[A. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
>> GOOD EVENING, FLOWER MOUND.
THE TIME IS NOW SIX O'COCK, AND I AM CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER. WELCOME TONIGHT.
WE ARE GOING TO START THE EVENING WITH OUR INVOCATION.
CHAPLAIN RICHARD PLUNK IS GOING TO COME FORWARD AND SAY OUR INVOCATION, AND GO AHEAD AND STAND AND WE'LL REMAIN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
>> SHALL WE PRAY, FATHER, WE COME TONIGHT, ASKING YOUR PRESENCE IN OUR MEETING.
GIVE US WISDOM, GIVE US DIRECTION, SPEAK TO OUR HEARTS AND FATHER, I PRAY FOR PEACE IN OUR MEETING TONIGHT.
MAY WE ACCOMPLISH WHAT'S BEST FOR THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND? PRAY FOR OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, ALL THOSE THAT ARE NOT DOING WELL TONIGHT, I PRAY FOR ALL THOSE THAT SUFFERED IN THE TORNADOES OF THIS PAST WEEKEND.
BLESS THEM OF GOD. THEN, AS WE THINK ABOUT ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR ALL, AS WE CELEBRATE MEMORIAL DAY THIS NEXT MONDAY, I PRAY THAT YOU BLESS THOSE FAMILIES AND ALL THOSE LIVES THAT WERE LOST.
WE ASK YOUR PRESENCE TONIGHT IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, I PRAY. AMEN
>> GOOD EVENING. WE ARE GOING TO START
[D. PRESENTATION(S)]
THIS EVENING FOR OUR PRESENTATIONS WITH THE HOMETOWN HERO.IN HONOR OF THE MEMORY OF SCOTT AARON, HIS FATHER IS GOING TO COME UP AND ACCEPT THIS PROCLAMATION, MIKE.
I'M GOING TO HAVE YOU FACE THAT WAY. THERE YOU GO.
SCOTT AARON GRADUATED FROM EDWARD S MARCUS HIGH SCHOOL AND ENLISTED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY IN FEBRUARY 1997.
HE ATTENDED BASIC COMBAT TRAINING IN FORT JACKSON, SOUTH CAROLINA, SERVED TOURS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN AND EARNED MULTIPLE MEDALS DURING HIS 25-YEAR CAREER IN THE ARMY.
HE RETIRED FROM THE ARMY AS A PLATOON SERGEANT IN AN ASSAULT HELICOPTER COMPANY, WHERE HE MANAGED ACCOUNTABILITY, WELFARE, AND PHYSICAL FITNESS FOR MORE THAN THREE DOZEN OFFICERS.
SCOTT PASSED AWAY ON MAY 1ST, 2024.
HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE, NOAR. IS HOW YOU SAY? NOAR. THEIR CHILDREN, MEDALLIA, MICHAELA. I'M SORRY.
JULIAN, TYLER AND SCOTT JR. NOW, THEREFORE, I CHERYL MOORE, MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, AND WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS, DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE SCOTT QUINCY AARON AS OUR HOMETOWN HERO.
[00:05:01]
IN CASE ANYBODY DIDN'T KNOW? WE HAVE PUBLIC WORKS WEEK.I KNOW. [APPLAUSE] ALL THE WORK THEY DO.
MAY 16 THROUGH THE 24TH, IS THAT RIGHT? SEE, I'M NOT SEEING VERY GOOD.
IS IT THE 18TH? THE 18TH THROUGH THE 24TH.
ANYWAY, MANNY PALIO IS GOING TO ACCEPT.
DO YOU WANT ALL THE PUBLIC WORKS FOLKS TO COME ON UP HERE? THEY'RE ALL IN HERE.
[APPLAUSE] THE WORK YOU ALL PUT IN.
IT'S AMAZING. [LAUGHTER] THIS IS A PROCLAMATION IN HONOR OF YOU ALL, PUBLIC WORKS SERVICES PROVIDED IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR RESIDENTS' EVERYDAY LIVES.
THESE SERVICES COULD NOT BE PROVIDED WITHOUT THE DEDICATED EFFORTS OF OUR ENGINEERS, MANAGERS, AND EMPLOYEES AT ALL LEVELS, RESPONSIBLE FOR REBUILDING AND IMPROVING TRANSPORTATION AND ESSENTIAL WATER SUPPLY.
WHEREAS THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND COMFORT OF THIS COMMUNITY GREATLY DEPENDS ON THESE SERVICES AND UPON THE EFFORTS AND THE SKILL OF OUR PUBLIC WORK STAFF.
THE MISSION IS TO PROVIDE QUALITY OF LIFE BY MANAGING CURRENT RESOURCES AND WHILE ALWAYS PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE.
NOW THEREFORE, I SHARY MORE, MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, AND ON BEHALF OF THE MEMBERS OF THE TOWN COUNCIL, CALL UPON ALL RESIDENTS TO RECOGNIZE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AS WE HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF MAY 18 THROUGH THE 24TH, 2025 AS NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK. [APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR. I JUST WANT TO SAY, REALLY PROUD OF OUR STAFF, PUBLIC WORK TEAM.
WE TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE DO FOR THE TOWN, TRY TO KEEP THE FIRST-RATE INFRASTRUCTURE.
EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE A TEAM, AND THIS YEAR THE NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK IS PEOPLE PURPOSE, AND PRESENCE.
THAT'S THE WHOLE NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK, CELEBRATING PUBLIC WORKS ALL OVER ACROSS THE NATION.
ON BEHALF OF PUBLIC WORKS TEAM, WE WANT TO THANK YOU, MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR US, AND WE KEEP IT GOING, AND ALSO APPRECIATE OUR TOWN LEADERS, ESPECIALLY JAMES. THANKS, JAMES. [APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU, MAYOR. [APPLAUSE]
>> WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[E. PUBLIC COMMENT]
THE PURPOSE OF THIS ITEM IS TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE TOWN COUNCIL REGARDING ANY ITEM ON THIS AGENDA THAT IS NOT ON A PUBLIC HEARING.YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
THERE WILL BE A BUZZER WHEN YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT, SO THAT'S THE END.
WHEN YOU COME FORWARD, JUST SAY YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
>> HI. I'M ERNEST LINEBERGER, AND I LIVE AT 1701 WEST POINT DRIVE IN CARROLLTON, TEXAS.
I USED TO BE A FLOWER MOUND RESIDENT FOR NINE YEARS AT TEAL WOOD OAKS, AND MY WIFE WAS HERE MAYBE 30 YEARS.
WE'RE IN A COMBINED FAMILY NOW, AND THEN WE HAVE A COUPLE OF DAUGHTERS GRADUATED FROM MARCUS, AND I THINK I WAS A CHARTER MEMBER AT THE FLOWER MOUND.
BUT I WAS A CANDIDATE FOR US HOUSE IN 2020. I CAME IN SECOND.
I AM STILL ON THE BALLOT FOR 2026,
[00:10:03]
AND I'M MAKING ROUNDS AROUND MY COMMUNITY TO GET TO KNOW AS MUCH OF IT AS I CAN.MAYBE I DIDN'T TOUCH BASE WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY BECAUSE I GOT A LATE START, BUT ALSO I'VE LIVED HERE.
I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE CANNED SPEECH. LET'S SEE.
I'M A RETIRED NAVAL OFFICER LIVING IN DENTON COUNTY, A 29-YEAR EMPLOYEE OF TEXAS INSTRUMENTS, AND A DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR THE SEAT IN THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
I HOLD EACH OF YOU IN VERY HIGH REGARD AS OFFICE HOLDERS WITHIN THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, FOR THE GOOD YOU MANAGE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY WITH CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY ACTION OF LEWISVILLE, UNITED WAY OF DENTON COUNTY, AND MORE.
I'M A BOARD MEMBER OF SPAN, MEALS ON WHEELS OF DENTON COUNTY, AND WITH THESE ACTIVITIES AND OTHERS, I WORK TO PUT PEOPLE'S NEEDS FIRST.
MY INTENTION IS TO BECOME YOUR NEXT CONGRESSMAN IN THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BY THE WAY OF THE 2026 ELECTION CYCLE.
MY MOTIVATION IS TO BE OF SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO FURTHER MY AWARENESS OF THE SUCCESSES AND NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MY EARS ARE OPEN. I'M LOOKING AND LISTENING.
YOUR INPUT IS WELCOME AND APPRECIATED.
IF I CAN BE OF ANY HELP OR SERVICE, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
I BELIEVE IN SETTING ASIDE PARTY POLITICS AND WORKING TOGETHER TO DO ALL THAT IS IN OUR POWER TO SERVE OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, STARTING WITH THOSE LESS FORTUNATE.
I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO SERVE IN ORGANIZATIONS WITH HIGHLY ETHICAL STANDARDS AND VALUES THAT MAKE SENSE IN ALL PARTS OF LIFE, NOT JUST WORK.
RESPECT AND INCLUSION, HEALTH AND SAFETY, USING RESOURCES RESPONSIBLY, CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION PROTECTION, AVOIDING CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AND PROVIDING A RESPECTFUL AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT.
I SALUTE YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE TO WORK TO THESE STANDARDS.
IN CLOSING, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
I'M ERNEST LINEBERGER, A VETERAN, A NEIGHBOR, AN ENGINEER, AND A CANDIDATE FOR THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOR THIS DISTRICT.
THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
>> THANK YOU. HERE WE HAVE TODD BACK.
>> GOOD EVENING, TODD BECK, 10845, EXCUSE ME, PERNOIS FALLS DRIVE IN FLOWER MOUND.
UNFORTUNATELY, LAST WEDNESDAY, I HAD ANOTHER COMMITMENT.
I WAS UNABLE TO ATTEND THE CELEBRATORY CAKE AND ALL THAT STUFF FOR MR. CHITO AND MR. TAYLOR.
BUT THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU GUYS HAVE DONE FOR US FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO FOR THE NEXT THREE.
I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE TERESA SCOTT ON HER UPCOMING RETIREMENT AS SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN THROUGH CITIZENS ACADEMY AND ALSO PARTICIPATED IN SEVERAL OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS BANQUETS.
I KNOW A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT SHE DOES GOES UNNOTICED, AND IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A HUGE MISS FOR THE TOWN.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE TOWN DOES RECOGNIZE HER FOR ALL OF HER EFFORTS AS WELL, AND THANK HER FOR HER YEARS OF SERVICE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] NOW WE HAVE AMY FORMAN.
I'M SORRY. WE'RE GOING TO WAIT ON YOU.
YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IN THAT CASE, SHE PUT THAT ASIDE.
>> STEPHEN WOOD, 3032 MONI COURT, FLOWER MOUND. GOOD EVENING.
I HAVE MY LOVELY ASSISTANT, CAROL MERRILL HAS PASSED OUT [LAUGHTER] THE ENGINEERING REPORT THAT I'VE CONTRACTED IS IN FRONT OF YOU, AND YOU HAVE AN EXTRA COPY, MEMO TO SHARE WITH MMA.
THIS CONCERNS THE NIGHT'S LANDING DEVELOPMENT JUST TO THE NORTH OF ME, NEARLY THE ENTIRETY OF WHICH DRAINS ONTO MY PROPERTY.
MMA IS THE ENGINEERING FIRM THAT HAS BEEN CONTRACTED BY KNIGHTS LANDING TO DEVELOP A DRAINAGE PLAN THAT MEETS THIS TOWN STANDARDS.
[00:15:04]
IT DOES MEET THE MINIMUM OF THE TOWN STANDARDS.>> I DON'T THINK THAT'S WHERE I'D WANT TO LIVE.
BUT IN OTHER PLACES, IT DOES FALL VERY SHORT IN TERMS OF ITS ONGOING CONSTRUCTION DRAINAGE ISSUES AND POST DRAINAGE ISSUES.
THE STUDY IDENTIFIES SEVERAL AREAS WHERE IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE AND MANY OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD ME UP HERE BEFORE GOING ON AND ON ABOUT ALL THE WATER AND SHOWING YOU PICTURES OF A DEVASTATION THAT HAS COME DOWN THE CREEK ONTO MY LAND AND CARRIED MY LAND AWAY ALONG WITH SEVERAL TREES.
I HAD TO GO DO THIS BECAUSE I HAD TOWN STAFF COME OUT AND LOOK AND I KNOW THEY'RE VERY BUSY.
I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING SINCE, NOTHING.
NOT A PHONE CALL, EMAIL, NOTHING.
I HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS.
I'M ALREADY LOSING MORE LAND AND MORE DIRT EVERY TIME IT RAINS AND THIS IS THE RAINY SEASON.
I KNOW NOTHING'S GOING TO HAPPEN BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF THE SEASON, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT SOMETHING WILL.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S COMMUNICATION BETWEEN TOWN STAFF AND MMA ONGOING.
I WOULD LIKE TO BE PRESENT AT A MEETING WITH MMA AND TOWN STAFF TO DISCUSS THIS REVIEW OF WHICH, THIS GUY IS PRETTY WELL RENOWNED.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS CHRISTINA WHITLOCK.
I LIVE AT 2405 MAGNOLIA LEAF IN FLOWER MOUND.
I'M HERE TO INTRODUCE MY DAUGHTER.
HER AND HER GIRL SCOUT TROOP ARE WORKING ON THEIR SILVER AWARD.
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, THE SILVER AWARD IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST LEVEL AWARDS THAT GIRL SCOUTS OFFERS TO SIX TO EIGHTH GRADERS.
TO ACHIEVE THAT AWARD, THEY HAVE TO TAKE ON A TAKE ACTION PROJECT.
AS A PART OF THE TAKE ACTION PROJECT, THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO EXPLORE THEIR COMMUNITY AND FIND AN ISSUE THAT AFFECTS THEIR COMMUNITY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO IMPROVE UPON.
THROUGH THIS TAKE ACTION PROJECT, THEY HAVE TO SHOW LEADERSHIP, ROOT CAUSE, AND SUSTAINABILITY IN ADDITION TO NEW ATTRIBUTES OF MEASURABILITY AND NATIONAL AND GLOBAL LINKS.
MY DAUGHTER, POLAR IS GOING TO SPEAK LATER.
HER AND HER TROOP MEMBERS HAVE A PASSION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THEY'VE PARTNERED WITH KEEP FLOWER MOUND BEAUTIFUL TO FOCUS ON E-WASTE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH THE PUBLIC AT SEVERAL EVENTS.
THEY HAVE TAKEN ON THE TASK OF EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ON E-WASTE AND THE PROPER DISPOSAL OF ELECTRONICS, AND WE HAVE ALSO GONE AROUND TO SEVERAL ESTABLISHMENTS THAT SELL E-CIGARETTES AND VAPE PRODUCTS.
I'M GOING TO LEAVE THE FLOOR TO HER.
I THINK SHE'S NEXT, BUT SHE'S GOING TO GO OVER THE OBSERVATIONS AND HER RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE TOWN TO HELP KEEP FLOWER MOUND BEAUTIFUL. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. WE HAVE POLAR WHITLOCK.
JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
>> HELLO. I AM POLAR WHITLOCK, AND I LIVE AT 2405 MAGNOLIA LEAF LANE.
I'M A GIRL SCOUT IN TROOP 4960, AND I AM WORKING ON A SILVER PROJECT WITH MY FRIENDS, ALEX AND NAVIA WHERE WE ARE EDUCATING OUR COMMUNITY ON PROPER DISPOSAL OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH AN EMPHASIS ON BATTERIES AND E-CIGARETTES.
OUR PROJECT IS SPONSORED BY KEEP FLOWER MOUND BEAUTIFUL, AND THEY HAVE NOTED THROUGH TRASH PICKUPS THAT THERE IS A NUMEROUS AMOUNT OF BAIT PRODUCTS AND BATTERIES BEING DISPOSE OF INCORRECTLY OR LITTERED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE UNAWARE OF HOW TO RECYCLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES,
[00:20:06]
WHICH IS WHAT LEADS THEM TO HOLD ONTO OLD ELECTRONICS AND BATTERIES OR TO DISPOSE OF THEM INCORRECTLY.THE PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT ELECTRONICS CONTAIN LITHIUM BATTERIES WHICH CAN LEAK AND EXPLODE WHEN EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS.
THIS CAN VERY QUICKLY HARM OUR SOIL, WATER SUPPLY, AND WILDLIFE.
ALSO, MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE UNAWARE OF THE RISKS OF IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF E-CIGARETTES.
BAIT PRODUCTS CONTAIN LITHIUM BATTERIES AND NEED TO BE DISPOSED OF PROPERLY.
MANY SMOKE SHOPS IN OUR AREA EITHER DO NOT ACCEPT USED DEVICES FOR RECYCLING OR DO NOT PROPERLY ADVERTISE THIS SERVICE.
OUTSIDE OF MOST SMOKE SHOPS, THERE ARE AGE REQUIREMENTS AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ADDICTIVE PROPERTIES OF THE NICOTINE PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED.
I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO REQUIRE THESE STORES TO ALSO DISPLAY INFORMATION ABOUT RECYCLING BAIT PRODUCTS, AS WELL AS THEIR NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, THESE STORES SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE PROGRAMS FOR RECYCLING THE DEVICES THEY SELL.
WE HOPE THROUGH THIS PROJECT WE CAN INFORM INDIVIDUALS ABOUT THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROPER DISPOSAL OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND REDUCE E-WASTE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE WANT FLOWER MOUND TO STAY A BEAUTIFUL TOWN IN THE YEARS TO COME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.
>> THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAD ON PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS.
UNLESS TERESA, DID YOU HAVE ANY MORE? DOES ANYONE ELSE WANT TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE MOVE ON? YEAH. CAN I HAVE THAT? CAN I STEAL THAT FROM YOU? THANK YOU. WE HAVE DAVID WENZEL.
IF YOU'LL JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
>> DAVID WENZEL AT 2901 SURVEYORS LANE.
ABOUT FIVE WEEKS AGO NOW AT ONE OF THESE MEETINGS, PAPERS WERE PASSED OUT FOR US TO PUT OUR NAMES DOWN TO SAY IF WE HAD DRAINAGE PROBLEMS THAT SOMEBODY WOULD COME OUT TO SEE US.
I CAME BACK TO A MEETING ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER AND REPORTED THAT I HADN'T HEARD FROM ANYONE YET, AND I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD BE OUT SOON.
SINCE THEN, I HAD ONE VOICE MAIL OUT SAYING, HEY, SOMEBODY TRIED TO COME OUT, BUT THEY COULDN'T, I WASN'T AT HOME.
THEY LEFT A PHONE NUMBER. I CALLED IT BACK.
I'VE CALLED THAT NUMBER FIVE, SIX TIMES.
NO ONE RETURNS MY CALLS AND NO ONE HAS COME OUT.
I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I DON'T THINK IT'S BEING TAKEN SERIOUSLY THAT WE HAVE A DRAINAGE PROBLEM ON SURVEYORS, SHILOH THE WHOLE AREA THROUGH THERE.
NO ONE'S COMING OUT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.
>> CAN YOU MAKE SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT BECAUSE I KNOW WE'VE HAD OUR STAFF OUT THERE.
>> WE'VE HAD 38 REACH OUTS TO THIS POINT.
BLAKE HAMEL, OUR DRAINAGE ENGINEER HAS MADE CONTACT WITH 32 PEOPLE AND HAVE MET WITH THEM.
THIS GENTLEMAN, I'LL TAKE HIS INFORMATION.
BUT AT THIS POINT OF THE SIX PEOPLE, THERE'S BEEN SCHEDULING CONFLICTS, EITHER ILLNESS OR OTHER COMPONENTS OR WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM FOUR PEOPLE.
WE HAVE 32 OF THOSE FORMS. WE MADE REACH OUTS. WE MADE CONTACT WITH 32.
I'LL WORK WITH MR. WINSLOW AND JUST SEE WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
BUT THAT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED.
FOR THE MOST PART, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH EVERYBODY WHO'S REACHED OUT TO US, BUT AGAIN, WE'LL JUST MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER THE CONNECTION NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE, WE WILL ENSURE THAT IT DOES.
>> PERFECT. WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT FOR SURE.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TAKING LIGHTLY.
>> JEANNIE FARRIER, 6604 SUNSET TRAIL HERE IN FLOWER MOUND.
I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT BECAUSE I KNOW A COUPLE OF OTHER NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN MET WITH YET.
JUST WANT TO BE REAL SURE THAT THIS STAYS AS A PRIORITY.
ALSO, WE'D LIKE TO GET SOME MEETINGS SCHEDULED MAYBE FOR JUST AN UPDATE, SEE WHERE WE'RE AT.
BLAKE WAS ACTUALLY AT MY HOUSE VERY HELPFUL.
POINTED OUT A LOT OF THINGS THAT WERE WRONG WAS LIKE, I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS IN THIS CONDITION.
HE SAID HE HAD SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS HE WAS GOING TO BE MAKING AND WAYS TO FIX THIS, BUT IT JUST DROPPED FROM THERE.
I JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT IT STAYS A FOCUS AND WE CAN GET SOME RESOLUTION OUT THERE.
ALSO, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, OR ALL OF YOU MAYBE KNIGHTS LANDING TO SOUTH OF MIRACLE LANE.
I'D LOVE TO SEE THE TOWN MAYBE WORK WITH THEM OR SOMETHING.
[00:25:01]
MAYBE A GREAT PLACE TO FIX SOME DRAINAGE ISSUES AS A WHOLE COMING IN, PARK OR SOMETHING.I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BEEN A THOUGHT WITH ANYBODY, BUT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING WITH THAT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.
MAYBE IF WE COULD TALK AFTERWARDS OR LATER TO SEE WHEN WE CAN GET SOME MEETING SCHEDULE WOULD BE GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? PUBLIC COMMENT, GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE.
[LAUGHTER] WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON.
[F. ANNOUNCEMENTS]
ANYONE WANT TO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS? CHRIS?>> EVENTS IN TOWN. [NOISE] WE'VE GOT CONCERTS IN THE PARK GOING ON THROUGHOUT MAY AND THEN MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY.
THAT IS ACTUALLY THIS WEEKEND.
IT'S AT THE FLOWER MOUND SENIOR CENTER.
GO OUT AND SUPPORT OUR LOST VETERANS. THAT'S IT.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? WE'RE GOING TO GO ON TO THE TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT.
[G. TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT]
I KNOW JAMES HAS SOME THINGS.>> THERE WE GO. THANK YOU, MAYOR.
WE HAVE SOME SERVICE RECOGNITIONS THAT WE WANT TO DO THIS EVENING, AND I'M GOING TO ASK DAVINA TOMLINSON TO JOIN US UP FRONT.
[APPLAUSE] YOU BETTER KEEP YOUR COMPOSURE.
DAVINA TOMLINSON IS AN ASSISTANT DIRECTOR IN OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, AND SHE IS CELEBRATING HER 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY.
SHE WAS HIRED ON AS A HUMAN RESOURCE ANALYST ON MAY 9TH, 2005.
SHE WAS RECLASSED TO HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER ON EXCUSE ME, SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2015, AND LAST MONTH, SHE HAD A TITLE CHANGE TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
BEFORE I GET TO THE FUN FACT, THE INTERESTING THING IS THAT AT THE TIME I WORKED IN HR WITH TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND IN 2005.
DAVINA, I THOUGHT YOU AND I WORKED TOGETHER FOR YEARS.
WE WERE ONLY OVERLAPPING FOUR MONTHS BEFORE I WENT TO DALLAS.
BUT WE DO A FUN FACT FOR ALL OUR EMPLOYEES, AND DAVINA'S FUN FACT IS DAVINA NEVER BUYS A PURSE WITHOUT A MATCHING WALLET.
[LAUGHTER] THE WALLET DOESN'T COME WITH A PURSE? I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. I'M SORRY.
BUT ALSO, DAVINA WAS A RECIPIENT OF OUR WOI AWARD LAST YEAR.
