The Promised Land (Part 2)

by | Mar 14, 2023 | Blue Star Land, City Council, Dallas Cowboys, Developements, Developers, Jerry Jones, Politics, Taxpayer Dollars

There are two things that interest me: the relation of people to each other, and the relation of people to land. – Aldo Leopold

Remember that the land value of a piece of property includes both the value of the land itself as well as any improvements that have been made to it or around it, one could assume land around The Star would dramatically increase in value as the development came together and was completed.  Ready for the kicker, would it surprise you that the city sold the piece of land in question which is estimated to be worth $2.7 million to Blue Star Land Phase III for the sale price of $597,912.00 plus the city’s carrying cost of interest over the years?  At the time of the sale in 2019 it was all over the news, but did Frisco residents really pay attention?  Probably not and truthfully I had no clue until my curious nature got the best of me and I started looking into things last year.  Reading this, do you think it sounds like a win?  In theory yes, Frisco sold the land which will yield a substantial potential tax revenue.   

Stop the time clock, it is time for a replay so you can understand why Frisco residents should care.  First, if the city decided to sell that land no matter who bought it and developed it into an office building the city would be taking an asset generating no revenue and turning it into a cash-generating tax site.  We would not have lost an opportunity for the potential $190,000,000 in tax revenue.

Second, the city purchased all this land along the tollway years ago with taxpayer money as a future investment.  Selling it for the price we paid plus carrying costs seems to dilute the point of the purchase.  The Dallas Morning News reported the market value was an estimated $2.7 million and we sold it for $600,000 which means we gave away $2.1 million dollars of taxpayer money.  Anyone looking at this with basic common sense would see the land sale plus the potential tax revenue as a blockbuster achievement.   Sherlock Holmes might say, “Elementary, my dear Watson that is a win-win for the city and residents.” 

On the flip side, if you’re a DFW local then you know Jerry Jones, and his reputation for being a little pompous, arrogant, vain, egocentric, and self-centered.  He is not afraid to say what he thinks, show off or even be offensive at times.  It is “Jerry’s World”, and we are lucky to be in it and it has been that way for years.  He has worked hard, built an empire, and achieved the American Dream and he has every right to act or celebrate that the way he wants.  Keeping in mind Jones’s famous ego if the city did a public sale of the 2.4933 acres of land with direct views of Jerry’s empire including the player’s practice fields, do you think Jones would ever let anyone else buy it or develop it?  He would do whatever he had to do to protect his STAR!  That makes those 2.4933 acres a rare invaluable treasure that is irreplaceable to Jones.   Other developers would also see the value of that land and they would come out of the woodwork, and it could potentially create a bidding war for the holy grail tract of land.  Can you imagine what it potentially could have sold for?

We are left with so many questions, the first being who the real winner in this deal was.  Clearly, it is Blue Star Land.  The city is going to say the potential tax revenue outweighs the loss of profit on the land sale but as a taxpayer, I disagree.  I see the Superbowl moment for Frisco residents being the profit of the land sale and still achieving the potential tax revenue. 

Mayor Jeff Cheney has said multiple times over the years that the Dallas Cowboys moving to Frisco would create a “halo effect” for our local economy.  That means it would form a positive cognitive bias that would increase the city’s presence, brand, and attributes making it attractive to other developers and Fortune 500 businesses, so they would want to be and call Frisco home. That leads to my next question, which is logically thinking if we had to recruit businesses by offering oversized incentives before, then what does the “halo effect” do for us now?  Does it mean we will not have to dole out large incentives or deals as we had in the past?

Then I thought of marketing, the Dallas Cowboys logo, and the brand is one of the most famous in the world, and companies pay big bucks to do partnership deals with America’s Team.  In 1995 Jones had deals with Nike, Pepsi, American Express, and AT&T that were worth more than $60 million.  In 2013, AT&T bought the naming rights to the Cowboys Stadium for up to $20 million a year.  In 2022, it was reported that the Cowboys grossed $220 million in stadium ads and sponsorship revenue.  They also have million-dollar deals with WinStar World Casino, Lincoln Motor Company, Ford, Omni Hotels and Resorts and we could go on and on.  So surely in all these deals or incentive packages the city worked out something where we could put the Cowboy’s famous Blue Star on The City of Frisco webpage with a tagline “Home To The Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters” or when you open the Frisco EDC webpage to show off and increase the so-called “halo effect” to future companies looking to relocate to our great city.  A quick surf of our sites there are pictures of The Star but none of the famous and iconic Cowboys branding.  Nope, nothing, zilch!

