Court Opinion

ID: 4070900
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2016-09-30 01:35:12.087578+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:33:09.978483
License: Public Domain

ACCEPTED
                                                                           03-15-00259-CV
                                                                                   6282836
                                                                THIRD COURT OF APPEALS
                                                                           AUSTIN, TEXAS
                                                                      7/29/2015 5:39:39 PM
                                                                         JEFFREY D. KYLE
                                                                                    CLERK
                           NO. 03-15-00259-CV

                                                      FILED IN
                                               3rd COURT OF APPEALS
                   IN THE COURT OF APPEALS         AUSTIN, TEXAS
               FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT OF TEXAS 7/29/2015 5:39:39 PM
                            AUSTIN               JEFFREY D. KYLE
                                                       Clerk

                         BECKY, LTD.,
                           Appellant
                              v.
THE CITY OF CEDAR PARK, STEPHEN THOMAS, MATT POWELL, MITCH
FULLER, LYLE GRIMES, LOWELL MOORE, JON LUX, AND DON TRACY,
                           Appellees.

              ON APPEAL FROM THE 126TH JUDICIAL
           DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS
            TRIAL COURT CAUSE NO. D-1-GN-14-001293

                       APPELLEES’ BRIEF

BICKERSTAFF HEATH                     COBBY A. CAPUTO
DELGADO ACOSTA LLP                    State Bar No. 03784650
3711 S. MoPac Expressway              ccaputo@bickerstaff.com
Building One, Suite 300
Austin, TX 78746                      BRADLEY B. YOUNG
(512) 472-8021                        State Bar No. 24028245
(512) 320-5638 FACSIMILE              byoung@bickerstaff.com

                                      ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEES

                 ORAL ARGUMENT REQUESTED
                  IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL

      The parties and counsel are correctly identified in the Initial Brief of

Appellant Becky, Ltd.

                           RECORD REFERENCES

      The Clerk's Record filed with the Third Court of Appeals on May 6, 2015

will be cited as “CR __,” where the blank refers to the District Clerk’s consecutive

page numbering.

      Appellees’ Appendix will be cited as “Appendix.” Appellant’s Appendix

will be cited as “Appellant’s Appendix.”

                         DESIGNATION OF PARTIES

      The parties shall be referred to as follows: (i) “Appellant” or “Becky” refers

to Appellant Becky Ltd.; and (ii) “Appellees” or “the city” refers collectively to

Appellees the City of Cedar Park, Stephen Thomas, Matt Powell, Mitch Fuller,

Lyle Grimes, Lowell Moore, Jon Lux, and Don Tracy. “Milestone” refers to

Milestone Community Builders, LLC, a party to the proceeding below prior to

severance.

                                           i
                                      TABLE OF CONTENTS

IDENTITY OF PARTIES AND COUNSEL .............................................................i

RECORD REFERENCES .........................................................................................i

DESIGNATION OF PARTIES ..................................................................................i

TABLE OF CONTENTS .......................................................................................... ii

INDEX OF AUTHORITIES.....................................................................................iv

STATEMENT OF THE CASE .................................................................................. 2

STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT ............................................... 2

ISSUES PRESENTED............................................................................................... 3

STATEMENT OF FACTS ........................................................................................ 4

SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT ........................................................................ 7

ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES ........................................................................ 8

        I.       Neither the facts that Becky has alleged nor the
                 jurisdictional evidence support subject-matter
                 jurisdiction over Becky’s claims. [Appellant’s Br. at 6-11] ................. 8

        II.      Both the city and the city council members acting
                 in their official capacities are entitled to
                 governmental immunity ...................................................................... 10

                 A.       Becky has not implicated the ultra vires exception to
                          immunity because the City Council’s decision to
                          contract with Milestone was a discretionary act.
                          [Appellant’s Br. at 12-17] ......................................................... 10

                                                       ii
                   B.       The UDJA does not waive a city’s governmental
                            immunity from a suit to declare rights under an
                            ordinance. [Appellant’s Br. at 17-19] ...................................... 17

         III.      Becky lacks standing because it was not a party
                   to the Agreement. [Appellant’s Br. at 19-23] ..................................... 19

         IV.       Becky’s claims were not ripe because it never
                   submitted a completed plat application to the city for
                   review. [Appellant’s Br. at 24-25] ...................................................... 24

         V.        Becky’s claims are moot. [Appellant’s Br. at 25-28] ........................ 27

PRAYER .................................................................................................................. 27

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ................................................................................ 29

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE ....................................................................... 30

APPENDIX .............................................................................................................. 31

                                                            iii
                                    TABLE OF AUTHORITIES

                                                                                                          Page(s)

Cases
Bd. of Adjustment of the City of San Antonio v. Wende,
   92 S.W.3d 424 (Tex. 2002)................................................................................. 14

Brunson v. Woolsey,
   63 S.W.3d 583 (Tex. App.-Fort Worth 2001, no pet.) ....................................... 19

Cadle Co. v. Lobingier,
  50 S.W.3d 662 (Tex. App.-Fort Worth 2001, pet. denied)................................. 19

Catalina Dev., Inc. v. County of El Paso,
  121 S.W.3d 704 (Tex.2003)................................................................................ 11

City of Corinth v. NuRock Dev., Inc.,
   293 S.W.3d 360 (Tex. App. – Fort Worth 2009, no pet.)................................... 26

City of Dallas v. Texas EZPAWN, L.P.,
   No. 05-12-01269-CV, 2013 WL 1320513 (Tex. App. – Dallas Apr.
   1, 2013, no pet.) (mem. op.)..........................................................................17, 18

City of El Paso v. Heinrich,
   284 S.W.3d 366 (Tex. 2009) ........................................................................11, 16

City of El Paso v. Maddox,
   276 S.W.3d 66 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2008, pet. denied) ..............................25, 26

City of Laredo v. Rio Grande H2O Guardian,
   No. 04-10-00872-CV, 2011 WL 3122205 (Tex. App. – San
   Antonio Jul. 27, 2011, no pet.) .....................................................................23, 24

City of New Braunfels v. Tovar,
   No. 03-14-00693-CV, 2015 WL 2183479 (Tex. App. – Austin
   May 7, 2015, no pet. h.) ...................................................................................... 15

Coble v. City of Mansfield,
  134 S.W.3d 449 (Tex. App. – Fort Worth 2004, no pet.)................................... 26

                                                         iv
Cokins v. City of Lakeway,
  No. 03-12-00083-CV, 2013 WL 4007522 (Tex. App. – Austin July
  25, 2013, no pet.) (mem. op.) ............................................................................. 10

Creedmoor-Maha Water Supply Corp. v. Tex. Com’n on Envtl.
   Quality,
   307 S.W.3d 505 (Tex. App. – Austin 2010, no pet.) .......................................... 16

DeSoto Wildwood Dev., Inc. v. City of Lewisville,
  184 S.W.3d 814 (Tex. App. – Fort Worth 2006, no pet.)................................... 14

Exxon Corp. v. Pluff,
   94 S.W.3d 22 (Tex.App.-Tyler 2002, pet. denied) ............................................. 19

Heckman v. Williamson County,
  369 S.W.3d 137 (Tex. 2012) .............................................................................. 20

Lone Star College Sys. v. Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas
  (IRCOT),
  418 S.W.3d 263 (Tex. App.-Houston [14th Dist.] 2013,
  pet denied) ........................................................................................................... 18

Nobles v. Marcus,
  533 S.W.2d 923 (Tex.1976)................................................................................ 20

Nootsie Ltd. v. Williamson County Appraisal Dist.,
  925 S.W.2d 659 (Tex.1996)................................................................................ 19

Robinson v. Parker,
  353 S.W.3d 753 (Tex. 2011) .............................................................................. 26

Saifi v. City of Texas City,
   No. 14-13-00815-CV, 2015 WL 1843540 (Tex. App. – Houston
   [14th Dist.] Apr. 23, 2015, no pet.) (mem. op.) ............................................18, 19

Save Our Springs Alliance, Inc. [SOS] v. City of Austin,
   149 S.W.3d 674 (Tex. App. – Austin 2004, no pet.) ................................3, 21, 27

Save Our Springs Alliance, Inc. [SOS] v. City of Dripping Springs,
   304 S.W.3d 871 (Tex. App. – Austin 2010, pet. denied) .............................20, 24

Schechter v. Wildwood Developers, LLC,
   214 S.W.3d 117 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2006, no pet.) ........................................ 21

                                                             v
Stop the Ordinances Please v. City of New Braunfels,
   306 S.W.3d 919 (Tex. App. – Austin 2010, no pet.) ....................................21, 22

Sw. Bell Tel., L.P. v. Emmett,
  459 S.W.3d 578 (Tex. 2015) ..................................................................13, 14, 15

Texas Dep’t of Parks & Wildlife v. Miranda,
   133 S.W.3d 217 (Tex. 2004) .......................................................................... 9, 10

Texas Dept. of Transp. v. Sefzik,
   355 S.W.3d 618 (Tex. 2011) ........................................................................17, 19

Texas Logos, LP v. TxDOT,
   241 S.W.3d 105 (Tex. App. – Austin 2007, no pet.) .............................10, 11, 16

