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2022

Comprehensive Plan

FOR THE CITY OF KILLEEN, TEXAS

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VERDUNITY

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2022

Comprehensive Plan

FOR THE CITY OF KILLEEN, TEXAS

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Adopted August 23, 2022

Prepared for The City of Killeen

Prepared by

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With TBG Partners Hawes Hill & Associates, LLP Vibrant Community Partners Options Real Estate, Inc.

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Ordinance 22-064

AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE CITY OF KILLEEN, TEXAS, PERSUANT TO CHAPTER 213 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE; PROVIDING FOR THE REPEAL OF CONFLICTING PROVISIONS; PROVIDING FOR A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR A SAVINGS CLAUSE; PROVIDING FOR PUBLICATION AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

WHEREAS, Chapter 211 of the Texas Local Government Code requires that zoning regulations be adopted in accordance with a comprehensive plan; and,

WHEREAS, Chapter 213 of the Texas Local Government Code (“Chapter 213”) provides that municipalities may adopt comprehensive plans for the purposes of promoting the sound development of the municipality and promoting public health, safety, and welfare; and

WHEREAS, Chapter 213 further provides that the municipality may define the content and design of a comprehensive plan, and define the relationship between the comprehensive plan and the city's land use and development regulations; and

WHEREAS, Chapter 213 allows a comprehensive plan to be adopted by ordinance following a public hearing; and,

WHEREAS, it is the intent of the City Council to achieve orderly and fiscally sustainable growth, redevelopment, and revitalization in Killeen; and

WHEREAS, the comprehensive plan contains general policies that are proposed to be used by the City in the preparation of land use and development ordinances, in decisions regarding the provisions of City services and capital improvements, and in other policy considerations by City Council and its various boards, commissions and committees; and

WHEREAS, the City Council engaged the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee and Planning and Zoning Commission, in association with City staff and paid consultants, to undertake a series of studies, public meetings, and public workshops in the development of the components of the comprehensive plan; and

WHEREAS, on the 26th day of July, 2022, the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, in compliance with the City charter, ordinance, and state law, reviewed and made recommendation to the City Council by a majority vote to approve the comprehensive plan; and

WHEREAS, on the 1st day of August, 2022, the City's Planning and Zoning Commission in compliance with the City charter, ordinance, and state law, and after holding a public hearing thereon, made recommendation to City Council by a majority vote to approve the comprehensive plan; and,

WHEREAS, the City Council finds that a public hearing was held on as required by law, and the Council has heard and considered all comments made at said hearing or in writing, along with the official recommendations of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee and the Planning and Zoning Commission;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KILLEEN, TEXAS:

SECTION 1. That the City Council of the City of Killeen, Texas (“City Council”), hereby adopts the document entitled the City of Killeen Comprehensive Plan (“the Comprehensive Plan”), as attached hereto and incorporated herein for all purposes, as the City's comprehensive plan.

SECTION 2. The Comprehensive Plan is hereby declared to be the plan for the development of this community and will be used as a guide and companion document to the land use and development regulations of the City. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City recognizes that circumstances may change in ways not anticipated by the elements of the Comprehensive Plan, and the City Council reserves the right to legislatively determine that the Plan needs amendment, for example, by allowing for different land use classifications than shown on the Future Land Use Map, or alterations of roadways shown on the Killeen Thoroughfare Plan Map. Any such amendment shall not be granted without careful study and consideration but must be made only on a showing of substantially changed circumstances. City Council may refer any requested change to the Plans and their elements back to City staff and such committees as may be appropriate, including the Planning and Zoning Commission, for further study and recommendations.

SECTION 3. City Council reserves the right to amend the Comprehensive Plan at any time by adding or removing elements or by amending in part or in whole the elements listed in the Plans.

SECTION 4. That all ordinances or resolutions or parts of ordinances or resolutions in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.

SECTION 5. That should any section or part of any section, paragraph or clause of this ordinance be declared invalid or unconstitutional for any reason, it shall not invalidate or impair the validity, force or effect of any other section or sections or part of a section or paragraph of this ordinance.

SECTION 6. That the Code of Ordinances of the City of Killeen, Texas, as amended, shall remain in full force and effect, save and except as amended by this ordinance.

SECTION 7. That this ordinance shall be effective after its passage and publication according to law.

PASSED AND APPROVED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Killeen, Texas, this 23rd day of August, 2022, at which meeting a quorum was present, held in accordance with the provisions of V.T.C.A., Government Code, §551.001 et seq.

APPROVED

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Debbie Nash-King, MAYOR

ATTEST:

APPROVED AS TO FORM:

Laura J. Calcote, INTERIM CITY SECRETARY

Holli C. Clements, INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY

A Note from The Mayor

Every resident of Killeen should be excited about this Comprehensive Plan! That’s because every single citizen has had the opportunity to contribute to it for more than a year now. Our consultants have used a variety of tools and approaches to get feedback from the community, from surveys and workshops, to “walkshops,” forums, and focus groups. To have been a part of the process that guides this city for the next decade is something all of our citizens can be proud of.

There are obstacles we plan to address, like closing resource gaps, diversifying housing options and price points, revitalizing Downtown, and cultivating vibrant neighborhoods, but our focus is clear, and it’s been articulated in our Big Ideas and Identity Statement. We understand where we are, we know where we need to go, and we now know how to get there. We must all work together to make progress toward our shared vision and desired outcomes.

I challenge the community to get and stay involved in the process of implementing this plan, whether it’s serving on one of our 18 boards or commissions, becoming a small developer here in Killeen, leading a neighborhood group, or contributing your ideas and talents to future projects.

We anticipate revitalization and improvements across our city, and our residents should be happy to be a part of that. A huge thanks to our Planning and Zoning board, Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee, business leaders, our community partners, our city council members and, of course, our citizens for all of their hard work over the last year. The future looks VERY bright for Killeen!

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Mayor Debbie Nash-King

A Note from the City Manager

This has been a thorough and lengthy process, and for good reason. Capturing the needs and aspirations of our citizens is crucial. This plan is their plan-- their vision-- and will be the guiding light for our community for many years to come. We have years of implementation ahead, but what is obvious from the community input we received during this process is that our community is dedicated to that work, and the broader task of making Killeen the best place it can be.

Reactivating and revitalizing Downtown and neighborhoods in North Killeen will be a big task, but we can do it incrementally over time in a manner that establishes Downtown as the cultural and fiscal heartbeat of Killeen and cultivates local wealth for current residents, business owners, and local developers. Making the subdivisions we see across South Killeen into complete and enjoyable neighborhoods that remain vibrant over time will take genuine resolve and dedication from our council, but this plan provides a clear path for us to do just those things and to do it in a way that is fiscally responsible, equitable, and sustainable. That is the simplest way to put what this plan endeavors to accomplish.

Implementation will be neighborhood-centric, collaborative, and incremental. We want to make meaningful progress right now with the people and resources the entire Killeen community has available. This focus on incremental progress and partnering with the people of the community will help us to cultivate a culture of trust and collaboration from council to staff to our citizens and business community.

We appreciate all of the citizens, businesses, community partners, and philanthropic leaders who made sure their voices were heard when it comes to making the city of Killeen an even better place to call home.

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City Manager, Kent Cagle

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

This Comprehensive Plan would not be possible without the effort and time given by members of the community in dedication to making Killeen the best place it can possibly be. Below is a list of people directly involved in the creation of this document, though gratitude for support extends far past this list.

KILLEEN CITY COUNCIL

PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ADVISORY COMMITTEE

CONSULTANT TEAM

CITY OF KILLEEN

OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER Kent Cagle | City Manager Danielle Singh | Assistant City Manager

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES Edwin Revell | Executive Director Wallis Meshier | Assistant Director Andrew Zagars | City Engineer Wynstan Larsen | Senior Planner Paul Boyer | Development Engineer David Hermosillo | Senior CAD/GIS Technician Maria Lopez | Planner Kristina Strickland | Assistant Planner

DEPARTMENTS PROVIDING ASSISTANCE Public Works Communications Community Development Legal Information Technology Recreation Services Finance

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Bell County Central Texas College Central Texas Council of Governments Fort Hood Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce Killeen Economic Development Corporation Killeen Independent School District Texas A&M Central Texas

COLOPHON

This document principally employs the typeface Bely, designed by Roxane Gataud of Type Together while studying at École Supérieure d'Art et de Design in Amiens, France. Headlines, a number of lists, and many graphic labels are set in varying weights of Basic Sans designed by Daniel Hernández at Latinotype.

The document was laid out and typeset by Marshall Hines in Adobe InDesign on Macintosh Computers. Maps were generated by Ryan Lozano and Karina Castillo in QGIS on Windows Computers.

Executive Summary

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Where, when, and how a city adds development has a direct impact on the fiscal health and affordability of a community over time. For the past 50 years, Killeen has been aggressively building new single family developments and expanding its service area to the south, but the population growth has not kept pace. This has left the city with more infrastructure and service liabilities than it has budget to pay for, and residents' ability to pay more in taxes or fees is limited. This has created a constant tension between elected officials, staff, and citizens around priorities and how to best address growing wants and needs of the community with limited resources. Additionally, Killeen has struggled to create a strong community identity and coordinated economic development approach, which makes it difficult to align and fully leverage the resources of invaluable community partners such as the Post, colleges, Chamber, and local businesses.

This plan was built with fiscal sustainability and affordability as the central theme. Every element of the plan is focused on improving quality of life, diversifying employment and housing options and price points, and closing the city’s resource gap - without having to raise the tax rate.

The Plan consists of two components: a graphic component and a written component. The graphic component includes items such as illustrations that help convey development concepts and maps that will be used to guide future land use and transportation decisions. The written component provides context and details of the plan throughout the text.

THE PLAN HAS 3 CHAPTERS

Introduction

Organizational Components

Implementation

The introduction chapter provides an overview of Killeen’s current status and educational content to help provide an understanding of the concepts and issues that face cities across the country.

This entire document was a significant joint effort between the public, stakeholder groups, the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC), City staff, the Planning and Zoning Commission, City Council, and the consulting partners. One of the first tasks was to understand the assets, values and aspirations of the community. Beginning with the Vibrant Communities Assessment, and refined through community surveys and stakeholder meetings, these elements were identified and synthesized into a simple memorable Identity statement. These same groups worked collaboratively to generate a set of Big Ideas that touch on the major needs that need to be addressed in Killeen.

We also learn about the effects of rate and pattern of growth. As suburban growth begins to slow down, it is difficult to maintain the aging infrastructure when there is no additional growth contributing to the budget. In order to maintain the City's fiscal health, it needs to balance services, infrastructure, and revenue. Three options are available to bridge the gap.

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Identity Statment

We value diversity, safety, family, and service. We respect our history, citizens, military, and institutional partners - and we aspire to bring all of us together to make Killeen better incrementally, every day for everyone.

Big Ideas

1. Growth in Fiscally Responsible Way
2. Positive Community Culture
3. A Local Business Ecosystem
4. An Improved Transportation Network
5. Neighborhoods are more than subdivisions
6. A Vibrant Downtown

To create a fiscally informed plan, we analyzed the current development patterns in Killeen to evaluate their performance. As a result we are able to determine changes to the development pattern the City will need to implement that will increase the value across the city. We explore how suburban development takes up significant amounts of the city's finite resource – land – and produces less value than a traditional mixed-use development pattern.

The Introduction chapter establishes the foundational understanding the readers need to interpret and utilize the Organizational Components section that follows it.

Organizational Components

The Organizational Components chapter details development concepts and strategies on land use and growth management, neighborhoods, mobility, and downtown.

Here, we list recommendations and provide supporting information that will help Killeen reflect its Identity Statement and fulfill its Big Ideas. These recommendations are intended to be broad, yet have clear direction towards the goal. They do not include individual tasks. More specific action items are included in the final section of the plan.

The final chapter focuses on an implementation strategy that identifies steps and actions to make progress towards the community’s identity statement, big ideas, and recommendations. The proposed program has an incremental focus, is neighborhood centric, and has the goal of making meaningful progress, right now, with the resources the collective community has available.

Top Six Action Items

① Utilize the place type and growth sector criteria to prioritize and focus growth in north Killeen and vacant lots as much as possible. IMMEDIATELY AND ONGOING

② Create a Development Fiscal Impact Analysis (DFIA) process/tool and conduct fiscal impact analysis on proposed development and capital improvement projects to evaluate the short and long-term revenue, cost, and service impacts. FIRST 6 MONTHS, THEN ONGOING

③ Partner with citizens to create a Neighborhood Framework Plan, establish “cultivator crews”, and begin developing and implementing 2-year Neighborhood Enhancement Plans throughout the city. FIRST 6-12 MONTHS, THEN UPDATE EVERY 2 YEARS

④ Conduct a Small Developer Workshop program to train and organize a network of entrepreneurs, local developers, contractors, architects, engineers, and community investors that can partner with City staff and Downtown Development Coordinator to build infill housing and commercial units in Downtown and North Killeen. FIRST YEAR, THEN CONDUCT ONE ANNUALLY

⑤ Collaborate with community partners to create a single Economic Development Strategic Plan that can be used to organize resources and guide decisions and investments to maximize benefits for the community FIRST 18 MONTHS

⑥ Update the City’s development regulations and design guidelines to align with the big ideas and principles outlined in the Comprehensive Plan, create complete, walkable neighborhoods, and ensure quality design and construction. START FALL 2022, ADOPT IN FALL/WINTER 2024.

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WHEN CITIZENS TAKE PART IN IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS, BETTER OUTCOMES USUALLY OCCUR

INTRODUCTION

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WHY A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?

An Orientation to this Plan.

Killeen is entering a critical period in its evolution as a community. On one hand, the city’s proximity to Fort Hood has helped make Killeen one of the larger cities in Texas, and rising housing costs in the nearby Austin region are driving demand north and creating additional opportunities in the city. At the same time, the city is struggling to maintain aging infrastructure, facilities, and neighborhoods built in prior decades due to limited resources.

Killeen’s last comprehensive plan was adopted in 2010, when the population was almost 128,000 people. In the decade since, the city has added another 25,000 people, and it’s city limits span roughly 55 square miles. The 2010 Plan was drafted with intent to offer guidance for challenges that would emerge, and included recommendations for sustainable development.

Twelve years later, while there have been many positives to celebrate, the same development patterns and housing challenges remain, infrastructure conditions have deteriorated further, and resources are even more constrained. Elected officials continue to be challenged to provide infrastructure and amenities commensurate with other communities in the area while working with a much

smaller budget (per person or household). And inside City Hall, staff are stretched trying to keep up with the daily functions of the City such as site plan approvals, building permits, inspections, infrastructure maintenance and construction, code enforcement, and multiple quality of life services such as public safety and recreation programming. These tensions and constraints will only get worse without intentional efforts to bridge the gaps.

Lasting prosperity does not come from endless new growth and expansion. It’s cultivated over time by the people living and working in the community.

Where, when, and how the city develops in the next 10-20 years will have a direct impact on the city’s long-term fiscal health, affordability, and vibrancy. This Plan has been crafted with a primary focus on leveraging growth and public investments in a manner that incrementally enhances quality of life for residents while also closing the city’s resource gaps over time.

Through an extensive engagement process, the community expressed both their concerns and aspirational vision for the future. This Plan was drafted by taking into consideration the needs of a diverse group of stakeholders. Insight from citizens, business owners, employees, and organizations throughout Killeen are all a part of this document.

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Why Do We Need a New Plan?

To make growth work for, not against us.

Growth does not equal or create prosperity. In fact, certain types of growth can actually lead to the opposite. Having experienced many stages of growth with a limited amount of undeveloped land remaining, Killeen has a few options to grow in ways that reflect local character and values and to learn from past development trends in Killeen and surrounding communities. This process is about deciding what citizens want for their community, laying out a framework to manage growth, and most importantly, understanding and getting comfortable with the trade offs required to make the city fiscally healthy. Citizens will have to choose to accept higher density development, reduced services, or higher taxes.

To get more bang for our collective buck.

Infrastructure and development decisions today have financial consequences in the future. The City is already financially stressed from past decisions. The City has to be especially careful about how limited funds are invested. City leaders need a plan for maximizing the return on investment of the City’s resources in a way that increases property values, improves quality of life, and reduces long-term infrastructure costs. Otherwise, the City will soon be faced with deteriorating neighborhoods and service debts that far exceed the community’s capacity to pay for them.

To make the city more proactive, and less reactive.

Increasing demands on staff and the absence of current, coordinated plans has resulted in many decisions and day-to-day activities being reactive. This limits staff efficiency and the City’s ability to maximize return on investments, and makes it difficult to manage and clearly communicate expectations. Updating the Comprehensive Plan puts city leaders in a position to eliminate duplicative efforts and be proactive decision-makers across all aspects of the City’s development and operations.

To introduce consistency, communication, and accountability that citizens desire.

Managing expectations of citizens during growth can be challenging, time consuming and frustrating. Establishing a cohesive vision, core values, and prioritized implementation actions will clarify roles and expectations. This empowers everyone in the community to contribute. It makes clear what City Council, staff, local businesses, and citizens must do to gain ground. Action items and decisions will be measured and tied back to this Plan, providing transparency and accountability.

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RESIDENTS, STAFF, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND CONSULTANTS DISCUSS NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR KILLEEN AT A PUBLIC WORKSESSION

What is a Comprehensive Plan?

Leading a city is a daunting task. There are always more demands than resources. As the name suggests, this plan outlines a comprehensive view of city needs and desires. Then, it outlines the path forward. City officials change over time, so the Plan serves as the constant guide. It lays out the “game plan” for Killeen. It expresses the goals and direction of the community. Clear expectations and responsibilities are outlined so meaningful progress can be made. It serves as Killeen’s official statement on policy and direction.

Comprehensive plans have two components: a graphic component and a written component. The graphic component maps out where to place future land uses and major transportation infrastructure. It also includes illustrations that highlight key information and takeaways. The written component provides context and details regarding existing conditions. It summarizes the community’s vision and Big Ideas. It outlines policies and goals, and contains an implementation strategy designed to achieve the city’s vision. The Plan provides the framework necessary to move forward. However, success is wholly reliant on City officials and residents.

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Authority of Comprehensive Planning

Chapter 213 of the Texas Local Government Code outlines the powers granted for municipal comprehensive plans in Texas municipalities. Section 213.002 specifically authorizes a city to adopt a comprehensive plan in accordance with its charter or by ordinance. It also authorizes them to amend it from time to time. The comprehensive plan is intended to coordinate and guide the establishment of development regulations of a city.

Who’s Been Involved?

Public Provide input on community strengths, areas for improvement and desired future; give feedback of draft versions of the plan; support and engage in implementation activities.

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Stakeholder Groups Interviews with various groups that have an interest in Killeen; provide input; share insight through different perspectives.

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CPAC Citizens and city leaders meeting to guide the plan; establish vision, core values, and goals; review drafts of the plan; present to Council and P&Z; encourage engagement.

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City Staff Provide ongoing input and review of planning process (vision & principles, plan drafts, etc.) to ensure plan is accurate and actionable.

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Planning & Zoning Commission Provide input and interim reviews at key mile- stones during the planning process. Recommend final plan to City Council for adoption.

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City Council Provide ongoing input and feedback heard from community; final authority to approve or reject the plan update for adoption.

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Consultant Analysis; coordination with Council, Staff, and CPAC; public meeting and charrette facilitation; design of plan that is useful in daily decision-making.

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What is Our Goal, and Why Does it Matter?

WE AIM TO ACCOMPLISH:

Understanding our current and forecasting future needs

To remain fiscally stable, a city must develop in a way that generates enough revenue to cover liabilities; not just today, but in the future.

Telling the story of Killeen

Having a clear identity and set of values helps Killeen avoid becoming "Anywhere, USA" and distinguishes it from the surrounding communities.

Getting the big stuff right

Creating priorities for land, infrastructure, and economic development decisions is essential. Doing so maximizes return on investment. It also builds a high quality of life today and for years to come.

Enabling clear expectations and consistent, predictable decisions

In this process, elected officials, staff, and other partners will be unified, efficient, and proactive.

Creating an informed and engaged citizenry

Engaged residents support city leadership and bring ideas forward. They actively participate in decisions. They represent their neighborhoods and wishes. Most importantly, they contribute to positive change.

WE DO THIS BY ASKING:

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SO WHY DOES THIS MATTER?

It’s simple. The future of a city affects everyone within it, from its newest arrivals to lifelong residents. Everyone has a vested interest in making Killeen the best place it can be to live, work and play.

HOW TO USE THIS PLAN

Basic Organization

This Comprehensive Plan has been organized to be useful to the city staff and elected officials who will implement the plan. The organization will support their day-to-day work, but work has been done to also create a plan that is understandable and approachable by the community it aims to serve. The document is organized into three main chapters.

1. INTRODUCTION

The first chapter, Introduction is designed to do a few things. First, to give you an understanding of the plan itself; how it was written, who participated in its creation and what it aims to accomplish. It also provides foundational concepts that the plan relies heavily on. For example, the concept of fiscal stewardship, and how land use in a community substantially affects the economics of that community, is included.

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This chapter also summarizes how the city has developed over time and how past decisions have affected the City. These effects include revenue, services, and affordability. It also explains what must be done to put the City on a more financially sound path, and helps citizens to understand the why behind the recommendations in each organizational component. We end this chapter with both The Big Ideas, and Killeen’s Identity statement. These two elements underpin every recommendation you will see in later in the document, and they should become the underpinning of every decision that is made in Killeen going forward.

2. ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENTS

The second chapter, called Organizational Components (OCs) lays out next steps, and is structured with elements that typically align with city departments/ functions. This Comprehensive Plan currently includes four OCs:

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The breadth and depth of each of these components varies. A Comprehensive Plan should also consider plans that were created previously. Land Use & Growth Management, for example, is a detailed component because it needs to speak to how land use is mapped in Killeen. It also considers how development standards affect the community. Growth strategies and how they influence the city’s future, are included. Legal elements, such as zoning, annexation, mobility planning, and the process of developing land are also included.

For all the diversity of these Components, you will see a few commonalities between them. Each Component opens with a series of recommendations to move Killeen toward achieving success. Then, a general snapshot of the existing conditions in Killeen as related to each Component, and observed barriers to success, are noted and explained.

3. IMPLEMENTATION

The final section of the Plan focuses on Implementation of the recommendations in each Organizational Component. Implementing the Comprehensive Plan is perhaps the most important job the City of Killeen will have over the next 10 years.

This chapter includes an explanation as to how Implementation practices should be approached. Particular focus is given to how implementation should be a community process which is centered around neighborhoods and the people who live in them.

It is important to understand that every recommendation, and subsequently every action that makes up those recommendations has been vetted to ensure that they meet with the Big Ideas, and Identity statement (pages 56-63). These two elements are a direct reflection of the community and thus are integral to any decision s the city makes going forward.

Recommendations and actions are coupled in this chapter, and listed as to provide a checklist that, when completed, indicates that recommendations have been accomplished. In addition to the content in this chapter, more implementation information can be found in the Appendix including a detailed Implementation Matrix that indicates which department is responsible for specific actions and recommendations, how each action connects to the Big Ideas, and timelines associated with these elements.

What Should You Look For?

Citizens

If you are a citizen of Killeen and reading this document for the first time, its best to acquaint yourself thoroughly with the sections in Chapter 1 titled; The Economics of Land Use, Creating a Fiscally Informed Plan, Killeen’s Land Use Fiscal Analysis, Killeen’s Identity, and Big Ideas. These parts provide the knowledge to help readers understand how the Organizational Components (Land Use & Growth Management, Neighborhoods, Mobility & Connectivity, and Downtown) were drafted. Then, specific Components of interest can be reviewed to learn the direction and plans the city has put in place.

Staff

Day-to-day interactions with this plan will typically be referencing the recommendations at the beginning of each Organizational Component chapter. The actions that accomplish those recommendations are easily found in the implementation matrices in Chapter 3. Understanding and incorporating the Big Ideas in Chapter 1 into daily work is also important. New recommendations from staff should always be aligned with the Big Ideas.

Elected and Appointed Officials

Officials constantly endeavor to understand and apply the will of the community in decision making. Incorporating the Big Ideas into the process for deliberating issues is a good step to addressing the needs of the community consistently. These ideas are a direct representation of the things that the community said in the public engagement process for building this Comprehensive Plan. Also consider how Killeen may grow and improve its Big Ideas over time in line with the Identity Statement in Chapter 1.

Developers

Chapter 1’s sections The Economics of Land Use, and Killeen’s Land Use Fiscal Analysis as well as the Organizational Components Land Use & Growth Management, and Mobility & Connectivity contain relevant information to provide an understanding of how Killeen wants to grow. Understanding the Big Ideas in Chapter 1 can help to align proposed projects with the broad directional statements that are at the heart of Killeen’s focus for the future.

