Cross Roads Podcast
Cross Roads Podcast
We Need Parks, Not More Houses: A Community's Stand Against Overdevelopment
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A community stands at the precipice of a major decision that will impact their daily lives for years to come. David joins the Crossroads Podcast to sound the alarm about a developer's plan to build 50 new homes on a small 10-acre parcel of land in their neighborhood, despite the area already suffering from critical infrastructure shortcomings.
The conversation reveals the daily frustration residents face with current traffic conditions – taking a staggering 30 minutes just to exit their neighborhood during rush hour. With Oak Grove Road remaining a narrow two-lane street until planned expansions in 2030, adding potentially 150-200 more vehicles from new homes would create an untenable situation. Meanwhile, another nearby development with rental-only properties is already built and ready for occupants, compounding these concerns.
David and the host discuss the deeper implications beyond just traffic – from safety concerns for children playing near overcrowded streets to the developer's dubious promise that none of these new homes would become rentals (despite having no legal mechanism to prevent this after sale). They share how community activism has already shifted the town council from a 5-1 vote in favor to a deadlocked 3-3 tie, highlighting the power of resident involvement.
The alternative vision they present is compelling: transforming this space into a community park that would enhance rather than strain neighborhood resources. Such a space could host events, provide recreation for families, and preserve the existing tree barrier between properties.
This conversation serves as both a rallying cry and a case study in grassroots advocacy. The final vote happens Tuesday, April 1st at 6pm at Little Elm City Hall, and the hosts emphasize that every resident's presence matters, whether they speak or simply show support through attendance. For anyone facing similar development challenges in their community, this episode provides valuable insights into effective organizing and the importance of standing together for neighborhood quality of life.
Good morning Crossroads. But those who want to be in dialing David's number now Hello, hey, oh, much better. Wow, I don't know what kind of feedback loop I was getting, but it was a doozy.
David Crocker:So I was on speakerphone on my phone and I don't know if that was causing anything or not.
Steven Killfoil:That's a possibility Not, not sure, but we got it cleared up. Now you're coming in loud and clear and beautiful, perfect. So good afternoon, David, and welcome to Cross Roads Podcast. So why don't you tell our listeners a little bit about yourself and let's tackle the problem at hand of having too many houses and not enough road space?
David Crocker:So I've been in Cross Roads. We moved in in March of 2019. We built out the house kind of in the professional industry merchant services kind of boring stuff like that Nobody likes talking about credit cards or paying for them, but that's the business that I'm in on a professional level. But really what we're dealing with now is just the struggle with adding more homes here, adding more traffic, more potential crime, and you and I both have had an opportunity to go to the town council a couple of times and have a chance to talk with them and talk to the group, and we're trying to get more of our neighbors involved and get them plugged in to really petition this new development. There's just better use for that area.
Steven Killfoil:Oh, I agree 100%. Honestly, it's really only large enough for a small park really, if the truth be told. But there's no way in the world that you can cram 50 houses into that 10-acre lot. That's just unbelievable.
David Crocker:Well, what's interesting is the original plan for that development that was approved by the city was 50 foot lots. Only that's what they have the green light for. They have since modified that and I don't know if they got approval or they didn't. I have not been able to confirm that. But now they have some of the homes that are 40-foot lots, which is just allowing them to cram more homes perfect word right into that small space right there. Here's my biggest concern, just north of that development. So if we are on Oak Grove north of 380 and south of Fishtrap, in that kind of what would you call that, that northeast corner, right there there's Canine Cowboy and they're selling, obviously because that farm is gone. But right behind Canine Cowboy is that new development that's already been built. And what's wild is that development is rental only and, as I understand it, approved for Section 8. There's at least 50, 60, 70 homes in that development. It's built, they're about to start moving people in.
Steven Killfoil:Lovely, just what we need.
David Crocker:Well, right. So I mean, that's not even the development that's in question here, that's on the radar to be built, and this developer is trying to get his way by schmoozing the council and promising things he can't deliver on, which I'll get to in a moment but we've got that development that's pretty much ready to go, and now this developer is trying to add more homes a whole new developer. So we're talking at least 100 to 120 homes in that little tiny sliver that used to be a farm. Now, the biggest problem we have right now is traffic.