Texas Lottery Com’n v. First State Bank of DeQueen,
   325 S.W.3d 628 (Tex. 2010) .............................................................................. 17

VanderWerff v. Tex. Bd. of Chiropractic Examiners,
  No. 03-12-00711-CV, 2014 WL 7466814 (Tex. App. – Austin
  Dec. 18, 2014, no pet.) (mem. op.) ..................................................................... 19

Waco Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Gibson,
  22 S.W.3d 849 (Tex. 2000)................................................................................. 25
Will. v. Texas Tech Univ. Health Sciences Ctr.,
   No. 10-15-00005-CV, 2015 WL 2452513 (Tex. App. – Waco May
   21, 2015, no pet. h.) (mem. op.) ......................................................................... 19

Statutes

TEX. GOV’T CODE § 311.016(1) (Code Construction Act) ...................................... 14

TEX. LOC. GOV’T CODE § 212.009(a) ......................................................................... 6

Chapter 212 of the Texas Local Government Code .................................................. 8

Miscellaneous
City of Cedar Park Code of Ordinances, § 16.02.005 ...................................9, 13, 14

                                                      vi
                             NO. 03-15-00259-CV

                       IN THE COURT OF APPEALS
                   FOR THE THIRD DISTRICT OF TEXAS
                                AUSTIN

                         BECKY, LTD.,
                           Appellant
                              v.
THE CITY OF CEDAR PARK, STEPHEN THOMAS, MATT POWELL, MITCH
FULLER, LYLE GRIMES, LOWELL MOORE, JON LUX, AND DON TRACY,
                           Appellees.

                ON APPEAL FROM THE 126TH JUDICIAL
             DISTRICT COURT OF TRAVIS COUNTY, TEXAS
              TRIAL COURT CAUSE NO. D-1-GN-14-001293

                            APPELLEES’ BRIEF

TO THE HONORABLE COURT OF APPEALS:

      COME NOW Appellees, the City of Cedar Park, Stephen Thomas, Matt

Powell, Mitch Fuller, Lyle Grimes, Lowell Moore, Jon Lux, and Don Tracy, and

respectfully file this Appellees’ Brief pursuant to Texas Rule of Appellate

Procedure 38.2 and would show the Court the following:

                                       1
                         STATEMENT OF THE CASE

      Appellees disagree with Appellant’s characterization of the nature of the

case. A more accurate statement of the nature of the case is:

Nature of the Case:      This is a suit by Becky under the Uniform Declaratory
                         Judgment Act (UDJA) to challenge the terms of a
                         development agreement between the city and Milestone.

              STATEMENT REGARDING ORAL ARGUMENT

      Appellees concur in Becky’s request for oral argument.

                                         2
                      ISSUES PRESENTED

1.   Do Becky’s claims based on the City Council’s discretionary decision
     to contract with Milestone fall within the ultra vires exception to
     governmental immunity? [Appellant’s Issue No. 1]

2.   Does the Uniform Declaratory Judgment Act (UDJA) waive the city’s
     governmental immunity from a suit that does not seek to invalidate a
     city ordinance but merely seeks a declaration of rights under the
     ordinance? [Appellant’s Issue No. 2]

3.   Does Becky have standing to challenge a contract to which it is not a
     party and that relates to property that Becky does not own?
     [Appellant’s Issue No. 3]

4.   Are Becky’s speculative claims that it will have to bear the cost of the
     extension of Old Mill Road ripe for adjudication, even though the city
     has not required Becky to pay for the extension of the road, and Becky
     has not submitted sufficient information for the city to determine the
     extent to which Becky’s participation in road construction may be
     necessary? [Appellant’s Issue No. 4]

5.   Are Becky’s claims moot under Save Our Springs Alliance, Inc.
     [SOS] v. City of Austin, 149 S.W.3d 674 (Tex. App. – Austin 2004, no
     pet.)? [Appellant’s Issue No. 5]

                                 3
                                 STATEMENT OF FACTS

       This case is about a future road to a vacant lot. Becky owns a vacant tract

of property in the city (the “Becky tract”).1 Becky wants the city to build a road to

the Becky tract so that Becky can obtain a more favorable price when it sells the

property to a developer. Milestone owns a piece of property adjacent to the Becky

tract that recently went through the city’s platting process.2

       Becky contends that the city should have required Milestone to construct a

road called Old Mill Road all the way from Lakeline Boulevard to the Becky tract.3

Instead, the city, acting through its City Council,4 entered into a Unified

Development Agreement (Agreement) with Milestone through which Milestone

agreed to the following: (1) Milestone agreed to dedicate to the city sufficient

right-of-way to extend Old Mill Road from its current terminus at South Lakeline

Boulevard to the edge of Milestone’s property where it abuts the Becky tract; and

(2) Milestone agreed to construct a portion of the Old Mill Road Extension (the

Phase 1 Extension) sufficient to serve the proposed development on Milestone’s
       1
           CR 53-54 (Affidavit of Sam P. Roberts, Assistant City Manager [Roberts Aff.]), at ¶ 8.
       2
           Id. at ¶¶ 3, 5.
       3
         See CR 22 / Appendix A (Unified Development Agreement), at Exhibit C, for a map of
the property that shows the relative locations of Lakeline Boulevard and Phases 1 and 2 of the
Old Mill Road extension.
       4
        Stephen Thomas, Matt Powell, Mitch Fuller, Lyle Grimes, Lowell Moore, Jon Lux, and
Don Tracy were the members of the City Council at the time that the city entered into the
Agreement. Becky has sued them in their official capacities as city council members.

                                                 4
property.5 Although the city required Milestone to dedicate sufficient right-of-way

to meet the city’s possible future needs, the city did not require Milestone to

construct Phase II of Old Mill Road, which would extend the road all the way to

the unplatted, landlocked Becky tract.6

        When the city initially filed its plea to the jurisdiction, Becky had not

submitted an application to develop the Becky tract. After the city filed its plea,

however (and presumably in response to the city’s ripeness arguments), Becky did

file a set of development materials. The following timeline summarizes the events

that ensued:7

        October 24, 2014:               City receives Becky’s preliminary plan
                                        application and final plat application.

        November 7, 2014:               City staff provides comments to Becky’s
                                        engineer.

        November 11, 2014:              City receives follow-up email from Becky’s
                                        engineer.

        November 17, 2014:              City staff responds to engineer’s email.

        November 18, 2014:              Planning and Zoning Commission statutorily
                                        disapproves preliminary plan application
                                        and final plat application without bias
                                        against future consideration, providing

        5
            CR 53-54 [Roberts Aff.], at ¶ 5.
        6
            Id. at ¶ 6; see also CR 9-23 / Appendix A (Unified Development Agreement).
        7
            CR 140-232 (Second Affidavit of Sam P. Roberts, Assistant City Manager [Roberts Aff.
II]).

                                                 5
                                       applicant the opportunity to submit revised
                                       drawings that address city staff’s comments.

       “Statutory disapproval” is a term that Cedar Park and many other cities use

to address the statutory requirements of section 212.009(a) of the Texas Local

Government Code. Under the statute, the Planning and Zoning Commission must

disapprove a plat application – even a plat application that lacks essential

information – or else it will be considered statutorily approved.8 In this case, the

Planning and Zoning Commission disapproved Becky’s application in order to

provide Becky with additional time to address the city staff’s comments, which

will enable staff to complete its review. The Commission’s November 18, 2014

“statutory disapproval” did not bias future consideration of Becky’s applications.

       As illustrated by the November 2014 correspondence between Becky’s

engineer and the city’s planning staff, the city repeatedly informed Becky that it

could not determine whether Becky would be required to construct a roadway to

the Becky tract until Becky provided further information about the nature of its

proposed project.9 That information was not forthcoming prior to the November

18, 2014 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.10

       8
        See TEX. LOC. GOV’T CODE § 212.009(a) (“The municipal authority responsible for
approving plats shall act on a plat within 30 days after the date the plat is filed. A plat is
considered approved by the municipal authority unless it is disapproved within that period.”).
       9
           CR 177-84.
       10
            CR 140-41 [Roberts Aff. II], at ¶ 7; CR 187-90.

                                                 6
      The trial court heard the city’s plea to the jurisdiction on December 4, 2014

and granted the plea on December 24, 2014.

                       SUMMARY OF THE ARGUMENT

      In order to implicate the ultra vires exception to governmental immunity, a

plaintiff must make more than a bare assertion that public officials have acted

without authority. The plaintiff must allege facts that, if true, would fall within the

ultra vires exception. Here, the only fact that Becky has alleged is that the City

Council authorized a development agreement with Milestone for the development

of property that Becky does not own.

      The ultra vires exception does not apply to discretionary actions. Not only

is the City Council’s decision to enter into a contract discretionary, but the specific

contract term that Becky complains of – a provision that only requires Milestone to

construct Phase 1 of the Old Mill Road extension to Becky’s property – is itself

discretionary per city ordinance. Specifically, the city’s right-of-way ordinance

provides that the city “may” require construction of a roadway depending on the

traffic effects generated by a proposed development.

