After hearing pushback from residents in multiple public hearings, Fulshear City Council denied changing the zoning for the proposed Bois D’Arc townhomes at an April 16 meeting.

The gist

With plans to develop luxury townhomes along Bois D’Arc Road and Fulshear Run Trace, land owner, Nuevalue LLC, submitted a request to the city to rezone the 3.21-acre area from a general commercial district to a downtown district.

According to agenda documents, rezoning the area to a downtown district would:

• Reduce setbacks for urban development
• Allow more building types, including single- and multifamily developments
• Increase architectural detail control
• Encourage more density

The original proposal was brought to the planning and zoning commission in January with a request to incorporate the proposed community into the Fulshear Run Public Utility District, though the commission unanimously denied the request. City staff then recommended the developer consider a downtown district zoning, saying it would be the best change to approve the townhome development, according to the agenda packet.

However, city staff then recommended City Council deny the zoning change because the proposed development lacked the amount of mixed-use spaces required as part of the district. City staff cited lack of walkability, commercial elements and park space as the reason for recommending the April 16 denial, according to agenda documents.

The details

The Bois D’Arc luxury townhomes were slated to accommodate young married couples, single individuals and empty nesters, according to an April 16 presentation by architectural firm Johnson Design Group. The homes were slated to be in the $750,000-$1 million range and would feature high-end finishes.

The site plan for Bois D’Arc includes:

• Three-bedroom townhomes with four layouts options
• Dedicated park land to the city of Fulshear (0.18 acres)
• A pool and cabanas

What they’re saying

Several council members, including Jason Knape and Sarah Johnson, shared their opposition to the development, saying now is not the time to change zoning—echoing concerns of residents on not needing a townhome development in the area.

“Allowing the time for the diversified tax base to come in, I think, is the right thing for us,” Knape said. “Throwing every available property to more residences is not what we need. ... If we did this to every property along the way, we wouldn’t have any of those places to eat and play and do the things we want to in our community.”

After attending multiple public hearings, Johnson said she agreed with the public that this is not what is right for Fulshear at this time.

“Echoing that this might not be the right time or the right development right now, and I don’t think the owner is going to lose money—this piece of land is going to gain in value as more and more things come to Fulshear,” she said.

What’s next

Mayor Aaron Groff said the city is considering a number of mixed-use developments and should have more information in the coming months.