The Planning and Zoning Commission on Aug. 12 voted unanimously to recommend a planned-development (PD) zoning change for about 33.68 acres southeast of the Park Avenue and North Main Street intersection for a project the developer calls the Preserve at Keller Oaks.

The proposal would rezone the property from a mix of commercial and planned development SF-36 to planned development SF-12 and commercial. The PD application includes 65 single-family residential lots, one commercial lot and approximately 6.7 acres of open space (about 20.5 percent of the development’s residential acreage). The developer and builder presented elevations showing primarily masonry-front homes and said they planned to target higher-end product in the roughly $1.2–$1.4 million average-sales-price range.

Applicant representatives said they reduced lot counts and reshaped open space after community outreach and a prior proposal that received stronger opposition. Curtis Shown of the Sage Group and Chip Boyd, vice president of land for Highland Homes, described several requested deviations from the base SF-12 standards: reduced minimum lot widths (typical and cul-de-sac lots), modestly increased lot coverage allowances (45 percent for main building, 55 percent overall), reduced front and side setbacks, and specific garage standards (j-swing garages on a minimum of 75 percent of lots; limited exposed garage-door frontage for other lots). The applicant proposes 100 percent masonry on front elevations and a minimum of 80 percent masonry on other elevations.

The PD includes multiple, coordinated open-space areas and a proposed trail system that would link into the city’s wider trail corridor along a utility easement. The plan shows a single commercial lot along US-377/North Main Street that staff and the applicant said, because of required setbacks, will not be developable as a conventional commercial building and likely will remain open space; the owner intends to retain a commercial strip along the frontage. The applicant also provided a preliminary drainage and utility concept and said a formal traffic-impact analysis will be submitted as required.

Neighbors who live in the adjacent Harmanson Farms subdivision told the commission they had several meetings with the applicant and that the developer made commitments to increase the rear setback and restrict certain lots to single-story homes to reduce the perceived impact. Amber Coley, a nearby resident, said she supported the revised plan and asked that a proposed connection to Homestead Drive be considered for emergency access only; several neighbors raised concerns about potential cut-through traffic and drainage.

City staff said the PD package will require refined engineering, a traffic impact analysis and coordination with TxDOT for the US-377 entrance. If council approves the recommendation, detailed civil, drainage and construction plans will be required before platting and building permits are issued.

Commissioners praised the applicant’s outreach and the design revisions compared with an earlier proposal. The commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Keller City Council for final consideration on Sept. 2.