New developments on Argyle’s west side will be halted for the time being.
Town council officially voted to approve a development moratorium Monday night, which will pause any new developments along FM 407 from I-35W to Hwy 377 for 90 days.
When it goes into effect Tuesday morning, the town will stop accepting new development applications, including plats, construction plans, building permits and more in that area.
The moratorium will mostly affect commercial developments, but some residential developments could be affected, too.
According to Town Manager Mike Sims, individual homes will still be allowed to make renovations, such as pools, home remodels and upgrading and replacing or adding new fencing.
Though the moratorium as approved is only valid for 90 days, the town plans to request extensions until Denton County completes the FM 407 Breakout Project, which will expand FM 407 to six lanes from Gateway Drive in Argyle to Cleveland-Gibbs Road in Northlake.
It is expected to let March 2027, but a construction start date is yet to be set.
Denton County recently completed improvements to FM 407 under I-35W, adding a few more lanes and markings in hopes of increasing traffic flow.
At the meeting when the town officially proposed the moratorium, Sims said he appreciated the county’s work on FM 407, but the town would still prefer to put a pause on new developments until the next round of improvements are made.
The moratorium covers new developments, but any developments that have already started the process will be allowed to continue.
For example, the slow-moving 141-acre development at the northeast corner of FM 407 and I-35W, dubbed the Heath Tract, will not be hampered because it is in the process of being rezoned.
A new middle school and intermediate school for Argyle ISD, a 198-residential development and two commercial lots are also underway and will continue toward completion. The Argyle Sports Academy, Tribes Church and Valley Creek Church projects are all approved along FM 407 and will be completed.
Despite Argyle’s pause on new developments, because the overwhelming traffic along FM 407, the town is also requesting TxDOT decrease a majority of its FM 407 widening project through Argyle to just four lanes instead of six.
Even with the approval of the moratorium, the town continues to stick to its guns on that request, with Sims explaining that six lanes makes sense west of Gateway Drive, but not any further east through town.
This isn’t the first time Argyle has requested and approved a moratorium.
Around the same time in 2020, the town imposed a moratorium in pretty much the exact same place as was approved Monday night because of the exact same concerns.
