My Background
Greetings Friends and Neighbors
My name is Cullen King. I’ve been following Sachse Municipal government for quite a few years. I decided that Sachse was a town where I could really get involved. Sachse has grown a great deal in last 5 to 10 years and is poised for even more growth.
Who in town doesn't groan just a little when we think of more growth, especially if you happen to be sitting on 78 at the time? Traffic would almost have to be considered one of, if not the most important issues facing Sachse right now. Anyone driving on our streets feels this everyday. I'm proud to have served as Vice-Chair of the Sachse Citizens Bond Committee. On that committee we identified what we believed were the major issues facing our city. Traffic was number 1. As a result we allocated the majority of the bond issue to our streets. We should be seeing the benefits of those efforts starting in the next 18 months.
I believe we need to create an even friendlier business environment while controlling that growth through planning. The way we can do that is a much better defined set of development standards for the entire city. Much of my emphasis on the Planning and Zoning Commission has been the development of these standards. Working together P&Z is just about ready to send these standards to council where I hope to be there to champion them. Another way we can build a commercial/retail friendly environment in Sachse, while protecting the community feel of our city, is implementing specific guildelines and controls in the Future President George Bush Tollway corridor. Sachse will have two exits off the tollway. These two exits will be a gateway to a commercial base for the city. Rather than have strip centers and warehouses lined up, I along with others have been researching and encouraging form based code regulations. Rather than a developer coming to Sachse and handing us what he wants to do, we could hand him what we want. This is good for both the city and the developer. It's good for the city because we set the standards. It's good for the developer because he knows ahead of time what is expected. He does not have to go through a prolonged approval process. What these standards will also allow us to do is protect the neighborhoods that are near these new developments. No one wants to wake up one morning and find that a three story building or a business dumpster is going in beside them. Carefully crafted standards will allow us to control the types of structures and the buffering between homes and business.
One of the things about this city that I love the most is the ability to get involved and make a difference. One of the things I've learned over the last few years is that many of our neighbors in different parts of the city don't feel they are being heard. My goal will be to attend as many community meetings as I possibly can. I strongly encourage you to invite one or more council persons to your local meetings. Once elected, I look forward to attending those as well.
Please check back often as I intend to add more thoughts as I speak to more people. Your thoughts and opinions do matter.
Just a bit about myself,
Four and a half years ago, I moved my family to Sachse. Donna my wife of 22 years, my older daughter Chelsea, who is a freshman at Southwestern University and my youngest daughter Alyssa who is two, have been here every since. My son, Cameron is married to a wonderful woman and living in Arlington. and is finishing his degree at the University of Phoenix. As a family, we've enjoyed the benefits of Sachse and we believe that now is the time to give back. We attend North Pointe Church of Christ where my wife and I teach Bible Class, help with Children's worship and serve on various committees.
Over the years I've been a Boy Scout Leader from the time my son was in 1st grade to High School, Soccer and Baseball coach and most recently the father of a new toddler. I have served the schools my children have attended as a School Board Member for Turnpike Christian School, PTA Board member, band and choir boosters, Dad's Club, and chaperoning school trips and events.
About 4 years ago we felt a calling to do what we could for children without parents. We became a foster family for Christianworks for Children. We have been blessed to have fostered ten of these children while the agency worked out adoption details.
I've worked in this area for a company called AMX in Richardson and commuted from Arlington for 12 years. When my wife and I decided to make the move 5 years ago, we looked at all the surrounding communities. We settled on Sachse because if felt right. It still does. We were accepted by new friends who had been here for 15 and 20 years and some like us who had just arrived. I would like everyone to have that feeling about this city. It all starts with meeting face to face.
Education
MacArthur High School in Irving
University of Texas in Arlington
Northlake College
Mountain View College
Continuing Education courses in:
• C++
• Visual Basic
• JAVA
• Convergent Technologies