Raburn Reserve, a proposed residential community by Hines, is slated to bring up to 400 homes to the city of Tomball along the Hufsmith-Kohrville Road corridor, city officials said.

Tomball City Council members cast their first vote on the rezoning of 103.7 acres for the proposed development June 17, approving an ordinance changing the land use from agricultural, single-family 20 and commercial districts to a planned development district. The land is currently undeveloped, Community Development Director Craig Meyers said.

A planned development district allows residential developments to have varying lot sizes and meet certain standards for open space, parks and building facades, for example, City Planner Amelia Lindley said in an email.

"The comprehensive plan does encourage unique developments with a mixture of housing projects, uses and amenities such as this," Meyers said during the June 17 meeting.

According to a proposed concept plan, Raburn Reserve will feature no more than 400 single-family lots with a minimum of 5% open space, Meyers said during the meeting.

Primary building exteriors within the planned development district will be stone, stucco, brick or glass, Meyers said. Landscape buffers and trees will also be provided along the public roadways and front yards. A minimum of one tree will be planted in each front yard, he said.

"There are additional landscape requirements [to single-family zoning districts] that are stipulated in the [planned development] for minimum open space," said Stan Winter, a vice president with Jones | Carter engineering firm representing Hines, the developer of the proposed project. "There's a requirement that we provide a centrally located community amenity that features a swimming pool, restrooms, shade structure, [and] picnic [area]."

The proposed recreational area spans 1.5 acres in the heart of the new development, Meyers said.

Space is also proposed for general retail use, he said.

"General retail uses are proposed at the intersection of Agg Road and Persimmon [Street]," Meyers said. "There's also flex space proposed along the future Medical Complex Drive, which could include general retail uses, single-family homes, parks or temporary sales offices."

Residents will be able to access the community via Hufsmith-Kohrville Road, South Persimmon Street and the future Medical Complex Drive extension.

The city is working to extend Medical Complex Drive from the intersection of Agg Road and South Persimmon Street to Hufsmith-Kohrville Road, a $20 million project, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported. In addition to the city's Medical Complex Drive extension, long-range plans propose Harris County crews continuing the road east to FM 2920.

A Harris County Precinct 4 project to widen Hufsmith-Kohrville Road between Holderrieth and Mahaffey roads from two to four lanes in Tomball is in the study phase, according to Precinct 4 information. The widening of Hufsmith-Kohrville Road from Mahaffey Road to FM 2920 was completed earlier this year.

"During the permitting phase, we will require a traffic study to ensure that any outside improvements necessary along the roads will be addressed at that time," Meyers said.