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Old Town-CS090306 50 cenj .< 5eA1JtlGD) FI !--f ;tJ o I-i) TJ {)JM 1'*31\:f.rJ**********CR to'IOOO1A,**BO'J4 ATTN' C.!.TY ENGINEEP. 08/2'/ / ~j:~> ~ITY OF C~PPELL/ENG DEPT BOX 478 'PEL'"" 'I'X 750J 9-04'78 .............. "" 'I.'\;; "1" ..' .. t "~;;:' It' .~ fA ::;;;':;'h~.7X'; +f!~il, ."ilt~.j? .. i.'-'--; ""'if:."_"'Si.f!"~;"'~--""""(-r.-"'...Ol"~:~~~f:."',,;,m;y ~}::iY,~'!f"''H-' >;'ti~!~0"'; 'i~}l.fEcO;'~'~'7.",:'\_;;;~*W~;~~~-V:,';;,;:Q~ VOLUME XXV, NO Crowd Chaos Mars New Tech Registratiol By Jane Moore SERVING COPPELL, VALLEY RANCH AND HACKBERRY CREEK SINCE 1984 Co to Discuss Drilling Ordinance Murph MARCH 6.2009 uneil Unaware of the coming melee, parents wait on the sid walk across the street from New Tech High last Friday, Whl ~ firctt_,...nm~ firqt_q~rv~ r~niqtr~tinn w~c: C:I'''~ctlll~ct New Tech High proved too popular for its own good last Friday when the School District had to call off a freshmen regis- tration after arguments broke out and people were knocked down rushing to get to the front of the line. Up to 10 police officers and an ambulance were dispatched to the school on Samuel Boule- vard February 27, where an es- timated 300 people showed up early for the first-come, first- serve registration. Some people waited from early morning in lawn chairs across the street from the school for 5:00 p.m., when they would be allowed on the campus to line up for regis- urged the Council to strengthen provisions in its ordinance, in- cluding distance requirements from homes, buildings, storm water drainage, and other envi- ronmental impact and safety is- sues. In work session last Tues- day, Marcie Diamond, assistant director of Planning, discussed proposed revisions. In general, By Jean The City of Coppell is III the process of revising its Oil and Gas Drilling Ordinance and will again review proposed revisions at a work session on Tuesday, March 10,6:30 p.m., prior to the regular City Council meeting at Town Center. During consider- ation of a recent gas drilling re- quest by Chesapeake Energy, citizens and an adjacent business 18 City Hears from Groups on Old Town Development see DRILLING on page tration. According to the School Dis- trict, the early arrivals had cre- atcd a list and planncd to line up accordingly, but people who ar- rived later disagreed and ten- sions escalated. Instead of pro- ceeding in an orderly fashion to the school at 5:00 p.m., many be- gan running and several people 10 caa NI:W TI:r.... nn n"'rla posed for the Carter-Crowley tract, with members of the Old Town Business Association, the Coppell Historical Society, and the Farmers Market commit- tee. Phillips said earlier that he 19 System to Screen for Predators see OLD TOWN on page By jean Murph City Manager Clay Phillips and city staff members met Tuesday to discuss the status of old downtown issues, including street renovation, parking, and the new City public square pro- tion," said Long, refening to the two historic huildings that have heen moved by the City to that corner. "We thought the (Master Plan) concept would generate activity and commerce - if that's not the case, modify the Plan," said Long. He said the group needed parking "in proximity to the (current) struc- tures." Parking under the new plan is provided around the perimeter of the new public square and along public streets. Long said "the pre- vious administration had (talked about) plans for a major parking lot" closer to W. Bethel businesses. "If there is any criticism, it is the fact that existing husinesses were not involved in the morphing of the plan as (they) felt (they) should be," said Long. Coppell Historical Society mem- ber Noble Fortson commented that the new plan appears to be "setting up two isolated areas" in old down- town, with the new Farmers,Market site and parking some distance from the original old downtown. "The Farmers Market is way off there - they are not going to walk to one of our businesses," said one participant. "I don't see how you can justify (this expense) for a hy- pothetical plan." Phillips said the road would be built even without a developer because construction prices are good at this.time. Other participants expressed concern about the eminent domain taking of a current business and 50- year-old building, Coppell Auto Center, to provide a road for the new public square. Asked if it were premature to move the Market without a devel- oper in place, Phillips said, "It is rea- sonable to think we would have a partner, in part because we are put- ting.in a lot of the infrastructure." Phillips said he knew the groups "had not had enough communica- tion" and that was the reason for Tuesday's meeting. PAC third grade," she joked. Universal works with Charles Dana Center at UT Al for staff development and trai own teachers, with 10 day! aside per year for training. T are 30 to 40 teachers at the COI campus,. which draws stud from Lewisville, Irving, Den Rower Mound, Carrollton, Fan Branch, and Coppell. The sel MARCH 6. 