FORWARD TOGETHER

In November 2017, Hot Springs Village held its first ever public charrette to engage our property owners in the Comprehensive Master Plan and solicit their input on the future of Hot Springs Village. Throughout the nine days, group discussions were held on topics ranging from public safety to utilities, infrastructure, transportation, and economic development just to name a few. Several surveys were conducted as well as three public forums. We received more than 4,000 responses to the surveys, several hundred attended the group meetings, and more than 600 attended the public sessions. The opportunity to contribute is not over. We will continue to meet with residents and stakeholders, engage through our committees, and seek input during public forums.

What we have learned from you: • Lakes, golf, and trails are your three most important amenities• 70% of you support a town center• 80% support land development for commercial offerings, employment opportunities, and lease revenue for the POA• The majority support some level of public access to Hot Springs Village for shopping, golfing, visiting friends, or lodging• Our property owners are committed to maintaining the gates, and not in favor of incorporation• Themes that were consistently related as important: community, friendly, destination, golf, beauty, natural, safe, secure,

growing, retirement, relaxed, gated, lakes, maintenance, and infrastructure

Until 2007, Hot Springs Village experienced continual growth with an average of 150 new homes constructed annually. Since that time, we have averaged 40. Our intent is that with this plan and your input, we will identify a path forward to recover from this stagnant growth trend, and in the process, create long-term financial sustainability.

While we understand the reservations some of you have about the new ideas being presented, we are so grateful to those who are participating in the process and contributing their thoughts and ideas. Hot Springs Village is OUR home, and we all in various ways are doing what we can to preserve and enhance its natural beauty and ensure that Hot Springs Village remains a premier retirement and relocation destination for years to come. I want to personally thank you for your continued participation and encouragement as we move Forward Together.

STEPHANIE HEFFERDirector, Placemaking and Development

H OT S P R I N G S V I L L A G E C O M P R E H E N S I V E M A S T E R P L A N

CHARRETTE OVERVIEW

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M E S S A G E F R O M O U R C H A I R M A N

We have said this many times before, as Hot Springs Village property owners and stakeholders, our most critical pursuit today is to take personal ownership of our roadmap for success and sustainability by contributing to the Comprehensive Master Plan process. We all must embrace the task at hand; the future of Hot Springs Village depends on it.

JOHN WEIDERTChairman, Hot Springs Village POA

PEOPLE GUIDE THE PLAN

The people that the plan most affects must guide the vision and direction of any good comprehensive plan. That is why the Hot Springs Village Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) process includes public surveys, numerous public meetings, and a week-long charrette. The Planning Team can analyze the community, look at past studies to gain knowledge, and visit every inch of the property, but until they hear from the residents and land owners, we won’t have the entire picture. The CMP has utilized three surveys to date with over 4,000 collective responses to gather opinions and preferences on various topics. The response rate seen in Hot Springs Village has exceeded expectations.

SURVEY [ 1 ]

Survey 1 included quality of life questions. The responses for the top three aspects of Hot Springs Village to remain unchanged were golf, lakes, and trails. When asked what respondents wanted Hot Springs Village to be in the future, the most frequent responses were growing, safe, and vibrant.

SURVEY [ 2 ]

Survey 2 went into more detail on amenities and frequency of their use. Lakes, golf, and trails were the most desired amenities with arts and fitness just behind. Seventy percent of the respondents said they are in favor of a new town center within the gates, and 67% said they would like it located near their neighborhood. There was general support for the POA to add commercial offerings or lease opportunities to generate revenue.

SURVEY [ 3 ]

Survey 3 was conducted during the charrette and was crafted to gain feedback to concepts that were emerging that week. These questions related to additional types of desired amenities within the Village, programming of the town center, near-term investments in the community, and preferences toward housing types.

WHAT WE HEARD AT THE CHARRETTEDuring the charrette, the planning team was able to converse with property owners about their preferences and answer questions concerning possible future strategies. Throughout the week, three clear directives were established from input at committee meetings, one-on-one conversations with property owners, and the online survey.

