[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6653898,"mediaKeyId","2477716-8a60a2def0ace58cc6e7a9783dbdefc9","parentId",2477716,"title","Garland staff brief council on proposed sale and redevelopment of 519 State Street; public raises concerns about competition and parking","audioSeconds",2975,"startMs",84000,"endMs",3059000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477716-8a60a2def0ace58cc6e7a9783dbdefc9&start=84&end=3059","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477716-8a60a2def0ace58cc6e7a9783dbdefc9/thumbnail_84000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6653898/Garland/Dallas-County/Texas/Garland-staff-brief-council-on-proposed-sale-and-redevelopment-of-519-State-Street-public-raises-concerns-about-competition-and-parking","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653898-473744a3df874b0782d8af35291100dc/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448191&Signature=nfmau3sbs8PhY9DWzHPRD2CDdFh8dEn3ScMBoBXhTlIgK2CdYBwuowhA44NBC-uMHMp9Oi7q5NGK3lbutHsIIbBF-RJV6KAQ18AhA8jX2DOJAApyjbkE7KN8g5Mk3JgGslQPy4Vb0zOxNFWsgTziystmHwQZtVnV2qdUAQYzUh7W6SWKXveEIqi6Oi0Id3L1m51jZ2-jhrZQfq3g3WfyvEpUc0UQwOPk8U-seA14hegTYasvqxHsvL7S2xgkqeSlPeDzKsETJzhSJ5XgpRBmvR3TW2yELHUnSUwh9NyNUCostHYHz7PL~h8zfErfLfzG~rKUqPX~Uw-jv3B30Mw~tQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Garland","date","2025-03-03T00:00:00Z","article","City staff on March 3 presented a proposed real-property sale and development agreement for 519 State Street in Garland’s downtown historic subdistrict and opened the item for public comment and council questions ahead of an executive session and possible action at the March 4 council meeting. The agenda listed the buyer as \"Al Ice House Garland LLC,\" while staff materials and the developer's concept repeatedly used the name \"Owl Ice House.\" Matt Watson, the city’s CFO, identified a February 2025 appraisal as the basis for a $740,000 valuation used in the proposed agreement and said the city structured the incentive as a performance rebate to be reimbursed to the developer in two payments tied to construction milestones and final certificate of occupancy.

The proposed sale would transfer a 13,000-square-foot property to the developer; staff said the developer expects to invest about $3.7 million in improvements and that TIF (tax increment financing) reimbursements would be used to return the $740,000 incentive. Watson presented a high-level financial comparison that showed the private-development option producing a projected revenue-over-expenditures surplus of about $900,000 over 20 years, while a city-owned event-space option—under different assumptions—showed a roughly $12.6 million shortfall over the same period.

The nut of the matter is whether the privately led redevelopment and its TIF-backed performance rebate best advance downtown revitalization while protecting existing small businesses and addressing parking constraints. Staff framed the deal as consistent with the development agreement and the December 2023 TIF 1 plan amendment that authorized debt service for downtown redevelopment; they said an RFQ process run in 2024 drew no formal proposals but did generate leads that led to negotiations with the present developer.

Small-business owners and operators who spoke during the work session said the proposed project could overwhelm the downtown restaurant market and worsen parking. John Johnston, owner and operator of Atcher Service Catering and Event Planning and manager of Tavern on the Square, said, \"I think it's going to be a massive, dominating competition, and there's going to be a number of businesses that will fail as a result.\" Alice Uhlenberg, owner of Tavern on the Square, told the council the proposal felt \"like a slap in the face\" and warned that long-standing businesses that had taken on pandemic and construction debt would struggle to compete with a large new restaurant and event venue.

