Conversation with Public Werks

Based on what was said at the Hunt County Commissioners Court workshop and meeting, a conversation with a COG rep, and a conversation with a representative of Public Werks, Inc.:

  • Texas Turnpike Corp (TTC) can not own more than a 200ft wide strip for this project. (I believe this is one reason why the NETEX right-of-way lease is important to them. This would give them an extra 50ft, at least.)
  • TTC has been recognized by the state of Texas as an approved tolling authority for 10 or 12 years, similar to NTTA.
  • The NETEX lease agreement was signed at the January 9, 2013 meeting. An upfront payment of $25,000 was made to NETEX from TTC for the initial agreement. The other details can be found in the agreement.
  • Public Werks is working with an investment consultant called KPMG to facilitate funding of their project through private investors.
  • Public Werks has been in meetings and discussions with parties involved in the Walton Development. These two projects are mutually beneficial to each other.
  • They have NO plans for any type of sound/noise or safety barriers along the toll road in Hunt County. If it backs up to your property, it will be an eye soar as well as a major source of noise.
  • There will be some type of agreement signed that will protect the profits of the toll road from any “adverse events.” (This can best be defined as a non-compete agreement. Meaning that if any existing road conditions are improved or enhanced in any way that might cause someone to choose a free road over their tollway, the toll company will be compensated for loss of revenue. So your tax dollars will help fund this private company’s profits…you get to pay for the road in tolls and taxes. This takes decision making for local roads out of the hands of your local officials for the next 50 years. In essence, it gives Public Werks a monopoly.)
  • The final route is not set in stone. (Contact your local officials to express your concerns and thoughts on alternatives.)
  • NCTCOG has bought in to the idea that this road is needed and wanted. Public Werks has met the 3-fold requirement of COG to be included on the long term plans for this area. The 3 requirements of COG to get a project like this on the plan are as follows:
    1. Funding
    2. Design
    3. Public Involvement
  • For the January, February, and March meetings of the COG’s Regional Transprotation Council (RTC) meetings, this project is an “information item.” It is being presented as 1 of about 10 such projects in the North Texas area for inclusion in a long term plan. These meetings don’t go into detail about the project, just states that it is an item to be considered. However, in the April RTC meeting, the project will be an “action item” and will be voted on and approved for inclusion in the long term plan. They hope to be able to start construction very soon after (within a year or two).
  • This is moving VERY fast. Public Werks has already started work on the environmental study that is required by the state. This is probably the final hurdle in getting this thing through. The best, and maybe only, place to get this stopped is in the Hunt County Commissioners Court.

8 thoughts on “Conversation with Public Werks

  1. Thankyou for this information, this is what we need to know, Even though we never want our homes or land taken from us or a disruption to our quiet country life, we need to know the facts so we can get our heads out of the sand and get prepared.

  2. I know there is nothing we can to stop this. I know they do not have the final plan where exactly where the toll road will come through. If I look out my front door I can see the old railroad. After looking at the map out there this boarder comes down my road, the other side of the road. I am afraid that if this map sticks me and the neighbors on my side of the road will be stuck. We will walk out in our front yard and see a big concrete toll road. I hope that they will buy us out. Just like most people I do not want this toll road to happen because we love the country living and raising our cows on our small farm. Again I do know there is nothing we can do to stop it. This is what concerns me.

    • A similar fight against a Lavon Lake (toll) bridge route started early 2009. Once people knew what was happening it was amazing and wonderful how they stood together! The study proposed multiple routes, and asked us to choose one. Instead of neighbor against neighbor, pushing the line off their backyard, into another’s, the people repeatedly picked NO LINE. The same thing happened in public meeting after public meeting. During this same time, the people stood together and voted to remove the precinct Commissioner who was in support of the bridge route. Oct. 11, 2010 the entire bridge route was removed from the Collin County mobility plan.