What I did find interesting is a 2021 Dallas Morning News article talking about Monument Realty and how they were named the Official Real Estate Company of the Texas Rangers and you guessed it, the Dallas Cowboys.  Dak Prescott is listed as its “chief quarterback officer” and The Cheney Group hangs its hat there.  We are awe-struck really because we know that had to cost them a pretty penny to obtain those deals.  I mean one would assume that based on the millions of dollars other companies have to pay for partnership deals with these sports teams.

Halftime Show

by | Mar 14, 2023 | Politics, Public Information Requests

When we created Frisco Chronicles the goal was to get some simple questions addressed and expose some shady shit. What is our local governments purpose? Why do citizens have a lack of trust in our local city government? Why is our city so afraid of a transparent government? Why is our city afraid of ethics enforcement? Do we have an open budget process and our residents tax dollars being spent wisely? Why do residents have a fear of speaking up or calling out our leaders for what they believe is toxic or negative behavior? Is the business we are doing in public-private partnerships with reputable developers and companies? Why does our city charge and “arm and leg” for a Public Information Request and why are the prices differ depending on who files it? Why is everything from our leadership a sales pitch versus a fact finding to hear what residents want? We could go on … and on … an on but we won’t put you through that.

Corruption is widely defined as a breach of the public’s trust by government officials who use their public office to obtain personal gain. It is dishonest or sometimes illegal behavior by those in power which can affect the performance of local government and it erodes trust and weakens democracy.

Transparent governance means that government officials act openly, with citizens knowledge of the decision the officials are making. Important components include the availability of information on government policies and actions, a clear sense of organizational responsibility, and an assurance that governments are efficiently administered and free of systemic corruption. Transparent governance is important to local governments and the communities they serve because corruption threatens good governance, leads to the misallocation of resources, harms public and private sector development, and distorts public policy. 

Frisco Chronicles would love to hear from you! Do you have a blog idea or evidence of something shitty and/or shady going on? Confidentiality is of the utmost importance to us no matter who submits it (even if we are not too fond of you)! At Frisco’s Shady Shit, your secrets are safe with us! Please reach out to us by leaving a comment on a blog, send a direct message via our contact us page, or email us at FriscoWhistleBlower@protonmail.com

Now back to regular programming of The Promised Land (Part Two)

The Promised Land

by | Mar 13, 2023 | Blue Star Land, City Council, Community Development Corp, Developements, Developers, Economic Development Corp, Jerry Jones, Politics, The Star

Margaret Mitchell, the Author of Gone With The Wind said “Land is the only thing in the world that amounts to anything, for it’s the only thing in the world that lasts. It’s the only thing worth working for, worth fighting for..”  Mitchell was right which is why for anyone who resides here or immigrates here, it is considered the American Dream to own just a slice of the pie.

Now imagine it is 1987, your name is Dan Lansing and you are living on a farmstead that your grandfather and his descendants owned since 1906. You spent the day on the tractor like many other days and now you are relaxing when you hear a knock at the door of your farmhouse.  Is your first instinct to think this knock could change my life forever?  Probably not, but for Joe Lansing, the knock would change his life forever.  Standing before him was a woman who worked for the local film office, and she had been deployed to drive the dusty gravel roads in search of just the right eye candy when she spotted what she later would tell the film studios was the “holy grail!”  A white clapboard, two-story farmhouse nestled against a hillside with the iconic red barn nearby and plenty of cornfields.  Sue Riedel introduced herself and said she was a scout for Universal Studios and that they might want to come here and film a movie, would that be OK?   Lansing responded, “Are you crazy?”  That day changed everything for the Lansing farm located at 28995 Lansing Road. 

