Steve Williams (at podium) speaks on July 25 about the proposed rezoning of 204 acres of land in the northern part of Katy. Williams was one of nearly 100 residents who expressed concerns about the Ardenwood Park development.[/caption]Facing nearly 100 residents opposed to a proposed rezoning of land in the northern part of the city, the Katy City Council on July 25 decided to continue a public hearing on the Ardenwood Park planned development district for a second time.
The council decided to continue the public hearing to an undetermined date after residents of Hunters Terrace neighborhood and surrounding streets mounted a coordinated campaign, which included a petition signed by more than 200 people, to either drastically alter the proposed plan or block it altogether.
After more than a dozen speakers expressed concerns over traffic congestion, potential crime and flooding, the council unanimously agreed to put the issue on hold.
“A lot of people here have great points,” said Council Member Chuck Brawner. “Let’s continue this; let them go back with representatives from the community to meet [with the developer] and see if it is going to work.”
Brawner, who was one of several city council members to encourage angry residents to meet with developer and come to some sort of agreement, said the civic involvement on the issue was positive.
“You have a voice here with [the city council],” Brawner said. “I understand everything [you all] are saying, especially the flooding part.”
The public hearing Monday night was a continuation of a public hearing from June 27 on the rezoning of 204-acres of property owned by the Ardenwood Group, developer of Heritage Park West. The new site is south of Clay Road, north of Morton Road and west of Katy Hockley Cut Off Road. [totalpoll id="165201"]
The proposed rezoning would allow for the land to be re-zoned from a R-1 designation—one home to an acre—to a planned development district—a change that would open the door for a new residential and commercial development to be built. Called Ardenwood Park, the plan includes 374 homes and a 47-acre strip center with mixed retail.
More than 209 people had signed a petition opposing the development. In addition to traffic and flooding worries, the small lot size and commercial portion of the development were two additional areas of concern, resident Jon Zera said .
“The proposed [planned development district] before you is Houston,” Zera said. “It represents the things people moved to Katy to avoid. The proposed PDD violates each of the zoning tenets the city has in place.”
Fran Dahl, a local real estate agent, spoke against the project, telling the council that there are too many unknown elements, such as how many homes would actually be constructed and the smallest size home allowed. She told the council that Heritage Park West remained incomplete nearly 30 years after it was built.
“We don’t want this development to stall out and remain unfinished,” Dahl said.
Resident Jeff Coffman said he was in favor of the development because Katy was in need of a more diverse population, and lower cost homes would attract those types of families.
“People should be able to live in Katy who are across the socioeconomic spectrum,” Coffman said. “Where does my right to determine what a developer can develop start and end?”
Berzin Bhandara, a representative of the Ardenwood Group, addressed some of the concerns of the crowd and said he was willing to meet with citizens to try to find common ground.
“I’ve heard a lot of impassioned discussion. I don’t necessarily agree with all of it,” Bhandara said. “All of these concerns, granted, are legitimate concerns. We feel our plan is sound. We think it will enhance the overall community.”
