Temple City Council approves land-use changes, authorizes eminent domain and several permits
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Summary
At its regular meeting, the Temple City Council approved a package of consent items and unanimous votes on a comprehensive-plan amendment and multiple rezoning and permit matters, authorized eminent-domain actions for park title cleanup and a temporary construction easement, and heard public comments on flooding, traffic safety and the Salmons Community Center.
The Temple City Council met for its regular session and unanimously approved the consent agenda and a series of land-use, permitting and property actions, council leaders said during the meeting.
Kathy Strickland, city planning staff, summarized two connected land-use items that the council approved on first reading: a change to the 2020 comprehensive plan to reclassify about 142.25 acres from residential/neighborhood services to industrial and a related rezoning to permit light-industrial uses on a larger, roughly 260-acre site. "Staff does recommend approval," Strickland told the council, citing compatibility with surrounding industrial uses and Planning & Zoning’s 8–0 recommendation.
Council also approved a rezoning to allow an accessory dwelling unit in the North Central Historic District with a 3-foot minimum stairwell setback, and a conditional-use permit for retail sales of all alcoholic beverages at a convenience-and-fuel site on Airport Road; both measures passed 5–0.
Two separate eminent-domain resolutions also passed unanimously. City staff said an unregistered parcel within Nettles Park must be acquired to complete planned park improvements; staff recommended proceeding with condemnation and estimating compensation at $5,000. Staff also asked for authority to acquire a temporary construction easement (about 1.0 acre) needed to continue upsizing a wastewater line for the Northwest Little Elm project; an appraisal for that easement was cited at about $3,153.
Public commenters raised three distinct concerns. Jack Folsom said his house at 1320 South 23rd flooded after the city emptied a water tower in May and June and that an insurance claim was denied; he asked the city to monitor future drainings to prevent repeat damage. David Frank Liberos asked the council to study traffic safety on McCulloch Road, proposing speed humps and a 20 mph limit near clustered mailboxes and places where children play. Jerilyn Brown and another commenter urged the council to prioritize rebuilding or replacing the Salmons Community Center so seniors have a central facility.
Council members voted unanimously on each action taken during the meeting; where applicable staff described conditions and enforcement steps, such as post-construction acoustical testing and remedies for validated noise complaints tied to the data-center rezoning.
The council closed the meeting at about 6:20 p.m.; the Temple Economic Development Corporation report was postponed to the Feb. 5 meeting.
