[C. CONSENT AGENDA Any item may be withdrawn from the consent agenda and acted on separately. Approval of the Consent Agenda authorizes the approval of each item in accordance with Staff Recommendations.]

CONSENT AGENDA. COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE ONE ITEM UNDER THE CONSENT AGENDA. ANY ITEM MAY BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND ACTED ON SEPARATELY. APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AUTHORIZES THE APPROVAL OF EACH ITEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH STAFF RECOMMENDATION. THE ITEM THAT WE HAVE THIS EVENING IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTE. CONSIDER APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY THE 14TH, 2025. COMMISSIONERS, HAVING RECEIVED THE MINUTES ELECTRONICALLY, ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS? ALL RIGHT. WITH NONE. I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AT THIS TIME. MOVE. APPROVAL. DO I? SECOND, SECOND. THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY VICE CHAIR BROOKS AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER EDWARDS FOR APPROVAL. ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.

AYE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BEFORE WE GO TO THE FIRST ITEM, WHICH IS ITEM D, THE PUBLIC HEARING,

[1. Conduct a Public Hearing and consider making a recommendation to the City Council regarding the rezoning of properties within the Hampton Road Character Code (HRCC) "reduced/re-envisioned" zoning boundary area. During the public hearing, the properties within the HRCC "reduced/re-envisioned" zoning boundary area will be considered for rezoning from the properties' current zoning districts to one of the five (5) new HRCC zoning districts: 1. Urban Center, 2. Urban General, 3. Neighborhood Services, 4. Urban Neighborhood and 5. Neighborhood Transition. The applicant is the City of DeSoto. (Case #Z-1514-24)]

IF YOU'RE HERE THIS EVENING, IF YOU WOULD WISH TO SPEAK ON THE REGULAR AGENDA ITEM FOR CITIZEN APPEARANCE, YOU WOULD NEED TO SEE MISS JORDAN WILLIAMS AT THE AMBASSADOR'S DESK AND GET A COMMENT CARD. IF YOU'RE HERE TO SPEAK ON THE PUBLIC HEARING, YOU WOULD ALSO NEED TO SEE MISS JORDAN WILLIAMS AND TO GET A COMMENT CARD AS WELL AND FILL THAT OUT. IF YOU'RE HERE THIS EVENING AND YOU DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK, BUT YOU HAVE AN OPINION, WHETHER IT'S APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL FOR THE RECOMMENDATION, WE WOULD I WOULD REQUEST THAT YOU WOULD ALSO FILL OUT A FORM, AND JUST SO THAT YOUR POSITIONS CAN BE REGISTERED WITH THIS BODY THIS EVENING, AND IF YOU JUST PUT ON THE FORM THAT YOU DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK, I WILL CALL YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE. JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU'RE HERE AND THEN I WILL STATE YOUR POSITION. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM D, THE PUBLIC HEARING. CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE REZONING OF PROPERTIES WITHIN THE HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODE, REDUCED ENVISION ZONING BOUNDARY AREA. DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING. THE PROPERTIES WITHIN THE HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODE REDUCE RE-ENVISION ZONING BOUNDARY AREA WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR REZONING FROM THE PROPERTY'S CURRENT ZONING DISTRICT TO ONE OF THE FIVE NEW HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODE ZONING DISTRICTS. THEY ARE ONE URBAN CENTER, TWO URBAN GENERAL, THREE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, FOUR URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD, AND FIVE NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSITION. THE APPLICANT IS THE CITY OF DE SOTO, AND THIS IS CASE Z1514-24.

GOOD EVENING, MISS MUNYARADZI. WE'LL HAVE YOUR PRESENTATION AT THIS TIME. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS, WITH THE PLANNING DIVISION. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR THE COMMISSION TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE REZONING OF PROPERTIES WITHIN THE HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODE. REDUCED RE-ENVISIONED ZONING.

BOUNDARY AREA PROPERTIES WITHIN THE HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODE RE-ENVISIONED ZONING BOUNDARIES ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR REZONING WILL BE REZONED FROM THEIR CURRENT ZONING TO THE

[00:05:01]

FOLLOWING FIVE DISTRICTS. THE FIVE DISTRICTS ARE. URBAN CENTER. URBAN GENERAL NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD, AND NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSITION, AND THE APPLICANT IS THE CITY OF DISORDER. THERE IS A LOT OF HISTORY THAT COMES WITH THIS ITEM AS FAR AS 2005, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO BOTHER YOU WITH A LOT OF DETAILS ON THE ON ON THE HISTORY, BUT WE DO HAVE THE 2005 THE HAMPTON CORRIDOR REDEVELOPMENT PLAN. THERE WAS ALSO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT INCLUDED THIS IN 2015, AND IN 2019, WE HAD THE HAMPTON ROAD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSESSMENT.

AND THEN IN 2022, WE HAD A LAND USE STUDY THAT WAS DONE FOR THE HAMPTON ROAD. AND THERE WAS A TRACE, WHICH IS THE HAMPTON ROAD TAX INCREMENTAL REINVESTMENT ZONE. THAT WAS DONE ALSO IN 2022 AND AGAIN IN 2022. WE DO HAVE A STREETSCAPE MASTER PLAN THAT WAS DONE. AND OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, WE JUST ADOPTED THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THE FULL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN DECEMBER 2024 AND THEN IN MARCH OF 2024, WE DO. WE DID HAVE THE REGULATIONS OF THIS HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODE ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL. SO THIS IS THE QUICK RUNDOWN OF THE HISTORY ABOUT THE HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODE. PROJECT. AND THESE ARE THE DIFFERENT PLANS THAT I HAVE PUT THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT IS WRITTEN RIGHT HERE ON THE LEFT SIDE. AND THESE ARE THE ZONING, THE NEW ZONING DISTRICTS THAT WERE ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL, THE REGULATIONS, NOT NECESSARILY THE REZONING OF THE THESE ARE JUST THE REGULATIONS THAT WILL REGULATE THE, THE ZONING OF THESE PROPERTIES AND THESE AGAIN, OUR URBAN CENTER, URBAN GENERAL NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES, URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSITION. AND AT THAT TIME, THIS IS THE AREA THAT WAS INVOLVED, THE BOUNDARY THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THE THIS CHARACTER CODE, THE ADOPTION OF THE REGULATIONS. AND TO JUST GO INTO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT IS INVOLVED WITH THIS, WITH THIS ZONING DISTRICTS IN THE URBAN CENTER. I'M JUST GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE, THE, THE USES THAT ARE ALLOWED IN URBAN CENTER, WHICH, WHICH IS THE AREAS IN PINK THOSE AREAS WILL BE BEING CONSIDERED FOR REZONING SO THAT THEY CAN BE ABLE TO HAVE A MIXED USES SHOPPING AND PERSONAL SERVICES, PROFESSIONAL OFFICES, RESTAURANTS AND BARS, AS WELL AS APARTMENTS. AND FOR URBAN GENERAL, WE DO HAVE A MIXED USE. AND THE URBAN GENERAL PROPERTIES ARE BEING CONSIDERED. ARE THOSE ONES IN GRAY ON THE MAP. AND THESE ALSO ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR USES SUCH AS MIXED USE, WHICH IS COMMERCIAL, RETAIL AND RESIDENTIAL, THEN SHOPPING AND PERSONAL SERVICE, PROFESSIONAL OFFICES, APARTMENTS, TOWNHOMES OR LIVE WORK UNITS. THEN WE DO HAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES. THE NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES WILL BE THE AREAS IN BLUE, AND THOSE WILL BE JUST SHOPPING AND PERSONAL SERVICES, RETAIL, OFFICES, APARTMENTS, TOWNHOMES OR LIVE WORK UNITS. THEN THE URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS JUST THOSE AREAS IN YELLOW, IN THOSE IN URBAN NEIGHBORHOOD USES THAT WILL BE ALLOWED WILL BE APARTMENTS, TOWNHOMES AND SOME, SOME A LITTLE BIT OF MIXED USES. THEN A NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSITION. THIS WILL BE THAT AREA THAT IS RIGHT AT THE NORTH SIDE, WHICH IS IN YELLOW. AND IN THOSE AREAS USES THAT THAT WILL BE ALLOWED TO BE TOWNHOMES, DUPLEXES, SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS. YOU KNOW, BEFORE I TALK ABOUT SO WHEN THE REGULATIONS WERE ADOPTED IN MARCH, THEN THERE WAS INITIATION OF THE REZONING OF THE PROPERTIES THAT WAS DONE BY THE CITY COUNCIL. AND THEN WE WENT AHEAD AND DID THE. PROCESS OF REZONING THE PROPERTIES IN THIS BIG AREA RIGHT HERE. THAT WAS THAT WAS AFTER THE ADOPTION OR ADOPTION OF THE REGULATIONS. SO ALL THESE PROPERTIES WERE THE PROPERTIES ORIGINALLY THAT THE CITY WAS LOOKING AT REZONING. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE

[00:10:04]

OPPOSITION, THERE WAS A LOT OF OPPOSITION, OPPOSITION FROM RESIDENTS, BECAUSE OF A LOT OF PROPERTIES THAT WERE GOING TO BE MADE NONCONFORMING. SO BECAUSE OF THE. MASSIVE, I WOULD SAY, OPPOSITION. CITY COUNCIL DECIDED IN MAY 2024 TO WITHDRAW THAT THE REZONING OF THOSE PROPERTIES, CITY COUNCIL WAS LIKE, NAH, WE'RE HAVING TOO MUCH OPPOSITION. AND THEN THEY PUSHED BACK THE, THE, THE, THE WHOLE PROJECT BACK TO STAFF AS WELL AS BRINGING IT BACK TO YOU ALL TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. SO AT THAT POINT, OUR STAFF TOOK TIME TO REALLY JUST RETHINK, GO BACK TO THE TABLE, RETHINK ABOUT WHAT CAN BE DONE TO GO FORWARD. BECAUSE WHEN THE CITY COUNCIL WITHDREW THIS, THE REZONING OF PROPERTIES, THEY WERE NOT SAYING, WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT. THEY SAID, NO, LET'S RETHINK. LET'S COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT IS MORE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT IS THAT WILL NOT HAVE SO MUCH OPPOSITION FROM RESIDENTS. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, STAFF AS WELL AS HAVE ASSOCIATED AT THAT TIME TOOK TIME. AND THEN THERE WAS THE CREATION OR THE THOUGHT THAT LET'S REDUCE THE BOUNDARY FROM THIS BIGGER, THE BIGGER PICTURE TO A SMALL PICTURE WHERE WE HAVE PROPERTIES THAT FACE HAMPTON AND A LITTLE BIT OF SOME THAT ARE FACE ARE PRESENT AS WELL AS A BELTLINE. LET'S SAY ONLY THOSE PROPERTIES. AND LET'S NOT LOOK AT ALL THESE OTHER PROPERTIES THAT INCLUDED A LOT OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES THAT WERE WITHIN THE BIG MAP. SO THAT'S WHEN THIS AREA WAS WAS CREATED TO SAY, LET'S JUST LOOK AT THE COMPRESS OR, YOU KNOW, FEWER PROPERTIES THAN WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY LOOKED AT. SO WHEN THAT WHEN THAT WAS DONE, CITY STAFF TOOK THIS. THE IDEA BEFORE CITY COUNCIL AS WELL AS PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION, AS WELL AS THE DESOTO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO AT A JOINT MEETING TO GIVE THEM THE, YOU KNOW, THE REAL WORK, THE REDRAWING THAT STAFF HAD THOUGHT ABOUT. SO THEY BROUGHT IT BEFORE THE JOINT. MEETING FOR WITH OFFICIALS AND SAY, OKAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT DO YOU THINK? THIS IS WHAT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE COME UP WITH. AND THEY WERE SUPPORTED AT THAT TIME. HOWEVER, THAT MEETING, WHICH WAS IN AUGUST 2020, AUGUST 23RD, 2024, THERE WAS ALSO A TOUR THAT WAS THAT WAS DONE ON THAT DAY. THE GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE WERE VISITED TRINITY GROVES, AND WE ALSO WENT TO BISHOP ARTS TO JUST SEE, TO HAVE A TASTE OF SOMETHING THAT IS CLOSE TO WHAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT FOR THE HAMPTON PROJECT. THEN ON NOVEMBER 18TH, BECAUSE AT THE AUGUST 23RD, 2024 MEETING, THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THEY WERE ONLY THREE OUT OF THE SEVEN. SO STAFF THOUGHT IT WISE TO BRING IT BACK AGAIN TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS TO SAY, OKAY, GIVE US YOUR CONSENSUS. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS REDUCED OR RE-ENVISIONED BOUNDARY FOR THE REZONING AND THAT MEETING? WE GOT A CONSENSUS FROM ALL THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT WERE AT THAT NOVEMBER 18TH, 2024 MEETING. WE ALSO BROUGHT THE SAME INFORMATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION ON DECEMBER 10TH, 2024, TO SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WHAT IS ON THE TABLE. THIS IS WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL IS GIVING US GO AHEAD TO WORK ON WITH REGARDS TO THIS PROJECT. AND THEN WITH THOSE MEETINGS ALSO, THERE WAS A SCHEDULE THAT STAFF SUGGESTED TO SAY, THIS IS THE SCHEDULE THAT WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE A PUBLIC OUTREACH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ENGAGE THE PUBLIC. WE KNOW THAT THE LAST TIME THAT THEY CAME TO US, THEY WERE JUST IN OPPOSITION. THEY WERE NOT, YOU KNOW, HAPPY WITH THE WHOLE THING. HERE'S THE SCHEDULE. WE WOULDN'T WANT TO GO FORWARD WITHOUT REALLY ENGAGING THE PUBLIC. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENS IS THAT WE HAD ELECTRONIC BOARD SIGNS, SIGN BOARDS THAT WERE PUT ALONG HAMPTON ROAD FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION TO KNOW ABOUT THE MEETINGS. WE ALL SAID POSTCARDS THAT WERE SENT TO PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THE REZONING PROPERTY OWNERS RIGHT HERE WHO OWN PROPERTY HERE, AND THOSE THAT LIVE WITHIN 200FT, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT LIVE WITHIN 400FT. WE DID SEND THEM POSTCARDS TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE MEETINGS THAT WE, THE CITY, WAS GOING TO HAVE TO JUST GIVE THEM AGAIN TO SAY, HEY, WE WENT BACK AND RETHOUGHT THIS PROJECT AND THIS IS WHAT IS AT HAND RIGHT NOW.

