Carrollton Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting – March 7, 2019

The Carrollton Planning and Zoning Commission met on the evening of Thursday, March 7, 2019, with all nine members present. The commission acted on a consent agenda, a special use permit amendment, two major zoning requests, two continuances, and the semi-annual impact fee report. No agenda or minutes were provided, so this summary is based on the meeting transcript.

Consent Calendar

• Commissioner Kaiser moved to approve the consent agenda, including agenda item 8 / Case 03-19-RP5 (Original Town of Carrollton, Part 4), with the finding that the right-of-way dedication on item 3 is necessary and proportional, and with stipulations on items 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; for item 5, only stipulation #2 was approved and stipulation #1 was removed. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Denholm and passed unanimously, 9–0.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public speakers appeared for Case 03-19-SUP1 (Elite Hail Operations) or Case 03-19-Z2 (The View/Urban Structure).
• For Case 03-19-Z1 (The Pines at Carrollton), many residents spoke in opposition:
  • Michael C. Smith (1708 Kinnip) said the development would bring about 60 cars a day past his house, create parking problems, and did not fit the neighborhood.
  • Janet Sorber (1200 North Side Drive), who spoke with her grandmother, raised concerns about narrow one-and-a-half-lane roads, traffic, flooding and drainage, loss of privacy, rising property taxes, and a transient community rather than a stable one.
  • Jose Favro (1205 Northside Drive) opposed the project, citing already hazardous traffic, narrow streets, trash-can obstructions, higher property taxes, and loss of the green view across from his home.
  • John C. Jacobs (1612 Cottonwood Road) said the notice went to the previous owner, called the density a money-driven attempt, and described the layout as a 'vertical theme of trailer park' that would not fit the established neighborhood.
  • Danny Waldron (1808 Willow Road) urged a traffic study/metering before a decision and warned that existing parking is already saturated.
  • A resident at 1201 Northside Drive complained about traffic, narrow streets, affordability for the stated demographic, privacy, and the cultural fit of the homes.
  • Deborah Moore (1608 Cottonwood Road), whose family has lived there 67 years, described the area’s history as a gravel pit over an underground river/floodplain and argued the development would worsen flooding, overcrowding, and neighborhood integrity; she urged the commission to choose 'respect and dignity and decency' over 'hasty, thoughtless greed.'
• In response, applicant C.W. Fields acknowledged the outreach had been insufficient, said the company was not 'just a money grab,' and offered to discuss speed bumps, concrete trash-can pads, and other capital improvements if the project moved forward.

Discussion Items

• Case 03-19-SUP1 – Elite Hail Operations: Staff planner Mike McCauley presented a request to amend an existing special use permit to add a paint/body shop use at the auto-repair complex, including repair of hail-damaged vehicles and windshield replacement. Staff said the use would not intrude on surrounding residential uses and recommended approval. The commission closed the public hearing and approved the case unanimously, 9–0.
• Case 03-19-Z1 – The Pines at Carrollton: Vice Chair Kaiser presented the staff report for the recused chair. The request was to rezone a 4.4-acre lot on North Side Drive from Single-Family 8.4/16 to Single-Family Patio Home and to establish a planned development with special standards. The site plan showed 40-foot minimum lot widths, 90-foot depths, front-loaded garages set back 20 feet, a 16% minimum brick/stone requirement, a five-foot wall along North Side, and a 12-foot landscape buffer. Staff said approximately 37 neighbors were notified and recommended approval, saying the plan followed the residential subdivision guidelines and was appropriate for growing density near downtown Carrollton. Applicant C.W. Fields of Fields Residential described his company’s background, target buyers, and plans for 2,400–2,800 sq ft homes priced roughly $380,000–$460,000, with design features such as tall ceilings, cedar accents, and six-inch caliper trees. Commissioners questioned density, lot widths, privacy, drainage, traffic, and outreach. City transportation engineer Tom Hammonds said North Side Drive is a narrow collector street with known speeding, and short-term enforcement and the neighborhood traffic management program are possible responses. A motion to close the public hearing did not pass, and after further discussion, the motion to close the public hearing and approve the case with staff stipulations failed, 3–5, with the chairman recused.
• Case 03-19-Z2 – The View/Urban Structure: Staff planner Lauren Shapiro presented a revised conceptual plan for a multifamily mixed-use development at Old Denton and Rayford Road. The revised plan reduced multifamily units from 285 to 270, reduced commercial space from about 43,000 to about 31,600 sq ft, added units facing Rayford Road, kept trail connectivity, and added stipulations requiring at least two restaurant outdoor dining areas facing the creek and a minimum amount of first-floor commercial/non-residential space. Facades remain mostly brick and stone (90%; 88% on north/east facades). The townhome tract to the east was unchanged. Applicant and design-team representatives answered questions about penthouse units and resident/retail courtyards. No public speakers appeared. The commission closed the hearing and approved the case 9–0.
• Continuances: The applicants for Case 03-19-Z3 (Sloan Street West) and Case 03-19-Z4 (Sloan Street East) requested continuances. The commission voted unanimously to keep the public hearings open and continue both cases to the April 4 meeting.
• Impact Fee Report and Staff Report: The semi-annual impact fee report was accepted without objection. Staff noted that city council had approved the Western Extrusions recommendation earlier in the week.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved unanimously (9–0), with the stated right-of-way finding and stipulations.
• Case 03-19-SUP1 (Elite Hail Operations) approved unanimously (9–0).
• Case 03-19-Z1 (The Pines at Carrollton): the motion to close the public hearing and approve with staff stipulations failed, 3–5, with the chairman recused. The applicant was told they could appeal to the city council within 10 days for further consideration.
• Case 03-19-Z2 (The View/Urban Structure) approved unanimously (9–0).
• Cases 03-19-Z3 and 03-19-Z4 continued to April 4, 2019, with public hearings kept open.
• Semi-annual impact fee report accepted.