[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6512138,"mediaKeyId","5118039-1f880ae3e8e72ca410cca34fb96746a4","parentId",5118039,"title","Council roundup: consent agenda and four ordinances pass, including rezoning for Oak Grove/El Dorado site","audioSeconds",4400,"startMs",2959000,"endMs",7359000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118039-1f880ae3e8e72ca410cca34fb96746a4&start=2959&end=7359","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118039-1f880ae3e8e72ca410cca34fb96746a4/thumbnail_2959000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6512138/Little-Elm/Denton-County/Texas/Council-roundup-consent-agenda-and-four-ordinances-pass-including-rezoning-for-Oak-GroveEl-Dorado-site","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512138-3fcfd4455d72f98e49c5fee778a69b10/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440165&Signature=Wu4s5IrjH05D6W08LQO71uVpYTTGlN3uv~a5HrkWR6ctdynkOsDrCnNLRYeyZRN7a3DJuy3RPdpkWMwAx0NxaSbhyspoCxVZEuEmgBoySmcYY6Z87kSp12riIy5upKAgiinfrf~BhFJZgHWbLMD6VuNMuDVZ8RIjftb22Py06JopIHb62D1r1rLzFWs9r35lj3XPUIqazO5eaQ1--PoRQFoZb4Fa3pblyYyC9uXblWiU43yDlDiJGslIFHHmDsIbF4qKOse0~ysvQD28s~Owj9R~h-th8n00fvOILoD1xjRGyNNXVNRjz5GuJht1jtCAEOuklDuCdIFdD3PumBoaMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Little Elm","date","2025-07-01T00:00:00Z","article","At its meeting the Town Council approved the consent agenda and voted on several land-use items. Actions taken included the rezoning and execution of a development agreement for a 33.664‑acre site (Ordinance 18‑08) and two specific‑use permits for indoor event venues (Ordinances 18‑10 and 18‑11).

Votes at a glance
- Ordinance 18‑08 (rezoning ~33.664 acres at Oak Grove/El Dorado): Approved. Council also approved a development agreement that sets design standards, short‑term‑rental limits and timing conditions requiring intersection improvements before driveway connections. Vote: unanimous (recorded in meeting as council voice vote; no roll call in transcript).
- Development Agreement (related to Ordinance 18‑08): Approved. Motion carried with staff direction to finalize short‑term‑rental language before execution.
- Ordinance 18‑10 (specific use permit for a 5,142 sq. ft. banquet/event venue at Main Marketplace): Approved; Planning & Zoning recommended primary parking be located behind large western tenants to reduce retail parking conflicts. Vote: unanimous.
- Ordinance 18‑11 (specific use permit for a 1,508 sq. ft. banquet/event suite near Lakeside Grill): Approved with P&Z conditions restricting hours (recommendation of 9 a.m.–midnight) and tying SUP approval to the current property owner/operator; council approved per P&Z recommendation. Vote: unanimous.

Notes and next steps: Several items carried standard conditions from Planning & Zoning and staff: event‑venue SUPs were approved with operational-hour guidance and, in one case, the council asked staff to retain the SUP requirement for future operators of the space so changes in ownership would require a fresh SUP. For the rezoning, staff will require the applicant to deliver revised plans and execute a development agreement before the town issues site or building permits. Council and staff noted that engineering approvals and roadway improvements must precede driveway access to El Dorado Parkway.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Little Elm - Town Council - Jul 01, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Little Elm Town Council approved the consent agenda and passed Ordinances 18-08 (rezoning), 18-10 (specific use permit for a 5,142 sq. ft. banquet hall), and 18-11 (specific use permit for a 1,508 sq. ft. banquet hall). The council also approved the related development agreement for the rezoning site.","taxTitle","Little Elm, Denton County, Texas","taxId",52812,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6512143,"Events report: Brewing Queue sold out VIP, Juneteenth hits strong engagement; water, food and cooling noted as areas for improvement",1496,21000,1517000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118039-1f880ae3e8e72ca410cca34fb96746a4&start=21&end=1517","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118039-1f880ae3e8e72ca410cca34fb96746a4/thumbnail_21000.jpg","/articles/6512143/Little-Elm/Denton-County/Texas/Events-report-Brewing-Queue-sold-out-VIP-Juneteenth-hits-strong-engagement-water-food-and-cooling-noted-as-areas-for-improvement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512143-f770f1c4424723ac14cda55516be5f87/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440165&Signature=nV9NbpKSzPN8MEDmh77qQSqCMAf6EiP1I2ki0j5R-IuQCp3R~RzjkApeCDtAngJcrqiNtsc6wxRe2mCdMb0kb96TvYIe6AegRaPP13E6AUfRqo8CyNJStfsfM7qxUgQ8BOqBtTbTr5Rr20te2-u7bNgsFVpZrKY7hAdYkQ0S06NpytWpza0G0r9TgySC7W227atGwqk8PsmDWAe1gDGPGOPoPVgmu6opg0InEH1b934kl6qpLK8P1cbmTkrQGvG3emdZBKM7-CkF9F0kMubdbYgv4IgbYxNRAvuWNsiOY2e2a-Ql-CQADWLMdgdKNqFqpw0LJ3f21Kp0BQGutUWkjA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Drew Bailey, Little Elm’s events lead, gave the council an operational and financial recap of three recent events and previewed summer programming, saying the town will tweak logistics after attendee feedback.