AND THIS IS THESE ARE THE MEETINGS THAT WE HAD. WE HAD MEETINGS IN DECEMBER. AND WITH

[00:15:01]

THOSE MEETINGS, WE ARE ALSO CONSCIOUS THAT IT'S NOT EVERYONE WHO IS ABLE TO COME DURING THE DAY. IT'S NOT EVERYONE WHO IS ABLE TO COME AT NIGHT, AND IT'S NOT EVERYONE WHO IS ABLE TO COME DURING THE WEEK. SO WE HAD A ONE NIGHT MEETING, WE HAD ONE DURING THE DAY AND WE HAD ONE THAT WAS ON A SATURDAY. SO THOSE WERE THE MEETINGS IN DECEMBER, DECEMBER 14TH, DECEMBER 17TH AND DECEMBER 19TH. AND IN JANUARY WE DID THE SAME TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE KNOW IN DECEMBER PEOPLE ARE BUSY TRYING TO SHOP FOR CHRISTMAS AND STUFF. SO WE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? LET'S REPEAT THIS AGAIN IN JANUARY WHEN PEOPLE ARE A LITTLE BIT CALM AND ARE NOT IN A RUSH. LET'S REPEAT THIS AGAIN. AND THAT WAS JANUARY 11TH, JANUARY 16TH, AND JANUARY 16TH. ON JANUARY 11TH, WE HAD THE MEETING DURING THE NIGHT AND THEN NO, NO, DURING THE. THE AFTERNOON, I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT AT LEAST ON JANUARY 16TH, I KNOW THAT WE HAD THE MEETING DURING THE DAY AND IN THE EVENING WE HAD OUR JANUARY 11TH WAS ON A SATURDAY, AND THEN JANUARY 16TH WE HAD THE MEETING DURING THE DAY AT 10:00, AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER MEETING AT SIX. LIKE I SAID AGAIN, WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE DIFFERENT TIMES THAT PEOPLE CAN COME TO MEETINGS. AND THEN OF COURSE, ON JANUARY 14TH, THE CITY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ABOUT THIS AGAIN BEFORE COMING TO YOU TONIGHT AND TONIGHT. WE ARE RIGHT HERE WITH THE SCHEDULE THAT WE DID PUT OUT THERE. THAT'S ABOUT THE MEETINGS. SO WE ARE HERE TONIGHT JUST ASKING THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING SO THAT THAT WAY YOU CAN RECOMMEND APPROVAL OR DENIAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE REZONING. SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE TONIGHT. AND WHATEVER OUTCOME FROM TONIGHT'S MEETING, IT'S GOING TO GO BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL ON FEBRUARY 18TH TO MAKE A FINAL DECISION. SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE. SO LIKE I SAID AGAIN, THE ORIGINAL BOUNDARY WAS THIS WHOLE AREA RIGHT HERE. SO AS YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS A TONED THIS IS A LIKE A MUCH SMALLER VERSION HERE. WE HAD MORE THAN 400 PROPERTIES. HERE WE HAVE ABOUT 221 PROPERTIES THAT ARE THAT ARE INCLUDED. AND LET ME ALSO JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT WHERE WE ARE NOW, JUST FOCUSING ON THE REDUCED BOUNDARY, THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY GOING AWAY SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES. BUT WE ARE SAYING AT THIS POINT, SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO PULL BACK AND DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO AND THEN COME BACK AT A LATER STAGE, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THAT LATER STAGE IS GOING TO BE. FOR NOW, THE FOCUS IS RIGHT HERE, AND WE HAVE TAKEN OUT A LOT OF ALL THESE OTHER PROPERTIES THAT YOU CAN, THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT ARE NOW NO LONGER BEING CONSIDERED AT SOME POINT. WHO KNOWS, TEN YEARS, 15 YEARS DOWN THE LINE, MAYBE SOME PEOPLE THAT WERE OPPOSED IN THIS AREA WILL COME TO THE CITY AND SAY, HEY, I THINK THIS THING IS WORKING. I'M INTERESTED. LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE SOME OF THESE PROPERTIES REZONED AT THAT POINT. LIKE I SAID AGAIN, NOBODY KNOWS WHEN THAT POINT IS GOING TO BE. BUT FOR NOW, WE ARE FOCUSING ON THESE PROPERTIES THAT ARE FACING HAMPTON AND A FEW THAT ARE FACING BELTLINE, A FEW THAT ARE FACING PLEASANT RUN. THAT'S WHAT WE ARE LOOKING AT TONIGHT. AND FOR PUBLIC NOTIFICATION. THIS IS PEOPLE. THIS IS THE AREA IN GRAY. THAT'S THE PROPERTIES THAT THAT THAT ARE GOING TO BE THAT ARE BEING RECONSIDERED. BEING CONSIDERED FOR REZONING. AND THE PROPERTIES IN PURPLE ARE THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE WITHIN 200FT OF THESE PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR REZONING AND THE ONES THAT ARE IN PINKISH. THAT COLOR IS THE PROPERTIES THAT WE ARE WITHIN 400FT OF THE PROPERTIES BEING CONSIDERED FOR REZONING. AND THE NEWSPAPER NOTIFICATION FOR THESE PROPERTIES WILL BE IN IN THE DAILY COMMERCIAL NEWSPAPER ON 31ST JANUARY. AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE THE FOCUS DAILY NEWSPAPER THAT WE WERE USING BEFORE THEY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS OR THEY CLOSED, THEY ARE NO LONGER SERVICING THIS, THIS AREA. SO THE CITY COUNCIL HAD TO VOTE TO HAVE ANOTHER, DIFFERENT OFFICIAL PAPER THAT CAN THAT WE CAN USE FOR NOTIFICATION. AND THAT WAS JUST DONE ON LAST TUESDAY. SO NOW WE ARE NOW USING THIS DAILY FOCUS, A DAILY COMMERCIAL RECORD IS OUR RECORD OF AS A NEWSPAPER, OUR OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER AND THE NEWSPAPER.

ALSO, NOTIFICATION IS REQUIRED FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS, NOT NECESSARILY PLANNING AND ZONING.

LET SOMEONE SAYS, HEY, YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT 31, BUT TODAY IS 28. NOTIFICATION IN NEWSPAPER

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THE STATE REQUIRES THAT IT'S ONLY CITY COUNCIL FOR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS. AND AS I HAVE SAID, CITY COUNCIL MEETING IS GOING TO BE ON FEBRUARY 18TH, AND THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT ARE REQUIRED FOR THAT NOTIFICATION IS JUST TEN DAYS. SO IF WE HAVE THIS IN THE NEWSPAPER ON THE 31ST, THAT MEANS WE DO HAVE A GOOD 18 DAYS NOTIFICATION BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING FOR THIS REZONING. HOWEVER, WE DID NOTIFY PEOPLE WITHIN 200 AS WELL AS 400FT FROM THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED. TONIGHT, 883 NOTIFICATIONS WENT TO PEOPLE WITHIN 200, AS WELL AS 400FT FROM THESE PROPERTIES AND FROM THOSE THOSE PUBLICATIONS. I MEAN, THE NOTICES WE RECEIVED SIX LETTERS IN OPPOSITION FROM PROPERTIES, PROPERTY OWNERS WHO OWN PROPERTY WITHIN THIS GRAY AREA. AND WE ALSO RECEIVED 14 LETTERS IN OPPOSITION FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE WITHIN THE PURPLE. THE 200FT. SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION. AND IT'S BEFORE YOU AND IT'S CLEAR. AND SO THOSE ARE THE TOTAL NUMBER, A TOTAL OF 20 LETTERS IN OPPOSITION. WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF THIS. AND LIKE I SAID AGAIN, WE DID RECEIVE THESE. THIS IS THE AREAS IN GREEN RIGHT HERE, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT THERE, RIGHT THERE, HERE AND UP THERE. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SENT LETTERS IN OPPOSITION. SO TO JUST KIND OF SHOW YOU. THE NUMBERS VERSUS, YOU KNOW, INFORMATION THAT WENT OUT. SO THE AREAS IN GREEN ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE ARE BOTH WITHIN THE PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING REZONED AS WELL AS OUTSIDE WITHIN THE 200. AND HERE IS PROPERTIES WITHIN THE AREAS, THE PROPERTIES WITHIN THE THIS BOUNDARY THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR REZONING. THESE ARE THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SIX THAT SENT US LETTERS IN OPPOSITION AND FOR AND FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE WITHIN THE 200. THIS IS ALSO THE MAP IS THIS AREA IS SHOWING US THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE WITHIN 200. SO TOGETHER IT'S THE ONE THAT I SAID 614, FOR A TOTAL OF 20 OUT OF THE 880 NOTIFICATIONS THAT WE SENT OUT. AND SOMEONE MAY BE SAYING, MAYBE BEFORE I GO THERE, LET ME TALK ABOUT OUR NON-CONFORMING. SO WE DID USE THE BOUNDARY AS OPPOSED TO WHEN WE HAD THE BIG BOUNDARY. WE HAD A LOT OF PROPERTIES THAT WERE GOING TO BE MADE NON-CONFORMING, BUT WITH THIS REDUCED BOUNDARY OUT OF THE 220 SOMETHING, WE DO HAVE JUST 21 THAT WILL BE MADE NON-CONFORMING. AND WITH THOSE 21, THE GOOD THING IS THAT WHEREAS OUR CURRENT ZONING ORDINANCE SAYS 5,060% OF THE APPRAISAL VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, IF IT BURNS DOWN OR, OR SOMETHING, GOD FORBID SOMETHING HAPPENS TO IT, YOU CANNOT BUILD IT TO ITS ORIGINAL. WE DO HAVE ACTUALLY A ROOM OR A BREATHING POINT WITH ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, IF ANYTHING LIKE THAT HAPPENS, IF MY PROPERTY BURNS DOWN AND IT'S MORE THAN 60%, I CAN GO TO ZBA AND SAY, HEY, MY PROPERTY WAS REZONED BY THE CITY AND NOW I HAVE TO REBUILD BECAUSE SOMETHING HAPPENED TO IT. THEY CAN GET, YOU KNOW, THE CBOE, CBOE TO APPROVE OR DENY. BUT THEY HAVE THAT ROOM FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO TO CBOE FOR VARIANCE TO SAY I WANT TO BUILD IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO COMPLY. BECAUSE WHEN A PROPERTY IS MADE NONCONFORMING, WE ARE SAYING THAT NOW THAT WE HAVE NEW NEW ZONING, YOU CANNOT JUST IF YOU ARE GOING TO MAKE ANY CHANGES, YOU CANNOT JUST MAKE CHANGES LIKE YOU WERE IN THE OLD ZONING. WE NOW HAVE NEW ZONING REGULATIONS. SO WHATEVER YOU ARE GOING TO DO, ESPECIALLY IF YOUR PROPERTY HAS BEEN DESTROYED, MORE THAN 60% OF VALUE YOU HAVE TO DO ACCORDING TO THE CURRENT PLANNING, OUR CURRENT ZONING. I MEAN, SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF I MY ZONING PREVIOUSLY WAS SF9 SINGLE FAMILY NINE AND NOW I'M URBAN CENTER AND SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME, MY HOUSE THAT WAS SINGLE FAMILY NINE NOW IS SPENT MORE THAN 60% VALUE OF IT IS NOW.

[00:25:03]

IT'S NO LONGER AND I YOU CANNOT JUST NOW GO BACK AND BUILD IT ACCORDING TO SINGLE FAMILY. NINE YOU ARE NOW HAVING TO REBUILD ACCORDING TO URBAN CENTER BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR CURRENT ZONING. BUT WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WITH AN ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT, YOU CAN GO AND SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT THE ZONING SAYS. BUT BECAUSE THE CITY, THE CITY INITIATED REZONING ON MY PROPERTY, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO HOW IT WAS WHEN I WAS UNDER SINGLE FAMILY NINE. AND CBOE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES. SO I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS CLEAR THAT THERE IS ROOM, THERE IS BREATHING POINT.

SHOULD THIS REZONING GO INTO INTO BEING INTO FRUITION. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE WHY WHY, WHY WE AVEDA, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE PUBLIC OUTREACH, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WERE LIKE, OH, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? AND IF IT HAS BEEN IN, IN, IN THE WORKS FOR FROM 2005, WE ARE NOW IN 2025. IT'S 20 YEARS LATER. WHY ARE WE EVEN TRYING AND ALL THAT? BUT LET ME SAY, EVEN FROM PLANNING POINT OF VIEW PROJECTS LIKE THIS, THEY TAKE TIME. AND THEY, AS THEY SAY, ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN ONE DAY. SO PROJECTS, IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE TO STAND AND BE ABLE TO BE THERE FOR A LONG TIME, THEY TAKE TIME. IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE JUST BUILDING A HOUSE. MAYBE THREE MONTHS IS STANDING. THIS IS A BIG PROJECT. SO YES, IT TAKES TIME, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE TO COME TOGETHER BEFORE YOU CAN FINALLY SAY WE ARE HERE. AND FROM 2005, THERE WERE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WERE TAKING PLACE FOR US TO GET. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR THING, THAT PROCESS THAT SHOULD HAPPEN FOR, FOR, FOR THIS PROJECT TO FINALLY GET STARTED, ACTUALLY, WITH THIS REZONING, IF IT GOES THROUGH, THINGS WILL BEGIN TO HAPPEN. WE HAVE DEVELOPERS, WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE FOR, FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO TO PUT THIS INTO, INTO, INTO TO SAY WE NOW HAVE THE ZONING IN PLACE. NOW YOU CAN START COMING. YOU CAN START COMING WITH YOUR PLANS, AND WE'LL LOOK AT THEM AND YOU CAN START DIGGING. WE HAVE DEVELOPERS WHO ARE KNOCKING AT THE DOOR, BUT THAT CANNOT HAPPEN UNTIL WE PUT THE ZONING IN PLACE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING TONIGHT FOR YOU ALL TO CONSIDER THE REZONING OF THESE PROPERTIES, SO THAT THAT WAY THE CITY COUNCIL WILL MAKE THEIR FINAL DECISION AND WE WILL SEE THINGS HAPPENING. AND IF ANYTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN WE ARE DOING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT, OH, THEY ARE NO GOOD RESTAURANTS. HERE THEY ARE. THERE IS NO PLACE THAT YOU CAN JUST GO AND JUST RELAX. PEOPLE HAVE TO GO TO WAXAHACHIE. THEY HAVE TO GO TO THE TO NORTH DALLAS. THEY HAVE TO GO TO CEDAR HILL ALL OVER THE PLACE. THERE IS NOTHING IN DESOTO. AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CITY TO DO SOMETHING THAT THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE BEEN FEEDING AND PROMOTING, THAT THEY CAN ALSO COME HERE AND FEED AND FEED THE CITY IN TERMS OF MONEY, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THE CITY HAS, AND IT'S UP TO THE CITY OF DESOTO TO, TO, TO, TO, TO DO THAT OR TO KEEP GOING OUT AND FEED OTHER PEOPLE. IF FOR ECONOMIC VIBRANCY, YOU NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN PUT IN THAT IS OVER AND BEYOND WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE. BECAUSE IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE WHAT YOU HAVE NOW, NOTHING IS GOING TO CHANGE.

THINGS ARE GOING TO REMAIN THE SAME. SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO SEE A DIFFERENCE, SOMETHING DIFFERENT HAS TO HAPPEN. AND THIS IS A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY. AND I SPEAK WITH PASSION BECAUSE I KNOW IT IS POSSIBLE. I KNOW IT IS POSSIBLE. I LIVE CLOSE TO TRINITY GROVES. I KNOW THAT AREA WHEN IT WAS JUST DYING, DYING INDUSTRIAL SITES, YOU COULD LOOK AT IT AND FROM A, YOU KNOW, JUST A REGULAR PERSON POINT OF VIEW, WE WOULD SAY NOTHING GOOD WILL COME OUT OF THIS. BUT THAT AREA NOW, RIGHT NOW, I'M STILL LIVING THERE AND I'M LIKE, I WISH I HAD BOUGHT A PORTION OF THIS LAND MYSELF BECAUSE NOW IT'S A IT'S AN AREA WHERE CERTAIN TIMES IT'S ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO, TO DRIVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THESE RESTAURANTS THAT EVERYONE FROM ALL OVER. I HATE MR. BREWER SAYING THAT. THERE'S A, THERE WAS A THAT CAKE BAR THAT EVERYONE WAS COMING FOR CAKES IN THAT IN THAT AREA. THIS COULD BE SOMETHING. I'M NOT SAYING LET'S TAKE THAT AND BRING IT HERE, BUT WE COULD HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THERE ARE MANY CITIES IN THE METROPLEX THAT HAVE THIS.