      Contrary to Becky’s assertion, the entirety of Phase II of the Old Mill Road

Extension would not have been built by now but for the city’s development

agreement with Milestone. The fact is that but for the development agreement,

there would not be a dedicated right-of-way connecting Becky’s tract with South

                                          7
Lakeline Boulevard at all, much less a fully constructed road. Whether for reasons

of governmental immunity, standing, or ripeness, the trial court correctly

determined that it lacked jurisdiction over Becky’s claims.

                            ARGUMENT AND AUTHORITIES

I.     Neither the facts that Becky has alleged nor the jurisdictional evidence
       support subject-matter jurisdiction over Becky’s claims. [Appellant’s
       Br. at 6-11].

       Becky begins its “Argument and Authorities” section by entreating the Court

to focus on the facts alleged in its pleadings. Ironically, Becky has not pled facts

that support its allegations, instead describing its lawsuit as follows: “In a nutshell,

Becky asserts that the City, having delegated sole authority to the City’s Planning

Commission to approve plats and grant variances, had no authority, through its

City Council, to grant a variance to Milestone.”11 Becky uses the term “variance”

throughout its briefing. But Becky has not alleged any facts in its pleadings that

would demonstrate that the City Council approved a “variance” as that term is

generally understood.12

       11
            Appellant’s Br. at 7.
       12
          The term “variance” as it relates to subdivision regulations is a procedural term of art
defined by Chapter 212 of the Texas Local Government Code and section 12.03.004 of the City
of Cedar Park Code of Ordinances. CR 242-43; Appellant’s Appendix F. Becky concedes that
Milestone never applied for a “variance” as that term is defined in section 12.03.004 or the Local
Government Code. Appellant’s Br. at 10. Despite Becky’s citation to City Code, it appears that
Becky is using the term “variance” more generally to mean any deviation from the city’s
subdivision regulations.

                                                8
       Instead, Becky complains that the City Council approved a development

agreement that: (1) did not require Milestone to construct the portion of Old Mill

Road that connects to the Becky tract; and (2) did not require Milestone to

construct “infrastructure improvements” – which Becky defines as the portion of

Old Mill Road that connects to the Becky tract – within one year from the date that

the city approved Milestone’s final plat. Neither of these allegations constitutes a

“waiver, exemption, or variance”13 from the City’s Code of Ordinances. To the

contrary, the City Code specifically provides the city with discretion regarding

whether to require road construction at all, depending in part on whether a roadway

is needed “to offset the traffic effects generated by a proposed development.”14

The City Council’s decision to approve a development agreement that only

required Milestone to construct the portion of Old Mill Road that the city deemed

necessary to serve Milestone’s proposed development was entirely consistent with

this provision.

       In Texas Dep’t of Parks & Wildlife v. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d 217, 227-28

(Tex. 2004), the Texas Supreme Court held that a defendants’ plea to the

jurisdiction may implicate the merits of the plaintiff’s cause of action and may

       13
            Appellant’s Br. at 3.
       14
           CR 56-57 / Appendix B (City of Cedar Park Code of Ordinances, § 16.02.005). The
City Charter and Code of Ordinances also are publicly available at
http://z2.franklinlegal.net/franklin/Z2Browser2.html? showset=cedarparkset.

                                             9
include evidence. If it does, the Court must review the relevant evidence to

determine if a fact issue exists.15 If the relevant evidence is undisputed or fails to

raise a fact issue, the trial court should grant the plea.16 Here, the city submitted

uncontroverted affidavits and other supporting documentation and requested that

the Court consider it when ruling on the city’s plea to the jurisdiction.17 The Court

therefore may consider the city’s jurisdictional evidence in determining whether

the trial court had subject matter jurisdiction.

       Neither the facts alleged nor the evidence submitted in this case implicate

the approval of a “variance” under the Cedar Park Code of Ordinances. Therefore,

even if true, none of the facts that Becky, Ltd. has alleged actually support its legal

claims.

II.    Both the city and the city council members acting in their official
       capacities are entitled to governmental immunity.

       A.         Becky has not implicated the ultra vires exception to immunity
                  because the City Council’s decision to contract with Milestone
                  was a discretionary act. [Appellant’s Br. at 12-17]
       15
            Texas Dep’t of Parks & Wildlife v. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d 217, 227-28 (Tex. 2004).
       16
            Id.
       17
           CR 38, 40 (“The City hereby incorporates by reference and for all purposes the
affidavits and other supporting documentation included in the attached Appendix and asks the
Court to consider it when ruling on the City’s plea to the jurisdiction.”). In a concurring opinion
in Cokins v. City of Lakeway, No. 03-12-00083-CV, 2013 WL 4007522, at *5 (Tex. App. –
Austin July 25, 2013, no pet.) (mem. op.), Chief Justice Jones explained that in order for the
Court to consider evidence as part of a jurisdictional challenge under Texas Department of Parks
& Wildlife v. Miranda, 133 S.W.3d 217 (Tex.2004), the party challenging jurisdiction must
request that the court consider evidence when ruling on the plea. That is what the city did here.

                                                10
       Governmental immunity bars suits that seek to control government action.18

A suit seeks to control government action when the judgment would effectively

direct or control a government official in the exercise of his or her discretionary

statutory authority.19 The Texas Supreme Court has recognized a limited exception

to the doctrine of governmental immunity when the plaintiff has alleged that

governmental officials have acted without legal authority or failed to perform a

purely ministerial act.20 An action is not ultra vires, however, when it falls within

the governmental official’s exercise of discretion.21

       Here, governmental immunity bars Becky’s claims because they seek to

invalidate the city’s development agreement with Milestone.22 A city council’s

decision to enter into a contract is a discretionary, legislative decision that is not

subject to attack through the ultra vires exception to immunity from suit.23 On

       18
            Texas Logos, LP v. TxDOT, 241 S.W.3d 105, 118 (Tex. App. – Austin 2007, no pet.).
       19
            Id.
       20
            City of El Paso v. Heinrich, 284 S.W.3d 366, 372 (Tex. 2009).
       21
            See Texas Logos, 241 S.W.3d at 118.
       22
           CR 191, 192 (Pl.’s 2nd Am. Pet.) (“By this suit, Plaintiffs challenge the validity of a
Unified Development Agreement (the “Agreement”) by and between Cedar Park and Milestone
as an ultra vires act of the City Council.”).
       23
          See, e.g, Catalina Dev., Inc. v. County of El Paso, 121 S.W.3d 704, 706 (Tex.2003)
(holding newly elected commissioners court immune from suit where it “acted within its
discretion to protect the perceived interests of the public” in rejecting contract approved by
predecessor).

                                                11
September 12, 2013, the City Council voted unanimously to authorize the City

Manager to execute the Agreement.24 That is the only action by the City Council

that Becky has identified. Although Becky’s petition does allege that the approval

or disapproval of a plat is a ministerial function,25 none of Becky’s causes of action

challenge the Planning and Zoning Commission ‘s action approving Milestone’s

plat. Nor has Becky sued the commissioners in their official capacities.

         Instead, Becky has sued the council members in their official capacities

based on their approval of the Agreement.                 Because that was a discretionary

decision, the trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over Becky’s claims

against the city council members.

         Although Becky concedes that the City Council has the discretion to contract

generally, Becky alleges that the council exceeded its discretionary authority as to

this particular contract by including a term that required Milestone to construct the

Phase I extension of Old Mill Road but did not mandate the construction of Phase

II all the way to the Becky property. Even taken at face value, Becky’s argument

fails.    Becky has not and cannot point to a provision in the City’s Code of

Ordinances that makes the construction of a roadway mandatory in this situation.

Instead, Becky directs the Court to general language in the subdivision ordinance

         24
              CR 59-71 (Minutes of September 12, 2013 meeting of the Cedar Park City Council).
         25
              CR 191, 193.

                                                 12
that refers to the completion of an undefined set of “required subdivision

improvements.”26

       The applicable portion of the City Code is section 16.01.005 of the city’s

transportation regulations, “Dedication of right-of-way.”27 Subsections (a) through

(c) describe the circumstances under which a developer must dedicate right-of-way

as part of the platting process. Those provisions apply only “[i]f the director of

planning determines that all or portion of the right-of-way is needed to

accommodate additional traffic expected to be generated by the proposed

development.”28 It is undisputed from the city’s jurisdictional evidence that the

Agreement required Milestone to dedicate sufficient right-of-way to reach the

Becky development.29 Even this provision is discretionary: not every proposed

development will require a dedication of right-of-way because not every proposal

will create sufficient additional traffic.

       Becky’s real complaint, however, is addressed by subsection (d), which

applies to roadway construction:

       26
         See, e.g., Appellant’s Br. at 2 (citing City of Cedar Park Code of Ordinances §§
12.15.003(b) and (c) / Appellant’s Appendix G).
       27
            CR 55-57 / Appendix B.
       28
            Id. at § 16.02.005(a).
       29
            See CR 52-54 [Roberts Aff.], at ¶¶ 3-5.