WHAT THAT IS, IS THAT IT'S AN AWARD THAT WE GIVE OUT TO EMPLOYEES THAT EMBODY OUR VALUES OF BEING AUTHENTIC, EXCEPTIONAL, DEDICATED, AND FAMILY.
DAVINA HAS A COOL STORY BECAUSE SHE BASICALLY HELPED SAVE SOMEBODY'S LIFE, ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
I WON'T GET IN FULL DETAILS FOR THAT, BUT SHE WAS OUR WOI CHAMP A COUPLE OF QUARTERS AGO.
DAVINA IS A GREAT EMPLOYEE, AND PLEASE JOIN ME IN CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF SERVICE FOR DAVINA.
[APPLAUSE] I'M GOING TO ASK MIKE BALDRY TO COME ON UP.
MIKE BALDRY IS CELEBRATING 30 YEARS WITH THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND.
MIKE BALDRY IS A CAPTAIN IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND HE WAS HIRED ON AS A FIREFIGHTER ON MAY 1ST, 1995.
HE WAS PROMOTED TO FIRE APPARATUS OPERATOR IN AUGUST OF 2000 AND PROMOTED TO FIRE CAPTAIN IN FEBRUARY 28TH, 2005.
DON'T GET MAD AT ME WHEN I SAY YOUR FUN FACT. THIS IS FROM YOUR CREW.
ACCORDING TO MIKE'S CREW, HE HAS THE GIVEN ABILITY TO FALL ASLEEP IN MID-CONVERSATION, WAKE UP AND CLAIM HE WASN'T ASLEEP, AND HE'S VERY SUPERSTITIOUS ABOUT HIS SOCKS.
COULD WE DO A SOCK CHECK TONIGHT? DID YOU DO ANYTHING? HE DOESN'T HAVE HIS SUPERSTITIOUS SOCKS ON.
OFTENTIMES, EVEN THOUGH HE WORKS FOR THE TOWN, ME AND MIKE WE USUALLY RAN EACH OTHER IN THE GYM IF I GET A LUNCH WORKOUT.
AS YOU CAN TELL, HE DOESN'T SKIP THE GYM.
BUT PLEASE JOIN AS WE CELEBRATE 30 YEARS FOR MIKE.
[00:30:16]
>> CERTAINLY NOT LEAST. I'M GOING TO ASK CLAYTON LITTON TO JOIN US UP FRONT.
IF YOU'VE BEEN IN FLOWER MOUND FOR ANY AMOUNT OF TIME AND DEALT WITH THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW CLAYTON VERY WELL.
CLAYTON IS CELEBRATING 35 YEARS WITH THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND. COME ON.
YOU CAN GO A LITTLE BIT FASTER, CLAYTON [LAUGHTER] DON'T BE SHY.
THIS IS WHAT I LEARNED IS ROBERT CLAYTON LITTON.
>> IT'S OFFICIAL. THAT'S HIS GOVERNMENT NAME.
CLAYTON IS A PART SUPERINTENDENT WITH THE TOWN.
HE WAS HIRED ON AS A MAINTENANCE WORKER 1 ON MAY 21ST OF 1990, SO 35 YEARS AGO.
HE'S RECLASSIFIED TO A MAINTENANCE WORKER IN MAY 21ST OF 1991, PROMOTED TO IRRIGATION TECHNICIAN IN OCTOBER 1ST OF 1992, PROMOTED TO A CREW LEADER LATER ON THAT YEAR IN DECEMBER 1992.
HE WAS RECLASSIFIED TO A PARK SUPERVISOR IN MARCH OF 1998, AND HE'S REALLY BEEN IN THAT POSITION SINCE THEN.
HE'S BEEN RECLASSIFIED AGAIN TO A PARK SUPERINTENDENT. JUST THINK ABOUT THAT.
NEARLY 30 YEARS OF HIS SERVICE HAS BEEN IN THIS ROLE AS A PARK SUPERINTENDENT.
IF YOU'VE ENJOYED OUR PARKS AND EVERYTHING WE HAVE OUT THERE, THIS MAN'S FINGERPRINTS ARE ALL THERE, AND HE'S DONE AN AMAZING JOB FOR THE TOWN.
CLAYTON'S FUN FACT IS HE GREW UP IN A TINY TOWN IN SOUTHWEST OKLAHOMA WITH JUST 1,100 RESIDENTS, BUT THE CAVEAT TO THAT, 500 OF THOSE 1,100 RESIDENTS WERE INMATES AT THE STATE PENITENTIARY WHERE HIS FATHER WORKED.
[LAUGHTER] HIS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION CLASS ONLY HAD 21 STUDENTS, AND IN HIS FREE TIME, CLAYTON ENJOYS WOODWORKING AND SPENDING TIME OUTDOORS.
AGAIN, IT'S VERY RARE WE DO 15 AND UP HERE, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST 35 I THINK WE'VE HAD SINCE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS AT THE MEETING.
CLAYTON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, MAN [APPLAUSE] I JUST WANT TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THREE FOLKS.
WE ASK IF YOU WANT TO COME TO THE COUNCIL MEETING, BUT WE HAVE THREE OTHER INDIVIDUALS THAT I DO WANT TO RECOGNIZE.
HE'S A FIRE CAPTAIN, HE'S CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF SERVICE.
EMILY CHAPMAN, IN OUR BUILDING INSPECTIONS GROUP, IS CELEBRATING 20 YEARS.
THEN WE HAVE ART ZELLERS JUNIOR AND OUR FLEET SERVICES GROUP, HE'S A FLEET SERVICES TECHNICIAN THAT'S CELEBRATING 30 YEARS.
WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM TOO [APPLAUSE] MAYOR, REAL BRIEFLY, I HAVE A COUPLE MORE ITEMS THAT I DO WANT TO TOUCH ON.
IN PARTICULAR, WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS ROLLED OUT A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER.
IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, IT'S FLOWERMOUND.GOV/ETOWN.
YOU CAN SUBSCRIBE TO VARIOUS NEWSLETTERS THAT WE PUBLISH, AND OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT HAS PUT ONE OUT AND HAS A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN TOWN AND WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON.
I WANT TO ENCOURAGE THE PUBLIC THAT IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, WHETHER IT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARKS, OUR SIM PROGRAM AT OUR SENIOR CENTER.
I THINK WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHERS.
GO CHECK THAT OUT, AND YOU'LL GET A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ON THAT.
I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE WORK THAT RAY WATSON AND MELODY EB.
NOW WE HAVE MAXINE ON BOARD IS DOING OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
RIGHT NOW, I USUALLY SIT NEXT TO TOMMY DALTON, BUT HE IS IN LAS VEGAS WITH RAY WATSON RIGHT NOW AT THE ICSC CONFERENCE, WHICH IS FOR RETAILERS.
THEY'RE WORKING HARD TO SELL RETAILERS ON FLOWER MOUND AND WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON HERE IN THE TOWN AND JUST WANT TO COMMEND THE GREAT WORK OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUP DOES HERE FOR THE TOWN.
THE LAST ITEM I DID WANT TO TOUCH ON, AND I SKIPPED A LITTLE BIT AHEAD BECAUSE OF YOUR QUESTION, MARY, IN REGARDS TO THE DRAINAGE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE IN AREAS OF THE CROSS TIMBERS.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE IN THE TOWN MANAGER'S REPORT, I'VE BEEN USING THAT TO GIVE REGULAR UPDATES ON WHERE WE ARE IN THAT PROCESS.
BLAKE HUMMEL HAS WORKED VERY HARD OVER THE LAST MONTH PLUS TO ENGAGE, AS I MENTIONED, 32 OF 36 FOLKS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP.
WE WORK WITH INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED.
WE'LL TAKE IT LEGITIMATELY, BUT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY BEEN FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED ON A LOT OF CASES, AND A LOT OF BASIS THAT BLAKE HAS HAD A GOOD REPORT WITH FOLKS, AND JUST TO CLARIFY HOW THE PROCESS WORKS IS
[00:35:03]
THAT WE CAN'T TAKE INDIVIDUAL ACTION OFF OF ONE SET OF SITUATIONS.WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE GATHERING INFORMATION, THAT'S GOING TO FORM A BROADER DECISION.
AS I MENTIONED IN THIS SETTING BEFORE, THE INFORMATION THAT BLAKE IS PUTTING TOGETHER RIGHT NOW IS GOING TO FORM THE RESPONSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, AND FY26 BUDGET THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER, THERE'S GOING TO BE SEVERAL DECISION PACKAGE AS GEARED TOWARDS DRAINAGE IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA IN TOWN WIDE, SOME OF WHICH THAT YOU HAVE DIRECTED US TO MOVE FORWARD ON.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IT'S ALSO SOME PERSONNEL PACKAGES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AS OF RIGHT NOW, AS HE PULLS THAT INFORMATION, IT'S PREMATURE TO START HAVING ANY DISCUSSIONS UNTIL WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE EVERYBODY.
WE KNOW THAT SCHEDULING CONFLICTS COME UP AND FROM TIME TO TIME, WE'LL WORK WITH THE GENTLEMAN THAT BROUGHT IT UP.
BUT AT A CERTAIN POINT, WE'RE ENDING UP THAT ROUND OF ENGAGEMENT.
WHAT WE'RE TENTATIVELY LOOKING AT IS DURING THE MONTH OF JULY TO SET SOMETHING UP WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATION OF THOSE FINDINGS AND ALSO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT IN THOSE DECISION PACKAGE MOVING FORWARD.
I RECOGNIZE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THINGS MAY NOT HAPPEN AS SWIFTLY AS SOME PEOPLE LIKE.
BUT I THINK SINCE THIS WAS BROUGHT TO YOU ALL ATTENTION AS A COUNSEL, YOU GAVE US DEFINITIVE DIRECTION, WE'VE MOVED ON IT, AND WE PUT INFORMATION TOGETHER.
WE HAVE AS MANY AS THREE DECISION PACKAGE IN THE BUDGET PROCESS THAT'S BEEN PUT TOGETHER.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT WEREN'T ORIGINALLY CONTEMPLATED PRIOR TO THIS TIME.
I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH THE AS SENSE THAT NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. QUITE A BIT IS HAPPENING.
WE'LL UNVEIL THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS, AND CERTAINLY AS FAR AS WE'RE CONCERNED IS THAT WE CAN SET UP AND WE'RE TENTATIVELY LOOKING AT DATES IN JULY 1 OF THE COUNCIL MEETINGS TO START GIVING A SENSE OF WHAT THAT INFORMATION IS PUT TOGETHER.
BUT I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO FEELS LIKE THAT THEY FELL OUT OF THE LOOP AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN CONTACTED BY BLAKE OR STAFF THAT'S FOLLOW-UP, THEY CAN REACH OUT TO ME. WE CAN SET THAT UP.
BUT THE REALITY SITUATION IS THEY'RE ENGAGING 30 SOME ODD PEOPLE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY'RE ALSO DOING THEIR OTHER WORK DUTIES AND JOBS THAT'S ASSIGNED TO THEM.
AGAIN, IS THAT I THINK WE'VE WORKED VERY HARD TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THIS SITUATION, AND I CAN RESPECT OF FOLKS DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN CONTACTED OR ENGAGED.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S COMING IN THIS SITUATION.
I KNOW WHAT'S BEEN PUT TOGETHER, SO WE CAN WORK TOWARDS THAT, BUT THAT'S THE UPDATE OF THE 38 THAT WE RECEIVED.
WE STILL HAVE SIX ARE OUTSTANDING, FOR WHICH WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET IN CONTACT WITH TWO, WHERE WE'RE JUST HAVING SOME SCHEDULING CONFLICTS.
BUT 32 OUT OF THE 38 THAT HAVE BEEN RECEIVED, WE'VE ENGAGED TO THIS POINT.
>> YOU'RE GOING TO DO ANOTHER REPORT ON TAXES.
>> THANK YOU. ONE OF THE THINGS IS THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL RESIDENTS THAT EXPRESSED CONCERNS FROM LETTERS THAT THEY RECEIVED FROM THE DENTON COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT IN REGARDS TO THEIR HOMESTEAD EXHIBITIONS.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION THAT'S OUT THERE ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS, AS LONG AS OUR WEBSITE, WE'VE CLARIFIED THAT.
IT'S TIED TO SOME LEGISLATION THAT WENT OUT, AND WHAT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICTS ARE DOING TO ENSURE THAT FOLKS HAVE THE PROPER HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION ON THEIR PROPERTY.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JOHN SEGERSKI.
HE'S GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN OVERVIEW WITH THAT.
AFTER HE DOES, I ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO GO TO OUR WEBSITE, WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO THAT.
BUT AGAIN, AS A TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, WE DON'T SET YOUR EXEMPTIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
THAT'S DONE BY THE DON CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME INFORMATION WITH THAT. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JOHN.
>> THANK YOU, JAMES. LAST FRIDAY, PEOPLE BEGAN TO START GETTING NOTICES THAT SAID THAT THEY HAD A CANCELLATION OF EXEMPTIONS.
WHERE THIS CAME FROM WAS SENATE BILL 1801 THAT WAS PASSED LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND BASICALLY SAYS THAT APPRAISAL DISTRICTS HAVE TO REVIEW AND DO AN INTERNAL AUDIT EACH YEAR, REVIEWING ONE-FIFTH OF THE HOMESTEADED PROPERTIES IN THEIR AREA.
A FIFTH OF ALL EXEMPTIONS ARE BASICALLY ON NOTICE AND CHECK.
IF THEY HAVE ANY PIECE OF CONTRADICTORY INFORMATION IN THEIR SYSTEM, THEN THEY WILL TURN OFF EXEMPTIONS, AND YOU HAVE TO REAPPLY.
THEY HAVE VEHICLE REGISTRATION INFORMATION.
IF YOU OWN MULTIPLE HOUSES AND YOUR VEHICLES ARE REGISTERED AT ONE AND NOT THE OTHER, AND THAT'S WHERE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS.
THEY HAVE QUESTIONS, AND SPECIFICALLY, THEY SHOULD HAVE REACHED OUT WITH SOME LETTERS AND INFORMATION AND ASKING QUESTIONS, BUT IN REALITY, PROBABLY THE MOST ADMINISTRATIVELY EXPEDIENT THING THEY DID WAS JUST CANCEL A LOT OF THEM.
WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES. FLOWER MOUND IS NOT THE ONLY COMMUNITY GOING THROUGH THIS.
I TALKED WITH THE TAX ASSESSOR'S COLLECTOR'S OFFICE.
THEY WERE IN THE DARK ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
THE BEST THING THAT I FOUND AFTER TALKING WITH THE CHIEF APPRAISER WAS,
[00:40:03]
THEY DID A PRESS RELEASE IN JANUARY BECAUSE DALLAS BASICALLY SAID THAT THEY WERE JUST GOING TO TURN OFF A FIFTH OF THEIR EXEMPTIONS, AND EVERYONE HAD TO REAPPLY.THEY DID AN EXTRA NOTICE THAT SAID, HEY, SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION.
SAYS WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
WE'RE INTERNALLY TRYING TO REVIEW ALL OF THESE AND ALL THESE APPLICATIONS, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO OUR BEST, BUT THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING LETTERS THAT ARE SAYING THAT THEIR EXEMPTIONS HAVE BEEN REJECTED.
AS STATE LAW AND HOW IT STANDS, YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO REAPPLY FOR THOSE EXEMPTIONS, AND ANYTHING THAT YOU PAY IN EXCESS WILL BE PAID BACK TO YOU.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY ARE VERY BEHIND ON EXEMPTIONS.
REAPPLYING FOR EXEMPTIONS COULD TAKE A YEAR OR TWO TO ACTUALLY GO THROUGH.
PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY UNDERSTAFFED, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SIZE OF DISTRICT AND AS MANY PROPERTIES AS WE HAVE IN DENTON COUNTY.
THIS WILL ALSO PLAY A LITTLE BIT OF HAVOC ON OUR TAX ROLE, AND WE'LL HAVE TO FACTOR IN A CHANGE IN EXEMPTIONS INTO OUR TAX RATE CALCULATIONS.
THIS HAS SOME BROAD IMPLICATIONS.
I'M REALLY SORRY TO ALL OUR RESIDENTS AND ALL THE CONFUSION THAT WAS THERE.
HERE, BUT OVERALL, THIS IS SOMETHING BEING MANDATED BY THE STATE, AND THEIR SYSTEM WAS NOT SET UP TO DO THIS.
I APOLOGIZE FOR THE VAGUE LETTERS.
THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO IS SEE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS IS CONTACT THE DENTON CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
MY COUNSEL, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE HERE TO HELP.
>> VERY GOOD. I'VE BEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF CALLS ON THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME. OUR EXEMPTIONS JUST GO UP. THEY DON'T GO DOWN.
THAT LEGALLY CAN'T HAPPEN BASED ON THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OPINION ON THINGS.
AT LEAST ON OUR END, WE ARE NOT DECREASING EXEMPTIONS, AND I'M SORRY THAT ANYONE HAS GOTTEN THAT IDEA.
>> THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS.
[H. FUTURE AGENDA ITEM(S)]
DOES ANYONE HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM THEY WANT TO ADDRESS?>> MAYOR, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE COMMENT FROM MS. WHITLOCK REGARDING THE E-WASTE BATTERIES AND E-CIGARETTES, AND IF THERE MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
IT'S BEEN ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS, I THINK, SINCE WE DID A DEEP DIVE INTO THE HAZARDOUS WASTE PROGRAM.
THERE MAY BE A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE RAISED IN THAT PUBLIC COMMENT, PARTICULARLY THE E-CIGARETTES, WHICH I DON'T THINK WE REALLY HAD CONSIDERED.
THEN I WAS WONDERING IF MAYBE WE COULD EXPAND IT A LITTLE BIT BEYOND JUST WHAT REPUBLIC DOES FOR US, AND ALSO MAYBE SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT RECYCLING.
>> I ACTUALLY HAD THE SAME COMMENT ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE THERE'S A BOY SCOUT.
I WAS TRYING TO LOOK UP WHAT TROOP HE WAS IN, ONE OF OUR BOY SCOUTS HERE IN THE COMMUNITY.
HE'S BOY SCOUT THAT DID SOMETHING IN THE PARKS THAT HAD THE POSTER BOARDS THAT ARE IN SOME OF OUR PARKS THAT IDENTIFY SOME OF THE NATURAL HABITAT.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN OUR PARKS.
MAYBE WE COULD DO SOME AGENDA ITEM, LIKE YOU SAID, THAT IDENTIFIES HOW TO DISPOSE OF IT, OR MAYBE SOME NOTIFICATION IN THE PARKS THAT GIVE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO THAT.
INSTEAD OF NATURAL HABITAT, THIS WOULD BE MORE FOR THE E-WASTE.
>> I THINK WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO REALLY DISCUSS THE TOPIC, BUT JUST WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT IT ON THE AGENDA.
I'M IN FAVOR OF DISCUSSING IT ON ANOTHER AGENDA.
>> HERE WE GO. ANYWAY. WE GO. ANYTHING ELSE?
>> I HAD ONE OTHER AGENDA ITEM.
I THINK LAST YEAR, I MENTIONED THIS WILDFLOWER PLANTING AND NON-MONO AREAS, WHICH I THINK LOUISVILLE DOES RIGHT NOW.
I THINK IT'S THEIR SECOND OR THIRD YEAR, AND THOSE ARE STARTING TO REALLY FLOURISH IN LOUISVILLE.
YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE TONS AND TONS OF WILDFIRE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING SIMILAR IN FOOT OPTIONS TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO DO PLANTING AREAS ALONG THE ROAD, AND WHAT THE TOWN COULD DO TO DO WILDFLOWER PLANTING AND NON-MONO AREAS.
JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND, MY HUSBAND AND I WERE DRIVING ON GARDEN RIDGE IN LOUISVILLE.
THOSE WILDFLOWERS WERE ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
WE HAD NOTICED ONLY, AND I THINK IT WAS MAYBE JANUARY OR DECEMBER THAT THEY HAD THAT THEY COVERED IT IN PLASTIC OR SOME OTHER COATING.
THAT WAS ONLY A FEW MONTHS' GROWTH, AND IT WAS PHENOMENAL.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, AND ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THIS.
>> I SEE AFFIRMATIVE HEAD NODS ON BOTH THOSE ITEMS. JUST A REMINDER THAT IN JUNE AND JULY, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE NORMALLY SCHEDULED WORK SESSIONS, BUT WE CAN WORK THEM INTO NORMAL COUNCIL MEETINGS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
I'LL GET WITH STAFF AND WE'LL IDENTIFY SOME DATES AND GET THOSE ON THE CALENDAR.
>> WE'LL MOVE AHEAD ON COORDINATION CALENDARS.
[I. COORDINATION OF CALENDARS]
[00:45:01]
THE NEXT MEETING DATE WOULD BE JUNE 2ND AS A REGULAR MEETING, AND THEN JUNE 16TH, ALSO AS A REGULAR MEETING.CAN EVERYBODY ATTEND THOSE? WE'LL MOVE ON TO CONSENT ITEMS.
[J. CONSENT ITEM(S)]
DOES ANYONE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION OR REMOVE ANY ITEMS?>> I MOVE TO APPROVE CONSENT ITEMS J1 THROUGH J6 AS PRESENTED.
>> TERESA, YOU'LL TAKE THE ROLE.
>> DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM SHETON.
>> CONSENT ITEMS PASS BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO REGULAR ITEMS.
[K.1. Leonard & Helen Johns Community Park - Public Hearing to consider recommendation and approval of a conceptual Master Plan for Leonard & Helen Johns Community Park, a 38.11-acre park located at 1850 Timber Creek Road.]
ITEM K1 IS LEONARD AND HELEN JOHNS COMMUNITY PARK.THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND APPROVAL OF A CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN FOR THE LEONARD AND HELEN JOHNS COMMUNITY PARK.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, CHUCK JENNINGS, PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR.
VERY PLEASED TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS ITEM TO YOU GUYS TONIGHT.
AS YOU GUYS KNOW, IT MEANT BACK IN 2021, THE TOWN ACQUIRED AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN ACRES FROM LEWISVILLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ALL THAT LAND WAS ADJACENT TO THE LEONARD AND HELEN JOHNS COMMUNITY PARK.
WITH THE DEMOLITION OF THE FORMER SCHOOL BUILDINGS, THEY HAD THE ADMIN BUILDING, THE AUDITORIUM, AS WELL AS A SMALL COMMUNICATION BUILDING.
NOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN ALL THOSE DEMOLISHED STAFF EXCITED TO BEGIN MAKING LONG-AWAITED IMPROVEMENTS TO ONE OF OUR COMMUNITY'S OLDEST AND MOST SCENIC PARKS.
THIS PARK WITH TIMBER CREEK RUNNING THROUGH IT, MATURE TREES AND A PEACEFUL POND IS TRULY A GEM FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THE TIME IS RIGHT NOW TO INITIATE A MASTER PLAN PROCESS TO REIMAGINE BOTH THE EXISTING AND THE NEW LAND THAT WE ACQUIRED.
WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE MHS PLANNING AND DESIGNING ON BOARD WITH US AND HERE TONIGHT, THEY'RE REPRESENTED BY DAVID CHIP AND HARMAN DUKE, THEY'LL BE UP HERE IN A LITTLE BIT.
THEY'RE GOING TO PRESENT THEIR FINDINGS IN THE PARKS BOARD RECOMMENDATION.
THEIR PRESENTATION WILL INCLUDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE SYSTEM-WIDE MASTER PLAN AS FAR AS PRIORITIES THAT WE'LL BE MEETING WITH THIS PARK.
SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC AND PARKS BOARD, DIFFERENT PARK ASSESSMENTS THAT THEY DID THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
THEY'LL TALK ABOUT THE FLOODPLAIN THAT'S THERE.
