[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6196222,"mediaKeyId","3857899-8b4efc9a4429126a356235fff3cab63d","parentId",3857899,"title","Neighbors oppose Landscape Systems plan development; council denies related future‑land‑use amendment","audioSeconds",2591,"startMs",9994000,"endMs",7403000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3857899-8b4efc9a4429126a356235fff3cab63d&start=9994&end=7403","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3857899-8b4efc9a4429126a356235fff3cab63d/thumbnail_9994000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6196222/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Neighbors-oppose-Landscape-Systems-plan-development-council-denies-related-futurelanduse-amendment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196222-939de06b3e226440a1b5f08270135a8a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775270214&Signature=WXcs6KjbGL55SuNG8SC6Ol5SICqT67eR0M4qR3HCkGPGWej7DOkcseHK0sdtA9jni2xey1zx4nNgqdS5X9DNq6-q9G3lyfb~J1HNAf3-v7O8p~a-QWZBYqUJs3Dpc-xjR2eVfxEhpJ9M~vAoysE27BuS0DomMWGeVkaKyvghxZKoekJZRCHC37ZSY12ZCWs3HdlZV~imBoRRyr9g2mnEntjBk8~4DyOa7Sjd8ChkYQXnPwZ87Z6EXLA7PTr4eVBMONhuEaJgM19rdg5yFZk2OUvpbo4399r3BvE1skgQ-KtWIoCHZAmEZMwfRGFZp3Tmc5FHWKQ-38~hGURdke~dfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Keller TX","date","2025-06-18T09:17:57.627Z","article","Keller — A months‑long, contentious plan‑development application by Landscape Systems drew extended public comment at the June 17 Keller City Council meeting. Neighbors raised concerns about flooding, lighting and dust, and about the applicant’s plan for three above‑ground fuel tanks. After discussion the council denied the requested future‑land‑use amendment by vote.

What staff and the applicant presented

The applicant proposed rezoning and a plan development (PD) for roughly 20 acres at the nursery site, including two zoning subareas for retail/garden sales (fronting Keller Parkway) and for a contractor/wholesale landscape yard (to the rear). The PD included staging yards, a plan for a trail along the creek, perimeter screening and a phased build plan. The applicant also proposed a pad with enclosed above‑ground tanks to fuel equipment on site.

Neighbors’ concerns

Nearby residents testified at length during the public‑comment portion of the meeting. Their repeated complaints included:

- Flooding and drainage: Several residents said changes to grading and materials storage have changed stormwater flow and caused new standing water near property lines and barns. They urged a formal flood/drainage analysis before additional approvals.

- Lighting and noise: Residents asked that exterior lighting be shielded or use optics that prevent spillover into adjacent yards. They reported current greenhouse lights and vehicle activity already affect their yards at night.

- Dust and operation hours: Neighbors said unpaved drive areas generate dust and asked for pavement or gravel on work drive areas and controls on delivery times.

- Fuel‑storage safety: Several residents objected to above‑ground diesel/gas tanks near the creek and a floodplain, requesting either reduced tank quantities or stronger containment and inspection rules.

Applicant response and revisions

The applicant’s team and owner (Ed Ruble, Landscape Systems) made multiple concessions during the review process and at the meeting: moving a dumpster enclosure to comply with setbacks, proposing a smaller fuel‑tank configuration (applicant said he reduced the original request and offered to limit tank number and to use a concrete containment pad), adding evergreen screening and committing to irrigation and maintenance for new plantings, and offering earlier demolition of an on‑site residence and timing for phased construction.

Council action

After hearing public testimony and discussing the proposal, council voted to deny the requested future‑land‑use amendment (the change that would convert about 3.5 acres from low‑density single‑family to retail commercial). That vote means the full PD that assumed the land‑use change could not proceed in its present form until the applicant revisits the future‑land‑use step or presents an alternate plan that keeps the current land‑use designation.

Quotations

Resident Michael Bushnell said, “We woke up this morning to go outside and enjoy our backyard and got to look at the eyesore that has been in our backyard now for approximately 1 year.”

Applicant representative Caleb Redinger said engineers would perform flood and drainage analysis as part of future design work: “We can certainly provide information on a flood study that shows…we’re not increasing runoff,” he told council.

What happens next

The denial of the future‑land‑use change does not automatically preclude other approvals but does require the applicant to either modify its PD to match current land‑use designations or to pursue a different public‑hearing process for any future amendment. The council also asked staff to ensure that any future submittal include specific floodplain, drainage and lighting plans and to review any above‑ground fuel storage under the applicable fire‑safety permitting and possible SUP review.

