Title
Consider public testimony regarding, and an ordinance approving Amendment No. 1 to Planned Unit Development (PUD) No. 139 (Arte PUD) to allow for multi-family residential development consisting of high density apartment structures, townhouses, and single-family attached (duplexes) with an allowance for surface parking, generally located east of S Mays St. and north of E Logan St. (First Reading)*
Body
Applicant: WB Property Group.
History: City council approved the original Arte Planned Unit Development (PUD #139) on May 12, 2022, to provide for a 410-unit high-density multifamily development with structured parking.
Comprehensive Plan and Zoning: The Round Rock 2030 Comprehensive Plan designates the subject property for residential development. Residential development was proposed with the original PUD and is proposed for this amendment.
This project is located approximately 0.4 miles from Main Street. Included in the list of Round Rock 2030 Comprehensive Plan implementation strategies for downtown is to facilitate a mixture of residential development types and to develop a minimum of 1,000 residential dwelling units within one quarter mile of Main Street. While this property is located slightly further than one quarter mile from Main Street, the close proximity to downtown and direct connection for pedestrians and vehicles will serve to bring people to the downtown area.
The Zoning and Development Code limits the scope of minor PUD amendments and the proposed changes to this PUD were determined to exceed what could be approved administratively through a minor PUD amendment, necessitating public hearings at the Planning & Zoning Commission and city council.
Planning & Zoning Commission Recommendation:
On June 4, 2025, by a vote of 6-0 (2 members absent), the Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval of the Arte Planned Unit Development (PUD #139) Amendment No. 1 with the following condition:
1. Interior parking lot landscaping shall be in accordance with Section 8-10 rather than as proposed in the development standards for Amendment No. 1.
There were three speakers at the hearing. One voiced support for the project, two others expressed concerns regarding traffic and access to the site with respect to a nearby daycare, traffic, and alignment of access points in relation to adjacent streets.
As part of the PUD amendment application, the applicant had proposed a requirement for parking lot landscaping that does not meet the minimum standard of the Code. PDS staff were not supportive of the lesser standard, and the Commission agreed with staff, which is the reason for the conditional approval. The first supplemental attachment to this item is the detailed staff report that was included in the P&Z packet to provide information on all proposed changes to the development standards from the original PUD (this document is included as a separate attachment due to the limitations of Legistar). The P&Z-recommended draft of the PUD is also attached, as is the applicant's requested version of the PUD amendment with their parking lot landscaping language.