While many North Texas communities continue to experience unprecedented growth, the town of Argyle is pumping the brakes.
Town officials recently passed changes to Argyle’s comprehensive plan, placing limits to all future residential development. Specifically, the town will require all residential homes moving forward to be built on lots at least one acre in size.
Argyle’s mayor says the move was in response to complaints from residents about how fast their town was growing.
"A lot of the citizens are upset about the direction the town is going,” said Argyle Mayor Donald Moser.
Lori Camillo has lived in Argyle for 24 years. In her back yard – which borders Flower Mounds – hundreds of new homes are being built.
“Argyle's special in that we seem to be able to live a lifestyle out here that you don't see in a lot of other places,” said Camillo.
Moser compared Argyle’s place in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to what Central Park is to Manhattan. He wants to preserve the open spaces which draw many to the town.
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“I've already said we are the jewel of the Metroplex,” said Moser. “We're the last bit of what's developable."
Like in many North Texas communities, those open spaces are disappearing. In Argyle, 800 new homes are being built in four high-density developments. The new regulations will not impact those planned communities. Moser says town leaders are not opposed to development. They just want to be smart about it.
Camillo supports the town’s move. She hopes it will preserve the lifestyle which in many places – no longer exists.
“For the folks that are here, we need to have some protection of what we came here for,” she said.