THEN THEY GOT A LOT OF REALLY COOL RENDERINGS THAT SHOW YOU, GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF WHAT THE PARK LOOK LIKE BASED ON WHAT WE'RE SHOWN HERE IN THE CONCEPT PLAN.
WE'RE EXCITED TO SHOW YOU GUYS THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY TAKEN A STEEP PEEK AT THE PARKS BOARD MEETINGS.
MHS HAS ALSO LED THE TROTTER PARK MASTER PLAN THAT WE JUST DID A YEAR AGO OR SO. THEY'VE ALSO WORKED WITH.
THEY'VE BEEN LONGTIME PARTNERS ON SOME OTHER VARIOUS PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE TWIN COAST PARK.
I THINK IT STARTED WITH THE TWIN COAST PARK MASTER PLAN.
A FEW HIGHLIGHTS, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL BEFORE WE HAND IT OVER TO THEM IS FUNDING FOR THIS MASTER PLAN WAS APPROVED BY THE PARKS BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND YOU GUYS USING THE 4B SALES TAX REVENUE.
THE PLANNING PROCESS BEGAN LAST FALL, AND IF YOU GUYS APPROVE IT HERE TONIGHT, WE'LL FINALIZE THAT AND THAT'LL HELP US MOVE ON INTO DESIGN.
TYPICALLY, WHEN THE TOWN RECEIVES LAND, WE'LL DO A MASTER PLAN ON IT.
WE'VE DONE THAT WITH LIKE TROTTER PARK AND PETER'S COLONY PARK, AND ON THE FLIP SIDE, SIMILAR TO WITH THIS PARK, IF WE WANT TO REVITALIZE AN OLD PARK, WE CAN REDO THE MASTER PLAN FOR THAT PARK, LIKE WE DID WITH RUTSIL AND NOW WE'RE DOING WITH THIS ONE.
WHY DO MASTER PLANS MATTER? WELL, IT ENSURES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC INPUT AT EVERY STAGE.
IT PROVIDES A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE LAND, SO WE CAN LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS.
IT REQUIRES FORMAL APPROVAL FROM THE PARKS BOARD AND YOU GUYS.
COMPLETED MASTER PLAN SUPPORTS FUTURE GRANT APPLICATIONS, AND IT GUIDES DESIGN, BUDGETING, AND CONSTRUCTION PLANNING.
THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT WILL BE FUNDED THROUGH THE BOND THAT JUST PASSED IN MAY.
ALSO WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS THAT LAST WEEK, I WAS ABLE TO MEET WITH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE AND MCKENNEY.
WE SHOWED THEM THE PROPOSED MASTER PLAN THAT THE PARKS BOARD RECOMMENDED FOR YOU GUYS, AND THEY FELT LIKE IT HAD A REALLY STRONG CHANCE TO GET FUNDED.
IT'S A 50 50 REIMBURSABLE GRANT.
WE'LL HAVE TO SUBMIT THE APPLICATION FOR THAT OR THE SUBMISSION FOR THAT BY AUGUST 1.
[00:50:01]
WE'RE EXCITED TO HOPEFULLY GET IT APPROVED AND FILLING OUT THAT APPLICATION.LET'S SEE TO KEEP OUR RESIDENTS INFORMED ALONG THE WAY, WE CREATED A DEDICATED WEB PAGE SIMILAR LIKE WE DID WITH TROTTER PARK.
THEIR PRESENTATION, MHS WILL HAVE A LITTLE QR CODE AND THEY ALSO HAVE THE WEBSITE WRITTEN OUT, SO IF ANYONE WHO WANTS TO SCAN THAT, YOU CAN GO VISIT THAT.
IT IS UPDATED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS.
WE GOT THE DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS AND ALL THINGS ON THERE THAT YOU GUYS CAN SEE DIFFERENT MAPS AND GREAT INFORMATION ON THERE.
APPRECIATE THEM WORKING WITH MHS TO KEEP THAT UPDATED.
THEN I WANT TO SEND OUT A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ALL THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT.
THE ONES THAT MAY NOT BE HERE TONIGHT, BUT THAT PARTICIPATED ALONG THE WAY.
WE CERTAINLY VALUE THEIR AND IT'S TRULY APPRECIATED TO HELP US DEVELOP THIS MASTER PLAN.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO INVITE DAVID CHIP UP.
HE'S GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE PODIUM AND I'LL BE AROUND FOR QUESTIONS AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR FEEDBACK.
I'M WITH MHAS PLANNING DESIGN.
I'M A PARTNER AND A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
WE WERE ENGAGED WITH THIS PROJECT BEGINNING IN JUNE OF 2024. THIS IS ALMOST A YEAR.
I'M GLAD TO GO OVER SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS THAT THE PARK DIRECTOR JUST TALKED ABOUT.
IN 2017, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND HAD SEVERAL DEFICIENCIES, AS YOU NOTED UP HERE.
ONE OF THE BIG ONE THAT THIS COMPLEX WOULD TAKE CARE OF WOULD BE THE DEFICIENCY OF TENNIS COURTS.
I WON'T GO THROUGH ALL THESE ITEMS, BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE HIGH PRIORITIES, MEDIUM PRIORITIES AND LOW PRIORITIES.
THE ONES THAT YOU SEE HIGHLIGHTED ARE ITEMS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CAPTURE WITHIN THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO TONIGHT.
PAVED MULTI-USE TRAILS, LARGE COMMUNITY PARKS, OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATERS, MEDIUM PRIORITIES, WERE PICNIC AREAS, PAVILIONS, OUTDOOR TENNIS COURTS, PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT, AND OUTDOOR FISHING AREAS.
ONE OF THE LOW PRIORITIES WAS BOARDWALKS.
AS I MENTIONED, WE BEGAN THIS PROCESS IN JUNE OF 2024.
WE HAD SEVERAL ONSITE SURVEYS TO DO ALONG WITH HYDRAULIC MODELING OF THE SITE, AND WE STARTED OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SOON AFTERWARDS.
WE ARE AT THE FINAL STEP HERE POTENTIAL FOR APPROVAL FROM THE TOWN COUNCIL.
THIS IS SOMEWHAT OF A HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.
AS THE PARKS DIRECTOR MENTIONED IN 2021, ANOTHER 7.4 ACRES WERE ACQUIRED AND THAT WAS WITH SOME OF THE REDEVELOPMENT OR SOME OF THE DEMOLITION THAT TOOK PLACE ON THE SITE AS WELL.
YOU CAN SEE IN THIS SLIDE HERE, THIS SHOWS IN THE YELLOW AREA, THE SUBJECT PROPERTY.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER VIEW OF IT HERE.
APPROXIMATELY 34 ACRES IS THAT RED LINE THAT YOU SEE IN THE PARKS PROJECT ITSELF.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS AS FAR AS ADJACENT TO.
WE HAVE TIMBER CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THE FLOWER MOUND, BAPTIST CHURCH, THE SYNAGOGUE, RESIDENTIAL HOUSING ACROSS THE STREET AND PRIMARILY ON ALMOST ALL THE PERIMETER ALONG WITH THE MAJOR ARTILLERY ROAD.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, 38.4 ACRES IS THE APPROXIMATE SIDE OF THE RED BOUNDARY.
WITHIN WITHIN THAT AREA, WE HAVE OVER A MILE OF LINEAR FEET OF TRAIL.
THERE IS SOMEWHAT CONSTRAINTS ON THIS SIDE.
AS I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, IT'S A FLOODPLAIN.
APPROXIMATELY 24 ACRES ARE WITHIN THE FLOODWAY AND ANOTHER 10 ACRES ARE WITH 100 YEAR FLOODPLAIN AND 500 YEARS AS ANOTHER TWO.
QUITE A BIT OF THAT IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
PROPOSED LAND DEVELOPMENT, I APOLOGIZE, THAT'S THE 13.45 ACRES IS THE POLES IN THE RED.
I TAKE THAT BACK. AGAIN, THE NUMBER I WAS LOOKING FOR, AND I APOLOGIZE, IS 83% OF THE SITE IS APPROXIMATELY A FLOODWAY OR FLOODPLAIN.
AGAIN, THAT RED AREA IS THAT 13.45 ACRES, 4.5 ACRES IN THE FLOODWAY, 5.5 ACRES IS IN THE 100 FOOT FLOODPLAIN AND 500 FLOODPLAIN ACCOMPLICES APPROXIMATELY ONE ACRE.
APPROXIMATELY 25% OF THE PROJECT SITE IS CANOPY COVERED WITH TREES.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT BETTER VIEW.
THE DARKER LINES SHOW THE FLOOD WAY, THE LIGHTER BLUE IS THE 100 YEAR,
[00:55:03]
AND THE 500 YEAR IS THE VERY LIGHT BLUE.AS YOU CAN SEE THAT THE AERIAL THERE, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE GRASS.
THAT IS AN AREA THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE DESIGNATED FLOODPLAIN.
DURING THE PUBLIC COMPETENT, THESE WERE SOME OF THE CONCEPTS THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC.
ULTIMATELY, WE MOVED IN A DIRECTION CLOSER TO CONCEPT C, AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE FINAL MASTER PLAN HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
SOME OF THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS, PRESERVING NATURE AREAS OF THE PARK, UTILIZING NATIVE LANDSCAPE IN BIODIVERSITY AND MAINTENANCE PURPOSES.
ONE OF THE OTHER CONCERNS WAS THE DREDGING OF THE EXISTING POND.
THAT WAS A RESIDENTS CONCERN AS WELL.
PROTECT EXISTING WILDLIFE AND HABITATS, INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, THAT WAS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE FELT THAT WE COULD EASILY INCORPORATE INTO THE PROJECT.
RECREATIONAL NEEDS, NEW TENNIS COURTS, PLAYGROUND, COVERED SEATING IN A GATHERING SPACE, TRAIL NETWORK, BOARDWALKS AND FISHING PIERS, SITE FURNISHING BENCHES, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME PASSIVE AND ACTIVE RECREATION WITHIN THE SITE ITSELF.
AGAIN, SOME OF THE OTHER COMMENTS WERE, COMMUNITY NEEDS, MORE TENNIS COURTS, LESS IS MORE VINALS, PRESERVATION. I'LL MENTION THAT TOO.
AS FAR AS THIS PROJECT HERE, WHEN I SHOW YOU THE MASTER PLAN, WE TOOK GREAT PAINS TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE PRESERVING ALL THE NATURAL CANOPY OUT THERE.
THERE'S ONLY ONE TREE, I THINK AT THIS POINT IN TIME THAT WE'VE DESIGNATED THAT WOULDN'T NEED TO BE REMOVED.
WE DID TRY TO PRESERVE AS MUCH AS WE COULD, AND WE DID VERY WELL AT THAT.
ALSO, SOME OF THE ITEMS BESIDES THE TENNIS COURTS, NATIVE PLANTINGS, TRAILS, OPEN SPACE, BOARDWALK FISHEER, AND PLAYGROUND, ARE SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE ALSO MENTIONED.
AS YOU SEE HERE, THIS IS THE MASTER PLAN THAT WE ULTIMATELY DEVELOPED.
YOU WILL SEE THE MAIN ITEM HERE IS IN THE NUMBER 1 AREA WHERE THE FIVE TENNIS COURTS ARE LOCATED.
THOSE WERE POSITIONED IN THAT GENERAL LOCATION DUE TO THE HYDRAULIC CONCERNS THAT WE HAD IN THE FLOODWAY.
WE NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT ANY DEVELOPMENT HERE WOULD NOT AFFECT DOWNSTREAM FLOW.
DURING THE DUE DILIGENCE, WE CREATED THE MODELS, AND WITH ELEVATIONS, WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT WHERE WE HAVE THE NUMBER 1 AREA, WHICH IS THE COMPLEX WHERE THE TENNIS IS OUTSIDE OF THE FLOODWAY AND WILL WORK AS FAR AS A HYDRAULIC COMPONENT.
AREA NUMBER 16, YOU SEE THE FOUR EXISTING TENNIS COURTS, THOSE ARE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW.
SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU CAN SEE UP IN THERE TOWARDS THE LEFT HAND OF THE SIDE, WHICH WOULD BE TO THE EAST OR TO THE WEST IS THE PLAYGROUND AREA ALONG WITH A AMPHITHEATER, AN OPEN AMPHITHEATER, OF A MULTIPURPOSE AREA.
AGAIN, I DO HAVE SOME GRAPHICS HERE TO SHOW YOU SOME CLOSE IN VIEWS OF SOME OF THESE WHAT THEY COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE ONCE WE WERE TO DEVELOP THESE.
THE PARKING LOT IS A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENT CONFIGURATION THAT WAS OUT THERE.
THE FOOTPRINT OF THIS PARK LINE IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT'S OUT THERE NOW, AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WAS DONE IS TO PRESERVE THE TREES THAT ARE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S QUITE NICE CANOPY TREES OUT THERE AND WE DO NOT WANT TO DESTROY THOSE.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE THE ADDITIONAL TRAIL THROUGHOUT THE PARK HERE.
RIGHT NOW, THE NUMBER 10 IS WHICH PRIMARILY ADJOINS OR IS ADJACENT TO THE CREEK.
ALL THESE INTERNAL TRAILS ARE NOT EXISTING RIGHT NOW.
THESE ARE ALL PROPOSED TRAILS.
I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME OF THE ITEMS HERE AS FAR AS A LITTLE BIT CLOSE REVIEWS.
THIS IS RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING ENTRY, RIGHT NEXT TO THE DROP OFF AREA.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT BETTER VIEW HERE.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING OUR TRAIL HEAD RIGHT HERE AS YOU ENTER THE PARK TO THE LEFT OVER THERE, NEXT TO WHERE YOU SEE PEOPLE.
THAT'S MORE OF AN INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE AREA MIGHT HAVE A TRAIL AREA THERE FOR THE ENTIRE TOWN AND JUST AN AREA FOR DROP OFF AND PICK UP AS WELL.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER VIEW OF THE FIVE TENNIS COURTS.
YOU'LL NOTE THAT THERE'S A RETAINING WALL AROUND THERE AND THAT'S DUE TO HYDRAULIC REASONS.
WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THAT WOULD BE OUTSIDE OF THE FLOOD ELEVATIONS ALONG WITH THE RESTROOM THAT'S IN THERE AS WELL.
THAT CENTER BUILDING IS A RESTROOM.
YOU SEE TWO CANOPY AREAS TO THE SIDE, THAT WOULD BE SEATING AREAS FOR PLAYERS AND OR USERS OF THE PARK.
THIS IS A VIEW FROM THE STREET, A LITTLE BIT OF A BIRD'S EYE VIEW LOOKING IN TOWARDS THE PARK.
YOU CAN SEE THE EXISTING LAKE IN THE BACKGROUND.
[01:00:01]
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER VIEW OF THE PHI PLEX OF THE TENNIS COURTS HERE GOING UP INTO THE RETAINING WALL AREAS.THIS IS A SIMILAR VIEW JUST ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE.
A LITTLE BIT CLOSER VIEW WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE RESTROOM BUILDING THERE AND A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE PLAZA AREA FOR THE PLAYERS AND PARK USERS.
THIS IS OVER BY THE FOUR TENNIS FIELDS AS THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.
WE WANTED TO PROVIDE A SPACE THAT COULD BE USED NOT ONLY BY THE TENNIS PLAYERS, BUT ANYBODY IN THE PARK.
THIS PROVIDES A N GREAT VISTA AREA TO LOOK ACROSS THE POND AS WELL AS FISHING OPPORTUNITIES.
A LITTLE BIT BETTER VIEW OF THAT.
IN THE BACKGROUND, YOU SEE THE EXISTING TENNIS COURTS? THIS IS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAD DURING THE PUBLIC INPUT MEETING WAS, A LOT OF THE USERS WERE COMING OUT HERE TO LOOK AT NATURE.
THEY WANTED SOME DESIGNATED AREAS TO DO THAT.
WE BELIEVE WE CAN DEVELOP AREAS LIKE THIS WITHIN THE PARK WITH VERY LITTLE DISTURBANCE.
ONE I'LL ALSO NOTE WE COULD ACTUALLY DO BIRD BLINDS FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THAT FOR BIRD WATCHING.
THAT WAS ALSO A COMMUNITY ASK.
HERE'S A LITTLE BIT CLOSER VIEW OF THE FISHING PIER RIGHT THERE ON THE EXISTING LAKE RIGHT NOW.
HERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CLOSER IN VIEW TO THE PLAYGROUND TO THE LEFT, AND YOU CAN SEE DIRECTLY TO THE MIDDLE OF THIS IS A AMPHITHEATER/CANOPY STRUCTURE HERE.
WE FELT THAT THIS COULD BE A VERY MULTI-PURPOSE SETUP THAT WAY WHERE YOU MIGHT HAVE A STAGE FOR PERFORMANCE OR IT COULD BE FLIPPED AROUND, AND YOU COULD USE IT MORE OF AN EDUCATIONAL WITH SMALL GROUP SESSION THERE UNDER THE CANOPY AS FAR AS SHADE.
YOU CAN SEE MORE OF A NATURE PLAYGROUND RIGHT THERE AS FAR AS CONCEPTUALLY WHAT THAT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE.
THIS IS ANOTHER PACIFIC COMMENT THAT THE PUBLIC DID WANT TO HAVE.
THESE ARE WHAT WE'RE CONSIDERING ST STATIONS ALONG THROUGHOUT THE PARK AREA, ALONG THE TRAIL.
GREAT PLACE TO SIT DOWN, RELAX, WATCH PEOPLE, WATCH NATURE, HAVE A LUNCH OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
THAT ONE SITUATED THERE, YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKGROUND, THE EXISTING LAKE WITH THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE ARE SPEAKING OF TONIGHT.
LIKE THE PARK DIRECTOR SAID, ALL THIS INFORMATION, ALONG WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE FOR THE PROJECT IS ON THIS SITE.
>> I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR CHUCK.
ONE OF THE THINGS, THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL PARK.
WE GO THERE, WE WALK THERE, AND HAVE ENJOYED IT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AND I APPRECIATE THE LOVE AND CARE IT'S GOING TO GET.
ONE OF THE GREAT EVENTS THAT RECENTLY HAS JUST BEEN BLOOMING IS THE CHILDREN'S PARADE FOR FOURTH OF JULY.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT WITH THESE CHANGES, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, DURING CONSTRUCTION, I'M NOT SURE HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE IN THE TIMING OF THAT.
BUT DO YOU THINK IT WILL STILL BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHILDREN'S PARADE?
>> YEAH, I DO. THAT'S WHY WE ADDED THE SMALLER AMPHITHEATER AREA WAS DUE TO THAT EVENT MAINLY.
THIS WILL ALSO OPEN UP SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, MAYBE FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO COME OVER AND HAVE LITTLE OUTDOOR CLASSES OUT THERE, OR ALLOW US TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING IN THE PARK.
BUT YES, THAT IS SPECIFICALLY WHY WE MADE IT, IT WAS TO HELP FACILITATE THAT EVENT.
>> WHEN I SAW THAT AMPHITHEATER, I WAS LIKE, OH, WOW, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT BECAUSE THEY DO MAKE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND THEY HAVE LITTLE CONTENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THAT WOULD BE REALLY COOL.
I THINK IT LOOKS VERY NATURALIZED.
I WOULDN'T MIND HEARING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THOSE BIRD BLINDS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TOO LATE TO ADD THAT IN.
>> THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT DURING DESIGN AND SEE HOW WE CAN ADD THAT IN.
>> I THINK THAT'S REALLY COOL, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF NATIVE BIRDS THAT CONGREGATE AROUND THE POND, AND THEN THERE ARE TURTLES AND ALL KINDS OF GREAT THINGS TO WATCH. THANK YOU.
>> SO I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON COURTS.
>> WELL, AS THE TENNIS FOLKS ARE PROBABLY GOING TO WANT MORE?
>> BUT WITH THIS PARK, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ADD THAT IN AND HAVE ENOUGH PARKING AS WELL, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO PUSH IT SO FAR BACK, AND WE HAVE TO RAISE IT UP.
I THINK THE HYDRAULICS SAY WE'RE PRETTY MUCH MAXED OUT WITH THE FIVE AT THIS LOCATION.
[01:05:02]
BUT THAT ALMOST GETS US RIGHT TO OUR LEVEL OF SERVICE.WE'LL BE AFTER TROTTER IN THIS PARK, WILL BE ONE TENNIS COURT SHY.
>> THE FOUR COURTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE ARE THOSE GOING TO REMAIN OPEN?
>> OKAY. GREAT. THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING WAS THE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
>> WELL, THAT CAME UP DURING THE PARKS BOARD MEETINGS AND SOME OF THE FOLKS WERE LIKE, WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT IF I'M PLAYING TENNIS HERE, I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE MY CHILDREN GO OVER TO THE SCHOOL WHERE OUT OF SIGHT, CAN'T EVEN HEAR THEM AS WELL.
THEY ALSO WANTED TO MAKE IT A DIFFERENT TYPE OF PLAYGROUND WHERE WE'RE DOING MORE OF THE ROPES AND NATURAL-THEMED PLAYGROUND.
>> LOVE THE DESIGN. THIS MEANS A LOT TO ME BECAUSE MY FAMILY AND I, WE DID WALKS ON THIS AREA FOR YEARS AND YEARS AS MY DAUGHTER WAS GROWING UP, SO REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT TO MAKE THIS A GREAT PARK AND LOVE IT. GREAT. THANK YOU.
>> WELL, THE TENNIS COMMUNITY HAS HAD A LONG WAIT.
I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE'RE GETTING OUT.
HOPEFULLY, TO YOUR QUESTION, CHRIS, THAT THIS IS ENOUGH.
IT LOOKS GREAT TO ME, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT REALLY CONSUMING MUCH OF AREA THAT DIDN'T HAVE EITHER A BUILDING OR A PARKING LOT ON IT.
WE'RE NOT DISRUPTING THE NATURAL AREA.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD SAY THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THE PROXIMITY OF THE PLAYGROUND JUST GIVEN WHAT WE SEE IN HIGHLAND VILLAGE WITH THEIR TENNIS CENTER AND THEIR PLAYGROUND.
IT SEEMS CLOSER TOGETHER THAN THEIRS DOES, AND THERE'S CERTAINLY PLENTY OF KIDS RUNNING AROUND OVER THERE.
I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE FLOODPLAIN.
CAN YOU GO TO SLIDE 8, PLEASE? LOOKING AT THIS SLIDE, IT LOOKS LIKE THE AREA WHERE THE BUILDINGS WERE ARE BOTH WITHIN THE FLOODPLAIN.
HOW COME LISC WAS ABLE TO BUILD BUILDINGS IN THE FLOODPLAIN, OR WE HAVE TO ELEVATE A TENNIS COURT?
>> WELL, I NEED YOU TO SPEAK TO THAT. [LAUGHTER]
>> SOMETIMES THE FLOODPLAIN CHANGES.
>> IT DOES CHANGE. THIS IS THE DATA THAT WE HAD.
WE DIDN'T EVEN TAKE ANY CONSIDERATION WHAT WAS THERE PRIOR, BUT THIS WAS THE CURRENT DATA THAT WE HAD.
>> THE TENNIS COURTS THAT ARE THERE NOW ARE IN THE FLOODPLAIN. DID THEY GET FLOODED?
>> WELL, THOSE WERE BUILT A LONG TIME AGO.
I WOULD SAY I'VE BEEN HERE 18 YEARS.
I'VE SEEN THEM UNDERWATER THREE TIMES.
SEEMS LIKE EVERY SIX, SEVEN YEARS.
>> [OVERLAPPING] THEY WERE ABLE TO GET IN THERE AND CLEAN.
>> LOT OF 100-YEAR FLOODS. THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO A TENNIS COURT WHEN IT'S UNDERWATER? DOES IT NEED A BUNCH OF MAINTENANCE.
>> IT'S A LOT OF MANUAL LABOR, PRESSURE WASHING.
