Mayfield Development

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Overview

The property at 1001 W. Mayfield in Arlington, Texas is a 9.5-acre parcel that has previously not been developed. Along the west side of the property is a densely-wooded area comprised of ~800 trees, which make up nearly half of the overall property. The wooded area also contains an ephemeral (or occasional/temporary) stream, which provides natural watershed drainage during rainy times. The remaining portion of the property is an open grassy field. 

The property is currently zoned as Light Industrial. There is a warehouse built on the adjacent property to the east. The property to the west has a small retail shopping center on it. Across Mayfield to the south is a multifamily residential area with fourplex type housing. 

Proposed Development

In fall of 2019, the property owner—a developer who does not reside in Arlington—submitted a proposal to erect a 12-building, 64-unit townhome complex. The developer plans that units would sell for roughly $300K each with the goals of bringing upscale multifamily housing to an aging area, increasing upscale housing options near professional establishments like Medical City, and of bringing new tax dollars to the City. 

Concerns

A number of concerns have come to light:

• Removal of 8000+ trees: The project requires removing 800 trees, including a cluster of irreplaceable post oaks. According to the City’s 2019 survey of more than 110,000 trees in nearby parks, post oaks, cedar elm, and sugarberry make up 95% of Arlington’s woods; however, a number of other native and valuable trees are likely part of the wooded area. These trees are part of the Eastern Cross Timbers of Texas, a narrow band of 200–400-year-old blackjack and post oak trees that are an important part of Arlington’s history, beauty, and watershed management.
  
  The developer’s tree survey only inventoried trees that are not on the prohibited tree list and that are larger than 6” in diameter. Other trees like mesquite, Bois D’arc, cottonwoods, hackberries, and others were not inventoried, and their contribution to the overall canopy not recognized.   
  
  
• Watershed flooding and pollution:  The project also includes obliterating the highly-efficient, natural drainage ecosystem and replacing it with a system of impermeable surfaces and a separate property to handle watershed from the property. This is concerning, especially in light of the area’s 19 known flooding issues that largely result from previous development projects upstream. Although the developer has provided calculations about watershed volume and rate into Johnson Creek, many are concerned that previous building projects upstream provided similar assurances about potential flooding.
  
  The project would add 9.5 acres of impermeable surfaces—parking lot, roofs, etc.—that pose new potential for watershed pollution. The City of Arlington states, “Stormwater runoff [from impervious surfaces] picks up pollutants like pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, vehicle fluids, pool chemicals, sediments, yard waste, and pet waste from our residential areas and carries it [sic] to the nearest storm drain which flows to our creeks, streams, and lakes.” Stormwater pollution has not been addressed by the developer.   
  
  
• Arlington's preservation goals and policies: The project ignores the City’s widely-published goals to preserve the environment, preserve urban forests, prevent watershed pollution, and more. The attached file, City of Arlington Environmental Goals and Policies, highlights some of the many public statements the City has published on these topics.   
  
  
• Potentially historic site: The parcel of land might be part of the historical Johnson’s Station site. A stretch of Mayfield, including that adjacent to 1001 W. Mayfield, is part of the Pioneer Trail. More research is needed on this issue.
  

Urgency

This proposal was brought to the City in the fall of 2019, and the City Council is scheduled to vote on the proposal’s final obstacle to approval on Tuesday, June 30, 2020. Please contact your City Council representative and ask them to oppose this project, item PD19-12 on their agenda.