The Arlington Planning and Zoning Commission met on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, at 5:43 p.m. in the Council Chamber. The commission considered three zoning cases: a liquor store at 721 Southwest Green Oaks Boulevard, a cottage community/short-term rental development at 201 and 205 Slaughter Street, and a townhome development at 1700 East Bardin Road. All cases were approved with varying vote tallies and conditions.
Commissioners praised the applicant's efforts to improve the property and engage neighbors. Commissioner Blake opposed due to the indefinite nature of the zoning change and the number of existing liquor stores in the area. Commissioner Finley expressed support for small business and noted the improvements. Commissioner Greer jokingly asked if conditions could be added for fair prices and friendly service (determined unenforceable).
Commissioners asked about security, fencing (cedar board-on-board vs. masonry), dumpster capacity, and tree preservation. After discussion, Commissioner Ware made a motion to approve with conditions: best-effort protection of the PT-1 post oak following the city arborist's advice, best effort to meet 35% tree preservation (with staff approval for alternative tree planting if needed), and inclusion of street furniture and lighting per Entertainment District Overlay standards. Commissioner Finley expressed enthusiasm for the project and suggested reconsidering airstream units in the future.
Commissioners noted improvements since the proposal's first appearance and commended the applicant's work with staff. Concerns were raised about the narrow remaining commercial pad and its compliance with city design standards (Commissioner Sumpter warned of constraints on parking and building size). Commissioners advised that the developer should work with adjacent homeowners on fencing and consider reducing unit count to allow viable retail. The applicant's team stated they have already planned the commercial pad's parking and landscaping. Commissioner Blake made a motion to approve with staff considerations (show existing utility equipment, ornamental iron fencing along gas line easement).
Looks like we're all signed in. Good evening again, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Dr. Ignacio Nunez, and I am the chair of the Planning and Zoning Commission for the City of Arlington. I hereby call this regularly noticed meeting of the uh City of Arlington's Planning and Zoning Commission regular session to order for May 7th, 2025. At this time, I'll ask our administrator to read the speaker guidelines and general decorum for tonight's meeting. We ask the citizens and other visitors in attendance to 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 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 become 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 now call out individual name members of city staff or the public. For speakers tonight, when your name is called, please come to the microphone at the podium. State your name and city of residence for the record. The applicant will be asked to speak first and will be given ten 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 speak 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. 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. Thank you. A copy of the minutes of our April the 16th, 2025 regular session agenda meeting were sent to all the commissioners in advance. Were there any changes or corrections needed to these minutes? Seeing none, do I have a motion to approve? I have a motion to approve by Commissioner Ware, and I have a second by Commissioner Finlay. Cast your vote, please. Motion passes nine to nothing. Next on the agenda tonight, we have three zoning cases. First case is zoning case PD 25-2, addressed approximately at 721 Southwest Green Oaks Boulevard. This is an application for a change in zoning from community commercial to plan development for community commercial plus a package liquor store. At this time, I ask for staff to present its report. Good evening. Uh for the record, Alex Van Amberg Planner, Planning and Development Services, presenting case PD 25-2. Site is approximately 0.461 acres, address 721 Southwest Green Oaks Boulevard, zoned community commercial, and the request is plan development for community commercial plus packaged liquor store uses. Subject site was developed in 2017 with a commercial building. The properties to the south and to the uh east are zoned community commercial, and the properties to the west are zoned uh single family residential. Um if approved, the applicant plans to separate off the uh takeout restaurant and then combine the rest of the building into the packaged liquor store. Um it would be so the building would have two suites, one restaurant, one package liquor store. Uh the site currently does meet our parking requirements for a package liquor store and takeout restaurant. Umce the time of the application, the applicant has improved the landscaping, adding 19 shrubs to the front landscape buffer and three four-inch trees on the residential landscape buffer to the west. Um this does bring the site into compliance with our landscape rules. Here are some photos of the improvements that the uh applicant has made here to date. Here's a list of the allowed uses in community commercial um packaged liquor stores are not typically permitted in community commercial zoning, um, hence the request for the PD to add this use. Here we see a proximity map showing uh package liquor stores in the vicinity of one mile, three miles, and five miles. The applicant and owner is to reinerbecker. Uh, we have received uh support list with six signatures and one letter of opposition. Uh staff is also available for any questions. Thank you very much. Do we have any questions of staff at this time? Seeing none. Um going to at this time I'm going to open up the public uh hearing and call for the first speaker in favor of this project, the applicant, if the applicant would step forward.