At its regular meeting on Tuesday, the Kyle City Council approved a request to allow 32 out of the 138 residential lots in the Brooks Ranch Subdivision to have smaller front yards in compensation for larger backyards. The 47-acre tract is located directly behind and southwest of the homes on Mather in Plum Creek and West FM 150.

According to the city of Kyle’s subdivision regulations, a portion of these backyards will furnish a drainage or utility easement which can’t be hindered by sheds, playgrounds or other items. For single-story homes, this gives the backyards about a seven-foot depth.

“A seven-foot backyard is nothing to give those future homeowners a place to finally unwind, especially as we’ve seen during COVID,” council member Robert Rizo said. “We need some outdoor space to give them something in their backyard, a little solitude and their kids can come out to run and be away from the computer and everything else.”

The city council’s approval of the request would ultimately reduce the front yard building setback by no more than four feet and it will move the homes closer to the street, allowing for the additional backyard space.

While the front yard reduction would decrease the size of the driveway by no more than four feet, Mayor Travis Mitchell said there would still be room for residents to park.

“I’ve had a lot of complaints, and personally I feel the same way, that you have to have a certain amount of driveway in order for it to make sense,” Mitchell said. “If you don’t give them their driveway, they just park on the street which defeats the purpose of a driveway in the first place.”