Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC 2005-06-23 Minutes MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS, HELD AT THE 24/7 YOUTH CENTER AT THE RICHLAND HILLS CHURCH OF CHRIST, 6300 NORTHEAST LOOP 820, NORTH RICHLAND HILLS - JUNE 23, 2005 - 7:00 P.M. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Trevino called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Present: Oscar Trevino Timothy J. Welch John Lewis Jo Cox Suzy Compton David Whitson Nancy Bielik Mayor Mayor Pro T em Councilman Councilwoman Councilwoman Councilman Councilwoman Staff Members: Larry J. Cunningham Richard Torres Ogden Bo Bass Karen Bostic Patricia Hutson City Manager Assistant City Manager Assistant City Manager Managing Director Administrative/Fiscal Services City Secretary Absent: JoAnn Johnson Councilwoman PUBLIC HEARING - LOOP 820 CORRIDOR STUDY Mayor Trevino announced the purpose of the meeting is to conduct a public hearing and to receive public input on the Loop 820 study. The City began work on the study more than a year ago in preparation for when Loop 820 is widened by the State. Many public meetings have already been held and many opportunities provided for public input. Mayor Trevino advised that this is a conceptual plan for the future and after comments are received by Council tonight, revisions may be made and a final plan will be presented to Council for consideration later this summer. Once a plan is adopted, there will be several action items that the City will be implementing. The action items will take several years to complete and the City will involve the public and keep everyone updated throughout the process. The Planning & Zoning Commission will work out the details of how to implement specific land use changes, and will set standards for screening and buffering of neighborhoods. As details are developed there will be more opportunities for public input. There will be a series of public meetings before the Planning & Zoning Commission, with final recommendations being forwarded to the City City Council Minutes June 23, 2005 Page 2 Council. Mayor Trevino opened the Public Hearing and advised that the Council would only be receiving comments and would not have time to answer questions or discuss specific issues tonight. Staff members will follow up to any comments and/or questions after the meeting. The maps and displays seen tonight will be moved to the City Hall lobby until July 8, and the City will continue to accept written comments until July 8. The following individuals spoke during the public hearing: Mr. R. M. Boler, 5000 Cummings Drive - Mr. Boler lives in the area around City Hall, which is designated for future commercial use. Mr. Boler advised there are approximately 4 acres in the designated land area and there are 12 property owners. Mr. Boler stated that in March 2001 the City came out with a plan for the Loop 820 corridor, which required a minimum of 25 acres before any redevelopment would be allowed. Shortly after the plan was announced, Mr. Ron Huggins, owner of Huggins Honda, was permitted to run over the property owners around his dealership. Mr. Huggins was permitted to close Susan Lee Lane to through traffic. Susan Lee Lane at that time connected to the Loop 820 service road. Mr. Huggins coerced the property owners adjacent to the Loop 820 service road to sell to him. By permitting Mr. Huggins to gain control of the frontage along Loop 820 it effectively closed the area behind Huggins Honda north to Maplewood Drive, east to Davis Blvd. and west to Calloway Branch to future commercial development thus depriving the City of increased tax base on retail valuations as well as the sales taxes that would have been generated. Mr. Boler stated this was a piece meal development that was allowed by the City. Mr. Boler advised of the following concerns: 1) Is this going to be allowed to happen again by the City; 2) are the 12 property owners in this future commercial district going to be left high and dry or will there be some kind of guidelines for this area; and 3) will this vision of North Richland Hills turn out to be just another well intention plan that has gone bad. Mr. Boler stated that he was ready to move provided that the 12 property owners living in the future commercial area are treated fairly, equitably and are justly compensated. Ms. Anna Ruth Mitchell, 7308 Marilyn Lane - completed a request to speak card, but declined to speak when recognized. Ms. Chuckie Hospers, 4400 Ken Michael Court - Ms. Hospers lives at the dead end of Riviera and Ken Michael, the backside of her property is 9 feet away from the Road to the Mall and the hotel is located on the other side of her property. Ms. Hospers advised a privacy fence was not installed when the road was constructed. Ms. Hosper stated her residence is the only property on the Road to Mall that is within 9 feet of the road. Ms. Hospers expressed concern