Council conditionally approves Hillsdale Phase 2 preliminary plat amid neighborhood objections over Lot 18 access

The Gun Barrel City Council conditionally approved the preliminary plat for Hillsdale Phase 2 — a 5.857‑acre tract proposed to yield 23 single‑family lots and three open‑space lots — with the requirement that listed code items be met or variances be granted during the subsequent site‑plan and final‑plat reviews.

Why it matters: The plat will allow the developer to proceed to engineering and site‑plan stages; neighbors raised legal and access concerns that could affect emergency access, drainage and the developer’s planned secondary entrance. The council’s conditional approval preserves the city’s authority to require code compliance while allowing the development process to continue.

Project description and staff recommendation

City Planner Brittany Lewis told council the tract at 606 East Main Street was annexed into city limits (it defaulted to Agriculture zoning on annexation) and the developer requested rezoning to R‑5 for higher‑density single‑family detached homes. For the preliminary plat, staff reported the submission showed a conceptual layout with a central park, two retention ponds for stormwater, a single internal driveway and a proposed private‑street configuration. Staff recommended…