Coppell Chronicle Vol. 4, No. 1
Coppell ISD May Alter Attendance Zones • Let’s Look at Cypress Waters’ Annual Report • Irving’s Support for Housing Project Wanes • Funds Approved for Fences Around Fields
Because the very first edition of this newsletter included an article about Smoothie King, I like to mark the beginning of each new volume with a smoothie. (It beats posting a selfie with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who was also mentioned in the inaugural edition.)
When I published that first edition, I didn’t know Smoothie King’s headquarters is located in Coppell ISD. The firm that was formerly based in New Orleans moved to Cypress Waters in 2018. It’s a small world after all.
On a related note, I recently made one of my oldest friends, Jamie Benge, aware of an opportunity. Nuri Steakhouse, which will open in the Uptown area of Dallas this spring, was looking for a general manager, and the owner determined that the best man at my wedding was the best man for the job. When I gave Jamie that tip, I didn’t know Nuri Steakhouse is owned by Wan Kim, the CEO of Smoothie King. A small world, indeed.
Coppell ISD May Alter Attendance Zones
Kids from Cypress Waters will be bused to Cottonwood Creek Elementary School if Coppell ISD trustees tweak its attendance zone tomorrow evening.
Students who reside in Cypress Waters are zoned to Richard J. Lee Elementary, the only one of the district’s 11 elementary campuses that is expected to be above 90 percent of its capacity next school year. In fact, Lee is projected to be at nearly 99 percent of its capacity.
Cottonwood Creek is at the other end of the spectrum. The latest projections from Coppell ISD’s demographer say the school could be at 63 percent of its capacity this autumn and as low as 57 percent by the fall of 2028.
On Monday, the Board of Trustees will consider a proposal to reassign several Cypress Waters apartment complexes from the Lee zone to the Cottonwood Creek zone. A memo from Chief Operations Officer Chris Trotter says 68 students live in these complexes, and it also says the district would transport them to and from Cottonwood Creek. According to the map of the current attendance zones, it appears these kids’ buses would drive through the Austin Elementary, Pinkerton Elementary, Wilson Elementary, and/or Town Center Elementary zones before arriving at their new school.
This may sound like an extreme move, but these are extreme times. During the board’s Feb. 4 budget workshop, Trustee Leigh Walker said this: “There are some pretty obvious pain points that we keep coming back to, and I think one of those big ones is that we have more space in our northern elementaries than we have kids for.” During that same workshop, Board President David Caviness described the empty seats in most elementary schools as “a blinking neon sign when we look at the data.”
(See “Trustees Inch Closer to Closure Decision” in Vol. 3, No. 51)
Coppell ISD already has a noncontiguous attendance zone. Kids who live south of State Highway 114 are zoned to Canyon Ranch Elementary, and they have to drive through the Lee Elementary zone to get there. District administrators have said the developers who built those “Parkside” neighborhoods declined their request to save space for a school south of 114.
The trustees will consider one other proposed change on Monday: The Grant at Valley Ranch apartment complex, which is within 100 yards of Valley Ranch Elementary, would be moved out of the Lee Elementary zone. Trotter’s memo says about half of the 68 students who live in that complex have been allowed to transfer to Valley Ranch Elementary this school year.
Let’s Look at Cypress Waters’ Annual Report
If you know someone looking for a cheaper place to live in Coppell ISD, point them to Cypress Waters. More than 160 apartments there have been set aside at affordable rates.
In 2010, the City of Dallas established the Cypress Waters Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District to encourage development of the vacant land around North Lake. This TIF district has a board of directors that meets at least once a year, and your correspondent Zoomed into their meeting on Jan. 25, when they approved the district’s annual report.
That report says three Cypress Waters apartment complexes were supported by TIF funding: Parson’s Green, Scotch Creek, and Sycamore Park. Consequently, those complexes have to offer 20 percent of their units at affordable rates. That amounts to 163 of their 814 combined units.
The report doesn’t define “affordable,” and such rates are not listed on the complexes’ website. But I traded a few texts with a leasing agent on Saturday and was told a two-bedroom apartment can be had for as low as $1,529 per month. The website’s lowest rate for a two-bedroom unit is $2,215.
Those complexes are collectively marketed as The District at Cypress Waters. They’re south of Olympus Boulevard, so they would presumably be left out of the proposed rezoning discussed in the previous article. But it looks like more affordable units may be built further north. Most of the land between North Lake and East Belt Line Road is still vacant, but the TIF district’s report includes this map that’s labeled “Cypress Waters District Master Plan.”
The TIF district’s report — which is attached to the agenda for this week’s Dallas City Council meeting — touts the public safety facility for Dallas police officers and firefighters that opened on Water Mill Road last April. That building includes a “small meeting space for the community,” but residents of Cypress Waters, which is not connected to the rest of Dallas, still don’t have their own library branch or recreation center.
During the January board meeting, Claire Oliver asked whether either of those types of facilities are planned for Cypress Waters. Although she resides in Coppell, Oliver used to live in Cypress Waters, which makes her unique among the TIF district’s directors. The others all live in East Dallas or the Preston Hollow area.
