[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:03]
I NOW DECLARE THAT THE PLAINTIFF CITY COUNCIL IS RECONVENED IN AN OPEN SESSION THAT ALL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT.
WE'LL BEGIN TONIGHT'S REGULAR MEETING WITH THE INVOCATION LED BY PASTOR JULIAN MCMILLAN WITH GRACE CHURCH PLANO AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AND TEXAS PLEDGE LED BY BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, TROOP THREE 80 WITH ST.
WOULD YOU PLEASE RISE? LET US PRAY.
DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, I THANK YOU FOR THIS MOMENT AND WHEN I PRAY, GOD, THAT THOSE IN THIS ROOM, YOU'RE WITH US TODAY.
LORD, I THANK YOU FOR THE CITY OF PLANO THAT IT'LL CONTINUE TO BE A SAFE, VIBRANT, AND SUSTAINABLE CITY.
I PRAY THE RESIDENTS AND THOSE WHO VOLUNTEER AND SERVE AND LEAD WILL HAVE YOUR STRENGTH AND WISDOM AND YOUR HEALTH.
LORD, I PRAY YOU BLESS THE CITY, OUR CITY MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND I PRAY THAT AS THEY STRIVE TO LEAD THE CITY OF PLANO WITH EXCELLENCE, THAT YOU WILL SHOW THEM YOUR WAYS, TEACH 'EM YOUR PATH, AND LEAD THEM.
THANK YOU, LORD, FOR YOUR WISDOM AND PROTECTION.
IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY, AMEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL UNDER THE TEXAS FLAG, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE VOICES ONE GOD AND INDIVISIBLE.
OKAY, I GOT MORE I BACK HERE AND I'LL GET HERE.
[Presentation: The Salvation Army of North Texas is presenting the results of the 2023 Mayors Red Kettle Challenge.]
OKAY, SO OUR FIRST, UH, PRESENTATION IS THE SALVATION ARMY OF NORTH TEXAS IS PRESENTING THE RESULTS OF THE 2023 MAYOR'S RED KETTLE CHALLENGE.SO I'D LIKE TO CALL FORWARD LIEUTENANT MARCUS BACCA, SALVATION ARMY OF PLANO, AND DOMINIQUE NOHE FROM SALVATION ARMY OF NORTH TEXAS.
I'LL HAND THE MIC OVER TO YOU.
THANK YOU FOR US HERE TONIGHT.
UM, IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME, I'M LIEUTENANT MARCUS BAKA, AND THIS IS MY COLLEAGUE DOMINIC NOEY.
UM, I'M HERE TO PRESENT THE RESULTS FROM, UH, THE 2023, UM, MAYORAL RED CATTLE CHALLENGE, UM, HEADED UP BY MAYOR MUS.
SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY FIRST YOUR LEADERSHIP MAYOR MUS EVEN INSPIRED THE LUCAS MAYOR, MAYOR JIM OAK, TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS, UM, THIS CHALLENGE AS WELL ALONG WITH YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, DURING THAT TIME.
SO WE ARE PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THROUGH ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS, YOU HAVE RAISED $3,467 AND 33 CENTS IN DONATIONS FROM THE PLANO AREA.
AND, UM, MYSELF AND DOMINIC ARE HERE.
WOULD YOU GRAB THOSE OUT OF THERE DOMINIC? TO PRESENT TO MAYOR MUNZ AND THE, THE REST OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS A CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION FOR YOUR HELP DURING THIS,
[00:05:01]
UH, RED KETTLE CHALLENGE.AND WE ARE ALSO HONORED TO PRESENT THE FIRST PLACE AWARD IN THE MAYORAL RED KETTLE CHALLENGE, UM, WITH THE MAYOR AND THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND THE FIRST PLACE AWARD GOES TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER RICK SMITH, UM,
SO WE HAVE A, A SPECIAL BELL FOR YOU, RICK.
WE WANT TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS.
YOUR EFFORTS THROUGH THE BELL RINGING AND THROUGH YOUR VIRTUAL KETTLE RAISE $943.
ONCE AGAIN, WE WANT THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR PARTICIPATING AND HELPING THE SALVATION ARMY HELP THE CITIZENS OF PLANO, UH, TO RAISE MUCH NEEDED FUNDS FOR THE CITIZENS THAT MAY BE FACING POVERTY OR THAT MAY BE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER SITUATION THEY'RE FACING IN THE CITY OF PLANO.
WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MARY MUNZ.
WE THANK YOU AS ALWAYS FOR JOINING IN THE FIGHT, UM, AGAINST THE SITUATIONS THAT THE CITIZENS OF PLANO MAY FACE.
THANK YOU FOR THE SALVATION ARMY.
OH MY GOSH,
[Proclamation: February is Black History Month.]
UH, THE BEGINNING OF, UH, THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY, 2024 IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH, AND WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR THAT, AND WE WILL, UH, UH, BE PROUD TO DISPLAY THIS, UH, ACTUALLY ALL THE TIME, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.WHEREAS BLACK HISTORY MONTH HAS BEEN AN ANNUAL UNITED STATES CELEBRATION SINCE THE BICENTENNIAL IN 1976 WITH A PURPOSE TO PROMOTE THE MANY CULTURAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS MADE BY BLACK MEN AND WOMEN ACROSS THE NATION.
WHEREAS THE CITY OF PLANO TAKES PRIDE IN THE MEMBERS OF OUR BLACK COMMUNITY AND HONORS ORGANIZATIONS, FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN DESCENT IN APPRECIATION OF THEIR INVALUABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS CITY.
WHEREAS BLACK HISTORY HAS A RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE IN PLANO, BEGINNING IN THE 1860S WHEN ANDY DRAKE BECAME THE FIRST BLACK MAN TO SETTLE IN PLANO.
AFTER RECEIVING HIS AB UH, HIS FREEDOM TOGETHER WITH MO STIMSON DRAKE FOUNDED A COMMUNITY NAMED AFTER ABOLITIONISTS FREDERICK DOUGLAS.
SINCE THAT TIME, THE AREA ALONG US 75 SOUTH OF 15TH STREET HAS BEEN KNOWN AS THE PLANO DOUGLAS COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE PROUD THAT DESCENDANTS OF THAT DRAKE STIMSON FAMILY STILL RESIDE IN THESE SPECIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHEREAS WE ENCOURAGE ALL TO DISCOVER THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND SACRIFICES BY AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS HERE IN PLANO AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
NOW, THEREFORE, I JOHN B MUS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF PLANO, TEXAS DO HEREBY PROCLAIM FEBRUARY, 2024 TO BE CELEBRATED AS BLACK HISTORY MONTH AND APPRECIATION OF THE MANY ACHIEVEMENTS OF PLANO AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF EXCELLENCE.
[CONSENT AGENDA]
ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.THE CONSENT AGENDA, THE CONSENT AGENDA WILL BE ACTED UPON IN ONE MOTION AND CONTAINS ITEMS WHICH ARE ROUTINE.
AND TYPICALLY NON-CONTROVERSIAL ITEMS MAY BE REMOVED FROM THIS AGENDA FOR INDIVIDUAL DISCUSSION BY A COUNCIL MEMBER AT THE CITY MANAGER, OR ANY CITIZEN.
THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL ESTABLISH TIME LIMITS BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF SPEAKER REQUESTS.
WE APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEMS
[00:10:01]
B, N, AND P TO BE USED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.I HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH THE EXCEPTION OF B, N AND P, PLEASE VOTE.
[(b) RFQ No. 2023-0513-B for a contract for a Cultural Arts Plan for the Special Projects Department to The Cultural Planning Group, LLC in the estimated amount of $297,520; and authorizing the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.]
B.APPROVAL OF AN RFQ NUMBER 2023 DASH FIVE 13 B FOR A CONTRACT FOR A CULTURAL ARTS PLAN FOR THE SPECIFIC, OR EXCUSE ME, FOR THE SPECIAL PRODUCTS PROJECTS DEPARTMENT TO THE CULTURAL PLANNING GROUP LLC IN THE ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF 297,520 IN AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS, MAYOR I PULLED ITEM BI UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY IS PREPARED TO MAKE A PRESENTATION.
UM, I WOULD LIKE AFTER, UH, ASSUMING THIS ITEM PASSES FOR US TO GET A TIMELINE OF, OF THE EVENTS TO TAKE PLACE AFTER WE HAVE THIS CONSULTANT ON BOARD.
BUT MOSTLY I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS.
I HAD THE, I HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING WITH COUNCIL MEMBER RICK ELLI, UM, PREVIOUSLY AND CURRENTLY WITH MAYOR, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM TWO, UH, AS A LIAISON COUNCIL LIAISON TO THE CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION AND GROWING UP IN PLANO WITH PARENTS WHO HAD SEASON TICKETS TO THE REPERTORY THEATER AND ACTUALLY VOLUNTEERED AT THE, THE CULTURAL ART CENTER WHEN IT WAS IN THE RIVER WALK AT COL CREEK MALL.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WATCHED ALL THESE THINGS KIND OF GO FULL CIRCLE TONIGHT.
I UNDERSTAND THE PLANO SYMPHONY IS PUTTING ON A PRESENTATION AT OUR BEAUTIFUL NEW PISD FINE ARTS BUILDING TO TELL US ABOUT THEIR NEW SEASON THAT WILL BE TAKING PLACE IN PLANO.
AND SO I JUST REALLY WANTED TO PULL THIS BECAUSE TO ME THIS IS A VERY MOMENTOUS TIME, UM, FOR PLANO TO BE DOING WHAT A LOT OF OTHER CITIES HAVE ALREADY DONE AND PUT INTO PLACE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE ARTS.
AND WE ARE BRINGING ON BOARD A CONSULTANT TO, TO HELP US DO THIS.
WE'VE ASSIGNED A TASK FORCE, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TEM TWO, AND I DID TO, UM, HELP MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING INPUT FROM ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE CITY.
UM, WE DID HAVE A LITTLE, A A FEW PEOPLE THAT REACHED OUT WONDERING WHY WE DIDN'T HAVE MORE OF THE ARTS COMMUNITY MEMBERS ON THAT TASK FORCE.
AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO RECEIVE EVERYONE'S INPUT AND WE DO INTEND TO REACH OUT TO ALL OF THE ARTS GROUPS AND MEMBERS.
UH, BUT WE ALSO WANTED A VERY OBJECTIVE, UH, GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS TO, TO SERVE AS A SOUNDING BOARD THAT MAYBE ISN'T QUITE AS ALREADY AWARE OF THE ARTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE, UH, IN PLANO.
SO, UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO AREN'T AWARE, THE MONEY IS COMING FROM OUR HOT TAXES, WHICH ARE OUR HOTEL SALES TAXES, WHICH CAN ONLY BE USED ON CERTAIN ITEMS. UH, IN PARTICULAR, IT'S THE IDEA IS TO ATTRACT BUSINESS TO PLANO, UM, CULTURAL ENRICHMENT, ECONOMIC IMPACT, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, UH, EDUCATION AND LIFELONG LEARNING, HEALTH AND WELLBEING, TOURISM AND BRANDING, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.
AND ONE THING I REALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT AS PLANO IS MATURING AND WE'RE GETTING TO A POINT OF LESS THAN 2% OF, OF GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT AVAILABLE.
IT'S JUST SO IMPORTANT THAT WE ARE VERY MINDFUL, UH, IN OUR REDEVELOPMENT EFFORTS AS TO HOW WE, HOW WE, UH, INCLUDE THE ARTS IN THAT.
AND I FOUND, UH, ONE ITEM REFERENCING URBAN REVITALIZATION AND HOW IMPORTANT INVESTING IN THE ARTS CAN BE TO SERVE AS A CATALYST FOR URBAN REVITALIZATION EFFORTS, CULTURAL DISTRICTS, PUBLIC ART INSTALLATIONS, ART FOCUSED REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS CAN BRING BREATHE NEW LIFE AND TO NEGLECTED AND UNDERUTILIZED AREAS, ATTRACTING INVESTMENT AND SPURRING FURTHER DEVELOPMENT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHY, ESPECIALLY AT THIS STAGE IN PLANOS MATURING GROWTH, UM, THAT THE ARTS IS SO IMPORTANT TO US.
AND I HAVE TO PAY TRIBUTE HERE TO MICHELLE, WHO'S STANDING IN FRONT OF US AS OUR DOWNTOWN MANAGER.
SHE HELPED US, UH, GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR, UH, HISTORIC ARTS DOWNTOWN DESIGNATION.
AM I REFERRING, AM I CULTURAL, CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION WITH THE STATE? THANK YOU.
AND SO WHILE WE DO RECOGNIZE OUR DOWNTOWN AS A ARTS DISTRICT, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT PLANO IS ENJOYING THE ARTS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY.
IS THERE ANYTHING, MICHELLE, YOU MIGHT LIKE TO ADD TO THAT? I THINK YOU SUMMED IT ALL UP.
UH, DO YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR ME? NO, UM, WHAT SHE SAID, AND I MOVED
[00:15:03]
I HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND TO APPROVE, UH, ITEM B ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE VOTE.[(n)
To approve an Economic Development Incentive Agreement between the City of Plano, Texas, and Sysgration America Corporation, a Texas corporation (“Company”), providing an economic development grant to the Company; and authorizing the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
]ITEM N, ITEM N TO APPROVE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF PLANO, TEXAS IN CISION AMERICA CORPORATION, A TEXAS CORPORATION PROVIDING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GRANT TO THE COMPANY AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS.SO I'M OPPOSED TO COUNCIL GIVING MONEY TO COMPANIES ON PRINCIPLE BECAUSE IT IS ECONOMIC FASCISM, BUT Y'ALL KEEP PASSING FASCISM AS PART OF THE DEAL FOR THIS DEAL.
WE GIVE 2,000,400, 3,975 TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO ACCOMPANY IN EXCHANGE FOR THEM TO REDO A BUILDING AND HIRE 152 JOBS.
THAT COMES TO $15,815 AND AROUND 63 CENTS PER EMPLOYEE.
ALSO, THE EMPLOYEES DON'T HAVE TO COME FROM PLANO, THEY CAN COME FROM 14 OTHER COUNTIES AROUND THE PROPERTY.
FROM THE TOP OF GRAYSON COUNTY TO THE BOTTOM OF ELLIS IS 142 MILES FROM PARKER COUNTY.
ALL THE WAY TO HUNT IS 142, UH, ALSO A HUNDRED NO, 146 MILES, I BELIEVE.
WHERE, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DRIVE ON? IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO THIS DEAL, SHORTEN THE MILES WHERE THE EMPLOYEES CAN COME FROM SO THAT AT LEAST MORE RESIDENTS OF COLLIN COUNTY CAN GET THIS, AND NOT ALL FROM ALL 17 COUNTIES.
WELL, UH, I WANT TO THANK MS. GROSMAN FOR, FOR RAISING THOSE POINTS.
UH, I AGREE THAT BECAUSE JOBS ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, NECESSARILY GOING TO PLANO RESIDENCE, THAT'S NOT USUALLY MY PRIMARY MOTIVATOR IN THESE AGREEMENTS.
AND AS EVERYONE HERE KNOWS, I, I, UH, VOTED AGAINST ONE OF THESE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, I THINK JUST LAST MEETING, BUT, UH, THIS ONE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, UH, GENERATES, UH, 4 MILLION AND SOME DOLLARS OF, OF TAX REVENUE TO THE CITY OF PLANO, WHICH MEANS THAT EVEN THOUGH I, I, I AGREE WITH MS. GROSSMAN, I DON'T LOVE THAT THIS IS THE REALITY OF HOW THESE THINGS WORK.
I WISH CITIES JUST COMPETED ON THEIR OWN MERITS AND NOBODY WAS GIVING TAXPAYER MONEY TO COMPANIES BECAUSE THEN, UH, IT COULD STAY IN TAXPAYER'S POCKETS OR BE USED FOR VITAL PUBLIC SERVICES.
THAT BEING SAID, IF WE DON'T DO THAT BECAUSE OTHER CITIES ARE DOING THAT, UH, WE WOULD, WE WOULD LOSE THESE BUSINESSES TO OTHER CITIES.
AND IN THIS CASE, UH, WE END UP ON NET EVEN AFTER THE INCENTIVE WITH A COUPLE MILLION MORE DOLLARS COMING INTO THE CITY, THEN ARE GOING OUT.
AND THAT MEANS THAT IF WE DIDN'T DO THIS AND THIS COMPANY WENT TO ANOTHER CITY THAT WAS WILLING TO GIVE THEM AN INCENTIVE, UH, WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE ABOUT $2 MILLION LESS REVENUE, UH, FOR THE CITY, AND WE AS TAXPAYERS WOULD, WOULD HAVE TO FILL THAT GAP.
I WISH THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE WOULD CHANGE IT, BUT THIS IS THE, THE RULES THAT WE'RE PLAYING UNDER.
AND IF WE DON'T GET THIS BUSINESS HERE, UH, WE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE TO PAY MORE TAXES AS TAXPAYERS BECAUSE THAT TAX REVENUE WOULD GO TO A DIFFERENT CITY THAT'S, THAT'S WILLING, UH, TO GIVE THAT INCENTIVE.
SO I, I AGREE THAT IT'S NOT, UH, A PERFECT WORLD, BUT IT'S, IT'S BETTER, UH, THAN THE ALTERNATIVE BECAUSE WE COME OUT AHEAD, UH, AS TAXPAYERS.
SO WITH THAT, I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE.
AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM N, PLEASE VOTE.
MOTION PASSES EIGHT TO ZERO ITEM P,
[(p)
To approve the addition of the Retail Revitalization Program policy statement to the City of Plano Economic Development Policy for Economic Development Incentives; and providing an effective date.
]ITEM P ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE ADDITION OF THE RETAIL REVITALIZATION PROGRAM POLICY STATEMENT, UH, TO THE CITY OF PLANO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE
[00:20:01]
DATE.THANK YOU, UH, MR. MAYOR, I PULLED THIS ITEM, UH, BECAUSE, UH, I THINK THIS IS A, A, A GOOD PROGRAM WITH GOOD GUARDRAILS, UH, INCLUDING COMING BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.
UH, BUT, UH, IT'S ONLY A PART OF THE PUZZLE.
UH, AND SO, UH, I WANTED TO DISCUSS WHAT WE COULD ADD TO IT IN THE FUTURE, UH, TO, UH, TO FURTHER BOLSTER OUR EFFORTS TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF DETERIORATING, UH, RETAIL FOUR CORNER RETAIL AND BIG BOX RETAIL ALL OVER THE CITY OF PLANO.
UM, AND, UH, ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE, UH, WHEN IT GETS TO, UH, TO LISA, BUT IF, IF YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO PUT IT UP SO THAT EVERYONE CAN FOLLOW ALONG.
I'VE GOT A LITTLE, UH, UH, HANDOUT TO KIND OF TALK WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT HERE.
BUT ANYWAY, DID YOU, DID YOU NOT WANNA MAYBE DO A, A WORK SESSION ON, ON THIS? OH, OH, YEAH.
OR, OR EVEN PUT IT ON THE RETREAT AGENDA? ABSOLUTELY.
I WAS, I THINK THESE ARE ALL REALLY GOOD, BUT I, I, I DEFINITELY WANT ALL OF US TO KIND OF BRAINSTORM ON, ON POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, FOR SURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OTHER BUSINESSES AND HEALTHCARE AND ALL THESE OH, YEAH.
WELL, I, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL JUST, UH, SKIP TO THE, THE PROPOSAL THEN.
BASICALLY, I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US, UH, LOOK AT AN INCREASE, UH, IN THE EMPHASIS ON THE CHANGE OF USES, NOT JUST, UH, GETTING, YOU KNOW, DETERIORATING RETAIL TO BE NICER RETAIL, BUT TO CHANGE USES TO THINGS THAT ARE NOT RETAIL.
AND SO I, I HAD SOME, SOME IDEAS ON HERE, UM, ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT.
UM, I, I DO, I DO THINK WE SHOULD PUT THIS ON, YOU KNOW, A FUTURE WORK SESSION OR, OR RETREAT AGENDA, BUT IN ORDER TO, UH, MAKE THAT, UH, I, I GUESS PREPARE US FOR THAT DISCUSSION, I, I WAS GOING TO PROPOSE THAT WE GIVE, UM, UH, SOME DIRECTION TO THE STAFF ON, UH, ON HOW TO BRING THAT BACK, I GUESS.
AND SO, UM, UM, I, I GUESS ON THE FIRST ONE, IT'S A LITTLE SPECIFIC, I'LL BRING THAT BACK AT THE WORK SESSION OR RETREAT, BUT I WOULD JUST LIKE US TO ASK THAT THE STAFF, UH, BRAINSTORM, UH, CHANGES OF USE, UH, INCLUDING, UH, DATA CENTERS THAT, THAT I THINK SOMETIMES COULD BE A PARTIAL ANSWER TO THIS.
UM, BUT, UH, ALSO EVALUATING, UH, OTHER CHANGES OF USE AND KIND OF LOOK AT WHAT DIFFERENT USES ARE FEASIBLE FOR EXISTING RETAIL STRUCTURES, BOTH FOR CORNER RETAIL AND BIG BOX IN PLANO.
AND THEN BRING THAT BACK TO THE COUNCIL SOMETIME IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AT A WORK SESSION OR A RETREAT SO THAT COUNCIL COULD DISCUSS WHAT CHANGES OF USE MIGHT BE DESIRABLE TO PUT IT INTO THE POLICY.
MAYOR, I, I JUST WANNA ASK ANTHONY A QUESTION.
SO, UM, ITEM P HAS TO DO WITH THE CURRENT POLICY ADOPTION.
SO ARE, ARE YOU ASKING FOR ADDITIONS, UM, TO BE ADDED TODAY, OR ARE WE, ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS IS FINE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, BUT LOOKING AT, UM, MORE POLICY CHANGES AT A ANOTHER BRAINSTORMING SESSION? WHAT ARE YOU ASKING? OH, THANK YOU.
DEPUTY AMERI PROTE, THE LATTER.
