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One of Farmersville’s first large new apartment complexes is about to break ground, a sign of big change for the small town in Collin County.

Ethos Property Development will build 290 units on a 17.5-acre site at the southwest corner of Princeton Avenue and Harvard Boulevard, just south of a recently completed single-family subdivision. The apartment complex will be named Fountainview after a 1-acre pond with a fountain that will be the centerpiece of the project.

The property will include one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments across 10 two- and three-story buildings. The units will range from about 620 to 1,340 square feet, with rents that are planned to start at $1,080 and average around $1,350. Amenities will include a pool, a dog park and outdoor cooking areas.

Construction is expected to begin Monday and take just over two years to complete. The first apartments will be available in spring 2024. Construction is estimated to cost about $39.2 million, according to planning documents filed with the state.

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Ethos is a partnership between Myers Picard Property Development and Consilium Properties. The firm purchased the site in December 2020.

“Collin County has gone through growth that is really unheard of,” said Bruce Myers, principal of Myers Picard and a longtime McKinney resident. “We just felt that if we built in Farmersville, we could provide an affordable alternative to other parts of Collin County without being too far out of the way.”

The group targeted Farmersville for its proximity to McKinney, which has seen an influx of industrial development. Several developers there are working on warehouse projects.

The project team includes Gallegos Project Management and Broaddus Construction.

The Farmersville City Council approved plans for the project in June alongside plans for The Loop, another apartment complex set to have 350 units along State Highway 78 and Farmersville Parkway.

Farmersville has just 220 completed apartment units across six small properties, according to CoStar Group. The most recent apartment project was Palladium Farmersville, which wrapped up in 2020 and added 80 units to the city near the intersection of U.S. Highway 380 and Collin Parkway, just south of Myers’ site.

The city, estimated to have about 5,000 residents, has experienced an influx of single-family home development as seen throughout the north and east ends of Collin County.

Like Princeton to the west, Farmersville will benefit from the future expansion of U.S. Highway 380, which links eastern Collin County with jobs in Plano and Frisco. The city is working to bring jobs to 6,000 acres of the east and south sides of town that are zoned for industrial use.

For the next few weeks, candidates and municipalities will work to shape the election landscape this May.

Filing opened Wednesday, Jan. 18, and closes at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17.

Farmersville voters will head to the polls for both municipal, school district and Collin College elections May 6.

Farmersville ISD has three places on the board of trustees up for election: Place 6 held by Brian Brazil, Place 7 held by Jason McTee and Place 5 formerly held by Tommy Monk who resigned in Sept. 2022.

Incumbent Jason McTee submitted his application Jan. 18 for his reelection bid.

James ‘Jim’ Hemby submitted his application Jan. 20 for Place 5 on the FISD board.

Trustee candidate applications are available on the district’s website or at the administration office, 501-A, Highway 78N.

Terms expiring on Farmersville City Council are Place 1, held by Craig Overstreet and Place 3, held by Ted Wagner.

Candidate packets are available in the Farmersville City Secretary’s office at 205 S. Main for anyone who intends to seek election to a council seat.

In addition, three members serving on the Collin College Board of Trustees are up for election. The three positions on the ballot are Place 1, Place 2 and Place 3.

Frank Moses currently holds Place 1, a position he has held since 2017. Jay Saad, the current board vice president, has been in his post since 2019. Stacey Donald holds Place 3 and has also been in the position since 2017.

Trustees are elected to six-year terms with an election held in odd years. Interested candidates must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old, a Texas resident for at least one contiguous year and a Collin County resident for at least six contiguous months.

Board packets can be picked up by emailing elections@collin.edu.

The last day to register to vote for the May election is April 6. Early voting by personal appearance will begin April 24 and end May 2 and Election Day is May 6.

The first day to apply for a ballot by mail using Application for a Ballot by Mail (ABBM) was Sunday, January 1. The last day to Apply for Ballot by Mail (received, not postmarked) is April 25.

