Texarkana, Texas, council approves West Broad lights and flight school lease, overrides planners on South Eighth Street rezoning

The Texarkana, Texas, City Council voted Monday night to put $200,000 toward new lights on West Broad Street, cleared the way for Texarkana College to turn the old airport terminal into a flight school and, over the objection of its own planning commission, let a South Eighth Street homeowner put a new manufactured home on his lots.

The council worked through a long agenda in about 50 minutes, with the chamber microphones dead for the first several minutes and a crowd left over from the dedication of a state historic landmark marker on the City Hall steps just before the meeting. Mayor Bob Bruggeman noted the building turns 101 on Thursday.

A 5-1 vote to override the planners

The closest thing to a fight was over three lots at 505 S. Eighth St. in Factory Heights, where owner Jason Gallegos asked to rezone the property from commercial to single-family so he could place a 2021 or newer manufactured home there.

The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-0 on Oct. 5 to recommend denial, and city staff recommended denial as well, because the city’s future land use map marks the area as industrial. Under city rules, a rezoning the commission has rejected needs a three-fourths vote of the council, which with six members means five votes.

Gallegos told the council the property, which he bought in 2013, holds a metal shop building with a small living area attached, and his family wants a bigger home. He said he understood the commission’s concern was safety tied to TSD Logistics buying the old stockyards across the way and unloading rail cars there.

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“It’s over 300 yards from our property, so I don’t know what the safety concerns really were,” he said. He said his wife’s family had lived on the property more than 60 years “with no issues on the tracks.”

City Manager David Orr said the city treats the existing home as a nonconforming use that can stay, but adding a second dwelling would require a zoning change that runs against the future land use plan. Development Services Director Mashell Daniel said the commission cited the industrial designation, a use that did not match the area and safety concerns about the rail yard, which she said is right across the street.

Council member Jay Davis asked Jean Matlock, who represents Ward 1, whether she had heard from anyone about the request. Matlock said she had not.

“Since he already lives there, I personally don’t have a concern at this point in time,” Matlock said, and she made the motion to approve. Mary Hart seconded.

The roll call was 5-1, with Cole Meador voting no, just enough to pass. Bruggeman first announced the tally as 4-1 before correcting himself.

Lights on West Broad

The council unanimously approved spending up to $200,000 from the city’s downtown enhancement fund on 16 new light poles, lamps and string lighting along West Broad Street from State Line Avenue to Spruce Street. The money sits with the Texarkana Community Development Corp., which the city set up and funded to handle community projects.

Grants Manager Daphnea Ryan said the project is estimated at $225,460, a figure that includes a 20% contingency she expects the city will not need. Wholesale Electric is donating $20,000 in lamps and string lights, Main Street Texarkana is putting in $3,500, two grants totaling $12,000 are pending and a private donor has offered up to $20,000 to fill any gap. Main Street Texarkana launched a fundraising campaign for the West Broad lights in August.

Contech bid $152,417 to install the poles and electrical circuits, and R&W Electric bid $10,000 to hang the hardware, lights and lamps. Quotes of about $25,000 for the poles from Wholesale Electric and Dealers Electrical Supply date to March, Ryan said, and staff is confirming they still stand.

Council member Steve Thompson asked whether the lights would carry the look of East Broad Street across State Line to Spruce. Ryan said they would be very similar.

“I think it’s a great project,” Bruggeman said. “It’ll provide more illumination, especially for nighttime events such as our parades and other activities.” He thanked Buddy and Chris McCullough of Wholesale Electric, Main Street Texarkana and the unnamed private donor.

Facade loan for 218 Main

The council also approved a $50,000 facade improvement loan to Letsgetlit TXK LLC, owned by Major and Morgan Harris, for the building at 218 Main St. Ryan said the couple is redeveloping it as Haus of Light, a beauty and wellness collective, and has already put significant money into renovations. The City Loan Committee unanimously recommended the loan Oct. 16 at 4.95% interest over 10 years. The money comes from the city’s economic development fund.

Flight school, sewer work and air packs on consent

Without discussion, the council approved a consent agenda that included the two Texarkana Regional Airport agreements handing the old terminal to Texarkana College: a ground lease on about 4.3 acres for a flight school and other aeronautical uses, and a $10 sale of the buildings on the land. The airport authority board and the Texarkana, Arkansas, Board of Directors had already signed off, so Monday’s vote was the last approval needed. The terms are laid out in TXKtoday’s preview of the meeting.

Other consent items approved:

• $931,801.36 to Kampco Inc. for phase two of the Beaumont Street sewer replacement on Beaumont and Caddo streets.
• $554,320 to RBIS LLC for structural repairs at the Waggoner Creek wastewater treatment plant.
• Up to $114,350 for 12 self-contained breathing apparatus units for the fire department, the first batch in a plan to replace the department’s 56 aging air packs a few at a time.
• A $129,420 contract with Williams Painting to restore the exterior of the airport’s Jim E. Yates Terminal, its fire and rescue station and its wooden directional signs, paid with a TxDOT grant and airport operating money.
• A $269,000 Garver work order to add paving in the Runway 4/22 safety area, paid with an Arkansas Economic Development Commission grant.
• The Bowie Central Appraisal District’s 2026 tax roll for the city, which each council member had to sign after the meeting.

