Planning commission approves preliminary and final plats for Villas at Heritage Pointe and a three-lot Shannon subdivision

The Weatherford Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously approved several subdivision items involving the Villas at Heritage Pointe and the small Shannon's Subdivision.

For Villas at Heritage Pointe, staff (Monica) presented a preliminary plat for about 16.788 acres showing 89 single-family lots, nine townhome lots and five open-space lots, to be built in two phases. Monica said the property’s zoning was approved in 2006 and that the proposed lot sizes comply with the zoning district standards that applied at that time. She said phase 1 consists of the nine townhome lots at the southern edge while phase 2 would contain the 89 single-family patio homes. Staff recommended approval of the preliminary plat, noting traffic-calming measures and a downstream drainage assessment would be part of the project review.

Several nearby residents spoke during the public hearing. Lynn Baber described the site as "virgin, gorgeous Texas woods" and warned that the plat would "drop 107 families onto less than 17 acres," raising questions about fencing, animal-control impacts and the narrow 40-foot lots that leave as little as 10 feet between houses. Baber also noted that no elevations or design restrictions were included in the submission and asked what fencing ordinances would apply.

Candace Grantham, president of the Montclair HOA, asked for clarification about fences and sidewalks near planned future thoroughfares and expressed concern about homes being sold to corporations for rental management, citing problems in another development.

Monica and other staff said the preliminary plat met the subdivision regulations and lot sizes approved in 2006. Commissioners asked whether the commission could deny the plat on the basis of preserving wooded space; staff answered that under the existing approvals the body could not withhold acceptance on those grounds. After discussion commissioners voted to approve the preliminary plat.

The commission then considered the final plat for phase 1 (nine townhome lots and four open-space lots on roughly 0.919 acres). Staff said the final plat simply pulls the nine townhome lots from the preliminary plat and recommended approval subject to subdivision ordinance requirements; commissioners approved the final plat and confirmed the developer must return for a new preliminary and final plat if they later sought to change the layout.

The commission also approved the final plat for Shannon's Subdivision, a three-lot residential subdivision on about 0.66 acres at 517 North Brazos Street; staff recommended approval subject to ordinance requirements and the motion passed unanimously.

The approvals are administrative actions under the city’s subdivision regulations; any future changes to lot configuration would require the developer to return to the commission with a new preliminary and final plat.