Well folks, it’s that magical time again in Frisco—election season—when the lawn signs bloom like spring wildflowers, the political mailers clog our mailboxes faster than credit card offers, and the campaign coffers overfloweth… with cold, hard cash.
But not just any cash. Oh no, we’re talking about that sweet, sweet nectar of the gods: Developer Donation Dollars—a.k.a. Tammy’s Triple D’s.
Yes, in a stunning twist no one saw coming (except literally anyone who has watched city politics for five minutes), Councilwoman Tammy Meinershagen reported a jaw-dropping $40,833.64 in campaign contributions in just the last three months. That’s a lot of yard signs and catered meet-and-greets. But here’s where it gets juicy: $31,041.44—roughly 76%—came from developers who have current or future projects in the pipeline and paving Frisco one luxury development at a time.
Coincidence? Just your average neighborhood bake sale gone wild? Or maybe developers just have an intense passion for local democracy… the kind of passion usually accompanied by architectural renderings and infrastructure impact studies. Why are these developer titans so invested in our humble city council races? Are they just really, really into zoning meetings? Or could it be they know that in Frisco, if you want to shape the skyline, you’ve got to shape the council first?
Let’s put on our rubber gloves and dig through the money trail, one donation at a time—name, company, and what exactly they’re building in our backyard. Spoiler alert: it’s not a public park. Grab your hard hats, folks. It’s time to follow the bulldozers—and the bucks.
$1000: Todd & Heather Lisle: Todd worked at Forvis Accounting until he retired. According to the Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports each year on the city website, “FORVIS, Certified Public Accountants, has issued unmodified (“clean”) opinions on the City of Frisco’s financial statements for the year ended September 30, 2023. The report of the independent auditors is located at the beginning of the Financial Section.”
$2000 Each: Theresa & Michael Sinacola, James Sinacola and Joseph Sinacola – works on projects every day in Frisco for private developers and the city projects.
$3000: Philip Rose – CrossTie Capital (Frisco Fields Development)
$3000: Fehmi and Elizabeth Karahan – Karahan Companies (Frisco Fields Development)
$5000: Robert Shaw – Columbus Realty Partners (Frisco Fields Development)
$5000: Richard Reupke – Partner and Chief Financial Officer at Columbus Realty Partners since the firms inception in 1999. They own Twelve Cowboys Way Luxury Apartments and are involved in PGA/North Fields developing a Class A Multifamily development in Frisco.
In-Kind (Non-Monetary) Donation:
$9,892.34 Craig Hall – Founder of Hall Group For Kickoff Venue/Food/Beverage
Other donors include:
$500: Jason Denton – Local Businessman and on the Frisco CDC Board
$1500: Answer Azam – Local CPA and Former Candidate For Council
Political Expenditures Made:
$5000: Cynergy-Ink ** We could find no company website for this company, no franchise tax id account in Texas and the address but the address comes back to a home registered to a woman whose social media says she does Graphic Design
$2900: Campaign Management Services for a mobile app and we can not find anything on this company but they appear on several candidate campaign finance reports for campaign services.
And there you have it, folks. Just another heartwarming tale of local democracy, where average citizens like you and me—armed with nothing but a mortgage, three kids, and a dog that eats Legos—are expected to go toe-to-toe with deep-pocketed developers who treat campaign donations like they’re dropping quarters into a casino slot machine that spits out zoning variances.
Some residents are tired of wondering why that five-story mixed-use “village” just popped up where the park used to be, or why our street floods every time someone flushes during a light drizzle—maybe, just maybe—we should follow the money (unless you don’t want to ruin the surprise). I know, I know… who has time to read campaign finance reports when “The Bachelor of Frisco Lakes: Retirement Village” is on? We’ve got real problems—like whether our HOA will fine us for leaving your garbage bin out 14 minutes too long. It leaves us no time to wonder why our city council candidate suddenly got $40,000 from developers who wants to turn a pasture into a “luxury lifestyle hub.” That’s just a coincidence! Pure civic enthusiasm!
But hey, democracy’s working just fine. As long as by “democracy,” you mean a handful of land speculators playing Monopoly with real houses, real traffic, and your real tax dollars. We have shouted it from the rooftops of Frisco homes, trying to warn you that when that same candidate tells you they “can’t be bought,” they’re technically telling the truth—because let’s be honest, at this point they’re on layaway. Just waiting to be delivered after the election.
