| REQUEST |
Approval of a Specific Use Provision for Automobile Sales, New or Used.
Approval of a Plan for Automobile Sales, New or Used on a property zoned Industrial (IN) District.
LOCATION
2905 Forest Lane |
| OWNER |
| JI Y. Lim |
| PLAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION |
On November 7, 2022 the Plan Commission, by a vote of eight (8) to zero (0), recommended approval of a Specific Use Provision for Automobile Sales, New or Used.
The Plan Commission, by a vote of eight (8) to zero (0), also recommended approval of a Plan for Automobile Sales, New or Used on a property zoned Industrial (IN) District.
However, the Plan Commission recommended that only wholesale automobile sales can occur at the location—no retail automobile sales are permitted. The Commission also recommended to remove the five (5) designated parking spaces for retail automobile sales. |
| STAFF RECOMMENDATION |
Denial of a Specific Use Provision for Automobile Sales, New or Used.
Denial of a Plan for Automobile Sales, New or Used on a property zoned Industrial (IN) District. |
| BACKGROUND |
The subject property is currently developed with an automobile repair facility. The applicant requests to add automobile sales to the existing facility.
The GDC requires a Specific Use Provision for an Automobile Sales, New or Used Use in the Industrial (IN) District.
Since the Plan Commission meeting, the applicant has emphasized the proposed use is wholesale automobile sale only. The wholesale automobile sales use does not require the five (5) required parking spaces by the State of Texas. Therefore, the applicant has followed Plan Commission's recommendation and removed the designated parking spaces for automobile sales. |
| SITE DATA |
| The subject property consists of approximately 1.09 acres. The site has approximately 388.7 linear feet of frontage along Forest Lane and 194.18 lineal feet of frontage along South International Road. The site can be accessed from Forest Lane and South International Road. |
| USE OF PROPERTY UNDER CURRENT ZONING |
| The subject property is zoned Industrial (IN) District. The Industrial (IN) District is intended to provide for a wide range of industrial uses that are generally not compatible adjacent to residential neighborhoods, and may or may not be compatible with some nonresidential uses. Such uses include manufacturing, processing, assembling, research and development, and warehousing and distribution. The Industrial (IN) District also accommodates support services for industrial development such as office, commercial, personal and professional services, and limited retail activities. The Industrial (IN) District regulations are designed to ensure compatibility among the various uses allowed in the district, and to protect adjacent non-industrial development from potentially incompatible uses and conditions. |
| CONSIDERATIONS |
|
1. Site Plan
The site plan (Exhibit C) reflects two existing buildings which are 2,422 square feet and 8,078 square feet for the automobile repair use. The applicant is not proposing any site improvements at this time. The request is to add wholesale automobile sales use.
2. Parking
The site plan (Exhibit C) meets the GDC parking requirement for both Automobile Repair Use and Automobile Sales Use.
The State of Texas requires a minimum of five (5) parking spaces for retail automobile sales. The "Automobile Sales" label has been removed from the site plan (Exhibit C) per Plan Commission's recommendation. However, those parking spaces will be used for the automobile repair use.
3. Screening and Landscaping
There are no site improvements proposed at this time. Therefore, the request does not trigger any screening and landscaping standards.
4. Building Design
There are no new buildings proposed at this time, thereby not triggering the building design standards.
5. Specific Use Provision
The applicant requests a Specific Use Provision time period of fifteen (15) years. |
| COMPREHENSIVE PLAN |
The Envision Garland Plan designates the subject property as Transit Oriented Centers. Transit-oriented centers are areas of concentrated activity and increased density with maximum access to public transportation options. This type of center should be developed as mixed-use with live/work/play/shop opportunities.
Transit-oriented development is characterized by moderate to high density residential greater than twelve dwelling units per acre.
Staff finds the proposed use is not compatible with the Comprehensive Plan. |
| COMPATIBILITY OF REQUEST WITH SURROUNDING ZONING AND LAND USES |
| The properties to the north, across the DART railroad, are zoned Industrial (IN) District; these properties are developed with a computer store. The property to the east, across South International Road, is zoned Industrial (IN) District; these properties are developed with light industrial uses. The property to the south, across Forest Lane, is zoned Industrial (IN) District; this property is developed with a warehouse. The property to the west is also zoned Industrial (IN) District; it is currently vacant. |
