CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER
2 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
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INTRODUCTION 1.1 What Is A Comprehensive Plan? 1.2 Why Plan? 1.3 The Basis For Planning
INTRODUCTION “A [great] city is not an accident but the result of coherent visions and aims.” –Leon Krier
City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 3
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1
WHAT IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN?
1.2 WHY PLAN? The direction that the city of Keene takes in the future is rooted in decisions that we make today. The growth occurring in the broader Dallas Fort Worth region compels reflection and entails determining the course of Keene’s progress in context of its environs. Here is an opportunity to embrace Keene’s unique potential and position its development, drawing on the city’s authentic legacy and creating a vision that looks brightly into the future. This current context provides opportunities as well as challenges, which the comprehensive plan must tackle. Broadly speaking, the comprehensive plan must achieve the following goals:
CITY BRANDING: Comprehensive plans are guideposts that direct attention to existing needs of a community and instruct policies towards desired goals. These goals are key and outline the recommendations made by the plan, arrived at through a planning process that is designed to suit the local contexts and broader circumstances within which planning is conducted. Comprehensive plans are never an isolated process because the plans belong to the community and have the responsibility to deliver the goals as desired by the community. As such, comprehensive plan making entails meeting with stakeholders from within the community through steering committees and public meetings and surveys with local citizens. These collaborative meetings rely on active participation of those involved to elicit a wide range of voices, opinions and understandings in order to provide the most appropriate recommendations for the city’s future. The recommendations thus provided are also based on the rigorous research and analyses of data gathered by the planning team with assistance from officials from the city. 4 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
In order to distinguish itself to potential residents and private enterprises, and communicate its spatial, economic, demographic and historic uniqueness within the broader region
CAPTURE AND ATTRACT: In order to draw on the growth potential of the metroplex and avail for itself a portion of this imminent growth
PREPARE AND POSITION: In order to identify needs across housing, commercial and other infrastructure sectors and equip them for potential growth With a concerted vision our city can evolve in a manner reflective of our core values.
1. 3 The Basis For Planning
Creating a Vision This planning process assists a community to establish a vision comprised of the residents’ values, norms, and mores. The process then transforms that vision into goals and strategies for achievement. Several plans have been authored to guide the development of Keene; such documents have also been used to inform decision making: • • • • • •
Southwestern Adventist University: Campus Master Plan (2004) City of Keene: Economic Development & Infrastructure Strategy (2010) City of Keene: Master Plan (2010) City of Keene Strategy for the Future (Feb. 2010) City of Keene: Market Research Study (Sept. 2011) City of Keene: Community Survey (2011)
Public participation is vital to the planning process and provides tailored ideas and directions for the future of Keene. This plan is not exclusive to one neighborhood, subject or concern, or group. Instead it embraces the entire city. All of our parts―the urban, the natural, the aged, the young, the religious, the historic, the new developments―together, tell the story of Keene. While there may be varied preferences pertaining to the details, this plan captures the essence of the spirit of our city, our people and our future, providing us a roadmap to Keene 2040.
While municipalities in Texas are not mandated to prepare and maintain a Master City Plan, Chapter 213 of the Texas Local Government Code does grant communities the power to develop such plans “for the purpose of promoting sound development of municipalities and promoting public health, safety and welfare”. Chapter 213 gives communities such as Keene flexibility in the design of their plan which may: include provisions on land use, transportation, and public facilities
consist of single or multiple plans, and
be used to coordinate and guide the establishment of development regulations
In addition, a municipality may adopt or amend the plan into its charter or by ordinance following “a hearing at which the public is given the opportunity to give testimony and present written evidence, and review by the municipality’s planning commission or department, if one exists.” This will give Keene numerous options for continued implementation and/or modifications to their plan.
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CHAPTER 1
1.3 THE BASIS FOR PLANNING
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.4
THE PLANNING PROCESS The City of Keene has witnessed a great deal of change in and around its environs. In response to these changes the Comprehensive Plan is intended to guide the long term vision for Keene’s future development. The overall project includes a future regional growth analysis, land use plan and projected infrastructure demand analysis report. Therefore, the Comprehensive Plan is divided into four sections with description of these sections is provided in section III. This report covers the outcomes generated from the baseline analysis and public engagement strategy and is designed to predicate the analyses to be undertaken in the subsequent sections described in section III. It comprises data gathered for the community outlining existing conditions in the City of Keene, including the demographics and future projections of the city’s population, employment, housing, transportation, education and economic conditions . The concluding section of the report offers a description of the public engagement process by way of which the community vision was elicited .
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The plan is intended to be a guide for shaping policies and initiatives over the next 20-25 years; the aim is direct development of policy decisions in accordance with identified community goals and aspirations. The study is a realistic appraisal of what our community is at present, a framework for what our community aspires to become and a specific set of policies that help achieve the common community vision and ensuing goals.
1. 4 The Planning Process
CHAPTER 1 City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 7
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2. COMMUNITY ANALYSIS
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER
8 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
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COMMUNITY ANALYSIS 2.1 History 2.2 Demographics/Projection 2.3 Economic
COMMUNITY ANALYSIS
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CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2. COMMUNITY ANALYSIS
2.1
HISTORY OF KEENE
The city of Keene was founded as result of two religious denominations: Methodists traveling west and the efforts of Seventh-day Adventists to establish a school. The first settlers to reach the area, Jeremiah Easterwood and his family, arrived in 1852. Easterwood built a Methodist church which also served as a school. The community initially was known as Elm Grove. Elm Grove, an evolving community, experienced a change in transportation infrastructure-The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway built into the area in about 1890. In 1892, Seventh-day Adventists living near Dallas chose a committee to locate property for a school to be opened in Johnson County. The committee personally financed the purchase of 836 acres, five miles east of Cleburne, for $8,000. In 1893, the first general store was opened by Charlie Moore and the area became a home to Adventist families. On January 7th, 1894, the Seventh –day Adventists opened a school to train ministers as well as educate youth. The opening date welcomed the enrollment of 56 students in all grades. 10 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
The enrollment increased to 90 as the families moved to the community, which had now become the town of Keene. The facility also doubled as the church, which was organized with 67 members. By 1900, Southwestern Union College, originally the twelve-grade academy, added new buildings. The campus’ original structure became part of an industrial training complex which included a cannery, a laundry and a broom factory. Keene’s population then totaled 500. 1902 was a celebratory year: the local citizens of Keene had raised $3,000 to get a passenger train on the 10-mile stretch from Cleburne to Egan. The train, operated by a steam engine called Old Betsy, had a coal car, wooden baggage car and passenger coach. The passenger train served as the primary means of transportation for 20 years. OId Betsy is now the name of Keene’s main street which follows the route of the original railroad track. In 1916, two additional years of education were added to the college’s curriculum, and the institution became Southwestern Junior College.
By 1926, the economy of the town of Keene began to blossom, with thirteen businesses located within the city limits. Keene’s proximity to Cleburne and Fort Worth contributed to rapid growth. By 1960 the population had reached 1,532. In 1963, the Southwestern Junior college became Southwestern Adventist College, a four year college.