Updating and Refining this Plan

This plan, and all of its parts should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the changing nature of the City of Killeen and its goals. Though any part of the plan can be updated, serious thought should be given before amending, or editing the Big Ideas. These foundational elements of the plan are a representation of the expressed aims of Killeen’s citizens. If these do need to be updated, a process of exhaustive public engagement designed to hear and incorporate diverse voices, must be completed.

Recommendations and their accompanying actions are the items which will need the most frequent review. As existing recommendations are achieved, new ones should be introduced that move Killeen toward the future imagined in the Big Ideas. Staff will be the most common source of these updates as their ‘on the ground’ work provides an exceptional vantage point to see where new work is needed to improve the community. City Council should also review recommendations yearly to see how progress is being made and if necessary, suggest additions. Though these two groups are the most likely ones to suggest changes to recommendations, public input should be gathered on a regular schedule to help inform staff and Council’s work. An inexpensive way of doing this would be to solicit feedback on a specific organizational component during high-turnout public events. A staff booth at a community event could ask a single question. For example, What matters most to you when new commercial growth happens near your neighborhood? The answers to this single question could be gathered and presented to Council. Then, Council would determine what new recommendations are needed for the Organizational Component “Land Use & Growth Management”. Two questions should always be asked when weighing new recommendations. Does this recommendation align with the identity that the community has identified (page 57)? Does this recommendation align with the fiscal goals of the City in the short- and long-term?

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Writing Meaningful Recommendations

Recommendations are broad, but they are clearly directional. They suggest a large goal that will help to move the community toward one or more Big Ideas. They are aligned with a specific Organizational Component. They do not include individual tasks. For example, a good Land Use & Growth Management aligned recommendation might be: “Create a logical growth boundary to focus future development within existing service areas.” Whereas a recommendation that is too prescriptive would be: “Do not allow high intensity uses north of US 233.”

ADJUST PLANNING APPROACH TO CONSIDER NON-VEHICULAR TRIPS.

IMPROVE NETWORK CONNECTIVITY.

DESIGN NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS TO PRIORITIZE PEOPLE

MAXIMIZE RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE.

PROVIDE MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE.

IMPLEMENT BRANDED GATEWAYS AND WAYFINDING WITHIN THE CORE.

REDESIGN RANCIER AS A COMPLETE STREET.

TRANSITION AUTO-ORIENTED ROADS TO PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY STREETS.

Writing Useful Actions

Actionsarespecifictasksthatservetoaccomplishrecommendations. It is easy to think of these as a checklist that, when finished, allows the community to call a recommendation complete. For example, the growth boundary recommendation could have the following actions:

1. Identify geographic features that create logical and natural boundaries city-wide.
2. Identify all areas of the city that can be currently served by city water and sewer (in other words areas that are within 100’ of the city’s utility network).
3. Draw a boundary that factors in 1 and 2 above, and that produces the smallest land area.

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Update pavement management study, measure and maps the pavement condition, estimated maintenance costs, and future replacement cost and timing.

Increase management efforts to extend the life of existing streets and allow more time for the street fee fund to grow.

Update street sections and design criteria so Collectors can transform and adapt to changes in surrounding land use over time

Update design standards to reduce pavement and lane widths to reduce maintenance and construction costs and slow cars

Successfully completing all actions should mean that the recommendation has been fulfilled.

THE PLANNING PROCESS

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Community Engagement

A variety of methods were used to collect input and feedback. The engagement program was intentionally organized to balance information sharing (education and awareness), and information gathering (listening). Two-way discussions were used to explore topics in more detail and capture context. Options were provided for the community to engage in many ways: online, in person, in group settings, and through private one-on-one discussions. Most importantly, multiple presentations and discussions were held early in the process to explain connections between past development and the current infrastructure and resource challenges. These discussions and the accompanying land use fiscal analysis have been used at multiple points in the process to bring people and perspectives together. The community engagement shown on these pages provided the underpinning for building consent around the strategies that Killeen must embrace to become a more financially resilient and prosperous community.

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TOP: THE IDEAS WALL OF THE MYKILLEEN WEBSITE

MIDDLE: THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF ONLINE SURVEYS USED TO INFORM THIS PLAN

BOTTOM: A MEETING HELD FOCUSING ON DOWNTOWN KILLEEN

PHASE 4

PRIORITIZE

APRIL-MAY 2022

CPAC Meeting 6 Community Meeting & Online Comments P&Z Workshop

PHASE 5

ADOPT & IMPLEMENT

JUNE-AUGUST 2022

City Council Workshop Plan Adoption Implementation Summit

THE FUTURE

2022 & BEYOND

Revision and Refinement

MAP OF WALKSHOPS

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ABOVE: THE TURTLE BEND WALKSHOP

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A CCP MODULE PRESENTED ONLINE DURING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROCESS

CONSULTANT KEVIN SHEPHERD OF VERDUNITY LEADS A WORK SESSION IN MAY 2022 WITH THE KILLEEN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

How Engagement Informed this Plan

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Vibrant Community Assessment

This assessment provided a starting place to understand the community’s positions on a number of issues. In the first half of 2021, citizens across the city provided answers to 11 questions on a 10-point scale. These questions are listed below with the average score they received.

NOTE It is notable that while this survey generally represented a significant gap between where citizens wanted to be as a city, and where they felt they were right now, a clear interest in solving problems and making the community better was shared by nearly every participant. The value of this cannot be overstated.

Direct Community Feedback

Assets

In the same survey, respondents identified these elements as most unique and valuable to Killeen. These elements can be viewed as building blocks upon which Killeen’s future can be built. The list is ordered by number of mentions of each asset, with 1 being the element with the most mentions.

1 Diversity

According to Census data, Killeen is more diverse than the region and Texas as a whole.

2 Military Presence

Many of Fort Hood’s current and former personnel choose to live, work, or open businesses in Killeen.

3 Small Town Feel

Community members noted a sense of “small town” comfort, even with a population of 155,000 people.

4 Central Texas Location

Killeen is less than an hour northwest of the Austin area, and 20 minutes southwest of Waco.

5 Cost of Living/Economy

Killeen enjoys one of the most affordable housing markets in Texas, with a median home price of $201,750 as of January 2022.

Opportunities

Opportunities for improvement were compiled from discussions with residents and stakeholders at community meetings and during stakeholder one-on-one meetings. A community’s potential is directly tied to its assets. As noted, the citizens made it clear that Killeen has a long list of challenges. These challenges present even more opportunities.

Local Business Many residents expressed the need for more local businesses, more entertainment options, and more diverse industries. We also heard from residents that downtown needs some serious attention. Many buildings remain vacant and maintenance has been lacking. People have lost interest in shopping downtown. Killeen has several economic development organizations which, through economic development programs, can support local businesses and bring diversity to the business community.

Strengthen Neighborhoods Killeen currently has a higher affordability index than the other communities in the region, yet many are not satisfied with the existing housing market. Affordability is not the only factor considered by community members. Diverse neighborhoods with character that residents can take pride in encourage the maintenance of homes in good condition, attracting a broader audience.

Local Activities Residents are wishing for more things to do in their free time without having to leave Killeen. They want to take their families out, enjoy the Central Texas natural beauty, and get in a little exercise. Developing natural areas and open spaces in Killeen provides an amenity to its residents while improving their quality of life.

Unique Identity Identifying and making choices that reinforce the unique identity of Killeen helps it become more than another central Texas city. It allows Killeen and that unique identity to become one and the same. This is attractive to tourists and potential new residents, who over time learn and share with others what Killeen is all about. Communities without clear identities are easily forgotten, if remembered at all.

Obstacles

In the second community survey conducted between April and June of 2021, citizens identified these items as the major obstacles to creating a successful and vibrant Killeen. This list is ordered so that the highest ranked obstacle (1) was mentioned by the most respondents.

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“...my hometown is not recognized as the friendly, kind, safe place I grew up in as a child and young adult...”

“My biggest challenge has been getting information about what is in the area related to all the above. A centralized website with advertising would be helpful.”

“To a casual observer, Killeen looks like nobody cares.”

“Work towards attracting industry that offers well paying jobs;”

“Add businesses for professional job opportunities to keep residents from driving to Austin, Temple, Waco, etc.”

“Treat all residents equally regardless of the color of their skin or location (zip code).”

“ every time I want to do something with the family we go and spend our money OUT OF TOWN!!”

“Killeen is located in the heart of Texas so why not make it the place everyone wants to see. “

“City-wide spring clean up. This could give the entire city a sense of pride if they see the entire city working on their yards, streets and common areas.”

“Housing isn’t a very broad market. They have people who can afford a $1M home but can’t find any and go to Belton and Temple. More affordable options are needed”

COMMUNITY PROFILE

Regional & National Trends

As technology and other factors continue to evolve, Killeen has both the challenge and opportunity to keep and attract people and businesses to the city. While focusing on local context and resources are the starting point, it’s also important to be aware of regional, national, and global trends that are impacting where people choose to live, work, shop, worship, and play.

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Missing Middle Housing and Choice Shifts

Many cities are finding that a key to retaining talent is the ability to find housing types that suit a broad range of people. In most places, housing variety has not met the needs of changing demographics. Household sizes have been decreasing, and many people want to age in a home that is the right size for them. Diversity of housing type is directly tied to affordability. Diverse housing in neighborhoods allows mixing of socioeconomic groups, which is appealing to Gen Xers and Millennials.

Missing Middle Housing comprises the range of housing styles that fall between the extremes of the detached single-family homes and the midrise apartment complex. These buildings generally share a similar footprint to single-family homes; as a result, they blend seamlessly into typical neighborhoods. Since these types often contain 4 to 8 units, they provide a more robust tax base for the city without significantly increasing service costs or infrastructure liabilities. These housing styles include townhouses, duplexes, courtyard apartments, and live/work units. These styles were an essential building block of pre-1940s neighborhoods, and their appeal is being rediscovered today in towns and cities across the country. These housing units will be an essential part of Killeen’s fiscally sustainable future.

ALL IMAGES: SIGHTLINE INSTITUTE

MISSING MIDDLE HOUSING TYPES AND HOW THEY FIT BETWEEN SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES, AND MID-RISE APARTMENTS

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Regional Growth

According to the newest Austin Board of Realtors Central Texas Housing Market Report, the median sales price of homes in the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area rose 30.4 percent to $476,000 in January of 2022. With large employer relocations to the region housing stock is being stressed, pushing housing prices skyward. The City of Austin alone had a 20 percent increase in median sales price, driving it up to $550,000, while the amount of new listings decreased 18 percent. Those who cannot afford a home in the metropolitan area have settled in the surrounding communities, many moving north to Bell County and Killeen. This makes it imperative for Killeen to ensure that there are housing units at affordable prices for these people to move into. This presents and opportunity for the community to get ahead of the growth with thoughtful forward-thinking housing policy.

While Bell County’s median price is $245,515 according to the Temple-Belton Board of Realtors report for January 2022, Killeen has the lowest median price at $201,750. Temple’s median price is $269,500 and Belton is the highest at $355,000. Killeen’s neighboring city of Harker Heights is on the higher end with a median price of $310,000. The communities with higher end suburban residential and commercial development are rapidly expanding with Belton having an increase of 85.7 percent in active listings and Harker Heights having an increase of 42.1 percent.

Climate Change/Extreme Weather Events

Winter Storm Uri was a true test to existing infrastructure across the state of Texas. In this one weather event, 246 people perished. However, these weather events are not exclusive to Central Texas. Uri affected many regions throughout North America including Canada, the great majority of the United States, and Mexico. These weather events are becoming more common, placing a strain on communities who lack preparedness.

eCommerce

eCommerce and related tools have taken local retailers to a new level. These tools help customers make online payments. They also provide online storefronts, and search inventory. They greatly expand the reach of small businesses through email marketing and promotional tools. These options allow small businesses to operate from anywhere, especially areas with lower costs of living.

Remote Work

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, one long-lasting effect is the ability to work remotely. Whether it is multiple employees working from their homes in the same city, or even across the country, this trend is here to stay. According to a survey by Upwork, about 26.7% of Americans worked from home during 2021. According to CNBC, a quarter of the nearly four million remote workers in the U.S. make over $100,000 a year. This creates opportunities for people to land jobs in companies that are not physically located in the Killeen area and allowing them to choose where they want to live.

Place-Based Economic Development

A sense of place is of great importance to Millennials, Gen Xers, and younger age groups. In particular, “third places” - a term coined by Ray Oldenburg - are of great appeal. The third places are places for gathering. Coffee shops, bars, bookstores, pubs, cafes, and other places where people can interact are some examples. Connectedness is a priority for these groups. Walkable neighborhoods are greatly valued by these groups. They seek the celebration of differences in people, cultures, and neighborhoods. Authenticity drives their decisions on where to live, and many cities do not offer this.

Who is Killeen Made of?

The City has a 2020 population of approximately 155,000 residents, with an additional 32,000 people residing at Fort Hood. Regional population within the greater Killeen/Temple Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is 480,000. This is important from a market perspective given the proximity of nearby communities. Their impact on market demands and economic development opportunities is critical to watch.

The presence of Fort Hood has a significant impact on the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the community. When compared to the region, Killeen’s population is young and diverse, with a larger percentage of Black and Asian populations (there is a strong Korean presence). Killeen’s diversity index of 81.9 is higher than the region’s and state’s index.

Due to military deployments and personnel transitioning to and from military service, the population is ever-changing. Approximately 20 to 25 percent of military personnel are transitioning in and out each year. When military personnel and their families transition out of the military, they tend to stay nearby. Killeen’s educational attainment is below the region’s average with a smaller percentage of individuals graduating with degrees (Associates, Bachelors or Graduate).

INCOME COMPARISON

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Population Projections

Current population estimates were compared to the population projections prepared as part of the previous comprehensive planning effort. As shown in the following chart, the Step Down 1.0 scenario from the Texas State Data Center most closely aligns with the 2010 Census population and 2020 current estimate from ESRI. Between 2010 and 2020, Killeen’s population grew at annual average rate of 2%.

Population projections for cities in Texas are available through the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) and county level projections are available through the Texas Demographic Center (TDC).

TDC projections for the City of Killeen were derived using the “step down” method, which assumes the City will maintain a set proportion of Bell County’s population, 42%, in future years.

Projections for the City of Killeen range from 185,00 to 203,000 in the Year 2040, which reflects an annual average growth rate of 1.1% and 1.4% respectively.

The various step down models simply take the Texas State Data Center rates for growth and project a growth in Killeen in a proportion equal to Killeen’s size in relation to the state population. The 1.0 step down is the same rate as the full state projection, the .5 step down is growth at half the rate of the state projection.

POPULATION PROJECTION MODELS

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Legend

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CURRENT

STEP DOWN 1.0

STEP DOWN 2000-2007

STEP DOWN 0.5

TWDB

SOURCE: KILLEEN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, 2010

Demographics

Esri Tapestry Segmentation classifies US neighborhoods into 14 unique LifeMode groups. These groups are then further classified as 67 different consumer segments with commonly shared traits. The chart below shows the top six segments present in Killeen, with the most dominant being Up & Coming Families. The information in the tapestry segments provides a comprehensive profile of the City’s consumer market.

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Up and Coming Families

Residents are younger, more mobile and ethnically diverse than the previous generation. Their homes are new; their families are young. This is one of the fastest-growing markets in the country.

Traditional Living

Households are a mix of married couples and singles. Many families include two generations who have lived and worked in the community. The manufacturing, retail trade, and health care sectors are the primary sources of employment. This is a younger market—beginning householders.

Young and Restless

Well-educated young workers, some of whom are still completing their education, are employed in professional/technical occupations, as well as sales and office/administrative support roles. These residents are not established yet. Almost 1 in 5 residents move each year.

Middleburg

Middleburg neighborhoods transformed from the easy pace of country living to semi-rural subdivisions. Residents are conservative, family-oriented consumers. This market is younger but growing in size and assets.

Bright Young Professionals

These communities are young, educated, working professionals. More than one out of three householders is under the age of 35. Slightly more diverse couples dominate this market, with more renters than homeowners.

Military Proximity

Married couples just beginning parenthood, with an average household size of 3.38. The Armed Forces is the common bond for these consumers. Most of the labor force are on active duty or have civilian jobs on military bases. Moving is routine to these householders; 40% have recently moved.

Indexes

Esri also establishes measures (indexes) to better explain certain characteristics in a community. Some examples include housing, crime, wealth and diversity. When compared to the region, Killeen has a high diversity and housing affordability index and a low wealth index. Killeen’s crime index is slightly higher than regional and state averages.

Where Do Citizens Live?

Overall, Killeen has a higher percentage of renter-occupied housing units. This is likely a result of housing demands from the younger and military-based population. Vacancy rates in 2020 were higher than the surrounding region; however, more recent information indicates a much lower vacancy rate and limited housing stock availability.

There is a larger concentration of lower value homes in Killeen when compared to the rest of region, resulting in comparatively strong housing affordability. The median home value is $145,000, which is 13% lower than the regional average. Most of the housing stock in Killeen consists of single-family homes, with newer homes and subdivisions being built in the southern part of the city. Over 38% of the housing stock has been constructed since 2000, in part as a result of Fort Hood’s expansion, which did not include housing. An opportunity for increasing the number of housing units is present in North Killeen, as much of the housing stock sits on larger than needed lots and broadly speaking is some of the lowest value property in the city. Allowing much more housing to be built in this area will have the dual benefit of providing more affordable housing while increasing the value per acre, and thus income to the city, without expanding infrastructure.

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SOURCE: ESRI 2021

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Where and How Do Citizens Work?

Killeen’s civilian workforce consists of approximately 65,000 people with an additional 37,000 military personnel at Fort Hood. The unemployment rate, 12.7%, is higher than regional averages.

Most employees work in the Services industry, followed by the Public Administration industry. 54% are employed in white collar occupations, while 22% are employed in blue collar occupations.

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Business & Industry

There are over 3,000 businesses in Killeen with approximately 32,000 total employees. The largest category of businesses are Retail Trade, Other Services, and Accommodation and Food Services. Industries employing the largest number of employees include Retail Trade, Accommodation and Food Services, and Education and Health Care. Major employers in the Greater Killeen area include Fort Hood (and military defense contractors), Killeen ISD, Central Texas College, City of Killeen, Teleperformance and Advent Health.

What Do People Want and Need in Killeen?

Existing Audiences

‘Market Audiences’ are categories of individuals that can have an economic impact on a community through shopping, dining, purchasing a home, starting a business or a similar activity. Identifying these audiences provides an understanding of the type of individuals investing in the community, and their reasons for locating there. Major audiences for Killeen include individuals that are here to live, to work, and to a smaller extent, to learn. Smaller audiences include individuals that visit the area to attend events/activities, shop and dine. The level of economic impact that each audience has on the community is directly related to the availability and desirability of opportunities to invest. For example, a Nearby Neighbor may only occasionally be enticed into spending money dining in Killeen if options are not as desirable as other communities.

Economic Places

Economic Places are key revenue generators within the community; the strength of those places is directly related to the ability to attract and keep Market Audiences (and their disposable income) in the community. Employment/business generators such as Fort Hood, and educational institutions such as Central Texas College draw audiences into the community regularly. The strength of General Commercial places (such as businesses along the IH-14 corridor), Commercial Activity Centers (such as Killeen Mall, and destinations (such as the planetarium at Central Texas College) have influence. They influence how many visitors will come into Killeen, how long they will stay, and how much they will spend. Understanding local Market Audiences and the strength of Economic Places is critical to assessing methods of greater economic impact.

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Retail Trade Analysis

Esri’s Retail MarketPlace data compares retail sales and consumer spending by industry and measures the gap between supply and demand. This data provides a glimpse into the amount of retail potential that “leaks” into other communities, as well as market segments where the study area takes in more than its share. Leakage in an area represents a condition where demand exceeds supply. In other words, retailers outside the market area are fulfilling the demand for retail products; therefore, demand is “leaking” out of the trade area. Such a condition highlights an opportunity for new retailers to enter the trade area or for existing retailers to extend their marketing outreach to accommodate the excess demand.

Overall, within a 15-minute drive of downtown, the amount of funds spent on retail trade and food and drink is greater than what would be expected if only locals were shopping; this means that people from outside Killeen are spending money within a 15-minute drive of downtown. However, within a 30-minute drive, the numbers tell a different story. More people are choosing to shop for retail goods elsewhere – resulting in a leakage of potential funds into other areas. Food and drink remains a surplus, but a much lower one. The figures show that while Killeen may be a “hot dog and hamburger” town, they are still attracting people in for dining.

Killeen’s market is strongest in retail areas such as automotive parts, clothing and sporting goods. Killeen is particularly weak in grocery stores, health and personal care, electronics, building materials, and gas stations. Overall, the City experiences a high vacancy rate and low rate of owner occupancy.

WITHIN A 15 MINUTE DRIVE OF DOWNTOWN

WITHIN A 30 MINUTE DRIVE OF DOWNTOWN

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THE ECONOMICS OF LAND USE

Development and How it Relates to Fiscal Health

Where, when, and how a city develops has a direct impact on a city’s fiscal health. The form and process by which property develops in a community is its development pattern. Development patterns are caused by varied wants, needs, and desires amongst community leaders, residents, and developers. Below are three of the most common development patterns seen in Texas and across the United States: rural, suburban, and urban. Each of these patterns accommodates a certain amount of people, requires different amounts of infrastructure and public services, and consumes varying amounts of land.

Understanding the economic constraints these patterns present is key to helping build a resilient and fiscally sustainable place. The economics of land use, at a high level, pertains to how these different development patterns generate revenue back to the city in the form of property tax, sales tax, and other revenues. The development patterns also generate costs and liabilities in the form of services and infrastructure that require maintenance over time. To be financially sustainable, a City’s development pattern must generate sufficient revenue to pay for services and infrastructure; not just today, but over time.

Common Development Patterns

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The Suburban Growth Experiment

For thousands of years, cities all over the world were built and grew incrementally out (horizontally), up (vertically) and more intense (higher density) as resources allowed. This traditional pattern of development was characterized by a compact grid, narrower streets, and diverse building types (whose uses were flexible) all geared toward a human scale, and it was built in increments when the demand and money were available. New structures or streets were built next to existing buildings or infrastructure, because this was the most cost-effective way of growing.

When the automobile was invented, it led to what engineer and Strong Towns founder Charles Marohn coined the "suburban experiment." The creation of the highway system, increasing car

ownership, and mass-scale housing programs rolled out after WWII combined to create a new environment where developers were able to purchase and develop land out on the edge for lower costs, and the suburbs were born. Streets and buildings became more spread out than ever before, and residential, commercial, and other uses were separated. Fewer buildings were designed with unique character or built to last. Instead they were designed to be cost-effective and mass-produced. Unlike the previous incremental growth, cities began to see massive amounts of housing, streets, and infrastructure being built over a much larger area in a short amount of time - typically just one or two decades.

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The Effects of Rate and Pattern of Growth

As the suburban growth model caught on, cities across the country began to embrace and encourage rapid growth without fully considering long-term impacts. Private developers built subdivision after subdivision, putting in miles of new infrastructure “at no cost to the city!”, selling cities on the additional rooftops and tax revenues. This creates what Marohn refers to as an “illusion of wealth”, where the overall look and feel of the community is new and affluent. During this time, there is also typically pressure to keep property taxes down. Sales tax revenue will fluctuate up and down based on market conditions and demand.

Today, the significant costs of this approach are revealing themselves. As cities continue to age and expand, development and the revenue boost from additional homes and businesses slows down. The neighborhoods, facilities and infrastructure built decades prior have reached the end of their life cycle and are in need of replacement. Community leaders are left struggling to keep up with expectations for basic service, employment and lifestyle. However, they have limited resources to do so. This starts a cycle where cities fix what they can, and postpone what’s left. Eventually neighborhoods deteriorate to the point where residents with the ability to do so move out, while those less fortunate are forced to remain in an environment of decline and neglect.

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Resource Constraints

In today’s environment, most citizens are not willing and/or able to pay more in property taxes or fees, but cities don’t have the revenue needed to cover basic services and maintenance dues to the cost of aging infrastructure. Each year, maintenance expenses grow, and citizens’ concerns over property taxes and being priced out of their homes do as well. Recent state legislation to cap property taxes and limit annexation and local control of building regulations has only increased this tension.

There are generally three positions that cities find themselves in when it comes to their position on the growth curve and how they are managing the resource gap:

How Development Patterns Affect Commercial Value

Different patterns of development can produce significantly different values on a per acre basis. Since value per acre gives the most apples to apples comparison of properties, it is a useful metric to understand what patterns are going to help Killeen become a more fiscally sustainable place.

NOTE While Killeen has a great deal of potential in Downtown for significant increases in value, the current lack of consistent high quality development means that Killeen’s existing Downtown is much lower value than in similar communities. We sourced Downtown Temple to show how high value an area like this can be with high quality development.

