SITE OVERVIEW• GroundwaterplumewithatleasttwosourcesinLeonValley• SourcesitesincludetheSavingsSquareShoppingCenterand

PilgrimCleaners• EPAinvestigationintoplumeextentisongoing

REUSE PLANNING (DRAFT)

Bandera Road Superfund Site | Leon Valley, TX

PURPOSE OF REUSE PLANNING1. Identifyreasonablyanticipatedfuturelandusesandassociated

remedialconsiderationstoinformEPA’scleanupplans.

2. IdentifyinterimrevitalizationstrategiesfortheCityofLeonValleygiventhelong-termnatureofgroundwatercleanupandthepotentialforstigmarelatedtotheSite.

LEON VALLEY LAND USE GOALS• Protectthemunicipalwatersupplyfromcontaminationby

thegroundwaterplumeand/orfutureindustrialactivities.

• GuideandsupportreinvestmentandredevelopmentalongBanderaRoad.

• PromotesustainabledevelopmentandsustainablelivingthroughCityinitiatives.

REGIONAL CONTEXT• BanderaRoadisamajortravelroutebetweendowntown

SanAntonioandsurroundingcenters.

• LeonValleyiswell-positionedtoattracteconomicdevelopmentbasedontheresidentialgrowthareasandkeyemployers,attractionsanduniversitieslocatedwithina5mileradius.

• NorthLeonCreekGreenwayisaregionalrecreationalasset.

ZONING & REDEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN AREAS• Bandera&GrissomRoadsareprimarycommercialcorridors.

• SustainabilityOverlayDistrictstandardsguidedevelopmentinmostareaswithbusiness,retailorcommercialzoning.

• TownSquareandTownCenterareasarethedesiredlocusofsustainablereinvestmentandredevelopment.

NEW DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS• Recentresidentialdevelopmentsattractyoungprofessionals.

• BexarCountyfloodplainannexationcouldincreaserecreationalamenities.

• Walkable,neighborhood-orientedcommercialcentersaredesirableinfuturecommercialareas.

• PotentialtransportationprojectsincludelandscapingoftheBanderaRoadmedianandextensionofaTownCenterroad.

REVITALIZATION AT THE TOWN CENTER

FollowingadoptionoftheSustainabilityandCommercial/IndsutrialOverlayDistrictStandardsinDecember2009,theredevelopmentplanningprocessinLeonValleymovedintoitssecondphase,whichwillresultinamasterplanfortheTownSquareandTownCenterareasoftheCity.

ThefollowingmapprovidesacloserlookathowtheRevitalizationStrategiesmayinformTownSquareandTownCenterredevelopment.Stakeholderscanusethestrategiesandmapspresentedheretodiscusswhatelementsshouldbeincorporatedintothemasterplan.

POTENTIALACTIONSTEPS

• FocusstreetgreeningeffortsonPoss,GrissomandBanderaRoads.

• IdentifyfundingforanaturaldrainagepilotprojecttoconnectRaymondRinkusParktotheTownSquare.

• IntegratebikelanesandsignagealongPossandGrissomRoadstodrawregionalgreenwayusersandotherpedestriansandcyclistsintotheTownCenter.

• PurchaseaparceltouseasgreengatewayintotheTownCenter;programmingcouldincludegreenspace,apavedtrail,and/oranoutdoorfarmersmarket.

• CreatemarketingmaterialsfortheTownCenterthatemphasizeanintegratedrecreational-commercialsenseofplace.

Recommendations for Continued Reuse Planning

Figure 3: New Development Projects

Figure 2: Existing Zoning + Redevelopment Master Plan Areas

Figure 1: Regional Context

ALIGN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ANALYSISLeonValley’sEconomicDevelopmentDepartmentcouldseektoaligneconomicdevelopmentanalysisfromtheBuxtonCompanyreportwiththestrategiesandrecommendationsofthisreuseassessment.

