The suspension of the Citizens’ Advocate as a print publication in 2020 was one of the reasons I launched this newsletter in 2021. I wanted to fill the void created by that newspaper’s demise.
Many editions of the Citizens’ Advocate have been scanned and uploaded to The Portal to Texas History, a resource maintained by the University of North Texas. The Coppell Historical Society is bringing Ana Krahmer, the director of the portal’s digital newspaper unit, to the Cozby Library and Community Commons on Sept. 17 to discuss her work.
To drum up interest in this event, the Coppell Historical Society is sponsoring an essay contest. The winner will get $200, and the runner-up will receive $100. You can get more details on the society’s website.
Council Approves ‘Shops at Sandy Lake’ Plans
A developer has a clear path to building a shopping center on Sandy Lake Road, despite opposition from nearby homeowners.
On Aug. 25, the Coppell City Council unanimously approved detailed plans for what will be known as The Shops at Sandy Lake. This commercial center will occupy a vacant 2-acre parcel that abuts the Arbor Manors subdivision.
Last April, a firm called Rose City Partners failed to win support from a majority of the council for its initial proposal. During last week’s public hearing, Senior Planner Mary Paron-Boswell detailed a number of compromises that Rose City made before submitting a revised proposal:
The shopping center will not include restaurants; the tenants will be limited to retail stores and medical offices.
The shopping center’s main entrance will be further from Arbor Manors Drive than previously indicated.
The building will be 30 feet from the south property line instead of the normal 20 feet.
There will be 30 feet of landscape buffer along that property line instead of the required 10 feet.
“The developer has shown more flexibility about trying to find accommodations than any other developer in my five years on City Council,” Kevin Nevels told the homeowners.
Despite those accommodations, Arbor Manors residents were organized in their opposition to the latest proposal. Approval of the plans required a supermajority of the council (as opposed to a simple majority), because at least 20 percent of the homeowners within 200 feet of the vacant lot signed a petition. They also hired a civil engineer to design alternative site plans for a property they do not own. That’s the equivalent of hiring an interior designer to come up with alternative layouts for your neighbor’s living room.
(See “Council Rejects ‘Shops at Sandy Lake’ Plans” in Vol. 6, No. 11, and “Neighbors Oppose Sandy Lake Development” in Vol. 6, No. 23.)
During the Aug. 25 public hearing, seven residents tag-teamed an extensive slide presentation that detailed their issues and requests. Many of their concerns were about traffic on Sandy Lake and in their neighborhood, but City Attorney Bob Hager said those concerns were beside the point.
“I’m not saying that traffic’s not an issue at this intersection,” Hager told the council. “I’m just saying it’s not relevant to making a decision about where the building’s gonna go, how high it is, what the landscaping is, what the point of ingress and egress are. Those are the issues that are before you — not necessarily traffic.”
To be clear, this vacant lot was zoned for commercial uses before any of the homes in Arbor Manors were constructed. And Hager said the latest proposal does not include any uses that weren’t listed in the original planned development that was approved in 2007; therefore, no traffic analysis was required.
Many of the City Council members expressed empathy for the homeowners before their unanimous vote. Here’s a sampling of their comments:
Ramesh Premkumar: “I hear you — I understand your concern — but we are tied to following the law.”
Brianna Hinojosa-Smith: “Please know that your comments are heard, and we understand the concerns. … We also have to be mindful of what is in front of us and what we can and can’t do from the standpoint of allowing the land use to move forward.”
Jim Walker: “Y’all are a perfect example of what we hope to have in every neighborhood with respect to the support you’ve provided each other.”
Walker and Mark Hill both referenced meetings they had with the homeowners outside of the council’s chambers. Meanwhile, Hill, Nevels, and Premkumar all said they’d be in favor of considering a new set of traffic signals to make life easier for Arbor Manors residents. But neither traffic nor signals were on last week’s agenda.
“I hope you understand the balance that we’re trying to strike with the rights of you yourself as property owners and the rights of the land owner and developer as well,” Nevels said.
Details Provided on Botched Pickleball Courts
Like you, I don’t read every email that lands in my inbox, and neither does Coppell City Council Member Mark Hill. And for that, I am thankful.
During the council’s Aug. 25 work session, Hill had questions about a pickleball contract on their agenda. Many questions about that item were answered in an email the council received from Joe Weber, who manages the Wagon Wheel Tennis & Pickleball Center. So City Manager Mike Land asked Weber to read that email out loud, which is why this article exists.