Coppell Chronicle Vol. 3, No. 47
Coppell Runner Wins Antarctic Marathon • Who’s Ready for Another Campaign Season? • City Finds New Uses for Federal Funds • Zoning Change Fixes Flub
Cold enough for you? Let me try to get your blood pumping by saying something that Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will say at least 50 times this afternoon: “Here we goooo!”
Coppell Runner Wins Antarctic Marathon
This frigid weather we’re enduring at the moment may be eliciting fond memories for one Coppell resident.
Last month, Michael Higgins achieved athletic glory in less-than-ideal conditions. Not only did he win the Antarctic Ice Marathon, he dominated the race that happens about 600 miles from the South Pole. Higgins’ time of 4:01:45 was nearly five minutes faster than the runner-up’s result of 4:06:31.
Participating in the Antarctic Ice Marathon, which began in 2005, is an expensive endeavor. According to the race’s website, the entry fee for the 2023 edition was $21,500. That covered roundtrip airfare between Punta Arenas, Chile, and Union Glacier, Antarctica — a flight of four-plus hours — as well as meals for the three-day itinerary and accommodations in a double-walled tent featuring polar sleeping bags.
The Dec. 13 marathon was Higgins’ fifth 26.2-mile race and the first one he won. In fact, he told me this was the first time he’d finished in a marathon’s top 10.
“It’s really not my favorite race,” the Coppell Running Club member said with a laugh.
Higgins, his family, and other Coppell Running Club members attended the City Council meeting on Tuesday, when Mayor Wes Mays read a proclamation designating Jan. 9 as “Michael Higgins Appreciation Day.”
“This race presents a truly formidable and genuine Antarctic challenge with underfoot conditions comprising snow and ice throughout, an average windchill temperature of -20 Celsius [-4 Fahrenheit], and the possibility of strong Katabatic winds to contend with,” the mayor said.
Higgins has lived in Coppell for about a year and a half. He has three young sons, and he joked during the meeting that he broke a sweat just trying to keep one of them away from the audio-visual equipment in the council chambers.
“Nobody could believe a guy from Texas — where it’s 105 and 107 [degrees] — was conditioned to this,” Higgins told the council before relaying his new mantra: “Texas fire will beat Antarctic ice any day of the week.”
Higgins is not the only person who’s done Coppell proud lately:
• Former City Council Member Nancy Yingling and doubles partner Barb Skinner of Indianapolis won gold medals for their age bracket at the USA Pickleball National Championships, which were contested in November at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch.
• Coppell High School students Divya Ghanta and Roma Jani and New Tech High @ Coppell students Piper Baranowski, Ben Hall, and Preston Johnson sang their way to Texas All-State Choir honors. This was Jani’s fourth all-state accolade. Meanwhile, Coppell High School junior Deepali Kanchanavally earned All-State Orchestra honors for the second time as a cellist.
• Fourteen members of the Coppell High School band program were named Texas All-State Musicians: Shruthi Avadhanula, Siddarth Bellam, Fernando Benavides, Akshat Ghuge (third time), Daniel Henze, Kunal Katiyar, Dhruva Mateti, Vibhav Rajan, Rohan Sharma (second time), Ryan Sierra, Stayton Slaughter, Lindsey Won (fourth time), Dael Yoo, and Lauren Yoo.
Who’s Ready for Another Campaign Season?
Wednesday is the first day of the filing period for the spring municipal elections. Candidates have until 5 p.m. on Feb. 16 to toss their hats in the ring. Early voting will begin on April 22, and Election Day is May 4.
Here’s a look at which seats will be on Coppell-area ballots and who currently occupies them.
COPPELL CITY COUNCIL
Every Coppell voter gets to vote for every position, and there are no geographic districts.
Mayor — Wes Mays was elected mayor in 2021, and he intends to secure a second term as the city’s presiding officer. He was previously elected to the Place 3 seat on the City Council in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2020.
Place 2 — Brianna Hinojosa-Smith has been elected to the City Council six times: Place 3 in 2005, 2008, and 2011, and Place 2 in 2015, 2018, and 2021. She had to give up the Place 3 seat in 2012 when she sought the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 6.
Place 4 — Kevin Nevels was elected in 2021, and he has announced he’s seeking a second term.
Place 5 — John Jun was elected in 2020 and went unchallenged in 2023. He’s moving on because he’s the Republican nominee in Texas House District 115. Whoever wins this seat will complete the three-year term Jun began last May.
Place 6 — Biju Mathew was elected in 2018 and reelected in 2021, when his challenger was endorsed by two council members who were stepping down. I’m mentioning that only because it’s highly unusual.
COPPELL ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Every voter in Coppell ISD gets to vote for every trustee, and there are no geographic districts.
Place 6 — Nichole Bentley won this seat in 2018 by vanquishing two rivals, including a doofus who subsequently decided to launch a newsletter. She went unchallenged in 2021.
Place 7 — Jobby Mathew was appointed by the other trustees in November of 2022, after Tracy Fisher gave up this seat because she was the Democratic nominee in State Board of Education District 14. Mathew, who is not related to Biju Mathew, was unchallenged in the 2023 special election to finish the remainder of Fisher’s term.
