Council members approved several requests related to the development during the Dec. 2 meeting. A rezoning request and comprehensive plan amendment for the proposed land use were approved by a 5-2 vote with council members Brian Beck and Suzi Rumohr opposed. A related request to update the mobility plan for the development was approved by a 6-1 vote with Beck voting against.
Additionally, council members approved the creation of the Craver Ranch Municipal Management District, an operating agreement for the municipal management district and a development agreement with Old Prosper Partners, the project’s developer, by a 5-2 vote with Beck and Rumohr against.
The municipal management district is a political subdivision created by the 89th Legislature, which council supported the creation of with a resolution in March. The district will be able to levy assessments to residents within Craver Ranch to help pay for infrastructure improvements.
What you need to know
Craver Ranch, which was annexed by the city in 2008 and 2009, is located in far north Denton north of Shepard Road between FM 2164 and FM 2153. The proposed site sits on a property totaling 2,870 acres, about 2,500 of which will be developed.
According to town documents, development at Craver Ranch will include:
- 7,091 single-family residential units
- 1,084 townhomes or other zero-lot line housing units
- 1,015 multifamily units
- Around 1.24 million square feet of commercial space
- 380.5 acres of parkland
- 13.5 miles of public trails and 18.5 miles of shared-use paths
- 2 tracts of land for future fire stations
- 3 tracts of land for two future Denton ISD schools and one Sanger ISD school
The project will require at least 20 years to build out, which translates to about 400 new homes per year, White added. At build-out, the estimated value of the development is $5.1 billion, per city documents.
Diving deeper
The proposed development location is near two proposed alignments for the regional outer loop project overseen by the Texas Department of Transportation. No alignment has been selected, but one would run through the proposed development while the other would pass just south. TxDOT officials are expected to complete the study for the area in fall 2026.
Mia Hines, a senior planner with the city, said the master-planned community proposal is similar to other proposals approved in communities with frontage on the outer loop, such as Celina.
“Around this outer loop, we’re seeing a lot of master-planned types of communities,” Hines said.
One resident who lives near Craver Ranch, Olivia Lilley, said approving the development will impact which outer loop alignment is chosen by TxDOT.
“If you were to pass these items tonight with this developer, it would affect the outer loop alignment,” Lilley said. “Now, it’ll go through our homes and our land.”
Additionally, the approved mobility plan amendment will allow a proposed east-west connector arterial to run around an existing floodplain as opposed to through it, according to city documents.
What they’re saying
During the meeting, several residents voiced their opposition, citing increases in traffic, inadequate infrastructure in the area and impacts to the area’s environment, such as displacing wildlife.
Some council members also expressed concern about the cost of extending infrastructure and city services, and the compatibility with the city’s comprehensive plan.
“We have to make the right decision not to do leapfrog [development],” Beck said. “It costs extra to the city. This will not pay for itself.”
Other council members cited potential benefits, such as building more homes to meet the area’s population growth.
“I am of the opinion that when there is more housing available, it drives down the price of housing for everybody,” council member Brandon Chase McGee said. “By virtue of the next 20 years of this project, if it is completed and built out, it will provide more housing options for people who are coming here, allowing many of us to stay in our homes.”
What’s next?
Hines said the proposal for the project shows 26 phases. It is expected to be built out over at least 20 years, White added.
Development of the site will likely begin in around three years, White said.
