Originally shared via Sean Hicks Keller City Council Place 2 Facebook page: January 13, 2019
I appreciate the passion from the citizens who have taken the opportunity to comment on the Future Land Use Plan (FLUP).
“My goal is the same as yours which is to protect your property value and to maintain the things that make Keller uniquely Keller, such as our trails and green spaces. - Sean”
There are several misrepresentations being made about the FLUP and the process. Here's what I know:
1.
Mixed Use does not mean apartments. Mixed Use has many different classifications of development. I refer you to the attached link to the FLUP document for the full details.
2.
Changing the FLUP allowing Mixed Use automatically allows developers to build whatever they like is a false statement. The FLUP is nothing more than a guide to be used by council and developers. The underlying zoning must be changed to match what a developer would like to build and that would require approval by council. This means the entire change in zoning process would have to be followed, notifying property owners within 200 ft, having public hearings, etc.
3.
It has been said that the feedback from the citizens that participated in the FLUP process is being ignored. That is false. The attached FLUP document outlines the facts.
4.
I’ve heard that people are saying that Town Center is a failure. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Three of our top five tax payers are within the Town Center.
5.
Blanket statements have been made that apartments attract low income families with kids that burden our school systems. The price points for the multi-family units we have in Keller do not attract the lower income families as they cannot afford them.
6.
I am absolutely not in favor of apartment complexes. Apartment complexes are large developments of multifamily buildings.
Today as we sit there are no specific development proposals to consider. I believe council should look at each development proposal and decide how to vote based on the merits of that specific proposal. This would include input from the public hearings and zoning change process. This process was recently followed for the new housing development on North Tarrant that will have $500,000 homes with several acres of green space.
I was in favor of this development.
We must remember that property owners have rights and we should do all we can to have managed growth, so all property owners are respected. My goal is the same as yours which is to protect your property value and to maintain the things that make Keller uniquely Keller, such as our trails and green spaces.
Anything you hear to the contrary is false.
What is happening now is fear mongering at its worst. The facts of what is happening and what that might mean is nothing more than speculation. There are no developments that include apartments even on the agenda so we can’t vote against them.
Also keep in mind that even if the FLUP doesn’t change, nothing keeps a developer from bringing a proposal to council with any type of development that will have to be heard and judged based on its merits.
The city council engaged a consultant to help update a Future Land Use Plan that hasn’t been updated in over 20 years and we asked for their expertise in putting a plan/guide together for the future. I have attached a link to the full report for you to read if desired.
I ask you to review it and please judge the FLUP on the full set of facts.
Thank you again for your comments and time in reading my response and the FLUP documentation.
-Sean M Hicks