Carrollton Planning and Zoning Commission Meeting - December 1, 2022

The Carrollton Planning and Zoning Commission held a briefing session at 6:15 p.m. and a regular meeting beginning at 7:06 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 1945 E. Jackson Rd. All nine commission members were present. The commission took final action on plats, approved a used automobile sales special use permit, considered companion comprehensive plan and zoning cases for Damanwalla Estates, and elected officers. The meeting adjourned at 8:57 p.m.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the November 3, 2022 meeting minutes.
• Approved the final plat for Blazing Cornerstone, Lot 1, Block 1, an approximately 0.526-acre tract at 1405 and 1411 East Belt Line Road (PLFP 2022-169), including a finding that the right-of-way dedication is necessary and proportional to the proposed development.
• Approved the replat of Lowe's of Carrollton, Lot 1, Block A, an approximately 16.883-acre tract at 1253 East Trinity Mills Road, to modify and abandon easements (PLRP 2022-170).
• The consent motion by First Vice Chair Powell, seconded by Commissioner Martin, passed unanimously.

Public Hearing: Glass Doctor of North Texas Used Automobile Sales SUP

• Staff presented PLSUP 2022-138, a request for a special use permit for used automobile or light-load truck sales at 2001 Midway Road, Suite 121, in the LI Light Industrial District. Staff recommended denial. Staff noted the Texas DMV requires at least five display spaces, the applicant had not designated exact inventory spaces on the site plan, and staff considered vehicle display in a multi-tenant center incompatible with pedestrian-oriented retail. Staff also listed stipulations if the commission chose to approve.
• Staff described the suite as roughly 4,000 square feet; applicant Larry Patterson, president of Glass Doctor of North Texas, said his business occupies more than 12,000 square feet in the 57,000-square-foot building. He has been at the Carrollton location since 2008, has about 80 employees, approximately 50 fleet vehicles, four locations, and about 13 million dollars in annual revenue. He said he has sold fleet vehicles under a dealer license since 2018, usually four or fewer at a time, parks them in rear spaces, sells to other Glass Doctor locations rather than the public, and accepted the staff stipulations.
• No members of the public spoke on this item.
• Commissioner Doyle moved to close the public hearing and approve the SUP with staff stipulations 1-4 plus a new stipulation that the five designated display spaces shown on the revised conceptual site plan be located in the rear of the building. Commissioner Kramer seconded. The motion passed, with Vice Chair Windrow voting against.

Public Hearing: Damanwalla Estates Comp Plan and Zoning

• The commission heard companion cases PLMA 2022-178 and PLZPD 2022-155 for an approximately 5-acre tract on the west side of Charles Street, about 1,340 feet south of Plano Parkway. The requests were to change the Future Land Use Map from Medium Intensity Office to Single-Family Detached Residential and to rezone the property from Corporate Commercial to a Planned Development with base zoning SF-8.4/18.
• Staff recommended denial of both. Staff concerns included a density increase over surrounding Creekside Estates, minimum lot sizes of about 7,500 square feet versus 8,400 square feet, reduced 10-foot rear setbacks versus a standard 20 feet, side-loaded lots served by dead-end access easements instead of street frontage, a hammerhead turnaround instead of a cul-de-sac, and potential privacy impacts on existing rear neighbors. The Fire Marshal said a standard cul-de-sac would provide better turnaround geometry than the proposed hammerhead. Staff emphasized that drainage would be reviewed later in the engineering and plat process, not during zoning.
• Applicant representative Steven Boudreau of Lovell Group Southwest said the developer changed from commercial to residential to provide a better buffer to the school fields and neighbors. He said proposed homes would be at least 3,200 square feet under roof, and the developer was willing to revisit the turnaround and rear setback. Property owner and developer Chojil Surani argued residential use would generate less runoff than the commercial use allowed on the site and that the plan was improved after discussions with the HOA.
• Public testimony during the joint hearing: Lane Burtz, president of the Creekside Estates HOA, opposed the project, citing privacy from uphill two-story homes, stormwater runoff, and a lack of detention. Marcy Waskey, a homeowner at 2625 Green Oak Drive, opposed, citing fire-access concerns, existing runoff and foundation problems, privacy, and nonstandard design features. The chair also read several support cards from Carrollton residents, and some additional speakers expressed support.
• Commission members who commented, including the Chair, Vice Chair Windrow, and Commissioner Kramer, opposed the current design, citing excessive density, numerous exceptions to city standards, dead-end street design, and incompatibility with the established neighborhood. The City Attorney noted the two items could legally be voted separately, but staff cautioned that approving the comp plan without the zoning would create inconsistency with the existing Corporate Commercial zoning.

Other Business

• Scott Windrow was elected Vice Chair unanimously after being nominated and seconded.
• John Powell was elected 1st Vice Chair unanimously.
• Staff reported no formal updates; City Council may decide in the coming month whether Planning and Zoning meetings start at 6:30 p.m. instead of 7:00 p.m. Council would hear previously considered P&Z items the following week.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved unanimously, including the right-of-way finding for the Blazing Cornerstone final plat.
• PLSUP 2022-138 approved with stipulations, with Vice Chair Windrow opposed; the case is scheduled to be forwarded to City Council on January 10, 2023.
• PLMA 2022-178 Damanwalla Estates Comp Plan: motion to approve failed unanimously; the applicant has 10 calendar days from the public hearing to file a written appeal to City Council.
• PLZPD 2022-155 Damanwalla Estates Zoning: motion to approve failed unanimously; the applicant has 10 calendar days from the public hearing to file a written appeal to City Council.
• Planning and Zoning officers elected for the coming year; the meeting adjourned at 8:57 p.m.