HARKER HEIGHTS, Texas (KXXV) — The Harker Heights City Council approved Tuesday night the development of the Knights Garden Homes plat, a new 24-acre housing project consisting of 53 residential lots, despite significant concerns from local residents.
This decision follows an 8-1 approval from the Heights Planning and Zoning Commission last month.
Residents voiced their frustrations at a recent city council meeting, raising concerns about the safety and management of Big Valley Lane.
This private cul-de-sac will have to be converted into a public road to meet development requirements, prompting worries about increased traffic and potential accidents.
Additionally, residents fear that the introduction of smaller residential homes could lower the property values of existing homes in the area.
Despite these concerns, city officials were compelled to approve the development due to legislation mandating approval of plats meeting city and neighborhood thresholds.
Planning Administrator Yvonne Spell gave the potential ramifications of the council denying this proposal.
"If city council does not approve this plat, then I believe that opens us up to a civil suit," Spell said.
Charles Latch, a Harker Heights resident who relocated from Austin two years ago, highlighted the importance of infrastructure to support growth.
"The most important thing for me is the infrastructure of roads — we kind of have one main road that connects us to the world here," Latch said.
"As long as we expand that road and have the arteries that are large enough to support the people coming, that would be my biggest concern."
Councilwoman Lynda Nash empathized with the residents’ concerns, but explained the council's limited options.
"Our hands are tied — we don’t want to vote for this, but if we don’t, it’s going to be approved anyways," Nash said.
"We all feel your agony and your anxiety, that you hate this and we do too, but we can only follow the law."
