With a unanimous vote, Keller City Council did not pass a zoning-change request for an eight-lot subdivision during its July 15 meeting.
What happened
City Council considered whether the Heritage Grove development near Clara Lane and Indian Knoll Trail should be permitted to develop eight homes on lots 30,000 square feet and larger. The area is currently zoned for lots 36,000 square feet and larger.
City officials criticized the project due to its lack of green space, the impact the development could have for current residents and its attempt for rezoning to smaller lot sizes.
“This is one of our few rural-feeling streets left, so any kind of downzoning when that’s unnecessary is going to leave a bad taste in my mouth,” Council Member Greg Will said.
William Solomon of Suma Monde Kapital Partners, the applicant behind the project, said the zoning change would have provided space to implement infrastructure to help with drainage and an “aesthetic” community.
He added Heritage Grove would be a gated community, which would provide privacy for residents and reduce traffic for the neighborhood.
The backstory
Keller officials previously tabled the zoning-change request in March to allow the applicant and his team to present their case to council in person, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
Despite the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommending approval of the zoning change in a 4-3 vote, residents expressed opposition to the project because of the proposed lot sizes and existing storm drainage issues in the area.
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