Do you know the Masterplan?

I feel pretty ignorant of community plans, but I've made a resolution of sorts to remedy that. After just a quick web search, I ran across several civic plans for Denton. They actually make for an interesting read, of course, that is the opinion of a guy who enjoyed economics for engineers ;). You can find the pdf of the downtown plan here.

Will Denton erase it's own history?

The question is tongue-in-cheek. I think Denton is pretty determined to erase all evidence that is was once a small-town with all the mundane charms. Take for instance, the latest evidence: part of Calhoun Middle School has been razed to make way for a much larger building on the site. You can read the article online
here. Looks like some concerned folks are trying to save the main building, which is all that remains of the original school.

Like many folks, I am ambivalent about development as it relates to architecturally or historically significant buildings. And I could see supporting the razing of certain structures if there had been a deliberate and thorough examination of the alternatives that gave sufficient weight to the possible legacy of such structures and there positive impact on quality-of-life and community. But I have no confidence that such a process exists or is followed in the vast majority of these cases. I am certainly open to being educated, however!

Copy of email sent to Dawn Cobb at the Denton Record-Chronicle

Dawn,

Today’s article lamenting the lack of progress on the Fry Street development got me thinking. I feel a bit uneducated about some important aspects of the Fry Street matter. Did the developers expect to be approved for a drive-thru before they broke ground? If so, why? Did the anyone in the city give them any confidence? Or was CVS not lined up before the developers razed all the buildings? In any case, why don’t the developers just pursue other tenants—ones not needing a drive thru, for instance? There has to be some interest.

Just an observation about due diligence: I’d want to know if I had approval before I invested heavily in a certain property. Could it be that the developers felt that after the businesses are evicted and the buildings were razed that the city would have little choice but to go along with the developers’ plans? I could imagine that scenario. Could the city make a determination as to whether the developers acted in good faith?

I would like some vibrant local retail to have a presence in any future development. Denton should really think about it’s brand. Does Denton really want to be another bedroom community to Dallas with the same anonymous retail centers that can be found within five minutes drive of any other location in DFW? A real opportunity exists for Denton to brand itself different and achieve sustainable development.


Yours,

Carson Hammett

What Happened (and What Will Happen) with Fry Street?

I have a confession to make. When the idea was floated to redevelop the Fry St. area, I was receptive. For a while the area had been decaying and had become a cesspool of drunken high-schoolers and college kids. It wasn't that there were college kids or even the drunkenness, so much as the high-school aged drinkers with forties in hand physically accosting passers-by. Fry St. was a pit!

Despite the obvious need for something to be done, I was equally skeptical of redevelopment efforts. I didn't (and still don't) want Denton to experience the same kind of economic development that has been a 'success' in the DFW area--one anonymous retail center after another. Anonymous because they are architecturally homogeneous and also because they have an identical mix of retail offerings.

Several years later we have nothing but a large hole. Granted a large hole is better than the same retail that can be found within five minutes of anywhere else in the metroplex. But the hole is not better than what was there before the city approved development and before the developers razed buildings, that while distressed, did have character and value to the community.

Who is responsible for this debacle? And what do we do now? Today's Denton Record-Chronicle had an article updating the "progress" of development on the site. The article can be found here. I certainly appreciate that this matter is still on the radar somewhat, but I still do not understand why there is a vacant lot looking more like a mine field, than a bustling retail center (or a park for that matter).

Some remaining questions? Since the development apparently hinged on whether the CVS Pharmacy would be granted a permit for a drive thru, did the developer (and their financial backers) during due diligence seek out whether it was reasonable to expect the city to approve a drive thru at that site? If they didn't, they did a pretty shoddy job of thinking it through. Many cities and towns are now being very selective regarding drive-thru approvals. If the developers did look into the probability, then I think they'd figure approval a gamble. Why are they not looking for a tenant other than CVS, a tenant that would not need a drive thru? Why does this development depend on a drive thru for CVS?

I suspect the developers are just trying to ride roughshod over the city council's objections--they are playing hardball. Hey, city council, we'll keep this lovely bit of real estate a ruined mess and blight on the community as long as it takes for you to do things our way. I suspect the developers are acting in bad faith. What if the city answered back by seeking to condemn the land or claiming immanent domain?

And now there are two!

Mmm...Having spent a bit of time behind the bar pulling espresso shots and the like, I can tell you that I was gladdened to see another coffee shop in Denton. Even luckier, it is downtown and within walking distance!

Though Jupiter House is a well-established and well-trafficked cafe downtown, the new cafe, Hydrant, will be a nice compliment. Hydrant has a PID'd La Marzocco Linea 2-group which is probably a bit of an advantage over Jupiter House's well-aged Linea 4-group (an old Starbuck's machine). Both Jupiter House and Hydrant have good quality whole bean coffee supplied by small-batch roasters. Cuvee Coffee of Houston is offered by Jupiter House is a generally roasted a bit lighter than Coffee Eiland's coffee. Cuvee's espresso often presenting fruitier notes, while Coffee Eiland's espresso is fuller-bodied with a dark chocolate finish. Because I've had them both under controlled circumstances I can say done right both are good. What I cannot say is that you will find the right environment at either one of these cafes. In all my years as a patron and informed observer I have never experienced a decent shot of espresso at Jupiter House. Jupiter has been an outstanding success regardless. It is too soon to tell if Hydrant will be the same.

I am hopeful that having two coffee shops vying for the customer's dollar will be good for the coffee scene in Denton, however, and that one day I will be able to reliably predict a good espresso when walking up to the counter at either one of these shops. Let the games begin!