SPRING 2014
LAS COLINAS
Have you marked, signed and mailed your proxy?
C
Please consider the following and vote today if you haven’t already:*
The Association recently mailed all property owners a proxy packet with the largest set of amendment proposals in many years. At newsletter press time, about 30% of member votes had been cast.
Proposal 2 Supplementary Declaration 21 Applicant: Hines Interests Primary Use Change: Single-family Residential
MOVING FORWARD ommercial and residential members of the Las Colinas Association determine the future of Las Colinas. Unlike typical zoning which is decided by a select few, changes to established deed restrictions are decided by a favorable vote of the majority of all votes held by the members as mandated by Chapter 215 of the Texas Property Code.
In order to hold the April 21 Special Meeting of Members and announce the results, at least 50% of all eligible votes must be cast. And for any amendment to pass, it must receive a 50% affirmative vote of all votes that could be cast.
Proposal 3 Supplementary Declaration 28 Applicant: Fidelity Corporate Real Estate Primary Use Change: Hotel, Retail, and High-rise Multifamily
If you cannot find your proxy and need a duplicate, please contact Velma Martindale at the Association 972.541.2345 or email vmartindale@lascolinasassn.com.
Did you receive the large envelope with a color “Voter’s Guide” spiral-bound brochure detailing each of the proposed amendments and a black and white document with exhibits for the proposed amendments?
Proposal 1 The Declaration (Area 1) Applicant: Hines Interests Primary Use Change: Single-family Residential
Do you have questions? Each proposal has contact information for the applicant, or you may also call LCA President Rick Bidne at 972.541.2345.
Each applicant for a deed restriction amendment is a member of the Las Colinas Association. The Voter’s Guide you received is the applicants’ opportunity to share with you their reasons for requesting the amendment, a brief summary of the changes being proposed, and their conceptual ideas of what might occur should the amendment be passed. Not voting on a proposal or abstaining has the same effect as a “no” vote. A successful vote is a mandate that the deed restriction amendment is appropriate and in the best interest of the community. You, the members, will decide.
Proposal 4 Supplementary Declaration 57 Applicant: CCPS Primary Use Change: Mixed-use Proposal 5 Supplementary Declaration 59 Applicant: Leon Capital Group Primary Use Change: Retail Proposal 6 Supplementary Declaration 62 Applicant: Palladium USA Primary Use Change: Multi-family at DART Station Proposal 7 Supplementary Declarations 73 and 79 Applicant: Stonecrest-Ashwood Partnership Primary Use Change: Single-family Residential Proposal 8 Supplementary Declarations 128 and 129 Applicant: PRA Redesign Primary Use Change: Mixed-use Proposal 9 Supplementary Declaration 210 Applicant: Prudential RE Investors Primary Use Change: Single-family Residential
* See reference map on page 2.
General Reference Map of Proposed Amendments GENERAL REFERENCE
MAP
SD 210
SD 59
SD 128 129
SD 21
SD 73 79
SD 57
AREA I
SD 62
SD 28
Property Assessment 2400621.indd 2
T
his is the time of year we receive many calls about assessment invoices. Your 2014 assessment invoice will mail the second week of May 2014, and payment will be due July 1.
The value used for the 2014 assessment is based on the total market value for the preceding year, 2/11/14 1:25 PM 2013, from the Dallas Central Appraisal District (www.dcad.org). The Las Colinas Association does not determine the value of your property. The rate remains unchanged at 14 cents per $100 valuation. Should you have questions, feel free to call us at 972.541.2345.
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Enthusuasm for Life!
