Agenda Items: Public Hearing and council action on rezoning of Willow Park Church of Christ lot from residential to commercial office; extending City sewer to Broadway Business Park. Executive Session: interlocal agreement between the City of Willow Park and the City of Hudson Oaks for wastewater improvement services; Halff & Asso. Litigation
• Location and Time: El Chico City Hall, 120 El Chico, Suite A, Willow Park, Texas 76087, 6PM
• Agenda packet (in .pdf)
• minutes approved during the next meeting
• Youtube video
• Council debates rezoning, Former Church of Christ property discussed, The Community News, 25 January 2024 [Includes quotes from Willow Park Citizens.]
• Latest Update: 09 February 2024 added Minutes, added WPC Blogs; 29 January 2024; posted 19 January, 2024
Public Comments
None
Agenda Items
2. (See 3.) PUBLIC HEARING: to consider a request for change in rezoning from “Class II: Residential: ‘R-1’ Single-Family District” to “Class III – Business: ‘O’ Office District” for 721 Ranch House Road, Lot 1, Block 1 in the Willow Park Church of Christ Addition, City of Willow Park, Parker County, Texas. #DevelopmentNorth
• Minutes: Public Hearing Speakers: David Laurenzo at 133 Sam Bass Rd., Clifford Voorhees at 116 Sam Bass Rd., Terri Holcombe 108 Sam Bass Rd., Walt Auen at 132 Sam Bass Rd., Gina Prill at 100 Sam Bass Rd., Mary Diedrich at 1101 Stage Coach Trail E., and Rober Heil at 117 Sam Bass Rd all spoke during the public hearing.
3. Discussion /Action: to adopt and ordinance rezoning from “Class II: Residential: ‘R-1’ Single-Family District” to “Class III – Business: ‘O’ Office District” for 721 Ranch HouseRoad, Lot 1, Block 1 in the Willow Park Church of Christ Addition, City of Willow Park, Parker County, Texas. #DevelopmentNorth
• Minutes: To postpone the item to a future meeting.
• Background: The 1.0-acre property located at 721 Ranch House Road is owned by and was operated as Willow Park Church of Christ. The property is now listed for sale. They and their buyer, Aledo Legacy, LLC, have submitted this request for a change in the property’s zoning use from “R-1” Single-Family Residential to “O” Office District for the building’s use as a commercial office.
City Staff has reviewed this request and would like to note the following:
• 1) The City’s Future Land Use Map shows this parcel to be “public/semi-public”, as is designated for schools, churches, and City Hall. [The most recent Future Land Use Map, to be found on the City's website, is in the City's 2014 Comprehensive Plan. Need fact check.]
• 2) Per the current building code, an office building’s occupancy load is far less intense than a church.
• 3) The renovation of this property is required to be permitted through the City, which requires plan review City Ordinances compliance, approval, and on-site inspections. [However, these renovation documents are submitted, reviewed, and approved by the City only; citizens are not notified of this process, unless a citizen specifically contacts the city daily and applies for a Public Records Request for each step in the process. Needs fact check.]
• 4) City Ordinance 14.09.001 [in .pdf] mandates that a “permanent screening fence not less than six (6) feet in height shall be erected prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy on properties zoned “R-3”, “R-4, “O”, “LR”, or “C”, and which abuts on properties zones “R-1” and “R-2” as does this property on two sides.
The P&Z Commission conducted a Public Hearing and heard this zoning change request on January 16, 2024.
• Exhibits:
• Rezoning Application & Attachments
• City Zoning Map [Willow Park City Zoning Map September 2023 in .pdf] & aerial site photo
• Class III – Business ‘O’ Office District” City Ordinance [Residential: ‘R-1’ Single-Family District” in .pdf. / Class III - Business: “O” Office District in .pdf.]
• Recommended Motion: Motion to approve the request for a change in rezoning from “Class II: Residential: ‘R-1’ Single- Family District” to “Class III – Business: ‘O’ Office District” for 721 Ranch House Road, as presented, with the condition that the intensity of all overhead lighting be limited and shielded to not create a nuisance to surrounding residential dwellings.
• Willow Park Civics Blogs >
• WPark Church of Christ neighbors postponed rezoning before it began. Citizen participation protects Citizen rights, posted 25 January 2024
• Q&A meeting, residential to commercial rezoning, Wed, 31 Jan, 11A, City Hall. This issue affects all Willow Park homeowners who don't want a commercial office building as a neighbor. posted 26 January 2024
• Results of Q&A Town Hall, WP Church of Christ rezoning from residential to commercial. Use Planned Development Zoning to implement Citizen changes. posted 06 February, 2024
• Willow Park Civics Research
• Willow Park Civics Blog > Church of Christ, in old residential Willow Park, proposing commercial zoning for new office building.
