Colleyville to look at buying Village property

The property has been used for city events such as the Independence Day celebration Red, White and Sousa and others. City Library Director Mary Rodne showed the council a detailed presentation on past events, efficiency of the area for event setup and community memories that have been created in the privately owned open space.

The discussion came at a pre-council meeting that had adjourned earlier and then resumed after the regular meeting.

The council didn't want to consider buying the whole property, noting that the city already has a larger green space at Colleyville Center, 5201 Riverwalk Dr. that, with some revamping, could be used for big outdoor events.

Mayor Pro Tem Mike Taylor also was concerned about how much the city might lose in property tax revenue if the Village property is not developed.

Mayor David Kelly suggested, and the rest of the council agreed, that the staff should talk to owners about purchasing either four or six lots that lie in front of City Hall and start putting together a plan for Colleyville Center.

"We did some investment inside Colleyville Center a couple years back. Now we have the opportunity to do something with the outside of Colleyville Center, make the investment on top of the property we already own," Kelly said.