The community of Craig Ranch was developed by David Craig when he bought the first tracts of land for Craig Ranch 15 years ago, at the intersection of State Highway 121 and Custer Road in McKinney.
One of the most successful mixed-use developments of its kind, the 2,200-acre master planned community features 2,359 houses, more than 1,000 apartment homes, retail, and commercial space. It is one of the largest developments in Collin County and more than 9,000 people call Craig Ranch home.
More than 1,434 houses and more than 3,000 apartment homes will be completed over the next 28 months, with price ranging from $300,000 to more than $600,000. Craig’s partner in the development is VanTrust Real Estate.
Part of Craig Ranch’s popularity is due to its proximity to job creation along the Dallas North Tollway. Money Magazine and Time have both named McKinney the nation’s top small city in 2014 (with populations between 50,000 and 300,000), noting the area is a hotbed for growth-industry jobs, green energy, aviation, and medical services. Amid the negative press generated by last Friday’s pool party gone viral, many Realtors are concerned about a possible negative effect on home sales in the area. Craig Ranch is sending a letter to Realtors tomorrow that is expected to be similar to the one published below sent to all Craig Ranch residents, but will likely also talk about the how strong and resilient the community is, and how diligently they are working to be part of the solution.
The other part of Craig Ranch’s “secret sauce” for success is its master plan, which works to create an active, healthy lifestyle for residents. It has more than 400 acres of green space, creeks, and parks that connect via running and biking trails to the golf lovers five-star TPC Craig Ranch golf course. Other recreational amenities include the Ballfields, which attract tournament play from around the country, the McKinney Soccer Fields, which host league matches and clinics, a hockey facility, and training program for high school athletes. The various neighborhoods offer something for everyone’s price range, from the $230,000 starter home to the million dollar plus Estates. Craig Ranch also has a Town Center District with the TPC Craig Ranch, an amazing Cooper Fitness Center & Spa, Van Tuyl Plaza, Veterans Memorial Park and it’s own Times Square.
From what I have gathered talking to a few neighbors and Realtors who live and sell at Craig Ranch, Tatania Rhodes and her mother (and possibly her sister) all live in Craig Ranch North, a segment of about 1000 homes built by D.R. Horton around 2004. The homes average about $230,000 to $260,000, sized around 2500 square feet. About 20% of the homes at Craig Ranch North are rentals, including the home Tatania and her mother live in on Lonesome Spur Trail. Their home is 2547 square feet on .12 of a acre with a 2 car garage. There is no pool at the 4 bedroom, two and a half bath house, but access to a community pool managed and maintained by the HOA. Each resident is allowed to bring in 2 guests to swim at the pool. The rent is $1620. a month. The neighborhood is culturally diverse, and it’s one of the more affordable communities in McKinney. The school system is Frisco, which is a huge draw. It’s also incredibly friendly, with neighbors frequently outside drinking wine and chatting. That is, the adults drinking wine.
Craig Ranch HOA Letter to Residents
Here is what Realtors and residents (who all, unfortunately, want to be anonymous) tell me happened Friday night. Tatania organized a party known as a “Pop-Up Twitter Rave” party. It’s basically what my kids tried to do as teens, but they use social media to spread the word. Which means, the invitation spreads lightning fast. There is a park next to the pool, and it was there the DJ Reign set up along with a bounce house and tweeted the party for a cover charge of $15 a head.
Tatiana Rhodes, a 19-year-old McKinney resident, reportedly planned the event, which, Heavy notes, was advertised on social media. According to the flier, a group calling itself Dimepiece X Twinzz Promotions was listed as the host of the pool party, which was scheduled from 4:30 to 10 p.m. The event was deejayed by DJ Reign, a Dallas DJ who’s listed on his Twitter account as CEO of EventsHavoc! He isn’t interested in talking about the events of Friday, according to tweets on his Twitter account.
Before messaging that he had no interest in talking about Friday’s events, he reportedly fielded a few from folks who believed that he’d coordinated the pool party.
According to Twitchy, someone posting from DJ Reign’s account noted that he wasn’t near the event when it took place and that he didn’t make the fliers. In addition, posts noted that he was paid to deejay the event and nothing more. There have been conflicting reports as to how many guests were in attendance, but many outlets put the number as high as 70 teens.
Something I have been trying to figure out is why Tatania, who is either 19 or 20, would be partying with 14 and 15 year olds, but apparently she organized the party for her 14 year old sister or half sister. (The girls have different last names.) Residents who were at the pool say Tatania only invited about 20 people, including friends who lived inside Craig Ranch, who also had access to the pool. But once the party invitation went viral, kids came over from everywhere. I have heard that the tweets also included instructions for the teens on how to handle the police should they arrive — typical at these kinds of pop up Twitter Rave parties.
Whoever wrote the Facebook post describing the the original 911 calls as saying there were “too many blacks in the neighborhood” was not being truthful, I’m told, that was never said. Two young girls reading by the pool say the teenagers came from nowhere, were loud and offensive, as was the music. Some were smoking pot and wine coolers were all over. Their language was offensive to a mother with little ones in the pool’s shallow end, and that mother apparently asked them to “keep the bad language down.” One of the party “guests” then raised her middle finger to the mother, flipping her off. It is also not clear whether Tatania and her mother had pre-arranged for the party with the HOA, which usually requires a security deposit. And the teens apparently were rude to the resident adults out enjoying the pool.
Several McKinney residents have taken to social media to dispute the reporting of the story. According to one McKinney resident, who asked that the “true story” of what happened get out, a DJ was blasting obscene music in a public area and carloads of teens where arriving in the neighborhood without permission to go to the pool. When the teens were confronted, according to the resident’s post, they began climbing the pool fence and arguing with a security guard. When residents confronted the teens, the residents say, it was they who were attacked with racial slurs and physically assaulted.
Of course, these people are also wondering why Officer Casebolt was so aggressive in his response, appeared to be singling out the black teens and meeting profanity with more profanity. Casebolt resigned from the force today.
Here is Tatiana’s version of the events:
Every Realtor who sells property in McKinney is now worried about the same thing: will the negative national press about McKinney turn people away from this community?
“I have a client moving here from Washington, D.C, ” one agent told me, ” and he’s in law enforcement. They love the house but asked me today, should I rethink McKinney?”
Thoughts?
