Bryan Planning & Zoning denies recommendation for condos in Traditions community

Bryan Planning and Zoning commissioners denied a recommendation to rezone an area in the Traditions community for condominiums on Oct. 1.

The overview

According to agenda material, the vacant 2.57-acre lot is off South Traditions and Club drives and is located next to single-family residences. The Planning and Zoning Commission previously approved Phases 35 through 37 of the Traditions subdivision zoning ordinances in November 2020.

City of Bryan Project Planner Benjamin Johnson said Traditions is a very large master-planned community, so the plan included careful attention to detail and consistency with other recommendations. Johnson added that most residents responded to the public notifications sent out, with most of them concerned with:

• Increased traffic

• Stormwater control

• Privacy, buffers and neighborhood compatibility

• Desire to coordinate with the applicant

• Increased density/intensity and change of development pattern

What residents are saying

Greg Crawford, a resident adjacent to the subject property, said he submitted a letter of protest and would not have bought the lot if he had known this was possible. 

“We invested a lot in these lots. These are our retirement and forever homes,” Crawford said. “We bought them because of the nature of the community. This proposal is not complementary or compatible.”

Resident Paul Hill, a neighbor of Crawford, said he was concerned about the green space expanding into further condo development.

“When we bought the house, we assumed it was going to be green space or single-family lots,” Hill said. “We now will be looking up into somebody’s windows during game days, which we are not allowed to do according to the [homeowners association] agreement.”

What happens next?

The commission denied the recommendation based on resident concerns. The ordinance will still be presented to Bryan City Council at its Oct. 13 meeting.