Section Heading Celebrate La Feria, Texas!

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Section Heading What have these people been doing in our town? The Community Planning Assistance Teams (CPAT) program is a place-based initiative of the American Planning Association’s (APA) professional institute, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) that pairs a multidisciplinary team of expert planners with community members, key stakeholders and decision-makers that seeks to foster community education, engagement, and empowerment.

Section Heading La Feria CPAT Members Bob Barber, FAICP – Orion Planning Group, Hernando, MS Irayda Ruiz Bode, AICP – Guatemala City, Guatemala Trip Muldrow, AICP – Arnett, Muldrow, Greenville, SC Andy Kalback – Kalback Planning, Belgrade, ME Phil Walker, AICP – The Walker Collaborative, Nashville, TN Ryan Scherzinger – American Planning Association, Washington D.C.

Pictured on right: La Feria Mayor, Steve Brewer

La Feria City Manager, Sunny Philip

La Feria Planning & Community Development Director, Irene Szedlmayer

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Site is on land surveyed in 1777 for Spain's grants to Don Juan Hinojosa and Jose Mari Balli, ancestors of the priest for whom Padre Island was named. Rancho raised cattle, sheep, goats.

By the 1790's, it had a fairground (La Feria) for fiestas, horse racing and other

sports. After Mexican War (1846-48), Balli heirs had title confirmed by Texas.

In 1850, Nathaniel White (d. 1901), cattleman and reputed smuggler, opened anglo ranching here.

In 1906, townsite of La Feria was platted under original name.

La Feria History

Section Heading La Feria History

In 1909 G. J. Schoenberg, a local land developer, developed the town of La Feria. That year, the La Feria

post office was opened. A railroad stop named

Bixby was established a mile from the town when the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway was built through the area in 1911.

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Section Heading Planning Process Steps 1 2 3 4 Process Discovery Design Direction Determination

Flow

C

on

sid

erat

ion

s

Community History and Background

Data Collection

and Analysis

Understanding who you are

Vision and Mission

Specific Goals and Objectives

Public Engagement

The General Plan

Policies

Projection of Desired Future Development

Patterns

Adoption

Policy

Regulation

Initiative

Administration

Public Engagement

Adoption

20 Year Time Horizon

Section Heading Comprehensive Plan Guidance

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Study Area

Celebrate La Feria’s Neighborhoods!

Section Heading Celebrate Community Engagement!

Public Engagement During Team’s First Meeting in La Feria __________________ Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Section Heading Community Engagement: Places that we like the most…

Downtown / Main Street Sports Complex Schools Small Parks El Centro Supermarket Well-kept Winter Texan

Neighborhoods

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Block Company Deteriorated / Blighted

Buildings (Alaska Hotel, others along Bus. Hwy. 83 & North of the RR Tracks, etc.)

Wide Streets in Neighborhoods that are Hard to Cross

Some School Façades are Not Friendly

Community Engagement: Places that we don’t like…

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Intersection of Bus. Hwy. 83 and Main Street

Overall Downtown Appearance More Activities on

Neighborhood Parks Better Road/Alley/Sidewalk

Connectivity Encouraging People to Walk and Cars to Park More Orderly

Community Engagement: Places that we would like to change or improve…

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1. Entrances to Downtown and neighborhoods are

unattractive and confusing.

2. Bus. Hwy. 83 creates a barrier between the neighborhood to the north and downtown.

3. The local street pattern fails to connect residents with schools, parks and downtown.

4. Large parking areas create a vacant, deserted image while failing to provide visitor-friendly parking.

Key Challenges:

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5. In-town neighborhoods are separated from

downtown due to wide roads and underdeveloped areas.

6. Neighborhood parks fail to provide inviting spaces to enjoy public places were social interaction occurs.

7. There are very few residences in the downtown core.

8. Vacant lots and dilapidated structures harm the overall image and perception of neighborhoods within the study area.

Key Challenges:

Section Heading La Feria Psychographics What is psychographics? A more sophisticated way to look at demographics incorporating behavior, lifestyle, attitude, purchasing trends, etc. We are using Neilson data which has 66 classifications for psychographics across the United States. Six of these classifications predominate in La Feria representing nearly 90% of the households.

• Bedrock Families 36% • Old Milltowns 21% • Crossroads Villagers 18% • Golden Ponds 10% • Kid Country 2.7% • New Homesteader 2.5%

Source: Arnett Muldrow & Associates, Ltd and Neilson Claritas

Retail Leakage Analysis The difference between what stores sell in a geography versus what consumers spend in a geography. If consumers spend more than stores sell then the geography “LEAKS” sales. If stores sell more than consumers spend the geography “GAINS” sales.

