Missouri City City Council unanimously approved to rezone a 37.96-acre tract at the intersection of Staffordshire Road and Court Road from a designated local retail restricted district to a planned development district during its April 6 meeting.

The rezoning approval allows property owner Ray Lotfi to move forward with the development of a single-family residential development, which will be located north of Glover Elementary School and the Meadowcreek residential subdivision.

Lotfi's initial conceptual design, presented during the March 16 council meeting, proposed a 1,500 square-foot lot for each house. The design depicted approximately 185 rooftops with a park and playground, open space and two subdivision entries. The development would also allow for the extension of Independence Boulevard to connect with Court Road.

Lotfi's initial design was met with opposition from Mayor Allen Owen, council members and Missouri City residents in an effort to maintain a housing standard in the area. 

"Why are we not trying to put homes over there that give people an opportunity to move up, not stay the same or smaller," Owen said during the March 16 meeting. "I am not going to vote on anything that is less than 1,650 square feet because the single-level home in [the] Meadowcreek [subdivision] is 1,650 square feet."

Despite Owen's objections, council approved to amend the minimum requirement of 1,500 square-foot lots in a 4-3 vote during the March 16 meeting. The design requirements were lowered to a minimum of 1,442 square-foot lots for each home at the April 6 meeting. The change in design requirements also stipulated that each home have masonry standards reflective of homes in the Bradford Village residential subdivision.

"My concerns for having larger homes were not all met with the approved plan, but again, if the neighbors are OK with it, that is what is important," Owen said. "[The neighbors'] concerns originally were the same as mine, and I was voicing those concerns and they now seem satisfied."

Although a contract with a home developer has not been signed, Lotfi said he is meeting with DR Horton to detail a contract that fits within the guidelines council approved.