Expedian Urgent Care to construct new building

During its April 17 meeting, the Waxahachie City Council unanimously approved a specific use permit for a medical facility use for Expedian Urgent Care, located at 1601 N. U.S. Highway 77.

The property owner plans to demolish the current Expedian Urgent Care building and replace it with a new 6,397-square foot building. The new building will have a suite for Expedian Urgent Care and two additional suites for retail or office use. There are no prospective tenants for the additional suites at this time, according to the city staff report.

Other improvements made to the property will be adding new curbing to manage traffic flow, restriping the parking lot, adding a new dumpster and increasing the landscaping. Council voted in favor of option one of the exterior design options presented which includes a combination of red brick and tan stone and stucco.

Council member Chris Wright asked city staff if they discussed making it a right-turn only out of the parking lot to prevent customers from crossing 77 and turning left. Since the exit of the property is directly across from Bessie Coleman Boulevard, near Academy, he said he felt it would be dangerous to add more people to a “terrible intersection with no red light.”

“That’s such a dangerous crossing right there,” Wright said. “I’d really hate to sit here and add more to it when our comprehensive plan specifically states that we’re not going to do that and that we’re going to try to do something to fix 77 traffic and not make it worse.”

James Gaertner, director of public works and engineering, explained to the council there had been no discussion on making it a right-turn only, and it would be a challenge to place that condition on the property since it has never been there.

“The building they’re talking about replacing is going to be three times as big, which I would assume means three times as much traffic,” Wright said. “People’s lives are more important to me than whether it’s a challenge for them to get that changed to where they can only turn right out of that parking lot.”

Gina McLean from Nationwide Construction said they were OK with making it a right-turn only “if that will satisfy the council.”

Gaetner told council that McLean would need to get a permit from TxDOT to put an island there to “force people” not to turn left.

Asked if they could add a back entrance connecting to Popeyes, McLean said there is a “steep” elevation change between the two properties preventing an additional entrance.

“I truly get what you’re saying in regard to right only, but the other side of the street, you need to have a right only there,” Kevin Ivey said. “You’ve got all those people coming out, having the exact same thing that you’re talking about. They shouldn’t have to do what the other folks are not forced to do. It doesn’t sound fair.”

“We can’t fix all the wrongs of the past,” council member Travis Smith said. “We can just start to make improvements as we go forward, and I think that’s kinda what we’re trying to do.”

Originally published April 21, 2023 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/business/expedian-urgent-care-to-construct-new-building/article_3f162332-e067-11ed-ba78-e38b3990243f.html