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Residents press city on Caroway park commitments; council rescinds mayor's FTZ concurrence letter for review
Summary
Residents urged Haslet to enforce promises to build Caroway’s 24‑acre community park and questioned a 2023 ballot conveyance. Separately, council directed staff to rescind a mayor‑sent 'no objection' letter on a nearby foreign‑trade‑zone application and to return with a reviewed map and next steps on July 6.
During public comment on June 15 residents from Caroway and Sweetgrass pressed the council for action on a 24‑acre park that had been promised in a community facilities agreement (CFA) and referenced a prior ballot measure about conveying the land to Northwest ISD. Speakers described a sequence of developer and city actions: the developer dedicated parkland, a CFA required park fees and improvements, and residents said the deed was not conveyed to the city until October 2025 — after a 2023 ballot proposition authorizing sale of the park to the school district had already passed.
Laura Schlaughter and Nicole Bartholomew urged the city to complete the nature trails, viewing pavilion and other amenities originally planned; residents said park fees collected from builders have been spent elsewhere and asked council to 'make this right.' City staff acknowledged the deed transfer timing and said they would follow up with records and next steps.
Foreign‑trade‑zone letter and council action: later in the meeting council members discovered the mayor had signed and provided a letter of 'no objection' to Hillwood / Alliance Corridor — a private request to include certain parcels in a foreign‑trade‑zone (FTZ) application — without full council review. Multiple councilmembers said staff and council leadership were not included in the conversations that preceded the mayor’s letter.
Council action: after legal consultation in executive session the council voted to rescind/recall the mayor’s concurrence letter and directed city staff and the city attorney to notify Hillwood/Alliance Corridor (and the mayor’s office coordinate with the applicant) that the concurrence is rescinded and that the FTZ request will be returned to council for consideration on July 6, 2026. Council asked staff to return with an edited map and recommended language for any future concurrence.
Why it matters: Caroway residents say the parkland and associated park fees were promised as part of developer agreements and that long delays and conveyance timing deserve council scrutiny; FTZ designations alter tax/timing incentives for industrial uses near residential neighborhoods and were the subject of multiple public comments opposing FTZ or warehouse expansion near Westport Parkway.
Next steps: council requested staff provide records about the Caroway CFA, park fee accounting and deed timeline; staff will also bring the FTZ map and a proposed concurrence letter back to council for formal consideration on July 6.
