teamNORTH

Workshop #3 -  December 2 , 1996

 

 Richard Mogas set us on a good track by twisting the zoom ring until we could see all of Bexar County. This led to discussion of what sort of places for human habitation are offered where the coastal plain meets the Edwards Plateau and whether development patterns are doing much to acknowledge unique characteristics of their locations. The team considered how this perspective could help us develop a place with an identity more textured than one more third order highway intersection.

 Our inventory of the site included discussion of natural features and development pressures. The north site has considerably more unbuilt space than the others in the charette. It is hilly, with thin topsoil and lots of juniper. Flood plains of the Salado Creek and upper reaches of the Olmos Creek watershed have better soils and more hardwoods.

 Dixie Watkins showed us plans for residential development that will include almost all of the northeast quarter of our site, with fairly detailed layout existing for land to the northwest of Salado Creek. The NE corner of the 1604/NWMilitary intersection has been targeted for regional mall development, but is currently in receivership. High tension power lines transect the north edge of this site, with some developable land between them and Camp Bullis Military Reservation.

 Team members walked the northwest quadrant in November and got a close look at the junipers, grasses, prickly pear, whitebrush, limestone and drainage patterns. This quadrant is undeveloped, drains to the Olmos Creek system, and is hemmed in north and west by Redland Worth limestone material quarry. The team expects to deal with this quarry as a future reclamation site.

 The southwest quadrant near the intersection is open space with a large, continuously flooded stock tank. This is the lowest ground of the areas adjacent to the intersection and has plenty of hardwood trees. Undeveloped area continues along the upper East Olmos Creek and surrounds the community of Shavano Park. The team saw opportunities for pedestrian and bicycle connections along the upper Olmos where it crosses under 1604.

 The southeast quadrant is a relatively narrow section between 1604 and Shavano Park rising eastwards to a bluff over the Salado Creek. Development here could offer services to Shavano Park residents with good pedestrian and bicycle connections.

 Team North expects to approach the design problem by cycling through levels of detail two or three times. We will look at the bioregions of Texas, the contrasts within Bexar County, development patterns from 410 to Camp Bullis to 281 to I-10, the North Site from Huebner to Camp Bullis, Salado Creek to Olmos Creek. We will probably approach our finest planning resolution on an area of 40 to a hundred acres, maybe looking at the NE quadrant and how residential, community and commercial development can be designed for conventional human needs, more diverse human culture, as well as biodiversity, improved soil, reduced runoff, more infiltration of high quality water. As we proceed, issues of site development, building types, materials and methods may be dealt with at single building or office campus or regional mall scale.

 Team North will meet once more before the January 13 Workshop. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, January 4, at 525 East Craig Place. Rufus Stevens, the team ecologist will be on board and may be able to bring blackline prints of the Rogers Ranch residential development. Attempts will have been made to bring Laddie Denton on board and to fill the Neighborhood Chair with a resident of the site area who is involved in community orginazation. The purpose of the meeting will be to continue discussion of problem statement and goals in preparation for the next workshop.

 Get your ducks in a row before you let the cat out of the bag. Ben Dover, entrepreneurial shaman*

 submitted by Jim Dawes | jdarc@dcci.com

Still frame from charrette documentary by Bruce Manicalco of Ashe/Bowie Productions