I, I, I WAS ABOUT TO MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF THIS, UM, BUT, UH, ALSO ASK THAT THE COUNCIL GIVE DIRECTION AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE START DOING THE HOMEWORK ON WHAT IS THE NEXT PIECE OF THIS POLICY LOOK LIKE, HOW DO WE BROADEN IT TO INCLUDE CHANGE OF USES AND NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST MAKING THE, THE EXISTING RETAIL, UH, YOU KNOW, NICER OR BROUGHT UP TO, TO CURRENT STANDARDS.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I, I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS AS IS, AND THEN TO ALSO ADDITIONALLY GIVE, UH, DIRECTION TO STAFF TO START DOING THAT HOMEWORK TO PREPARE FOR A DISCUSSION IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS ON HOW WE CAN BROADEN THIS TO LOOK AT WHAT USES WE COULD, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT CHANGING EXISTING RETAIL INTO.
SO I'LL SECOND THAT, AND I'LL ALSO SECOND THE, UM, PROPOSAL, JUST LIKE WHAT SHELBY JUST DID ABOUT, UM, PUTTING SOME OF THESE BRAIN BRAINSTORMS ON POLICIES AT OUR NEXT, UM, UH, I GUESS GET TOGETHER SESSIONS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT, I THINK THERE WAS ONE OF THEM THAT YOU, UH, YOU WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE RETREAT, THE STREAM BANK, AND THEN WE'LL PUT IN THE, UM, THAT, AND WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT THAT, THE FUTURE SESSION.
WELL, I, I THINK, I THINK THAT'S GREAT.
SO, UH, YEAH, I WILL, UH, TO THE EXTENT THAT MODIFIED MY MOTION, I WILL, I WILL MAKE THAT MOTION AND APPRECIATE YOUR SECOND.
THE, THE, THE, THE RETAIL STREAM BANK OMNIBUS MOTION.
I HAVE A MOTION, A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM P, PLEASE VOTE.
[(1)
Public Hearing and consideration of an Ordinance as requested in Zoning Case 2023-005 to amend the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance of the City, Ordinance No. 2015-5-2, as heretofore amended, rezoning 89.1 acres of land located on the west side of the Dallas North Tollway, 305 feet north of Park Boulevard in the City of Plano, Collin County, Texas, from Regional Commercial to Planned Development-Regional Commercial and repealing Ordinances No. 2023-10-4, 2001-2-31, 2001-5-13, and 2001-6-27 for the purpose of rescinding Specific Use Permits No. 56, 434, 444, and 448 for Private Club; directing a change accordingly in the official zoning map of the City; and providing a penalty clause, a repealer clause, a savings clause, a severability clause, a publication clause, and an effective date. Petitioner: Centennial Waterfall Willow Bend, LLC, The Neiman Marcus Group, LLC, Macy’s Retail Holdings, LLC, and Dillard’s, Inc.
]PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS, APPLICANTS ARE LIMITED TO 15 MINUTES PRESENTATION TIME WITH A FIVE MINUTE REBUTTAL IF NEEDED.
REMAINING SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO 30 TOTAL MINUTES OF TESTIMONY TIME WITH THREE MINUTES ASSIGNED PER SPEAKER.
PRESIDING OFFICER MAY AMEND THESE TIMES AS DEEMED NECESSARY NON-PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. PRESIDING OFFICER WILL PERMIT PUBLIC
[00:25:01]
COMMENT FOR ITEMS ON THE AGENDA NOT POSTED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING.THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL ESTABLISH TIME LIMITS BASED UPON THE NUMBER OF SPEAKER REQUESTS AND LENGTH OF AGENDA, AND TO ENSURE MEETING EFFICIENCY AND MAY INCLUDE A CUMULATIVE TIME LIMITS SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED IN THE ORDER.
THE REQUESTS ARE RECEIVED UNTIL THE CUMULATIVE TIME IS EXHAUSTED.
ITEM NUMBER ONE, PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION OF AN ORDINANCE AS REQUESTED IN ZONING CASE 2023 DASH FIVE TO AMEND THE COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE OF THE CITY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2015 DASH FIVE DASH TWO AS HERETO FOR AMENDED REZONING.
89.1 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE DALLAS NORTH TOLLWAY, 305 FEET NORTH OF PARK BOULEVARD IN THE CITY OF PLANO, COLLIN COUNTY, TEXAS, FROM REGIONAL COMMERCIAL TO PLAN DEVELOPMENT, REGIONAL, COMMERCIAL, AND REPEALING ORDINANCES, 2023 DASH 10 DASH FOUR, 2001 DASH TWO DASH 31, 2001 DASH FIVE DASH 13, AND 2001 DASH SIX DASH 27.
FOR THE PURPOSES OF RESENDING.
FOR SPECIFIC USE PERMITS, 56 4 34, 4 44, AND 4 48 FOR PRIVATE CLUB.
DIRECTING A CHANGE ACCORDINGLY IN THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE CITY AND PROVIDING A PENALTY CLAUSE, A REVEALER CLAUSE, A SAVINGS CLAUSE, A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, A PUBLICATION CLAUSE, AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
GOOD EVENING, MAYOR, COUNSEL AND EXECUTIVES.
I'M CHRISTINA DAY, THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING HERE TO PRESENT TO YOU, UH, THE ZONING CASE, 20 23 0 5, UH, FOR THE SHOPS OF WILLOW BEND MALL.
SO ON THE SCREEN BEFORE YOU, YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF EXHIBITS.
THE FIRST SHOWS YOU THE PROPERTY THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF REZONING.
UH, THIS INCLUDES THE NOTICE AREA, THE 200 FOOT BUFFER, AS WELL AS A 500 FOOT BUFFER COURTESY NOTICE THAT IS PART OF OUR ORDINANCE.
ADDITIONALLY, YOU HAVE AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH SHOWING YOU THE, UH, LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT ON THE PROPERTY AND THE SURROUNDING ADJACENT PROPERTIES.
SO THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF, OF THE REQUEST.
UM, AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE GRAPHIC THAT WE'VE PROVIDED HERE, UM, THE COLORED BITS ARE REALLY THE PIECES OF PROPERTY WHERE REDEVELOPMENT IS ANTICIPATED.
UH, THE BLACK AND WHITE AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN UNTOUCHED, UM, WITH THE PLAN THAT THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING.
SO THE ZONING IS INTENDED TO FACILITATE THIS AMOUNT OF REDEVELOPMENT.
SO, UNLIKE OTHER MALL REDEVELOPMENTS THAT WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH IN TOWN, THIS IS NOT KIND OF A WHOLESALE OR ALMOST WHOLESALE CHANGE OF THE SITE.
THIS IS COMPARATIVELY A, A MUCH, UH, A SMALLER YET REALLY SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE TO THIS SITE.
UH, SO IT DOES INCLUDE DEMOLITION OF OVER HALF A MILLION SQUARE FEET OF THE EXISTING MALL AREA AND MODIFICATION TO PARKING AREAS.
UH, HOWEVER, IT WILL RETAIN A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF THE EXISTING MALL AS WELL AS ANCHORS.
UH, THE MALL ANCHORS, THREE MALL ANCHORS, TWO SMALLER RETAIL BUILDINGS, THE DISTRICT, WHICH IS A NEWER ADDITION TO THE PROPERTY AND THE THREE PARKING STRUCTURES REDEVELOPMENT SHOWN IN, UH, THE REDEVELOPMENT OR NEW DEVELOPMENT TO THE PROPERTY INCLUDES AN 18 STORY HOTEL.
I KNOW IT'S SOMEWHAT HARD TO SEE THE COLORS THERE, BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHAT, UH, I'VE GOT HERE IN BLUE.
YOU'VE GOT MIXED USE, UH, A SEVEN STORY MIXED USE BUILDING WITH OFFICE ABOVE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL.
RED ON THE PLAN INDICATES RETAIL BUILDINGS, ONE TO TWO STORIES.
ORANGE ARE FIVE STORY MIDRISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, AND A SINGLE THREE STORY MULTI-FAMILY BUILDING.
YOU'VE ALSO GOT A, A STREET SYSTEM INTERNAL TO THE SITE, AND, UH, 10 ACRES OF USABLE OPEN SPACE THAT WE'LL HAVE MORE DETAIL ON LATER.
SO, DISCUSSION POINTS THAT I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH RATHER QUICKLY, BUT BE GLAD TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ARE THE ADDITION OF HOUSING CHANGES TO HEIGHT AND SETBACKS, DESIGN STANDARDS, STREET SCAPE, OPEN SPACE, INCLUDING PHASING THE INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITY AND INCLUDING TRAFFIC AND CONFORMANCE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THIS GRAPHIC ALSO DETAILS, UH, MUCH MORE ON THE OPEN SPACE AREAS, UH, GREEN
[00:30:01]
BEING ACTUAL GREEN SPACE, YELLOW, THE INTERNAL ACTIVE AREA WITHIN THE MALL THAT WILL REMAIN AND PINK INDICATING, UH, THE STREET INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S PROPOSED.SO THE ADDITION OF HOUSING, UH, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS AT 965.
THIS INCLUDES, UM, TWO NUMBERS THAT DON'T ADD UP BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH A, A MAXIMUM, BUT THIS IS KIND OF AN EITHER OR SCENARIO.
UM, IT WILL BE, UH, EITHER 957 MID-RISE OR INDEPENDENT LIVING UNITS AT FIVE STORIES MAXIMUM.
AND THEN ALSO AN ALTERNATIVE TO DO 43 TO FOUR STORY MULTIFAMILY UNITS THAT ON THE CURRENT PLAN ARE SHOWN TO WRAP AN EXISTING GARAGE.
ALL OF THESE UNITS ARE LOCATED OUTSIDE THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AREA ALONG THE DALLAS NORTH TOLLWAY.
THE OPEN SPACE IS REQUIRED WITH EACH RESIDENTIAL PHASE, AND I GET INTO THAT DETAILS OF THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IN THE PRESENTATION.
SINGLE FAMILY WAS RECOMMENDED, AND PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD WITH THE DEVELOPER WAS TO ADD, UM, WHAT WE SETTLED ON WAS REALLY THESE 40 TOWNHOUSE STYLE MULTIFAMILY UNITS THAT RESEMBLE, UH, AGAIN, TOWN HOMES LINING THAT MULTI THE PARKING GARAGE WAS WHAT WE SETTLED ON, UH, THERE AS A, AS A COMPROMISED POSITION.
SO RESIDENTIAL USES AND EXPRESSWAY CORRIDORS WERE DISCUSSED, UH, QUITE A BIT BEFORE THE APPLICATION CAME IN.
AND SO IN ORDER TO AVOID, UH, PLACING RESIDENTIAL USES AS A SENSITIVE USE ALONG THE, UM, TOLLWAY FRONTAGE, UM, THAT WAS JUST AVOIDED TOGETHER.
AND THAT IS NOTED WITHIN THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
BUILDING HEIGHT IS ANOTHER SENSITIVE ISSUE.
THE CURRENT ZONING DISTRICT ALLOWS 20 STORIES IN HEIGHT.
UM, HOWEVER, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RECOMMENDS ONE TO FIVE STORIES IN HEIGHT IN THIS LAND USE CATEGORY.
SO AS A COMPROMISE HERE, UH, THERE ARE TALLER BUILDINGS ALONG THE TOLLWAY FRONTAGE 725 FEET IS THE LINE INDICATED BY THE DASHED RED LINE ON THE SCREEN.
SO THIS WILL ALLOW TALLER BUILDINGS CONSISTENT WITH THE EXISTING REGIONAL COMMERCIAL ZONING ALONG THE TOLLWAY FRONTAGE, AND THEN A TRANSITION TO A SUBURBAN CHARACTER WITH THE SUBURBAN ACTIVITY CENTER.
UH, BEYOND THAT RED LINE AND CLOSER TO THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS FURTHER WEST, IT IS LIMITED TO FIVE STORIES IN HEIGHT, DESPITE THE EXISTING, UH, REGIONAL COMMERCIAL ZONING THAT WOULD ALLOW SOMETHING TALLER THAT IS BEING LIMITED BEYOND THAT POINT TO FIVE STORIES IN HEIGHT.
ADDITIONALLY, I'LL NOTE THAT CONSISTENT WITH OUR EXISTING STANDARD, FA, A APPROVAL WILL BE REQUIRED ON ANY SITE PLANS TO UPDATES TO THE SITE.
SO THERE ARE SOME CHANGES TO SETBACKS FROM THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, AND THOSE ARE NOTED BY COLORATION ON THE EXHIBIT.
UM, INTERNAL STREETS HAVE A MORE, UH, MIXED USE FORM WHERE YOU'LL SEE A 15 FOOT SETBACK FROM THOSE INTERNAL STREETS.
THE STANDARD 50 FOOT SETBACK IS MAINTAINED EVERYWHERE YOU SEE PINK.
AND THEN AS THERE'S NO, UM, PARKING OR ANYTHING BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE HOTEL, UH, THE HOTEL BUILDING AND THE TOLLWAY FRONTAGE THAT'S REDUCED TO 30 FEET, THE PARKING IS ALL IN THE BACK.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S A 40 FOOT SETBACK ON THE BUILDING THERE AT THE CORNER OF PLANO PARKWAY AND CHAPEL HILL THAT'S PROPOSED.
AND THAT IS TO, UH, ALLOW THEM TO UTILIZE THAT SITE MORE EFFICIENTLY, BUT ALSO STILL PRESERVE THE TREES.
THAT WAS A EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION ON, YOU KNOW, HOW COULD WE PRESERVE THE EXISTING TREE CANOPY THAT WAS THERE.
SO BUILDING DESIGN STANDARDS ARE QUITE EXTENSIVE IN THE PLAN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, TALKING ABOUT ARTICULATION AND DESIGN, UH, SOME CONCEPTS OF MATERIALS, UH, WRAPPING PARKING STRUCTURES, SETBACKS AND REQUIRING BALCONIES FOR RESIDENTIAL UNITS.
UH, OPEN SPACE, THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR 10 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE IN THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, AND SEVEN ACRES HAS TO BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, ALTHOUGH THERE IS PRIVATE OPEN SPACE ALSO REQUIRED INTERNAL TO THE MULTIFAMILY UNITS.
[00:35:01]
UM, IT IS PHASED AND ON THE OPEN SPACE PLAN, THAT IS 13% OF THE SITE.SO THE PHASING IS DONE IN ZONES AND IN PHASE ONE, THE OUTLINE OF YELLOW IS WHAT IS REQUIRED WITH THE FIRST PHASE, AND THEN THE PURPLE OUTLINE THAT'S NEAR THE TOP OF THE SCREEN.
THAT OPEN SPACE AREA IS REQUIRED IN THE SECOND PHASE, AND THAT WILL BE BUILT WITH EITHER THE MULTIFAMILY UNITS THAT ARE KIND OF TO THE RIGHT, UM, LOWER RIGHT OR TO THE LOWER LEFT.
IT DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, HOW THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO, UH, PHASE THEIR DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
BUT, UM, THE YELLOW OPEN SPACE IS INTENDED WITH THE UNITS ON THE HARD CORNER OF PLANO PARKWAY AND CHAPEL HILL.
AND THEN THE INTERNAL DEVELOPMENT WILL HAVE THE OPEN SPACE THAT'S OUTLINED IN PURPLE.
THEN THE REMAINDER OF OPEN SPACE IS REQUIRED WITH ANY ADDITIONAL UNITS.
THE INTERNAL STREET WORK STREET NETWORK IS BASED ON THE CITY'S NEW STREET STANDARDS TYPE G MIXED USE DESIGN.
THERE WILL BE STREET TREES, WIDE SIDEWALKS AT SEVEN FEET ON STREET PARKING.
A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS WAS PROVIDED.
THE CITY'S, UH, UH, TRA TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING STAFF IS HERE.
UM, SHOULD YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, THERE ARE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
THERE ARE TURN LANES THAT ARE INDICATED IN THERE AS WELL AS A REVIEW OF SIGNAL TIMING.
ADDITIONALLY, UH, OF NOTE, AS FAR AS INFRASTRUCTURE CAPACITIES, WASTEWATER, UH, THERE ARE SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONAL OFFSITE WASTEWATER IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE LIKELY TO BE REQUIRED DUE TO CHANGES IN DEMAND.
SO THAT IS ANTICIPATED AS A FUTURE ENGINEERING STUDY AND DETAILS ARE FORTHCOMING.
SO WITH REGARD TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THIS IS A SUBURBAN ACTIVITY CENTER, I BELIEVE I MENTIONED EARLIER ON THE FUTURE LAND USE MAP.
AND IT IS, I'LL JUST NOTE, A PORTION OF THE SUBURBAN ACTIVITY CENTER, NOT THE ENTIRETY.
IT INCLUDES OTHER PROPERTIES OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE MALL AREA.
SO A SUMMARY, YOU'LL SEE, IT DOES MEET THE DESCRIPTION OF AND, AND PRIORITIES.
THE MIX OF USES IS, UH, NOT MET.
UH, IT DOES PARTIALLY MEET CHARACTER DEFINING ELEMENTS.
UH, BUT THE PROPOSAL IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER MAPS AND THE REDEVELOPMENT OF REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION POLICY, AS WELL AS TWO OF THE FIVE, UH, REDEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT POLICIES LISTED.
UM, IT IS NOT COMPLIANT WITH ONE AND PARTIALLY MEETS TWO OTHERS.
SO WE DID NOT HAVE ANY SIGNED LETTERS FROM WITHIN THE 200 FOOT NOTICE BOUNDARY.
HOWEVER, WE DID HAVE QUITE A FEW, UH, RESPONSES ONLINE OR OTHER LETTERS SUBMITTED FROM SURROUNDING AREAS WITHIN THE CITY.
WE HAD 64 UNIQUE RESPONSES, 17 IN SUPPORT, ONE THAT WAS NEUTRAL AND 46 IN OPPOSITION.
UH, WE ACTUALLY HAD A TOTAL OF 80 RESPONSES, HOWEVER, UH, SOME OF THEM WERE DUPLICATE RESPONSES.
THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION DID RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS CASE BY A VOTE OF EIGHT TO ZERO.
FINDINGS ARE REQUIRED FOR APPROVAL OF THIS CASE, UH, CONSISTENT WITH THE REGIONAL AND GROWTH MANAGEMENT ACTION ONE, WHICH, UH, IS BASED ON THE RESIDENTIAL DASHBOARD FOR THE SUBURBAN ACTIVITY CENTER, BECAUSE THIS FALLS OUTSIDE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR, UH, THE MULTIFAMILY CATEGORY.
UH, THE DENSITY, UH, IS LIMITED TO 10 TO 50 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE, AND THE DENSITY PROPOSED IS 95.4 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE.
SO THOSE ARE THE, THE TWO REASONS THERE, UM, FOR THE FINDINGS, UH, SHOULD THE COUNCIL WISH TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM.
SO STAFF IS AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ON THIS ITEM.
CHRISTINA, ANY QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? THANK YOU.
YOU HAVE SOME, UH, PRESENTATIONS? YES,
[00:40:13]
MY GLASSES ON.UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR ALLOWING US TO COME BEFORE YOU AND PRESENT, UM, THIS PLAN THAT WE HAVE WORKED EXTREMELY HARD ON.
AND, UH, THE CITY, THE STAFF HAS WORKED EXTREMELY HARD WITH US TO, UM, TO COME TOGETHER TO CREATE, UM, A PROJECT THAT WE ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT WE ARE, UM, VERY EXCITED ABOUT AND THAT WE BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY WILL BE, UM, THE, THE BEST PROJECT IN PLANO, TEXAS.
UM, I AM CEO, UM, FOUNDER OF CENTENNIAL REAL ESTATE.
UM, ONE OF THE MAIN PARTNERS THAT BOUGHT THIS PROJECT, UH, WHITNEY LIVINGSTON, OUR PRESIDENT IS HERE, AND MICHAEL PLATT, OUR HEAD OF MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT IS ALSO HERE.
AND WE'LL, UM, WALK THROUGH THE PRESENTATION IN MORE DETAIL WITH YOU.
UH, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE, UM, UH, A FEW COMMENTS.
UM, UH, WE REALLY GET INTO THE PRESENTATION.
FIRST OF ALL, I, I'M BORN AND RAISED IN DALLAS.
UH, I'VE WATCHED THIS PROJECT, UH, SINCE IT WAS BUILT.
I GREW UP IN THE RETAIL BUSINESS IN DALLAS, TEXAS.
I WAS IN A FAMILY OF, OF RETAILERS.
AND, UM, OWNING THIS TYPE OF PROJECT IN DALLAS, TEXAS HAS BEEN, UM, A DREAM TO ME BEING ABLE TO ACQUIRE THIS PROJECT, UM, REALLY IS, UM, THE, ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS I'VE DONE IN MY CAREER, WHAT WE ARE AS A RETAIL REAL ESTATE COMPANY.
WE BOUGHT THIS PROJECT BECAUSE, UM, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE ONE OF THE MOST DYNAMIC, EXCEPTIONAL, UM, COMMUNITY-BASED RETAIL RESTAURANT, ENTERTAINMENT, SHOPPING DESTINATIONS IN DALLAS-FORT WORTH, THE BEST IN PLANO, TEXAS.
UM, I ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE THAT.
UM, PART OF THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE WE BOUGHT IT TO RECREATE IT, TO FIX IT FROM WHAT WAS A 20-YEAR-OLD, UH, MALL THAT WAS BUILT TO A PROJECT THAT WILL BE THE MOST DOMINANT DESTINATION FOR THE NEXT 30, 40, 50 YEARS.
IT WILL SERVE, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH, WILL SERVE THE COMMUNITY OF PLANO, TEXAS.
IT IS DESIGNED TO CREATE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, TO BE THE FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT WILL STILL BE THE LARGEST RETAIL PROJECT IN PLANO, TEXAS.
