[00:00:06]
WELL,[Call to Order]
GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THE OCTOBER 10TH, 2023 REGULAR MEETING OF THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL.UH, BEFORE I, BEFORE WE GET STARTED HERE THIS EVENING, UH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A SM A SHORT ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, OUR CITY MANAGER, JUDD REX, IS NOT ABLE TO BE WITH US THIS WEEK.
UH, LATE LAST WEEK, UH, HIS MOTHER, RUTH KNIGHT AND REX PASSED AWAY.
UH, AND SO HE IS WITH HIS FAMILY NOW.
AND SO I JUST WANT HIM TO KNOW FROM THE COUNCIL, FROM THE STAFF, UH, AND, AND FROM THE CITIZENS OF GARLAND, THAT WE SEND THEM OUR MOST SINCERE, UH, CONDOLENCES.
UM, AND, UH, SO HE WILL NOT BE WITH US, UH, THIS WEEK.
SO IT IS THE CUSTOM AND TRADITION OF THIS CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE AN INVOCATION AND RECITAL OF THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF OUR MEETINGS.
UH, YOU ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IF YOU SO CHOOSE.
UH, BUT YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN EITHER OR BOTH.
UH, YOUR DECISION IS STRICTLY A MATTER OF YOUR OWN CHOICE AND WILL NOT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON THE DECISIONS WE MAKE HERE THIS EVENING.
TONIGHT, WE WILL BE LED BY DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM MOORE FROM DISTRICT THREE, SIR
LORD, WE ENTERED INTO YOUR PRESENCE THIS EVENING WITH THE SPIRIT OF THANKFULNESS.
THANK YOU FOR LIFE, HEALTH, AND STRENGTH.
THANK YOU GOD FOR FOOD, CLOTHING, AND SHELTER.
THANK YOU FOR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND RELATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THIS CITY THAT WE ARE ALL BLESSED WITH THE PRIVILEGE OF LIVING.
WE THANK YOU FOR APPOINTING AND ANOINTING THIS LEADERSHIP BODY, THIS MAYOR, THIS CITY COUNCIL TO LEAD, GUIDE AND DIRECTOR, PEOPLE WITH GODLY WISDOM.
AND SO WE ASK YOU NOW, DEAR GOD, TO LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE THROUGH EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD, THROUGH EVERY SCHOOL, BUSINESS, CHURCH, AND BREAK THROUGH EVERY AREA WHERE THERE MAY BE DARKNESS.
LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE IN OUR WORDS, OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR DEEDS.
LET OUR DECISIONS BE FOR THE GOOD OF THE CITY, ITS PEOPLE AND THEIR PROSPERITY.
AND WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, GOD, THAT OUR ACTIONS BE SUCH, THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU THE HONOR, THE GLORY, AND THE PRAISE THAT YOU SO RICHLY DESERVE.
AND WE ASK IT ALL IN THE PRECIOUS, MIGHTY, AND POWERFUL NAME OF JESUS AND ALL OF GOD'S CHILDREN TOGETHER SAID, AMEN.
JOIN ME NOW IN THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
WELL, ONCE AGAIN, UH, GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
UH, IT'S A VERY BUSY NIGHT HERE AT CITY HALL.
WE HAD, UH, WE HAVE OUR MEETING, OF COURSE, WE HAD, OUR YOUTH COUNCIL WAS IN HERE MEETING JUST BEFORE US.
WE HAVE OUR CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING UPSTAIRS.
SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A LOT OF ACTIVITY AT CITY HALL.
[MAYORAL PROCLAMATIONS, RECOGNITIONS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS]
SO IT IS OUR FIRST MEETING OF THE MONTH, AND AT OUR FIRST MEETING OF THE MONTH, WE HAVE OUR PET OF THE MONTH.AND CRYSTAL BRINGS US, BRINGS US SOMEBODY TO MEET
HE IS ABOUT SIX MONTHS OLD AND HE IS AVAILABLE AT THE GARLAND, UH, ANIMAL SHELTER.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO COME STOP BY AND, UH, VISIT WITH US AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN ADOPT OUT ARTO.
WE ARE CLOSED TOMORROW, BUT WE ARE OPEN EVERY OTHER DAY, UM, FROM 11 TO SIX.
AND I'LL MAKE ANYBODY A DEAL RIGHT HERE ON THIS DOG.
ANYBODY WANTS TO GO HOME WITH IT? BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, I'M LIKELY TO.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD PREFER IF YOU DID BECAUSE I'VE GOT ENOUGH DOGS, BUT THANK YOU.
WE'RE GONNA NEED TO TAKE ANOTHER ONE.
WE'LL PLAY, LET'S MAKE A DEAL WITH,
[00:05:01]
UH, LET'S SEE WHAT'S BEHIND DOOR NUMBER TWO.ALRIGHT, NEXT I HAVE A, UH, A RECOGNITION OR A PROCLAMATION FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.
IF I LOST THERE, YOU ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.
AND I HAVE ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS WITH THIS, PLEASE.
THIS IS, UH, FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH, WHEREAS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS INTOLERABLE, UNACCEPTABLE, AND MUST BE STOPPED AND DESERVES CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC ATTENTION.
AND WHEREAS ONE IN THREE TEXANS EXPERIENCES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, WHICH HIGHLIGHTS THE URGENT NEED TO GENERATE CRUCIAL AWARENESS, EMPOWER SURVIVORS, AND PROMOTE PREVENTION MEASURES.
ANYONE, ANYONE CAN BE A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REGARDLESS OF AGE, SEX, ETHNICITY, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, OR RELIGION.
AND WHEREAS IT IS IMPORTANT TO EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE PREVAILING ISSUE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF THE DYNAMICS INVOLVED.
HEIGHTENED AWARENESS ENCOURAGES COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS OF ABUSE AND OFFER SUPPORT TO THOSE IN NEED.
CHILDREN WHO WITNESS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OFTEN GROW UP BELIEVING THAT PHYSICAL CRUELTY IN RELATIONSHIPS IS ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR, AND THUS THEY TEND TO PERPETUATE THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE IN SOCIETY.
AND WHEREAS MANY FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL PROGRAMS ADDRESSING THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROBLEM HAVE ACHIEVED SUCCESS, BRINGING GREATER SAFETY TO FAMILIES, WHILE HOPE'S DOOR NEW BEGINNING CENTER IS THE ONLY DEDICATED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGENCY IN THE CITY OF GARLAND.
MANY ORGANIZATIONS INTERSECT WITH SURVIVORS OF VIOLENCE SUCH AS HOSPITALS, SCHOOLS, AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES.
AND WHEREAS NUMEROUS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND DEPARTMENTS HAVE CREATED SPECIALIZED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE UNITS, UH, TO COOPERATE WITH COMMUNITY ADVOCATES TO ENHANCE SERVICES FOR VICTIMS. AND WHEREAS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CAN LEAVE LASTING SCARS ON SURVIVORS BOTH PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY, THOSE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED ABUSE ARE ENCOURAGED TO SEEK HELP TO AID IN THEIR HEALING AND THEIR JOURNEY.
NOW THEREFORE, I SCOTLAND MAY MAYOR OF THE CITY OF GARLAND, ALONG WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, I DO PROCLAIM OCTOBER AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME WORDS WITH US.
MY NAME IS CHRISTINA COLUS AND I STAND HERE WITH, UM, IMMENSE GRATITUDE IN MY HEART AS WE COME TOGETHER TO COMMEMORATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH.
I'D LIKE TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR, UM, FOR GIVING THIS ONE BRIEF MOMENT IN A VERY BUSY MEETING WHERE THERE'S LOTS OF THINGS TO DISCUSS, BUT IT IS SO POWERFUL FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT THERE'S HELP, THAT THERE IS SUPPORT.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY OF YOU IN THIS ROOM, SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM IN THE CITY OF GARLAND, OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF GARLAND, THAT ARE HERE TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.
I WANNA SINCERELY THANK, UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS LIKE SPRING CREEK CHURCH.
DIANA CAME HERE TONIGHT AND SHE WAS HERE TO STAND UP WITH ME.
BUT MANY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT AREN'T HERE THAT WORK WITH US EVERY DAY, THANK YOU, UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, WE THANK YOU.
YOU ARE OFTEN THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE IN VICTIM'S MOST VULNERABLE MOMENT, AND IT IS OFTEN THE MOST DANGEROUS CALLS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO FOR THOSE LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE ROOM, THANK YOU.
AND THANK YOU TO GARLAND POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 40 YEARS, OFFICIALLY IN THE CITY OF GARLAND.
UM, THANKS TO UM, MANY AMAZING WOMEN AND MEN THAT CAME TOGETHER AND SAW THIS AS AN ISSUE.
I WISH THAT WE WERE NOT STILL HERE, AND THIS ISSUE WAS NOT STILL PRESSING ON US, BUT I THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS TIME AND SPACE TO PROCLAIM THIS, BE ABLE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF AWARENESS TONIGHT.
LOOK AT THIS OFFICIAL SIGNATURE.
PICTURE I, I SEE I'M NOT GOOD WITH THE SELFIE.
AND NEXT UP WE HAVE, UH, COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM.
UH, MR. GILBERT HARON IS ACTUALLY COME FORWARD.
HE IS FEMA'S REGION SIX REPRESENTATIVE.
UH, HE IS WITH US THIS EVENING TO PRESENT THE CITY WITH A PLAQUE RECOGNIZING GARLAND AS A CLASS SIX PARTICIPANT IN THE NATIONAL FLOOD INSURANCE PROGRAM.
UH, AND WE HAD A BRIEFING ON THIS LAST NIGHT, OUR WORK SESSION.
UH, MICHAEL HICK, UH, PRESENTED THE UPDATE TO THE COUNCIL, UH, ON THE CITY'S YEARS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE N F I P.
IN ADDITION, HE BRIEFED THE COUNCIL ON THE
[00:10:01]
EFFORTS OF MR. JAKE FISHERUH, THEY WORK TOGETHER FOR GARLAND'S ACHIEVEMENT OF THE CLASS SIX CERTIFICATION AND TO THE BENEFIT OF THE CITY CITIZENS OF GARLAND WHO RECEIVED FLOOD INSURANCE.
SO, MR. HARRON AND I HAVE, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING.
I, FIRST, I'D LIKE TO SAY IT'S GOOD TO COME HOME.
I GRADUATED NAME OF FOREST, UM, BACK IN 1992.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM IS INCENTIVIZED PROGRAM IN WHICH WE ENCOURAGE COMMUNITIES TO ADOPT HIGHER STANDARDS.
IT PROTECTS THE COMMUNITY FROM THE PER FLOODING, WHICH IS ONE THAT SINGLE MOST DESTRUCTIVE ACTS OF NATURE THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE COUNTRY.
ANOTHER, IT ALSO OFFERS DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE TO THOSE WHO HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE IN THE COMMUNITY OF GARLAND.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 343 POLICIES AND SEAT OF GARLAND EQUALING $97.2 MILLION IN COVERAGE.
SO THOSE ELIGIBLE FLOOD INSURANCE POLICIES NOW CAN BE, BE ELIGIBLE UP TO A 20% DISCOUNT.
SO THIS IS A BENEFIT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO BE MORE RESILIENT, AND IT'S ALSO A BENEFIT FOR THOSE POLICY HOLDERS WHO ARE IN THE JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES OF, OF GARLAND.
SO WITH THE HARD WORK AND DEION FROM THE CITY OF GARLAND, WE PRESENT THIS PLAQUE TO THE CITY AS A, UM, COME ON.
JAKE DID, JAKE DID ALL THE WORK.
ACTUALLY, HE SHOULD BE, HE SHOULD BE ACCEPTING THIS
YOU NEED TO GET THAT, PUT THAT ON YOUR DESK.
A LOT OF VIRTUAL MEETINGS, A LOT OF GOING BACK AND FORTH OF WHERE WE CAN GET MORE POINTS, WHERE WE CAN DO THIS, WHERE WE CAN DO THAT.
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF ITEMS THAT THE CITY WAS ALREADY DOING THAT WE DIDN'T KNOW WE COULD ACTUALLY GET POINTS FOR.
AND OUR C R SS REPRESENTATIVE, I WISH SHE WAS HERE, SHE SHE WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US IN GUIDING US THROUGH THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
BUT IT DID TAKE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, AND JAKE PUT IN COUNTLESS HOURS, UH, DOING THAT.
EXCELLENT JOB WELL DONE FOR JAKE AND, AND THE REST OF THE STAFF, BUT THANK YOU.
CAN THE DOG STILL HERE, IF ANYBODY? ALL RIGHT.
JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UH, WE HAVE ONE ZONING CASE TONIGHT.
UH, AGENDA ITEM SEVEN E AND SEVEN F UH, THAT APPLICANT HAS ASKED FOR A POSTPONEMENT, UH, TO OUR OCTOBER 17TH MEETING.
UH, SO WE WILL NOT BE HEARING THAT CASE.
THAT IS THE MOMENTUM TATTOO CASE.
THAT WILL BE, UH, OCTOBER 17TH.
AND, UH, COUNCIL LADY MORRIS, I BELIEVE YOU HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, PLEASE JOIN ME ON OCTOBER 19TH, WHICH IS A THURSDAY AT 6:00 PM AT THE CHARLES DUCKWORTH BUILDING, UH, RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET HERE, UH, IN THE GOLDILOCK ROOM FOR OUR TOWN HALL FOR DISTRICT TWO.
UM, I KEEP MY TOWN HALLS TO AN HOUR, SO THEY MOVE FAST.
SO YOU AND I BRING COOKIES SO YOU CAN EAT, LISTEN FOR AN HOUR, ASK QUESTIONS, AND THEN YOU GET TO GO HOME AND STILL HAVE THE WHOLE EVENING IN FRONT OF YOU.
AND ONE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I THINK PROBABLY MOST OF THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM ARE AWARE OF, UM, BUT THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14TH, UH, WE ARE REOPENING SQUARE.
WE HAVE A FULL DAY OF ACTIVITIES, I BELIEVE STARTING AT 10 THROUGH PROBABLY 10 THAT NIGHT.
UM, AND WE ARE GONNA HAVE LIVE MUSIC DEMONSTRATIONS OF ALL SORTS, SKATING, FISHING.
I'M NOT EVEN, I CAN'T EVEN KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF IT.
BUT, UH, AND WE'RE GONNA END THE EVENING, UH, WITH A SHOW FROM LEANNE RIMES.
SO YOU ARE ALL WELCOME TO ATTEND.
HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL OUT THERE.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GET STARTED HERE.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
ITEM, UH, ON OUR AGENDA THIS EVENING IS THE CONSENT AGENDA.[00:15:01]
ARE RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL BY A SINGLE MOTION OF COUNSEL WITHOUT DISCUSSION.UH, COUNSEL HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW EACH OF THESE ITEMS AT A PREVIOUS WORK SESSION AND APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AUTHORIZES THE CITY MANAGER TO IMPLEMENT EACH ITEM.
I WILL ANNOUNCE THE AGENDA AND PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE OR THE COUNCIL TO REQUEST THAT AN ITEM BE REMOVED AND CONSIDERED SEPARATELY.
UH, AT THIS POINT, ITEM FOUR HAS BEEN REMOVED AND WILL BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY.
UH, LET ME READ THROUGH THE AGENDA.
ITEM ONE, UH, CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2023, REGULAR MEETING.
ITEM TWO, CONSIDER, UH, EXCUSE, CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING BIDS.
ITEM TWO, A 2023 TERM CONTRACT FOR CONCRETE READY MIX.
ITEM TWO B T M P A, RAYBURN COUNTRY, 1 38 KV P O I, STEEL STRUCTURES AND ITEM TWO C G P N L FAIRDALE SUBSTATION TERMINAL UPGRADE ENGINEERING SERVICES.
ITEM THREE, PUBLIC HEARINGS WERE PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONING CASES.
UH, COUNSEL APPROVED THE REQUEST AND INSTRUCTED STAFF TO BRING FORTH THE FOLLOWING ORDINANCES FOR CONSIDERATION.
UH, ITEM THREE A IS Z 23 DASH ZERO SIX.
JAMICA SIMS RON HOBBES, ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN, L L P IN DISTRICT FOUR.
AND ITEM THREE B IS ZONING KZ 23 DASH 26.
UH, WE'LL COME BACK TO FOUR ITEM FIVE, CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE RIGHT TURN RESTRICTION AT GARLAND AVENUE AND MILLER ROAD.
AND ITEM SIX, CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO RECONFIGURE SPEED LIMIT REVISIONS ON BOB TOWN ROAD.
UH, THAT IS THE CONSENT AGENDA MINUS ITEM FOUR.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANY OF THOSE ITEMS PULLED AND CONSIDERED SEPARATELY? SEEING NONE, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIMM MOORE.
I MOVE FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS READ EXCEPTIONS TO NUMBER FOUR.
