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Lucas council signals support for larger lots in proposed Hunt property amendment
Summary
Council directed staff to return with a development-agreement amendment favoring a straight R‑1.5 option that preserves 1.5‑acre minimum lots on the former Hunt property; staff noted a PD could provide a sewered lot for a fire station but council prioritized lot-size protections and limiting residential sewer access.
The Lucas City Council on April 3 heard a presentation on a proposed amendment to a 2009 development agreement covering the Hunt property at Country Club Road and Parker Road and signaled support for preserving larger lot sizes.
Development Services Director Joe Hilburn laid out two options from Frasier Capital LLC: a straight R‑1.5 zoning plan averaging 1.74 acres with about 45 residential lots, and a planned development (PD) with mixed lots (1.2–3 acres) totaling 49 lots plus one lot dedicated to the city for a future fire station. Hilburn told the council: "This plan will provide for a total of 45 residential lots." He also said the PD alternative would add about seven acres to the commercial district and that concept plans and exhibits would need to be updated if the development agreement is amended.
Council discussion centered on two trade-offs: securing a lot now that could serve as a future fire station versus retaining commercial frontage and a 1.5‑acre minimum for residential lots. Fire Chief Ted Stevens presented response-time heat maps and explained the city’s travel-time goals—"0 to 4 minutes" ideally and "0 to 8 minutes" tolerable—and noted the northeast corner of the city currently falls into the 8-plus‑minute band. Council members raised concerns that reducing minimum lot sizes or increasing residential density along Southview Drive would increase service demands and could erode limited commercial frontage that supports future revenue.
Several council members said the protections sought by staff can be accomplished by tying the concept plan to a development agreement. The mayor summarized the sense of the council as favoring option 1 (convert roughly 96 acres to R‑1.5, tie a concept plan to the development agreement, and prohibit residential sewer hookups to those lots). Hilburn said he will "bring back a development agreement with amendments" at the next meeting reflecting that direction. No formal vote was taken on the development agreement amendment during the meeting.
Why it matters: the council’s direction affects how roughly 96 acres near Parker Road may be platted and whether the city secures land for future infrastructure, including fire protection, without conceding lot‑size standards or commercial frontage that generate tax revenue.