with the additional noise and stated she would like to know how much wider the service road will be along the hotel, and how much of a corner are they going to widen at the intersection of the hotel and the Rooms to Go Outlet Store. Ms. Hospers expressed concern with the additional noise and pollution as a result of any widening and the lowering of property value. Mayor Trevino advised that Staff would be responding to each question asked tonight. City Council Minutes June 23, 2005 Page 3 Ms. Rita Vaughan, 5100 Cummings - Ms. Vaughan advised she was very displeased with the plan proposed at the June 16 meeting, but would completely support the Maplewood project with a slight change to the plan. The plan leaves her property sitting alone out in the open. Her home would no longer be a uniformed part of the neighborhood, but would instead be one house left standing alone and would not look like it belonged to the neighborhood. Ms. Vaughan advised that at the last meeting, the citizens were told of landscaping plans along this section of Maplewood, but this will not be feasible for her property. A city wall runs along side her property leaving no room for landscaping beside her property. Ms. Vaughan advised she would like to see the 90- degree turn from Maplewood onto Cummings changed to a slightly curved turn onto Cummings making it necessary for the City to acquire her property as well. Ms. Vaughan stated she has been told the purpose of the 90-degree turn is to slow traffic. Ms. Vaughan suggested installing speed bumps on Cummings to slow the traffic. Ms. Vaughan stated that with the acquisition of her property, the City could landscape her property and restore the rest of the neighborhood back to a uniformed neighborhood. Ms. Vaughan stated she did not feel that this change to the plan would affect anyone except herself and her next-door neighbors. Her next-door neighbors would then be living on the corner and fully support the change to the plan. Ms. Vaughan stated she had several reasons why her suggested change would be a better solution - 1) her property would not be a uniformed part of the neighborhood, but would instead be sitting out by itself as if it did not belong; 2) when driving down Cummings to turn onto Maplewood it is difficult to see past the railing on the bridge - the curve would eliminate the hazard; and 3) Maplewood is elevated above her property and she has minimal privacy; her 8 foot fence does not screen the pedestrian traffic. Without the change, these problems will continue as well as her having to view Holiday Lane from her front door. If the City should decide to leave her property and not make the change, she wanted to know what the City would do to protect her property from oncoming traffic. Mr. John Stewart, 5008 Eldorado Drive - Mr. Stewart asked the following questions: · How do we pay for this? · How much? · What do we get in return? · Is this going to be another play of Northeast Mall? Mr. Stewart stated that it seemed like amusement park mentality. Mr. Stewart gave as an example the Texas and France sections at Six Flags and asked if that was needed. Mr. Stewart stated he moved to North Richland Hills because the City was just building the water park. He appreciated the fact that the City is trying to make North Richland Hills a place of destination, but expressed concern with the retail space sitting empty throughout the City. Mr. Stewart felt the focus needed to be on filling the empty retail spaces. City Council Minutes June 23, 2005 Page 4 Mr. John Griffith, 5113 Cummings Drive - Mr. Griffith stated he was concerned with the way the proposed Cummings access off of Loop 820 will come into the service road. Mr. Griffith felt the plan would turn Cummings into a raceway. Mr. Griffith stated at the last meeting it was determined that a traffic study had been done. Mr. Griffith stated he did his own traffic study prior to coming to the meeting tonight and there were approximately 150 cars from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., and when the high school is in session an additional 150 to 200 cars will turn down the street. Mr. Griffith was concerned that if the proposed exit off Loop 820 is located further east than the current Holiday Lane exit, the traffic will use Cummings, Maplewood and Lola as a cut through to get to the north. Mr. Griffith was concerned with safety and decline in property value with the increased traffic. Ms. Margaret Lilly, 4917 Nancy Lane - Ms. Lily stated her concern was that according to the maps Susan Lee, Short Street and Nancy Lane will be made into a horseshoe. This will maybe eliminate some of the fast traffic on Nancy Lane. Ms. Lily stated her main concern was that most of the homes will be devalued There are today approximately 23 homes on Nancy from Maplewood to Short, 17 of which are rentals and one is vacant. Since she moved to her home two years ago, the value of