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Suburban Retail

$451,966 per acre

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58.3 Acres

$26,361,682 Assessed Value

Killeen Mall

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Traditional Mixed-Use

$800,591 per acre

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20.31 Acres

$16,260,004 Assessed Value

Downtown Temple

NOTE

Though the value in this part of Downtown Killeen is higher than similarly-sized suburban pad retail/restaurant sites, there is massive opportunity for it to become even more valuable. Many parts of Downtown are considered forgotten by the community and in disrepair. In decades past that would have led to tearing down buildings and starting fresh. The increase of small and local developers across the country has made it clear that these places can be improved incrementally and inexpensively. This provides a much better return for the community by simply giving these locations some love and care.

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Small Pad Retail

$502,047 per acre

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.40 Acres

$200,819 Assessed Value

W S Young & Illinois Ave

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Downtown Killeen

$968,818 per acre

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.46 Acres

$453,322 Assessed Value

Downtown Killeen

How Development Patterns

Affect Residential Value

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Rural with Infrastructure

$282,049 per acre

.86 Acres

$241,152 Assessed Value

South Killeen

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Suburban Single-Family

$649,065 per acre

.28 Acres

$183,908 Assessed Value

Southeast Killeen

As development patterns become more compact, the value per acre increases. It is important to understand that the highest value places where value per acre is ‘off the charts’ are not just compact. They are located in walkable, mixed use places. The value comes from feeling like they are part of a ‘neighborhood’, as opposed to a subdivision.

Compact Suburban ⬚ figure

$1,166,282 per acre

⬚ figure .12 Acres $144,619 Assessed Value South Killeen

Townhomes ⬚ figure

$5,869,038 per acre

⬚ figure .27 Acres $1,592,520 Assessed Value Waxahachie

Factors Affecting Affordability and Fiscal Sustainability

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Street and Lot Widths

The width of a street and the number of lots located along that street directly impact the cost each lot or household must contribute to maintain the street. The wider the street, the more expensive it is to maintain and rebuild - anywhere from $500,000 to $1.5 million per 11’ lane-mile, depending on if the street is asphalt or concrete, sidewalk widths, and other features.

The household or lot’s share of the replacement cost is impacted by the number of properties fronting the street. The greater the lot width (70’ in this example) the fewer lots on the street, resulting in a higher share of the street cost per lot. Smaller lot widths (50’ in this example) mean more lots can be created on the same length of street, spreading the cost among more lots, which reduces each lot’s share.

Building Coverage and Height

Taxable value can also be increased, based on the building configuration on each lot. Put simply, the closer the size of a building to the size of a lot, the more taxable value is generated. This can be accomplished through multi-story or even single-story building. Requirements for parking and open space can limit the buildable area for a site, so it’s important to explore alternatives. This can include regulations that make possible shared parking, stormwater management (regional detention), and parks and open space so an optimal balance between land usage, revenues, and costs can be reached.

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THESE BLOCKS HAVE IDENTICAL

SIDEWALKS CURBS WATER SEWER STORMWATER TREES

UTILITIES STREETS TRAFFIC LIGHTS STREET LIGHTS BLOCK SIZE

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COST BURDEN SHARED BY 9 HOUSEHOLDS 11.1% OF TOTAL PER HOUSEHOLD

39% LESS EXPENSIVE PER HOUSEHOLD

COST BURDEN SHARED BY 2 HOUSEHOLDS 50% OF TOTAL PER HOUSEHOLD

Intensity of Development

The intensity of a development pattern has a major influence on the city's ability to cover its costs. In the pair of graphics above, Kronberg Urbanists + Architects illustrate how two similar blocks will have the same infrastructure costs associated with them. Both will need access to power, water, and wastewater infrastructure. But one block spreads the cost of that infrastructure over two properties, and the other across many more. This translates to a wildly different tax burden for the residents of the lower block vs. those on the upper block.

Housing types, like Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and duplexes (two housing units within the same building) have the added benefit of creating a revenue stream for an owner who lives on the property. This makes it feasible for them to age in place, or to live in the place they choose without suffering quality of life problems as they reach a more senior age.

It's common for residents to believe that development like you see above, with more housing units close together, results in a crowded and unpleasant neighborhood. This scale illustration shows that a higher intensity of development can feel just like the streets that many of us grew up on, as long as the building form is scaled to the humans that inhabit it.

CREATING A FISCALLY INFORMED PLAN

Four Points to Consider

This document is intended to be a plan for the future of Killeen that is directly informed by and adapted to the fiscal realities of the community. Intentionally guiding development and redevelopment into already developed areas of the city and in productive patterns can increase revenues, reduce service costs, and close the city’s resource gaps over time. To recommend strategies that ensure a resilient future for Killeen there are a number of questions to consider:

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How are the current development patterns in Killeen performing?

A baseline or starting point is created by doing the math to map and communicate how land uses, zoning, and development patterns in place are performing.

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What are the land use and infrastructure policies Killeen needs to adopt that will support a fiscally productive and resilient pattern?

This is critical. In many places across the country the patterns that are most fiscally productive for a city are not allowed under the current code and design standards. Refining these policies to make it possible to build in a more productive way is one of the things to be explored in this Comprehensive Plan.

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What changes to the development pattern will increase the value per acre?

The fiscal analysis identifies the city’s highest and lowest value-producing properties. The characteristics of these patterns can be examined and understood. Then, they can be repeated in other locations around the city to increase the value per acre and maximize the return on public investments.

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Who, locally, is needed to collaborate with to build infill and small projects?

Historically, local development happened with local developers. Over the past 60 to 80 years, most development has been taken over by always-growing multi-regional and national development firms. For Killeen to thrive and sustain itself, the city needs to seek out the locals willing to build one building, one parcel, or one block at a time. Then, they must connect them to the resources necessary for success.

Land Use Fiscal Analysis, and Why it’s Important

In order to align development, services, and revenues, cities need a common language to discuss common problems and find common solutions. Land Use Fiscal Analysis is a powerful tool that can help frame discussions and inform decisions about land use, development, infrastructure, and budgeting. Land Use Fiscal Analysis is a lot-by-lot analysis of property taxes. It looks at both the levy (the amount of taxes paid per lot) and the revenue (the income the city receives of those taxes). The analysis uses property tax revenue per acre (the profit per acre) and net revenue per acre (the profit per acre once costs are subtracted) for each lot. Then, a map is created to show the fiscal productivity of every property in the city. By figuring and mapping revenues and costs this way, we are able to see how land uses and development patterns perform. The analysis also shows which parcels generate enough property tax revenue to cover the costs of service, and which parcels cost more to serve than they generate in revenue. When parcels do not create enough revenue to cover the costs, it requires other parts of the city and other revenue sources to make up the difference.

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Measuring the Value of Development Patterns

Not all kinds of development yield the same returns on investment. Our most financially productive places tend to be clustered around older downtown developments and walkable neighborhoods. Repeated studies across the country show that street-fronting businesses on small lots in compact, walkable areas—such as those along Main Street—tend to be vastly more productive per acre than the more suburban, auto-oriented sites that have larger lots and dedicated parking areas. The infrastructure costs associated with this Main Street-style development are much lower. Additionally, buildings can easily adapt for different uses. Contrast this with the big-box-and-strip-mall approach, which eats up valuable land and requires significantly more infrastructure. Notably, it is also particularly difficult to reuse.

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KILLEEN’S LAND USE FISCAL ANALYSIS

Our Development Pattern; Yesterday & Today

Killeen’s original development occurred in what is now the northern part of the city - in the downtown and adjacent neighborhoods. The city has expanded to the east and south over time, initially in the traditional grid style and then more recently in the auto-centric, suburban style. At it’s density peak in 1964 to today, Killeen’s city limits have expanded from 4.9 square miles to 55.5 square miles. During this same period, the city’s population density decreased from 7.41 residents/acre to 4.31 residents/acre .

The majority of residential and commercial development built in recent years has occurred in development of vacant land on the southern part of the city. Although vacant and underperforming lots exist in older parts of the city, there has been little interest from the development community in improving these places. Additionally, population has not grown at a rate fast enough to both fill the additional new development and to maintain existing areas. This has resulted in people and commercial demand shifting away from the northern part of the city.

COMPARING EXPANSION AND POPULATION

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ANNEXATIONS OVER TIME

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130 Years of Change

The City of Killeen was first established as a city of 70 blocks. It quickly grew thanks to the military base being in close proximity. About 12 percent of the existing housing today was built before 1970. Almost half (48.1 percent) of today’s housing was built between 1970 and 2000. The developments that occurred before 2000 were in the north side of the city. Almost 40 percent of today’s housing was built after 2000 with a trend of spreading to the south. It is expected that a large majority of Killeen is needing reinvestment due to the aging infrastructure.

As housing was developed through the twentieth century, a transition occurred from a walkable core in the north side of Killeen near the downtown to more auto-centric suburban subdivisions. Fort Hood’s close proximity made Killeen the natural choice for providing military personnel housing. Relative to the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), Killeen’s population includes almost seven percent more veterans than the region (28.3 percent). Only 44 percent of housing in Killeen is owner-occupied.

To keep up with the demand of housing, development spurred to the south of Killeen. As housing was developed, commercial development followed closely behind it. With all the focus on development growing south, the demand for housing and commercial from the north part of the city has been pulled away.

NOTE

From 1960 to 2020, the city's footprint expanded by 1,126%, increasing the amount of infrastructure to be maintained and the amount of people and neighborhoods requiring service. During this same period, the city's population has not kept pace, increasing by only 655%. So while the city has taken on a broader service area and increased liabilities, the cost burden per household has increased significantly due to the reduced population density.

Current Budget

In the City’s Fiscal Year 2021 budget, general fund expenditures are budgeted to total $97,458,465, which is up from FY20 projected expenditures of $90,641,203. Property taxes are the largest source of revenue for the City (37%). The FY21 budget includes an 8.7% increase in property tax revenue, which is primarily due to new construction and increased value. Sales tax revenue is projected remain flat with FY20 revenue, primarily due to the shift in retail patterns, and continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

GENERAL FUND REVENUE SOURCES

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GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE DESTINATIONS

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Property Tax Revenue

While property taxes make up the largest portion of Killeen’s general fund, this amount is much lower in both amount and percentage than other similar communities.

Impact of Exemptions

Killeen’s property tax revenue is impacted by several exemptions, namely disabled veterans (57% of the total) and public and religious properties (39%). While exemptions for public and religious properties have stayed relatively flat, the amount of veteran exemptions have been steadily increasing due to rapid construction and sale of new homes to disabled veterans and their families.

Based on the estimated 2022 tax rolls, total veterans tax exemptions have grown to about 19%, or $8.5 million of Killeen’s taxable property. The state of Texas reimburses the city by about $3 million every year, resulting in a net revenue loss of about $5.5 million per year. Additionally, the annual increase in exemptions has exceeded the amount of new taxable value every year for the last three years, and is projected to exceed it by more than $100M in FY23.

“The tax exemption program offers support for veterans, but it adds a deal of stress on cities with high veteran populations adjacent to military installations. We’re asked to serve a population of 150,000 people, with the tax revenue of only 90,000 people,”

–Mayor Pro Tem and veteran Ken Wilkerson.

TAX EXEMPTIONS GEOGRAPHICALLY

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ABOVE: A MAP ILLUSTRATING PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS ACROSS THE CITY OF KILLEEN.

LEFT: SINCE 2010 THE TOTAL VALUE OF DISABLED VETERAN EXEMPTIONS IN KILLEEN HAS GROWN RAPIDLY.

DISABLED VETERAN EXEMPTION VALUES

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Unfunded Liabilities & Resource Gaps

The costs to provide basic public services to residents increases over time as a city expands its service area and adds people. The city’s past decisions to extend its service area and infrastructure to the south without establishing the population density to support it have diluted service levels and infrastructure condition because there is not sufficient revenue to cover these costs. In order to be fiscally sustainable long-term and maintain or improve service levels, the city will need to generate additional revenue to cover the costs of what is realistically required to do so. This can be done through raising the property tax rate and adding fees such as a street fee, but it can also be done by adjusting the city’s growth and development approach to prioritize infill and incorporate higher value producing development patterns.

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Legend

Deferred Maintenance and Street Replacement Costs

The city has roughly 1,636 lane-miles of street today. Using a lean replacement cost of $500,000 per 11’ lane-mile, it would require over $818 million to replace the existing streets when they reach the end of their life cycle. Averaged over 20 years, this would require the city to be saving or spending an average of $40.9M per year on street reconstruction, $35.7M per year more than what the city currently allocates to street maintenance from its General Fund. Street costs for more recent projects have exceeded $1 million per lane-mile. If this higher value is used, the city’s street liabilities could exceed $1.64 billion total or $81 million per year, which is almost as much as the city’s entire general fund budget ($87M). If you incorporate Capital Improvement Program (CIP) dollars into this, it partially reduces this gap, but not nearly enough to get the city to a break-even point. As additional development is built, the amount of streets to maintain and replace in the future will continue to increase.

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ROAD QUALITY AND REPLACEMENT COSTS

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Baseline Land Use Fiscal Analysis

An in-depth analysis of the fiscal productivity of Killeen’s development pattern and service model was performed as part of the comprehensive planning process. A parcel-level analysis of the property taxes and general fund service costs for the various land uses and development patterns in Killeen provides a glimpse into which perform better than others in terms of their ability to generate sufficient property tax revenue to cover their share of service costs, including long-term roadway maintenance. The analysis used the metrics of property tax revenue per acre and net revenue per acre to map the net fiscal productivity (revenue minus each parcel’s proportionate share of service costs) of all parcels in the city.

Three levels of analysis were completed to understand the fiscal performance of development today and when costs for future infrastructure replacement are considered. Each of those levels are explained on this and the following five pages.

Certain development patterns will hold their value and remain positive, even with the additional cost burden, while others will decrease significantly. The following pages provide the maps and additional detail on each level of the analysis, followed by a summary of key takeaways from the analysis. Results of this baseline modeling and context from other cities was then used to project how different future development scenarios would perform financially and inform the final growth scenario, recommendations, and action plan.

Property Tax Revenue Targets*

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Level 1 Analysis

PROPERTY TAX REVENUE PER ACRE

The first level of the analysis process involves mapping the revenue side of the fiscal equation. Property data and property tax levy amounts were pulled directly from the County Appraisal District database files for the 2019 certified tax rolls. Levy amounts were verified with the city budget and then the appraised value, assessed value, and actual levy paid after exemptions were mapped to the parcel level. Exempt parcels such as city owned properties, churches, and other tax exempt areas such as street rights-of-way were removed from the analysis.

The map on the adjacent page illustrates the property tax levy per acre for parcels in Killeen, ranging from $0/acre up to a maximum of $36k/acre. Three reference points are important when reviewing this map. First, the current general fund per acre from property tax in the city in 2020 was $1,440/acre. In order to cover roughly half of the city’s current (budgeted) general fund costs and replacement of existing streets with property tax revenue, the city needs to have an average levy per acre value of approximately $3,350 per acre, or roughly double what it’s currently getting. 38% of the city’s parcels and 69% of the city’s land area are under this value. Finally, should the city continue to build out in a pattern similar to what’s been built so far, the average levy per acre value would need to be over $5,000 per acre to cover half of the projected general fund service costs and street replacement costs. Just 38% of the city’s parcels and 17% of the city’s land area currently exceed this value.

*THESE VALUES DO NOT FACTOR IN STREET FEE REVENUE OR PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF STREETS.

Revenue Per Acre $ 0 - $ 1,000 $ 1,001 - $ 2,000 $ 2,001 - $ 3,000 $ 3,001 - $ 4,000 $ 4,001 - $ 5,000 $ 5,001 - $ 6,000 $ 6,001 - $ 7,000 $ 7,001 - $ 35,943

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Level 2 Analysis

NET VALUE PER ACRE WITH CURRENT BUDGET EXPENDITURES

The revenue per acre mapping alone does not tell the full story. In order to understand the fiscal impacts of different development patterns, costs for services and infrastructure must also be taken into account. The first level of cost analysis focuses on allocating general fund service costs from the current year’s budget to the parcels. First, the amount of general fund costs being covered by property tax (42%) was allocated to the parcels. Developed properties were assumed to carry 80% of these costs, while undeveloped properties carried 20%. These amounts were then allocated to individual parcels based on proportionate area.

Only costs covered from the general fund and property taxes were considered in this analysis. Costs for water and wastewater infrastructure were not factored in, as those are typically funded through a separate enterprise fund tied to utility rates. It’s important to note that utilities tend to follow the same trend as streets in that cities do not have sufficient revenue to maintain and replace utility infrastructure at current funding levels.

This generates a “red/green” or “profit/loss” map that illuminates which parcels generate surplus revenue based on current budget costs, and which ones cost more to serve than they generate in tax revenue.

The map on the adjacent page shows the net value per acre for each parcel when you take the revenue it generates and subtract the costs as calculated above. Any parcels showing in green on this map are generating a surplus amount to cover current conditions, while those in the red cost more to serve than they generate in property tax. This map and the supporting data and analysis behind it demonstrate that under the current budget and tax rate structure, while there are some development patterns and properties in the city that do generate a surplus, the majority of the city is not generating enough revenue overall to pay for the future replacement of streets and other infrastructure. This is the “resource gap” that future development strategies must work to close if the city hopes to avoid significant tax increases or substandard infrastructure in the future.

Net Revenue Per Acre ■ $ -2,500 - $ 0 ■ $ 1 - $ 1,000 ■ $ 1,001 - $ 2,000 ■ $ 2,001 - $ 3,000 ■ $ 3,001 - $ 4,000 ■ $ 4,001 - $ 5,000 ■ $ 5,001 - $ 6,000

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Introduction – Killeen’s Land Use Fiscal Analysis | 51

Level 3 Analysis

NET VALUE PER ACRE WITH PROJECTED MAINTENANCE NEEDS

The third and final step in the baseline analysis projects what additional revenue the city would need to replace existing streets when they reach the end of their life cycle. Typically cities budget an annual amount for preventative maintenance and fund a few capital improvement (CIP) projects through bond programs every 3-5 years. The city recently introduced a street fee to collect additional funds as well, but even these two combined sources do not cover the full amount needed. While these costs are often out in the future, having a plan to reserve and build up funds annually will ensure the funding is there when it’s needed.

The additional amount it would take for the city to replace all of the existing streets with asphalt pavement was estimated as roughly $818 million over 25 years (concrete pavement would be roughly double this amount and duration, or $1.6 billion over 50 years). A straight average was calculated to estimate the annual saving/spending required, which came out to $41 million per year. These additional costs were allocated to each parcel based on a similar proportionality process. This second version of the “red/green” map shows how different parcels and development patterns perform fiscally when considering the true infrastructure burden and assuming these costs are covered from property tax revenue.

It’s important to note that this step only accounts for replacement of existing streets, and assumes that the city does not build or take on (from new development) any additional pavement, either through widening of existing roads or adding new ones.

Fiscal Baseline Takeaway

The fiscal analysis for Killeen is a bit misleading at first glance. Many of the highest performing properties are hotels and regional commercial type sites along the highway that, while they do show up as positive, they do not have the potential for higher margins that other, more compact patterns of residential and commercial development show in cities that have properly invested in that pattern. Additionally, much of the downtown and traditional style neighborhoods on the north side that have the gridded, small lot framework that typically performs the best in other cities don’t do very well in this case. Killeen is a bit unique in that such extensive disinvestment has taken place in its historic core that property values in downtown and adjacent neighborhoods have fallen so low that they don’t provide the high value/acre and fiscal benefit that many communities generally see.

This presents an incredible opportunity to generate significant additional property tax revenue to the city with effectively zero new liabilities. Every lot that redevelops downtown is a net positive to the city budget even at the lowest scale of development, because the infrastructure costs in downtown are fixed. This area of the city is already served with public safety, trash collection, and other city services, and have existing infrastructure in place. Development of any kind is a net benefit in these areas. The fastest way to close Killeen’s resource gap is to prioritize infill, revitalization, and redevelopment in Downtown and north Killeen neighborhoods.

The fastest way to close the resource gap in Killeen is to focus on infill development, revitalization, and to make redevelopment in North Killeen a top priority today.

Moreover, in many parts of the city that have a more traditional suburban model of development there are easily achievable opportunities to increase the productivity of these places. Allowing for more diverse housing, such as duplexes and backyard ADUs (see page 100) would provide a major increase in tax revenue while also increasing the number of available housing units, which in turn serves to help the city remain as an affordable place to live. Finally, when new greenfield development is done on the remaining vacant land, the city should encourage a mix of higher value master planned mixed use neighborhoods and large lot rural estate development, which will provide more “move-up” opportunities so those who can afford more expensive housing will have that opportunity in Killeen and not have to go to other neighboring communities.

Net Revenue Per Acre (Infra)

• $ -30,000 - $ 0
• $ 1 - $ 1,000
• $ 1,001 - $ 2,000
• $ 2,001 - $ 3,000
• $ 3,001 - $ 4,000
• $ 4,001 - $ 5,000
• $ 5,001 - $ 6,000

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Bridging the Gap

For cities to be financially resilient and affordable for years to come, city leaders must work to close the gap between their resources and their obligations to citizens. More specifically, they must find ways to generate additional revenue for rebuilding aging streets and infrastructure. Generally speaking, there are three ways in which a city can close this gap.

NOTE Most residents are not comfortable paying more or lowering their expectations for public services, so developing responsibly is the most feasible and effective option.

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Keep development patterns and service levels as-is but charge more (via higher taxes and fees) to cover the true costs. This is a difficult option because an increasing number of people do not have the means to pay much more than they currently are.

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Maintain current taxes and fees where they are, but cut services to align with revenues. This is what most cities are currently doing. Services and maintenance needs are budgeted to fit available revenue and those that are unfunded get delayed. This can work for a short period, but eventually the neighborhoods and infrastructure must be maintained. Otherwise, property values will start to decline and people and businesses will leave the city.

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Adjust development and infrastructure to enable an affordable balance of services and taxes. By prioritizing the placement of new buildings in existing neighborhoods and focusing on redevelopment of already-created buildings and lots, the city can generate additional tax base. This tax base comes from the area which utilities already serve, improving the return on investment of taxpayer dollars. This can be done without automatically raising the tax rate or charging more fees. This is the most feasible and effective option.

How Does Killeen Develop Responsibly?

The land use fiscal assessment completed for Killeen identified that the City’s average property tax revenue per acre across the city limits needs to increase from $1,440 to over $5,000. This is a large gap to close, and will require a combination of strategies to increase revenues and reduce costs over time. Ultimately the goal is to align the city’s development pattern and service model with what residents are willing and able to pay for.

This planning document has been built around the central objective of closing the city’s resource gap and improving the fiscal health and resilience of the community. The strategeies needed to accomplish this line up with three of the Organizational Components of this Plan.

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While it is difficult to model the fiscal performance of the proposed strategies and recommendations because there are so many unknowns and variables, there are some key metrics the city can and should monitor on a regular basis to evaluate progress (listed at the top of this page). Finally, the more the city prioritizes infill and limits new development to areas with existing infrastructure, the faster it can close the gap. When new development is approved, it is critical that it provide new housing options and be done in either a compact, walkable mixed use form or a large lot, rural estate pattern.

KILLEEN'S IDENTITY

Elements

The elements below represent the concepts, ideas, and discussion that came out of the public engagement process for this Comprehensive Plan. The elements are made up of three parts; Values, Assets, and Aspirations. When these items are put together, it gives a clear and meaningful picture of how the residents of Killeen see themselves and their community now, and how they wish to be in the future.

Values A shared collection of things that matter to us.

1. Diversity and inclusion

2. Safe neighborhoods

3. Sense of family

4. Service and stewardship of our community

Assets The elements we want to protect and improve.

5. Downtown and historic buildings in North Killeen

6. Our people and community organizations (churches, military, philanthropic/service organizations)

7. Fort Hood and the current and retired service members

8. Educational partners (CTC, Texas A&M Central Texas)

Aspirations What we want to be tomorrow.

9. Culture of trust and collaboration

10. Unique and vibrant downtown that is the cultural and economic heart of the community

11. Financially strong and resilient

12. Self-sustaining local economic improvement

13. Growth that benefits existing residents and businesses

Identity Statement

This statement was built by taking elements from the previous page and crafting them into a single sentence which is simple and memorable This statement strives to encompass the nature of Killeen as its citizens see it.

Throughout this plan you will see recommendations for improving Killeen. Each of those recommendations has been vetted by asking “Does this align with the identity of the community?”

NOTE The Identity Statement is the first of two elements designed to inform and guide the city of Killeen in decision making, particularly those decisions connected to growth, development, and infrastructure. The second of these elements, the Big Ideas, begin on the next page.

“We value diversity, safety, family, and service. We respect our history, citizens, military, and institutional partners – and we aspire to bring all of us together to make Killeen better incrementally, every day for everyone.”

