[RECONVENE MEETING ]
[00:00:07]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
UM, TONIGHT OUR INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY PASTOR LOUISE MORALES OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY OF FAITH INTERNATIONAL.
OUR PLEDGES WILL BE LED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. PLEASE RISE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE THIS DAY FOR THIS SPECIAL MEETING.
PLEASE BOW YOUR HEAD AND WE WILL PRAY FOR A MOMENT.
OUR HEAVENLY FATHER, AS WE GATHER HERE TODAY, WE HOMELY COME BEFORE YOUR PRESENCE, KNOWING THAT WE NEED YOUR GUIDANCE, YOUR COMPASSION, AND YOUR LOVE TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF THIS COUNCIL.
WE SEEK YOUR WISDOM TO ILLUMINATE OUR MINDS AND YOUR GRACE TO INSPIRE EVERY DECISION.
GIVE US ALL, LORD, THE STRENGTH TO WORK TOGETHER IN HARMONY, RESPECTING THE DIFFERENT OPINIONS THAT EACH MEMBER BRINGS TO THIS ASSEMBLY.
MAY THEIR DISCUSSIONS BE FULL OF UNDERSTANDING, EMPATHY AND SHARED COMMITMENT TO THE COMMON GOD.
THANK YOU LORD FOR THE CITY, AND THANK YOU FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE SEE DURING THIS YEAR.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, YOUR PRESENCE IN OUR LIVES.
HOLY SPIRIT, PLEASE BLESS THE LEADERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WITH COMPASSION AND THEY MAKE DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO WE SERVE.
LORD, THAT EVERY DECISION IN THIS ROOM CAN REFLECT JUSTICE, INTEGRITY, AND A GREAT DESIRE TO BUILD OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CITY.
WE ASK FOR YOUR BLESSINGS UPON OUR CITY AND ITS RESIDENTS.
MAY WE BE INSTRUMENTS OF PEACE, PROGRESS, AND PROSPERITY, WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE WELLBEING OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE PRAY EVERYTHING IN JESUS' NAME.
PLEASE JOIN US UNITED, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, THE ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FROM ON THE TEXAS FLAG, TEXAS, ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE IN INDIVISIBLE.
[PRESENTATIONS ]
SPRING CLASSIC MOTORCYCLE GIFT TO THE, UH, SPECIAL OLYMPICS.COME ON DOWN, CHIEF, BRING 'EM ALL DOWN.
MAYOR AND COUNCIL, AS YOU KNOW, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND IN THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, WE ARE LONGTIME SUPPORTERS OF THE SPECIAL OLYMPICS.
UH, WE, WE ARE INVOLVED IN JUST ABOUT EVERY POSSIBLE EVENT TO HELP RAISE REVENUE FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS, BUT OUR FAVORITE BY FAR IS THE SPRING CLASSIC.
YOU PROBABLY ALL REMEMBER, THAT'S WHERE WE BRING IN MOTORCYCLE, UH, OFFICERS AND CIVILIANS FROM REALLY ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT COME COMPETE HERE IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
I THINK WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT COMES IN EVERY YEAR FROM BRAZIL.
UM, VERY, VERY, VERY LARGE EVENT, AND IT'S FUN.
SO, UH, ANYWAY, THIS YEAR I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO BRANDON, WHO IS, UH, PART OF OUR SPRING CLASSIC COMMITTEE TO TELL US WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WE RAISED TAG YOU'RE IN.
THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR LETTING US BE HERE.
NOT, UH, FIRST OFF, JUST TO SAY WE DO THIS FOR OUR, UH, SPECIAL OLYMPIC ATHLETES, AND IT'S SUCH A JOY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO RAISE THIS KIND OF MONEY, UH, YEAR AFTER YEAR TO HELP THEM IN ANY WAY WE CAN.
UM, THIS YEAR WAS THE 12TH, UH, ANNUAL SPRING CLASSIC.
UH, WE'VE HAD EVERY YEAR EXCEPT FOR 2020 WITH COVID.
UH, WE HAD TO CANCEL THAT YEAR.
UM, THIS YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO RAISE ENOUGH MONEY TO DONATE $10,000 THIS YEAR TO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, TORCH RANCHER SPECIAL OLYMPICS.
UM, AND OVER THE YEARS WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO DONATE OVER $100,000 TO WOW.
[00:05:01]
HOLD THAT RIGHT THERE.AND YOU'VE ALREADY SET THE DATE FOR THIS NEXT YEAR'S, BRANDON.
WHEN'S, WHEN'S THIS NEXT YEAR'S COMING UP? UH, THE UPCOMING EVENT WILL BE APRIL THE 10TH THROUGH THE 13TH.
RIGHT? UH, 2024 OVER AT THE EPIC PARKING LOT.
ALRIGHT, WELL I CAN'T GO THROUGH ANY CONES ANYMORE.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
SO WE'RE GONNA GO INTO THE CONSENT AGENDA AND, AND, UH, WE HAVE A SPEAKER ON A NUMBER OF THEM.[8. Purchase of a generator for the Public Safety Storage & Facility Services Warehouse from Holt Cat through a Master Cooperative agreement with Sourcewell. This is a one-time purchase in the amount of $1,126,000 with a contingency of $224,000 totaling $1,350,000.00 (Reviewed by the Finance and Government Committee on 12/05/2023) ]
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.THE ONE POINT, UH, WHAT, 1.35 MILLION FOR THIS GENERATOR, THE HOLT GENERATOR.
IS THIS GONNA BE DIESEL OR NATURAL GAS? THERE'S ANOTHER COMPANY, ENCHANTED ROCK.
THAT'S WHO WALMART USES FOR THEIR BACKUP GENERATORS.
WHAT WOULD BE THE COST ANALYSIS OF GOING WITH NATURAL GAS LIKE WALMART HAS WITH THEIR BACKUP GENERATOR? WE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT, BUT THE REASON WHY WE GO DIESEL IS BECAUSE IN THE EVENT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, UH, YEAH, YEAH.
NATURAL GAS CAN BE TURNED OFF.
UNFORTUNATELY, THEREFORE, WE GO WITH DIESEL BECAUSE WE HAVE DIESEL IN STOCK AT OUR FUEL ISLANDS.
I GUESS MY CONCERN IS WITH THE NATURAL GAS IN THE SUMMERTIME VERSUS DIESEL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MORE NATURAL GAS THEN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS YOU AND THEIR WATER DEPARTMENT IS BOUGHT THESE ENCHANTED ROCK GENERATORS FOR THEIR BACKUP WATER SYSTEMS. AND THEN ALSO TO UTILIZE THESE GENERATORS IN THE SUMMERTIME WHEN WE'RE RUNNING OUT ELECTRICITY IN TEXAS TO PUT BACK INTO THE GRID FOR THE CITY.
SO I THINK THERE'S A TREMENDOUS BENEFIT WITH THIS.
OBVIOUSLY WALMART'S USING AT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
HOW MUCH COVERAGE WITH THIS GENERATOR, WHAT KIND OF IS IT GONNA, HOW MUCH FOR THAT BUILDING? WHAT'S, WHAT'S IT GONNA PROVIDE FOR? SO THAT IS ACTUALLY A 1000, UH, KILOWATT RATED GENERATOR.
SO IT'LL COVER EVERYTHING IN THE BUILDING.
LIKE THE ONES WE HAVE OUT HERE THAT CAN, THAT'LL POWER THE WHOLE BUILDING.
WE HAVE TWO GENERATORS FOR CITY HALL HERE.
SO THIS ONE FOR, IT'LL BE THERE, CORRECT? FOR THAT FACILITY ONLY.
SO THAT, THAT'S JUST WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW THAT TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS, THAT THERE ARE OTHER ALTERNATIVES.
THERE ARE GENERATORS OUT THERE BESIDES DIESEL.
WE COULD DEFINITELY LOOK INTO IT.
AND I CAN GET YOU THE INFORMATION.
[34. Annual contract for Bank Depository Services from Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. (fees up to $100,000.00 annually). This contract will be for two years with the option to renew for three City Council Meeting – December 12, 2023 Page 5 of 10 additional one-year periods fees totaling $500,000.00 if all extensions are exercised (Reviewed by the Finance and Government Committee on 12/05/2023) ]
ITEM 34.WHY ARE WE GOING WITH WELLS FARGO BANK? AFTER WELLS FARGO BANK HAS BEEN CONVICTED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF RIPPING OFF THEIR CONSUMERS AND STEALING MONEY FROM THEIR CONSUMERS.
IS THERE ANY OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE COULD UTILIZE BESIDES WELL, FARGO, KATHY, WE RECEIVED, UH, THREE BIDS, ONE'S FROM JP CHASE MORGAN, ONE FROM PNC.
AND WELLS FARGO WAS THE LOWER LOWEST BIDDER.
THEY'RE ALSO OUR CURRENT DEPOSITORY.
UM, IT WOULD TAKE, UM, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF STAFF HOURS AND TIME AND MONEY TO CHANGE DEPOSIT DEPOSITORIES.
SO WITH THEM BEING THE LOWEST BID AND WE HAVE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM THEM, WE WENT AHEAD AND CHOSE THEM.
I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO GET IN ON RECORD OF WELLS FARGO'S BANK WITH THEIR CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WALL STREET BANKERS, THEY'RE TOO BIG TO FAIL AND TOO BIG TO GO TO JAIL.
SO THAT SEEMS THAT JUST WISH WE COULD, WHO'S GONNA PROVIDE OVERSIGHT OF WELLS? FARGO'S BANK, IN OTHER WORDS, IS A FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY FROM MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
ITEM NUMBER 35 DISPARITY STUDY FOR $400,000.
COULD WE GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF WHAT THIS DISPARITY STUDY PROGRAM IS GONNA GIVE US? SO THE DISPARITY STUDY, UH, WILL BE ABOUT A YEAR LONG PROJECT.
UM, THE CONSULTANTS WILL COME IN AND THEY WILL, UH, SCRUB OUR DATA.
[00:10:01]
WE PRODUCE REPORTS FOR THE COUNCIL ON OUR MINORITY SPEND.OUR FINANCIAL SYSTEM IS VERY OLD AND IT DOESN'T REALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO TRACK THAT DATA.
WE KNOW WE ARE USING VENDORS THAT ARE NOT, UM, LABELED AS A HUB OR MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS AND IN OUR DATABASE.
SO THEY'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THERE, DETERMINE WHAT OUR REAL MINORITY SPEND IS.
THEY WILL THEN GO OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND DETERMINE HOW MANY VENDORS THAT ARE SMALL, MINORITY WOMEN OWNED, WHO ARE AVAILABLE AND ABLE AND WANT TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE CITY.
THEY'RE GONNA TAKE THOSE NUMBERS, COMPARE IT TO HOW MUCH WE ARE SPENDING, AND IF THERE IS A DELTA THERE, THEY'LL COME UP WITH A LEGAL METHOD FOR US TO CHANGE OUR PURCHASING POLICIES TO HELP BRING IN MORE, UM, SPENDING IN THOSE AREAS.
BRING MORE MINORITY CONTRACTORS IN ON ITEM
[38. Westchester PID Contract with Site Landscape Development for Tree Care Services for one year in the amount of $102,621.81 in Westchester PID (Council Districts 2 and 6) (Approved by the Westchester PID Advisory Board on 11/14/2023) ]
38 WITH THE PI.I KNOW IN SEPTEMBER DURING BUDGET TIME, YOU DO ALL THE PI ISSUES IN SEPTEMBER, BUT $102,000.
WHY ARE WE DOING THIS NOW? WHY WASN'T THIS DONE IN SEPTEMBER WHEN THE PI BUDGETS ARE DISCUSSED? IT'S ME.
SO THE PID BUDGETS, THE PIDS, THIS IS THEIR MONEY.
THIS IS THEIR ASSESSMENTS AND THE PI BOARDS DECIDE WHAT THEY WANT TO USE THEIR MONEY FOR.
THESE ARE THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY ARE LETTING FOR THESE SERVICES.
AND SO THEY'RE INTO A NEW BUDGET YEAR.
THE BOARDS HAVE ALREADY SELECTED THESE VENDORS, BUT THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE LEGAL PROCESS THAT WE DO.
AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE ALL OF THESE ON HERE.
WE ARE JUST RATIFYING WHAT THE BOARD HAS ALREADY DECIDED TO DO.
THESE ARE ALL CONTRACTS THAT THEY'RE LEADING FOR TYPICAL SERVICES.
I WAS NOT ABLE TO GO TO THE MEETING ON NOVEMBER 14TH, SO THANK YOU.
[49. Resolution Approving Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Planning Services Contract for $47,500 with David Pettit Economic Development (TIRZ #1 and TIRZ # 3 Board reviewed on December 7, 2023) ]
ITEM 49.WHO IS DAVID PETIT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? DAVID PETIT IS A CONSULTANT WE WORK WITH.
HE IS, HAS EXPERTISE IN WHAT WE CALL, UH, PITS AND TOURS.
AND WE UTILIZE HIM WHENEVER WE ARE DOING A LOT OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEALS THAT WE HAVE.
AND WHAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEALS WILL HE BE WORKING ON? IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT COMES FORWARD.
UH, WE HAVE DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS.
SOMETIMES WE WILL COME TO US AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THIS DEAL.
WE'LL HAVE THAT ANALYSIS DONE.
AND THEN IF, UH, WE LIKE THAT AND WE WANNA DO BUSINESS WITH THEM, THEN WE WILL BRING THAT FORWARD.
SO IT CAN JUST, IT JUST DEPENDS.
SO WOULD THIS INCLUDE THE THREE 80 PLANS OR OTHER? IT POSSIBLY COULD.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT IT IS.
I WAS JUST, THAT WAS A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, DISCONCERTING.
DAVID PETIT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
[50. Resolution Amending the Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan to Revise the Policies and Procedures of the Homeownership Program and HCV Emergency Voucher Program ]
ITEM 50, THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER, VOUCHER ADMINISTRATION PLAN.HOW DOES THIS WORK ON AN EMERGENCY VOUCHER PROGRAM AND WHAT AMOUNT OF MONIES ARE BEING SET ASIDE ON THIS? ESTHER WILL COME EXPLAIN IT.
UH, THE ADMIN PLAN IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE PLAN THAT WE USE TO GUIDE OUR PROGRAM, UM, IN THE, ANY FUNDING RELATED TO THAT PROGRAM IS IN OUR ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS CONTRACT WITH HUD.
SO IT'S NOT PART OF THAT, WE'RE JUST AMENDING OUR ADMIN PLAN TO, UH, CORRECT SOME LANGUAGE AND ADD SOME ADDITIONAL POLICIES.
SO THERE'S NOT A NUMBER ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
[52. Resolution Approving the City’s Investment Policy (Reviewed by the Finance and Government Committee on 12/05/2023) ]
52, THE CITY'S INVESTMENT POLICY.PLEASE GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL OF WHAT OUR CITY'S INVESTMENT POLICY IS IN A NUTSHELL.
THIS JUST GIVES US THE PLAN FOR HOW WE'RE GONNA INVEST OUR MONEY.
HOW LONG, UM, ARE WE GONNA HOLD INVESTMENTS? WHAT TYPE OF INVESTMENTS, HOW LONG THE MATURITIES ARE GONNA BE.
IS THERE ANY COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS OR NO? WE, WE, THIS IS JUST A POLICY UPDATE.
