The Argyle Town Council voted Monday night to approve a new commercial development along Hwy 377 that will bring a lot of office space and some stores and restaurants to the town.
A zoning change request to allow for a 10-acre planned development, located between the post office and the First Baptist Church of Argyle, received approval from the Planning & Zoning Commission in April. The concept plan proposes one 15,000-square-foot mixed use building fronting Hwy 377 that will be be used for retail and restaurant space. Behind that building will be four 5,000-square-foot office buildings and four 7,000-square-foot office buildings. Part of the property borders the north side of the Settler’s Point subdivision.
The developer agreed to some minor changes — such as adding a walking trail, a requirement for a minimum of 5,000 square feet to be used for restaurant space, and more — in response to feedback from local residents. The applicant proposed to remove 211 trees — 70 of them protected, specimen and majestic (970 caliper inches) — and to replace them with 166 protected, specimen and majestic trees (980 caliper inches), not including required landscape trees. The proposed landscaped area included more than 158,000 square feet, much higher than the minimum requirement of 90,000. There will be 60-foot buffers on the east and south sides, 10-foot buffers on the west and north sides, and an 8-foot-tall stone wall on all sides but the west side.
About half of property owners within 200 feet of the property, nearly all the respondents, informed the town that they are in opposition to the proposed development, which meant that a supermajority (three-fourths) of council members would have to vote in favor for it to be approved.
Before the public hearing, Mayor Pro Tem Ron Schmidt signaled his support for the development, trying to dispel some residents’ concerns.
“I don’t think it’s reasonable to say we can’t do anything on 377 because of traffic,” he said.
Many nearby residents spoke during the public hearing against the development, citing concerns about drainage issues, the number of old trees that would be cut down and the perceived negative affect on wildlife and Argyle’s rural character.
“Will you save these trees? Will you protect us citizens and our lifestyle?” one resident asked council. “We’re not asking for financial gain or any benefits, we’re just asking for you to stand up for our rights to protect Argyle the way we want it to be.”
Another neighbor likened the proposed development to his old neighborhood in Arlington, which he was intentionally trying to avoid when he decided to move to Argyle. The issue of traffic was brought up many times.
“We’ll never get out of our subdivision,” one Settler’s Point resident said. “They’ve already said they’re not going to put a light in for us. If you start putting more and more traffic, somebody’s going to die, eventually, trying to get across that traffic.”
The council spent two hours hearing presentations, discussing the issues and listening to residents on the development. The request passed by a vote of 3-1, with only Casey Stewart voting against.
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