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Carrollton Council approves removal of planned Capitol Parkway segment to clear path for Southwest Nursery redevelopment
Summary
After a hours‑long hearing where staff said the applicant’s traffic analysis was incomplete and engineers warned of future interchange strain, Carrollton council voted to remove the northern segment of Capitol Parkway from the city’s thoroughfare map for the Southwest Nursery/NTTA site. The decision removes the city’s ability to require dedication of that right‑of‑way.
Carrollton’s City Council voted Aug. 5 to remove a long‑planned stretch of Capitol Parkway from the city’s transportation map, clearing the way for redevelopment proposals by Southwest Wholesale Nursery at 1800 Sandy Lake Road.
The council’s decision came after staff and engineering officials urged caution. Lawrence Shapiro, the city’s development‑services lead, told the council that the request lacked the information staff had repeatedly asked for: “we did receive a traffic study, it did not provide sufficient information … we did not receive that information,” and for that reason staff “cannot support the request to remove Capitol Parkway from the plan.” Jonathan Wheat, director of engineering, said his office’s analysis shows that without the northern Capitol Parkway the Dickerson/I‑35 interchange “would fail as a level of service” under projected development.
Steve Taber, owner of Southwest Wholesale Nursery, said his firm has studied the site and repeatedly proposed alternatives. Taber said he even offered to donate right‑of‑way to shift the alignment, but that the city staff rejected earlier proposals: “I offered to give this property to build it… and I was told it was unacceptable.” Taber argued much of the city and NTTA land nearby is wetlands and floodplain and said the original 1982/2003 thoroughfare alignment had never been re‑tested for constructability or modern costs.
Several local residents and business leaders urged Council to approve the removal. Susanna Dooling, a nearby resident, told Council the change would let Southwest Nursery proceed with plans that could benefit the area; former Councilmember Adam Poulter and broker Jeff Barnell also spoke in favor.
Council considered competing priorities: staff’s emphasis on sticking to the comprehensive plan and the citywide analyses that undergird it, against the owner’s contention that the alignment is impractical and too costly to build. Councilmember Richard Fleming moved to approve the amendment; Councilmember Jason Carpenter seconded. The motion passed, with Councilmember Waters recorded in opposition. The mayor summarized the practical consequence: removing the segment takes that right‑of‑way out of the thoroughfare plan, meaning the city can no longer require the property owner to dedicate that right‑of‑way as part of development.
What happens next: approval removes the segment from the city’s transportation map but does not itself authorize any zoning change or construction; any future development proposals, TIA updates or alternative alignments would come back to staff, planning and council for review. Staff noted the applicant may need to submit additional studies or new applications if it seeks a different alignment than the case considered Wednesday.
