One of the district’s properties is located near Vickery Elementary School between Wager Road and Blue Sky Lane. The other is near Shadow Ridge Middle School between Spinks Road and Long Prairie Road.
The district purchased the properties several years ago with the intention of building additional schools. But according to a statement from the LISD school board, the district no longer plans to use the sites.
Lewisville ISD Superintendent Dr. Kevin Rogers said the district believes selling the plots of land to housing developers will allow for the potential of more students.
“We're trying to be good stewards of taxpayer money, to sell off some assets to then use those funds for other things, which ultimately saves our taxpayers money,” Rogers said.
Rembert Enterprises, the applicant, requested that the property on Wager Road be rezoned from a designated estate residential zoning to medium density residential uses, according to town documents.
The 22.75 acres would be used to build 54 detached single-family homes in the $700,000 price range, according to the corporation’s letter of intent. The previous zoning called for homes to be developed on a minimum of one acre, while the proposed zoning change will allow more single-family homes placed closer together.
Town Council heard public comment from Lewisville ISD board of trustee members, Flower Mound residents and housing developers.
Developer Reginald Rembert suggested during the meeting that he could add an additional two-acre land barrier along Wager Road as well as remove up to six lots in the development.
Mayor Derek France invited Rembert along with Wager Road resident Cindy Waters and LISD President Tracy Scott Miller to commit to working together on finding a solution for all parties. They agreed.
Rogers said the district has already been considering other appropriate uses should the rezoning request be denied.
The district currently has three bus yards, one in The Colony and two in Lewisville. Rogers said converting the land on Wager Road into another bus yard would allow for a more centralized location and save the district nearly half a million dollars in operating costs per year.
“So we will seriously consider that and actually have begun planning for that,” Rogers said.
Rogers said if this proposal does not get approved, the district could consider other bidders one last time for the Wager Road plot.
The Lewisville ISD board will hold a special meeting Oct. 5 to talk with an architect for the bus yard project, Rogers said.
Toll Brothers, the applicant for a separate project on Spinks Road, proposed changing the current estate residential and Lakeside Business District uses to low-density residential uses. The land, which is also owned by LISD, spans just over 76 acres. The proposal called for 132 buildable home lots with a minimum of 15,000 square feet per lot, according to town documents.
The Town Council decided to table a final vote, leaving the fate of that project up in the air.
Further dates have not been set to revisit either rezoning request.