                                                 13
                   In addition to the dedication of right-of-way, the city may
                   require the construction of a roadway improvement or
                   may assess a fee instead of requiring construction of a
                   roadway improvement to offset the traffic effects
                   generated by a proposed development.30

Just as the use of the word “shall” evidences the mandatory nature of a duty

imposed by a legislative act,31 the use of the word “may” “creates discretionary

authority or grants permission or power.”32 Not every development requires a new

road to offset traffic effects generated by the proposed development. And by

providing that the decision maker is to be the “city” generally, the City Council has

reserved to itself the ultimate discretion of whether to require roadway

construction.33 In the instant case, that council manifested that discretion through

the terms of the Agreement.34

         The cases Becky cites are distinguishable. In Sw. Bell Tel., L.P. v. Emmett,

459 S.W.3d 578 (Tex. 2015), Southwestern Bell alleged that the governing body of

         30
         CR 56-57/Appendix B (City of Cedar Park Code of Ordinances, § 16.02.005(d))
(emphasis added).
         31
              Sw. Bell Tel., L.P. v. Emmett, 459 S.W.3d 578, 588 (Tex. 2015).
         32
          TEX. GOV’T CODE § 311.016(1) (Code Construction Act); Bd. of Adjustment of the City
of San Antonio v. Wende, 92 S.W.3d 424, 430 (Tex. 2002) (“Courts use the same rules that are
used to construe statutes to construe municipal ordinances.”).
         33
         See DeSoto Wildwood Dev., Inc. v. City of Lewisville, 184 S.W.3d 814, 826 (Tex. App.
– Fort Worth 2006, no pet.) (recognizing that cities express themselves through actions of the
City Council in a meeting duly assembled).
         34
              CR 53 [Roberts Aff.], at ¶¶ 3-6; see also CR 9-23 / Appendix A (Agreement), at ¶¶ 2-
3, 10.

                                                  14
a water district exceeded its authority under a statute that provided that certain

types of public infrastructure relocations “shall be done at the sole expense of the

district or water supply corporation unless otherwise agreed to in writing.”35 The

Supreme Court held that the legislature’s use of the word “shall” indicated that the

commissioners’ duty under the statute to provide for payment of infrastructure

relocations was mandatory.36 Therefore, the individual commissioners were not

immune from suit against them in their official capacities alleging that the actions

they took to shift those costs to the utility were ultra vires.37

      Similarly, City of New Braunfels v. Tovar, No. 03-14-00693-CV, 2015 WL
2183479 (Tex. App. – Austin May 7, 2015, no pet. h.) involved a suit by a police

officer against the members of a municipal civil service commission in their

official capacities. Tovar alleged that the commissioners acted ultra vires when

they failed to award him additional seniority points on his civil service exam as

mandated by a statute that provided, “The grade that must be placed on the

eligibility list for each police officer or fire fighter shall be computed by adding the

applicant’s points for seniority to the applicant’s grade on the written

      35
           Sw. Bell Tel., L.P. v. Emmett, 459 S.W.3d 578, 588 (Tex. 2015).
      36
           Id.
      37
           Id.

                                               15
examination[.]”38 The Court held that because Tovar was suing to enforce a

mandatory right under the statute, Tovar had properly invoked the ultra vires

exception to governmental immunity.39              Here, Becky has pointed to no such

mandatory, ministerial duty on the part of the council members because no such

duty exists.

       There has been no waiver of the city’s governmental immunity under the

ultra vires exception for at least one other reason. “[T]he ultra vires rule is subject

to important qualifications. Even if such a claim may be brought, the remedy may

implicate immunity” if it constitutes anything other than prospective relief.40             A

suit that seeks to control state action by invalidating a contract is retrospective in

nature.41 Here, Becky wants the Court to declare that “the City Council’s action in

granting a variance through the Agreement was ultra vires, rendering at least that

portion of the Agreement void.”42 Therefore, even assuming, for the sake of

argument, that the City Council’s decision to contract with Milestone were a

       38
         City of New Braunfels v. Tovar, No. 13-14-00693-CV, 2015 WL 2183479, at *1-2
(Tex. App. – Austin May 7, 2015, no pet. h.) (emphasis added).
       39
            Id. at *4.
       40
            Heinrich, 284 S.W.3d at 373-76.
       41
           Texas Logos, 241 S.W.3d at 120-21 (distinguishing impermissible suit to invalidate a
contract from permissible suits to compel state official and agencies to comply with their
statutory authority).
       42
            Appellant’s Br. at 8.

                                              16
ministerial act, the remedy that Becky is seeking would constitute impermissible

retrospective relief.   Governmental immunity still would bar Becky’s claims

against the city.

      “[B]are conclusions . . . are not sufficient—the pleader must allege facts that

affirmatively demonstrate the trial court's subject-matter jurisdiction.”43 Becky

cannot conjure subject matter jurisdiction merely by invoking the phrase “ultra

vires.” Rather, Becky must at a minimum direct the Court to some ministerial duty

created by statute or possibly ordinance that the city council members have

exceeded. Because Becky has not alleged facts that, if true, would amount to an

ultra vires act by the named council members, there has been no waiver of the

city’s governmental immunity.

      B.     The UDJA does not waive a city’s governmental immunity from a
             suit to declare rights under an ordinance. [Appellant’s Br. at 17-
             19]

      Alternatively, Becky argues that the UDJA waives governmental immunity

from its claims against the city because Becky is seeking a declaration to construe

rights under city ordinances. The Texas Supreme Court considered and rejected

this argument in Texas Dept. of Transp. v. Sefzik, 355 S.W.3d 618 (Tex. 2011).

There, the Court held, “The UDJA does not waive the state’s sovereign immunity

      43
          Creedmoor-Maha Water Supply Corp. v. Tex. Com’n on Envtl. Quality, 307 S.W.3d
505, 525 (Tex. App. – Austin 2010, no pet.) (emphasis in original).

                                           17
when the plaintiff seeks a declaration of his or her rights under a statute or other

law.”44 The Court held that because Sefzik was not challenging the validity of a

statute but only a state agency’s actions under it, there was no waiver of immunity

from his claims.45 In this case, Becky wants the court to “determine the parties’

rights, status, and legal relations under those ordinances.”46 The UDJA does not

waive the city’s governmental immunity from these types of claims.

      Becky’s reliance on Texas Lottery Com’n v. First State Bank of DeQueen,

325 S.W.3d 628 (Tex. 2010) is misplaced.47               The appellant in City of Dallas v.

Texas EZPAWN, L.P., No. 05-12-01269-CV, 2013 WL 1320513, at * 3 (Tex. App.

– Dallas Apr. 1, 2013, no pet.) (mem. op.) made the same argument that Becky

makes here. But as the Dallas Court of Appeals explained:

                The issue in [Texas Lottery Commission] was whether
                provisions of the Texas Uniform Commercial Code
                conflicted with provisions of the Texas Lottery Act and,
                consequently, rendered the provisions of the Texas
                Lottery Act ineffective. Although the court used
                language like “statutory interpretation” and “statutory
                construction,” it was undisputed that the lawsuit
                challenged the validity of the provisions of the Texas

      44
           Texas. Dep’t of Transp. v. Sefzik, 355 S.W.3d 618, 621 (Tex. 2011).
      45
           Sefzik, 355 S.W.3d at 622.
      46
           Appellant’s Br. at 19.
      47
           See id. at 18.

                                                18
                  Lottery Act and did not simply seek an interpretation of
                  the statute.48

The court of appeals held that because EZPAWN sought only the interpretation of

an ordinance and a declaration of its rights under it, those allegations affirmatively

negated the trial court’s subject matter jurisdiction.49

       Similarly, in Lone Star College Sys. v. Immigration Reform Coalition of

Texas (IRCOT), 418 S.W.3d 263 (Tex. App. – Houston [14th Dist. 2013, pet.

denied), which Becky also cites, the appellant both sought an interpretation and

asserted the invalidity of Texas statutes.50 In a more recent opinion, Saifi v. City

of Texas City, No. 14-13-00815-CV, 2015 WL 1843540 (Tex. App. – Houston

[14th Dist.] Apr. 23, 2015, no pet.) (mem. op.), the Fourteenth Court of Appeals

affirmed that the UDJA does not waive a city’s governmental immunity to the

extent a plaintiff is merely seeking a declaration of rights under a statute or

ordinance.51

       48
         City of Dallas v. Texas. EZPAWN, L.P., No. 05-12-01269-CV, 2013 WL 1320513, at *
3 (Tex. App. – Dallas Apr. 1, 2013, no pet.) (mem. op.) (citations omitted).
       49
            Id.
       50
         Lone Star Coll. Sys. v. Immigration Reform Coal. of Texas (IRCOT), 418 S.W.3d 263,
271 (Tex. App. – Houston [14th Dist.] 2013, pet. denied).
       51
         Saifi v. City of Texas City, No. 14-13-00815-CV, 2015 WL 1843540, at *3 (Tex. App.
– Houston [14th Dist.] Apr. 23, 2015, no pet.) (mem. op.).

                                            19
       It is well-settled following Sefzik that the UDJA does not waive a city’s

governmental immunity from a suit that merely seeks the interpretation of a

statute or ordinance.52 Therefore, there has been no wavier of the city’s immunity

in this case.

