Item 8 - SPIN2025-03 - 500 E Bob Jones Rd
SPIN MEETING REPORT
SPIN Item Number: SPIN2025-03
City Case Number: ZA25-0014
Project Name: 500 E. Bob Jones Rd.
SPIN Neighborhood: 1
Meeting Date: March 25, 2025
Meeting Location: 1400 Main Street, Southlake, TX
City Council Chambers
Total Attendance: 57
Hosts: Ryan Firestone
Applicant Presenting: Jody Boyd
City Staff Present: Ryan Firestone, Planning Technician
FORUM SUMMARY:
Property Situation: 500 E. Bob Jones Rd.
Development Details:
• Proposing a 7-lot residential development at 500 E. Bob Jones Rd. with a zoning change
from “AG” Agricultural District to “SF-1A” Single Family Residential District.
Presentation:
o ones
Comments, Questions, and Concerns:
Q: Asking about if the road will take out two huge oak trees in the area.
A: Believes the road will avoid the two trees but will have to confirm.
Q: Are you going to have to change the elevation of all the lots?
A: No, it’s pretty flat and we will use the natural grade.
Q: Where will the water runoff go?
A: Water will flow to the lake as it does now.
C: Cites he and other neighbors are strongly opposed to due to roads becoming
diminished and driving down his property value and quality of life.
C: Cites he is opposed to this plan and that it feels like déjà vu from this plan being
presented in 2017.
Q: Wondering what road frontage will the front 3 houses, if there is going to be a
subdivision fence, and wants clarity on drainage?
A: The three houses will face Bob Jones, the drainage will flow through the NE portion
of the lot into Grapevine Lake and will not add to the existing drainage issues on Bob
Jones.
C: Says he moved to Charlotte, NC back in 2016, but kept his property in Southlake
because of the uniqueness it has, and he wants it to stay unique. Wants the developer
to find a different spot for this development and cites infrastructure issues as one of the
main reasons.
C: Says Southlake advertises on their website the rural feel of North Southlake and that
this proposal is not that. Also, cites how there is not a drainage easement shown on the
development plan showing the flow of water into the lake.
Q: What do you plan on doing with the hillside separating the property to the east of the
proposed development?
A: We will improve that with a retaining wall that holds the site up.
Q How high will the wall be?
A: Depends on what the current existing grade is. We’ll match that grade. Certainly, we
will put a wall there that retains the dirt on your property.
Q: That is a very unstable hillside. Are you aware of that?
A: I have looked at it and we will get with our professionals and design it adequately.
Q: What limitations do you plan on for roof height?
A: Two story homes would be my anticipation.
Q: Would you be willing to consider a limit of height on roofs that matches the existing
home?
A: We would be willing to consider that.
C: It would have a direct impact on me, I will be sitting on my back patio staring at a
forest of roofs instead of Grapevine Lake. I am definitely opposed to any very high slope
angled roofs.
A: We will certainly take into consideration the roof heights as we move forward with our
plans.
Q: Are they doing septic systems?
A: Yes.
Q: Do you plan leach fields?
A: They don’t do leach fields anymore. They’ll all e aero ic systems. The states
upgraded their standards on that and no longer allow leach fields.
Q: Has concerns with current road conditions and is wondering if there are any talks
with the city to make it better to sustain the traffic and to take care of all the potholes
and other damages?
A: We’re happy to look at resurfacing the half of our road that goes along the front of our
property.
C: Giving a heads up on the amount of water in that area regarding flooding pools and
everything else.
Q: Are you going to have to extend utilities down the road?
A: We will have to ring water, since there’s septic there’s no sewer to extend.
C: Voicing concern on the road conditions and the effects this development could have
on them.
A: There are standards within the city that we are required to do from a traffic standpoint
and to assess that. With the total lots only being six additional, the traffic impact will be
negligible.
C: Voicing her concerns with adding another pocket neighborhood in Southlake and
how this one will ruin the rural fell of the neighborhood.
Q: What kind of fencing are we talking about here?
A: We are going to retain the existing split-rail fence that surrounds the property. We will
probably add some stone columns similar to what exists on the entrance of the existing
home now. We are not intending to put a big wall or anything like that.
Q: In the ack, is it going to e a privacy fence that they’re allowed to uild or what are
you proposing there?
