Arlington City Council Regular Meeting - January 7, 2025
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Arlington City Council Regular Meeting - January 7, 2025
The Arlington City Council held its regular meeting on January 7, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chamber. The meeting included a special presentation, approval of consent agenda items, public hearings on zoning cases, and citizen participation. All votes were unanimous (9-0) unless otherwise noted.
Special Presentations
- Lieutenant Ana Maslennikov of the Salvation Army presented the Mayoral Red Kettle Challenge Award to Mayor J. Ross for raising a total of $45.45.99 in the 2024 challenge, beating Mansfield.
Consent Calendar
- Executive Session Items: Approved resolutions authorizing condemnation of land for the Division Street TxDOT Sidewalk Project (Resolution 25-001), settlement for fee simple ownership of 1,372 sq ft at 621 W. Division Street (Resolution 25-002), and modification to a pipeline license agreement with ET Gathering & Processing LLC (Resolution 25-003).
- Minutes: Approved the December 17, 2024, afternoon and evening meeting minutes.
- Consent Agenda (Items 8.1–8.14): Approved en bloc, including:
- Renewal of liquid chlorine contract ($955,570)
- Remittance processing hardware/software renewal ($149,471)
- Carpet purchase for Northeast Library ($63,540)
- Chlorine generator for ACTIV pools ($88,654)
- Contract modifications for water treatment plants and sewer relocation (totaling $1,398,579.06)
- Engineering services contract for California Lane Drainage Improvements Phase 2 ($956,464)
- New school zone for Newman International Academy (Ordinance 25-001)
- Zoning cases PD24-21 (Randol Mill Road) and PD16-3R1 (West Harris Road) (Ordinances 25-002 and 25-003)
- Authorizing RFP for third-party administrator (Resolution 25-004)
- Interlocal agreement with City of DeSoto (Resolution 25-005)
- Economic development agreement amendments: First Amendment to Chapter 380 Grant Agreement with Prologis-Exchange TX 2008, LLC, and First Amendment to Performance Agreement with Parks at Arlington, LLC (Resolutions 25-006 and 25-007).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Richard Weber (Arlington resident) opposed Item 8.14 (Economic Development Agreements), stating the Council was refusing to hold developers responsible for deals they signed, particularly the extension of a tax abatement for a developer who had not met terms after nearly five years.
- Karen Blake (Arlington, 2602 Kuykendall Drive) opposed Zoning Case ZA24-8 (Calendar Road), citing concerns about increased density, water pressure, power outages, and lack of outreach from the developer.
- Sue Phillips registered in support of Zoning Case PD23-37 (Pioneer Parkway) but did not speak.
- During Citizen Participation, three speakers addressed non-agenda items:
- Mike O'Donnell promoted Shakespeare Live performances at the Levitt Pavilion (April 3-5, 2025), highlighting educational outreach and partnerships.
- Catherine Coglin donated historical city plans from the 1950s to UTA Special Collections.
- Mary Owens (Rainforest Arlington) urged the city to provide a designated area for homeless individuals, citing concerns about visibility during events.
Discussion Items
- Zoning Case ZA24-8 (7001, 7005, 7007, 7011 Calender Road): Proposed change from Residential Estate (RE) to Residential Single-Family-7.2 (RS-7.2) on 6.26 acres. The applicant, Trevor Truss, presented a plan for 25 lots with minimum 2,500 sq ft homes. Councilmember Gonzalez expressed concern about lack of neighborhood outreach. Karen Blake opposed, stating no developer contact and infrastructure strain. The case was continued to January 28, 2025, by a vote of 8-1 (Councilmember Boxall opposed).
- Zoning Case PD24-29 (2809 Northwest Green Oaks Boulevard): Request to rezone from Community Commercial (CC) to Planned Development (PD) for CC uses plus a car wash, to reinstate a car wash that lost its nonconforming status. The applicant, Luis Hernandez, stated the building would be upgraded. Councilmember Hogg noted existing code violations (canopy, signage) and requested a condition that all signs comply with the Unified Development Code before a certificate of occupancy. The motion passed unanimously, with the condition attached.
- Zoning Case PD23-37 (1600 East Pioneer Parkway): Request for Planned Development (PD) for Neighborhood Mixed-Use (NMU) on 5.4 acres, proposing a five-story building with 13,000 sq ft retail/office and 48 multifamily units, plus a trail connection and green space. The applicant, Audra Buckley, detailed revisions made after feedback from East Arlington Renewal and staff. Councilmembers expressed support, noting the project's evolution and alignment with the International Corridor. The motion passed unanimously.
- Zoning Case PD24-9 (108 Hosack Street): Request to rezone three lots (0.75 acres) to Planned Development (PD) for Residential Medium-Density 12 (RM-12) to allow seven single-family attached and detached units. The applicant, Joyce Stanton, presented plans with drainage improvements and a prohibition on short-term rentals. Councilmember Boxall raised concerns about a masonry fence on Center Street, a corner design issue, and a requested setback deviation. The applicant requested a continuance; the case was continued to January 28, 2025, unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Approved: All executive session and consent agenda items (unanimous).
- Approved (First Reading): Zoning Case PD24-29 (Green Oaks Blvd) with a condition on signage compliance.
- Approved (First Reading): Zoning Case PD23-37 (Pioneer Parkway) for mixed-use development.
- Continued to January 28, 2025: Zoning Case ZA24-8 (Calendar Road) and Zoning Case PD24-9 (Hosack Street) to address neighborhood outreach and design issues, respectively.
- Meeting adjourned at 7:37 p.m.
Meeting Transcript
Well, good evening, everybody, and happy new year. I hope everybody had a blessed holiday season, a very wonderful Merry Christmas, and a happy new year. Welcome back to the Arlington City Council in our first session of twenty twenty five. No better way to start the new year off than inviting our good friend Pastor Gary Hutchinson forward from Grace Community Church to lead us in an invocation. Good to see you, Pastor. Happy New Year to you. So there's this guy who wanted to talk to God. He lived in California. He went to a church. And the pastor said, Well, you have to use the phone in the back. It's the golden phone, and it costs you 10,000 to talk to God. He said, $10,000, forget about it. So he left California. He went and made his way to Arizona. Got to Arizona, he found a church, asked the pastor. He said, I want to talk to God. The pastor says a golden phone in the back. It'll cost you 10,000 dollars to talk to God. He said, $10,000, forget about it. He made his way to New Mexico. Same thing. Golden phone in the back, $10,000. He said, What's up with us? He made it to Texas. He goes to this church in Texas, talks to the pastor, says, I want to talk to God. Pastor says, There's a phone in the back, it'll cost you 10 cents. Talk to God. He said, 10 cents is 10,000 everywhere else. He says, son, you're in Texas now. It's a local call. I say that because now y'all know why we started off with this pastor, all right. Well, you want to just say we aren't blessed. We're a blessed state. We're a blessed city. And a big reason why we're so blessed is because of you and your service. And I just want to say thank you. I want to say thank you for what is most of the time for all of you and your staff a thankless job. A lot of times the only time you hear from citizens is when they complain about something. I know because I've been one of those citizens in the past. But I just want to thank you. And I want to pray God's blessing over you and over our city. Let's pray. Father, thank you for these men and women, Lord, who are willing to serve long hours. Most people don't realize the amount of time and energy they put into it. That's and they get very little thanks for it. It's not glamorous. It's because they care about our city. They care about the people in the city. So I ask you in Jesus' name, Father, would you bless them and bless everything that matters to them? And would you bless Arlington and the residents of Arlington?
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