THE BIG IDEAS

NOTE These Big Ideas, paired with the Identity statement on the last page, underpin the recommendations you will see in this document. Both of these elements were developed and prioritized based on extensive community input received throughout the planning process.

Resource stewardship and fiscally responsible growth ensure a more prosperous community for the long haul.

Stewardship at its core is a dedication to taking care of something. In this case, Killeen and its citizens have identified that stewarding their resources in the short- and long-term is a fundamental part of how they want to operate.

Broadly, the community wants to grow in a way that benefits current residents and businesses, and strengthens the community’s vibrancy and relevance over time. To do that, it will be vital to manage development of land and capital investments (such as streets, utilities, and drainage) in a manner that guarantees the city has the resources it needs to maintain these. By extension, they must also be managed so the infrastructure in and around Killeen can be replaced over time. In simple terms, this means the city must seek out land development that provides a better return on investment and align the services they provide with what the community is willing to pay for.

Resources are not only financial. Killeen is committed to protecting and preserving its natural resources. Ensuring that the community has access to clean air, plentiful water, green spaces, and a sustainable source of energy will make the community more resilient now and in the future.

1,636 total lane miles of roads the City of Killeen is responsible for

$87M total City budget FY 2021

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It is our shared responsibility to establish a positive culture and environment that people want to be a part of.

For a community to feel heard and understood by its municipal leaders, communication must be clear, consistent, and include a back-and-forth dialogue. Residents want the city to have transparent protocols that create meaningful discussion that informs decisions and enables transparency. This is a big job. To meet the residents where they are, the city must create a supportive environment that actively promotes engagement between municipal staff and residents. Doing so will empower citizens, local businesses, and community partners to invest their time, talent, and resources. By doing so they can improve their own neighborhoods, as well as the community.

Many in the city feel that Killeen hasn’t established an identity worth sharing. Residents feel apathy from the community toward portions of the city that need reinvestment. Residents feel that apathy starts at the top, with city leadership. Meaningful improvements can be made with renewed efforts. These efforts must include the improvements to, and enforcement of existing codes to keep property from falling into disrepair, as well as reinvesting into the physical improvements.

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4 community events in 2022 so far

A truly ‘local’ business ecosystem is self-sustaining.

It is clear that Killeen has a solid foundation of locals who wish to start or expand their business. There is also interest from larger employers who see Killeen and its residents as a valuable resource. Fostering and supporting both of these groups is a winning proposition. The city has the means to make itself a place that attracts talented people, and businesses follow talent.

The city is fortunate to have educational resources in Central Texas College and Texas A&M Central Texas. The relationship between these organizations, the City, and KISD is vital to maintain and strengthen. This ensures that local employers, small and large alike, have a skilled workforce to draw from.

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3,249 businesses in Killeen

123 miles of streets without adequate sidewalks

16 deaths on Killeen roads in 2021

Everyone deserves access to a safe, affordable, and efficient mobility system that allows them to move freely and easily throughout their community. 4

To most, the single most important element in a transportation network is how safe it is. In other words, a collection of streets may get you where you need to go. Those streets may be rarely congested, and they may be easy to understand and follow. However, that network still fails if users are at risk when using it. Members of Killeen feel strongly that every resident (of every age group) deserves access to a system of mobility that is safe.

Today, Killeen’s transportation planning is focused on building large new roads that prioritize cars over people. This makes the entire network less safe, less efficient and expensive. A better alternative is a network that is truly multimodal, which means that it allows everyone to make trips by whatever mode of travel they prefer. While one resident may prefer walking, another may prefer driving. Others may opt for biking or public transit. This approach treats safety as the most important factor, and the result is healthy and equitable.

Improving the network does not have to mean expensive projects to widen roads. Low-cost tactical improvements to connect walkable features can provide better access to many, while thoughtful striping and road furniture can turn a high-speed corridor into a pleasant, wealth-generating street where people feel safe.

AN EXAMPLE OF A COMPLETE STREET

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61,886 total dwelling units

40,780 parcels more than 1/4 mile from a park

Neighborhoods, not subdivisions, make great places for everyone.

Over the past 80 years, development across the country has sprawled farther and farther from the neighborhoods that serve as basic building blocks of a city. Increasingly, land is transformed into large swaths of single-use developments that move people farther from the places they visit, work, and enjoy. The same is true in Killeen, where members of the community have said they are no longer willing to accept this style of development.

Neighborhoods are flexible places with a mixture of housing and services that provide value directly to the people who reside there. In new and existing neighborhoods, housing is needed to serve veterans and young professionals, families and retirees alike. Connections between centers of activity need to work for those with (and without) cars. Public spaces must be connected and improved to serve those with and without disabilities.

Killeen has clearly expressed a desire to celebrate its diversity and generate inclusivity – building neighborhoods, not subdivisions, is a physical demonstration of this commitment.

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Vibrant downtowns are valuable places. 6

Killeen’s most underutilized and undervalued asset is, without question, its downtown. It was clear throughout the engagement process that large numbers of citizens view downtown as a “failed” part of the city, known more for crumbling buildings and crime than as an engine for economic growth. Yet, that is exactly what the Fiscal Analysis has uncovered. Downtown has the infrastructure, form, and scale that is ripe for low-cost revitalization. For this idea to hold, there are a number of things that the city must do – none of which are difficult.

Establishing this part of town as the cultural and economic heartbeat of the community is as much about cheerleading as it is about policy. Making use of the ample public space in downtown and programming activities require little effort and overhead. Moreover, small business owners and entrepreneurs can directly take part in this resurgence because properties downtown are small, already have access to city services, and are relatively low-cost.

These improvements will not come overnight, but allowing and championing small, organic improvements proposed by the community will set the stage for larger future investment and improvement while activating the area.

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$35M assessed value of Downtown in 2019

CONSULTANT MARK MEYER SKETCHES IDEAS ON HOW A DOWNTOWN KILLEEN BLOCK COULD BE IMPROVED TO BETTER SERVE RESIDENTS DURING A CHARRETTE ON DECEMBER 15TH, 2021

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LU RECOMMENDATIONS

Shifting the city’s development pattern is key to balancing fiscal health for the city and affordability for residents. The first steps are planning for walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods, and prioritizing infill and redevelopment for areas with existing services.

1. Use place types and complete neighborhoods as building blocks. Healthy and diverse neighborhoods can provide the pieces that Killeen needs to make the entire city a better place to live and work. Every new neighborhood that is built with a mix of uses , or an old residential subdivision which provides a more complete environment through incremental redevelopment adds to the city’s building blocks for widespread improvement.

2. Improve the fiscal productivity of development. Killeen’s current development pattern is generating more in costs than it produces in revenue. Going forward, development and infrastructure investments must be coordinated to close the city’s resource gap.

3. Encourage incremental evolution of neighborhoods Downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods are struggling to produce sufficient tax revenue to cover services, but the existing infrastructure and development pattern provide the framework to create a vibrant mixed use area that offers a full spectrum of housing, businesses, and entertainment options. Leveraging partnerships and incremental development strategies to rehab and expand existing buildings and build infill projects on vacant lots is the fastest way to improve the city’s fiscal health while also cultivating wealth for existing property owners and and local business owners.

4. Prioritize infill and revitalization in north Killeen. Catalyzing development in North Killeen where access to infrastructure is established is a simple way to generate wealth and a sense of community for the city and its residents. Working together with the economic development department, a focus should be showing the community how this area can be improved and its value to entrepreneurs and local businesses.

5. Preserve and enhance natural areas. Unique habitats, floodplains, and other natural resources are critical to the region’s ecological and environmental health. Development policies should seek to preserve, enhance, and recover these valuable assets in a manner that balances both function and placemaking.

LAND USE & GROWTH MANAGEMENT

LU&GM SNAPSHOT

Working Toward Sustainable, Inclusive Growth

Land is the most valuable resource a city has. When land is developed, it is often done with current conditions and immediate benefits in mind, such as additional rooftops, businesses, and the tax base that comes with them. However, what is built also has lasting impacts on the community. Housing mix and affordability, pedestrian safety and walkability, infrastructure condition, water quality and supply, and the financial health and resilience of the city are all examples of things that are impacted by development decisions over time. Therefore, decisions about where and how development occurs must look at both short- and long-term implications.

The Land Use and Growth Management component of this plan provides the framework for guiding decisions and setting policy about what will be built, where, and when so the City can capitalize on near term opportunities while also ensuring long-term sustainability and affordability.

Recent Population Growth

AGE OF STRUCTURES

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39% OF BUILDINGS IN KILLEEN WERE BUILT IN THE YEAR 2000 OR LATER. THIS IS A MASSIVE NUMBER AND IT ILLUSTRATES HOW MUCH INFRASTRUCTURE LIABILITIES CAN BE TEMPORALLY HIDDEN. SIGNIFICANT MAINTENANCE COSTS FOR MUCH OF THIS WILL NOT BECOME APPARENT FOR A MINIMUM OF TWO DECADES

Current Use Makeup

By a wide margin, the majority of Killeen’s land area is used for residential development. While the total commercial area is generally adequate in proportion to the residential, it is almost totally separated geographically from residential uses. This means an automobile is required to access them. Single-family housing accounts for a massively disproportionate amount of total housing stock. This means that people looking to purchase a house in Killeen have only a few options of housing types.

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OTHER TYPES OF HOUSING INCLUDE 2, 3, AND 4 UNIT HOMES THAT ARE SCALED TO A NEIGHBORHOOD, AS WELL AS LARGER APARTMENT COMPLEXES.

Zoning

A city’s zoning code controls the types of land uses allowed within a certain area of a city. The zoning map shows what type of development is allowed on every parcel in the city, and the accompanying regulations outline parameters such as permitted uses, setbacks, building coverage, building heights, and parking. Killeen currently has a total of 25 active zoning districts and 2 overlays. This total includes fourteen residential districts, nine commercial districts, and two industrial districts. It also includes additional districts for specialized uses like universities and cemeteries.

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LU SNAPSHOT

Where Does it Make Sense to Grow?

A common approach in communities in recent years has been to expand city limits and extend street and utility infrastructure to vacant land to spur growth. However, this approach is also one of the primary causes of fiscal gaps in cities. When cities extend infrastructure, the infrastructure’s life cycle begins the day the construction is finished. The longer it takes to develop the property served by the infrastructure, the more critical it becomes for the development that is built to produce higher taxable value so that the city has revenue to pay for maintenance and replacement of the infrastructure when it reaches the end of its life cycle.

Killeen has already built infrastructure stretching outward to the vast majority of its city limits. The focus now should be on infill development of vacant and underdeveloped lots to generate additional tax revenue in areas the city is already paying to serve. Additionally, any remaining new development should be designed and phased in a way to maximize value productivity of development and minimize the time it takes to build development after infrastructure is put in.

97%

of parcels in Killeen already have adequate access to city services

THESE TWO NUMBERS REPRESENT A LARGE DISPARITY IN DEVELOPMENT INTENSITY NEEDED TO MAINTAIN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INDEFINITELY. WHILE MUCH OF KILLEEN HAS ACCESS TO CITY SERVICES, A LARGE AMOUNT OF LAND ON MANY PARCELS IS SIMPLY NOT UTILIZED.

14%

of land area in Killeen that is currently vacant

VACANT AND UNDERDEVELOPED PROPERTIES PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD PEOPLE, BUSINESSES, AND TAX BASE TO THE CITY WITHOUT ADDING SERVICE AND INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS.

DEVELOPED & UNDEVELOPED LAND

Legend

DEVELOPED

UNDEVELOPED

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SERVED & UNSERVED LAND

Legend

SERVED

UNSERVED

THIS MAP MEASURES PARCELS THAT ARE SERVED BY CITY WATER AND WASTEWATER. IF A PARCEL IS WITHIN 200 FEET OF A SERVICE LINE, IT IS CONSIDERED SERVED.

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BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED, 2020

IT IS CLEAR ON THIS HEATMAP OF BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED IN 2020 THAT THE MAJORITY OF NEW BUILDING IS HAPPENING ON THE EDGES OF KILLEEN. HIGHER DENSITIES OF PERMITS ARE DARKER, AND TRANSITION TO PURPLE AS THE DENSITY BECOMES HIGHEST. THIS IS LARGELY HAPPENING IN NEW ENTRY-LEVEL SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS.

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What Will Killeen’s Current Value Cover?

The maps on pages 49, 51, and 53 show revenue per acre calculations of individual parcels citywide. The vast majority of the city’s parcels are not producing enough value to account for the infrastructure maintenance needs of today. To meet today’s needs parcels need to generate $5000/acre. To meet the sustainable level that covers maintenance of future infrastructure needs, parcels need to generate $7000/acre. Only 1% of parcels are doing that today. This makes clear the urgency of creating a new approach to development patterns in Killeen. Without it, future infrastructure needs will be delayed and the city will not be able to maintain it. Killeen is unique in that its most high value parcels are often along the highway, and are generally single-use commercial spaces. The core of Killeen, which should be subsidizing lower-value suburban development is not performing as well as it can. There is a great deal of potential for increases in value per acre across North Killeen.

IN THE REVENUE PER ACRE MAP BELOW WE CAN SEE THAT DOWNTOWN KILLEEN HAS ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF LOTS THAT ARE PRODUCING THE $7000/ACRE OF VALUE NEEDED TO COVER FUTURE INFRASTRUCTURE COSTS. IN MOST COMMUNITIES, AREAS LIKE DOWNTOWN ARE THE HIGHEST VALUE AREAS OF LAND. GIVEN A COMPLETE NETWORK OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN DOWNTOWN KILLEEN MODEST INVESTMENT IN THIS AREA COULD REAP MASSIVE TAX BENEFITS TO THE CITY, AND HELP SUBSIDIZE LESS PRODUCTIVE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS ELSEWHERE.

Revenue Per Acre

• $ 0 - $ 1,000
• $ 1,001 - $ 2,000
• $ 2,001 - $ 3,000
• $ 3,001 - $ 4,000
• $ 4,001 - $ 5,000
• $ 5,001 - $ 6,000
• $ 6,001 - $ 7,000
• $ 7,001 - $ 35,943

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Land Use Type Productivity

Below, the graphic shows that some land uses are currently more productive than others. Single-family homes, for example, appear to generate revenue when accommodating for the current budgeted amount of maintenance costs for streets. When taking into account the needs for future maintenance, only multi-family and two-family properties generate enough revenue. Planning for the future means creating more opportunities for these productive land uses, while using design standards to make single-family homes more productive than in their current layouts and lot sizes and make multi-family options more attractive.

REVENUE GENERATED BY LAND USE TYPE

NET REVENUE PER ACRE, FACTORING IN THE CURRENT BUDGET

NET REVENUE PER ACRE, FACTORING IN REAL STREET COSTS

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LU BARRIERS TO SUCCESS

Achieving the Desired Future

The recommendations at the beginning of this Land Use & Growth Management component are of major importance. (These are also echoed in Big Ideas, and the concept of Fiscal Stewardship from Chapter 1). The items below are the most pressing barriers to achieving success with Killeen’s stated Big Ideas.

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Complex Euclidean Zoning and Separation of Uses

Killeen’s zoning ordinance is based on the Euclidean model where uses are geographically separated, which almost invariably means that an automobile is necessary when getting from home to another use. This has led to horizontal expansion that saps value from the community.

This creates a litany of trickle-down effects, such as inflated housing costs and weakening health outcomes for residents across a large array of demographics.

Moreover, Killeen’s existing zoning ordinance includes a large number of very narrowly defined districts that separate different kinds of housing into even smaller buckets that become harder and harder to mix. An overly complex ordinance is difficult to administer and requires interpretation and explanation. This means resources are more heavily taxed in the planning, engineering, and permitting departments than are needed to produce a safe, pleasant, and fiscally responsible development pattern.

An Outdated Regulatory Framework

While there has been a major push to improve architectural standards in the city and interim standards have been adopted to improve the character and quality of the residential development there remains more work to do. Blocks of buildings that have no identity or visual interest, and largely look the same are not a healthy addition to our community. There is also a disparity between the rules for commercial and residential development. Currently commercial development standards have a much lower focus than that of residential.

A lack of standards that focus on unique and attractive architecture holds Killeen back from seeing the kinds of construction that make community members take pride in their city and their neighborhoods. Current codes often seem overwhelming to property owners, discouraging them from making improvements to their properties. Over time, this negatively impacts both the market in Killeen and the community pride within it.

Inexpensively Built Suburban Housing

There is a general assumption in much of the development community that to provide for the needs of service members, the construction of “affordable” single-family homes are the only option. This, stated plainly, is false.

As prices continue to rise for new housing, this type will become increasingly unattainable. Clinging to the idea that refining the suburban single-family home is the solution is a losing proposition. A lack of diversity of housing types has created an artificial market offering a single lifestyle: auto-oriented, and suburban.

Housing is also related to economic development. When companies consider relocation or expansion they look at a much broader set of factors than incentives. Today, businesses look to where their employees might live, school quality, and the culture of a community at large.

The housing mono-culture can signal to prospective businesses that a single type of employee is available. And for a community as diverse as Killeen, this is a tragic missed opportunity.

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Lack of Fiscal Analysis for Proposed Developments

Currently when new development is presented to the city, there is no mechanism that provides an objective assessment of that project's long-term value to the community. And as discussed in Chapter 1 this means that the costs associated with long-term maintenance are largely forgotten about for a couple of decades at least.

Without fiscal analysis, staff, management, and the Council are deprived of a complete and honest picture of a project and hindered in their ability to determine what will fit with the City's finances today and in the future.

Limited Property Tax Revenues

27.7% of Killeen's population is veterans who receive property tax exemptions. Similar to disability exemptions, veteran exemptions reduce the amount of assessed property values resulting in a lower tax revenue.

Veterans are eligible for up to 100% exemption meaning that the City receives little or no revenue from these properties, and that those city costs for services and maintenance of infrastructure are subsidized by the remainder of Killeen's population.

Notably, this is a barrier to success about which there is very little the city itself can do to overcome. What it means, though, is that overcoming the other barriers on these pages is even more important.

Frequent Land Use Map Amendments

Having land use categories and associated maps that are too specific means that revisions must be made more frequently to keep the map accurate. Not only does the process of considering and incorporating land use amendments consume valuable time and staff resources, but it also sets a precedent that the future land use map can be easily amended if a land owner or developer wants to change something for their interests - ignoring the community needs and goals. Amendments to the Future Land Use Plan should be rare and carefully considered.

An effective Future Land Use Map (FLUM) will have broad categories that reflect the context and character of development the community desires, but still allow flexibility for staff and current council members to approve or deny incoming development requests based on zoning without having to amend the FLUM.

LU PLACE TYPES

Introducing Place Types

Separation of land uses (residential, commercial, industrial) was viewed as a necessary step in improving quality of life in the wake of the industrial revolution. It was codified as zoning laws became the norm during our move to an automobile-centric world, and it remains a common practice today. Some of the primary concerns with this approach, called Euclidean zoning, are that it limits the flexibility for buildings and neighborhoods to evolve over time as the market changes, and that it requires large amounts of roads, water and sewer infrastructure that cities struggle to maintain. It also puts extreme traffic demands on roadway systems, since getting from one use (your home) to another use (shopping) requires a car in most instances.

In recent years, there has been an increase in demand for “complete” neighborhoods where a variety of residential types, office and retail are all integrated together. This change has been driven by the changing demographics and social behaviors, but also because these types of development are more fiscally productive, flexible and resilient. These are commonly proposed as mixed-use zoning districts and planned developments (PDs), and form-based codes are sometimes used to guide development or redevelopment of specific areas.

By replacing land use categories with “Place Types,” the city can introduce some of the basic character concepts typically covered by zoning. This gives the city the ability to control the amount of different types of residential, retail, commercial and other uses, but also provides developers and existing land owners with much greater flexibility to make improvements to their property as the market dictates. Additionally, Place Types can preserve the look and density in different neighborhoods (rural vs. suburban vs. urban/mixed use), while also giving the city flexibility to accommodate additional population in the higher-density Place Types in the future if the demand or need is there.

The place types themselves compile together a number of elements which are described in detail throughout document. The building typologies listed in the bar on the lefthand side of each page are explained in detail in the Neighborhood Building section on pages 100-105, Park Types are described on pages 106-109, and Street Types are described on pages 127-130.

HOW PLACE TYPE INTEGRATES WITH ZONING

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• subject to options outlined in zoning code & the Local Government Code

Rural Estate

This place type is characterized by large lots with single-family homes in rural settings away from the city center as well as public services. This type of development leaves ample amount of surrounding open space, and should involve minimal infrastructure investment.

Parking and public space concerns are low as most lots have enough of both to suit their users, but opportunities for natural preserves should be explored when possible.

Though this place type will almost exclusively be single family homes, it is to be expected that home based businesses may thrive in this environment.

It is imperative to understand that development using this place type must accommodate for a lower level of service to guarantee fiscal productivity for the city. Large single-family lots with city maintained roads, and the ongoing maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure simply do not produce enough value to cover their own expenses. If rural development occurs is should only be done with limited or no access to city services, and preferably with privately maintained roads.

Residential Mix

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This place type creates neighborhoods built with a traditional walkable block/street grid network that allows a flexible mix of residential building typologies. Aside from large multiplex garden apartments, most housing types should be allowed here.

Commercial uses need to be context sensitive. This means that small or pop-up facilities, or a residential home near a street corner converting to neighborhood-scale commercial use are generally acceptable. Stacked or horizontal live-work arrangements that are residentially scaled would also be well-suited to this place type.

Neighborhood-scale commercial should be allowed along avenues and higher intensity roadways. Auto-first strip centers would be out of scale with this place type. A key indicator of a successful Residential Mix area is if every property has access to some neighborhood scale commercial within walking distance.

Pedestrian connectivity is essential here. Parking can happen along the street or be accessed via driveway or rear-alley. Small neighborhood parks are appropriate in this place type.

Traditional Neighborhood

A traditional neighborhood recreates the pre-suburban development pattern with smaller lots, smaller setbacks, shorter blocks, diverse housing typologies and a mix of uses. This mixing of activities and uses allows the area to adapt and change over time to suit the needs of its inhabitants.

Though it is not required for uses to always be mixed within the same building, it is important to note that large single use developments (such as large multiplex apartments or retail centers with large land area devoted to parking) do not suit traditional neighborhoods.

Similar uses that are pedestrian in nature can work when parking does not replace people. Mixed-use neighborhoods are places where residents can live, shop, work, and gather and access all of these activities largely on foot. Because this place type often is adjacent to the Residential Mix place type, buildings should be generally limited to three stories, though four is acceptable along avenues and higher intensity roadways.

Urban Village

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An urban village is intended to be a bustling center of activity with active streets and a focus on people walking and cycling. Filled with high-yield development, it is also one of the most fiscally resilient place types and in the right proportion can subsidize low-value development patterns.

Streets are narrow with on-street parking making the streetscape comfortable for people who inhabit and patronize the homes and businesses here. When uses which require large amounts of parking are built, parking is hidden with continuous building frontage. Commercial uses on the ground floor should have a higher proportion of glazing to create a more interesting interface between the public and private realm. Most commercial uses make sense in this area as long as the building form treats pedestrians as their principal user.

It is important to remember that vertical mixing of uses is not necessary to make a great urban village. What is imperative is a walkable urban form where buildings are close to the street, and pedestrians take precedence over automobiles.

Neighborhood Commercial

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Neighborhood Commercial is a predominantly commercial extension of a traditional neighborhood. These places generally grow along with a neighborhood and need to be allowed to change over time to intensify as its surrounding neighborhood does. Generally speaking, these are placed along a corridor of some kind, often a higher traffic roadway that serves as the edge of a neighborhood. These areas bridge pedestrian and auto-oriented development patterns. Street parking and continuous building frontages are very important here as it creates a pleasant experience for people who traverse the area on foot. Large parking lots which separate the building from the street would be out of scale here. If larger parking already exists here, sharing of parking should be encouraged. These areas often begin as transitional spaces, and thus higher intensity small lot residential is acceptable here as well. Public spaces can be created through good architectural practices like forecourts and pedestrian amenities in building setbacks.

Regional Commercial

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These places are first identified by their principal focus on auto-oriented traffic. Logically placed near high-traffic intersections, these spaces bring people from many surrounding neighborhoods. Typical uses will include regional businesses including but not limited to restaurants, retail, gas stations, and offices. These spaces often do not pencil out fiscally for cities. To create a more sustainable development, care should be given to make the experience for users pleasant once they exit their vehicle. The era of a mile-long linear strip center that require multiple car trips through the parking lot to get to the business a resident might want to visit has passed. These developments can sometimes be made more fiscally sustainable for the city by allowing multifamily over commercial in these spaces.