If you hear “Frisco, Texas” what is the first thing that pops into your head? Is it the glitzy new PGA lifestyle we have? Maybe it’s The Frisco Star, oh wait, the Cowboys would need to win a game first. What about The Mix or Grand Park, our bad, those are not built yet. Soon to be new downtown in time for FIFA? Maybe it is none of those things! Maybe you are more pragmatic and think of the CROWN JEWEL … that we are the #1 Safest City, where nothing bad ever happens, or at least that is what the city wants you to believe.
Certainly nothing bad is happening behind the tinted windows of countless “massage” parlors scattered across town, right? Nope, in the city that proudly boasts its title as the #1 safest place to live, there’s absolutely no way anything shady could be going on. If it were, surely our vigilant city council and ever-watchful police force would be all over it, right? Because it’s not like they’d want anything to hurt that squeaky-clean image or anything…
Back in November we received an email tip from one resident who was concerned about the number of POP UP “Massage Parlors” and how they seem to be as popular as the fast-food restaurants on every corner. The resident noted that she went to pick up an RX late one evening and while sitting in her car waiting in line, she noticed a massage business with tinted windows and a scrolling open neon sign saying open until 11pm with men coming and going the whole time.
She felt something was off and was pretty sure illegal activities were happening there, but like many residents turned a blind eye. It was not until her neighbor mentioned something two days later about going there to get a massage and was turned away because they were “busy.” The neighbor noted that there were no cars near the place, and it didn’t make sense. That is when she told her neighbor about her concern and what she saw when picking up her RX earlier that week.
The next day the neighbor who had been refused service texted (still upset) saying she googled the business, and she was shocked when the phone number pulled up sex ads. She texted her screenshots which prompted her to go look it up too! After finding the shocking info she decided to file a report with Frisco PD they were supposed to send her a statement form to fill out but never did. After a few weeks of no response to her call and email, she reported it to us, and we started looking into it!
When you first google the name of the business Massage Aces it appears to be very reputable! It is located at 423 & Stonebrook Parkway behind the CVS Pharmacy. They had a link to their YouTube Channel which showed a nice video of a reputable massage business. A simple search of the business phone number just like the tipster said, brought us to a whole new world.
The business phone number on the website pops up on multiple “other” websites like bodyrubsmap, bedpage, skipthegames, and craigslist. The ads offer massages, sex, clean girls, escorts, and call girls which all link back to the business address 400 Stonebrook Pkwy, and the business phone number. Disturbing pictures of rather young girls in sexually provocative poses and clothing.
We were shocked that this was reported sometime in late October, and nothing was done until the middle of February 2025. The tipster forwarded us the email she sent to Frisco PD, leaving us wondering – what took so long to take action? How many other massage parlors are there in Frisco, just like this? We determined within one day of getting the tip this was a front for a lewd sexually oriented business. Just google the phone number that offers sex in their “CLEAN ROOMS” with “CLEAN GIRLS!” We are left wondering if the issue of being the safest city will be on John Keating’s political mayor when he tries to run for Mayor! Frisco…the home of human trafficking and exploited underage girls! Ladies check your husbands’ receipts, if you see Massage Aces or Sandy Spa, it might be time to talk with them.
Our biggest concern is the safety of these young women being trafficked, the fact that it is 1/2 mile from our schools and backs up to our neighborhoods. At least we can assure you as of this week Frisco PD, Code Enforcement, or Building Inspections did stop by, and the business has a big “red tag” on the door! It was done with little fanfare, not to attract attention to it. The notice is for an “occupancy issue” under the new name Sandy Spa. The red tag notes it is a “sexually oriented business” and closed until further notice. Wouldn’t you like to know what the city and/or Frisco PD did to protect these women? Our guess is not much in hopes of quietly moving them to another city so it’s “not in our #1 backyard!”
Goodbye, 2024, you chaotic overachiever, and hello 2025! Like every New Year, we dive in headfirst and pretend that turning the page in our calendar will suddenly fix our lives! We treat each year like a shiny new model, but are we expecting too much? Gym memberships rise, and vision boards are crafted, and plastered with our new year’s resolutions. Really those “visions” are like drunk promises we know we won’t keep.
