Design team lays out Front Street Small Area Plan with mixed-use buildings, park link and parking concerns

ValleyQuest Design presented the Front Street Small Area Plan to the Argyle Municipal Development District, outlining a concept that places two 2‑story mixed‑use buildings on the south tract and a connected park and trail network to the north.

The lead presenter, Jeremy Blatt of ValleyQuest Design, said the plan focuses on the strip of land between the railroad and Front Street between Old Justin Road and Crawford Road and noted the southern parcels are zoned Old Town 1 (OT1). "We're a full service landscape architecture and planning firm based in Denton, Texas," Blatt said, and described components including pedestrian‑oriented storefronts, integration with park and recreation space, and architectural guidance consistent with an Old Town character.

Why it matters: the proposal would shape where retail, offices and public space go in a central corridor and could affect future sales‑tax revenue, traffic and the town's character. Consultants and board members emphasized constraints, including floodplain limits and right‑of‑way geometry, that narrow developable area and affect building footprint and parking decisions.

Blatt and a project presenter identified two 2‑story buildings—each a 5,000‑square‑foot footprint (10,000 sq ft total per building)—as an efficient layout that supports a courtyard for events. "We plan to maintain [the trail] at 10 feet wide," Blatt said, describing a multiuse trail connection to Unity Park and the adjoining neighborhood trail. The team noted site constraints: much of a 5‑acre parcel is floodplain and the unusual lot shapes limit options to add floors because of existing height caps.

Board and public members questioned parking capacity and how event parking would be handled. One participant objected to labeling the relocated depot as historic, saying, "That's not a historic building," and warned there was not enough parking for large community events. The consultants responded that the plan shows roughly 200 spaces split between north and south parcels and suggested shared‑parking arrangements could address event peaks when offices are not at their highest use.

The plan also envisions reusing a moved railroad‑adjacent building as a gateway feature or small support facility; consultants suggested some civic uses or small commercial uses could be appropriate. Participants asked whether the city would need to rezone land; staff clarified the concept does not automatically rezone property but adopting the small‑area plan would likely require amendments to the future land‑use map for portions of the west side of Front Street currently designated residential.

On traffic and rail impacts, the team noted coordination with Kimley Horn (traffic engineers) and TxDOT plans that include roadway realignments. Residents asked about train noise; one board member observed TxDOT has promised horn mitigation tied to roadway improvements, though consultants said ambient rumble would remain.

Next steps: staff and consultants said the small‑area plan will be refined, any required future land‑use amendments would be processed separately, and the board asked to be kept updated as the design evolves.