Times and locations for early voting have yet to be determined but residents can cast their ballot at any location in the county in which they are registered to vote.

The Times will include brief stories about each candidate as information is received.

Area entities participating in spring elections aside from Farmersville include Parker, Lucas, Wylie and Lovejoy ISD.

If you want to read more stories like this, subscribe and support your local newspaper at https://publisher.etype.services/Farmersville-Times

It’s that time of year again and soon Farmersville Parkway will be all aglow as the light display kicks off its third year of bringing joy to visitors and Farmersville residents while supporting area charities.

The official lighting ceremony, complete with a seasonal serenade by Fine Arts on Main carolers, kicks off at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Commercial Bank of Texas located at 201 S. Hwy. 78.

Also bringing joy to some volunteers this year, including Mayor Bryon Wiebold and his wife Misty who have logged their share of time stringing lights, is the fact that generous sponsors and the city will cover the costs of hanging and removing the lights instead of volunteers.

“If Farmersville Lights is to be continued as an annual tradition, it was necessary to hire the bulk of the work.” Wiebold said. “This will insure we get the lights down in a timely manner and spare the city workers being burdened with getting the nights down.”

The mayor said volunteers are still being included to do some tweaking of light displays and to manage [holiday] events throughout the month.

At the ceremony, sponsors will be recognized and a Farmersville Junior High student will be present to act as the honorary chairperson and get the honor of turning on the lights. The student will be selected prior to the event based on their winning essay titled “A Farmersville Christmas Story” which they will be asked to read to guests during the ceremony.

After the ceremony, attendees can make their way to the downtown gazebo prior to the official tree lighting ceremony at 7 p.m.

Back again this year to the city is the popular horse drawn carriage rides, from 7-9 p.m. starting at the Heritage Museum Thursday, Dec. 1, after the opening ceremony. After Dec. 1, the rides will be available Friday and Saturday evenings, Dec. 2-3, 9-10 and 16-17. To manage the rides more effectively this year, reservations must be made in advance at farmersvillelights.com.

There are two carriages available per time slot and one reservation entitles up to six people, adults and children, to enjoy a 15-minute ride for $20. According to organizers, the carriage may be quite snug with all adults. Time slots are filling up quickly for designated dates and times.

Wiebold said, “local charities will be continued to be supported via cash donations” from events such as the carriage rides and the Cheers and Charity Booth located at the Onion Shed.

Also kicking off Dec. 1 at 8 p.m. is the first of four performances of “A Christmas Carol,” the traditional story with modern music produced by Fine Arts on Main. Visit fineartsonmain.org to buy tickets.

On Friday, Dec. 2, the Farmersville Parks and Recreation Department is hosting its Winter Music Series at the Onion Shed. Enjoy live 50s and Christmas music in the park by local band, The Blandelles, starting at 7 p.m. Also happening that night, from 5-8 p.m., is Cocktails and Candy Canes, an after-hours shopping event in downtown.

Shopping continues the next day, Saturday, Dec. 3, as the chamber of commerce hosts its holiday Farmersville Market at the Onion Shed starting at 9 a.m.

For those who want to peek inside the historic Bain-Honaker House and see it decorated for the holidays, the Farmersville Historical Society will host its Christmas Tour and Country Store event from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3 at the house located at 108 College Street.

Also starting at 11 a.m. Dec. 3, the Toys for Tots Motorcycle Run roars through town to pick up toys collected by participating businesses in Farmersville. Drop off new, unwrapped toys now through Dec. 2 at the chamber of commerce, Tracy’s Custom Homes, The Stable, Red Door Antiques during regular business hours.

If a live Christmas tree is on your list, the Farmersville Volunteer Fire Department will be selling trees again this year. Last year’s sales contributed $12,000 to the department reported the mayor. The tent is set up by the Onion Shed and will be full of Oregon Fir Trees — Douglas, Noble and Nordman — which range in price from $76 to $193. The VFD will begin selling trees Friday, Nov. 25 and will continue through Dec. 16. Hours will be Monday – Fridays from 5-8 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 8 p.m.

