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ARLINGTON — A prime piece of state-owned property along Interstate 30 could soon become available for development, and city leaders are considering ways to restrict what can be built there.
"You can’t get more prime in terms of access to the entertainment district. This is a piece of property investors have been waiting to come onto the market for a long time," said Councilman Mel LeBlanc, who represents north Arlington. "We will do whatever we can to protect the value of that property." The Texas Department of Transportation owns 18 acres north of I-30 between Center and Collins streets but plans to abandon that land, which is storing road equipment, sometime after the Three Bridges project is complete, possibly in 2011. The state hopes to deed the parcel, appraised at $17.6 million, to a developer in exchange for the construction of five maintenance facilities, Deputy City Manager Fiona Allen told council members Tuesday. The trade also includes 9 acres near Northwest Loop 820 and Cahoba Drive in Fort Worth, appraised at $850,000.The Transportation Department is opting not to sell the land outright because then the money would go to the General Land Office, Allen said. A contract could be awarded as soon as January, according to the city.City leaders called the proposed exchange "creative" but said they have concerns about whether a company that builds maintenance facilities has the ability and financial resources to build the type of high-end development officials envision for north Arlington."It’s the perfect location for a high-rise hotel," LeBlanc said. "We really need that to service events at Cowboys Stadium. That would be a really good addition to the entertainment district."The land would automatically become zoned for agricultural use once it fell into private hands, and the developer would have to seek council approval for zoning changes. Instead of waiting to see what type of development is proposed, council members have asked city staff to weigh in on the benefits of zoning the land to restrict its use before the state deeds it to someone."This is such a key tract of land I think it would be worth taking a look at," said at-large Councilman Gene Patrick, who added that city-initiated zoning would send a message to potential bidders about the vision for the land.Transportation Department officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Agency spokeswoman Holly Hughes said Tuesday that she was not aware of the city’s concerns on the planned land trade.In other businessCleanup: The annual fall and spring cleanup days — when residents could drop off bulky waste at certain sites for free disposal — were eliminated from the budget. Instead, Arlington residents will be allowed free use of the landfill between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. the next two Saturdays. They will get unlimited trips to the landfill on those days to get rid of brush, tires, batteries, electronics, appliances and other large items. Proof of residency is required; for other rules and information, visit www.arlingtontx.gov/environmentMunicipal court: The city expects its new $2 million court software operating system to go live over Thanksgiving weekend. Since 2006, Arlington has been looking to replace its existing system, which officials have said is slow and cannot handle the workload. The court generated $11.3 million in revenue in fiscal 2009, the most in city history.Library: The council approved a $217,364 contract with Providence Associates Llc. of Arizona to assess the structure of the Central Library and determine the cost of rebuilding or renovating the library. Arlington voters approved $500,000 in a 1999 bond election to fund the preliminary design of a new or renovated Central Library.Streetlights: The city expects to save $400,000 annually by repairing streetlights itself. Arlington was paying a contractor about $900,000 annually for maintenance but instead has hired five employees to do the work.SUSAN SCHROCK, 817-390-7639
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