Introduction | Summary | Master Plan Document | Annual Reports | Implementation Strategies
2004 Master Plan Annual Report
Implementation
2004 Annual Report | Land Use | Economy | Community Appearance | Community Facilities & Services | Housing | Transportation | Implementation
Click here to view/download a pdf version of the Implementation section.
Goal
Emphasize accountability, monitoring, fiscal soundness and appropriate regulations while fostering involvement of citizens, civic organizations, institutions and the business sector in the effective implementation of the Master Plan.
Executive Summary
The Implementation section is in place to take a big picture view of the City’s progress in realizing Master Plan goals. It serves to ensure accountability, sound fiscal management, monitoring of strategy implementation, and ultimately to foster and maintain the community’s interest, understanding and involvement in implementation efforts. It serves to keep the Master Plan document alive and evolving, in step with changing market realities, and community needs and sentiments.
Staff is recommending expansion of Implementation Objective 4 to incorporate a comprehensive set of public relations goals and activities that are directly tied to the Master Plan. To encourage community understanding, support and participation, regular and comprehensive communication efforts are key.
Staff would like to incorporate a new objective into Implementation with regard to maintaining and enhancing City representation, participation and communication with community and regional entities. Members of Staff and City Council already serve on or participate in a number of groups to ensure Upper Arlington has a voice at the table and is a willing contributor to addressing issues that affect the region. Issues faced by inner-ring suburbs such as Upper Arlington, regional public transportation goals, and smart growth considerations are a few of the key subjects under review at a broader level in which the City must continue to have a voice.
Some Implementation strategies are considered completed or ongoing as part of routine City business. They have been marked as such and will only contain update information in future reports as projects or items of note occur. Likewise, Staff recommends some strategies be combined with others or deleted if they represent a duplication of efforts. These recommended changes are listed in the Implementation strategy table at the end of this section.
Objective Highlights
Objective 1. Involve a wide variety of stakeholders in plan implementation.
Following adoption of the Master Plan, no formal role was carved out for members of the Community Vision Partnership, however several members of this group continue to be heavily involved in City activities, with members serving on City Council and the Board of Zoning & Planning to name but two.
Preparations for the 2004 Master Plan Annual Report caused some discussion of how the Community Vision Partnership could be reformed at some point in the near future, to assist with:
- Master Plan interpretation and feedback from the originating body, as more controversial development or redevelopment projects are brought before the City, regarding original intent, flexibility, etc.
- Beginning preparations for the 10-year update process, tentatively scheduled to formally begin in 2008.
Efforts to engage non-City entities in implementation partnerships represent an ongoing process. The City is fortunate to have the willing cooperation of many community organizations that help further Master Plan goals, however keeping these relationships strong requires ongoing attention.
Finding the means to realize change in the City’s commercial districts is probably the most important area directly tied to this objective, since redevelopment will not occur without the willing participation of existing property owners and/or prospective developers.
Objective 2. Secure the necessary funding for implementation.
As has been previously mentioned in most other sections of this report, funding for Master Plan implementation presents one of the greatest challenges. Securing adequate revenues to support rising costs for existing City services is proving more challenging, with flat revenue streams and certain areas at risk (Estate Tax and Local Government Fund). The gains made by economic development efforts are important successes but to date they have only served to hold income tax levels steady, as other businesses have either left the community or downsized as a reflection of the recent national economy.
The City’s Capital Improvements Program (CIP) has proven very successful for the community, thanks to prudent financial planning. What began as a five-year CIP with $2 million dedicated annually (per voter approval of a $10 million bond issue), is now a seven-year program with approximately $5 million dedicated annually, without the need to secure additional voter support.
To date, the City’s financial and debt policies have identified and utilized a combination of existing funds and debt to support CIP projects. Current projections indicate the City’s General Fund balance will be significantly depleted to support scheduled program years. Consideration of this issue and possible solutions will be reviewed in early 2006 when the Council Finance Committee reconvenes.
Staff is requesting further review of pending Master Plan objectives to help prioritize projects, primarily in the areas of:
- Economic development incentives in relation to the Study Areas, to ensure adequate resources are available to support key projects, such as facilitating the redevelopment of Kingsdale into a town center.
- Community facilities and services, sidewalks, bike lanes, Transportation Plan recommendations.
Objective 3. Develop the necessary regulatory foundation for implementation.
Staff is recommending Objective 3a be removed, since it is addressed by Land Use 3b.
An annual series of Building Safety seminars was launched by the Development Department in spring 2004, with the multi-pronged goals of educating the community on the importance of building safety standards and to provide an opportunity for the commercial community to better understand the regulations and standards set in place by the Unified Development Ordinance.
Staff continues to monitor these regulations and standards to ensure they are being successfully implemented and that they continue to meet the community’s needs.
A retreat of City Council, Staff, the Board of Zoning & Planning and the Community Improvement Corporation scheduled for April 2005, is expected to review the regulatory process and how well it is serving its purpose as a whole.
Objective 4. Monitor and evaluate implementation of the plan.
Staff continues to closely monitor and evaluate Master Plan implementation, most comprehensively through the regular development of the Master Plan Annual Report.
As highlighted by the 2004 Master Plan Annual Report, several items require more detailed evaluation and possibly direction from City Council on how best to proceed.
Staff is recommending an expansion of Objective 4 to incorporate a comprehensive set of public relations goals tied to the entire Master Plan. This includes incorporation of Economy 2e and Housing 4b into this section (see the Implementation table at the end of this section). To encourage community understanding and support, regular and comprehensive communication efforts are key. To date, some messages have been more successfully conveyed than others, for example the importance of economic development is clearly understood by residents. However, there is less clarity on which types of redevelopment are most fiscally beneficial to the City.
