City of Fairview TX Strategic Plan
an educational real estate guide
When you're very serious about buying a new home or real estate in Fairview Texas, you should consider reviewing the City of Fairview Texas Strategic Plan to understand the future real estate growth and direction of the local government. Another tool provided by the Mark Hitz Team of GMAC Local Realtors to give you the knowledge you need to make the right decisions about your new home real estate investment.
Prepared for the Fairview
Town Council
| SIM ISRAELOFF, MAYOR | CAROLYN SOMMERS |
| JIM CUNNINGHAM | MICHAEL PEZZULLI |
| JOHN FRASER | DICK PRICE |
| By |
| Fairview Economic Development |
| Advisory Board |
| APRIL 2004 |
SUMMARY OF GOALS
- To create a new and unique Fairview Town Center.
- To provide a variety of quality housing opportunities within the community.
- To increase the Town’s non-residential tax base.
- To create and improve within the Town’s designated commercial area the infrastructure needed to attract and sustain desired commercial development.
- To provide dining, shopping and entertainment opportunities within the Town for residents, workers and visitors.
- To increase the Town’s name recognition throughout the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex (and beyond) to help support growth of the community.
- To attract new businesses to locate within the Town that complement the community’s existing image and quality lifestyle.
- To retain existing desired local businesses within the Town.
Acknowledgements
Appreciation is due to a number of individuals, educational institutions, professional firms and volunteer groups who have contributed to the development of this plan. Although actual writing of the strategic plan began in late 2003, significant planning effort for Fairview’s Commercial Planned Development District (CPDD) started in 1998.
The following is a brief chronology recognizing prior contributors whose efforts laid the groundwork for the town’s Economic Development Strategic Plan as well as for actual development that has already begun in the commercial area:
- Add commercial development which remains unique and distinctive compared with surrounding communities; include architectural and building standards which encourage ‘quality’ development.
- Preserve and carefully use the natural environment with its character enhanced by abundant trees, creeks, and terrain in the more typically North Texas ‘prairie’ region.
- Buffer unpleasant side effects (light, noise & traffic) of commercial growth on nearby residential zones.
- Add quality ‘higher density’ residential development within the vicinity of anticipated commercial growth.
- Strong residential property values
- Current water service good/system improvements underway
- Existing highway corridors/expressway frontage
- Commercial area relatively undeveloped (‘clean slate’)
- Development standards and zoning established……’open for business’
- Cohesive commercial area – limited number of owners
1998 – University of Texas at Arlington Study – Presented the concept of developing a commercial area in the Town of Fairview.
1999 – Fairview Citizen Committee – Established a vision and goals for eventual development of the commercial area.
2000 – Halff Associates Study – Provided the first concepts for developing a Commercial District with a unique Town Center.
2001 – Mesa Design Group Plan – Expanded the concepts of the Halff Study providing both refinements and specific plans for streetscape, site and architectural design reflected in proposed land use and zoning documents.
These foundation efforts provided a basis for the 2004 Economic Development Strategic Plan which has been created with the advice and support of the Fairview Economic Development Advisory Board, the Fairview Town Staff and contributing volunteers. Special appreciation is due to the following individuals who offered repeated insight and suggestions: Economic Development Board members Gene Byrne and Keith Steiner; Fairview Director of Planning Alan Efrussy; and citizen volunteer, Maureen Clary, whose superb editing and administrative skills resulted in a final document published for the Town Council and the residents of Fairview.
Fairview Economic Development Advisory
Board| Jim Smith, Chairman | Gene Byrne |
| Diana Morris | Keith Steiner |
| Chuck Williams | Michael Mints (Advisory) |
| John Godwin (Ex-Officio) | Ron Clary (Ex-Officio) |
Fairview Town Staff
John Godwin, Town Manager
Alan Efrussy, Director of Planning and Community Development
Ron Clary, Director of Economic Development
FAIRVIEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN
Background
The Town of Fairview was incorporated in 1958 by a group of residents in the area located north of Allen, Texas, and south of McKinney, Texas, along and east of US Highway 75. Throughout its history, the Town has been a predominately residential community with typically large lot home sites in a rural setting. Historically, Town services have been limited primarily to the supply of water, street maintenance, and municipal administration. Businesses have been limited in number and generally described as being ‘small businesses’ with few employees. Sales tax revenues have been minimal, with few retail businesses located within the Town limits. Municipal revenues have been largely confined to property taxes and revenues from the supply of water to residents. Prior to 1998, the Town accepted its residential, limited municipal service existence.
