Thank you for your participation in Denton Plan 2030 Community Forum 1!

This recap contains feedback results and preliminary trends from all Community Forum 1 events, which took place from November 2012 through April 2013.

The first Community Forum provided a venue for the community to voice their opinions about Denton and what should happen in its future. The results of the Community Forum 1 and information derived from supporting outreach activities (Kickoff Open House, stakeholder interviews, informational community meetings, Mobile Meetings, website and social media, and community surveys), will be the basis for developing a 15-to 20-year community Vision Statement. The Vision Statement will guide the development of each element of the plan, including action steps to make the plan a reality.

The following events made up the Community Forum 1 series and are described below:

Community Forum 1 – November Series
Thursday Nov. 1 – Advanced Technology Complex
Friday Nov. 2 – MLK Jr. Recreation Center
Saturday Nov. 3 – John Guyer High School

Community Forum 1 – Spanish Series
Click here for the Spanish Series recap in Spanish. Haga clic aquí para ver el resumen en español.
Saturday, February 2, 2013 – Calhoun Middle School

Community Forum 1 – February Series
Thursday, February 7, 2013 – Advanced Technology Complex
Saturday, February 9, 2013 – Guyer High School

Community Forum 1 – University Series
Thursday, March 21, 2013 – McConnell Hall, University of North Texas
Wednesday, March 27, 2013 – McConnell Hall, University of North Texas
Monday, April 1, 2013 – Student Union Room #207, Texas Woman’s University

What happened at Community Forum 1?
Over 200 citizens came out to participate in the second Denton Plan 2030 public event series, where the primary purpose was to share ideas on Denton’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as the City’s challenges and opportunities for
the future.

The meetings were held at multiple locations over several months in order to accommodate as many citizens as possible. Meetings were held at different times of day in order to meet varying schedules as well. The attendance for all events was:

November – 100 people (total of all events)
February – 44 people (total of all events)
Spanish – 12 people
Universities – 57 people (total of all events)

Each of the events in the Community Forum 1 series was done in a similar format in order to solicit input that could be compared equally. At each event, planning consultant WRT gave an overview of the planning process and community forum exercise and emphasized the importance of public participation throughout the comprehensive planning process. The Spanish series featured a presentation given in Spanish.

Click here to view this presentation.

Also click to view a brief summary video.

The participants then went to their breakout tables for small group exercises to discuss and prioritize issues and aspirations for Denton.

Exercise 1: How do we perceive our community today?

Participants were asked to consider Denton in terms of its current strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths: What present characteristics of Denton do we value? What are the qualities that we should retain? What conditions or trends do we interpret as opportunities to make our community better in the future?

Weaknesses: What present conditions of our community do we characterize as problems requiring resolution? What negative aspects of our life here would we change?

All of the participants’ responses were recorded. Each person was then asked to pick their top three strengths and weaknesses. The group facilitator read the strengths and weaknesses aloud to the group, asking for a show of hands and recording the resulting “votes” for each issue. The number of votes was then recorded for each topic to identify the top strengths and weaknesses for the group.

Strengths

Common themes that emerged from the list of top strengths include:

Community Forum 1 – November Series

Education and the universities
Sense of community
Small and local business culture
Vibrant downtown
Arts and music – creative culture
Historic character

Diverse neighborhoods
Quality parks and recreation
Transportation access (A-train, I-35)
Denton Municipal Airport
Natural beauty and the environment

Community Forum 1 – Spanish Series

Natural beauty and the environment
Music and festivals
Diversity and Culture of the City
Volunteerism
Locational (geographical) benefits
Development potential
The A-Train
Local retailers
Universities
Friendliness of City, openness of citizens
Multiple festivals/ community events

Community Forum 1 – February Series

Small town feel
Vibrant downtown
History and culture
Universities
Parks, libraries, community facilities
Diverse land uses
Quality small businesses
Location, access to the region
Fast growing city
Responsive leadership
Music and the arts
Events and entertainment for all ages
Green space and natural beauty
Effective solid waste management
Good weather
Denton Municipal Electric
Clean and safe
People, sense of community, family friendly
Airport
Diverse economy
Alternative transportation choices

Community Forum 1 – University Series

Affordability of housing
Location and access
Small town character and unique identity
Universities
Public transportation
Downtown, the Square, and historic feel
Local business community
Natural environment
Medical industry
Diversity of community
Job opportunities for all
The Arts Scene
Friendly community
Environmental awareness/ sustainability programs
Airport

Relevance to Denton Plan 2030:
Understanding what the community values most and wants to preserve and build on as Denton continues to grow is vital to the success of Denton Plan 2030. Many of the strengths identified in Community Forum 1 were also raised at the Kickoff Open House and can be found in elements of the current Denton Plan, including community, environment, access, history, and downtown vitality. Each element will be assessed for its progress, relevance, and future needs in the update process to ensure that we maintain and promote what people love about Denton as much as possible.

