HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgendaDecember 11, 2008
Regular Agenda
Comprehensive Plan Amendment for William D. Fitch Parkway and Barron Road
To: Glenn Brown, City Manager
From: Bob Cowell, AICP, Director of Planning & Development Services
Agenda Caption: Public hearing, presentation, possible action and discussion regarding
a Comprehensive Land Use Plan Amendment from Single Family Medium Density to
Neighborhood Retail for 8.4 acres generally located at the northwest corner of William D.
Fitch Parkway and Barron Road.
Recommendation(s): The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously
recommended denial of this amendment at their November 20, 2008 meeting. Staff also
recommended denial.
Summary:
REVIEW CRITERIA
1. Changed or changing conditions in the subject area or the City: In accordance
with the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, southern College Station has experienced a
large amount of residential development in the past decade, including the Castlegate,
Castlerock, and Edelweiss Garters subdivisions. Much of this development can be
attributed to the development of William D. Fitch Parkway, which was also built
according to the Comprehensive Plan and finished construction in January 2006.
2.
To the west of William D. Fitch, some property in the area has been amended in recent
years to reflect an increasing single family density on the plan, including the Southern
Trace subdivision to the west of the subject property, the BCS Development tract to the
east, and the developing Aspen Heights subdivision across FM 2154, but the area has
remained largely low density.
Commercial property has been planned in southern College Station to serve the area
and region. Approximately a mile west on William D. Fitch is the already developed
Rock Prairie Business Center on Wellborn Road. To the east on William D. Fitch, from
Victoria to the highway, are hundreds of acres planned for Regional Retail and zoned C-1
General Commercial. About a third mile east on William D. Fitch —at the intersection
with Victoria —is a tract already zoned for C-3 Light Commercial. Across William D. Fitch
on Barron are approximately five acres identified as Neighborhood Retail, three of which
are already zoned C-3 Light Commercial.
Compatibility with the remainder of the Comprehensive Plan: The request seems
to be in conflict with a couple of aspects of the Comprehensive Plan. The
Comprehensive Plan defines Neighborhood Retail as:
Areas permitting neighborhood -scale development of tax -generating developments
such as small retail centers, service commercial, restaurants, etc. These uses are
generally dependent on good access to local arterials.
The good access to arterials is important as these uses are usually found between
neighborhoods to serve their purpose and maximize their success, and arterials typically
serve on the periphery of subdivisions. The Comprehensive Plan also encourages the
location of Neighborhood Commercial as infill between neighborhoods. While the subject
property is located on what is planned to be an arterial, Barron Road south of William D.
Fitch is currently not built to that standard. The only residential developments along the
stretch of Barron Road between William D. Fitch and FM 2154 are rural in nature. The
Southern Trace subdivision (the medium -density residential to the west) does not have
a right-of-way connection to the property. The subject property would most likely be
relying on traffic from William D. Fitch. Because William D. Fitch is currently a pair of
one-way frontage roads in this area, neighborhoods that would access the property via
Fitch would have to take circuitous routes that would in most cases take them by
properties already developed or zoned for commercial, or they could reach already
developed commercial as easily. While a Comprehensive Plan is supposed to project
land use and associated needs for the next 20 years, in reality, the current
Comprehensive Plan has an expectancy of less than one year. The property in question
does not seem to currently have a residential density around it which to serve.
One way the vision of the Comprehensive Plan is implemented is through the application
of the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). The appropriate zoning classification for a
property identified as Neighborhood Retail would be C-3 Light Commercial. The UDO
limits the size of a C-3 district and any adjacent C-3 districts to a combined total of five
acres. Even if identified on the Land Use Plan as Neighborhood Retail, the subject
property could not be zoned for such uses.
Budget & Financial Summary: N/A
Attachments:
1. Aerial
2. Small Area Map
3. P&Z Minutes Nov. 20, 2008 (draft)
4. Ordinance