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No one spoke during the public comment sessions of four public hearings held Feb. 18 at Farmers Branch City Hall.
The ceremonial portion of the Farmers Branch City Council meeting with the 2025 Witness of History Awards presented to former City Councilmember Carol Dingman and businessowner Kenneth Burks of Messina Shoe Repair, presentation of the Texas Recreation and Park Society North Region to the Farmers Branch Historical Park for the 2024 Excellence in Programming Recreation Aquatics Award and Employee of the Month awards for January and February took almost as long as it took the Farmers Branch City Council to conduct the city’s business.
In an effort to reduce the length of meetings, City Manager Ben Williamson now places more items in the consent agenda. City council members now discuss each matter in depth during study sessions rather than during city council meetings. Generally, study sessions start at 4 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays, before the 6 p.m. city council meetings.
The Feb. 18 consent agenda had seven items, including resolutions authorizing Williamson to execute contracts for more than $7 million.
The two costliest resolutions were for a storm sewer replacement project along Valley View Lane from the Dallas Area Rapid Transit track to Nestle Drive for $2,671,212, and $2,693,157.98 for construction along Denton Drive from Valley View Lane to Pike Street and between the StarCenter and the southern city limits.
Councilmembers also approved Ordinance No. 3910 to include a no-parking zone along the northside of the westbound feeder road of Interstate 635 and a resolution adopting rules and decorum for public comments during city council meetings.
Following public hearings that included presentations, council approved all four ordinances for zoning amendments and specific use permits.
Though the hearings were open for public comments, none were made during any of the hearings.
The council approved a zoning amendment for 1990 Wittington Place that will allow the expansion of the Brickyard multi-family development, an indoor commercial amusement facility at 4355 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy. that will allow a trampoline and amusement park for children, a zoning amendment so Preston Hollow Presbyterian School can build a storm shelter and gymnasium at 4000 McEwen Rd., and a specific use permit allowing vehicle sales and leasing at 14805 Venture Dr. so Skyway Classics can operate in the warehouse.
Councilmember David Reid moved to table the public hearing for the 22.9 acres at 1349 and 1399 Valley View Dr., where the former Citizen Collection Center was located, until the Feb. 25 Strategic Planning meeting. The zoning amendment would have changed the zoning on the property to warehouse and distribution use.