Click here for the complete list of responses for Denton’s “Strengths” from Community Forum 1.

Weaknesses

Common themes that emerged from the list of top weaknesses include:

Community Forum 1 – November Series

Traffic congestion / traffic safety
Street and sidewalk disrepair
Lack of sidewalks
Lack of incentives for infill development
Parking problems (downtown, university areas)
Inconsistent/restrictive development regulations and permitting
Lack of diverse housing opportunities
Conflicts between neighborhoods and universities

Lack of planning for gas wells
Unattractive gateways / streetscapes
Lack of tree preservation
Poor air quality
Low frequency transit service
Not retaining graduates
Tax exempt status of universities
Lack of community involvement

Community Forum 1 – Spanish Series

Barriers to creating new businesses
Permitting process
Opportunities for minority advancement
Retaining students from the universities
Lack of protection for natural beauty and environment
Lack of employment opportunities
Underrepresentation of minorities in positions of authority
Need for greater food diversity
Schedule of public transportation limiting
The mall needs to be updated
Not adequate parks
More night life options
Volunteer opportunities lacking

Community Forum 1 – February Series

Road conditions / traffic congestion
Lack of community / neighborhood services
Unbalanced development
Poor drainage
Poor air quality
Lack of water conservation
Pipelines
Not business friendly
Parking problems (downtown, universities)
Onerous development process / fees
Lack of street connectivity
Transient population / homelessness
Poor pedestrian and bike access
Lack of image for the city
Vacant buildings
Aging infrastructure
Lack of transit oriented development (TOD)

Community Forum 1 – University Series

Quality of streets and road conditions
Range of public transit options and schedule
Air quality
Inconsistency of zoning and planning regulation
Crime
Limited employment opportunities
Ample sidewalks and pedestrian facilities
Ample bike lanes and bicycle connectivity
Friendly to businesses
Civic involvement
Vacancy rate, dingy
Limited night life options
Transient student population
Poor student retention due to lack of job options
Lack of welfare/ social services
Retail options
Denton school district
University and students impact on housing and physical environment
Traffic congestion

Relevance to Denton Plan 2030:
Negative issues related to transportation, infrastructure, environment, housing and neighborhoods, and economic development were addressed in the current Denton Plan. It is important to assess what issues persist within each of these elements and to identify new issues that have arisen since the plan was adopted and work toward addressing them. For instance, traffic and parking problems seem to remain a consistent issue today, while transit service and gas well proliferation have emerged as issues since the adoption of the current Denton Plan and will be incorporated in the update process.

Click here for the complete list of responses for Denton’s “Weaknesses” from the Community Forum 1.

Exercise 2: How do we imagine our community in the future?
Participants were asked to consider Denton’s future in terms of its challenges and opportunities.
Challenges: What conditions or trends do we see as challenges that we should prepare for or prevent?
Opportunities: What conditions or trends do we interpret as opportunities to make our community better in the future?
As in Exercise 1, all of the participants’ responses were written down and top “votes” were recorded for each issue to identify the top challenges and opportunities.

Challenges

Common themes that emerged from the list of top opportunities include:

Community Forum 1 – November Series

Keeping pace with exponential growth (infrastructure, transportation, utilities, schools, housing, social services)
Keeping people in Denton
Threats/barriers to small businesses (codes, taxes, big box)
University expansion into neighborhoods
Maintaining quality education
Staying competitive in the region (jobs, business, skilled workers)
Aging infrastructure
Attracting diverse housing options
Maintaining historic/cultural identity with new growth
Proliferation of gas wells

Community Forum 1 – Spanish Series

No Latinos in positions of authority
Illiteracy an increasing problem due to lack of recognition of needs of Latinos
Importance of recognizing Latinos as the a part of the future for the City

Community Forum 1 – February Series

Lack of funding resources
Balancing growth with quality of life
Protecting natural resources, rural character, green space
Threats to small businesses
Fear of change
Coordinating plans / visions between Denton, universities, county, state, other municipalities, etc.
Obstacles to redevelopment /green development
Air quality impacts
Allowing for diverse housing choices
Future energy and water demand
Denton’s image / maintain downtown, eclectic atmosphere
Retaining and attracting young professionals
Socioeconomic status / changing demographics
Traffic / downtown truck traffic / parking
Impacts of gas well drilling
Limited rail access
Need for social services

Community Forum 1 – University Series

Not enough support for independent businesses
Responsible development of sustainability programs
Business community
Collaboration between UNT and TWU, and the City
Traffic, need to expand I-35
Overly rapid growth to be accommodated by adequate infrastructure and sustainable development pattern
Attracting new businesses and employment opportunities
Policy approval/ city regulation
Transient population/ retention of university graduates
Preserving small town feel
Balanced land uses
Adequate water supply
Use and appreciation for public transit
School overcrowding
Need to get handle on climate change and mitigation
Pollution
Road quality
Maintenance of infrastructure

Relevance to Denton Plan 2030:
The Denton Plan 2030 update needs to consider negative trends that, if left unchecked in a growing community, could have serious impacts on the quality of life and economic health of the City. Another key component of the plan update is to address issues that are considered strengths, but may have facets that could prove challenging in the future. For example, the presence of the universities has been highlighted as a major strength in the community forum and other feedback opportunities, but the potential impacts of university expansion into adjacent neighborhoods was also highlighted as a major challenge to be addressed in the plan.

