Home Care In Richardson, TX

Richardson ISD held the first of five parent listening sessions Monday night following last week's announcement that the district plans to close five schools in the coming years.

Under "Project RightSize," Greenwood, Springridge, Spring Valley and Thurgood Marshall elementary schools will be consolidated with neighboring schools starting in the upcoming school year, and Dobie Pre-K will close beginning in 2025.

At Monday’s listening session at JJ Pearce High School, parent Travis Fitzgerald was frustrated his child’s school, Greenwood Hills Elementary, is among those targeted.

“We love it. Love it,” Fitzgerald said of the school, after the meeting. “We've never even really considered transferring out of the school. We love the administration. We love the diversity.

"It's just a blow to know that that building won't have students in it. Every time that I go walk my kids to school, that's just one more day closer to where I won't necessarily be able to do that.”

Fitzgerald sympathizes with the district’s woes. He understands school districts across Texas haven’t seen more state funding in five or six years.

What’s more, Richardson ISD says it’s lost at least 2,200 students since the pandemic. Each of the four elementary schools slated to close is at less than 60% capacity.

Another parent, Laurie Evans, has three children in Richardson schools. Her youngest might now have to switch campuses if Project RightSize gets approved next month.

“The crappy thing is,” said Evans, “they're saying my kid can walk to Canyon Creek all the way down Campbell, across two major intersections. We’ve been there 11 years now. To have to switch our last two years kind of sucks.”

Richardson Superintendent Tabitha Branum said last week that RISD is facing serous funding problems that nearly every district in Texas is experiencing for the same reasons: “This is really a result of increased requirements, increased inflation, and no new additional dollars coming into the system,” Branum said.

She also said if nothing changes, RISD could be facing a $28.5 million deficit.

“It is with an absolute commitment that we are going to put our students and our staff and our parents first,” Branum said during the board meeting. "But ... if we are going to create a budget that is sustainable, if we are going to prioritize what we need to do for kids, we have to do things differently."

The district estimates the closures would save nearly $11 million a year and add an estimated $10 million in one-time funds. But Branum stressed the deficit "is not not a result of poor stewardship by past administrations or previous boards."

Superintendents statewide have called for more state education funding from a legislature that hasn’t increased school funding since 2019. Despite the state’s recent record budget surplus, state lawmakers added no education funding for schools last year.

In a statement released over the weekend, Democratic state Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos, who represents parts of Richardson and whose son attends school in the district, said Gov. Greg Abbott is holding school funding "hostage" as he pushes for a state voucher program.

"I grieve with the parents preparing to uproot their children from familiar routings and friendships, and I am enraged at the failure of the Texas Legislature to act," Ramos said. Abbott's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Richardson ISD will continue holding listening sessions at schools around the district:

As RISD faces a $28 million deficit, district leaders say Project Rightsize would reduce spending by nearly $10.8 million.

During Thursday's School Board Meeting, the Richardson Independent School District voted unanimously on a proposal to close four elementary schools and a Pre-K campus to respond to a decline in enrollment and lack of state funding.

District leaders voted 7-0 on boundary adjustments, moving forward with closures and consolidations for the 2024-2025 school year.

Many parents and students walked out in tears. They told NBC 5 they felt their pleas and concerns fell on deaf ears.

Dobie Pre-K campus and four elementary schools: Greenwood Hills, Springridge, Spring Valley, and Thurgood Marshall will close.

While Duck Creek’s neighborhood school, Dartmouth Elementary, is not part of the list of closures, some parents are were about the boundary changes Project Rightsize entails.

“If we were in a perfect world or an ideal world where funding was not something that we were having to think about in this way, we may not have to have this conversation because we would want to preserve the current elementary feeders as they exist,” said Superintendent Dr. Tabitha Branum.

Stephanie Warren is a parent of two students at Dartmouth Elementary. She said the program would require students to move to Yale Elementary, and in turn, dive and disrupt their tight-knit community.

“We moved here 18 years ago with a vision of what our family was going to be," Warren said. "And it wasn’t moving from to school like we did. It was walking our children to school and from school every day, knowing the names of our neighbors.”

Since late February, Warren has helped spearhead the movement to keep all students at Dartmouth together.

“Don’t divide our ducks,” Warren said. “We created a petition that has 1,200 signatures. Our children have made signs.”

