In our last installment of trees versus housing development, we left you with the Colleyville City Council dashing the hopes of WillowTree Custom Homes in its plan to develop 14 acres between Pool Road and Wilkes Drive into The Bluffs Colleyville.
To catch up those who might not remember, Colleyville’s planning and zoning denied the initial request to rezone the parcel of land from agricultural to single-family resident. It was WillowTree Custom Home’s idea to create The Bluffs Colleyville, a gated subdivision with luxury homes. That’s progress and increased property values in some opinions, but to others, it’s destroying “heritage trees,” part of an urban forest in what is supposed to be a protected area.
New proposals will be discussed at the next regular meeting of the Colleyville City Council at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the City Council chambers of City Hall. This will be the “first reading” of the new proposal, and no vote will be taken. The “second reading” is scheduled for June 20, and a vote could be taken then. For the development to proceed, zoning would need to change from its current agricultural designation, the designation it held when the developer purchased the property.
Things could get interesting.
Getting to The Root During Garden Week
Let’s just start with the fact that this meeting comes during National Garden Week. It gets better. The Colleyville Garden Club will receive a proclamation from the city recognizing it being named Texas Garden Club of the Year.
Meanwhile, some of Colleyville’s oldest trees could become history or the city could expect new residents, depending on how the city council decides to vote Tuesday on a controversial and possible reversal in the city’s long-range plans.
The Bluffs Colleyville website describes the development as containing 14 single-family residences with the average lot measuring 28,000 square feet. Each lot, according to the website, will have “its own beautiful view of nature.” Additionally, two common areas are planned within the gated community.
“We think we’ve addressed what the council has asked us to do,” said Curtis Young, owner of The Sage Group and the architect in charge of this proposed high-end development.
Originally, plans for The Bluffs called for 23 lots, was reduced to 19, and now stands at 14 lots, he said. Owner Mark Goodwin owns 12 acres, with another 1.9 acres under contract. This would give residents of the proposed development access from Colleyville’s Pool Road, instead of going through Ross Downs, a residential area that is approximately 30 years old.
“Most of the neighbors wanted this because it wouldn’t be taking traffic through their neighborhood,” Young said.
The architect labeled the property “unique” with lots of trees and a fair amount of slope. The Bluffs’ team now envisions luxurious homes on approximately 30,000-square-foot lots.
Young said that Goodwin bought the property knowing it was zoned agricultural with the hopes the city would change the zoning for the development, admittedly not the normal order for such a project. The city’s planning and zoning commission recently approved the 14-home plan.
Most developers put a property under contract after the zoning has been changed to residential, he said. Goodwin took a “huge risk,” Young said. “But it’s a show of confidence. He’s fully invested in this property. This is going to be the best of the best.”
Goodwin did not respond to an interview request.
The development is not being cheered by many Colleyville residents, including Mary Ann Nicholson. Nicholson, although a longtime member of the Colleyville Garden Club, said the garden club has not taken an official position on the development, but the club did allow an informational table at its May meeting explaining the stance opposing the development. Nicholson, as a national lifetime honorary member of the National Garden Club and a trustee of Texas Garden Club, Inc., does hold her own personal view of what should be done with the land currently zoned agricultural.
“I would love to have the city get involved and keep it as a wild space,” she said. “I don’t think we have enough wild space in Colleyville and the country. It’s just a beautiful place to visit. We spend thousands of dollars visiting national parks to see pristine land, and we have a little of it here. And really, unless citizens get involved, we can lose this.”
Changing Thoughts on The Bluffs Colleyville
Another resident opposing the proposed subdivision is Bob Egan, who has lived in neighboring Ross Downs for 32 years and claims the distinction of living in the neighborhood the longest. Initially, he assumed the proposed parcel of land would be developed, but he now strongly disagrees with the plan. His research has led him to believe that the proposal is wrong for several reasons.
“When we saw the plans for it, we began to see the topography of the land, and it slopes so dramatically,” Egan said. “Knowing the number of trees that would be taken out just to cut the road, too, there was a great amount of concern.”
According to Egan, The Bluffs will require substantial retaining walls, and shifting soil could make that a problem.
“It is the city’s responsibility that they do this properly and that they make sure the soil changes they’re going to make are adequate to support the homes that are going to be erected on that development,” Egan said. “The developer has done no soil testing, as of the last city council.”
And then there are the trees that will be removed to make way for housing. Fifty percent would be allowed by the developer, and another 50 percent allowed by each homebuilder, seemingly at odds with Colleyville’s tree policy.
Colleyville lies in the Eastern Cross Timbers ecological region with numerous post oaks and blackjack oaks, according to the city’s website. In 1993, the suburb adopted its first ordinance concerning tree removal.
“I care about the trees,” Egan said. “So far they have the right to take out up to 50 percent of the trees. These are old-growth trees that have been there for up to 200 years. Because these trees are back behind where no one can see them, the city doesn’t care.”
Young has a different view.
“They want this to be a private park, at the city’s expense,” he said. “That’s not the way the world works. It’s a bit ridiculous what they’re asking for. It’s nothing that hasn’t been done before where they live.”
