After a nearly two-year-long discussion about the state of the old police station, a contract with Joesta Construction for the demolition was approved at the Oct. 9 Pilot Point City Council meeting.
Efforts were made to preserve the historic police station, built in 1892 as the original home of what is now PointBank, at 100 E. Main St., but the limestone foundation makes it a high-risk project prone to future issues, city officials said.
“There’s significant water damage underneath the building from over a hundred years of not great engineered foundation,” said Tracy Glover from Conquest Design and Development Group.
The demolition requires a careful team to do the job, she said.
“Joesta fits all of those criteria,” Glover said. “Many contractors came, they looked, they realized that you cannot take a wrecking ball to it. This building will be demolished one piece, one layer, by hand at a time.”
She also spoke to the way the attached building will look after the demolition.
“The exterior finish of the City Hall, once the demolition is complete, will be a beautiful, finished surface upon which an image will be created that will reflect … compliance with the historic guidelines for this section of our beautiful historic downtown.”
The demolition project has begun and is expected to finish by late January.
Afterward, grass will be planted until a decision is made about what to do with the vacant land.
“This is also a cornerstone of the Square,” council member Mike Wilson said. “It may be two years, maybe three years, maybe five years before we do anything else, and it needs to look nice, and it needs to represent the city well.”
The council also held a discussion about possible candidates for the Pilot Point Capital Improve- ments Advisory Committee.
The advisory committee would oversee the land and its development in the area as well as propose impact fees and assist the City Council.
The board requires a minimum of five members.
Assistant City Manager Michele Sanchez detailed the other stipulations.
“They do require that 50% of the membership be representatives from either real estate, development or the building industry who are not employees or officials of a public political subdivision or governmental entity,” Sanchez said. “And if impact fees are going to be applied in our [extraterritorial jurisdiction], then we do need to appoint a member from our ETJ as well.”
A list of potential candidates who are interested in the position is projected to be compiled by the Oct. 23 meeting.
In a unanimous vote, council members approved the contract agreement between Pilot Point and the city of Aubrey to assist in police patrol.
While the city is understaffed, residents can expect to see Aubrey police vehicles cruising around town.
The cost for this service is $85 per hour, including fuel for Aubrey’s police vehicles, insurance and other related expenses, Sanchez explained.
“Although we have had some departures over the past few months, understand that this is a national issue that has been going on for a while, not just at Pilot Point, even though it does seem that way,” Pilot Point Police Department Chief Angela Mathews said.
The contract is viable for 60 days, with the option to reinstate it for an extra 30 days.
“They are assisting and we’re grateful for their support, but we are truly doing our best to cover our city as much as we can until we can get fully staffed, and we’re working on that diligently,” Mathews said.
Also discussed and approved at the meeting were the expansion of the ETJ, along with the creation of the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 15.
At the meeting, a proposal for TIRZ No. 16 was introduced.
According to the City Council agenda, it would be for 86.72 acres of land east of Coffey Road, and a public hearing for further discussion is scheduled for a later date.
