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PD160-CS 970412Northeast Tarr ant Serving Bedford, Colleyville, Euless, Grapevine, Haltom City, Hurst, Keller, North Richland Hills, Richland Hills, Roanoke, Southlakc, Trotd~5 C Saturday, April 12, 1997 ~,~,~.~m=,..- ~~ ~m"~ ~m~ · Apartments on way up Euless City Council puts moratorium on projects until it upgrades building, landscaping standards By Laurie Wilson Sta//Writer o! The Dallas Morning News RULESS -- In its time, the Solo Grande apart- ment complex was considered cream of the crop. With its clubhouse and prestigious golf course, it was one of the city's most premier locations. Today the complex is called Westdale Hills, and it's one of many apartment complexes in the city undergoing extensive facelifts. Built during the city's growth spurt 30 years ago, these apart- ments are victims of time and must be refur- bished, city officials say. The Sara Grande, once so majestic, has been supplanted by projects such as the Mansions by the Vineyard, a new complex that will open in mid-May. With its heavy landscaping, stucco and stone exteriors and attached garages, the Mansions represents what Euless officials hope will be the future of apartmen's in the city. The move toward higher-end projects marks a change from the city's checkered past with apartments. Most were built for the burgeoning population and helped house people who worked at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Please see EULESS on Page 6N. The l~llas 14o-ning News: Randy Eli 3rathe The Mansions by the Vineyard apartment complex now under construction on State Highway 121 south of the Delaney Vineyards represents what Euless officials hope will be the future of apartments in the city. Euless to rewrite standards for apartments Continued from Page IN. City Council members are working on new apartment standards designed to ensure that more apartments look like the Mansions. The council passed a 120-day moratorium this week to halt new apartment applications until the city's standards can be upgraded. "We've raised the bar more and more over the years, but now we're making the ultimate reach," said council member Bobby Baker. "We need time to sit back and look at our ordinances to find ways to improve what we already have and make standards tougher in the future. "Through the years, we've overbuilt, and now we're paying the price," he said. "The 1960s apartments won't go away, but we can do some- thing about the new ones coming in." The roughly 1,$00 apartment units that al- ready are under construction in the city will not be affected by the new standards. But future projects will be expected to have higher-quality masonry, landscaping, fencing, security, parking and fewer units per complex. "We've tended to look at commercial property when we talked about tougher standards, but we need to focus our efforts on this significant type of development now," said Mayor Mary Lib Sa- leh. She said the city's 9,000 apartment units represent almost $0 percent of its housing. City officials said they'd like to encourage developers to look at the State Highway 121 corri- dar and other areas that have not already been developed with apartments. Marcus Hiles, owner of the Mansions project along 121 between Cheek-Sparger and Glade roads, said raising the standards for apartment construction will benefit all developers. "No good citizen would be in favor of run- down, dilapidated apartments," he said. "By en- couraging the best product possible, they'll raise the tax rate and home and commercial values. Having a higher bar to jump over can only be better for all of us." The updated standards are part of a four-year effort to clean up the city's apartment image. In 1992, officials approved an ordinance that set standards for maintenance of apartment units. The ordinance is the first of its kind in the area to take an aggressive stance toward run. down properties. "The concerns we have are far more than a fresh coat of paint," said Assistant City Manager Joe Hennig. "There are a couple of pockets in our city that need significant updates, and this is the tool that we use to enforce those upgrades." He cited the State Highway 10 corridor as an area with apartments that need improvements. This area, he said, was once a major thorough- fare but has since become rundown. Most apartment complexes are working with the city to improve their properties as they can afford to, he said. Despite all their maintenance efforts, city officials say they will continue to allow apat't- merits to be built after the moratorium, with the new standards. That's different from the stance taken by some northeast Tarrant County cities, however. Southlake city leaders have taken a strotig anti-apartment stance, saying multi-family com- plexes drive down property values and bring too many families into the school district. Apartments have also become an issue in Bedford, where residents have said they don't want more apartments. Several City Council can- didates in that city are campaigning on plat- forms calling for no more apartments. Euless officials said they see the apartmen! issue differently. "We realize that it takes all aspects of develop- ment to create a city," Mr. Hennig said. "We want a manageable balance between apartments and homes. But not everyone can afford to live in a $150,000 home. It takes all types of living envi- ronments.'' Ms. Lib Saleh said upscale apartments like the Mansions and the Villages at Bear Creek offer alternatives to those who don't want to buy a home. "There are a lot of people with a lot of money who choose to live in apartments," she said "They might not want to buy a house or they travel. But they're certainly welcome to live here."