A Sit Down with LCA Board Member
Al Zapanta
By Deborah Fleck
“I have always loved Las Colinas” Albert C. Zapanta Jr. could have retired in his home state of California. Or, another option was Washington, D.C., where he had worked on and off over the years. Instead, he chose Texas. He and wife Rochelle settled in Hackberry Creek in Las Colinas for several reasons. “It’s a central location, it’s comfortable, it’s near our children, and I have always loved Las Colinas,” Al said in a recent interview. “I remember Las Colinas being built.” The fourth-generation American still travels often in retirement, so being just minutes from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is another advantage. From Dallas, the trips are easier to see Rochelle’s family in Maine and his family in California. And trips to vacation in Mexico are shorter as well. Al, who just turned 73, stays busy in retirement after a long and varied career. He serves as president of the U.S.– Mexico Cultural and Educational Foundation. The educational arm of the U.S.– Mexico Chamber, the foundation has offices along the Mandalay Canal in the Las Colinas Urban Center. Also devoted to the military groups he belongs to, Al often is speaker and presenter at veteran events. His late father, Al Zapanta, served in World War II. Rochelle, a former nurse, stays busy with involvement in several groups in Irving, such as the DFW Humane Society and the Irving Interfaith Clinic. Al points out that both of them put family first and that they make
decisions together. They are the parents of three adults and grandparents to three youngsters. With great enthusiasm for life, Al possesses a wealth of stories about his experiences, which include the private sector, serving as a White House Al as Special Forces Instructor at Ft. Bragg Fellow, being a soldier in Vietnam, in 1970 and working in government. He’s had appointments by several U.S. presidents and by U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. “I’ve been very lucky to have been able to do what I’ve wanted, and at interesting times,” Al said. He earned a few academic degrees, including an undergraduate and master’s degree and a doctorate from the University of Southern California. His education continued at the Harvard Graduate School of Business and the InterAmerican Defense College at National Defense University in Washington, D.C. His private sector career started as an industrial engineer with Bethlehem Steel. He moved on to ARCO, where he was director of governmental affairs. Military life interrupted his business career when, as a member of the National Guard, he volunteered for active duty. He was sent to Vietnam in 1969 where he served for 13 months. He received several medals, including the Silver Star, five Bronze Stars for valor, and the Purple Heart for his service. Like many veterans, he prefers to
put the horrors of war behind him. “It took a while to adjust,” he said. “When I got on the plane to come home (from Vietnam), it felt like I hit the jackpot.” Al also served in Desert Storm and retired from the military at age 60. Another interruption of his business career was the government. He was appointed a White House Fellow in 1973-74. Then he worked as Assistant Secretary of the Interior from 1976-77. Al also had appointments by President Reagan to a State Department advisory committee and by President George W. Bush as a private sector delegate to the U.S.– Mexico Partnership for Prosperity. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appointed him to serve as chair of the Reserve Forces Policy Board for three years. Al has many stories about his government service, especially since he was in Washington, D.C., during Watergate. He knew many of those who held power in those days. Al left government to work for ARCO, first in Los Angeles and then in Tulsa, Washington, D.C. and Dallas. After retiring from ARCO in 1993, he became president and chief executive officer of the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce. In that role, he was responsible for operations in eight U.S. regional offices and nine offices in Mexico. After that service, Al couldn’t retire completely. So he brought the U.S.– Mexico Cultural and Educational Foundation to Irving in 2005. He works with a small staff and three advisory board members from the DC-area to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Mexico. One program Al has strongly supported is the Future Leaders of Irving, continued on next page » 3
Zapanta continued from page 3 »
where high school students in Irving meet community leaders to learn leadership skills. To sum up, Al is clearly a multi-tasker who will probably never truly retire. He said he feels public service is an honor and that he was glad to give what he could in all his careers. He’s happy to be in Texas and he feels Irving can be a bellwether city for the state. Many who work with him have nothing but praise for his dedication and character.“ General Zapanta is a proven, influential national and international leader,” said Chris Wallace, president of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce. “His service to our country and relationships in neighboring Mexico run deep. We are so fortunate to have him and Rochelle in Irving.” Close friend and business associate Joe Chapa has known Al for more than 25 years. “He is a brilliant individual with unquestioned character and integrity,” Joe said. “I have always admired how much he takes on to do in a number of areas, including business, civic and work in the nonprofit field. He is very principled. I guess what I most admire about Al is how he is able to balance his many business and work endeavors with his family life. He is a devoted family man.” Since he’s accomplished so much, Al said he often gets asked to enter local government. But he prefers to help his city in other ways. He serves on many boards, including six years on the Las Colinas Association Board of Directors, where he is currently vice chairman. He has no plans to slow down. Rochelle and Al at a recent Daughters of World War II Veterans Day luncheon
Proposed Master Plan for Open Space and Parks for Las Colinas Urban Center by Dick Galehouse, principal, Sasaki Associates
This is the second part of a two-part series providing highlights of the 2013 Sasaki Report prepared for the Las Colinas Association and City of Irving. AS LAS COLINAS APPROACHES
THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF ITS FOUNDING, THE LAS COLINAS
ASSOCIATION, IN COOPERATION WITH THE CITY OF IRVING, HAS
COMPLETED A 12-MONTH STUDY AND A REVITALIZATION MASTER PLAN FOR THE URBAN CENTER.
The previous issue of Spirit of Las Colinas addressed the overall master plan for the Urban Center. Sasaki has prepared the following vision for parks and open space.
