The Flower Mound Town Council this week unanimously approved a site plan for the proposed Flower Mound Medical Office Building on FM 1171.
The land on the southwest corner of FM 1171 and Churchill Drive, a highly visible spot, has remained vacant for many years longer than expected. In April 2015, council approved a site plan for a Children’s Learning Adventure daycare to be built there, and then some foundation and underground work was done slowly, but the daycare seemed to be doing just enough to keep its permits from expiring, then-Town Manager Jimmy Stathatos said in 2018. Eventually, all progress ended and the land was sold.
Matt Macleod, principal owner of Castle Development Group, told The Cross Timbers Gazette in December 2022 that his company intends to build some medical offices and “light retail space,” likely a fast-casual restaurant or two, on the property.
In the applicant’s Letter of Intent submitted to the town in January 2023, the project manager provided a site plan to build a 12,500-square-foot medical office building on the west side of the property, which is zoned Office District. The applicant requested an exception to town code that would require utilities to be buried underground along FM 1171. The applicant asked to allow for overhead utilities because there wouldn’t be enough room for the underground utilities easement and for the building and parking lot as designed.
During Monday’s council meeting, council members said they are eager to see a quality development on this property long considered an eyesore by many residents.
“This property, I’m really happy to see something happening with it because for many, many years it’s been in flux and there’s been some problems,” Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Ann Martin said during Monday’s meeting. “I’m really happy that we have a project coming forward.”
“Thank you for taking down the chain-link fence after x number of years,” Mayor Pro Tem Jim Engel said to the applicant.
As to the developer’s request for the utilities exception, Martin explained that she usually prefers underground utilities, but not for this project.
“I do much prefer the buried utilities. I think it’s a much cleaner look and it hopefully would eliminate some exposure to storm damage, wind damage,” Martin said. “But in this situation and some others where all the surrounding areas have above-ground utilities, I think it might even look worse … so I am OK with this.”
Other council members agreed.
“I really think we need to stop granting this exception because we need to take action when we can to get rid of some of these power lines,” Councilman Adam Schiestel said. “But in this case, because this property has been sitting here in this state for this long, we have a higher interest in getting this project moving forward.”
Last month, the town Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the request. No residents submitted public comments or spoke during the public hearing at Town Council. After a brief discussion, council members voted unanimously to approve the request as presented. No construction timeline has been announced.
In the Letter of Intent, the project manager informed the town that there are additional plans to build two more buildings on the property, but separate site plans will be submitted later. The buildings will be operated and maintained by separate owners.
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