City Council Got it Right in Approving Texas A-M Regional Center Plan
The A&M Regional Plan is focused on providing valuable community additions for current and future residents that have long been missing.
By Thad Rutherford, For the Express-News
The San Antonio City Council’s approval of the Texas A&M Regional Center Plan, following more than five years of planning and public meetings, should be commended.
This is an area that has long been viewed as an industrial employment hub, and the Texas A&M-San Antonio Area Regional Center is a diverse economic engine for opportunity. Council’s approval means a lot to those of us who own businesses in, live in or visit this part of our community.
The city proactively created regional centers several years ago as a means to guide growth in different parts of the community, specific to each area’s population, infrastructure, special features and growth projections. There are 13 regional centers across San Antonio, each focused around a specific employment center. On the South Side, three regional centers were identified — Port San Antonio, Brooks and Texas A&M University-San Antonio.
If you haven’t had the chance to visit the Texas A&M-San Antonio campus recently, I strongly encourage you to do so. Wrapped in stunning architecture, this fast-growing campus is alive with the energy of more than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and world-class faculty.
The campus is home to an array of colleges, a breathtaking library-business school and a new recreation center filled with students working out on state-of-the-art equipment or playing ball in the enormous gym.
Texas A&M University Chancellor John Sharp affirmed recently that he envisions the San Antonio campus will be the A&M system’s second-largest in the state.
Across the street from campus is the active 68-acre construction site for University Health’s new VIDA Health Clinic and the 166-bed Palo Alto Hospital. The hospital campus is a part of the sprawling VIDA San Antonio community — filled with homes, townhomes, apartments, parks, trails and planned retail.
The A&M Regional Plan is focused on providing valuable community additions — long missing — for current and future residents, in addition to protecting critical natural resources, including the Medina River Preserve and Leon Creek Preserve.
It calls for improving infrastructure, including roads, sidewalks, adding utility and broadband access, and creating walkable, bikeable areas that connect neighborhoods and make a safer environment for families.
This plan has garnered media attention recently, with some characterizing it as a measure to curtail land rights for area residents. Additionally, there are suggestions that it may be related to a proposed overlay with different boundaries and goals. However, I applaud the San Antonio City Council for making the distinction between these two efforts.
The A&M Regional Center Plan was created to promote safety, well-being and opportunity in a fast-growing part of the city that is central to our shared history and future.
“We extend our sincere gratitude to all who contributed to the development of the Texas A&M Regional Center Plan. Together, we proudly celebrate our community and the progress we’ve achieved.”
Originally published in the San Antonio Express-News.