Library of Southwestern Adventist University
Students and staff at Keene Industrial Academy
By 1967, the population total reached 1,700; totaled 2,440 residents by 1970 and 3,150 residents and forty-nine businesses by 1976. In 1987, graduate level courses were offered for the first time. The university has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools since 1958, and has continuously been an institution servicing the area.
2. 2 DEMOGRAPHICS
DEMOGRAPHICS
Keene’s population is predominantly young; 55 percent of Keene’s population in 2010 were under the age of 34. As a result, Keene has access to a sizeable native labor force, an essential need to com-
plement the economic and development efforts of the city. In 2010 the median age of Keene residents was 30.4 compared to Dallas-Fort Worth median age of 33.5.
Population From 2000 to 2010, Keene’s population grew from 5,003 to 6,106. The estimated 2020 population is 7,154 according to the Texas Water Board. Keene’s ten year growth rate (22 percent was) higher than that of Johnson County (18.2 percent) and marginally higher than that of Texas as a whole (20.6 percent). If Keene’s population were to continue at the current rate of growth, the city would become home to 9,639 residents by 2040.
Median Age, Keene vs. DFW
Age cohort by Sex Keene, TX
DFW
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CHAPTER 2
2.2
Median Age
CHAPTER 2. COMMUNITY ANALYSIS
CHAPTER 2
Race & Ethnicity
Housing Occupancy
Additionally, Keene is growing more racially and ethnically diverse. This is particularly evident in the increase in self-identified Hispanic households, which grew to 30.3 percent of the popula-
tion in 2010. Texas’ rapid population growth since 2000 has been fueled by immigration, both international and from the rest of the United States, as families move to Texas for employment.
Race
Keene
DFW
Ethnicity
Keene
Keene
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DFW
Keene
DFW
DFW
Household Type Keene had 1,923 households in 2010, with an average household size of 2.97. This is higher than the size of the average Texas household at
Keene
Education 2.75, which reflects the slightly higher percentage of households with children under 18 in Keene (36.9) than in the state as a whole (34.2).
DFW
Educational attainment is often a determining factor to the income an individual may receive. It also may be a factor in the various businesses a city attracts. Keene residents’ level of educational attainment reflects the pattern exhibited by Johnson County as a whole. The population of adults over the age of 25 is used, as opposed to ages 18-24, in order to capture the trend of a comparably less transient population (e.g. currently enrolled students). The educational attainment levels are as follows: •
Less than 9th Grade education (Keene 7.4 percent) (Johnson County 6.6 percent)
2. 2 EDUCATION
• •
• •
9th-12 grade, no diploma (Keene 12.1 percent) (Johnson County 10.5 percent) High School diploma (Keene 27.1 percent) (Johnson County 32.5 percent) Some College (Keene 26 percent) (Johnson County 26.4 percent) Associate Degree (Keene 9 percent) (Johnson County 7.5 percent) Bachelor of Arts (Keene 14.6 percent) (Johnson County 11.8 percent) Graduate degree, professional degree (Keene 3.7 percent) (Johnson County 4.8 percent)
CHAPTER 2
•
Independent School District There are a few possibilities to contextualize the high percentage of high-school only educated workers in Keene, as well as Johnson County, such as: high school graduates leave the city and county for higher education attainment and do not return; high-school graduates have employment available that does not require higher education attainment; and the education level of incoming residents. The city of Keene’s students are served by four school districts: Keene Independent School District, Alvarado Independent School District, Cleburne Independent School District and Joshua Independent School District. All school districts get the met standard rating in accountability rating system. The districts’ population served and the percentage of economically
disadvantaged are as follows: •
•
•
•
Alvarado Independent School District served 3,458 students; 66 percent were economically disadvantaged. Cleburne Independent School District served 895 students; 76 percent were economically disadvantaged. Joshua Independent School District served 4,989 students; 77 percent were economically disadvantaged. Keene Independent School District served 6,566 students; 65 percent were economically disadvantaged.
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CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2. COMMUNITY ANALYSIS
2.3
•
•
ECONOMICS •
Sales Tax Revenue Keene’s sales tax rate is 8.25 cents, and its ad valorem rate is .912 of valuation. Tax revenue has been flat or increasing slowly in the last decade. From years 2009-2011, Keene experienced a decline in sales tax revenue, reflections the Great Recession. However, in 2012 sales tax resumed an upward trend. Keene’s per capita receipts from residents are significantly lower than Cleburne, a neighboring city. The analysis from 2010-2015 shows Cleburne receiving more than triple the per capita receipts from residents: •
•
•
In 2010 Keene sales receipts per capita were $72.31 compared to Cleburne per capita receipts $287.40 In 2011 Keene sales receipts per capita were $72.17 compared to Cleburne per capita receipts $299.32 In 2012 Keene sales receipts per capita were $77.74 compared to Cleburne per capita receipts $273.11.
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In 2013 Keene sales $85.12 compared to ceipts $251.88 In 2014 Keene sales $94.06 compared to ceipts $286.59 In 2015 Keene sales $94.67 compared to ceipts $261.55
receipts per capita were Cleburne per capita rereceipts per capita were Cleburne per capita rereceipts per capita were Cleburne per capita re-
There are a few possibilities as to the reason for lower sales tax revenue, such as: residents are unable to secure goods and services within Keene and therefore travel external of the city; comparable cities may have a higher mix of goods and services which permits patrons convenience; Keene’s resiSales Tax, Keene vs. Cleburne
dents was commute to other cities for employment may consume goods near their place of employment; and Keene’s higher portion of low income earners and low portion of high income earners may reflect lower levels of consumption which impact sales receipts. The key issue affecting sales tax receipts and putting upward pressure on ad valorem rates is a lack of commercial and retail outlets in Keene, and residents therefore spending money in other cities. How does Keene’s tax rate compare to other cities within Johnson County? Keene’s combined taxation rate of $2.92 is the second highest in Johnson County, following the city of Joshua’s combine taxation rate of $2.95.
2. 3 ECONOMICS
Employment
Keene’s median household income level continues to increase over the years. However, the level continues to lag relative to Johnson County as a whole. During 1990, the city of Keene’s median household income was $25,276; the median household income for Johnson County was $30,612. The gap between the City of Keene and Johnson County’s median household incomes reflects a persistent and widening gap. Subsequent decades’ gaps are as follows: Keene 2000 ($34,676) 2010 ($37,664) compared to Johnson County 2000 ($44,621) and 2010 ($54,954).
There are several economic forces within Johnson County (e.g. Keene, Cleburne etc.). However, economic activity, including employment, income, business mix, and customer base, extends well beyond the borders of Keene. For this reason, economic data in this section is examined, unless noted, at the level of Johnson County as a whole in order to present a depiction of the overall economic vitality of the county. The labor force of Johnson County has remained relatively steady over the past several years at about 70,000.
