Allen Planning Commission Backs Zoning Change Near Bethany, Allen Heights Drive

Jerry Carroll has spent nearly three decades tending a garden in the backyard of his half-acre lot on Lake Travis Drive in Allen, and he wants to keep it that way. When eight new homes were proposed for the open field that backs up to his neighborhood, he showed up to the Allen Planning and Zoning Commission's March 17 meeting to say so.

The commission wasn't swayed. In a 6-0 vote, with commissioner Danielle Westgard absent, the commission recommended approval to change the zoning of roughly two acres at the northwest corner of Allen Heights Drive and Bethany Drive to a single-family residential zoning type. If approved, the zoning change would enable the development of eight homes, city documents state.

The site's current zoning plans for agricultural and open space uses. The proposed lots range from 6,000 to 7,900 square feet, according to city documents. The concept plan includes an access point that aligns with Bethany Lakes Park, a northbound left turn lane, and an 8-foot-high masonry wall, Senior Planner Kim Yockey said.

Carroll, who gave his address as 1615 Lake Travis Drive, told commissioners he has lived in Allen since 1998. He said he bought his half-acre lot specifically because of the open space that surrounded it, and that the proposed homes would look directly into his backyard. His primary objection was privacy, but he raised a second concern as well: traffic on Malone Road. "During school days, Malone Road is highly congested and almost unsafe," he told the commission. He referenced the prospect of 45 more homes bringing roughly 90 additional trips to the area, though his full comment was not completed in the available record.

Carroll was not alone in his concerns. Another resident who testified noted that nearby lots on Travis run a half-acre in size, while their own lot is one-third of an acre. That speaker argued the proposed lots, which would fall well below those sizes, would be "degrading" to the neighborhood. "They are not against development, but want the R-2 to remain so that surrounding property values would not be degraded," the testimony stated.

The rezoning recommendation now heads to Allen City Council for final action. The commission's 6-0 vote signals strong staff and board support for the change, but Carroll and his neighbors along Lake Travis Drive are watching closely to see whether their concerns carry more weight before the full council.