Developer looks to spur growth at Tate/Hwy. 114 intersection with water assistance from Grapevine

The Grapevine City Council on Tuesday night will consider an application from Ball Street Joint Venture Towers of Grapevine seeking a designation that will assist in redevelopment of property located at William D. Tate Avenue and West Hwy. 114.

The application is for a municipal setting designation, which provides an alternative to the cleanup of contaminated groundwater by prohibiting it from being used for potable purposes. With the designation, property owners do not have to spend large amounts of money to clean up the contaminated groundwater to drinking water standards, Grapevine Environmental Manager Dewey Stoffels said.

"They cannot drill a well on the site for domestic water source or for an irrigation source," he said. "We basically say we as the city are going to provide drinking water for people on that site and around that site."

Frank Clark, a senior consultant with W&M Environmental Group Inc. representing Ball Street Venture Towers of Grapevine, said receiving the designation will allow for an easier redevelopment of the property for retail use.

"It allows sites like this with historic contamination to move forward, to be sold, to be redeveloped, for loans to be granted, so that they can keep on going and not let contamination that really isn't harming anyone get in the way of development," Clark said.

The contaminated water is between 7 and 30 feet underground, perched on cemented sandstone and a shale bedrock formation at the site. A dry cleaner formerly occupied the property, and it was previously used for automobile repair and maintenance activities, Clark said.

"This is not a highly contaminated site — it is just one where it happens to exceed the drinking water standards," Clark said.

The 10-acre tract of land is located at 1271, 1281, 1293, 1301, 1303 and 1401 William D. Tate Ave, and 800 and 900 W. Hwy. 114. The application does not affect off-site properties.

The Grapevine City Council previously approved municipal setting designations for Faith Christian School and Bank of the West. It will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. tonight regarding the latest application.