According to the online petition, “Under the proposal, an estimated 113 Dartmouth students would be rezoned out of the neighborhood school to make room for 221 students being displaced by Springridge Elementary’s closure.”

Warren’s children usually have a short six-minute walk to school with neighbors. Now, she said she is concerned about the distance and high traffic part of the new commute.

Warren recorded the walk to Yale Elementary which required her to cross Aparhoe, a major street without school zones or cross guards.

In an email, a spokesperson for the school district stated, “RISD would work directly with the cities of Richardson and Dallas to encourage placement of school zones and crossing guards to ensure the safety of walking students. “

On their website, the school district stated the changes would go into effect as early as the upcoming 2024-2025 school year and help reduce operating expenditures by more than $10 million per year.

During the last several weeks, the district said they have answered hundreds of questions from parents and staff online and during their informational meetings. A final vote is expected to take place Thursday night. However, Warren and other parents who reached out to NBC 5 said the decision feels rushed.

The spill was reported when someone saw "large amounts of red liquid" flowing in the creek, the city said.

RICHARDSON, Texas — A soap detergent spill from a Richardson car wash turned a creek bright red over the weekend, officials said.

The spill, which was reported around noon Sunday, at Floyd Branch Creek near Arapaho Road and Hampshire Lane, according to city officials.

The city shared pictures on Facebook of bright red water in the creek. The spill was reported when someone saw "large amounts of red liquid" flowing in the creek, the city said.

Officials traced the spill to a nearby car wash, saying the business owner "began discharging wastewater from the establishment into the creek due to a blockage affecting its main wastewater line."

“The car wash had kind of fabricated some temporary housing and piping and was discharging some of their automotive detergents into the storm drain from their base,” said Richardson Health Director Bill Alsup.

The detergent, which was deemed to be non-hazardous, was cleaned out of the creek and the water was back to normal by Monday morning. Still, fish in the creek could be affected by the soap spill, officials said.

“Luckily, the car wash detergent is, is it, you know, terribly hazardous to speak of we haven't noticed any kind of environmental impact to aquatic life or the foliage or anything,” Alsup said.

Crews had to block the flow of the creek water and then they pumped out more than 21,000 gallons of water. The spill impact was "minimized and the natural ecosystem and water quality" met safety standards Monday morning, officials said.

The city notified the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which regulates incidents like the soap spill.

"On January 28, 2024, the TCEQ DFW Region received notification that 100 gallons of car wash soap was released and had impacted Fort Branch Creek near 1028 N Lindale Street in Richardson. The release originated from Clean N Shine Express Carwash located at 535 W Arapaho in Richardson. TCEQ contacted Richardson Health Department to discuss the details of the incident, and according to City of Richardson, a contractor had been retained to perform response actions. No fish kills had been observed and TCEQ assistance was not requested," a statement from TCEQ reads. "On January 29, 2024, TCEQ followed up with the City of Richardson. Approximately 21,000 gal of impacted water from the creek was recovered into two frac tanks for disposal, and no fish kills were observed. The TCEQ will continue to follow up with the City of Richardson and the responsible party to verify appropriate response actions are conducted."

A city spokesperson told WFAA that the soap came from the Clean and Shine Carwash off Arapahoe Road and Hampshire Lane, about a half-mile from the creek. The spokesperson said the car wash, which now faces a fine, had installed its own pipe to take runoff to the creek.

Nearly two decades after Richardson Square Mall was demolished, plans are in the works to revive a portion of the structure left standing.

At a Feb. 7 event, officials from real estate leasing and sales firm Structure Commercial, which was hired by developer VN Holdings, presented plans that include an overhaul of the former Sears space.

According to Structure Commercial Vice President Quyen Nguyen, the up to $20 million redevelopment will include a Japanese grocery store anchor surrounded by boutique retailers and sit-down dining.

“Because this is going to be a ... multicultural concept, it’ll be a lot more attractive,” Nguyen said.

The details

Structure Commercial President Eric Deuillet said city staff has approved plans for the project and the developer is waiting on a building permit to begin work. That could start in the next few months with expected completion by the end of 2025.

After giving a facelift to the exterior and renovating the interior of the former Sears location, officials estimate the site could accommodate up to 20 storefronts. Based on presented plans, the existing structure would be divided into four buildings separated by open-air walkways and anchored by the first U.S. location of Japanese grocery store Aeon.