What would happen next is the Field of Dreams. Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella is inspired by a voice he can’t ignore as he walks through the corn fields doing a regular inspection.  “If you build it, he will come.”  Kinsella plows his field and builds a ballpark which will later save his family farm.  The final iconic shot of the film showed the ghost players emerging from the corn fields for a ballgame.  Dan and his wife Becky later sold the land for a rumored $5.4 million to Ballpark Heaven who wanted to turn it into a $74 million baseball and softball complex to draw tournaments from all over the country.  Even today, the mythical Field of Dreams has spawned thousands of people to visit Dyersville, Iowa every year and it is one of the top 10 attractions in the state.  The movie Field of Dreams changed life for the Lansing family forever and residents of Frisco would be surprised to learn that Dan and Becky lived in Frisco for a period after selling the Iowa property. 

Land in Texas is undergoing a fundamental change, one that has implications for rural economics, food security, and the conservation of water and other natural resources. Texas Land Trends reports that from 1997 to 2017 the Texas population increased by 48% which means we continue to see land loss as urban development takes over.  The land value of a piece of property includes both the value of the land itself as well as any improvements that have been made to it.  So many different factors can affect land value such as an increase in demand that exceeds the supply of land, if a movie is filmed on it, oil can be found under the soil, or because of nearby developments.  

Remember in our blog, Frisco, Are You Ready For Some Football we said to make a mental note of a land deal that took place in February 2019.   Remember the timeline, The Star was approved in August 2013, and the Dallas Cowboys moved into the new corporate headquarters and training facility with a 12,000-seat stadium in August 2016.  The following year in May of 2017, the city council approved 12 Cowboys Way, The Stars luxury high-rise community.  The Entertainment District at The Star held its grand opening weekend-long event in March 2018.   

In February 2019, the council had two agenda items before them relating to Jerry Jones and his Blue Star companies which included,

  1. Consider and act upon a contract of sale by and between Blue Star Land Phase III, LLC and the City of Frisco for the purchase of a 2.4933-acre tract of land.
  2. Consider and act upon a Chapter 380 Agreement by and between Blue Star Land Phase III, LLC and the City of Frisco related to the purchase of a 2.4933-acre tract of land.

First question, where is the 2.4933-acre tract of land?  If you drive up The Star Boulevard you look directly at the Tostitos Championship Plaza which replicates a football field and directly behind it you see The Ford Center a 12,000-seat stadium.  To the left of The Ford Center are the two practice fields that sit directly behind the Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters.  Directly behind those fields is a 2.4933-acre tract of land (along Hall of Fame Lane) that the city owns and is allowing the Cowboys to use as a player’s parking lot only.   

Second question, what is the benefit to taxpayers?  According to Ron Patterson, President of the Frisco Economic Development Corp., the estimated value of the proposed future office building will be approximately $190,000,000. Blue Star Land committed to having the project done and ready to move into as early as 2021.  

Doesn’t sound like a bad deal right? Well, you have not heard the kicker yet which will talk about in our next blog after the Halftime Show. Stay Tuned!

Frisco, Are You Ready For Some Football?

by | Mar 10, 2023 | 12 Cowboys Way, Blue Star Land, Campaign Donations, Campaign Finance Reports, Community Development Corp, Dallas Cowboys, Developements, Developers, Economic Development Corp, Jerry Jones, Politics, The Star

Click Bait is an eye-catching headline designed to entice a reader’s interest, so they click on a hyperlink that redirects them to some interesting or exciting content.  It can be innocent or sinister depending on how it is used. For example, you would likely click on a headline that read World Naked Gardening Day vs a headline like Weekend Gardner.  The headline is meant to drive traffic, therefore increasing readership or potential revenue from advertising.  So what did you think when you read the headline, “Frisco, are you ready for some football?” Surely after reading some of our blogs, you probably thought we might be about to drop some shady shit on the King Pins of Football, and you could be right.  As Jimmy Johnson would say, “how bout dem cowboys!”

