Old Town Proposal Wins Unanimous Support • Commissioners Wary of Batteries Facility • Trail Project Delayed by Antiquities Survey • Irving Targets Hookah Hooligans
Thanks for the explanation of time travel. I have always wondered how it works. I’m also curious about the exact nature of the artifact found in Magnolia Park.
Thank you for attending and reporting the interesting but few nuggets that come out of the meetings. I am also curious about why the "Parks and Recreation" department became the department of "Community Experiences?" Asking friends and neighbors, not one could tell me what the Department of Community Experiences did! There is an entire TV series explaining Parks and Rec! Why the need to change?
McKee, they went with the new name because "Parks and Recreation" didn't encompass the department's entire scope, which includes the arts center, the library, and the cemetery. I wrote about that in this edition: https://coppellchronicle.substack.com/p/coppell-chronicle-vol-2-no-39
It sounds like someone needs to let the Coppell Recreation Development Corporation know that the city switched the official city newspaper (puzzlingly) to the Irving Rambler for notices. This sent me down a rabbit hole to see if they might accidentally be violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. To my surprise, legal notices in newspapers for meetings are not required by law at all. TIL.
I was so excited to read about the “Antiquities” this week, but sadly my excitement quickly waned. 1. Who “informed” CPRB? 2. What type of artifact was found? 3. Who found it and what year? 4. Where is this artifact now? 5. How many archeological surveys have been performed in Coppell before a restoration or development project could proceed? The secrecy and/or vagueness of key details is a bit irking. 🤷🏻♀️
Not sure why Coppell city is insistent on developing traffic congested and parking spaces deprived Old Town. That area is not easily accessible, is in middle of residential area and there aren’t enough parking spaces for Texas sized cars. Old town lacks water body to pull customers for outdoor dining too.
Instead , city should be concentrating on developing business-strip retail on Sandy Lake since it gets more traffic, is lot more accessible and has more room for parking space compared to hidden away & out of the way Old Town. Sandy lake retail centers have enough space to create a water body in parking lot that people can faze at while enjoying outdoor dining. It needs lights, and some green space in middle. That’s what town Center & Anamia’s retail centers need. Water & lights.
IMHO City shall be wasting another million $$$$ with this latest project in Old Town.
My 2 bits as long time Coppell resident & reading attempts by different people to revive Old Town.
Roli, other than the salaries of the people processing Chris Collins' applications, I don't believe any city money is being spent on this project in Old Town. It's all private money.
City and citizens need to investigate why those places are up for lease or why tenants left- there has to be a reason. Primary ones being high rent vs less customer traffic. Why do they get less customers? Because customers maybe finding the buildings/infrastructure/curb appeal old, or lacking any attractive appeal to be there to use the business/location.
There are currently almost 20 commercial spaces along Denton Tap up for lease! Many have been open for months and some years. Some stand alone spaces like restaurants, some office/retail. Not sure your “pond in a parking lot” concept is going to make much of a difference. That is why we want to keep the OLD in Old Town instead of building it out like any another center you can find down Denton Tap.
City and citizens need to investigate why those places are up for lease or why tenants left- there has to be a reason. Primary ones being high rent vs less customer traffic. Why do they get less customers? Because customers maybe finding the buildings/infrastructure/curb appeal old, or lacking any attractive appeal to be there to use the business/location. Or just charge less rent given low appeal of location
When hardly any questions were asked in both the work session and the public meeting, about the Old Town Coppell proposal (compared to the dozens about the battery storage facility) it becomes fairly obvious that this was all orchestrated behind closed doors. The developer even boasted about meeting privately with council members and the Mayor to get their input and guidance in order to have his plan move forward. Totally unethical and is a mockery of the process. It one thing to be fighting for something on a level playing field but when lies and manipulation are involved that is just not right. One of the questions that was asked was along the lines of “which street is this?” I believe from Sue Blankenship. Truly outrageous since this has been discussed ad nauseum and at length during previous meetings! It should be a requirement that P&Z commissioners actually visit the site of the proposal they are going to be voting on. This would have helped clear up questions about the battery facility too! The reason an alternative plan was never offered was because of an exclusivity contract between the developer and seller. We did email our concept to the seller. Also, that land has NEVER had a For Sale sign on it. Unless you’re a commercial real estate person who trolls the pages every day you never know it was actively for sale. And lastly, since the rest of us owners of Old Town buildings have always been held to such stringent rules and ordinances with our Old Town buildings, it was never even a consideration that any of us or the developer/seller would ever be able to demolish our buildings!
