A proposed 17.6 acre, 357 unit senior living facility development in Southlake was tabled so the plan could be adjusted after citizens and city officials expressed concerns at the density of the property.
The developer Touchmark requested the item be tabled at the Southlake City Council’s Nov. 3 meeting. The new plan is set to be presented at the council’s Dec. 1 meeting and could be adjusted to be closer to the city standard of 12 units per acre. The proposed development currently plans for around 20 units per acre.
The details
The plan was previously approved by the planning and zoning commission and would feature senior independent living, assisted living and memory care. The minimum age for a resident would be 62, according to city documents.
The land is currently owned by Carroll ISD and is one of several properties being sold by the district.
The main concerns addressed by council included the unit density, traffic created and the possibility of the units being turned into apartments in the future.
What they’re saying
Mayor Shawn McCaskill said his main reason for opposing the development was remaining consistent the city's standards against high density and he would rather see single family residential developments on the property near North Carroll Avenue.
Council previously denied a request for three houses on eight acres due to concerns about density, traffic and drainage.
“So if three houses on eight acres causes a problem, 357 units on 18 acres is a much bigger problem,” McCaskill said. “In addition to the density issues, the age restriction thing is a mess, there’s no way to perfectly craft that.”
Councilmember Gary Fawks said he liked the idea of senior housing and would support the development if density were closer to 12 units an acre.
Also of note
Cameron Bryan, Carroll ISD board president, addressed the council about the property sale being a responsible way to manage surplus property that benefits CISD students, teachers, staff and taxpayers. The CISD posted a statement after the item was tabled.
“Our board of trustees respects the council’s responsibility to make decisions its members believe are best for the city and will continue advocating for what is best for our District. We do not believe those goals are incompatible,” the district Facebook posted.
What’s next
Members of the council talked about the best way to advertise the land so it doesn’t remain undeveloped if the deal with Touchmark falls through. McCaskill said hopefully potential future proposals could be expedited to council or have waived application fees for CISD.
“So the question is what happens next?” McCaskill said. “There was the fake rumor about a mosque coming to this property, that’s just not happening.”
If the updated plan isn’t ready in time for the December meeting, McCaskill said the developers can request to push the next presentation to January.
“Touchmark has a great reputation, they build good projects, this one is just too dense,” McCaskill said. “Now could they get it down to the 12 units per acre threshold for high density in Southlake? That’s for them to decide but they’re nowhere close to it right now.”
