<strong>Z.26-02:</strong> Public hearing to receive comments for or against a request for a zoning change from Single-family (SF6) to Planned Development (PD) for single-family homes at the property commonly known as 5900-5901 Ridgecrest Drive, being described as Lot 10 Block 5, and Lot 1 Block 6 of the Ridgecrest Addition-Watauga; and consider action on a preliminary report to allow for six (6) s

Staff Report & Agenda Item Details

The Public Hearing Notice was duly posted and published by the City Secretary's Office on August 3, 2026 in the Commercial Recorder.  Written notice of the public hearing on the proposed request was sent to all owners of property, or to the person rendering the same for city taxes within two hundred (200) feet of the subject property.  A notice sign was posted on the property affected by the zoning change in accordance with Chapter 211 of the Local Government Code. <br><br>On behalf of Pat Land LLC, David Lewis has submitted a request for a zoning change from Single-family (SF6) to Planned Development (PD) for the property commonly known as 5900-5901 Ridgecrest Dr. to allow for development of six (6) single-family residential homes.<br><br>The request for the PD is proposed as the lots are a minimum 50 feet in width, which is under the width requirement of 60 feet in Sec. 115-62 of the Code of Ordinances, Chapter 115, Zoning.<br><br>While all the lots face Whitley Road, they will share a common slip street parallel to Whitley Road as this will allow residents to turn into or back out of their private driveway without stopping traffic on Whitley Road. The 24-foot-wide private access street would be located within a 70-foot-wide private maintenance access, drainage and utility easement. DRT has requested stained patterned concrete be used for a median to provide safer access for all emergency service vehicles.  An inset parallel parking area will be built to provide visitor parking at each residence by the builder in the future.<br><br>All lots within the development will be landscaped with at least 10 shrubs and one large tree will be located within the front yard area.<br><br>The homeowner’s association will be responsible for maintenance of all access easements, retaining walls, private access drive and connection to Whitley Road, streetlights, sidewalks along right of way, all landscaped areas not on private residential lots, and all other associated appurtenances related to this PD development.<br><br>The Future Land Use Map identifies the property as Medium Density Residential.  The Planned Development District is designed to encourage greater flexibility and the opportunity for a higher standard of land development.  Improvements in a PD district are subject to conformance with a site plan to be considered by the city council upon recommendation of the planning and zoning commission and after public hearing, as specified in Sec. 115-62.  District regulations of the City of Watauga Code of Ordinances. <br><br>The property is identified as “Medium Density Residential” on the City of Watauga Future Land Use Plan and will remain as such. Medium density residential is indicative of smaller single-family detached lots. Typical lot sizes are 6,000 square feet or less. <br><br data-pasted="true">The 1.455 acre development falls just under the medium density designation.<br><br>The proposed development is located within proximity to other land uses,

This motion is scored as RESTRAINS_GOVERNMENT (Impact Weight: 6.5/10). Under the Bastiat Liberty Watchdog Index, voting YES on measures that cap or reduce ad valorem tax burdens, expand taxpayer exemptions, retire debt early, enforce competitive bidding caps, or remove regulatory/zoning barriers to private property rights earns a positive Pro-Liberty score.