Click here for the complete list of responses for Denton’s “Challenges” from the Community Forum 1 Series.

Opportunities

Common themes that emerged from the list of top opportunities include:

Community Forum 1 – November Series

Hub of medical and educational facilities
Increase diversity/mix of employment opportunities

Expansion of the rail system

Talents of university graduates
More unique shopping opportunities
Provide resources and venues for artists and musicians
Expand and improve special events
Capitalize on economic development downtown
Nurturing and involving the community/neighborhoods
Encourage entrepreneurship / build on the entrepreneurial spirit
Great regional access
Denton Municipal Airport – opportunity for economic growth
Maintain local character
Improve educational attainment
Increase sustainability programs
Expand economic/tech partnership (Discovery Park)
Improve mobility/transit connections (downtown/universities)

Community Forum 1 – Spanish Series

Land availble for development

Community Forum 1 – February Series

Highly educated workforce
Reuse of existing / historic buildings
Infill development opportunities
I-35E expansion
Expansion of social services – social service hub
Expand transit and bike/pedestrian connections – TOD opportunities
Redevelopment opportunities – mall renovation
Leveraging universities to promote local industry
Denton as a destination – vibrant downtown, variety of entertainment / restaurants
Arts, music, and cultural opportunities
Promote Denton’s quality education
Airport
Increase diverse housing opportunities
Emergency services – mini fire stations
Attract businesses and increase the tax base

Community Forum 1 – University Series

Universities contribution to economy and educated workforce
Community events/ arts and culture scene
Retail and shopping options
Location and access to adjacent cities/ highway
Diversity of people
Job growth
Strengthening of bicycle program
Improve use of parks and environmental program
Harnessing growth of businesses, the economy
Affordable housing and ability to attract residents
Sustainability programs and environmental awareness
Airport
Promotion and growth of public transportation system
Medical industry
Use of social media for promotion of City/ events

Relevance to Denton Plan 2030:
In considering opportunities for Denton’s future, some participants felt strongly that the presence of the universities and medical facilities is an important opportunity for economic growth in Denton. At the same time, local businesses and creative/unique entrepreneurs are also vital to Denton’s future growth. Maintaining excellent access in the region via expressways and transit are also considered key to Denton’s successful future, and improving connectivity between major activity nodes (universities, downtown, etc.) are important opportunities. Some participants also want to maintain Denton’s unique image and natural systems while accommodating growth and economic development. Many of these issues are in elements of the current Plan that will be addressed and expanded upon in the update.

Click here for the complete list of responses for Denton’s “Opportunities” from the Community Forum 1.

What happens at the end of Community Forum 1 and what happens next?
Following each forum, participants were thanked and guaranteed that their hard work would be incorporated into feedback that would help to inform the community Vision Statement representing their issues and aspirations. The input of each forum was tabulated by comment, grouped by theme, and counted so that every issue and vote would not be missed!

Community Survey: Issues and Aspirations
After completion of the Community Forum 1 series and data gathering, citizens helped validate the top themes received through community input on Denton’s strengths, weaknesses / challenges, and opportunities through a community survey.

175 persons completed an online “Issues and Aspirations” survey in which participants ranked the importance of factors identified as community strengths, weaknesses / challenges, and opportunities in the community forums. In addition, the same ranking exercise was conducted through a statistically valid telephone survey among 300 randomly selected residents. While the relative rankings varied slightly, both surveys generally confirmed the voting pattern revealed in the forum input. Among all sources if input, consensus strengths included the universities, downtown, the arts and music scene and the character of the community, while consensus weaknesses included traffic, infrastructure and unbalanced growth. Consensus opportunities included greater leveraging of higher education and the medical community, encouraging entrepreneurship, and improved mobility choices.

Click here to see the tabulated results of the online survey.
Click here to see the tabulated results of the phone survey.

Here is a list of the files referenced in this Recap:

Thank you to the Community Forum 1 participants for their great input and ideas!

Missed Community Forum 1?
Don’t worry, there are many more opportunities to get involved and stay engaged:
Visit www.DentonPlan2030.com for information on upcoming events
Join the conversation at www.EngageDenton.com
Like us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DentonPlan2030
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cityofdentontx
Sign up for Denton Plan 2030 eNews at www.cityofdenton.com/eNews
Volunteer to host a Community Conversation
Please visit the website or email information@dentonplan2030.com for more information.