THE GREENVILLE AREA IN DALLAS, WE HAVE THE BISHOP ARTS, THE WE ARE NOT SAYING IT'S GOING TO BE

[00:30:03]

EXACTLY THAT THE SAME. NO IT'S NOT. BUT HOWEVER, THE BEST THING THAT HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS TELL MY KIDS THAT DON'T ENVY SOMEONE WHEN THEY BUY A NEW CAR AND YOU DON'T HAVE A NEW CAR BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU BUY YOURS NEXT YEAR, YOU'RE GOING TO BUY SOMETHING THAT IS UPGRADED WITH MORE UPDATES THAN WHAT THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW. SO THE BEAUTY ABOUT THIS IS THAT NOW WE CAN PICK FROM BISHOP ARTS. WE CAN PICK ONE THING. WE CAN PICK SOMETHING FROM GREENVILLE. WE CAN PICK SOMETHING FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT PLACES THAT HAVE DONE SOMETHING AND BRING IT HERE. AND WE HAVE THE BEST OF WHATEVER IS HAPPENING IN THE METROPLEX. SO AND THAT IS NEEDED IN DESOTO. WE HAVE HEARD IT OVER. I WAS INVOLVED AND I WOULD READ SURVEYS FROM WHEN WE DID THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. SOMETIMES I WOULD LAUGH SO BAD BECAUSE WE ARE TIRED OF CHICKEN PLACES. WE NEED SOME GOOD SIT DOWN RESTAURANTS AND BLAH BLAH BLAH. HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE THAT THIRD PLACE AND THE THIRD PLACE. WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIRD PLACE, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT AREA. WHEN I'M NOT AT WORK, I DON'T WANT TO BE HOME, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE SOMEWHERE TO RELAX. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY. LIVE, WORK, PLACE, PLAY AREA. A LOT OF YOUNG PEOPLE NOWADAYS, THEY DON'T WANT TO DRIVE LONG. IF THEY CAN LIVE UPSTAIRS, COME DOWNSTAIRS TO EAT, LIVE UPSTAIRS, BE ABLE TO WORK WITHIN THE APARTMENT, COME DOWNSTAIRS TO EAT AND WALK AROUND WITH THEIR FRIENDS. THAT'S ALL THEY WANT TO DO. AND HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DESOTO TO CREATE THAT. AND THE OTHER THING ALSO IS THAT WHEN WE ARE DOING THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, PEOPLE THINK ABOUT, EVEN WHEN WE ARE JUST DOING OUR REVIEWS, WHEN WE HAVE OUR APPLICANTS, PEOPLE HERE IN DESOTO, THEY DON'T WANT APARTMENTS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS. BUT HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE, YOU KNOW, APARTMENTS, I MEAN, THAT HAVE A COMMERCIAL ON THE BOTTOM AND THEN APARTMENTS ON THE TOP SO WE CAN CONCENTRATE THEM RIGHT HERE WHERE WE NEED THE POPULATION, WHERE WE NEED THE DENSITY. LET'S DO IT HERE SO THAT THAT WAY YOU NOBODY WILL BE BOTHERING ANYONE BECAUSE WE WANT TO CREATE APARTMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS. NO, LET'S CONCENTRATE THEM HERE. LET'S GIVE THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST WALK AROUND AND GO UPSTAIRS AND JUST DO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A GOOD TIME. AND BESIDES, THERE ARE SOME ADULTS TOO. ALL THE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE, I WANT TO DOWNSIZE AND I WANT TO GO AWAY. I DON'T HAVE A YARD. THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY, FLEXIBLE SPACE WHERE WE CAN BLOCK. WE KNOW THAT AREA WHENEVER WE HAVE 4TH OF JULY, DO SOME CELEBRATIONS THAT WE WANT TO DO. THAT WILL BE A PLACE TO SHOWCASE WHAT THE CITY OF DESOTO HAS TO OFFER. AND THIS IS WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY THAT THE CITY HAS. THIS. THIS IS ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY, LIKE I SAID, THAT WHEN WE DID THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, THERE WAS A TALK ABOUT THAT. THE CITY OF DESOTO WILL NEED AT LEAST 10,000 UNITS HOMES IN THIS AREA. AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE WE CAN HAVE INSTEAD OF LOSING PEOPLE GOING TO OTHER PLACES BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE PLACES WHERE THEY CAN LIVE HERE, ESPECIALLY THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE CAN CREATE, YOU KNOW, PLACE WHERE WE CAN BEGIN TO, TO HAVE THOSE 10,000 HOUSING UNITS THAT ARE WERE RECOMMENDED BY THE YEAR 20, 20, 45. AND YES, PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT TRAFFIC OR TRAFFIC OR IT WILL CREATE. IF THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO BE VIABLE, IT WILL NEED TRAFFIC.

AND AM I SAYING THAT WE NEED TRAFFIC THAT DISRUPTS PEOPLE'S LIVES OR. NO, BUT I'M SAYING THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS MEANINGFUL, IT'S POINTLESS FOR IT TO BE PUT IN A CORNER WHERE NO, WHERE NOBODY KNOWS IT'S POINTLESS. IF IT'S GOING TO BE VIABLE, YOU WANT TO PUT IT WHERE PEOPLE ARE, WHERE PEOPLE VISIT, WHERE PEOPLE PASS THROUGH. AND AS FOR HAMPTON, WE HAVE HEARD FROM PEOPLE WHO DO TRAFFIC THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE SAYING TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC, THEY DON'T EVEN LIVE HERE. THEY ARE COMING FROM THE SOUTH, GOING TO THE NORTH AND USING HAMPTON TO JUST CUT THROUGH. BUT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, HEY, YOU CAN'T JUST CUT THROUGH, STOP, SEE WHAT WE HAVE, AND WE HAVE BUSINESS FROM THOSE PEOPLE. I CAN TALK UNTIL THE COWS COME HOME. LIKE I SAID, I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT ABOUT THIS. BUT WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGENDA? LIKE I SAID AGAIN, THE PURPOSE OF THIS AGENDA IS FOR THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE REZONING OF PROPERTIES WITHIN THE HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER COURT, REDUCED RE-ENVISIONED ZONING, ZONING, BOUNDARY AREA. BECAUSE THE HOME RULE CHARTER REQUIRES THE COMMISSION TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING ZONING MAP, MASTER PLANS, ETC. SO THIS IS THIS IS WHY IT'S COMING BEFORE YOU. AND OF COURSE, AFTER

[00:35:01]

ALL THIS STAFF IS RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY, THE COMMISSION MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OF APPROVAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THE PROPERTIES WITHIN THE HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODE.

RE-ENVISIONED ZONING BOUNDARY AREA IS PRESENTED, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT I CAN. AND LET ME JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE THAT MAP UP HERE SO PEOPLE CAN KNOW WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. SO HERE IS THE MAP THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S THE RE-ENVISIONED REDUCED BOUNDARY THAT WE ARE SAYING COMMISSIONERS RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO CITY COUNCIL STAFF HAS DONE THE BEST THAT THEY COULD IN TERMS OF REACHING OUT TO THE, TO THE, TO THE, TO, TO, TO THE RESIDENTS, AS WELL AS BUSINESS OWNERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS. HOWEVER, YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE MOST LIKELY OPPOSING AND STUFF LIKE THAT. HOWEVER, THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE HAS BEEN DONE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO BE DONE UNTIL HOPEFULLY THIS COMES TO FRUITION. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS. BEFORE I OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS, COULD YOU JUST HOLD FOR JUST A SECOND? GIVE MISS MUNYARADZI A CHANCE TO CATCH HER BREATH AND EVERYTHING? I WANTED TO JUST MAKE A COUPLE OF OBSERVATIONS AND TO LET YOU ALL KNOW HOW PLEASED I AM THAT WE HAVE LISTENED TO THE CITY, AND THAT YOU ALL REALLY, I KNOW THE EFFORT THAT YOU ALL PUT INTO WORKING, DRIVING DOWN HAMPTON, LOOKING, LOOKING, COUNTING THE NUMBER OF HOMES THAT MAY BE NON-CONFORMING. I KNOW THAT TOOK A LOT OF EXTRA TIME. I CERTAINLY AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT YOU ALL WERE VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT LETTING RESIDENTS KNOW THAT WE'RE HAVING THESE MEETINGS IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY. AND WHAT I IN SPEAKING WITH MR. CARROLL, I BELIEVE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ATTENDED THE SIX PUBLIC MEETINGS WAS 38. WHILE THOSE NUMBERS WERE A LITTLE LOW AND WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN THEM TO BE HIGHER, BUT YOU DID MAKE THE EFFORT TO GET TO THE COMMUNITY. I'M ALSO PLEASED THAT THE FACT THAT YOU ALL HAD MEETINGS IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY, AND YOU DID INCORPORATE WEEKENDS, BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY CAN COME DURING THE DAY OR RIGHT AFTER WORK. SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR THAT. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A CASE THAT THAT HAS A LOT OF PUBLIC INTEREST, BUT I JUST WANTED YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE EFFORTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE. AND COMMISSIONERS, BEFORE I OPEN IT UP FOR YOU ALL, I JUST WANTED TO GO BACK TO THOSE WHO ARE SITTING HERE, IF YOU WISH TO SPEAK AT THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT WILL BE OPENING UP AFTER THE COMMISSIONERS QUESTION, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU FILLED OUT A FORM AND THAT YOU'RE PREPARED. IF YOU'RE HERE THIS EVENING, YOU DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK, BUT YOU HAVE A POSITION, WHETHER IT'S POSITIVE OR YOU WANT TO SAY DISAPPROVAL OR RECOMMEND DISAPPROVAL, WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO REGISTER THAT. AND JUST WITH MISS JORDAN WILLIAMS, AND SHE'LL HAND IT TO US AND WE'LL CALL OUT YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE. AND THEN IF YOU JUST INDICATE THAT YOU'RE HERE, THEN WE'LL MAKE YOUR POSITION KNOWN FOR THE RECORD. SO I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE AT THIS TIME, COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS. AND I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST THAT SINCE WE HAD A WORK SESSION AND THAT NO INDIVIDUALS REALLY CAME TO THE WORK SESSION, IF THERE WERE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASK AND YOU THINK THAT THE INFORMATION THAT YOU RECEIVED DURING THAT WORK SESSION AND YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE RESIDENTS TO HEAR IT, I WOULD ASK YOU TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS THIS EVENING. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME, WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT, MR. BELL. MISS MUNYARADZI, I'M HAPPY TO SEE YOU BACK. AND THANK YOU FOR A VERY THOROUGH AND PASSIONATE DEMONSTRATION HERE. I'VE JUST GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS OF THE 20 LETTERS IN OPPOSITION YOU ALL RECEIVED, DID ANY OF THOSE RESIDENTS GIVE YOU THEIR REASONING FOR OPPOSITION AND CONVERSATION? YES THEY DID. SOME DID NOT. MOST DID NOT. THOSE THAT DID, THEY WERE TALKING MORE ABOUT TRAFFIC AS WELL AS THE HAMPTON ROAD REDESIGN, WHICH IS NOT WHAT WE ARE CONSIDERING TONIGHT. SO BUT SOME DIDN'T STATE WHY THEY WANTED TO. THEY WERE IN OPPOSITION. SO IT WAS TRAFFIC WAS THE WOULD YOU SAY TRAFFIC IS THE MAJOR CONCERN? THAT WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT I SAW REOCCURRING. AND WE DID GIVE YOU GUYS A COPIES OF WHAT WE HAVE RECEIVED SO FAR. OKAY. THANK YOU. DO WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS HERE TONIGHT? I DOUBT OKAY. WELL, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A QUESTION AND

[00:40:01]

I'M GOING TO PLAY RESIDENTS ADVOCATE AT THIS MOMENT. MY QUESTION IS WHAT GUARANTEE DO THE RESIDENTS HAVE THAT THE ABILITY TO ASK FOR A VARIANCE FROM ZBA WILL BE HONORED IF, IN FACT, THEY HAVE A CATASTROPHIC LOSS. COULD NOT, YOU KNOW, A RESIDENT MIGHT THINK THAT, WELL, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL JUST TELL THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS NOT TO APPROVE ANY OF THESE REQUESTS. WELL, WHILE WE CANNOT GUARANTEE BUT LIKE I SAID AGAIN, IT'S ONLY 21 PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING IMPACTED, THAT ARE BEING THAT ARE GOING TO BE MADE NONCONFORMING, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE BECAUSE AS STAFF, WE CAN ONLY SUPPORT, WE SUPPORT. WE ARE DEPENDING WITH THE REASONS AND THE CONDITIONS. WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING, ANALYZE EVERYTHING, AND WE EITHER RECOMMEND FOR APPROVAL OR DENIAL. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IS THE FINAL SAY ON WHETHER THEY APPROVE OR DENY. ANOTHER THING ALSO IS THAT WHILE IT MAY SEEM LIKE IT'S NEGATIVE THAT THEY ARE NON-CONFORMING, HOWEVER, ONE THING THAT IS HAPPENING WITH THESE PROPERTIES IS THAT THEY ARE GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, IF I, I WANT TO CHANGE MY HOUSE TO AN OFFICE, THEY HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY NOW. SO THEY ACTUALLY HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITY THAN OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIVE OUTSIDE OF THIS AREA, BECAUSE THEY CAN DO MORE WITH THEIR PROPERTIES NOW THAN OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE OUTSIDE. I GOT IT. MY LAST QUESTION IS, IS THERE LANGUAGE OR GUIDELINES THAT GOVERN THE WAIVER REQUEST, SOME KIND OF STIPULATION THAT BEYOND THE FACT THAT MAYBE THE CATASTROPHIC LOSS IS ABOVE 60%, BUT SOME KIND OF GUIDELINES THAT GUIDE THE ZBA AND WHETHER OR NOT WHETHER OR NOT THEY SHOULD APPROVE THOSE REQUESTS. YES. THESE CRITERIA, THAT IS IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE THAT ARE GUIDES ARE THE I MEAN, THE CRITERIA THAT ARE THAT THE CBO HAS TO FOLLOW WHEN DENYING OR APPROVING ANY CASE. SO THAT'S ALSO WHAT OUR STAFF USED WHEN WE ARE MAKING OUR RECOMMENDATION BASED ON THESE ON THESE CRITERIA. THIS IS A B, C. AND THEN THEY HAVE TO USE THE SAME AS WELL IN MAKING A IN APPROVING OR DENYING ANY CASE. GOT IT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. MISS MATERAZZI AND DIRECTOR BREWER IF YOU WOULD EITHER ONE OF YOU ALL BECAUSE COMMISSIONERS ASKING AROUND ABOUT THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS. BUT IN OUR PRESENTATION WE TALKED ABOUT THE HISTORY WHERE THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION WERE LOOKING AT CHANGES IN WALLETS AT THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS THERE. THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY. ARE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT? EITHER ONE OF YOU AND COMMISSION, IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME TO REMAIN IN MY DESK? I HAVE BEEN SICK, SO I DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY SPREAD IT MUCH FURTHER THAN I AM. CHAIRMAN, YOU ARE CORRECT. WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROCESS DURING THE FIRST TIME, WE HEARD FROM THE RESIDENTS CONCERNS ABOUT NON-CONFORMING. DURING THOSE SESSIONS, STAFF WAS NOT PREPARED TO REALLY ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS. SO WE HAD A FOLLOW UP WORKSHOP MEETING WITH YOUR COMMISSION AS WHICH WE PRESENTED TO YOU. THE COMMISSION A RESEARCH THAT WE HAD CONDUCTED WITH OTHER CITIES. ALSO, INFORMATION CONCERNING WHAT WAS THE STATE STATUTE, TEXAS, TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 211. WHAT DID IT ESTABLISHED FOR NONCONFORMING? WE HAD FOUND THAT THE STATE STATUTE DID NOT ACTUALLY ESTABLISH ANY TYPE OF PERCENTAGE NUMBER. WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO ESTABLISHING WHAT WE HAVE IS THAT 60% THRESHOLD. SO WHEN WE DID OUR RESEARCH OF OTHER CITIES, WE ACTUALLY FOUND SOME CITIES THAT HAD A 50% THRESHOLD, SOME CITIES 60, SOME CITIES 65. AND WE EVEN FOUND ONE CITY THAT HAD A 100% THRESHOLD THAT WOULD ALLOW, IF A CATASTROPHIC EVENT HAPPENED, THAT THAT PROPERTY OWNER WOULD BE ABLE TO REBUILD WITHIN A LIMITED TIME PERIOD. IT WAS YOUR COMMISSION AT THAT POINT THAT ACTUALLY YOU THE MAJORITY RULE THAT YOU SUPPORTED AMENDING THE CITY'S TEXT AMENDMENT IN ORDER TO HAVE THE COUNCIL CONSIDER AMENDING THE ZONING CODE FROM THAT 65 TO 100%. I LATER BROUGHT BACK TO YOU THAT STAFF DID NOT PROCEED WITH TAKING YOUR RECOMMENDATION, BECAUSE WE LATER FOUND OUT LOOKING AT THE ZONING BOARD CASE, THAT THAT THE REGULATION THAT ESTABLISHED THE REQUIREMENT AFTER A PERSON HIT THAT 65% THRESHOLD WAS IN CHAPTER NINE OF THE CITY ZONING ORDINANCE AND A COMPLETE DIFFERENT SECTION CALLED THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT. THAT SECTION CAN STILL BE LOOKED AT IF THAT'S STILL A DESIRE GOING FORWARD. BUT RIGHT NOW, WHAT BEST TO PRESENT IT TO YOU IS CURRENTLY WHAT THE REGULATIONS ARE 65%. COMMISSIONER BELL, JUST

[00:45:07]

TO ADD SOMETHING WHAT MR. WAS SAYING THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT IS A QUASI JURISDICTIONAL BOARD THAT IS TOTALLY SEPARATE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL. THEY ARE NOT TO TAKE INPUT FROM THE COUNCIL. THEY ARE THE JUDGE AND THE JURY. THEY ARE STANDING ALONE. BOARD. THEY ARE A BOARD THAT CAN BE SUED INDIVIDUALLY WISE. SO THEY HAVE TO TAKE THEIR JOB SERIOUSLY IN WHAT THEY DO, AND THAT'S WHY THEY WILL HAVE INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT. AND BEST IS CORRECT WITHIN CHAPTER NINE OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE. IT DOES ESTABLISH THE REGULATION REQUIREMENTS PER THE STATE STATUTE OF WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO UTILIZE AS THEIR HARDSHIP CONSIDERATIONS. WHENEVER ANY CASE COME BEFORE THEM. THANK YOU, MR. BREWER.

