It’s no secret that Forney, Texas has quickly become a sought-after place to call home. Situated snugly in between several major suburbs of Dallas and a short thirty miles from the heart of downtown Dallas itself, it’s no wonder that a growing town with strong familyoriented community values attracts so many. The knowledge that a multitude of people want to join our Forney Family has already encouraged so many residents to be ready and willing to welcome visitors or new residents and help them feel right at home.
In recent years, there has been a buzz in the new-home construction world revolving around a brand-new amenity that has recently made its way to Texas and which hopes to come right here to Forney. Gone are the days of the traditional neighborhood pool to which so many of us have grown accustomed, and fast approaching are the days of having your very own man-made beach right in your own metaphorical backyard. And in a world changed and restricted by the onset and continued difficulties surrounding COVID-19, a Crystal Lagoon provides community members with a vacation-style amenity without the travel time and risk associated with a trip to the beach.
Forney citizens are already intrigued with the possibility. From stay-at-home moms to business professionals, the interest is certainly piqued. Local business owner and dad of two, Scott Gray understands why so many are drawn to our town. “Forney is a great place to live, and further development here is inevitable,” he said. “Setting a standard that Forney developments should have unique amenities like the lagoon will bring visitors, jobs, and needed tax dollars to our city.”
“Unique” is a perfect term for the Crystal Lagoon. This environmentally friendly product is unlike a traditional chlorinated swimming pool in many ways. For starters, there is no chlorine. The water is kept crystal-clear through a state-of-the-art filtration system created especially for the lagoon. Secondly, the bottom of a Crystal Lagoon is lined with a durable liner, while the lagoon itself is surrounded by beautiful white sand. This separation of elements allows lagoongoers the luxury of a whitesand beach while still maintaining the purity of the clear blue water.
“It sounds like a really neat idea, and it’s something different that we don’t have here,” resident Michelle Stone noted. As a mom to six girls, Stone is no stranger to the effort, energy, and expenses associated with visiting a water park or taking a family vacation. “The lagoon is like you’re on vacation but without really going on vacation,” she said. “I love the idea of it feeling like you’re on the actual beach.”
While the Crystal Lagoon being proposed in Forney would be a neighborhood amenity, this feature would be made available to the public as well as residents. Visitors who are not residents of the neighborhood would pay an entry fee to be able to enjoy activities like kayaking or paddle boarding within the two-acre lagoon, building sandcastles lagoon-side, renting a private cabana for a day at the “beach”, holding a birthday party, or a host of other options. Additionally, the initial plans indicated that a restaurant would be onsite with both lagoon-side and general public access.
“We are growing so quickly and an amenity such as this will give the families of Forney a place to relax and escape the stresses of everyday life,” commented Lisa Rogers. An educator in Forney ISD and a mother of two, Lisa also sees the value in the lagoon’s appeal to younger Forney residents. “It will be an amazing place for kids to hangout OUTSIDE and enjoy themselves. Kids need a place to hang out that provides activities and not just sitting in front of a screen.”
This future development, pending City approval, would be situated strategically between I-20 and Hwy. 80. It would bring not only more housing options to those interested in being a permanent part of the Forney community, but it would also create an opportunity to attract temporary visitors to the area, one of the few things that Forney is currently lacking. “Forney, as well as Kaufman County, is currently missing a unique destination attraction,” admitted Josh Hough, real estate broker with Exalt Realty. “A lagoon could provide that for sure.” Hough also pointed out that with house sales still soaring in the area, the demand is there. “Forney is averaging 179 homes sold each month, up from 148 at the same time last year, and listings are only taking on average 39 days to sell compared to 60 days last year. Even in a pandemic, demand has increased in Forney.”
In an effort to learn from and avoid some of the problems other cities have faced with developments of this type, should this development be approved, the City of Forney plans to require the construction of the lagoon to begin before any residential housing permits will be issued. That assurance will come through a development agreement between the developer and the City of Forney. Forney’s Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council are expected to see this new proposed development on their upcoming agendas, but it’s clear that many citizens are already in agreement that a Crystal Lagoon could be a very positive addition to Forney. “We have never needed an escape like we do now,” Rogers said. “This will provide an amazing experience for the entire city.”
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