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The Sunset Valley City Council meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month (unless Council formally changes the meeting dates) in the City Hall Chambers, 3205 Jones Road. Meetings generally begin at 6 PM, and may not go past 10 PM. The public may participate in the Council meetings by coming to the meeting, watching on line via livestreaming, or after the meeting watching the video recording. Access the livestreaming and recordings via the City's YouTube Channel. The public may utilize the guestbook feature below to leave public comments for City Council meetings.
From left to right: Mayor Marc Bruner, Council Member David Bourell, Council Member Rudi Rosengarten, Mayor Pro tem Charles Young, Council Member Rob Johnson, Council Member Karen Medicus
The Sunset Valley City Council meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month (unless Council formally changes the meeting dates) in the City Hall Chambers, 3205 Jones Road. Meetings generally begin at 6 PM, and may not go past 10 PM. The public may participate in the Council meetings by coming to the meeting, watching on line via livestreaming, or after the meeting watching the video recording. Access the livestreaming and recordings via the City's YouTube Channel. The public may utilize the guestbook feature below to leave public comments for City Council meetings.
From left to right: Mayor Marc Bruner, Council Member David Bourell, Council Member Rudi Rosengarten, Mayor Pro tem Charles Young, Council Member Rob Johnson, Council Member Karen Medicus
The public may utilize this guestbook tool to engage with the City Council by posting public comments. These comments may be general comments or related to a specific Agenda Item for a Council Meeting. The comments will be ready by the Mayor and City Council Members, but will not be read aloud during the meeting.
To access a Council Agenda and backup materials, see the City Council Meetings section of this page beneath the signup banner, or visit: https://www.sunsetvalley.org/government/council-meeting-agendas-minutes. If you wish to make a public comment related to a specific agenda item, please indicate the meeting date and agenda item number in your comment.
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Comments re Agenda Items 8 & 9 re rezoning the Upland Tract to Parkland: When my husband and I moved to Sunset Valley more than 30 years ago, the city was blessed with forward-thinking City Councils whose members recognized the need to preserve all existing greenspaces from development and to purchase additional properties to convert to greenspaces. The members of those City Councils engaged in long-term thinking. We know Sunset Valley's greenspaces enhance property values and the quality of life of residents. We know a warming climate is encouraging many other cities to purchase developed land and convert it back to greenspaces to help reduce the cities' ambient temperatures and to reduce flooding. We know concrete and asphalt increase the ambient temperatures in cities, while greenspaces reduce them. We know no additional land will be created in our city so we must protect the land we have from further development that will only add impervious cover, thus increasing the likelihood of flooding. We already have what other cities only dream about – existing greenspaces. We must protect ours from further development and find ways to increase the amount of greenspace in our city. In other words, we need to forego short-term thinking and encourage long-term thinking to protect the Sunset Valley we know and love. I encourage the City Council and the residents of Sunset Valley to engage in long-term thinking by approving the proposed zoning change of the Uplands Tract to parkland. Thank you, Carol Knight
CarolK
4 months ago
The Zoning Committee, the Planning Environmental Committee, and I support the change in zoning from GUI to Par Land for the Uplands tract. Thank you for supporting the committee recommendations to help the city implement the Parks and Open Space Plan. Sincerely.
DMD
4 months ago
As I understand the issue, I am opposed to changing the zoning of the Uplands to restrict it to park land. As it is now, we can definitely use it as park land if we wish, but we also have the ability to use it for some other purpose that we feel might benefit the community more. Why should we restrict ourselves? We can't even anticipate all the proposals for the area. For example, what if someone proposed a water park that the residents would love to have? Given all the green space we already have, has there been a poll to see if anyone is actually interested in such a park? Please keep in mind that the purpose of the City Council is not to please the City Council members, but to represent ALL of the citizens and enact what the majority would prefer in a way that reflects Democracy. It would certainly be fine to have a vote on whether to change it to the more restrictive park land or not and use the majority to decide.
abrowner
4 months ago
At this time, we believe the zoning for the Uplands be left as is. Can revisit down the line.
The Patels, 4 Curley Mesquite Cv
rxtrvl
4 months ago
Once the Uplands is rezoned it will be difficult to bring it back to GUI. There is more potential in simply leaving the zoning alone. GUI allows use for city events and the option to rent out the land for development that generates positive revenue. Will rezoning require hiring more city staff for oversight? Will the park become a magnet for the drug addicts who perpetually wander around just outside the east border of SV? Is SVPD prepared for that? Will the number of vehicle break-ins increase around the residences south of Jones Road? Will the adjacent businesses on Ben White be adversely affected?
Jeff Guthery 48 Lovegrass Ln
jeffguthery
4 months ago
Changing the zoning for the Uplands was a unnecessary step since GUI zoning also allows for Parks. GUI also allows for Medical facilities - nice option. Plan submitted to zoning had no specifications, only a footprint. I trust that other re-zoning requests by developers (other than the city) will warrant greater scrutiny.