COMMISSIONERS. OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER GRAHAM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO THE NOTICES THAT WENT OUT. CAN YOU GUYS TELL ME THE DATE THAT YOU GUYS SENT THE RESIDENT NOTICES OUT? TO ME? WE ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE NOTICES ARE GET TO RESIDENTS TEN DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING. AND I DO BELIEVE THAT I. SO IS IT POSSIBLE? I'M SORRY, I'M ONLY ASKING BECAUSE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WROTE NOTES ON THEIRS, AND THE NOTES STATED THAT THEY RECEIVED IT ON THE 21ST. SHE CHECKS HER MAIL AND SHE GOT IT ON THE 21ST, AND IT WAS DUE ON THE 23RD. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DID HAVE THAT TEN DAYS. NO, THE DUE DATE IS FOR IF THEY WANT IT INCLUDED WITH THE PACKET, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE FINISHED THE PACKET. BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THEY IT'S JUST FOR INCLUSION IN THE PACKET. BUT THEY CAN ALSO BRING IT UP TO LIKE SOME DID BRING THEM TODAY OKAY. YEAH. IS IT ALSO COMMISSIONER BELL OUR STATE OBLIGATION AND LOCAL REGULATION JUST ESTABLISHES THAT WE GET IT INTO THE POSTAL SERVICE WITHIN THAT TEN DAY REQUIREMENT. WE ACTUALLY CHANGED ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. WE USED TO TAKE ALL OF OUR NOTICES AND PUT THEM IN THE MAIL CLOSET UP IN THE IN THE FRONT LOBBY AREA. BUT WE GOT QUESTIONED OF WHETHER OR NOT LETTERS WERE ACTUALLY GOING OUT. SO TO HELP TRY TO PUT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER BOW ON OUR PROCESS. WHENEVER MY STAFF GETS THROUGH WITH TAKING THOSE, MAKING THOSE NOTICES, THEY HAND CARRY THEM TO THE POST OFFICE. NOW I UNDERSTAND ONCE THEY GET TO THE POST OFFICE WE LOSE CONTROL OF THEM. BUT WE DO MANDATE AND MAKE SURE INTERNALLY WISE THAT WE ARE SENDING THOSE NOTICES OUT AT LEAST TEN DAYS BEFORE YOUR PUBLIC HEARING DATE. OKAY, I THANK I THANK YOU FOR THAT. IS THERE ANYBODY THAT CAN GIVE ME THE DATE? THEY WERE DROPPED OFF AT THE POST OFFICE THURSDAY. THIS IS TRENT CARROLL, OUR PERMIT TECHNICIAN. THE DATE THE LETTERS WERE SENT TO THE POST OFFICE WAS JANUARY THE 16TH. OKAY. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE THAT. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS DO WE PUT THESE NOTICES IN SPANISH WHEN WE MAIL THEM OUT? YES WE DO. OKAY. SO HOW DO HOW DOES ONE DETERMINE IF AN ADDRESS GETS SPANISH OR ENGLISH. BECAUSE WE JUST SAW OUR NEWSPAPER AND OUR PROPERTY OWNER NOTICES ARE BOTH IN ENGLISH AND NEWSPAPER.

SO THEY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED THIS IN SPANISH. YES. OKAY. THIS LAD, THIS ONE SAYS THAT IT'S NOT IN SPANISH. AND A LOT OF HER NEIGHBORS ARE HISPANIC AND SPEAK SPANISH ONLY, AND SHE ONLY RECEIVED ONE. SO IF THERE'S NOTHING THAT WE'RE DOING TO SAY WHICH ONE GETS SPANISH OR ENGLISH, HOW CAN I GET CONFIRMATION THAT THIS WAS SENT OUT IN SPANISH? WELL, THE FACT THAT WE SENT ALL OF THEM WITH SPANISH AND ENGLISH SO THAT SO IF SHE DIDN'T RECEIVE IT, THEN SOMETHING I DON'T KNOW HOW SHE COULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED. BECAUSE WE ALWAYS SEND BOTH BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHO IS SPANISH, WHO IS NOT. SO THAT'S WHY WE SEND ALL OF THEM WITH BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH. SO ALL OF THEM THAT WENT OUT WERE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH? YES. OKAY. WE HAVE NO WAY OF DETERMINING. NO WORRIES. MY LAST QUESTION IS GOING TO BE ON THE BUSINESSES THAT GOT NOTICES, SOME TWO THAT I RECEIVED IN THIS PACKET ARE DIFFERENT VERBIAGE VERBIAGE THAN SOME OTHER ONES. SO IS THERE A DIFFERENT IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN LIKE TO SAY THE CITY OF DESOTO IS HOLDING A HEARING AND YOU KNOW, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO USE YOUR PROPERTY WITH THE SAME USAGE POSSIBLY VERSUS THE OTHER ONES. DON'T HAVE THAT WRITING AT THE TOP. IS THERE A DIFFERENCE WITH THESE TWO? I'LL ADDRESS THAT. YES. THE LETTER YOU RECEIVING THAT HAD THAT SPECIAL LANGUAGE THAT TALKED ABOUT NON-CONFORMING WAS PURSUANT TO THAT SENATE BILL 929 THAT WE FAILED TO DO THE FIRST TIME. SO THERE IS SPECIFIC LANGUAGE TO PROPERTY OWNERS AND RESIDENTS WITH WHO WITHIN THIS ZONING AREA, NOT WITHIN THE 200 AND NOT WITHIN THE 400, BUT SPECIFICALLY

[00:50:08]

IN ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES ARE GOING TO BE REZONED. IT HAS THAT SPECIAL LANGUAGE. I THINK IT MANDATES THAT 14 FONT TO HAVE THAT SPECIAL LANGUAGE. SO IT ONLY WENT OUT TO THOSE 23 PEOPLE, THAT STAFF, WHEN THEY DROVE AROUND, MADE A DETERMINATION THAT IT WOULD APPEAR THAT SITTING FROM THE CURB, THAT THAT USE WAS GOING TO BE CHANGED FROM A POTENTIALLY CONFORMING USE TO A NON-CONFORMING USE. I'D LIKE TO DIG A LITTLE DEEPER ON COMMISSIONER GRAHAM'S QUESTIONS, BECAUSE THOSE WERE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAD. MISTER BREWER, LEGALLY, IS THERE ANY REASON THAT WE COULD NOT MAIL THE FORMS OUT SOONER? AND THE REASON I'M SAYING IS, WHEN I DO LOOK AT SOCIAL MEDIA, A LOT OF TIMES I HEAR THAT THE CITY OF DESOTO'S POST OFFICE IS HORRIBLE, AND THAT'S JUST WHAT THE PEOPLE ARE SAYING. SO I'M JUST WONDERING, BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WE WERE HAVING OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS IN DECEMBER, WE KNEW WE WERE HAVING THEM IN JANUARY, AND WE KNEW THAT WE WERE SCHEDULING THIS MEETING FOR THE 28TH. IS THERE ANY REASON WHY THEY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MAILED OUT ANY SOONER? SURE. THEY COULD HAVE GONE OUT SOONER, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM IN THE TWO YEARS THAT I HAVE BEEN WITH GETTING THEM OUT. WE HAVE NOT HAD PUBLIC HEARINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, ANYONE ELSE HAS EXPRESSED A DESIRE TO GET THEM OUT. EARLIER, THE CITY COUNCIL ITSELF DID AMEND THE ZONING ORDINANCE ON THAT DISTANCE REQUIREMENT. THEY HAD THAT WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, IT WAS 300 FOOT DISTANCE REQUIREMENT, AND THEN THEY WENT TO 400. SO THAT COULD BE AN INITIATIVE THAT THE PLANNING AND ZONING TAKES. SHOULD YOU DESIRE TO INCREASE YOUR NOTIFICATION DEADLINE FOR YOUR CASES COMING TO YOU. BUT STATE STATUTE HAS ITS MINIMUM, THE CURRENT STATUTE HAS ITS MINIMUM. AND THAT'S WHAT WE MET. OUR STATE OBLIGATION AND LOCAL OBLIGATION. THE ONLY REASON THAT I'M GOING DOWN THAT ROAD IS BECAUSE I KNOW ME. I NEVER CHECKED MY POST BOX, POST OFFICE BOX. I MAY GO A WEEK OR TWO WEEKS BECAUSE ALL I'M THINKING IS I'M GETTING SPAM MAIL. SO THAT'S THE ONLY REASON THAT I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD MAIL THEM OUT EARLIER. AND ALSO NOTE WE ARE USING THE MAILING ADDRESS THAT IS ESTABLISHED BY THE DALLAS COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. WHAT I'M INDICATING IS WE TOOK IT TO THE POST OFFICE, WHATEVER MAILING ADDRESS IS ON THEIR TAX RECORD IS WHERE THOSE INDIVIDUAL LETTERS WERE MAILED. SO IF THEY ARE SHOWING A P.O. BOX, YES, IT WENT TO SOMEBODY'S P.O. BOX, BUT IF IT SHOWED A PHYSICAL MAILING ADDRESS, THAT'S THE LABEL THAT WE PUT ON THESE LETTERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH. MAY I ALSO ADD THAT WITH THE PUBLIC OUTREACH THAT WE ARE DOING ALL THESE MEETINGS, THERE WAS, I WOULD SAY, A LOT OF NOTIFICATION THAT STARTED IN BACK IN DECEMBER. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DATES. WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE MEETINGS FROM DECEMBER, INCLUDING THOSE ARE ELECTRONIC BOARDS. SO NOTIFICATION IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN HARD COPY, BUT NOTIFICATION HAS BEEN BEEN OUT THERE FOR MORE THAN TWO MONTHS NOW. YES. THANK YOU, MR. LERER, I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING THE OPPOSITION'S THAT WE RECEIVED.

DO WE HAVE A PERCENTAGE OF RESIDENTS THAT WERE WITHIN THAT ZONE, WITHIN THE ACTUAL REZONING, AS WELL AS THE 200FT? OKAY, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WHEN WE SPEAK OF PERCENTAGE NUMBERS, THE STATE STATUTE DOES ESTABLISH THAT IF THE CITY RECEIVES WRITTEN PROTESTS, THAT EQUATES TO 20% OF THE COMBINATION OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN THAT AREA TO BE REZONED, PLUS THE FIRST 200, IF THAT ENCUMBRANCE IS 20%, THEN THAT DOES NOTHING FOR YOUR VOTE OTHER THAN KEEPS YOU INFORMED OF WHAT A PERSON HAS STATED THAT 20% NUMBER IS WHEN IT GOES TO THE CITY COUNCIL, IT WOULD THEN TRIGGER. IF WE HIT THAT THRESHOLD OF 20%, IT WILL REQUIRE THE CITY COUNCIL TO HAVE TO VOTE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE FOR TO APPROVE THAT CASE. AND RESIDENTS HAVE UNTIL WHEN TO MAKE THAT TO PUT THEIR OPPOSITION IN IS THAT WE ACTUALLY GO ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TO THE DATE OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. VICE CHAIR. CAN YOU. PULL SLIDE 14, PLEASE? IT'S IN THE SAME VEIN OF THE QUESTIONS

[00:55:07]

THAT MY COLLEAGUES HAVE TALKED ABOUT. JUST CONFIRMING. I DON'T WANT US TO GET HUNG UP ON ONE NOTIFICATION YOU SENT OUT 883 NOTIFICATIONS. CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. 883. THIS INCLUDES THE 200, THE 400, AND THOSE WITHIN THE AREAS BEING CONSIDERED. OKAY. AND I'M PROBABLY GOING TO ASK THIS TO TRENT. MR. CARROLL, I'M SORRY, DID YOU RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATIONS BACK THAT WERE UNDELIVERABLE TO THE ADDRESSES YOU SENT OUT? NO, MA'AM. DID YOU RECEIVE ANY PHONE CALLS FROM FOLKS? BECAUSE I SEE YOUR NAME AND NUMBER IS ON THIS NOTIFICATION. YES. I DID RECEIVE SEVERAL PHONE CALLS FROM RESIDENTS. DO YOU HAVE AN APPROXIMATE NUMBER? I GET ESTIMATED TO BE AROUND 50 TO 60. PHONE CALLS AND INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS THAT STEPPED TO THE OFFICE AS WELL. OKAY. AND WHAT WAS THEIR CONCERNS? WERE THEY IN FAVOR OR IN OPPOSITION? MORE MAJORITY OF THEM WERE DEFINITELY IN OPPOSITION, AND THEY ONLY LEFT THAT VERBAL CONVERSATION WITH YOU? YES, MA'AM. FILLING OUT A FORM? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUICK FOLLOW UP. YOU MENTIONED THAT WE SENT MULTIPLE NOTIFICATIONS OUT. IS THAT 800? EXCUSE ME, IS THAT 883 EACH TIME, OR IS THAT TOTAL OF THE NOTIFICATIONS THAT WE SENT OUT FROM DECEMBER TO THIS? NO, NO, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU SAY EACH TIME. SO YOU MENTIONED THAT WE WERE SENDING NOTIFICATIONS FOR THE OTHER MEETINGS. OKAY. THE OTHER NOTIFICATION THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS THE NOTIFICATION ABOUT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS THAT WE HAD IN THIS NUMBER.

YEAH, BUT BUT THIS THIS ONE IS THE OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION THAT WE SENT THAT ARE HARD COPIES.

OKAY. YES. THE NOTIFICATION THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS WHEN WE WERE ANNOUNCING ABOUT THE MEETINGS, BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD TALK ABOUT WHEN IT WILL COME BEFORE PLANNING AND ZONING, WHEN IT WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL, WHERE THESE THINGS WERE BEING SAID OVER AND OVER THROUGHOUT THE THIS WHOLE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND COMMISSIONER, THOSE WERE THE GREEN POSTCARDS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I HAVE ONE QUESTION REGARDING THE PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS, MR. CAROL OR WHOMEVER. DID ANY RESIDENTS REQUIRE ANY FOLLOW UP POST, THE PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETINGS? AND IF THEY DID, WERE THEY NOTIFIED AND WERE ANY OF THEIR QUESTIONS OR THEIR NEEDS HANDLED? THE INDIVIDUALS THAT CAME TO THE PUBLIC HEARING? I DIDN'T HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP INFORMATION FROM ANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ATTENDED THE MEETING. I JUST MAINLY JUST RECEIVED PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS. NOT MANY EMAILS REGARDING THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT MAINLY REGARDING THIS MEETING THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS AFTERNOON. THIS EVENING.