  3. If there were nothing we could do to stop or influence this project, then it would already be a done deal. The NETEX vote is indicative that 1/2 of the board is agaist this project inits current form. (the chairman of the board broke the tie-and Judge Horn voted yay). The nay votes were not wushu washy nay votes, as they had real issues with the scope of the project, the verbiage of the lease agreement and how a toll road will benefit the use of the RR right of way they own.
    Please don’t feel alone and you or anyone is standing alone aginst powerful private or government agencies dictating how your county and your land will be shaped for the future. The population of Hunt Co. that live in rural homes/farms is almost 87,000.The population of Greenville is less than30,000. The more informed/involved you are the more you can influence any government action. Encourage all of your neighbors to get involved, as this will affect many more people than just those along the RR right of way, especially if other major roads( 6, 380, 66, etc) within Hunt Co. are prohibited from being improved if this toll road project goes forward.
    If we all let a dozen or so individuals decide our future, they will. If most of those 87,000 rural citizens of Hunt Co. decide to get involved, I truly believe we will shape the future.

  4. One of the topics brought up while speaking with Commissioner Atkins was demanding our 2013 property assessments be lowered due to this toll road project.
    The impact to the local real estate market as a result of this pending project, much less a real toll road can’t be positive. Right now anyone that is considering selling, or buying, their real estate agent has to disclose that a toll road maybe be built and the land associated, adjacent or adjoining maybe affected. I know there are many of us that would have reconsidered our investments had we known about this project, some of you closed on your property within a day of discovery of this toll road project!
    Can anyone with experience with the real estate market please post how our values are affected with this ongoing project and possible construction.
    Even if you are not displaced from the toll road, your investment in your land and home maybe negatively affected by this road for several years if not forever, and if so-your taxes should reflect this possible impact.
    Once again, this is a reason for all of Colin Co. and Hunt Co. to be as informed as possible as to the 2d and 3d order effects of this project.

  5. Can we have someone look at the title to the previous leases and transfers to verify that NETEX has true authority to make the lease, ie ; restrictions Save/excepts terms in previous title to the cottonbelt RR.something that may create a cloud. Also there are obviously alot of city officials that are for this, maybe we could at least voice our concerns to them directly.

  6. There are many items for us to point out to all the commisioners, some may or may not know what we are finding out. They also mat not have the same concerns we do & not know to ask. We need to remember to contact all those who are voting on this project.

    Items on my list:
    HWY 78 project – I have documents from COG on this project. Widening of 78 from 205 all the way to 380 to 6 lanes can & will handle more traffic than the toll road. It’s already approved & work started. This will take care of the growth they kept referring to. Thus no “real need” for a toll road.

    As CK said Real Estate-it will decrease property values of near by homes. I am working on a map showing not only homes in direct path but also homes that will be effected. At the last meeting they mentioned 30 some odd homes…lets just say they arent giving all the facts. 3 hours of work & Im only in Caddo & Clinton areas right now. Yes, agents are required to disclose this project. I was a Broker for 8 years.

    Emergency Services-longer response times on the toll road & in the community. Unacceptable

    Rerouting of services. Many business that serve our community will have to reroute around the path of the toll road & may have to make new boundaries. How will that effect us?

    What about utilities? Some are old. Will it cost the tax payers to update the system to accommodate the toll road construction?

    What about that non-compete clause? They want growth, but if this clause exist there may be too much growth with no way to relieve it.

    I’m sure others have more talking points but they need to be voiced to each & every person that will be voting in these next couple meetings.

  7. I live in Grand Heritage and I’ve been looking up past court cases on projects such as these…I’ve had a hard time finding any judgments but i will dig further today.

    The main thing I found is that people banned together and hired an attorney filed an injunction. The main points for the case were, environmental impact: the noise caused by the toll road would exceed federal noise regulations, I’m thinking…..especially our neighborhood having 78 in front and then a Toll road through the back side it would most definitely be a cause for concern…Last but not least it stated that it would greatly depreciate the value of their homes. Which that’s exactly what it will do to all of our homes within a mile radius of this thing. Nobody moves out here to be close to a Toll road. We are all stuck so we might as well fight this thing to the end. With the loss on the property values were taking it would be worth it to ban together and look into hiring an attorney.

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