Richardson City Council Meeting October 14th, 2024
OPENING
(I want to note that this 2 ½ hour meeting has an echo throughout the entire duration of the meeting. This made it very difficult to understand some parts of the meeting, so I apologize if I miss anything important here. Communications Director Greg Sowell has assured me that they are working to resolve this issue so it doesn’t happen again. As of the next day (10/15), they are still troubleshooting to find the cause.)
Six of the seven councilmembers are present as well as City Manager Don Magner and City Secretary Aimee Nemer. Councilman Dorian is attending this meeting virtually as he is out of the country.
Councilman Corcoran leads the invocation and pledges. Instead of a prayer, he reads Mother Teresa’s poem, “Do it Anyway”. (If you haven’t heard it, go and read it. It’s short but moving.)
No speakers are present.
AQUATICS MASTER PLAN UPDATE
The first discussion item is reviewing the progress of the Aquatics Master Plan. Parks & Recreation Director Yvonne Falgout presents. The goals of this plan are to develop a long-term strategic plan for aquatic services, align services with expectations, provide recommendations for future aquatic features, consider the impact of any plans on operational efficiency, and create a comprehensive aquatic master plan that considers citizen needs and furthers the goal of keeping Richardson as a place where people choose to live, work, invest, and engage.
The first step is assessing the city’s current facilities. Richardson’s neighborhood pools were constructed in the 1960s and need repairs and ADA improvements. Next was analyzing the drive time to aquatic facilities. NE Richardson is not within a 7-minute drive of any Richardson pools. The Cottonwood Pool is within the drive time for Terrace Pool and Heights Aquatic Center. It was also determined that Terrace and Glenville have overlapping service areas. Canyon Creek, Cottonwood, and Heights also have some overlapping service areas but this doesn’t include every resident in those areas.
Three open houses have been held for this master plan. Over 1,000 participants have contributed to the public engagement process. From that public engagement, respondents asked most for an indoor pool to operate year-round. Improvements to existing pools and establishing programs for specific groups like seniors, children, and competitive swimmers were also highly requested. Having facilities near NE Richardson and improving shade at current facilities were also requested.
Yvonne presents the draft guiding principles. These focus on distributing services across the community and promoting access to facilities. Economic feasibility, modernization, and maintaining community events and programming are among the draft guiding principles. Another round of public engagement meetings will occur in early November. The plan will be finalized at the end of November. A final presentation will be given to Council in December. Councilman Hutchenrider asks if we could save money by making pools more shallow and not staffing them with lifeguards. Yvonne answers that municipalities must still have lifeguards present for any pools regardless of depth. Splash pads are the only features that don’t require lifeguards.
Councilman Barrios encourages the process to prioritize equitability and access to swim lessons for children who don’t typically have the means to be able to take them.
PUBLIC HEARING – BIRDIEBAY VIRTUAL GOLF
Next is the first of three public hearings. The first is on ZF 24-22. This is a special permit request for BirdieBay Golf, an indoor virtual golf simulator, at 1002 N. Central Expy. This was also covered at the Sep. 17th CPC meeting. Staff presents a background of the request. The applicant steps forward to present their plans. No speakers are present for this hearing. Councilman Barrios asks why this requires a special permit. Staff answers that this use requires a special permit for this planned development district. Council unanimously approves the request.
PUBLIC HEARING – AUTOSAVVY
The second public hearing is on ZF 24-23. This is a special development plan request for AutoSavvy, a salvaged car sales business, at 101 E. Arapaho. This is within the Station Area subdistrict of the Collins/Arapaho Form-based Code and Innovation District. This was also discussed at the Sep. 17th CPC meeting where one speaker spoke in opposition and the CPC recommended approval 6-1. Staff reminds Council that this request includes eight areas of exceptions to development standards.
As written, if approved, this allowance would terminate in 2029. At the CPC hearing, the applicant indicated his intent to renew beyond the initial five-year term. Staff explains that they will be soliciting proposals from redevelopers for a transit-oriented development within the Station Area subdistrict at the beginning of 2025.
Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul reminds the rest of Council that the city gets no sales tax revenue from car sales. The applicant now steps forward to present their plans. The applicant now states that he understands they will only be located here for five years if approved. They will take this opportunity to understand the Richardson market and the future viability of their business in the city. Councilman Dorian asks what types of cars would be sold. This was covered extensively at the CPC meeting. The applicant re-explains the business model that was covered at that CPC meeting. Councilman Dorian asks if they will be updating the property at all. City Manager Don Magner already confirmed they would not be. The applicant extra confirms what’s already been said.
One speaker is present for this hearing. This was the same speaker who spoke in opposition to this request at the CPC meeting. He expresses concerns about the location of this use. It will be at a prominent intersection. He describes the area as the “gateway to East Richardson”. He thinks that approving a salvaged car lot at such a consequential location is not a good look. Councilman Barrios expresses that he is torn on this request. He thinks car lots are among the last types of uses that Richardson needs. He sees the five-year limit as an appropriate limit for the use. He hopes that future Councils don’t interpret this decision as supportive of car lots as part of the vision for this area. This is temporary and the area will transform into something better, leaving car lots in the past.
