When the Flower Mound Planning & Zoning Commission convenes on November 12, members will consider and vote on a rezoning proposal for the Lakeside DFW mixed-use development that will sound quite familiar to many.
Flower Mound residents have been helping to shape the proposal since September 2011.
“We have worked hard to learn about the desires and concerns of Flower Mound residents and incorporate them into the project,” said Jimmy Archie of Realty Capital, master developer of Lakeside DFW, a 150-acre, $1 billion proposed development that will include homes, apartments, retail and office space, and a hotel in south Flower Mound overlooking Lake Grapevine.
Officials from Realty Capital began by inviting members of homeowners’ associations for site visits, conducting surveys, and making a presentation at Town Hall.
In addition to homeowners’ groups, the developers sought out stakeholders like the Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association to ensure that the project facilitated their use of the Northshore Trail.
According to Realty Capital, many residents in the nearby neighborhoods to the north were happy to hear that Lakeside DFW would provide parking for the trail riders; that will keep them from parking on their residential streets.
In December and January, the Lakeside DFW News & Opinion blog site was created to keep citizens updated on issues related to Lakeside DFW, offer a forum where all residents’ opinions would be counted, and discuss the benefits of a mixed-use community.
In February, residents were invited to critique the first draft of the concept plan. The concept plan was posted on the blog on Feb. 24.
“Even the issue of the development’s architectural style was determined through a survey of Flower Mound residents on the blog,” said Archie. They voted overwhelmingly for Mediterranean.
The concept plan has been fleshed out in detail to help give residents a “feel” of the various neighborhoods within the project.
Beginning in June, members of the town staff, the Lakeside DFW “Go Team,” and various committees and boards began hammering on the proposal.
“The Lakeside DFW area is currently zoned for numerous, tall office buildings,” said Mayor Tom Hayden this past spring. “For decades we have been trying to recruit a major corporate campus to that area, with limited success. We have to be open minded as to what is viable and what would allow our residents as well as visitors from outside of Flower Mound to enjoy Lake Grapevine.”
Archie said that the fine-tuning on their project probably won’t stop until the Planning & Zoning hearing on November 12.
“On something as important as this, you strive for the very best,” Archie insisted.
“And in the end, Lakeside won’t be like anything else,” emphasized Archie. “It will be distinctively Flower Mound because the residents’ stamp is all over it.”
Upcoming Meetings:
Nov. 12 – Planning and Zoning Vote
Nov. 19 – Town Council Vote
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