Consultants present preliminary downtown framework emphasizing river access, walkability and parking

KERRVILLE, Texas — Consultants from Freese and Nichols presented preliminary concepts for a downtown framework to the Kerrville Downtown Advisory Committee, emphasizing improved river access, pedestrian connections and strategies to make existing parking assets more usable.

"This is all preliminary. We did our engagements ... and so this is kind of our first time we're presenting publicly the concepts that came out of that," said Caitlin Admire, project manager for Freese and Nichols, urging committee members to treat the material as a working draft and provide feedback.

The presentation concentrated on public-realm elements — streets, open space, sidewalks and bicycle connections — rather than a detailed economic analysis. Admire said the scope was to add detail to a catalyst area identified in the 2018 Kerrville 2050 plan and to produce an implementation action plan the city can use to guide investments.

Why it matters

The plan will guide where the city focuses limited public funds for sidewalks, lighting, plazas and river access. It also forms the basis for conversations with outside agencies and private property owners — including TxDOT, which controls parts of key corridors, and private landowners whose property affects pedestrian connections and parking.

Key elements presented

- Character areas: The consultants defined a downtown core (concentrated, pedestrian-first blocks with lower parking requirements), a commercial corridor along Sidney Baker, supporting development zones for missing-middle housing and offices, a transition zone connecting the core to the river, and a "university district" adjacent to the Shriner campus intended to accommodate higher-density residential, incubator and light industrial/artisan spaces.

- Catalyst sites: Large redevelopment opportunities were mapped, including the former mall site across the river (outside the technical downtown boundary but influential for downtown activity) and the Entertainment Mart parcel inside the core. The consultants recommended coordinating redevelopment on those sites with open-space and public-access objectives.

- River access and open space: The draft maps identify potential new access points to the river trail and a network of urban plazas and more natural river-edge zones. Admire noted an existing boardwalk proposal and said the plan supports completing that connection.

- Mobility framework: Planners marked Sidney Baker and Broadway as the primary high-volume vehicle corridors (TxDOT right-of-way). They recommended concentrating pedestrian and bicycle investments on a secondary grid (Water, Jefferson, Earl Garrett and Clay) and strengthening six crossing points where multimodal routes intersect TxDOT corridors.

- Parking and utilization: The consultants flagged an underused downtown parking garage and discussed shared-parking concepts and shuttle or short-hop vehicles as ways to connect elderly and mobility-limited users to businesses. Committee members urged the city to pursue a parking utilization study and to reopen discussions with private landowners who control large surface lots.

- Alley activation: The team identified a multi-block alley between the core and the university district as a low-cost opportunity for alley activation (lighting, movable planters, business frontage) to create an alternate pedestrian route and distinctive place-making.

Public comments and concerns

Mr. Mamani, a downtown property owner, pressed for a stronger economic urgency in the plan and said, "We need to grow in a purpose economically, not just for groups." A committee member who reviewed the presentation said, "I think you're on the right track," while urging the plan to include more near-term prioritized actions rather than only long-range concepts.

Several participants urged the consultants and the city to pursue pragmatic, near-term pilots: temporary street closures and test conversions to one-way vehicle flow on key downtown streets to create wider sidewalks and allow cafés and outdoor seating. Speakers noted tradeoffs: temporary closures require traffic-engineering evaluation and concrete safety measures to limit liability and to preserve convenient access for elderly residents.

Implementation and next steps

Admire said the project began in June of the prior year and is scheduled to be completed in June 2025, with a draft of all plan pieces expected in late February or early March. The consultants will return with a more detailed implementation/action plan that sequences near-term, mid-term and long-term items and identifies responsible parties and potential funding strategies. The presentation and draft materials will be posted to the project website (curveball2050.com) for further public comment.

Constraints and dependencies

Committee discussion emphasized that several implementation steps depend on actions outside the city's direct control: negotiations with TxDOT over traffic signal timing and crossing treatments; discussions with private property owners (including a large private lot adjacent to downtown used for parking) about shared-use arrangements; and potential sewer and utility extensions for large redevelopment parcels.

What the committee directed (nonbinding)

City staff and consultants agreed to: post the presentation and updated maps online; pursue updated building-footprint GIS data with the county to improve the map layers; and include parking utilization analysis and a menu of short-term pilot projects (for example: temporary street closures and a one-way lane pilot) in the implementation recommendations. Those items were discussed as next steps rather than adopted by formal vote.

Ending

The Downtown Advisory Committee will review a near-final draft at a subsequent committee meeting in March before the plan advances toward city approvals in June 2025. The consultants asked residents and stakeholders to continue submitting ideas on the project website and interactive map ahead of the draft review.