By day three or four, we are tired of eating Kale and wish we had the holiday cookies still left in our pantry. One thing that never changes with each new year is that we know whatever promises or commitments we made in good faith will most likely never be met because they are just one of those New Year’s resolutions that fall by the wayside. Cheers to the illusion of change!
As we enter the new year one would hope our City Council members had an epiphany to put the community first over their own self-interests. Soon we will know because a new year also means a new city council election and guess what, it is right around the corner. The first day to file for a place on the ballot is January 15th and the last day to file for a place on the ballot is February 14th. Time will fly and soon it will be April 22nd, the first day to early vote. All of it will come to a close on election day which is May 3rd.
From now through election time, you can expect to hear how the candidates or incumbents will be transparent and represent you the residents. We will hear the same old tired-out slogans such as “We are the #1 this and the #1 that.” You can bet money the incumbents will talk about how “we are the #1 Safest City” and how they have a personal stakeholder position in making that happen. It leaves us wondering if residents will open their eyes to the fact that the city manipulates what we “need to know” versus the truth of what is happening around us! Remember John “Cheating” Keating (who hopes to be our next Mayor) threw the #1, #1, #1 in our face over and over during his election.
Even high-profile NFL athletes are not exempt from being the victims of crime. By now you have heard about the burglaries targeting the homes of NFL players, including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, along with Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Recently, local DFW news stations reported that on December 27th in the affluent upscale Preston Hollow neighborhood, the home of Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was broken into. Reports say the thieves got away with $30,000 worth of jewelry. The FBI has gone as far as to warn the NFL and NBA that players need to increase the security of their homes when they are away playing, and they believe they have connected these burglaries to a “transnational South American theft group.”
The good thing is we can rest easy here in Frisco! We are the #1 SAFEST CITY! That means it would never happen here, right? One might think since Frisco is known as Sports City USA, we could be a target! If something like that happened here, surely the city and Frisco PD would put out a crime alert to warn the residents of Frisco. It would have made the local news stations just like Luca Doncic home break-in. Frisco has several affluent neighborhoods, filled with high-profile players, and I am sure their neighbors would want to know if that happened in their community.
FWB received a tip over the holiday break that it did happen here! In fact, based on the police report, the home burglary took place in our very own affluent community of Stonebriar Country Club. According to one website, residents of SCC enjoy a wealth of amenities in the exclusive guard-gated community that epitomizes luxury with elegant homes and a lifestyle of unparalleled sophistication and tranquility. Residents should know they are not exempt from this kind of potential danger.
When did this happen? November 28th just after Thanksgiving, during the Dallas Cowboys game against the New York Giants at AT&T stadium. The home game started at 4:30 pm and the report states the crime was committed 11/28/24 between the times of 15:05 (3:05 pm) and 20:44 (8:44 pm). Ken Wang is listed as the case officer and the Incident Report number is 24143447. The offense code is listed as Burglary of Habitation. The Frisco Police Report states 8 watches totaling $550,000 along with 2 purses totaling $100,000 were stolen. The remarks state unknown suspect forced entry into a home and stole $700,000 worth of miscellaneous jewelry. Luca Doncic got off easy!
To protect the NFL player, we are not going to release his name or address because his family has been through enough! We can tell you we googled the address, and we were surprised to see it on Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com. One would assume that Realtors who handle multi-million-dollar listings like this would remove the photos once the listing is sold. The images on the Douglas Elliman listing, show the whole home, and the location and access points of the home. Douglas Elliman is a well-known, respected real estate brokerage which is why we are a little surprised the listing agent did not remove the photos after selling it. We are curious if those images could have helped the criminals figure out how to access the home.
I asked my neighbor, a Frisco Realtor if agents usually remove high-end listing photos after a sale. He said that good Realtors are usually proactive and to protect the privacy of both parties after a sale, they request removal of the images on luxury listings. He also told us while the listing agent can request the removal of photos after a home has been sold, there is no guarantee a third-party website will take them down. I asked him how an owner could request the images be removed and he told me owners can google how to remove the pictures of your home from real estate websites and each one has step-by-step instructions on how a homeowner can remove them.
