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Argyle council approves AISD elementary school site plan, denies extra tree condition
Summary
The Argyle Town Council approved a site plan for Argyle ISD’s proposed elementary school on the same campus as the district’s middle school and granted two variances, rejecting a Planning & Zoning condition that would have required additional trees in the playground area.
Argyle Town Council on April 21 approved a site plan for a proposed two-story Argyle Independent School District elementary school on the district’s campus off FM 407, granting two variances to the town’s agricultural zoning standards and declining a Planning & Zoning Commission condition requiring additional trees in playground areas.
The approved plan covers the parcel adjacent to the middle school currently under construction; the elementary building is proposed at 104,685 square feet with 61 classrooms and a stated maximum enrollment of 850 students. Harrison (staff member) said the district’s traffic impact analysis, prepared earlier for the middle school, estimates the combined middle- and elementary-school development will generate about 4,450 average weekday trips and includes recommended mitigation measures, including a signalized east driveway on FM 407 and a Postmaster Lane emergency access gate paid for by the town.
Why it matters: the site sits beside the middle school already under construction and uses shared infrastructure and approved traffic mitigation. Council approval clears engineering and permitting steps that allow the district to proceed toward its target opening schedule.
Key facts: Harrison told council the elementary plan keeps substantial on-site queuing for drop-off — staff reported 1,850 feet of on-site queue space, exceeding the district’s standard methodology — and that building elevations and façade articulation generally match the middle school. Council packet materials and Harrison’s presentation noted the campus would include two playgrounds and parking shared between the two campuses.
Construction and circulation: Jeff Goen, Argyle ISD construction manager, described the planned circulation pattern: most parent traffic would enter the campus on the east drive, loop behind the middle school and return south to the elementary drop-off area, with a dedicated bus entry on the west driveway and the east driveway configured for two inbound lanes and one outbound lane; the west driveway is intended primarily for bus access. Goen said the district is coordinating a signal warrant study with TxDOT for the east entrance and the project’s traffic plan includes striping on FM 407 to provide a left-turn lane near the site.
Variances and landscaping: the district requested two variances tied to the agricultural-district site-plan standards: one related to the extent of parking and the location of some stalls in front of the elementary building (the town’s standard triggers a variance when more than 10% of parking is in front of a structure), and a second to allow smaller-caliper trees than the Town Development Standards require (proposed 3-inch understory and 4-inch canopy trees versus the usual 4-inch and 6-inch). Planning & Zoning recommended approval by a 4–2 vote but attached a condition requiring three additional 3-inch-caliper trees and three additional 4-inch trees in the playground perimeter area to offset the smaller caliper sizes.
Council action and reasoning: councilmembers debated the Planning & Zoning condition. School officials and the district’s construction manager said planting trees within playground areas raises safety, visibility and maintenance concerns (stakes, camera sightlines, limb failure and leaf/seed litter). After discussion, a council member moved to approve the site plan request SP‑25‑2 with the two variances and no additional condition; a second was recorded, and the motion carried unanimously.
Next steps: the district and town will continue coordination on signal design and queuing, and the district will proceed with detailed site construction documents and permitting. The district indicated the elementary’s target opening is the 2027–28 school year (the middle school remains on the initial schedule shown in prior approvals).
Ending note: Planning staff and the district said the site plan relies heavily on traffic mitigation previously analyzed for the middle school; the council’s approval preserves that plan while declining to require the additional playground trees requested by Planning & Zoning.