IDENTIFY PILOT PROJECTSTheCityofLeonValleycouldidentifyandpursuesourcesoffundingforgreeninfrastructurepilotprojectsthatsupporttheproposedfutureusestrategies.

INTEGRATE STRATEGIES INTO REDEVELOPMENT PLANNING TheCityofLeonValleycouldusethestrategiesasadiscussiontoolwithstakeholdersduringthesecondphaseofredevelopmentplanningfortheTownCenterandadoptelementsofthestrategiesintotheSustainabilityOverlayDistrictStandardsasappropriate.

ADDRESS LIABILITY CONCERNSEPAcouldprovideinformationonSuperfundliabilityandthestepsnecessarytoobtainacomfortlettertotheCityofLeonValleyandlocalpropertyownerswhomaybeinterestedinexpandingorsellingtheirproperty.

COLLABORATE WITH SOURCE AREA SITE OWNERS TheCityofLeonValleyandEPAcouldcollaboratewithsourceareasiteownersonaligningsite-specificredevelopmentorrevitalizationplanswithremedialdesign.

JUNE 2010

This report was funded by the EPA Superfund Redevelopment Initiative and produced by E2 Inc. for EPA Region 6, the City of Leon Valley and the Leon Val-ley Community. For more information on SRI and reuse planning, please con-tact Casey Luckett Snyder, EPA Region 5 reuse coordinator (214.665.7393, Luckett.Casey@epa.gov). For more information on the Bandera Road Superfund Site, please contact Chris Villarreal, EPA Remedial Project Manager (214.665.6758, Villarreal.Chris@epa.gov).

Figure 9: Planned and Proposed Development Initiatives at the Town Center

FUTURE LAND USELAND USE CONSIDERATIONS EPAusesreasonablyanticipatedfuturelandusetoinformdecisionsregardingcleanupmethodsandremedialdesign.Keyconsiderationsinclude:

• FuturelanduseintheareaoftheBanderaRoadSuperfundSiteislikelytocontinuetoincluderesidential,recreational,commercialandindustrialuses.

• Currentlanduseplansandinitiativesseektogreenthecityandincreasetheamountoftimeresidentsandvisitorsspendoutdoors.

• OnesourceareaislocatedinsideLeonValley’sTownCenterarea,whichistargetedforredevelopment.

REMEDIAL CONSIDERATIONS PotentialremedialfeaturesattheSiteincludeflushmountedwellsacrosstheplumeareaandgroundwatertreatmentwellsatthesourcesites.Keyconsiderationsinclude:

• Remedialfeaturesarelikelytobelocatedatthesourcesitesandmaycreateminimalconstraintsonuseatthosesites.

• ReuseinareasbeyondthesourcesitesismorelikelytobeimpactedbypotentialSuperfundstigmathanbyremedialfeatures.

MOVING FORWARD TherevitalizationstrategiesoutlinedontheadjacentpageleveragethevalueofexistingassetsandthemomentumofplannedrevitalizationprojectstocounterpotentialSuperfundstigma.LeonValley’simageasthe“GreenestLittleCityinTexas”couldbeenhancedbyproactivesustainabilitymeasuresthatprovideaphysicalbasisforprosperity,supportdemandforproductsandservices,andcreateasenseofplace.

STRATEGY ONE: Create Huebner Creek GreenwayUseexistingandplannedopenspacetocreateagreenwayalongHuebnerCreek.ByensuringasafeBanderaRoadcrossingforpedestriansandcyclists,theCitywillcreatemulti-modalaccesstocommercialcentersandrecreationalamenitiesforCityresidents.

POTENTIALACTIONSTEPS

• CoordinatewithSanAntoniotosupportdevelopmentofCrystalHillsPark.

• CoordinatewithBexarCountytointegrateapavedtrailintothefloodplainproject.

• ImproveaccessibilityofthetrailsintheLeonValleyHistoricalSocietynaturalareainordertocontinuegreenway.

• Seekfundingtoensurefullconnectivityandtoaddentrancesignagetothegreenway.