Residents of Frisco had the right to know about a burglary of a habitation where over $700,000 worth of valuables were stolen in our opinion. Frisco PD could have withheld the player’s name and address but a warning to the community. How is it, that every other high-end pro-athlete burglary made the news, and this one didn’t? Did Frisco PD ask the FBI if this could be related to the other high-end thefts? How come we never heard about this burglary on the news?
The city does not point out we are a safe city, they always say we are the #1 safest city and to be honest, it does not feel very safe here anymore. We have had more crimes, shootings, and God knows what else because leaders manipulate want, they want to share so it fits their narrative. Just like they manipulated the sales presentation of Universal Kids. After it passed, residents learned everything they promised changed from the height of rides, the traffic congestion they claim will not happen, and the times the theme park would be open. In Frisco, the NFL stands for Navigating Frisco Lies!
We have told you before you can learn a lot about what the city is trying to do by reviewing city council meeting agendas. We noticed the Frisco City Council approved a master agreement on July 2nd with a company called FW Development LLC. The master agreement provides up to $94.5 million in “PERFORMANCE-BASED INCENTIVES” to the developer of the $660 million mixed-use development known as Fields West. The goal is to ensure the developer adheres to its intended construction timeline and scheduled opening date.
Who is FW Development, LLC or Fields West? Well, it was created by The Karahan Co. which is owned by Fehmi Karahan. According to sources we spoke to inside the city, they believe the project will help achieve the council’s directive to activate North Frisco. The Dallas Business Journal made mention of it, along with that the project is expected to bring in $400 million annually in new sales and purchases for Frisco.
We went back to watch the meeting and we learned that Mayor Jeff Cheney recused himself from the vote. We are guessing he did this because of this known relationship between The Cheney Group and the residential part of Fields (aka The Preserve). However, his little marionettes knew what to do and approved it in a 6-0 vote. After watching the vote, we are curious why John Keating participated in the vote. Remember, he recently recused himself from a Fields vote due a to “conflict” because he was going to be closing soon on a lot in The Preserve.
In the discussion of the project, Keating talked about how he remembers years ago going on a walkthrough of Legacy West with Fehmi Karahan. He remembers the attention to detail in the development from the park benches, to how the bricks were laid in the crosswalk, and how it is lit up at night so it’s safe 24/7.
We are guessing that John Keating does not remember Christina Morris, or better yet could care less to remember her because it is not about his Cowboy Fit Club. Morris went missing in August 2014 from the Legacy West parking garage. In March of 2018, it was announced that remains found in a wooded area of Anna, Texas had been identified as Morris. In March of 2022, there was a shooting of a restaurant at The Shops of Legacy? Safe is relative Mr. Keating!
Keating also noted this was a flagship project that will be great for the surrounding residential neighborhoods to enjoy. Wait, you mean Resident Keating who is about to close on his lot in The Preserve at Fields? Yeah, this is the exact reason WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE RECUSED YOURSELF ALSO!
The next question, what does a developer have to do to earn $94.5 million in “PERFORMANCE-BASED INCENTIVES?” According to the memo on the city council agenda the performance requirements require the developer to construct by a certain date, a minimum of:
350,000 square feet of upscale retail and restaurant space
320,000 square feet of Class A office space; and
1,100 multifamily residential dwelling units (not incentivized)
Where does these $94.5 million dollars come from, the city purse or personal savings account? First, the Separated Materials Sales Tax Grant will provide up to $7 million in City, Frisco Economic Development Corporation, and Frisco Community Development Corporation sales tax revenues generated by project construction material and service purchases. Secondly, the Frisco EDC Qualified Infrastructure Grant will fund up to 50 percent of the cost to construct a planned water feature (not to exceed $2.5 million in incentive value) and up to 50 percent of the cost to construct internal streets built to city standards (not to exceed $10 million in incentive value). Lastly the TIRZ #7 Funding will finance the construction of 3 public parking structures accommodating a minimum of 2,430 public parking spaces to serve the development. This debt service will be funded by TIRZ #7 property tax revenue generated by the Fields West development and supplementary sales tax revenue generated by the Fields West development.