III.   Becky lacks standing because it was not a party to the Agreement.
       [Appellant’s Br. at 19-23]

       A person has standing to sue when he is personally aggrieved by an alleged

wrong.53 Without a breach of a legal right belonging to a plaintiff, that plaintiff

has no standing to litigate.54 Only the person whose primary legal right has been

breached may seek redress for an injury.55 The alleged injury must be “concrete

and particularized, not merely conjectural or hypothetical.56 “Without breach of a

       52
           See, e.g., Williams v. Texas Tech Univ. Health Sciences Ctr., No. 10-15-00005-CV,
2015 WL 2452513, at *2 (Tex. App. – Waco May 21, 2015, no pet. h.) (mem. op.) (recognizing
that UDJA does not waive immunity where appellant only challenged interpretation of university
policy and did not challenge validity of municipal ordinance or statute); VanderWerff v. Tex.
Bd. of Chiropractic Examiners, No. 03-12-00711-CV, 2014 WL 7466814, at *3 n. 4 (Tex.
App. – Austin Dec. 18, 2014, no pet.) (mem. op.) (“Appellant’s petition does not challenge
the validity of any statutes . . . [T[he UDJA does not waive sovereign immunity when a
plaintiff seeks a declaration of his rights under a statute.”).
       53
            Nootsie Ltd. v. Williamson County Appraisal Dist., 925 S.W.2d 659, 661 (Tex.1996).
       54
         Exxon Corp. v. Pluff, 94 S.W.3d 22, 27 (Tex.App.-Tyler 2002, pet. denied); Cadle Co.
v. Lobingier, 50 S.W.3d 662, 669–70 (Tex. App.-Fort Worth 2001, pet. denied); Brunson v.
Woolsey, 63 S.W.3d 583, 587 (Tex. App.-Fort Worth 2001, no pet.).
       55
            Nobles v. Marcus, 533 S.W.2d 923, 927 (Tex.1976) (defrauded party only can bring
suit to set aside deed obtained by fraud).
       56
          Save Our Springs Alliance, Inc. [SOS] v. City of Dripping Springs, 304 S.W.3d 871,
878 (Tex. App. – Austin 2010, pet. denied).

                                                20
legal right belonging to the plaintiff no cause of action can accrue to his benefit.”57

The court has no jurisdiction over a claim made by a plaintiff who lacks standing

to assert it.58

       In cases analogous to this one, the courts of appeals have declined to

recognize that a third party has standing to challenge a city’s decision to enter into

a development agreement with a neighboring property owner. In Save Our Springs

Alliance, Inc. [SOS] v. City of Dripping Springs, 304 S.W.3d 871 (Tex. App. –

Austin 2010, pet. denied), for example, SOS sought various declarations to

invalidate development agreements between the city and private property owners.

This Court held that because neither SOS nor its members had an interest in the

properties that were the subject of the development agreements, SOS lacked

standing.59

       Similarly, in Schechter v. Wildwood Developers, LLC, 214 S.W.3d 117

(Tex. App. – El Paso 2006, no pet.), plaintiff sued the city for a declaration that the

city’s approval of a subdivision plat was void because it did not comply with the

city’s ordinances. Specifically, plaintiff alleged that construction of the planned

subdivision as depicted on the challenged plat would cause a decrease in his

       57
            Nobles, 533 S.W.2d at 927.
       58
            Heckman v. Williamson County, 369 S.W.3d 137, 150 (Tex. 2012).
       59
            SOS, 304 S.W.3d at 882.

                                              21
property values. The court held that none of plaintiff’s complaints about his

neighbor’s property were based on or related to plaintiff’s rights, status, or legal

relationship under a statute, ordinance, contract or franchise.60 Therefore, the trial

court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over plaintiff’s claims.61

      Here, Becky is in the same position as the plaintiffs in SOS and Schechter.

Like the plaintiffs in those cases, Becky seeks various declarations regarding

Milestone’s property – property to which Becky has not alleged any ownership

interest. At most, Becky alleges that the city’s actions in relation to Milestone’s

property will result in a decrease in value of Becky’s property. This was the

standing argument considered and rejected by the court in Schechter.62

      In Stop the Ordinances Please v. City of New Braunfels, 306 S.W.3d 919

(Tex. App. – Austin 2010, no pet.), plaintiffs, an association of business owners

who rented inner tubes and beverage coolers, challenged four city ordinances: (1)

an ordinance regulating volume drinking devices (the “beer bong” ordinance); (2)

an ordinance regulating five-ounce containers (the “jello shot” ordinance); (3) an

ordinance regulating the consumption of alcohol in public parks (the “parks”

ordinance); and (4) an ordinance regulating coolers and containers exceeding

      60
         Schechter v. Wildwood Developers, LLC, 214 S.W.3d 117, 121-22 (Tex. App. – El
Paso 2006, no pet.).
      61
           Id.
      62
           See id.

                                          22
sixteen quarts (the “cooler” ordinance). Of those four ordinances, this Court held

that plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the first three because those ordinances

did not impose any direct restrictions on the plaintiffs and because plaintiffs did

not plead facts demonstrating injury from the challenged restrictions: “Although

[plaintiffs] broadly complain of lost revenues they ‘attribute’ to the ordinances

collectively, these bare conclusions are insufficient to affirmatively demonstrate

their standing.”63 The Court did, however, hold that plaintiffs had standing to

challenge the cooler ordinance because plaintiffs had alleged that they purchased

coolers to rent to customers and that the city’s ordinance rendered those coolers

valueless.

      Here, the terms of the Agreement only apply to the development of the

Milestone property. Like the business owners’ challenges to the beer bong, shot

glass, and parks ordinances in Stop the Ordinances Please, Becky lacks standing to

challenge the validity of the Agreement because Becky has not pled facts

demonstrating the Agreement imposes any direct restriction or regulatory burden

on the Becky tract. Nor has Becky sufficiently pled facts demonstrating injury

from the Agreement. Although Becky broadly complains of a hypothetical loss of

property value that it attributes to the Agreement with Milestone, this bare

conclusion is insufficient to affirmatively demonstrate standing.            Unlike the

      63
         Stop the Ordinances Please v. City of New Braunfels, 306 S.W.3d 919, 929-30 (Tex.
App. – Austin 2010, no pet.).

                                           23
business owners’ challenge to the cooler ordinance in Stop the Ordinance Please,

nothing in the language of the Agreement regulates Becky’s property in any way.

      Regarding the issue of damages, Becky’s assertion that but for the

Agreement, the Old Mill Road extension to the Becky tract would be built by now

defies logic. First, the reasons that the Becky tract is landlocked are geography

and the Cedar Park real estate market, not city council action.        Further, as

discussed above, the city’s decision regarding whether to require construction of a

road is discretionary. Becky does not allege that Milestone had an approved plat

on file prior to the date of the Agreement that required road construction (it did

not). So in reality, without the agreement, there would be no dedication of right-

of-way from Lakeline Boulevard to the Becky tract, there would be no Milestone

plat on file, and the Milestone tract would be just like the Becky tract – a vacant

piece of land.

      City of Laredo v. Rio Grande H2O Guardian, No. 04-10-00872-CV, 2011
WL 3122205 (Tex. App. – San Antonio Jul. 27, 2011, no pet.) is thus

distinguishable because Becky has not alleged any actual harm. In City of Laredo,

an association challenged a city’s decision to rezone a piece of property from R-1

(Single-Family Residential) to M-1 (Light Manufacturing). The court of appeals

held that the plaintiff association had standing because its members were nearby

property owners who alleged they would suffer various environmental injuries as a

                                        24
result of the changed use.64 Here, although Becky is a nearby property owner, that

is where the similarity ends.             The injury that Becky has alleged is that the

Agreement made Becky’s property less valuable because it did not require

Milestone to construct Phase II of Old Mill Road.                  This does not meet the

“concrete and particularized injury” requirement for standing.65 If anything, the

Agreement would have made Becky’s property more valuable by providing for the

construction of Phase I of Old Mill Road and providing for the public right-of-way

connecting to Becky’s property.

       Because Becky has failed to allege a particularized interest in Milestone’s

property or a concrete injury resulting from the Agreement, the trial court properly

dismissed Becky’s claims against the city for want of jurisdiction.

IV.    Becky’s claims were not ripe because it never submitted a completed
       plat application to the city for review. [Appellant’s Br. pp. 24-25]

       A case is not ripe when its resolution depends on events that have not yet

occurred, and ripeness is a threshold issue that implicates subject matter

jurisdiction.66     A plaintiff must demonstrate a concrete injury in order for a

justiciable controversy to exist and to avoid premature adjudication of factually

       64
         City of Laredo v. Rio Grande H2O Guardian, No. 04-10-00872-CV, 2011 WL
3122205, at *4-5 (Tex. App. – San Antonio Jul. 27, 2011, no pet.)
       65
            See SOS, 304 S.W.3d at 878.
       66
            Waco Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Gibson, 22 S.W.3d 849, 851-853 (Tex. 2000).

                                                25
undeveloped claims. Therefore, a plea to the jurisdiction is an appropriate vehicle

to challenge the non-justiciability of a claim due to a lack of ripeness.67

      A case that is almost directly on point is City of El Paso v. Maddox, 276
S.W.3d 66 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2008, pet. denied). In that case, plaintiff was a

developer who owned a tract of landlocked property. Plaintiff bought the property

with the understanding that the city would require under its subdivision regulations

the construction of a road to plaintiff’s property across neighboring development.

