Council approves Bobtown Road housing PD amid residents’ traffic, safety concerns

The Garland City Council on Sept. 15 approved a planned-development rezoning to allow a single-family detached neighborhood on Bobtown Road, despite intense resident opposition centered on traffic and safety.

The request, presented by staff and developer representatives, covers roughly 14.68 acres and would allow about 77 homes (approximately 5.4 units per acre), with deviations from SF‑5 standards on lot width and lot coverage. Planning staff recommended approval with conditions for landscaping, ornamental fencing with masonry columns along Bobtown, meandering six-foot sidewalks, and a requirement to develop a construction management plan to limit construction impacts.

“Generalized traffic concerns without a technical finding that a project’s generation exceeds applicable thresholds are not on legally sufficient grounds to deny a rezoning request,” City Attorney (legal counsel) told the council while explaining the city’s standard and the staff traffic review. Paul, the city’s director of transportation, said the development fell below the threshold that triggers a full traffic-impact analysis and that the developer supplied a traffic memo showing both access points operating at acceptable levels.

Residents pressed the council for a full traffic study and infrastructure fixes. “I cannot imagine bringing in multiple homes… I would request that we do do a formal traffic study, if that's an option,” said Georgia Ray, a nearby resident who described repeated delays and near-collisions on Bobtown Road. Other neighbors spoke of trucks striking homes, long waits to enter the roadway and concerns about on-street parking and child safety at bus stops.

Developer representatives said they reduced density from an earlier proposal, increased lot sizes, committed to architectural enhancements and agreed to move playgrounds away from Bobtown. Maxwell Fisher, representing the applicant, said the build would generate roughly 45 vehicles in the peak hour across both access points and that two access streets would disperse traffic.

After hours of public comment and council questions, Councilmember Moore moved to approve the rezoning with an amendment directing the developer to work with staff on a construction-management plan; Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Dutton seconded. The motion passed 7–2, with Councilmembers Scobiano and Tran recorded in opposition.

The approval requires the applicant to meet the conditions set by staff and the plan commission, including screening, sidewalk and amenity commitments. Councilmembers said they will pursue a future work session to review Bobtown Road and Lyons Road for possible capital improvements and enforcement or striping changes to improve safety.