City Council: No support for housing development
Mayor Bruggeman casts tie-breaking vote
Developers who proposed a pair of low-income housing developments in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood of Texarkana, Texas, killed one Monday, and the City Council killed the other.
At the last council meeting of the year, MVAH Partners withdrew its request for support for an apartment complex at Galleria Oaks Drive and Cowhorn Creek Road. The council narrowly voted to object to another complex planned for Clear Creek Drive and Summerhill Road, effectively ending the project before it could begin.
After a resolution of support for the Summerhill complex failed on a tie-breaking vote from Mayor Bob Bruggeman, the council approved a resolution objecting to it. The second vote again came down to a tiebreaker cast by Bruggeman.
The votes came after about 20 residents made comments during a public hearing on the matter, almost all in opposition to it. The council’s options were support, no objection, objection or taking no action.
MVAH had requested the council’s support in an attempt to win low-income housing tax credits to help fund the complexes’ construction. A state agency awards such tax credits on a competi-
tive basis, and local support would have increased MVAH’s chances of receiving them.
The vote to object to the project effectively “killed” it by adding zero points to the application score, MVAH executive Darren Smith said.
Council Member Mary Hart moved to support the application. Hart, Jean Matlock and Christie Alcorn voted for supporting the project on the first vote, and Josh Davis, Bill Harp and Betty Williams voted no. Bruggeman voted no to break the tie.
Davis then moved to object to the application, and the votes fell along the same lines. Davis, Harp and Williams voted yes; Hart, Matlock and Alcorn voted no; and Bruggeman voted yes.
Both apartment complexes would have been in the city’s Ward 6, which Davis represents. He said he was compelled to object to the complex because of overwhelming constituent opposition to it.
Smith declined to comment on why the Cowhorn Creek proposal was withdrawn. When it came up in the meeting’s agenda, City Attorney Jeffery Lewis explained that there was not a purchase agreement in place for the property and confirmed with Smith and local real estate broker Richard Reynolds, both of whom were in the audience, that the request would be permanently withdrawn.
“With a withdrawn request, there is nothing left for the council to do with this matter,” Lewis said.
Most comments on the apartments focused on assertions that they would lower property values in the surrounding area and overwhelm streets and other infrastructure, and that there is already enough housing available in the city. Others sought to counter stereotypes about people who accept government housing assistance.
“Honestly, I can’t find a reason to do this. …We have vacancies in town for anyone who needs a place to live,” Fred Meisenheimer said.
Steve Junker claimed the apartments would slash the value of nearby homes and businesses in half, and he floated the idea of Pleasant Grove becoming a city separate from Texarkana.
“This doesn’t help anybody but the guys who want to do it,” he said.
Sherri Waters was particularly concerned about increased traffic on Summerhill.
“I don’t believe the roads will handle it. I’m particularly passionate about the children who live in that neighborhood,” she said. “We need to take care of the infrastructure first.”
“Texarkana, USA, does not suddenly have a need for 300 more apartments,” Cliff Robertson said.
Bill Owney said there is no evidence that tax credit properties come with crime or lower property values. Children do well in affordable housing, and the infrastructure can be managed, he said, adding that MVAH has a good reputation.
“There’s a lot of communication that needs to happen,” he said.
Tylesha Ross, president of the Believe in Beverly Neighborhood Association, said management of properties is key consideration, including background checks of tenants.
“We don’t need the stereotyping,” she said.
Some of the hearing testimony seemed well planned, Smith said.
“At this particular juncture of a project, you would never see certain people speak. So I think there was a lot of thought given to that,” he said. He left open the possibility of doing business in Texarkana in the future.
“I think the staff in Texarkana is great. I think the people in Texarkana are awesome. So I think this is a great city. Like all cities, they have to learn and decide which way they want to go,” he said.