BLOWING. SOMETIMES, IT'S FIXING THE WINDSCREEN.
TYPICALLY, THE FENCES ARE STRONG ENOUGH, THEY HOLD UP, AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ISSUE THERE.
WE MIGHT NEED TO TIE THEM BACK DOWN THE FABRIC OF THE FENCE.
>> THE NEW TENNIS COURT'S ALREADY ELEVATED, SO THEN WE'LL AVOID ALL OF THAT MAINTENANCE AND COST DOWN THE ROAD.
>> I'VE NEVER SEEN THE WATER GO UP THAT HIGH.
>> GREAT. JUST WATCHING THE PARKS BOARD MEETING, IT DID SEEM LIKE THERE WAS SOME GOOD FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE CONCERN ABOUT THE NATURAL AREA, AND IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THAT.
HAS THAT BEEN AN ITERATIVE PROCESS? DID WE HAVE AN EARLIER VERSION THAT WAS MORE DISRUPTIVE, AND THEN WE TOOK SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK AND MADE CHANGES?
>> I THINK A LITTLE BIT, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE THREE THAT HE HAD UP THERE, THERE WERE CERTAINLY SOME THAT WOULD HAVE AFFECTED MORE TREES OR GOTTEN CLOSER TO SOME OF THE MORE MATURE TREES.
IF YOU LOOK AT NUMBER 14, THAT'S AN AREA RIGHT NOW, WE JUST MOW IT, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU MENTIONED WILDFLOWERS, COUNCIL MEMBER DREW.
THIS WOULD BE A GREAT AREA FOR US TO DESTITUTE WILDFLOWER, AND THERE ARE SOME NATIVE TYPE STUFF OUT THERE.
>> THE PINK EVENING PRIMROSE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH IS THAT'S WHAT THOSE FLOWERS ARE THAT YOU SEE ON GARDEN RIDGE, AND THAT'S WHAT THE TRAIL THERE IS NAMED.
>> WELL, I LOVE THE BOARDWALKS AND THE FISHING PIER.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY NICE ADDITION.
THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT. I LOVE IT. WELL DONE.
>> NO QUESTIONS. THE ONLY COMMENT IS, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A HECK OF A JOB.
IT WORKS WITH THE LAND, WHICH IS WHAT WE ALWAYS TRY TO DO.
WE'RE PUTTING MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS, AND WE'RE DOING THAT OURSELVES WITH THIS PARK, WITH THE PRESERVATION WITH THE TREE CANOPIES, THE ADDITIONAL FEATURES, ADDITIONAL TENNIS COURTS, THE BOARDWALK, THINGS CAN BE WONDERFUL. JOB VERY WELL DONE.
>> IT'S EXCEPTIONAL. I LOVE IT.
I GO THROUGH THIS PARK ALL THE TIME.
THE TENNIS COMMUNITY IS GOING TO BE REALLY HAPPY TO HAVE MORE COURTS SINCE I DIDN'T GET THE TENNIS CENTER, BUT THEY GOT SOME MORE COURTS, SO THAT HELPS.
THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO OPEN THIS UP TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
THE FIRST COMMENT CARD WE HAVE IS AMY FORMAN. CAN COME FORWARD.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS ALLY FORMAN.
[01:10:03]
I'M AT 1315 STAPLETON, JUST AROUND THE CORNER FROM THIS PARK, AND HERE IN FLOWER MOUND.THIS PARK HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PLACE FOR COMMUNITY LEARNING AND NATURE.
IT'S THE PLACE I CONDUCTED MY FIRST BIOLOGY PROJECT, AND I'M NOW A PROFESSIONAL CONSERVATION BIOLOGIST, AND I'M ALSO AN ELM FORK CHAPTER, TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THIS PARK TURNING INTO A TENNIS COMPLEX WITH SOME NATURE ON THE SIDE.
THIS PLAN STRAYS AWAY FROM THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES TO INCREASE THE OVERALL CANOPY AND CONSERVE THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND UNIQUE NATURAL HERITAGE OF THE TOWN.
THESE ARE THINGS THE TOWN SAYS IT CARES ABOUT, AND WILL FOLLOW THROUGH ON.
I SAY, WHY NOT FOCUS ON THIS INVESTMENT BEING ON NATURE, ESPECIALLY AS IT'S BEEN A HIGH PRIORITY ITEM IN COMMUNITY FEEDBACK, CAN TUCKED ABOUT THE PARK SINCE 2017.
THIS AREA IS PERFECTLY EQUIPPED FOR SUCH AS IT IS A UNIQUE SECTION OF THE CROSS TIMBERS ECO REGION AND IS IN PROXIMITY TO TIMBER CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IT'S ALSO BEEN SCIENTIFICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY PROVEN IN A REPORT BY TEXAN BY NATURE THAT INVESTING IN ECOSYSTEMS PROVIDES AT A MINIMUM A 4-1 RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT.
WHAT IS THE TOWN CALCULATED THE RETURN OF INVESTMENT AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM THE COURTS? HOW WILL SUCH BE COMPARABLE TO THE BENEFITS OF INVESTING IN NATURE AND EDUCATION? WHAT MOTIVES EXIST TO PURSUE THIS TENNIS COURT SO PERSISTENTLY, AND WHERE DO THE DEFICIT LEVELS FOR COURTS COME FROM? WHY SPEND THE MONEY JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN, ESPECIALLY WHEN ADDITIONAL RESOURCES WILL HAVE TO BE USED TO MAINTAIN THIS PROJECT AND ACCOUNT FOR EXPONENTIAL ATTENDEE DEMANDS, TRAFFIC AND DISTURBANCES IN THE AREA, CONSTRUCTION, POLLUTION, AND NOT TO MENTION MARKET UNCERTAINTY.
THIS LOCATION SEEMS TO BE CHOSEN FOR COURTS OUT OF CONVENIENCE FOR THE TOWN.
ADDING COURTS HERE WOULD ONLY DISTURB, CONGEST, AND DISRUPT BOTH THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY AND ECOLOGY, REQUIRING ADDITIONAL WORK TO REMEDY SUCH.
I STILL HOPE THE TOWN WILL CHOOSE TO STICK TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND TRULY INVEST IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY BY ADDING ADDITIONAL NATIVE PLANTS AND TREES THAT WOULD ENRICH THE ECOLOGY OF THE AREA AND THE PEOPLE SURROUNDING IT, LEAVING THIS AREA AS NATURAL AS IT CAN BE AND DEMONSTRATING TO RESIDENTS THE BEAUTY OF THE LOCAL NATURE.
INVESTING IN NATURE COULD SAVE THE TOWN MONEY ON MAINTENANCE RESOURCES, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE EROSION CONTROL IN AN AREA WHERE EROSION IS AN ISSUE, AND BENEFIT SURROUNDING WATER AND AIR QUALITY.
IT COULD ALSO HELP REDUCE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT AND COULD BE YOUR NORMAL WILDFLOWER AREA.
I HOPE YOU'LL INVEST IN EDUCATION COMPONENTS THAT ALLOW FOR BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE AREA'S ECOSYSTEM AND DIFFERENT ORGANISMS THAT WILL HELP CREATE BETTER NATURE STEWARDS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN OUR YOUTH, WHO ARE THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW.
IF THIS PROJECT MUST MOVE FORWARD, [NOISE] I ASK YOU TO TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY AND COMPLETE SUCH AS SUSTAINABLY, EQUITABLY, DIVERSELY, ACCESSIBLY AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDE AS MUCH EDUCATION AND NATURAL FEATURES.
>> [NOISE] SORRY ABOUT THAT. DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS? NO. ANYONE IN THE CROWD WANT TO COME UP AND SPEAK? I'M GOING TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DEBATE YOU ALL WANT TO HAVE, OR DOES ANYBODY WANT TO MAKE A MOTION?
>> I JUST HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION.
[NOISE] IN THIS AREA, ARE WE HAVING ADDITIONAL TREE PLANTING? I THINK THAT'S ONE THING. [NOISE]
YOU CAN LOOK AT THE CONCEPT PLAN HERE.
THERE'LL BE A WHOLE LOT OF NEW TREES THAT WE'LL ADD, AS WELL AS LANDSCAPING.
>> ARE WE REMOVING ANY CANOPIES IN THIS?
>> I THINK YOU SAID MAYBE ONE TREE WOULD BE AFFECTED UNTIL WE GET INTO DESIGN.
BUT THE WHOLE PLAN WAS TO TRY TO PUT SOME OF THE PARKING, THE TENNIS, AND THE PLAYGROUND, ALL THAT ON THE FOOTPRINT WHERE THE BUILDINGS ARE PARKING.
>> JUST THINKING ABOUT WHAT MRS. FOREMAN SAID.
I THINK HER AND I ARE, WE SEE A LOT OF THE SAME WAY IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF PARKS THAT WE PERSONALLY ENJOY.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THE TENNIS FOLKS HAVE BEEN WAITING A LONG TIME.
[NOISE] I KNOW WE CONSIDERED THIS PARK FOR A CULTURAL ART CENTER AT ONE POINT. IT WASN'T FEASIBLE.
A LOT OF THE SAME REASONS WAS BECAUSE OF THE FLOODING.
HOW DID WE LAND ON THIS FOR TENNIS? WHAT'S THE IMPACT GOING TO BE IN TERMS OF VISITORS AND THE TRAFFIC, AND HOW IS THAT GOING TO IMPACT THE ROAD?
>> WELL, I WOULD IMAGINE, AS FAR AS LANDING IT ON TENNIS WITH HAVING THE OTHER FOUR THERE ALREADY, IT MAKES IT EASIER TO ADD ENOUGH COURTS ONTO THOSE FOUR TO BE ABLE TO HOST TOURNAMENTS AT ONE LOCATION AND THEN BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE SPACE THERE, WHERE THE EXISTING AUDITORIUM WAS IN PARKING,
[01:15:03]
THAT DOESN'T IMPACT ANY OF THE TREES OR THINGS LIKE THAT.IT ALLOWS IT TO FIT INTO THIS LOCATION AND GIVES A TOTAL OF NINE COURTS.
THE PARKING LOT IS SIZED APPROPRIATELY.
IF THERE ARE ANY TRAFFIC FOR THIS PARK SHOULD ALL BE CONTAINED TO THE PARKING LOT.
>> WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HAVING A COUPLE TENNIS COURTS HERE, A COUPLE OF TENNIS COURTS THERE, MAYBE DISTRIBUTING AROUND TOWN.
THE TENNIS COMMUNITY REALLY DIDN'T LIKE THAT IDEA VERY MUCH.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEARD WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE WHOLE TROTTER PARK MASTER PLAN FROM BOTH THE PICKLEBALL AND TENNIS FOLKS WHERE THEY WANT TO DO LEAGUES, THEY WANT TO DO TOURNAMENTS, AND THEY'D LIKE TO HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF COURTS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AT ONE LOCATION.
TROTTER PARK WAS LANDED ON AS THE PICKLEBALL LOCATION TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, KNOWING THAT THIS ONE WAS GOING TO BE COMING UP, LET'S ADDRESS THE TENNIS HERE.
>> ACTUALLY, I'M LOOKING AT GOOGLE MAPS, LET ME SWITCH BACK. GIVE ME A SECOND.
IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE FOR THIS TO SWITCH.
CAN YOU TAKE YOUR MOUSE AND JUST SHOW US WHERE THE LAST BUILDINGS WERE?
>> I WOULD SAY THE SWIMMING POOL WAS IN THIS AREA HERE.
THEN THEY HAD A SMALLER COMMUNICATION BUILDING THAT WAS SOMEWHERE IN THIS AREA HERE.
THEN THE ADMIN STARTED CLOSE TO THE ROAD AND WENT ALL THE WAY PRETTY FAR BACK IN THIS WHOLE AREA HERE.
>> THE PARKING LOT IS BIGGER THAN WHAT YOU SEE ON HERE.
ISN'T WHERE NUMBER 7 IS? THAT'S A PARKING LOT, TOO, CURRENTLY?
>> SEVEN AND PART OF THE TRAILHEAD AND PROBABLY THIS TENNIS COURT.
>> RIGHT WHERE NUMBER 7 IS AND WHERE ALL THOSE TREES ARE, ISN'T THAT THE BIG HARDSCAPE TODAY?
>> JUST THINKING ABOUT WHEN WE DO THIS, WE'RE ADDING FIVE TENNIS COURTS, ARE WE GOING TO MAKE THIS MORE NATURAL OR LESS? IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE GOT RID OF NATATORIUM.
WE'RE PUTTING FIVE TENNIS COURTS IN, IN THEIR PLACE.
WE'RE GETTING RID OF HALF THE PARKING LOT, TURNING THAT INTO A TRAILHEAD.
THEN WE'VE GOT RID OF A BUILDING AND WE'RE TURNING THAT INTO A PLAYGROUND.
WE'RE ACTUALLY COMING OUT AHEAD IN TERMS OF JUST HAVING A BETTER, MORE NATURAL EXPERIENCE, EVEN WITH THE TENNIS COURTS, IT SEEMS. HOPEFULLY, THE TENNIS COMMUNITY WHO HAS BEEN VERY VOCAL FOR A LONG TIME WITH NINE COURTS, THEY CAN HAVE A REALLY GOOD EXPERIENCE TOO, WHILE THE REST OF US ARE HOPEFULLY WATCHING BIRDS AND FISHING, AND PLAYING IN THE PLAYGROUND.
I DID LIKE THE IDEA OF THE PLAYGROUND THAT'S MORE LESS PLASTICY AND MORE WOOD.
HOPEFULLY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR VENDOR HAS AVAILABLE BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY NEAT TOO, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT HAPPEN.
I UNDERSTAND TO THE POINT OF THE RESIDENTS THAT IT'S HARD TO TRY TO FIND THAT BALANCE, BUT THE TENNIS COMMUNITY REALLY WANTS TO SEE A LOT OF TENNIS COURTS IN ONE LOCATION, NOT SPREAD AROUND AND THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING FOR YEARS TO FIND SOMETHING TO HELP THEM AND THEY'VE WAITED AND ASKED AND WE TRIED TO DO A TENNIS CENTER, THE VOTERS TURNED IT DOWN, BUT EVEN THE VOTERS WHO VOTED AGAINST IT E MAILED AND SAID, WE DON'T WANT A TENNIS CENTER, BUT WE WANT COURTS.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I LOVE THAT TRAIL, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CHECKED EVERY BOX HERE, BUT WE TRIED.
CHUCKIE DID A GREAT JOB. PARKS BOARD DID A GREAT JOB.
>> I JUST WANTED TO DOVETAIL INTO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT THE BOND AND THE TENNIS CENTER.
IT WAS AT THAT TIME OR IN PREPARATION FOR THAT THAT AN EXTENSIVE FEASIBILITY STUDY WAS DONE, AND THAT WAS WHEN THE NUMBER OF COURTS, WHAT DID YOU CALL IT? THE SERVICE LEVEL.
>> LEVEL OF SERVICE WAS DETERMINED BY THAT ORGANIZATION.
>> WE DID ONE ORIGINALLY WHEN WE DID THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN.
>> THOSE THINGS DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT IN GREAT DEPTH.
>> DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, OR YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION? WHO'S DOING IT? [BACKGROUND] WE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING.
>> MAYOR, I'M READY TO MAKE A MOTION.
I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE CONCEPTUAL MASTER PLAN FOR LEONARD AND HELEN JOHNS COMMUNITY PARK.
>> SECOND. IF YOU'LL TAKE THE ROLL.
>> DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM SCHIESTEL.
>> LEONARD JOHNS PARK PASSES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
>> YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER. WE'RE GOING
[01:20:02]
TO MOVE ON AND KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE OPEN THIS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, THE PUBLIC HEARING, THAT'S THE TIME TO SPEAK.WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM K2,
[K.2. MISC25-0002 - The Peninsula at Twin Coves Entry Sign - Consider a request for an exception (MISC25-0002 — Peninsula at Twin Coves Entry Sign) as authorized by Section 82-340 "Residential subdivision entry and signage" to Section 86-4 "Prohibited signs," and Section 86-67 "Ground Signs," of the Code of Ordinances in order to allow an electronic message board sign. The subject sign is generally located south of Wichita Trail and east of Peninsula Drive. (PZ recommended approval by a vote of 6 to 0 at its May 12, 2025, meeting)]
THE PENINSULA AT TWIN COVES ENTRY SIGN, THERE.>> THANK YOU, MAYOR. COUNCIL. AS MENTIONED, THIS IS A MISCELLANEOUS ITEM FOR AN ENTRY SIGN AT THE PENINSULA TWIN COVES NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE REASON WHY THIS IS COMING FORWARD AS A MISCELLANEOUS ITEM.
TYPICALLY, IT WOULD COME WITH THE SUBDIVISION SITE PLAN IF SOMEONE WANTED TO REQUEST AN EXCEPTION FOR THEIR SUBDIVISION SIGNAGE, BUT BECAUSE THIS IS AN EXISTING NEIGHBORHOOD THAT PREDATES THE SUBDIVISION SITE PLAN PROCESS.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE BRINGING IT FORWARD AS A MISCELLANEOUS ITEM.
HERE IS THE GENERAL LOCATION OF THE PROPERTY.
THE SIGN THAT IS PART OF THE REQUEST TONIGHT IS ON THE BACK OF THE ENTRY WALL THAT INCLUDES ALSO THAT ENTRY MONUMENT SIGN.
THE LAND USE FOR THIS PROPERTY IS ESTATE DENSITY, AND THE ZONING IS SINGLE-FAMILY ESTATE.
HERE'S THE SIGN LOCATION, AS NOTED ON THE PLOT.
AGAIN, HERE'S THE EXISTING WALL INDICATED THERE, AND IT IS ON THE BACK OF THE WALL.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS FACING WEST OUT TOWARD WICHITA TRAIL.
THE SIGN IS ON THE BACK HERE OF THE WALL.
ONLY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LEAVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THAT SIGN.
I WILL SAY THE IMAGE LOOKS A LITTLE STRANGE WITH THE LINES.
THAT'S JUST HOW IT TAKES A PHOTO OF AN ELECTRONIC MESSAGE CENTER SIGN.
I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT IT JUST LOOKS LIKE A NORMAL ELECTRONIC SIGN.
IT DOESN'T HAVE THESE LINES ACROSS IT.
HERE IS ANOTHER VIEW FROM A LITTLE BIT FARTHER AWAY.
AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE HERE'S THE ENTRANCE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEN THIS IS FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, LOOKING EAST.
THERE IS THE SIGN THAT'S BUILT INTO THE WALL ANNOUNCING THE SUBDIVISION PENINSULA AT TWIN COVES.
IT WAS IDENTIFIED BY CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND IT DOES VIOLATE A COUPLE OF THE TYPICAL SIGNAGE PROVISIONS THAT THE TOWN HAS, WHICH IS WHY THEY'RE PURSUING AN EXCEPTION.
THEN THE SIGN CODE PROHIBITS ANY SIGN WITH MOVING PARTS, ANIMATED FEATURES, FLASHING, BLINKING, ETC.
IT ALSO PROHIBITS SIGNS FROM BEING ATTACHED TO THE BACK OF WALLS.
THEN, LASTLY, OUR SIGN CODE FOR CHANGEABLE MESSAGE SIGNS, INCLUDING ELECTRONIC AND CHANGEABLE PANELS, ARE NOT PERMITTED.
THERE ARE SPECIFIC SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'RE ALLOWED ON SOME SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES, AND TOWN GOVERNMENT SIGNS, BUT TYPICALLY, ON A RESIDENTIAL SIGN, IT WOULD NOT BE PERMITTED.
THE COUNCIL HAD DIRECTED STAFF TO PUT IN PLACE A PROCESS FOR REQUESTING EXCEPTIONS TO THE TOWN'S SIGN REGULATIONS RELATED TO RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION ENTRY SIGNS BECAUSE BEFORE THAT, THE ONLY REAL PROCESS WAS DOING A COMPREHENSIVE SIGN PACKAGE, WHICH IS REALLY MORE INTENDED FOR A WHOLE LARGE-SCALE SIGN PACKAGE FOR A NON-RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THIS WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2024, AND IT WAS PUT INTO PLACE SECTION 82-340, AND SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE HERE TODAY.
IF COUNSEL WANTS TO APPROVE THIS, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION THAT P&Z ALSO MADE PART OF THEIR RECOMMENDATION WAS THAT THE SUBJECT SIGN SHALL RECEIVE A PERMIT AND BE INSPECTED TO ENSURE IT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH ANY APPLICABLE BUILDING CODES.
THAT'S THE CAPTION FOR THIS REQUEST.
THE APPLICANT IS HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THEY DID NOT HAVE A PRESENTATION, BUT I'D ALSO BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
>> I CAN HONESTLY SAY I DROVE BY THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE AGO TO LOOK AT THAT SIGN.
IT'S NOT OBTRUSIVE AT ALL, AND IT'S NOT ON THE MAJOR ROAD.
IT LOOKED GOOD. THE PICTURE DOESN'T DO IT JUSTICE.
IT REALLY IS A NICELY MADE SIGN.
I'VE SEEN THIS SIGN MANY TIMES.
I UNDERSTAND, AND MAYBE THE APPLICANT CAN CORRECT ME IF I GET IT WRONG.
I UNDERSTAND THEY USED TO HAVE A SIGN THERE WHERE THERE WAS A LETTER BOARD, AND THEY HAD TO MANUALLY GO AND CHANGE THE SIGN, AND IT WAS INEFFICIENT AND COULD BE A LITTLE DANGEROUS IF TRAFFIC IS COMING.
IN THE INTEREST OF EFFICIENCY AND MAKING IT BETTER, THEY PUT THIS SIGNBOARD IN.
THEN, LIKE YOU SAID, CODE ENFORCEMENT SAID,
[01:25:01]
OH, WE REALLY CAN'T DO THAT.THIS PARTICULAR SIGN IN MY OPINION, TO MAYOR'S POINT, VERY UNOBTRUSIVE.
IT IS REALLY ONLY TO THE INTERIOR OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU CANNOT SEE IT FROM THE STREET.
ONLY IF YOU'RE LEAVING THAT NEIGHBORHOOD DO YOU SEE IT, AND THE SCALE OF IT IS QUITE DEMURE, I THINK.
IT'S NOT LIKE A HUGE FLASHING SIGN.
FOR THOSE REASONS, I'M IN FAVOR OF ALLOWING THIS EXCEPTION.
BUT I DID WANT TO SPECIFY IN THE SPIRIT OF SETTING A PRECEDENT THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO PUT FLASHING, GARISH SIGNS ON THE ENTRANCES FACING OUT OF THEIR SUBDIVISIONS.
I WOULD LIKE JUST AN ABSOLUTE ASSURANCE THAT THIS WOULD BE THE PROCESS, AND IT IS BY EXCEPTION ONLY, AND THE COUNCIL, EVERY SINGLE TIME, WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSESS THE SIGN, IS THAT TRUE?
>> DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE PRECEDENT PROBLEM, OR?
>> LEXIN, DID THAT LANGUAGE THAT YOU SHOWED ON SLIDE, WAS IT 12? DID THAT NEED TO BE PART OF THE MOTION?
>> NO. IT WAS ALREADY PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION, SO I THINK YOU CAN JUST SAY AS PRESENTED.
>> DIDN'T WE CREATE THIS SUCCESSION PROCESS FOR THIS SIGN?
>> WE DID BECAUSE HONESTLY, THE COMPREHENSIVE SIGN PACKAGE, IF I RECALL, WAS ALSO VERY EXPENSIVE TO APPLY AS A PERMIT, AND WE FELT THAT MIGHT I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO USE THE WORD BE PUNITIVE, BUT IT WAS OVERLY BURDENSOME, I THINK, MIGHT BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR JUST SUCH A SMALL SIGN AS THIS AND ONE CHANGE WHEN IT'S NOT A WHOLE GIANT PACKAGE.