UM, WITH THE CHANGES THAT WE ARE MAKING, WE ARE MAKING THE CHANGES BECAUSE WHILE WE'RE A DALLAS BASED COMPANY, WE OPERATE NATIONALLY, AND WE HAVE DONE A NUMBER OF THESE PROJECTS NATIONALLY, AND EVERY ONE OF THEM HAS A DEGREE OF CREATING A MIXED USE ENVIRONMENT ALONG WITH A DOMINANT RETAIL PROJECT.
THE MIXED USE PORTION OF IT IS FOR THIS PURPOSE.
THE SHOPPING DESTINATIONS HAVE BECOME THREE DAY A WEEK PROJECTS.
PEOPLE GO THURSDAY, AFTERNOON, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, THE RETAILERS DON'T SURVIVE WELL IN THAT ENVIRONMENT ANYMORE.
THEY NEED SEVEN DAY A WEEK, 18 HOUR A DAY DESTINATIONS.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE SHOPS AT LEGACY.
THAT'S WHY YOU SEE HOTEL RESIDENTIAL OFFICE AS PART OF A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE IT CREATES THAT SEVEN DAY A WEEK, 18 HOUR A DAY ENVIRONMENT THAT THE RETAIL, THE RESTAURANTS, THE ENTERTAINMENT, THE EQUINOX NEED IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WE ARE ADDING THE NON-RETAIL USES.
THAT'S WHAT IT DOES TO SUPPORT WHAT IS GOING TO BE ROUGHLY 800,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL SPACE,
[00:45:01]
WHICH NOBODY WOULD EVER BUILD TODAY.UM, THAT'S WHAT'S SO EXCITING ABOUT THIS IS, IS NOT TEARING IT DOWN, UM, BUT RETAINING ALMOST 800,000 FEET TO BE ABLE TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT YOU COULDN'T BUILD TODAY AND YOU WOULDN'T BUILD TODAY, BUT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT IS INCREDIBLY DYNAMIC AND A DESTINATION FOR THE, FOR PLANO THAT IS HERE NOW.
AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY COLLECTIVELY, UH, TO DO THIS.
AND, UH, WE HAVE, WE HAVE WORKED, UH, I I SAID AT THE PLANNING AND ZONING HEARING, I THINK, UM, I THINK IT'S BEEN REPEATED A FEW TIMES.
LET'S NOT HAVE PERFECT, UM, BE THE ENEMY OF GOOD OR VERY GOOD.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S THE IMPORTANT THING IS, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS GOOD.
IT'S NOT PERFECT RELATIVE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BUT THIS IS A PROJECT THAT IT'S NOT A PIECE OF LAND.
IT'S A PROJECT WE'RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN IN AS MUCH OF ITS PRESENT FORM AS WE CAN.
AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THE WAY I WOULD ASK YOU TO LOOK AT IT IS HOW CLOSE WE'VE COME TO CREATING SOMETHING THAT MEETS THE CITY OF PLANOS OBJECTIVES FOR, FOR A SUBURBAN MIXED USE PROJECT.
AND IT WON'T EVER GET THIS CLOSE AGAIN.
AND, UH, I, UM, WOULD LOVE THE SUPPORT, UH, THAT WE RECEIVED IN PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, TO BE RECEIVED HERE TONIGHT.
WE WOULD, UH, BE TREMENDOUSLY EXCITED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO DO WHAT WE THINK IS EXTRAORDINARY FOR THE CITY OF PLANO.
UM, I'VE LISTENED TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE ARTS, THE IMPORTANCE OF OBVIOUSLY GENERATING TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
THIS DOES ALL OF THESE THINGS.
THIS WILL CREATE A PLACE TO GO FOR THE CITY.
UM, WE WANT TO INFUSE THE ARTS.
IT, WE WILL BRING IT BACK TO A VALUE THAT WILL INCREASE THE TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY.
AND, UH, OBVIOUSLY IN OUR EYES, IT IS, IT CHECKS A LOT OF BOXES FOR THE POSITIVES THAT THE CITY OF PLANO, UM, IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
AGAIN, I APPRECIATE, UH, EVERYONE'S INTEREST AND CONSIDERATION, UH, FOR WHAT WE EXPECT TO BE A VERY EXCITING PROJECT.
HE'S GONNA MAKE MY JOB VERY EASY TONIGHT AFTER THAT INTRODUCTION.
BUT AS STEVEN MENTIONED, I'M WHITNEY LIVINGSTON, PRESIDENT OF CENTENNIAL.
UH, I'M GONNA BRIEFLY INTRODUCE YOU TO CENTENNIAL AND COLLEAGUE PARTNERS, OUR PARTNER ON THIS PROJECT, AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO MICHAEL PLATT, WHO IS GOING TO TALK YOU THROUGH THE EVOLUTION OF RETAIL REAL ESTATE, AS WELL AS SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE BELIEVE WE CAN DELIVER AT WILLOW BEND HERE IN THIS COMMUNITY OF PLANO.
UH, SO AS STEVEN MENTIONED, UH, CENTENNIAL IS AN OWNER OPERATOR AND DEVELOPER OF RETAIL CENTRIC AND MIXED USE PROJECTS NATIONALLY.
WE ARE PROUD THAT WE ARE A LONG-TERM HOLDER OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE OWN AND ARE AN EXPERT IN DELIVERING DOMINANT DESTINATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE A CORE OF RETAIL AS THEIR AMENITY.
WE ARE A FULLY INTEGRATED SERVICES PLATFORM BASED HERE IN DALLAS WITH OVER 75 RESIDENTS HERE IN THE METROPLEX AND OVER 350 EMPLOYEES NATIONALLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
OUR PARTNER, CLIE PARTNERS THAT I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, IS ALSO A DALLAS BASED COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE COMPANY, FOUNDED IN 1996.
THE CLIE TEAM HAS EXPERIENCE IN MORE THAN 15 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF DEVELOPMENT AND ACQUISITION ASSETS AND OFFICE, RETAIL, INDUSTRIAL, AND MULTIFAMILY, MANY OF WHICH ARE HERE IN THE CITY OF PLANO TODAY.
CENTENNIAL'S PORTFOLIO CONSISTS OF 35 ASSETS IN 15 STATES, TOTALING OVER 24 MILLION SQUARE FEET ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH 65% OF THAT GROSS LEASEABLE AREA AND ENCLOSED REGIONAL MALLS RIPE FOR REDEVELOPMENT, MANY OF WHICH ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
CURRENTLY, SINCE ACQUIRING THE SHOPS AT WILLOW BEND IN MAY OF 2022, WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON HOW WE CAN REVITALIZE THIS PROJECT AND DELIVER, AS STEVEN MENTIONED, A RETAIL DOMINANT DESTINATION HERE.
[00:50:01]
SINCE ACQUISITION, WE HAVE BEEN APPLYING OUR EXPERIENCE NATIONALLY AND ON COMPARABLE PROJECTS, AS WELL AS LISTENING TO THE PLANO COMMUNITY AND LEARNING WHAT THEY NEED AND WHAT THEY WANT.ON THIS LISTENING TOUR, WE HAVE HOSTED THREE MEETINGS WITH OUR EXISTING TENANTS AT THE PROPERTY, AS WELL AS THE ADJACENT FOUR HOAS TO THE ASSET.
WE HAVE ALSO HOSTED A WIDE, WITH OVER 60 RESIDENTS IN ATTENDANCE, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING MULTIPLE CHANNELS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR RECEIVING FEEDBACK VIA EMAIL OR SOCIAL MEDIA FROM RESIDENTS, WE ALSO CREATED A COMMUNITY ROOM AND A CENTRAL LOCATION OF THE PROJECT WHERE BOTH MICHAEL AND MYSELF SPENT OVER 45 HOURS IN THE MONTH OF DECEMBER THERE LISTENING TO TENANTS AND AVAILABLE TO SHARE MORE INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT.
MUCH OF THAT FEEDBACK THAT WAS RECEIVED OVER THE LAST 20 MONTHS HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE PLAN THAT MICHAEL IS GONNA WALK YOU THROUGH TODAY.
ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO BE ENGAGED IN A COMMUNITY THAT IS EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT, THAT IS PROVIDING FEEDBACK, AND THAT CLEARLY CARES ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT GOING FORWARD.
I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, FOR, UH, LISTENING TO US TONIGHT.
UH, WE ARE, AS YOU CAN TELL, VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, I PERSONALLY SPEND A LOT OF MY LIFE ON AND, UH, I'M, I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
IT TRULY IS THAT SPECIAL OF A PROJECT.
UM, THE COMMUNITY ROOM OBVIOUSLY WAS GREAT.
I GOT A CHANCE TO MEET A LOT OF, OF PLANO RESIDENTS AND HEAR THEIR THOUGHTS.
UH, IT WAS ACTUALLY VERY WELL WHAT A TASK THAT I WASN'T ACTUALLY NECESSARILY LOOKING FORWARD TO INITIALLY.
IT WAS SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY BECAME VERY BENEFICIAL TO ME, AND I REALLY FELT ENGAGED AND ACTUALLY INVIGORATED BY IT.
SO A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND, UH, REALLY HELPFUL.
UH, THIS SLIDE IS, UM, IS A SLIDE THAT'S PROBABLY THE LEAST INTERESTING GRAPHICALLY THAT OF ANYTHING YOU'LL SEE TONIGHT.
UH, WELL, A FEW IN THE COMING MOMENTS HERE.
WE'LL SEE THE KIND OF WHAT WE WANT TO DO, UH, WITH THIS ASSET.
BUT THIS IS REALLY THE WHY, AND I THINK IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO START.
UH, ON THE LEFT SIDE, YOU SEE SUBURBAN, UH, SHOPPING CENTER OR YESTERDAY'S SUBURBAN MALL, UH, THAT REALLY IS, UH, THE KIND OF CLIMATE UNDER WHICH WILL HAVE BEEN, WAS BUILT, UH, COMING OUT OF THE GROUND AT VERY MUCH THE TAIL END OF THE REGIONAL SHOPPING MALL BOOM.
THAT WAS REALLY STARTED KIND OF, AND IT ACTUALLY KIND OF HIT ITS STRIDE IN THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES, WILLOW BEND COMING OUTTA THE GROUND IN 2021, UH, VERY MUCH ON THE TAIL END, BUT IT WAS, AND IT WAS BUILT TO A STANDARD THAT WAS SORT OF ALREADY KIND OF, KIND OF LOSING FAVOR, UH, YOU KNOW, NUMBER OF ACRES, SORRY, NUMBER OF ANCHORS.
UH, AT THE TIME OF, OF GRAND OPENING, THERE WERE FIVE ANCHORS ON THE CENTER.
UM, YOU KNOW, 660,000 SQUARE FEET OF SMALL SHOP, GLA, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, BUILT FOR A TIME WHERE THERE DIFFERENT, EXCUSE ME, CONSUMER SPENDING PATTERNS AND, UH, AND REALLY JUST A VERY DIFFERENT MERCHANDISING MIX.
AND WHAT YOU SAW THERE IS A TOTAL OF, IN THE CASE OF WILLOW BAND, 1.5 MILLION MILLION SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL GLA TODAY, THAT IS NOT AS DESIRABLE AS, AS WHAT IS WHAT WE'RE, EXCUSE ME.
WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IS A MIXED USE DESTINATION OF FUTURE.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, THE DIFFERENCES ARE, ARE PRETTY STARK, OBVIOUSLY A MUCH LESS GLA AS STEVEN MENTIONED, THE GLA REALLY IS RELIANT ON THE SUPPORT OF THE OTHER ASSET CLASSES AND THE OTHER USES ON THE PROPERTY TO REALLY HELP DRIVE TRACK PROPERTY TO REALLY HELP DRIVE TRAFFIC AND FREQUENCY OF VISITATION.
THERE'S REALLY A MIX OF USES IN TERMS OF, UH, SHOPPING AND DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT, BUT ALSO MIXING IN OFFICE, MULTIFAMILY, HOSPITALITY, ENTERTAINMENT, ET CETERA.
UH, AND THEN TRUTHFULLY, A REAL FLIP IN THE MERCHANDISING IN TERMS OF MUCH LESS RELIANCE ON APPAREL AND ACCESSORIES AND MUCH MORE RELIANCE ON F AND B ENTERTAINMENT AND REALLY THINGS TO DO.
SO, A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE, AND I THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE AT WILLOWBEND WILL REALLY RESPOND WELL AND POSITION WILLOWBEND FOR ITS NEXT 25 YEARS OF LIFE TODAY.
UH, IT IS, UH, AS I MENTIONED, A 1.5 MILLION SQUARE FEET, THREE ANCHORS, UH, UH, LEFT IN ADDITION TO THE, THE RESTAURANT DISTRICT AND THE, UH, ENTERTAINMENT AREA AS WELL AS, UH, WHERE EQUINOX AND CRAY, EXCUSE ME, EQUINOX AND CREIGHTON BARREL ARE.
AND, UH, AND AGAIN, YOU SEE THAT ALL KIND OF COME TOGETHER ON UNDER ONE ROOF.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS RIGHT SIZING THIS ASSET REPOSITIONING THE REAL ESTATE TODAY THAT IS CHALLENGED FROM A, FROM A LEASING STANDPOINT, UH, THAT IS KIND OF NOT, NOT IN FAVOR WITH, WITH BOTH TENANTS AND CONSUMERS, AND IS, AS YOU CAN TELL, IF YOU'VE WALKED THE PROPERTY, UH, IN, IN RECENT MONTHS, UH, VERY CHALLENGED FROM A LEASING STANDPOINT, TAKING THAT REAL ESTATE AND REDEPLOYING IT IN A WAY THAT IS MORE VIBRANT AND MORE RELEVANT, UH, IS CERTAINLY THE ORDER OF, OF THE DAY AND, AND REALLY WHAT OUR VISION HOLDS FOR THIS ASSET.
UH, CREATING SOMETHING THAT IS SYNERGISTIC, THAT IS WALKABLE, THAT IS ENGAGING IN A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO CONGREGATE, TO ENJOY, TO EXPERIENCE, AND TO EXPLORE, UH, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, LEVERAGING THE SUCCESS OF THE RESTAURANT DISTRICT THERE ON
[00:55:01]
THE EAST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, UH, CONNECTION THROUGH A GREAT LITTLE MEUSE STREET TO A NEW CENTRAL GREEN SPACE AT A NEW FRONT DOOR OF THE SHOPPING CENTER THAT REALLY KIND OF MEDIATES BETWEEN ENCLOSED SHOPPING AND EXTERIOR SHOPPING, WORKING YOUR WAY TO THE WEST TOWARDS CHAPEL HILL AS A NEW, UH, PEOPLE PARK.AND THEN, UH, OFF TO THE KIND OF SOUTH AND WEST OVER BY THE, UH, THE MULTIFAMILY IS WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED AS A DOG PARK.
SO FOUR SEPARATE AND DISTINCT GREEN SPACES INTEGRATED AND TIED TOGETHER WITH VIBRANT AND HIGHLY AMENITIZED, STREET SCAPE.
LOTS OF GREAT SHOPPING AND RETAIL, UH, FUELED BY E THE ENERGY OF
UH, THE RETAIL TENANCY, UH, THAT'S A REALLY QUICK OVERLAY OF USAGE DIAGRAM.
UH, PLANNING DIRECTOR DAY, KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE KIND OF MORE DENSITY A ALONG THE TOLLWAY SIDE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY AND WORKING INTO A MORE RESIDENTIAL, A LITTLE BIT LOWER SCALE AS WE WORK TO THE WEST.
VERY IMPORTANT AS WE INTEGRATE THIS PROPERTY INTO, INTO ITS ENVIRONMENT, AND THEN QUICKLY INTO SOME RENDERINGS TO REALLY GIVE A SENSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE LOOKING TO CREATE HERE.
THIS, YOU'LL BE STANDING IN THE FOOD COURT TODAY, UH, LOOKING BACK TOWARDS, UH, THE CENTER COURT THAT IS NEAR NEIMAN'S.
UH, OBVIOUSLY VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN.
VERY VIBRANT, VERY HIGHLY AMENITIZED, OUTDOOR SHOPPING STREET, UH, BEST IN CLASS RETAIL MERCHANTS THAT WE CAN ATTRACT AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE THIS SUPPORTED BY RESIDENTS, SUPPORTED BY OFFICE WORKERS.
UH, AGAIN, A GREAT PLACE TO KIND OF COME CONGREGATE AND EXPLORE.
LOOK HERE TODAY IS, UH, KIND OF WITH YOUR, YOUR BACK TO THE, TO THE EXISTING SHOPPING CENTER, LOOKING OUT INTO THE RESTAURANT DISTRICT THAT IS, UH, BUILT BUT NOT COMPLETE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY FILL THAT OUT AND ENCAPSULATE IT ON THE END THERE ALONG THE TOY WITH A, WITH A HOTEL.
UH, REALLY KIND OF CREATING THAT COURTYARD VISION IN A VERY DYNAMIC, I THINK, SPACE TO EXPERIENCE AND, UH, ENJOY OUR, A FAMILY MEAL OR A DRINK WITH FRIENDS.
UH, A GREAT PLACE TO KIND OF RECREATE AND CREATE MEMORIES.
UH, LOOKING BACK FROM THAT SAME, THE OPPOSITE LOCATION, BUT IN THE SAME AREA WITH THE HOTEL.
NOW BEHIND YOU, LOOKING BACK INTO THE RESTAURANT DISTRICT, UH, YOU SEE SOME OF OUR GREAT TENANCY THERE, UH, TODAY, WHISTLE BRITCHES, TARA, MEXICAN BAR COMPANY AND KNIFE.
UH, REALLY SUPPORTING THEM WITH SOME OTHER GREAT COMPLIMENTARY RETAILERS THAT REALLY THEN FULLY BUILD OUT THAT AREA AND CREATE THAT VIBRANT AND SENSE OF PLACE THAT WE ALL STRIVE TO BE A PART OF.
UM, THIS IS NOW LOOKING FROM WHAT WILL BE THE NEW FRONT DOOR TODAY.
YOU'RE LOOKING THROUGH, UH, A TWO STORY, UH, SHOPPING CENTER THAT IS, UH, NOT TENTED AS WELL AS ANY OF US WOULD LIKE.
UH, AND WE BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS.
AGAIN, VERY VIBRANT STREET SCAPE, UH, FULL OF OUTDOOR DONING OPPORTUNITIES, HIGHLY AMENITIZED GROUND PLANES, UH, GREAT STOREFRONTS, GREAT SIGNAGE, GREAT AMENITIES, AND I THINK A REALLY VIBRANT PLACE TO, UH, TO REALLY ENJOY AND SPEND TIME WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
AND THAT THEN IS A LOOK BACK, UH, TOWARDS THAT NEW FRONT DOOR, A GREEN SPACE WHERE WE CAN HOST EVENTS, UH, GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR MOVIES IN THE PARK, CONCERTS IN THE PARK, UH, FESTIVALS, AND REALLY JUST GREAT PLACES TO KIND OF CREATE NEW MEMORIES, OPPORTUNITIES FOR POP-UP RETAIL, UH, A SPACE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TODAY AT THE SHOPPING CENTER, BUT IS VERY MUCH RELEVANT IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT.
THIS IS A VIDEO THAT KIND OF TIES THAT ALL TOGETHER WHILE THAT'S THE FIRST TIME, THAT'S ACTUALLY AS QUICKLY AS IT DID.
UM, VERY NICE, UH, WAY TO SORT OF PULL ALL THIS TOGETHER.
YOU'LL SEE ALL THE RENDERINGS THAT, UM, THAT YOU JUST SAW.
WE'LL KIND OF PUT TOGETHER MORE IN KIND OF A ACTIVATED FORM THAT IS THE NEW FRONT DOOR, KIND OF THE GREEN SPACE, UH, THERE IN THE FOREGROUND, KIND OF IN THE CENTER OF THE FRAME.
IN A MOMENT HERE, WE'LL KIND OF DROP DOWN INTO THAT SHOPPING STREET, AND YOU'LL GET A SENSE OF, UH, OF THE ENVIRONMENT WE'RE LOOKING TO CREATE HERE.
UH, AND THE FOREGROUND IS THE EXISTING RESTAURANT DISTRICT, THE ALERTS DEPARTMENT STORE THAT IS THERE, THE NORTHERN MOST PART OF THE, OF THE SITE TODAY.
WELL, HERE, WE'LL DROP INTO THE STREET AND YOU'LL GET A REAL, A REALLY GOOD SENSE OF, UH, WHAT IT IS WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE, UH, SENSE OF PLACE HERE.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR TREMENDOUS, UH, RETAIL, UH, STOREFRONTS AT THE BASE OF THE MULTIFAMILY BUILDING.
UH, AND AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WE JUST DON'T HAVE TODAY.
UH, REALLY, UH, GIVE US THE, THE ABILITY TO, UH, BRING IN DIFFERENT MERCHANTS THAN, THAN, THAN WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO ATTRACT.
OUTDOOR DINING, GREAT SENSE OF PLACE, HIGHLY AMENITIZED, LANDSCAPED, GREAT SIDEWALKS BUILT TO PLANO STANDARDS, UH, ON STREET PARKING.
GREAT KIND OF FUN AND, UH, AND VIBRANT PLACE TO, TO REALLY JUST BE LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO HAVING THIS IN SPACE AT THE FRONT DOOR THAT WILL BE, UH, PROGRAMMED ON A, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UH, THE OFFICE BUILDING THERE IN THE FRAME FOR A MOMENT, WE'RE GONNA JUST KIND OF SLIDE RIGHT THROUGH THE LITTLE KIND OF MEUSE STREET, WHICH IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE, MY FAVORITE LITTLE PARTS OF THE, OF THE PROJECT AS
[01:00:01]
WE CONNECT THAT GREEN SPACE INTO THE RESTAURANT DISTRICT THAT EXISTS TODAY.OKAY? LOTS OF GREAT PLACES TO EXPLORE REALLY GREAT NEW OPPORTUNITIES.
AND MEXICAN BAR THERE, TWO OF OUR, OUR, OUR BEST IN CLASS RETAILERS.
