August 10, 2026

By Mary Beth Gahan

Planning and zoning commissioner Deb Fitzpatrick cut to the chase Monday night when she asked if Costco’s larger parking spaces — a foot wider than a usual spot — had been taken into consideration with the proposed Cottonwood development between Dixon Lane and Justin Road.

Chuck Russell, principal planner with the town, looked at his notes on the podium and deadpanned, “You’re referring to the wholesale membership retailer?”

Fitzpatrick laughed and apologized. Of course, she said, she was talking about that.

“It’s a Costco?” commissioner Scott Langley quipped.

It has been widely rumored that Costco was the big retailer that would be built in the 86-acre lot east of Long Prairie Road and next to Marcus High School’s athletic fields. When the meeting’s agenda was published last week, Costco’s name appeared on a parking study attached to the Cottonwood item, confirming that it was in talks about the site.

Then, at Monday’s work session, Brian Whelan, who manages site selection for Costco, stepped to up to the podium.

“I guess it’s not a secret anymore,” he said.

Cottonwood became more in focus during the three-hour presentation with details about parking, traffic impact, and the types of retailers the developer hopes to bring in. They include quick-service retail, a gym, Costco and its gas station, office showroom, and light manufacturing.

Two things not on the list: a kennel with a run and an extended stay hotel. Both appeared on the agenda documents but had been pulled by the developer after staff expressed concern about those uses being incompatible with an R-2 (retail) district.

“They’re off the table,” Russell said.

Whelan said Costco has the Flower Mound location in its rollout plan for May 2028, but there are “a lot of moving parts.”

Monday’s work session was informational only, giving the developer and commissioners a chance to talk through issues before the project goes through the official process that will culminate in a town council public hearing this fall.

“We’re hoping to meet that,” Whelan said of the May 2028 date. “The sooner, the better for us.”

The company has had stores in Dallas-Fort Worth since 1980, and Whelan said that “maturity” means they can support more “in-field” locations, meaning they’re away from highways. Costco has those mainly on the West Coast. In Seattle, Whelan said, they’re built “like four miles apart.”

Company data shows that there were 15,514 Flower Mound members in 2025. With an average household income of $210,266, Costco believes it has enough interest in town to justify a location here.

Pelican Industrial also had a representative, vice president Drew Thigpen, at the meeting to talk about its plan for four buildings that technically fall under an office-showroom/warehouse category.

The buildings would be designed to mimic the look of retail or office buildings, but they would be used by tenants with service-based businesses like plumbers, caterers, and cabinet makers. One of Pelican’s tenants in Charlotte, N.C. is Sky Chefs, a large catering company that provides meals for airlines.

“It is undersupplied and in extreme demand across the country,” Thigpen said about the space that Pelican provides.

There would be two docks per bay and the buildings would be between 30,000 and 100,000 square feet.

It would not be bulk distribution and there would be no trailer space on site, he said.

Still, the amount of cars coming and going from the development has been a concern with the public. Three residents spoke during public comment about traffic and congestion once the site was fully built out.

A traffic impact analysis was finalized Monday and although no one at the meeting gave levels of service for the roads or traffic counts, there were several recommendations mentioned for improvements needed to accommodate the traffic.

Under the current master thoroughfare plan, Whyburn Drive’s extension north from Dixon Lane is proposed to be 60 feet wide and two lanes. With the new development, it would be four-lane and 70 feet wide.

The recommendations also include a light or roundabout at Whyburn Drive and Dixon Lane. Commissioners Langley and Michelle Jackson seemed more interested in a roundabout. Langley thought it would help avoid backups at a light. Jackson said it would cost the taxpayers less.

But Randi Rivera with McAdams said the roundabout wouldn’t be able to be built right at the intersection of Dixon Lane and Whyburn Drive. Infrastructure changes to move it slightly northwest to be farther away from Watermere would make it more expensive than usual, she said.

If the town were to build a roundabout, it would be 200 feet wide and two-lane, which is larger than the roundabouts on Chinn Chapel Road at Dixon Lane and Waketon Road.

Other recommendations from the analysis include a red light at Tartan Trail and Justin Road, more dedicated turn lanes on roads around the property, and improvements to the intersection of Long Prairie Road and Dixon Lane.

At the end of the meeting, Chairman Gregory Schultz wrapped it up by saying there was a lot of exciting prospects with the Cottonwood project, but “there's also a lot of legitimate concern about traffic.” He said they would continue to consider what residents are saying.

The application will still need to go before the environmental conservation commission before coming to the planning and zoning commission for a recommendation of denial or approval. Town council will have final say. Both votes would likely take place this fall.