Citing a need for more housing opportunities, Quitman aldermen unanimously approved an earlier recommendation by the planning and zoning board to make a zoning change allowing developer J.R. Douglas to build duplexes on Cedar Street. 

The property in question is 1.49 acres located just east of Highway 37 on the north side of town. Plans are to build five duplexes in what is known as the Quitman Tucker Addition. The request is to change from single family residential to two-family (duplexes) residential. 

Property owners expressed their concerns over traffic, possible increased crime and fear their property values could go down.

Mayor Randy Dunn welcomed residents to voice their feelings.

Possible cost of rental of the duplexes is in the $1,200 to $1,400 monthly range.

Mayor Pro Tem Davis Dobbs said, “There are a lot of folks here tonight who live on that street. I have driven down the street about six times.”

After he and the mayor visited with Douglas, he said, “I feel a whole lot better because I feel much more educated than I was this time a month ago. J.R. (Douglas) will make us all proud.”

Alderman Steve Glenn said, “We look at fellow citizens, not just council members, because we want our neighbors and everybody informed what these deeds actually look like for the potential of development in our city which is coming. We need it and want it. I see J.R. is here and I appreciate it. I encourage property owners to speak up if you want to.”

Dobbs countered the fear of property values going down. “My concern is that your property values in my opinion are going to go up. Someone said they talked to a Realtor in Dallas that values would go down,” Dobbs added. “I believe property values will go up.”

Mayor Dunn said, “We get calls constantly about available property, but everything is full. We have a new doctor in town. He said he lived in Tyler and was looking in Mineola because housing was not available in Quitman. That comes from a doctor and his wife who also is a doctor and they are coming to work in Quitman. The platted land was done in 1943 by Mr. Granville Benton. This has always been expected to be a housing area. I know Mineola has a lot of developers coming in and Lindale is just exploding. We continue to have inquiries here. Change is hard sometimes.”

Property owner Chris Williams said, “My problem with developing is once it starts, when does it stop, when all the trees are gone and everything is concrete, just like Lindale is doing right now. It’s just people from California who are there to make money and once they make their money they are gone. When I grew up you could go to the café and you knew everybody. We move to small towns for a reason and it’s to get away from that stuff. People that were original people in their town get pushed out and that’s what happened in Lindale.”

Alderman Glenn added, “If we have the mentality we are only going to keep 1,800 people here but we expect all of our streets and everything just beautiful to be perfect, our water flowing like crystal gold you are going to pay three times the amount until you bring more people here.”

In another matter, the council approved granting an access easement from property owned by the city as part of Jim Hogg Park and property owned by Forever Young Activity Center in exchange for the city to have right of first refusal if the property is sold.

Possible action on the city to enter into an agreement with Safe Built to provide plan review and inspection services was tabled until the next meeting. 

Dunn reported the East Texas Food Bank served 420 local families with fresh foods at no cost.

At the end of the meeting, Dunn honored outgoing alderman Susan Resnik for her service to the city in her two terms on the council.

There will be no city election. Only three candidates filed for the council for the three open positions. They are incumbents Steve Glenn and Jack Robinson along with newcomer Todd Wright.