Medinan Household Income, Keene vs. DFW
Over the past ten years, Johnson County has nearly matched the unemployment rate of adjacent Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Over a ten year span (2005-2014) The City of Keene has experienced a fluctuating unemployment rate, with the highest rates during the economic recession which impacted the nation as a whole. During years 2005-2008 Keene maintained an average unemployment rate of 4.55 percent, quite comparable to Dallas-Fort Worth (4.8 percent). •
• • • • • Keene and Johnson County have a higher percentage of lower wage earners, and a lower percentage of the top categories of wage earners than does Texas as a whole. According to the 2014 American Community Survey, 40.9 percent of Keene’s household’s income falls below $25,000 compared to 18 percent for Johnson County. As it pertains to high income earners, only 5 percent
of Keene’s households earn between $150,000 or higher compared to Johnson County reporting 7.1 percent of the households.
•
The City of Keene therefore, has a large percentage of households below the poverty line (33.9 percent) compared to Johnson Count (10 percent).
•
•
•
There are total of 139 establishments in the city of Keene. The top shares of establishment by sector are as follows: Real Estate (7.19 percent of total businesses in Keene) Government (5.76 percent of total businesses in Keene) Auto Repair/Services (5.04 percent of total businesses in Keene) Heavy Construction (5.04 percent of total businesses in Keene) Other Business Services (4.32 percent of total businesses in Keene) Hospitals (4.32 percent of total businesses in Keene) Primary and Secondary (4.32 percent of total businesses in Keene) Unclassified Establishments (4.32 percent of total businesses in Keene) Insurance Agents & Brokers (3.60 percent of total businesses in Keene) City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 15
CHAPTER 2
Household Income
CHAPTER 2. COMMUNITY ANALYSIS
CHAPTER 2
• • • •
Miscellaneous Repair Services (3.60 percent of total businesses in Keene) Membership Organizations (3.60 percent of total businesses in Keene) Banks & Financial Institutions (2.88 percent of total businesses in Keene) Computer Services (2.88 percent of total businesses in Keene)
• • •
Health & Medical Services (2.88 percent of total businesses in Keene) Transportation(2.88 percent of total businesses in Keene) Auto Dealers & Gas Stations (2.88 percent of total businesses in Keene)
Unemployment Rate, Keene
Top Ten Industries Unemployment Rate, Johnson County
Unemployment Rate, DFW
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2. 4 TRANSPORTATION
CHAPTER 2
2.4
TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE
The City of Keene is uniquely placed. Highway 67 runs through Keene and is one of the strongest potential commercial corridors for the city. It connects Keene to I-35 which runs to I-20 on the north, giving access to Dallas and Fort Worth and runs south to Austin and San Antonio. Keene is located under 45 mins to the closest metropolitan city (Fort Worth). Highway 67 is augmented with highway 174 and the historic Chisholm Trail which gives access to the south Fort Worth Region. F.M. 2280 runs north-south in the city and is the only major road that bears the highest amount of traffic in the city. 2280 connects the city surrounding cities within the county and is also an alternate route to I-35. The closest public airport is the Cleburne Municipal Airport which is 13 minutes away. Additional airport services including international and commercial flights are located 46 miles away at the Dallas- Fort Worth International Airport. Rail Services are provided by Amtrak in the neighboring city of Cleburne. Transportation access and location are the key economic strengths for Keene.
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CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 2. COMMUNITY ANALYSIS
Land Use
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CHAPTER 2
Infrastructure
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CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3. COMMUNITY VISION
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
CHAPTER
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33
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY VISION VISION
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER
3.1 Planning Process/ Public Survey 3.1 The Planning ProcessStrength 3.4 Preceived Strengths 3.2 Perceived 3.3 Identified Issues 3.2 Key Projects 3.5 Identified Issues 3.4 Preliminary Vision 3.3 Public Survey 3.6 Vision Statement 3.5 Guiding Principles/Goals & Strategies
COMMUNITY COMMUNITY VISION VISION This report covers the outcomes generated from the baseline analysis and public engagement strategy and is designed to predicate the analyses to be undertaken in the subsequent sections described in section III. It comprises of data gathered for the community outlining existing conditions in the City of Keene, the demographics and future projections of city’s population, employment, housing, transportation, education and economic conditions.
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CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3. COMMUNITY VISION
3.1
HOW WAS IT DEVELOPED?
The basis for a community vision is an active involvement of the citizens of Keene. An advisory committee (steering committee) consisting of experts from all fields within Keene’s community were requested to provide guidance on the key issues the city has been encountering. The planning process began with an analysis of Keene’s current conditions. This section consisted of data gathering and trend analysis of the city’s population, employment, housing, transportation, education and private sector. In order to accurately conduct a baseline analysis, the steering committee informed the researchers of community issues, assets and challenges. Additional public input was collected with the help of online surveys. The surveys were developed in order to address the concerns of all age cohorts (refer appendix for survey questions). With the results from these surveys and the input from the steering committee the citizen’s goals and aspirations for the future of Keene were identifies. The rich insight provided from the citizens of Keene was instrumental to the drafted analysis
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PHASE 4 PHASE 3 PHASE 2 PHASE 1 Data Gathering (steering committee) Visioning Exwercise Data Validation & Public Preliminary Visioning Guiding Principles, Goals & Strategies
Infrastructure Development Plan Regional Economic Growth Plan Master City Plan Baseline Analysis & Public Engagement Strategy
3. 2 KEY PROJECTS
KEY PROJECTS The comprehensive plan process is projected to span a period of two years. The components of the comprehensive plan include the following sections:
•
Land use
•
Housing
•
Health Care/Public Health
•
Education
REGIONAL ECONOMIC GROWTH PLAN
BASELINE ANALYSIS/ DEVELOPING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY/ VISIONING
•
Regional Growth Analysis
•
Economic Development for the City of Keene
•
Base Map/ Existing Land Use/ Current Conditions
•
Population Statistics/Current Projections
•
Economic Information
•
Housing
•
Infrastructure Inventory Co-ordination
•
Infrastructure Management
•
Review of Previous Planning Efforts
•
City Transportation Plan
•
Steering Committee
•
Online survey(s)
•
Meetings with stakeholders
•
Various public engagement exercises/presentations
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
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CHAPTER 3
3.2
MASTER CITY PLAN
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3. COMMUNITY VISION
3.3
PUBLIC SURVEY The following narratives are some examples of the insights that can be drawn from cross-tabulation of various kinds of data. In this case, the survey results from city of Keene comprehensive plan have been chosen. Complete surcey results are shown in Appendix A. Satisfaction With Overall Appearance by Residency And Respondent Age The respondents were found to be generally satis-
fied with Keene as noted from the greater percentage of deep green in the Figure 3-1. However, this varied greatly over the time of residency as well as age groups. •
New residents who had spent no more than 5 years in Keene were more satisfied with the overall appearance of Keene than residents who had spent more than 5 years
•
Residents who had spent about 20 years in Keene found overall appearance of Keene least satisfying
•
Most responses came from those who lived in Keene for a short while and those who spent all their lives here
Age by Residency While it was indicated that Keene’s population is relatively young, this chart explores additional facets of the demographics in context of how long
Figure 3-1. Satisfaction by residency & respondent age
20 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
residents have stayed in Keene. From among the sample of respondents, it was found that Keene’s population consists of 26 to 39 years old are quite new, perhaps mainly the student population. However, this is not the only age group which has new residents to Keene. Among the 40 to 54 year olds, there is a sizable number of residents who are new and have lived no more than 5 to 14 years in Keene. Satisfaction With Housing Quality by Type of Residence and Residency It appeared that most respondents resided in site built houses as opposed to manufactured houses. This asymmetry could be disadvantageous in interpreting the results. Among those respondents living in built houses, it was found that most were ambivalent regarding house quality with dissatisfaction and satisfaction likely being equal over the range of responses.