A: We will retain the current fence that goes all the way around the property.
Q: Are the new homeowners going to be required to maintain that fencing?
A: We will dictate terms to the new homeowners. It’ll stay.
Q: Voicing concerns about fertilizer, septic tanks, etc. running off into Lake Grapevine. If
you are successful will we have more conversations about what the nature of these
homes will look like?
A: Yes, certainly. To address Lake Grapevine, we all live downstream of the lake, in fact
every neighborhood that lives upstream of the lake gets affluent water to Lake
Grapevine. With all the standards that that the city and state have, the septic systems
will not negatively impact the water quality of Lake Grapevine.
C: Talking about how dust from construction will impact the quality of life for her and
how the traffic will affect the horse farms in the area.
C: Concerned with the increase traffic flow this will bring to the neighborhood and roads.
Cites how the roads are not ig enough and there are no sidewalks and puts kid’s at
risk when they are out riding horses.
Q: How long are you anticipating this to take?
A: Zoning cases take anywhere from 4-6 months to process. From the time we start
turning dirt it could take about two years.
Q: Are you building the homes or are you offering the builder?
A: No, we do horizontal construction which will take about a year for the subdivision and
then about another year for the homes themselves.
Q: How can you guarantee that you can sell those lots because we've already got a
pocket neighborhood in our area that hasn't sold one house?
A: Well, I’ll tell you what I will commit to you that we won't uild the su division until we
sell the lots. We won't do the deal until we sell them up front.
C: Continues to voice concern over empty lots being an eyesore if no one builds a
house on them, even if they are already sold to a builder.
C: Voicing concerns over construction noises disrupting the neighborhood, how this
area is supposed to be agricultural, and how it is one of the last neighborhoods in
Southlake like this. Only area that has acreage. Also, talks about how the wildlife will go
away because their habitat will be taken away from them.
A: We have private property rights and have the right to develop our property. There ’s a
neigh orhood right across the way that’s one acre lots and I am sure everyone was
against it, ut now they’re a fa ric of the community. I promise you that when we’re
done with this, you’ll end up walking down the street with your dogs and your daughter
and your mother. That’s what happens every single time.
C: We want to keep one last piece of paradise and keep this place rural. It is nothing
against you.
A: My counter to that would be this property was for sale for many months before we
contracted it, if you really wanted to keep the paradise you could have pooled your
money and bought the property and kept it agricultural. I don’t want to e
argumentative, but I disagree.
Q: Are you asking for a zoning change?
A: Yes, it is agricultural zoned right now.
C: I am not uying what you are proposing due to previous guarantees that didn’t come
to fruition in the past. Ex: CMO promising street lights, sidewalks, and sewers.
Q: How many of your previous developments been in lake areas?
A: We did one ack in 2 2 that’s called “Hidden Trails” off urney Lane. There were 8
one acre plus lots that they’re uilding houses on right now. That’s the only one I’ve
done that’s acked up to Lake Grapevine. This site will end up having more trees on it
than it does now because we will require our builders to plant four or five, six-inch trees
in the front yards.
Q: Have you bought the property yet?
A: No ma’am it is under contract.
Q: That is going to be a requirement of the builder or the buyer to face East Bob Jones
Rd? (3 front lots)
A: Yes sir.
Q: If they decide they want to face the cul-de-sac street, you’re not going to allow it?
A: Well, the existing house obviously exists so it faces bob jones, we'll leave that. Lot
number 2, that's its only option. Lot 7, I think it makes more sense for it to face Bob
Jones. We're certainly flexible about that, but our intention right now is that that faces
Bob Jones.
Q: Unintelligible – did not use mic.
A: For instance, if somebody wanted to come buy a lot 1 and 2 and retain the barn that's
there and make that a two acre lot, and they were willing to come step to the line, so to
speak, we'd be happy to do that.
SPIN Meeting Reports are general observations of SPIN Meetings by City staff and SPIN Representatives. The report is neither
verbatim nor official meeting minutes; rather it serves to inform elected and appointed officials, City staff, and the public of the issues
and questions raised by residents and the general responses made. Responses as summarized in this report should not be taken
as guarantees by the applicant. Interested parties are strongly encouraged to follow the case through the Planning and Zoning
Commission and final action by City Council.
Southlake Connect Results for March 25, 2025 SPIN Town Hall Forum