Town Council approves Lowe’s plan amendment allowing expanded outdoor sales and storage

The Flower Mound Town Council unanimously approved a Planned Development (PD‑27) amendment on June 15 that formalizes designated outdoor sales, display and storage areas for the Lowe’s store on East of Long Prairie, south of Justin Road.

During a public hearing, planning staff said the amendment would permit clearly defined areas for merchandise display and storage around the building, expand seasonal sales to include mulch as well as traditional items such as pumpkins and Christmas trees, and add screening and other site modifications. Planning staff noted some of the colored areas on the applicant’s exhibit show existing on‑site displays; the blue area in the plan represents temporary seasonal sales and would be limited in duration.

KK Yao, Lowe’s construction manager, described operational reasons for the requested changes, including a “quick‑load” area to speed customer pickup and a requested 9‑foot maximum stacked height for some palletized goods. Calvin Stallworth, general manager at the Flower Mound store, said the shop is a high‑volume springtime location and that on‑site storage near the building supports customer service.

Council members pressed the applicant on safety and visual impacts of a proposed drive‑through loading lane in the parking lot and on screening for storage placed near the road. Several members said they prefer locating most storage around the building (the yellow areas on the plan) and adding landscaping to screen visible materials from 407, and they expressed resistance to allowing trailers or cluttered displays in prime parking areas. The applicant agreed to additional landscaping and to work with staff on precise boundaries to avoid fire lanes, easements and safety conflicts.

Council moved to approve the item "subject to incorporation of the notes provided in the meeting tonight," referencing the staff‑council discussion about screening, signage and limits on specific uses. The motion passed by unanimous vote.

What changed: the approved amendment formalizes display and storage areas shown on the exhibit plan, allows specified seasonal sales, and requires staff review to confirm final locations are outside fire lanes and easements. Council directed staff to finalize language and to ensure signage and screening standards align with town safety and aesthetic goals.

The council closed the public hearing and voted to adopt the amendment; staff will incorporate the meeting notes and bring final language back as necessary.