Enigma is a person that is mysterious, difficult to understand, or hard to explain. For years at local watering holes (bars) in the DFW area, the Enigma of J.R. Ewing and Jerry Jones has often been talked about.  While we know J.R. is only a character in the hit show Dallas, the rise of Jerry Jones and his empire is very real!  Most know Jones for his ownership of America’s Team the Dallas Cowboys but there is much more to the billionaire businessman.  It has been reported that in the 1970s Jones made his first millions in oil.  In 2018, Jones became the controlling shareholder in Comstock Resources which is a publicly traded Texas oil and gas company.  In 2013, local TV news station WFAA reported Blue Star Land owned by Jones had at least 1200 acres across Frisco, Prosper, and Celina.  According to its website Blue Star Land and Development is a full-service real estate brokerage. Rex Real Estate brought the Jones family to Frisco in 1994 when they purchased the land for the master-planned community Starwood.  They have since developed two other communities with Star Creek in Allen, and Star Trail in Prosper.  Blue Star is also the developer behind The Gates of Prosper a major regional shopping area. On the industrial / commercial side Blue Star Land purchased Star Business Park off Rockhill and Preston in Frisco which is home to a new merchandise distribution center for the Dallas Cowboys along with The Star in Frisco.  In 2015, Jones opened Blue Star Payment Solutions with the goal of offering first-class merchant services.  Lastly, it is rumored that Jones is an avid art collector and his rare collection includes a few Picassos,  Renoir, Matisse, and Norman Rockwall’s “Coin Toss.”  At 80 years old Forbes estimates his net worth to be around $13 Billion.  Not bad for a kid who grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas, and played football in college for the Arkansas Razorbacks. 

In 1989, Hank Williams reworked his country-rock song to include the catchphrase “are you ready for some football!”  The catchy phrase soon became an NFL viewing tradition at the opening of Monday Night Football.  Well Sports City USA was ready for some football! Frisco was ready for a seat at the table in 2013, when Stephen Jones, CEO of the Dallas Cowboys realized it was time to move because the team had outgrown the Valley Ranch facility they had called home since 1985. So, how did the Cowboys end up coming to Frisco? 

There are several variations to the story depending on whom you ask.  What we have heard is two men, Rex Glendenning and Matthew Kiran of Rex Real Estate had a longtime relationship with Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.  It is believed Rex Real Estate helped Jerry Jones’ companies like Blue Star Land buy up land in Denton and Colin County for years. A Dallas Morning News article in February of 2023 called Rex Glendenning the “king of land sales” in North Texas’ fastest-growing communities. Rex Glendenning and Matthew Kiran attended a meeting at Valley Ranch and learned the Cowboys were quietly looking for a new home.  On a drive back from Valley Ranch The Rex Real Estate duo had an epiphany as they crossed 121 and looked at each other and said this is where the future “Gridiron” Cowboys project needs to be.  Made sense the City of Frisco owned 91 acres just off the Tollway and they knew the city had no plans after the negotiations fell apart in the “Red Zone” with Nebraska Furniture Mart.  It was time for the Wildcat play which is where the quarterback lines up as the wide receiver and the running back take the snap from the center.  The Rex Real Estate team made their pitch to Jim Gandy, President of the Frisco Economic Development Corporation.  The Super Bowl moment came late in 2013 when the parties reached an agreement and America’s Team officially announced Frisco’s Sports City USA would be their new home.

The 91-acre mixed-use project included 66 acres of retail, a 5-acre headquarters, a 20-acre multi-use event center, and a hotel. In the deal, the city pledged $60 million and would retain ownership of the indoor stadium and Frisco ISD contributed $30 million.  The final price tag for the total Ford Center was more than $263 million.  Talk about a “win-win” for Frisco, Texas when five years later The Star celebrated its grand opening with the pomp and circumstance befitting of the one and only Jerry Jones.

As usual, we were curious about the play clock (aka timeline) of the project compared to any campaign contributions received by those on the council. We reviewed the campaign finance reports which are public records on the City of Frisco’s website. 

August 12, 2013: Frisco CDC, City Council, and Frisco EDC approve The Star

2016: Ford Center @ The Star has Grand Opening

May 11, 2017:  Cheney receives a $10,000 campaign contribution from Rex Glendenning (Rex Real Estate)

August 22, 2017: P&Z Approves 12 Cowboys Way

What is 12 Cowboys Way?  It is a joint venture between  Jerry Jones and Dallas developer Columbus Realty which is owned by former players Roger Staubach and Robert Shaw.  The stunning architecture of the 17-story luxury residential tower, the first of its kind in Frisco, will have 160 urban units where rent begins at $2700 per month.  Amenities include 24-hour concierge service, covered parking, dog park and dog wash, valet parking, grocery delivery service, and dry-cleaning service.  Not to mention discounts at restaurants at The Star and a Cowboys Club membership. 