Industrial

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Industrial uses vary from the technology industry to manufacturing. The designated locations for heavier industrial uses are intended to keep them away from residential categories. These are located along roadways that have adequate capacity to serve the larger industrial vehicles. Lighter industrial uses are integrated with other commercial uses. Required parking is encouraged to be placed behind structures to keep. When uses are abutting a residential property, a separation should be provided such as a landscape buffer, deeper setback, and/or a screening wall.

Campus

Institutional, Religious, and Educational

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This place type is characterized by large-scale institutional developments and the amenities and offerings that come with them. For Killeen, examples of these large developments would be Texas A&M Central Texas & KISD Schools as well as large church developments such as the Christian House of Prayer. Promoting these places that serve as regional destinations because of their service and educational prowess with a unique place type is critical. It ensures their character and scale can be maintained and matched when/if future community facing service or educational institutions make plans to call Killeen home.

While these spaces are likely to be religious, office, or educational in nature, residential use is also likely here to serve the needs of those who spend a lot of time on the campus.

82 | Land Use & Growth Management – Place Types

Public Space

Public spaces are located throughout Killeen and these are intended to serve everyone. They include land that is owned by the City or, in some cases, by a neighborhood association. This includes built places like municipal buildings, civic buildings, and schools, as well as more natural places like parks and trails.

Parks and trails come in different scales and forms, they can be located within neighborhoods, along creeks and rivers, or in more accessible areas on high classification roadways. Natural areas are preserved and access is maintained to create an inviting place for the community. Playgrounds, trails, open spaces, and recreational facilities can be found here. As new neighborhoods are built special consideration should be given to connecting these new places to existing public spaces. Also, it is important to provide scale-appropriate amenities to surrounding neighbors.

Floodplain

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The floodplain category captures the vast majority of undeveloped land that is located within the floodplain as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The floodplain often runs throughout the city and connects many areas of interest including neighborhoods, parks, and recreational facilities. To preserve open spaces along these delicate areas, trails and parks within this category should be carefully constructed to preserve the natural processes. Any development within these areas are low impact, such as docks and benches that do not negatively impact the functions of the floodplain.

LU FUTURE LAND USE MAP

Legend CITY LIMITS ETJ BOUNDARY MUD BOUNDARY

Place Types RURAL ESTATE RESIDENTIAL MIX TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOOD URBAN VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL REGIONAL COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL CAMPUS PUBLIC SPACE FLOODPLAIN

Thoroughfares PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL MINOR ARTERIAL PROPOSED MINOR ARTERIAL COLLECTOR PROPOSED COLLECTOR

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A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE ZONING REGULATIONS OR ESTABLISH ZONING DISTRICT BOUNDARIES.

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LU GROWTH SECTORS

The Growth Sectors and accompanying Map provide a framework to guide development to maximize land productivity (via increased tax revenues) and infrastructure investments. By prioritizing growth into certain areas of the city and controlling development in others, the City can increase tax revenues, provide reliable service delivery, improve infrastructure, and improve housing affordability and options - all without necessarily having to raise the tax rate.

When a new residential or commercial project is built in an undeveloped part of the city, it increases city revenues but also increases the demands on the city’s infrastructure systems (roadways/traffic, water and wastewater) and services (police, fire, parks and recreation, etc). The most fiscally productive manner for a city to grow is to prioritize infill and vertical expansion where there is already existing development and infrastructure. When new development is desired, it should be added incrementally in areas immediately adjacent to current development and infrastructure. Annexation should be managed such that the shape of the city can have as much contiguous growth as possible, minimizing “fingers” and out-parcels. The Growth Sector Map shows where development is desired in order to improve fiscal productivity and align service costs with what residents are willing and able to pay.

INFILL & ENHANCE

Properties in this sector have existing development and full service, but are located in areas where additional population, higher development intensities, and integration of uses is desired. This sector is primarily located in downtown and the neighborhoods immediately around it. Growth policies for this area should support infill, redevelopment, and infrastructure projects. These projects should accommodate more residents and small businesses while improving walkability.

NEIGHBORHOOD INFILL

This sector includes areas of the city that are already developed and have access to city services and infrastructure, but have vacant, underutilized, or poorly developed properties. Growth policies for this sector should encourage development or redevelopment of these properties with accessory dwelling units, smallplexes, and micro commercial that provides incremental increases in density. Development should match the existing character and improve walkable access to businesses and amenities for people living and working in the vicinity.

INTENDED GROWTH

Land in this sector includes vacant tracts that are currently under development or already have development approvals secured for future buildout. It also includes property that is in close proximity to existing development and has access to existing or planned infrastructure. Development in this sector should align with the Big Ideas of this plan, particularly those related to diversifying the housing and neighborhood options in the city.

CONTROLLED GROWTH

This sector includes areas in the city limits and approved Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) that have access to city infrastructure in close proximity. Development proposed in this sector will be evaluated for adherence to the Big Ideas and Recommendations of the plan, particularly those related to housing and neighborhood options and improve the fiscal health and sustainability of Killeen.

LIMITED GROWTH

This sector is includes areas within the farthest extents of the City Limits and ETJ. These are primarily large homesteads and farmland that have value as agricultural, natural habitat, or open space. Expansion of infrastructure and development in these areas should be discouraged, at least for the planning horizon of this plan.

OPEN SPACE

Land in this sector has not been identified for preservation, but is valuable as open space and/or public-owned property. This sector includes floodplains, floodways and buffers; areas of unique natural habitat, viewsheds, or steep topography; desired parkland and public open space; and right-of-way and easements for desired transportation and utility corridors.

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GROWTH SECTOR MAP

Growth Sectors

INFILL & ENHANCE

INTENDED GROWTH

NEIGHBORHOOD INFILL

CONTROLLED GROWTH

LIMITED GROWTH

OPEN SPACE

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NH RECOMMENDATIONS

Above almost all places, our neighborhood is the place we interact with most frequently. Building and improving neighborhoods so that they support and enhance the lives of their occupants makes a meaningful difference.

1. Create a citywide neighborhood framework. Quality of life begins at the neighborhood level, and the best way to cultivate authentic trust and a collaborative spirit is by listening to and working with residents in their neighborhoods. To do this effectively, the city needs a framework to define neighborhoods and organize these efforts.

2. Enforce the codes you have. Focus staff to maintain the city in good condition and provide services to the residents to aid in clean up, such as bulk trash days or outreach to those with physical limitations.

3. Diversify housing mix (types and price points). Housing in Killeen should be as diverse as the people who inhabit the city. Allowing missing middle housing types is imperative. Urban forms such as attached town homes, micro-units, and bungalow courts will fit comfortably into a number of place types.

4. Build complete neighborhoods. New development should include multiple use types scaled to the intensity of the project. Existing neighborhoods should be allowed to introduce new uses and incrementally intensify with little resistance.

5. Update design standards to enhance the quality of buildings, infrastructure, and neighborhoods. Killeen has a long history of architectural and public space design that was contextually appropriate and served the community. Much of that community focus was weakened in the post-war years as the ability to provide fast housing and services became the priority. A renewed focus on building places that people love will help to strengthen community involvement and care.

6. Shift the market to include existing housing. When a new home feels like the only way to get a “great” home, the housing market leans only in that direction. It should be easy for people to improve, and adapt existing homes to better suit the market. This also helps maintain an interesting identity and feel, as older homes provide uniqueness.

7. Focus on delivering housing for those in need. Rising homelessness is a concern nationwide and in Killeen. Allowing for assistive housing in more places is important. A positive side effect of making it easier to build more units city-wide is that it frees up older housing stock to be redeveloped into supportive housing.

NEIGHBORHOODS

NH SNAPSHOT

Neighborhoods Matter

Killeen wants to be a community that appeals to people of all ages, backgrounds, interests, and income levels - now, and in the future. To accomplish this, Killeen must expand the variety of neighborhood styles, housing types, and price points available in the city. Affordability and quality of life mean different things to different people, so it's important for the City and its developer partners to work together to understand and meet these different expectations. Killeen will accomplish this by building neighborhoods, not just subdivisions.

There are several elements that must work together to create a neighborhood. The primary ones include housing and commercial options, parks and public space, and programming. The Place Types outlined in the Land Use and Growth Management component provide the basic context for character, scale, and mix of uses for rural, urban, and suburban style neighborhoods. Corridor types and street sections are covered in the Mobility component. The Neighborhoods component of the plan provides information on housing and commercial building types and additional elements necessary to create more complete, affordable, and inclusive neighborhoods in Killeen.

IN THIS GRAPHIC FROM DPZ CO DESIGN WE CAN SEE THE DIMENSIONS OF A 15-MINUTE NEIGHBORHOOD. WITHIN THIS ONE-MILE RADIUS MOST OF THE NEEDS FOR DAY TO DAY LIFE NEED TO BE MET. IF THIS IS DONE FEWER CAR TRIPS HAVE TO BE MADE. THIS DECREASES THE STRAIN ON THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND CREATES PLACES THAT PEOPLE ENJOY USING.

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Complete Neighborhoods

Most developers build subdivisions. They acquire and subdivide property, most often build and sell single family homes, and then move on to another location. Depending on city codes, standards and the market they are trying to serve, there may also be a park or amenity center to add a recreational component. Commercial uses and other housing options beyond single-family detached houses are typically excluded, requiring those living in subdivisions to drive to daily needs, and making it difficult for those who can't or don't want a detached single-family home to live here.

Neighborhoods, on the other hand, are designed and built to intentionally mix housing and small commercial opportunities together so that the majority of daily needs are accessible within a safe and walkable distance - commonly defined as a quarter mile or a 15 minute walk. Non-residential uses may include schools and child care facilities, parks and recreational facilities, small restaurants and coffee shops, corner stores, and other small businesses that fit a neighborhood context and required limited parking. Streets and public spaces are designed to prioritize walkability and human interaction over automobiles, often having narrower travel lanes and more sidewalks, trails, and bike paths. Finally, the identity and culture of a neighborhood is established and cultivated by those living in the area, giving it a unique sense of place that people want to connect with and reinvest in.

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SIZE OF HOUSING

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TYPES OF HOUSING

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Making Housing Affordable

Often when the term “affordable housing” is used, it is recognized as housing that is being subsidized in one way or another to provide a dwelling unit to someone who otherwise could not afford that same space at market value. But housing affordability in the broader sense is simply a measure of whether or not someone has the means to afford a given residence, either for purchase or rent.

It is generally accepted that a household can afford to spend up to 30% of their income on housing costs. This includes a mortgage or rent, and utilities. The median household income in Killeen in 2020 was $50,335. That means that anyone meeting that median income needs housing that costs no more than $1280/month. A similar process can determine purchasing power for this same scenario. Two and a half times a household’s yearly salary is considered to be an obtainable price point. So our imagined buyer could afford a home priced no higher than $128,055. According to Temple-Belton Board of Realtors, the average listing price of a home in Killeen was $201,750 in January 2022 - almost $74,000 out of reach.

Quality and affordability are not mutually exclusive. It is possible to provide quality housing options at different price points. One way to provide high quality, low cost options is to reduce the size of a building or increase the number of units to fit the target market value. High quality units, in compact neighborhoods on smaller lots can still meet market demand and price points. Incremental developers across the state have shown that this is possible. Down market effects of these units coming online is that it frees up space in lower value units making prices more affordable for people at the very bottom of the economic ladder. Higher price point buyers and renters can benefit from urban townhomes, in more walkable places. A diverse stock of housing is a win for everyone.

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INITIALLY STANDARD RESIDENTIAL LOTS USUALLY HOLD A SINGLE FAMILY HOME

MOST LOTS INCLUDE A LARGE AMOUNT OF UNUSED SPACE. HERE A DUPLEX IS ADDED AND THE SINGLE-FAMILY LOTS SUBDIVIDED

AND AT A HIGHER INTENSITY GUEST SUITES, OR ATTACHED ADUS ARE ADDED PROVIDING SUBSTANTIALLY MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAN IN THE INITIAL CONFIGURATION.

How it’s Going Right Now

Killeen is feeling mounting pressure in the housing market as new buyers come in search of affordable housing and rents. In places like Austin and Dallas, rising costs are pushing out even long-time residents. This is an opportunity to add highly-skilled workers to the area. But these new residents will come expecting neighborhoods that include amenities like walkability and access to services that they have come to expect in larger metro areas.

Without a doubt, Killeen is in need of more housing, and it needs a diversity of type and price points. Ownership levels trail behind the region and state, and a lack of compact urban forms will make Killeen seem less attractive to young tech workers and their families.

2020 HOUSING UNITS

62,287 TOTAL HOUSING UNITS

ACS SURVEY 2020

AS IT STANDS, DEMAND IS OUTPACING SUPPLY IN KILLEEN. MORE HOUSING UNITS ARE NEEDED THAN ARE CURRENTLY BEING PRODUCED. ONE OPTION TO SPEED UP THIS PROCESS IS TO ALLOW MORE UNITS TO BE BUILT ON EXISTING PROPERTIES ALREADY SERVED WITH INFRASTRUCTURE.

2,996 NEW UNITS NEEDED/YEAR

FREDDIE MAC 2020

OWNERSHIP AND RENTAL MIX

40% OWN

60% RENT

ACS SURVEY 2020

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THIS GRAPHIC FROM KRONBERG URBANISTS + ARCHITECTS MAKES IT OBVIOUS HOW EASILY A DIVERSE COLLECTION OF HOUSING TYPOLOGIES CAN FIT INTO AN OTHERWISE SINGLE-FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD.

NH BARRIERS TO SUCCESS

What’s Stopping Our Neighborhoods from Thriving

Making our neighborhoods more healthy and equitable is paramount to making Killeen a better place to live and work. Below are barriers to achieving our goals which have been identified.

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Outdated Codes and Design Standards

Current standards do not support design elements that facilitate complete neighborhoods. These elements include street trees, shorter block lengths, smaller lots, and a consistent mix of uses. In addition, a wider variety of street sections that support walkability and placemaking is critical.

No amount of planning can overcome an ordinance working in the opposite direction. The distance between what residents have asked for through this planning process and the kind of city we will see if codes of yesteryear are not updated is huge.

A Development Community Focused on Single-Use Places

Developers’ focus on building exclusively new single-family homes for entry-level buyers hurts Killeen’s ability to offer a wider variety of options to residents (both in price and type). The result? It pulls demand away from the resale and reinvestment market. It also pushes the city further into a financial hole by adding more service and infrastructure liabilities than the tax base can support.

Commercial development has largely followed a similar single-use model where developers rarely take part in building a sense of place outside of their own project.

Existing Middle-Scale Housing is in Poor Condition

While the city does have alternatives to single-family homes such as duplexes, townhomes, and apartments, many of them were poorly designed and are in need of rehab or replacement. When the housing stock in Killeen’s inventory is viewed as substandard to prospective buyers and renters, they will continually seek out new builds. This, paired with the predominate housing types being single-family homes or large multi-family complexes, makes the housing market weaker.

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Lack of Amenities Inside Existing Neighborhoods

Many of the existing subdivisions lack parks, trails, bike lanes, and complete sidewalk systems. These amenities support active lifestyles, neighbor interaction, and improved quality of life. Without them, many more residents are forced into their cars to meet their daily needs.

This is a significant barrier because retrofitting suburban neighborhoods from the top down is difficult. The second barrier is a governmental structure that makes it hard for bottom-up, small scale improvements to be made by the residents of neighborhoods. Without residents feeling empowered to make their own neighborhoods better, the task is likely to be too large for the city to solve on its own.

Lack of Neighborhood-Scale Commercial Uses

Office, retail, and entertainment destinations in the city are almost exclusively auto-focused. Not only that, they are located along major thoroughfares that are either too far or too unsafe to access. If trying to travel by bike, foot, or public transit, this is even more difficult, if not impossible.

This is principally caused by the use-based zoning ordinance. However, another factor is a presumption by many people who have grown up in the decades since suburbanization that these uses need to be separated. As long as that narrative remains, these uses cannot exist within existing neighborhoods. This prevents the community from having true neighborhoods, not just subdivisions.

Lack of reliable, high frequency public transportation

Killeen’s Regional Transit System (HOP) does not offer high frequency trips. The four established routes only run once every 60 minutes. These four routes all service different areas of the city with no mutual point for all four. Getting from one edge of town to the other may take someone a couple of hours. That would be assuming that there are no delays resulting in missing the bus, pushing you back a whole other hour.

Although HOP does offer routes that connect into the neighboring cities and the others in the region, the frequency makes it a challenge to utilize. Someone who lacks a vehicle often does not have access to many services and amenities without complete neighborhoods.

NH HEALTHY NEIGHBORHOODS

Neighborhood Hierarchy

Killeen’s identity is to be a neighborhood-centric place that brings the community together, and continually improves. From a planning perspective, this means shifting thinking from what all residents need at the citywide scale to what is needed by people in different parts of the city at a more local scale, and then mixing different types of neighborhoods together to offer a variety. The neighborhood should become the central planning unit—and the city’s goal needs to be making every neighborhood a complete neighborhood.

Killeen’s neighborhood planning needs can be categorized into three different tiers:

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1 Neighborhood Scale

The local (neighborhood) scale is where most residents’ daily needs are met, and where they spend most of their time. For most neighborhoods, this means amenities and destinations are easily reached on foot. At this scale traffic patterns should favor pedestrians and bicyclists, and access to transit should be available. Housing is mixed, and in less rural neighborhoods, uses are mixed more freely. Neighborhoods themselves differ from one to the next, so plans should be created with substantial input from current residents regarding their needs in that area.

2 Development Zone

The Development Zone is the next tier—a halfway point between the local scale and the citywide scale. At the Development Zone level, the city provides services that are not offered at the neighborhood scale—fire stations, community parks, middle schools, and libraries. Additionally, each development zone should contain at least one “commercial node” to serve the surrounding neighborhoods, filling in the commercial gaps that those neighborhoods may have (such as supermarkets). These will be a short drive or bus ride from home for most residents in each zone.

3 Citywide Scale

At the citywide scale are those services and amenities that serve the whole population of Killeen, and sometimes the broader region. These include places such City Hall, the post office, regional retail/office/ commercial centers, large regional parks and conservation areas, athletic complexes, high schools, and regionally-connected trails.

Killeen’s Development Zones

Killeen is currently a community made up of primarily auto-oriented subdivisions and a few regional commercial areas. The first step in transitioning to a neighborhood-based city is to provide uses that cover residents’ daily needs within no more than a 15 minute drive. A combination of major roadways, commercial centers, fire stations, and city parks have been used to delineate some recommended development zones as a starting point.

The city should work with property owners, developers, and businesses to identify key uses and amenities missing from each zone. At the same time, the city should work with residents, local small developers, and local entrepreneurs and businesses to identify smaller neighborhood districts within these zones and begin building more neighborhood parks and neighborhood commercial nodes to bring employment and basic needs even closer to residents so they can be reached by a 15 minute bike ride or walk.

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NH NEIGHBORHOOD BUILDINGS

Building a diverse mix of housing options at different price points is key to keeping housing in a community affordable, and attracting and retaining people in different stages of life and at different socioeconomic levels. Likewise, offering a mix of commercial buildings at various scales and in different contexts provides business owners and customers with options.

These pages are designed to show examples of various building typologies that are contextually appropriate in this region of the country, as well as to Killeen, and Central Texas more specifically. It is useful to acquaint yourself with these typologies as you review the place types in the Land Use & Growth Management Organization Component. Though the images in this section are not exhaustive they are meant to give a basic understanding of what these building can look like.

Detached Single-Family

Residential

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The most common housing style which can be found in a wide range of development types. These vary from small modular, prefabricated homes on compact lots to large estate-style houses on large lots. Multiple single-family homes on one lot can be a good way to reduce infrastructure cost while adding housing capacity.

Accessory Units

Residential | Commercial

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Accessory Units are most commonly found with detached single family homes, as those homes often have a large amount of unused land on the lot. Accessory units are also possible with other building typologies, or anywhere where that there is spare land on which a small building could be placed. In residential areas, these are also often referred to as Accessory Dwelling Units, or ADUs.

Townhouse

Residential

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Typically consisting of two to eight small- to medium-sized single-family structures attached side by side. Each unit has street frontage. However, these may also be detached structures.

Dup/Tri/Quadplex

Residential

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A small- to medium-sized structure consisting of two to four dwelling units. The units may be side-by-side or stacked on top of one another. When these types of buildings are thoughtfully designed, they fit seamlessly into predominately residential neighborhoods. It is common for quadplexes to have a large porch and a single entry door that opens onto a hallway with access to the first floor units and a set of stairs to the second floor units. In this configuration the exterior of the building is largely indistinguishable from a large single-family home.

Small Multiplex

Residential

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A medium-sized structure that includes five to 10 units that may either have their own individual entrance or may share an entrance along the front of the building. The units may be side by side or stacked on top of each other.

Apartments

Residential

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One medium- to large-sized structure with multiple units that are accessed from a courtyard or a series of courtyards. The units may be side-by-side or stacked on top of each other. Units may each have their own entrance or share an entrance with several units.

It is important to understand that modern suburban apartment complexes with many dozen buildings and hundreds of units set up in a auto-oriented suburban context are not encouraged anywhere in Killeen. Instead smaller sets of 16-20 units provides the ability for apartments to fit within the scale of existing neighborhoods. The large suburban complexes provide an over-concentration of a single type of resident generally without access to services without a car, straining the mobility network. This kind of hegemony also makes for a more fragile urban environment.

In a mixed-use or high intensity context 'many-over' and urban multi-family types with higher densities of units are superior to Suburban Apartments. Urban Townhomes and apartments with a better street interface, wherein the building is brought up to the street and parking is hidden, is appropriate in this context.

Live/Work

Mixed Use

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A small- to medium-sized structure that includes a dwelling unit above or behind a non-residential unit. These structures may be attached or detached. The non-residential use has the flexibility of being used for a variety of commercial uses that are compatible with the residential use. Both units are owned by the same entity and occupied by the same tenant or property owner.

Few Over

Mixed Use

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A mixed use building where a small number of units, either office or residential, are on a floor above a commercial use (generally retail). Office over retail is common in downtowns and Main Streets where there is not presently a demand for residential use. For these spaces to adapt and change over time to suit the needs of the community, it is important that the uses allowed inside these building be as broad as possible. Generally these buildings will not be more than three stories, and often not more than than two.

Many Over

Mixed Use

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A mixed use building where a large number of units, either office or residential, are on floors above a commercial use (generally retail). Office over retail is common in downtowns and Main Streets where there is not presently a demand for residential use. In modern mixed use developments, these are generally retail on the ground floor with apartments above. This allows an immediate and nearby group of patrons for the commercials uses downstairs.

Small Scale

Commercial

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Blending in with residential uses, light commercial uses serving the residents include coffee shops and professional offices as well as food trucks, carts, and open air market retail. These uses do not require a large amount of parking and the structures are small in size and can resemble the surrounding buildings.

Neighborhood Scale

Commercial Mixed Use

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Light- to medium-intensity commercial uses are located within and around neighborhoods to serve the surrounding communities by being easily accessible by foot or car. These uses consist of those that are essential to the community such as restaurants, general retail stores, medical offices, and fuel stations, and sometimes small residential units.

Regional Scale

Commercial Mixed Use

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Serving the larger region, includes a more expansive mix of uses. These include commercial centers with grocers, restaurants, and retail, large office campuses, and higher density residential. Although these are auto-oriented and draw in a larger customer pool from across the region, they serve the surrounding neighborhoods as well. It is important to understand that an otherwise auto-oriented building can be part of a broader mixed-use development. There is some overlap between this category and the Many Over building type, in that residential can be introduced to otherwise commercial-only places.

Industrial

Commercial

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Industrial consists of primarily intense commercial or industrial uses that may not be compatible with lower intensity and residential uses. These uses include technology industries, light to heavy manufacturing, and outdoor operations and storage.

NH PARK TYPES

Complete neighborhoods also incorporate a variety of parks and public spaces. The City’s Park and Trails Master Plan (adopted February 8, 2022) provides more detailed information on the locations and types of parks in the community, but these are the most common:

Pocket Park

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Mini parks (or pocket parks) are the smallest unit in a community’s parks system. They are typically centrally located in a neighborhood, serving as a focal point for neighbors living or working within a few blocks of the park. Mini parks often reflect and contribute to neighborhood character, and their small size and accessibility tend to make them convenient nearby destinations for everyday use. They often create branding opportunities for the surrounding neighborhood, and tend to have a positive impact on property values. While these parks can be used for passive recreation and relaxation elements like community gardens are a thoughtful addition to these spaces. Mini parks are particularly useful in traditional-style neighborhoods with denser grids and in downtown areas. Ease of access (on foot) is key to their success. These compact parks should be limited in purpose and should not be accompanied by off-street parking.