Steven Killfoil:Oh yeah, the second biggest problem we have right now is traffic.
David Crocker:Oh yeah, the second biggest problem we have right now is crime. So when we start talking about rental and boy, I don't want to talk bad about people in any stretch from there, but the data will bear out Homeowners versus home renters the higher the rental, the more crime opportunity exists. That's just data, that's just nationwide, not exclusive to where we are. Hate to say it, but it's true. So we have this here with this other development that's going to come in, and all of us try to exit the neighborhood, either on main, which is, if you're on the little town side where you're closer to Providence village, you can go out on main and deal with that, but then of course, there's all the construction on 380, and that's a nightmare.
David Crocker:So, most of us are going to exit on Oak Grove going south to 380. Now that's a little tiny two-lane road with that little dog leg in it that, by the way, all of the parts of that have kind of been worn down by people abusing that part of the road. Parts of that have kind of been worn down by people abusing that part of the road for safety. They have tried to do a little bit at the 7-Eleven parking lot area to really be able to turn in, but nothing's really addressed the traffic. So now pack on these new homes. I would assume each of those homes will have a minimum of one car. Let's assume one and a half. That's close to 150 cars that we're going to be adding to the traffic. So what we brought up in the last meeting was they're not going to address widening Oak Grove until five years from now.
Steven Killfoil:Yeah, so 2030.
David Crocker:Right, right, we're talking 2030, right, so we're going to have that new development that's already built, the development that's planned, that they're going to build, which will be done in two years. Right, it doesn't take long to put up 50 homes, 60 homes at all, let's assume 150 cars. But the new development is kind of a higher end home, a higher price tag home. I'm going to say there's going to be more cars there, right? That type of client, that type of customer. Usually they have more vehicles, so potentially 200 cars in the morning. Now, the last time you and I went out and tried to drive in that morning traffic just to get out of the neighborhood, on Oak Grove there's two spots because we're on the crossroad side. So getting out of there and if you're on the little M side, six one up does the other just to get from fish trap, which is the far north spot, even past most of the development, to 380, will take you a minimum of 30 minutes, 30 minutes just to get there now I can take 30 minutes from 380.
David Crocker:Yeah, so you're aware of that. So once I get through that light, I can get all the way to Frisco in that 30 minutes.
Steven Killfoil:But, here.
David Crocker:I can't even get out of my development in 30 minutes. So I'm just going to tell you right now that is an unsustainable problem, and so the way I look at this is why would you build the homes first? To me, you build all the homes, you create all the traffic now you pile it around these two lane roads and then by 2030, you then create construction which is destruction first of the road, to then construct it the way you need it to be. Construction which is destruction first of the road, to then construct it the way you need it to be. Now my logic, my brain, tells me that's like getting dressed in the morning, brushing your teeth, combing your hair, getting ready for work and then hopping in the shower. It's just backwards. You've got to get the road built out first and then do that. I just don't want homes there to begin with. But even if they're going to do that, take care of the road first, then we can talk about adding more people here. But I would much prefer a park. A mixed use park would be great.
David Crocker:We've got plenty of neighbors that have home-based businesses. Why don't we have events held there, weddings held there? There's a lot of people that play soccer, that I mean. What is the closest park? Seven, eight minutes away or seven, eight miles away? I'm sorry, not minutes, but miles away. Yeah, so we're. We're a long ways away, and I know that tons and tons of these neighbors would take advantage of that. Where do our kids go to play? The houses are already crammed together. We've got that one little tiny play area next to the pool.
Steven Killfoil:Yeah.
David Crocker:And I saw it.
Steven Killfoil:I'm sorry that that's a terrible joke. Yeah, it's full of crime. Uh, they find drug needles in and out of the playground equipment all the time they do.
David Crocker:how many times have we seen on camera people jumping into backyards of other people's homes, breaking into cars, trying to get around the traffic? At Opaline there's three families living in one home on the corner. You can't even get around the corner from there, which is a traffic violation in and of itself.
Steven Killfoil:Yeah, yeah. If you're coming and there's somebody else coming and you don't see one another, you're both going to have to. Well, you'll either collide or you're both going to have to stop, but there's nowhere to pull over or back up, because both sides are full of cars.
