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Council approves Craver Ranch master plan and rezoning after hours of public opposition
Summary
After a public hearing that drew hundreds of speakers and extensive neighborhood opposition citing traffic, water and environmental concerns, Denton City Council approved linked actions to amend the comprehensive plan, adjust a mobility alignment and rezone the 2,500‑acre Craver Ranch into a planned development. Votes on the three items passed by 5‑2, 6‑1 and 5‑2 respectively.
Denton City Council voted to approve three linked land‑use actions that clear the way for a large master‑planned community called Craver Ranch on roughly 2,500 acres inside the city limits.
Staff presented a package including a comprehensive plan amendment to change the site—s future land use from agricultural to "master plan community," a mobility plan realignment south of a major floodplain to avoid environmentally sensitive areas, and a planned‑development rezoning that would allow a mix of single‑family, townhome, multifamily and commercial uses. Planning staff said the project provides roughly 358 acres of central park/open space, about 13.5 miles of public trails, two proposed school sites in Denton ISD and Sanger ISD, and about $462 million in public‑infrastructure construction that the developer would initially fund and the proposed municipal management district (MMD) would ultimately finance and reimburse via bonds and assessments.
Alexa Knight, legal counsel for Old Prosper Partners, described the project as a phased, 20‑year build‑out that would yield about 7,000 single‑family homes, more than 1,000 townhome/zero‑lot‑line units, an option for multifamily, and 1.2 million square feet of commercial space. Knight emphasized the developer—s commitments of parkland and public facilities and a $7.5 million package of contributions for affordable housing and public safety investments.
Hundreds of residents and property owners from the surrounding ETJ and rural neighborhoods turned out to oppose the project. Speakers raised consistent concerns about traffic and existing two‑lane rural roads (FM 2153, FM 2164); potential impacts on the Woodbine and Trinity aquifers and local wells; encroachment on environmental corridors, wildlife habitat and floodplains; and limited notice and perceived lack of meaningful community engagement. Many residents asked the council to delay action until the federal and state environmental studies for the regional outer loop are complete and until more detailed traffic and hydrology work is available.
Council members debated the tradeoffs during a late‑night discussion. Supporters argued the development would increase housing supply and deliver parks and infrastructure; opponents stressed fiscal and environmental risks and argued the proposed land‑use changes ran counter to the 2040 comprehensive plan—s preferred growth pattern. Council voted to approve the comprehensive plan amendment (item a) by a 5–2 margin, the mobility plan amendment (item b) by 6–1, and the PD rezoning (item c) by 5–2. Council also approved related operating and project agreements with the Craver Ranch MMD and gave consent for formation of the district. The applicant and staff will now proceed with required engineering, TIA and phased permit approvals; staff and the developer said the earliest earth‑moving for phase 1 is expected in approximately three years, contingent on permitting and off‑site coordination.