Section Heading City Limits of La Feria/Region $104 Million in retail sales by La Feria stores ($18.4 Billion in sales Cameron/Hidalgo Counties) $76 Million in retail spending by La Feria residents ($13.4 Billion in spending Cameron/Hidalgo Counties $28 Million in retail “Gain” ($4.9 Billion in Gain Cameron/Hidalgo)

Locally: Only gaining in certain categories. Especially limited service restaurants (fast food), gas stations, general merchandise (Dollar General/Family Dollar)

Regionally: Gaining in virtually EVERY retail category Locally: Leaking sales in key categories of specialty food, gifts,

clothing, department stores, full service dining. Regionally: Leaking sales in full service restaurants $250M,

specialty food $86M, specialty retail $70 million.

Source: Arnett Muldrow & Associates, Ltd and Neilson Claritas

We are La Feria! Established just after the turn of the 20th century, La Feria is a place where people come together. Each year we live up to our name with the Fiesta de La Feria that attracts people from all around to celebrate our unique downtown. We are also a place where each day we celebrate living in a place where neighbors know one another, children go to excellent schools, and our natural surroundings entice us to enjoy our parks. Winter Texans make their home here to escape the cold of northern climates. We are a small town doing great things in the dynamic Lower Rio Grande Valley. We invite you to explore what we celebrate each day. La Feria, Texas Celebrate Life in the Valley

Somos La Feria! Fundados alrededor del siglo XX, La Feria es un lugar donde todos nos reunimos y cada año le hacemos honor a nuestro nombre con la Fiesta de La Feria que atrae a personas de todas partes a celebrar en nuestro singular centro historico. En la Feria cada día celebramos el que podamos vivir en un lugar donde los vecinos se conocen entre sí, los niños pueden educarse en excelentes escuelas y que nuestro atractivo paisaje natural nos permita disfrutar de bellos parques. Somos el hogar de muchos Texanos de invierno que vienen aqui para escapar del frío del norte. Somos una pequeña ciudad que esta haciendo grandes cosas en el Lower Rio Grande Valley. Te invitamos explorar todo lo que celebramos cada día. La Feria, Texas Celebra La Vida en El Valle

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Section Heading Celebrate The Journey To La Feria!

Section Heading Addressing Both the Private and Public Realm

Section Heading Enter La Feria

Section Heading Entry Way

Section Heading Build To Line at 70 Additional Siding to

the Side and Rear Landscaping in Both

the Public and Private Realms

Build to Lines and Parking

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Aligning both public and private design interests Durable materials

convey characteristics of quality and stability. The use of façade

materials native to the area, such brick, stucco, and wood or wood simulated siding

Discourage

Encourage

Guiding Site and Building Design

Section Heading Extending Main Street

Section Heading Extending Main Street Character

Celebrate Downtown La Feria! A cohesive collection of

historic buildings.

Downtown offers one of the greatest opportunities for La Feria to distinguish itself within the LRGV.

Main Street “Four Point” Approach • Organization • Design • Economic Restructuring • Marketing & Promotion

Organization 1. Create an organizational structure to revitalize Downtown. Establish a Downtown La Feria organization within the Chamber of Commerce.

Establish working committees based on the Main Street Four Point Approach.

Provide at least minimal staffing via the Chamber of Commerce. 2. Leverage existing entities and individuals to help support the

efforts of the new Downtown La Feria organization. Utilize the key stakeholder entities by appointing representatives to the

leadership of the Downtown organization.

Enlist the participation of helpful individuals, including Downtown business owners and operators.

Design 1. Grow Downtown to the east and west.

2. Create an inviting “front door” to Downtown at its interface with Business Hwy. 83. Redesign the triangular green space on the south side of Business

Hwy. 83.

Add eye-catching features to draw attention to the Downtown as seen from Business Hwy. 83.

Prioritize plan implementation efforts for this area.

Design… 3. Provide more on-street

parking and enhance the pedestrian realm.

Explore the potential to replace

parallel parking on Main and Oleander with angled parking. Provide pedestrian bulbs and

crosswalks at street intersections. Plant palm trees in the existing

planters on Main Street. Add street lights back to the

existing street light poles.