I HAVE A MOTION BY DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIMM MOORE AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER MORRIS TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA I, THE CONSENT AGENDA MINUS ITEM FOUR.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU CAN PREPARE THE VOTE FOR US PLEASE, AND COUNSEL AND DISPLAY THE VOTE.
AND THAT ITEM IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
[4. Purchase of Real Property and Approval of the Disposition and Development Agreement Related to 519 State Street, Garland, Texas. ]
FOUR.UH, ITEM FOUR IS PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY AND APPROVAL OF THE DISPOSITION AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT RELATED TO FIVE 19 STATE STREET, GARLAND, TEXAS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK, UH, ASKED FOR THIS ITEM TO BE PULLED.
I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY SORT OF PRESENTATION THIS EVENING OR DO WE? NO, NO, NO.
UH, I PULLED THIS ITEM BECAUSE I WANTED TO BRING SOME MORE ATTENTION TO IT.
UH, IT WAS CONSIDERED IN LAST NIGHT'S EXECUTIVE SESSION.
THE DETAILS NOW ARE BEING RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC LESS THAN 24 HOURS THAN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO VOTE ON IT.
AND THE REASON WE'RE DOING THAT IS WE WANT TO GET IT ALL BUTTONED UP AND DONE BEFORE THE OPENING THE SQUARE SO WE CAN ANNOUNCE IT.
BUT SOMETHING THIS IMPORTANT AND WE'RE SPENDING THIS MUCH MONEY ON, I THINK IT DESERVES LITTLE MORE ATTENTION IN, IN TEXAS POLITICS.
THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL A LONGHORN, BECAUSE THERE'S TWO SHARP POINTS AND THEY'RE A LONG WAY APART, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF BULL IN BETWEEN.
SO, UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S JUST TOO COMES DOWN TO IS THIS A GOOD DEAL OR NOT? THIS IS TOO MUCH MONEY SPENT ON A PROP ON THIS PROPERTY.
THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT ARE JUST TOO STRANGE.
MAYBE YOU RECEIVED A LETTER IN YOUR EMAIL COUNSEL, AND IT MADE THE POINTS I WAS TRYING TO MAKE THIS PROPERTY IS WELL OVERPRICED, AND WE HAVE ALREADY SPENT MONEY INTO DOWNTOWN THAT WE ARE ATTRACTING AS THE LETTER STATES, BUSINESSES, FAMILIES, AND LARGER DEVELOPMENTS HERE.
THIS IS WHAT OUR MONEY, OUR DOWNTOWN MONEY WAS MEANT TO DO.
I DON'T WANNA SPEND MORE MONEY WITHOUT EVEN SEEING WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR.
IT'S ALSO STATED THAT THE MONIES FROM TIF ONE WILL BE USED TO PAY FOR THE PURCHASE AND DEVELOPING THE PROPERTY.
AND I WANT TO KNOW MORE DETAILS ON HOW THIS WOULD WORK.
IN 24 HOURS, I PULLED THE, THE BUDGET, THE TIF ONE BUDGET FUND, UH, THAT WE JUST APPROVED FROM OUR BUDGET.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A DOWNTOWN TIFF.
THIS IS A TIF ONE, WHICH COVERS DOWNTOWN PLUS THE FOREST AND JUPITER AREA IN THE BUDGET.
AND I'VE HIGHLIGHTED THERE'S NO MONEY BEING SPENT IN THE FOREST JUPITER AREA ZERO IN THIS TIFF, WHICH IS A SHAME.
UH, LAST YEAR, ONLY 300,000, UH, $300,000 OR SO WAS SPENT ON A SOCCER FIELD IN THAT AREA.
AND THAT SOCCER FIELD IN MONTGOMERY PARK IS WELL USED.
MORE MONEY NEEDS TO BE FOCUSED ON THIS TIFF.
IT'S NOT JUST A DOWNTOWN TIFF, IT'S THE FOREST JUPITER TIFF.
[00:20:01]
WE ARE GONNA USE MONEY FROM THAT TIFF ON THIS PROJECT, WHERE IS IT GONNA COME FROM? IT'S GONNA COST ABOUT A QUARTER, THREE QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE DEBT SERVICE OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS TO FUND THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THIS PROJECT AND THE DEVELOPMENT THAT FUNDS BUDGET EVERY YEAR.WELL, WHAT WE ALLOCATED THIS YEAR IS ABOUT $2.2 MILLION.
THREE QUARTERS OF THAT IS FOR THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
ANOTHER THREE QUARTERS OF MILLION DOLLARS IS FOR FACADE IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, THERE'S $300,000 FOR DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENTS, MORE MONEY FOR ENHANCED SQUARE PROGRAMMING.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA CUT FROM THIS FUND TO PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY AND TO, UH, FUND IT FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS TO FUND THE DEBT SERVICE? IT'S, I, I, I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE DETAILS THAN RUSHING THROUGH THE PROCESS IN THIS 24 HOURS.
AND IT JUST ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS.
IF IT DOES MAKE SENSE, YOU DO, BUT TO ME, WE ARE ALL CAUGHT UP IN THE EXCITEMENT OF THE SQUARE.
I DON'T WANT THAT TO CLOUD OUR DECISION ON THIS.
I WANT TO NOT PAY THIS EXORBITANT PRICE FOR THIS PROPERTY, THIS $1.95 MILLION, AND I NEED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW THIS PROPERTY IS GONNA BE FUNDED IN THE END.
IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
SO I URGE THE REST OF THE COUNCIL TO NOT VOTE AND VOTE NO ON THIS, ON THIS, UH, THIS ITEM.
AND WE DO HAVE SPEAKER, MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM? I'M ASSUMING THE ANSWER IS YES.
WE HAVE NINE SPEAKER CARDS ON THE ITEM.
GO AHEAD AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO THE SPEAKERS.
I'VE, I'VE BEEN KIND OF ON THE FENCE ABOUT THIS PROPERTY THE WHOLE TIME.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, AND, UM, THE LAST EXECUTIVE SESSION WE TALKED ABOUT 1.95 MILLION FOR THIS PROPERTY, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS OUT OF THE REALM OF, I DON'T THINK IT'S TOO EXTRAVAGANT FOR THIS PROPERTY.
I THINK THAT THAT'S A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO PAY FOR A BUILDING THERE.
UM, MY BIG PROBLEM IS THE STRINGS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO IT.
AND IF YOU BUY A PROPERTY, IT SHOULD BE YOURS AND CLEAR.
SO, UM, NOT BEING ABLE TO USE IT FOR, UH, WHAT THE CITY WANTS TO USE IT FOR, NOT BEING ABLE TO SELL IT IF THEY WANT IT TO NOT BE, NOT BEING ABLE TO USE.
UM, MAYBE A, A DEVELOPER WHO KNOWS ABOUT EVENT SPACES, UM, IS A PROBLEM FOR ME.
BUT ALSO, UM, I FEEL LIKE ANYTHING ON THE SQUARE NEEDS TO BE OPEN ON A DAILY BASIS, NOT JUST FOR EVENTS, NOT JUST IN THE EVENING TIME, UM, EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND BECAUSE DOWNTOWN IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DESTINATION, IT NEEDS TO BE A PLACE, ANY PLACE ON THE SQUARE, NOT JUST THIS ONE.
AND IF I COULD ZONE IN HOURS AND REQUIRE MINIMUM DAYS OF OPERATION, I WOULD, BUT WE CAN'T.
SO, UM, I, I JUST DON'T THINK AN EVENT SPACE IS THE RIGHT THING FOR THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE PUT TO MUCH BETTER USE FOR RETAIL OR EVEN RESTAURANT, BUT RETAIL WOULD JUST BE AMAZING TO SEE DOWN THERE.
UH, CUSTOMER DUTTON, ARE YOU WILLING TO WAIT TILL WE HEAR FROM THE SPEAKERS? OKAY.
SORRY, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU CALL OUR SPEAKERS, PLEASE.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS KARA MCELROY.
AND, UH, FOLKS WANTING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, LET'S GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
I'M, AND I'M SORRY, SHE DID REGISTER A POSITION, BUT IT WAS NOT TO TESTIFY.
IT WAS FOUR FOUR, BUT NOT TESTIFY, RIGHT? I'M SORRY.
UH, JOCELYN MINZ L AND WHEN YOU COME FORWARD, IF YOU COULD GIVE, UH, GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, I'M SPEAKING AGAINST THIS DEAL AT FIVE 19 STATE STREET.
UM, WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT, KIND OF WHAT, UM, MARGARET JUST SAID, I WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT IT WAS GONNA BE AN EVENT CENTER, BUT THEN I READ, UM, THE TERMS OF THE DEAL THAT WERE OUTRAGEOUS.
UM, SO I WAS BORN IN GARLAND 41 YEARS AGO, WHICH IS, UM, ABOUT THE TIME THAT THIS BUILDING HAS STOOD VACANT, THAT THE JONES FAMILY HAS ALLOWED THIS BUILDING TO STAND VACANT ON THE SQUARE, UM, AND DETERIORATING.
I LIVED ON MOCKINGBIRD LANE MY WHOLE CHILDHOOD IN THE HOME.
I BOUGHT A HOUSE ON TANAGER, AND I'VE LIVED THERE 16 YEARS, AND I'VE WORKED FOR G I S D U OVER THE PAST 11 YEARS TEACHING HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M A SIXTH GENERATION GARLAND DITE.
UM, IF GARLAND WAS AROUND THAT LONG, WE WERE AROUND BEFORE THAT, UM, MY GRANDPA WAS ON THE CITY COUNCIL.
BOTH GREAT-GRANDS WERE MAYORS WITH LONG TERMS. AND THE REASON WHY I SAY ALL OF THIS IS BECAUSE I BELIEVE I HAVE JUST AS MUCH STANDING IN GARLAND AS THE JONES FAMILY.
[00:25:02]
I KNOW THAT THEY'VE RECENTLY TURNED DOWN FAIR OFFERS, AND I DON'T WISH TO INSULT ANYBODY WHO NEGOTIATED THIS DEAL BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY DID THE BEST THEY COULD.BUT IT'S NOT IN THE CITY'S BEST INTEREST TO BUY THIS PROPERTY FROM THE JONES'.
UM, THIS SEEMS LIKE AN ACT OF DESPERATION, UM, BY THE CITY.
I REALIZE ALL THE OTHER PROPERTY AROUND THE SQUARE'S LEASED, BUT I URGE YOU TO BE PATIENT, UM, START ENFORCEMENT, TURN THE TABLES, PARTNER WITH A THIRD PARTY ON A DEVELOPMENT.
UM, IF YOU WANTED TO ANNOUNCE THIS OCTOBER 14TH, WOULD YOU ANNOUNCE IT AND PRINT UP THE TERMS OF THE DEAL AND HAND IT OUT TO THE CROWD ON THE 14TH AND EXPECT THEM TO REJOICE THAT WE WERE DOING THIS? I, I WOULD HOPE NOT.
UM, WE DON'T NEED MORE EVENT SPACE.
WE DON'T NEED TO SPEND THE MONEY AND FOREGO THE TAX REVENUE, AND WE'RE NOT DESPERATE.
COVER UP THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING, PUT BIG PLANNERS THERE, PARK FOOD TRUCKS IN FRONT OF IT, MAKE A LITTLE PRETTY OUTDOOR SPACE.
UM, ANYTHING TO BLOCK THAT EYESORE UNTIL WE FIND, UM, A DIFFERENT SOLUTION.
UM, MAKE EVERYTHING BUT THE BUILDING WORK FOR US IN THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE.
UM, LET THE JONES PAY TAXES AND FINES AND BE DONE.
THEY HAVEN'T REALLY SHOWN CIVIC PRIDE IN THE PAST 40 YEARS REGARDING THIS BUILDING.
SO WHY ARE WE ENTERTAINING THIS? UM, BE CREATIVE.
THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX OR THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
AND LET'S, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU APPRECIATE WHAT SHE SAID, BUT LET'S, LET'S HOLD OFF ON THE CLAPPING, PLEASE, MADAM SECRETARY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS, I HAVE THREE, FOUR CARDS TO TESTIFYING A AGAINST, UH, KAREN WISEMAN, TRACY CLAYBROOK, CHRIS FAGAN, AND LARRY ISHMA.
UH, I HAVE ANOTHER ORAL, ORAL TESTIMONY BY JAMIE MILLER.
AND THOSE WERE ALL AGAINST, THOSE WERE ALL AGAINST ALL FOUR.
AND JAMIE MILLER IS TE ORAL TESTIMONY IS OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
MR. MILLER, GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
I LIVE AT 36 27 GLENBROOK COURT.
UH, I TOO AM A LIFELONG GARLAND DITE.
UM, AND FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, I HAVE ALSO BEEN THE ORGANIZER OF AN EVENT CALLED THE WHEELS OF HOPE.
UH, I'M ALSO A NEIGHBOR TO THE CURRENT
UM, I HAVE STRUGGLED FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS TO FIND A WAY TO FILL THE HOLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTER OF OUR NORTH SIDE OF OUR SQUARE.
UM, TO ME, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WOULD BE A TOTAL BENEFIT, AND I'VE HEARD SPEAKERS AGAINST IT, AND, AND IT'S OKAY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE THEIR OPINIONS.
BUT, UM, HAVING TRAVELED TO SO MANY DIFFERENT CITIES AND SEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS FOR, UH, DOWNTOWN AREAS, UM, OR REMOTE, MORE REMOTE AREAS LIKE A KESSER THEATER AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WE COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL THE MOMENTUM THAT THE CITY HAS GENERATED WITH RESPECT TO OUR SUMMER MUSIC AND ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS WE'RE DOING, I THINK THE PLAZA THEATER IS ONE OF THE SLEEPING, UM, GYMS, IF YOU WILL.
IF IT HAD SOME WAY TO HAVE AN EVENT CENTER OR A GATHERING CENTER NEXT TO IT, THERE IS AN UNKNOWN UNTOLD NUMBER OF THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE IN A POSITIVE WAY.
WHILE AS A CONCEPT, I AM FOR IT, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I DON'T TOTALLY UNDERSTAND ALL THE DETAILS OF THE TRANSACTION.
UM, SO THERE MAY BE DEVIL IN THE DETAILS, BUT AS A CONCEPT, I'M TOTALLY SUPPORTIVE OF IT.
I DO KNOW THIS, THE CITY OF FRISCO AND OTHER, OTHER CITIES AROUND OUR METROPLEX HAVE TAKEN BOLD MOVES TO ACQUIRE THINGS AND DEVELOP 'EM OR MOVE 'EM INTO A DEVELOPMENT STAGE.
AND IT HAS PAID OFF IN SPACE FOR THESE, UH, COMMUNITIES AS WE GO AROUND.
SO I AM, I AM TOTALLY FOR CREATIVE IN OPENNESS.
I WILL TELL YOU THIS, AFTER 40 TOO MANY YEARS, 40 SOMETHING YEARS, 44 YEARS OF BEING A BANKER ALL IN THIS TOWN, I HAVE BROUGHT MANY, MANY DEVELOPERS TO THE CITY OF GARLAND BACK BEFORE THE EAST SIDE WAS EVEN DEMOLISHED.
UH, I TRIED TO GET INTEREST IN WHAT WE WERE DOING, AND IT HAS, I HAVE STRUCK OUT EVERY TIME, UH, THERE, THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN PLANO.
I WAS JUST IN SALINA, BEAUTIFUL PLACE, WHAT THEY HAVE GOING ON THERE.
I SEE HOW THE CITY HAS PARTNERED WITH MANY DIFFERENT, BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, UM, ENTITIES TO MAKE A WONDERFUL DOWNTOWN.
AND IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE EVER REALLY BORED, GO OUT TO ALBANY,
[00:30:01]
TEXAS AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE.THERE ARE JUST A LOT OF GREAT THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN.
UM, I, I DO RISE IN FAVOR OF THIS, UH, AGENDA ITEM FOUR.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, DONNA BAIRD.
IT HAS BEEN, BUT I BET YOU STILL REMEMBER.
YOU NEED TO GIVE ME YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
UH, DONNA BAIRD 31 0 9 MEDINA DRIVE.
I'VE ONLY BEEN IN GARLAND FOR 12 YEARS, BUT I USED TO COME DOWN HERE AND HANG OUT QUITE A BIT WITH Y'ALL,
AND I CAN SEE THE VISION FOR GARLAND.
LIKE I WAS ALWAYS ONE OF THOSE LIKE, MAN, THIS GARLAND.
IT COULD BE LIKE THE ECHO PARK OF DALLAS.
WE COULD HAVE THE ART AND THE COOL VIBES, AND I LOVE THE SQUARE AND THE NEW REC CENTERS AND THE SPLASH PADS AND THE PLAYGROUNDS AND ALL OF THE, I JUST LOVE ALL OF THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT THE VOTERS SAID YES TO ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
LIKE WE WANTED THE SQUARE AND IT LOOKS GREAT, Y'ALL.
