UP City Council OKs Snider Plaza Concept Plan

Planning work for potential Snider Plaza improvements continues.

The University Park City Council recently approved the Snider Plaza concept plan.

Amanda Hartwick, a special projects coordinator with the city, outlined the history of discussions regarding improving the shopping center, which first opened in 1927. 

“Snider Plaza’s been a topic for many years — how to improve the plaza, parking specifically, and other issues — many, many years, and many city councils, so I wanted to start this way just to show you that the plan that you’re looking at today is a culmination of all of these previous efforts,” Hartwick said at a recent city council meeting. “What this shows is a strategy for adding on layers of improvements through a shared funding strategy — both private and public partnership.”

She said the plan addresses infrastructure needs, as well as opportunities for landscaping, and other improvements in the shopping center. Notable components include special paving in the center around the fountain as well as consistent sidewalks, signage, and landscaping throughout the plaza. A small green space is also proposed at the south end of the plaza, as well as opportunities to enhance the fountain.

Hartwick said approval of the concept plan allows city officials to move forward on pricing consideration for the plan.

The issue is expected to come back before the council in August.

In other news, the council:

  • Approved authorizing City Manager Robbie Corder to execute an interlocal agreement with Dallas County allowing the city to apply to receive CARES Act funding associated with COVID-19. University Park is reportedly eligible for approximately $1.26 million.
  • Approved a resolution authorizing reimbursing the town of Highland Park for mapping and preliminary engineering design services for the shared 30-inch Turtle Creek sanitary sewer trunk main. The total cost of the mapping and preliminary design services is estimated at $376,700 and the city’s portion is estimated at $185,000. Funding for the effort is budgeted in the fiscal year 2020 capital improvement budget.
  • Approved a resolution re-appointing Gary Slagel as the city’s shared representative, with Richardson and the towns of Addison and Highland Park, to the DART Board of Directors.
  • Approved an ordinance amending the 2020 sanitation franchises to add Mustang Waste Services and Turn Compost.

Rachel Snyder

Rachel Snyder, former deputy editor at People Newspapers, joined the staff in 2019, returning to her native Dallas-Fort Worth after starting her career at community newspapers in Oklahoma. One of her stories won first place in its category in the Oklahoma Press Association’s Better Newspaper Contest in 2018. She’s a fan of puns and community journalism, not necessarily in that order.

2 thoughts on “UP City Council OKs Snider Plaza Concept Plan

  • June 16, 2020 at 1:15 pm
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    Is there a visual or rendering associated with the latest Snider Plaza plan? What percentage of the multi story new garage on Daniel goes unused? What is the plan for the city owned property behind the new garage?

    As a Snider area homeowner for 15 years I feel more uninformed than ever. Those of us who live within 200 feet were much better informed during the years of fighting than we’ve been since approval and construction of the new building.

    Finally I feel relief parking for Snider and/or employees of Snider businesses was way oversold to obtain approval for the project. The city needs to do something to better designate crosswalks on Daniel and in the turn to Hillcrest before a pedestrian accident occurs. There is no pedestrian crosswalk street sign and stripes are no longer painted within the turn. As much as people speed on Daniel while on phones this needs to be addressed quickly.

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