Carrollton Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting - August 3, 2023

The Carrollton Planning & Zoning Commission held a briefing session at 6:15 p.m. and a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. on August 3, 2023, in Council Chambers at Carrollton City Hall, 1945 E. Jackson Road. The commission unanimously approved the consent agenda and a Planned Development amendment for Metrocrest Services, denied a Planned Development amendment for Jackson Arms Townhomes, and received a staff report on related City Council actions.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the July 6, 2023 meeting minutes.
• Approved the final plat for North Carrollton Park Addition, an approximately 5.34-acre tract at the northwest corner of Plano Parkway and Warmington Drive (PLFP 2023-055), with stipulations and the right-of-way dedication deemed necessary and appropriate.
• Approved the final plat for Grand Estates, an approximately 5.0-acre tract at 4409 Charles Street and the west side of Charles Street, about 1,340 feet south of Plano Parkway (PLFP 2023-064), with stipulations.
• Motion by Commissioner Powell, seconded by Commissioner Martin; passed unanimously 7-0 with two commissioners absent.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were offered on the consent agenda items.
• Metrocrest Services public hearing: no public testimony was given beyond the applicant's presentation, and staff reported no public comments were received.
• Jackson Arms Townhomes public hearing: twelve written public comments supported the proposal, and Barbara Erickson, an HOA representative, spoke in favor. Resident Terrell Schaefer also spoke in support, citing affordability concerns.

Discussion Items

Public Hearing: Metrocrest Services Community Garden Area (PLZPD 2023-069)

• Staff Planner Mike McCauley presented the request to repeal and reestablish PD-218 on the approximately 5-acre O-2 Office District site at the northwest corner of Josey Lane and Walnut Avenue.
• The amendment would update conceptual plans and development standards to add a 20-foot by 20-foot covered pavilion near the existing community garden on the southwest portion of the developed Metrocrest Services campus.
• Staff recommended approval with existing PD stipulations carried forward plus an additional stipulation requiring more canopy and ornamental trees between the proposed pavilion and the wrought-iron southern perimeter for aesthetics and shading.
• Applicant Bev Grimley, Chief Programs Officer at Metrocrest Services, said the garden is intended as a teaching garden and that the site has been designated as an official volunteer site by Texas AgriLife Extension. She also described a Lowe's Hometown Hero project, coordinated with the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys, that would provide a footpath, mulched areas, gardener kits, and the pavilion pending city approval.
• Grimley stated the first planting is scheduled for September 16, 2023.
• Commissioner Kramer asked about master gardeners; Grimley said about four or five have volunteered and AgriLife has planned a mid-October irrigation project.
• Motion to close the public hearing and approve with staff stipulations was made by Commissioner Doyle, seconded by Commissioner Powell, and passed unanimously 7-0 with two commissioners absent. The case will go to the City Council on September 12, 2023.

Public Hearing: Jackson Arms Townhomes HOA (PLZPD 2023-059)

• Staff Planner Emily Offer presented the request to amend PD-024 on the approximately 8.06-acre SF-TH tract at the northwest corner of North Josey Lane and East Jackson Road.
• The current PD requires a six-foot masonry wall; the HOA proposed a board-on-board wood fence with masonry columns and a wood cap to reduce maintenance costs for the 51-home subdivision. Some masonry wall segments would remain where more than 18 inches of soil behind the wall makes it a retaining wall.
• Commissioners raised concerns about precedent, visual consistency, maintenance and long-term costs, and whether synthetic board-on-board material should be required. Staff said there are no city programs currently available for masonry wall repair and that city-wide solutions are only at the research stage.
• Staff confirmed the HOA, not the city, would remain responsible for maintaining the replacement fence.
• Barbara Erickson, a homeowner since 1991 and HOA representative, said the HOA began experiencing masonry wall failures in 2019 and had replaced some sections. She said the city had notified them about a fallen section and warned of a $2,000-per-day penalty, leading to this request.
• Erickson said an engineer identified which sections must remain masonry and which could be board-on-board. She noted there are 57 total fence sections; 11 had already been replaced with wood and two to three with masonry, and the HOA planned to replace at least four sections per year.
• Resident Terrell Schaefer said HOA dues are $115 per month for garden homes and $145 for condos, and that many residents are retired and could not afford a large assessment.
• Commissioner Martin moved to close the public hearing and approve the case with staff stipulations; Commissioner Powell seconded.
• The motion failed 3-4 with two commissioners absent. Under the rules, the applicant has ten days from the P&Z public hearing to file a written appeal to the City Council.

Other Business / Staff Reports

• Staff reported that at the City Council meeting earlier that week, athletic lighting requests for R. L. Turner, Newman Smith, and Creekview schools were all approved.
• A New Song daycare request was also approved, although not unanimously.
• The Dodla Dairy food manufacturing facility's special use permit was approved.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda items 1-3 approved unanimously.
• PLZPD 2023-069 (Metrocrest Services) approved; scheduled for City Council September 12, 2023.
• PLZPD 2023-059 (Jackson Arms Townhomes) denied on a 3-4 vote; 10-day appeal window.
• Staff noted City Council approvals for school lighting, daycare, and dairy facility.