Tamara Leak, who is the city’s Economic Development District Manager, said such projects might be included in the $1.25 billion bond package that Dallas voters will consider in the May 4 election. But when Oliver, who used to be a librarian, asked whether anyone besides her is advocating for a library branch, Leak said this is another situation in which Oliver stands alone.
Well, I have good news for Oliver and any Cypress Waters residents who might read this: If you have a valid Dallas Public Library card, you can request a TexShare card that will grant you borrowing privileges at Coppell’s Cozby Library and at Irving’s Valley Ranch Library. I just got my own TexShare card yesterday.
Irving’s Support for Housing Project Wanes
A Dallas company called Palladium USA really wants to build an affordable housing complex in Irving, specifically on land due north of the Walmart along Interstate 635. The City Council took three closely divided votes on the proposal last year:
Last February, the council approved a resolution of support that was supposed to help Palladium secure tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
In May, they changed the property’s category in the city’s comprehensive plan from “neighborhood commercial” to “mid-density residential.”
On that same night, they changed its zoning from “neighborhood commercial” to “multifamily residential.”
Each of those would have been 5-4 votes if Al Zapanta, whose District 6 includes the property in question, hadn’t accidentally voted for the zoning change. He meant to side with John Bloch, Brad LaMorgese, and Mayor Rick Stopfer, as he did on the other two votes.
Palladium’s project, which envisions a 90-unit complex at 8000 Walton Boulevard, was back on the council’s agenda on Thursday. Palladium did not win those tax credits, which the state doles out on an annual basis. Because the firm is making another attempt to secure them, they needed a new resolution of support.
Seven people spoke in favor of the Palladium project during Thursday’s meeting, and at least three of them work at Palladium. The firm’s CEO, Tom Huth, shamelessly began his comments with this: “Here we are, another year older. You’re looking younger every day, Mister Mayor. I don’t know what you do, but it’s working on you.” That inspired a few groans and at least one “wow” from the council dais.
The only people who spoke against the project were Zapanta and LaMorgese, who represented District 6 on the council for two terms before he was elected to an at-large seat in 2022. They both live in Hackberry Creek, which is across I-635 from the Palladium site.
As he did prior to last year’s votes, Zapanta insisted that affordable housing is not a fit on that particular piece of property. The land is owned by Las Colinas resident Mike Patel, who has a contract to sell it to Palladium.
“We’re here to help you in the future, but not on this project,” Zapanta told Patel.
Dennis Webb — who resides in south Irving but is, like LaMorgese, an at-large council member — reiterated his support for the Palladium proposal: “We talk about affordable housing, we talk about all these needs, but every time somebody brings something to help meet those needs, we always seem to have a problem with it.”
Also speaking in favor were Abdul Khabeer, who was elected last May to represent the city’s west side, and Phil Riddle, who is wrapping up his third and final term representing south Irving. “Affordable housing should fit all over the city,” Riddle said.
LaMorgese countered that District 6 already has more than 600 tax-credit housing units, but Riddle’s district has fewer than 90 while Khabeer’s district has none. “We need to look all over the city and have a balance,” LaMorgese said.
The council had three options on Thursday: a resolution of support, a resolution of no objection, or a resolution of no action. The second option would provide minimal help to Palladium’s effort, and the third option would provide none.
LaMorgese made a motion for a resolution of no action, and Zapanta seconded it. This led to yet another 5-4 vote. Joining the two of them, Bloch, and Stopfer was Mark Cronenwett, who was elected after last year’s votes on this project took place.
Funds Approved for Fences Around Fields
The soccer practice fields at Wagon Wheel Park will soon be surrounded by 6-foot wrought-iron fences.
Angela Lancaster, who is the Coppell Youth Soccer Association’s Executive Director, said her organization has been requesting such fencing for more than a decade.
“We are excited and relieved to hear it’s finally going in,” Lancaster said. “It’s been desperately needed to protect these fields from the wear and tear of adult pickup games.”
When the fields are closed due to inclement weather, city staffers puts out signs saying so, but there are roving bands of soccer enthusiasts who routinely ignore those signs. This is old news to longtime Chronicle subscribers; I wrote about this problem way back in April of 2021.
(See “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?” In Vol. 1, No. 9)
This month, the Coppell City Council approved a $176,790 contract with Custard Construction Services to erect the fences. That money will come from the Coppell Recreation Development Corporation bucket that is funded entirely through sales taxes.
In a memo to the CRDC board, Park Operations Manager David Ellison said the city used to have “Park Patrol” staffers who would kick out unauthorized users. But those positions were eliminated due to budget cuts in 2020.
“Staff are not regularly available to be on site to monitor fields after hours when fields are closed,” Ellison wrote. “This has led to unauthorized groups coming into play, which has resulted in damage to the fields.”
Lancaster said there is evidence that fencing will work. When Andrew Brown Park West was being redeveloped in 2015 and 2016, temporary fences were placed around the Wagon Wheel fields.