Figure 3-2. Satisfaction with housing quality by type
3. 3 PUBLIC SURVEY
Figure 3-4. Plan to stay/own a house by residency
In this chart, the level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with road and street maintenance in Keene was considered in references where respondents worked and how much they earned. It was found: •
Overall, respondents were dissatisfied as indicated in light blue dominating the chart
•
The respondents who worked in Johnson county and earned more than $90,000 annually were most dissatisfied with road maintenance
•
For those who worked within Keene or in another city in Johnson County, the level of dissatisfaction was greatest
Note that most of those who responded to both, and hence the peak in deep green, could be experiencing the “honeymoon” phase of their residency. Shopping Pattern by Time to Travel and Work Place
Plan to Stay/Own a House by Residency and Opinion on Overall Appearance This chart attempts to correlate positive overall opinion on Keene’s appearance with choices for staying back and owning a house. These correlations do corroborate the fact that most of those who find Keene’s overall appearance satisfying or somewhat satisfying are likely to own a house and stay desire to after they graduate.
Respondents were asked about their travel time to work as well as their work place and where they shopped for groceries. Assuming that work trips also doubled as shopping trips, this chart indicates that most time (more than 1 hour) was spent while traveling to and from Cleburne as well as to Dallas County. While the former is quite expected, travel time to Cleburne was unanticipated. The results aren’t as comprehensive as it was expected due to low response levels to questions associated with this chart.
Figure 3-5. shopping pattern by time to travel and work place
Figure 3-3. Satisfaction with road infrastructure by work place and earning capacity
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CHAPTER 3
Satisfaction With Road Infrastructure by Work Place and Earning Capacity
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3. COMMUNITY VISION
3.5
3.4
IDENTIFIED ISSUES
PERCEIVED STRENGTHS
The City of Keene has been developing over the years, honing its strengths and building upon its values and heritage they believe in, but at the same time embracing progression. A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis exercise was carried out with the steering committee to identify the strengths and issues of Keene. The questions asked in the surveys served to validate input from the steering committee. The following were the strengths identified by the citizens of Keene:
•
The education system of Keene is their strongest attribute. The city was built around the Adventist school. Keene ISD & the South Western Adventist University are identified amongst the better educational systems in DFW.
•
Keene has a low crime rate and the citizens feel safe to walk around the city. The citizens deemed it as a peaceful and a secure community.
•
The City organizes a number of events throughout the year for different strata of the community.
•
The families living in the city have strong family values and strong faith.
22 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
•
•
Keene has a very active community participating in different events organized within the community. The City is uniquely located between highway 67 and FM 2280 which joins into I 35W thus giving easy connectivity to DFW, Austin, Waco, Cleburne and Burleson. DFW Airport and the Amtrak in Cleburne are easily accessible too.
•
The city has a lot of open spaces available for green development like Parks and Trails.
•
The size of the city is appropriate to sustain development for the future.
The city is expected to experience growth from the DFW region. In order to embrace this anticipated growth and to invite people from all over to live in Keene, the citizens and the steering committee identified issues that they are currently facing which may hinder their future development. •
The city has a lot of parcels with unmaintained and dilapidated properties which affects the overall appearance of the city.
•
Keene lacks new upper and mid-income level housing developments which makes it less inviting to potential new residents.
•
The infrastructure such as streets, sewer lines, water lines, gas lines, sidewalks needs to be updated and maintained.
•
Housing ownership in Keene is low; around 4045% are rental properties.
•
The mentality of the citizens is not as progressive as it could be; the community has faced opposition from the deep believers in Adventists culture which has lowered the rate of change.
3. 5 IDENTIFIED ISSUES
CHAPTER 3
•
The stereo-type about the heritage of the Adventists culture is one of the reasons for the slower rate of progress. The citizens want to preserve their rich culture and also inform people about the progressive thinking/thinkers in the culture.
•
The City lacks advertising and publicity of what they can offer beyond the stereotype created by the heritage. It lacks proper branding.
•
The city has not had a unified vision and planning for the future developments; this has resulted in the shortcomings in the infrastructure.
•
Keene lacks retail and commercial activities such as groceries, cafes, hotels, restaurants etc.
•
The lack of quality jobs leads to people working out of the city and reduces the sales tax for the city.
•
Accessibility to health services such as hospitals/ county hospitals, EMR, response time, healthy food, sidewalks, lack of parks and trails, bike lanes, food desert is an issue in Keene. City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 23
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3. COMMUNITY VISION
3.6
VISION STATEMENT Keene strives to become a city which embraces development while at the same time valuing its unique heritage. The city seeks to improve residents’ quality of life, welcome a diverse population and commercial sector and leverage its unique attributes to brand the city as a great place to live, work and play.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES •
PRINCIPLE 1: Keene is sustainable in regards to residential neighborhoods, infrastructure, transportation network, economy, always striving to remain desirable and resilient over the long term.
•
PRINCIPLE 2: Keene invests wisely in overall infrastructure and public facilities in order to keep pace with growth in residents and jobs.
•
PRINCIPLE 3: Keene’s existing built environment and natural assets are valued parts of the city’s sense of place and are to be retained wherever possible as core focal points for the community.
•
PRINCIPLE 4: Keene offers quality K-12 education for its children as well as higher education and training opportunities for college age students and adults.
•
PRINCIPLE 5: Keene is a healthy and safe community.
•
PRINCIPLE 6: Keene has a diverse economy that offers job opportunity for recent graduates, new, and long term residents alike.
•
PRINCIPLE 7: Keene’s neighborhoods remain desirable and attractive, providing a wide variety of housing choices to meet the needs of people throughout all stages of their lives.
•
PRINCIPLE 8: Keene is a diverse community, with a variety of shopping, housing, education, cultural and entertainment choices.
•
PRINCIPLE 9: Keene coordinates its land use patterns with its infrastructure and mobility network investments to maximize service and minimize cost
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3. 6 VISION STATEMENT
INFRASTRUCTURE VISION The city of Keene has abundant potential for growth. In order to sustain this growth, the city needs to improve its existing infrastructure and develop strong and infrastructure in locations expected to experience growth. Roads, sewers, water, lighting, sidewalks etc. are the physical components essential to enable, sustain and enhance living conditions in Keene.