EVERY YEAR WE UPDATE OUR POLICIES AND SO YOU'LL SEE ANOTHER, LIKE A FINANCIAL MON MANAGEMENT POLICY WILL BE UPDATED, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY REQUIRED TO, UM, COME TO THE COUNCIL PERIODICALLY AND HAVE IT VOTED ON AND, AND MODIFIED AND UPDATED.
[Items 53 & 54]
ITEM 53 AND 54.WHO IS MATCO INVESTMENTS? MATT CO.
MATCO INVESTMENTS IS A LOCAL, UM, UH, LOCAL RETAILER.
AND WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IS THEY HAVE APPLIED FOR OUR REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
[00:15:01]
SO WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, UM, WE ARE TRYING TO REDEVELOP OLDER AREAS OF TOWN.SO THEY HAVE APPLIED FOR THIS PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS TO, TO, UH, HAVE THEM PARTICIPATE.
UNDER A CHAPTER THREE 80 PROGRAM WITH MATCO, THIS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, IS THAT COMING OUT OF GENERAL REVENUE OR WHERE IS THAT MONEY COMING FROM? IT, IT COMES FROM OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
WE HAVE SOME MONEY THAT'S ALLOCATED TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE METCO IS GOING TO REDEVELOP IN GRAND PRAIRIE? WHAT PROJECTS? THEY'RE NOT REDEVELOPING.
THEY'RE REDEVELOPING THEIR CURRENT SITE.
WHICH SITES ARE OUT THERE THAT THEY'RE GONNA WORK ON? UH, I'LL HAVE TO GET YOU THE, LET ME JUST PULL UP THE EXACT ADDRESS.
I'M SORRY I DIDN'T, DON'T HAVE THE EXACT ADDRESS.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT A TOTAL REQUEST OF $200,000 FOR, IT'S A REIMBURSE.
WE ARE REIMBURSING UP TO A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO IS THEY HAVE TO DO THE WORK.
THEY HAVE TO SHOW IT TO US FIRST.
ONCE THEY SHOW THAT IT'S BEEN COMPLETED, THEN WE WOULD REIMBURSE THEM FOR THAT.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS BASICALLY FOR FAC SOME FACADE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE BELIEVE ITEM 53 AND 54 ARE ACTUALLY THE SAME ITEM AND WERE JUST COPIED OVER TWICE.
ACE HARDWARE, YOU KNOW, DOWN THE STREET MM-HMM
WE, YOU KNOW, THEY REINVESTED INTO IT AND WE'RE PARTNERING UP SINCE THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
SO WE'RE EXTENDING THAT TO EVERY BUSINESS OUT HERE.
I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE ADVANTAGE TO THE TAXPAYERS TO REALIZE LIKE, WHAT IT'S FOR, TO CLAIMING SPECIFICALLY WHAT PROJECTS WE'LL BE WORKING ON.
UM, MR. WILLIS, JUST A POINT OF CORRECTION.
IT'S THE SAME ITEM, BUT IT'S TWO ACTIONS UNDER THE SAME ITEM.
ONE IS TO FUND THE $100,000 AND ONE IS TO APPROVE THE AGREEMENT.
SO ONE HAS TO BE BY RESOLUTION AND ONE HAS TO BE BY ORDINANCE.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE TWO ITEMS. SURE.
[Items 56 & 59]
56 AND 59.I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE HOW MANY POSITIONS WILL BE ADDED TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? HOW MANY POSITIONS WILL BE ADDED TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THIS NEXT YEAR? IS THIS, IS THIS WHAT THIS PERTAINS TO THAT WE'RE GONNA ADD PERSONNEL.
WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE ANY PROB AWAY FROM PUBLIC SAFETY.
NOTHING'S BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THIS DOESN'T ADD ANY NEW POSITIONS.
MR. WILLIS, THIS IS ACTUALLY CORRECT IN AN ORDINANCE ERROR THAT WE MADE.
I MADE THAT WE'RE FIXING THE LANGUAGE.
SO ALL OF OUR POSITIONS WERE APPROVED.
UH, THE ORDINANCE CHANGE IS GOING TO, TO ADD PERSONNEL FOR STATION 11 AND ALSO FOR ANOTHER BLOCKING APPARATUS THAT WE'RE HAVING FOR THE ADDING TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S NOT TAKING AWAY ANY, IT'S ADDING TWO.
I'VE BEEN AROUND HERE 40 YEARS AND WHEN WE TOOK AWAY FROM PUBLIC SAFETY.
HAROLD? UH, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
UM, AS A REMINDER TO EVERYBODY, UM, THE FULL AGENDA HAS BEEN POSTED ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
AND FOR ANYONE THAT'S WISHING TO SPEAK ON A PARTI PARTICULAR ITEM, YOU MISS FILL OUT SPEAKER CARD IN FRONT OF THE DOOR UP FRONT.
UM, SO EARLIER TODAY AT FOUR 30, WE DISCUSSED ALL THE AGENDA ITEMS. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE ITEM SIX THROUGH 18.
WE'RE GOING TO, UM, TAKE NO ACTION ON ITEM 19 AND THEN ALSO APPROVE ITEMS 20 THROUGH 59 ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SECOND BY DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIMM CLEMSON.
[60. Action Items Resulting from Staff Presentations: 1) Lake Ridge Community Center 2) Council Travel Policy 3) Council Business Expense Pay 4) Sponsorship Requests: One Hundred Men Enterprises - $1500.00 for October 5, 2024 event Expanded Horizons, dba PRG Services - $1500 for ongoing project ]
60, THERE'S FOUR ITEMS THERE.WE'RE ONLY TAKING ACTION ON ITEM FOUR TONIGHT.
SOME OF YOU HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE.
WE WILL BE TAKING ACTION ON IT IN THE FUTURE, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HERE AND IF YOU WANNA SPEAK, YOU CAN DO SO NOW.
BUT WE WILL NOT BE TAKING ANY ACTION ON IT TONIGHT.
SOME OF US VISITED WITH YOU ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HERE, I'LL GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK WE KNOW WHAT YOU WANNA SAY AND WE, WE WILL HEAR THAT WHEN WE DO TAKE ACTION AND YOU MAY CHANGE YOUR MIND ONCE WE DECIDE TO TAKE ACTION.
'CAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ACTION WE'RE GONNA TAKE RIGHT NOW.
BUT DO ANY OF YOU WANNA COME SPEAK ON ITEM ONE? GO AHEAD.
KEVIN BIRTHDAY BOY,
I HAD THIS BIG SPIEL I WAS GOING TO GO OVER.
[00:20:01]
KNOW, YOURSELF AND SOME OF THE OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, I WANT TO JUST THANK YOU GUYS FOR CONSIDERING YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTS POSITIONS OUT THERE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO PUT THIS THING ON THE BACK BURNER TO GIVE US SOME TIME TO BREATHE AND FOR, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE REALLY WANT OUT THERE.AND THE UNDER ONLY, ONLY OTHER THING I WANNA SAY IS, UM, UH, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO FOR GRAND PRAIRIE AND I WANNA WISH ALL OF YOU THE VERY BEST ON THE HOLIDAYS.
STILL, BY THE WAY, IF YOU NEED MY ADDRESS TO SEND THOSE BIRTHDAY GIFTS,
UM, DEBBIE SELF AND KIN SELF, DO YOU WANNA SPEAK AND DID ANYBODY ELSE WANNA SPEAK ON ITEM ONE? YES.
HE WAS PRETTY GO AHEAD, COME ON DOWN.
HE SAID YOU WERE ONE OF THE LAST ONES TO PUT IT IN.
GO AHEAD AND TELL US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
24 40, UM, 24 59 BEACH VIEW DRIVE, GRAND PRAIRIE 7 5 0 5 4.
UH, I WANNA APPLAUD KEVIN FOR SAYING WHAT HE SAID.
HE ALMOST TOOK SOME OF THE WORDS RIGHT OUTTA MY MOUTH.
I DO WANNA THANK THE CITY COUNCIL FOR ALL THE SUPPORT THAT YOU GIVE TO THE PENINSULA.
I DO WANNA SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE, UH, GRAND PENINSULA PEOPLE THAT WE TOOK A SURVEY.
WE HAVE OVER 500 PEOPLE THAT ARE OPPOSED TO THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT BEING BROUGHT AT LAKE RIDGE IN ENGLAND.
SO I DID WANNA MAKE THAT TO BE KNOWN TO THE COUNCIL BECAUSE THE SURVEY IS CONTINUOUSLY GROWING AS WE SPEAK AND GET US THE RESULTS OF THAT SURVEY SO WE CAN INCLUDE IT IN OUR INFORMATION IN CASE WE DON'T ALREADY HAVE IT.
I WILL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO ALL OF YOU GUYS.
SO YOU'LL HAVE THE SEND IT TO YOU, MEGAN.
I'LL MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET IT SO THAT YOU GUYS WILL HAVE RECORD.
WE WILL BE CONDUCTING A SURVEY IN OUR COMMUNITY, UH, AT THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY SO THAT WE CAN SPECIFICALLY ASK THE QUESTION, DO YOU WANT THE COMMUNITY CENTER? IF YOU WANT IT, WOULD YOU LIKE IT AT ENGLAND? AND LAKERIDGE? THE SECOND QUESTION THAT WILL BE ASKED IN THAT SURVEY IS, ARE YOU OPPOSED TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER? THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO QUESTIONS THAT WE'RE GONNA ASK.
I LIKE BEING BLUNT LIKE THAT INSTEAD OF THANK YOU.
CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR THE RESULTS.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE CERTAIN THAT EVERYONE ON THE COUNCIL KNOWS THAT THE PENINSULA IS FOR DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORTING THE COUNCIL, BUT WE ARE VERY CLEAR THAT WE ARE OPPOSED TO THIS BEING ERECTED AT LAKE RIDGE AND ENGLAND.
ANYBODY ELSE THAT TURNING A CARD FOR ITEM ONE? THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT.
WE, WE LOVE OUR CITIZENS' INVOLVEMENT.
I WOULD CHALLENGE YOU TO DOWNLOAD THE, UH, BRIEFING AND THEN, AND THE NEXT TIME WE HAVE A BRIEFING ON IT, YOU'RE WELCOME TO ATTEND.
WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION ON 60.2, 60.3.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME SPONSORSHIP REQUESTS.
ONLY ONE OF THE SPONSORSHIP REQUESTS NEEDED TO HAVE ACTION ON IT.
WE'RE FORMULATING A POLICY FOR NEXT YEAR AND WE'LL TAKE ACTION ON THE OTHERS.
WHEN DID WE SAY JANUARY 2ND WEEK? IN JANUARY.
SO I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION MAYOR, WE'VE GOT SPEAKER.
I JUST WANT TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
WHO IS 100 MEN ENTERPRISES AND EXPANDED HORIZONS.
AND IS THIS GONNA BE A TOTAL OF $3,000 IN OCTOBER 5TH, 2024? WHO, WHO ARE THESE INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN EXPLAIN WHO THEY ARE? UM, I CAN EXPLAIN.
WE'RE ONLY TAKING ACTUAL ONE OF 'EM TONIGHT.
SO, EXPANDED HORIZONS IS A NONPROFIT THAT WORKS WITH, UM, ELEMENTARY AGE STUDENTS.
THEY GO INTO CHARLIE TAYLOR REC CENTER AS WELL AS OUR LOW INCOME APARTMENTS.
THEY BRING ALL OF THE TUTORING EQUIPMENT BOOKS AND THEY GO AND ACTUALLY PERFORM THE SERVICES AFTER SCHOOL HOURS AT NO COST.
UM, A LOT OF THOSE FAMILIES WORK LONG HOURS.
THEY CAN'T TAKE THEIR KIDS TO THE LIBRARY 'CAUSE THEY'RE AT WORK.
UM, SO THEY LITERALLY BRING ALL OF THAT TO THESE LOW INCOME APARTMENTS AND CHARLIE TAYLOR AND THEY HAD THEIR LAPTOPS STOLEN.
[00:25:01]
SO THEY'VE REQUESTED 1500 TO, UH, BUY NEW LAPTOPS, WHICH ARE REFURBISHED SO THEY CAN GET MORE BANG FOR THEIR BUCK.UM, AND THEY HAVE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION.
I DON'T BELIEVE THEY'RE IN YOUR PACKET, BUT CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS WORKED WITH THEM AND BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND THEY ALL PROVIDED, PROVIDED GLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, AND THEY'RE A 10-YEAR-OLD NONPROFIT IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
ARE THEY LOCATED IN GRAND PRAIRIE? IN GRAND PRAIRIE, YES.
UM, THE FOUNDER IS IN DISTRICT TWO, UM, BUT WE AREN'T THE LOWEST INCOME DISTRICT.
UH, SO A LOT OF HER SERVICES ARE IN NORTH GRAND PRAIRIE.
THAT'S, THAT'S MY OLD STOMPING GROUNDS.
AVION VILLAGE, WHEN IT WAS CROCKETT AND THANK GOODNESS, NOW IT'S CHARLIE TAYLOR.
SO THE OTHER, THE $1,500 JUST FOR THIS GROUP, THE EXPANDED HORIZONS, ARE THEY PART OF THEM ALSO, OR NO, THAT WAS THE DESCRIPTION.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE OTHER ORGANIZATION I WAS DESCRIBING EXPANDED HORIZONS.
WE DON'T, SHE WAS, WE'RE NOT TAKING ACTION ON 100 MEN ENTERPRISES TONIGHT.
SO THAT WAS, WELL I'M SORRY IT WAS CONFUSING.
SO JUST EXPANDED HORIZONS IS THE TUTORING.
THAT'S GREAT TO HELP THE KIDS OUT.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU ON THE SPONSORSHIP OR WHICH DID YOU WANT? COME ON DOWN.
JUST TELL US WHAT YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ON.
I HAD NOBODY WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TONIGHT, SO I APOLOGIZE.
UM, I'M JUST HERE FOR THAT, UM, COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND IT HURTS ME TO SEE HOW MUCH GREEN IS BEING DESTROYED IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
UM, I HAVE, THERE'S ANOTHER BLOCK BEHIND US AND THEY WOULD BE RIGHT IN THE BACKYARD OF THAT COMMUNITY CENTER.
SO IF YOU HAVE A BASKETBALL COURT OR WHATEVER, IT WOULD REALLY DISRUPT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ALSO, I WANNA SAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE A REALLY, A SCENIC AREA.
YOU COME DOWN TO THE LAKE, TO THE MARINA AND IT'S PAINFUL TO SEE EVERYDAY APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
AND I SEE, I SEE WILDLIFE AND I CARE ABOUT BLESS NATURE AND I FEEL IT'S BEING DESTROYED A LOT.
AND I KNOW SOME LAND BELONGS TO PRIVATE PEOPLE.
BUT I'M BEGGING YOU TO LEAVE TREES.
IT, IT'S WHAT WE NEED TO LIVE.
AND, AND, UH, ALSO TRAFFIC IS GETTING WORSE.
SO I WANT YOU TO CONSIDER THIS, PLEASE, WHEN YOU BUILD, AND IF THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO TO STOP IT, PLEASE LEAVE THE TREES.
AND, AND DON'T TAKE THAT LITTLE GREEN AWAY.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION ON ITEM NUMBER 60, NUMBER FOUR.
