The Town of Flower Mound Transportation Commission on Oct. 14 voted to recommend an amendment to the Monarch master thoroughfare plan that designates Lansdowne (shown on exhibits as Judge Eads Parkway) as an urban minor arterial undivided (a four‑lane, no‑median section) and removes an urban collector north of Denton Creek Boulevard.

The change replaces an earlier designation that had shown Lansdowne as a four‑lane divided arterial (with a median and a wider right‑of‑way) and a north‑south urban collector connecting north of Denton Creek. Matt (assistant director) presented the proposal and explained that the revised cross section was supported by the project traffic‑impact analysis and avoids assuming capacity equivalence between a two‑lane collector with a two‑way left‑turn lane and a four‑lane section.

Jonathan Kirby, the applicant’s representative (2600 N. Central Expressway, Richardson), said the developer had coordinated with Argyle and with townhome purchasers and that the revised plan met the project’s geotechnical and grading constraints. He said the parties generally supported not creating a direct commercial connection through the residential area.

Why it matters: the change affects the cross‑section, the amount of right‑of‑way reserved, and how future traffic will be routed to and from the Monarch development. Commissioners and the applicant discussed elevation changes, a floodplain and bridge that would be required if Argyle were to fund a north–south connection, and whether the roadway design would accommodate a future connection if one were built.

Key details presented to the commission included:
- Existing designation: urban minor arterial (divided) for Lansdowne and an urban collector north of Denton Creek (the collector was a two‑lane undivided section with a two‑way left‑turn lane and a 60‑foot right‑of‑way).
- Proposed designation: urban minor arterial undivided (four lanes, no median) for the Lansdowne/ Judge Eads Parkway alignment; removal of the urban collector north of Denton Creek.
- Right‑of‑way and cross‑section: the divided urban minor arterial carries a wider cross‑section (presented as a 90‑foot right‑of‑way) while the urban collector shown previously used a 60‑foot right‑of‑way; the undivided four‑lane option maintains capacity without a median.
- Traffic analysis: the project’s traffic‑impact analysis (TIA) concluded that local residential streets would handle local traffic and that using the four‑lane undivided section avoided an earlier assumption equating the capacity of the two‑lane collector with a two‑way left‑turn lane to that of a four‑lane cross section; adopting the four‑lane undivided section was presented as the option that meets level‑of‑service expectations in the study.
- Funding and construction: the roadway and intersections shown in the exhibit will be provided as part of the Monarch development; any bridge across the floodplain to connect to Argyle would require outside funding (Argyle expressed interest in funding that connection).

Commission discussion touched on whether a future Argyle‑funded bridge would be undivided to lower cost, how signals or stop control might operate where new local roads meet Denton Creek Boulevard and the 35E/I‑35W service road area, and whether the reservation of right‑of‑way was adequate for a future connection. Commissioners noted significant elevation change and floodplain along the northern edge of the site, which limits where a connection could be built.

The commission voted to recommend the amendment to the Monarch thoroughfare plan. The recommendation will proceed to the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission and then to Town Council for final action; staff presented a schedule to take the item to Planning and Zoning in late October and to Town Council in November.

The commission’s recommendation replaces the prior collector designation north of Denton Creek with a four‑lane undivided urban minor arterial along the Monarch frontage and retains a right‑of‑way reservation for any future north–south crossing that a neighboring jurisdiction (Argyle) might build.

Proponents and opponents: the applicant and representatives of the Monarch development said the change reflected refined grading and use plans; no residents spoke during the public hearing portion on this item.

Next steps: the commission’s recommendation will appear before the Planning and Zoning Commission and then Town Council for final action; the project team and town staff said construction of the road segments would be phased with the development and any interjurisdictional bridge would require additional funding and coordination.