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A GOOD MORNING OR GOOD EVENING[Town Hall Meeting]
RATHER.IT IS SIX 30 ACCORDING TO, OOPS, 6 31.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE FOLKS THAT ARE WATCHING IN PLACES LIKE, UH, COLORADO AND MEADOW, TEXAS.
UM, THIS IS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7TH, 2023 AT 6:31 PM AND THIS IS A MEADOWS PLACE, CITY COUNCIL TOWN HALL MEETING.
THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN A PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET, BE RESPECTFUL AND GET EVERYBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THAT WANTS TO.
WE'RE GONNA PUT A CAP ON YOUR TIME IF EVERYBODY THAT SPEAKS THAT WANTS TO AND THEN HAS SOMEBODY WANTS TO ADD SOMETHING OR QUESTION, WE'LL COME BACK.
UH, BUT WE WANT TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINION, THEIR THOUGHTS, OR TO JOT SOME QUESTIONS DOWN.
UM, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, UH, RICK THREW A CURVE BALL AT ME THAT I THOUGHT WAS VERY GOOD, SO HE'S GONNA END UP RUNNING PART OF THE MEETING.
NICK'S GONNA NICK, UH, HABE, OUR CITY ADMINISTRATOR, IS GOING TO, UH, TAKE OFF AND RUN A PART OF IT.
UH, BUT PLEASE NOTE AS WE GO THROUGH THAT, THE PURPOSE OF THIS TOWN HALL MEETING IS TO GIVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION, UH, AND FOR CITY COUNCIL TO RECEIVE GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT.
THERE ARE NO, UH, NO PLACES TO VOTE.
THERE'S NO DECISIONS GONNA BE MADE.
UH, AS A MATTER OF FACT, Y'ALL HAVE, UH, THE SAME AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IF YOU'VE LOOKED ON THE WEBSITE AND SEEN THEIR PRESENTATION AS WE HAVE.
OKAY? SO IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S BEEN A WHOLE TON OF SECRET MEETINGS GOING ON.
WE'VE MET WITH THE DEVELOPERS A COUPLE TIMES, AND THEY ASKED FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS THOUGHT IT WAS A WISES IDEA, AND WE'VE HAD TOWN MEETINGS BEFORE, AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UH, IN FACT, UH, I'M PROUD OF HOW WE BEHAVES, UH, AT THE MEADOWS ELEMENTARY, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR HERE.
UH, BUT THERE IS, UH, NO RIGHT AND NO WRONG.
SO COME UP AND GIVE YOUR OPINION.
COUNSEL IS, UH, VERY INTERESTED IN YOUR INPUT.
PLEASE, UM, COME UP, BE RESPECTFUL TO, UH, THE COUNCIL, YOUR NEIGHBOR, AND THE DEVELOPERS.
AND, UH, THAT'S WITH THAT, UH, I'M GONNA SAY THANK YOU AND LET'S GET STARTED.
UH, CHAD, COULD YOU STEP UP AND INTRODUCE THE GROUP, PLEASE? ARE YOU, UM, YEAH, INTO THE MICROPHONE? YES.
I SPEAK FOR BEHALF OF, UH, ECO DEVELOPMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR YEARS.
I'M ACTUALLY FROM TURKEY, BUT I'VE BEEN HERE OVER 20 YEARS.
I'M MORE FROM TEXAS THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.
SO WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF PROPERTY BASICALLY, AND WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORWARD TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR CITY.
BASICALLY, YOUR OPINION MATTERS, YOU KNOW? SURE.
OUR, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA LET YOU GET PRESENTATION IN A SECOND.
DO YOU MIND INTRODUCING YOUR FOLKS THAT ARE WITH YOU? OF COURSE.
I HAVE MIKE HERE WITH ME, MATT, MIKE, AND AARON.
SO WE CAME TO BASICALLY, YOU KNOW, LISTEN AND DISCUSS, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, AND ALSO, CHAD, ARE YOU GONNA BE VISITING WITH US AT ALL? CHAD IS, UH, HE'S BEEN OUT HERE BEFORE AND HE'S WITH, UH, HEWITT Z AND HE'S A TIE TO THE CITY AND, AND, UH, THEY'VE DONE WORK FOR US IN THE PAST, UH, NOT ON THIS PROJECT, BUT, UH, CHAD IS ALSO NOW THE MAYOR.
UM, I, AS I MENTIONED, I'M GOING TO, UH, ASK, UH, UH, NICK HABE, OUR CITY ADMINISTRATOR.
HE'LL TAKE CONTROL OF THIS IN JUST A SECOND.
UH, AND RICK STALEY, WHO WILL BE RUNNING THE, UH, UH, DISCUSSION FROM THE AUDIENCE AND FROM ALL OUR RESIDENTS.
AND WE'RE GONNA DO THAT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, AND I'LL LET RICK TELL YOU ABOUT THAT.
THEN WE'LL HAVE SOME QUESTIONS BY COUNSEL AT THE END.
UH, AFTER Y'ALL, WE'LL HAVE COMMENTS BY THE RESIDENTS.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL SIT HERE, TELL EVERYBODY'S TIRED OF TALKING.
UH, THERE IS GONNA BE, AS I MENTIONED, NO, NO VOTES TAKEN.
THERE'S NO FORMALITIES IN THAT REGARD.
UH, AND WITH THAT, UH, I'M GONNA TURN AROUND AND SEE YOUR, Y'ALL READY TO, UH, START YOUR PRESENTATION? SURE, OF COURSE.
WE'RE DOING YOURS FIRST, RIGHT IN THAT CASE.
NICK, ARE YOU READY TO START YOUR PRESENTATION? I'LL DO MY BEST.
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GUN.UM, SO BEFORE WE GIVE THE DEVELOPER THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THEIR VISION AND IDEAS FOR THE PROPERTY, WE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA FOR THE CITY TO GIVE A A BIT OF AN EXPLANATION OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN THE PROCESS AND WHAT ALL THIS REALLY MEANS FROM A, FROM A ZONING PERSPECTIVE.
SO, AS YOU MAY KNOW, UH, THE CITY HAS A ZONING ORDINANCE, AND THAT ZONING ORDINANCE ESSENTIALLY REGULATES THE USE OF CERTAIN LAND IN TOWN.
UH, THE PHOTO THAT YOU HAVE THERE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A ZONING MAP OF, UH, OF THE SUBJECT AREA.
UH, TO GET YOUR BEARINGS, YOU'VE GOT AIRPORT AND YOU'VE GOT KIRKWOOD THERE, KIRKWOOD RUNNING NORTH AND SOUTH.
AND THE SUBJECT TRACT IS IN THAT RED BOX THERE.
AND YOU SEE THAT CM, THAT'S A ZONING CATEGORY.
THERE'S OTHER ZONING CATEGORIES AROUND IT.
YOU SEE C1, C2, C3, THOSE ARE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF COMMERCIAL ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS.
EACH ONE OF THOSE ZONING CLASSIFICATIONS HAS CERTAIN USES THAT ARE ALLOWED IN THOSE DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATIONS.
SO CERTAIN BUSINESSES, CERTAIN USES CAN GO IN THOSE DIFFERENT COLORED AREAS, DEPENDING ON WHAT COLOR IT IS.
CM IS A, A DIFFERENT KIND OF COMMERCIAL CLASSIFICATION THAN THE OTHERS, CUZ IT'S CALLED COMMERCIAL MIXED USE.
AND IF YOU GO INTO OUR ZONING ORDINANCE, IT'LL TELL YOU WHAT KINDS OF USES CAN GO IN THAT COMMERCIAL MIXED USE ZONE.
SO WHAT IS A COMMERCIAL MIXED USE ZONING? WELL, I WON'T READ IT TO YOU, BUT THERE IT IS.
UH, THAT'S THE DEFINITION IN THE CITY'S CODE BOOK OF WHAT THE DEFINITION, WHAT A, A CM IS DESIGNED TO DO.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY IT'S NOT STRAIGHT COMMERCIAL, IT'S NOT STRAIGHT RESIDENTIAL.
IT'S REALLY DESIGNED TO BE A, A MIX OF THE TWO.
UM, AND SO IT'S SOMEWHAT OF A, A UNIQUE CLASSIFICATION IN THE SE IN THAT, IN THAT SENSE, WHEN YOU GO INTO THE CODE BOOK, YOU'LL SEE VERY CLOSELY BELOW THE DEFINITION WHAT USES ARE PERMITTED IN THAT CM ZONE.
AND THIS IS A LIST OF THE USES THAT ARE PERMITTED BY RIGHT IN THAT ZONE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE PARKS, UTILITIES ACCESSORY USES WOULD BE THINGS LIKE GARAGES, PARKING LOTS, THINGS THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY, UH, SERVING A PRINCIPAL BUILDING, UH, HOME OCCUPATIONS, WHICH WOULD ESSENTIALLY NOT APPLY HERE BECAUSE YOU'D HAVE TO HAVE A HOME IN THE FIRST PLACE.
BUT IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY RUN A BUSINESS OUT OF A HOME, UH, FACILITIES THAT WOULD BE OWNED TO MAINTAIN BY THE CITY.
AND THEN THE LAST THREE ARE REALLY WHAT WE WANT TO FOCUS ON, PARTICULARLY THE LAST ONE.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE LAST THREE HAVE THE WORDS PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IN THERE, PLAN DEVELOPMENT FOR RESIDENTIAL, FOR COMMERCIAL, AND FOR COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL MIXED USE.
SO THE REASON THAT THAT THIRD ONE IS HIGHLIGHTED IS CUZ THAT'S THE SECTION THAT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON TODAY.
BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL MIXED USE IS PERMITTED IN THIS ZONE, IT STILL HAS TO GO IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL FOR REVIEW AND FOR A VOTE.
SO WHAT IS A PLAN DEVELOPMENT? WELL, HERE IT IS.
I'VE, I'VE, I'VE, I'VE HIGHLIGHTED SOME WHAT I THOUGHT WERE IMPORTANT PIECES OF THIS SECTION.
BUT ESSENTIALLY IT, IT PROVIDES GREATER FLEXIBILITY FOR THE CITY, UH, TO ESSENTIALLY CREATE A ZONING CATEGORY THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC TO THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS, IS THAT BEFORE A PLAN DEVELOPMENT CAN GET BUILT, IT HAS TO GO IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL.
AND CITY COUNCIL HAS TO VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT THEY AGREE WITH THAT SPECIFIC PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
SO IF A DEVELOPER COMES IN AND THEY WANT TO BUILD A SPECIFIC USE THAT HAS A MIX OF RESIDENTIAL, A MIX OF COMMERCIAL, THEY WOULD SUBMIT A SITE PLAN TO THE CITY THAT'S VERY DELIBERATE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE GONNA BRING IN.
AND IF THE CITY COUNCIL APPROVES THAT SITE PLAN, THEN THAT COMMITS THE DEVELOPER TO BUILDING THAT SITE PLAN THAT THE CITY APPROVED.
IF THEY WERE TO VARY FROM THAT SITE PLAN, IF THEY WERE TO CHANGE IT UP IN ANY WAY, THEY COULDN'T DO THAT WITHOUT CITY COUNCIL APPROVING THAT CHANGE.
THE REST OF THESE ARE A BIT WORDY AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT, BUT THERE'S REALLY NO WAY TO BOIL THIS DOWN.
SO JUST HAVE TO, TO BEAR WITH US HERE.
WHEN SOMEBODY SUBMITS AN APPLICATION FOR A PLAN DEVELOPMENT, IN THIS CASE A PLAN DEVELOPMENT FOR MIXED USE, THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO INCLUDE IN THAT APPLICATION.
SOME OF THIS IS PRETTY BASIC NAME AND ADDRESS, UH, THE SECTIONS OF THE CHAPTER THAT AUTHORIZE THAT PLAN DEVELOPMENT, UH, THE LEGAL DESCRIPTION AND THE STREET ADDRESS OF THE PROPERTY.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PERSON WHO OWNS THE PROPERTY IS THE ONE THAT'S APPLYING.
OBVIOUSLY, IF SOMEBODY ELSE WANTS TO APPLY, THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE OWNER'S OKAY WITH IT.
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LITTLE BIT MORE HERE, SOMETHING CALLED AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FORM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY SOMETHING CITY COUNCIL CAN REQUIRE.ANYTHING FROM A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OTHER ASSESSMENTS THAT ESSENTIALLY WOULD CREATE WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL, UH, NUISANCE CHARACTERISTICS OR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ON SURROUNDING PROPERTIES.
THINK NOISE, LIGHT TRAFFIC, ET CETERA.
THE CITY COUNCIL HAS THE DISCRETION TO BASICALLY MAKE THE DEVELOPER PROVE THAT THEY CAN MITIGATE ALL OF THOSE NUISANCE CHARACTERISTICS, RIGHT? SOMETHING ELSE THEY HAVE TO SUBMIT WOULD BE, UM, IT IS PRETTY WIDE OPEN, BUT THEY CAN, IT, IT GIVES THE COUNCIL THE ABILITY TO REQUIRE SUCH DOCUMENTATION THAT THEY THINK IS NECESSARY TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY WHEN THAT APPLICATION COMES IN FRONT OF CITY COUNCIL, AND I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN APPLICATION RIGHT NOW.
THE DEVELOPER HAS ASKED TO SEE ESSENTIALLY IF THIS WOULD BE A GOOD FIT, BUT THEY HAVE NOT YET SUBMITTED A FORMAL APPLICATION.
OKAY? AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TONIGHT, IS RECEIVE COMMENT FROM THE PUBLIC ON WHETHER THE COMMUNITY FEELS THAT THIS IS A, A GOOD FIT, BUT THEY HAVEN'T OFFICIALLY SUBMITTED ANYTHING YET.
SO WHEN THEY DO, THE CITY COUNCIL CAN GO BACK TO THEM AND SAY, WE WANT THIS, THIS, AND THIS TO HELP US BETTER CLARIFY THE DECISION WE'RE GOING TO MAKE.
AND SO THERE IS A BIT OF AN OPEN-ENDED SECTION THERE AT THE END THAT BASICALLY SAYS THEY CAN REQUIRE OTHER THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT THEY'RE MAKING A GOOD DECISION.
AND IT REALLY IS CIRCUMSTANTIAL, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE, WHAT IS BEING BUILT THERE.
UM, THEY ALSO HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY GIVE YOU THE SIZE OF THE PROPERTY, LOCATION OF ALL THE STREETS, INGRESS AND EGRESS.
THAT IS HOW ARE YOU COMING IN, HOW ARE YOU GOING OUT OF THE PROPERTY? UH, THE NUMBER AND HEIGHT OF ANY OF THE BUILDINGS TO BE CONSTRUCTED.
THEY HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW THAT AS WELL.
UH, THE LOCK COVERAGE THAT KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE SITE PLAN, RIGHT? HOW MUCH OF THAT LAND IS GONNA BE COVERED WITH BUILDINGS AND OTHER FLAT WORK IMPROVEMENTS, ET CETERA.
PROPOSED LOCATION OF ANY AND ALL GREEN SPACE, PUBLIC PARKS, OTHER AREAS RESERVED FOR PUBLIC USE.
THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THEY HAVE TO SHOW ON A SITE PLAN THAT THEY HAVE TO BE COMMITTED TO IF IT'S APPROVED.
NOW, WHEN THE COUNCIL CONSIDERS THE APPLICATION AND DECIDES WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA VOTE YES OR NO, THE ORDINANCE ACTUALLY GIVES THEM SOME CRITERIA, SOME STANDARDS THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT WHENEVER THEY GO AHEAD AND REVIEW THIS.
AND THE ORDINANCE SPELLS THIS OUT.
UM, YOU CAN SEE IT HERE, UH, ESSENTIALLY IT HAS TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY'S COMP PLAN, WHICH IS IN THE CODE BOOK.
UH, IT HAS TO MINIMIZE ADVERSE EFFECTS ON ADJACENT PROPERTIES.
UH, IT WILL NOT HAVE ANY ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE VALUE OF ANY ADJACENT PROPERTIES, WILL NOT HAVE ANY UNDULY BURDEN ESSENTIAL PUB, UH, IT WILL NOT UNDULY BURDEN ESSENTIAL PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES.
UM, AND THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APPLICANT, UM, HAS ADEQUATE FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL CAPACITY TO COMPLETE THE DEVELOPMENT.
SO THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT WHEN DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO ALLOW A DEVELOPMENT LIKE THIS TO GO THROUGH.
ONCE THAT OCCURS, IT HAPPENS VERY SIMILAR TO ANY REZONING IN TOWN.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION GETS TOGETHER.
FIRST, THEY ARE AN ADVISORY GROUP, THEY REVIEW AND THEN THEY BRING THE CITY COUNCIL A RECOMMENDATION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD VOTE FOR THIS.
THE CITY COUNCIL RECEIVES THAT RECOMMENDATION, THANKS, THE P AND Z FOR THEIR WORK.
AND THEN THEY THEMSELVES GET TO MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION.
NOW, DOES THE CITY HA COUNCIL HAVE TO VOTE? YES.
IF THE CITY, IF THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION SAYS, WE THINK YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR THIS.
THEY CAN GO AGAINST WHAT P AND Z RECOMMENDS IF THEY WANT TO, BUT THEY DO HAVE TO WAIT BY LAW FOR THE P AND Z TO GIVE THEIR RECOMMENDATION FIRST.
OKAY? SO ONCE WE GET TO THE END OF IT, THE COUNCIL VOTES, AND THEN ONCE THEY VOTE, THAT SITE PLAN, THAT APPLICATION, EVERYTHING THAT'S WRITTEN IN THAT PLAN DEVELOPMENT IS THEN ESSENTIALLY A, YOU MIGHT CALL IT A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE DEVELOPER.
THEY HAVE TO BUILD IT EXACTLY THE WAY THEY SAID THEY WOULD BASED ON WHAT THE COUNCIL VOTED.
IF THEY TRY AND CHANGE ANYTHING THAT'S AGAINST THE LAW, THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO CITY COUNCIL AND ASK FOR THAT CHANGE.
SO THAT'S WHAT A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT IS.
IT'S A VERY, VERY SPECIFIC ZONING CLASSIFICATION THAT'S UNIQUE TO THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.
AND ONCE IT'S APPROVED, IT'S THERE AND THE ONLY WAY IT CHANGES IS BY ANOTHER VOTE OF CITY COUNCIL.
I DO HAVE TO PUT THAT LAST PART IN THERE, UH, CUZ IT'S THE END OF THE ORDINANCE.
AND IF YOU GO INTO 1 53, YOU'LL
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FIND IT.THERE IS A, A LITTLE PROVISION IN THERE FOR, UH, WHAT WE MIGHT CALL PROTEST.
AND BASICALLY WHAT IT SAYS IS, IS THAT WITHIN, IN THIS CASE, WITHIN A 200 FOOT RADIUS OF THAT SUBJECT PROPERTY, IF 20% OF THE OWNERS SIGN A PETITION PROTESTING THE CHANGE OF ZONE, LET'S SAY THAT CITY COUNCIL WENT AHEAD AND APPROVED IT, 20% OF THOSE OWNERS WITHIN 200 FEET COULD GO AHEAD AND PETITION THAT IT NOT GO THROUGH.
AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, IT WOULD TAKE THREE-FOURTHS OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO OVERTURN THAT PETITION.
SO ESSENTIALLY THREE-FOURTHS OF FIVE PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO ROUND UP ON A PARTIAL PERSON THAT WOULD BE FOUR OUT OF FIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WOULD HAVE TO OVERTURN THAT PETITION.
WITH THAT, UH, THAT HOPEFULLY FRAMES THE ISSUE A LITTLE BIT.
UH, THE DEVELOPER IS HERE TONIGHT TO MAKE A PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE NO APPLICATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY AT THIS TIME.
UH, BUT I THINK THE DEVELOPER IS HERE TO LISTEN AND I THINK THE DEVELOPER'S HERE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WOULD BE, UM, IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT.
SO MAYOR, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO YOU.
NOW, UH, I WILL SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN NOW THAT MY MIC IS ON
I, AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I HOPE YOU TOOK AWAY FROM THAT THE FACT THAT THIS IS IN OUR CODE BOOK.
WE, WE CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP OR CHANGE IT WILLY-NILLY ON THE FLY.
WE'VE GOTTA FOLLOW THESE STEPS AND ORDINANCES JUST AS NICK LAID HIM OUT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT, YOU CAN LOOK IT UP.
