The City Council approved several zoning changes at its Nov. 13 meeting.
PATE RANCH: The council approved a change for Pate Ranch Retail LP & Pate Ranch Commercial LP in the 7200-7400 blocks of Chisholm Trail Parkway to allow planned development for all uses in high density multi-family. The change also provided for waivers to allow a maximum height of 41 feet, a maximum density of 30 units per acre, and a minimum of 232 parking spaces.
In addition, the approval included an amendment from the developer for beautification aesthetics facing Chisholm Trail Parkway, along with a minimum 6-foot wrought iron fence, no signage on Chisholm Trail Parkway, and a monument sign on Harris Parkway.
“It sits on a vista on Chisholm Trail Parkway. It will be highly visible,” District 6 Councilman Jungus Jordan said. “It’s important the aesthetics fit the scheme.”
The site is south of Altamesa Boulevard, east of Chisholm Trail Parkway along future Harris Parkway, which is under construction. The applicant is proposing about 184 units marketed as an active adult residential community.
City zoning cannot regulate age. Therefore, it is considered a multi-family construction.
The development will consist of one- and two-bedroom units, with about 70 percent being one bedroom. Other amenities include access gates, covered parking, swimming pool and courtyards.
BURLESON LAND COMPANY: The council approved a zoning change for odd-numbered addresses between 1221 and 1235 Dorothy Lane and 3736 Camp Bowie Blvd. The change allows planned development for all uses in medium-density multi-family with waivers.
The site is north of Camp Bowie Boulevard and east of Dorothy Lane.
The applicant requested the change to build a townhouse-style multi-family development on one lot with waivers to front and side yard setbacks, density at 19 units per acre, height of a maximum 35 feet, and driveway location along Dorothy. The applicant intends to build 11 single-family attached units that are likely to be sold as condominiums. Nine of the units would have rear-entry garages, three fronting Dorothy and six fronting Camp Bowie. The other two units would have front garage access.
The area neighborhood associations have been very engaged in the future land use of the Camp Bowie corridor and have expressed support for low-density residential instead of commercial uses.
WHITE SETTLEMENT PROPERTY: A zoning change at 3201 White Settlement Road for DD White Settlement Property LLC will now allow for neighborhood commercial use. The site is on the southwest corner of White Settlement Road and Blanch Circle.
The previous proposal was for a new building, about 8,000 square feet for storage of a private collection of classic and antique automobiles. The intention is now to sell the property. The general area has become a center for imported automobile dealerships and repair.
SUMMIT AVENUE: The zoning change at 1200 Summit Ave. will allow for multi-family (senior living) use in a central business district/downtown urban design district. The applicant was PB III-SOP LP. The site is at the southwest corner of Summit and Lancaster avenues.
The downtown urban design district will require additional review and approval by the Downtown Design Review Board.
The development is located in the downtown mixed-use growth center. Mixed uses are encouraged in these areas to take advantage of proximity to high employment areas, public amenities and public transit.
RPH HOTELS: The zoning change will allow construction of a new hotel on property located east of Eastchase Parkway and north of Interstate 30. The applicant intends to build two hotels in the same four-story building, a Fairfield Inn and Suites hotel with 84 guest rooms and a Springhill Suites hotel with 84 guest rooms, with a total of 222 parking spaces.
D.R. HORTON: The zoning change for the 8800- 9100 blocks of Old Decatur Road will allow for single-family use for a D.R. Horton project. The applicant is proposing 107 single-family lots.
The property is west of Old Decatur Road and south of Park Drive. The area is primarily surrounded with single-family homes and/or platted as single-family. The rezoning will close out another phase for single-family development within Twin Mills.
AMON CARTER ESTATE, ET AL: A zoning change for 6501 Oak Grove Road will allow for heavy industrial use by the Amon Carter estate, et al. The site is south of Interstate 20 and north of the Carter Industrial Park, partially within the Carter Industrial Growth Center. The developer of the property is expected to be 46 Ranch.
The rezoning will leave a strip of single-family zoning to the south, which could trigger additional setbacks and buffer landscaping if it remains such. The developer has had several meetings with the adjacent Highland Hills neighborhood representatives, primarily concerning the companion case’s adjacency to the residential zoning.
MERCEDES-BENZ FINANCIAL
NOW ENTERPRISE PROJECT
The city council nominated the Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC facility to be located at 14372 Heritage Parkway as an Enterprise Project under the Texas Enterprise Zone Program.
This means the Office of the Governor’s Economic Development and Tourism Division through the Economic Development Bank will now also consider it as an enterprise project.
The program is an economic development tool for communities to partner with the state to promote job creation and capital investment in economically distressed areas. An enterprise project is defined as a business that is nominated by a municipality or county and then approved for state benefits.
Designated projects are eligible to apply for state sales and use tax refunds on qualified expenditures. The level and amount of refund is related to the capital investment and jobs created.
Mercedes-Benz Financial qualifies for a single Enterprise Project designation with a projected capital investment of $50 million to relocate its operations to new facilities at 14372 Heritage Parkway. The investment includes $3 million on land acquisition, $28 million on construction, and $19 million on office and technical equipment.
The company will retain 500 employees with an average annual salary of $70,000.
The single project designation allows for a state sales and use tax refund on qualified expenditures of $2,500 per job, for up to 500 jobs, with a maximum benefit of $1.25 million over five years. At least 35 percent of the new or retained employees must be residents of the enterprise zone, economically disadvantaged individuals, or veterans. In addition, the jobs must be provided through the end of the designation period or at least three years after the date on which a state benefit is received, whichever is later.
EXPEDITED PLATTING PROCESS
An informal report at the Nov. 13 work session provided ways to expedite the platting process.
The platting process includes three primary steps: 1) review engineering studies where required such as water/sewer, storm water and traffic; 2) review plats, with accepted engineering studies where required; and 3) review infrastructure plans and execution of community facility agreements where required.
City staff has previously worked with the Development Advisory Committee and consulting engineers to expedite steps 1 and 3. Step 1 now takes five to 10 business days for first review, depending on the study type, with Transportation and Public Works contracting with engineering firms to help review storm water and traffic studies. Step 3 now takes 60 days, shortened from 140 days.
City staff is proposing to review step 2, including exploring whether the new building permit X-Team model could be an option for plat review in the city limits. Step 2 takes 21 to 30 days for first review and involves the utility companies in addition to city staff from multiple departments.
The X-Team model would have all reviewers on hand with the applicants and their engineers for review and revisions in one day. Staff would first meet with the utility companies to explore whether company personnel could be assigned to review plats with city staff and applicants in a one-day session, then staff would determine what city resources would be required and the corresponding per hour fee for city staff and utility company personnel.
The building permit X-Team fee is $1,000 per hour.
Staff will also initiate a Lean Business Process Improvement plan for step 2 in January. They will then provide an interim update on platting process improvements to the council in early 2019.
“We’ve had a lot of success at putting new revenue on our books, and it’s because we can get those permits approved, get those buildings built, and get that revenue coming in,” District 4 Councilman Carey Moon said.