2009 ACADEMY 1 the schc s least advantaged stu- dents were performing better than the state average. College readi- ness, including AP and Interna- tional Baccalaureate offerings. were also considered. Universal. which also has a school in Irving, was rated from page . LIVING .Ab&ocate · Qj. itiJ:ens does not exist today'" "We do not have any developer under. contract" to develop the Carter-Crowley tract, said Phillips. addressing some of the rumors that had led to the meeting. He said that, among many prospective buyers. the City had met with one devel- oper "but we never got anywhere where there is a binding contract." Cliff Long, president of the Old Town Business Association, ad- dressed concerns of the group, in- cluding adherence to the guidelines presented in the Old Coppell Mas- ter Plan. in which "development would principally be along W. Bethel Road, taking the existing fa- cilities and infill around them so that we had our principal activity along Bethe!." He said having the Farm- ers Market along W. Bethel also "generates a lot of activity in the area." In the Master Plan. the pub- lic square was proposed for the Wil- son corner (windmill site on W. Bethel). That is no longer an op- called the meeting "to help get 111- formation out there to calm some concerns. " City Engineer Ken Griffin ad- dressed road plans and said that W. Bethel - S. Coppell Road improve- ments could begin as early as the first quarter of 2010. Currently, road construction is set to begin the sec- ond quarter of 20 I O. Park Director Brad Reid dis- played an architect's rendering of a large Fanners Market structure with open sides, planned for the west side of the public square. The struc- ture could be used for other pur- poses during the week and at nights, he said. Regarding the public square, Phillips said the City was trying to <'get some kind of critical mass down there (old downtown) - to create a destination place. That critical mass OLD TOWN 1 from page Universal Academy ninth graders show off one ft\r,efiijac nized plagues the school received since 2004. FI"OII'!. Grainne Morgan, .Alexls Smith, Oanlelle Carr, Tricla .... Rykan Young, LeeAnn Jimmerson, Lauren Hudson, ace ~ Washington. . . . itself sits in two different distri - Coppell and C-FB. About percent of the Coppell carol population is Indian, Ext:racun'i1 lar activities include band, ch( strings orchestra, dance club a chess club. Vendors bring lunches or students bring th, own. The school receives fun from the state, enrollment is op and there is no tuition, Enrollment drops in high grades - this year's ninth gra class at Coppell is fewer than 1 and they are all girls. "It would be nice to have mo students," said Tricia Mathew, ninth grader from LewisvilIe. ", the same time small classes a nice. . . they really teach well-they t~1rP tlmp fnr 'ClrUl ........ H._A......r>.,..... based on combined data from both campuses. Diane Harris, CEO/Superinten- dent of Universal, said administra- tors were surprised when they re- ceived a letter infonning them of the award. "We didn't even know we made it," said Harris, a fonner head of the gifted and talented services depart- ment at the Region XI Education Service Center in Fort Worth. Harris started the school in Dal- las 10 years ago on a premise that includes teaching all children as gifted and talented. The Coppell campus opened in 2004 and has earned a Recognized rating from the state for the past five years. "We are academically rigorous," Harris said. addin!! that learninp j, February 25: Theft of Property, unknown suspects made money transfers using victim's information, 100 block Natches Trace, 8:28 a.m. February 26: Possession of Controlled Substance, meth, under one gram, 21-year-old female ar- rested, 100 block Heather Glen Dr., 7:15p.m. February 27: Burglary of Habi- tation, 300 block Barclay Ave., 10:25 POLICE from page 5 am. February 28: Theft of Property, unknown suspect coerced cash from victim, loss between $1 ,500 and $20,000, 600 block MacArthur Blvd. February 28: Theft of Property, known person took victim's prop- erty without consent, loss between $50 and $500, 185 W. Parkway (Coppell High School), 2:20 p.m. March I: Disorderly Conduct, known suspect was looking through victim's window for lewd purposes while committing criminal trespass- . ..............." - . 500 block Lake Forest Dr., 3: 19 p.m. February 21: Possession of Controlled Substance with intent to deliver, cocaine, 14.01 grams, 36- year-old male arrested, 2400 block Ledbetter Dr., 5:30 p.m. February 21: Burglary of Vehicle, 900 block W. Sandy Lake Road, 5:40 p.m. February 21: Burglary of Build- ing,900 block W. Sandy Lake Road (Dance Machines Dance Studio), 5:40p.m. February 22: Burglary of Habi- tation, 600 block S. MacArthur Blvd., 2:23 am. February 22: Driving with sus- pended license, Belt Line Road be- tween Hackberry Road and Van Zandt Drive, 2:01 p.m. February 23: Theft of property, {"pll nhnnp t~1r~n If'l..n..... 1-.......+.".'"'~_ ctCf\