The site of a planned development that would replace a controversial truck stop proposal was rezoned from agriculture use to retail services at the Kyle City Council meeting Tuesday.

Located on the northwest corner of Yarrington Road and I-35 on the border between San Marcos and Kyle, the site was originally proposed to host a large truck stop, but that idea drew outcry from the community. Residents were concerned about a variety of issues, from pollution to human trafficking, which the FBI links to truck stops.

In January, tentative plans were released for the site's development. The plan shows space for an anchor retail store, restaurant pads, two hotels, a convenience store with eight gas pumps and several other smaller retail and restaurant spaces.

The new plans seem to be going over better with local residents such as Russ Louch, who expressed his gratitude to council Tuesday during the citizen comment period.

“It looks like a fantastic development, and I look forward to stopping there on my way home and shopping and spending some money in Kyle,” Louch said.

However, prior to Tuesday’s council meeting, the site was zoned as being for agriculture use. Previously, PGI Investments, the developer of the project, had a rezoning request denied by the Kyle Planning & Zoning Commission in early 2016. PGI Investments chose to withdraw its application as it would have gone to Kyle City Council with a P&Z recommendation to deny.

But with new plans beyond the truck stop, Kyle City Council voted unanimously to approve the rezoning request from agricultural to retail use. The item passed 7-0 at the first reading, meaning it does not have to go back for a second reading.

“We will have plenty of opportunity to have a much more thorough discussion of some of the more exciting aspects of the project, much more exciting than the zoning change, in the future. I look forward to that,” Mayor Todd Webster said.

Howard Koontz, Kyle's director of Planning and Community Development, said the next step in the process for the city is to work with PGI Investments Pon their site development review.

"We are waiting to hear from them and are ready to work with them on their next steps," Koontz said in an e-mail.