The expenditure was approved by council Feb. 25, after the Municipal Development District board approved the contracts Feb. 6.
The details
The $100,000 given to Little Joe’s Farmstead is to help owner Jim Reid convert the outdoor patio of his restaurant into a walk up ice cream shop and office, according to city documents. The shop will offer homemade ice cream and pastries, Reid said.
“Well I can’t wait,” council member Cynthia Hermann said. “I think it’s a wonderful addition and a great next step... every time I drive by it’s just a source of pride.”
Reid also plans to revamp the front of the property along Hwy. 377. In addition to this project, Reid is looking into purchasing the property next to Little Joe's and making it into a market center that connects Little Joe's to the Argyle Nature Trail.
In similar news
The $40,000 for the proposed town center will be used for preliminary studies including traffic impact assessments, water flow studies and utility studies, said applicant Mike Silvaggio.
The town center property located off of FM 407 includes 12 acres of land adjacent to six acres owned by the town. The town is planning to build a law enforcement center and municipal buildings on their property. Silvaggio first proposed his idea Dec. 16 and received feedback from the town before asking the Municipal Development District for the $40,000 to start the project.
A more detailed site and drainage plan was discussed for the proposed town center. The site plan featured a main street into the development with townhomes and mixed-use spaces that Silvaggio said were going to be a boutique style.
The plan also includes green space and ponds. A sidewalk trail around the land could include a dog park and connect to the adjacent Waterbrook neighborhood.
“The potential of creating this great town center for town events, festivals [and] conducting those in that center green [space]... would be very exciting and I think the community would enjoy being able to come here and experience that,” said Randi Rivera, director of planning and entitlement at McAdams, an engineering firm.
Diving in deeper
Justin L. Lansdowne, senior project manager at McAdams, discussed the proposed drainage plan for the development. Part of the development site is in a floodplain but Lansdowne believes that the flood plain can be reclaimed once a downstream assessment and a flood study are completed. He added that a fountain could be put into the retention ponds.
“I think it’s very exciting,” Mayor Pro Tem Ronald Schmidt said. “It could be a real focal point for our town.”
Mayor Rick Bradford expressed concern about the amount of parking, and Silvaggio said he was willing to cut down parking and add more green space. Bradford also suggested that Silvaggio held a Program for Argyle Community Engagement meeting to get feedback on the proposal, which Silvaggio said he was open to doing.