IRVING CITY COUNCIL
A big chunk of Coppell ISD is in Irving, where the council has both geographic and at-large seats.
District 6 — Al Zapanta was elected in 2018 and went unchallenged in 2021. District 6 includes Valley Ranch, Hackberry Creek, and other neighborhoods north of State Highway 114.
District 8 — Dennis Webb ousted a two-term incumbent from this at-large seat in 2021. Webb was elected to the District 3 seat representing Irving’s west side in 2011, 2014, and 2017, but he had to give that up due to term limits.
CFBISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Coppell’s Riverchase neighborhood and about half of Valley Ranch are within the Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, which uses a unique method of conducting elections called cumulative voting. There are two seats on the ballot this year, so each voter will get two votes. You can give both of your votes to a single candidate or divide them among two candidates.
The seats are occupied by Sally Derrick and Cassandra Hatfield, who emerged from a three-candidate field in 2021. Hatfield is in her first term, and Derrick is in her second. In 2018, she was one of the two winners in a four-candidate field.
LEWISVILLE ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The entire Coppell Greens neighborhood is in Lewisville ISD, as are some other Coppell homes directly south of State Highway 121.
Lewisville ISD adopted single-member districts last year as the result of a lawsuit. (See “Lewisville ISD Alters Election Procedures” in Vol. 3, No. 28.) Coppell was drawn into District 2, which won’t be on the ballot until 2025, but one of the board’s two at-large seats will be up for grabs this year, as will the District 1 seat. Both of the candidates whose terms are expiring this year — Buddy Bonner and Allison Lassahn — reside in District 1, so something’s got to give. Bonner was elected for the first time in 2021, while Lassahn is finishing her second term.
LEWISVILLE CITY COUNCIL
A smidgen of Coppell ISD is in Lewisville, which adopted unique rules for its elections after annexing Castle Hills. Other than the mayor, council members must live in the geographic districts they represent, yet the entire city gets to vote on all of them.
Mayor — TJ Gilmore was elected mayor in 2021. He was previously elected to the Place 3 seat on the City Council in 2011, 2014, and 2017.
District 2 — William Meridith was elected in 2021. District 2 is on the north side of Lewisville.
City Finds New Uses for Federal Funds
The City of Coppell received $10.2 million from the federal government under the American Rescue Plan Act. More than a quarter of that amount was allocated to a pair of programs benefiting local businesses, and nearly a fifth of it paid for the Moore Road Park boardwalk.
The city has to allocate the remaining ARPA funds by December of this year, and they must be spent no later than December of 2026. Otherwise, any leftover money has to be sent back to Washington.
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Deputy City Manager Traci Leach presented a list of projects that could be funded with the bulk of the remaining $1.8 million. After this image from her presentation, you’ll see my quick-and-dirty explanation of each project.
Magnolia Park Bid Flexibility — $650,000: After a long delay due to an antiquities survey, the city is finally ready to solicit bids for construction of a new Magnolia Park trail. Leach said the staff expects those bids to be higher than the $1.5 million budget already approved by the council.
Security Improvements — $500,000: These would be enhanced security measures, such as card readers and panic buttons, at all city facilities.
Life Safety Park Concrete Sealant/Restriping — $65,000: Leach said these would be the first touchups to Life Safety Park’s concrete since the facility opened.
Refurbishment/Modernization of Command Vehicle — $100,000: The city bought a mobile command unit for the Police Department in 2019. Updating the vehicle’s technology would allow firefighters to better use it in conjunction with the cops.
Residential Rehabilitation Grants (Pilot Program) — $100,000: This is an initiative that the city’s Future Oriented Approach to Residential Development Task Force is exploring. A presentation to the council is expected soon.
Development Strategy Assessment — $100,000: The city would hire a consultant.
Electric Vehicle Fleet Infrastructure Strategy Assessment — $150,000: The city would hire a different consultant.
Some of the council members had questions about these projects, particularly the command vehicle. Mayor Wes Mays wanted to know how often it is used (a few times a year) and how the proposed $100,000 worth of upgrades might increase that usage (it would). Mayor Pro Tem John Jun wondered whether the command vehicle is due to be replaced soon (it’s not). Mark Hill asked about its original cost, which Police Chief Danny Barton said was in the ballpark of $350,000.
Jim Walker, the only council member who was elected after the previous discussion of ARPA funds, then offered a bigger-picture analysis: “We’re not taxing our citizens $100,000 for that command vehicle. They’ve already been taxed, and now the federal government’s granting it back to us, right?”
Mays’ response: “Yeah, this is basically free money.”
Not long after that lightbulb moment, the council gave Leach the go-ahead to allocate the free money as proposed.
Zoning Change Fixes Flub
We all make mistakes, and city officials are no different.
A new house was recently built on Kaye Street. Its plat was approved in February of 2019, and the building permit was approved in August of 2021. But nobody noticed until the final inspection that the house covered more than 54 percent of its lot. That violates a regulation capping lot coverage at 35 percent.