David Crocker:And a lot of times there are trucks on that corner and you know a truck sits higher up. Many of these passenger cars sit down low the ability to see around that corner safely, and some people are newer drivers, younger drivers, inexperienced drivers. It's an accident waiting to happen. It's not that it may happen, it will happen. It's just a matter of time. Absolutely yeah.
Steven Killfoil:It's great. Well, I've actually seen a couple of instances where people they've had their truck parked on the side of the road in front of their house and people have come along and have just literally knocked the mirror off of the truck with their car.
David Crocker:I remember talking to that person when that happened to his truck. And it was an amazing thing that just somebody kept driving. I don't understand it. I just don't understand it kept driving.
Steven Killfoil:Uh, I, I don't understand it. I just don't understand it. And from experience I can tell you, I, I was coming down el dorado. Just I just crossed from lake dallas and this big old cdw, uh trash truck uh pushed me off to the side of the road and I ran into some of those pylons and one of those pylons knocked my mirror clean off my car. Luckily it was held on by the the wire and uh, I, just, you know, I, I couldn't, I couldn't, um, I, I had to just uh come home, uh tape it up to the car and order a mirror. You know it cost me 80 bucks. I changed it out myself. It probably would have cost a lot more if I'd had the mechanic do it, but luckily it was a fairly easy fix. But I shouldn't have had to have done that.
Steven Killfoil:No, and you shouldn't have it you know, the guy, just I mean, he just rammed me, he didn't even think twice and then he turned left and I had to keep going straight because it was rush hour traffic and I wished I'd gotten license plate of that of that guy. You know, I just.
David Crocker:Would have been helpful, you know. I'll tell you something else too. That happened on fish trap just a couple of months ago when they were getting close to most of the homes being done, but there was still quite a bit of construction on that rental development that's already built now. One of the 18 wheelers was on fish trap. Now there is a weight limit and there are signs posted all up and down fish trap beginning at 377, basically where you're going to access that to get to this area, and it says truck's over a certain weight not allowed on this road. Well, when you have an 18-wheeler loaded with lumber, they're taking that road because 380 is under construction. They can't maneuver, they can't get on main because 380, again was broken apart. So this was really the only way they could get that lumber to that development Do you remember that truck, that it basically jackknifed at the corner of Oak Grove and Fishtrap.
David Crocker:It tipped over to its right trying to take a right turn to go south on Oak Grove. Lumber, went everywhere and that intersection was absolutely destroyed.
Steven Killfoil:It was shut down, yeah totally shut down.
David Crocker:And at the worst possible time. So, now we're going to have more development, more homes and more replication of that exact same problem. I am not for it.
Steven Killfoil:Yeah, me either. I 100% agree. I will be at that meeting, and those of you that are out there listening, that meeting takes place on Tuesday, april 1st April Fool's Day, great. So at 6 pm at Little Elm City Hall. You just go down El Dorado and you turn right into the parking lot right where the fire station is and park your car back there and walk into the city hall and lot right where the fire station is and park your car back there and walk into the city hall and that's where the meeting will be. I'm definitely going to be there for that one, but yeah I will too.
David Crocker:It'll be the third one in a row and, uh boy, the last time you spoke it was a very impassioned speech and I was about ready to get up and cheer, but the rules tell you you can't do that. Right? For anybody that needs the physical address, it's 100 El Dorado Parkway. It's actually inside the library. So if it's your first time going to the town hall and you get there and you say I don't see a building, go inside the library's main entrance, go straight back, and that's where you'll have the town hall. Arrive early If you can get there about 10 minutes early and you want to speak we encourage you to speak.
David Crocker:We'll be there to help you fill out a form. There is a specific form that you fill out. It tells you what you're protesting. You just give them your basic information and then that gets turned in to the clerk and then they will call your name. If you don't want to speak, we still want you there. We still need you there. We need strength in numbers. The first time that we met and were at this, the vote was five to one. Four right, so five to one. We're for this development. The second time we showed up with some more impassioned speeches. More people showed up. We got the vote to a deadlock 3-3. So we're making traction and this is the last chance for us to get this. If we don't get this, it's a green light for this development and there's nothing we can do about it, so, folks, I absolutely encourage everybody.