SHOULD I? I MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM K2 AS WRITTEN, INCLUDING THE RECOMMENDATION.
SECOND. TERESA IF YOU'LL TAKE THE ROLE.
>> ITEM K2 PASSES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
GIVE US A SHOUT-OUT ON THAT SIGN.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO K3, GOLF EVERYWHERE.
[K.3. SP24-0009 - Golf Everywhere - Consider a request for a Site Plan (SP24-0009 — Golf Everywhere) to develop an amusement and recreation center (indoors), a restaurant and two health club or athletic club buildings subject to meritorious design exceptions in accordance with Section 98-1163, Exterior wall construction for nonresidential buildings, of the Code of Ordinances. The property is generally located north of Aberdeen Drive and east of Long Prairie Road. (PZ recommended approval by a vote of 5 to 1 at its May 12, 2025, meeting.)]
LEXIN, YOU'RE PRESENTING AGAIN?AS MENTIONED, THIS IS A SITE PLAN FOR GOLF EVERYWHERE.
THE COUNCIL MAY RECALL THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY COME FORWARD WITH AN SUP, AND SO NOW THEY ARE FOLLOWING UP WITH THE SITE PLAN.
THERE IS A MERITORIOUS DESIGN EXCEPTION INCLUDED AS PART OF THIS, SO THAT'S WHY THE COUNCIL IS SEEING IT AND DIDN'T STOP AT PNC.
HERE'S THE GENERAL LOCATION OF THE PROPERTY.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S EAST OF LONG PRAIRIE, NORTH OF ABERDEEN.
THIS ONE'S A LITTLE MORE RECENT.
YOU CAN SEE THE TWO RETAIL CENTERS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONSTRUCTED.
THE DAYCARE CENTER HAS ALSO BEEN CONSTRUCTED THERE, BUT NOT YET CAPTURED BY THIS VISUAL.
THE LAND USE FOR THIS PROPERTY IS RETAIL AND ESTATE USES.
THE ESTATE PORTION IS WHERE THE DETENTION POND IS LOCATED, SO NOT THE GOLF EVERYWHERE CAMPUS SO MUCH.
THE ZONING IS PD 157 FOR OUR TWO DISTRICT USES AND AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT USES.
AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE THE DETENTION POND IS LOCATED.
HERE IS THE SITE PLAN FOR THE PROPERTY, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA.
AGAIN, AS MENTIONED, THAT'S THE DETENTION POND, BUT THIS IS REALLY THE SITE WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE VISITING THEIR ACCESS POINTS OFF OF LONG PRAIRIE AND ABERDEEN.
THIS IS THE LARGER BUILDING, A LITTLE OVER 37,000 SQUARE FEET, THAT THE COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY APPROVED FOR THE SUP FOR INDOOR AMUSEMENT OR RECREATION.
THEN THERE ARE THREE OTHER BUILDINGS THAT ARE NOW PROPOSED AS PART OF THE OVERALL SITE PLAN.
WE HAVE THIS TEACHING CENTER THAT'S A LITTLE LESS THAN 5,000 SQUARE FEET HERE ON THE SOUTHERN PORTION BY THE MAIN BUILDING.
THEN, UP ON THE NORTHERN END OF THE SITE.
WE HAVE A RESTAURANT, LITTLE LESS THAN 6,000 SQUARE FEET, ALSO 2000 SQUARE FOOT PATIO.
THEN THERE'S ALSO A HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER, IT'S A LITTLE MORE THAN 7,000 SQUARE FEET.
AS MENTIONED, THERE IS AN EXCEPTION REQUEST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
FIRST, FOR A UNIFIED DESIGN THEME, TOWN CODE STATES THAT A GROUPING OF BUILDINGS, THREE OR MORE MUST HAVE A UNIFIED DESIGN THEME FOR ALL BUILDINGS IN THE DEVELOPMENT, MAY BE UNIQUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT, MAINTAIN A STANDARD OF HIGH QUALITY CONSTRUCTION, RESPECT THE CONTEXTUAL SETTING OF OTHER DEVELOPMENTS, NATURE AND HISTORY.
WHILE THE PROPOSED BUILDINGS UTILIZE THE BUILDING MATERIALS, COLORS, AND ELEMENTS OUTLINED IN PD 157, THE APPLICANT IS SEEKING TO ESTABLISH A DISTINCT DESIGN THAT'S UNIQUE TO THE GOLF EVERYWHERE CAMPUS.
IT WOULD STILL MEET THE STANDARD AS FAR AS THREE OR MORE BUILDINGS, BUT THEY REALLY WANTED TO CARVE OUT THEIR OWN LOOK FOR THEIR GOLF EVERYWHERE CAMPUS THAT IS COHESIVE WITH THE REST OF THE DEVELOPMENT, BUT IT HAS A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT STYLE TO IT.
[01:30:03]
THIS DOES ALSO INCLUDE THE USE OF A METAL SCREENING ELEMENT THAT EXCEEDS THE TOWN'S STANDARD 20% THRESHOLD FOR NON-MASONRY MATERIALS.THOUGH I DID HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT DURING THE P&Z MEETING THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY PLANNING TO HAVE A MASONRY MATERIAL BEHIND THAT SCREENING ELEMENT, SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE OF LESS CONCERN TO STAFF, IF THAT'S THE CASE BECAUSE THE PRIMARY EMPHASIS ON THAT IS JUST ENDURING QUALITY SO THAT IT'LL STAND THE TEST OF TIME.
THE MAIN GOLF EVERYWHERE BUILDING IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE ELEVATIONS THAT WERE APPROVED WITH THE SUP.
SECOND ITEM ASSOCIATED WITH THE MERITORIOUS DESIGN WHERE EXCEPTION REQUEST IS FOR ROOF PITCH.
AS COUNSEL IS AWARE, FOR BUILDINGS THAT ARE SMALLER THAN 15,000 SQUARE FEET, WE WOULD TYPICALLY REQUIRE A ROOF PITCH BETWEEN 612 AND 912.
THE LARGE MAIN BUILDING IS MORE THAN 37,000 SQUARE FEET, SO THEY DID NOT NEED TO ASK FOR THAT EXCEPTION WHEN THEY CAME FORWARD WITH THE SUP.
BUT I HAD MENTIONED THE SIZES OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS, ROUGHLY 56 AND 7,000, AND SO THEY WOULD REQUIRE AN EXCEPTION IN ORDER TO NOT DO THE PITCHED ROOF.
I THINK THEIR REASONING FOR DOING THIS IS, AGAIN, THEY'RE TRYING TO CREATE THAT DISTINCT LOOK SO THAT ALL OF THOSE FOUR BUILDINGS HAVE A MORE CONSISTENT ROOF DESIGN.
THE REASONS WHY OR THE WAYS THAT THE ROOF PITCH EXCEPTION CAN BE APPROVED FOR THE TOWN'S CODE, SAYS THEY'RE MOST APPROPRIATE, AND AREAS NOT ADJACENT TO RESIDENTIAL ARE PART OF LARGE-SCALE DEVELOPMENT AND PROVIDE ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL TO SOFTEN THE APPEARANCE.
THIS WOULD NOT BE ADJACENT TO RESIDENTIAL.
IT IS PART OF THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENT.
I WILL SAY THAT THEY'VE INCLUDED A NUMBER OF DESIGN ELEMENTS OVERALL SO THAT IT'S NOT SUPER NOTICEABLE.
HERE'S SOME PHOTOS OF THE SITE.
AGAIN, PROPERTIES CURRENTLY UNDEVELOPED.
HERE WE ARE LOOKING NORTHWEST ACROSS ABERDEEN.
THEN THIS IS JUST A PHOTO OF THE EXISTING RETAIL CENTER THAT WOULD BE THERE, ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY.
HERE IS THE PHOTO OF THE DAYCARE CENTER.
WE HAD ALREADY DISCUSSED THE BUILDING SIZES.
USING THE VARIOUS PARKING STANDARDS FOR THE DIFFERENT USES.
THE TOWN'S TYPICAL STANDARD WOULD BE 341 PARKING SPACES.
THEY'RE PROVIDING 315, WHICH IS WITHIN THAT ALLOWABLE 20% DEVIATION.
THEY'RE MEETING ALL OF THE TOWN'S LANDSCAPE STANDARDS, INCLUDING A RELATIVELY NEWER STANDARD OF DOING THE TREE PLANTINGS AROUND THE DETENTION POND, SO IT'S MORE OF AN AMENITY AREA.
THEY'RE ALSO MEETING THE PD STANDARDS THAT REFERENCED OTHER AMENITIES THAT NEEDED TO BE PROVIDED WHEN THIS WAS DEVELOPED, THINGS LIKE BIKE RACKS, A TRAIL, ART, ELEMENTS, VARIOUS REQUIREMENTS.
MEETING ALL OF THOSE PD STANDARDS AS WELL.
HERE'S JUST A SLIGHTLY ZOOMED-IN VIEW THERE.
NOW, HERE ARE THE ELEVATIONS FOR THE VARIOUS BUILDINGS.
THEN THAT IS THE EXTERIOR FINISH.
THEN THESE WERE THE APPROVED ELEVATIONS FOR THE ASSOCIATED RETAIL.
ONCE AGAIN, THE SITE PLAN, THE CAPTION, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
THE APPLICANT IS ALSO HERE WITH THE PRESENTATION.
>> LEXIN, GOING BACK TO THOSE RENDERINGS, EXCLUDING ROOF PITCH.
WHAT ARE THE ELEMENTS THAT TRIGGER THE UNIFIED DESIGN THEME EXCEPTION, WITH YOU MENTIONED THE METAL SCREENING? IF WE WERE TO DENY THAT, WHAT WOULD CHANGE ON THESE?
>> IT'S NOT SO SIMPLE TO SAY, OH, THIS RIGHT HERE, YOU NEED TO CHANGE THAT FROM THIS TO THAT.
IT'S MORE OF THERE'S A DIFFERENT OVERALL DESIGN LOOK TO THESE FROM THE ELEVATIONS THAT WERE APPROVED FOR THE RETAIL SPACES AND THE DAYCARE CENTER, AND THEN ALSO THE GARDEN OFFICES THAT ARE FURTHER NORTH.
IF THIS WERE TO BE DENIED, I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH THE APPLICANT TO SEE IF THERE
[01:35:01]
WERE SOME TWEAKS THEY COULD MAKE TO THE DESIGN THAT WOULD PULL IN A FEW MORE ELEMENTS OF THOSE OTHER BUILDINGS AND TRY TO MAKE IT APPEAR A BIT MORE COHESIVE.WE'D WANT TO VERIFY THE SCREENING, JUST THAT THAT IS MASONRY BEHIND THAT ELEMENT AS WELL.
IF THE ROOF PITCH WERE DENIED, THEN FOR THE OTHER THREE BUILDINGS, IT WOULD NEED TO INCORPORATE A PITCHED ROOF.
I THINK IT WOULD BE FOR AT LEAST ONE OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS.
THEY DID GET AN EXCEPTION TO DO A LOWER PITCH THAN THE 612-912.
AGAIN, IF THE APPLICANT WERE TO ADD SOME PITCH, I THINK THEY WOULD POTENTIALLY WANT TO DO A LOWER PITCH AND NOT THE FULL AMOUNT THAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE REQUIRED.
BUT IT WOULD JUST BE A MATTER OF STAFF WORKING WITH THEM TO SEE WHAT UPDATES THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE.
I THINK, LIKE I SAID, THEY ALSO HAVE A PRESENTATION THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU WHY THEY THINK IT ALL DOES FLOW.
IT'S COHESIVE TOGETHER SINCE IT USES SOME OF THE SAME MATERIALS AND COLORS.
>> JUST WATCHING THE P&Z MEETING, IT SEEMED LIKE MOST OF THE DISCUSSION WAS AROUND THE ROOF PITCH AND JUST THE WAY THAT THIS COORDINATED WITH THE ADJACENT BUILDING ON SLIDE 25, IF YOU DON'T MIND, JUST SLIPPING OVER TO THAT.
EVEN IF WE WERE TO DENY THE ROOF PITCH EXCEPTION, THE MAIN BUILDING IS STILL GOING TO HAVE A FLAT ROOF BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T NEED AN EXCEPTION.
IF THE ISSUE IS TRANSITIONING FROM A SLOPED ROOF TO A FLAT ROOF, IT'S LIKE WE WANT IT TO BE ALL FOUR BUILDINGS OR JUST ONE OUT OF THE FOUR.
THAT MAKES THAT DECISION A LITTLE EASIER. THANK YOU.
>> DON'T WANT THE APPLICANT? READY. WE'LL HAVE THE APPLICANT COME FORWARD.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS PETER BROWN.
I LIVE AT 1813 MEYERWOOD LANE.
I LIVE RIGHT BY THE PARK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
I GUESS TO GET YOU STARTED WITH, THIS IS A PROJECT THAT STARTED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO.
THE THOUGHT WAS TO BRING IN A GOLF EVERYWHERE, WHICH IS AN ENTERTAINMENT BUILDING THAT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT SIMULATORS, DRIVING RANGES, RESTAURANTS, PUTTING GREENS INSIDE THE BUILDING, A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
I'VE ALSO GOT THE OWNER VISION AS WELL HERE WITH ME TONIGHT.
BUT THE THOUGHT WAS TO CREATE A GOLF CAMPUS REALLY TO TRAIN, TO DO HEALTH AND WELLNESS RESTAURANT, AS WELL AS THIS MAIN BUILDING AS REALLY BEING THE MAIN CENTERPIECE OF THE CAMPUS.
ALSO ON THE PD, WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WE LOOKED AT ALL THE DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND COLOR.
WE HAD TRIED TO MATCH ALL THOSE WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT.
WE WERE TRYING TO TIE TOGETHER THE WHOLE PD DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS. SEE IF I CAN.
THIS IS JUST A PLAN SHOWING YOU A SAMPLE OF THE VIEWS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER.
WE TRIED TO TAKE SOME CURRENT VIEWS WITH OUR MODEL JUST SO YOU GUYS CAN SEE AND VISUALIZE HOW THIS WOULD BE WITH IT ALL COMPLETELY DEVELOPED.
THIS IS REALLY GOING LOOKING SOUTHEAST, LOOKING AT THE RETAIL CENTER.
THE CLOSEST BUILDING TO THE RETAIL CENTER IS THE RESTAURANT AND THE LARGER BUILDING IN THE BACK IS THE MAIN GOLF BUILDING.
TRYING TO COMPLIMENT FROM THE BRICKS AND THE STONES.
LIKE WHAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, A LOT OF THE SCREENING DEVICES WE'RE PUTTING ON HERE ARE ACTUALLY OVER A STUCCO AND BRICK MATERIAL, IT'S NOT JUST A SCREEN THAT'S STUCK TO THE BUILDING, IT'S ACTUALLY MORE OF AN ACCENT MATERIAL WE'RE TRYING TO INTRODUCE TO IT.
THIS IS SOUTH LOOKING NORTHEAST.
WE DID GO AHEAD AND INCORPORATE THE DAYCARE CENTER AND THE RETAIL IN THIS VIEW JUST SO YOU CAN SEE HOW WE'RE TRYING TO TIE IN SOME OF THE BRICK AND STONE DETAILS IN THE BUILDING.
THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF HORIZONTAL CANOPIES IN THE RETAIL THAT WE'RE INCORPORATING IN ALL OF THE BUILDINGS AS WELL.
THIS IS GETTING CLOSER TO ABERDEEN, LOOKING TO THE NORTHEAST.
THIS IS THE MAIN BUILDING HAS TAKEN UP MOST OF THAT VIEW.
BUT ALSO, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE TRAINING FACILITY HAS GOT MORE OF THE BRICK COMBINATION THAT'S TRYING TO PLAY WITH SOME OF THE MATERIALS OF THE PD.
[01:40:02]
WE ALSO TRIED TO TAKE AND EVEN TO KNOW THE BIG BUILDING WASN'T REALLY REQUIRED TO HAVE SLOPE ROOFS.WE WANTED TO TRY TO TIE SOME OF THAT INTO THE DEVELOPMENT.
JUST BECAUSE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE HAD GOTTEN FROM PLANNING EARLY ON WAS WE DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE AN OFFICE WAREHOUSE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLANES AND HEIGHTS THAT WE WANTED TO PLAY WITH THAT TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING.
THIS IS LOOKING BACK TOWARDS WHERE THE DETENTION POND IS.
YOU CAN SEE PART OF THE DAYCARE AND THE BACK RIGHT.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS, WE REALLY WANT TO TRY TO LIGHTEN IT UP A LITTLE BIT, BE A LITTLE MORE HEALTH AND WELLNESS TO PLAY WITH A LITTLE BIT OF THE ARCHITECTURE AND THE DESIGN.
USING THE SAME MATERIALS, JUST LIGHTENING IT UP WITH SOME OF THE LIGHTER MATERIALS AND LESS HEAVY LOOK.
THIS IS JUST ANOTHER CLOSER LOOK FROM THE HEALTH AND WELLNESS.
YOU CAN SEE THE SIDE OF THE PATIO FOR THE UPPER FLOOR FOR THE MAIN BUILDING AS WELL AS SOME OF THE DAYCARE AND THE BACKSIDE.
THE RETAIL CENTER IS A PARAPETED, OTHER WORDS, A FLAT ROOF WITH THOSE ENTRIES THAT HAVE SLOPES ON THOSE.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO PLAY WITH THAT SAME ARCHITECTURE IN SOME OF THE AREAS.
THIS WAS JUST A LIST OF IDEAS AND DIFFERENCES AND JUST FIGURING OUT HOW WE TIED IN WITH SOME OF THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND JUST HOW WE TRIED TO REALLY CREATE A CAMPUS THAT COMPLIMENTED THE PD WITH ALL MATERIALS BECAUSE IT'S NOT A RETAIL CENTER AND IT'S NOT A DAYCARE CENTER.
IT'S A GOLF CENTER TRAINING, HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND RESTAURANT THAT ARE TRYING TO PLAY OFF OF THAT SAME ARCHITECTURE.
THAT WAS A LONG LIST OF DESCRIPTIONS.
I'M HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
ALSO, WE HAVE THE OWNER HERE AS WELL THAT IS MORE THAN HAPPY TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. [INAUDIBLE], AND I LIVE AT 160 KENNEDY AVENUE IN HOLLAND VILLAGE. THANK YOU, PETER.
PETER IS LEAD ARCHITECT ON THE PROJECT.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT OF THE DESIGN INTENTION AND PROVIDE A LITTLE CONTEXT AND HOW WE LANDED AT THE PRESENT DESIGN, MIGHT BE HELPFUL.
BASICALLY, THE ORIGINAL DEVELOPMENT WAS CALLED FOUNDERS LANDING.
WHEN WE CHOSE THE SITE, WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE PD AND I SAID, MAN, THIS IS PERFECT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO NEED TO STRAY HARDLY AT ALL FROM THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS LANDING.
IT'S NOT IN THIS PRESENTATION, BUT THE WAY THE BUILDINGS ARE LAID OUT, THE MAIN GOLF BUILDING EXPANDED, BUT THAT L SHAPE, YOU SEE IN THE BUILDING WAS ACTUALLY FOUND IN THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS LANDING PD, AND THAT'S WHAT INSPIRED THAT DESIGN.
THEN FROM THERE, WE WANTED TO REALLY OBVIOUSLY HONOR THE AMENITIES IN THE SITE PLAN.
BUT THEN THE IDEA BEHIND THE LOOK OF THE CAMPUS IN GENERAL IS NOT TO HAVE, FIRST OF ALL, WE WOULD NOT HAVE GOT APPROVED AT ALL, BUT THERE'S NO BRANDED ELEMENTS TO THIS CAMPUS THAT SAY THIS IS THE STYLE OF GOLF EVERYWHERE.
THIS IS DESIGNED TO BE THE GOLF EVERYWHERE CONCEPT IN THE STYLE OF FLOWER MOUND.
IF WE BUILD THIS IN ANY OTHER CITY ALONG THE WAY, THAT WOULD PERSIST AS THE THEME BECAUSE BASICALLY THE HIGH LEVEL IS THAT THIS IS, I CALL IT A COMMUNITY COUNTRY CLUB CAMPUS.
FIRST OF ITS KIND, COMMUNITY FIRST.
BUT BASICALLY, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THESE FOUR BUILDINGS IS IMPORTANT.
BASICALLY THE MAIN BUILDING, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO GET TOO DEEP INTO THE CONCEPT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS ABOUT, BUT JUST FOR SOME CONTEXT, THE MAIN BUILDING BASICALLY IS A GOLF CLUB.
IT'S A GOLF COURSE. THERE'S A DRIVING RANGE, THERE'S A PARTING GREEN, AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY TRULY SET YOU'RE PLAYING GOLF IN SOME OF THE SUITES.
BUT THEN TO ROUND OUT THAT, WE'RE BRINGING HEALTH AND WELLNESS, ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING AND THEN BREAKING OUT THE TEACHING CENTER.
THE MERITORIOUS DESIGN EXEMPTION IS REALLY SPEAKING TO UNIFY THE CAMPUS, AND TO REALLY, I THINK, LET PEOPLE COMMUNICATE THE MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC THAT IT IS A UNIFIED CAMPUS,
[01:45:01]
WHICH I DO THINK IS IMPORTANT FOR THE BUSINESS.HAVING A LARGE PITCH ROOF ON THE MAIN BUILDING WOULD BE JUST, I DON'T KNOW, ARTISTICALLY IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
THEN TAKING A LOOK AT IT, IT JUST FELT GOOD TO LOOK AT UNIFYING THE ROOFS.
THEN THE METAL SCREENING IS REALLY THE ONLY MATERIAL THAT'S NOT UTILIZED IN THE NORTHERN DEVELOPMENT.
THAT WAS REALLY JUST AN ARTISTIC CHOICE BY ONE OF THE LEAD DESIGNERS ON THE TEAM, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS BEAUTIFUL SO WE WENT WITH IT.
THEN REALLY THE NORTHERN ELEMENTS ARE UNIFIED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE MAIN BUILDING.
THEN I WANTED TO EXEMPLIFY THE BRICK ELEMENT IN THE TEACHING BUILDING TO GIVE IT MORE OF A STATELY UNIVERSITY LOOK KIND OF THING.
THEN I WANTED TO EXEMPLIFY THE STUCCO IN THE WELLNESS CENTER TO AS PETER SAID, GIVE IT A LIGHTER ATMOSPHERE.
THEN THE RESTAURANT ENDED UP GOING A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE BRICK.
>> CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE PICTURES.
THIS IS A PRETTY GOOD LOOK. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WE WERE ACTUALLY ASKED TO REVISE THIS WELLNESS BUILDING A LITTLE BIT PRIOR TO STAFF DID, AND WE DID INCORPORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE BRICK ELEMENTS.
I WAS OVER AT THE SITE, TAKING SOME PICTURES, AND THE BRICK BANDING THAT YOU SEE HERE, THE PICTURES DON'T DO JUSTICE.
IT'S ALMOST IDENTICAL TO ACTUALLY THE BRICK BANDING AND STUCCO USAGE THAT'S IN THE DAYCARE.
LEGITIMATELY, ALMOST IDENTICAL.
IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING HOW THAT WORKED OUT.
IF YOU SEE HERE IN THE BACK SIDE OF THE MAIN BUILDING, THAT THERE'S A STUCCO USE.
THERE'S A MIRROR IMAGING OF THE STUCCO THERE, WHEN YOU'RE IN THE INTERIOR OF THE CAMPUS, I JUST FELT LIKE THAT WOULD GIVE IT A MORE EXPANSIVE EXPERIENCE AESTHETICALLY FOR PEOPLE ENJOYING THE GRASS.
