The City Council on Tuesday approved Ordinance No. 4686 to rezone roughly 40 acres at the southeast corner of East Ranch Gate Road and 120th Street from R1-130-ESL to R1-135-ESL for a proposed 32-lot subdivision called Ranch Gate 40.

City planner Jesus Murillo summarized staff’s recommendation and noted the applicant had stipulated to cap density at 0.8 dwelling units per acre, resulting in a 32-lot development rather than the 41 lots the zoning could allow. The applicant also proposed 18.32 acres of natural-area open space (NAOS), about 70% of which would be held in tracts.

Keith Nichter of Kimley-Horn, representing the applicant Emerson Holdings, said the site was planned and served by stubbed infrastructure from StoryRock and that the developer reduced lots from an initial 40 plan to 32 after neighborhood outreach. “We felt like the 32-lot plan was more appropriate,” Nichter said, citing clustering, tracked open space maintained by an HOA, and a revised alignment to preserve natural areas.

Neighbors raised concerns about the design and potential impacts. Mylene Pankiewicz, speaking for residents at Casa De Amigos, said the proposed three-story buildings would be only about 21 feet from existing two-story units, threatening solar access, privacy and mature trees. Preserve-area resident Carla (last name on file) asked for clearer signage and a firm date for gates on the preserve’s emergency-access road to prevent future confusion about public access. John Ball, a StoryRock resident, asked that visible lots be reallocated away from roadway frontages to preserve scenic character near the Tom’s Thumb trailhead.

Council members asked staff and the applicant to clarify access, lighting and construction access. Staff and the applicant said the intersection light earlier discussed would be a low-level, dark-sky street light rather than a traffic signal and that construction access would be routed to 120th Street (emergency access) rather than through the preserve. A stipulation to prohibit construction vehicles using the preserve was added.

Councilwoman Solange Whitehead moved to adopt Ordinance No. 4686; the motion passed. The rezoning is subject to the stipulations presented, including the density cap at 0.8 du/acre, tracked NAOS, emergency-access conditions and final development review board approvals for design and lighting.

The council and applicant said they will continue discussions during the development-review steps to address remaining neighbor concerns about lighting, lot placement and construction staging.