2023 Annual Meeting Voter's Guide

2023

ANNUAL MEETING OF MEMBERS

VOTER’S GUIDE

CITY OF IRVING FIRE STATION NO. 8

SUPPLEMENTARY DECLARATION NO. 124

The City of Irving seeks to build a new municipal fire station to service the Las Colinas area. The proposed fire station will replace the current Fire Station #8 located at 650 E. Las Colinas Boulevard.

After considering all variables that impact a fire station’s location, as well as examining all options for property to construct a new fire station, the city proposes to build the fire station at the current Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) North Irving bus center. The North Irving Transit Center is a bus-only station located at 5601 Riverside Drive, along Northwest Highway and Riverside Drive.

The need for fire and emergency medical services in this area of the city has increased significantly, and the location will address current response time delays. Additionally, the location would provide the Irving Fire Department quick access to emergency calls at Lake Carolyn requiring the fire boat and Campion Trails for the off-road ambulance.

The Las Colinas area has seen a 50% increase in EMS calls since 2017 due to the significant influx of residents in both single-family and multifamily residences. Emergency services have also been impacted by new commercial office space, retail developments, entertainment at the Toyota Music Factory and activities at the Irving Convention Center.

Emergency response times in the area would improve significantly with the quick access to major streets and thoroughfares. This area of the city does not have an ambulance stationed within an acceptable geographical area to meet national standards on response times and the needs of the community’s medical emergencies. The new station would also house the Hazardous Materials Response Team.

The existing Fire Station #8 is no longer able to provide the level of service the community has come to expect from the Irving Fire Department. There is no room to expand the station to provide all the services of a modern facility. The existing facility also has a safety issue with the large fire apparatus and the light-rail line across from the bay entrances. Finally, with the recent development of the light-rail line, the public has no appropriate access to the station for voting or visitors.

The relocation of Fire Station #8 will benefit the residents of Las Colinas by providing faster emergency response time for fire and EMS calls for service, therefore reducing property losses and saving lives. Whether it be fire, EMS, water or trail emergencies, the relocation of Fire Station #8 will give the residents of Las Colinas improved emergency services.

Illustrative with final design pending

CITY OF IRVING FIRE STATION NO. 8

• Much of the population growth in Irving has occurred in Las Colinas.

• EMS calls for service has increased in the Las Colinas area by 50% since 2017.

• The current National Standard for emergency response is 5 minutes and 20 seconds. Due to location limitations of current Station #8 and the lack of a Mobile Intensive Care Unit (MICU) ambulance, average emergency response times are almost double the National Standard. (NFPA Standard 1710, Irving Fire Department)

• The Irving Fire Department ISO-1 designation may yield varying insurance discounts to Irving residents and business owners.

• Based on recent DCAD property values, there is no correlation between fire station proximity to residential neighborhoods and property values. (Dallas County Appraisal District)

• Ambulances that respond in the area leave their districts uncovered for emergency medical service calls.

• Fire Stations are strategically located to allow fire-fighters and paramedics to intervene within National Response times to mitigate the emergency efficiently and effectively.

LCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2023 ELECTIONS

The Las Colinas Association is governed by non-compensated, volunteer board members, with equal representation for residential and commercial properties, and one Declarant representative.

The bylaws now provide staggered terms and term limits. Directors are elected for three-year terms on a rotating basis and are limited to two consecutive terms plus any preceding partial terms resulting from an appointment to a vacated position.

SUSHIL PATEL, Chairman

Sushil is the President of State Bank of Texas (SBT), a family-owned bank. He joined the bank in 2004 and has served on the Board of Directors since 2000. SBT has consistently ranked as one of the top-performing community banks in the country year after year. Sushil has been instrumental in the growth of the bank from a $100 million asset bank in 2004 to a $2 billion asset bank that specializes in loans to the hospitality industry. SBT is the largest Indian community bank in the nation.

Sushil also serves as a Principal of CBP Holdings, the Patel family office, which develops and operates hotels and other real estate in New York City and the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Through the bank and CBP Holdings, Sushil oversees $3 billion in assets in which the family office holds a majority ownership stake. Prior to joining State Bank of Texas, Sushil worked as a Senior Analyst at Bank of America Securities in the Global Corporate & Investment Bank. He holds a B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business. In addition to Las Colinas Association, Sushil currently serves as a board member for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (CDIAC), Baylor Scott and White Irving Hospital and Irving Hospital Authority. Sushil is also a current Board of Trustee for the Surti Leuva Patidar Samaj of DFW, a community organization of over 1,000 “Patel” families in the DFW Metroplex. Sushil has previously served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for the City of Irving including the role of Chairman and recently served on the Citizen’s Bond Task Force.

BARBARA M c NUTT, Treasurer

Barbara McNutt’s long-standing career started on the Architectural Design side, eventually leading her to the owner’s side (Verizon). One of her most prestigious projects at the beginning of her career was being Project Manager for the GTE Headquarters that is now Verizon. Barbara had her own design practice for almost a decade before joining Gensler and then later HKS.

Barbara has been with Verizon for over five years focusing her talents on the upcoming mixed-use development that will be brought to fruition in the next couple of years.

She is passionate about providing great design that is sustainable and contributes to the community. Having an impact and giving back are extremely important to Barbara. She has shown her commitment to this belief through her previous involvement on several boards and community services projects.

DANNY OPITZ, Vice Chairman

Danny Opitz has been an integral part of Las Colinas with over 40 years of involvement in the management of the Las Colinas development with the Las Colinas Corporation, FaisonStone, Cousins Properties and Hines Interests. His responsibilities included land planning and entitlement of land, preparation of land use documents as a representative of the Declarant and oversight of the design and construction of project infrastructure.

He has served as Vice Chairman of the Las Colinas Association Board of Directors since 2021 and has been a member of the Architectural Control Committee for eighteen years. He has served on many civic and municipal committees in Irving, including the Development Ordinance Rewrite Committee, Storm Water Drainage Committee, Comprehensive Land Use Committee, Storm Water Drainage Committee, Comprehensive Land Use Committee and the Citizen’s Transportation Committee. He was a board member of the Dallas County Utility Reclamation District from 2001 to 2019.

He has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University.

Danny and his wife, Nancy, have been residents of Las Colinas since 2002 and currently reside in La Villita.

THE PROXY

Each property owner subject to the Las Colinas Declaration(s) is entitled to vote by proxy or in person. The number of votes a property owner may cast is determined by the value of that property established by the Dallas Central Appraisal District, as certified for the 2022 tax year.

A proxy is included in this official mailing package along with a self-addressed return envelope. The proxy must be signed and returned in order to be included in the vote. You can also submit your vote online at vote.associationvoting.com/lascolinas using the credentials included on the proxy.

THE VOTER’S GUIDE

Applicants for SD Amendments are members of the Las Colinas Association. The Voter’s Guide is their opportunity to share with you their reasons for requesting the amendment, a brief summary of the changes being proposed and their conceptual ideas of what might occur should the amendment be passed. The information contained herein for the proposed SD amendment is provided by the applicant and reflects their positions and is approved by the Las Colinas Association Board of Directors.