Georgetown residents invited to learn recommendations for small area plans

The City of Georgetown, in partnership with APD Urban Planning & Management and the neighborhood steering committees for San Jose and Track Ridge Grasshopper (TRG), invite Georgetown residents to participate in the final public hearings for the San Jose and TRG neighborhood plans.

The City’s Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council are scheduled to review and vote on the proposed plans during the following meetings:

• Planning and Zoning: 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, Council and Courts Building, 510 W. Ninth St.
• City Council first reading: 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, Council and Courts Building, 510 W. Ninth St.
• City Council adoption: 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, Council and Courts Building, 510 W. Ninth St.

Members of the public are invited to attend and provide public comment. People wishing to provide public comment at the hearings can either email planning@georgetown.org the day before the meeting or attend the meeting in person. At the council meetings, speakers need to fill out a speaker-registration form, which can be found on the table at the entrance to the Council Chamber. Each speaker will have three minutes.

During the public hearings about the plans, staff will share the proposed vision and goals for the neighborhoods, as well as recommendations on topics such as housing, transportation, land use, and zoning. Example recommendations range from safety improvements, like sidewalks and traffic management, to ways to celebrate the history and culture of each neighborhood through public art. These recommendations are the result of public input gathered during six community meetings, as well as 20 meetings with the neighborhood steering committees.

“The City is grateful for the leadership the San Jose and TRG Steering Committee members have provided,” Planning Director Sofia Nelson said. “They have been dedicated in their outreach to their neighbors and thoughtful in representing the vision for the neighborhoods they serve.”

Since outreach efforts for the San Jose and TRG Neighborhood Plans began in August 2020, City staff has had direct contact with 100 residents of the TRG Neighborhood (27 percent) and 48 residents of the San Jose Neighborhood (58 percent). This contact accounts for face-to-face conversations during block walking, phone calls, and public meetings. In addition to direct contact, the project team has shared information about the Plans through two rounds of direct mailers, three rounds of social media outreach, fliers, yard signs, and various message boards along Maple Street and University Avenue. Staff estimates to have reached 35,700 residents through digital means throughout this process.

Throughout the neighborhood planning process, community feedback has highlighted the need to protect the unique character of San Jose and TRG. Both plans include strategies for compatible residential and nonresidential development, protection of long-term residents, and the promotion of culture and heritage including:

• Tailored land use and zoning recommendations
• Strategies for education about property tax assessments and programs for home repair maintenance
• Cultural programming through signage, interviews, and property surveys

Once the Small Area Plans are adopted for the neighborhoods, the next and most important step in the process is the formation of neighborhood associations for San Jose and TRG. These associations will work together with the community partners involved in the development of these plans to make the vision for San Jose and TRG a reality.

More about Neighborhood Plans

As the City of Georgetown began its effort in August 2020 to create neighborhood plans for the TRG and San Jose neighborhoods, City staff and neighborhood representatives surveyed the residents of both neighborhoods. Since that time, City Council approved $200,000 for the work, including hiring a consultant to help with the planning process. The Neighborhood Plans capture residents’ ideas and makes recommendations on how to achieve them. Recommendations range from future development, housing affordability, and infrastructure projects, such as building sidewalks or installing stop signs, to historic and cultural celebrations, such as art installations. The City and APD Urban Planning & Management held public meetings for the neighborhood plans June 30, July 1, Sept. 1 and 2, and Nov. 10 and 11, 2021, in addition to the steering committee meetings.

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