“With strictly our usage and the fences keeping pickup games off the fields, the turf recovered beautifully, only to wear away again when those fences came down,” Lancaster said. “When the turf is worn down, our kids are playing on bare dirt, and without the grass to hold the moisture, huge cracks form in the hotter months that cause very dangerous conditions for our players.
“To their credit, the city tries to keep up with the problems, but it’s proven almost impossible when there is no downtime for recovery.”
If, like Lancaster, you have strong opinions about how Coppell’s parks should be used, mark March 7 on your calendar. That’s when the Community Experiences Department will host a Community Input Meeting on its “master plan” process. It’s scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Cozby Library and Community Commons.
Congratulations Are in Order
• Congratulations to Coppell High School senior Katy Jost, who finished third in the 500 freestyle at the state swim meet on Saturday. Her time of 4:49.02 was two seconds faster than her previous school record.
• Congratulations to the 45 Coppell High School students and one New Tech High student who were recently named National Merit finalists. They were among the 49 scholars I wrote about last September in “Coppell High Boasts Most Merit Semifinalists.”
• Congratulations to the staff of the Cozby Library and Community Commons, which won the Achievement of Excellence Award from the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association for the 19th consecutive year. In my opinion, the film nerds who decided to add these books to the library’s collection are particularly excellent at their jobs.
Business Briefs
• Chronicle subscriber Jana Bryant asked me to let you know that she’s the owner and operator of the CityVet location that should start seeing patients this week in the former home of Anamia’s. Bryant has been with CityVet since 2009, helping animals at its Dallas and Las Colinas outlets.
• Another subscriber, Megan Yocum, wants you to know that her husband, Scott Yokum, has opened The Pool Store in the Braewood shopping center, specifically in the space formerly known as Pretty Pools.
• The space in the Eleanor’s Square shopping center that used to be a Smoothie Factory will soon have a new tenant: Project Lean Nation.
Updates From Last Week’s Edition
• I asked the three Democrats seeking to represent District 115 in the Texas House to send me their answers to a short questionnaire by Feb. 16. I published the answers provided by Cassandra Hernandez and Kate Rumsey last week, but Scarlett Cornwallis didn’t send me hers until Feb. 19. Download this PDF to compare her answers to her rivals’ responses:
• Last week’s edition included an article called “Tragedy’s Anniversary Marked With Love.” It was about Caitlin Rogers’ family and friends gathering for a group photo around the memorial bench near the spot where she was killed in 2022. Here’s that photo:
• I regrettably misspelled the last name of Coppell ISD Scoreboard Video Producer Ryan Putman last week. Proving there’s no hard feelings, he subsequently became a paid subscriber to this newsletter. If you’d like to follow his lead for $5 per month or just $30 per year, click this button:
Chronicle Crumbs
• Last night, a source pointed me to a document indicating that Coppell High School graduate Thomas Rousseau has been jailed in McLennan County, where Waco is the biggest city. He was supposedly arrested on Friday, and the listed offense is “burn object to intimidate.” Where other detainees have a case number listed, Rousseau’s entry says “NOC Virginia.” As I recently documented in “White Nationalist Free to Wreak More Havoc,” Rousseau was in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 for the infamous “Unite the Right” rally, where plenty of tiki torches were on display.
• You may be wondering why white street signs have gone up along Sandy Lake Road, as opposed to the traditional blue. As documented in “Gates Approved for Blackberry Farm” last October, when the Coppell City Council approved Terry Holmes’ request to make his long-gestating development a gated community, they also absolved the city of responsibility for its streets.
• Coppell’s Community Experiences Department has announced that the fitness center at The CORE will be closed on March 7 and 8 while the weight machines are replaced. A December article called “Fitness Enthusiasts Flock to The CORE” documented the reasons for (and costs of) these replacements.
Community Calendar
Severe Weather Workshop: CBS 11 meteorologist Jeff Ray will be at Life Safety Park at 6 p.m. on Wednesday to discuss how you can best prepare yourself and your family when the weather turns ugly. This program is free, but registration is required.
Coppell Sustainability Summit: Coppell High School’s Eco Club will host an event at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the school auditorium that will include dinner and a screening of the film The Story of Plastic.
Parent University: Jermaine Galloway, aka “The Tall Cop,” will be the featured speaker at Coppell ISD’s Parent University session at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the Coppell High School lecture hall. His “High in Plain Sight” presentation will focus on the latest trends in substance abuse.
Caregiving Heroes: The support group for people who are assisting loved ones with aging or other concerns will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday in the library of First United Methodist Church.
Purely Rhythmic: The Coppell High School band will present a percussion concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday in the auditorium that will be preceded by a gumbo dinner at 4 p.m. in the cafeteria. Click the link to purchase tickets.
The Coppell Chronicle is excellent and we read it every week. Thank you for writing it.
A very minor comment for future reference: the county south of Coppell is McLennan with only one “c.” It is often misspelled; I worked at McLennan Community College.