Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Session - April 2, 2025
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Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission Regular Session - April 2, 2025
The Planning and Zoning Commission of Arlington, Texas, held a regular session on Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 5:33 p.m. in the City Hall Council Chamber. All eight commissioners were present. The meeting covered approval of prior minutes, one zoning continuance, and four public hearings on zoning changes. The commission voted on each item, with most passing unanimously except for one short-term rental request that failed 8–0.
Approval of Minutes
- Minutes of March 19, 2025 Regular Session: Approved 8–0.
Continuance
- Zoning Case PD24-36 (8101 South Collins Street): The applicant requested a continuance to the April 16, 2025 meeting. The commission approved the continuance 8–0. This case seeks a change from Planned Development (PD) for Residential Single Family (RS-7) and Community Commercial (CC) to PD for Community Commercial (CC) plus a self-storage facility.
Public Hearings and Testimony
Zoning Case PD24-37 (1218 North Center Street) – Short-Term Rental
- Applicant Bill Gladden spoke in support, stating he owns the property at 1214 North Center Street and desires to operate a short-term rental (STR) to supplement his retirement income. He argued that properties directly across Center Street are eligible for STR permits, but his is not because the STR zone boundary runs down the center of the street. He noted that his property is on a busy corridor (Center Street) within the Entertainment District Overlay and had invested in improvements. He could not understand why a 10-foot line difference should exclude him.
- Commissioners expressed sympathy but explained that the STR ordinance was carefully crafted to survive legal challenges, and making an exception could invalidate the entire ordinance, leaving the city vulnerable to lawsuits. The city had previously fought legal battles up to the Texas Supreme Court and won. They emphasized that the line cannot be moved.
- Motion to approve failed 8–0.
Zoning Case ZA24-11 (5101 South Collins Street) – Office Commercial
- Applicant Matthew Kane (Click Engineering) represented the Trinity River Authority, which plans to expand its existing offices across the street. The subject 16.57 acres are currently undeveloped and zoned Planned Development and Office Commercial (OC). The request is straight OC zoning within the Airport Overlay.
- No public opposition was voiced. One letter of support was received.
- Commissioners asked about building height (two stories), screening from adjacent residences, and proximity to backyards. Staff confirmed the building would be set back significantly with a concrete channel ditch separating it from homes.
- Motion to approve passed 8–0.
Zoning Case ZA25-1 (2598 Northwest Green Oaks Boulevard) – Limited Office
- Applicant Gary Nightingale spoke in support, proposing to rezone 2.415 acres from Residential Single-Family (RS-7.2) to Limited Office (LO) for an architectural design and 3D printing studio. He described the property as challenging due to floodplain, billboard easements, and a sewer easement. He had already done some site work (grading, gravel drive) and built a skateboard half-pipe on the property.
- Oscar Silice spoke in opposition on behalf of a neighbor who owns lots to the west. The neighbor was concerned about trespassing during construction and potential use of his property to access the half-pipe. Silice showed a photo of the half-pipe structure.
- Staff (Richard Gertzon) clarified that a skateboard half-pipe would not be an allowed accessory use under LO zoning; it would be classified as outdoor recreation and would need to be removed. Access to any use must be solely from the applicant’s property.
- Applicant in rebuttal admitted building the half-pipe for personal recreation but stated he had stopped work after a stop-work order. He offered to remove it if required.
- Commissioners favored the business concept but emphasized the importance of contacting the city council representative and following procedures. The commission approved the zoning change, noting the half-pipe would need to be removed.
- Motion to approve passed 8–0, with the understanding that the half-pipe is not an authorized use.
Zoning Case ZA25-2 (3000 South Cooper Street) – Flex Hybrid
- Applicant David Dowling (CAD Lib Design Build) described the proposal to rezone approximately 0.927 acres from Community Commercial (CC) to Flex Hybrid (FH). The property currently has an office building, and the applicant wants to rezone only the rear portion, keeping the front portion as CC to maintain permitted uses for the existing office. The rear portion would become FH to allow future flexibility.
- No public comments for or against were made.
- Commissioners clarified that the rezone would apply only to the back portion, subject to a revised legal description with new metes and bounds.
- Motion to approve passed 8–0, contingent on the submission of an accurate legal description for the portion to be rezoned.
Key Outcomes
- Approved (8–0): Minutes of March 19, 2025; continuance of PD24-36; ZA24-11 (5101 South Collins Street) rezone to OC; ZA25-1 (2598 Northwest Green Oaks Boulevard) rezone to LO; ZA25-2 (3000 South Cooper Street) rezone to FH (subject to revised metes and bounds).
- Denied (8–0): PD24-37 (1218 North Center Street) request for short-term rental use.
- Next Meeting: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.
- Adjournment: The meeting adjourned after concluding all business.
Meeting Transcript
Good uh 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. I hereby call this regularly noticed meeting of the City of Arlington's Planning and Zoning Commission regular session to order for April the 2nd, 2025. At this time, I'm I will ask our administrator to read the speaker guidelines and general decorum for tonight's meeting. We ask that the citizens and other visitors in attendance assist in persevering the order and decorum of this meeting and to provide for attendance at and participate in the meeting without the fear of intimidation, threats, or hostility. Any person making personal profane hostile slanders or threatening remarks who uses vulgar or obscene language who engages in any other actions that disturb or a technically to disturb the meeting or who become disruptive by addressing the planning and zoning commissioners or while attending the planning and zoning meeting may be removed from the council chambers. Your 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 at the end of each speaker's time and consideration of other speakers. Please conclude your comments promptly when you hear the bill. We ask that you address your comments to the planning and zoning commissioners. Thank you very much. First item of business is to approve the minutes of the March 19th, 2025 P and Z meeting. A copy of these minutes has been sent to all of our commissioners in advance. Were there any changes or corrections that were needed to the minutes? Hearing none, I have a motion to approve by Commissioner Sumter and a second by Commissioner Blake. Please cast your vote. Motion passes 8 to nothing. Thank you. Next on the agenda, we have a notice of continuation. Zoning case PD 24-36 addressed approximately 901 Debbie Lane. This was an application for a change in zoning from a plan development for residential single family RS 7.5 and community commercial to a planned development for community commercial uses plus a self-storage facility. The applicant for this zoning case has requested a continuance to the April 16th, 2025 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. The continuance must be approved by the Commission by vote. So at this time I ask for a motion to approve the continuance to April the 16th. I have a motion to approve by Commissioner Blake, and I have a second by Commissioner Ware. Commissioner Blake, would you state your motion, please? Maybe make a motion to continue zoning case PD 24-36 to April 16th, which I believe is our next meeting. Commissioner Ware is at your second. Please cast your vote. Motion passes 8 to nothing. We'll now move on to our public hearing cases tonight. We have four zoning cases. First one is zoning case PD 24-37, approximately located at 1218 North Center Street. This is an application for a change in zoning from the entertainment district overlay. Two planned development for entertainment district overlay, residential single family 7.2 plus short-term rental use. At this time, I will call on our staff to present its report on zoning case PD 24-37. Good evening, Commissioners. For the record, Alex Van Amberg, uh planner, planning and development services here to present case PD 24-37. The site is approximately 0.224 acres, addressed as 1218 North Center Street, currently zoned entertainment district overlay, residential single family 7.2. The applicant's request is a planned development for entertainment district overlay residential single family 7.2 plus short-term rental uses. The property is located south of Altman Drive and west of North Center Street. Here is the subject site. The surrounding properties are all zoned, EDO, residential, single family 7.2 entertainment district overlay, it's EDO.
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