David Crocker:please show up and speak, or just show up and fill out the form and let them know that you're against this. That counts just as well. Not everybody's comfortable, Stephen, like you or I, to get up and speak in front of a crowd Totally okay.
Steven Killfoil:Just be there now. I'm a distinguished toastmaster, so I got over my fear of speeching. Just be there now. I'm a distinguished Toastmaster, so I got over my fear of speeching. Anybody that wants to accomplish that, I encourage you to join a Toastmasters club. You won't regret it. It'll be the best number of friends you ever make in your lifetime. So I always promote Toastmasters all the time. I mean I both my wife and I went into it together and we just had a wonderful time.
Steven Killfoil:So yes, you're you're right, I'm not afraid to get up and talk.
David Crocker:My current line of work, like I said, in in the kind of the credit card world. I'm actually a sales trainer in that industry and I remember when I first became a sales trainer I was kind of nervous about talking in public. Now I've spoken in front of groups of thousands. Just give me a mic and watch out, and I just want to encourage people. If you're not comfortable speaking, let us speak for you. Give us the notes that you want. In fact, on both of the Facebook pages for the neighborhood, the regular page and the unfiltered page for the neighborhood, the regular page and the unfiltered page yes, we have a post that's been reposted a number of times. I'm the admin of the unfiltered page, so I'll put that on there and pin that today. Comment on there what you want to share, what you want to say that you can attend, on either one or both of the pages. Let us get a running start for this on Tuesday.
Steven Killfoil:Absolutely. I 100% agree, and I think they have a very good town council, from what I could see the first time when I went there and I met them. Little Elm as a whole is a pretty amazing city. My wife and I have both had the pleasure of participating in the Little Elm Fire Department's Citizens Academy. If anybody listening, if you would like an opportunity to find out what exactly those men and women do, join that fire academy. It's worth it and it's a lot of fun.
Steven Killfoil:We met a great bunch of folks and what I could see when I attended this uh the first meeting when you were there, uh, the city council listens. They, they listen to the people. That's clear. I mean, obviously we got a three to three tie from a five to one in favor, so they there are, they are listening to us, um, so hopefully this round uh will be the nail in the coffin and put the axe to the development and who knows, maybe, maybe we'll have us a little park to get developed there. I'm all for that. A park would be an amazing asset to have right there in the middle of our communities. I mean, it would definitely be used by far hands down.
David Crocker:I'm sure it would be. It's a family area. There's all families that live here. I envision a lot of commerce there. I envision food trucks going in there. Just the other day Cousin's Main Lobster was at HTO, which was great, but that's right on 380. There's a ton of traffic. Imagine having the food trucks on a weekend.
Steven Killfoil:Imagine having events on a weekend.
David Crocker:Imagine sporting events there. Imagine renting out something to where maybe you want to have photographs taken of your family or your kids as they graduate. Absolutely Anything like that. A small playground for the kids, anything, the trees that can remain on the southern border.
David Crocker:So those folks that live there now that's the big deal is the folks that live on that north side, that border, the southern area of that construction, this developer has said well, I'm going to put two-story homes there and I've got to knock the trees down to do that, which means those two-story homes can look into the backyard of those north neighbors, and that is not acceptable. Even when pressed by the council, that developer said I cannot commit to not putting a two-story home. Maybe and he intentionally used the word maybe, I pay attention Maybe we can put homes there that don't have a window in the upstairs. That wasn't a commitment, that was something to get that council to potentially agree. So here's something that that developer said too. He said, and I quote I can guarantee there will be no rental homes in this development. Now, stephen, you and I both bought here, we built here. We know what the rules are when we bought mine's a home we heard yeah, mine's a lunar too.
Steven Killfoil:We built ours in 2018 and we were told the same lie by the nar oh no, there won't be any rentals. Oh no, there won't be any cars on the streets. Oh no, there won't be any cars on the street. Oh no, there won't be any. Section eight oh no, all a big fat lie.
David Crocker:And this developer said that to appease the council. I watched the council nod in agreement oh, that's right, there won't be any rental. So that was in the first meeting. In the second meeting I called that developer out very politely but I reminded the council. Do you remember last time we were here and the developer said to you I won't allow rentals here. Can you show me how that developer can commit to that? Because once that home is sold and there is a homeowner there, there is nothing in that sales contract from a developer who may. He said that for your benefit. That's what I told the council, so he can get his way. I'm not going to say that he lied, but I will say that that was not a true statement.
