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Council pulls TxDOT trail grant application from consent amid questions over cost and location
Summary
A proposed TxDOT trail grant application that could require up to $800,000 in city matching funds was removed from the consent agenda for fuller council discussion after members raised concerns about selection process and the project’s location near the Dallas North Tollway.
On June 3 the Farmers Branch City Council moved a TxDOT-funded trail grant application (agenda item J5) from the consent agenda to the regular agenda for fuller discussion after council members raised questions about selection, match costs and whether the alignment serves established neighborhoods.
A staff presenter explained the application is based on a 2015 master plan and that the project “checks all the boxes” for TxDOT funding, including connectivity to neighboring Addison and to DART. The presenter said the town of Addison provided a letter of support and that the connectivity improves the project’s chances for approval. “We’re looking towards the $800,000 mark if it gets accepted is what we’re gonna end up being as far as our matching grants go,” the staff member said.
Councilman Roman questioned why staff had selected this project rather than other candidates, noting the master plan dates to 2015 and asking whether conditions and ridership patterns remain the same. He also said the proposed alignment runs parallel to the Dallas North Tollway and expressed concern the route is distant from Farmers Branch’s main residential areas: “I would be more excited about this if it were something that was more close to the main part of Farmers Branch where our homeowners residents who are going to that are invested and who live here,” Roman said. Roman asked that the item be moved off consent so council could discuss it; the mayor agreed and staff will place J5 on the regular agenda as item L4.
Staff said the project’s odds of securing TxDOT funding improve when the trail connects to other municipal trail systems and when stakeholders provide letters of support. The presenter also described design complications and right-of-way conflicts—crossing streets and working near power poles—that increase the project’s cost and make it a candidate for grant funding rather than a purely local-funded project.
No formal vote was held at the study session; the item was removed from consent by request and will return for a substantive discussion and possible action on the regular agenda.