Deuillet said a lease is pending with Japanese home goods retailer Daiso, with representatives from other companies such as Hudson House, Cava, Panera Bread and Ulta expressing interest in becoming tenants once work on the property gets underway.

“[VN Holdings has] done their demographic work to know that people ... would all love what they want to do here but also the draw that it’ll have to get from people from hundreds of miles away that will come,” Deuillet said, pointing to the uniqueness of the tenants Structure Commercial hopes to attract.

The background

The original Richardson Square Mall was built in 1977, five years after Sears opened, according to the Richardson Historical & Genealogical Society.

The mall was demolished in 2007, minus the Sears location, which remained open until 2019. Portions of the former mall site have been converted to house current tenants, including Lowe’s.

"??Once we get the permit, ... [the plan is] we’re going to go to all these tenants that we’re talking to and say, ‘Get in now or you’re going to miss out,’” Deuillet said. “They’ll be doing their construction at the same time, so it all opens at once.”

What they're saying

Prior to construction beginning, Deuillet said Structure Commercial is willing to continue meeting with community leaders to help alleviate concerns expressed by attendees at the February event, which centered around a lack of community engagement, viability of the project and diversity of potential tenants. No community meetings have been scheduled yet.

“We don’t have to [get approval], but we want everyone to feel involved and to feel like they have a voice,” Deuillet said. “If somebody has [a suggestion] that we know would go with this, we’ll go out and try to get it.”

Anthony Rice, Duck Creek Homeowners Association president, said that while he appreciates that the site is being cleaned up, he still believes more steps need to be taken to engage with the community and hear residents' feedback.

Looking ahead

Based on the Richardson’s zoning ordinances, many retail and commercial uses would be allowed without city involvement as they fit within the existing zoning of the site. However, uses such as installing a drive-thru and measures such as replatting sites for tenants would need to go before either the city planning commission or City Council.

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A creek in turned bright red over the weekend, and now we know why.

The City of Richardson of the red water in Floyd Branch Creek.

The city says the creek, located at Arapaho Road near West Shore Dr., changed colors due to a spill of soap detergent at a nearby car wash.

The car wash discharged its main wastewater line after a blockage. The city said detergent from the car wash is what turned the creek red.

Crews worked overnight using pumps and other specialized equipment to clean up the spill.

The city of Richardson says the detergent is non-hazardous and that crews have not seen any immediate impacts, though they are aware it could affect aquatic life in the creek.

During a quick walk for Sunday morning donuts, 16-year-old Henry Fair noticed the creek next to his Richardson home was an alarming shade of red.

"I was going down there and barely look over and see bright red. I look over, and I’m like who? It was all the way down as far as you could see," he recalled. "It was even staining the concrete walls of the creek and the grass and foliage and all that. It was flowing out super quick when I was there, and it was spreading. It’s in a place where people’s houses are elevated, and it’s down there."

Fair took videos and took action. He called the city’s 24-7 response line, the health department and then googled a number for the EPA. Within a few hours, crews were on scene.

Overnight, crews blocked the flow of creek water to prevent the spread of the soap. More than 21,000 gallons of water were removed.

By Monday, video from SKY 4 showed Floyd Branch Creek still had a red tint to it. Water quality tests showed normal results.

"While there could still be some residual visual evidence of the spill, impacts were minimized and the natural ecosystem and water quality is confirmed to meet safety standards," the city said in a .

The North Texas Wildlife Center says it has crews in the area to help any wildlife affected by the spill.

Just a few blocks away, Clean N Shine Express Carwash at the corner of Arapaho Road and Hampshire Lane was open Monday.

The city of Richardson says the car wash will receive an illicit discharge citation, which is punishable up to $2,000. The owner will also be responsible for any expenses incurred during the mitigation and cleanup.

The city says any further punishment would come from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

The health department will continue to monitor the area for any environmental impacts.

"Last night, we were like meeting and thought this could be really bad," said Rebecca Hamlin, president of North Texas Wildlife. "Once we had our team go out there and send us pictures and videos, there was a sense of relief because it’s not as bad as we thought."

Volunteers from North Texas Wildlife were also on the scene Monday.

While mammals and birds didn’t appear to be affected, fish in the creek could be, so the non-profit is on standby.

North Texas Wildlife says, at this point, it’s not classifying it as a wildlife emergency.

Now, the city of Richardson says we really will not know about the health of fish for a few days.