Lubbock City Council Approves Initial Annexation Petition

At their meeting Thursday evening, the Lubbock City Council approved the first step of a requested annexation.

The petition for annexation was made by Ford Development for approximately 76 acres of land half a mile south of Farm-to-Market Road 1585 just east of Quaker Avenue.

The land, which is owned by Ford Development, would be used as part of their Kelsey Park neighborhood development, which is currently in progress north of the requested annexation site.

The City of Lubbock may only annex the land owned by Ford Development.

A public hearing and two votes from the Council will be necessary for the City to annex the property.

Only one person spoke in opposition to the annexation. Maurice Stanley weighed in, saying “I think right now, until we take care of what we have, we nail down the city limits signs exactly where they are, and when we get that done, we can revisit this and go forward.”

Terry Holman with Hugo Reed and Associates spoke for Ford Development, and said that the expected home price within the development will be in the $400,000 to $450,000 price range.

Holman continued, saying that the “The City is not obligated to extend hard services to this property…as we extend down into this phase, the developer is the one who is required to extend these utilities.”

The Council approved the initial petition 5-1, with District Six Councilwoman Latrelle Joy voting against the measure and District One Councilman Victor Hernandez absent.

The Council also postponed consideration of a resolution for a commitment agreement between the City and the Lubbock Entertainment and Performing Arts Association. The resolution, if approved, would announce a commitment between the City and LEPAA for a new Performing Arts Center.

Under the resolution, the City would transfer City-owned property at Avenue L and the Marsha Sharp Freeway to LEPAA once they gain $45 million in written commitments for building of the center.

LEPAA originally requested that the City cover the remaining costs of demolishing the DPS building that is currently on the property once DPS moves to their new location in the Lubbock Business Park, a measure with which some Council members took issue.

The group may consider the resolution at their July 11^th meeting.