Kayaks away: Council discusses proposed storage facility

One of the success stories the city of Rowlett has been promoting is Paddlepoint Park. The park, located along the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard, has become a destination for kayakers.

"It has really flourished. We get people from all over the Metroplex and I hear people talking about it all the time," said Todd Gottel, Rowlett mayor.

During the regular work session on Tuesday, the city council heard a presentation from Planning Director Erin Jones about a proposed office/storage facility that the operator of the kayaking program, Kayak Instruction Inc., was seeking to build on a property in the 6800 block of Miller Road to assist with the operations of the program.

The decision to plan the project at the chosen site was made due to its proximity to the park and the need for additional kayaks near the park due to increasing demand.

"If it was being used strictly for residential, it would be allowed," Jones said.

Among the items discussed during the council meeting was the construction of the building in an area that is currently zoned for single-family residential use. Construction of the facility would require a zoning change by the council. The plans presented to the council stated that the building would be built with fiber-cement board siding on the exterior.

The work session discussion was initiated by city staff to solicit council input about the project prior to Kayak Instruction Inc. undergoing the costly rezoning process. The reason for a zoning overlay is necessary because the building is larger than what is allowed under the code.

Councilman Chris Kilgore wanted to know what residents in the area would think about the construction of the 1,200-square-foot storage facility in their neighborhood.

A couple of residents were in attendance and were allowed to respond to Kilgore's question. One resident, identified by Jones as Ms. Morrow, was adamantly against the project being built in her neighborhood.

"I feel like it's not a good area for a business. There are going to be a lot of residences being built out there this year. If you want to run a business you need to go somewhere else," she said. "I'm sick about it, to be honest."

Several council members asked Morrow if she would be OK with the building if it was attractively built and properly screened. She was still vehemently opposed to the idea.

The council members indicated they did not have an issue with the building since it would not add any additional traffic and would be similar to an accessory structure, which is permitted on the property by the city code. The only concern was about making sure the building is properly screened from the neighborhood.

"Essentially this is an accessory building, which is allowed today within our current guidelines," Gottel said.

The council cannot formally vote on whether or not to allow the project until it has gone through the rezoning process and the item is placed on the council agenda.

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