FLOWER MOUND PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION MEETING OF JULY 28, 2008
Vice Chairman Wallace said he appreciated everyone’s patience as they went through the process of going line by line on SMARTGrowth. He thought it was their duty as a planning and zoning commission to evaluate these types of projects against what was in their Code of Ordinances. In the final analysis, he only saw three failures for SMARTGrowth, and two of those were in Environmental Quality. Given they qualified as an economic development, incentives could be allowed, and they could request waivers from those two, so it really came down to one, which was the arterial and collector links. That one link was Morriss, because everything else was a state road and exempt from SMARTGrowth. So, the question in his mind was whether they voted to deny this project with all the benefits and value of the hospital, and the destination aspect of it, the high quality retail, the restaurants, the cafes, the amenities being the river walk and Central Park, the jobs, the reforestation, the revenue, the tax base, and the TIRZ impact. He was sorry, but one failure on SMARTGrowth for that one link on that one road to him was not worth denying this whole project.
This was an excerpt from a P&Z commission meeting last summer. Its amazing that even then the commissioners and future town council members used the word failure several times. The fact that allowing The Riverwalk project to be approved would go against most principles of the towns holy grail, Smartgrowth. There are only 2 real aspects that exist today, The Hospital and Morriss Road.
Unfortunately, they chose to exempt RiverWalk from the realm of SmartGrowth but when it came to Morriss, the reason for any talk of it was because SmartGrowth REQUIRES proper infrastructure improvements because of RiverWalk. Shouldn't the words SmartGrowth be exempt from any mention of anything that has to do with RiverWalk? Its only fair.
I have heard the argument that whats the big deal. Once 2499 and 1171 are complete and improvements to 407 and all the other, pardon the expression "concrete" town road projects are complete, there won't be that much traffic on a 6 lane Morriss Rd. You wouldn't believe who uttered that statement if I told you, so I won't.
The idea of high end retail and restaurants and cafes and the countless jobs that will be created out weigh all of this. Maybe in 10 years when our economy improves we will see that. But being able to get MORE cars, MORE trucks to the Champs Elysees of Flower Mound? Is that what matters?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Okay, I'll bite... who made that statement? Are you protecting the innocent or the guilty? Hehe...
ReplyDeleteI can't say, but quesses are allowed.
ReplyDeleteJeff Tasker?
ReplyDeleteShould the road near the hospital be a round about to better manage all that traffic? It works in Paris!!
ReplyDeleteDoes the exempting of the SMARTGrowth Plan for Riverwalk set a precedent for future developers? After all, if you waived all that bothersome infrastructure nonsense for Cole, shouldn’t you do the same for me? It’s only fair.
ReplyDeleteI am confused. Wallace said there were only 3 elements of SMARTGrowth that Riverwalk was in volation with?
ReplyDelete2 environmental issues
Morriss Rd traffic capacity
And that they could have applied for waivers to the 2 environmental issues (if SMARTGrowth had not been removed)? Please correct me if I don't have this right.
And, argh, that damn hospital. Almost everyone wants a hospital in Flower Mound (me included), so it was really smart of Cole (and others) to include it as a package deal with the Riverwalk. A lot of people were willing to give up a lot more because they wanted the hospital so badly.
What were the environmental issues that violated smart growth? Nothing like sacrificing our fragile eco system in order to get a Macaroni Grill.
ReplyDeleteI know there are a lot of passionate people out there with the Morriss cause on both sides. I don't want a 6 lane by my home either. But I am afraid that the council will vote it in anyway. Can we come up with alternative idea's that would work. I wrote this to the town council and I'm posting it here as an idea. It may be a bad idea, but it's an idea. Can others come up with any other idea's? Also I saw in the messenger today that the elderly in Flower Mound have no public transportation. That is sad that we deprive our elderly and I think this may be a future solution to give the elderly a mode of transportation and some freedom.
ReplyDeleteDear Mayor Smith, Mr Dixon, Al Filidoro, Mike Wallace, Jean Levenick, Tom Hayden,
I understand there is quite a bit of talk about Morriss Road being turned into a six lane highway. From everything I've read, it appears that this is being proposed and financed by a developer who would like to put in a River Walk in Flower Mound. I think a River Walk is a very nice idea.
