Page 27 - ArlingtonFY24AdoptedBudget

Business Plan

The department will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024. In advance
of the centennial celebration, the department created a master plan for
Meadowbrook Park, Arlington’s first park that opened in 1924. The
phase-1 development portion of the project includes the construction of
an all-inclusive destination playground. The playground is tentatively
scheduled to open in fall 2024 to coincide with the centennial
celebration.
AWARDS AND HONORS: The department earned the prestigious
Texas Gold Medal Award – Class I in 2023, the highest achievement
that a department can earn on the state level.

APRD earned reaccreditation status in 2019 through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies
(CAPRA). Through compliance with the standards of excellence, CAPRA accreditation assures policy makers, department staff,
the general public and taxpayers that an accredited park and recreation agency has been independently evaluated against
established benchmarks as delivering a high level of quality.

APRD brought home the prestigious Gold Medal from the National Recreation and Parks Association in 2018, the top honor in
the parks and recreation industry. The Gold Medal Award honors communities throughout the United States that demonstrate
excellence in long-range planning, resource management and innovative approaches to delivering superb park and recreation
services with fiscally sound business practices.

The Arbor Day Foundation selected Arlington for its Tree City USA award (23-year honoree).

Planning and Development Services strives to make Arlington a premier City by engaging in visionary planning, building
vibrant neighborhoods, and serving our residents, businesses, and visitors. Customer service is the core focus of this
department. Since the launch of the One Start Center and the AMANDA permitting software in 2006, the Planning and
Development Services department in Arlington has continuously enhanced customer service by innovative process
improvement. The One Start Development Center assists homeowners, business owners, and the development community with
the permitting process that includes payments, business registrations, permit issuance, as well as provides guidance to walk-in
customers by three over-the-counter professionals: development planner, engineer, and plans examiner.

The Land Development Division’s primary role is to effectively communicate
the regulations of the City to the development community and work closely
with developers to bring their visions to fruition. This is mainly handled
through pre-submittal meetings, where development planners and engineers
discuss the project with the developer, provide key information based on
applicable research specific to the project prior to the meeting, and then
guide them through the development processes as needed. This could
include the rezoning, platting, and site plan processes. On average, staff
conduct anywhere from 150 to 200 of these meetings annually with the
development community. Additionally, this team reviews a myriad of permits
ranging from fence permits, residential and commercial building permits, public improvement plans, and landscape plans to
ensure compliance with applicable ordinances.

The Long-Range Planning Division is responsible for the visioning and implementation processes for the City's land development
studies, assessments, programs, and policies. Specific responsibilities include policy updates and reports, land use analyses,
public engagement initiatives, and local and citywide comprehensive plans.

The Building Inspection Division is responsible for the plan review of residential and commercial building permits, as well as the
inspections of those structures during construction and before issuing certificates of occupancy. The team ensures that
structures are constructed to adhere to the current building codes to ensure the safety of those who utilize the structures. On

FY 2024 Adopted Budget and Business Plan 18 City of Arlington, Texas