Sanger Courier (Sanger, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 12, 2000 Page: 1 of 16
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YEARS
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Serving Sanger, Krum and the Lake Ray Roberts Area
October 12, 2000
Volume 101 no. 51
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CDD Project
Information
Sheet
76266
PUBLIC LIBRARY
““5-DIGIT
VICKIE-SANGER
PO BOX 1729
' "Your Hometown
Newspaper
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Years"
(lustrial projects to qualify for tax
abatements.
When Councilman Andy Garza
asked whether any other companies
were asking for a tax abatement. City
Manager Jack Smith said there were
none.
"These are meant to be guide-
lines, right?” Councilman Craig
Waggoner asked. "And, we will take
on each person who comes in want-
ing an abatement, one at a time, and
consider them at that time?”
or others, you don’t get an abate-
ment. I'm concerned about that. 1
don’t know why we need to give it to
anybody. Maybe we already have the
one. But, I say let's close the door.
Our land, our area, sells itself. They
are using up all the land from here
south They are coming this a way.
We have what they want. We have
what it takes. We don’t have to give it
(an abatement) to anybody.”
Nevertheless, the ordinance was
approved,as were the guidelines and
criteria necessary for commercial/in-
By Lisa Hardy
A Telecommunications Infra-
structure Fund (TIF) grant in the
amount of $199,995 was awarded to
the Sanger Independent School Dis-
trict recently for use in Chisholm Trail
Elementary School and Clear Creek
Intermediate School.
According to Sanger ISI) Curricu-
lum Director Elaine Rulla. who applied
for the grant on behalf of the school
district, the money will be used to pur-
chase workstations, network cabling,
switches, Tile servers, digital cameras,
laser printers, scanners and projection
devices for the two campuses.
Ihe T IE board, Rulla explained,
was created by the 74th legislature in
1995. Money for the grants are derived
from revenues the state receives from
telecommunication assessments.
These assessments, Rulla added, are
taxes on telecommunications compa-
nies which come back to schools, li-
braries, hospitals and institutes of
higher learning in the form of grants.
As a result of the grant's required
training component, six teachers from
each campus will receive TIE technol-
ogy training from Education Service
Center XI in Fort Worth.
One of the biggest benefits the
grant provides the district is increased
access to technology, the curriculum
director said.
"It will provide access to technol-
ogy and the Internet in every class-
room, and it will provide increased aca-
demic services which will be available
over the network,” she said.
"For example,” Rulla continued,
“accelerated reader software will be
available across the network, where
formerly the program was stand alone.
That will create increased student ac-
cess. Also, before the grant each stu-
dent had to test on exactly the same
computer. Now they will be able to test
on any computer in the building. We
hope the result will be increased read
ing time for students and ultimately,
increased student achievement."
And, Rulla pointed out that teach
ers will benefit from the grant by hav-
ing access to technology directly in the
classroom.
“At Clear Creek Intermediate
School, prior to this award, all teach-
ers shared five computers in the library.
Now, teachers will have that available
all day long, every day, without even
leaving their rooms. We hope that will
result in increased teaching efficiency
and effectiveness.” she said.
During a technology meeting last
week, the district’s technology commit
tee was expected to discuss the types
of computers they wished the district
to purchase and to establish a timeline
for purchasing them.
The last year Sanger ISD received
a TIF grant was 1998. Iliat grant was
used to provide network cabling,
switches and computers in Sanger
Middle School. The district’s latest TIF
grant period began Oct. 2 and ends
December 2001. Hie district will not be
able to apply for another TIF grant un-
til spring 2001, after the district’s cur-
rent grant expires.
want? People think growth can be
stopped, but it can't be stopped. [hat's
why we are excited to put forth some
quality developments that have some
restrictions, so you know what you are
getting. There is no guess work."
Members of the CDD's tempo-
rary board of directors are expected
to call for an election on the creation
oi the CD1 > and the adoption of a sales
tax to fund district projects later this
week. Dial election is expected to take
place Nov. 7.
