After several hours of discussion, Flower Mound Town Council members approved parts of a proposed Lakeside DFW sign package minus any neon signs.
Neon proved to be a point of concern among both council members and residents who addressed the council, asking that no neon be allowed in the mixed-use development. The development off FM 2499 at Lakeside Parkway features The Shops at Lakeside with 50,000 square feet of commercial and an array of single-family houses, apartments and lofts.
Jimmy Archie, managing director of Realty Capital, master developer of Lakeside DFW, proposed a package that allowed a range from blade signs to projecting signs to awning signs to sandwich boards as well as marquee and monument signs.
“we don’t want a shopping center where every stores looks the same,” Archie said.
As a gateway into Flower Mound, an estimated 60,437 vehicles pass Lakeside DFW each day at FM 2499 and Lakeside, according to the Lakeside DFW website.
Archie told council members that the idea was to offer a menu of sign possibilities to both attract quality commercial entities as well as help them attract customers.
Greg Wilson, speaking on behalf of residents in Lakeside DFW, said they were adamantly against any neon signs. Initially, their proposal was to limit any lighting of signs as well as types and sizes of signs.
When asked what residents’ primary concerns were about the proposed signs, Wilson said “it becomes an issue of how much lighting we want to project in this small area. … Neon, that’s the biggest thing.”
The town’s sign ordinance currently does not allow neon, officials said.
Council members agreed they were concerned about allowing neon along the town’s gateway.
“We need to specifically know what it’s going to look like … it’s pollution,” said Mayor Tom Hayden in referring to neon signs. Hayden added that he believed neon signs could be distracting to passersby.
Council members opted to delay indefinitely any decision on neon until a later time when the developer can return with more visual representations of the types of neon signs as well as more specifics about where such signs would be used and how.
The sign package approved by the council removed all references to neon lighting. Monument signs would be restricted to listing two tenants only. No more than one projecting building identification wall sign would be allowed per building. No moving parts are allowed on signs. One of the proposed marquee signs would be a maximum of 30 feet in height as the main entrance sign while three other marquee signs would be limited to 25 feet.
The council unanimously approved the revised Lakeside DFW sign package.
“I think it’s unique that we can do this tonight to help the applicant,” Hayden said, adding the council realized that time was of the essence for the ongoing development.
In other business, the town council unanimously approved:
*A request for rezoning Liberty Park from agricultural district to single-family district-10 or medium density. The property is south of Quail Run and east of Flower Mound Road.
*A request for an application for a tree removal permit for five specimen trees in Liberty Park.
*A request for a development plan for a residential sudivision with an exception to the access management policy regarding driveway spacing at Liberty Park as well as the acceptance of $30,240 in place of required park land and $16,656 in park development fees.
*A master plan amendment to expand the Long Prairie Wastewater Service District Map to include three lots in Chateau Du Lac, located south of Meadow Lark on both sides of La Maison Place.
*A request for a master plan amendment to change the current designation of 13.582 acres from Cross Timbers Conservation District to low density residential and to expand the boundary of the Long Prairie Wastewater Service District to include the property known as Magnolia Park, which is located west of Bruton Orand Boulevard and north of Quail Run Road.
*A request for rezoning Magnolia Park from agricultural district to Planned Development District No. 139 with Single-Family-15 or low density.
*A request for application of a tree removal permit for 17 specimen trees on Magnolia Park.
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