CHAIRMAN, LET ME ALSO NOTE THAT DURING THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS, LIKE I SAID, WE WERE VERY INFORMAL. WE TOOK OUR TIMES WITH THE RESIDENTS. WE SHOWED THEM AN INTERACTIVE MAP THAT WE MADE AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE, SO THAT THEY COULD INDIVIDUALLY CLICK ON THEIR PROPERTIES TO CLEARLY GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEIR ZONING CURRENTLY IS AND WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED. AND WE JUST STAYED AFTER AFTER WE CONCLUDED. AND I BELIEVE EVERYBODY WHO LEFT AT LEAST HAD THEIR INFORMATION RECEIVED, WHETHER THAT THEY WAS PLEASED WITH IT, IS A DIFFERENT STORY. BUT ALL THE MEETINGS THAT I ATTENDED, PEOPLE LEFT, AT LEAST WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THAN THEY DID THE FIRST PROCESS. OKAY. AND LASTLY, GOING BACK TO VICE CHAIRS QUESTION, MR. CAROL REGARDING PHONE CALLS AND EVERYTHING, AND THEY'RE VERBAL, AND I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ALL ARE DOING THIS NOW, BUT IT MAY BE A GOOD PRACTICE IF YOU WOULD DOCUMENT THOSE PARTICULAR PHONE CALLS AND IF THEY'RE IN OPPOSITION OR IN FAVOR, IF THAT'S WHY THEY'RE CALLING. JUST BECAUSE AFTER SHE ASKED THAT, I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE EVEN MORE INSIGHTFUL INFORMATION FOR US TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE MAKING THAT DECISION. THAT'S THIS EVENING. SO, MR. BREWER, MISS MUNYARADZI, IF YOU ALL WOULD JUST CONSIDER THAT MAYBE, PERHAPS MOVING FORWARD, THAT MR. CAROL COULD DOCUMENT THOSE PHONE CALLS AND WHAT THE CONTENT OF THE CONVERSATION AND WE WILL THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER GRAHAM, JUST REAL QUICK. YOU KIND OF HIT WHAT I WAS ABOUT TO SAY, BUT I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCERNED. SO IF VICE CHAIR DID NOT ASK THAT QUESTION, WE JUST WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN THAT 50 OR 60 PEOPLE CALLED AND CAME IN AND SPOKE ABOUT THIS. PROBABLY NOT.

PROBABLY NOT. WE'VE WE'VE KIND OF PRACTICED OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS AS WE HEAR THINGS THAT WE

[01:00:03]

HADN'T THOUGHT WE'D DOTTED OUR I'S OR T'S ON, THAT WE TRY TO INCLUDE IN OUR REPORTS, WE BUILD AS WE GO. AND THAT HAS NOT BEEN A QUESTION BEFORE. SO THIS IS A FIRST TIME QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP BY THE VICE CHAIR. AND WE'LL TAKE THAT UNDER ADVISEMENT AND CORRECT GOING FORWARD. WE TRULY PRACTICE ON WHAT IS OUR STATE AND LOCAL MANDATES, BUT WE UNDERSTAND WE'VE BEEN DIRECTED BY COUNCIL TO DO CERTAIN ADDITIONAL ITEMS, AND WE PROCEEDED WITH THAT. WE HADN'T DONE THOSE PRIOR TO THAT POINT. SO WE ARE TAKING INTO ADVISEMENT WHAT YOU SAID, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY PROCEED FORWARD. OKAY. DO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE CAME IN OR CALLED YOU, ARE THEY AWARE THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED OPPOSITION, THEIR STATEMENTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT WILL NOT GET TO THE COMMISSION? THEY'RE FULLY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT. WE INCLUDE THEIR OPPOSITION LETTER IN YOUR PACKAGES BASICALLY CAME IN AND DID BERKELEY DID A VERBAL COMPLAINT. SO THE 50 TO 60 PEOPLE THAT CALLED OR CAME IN AGAIN, THAT ONE, I'M JUST SAYING, ARE THEY AWARE THAT THEY'RE COMING TO YOU GUYS ABOUT THAT? BUT THE PEOPLE THAT POTENTIALLY ARE GOING TO VOTE ON THIS WILL NOT HEAR THEIR WHATEVER THEY SAID TO YOU GUYS, ARE THEY AWARE OF THAT? WE HAVE NOT WE DID NOT VERBALLY TELL INDIVIDUALLY WISE THOSE PEOPLE THAT WE ADDRESS THEIR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS, TOLD THEM ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS, HOW THERE'S A WRITTEN NOTIFICATION IF WE NEEDED, IF THEY WANTED TO RESPOND IN OPPOSITION, AND THAT THE PUBLIC MEETING WAS OPEN BEFORE YOU ON THE 28TH, WHICH IS TONIGHT, AND BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE 18TH OF FEBRUARY. OKAY. THANK YOU. I WOULD GO CHAIR LIKE IF WE CAN POSSIBLY GET SOME KIND OF NOTICE OR INDICATION ABOUT THAT. I THINK 50 TO 60 IS A BIG NUMBER.

COMMISSIONER EDWARDS. YES, SIR. MR. CAROL, I NOTICED NOTED THAT YOU SAID THAT THE PEOPLE CAME IN AND THEY ALSO CALLED YOU ON THE PHONE. WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE AN ESTIMATE ABOUT HOW MANY EMAILS THAT YOU RECEIVED? SINCE THE NOTICE WAS SENT OUT ON JANUARY 16TH? I COULD ESTIMATE IT TO BE 9 TO 10 EMAILS WITH RESIDENTS OF DESOTO. OKAY. AND WHAT WAS THE TONE AND TENOR? OVERALL? JUST INDIVIDUALS WANTING TO GET MORE INFORMATION IN REGARDS TO THE ZONE CHANGE.

THAT WAS MAINLY THAT QUESTIONS IN REGARDS TO TRAFFIC SIGNAGE, THOSE TYPES OF ISSUES. OKAY.

THANK YOU SIR. AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT CAME INTO THE OFFICE, THEY ACTUALLY CAME WITH THEIR. OPPOSITION LETTERS IN HAND. THEY WERE NOT JUST COMING TO TALK AND BUT THEY WERE COMING TO DROP THESE LETTERS. COMMISSIONERS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? OKAY.

BEFORE WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, JUST BE MINDFUL THAT WE LIVE IN AMERICA AND WE HAVE CHOICES AND WE HAVE OPINIONS, AND EVERYBODY'S OPINION IS WELCOMED HERE. SO WHETHER THEY'RE YOUR OPINION OR NO, LET'S JUST RESPECT EVERYONE AND TRY TO PREVENT FROM MAKING NOISE WHILE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING SO THAT THE COMMISSIONERS CAN HEAR EVERYTHING THAT SOMEONE IS SAYING. AND WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT. AND AS VICE CHAIR SAYS, NO APPLAUSE, NO BOOS. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK THIS EVENING WHEN YOU APPROACH, WOULD YOU PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE AND VICE CHAIR WILL BE TIMING YOU. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK, AND SHE WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP, AND SHE WILL BE POLITE ENOUGH TO ALLOW YOU TO FINISH A SENTENCE, BUT NOT A PARAGRAPH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS. THE TIME IS NOW 704 AND THE PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN. AND IF I BUTCHER YOUR NAME, PLEASE FORGIVE ME. AND JUST CORRECT ME WHEN YOU GET UP HERE. THE FIRST PERSON TO SPEAK THIS EVENING IS SHALONDRA THOMPSON. GOOD EVENING. PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND CITY OF RESIDENCE. OKAY. CHANDRA THOMPSON, I'M A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF DESOTO. I AM HERE THIS EVENING REPRESENTING MR. VAL BARKLEY. HE IS THE OWNER OF 900 NORTH HAMPTON ROAD. IT'S THE

[01:05:08]

PURPLE AND GOLD BUILDING RIGHT HERE AT HAMPTON AND PLEASANT RUN. AND I'M JUST GOING TO READ HIS STATEMENT TO YOU. MY PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 900 NORTH HAMPTON ROAD. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO COMPARE THE CURRENT PROPOSED ZONING MAP TO THE ONE FROM THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA DATED BACK MARCH 26TH, 2020, FOR THE PREVIOUS MAP, THE AREA AROUND MY PROJECT WAS LARGELY SET TO BECOME URBAN CENTER AND THE NEW PROPOSED ZONING. ONLY TWO PROPERTIES ARE BEING REZONED IN THIS. IN THIS SECTION, I CANNOT SPEAK FOR THE OTHER PROPERTY OWNERS, BUT THIS CREATES A SMALL ISLAND THAT WILL NOT CONFORM TO THE PROPERTY SURROUNDING IT. IF THE PROPERTIES WERE LARGER, HOWEVER, THIS MIGHT BE. THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE ISSUE, BUT GIVEN THE SIZE, THE ZONING WILL MAKE IT IMPRACTICAL FOR THE DESIRED USAGE. THE OWNER UNDERSTANDS THE GOAL OF THE PROJECT AND FELT IT MADE SENSE WHEN CONTIGUOUS AREAS WERE BEING REZONED IN LARGE AREAS. THIS WAS THE CASE IN THE PROPOSAL BACK IN MARCH 2020 FOR THE CHANGES MADE SINCE THEN. SINCE THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL CAUSES THIS SPECIFIC PROPERTY TO EXIST AS AN ISOLATED REZONE AT ROUGHLY A HALF AN ACRE, AND DOING MIXED USE IS DIFFICULT OR IMPRACTICAL. OTHER AREAS OF THE REZONING HAS HAVE TRANSITION ZONES THAT MAKE LOGICAL SENSE. THE NEW REZONING WILL CAUSE THIS PROPERTY TO HAVE THE HIGHEST DENSITY NEXT TO PROPERTIES WITH THEIR CURRENT COMMERCIAL ZONING. THE PROPERTY WAS LEASED, EXCUSE ME, TWO YEARS AGO, APPROXIMATELY IN APPROXIMATELY 75% OF PROSPECTIVE TENANTS WERE NO LONGER INTERESTED. WHEN THE ZONING RESTRICTIONS WERE EXPLAINED TO HIM, THE PROPERTY BEING ON A BUSY CORNER FURTHER LIMITS THE APPEAL FOR THE USE AS URBAN CENTER, AND MR. BURKLEY IS OPPOSED TO THE REZONE. THANK YOU. THE NEXT PERSON IS MR. ANTHONY CLOUD. GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THANK THIS YOUNG LADY FOR THE PASSION THAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT, ABOUT MY CITY, THE CITY THAT I LOVE. I LOVE THE PEOPLE. TALK ABOUT THAT PASSION, THE PASSION FOR THE CITY. I REALLY, REALLY LIKE THAT. THANK YOU AND THANK YOU ALL FOR SERVING. I AM ANTHONY CLOUD, 1118 BRIER BROOK DRIVE, DESOTO, TEXAS. IF YOU NOTICE THAT WHEN THE YOUNG LADY PUT THE THOSE WHO WERE OPPOSED UP THERE, THEY WERE VERY FEW GREEN. BUT AT THE NORTHERN PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT WHERE AT THE PROPOSALS THAT WHOLE STREET UP ON THE NORTHERN PART, IT WAS ALL GREEN. I WANTED TO BE NOTED THAT THAT WOULD REPRESENT 100% OF THAT ZONE THAT'S BEING REQUIRED. THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION AND MY ONLY DEAL.

AND I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT RECEIVED OUR LETTER STATING THAT WE HAD TO MAKE A DECISION WITHIN ONE DAY, AND I WAS ONE OF THE ONES THAT ALSO WROTE THAT ON THERE. SO I THINK IT BEHOOVES US TO MAKE IT OUR PRIORITY, ALTHOUGH WHATEVER THE REGULATIONS ARE, WHATEVER THE LAW IS, THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY MAKE IT RIGHT. SO THE MORE NOTICE THAT WE GET, THE BETTER. THANK YOU. MISTER CLOUD. MISTER CLOUD, ARE YOU IN OPPOSITION OR IN FAVOR? I AM IN OPPOSITION. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. MONTE ANDERSON. HOWDY, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS MONTE ANDERSON. I'M FROM DUNCANVILLE AT 1210. GREENLEAF. I'VE LIVED IN EITHER SOUTH OAK CLIFF OR DESOTO OR DUNCANVILLE MY ENTIRE LIFE. MY COMPANY IS OPTIONS REAL ESTATE, AND WE ONLY WORK IN THIS AREA DOING DEVELOPMENT. WE'RE THE DEVELOPERS OF THE DESOTO MARKETPLACE ON BELTLINE ROAD. LET'S SEE. I GUESS I GOT CAUGHT ASLEEP KIND OF THROUGH THIS PROCESS, BECAUSE I GOT A NOTICE ON JANUARY 25TH ABOUT THIS MEETING, SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT WENT FROM THE POST OFFICE TO MAIL, BUT I PANICKED YESTERDAY WHEN I SAW IT, AND IT HAD BEEN GOING ON SO LONG THAT I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I DIDN'T KNOW THIS THING WAS ACTUALLY COMING TO FRUITION, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BE HERE THIS QUICK. SO IT CAUGHT ME REALLY OFF GUARD TO FIND OUT THAT DESOTO MARKETPLACE, WHICH IS ON THE VERY EAST END OF BELTLINE 324

[01:10:01]

EAST BELTLINE, IS IN THIS ZONING BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS. IN FACT, I LOOKED AT THE ZONING AND SOME OF THE MEETINGS AND I THERE WAS PLENTY OF TIME FOR ME TO LOOK AT THE, THE, THE HAMPTON ROAD, YOU KNOW, PROCESS THE THINGS THAT ARE THERE. AND I IN FACT, I LIKE THE STUFF AND I LIKE THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT AND I LIKE THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING. I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD AND I THINK STAFF HAS DONE A GOOD JOB ON EXPLAINING AND DOWNSIZING AND MAKING IT FIT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD THINGS I WANT TO SAY ABOUT THAT, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY DESOTO MARKETPLACE BEING OFF TO THE END LIKE THAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS.

AND THEN IN THE NON-CONFORMING USES, WHAT I SEE THERE IS IT'S NOT A NONCONFORMING USE. AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS A NON-CONFORMING USE AND I WOULDN'T BE BOTHERED BECAUSE I HAVE A PD ON TOP OF THAT PROPERTY. AND THAT PD ALLOWS ME TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE TRAILERS IN THE PARKING LOT, AND IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE IMPERVIOUS PAVING AND ALLOWS US TO DO A LOT OF THINGS, SOME PARKING FLEXIBILITY FOR EVENTS. IT ALLOWS US TO DO A LOT OF THOSE THINGS. AND THIS TAKES SOME OF THAT AWAY. AND THE CONCERNS I HAVE ARE REALLY IN DIGGING DEEP INTO THE ZONING. AND I SENT THIS IN TODAY TO STAFF MY WRITE UP BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TIME. WE'RE MORE MORE OF SOME OF THE DETAILS OF THE NONTRADITIONAL STRUCTURES THAT WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO TODAY. THE MINIMUM STANDARDS OF RETAIL AND OFFICE SUITES AND MINIMUM SIZES OF RESIDENTIAL AND MULTI-FAMILY UNITS. WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE YOU KNOW, THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS ON THESE. WHAT'S WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM SIZES? WHAT ARE YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE THINGS. WHAT ARE SETBACKS. THERE'S THINGS THAT THAT I COULDN'T FIND, I COULDN'T GET MY HANDS ON TO SEE HOW THAT STUFF WOULD PLAY OUT. BALANCING THE VISION. YOU KNOW, WE NEED AT THIS PROPERTY. IT'S EVOLVING OVER TIME. IN FACT, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF REMODELING AND DOING SOME THINGS TO UPGRADE IT NOW AND HAVING THE ABILITY TO FLEX, YOU KNOW, IN TIMES OF GROWING. IN FACT, I SEE THAT AS A PROBLEM WITH THE ZONING HERE IN THE IN THE WEST DALLAS AREA WHERE THE TRINITY GROVES IS. I WAS THE FIRST ONE OVER THERE BEFORE THE BRIDGES WERE THERE. WITH THE BELMONT. AM I OUT OF TIME? OKAY, SORRY. AND STATE YOUR POSITION.

