KELLER — The City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission are revisiting the future land use plan after more developers have asked for higher density lot sizes in north Keller and nearby residents have voiced concerns.
The current plan, which serves as a guide for the city to address factors that influence development, was adopted in 1998.During a joint work session Feb. 25, council members and commissioners discussed the need for an update to the plan and discussed the possibility of a comprehensive plan for the city.A real estate report and population report were given before the discussion that showed trends across the country and locally.Some of the data revealed households with one person have taken a dramatic increase since 1940. Real estate trends indicate more sales of smaller homes because they require less maintenance.Council members and commissioners were in agreement that the land use plan needs to be cautiously revisited, taking into consideration opinions of both residents and developers."The plan needs to be updated," Councilman Doug Miller said. "I think the plan has a lot of elements in it that don’t belong in it anymore. They don’t match what is actually going on in Keller."Mayor Pat McGrail agreed the project is needed and should include an advisory committee made up of the business community and residents from all areas of Keller."If we choose to go through this process, it will probably take close to two years to study and come up with a new plan, not to mention the cost," he said. "So it’s not a quick fix."Community Development Manager Tom Elgin said the city approached three planning consultants about the project and received estimates from two of them.Commissioner Leslie Sagar said what really counts, regardless of whether the city looks into just the future land use plan or a full-blown comprehensive plan, is what the citizens want."Public input is key, it’s paramount for the study," Sagar said.Sagar also suggested while the study is under way, commissioners and council members should handle applications in the same way they currently are being handled.City Manager Steve Polasek said the first meeting was a good starting point for ideas that will be brought back to council members and commissioners."Going forward, we got some very good direction ... on how we can start, so to speak, eating the elephant."McGrail said the meeting was a success and an example of open government."I think a lot of good come out of this tonight," he said. "To the citizens that are out there, we hear you, we’re going to address your concerns and we’re going to make sure it’s done right."Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