It just leaves us wondering, how do we have all this money? Where is all this money coming from? It is like the city has a SUGAR DADDY funding it! With that said we were told during the recent election that if Proposition A & B passed it would bankrupt the city – so how is it we have money for one thing but not another? Oh wait, Cheney can’t make money or build his stature or status up on our first responders.
If you are from the DFW area you may recognize the name Robert Tilton, an American Televangelist and the former pastor of the Word of Faith Family Church in Farmers Branch. His ministry peaked in the early 90’s and it has been reported his infomercial style church program aired in some 225+ American television markets. It has been reported that Tilton brought in $70 to $80 million dollars per year. The message he pushed upon viewers was the importance of “vows” aka financial commitments to the Tilton ministry. The minimum vow was $1000 but if you wanted to receive a personal “word of knowledge” from Tilton you had to “vow” anywhere from $5k to $10,000 dollars. If you sent a prayer request with a vow, then Tilton claimed to lay on top of the prayer request to heal the weak.
Tilton’s demise came in 1991 when word got out that he may be a fraud or over promising “blessings” to viewers. Some “garbologists” who worked for ABC’s Primetime Live spent over a month dumpster diving outside of Tilton’s many offices and what they found was shocking. Over 10,000 lbs. of prayer request letters cut along the edge with the vow removed and the prayer request still inside the envelope, untouched and discarded in dumpsters. Lawsuits commenced by followers, the Tilton’s headed to divorce court and many felt it was an attempt to protect their assets. Now, why am I reminding you of this Tilton character? Well, he was full of it, kind of like our city council.
For years, our city leadership has made grand promises when it comes to some projects, but then they vanish into a cosmic void, much like matter falling into a black hole. The city has been talking about Grand Park since before most of us were born. Well after several municipal bonds, environmental studies, we have a walking trail, but no grand park (remember like Central Park in NY) or lake as promised. Then there is Wade Park which later become known as Lake Lebanon which sat for years after the developer went belly up. It later became known as The Mix, which we have heard about for the last two years and yet…still nothing but a fence around the property. Then we had the Frisco Theater, a grand place for plays and as of late now Broadway style shows. Well 5 to 7 studies later over 8 years, still nothing! Oh wait, now they want us to buy into a $500+ million theater run by the city on taxpayer dollars. My point is, they council is much like Robert Tilton and his “Word of Faith” ministry who make grand gestures and promises, ask us to pass more bonds, potentially increase our taxes and yet nothing seems to actually be coming together.
Picture of Lake Lebanon (formerly Wade Park) before it rained and filled up with water. Note it is now supposed to be The Mix. Side note we had a lake here it was just not in Grand Park like they promised. Picture by Dallas Morning News
Another example, the city has been talking about the revitalization of Frisco’s Downtown area as far back as 2016-2018. Well, after spending at least $50 to $75,000 visiting different cities to “study their downtown areas” we finally broke ground to fix downtown. The city has dragged its feet since 2016, spending money on tours and trips but only now that FIFA is coming in 2026 is there a push for this project to be done in time so we can look good for the many “visitors” it will bring downtown.
The sad part is we have had Frisco locals take interest and invest in our downtown area way before this city or the council have done anything. While we may not always agree with Donny Churchman, he is one man who has had a passion for downtown and the Frisco Rail District. In a 2018 interview with Lifestyle Frisco, he notes the downtown area has been ignored during all the development. He talked about the name change of downtown Frisco to the Rail District has a lot to do with Frisco’s history and the BNSF railroad and we could not agree more with him on that.
He started investing years ago in the downtown area with The Patio at the Rails and Tower at the Rail, then came the Nack Theater. His overall goal is to “restore downtown Frisco” and it is a passion for him. We are curious how Churchman feels today, with the city bending over backwards offering tax incentives for Rollertown Beerworks, a venue that features a two-level taproom and 4,320 sq ft outdoor beer garden. Did the city break their back for Churchman’s investments. We don’t know but would be curious to find out more.
Along with Churchman, many residents who own historic homes downtown have spent time and money to meticulously renovate and update them while keeping that 1900s charm about them. All this local money and passion bringing life in to downtown, and yet our city has sat on it since 2016. Many of these locals have advocated for something to happen downtown for the last ten years as everything seemed to develop around it. If they can do it then why did it take FIFA coming here for the City of Frisco to finally do something.
