment strategies should encourage intensified land use in existing commercial areas and emphasize office development to generate new revenues.
Methodology in Preparation for the
2003 Master Plan Annual Report
Staff continued to build upon the approach taken to prepare for the 2001 and 2002 Master Plan Annual Reports. Lead departments/areas of expertise are assigned for each strategy, and appropriate members of staff take responsibility for conferring with other involved stakeholders to prepare a summary of achievements from the previous 12 months.
Staff recognized that significant progress would be made early in the implementation phase, trailing off over time. It also became apparent that some strategies would be ongoing as part of the regular course of business, and some could be combined with others due to their similar nature. Likewise, themes or areas yet to be addressed might emerge through the 10-year implementation process that should be brought forward for consideration as the next update process begins.
As such, the 2003 Master Plan Annual Report:
- Indicates which strategies are considered the regular course of City business, often with little additional updates provided from year to year.
- Provides no further updates for strategies that have already been completed, unless they are monitored and amended as part of regular City business.
- References duplicate strategies and make recommendations for streamlining the document when it is next updated.
Key Highlights in 2003
2003 Community Survey
In 2003, the City commissioned an extensive community survey to measure resident perceptions regarding quality of life and satisfaction with City services, to identify and confirm important City goals and challenges, and to gauge how and what type of information was wanted from the City, all components derived from or closely interrelated with goals of the Master Plan.
The majority of residents surveyed expressed overall satisfaction with City services and Upper Arlington’s quality of life. The main trends that emerged through survey results were a desire for the City to continue its focus on infrastructure improvements, to prioritize economic development efforts to attract and retain businesses, and to take an aggressive role in facilitating the redevelopment of the Kingsdale Shopping Center.
Results of the 2003 Community Survey will be used throughout the organization in 2004 and beyond to help enhance service delivery, prioritize projects and increase efforts to inform residents of important issues. The next Community Survey will be undertaken in 2006.
Community Outreach
The City of Upper Arlington Master Plan is the community’s vision for its future therefore, the continued involvement of key stakeholders, namely our residents and corporate citizens, is a crucial part of the implementation process. A community review process for the Master Plan was undertaken in 2003 as part of a Public Forum Series, to help residents gain a renewed focus of the Master Plan, and to obtain feedback on how they believe implementation is progressing and whether the City is on track with resident sentiments.
Residents, including former Community Vision Partnership members, participated in a hands-on evening. Broken into workshop areas based on each chapter of the Master Plan, group leaders presented summaries of each section, highlights of achievements since the Master Plan was adopted, and encouraged resident thoughts and ideas on progress to date and what areas the City should prioritize in the future.
Overall, forum participants were impressed with the comprehensive nature of the Master Plan, and implementation progress made to date. In keeping with results from the 2003 Community Survey, maintaining and enhancing the City’s infrastructure, emphasis on economic development efforts and revitalization of the Kingsdale Shopping Center emerged as key priorities on which to focus.
The remaining three public forums addressed additional Master Plan related areas:
- Upper Arlington’s role and needs within the Central Ohio region;
- The issues and challenges facing older “first suburb” communities such as Upper Arlington, including aging infrastructure and increasing competition from newer, outer-ring suburbs.
- A presentation on the principles of new urbanism, smart growth practices, the role and successes of town center planning, and various other issues connected with urban renewal projects.
Unified Development Ordinance
A major initiative of the Master Plan was to review and update the City’s Zoning Code. The resulting Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) was adopted by City Council in 2002. The UDO merges zoning, subdivision and related development provisions into a single ordinance. The end result is a simplified development approval process, streamlined administrative procedures and practices, and a more user-friendly process for developers.
Since its adoption and ensuing implementation, the UDO has been well received by both staff and customers alike. The Development Department continues to monitor progress made within these strategies, as many are dependent upon the occurrence of redevelopment in the community, in particular the City’s commercial districts. It is anticipated that practical application and possible challenges to the UDO may require minor amendments over time, or more significant recommendations for change could evolve leading up to the 10-year Master Plan update.
Kingsdale Shopping Center
In the Fall of 2002, the City explored the possibility of purchasing a significant portion of the Kingsdale Shopping Center from Regency Centers, LLC. Through a due diligence phase, the City was able to explore details associated with the proposed purchase such as tenant leases, environmental conditions, infrastructure and structural integrity. It became apparent that certain parameters within some tenant leases reduced the control the City would have had over the site. As a result, City Council terminated the purchase agreement in January 2003, since these issues could not have been resolved within the given timeframe of the purchase agreement.
Had the City completed the purchase, this short-term investment would have represented a significant milestone in realizing the Master Plan vision of creating a thriving town center at Kingsdale, valued for its central location within a strong residential community, intensifying land use, and maximizing commercial tax base potential. While not the only scenario suggested, the Master Plan recognizes land acquisition is an effective means to stimulate investment and re-development. As the property owner, the City would have competitively selected a development team to meet its redevelopment goals.
Throughout 2003, the City continued discussions with property owners and prospective developers in the hopes of facilitating a mutually beneficial redevelopment project at the sight. While little progress was made in this area, this important Master Plan goal remains a City priority. City Council and Staff clearly heard from the 2003 Community Survey that residents want Kingsdale revived and they agree a mixture of uses such as shops, businesses, housing and public uses are key to creating a central gathering place that will serve the community over the long term.