THE FIRST PART OF THE MOTION, UM, WE MIGHT HAVE TO DO THIS SEPARATE, IS TO ADOPT THE SPONSORSHIP AND GRANT POLICY THAT WAS, UM, PRESENTED TO US DURING THE BRIEFING SO WE COULD HAVE A STRUCTURE PROCESS, UM, GOING FORWARD.
SO THE MOTION IS TO ADOPT THE SPONSORSHIP AND GRANT POLICY PRESENTED.
SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION SECOND ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER HEDON.
WELL YOU CAN TRY TO, I'D LIKE TO ADD AN AMENDMENT TO THAT MOTION TO INCORPORATE ALLOWING, UM, THE GRAND PRAIRIE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE HISPANIC CHAMBER.
OH, THAT WAS, YEAH, TO ALSO BE PART OF THAT SPONSORSHIP.
UM, SHOULD WE JUST SAY ALLOWING THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE WITHIN THE CITY? THAT'S FINE.
UH, I ACCEPT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HEAD.
WE HAVE AN AMENDED SINCE THEY ACCEPTED IT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT.
WE'LL, WE WILL VOTE ON THE MOTION AS AMENDED.
UM, SECOND, UM, MOTION ON 60 NUMBER FOUR IS TO APPROVE THE EXPANDED HORIZON, UM, UM, $1,500 AMOUNT THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO US DURING BRIEFING.
AND THE REST OF THE SPONSORSHIP WILL BE CARRIED OVER UNTIL NEXT MONTH FOR CONSIDERATION.
DID, DID YOU SECOND THIS? SECONDED BY COUNSEL MEMBER ADAMS? IF YOU HEARD THAT THERE'S A WHOLE LIST OF SPONSORSHIPS THAT PE PEOPLE WANT MONEY FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND WE'RE HAVING A PRESENTATION IN JANUARY WHERE WE'LL VOTE ON ALL THOSE AT ONCE WITH A BUDGET AND ALL THAT.
SO WE'RE NOT SAYING NO TO THE OTHER TWO.
WE'RE JUST NOT SAYING TONIGHT.
I'D LIKE TO POINT OUT, AS YOU CAN SEE, COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON IS ABSENT TONIGHT.
HE HAD A DEATH IN THE FAMILY AND HE RECENTLY HAD A DEATH IN HIS NAVY FAMILY A
[00:30:01]
FEW MONTHS AGO AND HAD TO MISS ONE OF HIS DEAREST FRIENDS IN THE NAVY.PASSED AWAY A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT THIS WEEK IT'S A FAMILY MEMBER.
SO KEEP COUNCIL MEMBER JOHNSON AND HIS FAMILY IN OUR PRAYERS.
SO NOW WE'RE, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION FOR ALL THESE ITEMS THAT WE'RE BEING TABLED TONIGHT.
[Items 61 - 66]
MOTION THAT WE TABLE ITEM 61 THROUGH 63 FOR THE JANUARY 9TH MEETING.AND THEN ITEM 64 THROUGH 66 FOR THE, UM, FOR THE SECOND MEETING IN JANUARY.
UH, AND THEN ALSO I KNOW ITEM 73 IS WITHDRAWN.
CAN WE MAKE THAT MOTION NOW OR DO WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THAT ITEM? YOU JUST DON'T HAVE TO MO TAKE A MOTION ON THAT.
SECOND WE HAVE MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM LOPEZ.
SECOND BY DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM CLEMSON.
MOTION CARRIES FINALLY TO YOU, SAVANNAH, YOU, YOU SO PATIENTLY WAITED.
[67. STP-23-10-0025 - Site Plan - Southloft (City Council District 1). Site Plan for one light manufacturing warehouse building and one office building on 2.17 acres. Being 2.17 acres out of J.R. Parker Survey, Abstract 1227, City of Grand Prairie, Tarrant County, Texas and addressed as 1101 Avenue J East (On November 13, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval by a vote of 8-0)]
ITEM 67.THIS NEXT ITEM IS A SITE PLAN FOR AN INDUSTRIAL OFFICE WAREHOUSE BUILDING.
IT'S LOCATED AT 1101 AVENUE J EAST.
YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATION ON THE SCREEN.
THE PROPERTY IS ZONED LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AND IT'S ABOUT TWO ACRES.
ON THE SCREEN IS THE SITE PLAN SHOWING THE TWO BUILDINGS ACCESS OFF OF AVENUE J EAST.
IT MEETS OUR DENSITY AND DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS AS WELL AS OUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
THE PROPOSAL MEETS OUR LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS AND IT'S ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT WE REVIEW IS THE TREE PRESERVATION AND PROTECTION PLAN.
THEY ARE REMOVING SOME PROTECTED TREES AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE IN RED XS.
THEY'RE REQUIRED TO MITIGATE FOR THAT.
AND THE TABLE FOUR SHOWS THAT MITIGATION, SO THEY ARE PAYING INTO THAT TREE PRESERVATION FUND.
ON THE SCREEN ARE THE PROPOSED BUILDING ELEVATIONS.
THE MATERIALS INCLUDE BRICK, METAL SIDING, WOOD SIDING, AND THEN, UH, WINDOWS OR GLAZING.
THEY ARE NOT REQUESTING ANY VARIANCES.
AND ON NOVEMBER 13TH, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF EIGHT TO ZERO.
I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR SAVANNAH? UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIMM CLEMSON? YES.
UM, WHEN THEY, UH, OPT FOR THE LIVING SCREEN RATHER THAN, UH, A WALL OF SOME SORT, IS THERE SOME WAY? UH, I SURE IN THE MOTION I COULD, UM, REQUEST THIS, BUT SOMETIME OUR LIVING SCREENS ARE DEAD SCREENS BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER, EXTREME WEATHER AND, UH, THAT DOESN'T REALLY SCREEN ANYTHING AT ALL.
SO, UH, WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST HERE? SHOULD, I MEAN, I KNOW I CAN PUT THAT IN MY MOTION, BUT WE CANNOT ALWAYS FOLLOW UP ON WHETHER THEY'RE KEEPING THEIR PLANTS DEAD OR ALIVE.
THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE SEE IN THE FIELD.
AND THEN CONTACT, UH, THE OWNER OR OPERATOR.
SO WE HAVE ENFORCEMENT, WE CAN'T ENFORCE IT.
WE CAN REQUIRE THEM TO REPLACE DEAD LANDSCAPING.
SO IF WE SEE 'EM, YES, WE CAN CALL YOU.
SAY, HEY, GO MAKE, CAN PLANT A TREE THERE.
NOW THERE ARE SOME PROVISIONS.
IF IT'S THE MIDDLE OF WINTER, THEY HAVE I THINK SIX MONTHS TO, TO PLANT IT.
AND WHO DO WE CALL IF WE SEE THAT? SAVANNAH.
AND I JUST WANTED TO MENTION ON THIS, ON OUR TREE MITIGATION FEES, I NOTICED IT'S 55,000, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO COMMEND THE PAST COUNCIL AND, UH, FOR THE WISDOM IN GETTING THAT INTO PLACE BECAUSE THAT MONEY AS, UH, SOME OF YOU KNOW, CAN BE USED ONLY TO FOR TREES OR FOR TO USE IT IN PARKS.
AND THAT HAS BEEN PUT TO GOOD USE.
SO I IT HAS, WE'VE NEVER, WE'VE ASKED, WE'VE BEEN ASKED FOR SOME WAIVERS IN THE PAST.
MR. DEVELOPER AND MRS. DEVELOPER OUT THERE.
AND, UM, OF COURSE WE'D RATHER HAVE THE MATURE FOR TREES THAT IS TREES, BUT IF WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE 'EM BECAUSE OF THE DEVELOPMENT, AT LEAST WE'RE, UM, GETTING THE FUNDS TO REPLACE OR TO, UM, ENHANCE OUR PARKS AND PLACES.
WELL, YOU GOT THE MIC TURNED ON AT ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I'D LIKE TO MOVE THE APPROVAL OF ITEM NUMBER 67.
SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM CLEMSON.
[68. SUP-23-08-0031 – Specific Use Permit/Site Plan – Taco Bell at 5284 S Hwy 360 (City Council District 4). Specific Use Permit and Site Plan for a Restaurant with a Drive-Through on 1.09 acres. Lot 12, Block A, Lake Prairie Towne Crossing, City of Grand Prairie, Tarrant County, Texas, zoned PD-267, within the SH 360 Corridor Overlay District, and addressed as 5284 S Hwy 360 (On November 13, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval by a vote of 8-0) ]
68.THIS NEXT ITEM IS A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT SLASH SITE PLAN FOR A TACO BELL DRIVE THROUGH RESTAURANT OFF OF 360.
YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATION ON THE SCREEN.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING PAD SITES FOR THE TARGET HOME DEPOT DEVELOPMENT.
IT'S WITHIN OUR CORRIDOR OVERLAY DISTRICT.
YOU CAN SEE THE SITE PLAN SHOWN ON THE SCREEN.
AGAIN, THEY'RE MEETING OUR DENSITY AND DIMENSIONAL
[00:35:01]
REQUIREMENTS AND OUR PARKING REQUIREMENTS.THEY'RE MEETING THOSE LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS OR EXCEEDING THEM AS WELL.
THESE ARE THEIR PROPOSED BUILDING ELEVATIONS, WHICH MUST COMPLY WITH APPENDIX F, AND THEY'RE NOT REQUESTING ANY VARIANCES.
ON NOVEMBER 13TH, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF EIGHT TO ZERO.
THIS CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION AND I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
MAYOR PROTE BY BET YOU'RE READY? YEAH.
I, AND THERE SPEAKER GUARDS? NO.
UM, YEAH, GIVEN THAT THIS IS COMMERCIAL PROPERTY AND IT'S A GREAT LOCATION, THERE'S OTHER, UM, DRIVE-THROUGHS IN THE, IN THE AREA, I MEAN, AND THEN IT WOULD PREVENT OTHER TYPE OF COMMERCIALS THAT WE PROBABLY DON'T WANT IN THAT HARD CORNER.
UM, I, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE ITEM, UM, 68 AS PRESENTED BY STAFF.
SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO LOPEZ.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KY.
[Items 69 & 70 ]
69 AND 70 ARE RELATED.SO I'LL PRESENT THEM TOGETHER.
THE FIRST COMPONENT IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP DESIGNATION FROM OPEN SPACE DRAINAGE TO HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.
UH, THIS IS COMING BEFORE YOU WITH AN ACCOMPANYING ZONING REQUEST.
AND NOW THIS IS A PLAN DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENT IN ORDER TO ADOPT THE CONCEPT PLAN.
SO THE CURRENT ZONING IN PLACE AT THIS PROPERTY DOES ALLOW FOR APARTMENTS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST IS JUST TO ATTACH AN APPROVED CONCEPT PLAN TO THAT ZONING.
IT'S LOCATED AT GREAT SOUTHWEST PARKWAY AND LAKERIDGE AND IT'S ABOUT 31.8 ACRES.
YOU CAN SEE THE CONCEPT PLAN ON THE SCREEN, AND THEY'RE PROPOSING ABOUT 450 UNITS.
THESE ARE THEIR PROPOSED BUILDING ELEVATIONS.
WE DID PUBLISH NOTICE OF THIS IN THE FORT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM AND WE SENT OUT PRO PROPERTY OWNER NOTIFICATION LETTERS, UH, TO 41 SURROUNDING PROPERTIES THAT MEET THAT D DISTANCE REQUIREMENT IN THE UDC.
WE DID RECEIVE SOME LETTERS AND OPPOSITION AND STAFF WENT THROUGH THOSE AND CALCULATED IT'S 52 UNIQUE ADDRESSES.
SO SOME ADDRESSES SUBMITTED MORE THAN ONE LETTER.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THOSE LOCATIONS THAT SUBMITTED OPPOSITION LETTERS ON THE SCREEN IN RED ON NOVEMBER 13TH.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF EIGHT TO ZERO.
UM, STAFF'S UNABLE TO SUPPORT THE REQUEST 'CAUSE IT'S INCONSISTENT WITH THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP DESIGNATION.
BUT I DO WANNA NOTE THAT THE MULTIFAMILY ZONING IS IN PLACE THERE TODAY.
UM, SHOULD CITY COUNCIL APPROVE THIS REQUEST? WE RECOMMEND, UH, THE CONDITION THAT THEY DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WAS A RESULT OF THEIR TIA.
THIS CONCLUDES STAFF'S PRESENTATION.
I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
SO I RECEIVED A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ABOUT THIS AND I REACHED OUT TO YOU AND RASHAD AND YOU DID INFORM ME THAT THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO BUILD THE APARTMENTS EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN'T MEET THE FUTURE LAND USE THE ZONING TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
WHICH IS WHY I MANY TIMES SAY THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP IS OF NO VALUE UNTIL IT IS IT'S NOT TONIGHT.
SO THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO BUILD APARTMENTS THERE, CORRECT? CORRECT.
THEY'LL BE COMING BACK WITH A SITE PLAN.
SO WE DO HAVE, UM, A SPEAKER MAYOR HAVE QUESTION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
MY QUESTION IS, SINCE THEY DO HAVE, UM, ZONING RIGHTS, WHY DID THEY COME WITH A CONCEPT PLAN RATHER THAN A SITE PLAN? SO WE REQUIRE THAT A PLAN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT HAVE AN ASSOCIATED CONCEPT PLAN.
SO FOR NEW ZONING CASES THAT ARE COMING THROUGH, YOU'LL SEE THAT AUTOMATICALLY ATTACHED.
THERE ARE OLDER PLAN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS THAT WERE ADOPTED WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF HAVING THAT CONCEPT PLAN THAT SHOWS THE LAYOUT, SHOWS THE CIRCULATION AND ALLOWS THAT ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF REVIEW.
AND SO, UH, SINCE IT WAS OLDER AND WITHOUT THAT CONCEPT PLAN, BEFORE THEY CAN MOVE TO THE SITE PLAN STAGE, WE NEED TO GET THAT CONCEPT PLAN APPROVED.
SO HYPOTHETICALLY, IF WE WERE TO DENY THIS CONCEPT PLAN, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN NEXT? SO I BELIEVE, LET'S LET AN ATTORNEY, SO A CONCEPT PLAN IS A LEGISLATIVE ACT.
SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN DENY IT HOWEVER THEY DO HAVE MULTIFAMILY BY.
SO IT'S, YOU CAN'T, IF YOU DON'T, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE, THE LAYOUT THAT YOU DON'T LIKE OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THE CONCEPT PLAN.
IT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU JUST TABLE IT AND WORK WITH THE DEVELOPER BECAUSE EVENTUALLY IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE APPROVED.
BUT I, I DON'T, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY THEN HAVE TO COME TO US WITH A PD AMENDMENT IF THEY CAN.
THEY USED TO
WHY DO THEY HAVE TO COME WITH A PD AMENDMENT, AS YOU SAID, THAT WE REQUIRE THEM TO DO THAT, CORRECT.
[00:40:01]
THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE SPECIFIC IN A SENSE.WE HAVE A LOT OF OLDER PDS FROM THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES THAT WERE ADOPTED WITH, UH, THAT ALLOWED A MULTITUDE OF USES, BUT THERE'S NO CONCEPT TO IT.
SO, UM, THE CONCEPT PLAN PRO PROVIDES STAFF AS WELL AS COUNCIL AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THIS BEFORE THEY GET TO THE SITE PLAN STAGE.
'CAUSE WE KNOW AT THE SITE PLAN STAGE IT'S ADMINISTRATIVE.
