North Richland Hills Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting – April 3, 2025

The North Richland Hills Planning and Zoning Commission met for a work session at 6:30 p.m. and a regular meeting at 7:01 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at City Hall, 4301 City Point Drive. All seven voting positions were filled; Vice Chair Greg Stamps was absent and Alternate Mike Kerby voted in his place. The Commission approved the prior meeting minutes, recommended approval of a special use permit (7-0), and recommended approval of a zoning change to Residential Planned Development (5-2). Both public hearing items will be considered by City Council on April 14, 2025.

Work Session and Staff Updates

• Director of Planning Cori Reaume provided city updates, including the new NRHTX app, the 2024 development report (90+ new businesses and a net gain of 45, plus 226 new single-family starts), the April 22 town hall meeting, and city facilities closing for annual training. She also reported that City Council discussed carports and special use permits on March 24 but has not directed staff to change ordinances; instead, the city will update its strategic plan and then review zoning districts and use tables.
• Principal Planner Clayton Husband previewed the two public hearings. For ZC25-0127, he compared densities: about 14 units per acre proposed, versus roughly 5 to 8.4 units per acre in nearby Hometown phases and about 32 units per acre in the Dolce properties.
• Commissioner Paul Epperley requested a future legislative update on Texas Legislature planning and development bills, including accessory dwelling unit legislation. Staff agreed to schedule it.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the March 20, 2025, Planning and Zoning Commission meeting minutes 7-0 (motion by Commissioner Goetz, second by Commissioner McMahon).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made under agenda item A.2.
• For ZC25-0130, four neighbors spoke in favor: John Albury (8024 Valley Drive), Doug Mann (8025 Valley Drive), James Orton (8041 Valley Drive), and Knox Martin (8040 Valley Drive). They expressed support for the accessory building and said it would improve the property and neighborhood.
• For ZC25-0127, Laura Kay Hyde (8316 Bridge Street) spoke in opposition. She cited concerns about traffic, increased density, rec center and senior center parking shortages (67 parking spaces, more than 800 senior center members, and about 1,200 daily users), three-story houses, unknown lot dimensions, and what she described as the developer's profit motive.
• Public emails for ZC25-0127 were distributed; the transcript is inconsistent on the total count, with staff mentioning three generally favorable emails and Commissioner Ross later describing two HOA-associated supporters, another supporter, and one opponent.

Public Hearing: ZC25-0130 – Special Use Permit for Permanent Accessory Building

• Applicants Kevin and Susan Holden requested a special use permit for a permanent accessory building at 8033 Valley Drive, a 1.89-acre property in the Holden Valley Ranch Addition. They proposed a 30-foot by 40-foot, 16-foot-wall I-beam building with two 16-foot by 40-foot lean-tos, totaling 2,480 square feet, with a 19-foot-11-inch peak roof height and a 3:12 roof pitch.
• The applicant stated the building would replace existing barn, workshop, and temporary structures and would not be used for business, dwelling, or motor-vehicle parking. They requested modifications to the maximum accessory floor area, 12-foot wall height limit, 4:12 roof pitch requirement, and concrete driveway standard, citing hay deliveries and livestock safety.
• The applicant calculated the permitted accessory floor area as 2,047 square feet based on 2.5% of the 81,892-square-foot lot, while staff cited about 2,060 square feet; the proposed 2,480 square feet exceeded either figure. Staff noted the concrete driveway requirement could be triggered in the future if the building's use changes to a garage.
• Commission discussion covered the gate and gravel driveway, horse trailers, tree preservation, paving standards, concrete under the lean-tos, and visibility of the structure from the street.
• Motion by Commissioner McMahon, seconded by Commissioner Ross, to approve ZC25-0130 carried 7-0.

Public Hearing: ZC25-0127 – Zoning Change at 8851 Bud Jensen Drive

• This was a continued public hearing from March 20, 2025. TBG Partners requested a zoning change from O-1 (Office) to Residential Planned Development (R-PD) for 13.82 acres at 8851 Bud Jensen Drive, Lot 1R, Block 1, U.I.C.I. Addition.
• Bill Gietema, representing Arcadia, presented the proposal: approximately 199 to 210 single-family detached and townhome units at about 14 units per acre, using Hometown/town center design standards. The plan includes green streets, rear-loaded garages accessed from mews and alleys, three parking spaces per home, a permanent off-site visitation parking easement of about 60 spaces along the east edge, access easements through the adjacent office park for future connectivity, resized detention, noise attenuation and disclosure notices for homes near Birdville High School, fire sprinklers in all homes, and a separate sub-HOA.
• The applicant estimated townhome prices at about $500,000, detached homes at about $650,000, a tax base of roughly $115 million, about $1.66 million more in annual property tax than the existing office park, about $26 million in recurring household income, and roughly $51,000 to $103,000 in potential annual sales tax capture depending on the capture rate.
• Staff reported that the R-PD would use town center-based standards, include about 11% open space, and have single-family lots roughly 26 to 33 feet wide, townhome lots roughly 22 to 32 feet wide, a 50-foot right-of-way for Bud Jensen Drive, a 60-foot right-of-way for the new north-south street, and 30-foot face-to-face green streets. Noise attenuation standards would be similar to existing railroad/TOD requirements.
• Commission discussion covered HOA structure, drainage easement and parking layout, price points and tax comparisons, speed tables and green streets, parking supply, mews versus alleys, side elevations and 'gift to the street' design features, home builders, sound attenuation, public input emails, density and economics, emergency vehicle access on dead-end mews, and fire sprinklers.
• Commissioners Goetz, Chair Welborn, and Commissioner Narayana spoke in support. Commissioner Narayana said the proposal was the best option for the property. Commissioner Ross opposed due to the location, and Commissioner McMahon also opposed, citing concerns about the site being surrounded by institutional, office, and hotel uses plus parking impacts.
• Motion by Commissioner Goetz, seconded by Commissioner Narayana, to approve ZC25-0127 carried 5-2, with Commissioners Ross and McMahon opposing.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the March 20, 2025 minutes 7-0.
• Recommended approval of ZC25-0130 (special use permit) 7-0.
• Recommended approval of ZC25-0127 (zoning change to R-PD) 5-2, with Ross and McMahon dissenting.
• Both recommendations will be forwarded to City Council on April 14, 2025.
• Staff will place a legislative update on a future work session agenda.
• The regular meeting adjourned at 8:49 p.m.