Coppell Chronicle Vol. 1, No. 22

Game Over for Frontenis Center • Dallas Gun Club – Who Knew? • Will Amphitheater Rise From the Dead? • No New Apartments After All

Jul 25, 2021

On Tuesday, residents of the Northlake Woodlands neighborhood, also known as the Bird Streets, wondered whether they were experiencing an earthquake.

“Our whole house shook,” a Crane Drive resident wrote on Facebook. Other homeowners on Crane Drive and Pelican Lane responded that they felt it too; a woman who lives several blocks away on Hawk Lane even reported “a fleeting feeling of a temblor.”

What was shaking things up was the demolition of the Frontenis Center at the southern end of Mockingbird Lane. As I wrote way back in the third edition of the Coppell Chronicle, the Coppell Planning and Zoning Commission approved a request to replat the land beneath the unusual sports facility into three residential lots:

Carrollton resident Sam Nasser bought the property in March, under the name AAA Home Builder LLC. He told me yesterday via email that, as his LLC’s name would imply, he does plan to build three homes on the land (as opposed to just demolishing the Frontenis Center and then listing three empty lots on which someone else could build).

On Facebook, some Bird Streets residents seemed happy to see the Frontenis Center coming down. When I asked why, one called it “an eyesore” and another said it was “an odd fit for the neighborhood.” I certainly can’t argue against the second point. When researching my March article about the Frontenis Center, I was surprised to learn that it’s been there longer than the neighborhood has.

As part of my reporting for that March article, I interviewed Mesquite resident Dorian Degollado, who has been playing frontenis there for 10 years. He said the nearest similar facilities are in Mexico and Vancouver, so the demise of the Frontenis Center would be the end of an era for him and other local enthusiasts.

After I learned that the demolition had begun, I gave Degollado a heads-up via email. It turns out that was unnecessary. Degollado said the demolition crew was on site last weekend as he and his friends played their last matches there.

“Sad to let it go,” he wrote.

Dallas Gun Club – Who Knew?

When I was writing the Blackberry Farm article in last week’s Coppell Chronicle, I consulted the map of Coppell ISD attendance zones to figure out where residents of that new housing development will go to school. As I scanned the map, I noticed an oddly named dead-end street all by itself in the northeast corner of the school district: Dallas Gun Club Road.

I then flashbacked to a time when I spent several minutes outdoors in a neighborhood due west of that road. Maybe my son and I were placing American flags for the Coppell Rotary Club; maybe I was chatting with his buddy’s parents when picking him up from a sleepover. I don’t remember the circumstances, but I distinctly recall wondering why I kept hearing gunshots in the distance. Having a street nearby called Dallas Gun Club Road helped clear up that mystery.

The Coppell ISD map and Google Maps both indicate that Dallas Gun Club Road can be accessed via Interstate 35’s southbound service road, so I drove over there recently to see what I could see. There’s no branding for the Dallas Gun Club along the service road; just a sign saying that its gated namesake road is a private drive. But the gate was wide open, so I took my chances.

I was on unfamiliar ground, literally and figuratively. The Dallas Gun Club boasts ranges for shooting sports that I’d heard of (trap, skeet, sporting clays) and others that I had not (five-stand, helice, powder pigeon). The facility occupies at least 434 acres within Carrollton’s city limits, according to Dallas Central Appraisal District records. Members tool around the property on golf carts, plenty of which are decked out with gun racks.

After driving down the private road for about a mile, I arrived at the clubhouse. I didn’t go inside, but I can see from the Dallas Gun Club’s website that, if I had, I might have been able to enjoy a meal at a restaurant with an extensive breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu. Luca Banfi, a chef with an international resume, took over the clubhouse’s kitchen last October.

The history section of the website says the Dallas Gun Club was founded in 1946, and its original home was a 40-acre parcel on Webb Chapel Road in Dallas. After two other stops, the club moved to its current site in 1979.

“Membership is restricted to 700 members, and there are rarely new openings,” the site says. “Most members consider being a part of the Dallas Gun Club a privilege.”

Why am I telling you all this? Well, the existence of this ritzy joint within the boundaries of Coppell ISD — more specifically, within the attendance zone of my sons’ elementary school — was news to me, and I’ve lived here for more than eight years. I figured it might be news to you too.

Will Amphitheater Rise From the Dead?

On my way home from the Dallas Gun Club, I stumbled upon another curiosity. I exited the gun club’s property via Lake Vista Drive, and as I drove down that street, I saw something that made a needle scratch across the record player in my head:

An amphitheater? In the middle of an office park along a highway? I pulled over to investigate, then took these pictures:

The Vista Ridge Amphitheater complex may have once been a nice place to hear a concert or watch a play, but recent Google reviews of the site call it “abandoned” and “neglected.” As you can see, there’s a moat of stagnant water between the stage and the lowest seating tier. There are restrooms near the top of the seating bowl, but they’re all locked. I’d describe this facility’s current condition as “post-apocalyptic.”

It’s just across the border of Coppell and Lewisville, and its sad state of affairs is on the radar of officials in the latter city. Lewisville Parks and Recreation Director Stacie Anaya presented a revitalization plan to the Lewisville City Council last December, when she said the amphitheater had been on the backburner for a while.

“It’s a great little space,” she said then, “even though sometimes – right now – it’s kind of an eyesore.”

Anaya and her staff would like to replace the below-grade amphitheater with an at-grade “grand lawn” featuring a performance stage. Other amenities would include a multi-sport court, a food truck court, and a beer garden.

