CCG and Greystar requested a change to the city’s zoning map, which designated 13.92 acres on Brown-Hufsmith Road east of SH 249 as commercial to multi-family development so they could move forward with a project for a high end apartment complex.

The council unanimously voted down the request at its May 18 meeting after several city residents who lived near the proposed development spoke out against the plan.

Initial plans called for the property to house a Kohl’s department store, as well as several other smaller retailers, but those plans were scrapped after Kohl’s pulled out of the deal. The Shoppes at Spring Creek Commons never got off the ground and more than 30 acres now lay cleared of trees, but undeveloped.

Most of the residents who spoke out against the zoning change cited problems resulting from increased traffic, overcrowding in Tomball schools and the belief that multi-family developments create an increase in crime in the area.

“We’ve seen it,” Rick Tomlinson said. “We know what apartments sometimes bring.”

However, a report issued by City Planner Kelly Violette stated that the project would “not significantly impact traffic” or public infrastructure in the area, and that there was “sufficient capacity for water and sewage.”

Violette also stated that Tomball ISD Superintendent John Neubauer said that there was enough room in the district’s schools to accommodate the increase in population.

“I don’t think there’s a question there will be more traffic,” Gary Smith, a resident of North Star Estates, said at the meeting.

Bill Sumner, who was among the leaders of the efforts to nix the original CCG and Greystar plan, again spoke out against the latest project.

“I could go over traffic, drainage, overcrowding in schools,” he said. “But the whole problem is, these are the people who elect you. We don’t want another apartment complex.”

CCG’s Jeff Presnal was on hand at the meeting to address the council and promote the project.

Presnal refuted claims among local residents that he is “a fly by night developer.” He cited “a dozen or so senior and multi-family developments” similar to the one he was proposing, as well as Main Street Crossing and the Tomball CVS located on Main Street as among the projects his company has headed up.

Presnal said there has been a “campaign of misinformation” regarding CCG’s plans for the housing development. He also noted that CCG helped the city acquire the right-of-way for the Brown-Hufsmith Road extension.

“We’ve spent our money to get the city the right-of-way,” Presnal said. “We’ve done our part to alleviate the traffic burden.”

In December, the council voted down a similar proposal by CCG and Greystar to build a multi-family development on the southwest corner of Brown Road and SH 249. Much like the latest plan, residents of nearby subdivisions came out in force against the plan and influenced the council to vote it down.

In her report, Violette stated that students and counselors at Lone Star College-Tomball have cited a lack of quality housing in Tomball. Additionally, her report stated that of the 1,500 full-time employees at Tomball Regional Medical Center, the majority do not live in Tomball “because there is not a mix of high quality housing options available.”

“With the anticipated addition of another ten thousand people in Tomball by the year 2030 it is important to determine where and what housing opportunities will be available to accommodate this growth.”

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