Trophy Club Planning & Zoning Commission members recommended approval July 10 of an amendment to Planned Development District 25 that would allow Hutchins Barbecue to enclose an outdoor patio and use off-site parking at 3000 South State Highway 114, and they asked staff to study pedestrian crosswalks and signage between the restaurant and the Holiday Inn parking area.

The commission’s recommendation sends the item to the Town Council; staff had recommended approval. “Staff does recommend approval of this PD as presented,” a staff member said during the public hearing. The proposal would enclose roughly 900 square feet of existing outdoor patio, add air conditioning, and rely on a shared-parking agreement for 12 spaces with the nearby Holiday Inn to meet the town’s parking requirement.

The action matters because the property sits in Planned Development District 25 (PD 25), originally adopted in February 2002 and covering roughly 16 acres of the Trophy Wood Business Center. The subject parcel is described in the staff report as Trophy Wood Business Center, Block B, Lot 2R2, approximately 2.052 acres. Under the town’s PD rules, changes to a final detailed site plan and elevations require commission review and a recommendation to Council.

Most discussion focused on parking logistics, pedestrian safety and on-site operations during construction. Staff told commissioners the applicant had executed a signed, notarized shared-parking agreement with the Holiday Inn for 12 spaces in August 2024; that agreement was included in the packet. The staff member also said the ordinance amendment is under review by the town attorney and that required public notices were distributed; no letters of support or opposition were received within the statutory notice circle, although staff noted an email from a resident, Mrs. Kiefer, which was provided to commission members for transparency.

Matt Jones, who spoke for the business, described construction logistics and said the team plans to avoid placing large roll-off dumpsters in the constrained on-site parking area. “The initial plan was to not bring a roll off in because of the space that it does take up. So what we were gonna use were gooseneck dump trailers,” Jones said, adding crews would move trailers off-site during business hours.

Commissioners and members of the public raised pedestrian-safety concerns tied to the off-site parking: patrons walking between the Holiday Inn lot, a gravel town-owned lot and Hutchins frequently cross Plaza Drive, a private road near the restaurant. Commissioners asked staff to investigate crosswalk paint or other measures, pathway lighting, and potential signage to guide patrons to the designated off-site parking. Staff noted implementation could involve multiple property owners and town-owned property and that engineers and the city manager are already engaged in related discussions; final implementation would likely require coordination beyond the Hutchins PD amendment.

Other practical concerns discussed included on-site storage and visibility: commissioners and residents asked the applicant to consider relocating smokers, pallets and catering vans that occupy spots near the restaurant so customer parking nearest the building is available, and asked Hutchins management to keep dumpster doors closed during operating hours. The applicant acknowledged prior interactions with code enforcement over overnight vehicle parking and said they would relay the commissioners’ concerns to the general manager.

In the motion forwarded to Council, a commissioner moved to recommend approval of PDAMD-25-2 with the addition that staff consider pedestrian crosswalk markings and potential signage at the Plaza Drive crossing between the Holiday Inn and the restaurant, and review town-owned parking adjacent to the restaurant. After a second, the commission voted in favor and the motion carried. Commissioners and staff clarified that study and any construction of crosswalks or lighting would be handled separately and might require agreement from other property owners; staff will bring findings to Council when the PD amendment is presented.

Background: PD 25 has been amended at least once in the recent past (staff referenced a Hutchins amendment in mid-2023 that addressed outside storage, a walk-in cooler and exterior modifications). The current amendment does not change site-line studies, landscape plans, photometrics, wall and fence criteria or signage beyond the details required in the final site plan, staff said. The town attorney’s review of the drafting ordinance was ongoing at the time of the hearing.

The commission closed the public hearing and forwarded the recommendation to Town Council; the council will consider the ordinance and any related engineering recommendations at a subsequent meeting.