1. Conroe builds on residential density laws

Conroe City Council unanimously reduced the minimum residential lot size from 50 to 40 feet in width in November, reducing the minimum total area from 5,000 to 4,400 square feet. June 27, Council discussed reducing minimum residential street widths from 29 feet wide to a few options including 22-, 24- or 27-foot street widths.

Narrower streets have already been allowed by variance permits in neighborhoods such as Chapel Run, The Woodlands Hills and Grand Central Park, which have hundreds of homes planned, city officials said.
Conroe is currently working on a residential incentive program, intended to incentivize developers to build townhomes, brownstones and condos. A committee to set details is being formed, council members said.

2. City limits expand through developer-requested annexations; subdivisions to add hundreds of homes

Many developer-requested annexations are changing Conroe’s boundaries to build subdivisions with hundreds of homes. The number of structures listed could include homes, sheds, accessory dwelling units or barns, city officials said.

3. Active adult communities spice up life after 55

Several active adult neighborhoods are coming online.

Breaking ground in Willis in late 2018, Chambers Creek Ranch by Caldwell Communities is slated to be the largest active adult community in the Greater Houston area, adding about 3,000 homes ranging from $200,000-$1 million and expecting to open in 2020.

“We particularly like the Conroe-Willis area as it affords parents convenient access to children and grandchildren living on the north side of Houston,” said Jennifer Symon, Caldwell’s vice president of marketing.

Villas at White Oak Ranch, an active adult community developed by Woodfalls Development Co., opened along Longmire Way in Conroe in May 2018.

“We are at one of the lowest [property tax rates] in the state, so the cost of living is less—a lot of seniors are on fixed income,” said Adrian Jacob, president and CEO of Villas at White Oak Ranch. “The Conroe area [has] a lot of trails, woods, the lake [playing] into the retirement, 55-plus active living [trend].”

Bonterra at Woodforest opened July 2014 along Elk Trace Parkway in Montgomery, featuring 700 lots.

“I do feel like I’m seeing more of these,” said Mike Goins, real estate agent with Lake Homes Realty. “I can see a little bit of an uptick there, I don’t know how well it’s going to do—I think it’s a little early to tell.”