Ending

Council’s denial of the future‑land‑use amendment followed robust public comment and a lengthy staff and applicant presentation. Neighbors said they welcomed several of the applicant’s concessions but asked for more certainty on flood‑plain, lighting, dust, and fuel‑storage issues before a final plan is approved.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Keller City Council Meeting - June 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After extended public comment on June 17, the Keller City Council denied a proposed future‑land‑use amendment tied to a Landscape Systems plan‑development application, as neighbors raised flooding, lighting, dust and above‑ground fuel‑tank safety concerns.","taxTitle","Keller, Tarrant County, Texas","taxId",54069,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6196226,"Council reviews sales‑tax allocation and a preliminary plan to create a fire district from a share of crime‑control funds",257,1913000,2170000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3857899-8b4efc9a4429126a356235fff3cab63d&start=1913&end=2170","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3857899-8b4efc9a4429126a356235fff3cab63d/thumbnail_1913000.jpg","/articles/6196226/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Council-reviews-salestax-allocation-and-a-preliminary-plan-to-create-a-fire-district-from-a-share-of-crimecontrol-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196226-71c668dc89a8cd2d2d71e2fb64b855aa/orig.mp4?Expires=1775270214&Signature=EmYpn85iEuLZ1xFP1IKBpiRrjhR90yNIjqNrMThKiJVf7hfYKyQVG5KUzbBfvDLitHTpy18xYxkc6g4KkNVhO5lri8jAH0tdF3q0c9KWCbKrXuH7JGQjazZbkZU4mtDzpPKXAPoJxVL-D5nl4UPRpTpiHlNV5UVXI-afwK08UAIYCmbUU5u-ZBuWKK-e~omjvJKYc1eHSn4P05nNGY3BTSp1eQjVAQY8j1E2aBCsXI~Ymwc0bqdLLYsklvnektP5ZIbD7E3QCOR6TWMeahcshm9yKQ70TJH2rLsPL0uxEbWGFCEqk5n0rVLopSwMLCqAkoACerLW-pURZ5OVl3AkDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Keller — The Keller City Council received a staff analysis on June 17 that explored how the city’s 2% local sales tax (the city’s portion of the 8.25% state rate) is currently allocated and what would change if council used part of the crime-control sales-tax allocation to seed a separate fire control and prevention district.

“We have briefly discussed this, as a possibility, or to support a discussion with possibly dedicating, a district for the fire, department,” the mayor said before the presentation. Finance staff member Lupe Orozco presented an analysis of the current allocation and multiple hypothetical reallocation scenarios.

What staff presented

- Current allocation: Orozco said the city currently receives 2% of the 8.25% sales-and-use tax remitted by retailers in city limits. That 2% is distributed as 1% to the city general tax base, 0.5% to the KDC (development fund), 0.25% to the KCCPD (crime control and prevention district) and 0.25% for street maintenance. “The city receives 2% of the 8.25 sales in use taxes that are remitted by retailers within LRC limits,” Orozco said.

- Timing: KCCPD debt is scheduled to drop off in coming years, which creates a potential funding window. Orozco said the KCCPD fund balance has been permitted to grow deliberately to cash-fund prior PD facility renovations and similar one-time needs.

- Hypothetical reallocation: Staff modeled scenarios in which a fraction of the KCCPD allocation would be moved to a new fire district (which would still require voter approval to create). A scenario that devoted an eighth of the city’s sales-tax allocation to a fire district reduced the crime‑control fund balance steadily in projections; staff stressed the need to identify which expenditures would shift to the new district to avoid leaving a structural shortfall for crime control operations.

- Tradeoffs: Orozco highlighted planned technology and equipment needs — notably the NECCO Motorola radio replacement project and a potential $3.5 million, multi‑city radio purchase — and reminded council staff had applied for a grant for part of that expense. Staff also explained how reassigning sales-tax allocations would likely force some operating costs into the general fund or require reprioritizing projects funded by the KDC (development fund).

Council discussion

Council members raised concerns about diverting revenue from public safety and questioned whether the city would truly free up new money or just reshuffle existing funds. Councilmember said the conversation would likely require a reexamination of KDC priorities and of whether projects such as the planned Northeast Park should be re-sequenced or delayed.

Mayor pro tem and others pressed staff to analyze: (1) what crime-control and KDC adjustments would be needed to support a fire district, (2) whether a voter referendum would be required (staff said yes for creating a district), and (3) how one-time capital costs (e.g., ladder trucks) could be financed under each scenario. Staff said the city is capped under state law at the 2¢ local rate, so creating a new sales-tax district would require shifting allocations among the existing local uses rather than adding tax capacity.

What the council decided

Council did not vote to reallocate funds. Staff said the analysis was preliminary; the next steps include further financial analysis, discussion with KCCPD staff and a possible work-session follow-up. Orozco and finance staff will return with additional detail on options for reprioritizing KDC projects or otherwise funding a fire district.