HAPPY TO HAVE, UH, THEIR SUPPORT FOR THIS PROPERTY AND, UH, ENVIRONMENT THAT ULTIMATELY WE BUILT OUT TODAY.
THAT'S, AGAIN, NOT FULLY COMPLETE, BUT IN TOMORROW'S WORLD, IT COULD LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
FINALLY, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF, LOOK, WE, WE, WE WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE IF WE DIDN'T TAKE A LOOK AT SOME BRANDING, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT WILLOW BEND HAS A LOT OF HISTORY.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO STRAY TOO FAR FROM THAT, BUT WE ALSO RECOGNIZED WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT, AND WE FELT LIKE IT NEEDED A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF A SHOT IN THE ARM.
UH, SO PLAYING WITH A LITTLE, UH, PLAYING WITH THE VERBIAGE THAT'S THERE, BUT JUST KIND OF AMENDING IT FOR TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT, TWEAKING THAT TO THE BEND.
UH, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN LOOKING AT EVEN A COLOR PALETTE, UH, LEASING MATERIALS, EVEN CONSTRUCTION BARRICADES YOU SEE THERE ON THE, ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT, GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY, UH, LAYERING IT VERY FASHION FORWARD, VERY ON TREND, AND WE THINK A VERY VIBRANT AND SUCCESSFUL APPROACH TO REBRANDING OF THIS ASSET, I THINK OVER TIME.
UH, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND, UH, AND LISTEN TO THE REST OF THE SPEAKERS AND IF THERE'S SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT, WE'LL, WE'LL COME BACK.
THE FIRST SPEAKER IS JENNIFER GROMAN.
I LIVE CLOSE TO THIS MALL AND I DON'T WANT THIS PROJECT.
THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT ACCORDING TO CITY STAFF AT PLANNING AND ZONING, THE CITY WILL NEED ADDITIONAL OFFSITE WASTEWATER DUE TO THE INCREASE IN SEWER DEMAND.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH WATER TO SUPPORT ANY GROWTH BECAUSE TEXAS IS RUNNING OUT OF IT.
THIS GRAPH FROM THE TEXAS WATER DEPARTMENT BOARD SHOWS THE AMOUNT OF WATER WE HAVE AND THE PROJECTED AMOUNT VERSUS THE POPULATION NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
THE BLUE LINE IS PEOPLE OR DEMAND SAY THE PROBLEM.
TOO MANY PEOPLE NOT ENOUGH WATER.
YES, TEXAS CAN BUILD MORE LAKES, BUT THEY WILL NOT BE DONE BY THE TIME THIS PROJECT IS OR THE ONES WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE MIX AS I SPEAK.
WE ALSO DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POWER IN NOVEMBER, ERCOT SAID THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE OF GOING INTO EMERGENCY OPERATIONS IF WE HAVE A BAD STORM OR A HEAT WAVE.
WE ALSO NEED STREET IMPROVEMENTS FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT, WHO WILL PAY FOR THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND THE ROADS.
THE PLAN DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
I AM STARTING TO WONDER IF IT EVEN MATTERS TO YOU.
THE DEVELOPER CLAIMS THAT THE SHOPPING MALL CANNOT WORK ANYMORE.
NORTH PARK PROVES THE OPPOSITE.
MY SKATING COACH LIVES BETWEEN WILLOW BEND AND THE GALLERIA, YET HE WILL DRIVE ALL THE WAY TO NORTH PARK BECAUSE IT HAS STORES THE OTHER TWO DON'T HAVE.
OF COURSE, THE OWNER OF WILLOW BEND IS AN INVESTMENT FIRM, NOT A MALL MANAGER.
SO RUNNING A MALL IS NOT THEIR OBJECTIVE.
THE DEVELOPER CLAIMS THEY WILL BUILD SOMETHING UNIQUE.
HOWEVER, WHAT I SAW WAS JUST ANOTHER MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH WE HAVE PLENTY OF, AND I WILL NOT GO TO.
THE DEVELOPER REFUSES TO DO OWNER OCCUPIED CONDOS, SO THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL NOT BRING PEOPLE WHO WANT TO PUT DOWN ROOTS, AND INSTEAD, IT WILL ONLY HAVE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS DEVELOPMENT FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS, ACCORDING TO A SURVEY FROM RESIDENT RATED, AND THEN THEY'LL MOVE ELSEWHERE.
IF THE MALL OWNER AND COUNCIL WANT TO MAKE THIS MALL THAT IS O YOUNGER THAN MY OLDEST DAUGHTER, SUCCESSFUL, THINK OUT OF THE BOX.
ONE BUSINESS OWNER TURNED A SEX FIFTH AVENUE INTO A PRIVATE PICKLEBALL CLUB.
HOW ABOUT A MOVIE THEATER? NORTH PARK HAS ART AND THINGS TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE MALL.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NORTH PARK, THE GALL AND STONEBRIAR, ALL OF WHICH ARE DOING WELL, IS THEY HAVE OWNERS WHO WANT THE MALL TO THRIVE.
WE RELY ON THE COUNTY AND STATE FOR POWER AND WATER.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH CONSTABLES.
PLANO COUNCIL NEEDS TO STOP JUST APPROVING DEVELOPMENTS THAT WILL GROW OUR POPULATION AND START THINKING ABOUT ALL THE RESOURCES THOSE PEOPLE WILL NEED, OR WE WILL HAVE.
LOTS OF PEOPLE WITHOUT POWER, WATER, AND SEWER.
[01:05:14]
ON HONORABLE MEMORIES OF THE CITY COUNCIL.I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO ADVOCATE FOR A CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO THE PROPOSED WILLOWBEND ZONING CHANGE.
THEY'LL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO A TAXPAYER INVESTMENT IN A SECOND MALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR OUR CITY.
WHILE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND EXPANSION ARE VITAL FOR PLANO PROSPERITY, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE EXERCISE PRUDENT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENSURE PROPER OVERSIGHT TO SAFEGUARD TAXPAYERS FUNDS.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, BEFORE COMMITTING TO ANY ZONING CHANGE THAT WOULD LEAD TO A PARTIALLY FUNDED CITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, WE NEED TO DETERMINE WHAT THE INVESTMENTS IN TAX DOLLARS WILL BE.
WILL WE NEED MORE WATER, SEWAGE, ELECTRICAL, AND STREET IMPROVEMENTS, ALL FUNDED BY PLANO CITIZENS TAX DOLLARS? WHAT IS THE TAX RETURN ON THAT INVESTMENT? IF WE GO BY THE COLLIN CREEK MALL PROJECT, NOT MUCH CLOSED IN 2019, MUCH OF THE EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT SUPPOSEDLY UNDERGROUND, AND WE CANNOT SEE THE MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT BEFORE YOU IMPROVE.
WE MUST ESTABLISH A ROBUST OVERSIGHT MECHANISM TO MONITOR THE PROJECT'S PROGRESS AND EXPENDITURES.
THIS OVERSIGHT SHOULD INVOLVE REGULAR REPORTING TO THE COUNCIL AND INDEPENDENT AUDITS TO ENSURE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
WITHOUT ADEQUATE OVERSIGHT, THERE IS A HIGH RISK FOR MISMANAGEMENT AND MISUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS, WHICH WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE TO US AS TAXPAYERS.
WE'VE ALREADY SEEN COLIN CREEK PROJECT TURNED INTO THE PROJECT THAT NEVER WAS A SUCKING IN CITY DOLLARS LIKE A BLACK HOLE.
FURTHERMORE, ANY CONTRACT WITH THE DEVELOPER MUST INCLUDE STRINGENT PERFORMANCE AND GUARANTEES TO PROTECT THE CITY'S INTEREST.
THESE GUARANTEES SHOULD OUTLINE SPECIFIC MILESTONES AND BENCHMARKS THAT THE DEVELOPER MUST MEET TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL FUNDING OR ANY INCENTIVES.
BY INCORPORATING PERFORMANCE BASED CLAUSES INTO THE CONTRACT, WE CAN ENSURE THAT THE DEVELOPER DELIVERS ON THEIR PROMISES AND THAT TAXPAYERS MONEY IS NOT SQUANDERED ON PROJECTS THAT FAIL TO DELIVER AND FALL OVER TIME.
ADDITIONALLY, IT IS CRUCIAL TO NEGOTIATE TERMS THAT MITIGATE THE FINANCIAL RISKS TO THE CITY AND ENSURE THAT THE INVESTMENT IS NOT A ONE-WAY STREET FLOWING FROM TAX DOLLARS TO THE DEVELOPER.
THIS COULD INCLUDE PROVISIONS SUCH AS A REVENUE SHARING AGREEMENT OR A CLAWBACK PROVISIONS, WHICH THE CITY RECOUP FUNDS IF THE PROJECT UNDERPERFORMS OR FAILS TO MEET SPECIFIC TARGETS.
AS A FISCAL RESPONSIVE CITIZEN AND CONSERVATIVE, I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBLE STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC RESOURCES.
WE MUST PRIORITIZE PROJECTS THAT OFFER A TANGIBLE RETURN IN ON OUR INVESTMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY AND MINIMIZE THE BURDENS ON TAXPAYERS.
WHILE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS ESSENTIAL, WE MUST PROCEED WITH CAUTION TO ENSURE THAT ANY DEVELOPMENT IN A SECOND MALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY.
I URGE YOU TO VOTE NO ON PROPOSED ZONING CHANGE UNTIL YOU CAN PROVE TO TAXPAYERS THAT WHAT I'VE OUTLINED WILL BE IN PLACE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER, AND HAVE A GOOD DAY.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS DARYL RODIN.
GOOD EVENING, HONORABLE MAYOR MUS PLANO, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND CITY LEADERSHIP.
I'M A PLANO RESIDENT AT 3 2 0 8 O HALO AT HOME IN THE SHADOW OF THE SHOPS THAT WILL HAVE BEEN SINCE THIS WAS BUILT 24 YEARS AGO.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS THE VOLUNTEER CEO OF THE NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS, WORKING IN OUR THEATER WITHIN THE MALL ALMOST EVERY DAY FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS.
ON BEHALF OF SARAH AKER HERE TONIGHT, THE FOUNDER OF THE PLANO CHILDREN'S THEATER, UPON WE BUILT THE NTPA AND ON BEHALF OF THE 160 VOLUNTEERS ON OUR 11 BOARDS OF DIRECTORS, THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER VOLUNTEERS AND SUPPORTERS THAT MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
AND ON BEHALF OF THE 11,000 STUDENTS IN OUR CLASSES, CAMPS, AND SHOWS WE SERVED LAST YEAR, AND THE 300,000 VISITORS THAT CAME THROUGH OUR DOORS AT THE SHOPS OF WILLOW BEND, WE ARE ASKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL FOR CENTENNIALS REZONING REQUESTS.
FOR THE SHOPS OF WILLOW BEND, I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT WITH CENTENNIALS SECURE, A HOME FOR THE NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS, THE LARGEST YOUTH THEATER IN THE COUNTRY, THE OUR OLDEST THEATER COMPANY IN PLANO AND PLANO, PLANOS LARGEST ARTS ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE ITS HOME AT THE SHOPS THAT WILLOW BEND AND WHAT WILL BE THE PREMIER DESTINATION FOR THE DFW AREA FOR THE NEXT 11 YEARS, OUR HEARTFELT, THA HEARTFELT THANKS AND GRATITUDE GO OUT TO OUR FRIENDS WITH CENTENNIAL AND THEIR
[01:10:01]
PARTNERS, AND PARTICULARLY ITS FOUNDER AND THE VISIONARY OF THIS PROJECT, MR. STEVE LEVIN AND HIS TEAM WITH THIS ACTION CENTENNIAL IS MAKING A REMARKABLE AND EXCITING INVESTMENT IN THE PERFORMING ARTS, YOUTH EDUCATION, AND THE PLANO COMMUNITY WITH RENT, ABATEMENTS AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS VALUED AT OVER $5 MILLION OVER THE PERIOD OF THIS AGREEMENT, WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT REPRESENTS ONE OF THE LARGEST GIFTS TO THE PERFORMING ARTS AND THE PLANO COMMUNITY.IN PLANOS HISTORY, ILLUSTRATING CENTENNIAL'S COMMITMENT TO BE A RELIABLE PARTNER, A RESPONSIBLE STEWARD, AND A GENEROUS NEIGHBOR TO THE CITIZENS OF PLANO.
THIS PATH WON'T BE EASY WHILE HOPEFUL FOR YOUR APPROVAL TONIGHT, WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH A CHALLENGING RECONSTRUCTION AND MOVE TO, INTO NEW FACILITIES, AND THAT WILL BE DONE TAKING PLACE IN THE MIDST OF A CONSTRUCTION ZONE.
FOR YEARS TO COME, WE'LL NEED TO SECURE FUNDING FOR INCREASED OPERATING COSTS, AND IF WE MOVE, WE'LL LIKELY SHOULDER A PORTION OF THE COST TO REBUILD WITH ALL THAT.
IN THE END, WE CONCLUDED THAT THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CITY OF PLANO, FOR THE SHOPS THAT WILL HAVE BEEN AND FOR THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND THE NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS, WAS TO STAND IN SUPPORT OF PROGRESS FOR THIS EXCITING NEW COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT.
MY THANKS TO MAYOR MUNZ AND THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER ISRAEL SIN FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALL OF YOUR, AND ALL OF YOUR COURAGE.
THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT.
IT IS REMARKABLE TO LIVE IN A CITY SO COMMITTED TO THE ARTS WITH A LEADERSHIP SO DIVERTED, DEVOTED TO ITS CITIZENRY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND FOR YOUR APPROVAL FOR THIS MEASURE AND YOUR FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY OF PLANO.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS PAUL EVANS, HONORABLE MAYOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
I RESIDE AT 34 0 1 WEST CLARK DRIVE, ZIP CODE SEVEN FIVE ZERO NINE THREE.
I'M PROUD TO CALL PLANO MY HOME FOR ALMOST 28 YEARS AND HAVE SERVED AS THE CO-CHAIR PERSON FOUNDING CO-CHAIR PERSON OF THE NORTH EXIT FORMING ARTS DEAF THEATER BOARD, AND CURRENTLY SERVED AS ITS VICE-CHAIR.
AS A PLANO CITIZEN, I SUPPORT THIS REZONING PROJECT.
MY HOME IS A MILE NORTH OF THE MALL.
MY SPOUSE, MARILYN, AND I LIVE, WORK, AND SHOP IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.
I HAVE SEEN THE PROPOSED PLAN AND SUPPORT THE TYPES OF HOMES, RETAIL AND HOTEL THAT IS PROPOSED FOR THIS AREA.
IT IS AN EFFECTIVE USE FOR THIS PROPERTY AND IT WILL BE A HUGE BENEFIT TO THIS AREA.
PLANO, I KNOW THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC AND DENSITY, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MALLS TRANSFORMATION FAR OUTWEIGH THE POSSIBLE NEGATIVE EFFECTS.
WHEN THE SHOPS AT WILLOW MAN WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED, THE SURROUNDING INFRASTRUCTURE WAS BUILT OR MODIFIED TO HANDLE THE EXPECTED INCREASED TRAFFIC FLOW.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT INCREASED NEVER MATERIALIZED, AND I BELIEVE THE NUMBER OF NEW HOMES PLANNED WILL NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR LOCAL TRAFFIC.
THIS TRANSFORMATION WILL ALSO BE GOOD FOR THE NEARBY RETAILERS.
SHOP AT WILLA BEND SIMPLY CAN'T STAY THE WAY IT IS TODAY.
IF IT DOESN'T GET REDESIGNED, WILL END UP WITH ANOTHER CONCRETE MALL SITUATION ON OUR HANDS.
FOR THESE REASONS, I REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL FOR THE ZONING REQUEST.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CYNTHIA PATTON, HONORABLE MAYOR MENS AND PLAINTIFF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
I'M HERE AS THE VICE CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS OF FRISCO.
I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT THE THOUSANDS OF VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE PLANO TO THE NORTH WHO REGULARLY VISIT PLANO FOR PERFORMANCES AND ACTIVITIES AT THE WILLOW BEND CENTER OF THE ARTS WITHIN THE SHOPS THAT WILL BEND THIS YEAR ALONE, WE ARE PROUD TO PRODUCE ALMOST 40 PRODUCTIONS IN THESE PLANO THEATERS, DRAWING SOME 40,000 TICKETED PATRONS AND MANY THOUSANDS MORE VISITORS FROM FRISCO AND SURROUNDING AREAS TO PLANO.
THESE VISITORS COME TO THE MALL TO ENJOY SHOWS ON PLANO STAGES, FREQUENT PLANOS GROCERY STORES, GAS STATIONS, AND RESTAURANTS CONTRIBUTING TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY BY SPENDING THEIR TIME AND MONEY IN THE CITY.
THE RIPPLE EFFECT OF THEIR PRESENCE IS A TESTAMENT TO THE INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL HUBS LIKE THE WILLOW BEND CENTER OF THE ARTS.
THE PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SHOPS AT WILLOW BEND PRESENTS AN EXCITING VISION THAT WILL EXPAND EVEN FURTHER THAN THE EXCITEMENT FOR THIS ALREADY IMPORTANT DESTINATION.
FURTHER CEMENTING PLANOS REPUTATION AS A CULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL HUB.
I ALSO WANNA EXPRESS MY THANKS TO CENTENNIAL AND THEIR PARTNERS FOR THEIR GENEROUS GIFT TO THE NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS AND YOUTH EDUCATION IN COLLIN COUNTY.
I RESPECTFULLY URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS REZONING
[01:15:01]
REQUEST.DR. SARAH JOHNSON, HONORABLE MAYOR MONTHS AND PLANO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
I AM DR. SARAH JOHNSON AND LIKE CYNTHIA, I REPRESENT A CONSTITUENCY THAT COMES FROM OUTSIDE OF PLANO, BROUGHT BY THE WILLOW BEND CENTER OF THE ARTS, BUT TRAVELING NORTH FROM DALLAS, I HAD THE PLEASURE TO SERVE AS A CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD FOR NTPA OF DALLAS AND PRESIDENT OF THE NTPA GOVERNING BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
OUR DALLAS OPERATIONS WILL PRODUCE OVER 30 PRODUCTIONS ON PLANO STAGES, BRINGING SOME 30,000 PATRONS EACH YEAR, AND THOUSANDS OF MORE VISITORS FROM DALLAS AND OTHER CITIES.
THERE IS NO OTHER FACILITY IN THE ENTIRE DFW REGION, LIKE THE WILLOWBEND CENTER OF THE ARTS.
COMBINING THE PERFORMING ARTS WITH THE RETAIL AND DINING EXPANSE OF THE SHOPS OF WILLOWBEND, A TRULY UNIQUE AND POWERFUL COMBINATION.
AND I KNOW MY DALLAS COUNTERPARTS REGULARLY FREQUENT THE MALL SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS AND VALUE THE CONVENIENCE AND VARIETY.
BUT THIS SPACE NEEDS TO IMPROVE AND HAS TO BECOME MORE VIBRANT.
THE ENTIRE DALLAS REGION IS WORKING AGGRESSIVELY TO TRY TO COMPETE FOR THOSE VERY SAME PATRONS, SHOPPERS, RESIDENTS, AND HOTEL STAYS THAT WILL BE ENTICED TO PLANO BY THE DEVELOPER'S.
EXCITING PLANS AND WITHOUT THIS PLAN'S APPROVAL WILL GLADLY BE WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS IN DALLAS ADDISON AND BEYOND.
I RESPECTFULLY URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS REZONING REQUEST.
I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO CENTENNIAL AND I'M PROUD TO SEE A DALLAS BASED ORGANIZATION MAKE SUCH A GENEROUS GIFT TO THE NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS AND YOUTH EDUCATION IN OUR METROPLEX.
JENNIFER DAVIS, HONORABLE MAYOR MUS AND PLANO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
MY NAME IS JENNIFER JENNIFER DAVIS AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF CALLING PLANO MY HOME FOR ALMOST MY ENTIRE LIFE.
I RESIDE AT 66 0 8 MYRTLE BEACH DRIVE, ZIP CODE 7 5 0 9 3.
I LIVE THERE WITH MY HUSBAND AND MY MOM.
AS A PLANO CITIZEN, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER MY SUPPORT FOR THIS REZONING REQUEST.
I HAVE LIVED ACROSS THE MALL AND PRESTONWOOD BAPTIST CHURCH ALMOST MY ENTIRE LIFE.
MY FRIENDS AND I WOULD WALK TO WILLA BEND IN THE SUMMERS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ITS SAFE INVITING ENVIRONMENT.
BUT I ALWAYS REMEMBER IT BEING QUIET.
I REPRESENT THE GENERATION, THE NEXT GENERATION OF PLANO RESIDENTS THAT WANTS TO HAVE A RICH VARIETY OF LIVING, DINING, ENTERTAINMENT, AND VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE FUTURE AND VISION BY THE DEVELOPER'S PLANS.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BUILD AND EXPAND THE HOUSING OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN PLANO TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE, VIBRANT, AND ATTRACTIVE TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
AND ALTHOUGH THIS MALL HAS ALWAYS BEEN QUIET, THE VISION OF THIS DEVELOPER HAS THE POSSIBILITY TO BRING THIS AREA TO A NEW AND BETTER FUTURE.
I'M ALSO PLEASED BY THIS DEVELOPER'S SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR THE PLANO COMMUNITY AND COMMITMENT TO THE ARTS THROUGH ITS GIFT TO THE NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS.
I RESPECTFULLY URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS REZONING REQUEST.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
I'M THE OWNER OF NICE STEAKHOUSE OF THE DISTRICT OF WILL BEND.
I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THIS DEVELOPMENT, MY BUSINESS PARTNER JOHN, AND I FIRST OPENED THIS LOCATION IN LATE OCTOBER OF 2018.
OUR ORIGINAL LANDLORD, STARWOOD, HAD A VERY SIMILAR PLAN FOR THIS DEVELOPMENT.
THAT WAS WHAT ORIGINALLY BROUGHT US TO THIS PROPERTY.