A. Protect the Long-Term Fiscal Sustainability of the VillageThe POA has made great strides to reduce operating costs and strengthen the fiscal health of the Village, but there remains a gap between the annual increase in assessment revenue (averages 1.5% per year) and the annual increases in operating and maintenance costs (averages 2.6% per year). According to Randall Gross Development Economics, to avoid an increase in individual lot assessments, the Village needs to increase the number of developed lots, generate lease income, and enhance outside sources of revenue.

In the third survey, the top three most important investments that the POA should make in the near term were all related to maintenance and upgrades of existing infrastructure, POA-owned structures, and recreation facilities, respectively. These sentiments were reflected in the spending simulation during the opening public meeting of the charrette, in which property owners allocated money toward capital improvements, maintenance and operations, and reserves for both existing and new facilities, as well as toward incentives for business and job creation and toward governance and public safety.

Additionally, 85% of respondents of the third survey expressed support for reducing the built environment and maintenance footprints in undeveloped areas of the Village either temporarily or in perpetuity. This strategy could aid in both reducing infrastructure maintenance costs while maintaining the natural character of the Village.

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B. Establish and Preserve the Natural Character of the VillageThe Planning Team heard many charrette attendees use the words “natural character” when describing what they loved about the Village. The lush woods seen when driving down DeSoto or winding through a neighborhood is what attracted so many of the Village homeowners. The character of the Village is more than golf and lakes; it is the expanse of natural areas that are abundant throughout the community. This sentiment led to the creation of multiple strategies to accommodate future growth and development while retaining the natural character that so many residents value.

C. Evolve the Experiences and Housing Offered to Meet the Changing Needs of Retirement and DemographicsIf you are a family looking to relocate to Hot Springs Village or a new retiree wishing to buy a home near the amenities and programs offered, there are plenty of single-family homes from which to choose. However, what if you don’t want a single-family house on a standard-sized lot? What if you want to live in a walkable neighborhood or if you prefer a smaller house with nearby open space to enjoy with neighbors? Diversifying the housing options available today to meet the changing needs of the new retiree’s preferences as well as shifts in the family demographic is an important aspect in creating sustainable growth and maintaining the fiscal health of the Village.

In the third survey, property owners expressed support for targeting untapped housing markets, with the condition that natural character is preserved. Additionally, many expressed the desire to age within the community. Seventy percent said they would still live in Hot Springs Village ten years from now. Nearly 60% said they would not want to maintain a yard. When addressing pocket neighborhoods and infill housing opportunities, property owners expressed the desire that they be owner-occupied and retain the natural character of the community.

TOWN CENTERAs shown in Survey 2, 70% of respondents said they are in favor of a town center. In addition, previous studies have indicated that a town center and lodging could be supported by the current population of Hot Springs Village. A town center would be a destination for residents and visitors alike by offering community gathering spaces, arts and culture as well as shopping, restaurants, and other amenities. It would become the heart of Hot Springs Village, much like downtown squares in other communities. Surrounding the town center with a variety of housing types and styles to support the center will also absorb much of the future growth.

PEOPLE GUIDE THE PLAN

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Perhaps the greatest challenge facing Hot Springs Village is its size. Size can be detrimental to decision making when there is no clear prioritization. For instance, some 1,800 fire hydrants must be flushed yearly, about 5 per day. This is a big job that spans the entire Village, however a currently undetermined number of hydrants are in undeveloped areas. Prioritizing developed areas can reduce the burden of maintenance. Growth in the Village follows a similar path. Without prioritization, new housing can be built anywhere. If utilities do not exist, they must be provided. Beyond utilities, the pattern of haphazard development is detrimental to property values and discourages outside

investment. If growth were targeted to just a few areas at a time, it can build value, attract investment, and help establish community. Providing and servicing amenities also suffers from a lack of prioritization. While there are many amenities offered to date, requests for new ones are constant. If the Village adds a pickleball court, where should it go? Aging amenities similarly challenge budgeting. Some people insist that every existing asset must be used, while others would jettison quite a few holdings. Prioritization includes both where improvements and maintenance should occur and where the Village should hold off for a decision further down the road.