Instead, the city amended its subdivision ordinance to delete the requirement that

subdivisions such as the one adjacent to plaintiff’s property construct public streets

to provide access to the neighboring property.          Plaintiff sued the city for a

regulatory taking, even though plaintiff never had submitted a subdivision

application or any other type of development plan for plaintiff’s own property and,

therefore, the city never had made a final decision with respect to plaintiff’s

property. The court of appeals held that the trial court lacked jurisdiction over

plaintiff’s claims on the basis of ripeness:

                 We conclude that the City has not been given an
                 opportunity to make a final decision on Appellees' access
                 to its property and Appellees have not presented evidence
                 establishing that submitting a development plan or
                 seeking a variance would have been futile. Accordingly,

      67
           Id.

                                            26
                we reverse the order of the trial court denying the City's
                plea to the jurisdiction[.]68

“Although a claim is not required to be ripe at the time of filing, if a party cannot

demonstrate a reasonable likelihood that the claim will soon ripen, the case must

be dismissed.”69

       Here, although Becky has made some attempt to ripen its claims, nothing

significant has changed since plaintiff filed its original petition in May 2014. The

fact is, the city has not taken a final action on the merits of Becky’s application.

Any final action that city staff may ultimately recommend to the Planning and

Zoning Commission will depend on whether plaintiff submits the required

revisions to the city and what those revisions contain. Any final action that the

Commission may take will depend on the votes of the commissioners acting as a

legislative body. Becky’s fears about what the city may or may not require after

plaintiff has addressed the comments provided by the city planning staff, at which

       68
           City of El Paso v. Maddox, 276 S.W.3d 66, 75 (Tex. App. – El Paso 2008, pet. denied);
see also City of Corinth v. NuRock Dev., Inc., 293 S.W.3d 360, 369-70 (Tex. App. – Fort Worth
2009, no pet.) (holding developer’s request for injunctive relief not ripe to prevent city from
“arbitrarily and capriciously applying ordinances and variances” as to developer’s property);
Coble v. City of Mansfield, 134 S.W.3d 449, 458-59 (Tex. App. – Fort Worth 2004, no pet.)
(holding developer’s claim for damages not ripe because developer had not completed
subdivision process and city had not made final decision as to applicability of roadway ordinance
to developer’s property).
       69
            Robinson v. Parker, 353 S.W.3d 753, 755 (Tex. 2011).

                                               27
point the planning department will be able to complete its review process, are still

entirely speculative.

      In sum, the Court lacks jurisdiction over this lawsuit because the threatened

harm claimed by plaintiff - that it may be required to construct a portion of a road

– turns on events that have not occurred and may never occur in the future.

V.    Becky’s claims are moot. [Appellant’s Br. at 25-28]

      The trial court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over Becky’s claims against

the city based on the doctrines of governmental immunity, standing, and ripeness.

The city also has asserted that the trial court lacked jurisdiction based on the

doctrine of mootness pursuant to Save Our Springs Alliance, Inc. [SOS] v. City of

Austin, 149 S.W.3d 674 (Tex. App. – Austin 2004, no pet.). Here, because the

City Council validly approved the Agreement,70 any claim by Becky that the City

Council acted without authority is moot.

                                         PRAYER

      For these reasons, Appellees, the City of Cedar Park, Stephen Thomas, Matt

Powell, Mitch Fuller, Lyle Grimes, Lowell Moore, Jon Lux, and Don Tracy,

respectfully request that the Court of Appeals affirm the decision of the trial court

and for such other relief, at law or in equity, to which Appellees shall show

themselves justly entitled.

      70
           CR 59-71 (Minutes of September 12, 2013 Cedar Park City Council Meeting).

                                              28
Respectfully submitted,

BICKERSTAFF HEATH
DELGADO ACOSTA LLP
3711 South MoPac Expressway
Building One, Suite 300
Austin, Texas 78746
(512) 472-8021 Telephone
(512) 320-5638 Facsimile

      Cobby A. Caputo
      State Bar No. 03784650
      ccaputo@bickerstaff.com

By:   /s/ Bradley B. Young
      Bradley B. Young
      State Bar No. 24028245
      byoung@bickerstaff.com

      ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLEES

        29
                         CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

      This is to certify that a true and correct copy of the foregoing document has
been served via electronic filing service provider, email, facsimile, and/or Certified
Mail Return Receipt Requested to all parties of record on this the 29th day of July,
2015.

Elizabeth G. Bloch
Husch Blackwell LLP
111 Congress Avenue, Suite 1400
Austin, Texas 78701-4093
(512) 472-5456
(512) 479-1101 (FAX)
Heidi.bloch@huschblackwell.com

Leonard B. Smith
P.O. Box 684633
Austin, Texas 78768
(512) 914-3732
(512) 532-6446 (FAX)
lsmith@leonardsmithlaw.com

ATTORNEYS FOR APPELLANT

                                        /s/ Bradley B. Young
                                        Bradley B. Young
                                        State Bar No. 24028245
                                        byoung@bickerstaff.com

                                         30
                       CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE

      Pursuant to Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.4(i)(3), I certify that this

Brief has been prepared in a conventional typeface no smaller than 14-point for

text and 12-point for footnotes. I also certify that this response brief complies with

the word count limitations contained in Texas Rule of Appellate Procedure

9.4(i)(2) because, excluding contents identified in Rule 9.4(i)(1), it contains 6039

words. I relied on the computer-generated word count of Microsoft Word, which

is the software used to prepare this brief.

                                         /s/ Bradley B. Young
                                         Bradley B. Young
                                         State Bar No. 24028245
                                         byoung@bickerstaff.com

                                              31
                             APPENDIX

A. Unified Development Agreement (pp 9-23 of the clerk’s record)

B. City of Cedar Park Code of Ordinances Section 16.02.005

                                   32
APPENDIX A
                                  UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT

        THIS lJNIFIED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT (this "Agreement'') is entered into to be effective as of
October 7, 2013 (the "Effective Date"), by and between .MJLESTONE COMMUNITY BU1LDERS, LLC, a
Texas limited liability company ("Milestone"), and the CITY OF CEllAR PARK, TEXAS (the "City").
Milestone and the City are referred to hereinafter individuaHy as a "P:uty" and collectively as the "Parties."

                                                   RECITALS

         A.       Milestone has submitted to. and is processing with, the City, the following applications relating to
that certain real property, located in Williamson County, Texas and within the boundaries of the City, as described
on Exhibit "A", attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference (the "Property"): (i) a subdivision plat
pursuant to \Vhich the Property and adjacent 8.408-acre commercial tract will be subdivided into four (4) lots (City
Case No. FP-13-004), referred to herein as the "Plat;" and (ii) two (2) site plans of the Property, referred to herein
as the "Site Plans," pursuant to which Milestone will constmct, in two (2) distinct phases of approximately 62 units
(City Case No. SD-13-000 19) and 141 units (City Case No. SD-13-00026), respectively, a total of approximately
two hundred three (203) townhome units. The condominium project to be constmcted on the Property pursuant to
the Site Plans is referred to herein as the "Project"

        B.      In connection with the Project, LAKELINE FUND, LTD., a Texas limited partnership
("Lakeline Fund"), has contractually agreed with Milestone that it win dedicate right-of-way to the City, and
Milestone will design, permit and construct and contribute to the cost of various on-site and off-site transpmtation
improvements that benefit the Project and adjacent/nearby properties (the "Tr.ansportafion Improvements").

        C.       The Patties now desire to enter into this Agreement, subject to the tenns and conditions set forth
hereinbelow, to provide for unified development of the Project on the Propexiy and the funding and development of
the Transportation Improvements in c01mection therewith.

                                                 AGREEMENT

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants hereinafter contained, and
of other good and valuable consideration the receipt, sufficiency and adequacy of which the Parties mutua!ly
acknowledge, Milestone hereby declares that, upon its acquisition of the Property, the Prope1ty shall be subject to
the following covenants, conditions, and restrictions, which shall nm with the Property and bind aU Parties and
successors in interest, and the Parties hereby agree to the following:

          l.      Unified Develomnent. For purposes of review, modification, or approval of the Site Plans by the
City, the Property will be constructed as a unified development, regardless ofthe Propmiy being comprised of two
(2) lots upon recordation of the Plat in the Official Public Records of Williamson County, Texas. A current copy of
the Plat is attached hereto as Exhibit "B". Any proposed modifications to the Property or any portion of either lot
therein will be construed as a modification to a single site, requiring review of the Property in accordance with the
provisions of the City's Code of Ordinances and this Agreement. This section applies to, but is not limited to,
drainage, detention and/or water quality inliastructure relating to the Prope1ty.