Staff answered questions about the RFQ and outreach, saying the solicitation was posted on the city's website, social media and sent to developer mailing lists and that staff promoted it at industry events; no formal responses were received, the city said, but the process produced leads. City staff described downtown incentive programs that have been used previously, including a façade-and-revitalization program funded through TIF that has awarded roughly $700,000 to date and a previous incentive of about $500,000 for another downtown restaurant. Staff compared incentive amounts on a per-square-foot basis: about $67 per square foot for the prior deal and roughly $57 per square foot under the $740,000 figure for 519 State Street.

Council members pressed staff on purchase-price accounting and on whether the city's previously recorded purchase cost for the property—stated in staff materials as $1,900,000—should be included in investment comparisons; one council member referenced a $1,950,000 figure during questions. Staff said the TIF reimbursement would apply only to the $740,000 component and that some of the city's current interest earnings tied to the property acquisition could be applied to cash portions of the debt, representing an opportunity cost.

Council members also asked about parking and design. Staff said the property sits within the downtown subarea that is exempt from standard on-site parking requirements and that façade- and revitalization-program funding requires an architectural review for additions such as a permanent rooftop structure. Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Luck asked whether TIF revenues that would be generated by the project could be programmed to address parking or otherwise be directed to assist existing downtown businesses; staff said the TIF board and council would decide how to allocate any funds returned to TIF 1 over its life.

The council did not take a formal vote on the agreement in the work session. Staff said proposed changes to the posted development agreement must be discussed in a closed executive session scheduled later the same night because those changes could involve competitive or confidential information. Council members were told the item could return for formal consideration at the regular meeting the next day.

The city provided market-study materials and a staff presentation that included sales-tax trends for the downtown square—staff said sales tax in the square rose about 61% after the square renovation opened in October 2023 and that city projections show further year-to-date gains—materials the council requested staff circulate to members. Council members and staff said they would follow up with additional documents and that the executive session would allow further negotiation and legal review before any final action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Garland - Work Session - Mar 03, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff on March 3 presented a proposed real-property sale and development agreement for 519 State Street in Garland’s downtown historic subdistrict and opened the item for public comment and council questions ahead of an executive session and possible action at the March 4 council meeting.","taxTitle","Garland, Dallas County, Texas","taxId",2783,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6653884,"Public Safety Committee reviews school traffic, parking enforcement and Forest Lane area concerns",0,4827000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477716-8a60a2def0ace58cc6e7a9783dbdefc9&start=4827&end=4827","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477716-8a60a2def0ace58cc6e7a9783dbdefc9/thumbnail_4827000.jpg","/articles/6653884/Garland/Dallas-County/Texas/Public-Safety-Committee-reviews-school-traffic-parking-enforcement-and-Forest-Lane-area-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653884-6963e33a9600b55d17ef4533d5bb6357/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448191&Signature=LEFfaUNfyxcSlKKZohiU5DHHJ8vUkm8dxPBo71em1Hxz1z2quB0A35RAr5Nc5xyHJ2OODAm2yvophEJMIemBf-ZGDOJVdwLo2VqbGjtPQBsHTFAZJJzEe9TPpu5A~FSkG0xz1zVQ--vA1dQHB2JUbsbNSoXCN~Swf255zed0WJndT5InKoCJPc42KnqGFXbaNMi4OYLXStwtI1TEzx~OtIctXhSY~My2sp9qxNqYg-DNUKpFJ-GUp0r4F~5IYFe16XKfPkX0ssQiCBOHA7YACm6PP1e9Hy71wUzvLs9J3U6Hq-9FQUiqbV~Ua3I2DbCsEb9ZvuLo3fidDKrJsPlkqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Garland City Council’s Public Safety Committee reported to the full council on March 3 about several neighborhood traffic and safety concerns, most prominently school-drop-off and pick-up congestion and vehicle and pedestrian safety near community gathering sites.

Committee members said school traffic in older neighborhoods poses recurring enforcement and education challenges. The committee noted the police department has conducted on-site assessments and will continue to deploy officers where violations are observed. Staff said one effective tactic has been working with school administrators to educate parents and reduce unsafe maneuvers during peak periods; enforcement yields intermittent improvements but compliance sometimes slips over months and years.