UM, AND I REALLY THINK THAT FOR A SPENDY, SPENDY KIND OF ITEM LIKE THIS, NOT JUST THE TWO MIL, BUT LIKE THE INVESTMENT THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO INTO IT ON TOP OF THAT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SIX 10 ON TOP, UM, THAT'S PRETTY CEMENTY AND I THINK THE VOTERS SHOULD HAVE A SAY, RIGHT? SHOULDN'T WE BE ABLE TO BE LIKE, YAY, NAYYY.
LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ALL OF US IN THE ENTIRE CITY SHOULD, SHOULD GET A CHANCE.
'CAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF CASHOLA.
AND I KNOW THAT SOMEONE HERE AT THE CITY HAS BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON ACQUIRING THIS PROPERTY, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S BEEN YEARS BECAUSE I SAW BRADFORD'S NAME IN IT.
AND SO I JUST THINK, I KNOW YOU HAVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, AND IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT MAYBE MAKES SENSE FOR THE CITY, THEY COULD LOOK AT IT AND THEY COULD REALLY GET INTO THE DETAILS.
AND IF IT MAKES SENSE THAT MAYBE THIS SHOULD GO BEFORE THE VOTERS, THEN MAYBE AT THAT POINT THEY'RE LIKE, OH, HEY, WE SHOULD PUT THIS ON THE BOND AND LET THE VOTERS VOTE ON IT.
RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IS FOR, IS TO MAKE THESE KIND OF DECISIONS.
SO REAL SHORT, AND THAT IS A NOPE.
YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR THIS LONG.
I FEEL LIKE IF WE WAITED ANOTHER YEAR, IT'S JUST ANOTHER YEAR.
YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR YEARS.
THIS IS NOT LIKE SOME 40% OFF AMAZON PRIME DEAL THAT YOU JUST CAN'T SAY NO TO RIGHT NOW.
AND CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
OUR FINAL, OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS MATT ARCHER.
YOU SHOULD KNOW YOU SHOULDN'T SIT IN THE BACK IN THE MIDDLE.
THAT WAS UNDECIDED
SO LOTS OF THINGS TO SAY, LOTS OF THINGS HAPPENING.
UM, THIS IS AN EXCITING PROJECT AND I REGISTERED FOR THE DETAILS ARE A LITTLE FUZZY.
UM, MANY OF YOU HAVE DRIVEN BY MY PLACE OF BUSINESS AND YOU'VE SEEN ME WORKING HOURS AND, YOU KNOW, NIGHT IN, NIGHT OUT THE 14TH IS COMING QUICK AND THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I WANT TO GET DONE THAT AREN'T GONNA GET DONE AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET DONE BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
AND IF WE'RE REALLY JUST IN A RACE TO PUT SIGNS UP ON THE FACE OF THAT BUILDING, I THINK WE'RE DOING IT THE WRONG WAY.
SO THERE'S SOME THINGS IN MY BUSINESS THAT AREN'T WHERE I WANT THEM FOR SATURDAY, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS ON THE SQUARE THAT ARE TOO IMPORTANT TO RUSH INTO AND NOT CONSIDER FULLY.
WHILE I'M FOR THIS CONCEPT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE WISE WITH THIS DECISION.
THIS IS A BIG ONE, SO THANK YOU.
I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT WAS OUR LAST SPEAKER.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM BEFORE WE OPEN UP FOR BACK FORWARD COUNSEL DISCUSSION? ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, COUNSEL, UH, YOU'VE HEARD THE SPEAKERS, UH, YOU'VE HEARD, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HENDRICK'S REASON, UH, FOR PULLING IT.
UH, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION, UM, AND THEN WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE VOTE.
SO LIKE MOST EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID, UM, THIS IS A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF
[00:35:01]
MONEY THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT POURING INTO A DOWNTOWN THAT WE JUST POURED A WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY INTO.UM, THERE ARE SOME DEFINITE SKETCHY THINGS I FEEL LIKE IN THE, THE CONTRACT.
UM, AN ENVIRONMENTAL TWO PHASE BEING A, UH, CONDITION OF THAT, WHICH I FEEL LIKE SHOULD BE A RED FLAG TO ANYONE.
UM, IT'S VERY SPECIFIC FOR A BUSINESS TO PUT THAT IN THEIR SALE CONTRACT.
SO, UM, IT MAKES YOU, MAKES YOU WONDER.
WHAT DO THEY KNOW THAT WE DON'T KNOW? WHAT'S, WHAT'S UNDER THAT BUILDING IN THAT SOIL THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT? WOULD IT AFFECT US NECESSARILY? MAYBE NOT, MAYBE IT WOULD, WHO KNOWS? BUT IS THAT A CRAPSHOOT THAT WE'RE WILLING TO TAKE? UM, LIKE, UH, DYLAN SAID THAT TIF TWO IS ALSO ENCOMPASSES THE FOREST JUPITER AREA.
AND, UM, SO FAR WE'VE GOT A SOCCER FIELD AND A WRAPPED ELECTRICAL BOX.
SO, UM, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT ADDING UP FOR ME.
SO, UM, WE WANT OUR DOWNTOWN TO BE A DESTINATION AREA.
AN EVENT CENTER IS GOING TO BE A DESTINATION FOR A VERY TARGETED PERSON THAT PROBABLY ALREADY CAN COME HERE FOR THE ATRIUM.
SO I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S GONNA HELP US GET THAT NEW CLIENTELE, THOSE NEW VISITORS THAT WE DESPERATELY ARE AFTER.
IT DOES NOT MAKE LOGICAL SENSE TO ME.
YOU WOULDN'T PURCHASE A HOME AND THE SELLER TELL YOU EXACTLY HOW YOU CAN USE YOUR HOUSE WHEN YOU CAN USE IT AND THEN TELL YOU THEY'RE GONNA COME OVER FOR THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT.
WHY WOULD WE DO IT WITH THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY? DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
EITHER YOU'RE IN FOR SELLING OR YOU'RE OUT FOR SELLING.
I, I CAN'T, I CAN'T, UM, I CAN'T AGREE TO THIS ONE.
UM, WELL, I COME IN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS IS THAT, UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT IS A LONG TIME IN THE MAKING.
THERE'S, WE HAVE, UH, BRIAN BRADFORD, HIS NAME WAS, WAS, UH, WAS MENTIONED.
UH, HE IS ONE OF THE, THOSE THAT, UH, THAT REALLY BROUGHT THIS TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
HE WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THE SPECIFICS OF THIS AGREEMENT.
AND WHILE IT IS A LITTLE UNUSUAL, IT'S NOT AS UNUSUAL AS PEOPLE WOULD THINK.
UH, IF YOU THINK OF THE DALLAS MAVERICKS, WHEN THEY, WHEN, UM, WHEN THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE DALLAS MAVERICKS SOLD THE TEAM, UH, HE SOLD ALL OF IT EXCEPT 1%.
AND ALSO HE WANTED HIS SPECIFIC SEATS, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE GOING TO BE SWITCHING STADIUMS, THEY STILL NEGOTIATED SEATS IN THE NEW STADIUM.
SO IT'S NOT AS UNUSUAL AS PEOPLE WOULD THINK.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A PROPERTY THAT HAS BEEN IN A FAMILY FOR, IS IT 123 YEARS? THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME EMOTION THAT'S IN THIS REGARDLESS.
UM, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THIS AS ADJACENCY.
THIS IS DIRECTLY NEXT DOOR TO OUR PLAZA, WHICH WAS, UH, PLAZA THEATER.
AND THAT THEATER WAS, UH, WAS, WAS DEEDED TO THE CITY IN THE EARLY NINETIES.
AND FORTUNATELY THE CITY HAD THE FORETHOUGHT TO, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND REMODEL THAT AND KEEP IT.
WHEREAS A LOT OF THE, UH, A LOT OF THE, HMM, THE, UH, THE OTHER CITIES AROUND THE STATE WOULD'VE BULLDOZED A, UH, A PROPERTY THAT WAS IN THE CONDITION THAT IT WAS IN, AND THEY, THEY KEPT IT.
AND WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A PROPERTY THAT IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO IT THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY USE.
WE CAN OPEN IT UP TO WHERE THEY SHARE SPACE TOGETHER.
UH, THERE IS A, THERE'S A, THERE IS A, UM, A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY COULD HAVE.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELL THE PROPERTY? I BELIEVE THAT WE DO.
UH, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR LEGAL.
IF WE WANTED TO SELL IT, CAN WE, THERE'S NOTHING IN EITHER CONTRACT THAT PREVENTS, THERE'S NO DEEDED RESTRICTIONS OR EITHER CONDUCT CONTRACT THAT PREVENTS THE CITY FROM TRANSFERRING THE PROPERTY OR SELLING THE PROPERTY TO A PRIVATE PARTY.
SO WE DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO SELL IT.
AND ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT A PHASE TWO.
COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT A PHASE TWO IS AND WHAT, WHETHER IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S REQUIRED FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS? SURE.
TYPICALLY, IN, UM, RURAL PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS, ESPECIALLY COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, UM, YOU HAVE PROVISIONS RELATED TO A FEASIBILITY PERIOD.
AND PART OF THAT FEASIBILITY PERIOD IS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES.
THE FIRST ONE'S A PHASE ONE, WHICH IS KIND OF A WALKTHROUGH SURFACE.
UM, IDENTIFY THINGS THAT ARE MORE OBVIOUS ON THE SURFACE THAT COULD BE PROBLEMATIC.
AND IF YOU DISCOVER A PROBLEM IN A PHASE ONE,
[00:40:01]
THEN YOU, IN MOST COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS, YOU, YOU CAN HAVE THE OPTION OF DOING A PHASE TWO.TYPICALLY THERE'S CONDITIONS TO THE OPTIONS 'CAUSE PHASE TWO ENVIRONMENTALS ARE VERY INVASIVE.
YOU START DIGGING AROUND, YOU START DAMAGING PROPERTY.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, USUALLY CONTRACTS HAVE OPTIONS FOR THE SELLER TO BACK OUT TO EITHER AGREE TO THE PHASE TWO OR NOT AGREE TO THE PHASE TWO.
AND THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT, THE SELLER DIDN'T AUTOMATICALLY AGREE TO IT.
IT'S IF WE DO A PHASE ONE AND WE DISCOVER THAT WE NEED A PHASE TWO, THEN WE HAVE TO GET CONSENT FROM THE SELLER TO DO THE PHASE TWO.
IF THE, IF THE SELLER DOES NOT GIVE US CONSENT, THEN WE CAN GET OUT OF THE CONTRACT.
UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR CONTRACT, BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE OWN THE PROPERTY IN FRONT OF IT, THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, THE SIDEWALK, WHICH WE HAVE TORN UP NUMEROUS TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DECADES, THE PROPERTY NEXT TO IT, THE PLAZA THEATER, THE ALLEY BEHIND IT, WHICH WE HAVE REDONE AND TORN UP, UM, AND THE PROPERTY TO THE NORTH WE OWNED BEFORE WE SOLD TO THE APARTMENT COMPLEX.
UM, WE'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND WE'RE ALSO VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE USE OF THE BUILDING.
SO STAFF DID AN EVALUATION AND MADE THE DETERMINATION THAT, UM, THEY WEREN'T GONNA MAKE A PHASE TWO A REQUIREMENT IN THE CONTRACT.
IT'S AN OPTION THAT IF THE CITY ASKED FOR IT, THEN THE DEVELOPER CAN, OR THE SELLER CAN EITHER GRANT US THE, UM, PERMISSION TO DO IT OR THEY DON'T GRANT US PERMISSION.
WE CAN AT THAT POINT, UH, VOID THE CONTRACT.
SO THERE'S NO GUARANTEES THAT, THAT, THAT THERE ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REMEDIATED OR SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE OF CONCERN, BUT THE BUT THE ODDS ARE THAT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY, THE LIKELIHOOD IS VERY LOW AND STAFF FEELS VERY CONFIDENT IN THE PROPERTY.
STAFF BELIEVE THAT THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THERE'S GONNA BE PROBLEMS, UM, FOUND ON THE PROPERTY IS EXTREMELY LOW IN THIS CASE, JUST BECAUSE OF THE FAMILIARITY WITH THE PROPERTY.
UM, TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, THE USAGE OF AN EVENT SPACE, I COULD THINK OF, UH, A LOT OF THINGS THAT THIS PROPERTY COULD BE USED FOR, UH, NOTABLY A FILM FESTIVAL, IT COULD BE USED FOR A WEDDING VENUE.
WE ARE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A, UH, WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING A RESTAURANT COMPONENT IN THERE THAT COULD BE, UH, THAT COULD BE, UH, CREATED IN A WAY THAT IT IS, UM, USED EVERY DAY.
JUST LIKE THE OTHER RESTAURANTS THAT ARE ON THAT ARE, UH, THAT HAPPEN TO BE ON THE SQUARE.
UH, ARE WE PAYING A LITTLE MORE OF A PREMIUM FOR THE PROPERTY ITSELF? YES, BUT IN THE OVERALL SCOPE OF WHAT THE PROJECT WILL END UP BEING IN THE LONG TERM, IT'S, IT'S NOT AS MUCH MONEY AS PEOPLE WOULD THINK WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, UH, IF WE WERE TO GET A A, A SWEETHEART DEAL, WHAT IF WE GOT IT FOR HALF PRICE, UH, A MILLION DOLLARS? UH, IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THE ENTIRE PROJECT, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 10% OF A PROJECT THAT COULD BE AS BIG AS WHAT THIS IS.
THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT WE ABSOLUTELY.
HOW, HOW DO WE HAVE ANY SPECIFIC TIME SCHEDULE OF WHAT WE HAVE TO DEVELOP IT IN THE CONTRACT DOES NOT, UM, UM, OFFER A TIME SCHEDULE FOR DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE COULD TAKE OUR TIME AND DECIDING HOW WE DEVELOP IT AND HOW WE FUND IT.
WE'RE JUST SECURING THE ACTUAL PROPERTY IN THE NAME OF THE CITY OF GARLAND, AND WE WOULD BECOME THE STEWARDS OF IT.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT I, I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN, IS THAT WE, WE OWE IT TO THE, TO THE CITY TO ACTUALLY, UH, TO ACTUALLY DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE PROPERTIES AND WITH THE, WHAT IS THE HIGHEST BEST USE OF THE LAND? IT IS, IS THIS THE HIGHEST BEST USE FOR IT? AND FOR THE CITY OF GARLAND, WITH ALL THE POSSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE FOR THAT PARTICULAR SPACE, I DO THINK THAT AN EVENT SPACE LIKE THIS COULD QUITE MEET THAT REQUIREMENT.
SO I AM ENTHUSIASTICALLY FOR THIS.
UM, MY QUESTION'S FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY, AND THIS IS A LITTLE HYPOTHETICAL, I APOLOGIZE, BUT, UM, HE LOVES THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO IF GARLAND WERE TO PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY AND, UM, SHOOT IT OVER TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOND COMMITTEE FOR RENOVATIONS, SO JUST THE PURCHASE AND THEN ANYTHING AFTER THE PURCHASE GOES TO THE BOND COMMITTEE AND THEREFORE THE VOTERS TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANNA PAY FOR THE RENOVATIONS, UM, WOULD WE BE ABLE TO SELL THE PROPERTY IF THEY REFUSED TO PAY FOR THOSE RENOVATIONS? THERE ARE NO CONDITIONS IN EITHER CONTRACT THAT PROHIBIT THE CITY FROM SELLING THE PROPERTY IN THE FUTURE.
SO, UM, IF WE PURCHASE THIS PROPERTY, IF THE CITY PURCHASES THIS PROPERTY, DO WE HAVE TO TURN IT INTO AN EVENT CENTER? THE, THE CONTRACT, THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, AGREEMENT INTO, UM, COMP, UM, CONTEMPLATES A, A RESTAURANT EVENT
[00:45:01]
CENTER HOSPITALITY TYPE USE.AND SO THAT'S THE DEAL THAT WE'RE MAKING WITH THE OWNERS, IS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE THIS HOSPITALITY TYPE USE.
AND SO DOES IT HAVE TO BE STRICTLY AN EVENT CENTER? THE ANSWER IS NO.
IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE A, IT COULD BE A COMBINATION OF THINGS.
AND I THINK THAT'S THE GENERAL CONCEPT THAT I'VE SEEN, IS THAT IT'S A COMBINATION OF BOTH AN EVENT CENTER.
SO THERE'S SPACE BIG ENOUGH TO HOST EVENTS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A PARTNERSHIP WITH A PRIVATE PARTY TO COME IN AND, AND RUN A RESTAURANT.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A, QUITE FRANKLY, IT'S A CONCEPT.
AND SO THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BEST USE OF THAT SPACE.
AND, UM, AND, AND STAFF IS GOING, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, STAFF IS GOING TO DO FURTHER STUDIES IN THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE USE THE SPACE IN THE BEST MANNER POSSIBLE.
IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE D D A.