THEN YOU HAVE THE BRICK ELEMENTS COMPLIMENTING EACH OTHER DIAGONALLY ALSO ACROSS THE CAMPUS BETWEEN THE TEACHING, BASICALLY WHAT I WOULD CALL THE CLUBHOUSE PART OF THE MAIN BUILDING, AND THEN THE RESTAURANT UP THERE UP FRONT.
THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS, FOR THE MOST PART THERE.
THAT'S THE STORY OF HOW WE ARRIVED AT THESE DESIGNS.
I WILL ALSO SAY THAT THERE HAVE BEEN COUNTLESS REVISIONS AND MUCH COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS TO GET TO THIS POINT.
THE INTENTION IS TO BRING SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL TO THE TOWN THAT HONORS THE TOWN'S DESIGN REQUIREMENTS.
THAT ALSO HONORS THE INTENTION OF WHAT THE BUSINESS IS TRYING TO BRING TO THE PUBLIC AND REPRESENTS WELL WHAT YOU'LL FIND INSIDE OF THE BUILDINGS, WHICH WE BELIEVE WILL BE WONDERFUL.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU. COUNCIL, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS YOU WANT TO MAKE?
>> MILES, I LOVE YOUR CONCEPT.
IN FACT, I'M PRETTY SURE I WAS HERE AND VOTED IT IN.
BEFORE I SAY MY OTHER COMMENTS, THE LANDSCAPE PLAN SHOWS A LOT OF TREES, BUT THIS DOESN'T PRESUMABLY SO WE COULD SEE THE BUILDING.
>> WE JUST HADN'T GOT THERE IN THE RENDERINGS YET.
>> BECAUSE I THINK THAT WOULD HELP ME A LOT BECAUSE WHAT I'M SEEING NOW, MY INITIAL IMPRESSION, AND I'LL SAY TOO, I LOVE UNIFIED DESIGN, AND I DO SEE THE LOGIC BEHIND MAKING IT LOOK LIKE AN INCLUSIVE CAMPUS.
BUT MY INITIAL IMPRESSION IS IT LOOKS VERY INDUSTRIAL AND VERY URBAN.
IN MY OPINION, THAT DOESN'T REALLY MATCH UP WITH WHAT I VIEW AS FLOWER MOUND, AND HONESTLY, AS REALLY GOLF RELATED.
I THINK OF A COUNTRY CLUB AND I THINK OF MORE TRADITIONAL DESIGN AND SOMETHING THAT IS A LITTLE BIT SOFTER AND BUCOLIC, PARK LIKE.
I'M JUST SEEING A LOT OF ANGLES AND VERTICAL ELEMENTS AND A LOT OF IRON.
[01:50:03]
IT JUST REALLY LOOKS URBANIZED TO ME.WHILE I WOULD BE INCLINED TO AGREE TO THE ROOF PITCH EXCEPTION BECAUSE OF UNIFIED DESIGN, I JUST WISH WE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT IT BEFORE THIS CAME FORWARD.
I KNOW HOW MUCH WORK YOU DID, TO ME, IT JUST DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE WHAT I EXPECTED AT ALL.
THAT'S JUST MY BASIC FEEDBACK.
>> I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU.
>> THIS IS A LOT HARDER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE.
I SEE WHY P&Z STRUGGLED WITH THIS SO MUCH.
WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THE OTHER BUILDINGS NEXT DOOR AND THEN THESE BUILDINGS, AND SINCE YOU'VE BEEN TALKING, I'VE BEEN GOING UP AND DOWN GOOGLE STREET VIEW AND LOOKING AT OTHER BUILDINGS ON 2499.
I THINK THE ROOF PITCH MATTERS ON THOSE SMALLER BUILDINGS.
I THINK IT REALLY DOES. I DON'T KNOW, I GUESS I'M JUST NOT SEEING THE VISION.
I'M TRYING TO GET YOUR CONCEPT HERE.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT MORE OF AN EDUCATIONAL FACILITY AND THEN THERE'S A RESTAURANT.
WHEN I SEE THE BUILDINGS NEXT DOOR, IT'S JUST NOT CLICKING WITH ME RIGHT NOW, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S AN EASY WAY TO SOLVE THIS OR IF IT'S.
>> I DON'T KNOW. IF IT LOOKED LIKE THOSE BUILDINGS NEXT DOOR, THEN I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE TOTALLY FINE.
I'M NOT TOTALLY SURE THAT THIS IS A FIGHT WORTH FIGHTING, BUT I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO IT.
>> I AGREE. I'M NOT REALLY AGAINST IT.
LIKE I SAID, I DO TRULY LOVE YOUR CONCEPT AND UNIFIED DESIGN IS SOMETHING I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE.
IT'S JUST THE OVERALL CONCEPT JUST LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT THAN HOW I IMAGINED IT, ESPECIALLY WITH FLOWER MOUND AND GOLF.
>> YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT THE LANDSCAPING.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO COME BACK WITH LANDSCAPING INCLUDED SO WE GET A BETTER FEEL FOR HOW THAT WOULD LOOK OR WOULD THAT EVEN BE A BENEFIT?
>> I KNOW IN THE P&Z, WE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE PULLED UP ON YOUR PRESENTATION SHOWING ALL THE TREES.
I MEAN, IT'S GOT A LOT OF TREES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU ONCE WE PUT IT UP THERE, YOU PROBABLY WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE THE BUILDINGS ANYMORE.
>> WELL, I MEAN, FOR ME, THAT WOULD HELP. I'M SORRY.
I THINK THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL, AND I GET IT.
BUT I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT IT FITS CONTEXTUALLY WITHIN WHAT FLOWER MOUND IS ALL ABOUT.
EVEN FOR ME, GOLF, AND BRIAN, YOU GOLF A LOT.
YOU KNOW A LOT ABOUT GOLF PLACES.
HAVE YOU BEEN IN COUNTRY CLUBS LIKE THIS?
>> NO. THIS IS DEFINITELY MORE OF AN URBAN LOOK, FOR SURE.
BUT WAS THAT YOUR INTENTION? IT WAS YOUR INTENTION TO HAVE DIFFERENT THAN A TRADITIONAL COUNTRY CLUB OR TRADITIONAL GOLF COURSE.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT YOUR VISION IS THERE TO CLOSE THAT GAP, I GUESS?
>> ABSOLUTELY. I CAN SPEAK TO THAT FIRST, AND THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO TAG ON A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT MR. CHISEL HAD BROUGHT UP TO WHILE I'M AT IT.
I'LL TELL YOU HOW WE GOT HERE PARTLY.
I TOOK A LOOK AT A LOT OF GOLF CLUB RECOGNIZABLE CLUBHOUSES, CONGRESSIONAL RIVIERA, SOME OF THE MORE ICONIC ONES IN THE GOLF SPHERE.
THEN SURPRISINGLY, WHAT YOU'LL FIND IS THAT A LOT OF COUNTRY CLUBS ACTUALLY HAVE VERY DIMINUTIVE AND RATHER UNIMPRESSIVE CLUB HOUSES, EVEN SOME OF THE MORE FAMOUS GOLF COURSES IN THE WORLD.
IT WAS TOUGH TO BE INSPIRED BY THAT TO BE QUITE HONEST BECAUSE YOU EITHER HAVE SOMETHING LIKE RIVIERA OR CONGRESSIONAL, WHICH IS COMPLETELY OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE COULD BRING TO THIS SITE AND WHAT WOULD BE ALLOWABLE.
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNBELIEVABLY OUTSIDE THE CONTEXT OF THE PD.
THEN YOU HAVE THINGS LIKE PINE VALLEY, NUMBER 1 COURSE IN THE WORLD.
>> THE CAMPUS APPROACH IN GENERAL, MAYBE IT IS FUN TO KNOW, WAS ACTUALLY INSPIRED BY MY TIME CADING AT CHEVY CHASE CLUB OUTSIDE OF DC.
THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE A BIG CLUBHOUSE BUILDING, IT'S ACTUALLY BROKEN UP INTO FOUR OR FIVE BUILDINGS AND IT WAS A VERY INTERESTING VIBE FOR THE CLUB THERE.
IT DIDN'T HAVE A BIG WOW FACTOR AT ALL TO ANY OF THE BUILDINGS, BUT THEY JUST HARMONIZED.
[01:55:01]
THAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR SAYING, WE CAN CREATE A COUNTRY CLUB CAMPUS AND BRING IT INTO HERE.THAT'S WHY IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A TRADITIONAL GOLF COURSE MORE OR LESS.
WHY DOES IT LOOK MORE COMMERCIAL? I CAN SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WITH THE URBAN.
I'M NOT DISAGREEING WITH THAT.
I WAS NOT TRYING TO GO FOR NECESSARILY AN URBAN LOOK BY ANY MEANS.
IF I WAS DOING THAT, I THINK WE WOULD BE STRAYING A LOT FROM THE MATERIALS ALLOTTED IN THE PD, AND WE'RE NOT, REALLY.
MAYBE BREAKING THEM UP A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, BUT THE MATERIALS AND THE CORRECT USAGE PERCENTAGES IS PRETTY MUCH THERE, AND WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO DO THAT.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT INCESSANTLY IN EVERY DESIGN ITERATION THAT WE WENT THROUGH.
THAT WAS A CONTINUOUS POINT OF CONCERN, WAS TO HONOR THAT.
WHAT YOU FIND TO THE NORTH IS OUR ELEVATIONS THAT REALLY SPEAK TO, YOU'RE DRIVING BY IT, YOU SAY, I KNOW THAT THAT IS RETAIL.
I DID NOT WANT THIS TO SCREEN RETAIL AT ALL. IT'S NOT RETAIL.
NO ONE IS TRYING TO DEVELOP SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN THE WORLD YET.
I WANTED IT TO HAVE A GOOD COMMERCIAL LOOK AND APPEAL THAT MOSTLY BLENDED WITH THE RETAIL THROUGH THE MATERIALS.
THAT IS THE MAJOR TIE-IN HERE.
THEN DOES LOOK INHERENTLY COMMERCIAL, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON, TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT MIGHT BE HERE AND TO GARNER SOME INTRIGUE AND TRANSPARENCY TO THE COMMUNITY.
IF THIS LOOKS LIKE RETAIL, ONE, I THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY DO THE BUSINESS A LITTLE DISSERVICE.
I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE UNOVERCOMABLE.
BUT I THINK IT WOULD ULTIMATELY BE CONFUSING TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THEY'D BE LIKE, MAN, THIS IS A COUNTRY CLUB, WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE RETAIL? THAT'S WHY I THINK YOU DON'T REALLY WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE RETAIL.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE WELLNESS BUILDING, IT'S A ROBUST WELLNESS CENTER.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE EVERY TYPE OF THERAPY YOU WOULD FIND AT EVEN THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE CRYOTHERAPY CLINIC WITH ALL THE SAUNAS, AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF STUFF, PRACTITIONERS.
THE TEACHING BUILDING, IT'S PURELY TEACHING.
WE'RE NOT SELLING ANY PRODUCTS THERE.
SELLING SPORTING GOODS IS ACTUALLY A PROHIBITED USE.
WE'RE NOT EVEN SELLING GOLF CLUBS.
I MEAN, WE'RE SELLING GOLF MEMBERSHIPS.
JUST TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, WE ARE PROVIDING THE SAME AMOUNT OF ROUNDS OF GOLF, THE SAME AMOUNT OF VOLUME OF DRIVING RANGE, AND PUTTING GREEN AS AN ACTUAL GOLF COURSE.
THAT'S WHAT 80% OF THE BUILDING IS, IS BASICALLY A GOLF COURSE, AS MY FRIEND SAM SAYS, TURNED OUTSIDE IN, AND I LIKE THAT.
THEN THE RESTAURANT ALSO, I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE RETAIL BECAUSE IT'S NOT.
THAT'S WHY IT DOES LOOK SO DIFFERENT.
BUT IT'S NOT FOR THE PURPOSE OF JUST TO SAY, LOOK AT ME, LET'S BE DIFFERENT.
IF WE MISSED THE MARK A LITTLE ON SOME OF THE DESIGN AESTHETIC THAT WE CHOSE, I GUESS ALL I CAN SAY IS THAT HOPEFULLY, THE OVERALL QUALITY AND CARE THAT WE TOOK INTO DELIVERING SOMETHING THAT ULTIMATELY IS GOOD.
LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE BIG WINDOWS.
THERE'S A LOT OF WINDOWS IN THE MAIN GOLF BUILDING, WHICH MAYBE IS PART OF WHAT COULD GIVE IT AN URBAN VIBE.
YOU HAVE PLANO, IT'S ALL GLASS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE THING OR NOT, BUT WE WANT TO LET A LOT OF LIGHT IN, GIVE PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO FEEL LIKE YOU'RE OUTSIDE.
IF THIS IS GOING TO BE A STAPLE WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO IT MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK, YOU WANT TO CREATE AS OPEN AND AS LIKE YOU'RE FEELING OUTSIDE AS POSSIBLE.
[02:00:08]
>> THAT'S THE CLARIFICATION I NEEDED.
I THINK I UNDERSTAND BETTER THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE NOT A RETAIL CENTER.
>> I THINK IT MISSES THE MARK A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH LIKE AN OFFICE.
I ALSO THINK IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A FLOWER MOUND FACILITY, WHICH I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE I'M STRUGGLING.
I THINK THAT WE COULD SOLVE THIS.
I'M WILLING TO GIVE YOU THE EXCEPTION ON UNIFIED DESIGN THEME, WHICH GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THOSE MATERIALS.
BUT I THINK ADDING THE ROOF PITCH INTO THE SMALLER BUILDINGS IS PROBABLY WHAT PULLS THIS ALL TOGETHER.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUILDINGS NEXT DOOR, THEY'RE NO COMPLETELY PITCHED ROOFS ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP, THEY JUST HAVE A FACADE THAT GIVES IT THAT MORE FLOWER MOUND, MORE RESIDENTIAL LOOK AND FEEL THAT WE LIKE.
WHAT PROBLEM DOES THAT CAUSE YOUR ARCHITECT?
IT'S NOT LIKE A LITTLE TINKER TOY, WHERE YOU JUST ADD IT IN THERE.
I THINK THE DESIGN OF THESE BUILDINGS WAS TO COMPLEMENT THE MAIN BUILDING THAT WAS APPROVED AND TRY TO WORK OFF OF THAT.
I KNOW THIS IS DIFFERENT. THIS IS JUST 2D.
BUT THE THOUGHT WAS TRYING TO PLAY OFF OF THAT MAIN BUILDING FOR A CAMPUS FEEL AND BELIEVE ME, I'VE DONE A LOT OF GARDEN OFFICE BUILDINGS IN FLOWER MOUND AND I GET THE UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE THOSE ARE OFFICE BUILDINGS.
THIS ONE WAS TO TRY TO TAKE OFF THE MAIN BUILDING AND PLAY OFF OF THAT WITH THE MATERIALS AND THE VOLUMES AND SAME THING WITH THE RETAIL.
THE RETAIL IS NOT A PITCH TO ROOF, IT'S A FLAT PARAPET ROOF JUST LIKE THESE ARE.
IT'S JUST PUTTING IN SOME HIPS OR SOME GABLES.
MOSTLY IN THE RETAIL LOOK, YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE SOME MAIN POINTS, IF YOU WILL, FOR RETAIL DESIGN.
IN THIS CASE, ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING NOT TO LOOK LIKE A RETAIL CENTER.
WE'RE TRYING TO PLAY OFF OF THE MAIN BUILDING.
THAT DOES HAVE A LOT OF FLAT, BUT IT DOES HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLANES FOR HEIGHTS, AND ALSO WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE BUILDINGS BECAUSE ONCE YOU START PITCHING THE BUILDINGS, NOW THEY START GETTING PRETTY TALL.
>> WELL, YEAH, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M GOING FOR, BUT I WANT YOU TO TAKE THAT CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY ON THOSE THREE SMALLER BUILDINGS.
I'LL TELL YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHOSE DECISION IT WAS TO NOT HAVE A RETAIL PRO SHOP IN THERE FOR GOLF AND APPAREL.
I WOULD DEFINITELY ASK A COMEBACK FOR THAT.
>> WELL, I WOULD DEFINITELY ASK FOR PERMISSION TO SELL RETAIL GOLF CLUBS, WHATEVER.
I THINK THAT YOU WOULD NOT GET MUCH OBJECTION TO THAT. I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT.
YOU SHOULD HAVE A PRO SHOP IN THERE.
THE GOAL OF MAKING IT TIE INTO THE MAIN BUILDING, YOU DID THAT, BUT NOW YOU JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE IT TIE INTO THE REST OF THE BUILDINGS UP AND DOWN 2499.
IT NEEDS TO BE DIALED BACK A LITTLE BIT JUST TO GET MY COMFORT LEVEL.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TABLE IT AND WORK ON THAT, OR IF YOU WANT TO APPROVE THE UNIFIED DESIGN THEME AND THEN NOT THE ROOF PITCH OR IF THERE'S SOME OTHER SOLUTIONS.
>> I AGREE WITH THOSE COMMENTS, AND I WILL TELL YOU HAD I NOT KNOWN IT WAS FOR YOUR CAMPUS AND WHAT THE INTENDED USE WAS, I WOULD HAVE GUESSED INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSE.
I DON'T MEAN TO BE HARSH, BUT I SEE NOTHING HERE TO ME THAT SCREAMS LIKE LEISURE, LUXURY, WELLNESS.
IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE GARAGE BAY DOORS OF A WAREHOUSE, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WAS YOUR INTENTION AT ALL.
I'M ALSO NOT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE METAL SCREENING ELEMENT AS A DECORATIVE ELEMENT, TO ME THAT MAKES IT LOOK EVEN MORE INDUSTRIAL. I THINK OF WORK.
I DON'T THINK OF LEISURE AND FUN AND RELAXATION AND PHYSICAL THINGS, AND I'M SO SORRY TO HAVE TO DELIVER THAT NOW.
BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IT PRIOR, SO I REALLY WANT TO BE HONEST WITH YOU IN MY FEEDBACK.
I WOULD BE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF A PRO SHOP.
>> THERE'S SPACE DESIGNATED FOR THAT.
>> WE COULD CERTAINLY INCORPORATE THAT WITHOUT MUCH TROUBLE.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS? I'M SORRY [INAUDIBLE]
>> FIRST OF ALL, I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT MORE ENTERTAINMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
I'M HAVING THE SAME ANGST AS THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS AND AS P&Z HAD WITH PITCHED ROOF.
I DO LIKE THE VARIABILITY OF TYING IN THE OTHER MATERIALS WITH THE OTHER RETAIL SPACES.
I THINK IT BLENDS IN MORE WITH NEIGHBORHOODS.
I'M HAVING THE SAME ANGST THERE AS WELL.
I GET YOUR POINT THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO NOT BE RETAIL.
[02:05:01]
I DO UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT IT ALMOST LOOKS LOFTY TO ME.IT LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE A LOFT.
>> I HAVE A LITTLE DIFFERENT TAKE.
THE ROOF EXCEPTION DOESN'T REALLY BOTHER ME.
THE REASON IT DOESN'T AND THE REASON I'M OKAY WITH IT IS BECAUSE IT DOES TRANSITION FROM THE MAIN BIG BUILDING TO THE BUILDING TO THE NORTH AND IT MEETS IT IN THE MIDDLE.
IT DOES SOMEWHAT SEEM COHESIVE.
I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF HEARTBURN WITH THAT.
AS FAR AS THE SHIELDING, WE ALLOW 20%, IS THAT CORRECT? DO WE KNOW HOW MUCH YOU'RE REQUESTING OVER THE 20%? BECAUSE TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT'S ALL WE ARE CONSIDERING, JUST THAT EXCEPTION.
>> I THINK THERE ON THE ON THE SOUTH ELEVATION, THERE'S 32%.
>> I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR THAT.
>> THERE'S 32% ON ONE ELEVATION.
ALL THE REST OF THEM ARE 19%, 5%, AND 16%.
THERE'S JUST ONE SIDE, WHICH IS THE SOUTH SIDE THAT HAS THE 32%.
>> HOW CHALLENGING IT WOULD BE TO REDUCE THAT 32% TO 20% SO YOU'RE COMPLIANT AND DON'T NEED THAT EXCEPTION?
>> TALKING ABOUT THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE MAIN BUILDING.
>> BASICALLY BE TAKING THESE TWO PIECES OFF OR SOMETHING.
>> WHAT COUNCIL ADAM SCHIESTEL SAID, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO TABLE, TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT CHANGES YOU COULD MAKE? I REALIZE I GAVE YOU A DIFFERENT OPINION ON THE ROOF THAN THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU DO THAT AND YOU COME BACK, WE ALL AGREE.
>> THAT YOU DON'T WANT THAT PITCHED ROOF, OR YOU DO? YOU DON'T WANT IT?
>> CAN YOU GO TO THE 3D RENDERINGS THAT YOU GUYS SAID?
>> I'M OKAY WITH THE ROOF EXCEPTION ON THE SMALLER BUILDINGS BECAUSE IT DOES MATCH THE MAIN BUILDING.
>> HE ASKED FOR THE 3D, SO BACK TO YOURS.
>> THAT'S THE MAIN BUILDING FROM [OVERLAPPING] [INAUDIBLE] AS POSSIBLE.
>> I DON'T THINK I'M AS CONCERNED ABOUT THE MAIN BUILDING OR EVEN THE METAL STRUCTURES, I THINK JUST THE COHESIVENESS OF THE NORTH BUILDING TO THIS BUILDING, TRYING TO MAKE IT TRANSITION.
I DO FEEL LIKE THE ROOF PITCH MIGHT BE SOME OF IT.
IF THERE'S OTHER IDEAS TO TRY AND MAKE IT MORE COHESIVE, I'M ALL EARS FOR THAT.
ARE THE MATERIALS VERY SIMILAR?
THE MATERIALS ARE THE SAME MATERIALS.
LIKE THE BRICK IS THE SAME BRICK, THE STONE IS THE SAME STONE.
>> THIS LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THE RENDERING.
THE NORTH WHAT YOU SEE IS REALLY MORE OF A PHOTO, OURS IS A COMPUTER-GENERATED RENDERING.
THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE IN COLOR.
THE COLOR WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GET TO BUILD THIS THING, SHOULD IN THEORY BE IDENTICAL, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ELEVATIONS TO THE NORTH ARE STILL RELATIVELY NEW.
YES, THE MATERIALS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.
>> REALLY, THE ONLY MATERIALS THAT ARE ADDED ARE THE SCREENS, JUST TO INFER SOME ACCESS TO IT.
>> I GUESS JUST TO ADDRESS A TIE-IN, WAYS THAT WE COULD CREATIVELY DO THIS WITHOUT, NOW WE'LL SAY HAVING MINIMAL UPHEAVAL WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD IN GENERAL.
I WILL JUST BE TRANSPARENT WITH THAT.
BEING CREATIVE IS WHAT I'M DOING HERE.
SEE HOW THE STONE ON THE BLINDS BUILDING RIGHT UP FRONT.
LET ME USE THE MOUSE. THERE'S STONE HERE? POTENTIALLY, IT'S SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THAT COULD JUST BE A LITTLE BIT.
YOU COULD MIRROR JUST THIS PORTION, OR THE WHOLE BACK SIDE OF THE RESTAURANT WITH SOME STONE TO MIRROR THIS.
IF WE COULD EXECUTE THIS WITHOUT ALTERING THE STRUCTURAL AND NOT HAVING TO REDO THAT WOULD BE HUGE.
WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO REDO ANY FLOOR PLANS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
[02:10:03]
>> WHICH BUILDING IS THIS WE'RE LOOKING AT? THIS IS A RESTAURANT.
>> JUST FOCUS ON THIS ONE BUILDING.
THIS IS THE RESTAURANT. WHAT NUMBER IS THIS?
>> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
>> USUALLY HAS ALL THE EQUIPMENT ON THE ROOF.
THAT'S WHY IT'S GOT THE PARAPETS THAT ARE HIGH [INAUDIBLE]
>> BUT THAT WOULD GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SOME PITCH, RIGHT?
