A proposal for a large golf course community in Thompson’s Station comes back before the town’s planners next week with a new developer and new look after more than a year of delays and disputes.
The concept plan for Two Farms, submitted for approval by developer Discovery Land Company of Arizona, arranges 863 housing units, a number of small commercial areas and a nine-hole golf course all set along Carters Creek Pike south of Coleman Road. The concept plan for the roughly rectangular 1216-acre property tucks residential units in all around the north-south course, halved into a strictly residential top and mixed-use bottom.
Other proposed features of the mixed-use portion include three restaurants, several retail shops, an event space, a number of walking trails, a farmers market, an ice cream shop, two community gardens, a number of rental cottages for vacationers and a coffee shop.
On Tuesday evening, the Thompson’s Station Municipal Planning Commission will vote on a rezoning request and the concept plan. Discovery is requesting that the 687-acres the town annexed by referendum last December enter the books a mix of D1 and D1 zones. The Scotsdale, Arizona-based developer wants 572 acres as D1, which allows an average max density of one housing unit per acre, and 114.3 acres as D3, which allows three housing units on average per acre. Both zones require at least 45 percent open space.
The southern portion, about 530 acres, is already zoned as a mixed-use Transect Community, which the Thompson’s Station Zoning Ordinance requires to be at least 60 percent open space. Discovery asks that a 141-acre area of this get rezoned as D1.
View Official Proposal Documents:
Thompson’s Station planning staff report on Two Farms proposal
Developer request for a Land Ordinance Amendment
Two Farms Updated Concept Plan
Map of existing property
Proposed zoning map of Two Farms
Housing and Density Breakdown
Northern D1 and D3 Zoning
231 units
38 one-acre lots that are 290-by-150 feet.
62 three-quarters-acre lots that are 220-by-150 feet.
100 half-acre lots that are 220-by-100 feet.
51 “Cabins” on 120-by-55 foot lots
Southern Transect Mixed-Use Zoning, with D1 enclave
632 units
69 “Cottages” on 120-by-110 foot lots (D1)
335 “T4 Alley” zoned lots that are 140-by-40 feet.
132 “T3 Small” zoned lots that are 125-by-70 feet.
96 “T3 Large” zoned lots that are 140-by-110 feet.
Developer Partnership Unknown
The original developer, Beacon Land Development of Dallas, is still involved with the project but its capacity or investment are not currently known. Neither Mike Abbott, the Beacon principle, or representatives for Discovery Land Co. returned messages at the time of this posting. Only Discovery is listed on the application. It is also unknown currently if Tiger Woods, as originally rumored, will be involved in the design of the golf course.
The price tag for the project, when first proposed a year and a half ago, was $150 million. This may no longer be accurate, but there has been no word publicly by either Beacon or Discovery since before Discovery came into the deal.
Thompson’s Station Mayor Corey Napier and city administrator Joe Cosentini confirmed in February that Discovery had come in and closed a deal on the land.
Rough Course to Present
First, Thompson’s Station had to annex the land, which it did at the end of 2015, taking on 1,200 new acres. Then in January 2016 the Board of Mayor and Alderman, at Beacon Land Development’s request, rezoned it to a Transect Community. Transect Community zoning allows mixed-use projects, like Two Farms.
Trouble began brewing, as citizens — most famous among them the Judd family — rallied against the project. Then, in the summer of 2016, the county contested part of the annexation.
That part was the 689-acre Eagle’s Rest Farm owned by Gary and Portia Baker, at 1350 King Lane. As the only part of the annexation that lay outside the Urban Growth Boundary set by the town and the county, it needed to be approved by a vote of the affected property owners. It had not been, and was therefore null and void, leaving what is now the northern half of the property out of reach.
So the county contended. Some commissioners were vocally looking for a way to stop the Two Farms project; also to avoid a precedent of municipal land-grabbing.
In July the county commission went so far as to give Mayor Rogers Anderson power to enter into a lawsuit against Thompson’s Station for illegally annexing the land. The rezoning was retracted.
In October 2016, Thompson’s Station called a referendum for Dec. 9. The Bakers, as the state statute governing these types of situations allowed, were the only two qualified voters. In a dictionary-worthy showing of anti-climax, the measure to give the land to Thompson’s Station passed 2-0.
The rezoning and planning process, which started at the end of 2015 with the original annexation, has come nearly full circle.
