TEMPLE, Texas (KXXV) — A Temple family says a city development plan could disrupt the rural property their family has called home for 30 years — but the city says the plans are still just a draft.
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The McBride family's land sits within the East Downs Neighborhood District, part of a larger city initiative to beautify distinct areas around Temple. Current draft plans show a road running through the McBride lot and neighboring properties, which the McBride family says they were not notified or made aware of until recently.
Alexxis McBride said the land is more than just acreage — it is a family legacy built on community and service.
"I'm living an uncommon dream, um, and it's something my grandparents envisioned, like I said, and it has been made a reality and it's so great. I learned how to ride a horse out here. I learned how to ride a bike, um, and then I'm watching my little cousins do the same thing."
McBride said the property represents something far greater than the land itself.
"This is more than just acreage. it's legacy. They wanted to pass down this land, but even more so, they have passed down to us service, they've been committing to serving their community it's a legacy not just of land and family but also of community and service and care for your neighbor."
Located in a more rural area of Temple, the family said they value the country living the property provides — and the prospect of a road cutting through it is stressful.
"It's stressful to have the city; we want the city to meet our needs as well. We don't want to be left out of the planning again; we're all for improvement, but we don't want our legacy swiped through, or torn apart, cutting in half land that we dreamed of."
McBride said the family is also fearful of what increased traffic and development could mean for the peace and privacy they moved to the area to find.
"We moved out here for privacy, for peace, and so the noise level. Also to an area where the city often overlooks it, police often overlook it, it's, it's scary to think about it's scary to think about more traffic and more people."
The City of Temple gave the following statement to 25 News:
"The East Downs Neighborhood District Plan is a long-term planning effort designed to help guide the future of the neighborhood through conceptual recommendations shaped by resident input from community engagement events. Neighborhood planning establishes a community-driven vision for future development, connectivity, housing, parks, and infrastructure over time.
It is important to note that the East Downs Neighborhood District Plan has not yet been finalized. Any roadway concepts included in the draft are conceptual in nature and are intended to illustrate potential future connectivity options identified through the planning process. These are not yet approved alignments; should City Council adopt the plan, they would serve as the city's adopted framework for future connectivity but would still not authorize or fund construction in any specific location. No roadway projects have been approved or funded as a result of the draft plan.
It is also important to understand how roadway connections of this type are typically realized. Rather than being constructed by the city across existing private property, such connectivity is most often established incrementally through future private development, at the point a property owner chooses to develop or subdivide their land. In other words, the conceptual alignments shown in the plan illustrate where connectivity may eventually occur as the area develops over time, not a city project slated to cut through existing properties.
As the planning process continues, the city will evaluate resident feedback and consider adjustments to proposed concepts before the plan is finalized.
Because no specific roadway projects have been approved, there is currently no timeline for construction associated with the roadway concepts shown in the draft plan. Any future transportation project would require additional engineering, feasibility analysis, public engagement, funding identification, and City Council consideration before moving forward.
Residents are encouraged to continue providing feedback on the draft East Downs Neighborhood District Plan. Comments can be submitted through the city's online feedback form [cognitoforms.com]."
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
