All last night on local TV news and this morning in the Dallas Morning News was the story about Toyota coming to Plano. It was even on national news. By this time, I'm sure you have heard Toyota and 4,000 employees are moving to the Dallas area from California and Kentucky. In the same DMN issue was an article in the Business section about a Chinese company expanding their facilities and adding new space in McKinney to add to their other facilities in Carrollton. In the same article, the writer told of the attractiveness of the Dallas area to a whole host of international business enterprises......... for a long list of reasons. The Dallas area is a solid target of international commerce.
Rowlett should be providing upscale housing for the middle and upper management personnel of these new companies. McKinney is a little bit of a stretch for a comfortable commute to Rowlett, but Plano is not. It is very easy for me to understand why management personal, after a hard day's work, would look forward to driving home on a new toll road for 20-30 minutes to arrive home to a pleasant small town setting and a lake right in the middle of it. This is easy for me to accept and visualize. I feel Rowlett could put $1 million a month in the tax base. This is revenue the town sorely needs.
Opposing the above concept, Rowlett's "officialdom," with advice of consultants, is marching pell mell to an industrial park in which no convincing evidence has been made there is even a need. Excellent upscale housing is being blocked in favor of commercial development that may never come. Housing typically only asks for concessions that can be recovered in about three years, but a large office building or warehouse may ask for concessions lasting for 10 years easily. And, that's assuming this type of development comes to north Rowlett at all. I have pointed out that there is a fair amount of very civilized competition to the north of us that will take quite a few years to be absorbed into the marketplace. We may be 20-30 years away from receiving any serious tax benefits from commercial development in north Rowlett.
And "officialdom" is stepping along with a maniacal drumbeat to take them straight to building townhouses interspersed amongst office and warehouse development immediately next to a cow pasture.........just exactly what someone wants to come home and see......particularly someone from Texas. I am not against townhouses........provided they are where they are supposed to be.
Rowlett's big time commercial future is overwhelmingly along the lake in south Rowlett.......not north Rowlett where housing for the mid and upper management should be.
The evidence is everywhere.
However, "officialdom" is steadfastly proceeding with Rowlett's earlier city manager doctrine. It is firmly embedded in the current city culture. It ought to be. It wasn't long after the consultants started that it became apparent they were working for the city manager, not the city council. We are getting concepts she wanted. Our city manager at the time was the worst real estate analyst I had ever seen. Remind me to tell you some time about what current cap rates would have done to the value of some land she was working on. It's downright scary. Also, her knowledge of lien priorities was awful. It's all documented, but you gotta know what you're looking for.
Enough for now. Go vote.
Rowlett should be providing upscale housing for the middle and upper management personnel of these new companies. McKinney is a little bit of a stretch for a comfortable commute to Rowlett, but Plano is not. It is very easy for me to understand why management personal, after a hard day's work, would look forward to driving home on a new toll road for 20-30 minutes to arrive home to a pleasant small town setting and a lake right in the middle of it. This is easy for me to accept and visualize. I feel Rowlett could put $1 million a month in the tax base. This is revenue the town sorely needs.
Opposing the above concept, Rowlett's "officialdom," with advice of consultants, is marching pell mell to an industrial park in which no convincing evidence has been made there is even a need. Excellent upscale housing is being blocked in favor of commercial development that may never come. Housing typically only asks for concessions that can be recovered in about three years, but a large office building or warehouse may ask for concessions lasting for 10 years easily. And, that's assuming this type of development comes to north Rowlett at all. I have pointed out that there is a fair amount of very civilized competition to the north of us that will take quite a few years to be absorbed into the marketplace. We may be 20-30 years away from receiving any serious tax benefits from commercial development in north Rowlett.
And "officialdom" is stepping along with a maniacal drumbeat to take them straight to building townhouses interspersed amongst office and warehouse development immediately next to a cow pasture.........just exactly what someone wants to come home and see......particularly someone from Texas. I am not against townhouses........provided they are where they are supposed to be.
Rowlett's big time commercial future is overwhelmingly along the lake in south Rowlett.......not north Rowlett where housing for the mid and upper management should be.
The evidence is everywhere.
However, "officialdom" is steadfastly proceeding with Rowlett's earlier city manager doctrine. It is firmly embedded in the current city culture. It ought to be. It wasn't long after the consultants started that it became apparent they were working for the city manager, not the city council. We are getting concepts she wanted. Our city manager at the time was the worst real estate analyst I had ever seen. Remind me to tell you some time about what current cap rates would have done to the value of some land she was working on. It's downright scary. Also, her knowledge of lien priorities was awful. It's all documented, but you gotta know what you're looking for.
Enough for now. Go vote.
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