During the later part of the 1990’s, some community leaders and citizens began to see the need for additional services. Their recognition grew from the expansion of developing subdivisions which housed above average income families often in high value, custom homes. Despite the ‘country’ setting, residents began seeking added conveniences and municipal services. Parallel with the Town’s growth in size and value, community leaders began to recognize not only the potential but also the likelihood of business development along two Fairview highway corridors (US 75 and SH 5) and along Stacy Road. Planning for seemingly inevitable development, the Town began efforts to guide the approaching development in a manner to be complementary of the existing residential community fabric. At the same time, Town leaders saw the growing demand for added community services and also saw the potential commercial growth as a source for adding revenues needed to pay for such services.
Economic Development Environment
Fairview has a distinctive character compared with most communities in the Dallas metropolitan area. Despite explosive suburban growth in surrounding communities, the Town has maintained its sense of uniqueness with its ‘country flavor’ and overall limited population density. Despite some obvious changes (e.g., adding more ‘urbanized’ land uses which are reflected in other Town planning documents), the Town has expressed goals indicating a desire to retain its uniqueness. Among these goals are to:
Notwithstanding its unique character and higher value homes, Fairview enters the realm of ‘economic development’ with strengths and weaknesses not unlike other small towns. No formal SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis has been done as part of this economic development strategic planning process. However, information from other municipal planning efforts, coupled with apparent observations, provides a number of obvious factors to consider when addressing economic plans. Some examples include:
Strengths
Challenges
Opportunities
Concerns
Description of the Plan
At the time of beginning the preparation of a formal economic development strategic plan in Fairview, several ‘commercial development’ planning efforts had already been accomplished. These efforts included: a) the original ‘citizen’s committee’ that developed the ‘vision’ for the Town’s commercial area; b) the report and ‘Concept Plan’ developed by Halff Associates; and c) the report and the ‘Central Business District Guidelines’ accomplished for Fairview by Mesa Design Group. Each of these efforts built upon and refined the efforts of the preceding plans.
In addition to these plans, the Town took a number of steps to facilitate the actual development of its commercial district. While not all inclusive, some of the key events included the adoption of the Town’s ‘Commercial Planned Development District’ ordinance which established definitive commercial zoning on over 800 acres of land. The Town verified its commitment to commercial development with the issuance of more than $3 million in certificates of obligation which provided the funding for construction of wastewater (sewage) facilities in the commercial area. Those construction projects are nearing completion.
Complementing its other efforts, the Town has dedicated a full time staff position coordinating its economic development activities. Working with a newly formed Economic Development Advisory Board, efforts have turned from preparation and planning to promotion of actual commercial development within the commercial district. Supporting the potential for near term development, the Town has added economic and community development sales taxes to help provide funding for economic development initiatives and projects.
Within this environment, the Fairview Economic Development Strategic Plan is constructed by describing goals, strategies and actions that build upon past planning and events. Some of the actions, though now completed, have been listed in the plan to recognize them as accepted, long-standing economic development goals providing a basis for current goals and actions. All of the goals are described in a straightforward manner. Emphasis is placed upon fully describing those goals and actions that can be taken quickly from this point forward.
Goal I. To create a new and unique Fairview Town Center.Strategy: Plan and support development of an ‘urban style’ center with planned mixed uses at a selected location within the Town.
Rationale: With real estate prices along the Central Expressway corridor at high levels, the density of an ‘urban style’ is needed to provide the rate of return on investment (ROI) to attract development.
Actions:
- Design an overall Town Center plan complete with appropriate development.
- Encourage and obtain community participation in the planning process.
- Establish land uses and zoning consistent with a Town Center concept.
Goal II. To provide a variety of quality housing opportunities within the community.Strategy: Develop and support appropriate land use planning and zoning which allows for apartments, town homes, and homes on traditional subdivision lot sizes in addition to existing homes on one acre and larger lots and tracts.
