Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Session - February 5, 2025
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Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Session – February 5, 2025
The Planning and Zoning Commission of Arlington, Texas, convened on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 5:36 PM in the City Hall Council Chamber. Chairperson Dr. Ignacio Nunez presided over the meeting, which was open to the public. The Commission considered five zoning cases: a rezoning for a single-family home, a planned development to convert multifamily units, a cell tower on church property, a townhome development, and an expansion of an electric substation. All eight commissioners were present.
Consent Calendar
- Approved the minutes from the January 22, 2025 Regular Session unanimously (8-0).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Zoning Case ZA24-10 (2015 Loyd Drive): The applicant, Jenny Beth Guzman (Arlington), spoke in favor of a rezoning to build a single-family home. No opposition.
- Zoning Case PD24-24 (712 East Randol Mill Road and 701 Slaughter Street): Jonathan Vinson, representing Lighthouse Group, presented the request to convert 20 three-bedroom units into studios and two-bedroom units. Annette Fowler (Springtown, TX), regional property supervisor, provided details on kitchen layouts. Commissioner comments focused on affordability, parking, and fencing. No public opposition.
- Zoning Case PD24-35 (5510 Matlock Road): Allen Scavally (Broadst Towers) spoke in favor of a 125-foot cell tower to improve Verizon coverage. No opposition.
- Zoning Case PD24-39 (1501 Mansfield Webb Road): Brian Holland (Scorburg Development Company) presented a 47-unit townhome development. He addressed concerns about fencing, garage doors, and amenities. No public opposition, but one neighbor expressed concern about access for a storage shed.
- Zoning Case PD24-34 (1918 and 1922 South Cooper Street): Seth Sampson (Encore Electric) spoke for an expansion of an existing substation. Commissioner Carter raised concerns about flooding and lack of community outreach. Staff clarified that a third-party drainage study would be required.
Discussion Items
- Case ZA24-10: Staff (Alex Van Amberg) noted the lot did not meet RE dimensions; rezoning to RS-5 allows a single-family home. Commissioner Carter asked about house style (two-story brick).
- Case PD24-24: Staff (Clifford Golson) detailed an interior-only conversion of 20 units to create 20 studios (350 sq ft) and 20 two-bedrooms (850 sq ft). Deviations sought for unit size, parking, setbacks, and landscaping. Applicant highlighted $5 million in upgrades since 2019. Commissioners debated unit size and affordability; some supported the workforce housing aspect. Staff recommended against an STR prohibition, and the Commission agreed. A motion included staff recommendations plus replacing the chain-link fence with wrought iron (pending utility easements).
- Case PD24-35: Staff (Kevin Charles) explained the need for a PD because the tower cannot meet the 3:1 setback from residential. The tower will be 125 ft on a 0.0459-acre site at Rush Creek Baptist Church. Commissioner Ware asked about distance; staff measured 75 ft to the north building. Coverage maps showed improved signal. Approved unanimously.
- Case PD24-39: Staff (Lisa Sudbury) presented a 47-unit townhome PD (RM-12 uses) on 5.338 acres. Deviations include lot depth, garage projections, and single garage doors. Applicant Brian Holland emphasized quality, HOA maintenance, a dog park, and masonry perimeter walls. Commissioners negotiated conditions: 4-inch caliper trees along Collins Street, replacement of adjacent fences where homeowners agree, brick end-cap walls on the two outermost units, and enhanced garage doors with windows and hardware. Approved unanimously.
- Case PD24-34: Staff (Clifford Golson) described an Encore substation expansion from 23,000 to 69,000 sq ft on 3.813 acres. Deviations from landscaping and fencing requirements due to utility constraints. Commissioner Carter voiced concerns about flooding downstream and lack of neighborhood notification. Staff noted a third-party drainage study is underway. Commissioner Blake supported trusting the engineering review. Approved 7-1 (Commissioner Carter opposed).
Key Outcomes
- Approval of Minutes – Unanimous (8-0).
- Zoning Case ZA24-10 – Approved (8-0) to rezone 0.172 acres from RE to RS-5 for a single-family home.
