Corinth council approves Saddle Brook plan development with brick-accent and buffer conditions

The City of Corinth City Council approved a rezoning and plan development for Saddle Brook, a proposed 97‑lot subdivision at 1960 Post Oak Drive, adopting conditions that 30 percent of homes must include brick accents and that a 15‑foot green buffer be extended, council members said.

The approval implements a planned development with a base SF‑4 single‑family zoning on about 17 acres and directs staff to prepare an ordinance for adoption at a future meeting. Planning and Zoning Director Melissa Daley recommended approval, saying the proposal is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan and would include public infrastructure improvements that the applicant will construct.

Why it matters: Saddle Brook would add a mix of 30‑ and 45‑foot lots, roughly 25 percent open space and a tree‑preservation target above typical submittals; the developer also committed to building a segment of Creekside Drive identified in the city’s Master Thoroughfare Plan, a public cost the developer said it would fund under the project’s current layout.

Details and developer commitments

Planning and Zoning Director Melissa Daley told the council the development would provide 97 lots clustered as 30‑foot and 45‑foot widths, with about 4.1 acres of open space and a proposed 26.8 percent tree‑preservation target. Daley said staff and the developer sought to add sidewalks, trails, street trees and other pedestrian connections to meet the city’s “complete, connected and safe” guiding principles.

Shaivali Desai, director of entitlement for Bridal Tower Homes, said the plan includes interconnected trails, a natural playscape in a preserved tree grove, a wet retention pond with a fountain on Post Oak Drive and alley‑loaded homes with front porches facing Creekside Drive. "We are providing approximately 4.1 acre of usable open green space with trail system throughout the site," Desai said.

The developer also said all homes will include two‑car garages and that the project will provide about 66 parallel on‑street parking spaces in addition to driveway parking, yielding roughly 450 parking spaces in total. Desai and the developer’s team said the architectural treatment would emphasize a modern farmhouse style with porches of at least 70 square feet on front elevations.

Alternatives, trade‑offs and infrastructure costs

Developer representatives told the council they studied a buildout of all 45‑foot lots and reported that doing so would reduce the number of lots from 97 to 84, reduce open space from about 4.1 acres to 2.5 acres and lower tree preservation from about 26.8 percent to about 17 percent. The developer said that configuration would also reduce the project’s internal revenue and raise the likelihood the city would need to share the cost of constructing Creekside Drive; the developer estimated the full cost of Creekside Drive at roughly $1.5 million to $2 million and said the developer was prepared to fund construction under the current plan.

Public comment and council concerns

Several residents spoke during the public hearing. Resident Carl Malkowitz expressed opposition focused on density and stormwater, saying, "With a high density, we're very concerned" about drainage and property‑value impacts. Resident Joni Waverca, who said she owns nearby land, spoke in support of the design, stating she liked the planned farmhouse aesthetic. Property owner Paige Allman, whose family operated a horse farm on the site for decades, also voiced support: "Bridal Tower's plan for building homes with the farmhouse aesthetic keeps with that country feel," she said.

Council discussion included questions about drainage, tree preservation, view corridors and water pressure. Staff said a third‑party evaluation found adequate water volume and that curb pressures are about 60 PSI; staff also noted that replacing or adding an elevated tank would not materially raise pressure beyond a few PSI.

Vote and next steps

A councilmember moved and another seconded approval of case ZAPD24‑0010, Saddle Brook plan development, with the stated conditions that 30 percent of homes include brick accents and that the 15‑foot buffer be extended to connect green space to the detention‑pond trail. The council passed the motion and directed staff to prepare an ordinance for a future meeting; the motion required and received a supermajority for approval.

The developer and staff will return with ordinance language and final civil plans as required by the city’s review process.

Ending

The council's action sets the zoning and design conditions for the Saddle Brook subdivision; the detailed civil and construction plans, as well as the city’s ordinance adoption, will determine the project’s final form and timing.