September 9, 2017: City Council Approves 12 Cowboys Way

January 25, 2018: Mayor Cheney receives a $1000 campaign contribution from Matthew Kiran and $2500 from Rex Glendenning (Rex Real Estate Team)

March 5, 2018: Mayor Cheney receives a $500 campaign contribution from Rex Glendenning (Rex Real Estate)

March 5, 2018:  Councilman John Keating receives a $500 campaign contribution from Rex Glendenning (Rex Real Estate)

April 6, 2018: Councilman Keating receives $2500 from Jim Williams (LandPlan – Founder)

Who is Jim Williams?  Williams played football with Jerry and Jimmy at Walton College. His partner Bruce Smith was Vice President & General Manager of Blue Star Land (Jerry Jones company). 

May 6, 2018: Councilman Keating receives (2) two $1000 donations from Rex Glendenning (Rex Real Estate)

August 2018: City Council Approves Cowboys 400,000 Sq Ft. Dallas Cowboys Merchandising  Distribution Center

**The city approved a 50 percent ad valorem tax grant and a 50 percent sales tax grant for a 10-year period.

February 19, 2019: City Council Approves Cowboys Land Deal – Office Building

**Make a mental note of this one because it will be important later.

March 7, 2019: Councilman Keating receives a $2500 campaign contribution from Jim Williams (LandPlan – Founder)

March 19, 2019: Mayor Cheney receives two campaign contributions, one for $2500, the second for $100 from Jim Williams (LandPlan – Founder)

October 17, 2019: Mayor Cheney receives a $1000 campaign contribution from Rex Glendenning (Rex Real Estate)

January 30, 2020: Mayor Cheney receives a $2500 campaign contribution from Robert Shaw and $1000 from Richard Reupke

Who is Robert Shaw and Richard Reupke?  Shaw is also a Managing Partner of Columbus Realty Partners and he was a first-round draft pick for the Dallas Cowboys in 1979 where he played for three years.  Reupke is a partner and Chief Financial Officer at Columbus Realty Partners.  Both are advisors for Staubach Capital (12 Cowboys Way). 

2020: Robert Cox then Planning & Zoning Commissioner running for Council received $350 from Kiran and $1000 from Hickman

January 25, 2021: Angelia Pelham received a $3000 campaign contribution from Jim Williams (LandPlan – Founder)

In the movie Jerry Maguire, Rod Tidwell played by Cuba Gooding, Jr., is not thrilled with his agent’s performance so he wants his agent Jerry to convince him to stay on as a client.  Jerry asks what he can do to convince him, and Rod said, “Show me the money.”  He then made Jerry repeat it over and over, louder, and louder until everyone in the office had thought Jerry lost his mind.  If only it were as simple as it appears in the movies.  The investigative process is a progression of activities or steps moving from evidence-gathering tasks to information analysis, to theory development and validation.  The goal is to form a reasonable belief based on the evidence in front of you.  The truth is we are not professionals, so we lack the expertise of real investigators but as we said before we are smart enough to follow the yellow brick road. 

First, we looked for donations that occurred within a few months of a vote.  For example, Cheney received $10,000 dollars from Rex Glendenning (Rex Real Estate) roughly 3 months before the P&Z vote in August 2017 and 4 months before the City Council approved the 12 Cowboys Way project in September 2017.  Then about 3 ½ months after the vote, he received another $2500 from Glendenning and $1000 from his partner Kiran.  Depending on the lens someone is looking through the timing could look fine, or it could look like a pay-2-play situation.  Cheney just won the election, so he is not campaigning anymore. Why when there is a project coming before the council did they decide to donate?   Glendenning also donated $1000 in October 2019 but that was not in close proximity to a vote.

