Grass roofs, trails, ponds and more; Frisco City Council has given the green thumbs-up for the development of an eco-friendly neighborhood Frisco has yet to see. Located just north of Rolater Road along Independence Parkway (south of the subdivision Liberty Crossing) this Total Environment development is set to break ground by the end of this year.

“At first I was reluctant to have another development come up and spoil the natural terrain of that beautiful grassland behind us [Liberty Crossing],” a Liberty Crossing homeowner said. “But after I saw how progressive and innovative a designer of houses [Total Environment] was, I am now excited that something so avant-garde will be so close to us.”

The development will be on 55 acres of land with the houses starting at $900,000. Each house will have an HOA-maintained grass roof and most of the natural trees will be left on the property.

“I was skeptical that anyone would pay $1 million for a property with a shared wall (duplex style),” Liberty Crossing homeowner Mason Whitehead said. “Once I saw the drawings though, I was impressed.”

There is set to be 122 grass-roofed houses built on the 55 acres paired with walking and biking trails, ponds, sports facilities and greenery for the purpose and hope of being environmentally friendly.

“Eco-friendly requires a lot of care and money,” Liberty Crossing homeowner Pranav Patel said. “So it will be the looks of the green roof that makes it popular.”

As extensive as this development is, it is projected to take at least three years to reach the last phase that borders the south end of Liberty Crossing.   

“[The development] certainly may impact our development in Liberty Crossing negatively by having the traffic flow increased,” a homeowner said. “But I also do believe it’ll help property values.”

As time goes on, the value of homes generally rise, especially if the surrounding area continues to convert into a more residential and commercial region.

“[This development] will impact positively, increasing Liberty Crossing home prices,” Patel said. “But as every coin has two sides; if the market doubts these grass-roofs, it will take more than anticipated time to sell these homes.”  

This type of community has never been seen in the North Texas area and that raises the question on how the market will receive such a brand new concept.

“If the development succeeds I believe it will give other developers the encouragement to push the envelope more and try new things,” Whitehead said. “Most houses here look the same, more or less, so if developers are willing to try new things it could be interesting.”