Project Description
Lewisville 2035 Vision Plan Update
The Lewisville 2025 Vision Plan was intended to create an image of the city as it wanted to be when it turned 100 years old in 2025. Now that 2025 is here and the community is celebrating, the City is again updating its vision plan to continue action through 2035. Freese and Nichols, Inc. is the consultant selected to lead this update, reprising its role in the first planning project begun in 2013. SCS is participating in the 2035 process as part of the City staff team.
The goal for the community outreach for Lewisville 2035 is to double the number of touchpoints with the community of the past plan. The first community vision workshop, held in October 2025, secured creative input from City staff and community. The process is expected to continue through adoption in fall 2026.
Green Centerpiece Master Strategy Update
Since adoption of its 2025 Plan, the City of Lewisville has partnered with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lewisville Independent School District (LISD) and the University of North Texas (UNT) to create and implement a master strategy for the area of Lewisville Lake, the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) and surroundings. With the experiences of COVID and the update of the Lewisville 2025 plan, this Master Strategy was also revised. Strategic Community Solutions LLC served as the consultant to the partnership for this project.
Partner workshops, involvement of agency staff and discussions with the elected officials for these public entities resulted in a Master Strategy that is structured in a new way. The initiative is envisioned as a tree. The roots of the Green Centerpiece are its partner organizations. Like the trunk of a tree, overall principles will guide the decisions, investments and activities related to particular aspects of the Green Centerpiece. Branching from this trunk, topical principles explain the approach to the most important aspects of the Green Centerpiece. Leaves on each branch are the action items and programs that partners will undertake to achieve this vision for the Green Centerpiece and the people who connect with it. These actions include initiatives that bring people to specific places within the Green Centerpiece; they also include initiatives that connect people virtually or in other ways.
This updated Green Centerpiece Master Strategy was adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Lewisville Independent School District on June 13, 2022. It was approved by the Lewisville City Council on June 20, 2022. The University of North Texas adopted the Master Strategy on July 25, 2022.
Lewisville 2025 Vision Plan Update
Five years after adoption of the Lewisville 2025 Vision Plan, the City had made tremendous strides in achieving that vision and many accomplishments were making the plan a reality. At the five-year mark, the City chose to review these results, consider the current conditions and opportunities, and update the plan as necessary. Most of the work on this project was be done by City staff, and all parts of the City organization are involved. The City engaged SCS as a consultant to guide the project and work with staff on this update. The project also includes assistance to help update the Library’s Strategic Plan and to help create a short-term Sustainability Action Plan.
The project’s community outreach began in the fall of 2019. SCS developed a process and workbook template for receiving input from individuals and groups in the community. Working collaboratively with City staff, a plan was developed to reach out to the many parts of the community that often don’t participate in planning. Leadership by the City staff has been crucial to the project’s success – they made the contacts, led community discussion sessions, followed up on questions and recorded the ideas.
The City also developed creative new tools for outreach. A particularly cool one is “Marco’s Big Move” a book geared to kids that explains the Lewisville 2025 plan and how each of the Big Moves relates to Marco, a little boy whose family has just made their own big move to Lewisville. This book was sent to every household in the community and was used in every 2nd grade class in Lewisville! The next stage of community involvement builds on the input received from the community. A major outreach effort, Touchpoint included a range of activities and options for stakeholder involvement on January 29 and 30, 2020. SCS designed the process and overall structure; the details were established in collaboration with key City staff members and staff from all City departments made the events successful. A wide variety of activities for all community members were combined to obtain an extensive amount of input.
The planning process was expected to continue its community engagement and plan review, with adoption of an updated plan in August 2020. Unfortunately, COVID-19 intervened. The plan update was put on hold temporarily while the City and the community dealt with the unexpected issues that resulted from that time. Smaller input sessions were substituted for large in-person gatherings and discussion about direction continued. The plan update was drafted, reviewed by staff, City Boards and Commissions and was adopted by City Council in April 2021.
Castle Hills Annexation
The community of Castle Hills was developed (outside Lewisville city limits) through a Strategic Partnership Agreement with the City of Lewisville in 1996. While the agreement contemplated a future annexation, the details of the agreements, organizational structure, size and amount of development in the area all made this a complicated step. The area includes over 2,600 acres of land with a mix of residential and commercial development, and had approximately 15,000 residents. In addition, it included seven districts with different development patterns and tax structures. The City began the process of annexation (and other related structural changes) in early 2019 with the goal for each of the district boards to support the annexation.
