An Oak Ridge North City Council meeting and planning and zoning commission meeting both occurred Monday night and had updates on a variety of developments for the city.

1. Emlar Swim School

In a 4-2 vote, city council members approved an ordinance for a specific use permit for Emlar Swim School to install an indoor swimming pool and provide swimming lessons at 27828 I-45 N., Oak Ridge North. The location is located in the Highway Business District for the city.

While council members debated over whether Emlar Swim School would be a good fit for the business center on I-45, it was ultimately decided that the business would bring more traffic to the area.

"I know how badly this city needs to generate sales tax revenue and I'd rather have a business in there that would do that—it's healthy for us as a city," said Council Member Paul Bond. "But I have to tell you—from what I know of the past—we are a destination for kids. I believe this is an opportunity to generate traffic from both sides of the freeway and these people will in time remember the businesses that are in the city and be more apt to revisit these businesses."

An expected opening date for Emlar Swim School on I-45 has not yet been announced.

2. Future water plant site

City council members unanimously approved to move forward with a formal design of a future water plant site in the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Director of Public Works Joe Sherwin said the site is a little over five acres in size and will push surface water to the east side of the Union Pacific Railroad.

"We wanted to ask [city council ] for direction to move forward with design and we'd come back to you with proposal of cost of what it would take to design," Sherwin said. "We need a survey, we need to clean up the property and it also needs to be raised to flood pain standards. We also need to look at elevation and work on the pipeline."

Mayor Jim Kuykendahl said the future water plant site is essential for planning on future development for the city.

"This is pretty much a must-do deal for us," he said.

3. Hotel development clean up

Building official addressed city council members at Monday night's meeting and said a clean-up has begun on the cancelled Crowne Plaza Hotel development.

"Some improvements have been made," he said. "They still need to come in and cut the weeds this week. All the concrete is now gone. We're also going to  put in three larger signs that say, 'No Trespassing.'"

The city has not yet stated what is going to happen to the development land in the future.