Stephen Stanley, District 3 Council Member from 2013-2017, is challenging incumbent, Council Member Jerry Nickerson, to reclaim the seat.
He said that he had been asked to come back by a number of former constituents. He discussed it with his pastor and family and made the decision to run.
“We decided that since the people were asking me to come back, I should run again,” he said.
Stanley said that some positive things are happening in South Garland and that it’s important to continue that trend. Neighborhoods there are among the first to get new street lights because he had asked for District 3 to be at the top of the list. The New Possibilities development that will be built on the Eastern Hills Country Club site is also positive news.
“I spent hundreds of hours on Eastern Hills to keep 550 houses from going in there,” he said.
He added that he had pushed to get the I-30 catalyst study to be moved closer to the top of the list and that it was adopted about a month after he left office.
“I have a lot invested,”. Stanley said. “Almost everything happening now is stuff that got started four or five or six years ago.”
He also said that someone else is taking credit for making I-30 development happen.
“A charter school was about to be built and I wanted the city to buy the land. If not, it would have prevented the activities planned in the proposed development,” he said. “Whether I led the charge to buy that land or not, the city was going to buy it because it was the only way to be sure the catalyst plan didn’t blow up.”
Stanley is opposed to moving the I-30 Bass Pro exit. He refers to it as being “taken away” and he said that TxDOT says they are “simply relocating it.” He does not care how much signage there will be to direct drivers, he does not believe moving it is a good idea.
“It’s not the same,” he said. “It’s going to cause serious traffic problems. I asked for the economic feasibility study and I was told that one hadn’t been done.”
He added that the owner of Harbor Point did not know about the exit being relocated.
Stanley also expressed concern about a problem going on in a Garland housing addition that is adjacent to the Cypress Cove addition that formerly belonged to the city of Dallas. The residents in the de-annexed area are trying to get water and wastewater services by setting up a Municipal Utilities District adjacent to the city of Garland and purchase water and sewer from Garland.
He said that the developer, DR Horton, filed for a TCEQ permit that would allow them to put in a “package plan” which can handle 400,000 gallons of sewage per day. The effluence would go into the lake, the solids would be hauled out.
The Garland residents did not like this plan and some of them called Stanley to ask for his help. He called the Dallas City Council member for that area as well as Garland’s city attorney, Brad Neighbor.
Stanley said that the people in District 3 are the strength.
“In 2013, people that I went to school with came out and knocked doors for me. Lots of their parents even still live in the district,” Stanley said. “We all grew up there and have the best interests for the area in the mind.”
The city’s image can use improvement, but Stanley said that much of the negativity is just perception.
“How many people know that we have a symphony? How many know about the arts in Garland? We need to be pushing those things,” he said. “The city has started working with an outside consultant and it’s great that we are starting to tell our own story instead of it being told for us,” he said. “Also, our Public Relations Department is doing a great job pushing information out.”
He added that more has to be done to get the word out, and said that companies like Resistol and Kraft that have been in Garland for many years, should be promoted along with the ‘Make Your Mark’ campaign.
He also feels that Garland’s affordable housing stock is an asset.
“There is lots of affordable housing so our people can go from graduating high school to the workforce or college and there is a house for them,” Stanley said. “Then, after a few years, when they can afford to move if they choose to, there are larger, more expensive homes.”
Stanley, who served on the citizens’ bond committee, said that the group had put together a good package with the least amount of money possible and it would be up to council to get to work on it as quickly as possible.