GOALS Goal 1: Give the same level of attention and importance to the maintenance of infrastructure as to the development of new facilities. Goal 2: Prioritize infrastructure improvements to provide the best economic return to the city and to minimize the cost of ongoing maintenance. Goal 3: Create and adopt a prioritized funding strategy for the infrastructure projects needed to repair existing facilities and support construction of new facilities to ensure that the improvements
Keene’s quality of life and economic vitality are predicated on the improvement of: existing housing stock; development of critical and recreational amenities to serve the relatively dense neighborhoods (three identified) in and around the center of Keene; promote an efficient and diverse auto, bike, and pedestrian transportation network, promote a healthy and safe community, and integrate cross-generational community interests in policy and built environment throughout the city of Keene. GOALS Goal 1: Maximize the capacity of the current roadway and mobility network by making improvements within the existing right-of-way wherever possible. Goal 2: Upgrade existing roadways and create new streets with aesthetically pleasing features appropriate to the adjacent land use and the roadway type. Goal 3: Construct new roadways so that they respect the natural environment. Goal 4: Design local neighborhood streets to discourage speeding and maximize safety. Goal 5: Integrate planned land uses with the City’s multi-modal mobility network and other infrastructure. Goal 6: Promote community well-being by designing Keene’s neighborhoods, thoroughfares and public facilities so that residents can choose an active, healthy lifestyle. Goal 7: Provide access to walking and biking trails and sidewalks where appropriate for people of all ages and physical abilities within and close to Keene neighborhoods Goal 8: Use Code Enforcement and the Homeowner Rehabilitation Assistance (HRA) Program, which provides assistance to those with special needs—elderly, disabled and economically disadvantaged persons—as part of the strategy for helping Keene neighborhoods remain desirable over time. Goal 9: Work with area school districts to ensure that new school facilities are designed and located to reinforce and support the goals and policies of the City’s Comprehensive Plan. Goal 10: Promote a variety of housing types to accommodate residents’ needs at all life stages. City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 25
CHAPTER 3
QUALITY OF LIFE VISION
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 3. COMMUNITY VISION
PLACE MAKING & HERITAGE VISION The City of Keene seeks to reimagine itself through preservation of its legacy, creation of new places and infusion of vibrancy that establishes connections between past, present and future.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION The city of Keene seeks to increase revenue generation and circulation in order to serve the needs and demands of the local population. Alongside serving the interests of the citizenry, Keene plans to implement policies and initiatives necessary to grow, attract and retain retail, commercial, and industrial businesses to increase job opportunities and diversify the tax base.
GOALS Goal 1: Create a distinctive heritage destination around Southwestern Adventist University to preserve and promote Keene’s unique history, including areas around Old Betsy Road, Callicott Student Park.
GOALS
Goal 2: Develop a new civic center/ park plaza/city hall/community center along FM 2280.
Goal 1: Diversify the local economic base in order to strengthen and stabilize the tax base.
Goal 3: Enhance the streetscape and pedestrian experience around the city core and heritage locations.
Goal 2: Encourage a full-service array of retail and service opportunities for residents and visitors.
Goal 4: Build for the long term value of the community with safe streets and neighborhoods, high-quality buildings that can adapt easily to the changing demands of the marketplace, a range of housing options to accommodate residents’ needs at every life stage, and a variety of gathering spaces that encourage social interaction.
Goal 3: Fully develop the Keene Industrial Park Goal 4: Encourage cooperation and coordination between local school districts, Southwestern Adventist University, City agencies and local businesses to create programs to develop and maintain a high-quality workforce by providing and promoting opportunities for life-long learning.
26 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
Goal 5: Encourage a mixture of land uses in an accessible pedestrian environment, and develop a network of sidewalks and trails that link people of all ages and abilities to their destinations within Keene.
3. 6 VISION STATEMENT
CHAPTER 3
LAND USE VISION Keene is a part of the one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas of the country. Coupled with the construction of the Chisholm Trail Parkway in Johnson County, Keene is expected to experience growth in the coming decades. Land use policy must accommodate that growth in a sustainable fashion that preserves the unique and attractive attributes of Keene, while encouraging development that serves a diverse residential population and business community.
GOALS Goal 1: Encourage the most desirable, efficient use of land while maintaining and enhancing local aesthetics and preserving community heritage. Goal 2: Encourage a balance of land uses to serve the housing needs of citizens and to ensure a diverse economic base. Goal 3: Ensure that land use recommendations for development and redevelopment respect environmental factors, promote growth that is adequately supported by transportation and utility infrastructure, and support innovative and resilient design. Goal 4: Create dedicated land use and infrastructure policies that focus on the heritage area around SWAU and Old Betsy Road. Goal 5: Create land use and infrastructure policies that support commercial and industrial growth along US67. facilities in order to keep pace with growth in residents and jobs.
City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 27
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
APPENDIX
A 3
CHAPTER
APPENDIX VISION COMMUNITY 3.1 Planning Process/ Public Survey A.1 Demographics 3.2 Perceived Strength A.2Identified Surveys Issues 3.3 3.4 Preliminary Vision 3.5 Guiding Principles/Goals & Strategies
APPENDIX COMMUNITY VISION This report covers the outcomes generated from the baseline analysis and public engagement strategy and is designed to predicate the analyses to be undertaken in the subsequent sections described in section III. It comprises of data gathered for the community outlining existing conditions in the City of Keene, the demographics and future projections of city’s population, employment, housing, transportation, education and economic conditions.
APPENDIX 1.
APPENDIX 1
Age cohort by Sex
APPENDIX 1-1.
Keene, TX
DFW
DEMOGRAPHICS
Population Growth
Median Age Median Age, Keene vs. DFW
30 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
APPENDIX 1.1 DEMOGRAPHICS
Race & Ethnicity Ethnicity
Keene
DFW
Keene
DFW
Keene
DFW
Keene
DFW
Keene
DFW
Keene
DFW
Keene
DFW
Housing Occupancy
Keene
DFW
City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 31
APPENDIX 1
Race
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 1.
Household Type
Keene
DFW
Keene
DFW
APPENDIX 1-2. EDUCATION Education
32 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
Independent School District
APPENDIX 1.3 ECONOMICS
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 1-3. ECONOMICS
Median Household Income Median Housing Value
Median Housing Value
City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 33
APPENDIX 1
APPENDIX 1.
Unemployment Rate Unemployment Rate, Keene
Top Ten Industries
34 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
Unemployment Rate, Johnson County
Unemployment Rate, DFW
APPENDIX 2.1 CITIZEN SURVEY
If you are a resident of Keene, how long have you lived at your current residence?
Q3.
How satisfied are you with built environment and infrastructure in Keene?
CITIZEN SURVEY Q1.
In what ZIP code is your home located? (enter 5-digit ZIP code; for example, 00544 or 94305)
144 (76059)
47
(76031)
Others
3
- 75059, 76028, 76058
2
- 76033, 76050
1
- 76017, 76048, 76401, 76636, 77059, 88401 City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 35
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2-1.