T
he rapid acceleration of home building in Las Colinas and the Urban Center, with the expectation that the present population of 40,000 persons will grow to as many as 50,000 to 60,000 persons in the future, has prompted a community wide assessment of the adequacy of the community’s parks and open spaces. While the Las Colinas community was wellserved in its early days with the development of its golf course communities such as the Las Colinas Country Club and Hackberry Creek Country Club, newer neighborhoods such as La Villita are more densely developed and focused on water amenities rather than golf. Utilizing national park and recreation standards, the findings of the open space study suggest that Las Colinas is adequately served with neighborhood playgrounds and smaller neighborhood parks such as Thomas Jefferson Park, Rochelle Park, and Mustang
Park. The Elm Fork of the Trinity River watershed with the Campion Trail serves the Las Colinas community as a regional park. The open space need is for larger parks that can accommodate active field sports such soccer, softball, and baseball. An exceptional open space opportunity for Las Colinas lies in the concept of developing a linear greenway and pedway/bikeway system linked to the Campion Trail by utilizing the natural topography and pattern of streams that flow eastward through the community to the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. While the concept requires further study, the proposed pathways can provide a recreational asset as well as an alternative to the use of the automobiles by Las Colinas residents traveling to the employment centers along the SR 114 corridor and the Urban Center. The proposed linear greenway system would extend the existing landscaped parks along the stream corridors of Hackberry Creek, Cottonwood Creek, and Rochelle Park and incorporating a 12-foot-wide two-way path system tracing the streams all the way to Campion Trail. The concept envisions tree-shaded, lighted pathways in distinctive linear landscapes similar to those of the existing Rochelle Park. The feasibility of grade separated crossings at the major roadways, including State Routes 161, 114, and 348, is subject to a future phase of study. A defining characteristic of great communities is the quality of their public parks and open spaces. The vision that has emerged for the Urban Center and the community’s park system is designed to reinforce Las Colinas’s sustaining values and to assure its future as a desirable place to live, work, shop, and play.
To read the entire Sasaki Report, go to our website www.lascolinasassn.com and click on the link under the orange report image in the left column of the home page. 4
By Penny Hayter, LCA Director of Security Services
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hy do things always seem better when you have a choice? Could be because not everyone wants the same thing! The Las Colinas Association’s Security Department wants to make sure all members know that they DO have choices when it comes to selecting the best fit for their security needs. Did you know that every member has the choice of using our alarm monitoring provided through LCA’s own UL listed Central Station? Are you considering a contract with a commercial alarm monitoring company? LCA does not require its members to enter into any annual contracts to use its monitoring. While LCA does no alarm system sales, installations, or maintenance, we are still here to assist you and encourage you to call us with questions before you accept that sales pitch. We have nothing to sell, however LCA’s alarm monitoring has proven valuable to thousands of Las Colinas property owners and the options available for your monitoring are ever changing! One frequently asked Member question is: “If I use LCA’s monitoring, who will work on my alarm system?” Each member may choose which licensed alarm company they wish to use for their installation as well as who can perform maintenance on their systems. The Security Services Department can assist you with some companies working in the area as well as which ones are known to offer additional services. Wondering what service is your best fit? We can assist you by providing additional information or pointing you to other resources for your research to help you decide. Currently there are a wide variety of alarm systems and monitoring methods available for sale. While it would be impossible for LCA to offer service for every type of alarm system, we think you may be surprised at what is available to you! Our monitoring options include IP (internet)
monitoring, wireless (GSM/Cell) arranged through the alarm company of your choice, as well as standard traditional phoneline monitoring. LCA can also help you take your security services to the next level by pairing your alarm monitoring with various alarm response options through our private Patrol Services. This sets us apart from most alarm monitoring companies who will only call the City authorities and are not even local to see the response through for you! While all monitoring companies have to abide by various requirements, LCA’s private area Patrol Services can supplement most alarm responses offering our members a bit more! The City of Irving Police and Fire Departments are called out for response, often with our Patrol Services, on Panic or Fire alarm signals. However, for burglary alarm signals, LCA’s Security Patrol offers a standard response aimed to assist our members from realizing City fines for false responses. Unlike most other companies, for us this is a member-oriented service with options! An example is that on burglary alarm responses you can have just Security Patrol or Security Patrol as well as the Police called. This service is available upon request; please call to find out more. An additional option offered is our Security Patrol’s response to your property even if LCA does not monitor your alarm system. We want you to get the most out of our service, and if LCA’s monitoring does not fit your needs, we do not want you to lose the use of the Patrol response. You can contact the Security Services Department to have your account marked for Patrol Response from another Central Station’s if they provide the call. Want to find out more about how all your options can work for you? Please give the Security Services Department a call at (972) 541-2345. We are ready to assist you wherever possible in finding the best fit for you when it comes to your security needs!