STARWOOD UNFORTUNATELY LOST THE PROPERTY, COVID HIT AND THE PROPERTY FELL INTO DEFAULT.
WE ACTUALLY CLOSED NI FOR ABOUT NINE MONTHS.
UH, NOT SURE IF WE'D EVER REOPENED THE PROPERTY.
WE DECIDED TO STAY IN HOPES THAT THE PROPERTY FINALLY SELLING AND BEING DEVELOPED AS ORIGINALLY FORESEEN.
LUCKILY, CENTENNIAL BOUGHT THE PROPERTY LOCALLY BASED, UH, BORN AND RAISED IN DALLAS.
WITHOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO OPEN, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO STAY.
WE ALONE HAVE 35 EMPLOYEES AT KNIFE, AS DO THE OTHER THREE RESTAURANTS IN THE DISTRICT.
AND WITHOUT THIS DEVELOPMENT BEING DEVELOPED AS AS PROPOSED, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN STAY AND NO WAY WE CAN, WE CAN CONTINUE.
SO I'M JUST HERE TO SAY I'M IN SUPPORT AND WE NEED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS BRIAN DUNN.
[01:20:05]
EVENING.I'M THE OWNER OF MEXICAN BAR COMPANY, 6 1 2 1 WEST PARK BOULEVARD AT THE PROPERTY.
UM, YOU KNOW WHAT CENTENNIAL'S GONNA DO THEIR INVESTMENT, UM, AT A PROPERTY THAT SADLY HAS BEEN PRETTY DOOMED SINCE THE BEGINNING.
OPENING UP THREE WEEKS BEFORE NINE 11 AND NEVER RECOVERING.
STARWOOD CAME IN, FAILED, GOT KICKED OFF THE PROPERTY, WENT INTO RECEIVERSHIP, THEN COVID, UM, THE NEXT GROUP CAME IN, SPINOSA FAILED.
AND THEN ALL OF US ARE SITTING THERE WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN, PRAYING.
WE'VE ALL INVESTED A LOT OF MONEY IN VARIOUS RESTAURANTS FOR HOPES THAT THIS WOULD TURN AROUND AND THERE GOES CENTENNIAL SWOOPS IN, GIVES US ALL HOPE, UM, WHERE A LOT OF RESTAURANTS WOULD BE CLOSED.
SO DID THE OTHER THREE RESTAURANT OWNERS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IN WHAT THIS GROUP IS GONNA DO.
UM, STEVEN LEVIN, AS GEORGE SAID, AND MR. LEVIN SAID, BORN AND RAISED IN DALLAS.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A QUESTION IN THE LAST MEETING, WILL HE PERFORM WHAT HE IS PLANNING TO DO? I WOULD SAY, OF COURSE, HE'S GOING TO, THIS IS IN HIS BACKYARD, THEIR ONLY, UH, REDEVELOPMENT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AS FAR AS I KNOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, WILLOW BEN WAS THE LAST TRADITIONAL INDOOR MALL BUILT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO ONE TOO MANY AND, UH, ONE STEVEN AND CENTENNIAL IS GONNA DO IS REALLY PUT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA DRIVE REVENUE DRIVE, UH, 900 PLUS HOUSEHOLDS, UH, KEEPING THEM ON CAMPUS WITH ALL THE VARIOUS THINGS.
I I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THE IMPACT ON TRAFFIC CONSIDERING THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A TON OF PARKING, THERE'S MULTIPLE PARKING DECKS.
YOU KNOW, THE PLAN WAS IF THIS WAS FULL LIKE A NORTH PARK, THIS WAS THE TRAFFIC THAT IT COULD HANDLE THAT'S GETTING CHOPPED IN HALF.
UM, PUTTING A SERVICE ROAD IN THE MIDDLE TO DIVIDE THE PROPERTY.
SO IF ANYTHING, IT'S GONNA GET BETTER.
DEFINITELY WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN INITIALLY PLANNED.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ALL FEEL STRONGLY THAT THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR US TO SURVIVE.
THIS IS THE ONLY THING AND IT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
THE SOONER THE BETTER BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN HANGING ON BY STRING.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE STAND BY CENTENNIAL.
THE LAST SPEAKER IS MELANIE GLICK, HONORABLE MAYOR MUS AND PLANO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
MY NAME IS MELANIE GLICK AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF CALLING PLANO MY HOME FOR OVER 16 YEARS.
I RESIDE AT 59 12 GENOA COURT, ZIP CODE 7 5 0 9 3.
AS A PLANO CITIZEN, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER MY SUPPORT FOR THIS REZONING REQUEST.
MY HOME LIES LESS THAN A MILE EAST OF THE SHOPS AT WILLOW BEND ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TOLLWAY.
AS A HOMEOWNER, I AM CONCERNED THAT ALLOWING THE SHOPS AT WILLOW BEND TO CONTINUE TO DECLINE WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE INFLUENCE ON HOMEOWNER VALUES.
ALTERNATIVELY, THE IMPACT OF THE REVITALIZATION AND THE INVESTMENT BEING MADE BY THE DEVELOPER COUPLED WITH THE EXPANSIVE SHOPPING, DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT OPTIONS, WILL HAVE A TREMENDOUS POSITIVE RESULT ON THE ATTRACTIVENESS AND CONVENIENCE OF THIS AREA.
I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACTS ON TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND BELIEVE THE NUMBER OF HOMES PLANNED IS VERY MANAGEABLE.
WHEN THE MALL WAS BUILT OVER 20 YEARS AGO, I HAVE NO DOUBT THE ANTICIPATED TRAFFIC OF A FULL 1.5 MILLION FEET OF RETAILERS WAS SUBSTANTIALLY HIGHER THAN WHAT THIS NEW TRANSFORMATION REPRESENTS.
I RESPECTFULLY URGE THE CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE THIS REZONING REQUEST.
I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO CENTENNIAL FOR ITS SUPPORT FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS AND FOR THEIR EFFORTS TO REVITALIZE THIS REGIONAL ASSET.
ANY ANYMORE? I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, FIND THE COMMENTS TO THE COUNCIL.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IF WE JUST GO AROUND THE GO AROUND THE DAAS, I ALWAYS START WITH YOU, ANTHONY, BUT, SO I'M GONNA START WITH COUNCIL MEMBER SMITH.
NO, IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S ALWAYS THE EASIEST ROAD.
SO, SO ANYWAY, I'M, I'LL LET, UH, WE'LL JUST GO AROUND THE, UH, THE DAAS AND, UH, AND THANK YOU MAYOR.
UH, FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO, UH, I DON'T KNOW MICHAEL OR STEVEN, WHICHEVER WOULD LIKE TO COME UP.
I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU, IF I MIGHT.
[01:25:04]
THANK YOU.FIRST OF ALL, I JUST, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO THE ORGANIZATION FOR SEEING THE POTENTIAL, UH, IN THIS, IN THIS PROJECT.
UH, I THINK IT'S SOME OF THE, THE TENANTS HAD MENTIONED THERE'S BEEN SOME HOPES REASON RECENTLY.
IT DIDN'T REALLY, IT DIDN'T REALLY PAN OUT.
UH, FROM, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN.
I, I LIKE THE CONCEPT, WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING, UH, TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT.
AND I KNOW YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE, I BELIEVE, DOING THESE TYPE OF PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN, THAT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
THE, I I GUESS THE, THE ONLY THING THAT'S BEEN KIND OF HARD FOR ME THAT, THAT I SEE THAT, THAT I'D LIKE TO FIND A SOLUTION TO AT SOME POINT I IS, IS TO INCREASE THE, THE DIVERSIFICATION AND THE MIX OF THE, OF THE RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT OF IT.
UH, AND I KNOW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT YOU GOT AN OPTION FOR IS ONE OF THE, UH, MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS THAT YOU, YOU'VE INDICATED THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT END UP BEING A, UH, UM, ATTENDED, YOU KNOW, FACILITY FOR, YOU KNOW, SENIORS THAT WANNA LIVE THERE THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, INDEPENDENT MEANS.
THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO JUST COME AND GO.
SO HAVING AN INDEPENDENT LIVING CONCEPT WOULD BE, UH, WOULD BE DESIRABLE.
THE MIX THOUGH, IS STILL NOT QUITE THERE.
AND, AND WHAT, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE AT SOME POINT, AND, AND I THINK WE MAY, THERE MAY BE A WAY TO DO THAT, UH, SHOULD THE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, PASS THIS FOR, FOR YOU TONIGHT WOULD BE TO ADD A, UH, RESIDENTIAL COMPONENT TO THE HOTEL PROJECT, UH, TO HAVE, I I THINK IT WOULD REALLY BE A STATEMENT PIECE FOR THAT PROJECT TO HAVE A NICE, YOU KNOW, HIGH-END BOUTIQUE HOTEL.
AND, UH, AND THE OTHER TOP, YOU KNOW, THE, OF THE 20 STORY BUILDING THERE TO HAVE SOME, SOME, SOME RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUMS THAT, THAT I CALL LOCK AND LEAVE.
THAT WE REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT.
I, I DON'T THINK, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A, A, UH, VERTICAL MIXED USE PROJECT WITHIN THE CITY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME HIGH RISE, YOU KNOW, APARTMENT COMPLEXES, SOME HIGHRISE CONDOMINIUMS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THIS KIND OF MIX.
AND THERE'S REALLY NOTHING LIKE THAT, UH, IN, IN THIS PART OF, OF THE CITY OF PLANO.
UH, SO I THINK IT'D BE EXCITING.
I, I UNDERSTAND FROM CHRISTINA'S PRESENTATION THAT YOU HAD ORIGINALLY CONSIDERED DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT UNDER THE TIME CONSTRAINTS THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED, 'CAUSE THIS DOES REST IN, YOU KNOW, IN THE EHA, YOU KNOW, AREA THAT THE, THE PROJECT, THE TIMEFRAME JUST DIDN'T FIT WITH, UH, THE NEEDS OF THE PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD IN A, IN A TIMELY FASHION AND, AND A BUS AS A BUSINESS PERSON, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS WORK.
WE DON'T WANNA GO THROUGH, HAVE THIS BE THE THIRD TRY AND THE, YOU KNOW, THIRD FAILURE.
WE WANT THIS, YOU KNOW, WANT THIS TO, TO SUCCEED.
SO WHAT I WOULD ASK, UH, AND I GUESS, LET ME ASK OUR CITY MANAGER FIRST.
I WOULD ASSUME, AGAIN, SHOULD THIS PASS THAT WE COULD GET WITH THE DEVELOPER, THE OWNER, IF, IF THEY AGREE AND AS PART OF OUR DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WORK ON EITHER ADDING ADDITIONAL ZONING, UH, DURING THE PROCESS WHILE THE PROJECT MOVES FORWARD, TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURSUE AN OWNER THAT WOULD WANT TO HAVE A PROJECT LIKE THIS, UH, WITH A BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND A HIGH RISE CONDOMINIUM, WOULD THAT BE FEASIBLE IN, IN YOUR OPINION? SO, COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I THINK THAT, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THEY HAVEN'T ASKED FOR CITY PARTICIPATION QUITE YET.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT ASK MAY BE COMING.
UM, BUT ANY REQUESTS LIKE THAT WOULD GO, WOULD NEED TO GO THROUGH A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT PROCESS.
UM, AND SO THE CITY IS ABLE TO ADD CONDITIONS, UM, AS PART OF THAT PROCESS PROVIDED THAT THAT'S GOING TO MEET WITH THE, UH, THE DEVELOPERS, UM, OVERALL GOALS FOR, FOR THE, THE PROJECT AND THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO, TO ACTUALLY DELIVER THAT.
SO, UH, IT IS POSSIBLE DURING DOING, UH, EXCUSE ME, DURING THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT PROCESS, BUT I THINK FROM MR. LEVIN'S PERSPECTIVE, I, I THINK, UH, THE, UM, THE ADAPTABILITY OF THE PROJECT TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST Y'ALL SHOULD RESPOND TO.
AT THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY OPEN TO THAT.
WE, THE, THE HAVING A, UM, A HOTEL, UH, CONDO, HOTEL PROJECT, UM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE ARE TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF DOING THAT.
THE, UM, AND I'M NOT THE TECHNICAL, YOU KNOW, UH, GUY WITH THIS, UM, PROCESS, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, SO THE ANSWER IS YES.
WE, WE WOULD VERY MUCH IF, IF, IF WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE PROJECTS ARE MARKET BASED, YOU KNOW, WE CAN CREATE THIS, BUT WE'VE GOTTA GO OUT AND THE MARKET HAS TO SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
AND IF THE MARKET SUPPORTS THAT,
[01:30:01]
WE'RE NOT A HOTEL DEVELOPER OR CONDOMINIUM DEVELOPER MM-HMM,'CAUSE THAT WOULD BE TERRIFIC IF WE CAN DO THAT.
AND, AND I, I GUESS I'LL ALSO UNDERSTAND, UH, FROM TALKING WITH THAT, YOUR, YOUR YOUR THREE PRIMARY TENANTS, THEY'RE ANCHORS, YOU KNOW, MACY'S, NEIMANS, AND DILLARDS ALSO WOULD BE INVOLVED IN, WELL, WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO.
AND I WOULD THINK THAT HAVING THIS TYPE OF LOCK AND LEAVE AND, YOU KNOW, UH, NICE CONDOMINIUM OWNERSHIP, UH, PROJECT THERE WOULD BE OF BENEFIT TO THEM FROM THE RETAIL STANDPOINT ALSO.
YEAH, I MEAN WE, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE, UNFORTUNATELY, WE'RE ONE OF FOUR OWNERS.
UM, WE OWN EVERYTHING, BUT DILLARDS OWNS THEIR SITE, NEIMAN ZONES, THEIRS, AND MACY'S OWNS THEIRS, AND WE CAN'T PUT A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND WITHOUT THEIR APPROVAL OF WHAT WE'RE DOING ON, ON THE PROJECT.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE CHALLENGE YOU GO THROUGH WITH THESE PROJECTS IS THERE'S FOUR OWNERS AND WE, EVERYBODY HAS TO AGREE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THEM THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT WE'RE SUBMITTING IS SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE THEY APPROVE AND THEY LIKE, WHICH THEY DO BECAUSE THEY'RE RETAILERS AND THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
BUT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, BUT ABSOLUTELY WHAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED IS, IS, IS SOMETHING THAT IS, WE'RE VERY MUCH OPEN TO AND IN FAVOR OF.
IT'S JUST WE'VE GOTTA, WE, UNTIL WE GET OUR ZONING, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING.
SO WE ARE JUST, WE ARE SITTING HERE UNABLE TO DO ANYTHING TO THE PROPERTY, AND WE CAN'T TALK TO ANYBODY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ZONING TO EVEN ENGAGE THE CONVERSATIONS ONCE WE HOPEFULLY ARE GET APPROVED AND WE CAN HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
THAT'S THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF THE PROCESS IS WE'RE VERY OPEN TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO VARIATIONS OF WHAT, OF WHAT IS LAID OUT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE WHOLE PROJECT.
AND CERTAINLY CONDOS AS A PORTION OF THIS IS, IS, IS WOULD BE GREAT.
I MEAN, WE, AND HOTEL CONDO I THINK IS TERRIFIC.
UM, AND THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD ABSOLUTELY GO AND TRY TO SECURE, UM, ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO GO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH A HOTEL DEVELOPER, RIGHT? WHO, AND THERE ARE A LOT THAT REALLY LIKE THAT COMBO, YOU KNOW, CONCEPT.
AND SO, UM, IF I'VE ANSWERED THE QUESTION, WE ABSOLUTELY ARE IN FAVOR OF THAT.
UM, UH, AND HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, ENGAGE WITH THE CITY TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WHATEVER, WHATEVER THAT PROCESS IS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, BUT WE NEED TO TEAM UP WITH SOMEONE WHO, WHO WILL DEVELOP THAT, THAT PARCEL IN CONJUNCTION WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT, THAT ALSO FITS INTO OUR, UH, RGM ACTION 0.8, THAT, UH, ONE OF THE STATEMENTS THERE IS, YOU KNOW, DIVERSIFICATION OF TYPES AND HOUSING.
AND SO, AND ONE OF THOSE WOULD BE FEASIBLE FOR BUILDINGS 10 STORIES AND HIGHER AGAIN, WHICH, WHICH WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A MIXED USE PROJECT LIKE THAT NOW.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A PLUS FOR, UH, EVERYBODY THAT WORKED HARD TO DEVELOP OUR NEW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE WORK, WE WORK FOR NOW.
SO ANYWAY, AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO HEAR YOUR POINT OF THAT, BECAUSE AGAIN, I REALIZE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO GET APPROVAL.
I, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE REST OF THE COUNCIL, I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S GONNA GO, BUT, UH, IF, IF YOU DO GET APPROVAL AND OUR CITY MANAGER JUST SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, HE'S OPEN, THINKS THERE'S SOME SOME OPPORTUNITY THERE, I, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO GET YOUR COMMITMENT.
YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO, TO PURSUE THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UH, IF, IF HE'S AVAILABLE TOMORROW, I'LL BE THERE TOMORROW.
I MEAN, CAN I JUST, ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
I'M, I'M NOT GONNA BELIEVE THE POINT.
I JUST THINK IT, I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT STATEMENT PIECE BOTH FOR YOUR PORTFOLIO AS WELL AS FOR THE CITY.
IT'S SOMETHING WE DON'T HAVE AND IT JUST, I THINK IT WOULD JUST PULL THAT WHOLE PROJECT TOGETHER.
I, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD LOVE.
I WOULD JUST WANNA ADD JUST ONE POINT OF, OF SORT OF DETAIL, AND I'M NOT THE TECHNICAL GUY EITHER, BUT I'M A SLIGHTLY MORE TECHNICAL GUY.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO AMEND THE ZONING TO ALLOW, UH, RESIDENTIAL USE WITHIN THE EHA ZONING, EHA ZONE, WHICH WOULD HAVE, WHICH HAVE, RIGHT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT COULD BE DISCUSSED AS PART THE DEVELOPMENT GRIEVANCE ALSO.
I, I THOUGHT WHAT I UNDERSTOOD YOU'RE SAYING IS A FUTURE ZONING CASE TO ADD THE USE AND THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE SUPPLEMENT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, RIGHT? SHOULD JUST PASSED.
IT WOULD BE A SEPARATE ZONING CASE, NOT AS PART OF THIS ZONING CASE.
WE WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK AND GET THAT ZONING CHANGED, CORRECT.
WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK THAT OKAY.
LET US GET, IS THAT, IS THAT, AM I UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY? YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY.
YOU LISTEN, I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, WELL FIRST, SINCE WE'RE ON THE TOPIC OF OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND, UM, HAVING SOME DIFFERENT HOUSING OPTIONS, I ALSO WOULD BE IN, IN FAVOR
[01:35:01]
OF, OF LOOKING AT THAT, CAN WE ADD TO OUR FUTURE WORKSHOPS ALONG WITH OUR STREAM, UH, OUR, OUR STREAM BANKING AND OUR, OUR RETAIL REVITALIZATION EFFORTS, HOW WE CAN INCENTIVIZE RENT TO OWN OR OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR DEVELOPMENTS LIKE THIS.AND IT MAY MEAN IF YOU DO NEED SOME ASSISTANCE FROM COUNCIL FROM THE CITY, AS ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS STATED, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING SOME INCENTIVES IN PLACE, UM, LIKE WE'RE MENTIONED, BUT ALSO THAT MAYBE WE'RE INCENTIVIZING INDIVIDUALLY PLATTED, UH, PROPERTIES THAT WOULD EASILY ALLOW FOR CONVERSION TO OWNERSHIP, UM, AS WELL AS A MANDATORY HOA THAT COULD CONTROL MAYBE NO SHORT-TERM RENTALS SO THAT THAT DOESN'T BECOME A PROBLEM RIGHT.
SO I I I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT THOUGHT.
AND I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT NEEDING TO GET THE ZONING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND THEN CONSIDER THAT, BUT I, YEAH, BUT WE'RE VERY OPEN TO THAT.
WELL, I JUST, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND YOU'RE HEARING FROM, FROM ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I ALSO THINK THAT'S SOME, SOME VALUE TO, AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO OUR, TO OUR RESIDENTS TO HAVE MORE OWNERSHIP OPTIONS.
SO I JUST WANNA TO ECHO WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS ALREADY SAID THERE.
I THINK, I THINK THOSE ARE THE ONLY THINGS I WANTED TO MENTION TO YOU.
I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR CHRISTINA.
UM, LET ME KIND OF EXPLAIN WHERE I'M COMING FROM WITH THIS QUESTION.
I, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, PART OF OUR VOTE WILL BE RESCINDING THE PRIVATE CLUB MEMBERSHIPS THAT EXIST AND CREATING A ZONING, MUCH LIKE DOWNTOWN PLANO AND SHOPS OF LEGACY THAT BY RIGHT.
WILL ALLOW PRIVATE CLUBS, UM, WOULD NEVER HAVE OCCURRED TO ME THAT WE MIGHT NEED TO CONTROL THE SIZE OF A PRIVATE CLUB IN PLANO UNTIL A RECENT DECISION WAS BROUGHT UP.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK PLANO IS THE PLACE FOR A REALLY LARGE PRIVATE CLUB.
UM, AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER WHAT SIZE A PRIVATE CLUB CAN BE IN IN OUR CITY.
AND, UM, THE CURRENT, WE LOOKED AT THE CURRENT PRIVATE CLUBS THAT ARE ON THE PROPERTY TODAY, THE LARGEST ONE IS JUST SHY OF AT 1200, UH, SQUARE FEET, OR I'M SORRY, 12,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S HELPFUL TO YOU, BUT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT SORT OF THE PRECEDENT THAT'S SET, UM, THAT THAT'S THE STANDARD THAT'S EXISTING ON THE PROPERTY.
I MEAN, I DON'T, I THINK SUPPLY AND DEMAND WOULD PROBABLY KEEP A VERY LARGE PRIVATE CLUB FROM AT LEAST BEING SUCCESSFUL, TO BE HONEST.
