Waxahachie City Council approves creek project, new development, Starbucks, more

The Waxahachie City Council met Jan. 6 and 21, with highlights from the approved minutes for those meetings outlined below.

During the Jan. 6 meeting, the city council:

• approved a supplemental appropriation (4-0 vote) for the city cemetery security camera installation. The project has been in the works since a 2022 incident in which more than 275 headstones were damaged.

• approved (4-0 vote) design and engineering services for creek bank stabilization at Getzendaner Memorial Park. The project will see the installation of a gabion system where erosion has impacted the pedestrian and bike trail along with storm drain outfalls and erosion protection on both sides of the two pedestrian bridges across Waxahachie Creek.

• approved a five-year renewal (4-0 vote) of the city’s contract with Waste Connections Lone Star Inc., including a rate adjustment.

During the Jan. 21 meeting, the city council:

• approved a specific use permit (5-0 vote) for a short-term rental at 512 N. College St.

• approved an SUP (5-0 vote) for a short-term rental at 708 S. Rogers St.

• denied a specific use permit (5-0 vote) for a short-term rental at 807 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. due to the applicant not submitting all required documents and information.

• approved a zoning change and development agreement (5-0 votes) from commercial to planned development-mixed-use residential for a site directly south of 2001 Bates Drive. The 15.21-acre site, Highland’s at Bates Drive, will include 340 multi-family dwelling units, a five-story hotel, drive-through restaurant, drive-through car wash, and 40,000 square feet of commercial space.

• approved an SUP (5-0 vote) for a Starbucks with drive-through as part of a multi-tenant retail building at 2932 N. U.S. Highway 77.

• approved (5-0 vote) the purchase of two land parcels on South College Street ($75,000) and 1.309 acres at 441 S. College St. ($199,570), using funds from the Waxahachie Community Development Corporation. (Ellis County Appraisal District property ID Nos. 171150, 171141, and 171143).

• approved (3-2 vote, council members Patrick Souter and Chris Wright dissenting) the “transfer of ownership, development, and operation” of the city’s former police station, 216 N. College St., to EHG Waxahachie Realty LLC.

Copies of the certified minutes are available as PDFs below.

For more information, including each meeting’s full agenda packet and video recording, visit www.waxahachie.com.