Minutes June 8, 2004CITY OF DENTON CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
June 8, 2004
After determining that a quorum was present, the City Council convened on Tuesday, June 8,
2004 at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council Work Session Room at City Hall.
PRESENT:
Mayor Brock; Mayor Pro Tem McNeill; Council Members Montgomery, Mulroy,
Redmon and Thomson.
ABSENT: Council Member Kamp
The Council did not meet in a Closed Meeting as listed on the agenda.
The City Council convened in a Special Called Meeting to consider the following:
1. The Council considered adoption of an ordinance on first reading to voluntarily annex
63.32 acres of land generally located west of Swisher Road, and north of Edwards Road in the
eastern section of the City of Denton Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ). The Planning and
Zoning Commission recommended approval (4-0). (Longhorn Development Annexation, ,,104-
ooo )
Larry Reichhart, Assistant Director of Planning and Development, presented the details of the
annexation. Two public hearings had already been held. This was the first reading of the
ordinance with the final reading to be held at the end of the month with a public hearing.
The following ordinance was considered:
FIRST READING
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS, ANNEXING
APPROXIMATELY 63.32 ACRES OF LAND CONTIGUOUS AND ADJACENT TO
THE CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS, LOCATED WEST OF SWISHER ROAD AND
NORTH OF EDWARDS ROAD, IN THE EASTERN SECTION OF THE CITY OF
DENTON EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION IN THE GIDEON WALKER
SURVEY, ABSTRACT NO. 1330, DENTON COUNTY TEXAS, BEING A PORTION
OF THAT CERTAIN CALLED 88 ACRE TRACT OF LAND CONVEYED TO
BONNIE E. COONROD AND WIFE MARY LOU COONROD AS RECORDED IN
VOLUME 432, PAGE 194, DEED RECORDS OF DENTON COUNTY, TEXAS;
APPROVING A SERVICE PLAN FOR THE ANNEXED PROPERTY ;PROVIDING A
SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. (A04-0001)
McNeill motioned, Thomson seconded to adopt the ordinance on first reading. On roll vote,
McNeill "aye", Montgomery "aye", Mulroy "aye", Redmon "aye", Thomson "aye" and Mayor
Brock "aye". Motion carried unanimously.
Following completion of the Special Called Meeting, the City Council convened in a Planning
Work Session.
1. The Council received outcome statements and held a discussion regarding Sustainable
Development.
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June 8, 2004
Page 2
City Manager Conduff stated that he would answer Council's questions regarding sustainable
development or was available for comments.
There was no discussion on this item.
2. The Council received a report and held a discussion on desired outcomes for
Neighborhoods.
Dedra Ragland, Comprehensive Planning and Research Manager, presented information
regarding neighborhoods. She stated that one aspect of neighborhoods was sustainability, which
was needed in order to have cities continue to thrive. She reviewed the neighborhood succession
model that had three phases - design and development; stability; and maturity and decline.
Recommendations included in the staff report were: (1) continue to perform neighborhood small
area planning; (2) utilize overlay districts and develop an infill development policy; (3) continue
to work with universities to perform collaborative planning with the city and surrounding
neighborhoods; (4) enhance neighborhood service programs by providing funding and staffing to
implement educated and active neighborhoods and to mobilize resources and re-establish
neighborhood enhancement grant programs; (5) enhance code enforcement pace program by
providing adequate funding and staffing to implement the initiative; (6) continue to support
economic and community development activities; and (7) enhance the COPS program by
providing funding to continue program initiatives in Southeast Denton, Owsley and Fry Streets.
Jorg Mast, UC Urban, presented information on their South of 7th Project. The project involved
an urban village in the central city of Fort Worth. He reviewed the site characteristics, some of
which included the location, the fact that it had very little frontage on 7th Street and the railroad
cut through the development. The project was a public/private partnership with federal funds, a
local match, which allowed for improvements in the area such as pedestrian bridges and hard and
softscape improvements in Trinity Park. Townhouses, a hotel, a retail center, multifamily were
included in the proposal.
Council discussion included:
· Consideration of downtown Denton multimodal transportation station and parking in
the area.
· Denton needed to strengthen its core as much as possible.
· A role the city could play beyond parking would be to provide developable sites for
urban density quality development.
· The effectiveness of rail service in Dallas/Fort Worth.
· Combine train stations with good urban development.
· Bring as much residential as possible into the core as it was good for retail business.
· Discussion on small area plans-what plans were in place, pending and potential - Fry
Street and Denia were the only approved plans.
· The Conservation District on Bell Avenue had been approved as well as the
Downtown Small Area plan.
· Overlay versus infill - should be in conjunction with each other.
· Quality of life should be considered however development progressed.
· Small area plans needed to be flexible and not rigid.
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June 8, 2004
Page 3
· What was the status of the infill policy-staff responded that at the last council meeting
staff was directed to amend the impact fee ordinance and study small parcels to
determine what action was needed. No consensus was listed by council that a new
infill policy was needed. Additional direction might be needed.
· More than one set of regulations would be needed for infill development depending
on site selection - standards so that Planning Department would be able to approve
the proposals and if not, then go to Council.
· A full discussion on code enforcement was needed such as what the department was
currently doing, resources dedicated to code enforcement, code rangers similar to Fort
Worth's project, neighborhood help and training on enforcement code.
· Develop expectations of neighborhoods to assist the city as well as expectations the
neighborhoods had for the city.
3. Suggestions for Agenda Committee on future agenda items and/or placement of items for
upcoming agendas.
This item was not discussed.
With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:35 p.m.
EUL1NEBROCK
MAYOR
CITY OFDENTON, TEXAS
JENNIFER WALTERS
CITY SECRETARY
CITY OF DENTON, TEXAS