The Comprehensive Master Plan is just as much about old as it is about new. Leading into the Comprehensive Master Plan process, the POA has tasked department heads with assembling 5-year maintenance plans for existing amenities and infrastructure. A comprehensive view of the state of the Village is being assembled. The first takeaway is that there is too much to address due to years of deferred maintenance, and not enough time or money. As the Village starts tackling these plans in 2018, longer-term items need prioritization and new sources of revenue.

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THE FUTURE WITHOUT A PLANCURRENT PERCEPTION

The perception today is that property owners live in a low-density, natural environment, when in many cases, they are surrounded by unbuilt lots.

The reality is that every one of these lots can be constructed upon, resulting in a much denser development pattern at build-out as currently platted.

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The POA has begun to address revenue sources. The first step of aligning amenity usage fees with maintenance costs has begun to close the gap. While amenities cannot all pay for themselves, the general subsidy has been decreased. But this doesn’t help with the infrastructure burden. The next step is attracting investment and new development. Only 25% of the Village has been developed, yet it is carrying the financial burden of the entire Village. Growth is necessary to support what has been built. The consultant team heard loud and clear that 100% development isn’t a goal in anyone’s mind. This created a more appropriate question for the team: how much does the Village need to grow in

order to financially sustain itself? A back of the envelope calculation suggests about 60% build-out. During the first quarter of 2018, the planning team will continue to refine this number. At 60% of full build-out, the Village still has 35% to grow, or 12,000 units. To achieve this growth in 30 years, it would take 400 new units each year, which is 10 times the current volume of growth. As long-term stewards of the Village, the community needs a long-term financial view, which is dependent on growth. But that level of growth is not occurring today. To achieve growth, the Village needs to become attractive for new development. Developers want predictability, vision,

a simple process, and the ability to market products that are desirable to a new generation of retiree, as well as the changing demographics of the Village. Adapting to changing needs was a role played by Cooper, and the POA was not initially equipped with the tools to continue this process. As Cooper began divesting its interest, the POA assumed the role of developer. Tools including zoning and platting standards, and processes need to be developed to permit and direct growth. The plan will address all of these issues together, old and new, as parts of a comprehensive strategy.

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POTENTIAL FUTURE PLAN

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SUSPENSION OF FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Suspending or relocating future development can be achieved in contiguous undeveloped areas to reduce infrastructure maintenance costs such as streets, sewer, and some water lines.

By suspending or relocating development and allocating strategic undeveloped properties into designated open space, the existing natural character can be retained while reducing infrastructure maintenance costs, focusing new growth in hamlets, and creating meaningful open space amenities.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

PRIORITIZATION STRATEGYThe Village is too large to have a single character. Some current and future residents, including retirees and younger people, want areas with more activity. Some residents and future residents want to live in a naturalistic setting. Some are in between. The Village’s current design does not protect the naturalistic character or anticipate redefining areas to meet evolving preferences. To address both concerns, the plan scenario establishes three area categories:

• Areas to SUSPEND• Areas to COMPLETE• Areas to REDEFINE

Through January, the consultant team and sub-committees will work to refine these areas. Refinements will be presented to property owners and modified to reflect feedback.

THE POA’S ROLE IN DEVELOPMENTThe POA has a series of important administrative duties to kick-start growth:

• Adopt a comprehensive plan establishing a future vision and steps to achieve that vision

• Update the Covenants and Restrictions as may be necessary to implement the comprehensive plan

• Adopt clear and specific A.C.C. design guidelines to direct new growth

• Establish predictable replatting processes and review authorities

• Assemble properties within growth target areas• Market assembled POA properties to developers

AREAS TO SUSPEND

Areas where future development may be temporarily suspended for 10 or more years, or ended in perpetuity. Approximately 13,000 lots may be removed from long-term development in these areas. Suspension strategies achieve the following goals:• Eliminate future infrastructure liabilities• Reduce the total infrastructure footprint of the Village• Protect the natural character that has become central to the Village

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AREAS TO REDEFINE

Areas where growth and change should be targeted. Half of the Village’s future growth could be accommodated by developing just 4% of the land area of the Village with an average intensity of 6 units per acre. Intensification strategies achieve the following goals:• Accelerate growth to achieve fiscal balance• Diversify housing to meet changing market demands• Support successful retail and night life within the Village