This opinion was further validated by a study by Bird & Houk that confirmed a mixed-use development at Kingsdale would be financially feasible from both the private and public sector perspectives, but how to achieve it is the challenge. Timing, market forces, plans of the current property owners and numerous other business considerations will all play a role in what ultimately could occur at this site.
Outdoor Pools
Following many months of work to determine the best way forward between the City and the Schools, ownership of the three outdoor pools was transferred to the City in February 2003. The City has managed and maintained the pools for several years but was somewhat limited in what it could do with regard to necessary upgrades for these aging facilities. Assuming ownership enabled the City to take a long-range look at the pools and their role in the community’s recreation and leisure facilities.
In 2003, the City undertook a Pools Visioning Process to share ideas and possibilities for the pools and to obtain extensive resident feedback on what they would like the community’s three aquatic environments to become. The ideas and key wishes generated by the public meetings evolved into more concrete plans for the pools, with a 2003 Pools Visioning Summary and Recommendations presented to City Council at the beginning of 2004.
The Report recommended undertaking a three-phase approach with a complete Hastings Pool renovation representing the first phase, since it was physically in greatest need. Following this presentation, it was agreed that a Council Pools Subcommittee would form to move this project forward, with the goal of beginning construction Fall 2004 so that the new facility could open to the public Summer 2005.
Capital Improvements Program
The City continued its commitment to improving its aging infrastructure in 2003, with the seven-year Capital Improvements Program extended through at least 2010. As a result, approximately five million dollars per year will be dedicated to such improvements, placing continued emphasis on enhancing the City’s roads, sewers, waterlines and streetlights. This emphasis on road improvements is set to continue again in 2004.
Property Maintenance and Assessment
To ensure properties are well maintained and contribute to the aesthetics and safety of any given neighborhood, most communities establish a set of property maintenance guidelines. Following on from the establishment of the UDO in 2002, the Development Department updated its Property Maintenance Code in 2003, with the new guidelines taking effect at the start of 2004.
The new Property Maintenance Code meets several Master Plan objectives that are primarily related to the preservation of residential neighborhoods by: requiring a high-quality exterior appearance of all residential structures; maintaining and improving the community’s housing stock; taking steps to stabilize any neighborhoods that become threatened by physical decline; and maintaining the quality of rental options for residents. The requirements also provide for a streamlined, user-friendly process.
Upon adoption of the updated Property Maintenance Code, the Development Department also began implementation of a proactive Property Assessment and Monitoring Program at the start of 2004, addressing similar Master Plan goals. The Code Compliance Division has established five zones, with the goal of inspecting one zone per year. It is hoped that, as residents are educated on Upper Arlington’s requirements, the City should experience a decline in complaint-driven issues
Transportation Plan
Reviewing the City’s short- and long-term transportation and infrastructure needs is another Master Plan priority. An updated Transportation Plan was accepted by City Council in 2002, serving as the guiding document for the City’s infrastructure needs in the coming decades. The plan addresses key desires that arose from community meetings during the update phase: slow down traffic; divert through traffic; build safe crosswalks for pedestrians; build sidewalks and bike paths; mix land uses and plant more trees.
The recommendations outlined within the Transportation Plan are extensive, costly and intended for consideration and implementation over the long-term. They are being considered on a case-by-case basis as specific road improvements occur, or may be triggered as opportunities for redevelopment in the City’s commercial districts occur, especially at Kingsdale.
Conclusion
Just as it took many decades for the City to grow and prosper since its inception at the turn of the last Century, the interpretation and implementation of the Master Plan will take many decades. Preparing an annual report, a strategy identified within the Master Plan, provides a convenient means to monitor progress over the short-term, and to identify unexpected issues and developments that may trigger Master Plan adjustments, as a prelude to a complete review and update in 2011.
The Master Plan’s primary goal to preserve and enhance the community’s overall quality of life while assuring fiscal stability over the long term is an easy concept to embrace, however finding the means to realize this goal is an ongoing challenge.
While Master Plan implementation in 2003 still made significant progress, it is apparent that the pace is beginning to slow. With major, short-term directives completed and a significant percentage of strategies achieved annually as part of regular City business, we are beginning to see a decline in progress made or completion of the remaining outstanding strategies.
Examples include the redevelopment of Kingsdale and other commercial districts, various Transportation Plan initiatives such as expanding pedestrian and bicycle access through the community, and expanding housing and services for the community’s older adults. Such objectives are often reliant on factors outside the City’s control or would require significant funding that will likely be unavailable to support implementation. In addition, with existing budgetary and staffing levels, the City lacks excess capacity to embrace new projects and ideas without impacting current service levels.
Likewise, the needs and desires of our citizenry will evolve over time. Not every avenue explored will be accepted by the community or advantageous for implementation by the City, but we should continue to embrace new and innovative approaches to any given issue or strategy in order to identify what will be a good fit for Upper Arlington.
City Manager's Office
City of Upper Arlington
3600 Tremont Road
Upper Arlington, OH 43221
Phone: 614-583-5040
Fax: 614-457-6620
www.ua-ohio.net
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