Master Plan

Mixed Use Land Use

The Mixed Use land use category is intended to allow for the flexibility and creativity in the development of pedestrian oriented, vertical and horizontal mixed use environments.  The standards and criteria established under this land use category constitute general guidelines for the staff, Planning & Zoning Commission, and Town Council to evaluate comprehensive development proposals for specific properties within the Town of Flower Mound.

This land use category is applied to both greenfield and in-fill properties within the Town.  Greenfield properties are larger, undeveloped properties that may have access to a major transportation infrastructure, but may not have access to any other infrastructure.  They are generally located away from the core of the town and adjacent to other undeveloped parcels.   Greenfield properties are generally larger (greater than 20 acres) than in-fill sites.  These properties may have significant environmental characteristics that need development flexibility in order to balance environmental protection and market feasibility.

In-fill properties are those that are vacant with access to most urban infrastructure and adjacent to existing development.  They may be adjacent to both commercial land uses or arterial roadways and lower intensity residential uses and may be properties that are difficult to develop under current policies.  These properties share unique characteristics in that, they have commercial potential due to adjacency to a major arterial or existing commercial uses, but need to address compatibility and transition issues with adjacent established neighborhoods.  These properties may also share site specific environmental characteristics that need development flexibility in order to balance environmental protection and market feasibility.  In-fill properties are generally between 5 and 20 acres in size.

The Mixed Use land use category is intended to allow for creative development and flexible opportunities with a mix of development types (retail, office, hospitality, and residential) on properties that generally demonstrate the above listed criteria. 

Overall Character & Design: Development in the Mixed Use land use category should generally meet the Town’s vision for mixed use:

• Establish a high level of development standards to create development of exemplary and enduring quality, and design.
• Emphasize vehicular and pedestrian connectivity to adjacent opportunities that balances neighborhood integrity, market demand for development and regional access. 
• Use of both vertical and horizontal design that facilitates flexibility.
• Creation of a variety of connected community gathering places and entertainment opportunities of differing scales and character to make walking easy from one place to another.
• Design of streets, squares, plazas, parks, opens spaces and other civic spaces that facilitate easy walking both inside the development and to adjoining uses where appropriate.
• Emphasis on building form, mix of uses, and site design that can accommodate changing market conditions while creating a high quality of life.
• Include a range of residential options that reflect changing lifestyles while balancing market demand and community preferences.
• Provide appropriate transitions to protect any existing adjacent neighborhoods and to promote sustainable value.
• Leverage any significant environmental features on the site and treat them as “features” and not constraints.   

In order to appropriately address scale, compatibility, and character; each master planned development in the Mixed Use land use category should generally be composed of at least two (2) of the following “character and intensity” zones:

• Mixed Use Core – is generally intended to be the area of highest intensity of land uses and buildings within the overall Mixed Use development.
• Mixed Use Neighborhood – is generally intended to be the area with the highest concentration of a range of residential uses.  Non residential uses such as retail and office uses may be appropriately located within the neighborhood.
• Mixed Use Transition – is generally intended to be the area that forms the transition between the Mixed Use Core or Neighborhood to adjoining conditions.  Based on site-specific adjacency conditions, a Mixed Use Transition zone may include:

Mixed Use Transition Zones:

• Neighborhood Transition zone –the area between an existing residential neighborhood and a Mixed Use core or Neighborhood.  The neighborhood transition zone shall include residential uses that are of compatible scale and density to the immediately adjacent existing neighborhoods.

• Major Roadway Transition zone – the area between the Mixed Use Core or Neighborhood and a major roadway corridor.  A major roadway corridor is either an arterial roadway or state highway.  This transition area may be an appropriate location for more automobile oriented commercial uses due to the adjacency and access along the roadway while transitioning to a pedestrian-oriented development towards the interior of the site.

• Environmental Transition zone – the area between the Mixed Use Core or Neighborhood and a major environmental feature.  The environmental feature may be a creek, water body, significant grades, or tree stands.  In particular, the environmental transition zone should consider appropriate buffers and edge conditions to the specific environmental resource in order to maximize its value to the overall mixed use development as a focal point.

Scale & Context:  The scale of uses within a Mixed Use development should be compatible and consistent with that of the existing commercial/residential development.  Appropriate buffering with respect to height and intensity of use is required if this use abuts existing residential uses.

 
Based on the specific location and scale of the proposed Mixed Use development, the following table shall be a guide to building heights within the component zones and transitions to adjoining neighborhoods.  The lower end of the range should be considered as an appropriate transition to existing residential uses where the mixed use zone abuts it.

Area Plan Districts

Appropriate land uses and relationships between land uses in these districts are described in Area Plans, which provide a greater degree of detail and specificity than land uses in other parts of Flower Mound. These districts are:

Lakeside Business District

Large scale commercial and/or light industrial developments such as corporate offices, office parks, industrial parks, clean manufacturing, hotels, resorts and similar uses, in a planned campus setting. Retail, restaurant, hotel and similar uses serving the commercial/industrial uses could be appropriate, if they are planned as integral elements of the developments. No residential land uses are included in this district.

Cross Timbers Conservation Development District

Predominantly  residential  development,  typically  being   single  family residential development at net densities no greater than one unit per two acres in combination with conservation easements and/or other conservation techniques that preserve the Cross Timbers ecosystem and other natural systems. Commercial recreation uses, such as equestrian facilities, golf courses and other uses compatible with the conservation goals of the district are also suitable.

Denton Creek District

Area west of US 377 and north of Denton Creek in which a variety of commercial, industrial or residential uses could be appropriate, such as office, retail, industrial and/or high density residential, in planned developments providing coordination between the uses and with surrounding areas.

Prairie Vista District

Predominantly  residential  development,  typically  being   single  family residential development at net densities no greater than one unit per one acre in combination with conservation easements and/or other conservation techniques that preserve the Cross Timbers ecosystem and other natural systems. Commercial recreation uses, such as equestrian facilities, golf courses and other uses compatible with the conservation goals of the district are also suitable.

Specific Plan Areas

Specific Plan Areas define appropriate land uses and site development controls for predominantly commercial areas along portions of FM 1171, FM 2499 and FM 407, within areas that may have a multiplicity of ownership and/or close proximity to existing and anticipated residential neighborhoods. The intent of the Specific Plans is to:

• Set planning standards for the overall area to guide preparation and evaluation of individual zoning applications
• Protect existing residential neighborhoods
• Protect against strip zoning or strip development of commercial uses
• Maintain the country atmosphere of Flower Mound, even with more development along the major thoroughfares
• Provide development guidance and standards for developers, the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Town Council

Cross Timbers Protection Area

An area in which the Eastern Cross Timbers environmental quality has been compromised and where development may occur at indicated land use categories and densities, but with additional development standards to protect the remaining Cross Timbers environmental character.