AREAS TO COMPLETE

Areas with more robust existing development may continue to be developed. However these areas would benefit by a combination of natural character preservation and increased diversity of housing types. These strategies used together may result in no net increase in intensity. Completion strategies achieve the following goals:• Maintain and improve existing amenities and common areas• Stabilize and increase property values• Increase the marketability of existing houses and properties

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

PROPOSED PLAN SCENARIOS

COMPLETING NEIGHBORHOODS

Pocket neighborhoods can be added to existing neighborhoods, combined with naturalization strategies that convert otherwise unusable common property to meaningful neighborhood open space. Using a zero net unit gain strategy, the addition of smaller lots allows other lots to be expanded and for key areas to be preserved, such as natural drainage ways. With a greater diversity of lots, both smaller and larger, neighborhoods can become more attractive for development.

POCKET NEIGHBORHOODS

Growth of in-demand housing within existing neighborhoods can celebrate the naturalistic character while providing smaller houses and cottages. An unbuilt cul-de-sac with 6 lots can accommodate 10 in this illustration.

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NEIGHBORHOOD NATURALIZATION

Currently the Village is designed to grow substantially, but its naturalistic character inspires many residents. In order to preserve this character, most neighborhoods can become rural hamlets by removing some lots from future development and enlarging other lots. Combined with limited pocket neighborhood additions, a neighborhood that is currently planned in a suburban pattern can become a rural hamlet in a naturalistic setting.

NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS

Crossing the Village is a long way to go to engage in short duration activities or to meet with friends in the morning or evening. With a smaller Village footprint overall, adding neighborhood centers at key locations can reinforce a neighborhood-based social network. These centers are small in size and scope, oriented around a shared amenity, like pickleball and trailheads. Cottage and other smaller housing units can be clustered around the center along with a small community room or coffee and wine shop with evening activities. Neighborhood centers should primarily be located along major streets, but some key locations like natural overlooks provide beautiful backdrops for gathering.

PROPOSED PLAN SCENARIOS

PROPOSED PLAN SCENARIOS

WOODLANDS TOWN CENTER

To be marketable into the future, the Village needs a strong town center. The area around the Woodlands Auditorium is large enough to support a center and centrally located in the Village. The theater itself draws large crowds that could benefit from places to eat before or after performances. This illustration of the town center depicts a main street that runs from Grove Park to the west in front of the auditorium, anchored by a small grocer. A formal square frames the Veterans’ Memorial with retail along its edge.

Further west, a plaza provides a venue for outdoor performances, hosts restaurants, and supports a hotel, necessary for hosting family reunions, holidays, and golfing events. But the town center is not only about retail, it must be supported by a diversity of housing from large single-family houses to cottages, rowhouses, and multi-family housing. These housing types offer much of what many new retirees are looking for, as well as younger people who are well aligned in their preferences. A number of existing residents have even expressed a desire to downsize to a condo in the town center where they don’t need to maintain a large house and they can be more socially active. While the center may look large to some, it represents about 1% of the length of DeSoto Boulevard, and it can boost the growth and fiscal health of the Village.

CARMONA CENTER

The existing retail centers in the Village are well located but suffer from outdated design and lack directly adjacent housing at higher intensities. The center at the northwest corner of Carmona and DeSoto Boulevard is situated between a number of community amenities at the Lake DeSoto spillway and community space on Lake Cortez yet it stagnates. Correcting the many issues from the blocked view along DeSoto Blvd to engaging Lake Cortez, Carmona Center could become an active destination and a great place to live.

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THE WAYPOINT

While The Waypoint is already established, it would benefit from further activation. Simply thinning trees between DeSoto Boulevard and The Waypoint will help bring more people to this special place. Once there, places for people to spend time should be expanded, and the point itself should become a very special place. Similar small interventions around existing amenities can propel them to life.

CORONADO CENTER

With all of the activities hosted at Coronado Center, many people wonder why the retail has performed poorly. Like Carmona Center, there are many issues beginning with design. But Coronado Center suffers the most from a lack of housing and housing diversity in the nearby vicinity. With the exception of the edge of Lake Coronado, very few houses have been built in the surrounding neighborhoods. Coronado Center itself has many of the right pieces, including two churches, but it needs more people around to be successful. The illustration shows how housing infill can help activate the area, transform the commercial center, celebrate the waterfront, and give a civic presence to the churches.