Rationale:
A variety of housing opportunities helps defer possible future challenges regarding discriminatory zoning practices; also provides opportunity for existing Town residents to ‘downsize’ and yet stay in the community. Such variety will also provide housing opportunities for a potential future labor force that may be employed by new businesses established within the Town. Adequate available local housing helps reduce overall traffic congestion on both nearby and regional roads.Actions:
- Create land use planning and zoning classifications which allow less than one acre minimum lot sizes.
- Create land use planning and zoning classifications which allow zero lot line or patio home development and construction.
- Create land use planning and zoning classifications which allow Multi Family zoning in selected areas.
- Recruit developers who will offer a multi use land development concepts which include quality, higher density residential units within new development projects in selected areas.
Goal III. To increase the Town’s non-residential tax base. Strategy: Develop and support land use planning and related zoning designed to allow and encourage commercial and other non-residential development in selected areas.
Rationale: As citizen demands increase for professional Town services in areas such as public safety, utilities, recreation and Town management, the addition of a ‘commercial tax base’ will be needed to avoid undue escalation of local property tax rates.
Actions:
- Develop and implement a plan which allows designated commercial uses that include office, light industrial and research facilities in specified locations within the Town.
- Implement commercial zoning classifications within the Town which allow commercial uses ‘by right’ and communicate understandable development rights to commercial developers.
- Create a clearly defined process through which developers can expeditiously obtain approval of commercial development applications.
- Develop other strategies for recruiting new businesses into the Town as well as retaining businesses which are already located within.
Goal IV.
To create and improve, within the Town’s designated commercial area, the infrastructure needed to attract and sustain desired commercial development.Strategy:
Identify and prioritize as part of the Town’s Capital Improvements Program those infrastructure projects needed to establish a foundation for subsequent development and infrastructure expansion.Rationale
: In its initial stages the Town’s Commercial Planned Development District (CPDD), while attractive because of its location, contained minimal and sporadic infrastructure. Many potential prime locations are either totally ‘un-served’, far removed from connecting points, or insufficient for development of projects of larger scale. To create an opportunity for development of projects which are commercially feasible and/or competitive with opportunities in surrounding cities, a basic supporting infrastructure system (water, sewer, roads) is needed in the area. When basic infrastructure establishes ‘service’ to the area, individual commercial projects can both connect and provide opportunities for additional development and connecting service to adjoining land tracts.Actions:
- Update the Town’s master water plan to include appropriate lines, locations and sizes needed to serve the projected commercial area at ‘build out’.
- Plan, design, and construct a water line project to relocate and up-size the Town’s existing water line in the area along SH 5 adjacent to the railroad overpass (action required by TxDOT for their project to reconstruct this overpass).
- Recognize and document (on maps, plans, web site, and literature) the Town’s planning for a future major ‘parkway’ type road running generally north/south through the planned commercial district connecting to the existing SH 5 at two points: a) north of the Stacy Rd/SH 5 intersection; and, b) north of the existing railroad overpass bridge over SH 5.
- Establish and prioritize a list of potential ‘essential’ infrastructure projects within the commercial district as part of the Town’s Capital Improvements Program.
- Acknowledge the potential need and be prepared to implement appropriate ‘rapid response’ projects as a part of the Town’s policy on ‘Economic Incentives’ whenever necessary to satisfactorily secure agreement on selected commercial development projects.
Goal V.
To provide dining, shopping and entertainment opportunities within the Town for residents, workers, and visitors.Strategy: Identify specific needs for the Town and work through both developers and targeted businesses to add the desired entities to the community.
Rationale: A community will better support and maintain those establishments that add to the desired lifestyle of the residents of that community.
Actions:
- Set up a method to identify (and refine as needed) those commercial additions to Fairview which residents desire as improvements to the quality of life within the Town. Identifying such improvements can be done through a variety of means considered appropriate including:
- Citizen surveys
- Leadership surveys
- Community lifestyle committee
- Comprehensive Plan updates
- Based upon the indicated desires of residents, include those kinds of businesses as part of a ‘targeted’ recruiting effort to attract such businesses to the Town (refer also to Goal VII).
Goal VI.