In February 2019, the council voted to approve the land deal with Blue Star. Then exactly one month later Williams who has a clear connection to Jones made two donations on the same day to Cheney’s campaign.  The first was for $2500 and the second for $1000.  To those with basic common sense, again the timing of one month looks bad and now we are seeing similar things between different developments.

Keating also received donations from players in these projects.  In March 2018, Glendenning donated $500, and then in May 2018, he made two donations each for $1000 on the same day.  In April 2018, Williams also donated $2500 to Keating’s campaign. The vote for the Blue Star distribution center was not until August 2018 so one could argue there is enough time between the last donation and the actual vote.  However, with a total of $5000 in donations three months before the vote we would argue something doesn’t smell right in Frisco.

Angelia Pelham one of the newest members of the council also received a $3000 donation from Jim Williams in January 2021.  This donation occurred during her campaign and looks completely justifiable as she was not able to vote at the time for any projects.  From our perspective, Cheney needed Pelham on the council because she would vote on future projects with Cheney whereas the other candidate would not have been so easy to win over.  It is also interesting that Pelham who was sworn in on June 15, 2021, became Deputy Mayor Pro Tem so quickly when other council members like Livingston, Woodard, or Keating have years of experience on the council.  In that position, it is her job to stand in for the mayor when they are unable to chair a council meeting or attend an event.  A few more years of experience under her belt on council would make more sense but we can only assume Cheney needed her as his right hand.

What we found interesting is that going back through both Cheney and Keating campaign reports to 2013 we could not find any other previous contributions from these donors, so why now?  Patterns are predictable repetitions that repeat at least once or twice or occur repeatedly at regular intervals.  The legal definition for the pattern of behavior means behavior by one party in a relationship that is used to establish power and control over another person.  One could argue that when you are the mayor you have a lot of power and control to get things done. We are not accusing anyone of doing something illegal but, it is our opinion that there is at least a reoccurring appearance of improprieties and if perception can be the reality then that would not bode well for either of men. 

The Universal Mystery Machine (updated)

by | Mar 7, 2023 | City Council, Community Development Corp, Developements, Developers, Economic Development Corp, Politics, Universal Kids

Imagine yourself in a period of time that was in filled with generational conflict, the Vietnam War, and Nixon was president.  Four teenagers, Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy are driving around in a van with a Great Dane dog looking to solve mysteries.  Little did anyone know that a cartoon called Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? would become a cult classic and last for generations.  Who wouldn’t want to be in a crime-fighting gang with a dog that says “Ruh-roh-Raggy” and has a decked-out van called The Mystery Machine? 

I remember sitting on the couch in the basement watching my favorite cartoon Scooby Doo when my older brother and his two friends came down to join me. They wanted to hide out so they could smoke some dope aka marijuana.  The episode had  Shaggy and Scooby in the mystery machine with smoke pouring out the top.  Inside they were grilling some munchies and the two started to freak out when detectives start banging on the van door.  My brother and his friends were laughing hysterically at the television and I could not help but laugh hysterically at them because I thought they were idiots.  There is no point in me telling you this other than I just loved watching the cartoon gang solve a new mystery in every episode and it had me hooked.

Reading this you are probably wondering what does this have to do with Frisco?  Well on January 11th the City of Frisco and NBC Universal Parks and Resorts made a colossal announcement that a new park was coming to Frisco.  To be honest, since my kids are grown I have not paid much attention to it because I am not visiting a park of that nature anytime soon. But in the last week I have received several notes through the site asking our opinion about Universal, some dropped tidbits on Universal to us, and then today, my wife comes running into my office saying I must read what is on the tweets about Universal.  Tweets are her universal language for social media like Facebook.  I read several different posts talking about the crucial meeting tonight and it was paramount that people show up to have their voices heard. Curious to know more, I spent several hours this morning doing some research looking at old posts, visiting the city’s website, and reading the agenda and documents for tonight’s meeting.

The January 11, 2023 announcement came across as this was a “done deal” which means a plan or project that has been completed or arranged and that cannot be changed.  Truth is the project at that time had not been put before planning & zoning or the city council.  It was truly misleading to the residents and the public far and wide in Texas.  The result was a very mixed reaction, some being happy and some being downright angry.  The city is offering $12.7 million incentive package which is generally normal but based on the split of how residents feel regarding this project I don’t think we should be offering an incentive package.