The June 2024 announcement of the new grand downtown plan made us wonder, if we went back 5 to 10 years what “priorities” did the city have and which ones have been completed. We found a town hall video discussing the 2018 Top Ten Priorities, which include the following:
1) Implement Traffic Innovation
2) Increase Capital Expenditure Fund
3) Performing Arts Center
4) Downtown revitalization & finish the master plan
5) Grow and expand our Economic Development Corp to go after fortune 500 companies
6) Lower property taxes
7) Development of the North 380 Corridor & its Growth,
8) New facility expansion options like city hall or the library
9) Final master plan for our future parks
10) Legislative Plan to Protect Frisco
Awe, the dreaded word in this town…Traffic! Cheney said the first priority was Traffic Innovation because we have become more congested (DUH!!). The priority aims to use new technologies to help relieve that congestion such as adaptive signal control systems which communicate with cars and autonomous, or self-driving, buses in Frisco by this year, used in the private sector. Seven years later, if you drive Frisco – TRAFFIC SUCKS! Not sure the signal control systems are working, and we don’t have autonomous self-driving buses in Frisco but guess what we do have…ROUND-A-BOUTS and TRAFFIC! If we were grading the city on this priority, they would get a big fat F!
One of the other 2018 Priorities was the Performing Arts Center Strategy. Cheney told Community Impact in 2018 that he would like to see it as a public-private partnership. The article also said they were in the middle of a feasibility study to determine the size and needs of a potential PAC. Well in 2024, we are on our 6th or 7th study, they are proposing a city owned theater at the taxpayer expense, but they hope down the road could be a public-private partnership, and several discussions over the years for a PAC have failed and fallen flat. We would give this a priority a big fat F as well!
The 2018 Priority for finishing the downtown master plan started with them approving a contract with a consulting firm to update the 20-year-old downtown master plan. Cheney told Community Impact at the time that the council and city official plan to continue to work with the private market to explore old downtown Frisco options. Remember, the cool market with a beer garden that Frisco Market developers promised? Well, we have the market but no beer garden and downtown has not changed that much except for the private development by Churchman and residents.
What has the city done downtown? Not much, but now that FIFA is coming, we have a $70 million dollar renovation downtown happening and you can bet it will be finished in time for the visitors to come. We give them a big F for this too. Just look at what they finally say they will commit to in 2024.
The next big priority was the Northern Corridor and creating an identity for it. Cheney told Community Impact that their plan for 2018 was to attract more business and residential developments to the area. Well, they must have known something we didn’t, we are referring to the December 2018 announcement that the PGA of America was relocating its headquarters to the “Northern Corridor” of Frisco. This was a good win for Frisco, and we gave them an A+ for it! However, they get an F for the shady business dealings, friendships, and conflicts of interest that came from some of the development around the new PGA for Cheney and some council members.
As for the expansion of city facilities, we have a new 65-million-dollar library, new court building, city hall in 2023 started an expansion inside and facilities just opened a new building in the last year. As for the masterplan of parks well you can bet Bobblehead Bill got his bikes and trikes trails. As for Grand Park, well that is still…not Grand at all but if you want to see a butterfly you can walk the trail they put in.
Back to Robert Tilton, he was about big words, fancy clothes, and was about “putting on the show” to get your vow. He promised to pray for his flock, but he failed when money took over. What we have learned is that the importance of a project in the City of Frisco is determined by a select few who sit on council. We have also learned they love to talk about things and promise things for many years but the truth is they are failing us as residents. When those sitting on our city council run for office, they each run for their own purpose or passion project. That is okay but they should be representing all of us and the truth is our council only represents the WEST SIDE, which is where you have seen all the investment in the last 5 to 8 years. Why do we say that? Well just ask our council members where they live.
Not one person sitting on our council today lives on the East Side of the tollway or the Collin County side, maybe that has something to do with where all the money is going. They all live in the Denton County side of Frisco which is WEST of the tollway. That’s right folks, Tammy Meinershagen, Laura Rummel, John Keating, Jeff Cheney, Angelia Pelham, Brian Livingston and Bill Woodard all live on the WEST SIDE OF THE TOLLWAY. Maybe that is why they get the PGA and the Frisco Star, and the East Side is getting Universal and Business Warehouses Developments along PGA Parkway.
