Trophy Club council declines zoning change to let Ship Shop host truck rentals after heated public hearing

The Town of Trophy Club Town Council on Jan. 13 declined to amend Planned Development District 13, Track 1, to add “truck and trailer rental” as an accessory use at the Ship Shop at the northwest corner of Trophy Club Drive and State Highway 114. The request would have allowed U-Haul branded trucks, vans and trailers to be stored and offered for rent on the strip-center frontage.

The vote came after a lengthy public hearing that drew dozens of residents and business owners and more than an hour of council discussion. The council considered a motion to overturn a Planning & Zoning recommendation against the zoning change; that motion failed, leaving PD‑13 unchanged.

Why it matters: Track 1 sits on limited, high-value frontage on SH‑114. Supporters said a small U‑Haul operation is a neighborhood convenience and important local revenue source for the Ship Shop. Opponents said parked rental trucks create a commercial, industrial look on the town’s main entrance, risk setting a precedent for more intensive truck storage in a retail strip, and could harm the visual character that supports property values and future redevelopment.

What happened at the hearing: Planning and Zoning Chair Mike Biggs told the council the P&Z board had received overlapping and sometimes inconsistent information, and that members had discussed pursuing a special‑use permit (SUP) process to get more detailed operational conditions. The applicant, David Sanders, owner of the Ship Shop, told the council he has operated the store in Trophy Club for six years and began offering U‑Haul trailers and vans in late 2023. Sanders said the rental service “is nothing more than a service I provide to Trophy Club” and told council members removing the use would cost his store roughly 30% of its income. He estimated he has served hundreds of Trophy Club customers through the rental business.

Residents and nearby business owners were sharply divided. Several residents and a number of neighboring business owners said the trucks are an eyesore and would create substantial signage and visual clutter along the highway; Patricia Kiefer said the proposed display would be “the size of three billboards facing Texas Highway 114.” Other speakers, including owners and managers of adjacent businesses, described Ship Shop as a convenience that provides notary, shipping, passport-photo and other local services, and urged the council to preserve the business.

Council debate focused on two questions: whether the SH‑114 frontage is an appropriate location for a truck‑rental use, and whether a narrowly tailored SUP could allow limited operation with enforceable conditions (vehicle size limits, designated parking locations, and caps on the number of vehicles). Several council members said they would be open to an SUP tied to specific conditions but not to a blanket PD amendment that would allow truck rental generally on that frontage.

Outcome and next steps: The council’s motion to overturn the Planning & Zoning recommendation failed; the PD‑13 ordinance remains unchanged. Staff and several council members discussed that the applicant could instead pursue an SUP if he wishes; the SUP process would return to Planning & Zoning and then to council with specific conditions for approval. The council also discussed—without taking formal action—the idea that an SUP could specify vehicle size limits, designate the handful of parking spaces allowed for rentals and require a landlord parking agreement.

Quotes (selected): "U-Haul is 30% of my income," David Sanders, owner, said of the rental portion of his Ship Shop business. "If you capitulate, I would ask that you restrict him to 3 or 4 parking spaces at the west end of the parking lot and not in the middle," resident Larry Hoover said, calling for designated spots away from the storefronts.

Ending: The council did not adopt the amendment to PD‑13. The Ship Shop owner may seek a special‑use permit that would allow the council to consider specific limits; any SUP would return to Planning & Zoning and then to the council for final action.