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Here we go again. A developer is again asking for zoning changes in the Bryant Lake community off Hamilton Road, and again, nearby residents are opposing the change. 

During the May 13 LaGrange City Council Meeting, the city held a public hearing to discuss a potential rezoning of approximately 75 acres of property located next to Bryant Lake Boulevard from Traditional Neighborhood Residential (TN-R) to Traditional Neighborhood Residential (TN-R). 

The rezoning change to a zoning designation of the same name was requested by the owner, Keith Newberry of Keystone Custom Homes.

Newberry requested the change to remove restrictions placed on the property in February 2019. The change would allow for similar housing density to the current homes in the Bryant Lake development, Newberry said. Opposition from the public raised concerns about traffic, school overcrowding and the impact on existing neighborhoods.

“Our ask is that we have an opportunity to develop this to the current [Unified Development Ordinance], which would allow us to put a different concept plan together than what was approved in the 2019 concept plan,” Newberry said.

Keystone wants to build approximately 193 single-family detached homes on the property. By right, they can currently build 148 homes on the 75-acre property. They don’t plan to build apartments, Newberry said.

“Our goal is to try and utilize all of the property of this parcel. I would like to remind this group and all listening that our request is not to change the size of lots with what’s consistent with the TN-R zoning for both our neighborhood and the adjacent neighborhood. We don’t seek to build homes that are beyond the scope of purchase for the people in this community. Our goal is to bring new quality homes to this community at an affordable price that hard-working Americans can buy into the American dream of owning their own homes,” Newberry said.

“Our request is that we be allowed to redesign the layout of the neighborhood, offer an amenity package to the neighborhood and provide walkable sidewalks along both sides of our development to connect all the neighborhoods,” Newberry said. “We are just asking to be treated like all the other builders and developers in the town that are working under the current UDO.”

Newberry explained that the added homes can be included without increasing the home density in the area because they want to utilize an additional 15 acres that he says was incorrectly identified as being a flood plain.

“The original owner didn’t do any due diligence to really determine if this is a buildable area,” Newberry said. “We’ve learned since then that there’s actually approximately 15 additional acres that could be utilized for homes that we would hate to see go to waste.”

Newberry said the biggest concern isn’t the lot size requirements. It’s the site plan.

“Those legislative conditions make this site plan bound, so we have to build these houses in this configuration,” Newberry said. “We can’t squeeze an amenity in here or in there … unless we rezone. It’s got to be that drawing.”

Bryant Lake resident Tom Comway said he fears that if the city approves this change, Keystone will again ask for the other property in the community to be rezoned.

In March 2024, the City Council unanimously voted to deny a request to rezone a different 39 acres of property adjacent to Bryant Lake Boulevard owned by Keystone Custom Homes from Corridor Medium Density Residential (CR-MR) to Corridor Medium Density Residential (CR-MR) to remove existing conditional zoning legislation dated February 2019.

“My concern is, if you change this zoning now, then he’s going to come back and want to reapply to have the other side rezoned, which will exacerbate the problem,” Conway said. “My feeling is that he bought the property with the understanding that he could build as many as 148 houses with a minimum square footage of 1500 square feet that had to have garages. That’s the way it was when he bought the property.”

“If I had my choice, I would say, don’t develop it at all. But that’s being selfish, and I know that’s not going to happen,” Conway said.

Bryant Lake resident and retired teacher Robin Lattimore said her concern was schools and traffic.

“I still do a lot of substitute teaching. I lived in Texas for about 17 years, and they’re famous for building lots of new neighborhoods, and then worrying about the schools later. We talked about the overcrowding. That is a big issue. We would build new schools in Texas, and they were already putting up trailers, because the neighborhoods were going up faster than they could get the school built,” Lattimore said. “If you think about 148 lots, plus the apartments coming in, plus the townhomes that are there, plus the new phase coming up in Bryant Lake, ClearView is going to be overburdened and overwhelmed. They’ll have to build new schools or start rezoning the kids to other schools.” 

A first reading was held for the potential rezoning, but no vote was held. A vote for the potential zoning change is expected at the May 27 council meeting.