UPDATE: Earlier this month, the Carrollton City Council held their regular council meeting to vote on the items discussed in the work session last month. The Rail Gauge Partners’ rezoning request regarding the student apartment complex Westwoods, located on Lovvorn Road, was unanimously denied by the council. Both the current owner of Westwood and the representative from Rail Gauge spoke the entire allotted 10 minutes in favor of the request, which had it been approved would have allowed for a transformation of this complex from student living to traditional living. The owner and developer cited vacancies, crime, and the risk of foreclosure as the primary reason the council should have been in favor. However, Councilman Brett Ledbetter asked a few questions to the owner which led him to make the motion to deny this request, citing his background in real estate as giving him prior knowledge of this business, and said he felt the owner was not taking accountability for his mistakes with this property and suggested that the owner find new management for it.Â
Brian Preston’s rezoning request at 105 Burns Road and 103 Carroll Circle from Office-Institutional (O-I) to Residential Planned Development in order to develop 10 single-family residences was approved unanimously by the council. The owners of the tire shop nearby spoke about some concerns they had during the meeting about future residents’ making noise complaints to the city about their business operations, especially considering the growth of the business. There have been previous incidents related to noise that were reconciled well between the owners and other parties. Councilman Bob Uglum suggested a condition be added to the motion for approval that residents of this development sign a document that acknowledges they know they are moving near commercial property and may be susceptible to nuisance. This motion passed unanimously.
Article from 3/26/2024 below:
During Carrollton City Council’s Thursday work session, many rezoning requests were up for discussion. These requests were mostly focused on potential housing developments in Carrollton. The council will officially vote on these items during their April eighth meeting.
Applicant Rail Gauge Partners is requesting a rezoning of 14.78 acres located at 1321 Lovvorn Road, currently known as Westwoods Student Apartments, in order to remove a zoning condition that limits the development to 160 student housing units. They are wanting to do this in order to reconfigure 160 units into 272 units and allow rentals to non-students. Rail Gauge Partners stated in their application that “student housing demand had decreased in the recent years while traditional multi-family demand has increased,” when asked if their proposed use was supported by new or changing conditions in the comprehensive plan. The Planning Commission recommended the council approve this request with the following conditions: 24-hour on-site management be required, installation of Flock cameras at the entrance of the development, installation of security cameras in the parking areas, participation in the multi-family housing inspection program be mandatory, 1,000 feet of GreenBelt spur be installed along Lovvorn Road towards the Carrollton GreenBelt crossing, and the unit matrix not exceed 272 total units. One of the partners with the applying company wrote to the Planning Department requesting an amendment to the condition of the required GreenBelt spur citing that “it would not be a feasible way to install or provide any community benefit” due to the proposed spur dead ending and does not end up closer to the accessing the GreenBelt. Instead the developers proposed installing a nature trail around the existing pond located on the property to provide a “more engaging outdoor experience for tenants and guests.” If the request is approved, Rail Gauge plans to spend approximately $2 million on deferred maintenance and neglected curb appeal. Rail Gauge will add security and SWAT cameras, plate readers, a refreshed gate system, and fob access to the entire property. A local law enforcement agent will be “given a concession” on their unit to live at the property to ensure safety to all residents. Rail Gauge also plans to convert 112 four-bedroom units to one and two bedroom units with upgrades to the unit interiors at a total cost of approximately $9 million.
Another application on the table came from Brian Preston, who is requesting a rezoning of approximately 0.98 acres located at 105 Burns Road and 103 Carroll Circle from Office-Institutional (O-I) to Residential Planned Development in order to develop 10 single-family residences. The tracts are currently developed with a single family residence fronting Burns Road and a professional office fronting Carroll Circle. If the development is approved, all existing structures would be demolished. The planning commission recommended approval of the request with the following conditions: installation of a sidewalk along all road frontages, fences between the homes prohibited since the concept plan stressed the use of backyards as communal gathering spaces, the landscape requirements for the R-10 zoning district apply to this development, the developer establish an enforceable declaration of covenants and restrictions and establish a property owners’ association with the right and obligation to enforce such covenants and restrictions prior to issuance of building permits, and vinyl siding prohibited except on the cornices and soffits.
The city council meeting to determine the results of these requests will be held at the Public Safety Complex in the Municipal Court Room located at 115 West Center Street. The meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be available for live streaming. The link can be found on the city’s official website, https://carrolltonga.com/.