Unless you are Cheech & Chong who smoke too much weed or ate one too many gummies, then you know when you hear the words Fields Frisco it is referring to Fehmi Karahans development on the Northwest side of Frisco next to the Frisco PGA. According to the Fields Frisco website, Fields is built on the big idea that when you build something so different, so magical and so enticing, they will come. Built on the big idea that pure and simple architecture is elegant, fresh and true to its core. Built on the big idea that the great outdoors is equally as important as the great indoors. So, we’re making both great.
We initially thought that Fehmi Karahan must have liked the movie Field of Dreams. Then we thought, maybe he read our blog Field of Dreams where we told you about a 2019 email involving Mayor Jeff Cheney and the “UNOFFICIAL VIP LOT LIST” he was pitching at fancy dinners. Either way, Fields Frisco is already known for its steep slopes, breathtaking views, and the winding creeks and trails soon to come. Of course, it is also known for being the development with the most exclusive new neighborhood being built called “The Preserve” aka the ESPN lots, that will look over the new PGA Frisco golf courses.
Screenshot
We have been following this development very closely and written several blogs on questionable business relationships that have come from it and “expanded” some political pockets in town. We have also called out our current leadership and their need to recuse them self from certain votes due to potential conflicts of interest we felt existed. You also know we follow the city council meetings closely and review the agendas when they are released looking for hidden agenda items.
When the agenda came out for the January 16, 2024, City Council meeting we reviewed it as normal, and nothing really stood out. Then while watching the council meeting, we were surprised after the reading of Agenda Item #60 when out of nowhere Mayor Cheney and John Keating announced they would be recusing themselves from the vote and discussion on the agenda item. The agenda item reads, “Consider and act upon approval of proposed modifications to Table 4-1 as permitted by Planned Development-280. Zoned Planned Development-280. Neighborhood #3, #52, and #53. Applicant: Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc.” Seems pretty generic right?
What is Agenda Item 60 about? The Preserve at Fields Frisco! We decided to file a PIR for the recusal paperwork to learn more. At the meeting, Mayor Cheney announced he had clients who purchased in The Preserve. The recusal paperwork states he had a conflict with the agenda item as it could have a benefit of ECONOMIC INTERESTS for 1) myself and/or one of more persons related to me or 2) my client or customer. Economic Interest refers to a legal or equitable interest in real property, personal property or contractual rights with a value of more than $50,000.
Then we noticed an asterisk that says for the purpose of Section C of this Affidavit, a “person related to me” refers to a person within the second degree of consanguinity (parent or child, sibling, grandparent) or the second degree of affinity (spouse or in-law). Now this has got our attention because we have said for almost two years that Jeff Cheney had a lot in The Preserve right next door to his best buddy John Keating. We wrote about it in our blog The Preserve Lots and showed you the plat map photo taken from a builder’s office. Cheney has repeatedly denied to the public, the Dallas Morning News, to other outlets about owning any property in The Preserve.
We know Cheney and his brokerage have sold lots in The Preserve which has not stopped him in the past from speaking on agenda items or overseeing council votes on the issue. So why now? Why is Mayor and Real Estate Mogul Jeff Cheney RECUSING himself and claiming ECONOMIC INTEREST now? We are interested in what you think. Do you think Cheney owns a lot in The Preserve? Do you think he could have bought a lot for “some clients” meaning he put in a family member’s name? He knows if we find a lot in his name it will show him as a liar, especially if it is one of those great ESPN lots on the bluff over the 8 hole that sold out rather quickly on the street nicknamed “Billionaires Row.”
Next, we looked at John Keatings recusal paperwork from the same meeting and same agenda item. Remember he announced he had purchased a lot and while the lot was still in the builders name, he would be closing on it in the coming months, so he needed to recuse himself. Keating checked the Real Property option which states, I and/or one or more person’s related to me have an interest in real property with a fair market value of $2500 or more that is involved in the agenda item, or located within 200 feet of that property, and it is reasonably foreseeable that action on the item will have a special economic effect on the value of the property. It then denotes with an asterisk that a “person related to me” refers to a person within the 1st degree meaning a parent, child or spouse.