         2.       Ri2:ht~of-Way Dedication. Milestone covenants and agrees with the City that it will enforce the
tenns of its purchase contract with Lakeline Fund so as to cause to be dedicated the City, to be owned, operated and
maintained by the City upon completion and acceptance by the City, the right-of-way for the extension of Old Mill
Road, said right·of-way measuring fi·om si>..1:y-four feet (64') to seventy feet (70') in width and twelve hundred ten
linear feet (121 0'), as more particularly depicted on Exhibit "CEirfH3S PUND TWO, LTD BY INSTRUMENT OF RECORD !N VOLUME 1581, PAGE
               520 Of THE DEED RECORDS OF WlLLIAMSON COUNTY, TEXAS; AND TRACT Fetm
               l.miN(i 0.441 OF ONE ACRE OUT OF A 1.081 ACRE TRA(Yf OPLAND CONVEYED TO
               PROPERTIES FUND T\\"0, l:.m HY lNSTRU.!viENT OF RECORD IN DOC. NO. 2008004670
               OF THE Off!CJAL PU13LJC RECORDS OF WJLUA\\·fSON COUNTY, TEXAS, AND BEING
               MORE COJ\·1l'LETBL Y DI~SCRlntUJ BY METES AND BOUNDS AS FOLLO\VS:

               COMMDNCJNG l'lt a 1/2 inch iron roebar found for tl>e smllhwcst C<)nler (lf :;Hid 26.001 acre Irae!,
               !he southeast comer of Lot 2, Bind' A, Cnspi\H, S~:-ction Tv,:o, n subdivision of record ln Cabinet
               AA, Slide.s 289-290 uf th;; Plat Records of \Vi!liam~ou County, Tt:Xi line of the 26.001 acre
               tract and 1he easl line of Lo1 2, Block A, Caspita, Section l\V<1, ~n,
               for a tntal distance of 613.97 feel to a Ji2 inch iron rebar found for the northwest comer of the-
               26.0{1 J ncre !r<~c!, !he !JOr(h~,:ii:s( comer of Lot 1, Blod: /\, Caspita, Sec:-liOI) Two, f\'JilHnmson County, Texns, from w1Jich n :5/8 inch iron rebat' i(nmct
               fhr tmd angle poini in tlJc north line DfLot 1, Block A, Caspila, Section T>No and !he sm1th line of
               said Lot 2, Lodge J>t Lakeline VH1age, SectiOJi H, bears South 69"2&'W" West a distance nf
               194.65 fi;d (record~ South 69"28'10" West a distaJlceofl94.65 f~;-et);

               'fl!ENG!.~ Norlll 72"34'24" E~s\ (r~;I;onl • North 12"36'.5 1" East), along th~ norlh linc {lf !he
               26.001 acre tract and the soutllline of Lot 2, Lodge al Lalu;linc Vilbgc, Section ll, n distam;e of
               239.97 fe-el (r<:cord- 240.07 l'i;et) to fsaid
               remainder of a 237.31i acre tract the following three {3) courses:

                    J. North 64"57'32"       E<~st H dislunce   of765.82 feet (recn!'d- Nor!h 66"(}!}'()5" Et1S\ a dls!Mcc
                        of7.U5.77 feet) to :a 112 Inch iron i't:llHr R11md;

                   :Z. N(lrth 72"00'5,1'' Em;( n distance of210.58 feet        (re-t(Jfd- North 73'T2.'40" Ea£t a distance
                        ;__lf   2 HL75 feet) to <1 J/2 inch imn rebar set witl1 plastic cap which reads "HASEIJNE
                        TNC" for the northv.asl corner of the 0.30 of OM ncre 1ruct;

                   J. South 20"38'04" f-flSi a tlishi1Hl~1 of 6,64 feet (record - South 19(>41 '05"' Enst 11 dista11te of
                      6.64 feet) to an iron rebar found fnr the southcnsl ct\mcr oft he 0.30 of one acre tract, t11c
                        l\Oi1he-llst con1cr (Jf the- 26.00 I acre !ract, ;:md being the common norllJcrly comer of' Lots
                        !33 and 134, Riviera Sp1>fngs Subdivision, a subdivision of record in C.abinet B, Slides
                        !67-169 t
               come!' of sal(J Hl.349 Mre lrf Lot !81, Riviera Springs
               Subdivision No. 2, fmm which " 11?. im~h iron wbar found for an angle polm in the east line of
               snid Col J, Bh>et: B, Lniclinc Commons Subdivision Md belng the soulhwcs! comer of Lot 184,
               Riviera Springs Subdivlslon No.2, bears South 21 "00'2.:2" East a distance <)f 3!7,(i9 fee\ (Nl.:Ord -
               South 20"59'04" Eas.f a dislance of31 7.66 feet);

               THENCE SNlth 69"00'31" W<::st (r<,c-ord - South 69,61'09" West), alon,g the south lim\ of the
               10349 acre tract ;.mrl the nm1l1llne oft.o1 l.. Blocl\ B, Lakc!int\ Commons Subdivision, a f curv;1ture ln the west line of Lot 1, Block B, L~keline CommOilS
               Subdivision and the n7'02" \Vest a distnncc of 9.21 feet to a calculated point at the inter.;;ectiM of s<1id
                       2KJni11g pilrcc! iinll adopted by !he City of Cedar Pl.1r-k (:ity Council in Ordinanc-e Z07·04-
                       01-22-12.C of the City of Ce{lar Park Code of Ordinances with the west Hue of !hi>
                       lOJ49 :~err; tr Norlh 49°!! '49" West a distance of362.?l fee(;

               THENCE North 48"'46'49" East, crossing through the l 0.349 acre tract and along the zoning
               parcel line mloptcd by tl1c City of Cedar Park City Goundl in OrdinmW<: ZQ7-0+0l-22-l2.C of
               the City of Cedar Park Code of Ordinance~, n di:;t
                      whk:h r.,:'lldS "BASELINE INC";

                   3. South 67"3.5'44" Wes! fl distance of 677.69 feel to a 112 inch iron reba!' set with plastic Cl:lj/
                      w·hich reads '~BASEUN6 INC.";

                   4. S<)Uih S4'-'l0'3B" \Vt.1st:; dist~tnC{! of96.20 feet to the POINT OF DEGlNNlNG.

               This parcel contains 29.1 R4 ncres ofJattd, more or l::ss, out ofihe Rachel Saul Survey, Abstract
               No. 551 :md !ht~ Richard Duty Survey, Ahstract No. 183, both in \Vlll1<~mson Ct;1mty, Tt;XHs,

               Bearing Basis: Texas State Planf!. Coordlmw.~ S)'s!cm, Ccniml Zone, NAD 83/93 HARN.

                     /     ~·   J-(}            friLl
               ~ ~ ~-:!.4tf11Z11<..
               J. SCOTT LAS\VELL
               REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR
               STATE OF TEXAS NO. 5583

{W0593672.9}
                                                                                                                               18
                                                                            EXHIDIT "B';
                                                                            FINAL PLAT

                   ~·::::::::~-~~
                   ~r.lt;....:

                   ~-;:~~:_.··w~e.q
                   IXC:.V~f",H:
        ~-         >;::>.f-6"•)-1~
                   f.:..tJ-;1--•£

        ;~         ~.;,!~~~~..;
        J.lL       '-oo¢'"-'='"HIJ.;l:J.:£.'"1
               ' f'I"':S"i1.0 ~>;;: .....¢
        1:         ~~..rro....-.e;;>.~>.':!H;'"-"-~~~l::l.
         I f       -"'~i'nri~l:>:~:o.;t-;:x•.::::!1.1:>!~-,~-'-"l:"

       g ~ ;E;;:s~~~~~£~~~~~~;t
       ;;:~~ ~~~~~-;_:;:~z~~~u
       '~'·~~.:t   ~C.'\.~e>t'>Ct.~<~>'"'lo.l•~w"n;:::•\!

                         ~R~t~JpA~~
                         ~{ ~·:; ~u-uu             rH    ~~\lt   IH·llt."

                         1Jh;<'"'l>.;:tr"lt•Jlr.?-<>•r
                         :;.·~·~
                         ..,.,.._..,.ll".-<:;n1H
                         _ _..!: !><::'! ·~-.:.::n lA•   t~n' ~><-r,n

{W0593672.9}
                                                                                           19
               c::r
                      I
                      I •.

                                                                                                                                      :.!,"-;..;;~ ~~;:· ~--:.t-::.;..- ...~;. r;:;;,:.r-;~~~ ;.~        -lmt.:.tt~;'~"::m
                                                                                                                                                                                                                .
                                                                                                                                      ~ ~.~~'!\:;:          :.-:~~ :::...7,.::-.-;;:;~ ';i7:,; f....~~~';'.f;'": [:::;..,.~;_ ----
                                                                                                                                      §.~~T~~~~l\!ff&J~~~f~';E;'f[Lf':11
                             \

         I

         )
          l                                                                                                                           :1..-:~   c.:.; ..7'•.}.::.;-.!:--::T..:.!..::- -~"' ... ,., .-.:...-... ""h.•.,.,.,,           h   ¥' • .....,.

