UPDATE – Dec. 2, 2015 – City Council approved last night a multimillion dollar incentive package, with a 22-year tax break, for the construction of a Buc-ee’s Travel Center.
After heated public discussion that ran over four hours, the council pushed through the package by a 5-2 vote. The total package, with incentives, was about $8.1 million, although some estimates prior to the meeting were higher.
According to a statement given to Denton’s Fox 4 News, from Buc-ee’s owner Arch “Beaver” Aplin III, the design process will begin now. However, the store will not open until the spring of 2018.
by Adolfo Pesquera
Denton (Denton Co.) – Despite opposition from neighbors, Denton City Council is preparing to vote today for an economic incentive package to assist in the construction of a Buc-ee’s Travel Center.
City Council took up the matter Nov. 17 as a closed door executive session item regarding economic development negotiations between the city and Buc-ee’s Ltd.
The issue gets revisited today when council meets for a noon work sesssion. Following that, there will be a 6 p.m. public hearing and vote on a $9.4 million incentive package. The majority of incentives involve tax abatements.
Citizens will hear staff and Buc-ee’s presentations on a planned development on 38 acres west of Interstate 35 East and 1,200 feet north of Wind River Lane in south Denton.
Buc-ee’s wants a 53,000-square-foot travel center with seven adjacent pad sites that would eventually be turned into sit-down restaurants and retail shops. The travel center would have 96 fuel stations.
According to a draft of the city staff report, the travel center would include a car wash. The proposed uses are permitted under the existing zoning.
“Access to the site will be finalized during platting and with the building permit. However, the current conceptual site plan shows access from the north near the Goodwill Store and the south from Unicorn Lake Boulevard,” the staff report states. “Two additional access points will be obtained from the I-35E improvements, one of which will extend Brinker Road under the highway directly to the site.”
A conceptual site plan was presented Nov. 11 at a neighborhood meeting. By show of hands and comments, neighbors opposed the development, fearing it would worsen traffic, noise, add unwanted night lighting and harm property values.
In an attempt to mitigate neighbors’ concerns, the developer offered to keep an existing pond, to not build within 100 feet of residential development, and to erect an 8-foot wrought iron fence with finials for the benefit of homes to the west.
There will also be a 50-foot buffer of landscaping on the two sides facing residences that could include a walking trail “and other complementary hardscape around the existing pond.”
Access along I-35E will be improved. The Texas Department of Transportation approved an additional $28 million to help with traffic and congestion. Three areas along the interstate are to receive improvements.
Plans for the intersection at Loop 288/Lillian Miller and I-35E will include four lanes in each direction. This includes two through lanes and two left-turn lanes. It will also get U-turns on each side of the intersection and pedestrian improvements.
Brinker Road will be extended under I-35E and include two lanes in each direction, a turn lane and U-turns.
South Mayhill Road and I-35E will be modified to include a U-turn on the western side of Mayhill Road.
All road improvements will be completed in the spring of 2018.
The developer’s improvements amount to $2 million in matching funds to expedite access improvements. The pond amenity includes almost $1.4 million in land costs.
Public infrasctructure costs related to this project that the city is facing total about $5.3 million for water and wastewater improvements, storm sewer, paving, right-of-way dedication, street lighting and miscellaneous costs.
There are 24 Buc-ee’s locations on Texas. Once constructed, the Denton site would be the chain’s northernmost store and the second in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area.
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adolfo@virtualbx.com
