Coppell Health-CS 881205 (3)
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MEMORANDUM
December 5, 1988
TO:
Tom Morton, Councilman
FROM:
Alan D. Ratliff, City Manager
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SUBJECT: Review Hospital site Proposal
Per your request we have asked staff to review the November
18, 1988 Univest Hospital site Proposal Coppell Town
Center. Due to the very short turn-around time in this
review, our comments are both very general and preliminary.
Prior to making any substantive comments, we believe that a
detailed review of the site plan is necessary to avoid
misunderstandings and frustrations.
As you know, the Town Center concept is in itself an
approved zoning ordinance. This ordinance contains
specifics which were planned for the Town Center property
and the proposal seems to be in conflict with this zoning
ordinance. We, therefore, feel that this site proposal
would need detail review by staff and approval by the
Planning and Zoning commission and the City Council. In
regard to the specific plan or proposal we have before us,
we offer the following comments and questions:
1) within the Section titled Phase I, the proposal is to
donate the 5.4 acres of land to be used for medical
office and related purposes with other phases resulting
in development of a full-service medical complex. We
think the City can have greater assurance that this
will occur by our requiring platting of the total 200+
acre site. The existing comprehensive plan contains
some general comments about the Town Center concept and
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Hospital Site Proposal
Page 2
December 5, 1988
suggests that uses should be compatible and supportive
to the City complex in the Town Center. We believe
that review by the Planning & Zoning Commission, as
well as the city Council would determine if the
hospital complex will meet this criteria. It is our
understanding that the Coppell 2000 Committee for the
Town Center has submitted a plan which supports the
Univest proposal; however, since the Coppell 2000
Committee, as a whole, has not yet reviewed or endorsed
this plan, nor has the City council, we do not think it
can be relied upon to be an approved and accepted plan
for the Town Center. The platting processes will
hopefully accomplish this purpose.
2) On page 4 under section marked Road Construction, the
proposal is that the internal streets shall be
privately owned and maintained by the Coppell Town
Center Owner's Association. Staff believes there needs
to be further research into the advantages and
disadvantages of this private ownership of streets. We
are concerned as to the need and ability of city police
to enforce traffic in this development with private
streets. Staff is also curious what is meant by the
suggestion that private streets will allow "greater
planning flexibility." Insofar as infrastructure
requirements, such as drainage and water and sewer they
should be planned and built prior to development of the
property so they are compatible with other adjacent
infrastructure plans and developments.
3) On page 5 under Governmental Assistance we have several
comments. section A states that the lake and landscape
areas are part of the linear park system. Even though
this concept has been discussed, it is not part of the
Master Park Plan. The linear park along the drainage
easement leading from the lake area may not be best for
the City or property development to the east.
4) Item B suggests that the city consider special
ordinances and waivers of existing ordinances such as
onsite parking requirements. City staff is willing
to look into the sharing of parking requirements, but
this can only be done after a more detailed look at all
land uses within the total development.
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Hospital site Proposal
Page 3
December 5, 1988
5) Section C suggests that the City may provide funding or
loans for certain infrastructure items. At the present
time the City has no funds available for funding of
infrastructure within the Town Center property, nor
does it have funds available to loan. We would
certainly be amiable to looking and working with
the securing of Economic Development funds but must
caution that staff time is limited in seeking and
securing these funds unless this is a priority project.
6) In section D, univest proposes that (CMUD) will enter
into a project agreement with owner and they will
ultimately refund 50% of all utility costs expended
both onsite and offsite. This is conditioned with a
statement as to the possible exemption from property
taxes. We are uncertain as to what portion or portions
of the proposed medical complex will be exempt for
property taxes. The exemption of large tracts of
property from ad valorem taxes can have an adverse
affect on the city tax base and the MUD. We,
therefore, feel it is necessary to make careful
analysis of the economic benefit to the city of Coppell
for this development. We also believe the purchaser
needs to review this policy question with the MUD.
7) Finally the proposal suggests that Phase I must be
closed by December 31, 1988. We have serious doubts as
to whether the questions which we have asked can be
answered by that date, but as always, we will work to
accomplish and accommodate projects which will benefit
the City of Coppell.
Please let me know if you have other questions, as well as
any information you have on how we may expect to proceed
with this proposal.
ADRjdgc
xc: Frank Trando
Russell Doyle
Steve Goram
Taryon Bowman
HOSPITAL. SIT