The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 09, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 28, 2008 Page: 4 of 36
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THURSDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2DDS
NEWS PAGE
THE CANADIAN RECORD
In requests for City services, Council faces
challenges of growth and development
In back-to-back meetings this month, City Council members
again tackled several issues related to municipal planning and
growth and the City ordinances that govern them. This month's
agenda tems ranged from enforcement of building permit re-
quirements for a six-year-old construction project to provision
of city services to both residential and industrial development
areas.
In both meetings, the Council faced challenges to ordinanc-
es written or revised specifically to bring more consistency to
ts development policies—a struggle that will continue to face a
community that is experiencing both economic growth and in-
creased demands on its infrastructure.
On February 11, the Council reviewed City Engineer D wight
Brandt's recommended changes to a final plat for Southern
Hills Addition and authorized the City Manager to re-locate
sewer lines so that city services to the residential development
will be adequate for future growth.
Corrections are being made to the plat, and the revised plat
will be presented to the Counci 1 for approval following the City
Engineer's final review. Developer Richard Brock pointed out
that water lines for the subdivision would be looped, requiring
twice as much line as originally estimated—at a cost, he said,
of another $18,000. He asked for the City's assistance in locat-
ing adequate sewer lines to support not just the initial phase of
development, but future projects as well.
An ordinance approved by the Council in December requires
that the City extend services to the property line, but also pro-
tects the City from projects that exceed its available resources.
City Manager Colby Waters pointed out that, although sewer
lines are accessible nearby, they would be inadequate for new
development in that area of town.
"We have sewer that's accessible very near by," he told the
Council, "but to access an area where the line is useable for this
development is not nearby."
Although the cost would be greater because of the distance
nvolved, connecting to adequate line would be advantageous
to the City's growth, Waters said. The City Engineer later es-
timated that the sewer line would cost $77,550 to install. Est:
mates for the cost of extending water lines have not been com-
pleted.
"It's my opinion that we told Brock we would take u t ilities to
his property, and that's what we need to do," said Councilman
Milton Cooke. Mayor John Baker agreed, saying, "It needs to
be done right so it doesn't cause Richard or us any problems."
Cooke's motion to acquire an easement on Jarvis property to
relocate the sewer line was approved unar mously.
On February 18, the Council adopted a Development Agree-
ment which clearly and contractually delineates the obligations
of both the developer and the City in compliance with municipal
ordinances. The agreement offers the City some financial insur-
ance to prevent tax dollars from being required to complete a
failed development. It also provides the developer some assur-
ance that he will have access to city utilities within an agreed-
upon time frame, as stipulated in local government code.
The agreement provides a framework for negotiations be-
tween the City and the Developer. It was unan imously approved
on a motion by Milton Cooke, and will likely have its first test
run with Richard Brock and the Southern Hills Addition.
Lee Haygood asked the Council to make City water avail-
able to property outside the City limits. The land was purchased
from Burlington Northern Santa Fe by Horse Creek Oil Co.
and SAA Properties, and later involved in a property swap with
the City. That deal involved the exchange of 170 acres of water
rights on Canadian's northwest edge, and of land long leased to
the City by BNSF on which the Canadian's Sante Fe pump sta-
tion, two water wells and a ground storage tank are located.
Horse Creek Oil Co. owner Salem Abraham has since
cleaned up and sold some of the property located on the west
side of the Birch Street overpass for ndustrial development,
and has retained some for his own use. The companies that pur-
chased the land did so with the understanding that they would
have access to City water, Haygood explained, adding that in
retrospect, "We should have written ito the contract that...we
could tap back into City water."
Haygood hastened to explain that his proposal would not in-
volve any investment from the City. "If we could get access to
your water, we would run all the lines, and pay the out-of-city
fee," he said.
After initial talks with Haygood, Waters said he had inves-
tigated the possibility of making capital improvements to the
area—including streets, curb and gutter, and water and sewer
lines—-with the assistance of state funding that targets job cre-
ation projects. He expressed concerns about the extensive use
of septic tanks in an area that is adjacent to one of the City's
main well fields and could jeopardize its water.