YOU CAN CALL COURTNEY TOMORROW OR NICK OR ONE OF THE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, THAT YOU HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH AND SAY, HEY, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? NOW MOVING ON TO NEXT, WE ARE HERE TO HEAR, SEE A PRESENTATION.
UH, SO WITH THAT, TAKE IT AWAY.
UH, SHOULD BE COMING UP RIGHT NOW.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NO MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND.
THEN I'M GONNA LET IT PLAY AND THEN SPEAK LATER.
I WISH TO BEGIN WITH BY THANKING MAYOR JOSEPH, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY OF MEADOWS PLACE FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
I SPEAK OF DEVELOPMENT THAT LOFTS HAVE ME MEADOW SQUARE,
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A MULTIFAMILY STRUCTURE WITH A COMMERCIAL RETAIL SPACE.A PLUS LOFT AT MEADOW SQUARE IS MORE THAN JUST A BUILDING.
IT IS A VISIONARY CONCEPT THAT ENCOMPASSES THE SPIRIT OF THE MODERNITY AND THE CONNECTIVITY WITH A SLICK AND CONTEMPORARY ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN.
THE LOFT AT MEADOW SQUARE WILL SERVE AS A SENDING CENTERPIECE, UH, TRANSFORMING THE LANDSCAPE OF THE COMMUNITY.
ITS SHRANK PRESENCE WILL NOT ONLY ATTRACT ATTEN ATTENTION, BUT ALSO INSPIRE A SENSE OF PRIDE AND DISTINCTION AMONG RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE.
WHAT TRULY SETS THE LOFTS APART IS THE INCLUSION OF A THOUGHTFUL DESIGN TASK SQUARE, A COMMUNAL SPACE THAT WILL BECOME THE BEATING HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS INVITING AREA WILL OFFER A VARIETY OF AMENITIES AND FUTURES, SUCH AS BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE GARDENS, COMFORTABLE SEATING AREAS, INTERACTIVE INSTALLATIONS.
IT'LL BE A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES CAN GATHER, CHILDREN'S CAN PLAY, AND NEIGHBORS CAN COME TOGETHER TO SOCIALIZE AND BUILD A MEANINGFUL CONNECTION.
THE TOWN SQUARE WILL SERVE AS A FOCAL POINT FOR OUR COMMUNITY EVENTS, LIVE PERFORMANCES AND CULTURAL CELEBRATION, FOSTERING A VIBRANT AND INCLUSIVE ATMOSPHERE THAT CELEBRATES OUR DIVERSE IDENTITIES AS SHARED VALUES.
IN ADDITION TO CREATE AN ASSESS SENSE OF UNITY AND COMMUNITY LOSS WILL BRING SUBSTANTIAL ECONOMICAL BENEFITS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE INCLUSION OF COMMERCIAL RETAIL SPACES WILL ATTRACT A DIVERSE RANGE OF BUSINESSES FROM LOCAL EN ENTREPRENEURS TO ESTABLISH BRANDS.
THIS INFLUX OF BUSINESSES WILL CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS, CONTRIBUTE TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY, AND SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND SUSTAIN SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND, UM, THE INCLUSION OF A PLUS LOFT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO FLOURISH AND ENVELOPE INTO A MORE VIBRANT COMMUNITY.
IT'S MODERN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND THE ADDITION OF THE VIBRANT IT'S MODERN ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND THE ADDITION OF VIBRANT TASK SQUARE WILL NOT ONLY ENHANCE OUR PHYSICAL SURROUNDINGS, BUT ALSO FASTER, A STRONG SENSE OF CONNECTION, UNITY, AND ECONOMICAL GROWTH.
I URGE YOU TO EMBRACE THIS VISION TO SEE THE POTENTIAL IT HOLDS FOR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'S FUTURE.
YOUR IDEAS HOLD IMMENSE VALUE TO US, AND WE WILL GREATLY APPRECIATE ANY INPUT YOU MAY HAVE IN ORDER TO TAILOR THIS DEVELOPMENT TO ALIGN WITH YOUR NEEDS, WITH OUR NEEDS OF OUR NEIGHBORS.
BASICALLY, THIS IS WHAT I HAVE.
UM, UM, I'M OPEN TO ALL THE QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, PLEASE FEEL FREE.
WELL, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN THAT.
CHARLIE, YOU READY FOR ME? SURE, YES.
UM, IF YOU WOULD SIT CLOSE OR MAYBE YOU MIGHT WANNA SIT DOWN OVER THERE.
UH, DOESN'T HE HAVE A MIC? OKAY.
AND NOW I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO, UH, COUNCILMAN RICK STALEY.
DO YOU HAVE I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THE LIST.
UM, OKAY, SO YOU DIDN'T NEED THE LIST.
CHARLIE ASKED ME TO RUN THIS MEETING CUZ I'VE GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE RUNNING LARGE PUBLIC FACILITY MEETINGS AS WELL AS POSSIBLY CONTENTIOUS MEETINGS.
UM, WE'VE DONE THIS AS A TOWN HALL MEETING INSTEAD OF A PUBLIC HEARING BECAUSE IT GIVES CITY COUNCIL A LITTLE BIT MORE LEEWAY IN OUR RESPONSES.
IF THIS WAS A PUBLIC HEARING, WE'D BE PRETTY MUCH LIMITED TO STATEMENTS OF POLICY.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT.
UM, AS I SAID, THIS GIVES US A LITTLE MORE LEEWAY FOR SOME BACK AND FORTH AND INTERACTION.
UM, THESE MEETINGS HAVE A TENDENCY TO TAKE A LIFE OF THEIR OWN.
SO IN ORDER TO KEEP BALANCE, WE'RE GOING TO ALTERNATE VIEWPOINTS.
SO THE DEVELOPER GOT TO GIVE HIS PRESENTATION.
WE WILL ST START WITH SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO SPEAK AGAINST THE PROJECT AND FLIP BACK AND FORTH UNTIL ONE SIDE HAS DONE GONE THROUGH ALL THEIR SPEAKERS.
AND THEN WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO THE OPPOSING SIDE IF THERE'S STILL MORE PEOPLE TO SPEAK.
AND THEN, AND WE'LL HEAR FROM ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO.
UM, AT SOME POINT THOUGH, YOU'LL JUST BE REPEATING YOURSELVES AND WE CAN JUST STAND UP AND SAY DITTO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I GUESS WITH THAT, COURTNEY, DO YOU HAVE THE LIST OR IS IT DOWN FRONT? CORRECT.
AND DID WE HAVE PEOPLE SAY WHETHER THEY WERE GONNA SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST? YES.
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SO I DON'T KNOW THAT EVERYBODY THAT SIGNED THE, THE SIGN-IN SHEET ACTUALLY WANTS TO SPEAK.
YOU CAN EITHER COME SPEAK AND YOU CAN COME WITH, YOU'RE JUST AGAINST IT AND STATE YOUR REASONS.
OR YOU CAN ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OF THE DEVELOPER.
UH, LOOKS LIKE A MOD EDISON OR MARA MARA? YEAH.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? BARBARA KENNEDY PLEASE.
I'M A 38 YEAR RESIDENT OF MEADOWS PLACE.
SO I'VE BEEN HERE FOR THE GOOD AND THE BAD, BUT I HAVE, UH, SOME DIRECT QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR, UH, ISSUE.
I DON'T SEE ANY RETENTION PONDS OR ANY KIND OF, UM, NOTATION OF HOW THEY'RE GONNA HANDLE THE RUNOFF FROM WATER THAT'S BEEN GROUND FOREVER.
THERE'S NEVER BEEN ANYTHING THAT BUILT THERE THAT I KNOW OF.
AND IF YOU TAKE THAT SOURCE OF WATER ABSORPTION AWAY BY PUTTING THREE LEVELS OF PARKING GARAGE AND TWO LEVELS OF APARTMENTS, THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THE AMOUNT OF HOW THAT WATER FLOWS.
AND WE SAW THAT JUST DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY WHEN THE STREETS WERE HAVING TROUBLE HANDLING THE WATER.
UH, MY OTHER THING IS THE FRAGILITY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
OUR ROADS ARE IN NEED OF REPAIR.
OUR WATER SYSTEM IS IN KIND OF HEIGHT DICEY CONDITION RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, I THINK IS PRETTY MUCH STRETCHED TO WHAT THEY CAN HANDLE.
WE DON'T SEE 'EM DRIVING AROUND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE WE USED TO.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY COMING DOWN MY STREET HARDLY ANYWAY.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS THE TRAFFIC.
NOW I EXPERIENCED IT COMING OVER HERE TODAY, THEN I HAD TO WAIT FOR ABOUT 50 CARS TO GO PAST ON AIRPORT GOING WESTBOUND TO GET OUT OF MY STREET.
AND THEN COMING DOWN THE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF AIRPORT ON PAST KIRKWOOD, I HAD TO WAIT FOR A WHOLE NOTHER LINE OF PEOPLE BECAUSE THOSE LIGHTS WERE SYNCHRONIZED SO POORLY.
THERE'S NOT A CHANCE THAT IT'S GONNA, EVERYONE HAS TO STOP.
SO IT NEEDS TO BE, SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THAT.
AND THAT, UM, THAT, LIKE I SAY, THE TRAFFIC AND RUSH HOUR AND THE EVENING HOURS AND PUTTING A LOT OF APARTMENTS IN THAT AREA, IT'S ONLY GOING TO EXACERBATE THE PROBLEM.
SO ANYWAY, I GUESS MY THREE MINUTES IS PROBABLY UP, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, BARBARA.
UM, THERE WERE SOME SPECIFIC ISSUES ADDRESSED, RICK.
SO AS FAR AS THE DETENTION, OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE STILL IN VERY EARLY CONCEPTS.
WE WOULD GO THROUGH THAT WHEN WE, IF THEY EVER GOT TO A POINT OF ACTUAL, UH, DESIGN.
UM, WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS OUR SYSTEM WAS DESIGNED IN SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES.
UM, BUT THAT, THAT SITE WAS ACTUALLY CONSIDERED WITH THE ORIGINAL DE OR, UH, STORM SEWER DESIGN FOR THE CITY.
IT WAS ALWAYS PLANNED TO GO UP KIRKWOOD TO THE, THE DITCH THAT RUNS WEST AND THEN GOES NORTH INTO KEEGAN'S BAYOU.
OBVIOUSLY THINGS HAVE CHANGED A LITTLE BIT SINCE THEN.
UM, BUT WE WOULD LOOK AT IT BASED ON THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS IF THEY GET TO A SITE PLAN.
UM, I WOULD CAUTION EVERYONE THAT WANTS TO TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC TO PROBABLY JUST TAKE THAT OUT OF YOUR TALKING POINTS.
UM, ANYTHING THAT THE CITY PUT ON THAT SITE THAT WE WOULD WANT IS GONNA GENERATE SIGNIFICANCE, AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC.
AND AT ONE POINT THERE WERE SIX OR SEVEN, FIVE TO NINE STORY BUILDINGS APPROVED FOR THAT SITE.
MEDICAL COMPLEX, PROBABLY THREE TO 4,000 TRIPS A DAY, MAYBE MORE.
OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD'VE HAD A MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THAN WHAT THIS IS TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND LET ME THROW THIS OUT THERE.
HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LOVE TO SEE AN HEB ON THAT SIDE? WHO ME?
AND, AND GUESS WHAT? THAT WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC ADDED TO THAT SITE.
[00:30:01]
YOU CAN'T SAY TRAFFIC FROM THIS SITE, BUT WE WANT AN H E B.UM, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT H E B'S NOT COMING TO THAT SITE.
THERE IS NO WAY THEY'RE COMING TO THIS SITE.
I CAN'T READ A PLEASE CAN'T READ THE LAST NAME.
COME DO THE ADDRESS THE POLICE BEFORE YOU GET STARTED AND WE'RE GONNA ASK YOU TO GIVE YOUR NAME.
UH, AND, AND, UM, BARBARA, WE, WE, WE, WE SPOKE TO THE POLICE CHIEF ABOUT THIS AND TALKED IN CONSIDERATION AND, UM, THERE WILL BE, WITHOUT A DOUBT THE NEED FOR AT LEAST ONE MORE, BUT IN ALL LIKELIHOOD, TWO MORE POLICE OFFICERS, UH, IF THEY ADD THAT ON THERE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN CONSIDERED TAKEN IN.
UH, I'M HERE WITH MY WIFE JUDY JORDAN.
UH, WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 12 5 0 3 BROOK MEADOWS LANE.
UM, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN ONLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR TWO YEARS.
EVERYTHING, UH, ALL THE NEIGHBORS, ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LIVING IN 10 PLUS YEARS.
AND WE CURRENTLY ARE LOOKING FOR A HOUSE, ACTUALLY.
AND WHEN WE JUST FOUND OUT ON THE WEBSITE, I GOT EXCITED.
I MEAN, FROM MY, MY QUESTION TO THE DEVELOPERS IS, UH, IF THIS WERE TO APPROVED HOW LONG THIS PROJECT WILL TAKE TO BECOME A REALITY? AND THEN SECOND QUESTION WILL BE A SECURITY.
UH, DOES DEVELOPERS HAVE ANY PLANS, UH, FOR, UM, THIS HUGE COMPLEX SECURITY, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS IS GONNA OPERATE? BUT, UH, YEAH.
THIS IS THE TWO QUESTIONS I HAVE PRETTY MUCH.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
YOU WANNA ADDRESS THOSE? SURE.
UH, WE DEFINITELY THOUGHT ABOUT THE SECURITY.
UH, WE'RE DEFINITELY WILLING TO, UH, NOT WILLING TO, WE'RE DEFINITELY DOING A 24 7 SECURITY HERE AND WE WERE ACTUALLY WILLING TO OFFER A SECURITY SERVICES TASK FOR SERVICE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS, BUT AS A PART OF OUR PART, IT DEFINITELY, THAT'S A MUST AND OH, THE TIMEFRAME? YES, YES, YES.
OBVIOUSLY THE PERMIT PLAN, EVERYTHING TAKES IN PLACE.
IT'S ABOUT THREE TO FOUR YEARS TIME HERE.
UM, MIKE SCHOFIELD HAS A QUESTION.
SO I GUESS, MIKE, MY, UH, MY DISABILITY STARTS MONDAY.
I'VE LIVED THERE FOR, UM, I'D SAY 30 YEARS.
WE LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND OUR NEIGHBORS AND EVERYTHING.
AND, UH, I WAS LOOKING AT THIS, THESE PICTURES HERE, AND UH, THIS IS KIND OF A GENERAL QUESTION.
I SEE THE PICTURES OF THESE, UH, PROPOSED APARTMENTS AND THEY'RE JUST, UH, BEAUTIFUL.
SO, AND I SEE THE PICTURE OF THE OUTSIDE AREA, THE PUBLIC AREA, WELL IN THE LIBRARY AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
BUT ON THE APARTMENTS, LIKE PICTURED ON, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PAGE IS.
SO MY QUESTION TO, TO EVERYBODY HERE, AND THIS, THIS GENTLEMAN IS, UH, HOW MUCH ARE THEY GONNA RENT FOR? GREAT QUESTION,
I MEAN, UH, ONE, UH, ONE ROOMS. THEY'RE GONNA START ANYWHERE FROM 2,500 PLUS UP TODAY'S MARKET, 25 1 BEDROOM.
ONE BEDROOM IS GONNA START FROM ANYWHERE FROM 2,500.
[00:35:01]
WELL, THE, THE OTHER THING I SEE IS THERE'S A, THERE'S A, THERE'S A LOT OF OPEN LAND HERE IN YOUR DEVELOPMENT.CAN WE KEEP THE CHATTER DOWN? HEY, I GOT THE FLOOR.
SO WE, THIS GENTLEMAN PROPOSES A PROJECT.
HE'S GOT A LOT OF OPEN LAND IN BETWEEN THESE BUILDINGS AND IT SEEMS LIKE STUFF'S, IF I WAS BUILT, I'D FILL UP THIS, SOME OF THAT EMPTY LAND, PUT SOME MORE APARTMENTS THERE, BUT IT LOOKS PRETTY, PRETTY OPEN A LOT OF ROOM BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS.
MIKE, CAN YOU TRY TO TALK INTO THE MIC? WELL, MAYBE.
OTHERWISE I DON'T WANT TO TALK, YOU DON'T WANT ME TO TALK THAT WAY? YOU WANT ME TO TALK THIS WAY? OKAY.
THE HOW MANY, HOW MANY, UH, HOW MANY APARTMENT UNITS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 275.
AND THEY'RE WRITTEN ABOUT $2,500 EACH.
SHREVE, YOU WANNA SPEAK? GOOD EVENING.
I LIVE ON HOGAR, BEEN HERE FOR 23 YEARS NOW.
I'VE SEEN THIS COMMUNITY GROW.
THE BASEBALL FIELDS STARTED OUT THERE.
OBVIOUSLY THE SWIM TEAM, EVERYTHING'S BEEN FANTASTIC IN MY BRIEF NUMBER OF 48 YEARS ON THIS EARTH.
THE TWO THINGS THAT I KNOW IS OBVIOUSLY TAXES ARE GONNA GO UP AND APARTMENT COMPLEXES, CONDOS, LOFTS DON'T BRING GOOD THINGS TO THE COMMUNITY.
THEY MAY START OUT GOOD AND THEY GOT GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT OVER TIME THEY'RE GONNA GO DOWNHILL.
YOU BROUGHT UP THE POLICE ISSUE OF HAVING SECURITY.
ARE WE TALKING ABOUT A RENCO? THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA CARRY A WEAPON ON HIS SIDE THIS PAST WEEK.
OBVIOUSLY, I THINK WE ALL KNOW AND ARE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CVS INCIDENT THAT HAPPENED JUST ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE RADIO SHACK OVER HERE IN THE STRIP CENTER WHEN IT WAS THERE.
WE COULDN'T EVEN TAKE CARE OF THAT.
AND NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING IN 275 UNITS.
THE POLICE IS ALREADY STRETCHED.
AS MS. BARBARA SAID, I DON'T SEE THE COPS COMING DOWN MY STREETS ANYMORE.
WHY AM I GETTING TREATED LIKE A SECOND CLASS CITIZEN? THE SECURITY, I'M GONNA STOP YOU RIGHT THERE, CHAD.
AND, AND I, I DON'T MEAN TO BE RUDE HERE, AND I'VE STOPPED YOUR TIME.
AND BARBARA, I'M ADDRESSING YOURS AS WELL.
I HAVE, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT THE COPS AREN'T OUT THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF MILES.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, IF YOU GO LOOK AT MY DESK RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN SEE THE COST PER MILE PER UNIT THAT WE HAVE IN THIS CITY.
AND THOSE MILES DON'T GET PUT ON THERE SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW OFTEN YOU SIT OUTSIDE AND MONITOR FOR POLICE, POLICE, UH, MIKE BAKER, WHO WAS POLICE CHIEF BEFORE CHIEF STEWART, RIGHT? AND I TALKED ABOUT IT BECAUSE HEARD THE SAME COMMENTS, THEN I MADE 'EM AND HE SAID, WELL MAYOR, WE CAN DO THIS ONCE A WEEK WHEN WE'RE DRIVING THROUGH TOWN.
WE CAN JUST TURN ON OUR POLICE SIRENS AND NOBODY'S GONNA LIKE THAT.
I GUARANTEE YOU, BECAUSE I'VE DONE IT.
SO WE MAY NOT BE SEEING THEM, BUT IF YOU WANT TO COME UP HERE AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA TELL YOU THEIR ROUTES, BUT THEY WILL TELL YOU HOW MANY MILES AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO SIT DOWN AND WE'LL HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE WITH THE CHIEF.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I, I ASSURE YOU OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT IS PATROLLING AND THEY'RE OUT THERE AND THEY'RE GOING UP AND DOWN THE STREETS.
SO, CHAD TO INTERRUPT, BUT BACK TO THIS SUBJECT.
I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS, MAYOR.
AGAIN, WE JUST LOOK AT IT FROM WHAT WE CAN SEE.
I KNOW CRIME OBVIOUSLY HAS RISEN JUST LIKE IT HAS EVERYWHERE.
I KNOW THEY'RE DOING THE BEST.
I'M NOT FAULTING THE POLICE BY ANY STRETCH, I JUST THINK THEY NEED TO BE GIVEN THE RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB.
UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS THAT WE'VE HAD, I KNOW THAT WE PUT OUT THE REPORT EVERY MONTH.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THOSE CONTINUE TO GO UP.