"breastraunt" 🤣🤣🤣. I thoroughly enjoy your writing!
Thanks for the explanation of time travel. I have always wondered how it works. I’m also curious about the exact nature of the artifact found in Magnolia Park.
Thank you for attending and reporting the interesting but few nuggets that come out of the meetings. I am also curious about why the "Parks and Recreation" department became the department of "Community Experiences?" Asking friends and neighbors, not one could tell me what the Department of Community Experiences did! There is an entire TV series explaining Parks and Rec! Why the need to change?
McKee, they went with the new name because "Parks and Recreation" didn't encompass the department's entire scope, which includes the arts center, the library, and the cemetery. I wrote about that in this edition: https://coppellchronicle.substack.com/p/coppell-chronicle-vol-2-no-39
It sounds like someone needs to let the Coppell Recreation Development Corporation know that the city switched the official city newspaper (puzzlingly) to the Irving Rambler for notices. This sent me down a rabbit hole to see if they might accidentally be violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. To my surprise, legal notices in newspapers for meetings are not required by law at all. TIL.
BESS!?…. Seriously?…. absolutely Not!
I was so excited to read about the “Antiquities” this week, but sadly my excitement quickly waned. 1. Who “informed” CPRB? 2. What type of artifact was found? 3. Who found it and what year? 4. Where is this artifact now? 5. How many archeological surveys have been performed in Coppell before a restoration or development project could proceed? The secrecy and/or vagueness of key details is a bit irking. 🤷🏻♀️
Not sure why Coppell city is insistent on developing traffic congested and parking spaces deprived Old Town. That area is not easily accessible, is in middle of residential area and there aren’t enough parking spaces for Texas sized cars. Old town lacks water body to pull customers for outdoor dining too.
Instead , city should be concentrating on developing business-strip retail on Sandy Lake since it gets more traffic, is lot more accessible and has more room for parking space compared to hidden away & out of the way Old Town. Sandy lake retail centers have enough space to create a water body in parking lot that people can faze at while enjoying outdoor dining. It needs lights, and some green space in middle. That’s what town Center & Anamia’s retail centers need. Water & lights.
IMHO City shall be wasting another million $$$$ with this latest project in Old Town.
My 2 bits as long time Coppell resident & reading attempts by different people to revive Old Town.
Roli, other than the salaries of the people processing Chris Collins' applications, I don't believe any city money is being spent on this project in Old Town. It's all private money.
City and citizens need to investigate why those places are up for lease or why tenants left- there has to be a reason. Primary ones being high rent vs less customer traffic. Why do they get less customers? Because customers maybe finding the buildings/infrastructure/curb appeal old, or lacking any attractive appeal to be there to use the business/location.
There are currently almost 20 commercial spaces along Denton Tap up for lease! Many have been open for months and some years. Some stand alone spaces like restaurants, some office/retail. Not sure your “pond in a parking lot” concept is going to make much of a difference. That is why we want to keep the OLD in Old Town instead of building it out like any another center you can find down Denton Tap.
City and citizens need to investigate why those places are up for lease or why tenants left- there has to be a reason. Primary ones being high rent vs less customer traffic. Why do they get less customers? Because customers maybe finding the buildings/infrastructure/curb appeal old, or lacking any attractive appeal to be there to use the business/location. Or just charge less rent given low appeal of location
When hardly any questions were asked in both the work session and the public meeting, about the Old Town Coppell proposal (compared to the dozens about the battery storage facility) it becomes fairly obvious that this was all orchestrated behind closed doors. The developer even boasted about meeting privately with council members and the Mayor to get their input and guidance in order to have his plan move forward. Totally unethical and is a mockery of the process. It one thing to be fighting for something on a level playing field but when lies and manipulation are involved that is just not right. One of the questions that was asked was along the lines of “which street is this?” I believe from Sue Blankenship. Truly outrageous since this has been discussed ad nauseum and at length during previous meetings! It should be a requirement that P&Z commissioners actually visit the site of the proposal they are going to be voting on. This would have helped clear up questions about the battery facility too! The reason an alternative plan was never offered was because of an exclusivity contract between the developer and seller. We did email our concept to the seller. Also, that land has NEVER had a For Sale sign on it. Unless you’re a commercial real estate person who trolls the pages every day you never know it was actively for sale. And lastly, since the rest of us owners of Old Town buildings have always been held to such stringent rules and ordinances with our Old Town buildings, it was never even a consideration that any of us or the developer/seller would ever be able to demolish our buildings!