The Planning and Zoning Commission held a work session on the proposed development that includes 168 homes during a June 9 work session. Because the item was discussed in the work session, no action on the zoning case was taken.
Tyler Radbourne, one of the founders of Eden Ranch, said he wants to bring high-quality development that also could impact how future developments are presented.
“We are truly trying to raise the standard,” Radbourne said. “I understand that when you change things or you raise a standard, it sometimes can be uncomfortable. We can do things better.”
The details
Eden Ranch sits on around 335 acres along Cross Timbers Road and is bordered to the east by Red Rock Lane and to the west by Shiloh Road. Hawk Lane runs along the northern boundary of the proposed development that sits within Flower Mound’s Cross Timbers Conservation Development District.
The development is proposed as a gated community with the main entrance along Cross Timbers Road, a side entrance off of Red Rock Lane and two entrances off of Shiloh Road, including one at the Kings Road intersection.
Eden Ranch will be a clustered residential development with 168 homes, a reduction from the previously proposed 193, including:
- 48 on lots of at least 0.5 acres
- 55 on lots of at least 0.75 acres
- 65 on lots of at least 1 acre
Quint Redmond, an architect with Agriburbia working on the Eden Ranch development, said the development will have a further nine agricultural lots of at least 2 acres. Radbourne added that those lots could accommodate a future community center or school exclusive to Eden Ranch residents.
For those agricultural lots, Russell said town staff are looking for more clarity about the uses on a potential site plan.
“I think they indicated that their agricultural uses and their orchards and all the stuff that they're going to be doing is not to be done on a commercial basis, but that's what the definition of the code states,” Russell said. “Something we've asked them to do is get all those uses that you want to have on these lots and define them.”
Diving deeper
A master plan amendment is required to the site because of a plan to remove a planned east-west connector street that would run through Eden Ranch. Instead, the developer will be required to help widen 1,600 linear feet of Shiloh Road starting at the Cross Timbers Road intersection to accommodate a projected increase to traffic, Russell said.
According to town documents, several other exceptions are also requested, including:
- Allowing a masonry wall along the main entrance off Cross Timbers Road, which is typically not allowed within the Cross Timbers Conservation District
- Modifying accessory dwelling unit standards to allow them on lots as small as 0.75 acres, which is under the typical 2-acre lot threshold
- Changing the buffer requirements along Shiloh Road and Red Rock Lane
- Allowing stables, which are typically restricted to lots of 2 acres or larger, on lots of at least 1 acre and permitting structures for keeping animals within 50 feet of property lines
- Permitting accessory dwelling units on lots as small as 0.75 acres
- Allowing higher lot coverage and reduced side and rear setbacks for the 0.5-acre lots
- Delaying the benching, or grading, of lots smaller than 1 acre until site plan approvals for homes
Also of note
Eden Ranch’s proposed park development includes 7 miles of internal trails along with proposed connections to existing equestrian trails in the area. There is also a proposed park in the southeast corner of the property, which was chosen because of its accessibility for the nearby Shiloh Cemetery and mobile home park residents.
“If we're going to dedicate a park, our idea was to make sure that it fronts the side that people in Flower Mound can really use,” Redmond said.
However, the town’s parks board was not in favor of a proposed linear parkland dedication within the 200-foot buffer along Cross Timbers Road. The board also asked Radbourne to consider acquiring additional property for a park west of Eden Ranch along Red Rock Lane.
The recommendation for a clustered development’s open space allocation is typically 50%, Russell said. Per town documents, the open space dedication for Eden Ranch is currently 44.6%.
What they’re saying
Resident Fred Vincent spoke in favor of the project, highlighting its uniqueness.
“It’s a terrific idea,” Vincent said. “It takes a little pain, a little effort to do something different. It’s time for us to do something good, healthy and different for our community and be an example for others.”
Another resident, Marsha Gavitt, expressed concerns about the lack of specifics and density for the project.
“This is too intense for the Cross Timbers [Conservation Development District] and does not preserve its character,” Gavitt said. “The council recently restored protections to this area as urged by residents. This is a major deviation.”
Looking ahead
The proposed parkland dedication will still require a recommendation from the parks board and action from the environmental conservation commission on the open space plan and potential tree removal permits, per town documents. The planning and zoning commission will also hold a public hearing on the master plan amendment and rezoning for Eden Ranch at a future meeting.
Because of the zoning requests, Flower Mound Town Council will likely have to act on the zoning request at a future meeting as well, according to town documents.
“I encourage you to take all the feedback and nail down the details,” Commissioner Clare Harris said. “Remember that this is the Cross Timbers Conservation Development District. The scenic vistas, no use of masonry and the open are very important.”