Council unanimously approves the request.
PUBLIC HEARING – EASTSIDE MASTER SIGN PLAN AUTHORIZATION
The final public hearing of the evening is on ZF 24-26. This is an amendment request for the existing planned development for the Eastside development at Central Expy and E. Campbell. This amendment would allow the applicant to develop a master sign plan for the development. This request was also covered at the Sep. 17th CPC meeting. Staff presents a background of the request. Once a master sign plan is developed, the CPC will have final authority to review and approve it. Master sign plans are needed to authorize signs that don’t comply with the city’s sign ordinance.
Councilman Hutchenrider refers to an example of a possible digital billboard-style sign. He calls it gaudy. He asks who would have the final review of sign approval. This was answered on the last slide of the staff presentation. The CPC will have final authority to review and approve the master sign plan. This is just an amendment request to allow for the development of a master sign plan. Councilman Hutchenrider doesn’t want to drive up and down U.S. 75 and see some big billboard. (Oh, that’s rich…) City Manager Don Magner suggests that they could allow the development of a master sign plan but prohibit certain signs like electronic billboards. Councilman Hutchenrider makes one last point. He thinks approving such a sign would open the door for others to be approved. (Where was this logic on August 12th, when Council unanimously approved a 40 ft. sign for Clay Cooley right off U.S. 75?)
Councilman Barrios agrees. He adds his concern regarding any signs at heights above what sign regulations allow, including pole signs. (That Clay Cooley sign vote was still unanimous. This Council has been encouraged too often to vote together instead of voicing and voting their concerns. If multiple councilmembers are concerned with large signs, that Clay Cooley sign should not have received unanimous approval.)
City Manager Don Magner also states that Council could make themselves the approving authority for this particular master sign plan. Mayor Dubey asks why we would treat this sign plan any different from others. Councilwoman Justice attempts to keep the discussion on just considering the approval of an amendment to allow for a master sign plan to be developed. She says she is not opposed to making Council the approving authority but she sees this item as just consideration of the amendment.
The applicant now steps forward to explain their plans. He states that this amendment is needed to ensure longevity for existing tenants. Councilman Corcoran asks why this is needed given the success that this owner has had without the sign plan. The applicant answers that the internally facing tenants have high turnover due to lack of visibility.
No speakers are present for this hearing.
Councilman Barrios supports the request and is fine with the CPC retaining approving authority. He wants to exempt any higher elevation digital or pole signs. City Manager Don Magner clarifies that pole signs exist at Eastside currently. If they were to be exempted, they would be considered nonconforming. Councilman Barrios then suggests continuing the item until a legal opinion can be provided clarifying the status of any existing pole signs if they were to exempt these types of signs. Mayor Pro Tem Shamsul suggests just bringing the master sign plan before Council for approval. Councilman Corcoran agrees. Councilman Dorian agrees but still wants the CPC to review the plan and provide a recommendation.
Council unanimously approves the request with an additional requirement that the master sign plan will come back before Council for final approval with a CPC recommendation.
CONSENT AGENDA & CLOSING
The consent agenda is approved unanimously. City Manager Don Magner offers a clarification on the first consent agenda item. This is the ordinance codifying the approval of ZF 24-16. Don states that the additionally discussed landscaping, paint, and mural requirements are a part of the regulating ordinance. (It’s surprising to hear that we have the ability to attach specific paint colors and a mural to the ordinance. I thought the state pre-empted a city’s ability to do this. Let’s check the fine print of the ordinance. After zooming in to 250% and turning my screen 90 degrees, I don’t see any special conditions or descriptions on the concept plan that require a mural or specific paint colors. The closest items the concept plan refers to are “cleaning up vegetation” and “building exterior painting”. But these don’t require specific colors, a mural, or additional landscaping. If I’m wrong, quote a page number.)
In addition to that ordinance, the consent agenda also includes ordinances codifying the approvals of ZF 24-19 (Banyan Hypnosis) and ZF 24-20 (Clawzania Arcade). It also includes a FEMA-requested update to the Floodplain Management Ordinance. A resolution establishing Emergency Management Director Alisha Gimbel as the Authorized Official for two grant applications is also included. These applications seek funds as part of the 2024 Homeland Security Grant Program. The RFD HazMat team is requesting $87K for portable gas detectors. The RPD SWAT team is requesting $82K for night vision equipment. Three bid awards are also included: $1.3M to Jeske Construction Company for alley reconstructions, $124K to Entech Sales and Service for access system upgrades at Fire Stations #2 and #4, and $330K to Mountjoy Aquatics for Heights Aquatics Center plaster replacement.
Council discusses an East Plano Islamic Center event, a League of Women Voters – Dallas event to promote voting, the Richland Park Fall Festival, and a Boys & Girls Club of Collin County Gala. Council then convenes into executive session to deliberate regarding economic development negotiations for a development in the area of U.S. 75/Galatyn Pkwy. Council reconvenes to unanimously authorize the city manager to execute an economic development agreement with “Project Cornerstone”. (No idea what this is. Your guess is as good as mine.) Meeting adjourned.