I THINK SOMEONE'S TRIED TO DO IT AT SHOPS AT LEGACY.
I DON'T RECALL, BUT SOMEONE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THERE WAS A, A CLUB ATMOSPHERE TYPE OF LARGE CLUB THERE AT ONE POINT IN TIME THAT DIDN'T LAST VERY LONG.
UM, BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I FEEL THAT THAT PLANO AND ESPECIALLY THAT LOCATION AND OTHER LOCATION REALLY ANYWHERE IN PLANO, IT'S NOT THE PLACE FOR A LARGE PRIVATE CLUB.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSED MORE ON, ON DINING RESTAURANT KIND OF COMBINATION.
UM, WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON, I I THINK YOU ARE.
AND LIKE I SAID, THE REST, I MEAN, PRIVATE CLUB IS NOT EVEN SOMETHING I WAS EVEN CONSCIOUS OF UNTIL IT JUST CAME RIGHT.
AND, AND LIKE I SAID, I I, IT WASN'T EVEN ON MY RADAR UNTIL IT BECAME, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IS, IS, UM, COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT THAT IS, THAT IS THE TYPE OF FOOD AND BEVERAGE EXPERIENCES.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T DOUBT THAT AT ALL.
I JUST AM SAYING, WELL, AND, AND I, AGAIN, I, I WASN'T AWARE OF THAT, BUT I CAN'T AT THE MOMENT THINK OF, WELL, AND THIS IS MORE OF A QUESTION TO, TO OUR STAFF VERSUS, I'M, I'M NOT CONCERNED WITH WHAT YOUR INTENTIONS ARE.
I JUST, IT WASN'T UNTIL WE RECENTLY HAD A ZONING CASE COME UP THAT IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT THERE COULD BE A 30,000 SQUARE FOOT BAR IN THE MIDDLE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S 21 AND OVER.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT PLAN IS THE PLACE FOR THAT.
SO IF WE HAVE ANY WAY TO JUST AVOID THAT HAPPENING BY CONTROLLING THE SIZE OF ANY FUTURE PRIVATE CLUBS IN A BUY RIGHT AREA, I, IT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO CONSIDER.
I JUST WANTED TO SEE IF IT'S, UM, EVEN AN OPTION.
ARE WE ALLOWED TO DO THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
THERE IS ALREADY A STANDARD ASSOCIATED WITH THAT IN THE ORDINANCE.
AND IF YOU WANTED TO ADD A SIZE LIMITATION, UH, YOU, YOU ABSOLUTELY COULD DO THAT.
UM, LET, LET ME THINK ON THAT AND I'LL LET EVERYONE ELSE WEIGH IN.
WE'RE NOT YEAH, THAT'D BE, THAT'D BE FOR A
[01:40:01]
ANOTHER TIME TO, TO DISCUSS.BUT YOU'RE WANTING TO PUT IT IN THIS ORDINANCE, RIGHT? SO THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE ONE MINE, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HAVING PRIVATE CLUBS.
I JUST, YEAH, IF WE CAN CONTROL THE SIZE OF A PRIVATE CLUB NOW A RESTAURANT CAN BE ANY SIZE.
IT'S THE PRIVATE CLUB DISTINCTION, I THINK THEN WE WOULD NEED A RECOMMENDATION FROM YEAH, CHRISTINA VERSUS, I MEAN, THAT'S FINE.
I WOULDN'T WANNA JUST THROW OUT AN ARBITRARY NUMBER OF SOMETHING THAT WE THINK IS RIGHT IF WE'RE GONNA LIMIT IT FOR THIS PROPERTY.
I MEAN, WE CAN LOOK AT WHAT SIZE OUR PRIVATE CLUBS ALREADY ARE IN PLANO THAT EXIST.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THEY'RE PROBABLY NOT MORE THAN FOUR, 5,000 SQUARE FEET IS MY GUESS.
BUT I THINK THE LARGEST ONE THAT EXISTS IN WILLOW BEND MALL TODAY IS 12,005.
AND CHRISTINA, CHRISTINA, I APOLOGIZE, BUT CAN I ASK YOU WHAT THAT IS? A PRIVATE CLUB IN PLANO? NO.
WHAT IS THE 12,000 SQUARE? WHAT, WHAT IS THE PRIVATE CLUB FOR? 12,000 SQUARE FEET? I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RESTAURANT IS.
I THINK IT MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE FOOD COURT AREA.
MY GUESS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN, WE DON'T, THAT'S NOT THERE.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK IT'S AN ACTIVE, I DON'T THINK IT'S AN ACTIVE PRIVATE CLUB
AND THAT MAY BE, YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S PROBABLY THAT SHARK, THE SHARKS, I PROMISE YOU.
THERE'S NO 12,000 PLACE THE SHARK CLUB.
YEAH, I THINK IT, BUT BACK TO MY POINT, I DON'T THINK THAT WE ARE THE PLACE FOR THAT.
AND IT WON'T, THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND WILL MAKE IT NOT BE SUCCESSFUL ANYWAY, BUT I JUST WOULD RATHER US NOT EVEN GO THERE.
SO LET'S PUT A LIMIT AND SAY, REALISTICALLY WE DON'T NEED A, A PRIVATE CLUB, WHICH THE DIFFERENCE BEING THAT, THAT THE, THE EMPHASIS IS ON BEING ABLE TO SERVE MORE ALCOHOL THAN, THAN FOOD.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A LARGE RESTAURANT THAT SERVES ALCOHOL, THAT I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
BUT I DON'T THINK PLANOS THE PLACE FOR A 21 AND OVER LARGE CLUB ATMOSPHERE.
SO THAT'S WHAT PUT A SQUARE FOOT, PUT FOOTAGE A SQUARE FOOTAGE LIMIT ON IT.
I MEAN, I, I I, I, I MEAN I, I THINK THAT TO ME, I WAS JUST SUGGESTING THE EXISTING LIMIT THAT'S THERE, BUT IF I'M OPEN TO WHATEVER YOU ALL THINK THAT 12,500 SQUARE FEET IS WHAT EXISTS THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO DO SOMETHING LIKE A BREW PUB OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THAT WHAT ABOUT 8,000? WHAT, WHAT IF IT'S A, UM, I MEAN I'M, THERE ARE SOME ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPTS, 8,000, HOW ABOUT 8,000? I MEAN, IT'S ARBITRARY.
I MEAN, I MEAN THAT'S, I THINK, I MEAN, I MEAN WE'RE, WE'RE CERTAINLY, I MIND SHOOTING AT THE STARS HERE.
I, MY CONCERN IS REALLY, IF YOU HAVE AN ENTERTAINMENT CONCEPT THAT'S GOT A RESTAURANT WITH ENTERTAINMENT ARE WHAT? YEAH.
WHAT DOES, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, DAVE AND BUSTER'S.
SO WHAT, WHAT, WHERE WOULD DAVE AND BUSTER, WE HAVE DAVE BUSTERS ALL, ALL OVER AND THEY'RE FABULOUS TENANTS NOW, DO THEY FIT INTO THAT CATEGORY? THAT'D BE BIGGER.
AND MY QUESTION IS, ARE THEY GONNA NEED A FOOD TO BEVERAGE RATIO LIKE OUR PRIVATE CLUB? ARE THEY GONNA MAKE ENOUGH MONEY ON OTHER THINGS TO NEED THAT? I DON'T KNOW.
THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T PUT A THEATER.
THINKING THROUGH THIS AT THE DIOCESE IS DIFFICULT.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, I MEAN, A THEATER IS SOMETHING WE WOULD LOVE TO BRING BACK, BRING TO WILLOW CHRISTINE.
DOES IT HAVE TO BE BY WRIGHT? IF THIS IS A CHALLENGE, RIGHT? DOES THIS, CAN IT NOT BE BY THIS PART BE BY SAP? IT, IT COULD BE, BUT WE COULD ALLOW BY SUP GREATER THAN A CERTAIN SIZE.
SO YOU COULD ALLOW, I THATS THOUSAND WHAT WE SHOULD DO SQUARE BY.
AND THEN ABOVE THAT IS BY SUV.
SO WE DO WANT SOME ENTERTAINMENT IN A THEATER.
BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
IT NEEDS 8,000 WITH, I'D PICK UP THAT.
UM, I'VE SPENT THE BETTER PART OF 20 YEARS IN INVOLVED IN RETAIL AND OMNICHANNEL, UH, SALES, MARKETING AND OPERATIONS.
UM, I REALLY WANNA SEE THIS PROPERTY REDEVELOPED AND SUCCESSFUL AND VIBRANT.
AND THE THE BIGGEST REASON FOR THAT IS NOT JUST FOR THE SAKE OF THE MALL ITSELF, BUT THE ENTIRE AREA.
WE SAW WHAT HAPPENED WHEN COLIN CREEK DECLINED.
IT BROUGHT DOWN THE ENTIRE AREA WITH IT.
AND BY EXTENSION, THE WHOLE 75 CORRIDOR, THE, UM, THE, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN WILLOW BEND AND STONEBRIAR IS ROUGHLY THE SAME AS BETWEEN COLLIN CREEK AND, UH, WATERS CREEK.
UM, AND HAVING THOSE BOOKENDS ALONG THE, THE DALLAS PARKWAY WILL, I THINK HELP
[01:45:02]
RESTORE NOT JUST THE VIBRANCY OF, UH, THAT COMMERCIAL CORRIDOR, BUT ALSO THE CORPORATE PRESENCE, WHICH HAS BEEN WANING IN RECENT YEARS BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR OFFICE SPACE, UH, WAS BUILT, UM, A WHILE BACK.AND I MEAN, LOOK, NO, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THAT.
UM, AND I, I THINK WE NEED TO BE PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING THAT AREA WIDE VIBRANCY.
I DO HAVE CONSIDERABLE CONCERN, UM, AS I'VE SHARED ABOUT THE MULTIFAMILY, UM, AFTER PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED SUCH AS THE AFOREMENTIONED A DS COLIN CREEK, UM, UH, HAGGARD FARMS AND, UM, UH, BEACON SQUARE AMONGST OTHERS ARE COMPLETE.
WE'RE GONNA BE ABOUT 50% RENTAL IN THE CITY FOR ALL OF OUR HOUSING STOCK.
THAT'S AN ENORMOUS PERCENTAGE.
THIS PROPERTY ALONE WITH THE PROPOSED MULTIFAMILY IS GONNA INCREASE OUR MULTIFAMILY BY OVER TWO POINT HALF PERCENT.
UH, JUST IN THE SINGLE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, INDEPENDENT LIVING USE IS SOMETHING I COULD GET BEHIND BECAUSE IT RE IT, IT PROVIDES WHAT I THINK IS AN UNDERSERVED NEED IN THE AREA.
UM, OWNERSHIP OPTIONS, CONDOS ARE SOMETHING THAT I COULD REALLY GET BEHIND BECAUSE THAT DIVERSIFIES OUR OWNERSHIP MIX.
UM, I DO, I I DO, HOWEVER, HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT INCREASING OUR RATIO OF MULTIFAMILY AND, UM, 'CAUSE I THINK WE HAVE TOO MUCH AS IT IS.
I ALSO, FOR THE RECORD, THINK WE HAVE TOO MANY LARGE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOMES.
UM, WE HAVE NEGLECTED OVER TIME TO DIVERSIFY THAT HOUSING MIX WITH THE SMALLER FOOTPRINT OWNERSHIP OPTIONS.
UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR, UH, STAFF, IF I MAY.
UM, THE FIRST IS, UM, ABOUT THE WASTEWATER, UM, NOTATION THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE CONSIDERABLE, UH, ADDITIONAL WASTEWATER PROCESSING CAPABILITY.
DO WE HAVE PLANS ALREADY TO PROVIDE FOR THAT WITH OR WITHOUT THIS REDEVELOPMENT, RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE REDEVELOPING ALONG THAT ENTIRE CORRIDOR OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS ANYWAY? I BELIEVE THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT IS ACTIVELY WORKING ON THAT.
UM, IF YOU WANT A MORE DETAILED RESPONSE, I WOULD DEFER TO, UH, I HOPE PERHAPS CALEB IS, THEY'RE LOOKING AT EACH OTHER ALL THE WAY UP AS, AS CALEB'S MAKING HIS WAY DOWN.
I WOULD, I WOULD REITERATE THAT, UH, WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE, THE WATER DISTRICT, THAT THE WATER DISTRICT IS IN THE PROCESS OF ACTUALLY BUILDING ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR PROCESSING RIGHT NOW.
AND IT'LL BE ONLINE WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.
SO PROCESSING, UM, ISN'T THE, THE CHALLENGE, IT'S THE CONVEYANCE SYSTEM REALLY TO GET IT FROM PLANO TO THE, TO THE TREATMENT PLANT IS THE ISSUE.
AND IT WILL REQUIRE SOME UPSIZING OF SOME LIFTS LIFT STATIONS IN THAT AREA.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF, OF DOING THAT ANALYSIS RIGHT NOW OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, CONVEY, UM, WASTEWATER, UH, TO THE, TO THE DISTRICT.
CALEB, ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD? NO, YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON THE HEAD.
UM, WE'RE, WE'VE, UH, GOT A CONSULTANT THAT'S HELPING US DO THE ANALYSIS BASED ON THE CURRENT VISION OR PLANS THAT WE'VE EVALUATED HER SCENE.
UH, WE ARE HAVING NUMEROUS CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DISTRICT AS A PORTION OF THIS SITE, UH, GOES TO THE SOUTH AND A PORTION OF IT GOES TO THE NORTH, AND THAT'S TWO SEPARATE LIFT STATIONS.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS OF HOW THAT WILL WORK.
UM, ANOTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS REGARDING THE, UM, UH, CITIZENS' QUESTION ABOUT THE OVERSIGHT OF PUBLIC FUNDS, UM, IN, UH, PATAN, I KNOW WE'RE NOT CONSIDERING THAT TONIGHT, BUT A POTENTIAL FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT.
UM, CAN, CAN YOU SPEAK BRIEFLY TO THE TYPES OF OVERSIGHT THAT WE EXERCISE ALREADY FOR AGREEMENTS, FOR REDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, JUST AT A HIGH LEVEL? UM, YES, PETER, I'M GONNA GIVE Y'ALL ALL A WORK OUT
UM, IT IS NOT UNDER CONSIDERATION TONIGHT.
IT WOULD BE SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.
AND, UM, I BELIEVE WE HAVE LOTS OF CONTROLS.
UM, CERTAINLY THE, THE PIT OVERSIGHT IN COL CREEK, FOR INSTANCE, THERE'S LE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THAT, UM, FOR THE PARKING GARAGE AND IT'S SEPARATE FUNDING OUTSIDE THE PIT.
WE HAD A SEPARATE CONSULTANT MONITORING THE CONSTRUCTION TO SAY THAT THEY WERE EXPENDING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FUNDS.
YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NO, SO I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF CONTROLS ON ALL OF OUR, UM, INCENTIVES.
UM, NOT ONLY FOR THESE KIND OF PROJECTS, BUT FOR ALL OF OUR, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
WE HAVE LOTS OF CONTROLS AND, UM, REPORTING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, I'M CONFIDENT THAT THIS NEXT ONE IS FOR CHRISTINA, SO SHE'S ALREADY HERE.
SO, UM, WE, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF DISCUSSIONS SO
[01:50:01]
FAR AS WE'VE GONE ONLY THREE COUNCIL MEMBERS AROUND THE HORN ABOUT, UH, POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL ZONING, UM, MODIFICATIONS.WHAT DOES THE PROCESS LOOK LIKE IF WE WERE TO REMAND THIS BACK TONIGHT FOR THINKING THROUGH THOSE PROVISIONS MORE CAREFULLY, BRINGING BACK, I, I ASSUME IT WOULD HAVE TO COME BACK THROUGH P AND Z FIRST FOR ANOTHER VOTE, AND THEN TO COUNCIL, WHAT DOES THAT PROCESS LOOK LIKE AND HOW LONG REALISTICALLY MIGHT IT TAKE? I THINK IT SORT OF DEPENDS ON THE SCOPE, BUT WHAT THAT LOOK, IT GETS PLACED BACK ON A PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
UM, THERE'S ANOTHER STAFF REPORT, THEY CONSIDER IT FURTHER, AND THEN THEIR RECOMMENDATION COMES BACK TO, UH, COMES BACK TO CITY COUNCIL.
SO IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON HOW LONG IT IT TAKES US TO, WHAT THE SCOPE OF THAT REWORK LOOKS LIKE.
SO IF THE ASK IS LARGE, UM, IT MAY TAKE TIME FOR STAFF AND THE APPLICANT TO WORK THINGS OUT.
IF IT'S SMALL, UM, IT MAY BE THAT WE COULD PUT IT FAIRLY QUICKLY ON A P AND Z AGENDA.
SO IT, IT'S CHRISTINA, HOW LONG DOES AN EHA STUDY TAKE? AND EHA STUDY WOULD TAKE A FAIRLY LONG TIME BECAUSE THE, UH, THEY WOULD HAVE TO ENGAGE A CONSULTANT AND THEN THEY HAVE TO PREPARE THE STUDY, AND THEN WE HAVE TO ANALYZE THE STUDY.
SO THAT'S TYPICALLY IN THE FOUR TO SIX MONTH TIMEFRAME.
SO I, I AM, UM, DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF HURRY UP AND GET THIS GOING BECAUSE, UM, UH, TIME IS OF ESSENCE WHENEVER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REAL ESTATE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THIS IS NOT A NEW DEVELOPMENT.
THIS IS A REVITALIZATION AND WILLA BEND REALLY DOES NEED REVITALIZATION.
UM, AS WE HEARD FROM MANY OF THE SPEAKERS, PEOPLE, UM, ARE HUNGRY.
THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE DYING TO HAVE THIS REVITALIZE THEIR BUSINESS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS TO, UM, BE AWARE AND CONCERNED ABOUT OUR PLANO RESIDENTS AND OUR PLANO BUSINESSES.
ANOTHER THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY, UM, INTERESTING WAS A YOUNGER GENERATION TELLING, UM, PLANO, AND THEY ARE THE FUTURE OF PLANO, AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE THE ONE THAT'S GONNA BE LIVING HERE SAYING THAT THE NEW GENERATION NEEDS PROGRESS AND THEY NEED DINING, ENTERTAINMENT, ENTERTAINMENT, AND SHOPPING, UM, THE WAY THAT IT IS BEING, UM, RECOMMENDED AND DESIGNED.
AND, AND I THINK THAT WE NEED TO HEED THE NEWER, YOUNGER GENERATION BECAUSE WING GONNA BE HERE FOR VERY LONG
SO, UM, ANOTHER THING IS ALSO PLANNED ZONING HAS ALREADY FULLY APPROVED THIS EIGHT TO ZERO.
I I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
FINALLY, NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ART PUT UP WITH SHELBY WILLIAMS IN THEIR
SO, UM, IF THEY'RE HERE SAYING THAT THEY WANNA CONTINUE WITH WILLOW BEND, THEN UH, THEY'RE, WHO AM I TO SAY DIFFERENT? THAT'S ALL I KNOW.
I THINK FOR ME PERSONALLY, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN PLANNING AND ZONING AND THEN NOW COUNSEL FOR A LONG TIME.
SO I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE, UM, BE A PART OF COLIN CREEK MALL AND THEN PLANO MARKET SQUARE AND LEGACY WEST.
AND NOW THIS, THAT GETS THE WHOLE FOUR CORNERS OF OUR CITY COVERED AND WITH REVITALIZATION.
SO I THINK THIS IS, UM, VERY EXCITING, VERY NEEDED.
I THINK THE PLAN LOOKS BEAUTIFUL.
I HOPE THAT, UH, THE PLAN WILL ACTUALLY TURN OUT THAT BEAUTIFUL.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE HAVE DEVELOPERS COME FORWARD AND THEY PUT A LOT OF PRETTY PICTURES BEFORE US, AND THEN IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY LOOK THAT NICE.
SO I HOPE THAT IT ACTUALLY WILL END UP LOOKING AS NICE AS THE PICTURES YOU TOLD US.
BUT I AM IN SUPPORT OF VOTING, UM, IN FAVOR OF THIS TONIGHT AND MOVING IT FORWARD.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY THAT WE DO THIS AND FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY, THAT WE CONTINUE TO REVITALIZE AND SHOW EVERYONE IN PLAY KNOW THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY, AND THAT IT'S GONNA BE STRONG AND VIBRANT GOING FORWARD.
WELL, UM, I SPENT SOME TIME ON P AND Z AND ALSO THIS FIRST YEAR ON COUNCIL, AND I'VE SEEN A COUPLE OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES COME FORWARD.
LET ME TELL YOU, I LIKE WILLOW BEND THE WAY IT IS.
I CAN RUN THROUGH THAT PLACE AND NOT RUN INTO ANYBODY.
MY WIFE CAN WALK BEHIND ME AND SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO WORRY.
SHE'S DRY, IT'S WARM BECAUSE AS OUR, UH, ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS SAYS, THERE'S NOT MANY PEOPLE
[01:55:01]
THERE, UNFORTUNATELY, AS THE WAY IT GOES NOW, WITHOUT THIS REDEVELOPMENT, IT'LL GO THE WAY OF VALLEY VIEW MALL.THERE'S JUST NO FM BUTS ABOUT IT.
VALLEY VIEW USED TO BE IT, IT WAS THE MALL IN NORTH TEXAS AND IT DIED.
AND REALLY, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE MALLS AS THEY ARE NOW, STONEBRIAR IS ABOUT, OUTSIDE OF, NORTH PARK IS ABOUT THE ONLY A TYPE MALL THAT'S OUT THERE.
WE'RE NOT SEEING THESE TYPE OF MALLS BEING CONSTRUCTED.
NOW WE'RE SEEING A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY A TRUE ACTIVITY CENTER.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS WAS GONNA BE ZONED TO A SUBURBAN ACTIVITY CENTER.
