Item 6B - NarrativeDevelopment Narrative:
Introducing Bridlegate, a 9.56-acre luxury gated subdivision at the corner of W. Bob
Jones and N. White Chapel - just minutes from the Bob Jones Nature Preserve and
walking distance to horse trails along Lake Grapevine. This development features eight
estate-sized homesites, mature trees, and four private pond sites. Thoughtfully
designed to blend privacy, natural beauty, and an aesthetic consistent with surrounding
developments, the plan maintains a low-density layout that aligns with the character of
the area.
Community Features:
Directly across from Saddleback Ridge Estates, accessed off of W Bob Jones will be six
interior lots. These lots will be part of an HOA, which will maintain the private road,
entrance pond, and gated entry. The entrance location and design have been carefully
considered to provide safe and efficient access, with minimal traffic generated by the
homes. The entry allows vehicles to fully pull off W. Bob Jones prior to the gate,
minimizing any impact to through traffic.
Across from Bob Jones Park on N White Chapel will feature two premier frontage
estates. Each lot features a private gated entrance and individual ponds near lot
frontage. Homes will be set back to maintain the wide, estate feel this area is known for,
while preserving the overall aesthetic of the corridor. No internal streets or additional
access points are proposed along N. White Chapel.
Bridlegate features 1+ acre homesites with a layout that follows the natural contours of
the land. As you move through the community, the setting opens up with rolling terrain,
preserved mature trees, and a series of thoughtfully placed pond features. These ponds
are designed to serve both aesthetic and stormwater management purposes, working
with the natural slope of the property.
From within Bridlegate, residents will enjoy water views and a natural landscape that
feels established and intentional - while to the passersby, that same character extends
beyond the development, reflecting the natural beauty of the nearby Bob Jones Park
and elevating the overall presence of the community.
Narrative Supporting Retention of the Private Street / Gated Entrance (Proposal A)
The request to retain the private street is not simply about installing a gate – it’s about creating a
development that is compatible with the surrounding developments and capable of supporting the
level of private investment envisioned along the West Bob Jones corridor.
Bridlegate is proposed as a luxury neighborhood with homes expected to exceed $4.5 million in
value. A private street allows the HOA to support the higher level of annual funding necessary to
justify significant enhancements beyond the City's minimum requirements. Upgrades include
underground utilities, a signature entrance pond and fountain, premium landscaping, and a gated
entrance. These improvements are privately funded, privately maintained, and create no long-
term maintenance obligation for the City.
If the development is required to become a public street (Proposal B), the economics
fundamentally change. A public street community cannot reasonably support the same HOA
structure or annual dues, making many of these voluntary improvements economically
impractical. The result would be a much simpler entrance similar to the Rainey Court
development - a screening wall with more basic landscaping rather than the estate-quality
entrance envisioned under Proposal A. We would also lose the following upgrades under a
public entrance: Underground utilities, entrance pond and fountain, pass-through fencing along
corridor, and the gated entrance.
We have surveyed nearby residents. All 31 respondents supported the private gated entrance,
while none preferred a public street with a screening wall similar to Rainey Court.
Residents consistently indicated that a private entrance better preserves the character, privacy,
and quality of this section of West Bob Jones Road.
Proposal A represents an opportunity for the City to encourage substantial private investment
that enhances one of Southlake's premier residential corridors without creating additional public
expense. It delivers an entrance that reflects the character of the surrounding estate
neighborhoods, is fully maintained by the HOA, and aligns with the overwhelming preference of
the neighboring residents.
For these reasons, we respectfully request that the Council approve Proposal A and allow
Bridlegate to retain its proposed private street and gated entrance.