The Irving Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend disapproval of Comprehensive Plan Amendment 2024-412CP, a proposed change for property at 4105 Esthers Road, after hearing a presentation from the applicant and public comment.

Developer representative Rob Dye of Woodhaven Development described a reworked proposal for a roughly 9-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Esthers Road and State Highway 161. Dye said the project was revised from an earlier April submission — originally two podium buildings totaling 575 units and about 15,000 square feet of retail — to a single, wrap-style development with 406 units (about 43 units per acre), three- to five-story buildings and about 20,000 square feet of retail. Dye said the design was changed to a more traditional aesthetic with additional landscaping, street-facing units and “class A” amenities. He described an anticipated apartment-size mix averaging about 875–900 square feet and estimated residential rents “probably gonna be in the low $2 a square foot.”

Why it matters: Commissioners and several commenters said the plan remained too dense for the neighborhood and that the retail component fell short of the commission’s 10% guideline. Several commissioners said the retail-to-housing ratio would be roughly 3.9% under the applicant’s figures, well under the 10% target discussed by staff and commissioners. Resident Santos Castillo said he has lived across from the site and urged lower-density or single-family development, calling the proposal “excessive.”

Commission discussion emphasized the gap between the applicant’s retail projection and the commission’s 10% expectation. Commissioners noted the applicant’s recent reduction from 575 to 406 units but said that did not sufficiently address neighborhood compatibility, traffic, and the commission’s commercial-percentage threshold. One commissioner suggested the applicant should return to the drawing board to better align the project with the 10% retail target; others said the density would stress local infrastructure.

Commission action: A motion to postpone consideration to the commission’s February 3 meeting failed. The commission then voted to recommend disapproval of Comprehensive Plan Amendment 2024-412CP; the commission later also voted to recommend disapproval of the companion zoning case (2023-110 ZC). The recommendations will be forwarded to City Council with the commission’s findings.

Background and next steps: The owner previously pursued a denser office/mixed-use plan in 2014 that did not move forward. The applicant said the owner has held the land for more than a decade and commercial interest on the interchange corners has been limited. The commission’s recommendation of disapproval is advisory; City Council will consider the cases next.