Rezoning for Phase 4 of the Elk Ridge subdivision in Stephenville was denied at the Tuesday, May 6 Stephenville City Council meeting after much opposition from citizens.
For Phase 4, the rezoning item would have changed the 17.46 acres parcel of land located off Alexander Road fromSingleFamilyResidential (R-1) to Single Family 5,000 ft. (R-1.5).
Per information provided by the city, R-1.5 provides for a neighborhood development of medium density. The primary land use allows for single-family houses on smaller lots.
The rezone was being requested by Megan Leatherwood representing 500 Investment Corporation to construct single family homes. The rezone to R-1.5 would allow lot dimensions of 50x100 vs. 75x100 for R-1.
According to information provided by Director of Development Services Steve Killen, the item was previously discussed at Planning and Zoning April 16 with nine individuals speaking in opposition and two letters of opposition being submitted. Two letters of support were received. The P&Z vote failed 2/5, so the item moved forward to council with no recommendation from the board.
Prior to council, 15 letters of opposition were received and a petition to stop the project was done, but failed to get the required percentage of registered voters.
Several people spoke during the public hearing on the item.
Malcolm Dan a resident of Elk Ridge, voiced opposition primarily due to the character of the neighborhood.
“The proposed plan for the addition will change that character entirely, and consequentially seriously devalue our homes,” he said. Dan stated he had no issue with the current zoning or construction under that zoning.
Dan said he spoke at the P&Z meeting and no reason for the change was given at that time, just that someone wanted it changed.
“So, we did some digging and we discovered the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. This document discusses development over the city for the next 25 years and does seem to be more concerned with the demands of Tarleton State than it does with the current residents of the city. We were concerned with the lackof transparencyregarding the evolution of this plan.”
“The 2050 plan says the character of existing neighborhoods should be prioritized. This zoning change is hardly consistent with that requirement,” Dan added.
The city has been working on the 2050 Comprehensive Plan since 2023 according to information provided by the city.
Donna Bush, an Elk Ridge resident also spoke in opposition.
“At the zoning meeting on April 16 we heard mention the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. It sounds like the city is using this plan to ignore all the legitimate concerns presented by the families of Elk Ridge, and justify pushing forward the rezoning solely because the city is in need of affordable housing.”
Bush said that ironically the 2050 plan documents that there is already affordable housing in Stephenville.
“Median housing value and percent of income dedicated to a mortgage are equally low,” Bush said quoting a statement in the 2050 Comprehensive Plan. She added that the new plan also includes statements about housing costs in the city being lower than the surrounding area.
“Policy statement 3 is ‘maintain the edge between rural and urban, and prevent sprawling development that does not contribute to character of Stephenville.’ How is this ‘sprawling development’ not destroying the character of Elk Ridge?” she said.
Bush said the developer was presenting 29 houses on 5,000 sq. ft. lots with houses 10 feet apart, flanking the entire backside of Elk Ridge, with an access road through Elk Ridge.
“Is my property value going to go up when I’m standing in my back yard looking at eight, possibly two story houses? I think it’s ridiculous to even say it’s going to go up in value. Would you want to live there because I don’t know if I do anymore,” she said.
Chuck Bush spoke on behalf of a group of individuals, therefore getting an allotted 10 minutes.
“I’m not here today to appeal to your sense of fairness and reason. We did that to no avail at your Planning & Zoning meeting, and simply pleaded with the commissioners to follow Stephenville’s existing zoning codes,” he said. Bush, who is also a resident in Elk Ridge, stated he even read the code allowed in the meeting which addressed almost every single concern that has been shared in by citizens through letters and in person.
“Unfortunately the commissioners didn’t honor that purpose. They merely checked a procedural box for an apparent pre-determined conclusion to move this forward, and worse there was no meaningful discussion to be had.”
Chuckdetailedthefollowing concernsshared:transparency, infrastructure, traffic, congestion, traffic, noise, property values and safety.
Hedetailedariskassessment plan sharing a variety of statistics on increased traffic potentially having the devastating consequence of a child being hit and killed by a vehicle.
“Regardless of how you vote, it doesn’t get worse than the death of a child. However, if you approve this request it will facilitate the construction of medium density housing with price points that attract investors,” Chuck said. “This will ultimately result in a predictable high volume of rental properties.”
Megan White, an Elk Ridge resident, spoke on safety and property values.
“Please vote no on rezoning Bear Hill or whatever it’s being called,” she said. White said 13 years ago when her, and her husband built their home they were promised the same homes would be built all around them.
“I’m totally OK with that being developed, I just want it to stay the same as promised,” she said.
Johnathan Evans, an Elk Ridge resident, also spoke against the zoning change.
“I love living in Elk Ridge. I have a 17-month old daughter. We go on walks Monday through Friday, every evening after work and it’s my biggest priority,” he said. “She runs and jumps through puddles. It’s slow and we can hear cars coming from down the street, we walk out of the way and they pass.”
Evans said they live close to where they will connect the two neighborhoods Wes Bishop a developer with the Bear Hill project also spoke.
“One of the things that was spoken about was transparency. I stood here at the P&Z meeting and offered any conversation they wanted to have. I have invited open opportunities for any conversation they wanted to have,” Bishop said. “We provided all the information to the city and done all we can to communicate.”
Bishop addressed the lot size in his comments saying the average lot size is over 8,200 sq. ft., however, because of the way the property is shaped they are asking for the zoning change to accommodate about 26 lots that do not meet the R-1 zoning requirements.
The density in the current Elk Ridge phases are about 3.3 lots per acre and the new proposed zoning would be 3.8 lots per acre, Bishop said.
“I can’t communicate to the specific architectural stylings that will be there, but these are for sale individual lots that builders are going to build for new families who are coming this way,” he said. “Our desire is to provide an opportunity who move into the community, and welcome them and celebrate them when they achieve their dream home. It’s a well designed and safe subdivision.”
Information about Bear Hill stated that the project would have new infrastructure, TxDOT level engineered relief entrance/exit, a much needed supply of 67 single family home lots, would be designed with city development and staff input to complete the neighborhoods, increases the city’s tax base, is connected and walkable per city requirements and the average lot size is almost 10% larger than R-1.
The item was denied in a split vote with Mayor Doug Svien breaking the tie.