Commissioners, residents review options for Outer Loop

COLLIN COUNTY -- After comparing alignment options for connecting the northern part of the county to the Dallas North Tollway, the Collin County Toll Road Authority decided to hold off on its vote until the county got more input from local property owners.

The authority's board of directors met on Monday during the Collin County Commissioners Court and heard from several residents including Celina Mayor Jim Lewis, who expressed concerns surrounding the proposed routes for Segment 3, Section 1 of the Collin County Outer Loop, which would connect the Dallas North Tollway to Custer Road.

Of the four colored options on the map, Lewis stated he did not support the yellow or orange routes, as "it is not fitting in to our comprehensive plan and where it needs to go." Lewis was also concerned about how the land that was donated to the city by property owners for the construction of Carter Ranch subdivision off C.R. 88 would be affected, stating it should not be used for roadway construction.

"I know the hardest thing about all this is worrying about land rights and personal property and financial obligations, as well as emotional attachments," Lewis said. "But it's important for Celina to keep our promise to the people at Carter Ranch. We need it to stay consistent with what that land was donated for."

The regional Outer Loop is one of several transportation projects born out of a recently completed feasibility study conducted by the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), which covers a 240-mile-long study area across the North Texas Region. The four-year study's conclusions -- based on 2035 traffic projections and U.S. Census data from 2010--reflected less outward growth to rural counties than originally expected, according to Christopher Anderson, NCTCOG's program manager for the Outer Loop project.

Collin County still plans on moving forward with part of the NCTCOG originally-recommended improvements, which also consists of an extension of the Dallas North Tollway to the northern county line.

The Outer Loop's brown and orange alignments were rated higher with respect to safety versus the yellow and purple routes due to the sharpness of their curves and the super elevation required for cars to travel safely at highway speeds, according to a county evaluation. The brown route also rated highest with respect to compatibility with other projects because it provides better accessibility to the new Collin County College campus, whereas the yellow and orange alignments made accessibility to the campus more difficult.

The purple alignment would be located directly on the property where the campus will be built and has the potential to conflict with the campus, according to the county's findings.

Mike Phipps' property is situated where the yellow and orange alignments meet in the northern part of the segment and spoke during the public comment period to express his concerns over possible impact on property values.

"Looking at the map here it seems like we're completely wiped out at this point, our property values are screwed," Phipps said. "It seems like the proper way to do it would be the purple [route], it seems more direct and would affect less people."

The proposed brown alignment runs right through Burl Wood's million dollar home, which sits on roughly 50 acres off C.R. 88. Wood encouraged the court to seek input from all property owners in the area before making a decision.

"I see 40 pieces of land affected from my property to Wilson's Creek, 40 people with many different ideas and they all have something to say," Wood said. "There are those who might want it closer and those who might want it farther away. What does this do to the future property values of all these properties if they have a freeway in their backyards?"

Sandy Schmidt is one of the 40 property owners who said she wanted the loop as far away from her property as possible.

"I agree with [Wood], we need to talk with everyone directly. We obviously didn't build our houses knowing there would be a freeway right next to it," Schmidt said.

Given the potential costs that could go with the county purchasing property from residents like Wood and Phipps, Lewis said he suggested running that portion of the loop along C.R. 88 to Custer Road. The mayor planned on meeting with property owners and formally presenting their idea to commissioners at a later date.

"It's a no-brainer," said Lewis about using the C.R. 88 connection. "The county wouldn't have to buy so much and it doesn't hit a single house."

Precinct 1 Commissioner Matt Shaheen requested another public hearing be held after the county has had a chance to obtain feedback from local residents, particularly those living in and around the purple route, before a vote is made.

"We are trying to pick the path of least resistance," Shaheen said. "There was not a specific [purple] route plotted out during the time [the county] was talking to homeowners about this. It's a difficult situation, whatever the route; we're talking about peoples' homes and investments."

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