Southlake planners approve zoning change and site plan for 401 Keene Court over neighbor objections, 4-3

The Southlake Planning and Zoning Commission approved a zoning change and site plan for 401 Keene Court on May 22, voting 4-3 to forward the application to city council with the staff conditions listed in the packet.

The application seeks approval to orient a new house on Lot 6 to face north (toward Keene Court) instead of west (toward Ridgecrest Drive). Planning staff described the lot as currently zoned SF-1A with low-density residential future land use. Staff presented aerials, elevations and a tree-preservation plan and noted one written opposition from a property owner within 200 feet (Karen Brooks, 2640 Ridgecrest Drive) and one written support (Robert and Monica Gardner, 405 Keene Court).

Paul Rostron, representing the applicant Cali Custom Homes, said his clients, the Patel family, contracted in January 2022 to buy the lot and received a PDF of the original plat at closing that did not include a note requiring Lots 1, 6 and 7 to face Ridgecrest. Rostron told the commission: "Our clients specifically bought this lot because it was a north facing lot." He said setbacks and recorded dimensions in the plat indicate a 20-foot side setback and 40-foot front/back setbacks consistent with a north-facing front lot line. Rostron said the homeowners designed their house around design principles discussed in the application package and that flipping the house orientation would be infeasible without substantial redesign.

The applicant and staff traced the issue to a later change: Rostron said a note was added at some point in the recorded plat after the buyers had contracted and received the earlier PDF; staff confirmed the note exists on the recorded plat but said they had no additional context about why the note was added or whether the council motion that approved the development included the facing requirement.

Commission discussion focused on two competing considerations: (1) whether the commission should respect a prior council compromise that, according to the recorded plat or motion history, intended lots to face Ridgecrest, and (2) whether the lot's recorded dimensions and the practical effect on the homeowner's ability to have a functional front and backyard support allowing a north-facing house. One commissioner said, "I think it would be a shame, quite frankly, just to try to force the house to face to the west," and other commissioners emphasized deference to the council's earlier compromise.

A split commission vote approved the site plan and zoning change, 4-3. Commissioners who voted in favor tied their decision to the lot dimensions, the recorded setbacks that favor a north-facing orientation, and the financial hardship cited by the applicant; commissioners opposed emphasized that the facing requirement reflected a prior council-level compromise with neighborhood stakeholders and said council should weigh any change.

The commission's motion approves the application "subject to our staff report dated 05/16/2025 and the site plan review summary number 1 dated 05/16/2025," and the record shows the item will be considered by City Council at its June 3 meeting. Commissioners asked staff to convey the commission's discussion and neighborhood outreach (including asking the applicant to contact the opposing neighbor) to council.

Action taken: ZA25-3737 approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission 4-3 and forwarded to City Council with staff conditions.