At the Weatherford City Council Tuesday night, several agenda items including ones for voluntary annexation, rezoning and a planned unit development overlay were removed from the agenda after developer John McKenzie said he heard from the community, listened to those comments, and consulted with city staff regarding his proposed for The Enclave at Chisolm Trail.
McKenzie addressed council and those in attendance by saying he wanted the subdivision to be an asset to Weatherford and not a hinderance, and from the feedback he’d received, that wasn’t possible at this time with what was proposed.
At issue with potential neighbors was the amount of traffic in that area, as well as water and wastewater concerns and the actual need for that many homes in such a small area.
Mayor Pro-Tem Zack Smith said despite the fact that council would not be taking any action or commenting on the items, he would allow the public hearing to be opened so those in attendance could speak.
Lynn Baber, who moderates a social media page about Weatherford development, asked the council about what material value the planned development overlay proposed offered the city, about the strain on the infrastructure, school district, and demand for water.
After closing the public hearing, Smith had city staff address some of those concerns briefly. Rick Shaffer, director of water utilities, said due to forethought, Weatherford has “ample water supply for several decades.” Assistant City Manager Chad Marbut added that the expected growth has been planned for and that the city is poised to handle it.
Smith addressed the school district impacts by saying he had spoken with Weatherford ISD Superintendent Dr. Beau Rees who told him that enrollment has become flat after experiencing a small surge a few years ago and that the district is prepared.
Scott McDonald, Weatherford Director of Development Services, reminded council and the audience that if a new proposal is submitted, it would go through the Planning & Zoning Commission as well as City Council and be subject to public hearings before approval or denial.
Also at the meeting, council voted to authorize the City Manager to execute a contract with Gilco Contracting for approximately $2 million for the extension of Kirkpatrick Drive to Bethel Road. (Kirkpatrick runs behind Hobby Lobby.) The project includes the extension of approximately 1,200 linear feet of roadway, 815 linear feet of storm drain, 1,250 linear feet of 8” water line, and 1,910 linear feet of 8” wastewater line and will be paid for by the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 1 (TIRZ 1) Public Improvements.
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