'Grove at Shoal Creek' deal reached between neighbors and developer

The battle over the 75-acre "Grove at Shoal Creek" mixed use PUD on Bull Creek Road has been going on for nearly 2 years.               

Now there's an agreement between the Bull Creek Road Coalition and developer ARG Bull Creek Limited.

"It was an extremely tough decision.  There was no easy way to accept this or not accept it for that matter," said Grayson Cox with the Bull Creek Road Coalition (BCRC) 

In September both sides started formal mediation.

"I will honestly say going in we were not that optimistic.  But I think it's a credit to the hard work of both the neighborhood and the owner to roll up their sleeves and get to work," said Jeff Howard, ARG attorney.

Some of what the 2 groups agreed upon is more than 1,500 residential units with a 25% increase in the number of affordable units for sale and for rent.               

--Fewer square footage for office space and retail.               

--A drainage easement between The Grove and Idlewild.               

--$1.3 million in neighborhood traffic mitigation.

"The deal also includes the elimination of a connection to 45th that would have taken down 2 homes and caused a lot of issues with the neighbors that are north of the project," Cox said.

When something like The Grove is built, there's a chance for some live music or some outdoor night life that some neighbors may or may not like very much.  Another thing in this agreement is an outdoor amplified noise cut-off.  It's 9 pm Sunday through Thursday, 9:30 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Cox says the coalition represents 6 neighborhood groups so there still may be some who aren't on board.

"You've got people that want it to just be all park and you've got people that would like to see high rise apartments," Cox said.