The committee also discussed use of no-parking signage near schools and community sites. Staff said the marshal’s office maintains a registry of authorized no-parking signs; signs not registered in that system may not be enforceable, and the marshals will audit their inventory to update or remove obsolete entries. Committee members said potential engineering solutions such as time-limited restrictions or targeted turn prohibitions can be considered on a case-by-case basis and asked staff to pursue follow-up traffic studies where warranted.

Committee members noted an uptick in public-safety trends in the Forest Lane/Jupiter area and said the new MPO assigned to the area has begun more active enforcement and outreach. For community gathering sites such as churches, staff said simple, recurring reminders to organizers and short-term crossing-guard or volunteer programs have had immediate positive effects. No formal policy changes or council votes were taken; the committee urged continued monitoring and follow-up from police, marshals and transportation staff.","The Public Safety Committee discussed school-drop-off congestion, enforcement options, no-parking sign audits and community traffic mitigation; staff said police will continue monitoring problem schools and marshals will review no-parking signage for enforceability.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6653889,"Council asked to declare necessity and set public hearing for School Street alley petition after first successful petition in 21 years",468,4362000,4830000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477716-8a60a2def0ace58cc6e7a9783dbdefc9&start=4362&end=4830","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477716-8a60a2def0ace58cc6e7a9783dbdefc9/thumbnail_4362000.jpg","/articles/6653889/Garland/Dallas-County/Texas/Council-asked-to-declare-necessity-and-set-public-hearing-for-School-Street-alley-petition-after-first-successful-petition-in-21-years","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653889-0407721abe6fe135c21e51d6a7ffce58/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448191&Signature=WdIpwQXv1CR0C84s4zj5r~bAkUKIDFkDv62obU9GZLEfrPJlyjw71jxNKLYPh0m2yKOGoMY7guOAUmvPZFbJMFFJnEfLJpPfr6GZy1Tfxwif6YQtb8PHOMK9aeBx94IgjViwBgKeRMCjV32K48zzhhrtTK3TdtcdkoHW8uj4BJuN9AW8M2eDF~EpercF-NXzHN1MhAqJt3WF-aaDWUghM9zGR7ewOt6Hy3zSm4fd-1Mm5YOzxS~Z3nh6LCuS3G~EsBFLVWDWOfXblUoQGRLFbXZm6o8nkKgWU5GWm3RlAOpuBlO4Iwusuz983PVxrRoy9CL59x~QAkN~uhyK6Z3F-A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff on March 3 briefed the Garland City Council on the city’s alley petition program and presented a specific successful petition for the School Street alley initiated by property owner Yesenia Morales. Staff told the council the program, established decades ago to enable residents to pave unimproved alleys, has not produced a successful petition in about 21 years and that the Morales petition met the ordinance threshold for proceeding.

Under the city’s program, staff explained, construction costs for an alley are estimated by engineering, divided by the linear footage of the project, and the resulting assessment is allocated among property owners according to the ordinance formula. The standard cost-sharing structure described to council is: city pays approximately 33 percent and property owners (typically on both sides of an alley) share the remainder; in this petition only one side of the alley has qualifying residential lots and the other side contains commercial properties, so the parcel makeup affects who is assessed.

Staff said petition rules require at least 51 percent of the frontage (by value) to sign in favor; for the School Street petition all three qualifying property owners signed, which staff described as 100 percent participation for the affected frontage. The council was asked to \"determine necessity\" for the project and to order a public hearing for levying assessments, which staff proposed scheduling for March 18; staff said affected property owners would be allowed to speak for or against the assessments at that hearing. Staff also clarified that paving an alley does not automatically change municipal trash-collection practices and that alley paving alone would not necessarily move a property to rear-yard trash pickup.