Brewing Queue: Bailey said the event sold 11,000 tickets (the town’s ticketing system includes vendors and staff in that total) and generated roughly $280,000 in ticket sales and $366,000 total revenue; expenditures rose because of added production elements. Bailey said the event returned about $127,000 in profit that will fund other community events. “We sold 11,000 tickets,” Bailey said.

Operations and learnings from Brewing Queue included a sold‑out VIP/VVIP tent and a successful whiskey/bourbon tent; new production elements such as LED walls, risers on the main stage and a GIS‑powered interactive vendor map (used by about 650 attendees); a drone-and-fireworks finale; and vendor changes for 2026 (Bailey said the town will work to add more wineries and adjust meet-and-greet logistics). Water availability and food‑service lines were recurring issues: staff limited bottled-water sales to $2 to keep hydration affordable, and Bailey said the team will add cooling stations and misters at future summer events.

Juneteenth: The event, moved to an evening concert format, drew about 981 attendees per the event’s attendance system and achieved roughly 73% cost recovery with $8,500 in sponsorships. Bailey said the revised format kept guests more centrally located and improved flow, and that the town intends to use larger concerts to build the event over time.

PlayTri (third‑party event at Little Elm Park): The June 22 event reported 450 registered athletes and was estimated to draw about 2,979 people across the half‑day window; organizers used volunteer support from the police department’s citizen academy and the event produced a modest (approx.) $11,000 economic impact to local businesses during the morning and early afternoon.

Staffing, parking and upcoming events: Bailey said events now routinely rely on a mix of town staff and contracted workers; Brewing Queue required roughly 77 people to execute on‑site operations. She previewed upcoming events: Red, White & Beach (July 4), AutumnFest (four‑day carnival, September), Kids Tri (Sept. 28), movie nights (Minions and Wicked) and a concert on July 26 (Infinite Journey). She also announced that supervisors will distribute resident event passes in three neighborhoods with access help for northern neighborhoods as part of outreach to increase resident participation.

Council questions focused on water and vendor logistics, VIP layout and meet‑and‑greet crowd control; Bailey said the team will alter VIP flow and consider additional cooling options, including donated large misters and larger fans for next year. Bailey noted that ticketed headline capacity and certain production elements (e.g., drone-fireworks timing) affected the event schedule and layout decisions.

Ending: Town staff called the run of summer events a financial and operational success overall, and said they will apply lessons from June to July 4 and the fall festival schedule.","Little Elm events staff reported financial gains from Brewing Queue and operational takeaways from three recent events — Brewing Queue, Juneteenth and a PlayTri third‑party event — and previewed July 4 Red, White & Beach and AutumnFest.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6512148,"Council approves rezoning and development agreement for 33.66-acre Oak Grove/El Dorado site after revisions and conditions",3611,2978000,6589000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118039-1f880ae3e8e72ca410cca34fb96746a4&start=2978&end=6589","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118039-1f880ae3e8e72ca410cca34fb96746a4/thumbnail_2978000.jpg","/articles/6512148/Little-Elm/Denton-County/Texas/Council-approves-rezoning-and-development-agreement-for-3366-acre-Oak-GroveEl-Dorado-site-after-revisions-and-conditions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6512148-683632ca77a8be4db4b0ae9294d3d294/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440165&Signature=QFPF6j7L4X0~euE50CQsNghHsicp2R4q1QMUBobFXfJdIqjHROGV5XY1u9IS5UrwFmzbx5lE8ac1wWbi5Rd8A7wqH5Ezguhr5XiAOSZzhVCiY1gUoeEYgNrx5N4VzLkByoL12YHhMwdv63lySGkRN0hS9oW6g4vW9ySCSrGKA-BH4XWZKGffXXBHnPFqH1bnZFkNfujUQRhfFTEQZaMjk2YNIApTBqC7EWziU-flfhMA20WTBvV8rtuDytFVlFd9RYA4vlsB0Ptfk21JFmGjWaGr5RLt2S9uypjXEdAKZDHqFdP3AMFTv30F37m9UiJsZ66a5lQwwnwlKpTZ6S3fuQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Little Elm Town Council on Tuesday approved Ordinance 18-08 to rezone about 33.664 acres at the Oak Grove Parkway and El Dorado Parkway intersection for commercial frontage and a mixed residential townhome area, and separately approved a development agreement that memorializes design and operational commitments.