IF THEY'RE NOT REQUESTING ANY VARIANCES, YOU CAN'T REALLY DENY THAT.
WELL, THAT'S THE SAME THING WITH THE, WITH THIS THOUGH, YOU CAN DENY IT AS WE CAN DENY ANYTHING WE WANT TO.
WELL, IT JUST HAS LEGAL CONSEQUENCES.
BUT RASHAD, WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS IF THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO BILL, BUT WE REQUIRE A PD AMENDMENT SLASH CONCEPT PLAN THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DENY.
WE CAN KEEP PLAYING THIS GAME UNTIL THEY CAN AND PROHIBIT THEM FROM BUILDING.
BUT AT THE, I SEE WHAT I'M SAYING.
AT THE END POINT TO MEG'S POINT, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEVELOP.
SO COUNSEL, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO CONTINUE THAT APPROACH, IF THERE'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S DETRIMENTAL TO THEIR DESIGN, DETRIMENTAL TO THE SURROUNDING AREA WHERE A DRIVE IS, WHERE THE BUILDING'S LOCATED.
I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME LEGAL STANCE.
OBJECT, BUT ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THE USE, I MEAN, OTHER THAN THE USE, I I, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE A MEANS TO JUST STOP IT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
BUT THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO, THIS PD AMENDMENT SLASH CONS PLAN HAS TO PASS FOR THEM TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STEP.
BUT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DENY THE PD AMENDMENT SLASH CONS PLAN.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU ANOTHER EXAMPLE.
SO LET'S SAY THEY PRESENTED A CONCEPT PLAN THAT IS JUST ABSOLUTELY NOT IN LINE WITH THE VISION OF COUNCIL.
IT, YOU, YOU DON'T, THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT IT THAT YOU DON'T LIKE.
WELL, WE DON'T LIKE APARTMENTS WELL OUTSIDE THE USE, BUT THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID.
IT'S THE, IT'S THE, IT'S NOT THE USE, IT'S THE LAYOUT AND THE DESIGN.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET THROUGH.
JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO DENY IT.
BUT IF YOU DON'T LIKE SOMETHING ABOUT THE LAYOUT, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DENY THAT PARTICULAR CONCEPT.
SO THAT GIVES YOU, SO THERE'S BEEN SITUATIONS WHERE 'CAUSE IT SITE PLAN, BECAUSE IT, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT EITHER MEETS THE STANDARDS OR YOU DON'T.
SO IT GIVES YOU ALL THE ABILITY, IF THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT PARTICULAR CONCEPT PLAN THAT YOU DON'T LIKE, IT GIVES YOU ABILITY TO DENY IT.
BUT I, I PLAN DEVIL'S ADVOCATE CAN COME UP WITH RANDOM THINGS EACH TIME WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO PREVENT IT.
AND AT SOME POINT THEY'LL PROBABLY SAY, ENOUGH'S ENOUGH.
I MEAN, 'CAUSE THEY HAVE THE RIGHT, YEAH.
BUT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT TO STOP IT BECAUSE WE REQUIRE 'EM TO COME THROUGH A PD MEMBER.
UM, EVEN, EVEN WITH THE, WE CAN GO THE SHORT WAY, THE LONG WAY.
WE'RE GONNA END UP SAME PLACE.
I I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO STOP IT.
I'M NOT PROMOTING THIS, BUT EVEN A SITE PLAN, A PLAT, Y'ALL CAN DENY WHAT Y'ALL WANT.
IF Y'ALL WANT TO GO THE LEGAL ROUTE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, SO THAT'S WHAT I MEAN.
IF IT'S UP FOR US TO VOTE, WE WE CAN DENY ANYTHING THAT COMES TO FORCE.
BUT THERE'S LEGAL CONSEQUENCES AND THEY, AND DIRT HAS RIGHTS.
IF WE, IF THEY CAN CIRCUMVENT THIS CONSTANT PLAN, WHY DO WE REQUIRE IT? AGAIN, THIS IS A OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PROVIDE SOME INPUT PRIOR TO THEM GETTING DEEPER INVOLVED WITH THAT.
AND YOU'RE SUGGESTING, DID YOU MAKE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON THE DEEPER INPUT? YES, WE DID.
THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE MOTION.
AND THAT, THAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE INCORPORATED INTO THEIR PLAN AND JOHN'S READY? NO, CAN, BUT WE GOT A SPEAKER.
NO, I HAD, SO THERE WAS PLENTY DISCUSSIONS.
THERE WAS OPPORTUNITIES FOR, WE WORKED WITH THE DEVELOPER, THEY COULD ACTUALLY ADD MORE APARTMENTS.
RIGHT? THEY, THEY COULD REDUCE THE, THEY REDUCED THE NUMBER OF APARTMENTS THAT, THAT THEY'RE ALLOWED BY.
SO THERE WAS SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS, ACTIONS WE, WE MADE WITH THE COMMUNITY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WORKS BEST.
SO THERE WAS SOME COMMUNITY INPUT.
AND I THINK THAT GIVES US SOME LEVERAGE, UM, IN THIS CONCEPT PROCESS BECAUSE WE COULD GO TO THAT DEVELOPER AND SAY, WELL, YEAH, YOU COULD BUILD IT BY BRIGHT POINT, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WALK-IN TRAILS JOIN THE PARK.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE EYESIGHT OF THE HEIGHT OF THE BUILDINGS THAT'S ONTO THE ADJACENT PROPERTY IS, IS, YOU KNOW, LOWER THAN WHAT'S EXPECTED.
SO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, YES, YOU, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE WORK WITH US.
TRY AND MAKE IT WORK WITH US A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
WELL, APPRECIATE BRINGING THAT POINT OUT.
AND COUNCILMAN JOHNSON WAS THERE.
SO WAS, UM, COUNCILMAN ZANU AND COUNCILMAN
MAYOR, I'M NOT READY FOR A MOTION, BUT GO AHEAD.
UM, UNPACKING THIS BAG, YOU KNOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I DON'T WANT TO NOT, I DON'T WANT TO APPROVE OR SEE, I WANT, I DON'T WANT TO DENY SOMETHING IN FEAR OF GETTING SUED OR SAYING THE LAND
[00:45:01]
HAS RIGHTS.IF WE DON'T WANT SOMETHING WE SAY WE DON'T WANT IT, AND IT'S UP TO THEM TO GO THROUGH THE LEGAL PROCESS TO DO IT.
AND, AND, AND DON'T JUST GIVE UP AND SAY, WELL, IT HAS, THE LAND HAS RIGHTS.
WELL, THAT'S A SLIPPERY TRAIL.
'CAUSE WE'VE, WE'VE, SO THANK YOU.
HOW SLIPPERY IS IT? THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHY IT'S WORTH TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, IF SOMEONE OWES ME A 5,000, IF MIKE OWES ME A $5,000 AND I DON'T PAY HIM, HE, BESIDES, I'M BRINGING A BAT.
BUT HE COULD SUE ME AND GOING THROUGH THAT SUING PROCESS, HE MAY BE RIGHT.
AND COLE AND COUNCIL, WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DO THAT.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER DEL BOSKY SAYS, IF YOU KNOW CASE LAW AND HE REVIEWED IT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
YOU DON'T WASTE TAXPAYER'S MONEY TRYING TO STOP SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T.
BUT WHEN THE TAXPAYER SAYS, I DON'T WANT IT, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, I MEAN THAT THEY, THEY DON'T WANT, THAT'S WHO I'M DEFENDING.
THEY ALSO DON'T WANT US WASTING MONEY IF THEY'RE GONNA GET IT IN THE END ANYWAY.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE CONSIDERED WELL-SETTLED LAW, WHICH MEANS THAT IT'S BEEN UNDERSTAND KIND OF I UNDERSTAND.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS I IF, IF SOME, I DON'T WANT TO USE THE, THIS IS JUST ME AND I, I I'M, WELL THEN YOU VOTE NO IF WE VOTE YES.
OH, WELL IT'S THE, IT'S LEGAL OR THE, UM, I HAS LAND RIGHTS.
BOY, I TELL YOU WHAT, WE USE THAT ALL THE TIME.
AND IF I'M A LANDOWNER, I WANT COUNSELS TO KNOW THAT I HAVE A RIGHT TO BUILD SOMETHING THERE IF I'M A LANDOWNER.
I I I WE DON'T NEED TO BE REWRITING LAW.
I DON'T WANT SOMEONE TELLING ME THE WAY I HAVE TO VOTE.
IF I HAVE TO VOTE AWAY, THEN DON'T, THEN DON'T LET ME VOTE ANDAND.
SO THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT THERE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I DON'T EVEN LIKE SEEING THESE COME TO US.
'CAUSE IT'S, WHY ARE WE SAYING YES OR NO TO A SITE PLAN? BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO MASSAGE THE SITE PLAN, MOVE ENTRANCES AND EVERYTHING.
I UNDERSTAND YOU WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE COUNCIL.
WELL, DON'T GIVE ME THE CHANCE TO SAY YES OR NO.
IF I, IF MY NO VOTE DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING, IT HAS TO BE BACKED UP BY A GOOD REASON, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE RELY ON CASE LAW TO LOOK AT.
AND UH, UH, THESE ARE ALL GOOD COMMENTS OF CITIZENS.
THIS IS, THIS IS TOUGH SOMETIMES BECAUSE, UH, WE'VE GOT LOTS OF ZONING IN THIS CITY FOR WAREHOUSES AND I'M TIRED OF WAREHOUSES.
BUT, UH, THAT LAND, THEY, IT HAS THE RIGHT AND CASE LAW SHOWS THEY HAVE THE RIGHT, AND I FOR ONE, DON'T LIKE WASTED TAXPAYERS' MONEY WHEN WE SEE CASE LAW.
ALLOW THE BUILDER TO BUILD IT IF YOU DO SAY NO.
SO THAT'S THE WAY IT IS BASED ON OUR ATTORNEY'S OPINION AND OTHER CITY'S ATTORNEY'S OPINIONS AND CASE LAW AND HISTORY.
BUT I LOVE THE DISCUSSION 'CAUSE IT LETS OUR CITIZENS KNOW THE DILEMMAS WE FACE.
GOODNESS, YOU AND I, ALL OF US LOVE WHEN IT'S A ZONING CASE.
SO WE CAN SAY NO WITH NO RETRIBUTION.
WELL, MAYOR, JUST TO ECHO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND COLE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
NOT TOO LONG AGO WE HAD THE GOLF COURSE JUST NORTH.
AND LOOK, I KNOW, AND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING GOOD, BUT IT WAS OUT OF OUR HAND.
AND COUNCILMAN CLEMSON CAN TELL YOU, I MEAN, THAT'S HER BACKYARD.
WE GOT, LIKE YOU SAID, WE GOT MORE WAREHOUSES.
THE JUDGE, WE COULD HAVE DONE OTHER BETTER PROJECTS OR SOMETHING, BUT WE JUST RESTRICTED, IT'S UNFORTUNATE.
OUR FIVE MINUTES, THE JUDGE TOOK FIVE MINUTES.
FIVE MINUTES AND SAID THEY'RE BUILDING APARTMENTS THERE.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, GREAT SOUTHWEST GOLF CLUB.
THE UNDERLYING ZONING WAS WAREHOUSES.
THE CORPORATION THAT OWNED ALL THE GO GOLF COURSES SOLD ALL OF THEIR HOLDINGS AS GOLF COURSES EXCEPT ABOUT THREE.
THIS WAS ONE OF THEM BECAUSE THE UNDERLYING ZONING WAS WAREHOUSES AND THEY COULD MAKE MORE MONEY DEVELOPING WAREHOUSES THAN THEY WERE MAKING AS A GOLF COURSE.
WE TRIED A LAW ON THE BOOKS THAT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT IF YOU HAD BOUGHT A HOUSE ON A GOLF COURSE AND THEY DID AWAY WITH THE GOLF COURSE, YOU COULD GET MONEY BACK FROM THE LOSS OF YOUR HOME'S VALUE BECAUSE THERE'S NO LONGER ON A GOLF COURSE.
IT DIDN'T SAY THEY COULDN'T BUILD A WAREHOUSE.
AND WE FILED A MOTION TO ENACT THAT.
I KIND OF KNEW IT HAD A 10% CHANCE.
OUR CITY ATTORNEY AT THE TIME SAID IT HAD A 10% CHANCE.
THE JUDGE SAID IT WAS A ZERO CHANCE.
FIVE MINUTES IN THE COURTROOM SAYS THEY'RE BUILDING WAREHOUSES THERE Y'ALL GO ON THE SIDE ROOM AND FIGURE OUT A DEAL.
[00:50:01]
SOMETIMES THIS IT WELL SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER DEBOSKY.AND, 'CAUSE WE'VE HAD CASES THIS, WE'RE HAVING CASES, MORE CASES LIKE THIS.
[72. ZON-23-10-0034 - PD Amendment/Concept Plan - Prose Westcliff Multi-Family (City Council District 2). Application for Amendment to PD-18 to adopt a Concept Plan for a multi-family development with 300 dwelling units on 14.16 acres. Lots 1-4, Vickery Place Addition, a portion of Tract 4, J.W.E. Wallace Survey, Abstract No. 1517, and a portion of Tract 12, Benjamin F. Smith Survey, Abstract No. 1337, City of Grand Prairie, Dallas County, zoned PD-18, within the IH-20 Corridor Overlay District, and addressed as 901-913 E Fish Creek Road, 3971 Westcliff Rd and 1199 E IH-20 (On November 13, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval by a vote of 8-0) ]
MOVE ON.BRIAN GRAHAM, YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU DON'T NEED HIM TO GET INTO THE LEGALS
YEAH, I'M HAPPY THAT WE DON'T WANNA BE SUED.
ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO TALK, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, I AM BRIAN GRANT WITH, WITH JPI, UH, WE'RE THE DEVELOPER FOR THIS PROJECT.
UH, AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THESE SLIDES, THESE SLIDES QUICKLY, BUT JUST WANTED TO SHOW SOME, SOME PICTURES OF WHAT WE PLAN TO CONSTRUCT WHAT WE BUILD.
UH, JUST TO GIVE AN IDEA OF WHAT, WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED FOR HERE.
UH, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED THROUGH, UM, THE LOCATION OF THE SITE, UM, BUT THAT'S JUST OUTLINING WHERE, WHERE WE ARE, UM, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.
UH, AGAIN, WE'VE, IT IS THE EXISTING ZONING.
UH, AS COUNCILMAN LOPEZ SAID, THE ZONING ALLOWS FOR UP TO 20 UNITS TO THE ACRE.
UH, WE ARE WELL UNDER THAT AT 14 UNITS TO THE ACRE.
UM, SO LESS, WE ARE BUILDING LESS UNITS THAN WHAT IS ALLOWED, UM, UNDER THE, UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING.
UM, AND THEN WE DID COMB THROUGH THAT ZONING.
AND WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY VARIANCES.
UH,
'CAUSE FOLKS, IF HE DID ASK FOR VARIANCES, WE COULD DENY IT.
THAT'S WHY, WHEN, THAT'S WHY WHEN A APARTMENT COMES TO US AND THEY KNOW IT HAS OPPOSITION, THEY DO NOT ASK FOR VARIANCES.
HERE'S SOME, UH, EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE EXTERIOR COMMUNITIES THAT WE, OF THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE BUILT.