STRATEGY TWO: Select a Green Streets NetworkTargetagreenstreetsnetworkfortreeplantingandnaturaldrainagefeaturestoimprovewalkability,aestheticsandstormwatermanagement.Criteriaforgreenstreetscouldincludestreetsthat(1)intersectBanderaRoad,(2)connecttotheproposedHuebnerCreekGreenwayand(3)provideaccesstoanexistingamenityorattraction.Themapatrightsuggestsaprimarysetofstreetswhereinitialgreeningeffortscouldbefocusedandasecondaysetforfurtherexpansionofthenetwork.

POTENTIALACTIONSTEPS

• NegotiatewithTxDOTtointegratebikelanes,naturaldrainageandtreeplantingintoBanderaRoad

• TargettreeplantingtodesignatedstreetsconnectingneighborhoodstoBandera,HuebnerCreekGreenwayandlocalamenities

• Applyforgrantfundingtoensureallgreenstreetshaveconnectedtrailsorsidewalks.

• Integratenaturaldrainagetoimprovestormwatermanagmentongreenstreetsdrainingtocreeks.

• Coordinatewithnewdevelopmentstoensurestreetimprovementsfacilitategreenstreetvision.

STRATEGY THREE: Build Regional Green LinksCreateregionallinksbetweentheNorthLeonCreekGreenway,theTownCenterandtheproposedHuebnerCreekGreenway.IntegrationofcommercialcentersandrecreationalamenitiescouldhelpcreateauniquesenseofplaceinLeonValleyandattractregionalrecreationusersandshoppers.

POTENTIALACTIONSTEPS

• ConductfeasibilitystudytodeterminemostsuitabletrailaccessandconnectorpointstotheNorthLeonCreekGreenway.

• Applyforfundingtoacquirelandoreasementsandconstructconnectorsandsignage.

• AddHuebnerCreekGreenwaytoregionalgreenwaymapsandsignage.

• IntegratebikelanesandsignagealongGrissomandPossRoads.

• InitiaterecreationalprogrammingintheTownCentertocreateadestinationforgreenwayusersandshoppers.

WHAT IS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE?DefinitionGreeninfrastructure(GI)isaframework for understanding the valuable services that nature provides for the human environment and integrating these natural assets into city and regional planning.Muchlikethegreyinfrastructure(streetnetworks,waterandsewersystems,etc.)thatsupportsdevelopment,GIhelpscreateasustainablefoundationfordevelopmentinourcommunities.

• Ataregional or municipal scale,GIformsanetworkofopenspacethatcanguidegrowthandpreservation.

• Atasite scale,GIintegratesfunctionsandutilizesnaturalprocessestomakecommunitiesmorehealthyandenjoyable.

Economic BenefitsInvestinginGIcanyieldtangibleeconomicbenefitsforcommunitymembers,businessesandmunicipalities.

• Propertyvaluesincreaseneargreenspaces.

• Greenspacesnearplacesofworkincreaseproductivity,andbusinessesattractandretainmoremotivatedstaffingreenersettings.

• GIcanreduceenergycostsbycounteringsoaringsummertemperaturesandalleviatepressureonstormwatermanagementsystemsbyreducingthevelocityandamountofrunoff.

• ShoppersstaylongerandspendmoreincommercialareaswithGI.

Leon Valley’s Natural AssetsCataloguingexistingnaturalassetscanbethefirststepinlong-termplanningforaGInetwork.Figure5illustratesthenaturalassetsinandaroundLeonValley,includingtheNorthLeonCreekGreenwayanda“spine”ofplannedandexistingopenspaceintheCity.

Revitalization Strategies: Green Infrastructure and Economic Development

Figure 4: Reasonably Anticipated Future Land Use Figure 5: Natural Assets in Leon Valley

Flush-mounted wells are installed with a cover at ground level and can be integrated into sidewalks, parking lots and recreational fields.

Figure 6: Huebner Creek Greenway

Figure 7: Green Streets Network

Figure 8: Regional Green Links