Commission recommends denial of request to expand assisted living at 553 Big Bend Drive after neighbors cite parking, trash and safety concerns

The Keller Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday unanimously recommended denial of a special‑use permit that would have allowed Hillside Assisted Living at 553 Big Bend Drive to increase from six to eight residents.

Commissioners heard extended public comment from neighbors who said the facility — operating in a single‑family neighborhood since 2018 — already produces traffic, parked cars, overflowing trash and frequent emergency responses. After questioning staff and the applicant, the commission voted to deny the SUP; the recommendation will go to City Council on Aug. 5.

City planner Calvin Edelman told the commission that the home is an existing assisted‑living facility permitted to house up to six residents “by right” in the city’s single‑family zoning districts; an SUP is required to exceed six and may permit up to eight residents. Staff said the 3,733‑square‑foot building sits on about 0.3 acres, contains six bedrooms and four bathrooms, and that the applicant reported nine total employees with generally three staff on duty at a time. Staff mailed 31 notice letters and received three written letters of opposition.

More than half a dozen neighbors addressed the commission during the public hearing. Matthew Anderson, who lives three houses away, said: “This is not normal or a healthy environment for children,” citing repeated medical emergencies and ambulances that he said his children had seen. Mark and Dawn Demas, whose home borders the property, said drivers and visitors routinely block driveways and that they have found trash and “soiled adult diapers” blown from the facility’s containers into adjacent yards. Michael Garland, another neighbor, said trash overflows twice a week and that maintenance, including fences, had been neglected at times under the current ownership.

The applicant, who purchased the business May 30, told commissioners the facility is licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and undergoes state inspections; the license is renewed every three years and state inspectors may visit at any time, the owner said. The applicant also said recent work had been done to address plumbing, foundation and flooring issues and that staff would seek to add storage and increase trash pickup frequency to address neighbors’ concerns.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on specific operational issues: how the facility manages trash, whether staff parking can be contained on site, and how the city enforces fire and health licensing. Staff said assisted‑living operations must meet fire department requirements (including any suppression changes tied to per‑bed increases) and obtain a Certificate of Occupancy after passing inspections; state regulation of health services and staffing is handled by Texas Health and Human Services.

After discussion, Commissioner Brenziger moved to deny the SUP application; Vice Chair Baker seconded. The motion to deny passed unanimously. The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to City Council for the Aug. 5 meeting, where the applicant may again present information and neighbors may submit additional written comments.