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Consider public testimony regarding, and an ordinance approving Amendment No. 1 to Planned Unit Development (PUD) No. 148 (Slate) to add an option for medium density urban multi-family development with allowance for surface parking, generally located south of E Old Settlers Blvd and west of W Mesa Park Drive. (First Reading)*
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Comprehensive Plan and Zoning: The PUD amended the Round Rock 2030 Future Land Use Map (FLUM) designation from commercial to residential upon adoption in 2023 to accommodate a high-density multi-family development with structured parking. Under the current location criteria in Round Rock 2030, new zoning for medium density multi-family is prohibited within half a mile of existing medium density multi-family and new buildings must be located more than 500 feet away from a single-family neighborhood. This forced the developer into the high-density option at the time, which was economically viable in 2023. However, due to market conditions that have drastically changed in the last two years, the structured parking requirement makes it impossible to obtain funding for new projects. City staff received several requests to amend PUDs to allow surface parking instead of structured parking to allow developments to move forward, but held firm to the criteria in Round Rock 2030. In late 2025, city staff discussed this issue with city council and council directed staff to begin the process to amend Round Rock 2030 and the Zoning & Development Code to open the door to more multi-family with surface parking. Staff have been working with this applicant since that time.
Proposed PUD Amendment: This property was previously zoned PUD to allow for high density urban multi-family development. The proposed amendment maintains that development option (referenced in the amendment as “High Density Urban Multi-family Development Option") and adds a second development option (referenced as “Medium Density Urban Multi-family”.)
Highlights of the Medium Density Urban Multi-family development option are as follows:
- A maximum of 285 dwelling units are allowed.
- Instead of a structured parking garage, a mix of surface parking, detached garage parking, tuck-under parking, and carport parking is proposed.- A maximum building height of four stories is proposed, although the project is anticipated to include a mix of three- and four-story apartment buildings.
- To maintain compatibility with the single-family neighborhood to the south of this property, building heights would transition from three stories on the southern side of the property to four stories moving northward toward Old Settlers Blvd.
- Three-story buildings must be setback a minimum of 90 feet from the southern property line. This is above and beyond the equivalent requirement in the Zoning & Development Code, which requires an 80-foot setback.
- Four-story buildings would be set back a minimum of 135 feet from the southern property line (identical to the setback required in the existing PUD). This is above and beyond the equivalent requirement in the Zoning & Development Code, which requires a 100-foot setback.
- The existing High Density Urban Multi-family Development option prohibits balconies on the building facades facing the single-family neighborhood. The proposed amendment would provide an allowance for Juliet balconies to be utilized on south facing building facades only for the Medium Density Urban Multi-family development option and only when there's an intervening building between the balconies and the single-family neighborhood. The PUD defines Juliet balconies as a railing or panel attached to a structure adjacent to a door or full-length window. In contrast to a traditional balcony which extrudes from a structure, a Juliet balcony is an architectural feature that provides no occupiable space, but which allows for upper story doors and full-length windows to be safely opened for ventilation.
Planning and Zoning Commission:
On April 1, 2026, the Planning Commission recommended conditional approval of the PUD amendment with a vote of 4-1 (two commissioners were absent). As part of their recommendation, the Commission approved a condition to limit the location of balconies as noted in the above paragraph. The PUD was presented to the Commission with an allowance for Juliet balconies on all southern facing facades, but after the public hearing and during their discussion the Commission changed the requirement that what is now included in the PUD.
Prior to the hearing, city staff received two emails from citizens from the neighborhood concerned that concessions that were offered to the neighborhood when the original PUD was approved are not carrying forward to the second development option proposed in the amendment including prohibiting balconies on southern facing facades and providing an area of townhouses as a transition between the proposed multifamily and the single-family neighborhood. One public speaker at the Planning and Zoning Commission meeting raised concerns about school bus traffic serving the proposed multi-family development, long signal length time at Mesa Park and Old Settlers Blvd, and dying trees on the subject property that had fallen on his fence and other neighbors.