While the new Dickies Arena project is taking shape, more developments are taking place in that area.
That was the case on Feb. 14, when the Fort Worth Zoning Commission met to hear 20 cases requesting various rezonings for townhomes, retail, parking and more. One of those was in the vicinity of the new arena development.
Cases heard in the public hearing will move on and be heard at the 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, Fort Worth City Council meeting with recommendations based on the commissioner’s motions.
SPA
The property in question near the arena development was case ZC-18-021. Marshall Tillman asked for an amendment to PD 393 to include massage therapy/spa. Additionally, a site plan waiver was requested.
The sites in question are 1500 Montgomery St. and 3600 Crestline Road in the Arlington Heights district.
The applicant, Mary Nell Poole with Townsite Company, aims to convert the building on Montgomery Street to a spa. Currently, that 1,899-square-foot building is a custom blind store that receives little traffic. The amendment would require eight parking spots be available.
The other building in the site plan is 1,428 square feet and is currently occupied by an investment company. The amendment would require six available parking spaces.
The total parking required for two retail serving businesses is 14. Currently the site has 11 parking spaces and is three short, though Tillman owns another property within 500 feet to the north with overflow parking that he says can accommodate the three needed spaces. A permit for joint use parking would be required when applying for the building permit.
Poole is representing Tillman who has owned the property for nearly two decades.
“Today we are asking for a single use to be added,” she said of the multi-use building. “The Tillman property is comprised of two buildings surrounded by a brick retaining wall.”
The day spa will have three employees, a receptionist and two estheticians.
“I met with the Arlington Heights neighborhood association to discuss parking concerns and those fears appear to be about the future as opposed to the proposed spa building,” Poole said. “But the truth is that this building does meet all required parking needs.
“It’s hard to believe that overflow parking would go into the neighborhood,” Poole said, explaining that permits are required to park on the streets in those areas.
Patricia Ward spoke in opposition to the case.
“The zoning request includes bungalow style homes facing the street,” Ward said, before asking who would be responsible for monitoring and enforcing use of the overflow parking.
“You can’t control what happens in the future,” she said citing potential employee and customer growth. “There’s going to be a tendency to want to park on the street. You can’t monitor where people are going to park.”
Brenda Helmer president of the AHNA asked if massage therapy and spa was in keeping with what they want in the historic neighborhood.
“Is that what we want to see at the gateway of the Cultural District,” Helmer asked.
According to the meeting’s docket, Zoning Commission staff found that the requested zoning change was compatible with the land use due to the spa being used by appointment only and creating minimal parking. Additionally, the change was found to be consistent with the area’s comprehensive plan which is to “Encourage appropriate development and redevelopment within central city commercial districts and neighborhoods,” according to the docket.
Poole requested that staff approve the case and allow the applicant and the AHNA to meet and have more discussions to calm concerns prior to the March 6 council meeting.
The request received a motion to continue for 30 days by commission member John Aughinbaugh who represents District 7 so the applicant and the AHNA could meet. That was approved 7-2.
CONTINENTAL FARMS LP
In case SP-18-001, Continental Farms LP proposed a required site plan for PD 1166 Commercial Development.
The applicant, Tom Purvis, presented his site plan for retail uses of the site in question, which is in the 5700 block of Birchman Avenue in Arlington Heights at the southwest corner of Birchman Avenue and Horne Street along the Interstate 30 access road.
According to the meeting’s docket, Zoning Commission staff found that the site plan as submitted is in general compliance with the zoning regulations.
Purvis requested a parking note be added to his site plan, saying that the building parking needed could not exceed 48 spaces. Staff advised Purvis and the commissioners that to make parking limitations as the case would need to be continued.
Legal staff advised that commissioners could approve the site plan with no limits on parking, and another case could be started by Purvis for his parking changes. Otherwise, the case could be continued, and he could restructure his request.
The request received a motion for a 30-day continuance from Aughinbaugh and was approved unanimously.
FOURTH & SYLVANIA INC.
In case ZC-17-220, Fourth & Sylvania Inc. asked for an amendment to PD 1138 from “A-5” One-Family, “B” Two-Family and “J” Medium Industrial to “PD/R2” Planned Development for all uses in “R2” Townhouse/Cluster to reconfigure their site plan to incorporate newly purchased lots.
The site in question is in the Northeast district and is generally bounded by Galvez, South Sylvania, Fisher and Trinity River avenues. The applicant, Joe Lacroix, plans to add 100 or fewer exterior and interior townhome units.
Ray Oujesky represented the applicant. He said the applicant has met with District 8 Council Member Kelly Allen Grey who was in favor of the site plan proposed to the commission.
According to the meeting’s docket, Zoning Commission staff found that the requested zoning change was compatible and consistent with the land use and the comprehensive plan around the parcel in question.
No one requested to speak in support or opposition of the case and the public hearing was closed.
Council District 8’s Wanda Conlin motioned to approve, which was seconded by Council District 6’s Sandra Runnels. The motion passed 9-0.
DAVID BERNARDO GENARO
In case ZC-18-003, David Genero, who has owned and operated a business at 3444 Stuart Drive in the Southside area for 15 years, requested the commission change lots 3400 and 3404 Stuart Drive, which Genero purchased to use as a parking lot for his shop, from “A-5” One-Family to “I” Light Industrial.
The site in question is in the Southside District’s Rosemont Neighborhood
The parking lot case caused a commotion at the meeting. Two spoke in favor and three opposed in addition to the applicant.
Genero purchased the lot about five months ago on the understanding that it was zoned for commercial use but learned later that while the space was commonly used for decades as an unofficial parking lot, it was actually zoned for residential development.
“When I bought the property it was neglected, ill maintained, had trash accumulation and it has been used for commercial parking, trucks, trailers and other equipment for more than 20 years,” Genero said. “When I took possession of this property I cleaned up and installed solid, iron fencing on the south and west sides.”
Robert Snoke, president of the Rosemont Neighborhood Association and a resident of the Southside for his entire life, spoke in support of the zoning change.
“I’ve known this property for a very long time and there isn’t one time it hasn’t been used for commercial or industrial. I’m talking about for the 40 years I’ve been conscious of it,” he said. “We do think it’s unfair to David. He is an integral part of our community and it would be hard to not have him there.”
Grace Rengerium, who lives across the street from the site in question, spoke favorably of the change, asking God to bless the commissioners to approve the zoning to keep good people in her neighborhood.
However, not everyone in the neighborhood sees the change so favorably.
Resident Leticia Bares spoke vehemently against the case, citing the possibility of increased night creatures, sound and light pollution, homeless population and vandalism as concerns.
“Burglaries will increase due to the availability of items on the cars,” she said. “This may flow into the family neighborhood and our homes is my concern. It could turn into a robbery where we, the families, are adversely affected and placed into high risk situations and possible mortal dangers.
“Imagine this is your neighborhood,” she said. “Would you welcome these negative effects into your neighborhood?”
Alonso Aguilar, another resident, spoke against the change saying that the lots should be taken by someone who wants to build a home in the neighborhood, not bring more commercial business to it.
During the rebuttal, Genaro said that because he will be using the gated and locking lot only for parking and not for storage of any kind, there should not be any increase to robbery or night creatures.
According to the meeting’s docket, Zoning Commission staff found that the requested zoning change was not compatible and not consistent with the land use and the comprehensive plan around the parcel in question.
However, Council District 9’s Kevin Buchanan made a motion to approve, which was passed unanimously by the rest of the commissioners.
“This one was hard for me because I can see both sides,” Buchanan said. “But he is a member of the community and obviously this lot has been in this use for a long time.”