Lesley Property-CS001212 JORDAN, DUNLAP, PRATHER & HARRIS, L.L.P.
Attorneys and Counselors
Jerry N. Jordan Bank One Preston, Suite 400 Robert C. Prather, Sr.
jjattyl~ airmail.net 8111 Preston Road prather(~jdplegal.com
Direct (214) 692-8523 Dallas, Texas 75225
(214) 696-6060
Walter H. Dunlap, Jr. FAX (214) 696-6724 John %: Harris
dunlap~:jdplegal.com www. jdplegal.eom harrisjw43~'jdplegal.corn
December ! 2. 2000
VIA HAND DELIVERY
The Honorable Mayor Joe Putnam and
Members of the City Council
City of Irving. Texas
Civic Center
825 W. Irving Blvd.
Irving. TX 75060
Attn: City Secretary's Office
RE: RANCH TRAIL THOROUGHFARE AMENDMENT; IRVING. TEXAS
Honorable Mayor and City Council:
We represent Hattie Mae Lesley through the Bank of America which is the Guardian of
the Estate of Hattie Mae Lesley. Mrs. Lesley owns two tracts of land west and north of the City
of Irving and is directly affected by decisions regarding the alignment of Ranch Trail and the
location of the Ramps along I.H. 635. The Lesley Tracts are indicated on the attached exhibit.
The largest tract contains 184.5 acres of undeveloped land at the northwest Comer of I.H. 635
and Belt Line Road. The other tract consists of 27.g acres of land on the east side of Belt Line
Road and abuts Hackberry Road on the south side. Hackberry Road is also called Ranch Trail on
the City's current Thoroughfare Plan.
Decisions effecting the ramp location and realignment of Ranch Trail will have a material
effect upon the traffic flow in the area, the access to and future use of the Lesley tracts, how the
public will be served and the access to and from the City of Irving commercial uses east of Belt
Line and north ofI. H. 635. At the December 4 City of Irving Planning and Zoning Commission
Meeting, City staff indicated that ramp reversals had been approved by TxDOT and a
repositioned on-ramp would be located just west of the proposed connection of Ranch Trail to
I.H. 635. The Plan Commission also approved the realigning of Ranch Trail to tie into the
service road on I.H. 635, at a point just east of the repositioned on-ramp.
Honorable Mayor and City Council
City of Irving. Texas
December 13. 2000
Page 2
We request that you table at this time, pending further study, any action in respect to these
matters.
At a meeting yesterday at the City of Coppell, which included Maurice Pittman, P.E. of
TxDOT, we confirmed that the planned realignment connection of Ranch Trail to I.H. 635 has
not been approved by TxDOT and that the proposed connection of Ranch Trail to 1.t-1.635 would
directly impact ramp location opportunities along I.H. 635 and would affect access to the Leslev
Tract. Since this ramp location has not been approved by TxDOT. a public hearing will be
required prior to this proposal being accepted by TxDOT. The spacing of ramps along I. H. 635
require long transitions and the connection of driveways to the frontage road must be controlled
to allow weave of conflicting lane change traffic. Placement of the on-ramp west of the planned
realigned connection of Ranch Trail appears to by-pass most of the Lesley tract frontage located
west of Belt Line Road. The change also effects how the public coming from the east can readily
get onto Belt Line Road to go either north or south. The changes also potentially impact access
to Freeport Parkway. Irving residents coming from the south on Belt Line can access the Itome
Depot property without fighting the service roads on I. H. 635. The changes planned t2, r Ranch
Trail and the ramp changes along I.H. 635 appear to negatively impact access to the Leslev
Tracts. the City of Coppell and the general public.
For some time, negotiations and study have been underway between landowners
including the Leslev tracts fbr a realignment of Hackberry (Ranch Trail). Please see the "Option"
alignment on Exhibit A. This would become a signalized interchange in the future. If this option
were adopted, the buying public located to the north in Coppell would have direct ready access to
and from the Home Depot tract via Belt Line and Ranch Trail without increasing the traffic
burden on I. H. 635 and its service roads. The public that might wish to go south on Belt Line
would still be able to do so from HackberlT (Ranch Trail). We respectfully suggest that everyone
would benefit from this arrangement and there would be a good cost benefit ratio.
At this time we ask that the Irving City Council consider the requests as follows:
A. Table the Thoroughfare Alignment Change until joint meetings with
TxDOT, City of Irving staff, City of Coppell staff and affected local
property owners attempt a resolution which can be supported by all parties
at the TxDOT Public Hearing.
B. Direct your staffto work with area property owners and the City of
Coppell to consider realigning Ranch Trail to the north and connecting to
Belt Line Road further north of the current connection point at Hackberry
Road in accordance with the "Option" alignment on the attached Exhibit.
l lonorable Mayor and City.- Council
City of Irving, Texas
December 13. 2000
Page 3
If the City Council elects to vote on this item without tabling, please consider this letter
to be in opposition to the current proposed alignment change to Ranch Trail (currently Hackberry.-'
Road) and any change of the existing off ramp to an on ramp.just east of Belt kine.
Ve ' ulvvour.
Enclosure
cc: Mr. Kenneth M. Griffin, P. E.
Mr. Maurice Pittman. P. E.
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