Late Tuesday afternoon Texas
Attorney General John Cornyn ren-
dered a 12-page opinion regarding
CDDs. In his ruling he stated that a
CDD cannot assess ad valorem taxes,
and that CDD hinds cannot be used
to pay for infrastructure improve-
ments in a residential development
that does not meet the tourism and
visitors threshold of a CDD.
"llie ruling today does not affect
Solomon, Baruch «.<■ Solomon’s com-
mitment to the Sanger project,"
Counter said. "We will, as always, work
within the guidelines of state laws and
today’s attorney general’s ruling.
“ The ruling has no affect on
phase I oi the project (which entails
the construction of the first golf course
and possibly the resort and confer-
ence center)," he continued.
Sanger High School senior Amy Hughes was crowned Homecoming
Queen, Justin Swaim was crowned Homecoming King and Kyla Parker
was named Football Princess during the halftime ceremony Friday night
at Stephen Baker Field. More photos on page 6.
“Yes," Smith responded
“We're not giving anything
away?" Councilman Carroll McNeill
questioned.
“No, sir. Not a thing," Smith an-
swered. "'Illis criteria says this is a
minimum you have to meet. Maxi
mum is approval by the council."
Following the approval of the tax
abatement guidelinesand criteria, the
council heard from Parks Board mem-
ber Jaynie Ashcraft, who asked the
council for permission to use the city
set the cost of developing Heritage
Resort and Conference Center and
The Links on Clear Creek, the new
name of the project being developed
east of Sanger. Developer Selvin
Green, managing partner of Solomon,
Baruch & Solomon, LLC, attended a
meeting of Save Our Sanger (S.O.S.)
Sunday night in order to answer some
of the questions Sanger residents had
concerning the project, which in-
cludes the potential construction of
7,500 new homes.
"Lite last week I learned that a
group of concerned local residents
opposes the project," Green told com-
missioners. “We listened to their con-
cerns this past weekend and feel they
have been addressed to the best of our
ability. llie only concerns we are un-
able to address are those regarding
the blanket opposition to the use of
special districts or CDDs or the fact
that this project will in fact change
Sanger and the area around it.”
Green told commissioners he had
nothing to add regarding the objection
to the CDDs in general, other than the
statute exists and his project .falls
within the statutory guidelines. Re-
garding the growth which faces
Sanger, he said, “I can only say that
the impact this project will have on
Sanger and Denton County will be
A Gainesville woman was killed
and several people were injured
as a result of an accident which
occurred around 5:45 a.m.
Friday, Oct. 6 on Interstate-35,
north of Sanger, near View
Road. In the accident, a woman
lost control of her car, which
overturned in the northbound
lane. She was assisted out of the
car by a witness and ran to
safety. However, the driver of an
18-wheeler hit the overturned
car (pictured at right), was forced
into the median and was hit by a
second truck, causing the trailer
to split in half.
1. Annexation — The project
will be annexed into Sanger’s
city limits on an agreed upon
schedule to be negotiated with
the city of Sanger.
2. Sanger ISD taxes — The sug-
gestion that the residents of the
district will not be required to
pay school property taxes is in-
correct. All of the development
falls within the boundaries of
the Sanger l.S.D.
3. Seniors voting — Die asser-
tion that the seniors who will
reside in the development, who
do not have school-age children,
will somehow not support
school bond elections is con-
trary to the volume of empirical
evidence that exists on the sub-
ject.
4. Water — Discussions are al-
ready under way with the Upper
Trinity Water District to build a
new water and sewage treat-
ment plant in the area that will
utilize Lake Ray Roberts to sup-
ply water not only to the devel-
opment, but also to the city of
Sanger and surrounding areas.
There are no plans to utilize well
.water as the primary source for
the development.
5. Impact to city's budget — 'The
development will inject millions
of dollars a year into the city of
Sanger’s existing annual budget
of $4 million with a minimal im-
pact on existing services.