   . ~~~.!                                                                                                                              ,_.,..~•:-•·- ~'"""'''"'
                                                                                                                                         ""'i    '-'~·n ~

                                                                                                                                      l~~~%~l~~I~~~~~t1~~~f~
                                                                                                                                                                              '"...-;:< ... ,l .. n~-~·
                                                                                                                                                            ... ,...,,,.,t..~~><-    • .....,.,, ............... ~   >k)f~·- -~.-,........•;-;:.~

          I
          '                                                                                                                           ~~~~&~~~~~~~~W¥i~if¥S~
     -· -1·-                                              ...
                                 :~~. i;.~,~:. ~:·a..:!.:!!~t'~                          .........   !N h   ..._.......,.""' •• "'"

                                                                                                                                        ·g~~r?:f~~~it~::rt~T§;~¥i1Tr~t¥fr;~~ttr,r.~
                                 ~~ ...... t·~>".,!S·~··~.......-"¥¥1 :t.·.~ -h::•f~   .......   tr.'r.l'\'1""'~ ·~"' ~~-~~}
                                  """ilo~iiJo,....t,..,.__,

                                 ~E.~;?.iE.t~~~;.t~~\~t;:~:.~~~~r..._!.·~ :~                                                           .l~:..::;.~;.~:~"'="'"'···:;_...,.~h?'.J:-=t•'"'-•~h'....... t:..~·
                                                                                                                                                                     ........ ~ ..._, .., ..... o-< ''""" O;.>-~'<.>o.I:V...~,.,.,..,," ..... '-''
                                 !~~~~~~~;~J.~~~¥:0~~:>-::f~
                                                                                                                                      :-;;.~-;:1;...--;__f~!

{W0593672.9}
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         20
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~·lll]"!) J"UT !>'JfH
                                                                                                                                                                                                            !'£r.;!:J:!f,W-GXH!I),~f!

                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~f-~1£b~Nt.§flf~rN ~~~~~~~,%~~~~:\J:;'.f"~~~!:?
                                                                                                                                                                                                            5tf..U.~*1-.!;{~~·r..%~ fff~~~~~i:ifi;:~ ft-;.'1:~~.~.~~
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ht;J~ :r..::~~~1A:V';Jtr~1~':_.:&,U,£ ~~g:!}~.~q_                                                 l"·W·!M•M<:•I

                                                                                                                                                                                                            ;.~~..;,.'"i.:.~~~~Jk~"9..,_~l:{'''"''..r\n:- p r01 \:.71 ;-J t.:..\t•.>J.~
                                                                                                                                                                                                            t lo<.l$"~..-.~.;;, f".•• W\1: •••P;q,: '""). 4~'";0 {ihf:t..~ t;!l;nt"~t.)ot .... ~
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~rz~~¥~~fff.~~%~Tr~f!J{§;.Y};.f,,fh~/::~~
                                                                                                        I.m·~~....~"";:-1]1':;.         "'";.
                                                                                                                                                                                                            z,~!f-/tifW"ii~:tP~!it: *--<-ll"": ~ •..:..e ~"""""••.::-.n
                                                                                                        ~~~~:;;,;~:!'::.           J.!Hi   ~h'.l~~1'l"'li-
                                                                                                                                                                                                            :>;l!'"l~~~.:.~.:%-.~tn.m'"~lJ,~~~~.t;"?e>:rt;-~.;..;:,;1 t..~ ~·~ ~.:._~;~)
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~?,/~J"'"~'!.~'t''1_~-~~~.J..r-~.i....::'! u~~ # .... .u ><~.t~..._,.. ..
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~£}t~_.,;;np,,.~OJ:                      ..,-.:o:.-,.t'"'i! ,.-;...,.,.... :::..__-.-...,   "'P'~""·("».~?"ll->•;;:;

                                                                                                                                                                                                            !l...ff·"t1\~lli~5~g:';'~~-:._;:;~ '"";·~"""~J~;:. f;.;~~ ~~

    g~:;~z/~1~.r~l ~
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~cl:~f~~.:t~;_~f;;\~:z.~:~l~:].f;1:~t~~~~;~
                                                                                                                                                                                                            {<.!)             f" .. t;
                                                                                                                                                                                                                   ttt,'T ~..( ~""~"-=..-: t~'"" ="~~
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           J,.t...., ........                "'l~rf-'~t;                                ~lolo ~l· '-'l~

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                ..,._:'1 nu f:n .. ~.-..w. . c:r:: n                              1, r4-~..t..t "H .t"'"<' 1'7 ~:"1-~.t<.t ~ tO< >:-e >r.:t"U;..!....,.,.._, ~ ~-
                                                                                                                                                                                                            jt. Joef~"'t;;/, t' ~fl ~r-u~ \.'! ~~ ~::.; sc~1 t·~                 f¥ .__..___   t~·   a··-----               :\."11~                                                                                                        ~:;--P",..._t;:t..C·I>.l(<....--"'~-Vl"t:'"'"l.!;.!1._.:t • .!.:t"~f

                                                                                                                                                                                                            !~J[f.:-b~f:~W!Jt~Ni~:'l ":lt.r1t!)o.-ti..'! ~"'w~ J~~u"l•>".r:o-n~

                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~~.C~~~?t'.n/X'Z-§t'n~;.£''1 1.6~~. . ~?.!..~~'itt1t';;
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~~t'cii...-~ !-¥~~..:..~..11:ft"~"-'~~~~j:.-.!. .1.-:t--1:                                  >">•>::.;.i'\>:':''1 ::f.....,."':,;

                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~!.;_S.J~~'t_#%-J,;"r~J?£_-:..tH"'J"                               """'I w.;; ~~l ~-.......-.!!. t<>.~t~
                                                                                                                                                                                                                  n,...
                                                                                                       ~:;~r~11~~tr;;~;M:¥Jil~~¥~:;-:_:.:,;~~.,? ~t~--·:.>!
                                                                                                                                                                                                            )I.           :;,...._:>J.-.;::~<..:.~ ~..M4r•;;..!..           N f.'o!..'-rt' 1.-<1' "'.......,...;; t.o:    !;I>.,..~,.... ,

                                                                                                                                                                                                            t~4;!~:~~!1?-£~"?J:'5~. ~~z)~~~
     S'l'.t.tt:    o~·     fUltS
     (O{ii\J"!          or    ltlU.m!~nx                                                               -----~f' ll:..../1$ --m:IU.: -·"'~I>>Ol\.\'"Ht=C3-t..c.~t>{
     l..   ,,,.;!~ 1<   !"='<.:"...'{I,   H~~""I~P",I"U1.~ll,.,   h;>.::t'\ ("(lcH~r.H tt!nl
                                                                                                       ~~~t.:,.,""b.;;~n.~:~-,::~               __ .,_ .. ,l(.t',.<'
     J. "lt•:t Wl;'.-:.::1"1       e- =n:> wr.,.. '-"'      ft#t;'l J:-..•H1   <   ~ e:.·~.·.-.~l   !lrt'"n:::t:""
                                                                                                       t~:;;:::.w. ln'ol.. :M! ~~~ ...... , "o"').i!\."   ..-.,;'".!,.

     ;~~ ~~:~~~~~~;~r.trk"tP:ia~~~t-;:.,~ '~}~~.~·"'~~1;:~\'<
                                                                                    4

           I'.":..~U':"~< c;~-..tr, T!~·-~                                 ~;:;...~~1'.1"1~~~                   !:- ~:~/:"~~{'~ ~'I' ~"'~"'•=-- '-"'- V                        WI•·• t...,p;J\t

                                                           c~~;:;f~~--
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~l!~t11f~..{g~~"'iitt'~3 4l. >:;,,~-t(•HT~'4. k,J.~ ~Uti>.                                                             ti_'

                                                                                                                                                                                                            l "1-lt   ~~·$!!-•      k-IIY. _,.~"!.<:.. "t.?-~~-.-...( .. ..._,!....:-U.•!:;.;">~~ ..,.:. t'..'t :";><-'...»~'"-~ n'" Ill
                                                                                                                                                                                                            01~:rat•~r~               l:>     t~t ,,.~l,·~tlN::t$t,tl-.q.,~.-w<"t"".n:)
                                                            ~H.:..t~-----
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~irf/~1~~::~t~f~~4¥ll!1:~~t:~}~~*ifj:~~~v~~·
                                                                                                                                                                                                            } Ut< h"?C~-1 W .C.:. t\:~ "lO:.lt>~ !'t "tt->t ~...-.>. ~"\- ~,;""'!;. ·~ H ~-"-'"~i".
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ],d\ 't..."»""•';!.'< ~-<:... ~ ..... ~ ...,. h,' ~H~ e..::.-.•~l~~.,~ a                                ~   vt"t ,._,. a::;.-.t

                                                                                                                                                                                                            1, ,..S   ~-u·,-.,...--.~   ..:.:;. ~:::0.1'."1' ..-~ 1>«   ~f< .(!.   e:;J.t,.Uo   ~:>.?..,),f>'~.._,~:X.

                                                                                                                                                                                                            }~[i(iJi?:.\tf~~~:t\~~~~ ~~t~z~~~:::~f
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~~~~~~t~S~&~i~r~~~~~-~wsi~~~lt.Ptz:
                                                                                                                                                                                                            ~:..;;::;~~'(>"";:;g.;~.;.~~~~~~·:;; w~...;.!t~M~('~~:~if...

{W0593672.9}
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               21
                                                   EXHIBIT "C'>
                                             OLD MILL ROAD EXTENSION

                                                    OLD MILL ROAD EXTENSION

                     REl!IDWJW. COWi:CTOfl      I
    1--------------~-----~~·--------------------4

{W0593672.9}
                                                                              22
               DEPICTION OF SALES TRAILER PARKING LOCATION

                          TEMPORARY SAU:S TRAIU:R EXHIBIT

                                                                     I
                          !.Al