EDITOR’S NOTE: 2007 has been quite a year in and around Denton. From the depths of serious flooding in downtown Denton and other areas in April to the heights of one lucky Denton couple winning the Texas Two Step lottery, news has touched all aspects of our daily lives. Today, we continue to look at all angles of the past year with coverage of governmental issues, some quirky stories, business and the arts. You’ll also find a colorful photographic glimpse of 2007. On Monday, we’ll top off our review with a look at the educational endeavors of the past 12 months.

CHRONOLOGY 

Other noteworthy local government stories from the Denton area in 2007:

Late February — Krum overhauls old utilities infrastructure

Five city contractors undertook a massive overhaul of Krum’s oldest infrastructure, removing lift stations, laying new water and sewer lines and rebuilding roads. The three-year project came together as planned, the City Council said. But council members also said they were frustrated at the lack of communication between the city and the residents, and some residents shared evidence of new water lines that leaked and others reported sewage backing up into homes or yards.

Feb. 27 — Argyle council OKs proposal for two new projects

The Argyle Town Council unanimously approved issuing the request for proposals to develop Argyle Town Center and Creeks of Argyle. Both projects had been progressing slowly, in part because the council was concerned about the high number of houses proposed in both projects.

March 9 — Bill aims to limit city’s ability to sell, market Dyno Dirt

State Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, filed a bill that could have buried Denton’s Dyno Dirt program, but the legislation went nowhere. The Dyno Dirt program converts tree trimmings, leaves and other yard waste from residential collections, along with treated wastewater, into nine soil-conditioning products sold to the public. Other Texas cities, including Plano, have similar operations. Bonnen’s bill would have limited cities’ ability to sell and market such products.

Early April — Shady Shores officials OK new town hall plans

Shady Shores town leaders signed off on the final architectural drawings of their new town hall. Denton-based architect Mark M. Martin anticipated that the new Shady Shores Town Hall would cost about $400,000 to build.

May 1 — Denton City Council approves infill policy

The Denton City Council approved changes to the development code designed to spur growth on vacant lots in older neighborhoods, capping years of work on a hotly debated issue that pitted neighborhood groups against developers. The policy aimed to offer flexibility in development standards for people building on small tracts of empty land inside areas of central Denton, while maintaining compatibility with existing structures.

May 12 and Nov. 6 — Alcohol comes to county shelves

Beer and wine hit the shelves this year in Denton County’s Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, where the residents voted to allow the sale of alcohol. The precinct includes unincorporated land in northern Denton County, the cities of Krum, Sanger, Aubrey and Pilot Point, and in general, most of the northern part of the county. Bartonville and Ponder also approved the sale of beer and wine in May. In November, Argyle voters approved alcohol sales in the town’s restaurants and grocery stores. A majority of Sanger residents voted in November 2006 to allow for alcohol sales in the city. Justin is now the last dry city in the county.

May 15 — Denton council approves sales tax incentive

City Council members unanimously approved giving a $62 million economic incentive package to the developers of the 410-acre Rayzor Ranch retail center. Allegiance Development and city officials both said the Rayzor Ranch project would bring retail in Denton to another level and pump an estimated $244 million in property, sales and hotel/motel taxes into city coffers in 20 years, even with the tax incentive. The council also approved land-use changes to accommodate the development, rejecting claims that it would doom Golden Triangle Mall. Larry Feldman, whose company owns Golden Triangle Mall, vigorously fought the changes.

June 28 — Denton among top in fast-growth cities

Census population estimates showed Denton was the nation’s ninth-fastest-growing large city. Denton’s population surged from 104,264 in July 2005 to 109,561 in July 2006, a rise of 5.1 percent. That placed Denton among the top 10 fastest-growing cities in the United States with populations of 100,000 or more. The city shared the list with two North Texas neighbors: McKinney (No. 2) and Grand Prairie (No. 6).