I MEAN, BROAD DAYLIGHT, PEOPLE ARE GETTING PRETTY BRAZEN THESE DAYS.
NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDING 275 UNITS WITH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU FILL THE UNITS UP A BUT LOAD OF MORE PEOPLE, THAT IS GONNA REQUIRE MORE SECURITY.
AND NOTICE IN THE RENDERINGS THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF OPEN SPACE.
LIKE THEY SAID, I JUST WORRY ABOUT THERE'S TOO MANY ACCESS POINTS TO GET IN AND GET OUT OF.
UM, WHEN PEOPLE FLEE FROM THE POLICE, OBVIOUSLY THEY GO TO APARTMENT COMPLEXES CUZ THEY KNOW THEY CAN GO IN ROUND A CORNER AND THEY'RE GONE.
[00:40:01]
THE DRAINAGE ISSUE, OBVIOUSLY THE TRAFFIC, OF COURSE, WE HAVE TO SIT IN IT EVERY DAY.IT'S BAD ENOUGH AS IT IS NOW, GETTING EVERYTHING THAT COMES FROM HIGHWAY SIX GOING ALL THE WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HIGHWAY SIX COMING DOWN, BOTH IN THE MORNINGS AND IN THE EVENINGS GOING HOME.
USED TO BE A QUIP DRIVE OFF 59 TO GET TO MY STREET TO MAHAL AND NOT ANYMORE.
NOW IT'S FROM DAIRY ASHFORD ALL THE WAY PAST MAHAL ALMOST TO THE PARK IN THE AFTERNOONS BETWEEN FIVE AND 6:00 PM TO GET HOME BECAUSE EVERYONE'S USING IT AS A CUT THROUGH.
SO LAND PEOPLE DO WHAT SAID DURING SUGAR LAND PEOPLE.
SO PROPERTY VALUES, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA DO A STUDY POTENTIALLY ON THAT TO WHAT IT'S GONNA DO TO OUR PROPERTY VALUES, BUT I DON'T SEE GOOD THINGS HAPPENING WITH THAT.
UM, AGAIN, WITH THE 275 UNITS AT, WOULD YOU SAY 200 $2,500 A PIECE? 2,500? I MEAN, THAT'S A A LOT OF MONEY COMING INTO THE CITY.
ARE OUR TAXES GONNA GO DOWN? I DON'T THINK SO, BUT GRANT, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING ON THAT LAND AND MAKE IT PRODUCTIVE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO PUT THE RIGHT THING THERE AND I DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS IT.
ALL RIGHT, CHAD, THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH.
I JUST WANNA ADDRESS A COUPLE POINTS THERE, PLEASE.
THIS IS NOT THE CITY'S PROPOSAL, THIS IS THE DEVELOPER'S PROPOSAL.
JUST AS WE'RE LISTENING TO YOU.
BEYOND THAT, THE MONEY THAT'S PAID FOR RENT ISN'T COMING TO THE CITY THAT'S GOING TO THE DEVELOPER.
UM, WHAT THE CITY WOULD GET WOULD BE THE AD VALOR TAXES ON THE VALUE OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
AND THEN ANY SALES TAX THAT IS GENERATED FROM THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.
BUT JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE CITY IS LISTENING TO THIS.
NO COMMITMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE CITY.
AND I'M GONNA REITERATE THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE LISTENING IS SO THAT YOU CAN COME IN HERE AND SIT IN HERE AND SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL, ASK QUESTIONS OF THE DEVELOPER, SEE AT ONE TIME WHAT'S BEING PRESENTED BECAUSE WHEN IT, BEFORE IT WAS PRESENTED, THERE'S ALL KIND OF CRAZY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS AND THINGS.
UH, BARBARA ALSO, UH, I'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT RETENTION.
YOU KNOW, DOWN THERE AT THE, UH, THERE'S THAT RETENTION WHERE THE POND IS BEHIND, UH, THE STA THE, UH, IT USED TO BE STAFFORD CENTER, THE, WHAT'S THE MEADOWS? SENIOR VILLAGE, NOT MEADOWS SENIOR VILLAGE, THE ALZHEIMER'S UNIT.
THAT WAS ALL PART OF THE INCLUSION WHEN IT WAS ABOUT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICES AND THE HOSPITALS THAT WERE GONNA SIT THERE THAT WOULD HANDLE RETENTION FOR ALL OF IT.
SO NOW THERE'S A LITTLE, THEY'RE NO LONGER ALL ON THE PROPERTY, SO WHAT PART OF THE RETENTION IS THE DEVELOPER'S GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH THOSE PEOPLE TO GET THAT WATER OVER THERE.
BUT THAT'S SECONDARY THAT, ALL RIGHT, I'VE GOT ANOTHER PERSON WITH A QUESTION MARK.
SAM SKIMP, DO YOU WISH TO ASK YOUR QUESTION OR SPEAK? OKAY.
JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, THE REST OF THE PEOPLE ON THE LIST HAVE INDICATED THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH AGAINST THIS.
SO WE'VE GOT THROUGH ONE SIDE.
UM, WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE? WHAT'S THAT? UNDECIDED OFFICER, WE HOPE YOU WILL SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO THE REST.
UM, QUESTION NOW IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS COME ON UP.
SO, SO LET ME GO THROUGH THE LIST REAL QUICK.
IT LOOKS LIKE A BRADEN OR A BRANDON FROM AMBERWOOD.
LIKE I SAID, YOU CAN COME UP WITH QUESTIONS.
YOU CAN COME UP WITH I'M AGAINST IT OR I'M FOR IT.
AMAYA LABRADOR FROM, YOU'RE CLOSE TO THE MIC.
UH, MY NAME IS AMAYA LABRADOR FROM 11 8 0 7 BELWOOD.
UM, I AM A PROJECT ARCHITECT HERE IN HOUSTON.
UH, THANK YOU NEIGHBORS FOR COMING AND THANK YOU TO THE DEVELOPER.
UM, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE FIRST SLIDE? OF COURSE.
UM, I, FIRST I DO WANNA STATE THAT I AGREE THAT A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, UM, IS A GOOD, UH, USE CASE FOR THIS PARCEL OF LAND.
I AM CONCERNED THAT THE TOPICS OF UTILITIES, TRAFFIC, AND THE INCREASED LOADS ON OUR CITY SERVICES WERE NOT, UH, ADDRESSED AS PART OF THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, IF YOU KNOW THE CITY, YOU KNOW, THESE WERE GONNA BE THE TOPICS TO OF THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
UM, I'M ALSO CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE NO INFORMATION ON ANY MARKET STUDIES THAT YOU MAY HAVE DEVELOPED OR A PROFORMA THAT YOU NEED IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS PROJECT FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL FOR YOU.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF YOU GUYS ARE IMPLYING
[00:45:01]
A RELATIONSHIP TO G I D THE DEVELOPER OF THE RENDERING THAT'S ON THE SCREEN.UM, THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT HERE IN HOUSTON.
ARE YOU GUYS AFFILIATED? CORRECT, CORRECT.
SO THIS IS AN INSPIRATION PICTURE.
THAT YOU HAVE NOT CREDITED TO THE OWNER.
AND, AND HMM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE TO THAT STAGE.
ED AMAYA, THEY WANT TO KNOW IF THEY'VE GOT A, CALL IT A SNOWBALL'S CHANCE IN AUGUST OF GETTING THIS THROUGH.
UH, LINDA BURTONS, UH, RANDALL MILLER, UM, BOB AND MARGIE.
MY NAME IS BOB SUDI AND I LIVE ON BLAIR MEADOW.
UM, WE MOVED HERE SO THAT OUR BOYS WOULD BE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND GO TO DULLES HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY DID THAT AND NOW THEY'RE, THEY'RE OUT AND DOING OTHER THINGS AND, AND, UH, ANYWAY, HEARD ABOUT THIS AND THOUGHT ABOUT, WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW THE 275 UNITS AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE, LET'S SAY ABOUT 900 PEOPLE AND PROBABLY ABOUT 400 CARS.
IT MIGHT BE MORE, MIGHT BE LESS.
I KNOW WE WERE TOLD NOT TO TALK ABOUT TRAFFIC
I I JUST SAID IT, IT PROBABLY WASN'T A VALID POINT.
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT IT ALL YOU WANT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, JUST TO GET TO WALMART, YOU, WHEN YOU'RE BACKED UP TO KELLY'S AT THE LIGHT THERE AND YOU WAIT FOR TWO OR THREE LIGHTS RIGHT NOW, THE SITUATION IS NOT GOOD WHEN I HAVE TO WAIT FOR A COUPLE OF LIGHTS TO TURN OFF ON MUL HOLLAND TO GO HOME.
UM, AND IT'S NOT JUST, IT'S NOT JUST PEOPLE LIKE THESE 900 THAT WOULD BE LIVING HERE, BUT IT'S TRUCKS THAT GO OUT TO DELIVER THINGS.
AND IT'S COMMUTERS THAT COME FROM ALIANA AND ROSENBURG.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR THEY COME FROM, BUT THEY SURE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK MAYBE IF WE PUT EIGHT LANES IN THERE, WELL,
BUT REALLY, UM, WE NEED ANOTHER RETIREMENT HOME THERE,
UM, IT'S JUST THAT, OKAY, I HAVE NOTHING AGAINST APARTMENTS.
I'VE LIVED IN APARTMENTS AND, AND THESE LOOK LIKE A VERY BEAUTIFUL IDEA AND VERY BEAUTIFUL UNITS.
BUT REALLY, I DON'T THINK I'D WANNA LIVE THERE WITH THE TRAFFIC THAT COMES BY ON AIRPORT BECAUSE I MEAN, IT'S ALREADY JAM-PACKED.
AND HOW JAM-PACKED IS IT GONNA BE WITH 900 MORE PEOPLE LIVING RIGHT THERE? UM, THE OTHER THING THAT OCCURRED TO ME IS SAID LUXURY UNITS.
WELL, I HEAR PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT A HARD LANDING RECESSION COMING UP AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A A GOOD PREDICTION OR NOT, BUT IF IT'S A GOOD PREDICTION, THERE MIGHT BE FEWER PEOPLE LOOKING FOR LUXURY UNITS THAN LESS LUXURY UNITS.
I MEAN, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE MOVING INTO TEXAS, ESPECIALLY HOUSTON IS OUTRAGEOUS.
UH, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT WILL DEFINITELY SUPPORT IT, I PROMISE YOU.
AND AS FAR AS THE TRAFFIC GOES, WE'VE DONE SOME STUDIES, UH, WE HAVE SOME STUDIES FROM HARVARD UNIVERSITY, UH, ACCORDING TO THEIR STUDY IN 2007, SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES HAVE MORE CARS THAN THE APARTMENTS AND THEY TEND TO BE 52
[00:50:01]
HIGHER, MORE IN TRAFFIC THAN THE APARTMENT OWNERS.SO I LIVED MANY YEARS IN APARTMENTS AND WHEN I LIVED IN APARTMENTS, I HAD ONLY ONE CAR.
NOW I LIVE IN APARTMENT, I HAVE FOUR CARS.
I HAVE FOUR CARS, AND NOW MY KIDS ARE GROWING, THEY'RE GONNA NEED CARS.
SO I MIGHT GET TO WHERE I HAVE SIX, SEVEN CARS.
SO THE TRAFFIC ISSUE, I PROMISE YOU GUYS, WE STUDIED THIS, IT WILL DEFINITELY, I CAN ASSURE YOU IT WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM.
IT WILL NOT BE A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
BOB, YOU DIDN'T HEAR THE MAYOR ASK HOW MUCH I PAID YOU BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE MAYOR ABOUT THE NEED TO GO TO SIX LANES ON AIRPORT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
YOU KNOW, RICK, GO AHEAD REAL QUICK.
WHAT IS THE TRAFFIC COUNT ON AIRPORT? THE LATEST ONE THAT WE HAVE, UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE ONE RECENTLY, BUT IN GENERAL WE'RE PUSHING 30,000 VEHICLES A DAY ON AIRPORT AND PROBABLY ABOUT 14.
WELL, NORTH OF AIRPORT IT'S PROBABLY 12 TO 14,000 VEHICLES ON KIRKWOOD SOUTH OF AIRPORT, IT'S ACTUALLY PUSHING 20,000.
SO I MEAN THERE, THERE'S OVER 50,000 VEHICLES A DAY THAT GO THROUGH THAT, IN THAT INTERSECTION.
SO, UM, BEVERLY MCDANIEL, UH, JESSE RODRIGUEZ.
EVERYONE, EVERYONE WHO, WHO, WHO HAS A COUCH? WHO HAS A COUCH THAT JESSE CAN USE TONIGHT?
I'VE BEEN IN MEADOWS RESIDENT FOR OVER 30 YEARS, AND MY WIFE HAS BEEN A MEADOWS RESIDENT IN THE SAME HOME FOR LONGER.
I'M NOT GONNA MENTION TRAFFIC.
YOU HAD SAID SOMETHING, NATE, ABOUT BEING A PETITION WITHIN 200 FEET.
I DON'T THINK ANY RESIDENT WILL LIVE WITHIN 200 FEET OF THIS COMPLEX.
SO THAT IS PRETTY MUCH A MUTE POINT.
WE CANNOT PUT A PETITION UP FOR THAT.
UH, I'M PRETTY OLD AND I'M ONLY GONNA WANNA SAY ONE THING.
I'M A NATIVE HOUSTONIAN, BORN AND RAISED, LIVED IN SHARPSTOWN GROWING UP AND GROWING UP.
THE GALING AREA WAS A VERY COOL PLACE IN 76, 77 INTO THE EARLY EIGHTIES.
IT WAS A VERY NICE PLACE TO HANG OUT.
WILL'S APARTMENT COMPLEXES HAD SHOPPING CENTERS, THEY HAD NIGHTCLUBS AND THEY WERE REALLY NICE.
NOW, YOU AND I WILL BE LONG GONE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS, WILL BE IN THE GROUND.
BUT MY DAUGHTER HAS BOUGHT A HOUSE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD VERY YOUNG.
AND WE HAVE, WE WANT TO ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE TO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF Y'ALL WERE TO BUILD THE FOUR STORY 35, 40 TOWN HOMES THAT ACTUALLY WOULD BRING TAX REVENUE TO THE CITY ALONG WITH THE SHOP, YES, I WOULD BE ALL FOR THAT.
I WOULD BE ALL FOR THE FOUR CARS IN THE TOWN HOMES AS ADDING TO THE TRAFFIC.
BUT MULTI UNITS NEVER, NO MATTER HOW NICE THEY ARE IN THE BEGINNING, THEY NEVER LAST TO BE NICE.
THEY ALWAYS DEVALUE OVER TIME.
JESSE, CAN I INTERRUPT YOU? SURE.
AND I WENT TO ALL THOSE SAME APARTMENTS AND THEN THEY MOVED OUT TO WESTHEIMER AND THEN IT TURNED INTO THE GULFTON GHETTO.
YES, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
DID I HEAR YOU SAY THAT IF IT WERE TOWN HOMES RATHER THAN APARTMENTS, IT WOULD HAVE, YOU'D HAVE A DIFFERENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS YES, BECAUSE THEY'RE INDIVIDUALLY OWNED.
THEY HAVE A, A, A COMMITMENT TO THE AREA THEY LIVE.
THEY, THEY HAVE PROPERTY TAXES, THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR OWNERS OF THAT HOUSE WHEN YOU ARE RENTING, NO MATTER HOW NICE THE APARTMENT IS, NO MATTER WHAT THERE, I WOULD SAY 60 MAYBE, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA GUESS, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LIKE APARTMENT LIVING, NO MAINTENANCE, NO YARD TAKING CARE OF IT ALL.
[00:55:01]
ARE LOOKING OUT TO OWN AND TO INVEST AND TO BUY SOMETHING REAL.IT'S A APARTMENTS OR TRANSITIONAL POSITION.
YOU LIVED AN APARTMENT, NOW YOU HAVE A HOME, YOU RAISED A FAMILY.
YOU, YOU, YOU WANT THAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT.
AND APARTMENTS ARE NOT THAT TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT.
I LOVE YOUR SHOPPING CENTERS, BUT THE MULTI-TENANT PART OF THIS, ESPECIALLY 250 UNITS, IS JUST SOMETHING I'M TOTALLY AGAINST.
AS FAR AS
NO, THE, THE, THE ZONING OF, SO THE ZONING OF THE LAND HAS NO BEARING ON WHAT KIND OF AORM WE COLLECT.
SO WHETHER IT'S RESIDENTIAL OR COMMERCIAL, IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE VALUE ON THE GROUND AS OPPOSED TO WHAT TYPE OF USE IT IS.
UM, WHERE THE CITY MAY STAND TO GAIN MORE, UH, REVENUE WOULD BE IN THE SALES TAX PORTION.
AND THAT WOULD ONLY BE FROM COMMERCIAL USES THAT ACTUALLY HAD A COMPONENT THAT DID PROVIDE SALES TAX.
SO ON THE AVOR, ON THE, ON THE PROPERTY TAX SIDE MM-HMM.
RIGHT? THIS PROPERTY WOULD VALUE MORE THAN 40,000, UH, 40 TOWN HOMES BASICALLY.
BASED ON VALUE, WE'RE MISSING DEFINITELY MORE.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S MY POINT.
WHAT WOULD YOUR, UH, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR VALUE ESTIMATE ON THIS COMPLEX RIGHT NOW? 50 PLUS MILLION.
SO IT'S 50 MILLION DIVIDE ABOUT A HUNDRED TIMES 0.806 RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S GETTING READY TO GO DOWN TO 0.7.
FOLKS THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S THE VALUE THAT THEY'RE RUNNING AT AND THAT'LL ALL DEPEND ON WHAT IT IS APPRAISED AT.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT THE, THE CABIN IS.
SEE, I'M GETTING OLD AND THAT HUMMING DOESN'T BOTHER ME.
DOES UH, ANYBODY HAVE AN WELL, OH, YOU STILL GOT OTHER PEOPLE? TOM LLOYD DISCONNECTED.
YEAH, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE FEEDBACK'S COMING FROM.
UH, I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
UH, 1415 DORRANCE, UM, HOW MANY RESIDENTIAL PARKING SPOTS PER UNIT? I'VE LIVED IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEXES WHERE THEY HAVE ONE PER UNIT AND EVERYONE HAS TO PARK ON THE STREET AND IT'S HORRIBLE.
UM, UH, AND THIS IS FOR, UH, NICK, WHAT IS THE PENALTY IF THEIR PROPOSAL CHANGES AND THEY, AND, AND THEY BUILD IT AND THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE APPROVAL? I MEAN, IT'S A LEGAL QUESTION, BUT THERE ARE CIVIL PENALTIES IN ADDITION TO OUR ABILITY TO ISSUE A STOP WORK ORDER.
SO LET'S SAY THAT IT DOESN'T, WHEN THE PROJECT'S BEING CONSTRUCTED, IF IT DOESN'T MATCH WITH THE PLAN SET THAT THEY COMMITTED TO, WE WOULD MAKE THEM STOP.
BASICALLY, YOU, YOU JUST DON'T ISSUE THE OCCUPANCY PERMIT AND THEY CAN'T OPEN THE BUSINESS OR OPEN THE APARTMENTS.
UM, CAN THE CITY'S WATER AND SEWER SUPPORT THIS DEVELOPMENT OR WOULD WE HAVE TO EXPAND THAT? I KNOW THAT WE'RE ALREADY STRUGGLING, UH, OR WE'RE WE NEED A NEW, THE, THE, THE WATER AND SEWER WHEN FULLY FUNCTIONAL, YES.
OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT AN ISSUE WITH OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT RIGHT NOW THAT WE NEED TO GET FIXED, BUT THAT IS A SEPARATE ISSUE FROM THIS.
WE NEED TO FIX THAT NO MATTER WHAT.
UH, WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSES WOULD BE ALLOWED IN THIS TYPE OF THING? LIKE DENTISTS AND LAWYERS OR PAWN SHOPS OR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, NO OFFENSE TO PEOPLE OWN PAWN SHOPS, BUT
UM, WHEN YOU DRAFT OFF A P U D OR A PLAN DEVELOPMENT THERE, THE CITY DOES HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER THE USES THAT COULD GO IN THERE IF IT'S BUILT INTO THE ORDINANCE.
BUT OBVIOUSLY THE DEVELOPER WOULD HAVE TO AGREE TO THAT.