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PROPOSED PLAN SCENARIOS

INTRODUCTIONThe Hot Springs Village Comprehensive Master Plan (CMP) will provide strategies for short-term and long-term growth over the next 20 years. The plan will be the culmination of a planning process that included public input surveys and meetings, a charrette, and guidance from the CMP Steering Committee and POA Board of Directors. The final document will contain action steps for the Village leaders to follow, much like a road map that provides a route with direction to the ultimate goal.

SHORT-TERM VERSUS LONG-TERM STRATEGIESWhile comprehensive master plans primarily focus on strategies to address long-term growth and fiscal matters, high priority short-term issues will also be addressed within this plan. Strategies for these short-term issues focus on completing previously approved projects such as expansion of the pickleball area, redesign of the pool at DeSoto, and repurposing the Balboa Center. The initial planning work for Hot Springs Village has identified a multi-faceted approach for long-term strategies for maintaining and enhancing the community’s fiscal sustainability. These approaches are focused on 1.) growing the assessment and fee base, 2.) diversifying the assessment and fee base, and 3.) reducing overall operating costs.

ZONING AND AESTHETICSAs part of the CMP, a SmartCode or other comprehensive approach to address matters of land use/zoning, site development requirements, and design guidelines will be developed within a single, integrated document. This will assist the POA leaders and the Architectural Control Committee in governing future development decisions as well as reduce confusion by commercial developers when projects with new complexities, like the town center, are ready to begin.

A clear development review process related to staff level approvals vs. ACC approvals vs. POA Board of Directors will be set forth with a set of codes that correspond accordingly to the new review process. The new SmartCode will suggest a process to re-plat lots to enable the diversification of residential and commercial building types, facilitate land assembly for development, and allow the naturalization or preservation of land.

This straightforward approach is designed to remove barriers to development or redevelopment that may currently be in place. A clear set of guidelines will ensure that the master plan vision is ready for implementation.

UTILITIESThe directive to establish and preserve the natural character of the Village will necessitate a methodology to determine where contiguous areas should be targeted for suspended development or for preservation. This approach has fiscal implications through a reduction of maintenance costs for infrastructure in undeveloped areas, such as upkeep of unpaved roads and other scarcely-used streets, fewer fire hydrants to be tested and operational (although some will remain in naturalized areas), the reduction of water and sewer lines, and fewer pump stations in remote areas. The methodology will determine what can be decommissioned either temporarily or in perpetuity to allow a renewed focus on existing or new development types.

GENERAL STRATEGIES

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Further study of stormwater management throughout the Village should be conducted with strategies to reduce infrastructure and maintenance burdens. The steep terrain and forested topography increases the importance of stormwater management when discussing infrastructure costs and issues in Hot Springs Village. Most lakes are connected via drainage ways, and many swales and channels feed into the lakes from the surrounding hills. Some of those channels are platted lots that may need to be set aside as natural areas to function as watershed preserves to ensure that the green infrastructure is as healthy as possible.

The lack of consistent broadband service is equally important. Coordination with broadband providers to expand and upgrade service across Hot Springs Village is necessary for all residents, especially those working from home or school-aged students who now complete homework in a digital environment.

Providing high-speed public wifi at all POA facilities and at the future town center is recommended.

PUBLIC SAFETYSafety and security of all property owners and visitors is an important aspect of life in the Village. When looking into the possibility of suspending development in certain areas, a study will be required to verify the frequency of fire hydrants to remain within those areas to reduce the threat of wildfires in natural open spaces. Another consideration is whether additional staffed gates should be studied. The checkpoint security that these gates provide on the east and west ends of DeSoto provide a level of safety that drew many property owners to build or purchase property in Hot Springs Village. Depending upon the exact location of the town center or lodging, the POA should consider whether adding another staffed gate is appropriate, allowing the additional economic benefit of visitors to those amenities.