>> MAYBE JUST ON A PART OF THAT.
>> JUST A MANSARD STYLE, BUT FALL MANSARD.
>> WHAT IF WE DENY THE EXCEPTION ON JUST THIS BUILDING, WHICH WOULD THEN ALLOW YOU TO TRANSITION TO THE OTHER PROPERTY? THE OTHER TWO BUILDINGS ARE BACK BEHIND IT ANYWAY.
IT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE THEY HAVE TO MAKE.
THE MAIN BUILDING ISN'T AFFECTED ANYWAY BECAUSE IT'S NOT SUBJECT TO.
>> I'M REALLY TORN BECAUSE LIKE I SAID, I LOVE THIS CONCEPT.
I WANT TO SEE YOU MOVE FORWARD.
I WANT TO VISIT AND PLAY AS BADLY AS I PLAY.
MAYBE I COULD GET BETTER AT THE TEACHING CENTER.
THAT'S WHY I'M LIKE, CAN WE BREAK IT UP, BUT I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE STONE.
>> THERE'S SOMETHING OFF ABOUT THE COLOR BECAUSE IT LOOKS ALL RED AND THEN YOU'RE SAYING THAT IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE OTHER ONES.
I'M LIKE, MAYBE IT'S JUST THE COLORS THAT ARE BAD.
>> THINK THE COLORS WOULD HELP.
>> IT'S JUST THE SHOT OF THE TIME OF DAY BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, WE'RE MATCHING THE SAME BRICK BECAUSE THAT HAD MORE OF A SHADOW LINE TOO.
THAT'S WHY THAT BRICK IS DARKENED.
>> NOT TO TOTALLY COMPLICATE THIS, BECAUSE I BELIEVE YOU'LL PROBABLY COME FORWARD SEPARATELY FOR YOUR SIGNED PACKAGE.
>> BUT KNOWING OR HAVING AN INDICATION, NO PROMISES OF WHAT SIGNAGE? HOW AM I GOING TO KNOW THAT'S A RESTAURANT? BECAUSE THE DESIGN OF THE ARCHITECTURE, TO ME, DOESN'T SAY GOLF.
THIS ONE, THE PATIO, MAYBE THAT'S MORE RESTAURANT.
JUST GIVE ME AN IDEA OF WHERE YOU MIGHT PUT THE SIGN, THAT MIGHT HELP ME CONCEPTUALIZE HOW I WOULD WISH IT LOOKED.
>> SEE THIS AREA AT THE END? THAT WAY YOU CAN SEE IT OFF OF 2498.
>> IT IS. WE DO HAVE SOME CURVED ELEMENTS.
LET ME GO THROUGH AGAIN, JUST TO POINT OUT THE CURVED ELEMENTS BECAUSE ORIGINALLY, THERE WERE LESS CURVED ELEMENTS AND I WAS A STICKLER ABOUT ADDING SOME.
>> YOU SAID THAT SIGN IS GOING TO BE THERE, BUT THERE'S GOING TO BE ALL THOSE TREES THERE TOO.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE BUILDING.
>> IT'S TALL ENOUGH, I BELIEVE, THAT IT WILL STILL BE VISIBLE.
I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THE VISION OF THE SIGN THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND PROPOSE.
ALSO, THE FRONT OF THIS WELLNESS CENTER HERE, THAT IS CURVED.
THAT'S A REALLY NICE CURVE, AND THEN THE TEACHING BUILDING HERE, THAT'S A VERY PRONOUNCED CURVE AND THAT'S ACTUALLY THE ENTRANCE TO THE TEACHING BUILDING.
>> THE WELLNESS CENTER, THAT'S SIMILAR MATERIALS TO THE I GUESS THE DAYCARE?
>> IT'S EXACT SAME STUCCO AS USED IN THE NORTH.
IT JUST HAS A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF STUCCO RELATIVE TO SOME OF THE OTHER ELEVATIONS.
>> YOU CAN SEE THE COHESIVENESS IN THIS BETWEEN THOSE TWO BUILDINGS. IT IS PRETTY CLEAR.
>> I'M SORRY, JUST TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT.
THERE'S A WHOLE PALETTE OF MATERIALS.
IT'S LIKE THIS ONE IS NOT THE SAME AS THAT ONE OR THAT ONE, BUT THEY'RE JUST MIXED AND INTERMINGLED ON THE DIFFERENT BUILDINGS WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT.
THE SAME WITH THE DAYCARE CENTER AND THE OTHER STUFF THAT WAS APPROVED.
IF THAT PART IS THROWING ANYBODY OFF, THEY ARE USING ALL OF THE MATERIALS OUTSIDE OF THE SCREENING THAT ARE PART OF THE APPROVED PALETTE OF MATERIALS FOR THE PD, BUT IT'S LIKE YOU USE ON THIS BUILDING, YOU MIGHT USE THIS BRICK WITH THIS STONE.
ON THIS OTHER BUILDING, THEY UTILIZED ANOTHER BRICK THAT WAS APPROVED AS PART OF THE PD.
IT'S NOT THAT IT'S ONLY ONE BRICK THAT'S ON EVERYTHING.
IT'S LIKE, WHY IS IT LOOK SO DIFFERENT? IT'S JUST THAT THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE WITHIN THAT PALETTE OF WHAT WAS APPROVED FOR THAT PD.
THOSE ARE THE MATERIALS THEY'RE UTILIZING.
>> LEX, CAN YOU GO TO THE MAP WITH THE FOUR DIFFERENT BUILDINGS IN IT?
>> SLIDE 2 ON THIS PRESENTATION.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S THE SAME.
THE RESTAURANT, I THINK WE COULD SOLVE THIS BY JUST MODIFYING THE RESTAURANT AND NOT THE OTHER.
>> I'D RATHER JUST LET THEM DO THE WHOLE THING AS IS.
I DON'T LIKE THE SCREEN, THOUGH, I HAVE TO SAY I DON'T REALLY LIKE THAT METAL SCREENING, BUT I'D RATHER KEEP IT ALL UNIFIED DESIGN THAN MAKE THE RESTAURANT LOOK DIFFERENT JUST TO GET SOME PART OF IT.
IT JUST DOESN'T SCREAM GOLF RESORT TO ME, AND THAT'S MY PERSONAL THING.
IT'S YOUR DREAM, IT'S YOUR VISION YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON A LONG TIME AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I DO.
I KNOW HOW MUCH WORK YOU PUT INTO IT IN YOUR HEART AND SOUL.
I'D RATHER KEEP THE COHESIVE DESIGN AND ALLOW THE ROOF BECAUSE IT DOES LOOK LIKE A CAMPUS.
BUT I'M NOT REALLY A FAN ABOUT THAT SCREENING, SO INDUSTRIAL.
[02:15:01]
>> I'M NOT USUALLY SO INDECISIVE, BUT I REALLY AM TORN.
>> MAYOR, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR COUNSEL.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO CONVENE INTO A CLOSED SESSION?
>> ON THIS ONE? YEAH, WE CAN DO THAT.
OH MY GOSH. WE ARE CONVENING IN CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO?
[M. CLOSED MEETING (Part 1 of 2)]
>> I GOT YOU. PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 551, SECTION 071. THAT'S IT.
[N. RECONVENE]
WE ARE RECONVENING INTO OPEN SESSION.WE WILL RESUME THE DISCUSSION ON GOLF EVERYWHERE.
COUNCIL, WE LEFT OFF WITH THE DISCUSSION.
DOES ANYONE WANT TO MAKE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR MAKE A MOTION AT THIS TIME?
>> I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A MOTION YET, BUT MY OPINION AT THIS TIME IS I WOULD RATHER KEEP THE COHESIVE DESIGN OF ALL FOUR BUILDINGS, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO NOT SEE ALL THE METAL SCREENING.
>> MY INITIAL CONCERN IS THAT JUST THE COLORS DIDN'T MATCH IN THE PICTURES, AND I THINK YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO MATCH THE SURROUNDING AREA.
I'M NOT AS CONCERNED ABOUT THE ROOF PITCH BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE TRYING TO GO FOR A UNIQUE DESIGN.
BUT JUST TRYING TO GET THAT COHESIVENESS FROM ONE DEVELOPMENT TO THE NEXT WAS MY ONLY CONCERN, BUT YOU'VE ADDRESSED THAT.
>> IS ANYONE ELSE FEELING SIMILAR ON THE SCREENING?
>> I DON'T HAVE TOO MANY ISSUES WITH THE SCREEN, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW COMMITTED ARE YOU GUYS TO THAT METAL SCREEN.
IF WE WERE TO DENY THE UNIFIED DESIGN THEME ON THAT ONE POINT AND LET EVERYTHING ELSE GO FORWARD, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING YOU COULD WORK WITH?
>> IN THEORY. IN GENERAL, I BELIEVE IN SOLUTIONS OVER PROBLEMS, SO IN THEORY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE WORKED WITH.
>> IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE COULD REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF SCREENING OR IS IT ELIMINATING? THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS THERE.
>> I THINK IT WOULD HELP ME. IF YOU REDUCED IT TO 20%, THEN YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO ASK ME.
>> LEX, IT IS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BUILDING.
THEN THE OTHER PREDOMINANT USE OF THE SCREENING IS ACTUALLY IN JUST THE RESTAURANT.
BECAUSE THE RESTAURANT, ACTUALLY, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE INTERIOR IS GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXPOSED URBAN VIBE.
IT ACTUALLY FITS THE CONCEPT THAT WE'RE GOING FOR IN THAT RESTAURANT.
THE METAL SCREENING, THE USE OF THE METAL SCREENING ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE RESTAURANT, CONTEXTUALLY IS GOING TO MAKE A LOT MORE SENSE FOR THAT PARTICULAR CONCEPT.
THEN ACTUALLY THAT'S WHERE THE METAL SCREENS CAME.
WE TRY TO UNIFY THAT INTO THE MAIN BUILDING, AND THEN IT'S ACTUALLY OMITTED ENTIRELY ON THE WELLNESS BUILDING.
>> WHAT IF YOU TOOK THE SCREENING AND INSTEAD OF A STRAIGHT HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL, YOU HAD MORE OF A DIAMOND SHAPED AS A NOD TO THE PAST OF THE LATTICE WORK OF SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL GOLF COURSES.
THAT WAY, YOU STILL HAVE THAT HINT OF THE PAST.
>> BUT A MODERN TWIST ON THE PAST OF THE LATTICE WORK, BUT IT'S JUST NOT SO URBAN URBAN URBAN.
>> LIKE IN THE METAL SCREENS, BASICALLY HAVING A DIAMOND PATTERN CUT OUT?
>> LIKE A DIAMOND PATTERN INSTEAD OF JUST THAT HORIZONTAL INDUSTRIAL LOOKING [OVERLAPPING].
>> YEAH, I THINK THE SCREEN, I THINK IT WAS MORE OF JUST A CIRCULAR GRID OR A CIRCLE.
IT WAS REALLY JUST MORE OF A [OVERLAPPING] SCREEN.
>> IT'S A MESH SCREEN. THAT'S HOW IT WAS DESCRIBED TO ME.
>> LET'S NOT GET TOO PRESCRIPTIVE.
>> LET'S NOT GET TOO PRESCRIPTIVE. YOU DESIGN THE BUILDING.
YOU SAID THERE WAS MORE TO THE UNIFIED DESIGN THEME EXCEPTION THAN JUST THE METAL SCREENING.
IF WE WERE TO APPROVE THE UNIFIED DESIGN THEME, BUT LIMIT THE METAL SCREENING TO 20%, THEN THAT WOULD GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO HAVE THAT CREATIVITY IN THE OTHER ELEMENTS.
BUT JUST ON THAT ONE THING, WE WOULD WANT TO DIAL THAT BACK, ESPECIALLY ON THE RESTAURANT BECAUSE IT'S THE CLOSEST TO THE OTHER BUILDINGS.
FRANKLY, I'D RATHER YOU DESIGN THE OUTSIDE OF THE RESTAURANT FOR COHESIVENESS ON THE OUTSIDE, NOT COHESIVENESS WITH THE INSIDE, JUST BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE ARE GOING TO SEE IT AS THEY DRIVE BY.
[02:20:02]
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU GUYS CAN WORK WITH? ARCHITECT?>> I'M GOING TO JUST INTERRUPT. THIS ISN'T THE RIGHT [OVERLAPPING].
>> I LIKE YOUR TENNIS COURTS ON YOUR [OVERLAPPING].
>> IT'S ATHLETICALLY INCLINED, BUT YOU'RE NOT DOING TENNIS, RIGHT?
>> [OVERLAPPING] PICKLEBALL. [LAUGHTER]
>> HEY, IF YOU INCLUDED PICKLEBALL, THAT MIGHT CHANGE A LOT OF IDEAS.
>> IS IT THE RESTAURANT BUILDING THAT IS OVER THE 32% OR IS IT ACTUALLY THE MAIN BUILDING?
>> IT'S ACTUALLY THE MAIN GOLF BUILDING BECAUSE OF THE USE OF THE BIG SCREENS ON THE SECOND HALF.
IF YOU GO TO THE MAIN BUILDING, PETER IN THE 2D, THIS IS REALLY WHAT'S TICKING IT OVER.
IT'S ACTUALLY THIS PART, WHICH IS, SEE HOW THAT WE USE BIG METAL SCREENS ON THE TOP HALF OF THIS LARGE WINDOW PANE.
>> IS THAT GLASS ABOVE TOO SO THAT IT'S ACTING LIKE A SUN SCREEN?
>> IT'S ALL GLASS IN BETWEEN THE STONE AND THE STUCCO COLUMNS.
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN AWNING THAT DIVIDES THE TOP HALF AS PEOPLE WALK AROUND THE BUILDING FOR A LITTLE SHADE.
THEN THE METAL SCREENING GOES UP ON THE SECOND HALF JUST AS A DESIGN THEME, THOSE WINDOWS DON'T NEED TO REALLY PROVIDE LIGHT.
THERE'S NOTHING HAPPENING UP THERE.
THE SECOND STORY ONLY EXISTS IN THE FRONT.
YOU'RE RIGHT UP RIGHT UP HERE.
THIS IS WHAT WE CALL THE MEZZANINE.
ONCE YOU GET TO THIS KNEE IN THE BUILDING, THE MEZZANINE GOES AWAY AND IT'S VERY HIGH CEILING INSIDE FOR THE GOLF COURSE.
>> YEAH. IT'S A TWO STORY BUILDING, BUT IT'S JUST A VERY HIGH AROUND [OVERLAPPING].
>> IT'S SMALL PORTION OF TWO STORY.
>> YEAH, EXACTLY. I THINK THE MEZZANINE IS SOMETHING LIKE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 6-8,000 SQUARE FEET IN TOTAL, WHICH IS REALLY THE RESTAURANT OF THE MAIN BUILDING, WHICH IS MORE LIKE YOUR TRADITIONAL GOLF RESTAURANT COUNTRY CLUB.
ANYWAY, THAT'S WHAT THIS THING HERE, AND THEN THE USE OF THEM AGAIN IN THE BACK.
THAT SPECIFICALLY IS WHAT TAKES THIS WHOLE SITE OVER WITH THAT PARTICULAR MATERIAL USE.
IT'S ACTUALLY NOT THE MINIMAL ELEMENTS THAT WE ADDED.
REALLY, ONE OF THE WAYS WE USE THE SCREEN WAS TO HIDE AN ELECTRICAL BOX, I THINK.
>> THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO ME IS A SUNSHADE OVER WINDOWS BECAUSE THEY BLEND IN.
WHERE ELSE ARE YOU USING METAL SCREEN? BECAUSE APPARENTLY I WAS LOOKING AT THE WRONG ELEMENTS ON HERE.
>> BUT THIS ISN'T PUTTING YOU OVER 20%.
>> IT'S REALLY JUST THOSE ONES ON THE LARGE BUILDING.
>> YEAH. THAT'S A GOOD CLARIFICATION.
>> WHAT WERE YOU SAYING ABOUT IT'S ROUND? WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S ROUND?
>> IT'S LIKE STEEL, BUT IT'S PUNCHED WITH CIRCLES?
>> BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT I ENVISIONED AT ALL WHEN I HEARD SCREENING.
I REALLY THOUGHT IT WOULD BE LIKE THICKER WIRE ELEMENTS IN A HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL.
>> MS. MARTIN, I KNOW IT'S HARD TO SEE THIS, [OVERLAPPING] HERE YOU CAN SEE THOSE HOLES.
>> THE HAMMERED LOOK [OVERLAPPING].
>> THAT'S DEFINITELY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT I WAS THINKING IT WAS.
>> IT HAS ELEMENT TRANSPARENCY TO IT.
IT IS A GOLF FACILITY, SO YOU KIND OF WANT IT TO BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
>> YEAH. I THINK THE HOLES WERE THE GOLF. VERY SUBTLE.
>> YOU WANT IT TO STAND OUT A LITTLE BIT TO SAY, HEY, WE'RE DIFFERENT, IT'S NOT THE SAME AS WHAT THE NEIGHBORS HAVE.
IT'S NOT THE SAME AS THE ADJACENCIES.
>> YES. I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
>> YEAH. WE DON'T SEE THE TREES IN THIS RENDITION.
>> NO, NOT AT ALL. IF YOU GO BACK TO THE SITE PLAN, THE LANDSCAPING IS PRETTY ROBUST, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ONE OF MY TEAM MEMBERS SAID IN THE INITIAL SEP PRESENTATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A P&Z OR TOWN COUNCIL OR BOTH, BUT IN KEEPING WITH THE LOOK OF A GOLF COURSE CAMPUS, IF I COULD GET AWAY WITH REESE JONES MOUNDS SOMEWHERE, I WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT.
THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE OUTSIDE THE SCOPE.
BUT YEAH, THERE'S A PLETHORA OF TREES.
WE'RE ADDING BASICALLY THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE AMOUNT THAT THE SITE PLAN COULD ALLOW FOR.
[02:25:01]
IT'S PROBABLY OVER WHAT WAS REQUIRED.>> YEAH. ON THE NORTH SIDE, THIS SECTION HERE, IT WAS THERE'S A WATER LINE THERE THAT WE HAD TO AVOID, SO WE COULDN'T PUT ANY TREES IN THERE, BUT WE DO HAVE TREES IN FRONT OF IT AS WELL AS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE BUILDING WHERE ALL THE UGLY, ELECTRICAL AND ALL, THAT'S WHERE SOME OF THAT SCREENING IS AS WELL TO TRY TO SCREEN SOME OF THAT.
>> IF THIS HELPS IN ANY WAY, MAYBE IT DOESN'T, BUT IF YOU GO BACK TO THE SITE PLAN, PETER, IT IS MY VISION ONE DAY TO COME BACK AND TRY TO PRESENT TO YOU AN OUTDOOR CONCEPT THAT FITS INTO THIS LAND IN THE BACK.
THAT WOULD REALLY SCREEN TRADITIONAL GOLF.
I HAVE SOME IDEAS ABOUT COLLABORATING ON THAT WHEN WE GET TO IT.
THAT WOULD BE IN A PHASE 2, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD NEED MOST LIKELY ADDITIONAL SEP AND APPROVAL AND ALL THESE THINGS.
BUT THAT'S MY JUST DREAM VISION FOR THIS.
IF THAT HELPS IN THE IMAGINATION OF THIS AND WHAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE, MAYBE THAT HELPS SOFTEN THE IDEA OF IT REALLY SCREAMING INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL OR NOT GOLF.
>> THAT HELPS ME A LOT. AS DO THE TREES.
>> IN GOLF, IF YOU FINISH WHERE YOU STARTED.
>> BACK WHERE I STARTED, WHICH I THINK I'M COMING AROUND, BUT I THINK YOU GUYS CLEARED UP THE PROBLEMS I HAD, WHICH IS THE WAY THE COLORS ARE RENDERED IN YOUR RENDERINGS AND THEN THE SCREENS ONCE YOU EXPLAIN WHERE THEY ARE, THEY MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
YEAH, I THINK I'M OKAY WITH THIS NOW.
>> FINE. I'M FEELING BETTER ABOUT IT, AND I REALLY DO WANT IT TO SUCCEED. I DO.
>> DO YOU ALL WANT TO MAKE A MOTION?
>> MOVE TO APPROVE REGULAR ITEM K3 AS PRESENTED.
>> TERESA, IF YOU'LL TAKE THE ROLL.
>> DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM SCHIESTEL?
>> SORRY. COUNCIL MEMBER TAYLOR?
>> ITEM K3 PASSES BY UNANIMOUS VOTE.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE TOO AS WE WORK THROUGH IT. APPRECIATE IT.
>> I LOVE IT. THIS IS FUN FOR ME, SO I'M HERE TO HELP YOU GUYS.
>> WELL, COME BACK WITH ALL THOSE OTHER REQUESTS.
>> CONGRATS. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD.
[K.4. Overview of Hotel Occupancy Tax Allowable Uses.]
JOHN DE ZAGORSKI IS GOING TO GIVE US A PRESENTATION ON HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES AND HOW WE CAN USE THOSE.>> GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I WANT TO START OFF THIS PRESENTATION. IT'S THEMED.
YOU'LL SEE THAT HERE VERY SOON.
I WANT TO START OFF THIS PRESENTATION A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE PLANNED THUS FAR WITH HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAXES AND THE PLANS WE HAVE FOR THE FUTURE.
THE FIRST BIG PLAN THAT WE DID IS WE DEDICATED ABOUT $100,000 TO PUBLIC ART IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGETS.
THEN WE DEDICATED ANOTHER $200,000 TO FUND OUR FALL FESTIVAL.
THOSE ARE TWO MAIN USES RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT HOW THOSE USES ARE IN COMPLIANCE, THINGS THAT WE'VE CONTEMPLATED IN THE FUTURE INCLUDING OUR CULTURAL ART CENTER, OTHER SPECIAL EVENTS, PUBLIC ART, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PIECES THERE THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT.
AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THIS, SOME OF THIS IS NOT EARMARKED NECESSARILY BECAUSE WE ESTIMATE AROUND $600,000 A YEAR IN REVENUE AND THAT'S ONLY GROWING AS WE ADD HOTELS TO THIS.
THIS IS GOING TO GIVE YOU A FEW IDEAS, BUT AS YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN THROUGH SOME OF THIS, THIS IS A REVENUE SOURCE THAT HAS BEEN TAPPED BY MANY, MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, AND THEY CREATED CARVE OUTS.
WE GO THROUGH THIS, NOT ALL OF THIS IS APPLICABLE TO US, AND I'LL CALL THOSE OUTS VERY SPECIFICALLY.
HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, THE BEST WAY TO REMEMBER IT IS A TEXAS TWO-STEP.
THERE'S A TWO-STEP TEST THAT BASICALLY A HOTEL TAX NEEDS TO PASS.
EVERY EXPENDITURE MUST DIRECTLY ENHANCE AND PROMOTE TOURISM AND THE CONVENTION HOTEL INDUSTRY.
THEY'VE GOT DEFINITIONS THERE FOR TOURIST AND TOURISM AND WHAT THEY MEAN BY DIRECT AND INDIRECT COST, AND ALSO VERY SPECIFICALLY WHAT IT'S NOT ALLOWED TO USE FOR.
A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CALLOUTS HERE, BUT THE FIRST TEST IS ALWAYS, DOES IT PUT HEADS AND BEDS? THAT'S WHAT YOU'D ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF RIGHT UP FRONT.
THE SECOND PART OF THE TEXAS TWO-STEP IS, DOES IT FALL INTO ONE OF THESE CATEGORIES?
>> ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS NINE CATEGORIES.
I THINK NOW THERE'S PROBABLY 13, BUT I ACTUALLY ROLLED THESE BACK UP INTO NINE.
AGAIN, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE ARE EXTENDED CATEGORIES BASED ON THESE.
