Colleyville, Texas Dec. 2, 2016
The Colleyville City Council unanimously granted authority to the city attorney to seek a temporary restraining order and/or injunction to halt vegetation removal along the Cotton Belt Railroad right-of-way.
City Council approved this action through a resolution at a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 28, in response to a contractor associated with the TEX Rail project planning to begin removing vegetation along the railroad’s right-of-way without providing adequate information to the City.
“The goal of this action is to stop the potential clear cutting of large trees along the Cotton Belt Trail that many people enjoy and to obtain more information about The T’s intention and plans for vegetation removal,” Mayor Richard Newton said. “The cost is only a few hours of the city attorney’s time and this is an initial step to protect our trees with minimal financial impact to the City of Colleyville.”
A contractor working for The Fort Worth Transportation Authority, The T, submitted a permit application on Friday, Nov. 18, to remove vegetation starting on Monday, Nov. 28, along the Cotton Belt Rail in preparation of the TEX Rail project.
The City requested additional information from the contractor, which is required prior to the issuance of the permit. The Council called the meeting out of concern that it would only take one or two days to clear the whole right-of-way.
Mayor Newton said the City will proactively monitor the situation and will continue to be transparent throughout this project and with any future actions.