Haygood said the area presents prime opportunities for new
industrial development. "There are 40 acres out there we're still
actively trying to sell," Haygood said. "We still want businesses
to come to town."
Haygood's request also presents a challenge to the City's ef-
forts toward consistency in its policy toward new development,
Waters explained, referring to previous requests for City-
funded service extensions to the Southern Hills Addition and
to other emerging residential developments both n and out of
the City limits. "There are potential issues in someone taking
raw land, developing it, and aski ng the City to prov ide water and
sewer resources," he said. "That might sound similar to other
projects we've got going right now."
Waters also noted that access has been provided to water
and sewer outside the City limits in the past without requiring
annexation, but that it has been in violation of City ordinances.
"This is a little different than some issues," he said. "We do own
the water rights there. If we don't give access, they don't have
access."
"I don't think we bought the property with the idea we were
going to be ndustrial developers," Haygood said, but added,
"We are very willing to go through the proper steps. We defi-
nitely want to be team players."
Because the request was not an agenda item, the Council
could take no action, but asked that it be placed on the agenda
for its next meeting.
The Council also considered last Monday whether to take
enforcement action against an unfinished six-year-old construc-
tion project that has drawn neighbor's complaints. A permit was
ssued in spr ing of 2002 to Scott and Aleatha Brewster for con-
struction of a garage on property directly across Sixth Street
from their home. That project was halted, though, when their
neighbors—Butch and Barbara Northcott—protested, saying
the project violated City zoning ordinances. The City ordered
all work halted.
The Brewsters filed a zoning variance request, which was
subsequently revoked, and then altered their building permit
request to one for a single-family dwelling, submitting a floor
plan that included bathroom and kitchen facilities. Those chang-
es brought the project into compliance with City code.
A year ago, however, Brewster's project had still not been
completed. The Council revised the code to establish a 12-month
time limit on building permits. A year after receiving notice of
the newly adopted code, the Brewster home is still not finished,
though it has been enclosed, Waters told the Council last week.
"The question now is how we look at building permi ts across the
city," he said, "and if the building is enclosed, what happens in-
side at that point."
"I know it's been a long time," Scott Brewster told the Coun-
cil. "I'm not trying to put something shabby up there. I want to
do something nice, but I don't have a lot of money."
In the ensuing discussion, Council members debated how
the City should determine what it considers a "finished" struc-
ture and whether or not inspec tions should be required of every
building project.
"If somebody builds a house and covers it with black tar pa-
per for five years, that's good?" asked Councilman Rob Talley.
"That's not what I voted for."
"There are a lot of structures around town that are finished
on the exterior, but on the nside they're not," John Baker said.
"The question here is when do we deem [Brewster's house] com-
plete. I think t is whenever it appears to be complete...and [is
deemed] safe and sound."
Waters said the Council needed to decide if its intent in re-
vising the code was that the building be enclosed or whether it
ntended that both the interior and exterior be completed.
"If we choose to look at it that way, we need to look at revising
or reviewing our policy regarding the inspection process," Wa-
ters said. "From the administrative standpoint, the permit has
gone past its time. Do we want to extend the deadline or pursue
other avenues?"
Milton Cooke's motion to offer Brewster up to two 6-month
extensions without further review of the council—as allowed by
the code—was seconded by Ed Hedgecoke and unanimously
approved.
HEALTH BRIEFS
CHS Blood Dr /e to be held March ID
The Coffee Memorial Blood Center of
Amarillo will host a Canad ian H igh School
Blood Drive on Monday, March 10, from
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the CHS gym foyer.
Participants can try their luck at vanning
a 42" Flat Screen TV and a Fajita Party
for 20. Every eligible donor receives a
green t-shirt. For an appointment, please
sign up at the CHS office. Donors must be
age 17 to give blood. #09
March nmurfzation clinic schedule
The Texas Department of State Health
Services will hold immunization clinics in
March on two Wednesdays: March 5 and
March 19, at 736 S. Cuyler, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
and 1-3 p.m. For more information, call
(806)665-4752. All clinic times are subject
to change or cancellation due to weather
conditions or scheduling conflicts. #09
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Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 09, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 28, 2008, newspaper, February 28, 2008; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth252693/m1/4/?q=technical+manual: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hemphill County Library.