UH, THESE ARE, THESE PARTICULAR ONES ARE IN GRAPEVINE AND FARMER'S BRANCH.
BUT, UH, THE POINT IS THAT THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE DIFFERENT, UH, FROM ONE ANOTHER.
THERE'S NO COOKIE CUTTER, UM, EXTERIOR HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS.
UM, WE THINK WE BUILD A NICE, A NICE PRODUCT AND SOMETHING THAT WILL BE, UH, THAT WILL LOOK NICE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF THE INTERIOR OF THE CLUBHOUSE.
UH, WE HIRE INTERIOR DESIGNERS TO, UH, TO DESIGN THESE SPACES AND SELECT THE FINISH OUTS.
AND THERE'S LOTS OF NICE MATERIALS AND GLASS AND, UM, GATHERING SPACES FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT WILL LIVE, UH, WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY.
HERE'S A EXAMPLE OF ONE OF THE UNITS.
WE HAVE SOME JPI STANDARDS THAT WE ADHERE TO.
10 FOOT CEILING MINIMUM, UH, ON THE CEILING HEIGHTS, STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES, STONE COUNTERTOPS, HARD SURFACE FLOORING.
UH, WE'LL DO GLASS ENCLOSED SHOWERS, AND YOU CAN SEE THE BIG WINDOWS THERE, UH, LETTING LOTS OF NATURAL LIGHT IN.
UM, SO WE DESIGNED THESE, UH, TO BE VERY, VERY UPSCALE COMMUNITY AND, UH, UM, DO MULTIPLE SCHEMES AS WELL.
HERE'S AN EXAMPLE OF A DIFFERENT SCHEME IN THAT SAME COMMUNITY, UH, YOU CAN SEE DIFFERENT COUNTER CABINET, UH, COLORS AND STYLES, DIFFERENT COUNT, UH, DIFFERENT GRANITE MATERIAL THERE.
SO DIFFERENT MATERIALS TO GIVE THE RESIDENT OPTIONALITY ON WHAT, UH, WHAT UNIT THEY WOULD PREFER TO LIVE IN.
AND WE DID, WE MEET WITH, UH, THE IHAWK, HOA, UM, ACROSS, ACROSS LAKERIDGE.
UM, TRIED TO DESIGN THIS IN A WAY TO ADHERE TO SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE KNEW WOULD BE OUT THERE.
UH, THE BUILDINGS, AS YOU'LL NOTICE, OUR PUSH BACK FROM LAKERIDGE, UM, THEY ARE SET, THEY WERE LOWER THAN LAKERIDGE.
SO THE SITE DOES FALL FROM LAKERIDGE DOWN TOWARDS THE CREEK.
UH, THESE BUILDINGS ARE ALL OR ANYWHERE FROM A STORY AND A HALF TO HALF A STORY LOWER THAN THE ELEVATION OF LAKERIDGE.
SO INSTEAD OF PUSHING THESE BUILDINGS UP AGAINST LAKERIDGE, UH, AND HAVING THAT THREE AND FOUR STORY PRESENCE ALONG LAKERIDGE, WE DID PUSH THEM BACK AND TRY TO LOWER THEM TO WORK WITH THE TOPOGRAPHY, UM, AND BE A LITTLE SENSITIVE TO, TO THE NEIGHBORS ACROSS, ACROSS LAKERIDGE.
UM, THERE WAS ALSO SOME CONCERN ABOUT, UM, COMING DOWN SOUTH ON LAKERIDGE AND TURNING TO GO NORTH ONTO SOUTHWEST PARKWAY.
WE HEARD SOME FEEDBACK THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF, UM, TRA A LOT OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC THAT IS TAKING THAT AND QUICKLY AND NOT SLOWING DOWN ALONG THAT CURVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL CAN SEE THAT, BUT KIND OF THIS CURVE HERE.
UM, WE'VE WORKED WITH OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEERS, WITH CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEERS, UM, TO COME THROUGH TO DESIGN SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT TRAFFIC AND, AND BE A TRAFFIC CALMING, UH, MECHANISM.
UH, WE, THIS IS JUST THE CONCEPT PLAN AS WE TALKED ABOUT.
THE DETAILED SITE PLAN WILL COME LATER AND SO, UH, A LOT OF THAT WILL BE IRONED OUT IN THAT PHASE.
BUT WE ARE COMMITTED TO, TO COMING UP WITH A SOLUTION, WHETHER IT'S AN ENTRANCE OR NO ENTRANCE.
THE EARLY ON FEEDBACK, JUST FROM A CONCEPTUAL LEVEL FROM BOTH CITY, CITY ENGINEER AND OUR ENGINEERS, IS THAT HAVING AN ENTRANCE THERE WILL, WILL HELP SLOW DOWN THAT TRAFFIC.
'CAUSE PEOPLE WILL BE SLOWING DOWN TO TURN IN VERSUS NOT HAVING AN ENTRANCE THERE WOULD LEAD TO PEOPLE JUST CONTINUING TO TAKE THAT TURN REALLY FAST.
SO, UM, BUT EITHER WAY, WE'RE, WE'RE COMMITTED TO WORKING THROUGH, UH, THAT WITH, WITH TRAFFIC ENGINEER AND, AND COMING UP WITH A PLAN THAT, UM, IS, IS SAFE AND, UH, HELPS ALLEVIATE SOME OF THOSE, THOSE CONCERNS.
BUT WE HAVE TAKEN SOME STEPS, UM, AGAIN TO, UH, TO HELP WITH THE CONCERNS PUSHING THE BUILDINGS BACK.
WE'RE BUILDING LESS THAN THE ALLOWABLE DENSITY THERE AS WELL.
[00:55:01]
UM, AND THOSE ARE JUST, YEAH, THERE'S A LAYOUT OF THE SITE PLAN.SORRY, THIS IS BLINKING AT ME BECAUSE I'M RUNNING OUTTA TIME.
UH, AND THEN HERE'S A RENDERING.
I KNOW SOME ELEVATIONS WERE SHOWN EARLIER, BUT JUST AN EXAMPLE OF, UM, WHAT WE, WHAT WE PLAN TO CONSTRUCT LOTS OF HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS, GLASS, BRICK, STONE.
UM, YEAH, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, MAYOR PRO TIM LOPEZ.
UM, THANK YOU FOR, UM, SHOWING US YOUR SLIDES.
AND I KNOW THAT WHEN WORKING WITH Y'ALL, I MEAN, WE KIND OF MADE IT A POINT THAT WHEN Y'ALL COME TO GRAND PRAIRIE, Y'ALL START LOOKING AT SITES AND IF IT DOESN'T HAVE ZONING, IT'S LIKE A SHOWSTOPPER, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING WE STRESS TO Y'ALL THAT SURE.
WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN CHANGING ZONING.
AND, AND, AND Y'ALL FIND ZONING
BUT I DO APPRECIATE Y'ALL WORKING WITH US.
BUT ONE THING I DO WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT THE TREES THAT ARE FACING O COLLEGE, SHEFIELD VILLAGE, UM, THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP AS MUCH MATURE TREES AVAILABLE THAT WAY THE, THE SPIRIT OF THE PARK REMAINS, AND THEN EVENTUALLY ALSO THE WALKING TRAIL THAT DOESN'T EXIST TODAY, UM, COMING FROM, UM, LAKE RIDGE, UM, HAVE SOME TYPE OF WALK SHOW THAT THE PUBLIC COULD ACTUALLY WALK DOWN AND, AND GET CLOSE TO THE PARK.
AM AM I CORRECT THAT, THAT THAT'S STILL PART OF THE PLAN AS WELL? YES, SIR.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, THAT WE'RE STILL IN THE PROCESS ONCE WE GET TO THE SITE, THEN THAT WE WE'RE STILL CONTINUING MEETING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE FINAL PROJECT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
I MEAN, YOU'RE STILL OPEN TO THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIMM CLEMSON.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR BEING HERE.
UH, WOULD YOU GO BACK TO THE RENDERING THAT, THAT LAST ONE YOU SHOWED OF THE PROPOSED, ALL RIGHT, NOW I WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
WOULD YOU GO TO THE RENDERINGS OR THE PHOTOS THAT YOU HAD IN GRAPE VINE AND YOUR OTHER, THEY DON'T LOOK ANYTHING ALIKE.
AND, UM, TO ME THEY LOOK MUCH BETTER THAN THE ONE YOU'RE SHOWING, SHOWING US.
UH, PART OF IT IS JUST, IT'S CONCEPTUAL, SO IT'S EARLY ON.
I THINK EVEN IN THE PACKAGE THAT SAVANNAH SHOWED, THERE WERE SOME, SOME NEWER ONES.
UH, THE ONE ON THE BOTTOM IS, IS OFF THE TOLL WASTE.
IT'S JUST MORE OF AN URBAN FIVE STORY WRAP, REALLY DENSE PRODUCT.
AND THAT'S THE WAY THE STYLE IS.
UH, SAME THING WITH THE ONE IN GRAPEVINE IS IT'S A WRAP PRODUCT KIND OF AROUND A PARKING GARAGE.
UM, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT STYLES.
UH, THIS ONE IS MEANT TO BE MORE CONTEMPORARY, MODERN FARMHOUSE VERSUS IT DOESN'T LOOK NEAR AS NICE.
IT DOESN'T LOOK AS NICE AND DOESN'T LOOK AS UPSCALE TO ME.
AND YOU COULD, YOU COULD SHOW THOSE FOUR PICTURES TO ANYBODY.
THEY WOULDN'T PICK OURS AS ANY OF THE TOP THREE EVEN.
I THINK PART OF IT IS THIS IS A BUILT, YOU KNOW, PERFECT SUNSET IN THE BACKGROUND.
NO, WE, WE SCALE BACK AND MAKE IT LOOK MORE LIKE THIS FOR SURE.
IT'S THE SAME MATERIALS, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT COLORS.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN, UH, PUT THAT IN THE MOTION.
WELL, MAYOR, I THINK, YEAH, I, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
I THINK, I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, AT THE BOTTOM ONE AND THE RIGHT ONE, THAT'S MORE, IS IT MIXED USE? AM I CORRECT ON THAT? UH, YES.
AND, AND I THINK, UH, IT'S, I MEAN, THE TOP LEFT CORNER ONE SEEMS MORE APPROPRIATE.
I THINK THAT WE, WE HAD THIS DONE BEFORE, WHENEVER WE HAD THE PROJECT OVER THERE OFF OF, UM, RAGLAND ROAD AND 360 60.
Y'ALL BROUGHT ONE PRODUCT AND THEN IT DIDN'T HAVE THE RIGHT COLOR.
AND THEN WE HAD TO GO BACK AND FORTH AND CHANGE THE CONCEPTS AROUND.
BUT I AGREE WITH, UM, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO, TIM AND CLEMSON, THAT YEAH, THE, THE QUALITY OF THE PRODUCTS PROBABLY GOING HAVE TO LOOK A LOT CLOSER TO THESE PICTURES.
DO YOU WANT TO JUST TABLE THAT TONIGHT? NO, I MEAN THE, THE WHEN COULD WE WORK ON THAT STAFF? I THINK SAYING THAT'S PART OF THE SITE PLAN, WE STILL HAVE THE SITE PLAN STAGE.
PUT THAT AS A, A NOTE STATING THAT WE WANT TO IMPROVE THEM ELEVATIONS.
BUT HE COULD MAKE IT, HE COULD MAKE THAT PART OF HIS MOTION.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE ELEVATIONS BEFORE MAKING YOUR APPROVAL, YOU CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
WELL, I'M SAYING BEFORE APPROVING THE CONCEPT, MAYOR PROAM, MY FEAR IS THIS, WHEN WE GET TO THE SITE PLAN MM-HMM
PORTION OF THIS, UH, DEAL, THEY CAN BRING US WHATEVER AND THEY CAN SAY THAT IT LOOKS FINE AND TAKE US TO COURT AND GET IT THROUGH.
SO I'D RATHER US DO IT NOW WHILE WE STILL HAD THE
ESPECIALLY SINCE HE SAID HE'S WILLING TO YEAH.
LET'S NOT WAIT UNTIL THE SITE PLAN WHERE WE'RE, WHERE OUR HANDS ARE TIED AND WE DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH NEGOTIATING LEVERAGE.
BUT WHAT ARE WE ASKING FOR? I MEAN, WHAT ARE YOU ASKING FOR TONIGHT? I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU'RE ASKING, ASKING.
I TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR.
MAKE IT LOOK, IT SHOW US THAT PICTURE OF WHAT THEY'RE PLANNING ON VERSUS ANY OF THESE.
SO, BUT WE WANT A BETTER LOOKING PRODUCT FROM THE STREET PERIOD.
[01:00:01]
GO BACK TO THE ONE THAT YOU'RE PRESENTING TO US.WE COULD, WE COULD POLL THIS AUDIENCE.
I THINK WE'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM THEM.
THE AUDIENCE DOESN'T WANT ANYTHING.
WE COULD PULL THIS AUDIENCE ON WHAT THE ONE YOU'RE GONNA BUILD HERE VERSUS THESE SURE.
AND THIS AUDIENCE WOULD BE A HUNDRED PERCENT THAT WHAT YOU'RE SHOWING US THAT YOU'RE GONNA BUILD HERE DOESN'T LOOK NEAR AS NICE AS THESE THREE.
SO STAFF, HOW DO WE, HE SAID HE IS WILLING TO DO SOME, HOW DO WE GET THAT EFFECTIVE TO JUNIOR'S POINT TABLE? THIS TABLE.
YEAH, WE CAN TABLE THIS BECAUSE I, I WOULDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITHOUT SOME CONSENSUS ON THE VISUAL.
EVERYBODY HAS THEIR DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THE AESTHETIC, BUT THIS LOOK IS AN URBAN LOOK, AN URBAN PRODUCT.
UM, AND THE BALCONIES ARE RECESSED.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ARTICUL PICTURE.
THE PICTURE HE SHOWED US WAS A BAD PICTURE.
'CAUSE IT SHOWS THAT IN THAT, THAT HAS NOTHING.
MAYBE IF HE'D TILTED IT AND SHOWED US, BUT I'M NOT COMFORTABLE APPROVING IT TONIGHT.
IT LOOKS CHEAP BECAUSE IT'S A CHEAPER STYLE.
I THINK ONE I, AND I DIDN'T GET A CLEAR GLIMPSE OF IT, BUT I THINK ONE IS CONSIDERED MORE GARDEN WITH A FEW URBAN ELDERS.
I DON'T LIKE THAT LOOK VERSUS THE OTHER THREE.
THE OTHER TWO IS MIXED CHEESE MIRROR.
I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S WHY YOU SEE A LOT PASS ON IT.
BUT PICK THE ONE THAT'S NOT MIXED USE.
WHAT HE'S PRESENTING US TONIGHT DOESN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE TOP LEFT ONE.
YEAH, HE JUST SHOWED THE WRONG ONES.
THERE'S NO ONE IS A MORE FLAT ROOF STYLE URBAN STYLE.
AND THEN THEY DO HAVE RECESS, GARAGES, RASH.
ALL I KNOW IS I DON'T LIKE THE LOOKS OF IT.
WHAT I'M TELLING YOU, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCES? AND JP, I UNDERSTAND.
JPI IS THE ONE THAT ALSO BROUGHT US THE DEVELOPMENT ON I 30.
AND WE WENT BACK AND FORTH ON THAT SAME SOURCE AND THEN LOOK WHAT HAPPENED.