David Crocker:Absolutely, and I watched every head on that council, not up and down. Oh my goodness, I can't believe we fell for that health of that.
Steven Killfoil:From a legal standpoint, no entity can say that section 8 cannot be, or rentals, because it's against the state laws, correct? So, yeah, you're caught between a rock and a hard place. And the whole reason I moved up here was because I lived in a neighborhood in Irving, texas, that looked like a used car lot that had five, six, seven, eight families living inside of a single family home and nine, 10, 11, 12 cars parked all up and down the streets both sides. But those streets were wide enough that you could drive both ways and still have cars parked on the side of the street. So it wasn't too bad, it just was an eyesore and you don't have that luxury here.
Steven Killfoil:No, streets aren't as wide our streets aren't as wide, and inside of the documents for our hoa, it explicitly says no cars can park on the street that's correct now you're allowed a 24-hour reprieve like an overnight guest or something like that but that
David Crocker:car cannot remain there for any amount of time. So, if you think about it, you can have a maximum of four cars total. If you really are smart about it, that means you have nothing in your garage. Two cars in your garage, two cars in your driveway. Yet how many times do we see these homes where there's two and three cars out front of that house, some of them parked in the opposite direction? Oh yeah, that's a that's an against the law period.
Steven Killfoil:but it's exactly here's the caveat to that. We uh, and we went back and forth between the representative for Essex and me oh no, crossroads is responsible for the streets, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Then I'd call the city. Hey, our HOA says you guys are responsible. Oh no, it is a private road. You are responsible for your streets. And it was just back and forth. So finally I said okay, enough's enough. What is it? Do you guys own us? Are we a city public street or are we a private street? And I finally got the confirmation we are a private street, both sides little L and crossroads.
David Crocker:That's good information to know. I think a lot of neighbors, including myself, weren't fully aware of that.
Steven Killfoil:Yes, well, you know what that means.
David Crocker:Right, as an HOA, we can enforce the towing, we don't even have to give them a notice If they're on the street and they're parked on the street and they have a driveway and it has an opening spot and they're not parking in there.
Steven Killfoil:We can tow their damn car.
David Crocker:So I'm going to tell you a thing that's concerned me greatly. There's kids all over our neighborhood and I love the fact that kids can grow up here, get together here spend time with each other. That's wonderful. What scares the heck out of me is when I see kids playing in the front yard and there are vehicles parked on the street and a car comes flying down specifically.
David Crocker:It's one big straight street and I've seen kids and a soccer ball or a bicycle or any toy, whatever it is, come in between cars and into the street and, if god anything were to happen, that's an absolute catastrophe and I don't want that to happen at all. Me either I don't believe we need gates. The cost with gates would be astronomical maintenance insurance.
Steven Killfoil:Actually believe it or not. Those gates aren't that expensive I priced them out. I priced them out. They're not that expensive.
David Crocker:I think we're going to differ on that one and that's okay, just for me it's the insurance, it's the maintenance, it's the things go wrong. God forbid somebody hits that gate. Now we have one less way. You and I both know, on alamandine there are three exits right, yeah, there's two on a probe and there's one right, reserite ganite and then overrun fish trap.
David Crocker:That's it where the street ends. If one of those or two of those, if anything were to happen to the gate from there and there was an emergency not us getting out but emergency vehicles getting in, if there was a fire, if there was any kind of issue, the fire, station or the the emergency vehicle services they have.
Steven Killfoil:Uh, they have an electronic device that can open any, anything. It's like a master.
David Crocker:That's wonderful that's wonderful, that's not. That would also drive the hoa cost up, and to me a speed bump is a one and done thing, and putting some asphalt in there's a whole lot cheaper than a gate. Well, they're not going to let us.
Steven Killfoil:I don't think anybody's going to fly neither city's going to allow us to put uh speed bumps because it wrecks their vehicles. If they have a call and they have to come down there and they have to drive over five, six, it, it's hard on their emergency vehicles. Well. So you know, it's like speed bumps aren't gonna happen.
