The Bryan city council has taken the next step towards creating a Health and Wellness Area.
The council at this week’s meeting unanimously passed a resolution for the future development of St. Joseph Regional Health Center, Blinn College, businesses, and residences around 29th and Villa Maria.
During the council workshop, Mike Southerland, whose district includes the proposed area, questioned the future rights of property owners. Consultant Steve Auterman said the plan does not consider using eminent domain.
Councilman Art Hughes says this area “is a prime piece of real estate and nobody’s going to be hurt who has a business there”.
During the council meeting before the vote, Southerland repeated that he is “very concerned about people’s rights being cared for and that some people’s property may be taken away not of their own choosing”. “But based on what councilman Hughes said during the workshop, he thinks the values of the property may be driven up which would be of benefit to everyone”.
Southerland also thanked St. Joseph’s for his life-saving heart surgery, which led Rafael Pena to say his wife will be delivering their first child at St. Joseph’s, which led Chuck Konderla to tell Pena “You can use Mrs. Konderla’s private parking spot.”; a reference to Konderla’s wife delivering six children at St. Joseph’s. Mayor Jason Bienski also chimed in, joking his colleagues use of the hospital presented a conflict of interest and suggesting to Pena that he not park in Mrs. Konderla’s space.
Background information given by city staff to the council emphasizes nine key elements, which are listed below.
1. Create a Great Lawn – create an attractive new public face for the hospital, activated with community-facing healthy activities and uses.
2. Emphasize Osler Blvd. – improve the hospital’s front door (Osler Boulevard) by lining it with friendly buildings and landscaping the environment.
3. Improve Major Streets – improve East Villa Maria, East 29th. Street and Briarcrest Drive with medians, landscaping, wide setbacks, wide multiuse paths, lighting, signage, and public art.
4. Enhance Pedestrian Access – provide enhanced pedestrian crosswalks at all signalized intersections (push-button activations, ADA-compliant ramps and “zebra” striping) and add crossings (HAWK signals) where pedestrians unsafely cross today.
5. Improve Emergency Access – provide better turning movements and signage for emergency vehicles going to the new Emergency Care Center.
6. Promote Senior Living – incorporate additional senior-living facilities with easy access to area amenities and retail.
7. Create Neighborhood Park Spaces and an Enhanced Creek – expose and improve the Burton Creek Tributary, creating a neighborhood crossroads green space that is themed/designed for nearby residents (gatherings, dog park, exercise, etc.), and enter into a Joint-Use Agreement for recreation space next to Bryan Collegiate High School.
8. Create a Community Health and Wellness Center – create a public and welcoming community destination with a health and wellness focus in the form of a fitness/clinical care facility next to the hospital alongside retail and other uses with active outdoor space.
9. Address Traffic Concerns – institute “game day” protocols at problem intersections during the first two weeks of the Fall semesters and the first week of the Spring semesters when Blinn College students are learning how to navigate the area.
Click HERE to read the resolution and background information approved by the council.
Click HERE to read the plan that was part of the approved resolution.
Click HERE to read the presentation made by the city’s consultant.