PEOPLE BE ABLE TO LIVE THERE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO WORK THERE, BE ABLE TO SHOPS, YOU KNOW, FIVE DAYS A WEEK, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, DYING OUTSIDE ALF FRESCO.
SO THE WAY YOU HAVE THAT GOING FORWARD, I, I APPLAUD YOU.
I IT'S GOING, IT WILL COMPETE WITH LEGACY WEST AND IT SHOPS A LEGACY.
IT'S ALSO COMPETING WITH THE STAR UP AT FRISCO, AND IT'S ALSO GOING TO COMPETE WITH WATERS CREEK.
AND WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE TAX DOLLARS, OUR FRIENDS GOING UP TO THE STAR, THOSE FRIENDS GOING TO WATERS CREEK.
I WANT THEM TO LIVE HERE IN SPEND HERE IN PLANO.
SO WITH THE WAY THE DEVELOPMENT'S GOING FORWARD AND WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE, I HAVE TO SAY I APPLAUD YOU FOR YOUR VISION AND I, I APPLAUD NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS FOR BEING PATIENT AND YOU GUYS WORKING TOGETHER BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LOVE THAT THEATER AND LOVE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND I, I JUST LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT'S GOING FORWARD.
I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CONDO CONCEPT ON THE HOTEL.
AND THE REASON WHY IS, IS BECAUSE THAT HOTEL LIES WITHIN THE EXPRESSWAY CORRIDOR AND THEREFORE IT'LL TRIGGER AN EHA.
SO I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN ADDRESS DOWN THE LINE, AS YOU SAID, IT'LL TAKE SIX MONTHS, AND THEN WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TYPE OF MITIGATION MEASURES WE HAVE FOR NOISE AND POLLUTANTS THAT CLOSE TO, TO THE, THE TOLL ROAD.
SO, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I, I LIKE WHAT YOU PROPOSED.
I LIKE THE PHASING, THE CONCEPT IS GREAT AND, UM, I HAVE TO SAY I'M ALL FOR IT.
AND, UH, GONNA PASS SOMETHING AROUND FOR THE SECOND TIME TONIGHT.
I'M A VI I'M A VISUAL PERSON, Y'ALL.
WE GOTTA, WE GOTTA KEEP MOVING.
I, I'M, WELL ANYWAY, I'VE GOT, I'VE GOT A SINGLE PAGE OF NOTES AND, UH, BUT ANYWAY, UH, SO FIRST OF ALL, I AGREE WITH THE NEED FOR REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SHOPS AT WILLOWBEND.
UH, FOR WHATEVER IT'S WORTH, I'M, I'M THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO LIVES THE CLOSEST, UH, TO THE SHOPS AT WILLOWBEND.
IT'S A THREE MINUTE DRIVE DOWN COMMUNICATIONS FROM MY HOUSE, SO I CAN GREATLY APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING THIS REDEVELOPMENT.
I, I APPRECIATE CENTENNIAL'S PLANNED INVESTMENT IN REDEVELOPMENT AND HAD A GREAT MEETING, UH, UH, WITH Y'ALL, WHICH I, I REALLY APPRECIATED.
I ALSO REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORKING WITH NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS, UH, AND, AND ALSO THE POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE RESTAURANTS.
NORTH TEXAS PERFORMING ARTS AS A CROWN JEWEL IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, NONETHELESS, I HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT THIS REGARDING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, I, I DO THINK THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN RECOGNIZES THE NEED FOR OCCASIONAL DEVIATIONS FROM THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WHEN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES ARE PRESENT.
THAT'S WHY I VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE TEXAS RESEARCH QUARTER, UH, ZONING CASE, EVEN THOUGH THAT DIDN'T COMPLY, UH, WITH THE DASHBOARDS AND THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T SEE COMING BACK IN 2021.
UH, BUT THE SHOPS AT WILLOW BEND REDEVELOPMENT WAS SPECIFICALLY CONSIDERED WHEN WE PASSED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN LESS THAN THREE YEARS AGO.
UH, THE FIRST PAGE OF WHAT I PASSED AROUND AND, AND I'VE, I'VE, UH, PROVIDED THAT TO MS. HENDERSON IN CASE ANYONE OUT IN THE, UH, OUT, OUT THERE WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW ALONG.
SAYS THAT, UH, AT THE MARCH 3RD, 2020 CPRC MEETING, UH, THE ISSUE OF HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT BEING THE GREATEST CONCERN FOR THOSE WORRIED ABOUT IMPACTS TO EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE SUBURBAN CHARACTER OF PLANO WAS CONTINUED OR WAS CONSIDERED.
AND SOLUTION NUMBER ONE WAS THAT AREAS WHERE HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT TYPES ARE SUPPORTED BY THE COMMUNITY SHOULD BE DESIGNATED IN THE PLAN AS SPECIAL PLANNING AREAS ALONG WITH A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF UNITS FOR EACH AREA.
AND WILLOW BEND MALL WAS SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED IN THERE, UH, THIS FIRST PAGE, BY THE WAY, IS, IS, UH, SOMETHING THE STAFF PROVIDED IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION.
AND THEN AGAIN, AT THE OCTOBER 20TH, 2020, UH, MEETING OF THE CPRC, UH, WILLOW BEND MALL, UH, WAS SPECIFICALLY REFERENCED, UH, IN, IN, UH, CONNECTION WITH THE DASHBOARDS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS ENVISIONED BY THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
THEN IF YOU TURN TO THE SECOND PAGE, UM, UH, UNDER MAXIMUM HOUSING SCENARIOS IN THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH TO BE CLEAR, THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY WAS JUST FOR,
[02:00:01]
UH, ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES NOT TO BE USED IN SPECIFIC ZONING CASES.BUT THE POINT I'M MAKING WITH THIS IS THAT, UH, IT, THIS WAS SPECIFICALLY CONSIDERED PAGE 14, UM, OF THE 23 PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SPENDS ONE ENTIRE PAGE OF THE 23 PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ON THE WILLOWBEND MALL AREA, AND, UH, SAYS THAT THE MAXIMUM NEW HOUSING UNITS WOULD BE 834, WHICH IS 131 LESS THAN WHAT'S PROPOSED TONIGHT.
UM, WE KNEW OF THE NEED FOR REDEVELOPMENT, UH, IN 2021.
UH, SO I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SUGGEST THAT WE FOLLOWED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN AND ENCOURAGE A REDEVELOPMENT THAT COMPLIES WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE MADE A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
IT WAS UNANIMOUSLY PASSED BY THE CPRC, BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AND BY THIS CITY COUNCIL.
I'M CONCERNED WITH THE FREQUENCY WITH WHICH WE HAVE DISREGARDED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SINCE PASSING IT IN 2021.
AND IF YOU TURN TO THE FINAL PAGE OF THIS THREE PAGE PACKET, UH, ANALYSIS DONE BY THE STAFF SHOWS THAT IN SEVEN CASES WERE FINDINGS WERE REQUIRED BECAUSE THE ZONING CASE DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE DASHBOARDS IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE'VE PASSED FIVE OF THOSE SEVEN, AND TONIGHT WOULD MAKE IT SIX OUT OF EIGHT.
AND SO I'M, I'M CONCERNED, ESPECIALLY GIVEN HOW SPECIFICALLY THIS WAS CONSIDERED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE'RE WE'RE, UH, ABOUT TO NOT FOLLOW THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
AGAIN, I FEAR THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING OUR 2021 COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, ALL OF THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO IT, AND THE UNANIMOUS APPROVAL THAT IT RECEIVED AT EVERY STEP OF THE PROCESS AND TURNING IT INTO A LITTLE MORE, MORE THAN AN EMPTY PROMISE AND A DEAD LETTER.
ACCORDINGLY, WHILE I FULLY AGREE WITH THE NEED FOR REDEVELOPMENT AND WOULD ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT A REDEVELOPMENT AT 834 UNITS, UH, OR FEWER, UH, I CAN'T SUPPORT ANY PLAN THAT CONTAINS A GREATER NUMBER OF MULTIFAMILY UNITS THAN THAT PERMITTED BY THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED LESS THAN THREE YEARS AGO.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, THE MEETING AND THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN PLAN.
BUT BECAUSE THIS PROPOSAL, UH, EXCEEDS THE NUMBER OF MULTIFAMILY UNITS THAT IS PERMITTED BY OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, I MUST RESPECTFULLY VOTE NO.
I I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DID.
WE, WE TALKED THIS FALL AND I ASKED YOU TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY REACH OUT TO COMMUNITIES AND, AND FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WERE DESIRING AND YOU DID THAT, UH, WE ASKED YOU TO, TO CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS A REALLY SPECIAL PLACE.
UM, I USED TO BE IN THE CAFETERIA BUSINESS AND WE WERE IN 60% OF OUR CAFETERIAS.
WE WERE IN MAJOR MALLS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ALL THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA.
WE KNEW IN 1987 WE HAD A DINOSAUR ON OUR HANDS AND WE LIVED IN A DINOSAUR JUNGLE.
AND IT WAS, IT WAS OBVIOUS TO TO US THAT EVEN WAY BACK IN THE, THE MID EIGHTIES, THIS, THIS CONCEPT HAD HAD ONLY A, A VERY FINITE CHANCE TO SURVIVE.
TODAY WE, WE, WE HAVE THE DOMAIN IN AUSTIN AND LEGACY WEST, UH, IN, IN PLANO.
AND, AND THIS LOOKS LIKE THAT.
AND I'M THRILLED THAT, THAT THIS TYPE OF ENGAGEMENT, RESTAURANTS, RETAIL SHOPPING IS, IS, IS REALLY ON DISPLAY FOR WHAT YOU GUYS ARE PLANNING TO BUILD.
AND I, I COULDN'T, I COULDN'T BE MORE HAPPY.
OBVIOUSLY THE VALUE OF THIS MALL AS IT SITS THERE TODAY IS, IS THAT A VERY LOW NUMBER AND THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE AT EIGHT, NINE TIMES VALUE WHERE, WHERE IT'S AT TODAY.
AND IF WE DO, IF WE DON'T APPROVE THIS, IT, IT COULD GO TO ZERO.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY, REALLY ANXIOUS FOR YOU GUYS TO GET STARTED AND TO MAKE THIS REALLY THE SPECIAL PLACE THAT, THAT WE KNOW IT WILL BE.
AND THANKS TO, TO YOU GUYS, GEORGE AND, AND BRIAN FOR, FOR HAVING THE PATIENCE TO, TO PUT UP WITH US TRYING TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND I THINK, I THINK WE FINALLY HAVE, AND SO I'LL BE IN FULL SUPPORT OF THIS BECAUSE I KNOW, UH, I I MAY NEED TO LIVE A LITTLE FARTHER AWAY, BUT NOT MUCH.
SO I KNOW, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO, UM, WELL, QUITE FRANKLY, MY WIFE, UM,
AND I KNOW THEY'RE IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD TO, TO ASSURE, UH, THEIR SATISFACTION AND, AND THAT THEY'LL BE THERE ALONG WITH YOU.
SO, UH, AGAIN, I AM VERY MUCH IN SUPPORT OF THIS.
[02:05:01]
A MOTION TO APPROVE.WITH THE, WITH THE CONCERN OVER CONFORMANCE TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UM, AND COUNCILMAN RICK ELLI SAID HE COULD SUPPORT IT WITH A MAX OF 834 MULTIFAMILY.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE, THE USE OF THE EXISTING PLAN STRUCTURES BETWEEN MULTIFAMILY OR SINGLE FAMILY ATTACHED COULD BE IDENTICAL.
IF THE APPLICANT WERE, WERE AMENABLE TO DESIGNATING, I THINK 131 OF THE EXISTING PLANNED MULTIFAMILY TO CONDOS OUTSIDE OF THE EA, UM, WOULD, WOULD THAT BRING EVERYTHING INTO CONFORMANCE AND PRESUMABLY ALLOW A UNANIMOUS VOTE? IS THAT A, IS THAT A QUESTION
I MEAN, IT WOULD, THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WILL CONSIDER, THE MULTI DOES NOT DISTINGUISH BETWEEN OWNERSHIP AND RENTAL.
IT DISTINGUISHES THE HOUSING FORM ITSELF.
SO THEY WILL STILL BE CONSIDERED MULTIFAMILY UNITS.
CAN WE CLARIFY, DOES THIS INCLUDE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HOMER'S MODIFICATION ON PRIVATE CLUB SIZE? YES.
SO TO CLARIFY, THAT WAS BY RIGHT AT 8,000 SQUARE FEET OR BELOW AND BY SUP ABOVE THAT NUMBER? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
WE'LL NEED TO DO, MAYOR, WE'LL NEED TO TAKE A SHORT RECESS TO COMPLETE THE FORMS. YES.
WE'LL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS.
WE'RE RECONVENED INTO OPEN SESSION.
[COMMENTS OF PUBLIC INTEREST]
ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, PLEASE.THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING IS TO ALLOW UP TO THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER WITH 30 TOTAL MINUTES ON ITEMS OF INTEREST OR CONCERN AND, AND NOT ON ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE CURRENT AGENDA.
THE COUNCIL MAY NOT DISCUSS THESE ITEMS, BUT MAY RESPOND WITH FACTUAL OR POLICY INFORMATION.
THE COUNCIL MAY CHOOSE TO PLACE THE ITEM ON A FUTURE AGENDA.
AND AS A REMINDER FOR OUR SPEAKERS, PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH OR YELL INTO THE MICROPHONE, BUT PLEASE GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO IT SO WE CAN HEAR YOU.
THE FIRST SPEAKER TONIGHT IS AAN AHMED.
WE'RE GONNA LET THE FIRST SPEAKER IS MARIA TOO.
AND THEN YOU RAMED
I, UM, I APPRECIATE IT, MR. MAYOR.
UM, EVERY YEAR AROUND THIS TIME, UM, DURING THE LUNAR NEW YEAR, I MAKE A STATEMENT AND IS ALSO TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF CULTURE THAT IS IN PLANO.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, IN CITY OF PLANO THERE'S 22% ASIAN POPULATION AND WE HAVE A PART OF IT, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE ON SPEAKER FORM TODAY.
BUT I DO WANT TO, UM, MR. MERRIT, THAT YOU TO KNOW THAT 17% OF THE CITY OF PLANO ASIAN POPULATION ARE CHINESE AMERICANS.
AND THAT'S WHY LUNAR NEW YEAR IS SO, UM, CELEBRATED AND ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
UM, THE LUNAR NEW YEAR FOR 2024 IS, UM, WAS ON FEBRUARY 10TH.
AS I'VE SAID MANY TIMES BEFORE.
IT IS A TIME TO CHECK IN ON YOUNG AND THE ELDERS.
WE DON'T WANT THE MONSTER YEAR TO TAKE THEM AWAY FROM US.
THE CELEBRATION WILL LAST FOR 15 DAYS OR UNTIL FEBRUARY 25TH.
NOW, WHY IS THE CELEBRATION FOR 15 DAYS? WELL, BECAUSE THE NEW YEAR MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW MOON, WHICH IS A FULL MOON, WHILE THE 15TH DAY MARKS THE REAL FULL MOON.
AND IT SYMBOLIZES OUR FULL LIFE IN THE BEGINNING AND THE COMPLETION OF A CYCLE TO COME BACK TO ITS FULLNESS AGAIN ON THE 15TH DAY.
THE CIRCLE OF LIFE THIS YEAR IS THE YEAR OF DRAGON.
THIS IS THE ONLY MYSTICAL CREATURE IN THE CHINESE ASTROLOGY.
AND MAYBE THAT IS WHY SOME ASIAN COUNTRIES PREFER THE YEAR OF THE CAT OVER DRAGON.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT CATS ARE ALSO MYSTERIOUS AND WORSHIPED IN MANY, UH, ASIAN CULTURES.
SO THIS YEAR IS A YEAR WITH MYSTICAL POWER AND MYSTERIOUS SURPRISES.
SO WHAT'S SO SPECIAL ABOUT THE YEAR OF DRAGON?
[02:10:02]
WELL, IN THE CHINESE CULTURE.DRAGONS ARE THE RULERS OF THE SKY AND SEA.
THEY BRING WATER TO THE WORLD.
AND IN THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, WATER IS IMPORTANT.
NOT TOO MUCH BECAUSE IT WOULD KILL THE HARVEST, NOT TOO LITTLE BECAUSE IT WOULD CAUSE DROUGHT AND FAMINE.
SO PLEASING THE DRAGON IS IMPORTANT.
PRAYING TO THE GODS TO SEND THE DRAGON WHEN THERE IS A LACK OF RAIN.
SHOWERING THE GODS WITH GIFTS AND PRAYERS TO CALM THE ANGRY DRAGON THAT IS CAUSING FLOOD, AND SO ON AND SO ON.
IN OLD CHINA, THE RULER OF THE COUNTRY IS EQUATED WITH BEING THE SUN OF DRAGON.
THAT IS WHY THE EMPERORS ALWAYS HAVE DRAGONS EMBROIDERED ON THEIR CLOTHES.
THE HIGH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE ALSO ALLOWED TO WEAR DRAGON EMBROIDER CLOTHINGS, BUT LOOK CLOSELY 'CAUSE YOU MUST COUNT THE FRONT CLAWS OF THE DRAGON.
ONLY THE EMPEROR CAN WEAR EMBROIDER DRAGONS WITH FIVE CLAWS ON EACH FRONT FRONT PAW.
AND SOME WOULD DELIBERATELY MAKE IT NINE BECAUSE NINE SYMBOLIZES LONGEVITY.
SO WE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE MANY YOUNG ASIAN WOMEN PREGNANT.
AFTER ALL, WHO DOESN'T WANT A CHILD BORN? THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON, THE RULER OF ALL THINGS.
IN MY YEARS OF TELLING THE TALES ABOUT LUNAR NEW YEAR, I HAVE NEVER DISCUSSED FOOD EATEN DURING THIS TIME OF PERIOD.
SO LET ME TELL YOU SOME REASONS WHY WE EAT WHAT WE EAT DURING THE NEW YEAR DUMPLINGS.
IF YOU EVER HAD STEAMED DUMPLINGS IN THE CHINESE RESTAURANT, YOU WILL SEE THAT IT'S WRAPPED IN A KIND OF A PECULIAR SHAPE.
THAT IS BECAUSE IT IMIT TASTES A GOLD AND SILVER OT THAT WE'RE SO POPULAR IN ASIAN CHINA.
AND THIS IS A TRUE SILVER OOD.
SO EATING A DUMPLING IS LIKE EATING FORTUNE INTO ONE'S LIFE.
SO THE WORD FISH IN CHINESE IS PRONOUNCED Y.
IT SHOULD ALSO IS YOU ALSO SHARES THE SAME PRONUNCIATION AS ANOTHER CHINESE WORD THAT MEANS REMAINING OR REMAINDER.
SO WHEN A FISH IS SERVED, THE SERVER WILL ALWAYS SAY
THAT MEANS YEAR, YEAR WITH REMAINING.
AND SO FISH IS ALWAYS SERVED STEAM CAKE.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FGO I GOT AT RANCH 99.
SO THE STEAM CAKE GROWS IN SIZE, AND THAT'S HOW WE LIKE TO SEE OUR FORTUNE AND WEALTH.
ANOTHER NOTE, FA IN CANTONESE IS PRONOUNCED BA, WHICH SHARES THE SAME PRONUNCIATION AS THE NUMBER EIGHT IN CHINESE.
SO YOU WONDER WHY ASIANS COVET THE NUMBER EIGHT AND EVERYTHING FROM LICENSE PLACE OR ROOM NUMBERS TO HOTEL NUMBERS, TO WHATEVER NUMBERS, ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH NUMBERS.
NOW, YOU KNOW WHY NUMBER A IS VERY COVETED, STICKY RICE CAKE.
THE WORD STICKY IS PRONOUNCED NEEN, WHICH SHARES THE SAME SOUND AS Y IN CHINESE CAKE, OR GA SHARES THE SAME SOUND AS IN CHINESE SAYS HIGH OR HIGHER.
SO EATING STICKY RICE CAKE IS THE HOPE TO MOVE HIGHER IN STATUS IN LIFE YEAR TO YEAR.
THE LUCKY FRUIT DURING THE NEW YEAR'S IS ORANGE OR TANGERINES, BECAUSE THE COLOR, THE FRUIT IS GOLDEN AND IT SYMBOLIZES WEALTH AND PROSPERITY.
SO IN THE NEW YEAR, I WISH ALL OF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO CONSUME LOTS OF DUMPLINGS, FISH, STEAM, CAKE, STICKY RICE, CAKE, AND ORANGES.
AND MAY YOU FIND MANY EIGHTS IN 2024.
UH, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS, WE'RE GONNA LIMIT, UH, ALL SPEAKERS TO TWO MINUTES, UH, EACH.
SO, UH, IF YOU WILL, LISA, GO AHEAD AND, UH, START WITH THE, UH, PO UH, COMETS OF PUBLIC INTEREST.
ALL RIGHT, A AND AHMED, WHEN CITIZENS OF AMERICA COME TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT A SPECIFIC TOPIC, WE ARE IGNORED, SHUT DOWN, AND OUR CONSIDERATIONS ARE NOT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGED.
THE CITY OF PLANO IS REGARDED TO HIGH STANDARDS, A CITY WHERE SOCIETY FLOURISHES AND A CITY OF EXCELLENCE.
SO WE COME TO PEOPLE LIKE YOU, PEOPLE OF POSITION OF POWER,
[02:15:01]
HOPING FOR YOU TO SUPPORT US AND TO ADDRESS OUR CONCERNS.THE ONGOING PALESTINIAN CONFLICT HAS BEEN TRANSPIRING FOR DECADES.
YEAR AFTER YEAR, THOUSANDS OF PALESTINIANS HAVE PASSED AWAY WITH UNCOMPLETED AMBITIONS, BUT THEIR DEATHS WILL NOT BE IN VAIN.
THEIR DEATHS HAVE MADE OUR FAITH EVEN STRONGER.