SO IN, IN THAT LIGHT, COULD WE NOT GIVE THAT TO THE BONDS BOND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOND COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT AND KIND OF HELP PAVE THE WAY FOR WHATEVER WE DECIDE TO PUT THERE, THERE'S NOTHING IN THE CONTRACTS THAT, THAT LIMIT OR, UM, RESTRICT THE CITY WHAT FUNDS THE CITY MAY USE TO PAY FOR ANY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
MR. BATES, CAN WE SEND THIS TO THE ECONOMIC BOND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE IF THE BUILDING IS PURCHASED FOR RENOVATIONS AND PLANNING? UH, UH, I DO BELIEVE WE CAN, WE CAN DELAY IT NOW.
IT'S BEEN PART OF OUR ONGOING DISCUSSIONS AS THE CITY ATTORNEY HAS STATED OF WHAT OUR INTENT WOULD BE FOR THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN.
AGAIN, IT'S CONCEPT AT THIS POINT, WE'VE HAD NO, NO DETAILED DESIGN, ANY OF THE REST OF THAT.
SO IS THAT POSSIBLE BY CONTRACT? I BELIEVE SO.
BECAUSE MY POINT IS 1.95 IS A REASONABLE, TO ME, IT'S A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO PAY FOR A BUILDING ON THE SQUARE.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE UP TO EVERYONE ELSE THAT GIVES TAX DOLLARS TO DETERMINE WHAT IS DONE WITH THAT SPACE, BECAUSE THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY THE OWNERS AFTER THAT PURCHASE.
UH, COUNCILLOR WILLIAMS. THANK YOU.
UH, I'D CONVINCED I HAD CONVINCED MYSELF THAT I WASN'T GONNA SAY ANYTHING TONIGHT.
HEY, WE WANT TO TAKE A VOTE ON WHO THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA WORK OUT?
UM, I'LL PUT IT IN LAYMAN'S TERMS. UM, THE CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL HAS TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY IS TO PURCHASE, UH, THE PROPERTY.
AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH PURCHASING THE PROPERTY, THERE'S A, A, UM, THERE'S A, UM, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, A DISPOSITION AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS ONCE PURCHASED, WE'RE MAKING, WE'RE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATING OURSELVES TO DO CERTAIN THINGS AND PARTNERING WITH THE CURRENT OWNER TO HELP, UM, DEVELOP THAT PROPERTY.
AND, UM, UM, AND THE TERMS OF THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE COUNCIL.
AND SO YOU'RE VOTING ON BOTH THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE DISPOSITION OF THE PROPERTY ONCE PURCHASED.
SO IS IT ALSO, UH, INHERENT IN THAT, THAT, SINCE I'VE HEARD SOME DISCUSSION, ARE, ARE WE, ARE WE TO ESTABLISH HIGHS AND BEST USE? I'VE HEARD THAT TERM THROWN AROUND.
I'VE HEARD THAT THROWN AROUND FOR YEARS.
I I THINK WE KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
IS THAT, IS, IS THAT A CHARGE THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT HIGHEST AND BEST USE IS A ZONING AND PLANNING, UM, TERM.
THIS IS THIS, THIS, THIS, THE DDA, THE DISPOSITION AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT CONTEMPLATES A ALREADY CONTEMPLATES A USE, AND THAT'S AN ENTERTAINMENT USE, A HOSPITALITY USE.
AND THAT COULD BE RESTAURANTS, THAT COULD BE EVENT CENTER, IT COULD BE SOME OTHER TYPE OF ENTERTAINMENT USE.
AND SO THE CITY IS, IS, IS MAKING A PROMISE TO THE SELLER THAT WE ARE GOING TO ENDEAVOR TO USE THAT PROPERTY ONCE PURCHASED FOR THESE TYPES OF USES.
AND THAT'S THE, UM, IDEA BEHIND IT.
I JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THAT UP.
'CAUSE WHEN YOU HEAR SOME TERMINOLOGY THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THROWN AROUND, WE HAVE DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS OF WHAT THOSE TERM MEAN.
JUST TO RUN THROUGH THIS, I, UM, LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY TO ALL THE TESTIMONY TONIGHT FROM
[00:50:01]
THE, FROM THE PUBLIC.AND I'M REFLECTING BACK, AND LIKE I SAID, MARY, AND I'VE BEEN AROUND LIKE EACH OTHER A LONG TIME.
UM, THE TERM, UH, GET IT RIGHT, YOU'VE GOTTA GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.
AND WHETHER OR NOT WE, I REMEMBER THERE'VE BEEN DISCUSSIONS ON ISSUES IN THE SQUARE AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN IN THIS CITY.
UM, AND MY CONCERN IS THE, WHATEVER THE DECISION IS TONIGHT IS THE IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I'M REFERRING TO THE BUSINESS WHEN I USE THE TERM DOWN THE BUSINESS NEIGHBORHOOD, THE IMPACT BOTH SHORT TERM AND LONG TERMS, AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS.
AND I NEED TO HEAR MORE, UH, FROM, FROM THAT ENTITY.
UH, I'VE WATCHED, UH, AND I'M VERY EXCITED AND PLEASED WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED FROM OUR BUSINESSES.
UH, I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN WE HAD, WHAT, TWO, MAYBE THREE PLACES WITH LIGHT ON LIGHTS ON THIS TIME OF NIGHT, AND IT'S GROWN.
BUT I, FOR ONE, WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE, UH, FROM THOSE, THOSE NEARBY NEIGHBORS, THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE NEARBY IMPACTED, UH, FISCAL EQUITY.
UH, I'VE HEARD A TESTIMONY FROM AN INDIVIDUAL THAT I HIGHLY RESPECT IN THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY AND WOULD PROBABLY, UM, HE SHOULD BE HERE TO THE FEDERAL RESERVE.
BUT I THINK FISCAL EQUITY, I'VE HEARD HIM USE, I I STOLE THAT TERM FROM HIM.
HE MAY NOT REMEMBER IT, BUT I WANT TO BE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE DO DOWNTOWN, THAT THERE'S EQUITY IN WHAT WE DO.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE IS OR THERE'S NOT.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S A CONCEPT THAT I LOOK FOR, UH, IN, IN MAKING A DECISION ON THIS ACTION.
SO WHERE I, LAYING ON THIS ONE, UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, GET MORE INPUT.
MY QUESTION IS, UM, IF WE, IF, UH, WE'VE GOTTA GET IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME, WE'VE GOTTA GET IT RIGHT AND IF NOT, NOW, WHAT ARE OUR MR. CITY ATTORNEY BACK TO YOU? IF, IF THIS ACTION DOES NOT PASS PASS TONIGHT, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? CAN YOU SHARE, PLEASE? UM, IF IT, UH, WHEN YOU SAY IT DOESN'T PASS, I'M ASSUMING YOU MEAN IF Y'ALL VOTE AND IT'S A NO, OR MAYBE IF YOU TABLE IT OR WHATEVER, THOSE TWO, YES, SIR.
IT'D BE, UM, QUITE FRANKLY, IT GOES BACK TO THE OWNER AT THAT POINT, THE SELLER.
AND IF THEY WANT TO RE-ENGAGE, UH, IN THE, IN THE CONTRACT, UM, PROCESS, THEY CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
IT GOES BACK TO THE OWNER AT THAT POINT AND DECIDE WHAT'S NEXT.
THIS, IT DOESN'T, WE'RE NOT PRECLUDED FROM NEGOTIATING WITH THE OWNER FURTHER.
WE'RE NOT PRECLUDED FROM RE-ENGAGING AT A LATER TIME.
UM, IT, IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE SELLER AND WHAT THEY'RE WANTING TO DO.
AND FINALLY, MAYOR, I DO HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL.
I'M NOT GONNA TAKE MORE TIME TO GET INTO THEM, BUT I DO HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS.
I APPRECIATE THE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD TONIGHT.
MOST OF WHAT I HAD TO, UH, TO, UH, SPEAK ABOUT.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN, ALREADY BEEN HIT UPON.
BUT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO, I WANNA TALK ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP, SUCH AS THE, THE TIMING OF THE PROPERTY ACQUISITION.
UM, AND THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC'S NOT THE PUBLIC DIDN'T HAVE A SAY ON WHETHER WE SPEND $2 MILLION ON THIS PROPERTY OR NOT.
UM, THIS IS MERELY A MATTER OF PROPERTY ACQUISITION.
IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE CONSENT AGENDA WE'VE EVER HAD, THERE'S GONNA BE PROPERTY ACQUISITION ON THERE, I GUARANTEE ADDING UP TO AT LEAST $2 MILLION.
SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S OUT OF THE ORDINARY AT ALL.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN HIDDEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE DISCUSSION IS IN EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE IT INVOLVES THE PURCHASE OF A PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT DISCUSSED TRANSPARENTLY.
THE NEGOTIATIONS OF THE CITY PURCHASING PROPERTY IS NOT DONE TRANSPARENTLY TO NOT AFFECT THE TRANSACTION.
ONCE THE TRANSACTION IS SETTLED UPON, THEN IT'S PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DOING TONIGHT.
SO THERE'S BEEN NOTHING ABOUT THIS THAT HAS NOT BEEN TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE.
AND AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST A PROPERTY ACQUISITION PER PURCHASE, WHICH WE, WE DO EVERY TIME WE MEET.
UM, I DO FEEL THAT THIS IS THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE FOR THE PROPERTY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY THAT WE PUT INTO THE SQUARE, OVER $20 MILLION THAT WE PUT INTO THE SQUARE, THIS ALLOWS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROTECT THAT INVESTMENT.
[00:55:01]
UM, AND AGAIN, WE DO THIS, WE DO THIS TWICE A MONTH,WE, WE PROTECT OUR, WE PROTECT OUR INVESTMENTS AND WE, WE DO WHAT WE FEEL IS RIGHT FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY.
AND I GOTTA TELL YOU THAT FOR AT LEAST THE 15 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, THAT WE ARE CONTINUE TO DO THE RIGHT THINGS AND PROGRESSING AND YOU CAN SEE HOW, HOW GARLAND HAS GROWN AND BECOME MORE QUALITY PA PLACE WITH MORE TO OFFER.
AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER, ANOTHER STEP ON THAT LADDER.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DO SUPPORT THIS AND, UM, YEAH, I THINK IT'S A GOOD THING FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE CITIZENS.
I, I'M, I'M, I GUESS I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.
AND I, WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, UH, I'M HEARING THAT IT WOULD APPEAR THAT WE HAD 24 HOURS TO MAKE A DECISION ON SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT NOW FOR THE PAST, AT LEAST YEAR OR MORE
AS A MATTER OF FACT, EVERY ISSUE THAT'S BEEN RAISED HERE TONIGHT, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN DETAIL TIME AND AGAIN.
AND TO COME HERE TONIGHT AND TO SAY SUCH THINGS AS WE HAD 24 HOURS TO MAKE A DECISION.
NO, WE'VE HAD A YEAR TO MAKE A DECISION.
WE COME HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WE FINALLY LAST NIGHT CAME TO A POINT OF AGREEMENT.
THE 1.9, HOW MANY TIMES DID WE GO OVER THAT THEY WANTED AN OFFICE AT ONE TIME? NO, WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM THE OFFICE.
THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT THEY, THEY WANTED THAT WE DID NOT GIVE.
I LOOK AT IT AS WE ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING OF.
THEY VOTED US INTO OFFICE TO DISCUSS THESE MATTERS AND TO DISCUSS THEM DILIGENTLY, INTENTIONALLY.
AND THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY.
BUT THIS STORY TONIGHT HAS BEEN TOLD WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY.
AND BEFORE I DO THAT, I, I, I WANT TO CLARIFY A FEW THINGS.
I'D LIKE FOR MATT TO PLEASE IF HE WILL, I'D LIKE FOR MATT TO TELL US, IS HE HERE TONIGHT? YES, SIR.
I'D LIKE FOR MATT TO TELL US HOW THIS PROJECT IS GONNA BE PAID FOR YOU SEE, ALL DAY.
I'VE BEEN PONDERING THIS SITUATION OF HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR THIS.
I, I'VE CONSIDERED MYSELF TO BE A PHYSICAL CONSERVATIVE.
I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T JUST SPEND MONEY FOR THE CASE OF SPENDING MONEY IN REGULAR TIMES, BUT THESE ARE NOT NORMAL TIMES AT ALL.
SO MATT, IF YOU WILL, WOULD YOU TELL US HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR THIS? HOW IS THE TIFF GOING TO PAY FOR IT FIRST, THE ACQUISITION OF THE TWO, 2 MILLION, AND THEN HOW WILL IT BE PAID FOR THIS 8 MILLION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER THE LONG TERM? SURE.
SO THE DOWNTOWN FOREST JUPITER AREA, TIFF WAS CREATED IN 2004.
AND UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING TO EXTEND THAT TIFF ANOTHER 20 YEARS TO APPROXIMATELY 2044.
IT'S BEEN A, UH, VERY SUCCESSFUL TIFF.
YOU CAN SEE, EVEN WHEN YOU LOOK AROUND AT THE, UH, DOWNTOWN AREA OF, OF ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT I'VE BEEN MADE, AND TYPICALLY WITH THIS TIFF OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, HOW IT'S BEEN STRUCTURED IS THERE'S ROUGHLY 50% OF IT BEING UTILIZED FOR WHAT WE CALL MANAGED DISTRICT SERVICES AND ENHANCED PROGRAMMING, WHICH WOULD BE OUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE AND FUNDING ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS.
AND WITH THE REMAINDER OF IT GOING TOWARDS REDEVELOPMENT TYPE PROJECTS, UH, THE SQUARE IS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT, UH, HAS BEEN PARTIALLY FUNDED BY THE TIF, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE FACADE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU'VE SEEN AROUND THE SQUARE HAVE ALSO BEEN FUNDED FROM THE TIF.
MOVING FORWARD, THAT SAME STRUCTURE IS CURRENTLY BEING PROPOSED, WHERE ABOUT 50% OF IT WILL BE UTILIZED FOR REDEVELOPMENT TYPE ACTIVITIES AND 50% OF IT UTILIZED FOR THE MANAGED DISTRICT SERVICES IN THE DOWNTOWN UH, DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
SO YOU DO FEEL THAT IN THAT TIFF THERE IS SUFFICIENT FUNDS TO DEAL WITH THIS PROJECT AS WELL AS THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT THE TIF IS LY SUPPORTING? CORRECT? GO AHEAD, SIR.
AND SO WE, WE ARE TYPICALLY, AS ALWAYS, WE'RE VERY CONSERVATIVE IN OUR LONG-TERM PROJECTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO TTS.
UM, PREDICTING THE NEXT TWO YEARS IS DIFFICULT ENOUGH, 20 YEARS.
SO WE'RE ASSUMING BASICALLY LIKE A 1% GROWTH IN PROPERTY VALUES IN THE DOWNTOWN FOREST JUPITER AREA.
AND WITH THAT, WE'RE EXPECTING ABOUT OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS OF ROUGHLY $50 MILLION OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT, ONCE YOU BACK
[01:00:01]
OUT, IT ADD IN THE INTEREST FOR, 'CAUSE WE WOULD ISSUE BONDS FOR THIS, IT'S ABOUT 15.7 MILLION.SO EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE TIF WOULD BE RELATED TO OTHER IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL AS THE CONTINUING TO MAINTAIN THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OFFICE.
WILL ADDITIONAL TAXES BE BE NECESSARY FOR THIS PROJECT? NO.
SO I'VE HEARD AT THIS POINT THAT WE'VE ALL SUBSTANTIATED OR STATED THAT TWO MORE, $2 MILLION IS NOT OUT OF THE, OUT OF THE MARKET IS IN THE WAY OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPENDING.
SO WHAT'S BEING ASKED OF US TONIGHT THEN THE 2 MILLION, IT'S QUALIFIED, IT'S SUBSTANTIATED THAT THE TIFF WILL TAKE CARE OF, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND WE HAVE ASSUMED THAT, UH, THE ENTIRE, SO WE, WE'VE, WE'VE GOT A BUDGET OF $8 MILLION FOR CONSTRUCTION, 1 MILLION FOR DESIGN.
SO THE TOTAL ALL IN IS ABOUT 10.95 MILLION.
NOW, ONLY THING WE'RE ASKING TONIGHT IS THE ACTUAL PURCHASE OF THE LAND, UH, THROUGH THE C I P PROCESS.
THE IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE BACK AGAIN THROUGH THAT ACTIVITY IN OUR C I P, BUT TONIGHT IT'S JUST THAT $1.9 MILLION PURCHASE OF LAND.
AND I, I GUESS WHERE I AM, MR. MAYOR, IS THIS, WE HAVE PUT MILLIONS OF DOLLARS AT THIS POINT INTO THIS DOWNTOWN SQUARE.
THE ONLY EYES SOAR TO THIS PROJECT PRESENTLY IS THAT BUILDING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OPENING UP ON THE 14TH.