Archimedes
5 months ago
Hello!
2BCityproud
5 months ago
Just a followup from my earlier comment regarding Upland rezoning. I've reviewed the scant documentation that covers the pro but none of the cons. What about the costs? How will we prevent a migrant camp---all who will soon be granted voting rights perhaps---from taking over? Is SV prepared to enforce local use or will we fall into a Portland, SF, LA, Philly problem? GUI is safer zoning for the time being in my opinion....
Austin and pro bono UT Law will fight you every step of the way.
I think the proposal above is ill-advised. I see no analysis on the web site justifying the proposed zoning change. Would it be possible to obtain public comment from the Sunset Valley voters to achieve a consensus? A public poll, perhaps? A page or two summarizing the pro/con of the proposal would be nice addition to the record.
K. Fickie, 15 Yellow Tail Cove
kayjed
5 months ago
Congrats on launching the new public comment platform!
Comments re Agenda Items 8 & 9 re rezoning the Upland Tract to Parkland:
When my husband and I moved to Sunset Valley more than 30 years ago, the city was blessed with forward-thinking City Councils whose members recognized the need to preserve all existing greenspaces from development and to purchase additional properties to convert to greenspaces. The members of those City Councils engaged in long-term thinking.
We know Sunset Valley's greenspaces enhance property values and the quality of life of residents. We know a warming climate is encouraging many other cities to purchase developed land and convert it back to greenspaces to help reduce the cities' ambient temperatures and to reduce flooding. We know concrete and asphalt increase the ambient temperatures in cities, while greenspaces reduce them. We know no additional land will be created in our city so we must protect the land we have from further development that will only add impervious cover, thus increasing the likelihood of flooding.
We already have what other cities only dream about – existing greenspaces. We must protect ours from further development and find ways to increase the amount of greenspace in our city.
In other words, we need to forego short-term thinking and encourage long-term thinking to protect the Sunset Valley we know and love.
I encourage the City Council and the residents of Sunset Valley to engage in long-term thinking by approving the proposed zoning change of the Uplands Tract to parkland.
Thank you, Carol Knight
The Zoning Committee, the Planning Environmental Committee, and I support the change in zoning from GUI to Par Land for the Uplands tract. Thank you for supporting the committee recommendations to help the city implement the Parks and Open Space Plan. Sincerely.
As I understand the issue, I am opposed to changing the zoning of the Uplands to restrict it to park land. As it is now, we can definitely use it as park land if we wish, but we also have the ability to use it for some other purpose that we feel might benefit the community more. Why should we restrict ourselves? We can't even anticipate all the proposals for the area. For example, what if someone proposed a water park that the residents would love to have? Given all the green space we already have, has there been a poll to see if anyone is actually interested in such a park? Please keep in mind that the purpose of the City Council is not to please the City Council members, but to represent ALL of the citizens and enact what the majority would prefer in a way that reflects Democracy. It would certainly be fine to have a vote on whether to change it to the more restrictive park land or not and use the majority to decide.
At this time, we believe the zoning for the Uplands be left as is. Can revisit down the line.
The Patels, 4 Curley Mesquite Cv
Once the Uplands is rezoned it will be difficult to bring it back to GUI. There is more potential in simply leaving the zoning alone. GUI allows use for city events and the option to
rent out the land for development that generates positive revenue. Will rezoning require hiring more city staff for oversight? Will the park become a magnet for the drug addicts who perpetually wander around just outside the east border of SV? Is SVPD prepared for that? Will the number of vehicle break-ins increase around the residences south of Jones Road? Will the adjacent businesses on Ben White be adversely affected?
Jeff Guthery 48 Lovegrass Ln
Changing the zoning for the Uplands was a unnecessary step since GUI zoning also allows for Parks. GUI also allows for Medical facilities - nice option. Plan submitted to zoning had no specifications, only a footprint. I trust that other re-zoning requests by developers (other than the city) will warrant greater scrutiny.
Hello!
Just a followup from my earlier comment regarding Upland rezoning. I've reviewed the scant documentation that covers the pro but none of the cons. What about the costs? How will we prevent a migrant camp---all who will soon be granted voting rights perhaps---from taking over? Is SV prepared to enforce local use or will we fall into a Portland, SF, LA, Philly problem? GUI is safer zoning for the time being in my opinion....
Austin and pro bono UT Law will fight you every step of the way.
K Fickie, 15 Yellow Tail Cove
https://portal.laserfiche.com/Portal/DocView.aspx?id=11998&repo=r-f514b7d2
I think the proposal above is ill-advised. I see no analysis on the web site justifying the proposed zoning change. Would it be possible to obtain public comment from the Sunset Valley voters to achieve a consensus? A public poll, perhaps? A page or two summarizing the pro/con of the proposal would be nice addition to the record.
K. Fickie, 15 Yellow Tail Cove
Congrats on launching the new public comment platform!