A petition to last week, and in just a few days, it鈥檚 garnered hundreds of signatures, a majority of them residents from the Krum area.
Residents fear that the planned will affect their quality of life and safety, according to the online petition.
The 1877 Journey, a local nonprofit, has been working for several months with Denton city staff to move forward with building Community Forever Village on 70 acres in the 3300 block of FM1173, just inside Denton city limits.
The development is based on and will provide permanent alternative, supportive housing for people who struggle with chronic homelessness.
The first phase of the village will include 75 to 100 micro-homes with a possible 350-home buildout 鈥� if a zoning change from rural residential is approved by the Denton City Council.
As of Wednesday evening, nearly 560 people had signed the online petition, which also raises concerns about a decline in property values, possible effects on schools and an additional burden to municipal resources already stretched thin in Krum.
鈥淲e recognize the importance of addressing homelessness in a compassionate and effective manner,鈥� the petitioner, Art Smuck, . 鈥淗owever, this project presents significant risks that could negatively affect the safety, security, and quality of life for our families and neighborhoods.鈥�
Smuck is the neighbor to the north of the Community Forever Village property, which is located in Denton city limits. His petition also says the village doesn鈥檛 have the necessary infrastructure and nearby job opportunities to support the community and lacks documentation of project plans and ongoing management processes.
鈥淭hey have not shared any relevant information on an ongoing basis, nor shared any plans for how they would protect our interests and make a positive impact on our community while attempting to address homelessness,鈥� the petition says. 鈥淲hat little information that has been shared has focused more on a market, a bistro, a movie theater, and a fishing pond while sharing very little of the needs and demands of providing critical wrap around services for a transitioning homeless community.
鈥淭heir approach seems under-prepared and ill-equipped for a project of this magnitude, which could lead to unintended negative consequences.鈥�
On Wednesday morning, Smuck told the Denton Record-Chronicle there hasn鈥檛 been any community outreach done with people in Krum, which is only about 3 miles to the west of the property. He stressed that open dialogue is needed.
Smuck said he and his wife are advocates for finding solutions to help people experiencing homelessness and support Denton Basic Services and the Denton County Homeless Coalition. He said he was getting a lot of questions from community members since his property is across the street from the planned village.
He stressed that more outreach needs to be done.
鈥淧eople weren鈥檛 talking, and no plans shared,鈥� said Smuck, who has a background in community outreach. 鈥�... There is a sales pitch that they have for the village, but ask anything about plans for safety and security and no answers are coming.鈥�
Pete Maugans, a board member of the 1877 Journey, said the nonprofit is being transparent about what they鈥檙e doing and has planned community engagement. A bus trip to Community First! Village in Austin is planned on April 5 for the public to learn more about the model and get a better idea of the 1877 Journey鈥檚 plan for the Denton project.
The trip will depart at 6 a.m. and return in the afternoon, and lunch will be provided. Registration for the trip is open now on . Those interested can also for more information.
Another bus trip will be scheduled if the first one fills up, Maugans said.
Community First, a 51-acre master-planned community, has been featured in media outlets such as and .
He compared touring Community First with seeing the Grand Canyon in person for the first time after seeing only photos.
鈥淲hat they see will change their heart,鈥� he said.
For the past several months, Maugans said, the organization has also been building its team and working with consultants who worked and continue to work with Community First. He said a staff member went to live at the Austin village for several months to learn more about how it operates.
He said Community Forever has funding and an eight-figure budget.
Maugans said the nonprofit filed its application for a zoning change in December, along with an application for a comprehensive plan amendment to Denton鈥檚 2040 land-use plan, and they鈥檙e waiting for it to be scheduled with the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Those applications will require public hearings at Planning & Zoning and City Council meetings, neither of which has been scheduled, Dustin Sternbeck said in an email Monday.
鈥淭here are potential economic impacts to the City if land originally anticipated for industrial development is converted to residential uses,鈥� Tina Firgens, deputy director of development services, wrote in an Oct. 9 information sheet to the council. 鈥淩esidential uses typically generate less revenue for cities compared to industrial development, and residential uses typically require more city services (i.e. emergency services, recreational and leisure services, etc.).鈥�
In June, Maugans held an open house for the public on the property to help raise awareness and met with council members shortly afterward. Smuck was at the open house and also attended the meeting with council members.
Maugans said they have faced significant challenges to resolve with city staff. One of those issues included whether an amendment to the 2040 land-use plan would need to be filed with the application for Planning & Zoning to hear the change request.
In October, Maugans said, city staff floated the idea to Planning & Zoning commissioners at a work session, only to learn that an amendment would be needed.
Another major issue involves the to a six-lane highway. TxDOT is currently working on the two-lane farm-to-market road just west of Krum, but the construction will make its way toward Interstate 35 east of Krum.
The new FM1173 will run along Barthold Road, which is north of the Community Forever Village property.
Maugans said part of the realignment will cross through 200 acres of their property on the other side of the railroad tracks from Community Forever.
Maugans said the village鈥檚 community market, grocery store and bistro will be open to the public and not just for those who live there. The idea, he said, is to draw the community in so residents can meet and interact with the villagers and see firsthand that they are not dangerous.
He said it would not be an 鈥渙pen doors and let anybody come to live鈥� type of place. They won鈥檛 allow violent people or sex offenders to move into the community, and there will be an application and screening process for people who want to live there.
鈥淭he bottom line is that these are people who don鈥檛 want it next to their neighborhood,鈥� Maugans said. 鈥淏ut if you look at Community First, it is transforming the lives of the homeless and transforming those in the community around them. These are not bad people, but people with a bad problem.鈥