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Argyle commission denies permit for 115,000-square-foot church after hours of debate
Summary
The Argyle Planning & Zoning Commission voted 6-0 to deny a special use permit for a proposed 115,000 sq. ft. sanctuary and associated parking at 600 FM 407 W, citing traffic, buffering and scale concerns. Staff had recommended tabling for more review; the commission opted for denial.
The Argyle Planning & Zoning Commission voted 6-0 on May 6 to deny a special use permit application that would have authorized a proposed 115,000-square-foot sanctuary and related development for The Well Community Church at 600 FM 407 W.
Staff presented the concept plan and supporting studies, saying the proposal would include a new 1,800-seat sanctuary, roughly 749 additional parking spaces (a site total approaching 990), and drive access aligned with adjacent properties. Harrison, the town planner, told the commission that outside engineering reviewers (Kimley-Horn and Cardinal Strategies) had examined the applicant's drainage and flood studies and found the layout potentially feasible from a drainage standpoint but identified several outstanding issues with buffering, building height and Sunday peak traffic congestion.
The town's code requires a 50-foot buffer yard F with a masonry wall where nonresidential uses adjoin rural residential lots. Staff noted the applicant's concept showed parking and portions of fire lane within the 50-foot buffer and proposed a 3-foot berm in place of the eight-foot masonry wall. Staff also highlighted that the proposed building elevations reach about 40 feet with an architectural accent up to 60 feet, exceeding the zoning district's 35-foot height limit (and the 42-foot allowance for limited architectural features).
Pastor Matthew, representing the applicant, described the submittal as a feasibility-level 'wish list,' saying the congregation is exploring what it could build if sufficient funding and approvals align. 'Basically, this is kind of like a wish list,' he said, adding the church plans to reuse existing buildings for classrooms and offices as part of any final layout.
Commissioners pushed back on the scale and siting. One commissioner said the proposal was 'way too invasive' given adjacent residential properties and the acreage involved, while several members noted the congested condition predicted by the traffic impact analysis for peak Sunday egress at intersections along FM 407 (levels of service D, E and F in parts of the corridor). Legal counsel reminded the commission that an SUP is a legislative entitlement: if the commission approves an SUP for a specific size and layout, the town may be limited later in blocking that configuration at site-plan review.
Staff had recommended tabling to give the applicant time to revise plans and address buffer, parking and floodplain issues and to consider a work session with council. Several commissioners said they preferred denial rather than an open-ended table because a denial would require the applicant to reapply and pay a new fee, sending a clearer message about the current proposal's readiness. After debate, the motion to deny carried 6-0.
The commission's action denies the current special use permit application as submitted; the applicant may revise the design and reapply. Staff recommended and the commission discussed scheduling a work session involving council and staff to provide more concrete guidance before a future formal resubmittal.
