Lewisville City Council approved multiple land-use and administrative actions during its March 17 workshop, voting unanimously on zoning and development requests, an appointment to the Arts Advisory Board, and a closed-session settlement authorization.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance granting special use permit for commercial amusement outdoors (Feather Smash LLC): approved 5-0. The ordinance allows outdoor commercial-amusement uses on a roughly 1.1-acre tract adjacent to an existing indoor badminton facility at West Vista Ridge Mall Drive to add outdoor pickleball courts. Planning staff said the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval 5-0 on Feb. 18, 2025. (Case 23-05-8-SUP.)

- Alternative standards for IH-35E Frontage Road development (Run Time Centers 1 LLC): approved 5-0. The applicant requested five alternative standards for a 1.05-acre site at the IH-35E frontage road and Fox Avenue to allow 24 parking spaces instead of 42, reduce the IH-35E landscape buffer from 20 feet to 5 feet, waive a secondary walkway requirement, allow live (vegetative) screening in lieu of an 8-foot masonry wall on the northern border, and reduce required glass to 0% along IH-35E frontage. Planning and Zoning recommended approval after revisions; the commission voted 4-1 then 7-0 at subsequent hearings. (Case 24-09-14-ALTSTD.)

- Alternative landscaping standard at 591 Benjamin's Way (Bridal Holdings LLC): approved 5-0. The owner sought to retain an existing 10-foot landscape strip instead of the required 30-foot strip and to add two replacement trees to account for previous unpermitted paving. The Planning and Zoning Commission recommended unanimous approval. (Case 25-1-2-ALTSTD.)

- Appointment to Arts Advisory Board: accepted resignation of Thomas Smith, declared the vacancy, and appointed Ken Purcell to Place 7 on the Arts Advisory Board; motion passed 5-0.

- Consent agenda (approved 5-0): included routine items and acceptance of the annual comprehensive financial report (ACFR) and related documents that were presented earlier in the meeting.

- Closed-session settlement authorization: council approved a motion to settle three related eminent-domain matters and to pay a combined $1,056,000 jointly to the identified claimants (Masamim Mission, Moshe and R. Rabjani, City of Knowledge and Reza Ventures LLC or their designees) and authorized the city manager and city attorney to execute necessary documents. The motion was approved by voice vote following closed session.

Details and council discussion: Planning director Richard Lutke (spelled in staff materials) and applicant representatives were on hand to describe the zoning and alternative-standards requests. Council members asked about screening and the feasibility of planting live material where a sewer easement constrains wall placement; staff said landscaping and existing trees would be supplemented where feasible. For the Run Time Centers proposal councilors described the concept as "similar to a ghost kitchen" and cited proximity to population and affordability of the parcel as reasons the business sought Lewisville.

What it means: the approvals allow outdoor recreation at a current indoor facility, permit a delivery-focused quick-serve concept to locate along a constrained frontage site using alternative development standards, and regularize prior unpermitted alterations at an industrial site through a reduced landscaping requirement and supplemental plantings. The settlement authorization resolves outstanding condemnation claims as presented in closed session.

Ending: all motions reported in this article passed unanimously (5-0) at the March 17 workshop session unless otherwise noted; staff will implement the changes and return any required permitting documents to council or to administrative processes as appropriate.