Design… 4. Preserve and enhance existing buildings while encouraging compatible infill development. Avoid the demolition of Downtown’s older buildings (especially along Main).

Encourage the sensitive rehab. of buildings.

New buildings should follow principles for traditional urban mixed use buildings: Buildings built to the street with rear parking Main entrances of buildings fronting the street Ground floor glazing (glass) façade ratios consistent with historic

storefronts Façade massing that breaks up the façade

Adopt design standards for the Downtown.

Promote the availability of federal tax incentives for historic rehabilitation.

Design… 5. Maintain the existing street grid

and block structure. 6. Enhance parking lots for greater

usage and improved aesthetics. Redesign existing lots for greater

space efficiency, landscaping and lighting. Provide screening along street edges

to minimize the negative appearance of parking lots.

Expand the recent trend of painting

blank walls with colorful murals.

Economic Restructuring 1. Develop an optimal tenant mix based upon our market analysis. Full service restaurants Specialty food Specialty retail Hobby/games/toys

2. Identify and/or adopt incentives and tools for economic

restructuring (property tax abatements, façade grants, fee waivers). 3. Develop a strategy and materials for business retention, expansion

and recruitment. 4. Consider the establishment of a Small Business Incubator. 5. Make policy revisions needed to accommodate a rich mixture of

land uses in Downtown, while also avoiding potential nuisances. 6. Maintain Downtown as an institutional center.

Can become the valley’s premier specialty shopping and dining destination!!!

Marketing & Promotion 1. Make Downtown La Feria’s premier special event venue. Continue to hold special events in the downtown. Identify local events currently held outside of Downtown to recruit. Explore the initiation of new events in the downtown.

2. Utilize telecommunications effectively to market Downtown La Feria. (need to buy “CelebrateLaFeria.com”)

3. Engage in joint advertising among Downtown’s businesses.

4. Utilize the new branding graphic developed as part of this project. Integrate into advertising. Utilize on merchants shopping bags Incorporate into social media, decorative banners, etc.

Section Heading Celebrate La Feria’s Neighborhoods

Section Heading Key Housing Data:

Data Reviewed Shows:

La Feria is a desirable and affordable place to live.

Housing occupancy rates are above 84%. Total housing units by 2012 are 2,920. 73% of permanent units are owner-occupied and

27% are rentals. It is expected that La Feria will absorb over 181

new households over the next five years.

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Segment of market by type of family

% of the market

Number of units Housing type preference

Bedrock Families 36% 65 Multifamily, mobile homes

Old Milltowns 21% 38

Single family one-story, duplex, multifamily , assisted living.

Crossroads Villagers 18% 33 Duplex, multifamily, mobile homes

Golden Ponds 10% 18 Duplex, assisted living, multifamily

Kid Country 3% 5 Single family, mobile homes

New Homesteader 3% 5 Single familily

Others 10% 18 Single family, mobile homes, multifamily

total 100% 181 all types

Housing Market Analysis

Vacant and city owned properties inside study area

5

3

4

2

1

Neighborhoods/ sub-districts inside study area

5

3

4

2

1

Development potential by neighborhood/ sub-districts

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Potential Housing Units by Type:

Neighborhood/ Planning area

No. of vacant housing lots

No of units

Type of units

1 Downtown 10 res/11 commercial

60-120 Assisted living/ live work/ apt condos.

2 North of 83 43 60-80 Single family/ duplex/multifamily

3 Southwest of 83 29 29-35 Single family/ duplex/ multifamily

4 Southeast of 83 18 18-20 Single family/ duplex

5 Country woods/ Hidden acres

10 10-12 Single family/ duplex

TOTAL units within study area

110-127 177-267 All types

Section Heading Key Findings

From the analysis, we see that…

Every neighborhood within the study area presents opportunities to develop additional housing.

Housing market analysis encourages the improvement and diversification of housing options to meet existing and new family needs.

Existing neighborhood parks, when improved, will be a great asset for existing and future residents.

Unique neighborhood identity shall be consolidated with tailored housing strategy.

Other Considerations…

1. Greenway / Trail system through town - including along canal?

2. Capacity building for City officials, including people serving on boards - training, conferences, educational materials, etc.

3. Code revisions – to accommodate appropriate uses and

physical form downtown / to avoid commercial sprawl. 4. Social issues – teen pregnancy, obesity, home

maintenance challenges for elderly, etc.

5. Public Art - Build on public art initiatives by expanding murals and other art features beyond Downtown

Section Heading Celebrate La Feria!