I live in Flower Mound and I like it here. I have always considered it, and called it, a "Brady Bunch Community" as I've watched parents, walking their children to school, encouraging participation in sports and other activities that are family oriented. Personally, other than it being a "Brady Bunch" community, I do not see much else interesting about Flower Mound. It's a plain non-discript town like most others.
I like the idea of bringing businesses to town to give it flavor, but I hesitate allowing those businesses to encourage things to happen to the town that may cost a child's life and diminish the quality of life in this town. I do believe that there is a compromise that might, in conjunction with the new River Walk, put this town on the map as part of a destination.
This is where I propose a trolley system. Since the developer is financing a change, this is a change that would discourage increased fossil fuel use, could be self sufficient and give the town some flair. A road is boring and ugly. A trolley is fun, turns heads and gets smiles, and is a method of public transportation that can be added onto for other destinations like shopping in Flower Mound and Highland Village as well as Grapevine Mills, Downtown Grapevine, Bass Pro, Gaylord and The Great Wolf Lodge. This system would bring people into Flower Mound that might not add it to their vacation agenda normally. Put the trolley right down the middle of Morriss. Speaking for myself, I will probably drive to the River Walk once just to see it and I doubt I'll go again. But if I could walk out and get on a Trolley and ride to the River Walk for dinner or shopping, I would frequent it. Also, if liquor is being served, riding a Trolley home after dinner and drinks is a lot safer than getting behind the wheel of a car and navigating a six lane highway.
Since I'm on the safety issue, I am concerned about how many residential side streets with already poor visibility, feed onto Morriss. We would then be asking our inexperienced drivers 15 - 18 years old to navigate getting to and from their homes on a regular basis with more of a challenge and danger. I think it's a great possibility that one or more of those young people will die on Morriss trying to go to and from school or work. Is their life worth the six lane to the developers River Walk? Or can we find an alternative.
I've heard someone else mention a trolly car but if it only goes up and down Morriss Road - how would it benefit the entire town. Also, the story in the paper about public transportation broke my heart. I saw Mr. North riding his bike on 1171. We need to do something for this family and others in our community as well. Does anyone know a dealership that might be willing to donate a car for this family? His child goes to the same school my child goes to. Yes, I know this is about Morriss Road but this family could use our support.
ReplyDeleteAs someone stated in a previous post, the riverwalk is being sold to us as a walk to work type of place. So yes, then why do we need to expand this road especially since again retail and restaurants are not even a guarantee? Why would I need to to go the Riverwalk? There is no reason to visit it unless I'm going to the hospital.
It has come to my attention that my name has been referenced on this blog a few times recently. I am not the person who posted under the anonymous heading that Bob Butler referred to and I am not the person who made the statement referenced by Kim. I am disappointed that Kim has not clarified this "guess" already since failing to do so implies that the guess is correct. If I post on this Blog I will use my real name as I am doing now.
ReplyDeleteWelcome to the boards Mr. Tasker! I look forward to gaining your insight on these issues now that you are no longer a town council member.
ReplyDeleteJeff Tasker said...
ReplyDelete“It has come to my attention that my name has been referenced on this blog a few times recently. I am not the person who posted under the anonymous heading that Bob Butler referred to and I am not the person who made the statement referenced by Kim. I am disappointed that Kim has not clarified this "guess" already since failing to do so implies that the guess is correct. If I post on this Blog I will use my real name as I am doing now.”
At least I got you to register using your real name as I have always done. Welcome back (this time for real) Citizen Tasker. And if I might add, relax a little bit, we like to jest from time to time on here. Being serious all of the time is boring and not good for your health.
My apologies to Mr Tasker, I should have noted after that guess that I was not correct. It was not Jeff Tasker who said that. I will not reveal who did say it either. Again, Im sorry.
ReplyDeleteI believe the word failure used in the context of failing smart growth.
ReplyDeleteFailure is failure in any context.
ReplyDeleteKim what page of that document was this on? It seems the city likes to post images instead of proper pdf files which makes reading them next to impossible due to their size.
ReplyDelete