By Tolu Salako
Editorial Page Editor

Driving down Denton Tap Road, citizens of Coppell may notice the huge sign to the right and see the development of new housing and apartments set to be completed by fall 2014: Cypress Waters.

The development of Cypress Waters has been a long five-year process, and after numerous city council meetings, voting and board meetings, Cypress Waters has finally started building multiple apartments and townhomes that have an urban feel.

The land of Cypress Waters was annexed by Dallas over 50 ears ago due to the location of the TXU electric plant. Because of this, the city of Coppell was not aware that the land would ever be developed. The company that purchased the land sold the property that would soon be developed for housing complexes with no regards of establishing some sort of educational facility.

Lawsuits followed as Coppell ISD tried to use part of the land purchased to build a school due to the future population increase.

“Our biggest issue was trying to get a billing lease to purchase land for Lee Elementary,” Coppell ISD Board member Susie Kemp said. “At the beginning [of the lawsuit], they did not consider land for a school which was a major problem. The eminent domain process helped give land for Lee Elementary.”

Coppell High School has already had some overcrowding problems, and a major concern is the increase in the student population in the upcoming years. The groundbreaking for the new elementary school, Lee Elementary, took place on Sept. 12 where Cypress Waters elementary residents will eventually attend.

Seventy-nine people have already signed a lease as of Sept. 17, so the CHS population will not dramatically increase overnight, but will be a gradual occurrence. But the increase in student population is one of the major concerns that board and city members share.

“We hope to start a committee of educators that will meet with a demographer that will essentially look at the numbers,” CHS Principal Mike Jasso said.  “We know that something will happen and we know that we will have to create a facility that will hold kids, but we are not sure what sort of facility as of now.”

With the CISD student population up by approximately 250 people from the 2012-2013 school year, some are concerned with the widening of the “Coppell Bubble” and the fact that “small town of Coppell” will not be so small after all.

“We currently have 79 people that have already set a lease and we move in 10 people in per day,” Cypress Waters property manager Layna Sweet said. “Cypress Waters is in the Coppell ISD district and students living in the neighborhood will attend Coppell schools.”

One of the things that Sweet was very excited to introduce was three neighborhoods in Cypress Waters which will include, Parson Green, Scotch Creek and Sycamore Park. All with a different style, Cypress Water’s hope is for every family to feel at home in at least one of these neighborhoods.

Parson Green will be a neighborhood directed for those starting families. The neighborhood will be centered on the children due to its children music garden, large green spaces and places where kids can be involved in various activities. Scotch Creek is the more modern feel, mostly for the new couples or single individuals with a Creek pool and clubhouse. Lastly, Sycamore Park will be known for its industrial style buildings with a Brooklyn and urban feel. The neighborhood will feature a dog park, outside spaces and an outdoor sand volleyball court.

Seventy percent of Cypress Waters will be one bedroom apartments and the other 30 percent plan to hold single family homes, townhomes and multiple bedroom apartments. It is easy to assume that if only 30 percent of the complex will contain kids attending schools, but with the how massive Cypress Waters is, this increase in population will still be evident.“Cypress Waters is still changing their plan and will be building m

ore townhomes and single family homes, which will increase the number of kids living their,” Kemp said. “An educational facility has to be built because of this.”

Cypress Waters will be one of the biggest changes and projects Coppell will face, and with production already underway, Coppell residents are sure to see some changes with population increase and the establishment of new facilities.