Neighborhood Park

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Neighborhood parks are often considered the cornerstone of any city's parks system. Like mini parks, they contribute significantly to the overall cohesiveness of a neighborhood, serving as an important recreational and social hub that is close to home for nearby residents. The neighborhood park typically features areas for both passive and (usually informal) active recreation activities, and can be combined with an elementary school to further enhance neighborhood character.

Community Park

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Community parks serve a broader purpose (and population) than neighborhood parks. The focus is on meeting wide-ranging community recreation and social needs, and park facilities will vary depending on those needs. Generally, these parks contain a special attraction that draws people from a larger area. Examples are a pond or lake, ice skating rink, trails, unique cultural or environmental features, or specialized sports complexes.

Quality community parks feature a balanced set of amenities—for both passive and active recreation—that can appeal to a broad range of users. Community parks bring people together to socialize, play, and find quiet space; active, programmed recreation should be encouraged, but it should not disrupt other activities on-site. Community park design should reflect the character of the community and take advantage of the region's particular landscape features where possible. It is important for community parks to be connected to the surrounding area via the trails and sidewalks. Community parks are major destinations for trail systems. Additionally, these parks need good road access.

Special Use Park

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These are parks or recreation facilities oriented toward specialized or single-use purposes that are not otherwise part of other neighborhood or community parks.

These may include historical/cultural/social sites, such as plazas, arboretums, or monuments. They may also include recreational facilities such as senior centers, community centers, golf courses, marinas, dog parks, skate parks, special-use athletic complexes, or practice fields.

Regional Park

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Regional parks are very large parks which mimic community or special use parks, but with regionally-serving destination amenities. These parks are typically anywhere from less than 10 acres to several thousand acres in size.

Regional and community parks are larger and require longer-term planning, land acquisition, and funding for facilities and programming. Neighborhood and pocket parks are more localized. In new developments, the city should work with developers to locate these parks so that everyone in the neighborhood has access to a park within a quarter mile. The size, character, and programming of each park should complement the surrounding environment and neighborhood identity.

Linear Park

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Linear parks include open space and a variety of trail types such as greenway trails, thoroughfare connector trails, neighborhood connector trails, and in-park trails.

Open Space

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Open Spaces are focused on the protection and management of natural features that provide important ecological and cultural functions, with recreational uses typically incorporated as a secondary objective. Development on these (usually large) sites is minimal, and passive recreation opportunities include birdwatching, hiking trails, and camping. Open space preserves are often partnerships with nature organizations such as Audubon Society or the Nature Conservancy.

NH INCREMENTAL IMPROVEMENT

Improvement in Small Steps

The past 75 years has seen the demise of the “neighborhood developer” and a rise in large groups that do best when developing big sites and multiple properties in a template format. The latter tend not to be interested in developing and repurposing individual sites and buildings, though it is a growing area of need for many communities.

There has been a resurgence in the smaller development community in recent years. “Small developers” tend to be local residents who have an interest in adding housing in their neighborhood, owning property, or starting a business. Unlike large developers that acquire big tracts of land and build out multiple lots at once, small developers focus on constructing unique, context-sensitive development on single lots that can activate and revitalize downtowns and aging neighborhoods. Organizations such as the Incremental Development Alliance and Small Developers Group on Facebook have been formed to connect and share resources with this rapidly growing group.

Midlothian Town Center

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This new urbanist style neighborhood is being built in Midlothian incrementally over 20 years. A neighborhood commercial strip center has been built one building at a time, and a combination of single and multifamily residential and public space is being built in phases around it.

Duncanville Plaza

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This project provided a new mixed-use building in the heart of downtown Duncanville. The building is designed to frame the street corner with parking behind the building, and includes a mix of office, art, restaurant, and residential spaces. Creating a small-scale mixed use building on the edge of a residential neighborhood provided a new set of services for long-time community members, often in walking distance, and it provided new inexpensive housing that was desperately needed in the community.

Desoto Marketplace

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This project in DeSoto is converting a vacant Ace Hardware building and parking lot into a neighborhood commercial node with the main building redone as a business incubator for office, retail, and restaurants and the parking area filled in with a food trailer plaza, kiosks, open space, and micro apartments. Killeen has a number of aging strip centers and projects like this can rejuvenate a space at a low cost. When the focus becomes reactivating the most dead part of these developments, the parking lot, major change can come from low cost improvements.

Understanding the Needs of a Neighborhood

Quality of life is best measured at the neighborhood level, and doing walkshops is a great way for the city to connect with residents “on their turf” and uncover the small things that can make a big difference. During the planning process, walkshops were held in eight neighborhoods throughout the city. Questions that were asked and discussed during the walkshops included:

1. What are some of the things you struggle within your neighborhood?

2. What are some small things the city could do to incrementally improve your quality of life?

3. What do you love about your neighborhood?

Walkshops like these are a great way for city staff to connect with residents and identify small, inexpensive things the city can do to take care of residents. The city should endeavor to perform these walkshops in various neighborhoods around the city at least once per year. This will provide an avenue for citizens to communicate their needs to the staff.

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Case Study: Caddo Heights Neighborhood

A local community-led organization, Reform Shreveport, recently led an effort to reduce blight and improve crime in Caddo Heights, an at-risk neighborhood in Shreveport, Louisiana. The project area was about 3 miles from downtown Shreveport in a neighborhood next to Cedar Grove, a once-thriving minority community that was annexed into the City of Shreveport in the 1920’s. Caddo Heights is bordered on several sides by industrial areas and an interstate highway, and has experienced a negative feedback loop of crime, blight, and disinvestment in recent years, similar in many ways to Downtown Killeen.

Slowing and reversing these trends was a key focus and started by utilizing public meetings to understand on the ground needs and then applying those needs to action in the form of community work and cleanup days. Reform Shreveport and their supportes also worked to garner public and private investment to assist in improvements requiring capital outlay.

The project began with an intense Data Collection effort that told leaders and volunteers which areas of Caddo Heights to target first. A variety of partners including volunteers, the City of Shreveport, and Shreveport Volunteer Network helped in these efforts. The project has spurred more change - several local artists and a local paint company recently helped to repaint playground equipment and restore a splash-pad with public art. Preliminary data also suggests that the neighborhood has seen a decrease in crime, along with reduced rates of truancy from primary and secondary school students. Finally, the effort has inspired more residents to either start cleaning up their properties or be encouraged that their current efforts were not in vain.

In Killeen, a refocusing on small incremental improvements like cleanups and sidewalk improvements in Downtown can be the catalyst for residents and local community groups to take up the cause of reinvigorating Downtown.

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MC RECOMMENDATIONS

Killeen must reimagine many of its roadway corridors to prioritize a few for moving high volumes of vehicles around the city and most others as multimodel slower speed streets where people and placemaking are the priority.

1. Adjust planning approach to consider non-vehicular trips. The conventional approach to mobility planning utilizes current and projected traffic models as the primary metric, which exacerbates a cycle of auto centric development and more, wider roads that we can’t afford. Instead, non-vehicular trips should be accounted for, and this is heavily influenced by the development pattern, street design, and uses. By doing this the amount of space designated to vehicles in the ROW can be reduced.

2. Coordinate land use and mobility strategies to create commercial nodes in each development zone of the city and within neighborhoods. Currently the majority of commercial activity occurs along the interstate and several major arterials on the south part of the city. Complete neighborhoods with mixed uses, higher housing density, and streets that support higher density and walkability will create and support commercial uses in other parts of the city, including bringing back demand for commercial on the north side of Killeen.

3. Improve network connectivity. A grid style network with short block lengths promotes efficient traffic distribution, helps prevent congestion at concentrated intersections, and slows cars down in neighborhoods where pedestrian safety is the priority.

4. Design neighborhood streets to prioritize people, place, and productivity. In order to build complete neighborhoods and mixed-use centers that generate above average value per acre, streets in these areas must prioritize human interaction, pedestrian mobility, and placemaking over traffic columns or speeds.

5. Prioritize safe and efficient movement of vehicles on arterials. Whereas neighborhood streets are designed to prioritize people and place over cars, arterial corridors should be dedicated to moving vehicles efficiently across the city. Major and minor arterials should be designed to limit access, crossings, and bike/pedestrian facilities to promote safe and efficient movement of vehicles and reduce opportunities for pedestrian conflict points.

6. Maximize return on investment for mobility infrastructure. The city currently has more street infrastructure than it can afford to maintain without additional revenue. Proactive preventative maintenance and design strategies to reduce pavement width can spread costs out over longer periods, while intentional growth management strategies can be used to increase tax revenue productivity in served areas and new development. Together, these can help close the infrastructure funding gap over time.

7. Provide mobility options for everyone. Building and maintaining a well-connected network of sidewalks and bike facilities and providing other methods of right-sized public transportation such as micromobility options and ride sharing services will ensure those who want or need to get around the community without a car are able to do so safely and conveniently.

8. Develop branded gateways and wayfinding within the core. Some of the roads leading into Downtown and destinations around the city lack signage that would help visitors and residents easily locate their destination. The City should work to install gateway monuments and wayfinding signs, especially along major routes and near important attractions to help people find their way. This can help improve traffic and tourism within the City.

9. Utilize tactical, low-cost improvements to incrementally transition auto-oriented roads to slower speed, pedestrian friendly streets. Killeen is currently a community where most people drive to most things, so converting to complete neighborhoods will take time. An important initial step is to narrow lanes to slow traffic inside existing neighborhoods, add bike lanes, and delineate on-street parking in areas where neighborhood commercial exists or could be supported in the future. This can be accomplished initially with paint and supporting materials such as potted plants or trees and made more permanent over time as funds become available.

MOBILITY & CONNECTIVITY

MC SNAPSHOT

Introduction

Transportation and land use go hand-in-hand in determining the look and feel of a community. If a city plans and builds neighborhoods around auto-oriented development, it will take on a more spread-out form with separated residential, shopping, and employment uses; this requires more infrastructure and generates more traffic. If a city prioritizes walkable, complete neighborhoods, then more uses are integrated together in a compact form; this results in fewer driving trips and less infrastructure to maintain.

The Mobility component of this plan provides a framework to transition Killeen’s mobility network and street sections from the current auto-centric focus to a diverse system that is more safe and sustainable. This type of system complements strategies outlined in the Land Use and Neighborhood components that will enable the city to make progress toward the Big Ideas.

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HOUSEHOLD ACCESS TO VEHICLE/S

• 75% 2 or more vehicle
• 21% 1 vehicle
• 4% No vehicle

ACS SURVEY 2020

RESIDENT TRAVEL TIME TO WORK

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COMMUTE STATS

• 81% RESIDENTS DRIVE ALONE TO WORK
• 1 in 3 HAVE A COMMUTE LONGER THAN 20 MINUTES

Mobility Types

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ACCESS & EQUITY

SPEED

• Walk
• Bike
• Transit
• Micro
• Shared
• Car

ALL STATS ON THIS PAGE PULLED FROM THE ACS SURVEY 2020

NORTH KILLEEN STREET CONDITIONS

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North Killeen has the highest concentration of roads listed as poor or failed. This is a notable issue as this area has also been identified as the one which can most easily produce high value to the community if modest investment is made here. Improving the road system to better serve people as well as cars incrementally along with natural redevelopment is a certain way to reinforce and support high quality redevelopment activity. Because the value generated in suburban neighborhoods to the south will be more difficult to affect because of their inflexible development pattern it will become ever more important for places like North Killeen to subsidize the development patterns elsewhere. A failed/failing road network will make that difficult.

TRANSPORTATION STATS

1,636 TOTAL LANE MILES

Aligning Corridor Function with Design

The primary function of a mobility network is to get people and goods to the places they need to be. The network must allow easy and efficient movement throughout the community—whether by car, public transit, walking, or biking.

The transportation system can either help create the kind of safe, walkable community residents desire, or it can get in the way. The key is in understanding that different parts of the transportation network serve fundamentally different purposes. First, streets and roads are not interchangeable.

Streets

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The street is a low-speed area that allows for human activity and interaction. A buzzing Main Street with businesses, or the quiet residential street with children playing in front yards are streets. They can be part of a larger place, or can be destinations themselves; they’re where people spend time. They prioritize pedestrians but are usable by all. Streets are platforms for economic growth.

Stroads

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Stroads are failed attempts to get the economic productivity of a street and the efficiency of a road in one corridor. Designed for high volumes of cars and faster speeds, they also have pedestrian amenities adjacent to high speed lanes, making them intimidating to use. A system of traffic signals and driveways accommodate auto-oriented businesses, but contribute to more crashes.

Roads

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The primary function of a road is to move people and goods quickly between places. Think of highways and farm-to-market roads, for example. Here, the automobile is prioritized, and higher speeds are appropriate. Effective roads are not focused on businesses. In order to maintain safety, driveways and intersections should be limited. Pedestrian and bike facilities should be separated from travel lanes.

Converting “Stroads”

A stroad is not an insurmountable problem. It can be converted into either a road for transporting goods and people between places, or an economic engine and location for human interaction. The steps are easy. The implementation requires dedication from a community and its governing bodies to choose between the two.

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HOW TO CONVERT A STROAD TO A:

STREET

1. Slow traffic.
2. Put people, bicyclists and transit first, not cars.
3. Focus on building, filling gaps and expanding existing structures.
4. Embrace complexity. Stay adaptable.

HOW TO CONVERT A STROAD TO A:

ROAD

1. Limit access. Seek to close existing accesses.
2. Keep people and bikes away from cars in a separate, safe place.
3. Don’t try to build anything.
4. Simplify. Move vehicles quickly. Period.

CORRIDORS NEEDING CONVERSION IN KILLEEN

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MC BARRIERS TO SUCCESS

How Auto-centric Design Conflicts with Killeen’s Values

Access matters. When all residents are able to access the places and services that they want to easily and quickly, everyone benefits. No place is equitable when one mode of transport is prioritized, to the detriment of other modes.

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A Development Pattern Built Around the Automobile

The original part of Killeen was built with a compact, grid style pattern where everything residents needed was within walking distance. In the last 60-70 years however, development in the city has been designed around the automobile, where employment, entertainment, and retail uses were separated from residential areas. The result is that it is nearly impossible to access daily needs quickly and safely without a car. This auto-centric approach results in more, longer trips that require more and wider roads, and because the design is skewed to accommodate drivers, it makes getting around on foot or bike extremely unsafe and inconvenient. The additional roads, lanes, bridges, and traffic signals required to support this pattern are also extremely expensive to install and maintain.

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Poor Access Management Exacerbates Congestion

Killeen has a large number of stroads. These thoroughfares are intended to move large volumes of vehicles quickly but don’t function as well as they’re intended due to the frequency of traffic signals, driveways, and median openings. In these cases, having too many access points negatively impacts the flow of traffic. On the other end of the spectrum, there are some locations in the city where access is limited due to too few lanes or poor intersection design.

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Underfunded Maintenance and Replacement Budget

The City is struggling to keep up with street maintenance. Some of the deterioration is due to older streets reaching the end of their life cycle, which should be expected, but many of the city’s newer roads have also had issues. The city has also had several extreme weather events in recent years that have stressed pavement more than typical, but some of the failures are likely due to poor construction and below average design standards. In addition the quality and reduced lifespan of existing roadways, the amount of miles and width of roads has drastically increased over the past two decades, adding even more to the inventory of what must be maintained and replaced over time.

Killeen’s current development pattern and budget will not provide sufficient revenue to replace all of these roads when they reach the end of their life cycle. In order to maintain a safe and functioning roadway system in the future, new revenue sources will be required to cover the life cycle costs, strategies must be explored that reduce costs such as reducing pavement width, or some combination.

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Street Design Prioritizes Traffic Volume and Speed Over Safety

Killeen’s street design approach has prioritized traffic volumes, travel speed, and driver safety over pedestrian safety and placemaking. Three of the primary concerns expressed by residents during the planning process were deteriorating street conditions, speeding in neighborhoods, and lack of pedestrian friendly facilities and neighborhoods. The majority of streets in Killeen are excessively wide, especially in residential areas. Bike and pedestrian trails are limited, and where they do exist, they are located and built in a manner that makes those using the facilities extremely vulnerable to vehicles traveling at speeds in excess of 30 mph. From a fiscal perspective, the wide pavement sections are extremely costly to build and maintain. One of the top priorities of this plan is to evaluate and retrofit corridors throughout the city to either move vehicles more effectively by minimizing pedestrian uses and conflicts (minor arterials and major collectors), or to make them more pedestrian-focused by reducing the number and width of vehicle lanes, adding bike facilities, and enhancing pedestrian paths and connectivity within neighborhoods (minor collectors and local streets).

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Service Delivery with Larger Vehicles as Opposed to Design

One of the single largest impediments to building safe streets is a system of design that presumes that the largest service delivery vehicles, namely the largest trucks used by the fire department and 18-wheelers, need to be accommodated everywhere. Oversized lanes and bigger turning radii result in streets, stroads, and intersections that are less safe for pedestrians and increase the potential for crashes and more significant injuries. In a sense, cities are building roads to accommodate larger vehicles and faster times to respond to crashes that are caused by that same road design. Cities across the globe are proving that health, safety, and service can be adequately provided with a focus on better street and network design combined with fleets of smaller vehicles and enhanced preventative systems like sprinklers. Ultimately building wider roads and purchasing more expensive equipment is fiscally unsustainable. Removing this barrier paves the way for changes that make things safer and require fewer and smaller service trips, thereby reducing the need for larger vehicles to be able to get everywhere, all the time.

MC NETWORK PLANNING

Picking the Right System For Killeen’s Needs

T ransportation networks are generally built around a system of arterial streets, which allow both connectivity and continuity. Inside this arterial street framework is a more local network of thoroughfares, which tend to be designed in one of two ways:

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While conventional suburban networks reduce through traffic in the inner parts of the network (on curvilinear residential streets and cul-de-sacs, for example), they funnel and magnify traffic on the main arterial network, which requires larger, more expensive roads. Major arterials in a conventional suburban area can be spaced up to a mile apart, where the city is willing to accept roads of up to six lanes, and these are typically supplemented by minor arterials spaced at most a half-mile apart. Collectors, which are the classification between local residential streets and arterials, tend to be designed to attempt to mix vehicles and pedestrians, and in doing so are often prone to the dangerous combination of vehicles driving in excess of 30mph and residents biking and walking in close proximity to travel lanes.

Traditional networks spread the traffic out over a gridded system of streets, which may increase traffic slightly on some streets but greatly reduces heavy traffic and the need for overly-large arterials because there are multiple options to get to a destination. These areas are intended to be walkable and often include a mix of uses, which requires a tighter grid of streets that create short blocks. The combination of narrower streets and shorter blocks keeps vehicle speeds down, making them safer for those biking or walking. A traditional network has few, if any major arterials, and minor arterials are generally closer together—separated by a half-mile or less. Collectors are designed to be “complete streets” that combine slow speed vehicular travel with cycling facilities, on street parking, and wider sidewalks that support both residential and neighborhood scale commercial.

Regardless of the area, the overall system should include a network of parallel bicycle facilities that connect to major destinations. Killeen’s current system is a hybrid of these two systems. North Killeen has a solid traditional grid network, providing a strong foundation for walkable, mixed-use development neighborhoods. The suburban part of Killeen’s system is more prevalent on the south side.

However, the hierarchical system has not been followed well, which has resulted in poor connectivity between arterials and collectors, and numerous corridors that were intended to serve as collectors with wider right-of-way and pavement but function as local streets with residences fronting the streets and dead-end (cul-de-sac) or tee intersections.

The philosophy represented in this Mobility Plan is to transition toward more of a traditional grid system with a tighter network of pedestrian-focused streets within neighborhoods and then improve access management and road design on major and minor arterials to prioritize moving vehicles safely and efficiently between the various parts of the city. In this way, the transportation network can better align with the aims of the Land Use Plan and become more user-friendly overall.

Alternative Transportation

Establishing a functional, efficient, and sustainable public transportation system will be key to making Killeen both more inclusive and less car-dependent. A viable public transportation system is only possible if the city develops in a way that enough residents and destinations are concentrated around transit stops.

Improvements to HOP

As the city funnels community-serving commercial activity toward the growth and infill sectors (identified in the Future Land Use Plan), it should also work with HOP to improve connectivity between centers of activity and interest across the community. This system will be especially important for those residents wanting to access community-serving amenities without a car being necessary. If neighborhoods are built to a walkable scale, residents should have the ability to easily access daily necessities either near their home or by a short bus ride.

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Active Transportation

Active transportation, unlike driving and public transit, involves getting around in ways that are human-powered—walking, bicycling, using a wheelchair, skateboarding, and so on. Our communities were once set up to be navigable this way by default. Once again, cities across Texas are realizing the importance of creating opportunities to easily move around on foot. Fluctuating gas prices, increased traffic and associated delays, environmental concerns, a more wide-spread focus on personal health and fitness, and the shifting lifestyle preferences of younger generations all point to a greater demand for walkable, bikeable communities. Places like Temple and Kyle, who have embraced active transportation as a key component of their design and branding, are finding that it sets them apart and greatly improves quality of life. Parks, trails, and active living are key components of highly sought after new neighborhoods.

Killeen can make possible active transportation by committing to a more compact, multi-use pattern of development, Also, the city can invest in pedestrian facilities like sidewalks and multi-use paths. Lastly, they can begin designing and redesigning streets as low-speed, people-first places. When walking or biking is more convenient for residents, they are far more likely to make these healthy activities a part of their daily lives.

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MC DESIGN OUTCOMES

Correlating Speed and Safety

The speed at which automobiles travel (as opposed to the designated speed limit) has a massive effect on how safe that roadway is. Designing a road with narrower lanes that naturally makes drivers travel at a safer speed is a far more effective way of reducing crashes and serious injury than very high enforcement, ‘tack-on’ traffic calming like speed humps, or speed limit reductions.

WIDER LANES CORRELATE TO HIGHER SPEEDS

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Legend

● 85TH PERCENTILE SPEED OF TRAFFIC

— REGRESSION LINE

Injury Types

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Auto Speed and Human Reaction Time

At higher speeds the driver of an automobile is required to focus their attention farther down their intended path. This reduces their effective field of vision significantly.

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MC THOROUGHFARE TYPES

Thoroughfare Matrix

Designing well-functioning streets within the thoroughfare network depends on understanding their surroundings, or their context. Key features that create context are:

• Land use;
• Site design and urban form (including building orientation and setback, parking type and orientation, and block length); and
• Building design (including building height and thoroughfare enclosure, building width, building scale and variety, and building entries).

Context influences what thoroughfare type is appropriate, but the design of a thoroughfare itself also has a significant impact on shaping the context of a place—just as much as building and landscape do. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution. What may be appropriate for a Farm-to-Market road wouldn't make sense on Main Street, and vice versa. This plan focuses first on the context and then on transportation planning to support that context in a balanced way. The corridor types identified in this plan take into consideration both what the surroundings (current or desired) will accommodate, and what the overall mobility network needs. In other words, they are a combination of function and context.

New classifications and design criteria supporting this combination of function and context sensitive design have been released in recent years by CNU-ITE, NACTO, and MUTCD. These resources provide guidance for organizations looking to integrate function and context into the design of streets, intersections, and pedestrian facilities. However, the hierarchical network and associated terminology (arterial/collector/street) is still the norm in transportation design, especially when coordinating with TxDOT, regional MPOs, and counties. Therefore, the sections proposed in this plan represent a hybrid approach where some context sensitive design principles have been incorporated into the standard classifications.

The following corridor classifications are represented in this plan.

Arterials

Arterials are the main links in the city’s mobility network. Their primary purpose is vehicular traffic movement for longer distances, and they create efficient connections between the major commercial nodes throughout the city. To function effectively as higher-speed links, they should be designed as long corridors with limited access, crossings and stop conditions—meaning they are not meant to serve as commercial corridors. Arterials have four or six lanes, divided by a median, and should have a design speed of 40 to 45 mph.

Arterials can also accommodate pedestrian and bicycle traffic via dedicated paths that have safe separation from the travel lanes, either through distance, physical barriers, or ideally both. Crossings should be much less frequent than on collectors or local streets.

Together with highways and county roads, these roadways should provide higher speed connections to move vehicles and goods between the various parts of the city and to/from adjacent cities and regional destinations. These corridors can also form the backbone of local transit systems with buses that make stops in commercial hubs and neighborhood centers.

Minor Arterial | 110' ROW

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Collectors

Collectors carry local traffic, and they are intended to be low-speed (35 mph or less), people-friendly corridors that safely incorporate high volumes of pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Collectors are associated with the creation of places, so while they often carry significant local vehicle traffic, they need to be designed as comfortable spaces for those not in vehicles. In the city’s spectrum of thoroughfare types, corridors provide the most flexibility to evolve over time to support different development patterns. While the right-of-way stays consistent, the space can be allocated through paint or permanent improvement to shift between travel lanes, parking, bike lanes, and parklets that extend the sidewalk environment.