SO, JOHN, WHAT DO, WHAT DO YOU WHAT? NO, I MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE HAPPILY TABLE IT TO THE NEXT MEETING TO, TO MAKE SURE IT LINES UP WITH, WITH THE DIVISION.
MR. MAYOR IF I MAY, ARE YOU SAYING THESE ELEVATIONS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THIS IS THE SAME WHAT WAS ON THE SCREEN HERE THAT SAVANNAH SHOWED? THESE ARE FURTHER ALONG.
IS IT, I MEAN, DON'T SAYING YOU DO NOT LIKE THOSE, THEY DON'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE ANY OF THE OTHER THREE OTHER, IS THERE ONE OF THE OTHER THREE THAT IS PREFERENCE? 'CAUSE AS TO RASHAD'S POINT, THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT STYLES.
I TELL YOU WHAT, GO SHOW US THOSE OTHER THREE.
IT ANY ONE OF THOSE, THE ONE YOU SAID, UH, UPPER LEFT ONE TOP LEFT.
I THINK YOU, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BRING IN SOME OF THOSE ELEMENTS.
THAT'S WHAT, SO THE TOP LEFT, THAT RIGHT THERE LOOKS A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN WHAT YOU SHOWED US FOR OURS.
I DON'T CARE WHAT KIND OF ROOF, I'M, I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE ROOF.
I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO YOU THE DIFFERENCE.
THAT'S, YOU GOT THE DIFFERENCE.
BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE COLOR SCHEME, THE IN AND OUT.
THAT WAY WE ALL AGREE IT LOOKS A LOT BETTER.
TOP LEFT LOOKS A LOT BETTER THAN WHAT YOU BROUGHT US TO GO ON OURS.
I'M GLAD COUNCIL MEMBER DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM CLEMSON BROUGHT IT UP.
JOHN, LET'S TABLE IT IF YOU DON'T MIND.
LET ME, BEFORE YOU DO THAT, JOHN, LET ME ASK YOU THIS, IF YOU CAN, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT.
HOW LONG DO Y'ALL KEEP THESE PROPERTIES BEFORE YOU FLIP 'EM? IT'S AN AVERAGE OF FOUR TO SEVEN YEARS.
NO, THE HISTORICALLY IS THEY'RE NOT GONNA KEEP IT LONG.
BUT WE WANT, WE WANT IT TO LOOK NICE WHEN THEY DO FLIP IT.
AND THAT'S THE THING, WE DID HAVE A PRODUCT HERE THAT LOOKED VERY NICE, THE ONE DOWN THE STREET IN YOUR BACKYARD AND IT WASN'T EVEN WHAT, TWO, THREE YEARS IF THAT A YEAR.
AND NOW WE'VE GOT A BUNCH OF DIRTY DIAPERS.
AND SO THAT, THAT'S A BIG CONCERN OF US FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY IS WHAT, ARE YOU GONNA LEAVE US? YEAH.
AND STARTING OFF, YOU'RE NOT, YOU KNOW.
WE WANNA START OFF UP HERE BECAUSE WE KNOW IF YOU FLIP IT, WHO KNOWS IT'S GONNA TAKE CARE OF IT.
ARE YOU READY FOR A MOTION? YES.
MAYOR, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UM, TAKE ITEM 69 AND 70 AND TABLE IT TO THE FIRST MEETING IN JANUARY, WHICH IS, AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE AFTER SECOND.
BUT MY GOODNESS, WHO DOES IT? 71, 71 AND 72 ARE RELATED, SO I'LL PRESENT THEM
[01:05:01]
TOGETHER.THE FIRST IS A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AMENDMENT TO CHANGE THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP DESIGNATION FOR MIXED USE TO HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.
IT IS ACCOMPANYING A ZONING CHANGE REQUEST.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE PROPERTY OUTLINED IN YELLOW ON THE SCREEN.
THE ZONING IS FOR MULTIFAMILY.
IT ALLOWS DEPARTMENTS BY, RIGHT.
SO THIS IS AGAIN, ONE OF THOSE OLD OKAY, TELL US, TELL US.
CAN WE SAY, I MEAN, WE CAN SAY NO, BUT DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BUILD IT? YES.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS A PD AMENDMENT TO ADOPT A CONCEPT PLAN.
SO THE EXISTING ZONING DOES ALLOW MULTIFAMILY USE.
UH, THEY'RE PROPOSING ABOUT 300 UNITS AND 10 BUILDINGS.
UH, THIS IS THEIR CONCEPT PLAN.
GOODNESS, WE GOT A LOT OF ZONING IN THIS TOWN THAT ALLOWS APARTMENTS.
LORDY AND I I DO WANNA POINT OUT, UH, KIND OF A COUPLE OF CHANGES THAT THEY MADE WITH STAFF INPUT THROUGHOUT THE REVIEW PROCESS.
THE FIRST IS THEY WERE SHOWING A DRIVEWAY OFF OF FISH CREEK ROAD.
UH, GIVEN THE ADJACENT SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL STAFF RECOMMENDED THAT THEY MOVE IT.
UH, THEY ALSO REORIENTED SOME OF THESE BUILDINGS SO THAT THE SMALLER, SHORTER SIDE WHERE THERE'S NO WINDOWS WOULD BE FACING THOSE SINGLE FAMILY PROPERTIES.
SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF SHOW US A PICTURE, BLAH.
I MEAN, HOLY NO, I, I, I, I GUESS I QUESTION FOR LEGAL.
UM, THERE IS A STATE LAW THAT I KNOW THAT SAYS THAT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHENEVER WE TRY TO LIVE USE CERTAIN BUILDING MATERIALS WITH THESE DEVELOPERS.
SO THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S AM THAT'S THE TRUTH.
SO YEAH, I JUST MEAN WE USE AS MUCH LEVERAGE AS WE CAN, BUT THEY WE CAN'T PUSH 'EM TOO HARD.
I JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AROUND THAT, THAT THAT'S, AND CITIZENS AUSTIN, WHEN I SAY AUSTIN, I MEAN THE STATE LEGISLATURE SIDED WITH THE DEVELOPERS AND TOOK AWAY THE RIGHTS OF CITIES TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS.
SO A LOT OF THINGS WE REQUEST IS AT THE GOODWILL BETWEEN US AND THE DEVELOPER TO TRY TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UH, SO, UH, I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW, EVEN WHEN THE ZONING IS ALLOWED, WE DO TRY REAL HARD TO MAKE IT THE BEST WE CAN WITHIN REASON.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UH, WE, SO AND THAT'S WHAT MAYOR PRO TEM LOPEZ IS APPOINTED TO.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T SAY WE CAN'T REQUIRE CERTAIN THINGS, BUT WE, WE CAN ASK.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, SO I INTERRUPTED YOU.
SO WE DID RECEIVE TWO LETTERS OF OPPOSITION.
UH, THEY'RE NOT REQUESTING ANY VARIANCES.
AND, UH, P AND Z RECOMMENDED APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF EIGHT TO ZERO.
ARE THEY HERE TONIGHT? THEY DIDN'T TURN A CARD.
UH, WE DON'T LIKE THE LOOKS OF THIS ONE EITHER.
WILL OF FORTUNE WAS JUST, JUST AT TEXAS TRUST.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER? I COURT DALLAS, TEXAS 7 5 2 1 4.
THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE TYPE OF APARTMENTS THAT WE HAVE DELIVERED AROUND THE METROPLEX.
BUT WHAT CAN YOU, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER? IT'S CONSISTENT WITH APARTMENTS IN THE SAME ZONING THAT AROUND US.
THIS IS THE PRODUCT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING AND PRESENT TODAY.
UH, CAN I ADD ONE MORE ITEM? YOU CAN.
I JUST, UH, UH, WE'RE TIRED OF APARTMENTS.
WE'RE REALLY TIRED OF NOT GOOD LOOKING APARTMENTS.
ONE OF THE ASPECTS THAT WE STRIVE FOR, UH, WITH THE APARTMENTS THAT WE'RE DELIVERING IS TRYING TO BRING THEM IN A LITTLE BIT MORE COST EFFECTIVE THAN SOME OF THE OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE OUT THERE BUILDING.
THIS IS BUILT TO BE ATTAINABLE.
IT'S NOT, UH, AFFORDABLE PER SE, WHERE IT'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF THE A MI, BUT WE DO COME IN AT A CHEAPER PRICE POINT FOR BRAND NEW APARTMENTS THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS.
BUT LORI, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT SO MANY APARTMENTS IN TOWN ALREADY THAT ARE AT A REDUCED PRICE POINT.
PRICE POINT BECAUSE OF THEIR AGE.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST GETTING REALLY TIRED OF APARTMENTS AND WE'RE REALLY TIRED OF APARTMENTS THAT DON'T LOOK GOOD.
UH, AND I KNOW OUR, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF LEVERAGE, SO LET'S BE BLUNT.
UH, BUT WE, I THINK I SPEAK FOR THE COUNCIL.
[01:10:01]
THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD.AND, UH, WHAT YOU'RE KIND OF SAYING IS THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE WANTING TO BRING US.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE A CORPORATE MAN.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE MONEY.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT BOY, I SURE DON'T LIKE IT.
UM, AND, UM, JACQUELINE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT LEVERAGE WE HAVE, BUT I, WE MAY WANT TO TABLE THIS AND JUST MEET WITH 'EM AGAIN.
UH, I DON'T EVEN LIKE THE COLORS.
UM, THE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HEAD, YOU HAVE YOUR LIGHT ON.
DO YOU WANNA SPEAK? AND THEN COUNCILMAN NU HAS HIS OR DO YOU WANNA WAIT UNTIL COUNCIL MEMBER? NU YOU GO AHEAD FIRST.
UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE TONIGHT, SIR.
UH, I HAVE A REALLY INTERESTING QUESTION.
YOU SAID THAT THIS IS ATTAINABLE HOUSING.
WHAT IS THE PRICE PER SQUARE FOOT FOR RENT ON AVERAGE, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY.
UH, WE WILL BE FOR, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE ONE BEDROOM.
UH, WE WILL BE A DOLLAR 70 TO A DOLLAR 85.
WHAT'S THE GOING RATE NOW? UH, FOR MOST PEOPLE BUILDING THE, THE PRO OR THE GROUP THAT CAME BEFORE US, I WOULD EXPECT THEM TO BE $2 A SQUARE FOOT ON WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING.
WE'D LET YOU CHARGE $2 IF YOU MAKE IT LOOK BETTER.
IF, IF YOU THINK OF THE PYRAMID OF RENTERS, RIGHT? IF YOU GO TO THE CLASS A PLUS, IT'S A SMALLER PART OF THE PYRAMID.
WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, I UNDERSTAND BE RECEPTIVE TO A LARGER PART OF THAT PYRAMID.
BUT, UM, WE JUST GOT PLENTY OF APARTMENTS THAT DON'T LOOK GOOD TO BE BLUNT.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE TIRED OF APPROVING THEM.
UH, AND UH, BOY, I WISH THERE WAS SOMETHING WE COULD DO.
COUNCIL UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HEDEN.
UM, SO THIS, UM, IS RIGHT OFF THE NEW DECKMAN EXIT.
I'M SURE YOU'RE FAMILIAR RIGHT OFF OUR WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY.
IT'S A VERY NICE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE THERE ARE REALLY GETTING SLAMMED PRETTY HARD WITH THE APARTMENTS.
UM, THERE ARE APARTMENTS WHICH WOULD BE NEXT DOOR TO THIS THAT ARE ATTAINABLE.
AND THEN THERE'S A NEW ON THE OTHER CORNER, A NEW SET OF APARTMENTS.
AND THIS IS RIGHT OFF THE HIGHWAY.
SO I KNOW OUR FUTURE LAND USE MAP, UM, AND THIS IS NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR FLU, UH, REQUEST MIXED USE.
HAVE YOU GUYS CONSIDERED THAT? YEAH.
SO THE REQUEST FOR AMENDING THE PLUM THAT WAS IDENTIFIED TO US BY STAFF, UH, THE WAY THE ZONING IS SET UP ON THE PROPERTY GOING FROM WESTCLIFF TO BELTLINE, THERE IS MULTIFAMILY ON HALF OF IT AND COMMERCIAL ON HALF OF IT.
SO IT IS ALREADY SET UP TO BE A HORIZONTAL MIXED USE, UH, BLOCK, MAJOR BLOCK, I GUESS IF WE WANNA CALL IT THAT.
UH, SO TO I, I'M NOT SURE WHY IT REQUIRES A MODIFICATION TO THE FLUME OUTSIDE OF, ITS ONLY MULTIFAMILY BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S PART OF A LARGER AREA THAT HAS BOTH COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY.
AND YOU'RE NOT INFRINGING ON THE PART THAT'S COMMERCIAL.
SAVANNAH, UM, YOU ANSWER HIS QUESTION.
SO IT, THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS FOR MULTIFAMILY AND THAT'S HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.
AND SO IT IS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THAT FUTURE LAND USE MAP DESIGNATION.
BUT THE, AS WE'VE FOUND OUT BEFORE, THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP REALLY DOESN'T GIVE US THE RIGHT TO DENY CORRECT PERIOD BASED ON THE EXISTING AS AN INDIVIDUAL USE.
IT'S NOT MIXED USE, BUT I HAVE HEARD STAFF IDENTIFY BEFORE THAT MIXED USE COMES IN HORIZONTAL MIXED USE.
AND IT'S A, THE FIRST BUILDING, IT DOESN'T PRESENT MIXED USE WHEN THE COMMERCIAL PORTION IS DEVELOPED OUT, THEN THERE WILL BE MIXED USE WITHIN THE BLOCK THAT'S DESIGNATED FOR MIXED USE.
WELL, UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN DISTRICT TWO.
A LOT OF REALLY EXPENSIVE, REALLY EXCITING PROJECTS.
AND I WOULD SUGGEST IF YOU'RE INTERESTED TO MEET WITH ME, THIS COULD BE A, A REALLY NICE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING MORE CREATIVE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE A PAINTER, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN USE EV GIVE SOMEONE THE SAME PAINTS, DO SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
SO I WOULD LOVE JUST TO PICK YOUR BRAIN, YOUR TEAM ABOUT REVISIONING THIS.
IT'S RIGHT OFF THE HIGHWAY IN AN AREA A DISTRICT WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY IN.
SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO LOOK LESS BASIC.
UM, THERE ARE MAYBE OTHER PLACES SOMETHING SO SIMPLE AS THIS MIGHT REALLY BE GREAT, BUT THIS IS RIGHT OFF THE HIGHWAY IN AN AREA WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING OFF TO, YOU KNOW, SEE SOME COOL ATTRACTIONS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE AVAILABLE, I, I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO TALK ABOUT THE OPTIONS
[01:15:01]
HERE.UM, IN LIGHT OF ALL OF OUR DISCUSSIONS, IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO CONTACT YOU IN THE PORTAL THROUGH THE WEBSITE AND CALLING THE CITY SECRETARY? OH YEAH, I TRIED THOSE OPTIONS.
UM, WELL I'M INVITING YOU TO A MEETING, SO SHOULD YOU ACCEPT YES, THEN WE'LL GET IT SCHEDULED.
I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO TABLE THEN.
UM, MOTIONING TO TABLE ITEM 71 AND 72, WE HAVE MOTION.
