Flower Mound board denies request to combine two Lakeside lots after neighbors raise flooding, access concerns

The Town of Flower Mound Board of Adjustment voted 4-0 to deny a variance request (BOA25-00004) to replat two adjacent Lakeside lots into a single lot that would be smaller than the 10,000 square feet required in the SF‑10 zoning district. The applicant, represented by broker Sonia Kennedy, sought permission to combine Lots 94A and 94B so a single house could be built across the two parcels.

Plan Review Manager Tasha Coates told the board the request would require a variance from town code section 98.3.95(A), which sets a 10,000 square foot minimum lot area for SF‑10. Coates said staff records contain conflicting measurements: the town’s initial estimate put the combined lots at about 9,100 square feet, while the Denton County tax record lists them at 9,997 square feet. Either total, she said, would fall below the SF‑10 minimum and therefore require a variance.

The applicant’s representative, Sonia Kennedy, told the board the two platted lots date to the 1950s/1960s and that combining them was the only practical way to create a buildable parcel under modern septic and setback standards. Kennedy said, “We are not dividing the land. We are combining it,” and argued the combined lot would better align with the town’s master plan than leaving smaller, separate parcels.

Three nearby residents spoke in opposition. Homeowner Dave Frank said the two lots “act as a reservoir” for runoff from surrounding yards and warned that new construction could push water onto adjacent properties. Steve Connell and Dwayne Darnell raised related concerns about septic requirements, narrow roads and limited off‑street parking; Darnell told the board the neighborhood pavement is “about 12 feet wide” in places and said emergency access could be impeded if on‑street parking increases.

Board members emphasized two recurring issues in their discussion: uncertainty about the combined lot’s exact area and whether the applicant had met the variance standard that the request would cause no detriment to public welfare (the board’s “item number 4”). Staff told the board that, because the parcels are legally platted preexisting lots, a building might be permitted on an individual lot under obsolete SF‑3 standards unless the lot configuration changes; the town’s recodification to SF‑10 (1994) governs replats.

After discussion, a board member moved to deny the variance. The roll call vote was recorded as: Board member Freeny — Aye; Vice Chair Shea — Aye; Chair Jones — Aye; Board member Mignell — Aye. The motion to deny carried 4-0.

The board’s denial leaves in place the town’s SF‑10 lot size requirement for replats and resolves this application against the applicant’s request. During the meeting staff noted a new, precise survey would be required to establish an exact lot area; without that survey the town’s approximations and the county tax record conflict. Chair Jones also used the meeting’s closing remarks to say this would be his final meeting, noting he is moving out of Flower Mound.

Votes at a glance

- BOA25-00004 — Request to combine Lots 94A and 94B (Lakeside/Crook Lane area) into a single lot below the SF‑10 10,000 sq. ft. minimum: Motion to deny the variance approved, 4-0 (Freeny, Shea, Jones, Mignell recorded as Aye).