AMENITIES AND RECREATIONThe master plan document will include recommendations for existing amenities such as golf, the lakes, and community centers. These amenities may need review of operational standards to ensure their efficiencies. The addition of a high-quality lodging facility would also help leverage the marketability of the Village for golf and other recreation tournaments.

A market analysis determined that there is demand for hotel rooms, but there may also be potential for a destination resort facility focused on serving the golf and recreation communities as well the corporate market near the proposed town center.

Future amenities and activity areas should be located in areas of high demand with good access from surrounding neighborhoods and connected by a trail network. This includes decommissioned natural areas that can become a new open space amenity enjoyable by many. By providing usable open space though good design and thoughtful arrangement of land, property values can be stabilized or increased. This includes a distribution of amenities into existing neighborhoods such as pocket parks, access points to lakes or open space, or preservation of certain undeveloped areas.

Connectivity within Hot Springs Village can be increased through alternative transportation options such as on-road bicycle facilities and the utilization of existing roads in decommissioned areas as paved trails through the natural areas. Connections between existing and future walking trails, neighborhoods, key destinations, and trailheads will also be determined.

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GENERAL STRATEGIES

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Part of this planning process is to identify new funding sources and to diversify the revenue “mix” for Hot Springs Village to become more fiscally sustainable and to reduce pressure on existing homeowners. One key priority identified includes the need to strengthen and broaden the marketability of the community to increase the total number of homeowners and fee sources. Approaches include increasing amenity value and creating new housing products and environments that help to accommodate existing residents in their lifecycle changes and to attract new residents to the community that may not otherwise be attracted to existing local housing products. Another priority is the opportunity to gain revenue through land leases and other agreements for development of mixed-use projects and concession operation of a hotel and meeting venue. A process is also underway to identify any other potential new sources of revenue from outside of the resident community that can help diversify the overall fiscal base for the community.

A town center is proposed as a mixed-use, walkable environment with a variety of housing, commercial, recreational, and community uses. The development of a town center in Hot Springs Village will enhance the marketability of the community as a whole and will generate a premium on housing, especially housing located within walking distance or a short drive of the town center.

Any activities that enhance the marketability of the community can help sell lots and increase the resident base, which would translate into a broader assessment base to support Hot Springs Village operations. Furthermore, the addition of a hotel and/or market to the town center would provide a high quality, safe, and secure lodging and event facility for visitors and guests of Hot Springs Village. Situating the town center in a way that is convenient to many existing neighborhoods is mutually beneficial for business owners and property owners alike. The proposed location near the Woodlands Auditorium addresses the lack of commercial offerings near the eastern area of the Village.

GENERAL STRATEGIES

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COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETINGThe Hot Springs Village brand suffers from confusion as to what brand promise is being communicated to the public. Through this comprehensive plan initiative, we will strive to clarify the Village’s existing and varying internal and external messaging as a retirement community, a destination, a place for professionals, and a place to raise a family. Brands benefit from clear, distinctive, and consistently communicated identities…and brands last for decades.

A Hot Springs Village brand is essentially what people think of the Village, rather than how the community defines itself. However, the POA can directly influence brand perception through enhancements to the Village that are currently being considered by this comprehensive planning effort. New housing types, new recreational facilities, a town center, covenants, maintenance, and upgrades in existing assets create new experiences for existing and potential residents, and therefore, better brand perception. A branded message about Village potential and its commitment to a new vision will need to be crafted and directed toward developers who wish to invest, as well as to a wider range of potential residents who will benefit from improvements in the Village.

The current Hot Springs Village neighborhood identities were developed primarily to organize Village real estate into manageable sections that highlight their attributes. Differences are somewhat indistinct, and are communicated in collateral materials including those generated by the POA, the Chamber, the real estate community, and other outside sources, but these differences are not necessarily visible on the ground. There are immediate, low-cost ways to strengthen the neighborhood identities, particularly by making them visible throughout the Village. Examples include bringing the neighborhood color palettes from collateral materials into neighborhood signage, alteration of some of the names to be more descriptive, and creating neighborhood gateway differences through low cost plantings or pole banners.

