Coppell Chronicle Vol. 3, No. 34
Rental Properties Proliferate in Coppell • Trustees Issue Statement Against Vouchers • Decision Delayed on Blackberry Farm’s Gate • Check It Out: Cozby Library Has New Manager
Rental Properties Proliferate in Coppell
The number of houses in Coppell that aren’t occupied by their owners has increased by more than a third in four years.
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, City Manager Mike Land said his staff is aware of 1,474 single-family rental properties in Coppell. In 2019, he said, they knew of 1,081 such properties. According to my calculator, that’s an increase of more than 36 percent.
You may not be surprised by those numbers, based on what you’ve seen as you drive around Coppell.
“When you talk to folks in the community,” Land said, “people notice in this community that it’s not as ‘kept’ — I guess is the way to say that — as it has been in the past.”
Land shared those statistics during a “Code Compliance 101” presentation delivered by Assistant Director of Community Development Luay Rahil. The city added a third Code Compliance officer in July, and Rahil said that trio spends between 40 percent and 50 percent of their time on rental properties. They inspect each property every time there’s a change in tenant, he said, and they have performed more than 500 such inspections this year. Each of the three officers does at least one per day.
“When I talk to staff, it is a huge time-consumer,” Land said.
Regarding time: Rahil wanted the council and the public to understand that it’s not realistic to expect a complaint about tall grass or a broken fence to be resolved in a day or two. He showed this calendar to demonstrate the process.
“I knew it took time, but seeing the calendar helped,” Mayor Wes Mays said.
Rahil also shared this roadmap that illustrates how Coppell rarely brings the hammer down on code violators. He said fewer than 5 percent of cases get to Step 9. “All it takes is a phone call,” Rahil said. “Talk to us, let us know why you’re not fixing it, and we will work with you.”
That said, as the number of rental properties in Coppell has grown, so has the amount of grief given to the city’s Code Compliance officers.
“This is the culture of working with them with empathy and compassion, but what we’re finding is that the pushback is harder, faster, not as nice,” Land said. “Therefore, staff does take it on the chin.”
City Attorney Bob Hager — who has held the same role for Duncanville, Lancaster, and Red Oak — said it may be time for Coppell to get tougher.
“You have to be very vigilant about this,” Hager said. “You might have to start getting uglier than you have been in the past. You cannot afford for your housing stock to slip.”
I don’t want to end this article on such a grim note, so here’s a laugh-out-loud moment from Rahil’s presentation. He said a resident recently called Code Compliance to complain about a neighbor’s kids touching a shared fence. Rahil said the resident wanted to file that complaint anonymously.
Trustees Issue Statement Against Vouchers
“All politics is local” is a phrase often attributed to former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill. It came to mind last week when I received a statement attributed to the Coppell ISD Board of Trustees.
Last Monday, the Texas Legislature convened its third special session of the year as ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott. One of his priorities for this session is allowing Texans who send their kids to private schools to get a discount on tuition via education savings accounts, also known as vouchers. Abbott has been touting the initiative, which he calls “school choice,” during a statewide tour of Christian campuses.
On Wednesday, the Coppell ISD trustees published a lengthy statement about the special session that includes this sentence in bold type: “We strongly urge the Legislature to prioritize properly funding public schools before even considering allocating public tax dollars to private schools, which lack oversight and transparency, and are not held accountable to parents or the state.” The trustees’ statement also included a link to a form that you can use to contact your legislators with one click.
Additionally, the trustees shared contact information for Abbott; state Sen. Tan Parker of Flower Mound, whose District 12 nearly encompasses Coppell ISD; state Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas, whose District 16 includes the southern end of Coppell ISD; and the three state representatives whose House districts overlap with Coppell ISD: Rep. Ben Bumgarner of Flower Mound, Rep. Julie Johnson of Farmers Branch, and Rep. Terry Meza of Irving.
On Thursday, the Senate advanced a bill that would create vouchers on an 18-13 vote. Parker, who is a Republican, voted for it, just as he supported a nearly identical bill during the Legislature’s regular session. Nathan Johnson, a Democrat, voted against both bills.
