Leander approves zoning change to allow possible subdivision amid community outcry

Leander City Council reached the needed supermajority at its April 17 meeting to approve a zoning change on Private Road 920.

The property in question, 551 Private Road 920, is about 10 acres in size, according to agenda documents. A letter of intent showed the rezoning request was to eventually allow for the Oasis Subdivision project.

What you need to know

According to the letter, the applicant applied for the property to be rezoned from Single Family Rural to Single Family Suburban. The property currently has one house on it.

The application for rezoning was submitted in anticipation of subdividing the property into 30 lots, according to the letter.

Community members submitted a petition on the issue, necessitating a supermajority instead of a simple majority of council votes for the item to pass.

Around 15 community members, many from the Marbella neighborhood, who said they lived in the area around the property spoke against the rezoning application.

“We have gathered over 150 signatures from homeowners asking this council to reject this zoning request,” community member Daniel Reed said.

He went on to say City Council voting against the will of the community members who showed up that night would send a message: “The voices of homeowners in Leander do not matter. A message that proximity, investment, daily lived experience means nothing when weighed against developer requests for more density, more profit and less accountability.”

Sam Sheikh, who is a representative for the owner of the property, spoke at the meeting as well, responding to things that had been said about the request.

“It is an absolute insult to an American citizen, a citizen of Leander, who was there first before Marbella ever existed,” Sheikh said about the large community showing against the request.

He went on to say the owner of the 10-acre property was on his land before the Marbella subdivision was built.

“[The owner]’s view was taken away from him,” Sheikh said.

The representative also said water from the Marbella subdivision runs onto the property in question and affects topography.

How we got here

Responding to community members, council member Chris Czernek said the rezoning application for the property was “easily the highest and best use.”

Mayor Christine DeLisle weighed in on the situation as well.

“This is difficult for us, because we hear you,” she said to the crowd. “At the same time, we have a legal obligation from the state to go ahead with the highest and best use of this property.”