By Kara Hallam

Staff Writer

In Coppell, it can seem like the only land left untouched by construction is the narrow space between houses which are crammed together to fit as many real estate gems into one place as possible.

Coppell residents have remained in the shadow of these construction projects, but with the recent prospect of another apartment complex being built in Coppell named Kimbel Village, residents are fighting against this high density housing by forming a petition called “Stop Kimbel Village” and speaking at city council meetings.

Kimbel Village is a proposed mixed use development in lots 125-135 of Kimbel Kourt near Village Parkway and Sandy Lake Drive. Developer Sudhakar Allada is looking into producing this development. He has been a design engineer for the past few years in the Dallas area.

Coppell City Council decides whether or not these plans go into effect. As of April 8, city council passed several mixed use developments under more stringent guidelines. Allada has not yet finalized the Kimbel Village plans to submit to the Coppell Planning and Zoning.

According to City Council candidate Mark Hill, originally the village would have 28 units  development on 3/4 of an acre . On April 12, Allada proposed to petitioners that only nine mixed use units be built on the land although when he last met with residents they said they only wanted six or seven townhouses to be built on the land at the most.

Kimbel Village is a part of Coppell 2030. This initiative ensures that Coppell remains updated and offers housing, restaurants and other services to keep the city alive between a steady flow of residents and consumerism.

However, this supposed flow of residents and consumerism is the exact problem of the Coppell 2030.

Cities such as McKinney and Frisco can sustain 40,000 plus residents, but I highly doubt the roads of Main Street Coppell can. These cities were originally endless stretches of farmland surrounded by highways. Coppell, however, is strictly suburban. It does not have the kind of roadways and space to support a sudden influx in citizens.

On Nov. 5, Advanced TranSol Consultants conducted a Traffic Impact Analysis. It reported that the building of Kimbel Village would increase traffic by about two percent per year.

At first that statistic seems like it should put an abrupt end to all protests, but when you realize that Kimbel Village would be right next to CVS Pharmacy, Lakeside Elementary and Kroger, it makes it easier to see how this extra traffic will affect roadways and peoples’ daily lives in general.

Also, city council passed two other mixed use housing  plans on the April 8 meeting. Petitioners are not necessarily attacking just Kimbel Village, but the idea of the sudden trend in new housing in Coppell as a whole. Citizens have to start putting their foot down somewhere.

City council proudly brands all Coppell 2030 materials with the logo “A family community for a lifetime.”

But mixed use housing looks more like the end of a family community. It is a shift from suburban housing to singles’ apartments since the units have two bedrooms at the most. These apartments and growing use of Coppell land for commercial and office purposes, mimic a trend similar to that of the building in Uptown Dallas and Addison.

The impact these new residents in years to come will overcrowd schools, roads, restaurants and more. Cypress Waters and Kimbel Village will surely not be the end of high density housing. Just look around in Coppell, for the past few years, any available land has been claimed for real estate.

One of my teachers explains that yes, when Coppell High School gets too crowded Coppell will build a new one. But then people forget about CHS. Why send anymore funds to the old run down school built in 1965?

The focus will always remain on the new and the glamorous coming to this town because that is what brings in the customers.

Coppell 2030 is not sustaining Coppell, but rather replacing it as it makes greedy changes to create a trendy city. This plan turns its back on its old loyal family community as it clears the way for the thousands to come.

But it is not too late to try to put an end to high-density housing in Coppell.

City council candidate Mark Hill has been a strong advocate against Kimbel Village. He has served as vice president and secretary on the  Home Owners Association board and has been a strong participant in making residents’ voices heard in Coppell. If you do not like the idea of mixed use housing in Coppell, come out and vote at City Hall the following dates for candidates against high-density housing like Hill:

Monday, Apr. 28th through Saturday May 3rd:  8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 4th:  1 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Monday, May 5th through Tuesday, May 6th:  7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 10:  7 a.m. – 7 p.m.