ALAMO HEIGHTS, Texas – The Alamo Heights City Council approved a special use permit (SUP) for major expansion of The Argyle, a private dining and social club.
City Council has been working on expanding The Argyle, located at 934 Patterson Avenue near Olmos Park, for more than three years. At a Monday City Council meeting, the vote for expansion passed 4-1.
The Argyle has operated as a private dining club since 1956 and before that, served as a private residence, restaurant and an overnight inn since 1859, according to the SUP. It’s currently owned by The Texas Biomedical Research Institute.
Some Alamo Heights residents are concerned that the vote is unfair considering three of the five city council members belong to The Argyle, including Mayor Al Honigblum.
In an effort to meet the concerns of surrounding neighbors, the City Council reviewed the SUP and made revisions to the expansion proposal.
The Argyle is proposing to build a major event center that holds up to 1,200 people. According to the SUP, no amplified music will be allowed, valet service is required and attendees can not park on surrounding residential streets.
The SUP also says the number of events with 250 attendees or less can be unlimited, and The Argyle can host an additional 52 events per year with attendance between 250-1,200 people.
Some residents who live next to the club are worried the construction and expansion will bring in more traffic and hurt public safety.
“The aim of this SUP is to ensure the proposed use does not disrupt the neighborhood’s character or quality of life,” a resident said Monday in public comment. “It’s really important that we don’t mess up this neighborhood.”
Still, other community members who spoke at Monday’s meeting found the SUP to be a reasonable compromise to their concerns.
“For the first time in The Argyle’s history, we will be held accountable with written rules, with enforcement provisions,” the president of the Board of Governors at The Argyle said. “This has never happened. It’s a new chapter in our relationship with this community.”
City council members agreed at the meeting that the SUP is not perfect, but they say it has come a long way in the effort to meet concerns.
“There’s no solution to every problem,” Honigblum said. “I don’t think this is perfect. I think it will be changed over time, and I hope that you all will give this an opportunity to work itself out.”
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