AND WE, IT, AGAIN, IT'S A LEGAL QUESTION AS TO AS TO HOW NARROW WE CAN GET ON WHAT COULD GO IN THERE, BUT YOU GOTTA KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT IS APPROVED, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE COULD TIE IT TO A USE, UM, THAT USE MAY OR MAY NOT ALREADY BE LINED UP FOR THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY.
SO WE COULD SAY THAT SPECIFIC USES COULD ONLY GO THERE, BUT ULTIMATELY WHETHER OR NOT THEY ACTUALLY DO OR THEY STAY EMPTY OKAY.
IS A QUESTION THAT WE COULD NOT PREDICT.
UM, HAVING TO COME FROM A CITY THAT HAS HAD THIS ISSUE,
[01:00:01]
IS THERE A WAY THAT WE CAN LIMIT SHORT TERM RENTALS? I KNOW SOME PLACES ARE AIRBNB HOTELS UNOFFICIALLY BECAUSE ALL THE CONDOS HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AND THEN ARE SHORT TERM RENTED.I BELIEVE THE OFFICIAL ANSWERS STILL NO, WE CANNOT BAN THEM.
UH, BUT WE DO TREAT THEM A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN STANDARD RENTALS.
UM, AND MY WIFE JUST TEXTED ME A FEW QUESTIONS HERE.
AS FAR AS THE PARK AND SPACE, I MEAN, WE DESIGNATED FIVE PER UNITS CONSIDERING THE RETAIL SPACE.
SO THAT WILL BE PLENTY PER OUR STUDY BECAUSE WE ARE DOING A LOT OF ONE BEDROOMS. OKAY.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE MAJORITY, NOT SO MANY THREE BEDROOMS AND STUFF.
AND PLUS THE RETAIL SPACE WILL BRING IN SOME, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC BASICALLY.
AND FOR YOU FOLKS BASICALLY COMING IN, IN, AT EATING AT THOSE RESTAURANTS WE'RE CONSIDERED THAT'S GONNA BE PLENTY.
BUT AGAIN, THERE WILL BE SOME STUDIES DONE.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S, YOU KNOW, TREATING YOU GUYS WELL AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, DOING YOUR CATERING.
YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PERCENT.
YOU'VE KEEP ME UP NIGHT WONDERING ABOUT, UH, CONVERTING THOSE INTO AIRBNBS
WE'LL, WE'LL ADD YOU AT THE END.
ONE NINE SCOTTDALE UH, KURT, I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU.
WHAT IS THE AVERAGE RENT GOING FOR IN THE CITY OF MEADOWS? JUST BALLPARK.
BETWEEN 2020 100 WOULD PROBABLY BE AVERAGE AT THIS, THIS POINT.
AND YOU GET A THREE BEDROOM HOUSE WITH A YARD AND A GARAGE AND ALL THAT.
UM, AND THEN REALLY I HAVE A TWO-PART QUESTION FOR ALL THE CITY COUNCIL TO KIND OF PUT OFF AT EASE.
UM, ONE, WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY STAND IF YOU HAD TO VOTE TODAY ON THIS FOR OR AGAINST? AND THEN SECONDLY, UM, WHENEVER IT DOES COME TIME, IF IT DOES COME TO YOUR TABLE, WILL YOU GIVE A FIRM COMMITMENT THAT YOU WILL VOTE FOR OR AGAINST AND NOT ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE? THERE'S NO VOTES TONIGHT AND THEREFORE WE REALLY CAN'T POLL.
NO, I I CAN, I CAN ASK YOU THOUGH.
YOU CAN ASK, BUT WE REALLY CAN'T GIVE YOU THAT ANSWER UNDER THESE CONDITIONS BECAUSE IT WOULD BIAS US WHAT MIGHT GO IN FRONT OF PLANNING AND ZONING IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT ASKED FOR THE TRUE PUBLIC HEARING, THEY WOULD LOVE FOR US TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION
UNLESS, NICK, HAVE YOU GOTTEN ANY OTHER FEEDBACK FROM CITY ATTORNEY? CAN WE POLL COUNSEL IN A TOWN HALL BEING TOWN LAW SCHOOL? OF COURSE.
I THINK, YEAH, I CAN SAY THAT IT WOULD NOT BE UNCOMMON FOR COUNCIL MEMBERS TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS IN A TOWN HALL SETTING.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO DO SO AS A POLITICAL DECISION.
AND I THINK I HAVE MY FINGER ON THE PULSE, SO LIKE, LET'S KEEP IT ON ONE TOPIC.
I MEAN, I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT.
WELL, AND I'M GOING OFF OF, BUT I DON'T HAVE A VOTE.
I DO HAVE ON MY MEADOWS MARLON'S TIE THOUGH, SO JUST LETTING YOU KNOW.
SO I, I GUESS THE REST OF COUNSEL, ARE YOU WILLING TO GO WHERE YOU STAND RIGHT NOW OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO HOLD THAT TO THE END OF THE MEETING AFTER ALL VIEWPOINTS ARE EXPRESSED? I, I FEEL THAT WAS WOULD BE FAIR.
LET US GET THROUGH ALL THE INPUT RATHER THAN MAKING THAT COMMITMENT BEFORE EVERYONE HAS HAD THEIR CHANCE TO SPEAK.
UM, MY SECOND PART THERE, CAN I GET A COMMITMENT OR CAN WE GET A COMMITMENT FROM EACH OF YOU AS CITY COUNCIL THAT HAS A VOTE THAT YOU WILL VOTE FOR OR AGAINST AND NOT ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE? OH, THERE'LL BE NO ABSTAINING
WELL, THE REASON WHY I'M GOING THERE IS, BUT I, I DON'T WANT IT TO BE A TIE.
AND THEN THE MAYOR'S FORCED TO VOTE.
OH NO,
YOU CAN DRIVE THE BUS NEXT TIME.
MAYOR, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY ABSTAINING.
I HAD SOMEBODY TRY TO DO THAT ONCE.
AND THAT'S JUST THAT PEOPLE PUT UP HERE TO GIVE AN ANSWER AND TO REFLECT, UH, THE COMMUNITY AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMMUNITY AND ABSTAINING.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE UP HERE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WE, THE ONLY REASON TO ME A, A PERSON SHOULD ABSTAIN IS IF THEY'VE GOT A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
LIKE A FINANCIAL INTEREST WITHIN THE DECISION.
[01:05:01]
QUESTION.DO ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE A FINANCIAL? NO.
KAREN HARGRAVES, WOULD YOU DO TO SPEAK? HI THERE, KAREN HARGRAVES.
14 YEAR, UM, RESIDENT HERE AND ACTUALLY JUST UPGRADED FROM A PATIO HOME TO A BIG OLD HOME ON, UH, MEADOWDALE AND I GETTING AWAY FROM LIKE, ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT EVERYBODY'S BEEN ASKING ABOUT REAL AND STUFF, I WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU GUYS LOOKING THROUGH ALL OF THE RENDERINGS THAT YOU'VE GIVEN US.
THEY SEEM VERY DISJOINTED FROM ONE TO THE NEXT.
I WANNA KNOW HOW MANY LIKE PROJECTS YOU'VE WORKED ON FROM BEGINNING TO END THAT HAVE COMPLETED.
WHAT PARTNERSHIPS DO YOU HAVE WITH BUILDERS? WHAT PARTNERSHIPS DO YOU HAVE WITH BANKS? BECAUSE IF, IF, IF, IF OF COURSE
LIKE WHERE'S YOUR PARKING IN HERE VERSUS HERE? IT'S NOT VERY, IT'S NOT VERY COHESIVE AND IT DOESN'T BRING A LOT OF COMFORT TO SOMEONE LIKE US WHO'S REALLY OPEN TO THE IDEA.
I'LL JUST PULL, YOU KNOW, CAUSE IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM SOMEBODY OF, OF LIKE A FINANCIAL BACKGROUND, LIKE THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA KNOW.
WE WANNA KNOW, LIKE HOW DO WE KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE THIS? BECAUSE LOOKING AT THE SIDES OF IT, IT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE WHAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD LOOKS LIKE.
IT LOOK, THOSE ARE NOT OUR STREETS.
YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THESE LIKE BIG WHITE BLOCKS.
IT JUST SEEMS NOT VERY COMPLETE OF A THOUGHT TO BRING TO US FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS, FOR A SERIES CONSIDERATION.
OF COURSE, OF COURSE THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE FOR, FOR YOUR OPINION.
BUT AS FAR AS THE PARKING GOES.
IF YOU LOOK AT THESE PAGES, THE FIRST FLOOR, THE MALINE FLOOR, AND THE SECOND FLOOR, THESE ARE ALL PARKING.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT BUILDING GUYS RENDERING UP HERE, THERE'S NO REFERENCE TO ROOM IN THE PARKING, ANYTHING, ANYTHING UNDER THE POOL DECK IS PARKING.
BASICALLY YOU ENTER FROM THIS SIDE OF THE, YOU KNOW, PROJECT THEN, SO IT'S GONNA BE UNDERGROUND UNDER NO FIRST SECOND.
AND THEN THE ONE ON THE FLAT LEVEL, YOU SEE WHERE THE POOL STAIN, THAT'S BASICALLY YOUR SECOND OVER THE SECOND, UH, FLOOR.
BECAUSE THOSE LOOK LIKE APARTMENTS.
THEY DON'T REALLY LOOK, IT DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE A PARKING SITUATION.
IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE APARTMENT IN THE FRONT.
APARTMENTS ARE IN THE CHATTER DOWN.
IT'S SURROUNDED WITH THE APARTMENTS.
IT KEEPS THE CHATTER DOWN SPACES.
BUT, BUT YOU'RE SURROUNDED WITH APARTMENT UNITS.
THE, THE, THE, THE, THE, I HAVE THE SAME CONCERN.
THE DRAWING THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE WAY IT COULD BE SCALED.
IT'S NOT REPRESENTING THE ACTUAL BUILD.
THEY DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT PARTICULAR, THAT'S LIKE WHEN YOU'RE BRINGING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, LIKE THESE, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE LOOKING AT ONE PICTURE TO THE NEXT, TO THE NEXT THAT ARE ALL IDENTICAL, BUT THEN IT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE THEY'RE RENDERING THAT'S BROUGHT TO US.
THAT'S KIND OF, YOU'RE SENDING A MIXED MESSAGE AT THAT POINT.
AND I, I FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BRINGING SOMETHING THAT'S MORE COHESIVE AND MORE CLEAR, MORE CLEAR, UM, WOULD MAYBE EASE SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
SO IS THIS THE APARTMENT? SO THESE ARE THE PARKING WHAT'S ON THE PERIMETER? THOSE ARE APARTMENTS.
THOSE ARE APARTMENTS, YES MA'AM.
AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE APARTMENTS ON TOP OF THAT, ON TOP OF THAT.
SO THIS, SEE, SO THE SWIMMING POOL'S ON TOP OF THE BUILDING MM-HMM.
IT'S ON TOP OF THE PARKING DECK, PARK PARKING DECK, BASICALLY.
AND, AND BARBARA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
BUT YEAH, THIS IS, UH, STRICTLY CONCEPT AS AMAYA WAS ALLUDING TO.
SO IT'S STRICTLY A CONCEPT TO GET THE PROJECT TO SEE IF, TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO DO.
I THINK DAVID TOOK HIM ABOUT 14 SECONDS TO FIND OUT THAT THIS WASN'T A, UH, A TECHNICAL DRAWING.
AND IT, YEAH, IT UPSETS DAVID
BUT LET'S GO BACK TO THE QUESTION.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS? HOW LONG THERE YOU GO.
HOW MANY OF THESE PROJECTS HAVE YOU BROUGHT FROM CONCEPT TO LIKE, OH, WHAT MANAGEMENT COMPANIES DO YOU HAVE LINED UP? LIKE WHAT TYPES OF TENANTS ARE CURRENTLY IN THE BUILDINGS THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE? THOSE ARE QUESTIONS THAT NOBODY'S REALLY THOUGHT BECAUSE EVERYONE'S LIKE A HARD NO, I GOT THAT.
BUT LIKE, WHAT CAN YOU BRING TO THE TABLE? BECAUSE I'VE HEARD NOTHING OF THE SWORD.
BARBARA, ARE YOU ASKING WHO'S GONNA MANAGE IT? KAREN.
I MEAN, KAREN, ARE YOU ASKING WHO'S GOING TO, UH, MANAGE IT? YEAH.
ASKING YOU WHO'S MANAGING, WHO, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOU LINED UP FINANCING? WHAT PROGRAMS DO YOU HAVE FROM BEGINNING TO END? THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS.
WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING SET, BASICALLY, BUT, UH, LIKE YOU WANT NAMES RIGHT NOW.
[01:10:01]
TO KNOW WHO YOU'VE PARTNERED, LIKE WHERE HAVE YOU BUILT OTHER PROPERTIES? UH, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF PROJECTS IN HEIGHTS, YOU KNOW, AND THE INSIDE, THE OFTEN OAKS, WE COMPLETED A LOT OF PROJECTS IN OFTEN OAKS.WE'VE DONE A LOT OF TOWN HOMES.
AND, UH, WE'VE DONE MANY HIGH RISES AND MID RISES IN TURKEY, BASICALLY.
SO THAT'S WHERE OUR EXPERIENCE COMES FROM.
SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF HIGH RISES AND MID-RISE IN TURKEY OVER HERE.
WE'VE DONE NOTHING BUT SINGLE HOMES AND PATIO HOMES, TOWN HOMES.
THIS WILL BE OUR FIRST PROJECT, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE APARTMENT GOES.
SO THIS'LL, THIS'LL BE YOUR, LIKE FORAY INTO THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
YOU'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE, NOT IN THIS COUNTRY, CORRECT? CORRECT.
THAT'S, THAT ANSWERS A QUESTION THAT OF COURSE, OF COURSE.
BUT WE'RE NOT, NOBODY WOULD'VE THOUGHT TO ASK MS 50 PLUS MILLION WITH ZERO INVESTMENT.
I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT 50 PLUS MILLION, YES.
THIS WOULD COST 50 PLUS MILLION WITH YES MA'AM.
BUT I, I, I WANT TO ASK, UH, KAREN TO, IF SHE ASKED WHO'S GONNA MANAGE THE PROPERTY, I'D LIKE TO KIND OF HEAR THE ANSWER OF THAT.
WE HAVEN'T CHOSE OUR CANDIDATES, SO I MEAN, WE'RE NOT THAT INTO THE DETAILS RIGHT NOW, SO I'LL BE HONEST, BUT IT'S GONNA BE EIGHT PLUS I CAN YOU ASSURE YOU IT'S GONNA BE BECAUSE WE'RE THE ONE ACTUALLY INVESTING, RIGHT.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING THE RIGHT INVESTMENT.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT, YOU KNOW, FEW TOWN HOMES WE'RE GONNA BUILD AND SAY, OKAY, LET IT BE, LET IT BE WHATEVER IT IS DOWN THE ROAD, WE'RE GONNA BE THERE.
CAUSE OUR, SO YOU GUYS ARE THE INVESTMENT COMPANY.
YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THE BUILDERS, OF COURSE, YES.
THE CONTRACTORS AND THE BUILDERS.
SO WHO DO YOU HAVE PARTNERS WITH BUILDING WISE THAT COULD MAKE THIS? WHO DO YOU HAVE? LIKE, CUZ YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, THERE ARE FEW CANDIDATES, BUT LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, FIRST HAVING PLANS, YOU KNOW, GETTING APPROVED AND ALL THAT STUFF.
THAT'S, THAT'S TO US IN THE NEXT, NEXT STEP.
SO I DIDN'T HEAR AN ANSWER THAT YOU HAVE PARTNERED WITH SOMEBODY IN A PROJECT SIMILAR TO THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? NO.
OKAY, THE NEXT NAME ON THE LIST, I CAN'T QUITE READ.
THE FIRST NAME MIGHT BE TROY CUMMINGS.
UH, I'LL LISTEN TO THE NEXT PERSON.
HI, UM, MY NAME IS ELENA AND UM, I'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THIS IS GONNA BE MY THIRD YEAR.
AND I ALWAYS WANTED TO MOVE TO MEADOWS PLACE.
SO I USED TO ALWAYS GO BY THE STOP SIGNS AND BE LIKE, THIS IS WHERE I'M GONNA LIVE.
WE, WE DID, UM, WE DID BUY A HOUSE IN A LEAF, WHICH WE STILL HAVE, BUT, UM, WHEN WE GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY HERE, WE, WE BOUGHT HERE.
AND, UM, BECAUSE IT IS JUST A SMALL CITY AND, UM, JUST LESS CONGESTED, YOU CAN GO TO THE PARK AND THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE.
UM, SO KIND OF LIKE IT'S EVERYTHING IS HOMES.
SO NOW I'M, I'M AGAINST IT BECAUSE NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE SO MANY MORE PEOPLE AND THEY'RE NOT ONLY GONNA USE THEIR FACILITIES, THEY'RE ALSO GONNA COME TO OUR TOWN AND USE OUR FACILITIES.
AND I DON'T SEE, I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT HOW ALL THE IN AND OUTS WORK, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW THIS WILL BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS.
I DON'T, I KIND OF HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT TO TAXES COMING IN FROM THE, UM, APARTMENTS ONCE THEY'RE BILLED.
UM, I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT LIKE, HOW IS THAT GONNA BENEFIT THE CITY AS FAR AS MONEY-WISE, WHERE IT'S ACTUALLY THEN GONNA BENEFIT US? CUZ I KIND OF HEARD THAT OUR TAXES ARE NOT GONNA GO DOWN BY HAVING SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
BUT MAINLY TO ME IT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE, YEAH.
HOW IT, WOULD IT BENEFIT US? AND JUST HAVING THE CONGESTION OF HAVING MORE PEOPLE IN OUR TOWN, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WHOLE REASON I MOVED HERE BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE MEADOWS PLACE, VERY TINY, SMALL, NO APARTMENTS.
SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT I HAD.
SO A SQUARE MILE OF WONDERFUL.
SO AS, AS FAR WITH 4,000 AND SOMETHING, UM, UH, RESIDENTS, RIGHT? AND NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE THAT THEY'RE NOT, LIKE I SAID, ONLY GONNA USE THEIR FACILITIES.
THEY'RE GONNA USE OUR THINGS AND ALSO TRAVEL THROUGH OUR STREETS, NOT ALSO, YOU KNOW, WEST AIRPORT.
SO THE WAY THE TAXES WORK ON ANY COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE LIKE THIS IS WHATEVER VALUE IS APPRAISED, THEY WILL PAY THE SAME TAX RATE THAT YOU DO ON YOUR HOUSE.
SO OBVIOUSLY THIS WOULD BE FAIRLY EXPENSIVE BUILDING ON THE GROUND OR BUILDINGS.
AND SO THAT WOULD GENERATE, RIGHT NOW THE ESTIMATE'S A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND, MAYBE $250,000 IN PROPERTY TAXES JUST TO THE CITY.
ON TOP OF THAT, YOU WOULD HAVE THE SALES TAX COMING IN FROM THE BUSINESSES, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF BUSINESSES THAT MIGHT BE
[01:15:01]
$10,000 TOTAL.IT COULD BE $50,000 TOTAL, OR 3000 OR 3000.
AND, AND SO UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT THE BUSINESSES ARE AND WHETHER THEY'RE ARE GENERATING SALES TAX, YOU CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
NOW IF, OBVIOUSLY IF WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WE NEED TO ADD POLICE, THINGS LIKE THAT, THE, THE COST, THE EXTRA TAXES THEY PAID VERSUS THE EXTRA POLICE WE HAVE TO HIRE, THERE'D PROBABLY STILL BE A NET POSITIVE ON SALES TAX OR ON PROPERTY TAX THAT THEY PAY IN VERSUS WHAT WE PAY OUT FOR EXTRA THINGS.
BUT IT'S NOT GONNA BE A HUGE DELTA WHERE ALL WE CAN LOWER YOUR TAX RATE 10 CENTS BECAUSE OF THIS NEW FACILITY.
I I, I JUST THINK THAT IT'S JUST GONNA BE TOO MANY, TOO MANY PEOPLE.
I THINK WE GOT YOU DOWN AS A NO.
HOW ARE THE ASTROS DOING? MR. BIRDS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK US? OH, DO DO.
I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MR. BILLY BURGE.
BILLY, HE OWNS AIR SHIRE CORPORATION.
WELL, AIR SHIRE OWNS ME, AND I JUST, LET ME BY, BY WAY OF INTRODUCTION, AIR SHIRE BOUGHT THIS LAND IN 1973.
