Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves concept plan for H‑E‑B at First Ranch with parking deviation request
Summary
The council unanimously approved a miscellaneous permit for a conceptual H‑E‑B grocery store at First Ranch, allowing consideration of a parking‑ratio deviation the applicant requested; the developer and staff said the project remains in planning and no construction timeline was provided.
The Flower Mound Town Council on May 5 approved a miscellaneous permit concept for a proposed H‑E‑B grocery store at the northeast corner of First Ranch, clearing the way for further site planning and a parking‑ratio exception request the applicant presented to support the store's anticipated parking needs.
Planning staff described the request as a concept pushed forward as a miscellaneous permit because the applicant sought confirmation about available parking capacity before finalizing purchase and design documents. Alexa Murphy, the town planner making the presentation, said the property lies within First Ranch's mixed‑use zoning and that the applicant requested an alternative parking ratio of one space per 150 square feet — which for the roughly 110,000‑square‑foot building equates to about 733 spaces — instead of the town's standard retail ratio (one space per 250 square feet).
Murphy said the applicant supplied a parking study citing ITE (Institute of Transportation Engineers) data and observations from existing H‑E‑B locations in the Dallas–Fort Worth area to justify the request. The applicant's presentation included landscape and mitigation plans; Murphy said the proposed landscaping met the town's tree‑planting standards, including an additional tree for every 10 parking spaces required under the town code.
Representatives from the developer and engineering team described ongoing coordination with the First Ranch community and said H‑E‑B had not yet closed on the property. Becca Wayne, with the applicant team, said they were "very close" to closing on the property and that the company would forward timeline details once their internal analysis completes.
Council members who spoke at the meeting expressed enthusiasm for an H‑E‑B in the area and urged staff and the applicant to keep parking and shared‑parking options under review. The council voted unanimously to approve Item K2 as presented.
The miscellaneous permit approved Wednesday is a conceptual step; staff said future approvals (site plan, shared‑parking agreements, and any required zoning actions) will be required before construction can proceed. No construction schedule was provided at the meeting.