AND IF WE DON'T OWN THAT PROPERTY, THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY IS GONNA BE A TOTAL THIS, I MEAN, IT'S A, IT'S A, RIGHT NOW IT'S AN EMBARRASSMENT.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE THIS PROPERTY HOME AND EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE SAID UNTIL THIS POINT HAS BEEN THAT WE WERE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT WE WILL GO FORWARD WITH IT.
AND SO I, TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO SAY TO MY COLLEAGUES THAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW UP, THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW THROUGH ON THE VISION THAT'S BEEN SET FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
I RECOGNIZE, I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THAT CAUSE US TO BE OVERSPENDING.
I RECOGNIZE COVID, INFLATION, SUPPLY DEMANDS, ALL OF THAT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE A VISION FOR OUR DOWNTOWN, AND YOU DON'T INVITE PEOPLE TO YOUR HOUSE
AND SO I'M JUST ASKING, BASED ON WHAT MATT IS TELLING US IN THE WAY OF WHAT WE NEED TO, HOW IT'S GONNA BE PAID FOR, I'M SAYING THAT WE NEED TO FOLLOW THROUGH AND APPROVE THIS PROPOSAL.
ALRIGHT, COUNSEL, AT THIS POINT, I BELIEVE EVERYONE HAS SPOKEN EXCEPT FOR, UH, COUNCIL LADY MORRIS AND MYSELF.
UH, SO MY, UH, DIRECTION AT THIS POINT IS TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO COUNCIL EDDIE MORRIS.
UH, SHE CAN MAKE HER COMMENTS.
UH, THEN I'M GOING TO MAKE MINE AND THEN WE'RE GONNA VOTE.
ALRIGHT, BECAUSE WE WERE HEDRICK YOU'RE BACK IN THE QUEUE.
I, I WAS HOPING THAT BEING, SINCE I PULLED THIS, I WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A LAST SAY ON IT.
BUT, UH, IT'S YOUR, YOUR, UH, PREROGATIVE TO, TO RUN THE MEETING, SIR.
I, I MEAN, YOU OPENED US UP AND, AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, I, I'M NOT, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO YOU SPEAKING AGAIN.
UM, BUT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO TIE A RIBBON ON THIS THING.
BUT I, I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO WHAT HAS BEEN SAID.
WELL, WE ARE, WE ARE BLESSED, UH, A FAIR NUMBER OF TIMES WITH CONTROVERSIES THAT HAVE NO, UM, CLEAN AND EASY ANSWER, AND THAT GO BACK AND FORTH AND THAT HAVE MANY FACETS TO CONSIDER.
THIS IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THEM.
SO, UM, ONE THING I HAVE NOT HEARD ADDRESSED TONIGHT THAT I HAVE HEARD FROM A LOT OF CITIZENS FOR YEARS, AND I IMAGINE THE MAYOR HAS AS WELL, ISN'T ABOUT WHAT IS THIS BUILDING WORTH OR EVEN, WHAT COULD IT BE USED FOR, BUT IT'S, HOW MUCH DAMAGE IS IT DOING US AS A CITY AND ON THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE? HOW MUCH DAMAGE? AND I CAN TELL YOU, I HAVE WATCHED, UM, BUSINESSES COME IN WHO WERE VERY INTERESTED, NICE BUSINESSES IN OPENING UP IN DOWNTOWN.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS THEY ASK ME AFTER THEY TOUR AROUND IS, WHAT IS WITH THAT HORRIBLE BUILDING? AND I SAY, WELL, IT'S BEEN THIS WAY FOR YEARS.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, CAN I BUY IT?
[01:05:01]
AND THEY'VE EVEN GONE AND HAD DISCUSSIONS AND BEEN TURNED FLAT DOWN.UM, AND IT, IT HAS ACTUALLY SCARED AWAY SOLID BUSINESSES FROM SETTLING INTO OUR DOWNTOWN.
AND THEY HAVE LATER POPPED UP IN ROULETTE OR MCKINNEY.
THEY LEFT US LARGELY BECAUSE OF THAT BUILDING.
SO I AM WITH SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES IN SAYING, IT'S NOT THE 1.95 MILLION.
MY HOUSE DOWN THE STREET IN DOWNTOWN, UM, RESIDENTIAL, WAS NOT WORTH THE BUILDING COSTS.
UM, WHERE WE BUILT IT IN 2008, 10 YEARS LATER, IT WAS, IN FACT, THEY EXCEEDED IT.
THINGS, I IMAGINE THE ASSESSED VALUE WILL SURPASS THIS PROPOSED, UM, PURCHASE PRICE PROBABLY IN ABOUT THAT SAME AMOUNT OF TIME.
SO, UM, I HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE TODAY WHO WERE PICKING UP, UM, MISLEADING INFORMATION ON, ON THE INTERNET, WHO WOULD EVER BELIEVE THAT? UM, AND SO I DID WANNA MENTION, UH, A COUPLE OF THOSE THINGS.
ONE BEING THAT THEY WERE VERY MAD ABOUT THE JONES FAMILY RETAINING SO MUCH CONTROL BEYOND THE PURCHASE.
AND THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY, UH, BEING ABLE TO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO, UH, ORDER OR DIRECT CHANGES IN THE, UH, DESIGN, UM, AND CONTINUED USE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND PART OF OUR, PART OF THE CONTRACT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW HAS A SECTION, I JUST, IF IT'S WITH THE MAYOR'S INDULGENCE, I WANNA JUST READ THIS SHORT PASSAGE.
OKAY? IT'S SECTION FIVE FINAL AUTHORITY.
IT SAYS, NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE INTERPRETED TO IMPLY A PARTNERSHIP OR JOINT VENTURE BETWEEN CITY AND SELLER.
AS A RESULT, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER SECTION OF THIS AGREEMENT, THE CITY SHALL HAVE FULL AND FINAL DECISION AUTHORITY REGARDING FINAL DESIGN, FACILITY, CONSTRUCTION OPERATION, AND FUTURE USES OF THE FACILITY.
THAT IS PART OF WHAT WE'RE BEING, UH, ASKED TO CONSIDER SIGNING TONIGHT OR APPROVING.
UM, I HEARD THAT WE WERE GIVING THE JONES' PERMISSION TO USE THE WHOLE FACILITY TWICE A MONTH.
ONE SINGLE CONFERENCE ROOM FOR A FEW HOURS FOR, UM, COUPLE DAYS, YEAH.
AND THERE ARE LIMITATIONS ON EVERYTHING.
THESE WERE VERY SMALL CONCESSIONS THAT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS APPARENTLY WERE REQUIRED TO GET PAST THE CONCLUSION, UM, WITH WHAT COUNCILWOMAN LU BROUGHT UP ABOUT HAVING A DIFFERENT, UH, CONCEPT AND USE.
UM, I WOULD NOT BE AT ALL AVERSE TO US PURCHASING THE PROPERTY AND, AND LOOKING IF WE'RE GONNA USE THIS FOR HOSPITALITY USE OR ENTERTAINMENT THAT IS DEAD CENTER WITH THE VISION FOR THE DOWNTOWN SQUARE DEAD CENTER, HOSPITALITY AND ENTERTAINMENT.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.
SO ALL THAT BEING SAID, UM, I DO MOVE.
UM, OUTTA RESPECT FOR, FOR YOUR CONCERNS, I WILL TURN THE FLOOR BACK OVER TO YOU.
BUT WHAT WE'RE NOT GONNA GET INTO IS A PINGING PONG MATCH.
BUT, UH, I, I, I RESPECT YOUR, YOUR CONCERNS.
AND IT'S NOT ABOUT THIS ONE, IT'S NOT ABOUT ACQUISITIONS.
WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY ALL THE TIME.
IT'S ABOUT THE OVERPAYMENT WE'RE PAYING JUST TO HAVE THIS, JUST TO FILL THIS LOCATION.
WE'RE COMPETING DIRECTLY WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR ON THIS.
I THINK TAKING IT OFF THE TAX ROLLS, WHICH THE WHOLE POINT OF A TIFF IS TO ADD VALUE TO TAX ROLLS, ADD TAXABLE VALUE, THE CITY ACQUIRING IT REMOVES IT DIRECTLY FROM THE TAX ROLL.
SO THERE WON'T BE A REAL APPRECIATION OF THAT PROPERTY UNTIL WE DISPOSE OF IT, UNTIL WE SELL IT.
SO THE BUILDING WENT DARK 36 YEARS AGO IN 1987.
WE'RE IN NO HURRY TO DO ANYTHING.
LET'S, LET'S PUSH THE PAUSE BUTTON ON THIS.
WELL, COUNSEL, UH, YOU KNOW, I
[01:10:01]
HAVE BEEN IN AND AROUND DOWNTOWN FOR A WHILE NOW.UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WILLIAMS AND I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOWN HERE OVER THE YEARS, AND, AND THERE HAS BEEN A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN DOWNTOWN, AND, AND THERE'S A VERY DRAMATIC ONE GOING ON AS WE SPEAK.
AND I'M, I'M NOT HERE TONIGHT TO GIVE EVERYBODY A HISTORY LESSON ON THE CITY OF GARLAND, BECAUSE MY WIFE TELLS ME THAT IT BORES PEOPLE.
BUT I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY LESSON BECAUSE I CAN, UH, AND I, AND I DO ACTUALLY HAVE REFERENCE MATERIAL TO BACK IT UP.
AND, AND THIS IS AVAILABLE AT EVERY GARLAND LIBRARY.
AND THERE IS A CHAPTER, IT'S, IT'S AN, IT'S AN ABRIDGED VERSION OF, OF THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF GARLAND FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.
UH, IN THAT BOOK, THERE IS AN ENTIRE CHAPTER THAT IS DEDICATED TO WHAT WE WOULD CALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT NOW.
UH, BUT WHAT WAS THEN, I DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE WORDS EXISTED IN THOSE DAYS, FRANKLY.
UH, BUT IT, THERE ARE NUMEROUS CASES WHERE CITIZENS, BUSINESS, CITY ADMINISTRATION, CITY LEADERSHIP, CAME TOGETHER TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT IN THIS CITY THAT HAS GOTTEN US WHERE WE ARE HERE TODAY.
WHETHER THAT WAS PUBLIC UTILITIES, WHETHER THAT WAS PUBLIC AMENITIES, WHETHER THAT WAS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER THAT WAS, AGAIN, THINGS THAT WE TERM AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TODAY.
AND, AND THOSE, AND, AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN READ ABOUT 'EM, YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT 'EM, AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THAT DID TO BRING THIS CITY TO WHERE IT IS.
BUT THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED, AND I, AND I, AND I'M NOT FAULTING ANY C CITY LEADERSHIP OR, OR ANYTHING, BUT THERE WAS A TIME WHEN ALL OF THAT INVESTMENT STOPPED IN THIS CITY.
NOW, THERE WERE POLITICAL REASONS, THERE MIGHT'VE BEEN ECONOMIC REASONS, THERE MIGHT'VE JUST BEEN WILL TO DO IT, BUT IT STOPPED.
UM, AND, AND WE HAVE ALL SORT OF PAID THE PRICE FOR THAT, FRANKLY.
AND, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF UNDOING SOME OF THAT NOW.
AND I WANT YOU TO THINK PRIOR TO 2019, HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AS MUCH INVESTMENT OR INTEREST IN THE CITY OF GARLAND AS YOU DID IN THE YEARS PRIOR TO THAT? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLY NO.
THIS COUNCIL, THESE CITIZENS HAVE MADE A COMMITMENT TO REIMAGINE RE-ENVISION, NOT JUST DOWNTOWN.
I MEAN, DOWNTOWN IS, IS, IS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT PIECE, BUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND YES, YOU KNOW, VISIONING IS GREAT.
IT, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE PRETTY PICTURES AND, AND PEOPLE THROW, UH, PEOPLE THROW FINANCIAL MONEY AROUND AND YOU KNOW, IT'S MONEY THAT, THAT BOGGLES THE NORMAL MIND.
UM, BUT I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT LAST NIGHT'S EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WE DISCUSSED, I BELIEVE, SEVEN SEPARATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE OVERPRICED, FRANKLY.
NOW, ARE THEY TO THE PERCENTAGE OF THIS ONE? NO.
BUT ARE THEY ALL OVERPRICED? YES.
AND I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT THAT TO ALL OF YOU AT SOME POINT IN THOSE MEETINGS.
IT IS, IT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO CONTINUE, AND IT'S NECESSARY FOR US TO COMPLETE THE VISION THAT WE HAVE PUT FORWARD.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH VISION IS IT'S EASY.
THE PROBLEM WITH DECISIONS IS THEY'RE HARD.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE REALLY TOUGH DECISIONS, OKAY? AND THOSE DECISIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
BUT TO MAKE THAT BETTER, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN THE DECISIONS THAT YOU'RE MAKING, THAT WE HAVE DONE OUR HOMEWORK, AND THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND I FEEL THAT ON EVERY PROJECT WE HAVE COMPLETED SINCE 2019, I FEEL THAT ON EVERY PROJECT THAT WE'VE GOT IN PLANNING NOW, INCLUDING THIS ONE.
AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A TIME, UH, WHEN JONES HARDWARE WAS A GO-TO PLACE IN THIS, IN THIS CITY.
YOU KNOW, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THERE WAS A TIME BEFORE HOME IMPROVEMENT STORES AND SUPERSTORE AND JONES HARDWARE WAS A GO-TO.
AND YES, IT'S BEEN DARK FOR A LOT OF YEARS, BUT GUESS WHAT? WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE IT A GO-TO LOCATION AGAIN.
AND WE NEED TO SUCK IT UP, PUT OUR FEARS ASIDE, HAVE A LITTLE FAITH IN THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD, AND WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH APPROVING THIS PROJECT AND THE REMAINING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
[01:15:01]
PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE.UM, I WILL CALL FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, MAYOR, I DO MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR AS PRESENTED.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL LADY MORRIS AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TIM MOORE TO APPROVE ITEM FOUR AS PRESENTED.
MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU PREPARE THE VOTE FOR US, PLEASE, THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE AND DISPLAY THE VOTE.
UH, THE MOTION CARRIES WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS WILLIAMS DUTTON AND HEDRICK IN OPPOSITION.
UH, AND WE WILL MOVE FORWARD ON THIS ITEM.
AND LAST NIGHT IN OUR DISCUSSIONS, UM, I SAID THAT IF, IF THIS ITEM WAS APPROVED AT THIS MEETING, THAT I WOULD SIGN THE CONTRACT TONIGHT SITTING HERE AT THIS DESK.
AND THAT IS WHAT I'M GONNA DO RIGHT NOW.
AND I WANT TO THANK THE JONES FAMILY FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THIS CITY'S HISTORY.
THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN HERE FOR A LONG TIME, AND AS I SAID EARLIER, THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD FOR THIS CITY, UH, OVER THOSE YEARS.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY FRIEND, UH, AND FORMER CITY MANAGER, BRIAN BRADFORD, UH, FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO THIS PROJECT OF WHILE HE WAS EMPLOYED HERE, AND WELL AFTER HE WAS NOT EMPLOYED HERE.
UH, HE HAS CONTINUED TO SEE THIS THROUGH.
I WANT TO THANK THE CITIZENS FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT.
UH, AS I PROBABLY TOLD YOU BEFORE, YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, UH, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CONTENTIOUS.
AND TO THAT POINT, I WANT TO THANK THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, AND, AND I, I, I, I PROBABLY DON'T BRAG ABOUT THEM AS MUCH IN PUBLIC AS I SHOULD.
UH, BUT I THINK TONIGHT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF OTHER ELECTED BODIES.
SHOULD MAYBE TAKE NOTE OF HOW WE HANDLE DIFFERENCES HERE.
WE'RE RESPECTFUL, WE HEAR EVERYBODY OUT, AND, AND WE MAKE OUR DECISIONS.
AND EVEN THOUGH SOME ARE IN DISAGREEMENT, WE WILL GO ON TO THE NEXT DAY AND THE DAY AFTER THAT.
YOU'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB.
UH, AND AT THIS POINT, WE ARE GONNA TAKE A BRIEF RECESS, UH, TO KINDA REGROUP HERE FOR A LITTLE BIT.
UH, SO LET'S HAVE EVERYBODY BACK AT 8 35, PLEASE.
UH, WE ARE COMING BACK FROM RECESS, UH, FOR THE OCTOBER 10TH, 2023 REGULAR MEETING OF THE GARLAND CITY COUNCIL.
[Items 7A & 7B]
MOVE FORWARD, UH, OUR NEXT, UH, UNDER THIS SECTION, ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU COULD COVER THE SPEAKER REGULATIONS FOR ME, PLEASE? YES, SIR.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IS GIVEN TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY RATHER THAN TO QUESTION THE COUNSEL OR STAFF.
THE CHAIR MAY CALL A SPEAKER OUT OF ORDER IF THE SPEAKER PRESENTS QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION THAT WILL UNDULY DELAY THE TRANSACTION OF BUSINESS AT THE MEETING.
