People who live next to a busy facility owned by the city of Denton say heavy truck traffic and noise are affecting their quality of life. They're calling on the city to address their complaints.
Residents voiced concerns at a recent public hearing, on proposed zoning changes at the Denton Service Center of Texas Street. The city said it hoped to expand its fleet maintenance operation there, prompting the need for the hearings, and the rezoning request.
When the service center was built in 1980, it had about 100 employees. Now, there are 300, which has resulted in an increase in heavy truck traffic and noise.
"I've complained about it," said Leonard Chavez, who has lived in a house just down the street from the service center for 50 years. "You have a lot of dump trucks come through here early in the morning. Quite a bit of noise from the trucks."
Last month, Chavez and other neighbors went to the planning and zoning commission with their complaints. The city of Denton is now working to address them -- including worries about trash and rodents near the site.
"Over the years the facility has grown as far as the number of trucks, the number of employees," Denton assistant city manager Mario Canizares said. He added increased truck traffic was a product of Denton's growth. City officials are considering several potential solutions.
"We're taking their concerns under consideration," he said. "And we're looking to make some modifications to the site to help mitigate some of the complaints, noise, light, etc."
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Denton leaders said possible solutions included barriers and landscaping around the service center site to reduce noise and light. Canizares said city employees would also be asked to drive those big trucks on routes that don't cut through city neighborhoods when possible.
Denton's planning and zoning commission will hold another public hearing Monday on the service center rezoning. Chavez, who said he's complained about the traffic and noise for years, said he'll keep doing it until concerns are addressed.
"Hopefully they do something soon," Chavez said. "I'm hoping they do."
