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Kennedale council approves Alta Landing planned-development ordinance after neighborhood objections
Summary
After neighbor testimony citing a deteriorating retaining wall and perimeter parking, the Kennedale City Council approved a planned-development ordinance for Alta Landing, with the developer committing to fencing, landscaping, drainage work and periodic wall inspections. The vote was 3–1.
The Kennedale City Council voted 3–1 on Feb. 17 to approve an ordinance formalizing Alta Landing as a planned-development (PD) district, following public testimony from a nearby resident who said construction defects have harmed her property. Mayor Brad Horton recused himself from the vote; Mayor Pro Tem Kenneth Michaels chaired the hearing.
Resident Tracy Harding told the council she had submitted photos and documents alleging multiple code noncompliances at Alta Landing, including a retaining wall she described as crumbling and topped by a parking lot that abuts single-family yards. "It's not if that retaining wall will fall, it's a matter of when that retaining wall will fall," Harding said, asking council to deny the PD request.
The applicant, represented by Bill Daltz of Wood Partners, said the PD would not add units but would resolve existing nonconforming conditions and include enforceable development standards. Daltz outlined steps already taken or under way: relocating dumpsters away from single-family property, installing 8-foot perimeter fencing, planting 26 additional trees, constructing a drainage flume to carry stormwater to a catch basin, adding guardrails where a vehicle had encroached beyond the curb, and adding trash valet service. He told council the dumpster relocation was under construction and expected to be finished by March 1.
Staff and the applicant also committed to retaining-wall oversight. Ryan Miller, a company representative, said the wall had been inspected within the past year and that the company will schedule regular engineering inspections; the PD conditions as drafted additionally require retaining-wall inspection every two years. The PD ordinance will attach the site plan and landscape plan as enforceable documents, and Daltz said some maintenance and operational commitments (no multilevel parking, lower LED lighting, fence-staining and other conditions) will run with the land.
City staff had recommended approval and noted the Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously recommended the request. The council debate focused on safety and enforcement: members pressed for quicker inspection or mitigation steps after Harding's testimony; staff and the applicant said inspections and some repairs already had occurred. The ordinance passed, and the developer said the team would continue work to address outstanding concerns.
A recorded tally in the meeting showed the ordinance passed 3–1. The council recessed briefly after the vote and then continued the agenda.
