Cedar Park weighs zoning changes to pave way for Trader Joe’s amid resident concerns

Cedar Park City Council is considering making zoning changes that could bring a Trader Joe’s grocery store to the city.

Council held its first reading and public hearing related to the rezoning of a 7.79-acre lot at the southwest corner of East Whitestone Boulevard and Arrow Point Drive at a Feb. 27 meeting. The developer has made multiple modifications to the project amid hearing concerns from nearby residents, said Austin McWilliams, a representative of CSW Development and executive vice president with Jones Lang LaSalle.

The big picture

Waeltz & Prete Inc. is seeking to open a 64,000-square-foot commercial development, including a 13,500-square-foot Trader Joe’s alongside three office, showroom or warehouse buildings, according to city documents. The development would cater to small businesses, including retailers, coffee shops or showrooms, as well as professional offices, McWilliams said.

The developer’s request would amend the site’s future land use plan from local office/retail/commercial to regional office/retail/commercial to allow for a mixed-use retail and business center. Additionally, council is expected to vote on rezoning the area from professional office to general business-conditional overlay.

After meeting with community stakeholders, including nearby residents, the developer has reduced the project’s total square footage by around 10,000 square feet as well as proposed a larger landscape bufferyard and setback from properties south of the development.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approving the zoning changes with additional conditions. If approved, the development’s max building height could be 35 feet instead of 100 feet within 200 feet of the southern properties. The conditions would also prohibit an alcoholic beverage establishment or outdoor commercial amusement project from being built near the area.

What residents are saying

At the Feb. 27 meeting, three residents shared their concerns about a Trader Joe’s opening near their property, including Andy and Jill McGuire, who filed a petition to oppose the developer’s rezoning request. Andy McGuire requested that the developer keep 25% of the property designated for professional office spaces.

“Right now, tonight, if you go to the Arboretum where the Trader Joe's is, it's a zoo,” Andy McGuire said. “There isn't a professional office parking lot or building in the city right now that has more than three cars sitting in and the lights are all dead. It's fundamentally different.”

Nearby resident Tristan Chizick said the development would bring increased traffic to the area and asked that the city conduct a traffic study before approving the rezoning.

The city received 25 emails or letters from residents, about half of which were in support of a Trader Joe’s and half of which were against, according to city documents.

Around 1,800 people currently follow a Facebook page called “Bring Trader Joe’s to Cedar Park, TX,” which was started by Cedar Park resident Christina Legrand in 2015.

The other side

McWilliams said the developer wanted to address neighbors' concerns but noted they had already reduced the project’s square footage and made other enhancements that presented a challenge.

“We have tried to be mindful of the concerns of those closest to our proposed project by pushing this building as truly as far as you can and still have a viable project,” McWilliams said.

Some council members said they understood neighbors’ apprehension but were concerned about placing too many restrictions on the developer.

“I feel that the applicant is really going out of their way to try to meet you in the middle,” council member Eric Boyce said. “It feels like ... we're really trying to put so many brackets on this thing that it makes that project really nonviable for the applicant.”

Stay tuned

Council may have its second reading and take action on the zoning changes at its next meeting in March.