Q2.
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2.
36 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
Q4.
How satisfied are you with quality of places in Keene?
APPENDIX 2.1 CITIZEN SURVEY
How satisfied are you with quality of life in Keene?
APPENDIX 2
Q5.
City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 37
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2.
Q6.
Value of the University to the community?
Q7.
What should Keene prioritize?
38 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
APPENDIX 2.1 CITIZEN SURVEY
Q9.
How often do you shop for groceries?
Where do you shop for groceries?
Number
Other (please specify)
1
Tucumcari
2
both Cleburne & Burleson
3
Joshua and Burleson
4
joshua
5
Shop in Cleburne for most groceries. Shop in Keene for convience when just want something and don’t feel like driving in to Cleburne
6
Burleson/cleburne
7
Cleburne/Burleson equally
8
Joshua
9
brookshires, Joshua tx- Walmart, Burleson tx
10
Arlington
City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 39
APPENDIX 2
Q8.
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2.
Q10.
Are you currently a student?
Q11.
Have you ever been a student of Southwestern Adventist University?
40 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
Q12.
Do you plan to stay in Keene after you graduate?
Q13.
I live in a ...
APPENDIX 2.1 CITIZEN SURVEY
Do you plan to own a house in Keene in the future?
Q15.
Do you live in a manufactured home?
Q16.
Are you employed?
City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 41
APPENDIX 2
Q14.
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2.
Q17.
Where do you work?Â
Number
Other (please specify)
1
State wide
2
Burleson
3
All over North Texas
4
Burleson
5
SWAU
6
Work full time in Dallas county and part time in Tarrant county
7
Denton
8
Alvarado
9
Barnhart, Tx
10
all over Johnson co
11
I travel
12
Texas Army National Guard
42 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
Q18.
How long do you travel to work?
APPENDIX 2.1 CITIZEN SURVEY
How many vehicles does your household own?
Q20.
What age group do you belong to?
Q21.
Your gender?
APPENDIX 2
Q19.
City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 43
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2.
Q22.
Q23.
What is your household size?
What is your household income?
Q24.
Additional comments
Number
44 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
Response Text
1
My household is 1. And my commute to work is under 5 minutes. Neither were an option on the survey
2
Unattended mobile homes houses with rotting boats outside basically a lot of the area on the east side of old betsy road needs to be cleaned up sidewalks need to be added and if the roads were paved black with yellow striping keene would be the envy of all small towns so many kids walk on eastern st on the street due to there not being a sidewalk
3
I think we need more “Sidewalks� going to the parks and schools and in around homes
4
We moved not knowing the water cost almost 3 times what it was for Fort Worth and the water quality is very low.... that is the only thing we have been disappointed in here. of course our road ( John Thomas Dr.) is in terrible shape
5
Fix the potholes
APPENDIX 2.1 CITIZEN SURVEY
Response Text
6
Have open city council meetings with open voting. Stop the closed door decision making. Let the citizens know what is open or up for vote before the date of the vote so they may understand and research the topic enabling them to make an informed decision. The city council seems to be a private club. Post clearly for ALL citizens when the meeting occur. Post what is going on or how a vote was settled. Only city council members know where the money is going. Its our money and we deserve to vote how its allocated
7
Keene has too many mobile home parks that are infested with criminals and drug addicts. The roads are terrible. We need a grocery store
8
Base water charge is way too high for the calculated cost. I may not be in possession of some city data but as a water conservationists I do feel that the setup be reassessed to lower the price on the minimum charge for water utilities
9
I’ve lived in Keene for 30 + years. I’m not a vegetarian nor an Adventist. I have to drive to Cleburne or Burleson to get groceries and I work in Burleson. There isn’t any good steady jobs in this town that pay decent with 40 hrs. a week. There isn’t any places to shop for quality and quantity food including produce. There isn’t any real good resturants or gas stations.. This town refuses to get with the times. they refuse to grow advance . They have the college two retail stores four fast food places . They put money into the wrong things. They have a nice park and an old park that once had a nice walk bridge that needed a few minor repairs. And instead of fixing the wood bridge they tore it down . makes alot of us who grew up here sad to see this town stay in a rut. It worries me for the future generations
10
Would be nice to grab a beer here rather than having to go to cleburne or Alvarado
11
The police need to stop harassing innocent folks by charging them citations for things they didn’t do its unjust and I’ve heard of this not just once but many times
12
We walk daily and the lack of sidewalks and multitude of potholes make it difficult in many places. It is impossible to walk to the new city park without risking your life either on N. Fairview or Old Betsy Rd. We frequently see groups of children nearly run over on the way to or from the park. We have missed La Loma greatly since it closed; what we really need is a full-service grocery store. An Aldis or Brookshires would be excellent. Other than that we are very pleased with the east side of Keene
13
household size - l
14
The city needs to back up their words and take their responsibility seriously. When they say they will fix an issue do it! The “new” 10 years or more now development behind Shelly drive was raised more than 5 feet off my back yard. The water continues to flow into my yard from that development and the city allowed this. It was pointed out and the city said they had a grant that was going to be used to fix this issue. I’m guessing the city conveniently forgot this because nothing has been done. Fix that before you move forward with other things you can’t follow through with
Number
15
16 17
Response Text The city needs to back up their words and take their responsibility seriously. When they say they will fix an issue do it! The “new” 10 years or more now development behind Shelly drive was raised more than 5 feet off my back yard. The water continues to flow into my yard from that development and the city allowed this. It was pointed out and the city said they had a grant that was going to be used to fix this issue. I’m guessing the city conveniently forgot this because nothing has been done. Fix that before you move forward with other things you can’t follow through with The water quality is bad. I can only drink the water using a filter first. The street has improved need to keep up with the potholes. Wish there were sidewalks. Love the park good that you all keep it up. Would like to know more about the pet shelter needs. More street lighting for safety none
18
I’ve lived here for 3 years and I am signing to live here for 2 more at least I appreciate you offering a survey and I love our local park keep up the good work
19
Water is horrible!! Gravel in commodes and they have destroyed my yard(water/fire dept) Very long story. Would love to tell channel 4
20
Would like to see more sidewalks as most people in Keene enjoy walking or running and would use often
21
“The survey provided does not have an assessment of the City staff or the City Representatives as they relate to Customer Satisfaction. Is it not stated on the City’s own website “The City Manager works closely with the City Council and City Department directors to ensure the highest quality of life to residents and businesses in Keene? So why is this most important factor of “quality of life” (Customer Satisfaction) omitted from the survey? Is the City administration afraid to know the truth? Also the survey presented requests a prioritization of factors to which it has very little control or influence. Wish in one hand and shit in the other. Which one fills up first? The simple fact is the will of the citizens of Keene has already been clearly defined in the form of a City Charter. I have read the Charter posted on the City’s website. And I could not find (anywhere) the phases “The City SHALL build a new City Hall” or “The City SHALL purchase new vehicles for inefficient and uncourteous City staff” or even “The City SHALL build a grocery store” I did find the word “shall” used many times though out the Charter document as voted mandates from the Keene constituency. But it would appear that the Mayor and Council have their own selfish agenda and refuse to even acknowledge that a list of priorities has already been established for them. So in summary let me make these recommendations to Mayor and Council: Stop sending me worthless surveys and wasting my valuable tax generating time. Start getting MY City Hall in order and become aware of the value of customer satisfaction. Stop wasting MY hard earned (the HIGHEST in Johnson County) tax dollars on frivolous bone-headed expenditures. City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 45
APPENDIX 2
Number
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2.
