Justin City Council unanimously approved the Old Town Master Plan that will give guidance for future development and redevelopment of the area.
According to the city, the Old Town Master Plan will take effect following the second reading at the City Council meeting on Feb. 12.
The presentation from the city said the overlay aims to preserve the historic character of the area while adding complementary development and a walkable shopping, dining and entertainment district.
It also hopes to maintain traditional neighborhoods and a rural feel though clear transitions between commercial and residential areas.
“Our city’s pulse doesn’t beat in concrete and traffic, it lives in the pulse of Old Town,” said Mayor James Clark. “It’s where stories breathe, neighbors connect and heritage holds strong. This is what we seek to preserve, nurture and grow.”
He believes the overlay will also prevent developers from buying up Old Town properties and putting in businesses that don’t fit into the Old Town aesthetic.
“Seven years ago when I campaigned to become a councilman, I always heard ‘Let’s protect Old Town business,'” said Clark. “We don’t want fast food, big chain retail and franchises in Old Town. This overlay… is a protection of Old Town.”
Part of the council’s motion to approve the item included increasing the minimum lot size on future developments in Old Town as a way to prevent groups from buying properties and dividing them into multiple lots, which would increase density.
The plan was adjusted a bit since Justin’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval. Council decided to remove Hardeman Circle from the Old Town Zoning and make the cutoff 8th Street and 7th Street.
After years of thought and eight months of planning, council member James Castle wanted to ensure residents that this plan wasn’t any attempt to keep homeowners from doing what they want with their property, more to help the city when an owner sells their property.
“We wanted to preserve [owners] from having their lot bought and then having a house that looks like whatever built on it,” said Castle. “This is not just some idea we had, this has been going on since 2022.”
He shared similar sentiments to Clark when he talked about how important Old Town is to his elected position.
“I ran for this office to protect Old Town and that’s what I’m trying to do,” he said. “Right now, there’s no protection for these places, they can do what they want, but with this Old Town overlay, at least there are some rules to stop something that doesn’t match. All of this was in good faith, we’re trying to preserve Old Town.”
Finally, the plan hopes to establish an Old Town Vision to guide development, redevelopment and rehabilitation toward connected and flexible outcomes.
Part of the vision is a working plan to convert alleyways within Old Town into walkable areas for pedestrians.
The city has wanted to avoid sidewalks on the streets in Old Town, but believes renovated alleyways could be a way to connect people from City Hall Park to Old Town shops.
