City Commissioners first discussed a property that may be deemed to be unsafe and dangerous on El Paso Lane. The city has been trying for over a year to reach out to the owner of the property to discuss options for future use of the building to no avail. Now, commissioners may take matters into their own hands.
To rectify the situation Commissioners may approve demolishing the building if it is determined to be an unsafe or dangerous structure while also charging the property owner the costs associated with doing so. There will be a public hearing on March 7th, where all facts surrounding the case will be presented, which will also give the owner one last chance to rectify the situation themselves.
The hot topic of the night however, was Community Development’s, Aggieville Community Vision Plan, more specifically, the parking-space plan in the community vision plan.
The vision plan includes developing Aggieville with buildings of up to 5 stories tall while still preserving historical aspects of the area. In order to do so however, large parking accommodations would need to be made to sustain such growth.
Commissioners and City Staff discussed a number of parking strategies, and the implications of each. Parking garages were proposed as a viable solution to the issue, yet, funding the garages may not be so simple. Deputy City Manager Jason Hilgers pointed out that the biggest question commissioners should be asking is, “Exactly how many parking spaces will Aggieville need?”
While parking is a key factor in developing buildings of up to 5 stories in Aggieville, some Manhattan residents expressed concern over having 5 story buildings in the first place. One of those being Jenny Murdock, a teacher in Manhattan. Murdock has concerns that developing Aggieville with buildings that tall will make the area feel like a tunnel, which is one of the reasons Murdock says she moved out of a big city to come to Manhattan over a decade ago.
Commissioners will continue to discuss how to move forward in the Aggieville Vision Plan with hopes of adopting a final draft plan by May. News Radio KMAN will keep you up-to-date with all details surrounding the plan as they become available.
Fake Patty’s Day goers enjoy the sunny weather in Aggieville. (Staff photo by Dan Smith)
