Flower Mound Town Council unanimously voted at the April 7 meeting to table consideration of a master plan amendment and zoning change that would allow for a mixed-use development on over 21 acres along FM 2499 between Lakeside Parkway and Spinks Road.
Jimmy Archie, a managing partner at Realty Capital and Lakeside’s developer, said the proposed development would complement the success of Lakeside to date.
“The reason Lakeside succeeds is that it’s unique, interesting and different, and it does attract customers from a wider range than a typical neighborhood shopping center might otherwise attract,” Archie said. “Thirteen years later, we’re trying to take the same philosophy across the street.”
What you need to know
The developer of Lakeside DFW and Lakeside Village, Realty Capital, is seeking to develop 21.1 acres with a mix of uses, including:
- Up to 326 units, which could include apartments and townhomes
- A full-service hotel that could contain as many as 180 rooms
- A four-story office building with adjacent parking garage
- Restaurant and retail uses
- 3.6 acres of open space, including trails, plaza and courtyard areas, and a dry detention pond
What's next
Before a certificate of occupancy could be issued for the apartment building, the developer would be required to build out at least 35,000 of nonresidential space, including proposed buildings between FM 2499 and the proposed apartment building, according to town documents.
An amended development code provision that could allow the ground floor commercial space to increase from 6,000 square feet to 24,000 square feet is included in the proposed development code for Lakeside East, Archie said. The additional ground-level commercial space would only be built if there is a market to support it, Archie added.
Diving deeper
The proposal for Lakeside East includes two tracts that total 21.1 acres. This includes a 13.2-acre area that would include restaurant, retail and office uses along with a hotel, and it would also include a 7.9-acre area that would house the residential and some commercial development, per town documents. The proposed 326 residential units in Lakeside East would be reallocated from three areas within Lakeside DFW that did not build the maximum number of entitled units, Archie said.
“We did not want to bring a project forward to this town council where you were having to approve any new entitled residential units,” Archie said. “All we’re asking you to do is take entitled units that were approved by previous town councils and let us use them across the street to extend a great project and create a great corner to complement the existing Lakeside.”
Archie added that Lakeside East is an opportunity to take the mixed-use area and reach new and existing neighborhoods east of the existing Lakeside development.
“From a connectivity standpoint, we’re trying to reach the east side of FM 2499 and provide a place for them to access Lakeside,” Archie said.
Additionally, there are plans to potentially add a trolley service that would connect the various portions of Lakeside to each other, Archie said. The trolley would likely be branded specifically to Lakeside, according to Archie’s presentation to council.
Some context
Archie said Realty Capital purchased the 21.1 acres three years ago to prevent commercial uses from being developed in the current zoning, which he said which could have detracted from the cohesiveness of the master-planned Lakeside development. Realty Capital also conducted online surveys of new businesses residents preferred in Lakeside East in addition to five in-person input sessions in 2023.
The proposal for Lakeside East was recommended for denial by the planning and zoning commission at its March 24 meeting.
What they’re saying
Several residents and business owners came out and spoke in support of Lakeside East during the public hearing.
“In Lakeside, my customers actually live above me ... ,” said Clayton Flurry, co-owner of Flurry’s Market in Lakeside and Flurry’s Market + Provisions. “It is instrumental for my business in Lakeside to have the residential around it.”
Other residents, including Steven Wood, did not favor more apartments and were concerned with potential traffic impacts.
“It has the capability [to create] another two poor intersections blocking traffic in and out for the people who work out of town,” Wood said.
Some council members also voiced support for tweaks to the mix of uses, including more housing options for purchase instead of rent as well as adding more residential options and taking away some commercial development.
Looking ahead
Council members in their motion to table the proposal elected to reconsider when the applicant felt ready to share an updated plan after further discussion between the developer and town officials. During the meeting, Archie said he could be ready with a plan ahead of the April 21 meeting.
“I hope that there is still an opportunity to keep having this conversation because I think you’re 80% of the way there and I’d hate to see us end this conversation at 80% and give up on the last 20%,” council member Adam Schiestel said.