Residential Collector | 65’ ROW

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Arterial Collector | 80’ ROW

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Residential (Local) Streets

These streets service residential and mixed use style neighborhoods. They are designed for low speeds and safe pedestrian activity. When alleys and rear parking are present, the pavement section should be narrower. When housing is designed for front entry, the pavement may be slightly wider to allow for on-street parking. In both cases, travel lanes should be narrowed and appropriate block and intersection design measures should be incorporated to force cars to drive slow through the area.

Residential Street

50’ ROW

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Rural Roads

Rural streets serve the rural estate and less developed areas of the city. Development along these streets is limited and pedestrian activity is minimal. These roads are typically paved with asphalt or gravel and have bar ditches for drainage to fit the rural character and road functionality.

Rural Road 50’ ROW

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MC THOROUGHFARE MAP

Legend

CITY LIMITS [ ]

ETJ BOUNDARY [ ]

Thoroughfares

PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL [ ]

MINOR ARTERIAL [ ]

PROPOSED MINOR ARTERIAL [ ]

COLLECTOR [ ]

PROPOSED COLLECTOR [ ]

OTHER ROADS [ ]

GREENWAYS & TRAILS [ ]

PROPOSED GREENWAYS & TRAILS [ ]

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DT RECOMMENDATIONS

Downtown Killeen is a place of opportunity with a core of historic buildings, resilient local businesses, and a timeless street grid. Improvement in downtown can be achieved by overcoming the challenge of breaking through the cycle of cynicism surrounding it. This can be done by aiming for smaller quick “wins” that incrementally improve this area, right now.

1. Improve and increase downtown events and programming. Development and redevelopment take time, but event planning can happen quickly. The City should take the lead on continuing the monthly event calendar and encourage private expansion of events and programming in downtown. Physical improvements to facilitate downtown events can occur once momentum is built.

2. Improve safety and wayfinding in Downtown. Perception is reality. When citizens do not feel safe in downtown other public and private initiatives will not succeed. Visible neighborhood policing and social services to address homelessness are needed to address real concerns and provide a sense that Downtown and North Killeen are not being ignored.

3. Create and enhance public spaces and streetscape. To create momentum, the City must take the lead on incremental improvements in the public realm and provide leadership on smaller scale catalyst development projects. This should take the form of streetscape or public space improvements. When public or private development opportunities arise, the City should play an active role in ensuring success for that project, but also how it impacts the downtown blocks that surround it.

4. Embrace the small/incremental approach to add residential units and small scale commercial spaces. Revitalization and redevelopment of existing neighborhoods can be difficult to get going when the market wants to focus on greenfield opportunities, but it can also drive prices up quickly when too much happens too fast. Encouraging existing residents and local entrepreneurs to work together to rehab their buildings and add additional units incrementally and at smaller scales can gently nudge property values and revenues upward while cultivating local wealth at the same time.

5. Strengthen partnerships and focus collective resources to maximize impact. For downtown to regain a place of relevance in Killeen and the region, the City and downtown stakeholders must take the initiative to strengthen partnerships with area organizations. This will help to create physical and social connections that will lead to implementation of near-term actions, as well as the ability to capitalize on unforeseen, future opportunities.

6. Provide locations for County facility and incubator/ innovation space. Multiple entities in Killeen have expressed interest in establishing an “innovation district” in Downtown, and the County is looking into a new facility in Downtown as well. Both of these would bring people and activity to the downtown and can serve as catalysts for additional investment.

DT SNAPSHOT

Downtown Today

Downtown Killeen continues to hold fascination and cause frustration within the community. Fascination happens because improving downtown was at the top of the list of priorities during community engagement and stakeholder meetings. It has also caused frustration – despite periodic attention over the past several decades, downtown has continued to struggle as a place of unrealized potential.

Generally, downtown is defined as a 60-block area contained by Rancier Ave on the north, Business 190 on the south, Root Ave to the west and 10th Street on the east. Downtown is anchored by a six-square block historic core centered on Avenue D and Gray Street.

One key to understanding the existing condition of downtown and the context for recommendations of this plan is an examination of the 2010 downtown plan. By comparing the two, previous initiatives can be understood, including why they may have fallen short of implementation.

The 2010 Plan

Overview

The previous Downtown Killeen Plan, completed by Kendig-Keast consultants in 2010, should continue to be an important resource for the city. Several key recommendations from the plan were implemented, chief among them being the streetscape improvements in the core historic district of downtown. However, the plan in its entirety is out of scale for what is achievable in the near term due to market demand and public / private capacity to implement such large-scale recommendations. There are several recommendations from the 2010 plan that should continue and create positive momentum in downtown to enable the larger scale, bolder vision shown by the previous plan.

The plan talks about not proposing silver bullet solutions – which it achieves to a certain degree, but the vision is still dependent on major investments - like a new HEB anchor, a new city hall, a new central park and extensive streetscape improvements. Although these may all be needed, they are still big-ticket items, and as indicated in the recommendation section of this chapter, properly scaled or incremental approaches are more achievable. One aspect that is missing is a focus on assets that are already in place, including existing small businesses which can be retained with the accomplishment of small implementable steps, which build momentum.

Since the completion of this plan, there have been some significant setbacks. For example, the retail demand in the immediate area has likely shifted focus even further to South Killeen. Major anchors like the Baptist church, HEB and First National Bank have left downtown. These and other setbacks in engagement were shared by downtown stakeholders as expanded on in the next section. If properly positioned, these setbacks can be transformed as opportunities.

Plan Approach

Although the scope of the implementation is far beyond what is feasible for downtown Killeen in the near term, there is still a focus on implementation and appropriate catalyst projects. As the plan states in the introduction: “This plan avoids glossy silver bullet projects such as new sports stadiums and entertainment districts in favor of the basic building blocks of sustainable urban neighborhoods: quality housing, basic public amenities, solid infrastructure, public spaces, a range of everyday commercial services, and a balance of basic neighborhood institutions such as schools and churches. This approach is driven by the notion that downtown needs to be a place for residents and businesses first, since it is they who will assume the greatest stewardship of it and keep it alive long after the visitors have left.”

Plan Recommendations

The 2010 Plan carried over several catalyst projects from the “Killeen Downtown Action Agenda 2007 (HyettPalma):

1. A redeveloped HEB grocery store
2. A new “central park”
3. A new city hall
4. A new museum/ art museum
5. Downtown streetscape & wayfinding
6. Redevelopment of Cow House Hotel site

THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FROM THE 2010 DOWNTOWN PLAN

Public Improvements

Sample Activities

1. Pre-Planning
   • Initial facilities programming/planning
   • Preliminary design, feasibility, budgeting
   • Identify funding options, grants
   • Site selection
   • Site negotiations
2. Intermediate Planning/Implementation
   • Site placement and acquisition
   • Establish funding source
   • Begin construction
   • Relocation
   • Second phase pre-planning
3. Advanced Implementation
   • Complete construction
   • Phase 2 scoping, budgeting, design

Programs & Initiatives

Focus Areas

Area 1: Historic Core (Entertainment Zone) Primarily focused on streetscape improvements around the most intact cluster of main street and historic buildings

Area 2: North Gray Street Commercial Preliminary focused on grocery store anchored redevelopment

Area 3: Greenway Housing Primarily focused on acquisition of land and redevelopment of infill housing

Area 4: Haymarket District Primarily focused on creating gateways from the south and how to better utilize the area between downtown proper and the railroad tracks

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Moving Forward

Since the 2010 plan, there has been some modest implementation. This includes several blocks of completed streetscape improvements on Avenue D and Gray Street. Also, as of early 2022, private redevelopment of the Cow House Hotel is underway.

There were items from the 2007 plan that had been accomplished by the 2010 plan, which include:

• The certification of the Downtown Historic District;
• The adoption of historic preservation standards;
• The creation of a facade improvement program;
• The formation of the Downtown Partnership Committee;
• The creation of the Downtown TIRZ;
• Preliminary planning for streetscaping and wayfinding.

Since the 2010 plan there have also been some steps backward – the dissolution of the Downtown Partnership Committee, and apparent inactivity of the Downtown TIRZ.

If positive momentum is built in Downtown, then the city should revisit this downtown plan and implementation table. Momentum can be achieved though following the recommendations of this 2022 plan and by properly understanding what the barriers have been to a successful implementation in the past.

DT BARRIERS TO SUCCESS

Dissolving Barriers

Through the extensive engagement process, the planning team was able to gain a firm understanding of what the barriers to success in downtown have been. Some of these items are unique to downtown, others are specific to the city but appear in a different way in downtown. These barriers move us further from Killeen’s Identity and Big Ideas. These barriers are collated from numerous public outreach meetings and surveys, leadership meetings with elected and appointed officials, staff meetings and targeted stakeholder meetings. Included in these meetings were business owners, non-profit representatives, Economic Development Corporation (EDC) staff, representatives from Fort Hood, Killeen ISD, Texas A&M Central Texas, and Central Texas College.

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History/ Trajectory of Development in Killeen

For the last several decades, the pattern of growth in Killeen has generally shifted away from both downtown and north Killeen as a whole. Some of this transition may have been the attraction of “shiny and new” development rather than reinvesting in existing areas of the city. However, other contributing factors could be racial issues, school perception issues and other market issues. This movement of development has also been reinforced and encouraged at different points by city policy, Chamber of Commerce activity, and development financing. This has also been kept as-is by the larger local development community that have indicated a lack of interest in putting revenues into downtown and redevelopment. As Killeen does not have the same growth dynamics as other Texas cities of its size, new development has come at the expense of existing development. The development that has occurred recently in downtown has been pursued by a small group of local individuals who have developed the area on a site-by-site basis, with no real coordination or planning effort.

Economic Abandonment of Downtown

The direction of development in Killeen has resulted in real - and perceived - economic abandonment of downtown and north Killeen. The most frequently mentioned example of this is the former north Killeen HEB. More recent examples include the numerous local restaurants that have closed, the iconic First National Bank, and even the First Baptist Church in downtown. The large vacant buildings that struggle to stay filled are daily reminders of the lack of economic activity and downtown visitors. Compounding some of these issues is the lack of consistent interest and coordination between the City, the EDC and the Chamber on downtown promotion. Another factor contributing to the stasis in investment are absentee landowners in downtown, that hold property under ownership but do not seek to redevelop it. This cycle of disinvestment has led many in Killeen to not view downtown as the heart of the community.

Lack of Leadership

A common response from business owners and community leaders has been the lack of consistent leadership in downtown. At different points in the past, this area was not a priority for either elected officials or local business owners. For the private sector to become more active, leadership must start with the Mayor and City Council believing in downtown and providing a united voice for staff, chamber, and business leaders. The lack of leadership has provoked pervasive community apathy and cynicism . Where there is city or grassroots activity reinforcement, coordination should follow. The previously active Downtown Partnership Committee that coordinated city staff and business owners, has tapered off due to the COVID pandemic. A renewed presence of this organization would help address issues that were heard from business owners regarding the lack of coordination between code enforcement and the police department. For example, there have been instances of business owners being fined for illegal dumping due to homeless activity behind their property.

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Lack of Activity Downtown

Many community members responded that the main reason they do not spend more time downtown is that there is simply no reason to go. The lack of family-friendly activities is a primary source of this perception. Historically, there were a handful of annual events, like holiday parades and festivals, but these have often been small-scale and not coordinated to be full-day events or overlap with other business activities/programming. In late 2021 and early 2022, there has been a city staff initiative to increase the frequency and quality of these events. Popular reoccurring events, like the Farmer’s Market was relocated away from downtown because of lack of participation.

Business and property owners shared that one key barrier to more restaurant and entertainment uses in downtown is the restrictive and unclear process on obtaining an alcohol sales permit. For a functional and active downtown, alcohol sales needs to be allowed by right. The high concentration of churches otherwise prevents these types of uses if more prescriptive steps are not taken. There are desires by some private entities to host events or block parties. The city should make it as easy as possible to bring people there.

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Undesirable Activity in Downtown

The lack of positive image is reinforced when the limited activity that does take place is marred by undesirable experiences and sights. Homelessness and crime are perceived issues that many residents share; in some cases, they become true concerns and challenges to investment. This is a complicated issue with solutions that deserve a comprehensive approach. The planning team observed that there are homeless individuals in downtown, and there have been documented cases of using public right-of-way for restroom use. But this is a relatively limited problem for a city the size of Killeen. This problem is magnified due to the lack of any other substantial positive activity. Perception is reality, and anything that is a deterrent to downtown economic activity is a major deterrent to success. As with many things, citizens shared that social media only magnifies negative activities, further dampening public perception.

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Physical Impediments

Although downtown exists within the larger city street grid, it is not natural or easy to find. Overall wayfinding from surrounding neighborhoods or other areas of the city to downtown is lacking. In addition, the nearest primary streets, and arterials to downtown lack attractive gateways into downtown. Ideally there would be a more recognizable route to travel/navigate into downtown.

While there is an existing core of attractive historic buildings, a number of physically dilapidated buildings exist too. Responses from the City and the Chamber indicate that facade grants by themselves are not sufficient and many buildings in Downtown require more substantial remediation. A building improvement grant – not just facade improvement is required to make buildings habitable.

Over the decades, there have been numerous failed attempts for city investment in downtown. While there has been modest success with streetscape improvements, there has been no sustained focus in downtown reinvestment.

DT REINVESTMENT SITE PROPOSALS

The 2010 Downtown Plan resulted in limited success due to taking on the entire 60 block area of downtown with focus areas that were too large in scope and area. This plan focuses on two primary corridors and a small number of proposed improvements that are sized to be achievable for Killeen. The recommend focus corridors are Rancier Avenue, Gray Street connecting Avenue D to Rancier Avenue, and Avenue D connecting College Street to Gray Street.

Throughout the engagement and evaluation process, it became evident to the planning team that revival of the downtown would not be easy. However, it is a worthy goal, and over time an achievable one due to the local desire for stronger identity and local pride in Killeen. Across Texas and the country, historic downtowns have begun a renaissance by reinvesting in local character and vibrant walkable places. A downtown worthy of Killeen is possible, but it will require dedication and a thoughtful, realistic approach.

Rancier Avenue

A redesign of Rancier Avenue has the opportunity to set a new tone in Killeen by transforming a completely auto-oriented corridor into one that serves as a walkable corridor and quality gateway into downtown. The corridor can also serve as a more attractive entrance to Fort Hood.

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Key attributes should be incorporated into the design of Rancier Ave. to create more attractive entrance to Fort Hood.

Establish continuous sidewalks separated from the travel lanes.

Place street trees in a planted median and/or landscape strip.

Combine driveways and direct access parking spaces to improve safety and traffic flow, while reducing visual clutter.

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Utilize median - rather than continuous center turn lanes - to control turning movements, improving safety and traffic flow.

Adjust zoning to reduce or eliminate the minimum parking requirements so that the market can set parking amounts, rather than regulation.

Adjust ordinances to improve signage standards; this will reduce visual clutter and improve safety by limiting distractions.

Former HEB Site

Slow market demand has resulted in this site remaining vacant for an extended period of time. An incremental approach utilized by successful small developer Monte Anderson, in places like DeSoto and Dallas, could serve as a solution. This approach divides a large commercial space into smaller, more affordable retail and restaurant spaces. Temporary or modular structures can be added to the parking lot to frame the block edge. Modest landscape and building improvements can be made to transform a vacant space into a lively one. This approach has the added benefit of providing opportunity to dozens of entrepreneurs that can generate economic activity and potentially grow into larger, more permanent spaces.

Designing a place that is contextually appropriate for the community is imperative, but a number of common amenities for projects like this have been illustrated and identified for this site.

FOOD a commercial kitchen with various rentable stations provides an incubator for new food based enterprises. It can also serve as a communal space for learning about food.

SMALL-SCALE RETAIL breaking up the space into very small units provides inexpensive space for new and emerging businesses. Its uncommon for a new business to need 1000 square feet of space on day 1.

POPUP SHOPS AND TEMPORARY RETAIL a repurposing of the parking lot for food trucks, tents, and other temporary retail businesses will help to make the public space around the site as exciting as inside and frame the street as an outdoor room.

STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS Street Trees and landscaping are low-cost improvements that can make the space more inviting.

ON STREET PARKING Angled parking along Gray Street can provide both overflow parking for the lot, as well as make use of the extremely wide ROW along Gray St.

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Temporary Event Space

The concept illustrates infill development with a mix of uses on a key vacant lot in downtown. This is an example of the importance of city alignment to encourage private investment to get off the sidelines - that private investment has an affordable option here with easy entry for start-ups. Some incremental and more permanent options in existing open space are shown, with parking to help facilitate downtown events and permanently increase the retail and restaurant offerings in the area. Modest improvements can encourage commitment from events like the Farmer’s Market or live music by accommodating their needs.

Designing a place that is contextually appropriate for the community is imperative, but a number of common amenities for projects like this have been illustrated and identified for this site.

DOWNTOWN SPACE SMALL MULTIPLEX Small apartments that fit the scale of Downtown should be encouraged, they provide a larger group of patrons for Downtown businesses that don’t increase street usage by automobiles.

MICRO-RETAIL Commercial space at all increments allows for businesses to begin, grow and thrive.

RESTAURANT PLAZA & PATIO SPACE Outdoor gathering spaces are beneficial for both restaurants and adjacent businesses, they allow people to linger comfortably which is a benefit to nearby commerce.

SEATING UNDER TREES Shaded, comfortable seating helps to make a space a place of delight and enjoyment.

PARKING LOT CONVERSION A festival space is versatile, allowing for Farmers’ Markets, family movie nights, portable stages, and parade staging grounds.

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Full Block Redevelopment

Multi-Tenant

Given the high level of vacancy in downtown blocks, its reasonable to assume that full-block redevelopment opportunities could arise. When that happens it is important to consider the urban form of the development and to ensure that redevelopment contributes both to the fiscal resiliency of the city as well as creating a comfortable space for people to inhabit.

Designing a place that is contextually appropriate for the community is imperative, but a number of common amenities for projects like this have been illustrated and identified on this graphic.

INFILL DEVELOPMENT many downtown blocks include existing buildings with ample open space. When possible rehabbing those existing buildings and filling in the gaps with new development is superior to demolition and rebuilding.

RESTAURANTS AND OUTDOOR SPACES providing for comfortable outdoor spaces and businesses like restaurants that attract and incentivize people to stay and spend time in the development.

PUBLIC SPACE Even small greens and plazas help to make the people who use this space feel more comfortable and create a sense of pride in the place.

MULTI-TENANT A larger building with many small spaces provides incubator space for fledgling businesses. Very few businesses need more than a couple of hundred square feet of space.

STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS All redevelopment in downtown should include improvement to the streetscape, making pedestrian activity more pleasant.

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Full Block Redevelopment

Large Tenant Building

Given the high level of vacancy in downtown blocks, its reasonable to assume that full-block redevelopment opportunities could arise. When that happens it is important to consider the urban form of the development and to ensure that redevelopment contributes both to the fiscal resiliency of the city as well as creating a comfortable space for people to inhabit.

Any large tenant will have a requirements for how they design their space, but these items below can be applied to any design, and help the overall project still fit the nature, and feel of the future, friendly, and welcoming Downtown Killeen

CENTRALIZED PARKING Automobiles while a necessary part of the urban landscape should not create a buffer between a building and the streets that surround it. Pulling the parking to the center, or behind the building can reduce its negative effects to the pedestrian environment.

URBAN FORM A building that is scaled to pedestrians, and comes up to the public realm, in this case the sidewalk helps it to blend and fit with the aesthetic of Downtown.

ARCHITECTURE Building architectures should fit the vernacular and style of surrounding buildings.

SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS Sidewalks should be improved to make pedestrians feel as comfortable in their space as possible. Widening where possible and including trees along the street for shade and protection are important.

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Full Block Redevelopment

Civic Use Building

Downtown has both the capacity, and need for civic spaces. Should the city or another entity redevelop in Downtown these elements should be considered and made a part of the new space. Civic spaces serve principally to bring the community together and the built environment in which they inhabit must work to do that.

Designing a place that is contextually appropriate for the community is imperative, but a number of common amenities for projects like this have been illustrated and identified for developments of this type.

PARKING Downtown does not need more surface parking lots. Parking can be accommodated through existing street parking or improvement to the street edge to accommodate parking needs. If additional parking is needed is can be accommodated in one of many off-site lots, ideally though a shared parking agreement.

BUILDING DESIGN A civic building should feature prominent and well-articulated facades to demonstrate its value in the community and set an example for private building quality in downtown.

OPEN SPACE Placement of building should allow for some amount of usable open space such as a plaza or green space.

STREET EDGE Sidewalks and walks to building entrances should include street trees to provide shade as well street furniture and pedestrian scaled lighting where appropriate.

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Veterans Park

This concept and the accompanying cross section exhibit are an example of reconfiguring and expanding on the existing Veterans Park elements in a way that turns the fenced-off area into usable greenspace. This concept includes family-friendly elements. Ideally, these park improvements would be accompanied by redevelopment of the adjacent city block.

Suggested Improvements

REDEVELOPMENT SITES

CALM LAWN

ACTIVE KID PLAY AREA

FORMAL LAWN

Existing Elements

KILLEEN HELP CENTER

BUS STATION

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AVE. D | URBAN WALKWAY | HELICOPTER | PASSIVE SEATING UNDER TREES | KIDS IMMERSIVE PLAYGROUND

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BUS SHELTER STAGE AND LAWN AREA TANK URBAN WALKWAY AVE. C

DT CONTEXT MAP

Legend

POINTS OF INTEREST

REINVESTMENT PROPOSALS

STREETSCAPE IMPROVEMENT CORRIDORS

RECOMMENDED ON STREET PARKING

PUBLIC SPACE

EXISTING BUILDINGS

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152 Introduction - Section Title

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

A dopting policies, initiating programs, and executing projects that move the city closer to its identity statement and big ideas what makes a plan successful. The proposed implementation program is composed of a few overarching, general recommendations and actions along with more focused recommendations and actions related to each of the organizational components.

1. Embrace the Comprehensive Plan as the primary document to inform growth, development, and investment (budget) decisions. A well run city has a unified community vision, strategic objectives (big ideas), and common language that brings people and perspectives together and aligns resources in a manner that maximizes progress toward these shared goals. This document provides the framework that other plans, policies, and budgets should follow in order to strengthen Killeen's fiscal position and improve quality of life and affordability for current and future residents and businesses.

2. Take control of the narrative about Killeen Killeen is an extremely diverse community with the opportunity to attract residents and businesses looking for an affordable, gritty alternative to Austin and surrounding suburbs, but the community's perception has been harmed by a combination of outside media focusing on negative events and to a lesser extent, some of the locals not taking enough pride in their own homes and neighborhoods. The City must get in front of this with a strong branding effort that celebrates the diversity, community service, and grit that make it unique and a proactive media and PR campaign that shares local success stories and promotes opportunities targeted at people who want to be part of community-led change and revitalization.

3. Cultivate a more resilient and self-sustaining local economy and workforce Killeen is struggling to compete with other surrounding cities for certain types of businesses, but it has assets in the military, multiple colleges, and a downtown ripe for entrepreneur-led small businesses that together provide the ingredients to grow a diverse workforce, revitalize downtown, and establish larger businesses around targeted industries such as cybersecurity.

4. Align development and budgeting with the community’s values and desired outcomes As a community with a growing gap between needs and available resources, it is critical that the City invest resources in projects that increase tax revenues while limiting additional costs and infrastructure liabilities. The city should explore outcome and priority-based budgeting to improve transparency and effectiveness of budgeting going forward.

IMPLEMENTATION

RECOMMENDATIONS & ACTIONS

IMPLEMENTATION OVERVIEW

How should Implementation be approached?

A well thought-out implementation program is critical to building early momentum after the Plan is adopted. This chapter identifies key steps and actions to be taken to make progress toward the community’s identity statement, big ideas, and recommendations. Actions are organized by the organizational component, recommendation, and general time-frame. They also include information on which city department or entity the item applies to and who is accountable (lead) for the item.

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An Incremental Focus

Oftentimes plans lose traction quickly because implementation recommendations prioritize too many large, complex projects that take many years to complete and require funding the city doesn’t have. An alternative approach is to embrace an incremental, iterative approach that makes meaningful progress toward bigger goals immediately with the resources the community has available. The proposed implementation program was built around the Strong Towns “barbell strategy”, where roughly 80 percent of projects are small, low risk projects that can be completed quickly with minimal resources and the other 20 percent toward larger high risk, high reward projects.

Most of our investments need to be riskless, but a small fraction need to be high risk, high reward.

