ST9302-CS 931105 BULK RATE MAIL
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Coppell Resident PERMIT NO. 35
Coppell, TX 75019 ~
Citizens' Advocate
Sandy Lake Road Plans Take Shape
wider outside lanes to allow for tics
by Jean Murph rest on when it is willing to ap- terstate 35. · Removing visibility prob-
prove a tax increase. According Sandy Lake Road west of safer turning and for u-turns
Sandy Lake Road, one of to Griffin, the $6.8 million bond DentonTap, in Coppcll, isnoton , Improving drainage lcms created by currently-exist-
CoppeWs main east-west thor- sale could involve a several-cent the County's Master Plan for re- throughout the roadway and, ing hills and valleys on Sandy
oughfares, has entered the first tax increase, depending on the construction nor is it a major thereby, on neighboring proper- _ continued on page 18
phase of its overhaul and the city's tax base at the time.~ problem for Coppell in the near
fulfilling of proposition 5 of the The new road would be four future, said Griffin. He said if
City Bond Campaign approved lanes, with up to 27 feet each Coppell "waited long enough,"
by voters in 1990. City H all is on way, with a median dividcr. the County would probably
track with the Sandy Lake Road Because Sandy Lake is a develop Sandy Lake but that a
design phase, after a design County road, who should rccon- citycannotalwayswaitthatlong-
contract was approved recently struct it has long been a topic of Sandy Lake has also been the site
by the City Council. Approxi- local debate. According to of several major accidents, in-
mately $6.8 million of the bond Griffin, .that question was an- cluding at least one fatality.
program approved by citizens is sweredby Coppellvotersin 1990
still left to be sold by the Council when thdy approved City recon- Strengths of
for the construction phase of the struction of the section of Sandy Reconstruction Outlined
project. Lake from Denton Tap to
CityEnginecrKcnGriffinsaid MacArthur Boulevard. The Griffin, a clear proponent of
last week that he will be ready to County in its 1990 bond program the strengths of redesigning and
ask forthe construction phase by approved reconstruction o [ constructing Sandy Lake, lists
August of 1994, but the Council Sandy Lake from MacArlhur the improvements:
· Taking a dark roadway and .
ncil would have until limit and fro. m t ' which i'~ li"t~cr than ::sph:~.lt / · ·
The_Go.u, rncncc an bases of Denton Road ,.n.Carromon. ~Xc- . R~'pl;~i~i~ dangerous bar ~andy Lake Road, now a two-lane road with bar ditches,
m g P he
199, to c~ond ro ram a five- cording to Gntfin,.the Countyn ditches with curbs and sidcwalks ~ill eventually be a four-lane, divided thoroughfare-
the 1990 P , was looking for a hnk betwe Recommendingseveral-foot
Ye~-rhPel~i~uncil's decision may MacArthur'Boulevard and In- '
Sandy Lake Road Design Phase Begins,continued from page 1 ~rhe roadway will have to be ex- appeal the dollar amount but not
panded in certain areas with addi- condemnation of the property, said
Lake want to be involved," said Griffin. plan would "take out the high places tional right of way. In at least one Griffin. Should the process damage
· Creating median turns that will He said he wanted to "afford them (on Sandy Lake) and fill in the low inslance, the new road will come an owner, a court can award dam-
help control and better move traffic that opportunity." points." Four to five feet of the within 27 feet of one existing home. ages, explained Griffin.
· Having the option to increase Griffin sent 160 personal letters current roadway would be cut at Approximately 25% of the Griffin plans to ask the Council
the speed on the roadway if studies to owners and tenters on and near certain high points, with five to six needed right of way must still be November 9 to approve the concep-
warrant it Sandy Lake and to every feet to be cut between Samuel Bou- obtained, according to Griffin. tual phase of the project, which will
Altogether the redesign will homeowners' association that fronts levard and Mockingbird Lane, the When undeveloped property is plat- call for a four-lane (two lanes each
"create a safer roadway," according on Sandy Lake. In addition, letters highest area of Sandy Lake where ted, the developer or owner must way) divided thoroughfare, with the
were sent to others who have ex- visibility is at a low and dangerous dedicatepmpertyincompliancewith twoouter|anesbeingthreefeetwidcr
to Griffin. pressed an interest in the road. In point. the thoroughfare plan, said Griffin. than the usual 12-foot lane. Griffin
Citizen Input Sought the first two public hearings, 74and While high points may be -Where we don't have it (right of will not advocate marking the addi'
78 persons were in attendance- Of smoothed out, the roadway will still way), we would have to go in and tional footage as a bike lane.
If residents don't get involved in these, 40 artended both meetings- have rolling hills, which will help buy it fee simple," said Griffin. If "A bike lane is wider," he said.
theredesignofSandyLakeRoad, it Whcrepossible, the CitY tried to prevent the road from becoming a they "don't want to dedicate it t° the But the extra footage will provide
won't be because they weren't given accommodate the residents' requests speedway and will protect current betterment of the City," the City additional ~fcty. Parks advocates
achance. Griffin considers itpartof "withoutcompromisingtheProject," water, sewer and electrical utilities would have the land appraised and had promoted a state-funded bike
his philosophy to involve residents said Griffin. along the roadway. make an offer to the property owner, lane on Sandy Lake, but state funds
The City will have to build a high said Griffin. If an agreement could are no longer financing this, accord-
at each stage of the project. He
believes in "informing (persons) retaining wall in the Samuel Boule- not be reached, the City would "go ing to Griffin.
upfront" so that residents will have Roadway Will Have yard area, where the roadway will in with the power of eminent do-
a chance for input and will not be Major Changes becui. Drainagewillalsohavetobc mainandtakepossessionofthcland"
surprised by the end result. According to Griffin, the new ensured, said Griffin. but still pay for it. The owner can
"Especially in Coppell, citizens ft~)
The above sketch is the conceptual plan and profile for Sandy Lake Road's redesign and construction- Denton Tap Road lies on the far left; MacArthur Boulevard
on the far right. The sketch reflects the proposed changes, median turns, and cuts in the road to make it wider and safer.