Nov. 5, 2025

By Mary Beth Gahan

FLOWER MOUND, Texas — In a meeting that stretched into Tuesday morning, Flower Mound town council approved a master plan amendment and zoning change to make way for the 335-acre Eden Ranch.

The development will be built on a piece of land owned by Tyler Radbourne north of Cross Timbers Road and between Shiloh and Red Rock roads. It includes 158 homes, with some built on one acre and others on three-quarters of an acre. It lies in the Cross Timbers Conservation Development District, which has stricter building standards than the rest of the town.

When finished, the gated community is expected to have an orchard, grazing areas, a community center, and greenhouses. It may also include a school or church.

Radbourne hopes that Eden Ranch brings its residents closer to nature and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Several speakers spoke in favor of the development’s unique plans before the council voted on the developer’s request for a master plan amendment to widen Shiloh Road and remove a road that ran through the middle of the development. Radbourne also wanted several exceptions granted for the property, including narrower lots and trees to be removed. The council did not approve the two most debated exemptions — accessory dwelling units allowed across the board and an emergency entrance near Kings Road.

The only council member to vote against all items related to the development was Ann Martin.

The project has been in the works for years and was the subject of much back-and-forth as Radbourne fine-tuned the plans to be more in line with town requirements. The planning and zoning commission and town council each had work sessions related to the development earlier this year.

Then, on Monday night, the meeting lasted more than six hours, with discussion among planning staff, council members and the developer’s team.

During the public hearing, there were so many speakers signed up that Mayor Cheryl Moore limited them to two minutes each.

Many of the speakers were in favor of the project, including those who have moved to Flower Mound after hearing about Eden Ranch. Those who didn’t live in Flower Mound and spoke in favor either planned to move to the development or had a vested interest in the project.

Some in opposition of Eden Ranch expressed concerns about the amount traffic on Shiloh Road and what dangers a right turn off of Cross Timbers Road might entail if there was no deceleration lane.

Town planning staff determined that if the east-west road that runs through the property was removed, it would add even more traffic to Shiloh Road. A master plan amendment was needed to remove one road and widen Shiloh Road to a four-lane undivided thoroughfare from Cross Timbers Road to the northern boundary of Eden Ranch, which is 1,600 feet. Town council approved the changes.

Council members did not approve a request for accessory dwelling units up to 1,000 square feet to be allowed on all one-acre and three-quarter acre lots. Critics worried it would double the amount of homes in Eden Ranch. Homeowners who want that will have to go before town council to get a specific use permit.

The developer will also not build an entrance on the northeast corner to be used by emergency services. Double Oak residents, including a member of the town’s council, had expressed concerns that it would be open for all residents in the future and add to traffic woes on Kings Road.

Eden Ranch will have some narrower lots, but less than the developer asked for. The conservation district requires a lot width of at least 150 feet, but Eden Ranch will be allowed one three-quarter acre lot with a width of 100 feet. There will be up to 25 three-quarter acre lots with a width between 110 and 150 feet as long as no trees are removed for the lots.

Radbourne said in the planning and zoning commission and the council meeting that he had given up several lots - and the money they bring in - in order to meet town requirements.

When the developer’s team mentioned that adjusting the lot width would mean more roadway and less open space to accommodate the change, Martin disagreed.

“It’s fewer lots,” she countered. “It doesn’t have to be more roadway.”

While lots will be narrower, Radbourne did not receive a modification to allow structures to take up more than 25 percent of each lot.

The council did approved the removal of most trees requested by the developer. They saved five of them, some of which are post oak trees. 

The development will include a public park and be adjacent to the town’s equestrian trail.