Carroll ISD seeks end to "in perpetuity" fence-maintenance requirement; neighbors push back

Carroll Independent School District representatives told a Southlake SPIN (Southlake Program for the Involvement of Neighborhoods) meeting that the district plans to replace an eight-foot fence along the Stone Lakes subdivision starting in July but is seeking to remove the ordinance language that requires the district to construct and maintain that fence “in perpetuity.” The proposal was presented by Lanny Mooney, identified at the meeting as a Carroll ISD representative; SPIN is an informational forum and no vote was taken.

The request matters to residents because previous agreements and a 2000 ordinance have been interpreted by homeowners as obligating the district to ongoing maintenance. Neighbors at the meeting said the district has not consistently performed that upkeep, raising concerns about dead trees, lighting, property access and safety if responsibility is removed.

Mooney told attendees the district plans to replace the back fence segments identified in the prior variance for “about 17 lots” and expects construction to begin in July, taking “2, 3, 4 weeks” to complete. He said the district’s application (SPIN 2025-05) asks only that the maintenance obligation not remain as an open-ended, perpetual duty. He estimated replacement cost “about 40,000” and said the fence length was “about 1,100 feet.” Mooney described the replacement as an eight-foot cedar, board-on-board fence and said the district would use existing posts where appropriate and “reface it, the good side to you guys.”

Residents who back up to Carroll Senior High School at 1501 West Southlake Boulevard disputed the district’s characterization of past performance and said the legal language “in perpetuity” should remain. Lauren Laredo of Mayfair Place said, “Perpetuity does not equate to 25 plus years,” and argued that promised trees had not been planted. Anthony Bologna, a Waterford Drive resident, described repeated unaddressed maintenance needs and said attempts to get action produced “crickets.” Jane Sowell of Cambridge Crossing said homeowners were told the fence “was built by the high school and that the high school would take care of it in perpetuity.”

Several speakers raised specific concerns they said were unresolved despite earlier agreements: dead or hazardous trees behind yards, lighting from athletic fields that neighbors said exceed earlier promises, and instances where homeowners paid out of pocket for gate or panel repairs because they said the district did not respond. Vonda Whitaker said she spent about $500 to repair a gate because it did not latch and the poles were unstable. Multiple speakers asked why nearby Park Place was not subject to the same maintenance obligation; the transcript indicates the district or city staff did not provide an explanation during the meeting.

Mooney acknowledged he had been in the district roughly six months and said he did not have complete historical answers for the prior 25 years of maintenance activity. He reiterated the district will replace the fence segments called for in the variance and that “those 17 lots will have a new back fence.” He also said grounds staff could address some landscaping and hazardous trees in the area, and that the district has allocated funds for landscaping in other neighborhoods.

City staff read aloud language from a prior ordinance and variance describing the original obligation: an eight-foot board-on-board fence to be constructed and maintained “in perpetuity” along specified lot lines in the Stone Lakes addition, and a separate clause removing responsibility for the Park Place boundary. Mooney referenced ordinance identifiers cited in public comments but did not provide an alternative ordinance text at the meeting.

Next steps: SPIN is an early, informational step in the development-review process. No action was taken at the meeting; residents and the district were told the case will proceed through the regular review channels (Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council) where formal decisions would be made. The city will make a SPIN meeting report available after the meeting summarizing comments and submitted questions.

Residents requested that the district consider keeping the perpetuity maintenance obligation, repair or replace any rotten posts, address dead trees that pose safety risks, and explain the historical difference in treatment for Park Place. Carroll ISD said it will replace the fence segments identified in the variance beginning in July and will convey the neighborhood concerns back to the school board members referenced by residents.