The Flower Mound Town Council voted Monday to amend the zoning on more than 1,000 acres of ranchland, paving the way for the development of a massive mixed-use community.
The proposed development project would include up to 3,000 single-family homes, 5,000 multi-family units, and about 1,000 residences for seniors, in addition to retail shops, restaurants, and office spaces.
“In my opinion, that multi-family housing is just the right number to make that development viable and also bring people, taxes, employees into the western edge of Flower Mound, said Nicole Smith Woodard, a supporter of the project and a Chamber of Commerce board member.
The mixed-used community would sit on Flower Mound Ranch, a 1,066-acre property at the intersection of Cross Timbers Road and U.S. Highway 377 in Southwest Denton County.
The town’s planning commission had already given the proposed project their go-ahead, but Monday’s vote to approve the zoning changes was needed before the project could move forward.
Monday’s “yes” vote is positive news for the site’s property owner, Jack Furst, who urged the Flower Mound Planning & Zoning Commission that the proposal was a good opportunity.
“It’s a legacy for Flower Mound, and it’s a legacy for my family,” he explained.
Some critics have argued that the high-density project would create infrastructure and traffic problems for the area. However, Tim Whisenant, a Flower Mound resident who expressed reservations about the project’s approval, suggested that ultimately the development was inevitable.
“You’re taking a city and putting it inside a city,” Whisenant said. “There’ll be 20,000 people inside this development when it’s completely built out.” With such a massive planned undertaking, residents want the project to be a “smart development.”
The Flower Mound Ranch is one of the town’s largest remaining development sites, according to officials. Once the project is complete, the site will be renamed Furst Ranch.
“You can either embrace change and growth and help be a quality part of that, or you’re going to be roadkill,” said Scott Tarwater, who was in favor of Monday’s zoning-change vote.
No timeframe has been set for the development of Flower Mound Ranch, but construction is expected to take 30-40 years, according to land planner Randi Rivera.
Monday’s motion passed 3-2, with opposition from town Mayor Pro Tem Sandeep Sharma and Councilmember Adam Schiestel, who cited issues with housing density.