Friday, June 19, 2009

City of Richardson 2009 Comprehensive Plan receives CLIDE Award from NCTCOG

By Andrew Laska of Richardson Echo

The City of Richardson announced yesterday that it received a prestigious Celebrating Leadership in Development Excellence (CLIDE) Award from the North Central Texas Council of Governments. It received the award in the public policy and planning category for its work on the 2009 Comprehensive Plan.

The City of Richardson was one of only nine projects selected for the award. This is the fourth consecutive time the City of Richardson has won a CLIDE award. The CLIDE Awards, presented every two years, “celebrate regional excellence by recognizing individuals and entities that are helping to ensure the region’s sustainability into the future” according to the City of Richardson.

The Richardson plan is “a clear plan that uses interesting and important themes to tie its various recommendations, which focus appropriately on sustainable goals and making Richardson more livable and more urban,” said Brenda Scheer, the CLIDE Awards jury chair.

Richardson Mayor Gary Slagel said, “We are extremely proud that the hard work and collective efforts of the City Council and the City Plan Commission to develop a solid, comprehensive plan for the City of Richardson, which has resulted in this esteemed recognition…. The thorough processes we followed during the development phases, including significant public input initiatives, contributed greatly to the final product, which wisely encapsulates all that is envisioned for Richardson over the next 20 to 30 years.”

Adopted on Jan. 12, 2009, the City of Richardson Comprehensive Plan was a 2007-09 City Council initiative and was a joint effort of the City Council and the City Plan Commission. The final plan was built on the foundation of past plans and establishes a vision for Richardson over the next 20 to 30 years. It communicates Richardson’s values, goals and objectives and acts as a policy guide for decision-making. Focusing on major themes that were organized into 10 elements – background, demographics, land use, transportation, urban design, neighborhoods, community facilities, parks and open space, environment and economic development – the plan defines Richardson as a signature City and anticipates the City’s future.

Other than this award the City of Richardson won CLIDE awards in the past in 2007 for the Texas Instruments RFAB in the “Special Development” category. The project was completed in 2006. In 2007, Centennial Park (now Brick Row) won in the “Public Planning and Policy” category; TOD zoning originally adopted in 2004. In 2005, The Block (now Block 24) received an award in the “Redevelopment” category. In 2003, the eight-part Richardson Today series “Transit-Oriented Development Frequently Asked Questions” won in the “Raising Public Awareness” category.

Other winners this year included Dallas for several projects including The Bridge, and its Green Building Ordinance. McKinney won for its town center initiative. Ft Worth, Grapevine, and Garland also won in other categories.

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