The council did not take the necessity determination during the work session; staff said a minute order to declare necessity and to set the public hearing will be presented at the next regular meeting for council action.","City staff described the alley-petition program and a petition for School Street that met the required signatory threshold; council is asked to declare necessity and order a March 18 public hearing to consider levying assessments on participating properties.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6653893,"City briefs council on 300-acre South Garland rezoning plan to encourage mixed-use redevelopment",314,3096000,3410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2477716-8a60a2def0ace58cc6e7a9783dbdefc9&start=3096&end=3410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2477716-8a60a2def0ace58cc6e7a9783dbdefc9/thumbnail_3096000.jpg","/articles/6653893/Garland/Dallas-County/Texas/City-briefs-council-on-300-acre-South-Garland-rezoning-plan-to-encourage-mixed-use-redevelopment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6653893-583432db1ef04f218941d512cc756d53/orig.mp4?Expires=1770448191&Signature=EIxgMB8QrrnMu8sAHrPCBTG4-h0fuqZV0fec6HZaNjj8KnpNfvA62~nyIpvZKM7IBIZiivBtp8JKvnIqLDKcD9vmCTcLw~SvpytqWQ1l7vNhU~UTxB3S0-aPritu25CS4bp54~VI7P3AnaS5zRRvhiUVNKBOM2evFkN2f5z7fXapdgYdZ~9Qc79r9IQhLEXFxFimFwjumT1oO3WCYM0HXylWgregrn2efwDBxOj992XDaQaqMYMvBGf5VS0-uQLBflmBqfUjiA~NQXt--ivpQ2GQG0aBw9InC0PtwTqPVyQ-TVTFBfWqGPSFRlbOlFcRyiDYyk1KRKAwon4ezi4vSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff on March 3 gave the Garland City Council an overview of a city-initiated rezoning study covering approximately 300 acres in the South Garland corridor near Interstate 635 and Shiloh Road, a policy effort intended to encourage mixed-use, higher-density redevelopment and to set the stage for future site-specific planned developments.

The staff presentation said the rezoning would repurpose predominantly industrial and commercial parcels toward urban residential (UR) and urban business (UB) designations, and that the proposed draft includes two UB subdistricts intended to distinguish allowable height and density. Staff said draft numeric targets under consideration include UR3 at about 30 dwelling units per acre, UB5 at about 50 units per acre and UB8 at about 80 units per acre, though those figures remain under discussion and the consultant Code Studio has proposed the subdistrict structure.

Staff emphasized the scale of outreach required: a large notification area means thousands of letters will be required, and state procedural rules will require direct mailed notices to property owners whose uses would become nonconforming under the new rules. Staff said they are identifying which parcels and uses would be affected and expect to present the rezoning to council in April.

Council members asked for details on what the UB/UR subdistricts would change relative to existing code, and staff said the primary changes are in height, density and a few pedestrian-oriented standards such as storefront length and other elements meant to encourage walkable, mixed-use street frontages. Council asked how many existing businesses could become nonconforming; staff estimated roughly 30–50 properties may be affected but said staff would provide a precise list and separate mailed notices to affected owners. Staff also said they will prepare a single-sheet explanation and ensure front-line staff are briefed to answer owner questions.

Staff said the rezoning is intended to be a broad framework to smooth later site-specific redevelopment conversations rather than a single, final plan for every parcel within the study area. The council did not take formal action; staff will return with formal documents and a proposed public-notice schedule for council consideration.","Staff described a draft, city-initiated rezoning covering roughly 300 acres near I‑635 and Shiloh Road to promote urban residential and urban business uses with proposed subdistricts to control height and density; staff plans formal notices and expects to bring the item to council in April.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Garland staff brief council on proposed sale and redevelopment of 519 State Street; public raises concerns about competition and parking

Public Safety Committee reviews school traffic, parking enforcement and Forest Lane area concerns

Council asked to declare necessity and set public hearing for School Street alley petition after first successful petition in 21 years

City briefs council on 300-acre South Garland rezoning plan to encourage mixed-use redevelopment