Updated: 11:22: Included additional video footage of the round of applause for Ann Lemons vote.
Updated: 11:22: Included additional video footage of the round of applause for Ann Lemons vote.
Updated: 10:23: Including additional video footage of the Vote.
Forney, TX - A packed house at the Planning and Zoning Meeting in Forney on January 2nd showcased the passionate opposition of local residents from the Highland Prairie and Emerald Ranch communities to the proposed Wayfare Addition. The development plan, which aims to convert 50 acres of single-family residential land into multifamily housing, has stirred significant concern among those who believe it threatens the character and safety of their neighborhoods.
Amid the crowd, residents voiced their frustrations over the city’s inability to enforce land use restrictions. Questions were raised about whether the county could impose any regulations, with one board member wondering if the area was simply a “Wild West” of uncontrolled development. Alarmingly, neither the city attorney nor the developer of the Wayfare Addition attended the meeting, leaving residents feeling unheard amid their unanimous opposition.
Jennifer Kilpatrick, a concerned local resident, highlighted critical issues surrounding water management in the area. She recounted how the out-of-city-limits(City of Forney has no zoning control) construction of warehouses uphill led to devastating flooding, causing two homes to suffer complete losses. Kilpatrick emphasized that the existing infrastructure in her community was not engineered to handle the additional runoff from the proposed multifamily development. With the Wayfare Addition lying outside the city’s Extraterritorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), residents feel caught in a limbo where neither the city nor the county takes responsibility for the impending consequences.
Kilpatrick also pointed out a troubling trend: the City of Forney’s history of annexing non-ETJ projects after their construction. She warned that zoning loopholes allow large projects to bypass scrutiny while they are still under county jurisdiction, only to be absorbed into the city later, further complicating zoning and land use oversight.
As the time allotted to the Wayfare Addition concluded, the Planning and Zoning commission stated once again that it could not enforce zoning regulations on the Wayfare Addition, and that this was only regarding the plot lines. The overwhelming sentiment among residents and board members was one of unified objection to the proposed development.
After a short recess, the Vote was repeated, as the noise made it difficult to hear. The final vote was 4-1 in favor, with Ms Ann Lemons the lone dissenting vote from the Planning and Zoning Commission in Forney.
Finally, when a resident in the back asks "Who Opposed?", the room breaks into a round of applause for Ann Lemons. She has surely endeared herself with the longtime locals who feel this development is against the best interest of Forney and Kaufman County.
Looking ahead, the next critical juncture for the Wayfare Addition will be the city council meeting scheduled for January 21st. Anticipation is already building for another packed session, where residents are expected to voice their strong objections to the multifamily conversion without adequate zoning controls. The future of Forney’s neighborhoods hangs in the balance as the community stands together to protect their homes and way of life.