Other options include the designation of specific color palettes on some buildings for each neighborhood, or using different graphic treatments for signage. Certainly, the addition of a Village-wide wayfinding system would allow for different graphic and color schemes for each neighborhood. In the longer term, the upgrading of existing neighborhood assets, and the addition of new assets, as well as any new residential architectural options would further distinguish neighborhood identities. Finally, even changes in design guidelines within certain neighborhoods would provide neighborhood differences. Stronger neighborhood identities will help in attracting developers to new development opportunities, as well as new residents looking for specific neighborhood characteristics.

HEALTH AND EDUCATION Health and education are two very different yet very connected topics. One strategy that became apparent is the need for new housing types to respond to the concept of aging in community. When a homeowner reaches an age where they no long wish to deal with stairs or maintain a yard, yet want to keep their circle of friends rather than move to a care facility, many will want housing options beyond what is currently offered in Hot Springs Village. The plan will encourage certain housing types with smaller footprints, smaller lots, single-level structures, and the allowance of accessory dwelling units for extended families all set in walkable neighborhoods with gathering spaces and opportunities for socialization. Another strategy includes incentivizing the development of a consolidated, centralized medical complex with corresponding shuttle service. This idea came from numerous comments at the planning charrette.

This subcommittee has begun creating an avenue for coordination between local schools, churches, the POA, and the Lifelong Learning Institute. The future entity can be a way to avoid duplication of efforts though communication between the various education providers. Broadband issues will need to be resolved for this collaboration so that students, young and old, can perform without concerns or limitations.

GOVERNANCE The success of the comprehensive master plan will require a long-term responsibility and consistency on the part of the future POA boards. Approving and adopting the master plan is the first step in the process, but the Board of Directors and POA staff should ensure that their actions and goals are in alignment as they move forward into execution. The role of the CMP Committee should be considered as a standing committee needed to ensure continued oversight and accountability.

CONCLUSIONImplementation of a comprehensive plan requires long-term focus and perseverance, but can result in a community that is vibrant and active, fiscally sustainable, and meets the needs of its population while attracting new residents and visitors from across the region. Hot Springs Village can maintain its natural character while providing cultural, recreational, and educational experiences as well as diverse housing options for current and future residents.

GENERAL STRATEGIES

NEXT STEPS

FORWARD TOGETHER

S TA Y I N F O R M E D A B O U T T H E N E W H OT S P R I N G S V I L L A G E C O M P R E H E N S I V E M A S T E R P L A N .

The completed plan will provide a phased successional development approach that spans 25 years across 26,000 acres. Based on information gathered to date and during future discussions, it will encompass the wants and needs of our property owners while planning for those who are not yet part of the Hot Springs Village family.

We will continue to collaborate with property owners, consult with stakeholders, and hold accountable those that are helping us develop the master plan. The $500,000 budget for the master plan is a sound investment in a community of 24,000 property owners in good standing, and assets in excess of $100 million dollars. Up to and including the work completed during the charrette, we have spent just over 47% of the $500,000 budget.

Chief Executive Officer Lesley Nalley offered these words on next steps, “We must challenge ourselves to look beyond the mere completion of a document and more brainstorming of ideas. To accomplish our short and long-term goals, we must continually take the somewhat complex steps that are necessary to accomplish them. Balancing ‘what is’ with ‘what can be’ is something the community has been doing all along. We’ve just been doing it without a comprehensive long-range plan.”

Our immediate next steps include:• Present the CMP to the Property Owners during a public forum (February)• Present the CMP to the Board of Directors (March)• Final adoption of the plan by the Board of Directors (March)• Market to and identify new developer partners• Begin implementation of infrastructure, utility, transportation and maintenance strategies• Finalize land aggregation strategies• Work with the ACC and implement new zoning and policy recommendations• Begin implementation of comprehensive marketing and wayfinding plan• Begin work on 5-year prioritized operations and maintenance plans• Coordinate and work with developer partners on pocket neighborhoods and town center

While we will be thrilled to have this milestone document complete, the real work is just beginning. Your POA leadership is committed to the future of Hot Springs Village. A Comprehensive Master Plan will guide this organization with short and long-term successional development strategies to ensure financial stability over the long term. This is YOUR plan and TOGETHER we will keep moving FORWARD to a bright future for Hot Springs Village.