SPEAKERS WILL BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK ON A FIRST COME, FIRST TO SPEAK BASIS, AS DETERMINED BY THE ORDER IN WHICH THE CITY SECRETARY RECEIVES THE SPEAKER'S INFORMATION.
APPLICANTS ARE ALLOWED 10 MINUTES FOR PRESENTATIONS AND ALL OTHER SPEAKERS WILL BE ALLOWED THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK WHEN THE PODIUM BUZZER SOUNDS.
THE SPEAKER MUST END THEIR COMMENTS.
AND DO WE HAVE SPEAKERS FOR BOTH ITEMS? REMAINING ITEMS? WE DO.
UH, FIRST ITEM UNDER ITEM SEVEN, HOLD PUBLIC HEARINGS ITEM SEVEN A, CONSIDER A SPECIFIC USE PROVISION BY PACHECO KOCH, A WESTWOOD COMPANY FOR AN ELECTRIC SUBSTATION TO SUPPORT GARLAND POWER AND LIGHT, AND A FUTURE DATA CENTER.
THIS SITE IS LOCATED AT 7 41 HOLFORD ROAD IN DISTRICT ONE.
IT ALSO HAS A SECOND PART SEVEN B, WHICH IS TO CONSIDER A DETAILED PLAN.
SAME APPLICANT, SAME ADDRESS, MR. GARRIN HEARING COUNSEL.
UM, THIS IS AN S U P APPROVAL REQUEST, UH, FOR AN ELECTRIC SUBSTATION IN SUPPORT OF A FUTURE DATA CENTER AND GARLAND POWER AND LIGHT.
UH, THE LOCATION IS 7 41 HOLFORD ROAD.
THE, UH, ACREAGE OF THE SITE IS 6.77 ACRES, AND IT IS ZONED WITHIN PD DISTRICT, UH, 20 DASH 17, UH, WHICH DOES REQUIRE AN S U P FOR AN ELECTRIC SUBSTATION, BUT THAT IS CONSISTENT ACROSS, UM, MOST ZONING DISTRICTS.
HERE IS A GENERAL LOCATION OF THE SUBJECT SITE IN NORTH GARLAND, JUST NORTH OF GEORGE BUSH AND, UH, ON HOLFORD ROAD.
AND, UH, SHOWN MORE SPECIFICALLY HERE.
[01:20:01]
UM, THIS OVERALL, UH, SUBJECT PROPERTY BOUNDARIES INCLUDES THE, UH, DRIVEWAYS TO KINDA GET DOWN TO FERRIS ROAD AND, UH, KIND OF A DRIVEWAY UP HERE.BUT THE, UH, SUBSTATION IS PRIMARILY LOCATED ABOUT RIGHT HERE WHERE MY CURSOR IS, CURSOR IS BEING SHOWN.
UH, THERE'S A SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, TO THE NORTH OF THE SUBJECT SITE, UH, CHURCH TO THE NORTHWEST, UH, VACANT LAND IMMEDIATELY TO THE WEST AND SOME MULTIFAMILY COMPLEXES, UM, ON THE WEST SIDE OF CAMPBELL ROAD.
UM, ON THE EAST SIDE OF, UH, ACROSS HOLFORD ROAD IS A LARGE, UM, KIND OF, UH, HOMESTEAD, UH, ZONE AG, UH, LITTLE BIT TO THE SOUTH THERE.
THERE'S AN APPROVED DATA CENTER.
UM, AND THEN FURTHER SOUTH OF THAT IS THE STRIKE AND REEL, UM, FACILITY.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IDENTIFIES THIS, UH, GREATER AREA'S, BUSINESS CENTERS, AND, UM, THE, UH, PROPOSAL AT HAND IS A UTILITY SERVICE, UH, AND WHAT'S PROVIDED BY THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL IS VALUABLE FOR, UH, FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, UH, UH, KIND OF NOTES HERE THAT THE, UH, PROPOSAL S THE PROPOSAL AT HAND SUPPORTS A DATA CENTER AND PER THE ADOPTED STRATEGIC PLAN, DATA CENTERS ARE, UM, THEY DO GENERATE THE MOST REVENUE PER ACRE BY BUILDING TYPE.
AND HERE'S SOME PHOTOS OF THE AREA, INCLUDING THE SUBJECT SITE THERE TO THE WEST OF HOLFORD ROAD AND LOOKING EAST OF HOLFORD ROAD THERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE STRIKE AND REEL THERE IN THE BACKGROUND.
AND THEN LOOKING NORTH OF THE SUBJECT PROPERTY, UH, HERE'S THE SITE PLAN.
UM, THIS IS KINDA WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE SUBSTATION HERE.
HOLFORD ROAD IS ALONG THE EAST SIDE.
SO THE SITE IS ACCESSED FROM HOLFORD ROAD.
UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS EASTERN PORTION OF THE SUBSTATION WILL BE OPERATED BY G P AND L, THE WESTERN, UH, PORTION BY, UM, UH, DIGITAL, UH, REALTY.
I THINK OUR STAFF REPORT HAD IT BACKWARDS, EAST TO WEST, BUT, UH, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND THERE'S A DETENTION POND, ACTUALLY IS TO THE SOUTH IMMEDIATELY TO THE SOUTH OF THE ACTUAL SUBSTATIONS.
THAT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF BELOW, UM, THE SUBSTATION.
BUT THIS, UH, KIND OF GREATER SITE PLAN KINDA SHOWS THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
THIS BLUE OUTLINE IS JUST THE DRIVEWAY.
UH, AND THEN THIS IS A, UM, DE, UH, DETENTION POND, AND THEN A POSSIBLE DETENTION POND THERE IN THE FUTURE.
FUTURE DETENTION POND, I SHOULD SAY.
AND, UM, JUST WANTED TO ILLUSTRATE THIS, THE MEASUREMENT BETWEEN THE NORTHERN, UH, PERIMETER OF THE SUBSTATION AND THE, UM, POINT OF THE ALLEY, UH, OF THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD TO THE NORTH IS APPROXIMATELY 346 FEET.
SO THAT IS FROM THE SUBSTATION TO THE ALLEY.
UM, MEASUREMENTS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT.
IF YOU MEASURE ACROSS THE ALLEY AND INTO DRIVEWAYS TO THE ACTUAL HOMES, IT'S A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO 375 FEET.
UH, LANDSCAPE PLAN, THERE WILL BE LANDSCAPING AND SCREENING PROVIDED, UH, TREES AND SHRUBS ALONG HOLFORD ROAD.
UM, THIS IS, UH, KIND THE PROTOTYPE FENCING THAT G P AND L USES AT THEIR SUBSTATION FACILITIES.
UH, THE APPLICANT PROPOSED THE S U S U P TO BE IN EFFECT FOR AN INDEFINITE TIME PERIOD.
AND, UM, THAT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR SUBSTATIONS.
IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE TWO EXISTING SUBSTATIONS NORTH OF LOOKOUT DRIVE, UM, DO HAVE AN INDEFINITE TIME PERIOD WITH THEIR SS U P APPROVALS.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS APPROVAL OF THIS REQUEST, BOTH THE S U P AND THE DETAIL PLAN, AND THE PLAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL AS WELL.
THAT WAS WITH THE UNANIMOUS, UH, SEVEN TO ZERO VOTE.
AND MAYOR, WE MAILED OUT, UH, 53 NOTIFICATION LETTERS ON THIS CASE.
UM, WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY, UH, RESPONSES THAT WERE SUBMITTED THAT, UH, MARKED IN FAVOR, UH, BUT WE DID RECEIVE 27 AGAINST THE REQUEST WITHIN THE NOTIFICATION AREA AND 31 AGAINST, UM, OUTSIDE THE NOTIFICATION AREA.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THIS ITEM? EXCUSE ME.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE APPLICANT HERE.
I'M JUST HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, COUNSEL, WE HAVE THE APPLICANT, UH, WITH US IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? I SEE NONE.
UH, DO WE HAVE, UH, ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? ANYONE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? I SEE NONE, MAN.
I'M BATTING ZEROS HERE, MAYOR, I HAVE TWO SPEAKER CARDS, BUT THEY MAY BE THE APPLICANT CARDS.
CLINTON CURRY AND ASHLEY REYNOLDS.
THEY ARE NODDING THE AFFIRMATIVE.
OKAY, WELL, WE HAVE NO ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS, UH,
[01:25:01]
BUT I HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS THAT POPPED UP IN THE QUEUE.I DID HEAR 27 LETTERS AGAINST, I BELIEVE THAT WAS CORRECT.
UH, 27 WITHIN, WITHIN 31, UH, 31 OUTSIDE THE NOTIFICATION AREA, THE 400 FEET.
UH, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? IF NOT, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM BASS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM SEVEN A AND SEVEN B, THE SPECIFIC USE PERMIT AND DETAIL PLAN AS PRESENTED.
I HAVE A MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM BASS.
I HAVE A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HEDRICK TO APPROVE ITEMS SEVEN A AND SEVEN B AS PRESENTED.
UM, SECRETARY, YOU CAN PREPARE THE VOTE FOR US PLEASE AND DISPLAY THE VOTE.
AND THOSE ITEMS ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
[Items 7C & 7D]
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, ITEM, UH, THE NEXT CASE ALSO HAS TWO PARTS.CONSIDER A ZONING REQUEST BY SPIRES ENGINEERING FOR A SENIOR INDEPENDENT LIVING DEVELOPMENT WITH 152 DWELLING UNITS.
THIS SITE IS LOCATED AT FOUR 13 AND 5 0 5 WEST CENTERVILLE ROAD AND FIVE 10 CANDLEWOOD LANE IN DISTRICT FIVE.
IT ALSO HAS, UH, SEVEN D, WHICH IS TO CONSIDER A DETAILED PLAN.
SAME APPLICANT, SAME ADDRESSES.
UH, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH AN EXISTING VACANT BUILDING AND CONSTRUCT A SENIOR INDEPENDENT LIVING DEVELOPMENT.
THE LOCATION IS, UH, WE PRIMARILY REFER TO AS 5 0 5 WEST CENTERVILLE ROAD, BUT TECHNICALLY IT INCLUDES FOUR 13, UH, CENTERVILLE ROAD AND FIVE 10 CANDLEWOOD LANE AGAIN, OR, UM, AS WELL, THE ACREAGE OF THE SUBJECT SITE IS ABOUT, UH, 4.3 ACRES IN SIZE.
AND THE CURRENT ZONING IS, UH, COMMUNITY OFFICE DISTRICT AND NEIGHBORHOOD OFFICE DISTRICT.
SO THIS WOULD BE A REZONING INTO A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT, UM, FOR SENIOR INDEPENDENT LIVING.
UH, THIS IS A GENERAL LOCATION OF THE SUBJECT SITE ON CENTERVILLE ROAD IN SOUTH GARLAND.
AND IT IS, UH, SHOWN HERE, UH, KIND OF AN ODD SHAPED LOT THERE.
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING BUILDING THERE.
IT IS A FORMER RETIREMENT HOME.
IT IS CURRENTLY VACANT, AND THAT WOULD BE, UH, DEMOLISHED IF APPROVED, UM, IF APPROVED THIS EVENING, UH, TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE SUBJECT SIDE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES.
UH, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES ADJACENT TO THE SITE, INCLUDING A DENTAL OFFICE AND A DAYCARE.
UM, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF AL ROAD TO THE SOUTH ARE TOWNHOUSES AND JUST SOME OTHER, UH, COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL IN THE GENERAL AREA AS YOU GO UP AND DOWN CENTERVILLE ROAD.
THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, DESIGNATES THIS SITE AS COMPACT NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THIS PROPOSAL IS A REDEVELOPMENT OF THE EXISTING VACANT RETIREMENT FACILITY AND OFFERS ADDITIONAL SENIOR HOUSING TO THE AREA.
UH, NEW MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT IS CONSIDERED THE SECOND HIGHEST REVENUE PER ACRE GENERATOR PER THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLAN.
UH, THE PROPOSAL REPRESENTS REDEVELOPMENT OF AN UNDERPERFORMING SITE, WHICH CURRENTLY HAS A VACANT BUILDING.
AND HERE'S SOME PHOTOS OF THE AREA.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE CURRENT VACANT BUILDING THERE ON THE TOP LEFT.
AGAIN, THAT BUILDING WILL GO AWAY IF APPROVED.
UM, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF COM COMPARISON, MAYOR.
THIS, UH, UH, UH, ZONING APPLICATION HAS EVOLVED QUITE A BIT FROM THE VERY ORIGINAL SUBMITTAL, UH, EARLIER THIS YEAR IS SUBMITTED AS A MULTI-FAMILY REQUEST.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY THIS EVENING IT IS A, A DIFFERENT CASE NUMBER, NEW APPLICATION, UH, FOR SENIOR INDEPENDENT LIVING.
SO JUST TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT, THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE AND COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF EVERY SINGLE CHANGE THE APPLICANT MADE, BUT THESE ARE KIND OF THE, UH, MOST NOTABLE ONES, I WOULD SAY.
UM, KIND OF THE DIFFERENCE OF THE FOR AND AFTER, AS THIS CASE HAS EVOLVED.
UM, AGAIN, ORIGINALLY UNDER CASE 23 DASH ZERO FIVE, IT WAS, UM, MULTIFAMILY, SO NOT AGE RESTRICTED IN ANYWAY.
AND THIS APPLICATION IS, UH, SENIOR INDEPENDENT LIVING.
UH, THE NUMBER OF DWELLINGS IN THE ORIGINAL MULTIFAMILY APPLICATION WAS 177.
UM, ORIGINALLY THERE WAS, UH, THE MASONRY WALL THAT IS BEING PROPOSED ALONG THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN PERIMETER OF THE SITE WAS SIX FEET IN HEIGHT.
THE, UH, APPLICANT HAS INCREASED THAT TO EIGHT FEET IN HEIGHT.
THE MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHTS, UH, UH, WAS, WAS, UH, THE BUILDING BUILDING HEIGHT WAS 59 FEET.
THAT WAS THREE AND FOUR STORIES.
UM, THE PROPOSAL THIS EVENING IS A MAXIMUM BUILDING HEIGHT OF 48 FEET WITH A COMBINATION OF TWO AND THREE STORIES IN HEIGHT.
AND THEN FINALLY, DENSITY WITH THE DECREASE IN UNITS, UH, THAT, UH, NATURALLY DECREASE
[01:30:01]
FROM ABOUT 41 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE DOWN TO 35.UM, THIS IS THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN.
UH, THERE ARE TWO MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS, OR TWO SENIOR INDEPENDENT LIVING BUILDINGS, I SHOULD SAY.
UM, AGAIN, 152 UNITS ARE PROPOSED, UH, MIX OF ONES AND TWO BEDROOMS. UM, AGAIN, THE, THE MAJORITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE BUILDINGS ARE THREE STORIES IN HEIGHT.
HOWEVER, IF YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THAT, UH, SHADED BUILDING OR SHADED PORTION OF THE BUILDING HERE, THAT WILL BE TWO STORIES IN HEIGHT.
THAT WAS A CHANGE THAT, UM, MR. INGER, THE DEVELOPER, UM, MADE WITH THIS APPLICATION, LOWERING THAT BUILDING HEIGHT DOWN TO TWO STORIES.
UM, THE APPLICATION OR THE SITE PLAN AT HAND DOES MEET ALL THE PARKING REQUIREMENTS IN THE G D C.
UM, THERE'S AN AMENITY BUILDING, UH, PROPOSED HERE THAT INCLUDES AN A, AN INDOOR POOL.
THAT WAS KIND OF ONE OF THE OTHER CHANGES KIND OF FROM THE BEFORE AND AFTER.
THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY SHOWN AS PARKING THAT'S BEEN REPLACED WITH, UH, AN AMENITY CENTER, A POOL, UM, AFTER SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
UM, AND, UH, ONE ALSO POINT OUT THAT, UH, THE APPLICANT WAS ABLE TO MOVE A DUMPSTER LOCATION.
THERE WAS, IN THE ORIGINAL APPLICATION, THERE WAS A DUMPSTER THAT WAS A, A BIT CLOSE TO SOME OF THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A ALTERNATIVE LOCATION THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE FOR SANITATION AND EVERYBODY MORE INTERNAL TO THE SITE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE SITE IS ACCESS FROM CENTERVILLE ROAD.
AND, UH, TO SHOW THE LANDSCAPE PLAN, I'LL KIND OF POINT OUT SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL AMENITIES.
UH, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING A PUTTING GREEN OUTDOOR, PUTTING GREEN OVER HERE ON THE WESTERN CORNER OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, THERE ARE SOME GATHERING AREAS, UM, SEATING, BARBECUE GRILLS, UH, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SOME OUTDOOR, UM, IN INTERIOR, BUT OPEN AIR COURTYARDS, UH, WITHIN THE BUILDINGS.
