College Station's plan for the aging stretch of Harvey Road between Texas Avenue and State Highway 6 is shifting from collecting wish lists to testing specific options.
The city has moved the Harvey District Plan into its third phase, which it calls Test & Refine and which runs from November through January. The public's main chance to weigh in comes at a Community Scenarios Workshop from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18, at Visit College Station, 1207 Texas Ave.
S. According to the project page, the workshop will compare options for redevelopment, housing, transportation and public spaces, and the city stresses that the scenarios "are options for discussion, not final proposals."
Principal planner Heather Wade described the workshop in a city-sponsored segment that aired Monday on KBTX. She said it will use interactive map stations showing "different alternative futures" for the district, ranging from a simpler approach to "even more drastic change."
Before that, the plan's advisory working group holds its fourth meeting Tuesday, Nov. 10, focused on the district's character, public spaces, parks and trails, and smaller subareas. A fifth meeting on Dec. 8 is set to cover scenarios, catalyst sites and concepts. The city's schedule also lists an online scenario explorer and an online comment period during this phase.
What earlier input showed
The planning area runs along Harvey Road and is bounded by Dominik Drive, University Oaks, the Wolf Pen Creek Trail, Holleman Drive and the northern edge of Wolf Pen Creek Park.
A city summary of this summer's outreach, released in September, said 52% of the 265 people who answered its survey rated the district fair and 34% rated it poor or very poor. Aging buildings, vacancies, large parking lots and the condition of Post Oak Mall were common complaints, and 59% said they would like the area to become a mixed-use destination.