COUNCIL MEMBER DOESN'T, IT MAY NOT TAKE MUCH TO SPRUCE IT UP A LITTLE IN AND OUT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BREAK THE BANK.
74, WE'RE NOT TAKING ANY ACTION ON 73.
[74. ZON-23-10-0038 - PD Amendment/Concept Plan - Ascend at Forum (City Council District 2). Zoning Change from PD-442 for Single Family Residential Uses to a Planned Development District for Single Family Residential and a Concept Plan depicting 165 single family units on 65.67 acres of land. Multiple parcels located within the Charles D. Ball Survey, Abstracts 197 and 1699, City of Grand Prairie, Tarrant and Dallas Counties, Texas, zoned Planned Development (PD-442) for Single Family Residential and Multi-Family Uses, within the I-20 Corridor Overlay District with an approximate address of 2300 S Forum Dr (On November 13, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval by a vote of 8-0)]
ALRIGHT.ITEM 74 IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE ASCENDANT FORUM.
PD UH, REALLY WHAT THEY'RE WANTING TO DO IS TWO THINGS.
THEY'RE WANTING TO CHANGE THE FRONT YARD SETBACK AND THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE LOT COVERAGE.
UM, THEY WERE WORKING THROUGH ENGINEERING AND, UM, BASED ON CONSTRUCTING A LARGER HOME, NEEDED SOME OF THESE, SO THIS IS KIND OF WHAT IS THERE NOW.
THEY'RE PROPOSING TO REDUCE THE FRONT YARD SETBACK AND THEN TO INCREASE THE MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE AREA.
SO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF HOUSE PER LOT.
UM, SO THE FRONT SETBACK, THEY'RE REQUESTING 20 FEET, UH, AND THEN THEY'RE REQUESTING TO EX, UH, CHANGE THE MAXIMUM LOT COVERAGE TO 55%.
SO ARE THESE, ARE THESE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES? YES, SIR.
THEY'RE NOT REQUESTING A DI A SIZE OF THE HOME ITSELF, IT'S JUST THE SET NEXT.
THESE ARE CHANGES TO WHERE THAT LARGER HOME CAN SIT ON THE LOT AND HOW LARGE IT CAN BE ON THE LOT.
TO ACCOMMODATE A, A LARGER HOME, ESSENTIALLY.
ON NOVEMBER 13TH, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF EIGHT TO ZERO COUNCIL MEMBER HEDON.
THIS WAS, UM, ONE OF THE ITEMS I NEGOTIATED WITH, UH, DR. HORTON.
AND I SEE WHY THEY WANT THIS, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I REQUESTED WAS NOT SO MANY OF THESE 1800 SQUARE FOOT HOMES.
SO WE WORKED TO GET THE PERCENTAGES.
WE HAVE THREE CATEGORIES, UH, OF SIZES, AND THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE 3000 PLUS SQUARE FOOTAGE.
SO NOW WE HAVE THE 3000, THE 3,500.
UM, SO I, I GUESS THEY WANNA TRY TO SQUEEZE AS MUCH AS THEY CAN, WHICH TO ME, IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THE CONCESSIONS THEY MADE, UH, SEEMS REASONABLE.
I DID TALK RASHAD, UM, ABOUT IF, IF THIS, ANY OF THIS SEEMED TO BRING ANY ALARMS TO YOU GUYS.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING WITH SMALL LOTS NOW.
AND I THINK IT'S MORE ABOUT THE LIVING SPACE.
UM, BECAUSE REALLY FOR HOW MANY UNITS, THEY'RE DOING A WHOLE BUNCH OF 1600 TO 800 SQUARE FOOT HOME.
SO, UM, IS THERE A, IS THERE A SPEAKER FOR THIS? YES.
UH, DANNY MCCAMISH IS AVAILABLE IF QUESTIONS.
UH, WE DID YOU NEED TO SAY SOMETHING? YEAH, I, WELL, I'M JUST AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
DANNY CAM, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE READY.
UH, I'M THE CIVIL ENGINEER ON THE PROJECT AND, UH, I CAN SPEAK MORE TO THE REASON FOR THE, UH, PD AMENDMENT.
AND IT REALLY IS SPECIFICALLY, IT'S, IT'S NOT FOR THE, UH, TO CHANGE THE HOME SIZES PER SE.
IT'S TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE HOME SIZES THAT WERE ARE, LIKE SHE SAID, REQUESTED AND REQUIRED IN THE PD.
UH, AND JUST THROUGH THE COURSE OF DESIGN IS REALLY WHAT THE, UM, WHAT'S PROMPT.
DON'T, DON'T TALK US OUT OF IT.
THERE'S WALLS AND, UH, WALLS THAT NEED TO BE ACCOMMODATED.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO MAKE A MOTION.
UM, YEAH, I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.
NOW YOU, UH, DURING MY LAST MEETING, UH, WITH YOUR TEAM, THEY SHOWED ME SOME DIFFERENT, A TOTALLY DIFFERENT STYLE.
UM, DEPUTY MAYOR, PORT TIM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER, BUT IT WAS ANOTHER VERY UNATTRACTIVE PROPERTY AND WE MET WITH THEM.
THEY LOOK GREAT, BUT I DON'T SEE THAT HERE.
UM, SO I GUESS THEY'LL HAVE TO COME BACK WITH A SITE PLAN AND AT THAT, NO.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, I KNOW YOU'RE THE ENGINEER AND NOT NECESSARILY THE ARCHITECT, BUT THEY'RE GONNA HONOR THE DESIGN CHANGES WE DISCUSSED.
I KNOW YOU'RE PUT IT IN YOUR MOTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION FOR ITEM 70.
[01:20:01]
UH, 74 4.UH, TO APPROVE THIS, UH, PD CONCEPT PLAN, UH, WITH THE STIPULATION THAT THE HOME DESIGNS ARE IN ACCORDANCE TO THE CHANGES WE NEGOTIATED, UM, OUTSIDE OF COUNSEL, WE, WE HAD A ZOOM MEETING OR SOMETHING THAT THOSE CHANGES ARE HONORED AS FAR AS THE LOOK OF THESE HOMES AND YEAH, I I WASN'T AT THAT MEETING, RIGHT.
SHE SAYS, AND DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM CLEMSON WAS ON THE ZOOM.
BUT SHE NOTED HOW UGLY ROUND ONE WAS.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
[75. TAM-23-09-0010 - Text Amendment - Article 9: Sign Standards. An Ordinance of the City of Grand Prairie, Texas, Amending Article 9: Sign Standards of the Unified Development Code by increasing the allowable area for Electronic Message Board or Message Center on a SingleTenant Monument permitted under Section 9.8.3; Repealing all Ordinances or parts of Ordinances in conflict herewith; Containing a savings clause and a severability clause; and to become effective upon its passage and approval (On November 13, 2023, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval by a vote of 8-0)]
75, THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.ALRIGHT, THIS NEXT ITEM IS A TEXT AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE NINE SIGN STANDARDS.
ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT'S DOING IS REMOVING THE, UH, LIMIT OF PROPORTIONS FOR THE EMC ELECTRONIC MONITORING SENATOR.
UM, SO RIGHT NOW WE SAY IT CANNOT EXCEED 35%.
WE'RE REMOVING THAT, UH, THIS IS MORE IN LINE WITH INDUSTRY STANDARDS.
UM, SO ON NOVEMBER 13TH, THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL BY A VOTE OF EIGHT TO ZERO.
COUNCIL MEMBER DEBOSKY, YOU WANNA MAKE THIS MOTION? YES.
JOHN, DO YOU WANNA GO AHEAD? YES.
UH, AS FAR AS INDUSTRY STANDARD, I THINK MORE GOING TO THIS METHOD.
AND THAT BEING SAID, I'D LIKE TO MAKE THE, UH, MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM 75 T EIGHT M DASH 23 DASH ZERO NINE DASH 0 0 1 0.
WE HAVE A SECOND BY COUNCILMAN ADAMS. APPRECIATE THE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
LOOKING AT THIS BEFOREHAND, WE HAVE A MOTION.
[CITIZEN COMMENTS ]
CITIZEN COMMENTS.NOW FOLKS, WHEN IT GETS TO CITIZEN COMMENTS, I CAN'T CHAT BACK AND FORTH WITH YOU.
WE COULD TALK TO YOU AFTERWARDS, BUT WE'RE NOT OPEN TO TALKING 'CAUSE IT MAY INFRINGE UPON A FUTURE MEETING THAT HASN'T BEEN POSTED AND IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.
SO YOU CAN SPEAK YOUR FIVE MINUTES, BUT WE WILL NOT INTERACT WITH YOU.
BOB PARKER, 1801 WELLINGTON DRIVE, ALMOST TO THE HOUR.
ONE WEEK AGO, I HAD A TUMULTUOUS SITUATION AT THE RESIDENCE AND I WAS SMART ENOUGH TO CALL UPON THE ASSISTANCE OF THE GRAND PARADE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MY HAT IS OFF TO THOSE FOLKS.
WE CAN ALL BE REAL PROUD OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I AM THE NICEST GUY IN THE WORLD, BUT WHEN MY SWITCH GETS TRIPPED, I CAN GET UGLY.
BUT DUE TO THEIR HANDLING OF THE SITUATION, THEIR PROFESSIONALISM, I DECIDED LAST THURSDAY THAT I WAS GONNA MAKE THIS APPEARANCE HERE THIS EVENING.
AND I THINK IT'S EVEN MORE IMPORTANT NOW, GIVEN SOME PARAMOUNT OCCURRENCES, EVEN MORE RECENT.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE GRAND PRAIRIE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY HANDLED THE SITUATION, HANDLED IT WELL.
I CAN'T GIVE YOU BADGE NUMBERS OR ANYTHING.
ONE NAME THAT STICKS IN MY MIND, HE GOES BY JJ.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
UH, ROBERT JOHNSON, WELCOME BACK.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, UH, I'M ROBERT JOHNSON.
AND I, I JUST THANK GOD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP AND BE ABLE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF COMMUNITY, STEP IN.
AND GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN, WE WERE INFORMED THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT WE COULD RECEIVE, UH, THE FUNDS FOR, UH, WELL CAROL COULD RECEIVE OF THE 15,000 AND IT GAVE HOPE.
[01:25:01]
IN ACCORDANCE TO, WELL, THEY TOLD ME I WAS GONNA BE DEAD JUNE 18TH BECAUSE OF CANCER, BUT I'M STILL HERESO
NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE, BUT FOR SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY, THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS TO HELP WITH THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT WE HAVE AS A SOCIETY IS A MAJOR EVENT.
IT IS A MAJOR SITUATION WHERE IT'S PREVALENT IN TODAY'S TIME BECAUSE SO MANY FAMILIES SUFFER FROM MENTAL HEALTH.
WHETHER YOU'RE MARRIED, WHETHER YOU'RE SINGLE.
SOMEBODY IN THE FAMILY IS STRUGGLING WITH THAT ISSUE.
AND TO BE EDUCATED IN THAT PERSPECTIVE IS CRITICAL, ESPECIALLY NOW BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHERE TO TURN.
BUT TO GO AND BE ABLE TO GET CERTIFIED, GET SOME KNOWLEDGE OF THAT, WE NEED THAT.
AND THAT'S WHAT CAROL IS DOING IN COMMUNITY STEP IN.
SHE'S ACTUALLY EDUCATING PEOPLE, NOT JUST HERE IN THE GRAND PRAIRIE AREA, BUT SO MANY OTHER PLACES ARE COMING IN TO GET IT.
BUT I'M JUST THANKFUL THAT SHE'S HERE DOING IT IN A CITY THAT'S GROWING AND BLOSSOMING.
SO I SAW THAT IT WAS WRITTEN IN REGARDS TO IT ON THE STAFF PRESENTATION.
AND THEN IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE, THE THINGS WHERE I LOOKED AT ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
I WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN THAT.
SO I'M ASKING THAT IF YOU WOULD PLEASE, PLEASE RECONSIDER THAT AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE COMMUNITY, JUST LIKE SHE'S DOING.
SHE'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE WHETHER IT WAS THERE OR NOT.
SHE'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR QUITE SOME WHILE.
SO I THINK IT'S TIME FOR HER TO GET THAT HELP.
AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S TIME.
I HAVE TO ALWAYS TAKE A DEEP BREATH, Y'ALL, BECAUSE I DO SUFFER FROM ANXIETY.
I HAVE TO GO TO THE DOCTOR EARLY THIS MORNING TO GET MYSELF CHECKED OUT BECAUSE LIKE ROBERT SAYS, I TRY TO HAVE BOOTS DOWN.
UM, JUST NOT IN GRAND PRAIRIE, BUT ALL OVER JUST PUSHING MENTAL HEALTH THROUGH THE FACT THAT OF MY OWN MENTAL HEALTH AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
AND SO IT DID GIVE ME HOPE TO SEE, UH, THAT WE WERE ON THE AGENDA.
IT DID, IT DOES GIVE A LITTLE HOPE.
UM, I'M JUST DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE AFTER I LEFT THE HOSPITAL AND WAS DISCHARGED, I OPENED UP MY MAIL AND I NOTICED THAT, UM, MY, UM, RENT WAS GOING UP ABOUT A THOUSAND SOMETHING DOLLARS.
UH, MY SON, CLAYTON, THANK GOD THAT HE'S ALIVE.
AND WE'RE STEADY JUST GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT HE GETS HIS, UM, UH, VETERAN BENEFITS BEING THAT HE DID SERVE.
SO HE'S BEEN HELPING ME WITH COMMUNITY STEP IN.
WE'RE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO.
SO I DID GO TO THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT 'CAUSE I AM GETTING ASSISTANCE WITH THERE.
I JUST SIMPLY NEEDED TO ASK WHY DID MY RENT GO UP? WELL, I MET ESTHER COLEMAN, I NEVER MET HER BEFORE.
I DID SEE HER ABOUT A COUPLE, UH, YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS TRYING TO APPLY FOR THE HOUSING GRANT.
AND SHE TOLD ME THAT I COULD NOT QUALIFY.
I COULD NOT APPLY FOR THE GRANT.
YES, GRAND PRAIRIE DO HAVE GOOD POLICE OFFICERS.
THERE'S SOME GOOD POLICE OFFICERS HERE.
CHIEF SNY IS RIGHT OVER THERE.
I MEAN, HE'S ONE OF THE GREATEST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY HE'S CHIEF.
UM, THEY, THEY CAME, THE OFFICER KNEW WHO I WAS.
AND SO WHAT I SAW WAS HOW I SOMETIME RESPONDED TO PEOPLE.
YOU GET OUTTA HERE, SHE GOES, YOUR RENT WENT UP BECAUSE YOUR SON IS WORKING.
AND SO I'M GOING THROUGH IT, NEEDING TO GO HOME TO GET MY MEDICINE BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO FEEL BETTER.
SHE APPROACHED ME IN A VIOLENT, AGGRESSIVE WAY.
SO WHEN I SAW HER HERE, UM, EARLIER TODAY, I WAS KIND OF LIKE FEELING BETTER BECAUSE I'M THINKING, WELL, MAYBE SHE'S GOING THROUGH SOME THINGS.
WHAT BETTER PERSON CAN IDENTIFY? WE HAVE ONE OF THE GREATEST
[01:30:01]
INSTRUCTORS.I'M USUALLY THERE AT EVERY TRAINING JUST TO SIT IN.
