The Colleyville City Council held an extended public hearing Nov. 5 on an application to amend a planned-unit-development (PUDR) for the Oak Alley subdivision to remove or reduce a 25-foot perimeter landscape easement on Lot 14 so the homeowners could construct a backyard pool.

Ben Breiner, Director of Community Development, said the request affects a single lot within Oak Alley and that a super-majority of six affirmative votes would be required to approve the PUD amendment because the Planning & Zoning Commission had recommended denial (5'2). Breiner noted staff was neutral on the request and that notices had been sent to surrounding property owners; formal responses received before packet distribution were 16 in favor and 13 opposed.

Applicant Ryan Raybould said his family bought the home and, after discovering the easement in the plat, sought a path to accommodate a safe pool in the backyard without removing utilities or drainage easements. "We're happy to add more landscaping and remediation if that is what the city council desires," Raybould said, arguing that the PUD and plat affirm obligations for perimeter plantings but do not expressly prohibit pools within the landscape easement and that a narrow lot depth created a practical hardship.

Multiple neighbors spoke in opposition, saying the 25-foot landscape easement was a negotiated and deliberate part of the PUD and its purpose was to provide buffering, privacy and long-term landscape screening. Mark Godfredson, president of the Tanglewood HOA, said approving a pool in one landscape easement would set a precedent for others to ask for the same change and said the developer and council negotiated the PUD language with the surrounding neighborhood in mind. "It was an extraordinarily well thought out zoning ordinance," Godfredson said.

Supporters said the easement is overly restrictive for the narrow lot and that other Oak Alley homes have pools; the applicant's supporters included family members and the property's developer heir, who said the easement footprint was not appropriate for the lot's depth. Opponents emphasized the PUD's negotiated terms and the expectation that the easement remain dedicated to vegetation and buffering.

Council recessed and reconvened to accept additional public comment. The council then closed the public hearing but took no final vote; the item was a first reading and will return for final action on Nov. 18, 2025.

Clarifying details

- Planning & Zoning recommendation: denial (5'2). Council would need six affirmative votes to approve a PUD amendment following that recommendation.
- Applicant's requested change: remove the 25-foot landscape easement only as to Lot 14 (surgical, one-lot amendment).
- Applicant's proposed mitigation: retain drainage and utility easements (7.5-foot drainage/utility area), preserve large trees where feasible, add supplemental landscaping if desired by council.

Speakers quoted here are drawn from the meeting record; the council did not vote on this item at the Nov. 5 meeting.