Flower Mound council approves Canyon Falls phase with slope and floodplain grading exceptions

Flower Mound’s Town Council unanimously approved the subdivision site plan and associated exceptions for Canyon Falls Village 3, a roughly 27-acre residential phase that will contain 65 lots with a 10,000-square-foot minimum lot size. Town staff and the developer said engineering studies and mitigation measures support the plan and that the exceptions are limited to grading and drainage work needed for road and culvert construction.

Town planning staff presented the application and described two requested exceptions: a slope exception covering 1.92 acres of 5–12% slopes and a small 0.06-acre area exceeding 12% slope, and a grading exception to permit construction-related activity in an area the town models as a future floodplain corridor. Staff said the applicant provided a flood study prepared by the project engineer and that the studies met the town’s ordinance conditions for maintaining no increase in modeled water-surface elevations or off-site velocities. A staff member summarized that the grading is intended to reduce the need for tall retaining walls and to move drainage away from residential pads.

Brett Pedigo, the developer representative for Perry Homes, told the council the project will build out Denton Creek Road and Schmidt’s Boulevard with developer and city participation, and that grading and temporary swales will route drainage into stubbed pipes until adjacent commercial parcels develop and can connect their systems. Pedigo said the design intentionally skews the culvert and flow paths and establishes vegetated slopes to reduce velocity and erosion, rather than relying on tall retaining walls.

Council members pressed the applicant and staff on long-term responsibility for erosion and slope maintenance. Staff and the applicant said open-space parcels will be deeded to the Canyon Falls homeowners association (HOA) and that HOA covenants and maintenance obligations, along with private lot responsibilities, are intended to assign day-to-day upkeep. The applicant said vegetation (native grasses) and, if necessary, temporary irrigation will be used to establish groundcover before final project acceptance by the town.

The Parks Board recommended parkland mitigation in the form of cash in lieu and park development fees. Staff reported the Parks Board recommendation: $354,020.25 in cash-in-lieu and $94,384 in park development fees for this phase.

Council member commentary at the meeting emphasized staff review, lessons learned from previous neighborhood drainage issues, and the benefit of reconfiguring lots so they lie entirely within Flower Mound jurisdiction. Following deliberation, the council voted unanimously to approve the items.

The council’s approval included conditions implied by town ordinance review (final flood study review, vegetation establishment, and required modeling). The council then recessed into a closed executive session later in the meeting and reconvened with no reportable action.

What’s next: the approved subdivision and exceptions allow the developer to proceed with the grading and infrastructure work described; the town will require final engineering validation, vegetation establishment before acceptance, and that HOA arrangements be in place for long-term maintenance.