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Planning commission recommends approval of Leon Reserve Phase 2 final plat despite staff disapproval over access
Summary
Temple — The planning and zoning commission voted unanimously May 15 to forward Leon Reserve Phase 2 to City Council despite staff recommending disapproval, citing a disagreement over whether two widened FM‑93 entrances meet the city’s minimum‑entrance standard for more than 300 lots.
Temple — A final‑plat exception for Leon Reserve Phase 2 drew a split between city staff and the planning and zoning commission on May 15. Staff recommended disapproval citing emergency‑access standards in the subdivision regulations; the planning commission voted unanimously to recommend the plat be sent to City Council for final consideration.
Planner Adam Cameron (case manager) told the commission the developer, WBW Development with engineering by Yago Engineering, seeks final plat approval for up to 386 single‑family lots in phase 2. Cameron said the city’s residential subdivision street access design requirements permit up to 300 lots with two improved entrances but that 301 or more lots require additional entrance capacity (the code’s “alternate design” column is the focus of the dispute).
Staff recommended disapproval on the grounds that the two proposed FM 93 entries are less than 500 feet apart and do not provide the alternate‑design emergency access required to exceed 300 lots; staff also noted that future street projections and collector connections that could provide a third entrance are not in place and cannot be counted for the plat exception. Planning commission members raised concerns about fairness and consistency, asking the council to weigh competing interpretations.
Attorney Travis Parks (representing WBW) and the developer argued that the city’s alternate‑design figures allow each widened FM‑93 entrance to be counted as the equivalent of two entrances — meaning the proposal meets the minimum‑entrance standard when the design‑equivalence is applied. The developer also noted that TxDOT required a traffic‑impact analysis and that the TIA includes planned turn lanes and signal triggers keyed to development thresholds.
After discussion the commission voted to recommend approval to council. The minutes and on‑record vote show a motion by Commissioner Rhodes, second by Commissioner Smith, with a unanimous recorded vote to send the plat to City Council. (Staff pointed out afterward that their formal recommendation had been for disapproval, creating a clear disparity between staff and the commission.)
Clarifying notes: Cameron said the preliminary plat and rezoning process had anticipated the need for additional off‑site connections and that city staff had previously budgeted funding to help secure a future collector connection; staff told commissioners it had offered to pursue a developer‑participation approach but had not received a plan from the developer on the off‑site connection.
Ending: The planning commission’s recommendation moves the matter to City Council for a final decision, where staff’s recommendation of disapproval and the commission’s unanimous recommendation of approval will both be available for council consideration.