Our questions for Keating are obvious, he has openly declared on financial forms he was a “househusband” while married to his former wife. After being a stay-at-home dad and cheating on his wife of 20+ years who filed for divorce, he either A) got a lofty divorce settlement to buy a home in the most prestigious new gated community in Frisco or B) won the lottery. While Mr. Keating does have his REAL ESTATE LICENSE NOW, we cannot find any listings he has sold to show he made an income in the last year. We also don’t think military benefits are enough for a home in the new most “exclusive Frisco neighborhood” The Preserve.
Now fast forward to May 7, 2024, and the Consent Agenda Item #16 that reads “Consider and act upon authorizing the City Manager to execute a Third Amendment to the Second Development Agreement by and between the City of Frisco and the following Delaware limited partnerships: FHQ Development Partners LP F/K/A FHQ Holdings LP, Fields Preserve Investment Partners LP, Fields Midtown West Investment Partners LP, Fields Point West Investment Partners LP, Fields Midtown East Investment Partners LP, Fields East Village Investment Partners LP, Fields Point East Investment Partners LP, North Fields Investment Partners, LP, and Fields University Village Investment Partners LP. (CMO/MD)”
Item 16 is a development agreement, between the City and Developer, related to the public infrastructure construction and assessments dated February 10, 2021. In a nutshell, the Developer is responsible for the delivery of certain defined roadways, hike and bike trails and related infrastructure called “Developer Improvements” for the Fields project. We would assume those “Developer Improvements” would have a direct correlation to the value of the properties Cheney’s clients and Keating purchased which means they pulled the item from the consent agenda to recuse themselves from the vote on the item correct? No, they did not and in fact it was Mayor Pro-Tem John Keating who moved to approve the Consent Agenda item with Angelia Pelham seconding his motion. Why did they not pull the item and recuse themselves this time?
Then just two weeks later at the May 21, 2024, council meeting we found Agenda Item 21 on the Consent Agenda which states, “Consider and act upon authorizing the City Manager to modify the Deed of Trust as security in lieu of physical improvements for final acceptance.” We learned the agenda item is also about The Preserve Phase 1 and 2 private gated subdivisions currently under construction. The developer was requesting final acceptance on both phases prior to final completion. The acceptance is for landscaping (including screening; hardscape; plantings of trees, shrubs, sod, plants, etc.; soils; and fine grading), irrigation improvements, sidewalks, barrier-free ramps, pavers, permanent signage, and all other appurtenances and improvements related thereto. A Deed of Trust was approved by Council as a part of the Fields Second Development Agreement.
We can only assume that landscaping and the so-called improvements listed above would also have a direct correlation to the value of the properties Cheney’s clients and John Keating purchased. They obviously pulled the item from the Consent Agenda and then recused themselves, right? Nope! John Keating was the first to recommend passing the consent agenda as is. Should he have voted on this project as it directly affects the “REAL PROPERTY” he now is closing on in The Preserve?
In closing, we would love for you to comment on this blog and answer the following questions. Do you believe Jeff Cheney owns a lot in The Preserve under his name or a relative’s name? Do you think they should have to recuse themself from any item on the agenda that is related to Fields Development? Why do you think after all these years Mayor Jeff Cheney and Real Estate Mogul Cheney is now claiming the need to recuse himself when has had clients buy in this community since it was announced? Agents within his brokerage, that he owns, have sold homes in this community which means he got paid as the broker. Why is there just now a CONFLICT OF INTEREST? Last question, why do you think the city intentionally hides the development names on the Agenda Item? Do you think the agenda’s need to be more forthcoming so citizens can clearly see what is coming before the council?
We saw John Keating today with Mr Nadeem Crook Zaman holding signs supporting Gopal. Gopal has actively funded church burning…
Classic cabal. They so badly want to be modern day mafia. Shame of Jeff Cheney and his cheerleaders.
Ahhhh NO
Doge most all of Denton & Collin county mayors quickly! Help Elon!!!
Not a chance voting for this! The current council, save Brian, are SO OUT OF TOUCH with the normal citizen…