The Dublin City Council approved the rezoning of an 11 acre property to Dense Single-Family (SF-1B) following a well-attended public hearing in which several voiced concerns on the proposed 55-home facility behind the public works yard on Harris.
The meeting was held Friday, Aug. 30 in City Hall with people packing into seats to hear information and speak.
Speaking on behalf of the project was local business owner Joseph Borges and Jennifer Blankenship, a landscape architect and land planner with Nadi Group.
They introduced the property as a gated manufactured home community with communal space and paved roads they would maintain.
“It’s much more similar to a single family community than a trailer park,” said Blankenship, who said the model that has been successfully built in Michigan and Canada, promotes less waste and is more energy efficient.
The proposed community would have residents purchase a manufactured home to be installed on a rented space from Borges. Residents can either buy brand-new homes from him or bring in their own if they are less than 10 years old and adhere to city code.
“We want to get home ownership to people who otherwise might not be able to attain it,” Blankenship said. Borges later added that the hope is that home ownership will motivate residents to be proactive in caring for the property, but there will be a manager on site to make sure that everything is well-maintained.
She also added the facility is planned with a 25 foot buffer around the community and neighbors and the lots were actually planned bigger than the 3,000 square feet allowed by the SF-1B designation. She reported the smallest lot size is just under 4,000 square feet and many are over 4,000.
Councilmember Sammy Moore voiced concerns about kids walking to school on Davies and Harris, noting that several do already.
City Manager Bobby Mendez responded that the city is already talking to TxDOT and homeowners for the installation of a walking path with Mendez stating a desire to install it on Harris from Post Oak to Norton.
Moore also stated concerns about infrastructure and resources, asking if the sewer system will be able to handle 55 new hookups in that space. Mendez responded they were just starting to look into that.
Councilmember Nancy Williams asked if there would financing programs available and was told there are options. She also asked if there would be an HOA to enforce upkeep. Although there isn’t one planned, Borges said he will keep ownership and keep things well-maintained for the sake of residents and the community.
Moore stated frustrations about voting to rezone the property without more concrete information (although a preliminary land plan was provided) and worried the council would be giving up the ability to address concerns in planning.
Mendez assured the vote was just about rezoning the property as SF-1B, allowing him to subdivide and sell the land in 3,000 square foot lots and that Borges will have to return for a vote on whether to allow manufactured homes. He added the property as is would allow 50-55 single-family homes under the regular zoning ordinance.
Blankenship assured the intention to work with the city, stating they want to offer an economical housing option for new residents who can come to town, attend schools and spend money in Dublin businesses.
In the public hearing, resident Vickie Amos asked if resident will be allowed to keep pets and if they will have to be enclosed. Borges responded the property would be enclosed and if they had an animal, it would have to be kept on property.
Nancy Crouch asked about several items, including: what will happen to class sizes at Dublin ISD as several are already large; whether studies have been done about the infrastructure and if the taxes will offset and increase in utility costs to the city; whether traffic studies have been performed; and who will pay the property taxes. She was advised then that Jacob and Martin is looking into sewer matters, that traffic studies will be conducted by Borges if he should purchase the property and Borges is responsible for land taxes.
Dublin business owner Jo Ellyn Turner spoke on behalf of Borges saying she understood the concerns being voiced but said her husband Charles and her have known him for a while and “would do business with him any day.” She added that she believes he will keep his work and has a good team that will make sure the project is beneficial to Dublin.
Former County Commissioner/ Dublin City Council member Lynn Tidwell said the project concerned him because of the size of the footprint and that it is in his neighborhood. He said from his experience that planning/approving subdivisions comes with several variables and worried about one that size in that area.
Ron Cornelison also stated his opposition as a neighboring property owner, saying the development will hurt the local wildlife like deer on the current lot and that the property is too big. “It’s too much,” he said. “I already have people turning around in my driveway.”
Another neighboring property owner, Homi Limbuwala, presented councilmembers with a letter signed by other neighboring property owner in opposition to the development. The letter stated concerns over infrastructure, increased traffic in an area with a busy railroad crossing and school zones and the potential for negative activities. He asked whether all studies should be performed before the rezoning is approved.
He added worries about property values crashing, the number of vehicles associated with the property and what happened if the property was sold.
He requested the rezoning be tabled until all information was in place.
Dublin ISD School Board Member Bob Cervetto also addressed the council saying he enjoys the working relationship the city and school have had in the past. He, like a few in the audience, stated he just heard about the development. He was also concerned about putting a potential 110 vehicles in a heavily trafficked area in the morning.
“It puts everyone in a hurry,” Cervetto said. “If you get in a hurry, you make bad decisions.”
He said he understood the community needs growth and appreciated the idea that residents would own their own homes but said the decision seemed to be coming pretty fast.
“We have a chance to make this right,” he added. “We want good housing and we want it to be safe.”
Borges said he wanted to do it right and be a good neighbor, and Blankenship noted that only some areas in the city fit the terms for SF-1B.
Williams reiterated that no information on traffic studies can come without a move to rezone and Borges’ purchase of the property, before moving to approve. Daren Turley seconded but the vote was opposed by Jacob McCullough and Moore. With Barrett Joiner absent, the tiebreaker vote went to David Leatherwood who voted in favor of the rezoning.
Moore also presented an agenda item about increasing the square footage of a single-family residence in the entire city from 1,000 to 1,250 or 1,500. Mendez questioned doing it across the board, stating people have different housing needs. However, he said the council is able to establish ‘residental estate’ zoning in some areas that apply.
Turley noted his opposition to doing it across the board, adding the world’s changed and not every young owner wants or can afford a “big, beautiful lot.”
The item was tabled for the council to look at the comprehensive plans.