IT WAS ALL OKRA PATCH, AND WE'VE DEVELOPED EVERY SQUARE INCH OF IT.
SO WHAT, SEE, THIS IS THE DEVELOPER OF MEADOWS PLACE.
AND I, I DID A, AND, AND LET ME BE FORMAL AND SAY, YOUR HONOR, AND, UH, UH, VERY RESPECTED COUNSEL AND DEDICATED STAFF.
I WANT TO THANK YOU AFTER ALL THESE MANY YEARS OF, I'M 82, SO I'VE OUTLIVED MOST EVERYBODY IN THIS AUDIENCE.
BUT WHAT I, WHAT I HAVE ATTACHED TO THIS HANDOUT, AND IT'S AN INVITATION.
WE'RE HAVING A ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY ON THE 20TH OF THIS MONTH FOR OUR STRIP CENTER.
THERE'S FREE COFFEE, FREE DENTAL FLAWS, FREE TOOTHPASTE, WHATEVER YOU WANT.
BUT, BUT, BUT, BUT MORE, MORE IMPORTANTLY, I I, IT SPEAKS TO THE TENANTS WE PUT IN HERE AS THEY RESPECT THEY LOVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I ATTACHED HERE AN ARTICLE ON THE BACK THAT I PASSED OUT TO, TO COUNSEL AND, AND, AND TO STAFF AND TO THE MAYOR DATED HOUSTON CHRONICLE, APRIL 24TH, 1994, 30 YEARS AGO.
IN ALL THE THINGS THAT THIS ARTICLE REFLECTED IN THE CON IN, IN, IN THE CHRONICLE, WHICH IS SAID, THE MEADOWS IS SAFE, IT'S SECURE, AND IT'S AFFORDABLE.
AND THE PROOF IN THE PUDDING IS 30 YEARS LATER.
AND THAT TELLS YOU IF YOU'RE IN FOR THE LONG TERM, THE LONG TERM REASONS OF THE MEADOWS IS A VERY RESPECTED PLACE TO BE HERE.
THE MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL AND THE STAFF, EVERYBODY HERE, THEY HAVE ONE REASON.
AND THEY HAVE THE LONG, THEY THE BEDROCK OF ANY DEVELOPMENT, 1400 ACRES OF THE RESIDENCE.
AND, AND THEY, THEY MAKE IT AND THEY BREAK IT.
AND, UH, SO I I ATTACHED THIS TONIGHT FOR A REASON, NOT KNOWING, UH, MUCH ABOUT THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT.
YOU KNOW, I WE'RE FOR DEVELOPMENT, WE'RE FOR ANY, ANY GOOD NEIGHBORS.
WE USED TO OWN THE SEVEN OR EIGHT ACRES THAT ARE IN, THAT ARE IN SUBJECT TO, UH, DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
AND, UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF VALIDITY ON IN WHAT THE RESIDENTS ARE SAYING.
AND, UM, WHEN WE STARTED THIS PROJECT OUT, THE, UM, FIRST CO WAS IN TROUBLE AND WENT INTO FORECLOSURE AND THEY RAN HINES OFF, AND THEY HIRED SHIRE TO COME OUT THERE.
AND WE DID THE FIRST THOUSAND ACRES AT HIGHWAY SIX.
WE DID SETTLERS' PARK, WILLIAMS GRANT, AND ONE OF THE SUBDIVISION THERE.
BUT THE REASON THEY DID IT IS THEY WERE TRYING TO GET OUR BUILDERS TO COME DOWN THERE.
BECAUSE THEY HAD TO PUT A LEVY IN THERE BECAUSE THAT SEVENTH HOUR LIKE ACRES WAS, WAS IN THE FLOOD PLAIN.
SO OUR BUILDERS WOULDN'T GO ANYWHERE.
WE CONVINCED THEM TO GO ON OVERTIME.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN A FANTASTIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT THIS IS UNIQUELY DIFFERENT THAN FIRST COLONY.
THIS IS A POCKET, THIS IS SPECIAL.
THIS IS LIKE WEST UNIVERSITY OR SOUTH SIDE PLACE.
THOSE OF US WHO GREW UP HERE, WE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS TO A LITTLE AREA.
AND SO TO THE DEVELOPER AND TO EVERYBODY HERE, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS A HISTORY AND OF, OF THIS AREA.
AND THEY, AND THEY AND I, THEY HAVE ALL RESPECT FOR YOU ALL.
IT'S BUSINESS IS TOUGH, BUT IT'S, BUT YOU CUT, BUT THE PEOPLE COME FIRST AND THEY'RE YOUR CUSTOMERS.
AND SO WHAT YOU'RE HEARING A LOT OF THEIR, OF THEIR FEELINGS ON THIS.
AND SO, MAYOR, I JUST WANT TO SAY I'M NOT HERE FOR COMIC RELIEF.
I'D LIKE TO BE, BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU AS TO APPLAUD
[01:20:01]
ONCE AGAIN, THE COUNSEL AND STAFF FOR ALL OF YOU ALL FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO WHAT THE METAS IS ALL ABOUT.AND I JUST WISH THE BEST WHEN WE HOPE YOU'LL COME TO OUR OPEN HOUSE ONE YEAR AND GET A FREE DEAL.
AND, AND, UM, I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
I, IF YOU WANNA KNOW THE HISTORY, I'LL, LET ME TELL YOU AN INTERESTING THING OF THE HISTORY OF, OF THE METS.
WE WERE DEVELOPING 2000 ACRES IN DALLAS, LBJ FREEWAY AND CENTERVILLE ROAD OUT IN GARLAND, MESQUITE.
AND, UM, THERE WAS ANOTHER COMPETING SUBDIVISION DOWN ON THE OTHER SIDE, OUT 45 GOING NORTH CALLED THE MEADOWS.
AND SO I WENT OUT THERE AND WELL, THE, AND THE MEADOWS IS NOT THE NAME.
THE MEADOWS IS NOT THE MEADOWS.
LIKE WE THINK OF THE MEADOWS IN 18 60, 18 24, THERE WAS A FAMILY CALLED THE MEADOWS FROM, UH, CARDELL, GEORGIA.
AND THEY STARTED IN THE, IN THE BUSINESS OF MEDICAL BUSINESS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN THEY MOVED TO TEXAS AND THEY MOVED TO DALLAS IN 1934.
AND THEY GOT AN OIL BUSINESS AND THEY MADE A LOT OF MONEY, KINDA LIKE THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES.
AND THEY, AS A RESULT, THEY'VE, THEY, THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION, IF YOU LOOK AT MEADOWS FOUNDATION RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE THE LARGEST SINGLE, ONE OF THE LARGEST SINGLE MEDICAL, PRIVATE MEDICAL FUNDS FUND STUFF ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY.
AND THAT'S WHERE THE, AND THE PROPERTY, WHERE IT IS, WAS, WAS THE MEADOWS FAMILY.
SO ANYWAY, SO YOU CAN, YOU CAN ALSO TAKE YOUR HERITAGE BACK TO THE, TO THE MEDICAL FAMILY OF THE MEADOWS, THE MEADOWS FOUNDATION, WHICH IS IN DALLAS.
SO WE'D, UH, HAVE A LITTLE, MAKE YOUR LONGEVITY GO BACK TO 1820S.
SO ANYWAY, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MY FRIEND FRANCISCO.
WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU STAND UP FRIEND SHOWS BY RIGHT HERE, MAN, IF YOU CAN'T FIND ME, UH, WE, I USED TO TELL EVERYBODY WE WERE IN THE PHONE BOOK.
THAT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE OR THE YELLOW PAGES.
BUT IF I, UH, YOU CALL HIM IF YOU NEED KNOW ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR LITTLE STRIP CENTER, WE'LL HELP FINISH OUT IN PHASE TWO HERE IN THE NEXT YEAR, 11 7,000 SQUARE FEET.
WE THINK IT, WE THINK WE HAVE SOME GOOD LEADS ON ADDITIONAL MEDICAL AND IF, UM, WE CAN BE OF ANY NEED ASSISTANCE, MAYOR, ONCE AGAIN, I APPLAUD EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE TONIGHT AND IN THE ATTITUDE AND MORE IMPORTANT THE SPIRIT AND THE PASSION FOR THIS CITY.
WELL, BILLY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I KNOW YOU'RE HERE CAUSE UH, ALRIGHT, YOUR PROPERTY IS, UH, RIGHT NEXT TO THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION AND YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON TOO.
I'VE LIVED IN THE MEADOWS FOR 50 YEARS.
UM, AND SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE MY HOME FOR LIFE OR MY PLACE FOR LIFE.
UM,
I'M A RETIRED TEACHER AND THE SCHOOL THAT I WAS AT, I WATCHED IT BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BE THE GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD, THEN APARTMENTS MOVED IN.
AND THEN I WAS AT THAT CAMPUS FOR UM, 22 YEARS AND I WATCHED THE APARTMENTS GET TAKEN OVER AND GO DOWNHILL AND DOWNHILL, WHICH THEN IMPACTED THE CLASSROOMS WITH THE, UM, TRANSITIONAL STUDENTS.
AND I'M LOOKING THROUGH THIS AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING LIKE IT'S GEARED TOWARDS MILLENNIALS.
SO MY QUESTION IS THAT, IS IT FAMILIES WHERE CHILDREN ARE GONNA ALSO BE OR IS IT JUST GONNA BE MORE OF AN ADULT TYPE COMPLEX? ACCORDING TO THE STUDIES, ACTUALLY IT'S MORE LIKE AN ADULT TYPE OF COMPLEX.
IT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOT A LOT LESS, YOU KNOW, UH, CHILDREN THAN A MULTI-FAMILY.
AND THEN MY QUESTION WOULD BE ALSO THEN FOR THAT DID HAVE CHILDREN IN IT.
I KNOW BEING A TEACHER AND UM, MY HUSBAND BEING IN CHARGE OF GETTING CROSSING GUARDS, THAT IT'S HARD TO GET CROSSING GUARDS FOR THE DISTRICT.
SO THERE WERE HAVE TO BE ANOTHER CROSSING GUARD SOMEHOW GET THOSE CHILDREN ACROSS THE ROAD.
SO I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THAT.
AND HE'S ALSO IN CHARGE OF, UM, HIRING POLICE OFFICERS FOR THE DISTRICT AND THEY'RE FEW AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HARD TO GET.
SO I APPRECIATE THE SAYING THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BY TWO OFFICERS, BUT THEY'RE HARD TO GET OFFICERS.
THEY'RE STILL OPENINGS LIKE EVERYWHERE CUZ NO ONE WANTS TO BE A POLICE OFFICER.
SO THOSE ARE JUST MY QUESTIONS.
OH, AND I'M WONDERING ABOUT, UM, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT SECTION EIGHT AND SECTION, I THINK IT'S 42 HOUSING.
SO HOW DOES THAT PLAY INTO A, A PLUS IS MORE LIKE A LUXURY HIGH END.
SO, WELL, AND BECAUSE I'M ASKING THAT BECAUSE MY NIECE LIVED IN A LUXURY APARTMENT IN COMPLEX DOWNTOWN HOUSTON AND SOMEBODY WITH SECTION, I DUNNO IF IT WAS EIGHT OR 42, WHATEVER, MOVED IN NEXT TO HER AND HE TURNED OUT HE ROBBED PEOPLE ON THAT FLOOR.
[01:25:01]
HE WAS IN THERE SO SHE ENDED UP HAVING TO MOVE OUT AND THEY EVEN HAD A CONCIERGE AT THE BOTTOM FLOOR.SO THAT'S, THOSE ARE JUST MY CONCERNS.
WE TOOK THOSE CONSIDERATION AS FAR AS THE BACKGROUND CHECK CREDIT CHECKS.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORS, PROTECT OUR FRIENDS HERE.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT'S A CONCERN.
MOST OF THESE ARE ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS.
AND SO THEY WOULD BE PROBABLY NOT AIMED AT FAMILIES, WHICH IS YOUR CONCERN.
UH, JOE DEBRUIN EVENING FOLKS, WELCOME AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
COUNCIL MAYOR, I'M JOE DEBRUIN.
I LIVE AT ONE, GET CLOSER TO THE MIC.
I LIVE AT 11,402 BRIGHTON LANE HERE IN SECTION ONE, AND I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 27 YEARS.
IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY STARTER HOME AND NOW IT'S MY RETIREMENT HOME.
SO, UM, IT IS ACTUALLY JUST, I'VE JUST FOUND IT A WONDER TO LIVE HERE AND JUST, JUST, I CAN'T EXPRESS HOW PEOPLE ARE, UH, ENVIOUS OF, OF ME LIVING IN MEADOWS AND EVERYTHING, TALK ABOUT IT.
BUT, AND I JUST WANNA WELCOME YOU FOLKS HERE AND THANK YOU.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE FOLKS COMING IN, WE CAN SEE A 20% JUMP IN RESIDENCY IN OUR CITY, IN OUR LITTLE FAIR CITY.
AND WE ARE PRIDE OURSELVES IN, ON THE WAY WE RUN OUR CITY GOVERNMENT AND OUR TAXES.
OUR TAXES COME, SOMETIMES TAXES ARE HIGHER OR LOWER THAT I KNOW OF.
I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE THE THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, BUT THE CITY DOES A FANTASTIC JOB OF MAKING ENDS MEET.
AND IF WE BRING IN 20% MORE FOLKS, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST WONDERING IF, IF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE WOULD BE CHALLENGED TO A, TO A POINT WHERE WE COULDN'T SERVE THAT APARTMENT OVER THERE.
WE HAVE CODE ENFORCEMENT, WE HAVE OF COURSE OUR POLICE AND OF COURSE, AND OUR, OF COURSE OUR BOTTOM LINE WOULD BE WHAT EACH ONE OF US PAYS AND TAXES EVERY YEAR.
YOU KNOW, WOULD OUR TAXES GO UP TO SUPPORT A DEVELOPMENT OVER THERE WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH, WITH DIFFERENT, MORE CITY SERVICES AS OUR CITY SERVICE US.
BUT OF COURSE IT'S GONNA BE, I SAY 20% AS A HIGH NUMBER, BUT THAT'S A LOT OF FOLKS COMING IN THAT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, PROTECT, UH, ENFORCE OUR CODES, ENFORCE OUR CITY, UH, LAWS ON.
SO THAT WAS JUST MY QUESTION, BUT I'M IMPRESSED AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL BEING HERE.
AND YOU, I'VE PROBABLY MIRRORED A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAID TONIGHT, BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET UP AND SAY THANK YOU.
I'LL ADDRESS THE UTILITY QUESTION AGAIN.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE FACILITIES FOR THE CITY WERE DEVELOPED ANTICIPATING THAT THIS SITE WOULD BE FULLY UTILIZED AND THE CAPACITY ANALYSIS WAS DONE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A NINE STORY HO MEDICAL HOSPITAL BUILDING GOING HERE THAT WOULD'VE USED MORE WATER THAN THESE APARTMENTS.
SO THE WATER AND SEWER SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE FOR WHATEVER GOES HERE.
UM, LIKE IF, IF WE'D HAVE GOTTEN THE NINE STORY HOSPITAL, THE SEVEN STORY, UM, OFFICE COMPLEX PLUS THE, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER MEDICAL FACILITIES THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO GO HERE, IT WOULD'VE HAD A MUCH HIGHER IMPACT ON UTILITIES.
SO DON'T, YOU CAN BE REST ASSURED, WE CAN SERVE IT FOR UTILITIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'D HAVE TO ADDRESS POSSIBLY THE NUMBER OF LANES ON AIRPORT.
WE CAN HIRE THE NUMBER OF POLICE SO THE, THE CITY CAN HANDLE WHATEVER GOES HERE.
UM, IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF WHETHER THIS IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR THE CITY OR NOT.
UH, EMILY, YOU'RE NEXT ON THE LIST.
UH, EMILY MERKLEY 11 702 SCOTTSDALE DRIVE.
I LIVE ON THE CORNER OF THE ROUNDABOUTS.
ONE OF THE ROUNDABOUTS AND LAST TIME I WAS HERE WAS TO SAY I DIDN'T WANT A ROUNDABOUT AND I'VE CHANGED MY MIND.
SO
AND THEN DID SOMEBODY ASK ABOUT LEASE LENGTH TURNOVER? UM, NOPE.
BUT UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE LOOKED INTO IT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DEFINITELY INTO SHORT TERM LEASING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
BECAUSE IT TOTALLY MAKES NO SENSE AS FAR AS THE BUSINESS GOES.
WE'RE NOT IN LAGUNA BEACH, YOU KNOW, SO DEFINITELY, I MEAN THE LENGTH, YOU KNOW, BA BASED ON OUR STUDY IT WILL BE, YOU KNOW, YEAR AND A HALF TO TWO MINIMUM IN AVERAGE.
SO AND THEN ARE THERE RESIDENT LIMITS PER UNIT? OH DEFINITELY.
SO IN A ONE BEDROOM UNIT, HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN LIVE
[01:30:01]
THERE? TWO, THREE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THINKING, BUT JUST LIKE TWO.HOW DO YOU ENFORCE THAT? OH, CONTRACTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIVING HERE.
CONCIERGE, ALL THAT SERVICES, YOU KNOW, DEFINITELY.
THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT UM, PEOPLE COMING TO THE POOL AND THE PARKS AND I'M NOT THAT CONCERNED ABOUT IT CUZ PEOPLE ARE HOME BODIES LIKE MM-HMM.
BUT IS IT GOING TO BE THAT THEY USE OUR POOL ALSO? LIKE THEY WON'T BE VISIT THIS COMMUNITY AND WOULD BE WELCOME AT ALL.
RIGHT? SO, SO, SO THEY CAN BUY A FOUND THE POOL IS PUBLIC SO WE CAN'T KEEP ANYBODY OUT.
NOW THEY HAVE THEIR OWN POOL, RIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, CAN WE GO TO THEIR POOL?
YEAH, THE 30,000 CARS ON AIRPORT, THAT'S ME TRYING TO GET MY FIVE KIDS TO THEIR ACTIVITIES.
AND I FEEL LIKE THIS COULD GO EITHER WAY, BUT I LOVE A GOOD UNDERDOG SO I'M GONNA SAY THAT I'M FOR IT.
CINDY, WHAT? BECAUSE I KIND OF WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PROJECT.
HOLD ON, LET ME START PROJECT STOPWATCH AGAIN.
YOU ALREADY STOPPING ME? I JUST STARTED.
NO, I SAID HOLD ON, LET ME START THE STOP ONE.
DID YOU GUYS HAVE, THEY JUST GOT THROUGH BUILDING THIS BIG COMMUNITY.
REMEMBER THEY TALKED TO US ABOUT THE REALLY EXPENSIVE CONDOS AND HOW THEY'RE GONNA HAVE LITTLE SHOPS EVERYWHERE.
IT'S GONNA LOOK JUST LIKE FORTS COLONY MEAN THAT WHERE THEY'VE GOT THE CITY HALL AND ALL THAT, ALL THOSE ARE CONDOS TOO WITH LITTLE, LITTLE BUILDINGS IN THERE.
BUT THEY ARE NOT BUILDING IT IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS BUILT OFF TO ITSELF.
AND THE ONE AT, UM, FIRST COLONY SUGAR LAND, IT'S BUILT OFF TO ITSELF.
SO I DON'T THINK I HAVE A REAL GOOD MIX ON HOW THIS IS REALLY GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE I'M WATCHING AND, AND SINCE THEY SAID WE WERE GONNA DO THIS, I WENT DRIVING AND LOOKING AND I DID SEE A LOT OF EXTRA PEOPLE.
SO WE KNOW THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN HERE.
I MEAN THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN SAY NO IT IS, BUT WHERE ARE YOU TALKING? WE DO HAVE GOOD PEOPLE.
CINDY, WHERE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THE QUESTION WOULD BE ALL THAT RIGHT BACK BEHIND CITY HALL AND SUGAR LAND.
THOSE ARE ALL OH, IN SUGARLAND UPSCALE CONDOS.
THAT WHERE PEOPLE CAN SHOP, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH PARKING.
SO THEY'RE TAKING ALL THE PARKING.
YOU KNOW THE PARKING GARAGE IS CORRECT.
THAT'S WHERE HALF OF AND ACROSS THE STREETS, THE LAMA DELIN PARKING LOT, ALL THAT STUFF.
SO I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S CONCERNED.
WE'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST 43 YEARS THIS YEAR, SO WITH 43 YEARS I'VE RAISED ALL MY KIDS AND THEY DID NOT MOVE BACK.
