A developer's plan to carve about 60 acres south of Old Alton Road into a 45-lot subdivision is headed to the Planning and Zoning Commission on Wednesday, Oct. 21, with city staff recommending denial unless commissioners give the applicant another month to fix the plat.
The final plat for the Norgaard Addition was filed Sept. 21 by Traverse Land Surveying on behalf of the Norgaard Revocable Trust. The land sits about 2,840 feet from Copper Canyon Road in Division 1 of Denton's extraterritorial jurisdiction, outside the city limits.
The drawing in the agenda packet shows rows of lots of roughly an acre each, along with two lots set aside for a homeowners association.
Why staff says no, for now
Planning staff concluded the plat "does not meet the established criteria for approval" and listed the problems in a multipage analysis. Among them:
- One way in. The subdivision would take access from Old Alton Road through a single entrance. Staff asked whether that had been coordinated with city and county officials, noting that two access points are usually required for developments of 30 lots or more.
- Nearby gas wells. City records show active gas wells within 1,000 feet. Lots inside that distance must be marked on the plat with a note telling buyers about the producing wells and the possibility that wells could be drilled, fractured or re-fractured in the future.
- Water and sewer. The city will not provide water or wastewater service. Staff wants the plat to spell out who will, and to state who serves water to any lot under two acres.
- Roads and flooding. Staff asked whether the subdivision's streets will be public or private, and for street names if public. Because Old Alton is a county road, staff said land along it should be shown as a right-of-way reservation rather than a dedication. Floodplain crosses part of two lots, and staff asked for minimum finished floor elevations and the city's standard environmentally sensitive area note.
A month's reprieve on the table
On Oct. 6, a city planner emailed the applicant that a resubmittal would be required and that staff would recommend denial at the Oct. 21 meeting. The email offered three choices: withdraw, ask for a 30-day extension, or face the denial recommendation. A managing partner at Cana Capital answered the same afternoon: "30 day extension please."
Staff says it has no objection to the extension, which would move the plat to Nov. 18. Commissioners can grant the extension, approve the plat as submitted or deny it with reasons. The packet says this is the first extension request and that the applicant may ask for more later.