Chuck Marohn, Strong Towns

The program prioritizes small, low-cost tactical strategies in the near term (0-2 years) to continue education about the community’s vision and priorities, build momentum and strengthen relationships with the citizens and partners. This 2-year implementation plan should be reviewed every 2 years to evaluate work that was completed, assess current conditions, and then establish a new program for the next 2 years. Action items related to critical bigger projects involving large financial commitments, land acquisition or partnerships have also been prioritized in the near term so the city can begin to refine, prioritize and fund these projects in future years as resources become available. Some additional focus has been put on the first five years, since that is a common time period for development of Capital Improvement Programs (CIPs) and we are able to predict growth and economic development activity to a fair degree. Actions that we know will be important in the future are identified so that everyone can be aware of them, but less detail is given regarding the exact timing and priority since conditions are likely to be different five years from now than they are today.

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THESE IMAGES SHOW EXAMPLES OF SMALL-SCALE LOW-COST URBAN IMPROVEMENTS THAT CAN BE UNDERTAKEN TO GAUGE COMMUNITY INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION.

Neighborhood Centric

The majority of this plan focuses on improving quality of life for residents at the neighborhood level. Studies show that when quality of life is improved, property values and city revenues increase, and the wealth, health, and social wellbeing of residents also improve. And nobody knows what is needed in a neighborhood more than the people who live, work, worship, and recreate there every day. As such, the second critical aspect of the proposed implementation strategy centers around working with a neighborhood “cultivator crew” (residents, local businesses, and other community and philanthropic partners) to create and execute a series of neighborhood enhancement plans. These plans are intended to be lean, living documents that organize and prioritize ideas from the people in the neighborhood into small projects that will make the neighborhood incrementally better. Some of the projects will require city support through staff and funding, while others should be projects that can be done independently by residents with partnerships with philanthropic organizations and local businesses.

Killeen does not currently have strong neighborhood boundaries and branding in place, so the first steps in implementing a neighborhood-centric process will involve working with the community to create a neighborhood map, identifying neighborhood leaders, and soliciting input from citizens to determine the first few neighborhoods to get started with. Over time, as interest and resources grow, more neighborhoods can be added.

Like the 2-year implementation plans referenced above, the neighborhood enhancement plans should also be reviewed and updated on a 2-year basis. An example of how the 2-year process could be structured follows.

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Neighborhood Enhancement Plan Process

YEAR 1

• Q1
  • ASSEMBLE NEIGHBORHOOD CULTIVATOR CREW AND STAFF LIAISON
  • MEETING TO REVIEW EXISTING CITY PLANS AND CAPTURE INITIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND ISSUES
• Q2
  • WALKSHOP(S) TO ASSESS CONDITIONS, CAPTURE AND DISCUSS IDEAS
  • MEETING/WORKSHOP TO MAP OUT, REFINE, AND PRIORITIZE PROJECTS
• Q3
  • EFFORTS TO RECRUIT RESOURCES AND PARTNERS
  • MEETING/WORKSHOP TO DEVELOP DETAILED PROJECT PLANS WITH OBJECTIVE(S), TIMELINE, AND RESOURCES.
• Q4
  • BEGIN EXECUTION OF PROJECTS
  • MEETING: PROGRESS UPDATES

YEAR 2

• Q1
  • PROJECT EXECUTION
  • MEETING: PROGRESS UPDATES
• Q2
  • PROJECT EXECUTION
  • MEETING: PROGRESS UPDATES
• Q3
  • PROJECT EXECUTION
  • MEETING: PROGRESS UPDATES
• Q4
  • PROJECT EXECUTION - COMPLETE PROJECTS
  • MEETING: REVIEW PROJECTS AND DOCUMENT LESSONS LEARNED

Partnerships

Citizen participation and collaboration with local and regional agencies are vital for successful implementation of our plan. Some of the most critical partners that need to play a role in implementation are identified below.

City of Killeen

The city is the primary entity responsible for the implementation of the plan. The City of Killeen will have a role in every action item being proposed. If a strategy is viewed as important for the community but not something within the City's direct control (such as the school system or state highways), the City is expected to actively participate with the lead entity to accomplish the task. The departments and groups within the City of Killeen that are expected to have a lead role in implementation include:

• Mayor and City Council
• Public Works
• City Attorney
• Recreation Services
• City Manager
• Police and Fire
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Development Services
• Community Development

Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (CPAC) Members

The CPAC representatives are a very important group regarding implementation, especially in the period right after plan adoption. These citizens have been involved with the development of the plan and have a deeper understanding of why certain decisions and recommendations have been made. This group will be tasked with raising awareness with the broader community by leading efforts in their neighborhoods, presenting at local events such as chamber, rotary club, church group meetings, and serving as an advisory group for Council for future implementation and prioritization decisions.

Community Members

Killeen desires to be a community where neighbors, citizens, businesses, churches, and other community organizations work together to make lives better for everyone, every day. The City and CPAC must work early on to engage these different segments of our community to make them aware of the plan and engage them in the small, incremental implementation initiatives that will enhance quality of life in our neighborhoods while also sharing the resource burden with the City.

Local Agencies

Many of the topics and initiatives covered in this plan will require collaboration with other local agencies within and around the City of Killeen. These include:

• City of Killeen Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Officials
• Killeen Independent School District
• Adjacent municipalities – City of Copperas Cove, City of Harker Heights, City of Belton, City of Temple
• Texas A & M University - Central Texas
• U. S. Army Fort Hood

County, Regional, & State Agencies

Partnerships and collaboration with these agencies will be especially important for mobility, water and open space initiatives. These groups include:

• Bell County
• Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
• Bell County Water Control & Improvement District No. 1
• Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG)
• Killeen-Temple Metropolitan Planning Organization
• Hill Country Transit District - The HOP
• Texas Parks and Wildlife
• Texas Water Development Board
• Texas Commission for Environmental Quality (TCEQ)
• US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Fort Worth District
• Texas Economic Development

Public-Private Partnerships

Certain projects are eligible for public-private partnerships (PPPs). These provide an opportunity for the City and other local agencies to partner with the private and non-profit sectors to jointly participate (primarily through funding) in the implementation of development and infrastructure projects.

Implementation Actions

There are several different types of implementation activities. Each action item proposed falls under one of the following categories.

Guidelines

Plans and design guidelines (such as technical standards) that are used to guide development of the functional and visual environment throughout the city or within certain “districts”.

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Regulations

Ordinances and adopted policies that are used to guide and enforce development patterns in the city, most notably the zoning and subdivision ordinances.

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Financial & Process Incentives

One of the ways a city can encourage development of the type, quality and form it wants in areas that align with principles and policies in this plan (and discourage the opposite) is to provide monetary incentives. Examples include reduced fees, tax rebates and loans or grants. Fast-tracked approvals and other expedited processes that save developers time (and money) are another method a city can use to support desired development.

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Tactical/Community

Low budget projects that can be executed by residents and other partners to address safety and quality of life issues and test out ideas while waiting for funds to become available for more permanent improvements.

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Education and Communication

Programs and activities that inform, engage and connect citizens, local businesses and agency partners, and help with promotion of the community to prospective residents, developers and employers.

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Partnerships

Specific partnerships and collaborative efforts that are needed or that can help to achieve the desired vision for our community.

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Capital Investments

Infrastructure projects and other city investments that help preserve and enhance economic growth, property values and quality of life.

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IMPLEMENTATION

BY ORGANIZATIONAL COMPONENT

General

General, Continued.

Land Use & Growth Management

LU1 Use place types and complete neighborhoods as building blocks

1. Update the city's Zoning Ordinance and Development Regulations to align with the FLUP, policies and recommendations in this Plan.
2. Revamp the city's transportation policies and design standards to support walkable neighborhood and safe street principles.
3. Earmark funds to implement items in the Parks Master Plan that prioritize creation of parks and public spaces and improved bike/pedestrian connectivity in existing neighborhoods.
4. Create a new facilities master plan that supports the FLUM, development zones and complete neighborhood concepts in this Plan.
5. Meet annually with KISD representatives in a public setting to discuss how to better coordinate City and school district plans, policies, and improvements.
6. Host a bi-annual working session with community partners to connect economic development priorities, programs and incentives into a cohesive community wide approach.
7. Every five years, evaluate the Future Land Use and Place Type elements of this plan against the Zoning Ordinance to ensure guidelines are consistent with citywide adopted goals.

LU2 Improve the fiscal productivity of development.

1. Develop and maintain a dashboard to track critical citywide metrics for land use and infrastructure fiscal performance (GF/ac, GF/HH, levy/ac, etc).
2. Create a fiscal impact analysis process and tool, based on citywide goals, to evaluate the fiscal impact of proposed redevelopment, development, and infrastructure projects.
3. Develop and adopt growth management criteria that guide development and infrastructure decisions in each growth sector.
4. Perform fiscal impact analysis on development projects and discuss results of analysis in P&Z/Council memos and presentations.
5. Establish fiscal performance targets for new development projects and update every 2 years as needed.
6. Track progress in utilizing the development review process and collaboration with developers of all sizes to bring project proposals into target, every 3 years.
7. Complete an updated land use fiscal assessment every 3 years to monitor progress and updated fiscal metrics associated with various zoning categories.

Land Use & Growth Management, Continued.

LU3 Encourage incremental evolution of neighborhoods

LU4 Prioritize infill and revitalization in north Killeen

LU5 Preserve and enhance natural areas.

Neighborhoods

NH1 Create a citywide neighborhood framework.

1. Develop a Complete Neighborhood Checklist that lists the components that need to be present in the different types of neighborhoods to make them complete, make it available online, and incorporate it into development review policy.
2. Conduct a citywide Complete Neighborhood Assessment to document existing conditions, define preliminary neighborhood boundaries, and identify interested neighborhood partners.
3. Conduct a series of public meetings throughout the city to solicit input on neighborhood boundaries and naming and identify people interested in championing planning and implementation efforts in their neighborhood.
4. Finalize and adopt a citywide neighborhood boundary and naming map once public feedback has been collected.
5. Distribute bi-annually the Complete Neighborhood Checklist to the community and solicit the assistance of residents, partners and organizations to document existing conditions in each identified neighborhood and identify needs and opportunities.
6. Utilize a community survey process to accept nominations for and select the first four neighborhoods (in addition to Downtown) for the city to initiate neighborhood planning and enhancement efforts.
7. Prepare Incremental Neighborhood Improvement Plans for each selected neighborhood (to include top 5-10 incremental projects for upcoming 2 years).
8. Partner with neighborhood leaders to organize bi-annual meetings in each neighborhood to report progress and organize next steps on month-to-month basis.
9. Organize and facilitate an annual meeting of Neighborhood leaders to share and exchange ideas and lessons learned.
10. Evaluate the program every 2 years to determine when to add additional neighborhoods.

NH2 Enforce the codes you have.

1. Prepare summary sheets and facilitate meetings with residents to share tools such as HOAs, crime watch groups, and other related proactive measures that can be undertaken by residents to improve safety and aesthetics in their neighborhoods.
2. Complete research and share findings with City Council on best practices in voluntary compliance and progressive code enforcement alternatives.
3. Adopt strategy for achieving voluntary compliance and modernizing code enforcement techniques.
4. Evaluate and leverage technology to increase the effectiveness of on-site residential inspections and enhance communication with citizenry.
5. Perform routine tree and landscape maintenance, particulary after storm events to remove any hazards to pedestrians and homeowners.

Neighborhoods, Continued.

NH3 Diversify housing mix (types and price points).

1. Develop and maintain an inventory of existing and entitled housing units by type, occupancy status, and value and include impact on these numbers in proposed development evaluations/recommendations.
2. Eliminate approval of single-use suburban subdivisions.
3. Update development standards to offer expedited approvals for projects that add missing middle housing (duplex, triplex, live/work, etc) in areas that are in downtown and north Killeen neighborhoods.
4. Update development standards to allow addition of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in suburban subdivisions by right.
5. Recruit and partner with developers to build new master planned mixed-use, multigenerational neighborhoods with range of home types, values, and amenities.
6. In areas outside the city limits and/or identified as rural estate place type, encourage preservation of existing homesteads and development of high end rural estate style neighborhoods for those seeking rural style living and larger lots.

NH4 Build complete neighborhoods.

1. When suburban development is proposed, ensure it is done in the "Residential Mix" place type and have a mix of street and block types, housing, retail/office/commercial that include very small scale spaces, and open space.
2. Deliver projects identified in Neighborhood Improvement Plans to incrementally transition neighborhoods to a higher standard of completeness, in partnership with residents, local developers, and community organizations.
3. Conduct outreach annually to identify, connect, and provide ongoing support to a network of local small developers and entrepreneurs to expand commercial and residential options in existing neighborhoods.
4. Update development standards to require every residence be within 1/2 mile of a park and provide sufficient bike/walk connections throughout neighborhoods.
5. Develop and share guidelines with residents for where and how to paint artistic crosswalks and intersections within neighborhoods.
6. Conduct a survey with residents to identify opportunities to establish community gardens in parks and city-owned properties.

Neighborhoods, Continued.

NH5 Update design standards to enhance the quality of buildings, infrastructure, and neighborhoods.

1 Overhaul design and construction standards with a new focus on quality and appearance of residential and commercial buildings.

2 Establish design and construction standards that improve appearance and condition of roads, streets, trails and parks.

3 Revamp stormwater management policies and design standards so that extreme weather events are mitigated and water quality is improved.

4 Establish incentives program to assist in funding for relocation of overhead utilities underground on (re) development projects.

5 Review the lighting ordinance to ensure appropriate and compatible site and building lighting for new development.

NH6 Shift the market to include existing housing.

1 Coordinate with realtors to steer first time home buyers to existing housing stock so that new single family homes can be built and sold at higher value ranges that better reflect true development and service costs.

2 Reduce or eliminate permitting and impact fees when adding units, or rehabbing existing structures in built-out areas.

NH7 Focus on delivering housing for those in need.

1 Conduct research on strategies to address homelessness, particularly those that go beyond just providing temporary housing.

2 Prepare a feasibility report on teaming up with the Veterans Community Project to build tiny house villages to provide quality, affordable housing for veterans.

3 Identify sites that could be potential locations for micro-housing for the homeless.

Mobility & Connectivity

MC1 Adjust planning approach to consider non-vehicular trips.

1. Update and formally adopt a new Thoroughfare Plan and accompanying design standards that reflect the recommendations in this Plan.
2. Review and update Roadway Impact Fees and Street Fees to fund roadway projects that reinforce the growth strategies recommended in this Plan.
3. Update the city's traffic model and modeling approach to account for non-vehicular trips.
4. Prepare and present a #VisionZero ordinance to City Council advocating for safe streets and a goal of zero fatalities on city roads and streets.
5. Complete an assessment of existing transportation corridors to compare them to their designated corridor types and context (place type) and identify and prioritize strategies to convert them over time.
6. Review Thoroughfare Plan, Future Land Use Plan and design standards a minimum of every five years and update to reflect the current uses and future interests of the community.
7. Use MPO representative platform to advocate for the City of Killeen's public transit, bikeway, and regional roadway needs.
8. Earmark funds to construct top priority trail and bike facility projects as identified in the Park Master Plan and neighborhood planning efforts.

MC2 Coordinate land use and mobility strategies to create commercial nodes in each development zone of the city and within neighborhoods.

1. Identify intersections and collector corridors that are ideal for micro and small neighborhood commercial uses during the neighborhood planning processes.
2. Update zoning and development regulations to limit auto-oriented businesses with larger parking needs to regional commercial areas and encourage micro and neighborhood scale commercial nodes within 1/2 mile spacing.

MC3 Improve network connectivity.

1. Update development regulations and design standards to encourage grid street network design, complete connections to adjacent development, line up intersections, and minimize dead-end streets.
2. Prepare a map identifying locations where collectors should be extended to improve connections and circulation.
3. Secure right-of-way for critical thoroughfare connections, either through developer agreements for new development or through acquisition of properties when opportunities arise.
4. Update development regulations to require developers to construct a network of shared use paths and sidewalks within development and complete connections to adjacent/nearby facilities.

Mobility & Connectivity, Continued.

MC4 Design neighborhood streets to prioritize people, place, and fiscal productivity.

1. Make neighborhood streets public space that is calm, desirable, pedestrian-friendly, and safe. Design new neighborhood streets to provide the same elements.
2. Develop streetscape design standards that enhance the pedestrian and cyclist experience, including trees, lighting, street furniture, and wayfinding.
3. Install sidewalks on both sides of the streets throughout neighborhoods.
4. Establish annual program and budget to identify and connect gaps in existing sidewalks as part of neighborhood planning and improvement efforts, beginning with Trimmier and Stan Schlueter
5. Prohibit parking in bike lanes and enforce it.
6. Prohibit parking of trailers and large trucks on neighborhood streets and enforce it.
7. Identify the busiest intersections and implement the appropriate traffic calming measurements such as roundabouts, traffic signals, shared space, and stop signs.
8. Address some traffic calming necessary at the intersection of James Lopp and Velma Drive to prevent additional accidents.

MC5 Prioritize safe and efficient movement of vehicles on arterials.

1. Update design standards to limit bike and pedestrian facilities and crossings in arterial corridors; where they are included, provide maximum separation and physical barriers to protect pedestrians.
2. As redevelopment occurs along arterials, look for opportunities to close driveways and medians to improve access management and traffic flow.
3. Conduct a study of Elms Road to evaluate potential improvements to assure the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.
4. Conduct a study of Stan Schlueter Loop to evaluate potential improvements to assure the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.

MC6 Maximize return on investment for mobility infrastructure

1. Conduct an updated pavement management study that measures and maps the pavement condition, estimated maintenance costs, and future replacement cost and timing.
2. Develop and implement an aggressive pavement management strategy to extend the life of existing streets and allow more time for the street fee fund to grow.
3. Update typical sections and design criteria to build Collectors with the ability to transform and adapt to changes in surrounding land use over time (by adding/removing travel lanes, bike lanes, on street parking, parklets, etc).
4. Update design standards to reduce pavement and lane widths to reduce maintenance and construction costs and slow cars down to improve safety.

Mobility & Connectivity, Continued.

MC7 Provide mobility options for everyone.

1. Apply for and utilize Safe Routes to Schools funding to expand safe and connected routes to area schools.
2. Adopt a Multimodal Streets Ordinance to meet the standards for a Bicycle Friendly Community as determined by the League of American Bicyclists.
3. Prepare a map identifying current and potential walkable neighborhood nodes and transit stops in Killeen.
4. Meet with representatives from The HOP and regional MPO to discuss and implement a pilot program testing route options and stop frequencies, and actively promote using City and other media outlets.
5. Paint bike lanes along main streets within neighborhoods, such as James Loop.

MC8 Develop and implement branded gateways and wayfinding strategy within the core.

1. Create gateway, streetscape and signage themes for the Downtown core, beginning with the area bounded by Rancier Avenue, Veterans Memorial Blvd, College and 10th.
2. Design and reconstruct Rancier Avenue as a complete street from Fort Hood entrance to 10th Street (minimum).
3. Evaluate and design gateway improvements along Veterans Memorial Blvd from College Street to 10th Street.
4. Design and construct improvements to College, 2nd, Gray, 10th and Ave G to improve wayfinding and bike/pedestrian connectivity into the core.

MC9 Utilize tactical, low-cost improvements to incrementally transition auto-oriented roads to slower speed, pedestrian-friendly streets.

1. Complete an assessment of existing collectors and local streets to identify and prioritize corridors to restripe to reduce lane widths and add bike lanes or on-street parking.
2. Partner with residents and neighborhood groups to identify areas where inexpensive improvements such as painting bike lanes or crosswalks and filling in gaps in existing sidewalks will improve pedestrian safety and mobility within and between neighborhoods and activity centers.
3. Complete restriping of prioritized corridors, starting with the projects identified in the Mobility chapter.

Downtown

DT1 Improve and Increase Downtown Events and Programming.

1. Earmark funding to continue and enhance organized monthly events in Downtown.
2. Set up a staff booth at community events to share progress on downtown initiatives and recruit people and resources for future events.
3. Explore opportunities to return events that used to be in Downtown, like the Farmers Market.
4. Encourage downtown uses that are scalable to periodic events such as areas for food trucks and temporary vendors.
5. Make temporary or permanent open space improvements to facilitate events, beginning with the space near the Chamber of Commerce building.
6. Create events that feature the diverse international population and foods in Killeen.
7. Feature local musicians, entertainers, and artisans to provide entertainment for Downtown businesses and events.
8. Regularly schedule programming that caters to a wide variety of residents of the city and surrounding communities.
9. Evaluate longer term project to create a larger permanent public space for downtown events, such as the Veterans Memorial Park concept.

DT2 Improve safety and wayfinding in Downtown.

1. Identify a location and establish a permanent police substation in Downtown or north Killeen.
2. Provide location and programs for homeless to have access to social service personnel with experience addressing homeless issues.
3. Identify individuals and organizations specializing in PTSD and homelessness and partner with them to create and execute an intentional long-term strategy to reduce homelessness.
4. Increase visual police presence in Downtown and encourage patrols that engage the community in a positive way.
5. Create a striping and wayfinding plan for downtown to direct people to parking, public areas, and subdistricts.
6. Utilize tactical urbanism methods to paint on-street parking spaces, bike lanes and crosswalks, and add wayfinding signage.
7. Identify areas where lighting is insufficient and install improvements, especially in public parking areas and high traffic pedestrian areas.
8. Design and install wayfinding signs throughout Downtown.

Downtown, Continued

DT3 Create and enhance public spaces and streetscape.

1. Develop streetscape design standards that include tree plantings, lighting, street furniture, and wayfinding guides.
2. Expand the scope and available amount for the facade grant program to support more and better quality enhancements to existing buildings and signage.
3. Draft an idea sheet for distribution to local property owners and businesses on how to activate vacant storefronts and windows, and feature these projects widely online.
4. Activate vacant windows and storefronts with public art and signage.
5. Install fiber and public wi-fi in downtown.
6. Chamber Plaza - Design and implement tactical improvements to expand on design in Comp Plan.
7. Chamber Plaza - Design and construct permanent improvements.
8. Veterans Memorial Park - Design and implement tactical improvements to expand on design in Comp Plan.
9. Veterans Memorial Park - Conduct a fundraising campaign to assist in funding the permanent park improvements.
10. Veterans Memorial Park - Design and construct permanent improvements.

DT4 Embrace the small/incremental approach to add residential units and small scale commercial spaces.

1. Continue and enhance the Vacant Building Registry program and make a list of vacant buildings and sale prices available on the City's website.
2. Conduct an annual survey to identify property owners of vacant spaces willing to activate them with pop-up programs, activities, events and businesses. Create a list and collaborate with interested locals to locate and schedule activations.
3. Identify buildings that can be easily retrofitted into live-work spaces and work with property owners and local small developers to get them redeveloped.
4. Hold a small developer bootcamp annually through Incremental Development Alliance or similar organization to train interested locals on how to be a small scale local developer.
5. Start a revolving loan fund or similar funding mechanism to support small businesses and reduce building improvement expenses for interested tenants.
6. Update zoning to allow for a wider range of housing and commercial types and sizes in Downtown and adjacent neighborhoods.

Downtown, Continued

DT5 Strengthen partnerships and focus collective resources to maximize impact.

1. Hire a Downtown Revitalization Coordinator to focus on identifying, connecting, and supporting people, resources and opportunities.
2. Restart the Downtown Partnership Committee to support and communicate efforts to enhance Downtown.
3. Collaborate with community partners (EDC, Chamber, colleges, etc) to create a unified strategy and incremental improvement plan specifically for Downtown.
4. Create a Downtown Studio or set location where interested parties can pop in and/or meet regularly to get information, network, discuss projects, and brainstorm ideas.
5. Create program where city acts as a facilitator for financing and equity between community investors/ banks and business/ property owners rather than just a source of grants/ loans.
6. Revive and expand the role and timeline of TIRZ #2 to catalyze revitalization in Downtown and north Killeen.
7. Utilize TIRZ 2 funding to rebuild Rancier as complete street to enhance Fort Hood's "front door" and establish a gateway into Downtown.
8. Explore membership in the Texas Main Street program.
9. Partner with Fort Hood to create and share materials and programs that encourage soldiers and their families to visit and support Downtown businesses and activities.
10. Partner with Texas A&M - Central Texas and Central Texas College to develop a plan to create office, classroom, and residential space in Downtown.
11. Meet annually with the Killeen Arts and Activities Center and local artisans and philanthropic organizations to develop annual actions to increase public art and entertainment.
12. Conduct an annual meeting with churches to identify ways to support programs and activities in downtown that complement their goals and offer their members dining and shopping opportunities around services and other events.

DT6 Provide locations for county facility and incubator/innovation space to increase traffic and activity in Downtown.

1. Identify a location for the new County facility in Downtown that meets the needs of the county but also fits in the design context of the Downtown vision.
2. Meet with Texas A&M - Central Texas on its Research Park and Innovation District plan to identify ways to leverage their funding and staffing resources to establish and grow an entrepreneurial ecosystem downtown that complements Research Park.

APPENDIX

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IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX

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LAND USE & GROWTH MANAGEMENT

MOBILITY & CONNECTIVITY