Title
Conduct a Public Hearing to Consider/Discuss/Act on an Amendment to Chapter 150, entitled “Unified Development Code,” of the Code of Ordinances, City of McKinney, Texas, to make Certain Substantive Changes to Article 2 (Zoning Regulations) and specifically to Section 205 (Use Regulations) and to Section 206 (Development Standards)
Summary
COUNCIL GOAL: Direction for Strategic and Economic Growth
(1C: Provide a strong economy by facilitating a balance between industrial, commercial, residential and open space)
MEETING DATE: April 22, 2025
DEPARTMENT: Development Services - Planning Department
CONTACT: Kaitlin Sheffield, CNU-A, Chief Planner
Cameron Christie, CNU-A, Planner I
Caitlyn Strickland, AICP, Planning Manager
Hayley Angel, AICP, Interim Director of Planning
APPROVAL PROCESS: The recommendation of the Planning and Zoning Commission will be forwarded to the City Council for consideration at the May 6, 2025 meeting.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the proposed amendments.
ITEM SUMMARY: The purpose of these amendments is to introduce the ability to request a design exception regarding residential adjacency buffers for parking areas. Additionally, criteria are being added to the “restaurant, drive-in or drive-through” use that introduces a residential adjacency buffer in the zoning districts where the use is currently permitted by right, in compliance with use-specific criteria.
PROPOSED AMENDMENTS
• Staff proposes modifications to “Section 205. Zoning Use Regulations” to add use-specific criteria to “restaurant, drive-in or drive-through” for zones where the use is currently permitted by right when in compliance with use-specific criteria.
• The proposed use-specific criteria includes a minimum distance of 200-feet between the building and/or speaker box(es) and single-family residential uses or zones. This may be reduced to 150 feet if the restaurant is separated from the relevant use or zone by a public right-of-way or by approval of a Specific Use Permit (SUP).
• Staff proposes modifications to “Section 206. Zoning Development Standards” to allow the request of a design exception to reduce the residential adjacency buffer for off-street parking to a minimum of 10 feet with criteria requiring that the adjacency be consistent with adjacent properties and that a unified landscape design is established along the property line.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
• On November 15, 2022, City Council adopted an ordinance that updated the City’s development regulations as part of the New Code McKinney initiative, known as the Unified Development Code (UDC).
• As part of the ongoing implementation and administration of the UDC, Staff has been monitoring the code to ensure that necessary amendments, improvements, and updates are noted and considered on an annual basis.
• At the January 21, 2025 City Council Work Session, Staff gave an informational update on development regulations, existing conditions, and comparisons to other cities for restaurants with drive-ins or drive-throughs.
• At the March 25, 2025 City Council Joint Session with Planning & Zoning Commission, Staff presented potential options for modifications to the use-specific criteria for restaurants with drive-ins or drive-throughs. Feedback from this meeting resulted in the proposed amendments to the Unified Development Code.
OPPOSITION TO OR SUPPORT OF REQUEST: Staff has received no letters of support to this request and no letters of opposition. This does not include emails or letters that may have been sent directly to members of the Council. As part of the Planning and Zoning Commission Public Hearing(s), Staff has not received any citizen comments through the online citizen portal.