Arlington City Council Regular Meeting - March 24, 2026

The Arlington City Council convened on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting included special presentations, approval of consent agenda items (with one item continued), public hearings on zoning and alcohol variances, several first-reading ordinances, and a development agreement. Citizen participation featured numerous speakers advocating for the release of a detained Arlington resident.

Special Presentations

• Mayor Jim Ross recognized winners of the 2026 Turn Around Don't Drown poster contest.
• Proclaimed March 2026 as American Red Cross Month, noting more than 220 Arlington volunteers, 25 disaster relief operations, 900+ blood units collected in 2025, and 1,700+ residents trained in CPR/AED.
• Proclaimed March 24, 2026, as Oakridge Varsity Championship Day, honoring the school's boys' varsity football and girls' varsity volleyball teams for winning 2025 Southwest Preparatory Conference titles.
• Geraldine Mills (Arlington Historical Society) introduced artist Keisha Smith, who presented a limited-edition 150th anniversary commemorative print (150 prints, $30 minimum donation).

Consent Calendar

• Approved (9-0): All consent agenda items except Item 8.13 (Woodland West Aquatic Center), which was continued at staff request. The approval included the revised site plan for Item 8.15 (2102 Prestonwood Drive – Secondary Living Unit) after clarification that the development plan had an oversight but the revised version was documented in the staff report.
• Items approved: 8.1 (MiTel VoIP phone system maintenance, $111,000), 8.2 (fire extinguisher/suppression systems, $230,000), 8.3 (IT temporary personnel, $1,250,000), 8.4 (plumbing services renewal, $220,000), 8.5 (water billing printing, $280,418), 8.6 (motor maintenance for water utilities, $169,147), 8.7 (PFAS instrumentation, $436,071), 8.8 (rifle-resistant body armor, $154,631.34), 8.9 (unmanned aircraft radar system, $254,341), 8.10 (radar detection software, $1,600,000 over 5 years), 8.11 (city tower chillers repair, $146,300), 8.12 (Shadow Drive sanitary sewer design modification, $235,807), 8.13 (continued), 8.14 (Liquitek SUP amendment), 8.15 (Secondary Living Unit SUP with revised plan), 8.16–8.36 (resolutions including capital budget amendments, financial policy revisions, grants, trail naming, etc.).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Item 8.15 (2102 Prestonwood Drive): Laura Matthews and Ryan Matthews (adjacent property owners) appeared in opposition. They argued that the development plan did not accurately reflect the structure's placement (setbacks of 7 feet from property line vs. 10 feet minimum, and 10 feet from primary dwelling—actual distance about 10 feet), and that the height (15 feet 8 inches) would tower over neighboring yards. Staff clarified that the revised site plan moved the structure closer to the pool side and that the 7-foot side yard setback meets the city's 5-foot minimum.
• Item 11.1 (Alcohol Variance, 1606 West Randol Mill Road): Applicant Roberto Nunez and owner Parvinder Sidhu spoke in support. The applicant stated the previous owner received a similar variance in 2015, and the current owner (since 2022) intends to remodel the property. Councilmember Hogg raised concerns about property cleanliness and credit card skimming history. The owner stated he would upgrade the store if beer/wine sales were approved.
• Item 11.4 (109 West Rogers Street – Short-term rental): The applicant was not present due to family health issues; the item was continued without public testimony.
• Citizen Participation (14 speakers): Multiple speakers (including Anthony Bridges, Omar Khattab, Maryam Uddin, Janna Ismail, Zainab Ali, Yara Ismail, Justin Alcarado, Miles Karsh, Nicole Pomales, Mark Sempello, Nasra Fidow, Shukri Hussein, Walla Omer, and Saba Shaw) urged the council to pass a resolution calling for the release of Arlington resident Yacoub Ira, a DACA recipient detained by ICE since October 2025. Speakers described his community contributions (photography, martial arts teaching, CPR training) and argued his detention was retaliatory for protected speech. No council action was taken on the request.

Discussion Items

• Item 6.1 (Eminent Domain – Arshia, Inc.): Approved (9-0) a resolution authorizing condemnation of a 4,003 sq. ft. right-of-way easement at 415 North Collins Street for the Entertainment District Sidewalk Phase 3 project.
• Item 6.2 (Settlement – Flores Commercial Estates LLC): Approved (9-0) a resolution authorizing settlement for a 3,170 sq. ft. sanitary sewer easement at 1140 West Main Street for the Main Street (Cooper to Davis) Water & Sanitary Sewer Improvements project.
• Item 11.1 (Alcohol Variance – 1606 West Randol Mill Road): Denied (1-8). The applicant sought a variance to reduce the 300-foot distance requirement to 85 feet from a public school (Wimbish Elementary) for off-premises beer/wine sales at a convenience store. Councilmember Ross voted in favor; all others voted nay.
• Item 11.2 (PD25-23 – 2301 North Collins Street): Approved first reading (5-4). The applicant (Asad Kothari) requested a Planned Development (PD) for Community Commercial uses plus a billiard parlor and package liquor store. Councilmembers Ross, Galante, Gonzalez, Pham, and Odom-Wesley voted aye; Hunter, Piel, Boxall, and Hogg voted nay. The project includes a 3,000 sq. ft. liquor store, Tesla superchargers, and a 2,000 sq. ft. coffee shop.
• Item 11.3 (ZA26-01 – 300 West Park Row Drive): Approved first reading (9-0). Rezoning from Office Commercial to Residential Medium-Density (RM-12) for eight townhomes for sale by Housing Channel, a nonprofit affordable housing developer. The land will be deeded by Grace Lutheran Church. The project includes owner-occupancy requirements and HOA restrictions on rentals.
• Item 11.4 (PD20-22R1 – 109 West Rogers Street): Continued (8-0) at the mayor's motion due to the applicant's family health emergency. The request is to allow short-term rentals as a permitted use in the existing PD.
• Item 12.1 (Appointment of Part-Time Municipal Court Judges): Approved first reading (8-0). Appoints Vicky Hafer and Glenn Strickland as part-time associate judges, terms from April 7, 2026, to April 6, 2028, to replace a resigning judge.
• Item 13.1 (Development Agreement – Wolverine Interests, LLC): Approved (7-1). Authorizes a development agreement for a mixed-use project in downtown Arlington with minimum 248 multifamily housing units, 15,000+ sq. ft. commercial space, and a 300-space parking garage. Councilmember Hogg voted nay.

Key Outcomes

• Eminent domain authorized for sidewalk easement (Resolution 26-087).
• Settlement approved for sewer easement (Resolution 26-088).
• Consent agenda approved (36 items, 1 continued) with revised site plan for 8.15.
• Alcohol variance denied (1-8).
• PD25-23 (liquor store) approved on first reading (5-4).
• ZA26-01 (townhomes) approved on first reading (9-0).
• PD20-22R1 (short-term rentals) continued.
• Part-time judges appointed on first reading (8-0).
• Wolverine development agreement approved (7-1).
• Next steps: Second readings for items 11.2 and 11.3 will be scheduled; Item 11.4 will return when the applicant is available; the consent agenda items effective immediately upon approval.