6. Impact to Sanger I.S.D.'s bud-
get — The development will in-
ject millions of dollars a year
into the Sanger I.S.D.’s existing
annual budget of $14 million
and add no new students to the
school district. It will also sig-
nificantly improve the school
district’s bond rating, allowing
it to save significant amounts of
money.
$199,995 TIF grant to
benefit local schools
By Lisa Hardy
Denton County Commissioners
Tuesday determined that the pro-
posed County Development District
No. 8 would serve to attract visitors
and tourists to the county and
granted its approval for the creation
of the district.
Ihe project, which was opposed
by a handful of Sanger residents who
attended the meeting, received sup-
port from Sanger City Manger Jack
Smith, Sanger Independent School
District Superintendent Jack
Biggerstali and local businessmen
Charles Fenoglio and John Springer.
Ihe CD1 > is being formed to off-
“I’m a little bit concerned about
this, ‘Let's just throw this thing wide
open and anybody can come up here
and put in a plant, because of our loca-
tion, because of transportation, because
of highways, because of railroads, be-
cause of the school.. . Sanger can give
us an abatement. All we have to do is
spend a certain amount of money.’”
"The bigger you are, the more like-
lihood you are going to get an abate-
ment," Barton said. "Now, if you are a
small outfit like McDonald’s or Sonic,
INDIANS
V4
LEFT - Members of ihe Sanger
Chamber of Commerce were
present at McDonald's Tues-
day, for the fast-food
restaurant's grand opening/
ribbon-cutting ceremony. The
restaurant opened for business
at 6 a.m. Oct. 10.
RIGHT - Tim Flynn, director of
operations for Jeff Phillips'
McDonalds, presents a check for
$500 to Liz Springer and Valerie
Foster for the Sanger Mobile
Family Resource Center. The
restaurant also committed to
donate $200 a year, for four
years, toward the project.
«
and country.”
"We have been very busy con-
ducting the preliminary survey and
engineering studies and are excited
about the results we have seen so far."
he stated. “We fully anticipate being
able to build the project around the
land’s natural resources, several siz-
able lakes and the creeks that run
through the property ”
One new concern which was ad
dressed at commissioners court Tues-
day revolved around the potential lor
liquor sales. But, Joe Counter, spokes-
man for the proposed development,
said that issue was addressed by
Denton County Judge Kirk Wilson,
who explained that any restaurant in
the county can apply lor a liquor li-
cense.
“That will only affect liquor sales
on that property," Counter added.
“Growth is coming," he said.
“Sanger is going to grow, h just boils
down to what type of growth do you
&
park Saturday, Dec. 2. lor a daylong
( raft show/Christmas celebration,
which would be followed by a lighted
Christmas parade.
"We want to have a craft show
and a lighted Christmas parade, and
throughout the day we would like to
have the activities we normally have
on Thursday night (at the Christmas
tree lighting). . . and have it all
through Ihe day," Ashcraft said.
The request was unanimously
approved.
Sanger City Council OKs tax abatement
By Lisa Hardy
Ihe Sanger City Council recently
approved an ordinance designating
the 217.4 acres being used for the con-
struction of the Wal-Mart distribution
center as Sanger l ax Abatement Re-
investment Zone No. 1 Ihe action was
taken during the Oct. 2 City Council
meeting.
Prior to the council’s approval of
the ordinance, a public hearing was
held, and only one citizen, Woodrow
Barton, spoke out against the ordi-
nance.
Commissioners green light Sanger CDD
overwhelmingly positive."
'The New York-based developer
told commissioners that he plans to
build one of the finest collections of
golf courses in the state, if not the-na-
tion, and that the golf courses and
other amenities would serve as "an
incredible magnet for visitors and
tourists from around the region, state
n Commerce
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Hardy, Lisa. Sanger Courier (Sanger, Tex.), Vol. 101, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 12, 2000, newspaper, October 12, 2000; Sanger, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1337815/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Sanger Public Library.