WACO, Texas (KXXV) — Waco City Council approved rezoning land in East Waco for a new 63-home development on Tuesday after a second reading, despite continued opposition from residents in the area.
Watch the full story here:
The project, known as Hilltop Heights, will be located in the Timbercrest neighborhood, just southeast of the intersection of Loop 340 and Kendall Lane.
"We're concerned, so much emphasis has been put on growth and development and new communities in Waco, Texas that we feel like we've gotten lost as a community," said a Timbercrest resident.
Several neighbors have been pushing back against the development since it was first proposed earlier this summer.
"I was upset just because of the changes it will bring," said Telly Ramsey, a Timbercrest resident who has been leading opposition efforts.
Ramsey told 25 News several residents remain frustrated with the Hilltop Heights development process. She started a petition on Change.org that has received more than 130 signatures. Neighbors are also attempting to work with adjoining landowners to officially protest the project through city law.
Despite these efforts, the City Council approved the land to be rezoned on second reading during Tuesday's meeting.
Previously, District 1 Councilwoman Andrea Barefield defended the council's decision to neighbors, citing Waco's housing shortage.
While no neighbors spoke at Tuesday's meeting, there will be one more opportunity for public input during the August 19 regular City Council meeting. At that time, the council is expected to approve developer Larry Jackson's final plans for the project and hold another public hearing.
In a written statement to the city, Jackson said, "Hilltop Heights Addition PUD will be a great addition of quality homes to the City of Waco and the East Waco neighborhood."
City Council documents show construction on the development is expected to start in the next couple of months and take around two years to finish.
Telly Ramsey sent a statement about the decision.
Most of us in the Timbercrest Neighborhood have felt very frustrated with the hilltop Heights development process. The city has had numerous planning meetings on this, but most Neighbors had only found out in the past two months, thanks to some of the notified neighbors letting us know. We felt like this has been a revenue project for the city while ignoring our traffic, safety, and environmental concerns. We understand the need for more housing, but their efforts here seem counterintuitive.
We strongly urge the city to expand the loop and create adequate infrastructure improvements before approving of the Hilltop Heights development. We also urge the city to ensure that developers meet adequate drainage concerns.
Reforestation efforts are also a primary concern given how many trees are going to be knocked down on the development site. Our neighborhood is after all called Timbercrest.
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.