[02:30:04]
WE'LL GO THROUGH EACH ONE OF THESE, BUT NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO PUT HEADS AND BEDS, WE HAVE TO USE IT IN ONE OF THESE SPECIFIC WAYS.SOME OF THESE WAYS ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO US.
THE FIRST ONE IS THE MOST TRADITIONAL, WHICH IS YOUR CIVIC CENTER.
A LOT OF PLACES, THIS IS IRVING CIVIC CENTER RIGHT HERE.
IRVING CONVENTION CENTER, ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL BUILDING.
THEY LEVERAGED A LOT OF DIFFERENT REVENUE SOURCES TO ACTUALLY BUILD THIS.
LOTS AND LOTS OF DIFFERENT THINGS, THINGS THAT WERE CONTESTED AT THE STATE LEVEL AND LED TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT INTERESTING THINGS, AND I LEARNED A WHOLE LOT FROM THIS PROJECT.
BUT THE BIGGEST THING THEY WANT YOU TO SEE IS 50% OF THE BOOKINGS ARE HOSTED AT THE CONVENTION CENTER ARE MEETINGS.
MEANING, THAT THE THINGS YOU ARE HOSTING ARE MULTI-DAY EVENTS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR IN CONVENTION CENTERS.
NEXT IS PAYING THE ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS FOR FACILITATING CONVENTION CENTER REGISTRY.
PRIMARY IS TO OFFSET THE COST OF RUNNING THE FACILITY OR THE COST OF REGISTRATION, GENERALLY EXPENDITURE OF MUNICIPALITIES, URBAN FUNDS AS CONVENTION CENTER, GRAPEVINE FUNDS ITS CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU STAFF.
GRAPEVINE IS A REALLY INTERESTING CASE STUDY IN THIS.
IF YOU WANT TO SEE SOON LEVERAGING HOT TAX TO ITS MAXIMUM USE, THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE IS ONE OF THOSE CITIES.
WE'LL GO INTO SOME HOW THEY'RE USING IT RIGHT NOW IN SOME DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE CAN MOVE IT FORWARD.
PAYING FOR THE ADVERTISING, SOLICITATION, AND PROMOTION THAT ATTRACTS TOURISTS IN CONVENTION CENTER DELEGATES INTO THE VICINITY.
SOLICITATION OR PROMOTION OF PROGRAMS, ADVERTISING DIRECTLY RELATED TO ATTRACTING TOURIST.
THEN GOOD EXAMPLES OF THIS WILL BE THE ADVERTISEMENTS YOU SEE FOR GRAPEFEST, A TASTE OF ADDISON, GERMANFEST.
A NUMBER OF THESE EVENTS, I'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE ONES THAT WE DO THAT WE COULD ADVERTISES TO BRING IN PEOPLE MORE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE USES THAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING THE BUDGET FOR THIS NEXT FISCAL YEARS, CREATING A DEDICATED MARKETING BUDGET WITHIN THIS FUND.
THIS IS THE EASIEST USE TO ACTUALLY PROVE.
BY ADVERTISING YOUR EVENTS IN MULTI-DAY EVENTS, THIS IS ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO ACTUALLY USE THIS FUNDS.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS ACTUALLY A LOT HARDER.
CONVENTION CENTER DELEGATES AND EVERYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN CONTESTED OVER TIME.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW ONES THAT HASN'T.
NO ONE'S EVER COMPLAINED TOO MUCH ABOUT YOU ADVERTISING FOR THEM.
>> JUST ADVERTISING? TALKING ABOUT THE EVENT ITSELF, JUST ADVERTISING FOR THE EVENT?
>> I'LL SAY, IF YOU'RE ADVERTISING FOR THOSE EVENTS OUTSIDE OF YOUR AREA TO BRING PEOPLE INTO THEM, ESPECIALLY PLACES WHERE THEY MIGHT HAVE TO STAY ADVERTISING IN SOUTH TEXAS OR ONE OF THE BETTER ONES I'VE SEEN IS ROANOKE ADVERTISES ON 35W ALONG IS THE UNIQUE DINING CAPITAL.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS WITH THE IDEA IS THAT YOU'RE BRINGING PEOPLE FROM THE OUTSIDE WHO MIGHT HAVE A LIKELIHOOD STAY.
ANOTHER WAY WE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS IS BUSINESSES SPECIFICALLY THAT WOULD HAVE TO BRING IN WORKFORCE OR DO TRAININGS OR THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WOULD BASICALLY UTILIZE OUR HOTEL INDUSTRIES.
THOSE WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WILL PROBABLY BE INVOLVED IN WITH US AND HOW WE CAN PROMOTE THOSE THINGS.
EXPENDITURES THAT PROMOTE THE ARTS.
THIS SEEMS LIKE THIS WOULD BE VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
I'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME OF THE IMPORTANT PARTS HERE.
ALSO DIRECTLY PROMOTES TOURISM, THE HOTEL CONVENTION INDUSTRY.
NOT ONLY DOES THAT PROMOTE THE ARTS, IT ALSO HAS TO PROMOTE TOURISM IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO HAVE AN ART SHOW.
YOU NEED TO DO AN ART SHOW OVER MULTIPLE DAYS THAT WOULD DIRECTLY BENEFIT YOUR HOTELS.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU THINK ABOUT.
IF WE'RE BUILDING A CULTURAL ART CENTER, IS THAT CULTURAL ART CENTER GOING TO HAVE MULTI DAY EVENTS THAT WILL BRING PEOPLE FROM AFAR AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADVERTISE FOR THOSE? THAT'S SOMETHING BIG.
HOW THEY DEFINE ARTS IS REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE THIS LIST HAS GROWN AND CHANGED OVER THE YEARS.
INSTRUMENTAL AND VOCAL MUSIC, DANCE, DRAMA, FOLK ART, CREATIVE WRITING, ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND ALLIED FIELDS, PAINTINGS, SCULPTURES, PHOTOGRAPHY, GRAPHIC, AND CREATIVE ARTS.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A BIG NEW ONE NOW, AND ONE THAT I'M SEEING LEVERAGE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
MOTION PICTURES, RADIO, TELEVISION, TAPES, AND SOUND RECORDING.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT YOU CAN USE THIS TO PROMOTE THE ARTS.
THIS IS THE WAY THAT I SEE US PROBABLY USING THIS THE MOST IN THE FUTURE.
THIS IS ANOTHER INTERESTING ONE THAT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S VERY EASY ON THE SURFACE, BUT NOT.
FUNDING HISTORIC RESTORATION OR PRESERVATION PROGRAMS. WE DO HAVE THIS.
THIS IS WHY I PUT A PICTURE OF OUR LOG CABIN AND THE HISTORY OF IT.
NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE TO PROMOTE THE HISTORICAL RESTORATION PRESERVATION, IT ALSO HAS TO ADVERTISE, CONDUCT SOLICITATIONS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE PROGRAMMING TO BRING PEOPLE IN FROM OUT OF TOWN, SO GUEST SPEAKERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMS, BUT IT HAS TO BE A SITE THAT PEOPLE WOULD COME FROM AFAR TO COME TO.
CITY OF BRENHAM HERITAGE MUSEUM & HISTORIC SOCIETY.
THIS OPENED UP A USE FOR A LOT OF SMALL TOWNS TO HAVE THOSE HISTORIC SOCIETIES OR OLD CIVIL WAR FEST AND THINGS LIKE THAT, MULTI-DAY EVENTS.
THOSE WERE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PEOPLE WERE DOING SOME HISTORIC RESTORATION OR THINGS THAT PEOPLE COULD TRAVEL.
THIS IS A NEAT USE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF LIMITATIONS ON HOW YOU DO IT,
[02:35:04]
AND YOU HAVE TO THINK OF IT AS, HOW AM I GOING TO GET SOMEONE FROM OUT OF TOWN TO COME HERE TO THIS AND MAYBE STAY IN OUR TOWN AND BE ABLE TO PROMOTE IT THAT WAY? NOW WE'RE GOING TO GET IN THE ONES THAT WE CAN'T USE.FUNDING CERTAIN EXPENSES, INCLUDING THE PROMOTIONAL EXPENSES DIRECTLY RELATED TO SPORTS EVENTS WITHIN A COUNTY OF A POPULATION UNDER ONE MILLION.
RIGHT NOW, THE POPULATION OF DENTON COUNTY IS 1.04 MILLION.
WE'RE NO LONGER ELIGIBLE. THEY EXPANDED THIS USAGE AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
ENHANCEMENTS ARE UPGRADED TO EXISTING SPORTS FACILITIES AND SPORT FIELDS FOR CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES, AND ALSO THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE THINGS AND IMPROVEMENTS OF THOSE THINGS.
THEY'VE ADDED A LOT OF THINGS HERE.
IN ONE BRACKET, A GOOD EXAMPLE IS WE MET THE BRACKET, WE MET IN BETWEEN IT, BUT WE WEREN'T RIGHT ADJACENT TO THE MOUTH WATERS OF THE SAN JOSE RIVER.
ANOTHER ONE WAS A CITY WHERE I35 EAST AND WEST MEETS.
AGAIN, WHEN PEOPLE WRITE THESE, THEY WRITE THEM SO SPECIFICALLY AND YOU JUST HAVE TO GET YOUR CAVEAT ADDED ON.
IF THERE IS AN INTENDED USE, IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO USE IN THE FUTURE, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOU HAVE TO PUSH THROUGH A LEGISLATIVE AGENDA TO GET AMENDED INTO THE BILL AND ADDED IN.
THERE IS A LONG LIST OF THESE, SO IT'S NOT UNHEARD OF FOR PEOPLE TO DO THIS, AND PEOPLE HAVE CREATED CARVE OUTS.
THIS ONE IS A PRETTY UNIQUE ONE, AND SOMETHING YOU GUYS EVENTUALLY WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT IS FUNDING TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS FOR TOURISTS.
WHEN I WAS AT THE TOWN OF WEST LAKE WHEN I FIRST STARTED OUT, THEY FUNDED THE BUS THAT BASICALLY RAN FROM THE HOTEL AND RAN TO FIDELI IN DELOITTE AND DROPPED PEOPLE OFF AT THOSE TWO FACILITIES.
THEY DISCOUNTED THE SERVICE SHUTTLE, THEY LOWERED THE PRICE OF IT, AND THEY INCENTIVIZE THAT AS A MEANS OF PROMOTING THAT HOTEL.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE USES AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE ALLOWABLE ONES.
THIS ONE WASN'T ORIGINALLY IN THE CATEGORY USES, IT WAS ADDED.
IT WAS A WHOLE ADDED USE THAT THEY DID OUTSIDE OF THE PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT SOMEONE HAD.
I'VE SEEN PEOPLE FUND THINGS LIKE WATER CRAFTS, SAN ANTONIO, THEY CAN USE IT IN THE RIVER WALK AREAS TO HELP FUND THE BOATING AND TRANSPORTATION DOWN ALONG THERE.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF INTERESTING USES THAT YOU CAN DO TO DO THIS.
WE HAVE A LAKE RIGHT OUT IN FRONT OF US.
YOU CAN DO INTERESTING THINGS IF YOU'RE MOVING PEOPLE FROM ONE HOTEL TO A SITE THAT PEOPLE WOULD GO TO A LOT.
THIS IS A VERY CREATIVE USE THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
GRAPEVINE FUNDS TRAIN, THE POLAR EXPRESS.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE INTERESTING USES.
YOU'RE NOT LIMITED IN A LOT OF WAYS IN THIS.
IT'S A PRETTY INTERESTING ONE.
AGAIN, YOU GOT TO ATTRACT THOSE PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN.
YOU HAVE TO ADVERTISE WIDE, AND THE IDEA IS THAT PEOPLE WILL COME, STAY, PLAY THERE, AND BRING IN THEIR MONEY.
SIGNAGE DIRECTING TO TOURISTS TO ATTRACTIONS THAT ARE FREQUENTLY VISITED BY HOTEL GUESTS IN THE MUNICIPALITY.
I PUT TWO AREAS WHERE WE COULD BASICALLY USE THIS TO IMPROVE THESE SIGNS OR DO THESE THINGS.
WHEN I WAS IN SMALLER MUNICIPALITIES, I USED IT FOR WAYFINDING SIGNAGE, BUT ALSO ENTRYWAY MONUMENTATION.
TO DECLARE YOU WERE IN THIS TOWN, YOU WERE IN THIS MUNICIPALITY.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ALLOWABLE USES THAT DEDICATES YOU'RE ENTERING THIS AREA, AND HERE'S WHERE YOU GO IF YOU'RE GOING TO SOME OF THESE MAIN SITES.
IF WE RE-ESTABLISH THE RIVER WALK AND ESTABLISHES A MAIN ATTRACTION TO THE TOWN OF FLOWER MOUND, YOU CAN HAVE THINGS POINTING TO THAT AND THAT WAYFINDING SIGNAGE FOR TOURISM AND COULD BE POINTING PEOPLE TO THOSE AREAS.
DOWNTOWN DENTON HAS A WHOLE WAYFINDING SIGNAGE PLAN, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S CAN BE FUNDED THROUGH YOUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX.
THINK ABOUT THOSE PEDESTRIAN SIGNS AND EVERYTHING. THAT IS IT.
AS BROAD AS THIS TAX IS, THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF USES THAT REALLY FALL UNDER US.
BUT MOVING FORWARD AS WE CONSIDER THIS, I KNOW YOU WANTED TO SEE THIS.
THIS WAS BROUGHT UP DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS OF HOW CAN WE LEVERAGE THESE FUNDS? I HOPE THIS GIVES YOU A FEW IDEAS OF WAYS THAT WE CAN DO THIS IN CREATIVE WAYS.
ONE OTHER THING THAT I'LL MENTION IS, WE'RE THINKING OUT WEST OF LARGE SCALE ATTRACTIONS AND THINGS THAT WOULD BRING PEOPLE IN HUGE CONVENTION CENTERS.
THERE'S ADDITIONAL TAXES OUT THERE THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE WHERE WE ASK FOR A HIGHER PERCENTAGE.
RIGHT NOW WE CHARGE 7%, YOU CAN HAVE AN ELECTION TO INCREASE IT TO 9%.
THAT WOULD OPEN UP THEIR SOURCE.
>> WOULD THAT INCREASE FROM 7-9B ACROSS EVERY HOTEL IN THE TOWN?
>> YEAH. THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID IN NORTHLAKE TO GET THAT STORY CENTER THAT WAS THERE.
THEN THEY CHANGED THE LEGISLATION AND SAID WE COULDN'T USE THE BONDS THAT WAY.
THAT HAPPENED MIDWAY THROUGH UTILIZATION.
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER OPTION ON THE TABLE IF YOU NEED TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU'RE GETTING FROM THIS AND YOU JUST HAVE TO FILE THE ELECTION FOR THE STATES.
DALLAS USES THIS IN PARTICULAR TO DO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS NOW.
>> IF WE WERE CONSIDERING DOING THAT, THERE WOULD BE A WHOLE PROCESS LIKE A STUDY AND YOU WOULD SAY,
[02:40:01]
ALL OUR PEERS CITIES HAVE BLAH, BLAH FOR THEIR PERCENTAGE, AND WE'RE BEHIND OR ON PAR OR WHATEVER.>> YOU OUTLINE THE UTILIZATION OF IT.
YOUR BIGGER PLAN, IT'S CLOSER TO HOW YOU DO WITH THE TARIFFS.
YOU ACTUALLY OUTLINE A PLAN OF WHAT YOU WANT TO USE THE FUNDS FOR, WHY YOU'RE CREATING THE DISTRICT SO THAT YOU CLEARLY OUTLINE THE VOTERS OF GIVING THIS ADDITIONAL 2%.
THIS IS 2% THAT WOULD NORMALLY GO TO THE STATE, WHICH NOW WOULD COME TO US.
IT'S NOT INCREASING YOUR TOTAL TAX, IT'S JUST SHIFTING THAT BURDEN.
IT'S HOW THEY USED TO TREAT LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX IS THE SAME WAY.
IT SAYS, THE STATE WOULD COLLECT IT UNLESS YOU HAD AN ELECTION FOR ONE OF THOSE USES.
>> IF WE DON'T USE IT ALL, IT'S HELD IN RESERVE UNTIL WE FIND SOME.
IN THE BEGINNING, YOU SAID WE HAVE 100,000 FOR PUBLIC ART.
WHAT WAS THE NUMBER FOR THE FALL FESTIVAL AGAIN?
>> TWO HUNDRED? WE HAVE A LOT LEFTOVER FROM THE 600-ISH.
>> YEAH. MOVING INTO NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE EXPIRING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT.
THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT BEEN A MAIN REVENUE SOURCE.
AFTER THIS YEAR, IT WILL OPEN UP THAT WE CAN DEDICATE IT TO DIFFERENT THINGS.
>> FOR EXAMPLE, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE IT FOR SIGNAGE TO THE FUTURE CULTURAL ARTS CENTER? SIGNAGE FOR THAT.
>> YOU COULD ALSO USE IT FOR THE ADMINISTRATION AND RUNNING OF THE CULTURAL ART CENTER IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO MULTI-DAY ART INTENSIVE EVENTS THAT WOULD INVITE ARTISTS FROM OUT OF TOWN OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT'S SPECIFICALLY THEY'RE TRYING TO CREATE BOOKINGS AND PLANNING OF THAT AND ADMINISTRATION OF THAT, THAT'S ALSO AN ALLOWABLE USE.
ONE THING THAT I DID COME ACROSS IN THIS RESEARCH WAS IF WE DESIGNATED AS A CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT, WE LIMIT OURSELVES TO ONLY 30% OF THE REVENUE GENERATED.
>> THERE ARE CERTAIN DESIGNATIONS THAT THEY START PUTTING CAPS ON HOW MUCH YOU CAN SPEND.
CULTURAL ART CENTERS EXISTED PRIOR TO THE CREATION OF THIS.
WHAT THEY DID WAS TRY TO SAY, YOU COULDN'T SPEND MORE THAN THIS ON A CULTURAL ARTS DISTRICT.
IF IT'S NOT A DISTRICT WIDE PLAN, THEN YEAH.
>> ARE THERE ANY DEFINITIONS ON THE SIZE OF CONVENTION?
>> YES. THEY HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW BIG CONVENTION CENTER SPACES AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE.
>> SUPER BIGGER THAN WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO?
>> NORTHLAKE DID ONE IN ITS 8,000 SQUARE FEET.
>> YEAH. THE CONVENTION CENTER IS SCALABLE TO OUR SIZE.
>> WHO VERIFIES THAT WE'RE DOING THIS THE RIGHT WAY? WHO DO WE HAVE TO CHECK IN WITH?
>> EVERY YEAR, I'M GOING TO FILE A REPORT WITH THE TEXAS COMPTROLLER, AND I HAVE TO BREAK IT DOWN BY THESE USES AND SAY, HOW MUCH WE SPENT OUT OF EACH CATEGORY, HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE IN RESERVE? WHAT IS BEING USED? WHO ARE WE COLLECTING FROM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS?
>> AS YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE LIST, WHICH ONE OF THESE IS OUR INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC ART? DOES THAT PROMOTE THE ARTS?
>> INSTALLING A PIECE OF ART IS CONSIDERED PROMOTING THE ARTS?
>> A PUBLIC ART, INTENDED SPECIFICALLY, IS DESIGNATED THAT PEOPLE COULD TRAVEL THERE AND VISITED.
THEY WANT THOSE BIG STATEMENT PIECES.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PUBLIC ARTS, THEY WANT THINGS THAT COULD DRAW PEOPLE.
SOME PLACES, OTHER CITIES AROUND US DO USE IT FOR SMALLER THINGS LIKE BRONZE STATUES AND THEIR ROUNDABOUTS.
I'VE SEEN SMALLER SCALES OF THIS, BUT THEIR INTENTION WAS THAT YOU WOULD DO LARGER SCALE PUBLIC ARTS.
A LARGE SCALE MURALS, GOD, THEY LOVE THOSE HUGE STATUES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I'VE SEEN PEOPLE DO IMPROVEMENTS ON THEIR SQUARE AND DO THINGS.
THEY'VE DONE SOMETHING WHERE THEY HAD A MODULAR OLD LOG CABIN OF ONE OF THE OLD SETTLER TOWNS AND THEY DID IT AS A FUTURE EXHIBIT FOR HISTORICAL AND ART.
>> THEN WHICH OF THESE CATEGORIES IS OUR FALL FESTIVAL FALLING UNDER?
>> OUR FALL FESTIVAL IS AN ART PROMOTION FESTIVAL.
THEN WE CAN PUT SOME SIGNS UP POINTING YOU TOWARDS OUR PUBLIC ART, AND WE CAN HAVE A HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE GOING AROUND IT.
>> AS LONG AS THE ART THING IS HAPPENING OVER MULTIPLE DAYS AND IT'S PROMOTING SPECIFICALLY LIKE THE ARTS, PEOPLE CAN SUBMIT THEIR ART SUBMISSIONS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT'S BASICALLY PROMOTING THIS, LOCAL SELLERS CAN COME OUT.
AGAIN, IF YOU STRETCH THIS TOO THIN, THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN REALLY CHALLENGE YOU ON THIS IS THE HOTEL YEARS.
IF THEY'RE NOT SEEING A BENEFIT OF IT, THEY CAN COME BACK AND SAY, HEY, HOW ARE YOU USING THESE FUNDS AND ASK THOSE THINGS.
>> WELL, CONSIDERING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO THESE THINGS IN THE RIVER WALK, THEY STAND TO DO WELL, AND I IMAGINE THAT IF WE'RE NOT PARTNERED UP WITH THEM ON THESE, THEN WE SHOULD BE BECAUSE IT'S FOR THEM.
THIS IS GREAT. WOULD IT INCLUDE THE BUSES THAT TAKE YOU TO AND FROM REMOTE PARKING?
>> NOT REMOTE PARKING. NOW, IF THEY TOOK YOU FROM THE HOTEL TO THE EVENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
[02:45:04]
IF YOU HAD YOUR ART EVENTS FURTHER AWAY AND YOU WANTED TO PAY FOR A BUS SERVICE THAT WOULD BRING PEOPLE WHO WERE STAYING AT THE HOTELS TO YOUR ART EVENT.>> IF WE HAD AN ART EVENT AT THE GIBSON GRANT CABIN, FOR EXAMPLE WE HAD VISITING ARTISTS AND PEOPLE AT THE HOTEL.
YOU WANT TO MAKE THIS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAD TO COME OUT FOR MULTIPLE DAYS, IS THE IDEA IS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO STAY HERE FOR MULTIPLE DAYS. YOU SUBMIT YOUR ART.
>> MULTIPLE DAYS, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY? ONE HOTEL NIGHT.
>> CAN YOU USE IT DIRECTLY FOR HISTORICAL PRESERVATION?
>> YOU CAN IF IT'S FOR A HISTORICAL PRESERVATION SITE THAT WOULD DRAW PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OUT OF THERE.
IF THERE'S A LOG CABIN SOCIETY THAT TRAVELS AND THEY DO TOURS OF LOG CABINS AND THEY'RE GOING TO COME IN AND THIS IS NOW ON SOME NATIONAL REGISTRY AND IT'S A SITE THAT EVERYONE STOPS BY AND YOU HAVE PLANNED TOURIST THINGS AND YOU GIVE THEM DISCOUNTS AT YOUR HOTELS TO COME STAY HERE.
ANY NUMBERS OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN DO THAT IS JUST YOU NEED TO MEET THE INTENT OF THIS IS BRINGING PEOPLE FROM THE OUTSIDE, HAVE THEM STAY IN OUR HOTELS.
>> THAT MAKES SENSE. THAT'S HELPFUL.
THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL INFORMATION.
>> DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> THANK YOU, JOHN. THE TIME IS NOW 8:52.
[M. CLOSED MEETING (Part 2 of 2)]
THE TOWN COUNCIL IS CONVENING INTO A CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, CHAPTER 551, SECTION 071, 072, 074, AND 087.