The Leander City Council is considering rezoning a 50-acre site next to the Crystal Falls Golf Club that is slated to become a condominium housing project that would be part of the The Fairways at Crystal Falls.[/caption]The Leander City Council is considering rezoning a 50-acre site next to the Crystal Falls Golf Club that is slated to become a condominium housing project.
Representatives from the developer, The Lookout Development Group, presented a plan for The Fairways at Crystal Falls, Section 6, before City Council, July 21. The parcel of land is located west of Crystal Falls Parkway and Lakeline Boulevard and west of The Fairways at Crystal Falls, Section 5.
The developer originally requested to rezone the site from single-family suburban to a planned unit development, or PUD, with a base zoning district of multifamily. Assistant City Manager Tom Yantis told council members the city typically recommends multifamily base zoning for projects that would put more than one dwelling unit on the same lot, and the entire 50.6-acre proposal counts as one lot.
Yantis said city staff could modify the PUD to be single-family base zoning with an exception that multiple units could be built on a single lot. He said the parcel is within an area of the city that council hopes will accommodate a variety of housing types.
“We believe this project does provide an additional housing type that is in demand in the city,” he said.
On June 9 the proposal went before the Planning and Zoning Commission, which raised concerns about interior lighting, dwelling size and a wall along Crystal Falls Parkway. The commission unanimously recommended to deny the request and asked the developer to work with staff to address the concerns.
Yantis said the developer revised the project and brought a new plan before council July 21. Lookout Vice President of Construction Mike Siefert said the developer reduced the number of units to 85, increased the minimum unit size to 1,750 square feet, updated street lighting and added additional details to landscaping and fencing.
Yantis said the developers also included a number of higher standards in the PUD proposal, such as increasing the amount of masonry used, using higher quality roofing materials, improving landscape buffering next to the golf course and providing additional landscaping along Crystal Falls Parkway.
“We developed a better plan that worked with the land,” Siefert said.
Seven Leander citizens went before council to speak against the project. Several homeowners in established neighborhoods in Crystal Falls said they were concerned about the zoning designation, were worried the project would lower their property values and raised concerns over an increase in traffic.
Crystal Falls resident Keaneth Ahrens said he knew the property would develop eventually when he moved in across the street about 1 1/2 years ago. But he said the 50-acre site is surrounded by single-family neighborhoods, and it does not belong across the street from estate homes.
“We’re concerned as citizens that it will affect not only our property values but the property values of our neighbors and the neighborhood and potentially overcrowd and cheat the overall view,” he said.
Two residents spoke in favor of the proposed development, saying the mix of housing sites in the area would be beneficial. Leander resident David Siebold said he expects the proposal would help local property values and mix well with other developments.
“What we see here is Crystal Falls basically addressing a market need,” he said. “I’ve seen and knew it would be coming, the empty-nesters looking for smaller homes, smaller lots, but still looking for a high-value, high-dollar, high-amenity type of project.”
Yantis said a second reading and public hearing for the development would likely come before City Council at the second meeting October.
