BALCONES HEIGHTS - The city is considering getting a face lift by nipping the speed limit by a few miles per hour, tucking a few more businesses into Fredericksburg Road and ironing a few wrinkles out of unused space at Crossroads Mall.

About 40 architects, business owners and city officials tossed around ideas about how to increase tourism and improve quality of life at a brainstorming session Oct. 18 at the mall.

The charrette - an architectural term which refers to an intense planning meeting - centered around what physical changes could be made to the city as part of a pending master plan,

"We know the mall itself is going to be going through a lot of transition as a result of new ownership," said Jack Greene, an architect and member of the American Institute of Architects. "I think the Balcones Heights side of it is to start looking at the property outside the mall. It's almost like whatever happens to the mall happens to Balcones Heights."

About six months ago, city leaders united with a goal of improving the quality of life within the city's one-square-mile area.

The local chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the Institute for Studies in Business at the University of texas at San Antonio are providing expertise.

The group examined three major areas, including the mall, the commercial areas centered around Frederiscksburg Road and the overall city.

Other recommendations for Crossroads Mall include filling vacant store spaces, refurbishing the mall's south side and making the exterior safer for pedestrians.

Recommended changes to Fredericksburg Road include slower traffic, more trees and wider sidewalks, said Steve Tillotson, a meeting organizer and an associate at the Kell Munoz Wigodsky architectural firm.

"The big comment about Fredericksburg Road is that it's Balcones Height's downtown," Tillotson said, adding that the right businesses could attract tourists and shoppers.

The team also talked about things the city could do "behind the scenes" to bring the changes, said David Labens, a computer and small business consultant and member of the master plan steering committee.

"One of the suggestions that was brought up was that we needed to have some kind of economic development authority," Labens said. "They would have a director for this with experience in the areas of alternative funding methods and public relations."

Many participants agreed the city needs better signage to give the city a "theme," and improved landscaping at bust intersections. Other recommendations include having distinct covered bus stops with no advertising and building some kind of community attraction near Fredericksburg Road and Crossroads Boulevard.

The steering committee and AIA will examine the suggestions and prepare a report for meeting attendants.

The ideas discussed at the meeting could be cornerstones in building the city's future, said Jamie Ford, a professor with the University y of Texas at San Antonio Department of Studies in Business.

^©1997, Express-News.