Residents decry Ironman road closures and short-term rentals; council continues rezoning hearing to April 7

Two Little Elm residents used the council meeting's public-comment period to press the town on event management and neighborhood disruptions, and staff reopened a public hearing on a rezoning request that the council ultimately continued to April 7.

Colin Parton, who identified himself and gave his address, criticized the management of a recent Ironman event, saying barricades and police prevented residents of the Sunset Point neighborhood from leaving for hours and that dispatch logs would show numerous calls. "If you block every single exit to a neighborhood, if you force people to be trapped in their homes for hours, it doesn't matter if you gave them notice," Parton told the council, and he urged staff to review dispatch records and event planning.

Later in the public-comment period, longtime resident Robert McNeal told the council short-term rentals are disrupting neighborhoods with trash and noise and asked Town Manager Mueller to take action and ensure complaints are logged. McNeal also raised traffic concerns about an upcoming townhome proposal near Old Highway and Highway 24.

On a separate agenda item, staff opened a public hearing on a request to rezone approximately 9.595 acres currently zoned agriculture in the area near Oak Grove Parkway. Staff said the item previously failed to receive a motion and that residents within the required 200-foot notice buffer had been re-notified. Because several council members were absent, staff and the applicant asked to continue the hearing.

Councilmember Deb (speaker identified in the transcript by role) moved to continue the public hearing and related agenda item to the April 7 meeting so the full council could consider the application; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Staff said the matter will return to a future agenda and interested residents who signed public-comment cards will have an opportunity to speak at that time.