“It technically should have been caught early on in the review process,” Development Services Administrator Matt Steer told the City Council on Tuesday.
Despite the excess lot coverage, Steer said, the property still adheres to city regulations regarding front, side, and rear setbacks. He also pointed out that none of the neighboring homeowners were opposed to the proposed zoning change designed to solve the problem. In fact, a couple of them expressed support for it.
A denial of the zoning change would have necessitated altering or demolishing the new house. The council members agreed that would be an especially undue hardship on the homeowner, Lina Merhi.
“At final inspection, I was shocked,” said Merhi, who told the council she had spent $1.2 million on the house. “So I really wanted to ask you guys if you could help me out and get this approved, please.”
Before the unanimous vote to help her out, Council Member Mark Hill wondered whether the underlying issue needs to be addressed soon.
“Quite frankly, if it’s within the setbacks, I don’t understand why we even have a percentage lot coverage on the books,” Hill said. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Chronicle Crumbs
• On Saturday, a subscriber asked me whether I knew why the Container Store’s headquarters on Freeport Parkway had been evacuated on Monday. I told her I wasn’t aware of that evacuation until I read her email, but I had a solid theory: During the discussion of a command vehicle at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Fire Chief Kevin Richardson said his department had dealt with a bomb threat “this week.” He didn’t offer any details.
• Also during Tuesday’s council meeting, Deputy City Manager Kent Collins announced that Duck Pond Park has been reopened. Unfortunately for some of the park’s neighbors, the reconstruction of Woodhurst Drive has begun.
• Last month, the Coppell Building and Standards Commission ordered that the unfinished house at 551 Arbor Brook Lane be demolished no later than mid-March. (See “Code Violators Given 90-Day Deadlines” in Vol. 3, No. 43.) Here’s evidence that the demolition is well underway:
• Sam Eppler and Francine Ly, the two Democratic candidates vying to take on Rep. Beth Van Duyne in Congressional District 24, are set to appear at a forum scheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. 23 at The REC of Grapevine.
• Chronicle subscriber Jennifer Bunting asked me to mention the “Refit” dance fitness classes for adults that she leads at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and 10 a.m. on Fridays at Melva Smith School of Dance.
• When I gave you a heads-up in last week’s edition about a full closure of Royal Lane due to DART’s Silver Line project, I mistakenly said the tracks are between Interstate 635 and Freeport. I meant to say 635 and Bethel Road. I regret the error. I also regret forgetting about the closure during my commute home on Friday, when I exited 635 at Royal per usual. Ugh.
• If you’ve ever told a friend in Farmers Branch about this newsletter and that friend said, “Man, I wish we had something like that,” then tell your friend about the Branch Herald, which a friend of mine launched today.
Community Calendar
Bluebonnet Trivia Night: Elementary school students can test their knowledge of the 2023-2024 Bluebonnet Books at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday (weather permitting) at the Cozby Library and Community Commons.
Assistance League of Coppell meeting: Is your New Year’s resolution to become more actively engaged in Coppell? Come to the next Assistance League meeting and see how you can easily connect. Members and guests will gather at 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday in Room 236 at Valley Ranch Baptist Church. After the meeting, members and guests will go to lunch nearby.
Coppell Gifted Association Creative Writing Competition: The entry deadline for this competition open to all writers in fourth through 12th grades is midnight on Friday night.
Coffee With a Cop: Coppell Police Department officers will be hanging out at Gas Coffee between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, when Frost Bank will pay for your cup of joe.
Puzzle Swap: The Cozby Library and Community Commons will accept your gently used jigsaw puzzles — with all of their pieces accounted for, mind you — between 2 and 4 p.m. on Saturday.
9 to 5: Coppell High School’s Cowboy Theatre Company will present five performances of Dolly Parton’s musical based on the 1980 film. The first show is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra: The musicians from Big D will venture to suburbia for a performance at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 24 at the Coppell Arts Center.
Recycling Fundraiser: The Coppell Community Chorale will happily accept your unwanted items between 9 a.m. and noon on Jan. 27 in the Coppell Arts Center’s parking lot.
Be Your Own Boss: Want to learn how to start your own business? Justin Runyon of Runyon Coffee and Kevin Henderson of SMB Law Group will discuss their entrepreneurial journeys at 2 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Cozby Library and Community Commons.
KCBY Film Festival: Productions by Coppell ISD students will be showcased at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31 in the Coppell High School auditorium.
Coppell Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards & Community Gala: The theme for this event is “A Night in Paris,” but it will actually be a night in Grapevine — specifically the Embassy Suites on Bass Pro Drive — starting at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3.
Coppell ISD Trustee Jobby Mathew has announced he’s running for reelection.
Marcie Sandall here. I am a subscriber with a question. Is the commercial plant nursery in the 1000 block of Sandy Lake Dr. being vacated? It is almost next door to the CVS at MacArthur Blvd. Blackberry Farms, that big future subdivision has built a stone wall to the east and west of its Sandy Lake Dr. entrance. The west wall encloses part of the nursery. The nursery lot is getting cleared of plant/trees. What is happening?