Representatives of the city on social media sold Universal to the public one way but when reading the Development Agreement attached to tonight’s agenda, they have not been transparent, and the truth is far from what they have sold to the public. Let me give you some examples of what I read on social media from city council members versus what is in the actual agreement being laid out this evening.

  1. The city said the park was aimed at children 3 to 9 years old but the agreement says it was developed for young children 3 to 11 years old. 
  2. The city has said the park hours would be from 10 am to 6 pm and would not have late hours.  The agreement states the “developer’s intent” is to primarily operate the majority of the weekdays with the posted hours of operation for ticketed users between the hours of 10:00 am and 6:00 pm local time.   Residents read it again carefully as the highlighted words are key in this.
  3. However the “actual hours will vary” throughout the year based on demand, seasonality, holidays, peak periods, and weekdays/weekends, but in no event shall the theme park opening time be earlier than 9:00 am (except for hotel guests and annual passholders) which the opening time may be as early as 8:00 am local time.  The theme park closing time will not be later than 9:00 pm local time (except for up to twenty (20) days) during the calendar year when they are permitted to close no later than 10:00 pm local time.  What this means is they can say “summertime” is a peak period and now they can stay open until 9 pm.  They can use July 4, Thanksgiving, and Christmas as peak periods to stay open until 9 pm.  They can stay open late on a holiday (defined as a Frisco ISD school holiday).  Truthfully with the way it is written, they can be open all year until 9 pm if they just claim it to be based on demand, seasonality, holidays, and peak periods.
  4. The city has said no dark rides, no big buildings, and no tall roller coaster rides (40 – 50 feet maximum).  The agreement states all amusement rides, entertainment experiences and all portions of structures designed to be occupied by humans in Theme Park Area A shall not exceed a height of 80 feet.  Structures designed not to be occupied by humans shall not exceed 100 feet.   Just based on a simple google search I learned that 80 feet is equal to a 7-story building.  I am guessing that is not what neighbors were expecting.
  5. The agreement states all amusement rides, entertainment experiences and all portions of structures in Theme Park Area B shall not exceed a height of 100 feet.
  6. The city has said no parades, no fireworks, an inward environment (not outside), and that noise level to the outside would be almost non-existent because the sound would be isolated even within the park.  The city agreement states that permitted uses include parades, outdoor concerts, and shows, amusement rides, and permanent or temporary exhibits.  It also says about the noise they must comply with the City Noise Ordinance (who knows what that is).  I am old but I am pretty sure parades and outdoor concerts are not what nearby neighbors want near their homes.

After doing the research I told my wife I agree with most online users (which is rare) that this is a bait-and-switch to what most folks have been told.  I also saw some other areas of concern that some may overlook such as asphalt parking.  It says they must follow the zoning ordinance which requires parking to be concrete but temporary parking may be of an alternate material when approved by the Director of Engineering Services.  My other area of concern is the delivery hours as we learned the hard way living in Grayhawk near a Walmart. You can hear the delivery trucks all night long.  The agreement states the city cannot restrict public roadways or delivery hours and if residents have a problem with the noise they can call the police department.  It also states Universal will work to reduce the impact on nearby residents. 

One thing is clear, we are still having transparency issues, and it appears the public has been misled about what this project entails.  There are many loopholes and all of them help the city and Universal. The city is hoping residents are too stupid to read the paperwork. Just one old man’s opinion, the residents are being bamboozled and should be extremely angry, especially those living nearby.  

UPDATE: We watched tonight’s Special Joint City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting on FTVN. I am not sure if I would call it a train wreck, shipwreck, or victory. The meeting lasted several hours. Two residents spoke in favor of passing it but the remaining were all opposed. It was quickly apparent that many residents had many of the same concerns that we did and there was a lot of hostility toward the Mayor. Planning and Zoning passed it 5-0 and then the City Council passed it 4-1-1 meaning 4 yes, 1 no, and 1 abstained.