The council voted to adopt the rezoning and placed conditions recommended by staff, including revised site plans, limits on approved density and a development-agreement requirement that binds the applicant to commitments on short-term-rental restrictions and timing for infrastructure connections.

The rezoning request covers nine parcels in the project area. Under the approved plan the property’s north frontage is designated straight commercial zoning (about 23 acres) and the southern portion — roughly 12.78 acres — is rezoned to permit townhome development. The applicant revised the proposal during the council review to reduce the maximum townhome count to 92 units (about 7.1 dwelling units per acre), down from an earlier submittal that proposed as many as 125 townhomes.

Why it mattered: council and staff said the changes brought the project more closely in line with the town’s West Side Study (2021) and the town’s 2022 comprehensive-plan amendment while preserving a larger buffer between the new units and existing single-family homes. Town staff also required the developer to delay building access ties into the El Dorado/Oak Grove intersection until roadway improvements are completed.

Key details from council discussion and staff presentation:
- Density and layout: Staff reported the revised plan produces 7.1 units per acre for the townhome portion and that the developer reduced building lengths and unit counts to address neighbor concerns.
- Buffers and walls: The developer agreed to widen the buffer adjacent to existing homes (the narrowest portions were revised from 20 feet to at least 30 feet in several locations) and to provide an 8-foot masonry wall along parts of the eastern boundary where the town code requires separation from adjacent residential lots. In other areas the applicant proposed wrought-iron fencing with masonry columns and emergency-access gates with Knox-boxes for fire-department use only.
- Open space: The applicant proposed 5.99 acres of open space, exceeding the minimum required by the town for the proposed number of units.
- Traffic and timing: Engineering staff said intersection improvements at El Dorado and Oak Grove — including added turn lanes to improve capacity — are under design and estimated to be complete in fall 2026. The applicant stated it does not plan to begin vertical construction of townhome buildings until roughly fall 2027, and engineering said the developer cannot tie driveway access into the intersection until the public improvements are finished.

Public comment: Four residents who live directly behind or near the site spoke in opposition, citing traffic volume on El Dorado (staff said the corridor carries roughly 61,000 vehicles per day in recent counts), concerns about sight distances at Highland Circle, worries about light and wildlife impacts from development, and requests for a solid masonry wall along the shared boundary rather than wrought-iron fencing. The applicant and staff responded that the revised plan increases separation, that existing trees and landscape requirements will be addressed through code-required mitigation or replacement, and that gates proposed for emergency access will remain closed to general traffic.

Council action and conditions: Council members moved and seconded approval after agreeing to staff-identified conditions. Staff asked for three conditions to be attached to the ordinance: (1) the applicant must submit revised plans to reflect the reduced unit count and updated buffers before permits proceed; (2) the town and applicant will finalize and execute a development agreement that includes short-term-rental limitations and the agreed façade/landscape commitments; and (3) the town will retain its standard substantial-development timelines (staff recommended keeping a requirement for meaningful site progress and limited extension authority rather than allowing a longer, open-ended vesting period). The development agreement was approved by separate motion later in the meeting and will be executed before permits move forward.

Council and staff cautioned that final site permits will still require traffic, stormwater and grading approvals. Engineering said the town will not allow connection to the improved intersection until the public-work contract and striping are complete.

Ending: With the conditions in place, the council approved Ordinance 18-08 and the related development agreement; the project will return to staff for plan revisions and will remain subject to the town’s standard permit and inspection processes.

","Little Elm Town Council approved Ordinance 18-08 to rezone roughly 33.664 acres near Oak Grove Parkway and El Dorado Parkway for commercial frontage and a 92-unit townhome component, and also approved the related development agreement after staff conditions addressing buffers, density and timing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council roundup: consent agenda and four ordinances pass, including rezoning for Oak Grove/El Dorado site

Events report: Brewing Queue sold out VIP, Juneteenth hits strong engagement; water, food and cooling noted as areas for improvement

Council approves rezoning and development agreement for 33.66-acre Oak Grove/El Dorado site after revisions and conditions