I’ll start this month’s article by recognizing the amazing staff at Argyle Town Hall. We truly have a great group of talented and dedicated individuals working hard to serve our community. I’ve been constantly impressed with their commitment, their ability to go above and beyond, and a constant focus on providing best-in-class customer service to our residents and local businesses. And while the mayor and town council are responsible for vision and direction, it’s really the staff that make it a reality. As a result of this team effort, we’ve enjoyed an exponential increase in community events during the past two years, many of which are now annual traditions. We’ve also seen a major increase in communications, keeping our residents better informed and providing additional channels for input and feedback.
On that note, I’m particularly proud of the Program for Argyle Citizen Engagement or PACE. This program provides a forum for developers to share concept plans with the public well before submitting anything to the town for approval, and it allows residents to provide meaningful feedback early in the process. I’ve championed this process for nearly eight years now, and I’m pleased to say that every project that has moved forward after a PACE meeting has done so with significant improvements. Simply put, we end up with a better product than was originally proposed. And for those few proposals that received a lot of negative feedback, developers were able to redesign or cancel projects before investing large sums of money in design, real estate, engineering and legal services.
While on the subject of developments, you’re probably aware that the Town of Argyle acquired 6 acres of land on FM 407 next to the Argyle Veterinary Hospital. Our first priority is to build the Donald G. Moser Law Enforcement Center on that property, and eventually a municipal complex featuring a new town hall. During the Feb. 25th council meeting, we received a presentation for a development concept that would tie in the town’s property with a 12-acre mixed use site to the south and create a true town center. This is still early in the concept stage, and the documents are available for your review on the town’s website at argyletx.com under the town council meetings and agendas section. I encourage everyone stay informed on this exciting and impactful initiative.
Another town-owned property was also discussed during the February council meeting, a heavily-treed parcel situated between Little Joe’s Farmstead restaurant and The Oaks of Argyle. Town council voted to name the property “Argyle Nature Trail,” reinforcing its intended use as a natural resource with a beautiful canopy and walking trail. A committee was also appointed to provide guidance and oversight of the property.
On the horizon are some other very exciting developments that deserve mention.
On February 27th, I had the honor of attending the groundbreaking for Denton County ESD Station 512 in Northlake. It will be located on the east side of I-35W at Dale Earnhardt Way, and is expected to be open this summer (yes, summer of 2025!) thanks to an innovative approach that will bring this much-needed resource online much faster than many of us expected. It has been absolutely amazing to see the teamwork, support and regional collaboration that has gone into making this happen, with special recognition to Chief Vaughan for his outstanding character and leadership.
Another development proposal getting a lot of attention is located on the west side of I-35W to the south of Robson Ranch Road. Referred to as the Heritage Tract, this nearly 200 acre project within Argyle town limits would include a highly-regarded regional grocer, a small medical complex, and a variety of commercial and retail shops. Town council, staff, and I are all working diligently to ensure that if approved, this would be a high quality, well-thought-out development providing much needed services and amenities to our citizens, and sales tax revenue to the Town of Argyle for generations to come. Stay tuned for more information, and sign up on the town’s website to be notified of upcoming meetings involving this exciting proposal.
In closing, I would like to thank you for allowing me to serve you in different capacities over the last eight years. Thank you to everyone who has supported me during my journey from Planning and Zoning Commissioner, to Councilman, and finally to Mayor. It has been the honor of my life serving the good people of Argyle, and I am eternally grateful for the people I’ve met along the way, many of whom I’m proud to call friends. I’ve learned a lot, had some amazingly good and trying experiences, and have always tried to stay true to my beliefs and values. The reasons I chose not to seek re-election are simple: I’ve achieved much of what I set out to do, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished. It’s time to put more focus on my family and my career. And finally, I’m hopeful that others will be inspired to step up and experience the joy and challenges of public service. As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Town of Argyle is full of amazing, dedicated public servants. It has been my distinct honor to work with them and to serve you all. I look forward to seeing many of you as I finish out my term over these next couple of months.
I believe Argyle is on the right path, and regardless of how much it grows, it can retain its small town charm and remain a wonderful place to live, work, go to school, raise a family, and be part of an amazing community. I encourage everyone to stay informed and get involved. Thank you and God bless.
