Richardson City Council Meeting September 11th, 2023
OPENING & ARTS GRANTS
Six of the seven councilmembers are present as well as City Manager Don Magner and City Secretary Aimee Nemer. Councilwoman Justice is absent.
Councilman Barrios leads a Christian prayer. Cub Scout Pack 893 leads the pledges.
Mayor Dubey asks City Manager Don Magner to read the minutes of a previous meeting. Don suggests that Mayor Dubey instead ask for a motion to approve the minutes. Minutes of the previous meeting are approved unanimously.
No public speakers for the visitors’ section. There are some present for the public hearing later in the meeting.
The first item is a presentation on the Cultural Arts Commission’s Grant recommendations. Chairman Anthony Pampillonia presents. 27 applications for funding were received. 24 of those received funding. $348K of grants are recommended. The vote for this item will be part of the consent agenda.
825 PRESSURE ZONE IMPROVEMENTS (WATER)
The next item is a presentation on water capacity improvements in the 825 Pressure Zone (NW Richardson). Capital Projects Director Jim Dulac presents. The plan is to increase the area served by the 825 Zone by moving meters from the 767 Zone, which is currently the largest pressure zone. The city will expand capacity at the Northside Pump Station and establish two new water lines along Renner Rd. Archer-Western has been selected for the project. Construction is already in progress. (This portion of the meeting is difficult to hear.) Jim then explains the impact of the placement of the new water lines. He shows a diagram stating that, due to existing utilities and existing mature trees & landscaping, the only area left is the median along Renner, which also has mature trees. (The presentation seems to get quieter and quieter here. The presentation earlier, using the same microphone but a different presenter, was not this quiet.) The city does have plans to relandscape the median using native plants to retain soil better. 43 hardwood trees were removed and will be replaced by 36 Possumhaw Holly trees, 22 Desert Willow trees, and 14 Vitex trees. Landscaping will also include Pink Muhly Grass, Red Salvia, and Yellow Zexmia plants. (JN: Some of these could be considered native to North Texas and are certainly drought-resistant. Vitex trees, however, are considered invasive to Texas from what I’ve read.) 50 new native trees are also planned for Point North Park and the surrounding area. They include Burr Oak, Chinkapin Oak, Cedar Elm, and Bald Cypress trees. The total cost of the entire 825 Pressure Zone project is approx. $80M, $19M of which will come from the NTMWD (Water District). Water line and storage tank construction is expected to be completed in 2024. The upgraded pump station is expected to be operating by the end of 2025. (Ah, the microphone is now louder, even with the same speaker. How about that…)
CUSTER RECONSTRUCTION
The next item is a presentation on the public outreach strategy for the reconstruction of Custer Pkwy. Capital Projects Director Jim Dulac presents. While the southbound lanes of Custer from Arapaho to Campbell are complete and open, construction on the northbound lanes is still in progress. The project is experiencing delays due to franchise utilities not being relocated in the time expected. Construction is expected to be completed early next year. The reconstruction will result in single-vehicle lanes and bike lanes going in each direction with a center turn lane. Lane alignment and wider sidewalks will also be achieved. Jim notes that, if a property owner experiences damage to a tree or needs to remove a tree from the public right of way because of construction, the city does have a process where property owners can request compensation to replace the tree. Residents who experience issues with nearby construction should contact the City Project Manager which can be found at www.cor.net/projects .
Custer Pkwy reconstruction north of Campbell is almost at the end of the design phase. This will also result in single-vehicle lanes and bike lanes in each direction with a landscaped median. Water, sewer, drainage improvements, and traffic signal replacements are also part of the plan. Jim notes that there are some trees that will have to be replaced along the area of construction. A community open house will take place in November for residents to discuss the plans with city officials. Details of this open house will be mailed to residents. Councilman Hutchenrider asks about the legality of reimbursing private owners for trees placed in a public right-of-way. Staff answers that it is a courtesy. Councilman Hutchenrider requests a public communication to the community encouraging residents to not plant trees in rights-of-way.
PUBLIC HEARING - UTD MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT
Next, and perhaps the main event, is a public hearing on ZF 23-06, a request for 36 acres at 3400 Waterview Pkwy to be rezoned from office use to a transit-oriented mixed-use planned development. This request includes a tract of land owned by UTD which is already approved for a planned development and a neighboring tract that is privately owned. This request was also covered in the July 18th City Plan Commission meeting. Development Director Sam Chavez provides a background summary of the request. Council asks questions to clarify their understanding of the request. Dr. Calvin Jamison representing UTD and Jim Leslie representing 3400 Waterview LLC present the plans for the development and answer questions from Council.
After over an hour of explaining and asking about the project, which in my opinion did not produce hardly any new information since the CPC hearing, it’s finally time for public comments. Written comments are acknowledged first. Three are in support of the request. One is neutral. Five speakers are also present. The first speaker is a student living in the dorms at UTD. He wants to ensure that the development is truly mixed-use. The second speaker represents UTD’s Comets for Better Transit. He states that as much housing as this development could possibly create, it’s still not enough to meet the need. He had to move from Richardson to Plano to find housing that met his needs. He supports the request but urges the city to prioritize more housing ASAP to meet UTD’s needs. The third speaker, from Richardson, supports the request, especially the density and transit-oriented plans. He urges Council to lower the parking ratios and increase the walkability of Waterview Pkwy. The fourth speaker, current VP of Comets for Better Transit, expresses support for the request. She echoes the desire for a lower parking ratio. The fifth speaker, also a UTD student, supports the request and emphasizes the urgency of more housing ASAP. After public comments conclude, no more discussion takes place. Council approves the request 5-1 with Councilman Barrios opposed. The parking ratios remain unchanged despite the public comments.
CONSENT AGENDA & CLOSING
The consent agenda is approved unanimously. It includes the Arts grants discussed earlier, an amendment to the guaranteed maximum price for the water system improvements, and a $100K irrigation systems annual requirements contract with AND, Inc.
Council discusses the 50th Anniversary of the Sherrill Park Golf Course, a new business opening, recognizes the anniversary of 9/11, and the meeting adjourns.