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- Meetings of Interest: Sunday, December 3, 2023
Meetings of Interest: Sunday, December 3, 2023
Meetings of Interest: 🏞️ The Value of Parks
Sunday, December 3, 2023
Good evening:
Downtown Dallas is at the center of a citywide parks renaissance that returns more than $678 million to the local economy every year, according to a report from HR&A Advisors. The study also concluded the return on investment for every $1 spent on parks results in more than $7 back to the city.
The Value of Dallas Parks
, recently updated in preparation for the planned 2024 bond program, found that the Dallas park system value and ROI continued to rise since an initial 2016 study. The return is likely far above $678 million, since that figure was first calculated seven years ago.
The findings are the latest data-backed rebuttal to those who argue against continued investments in parks and trails. Dallas parks advance equity, generate real estate value, preserve critical infrastructure, and sustain economic development, according to the report.
For Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI), the update is especially notable. Downtown has added four signature parks since 2016 in a unique public-private partnership between the Dallas Park and Recreation Department and the Downtown Dallas Parks Conservancy (formerly Parks for Downtown Dallas). Those parks are West End Square, Carpenter Park, Pacific Plaza, and Harwood Park, which opened in September. DDI manages day-to-day operations of the parks, plus eight others in Downtown.
"Investments in Downtown parks have been a post-COVID stabilizing force, supporting office occupancy 10-25% higher than in surrounding commercial districts," the report notes. "Real estate developers and brokers continue to cite park proximity as a driver of investment decisions and value creation."
The new report will be briefed to the City Council Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee tomorrow at 9 a.m. That is two days before Community Bond Task Force Chair Arun Agarwal will present 2024 bond program recommendations to the full City Council. That package includes a proposed $350 million allocation for parks and trails.
📝 Memos of Interest:
-- City staff recommends cutting Community Bond Task Force (CBTF) proposals for cultural arts facilities, libraries, flood protection, economic development, and parks by a combined $220 million. Instead, staff recommends the City Council allocate those funds for more housing, streets, and city facilities. The City Council will ultimately decide how much to propose for ballot initiatives that must be approved by voters in either May or November of 2024. The above chart compares the proposals, with percent change between the CBTF and staff recommendations. Read more on the
. For reference, here is more information on the
.
-- There are fewer areas in Dallas that are affordable today for most Dallas home buyers making the median income as compared to 2017, according to an updated Market Value Analysis (MVA). That lack of affordability affects Hispanic and Black households more than others and displacement pressure has increased in most areas around Downtown, including West Dallas, South Dallas, and Deep Ellum,
. The MVA data is available for review
.
-- Another City network outage and upgrade is planned from Monday, Dec. 11, at 10 p.m., to Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 2 a.m. During the upgrade, all city services including GIS, 311 services, Building Services, phone communication, external & internal internet traffic, and all websites including DallasCityHall.com and DallasPolice.net will be unavailable,
. The outage will not impact 911.
-- Check out all the latest City Hall memos
and
.
Meetings of Interest
Monday, December 4
🏞
Parks, Trails, and the Environment Committee, 9 a.m. Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- The aforementioned parks economic value update is on this agenda, to be presented by the Dallas Park & Recreation Department and HR&A Advisors. Another key slide from the presentation is included above.
.
--
details the City's accomplishments to date on the City Council-adopted Comprehensive Environmental & Climate Action Plan, a 30-year plan with eight focus areas and 97 actions. More details can be found in
.
-- The City's proposed state and federal legislative priorities related to climate change, the environment, green jobs, and more are also on this agenda for discussion.
.
💹
Economic Development Committee, 1 p.m. Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- The City is considering potentially big hikes in building permit fees to boost annual revenues about $22 million, enough to recover operational costs. The City Council is expected to vote on the new fees on Dec. 13, with implementation in February.
.
-- The committee will receive a status update on the Dallas Housing Opportunity Fund (DHOF), which seeks to support at least 1,500 affordable housing units by 2031 with at least $40 million in private funding.
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-- The latest on the
ForwardDallas
land use plan update is
. DDI President & CEO Jennifer Scripps sits on the volunteer committee drafting the updates.
Tuesday, December 5
💦 Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee, 9 a.m. Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- Take a look above at some of the City's proposed Quality of Life state and federal legislative priorities.
.
-- This committee is taking a look at the City's horse-drawn carriage regulations. As noted above, many cities have banned the practice in recent years. In Dallas, only one company is currently operating. City staff plans to gather public input and bring an update back to the committee in the spring.
.
-- Here's a
compiled by City staff on the decades-long practice of fluoridating drinking water to prevent tooth decay. At separate meetings in recent months, this committee heard from legitimate public health experts, as well as opponents of the practice. Fluoridation is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, US Public Health Service, and World Health Organization.
🗿
Landmark Commission, Briefing at 10 a.m., Public Hearing at 1 p.m., 6ES Council Briefing Room, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
✈
Special Called Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 11 a.m. Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
--
Former Dallas City Council member Angela Hunt is among four nominees to be interviewed for three openings on the prestigious Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Board. Current board members Gloria M. Tarpley and Vincent Hall, and Haynes and Boone Senior Counsel Timothy E. Powers are the other nominees. The Dallas and Fort Worth mayors also serve as board members. The committee will recommend appointments to the full City Council for a vote on Dec. 13.
🅿
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, 1 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- More than two years in the works, the City's draft curb lane management policy aims to address our ever-evolving uses of the curb adjacent lanes throughout the Central Business District, and other urban neighborhoods. It is sorely needed to help organize rideshare, motorized scooters, private food delivery, and on-street café seating, among other uses, and to create a simpler framework for private operators to leverage the value of adjacent curb space.
, which the City Council expected to vote on it in Spring of next year.
📜
Charter Review Commission, 6:30 p.m., Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- Former Charter Review Commission Chair (2014) and State Rep. Rafael Anchia makes his grand return to City Hall to provide an overview of his work a decade ago, when I spent a lot of late nights as
.
-- Also on the agenda: National Civic League discussions of charter review processes, best practices and philosophies; consideration of a vision statement; and next steps for the process, from January - March 2024.
Wednesday, December 6
🏛
City Council Briefing, 9 a.m. Council Chambers, 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- The City Council will receive two bond program briefings. One will come from Community Bond Task Force Chair Arun Agarwal on the recommendations from 90 task force and subcommittee members for how to allocate $1.1 billion in bond funds. The other will cover the (much different) City staff proposal. Neither briefing is posted at this time. The competing proposals are being briefed separately at the direction of Mayor Eric L. Johnson,
.
-- The Texas Department of Transportation will provide an update on redesign of Interstate 345, which runs between Downtown and Deep Ellum. The City Council voted unanimously in May to move forward with a plan to take down and trench the elevated highway. This briefing is also not yet posted.
-- The City is also proving an update on its five-year Infrastructure Management Program (IMP) to take care of City streets, sidewalks, alleys, and bridges.
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Thursday, December 7
📑
City Plan Commission, 9 a.m. Briefing (5ES), 12:30 p.m. Public Hearing (Council Chambers), 6th Floor, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
🏞
Dallas Park & Recreation Board, 10 a.m., 6FN Conference Room, Dallas City Hall, 1500 Marilla St.
-- The Park Board will also be briefed on the parks economic value report detailed above.
Did we miss anything? Do you have any questions? Just want to talk about meetings?
.
Were you forwarded this newsletter?
.
Have a great week.
Best,
Scott GoldsteinChief of External Affairs& Government Relations
Downtown Dallas, Inc.
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