July 2 — Krum city employees turn over credit cards

Mayor Terri Wilson ordered all Krum city employees to turn over their city credit cards, after learning that the city’s charge account had gone over its prescribed limit. Employees were allowed to still use gas cards to fill city vehicles, but they had to follow a city procedure for purchase orders to buy other equipment or supplies. The Krum City Council’s first independent look at the city’s cash position came in May, when accountants presented the 2006 audit, more than four months later than required by the Texas Local Government Code. Auditors noted that the city had gone over budget by $1.2 million from Oct. 1, 2005, to Sept. 30, 2006, including $170,000 in the fire department. While the council passed no budget amendments to cover those amounts, several city resources were tapped, including unreserved funds, leaving the city with a $286,160 deficit. At the end of September, Krum had $78,508 in its unreserved fund balance, or about two weeks’ worth of spending.

July 17 — Members approve rezoning of mixed-use development

Denton City Council members agreed to rezone 2,120 acres north of Loop 288 to accommodate the planned Hills of Denton mixed-used development. The Hills of Denton is expected to include retail shops and offices bordering Loop 288 in north Denton, along with single-family homes on property to the north. Other planned features include multi-family housing, an amenity center, walking trails and private parks, according to officials with the city and Addison-based Tomlin Investments, which owns the property.

Aug. 20 — Oak Point keeps English-only resolution

A sharply divided Oak Point City Council rejected an attempt to repeal the city’s controversial English-only resolution, despite pleas from residents that the measure was tearing the community apart. A move to rescind the 2-month-old resolution failed on a 2-3 vote, meaning English will remain the city’s official language.

Sept. 4 — Court approves first tax increase in four years

Denton County commissioners unanimously approved the first tax increase since 2003. The higher rate was needed to pay for the $110 million the county borrowed for transportation projects earlier this year, commissioners said.

Sept. 17— Environmentally friendly fire station opens

Denton residents, city leaders and other dignitaries gathered in a spacious engine bay, gazing at what officials called the “firehouse of the future.” Situated on 88 acres just east of Interstate 35W in south Denton, Fire Station No. 7 is the city government’s first “green” building. It earned that certification earlier this year through the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council. The $3.4 million station was built using recycled construction materials and features natural lighting, a 22,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system and a geothermal well system for heating and cooling. Builders also designed it as a healthier environment for firefighters, using paints, adhesives and sealants with reduced chemical emissions.

Oct. 2 — Denton approves new recycling agreement

The City Council approved a deal to bring a regional recycling facility to Denton. The plant is expected to make recycling more profitable in Denton, since materials will no longer have to be hauled out of town.

Nov. 6 — Development to proceed with less pollutant cleanup

The Denton City Council voted 5-1 to endorse a special designation for the southwest corner of Interstate 35 and University Drive to allow development under relaxed environmental cleanup rules. Automobile parts, sheet metal, and pieces of brick and concrete have been found beneath the soil, and tests show elevated levels of arsenic, lead and mercury. As a condition of the designation, Denton is requiring the developer, Dallas-based Standridge Companies, to complete the state’s voluntary cleanup program and meet the next most stringent cleanup rules after those for groundwater. Company representatives have said they plan to spend about $4 million to dig up and replace contaminated soil, but that the designation still would save them a considerable amount of money in cleanup costs.

Nov. 13 — Argyle council nixes proposals to restrict parking, toughen smoking policy

The Argyle Town Council declined to either restrict parking along U.S. Highway 377 or further restrict smoking. Smoking is not permitted in Argyle’s public buildings. The proposed ban would have extended to all buildings that were not private residences, including restaurants and taverns, similar to new no-smoking ordinances in Fort Worth and Southlake. The council also declined to take action on a measure that would have restricted people from parking in the right of way along U.S. 377 since most of Argyle’s businesses have frontage along the thoroughfare, and others have limited options for customer parking.

Dec. 11 — Argyle explores sewer options

Developers of the Canyon Falls and Belmont subdivisions withdrew their petitions for four special taxing districts that they and town officials planned to use to fund a sewer line expansion in the area. Argyle town leaders were left looking for a better way to pay for their nascent partnership with Northlake and Flower Mound in a proposed $17 million Trinity River Authority sewer.

Dec. 19 — Christian ministry sues Denton

The University of North Texas chapter of Chi Alpha, a coed Christian student ministry, is fighting city orders that the group must follow zoning regulations for its house on the corner of West Oak and Miller streets, on grounds that the city is discriminating against its religion. By doing so, the city violates the group’s First and 14th Amendment rights, the group said in a federal lawsuit.

SOURCE: Denton Record-Chronicle archives