I THOUGHT THEY WOULD, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DONE YET SO THEY'LL BE BACK.
BUT WHAT ARE THEY COMING BACK TO? THIS IS WHAT THEY KNOW.
SO EVERYBODY BETTER BE REALLY SURE WHEN YOU OPEN UP TO THAT MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW ARE Y'ALL GONNA BE PET FRIENDLY? PET FRIENDLY? BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A HORRIBLE TIME WITH DOGS AND CATS
SO I'M SORRY, BUT I'M SORRY WE'RE GONNA RECAP.
NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR PET FRIENDLY.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT YOU HAD ALSO STARTED YOUR PRESENTATION WITH, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS OVER HERE THAT WILL BENEFIT MEADOW'S PLACE.
NEVER GONNA HAPPEN IF I PAY THAT MUCH MONEY FOR A CONDO.
DON'T COME THINK YOU'RE GONNA SPEND FRIDAY NIGHT WITH ME, NOT WITH ALL YOUR CHILDREN IN YOUR BAND.
AND WE HAVE A PERFECT PLACE FOR THAT.
I THINK THAT MEADOWS HAS REALLY DONE WELL.
WE'VE BEEN PUT ON THE MAP, BUT AGAIN, WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PETS THAT WE'RE JUST NOW GETTING ON TOP OF.
SO IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT MORE PETS AND THEN A LOT MORE PEOPLE AND A LOT MORE CARS AND WE DON'T EVEN HAVE A PICTURE OF WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, I'M A NO.
SO WHAT, UNTIL WE GET THE NEXT REPORT.
CHUCK, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK? IS CHUCK STILL HERE?
I LIVE AT 11 8 0 3 MEADOWDALE.
[01:35:01]
UNDECIDED.UM, SO, BUT I DO HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN ANSWERED OR REASONABLY WELL ADDRESSED.
UM, BUT TWO QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE CONCERNED THE RETAIL SPACE.
FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE A LOT OF RETAIL SPACE IN MEADOWS THAT SEEMS RATHER UNDERUTILIZED.
SO WHAT MAKES US THINK THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO ATTRACT SOME BUSINESSES THAT WOULD ACTUALLY STAY AND THAT PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO USE.
SO THAT IS ONE SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.
I MEAN, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR CURRENT BUSINESSES GET FILLED UP BEFORE WE GET NEW ONES.
PERSONALLY, THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW HOW REALISTIC THAT IS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE GET USED.
UM, AND THEN SECOND, JUST IT'S GOING ALONG WITH WHAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WE ALL LOVE THE MEADOWS.
WHAT KIND OF PERSON WANTS TO PAY 2,500 PLUS A MONTH TO LIVE BY THEMSELVES IN AN APARTMENT? AND IS THERE GOING TO BE COMMUNITY? WILL THEY JUST BE THEIR OWN LITTLE WORLD OR WE'LL, AND WE'LL BE OUR OWN SEPARATE WORLD AND WE'RE ALL OKAY WITH THAT? OR WILL WE MIX TOGETHER? WILL WE KNOW EACH OTHER LIKE EACH OTHER OR JUST BE SO DIFFERENT ECONOMICALLY AND WITH OUR INTERESTS THAT THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY OVERLAP.
SO THAT'S LIKE WHAT WILL IT DO TO OUR COMMUNITY FEEL? UM, THE OTHER LONG-TERM INTEREST, I APPRECIATE THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE GUARANTEES ABOUT THE THING GETTING BUILT.
I MEAN IF THEY STOP DOING IT ACCORDING TO CONTRACT, WE COULD BE STUCK WITH A MONSTROSITY THAT'S NEVER GETTING COMPLETED.
BUT ONCE, ONCE IT GOES IN, WILL THERE BE ANY KIND OF GUARANTEE FOR MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP AND HOW TO KEEP IT NICE OVER A VERY LONG TERM, NOT JUST A YEAR OR TWO.
I DON'T ASSUME THAT THE CITY WOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP ANY KIND OF CONTROL OVER THAT, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD WANT SOME SORT OF GUARANTEE.
UM, AND I GUESS ALSO JUST, I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GONNA WANT TO LIVE.
WILL, WILL UPSCALE RENT PAYERS WANT TO LIVE IN THE MEADOWS? I MEAN, WE ARE THE AFFORDABLE CITY.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE AN ODD PLACE.
LIKE IS THERE SOMETHING SAFE PLACE UPSCALE THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT'S GONNA MAKE PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE HERE? I JUST DON'T KNOW.
SO THOSE ARE JUST MY QUESTIONS.
GREAT QUESTIONS, GREAT QUESTIONS.
TO ANSWER TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION, AS FAR AS THE COMMUNITY AND YOU KNOW, THE, OUR COMMUNITY AND THEIR COMMUNITY I LIVE IN, I LIVE IN SUGARLAND NOW.
I'M MOVING TO MEMORIAL AREA, SO CITY CENTER, TOWN CENTER, BOTH GREAT.
I LIVE IN A HOUSE WITH MY TWO CHILDREN, BUT I LOVE GOING AND, YOU KNOW, MINGLING THERE.
JUST HAVING DINNER, LUNCH, HAVING MY KIDS RUNNING AROUND.
SO WOODEN NEW FOLKS, IN MY OPINION, I THINK YOU GUYS WOULD LOVE IT.
SO WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHERE YOU CAN TAKE YOUR HUSBAND CHILDREN OUT TO GO HANG OUT, HAVE A COFFEE, HAVE A DINNER? I MEAN, HOW MANY OF THOSE DO YOU, YOU THINK YOU HAVE AROUND? AND AS FAR AS THE BUSINESSES GOES, WE NEED MORE DOORS.
275 DOORS WILL GENERATE MORE BUSINESS.
BASICALLY PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME COMMITMENTS FROM ANCHORS, BUT WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM SOME COMMITMENTS AS WELL AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, GOOD RENTS AND STUFF FOR THEM TO COME IN.
SO ONCE YOU BRING THOSE ANCHORS IN, I THINK WE CAN SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
BUT YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT MORE RETAIL SPACE HERE, IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE RETAIL, BUT NOT THIS, FOR EXAMPLE, WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, DOORS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
RICK, DID YOU WANT TO ADDRESS THE HOW WE, HOW, WHAT CAN THE CITY DO TO MAINTAIN IT? UM, I MEAN IT'D BE SUBJECT TO UM, CODE ENFORCEMENT JUST LIKE THE HOMES ARE AS WELL AS, UM, YEARLY, UM, FIRE MARSHAL INSPECTIONS AND THEN ALSO THE FOOD SERVICES, IF THEY HAD FOOD SERVICES, UH, WOULD BE INSPECTED ONCE A YEAR AS WELL.
UM, JENNIFER AND I THINK IT STARTS WITH AN NAND OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, MOST OF Y'ALL WOULD PROBABLY KNOW ME IF YOU'VE LIVED HERE ALL YOUR LIFE AS JENNIFER HUGHES.
UM, I HAVE BEEN HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I'VE GOT A HOUSE OUT HERE NOW.
I HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE SU TROY SU TROY STARTED THE CITY WITH MY FATHER IN 1984 WHEN
[01:40:01]
IT WAS INCORPORATED AS THE FIRST POLICE CHIEF.I'VE WATCHED THE CITY AT ITS LOWS AND I'VE WATCHED IT AT ITS HIGHS.
UM, I'VE CHOSE TO COME BACK AND RAISE MY FAMILY HERE BECAUSE OF WHAT MEADOWS MEANT TO ME GROWING UP.
IT DIDN'T MATTER WHOSE KIDS WE WERE, WE, EVERYBODY OUT HERE WERE OUR PARENTS.
WE COULDN'T RUN LOOSE WITHOUT SOMEONE PICKING UP THE PHONE AND MAKING A PHONE CALL.
AND BY THE TIME WE GOT HOME, OUR PARENTS KNEW EVERYTHING WE DID.
BUT I AGREE, THINGS LIKE THIS ARE BUILT OUT IN SUGARLAND WHERE THERE'S COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, THEY NEVER GET PUT NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL AREAS BECAUSE OUR KIDS NOW ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, WE HAVE FOR MEADOW'S PLACE.
WHAT'S HAPPENING? WE'RE ALL ON THERE.
ALL THE PARENTS ARE COMING TOGETHER AND WE TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS.
YOU BRING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN, THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN ANYMORE.
NOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY'RE FRIENDS LIVE IN THOSE LITTLE APARTMENTS OVER THERE AND YOU DON'T KNOW THAT YOUR, YOUR KIDS LOOK AT YOU AND GO, OH, I'M GOING TO SUCH AND SUCH'S HOUSE.
WE ALL JUST SAY, OKAY, CUZ WE KNOW HOW SAFE OUR CITY IS.
WE ALREADY HAVE A LEAF I PITTING AND PINGING ONTO US.
I MEAN IT'S GONNA HAPPEN THE OTHER DAY.
I KNOW HPD HAD A CHASE AND IT CAME INTO MEADOWS.
I BELIEVE IT CAME DOWN SCOTTSDALE.
SO WE ALREADY KNOW THE OUTSIDE IS IMPEDING IN.
ALL YOU'RE DOING BY DOING SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS INVITING THE REST OF THAT TO COME IN WITH IT.
I UNDERSTAND THE DEPARTMENT IS SHORT ON OFFICERS.
I GET THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT IS SHORT.
I'M AN OFFICER MYSELF IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
EVERY DEPARTMENT IS SHORT BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS TO BE US ANYMORE.
I GET THAT OUR OFFICERS DO THE BEST THAT THEY CAN OUT HERE.
BUT YOU BRING IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS NO MATTER IF YOU HAVE 24 7 SEC SECURITY OR NOT BECAUSE SOMEONE SAID IT BEST.
THEY CAN'T DO ANYTHING UNTIL ONE OF US IN UNIFORM GETS THERE TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
SO YOU'RE NOT, IN MY OPINION, PROVIDING ANYTHING OTHER THAN A CAR SITTING IN A PARKING LOT WITH A LITTLE BLUE LIGHT ON WITH SOMEONE THAT'S GONNA JUMP OUT AND SAY, STOP.
SO I DON'T SEE HOW SECURITY 24 7 IS GONNA KEEP THESE PEOPLE SAFE.
BECAUSE IF WE'VE GOT BURGLARIES AND ROBBERIES AND EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON NOW BETWEEN CVS, WALGREENS AND EVERYWHERE ELSE, YOU BRING IN MORE BUSINESSES, OUR OFFICERS ARE GONNA BE EVEN MORE STRAPPED DEALING WITH THE BUSINESSES AND WHAT'S GOING ON THERE AND THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE RESIDENTS LIKE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FEW BUSINESSES.
HOW MANY BUSINESSES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WELL, ANYWHERE FROM FIVE TO SEVEN.
WE'RE, I MEAN THIS ISN'T A, THIS ISN'T A FIRST COUNTY MALL AND DEPENDING ON WHAT BUSINESSES AND WHAT RESTAURANTS, ET CETERA, IT COULD BE FIVE TO SEVEN.
SO, UH, IF WE HIRE IN A COUPLE MORE OFFICERS, WE CAN HANDLE THAT, IN MY OPINION.
UH, WELL, A COUPLE OF MORE OFFICERS IS WHAT YOU NEED NOW TO HANDLE WHAT YOU HAVE NOW.
SO YOU DON'T NEED JUST TWO MORE OFFICERS.
IF YOU BRING IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU'RE GONNA NEED LIKE FOUR.
AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE'VE GOT THAT.
AND IF THEY COME AND THEY SAID IT'S GONNA TAKE 'EM THREE TO FOUR YEARS, WE'LL BE TRYING TO HIRE BEFORE THEY GET BUILT.
UH, BEING A COP AND GETTING COPS RIGHT NOW IS TOUGH BUSINESS.
NO ONE, NO ONE'S GONNA SIGN THE DOTTED LINE TO BE THE HUMAN SHIELD TO TAKE THE BULLET.
SO I I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
I DON'T KNOW OF TOO MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA HAVE A ONE BEDROOM WOOD BEDROOM APARTMENT THAT'S GONNA HAVE THREE KIDS THOUGH.
UM, THAT'S, I I I DON'T EXPECT A BIG CHILD POPULATION HERE.
NO STUDY SHOWS 1.2 PER HOUSEHOLDS PERSON.
SO, BUT THE RATIO IS VARIABLE.
THEY COULD GET LOST, BUT, UH, I, I DON'T WOULDN'T I APPRECIATE IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR GETTING UP AND SAFE.
UM, MANY PEOPLE GET LOST THERE.
A LOT OF THINGS THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT SAYING THAT I DIDN'T PLAN ON SAYING BUT DECIDED TO SAY BECAUSE I'M ACTUALLY ONE OF THE ONLY TEACHERS HERE FOR MEADOWS ELEMENTARY TODAY, UM, HAVE TO DO WITH THE SCHOOL AND WHAT THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE BEING ASKED ABOUT, UM, YOUR 1.5 PEOPLE LIVING IN A HOUSE.
UM, WE BORDER SOME LOWER ECONOMIC AREAS.
AIF WAS MENTIONED, WHICH IS ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT.
[01:45:01]
FAMILIES WANT THEIR KIDS TO GO TO A GOOD SCHOOL.UM, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THIS WOULD BE THE HEARTBEAT OF THE COMMUNITY.
YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW THAT WE KIND OF ALREADY HAVE ONE AND IT'S THE SCHOOL AND WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO SAVE THAT A LONG TIME AGO.
UM, AND I HAVE A LOT OF TEACHERS WHO TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS AND SOME OF 'EM ARE OFF VACATIONING AND DOING SUMMER SO THEY COULDN'T BE HERE.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE MAIN TEACHER CONCERN IS THAT FAMILIES DOUBLE UP AND BEEN IN ED EDUCATION FOR 15 YEARS.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT DOES HAPPEN.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU AND COUNSEL TO NOT BE NAIVE TO THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH STUDIES SAY IT WON'T HAPPEN FOR THE DEMOGRAPHIC OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT DOES HAPPEN.
UM, I HAD A STUDENT THIS YEAR WHO WAS LIVING WITH HIS COUSIN AND IT WAS MULTIPLE FAMILIES LIVING IN A HOUSE.
AND SO IF IT CAN HAPPEN THERE, IT CAN HAPPEN IN APARTMENTS THAT HAVE THREE BEDROOMS, OF COURSE, JUST THINK ABOUT PUTTING TWO BUNK BEDS IN ONE ROOM.
UM, SO MY CONCERNS ARE THOSE, MY QUESTIONS AND CHALLENGE TO YOU IS TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SINCE YOU DO HAVE A SCHOOL VERY CLOSE MM-HMM
UM, IN DOING THIS STUDY OF WHAT YOU THINK YOU MIGHT WANNA BUILD HERE AND TO THE COUNCIL BEFORE YOU REALLY APPROVE ANYTHING HERE, IF IT HAS ANY SORT OF HOUSING INVOLVED IN IT, CONTINUE YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND ASK A LOT OF PEOPLE BROUGHT UP THIS CITY, UM, RESOURCES LIKE WATER, SEWER, ELECTRIC.
BUT THINK ABOUT THE SCHOOL'S RESOURCES.
CURRENTLY MEADOWS HAS POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN CUT BECAUSE THE ECONOMIC STATUS OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, IF YOU PUT A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE THAT YOU SAY CAN HAVE MOM, DAD, AND ANOTHER CHILD SLEEPING ON A PULLOUT COUCH, THAT'S ANOTHER KID IN MY SEAT.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.
UM, AND ANOTHER QUESTION FOR COUNCIL NOT RELATED TO THE SCHOOL, UM, IS AN ISSUE OF TAX ABATEMENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR CITY HAS AND LIKE A COMPANY CAN APPLY.
FOR A LONG TIME AGO MY MOM WAS ON COUNCIL IN A SMALL TOWN OF MADISONVILLE AND SHE WAS ON COUNCIL WHEN A GIANT BS CAME INTO TOWN AND EVERYONE THOUGHT THAT WAS GONNA BE SO GREAT, BUT THEY HAD LIKE A 10 YEAR ABATEMENT ON THE TAXES SO THEY DIDN'T START GENERATING REVENUE.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOUR COMPANY IS GOING TO APPLY FOR? NO MA'AM.
YOU NORFORD AND I'M SURE YOU KNOW HE'S NOT WILLING.
RIGHT? WELL YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 50, 60 YEARS OF EDC EXPERIENCE RIGHT OVER HERE ON THAT FIRST ROW.
AND I CAN'T REMEMBER IT EITHER.
I'M NOT AS OLD AS THOSE GUYS, BUT OKAY.
SO, SO MEADOW'S PLACE HAS NEVER BEEN INTERESTED IN ABATEMENTS.
IF BUCKIES CAME, I WOULD BE
AND WE'VE GOT SIX MORE PEOPLE ON THE LIST AFTER MR. TERRY.
THREE, THREE MINUTES, RIGHT KELLY? YEP.
I'VE SIT THROUGH ALL THE MAYORS OF THIS CITY, SUE TROY AND ALL OF 'EM.
UH, JIM MCDONALD AND I STARTED THE EDC AND THE ONLY TWO OF US THAT STILL ON EDC IS BOB AND MYSELF.
BUT WE'RE AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS CITY AND WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
AND I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR OUR DEVELOPER HERE.
YOU LIST ALL OF THE, THE, UH, UNITS AS ONE PLUS ONE, TWO PLUS ONE THREE PLUS ONE OR THEY ALL ONE, ONE BATHROOM IN EVERY UNIT? OH, NO, NO.
THE BATHROOM ONE, LIKE THREE PLUS ONE.
THREE PLUS ONE IS ONE BATHROOM FOR THREE BEDROOMS. YES.
SO THEY'RE ALL ONE BATHROOM PER UNIT, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
HAVE YOU CONSIDERED HIGH RISE LUXURY CONDOS? I HAVE PROPOSED THAT A NUMBER OF TIMES IN EDC OVER THE YEARS.
NOT ONLY FOR THAT UH, DEVELOPMENT OUT THERE AND WE THOUGHT FAIRFIELD WAS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO WITH THE MEDICAL COMPLEX AND ALL THE STUFF HE WAS GONNA DO, IT WAS PERFECT I THOUGHT.
AND OF COURSE HE RAN OUTTA MONEY AND WENT BANKRUPT.
AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW FAR THIS IS GOING TO GO.
WE HOPE IT'LL GO IF IT HAS THE RIGHT MIX OF RETAIL, IN MY OPINION.
[01:50:01]
RETAIL AND ADDITIONAL SALES TAX OF COURSE.AND WHY IS IT NOT BEING CONSIDERED A LUXURY CONDO VERSUS JUST AN APARTMENT? IT'S A QUESTION TO YOU.
I MEAN, WE THOUGHT ABOUT IT COST WISE AND THEN DEMAND WISE.
I MEAN WE WERE PROBABLY, AND PLUS THE UH, THE CONCERNS THE COMMUNITY HAVE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN WE KNEW THE TRAFFIC WOULD BE A, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEIR CONCERN, RIGHT.
SECURITY WOULD BE ANOTHER ONE.
SO WE THOUGHT BRINGING MORE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WOULD NOT MAKE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR PEOPLE HERE HAPPY.
BUT IF PEOPLE HAVE OWNERSHIP IN THE UNIT, IT WILL BE BETTER TAKEN CARE OF.
AND THE QUALITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT MOVE IN MAY BE BETTER.
AND I UNDERSTAND TOWNHOMES, YOU KNOW, CAN'T BE, YOU KNOW, MULTI STORY, IT'S A LITTLE PROBLEM.
I WOULD THINK HIGH RISE CONDOS THAT ARE OWNER-OCCUPIED, NOT NECESSARILY OWNER OCCUPIED.
BUT THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN.
WE DON'T HAVE ALL OWNER OCCUPIED IN THE HOMES HERE IN MEADOWS PLACE AND THERE WILL BE RENTAL UNITS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT I THINK IF IT HAS A RIGHT MIX OF, UH, THE, UH, RETAIL ENOUGH TO GENERATE SOME TAX REVENUES AND UH, AND WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING, UH, LOOKING AT CONDOS, I STILL THINK THAT WOULD BE THE WAY TO GO.
AND EVEN WE, IF I COULD INTERRUPT.
BECAUSE YOU'VE MADE SOME GOOD POINTS ON THIS.
AS IT SITS RIGHT NOW, THEIR PROPOSAL IS APARTMENTS CORRECT.
