The Flower Mound Town Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve a new 223-home subdivision on FM 1171.
The 447-acre Smith Tract, located between Shiloh Road and Scenic Drive on the south side of FM 1171, is planned to have 223 lots; about 28% of them will be greater than one acre, and all will be no smaller than 0.75 of an acre. Toll Brothers is under contract to purchase the land from the Smith family, and it says it followed the town’s Master Plan for the property while building its concept plan, which calls for open space, ponds, parks and trails, along with the removal of over 100 trees. It is a 10-year project, a Toll Brothers representative said during the council meeting.
During the public hearing, a small number of residents addressed Town Council about their concerns over traffic, safety, drainage and the removal of trees. After that, there was a long discussion among council members with the applicant related to tree removal, as they wanted to save as many of the biggest trees as they could.
“It’s tragic to see these ranches to convert into neighborhoods, we love the open spaces more than anything in this town,” Council member Adam Schiestel said. “There was a member of the public who said that you have a buyer who wants to buy and a seller who wants to sell, but you’re also looking for the perfect solution that works for everyone. There is no perfect solution because everyone has different opinions … it’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s a good project, they did exactly what we asked for.”
Schiestel said the development matches the standards and opinions of many residents who want developments to fit in well with the area and have one home per two acres. He also pointed out that about 520 of 650 trees will be saved.
About 2.5 hours after the agenda item presentation began, all Town Council members voted to approve, with exceptions to preserve some trees, the requested zoning change and tree removal permit.
