Friday, Nov. 14, 2008

Bicentennial Park Expansion, Carillon on Agenda

Bicentennial Ballfields, Housing Density Still Loom as Officials Prepare for Final Vote

By Nicholas Sakelaris

Staff Writer

The Southlake City Council will have its hands full Nov. 18 with the Carillon project, Bicentennial Park and the Plaza at Southlake Boulevard topping the agenda.

Zoning changes for Carillon and Bicentennial Park are up for a public hearing and a final vote at the meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Town Hall, 1400 Main St. The council will also consider a zoning change and site plan for the Plaza at Southlake Boulevard, a retail and office project.

Both Carillon and Bicentennial Park have drawn fire from nearby residents so the meeting could go late into the night.

Residents living within 200 feet of the Carillon project submitted a petition forcing a super majority vote for the 285-acre Carillon project. That means six of the seven council members would have to vote yes for the project to move forward.

The Carillon plan would mix retail, restaurants, a hotel, office space and several different types of housing.

Hines Interests Ltd. made significant changes since the project was proposed earlier this year. Top among those was an option that eliminates attached housing and replaces it with additional zero-lot line houses.

That plan, dubbed Option B, would reduce the number of housing units to 404, down from the original 455 units. For months now residents have been saying the density would increase traffic, overcrowd the schools and create more drainage problems. Some contend that this type of project doesn’t fit in with the vision of Southlake.

Another option would have 63 attached units, also called Maisons, still less than the 95 originally planned. That proposal would have between 380 and 417 units, depending on how many units are replaced by office space.

Carillon has been sent back for more work two times by the council, but was approved on first reading Oct. 7.

The Bicentennial Park plan has met opposition from neighbors on Love Henry Court to the north.

The proposed expansion would add four baseball fields with lights for night play and a concession building. Neighbors say the fields and lights would be too close to their homes and have asked that they be moved farther south or shielded with screening walls.

Also included are four to six lighted tennis courts, a walking path, a new 330-car parking lot, a retention pond with stone water features and ponds, a bridge, new community service offices and a new entrance off Shady Oaks Lane.

Some residents are pushing for a wall similar to the one behind Central Market.

"They require the businesses to protect the citizens. I just wish the city would protect the residents the same way," said Kim Campbell, who has lived on Love Henry Court for 29 years. "To be a good neighbor, it would be a gesture of good will."

The council approved the park plan on first reading Oct. 21, but could make additional changes next week.

Finally, the Plaza at Southlake Boulevard will be up for the first of two readings. The plan calls for nine retail and office buildings totaling 64,990 square feet on 8.8 acres on Southlake Boulevard just west of Carroll Avenue.

The project has been tabled with no discussion at the previous two council meetings.