Coppell ISD is one of three public school districts in the City of Coppell. One of the others, Lewisville ISD, has a board meeting scheduled for Monday evening, when its trustees will consider a set of legislative priorities for the special session. The draft version of those priorities says, “As a District we stand firmly against any funding mechanism that diverts public dollars from public education.” That draft also describes vouchers as “a poison pill that public education cannot swallow.”
Our city’s third school district, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, has not issued any statements about the special session, as far as I can tell. But a subscriber who resides in that district made me aware that CFBISD parents and students have been invited to an Oct. 24 training session called “Stop the Bleed” so they can learn what to do in case of a traumatic injury causing blood loss.
If you think about it, that event is also a reflection of our state’s legislative priorities.
Decision Delayed on Blackberry Farm’s Gate
Will Coppell have a second gated community? That remains to be seen.
On Tuesday evening, a majority of the City Council seemed amenable to Terry Holmes’ request to privatize the Blackberry Farm subdivision he’s building along Sandy Lake Road. If they eventually approve a gate, then the city would not be responsible for maintaining the neighborhood’s streets, including its bridge over Denton Creek. That burden would fall on a yet-to-be-formed homeowners association.
However, Holmes threw a wrench in the process by adding three new conditions to his proposal at the 11th hour. These are his words:
Developer will have the option for material storage on one lot of developer’s choice. Lot would be fenced with 6’-8’ high stained cedar wood fence. The fence would be set at build line at front of property. Material storage lot would possibly move during build out of development.
Developer would have the option to change to masonry monument street signs or decorative steel street signs per staff approval.
Building permits for houses may be issued before completion of front screen walls and entry gates. No certificate of occupancy shall be issued until subdivision is completed. This would be similar to the landscaping and completion of Lot 2X per existing PD.
These conditions were not part of the Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission’s September hearing on the case. (See “Holmes Wants Blackberry Farm to be Gated” in Vol. 3, No. 31.) They were also not mentioned in the materials prepared for Tuesday’s council meeting, because the city’s planners didn’t see them until Tuesday. I copied and pasted the three new conditions from a document Holmes circulated that evening.
“I’m not trying to sneak something through,” Holmes told the council. “I just thought I’d bring it through now, to talk about it, so that I didn’t have to redo this again.”
Although multiple council members seemed to be on board with Holmes’ last-minute requests, the whole thing was a little too loosey-goosey for City Attorney Bob Hager and City Manager Mike Land. After nearly an hour of debate, this was Land’s take:
“I would rather have us be able to have a chance — from a staff perspective, working with Bob — to get the questions answered and bring it to you so that you have a concrete answer to your questions,” Land said, “and whether or not you approve it or not, that’s still up to you, but at least you’ll have the clarity about what it is that you’re approving.”
The council delayed their decision on Blackberry Farm until Oct. 24, but they did take votes Tuesday on these other zoning cases:
By a vote of 6-1, they approved a permit for a short-term rental on Bradford Drive, where Airbnb “Superhosts” Marcia and Steve Allen have made extra money for years by allowing guests to stay in their spare bedroom. The dissenting vote was cast by Jim Walker, who said he has nothing against the Allens; he’s just philosophically opposed to short-term rentals.
They unanimously approved a zoning change for a property on Mullrany Drive, where John Wittenberg wants to have a pool installed less than 5 feet from his house. The building permit is contingent on the city receiving either a letter from an engineer stating that the pool will not adversely affect the house’s foundation or a set of engineered plans for reinforcing one or both foundations.
They unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s Code of Ordinances that would allow any homeowner to follow Wittenberg’s lead and install a pool close to their house if they obtain engineered plans or a letter from an engineer.
Because we all love bulleted lists of zoning cases, here are a few of the items the Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission will consider this Thursday:
A proposal to build a four-story apartment building between South Belt Line Road and Sanders Loop, directly south of DART’s elevated Silver Line tracks. As proposed, the 120 units would be restricted to tenants who are at least 55 years old. (Would they be less likely to hear the trains?)
A request from former Dallas Cowboys linebacker Anthony Spencer to divide his 4.2-acre estate on Deforest Road into two lots.
