Temple City Council approves land-use changes, authorizes eminent domain and several permits

The Temple City Council met for its regular session and unanimously approved the consent agenda and a series of land-use, permitting and property actions, council leaders said during the meeting.

Kathy Strickland, city planning staff, summarized two connected land-use items that the council approved on first reading: a change to the 2020 comprehensive plan to reclassify about 142.25 acres from residential/neighborhood services to industrial and a related rezoning to permit light-industrial uses on a larger, roughly 260-acre site. "Staff does recommend approval," Strickland told the council, citing compatibility with surrounding industrial uses and Planning & Zoning’s 8–0 recommendation.

Council also approved a rezoning to allow an accessory dwelling unit in the North Central Historic District with a 3-foot minimum stairwell setback, and a conditional-use permit for retail sales of all alcoholic beverages at a convenience-and-fuel site on Airport Road; both measures passed 5–0.

Two separate eminent-domain resolutions also passed unanimously. City staff said an unregistered parcel within Nettles Park must be acquired to complete planned park improvements; staff recommended proceeding with condemnation and estimating compensation at $5,000. Staff also asked for authority to acquire a temporary construction easement (about 1.0 acre) needed to continue upsizing a wastewater line for the Northwest Little Elm project; an appraisal for that easement was cited at about $3,153.

Public commenters raised three distinct concerns. Jack Folsom said his house at 1320 South 23rd flooded after the city emptied a water tower in May and June and that an insurance claim was denied; he asked the city to monitor future drainings to prevent repeat damage. David Frank Liberos asked the council to study traffic safety on McCulloch Road, proposing speed humps and a 20 mph limit near clustered mailboxes and places where children play. Jerilyn Brown and another commenter urged the council to prioritize rebuilding or replacing the Salmons Community Center so seniors have a central facility.

Council members voted unanimously on each action taken during the meeting; where applicable staff described conditions and enforcement steps, such as post-construction acoustical testing and remedies for validated noise complaints tied to the data-center rezoning.

The council closed the meeting at about 6:20 p.m.; the Temple Economic Development Corporation report was postponed to the Feb. 5 meeting.