Family photo opportunities will be abundant during the holiday in Farmersville. Climb into Santa’s sleigh once again at the Onion Shed for family photos and if individuals are there on weekends during Farmersville Lights, hot chocolate will be available for purchase at Onion Shed and proceeds will benefit first responders.

“Farmersville Lights received an impressive uptick in sponsors this year, both in number of sponsors and, therefore, the amount of funds donated,” the mayor said. “Such interest and generosity only shows how supportive businesses are in providing the Farmersville community with a signature holiday event.”

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Local control is best. That’s the mantra of city governments everywhere, regardless of location or the political leanings of its governing body.

So it is, then, that Farmersville – a growing Collin County community – is beginning to wrestle with the best way to achieve complete local control. Its City Council wants to enact a home rule charter, moving the city away from the “general law” rules mandated by Texas statute.

The council came within a whisker the other evening of asking city residents to vote on a home rule charter in a municipal election. Then the council balked. It heard some concerns from at least one council member and a resident about the veracity of the formula that a city home rule charter committee had used to calculate the estimated population of Farmersville.

State law declares that a city must achieve a population of at least 5,000 residents to become eligible to seek home rule status. The city’s home rule committee has estimated the city population to be 5,060. How did it derive that figure? According to City Councilman Mike Hurst, a member of the committee, the panel estimated that the average city habitation contains 3.2 residents.

Among the residents attending a City Council meeting, Jim Foy – a former councilman and former Planning & Zoning commissioner – questioned the 3.2-resident-per-dwelling formula. Foy said the U.S. Census Bureau places the national average at 2.63 residents per dwelling, which he noted is “way below 3.2.” He said using the Census Bureau formula, Farmersville’s population would stand at 4,218 residents.

“State law says that the council is to make a good faith determination of the population, using facts like people per household. So, what is a valid number for Farmersville?” he said.

Foy told the council, “Cities vary widely in their demographics. Booming cities have more young families, and may have close to three people per household. Other cities have an older population with more retirees than young families and may average closer to two people per household.” He said Farmersville’s population is older than the average and, thus, might not have as many people per dwelling as the charter committee has estimated.

He cited the North Central Texas Council of Governments, which he said estimates Farmersville’s population in 2019 to be 3,340 residents.

Foy urged the council to table the resolution calling for an election in May. “The national census is being conducted in nine weeks, on April 1,” Foy said, urging the city to “table this resolution until we get an actual count from the Census Bureau, at which time you will have a factual basis for declaring if we exceed 5,000 residents.”

Farmersville has a municipal neighbor just a few miles to its west, Princeton, that has been living through a home rule nightmare for several years. Princeton has sought voter approval for a home rule charter four times; it has failed each time. Princeton residents have fought against what they believe is the city’s attempt to annex property and to raise taxes too readily.

I reside in Princeton and my own wish is for my city to enact a home rule form of government. It should free itself of the restrictions placed on it by the general law mandates required by Texas statute.

I am unaware at this moment of any plans to try for another run at establishing a city charter. I do know, based on what I heard in Farmersville, that the folks down the highway have paid attention to Princeton’s clumsy effort to establish local control.

The Farmersville City Council has dedicated itself to getting it right when they do ask the voters for permission to enact a home rule charter.

John Kanelis, former editorial page editor for the Amarillo Globe-News and the Beaumont Enterprise, is also a former blogger for Panhandle PBS in Amarillo. He is now retired, but still writing. Kanelis can be contacted via Twitter @jkanelis, on Facebook, or his blog, www.highplainsblogger.com.Kanelis' blog for KETR, "Piece of Mind," presents his views, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of KETR, its staff, or its members.