her property has declined approximately $5,000 to $7,000. She stated she was upset that her property had declined in value. Mr. Jack Kimball, 7204 Oakland Lane - Mr. Kimball advised he was located across the street from the cut-off. Mr. Kimball asked that the highway signs and retail signs be kept low. Mr. Kimball stated being able to see the signs from his house did not help property values. Ms. Claudean James, 5101 Karen Drive - Ms. James lives on the west corner of Maplewood and Karen Drive. Ms. James was in agreement with the closure of Maplewood and felt that it might help the traffic in the area. Ms. James stated she was hopeful that something could be done to alleviate the noise from 820. Ms. James advised she and her husband had planned to make improvements to their home, but had put their plans on hold until decisions were made about the 820 expansion. After determining that the 820 expansion would not take them in, they were set to start improvements Spring 2005, but her husband passed away in late 2004. She then considered relocating to a smaller space, but after much thought made a decision to stay and make the improvements. She since has learned that the City needs her property for parking and she is now ready to sell and move. Ms. James advised she has a life estate in her home, which makes it a financial burden to move. Ms. James explained that a life estate allows her to live in her home as long as she chooses or if she sells, she will receive a percentage according to her age at the time of sell. Ms. James advised that if the City needs to buy her home for parking, then she needs to confirm a price and sell her home to the City before April 2006. Her percentage will decrease in April. Ms. James advised she would like to be able to make plans and move on with her life. City Council Minutes June 23, 2005 Page 5 Ms. Katy Turner, 7205 Karen Drive - Ms. Turner advised she was representing a group of individuals who reside in a triangle at Karen Drive and Loop 820. The triangle consists of 9 owners and 10 properties. Ms. Turner advised they had gotten together and were all on board with changing the land use from residential to retail. Mr. David Nelson - 7228 Coventry Court - Mr. Nelson advised his land was not affected. He was looking at it from a different perspective. Mr. Nelson advised he felt that the road and development would be a huge economic boom to the City. Mr. Nelson referred to the Northeast Mall project and how the City of Hurst and that area blossomed into an economic engine generating sales tax that enabled the City of Hurst to do many things for their citizens. Mr. Nelson stated that the conceptual plans are good looking and felt that the expansion of the road will alleviate traffic making it easier to get to and through the City. Mr. Daniel Norris, 5100 Karen Drive - Mr. Norris lives on the corner of Karen and Maplewood across the street from City Hall. Mr. Norris advised he felt the Maplewood closure plan was a fair plan. Mr. Norris stated the plan appears to meet the impending traffic flow issues and that the plan appears to beautify and protect the Maplewood neighborhood as best as can be done under the circumstances. Mr. Norris stated the plan also seems to be the most cost effective way for the City to pick up the needed parking. Mr. Norris stated he also agreed with Ms. Vaughan and felt it would be very prudent to go ahead and absorb her property into the plan. Mr. Norris requested that if Council adopted the Maplewood closure plan, that the Council allow the few residents in the blue area to be willing to sell their homes to the City as quickly as they might need to so they can get on with their lives. Mr. Rick Enlow, 6413 Riviera - Mr. Enlow advised plans show the access roads of the Loop and how the westbound 820 exit ramp as it goes onto Rufe Snow will take out the Ryan Steakhouse driveway, the driveway at the corner of his office and the driveway at the corner of Carpet Mills. Mr. Enlow advised this would create an impediment. Traffic will have to go down to the Pep Boys area and then come back to the office building. The drawing shows a proposed private road and it shows a road coming through the back side of Ryans and around into his parking lot. Mr. Enlow wanted to know who would pay for the road. Mr. Enlow also asked with the loss of space across the freeway if the City had considered utilizing the former Antique Mall for city purposes or considered encouraging redevelopment to make this into a nice center. There being no one else wishing to speak, Mayor Trevino closed the Public Hearing. City Council Minutes June 23, 2005 Page 6 ADJOURNMENT Mayor Trevino adjourned the meeting at 7:48 p.m. \\..\...."'..',1 \\\\\ ~/"I', ,'\ /.; ";;:"'~~"."""""" 1',.,....... ATTi~(i1 ...~\ 2 ~I" \(1) \ ;::I,¡,,: r. ~.: :;:0: ::-4: : -. ~ '(!,( . Patri~ ~+"'o ,~..eit /Secretary ~ 4.Iò':r'" . "" ~ ~~ """/~'J ' II I'"~ \,,\,,, "-