Recent development projects brought forward by various private entities have given rise to much community discussion regarding their value in a given location, impact on the surrounding community, and relevance to the Master Plan. Oftentimes, a perception put forth by concerned residents is that the City is the driving force behind a given project. The reality:
- Private individuals or organizations bring projects forward, at which time Staff evaluates them based on a standard framework of guidelines and regulations.
- In the majority of cases, the projects meet zoning and building code requirements and proceed with no further action necessary.
- For the small number of cases that require a zoning variance, Staff provides factual information regarding the case in relation to zoning requirements to facilitate the consideration and ultimate decisions made by the Board of Zoning & Planning.
- For an even smaller number of cases that are requesting a rezoning or wish to appeal a decision made by the Board of Zoning & Planning, Staff again provides case history and factual information to facilitate the consideration and ultimate decisions made by City Council.
This is an example where enhanced public relations efforts can help the City frame discussions so that all vested parties better understand the process, the roles of involved stakeholders, and to satisfy them that their concerns are being heard and given due consideration.
Objective 5. Require concurrence with the Master Plan and Study Area Plans.
Efforts to ensure concurrence with the Master Plan and Study Area plans are ongoing as part of the regular course of City business.
Objective 6. Conduct an update of the Master Plan every 10 years.
Each year, through considerations raised by the Master Plan Annual Report process, consideration is given on how to conduct the Master Plan update process at the appropriate time. Realities, successes and roadblocks experienced along the way during the first 10 years of implementation, will all be incorporated into the update process.
Implementation
Strategy Responsibilities / Recommended Amendments
Objective 1. Involve a wide variety of stakeholders in plan implementation.
a. Evaluating a continuing role for the Community Vision Partnership (CVP).CHANGE TO: Evaluating a continuing role for interested citizens and previous members of the Community Vision Partnership.
| City Manager, City Council and Community Vision Partnership
| Immediate / Further consideration required
|
b. Identifying and engaging non-city partners to assist in implementation.
| City Manager, Community Improvement Corporation
| Immediate and Short Term / Ongoing
|
Objective 2. Secure the necessary funding for implementation.
a. Updating the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) in concurrence with the Master Plan and Study Area Plans.
| Finance, City Council
| Immediate and Short Term / Ongoing
|
b. Identifying, pursuing and securing funds for prioritized initiatives of the Master Plan and Study Area Plans.
| Finance, City Council
| Ongoing
|
c. Continuing to monitor and ensure fiscal accountability.
| Finance, City Council
| Immediate and Short Term / Ongoing
|
Objective 3. Develop the necessary regulatory foundation for implementation.
a. Updating the City’s development regulations as recommended in the Master Plan and Study Area Plans.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning and Planning
| Immediate / Complete
|
b. Conducting information sessions on a regular basis with the development community to promote the new regulations.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning and Planning
| Immediate / Ongoing Routine
|
c. Monitoring implementation of the new regulations and making corrections as necessary.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning and Planning
| Ongoing / Routine
|
d. Studying the expansion of administrative review and approval of development permits, as appropriate.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning and Planning
| Ongoing
|
Objective 4. Monitor, evaluate and communicate implementation of the plan.
a. Preparing an annual report that summarizes the status of implementation of all strategies.
| City Manager, Community Affairs
| Immediate / Ongoing / Routine
|
b. Issuing a summary of the annual report to the media and general public.
| City Manager, Community Affairs
| Immediate / Ongoing / Routine
|
| c. Issuing news releases that promote significant accomplishments relative to a specific strategy.CHANGE TO: Designing and implementing a strategic communications plan that educates the community about Master Plan goals and implementation strategies, promotes significant achievements and supports implementation efforts.
| Community Affairs, City Manager
| Immediate / Ongoing / Routine
|
ADD d. Promoting the City as a good place to conduct business. (formerly Economy 2e)
| Community Affairs, Economic Development, Development
| Ongoing / Routine
|
| ADD e. Continuing to promote the City as an excellent place to live (formerly Housing 4b)
| Community Affairs, all departments
| Ongoing / Routine
|
ADD f. Facilitating community feedback on overall Master Plan implementation and goal prioritization through a Community Survey process.
| Community Affairs, City Manager, all departments
| Ongoing at three-year intervals
|
Objective 5. Require concurrence with the Master Plan and Study Area Plans.
a. Requiring concurrence in rezonings and other major development approvals.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning and Planning
| Immediate and Ongoing / Routine
|
b. Requiring formal amendment of the Master Plan or Study Area Plans if necessary to support a rezoning or major development approval, provided sufficient grounds exist to support such amendment.
| Development, City Council, Board of Zoning and Planning
| Immediate and Ongoing
|
c. Requiring interpretation of the Master Plan or Study Area Plans by Board of Zoning and Planning or City Council to be in writing.
| City Clerk, City Council, Board of Zoning & Planning
| Immediate and Ongoing / Routine
|
d. Requiring staff reports to reference Master Plan
| City Manager, City Staff
| Immediate and Ongoing / Routine
|
Objective 6. Conduct an update of the Master Plan every 10 years.
a. Designing the process.
| City Manager, City Council
| Long Term / Ongoing annually
|
b. Undertaking the process.
| City Manager, Community Vision Partnership
| Long Term / 2008
|
c. Delivering the update.
| City Manager, Community Vision Partnership
| Long Term / 2011
|
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
|