• The most recent Future Land Use Map, to be found on the City's website, is in the City's 2014 Comprehensive Plan, page 35 (in pdf
4. Discussion/Action: to authorize the city to extend sewer services to Broadway Boulevard. #DevelopmentSouth #WastewaterTreatmentPlant
• Minutes: To postpone the item to the February 13th city council meeting.
• Background:
About September of 2023, Chad and Randall Sears approach Staff requesting water and sewer service to their industrial development located north of E. Bankhead Hwy, within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Willow Park. Staff informed the Sears that for the City to provide public utility services, their property would need to be annexed into the City limits, to which they readily agreed.
Water is currently available next to the site and can easily be extended.
Sewer would need to be run to them from Willow Park Village Lift Station and along E. Bankhead Hwy. to Broadway Boulevard.
The proposed sewer extension is an 8-inch gravity line with 4 manholes to be located on the south side of E. Bankhead Hwy.
Developer Sears would then be responsible for extending the sewer up Broadway Boulevard to their property.
Staff recommends that the council approve extending sewer service from Willow Park Village Lift Station to Broadway Boulevard, not to exceed $400,000.00.
• Exhibits: Map of proposed sewer line route [above in .jpg. in .pdf]
• Willow Park Civics Research
• Willow Park Civics Blog > Bright Lights of Broadway... Broadway Business Parks in Willow Park, posted 01 November 2023
• Willow Park Civics Blog > Wastewater Project: Bankhead Highway Sewer Line posted 01 August 2023
Informational
• Mayor and City Council Comments
• Councilman Contreras thanked the Public Works Director, Michelle Guelker and her staff for their hard work during the freeze ensuring water service continued. He also thanked the city staff for their contributions to the city.
• Councilman Gilliland thanked the residents who attended the meeting and voicing their concerns regarding a zoning change.
• Mayor Pro Tem Young thanked the citizens for attending the meeting regarding the zoning change. She stated the city did receive emails from citizens who were unable to attend the meeting. She also thanked everyone for participating in our government.
• City Manager Comments
• City Manager, Bryan Grimes mentioned he will be attending the SGR Leadership class this week and will also be attending ICSC next week with the Planning and Development Director.
Executive Session
5. Section 551.071 - Consultation with Attorney; interlocal agreement between the City of Willow Park and the City of Hudson Oaks for wastewater improvement services. #WastewaterTreatmentPlant
• Minutes: No action was taken.
6. Section 551.071 - Consultation with Attorney; Halff & Associates Litigation.
• Minutes: No action was taken.
• Willow Park Civics Research #FortWorthWater
• 23 January 2024 City Council Meeting, Agenda Item 6. Section 551.071 - Consultation with Attorney; Halff & Associates Litigation
• 09 January 2024 Council Meeting Agenda Item 12. Section 551.071 - Consultation with Attorney; Halff & Associates Litigation.
• 12 December 2023 Council Meeting, Agenda Item 13 Section 551.071 - Consultation with Attorney; Halff & Associates Litigation.
• Cancelled 28 November 2034 Council Meeting Agenda Item 7. Section 551.071 - Consultation with Attorney; Halff & Associates Litigation
• 14 November 2023 Council Meeting Agenda Item 13. Section 551.071 - Consultation with Attorney; Halff & Associates Litigation.
• Mayor Pro Tem Young reconvened into Open Session at 7:25 pm. A motion was made to approve the filing of the lawsuit against Halff Associates, Inc. Motion made by Councilmember Young, Seconded by Councilmember Runnebaum. Voting Yea: Councilmember Contreras, Councilmember Gilliland, Councilmember Runnebaum, Councilmember Young, Councilmember Crummel
• 24 October 2023 Council Meeting cancelled
• 10 October 2023 Council Meeting cancelled
• 12 September 2023 Council Meeting Agenda Item 11. Section 551.071 - Consultation with Attorney; Halff & Associates Litigation
• 08 August 2023 Council Meeting. Halff & Associates Litigation.
• Willow Park Blog > Council votes to sue designer of Fort Worth Water Project, 27 July 2023
• Willow Park Blog > 18 July 2023 Council Review by The Community News. Council votes to sue water tank designer, 25 July 2023
• 18 July 2023 Special Council Meeting, Executive Session, Halff & Associates possible litigation
• 27 June 2023 Council Meeting, Executive Session Status of negotiations/potential litigation with Halff Engineering
• 13 April 2023 Council Meeting, Executive Session Consultation with Attorney; - Status of negotiations/potential litigation with Halff Engineering
• 28 November 2022 Special Council Meeting, Executive Session, Consultation with Attorney - deliberation about dispute with Halff Associates regarding the Fort Worth Water Project
• 15 November 2022 Council Meeting, Executive Session, Consultation with Attorney - deliberation about dispute with Halff Associates regarding the Fort Worth Water Project
• 12 April 2022 Council Meeting, Executive Session Consultation with Attorney - deliberation about dispute with Halff Associates regarding Fort Worth Water project