Southlake Residents Petition Against High-Density Senior Living Complex
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A nonprofit faith-based organization wants to build an apartment complex that would provide shelter to up to 300 senior citizens in Southlake — but residents near the 21-acre site on Davis Boulevard are balking at the high-density proposal.
The matter is set to go before the Southlake Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 7.
Southlake resident Jason Wang started a Change.org petition in early October outlining the reasons he and his neighbors oppose Forefront Living’s proposal. About 260 residents have signed the petition.
The proposed development is surrounded by single-family homes near what residents say is an already dangerous intersection at Davis and Southlake boulevards. Traffic, safety hazards, and “disproportionate building size” are among the chief concerns, Wang has said.
Affordable Senior Housing
The Lone Star State’s housing affordability crisis is lost on no one.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced his agency’s Housing Affordability Challenge report and noted that Texans are suffering from elevated prices and high interest rates “that put significant upward pressures on the costs of borrowing and home ownership.”
“Simply put, our state, which is generally well regarded for its low cost of living, is facing the pressures of a decline in housing affordability as our population and demand for housing continue to rise,” Hegar said in a press release. “Since 2008, Texas has been the No. 1 state for new building permits for privately owned housing units. However, the state’s population, particularly in the major metropolitan areas, is growing at a quicker pace than housing is being built.”
While the comptroller’s report highlights the need for more housing to accommodate the state’s growing population — especially among the 765,000 seniors struggling to afford rent or mortgages — residents are raising concerns about the proposed Forefront Living facility’s impact on traffic congestion and local resources, Change.org senior communications specialist Austyn Ross said in an email to CandysDirt.com.
Wang further explained on a website devoted to the project that “a corner of our community is on the brink of a drastic transformation due to the proposed construction of the Forefront senior living facility at 300-684 Davis Boulevard in Southlake.”
“This development poses serious threats to our community’s safety, character, and quality of life,” he said.
Neighborhood Concerns
Wang mentions on his website that the proposed development was presented to the Southlake Planning and Zoning Commission but “little community objection has been documented for the P&Z Commission and City Council.”
The Southlake project isn’t advertised on Forefront Living’s website so it’s unclear whether plans have changed since the petition launched. The P&Z was supposed to hear the matter on Oct.17 but delayed it to Nov. 7.
The Change.org petition encourages residents to write a letter to the P&Z and express opposition based on the following:
Traffic and safety hazards: The influx of 200 to 300 residents, 90 employees, visitors, and service vehicles will lead to a dramatic increase in traffic on Davis Boulevard near Southlake Boulevard, the website states.
From the site: “This area is already busy and this congestion is recognized by the City of Southlake and Texas Department of Transportation, as evidenced by approved and proposed projects on Davis Boulevard to address increasing traffic, increased congestion, and high crash rates.”
Disproportionate building size: The proposed facility is a massive structure (four levels plus a basement parking garage) that doesn’t fit the residential scale of the neighborhood, the website states.
From the site: “Surrounded by single-family homes, this oversized building will loom over our community, disrupting the aesthetics and harmonious balance of our community and potentially reducing property values. We deserve a neighborhood that reflects our values, not one dominated by towering developments. This facility’s high-density design is akin to an apartment complex. It could strain local resources and infrastructure, including emergency services. We cannot allow this kind of development to transform our peaceful neighborhoods into congested communities.”