Number
Response Text
Number
21
And finally make it your number one priority to become compliant with the Charter. Because after all it is the voted will of the people. Everything else is secondary
29
As new homeowners we look forward to being involved with the revitalization
RUN the MAIL on Saturday like normal towns. And also some better internet availability would be nice. The water is over priced. A market in town would be convenient instead of having to run to Burleson to get some groceries.Very lovely town other than those flaws in my opinion
30
We love Keene and feel blessed to be able to find affordable housing here but we are sad to see some of charm and draw of a healthy loving town fading over time
Keene cops need to find something better to do instead of stopping people going an extra 1 (ONE)MPH because the street is inclined and gravity took over I understand that they are doing their job but they need to calm down
31
I love the quiet environment in Keene but very dissatisfied with water waste services and taxes. Hard city to retire in. Considering selling home and relocating to another city that is better managed & more affordable to love in
32
A Comprehensive Plan Survey is like asking “What body part is more important?” What part would you like cut off first? Do you prefer the heart over the lungs? The brain over the liver? Or perhaps the hand over the foot? Keene is in effect a living and evolving organism. All parts are equally as important. And the Mayor the Council and the City Manager must recognize and take full responsible for the catastrophic failure of that organism by neglect. Property taxes have been raised 14.2% in the last five years making them the highest in Johnson County. Yet services have no appreciable change. The water rate is the highest in the state. And the business policy of Keene is “If you don’t like it… move somewhere else.” Sad… just sad. So go ahead and spend your constituent’s hard eared cash for yet another study. And you will determine yet again that Keene is still dying from the same exact problems it has been plagued with for decades. Apathy Incompetence and Neglect. The solution: Get off your lazy (let’s form a committee or do a study) asses and do something (anything) different than what you have done before. Surveys and studies only identify problems they do NOT resolve them. Knowledge with credentialed competence and action with sweat equity is your only hope for a change. Get started NOW
33
I love keene it is such a family town we just need more like another bank i have two banks which keene supports one and have to drive to another town for the other (Wells Fargo) even if it was just an ATM would work out. The next thing we need is an actual grocery store like a Brookshires or neighborhood Wal-Mart. The next thing is different restaurant not fast food but more like Applebee’s Friday’s Mexican Inn... We love the taste and atmosphere of Sweet peppas just there not open for dinner. If you went the fast food route i would say a fasttaco and chicken place. Things to do with smaller children ages 0-5 the parks are great but in summer its to hot for them maybe a splash pad(joshua has small one.) or indoor place like Imagination Station ( located in cleburne). It would be cool to have drive in theater or small theater to go to i know they did movies at the park i just never new when
22
23
24
25 26 27
28
“Please make priority on 1. Streets lights because streets are too dark at night 2. Water minimum fee is way too expensive. It is 3 times higher that in the previous Texas city were I was living before moving to Keene. 3. It will be great if the city plans and permits to open a local grocery store where we can buy fruits or vegetables Thank you for your consideration to this comments and for your hard work. May God bless you.” Our roads are bumpy and extremely uncomfortable Please invest more in our schools. That is our future Household size is 1 but that option was not provided above. It should not have been excluded “In response to the latest in a long string of redundant and useless surveys I would submit this question to the Mayor the Council and the City Manager: When you have a flat tire do you form a committee pay for a study and submit a survey to resolve the problem? It is despairingly obvious that none of you can possibly know the common sense answer to this query. Because you have posted yet another survey to fix your City’s “flat tire”. It must be awful to be broke down on the side of the road to success waiting for that survey to fix your flat tire. Especially when you can plainly see all of the other communities of Johnson County go whizzing by. So in the interest of time please allow me to help. The simple answer is: You CHANGE it! Yes changing the flat tire may require a little work. Yes you will have to get off your lazy asses and get out of the car. And yes you may actually have to get your hands dirty. But eventually even (each of) you will have to realize that the only resolution to your flat tire problem is to CHANGE it. Change whatever is not working or broken. The sooner you get it done the sooner you can get down the road. Hello? Hello? Hello? Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can hear me. Is there anyone at home?
46 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
Response Text
APPENDIX 2.1 CITIZEN SURVEY
Response Text
34
Keene needs to stop allowing the SDA to control the public school board. Keene needs to stop treating the public school as a dumping ground for those who are not SDA or who do not attend the private school. More focus should be on bringing in more options for the public school students. Religion needs to stay out of the public school. I have never understood how a public school could be ruled by a private religion. Times are changing and it is time Keene changed with it. The cult like behavior of some in the SDA church who fill city government needs to stop. Keep your SDA religion out of our public schools
35
I have a hard time understanding how councilmen can seem so interested in our city but hardly speak to regular citizens on the street and their property be the most uncared for property. There is no excuse for not mowing and trimming and keeping property clean and neat. Please don’t send out such surveys when people who sit on the council really don’t care what out city looks like. Drive around and see for yourself. Don’t just pick on citizens and give them “code” violations.....but councilmen need to live by the same standards. I’m sorry to be so blunt. I want to be a great neighbor. Keene should be the neatest and best maintained community around. Let’s clean up our neighborhoods and keep them cleaned up
36
We need to be able to purchase alcohol in keen it’s a wast to have to drive far and give my money to another city for some ting I would purchase here
37
Keene needs to sell beer
38
The concerns that I have are not concerns Keene has the police are bullies and lie. The water bill(cost) is extremely outrageous. Our bill runs over 145.00 monthly and we don’t even have a lawn. I doubt that my option will even matter
39
N/a
40
Thank you for caring about our community. I believe this is an important step to creating a better future for not only Keene but Johnson County
41
We need a GROCERY STORE!
42
Seriously! How many plans do you have to come up with? We just did this a couple years ago. Stop planning and start doing. Where were the questions on how satisfied I am with my local government employees or officials. Oh right we don’t get those and if there is an election we don’t get to ask the hard questions. Those are taken out of the stack. You people need to realize that it is 2015 not 1935 and EVERY city around us is growing BUT us. You all need to hire people who know what they are doing and then shut up and let them do their jobs. Keene ISNT HOLY anymore. Bring in alcohol and if the 90 year old keels over from it well then he just died for a good cause. Get a grip and run this city like a city not the slum that it is with the highest tax rate in Johnson county THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
Number
Response Text
43
“Make Keene business friendly. Quit passing new ordinances just enforce those we have. Do some PR so the stigma of Keene only being Adventist is overcome! Push to support local businesses. Pay our Firefighters better! Tell the cops it’s okay to wave and be friendly! Quit writing so many tickets until you get the existing backlog of tickets and warrants taken care of!!”
