Forney planning commission denies rezoning request for 44-unit Park Creek townhome project

The Forney Planning and Zoning Commission on an undisclosed vote denied a rezoning request to amend Plan Development District Ordinance 10 72 to allow up to 44 single-family attached townhomes on about 9.308 acres east of Coffin Street and Park Creek Avenue.

The request, presented by Dan Hatten of Ashlar Development, proposed townhomes with a maximum height of 40 feet (three stories), minimum front yard of 20 feet, side-yard minimum of 15 feet where lots abut a side street, rear-yard minimums of 15 feet adjacent to Park Creek Estates and 10 feet elsewhere, a minimum lot area of 2,000 square feet (with most lots proposed at 2,500 square feet), minimum lot depth of 80 feet (typically 100 feet), minimum lot width of 25 feet, a minimum dwelling size of 1,200 square feet and a maximum lot coverage of 70 percent. The plan included two enclosed parking spaces per unit (front-entry garages) and an estimated 25–30 additional guest parking spaces around the perimeter of the development.

Why it matters: Neighbors said the development would increase traffic and safety risks on already narrow, aging streets in one of the city’s older neighborhoods, and questioned whether local infrastructure and drainage can handle higher density housing. Commissioners…