An application for a short-term-rental permit from the owners of a house on Crestview Court that has a history of complaints for a variety of reasons, including noise, high grass and weeds, heavy traffic, nudity (!), roosters and chickens (!!), and the production of music videos (!!!).
I cannot wait to watch the public hearing on the Crestview case.
Check It Out: Cozby Library Has New Manager
Less than a month into her new job, the manager of the Cozby Library and Community Commons has already fielded questions about two controversies from her predecessor’s tenure.
I’ve seen no official announcement of Alexis Wellborn’s hiring, but her LinkedIn account indicates she started the library gig in September. It also says her previous full-time job was serving as an assistant principal in Carroll ISD. Before that one-year stint in Southlake, she was a science teacher and coach in the Northwest, Plano, and Richardson school districts.
On Thursday, Wellborn attended her first meeting of the Coppell Library Advisory Board. During the previous meeting in September, board member Patricia Graziano asked whether she and her peers could get monthly updates on reconsideration requests. As longtime subscribers may recall, a majority of the board voted last year to retain Cozby’s copies of Gender Queer, a graphic memoir that has been challenged at libraries nationwide.
(See “Board Votes to Retain ‘Gender Queer’” in Vol. 2, No. 3.)
Wellborn began her remarks on Thursday by reading a portion of her first written report to the board: “Thank you for your request to include book reconsideration requests in our monthly report. I can see that this request was made due to a profound appreciation of the library and an understanding of current events. However, reconsideration requests are not a regular occurrence at the Cozby Library. When they do happen, it is incumbent upon both the library and library board to remain impartial to protect the rights of our citizens during a possible appeal process. I appreciate your desire to continue supporting the library and continuing your fair and unbiased decision-making on behalf of Coppell’s citizens.”
Nobody had anything to say in response, but later in the meeting, board member Haridas Radhakrisnan asked whatever happened to the notion of library patrons having access to the building after the staff has left for the day. That was an idea proposed last year by Dennis Quinn, who resigned as Director of Library Services in April. The Library Advisory Board seemed open to providing after-hours access, but some City Council members weren’t comfortable with the concept.
(See “Library Director to Begin New Chapter” in Vol. 3, No. 8, and “Council Concerned About Late-Night Library” in Vol. 2, No. 12.)
In response to Radhakrisnan’s question, Assistant Director of Community Experiences Adam Richter said city officials wanted to hire the library’s new manager before revisiting the idea. Now that Wellborn is on the job, he said, “we’ll take a look at that probably in the spring.”
Before wrapping up this article, I want to make you aware of two library events; one is happening this week, and the other will happen in six months:
On Tuesday, the library will be closed all day for staff development.
On April 20, the library will host a program billed as “Local Journalism with Dan Koller.”
My PowerPoint presentation is already in the works. See you then and there?
Chronicle Crumbs
• Last month, I tried to dispel a rumor that Pharmacy Plus was closing its Coppell location. Well, that rumor turned out to be true. A sign posted on the front door last week says this Friday will be the final day customers like yours truly can pick up our pills there. I was alerted to this sign late Friday afternoon, and I got someone on the phone right before they closed for the day. I was told owner Tom Neale, who also has Pharmacy Plus stores in Southlake and Northlake, wouldn’t be available to talk until tomorrow. Dallas Central Appraisal District records indicate his Coppell landlord is “Tyger Partners Ltd.,” which shares a mailing address with Terry Holmes’ Holmes Builders and appears to own no other properties in Dallas County.
• I’m sorry to report that Rozana Market has permanently closed on the southeast corner of South Belt Line Road and East Belt Line Road. Rozana also included a restaurant when it opened in 2018, but that aspect of the business was shuttered a few years ago. The landlord, Nooman Silat, told me he’s in talks with Krispy Krunchy Chicken, even though Chicken Express is right across the street.
• The reconstruction of Woodhurst Drive was going to start this month, but City Manager Mike Land told the City Council on Tuesday that it won’t begin until 2024 due to “several material delays.” He also said the renovations at Duck Pond Park, which abuts Woodhurst, are 60 percent complete.
