Thursday, March 28, 2024

Third strike against Serenity

The concept plan for the proposed Serenity cluster development, provided by the town of Flower Mound. It is located along the west side of High Road, near the shore of Lake Grapevine.

Local developer Reginald Rembert appeared before Flower Mound’s Planning & Zoning Commission on Monday to request a waiver of the required one-year waiting period before a new zoning application can be accepted for his “Serenity” housing development.

His original rezoning request from Agricultural (A) to Planned Development (PD) for the 29-acre Serenity cluster development, located south of Cross Timbers on the west side of High Road, was unanimously denied by both the Planning & Zoning Commission [Nov. 13] and Town Council [Nov. 20] in 2017.

His waiver request was submitted on Nov. 22, based on his assertion that there’d been sufficient changes to warrant the acceptance of a new application. He said the change is that the development will comply with the two-acre residential lots to comply with the (A) zoning requirements for a total of up to 13 lots without open space, instead of the 16 cluster lots plus 54-percent of open space. He added that it’s not a rezoning request.

The unspoken question, then, becomes: why request a waiver if there are no plans to request a new zoning or comprehensive Master Plan amendment before Nov. 20, 2018?

If Rembert means to develop the Serenity acreage in compliance to the existing (A) and CTCDD (Cross Timbers Conservation Development District) requirements, no waiver is required.

P&Z Chair Perfecto Solis said that the unanimous denial of the project by both officials and neighboring town residents, plus CTCDD and topography issues presented a problem.

“My concern is that if a waiver is granted, we at least have to see some concept plan,” he said.

Commissioner Heth Kendrick asked Rembert if Serenity will remain a gated community.

“Probably,” Rembert replied.

During the Citizen’s Comments portion of the meeting, Carol Kane expressed her shared concern with other speakers, when she said: “Putting lipstick on a pig still means it’s a pig.”

The vote to deny the waiver request was unanimous.

As per the Town’s Code of Ordinances, the applicant may appeal a denial by the Planning and Zoning Commission to the Town Council by filing a request in writing with the Town Office of Community Development within ten days of the denial by the Planning and Zoning Commission.

CTG Staff
CTG Staff
The Cross Timbers Gazette News Department

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