We were surprised only one resident mentioned the city’s right to free use of the theme park for an employee event on an agreed-upon date. Section 36.02 of the Texas Penal Code makes it a crime of bribery for a person to offer, confer, or agree to confer, or for a public official or employee to accept, agree to accept, or solicit, any benefit as consideration for a decision, opinion, recommendation, vote or another exercise of discretion. Ruh-roh-RAGGY! Clearly, the agreement states the city’s right to free use which could be seen as an offer or benefit for consideration for a decision. Hopefully, a resident will file a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission.

John Pavle, one of the opposed speakers spoke with passion, vigor and true concern. He pointed out how this was shoved down residents throats, and that the people of Frisco are being exploited for money. He went on to say the evening was a dog and pony show, and for Cheney and the council to stop telling residents what they want and instead listen to the residents who are telling them what they want. The best part was when he actually looked directly at the entire council and told them he would hold each of them accountable when election time came and he promised the Mayor if he voted yes that he would not be sitting in that seat much longer. Mr. Pavle thank you for speaking your truth and for those of us at Frisco Chronicles we agree with you. It is time for residents to make their voices heard at the ballot box.

Jon Kendall Chair of P&Z said this is a destination city and your right it is sir, but it is also our home and that is what you are forgetting. Jake Petras another commissioner spoke and said he spent quite a bit of time reviewing everything for this project and gave it proper due diligence to ensure he understands everything. Well, tonight FC was sent a Facebook post that clearly shows Mr. Petras had made up his mind about 5 days after the Jan 11 announcement which we find interesting since no one knew what the hell was being proposed yet. If that is due diligence we are screwed. Steve Cone another commissioner who is also a resident of one of the nearby neighborhoods spoke and had the most valid pros and cons of the evening. Hopefully, he has a friend named Wilson since he is about to be Cast Away by his neighbors.

The last portion was the council’s input and the one thing repeated over and over was how they all appreciated the neighbor’s professionalism and courtesy in which they approached the situation. It was a little condescending, to be honest, did you think they were going to behave like a group of wild monkeys in the Amazon forest? Cheney said if they had to do it all over again they probably would have rolled it out differently and would have asked for more liberty on what they could share. Really Sherlock? You don’t need to share more but what you do share needs to be accurate. Looking at your very detailed Facebook Post from Jan 20 we see 10 am to 6 pm & no late night hours (actually it is 8 am to 9 pm), 300 room hotel (which can now be up to 600 with a second phase), target audience 3 – 9 (actually 3 – 11), no tall roller coasters max will be 40 – 50 feet (actually 80 feet big difference) and several of these things you mention more than once in that post. Here is an idea, how about you stop grandstanding and trying to oversell a project and just get the accurate information to share? Now you want people to trust your traffic report, trust that the council is doing what is best for residents, and trust city leaders – why should they? It is very clear since Jan 11 that this has been a shit show of false information.

Pelham said we could have done this differently and did we give the impression this was a done deal when it was announced, “Perhaps, Lesson Learned.” She had no empathy in her voice or facial expression like it was not a big deal because they tried to course-correct the situation. With all due respect, not a good enough answer because that announcement traveled around the world far beyond the borders of Frisco. Then you have the audacity to speak to John from Universal about how he gave his word on some concessions to the residents that are not written in the SUP and you hope he keeps his word because you will remember if he doesn’t the next time he appears before the council. Residents remember too Ms. Pelham, they will remember being lied to and misled the next time you stand in front of them and ask for their vote. Telling him his integrity is on the line and that he should honor and respect our home, all the while you are not respecting or honoring the residents before you who are asking you to protect their home and qualify of life is very hypocritical.

Livingston said he liked the project but he could not support the location near Cobb Hill and therefore he would be voting NO! Rummel wanted to table it although we are not sure what that would have done. Keating cried and said how emotionally impacted he was by Commission Cone’s words that evening, wait what? Where was his emotion for the residents who have stood before him pleading to save their neighborhood, and maintain their quality of life? Oh yeah, he went to the beach on vacation and never meet with the residents. Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya, Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama, Key Largo, Montego Baby, why don’t we go anywhere other than Cobb Hill?

The conclusion, everything came back to the economic value the project will bring our city. Yet our city is flush today and will continue to be off the many businesses here so saying no to one business, is not going to destroy our city economically. Money is the best motivator and that is some shady shit!