ARE YOU FOR THAT OR AGAINST IT IN HIS CURRENT FORM WITHOUT ADDITIONAL RETAIL? WELL, THEY'RE SUPPOSED, THEY'VE GOT SOME, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S ENOUGH.
IT'S ALL IN ITS PER CURRENT, UH, PROPOSED, UH, YOU KNOW, FORMAT.
THE ANSWER WOULD PROBABLY BE NO.
SO IF, BUT AGAIN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE OWNERSHIP AND CONDOS, YOU KNOW, HIGH END CONDOS AND A LITTLE MORE RETAIL SPACE, I THINK IT'D BE, UH, PERFECT FOR THAT PLACE.
JORDAN, YOU SURE?
I LIVE IN 11 29, 23 BLOOMINGTON LANE.
UM, WELL I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, BUT MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN KIND OF ANSWERED JUST ONE LITTLE CONFIRMATION.
SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 275 UNITS TO BE RENTED.
UH, NO INTENTION ON SELLING ANYTHING OF THAT.
UM, SO BASICALLY RIGHT NOW, AFTER HEARING ALL THAT IS MORE TO, TO YOU, WHICH IS TO CONSIDER, AS I WAS GOING THROUGH THE PAMPHLETS AND EVERYTHING ONLINE, IT SEEMS THAT ALL OF THIS IS COMPLETELY ON THE IDEA STAGE THAT WE DON'T REALLY COMPLETELY CAN GUARANTEE ANYTHING.
SO, UH, I HOPE THAT WHEN ALL THE COMMUNITIES MEET, THEY START, YOU KNOW, UH, TRYING TO FIND MORE CONCRETE ANSWERS BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE IMPACTS ON ALL THE UTILITIES, WATER, ELECTRICITY, TRAFFIC.
SO WE PROBABLY WILL NEED TO UPGRADE WITH OUR PORTAL, TRY TO SEE, BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE ON THE PROJECT FOR THREE TO FIVE YEARS.
UH, POLICE NEED TO BE UPDATED.
UH, DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A REAL BUSINESS PROPOSAL YET.
UH, WHICH GO TO THE STABILITY OF THE BUSINESS, UH, IN FIVE YEARS.
ARE THEY GOING TO STILL BE ABLE TO HAUL BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PLANNING ON MANAGING THE PROPERTY, THEY'RE PLANNING TO HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE TO DO IT.
SO IN FIVE YEARS THEY COULD JUST SIMPLY SELL IT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT BE CONDITIONS.
ALSO, SINCE THIS COMPANY IS FROM ANOTHER PLACE, UH, ANOTHER COUNTRY, UM, UM, THIS IS THE FIRST INVESTMENT, THEY MAY HAVE MORE EXPECTATION THAT REALITY.
UM, WELL ALL OF THAT TO BE CONSIDERED ON WHEN YOU DO EVALUATIONS TO BE SURE THAT WE CAN HAVE WARRANTIES AND PREVENTING THAT EVERYTHING IS GOING TO GO AND PLAN NO NOW IN FIVE YEARS, BUT IN 20, CAUSE WE CAN SEE ALL THIS APARTMENT COMPLEX AND HOUSTON THAT THEY ARE IN BAD CONDITION.
AND AT THAT TIME WE CAN BE DEALING WITH AN TWO OR THREE OTHER OWNERS THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE PROCESS.
[01:55:01]
THAT IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT ME.AND AS THE NEIGHBOR SAID, WE ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE BY THAT TIME.
SO WE NEED TO THINK CAREFULLY.
NOT ON US, NOT TODAY, BUT WHAT IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION, UH, THE CITY, THE SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED AND THE DISTRICT IS NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THESE KIND OF SITUATIONS.
AND I HAVE BEEN IN FOR THEM FOR MORE THAN A DECADE.
SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT WHATEVER HAPPENED, THE SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE IN A BIG BUNDLE.
BUT ALSO AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T SEE MANY CHILDRENS BECAUSE THIS UNIT ARE GOING TO BE ONE UNIT, WHICH MEAN I ASSUME THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME KIND OF MAXIMUM NUMBER OF EQUIPMENT PER UNIT AND THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE THREE PEOPLE LIVING IN AN ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT AND, UH, ONE BATHROOM.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH THREE UNITS AND ONE BATHROOM BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF, UH, WE HAVE TWO AND WE ALREADY HAVE TROUBLE WHEN WE WERE AT THE FAMILY FARM.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WILL, BUT SINCE THIS IS IN THE PLANNING STAGE, YOU CAN REALLY CHANGE EVERYTHING AND YOU CAN DO COMPLETELY A LOT OF MODIFICATIONS ON EVERYTHING BECAUSE THESE PICTURES ARE NICE, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE ARTISTIC PICTURES.
THEY'RE NOT REAL PICTURES ARE REALLY IS GOING TO BE HAPPEN.
SO MY RIGHT NOW, AFTER HEARING AB SUMMARIZING IS THE POLICY ON YOUR SIDE TO BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ALL INFORMATION AND THAT ALL CONTRACTS ARE DONE IN A WAY THAT, UH, BENEFIT EVERYBODY.
BUT WE NEED TO BE SURE THAT WE, AS WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SOCIETY CHANGE A LOT AND MANY COMPANIES CAN CHANGE THEIR MIND AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AS HAPPEN WITH THE CAR COMPANY BEHIND MY HOUSE, WHICH NOW CHANGE AND IT'S AN EMPTY PARKING LOT.
UH, MARY TOK, MARY UH, NICHOLAS ROMERO.
THANK YOU MS. JOHNSON FOR BEING HERE AND FOR STAYING SO LONG.
I HAVEN'T GONE HOME FROM WORK YET.
IT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO ME TO COME HERE AND NOT GO HOME FROM WORK.
MY HUSBAND AND I HAVE BEEN MEADOW'S PLACE RESIDENCE SINCE 1990.
WE LIVE AT 11 19 22 BROOK MEADOWS LANE.
I SPEAK TO YOU AS A REGISTERED ARCHITECT AND I SPEAK TO YOU AS A BUILDER MOSTLY.
I SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT AS A CONCERNED RESIDENT.
I TRULY THINK THAT THIS IS NOT A GOOD FIT FOR US AS MUCH AS I AM IN FAVOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH, I'M IN FAVOR OF SMART GROWTH.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS DEVELOPMENT IS BETTER FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THE APARTMENTS THAN IT IS FOR THE RESIDENTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE PERFORMER THAT YOU NEED TO MAKE YOUR DEVELOPMENT BE FINANCIALLY VIABLE IS NOT IN ALIGNMENT WHEN THE INCREASED POPULATION THAT IS PALATABLE TO OUR EXISTING MEADOWS PLACE RESIDENTS.
I MIGHT BE WRONG, BUT THAT'S MY OPINION.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE PLACED MORE FOCUS ON THE INTERNAL COURTYARD SPACES OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT AND NOT SO MUCH ON THE EXTERNAL AREAS THAT WE SEE.
IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE THE GRID TO ME, OUR NEW NEIGHBOR WHERE IT FEELS LIKE WE WOULD BE GETTING THE BACKDOOR TREATMENT.
I REALLY DON'T THINK IT'S IN OUR BEST INTEREST.
I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THE, THE APARTMENT DWELLERS WILL DERIVE A BETTER BENEFIT FROM IT THAN WE AS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENT.
BUT I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS JUST TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY.
WHAT'S YOUR ANTICIPATED POPULATION? UH, ABOVE 450.
IT LOOKS LIKE TWO STORIES OF PARKING GARAGE, A MEZZANINE LEVEL THAT'S GOT SOME RING OF APARTMENTS ON IT.
SO A TOTAL OF ABOUT FIVE STORIES.
ARE YOU LOOKING AT ABOUT 55 FEET TALL, KIND OF GETTING A PICTURE WHERE YOU ARE.
THAT MASS AND THAT FOOTPRINT, I TRULY DON'T THINK ARE A GOOD NEIGHBOR FOR US.
AND I DON'T THINK THE INCREASED POPULATION IS GOOD FOR THE SMALL TOWN.
FEEL THAT THAT HAS KEPT MY FAMILY HERE.
WE NEVER INTENDED TO STAY THIS LONG ECONOMICALLY.
WE COULD BE OTHER PLACES, BUT WE LIKE THIS SMALL TOWN
[02:00:01]
FEEL WE, YEAH, I HATE TO SAY IT MAYOR JESS, BUT I'M REALLY SPEAKING YOUR KOOL-AID HERE.MY HUSBAND RUNS, WE SWIM, WE WALK, WE FEEL SAFE HERE AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO FEEL SAFE HERE.
I JUST DON'T THINK YOU'RE THE RIGHT FIT FOR US.
THAT IS, THAT IS THE LAST SPEAKER WE HAVE SIGNED UP.
UM, WE DO HAVE, KELLY'S GOT SOME QUESTIONS AS I'M SURE THE REST OF COUNCIL DOES.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME SPEAK? NATHAN MAYHAN A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE'VE BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT SEVEN, ALMOST EIGHT YEARS.
UM, I JUST DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON MY IPHONE.
I COULD RENT AN APARTMENT AT THE GRID, TWO BEDROOM EIGHT, 900 SQUARE FEET FOR AROUND 2000 BUCKS.
WHY WOULD I COME DOWN THE STREET AND RENT AN APARTMENT FOR 2,500 BUCKS WHEN I'M GETTING LESS SQUARE FOOTAGE AND LESS AMENITIES HONESTLY, THAN THE GRID HAS.
UH, IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE MORE AMENITIES THAN THE GRID HAS AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
BUT I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT'S OUR SUBJECT HERE RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE MUCH BETTER THAN THE GRID HAS.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE FROM THE AUDIENCE? SCOTT? SCOTT HOLLAND.
CHRIS TEXTED ME AND TO REMIND YOU GUYS ABOUT THE POLL, WE'RE WE'RE NOT DONE WITH THE SPEAKERS YET.
HE WANTED ME TO, AND I GUESS SINCE I ALREADY CAME UP HERE, MY ONLY QUESTION IS HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL THE 450.
SO THEY'LL BRING US OVER 5,000 EASILY.
IF WE GET OVER THE 5,000 WILL HOME RULE BECOME AN INTEREST OF THE CITY? AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVEN TALKED ABOUT IT SCOTT, SO FAIR ENOUGH.
SHARON, SHARON LEON, I LIVE ON MEADOWDALE AND UM, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.
AND UH, THE DEVELOPMENT OF WHAT YOU SHOWED IS VERY BEAUTIFUL.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT EVEN THOUGH YOUR PICTURES AND EVERYTHING ARE NOT YOUR OWN, UM, I HAVE LIVED IN THE CITY MOST OF MY LIFE IN HOUSTON FROM CLEAR LAKE TO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MEADOWS PLACE.
SO FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, I STILL WORK IN THE GALLERIA AREA.
SO I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THESE CONCEPTS AND THEY LOOK REALLY NICE STARTING OFF.
AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SAID THIS, BUT AFTER A TIME GOES BY 10 PLUS YEARS, THEY CHANGE DRAMATICALLY.
THEY DO GET SOLD OUT, THEY DO GET OTHER THINGS HAPPEN AND THEY DON'T STAY AS NICE AND THAT DOES IMPACT THE AREA.
SO, AND, AND I SEE IT WHERE, WHERE I'M AT, WHERE A LOT OF THEM LOOK VERY NICE AND THEN YOU CAN CHANGE, SEE HOW THEY CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND HOW EVERYTHING LOOKS AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME AND IT AFFECTS THE AREA.
UM, ONE OF MY MAIN CONCERNS WAS THE WHERE'S THE TRAFFIC? UM, MY MAIN THING WHEN I MOVED BACK TOWARDS THIS AREA, CUZ I USED TO LIVE IN PARK GLEN, WHICH WAS LITERALLY ONE HALF A BLOCK FROM MEADOW'S PLACE AND I COULD THROW A ROCK AND I'D BE IN MEADOW'S PLACE,
SO I BOUGHT A HOUSE AND UM, WENT BACK TO THE CITY, CAME BACK AGAIN WHEN I HAD MY SON TO RAISE HIM HERE.
AND UM, YOU KNOW, I, THE WAY THE CITY IS THE FEEL THE WHOLE BIT AND I TRULY FEEL THAT THIS IS JUST GONNA MAKE IT TOO CONGESTED.
IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO GET OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, FROM WEST AIRPORT TO EVEN, YOU KNOW, IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE PLAYING CHICKEN TO GET ACROSS THE ROAD.
UM, MY SON IS A NEW DRIVER, A NEW VOTER AND UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD FOR HIM TO GET OUT.
HE'LL GO THROUGH DAIRY ASHFORD OR OR OR KIRKWOOD TO GET OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WITH THE EXTRA TRAFFIC, THAT'S NOT GONNA HELP.
[02:05:01]
QUESTION I HAD FOR YOU CUZ YOU KIND OF SEEM TO CONTRADICT A COUPLE DIFFERENT TIMES AND I GET THAT IT'S NOT A COMPLETED CONCEPT OF COURSE YET, BUT YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU SAID IT WAS JUST ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS GENERALLY.WE HAVE UNIT C THERE IF YOU, SO I, I DO SEE THAT YOU HAVE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOME THAT WOULD BE ONE, TWO AND THREE.
SO THERE WOULD BE COURSE MORE THAN OF COURSE.
MORE BEDROOMS IN OBVIOUSLY ONE RESTROOM IS UNREAL OF COURSE, YES.
THAT'S JUST, UH, FOR EXACTLY THE BROCHURE.
UM, CUZ IT KIND OF WENT BACK AND FORTH.
YOU JUST KIND OF SEEMED TO BE SAYING YES TO EVERYTHING
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, A NICE CONCEPT BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER IN ACROSS THE FREEWAY, OVER INTO THAT NEW FACILITY WHERE IT'S MORE RETAIL SPACE, RESTAURANTS AND DIFFERENT STUFF WHERE THEY CAN HAVE WALKING DISTANCE, NOT NECESSARILY FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO OBVIOUSLY IF YOU KNOW ME, YOU KNOW, IT'S A NO
OH AND CHRIST MESSAGE MESSAGED ME AS WELL.
ANYONE ELSE FROM THE AUDIENCE? HOW YOU DOING? I'M AJ ORTIZ, UH, LIVED HERE.
I'M LIVE OVER ON MEADOW HOLLOW.
UM, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED AND A A LOT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN DANCED AROUND AND THROWN AT YOU.
WE WOULD PREFER TO SEE THESE UNITS BE INDIVIDUALLY OWNED, HOWEVER, UM, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, UH, OUR EMPTY RETAIL SPACE AND THERE'S QUITE A BIT HERE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE GONNA BRING IN SOME DEVELOPMENT, BUT LIVING HERE FOR AS LONG AS I'VE LIVED HERE, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF BUSINESSES COME AND GO AND THEY DON'T LAST.
AND I GUESS OUR BIGGEST CONCERN IS FOR THIS COUNCIL TO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION WITH THE BAILED AND, YOU KNOW, RETAIL SPACE THAT WE'VE HAD AND THE LACK OF SUCCESS THAT, THAT I'VE SEEN IN 20 SOME ODD YEARS.
WHAT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE BRINGING, UH, BRINGING 275 PLUS DOORS.
BUT I DEFINITELY AGREE WITH YOU ON AS FAR AS THE RETAIL SPACE GOES.
WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE TOO.
YOU KNOW, WE ACTUALLY, WE WERE THE ONE ASKED FOR A LESS SQUARE FOOTAGE OF RETAIL SPACE.
WE AGREE THE RETAIL SPACE IS NOT GONNA WORK.
I, I STRESSED ABOUT IT BEFORE I SAID I'D RATHER, IF I WAS A CONSUMER, I'D RATHER GO TO GRIDS AND GO EAT THERE THAN DRIVE DOWN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
RIGHT? I MEAN, LET'S JUST ALL AGREE.
IF I'M GONNA SHOP, I ALREADY AGREE ON SOUTHWEST FREEWAY, THEN GO INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT BRING IN 275 UNITS PLUS OUR COMMUNITY, WE NEED LITTLE BIT OF A RETAIL SPACE.
I THINK 20,000, NOT TOO MUCH, BUT YOU KNOW, UM, WE HAVE TO BRING AN ANCHOR THAT'S THAT'S GONNA SOLVE THE PROBLEM AND, AND BRING IN AN ANCHOR.
WILLING TO GIVE IN AS FAR AS THE, YOU KNOW, ONE YEAR OF VERY GOOD RATES, RENT AND STUFF TO SEE IF WE CAN BRING SOMEBODY SOLID IN.
AND I THINK THAT WILL BRING SOME CROWD.
AND, AND I UNDERSTAND AND THAT'S ALL, AND THAT'S PART OF THE MIX.
BUT HOWEVER, LIKE I SAID, LIVING HERE 20 PLUS YEARS, SEEING THE RETAIL STRUGGLE, OF COURSE GOT A LOT OF EMPTY SPACE ALL AROUND.
HOWEVER, THE DRAW HERE IS, IT IS A, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY, FAMILY ORIENTED.
YOU KNOW, PLACE YOU WANT TO CALL HOME.
AND THEN WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SINGLE UNITS, YOU'RE CORRECT, A LOT OF SINGLE UNITS WE'VE SEEN A LOT, DON'T SEE A LOT OF MILLENNIALS OR ANY OF THESE, YOU KNOW, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS WANTING TO COME AND LIVE HERE WHEN THERE'S LIMITED RETAIL IN YOUR FACILITY.
LIMITED RETAIL AROUND HERE AND THEY HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE THAT THESE WERE INDIVIDUALLY OWNED.
HOWEVER, FOR YOU GUYS WITH OUR FAILURE WITH RETAIL, WHY ARE WE INVITING MORE FAILED RETAIL? YOU TWO CLARIFY THAT FOR ME FOR JUST A BIT.
UM, LIVING HERE AS LONG AS I'VE HAD, I'VE SEEN NEXT TO WALGREENS, MANY SHOPS COME AND GO.
WE'VE GOT THE STRIP HERE, MANY SHOPS COME AND GO RESTAURANTS.
AND I UNDERSTAND, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT STRIP CENTER'S FULL NO, I UNDERSTAND.
[02:10:01]
A NUMBER OF YEARS.I UNDERSTAND THE, THE STRIP CENTER BEHIND US IN A DAB THAT IS FULLER COMMITTED AND I'M TRYING TO WORK WITH 'EM RIGHT NOW TO GET THE, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE AN OFFICE SPACE AND WE CAN'T GET IT.
I I, I MEAN, SO CUZ IT'S FULL.
WE DO HAVE A LESS THAN AGGRESSIVE OWNER, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PUT IT UP ON THERE AT THE, BY THE SHELL STATION.
AND I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ACTUALLY, THEY'RE THEY'RE PRETTY FULL.
UH, BUT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT WE HAVE AN ISSUE NOW WHERE, AND EVERYBODY'S GRIPED ABOUT IT, ABOUT HAVING TO PUT UP WITH THE TRAFFIC.
WELL I WANT, YOU MENTIONED YOU'VE BEEN HERE 20 YEARS, TRAFFIC'S INEVITABLE.
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE.
WELL, YOU'RE GONNA DEAL WITH TRAFFIC.
I, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GET USED TO IT.
FORT BEND COUNTY WAS 225,421 IN 19, UH, 20 YEARS AGO AND IT'S NOW 858,527.
SO THAT'S A JUMP OF OVER 600,000 PEOPLE.
SEEMS TO ME THEY'RE ALL DRIVING DOWN AIRPORT.
BUT
I MEAN THE, IT IT IS NOT JUST WE'RE GROWING AND WE'RE TRYING TO STOP GROWING.
IT'S INEVITABLE TRAFFIC'S GONNA HAPPEN WHETHER AND THESE APARTMENTS COME OR NOT, THEY ARE GONNA GO UP AND DOWN AIRPORT AS THEY CONTINUE TO BUILD AROUND US.
BUT THAT EVEN MAKES OUR LOCATION EVEN MORE VALUABLE TO GET THE HECK OUTTA HERE.
NOW SOMETIMES I'VE SCREW UP AND GO DOWN THE WRONG STREET AND GET STUCK TRYING TO GET OUT ON THE AIRPORT AND GO, WHY DID I COME THIS WAY? BUT IT'S UH, WELL IT JUST STICKER THAT WE ALL NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT IS, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S THE WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN, SIR? WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN? IT'S JUST OUR RETAIL AND THE FAILURE.
HOWEVER YOU, THERE IS A LOT OF TURNOVER.