AGAIN, THERE'S THE AMENITY BUILDING OVER HERE WITH AN INDOOR POOL AND SOME LANDSCAPING PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE SITE.
UH, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DEVIATIONS RELATED TO LANDSCAPE SCREENING, WHICH WE'LL GO OVER HERE IN A FEW MINUTES.
UH, HERE ARE THE BUILDING ELEVATIONS.
I'LL KIND OF RUN THROUGH THESE.
OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A THREE STORY, UM, PORTION OF THE BUILDINGS.
UM, THEN YOU CAN KIND OF SEE A PORTION OF THE TWO STORY THERE ON TOP.
AND MR. INGER CAN DISCUSS THIS A LITTLE FURTHER, BUT HE'LL, HE'LL TELL YOU, TELL YOU PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THIS.
BUT YOU, YOU'LL NOTICE IF YOU LOOK REAL CLOSELY, SOME PARTICULAR SHUTTERS THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO SOME OF THE THREE STORY WINDOWS THAT FACE OUT TOWARDS THE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THAT WAS SOMETHING, UH, THAT, THAT, UM, HE HAS PROVIDED TO KIND OF HELP WITH SOME OF THE VIEW CONCERNS WITH THAT.
SO, AND THE BUILDING ELEVATIONS FOR THE AMENITY CENTER.
THE BUILDING ELEVATIONS MEET ALL G D C REQUIREMENTS.
NO DEVIATIONS ARE REQUESTED THERE.
UM, HOWEVER, THERE, THERE ARE FIVE DEVIATION, UH, REQUESTS BY THE APPLICANT WITH THIS, UM, UH, ZONING APPLICATION.
UM, I'LL RUN THROUGH THOSE, BUT REALLY IN STAFF'S OBSERVATION, UM, THERE'S REALLY KIND OF TWO FACTORS OR REASONS REALLY FOR EACH DEVIATION.
AND IT TYPICALLY EITHER HAS TO DO WITH THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH CERTAINLY IS A VERY ODD AND REALLY KIND OF AWKWARD SHAPE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER REASON, UH, BEING THAT THE APPLICANT HAS WORKED WITH THE NEIGHBORS AND ADDRESSED IN PARTICULAR CONCERNS, UM, AND SOME OF THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS, UM, WHEN MEETING THOSE CONCERNS FROM THE NEIGHBORS ACTUALLY KIND OF TRIGGERED SOME CODE DEVIATION.
SO I'LL KIND OF POINT THOSE OUT, UM, HERE.
AND SO STARTING WITH DENSITY, UM, AGAIN, THE PROPOSED DENSITY IS 35 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.
THE MAXIMUM PER THE MULTIFAMILY TWO DISTRICT, WHICH WOULD BE THE BASE ZONING DISTRICT IN THIS PD IS 32.
BUT AS A REMINDER, WITH THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, IT WAS ABOUT 41 UNITS PER ACRE.
UM, THAT DEVIATION IS PRIMARILY JUST COMBINATION OF THE URBAN STYLE DESIGN OF THE DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS JUST THE SHAPE AND, UH, KIND OF ODD SIZE OF THE PROPERTY.
TO KIND OF SUMMARIZE THIS, THE G D C REALLY ENCOURAGES MORE IN THE WAY OF INDOOR AMENITIES WHEN IT COMES TO SENIOR LIVING AND ELDER CARE.
AND THE APPLICANT, WHILE THERE ARE SOME INDOOR AMENITIES, INCLUDING A, ABOUT A 3,500 SQUARE FOOT, UM, AMENITY BUILDING WITH THE POOL, AS WELL AS AN INDOOR, UM, UH, GOLF SIMULATOR, UM, THERE'S A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF OPEN, OR EXCUSE ME, OUTDOOR, UM, AMENITY SPACE PROVIDED HERE.
UM, AND THE APPLICANT FEELS THERE'S A, THERE'S A NEED FOR THAT, UH, AND THAT THE RESIDENTS KIND OF WILL, WILL ENJOY THAT.
SO, SO, UH, THE OUTDOOR AMENITIES INCLUDE A, AS I POINTED OUT, AN OUTDOOR PUTTING GREEN, SOME FIRE PITS GATHERING AREAS, SOME COURTYARDS, AND AS WELL AS SOME WALKING PATHS.
AND IN INTERNAL, UH, SIDEWALKS, THEY'LL HAVE SOME DOG WASTE STATIONS AND, UM, THINGS OF THAT SORT, UH, BUILDING SETBACKS.
UM, THE, ONE OF THE BUILDING SETBACKS ACTUALLY JUST WAS AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGERED BECAUSE IT, UH, IT WENT FROM MULTIFAMILY TO SENIOR, UH, LIVING, SENIOR LIVING IN THE G D C MEASURES, SETBACKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, BUT EVEN THOUGH THE SITE REALLY, THE BUILDING LAYOUT REALLY DIDN'T CHANGE MUCH, KIND
[01:35:01]
OF AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGERED SOME DEVIATIONS, BUT THOSE ARE LARGELY MITIGATED FROM THE, UM, INCREASED HEIGHT OF THE MASONRY WALL.UM, CARPORTS WERE ADDED, UM, ACTUALLY TO HELP WITH VIEW, VIEW CONCERNS FROM NEIGHBORS.
THEY, UM, WELL, THE THREE STORE BUILDINGS WOULD BE LOOKING DOWN.
SO THE CARPORTS WERE ADDED TO HELP WITH SCREENING.
SO SEVERAL MITIGATING FACTORS THERE, UM, FOR SETBACKS.
UM, AND THEN THE CARPORTS AND AMENITY BUILDINGS, THOSE ARE WITHIN THE SETBACKS, BUT AGAIN, THAT THE CARPORTS ACTUALLY WERE ADDED NOT TO JUST ADDRESS COVERED PARKING, BUT ALSO, UM, FOR, FOR SCREENING PURPOSES.
AND AGAIN, THE APPLICANT WORKING WITH NEIGHBORS, UM, AND THE AMENITY BUILDING IS A LITTLE BIT IN THE SETBACK, BUT THAT WAS SOMETHING MR. INGER KIND OF WENT OVER WITH SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS.
AND THE AMENITY BUILDING, AS I UNDERSTAND, NEEDED TO, UM, BE OF A CERTAIN SIZE TO FIT THE INDOOR POOL AND HAVE A FITNESS ROOM AND, AND, UM, THOSE TYPES OF AMENITIES.
UH, LANDSCAPING, UM, THIS HAS BEEN A PRETTY, UH, STANDARD OR, OR, OR COMMENT I SHOULD SAY, UM, DEVIATION FOR, UM, REQUEST WITH KIND OF SMALL, UM, OR ODD SHAPED LOTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE KIND OF MORE URBAN STYLE.
UM, THERE IS 21% LANDSCAPING PROVIDED, UM, BUT THE APPLICANT REALLY IN SAAS OPINION HAS MAXIMIZED THE, UM, THE OUTDOOR OPEN SPACES, UM, WITH LANDSCAPING, UH, BUT WITH ACTUAL PROGRAMMED AMENITIES AS WELL, REALLY TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT, UH, POSSIBLE GIVEN THE, THE AVAILABLE LAND.
AND THEN FINALLY THE LAST ONE IS RELATED TO SCREENING, UM, THE MASONRY WALL, UH, LOCATION, I CAN GO BACK TO THAT HERE IN A LITTLE BIT, BUT THE MASONRY WALL ALONG THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN PERIMETER, UM, UH, SIDES OF THE PROPERTY DON'T HAVE THE ROW OF LARGE CANOPY TREES.
THERE WASN'T REALLY ROOM TO PLANT ALL THOSE AND FIT ALL THE REQUIRED PARKING AND THE BUILDING FOOTPRINTS, FIRE LANES AND ALL THAT.
UM, ALL THOSE ITEMS. UH, HOWEVER, THERE ARE STILL LARGE CANOPY TREES PROVIDED THAT JUST ADDRESS THE, UM, LANDSCAPE, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE PARKING LOT LANDSCAPING REQUIREMENTS.
SO THERE IS, ARE STILL A NUMBER OF LARGE CANOPY TREES, UM, UH, NEAR THAT FENCE LINE.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY A, A SIX FOOT, WE SIX FOOT WOOD FENCE WITH MASONRY COLUMNS IS PROPOSED, UM, ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN AND EASTERN PROPERTY LINES.
THOSE ARE ADJACENT TO, UM, THE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS AS WELL AS ONE PARTICULAR PROPERTY OWNER WHO, UM, ACTUALLY WORKED WITH MR. THIER, THE DEVELOPER, AND DID NOT WANT HER FENCE REPLACED.
SHE PREFERRED TO KEEP THE NEW, UH, WOOD FENCE THAT SHE'S GOT, SO THAT THAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UH, DEVIATION.
SO, UH, WITH THAT MAYOR STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION IS APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST.
THAT IS BOTH THE CHANGE IN ZONING AND THE DETAILED PLAN.
AND, UH, THE PLAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDED APPROVAL AS WELL.
THAT WAS WITH A UNANIMOUS SEVEN TO ZERO VOTE FOR BOTH THE CHANGE OF ZONING AND DETAILED PLAN.
AND MAYOR, WE MAILED OUT 197 NOTIFICATION LETTERS ON THIS CASE.
UH, WE RECEIVED FOUR RESPONSES IN FAVOR WITHIN THE NOTIFICATION AREA AND FIVE AGAINST WITHIN THE NOTIFICATION AREA.
AND THEN, UH, ZERO IN FAVOR OUTSIDE THE NOTIFICATION AREA, BUT THREE, UH, AGAINST OUTSIDE THE NOTIFICATION AREA.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF ON THIS ITEM? I SEE NONE.
NEED EVERYBODY? EVERYBODY'S SCOTT INGER.
CAN WE MAKE THAT GO FULL? IS THAT, IS THAT FULL? LEMME DO THAT.
POWER, LET ME BACK UP A SECOND.
UM, I'M ASSUMING YOU'VE, YOU FILLED OUT SPEAKER CARDS? YES.
AND IF YOU COULD GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
YOU'LL HAVE 10 MINUTES TO MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION AND ANSWER QUESTIONS.
IF THERE'S ANY SPEAKERS AFTER THAT, WE MAY GIVE YOU SOME TIME FOR REBUTTAL, BUT OTHERWISE, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
I LIVE AT 95 34 ALTIMA LANE IN DALLAS, TEXAS.
UH, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE TONIGHT.
THIS HAS BEEN A TWO YEAR JOURNEY AND BEEN A LONG, TOUGH ROAD.
UH, MY FIRST ROUND OF THIS, AS YOU NOTICE, WAS 177 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX.
AFTER THE FIRST P AND Z MEETING, I WAS ALMOST HOSPITALIZED WITH BRUISES AND, AND GETTING BEAT UP SO BAD BY MY LOVELY FRIENDS HERE.
THEY'RE LAUGHING AT ME BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN FUN.
SO THEY'RE LIKE FAMILY TO ME NOW, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UM, AND I HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO, TO COUNCILMAN LOCKE FOR, UH, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THIS PROJECT, IT WAS A MULTI-FAMILY.
SHE REALLY PUSHED THE IDEA SENIOR LIVING.
I HAD NEVER DONE A SENIOR LIVING, SO IT WAS JUST A, THERE WERE SOME RESTRICTIONS WITH IT, WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE COULDN'T DO THAT.
BUT AS WE PUSHED FORWARD, WE FIGURED OUT A, A PATH TO TRAVEL TO GET THERE.
SO THEN WE'VE WORKED WITH TIRELESSLY WITH THE NEIGHBORS TO ALL THE DEVIATIONS THAT WILL JUST MENTIONED ARE ALL IN EFFORT TO,
[01:40:01]
WHICH IS WHAT I THINK A PD IS REALLY ABOUT, IS CUSTOMIZING THE PROPERTY TO FIT THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE FOR THE PROPERTY, BUT ALSO MAKE IT THE BEST THING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.SO OUR INTENT, AND I CAN GO THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION, IT'S EVERYTHING THAT WILL JUST SAID, AND I DON'T WANNA BORE YOU.
AND I KNOW THE FIRST COUPLE SESSIONS OR THE FIRST COUPLE, UH, UH, THINGS ON THE DOCKET TOOK A LITTLE BIT LONGER, BUT THE, THE AMENITY CENTER THAT IS AT THE BACK OF THE PROPERTY WAS SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED BY MAXINE AND KATHY.
SO THAT WAY OUR INTENT THERE WAS THAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE A HOUSE FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD SIZE TO MAINTAIN CONTINUITY.
THIS IS A UNIQUE PROPERTY WHERE IT, IT JETTISONS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND TO HAVE A COMMERCIAL BUILDING THERE, AT FIRST IT WAS JUST THIS BIG EIGHT FOOT CONCRETE WALL, WHICH I AGREED WOULD LOOK HORRIBLE.
SO OUR IDEA IS WE ASKED OUR ARCHITECT TO DESIGN SOMETHING THAT LOOKED LIKE THE HOUSES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY'RE OFFICIALLY ON MY DESIGN COMMITTEE.
SO MAXINE AND KATHY ARE GONNA HELP ME ACTUALLY FINALIZE THE DESIGN OF THAT WITH HIP, HIP ROOTS AND EVERYTHING.
AND ALSO THE IDEA THERE IS THAT AS YOU DRIVE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IT WILL LOOK LIKE A HOUSE, BUT OBVIOUSLY NOT HAVE THE SAME ACCESS THAT A HOME WOULD.
UH, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE DID WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HEIGHT, AND THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE VISIBILITY FROM THE NEIGHBORS LOOKING IN, UM, INTO THEIR BACKYARD.
SO WE PUT SOME LOUVERED, THEY CALL 'EM BAHAMA SHADES, THEY'RE LIKE LOUVER VENT SHADES THAT PREVENT PEOPLE FROM LOOKING DIRECTLY OUT.
THEY CAN SEE DOWN, BUT THEY CAN'T SEE DIRECTLY INTO THE BACKYARD.
WE DID THE BUILDING AS A TWO STORY ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, UM, TO HELP.
IT WAS A SIDE THAT WAS THE BUILDING WAS THE CLOSEST AND IT HAD THE GREATEST IMPACT.
AND SO WE REDUCED THAT TO TWO STORIES TO BE ABLE TO MINIMIZE THAT IMPACT.
UM, ORIGINALLY THE, THE CURRENT BUILDING HAS A DUMPSTER AT THE BACKSIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
WE MOVED THAT TOWARDS THE FRONT, BUT THEN THAT PUT IT IN SAM'S FRONT YARD, WHICH HE DIDN'T LIKE.
SO WE, WE MOVED IT INSIDE THE CENTER, UM, ON DONNA'S FENCE, WHICH IS ON THE, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
SHE'S GOT A BRAND NEW BEAUTIFUL FENCE.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO TEAR IT DOWN.
SO WE HAVE THE WALL COMING INTO THE BACK OF THAT, THE ACCESS THAT GOES ONTO THEIR STREET.
WE MADE THAT LOOK VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT SAM'S HOUSE IS WITH A WROUGHT IRON FENCE.
SO IT ALL TIES IN AND LOOKS CONTIGUOUS TO TRY TO, TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF A NEW BUILDING COMING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IT ALL LOOKS LIKE IT WAS ORIGINALLY MEANT TO BE THERE.
SO WITH, WITH THE WALLS THAT GO INTO THE SIDE OF CATH, UH, KATHLEEN AND DONNA'S PROPERTY, WE'RE RETURNING THOSE INTO THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
SO THAT WAY, AS MAXINE SAYS, IT'S NOT A BIG HOLE THAT I'M IN.
SO SHE'S NOT BLINDED FOR, FOR SECURITY AND FEARFUL REASONS.
SHE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN THIS BIG DARK HOLE.
SO WE PULLED THOSE WALLS BACK.
SO ALL THE DEVIATIONS WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE AND ALL THE ACCEPTANCE WE'RE ASKING FOR ARE ALL WITH THE INTENT OF DESIGNING A BUILDING THAT THE NEIGHBORS CAN GET BEHIND.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL HEAR FROM, FROM A FEW OF THEM TONIGHT THAT THEY'RE BEHIND THE PROJECT.
ORIGINALLY THEY WERE NOT AT ALL, BUT NOW THEY ARE.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
WE'VE WORKED VERY, VERY HARD TO GET HERE.
SO WITH THAT, I'M OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYONE ON COUNCIL MAY HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? I SEE.
COUNCIL MORRIS, THIS ISN'T A, ACTUALLY A QUESTION, BUT I ATTENDED A
AND I JUST WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO CARE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORS AND TO GO TO THE, UH, LINKS THAT YOU DID TO WORK THIS OUT, BECAUSE OTHERWISE WE WOULDN'T BE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, COUNCILOR WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
THANK YOU COUNCIL LADY MORRIS, UH, SCOTT, I ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS.
UH, I WAS PRESENT AT SEVERAL OF THE, UH, CRUCIFIXION PREPARATIONS FOR CRUCIFIXION YES.