David Crocker:I already looked into that rather, I would rather their vehicle have to slow down briefly in an emergency situation. I think one extra second it's not going to change anything but that one extra second from some Yahoo driving down the road that might mow down a child. I would rather be safe than sorry. Yeah, I a hundred percent agree.
Steven Killfoil:Yeah, we got to. We've got to figure out a way and I've talked to Jennifer about this those posted limits we're well within our purview to put posted speed limit signs up especially if it's a private road um, they have them in providence village.
Steven Killfoil:They're, they're lit up and they post. They're great. They make people aware that people slow down. They really do so. They work, they're effective and they're not that expensive. And then I can't seem to convince jennifer of this hey look, they're not that expensive. And then I can't seem to convince Jennifer of this hey look, they're not that expensive. I used. I come from a procurement background, so I know how to. I can find. I've got connections all over the Yazuga for construction and signage and you name it, I can find it and I can get us a really good rate and price.
David Crocker:So that's excellent to know and signs today, especially with illumination oh yeah battery and solar. So it's.
Steven Killfoil:It doesn't even need power, it's precisely those are all solar powered, those ones in providence village, I'd say they. They probably run about uh two, two to five hundred, probably. That that's a rough, good estimate, and they're programmable.
Steven Killfoil:So it's easy once you put them in, boom, they're there and uh, that would help a lot in deterring some of these speeders, you know and hey, if, uh, if one of the crossroads policemen happen to be perusing through the neighborhood and some jackass is driving 35 and the speed limit posted in there is 25, he has the full legal right to pull them over and write them a ticket.
David Crocker:That's correct. So you know the posted or the non. It's not posted, but the actual speed limit. I understood it to be 30. Is that true or is it 25?
Steven Killfoil:It's 30.
David Crocker:That's still too fast, that's still too fast. For as narrow as these streets are.
Steven Killfoil:that's too fast I think 25 through a neighborhood is a safe speed.
David Crocker:It's such a small neighborhood that that extra five miles an hour is not going to change when you arrive somewhere.
Steven Killfoil:No, not at all, it's just not no, but I think 25, because that's what it is in Providence Village it's 25. In fact, during school it drops down to 15.
David Crocker:That's right. Their signs will say 15. The moment you enter that neighborhood, they have a sign stating the school zone speed limit, before they state the other speed limit, which you know what. That's actually very smart, yes, because not everybody pays attention.
Steven Killfoil:We could do the exact same thing in our neighborhood, and we should, and we should. I agree 100%. Well, I want to thank you again for coming on the show today. Folks, let, let, let's, let's all make it an effort to get out there to that meeting on the first at six o'clock at the little hell, little elm public library, slash city hall. Be there, or before, to see everybody. Yes, please be there, let's be straight. The numbers.
David Crocker:Let's look out for each. Yes, please be there. Let's be strength of numbers. Let's look out for each other, absolutely. We'll be there early ready to help you fill out the paperwork, ready to get everything turned in. Welcome speakers, welcome people, just be in there. Strength of numbers, anything we can do just to keep everything we have safe, secure, and let's do something for our neighborhood that will matter.
Steven Killfoil:Absolutely All right, thank you. Thank you, and you have a great day We'll see you there as well.
Steven Killfoil:All right, bye-bye. Okay. For local meetings go to wwwcrossroadstxgov for meeting times. On Tuesday April 1st. Also, the Planning and Zoning are meeting at 7 pm. Wednesday April 2nd the Parks and Recreation Board is meeting at 7 pm. Town Council will convene on Monday April 7th at 6 pm. The Municipal Development District will meet on Thursday April 10th at 6 pm. The Municipal Development District will meet on Thursday April 10th at 6 pm. City Hall will be closed Friday April 18th in observance of Good Friday. Town Council will meet again on Monday April 21st at 6 pm. Mark your calendars for Saturday April 26th for homeschool curriculum sale and vendor fair from 11 am to 3 pm at the park at 424 and Fishtrap. And Sunday April 27th, the Boss Ladies will host their community garage sale at the park from 8 am to 12 noon. Folks, I hope I see you at that meeting. Until next week we'll have a new amazing guest. I'll see you at the top Crossroads Podcast. We'll be right back.
Steven Killfoil:But those who want to be it know who's your daddy.