Kanelis lives in Princeton with his wife, Kathy.

Farmersville Mayor Bryon Wiebold intended to conduct a question-and-answer session about an upcoming election on the future of the city’s economic development strategy.

What he got, though, was a roomful of angry and seemingly confused residents upset over what they perceive as a power grab by City Hall. The meeting occurred Friday, April 21 at Collin College-Farmersville’s campus library.

A set of propositions is asking voters to decide on the formation of a Municipal Development District (MDD) and on whether to disband the city’s current Community Development Council (4B).

Both propositions must be approved to shift a one half of 1% sales tax levy from 4B use to MDD. Successful passage of MDD formation is contigent upon both measures passing at the polls.

Wiebold ended up fending off angry inquiries about the creation of a home rule government for Farmersville last year and whether expansion of the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction would result in tax increases for those who live within the ETJ but outside the city limits.

Wiebold explained ETJ residents would not see a tax increase.

The mayor, who was shouted down several times by residents who packed the library, explained that the home rule charter that voters approved in May 2022 expands the ETJ from one-half mile outside the city limits to one mile. The MDD would allow the city to levy a one half of 1% sales tax for economic development purposes, taking over the duties now being done by 4B.

“Home rule means the city lacks authority to approve permits in the ETJ,” Wiebold said in seeking to explain the limitations contained within the home rule charter, adding that “the only way we can enlarge the ETJ is if the city grows.”

After the meeting, Wiebold told the Times that “most of the complaints came from those who live in Merit and Celeste. The Farmersville opponents of what we are trying to do have been quiet.” He said “the confusion appears to be over the MDD and the ETJ. They are separate issues.”

When the meeting commenced, Wiebold, along with Councilmen Mike Henry and Terry Williams, spoke to small groups of residents, prompting a Merit resident, Paula Stout, to lead a chant of “let’s talk!” that many in the crowd picked up. Wiebold then hooked up a microphone and spoke to the entire crowd.

The election, which occurs May 6, will allow residents living within the ETJ as well as those living within the Farmersville city limits to vote on whether to approve the MDD; the second measure, disbanding the 4B board, will be decided only by voters who live within the Farmersville limits.

If voters approve the MDD, the City Council would appoint its five members to two-year terms. Three MDD members must live within the city limits, while the other two would live within the ETJ. Early voting for the election started on Monday, April 24 and concludes May 2.

The issue of annexation was another hot topic on the minds of residents attending the Collin College-Farmersville meeting. Some residents expressed concern that the city would engage in a land grab, which prompted Wiebold to remind them that the 2017 Texas Legislature approved a law that makes all annexation “consensual” between cities and affected property owners. In addition, the mayor reminded attendees that the 2019 Legislature affirmed the 2017 legislative session’s approval.

Another point of contention centered on the city’s recent annexation of the Chaparral Trail from Merit to Celeste. Wiebold said the city was able to obtain $1 million in grants from Hunt County to help the city pay for trail maintenance and upkeep, adding that 4B was able to provide $50,000 in grant funds as well.

Wiebold received repeated challenges by those who live within the ETJ that the city was trying to sneak the MDD proposal past them, suggesting they should have been allowed to vote on the home rule matter a year ago.

“Home rule is a city issue,” he said. “Those who live outside the city limits were not allowed to vote on it — that’s state law.”

Wiebold also received a challenge from a resident who wondered how the city arrived at its 5,000 “inhabitant” threshold that the state requires to allow the city to conduct a home rule charter election. She noted that the 2020 Census places Farmersville’s population about 1,200 residents fewer than the legal minimum limit. Wiebold said the city calculated the 5,000-inhabitant figure based on the number of water meters listed within the city.

Wiebold said the city’s formula was approved by the state.

“We’re going to keep educating the public on what we are trying to achieve,” he said. “If it doesn’t pass… well, the majority rules.”

By John Kanelis. • news@farmersvilletimes.com

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