Developer asks to delay Brookside Boulevard amendment after neighborhood opposition

Red Oak Development and representatives from Ground Development Group asked the Temple City Council on May 1 to delay consideration of a planned-development amendment for 7040 Brookside Boulevard after nearby property owners registered opposition.

The developer sought to amend a 2022 planned development so that the northeast corner would include smaller “warehouse-office” buildings behind retail along Airport and Leitner Lane. Tom Stoff, introduced as CEO of Ground Development Group, described the proposal as three phases that would create smaller contractor-style units and retail facing Airport Drive. Stoff said the project would spend roughly $16 million over the site’s life and that about 10 percent of that budget would be applied to improvements to Leitner Lane.

City staff said the site is about 10.7 acres, that the amendment covers the project’s northeast corner, and that the developer has agreed to improve all of Leitner Lane, not just the parcel frontage. Staff also said the plan has been through multiple development-review committee checks, including solid-waste review; James Larimore, assistant director of solid waste, participated in those reviews. Staff told council the Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6–0 to recommend the amendment despite neighborhood opposition.

Stoff and staff described design efforts to avoid typical metal-box warehouses by adding varied materials, color contrasts and landscaping; Stoff said landscape budget for the site is roughly $1 million. He said buildings would be single story, include masonry perimeter walls and a plant/landscape buffer that varies between about 5 and 13 feet. Staff noted the warehouse-office product would be smaller (roughly 2,500 sq. ft. unit footprints) intended for contractors, and that truck circulation was sized for UPS/FedEx‑type deliveries rather than large freight trailers. The development team also described a proposed private-drive projection that could enable future cross-access to Airport Drive if TxDOT standards allow curb access.

Council discussed timing and the supermajority voting threshold triggered by formal neighborhood opposition. Councilmember Webb (chair) said the developer had asked whether to postpone; Stoff said planned approval by Q4 would allow a Q4 ground-breaking if financing timelines hold. Because of current vacancies on council and the opposition expressed by adjacent landowners, Webb recommended tabling the item. Webb said the item will be delayed past the council’s June 26 meeting and likely be set for July when council expects an additional member to be seated.

No formal vote on adoption of the amendment occurred during the workshop; council direction recorded on the record was to table further consideration until a later date so the developer could adjust timing.

The council hearing included questions about buffer walls, landscape minimums, centralized loading areas and phasing. Staff indicated a masonry wall and the drainage corridor would act as buffers to the adjacent single-family development, and that the project exceeds minimum landscape requirements (providing about 9.9 percent landscaping versus a 5 percent minimum).