Ending

No formal action was requested or taken; staff will refine scenarios, test the rate and revenue assumptions further and bring a more detailed plan back to the council. Council members repeatedly emphasized that any district creation would require voter approval.","Staff presented analysis showing a projected KCCPD (crime control) fund balance and explored options for creating a separate fire control and prevention district by reallocating a portion of the city's sales tax, including KCCPD and KDC reallocation scenarios.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6196231,"Council reviews $28 million-plus water, wastewater and drainage five-year plan; rate study to follow",645,1261000,1906000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3857899-8b4efc9a4429126a356235fff3cab63d&start=1261&end=1906","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3857899-8b4efc9a4429126a356235fff3cab63d/thumbnail_1261000.jpg","/articles/6196231/Keller/Tarrant-County/Texas/Council-reviews-28-million-plus-water-wastewater-and-drainage-five-year-plan-rate-study-to-follow","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6196231-4318757216fa7b546c6a22ddd70b5148/orig.mp4?Expires=1775270214&Signature=Uoe3MdCQrs5uHUrIQ4sL8D5-QO~XVh4WImAtI8hN-qDUbwtlP7DrNRAKbhA4KFH6g~BFC-uVkngZaJASgNKX84UyHs1VgC7z6xL2TJu5R9fJYF2YIA~R0A1Qu9k4KR-yuRHsDmqzMOnCQu5XsSkQfVnCNyEOx6dY7BGbogISpZjKaMYqRo~R0D3FEkSUlV~v5uQGewVAGacel~PRJo3MC3fwC0PTcd9Fj9zdgHUNgZ95nPnFp78xPu301ZRVEwtcZ4tUh-7g~q-lwFv3ZvXEVnwQeibEQfLLT0jvXMmrZi9HdFxK2Tx8wDSfngRFu~htcJKDRZvpNANKW~qL7TbE2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Keller — City staff told the Keller City Council on June 17 that the city’s water, wastewater and drainage capital improvement program (CIP) includes about $28 million in outstanding projects, with most work funded through ARPA and SWIFT and several large projects nearing completion.

The presentation laid out cash-funded projects for the current fiscal year, highlighted tank maintenance and pump-station work, and warned of potential future debt issuances to maintain system capacity. “Looking at the current, water waste water activity, we have about, just under 28,000,000 outstanding,” staff said during the work session.

Why it matters: The CIP and the forthcoming rate study will determine how Keller funds operations and large capital projects such as the Pearson pump station repair, water main replacements, and pond-dredging programs. Council members and staff discussed timing of projects, the interaction of water work with roadway CIP, and the city’s ability to avoid capacity shortfalls as development continues.

Key points from the briefing

- Outstanding projects and funding sources: Staff said most outstanding water and wastewater obligations are tied to American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) projects and SWIFT (the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas). Tank maintenance, pump-station rehabilitation and water-line replacement were listed as priorities.

- Near-term budget: For the current year staff identified about $8.5 million in cash-funded water projects, with two large items noted as the Pearson pump station repair and a materials storage project.

- Annual replacement program: Staff recommended continuing a routine program replacing mains and services at about 400 line-items per year (reallocated across water and street CIP work), and annual water and sewer line replacement funding in the $200,000-per-year range.

- Debt forecast and rate study: Staff showed placeholders for possible debt issuances in later years of the five-year model and said the city will complete a rate study “as we speak” to ensure rates can support the CIP. Council was told there should be a debt drop-off beginning around 2028, allowing room for new capital.

- Wastewater and drainage: Wastewater outstanding principal was stated at about $7.5 million, mainly for the Kaye Branch capacity project and sewer line replacements. Drainage outstanding was presented at roughly $3 million, with planned dredging, pond studies and a $150,000 annual contingency for as-needed drainage repairs.

- Projects already in progress: Staff said many SWIFT and ARPA projects are being finalized and will roll off the books soon. They also summarized several local projects — tank maintenance schedules, pump-station repair timing and dredging work — and noted the city is coordinating some water-line rehab with neighboring jurisdictions under an interlocal agreement that is not yet fully executed.

Council questions and staff clarifications

Council members pressed staff on capacity risk, on whether current development will require added supply or treatment capacity, and on how the city is coordinating with Southlake and other partners on Bear Creek waterline rehab. Staff emphasized their planning focus is to avoid being “behind” on maintenance; they said the master plan shows no immediate capacity shortage but acknowledged work remains to update the floodplain and pond capacity assessments.

Staff emphasized the rate study will incorporate the CIP assumptions and could change project timing or funding needs. They also said drainage fees have not been adjusted in roughly a decade and asked that the rate study consider comparable local fees.

What the council decided

This item was presented for information and discussion; no formal vote was taken on funding decisions. Council members directed continued budgeting work, sought the results of the rate study when available, and asked staff to return with more detail on trade-offs and timing for specific large projects.

Ending

Staff said they will return with the rate-study results and additional details when those analyses are complete; the council gave no new funding commitments at the June 17 meeting.","City staff briefed the Keller City Council on water, wastewater and drainage capital projects and debt forecasts, noting $28 million in outstanding projects (largely ARPA and SWIFT), planned tank maintenance, mains and service replacements and a forthcoming rate study to cover future costs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Neighbors oppose Landscape Systems plan development; council denies related future‑land‑use amendment

Council reviews sales‑tax allocation and a preliminary plan to create a fire district from a share of crime‑control funds

Council reviews $28 million-plus water, wastewater and drainage five-year plan; rate study to follow