SocraticGadfly: Further notes on The Preserve and Blogging the Nov. 12 Lancaster City Council meeting

November 14, 2006

Further notes on The Preserve and Blogging the Nov. 12 Lancaster City Council meeting

Karen Mitchell said large lots at The Preserve would be bought by executives at The Allen Group’s Dallas Logistics Hub, University of North Texas ― Dallas and Lancaster Airport.

Well, other than the airport manager, I don’t know of ANY executives at Lancaster Airport. While many in the city, including yours truly, would love to see the airport develop into a truly executive airport, that’s a LONG way into the future, if at all.

UNT-D? As noted in this post, its growth rate continues to be slower than desired ― or initially “sold.” Let’s not put too many eggs into that basket.

The Logistics Hub? Let’s wait and see just when The Allen Group starts building, how much it builds, and how many executive jobs it has before we start believing too many promises there, either.

And, as noted here, The Allen Group may just not build out everything it has talked about.

Anyway, Lisa Stephani hit on a number of big issues. A well-organized presentation, in which she even did some nice intellectual judo on some of Ted Wilson’s own stuff.

Finally, a note or two on The Preserve vs. Mills Branch.

No, I don’t believe The Preserve should look just like Mills Branch. But, the idea that Mills Branch has “no development standards,” as Namom Hollis claims, well … “sorry.” Having sat through much, if not all, of every P&Z and City Council meeting on Mills Branch, and having editorially supported it, that’s just not true.

You residents: if it were a choice between Mills Branch standards and current standards The Preserve’s developers propose, for which would you vote?

I mean, it sounds like Hollis is comparing The Preserve to some … to some … to some D.R. Horton development.

I’m sorry.

Oh, and if you can comment on how slow Mills Branch sales are, what’s that say about the top end of The Preserve?

But, but, but … Mills Branch has build-out requirements for its different sizes and prices ranges to all be built out at a roughly equitable rate, and that aren’t segregated by neighborhood.

Now, that said, I don’t necessarily agree with every development angle residents of the southside have. I think you can add dollar value through design quality, materials standards and lot location (yes, somewhat in the general lines of Mills Branch type development) than they may think.

I also don’t like gated communities; I find them snobby, to put it bluntly. Of course, I’ll never make enough money in three lifetimes of working jobs like I do now to ever afford living in such a place.

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