Title
Conduct a Public Hearing to Consider/Discuss/Act on the Request by Abernathy, Roeder, Boyd, Joplin, P.C., on Behalf of McKinney Medical Center, for Approval of a Request to Rezone Approximately 48.16 Acres from “PD” - Planned Development District to “PD” - Planned Development District, Generally to Modify the Development Standards, Located on the Northwest Corner of Frisco Road and McDonald Street (State Highway 5), and Accompanying Ordinance
Summary
MEETING DATE: March 6, 2012
DEPARTMENT: Planning
CONTACT: Michael Quint, Senior Planner
RECOMMENDED CITY COUNCIL ACTION: Staff recommends approval of the proposed rezoning request with the following special ordinance provisions:
1. The use and development of the subject property shall conform to the regulations of “PD” - Planned Development District Ordinance No. 96-11-51, except as follows:
a. The subject property shall be subject to the attached development regulations.
ITEM SUMMARY:
• The applicant is proposing to rezone approximately 48.16 acres of land, located northwest corner of Frisco Road and McDonald Street (State Highway 5) from “PD” - Planned Development District to “PD” - Planned Development District, generally to modify the development standards.
• More specifically, the applicant is proposing to modify the development standards that are currently applicable to the subject property to allow for the construction of a series of urban multi-family buildings that will allow for the integration of non-residential uses in a vertically integrated manner. Multi-family residential and commercial uses are currently allowed by right on the subject property but there are development regulations that are currently applicable that prohibit the construction of the type of development the property owner intends to develop. The intent of this rezoning request is to eliminate those existing obstacles.
• Subsequent to the consideration of this item by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the applicant contacted Staff and requested that the proposed rezoning request be modified to include the elimination of an additional ordinance provision currently existing in the governing planned development district ordinance (Ordinance No. 96-11-51).
• Specifically, the applicant has requested approval of a special ordinance provision that would eliminate the existing PD District’s requirement that 2,000 square feet of land area be provided for each dwelling unit. The applicant has indicated that this existing requirement will prevent them from achieving the desired density of approximately 30 dwelling units per acre. This request will not impact the maximum number of allowed dwelling units on the subject property which is 500.
• If the 2,000 square foot of lot area per dwelling unit were to remain, the applicant could only develop the 500 multi-family residential dwelling units currently allowed by the governing PD District to a density of approximately 23 units per acre. For reference purposes, it should be noted that the “REC” - Regional Employment Center Overlay District, an area of the City that allows for urban style multi-family residential development similar to what the applicant has described, prescribes multi-family residential densities between 20 and 40 dwelling units per acre.
• During the discussion of this rezoning request, the applicant has provided Staff with a series of illustrative plans and renderings in order to describe the type of development that is envisioned for the property. However, the applicant is not comfortable being bound to these plans by attaching them to a planned development district ordinance. Without mandating that the development generally conforms to the plans and renderings provided by the applicant, there is no way to ensure that what the applicant references will actually be constructed and that the requested elimination of the 2,000 square foot of lot area per dwelling unit requirement is actually necessary.
• Staff is not of the opinion that the governing PD District’s requirement that 2,000 square feet of lot area be provided for each dwelling unit will impact the applicant’s ability to provide an urban style multi-family residential development on the subject property. As such, Staff is not comfortable supporting the applicant’s amended request.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• See the attached staff report.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
• In addition to the comments referenced in the “Opposition to or Support of Request” section of the attached staff report, Staff received one additional email in support of the proposed rezoning request from Ken Mitchell, an owner of land located to the east of the subject property.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY:
• See the attached staff report.
BOARD OR COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION:
• At the February 14, 2012 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the proposed rezoning request per Staff’s recommendation.