To increase the Town’s name recognition throughout the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex (and beyond) to help support growth of the community.Strategy: Identify and develop effective means of making Fairview’s name recognizable to individuals, developers, and businesses through the use of effective publicity, advertising, and other promotional techniques.Rationale:
The Town currently enjoys little name recognition outside the immediate vicinity of the community. A frequent response to the mention of the Town’s name is, "Where’s Fairview?" Despite two miles of Central Expressway frontage, without identifying roadway signs, the Town most often goes unnoticed as to location. Attracting and promoting business growth in such an environment becomes more difficult when ‘identity’ and ‘location’ are always questioned.Actions:
- Proactively provide information about Fairview to news media including newspapers (local and area), business journals, magazines, radio, and television.
- Encourage and work in conjunction with both local developers and real estate professionals to advertise Fairview development (both commercial and residential) in available media outlets and professional publications.
- Enhance the Town’s web site by adding economic development information and periodically updating the site’s appearance. Ensure that current information is always available.
- Develop colorful Town brochures, maps and other material that can be distributed to developers, prospective businesses, residents, media, and other publications.
- Join and participate with meaningful professional associations, such as chambers of commerce, which help promote commercial activity in the area.
Goal VII.
To attract new businesses to locate within the Town that complement the community’s existing image and quality lifestyle.Strategy:
Identify targeted business categories and recruit individual businesses through the use of effective promotional techniques, appropriate incentive offerings, and responsiveness to business needs for pertinent information and expeditious decisions.Rationale:
The Town’s existing high quality and semi-rural lifestyle, coupled with available high value commercial business sites, encourages selected commercial development which is based primarily on office and campus development along with higher end retail outlets and professional services.Actions:
- Corporate campuses
- Large offices
- Small professional offices
- Retail
- Large
- Small
- Service businesses
- Food providers
- Grocery
- Restaurants
- Specialty dispensers
- Recreation and Fitness
- Other
- Prepare and use a selected variety of promotion methods to include the following:
- Promotion materials such as printed materials to include brochures, maps and advertising copy
- Web site
- Broker & Developer Contacts
- Presentations
- Advertising
- Alliances
- Greater Dallas Chamber
- State agencies
- Utilities (Oncor, etc)
- Neighboring communities
- Community meetings
- Promote the establishment of ‘authorities’ which are considered attractive to various businesses and which provide ‘means’ for the Town to pursue initiatives that promote economic development in the community. Specific actions should include:
- Establish a body within the Town, such as an ‘economic development council’ chartered to work on stimulating economic development activity.
- Support the expansion of selected legal authority for selling alcoholic beverages and products within the Town limits.
- Support efforts to set up potential municipal revenue sources and financing mechanisms which offer tools to use in the competitive environment of economic development. Such tools may include but should not be limited to:
- Economic development sales taxes
- Special districts (Tax Increment Financing, etc)
- Define and communicate the Town’s economic development ‘Incentive Policy’ to be used, when needed, as a tool to help attract desired commercial development to Fairview. Such a policy should address options to include:
- Tax Abatements
- Tax Rebates
- Infrastructure Improvements
Goal VIII.
To retain desired existing local businesses within the Town.Strategy:
Show community interest in and support for local business operations through a variety of methods designed to say "We’re Glad You are Here!"Rationale:
National trends indicate that 80% of new jobs are created by expansion of existing businesses within an area and that the most frequent reference about a community is usually an existing business within that community. In addition to retaining ‘value’ in a community, existing businesses often become effective recruiters for bringing new business to a community.Actions:
- Set up a plan of scheduled personal contacts by Town officials (Economic Development director, Economic Development Advisory Board members and others where appropriate) with existing Fairview businesses. These contacts should reinforce the appreciation of the community for businesses located in the Town and should promote the idea of ‘partnership’ between the Town and the businesses. Such contacts to include the following:
- Site visits
- Phone calls
- Letters
- Establish a business recognition program that reinforces the Town’s commitment to supporting local businesses. The recognition program should use a variety of techniques such as:
- Publicity (Town newsletter; information releases; incorporated advertising)
- Community awards
- Letters of appreciation or congratulation
- Create a plan of authorized ‘direct assistance’ to business which legitimately helps to retain desirable business operations within the Town. Such a plan may include options such as:
- Financial incentives
- Expedited processing of permits, inspections, etc.
- Priority infrastructure repair
- Advocacy for business issues before local officials
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