• After I published “Per Oncor, Coppell’s Outages Could be Worse” in last week’s edition, Oncor’s Kita Hobbs offered this clarification on the July 21 power outage: “More than 3,000 customers, or the vast majority of all those impacted, were restored within minutes. This is because we were able to switch, or reroute, power through alternative power lines. Unfortunately, power was not able to be rerouted for a small number of customers, which resulted in those remaining residents experiencing the 12-hour outage.”
• In last week’s edition, I reported that Coppell High School graduate Abigail Klein has appeared on more than 80 episodes of Days of Our Lives. I have since learned that fellow CHS alumna Chloe Lanier has been featured on nearly 300 episodes of General Hospital. I wonder how many other high schools can boast so much soap opera star power.
• If you’re a Coppell ISD student looking for something to make your college applications stand out, apply to become a youth advisor to the Coppell Parks and Recreation Board. I urged my freshman to take a shot at it, but he replied thusly: “Nah, blud, I’m good.”
• The Irving City Council made it official on Thursday: Residents’ and businesses’ monthly fees for solid waste collection will increase by $2.75 in November, and twice-per-week collection will resume in December. (See “Irving Prices Twice-a-Week Trash Collection” in Vol. 3, No. 27.)
• The Valley Ranch Islamic Center is planning an $8 million expansion, according to a form filed with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. The project will include the addition of a gym, a coffee shop, and classrooms, plus expansion of existing offices and a multi-purpose room.
• The Flying Carpet is now serving Turkish cuisine at 2702 Lake Vista Drive in Lewisville, just outside Coppell’s city limits.
• While driving down Denton Tap Road on Friday, I spotted a modern Volkswagen Beetle that bore the paint scheme of Herbie the Love Bug. Does anybody know whether this car belongs to a Coppell resident?
Community Calendar
The Mousetrap: Theatre Coppell will stage one more performance of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery at 2:30 p.m. today in the Wheelice Wilson Jr. Theatre at the Coppell Arts Center.
A Choir for All Ages: The Coppell Community Chorale will be joined by the Coppell Children’s Chorus and choirs from Coppell High School and Dallas Baptist University at 3 p.m. today in the Main Hall at the Coppell Arts Center.
Coppell Alumnae Panhellenic Association: Alumnae of National Panhellenic Conference sororities are invited to a dinner meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Copper & Vine in Valley Ranch. For any questions or to RSVP, email info@coppellsororities.com.
Pinot for Polio: Landon Winery in Cypress Waters has committed 10 percent of its proceeds between 5 and 9 p.m. on Thursday to the Rotary Club of Coppell’s fundraising fight against polio.
Pioneer Day: The Coppell Historical Society will offer free crafts, games, snow cones, and a petting farm between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday at Heritage Park.
Spooktacular: The Coppell Community Orchestra will open its season with a family-friendly show filled with spooky music, costumes, and candy. The music will begin at 3 p.m. on Oct. 22 in the Main Hall at the Coppell Arts Center.
Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind: Actors from the Coppell High School Ninth Grade Campus will stage Greg Allen’s collection of mini-plays at 7 p.m. on Oct. 26, Oct. 27, and Oct. 28.
Community Tailgate: Coppell ISD will host a tailgate party catered by Dickey’s at 5 p.m. on Oct. 27 before the varsity football team plays Flower Mound.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day: The Coppell Police Department will collect your unwanted medications between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Oct. 28.
New Tech Haunted House: New Tech High at Coppell will be scarier than normal between 7 and 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 28.
Dracula: Coppell-based Ballet Ensemble of Texas will perform the story of the world’s most famous vampire at 6 p.m. on Oct. 29 at the Irving Arts Center.
...nudity, roosters and chickens...??? I'm going out on a limb and assuming this was part of a "hold my beer" challenge.
I agree with our school board. School vouchers siphon money from public schools. Public schools must accept & serve ALL students. Private schools will receive money and not be held to any standards for accepting students or the state academic standards. It’s just a way to defund public schools! I’m totally against vouchers! If you want to send your child to a private school, you have that right, but not at the taxpayers expense!