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Council approves rezoning, development agreement for Kroger-anchored center at FM 2931 and Highway 380
Summary
Council approved Ordinance No. 1799 to rezone about 14.3 acres as a planned development to accommodate an 18,000-square-foot Kroger-format store and associated pads, and also approved a development agreement; the PD carries several waivers for drive-throughs, fuel signage and landscaping requested by the applicant.
The Little Elm Town Council on Monday approved an ordinance rezoning roughly 14.3 acres at the northwest corner of FM 2931 and Highway 380 into a planned development for a Kroger-anchored shopping center and also approved a related development agreement.
Planner Brian (presenter) described the proposed site plan, centered on an approximately 18,000-square-foot Kroger-format store, with dedicated online grocery pickup spaces, a pharmacy drive-through and a separate fuel station pad. The planned development (PD) package included requests for multiple waivers from the town’s zoning and design standards to allow the overall site design.
Key waivers and requests described by staff included: - Allowing drive-through uses (pharmacy and grocery pickup) and a fuel station to be authorized by the PD rather than as separate special-use permits. - Reduced building-material requirements on portions of the facade (the applicant added about 12% masonry veneer on the primary southern facade after planning review and provided masonry-wrap on fuel station columns). - Perimeter landscape adjustments: request to space trees at one every 24 feet instead of the standard one every 20 feet and to use ornamental trees along the multifamily buffer instead of shade trees. - Parking changes: keeping the existing reduced parking bay width at 9 by 20 feet (town standard 10 by 20) and proposing 478 spaces compared with a typical code count of 480 (staff noted the applicant counts additional grocery pickup spaces when computing supply). - Signage: allowing multiple monument signs on the same property and permitting fuel-price display on a canopy, which the code normally prohibits.
Engineering, fire and building review comments were addressed for zoning purposes; staff said the traffic-impact analysis (TIA) is nearly complete and that final civil permitting will occur in the building and engineering plan phases. Planning and Zoning recommended approval with conditions that the TIA be completed and the town’s development-services director have authority to make ministerial amendments to the site plan; planning staff also indicated the PD is expected to be accompanied by a development agreement that offsets some public improvements.
Council voted to adopt Ordinance No. 1799 and then approved the development agreement; both votes were recorded as unanimous. The development agreement, as presented, includes town- and developer-side commitments and references credits and contributions to support off-site improvements and signalization; staff said the agreement would be executed by the town and the economic development corporation. Staff noted final execution was requested as a condition of council approval.
Why it matters: the rezoning enables a large grocery anchor and associated commercial uses on a key Highway 380 corridor parcel and carries several flexibility waivers the town accepted for the planned development. The approvals move the project into final engineering, permitting and tenant-fitout stages.
Ending: Council closed the matter and the project will continue through civil engineering and permitting; staff said that if substantial plan changes are required after the TIA or engineering review, the PD would return for amendment.
Speakers named in the public hearing and presentation included Planner Brian (presenter), Fred (development staff), and council; no members of the public provided comments during the hearing.