The cost estimate for the amphitheater project is $3.8 million. Anaya tied it to a proposed renovation of Vista Ridge Park, which is on the other side of Lake Vista Drive; she wants to use dirt and sod from the park to fill in the amphitheater. Her vision for the park includes an “inclusive” playground, which means it would comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as a Miracle League baseball field. The cost estimate for the park proposal is $12.5 million.

We shouldn’t expect to see any of these proposed changes anytime soon. Anaya said a bond sale in 2024 was one of the funding strategies, along with grants from corporations and nonprofit organizations.

“This is one of those projects that’s kind of – it’s bigger than what our budget is right now,” she said, “and in order to make it happen, we’re going to have to go find those private partners.”

No New Apartments After All

In December 2019, a company called Sahara Equity bought the Reflections at Valley Ranch apartment complex. This property within Coppell ISD abuts a cul-de-sac of houses on Marble Canyon Circle, but there are no apartments along the property line. What you’ll find across the fence from the homeowners’ backyards is mostly just parking spaces.

However, there is a one-story storage facility along the property line, and Sahara Equity wanted to replace it with a three-story building that would house 15 apartments. The Marble Canyon homeowners had some concerns about that, chiefly regarding their privacy. They didn’t want residents of those new apartments peering into their yards. This was the epitome of the Not in My Backyard phenomenon, also known as NIMBYism.

After negotiations between Sahara Equity and the homeowners, the Irving Planning and Zoning Commission considered a proposal to replace the storage facility with a two-story building featuring 12 apartments. As I reported in the May 16 edition of the Coppell Chronicle, a divided commission voted 5-4 for an alternative plan: Sahara Equity could erect only a one-story building featuring just six new apartments.

The firm appealed that ruling to Irving’s City Council. The council is comprised of seven members who represent geographic districts, plus two more members who — like the mayor — are elected at large. Valley Ranch is in District 6, which is represented by Al Zapanta.

During Thursday’s council work session, Zapanta said there is “a real attitude of ‘no more multi-family’” in Valley Ranch. “This is a good example of what I call ‘infill,’ and adding to the original concept plans that were out there,” he said, “and it’s like putting the cart before the horse at this point.”

Jocelyn Murphy, assistant director of Irving’s Planning Department, told the council during their work session that 53 percent of the neighbors within 200 feet of the property were opposed to Sahara Equity’s plan. If this had been a typical zoning case — versus an appeal — the plan would need support from a supermajority of the council (seven of nine members); state law requires a supermajority when more than 20 percent of the property owners within 200 feet are opposed to a zoning change.

During the council’s formal meeting on Thursday evening, Sahara Equity’s Jas Kaur, a Coppell resident, pleaded her case with help from consultant Sharon Barbosa-Crain, a former Irving City Council member. But five people argued against them, including Marble Canyon homeowner Linda Gulledge, who said she had a petition signed by 89 people.

“The decision from P&Z, we felt, was a win-win, because it added more units but also preserved the neighborhood’s privacy,” Gulledge said.

After all of the speakers said their piece, Zapanta made a motion to reverse the Planning and Zoning Commission’s ruling, which reverted the property to its original development plan. His motion passed on an 8-1 vote.

So Sahara Equity wanted 15 new units, but they negotiated their way to 12, then were granted permission to add just six by the Planning and Zoning Commission. As of a result of the City Council’s vote, they’ll instead have to settle for zero.

Chronicle Crumbs

▪ According to the latest statistics from Dallas County, 70 percent of Coppell residents who are 18 or older are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That’s the second highest rate in the county behind Sunnyvale’s 73 percent. Highland Park is in third place at 64 percent.

At the other end of the spectrum are Hutchins (33 percent), Wilmer (35 percent), and Cockrell Hill and Seagoville (both 36 percent). Dallas County’s overall vaccination rate is 46 percent. Percentages aren’t reported for cities that straddle county lines, such as Carrollton and Richardson.

▪ State Rep. Michelle Beckley, who was elected to the Texas House in 2018 and re-elected in 2020, recently announced that she’s running for Congress. She’s the second Democrat from Carrollton to announce a challenge to Rep. Beth Van Duyne, a Republican from Irving. As reported in the July 11 edition of the Coppell Chronicle, the first was Derrik Gay.

▪ Last week’s edition included an article about Coppell and other cities suing Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar over his proposed changes to the way the state distributes sales taxes. That article said the Coppell City Council approved a deal with Amazon in 2016 that called for the city to make 20 annual payments to the online retailer representing a portion of the sales taxes it generates each year.

One of my civically engaged subscribers told me the city has made no such payments because Amazon has not conformed its tax-collection software to certain standards required by the comptroller. I’ve asked the city staff to confirm that.

Community Calendar

Coppell Arts Center: The center and the Coppell Arts Council will host a reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on July 28 for exhibits featuring work by CISD art faculty members as well as painters Holloway O’Brien and Julia Ross. If you can’t make it to the reception, their works can be viewed between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Aug. 21, except on Sundays and Mondays.

Theatre Coppell: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella will be performed on three consecutive weekends – with shows on Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons – beginning July 30.

Coppell Women’s Club: This club for women who live in Coppell or nearby will host a “Welcome Back Coffee” at 10 a.m. on Aug. 4 at the Church of the Apostles, 322 S. MacArthur Blvd. Masks are requested for members and guests. The club offers a variety of special-interest groups, including book clubs, lunch bunches, and happy hours. Annual dues are $30, but you can knock $5 off that amount if you pay by Sept. 4.