SO I I I FIGURED OUT THAT MAYBE SHE WAS HAVING A MENTAL CRISIS, OKAY.
BUT HER AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, ENDOWING 9 1 1, I'M NOT A CRIMINAL.
SHE TOLD ME, I'VE HEARD ALL ABOUT YOU.
I KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU AND I KNOW ALL ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.
I'M LIKE, I'M NOT TRYING TO ARGUE WITH YOU.
WE'VE GOT TO RESPECT EACH OTHER.
I'VE NEVER HAD A FIGHT BEFORE IN MY LIFE.
AND SO I JUST WANNA BE RESPECTED AND I WANNA GET RESPECT TO OTHER PEOPLE, YOU KNOW? AND SO THE THREATS THAT SHE MADE, I SAID, I'M ONLY GONNA GO AND TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER.
SHE'S LIKE, YOU, UH, CANNOT COME IN HERE ANYMORE, MA'AM, THIS IS A PUBLIC PLACE.
UM, I DO A LOT OF INVESTIGATION WORK.
I GO IN AND OUT OF JAILS, ALSO DEALING WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH MENTAL HEALTH.
SO I SOMEWHAT KNOW ABOUT THE LAW.
I DON'T WANNA GET INTO IT WITH ESTHER.
I DON'T WANT TO HAVE ENEMIES MADE, YOU KNOW? AND SO SHE TELLS ME, WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO TALK TO THE CITY MANAGER, UM, WELL, I I DOUBT IT VERY SERIOUSLY.
AND I'M THINKING TO MYSELF, MA'AM, WHY ARE YOU BEING UNPROFESSIONAL? SO, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING HERE, TO SAY THIS, WE'VE GOT TO LOVE MORE.
WE'VE GOT TO RESPECT EACH OTHER.
WE'RE LIVING IN THE CITY OF GRAND PRAIRIE.
I WAS RAISED UP HERE IN THIS CITY, MY NON-PROFIT.
AND THE BEST WORK THAT WE DO FOR MENTAL HEALTH IS RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF GRAND PRIX, IN THE DALWORTH COMMUNITY AT THE RECREATION CENTER.
AND WE'VE GOT, THIS IS ALL TEAMWORK.
TEAMWORK, MAKE THE DREAM WORK AND MENTAL HEALTH DOES MATTER.
AND I WANNA SAY THAT I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALL, AND THERE'S NOTHING THAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT.
OH, HOW'S EVERYBODY DOING TONIGHT? UM, IT'S, UH, WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT, UM, I'M GIVING MY FIRST, UH, PRESENTATION TO CITY HALL.
BUT MY EXPERIENCE IS TODAY THE, UM, AT HOUSING.
UM, IT WAS, IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
UH, LEMME TELL YOU, I WAS IN FEAR OF DANGER, UM, FROM ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES OF GRAND PER, UM, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THIS SITUATION.
I HAD TO STOP, UH, MISS ESTHER, UM, FROM ATTACKING MY MOTHER.
UM, I'M SOMEBODY THAT REALLY SUFFERS FROM MENTAL HEALTH.
UM, I'M, I'M DEAF, UH, PARTIALLY DEAF.
AND, UM, IT WAS JUST A, IT WAS A LOT.
UM, I AM SORRY FOR, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS IS, IT'S, IT IS REALLY TRAUMATIC FOR ME.
I I'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT DEALING, DEALING WITH MY MENTAL HEALTH AND, UM, JUST TRYING TO RECOVER, UM, FROM MYRES.
AND, UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR, FOR, FOR LISTENING TO ME, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU.
I WANNA START OUT THE MEETING BY ACKNOWLEDGING THE ACTIONS OF ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON AND THE ACTIONS OF THE REPUBLICANS ON THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT.
TEXAS HAS BEEN SCORNED NOT ONLY THROUGHOUT TEXAS, BUT THROUGHOUT THE NATION, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
TO TELL A WOMAN WHAT SHE CAN AND CANNOT DO TO HER BODY IS BEYOND DISGUSTING.
THE WOMEN IN GRAND PRIX, TEXAS, YOUR LIFE IS AT RISK FROM YOUR HEALTHCARE BECAUSE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN TEXAS.
I AM HOPING THAT THE WOMEN AND THE MOVIE TORA TORA TORAH AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE MOVIE, ADMIRAL YAMAMOTO SAID, OUR ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR HAS BROUGHT THE AWAKENING OF THIS GIANT, OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE ATTACK ON WOMEN WILL BRING THEM OUT TO THE POLLS NEXT YEAR AS NEVER SEEN
[01:35:01]
BEFORE IN THIS COUNTRY.I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, THEY PUBLISHED MY COMMENTS, THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE ON NOVEMBER 24TH ROUND, A COLUMN OF YOU WANNA GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS, WANT TO GET TO GO YOUR CITY, GO TO A CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, HAROLD R. WILLIS, GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS.
SO CHECK IT OUT AS YOU WOULD LOOK AND SEE MY COMMENTS IN THE NEW YORK TIMES THAT HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED.
NOW I WANT TO GET TO SPECTRUM.
CAME UP HERE LAST MONTH, SPECTRUM LEFT A LIVE ELECTRICAL LINE FOR SEVEN DAYS ON THE GROUND.
I HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE CITY THAT THIS WAS CORRECTED.
THE ELECTRICAL LINE WAS CORRECTED.
HOWEVER, THESE THREE GREEN BOXES ON NEWBERRY ARE THE SAME.
THEY WERE ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10TH.
I HAVE PICTURES OF THE LOCKS ON THE GROUND THAT WERE THERE ON NOVEMBER 10TH.
THERE WERE FOUR ORANGE CONES THAT SAID CHARTER COMMUNICATIONS.
SOMEBODY'S TAKEN THREE OF THEM ONLY ONCE LEFT.
NOW YOU CAN OPEN UP THESE BOXES, YOU CAN SEE THE LOCKS.
THERE'S NO MARKINGS ON THESE BOXES IN CASE OF EMERGENCY CALL GHOSTBUSTERS, THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
AT AND T HAS THEIR EQUIPMENT MARKED ON CAR, HAS THEIR EQUIPMENT MARKED ENERGY TRANSFER PARTNERS HAS THEIR EQUIPMENT MARKED WITH 49 UNITED STATES CODE.
WHY IS SPECTRUM ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS? SPECTRUM IS ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS BECAUSE WHEN RICK PERRY WAS GOVERNOR, THEY TOOK AWAY OVERSIGHT THROUGH THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION.
WE NOW RELY UPON THE MIRACLES OF THE MARKETPLACE AND FREE MARKET INITIATIVES.
SPECTRUM IS A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR TAX-FREE CORPORATION.
THEY DON'T PAY TAXES LIKE ATMOS DOESN'T PAY TAXES.
THEY'RE OUT THERE ACROSS FROM SALLY MOORE ELEMENTARY.
YOU'LL SEE THE SPECTRUM BOXES THAT ARE OPEN WITH ORANGE WIRE STICKING OUT.
YOU GO DOWN CARRIER PARKWAY, ACROSS SOME QUICKTRIP, YOU'LL SEE SOME OF THE SPECTRUM EQUIPMENT THAT'S JUST GOT A ROPE AROUND IT AND IT'S OPEN.
THEY'RE KIDS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA DO THOSE TYPES OF THINGS TO DO THIS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM SALLY MOORE FOR THE LEGACY OF SALLY MOORE.
NO, WHAT I'M ASKING IS THAT CODE ENFORCEMENT, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY HIGH GRASS RIGHT NOW.
GRAND PRAIRIE WILL BE THE FIRST CITY IN TEXAS AND POSSIBLY THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA TO FORCE SPECTRUM TO IDENTIFY EVERY BOX THAT THEY HAVE.
WHO DOES IT BELONG TO? THERE'S QUITE A FEW OF THESE OUT HERE THAT'S NOT ASKING MUCH CASE OF EMERGENCY CALL FOR POLICE OR FOR FIRE.
WHAT ARE OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WITH SPECTRUM? I APPRECIATE NOREEN SENT ME THE CONTACT FROM SPECTRUM, BUT I'VE CALLED, I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANYTHING BACK FROM THEM.
BUT THIS IS WHAT AUSTIN HAS DONE.
AUSTIN HAS TAKEN AWAY THE POWER OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
AND WHO KNOWS THOSE LIVE WIRES IN THAT EQUIPMENT.
THE FACT THAT THEY'RE NOT MARKED.
THIS IS ALSO BEAUTIFYING THE CITY OF GRAND PRI.
THAT WAS ONE OF RUTHIE JACKSON'S BIG ISSUES.
WE CAN MAKE SPECTRUM LEVEL OUT THESE BOXES.
PAINT THEM, PUT 1-800-NUMBERS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY.
HERE'S THE BOX TO CALL FOR THE NINE ONE ONE DISPATCHERS WHEN THERE IS A SITUATION.
AND THERE WILL BE MORE SITUATIONS BECAUSE THIS IS THE MIRACLES OF THE MARKETPLACE.
WE DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CONSUMER, WE CARE ABOUT OUR PROFITS.
AND I EXPECT GRAND PRIX TO STAND UP TO THESE FOLKS.
IT ALSO, AT THE POST OFFICE ON CARRIER AT AND T HAS A BOX OF WIRES JUST STICKING OUT.
ARE THOSE LIVE WIRES? WHAT ARE THEY? SO WE DON'T HAVE OVERSIGHT FROM THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE THIS AND HANDLE IT OURSELF.
AND I WILL WORK WITH CODE ENFORCEMENT.
WE'LL GO AROUND AND DO A ROAD TRIP AND TAKE PICTURES OF EVERY BOX FROM SPECTRUM AND HOLD SPECTRUM ACCOUNTABLE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IN GRAND PRAIRIE.
UM, I'VE COME TO YOU BECAUSE I HAVE SOME ISSUES GOING ON.
MOST OF Y'ALL KNOW ME AS THE DANCE TEACHER AT THE EPIC, BUT SOME OF Y'ALL KNOW ME AS FEEDING THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SOME OF IT, SOME OF Y'ALL KNOW ME AS THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE FIRST BLACK MILLIONAIRE IN TEXAS WHO ALSO RESIDED IN DOWER AND HELPED BUILD THE DALWORTH COMMUNITY.
SO I COME HERE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN FIGHTING AND SILENCE, TRYING TO GET MY INHERITANCE AND IT'S BEEN A UPHILL BATTLE AND A STRUGGLE WITH MY FAMILY.
AND THEN I GOT PHONE CALLS FOR THE LAST TWO OR THREE DAYS.
THEY'RE BUILDING ON YOUR FARM.
THEY'RE BUILDING ON YOUR FARM.
[01:40:01]
ME AT 7 0 1 SOUTHWEST 14TH STREET.AS FAR AS I KNOW, I STILL OWN THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM OF THAT LAND WHEN I JUST WANTED TO SEE DOCUMENTS' PROVEN THAT IT'S NO LONGER OURS.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE I'VE BEEN HAVING.
I'VE GONE TO THE BOARD, UM, WITH PARKS AND REC THREE TIMES ABOUT TRYING TO TRANSFER MY GRANDFATHER'S NAME ON THE DOWARD FRACK.
AND THE REASON WHY I REQUESTED IT WAS BECAUSE SHOCK WELL SERVED ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND DID A GREAT JOB, DID A LOT OF THINGS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
CHARLIE TAYLOR, WHO LIVED ON 17TH STREET, ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE FARM, A HALL OF FAMER.
BUT I DON'T WANT NO ONE TO FORGET THE PIONEER, THE PERSON THAT ACTUALLY BUILT THE COMMUNITY.
IT STARTED OFF WITH 199 ACRES, THEN AN EASEMENT.
IT WAS 177 PLUS WE HAD 25 RENT HOUSES.
AND THE REASON WHY I WAS INSPIRED TO START DAVE LEGACY IS BECAUSE MY GRANDFATHER FED THE WHOLE COMMUNITY ONCE A YEAR.
THEY BAPTIZED ON HIS LAND, HIS NAME.
HE ALSO HELPED BUILT SOME CHURCHES.
AND I WAS LIKE, WOW, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL TO PUT HIS NAME.
BUT IT NEVER REACHES THE COUNCIL.
AND THE REASON WHY I DO WHAT I DO WITH THE CHILDREN, I DON'T WANT THEM TO EVER FEEL LESS THAN ZERO.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU SIT HERE IN THE CITY AND WE ARE HERE FIVE GENERATIONS AND YOU SEE YOURSELF GETTING ERASED EVERY DAY LIKE YOU NEVER EXISTED.
AND I JUST WANT MY GRANDFATHER'S NAME TO BE UPHELD AND I KNOW Y'ALL DO THE RIGHT THING.
ANITA HARRIS, THANK YOU AGAIN.
ANITA HARRIS, 24 59 BEACH VIEW DRIVE, GRAND PRAIRIE, TEXAS.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, SAY, UH, TO THE COUNCIL THAT WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF, UM, MULTI LIVING HOUSING, BUILDINGS, APARTMENTS, AND GRAND PRAIRIE.
BUT THERE ALSO IS AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF LIQUOR STORES, VAPING STORES THAT I'M HOPING THAT THE COUNCIL IS TAKING CLOSE ATTENTION TO BECAUSE JUST FROM SOUTH, UM, SOUTHWEST GREAT, UH, GREAT SOUTHWEST PARKWAY, UP TO, UM, GRAND PENINSULA, THE OR TO DRAFTS, WHICH IS THAT ENGLAND AND LAKERIDGE, THERE ARE SIX LIQUOR STORES.
I DID NOT KNOW THAT THE PENINSULA HAD A PROBLEM WITH ALCOHOLISM.
BUT ACCORDING TO JUST THAT DRIVE, THERE ARE SIX LIQUOR STORES.
IT IS A, IT IS, IT IS HURTING TO KNOW THAT WE HAVE THAT MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I CAN'T COUNT HOW MANY ARE IN GRAND PRAIRIE, BUT I DO KNOW HOW MANY ARE IN THE PENINSULA AND IT IS HEARTBREAKING.
SO I HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL IS TAKING NOTE TO THE NUMBER OF VAPING STORES AND LIQUOR STORES BEING BILLED IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WELL, I WISH I COULD COMMENT ON THAT.
UM, I'LL JUST SAY WE AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, THERE ARE, AS YOU HEARD TONIGHT, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN TAKE ACTIONS ON AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T, UH, I'LL LEAVE IT THERE.
WE HAD A GREAT DAY AT NEW FAMILIAR PARK YESTERDAY, THE NEXT TIME, NEXT MONDAY, THE 18TH.
SAME TIME, 10 O'CLOCK AT TYREE PARK.
THIS IS OUR LAST MEETING UNTIL JANUARY 9TH.
UM, EVERYBODY HAVE A BLESSED HOLIDAYS AND, UH, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
AND WE MEET AT THE, ON THE SECOND AND FOURTH TUESDAY NIGHT IN JANUARY.
WE NORMALLY MEET ON THE FIRST AND THIRD, BUT NONE OF US WANTED TO MEET JANUARY 2ND AFTER STAYING UP ALL DAY.
THE FIRST WATCHING THE FOOTBALL GAMES.
SO, UH, Y'ALL HAVE A BLESSING.
BLESSED HOLIDAY WITH YOUR FAMILIES.
I'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT VAPING AND ALCOHOL.
THE DENTIST OFFICES AND THINGS LIKE THAT WE'RE ADJOURNED.