Allen City Council met on Tuesday, October 26. The full agenda and meeting video is available here.
Allen Drive gateway project approved
Plans for a landmark entry to Allen at Allen Drive and US 75 will move forward. City council approved the $4 million construction contract to reconfigure the interchange from the existing 3-way stops to traffic circles.
The intersection was identified as a local priority by Allen City Council in 2018 due to growing traffic volumes, increased pedestrian use and expectations for future development in downtown Allen. After a lengthy review process, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) approved the proposed design in 2021.
The road construction will be funded by capital improvement funds and general obligation bonds. More than $500,000 in state beautification grants, awarded to the City of Allen through the Keep Texas Beautiful Governor’s Award, is intended to be used for decorative fencing visible to drivers on US-75 and enhanced landscaping around the perimeter of the roundabouts.
Watch the full presentation.
Zoning approved for light industrial development at Chelsea Blvd. and SH 121
A new development tailored to light industrial uses will be built along Chelsea Boulevard between Ridgeview Drive and SH 121.
Council members unanimously approved a zoning change to the 59-acre property, which will soon be home to “121 Technology Park." More than 730,000 square-feet of light industrial space will be distributed between seven buildings, with approximately 10% of the square footage dedicated to offices.
The project will be built in phases, with a stipulation that 100,000 square feet of other non-residential uses will be built before the light industrial space exceeds 350,000 square feet.
Residents in the Ridgeview Crossing neighborhood expressed enthusiastic support for the project. Several praised the developers, Stillwater Capital, for consulting with neighbors and modifying designs to improve aesthetics.
“[Stillwater] came forward to us and were very open with us. They gave us the information we were asking for and wanted input from us about what we did or didn’t want to see,” said Ridgeview Crossing resident Dave Scott. “Their exact words were ‘we want to be good neighbors to you guys.’ And they’ve really operated in good faith.”
During the meeting, developers also agreed to improve the aesthetics of the property by adding more masonry columns in the proposed fencing and providing additional architectural accents to enhance the look of the building facades.
Watch the full presentation.
Heroes honored with Shining Star awards
Five men were recognized for saving an Allen family trapped inside a burning car.
(L-R): Mayor Ken Fulk, John Martinez, Joel Martinez, Allen Police Officer Kye Kuopus, Allen Police Officer Stephen Griffith and Princeton Police Officer Cody Trim
John and Joel Martinez, off-duty Princeton police officer Cody Trim, and Allen Police officers Kye Kuopus and Stephen Griffith were each recognized with a Shining Star Award for their quick actions. A portion of the harrowing rescue was caught on video and played during the meeting.
Code compliance officers recognized
Allen’s team of code compliance officers were also recognized at the meeting for their work in improving local living conditions through enforcement of property maintenance codes.
(L-R): Community Enhancement Director Lee Battle, Mayor Ken Fulk, Code Enforcement Supervisor Raymon Yarbrogh,
and Code Compliance Officers Amber Gause, Brayan Contreras, Terry Hardin, Priscilla Martinez and Traci Dyck
“We look at code compliance as an opportunity to help people and solve problems,” said Community Enhancement Director Lee Battle. “There’s a tendency to think of this profession as folks that go out and write tickets. In reality, we write tickets on less than 1% of our code cases.”
Initiatives such as the Property Improvement Program, Urgent Repair Program and CDBG Housing Rehabilitation Program help support residents unable to handle a sudden or costly repair. Learn more.
Water education efforts earn national award
Water Conservation Manager Gail Donaldson presented Allen City Council with the 2021 EPA WaterSense Excellence in Education Award. The City of Allen Water Conservation was recognized for its popular education programs, such as the Sustainable Landscape Series. WaterSense is a voluntary partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which provides resources and educational tools to help people save water.