OKAY. I'M. I'M NOT OPPOSED, BUT I'M I'M OPPOSED TO PUTTING DESOTO MARKETPLACE IN THIS ZONING THAT PROPERTY OFF ON THAT END. SO OTHERWISE I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE TO THE TO THE PLAN ITSELF. I'M SORRY, I CAN'T GIVE YOU A BETTER ANSWER THAN THAT. THANK YOU. THE NEXT PERSON AND I'M NOT SURE I'M GOING TO PRONOUNCE THIS RIGHT. ASHLEY AHMED. GOOD EVENING. ALL THE MEMBERS OF COMMISSIONER AND THE CITY AND PLANNING, ZONING COMMISSION AND FELLOW CITIZENS.

I GOT THIS LETTER TWO WEEKS BAC, AND I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE THE LETTER ON TIME. AND I MADE MYSELF AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME TO COME AND PRESENT MY CASE. YOU KNOW, I LOVE THIS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS GOING TO HAPPEN. AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE ZONING COMMITTEE AND THE MEMBERS HAS WORKED VERY HARD FOR THIS TYPE OF WORK TO BRING TO THIS CITY. I AM A BUSINESSMAN, AND I DO A LOT OF BUSINESS AROUND THE AREA IN THE METROPLEX, AND I HAVE A PROPERTY AT. 60501 AT SOUTHAMPTON STREET, WHICH IS THE CORNER OF THIS END OF THIS ZONING, WHICH YOU SEE THAT ON THE BLUE AND THE PURPLE BAR. THAT'S MY PROPERTY. AND I HAVE A PLAN TO BUILD A SHOPPING MALL THERE, A STRIP MALL WITH AROUND LIKE 10 TO 12 STORES, THE BIG STORES. AND IF THIS ZONING GOES ON, THEN, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE HAVING A PLAN TO BUILD MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR STORES THERE. AND MY PLAN IS TO HAVE A BETTER CITY WHERE WE CAN HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESS IN THIS AREA.

AND THIS DEVELOPMENT WILL BRING A LOT OF GOOD THINGS INTO THE CITY OF DESOTO. AND I THINK THE HAMPTON STREET ALL THE WAY GOES TO THE DOWNTOWN. AND THIS STREET IS VERY VALUABLE STREET, YOU KNOW, AND YOU CAN YOU CAN DEVELOP THIS WHOLE STREET INTO A INTO A BUSINESS ZONE BUSINESS AREA. AND IT'S GOOD FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THIS TYPE OF STORES. I CAME IN THE LAST HEARING ALSO, AND I PRESENT MY CASE AND I GIVE EXAMPLE OF SOUTHLAKE WESTLAKE, FRISCO AND PROSPER, OTHER PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT CITIES. AND WE SEE WHEN DESOTO COMES IT'S PUSHING BACK. SO I'M FOR IT. AND I WANT TO DO SOMETHING BETTER IN THE CITY. AS A BUSINESSMAN. I DON'T WANT TO SPEND MY MONEY HERE AND MAKE THIS STRIP MALL INTO A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR STRIP MALL. SO I'M FOR IT. AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO SUPPORT THIS AND MOVE ON. THANK YOU VERY

[01:15:09]

MUCH. BEFORE YOU LEAVE, COULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME, PLEASE? AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE IS ISAAC AHMED. YEAH. AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE? I'M A CITY OF RESIDENCE OF IRVING. BUT I HAVE MY AS I SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A PROPERTY HERE, AND I'M LIVING IN IRVING FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS, AND I HAVE A PROPERTY IN IRVING, TOO, AND DIFFERENT PART OF THE CITY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. MISS SANDY WILLIAMS, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK? WE CAN MAKE UP MY MIND. TO SEE WHAT TIME IT IS WHEN YOU WHEN YOU APPROACH. PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AGAIN. AND YOUR CITY.

MY NAME IS SANDY WILLIAMS. I LIVE AT 503 NORTHAMPTON ROAD, DESOTO, TEXAS. I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 1983. AND FIRST OF ALL, I'M REAL CURIOUS, DO YOU WORK FOR THE CITY OR DO YOU WORK FOR THE PEOPLE WANTING TO DO THIS WORK? I WORK FOR THE CITY. OKAY, WELL, WE DEFINITELY NEED SOMEBODY TO SPEAK ENGLISH BECAUSE I'M OLD AND I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON. I'VE WATCHED. YOUR FACE AND YOUR FACE. EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME, EXCUSE ME. WE DON'T INSULT PEOPLE IN THE CHAMBERS.

I'M NOT INSULTING. OKAY? SO JUST DIRECT HOW SHE SPEAKS. PLEASE DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS. BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE'S SAYING. PLEASE DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO ME. THANK YOU. OKAY, WELL, I'M TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE. DO YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SOMEBODY SAYS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION? I HOPE SO, ANYWAY. AND ANOTHER THING I WE HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE 1983 AND I MAIL OUT BIRTHDAY CARDS, CHRISTMAS CARDS, VALENTINE CARDS, EVERYTHING. I WORK AND I TALK TO CUSTOMERS HERE IN DESOTO. AND IT'S AMAZING BECAUSE FRANKIE LEE PICKS MY MAIL UP AROUND 11, 1130 IN THE MORNING. MOST OF THE TIME, UNLESS IT'S REAL BUSY. AND THEN I WILL GET A CALL FROM THE PERSON EITHER THE NEXT DAY OR THE NEXT DAY TO TELL ME THANK YOU FOR THEIR CARD. AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT'S TAKING SO LONG. MY HUSBAND JUST SAID WE GOT OUR THING, JUST AS THIS OTHER GENTLEMAN SAID TWO DAYS AGO. NOTICE THAT YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE HAVING THE MEETING TONIGHT, AND I DON'T KNOW WHY. HUNDREDS OF VALENTINE CARDS, BECAUSE I SEND OUT QUITE A FEW AND THINGS LIKE THIS GO OUT AND THEY MANAGE TO GET RIGHT TO THE PEOPLE, AND THEY'RE TELLING ME THAT IT'S SOMEONE FROM THE POST OFFICE BEING NOTIFIED BECAUSE I WON'T GO UP AND TALK TO THEM, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT MAILING, TAKING CARE OF Y'ALL'S BUSINESS AND SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT. BUT, I MEAN, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW AND THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK. YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO LET THEM KNOW IN A VOICE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON. I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE THING. THAT'S WHAT'S FUNNY. I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE 1986 AND NOTHING'S HAPPENED. SO THEREFORE I'M NOT REAL. YOU KNOW, WE'LL PROBABLY BE DEAD AND IN THE GROUND BEFORE IT EVER EVEN COMES ABOUT. BUT THE THING IS, PEOPLE DO NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE VOTING FOR. WILL YOU GIVE ME YOUR POSITION, PLEASE? THAT'S WHY I JUST TOLD YOU THAT I'M NOT AGAINST IT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? YOU'RE. I MEAN, I'M NOT AGAINST THE ROAD. YOU'RE NEUTRAL IN HAMPTON ROAD, ALL RIGHT. AND I DO APPRECIATE I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS THIS EVENING. AND I DO RECOGNIZE YOU FROM BEING AT SOME OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS. AND AT THOSE MEETINGS, YOU HAD OTHER PERSONS THAT YOU COULD HAVE SPOKEN TO AS WELL TO GET YOUR INFORMATION. BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOU COMING THIS. I DO THINK THAT THE MAN THAT GOT THE EMAILS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT THAT INFORMATION, THE PEOPLE THEY'RE TALKING TO NEED TO REALIZE THAT THEIR INFORMATION IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. MISS MONICA JEFFERSON. HELLO, MY NAME IS MONICA JEFFERSON. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. I HAD A PLETHORA OF QUESTIONS, BUT YOU GUYS PRETTY MUCH ANSWERED, ASKED ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I REALLY WAS CONCERNED ABOUT AND I THANK YOU. I DO LIKE I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STATEMENT, MA'AM, IF I CAN. YOU SPOKE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOUNG PEOPLE WANTING. EXCUSE ME. PLEASE MAKE YOUR SPEAK. SPEAK TO THE CHAIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. SHE SPOKE ABOUT YOUNG PEOPLE WANTING TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO OR THINGS TO DO OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. THE MAJORITY OF INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HERE ARE, YOU KNOW, OLDER INDIVIDUALS. AND SO FOR THOSE YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO ARE WANTING TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO OR A PLACE TO HANG OUT AND GET SOMETHING TO EAT, GET SOMETHING TO EAT, THEY SHOULD DO WHAT WE DID. WE BOUGHT A HOME.

AND WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE HERE IN DESOTO IS WHAT I LIKE, AND I OPPOSE THIS. AND MY NAME IS

[01:20:03]

MONICA JEFFERSON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS JEFFERSON. THESE PERSONS DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK.

AND IF I MISPRONOUNCE YOUR NAME, PLEASE FORGIVE ME. SHADAB. PURSUE. ALL RIGHT. HE'S IN FAVOR. MUHAMMAD HANIF. IN FAVOR? JAMES WILLIAMS. ARE YOU IN FAVOR OR AGAINST? THANK YOU. KEVIN.

KEVIN JEFFERSON. OKAY. SO. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. CANDACE BOWMAN. OPPOSED. OR DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL CARDS? THOSE ARE ALL THE CARDS I HAVE. HAS EVERYONE BEEN CALLED ON THAT WISHED? I MISS JORDAN WILLIAMS. DO YOU HAVE A CARD FROM THIS? WOULD YOU RAISE YOUR HAND, PLEASE? PLEASE, CAPTURES LOUISE KAPSIS. HAVE YOU THE FORM? AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, I WANT I WANT TO SEE. OKAY. YOU APPROACH AND JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE AND THEN FILL OUT ANOTHER FORM.

WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL FORM THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED OUT FOR THIS EVENING. I ASKED ABOUT IT. MY NAME IS LOUISE CAPSIS. I LIVE ON JEFFERSON AVENUE IN DESOTO. I HAD SOME QUESTIONS. IS HAMPTON ROAD CHANGES STILL IN EFFECT? MR. BYRD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER? I'M NOT SURE OF THE QUESTION. HAMPTON ROAD TRANSITION FROM TWO LANES TO ONE LANE. IS IT STILL IN EFFECT? YES. THE STUDY WAS DONE IN DURING THE COVID. THAT'S NOT LOGICAL. THEY NEED TO HAVE IT NOW WITH TRAFFIC AS IT IS WITH THE INCREASE OF THE POPULATION. EXCUSE ME, POPULATION. AND ALSO PEDESTRIAN STUDY. YOU WANT TO INCREASE THE SIDEWALK SO THERE'S MORE WALKABILITY. HAVE YOU EVER DONE A STUDY ON THAT AS THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE WALK? DESOTO ORIGINALLY STARTED OUT AS A SUBURB. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAVE CARS. I LIVE ON JEFFERSON AVENUE AND I SEE A FEW PEOPLE, BUT THEY'RE MOSTLY LOCALS GOING TO DAIRY QUEEN OR GOING TO A FOOD STORE. AND I DON'T SEE THE FEASIBILITY OF ENLARGING A SIDEWALK AND NARROWING THE STREET WHEN THE TRAFFIC HAS INCREASED SO DRAMATICALLY. YOU CANNOT GET OUT OF OUR STREET, YOU CAN'T HALF THE TIME. AND THEN WHEN THE LIGHT'S RED, YOU'RE STUCK THERE, AND THEN YOU CAN'T GET ACROSS THE OTHER WAY.

IT IS NOT FEASIBLE TO ALL YOU PEOPLE LIVE IN DESOTO. IF SO, GO THERE AROUND 435 AND SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE BY JEFFERSON AND AUTOZONE. IT IS RIDICULOUS. I'VE LIVED HERE FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND WE MOVED HERE BECAUSE IT WAS THE BURBS, BUT IT'S NOT THE BURBS ANYMORE. AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S GONE DOWN THE TOILET, WHICH IS A DISGRACE. I'M SO SORRY TO SAY, I STILL LIVE IN DESOTO AND THE BUSINESSES THAT WERE NICE HAVE LEFT, AND ALL WE GOT IS CHICKEN, PIZZA AND BURGERS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN'T GET BETTER BUSINESSES HERE. THIS IS A 75 YEAR COMMUNITY AND IT IS TERRIBLE. IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE INSTEAD OF BETTER. I TOTALLY OPPOSE THE REZONING OF HAMPTON

[01:25:06]

AVENUE ALL THE WAY UP. THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING LOGICAL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ARE THERE ANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO DO WISH TO SPEAK OR TO REGISTER YOUR POSITIONS? OKAY. HEARING AND SEEING NONE. THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED AT 7:25 P.M. COMMISSIONERS, BEFORE I ENTERTAIN A MOTION, WHAT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO DO IS IF YOU HAVE ANY INSIGHTS, CONCERNS OR ANY THOUGHTS RELATIVE TO THIS CASE, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO THAT BEFORE I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER LERER, THEN I'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER EDWARDS, THEN TO COMMISSIONER GRAHAM, COMMISSIONER DEWBERRY, THEN COMMISSIONER BELL, AND THEN VICE CHAIR BROOKS, COMMISSIONER LAUER. I DO SEE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS PROJECT. I DO THINK IT WILL BE A GREAT THING FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO. I ALSO DO HEAR THE CONCERNS OF OUR CITIZENS, PARTICULARLY WITH TRAFFIC, PARTICULARLY WITH HAMPTON BEING A MAIN CORRIDOR FROM NORTH TO SOUTH. SO THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT HAPPENS. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. NO FURTHER COMMENTS, SIR. COMMISSIONER GRAHAM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK ONE QUESTION. I'M PRETTY SURE I KNOW THE ANSWER FOR STAFF THOUGH, BUT WE'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THIS THROUGH THE YEARS, TRYING TO TRYING TO STILL DO THE PROJECT BECAUSE WE NEED IT, BUT ALSO TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LISTENING TO THE RESIDENTS AND THE OPPOSITION AND WE'RE ADJUSTING IT EACH TIME WE'RE COMING BACK. CORRECT. SO I ASK THE QUESTION AGAIN THROUGH THE THROUGH THE YEARS OF COMING, BRINGING THIS TO THE PNC OR THE CITY COUNCIL, IT'S CONTINUED TO BE ADJUSTED OR PROLONGED BECAUSE WE'RE GOING BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AFTER WE HEAR THE OPPOSITIONS. CORRECT. I WOULDN'T, AT LEAST FROM I'VE BEEN HERE TWO YEARS NOW. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HAVE HAD TO GO BACK AND REDUCE THE BOUNDARY. I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER TIME. OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT THAT'S ALL I HAD. AND MY, MY COMMENT, JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S A TOUGH DECISION BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO GROW IN OUR CITY. WE WANT GROWTH, WE WANT BETTER RESTAURANTS. AND AS MY DAY JOB, I DO WORK IN NEW DEVELOPMENT WITH A LOT OF THE THINGS LIKE THIS. SO I, I HAVE BEEN IN SEVERAL CITIES AND STATES WHERE I'M ACTUALLY THE COMPANY OR SOMEONE REPRESENTING THE COMPANY TO BUILD THOSE APARTMENTS IN THE. I JUST LEFT SEATTLE, WASHINGTON LAST WEEK WHERE I WAS THERE BECAUSE WE'RE PUTTING A GROCERY STORE ON THE GROUND AND A NICE LUXURY BUILDING. SO I DO BELIEVE THOSE THINGS NEED TO TAKE PLACE AND NEED TO HAPPEN. I WILL JUST SAY, IT LOOKS LIKE WE PROBABLY SHOULD WORK ON SOME OTHER THINGS BEFORE WE GET THERE, IS WHAT I'M HEARING. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. COMMISSIONER DEWBERRY. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I ALSO WANT TO THANK STAFF FOR THIS EVENING'S PRESENTATION. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY CONTENTIOUS THING FOR THE FOR THE CITIZENS. I'VE LIVED OUT HERE FOR 50 PLUS YEARS, AND THE ONLY WAY, AT THIS POINT IN TIME IN HISTORY THAT THIS CITY IS GOING TO GROW IS IF WE START TRYING TO ATTRACT A YOUNGER CROWD. AND LOOKING AT DESOTO TODAY, THAT'S NOT WHAT THE YOUNGER CROWD WANTS. KIDS GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL, GO OFF TO COLLEGE, AND THEY NEVER COME BACK EXCEPT TO VISIT THEIR PARENTS ON THE HOLIDAYS. WE'VE GOT TO MODERNIZE AND GET SOME GET SOME THINGS GOING. THE HAMPTON ROAD PROJECT, THE REPAVING AND THE RESTRUCTURING OF HAMPTON ROAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN. WHETHER ANY OF THIS EVER HAPPENS, NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN HERE UNTIL A DEVELOPER LIKE MR. ANDERSON COMES IN AND SAYS, HEY, I WANT TO BUY YOUR PROPERTY AND I WANT TO DEVELOP IT. IF YOU'RE LIVING ON THAT PROPERTY NOW, IT'S GOING TO STAY THE SAME UNTIL YOU'RE EITHER GONE OR YOU SELL IT TO A DEVELOPER. THERE'S. VERBIAGE AND PROCEDURES IN THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND THE PLANNING AND ZONING ORDINANCES THAT IF