Recognizing the challenge of so many stakeholders, the City sought to engage all stakeholders and address questions and concerns thoroughly. After a delay caused by COVID-19, the City created a Castle Hills Annexation Advisory Committee in June 2020. Strategic Community Solutions LLC was hired to facilitate the committee’s discussions. Ten Committee meetings were held from September 2020 through June 2021. At each session, City management team members presented detailed information about issues such as taxes, process for trash collection, park service levels, police and fire protection.
This Advisory Committee process provided the Castle Hills community with the answers to questions about annexation and City services. It was a critical part of the successful process of annexation which was completed in November 2021.
Development Code Overhaul
The City of Lewisville’s zoning ordinance and land development regulations were out-of-date and not designed to implement new forms of development and achieve community objectives. With the City’s adoption of the Lewisville 2025 Plan in 2014, these codes made it difficult to achieve the goals of the community. In 2018, the City contracted with a consultant team – led by Kimley-Horn, Inc. and including Strategic Community Solutions LLC and City Centric Planning – to overhaul these important community regulations.
The project was designed to be transparent and involve all the stakeholders who could be affected – residents, the development community, and design professionals. It began in December 2018. Work during 2019 included focus group sessions, meetings of a Code Review Committee, and a community open house. The City Planning Commission and City Council received frequent updates and provided direction during workshop discussions. In 2020, the input process shifted to virtual in response to COVID-19. Work continued on drafting the new documents and input was solicited through online surveys with graphics showing the proposed ordinance changes.
After extensive review, involvement and discussion, the Unified Development Code was adopted by the Lewisville City Council on November 7, 2022 and became effective on December 1, 2022.
Small Area Plans
Beginning in 2017, SCS led a team of consultants (including Kimley-Horn and Associates and City Centric Planning) working with the City to create area plans in two key locations, one residential and one non-residential. These area plans establish specific direction to maintain and enhance these parts of the Lewisville community. They will create templates that City staff can use to create plans for other areas in the community. Also, these area plans will be the first step in a complete review and update of Lewisville’s development regulations. The Small Area Plans — for Old Town North and Southwest Lewisville — were adopted in July 2018.
Green Centerpiece Master Strategy and Implementation
The Green Centerpiece Master Strategy has been developed through a process of coordination with the City, the Lewisville Independent School District, the University of North Texas and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The result is agreement on a new approach to a key asset – the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area – and the related greenspace around it. This strategy was adopted by City Council in July 2016 and will be implemented through a continuing partnership of these organizations.
Sustainability Plan Implementation
SCS assisted the City in several efforts to implement the Vision 2025 plan. One of these, the creating of recommendations for the Sustainability Big Move, led to Council approval of an assessment of sustainability initiatives and opportunities for the City’s buildings, facilities and vehicles in early 2016.
City Council Strategic Planning Workshops
Strategic Community Solutions provided assistance directly to the City of Lewisville for a two-day City Council strategic planning retreat in April of 2014. This retreat focused on City Council discussion and direction for the Vision 2025 plan, which will define the City’s priorities for action over the next several years to create a new image and take advantage of opportunities for revitalization. SCS led or participated in most City Council strategic planning retreats from 2015 through 2025. Each session has focused on particular issues that are important to Lewisville’s action to achieve the community’s vision.
Lewisville 2025 Vision Plan
Strategic Community Solutions served as a subconsultant to Freese and Nichols, Inc. on the creation of a vision plan to establish priorities for action during the next ten to fifteen years. The SCS role focused on community engagement, strategic priorities and sustainability. SCS designed and led a ‘Big Ideas’ workshop for this project in June 2013 with extensive participation by the community. SCS also contributed to the project’s citizen committee support and the design and drafting of the Vision 2025 document that the project created. This plan was approved by City Council in July 2014.
Project Details
- Project TypeComprehensive Planning, Area Plan, Public Engagement, Planning Implementation, Zoning, Other
- ClientCity of Lewisville, Texas
