Three Important Discussions You Missed at UP’s Tuesday Meeting
From the controversial topic of bike sharing in University Park to parking struggles at Snider Plaza, UP city council members had a full agenda at their Tuesday meeting and work session.
Here are three things you missed if you didn’t attend:
Bike Share – Community Development director Pat Baugh started a presentation about bike sharing during council’s work session by jokingly saying, “I just don’t know what to say.” Baugh unveiled a pilot program to the council to deal with bike rental companies strategically parking bicycles in the city. The companies would be required to file a permit with the city and abide by a laundry list of rules (most importantly requiring them to use Geo-fencing to force users to park the bikes in approved corrals through the bike share smartphone app). Those areas would be Snider Plaza, Preston Center, and around the university. The ordinance is modeled after one Denton passed earlier this year. The council unanimously supported the ordinance and asked for a full report in nine months. Click here to read the ordinance.
Parking – The City is investing about $67,000 to conduct a feasibility study and cost estimates for parking options within the Snider Plaza Retail area. The council elected to hire Catalyst Urban Development – the company behind The Shops at Legacy and Legacy West. Paris Rutherford, principal with the company hired, said there’s a shortage of parking in the Snider Plaza/Park Place vicinity to the tune of 793 spaces. During the next few months, his company will dissect three possibilities: no change but institute parking management, such as valet; build more parking like a garage or underground parking; or create a combination of both. During the public comment section at the end of the Tuesday’s meeting, a merchant asked if she and other property owners would have to chip in for the cost of a parking upgrade. The mayor replied, “There’s no free lunch.” Click here to read the agreement.
Sewer Lines – There are 12 properties along Turtle Creek still flushing into an old sewer main. City Council members discussed options for dealing with the issue – not to mention the price tag that tips north of half a million dollars. Eight of the homes are on Golf Drive, and the other four are on Turtle Creek Boulevard. While the council didn’t make a formal decision on the matter, they were asked to marinate on the following question: Should the city wait until the area is redeveloped, or should they take a more proactive approach? Public Works director Jacob Speer said waiting would present a “real liability” to the city because if the old sewer line collapses the city doesn’t have a way to get to it. The big question council had at the conclusion of the informational briefing was “who is going to pay for it?” That is TBD. Read more about the sewer line here.
