Commissioners recommended approval Thursday of Eden Rancha proposed conservation-focused residential development after extended presentations by town staff and the applicant, a 90-minute public hearing and a lengthy round of questions from members of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

The commissionrecommended approval of the projectwhich includes 158 conservation residential lots plus nine 2-acre "ag lots," about 147 acres of open space (about 46.6 percent of the site) and a 9.35-acre park dedicationsubject to a set of modifications and clarifying conditions the board and staff negotiated during deliberations.

Why it matters: Eden Ranch would convert roughly 335 acres north of Cross Timbers Road into a gated conservation development that the applicant says combines larger home lots, orchards, community barns and grazing areas with a public park and trails. Supporters called it a rare conservation-oriented project that preserves large open spaces and a park site fronting FM 1171; opponents said the proposal contains too many exceptions to the town'09s conservation standards and that traffic, tree removal and undefined nonresidential uses could harm nearby neighborhoods.

What the commission recommended and why
- Recommendation. The commission separately recommended approval of the Eden Ranch thoroughfare/master-plan amendment (MPA) and recommended approval of the plan development (PD) with a set of modifications. The motions were passed by roll call vote.
- Key conditions. Commissioners asked staff and the applicant to: (1) explore the feasibility of a right-turn/deceleration lane on FM 1171 at the main entrance (to be coordinated with TxDOT); (2) require any accessory dwelling unit (ADU) to obtain a specific-use permit rather than be allowed by right; (3) prohibit livestock on lots of 1 acre or less; (4) require emergency-access gates to be built to the minimum town standard and be usable by emergency services; (5) require natural screening buffers between any nonresidential uses on the ag lots and adjacent residences; (6) set front- and rear-yard minimums at 30 feet; (7) hold maximum lot coverage to 25 percent; (8) restrict trees credited as open space to the town'09'09s approved tree planting list; and (9) remove equestrian gates shown across a public equestrian trail so the trail remains unobstructed.

Discussion highlights and applicant responses
Town planners described the site, the conservation development approach and the transportation analysis. Staff said the updated plan contains 158 conservation lots (72 at 1 acre or larger; 86 at three-quarter acre), nine ag lots at 2 acres each, and more than the minimum open space required (about 147 acres total). Staff said the site meets many conservation standards but that the applicant requests multiple modifications to dimensional and development standards that the commission would need to weigh against public benefits such as larger open space and a 9.35-acre park the developer proposes to dedicate.

Chuck (town planning staff) summarized open-space and use proposals and noted the applicant is asking to exclude certain structures (community center, barns, greenhouses) from the credited open-space calculation. Chuck also described the conservation/design exceptions requested, and said the latest tree survey showed the applicant is seeking removal of 17 specimen trees (out of about 141 specimen trees identified on the site) and that the Parks Board recommended accepting the parkland offer and the fee in-lieu amount of $233,184.

Randy Rivera, the applicant'09'09s consultant, framed Eden Ranch as a conservation community oriented to agricultural uses, orchards and on-site farming for residents. He described the project as "designed specifically to attract those types of users to come to Flower Mound" and said the design intentionally preserves view corridors and specimen trees.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on traffic and operational details. Matt (planning staff) confirmed the traffic impact analysis (TIA) for the subdivision focused on residential trip generation and did not include incidental trips from nonresidential activities that could occur on the ag lots and open-space facilities (for example, deliveries, visitors for a community farm or a school). "They were not part of this part of the TA," Matt told the commission when asked whether community-serving uses were included in the traffic modeling.

Chuck and the applicant defended the orchard, grazing and open-space designs. The applicant said grazing areas would be fenced, managed and rotated and that livestock counts and operating standards would be written into the open-space management plan. The applicant also said that orchards and other agricultural plantings would be run by the community or a nonprofit and that if orchards failed or the community chose not to maintain them, the land would be replanted as native grasses or reforested.

Public comment
More than a dozen residents addressed the commission. Supporters said Eden Ranch preserves open space, restores native habitat, creates a park and offers an alternative, lower-density lifestyle. Opponents raised concerns about the number of requested code exceptions (lot-width reductions and increased lot coverage among them), traffic impacts on FM 1171 and nearby neighborhood streets, the potential for nonresidential activity on ag lots, and whether fruit trees and certain proposed plantings are appropriate for the local climate. Several neighbors questioned a proposed emergency access point at the northeast corner of the site that would connect to Kings Road and Shiloh; they worried it could become a future egress point used by general traffic and increase cut-through use of Kings Road, a narrow residential street.

Discussion vs. decision
The record shows the commission separated discussion (traffic, tree preservation, open-space uses, lot dimensions, ADUs) from the final recommendations. Commissioners repeatedly asked staff to confirm that conditions requested by the commission would be enforceable and to coordinate with outside agencies (TxDOT for any improvements on FM 1171; Denton County for county-owned facilities). Staff said the suggested deceleration lane would require TxDOT review and that the project team agreed to explore that option before council consideration.

Actions and votes
- Thoroughfare / master plan amendment (MPA 24-0006, Eden Ranch thoroughfare amendment): Commission recommended approval; roll-call vote recorded in favor.
- Plan Development / conservation district (CON 25-0001, Eden Ranch PD / MPA combination): Commission recommended approval with the conditions summarized above; motion passed by roll call.

Clarifying details (from the public record)
- Gross site area reported: ~335 acres. Open space credited in the applicant'09'09s materials: about 147 acres (46.64 percent); required minimum: 45 percent. The proposed public park dedication: 9.35 acres (Parks Board recommended approval and a fee of $233,184). The applicant identified 141 specimen trees on the property and, in recent filings, sought removal of 17 specimen trees (numbers taken from tree surveys and staff reports included in the packet).
- Lot mix proposed in the submitted plan: 158 conservation residential lots (72 of them 1 acre or larger; 86 three-quarter-acre lots) plus 9 ag lots at 2 acres each. Applicant described the development as gated; the traffic study modeled the site as a gated community.
- Access: primary access shown on FM 1171; applicant agreed that the town and TxDOT should examine whether a right-turn deceleration lane or other operational improvements at the FM 1171 entrance are feasible.
- Accessory dwelling units: applicant requested ADUs be allowed by right up to 1,000 square feet and by specific-use permit up to 2,000 square feet; commissioners directed that ADUs instead require a specific-use permit (motion condition).

Community relevance
- Geographies: Cross Timbers area of Flower Mound, FM 1171/Shiloh corridor, Red Rock, Cross Timbers Road, Hawk Road, Kings Road and adjacent Double Oak/Bridled Oaks neighborhoods.
- Impact groups: nearby homeowners; future Eden Ranch residents; trail and equestrian users; commuters on FM 1171; town parks users.

What happens next
The commission forwarded its recommendation to the Town Council for final decisions; staff and the applicant said they will coordinate with TxDOT and refine draft PD language to reflect the commission'09'09s conditions before council review.

Sources: Presentation and staff report by town planners; public comments and applicant statements at the Planning & Zoning Commission meeting; roll-call votes recorded in the meeting transcript.