[01:30:07]

YOUR HOUSE BURNS DOWN OR IS HIT BY A TORNADO, A TREE FALLS ON IT, A CAR DRIVES THROUGH IT THAT YOU CAN BUILD BACK. IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE TIME TO GO THROUGH THE PAPERWORK AND THE MEETINGS AND STUFF. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BUILD BACK TO THE NEW CODE IF EVERYTHING GOES CORRECTLY FOR YOU. SO. I WOULD HATE TO SEE DESOTO DRY UP AND BLOW AWAY BEFORE I'M GONE. AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU, MR. DEWBERRY. COMMISSIONER VEIL, COMMISSIONERS AND RESIDENTS OF DESOTO. THESE ARE MY THOUGHTS.

STAFF. I AGREE WITH THE CHAIR THAT DOCUMENTING CALLS, EMAILS AND WALK INS, PARTICULARLY IN CASES THIS IMPORTANT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD, WOULD, WOULD LIKE TO SEE. AND I'M IF I COULD SPEAK FOR THE RESIDENTS, I THINK THEY WOULD APPRECIATE THAT KIND OF DETAIL. I THINK IT'S SAFE TO ASSUME THAT THOSE FOLKS WHO CALLED AND WALKED IN AND SENT EMAILS ARE NOT IN THE NOTIFICATION AREA WHERE THE LETTERS WENT OUT, AND SO THAT IS OUR PURVIEW, THAT NOTIFICATION AREA AS A BOARD, JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THOSE FOLKS DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE TONIGHT, ADDRESS THIS BOARD, VOICED THEIR CONCERNS, BRING THEIR NEIGHBORS, TALK TO THEIR FRIENDS AND TELL US WHAT'S ON THEIR MIND. I THINK IT IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS OF DESOTO TO UNDERSTAND THAT BEING ACTIVE IN THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CITY AND THE THINGS THAT AFFECT THEM IS VERY IMPORTANT. YOU SHOULD MAKE AN EFFORT TO KEEP YOURSELF ABREAST OF WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR CITY, PARTICULARLY IF IT'S GOING TO AFFECT YOU, BUT NOT ONLY FOR YOURSELF, YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR NEIGHBORS, AND SO ON. THESE ARE THE KIND OF ISSUES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO YOUR RESIDENCY IN THE CITY. NOW, WITH REGARD TO THE PROJECT, I PERSONALLY THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME TRAFFIC ISSUES IN THIS CORRIDOR. MY HOPE IS THAT IT WILL PROVE TO BE LITTLE MORE THAN AN INCONVENIENCE FOR THE RESIDENTS OF DESOTO. I'M SATISFIED WITH THE ASSURANCES THAT MR. BREWER AND THE STAFF GAVE US THAT RESIDENTS WHO ARE FOUND NONCONFORMING WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, AN AVENUE, TO GO TO THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS AND GET A REPRIEVE FROM WHATEVER HARDSHIP THAT THEY ARE SEEING IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT THAT THERE IS A CATASTROPHIC LOSS FOR THAT CUSTOMER. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING DIRECTLY TO THE CITIZENS. JUST SOME THINGS TO POINT OUT WITH REGARD TO HOW LONG THE POST OFFICE IS TAKING WITH MAILING THESE LETTERS OUT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE POSTAGE STAMP ON YOUR LETTERS, YOU CAN DETERMINE EXACTLY HOW LONG IT TOOK THAT PIECE OF MAIL TO GET FROM THE TIME THE POST OFFICE RECEIVED IT, TO THE TIME IT GOT TO YOUR DOOR. WHEN THEY STAMP IT, THAT IS WHEN THEY RECEIVED IT. WHEN YOU RECEIVED IT, IT'S HOW LONG IT TOOK. SO IF WE DETERMINE THAT OUR POST OFFICE IS LACKING AND WE ARE GETTING TOO MANY DAYS AND TOO MUCH TIME BETWEEN OUR MAILS, THEN THAT IS A CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD BRING UP TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AND MAYBE WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING DONE ABOUT THAT. I WANT TO SAY THAT THOSE YOUNGSTERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO BE CLOSE IN AN URBAN AREA AND EAT IN RESTAURANTS THAT THEY CAN WALK THROUGH AND BY THOSE YOUNGSTERS ARE YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR NIECES, YOUR NEPHEWS, YOUR NEIGHBORS, NIECES AND NEPHEWS AND THEIR CHILDREN. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WE ARE TRYING TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TARGETING WHEN WE WANT, WHEN WE SAY WE WANT TO DEVELOP DESOTO. NOW, I'VE I'VE NOT PROBABLY NOT BEEN IN DESOTO AS LONG AS MANY OF YOU, BUT I CAN SEE THAT DESOTO IS STAGNATING. AND IF WE WANT GROWTH IN THIS CITY, WE MUST DO THE NECESSARY THINGS IN ORDER TO ATTRACT WHAT IS NECESSARY TO MAKE OUR CITY GROW AND BE VIBRANT. BUSINESSES LEAVE CITIES DUE TO STAGNATION AND DUE TO LITTLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT AND LITTLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH. IF IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE A CITY IS

[01:35:02]

GROWING, IF AT EVERY TURN THE CITIZENS DECIDE THEY DON'T WANT TO BUILD THAT MULTI-FAMILY, THEY DON'T WANT TO BUILD THAT DENSITY INTO THEIR CITY, DEVELOPERS WILL SEE THIS, AND THEN THEY WILL SAY, WELL, WHY WOULD I WANT TO BRING SOMETHING TO THIS LOCATION? IT IS NOT GOING TO BE PROFITABLE TO ME AND SO ON. SO IF WE AS A CITY WANT TO GROW, THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO LIVE. AND IF WE'VE ALL LIVED IN THIS CITY FOR 20 YEARS AND 15 YEARS, AND WE HAVE FAMILY, CHILDREN, NIECES AND NEPHEWS, AND WE WANT THEM TO STAY IN THIS CITY AND DEVELOP THIS CITY, THEN WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE APPEALING TO THEM.

SO THEY WILL WANT TO STAY AROUND HERE AND PERHAPS TAKE CARE OF US IN OUR OLD AGE AND DEVELOP BUSINESSES AND GROW THE CITY. AND SO I WOULD NOT BE IN OPPOSITION OF THIS. JUST TO GIVE MY OPINION. BLUNTLY, I THINK THIS CITY NEEDS IT. NOT ONLY DOES IT NEED THIS, WE NEED DENSITY AND HOUSING AS WELL. IF WE'RE GOING TO GROW OUR TAX BASE, IF WE'RE GOING TO GROW THIS CITY. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT IS MY OPINION. I THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING. AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANKS FOR COMING. IT'S GREATLY APPRECIATED WHEN WE GET OUR CITIZENS OUT SPEAKING ON CASES SO THAT WE CAN TAKE YOUR INPUT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE'RE MAKING THESE VERY IMPORTANT DECISIONS FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT THE CHAIR SAID TO STAFF. THANK YOU ALL FOR AN ENORMOUS EFFORT TO RESPOND. BE VERY RESPONSIVE TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS, TO OUR RESIDENTS, TO DEVELOPERS WHO ARE INTERESTED. I THINK WE WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL ON THIS CASE. THIS CASE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR YEARS. I THINK I'VE BEEN ON THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR ALMOST THREE YEARS NOW, AND THIS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT. IT'S BEEN STOPPED A COUPLE OF TIMES BECAUSE WE DIDN'T THINK THERE WAS ENOUGH COMMUNITY INPUT. AND WE SAY, GO BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT. THIS IS ONE OF THE ONLY CASES I'VE EVER SEEN IN DESOTO, WHERE THE DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS WERE PLACED ON HAMPTON ADVERTISING A CASE. I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT BEFORE. THOSE SIGNS, AND TYPICALLY USED IN DESOTO TO ADVERTISE SPECIAL EVENTS IN THE COMMUNITY. SO THAT GOES TO SHOW THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. AND THE STAFF WAS NOT TRYING TO HIDE ANY INFORMATION. THEY WERE BEING EXTREMELY TRANSPARENT IN TRYING TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE WAS AWARE OF THIS CASE AND CAN COME AND PROVIDE THEIR INPUT WHEN THEY SAY THEY SMELLED OUT. 883 NOTIFICATIONS, I BELIEVE IT. I MEAN, WHY WOULDN'T THEY BAIL OU? AND WHY WOULD THEY TRY TO ONLY MAIL THEM WITH ONE DAY IN ADVANCE OF A MEETING? I JUST I KNOW THAT'S NOT TRUE. SO THEIR ETHICS, THEIR WORK ETHIC IS UNPARALLELED. IT'S THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. SO IF THEY MAILED OUT 883 NOTIFICATIONS, TYPICALLY WHEN WE'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING, WE SHOW UP AND SHOW OUT WHEN WE'RE OKAY WITH IT. I'M PRETTY SURE A VAST MAJORITY OF THESE 883 PEOPLE HAVE NO CONCERNS. AFTER ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT STAFF DID, I COMPLETELY ECHO COMMISSIONER DEWBERRY. I'M A PARENT OF TWO BOYS, 22 AND 28 YEARS OLD, AND THEY'RE GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE AND THEY'RE LOOKING ELSEWHERE TO LIVE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO LIVE IN VIBRANT COMMUNITIES WHERE THERE'S THINGS TO DO. I PERSONALLY WANT MY GRANDBABIES CLOSE TO ME SO I CAN SEE THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO I DEFINITELY WANT TO PROVIDE DIVERSITY OF HOUSING AND DIVERSITY OF RESTAURANT AND RETAIL SO THAT IT CAN BE AN ATTRACTION TO SOME OF OUR KIDS, NIECES AND NEPHEWS, AS MR. BELL SAID. COMMISSIONER BELL SAID THERE'S A FAMOUS QUOTE BY YOGI BERRA THAT SAYS NOBODY GOES THERE ANYMORE. IT'S TOO CROWDED. OXYMORON, RIGHT? THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE ON THIS COMMISSION. WE WANT SOMETHING NEW IN DESOTO, BUT DON'T MAKE ANY CHANGES. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST. THAT'S WHAT OUR PLANNING MANAGER WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN SHE WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT TRYING TO RESPOND TO THE COMMUNITY, WHO SAYS, WE WANT MORE RESTAURANTS, WE WANT MORE RETAIL. WE WANT NICER THINGS HERE. WE DON'T WANT ONLY FAST FOOD. WE HEAR IT EVERY SINGLE MEETING. COMMISSIONERS, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING? COUNCIL, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WE

[01:40:05]

DON'T HAVE ANYTHING HERE. AND THEN WHEN WE ATTEMPT TO DO JUST WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR WITH THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR, WE GET PUSHBACK AND SAY WE DON'T WANT CHANGE. SO WE HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY CLEAR AND MAKE UP OUR MINDS ABOUT WHAT IT IS WE WANT. DO WE WANT IT TO BE A BEDROOM COMMUNITY? DO WE NOT WANT ANYTHING BUT RESIDENT RESIDENCES HERE IN OUR CITY, A BEDROOM COMMUNITY, MEANING NO OTHER INDUSTRY, NO RETAIL, NO RESTAURANTS? WE HAVE TO GO ELSEWHERE TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY. I'M A PLANNER BY EDUCATION. I'VE BEEN A CITY PLANNER TRANSPORTATION PLANNER FOR OVER 25 YEARS IN MY CAREER AND MY REAL JOB. THIS IS REAL, BUT I DON'T GET A PAYCHECK HERE. BUT IN MY DAY JOB, I'M A CITY PLANNER. I'VE BEEN DOING THIS WORK FOR A VERY LONG TIME. I CONSIDER MYSELF MORE OF A NEW URBANIST, SOMEONE WHO SUPPORTS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY DEVELOPMENT, SOMEONE WHO SUPPORTS WALKABLE COMMUNITIES, SOMEONE WHO SUPPORTS DENSITY, HOUSING, DIVERSITY, EVERYTHING. THAT'S A PART OF THIS ZONING CASE. I FEEL HONORED TO BE HERE TO PROVIDE FIRSTHAND INPUT ON THIS CASE, BECAUSE IT'S EVERYTHING THAT I SUPPORT. AND THEY HAVE, AGAIN, GONE BEYOND AND ABOVE AND BEYOND. IF WE SAY WE WANT A COMMUNITY WHERE WE CAN LIVE, WORK AND PLAY THIS, WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED CHECKS ALL OF THOSE BOXES. IF WE DON'T WANT THAT TYPE OF COMMUNITY, WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THAT CITIES ARE RUN BASED ON TAXES, RIGHT? THOSE TAXES CAN COME FROM OUR HOMEOWNERS TAXES, OR THEY CAN COME FROM OTHER THINGS RESTAURANT, RETAIL, THOSE TYPES OF TAXES, IF THEY'RE ONLY COMING FROM RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNER TAXES, WE CAN ANTICIPATE OUR TAXES BEING SO MUCH HIGHER THAN THEY ARE RIGHT NOW. I'VE BEEN HERE 20, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 25 YEARS, AND EVERY YEAR THEY'VE GONE UP DRASTICALLY. SO I'M DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF MAKING SURE WE HAVE SOME ECONOMIC VIBRANCY SO THAT WE CAN USE THAT TAX, THOSE TAXES TO HELP TAKE CARE OF OUR CITY. WE CAN USE THOSE TAXES FOR INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE. WE CAN USE THOSE TAXES FOR WHATEVER IS NEEDED.

PUBLIC SAFETY PARKS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS REQUIRE FUNDING AND WE CAN'T PAY FOR IT WITH HOMEOWNERS TAXES ALONE. SO I KNOW I TALKED A LOT, BUT I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS. AND THIS IS A CASE THAT FOR MANY OF THE REASONS STATED, I WILL BE SUPPORTING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, VICE CHAIR. LASTLY, FOR ME, THIS CASE IS ABOUT CHANGE AND OFTEN TIMES WHEN CHANGE IS COMING, WE DON'T WANT IT BECAUSE OF EMOTIONAL CAPACITY. WE JUST DON'T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE INCONVENIENCES. WE LIKE THE FAMILIAR, WE JUST THIS IS HOW IT'S ALWAYS BEEN. WE WANT IT TO STAY LIKE THAT, BUT OFTEN TIMES IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE UNCLEAR OF THE BENEFITS. THE COMPREHENSIVE 2024 PLAN HAS INDICATED THAT DESOTO IS GROWING. THE CENSUS IS SHOWING THAT WE'RE GROWING.

REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU THINK OF DESOTO, REGARDLESS OF WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT DESOTO, THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE MOVING INTO OUR CITY IN FIVE YEARS. IT IS INDICATED THAT OUR POPULATION WILL BE OVER 72,000 PEOPLE, AND BY 2045, IT'S GOING TO BE OVER 82,000 PEOPLE. WHETHER WE DO THE CORRIDOR OR NOT. BUT WHEN WE ARE GROWING AS WE ARE, THERE'S A DEMAND FOR HOUSING. AND I DEAL IN HOUSING INDUSTRY. AND I'VE ASKED IT'S KIND OF A HOBBY TO SORT, BUT I'VE ASKED PEOPLE, WHY? WHY ARE YOU MOVING TO DESOTO? AND THEY'RE TELLING ME, I'VE READ ABOUT DESOTO. I LIKE WHAT I HEAR ABOUT DESOTO, AND I CHOSE TO MOVE MY FAMILY TO DESOTO. AND THEN I'VE MET PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER WHO SAY, I WOULD LIKE TO LIVE IN DESOTO, BUT YOU ALL JUST DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FOR ME TO CHOOSE FROM. EVERYTHING'S BIG, AND I'M AT AN OLDER AGE IN MY LIFE, AND I'D LIKE TO LIVE IN SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT SMALLER. BUT YOU ALL DON'T HAVE GARDEN HOMES, YOU ALL DON'T HAVE TOWNHOMES THERE. SO I'M HAVING TO GO TO FRISCO OR OTHER AREAS TO GET THE TYPE OF HOUSING THAT I WANT. SO AS I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAD IS WE HAD DEVELOPMENT

[01:45:01]

CORPORATION TO COME IN AND I WITH THE DEMOGRAPHIC, THE AGE DEMOGRAPHIC THAT'S GROWING HERE IS THE 65 AND OLDER. AND I WANTED TO KNOW, HOW DOES THIS HELP THE SEASONED INDIVIDUALS AND. THE DIRECTOR SHARED WITH ME THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT DOING THINGS LIKE WELLNESS CENTERS, HAVING PHYSICIAN OFFICES CLOSE BY AND FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE, THAT'S NICE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO GET IN A CAR AND DRIVE SOMEWHERE. YOU CAN WALK OUT YOUR BUILDING AND GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR.

YOU CAN GO TO A WELLNESS CENTER THAT'S CLOSE BY. AND THEN I ASK HIM, DEVELOPING THIS TYPE OF THING, WHAT WHAT DOES IT DO FOR US ECONOMICALLY? AND HE'S INDICATED THAT WHEN WE HAVE THIS TYPE OF A OF A DESTINATION AREA, WE'RE ABLE TO RECRUIT BETTER RESTAURANTS, BETTER BRANDS TO COME HERE. AND IT ALSO HELPS WITH THE WINDS. AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD RECURRING SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD. WE WANT BETTER, BETTER RESTAURANTS, BETTER THINGS TO DO. SO IT'S MEETING THAT PARTICULAR NEED. BUT I ALSO LIKE THE FACT OF NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSITION BECAUSE IT GIVES US THE TOWNHOMES. IT GIVES US THE THINGS WHERE IF YOU'RE A SENIOR, YOU CAN STILL HAVE A PLACE, YOU CAN STILL HAVE A SMALL FRONT YARD OR A SMALL BACKYARD, YOU CAN STILL BARBECUE. AND YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, GARY, YOU DON'T LIVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH. BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS WHERE I LIVE NOW, THERE ARE 45 ACRES PRIME REAL ESTATE RIGHT BEHIND ME ON A CORNER OF COCKRILL AND WINTERGREEN.

THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED BUILDING RETAIL ACROSS THE STREET, SO I KNOW ONE DAY I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. BUT IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO WALK FROM MY HOME AND GO AND SIT ON A PATIO AND HAVE A NICE DINNER AND NOT HAVE TO GO TO DALLAS TO FIND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, I'M GOING TO ENJOY IT.

AND SO I BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE SO MANY BENEFITS TO OUR CITY, AND PARTICULARLY FOR THE REVENUE AND THE TAX STRUCTURE THAT'S GOING TO COME IN FROM THE RETAIL. SO WITH THAT, I TOO WOULD SUPPORT IT THIS EVENING. SO AT THIS TIME, HAVING EVERYONE SAID I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION.

IN THE CASE, LET ME GET THE CASE NUMBER. I'M SORRY. IN CASE NUMBER Z-151424I MOVE THAT WE FOLLOW STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR APPROVAL. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? OKAY. IT'S BEEN MOVED BY VICE CHAIR BROOKS. AND IT'S BEEN SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BELL THAT WE APPROVE OR RECOMMEND APPROVAL TO CITY COUNCIL IN REGARDS TO CASE NUMBER Z1514-24. ALL OF THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE AND RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. OKAY. THAT IS UNANIMOUS. AND IT CARRIES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS. AND THANK YOU, STAFF. MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ITEM THIS EVENING. IT WAS OR WAS NOT. ALL OPPOSED. ALL RIGHT. IT PASSES 6 TO 1. THANK YOU. SORRY, MISS. SORRY COMMISSIONER. I DID NOT THOUGHT YOU SAID YES. ARE WE MOVING ON TO F CITIZEN APPEARANCES? IF THERE ARE ANYONE

[F. CITIZEN APPEARANCES The Planning and Zoning Commission invites citizens to address the Commissioners on any topic not already scheduled for Public Hearing. Citizens wishing to speak should complete a "Citizen Comment Card" and return it to the table prior to the meeting. In accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, the Planning and Zoning Commission cannot take action on items not listed on the agenda. However, your concerns may be addressed by City Staff, placed on a future agenda, or responded to by some other course. Anyone desiring to speak on an item scheduled for a Public Hearing is requested to hold their comments until the Public Hearing on that item]

TO HEAR THIS, WISH TO SPEAK ON ANYTHING THAT HAS NOT BEEN ALREADY, YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO SO AT THIS TIME. AND WE WELCOME YOU TO DO SO. YOU JUST NEED TO FILL OUT A CITIZEN COMMENT CARD. AND AT THIS TIME I DO NOT HAVE ANY CARDS. HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANYTHING ELSE, MISS WILLIAMS? NO, NO. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. BEFORE WE GO, I WOULD. WHILE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS TIME FOR ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OR THANK YOUS OR ANY RECOGNITIONS. ALL RIGHT. I DO HAVE ONE THIS EVENING. MISS MUTARAZI MUNYARADZI. WHEN YOU. WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE, WE HAD A PLANNING MANAGER THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG AT ALL. AND THEN THERE WAS YOU. AND WHEN YOU CAME IN, SOMETIMES I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE SAYING. AND THEN I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME.

[01:50:01]

BUT WHAT I DID KNOW ABOUT YOU VERY QUICKLY IS THAT YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD HEART. I KNOW THAT YOU ARE. VERY, VERY SINCERE ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU DO. I WOULD TELL YOU THAT MY LIFE HAS SINCE BEEN CHANGED. JUST IN GETTING TO KNOW YOU AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU AND TALK WITH YOU, AND HAVING YOU CONFIDE IN ME, AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONFIDE IN YOU AND I, AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE FORGED. AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS KNOW THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO MISS YOU. AND THAT WAS A VERY HARD THING TO HEAR, BECAUSE I HAVE JUST CERTAINLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU. THERE'S GOING TO BE A BIG GAP TO FILL YOUR SHOES, AND ALL I COULD TELL YOU IS IF I WAS STILL IN CORPORATE AMERICA AND I COULD, I'D CREATE A JOB FOR YOU. I'D BE TRYING TO GET YOU TO WORK ON MY TEAM. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING ACCESSIBLE, FOR THE PHONE CALLS, FOR THE QUESTIONS. AND I JUST PRAY THAT GOD BLESSES YOU AS YOU MOVE ON TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I HAVE A LITTLE GIFT FOR YOU. COMMISSIONERS, WOULD YOU COME DOWN AND TAKE A PICTURE OF MR. CROSS? YEAH.

THE VICE CHAIR. THANK YOU. SHE'S WORKING ON. THIS.

MISS BRUNO ROSSI. I'M REALLY AN EMOTIONAL CRYBABY, AND I WAS AFRAID I MIGHT SHED A TEAR TONIGHT, BUT I REALLY PRACTICE HARD TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T. BUT ANYWAY, COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING TO HER, FEEL FREE TO DO SO. AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOU FOR NOT TELLING US ABOUT THIS. WELL, LET ME TELL YOU WHY I DIDN'T. BECAUSE I FELT THAT THAT'S MR. BREWER'S CALL TO MAKE THAT CALL. BUT I KNEW THAT THIS WAS THE LAST TIME THAT I WOULD SEE HER. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO DO TO RECOGNIZE HER FOR HER EFFORTS AND HER WORK. BUT SORRY, BUT I WAS I JUST WAS. THAT'S MR. BREWER'S CALL. MISS ROSSI, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE, AND I HOPE IT IS EVERYTHING YOU WANT IT TO BE.

LIKE THE COMMISSIONER SAID, WE HAD NO IDEA. NOW, I SAW A NOTICE IN THE PAPER THAT SAID WE WAS LOOKING FOR A MANAGER FOR PLANNING AND ZONING. SO MY THOUGHTS WERE LIKE, OH, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER MANAGER? RIGHT? I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT SOMEONE WOULD BE LEAVING. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T GATHERED IT ALREADY, WE ARE DEFINITELY GOING TO MISS YOU. SO I WAS HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU. I'M SURE EVERYONE ELSE CAN SAY THE SAME. CONGRATULATIONS AND I HOPE ALL THE BEST FOR YOU.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY IT'S BEEN A BRIEF JOURNEY, BUT CONGRATULATIONS AND CONTINUED SEWER. WHO DO I HAVE TO FIGHT? THIS IS NOT GOOD NEWS. I HOPE IT'S GOOD NEWS. I HOPE YOU HAVE SOMETHING BETTER IN STORE. THIS IS TRULY A LOSS FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO. YOU'RE VERY, VERY PROFESSIONAL, KNOWLEDGEABLE, PASSIONATE AND RESPONSIVE. I'VE APPRECIATED WORKING WITH YOU.

I'M ACTING LIKE MR. RANDOM. I'VE SO APPRECIATED BEING ABLE TO BOUNCE THINGS OFF YOU AND TRUST

[01:55:07]

THAT WHEN I GET THESE REPORTS, THEY'VE BEEN VETTED PROPERLY BY A PLANNER WHO KNOWS HER STUFF.

THIS IS TRULY A LOSS FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO. I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE GOING TO FILL THESE SHOES, BUT IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU AND I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE BEST. HOPEFULLY YOU'RE STILL IN THE AREA SOMEWHERE. I ECHO EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID, BUT BEFORE I WAS SITTING IN THIS SEAT AS A RESIDENT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, OR ACTUALLY I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR, YOUR THOROUGHNESS HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS. I GO TO A LOT OF THESE MEETINGS AND I'M THE DEVELOPER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. AND JUST YOUR THOROUGHNESS AND THE WAY YOU SPEAK, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. BESTIE. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE AND CERTAINLY ENJOYABLE WORKING WITH YOU. I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE ABOUT A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, BUT I'VE ENJOYED WORKING WITH YOU AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR IN YOUR FUTURE. I'LL TRY TO BE STRONG AS WELL, BUT IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR FOR ME TO BE THE CITY OF DISORDER. I AM A TRUE BELIEVER IN THE WORD OF GOD, A CHILD OF GOD INSIDE AND OUT, AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT GOD GIVES US SEASONS FOR REASONS. AND WHEN YOUR SEASON IS UP, IT IS UP. I HAD TO PASS THROUGH DISORDER. I HAD TO DO WHAT I HAD TO DO. AND I'M SO THANKFUL THAT I AM GOING OUT STRONGER. I'M GOING OUT WITH MY HEAD UP. YES, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT WILL NOT TAKE THIS ACCENT AND I HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT, WHICH IS FINE. BUT I ALSO HAVE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO KEEP THAT WANT ME TO KEEP TALKING. SO I'VE HEARD BOTH SIDES AND BUT I KNOW FOR SURE I'M VERY PASSIONATE WITH PLANNING. AND ACTUALLY MY EXPERIENCE HERE IS ACTUALLY PUSHED ME TO REALLY WANT TO ONE DAY TO BE A CITY MANAGER, BECAUSE I BELIEVE PLANNERS SHOULD BE CITY MANAGERS BECAUSE OF THE BIG PICTURE. AND BEING ABLE THEN TO PULL OTHER DEPARTMENT INTO IT, BECAUSE YOU REALIZE THAT AS PLANNERS, WE SEE THE BROADER PICTURE. WE SEE HOW A CITY CAN BE. SO WHEN YOU ARE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO, SURELY YOU CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. AND PLANNING IS ONE OF THOSE PROFESSIONS THAT YOU ARE NOT JUST PUSHING PAPERS, BUT IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. AND I AM THANKFUL THAT IN THE METROPLEX WHERE I HAVE PLANNED, I HAVE PRACTICED PLANNING FOR THE LAST FROM 2003 DIFFERENT CITIES IN THE METROPLEX. I CAN LOOK AT DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT I'VE WORKED ON, DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT I HAVE WORKED TO, A POINT WHERE WHEN I GO TO PLANNING CONFERENCES, I ALMOST FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY KNOWS ME BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TO DIFFERENT CITIES. BUT IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR WORKING WITH YOU ALL. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING UP WITH THIS ACCENT, AND THANK YOU FOR JUST APPRECIATING THE WORK THAT WE DO. PLANNERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND WHOEVER IS GOING TO COME AFTER ME, PLEASE WORK WITH THEM. HELP THEM LIKE YOU DID TONIGHT. THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE MAY NOT SEE. EVERYTHING LIKE YOU SAID TO, TO BE ABLE TO MAYBE GO BEYOND JUST THE TO MEET THE DEADLINE, TO RECORD ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ARE BEING SAID. THOSE ARE INPUT, JUST BUILDING PEOPLE SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, AS PEOPLE, AS LONG AS WE ARE IN THIS BODY, WE FALTER. BUT WE APPRECIATE IT WHEN YOU WORK WITH US BECAUSE TOGETHER WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE. SO I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ACCEPTING ME AND EMBRACING ME. I'M SORRY THAT I'M CHAIR. YOU COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I WAS SAYING. IT'S NOT A VERY POPULAR, I MEAN ACCENT THAT YOU FIND EVERYWHERE, BUT I AM GRATEFUL AND THANK YOU TO MY TEAM I HAD WHEN I WAS DOING THE EVALUATIONS FOR IN DECEMBER, MY HEART WENT OUT KNOWING THAT I WASN'T GOING TO BE WITH THEM FOR A LONG TIME. BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING TO BE IN A POSITION AND YOU HAVE THIS TEAM THAT YOU ARE JUST LIKE, I CANNOT, BUT THIS TEAM HAS BEEN BEAUTIFUL. I'VE HAD THE TEAM THAT IF IT WERE POSSIBLE, IF I HAD THE POWER TO GO TO GO WITH THEM, I WOULD TAKE THEM WITH ME. THAT'S HOW WE HAVE. WE HAD MANAGED TO JUST WORK TOGETHER AND I BELIEVE GOD KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING. SO I AM THANKFUL I WILL NOT BE IN THE AREA. I'M GOING THREE HOURS AWAY. I'LL BE. I'M PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR WHERE I'M GOING, SO I'M HOPING THAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR ME AND BE ABLE TO ACCEPT WHAT I HAVE TO