YOU, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THERE'S TONS OF TURNOVER AND YOU DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF GETTING THINGS IN AND OUT OF THERE.
HOWEVER, AS MENTIONED, WE TRIED TO GET H E B BUT THIS WAS NOT A DRAW FOR H E B.
AND I AND I AND I, THAT WAS, THAT'S A LONG SHOT ANYWAY, HOWEVER, I DON'T KNOW AS APARTMENTS, JUST THE WORD APARTMENTS.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA DRAW? WHAT'S GONNA BE THE APPEAL FOR THESE SHOPS TO BE A SUCCESS? AND THEN NOW WE PUT IT BACK ON THE CITY STRUGGLING TO KEEP 'EM FULL AND LET'S JUST THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND AND JUST FOR THE AUDIENCE, THEY ACTUALLY BROUGHT A MUCH DIFFERENT CONCEPT TO US TO START WITH THAT HAD MUCH LESS GREEN SPACE, MUCH LESS RETAIL, AND THE CITY WASN'T REALLY INTERESTED IN THAT CONCEPT.
I JUST WANT TO GO HOME, TERRY.
UH, FROM A DEVELOPER, WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO AND THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE BECAUSE OF THE COST OF LAND, YOU'VE GOTTA PUT SOMETHING UP LIKE THAT.
OR MAYBE A LITTLE MORE RETAIL SPACE AND OWNERSHIP CONDOS, MAYBE EVEN SEVEN OR EIGHT STORIES RATHER THAN FOUR STORIES.
HAVE ENOUGH CONDOS AND, AND, AND DEFINITELY IF THERE ARE MORE THAN A, THAN A A ONE BEDROOM, YOU GO TO TWO BATHROOMS PER, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA HAVE SOME MORE BATHROOMS. OKAY.
WE'LL DEFINITELY CONSIDER THOSE.
BUT I'M JUST, I'M JUST SAYING LOOK AT IT FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
I THINK YOU'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND IF YOU CAN GET THE RIGHT MIX, UH, I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE THE CITY SUPPORTS YOU.
DEFINITELY ONE OF YOUR OPINION.
SO TERRY, YOU WERE AGAINST IT BEFORE.
ARE YOU FOR IT NOW?
I SAID, I SAID I HAD SOME RESERVATIONS.
AND I SAID I NEEDED MORE RETAIL SPACE AND I'M STILL, UH, IN FAVOR OF OWNERSHIP.
THOSE TWO THINGS AS PRESENTED.
AS PRESENTED RIGHT NOW THE WAY IT IS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME CHANGES.
AT THIS POINT I THINK I'M GONNA OPEN IT UP TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
DO ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THEY WISH TO ASK? OKAY.
UM, I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF RESIDENTS TEXT ME WHILE THIS IS GONE.
THEY'RE WATCHING AND EVERYTHING.
UH, ONE OF THE CONCERNS IS, UH, THIS HAPPENED OVER IN PECAN GROVE.
THEY PUT IN SOME REALLY NICE APARTMENTS OVER THERE ON THE GOLF COURSE HIGH END.
AND IT WENT TO SECTION EIGHT HOUSING AND IT WENT KAPU DOWN THE SHA.
WHAT CAN Y'ALL DO TO GUARANTEE OR CAN Y'ALL GUARANTEE IT? I MEAN I DON'T WANT SECTION EIGHT HOUSING COMING TO THESE APARTMENTS AND ALL.
UH, I USED TO LIVE OVER ON WEST BELFORT AND GASNER.
[02:15:01]
WAS HIGH END, NO SPECIALS.WHEN THE OWNER SOLD IT, WE HAD TO GET A FREE MONTH SPRINT OR NO DEPOSIT AND THAT CROWD CAME IN AND THE APARTMENTS WENT DOWN REALLY QUICK AND ALL.
AND I LIKE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HOMETOWN FEELING WE HAVE HERE.
I GREW UP OUT IN SHARPSTOWN AND THEN WENT TO MEMORIAL BUNKER HILL VILLAGE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE TOP 10 NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND ALL FOR INCOMING AND EVERYTHING AND ALL OF IT WAS THE SAME.
WE HAD THE LITTLE, WE COULD GO ALL OVER BUNKER HILL VILLAGE AND NOT WORRY CUZ PARENTS WERE WATCHING MY KIDS RAN AMUCK IN THE MEADOWS.
BUT I KNEW ABOUT IT CUZ EVERYBODY WAS WATCHING AND I GOT THE PHONE CALLS.
THEY SEEMED TO TURN OUT PRETTY GOOD.
THEY WEREN'T THE LEAD OFF STORY ON THE 10 O'CLOCK NEWS TOO OFTEN.
AND UM, I WANT TO KEEP THAT SAME FEEL HERE.
WHAT CAN Y'ALL DO TO GUARANTEE NO SECTION EIGHT HOUSING? IS THERE ANYTHING? I MEAN, UH, AS FAR AS LEGALLY, UH, I HAVE NO IDEA.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW SECTION A, YOU KNOW, WORKS BASICALLY THE ONE WE'RE NOT INTERESTED.
THEY'RE ALL SITTING BY THE POOL IN THE DAYTIME.
WE'RE, WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT INTERESTED.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT IN THAT BUSINESS, SO.
AND THEN ALSO I BELIEVE IN OWNERSHIP.
PEOPLE TAKE PRIDE IN OWNERSHIP.
UH, WE USED TO HAVE WESTBURY SQUARE, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D BE MORE INCLINED TO THE RETAIL STATE PAY STUFF ON THE BOTTOM AND THEY HAD THESE QUIRKY CONDO ABOVE 'EM, BUT IT WAS LIKE OLD EUROPEAN FLAVOR CUZ THEY WERE ALL DIFFERENT ON THE OUTSIDE AND EVERYTHING.
THERE'S A HOME DEPOT, BUT WE USED TO GO THERE ALL THE TIME IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES AND WALK AROUND, GO TO THE ICE CREAM PARLOR, GO TO THE RESTAURANTS, CAME IN IN WESTBURY SQUARE AND WENT DOWN.
BUT I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT WAS STILL SOMEPLACE PEOPLE ENJOYED WALKING OVER THERE.
IT'S CUZ NOBODY COULD SPELL RUMPLE HIMS
UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED SOME NUMBERS WITH PARKING.
HOW MANY PARKING SPACES WOULD YOU HAVE IN THE GARAGE AND HOW MANY WOULD YOU HAVE ON THE STREET AND, AND PARALLEL, WHATEVER IT MAY BE ON THE STREET? NOT A LOT.
I THINK IT'S OVER LIKE 60 TO 80, YOU KNOW, BUT ON THE PARKING GARAGE, UH, AS FAR AS PARKING GARAGE GOES CLOSE TO THOUSAND SPACES.
UM, AND THEN CAN YOU, I KNOW YOU CAN'T GIVE US SPECIFICS NECESSARILY, BUT YOU'D MENTIONED ANCHORS, UH, BUSINESSES.
WHAT TYPE OF BUSINESSES ARE, ARE, WOULD YOU TRY TO GET IN THAT SPACE? RESTAURANTS NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE, RESTAURANTS, IT COULD BE A SUCH AS PET SHOP, UM, YOU KNOW, OR, UM, FITNESS GYM, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY, EVEN THOUGH YOU'LL HAVE YOUR OWN AMENITIES THERE, BUT WE NOTICE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, NO, UH, REAL HIGH END FITNESS GYM AROUND HERE.
ARE, HAVE YOU GUYS TALKED WITH RESTAURANTS? I MEAN, COUPLE COUPLES SUCH AS PANERA BREAD, LIKE FRANCHISES AND STUFF, BUT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, OBVIOUSLY MORE DOOR SPACE.
THAT'S THEIR, THAT'S THEIR BIGGEST CONCERN BASICALLY.
UM, SO I WANNA SAY THAT I'M NOT AGAINST APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
I LIVED IN APARTMENT COMPLEXES BEFORE I MOVED TO THE MEADOWS.
UM, I ALSO WORK FOR A DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, SO I'M NOT AGAINST DEVELOPMENT AT ALL.
I ACTUALLY, UM, WHAT PAYS THE BILLS FOR ME? UM, YOU AND AMAYA.
UM, BUT I DO HAVE CONCERNS WITH THESE AND MOSTLY OUR, YOU KNOW, I MOVED HERE IN 91, SO I HAVE SEEN THE MEADOWS GROW.
EVERYTHING THAT EVERYBODY HAS SAID, YOU DON'T TRULY UNDERSTAND UNLESS YOU LIVE HERE.
UM, AND, AND MY CONCERN IS FOR THE SCHOOL.
UM, I KNOW THE ISSUES THAT THE TEACHERS ARE DEALING WITH, WITH THE, WITH STUDENTS, UM, AND, AND THE CUTS THAT THEY'VE HAD.
UM, AND I DO ALSO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SAY THAT YOU HAVE A ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT, BUT YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY REGULATE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA LIVE THERE.
UM, I DO HAVE A CONCERN, UM, AS FAR AS SAFETY GOES WITH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE WILL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, GET SOME MORE POLICE OFFICERS.
OF COURSE THAT'S HARD FOR US NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID, IT'S HARD TO FIND POLICE OFFICERS RIGHT NOW.
UM, FOR ME PERSONALLY, AGAIN, I'M NOT AGAINST, UM, YOU KNOW,
[02:20:01]
A DEVELOPMENT THERE OF SOME SORT.I WOULD LIKE IT TO BE MAYBE A CONDO, SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE TO OWN, UH, PERSONALLY.
UM, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES IN OUR CITY RIGHT NOW, AND WE NEED TO ADDRESS THEM.
AND, AND WE, WE NEED MORE MONEY.
SO FOR ME, UH, THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT IS, IS FURTHER DOWN ON, UH, ON MY LIST.
UM, I KNOW YOU'VE DONE SOME OTHER PROJECTS, UM, BUT THIS PARTICULAR ONE YOU HAVE NOT DONE.
UM, SO, AND, AND, AND I'M NOT NECESSARILY FAULTING YOU FOR THAT.
EVERYBODY HAS TO START SOMEWHERE.
UM, BUT I'M NOT NECESSARILY INTERESTED IN, IN A, A RESUME BUILDER AT THIS MOMENT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? UM, WHAT GOES THERE IS GONNA BE THERE FOREVER.
AND SO IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT GOES IN THERE IS, IS A QUALITY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHERE I STAND WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, GOING TOWARDS THE MILLENNIALS, THEY'RE NOT COMING TO MEADOW'S PLACE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE DONE SOME THINGS IN THE HEIGHTS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE.
THE MILLENNIALS ARE GOING TO THE HEIGHTS.
THEY DON'T COME OUT TO THE SUBURBS UNLESS THEY'RE READY TO START A FAMILY FOR THE MOST PART.
UM, AND I DO AGREE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE GRID ACROSS THE STREET, UM, THERE IS A LOT OF PLACES THAT YOU CAN GO OVER THERE.
SO, UM, MY CONCERN IS ALSO WHY WOULD THEY NECESSARILY COME TO THE MEADOWS, UM, ESPECIALLY AT THAT PRICE POINT.
UM, SO FOR ME IT'S, I'M NOT NECESSARILY AGAINST A DEVELOPMENT, BUT NOT THIS PARTICULAR ONE AT THIS TIME.
IF WE'RE, UH, IF WE'RE, UH, GIVING OUR SOUNDS LIKE, IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT I, I, UH, I'LL ECHO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT I'VE HEARD AND JUST SAY THAT, UM, WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT IT, I, I THOUGHT, NO WAY.
AND THEN WHEN I LOOKED AT THE COMMERCIAL MIX, I THOUGHT, OKAY, LET'S LOOK AT IT.
UH, I THINK THE MAYOR ALLUDED TO IT EARLIER.
THE FIRST THING THAT SET OFF A RED FLAG FOR ME IS I'M, I'M USED TO LOOKING AT DESIGNS AND BUILDING, WAS THE FACT THAT THE FLOOR PLAN DIDN'T MATCH THE CONCEPT AT ALL.
AND SO IT WAS LIKE, AND THE CONCEPTS WERE KIND OF, WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT IS, HEY, THIS IS A, UH, ONE HAD ALMOST A TOTAL INTERIOR PACKAGE.
I WOULD, I WOULD LIVE THERE IF I COULD.
AFFORDABILITY WAS NOT SURE, BUT THE, THE ONE THAT MADE BEST SENSE FOR THE CITY WAS THE ONE THAT HAD THE RETAIL SPACE ON THE OUTSIDE, HAD THE PARK GARDEN OPEN AREA, UH, SURFACE PARKING, UH, SOMETHING THAT MEADOWS RESIDENTS COULD ENJOY, OR PEOPLE GOING UP AND DOWN WEST AIRPORT WOULD STOP AND, AND GO TO.
UM, I THINK I'M STILL LOOKING FOR MORE OF THE PRESENTATION TO, TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE SOLIDIFIED, BUT I'D HAVE TO SAY MY, MY FEELING TONIGHT IS WOULD BE TO SAY NO.
UH, PART OF IT IS I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF RESIDENTS, BOTH EMAIL AND PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO, UH, THEY JUST HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE CHANGING THE CULTURE OF THIS CITY IN A WAY THAT MAYBE NOT BE POSITIVE.
I, I, I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT, REALIZING HOW MANY CARS ARE ALREADY THERE.
I'M NOT SURE IT WOULD MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE.
UH, BUT FOR ME, I GO SOMETHING THAT TERRY SAID IT, WHEN YOU OWN A PIECE OF PROPERTY, YOU TAKE CARE OF IT DIFFERENTLY.
AND SO FOR ME, IF WE COULD MAKE THIS AN OWNERSHIP, UM, AND WE BRING IN MORE OWNERS TO TOMATOES THAT HAVE A STAKE IN THE CITY, THAT, THAT WANT THE CITY TO GROW AND BE SOLID AND, AND, AND VOTE AND ARE HERE, AND THAT DON'T HAVE KIDS THAT ARE GONNA GO TO THIS SCHOOL THIS YEAR AND ANOTHER SCHOOL NEXT YEAR, IF WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE, ARE, ARE RESIDENTS, LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT ALREADY LIVE HERE, ARE, I, I THINK I WOULD BE, UH, A, A PROPONENT OF IT.
UH, AND THEN THE, THE LAST ONE REALLY WAS, UH, I'M LOOKING AT MY PROPERTY VALUES AND THINKING, IS THIS GONNA MAKE THEM BETTER OR WORSE? AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A COIN TOSS.
IT, IT, IT REALLY IS A, I MEAN, WE HAD, WHEN WE FIRST MOVED HERE, I THINK DOVE MALL WAS STILL OPENING UP STUFF AND IT WAS STILL GROWING.
IT WAS LIKE, HEY, THIS IS KIND OF COOL.
AND AT THAT POINT, SHARPSTOWN AND WESTWOOD WERE BOTH STILL OPEN.
UH, SAME THING WITH MOST OF THE RETAIL HAS NOT DISAPPEARED.
IT'S TRANSITIONED AND BRICK AND MORTAR IS GETTING HARDER AND HARDER.
IT'S NOT WHAT IT WAS EVEN 10 YEARS AGO.
SO FOR ME, RESTAURANTS, CONDOS, SOMETHING THAT THE OWNERSHIP IS WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR.
SO THE WAY IT'S PRESENTED TONIGHT, I WOULD, I WOULD, MY, MY, MY BOAT WOULD BE, NO, YEAH, YOU WANNA DO YOUR, UH, THE WAY IT'S PRESENTED.
[02:25:01]
TONIGHT.UM, I NEED TO SEE MORE OWNERSHIP, RESTAURANTS, STUFF LIKE THAT.
NOT THE, YOU KNOW, APARTMENT CROWD.
I WAS THE APARTMENT CROWD FOREVER, BUT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SEE MY HOME VALUES DROP AND EVERYTHING, SO IT'D BE A DEFINITE NO TONIGHT.
I WENT LAST, LAST TIME, SO I GUESS YOU GET TO GO LAST THIS TIME.
UM, SO IT, IT, I LOVE THE CONCEPT.
UM, MY KIDS, MY FAMILY, WE GO TO CITY CENTER, WE GO TO TOWN SQUARE.
WE, WE GO TO ALL THE PLACES WHERE THE KIDS RUN AROUND.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT, YOU KNOW, AFTER A SWIM MEET, AFTER A BASEBALL GAME.
UM, AND, AND I'VE BEEN VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THIS PROJECT THE WHOLE TIME.
I'VE BEEN ASKING QUESTIONS AND SAYING, HEY, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S CONSIDER THIS.
UH, AND THEN OF COURSE BRING IT TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, THE THING, THE, THE BIGGEST STICKING POINT FOR ME IS OUR SCHOOL.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S A TOUGH ONE.
I HAVE, I'M GONNA HAVE THREE KIDS AT MEADOWS ELEMENTARY NEXT YEAR, UH, WHICH I'M EXCITED ABOUT.
ALL THREE KIDS AT ONE SCHOOL FOR ONE YEAR,
UH, BUT I, I, I SEE THE STRAIN THAT THE TEACHERS HAVE ALREADY.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST BUILT A BRAND NEW SCHOOL.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN GO ADD ANOTHER 50,000 SQUARE FEET TO THE BUILDING TO ACCOMMODATE MORE STUDENTS AND INEVITABLY THEY WILL COME.
UM, WHETHER YOU HAVE A A ONE BEDROOM OR NOT, UH, PEOPLE WILL USE THE ADDRESS.
AND I, I'VE, I'VE READ UP ON A LOT OF THIS NOW BECAUSE IT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO US BY THE RESIDENTS.
IF, IF THE SCHOOL WASN'T MY STICKING POINT, I'D SAY LET'S DO IT.
IT'S BEEN THE FIELD OF DREAMS IS WHAT I'VE CALLED IT FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S LITERALLY A FIELD THAT'S EMPTY AND IT NEEDS TO HAVE SOME USE AT SOME POINT.
UH, BUT THE HEARTBEAT OF THE SCHOOL IS, OR THE HEARTBEAT OF THE CITY IS THE SCHOOL.
AND I DON'T THINK THIS WOULD HAVE A, A GOOD IMPACT ON THE SCHOOL.
UH, SO I'M, I'M THANKFUL FOR Y'ALL'S TIME.
I'M THANKFUL OF COURSE FOR THE PRESENTATION, BUT I'M, I HAVE TO SAY NO.
AND AS FOR ME, UM, I'VE BEEN ON PLANNING AND ZONING OUR CITY COUNCIL FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW.
UM, I'VE VOTED AGAINST DEPARTMENT AT THIS SITE AT LEAST A HALF A DOZEN TIMES.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING THAT WOULD CHANGE MY VOTE.
UM, IF YOU GUYS DO DECIDE TO CONTINUE UNDERSTAND THAT, BECAUSE THIS IS PD, WE WOULD BE SETTING A THRESHOLD FOR THE SALES TAX.
AND PART OF THE PD WOULD BE ANYTIME THAT YOU DON'T MEET THAT PROJECTION PER MONTH.
PD IS PLANNED DEVELOPMENT, BY THE WAY.
NOT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
ANY, ANY, ANY TIME THAT YOU DON'T MEET THAT THRESHOLD, YOU WRITE A CHECK TO THE CITY FOR THE DIFFERENCE.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAD WITH VERUM.
THEY WERE PAYING US $10,000 A MONTH BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T FILL THE RETAIL SPACE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER WOULD BE, WE WOULD NEED TO DETERMINE THAT, BUT THERE WOULD NEED TO BE A GUARANTEE ON THE SALES TAX WITH A PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
IT CAN BE WRITTEN INTO THAT ORDINANCE.
BUT, BUT AS, AS I SAID PREVIOUSLY, WE HAD APPROVED A NINE STORY BUILDING ON THIS SITE.
THE ONLY OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING TONIGHT.
THIS IS THE MOST PEOPLE I'VE EVER SEEN AT A COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT.
ALRIGHT, WELL, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO CLOSE WITH OR NO, I, I'D LIKE TO TAKE EVERYBODY FOR THEIR TIME.
REALLY, THIS IS FOR YOU GUYS MORE THAN THE BUSINESS CONCEPT.
WE WANTED YOUR FEEDBACK, WE WANTED YOUR OPINION.
THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS TO US ACTUALLY, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THIS, YOU KNOW, CATERS YOU GUYS.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S A BURDEN FOR YOU GUYS.
YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE TIME FOR EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW.
AND COUNSEL, I'M MOVING ON TO ITEM TWO.