Council approves 9.46-acre rezoning, hears developer briefings and resident traffic/drainage concerns

Lucas City Council on March 5 unanimously approved Ordinance 2026-03-01040 to rezone about 9.46 acres at 1100 and 1020 West Forest Grove Road from agricultural/open space (AO) to R-1 single-family residential (one-acre lots), following a staff presentation that said the request conforms with the city’s comprehensive plan and the Planning & Zoning Commission’s recommendation. The ordinance was moved, seconded and passed unanimously.

Dave Wilcox (Liberty Bankers Life Insurance) attended as the applicant’s representative and staff noted the property matches surrounding R-1 zoning. The mayor read an email from a resident (Debbie Jacobs) opposing the rezoning and expressing concern about lot size and loss of openness.

Council later approved a preliminary plat and site plans for the Owens Retail Addition (a 5.865-acre tract at the southwest corner of McGarity Lane and Allison Lane). Staff said the Phase 1 building is leased and that the submittal meets city requirements for parking, landscaping and drainage; council discussion focused on construction access, masonry screening, and ensuring required drainage openings are provided through the developer’s masonry wall.

The council also received a concept presentation for the larger Paxton Farms project — a roughly 155-acre proposal at the southeast corner of Angel Parkway and Estates Parkway from developer teams including Glazer Retail Partners and Toll Brothers. The concept called for about 110 acres of residential (roughly 89 single-family lots, many near one acre) and 36 acres of commercial along Angel Parkway. Developers said commercial pads were sized to accommodate grocery or home-improvement anchors; Toll Brothers said residential product would target the upper end of the local market.

Residents raised consistent concerns about grading, imported fill, construction truck traffic on McGarity Lane, and drainage outfalls potentially affecting private yards. “They’re bringing in truckloads of dirt… it has been raised 6 feet,” said Ken Judd, a homeowner behind the proposed development, urging the council to address grading and stormwater impacts. Staff and developers pledged to run drainage studies and engineering analyses. Council members signaled conceptual support for reducing the commercial footprint and insisted any project return as a Planned Development (PD) so detailed conditions, setbacks, cross-access and drainage obligations can be specified.

Council direction to staff and the developers included: bring back a PD application that includes engineering-level drainage and traffic studies, provide a timeline and cost-sharing estimates for McGarity Lane and Allison Lane improvements, coordinate early with TxDOT on any signal or access issues on Angel Parkway, and require clear easement or reimbursement language for off-site improvements when appropriate. No final zoning changes beyond the Forest Grove ordinance were approved on March 5; the Paxton Farms concept was taken as direction to prepare a PD package that addresses the community concerns raised at the meeting.

Next steps: the Owens retail plat will proceed under the council’s approval; the Paxton Farms team will return with PD materials, drainage reports and road-cost breakdowns for council review.