UH, CEREMONIES THAT, THAT, THAT DIDN'T PAN OUT.
AND, UH, KUDOS TO, TO, TO YOU AND YOUR RESPONSIVENESS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, TO LISTENING.
AND I'VE TAKEN LESSONS FROM THOSE SESSIONS THAT I ATTENDED MY COLLEAGUE LEADERSHIP OF, UH, COUNCIL LEADER LUCK.
AND PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, CITIZEN INPUT DOESN'T MATTER.
THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS A LESSON OF, OF BASIC CIVICS THAT IT DOES MATTER.
AND I'M RIGHT ACROSS, I'M RIGHT ACROSS THE FENCE FROM THIS.
AND THOSE, THOSE TOWN HOMES THAT THEY SHOWED ON THE, ON THE SITE PLAN, YEAH.
UH, I HAD SOME FOLKS WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD HAMMERS AND NAILS TOO ON THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL.
BUT I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU FOR FOLLOWING, UH, COUNCIL LADY LUCK'S LEADERSHIP AND RE REALLY, I'M NOT SURE THAT I COULD HAVE, 'CAUSE YOU, YOU TOOK A FEW NAILS IN THE HANDS, YOU KNOW, ONLY PLACE THEY MISSED, I THINK WAS YOUR HEAD
BUT I JUST WANT TO COM COMMEND YOU.
WE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF, UH, UH, DEVELOPERS COMING FOR US AND JUST WATCH THEM HOW THEY OPERATE AND YOUR, YOUR GRIT.
[01:45:01]
YOU LISTENED AND, AND I THINK THAT WAS, AND I NOTICED, AND YOU DIDN'T, UH, YOU DIDN'T BECOME DEFENSIVE.UH, YOU WERE COMMITTED TO THIS, UH, PROJECT AND IT WAS, THE OUTCOME IS, IS REFRESHING.
SO I JUST WANT TO JOIN COUNCIL LADY MORRIS AND COMMENDING YOU IN THE EFFORTS AND ALL THE, ALL THE NEIGHBORS AND, UH, I, I'VE MADE REFERENCE TO THIS INTERCHANGE, THIS PROJECT AND MY DISTRICT TO A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AS HOW YOU CAN GET, REACH THE GOAL THAT YOU WANT TO, IF BOTH SIDES ARE WILLING TO LISTEN.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVESTMENT IN SOUTH GOLAND.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENDATIONS, UH, FOR THE APPLICANT? I SEE NONE.
UH, MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE OTHER SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM THAT ARE NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE APPLICANT? YES, WE HAVE FIVE OTHER SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU IF WE NEED TO.
CALL HER FIRST SPEAKER, PLEASE, DR.
MA'AM, IF YOU CAN COME DOWN AND IF YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
TRISHA HARRIS AT 4 0 0 2 KEEL, UH, RIGHT, RIGHT DOWN THE STREET FROM THIS.
AND ALTHOUGH I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONCESSIONS THAT WERE MADE, I STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF CONCERNS ABOUT IT.
IT LOOKED LIKE FROM THE DRAWING THERE WAS ONLY ONE SECTION THAT WAS TWO STORY, AND THE REST OF IT WAS THREE.
AND MY CONCERN IS THAT'S GONNA SET A PRECEDENCE FOR THE REST OF CENTERVILLE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, WELL, THERE'S A THREE STORY BUILDING RIGHT THERE.
WHY CAN'T WE HAVE THREE OR FOUR, FIVE STORIES DOWN THE HALL? BECAUSE NOW WE'VE SET A PRECEDENCE FOR IT.
SO I'M KIND OF CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
THE OTHER ONE IS THE TRAFFIC STUDY.
AND I DID CALL THE TRAFFIC OFFICE AND ASK FOR A TRAFFIC STUDY AND ONE OF THE, THEY NEVER CALLED BACK, SO I'M NOT SURE WHY, BUT, UH, IT SEEMED LIKE ONE OF THE OPINIONS WAS, WELL, THE MAJORITY ARE GONNA BE PEOPLE OVER 55 AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE DRIVING TO WORK.
I TEACH CLASSES AT NIGHT AND I TEACH CLASSES ON A WEEKEND.
SO YEAH, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OVER 55 ARE STILL GONNA BE DRIVING, THEY'RE STILL GONNA BE ADDING TO THE TRAFFIC.
SO I STILL WOULD LIKE TO SEE A TRAFFIC STUDY DONE ON HOW MUCH THAT'S GONNA IMPACT THE TRAFFIC BECAUSE THERE'VE BEEN TIMES I'VE SAT THERE AT KEEL TRYING TO TURN LEFT ONTO CENTERVILLE AND HAVE SAT THERE FOR 10 MINUTES.
AND THAT WAS ON A SATURDAY MORNING, SO THAT WASN'T EVEN AT THE TRAFFIC HOUR.
SO I DO APPRECIATE THE CONCESSIONS THAT WERE MADE.
I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF A 55 AND OVER DO LIKE A LOT OF THE CONCESSIONS THAT WERE MADE, BUT I STILL HAVE THOSE TWO CONCERNS.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE SPEAKER? SHE LEFT ANYWAY, SO YOU CAN CALL HER NEXT.
I CAN
CAN YOU PULL THAT MICROPHONE DOWN JUST A SMIDGE THERE.
I LIVE AT 5 0 6 CANDLEWOOD LANE.
SHE'S, SHE'S DESIGNATED ME THIS.
SCOTT AND I HAVE BECOME PRETTY, PRETTY FRIENDLY.
UM, UH,
UM, I'M SURE YOU'VE GOTTEN PICTURES OF WHATEVER.
OTHER THAN THAT, WE, WE ARE REALLY PLEASED WITH WHAT SCOTT HAS DONE.
IT HAS BEEN A LOT OF WORK, UM, A LOT OF VISITATIONS AS YOU'VE HEARD.
UM, WE ARE PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE PUT ON PAPER AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO IT BEING ERECTED SO THAT THE SENIORS WHO ARE WAITING FOR HOMES OTHER THAN THEIR HOMES, LIKE WE LIVE IN OUR OWN HOME, UM, WILL HAVE A PLACE THAT IS BETTER THAN THE
[01:50:01]
NORM.UM, AND I'M SO GLAD THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A PARKING LOT NEXT TO MY HOUSE.
UM, WE HOPE WHEN HE SHOWS YOU THE FINAL PLANS, WHICH THE TWO OF US WOULD LIKE IT TO LOOK LIKE AND BE LIKE WALLS CONSIDERED AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, YOU WILL JUST APPROVE IT.
UM, BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE EXACTLY WHAT THE SUPPOSED TO BE.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND, UM, WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, OKAY.
I'M GOING TO, I'M GOING TO DO THIS.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, AFTER THE, AFTER THE DEMOLITION, SCOTT'S GONNA MAKE THE FIRST SHOVEL, UM, MY PRIEST AND THE, I HOPE THE COMMUNITY INCLUDING YOU AS THE COMMUNITY WILL COME BY.
WE ARE GOING TO WALK THE PROPERTY AND PRAY FOR IT TO BE A HUGE SUCCESS.
THAT IT HAS MANY GOOD YEARS OF SENIOR ENJOYMENT AND COMFORT AND, AND ADDITION, A GOOD ADDITION TO THE CITY OF GARLAND.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
WELL, WE, WE WELCOME THE INVITATION.
GO AHEAD, YOU'VE, YOU STILL TIME
I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY THAT WAS CONCERNED AND, AND CARED ENOUGH TO GET TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY ON THAT INITIAL IMPACT THAT WE CAME.
UH, WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT ALL THOSE PEOPLE SHOWING UP AND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD REALLY STUCK TOGETHER.
AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, DUE TO THAT, IT ALSO BROUGHT BACK SCOTT WHO WAS WILLING TO WORK WITH US AND LISTEN TO US, AND I APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.
UM, OBVIOUSLY MAXINE AND MY HOUSE ARE GONNA BE PRETTY WELL IMPACTED AND I'M SO GLAD I DON'T HAVE A 10 FOOT CONCRETE WALL GOING ALL THE WAY TO CANDLEWOOD THAT I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO EVEN NOTICE IT WAS THERE.
BUT THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR HELP AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DEMOLITION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
YOU CAN CALL OUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
TERRY BRADSHAW, YOU DON'T WANNA SPEAK? OKAY.
UM, THEN OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS SAM PIERRE.
AUGUSTA, YOU, YOU GOT, YOU GOT ALL THE WAY HERE AND THEN YOU DON'T WANNA SPEAK.
IF YOU COULD COME ON DOWN HERE AND IF YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD PLEASE.
AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
GUS AND I LIVE AT FIVE 18 SHADWELL DRIVE.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN LIVING THERE.
MY WIFE ROSE AND I HAVE BEEN LIVING THERE FOR 48 YEARS.
SO WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF STUFF COME AND GO.
UH, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY WHO HAS BEEN PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
UH, MARGARET, SOME OF THE OTHER COUNCILMEN AND IN PARTICULAR SCOTT, WE'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW SCOTT REAL WELL.
WE'VE HAD MANY MEETINGS AT OUR HOUSE.
MATTER OF FACT, ROSE, MY WIFE HAS SAID SHE'S BEEN THINKING ABOUT CHARGING RENT BECAUSE WE HAVE MET SO MANY TIMES AT OUR PLACE.
BUT SCOTT HAS NEGOTIATED WITH US IN GOOD FAITH.
WE STARTED HERE AND WE WORKED IN, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE STARTED BACK IN LATE JANUARY.
BUT THAT'S PART OF NEGOTIATIONS.
NOBODY LEFT WITH A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT THEY WANTED.
AND THAT'S WHAT MAKE THE NEGOTIATION SUCCESSFUL.
SCOTT HAD A AGENDA TO MAKE MONEY ON THIS PROJECT AND TO BUILD A FACILITY THAT'S GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE.
WE HAD AN AGENDA TO PROTECT OUR PROPERTY AND UH, AND TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT, UH, FIT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO AFTER ALL THE NEGOTIATIONS, I BELIEVE WE GOT THERE.
AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT OUR NEIGHBORS AND EVERYBODY DID TO GET TO THIS POINT.
AND BY THE WAY, I'M, BY THE WAY, I'M FOR THE PROJECT.
SURELY HE COULD'VE DELIVERED EIGHT MORE OF THOSE.
NINE, EXCUSE ME, COUNCIL LADY.
COUNCIL LADY LU'S HUSBAND JUST DELIVERED HER A, I BELIEVE A A MORRIS.
[01:55:01]
I'M SORRY.UH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? LET ME GET US OUT OF THIS HERE.
ANYONE ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? I DO HAVE ONE MORE THING I'D LIKE TO ADD.
WELL, GO AHEAD SCOTT
THEY ALSO MANAGE THE CURRENT SENIOR LIVING PROJECT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ON, UH, IT'S CALLED LAVONNE.
AND OUR PROPERTY IS 152 UNITS, BUT WE'LL BE FOUND OUT AND WORKING WITH THEM.
AND THIS JUST HAPPENED, UH, A LITTLE OVER 10 DAYS AGO.
THERE'S 400 SENIORS ON THE WAIT LIST THERE FOR ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS.
SO CLEARLY THERE'S A HIGH DEMAND.
AND SO WE TALK WITH OUR ARCHITECTS AND WE CAN CONVERT SOME TWO BEDROOMS INTO ONE BEDROOMS AND ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE ROOM FOR THE SENIORS.
SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY, I KNOW THIS IS A LAST MINUTE REQUEST THAT WE COULD DEVIATE A LITTLE BIT AND MAYBE GO UP ANOTHER FOUR OR FIVE UNITS, WE CAN ACCOMMODATE MORE SENIORS AND HOPEFULLY PULL SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE OFF THAT WAIT LIST.
SO IT'S JUST SOMETHING I THOUGHT I'D PUT OUT THERE.
ASK IF THE COUNCIL'S OKAY WITH IT.
JUST CLEARLY THERE'S A DEMAND.
I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT CREATE SOME PROBLEMS FOR BOTH OF US.
UM, AS FAR AS HOW THIS ITEM HAS BEEN POSTED AND PRESENTED.
I THINK, I THINK WE'RE A LITTLE, LITTLE BACK, A LITTLE BIT PAST THAT POINT, BUT I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT.
YOU CAN DO IT ON YOUR NEXT ONE.
UH, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS.
UM, AND UH, I WILL JUST SAY, UH, THIS IS A NICE WAY TO END THE EVENING.
UM, YOU FOLKS HAVE WORKED TOGETHER ON THIS.
I KNOW, I KNOW WHERE THIS PROJECT STARTED.
UM, I WATCHED THAT PLAN COMMISSION.
UM, AND, AND IT HAS PROGRESSED TO THE POINT WHERE THE APPLICANT AND THE NEIGHBORS ARE NOW REFERRING TO EACH OTHER BY THEIR FIRST NAMES.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT NEVER HAPPENS.
IT'S ALWAYS MR. SO-AND-SO MRS. WHOEVER, BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE ALL ON A FIRST NAME BASIS AND THAT, THAT'S PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
SO THIS HAS BEEN QUITE THE JOURNEY WITH EVERYONE.
I AM THANKFUL TO HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW THE RESIDENTS, UM, NEAR THIS PROPERTY.
I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW SCOTT INGER.
UM, IT STARTED OUT, ACTUALLY, THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ABOUT THIS PROJECT WAS A JOINT, UH, TOWN HALL BETWEEN FORMER COUNCILMAN BIN AND I, RIGHT AFTER I WAS ELECTED
AND, UH, EVERYONE WAS ANGRY THEN TOO.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I, I WAS JUST, MY STOMACH WAS IN KNOTS ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND I WILL SAY, UM, THROUGHOUT TOWN HALLS WHERE PEOPLE WERE QUITE ANGRY WITH ME,
AND I REALLY KUDOS TO YOU, UM, MR. INGER FOR WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
I, I COULD SAY THAT THERE HAVE PROBABLY BEEN 20, IF NOT 30 MEETINGS BETWEEN, UM, THE DEVELOPER AND THE RESIDENTS AND HE REALLY HAS WORKED WITH THEM AND BENT OVER BACKWARDS FROM HIS ORIGINAL PLAN TO, UM, MAKE CONCESSIONS FOR EVERYONE TO BE HAPPY AND ACCEPTED.
UM, SO THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, PARTICIPATING IN THE PROCESS BECAUSE REALLY THAT'S WHAT IT COMES DOWN TO.
YOU SPOKE AND WE HAD TO LISTEN, SO THANK YOU.
AND I'M STILL WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT THE NEW NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA FORM OUT OF THIS
AND I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THIS.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT ITEMS C SEVEN C AND D AS PRESENTED.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER LUCK, AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS TO APPROVE ITEM SEVEN C AND SEVEN D AS PRESENTED.
UH, SECRETARY, IF YOU COULD PRESS VOTE FOR US, PLEASE COUNSEL AND DISPLAY THE VOTE AND THAT ITEM OR THOSE ITEMS ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, ITEM SEVEN, E AND F HAS ASKED FOR, UH, ASKED FOR A POSTPONEMENT UNTIL OUR OCTOBER 17TH MEETING JUST FOR KICKS.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO POSTPONE.
I DO, UH, MOVE THAT WE POSTPONE THAT, UM, APPLICATION.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL EDDIE
[02:00:01]
MORRIS, A SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TIMM BASS TO POSTPONE THIS CASE UNTIL OUR OCTOBER 17TH MEETING.MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU PREPARE THE VOTE FOR US PLEASE AND COUNCIL, THE MOTION TO POSTPONE IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
THAT WAS OUR LAST ZONING CASE.
[8. Consider appointments to Boards and Commissions.]
THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM EIGHT, CONSIDER APPOINTMENTS TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DUTTON, YOU HAVE TWO APPOINTMENTS TONIGHT? YES, SIR.
UM, MY APPOINTMENTS ARE SUSAN BADDEN TO THE LIBRARY BOARD AND PATRICK ABLE TO PLAN COMMISSION.
COUNSEL, YOU HAVE HEARD, UH, THE NOMINATIONS, WHICH NOW REQUIRE A SECOND AND WE WILL TAKE THEM AS A GROUP.
UH, MADAM SECRETARY, IF YOU PREPARE THE VOTE FOR US, PLEASE AND COUNSEL AND DISPLAY THE VOTE AND THOSE APPOINTMENTS ARE APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
THAT BRINGS US TO ITEM NINE, CITIZEN COMMENTS, PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS ISSUES NOT ON THE AGENDA.
MAY HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS COUNCIL AT THIS TIME, COUNCIL IS PROHIBITED FROM DISCUSSING ANY ITEM NOT POSTED.
ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
AND THERE'S ONE PERSON LEFT IN THE ROOM WHO DOESN'T WORK HERE?
UH, IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL THIS EVENING? TAKE THAT AS A NO.
AND WITH THAT, AT NINE 18, WE ARE ADJOURNED.