Grove PUD delayed again

Discussion on The Grove at Shoal Creek Planned Unit Development has been put on hold once again as city staff is still reviewing the overall project. Although it was on the agenda for the May 18 Environmental Commission meeting and a roomful of stakeholders showed up to speak, commissioners decided to wait to hear it until it was “fully cooked.” City Environmental Officer Chuck Lesniak told commissioners that the Planning and Zoning Department was still reviewing the project and discussing it with the applicant, ARG Bull Creek Ltd. Representatives from the Bull Creek Road Coalition and Friends of the Grove, who stayed until the item was brought up around 9:45 p.m., agreed to hold off until there were solid recommendations, although Sara Speights, BCRC president, asked if it could be an item next time to some laughter and applause. Meanwhile, the applicant seems eager to move things forward. The applicant’s representative, attorney Jeff Howard, said that the project has cleared drainage, water quality, trees and environmental concerns, and urged the commission to consider the project before June 1. However, Environmental Commission Chair Marisa Perales said that she recognizes that Watershed Protection had made its determination back in November, but “environmental issues in our purview go beyond just what Watershed Protection has looked at, to open space and parkland requirements. We want to be able to look at a broader scope of environmental issues.” Commissioners voted unanimously to refer the item to the Development Subcommittee as soon as the staff comes up with an overall project recommendation.