AND REMIND US, WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE MUSLIM EVERY SINGLE DAY? PEOPLE WHO HAVE MORALITY, A SENSE OF HUMANITY STRIVES TO MITIGATE THE DAMAGES DONE TO PALESTINE.
I WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT BEING IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINE IS NOT EXCLUSIVELY FROM MUSLIMS. IT'S FOR EVERY SINGLE HUMAN BEING WHO HAS A HEART.
THE CONFLICT HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT HATE CRIMES HAVE BEEN TRANSPIRING IN THE UNITED STATES WHERE A BOY WAS STABBED 26 TIMES, NOT ONCE, NOT TWICE, BUT 26 TIMES, AND HIS LAST WORDS WAS TO CONFIRM, WAS TO COMFORT HIS CRYING.
MOTHER, THIS IS THE VERY COUNTRY THAT PROTECTS OUR RIGHTS AND GRANTS US SECURITY.
THE CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION IS TO SAVE LIVES ON BOTH SIDES.
EVERY DAY WE, IN THE NEWS, WE HEAR ABOUT IDF SOLDIERS WHO ARE GETTING KILLED BY CIVILIANS IN RZA AND COUNTLESS PALESTINIANS WHO ARE DYING FROM STARVATION, DEHYDRATION, AND CONTINUED VIOLENCE.
1,140 ISRAELS HAVE BEEN KILLED AND 28,000 PALESTINIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED.
A CEASEFIRE WOULD BE A SOLUTION THAT WOULD BENEFIT BOTH SIDES.
THIRD, KURT, IT'S MAMU, HONORABLE MAYOR, MOMS AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UM, THE US ACTUALLY PROVIDES $3.8 BILLION TO ISRAEL IN TERMS OF UNCONDITIONAL MILITARY AID.
UM, THERE'S LITTLE INCENTIVE FOR ISRAEL TO LISTEN TO THE US WHEN THEY GET THAT KIND OF MONEY.
UM, A LOT OF THAT MONEY IS ACTUALLY NEEDED HERE.
UM, THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE US THAT WE COULD USE TO RESOLVE THOSE, UH, BASICALLY TO RESOLVE THOSE ISSUES.
UM, THE LONG THERE'S LONG-TERM EFFECT, THE, THE CONFLICT IN GAZA AND, AND, AND ISRAEL.
UH, IT'S NOT IN, UH, IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE THERE.
IT ACTUALLY HAS A LOT OF IMPACT ON THE US AND, AND ONE OF THE MAJOR THINGS IS THAT US, THE WAY IT THRIVES IS, IS ECONOMIC SUPERPOWER.
THE WAY IT THRIVES IS BASICALLY DOING BUSINESS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES.
A LOT OF OTHER COUNTRIES DON'T.
THEY DON'T LIKE WHAT THEY'RE SEEING, AND THE US WILL LOSE BUSINESS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES.
OTHER COUNTRIES WILL MAKE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC ALLIANCES.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO REMEMBER, UM, THROUGH HISTORY, UM, MAJOR POWERS, UH, EMPIRES HAVE FALLEN.
AND, AND ESPECIALLY IN A CASE OF LIKE, IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS, AND WHEN, WHEN WE SEE GENOCIDES GOING ON, OUR LEADERS LIKE YOURSELF, WE ARE CITIZENS, BUT YOU'RE OUR LEADERS.
AND IF WE, IF WE, AND WE KNOW WHAT, WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DELAY AND WE DON'T SPEAK UP.
WE'VE SEEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THE JEWS DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR LEADERS.
SO I'M HERE TO REQUEST, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL TO 20 SECONDS, ASK FOR A SI UH, APPROVED FOR A CEASEFIRE OR ASK FOR A CEASEFIRE.
THERE ARE COUNTLESS PALESTINIAN CIVILIANS, ISRAELI SOLDIERS THAT ARE DYING.
WE NEED TO GET FOOD, UH, TO THE PEOPLE OF GAZA THAT ARE STARVING.
AND THE CEASE FIGHT WILL ALSO HELP KICK JUMPSTART THE, UM, THE PEACE PROCESS.
THANK YOU ZARA, KARI, LAURA, KARI, MOVE ON TO SAMINA ALI.
GOOD EVENING ESTEEM MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BY NOW, YOU HAVE HEARD MANY FACTS AND MUST HAVE SEEN THE HORRIFYING LIVE STREAM IMAGES FROM THE WAR IN GAZA.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF WITH A POEM.
WHAT COULD I TELL YOU THAT WOULD MAKE YOU STOP KILLING CHILDREN? IF I TOLD YOU THEIR LAUGHTER WAS THE SWEETEST SOUND IN THE WORLD, WOULD YOU STOP IF I TOLD YOU HOW THEY CARRIED THEIR LITTLE TOYS WITH THEM EVERYWHERE THEY WENT? WOULD YOU STOP IF I TOLD YOU
[02:20:01]
HOW THEY SMILED AT EVERY STRANGER THEY PASSED BY? WOULD YOU STOP IF I TOLD YOU ABOUT THE WAY THEIR EYES WELL UP WITH TEARS WHEN THEY GET HURT? WOULD YOU STOP IF I TOLD YOU THEY COULDN'T HARM ANYONE BECAUSE THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HARM IS? WOULD YOU STOP? WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO MAKE YOU STOP? IT IS THE CHILDREN WHO ARE SUFFERING THE MOST IN THIS WAR.IMAGINE THE BEAUTIFUL, INNOCENT CHILDREN ARE YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN.
WHAT WOULD WE WANT FOR THEM? JUST YESTERDAY OF MANY THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN GOING THROUGH TRAUMA IN GAZA, I WATCHED A SWEET BOY, NOT EVEN THREE YEARS OLD, HAVE TO GO THROUGH AMPUTATION OF HIS LEFT LEG FROM HIS THIGH WITHOUT ANY ANESTHETIC.
CAN YOU FATHOM THIS? WHAT IS THIS WORLD COMING TO? AND THIS BOY DOESN'T HAVE ANY FAMILY.
HIS MOTHER, FATHER, AND SIBLINGS WERE ALL KILLED IN THIS WAR.
SO INCREDIBLY HEART WRENCHING AND BEYOND OVERWHELMING.
YET THIS BRAVE LITTLE BOY AGAINST THE INSURMOUNTABLE ODDS HE'S FACING IS NOW WITH SMALL BABY CRUTCHES, LEARNING TO WALK.
AND I THOUGHT, CAN WE NOT EVEN MUSTER A LITTLE BRAVERY AS THIS BOY TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT? AND SO I AM HERE TODAY AS THE WAR IN GAZA IS REPLETE WITH THOUSANDS OF CASES LIKE THIS SWEET CHILD WITH NO END IN SIGHT.
SO I URGE YOU RESPECTED, MAYOR, PLEASE CALL FOR AN END TO THIS WAR.
WE ARE ALL COMPLICIT IN CALL FOR PEACE IN THE NAME OF OUR SHARED HUMANITY AND COMMON DECENCY.
MY NAME IS DEB ARMAR AND I LIVE AT 2003 MISTY WOOD LANE IN DENTON.
I'M A JEW, A MEMBER OF JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE, AND A FORMER DENTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
I URGE YOU TO JOIN THE GROWING NUMBER OF CITY COUNCILS IN TEXAS AND NATIONWIDE, PUTTING CEASEFIRE RESOLUTIONS ON THEIR AGENDAS ON BEHALF OF CONSTITUENTS WHOSE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES ARE DIRECTLY AFFECTED IN DIVERSE AND DEVASTATING WAYS.
IN A RECENT REUTERS POLL, 70% OF AMERICANS WANT TO SEE THE US PUSH FOR A CEASEFIRE AND AN AN AN END TO ISRAEL'S GENOCIDE.
AND GAZA CEASEFIRE IS NOT, NOT A RED OR A BLUE ISSUE.
IT IS A NONPARTISAN ISSUE SUPPORTED BY BOTH SIDES OF THIS POLITICAL SPECTRUM.
AS FOR WHY IT IS A CITY COUNCIL ISSUE, CITY COUNCILS STATEWIDE AND NATIONWIDE WHO ARE PUTTING CEASEFIRE RESOLUTIONS ON THEIR AGENDAS ARE SHOWING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND LOCAL CONTROL BY GIVING LOCAL ELECTEDS A VOICE ON THE MISAPPROPRIATION OF BILLIONS OF US CITY, STATE, AND FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS SPENT ON WAR CRIMES, GENOCIDE, AND APARTHEID OVERSEAS.
AND THEY'RE SHOWING MORAL RESPONSIBILITY BY HONORING THE SANCTITY OF LIFE THAT WE ALL HOLD DEAR.
I'M A LIT A LITERATURE PROFESSOR AT UNT WHERE I REGULARLY TEACH A COURSE ON LITERATURE IN THE HOLOCAUST.
I TEACH THAT COURSE BECAUSE I WANT EVERYONE TO REMEMBER THE 6 MILLION LIVES LOST WHILE THE WORLD WATCHED IN SILENCE, SO THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM HISTORY RATHER THAN REPEATING IT.
I CONSIDER IT MY DUTY AS A JEW, AS A WORLD CITIZEN, AND AS AN AMERICAN, AND AS A HUMAN BEING TO PRESERVE THE PAINFUL MEMORY OF THE HOLOCAUST SO THAT IT NEVER HAPPENS AGAIN TO ANYONE.
THERE ARE MANY JEWS WHO WORLDWIDE WHO FEEL THE SAME, NOT IN SPITE OF OUR JUDAISM, BUT BECAUSE OF IT.
THE MYTH THAT TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST ISRAELI APARTHEID AND ITS GENOCIDE AGAINST PALESTINIANS IS SOMEHOW ANTISEMITIC, IS ABSURD PROPAGANDA.
IT'S OFFENSIVE AND DANGEROUS, AND IT IS THE OPPOSITE OF THE TRUTH.
IT IS AN OFFENSIVE DISSERVICE TO AMERICAN JEWS TO ALLOW A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT TO PRETEND TO SPEAK IN OUR NAME IN THE HOLOCAUST.
ENTIRE NATIONS WERE COMPLICIT IN ETHNIC CLEANSING WHILE SMALL VILLAGES AND COMMUNITIES WITHIN THOSE NATIONS.
LAURA, WE'LL MOVE ON TO MISTY HOYT.
WELL, NOW I'M FEELING A LITTLE GUILTY BECAUSE I JUST HAVE A FIRST WORLD ACCOLADE
I DON'T KNOW WHOSE BRAINCHILD IT WAS TO PUT THOSE SIGNS UP AROUND PLANO, BUT IT'S BEEN SUCH A SWEET SURPRISE, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS KEEP DOING IT, BUT WE'RE ALREADY A CITY OF EXCELLENCE, BUT THERE'S JUST ALL THESE LITTLE TWEAKS THAT KEEP HAPPENING.
IT'S LIKE, OH, I'M EVEN MORE PROUD TO
[02:25:01]
LIVE IN THIS CITY.SO THANK YOU FOR THE SIGNAGE AROUND PLANO.
IT HAS BEEN OVER 128 DAYS OF ONGOING GENOCIDE OF PALESTINIANS IN ZA, OVER 128 DAYS OF BOMBARDMENT, FORCED DISPLACEMENT AND FORCED STARVATION, AND EXTREMELY CALCULATED AND BRUTAL MURDER.
ALL THIS TIME WITHOUT A PEEP FROM THE CITY COUNCIL IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIANS.
MAKES ME QUESTION SOME THINGS.
CAN WE TRUST THE CITY IF THEY CAN'T REC, RECOGNIZE A GENOCIDE FOR WHAT IT IS? CAN WE TRUST THE CITY WHEN THEY REFUSE TO CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE IN ZA? CAN WE TRUST THE CITY? IF THEY CONDEMNED HAMAS OVER A HUNDRED DAYS AGO, BUT THEN SUDDENLY FORGOT HOW TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE IOF FOR THEIR BARBARIC CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY, CAN WE TRUST THE CITY? IF THEY CAN'T EVEN SPEAK OUT AGAINST HOW THEIR TAX DOLLARS GO TOWARDS THE ABSOLUTE TORTURE OF ANOTHER PEOPLE, WOULD THESE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS EVEN SPEAK UP? IF ANY OF US HAD BEEN STUCK AND MURDERED IN REZA, WOULD THESE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS EVEN SPEAK UP? IF ANYTHING AS HORRIFIC WERE TO HAPPEN HERE IN PLANO, IT'S TIME TO STEP IT UP.
CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE IS THE BARE MINIMUM.
I URGENTLY CALL UPON THE CITY OF PLANO TO INTRODUCE A CEASEFIRE RESOLUTION TO THEIR MEETING AGENDA, CALLING FOR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING, A PERMANENT AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE AND END OF THE SIE ZA FOR THE RELEASE OF ALL PALESTINIAN PRISONERS FOR AN END TO THE ILLEGAL OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE AND AN END OF USA TO ISRAEL.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? IT'S STILL NOT TOO LATE.
THE THE CITIZENS HAVE BEEN PUSHED TO THEIR LAST SAFE AREA.
THEY'RE BEING BOMBED, AND A GROUND INVASION HAS BEEN ORDERED.
THERE'S NOWHERE FOR THEM LEFT TO GO.
AND AS IN THE WORDS OF A PALESTINIAN SINGER NEMESIS, IT'S NEVER TOO LATE UNTIL THAT PLACE.
AND THOSE PEOPLE DON'T EXIST ANYMORE.
IT'S NEVER TOO LATE UNTIL THEN, THEN IT'S TOO LATE.
SO SPEAK UP WHILE YOU STILL CAN BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA GO ANYWHERE AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE UP.
THEIR LIVES ARE NOT LESS WORTHY.
SAMIR MANSOUR SAMIR 7 5 0 9 3.
MAYOR, I COME TO YOU TODAY AS A PALESTINIAN AMERICAN WITH CONFUSION.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOMEONE WHO LISTED IT AS A PRIORITY TO UNITE THE COMMUNITY IN THEIR ELECTION CAMPAIGN HAS CHOSEN TO STAY SILENT.
YOU MENTIONED LEADERSHIP A LOT IN YOUR INTERVIEWS, YET YOU HAVEN'T DISPLAYED AN OUNCE OF IT WHEN IT WE NEED IT THE MOST.
YOU ARE A PART OF THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF MAYORS, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WAS FOUNDED WITH THE PURPOSE OF CITY OFFICIALS GIVING MORE INPUT INTO FEDERAL POLICIES.
THIS IS WHY I KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT THAT THE CITY COUNCIL CAN HAVE.
THE SILENCE I HAVE SEEN FROM ALL OF YOU IS SHAMEFUL.
THIS GOVERNMENT FAILS TO EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE WHEN AMERICANS ARE KILLED IN WEST BANK.
IF I WERE TO BE SHOT AND KILLED BY THE IDF VISITING MY FAMILY, I WONDER, MAYOR, HOW SILENT YOU WOULD BE.
PLEASE SHOW THE LEADERSHIP AND THE COURAGE YOU CLAIM TO HAVE AND PASS THE CEASEFIRE.
CHASE FITZPATRICK CHASE 7 5 0 9 3.
IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO LEND MY VOICE TO THE PALESTINIAN CAUSE IN FULL SUPPORT OF ITS LIBERATION AND RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION.
JUST AS YOU HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO FACE US FROM THOSE SEATS.
I KNOW I DO NOT TAKE MY PRIVILEGES LIGHTLY.
LAST NIGHT ON THE LARGEST STAGE IN THIS NATION, A FOREIGN STATE WAS PERMITTED TO PURCHASE AD SPACE AND AIRED PROPAGANDA TO THE MASSES.
A HEINOUS, DELIBERATELY VIOLENT CALL TO SLAUGHTER AGAINST PALESTINIANS.
I SAY THAT VERY INTENTIONALLY.
AND SO SHAMEFULLY MADE IN THE NAME OF FATHERHOOD, FATHERS IN PALESTINE WOKE UP.
IF THEY WOKE UP TO ANOTHER DAY OF PROMISING THEIR CHILDREN, EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT.
WE'VE BEEN CALLING FOR CEASEFIRE FOR NEARLY 130 DAYS NOW.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR SUFFERING, THEIR FEARS, THEIR SHATTERED DREAMS THAT ARE INCONSEQUENTIAL TO YOU? MY REPRESENTATIVES, MY FRIENDS, MY NEIGHBORS, THE BRAVEST PEOPLE I KNOW HAVE BEARED OPEN THEIR HEARTS AND PLED FOR YOUR HELP TO NO AVAIL SHAME.
[02:30:01]
HOW MANY MORE TALES OF CHILDREN'S LIMBS IN PLASTIC BAGS WILL BE ENOUGH, EVEN IF JUST TO SATISFY YOUR OWN NEEDS? HOW DOES THE INFAMY THAT INEVITABLY AWAITS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TASTE BETTER THAN THE GLORY YOU COULD RECEIVE FOR BEING THE FIRST CITY COUNCIL IN THIS STATE FOR DOING SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT TO STOP THIS GENOCIDE? 2025 AND 2027 ARE NOT SO FAR AWAY.AND WE WON'T FORGET CEASEFIRE NOW.
NOW, KHA, ISHA GREETINGS, MY DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, COUNCILMEN, NEIGHBORS STANDING BEHIND.
ALL OF THESE PEOPLE BEHIND ME ARE YOUR NEIGHBORS.
THEY ARE NOT JUST CONSTITUENTS.
WHEN I STOOD HERE A MONTH AGO, I ASKED, PLEASE MAKE A STATEMENT JUST LIKE YOU DID RIGHTLY SO.
ON THE ATTACK ON OCTOBER 7TH, PLEASE MAKE A STATEMENT THAT CALLS FOR PEACE, CALLS FOR STOPPING THE KILLING.
A HUNDRED THOUSAND PEOPLE KILLED, INJURED MISSING.
AS OF YESTERDAY, A HUNDRED THOUSAND MAJORITY OF THEM ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN.
YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE HURTING AS YOU HEARD.
PLEASE MAKE A STATEMENT THAT EASES, YOU KNOW, THAT EASES US.
I HAD, I HAD SOME THINGS WRITTEN OUT, SOME POINT WRITTEN OUT FOR YOU, BUT THE PHONE IS DEAD.
SO ALL I'M ASKING YOU AS MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, PLEASE EASE OUR HEARTS.
I HAVE BEEN A PLANO RESIDENT FOR 15 YEARS, AND UNTIL RECENTLY, MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS FELT WE COULD EXPRESS OUR JEWISH FAITH AND BE SAFE.
WHILE THE PRO-PALESTINIAN SPEAKERS ARE CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE, I HAVE YET TO HEAR A MAJORITY OF THEM CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF THE HOSTAGES OR EVEN MENTION THE BARBARIC WAY A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION KILLED AND BEHEADED CHILDREN.
I HEAR WORDS SUCH AS OCCUPIERS, COLONIZERS, DESCRIBE THE VICTIMS OF THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL.
AND I CAN NO LONGER, I CAN NO LONGER SIT BY AND, UH, WITHOUT A RESPONSE.
THE JEWISH PEOPLE HAVE LIVED IN THIS LAND WE CALL ISRAEL SINCE THE 13TH CENTURY, BCE 1300 YEARS BEFORE JESUS.
J JERUSALEM WAS FOUNDED AS ITS CAPITAL IN 103 BCE BY KING DAVID, KING OF ISRAEL.
AS IT WAS KNOWN THEN AND NOW, SIX 1,612 YEARS BEFORE THE FOUNDING OF ISLAM, ARCHEOLOGISTS HAVE SAID, WE ARE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE TO CALL US.
OCCUPIES AND COLONIZERS ARE CONTRARY TO THEIR MEANING.
THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THE LAND HAS BEEN CONTROLLED BY GREEKS, BABYLONIANS, ROMANS, OTTOMANS.
AND AFTER THE FALL OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS GIVEN IT AS A TREATY BY A TREATY.
GAZA HAS NOT HAD AN ELECTION SINCE HAMAS, A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION THAT IS KNOWN TO LIE ABOUT THE NUMBERS OF DEAD IN 2007.
THAT'S ONLY A BRIEF HISTORY IF I CAN, BECAUSE I AM EMOTIONAL.
THE COVENANT OF HAMAS, THEIR CHARTER CALLS MS. GROSSMAN, FOR THE DAY OF JUDGMENT WILL COME MS. GROSS, ABOUT WHEN ALL JEWS ARE KILLED.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT LAND, THIS IS ABOUT THE DEATH OF MY PEOPLE.
I JUST HAVE ONE MORE SENTENCE, PLEASE.
I PRAY THAT HOSTAGES ARE FREED.
I ALSO PRAY THAT HAMAS LOVES THEIR PEOPLE MORE THAN THEY HATE MY CHILDREN.
AND, AND LO AND, AND MY PEOPLE AND JEWS AND PALESTINIANS WILL ONE DAY LIVE IN PEACE.
[02:35:01]
THANK YOU.SO I, I APPRECIATE THE MANY TIMES YOU'VE COME TO THIS COUNCIL.
I PRAY FOR PEACE OF INNOCENT VICTIMS. WE'RE A DIVERSE COMMUNITY AND WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
WE'RE INCLUSIVE, WE'RE SAFE, AND WE'RE COMPASSIONATE.
IT'S OUR PRIORITY TO KEEP OUR RESIDENTS SAFE AND SECURE.
AND WE WANT THAT FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY TO FEEL SAFE AND SECURE.
AND THAT'S OUR OBJECTIVE EVERY SINGLE DAY HERE IN PLANO.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE A DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY EVERY SINGLE DAY IS TO PROTECT ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS HERE IN PLANO.
YOU SPOKE TO ME AS THOUGH I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE DONE.
BUT AT US CONFERENCE OF MAYORS THREE WEEKS AGO, I WAS IN WASHINGTON AND I SPOKE TO OUR CONGRESSMAN JUST LIKE, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO THE SAME BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GET THE MOST EFFECT.
I APPRECIATE THAT YOU JUST DID THAT BEING SAID.