Airport’s six-year plan

After a public hearing that drew no speakers, the council unanimously approved the airport’s 2027-2032 capital improvement plan. Interim Airport Director Russ Henderson introduced Jordan Culver of Garver, the airport’s engineering firm, who drove down from Little Rock to explain it.

Culver said the plan goes to the Federal Aviation Administration every November, covers the current fiscal year plus five more and lets the FAA’s Arkansas and Louisiana district office plan how to spread grant money across its airports.

“This is just a planning document,” he said. “It does not obligate either city or the airport board to any funding.” Each grant comes back for separate approval, he said, and the plan can be updated during the year as conditions change.

The plan in the council’s packet totals about $41.6 million over six years. The largest item, listed for 2027, is a $16.7 million project to widen Taxiway D, convert Runway 13 and widen and strengthen Taxiway B, mostly with FAA money. Also listed for 2027 is $2 million for an approach lighting system on Runway 4. Later years include taxilane conversion on Runway 31, four phases of T-hangar drainage work, a wildlife fence in 2029 and a $4.5 million shift of Taxiway A in 2032.

Other zoning votes

The council approved three other zoning requests, each after a public hearing with no speakers:

• 824 Richmond Road (Ward 1): Rezoning from neighborhood service to planned development general retail so owner Shankar Poudel can add a drive-thru window. Before the vote, Matlock said she was worried about vape and tobacco shops and students as young as sixth grade using the products. “They’re just popping up like popcorn,” she said. Daniel said she did not know what the business sells but would find out. Christie Page moved to approve and Hart seconded; it passed on a voice vote.
• Galleria Oaks Drive at Richwood Place (Ward 6): About an acre rezoned from single-family to office so owners Andrew and Kelly Pack can build an audiology practice. Unanimous.
• 1314 Main St. (Ward 3): A specific use permit allowing a funeral home in an office-zoned building owned by Dr. James Naples, with Rickey Johnson as agent. Approved.

The council also approved its legislative priorities for the 2027 session of the Texas Legislature, a list that leads with protecting home rule and the city’s revenue structure and includes hotel tax flexibility for sports facilities, road and rail crossing funding and help replacing the regional water treatment plant. The list goes with the Northeast Texas Regional Alliance to Austin next year.

Coming Dec. 14

Three items got first briefings Monday and come back for public hearings and votes Dec. 14.

Daniel briefed a zoning amendment required by Senate Bill 785, the new state law that makes cities allow new HUD-code manufactured homes by right in at least one residential district. Staff proposes Single Family-3. A new manufactured home, under the proposed definition, is one that has never been lived in or used for any purpose. Used manufactured homes would still need a specific use permit.

She also briefed a request by Roshan Gautam to rezone the convenience store at 209 W. 38th St. from neighborhood service to general retail for a drive-thru window. The planning commission unanimously recommended denial Nov. 2, and staff opposes it, citing the future land use map and traffic concerns in a residential area. Approval would take five votes.

Ryan briefed the city’s annual performance report to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on its Community Development Block Grant program. For the program year that ended Sept. 30, she said, 68% of the money went to general projects, 20% to administration and 12% to public services. Grants included $25,000 in supplies for Randy Sams Outreach Shelter, $11,905 to Mission Texarkana for a downtown litter cleanup crew that employed two people, $10,000 in supplies for Haven Homes men’s shelter and $10,000 to Pol Care for backpacks and school supplies for about 25 young people. The city spent $38,579 demolishing blighted structures and funded tree planting and community gardens in the Beverly, New Town and Rose Hill neighborhoods. Crosswalks and ADA curb ramps along West 12th Street and six bus shelters carry over into the new year.

The public comment period on the report runs Nov. 23 through Dec. 14. Comments go to Megan Price in the grants office on the fourth floor of City Hall, 220 Texas Blvd., or can be made at the Dec. 14 meeting.

Appointments and announcements

Davis appointed Chuck Linkovich to the City Loan Committee. Bruggeman appointed Darlene Haley to the Library Commission, replacing LaMoya Burks, whom he thanked for six years of service.

Bruggeman recognized members of the current Leadership Texarkana class in the audience, including city staffer Reed Russell and Col. Chris Mason of Red River Army Depot, and chamber President Robin Hickerson. He reminded residents the Main Street Christmas parade is Monday, Dec. 7, with the theme “Home for the Holidays.”

In his report, Orr said Texarkana Water Utilities is launching its My TXK Water customer portal this month in four phases and asked customers to make sure the email address and phone number on their account are current so they get their invitation. He listed upcoming dates: the CPKC Holiday Train at the Fourth Street crossing from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 29; Shop with a Cop and Firefighter at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, at Target; the chamber’s State of Housing event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, at the Texarkana Arkansas Convention Center; and a new tree lighting ceremony at 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, for the tree the city puts up at the courthouse each year.

The council’s next regular meetings are Dec. 14 and Jan. 11, both at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall. The city posts meeting video on its YouTube channel.