Allen City Council approves construction of more apartments – Star Local Media

A major apartment complex development has been given the OK by the Allen City Council.

Davis at Montgomery Ridge, a multi-story, two-phase project, was approved on Tuesday by the council at their regularly scheduled meeting.

The urban residential development will occupy a little more than 10 acres off Montgomery Boulevard, south of Bethany Drive and west of U.S. Highway 75.

According to Gene Babb with Davis Development, the project will be built in two phases. Phase one will consist of 363 units in a 4-5 story apartment building of about 503,000 square feet. Phase two will see the construction of a second residential 4-5 story building with 252 units occupying about 344,000 square feet.

The complex will offer apartments in one, two and three bedroom sizes. In the east side building one, one-bedroom units will account for 58 percent of available options, two-bedroom units will make up 39 percent and three-bedroom apartments will comprise 3 percent. Building two will consist of 60 percent one-bedroom units, 37 percent two-bedroom units and 3 percent three-bedroom units.

Parking garages will complement each building. The buildings will be a wrapped product in the style of recently approved Luxe Allen and Vera Watters Creek apartments. Davis Development was also behind those two complexes.

In what will be a first for urban living in Allen, Davis at Montgomery Ridge will have rooftop swimming pools and recreation areas atop its parking garages complete with cabanas, lounge chairs and seating areas. The complex will also feature open space with amenities including fire pits, grilling areas and outdoor dining areas, though these will be ground-level and not rooftop.

Staff believes that this area is suitable for an urban residential product, said Mahuri Mohan, city senior planner. The area is a good continuation from Watters Creek, and we believe that the density really flows in this area and makes sense.

Councilmen Joey Herald and Carl Clemencich were not in love with the privacy concerns a five-story building could present when single-family homes are built in the near future in the nearby neighborhood.

If [Davis Development] were putting it in the middle of their development, Id go, Whatever you want to do. Youre changing the value of the land surrounding you, Herald said, but now youre changing the value of the land you dont own.

I have a problem with a five-story structure right there when the land use to the north hasnt been defined, Clemencich added.

Though he ultimately voted in favor of the project, Councilman Baine Brooks said he was wary of the approximately 61 students a housing development like this could add to the student population of the Allen school district.

To keep the one high school theme that we have, I just think we need to be careful on these percentages were putting in these schools, he said. We dont want to see portables. Were already building satellites and things of that nature.

Mohan also noted that the school district sat in on pre-construction meetings with city staff and the developer and expressed some concern regarding school capacity at all grade levels.

Urban residential living is the way of the future, Councilman Kurt Kizer said.

I never would have thought it, but the idea of not having my house and not paying what I am and having one or two bedrooms is a lot more appealing than I ever thought it would be, he said. I do kind of see that this is the way things are moving. Lets try to make them as good a product as possible.

Kizer, Brooks, Mayor Stephen Terrell and Mayor Pro Tem Gary Caplinger voted in favor while Herald and Clemencich voted against the project. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the development at their June 20 meeting. City staff also recommended approval.

No residents came forward during the public hearing portion of the meeting.

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Allen City Council approves construction of more apartments - Star Local Media