The commission discussed the site plan during its April 2 meeting before tabling it until the May 7 meeting.
The overview
The plan included a 10,700-square-foot one-story building facing FM 407 on a 6.96-acre lot. This building would host a 194-seat sanctuary and children’s area.
The property has a 10-foot buffer between the adjacent properties, which includes the Woods of Argyle neighborhood on the east side. The developer is asking for a 5-foot pipe and lead fence adjacent to neighboring properties instead of the 8-foot masonry wall the town requires.
In the future, Tribes Church wants to expand with a second 10,700-square-foot building in the back of the property with a second sanctuary and stage, classrooms and storage rooms.
The discussion
Commissioners were concerned about headlights streaming into adjacent homes with the 10-foot buffer and no masonry wall.
They also wanted more landscaping, especially in the front of the property along FM 407.
“I’m not a fan of that lack of landscaping and the landscape buffer on 407,” commissioner David Snell said. “It might be a good idea to go back and look at relocating some of that [front] parking.”
The architect, Matthew Holtman from Holtman Designworks, said he would bring back a new site plan with the commissions recommendations but said that Tribes Church would like to add a pipe and rail fence instead of the masonry wall the town requires.
“We really prefer to have that residential feel,” Holtoman said. “That was Tribe’s decision in designing it the way that it is.”
Additional details
The church is expected to bring in 14 cars in the afternoon peak hours and 19 cars in the morning peak hours during the weekdays and 99 cars during Sunday services. A full traffic impact study is not required because the development expects to bring in less than 100 cars.
A total of 91 parking spaces was proposed on the lot with 78% of the parking located at the front of the building along FM 407. One entrance was added on FM 407 to be lined up with the west entrance of Argyle ISD's new middle school, which is under construction, and a second conceptual entrance was proposed on the east side of the property.
Additionally, there are 20-foot light poles on the site, which must be at least 20 feet away from the adjacent neighborhood due to town requirements.
The developer proposed removing seven trees and adding 19 trees, per town standards.
What else?
The Town Council approved the annexation and rezoning of this property at the March 24 meeting.
Currently, Tribes Church holds Sunday services at Argyle West Elementary School with in-home meetings throughout the week, according to its website.
The lead pastor, Gavin Papit, and his wife moved to Argyle seven years ago to start Tribes Church.
A small group met for weekly bible studies in an outdoor pavilion in the Harvest neighborhood before moving to Hilltop Elementary in 2018. In 2020, Tribes Church moved to Argyle West and in 2021, it purchased the property to build this proposed church.