44
How many times are you going to do this survey to figure out the city is the dump of Johnson county? Until you start getting real and get REAL businesses into the city nothing will change. You continue to do the same things over and over and expect new results! Time to do something new or just learn to be proud of your dump
45
Need to permit beer/wine sales to improve chance of a quality grocery store gas station restarants. This would help with other business developments which would come that have nothing to do with alcohol. Most cities in Johnson county have adopted beer wine sales... And Keene is losing sales tax everyday
46
Your City Employees are a true asset to your organization. They have always treated me with a professional attitude
47
I see the survey says nothing about customer satisfaction with employees. Although a formal survey is a great start remember a survey is an identifier not a solution. The Four Step Solution to Problems Identified: (1) Get Started NOW! Get off your lazy “let’s do a study” butts. Just Do It! (2) Bring the City (kicking and screaming) into compliance with all Federal State and Local laws. This will free up grant money. (3) Hire people that are qualified and credentialed to perform management tasks in a municipal environment. This will save you money in the long run. Because you won’t have to pay an attorney every time you need to find out if you can blow your nose. And (4) Use the money saved and the newly available grant funds to purchase the tools that staff must have to complete their job description efficiently. A good example would be accounting software that will automatically post transactions to the correct account so audits become routine. Money much better utilized than purchasing some new vehicle for a non-productive employee
48
I wish you would have asked about our animal shelter. That is important to me. Currently we don’t take cats in. I’m not sure why as I just found this out. We only have one full time employee and I don’t think we get the word out enough about our shelter animals needing adoption. Yes we have a shelter page but it’s only good for those who know about it. Also we are not all part of the beautiful church in Keene. I love the history behind it. I love the park they maintain. However I would love to have mail delivered on Saturdays
49
Congratulations! The City of Keene has finally adopted a property tax rate that is higher than Venus. In fact it is the highest in Johnson County. Couple that with the highest water rate of like size cities in Texas and anti-business policies the City has really poised itself for a grim future in growth. Good Job! City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 47
APPENDIX 2
Number
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2.
APPENDIX 2-2.
Q2.
In what zipcode do you reside?
Q3.
 How do you rate your familiarity with the city of Keene?
STUDENT SURVEY Q1.
Where is your permanent residence?
48 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
APPENDIX 2.2 STUDENT SURVEY
How satisfied are you with the quality of places in Keene?
Note: sacle indicates 1 is dissatisfied, 2 is somewhat dissatisfied, 3 is neutral, 4 is somewhat satisfied, and 5 is satisfied.
Q5.
How satisfied are you with the quality of life in Keene?
Note: sacle indicates 1 is dissatisfied, 2 is somewhat dissatisfied, 3 is neutral, 4 is somewhat satisfied, and 5 is satisfied.
City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 49
APPENDIX 2
Q4.
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2.
Q6.
What should Keene prioritize for you as a student?
Q8.
If there were 2 things you would like the City of Keene to do to serve you better, what would they be?
Number
Q7.
Do you plan to stay in Keene after you graduate?
50 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan
Response Text
1
More job opportunities, more businesses.
2
Get more restaurants, acquire an actual grocery store
3
More food options and better roads!
4
Fix the roads and put less chlorine in the water.
5
A grocery shop that have fruits and vegetables
6
Find another method of cleaning water for drinking purposes besides a ton of chlorine, as it MUST be filtered to be drinkable in my opinion, and it also leaves calcium deposits in my refrigerator. And to FIX, not patch the roads in Keene. (Increase tax revenue through providing businesses to build here and create jobs, NOT by raising up taxes)
7
fix the roads and having more places to get fresh foods
8
Update the physical appearance of the Dollar General strip mall. Fix the duck Pond Bridge with more seating
9
Sidewalks and a Starbucks
10
Grocery store, rental bikes
11
More variety of restaurants, and fix the bridge at the duck pond
12
Fix the roads for smooth driving.
13
There are still a lot of potholes around I know that needs help. A produce store or section in DG or the ABC would be nice
14
student jobs and water
15
can’t think of any
16
1. Repave some of the badly damaged roads 2. Park lighting
17
Better water and parking spaces in the girls dorms
18
Provide Public Transportation to surrounding areas for minimal cost. Have a physician within walking distance who will take SWAU insurance with evening hours as an option.
19
More student jobs, less ridiculous tickets from cops (jaywalking)
20
Better roads, better roads, PLEASE BETTER LOOKING ROADS!
21
The road to be asphalted all the times. I breath a dust for the non asphalt of the road. I had to take antibiotics for them. So, b careful next time.
APPENDIX 2.2 STUDENT SURVEY
Number
Response Text
Number
Response Text whatever needs to be done to get a real grocery store
A neighborhood Walmart would be nice for healthy food close by
47
23
Not to annx more property
48
More accessible places to socialize and retail buildings
24
BETTER STREETS and a place to buy legit groceries like a mini Walmart
49
Grocery store and pedestrian walkways to parks. Road potholes are an issue to me too
25
Better streets, a grocery store.
50
26
Improve the availability of jobs and pedestrian safety
27
Pay water bill online and more cafes or restaurant around
1) Reserving positions in local committees for students (better representation) 2) As Keene developments, increase walkability for those with limited transportation.
28
Partner with SWAU to build a health and recreation center An established fast food restaurant such as Taco Bell
51
I would like for the City of Keene to strive for excellence. To provide a better enjoyable environment.
29
less potholes, entertainment
52
30
Better streets and better city services
31
Street lights and potholes
Better roads. Specifically less potholes in the road. Something that would be nice is another fast food restaurant that would be affordable for college students.
32
retail and restaurant choices --- and dollar stores don’t count as retail ;)
53
Modernize. Modernize.
54
Fix the roads
33
Chase bank, hiking trails
55
Maintain roads, provide more jobs
34
More places to eat, health places
56
unsure at this time
35
Better roads. The campus streets are unbelievably bad
57
Clean park and citizen rights
36
Better roads and better water
58
water should be more affordable. It is too expensive.
37
Cops need to ask drivers when seen crying if they are OKAY instead of being rude. You never know if their reckless driving is due to a hurtful mind and bad thoughts. Give them the ticket but also be a FRIEND
38
1 bright lights and signals at major walking crossing points, specially from gym to duck pond. 2, better roads for driving.
39
Better Water, More Food Options: such as a local grocery store, Taco Bell.
40
Pavement maintenance and street lights
41
more food variety, and better water quality
42
better roads - too many potholes. Need more sidewalks
43
Grocery store
44
Pick up the house trash more than once a week, and lower the rent on apartments.
45
Have better roads and more sidewalks
46
Improve water quality. Police not to pull over every minor issue. City of Keene Comprehensive Plan | 51
APPENDIX 2
22
APPENDIX 2
APPENDIX 2.
Q9.
Your Gender?
52 | City of Keene Comprehensive Plan