- Zoning Case PD24-24 – Approved (7-1, Commissioner Maddox dissenting) for a PD allowing conversion of 20 units on 6.437 acres, subject to staff recommendations on streetscape, landscaping, and replacement of chain-link fencing with wrought iron (utility easements permitting).
- Zoning Case PD24-35 – Approved (8-0) for a PD for a 125-foot cell tower on 0.0459 acres.
- Zoning Case PD24-39 – Approved (8-0) for a PD for 47 townhome units on 5.338 acres, with conditions: 4-inch trees along Collins, neighbor fence replacement, brick end-caps on end units, and enhanced garage doors.
- Zoning Case PD24-34 – Approved (7-1, Commissioner Carter dissenting) for a PD allowing expansion of an Encore electric substation on 3.813 acres, with required drainage study and masonry walls on three sides.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:00 PM. The next regular session is scheduled for February 19, 2025, at 5:30 PM.
Meeting Transcript
In. So again, good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Dr. Ignacio Nunez. I serve as chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Arlington. And I hereby call this regularly noticed meeting of the City of Arlington's Planning and Zoning Commission regular session to order for February the 5th, 2025. At this time, I'll ask the administrators to please read the speaker guidelines and general decorum one more time. Thank you. The City of Arlington fully embraces the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, where people of all identities and experiences are understood, appreciated, and fully included in the community, and where equitable treatment and outcomes prevail. We ask that the citizens and other visitors and attendance assist in preserving the order and decorum of this meeting and to provide for attendance at and participation in the meeting without fear of intimidation, threats, or hostility. Any person making personal, profane, hostile, slanderous, or threatening remarks who uses vulgar or obscene language, who engages in any other actions that disturb or are calculated to disturb the meeting, or who becomes disruptive while addressing the planning and zoning commissioners or while attending the planning and zoning meeting may be removed from the council chambers. All speakers shall address the commissioners and not the audience or city staff and shall not call out individually named members of city staff or the public. For speakers tonight, when your name is called, please come to the microphone at the podium and state your name and city of residence for the record. The applicant will be asked to speak first and will be given 10 minutes to make a presentation. Speakers in support or opposition of the item will be given five minutes each to make their statements. If there are many speakers for an item, each speaker will be given three minutes to make their statements. The applicant will then be given five minutes for any rebuttal. If multiple speakers plan to provide the same or similar comments, those speakers may, if they so desire, designate one or more individuals to provide public comment on behalf of the group. A bell will signal the end of each speaker's time. In consideration of other speakers, please conclude your comments promptly when you hear the bell. We ask that you address your comments to the planning and zoning commissioners. Excuse me. Thank you very much. Copy of the minutes of our January 22nd, 2025 regular session agenda meeting were sent to all commissioners in advance. Were there any changes or corrections that were needed to the minutes? Hearing none, do I have a motion to approve? And is there a second? I have a motion to approve by Commissioner Ware and a motion to and second by Commissioner Payne. Please cast your vote. Motion passes A to nothing. Next item of agenda is our we have five zoning cases for this evening. We're going to go with the first one. This is zoning case ZA 24-10, roughly located at 2015 Lloyd Drive. This is an application for a change in zoning from residential estate to residential single family RS5 on approximately 0.172 acres. At this time, I will call on staff to present its report regarding this zoning case. Thank you. Good evening, Commissioners. For the record, Alex Van Amberg, Planner, Planning and Development Services. Here to present case ZA 24-10. The site is approximately 7,504 square feet. It is addressed at 2015 Lloyd Drive. The current zoning is residential estate, and the request is a change in zoning to residential single family five. Subject site is generally located west of New York Avenue and south of Mansfield Webb. The subject site and the surrounding area were generally developed in the 1970s and has not seen much change. Here you can see the view north of the subject site is zoned community commercial and is developed as a retail building. All other surrounding properties are zoned residential and are either developed as single family or undeveloped. They're proposing a rezone to the RS5 zoning in order to meet the lot dimension requirements. This lot does not meet the dimension requirements of the RE district, and it will need to be re-platted to replat. We'll need to change it to RS5 so the dimensions meet the UDC standards. Here are the itemized allowable uses in the RS5 zoning district.
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