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Las Colinas Association Breaks Ground on New Headquarters
Designed by BOKA Powell, building pays tribute to Ben Carpenter’s legacy of world-class development
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he Las Colinas Association couldn’t have picked a more beautiful day than January 31 for the groundbreaking of its new headquarters!
Community leaders, LCA board of directors, and Architectural Control committee members joined with staff to unveil plans for the 15,500-square-foot, two-story headquarters building located at 3838 Teleport Blvd. Association President and CEO Rick Bidne served as master of ceremonies, with Board Chairman Bill Tichy welcoming guests and sharing his excitement about the vision for LCA’s permanent “home.” Designed by BOKA Powell architects, the building will be located on a 2.3-acre site along the bank of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River and will offer spectacular views of the river as well as the Urban Center of Las Colinas. Andrew Bennett, lead designer from BOKA Powell told the crowd, “The building plan and orientation is site-inspired, reflecting the Trinity River’s adjacent sweeping oxbow. It has a Texas modern aesthetic that celebrates the region’s farming and ranching heritage, with stone-wrapped columns, porches, and low standing-seam metal roofs.” With a dramatic two-story cylindrical rotunda at its entrance, the new headquarters will feature a winding staircase leading to community meeting space that opens up to a grand porch. Large windows will flood the space with natural light, and porches and balconies will offer outdoor access.
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Rick Bidne, Ben Brewer, Al Zapanta, Bill Tichy, Carl McKee and David Cole with the Las Colinas Urban Center in the background.
Guests sign a Las Colinas flag which will be framed and hung in a special place in the new LCA headquarters.
Irving-Las Colinas Chamber President Chris Wallace shares his enthusiasm with LCA Chairman Bill Tichy.
Photo by Dustin Gibson
Rick Bidne remembered Las Colinas founder, Ben Carpenter: “A building that recaptures the spirit of Las Colinas is a fitting tribute to Carpenter’s legacy of world-class development.” The community room and associated terrace will face Lake Carolyn and the Las Colinas Urban Center, and the offices and conference rooms have views of the surrounding trees and foliage. The building will include offices for all aspects of the association’s operations including alarm monitoring and security patrol. Bidne recognized board members, presenting each with a cast model of the new headquarters created by BOKA Powell. Thereafter, LCA hardhats were provided, and the earth was turned! In about 10 months, a grand opening celebration will take place for all residential and commercial members so we can all share in the excitement of our new headquarters. So stay tuned!
Rick Bidne showing his cast model of the new headquarters building.
BOKA POWELL IS THE PROJECT’S DESIGN ARCHITECT AND INTERIOR DESIGNER; RAYMOND L. GOODSON IS THE CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEER; PURDY-MCGUIRE, INC., IS THE MEP ENGINEER; AND SMR IS THE LANDSCAPE DESIGNER. DAVID OLIVER WITH OLICON IS ACTING AS THE ASSOCIATION’S CONSTRUCTION MANAGER.
City Councilwoman Rose Cannaday chats with Rob Witte and Curtis Attaway of Hines Interests. Photos by Nick Mallouf 7
122 W. Carpenter FWY, Suite 550 IRVING, TEXAS 75039-2098
The Spirit of Las Colinas is a publication of the Las Colinas Association, covering issues unique to the Las Colinas master-planned development. www.lascolinasassn.com • 972.541.2345
Lucky to call LAS COLINAS HOME
Fran & James Cassels Photographed at Las Colinas Country Club March 2014
Fran and James Cassels are two of the most civic minded leaders in our community. Their support of a variety of Irving’s non-profit organizations inspires those around them. After selling their business, the always fashionable couple chose Las Colinas for their new home because of their love of golf. Members of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, the Cassels’ other hobbies include playing cards, dining out, attending musicals and travel. Their favorite thing about living in Las Colinas?...besides golf!...are the friends they’ve made and Las Colinas’ proximity to both airports and downtown Dallas. When you see the Cassels on the links (or at the airport), tell them how much we love having them in our Las Colinas community.
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“THE HILLS” INVITE EVERYONE TO SETTLE DOWN, NOT JUST FOR A DAY, BUT FOR LIFE!