Sorry for the delay- Summer always gets busy with kids and Scouting events.

Community Development

CDBG reallocated funds to add a few additional amenities to the Mill Street project.  We were dealing with this when I served on CDBG 3 years ago.  Homes sitting lower than the street, ancient sewer and water lines, and residents who didn’t want the city to have additional easement (read- give the city part of their property for wider street and utility lines) made this a difficult project at best.

After looking at this a couple of different ways, city staff finally identified a way to make things work, but it was a matter of putting the funding in place.  CDBG found the revenues without cutting funding from social service groups like CCA, CISNT, and others.

CDBG also asked to move $15,000 to housing rehab that the Department of Housing and Urban Development told them they couldn’t spend on a different project.   I was glad to see both of these adjustments as was council.

Fireside Custom Homes is looking to build a senior community on the corner of Summit Avenue and College Parkway.  These would be detached town homes.  Council approved changing the zoning of the area to allow building.  They look like a great product and I’m glad to see builders starting back up with residential.

The city also received several small parcels of land through the I-35 corridor as a result of TxDOT’s acquisition of properties.  This is typical as the state only wants to maintain what they need for the road.

Edmonds Lane Bible Chapel is expanding and they asked to not build the required screening wall.  Renaissance Village, their neighbor, presented a letter agreeing with the chapel that the wall is not needed as it would also block the view of the village from Edmonds Lane.

New Road and No U Turns Added

Railroad Street is now complete from 121 Business to Hebron Parkway.

The council approved several new ‘NO U-Turn’ areas as a result of  citizen requests and due to the DCTA commuter rail corridor.  These will be on Bellaire at Old Orchard, Hedrick School west driveway, Valley Parkway.  On Justin Road at the Wal-Mart drive.  On Main Street at Edmonds Lane.  On Valley Parkway at the PD driveway and FD driveways.  And finally at 121 Business at Southwest Parkway.

A fairly tame night as council meetings go.  For those looking for the June 18th meeting- I’ll have a write-up later this week.