Title
Consider an ordinance amending Chapter 46, Code of Ordinances (2010 Edition), regarding amendments to the downtown mixed-use zoning districts. (Second Reading)
Body
This code amendment adopts some of the most important policy changes contained within the Round Rock Zoning and Development Code. The purpose of this item is to amend parts of the downtown mixed-use zoning districts. The key changes in each district are summarized below:
• MU-1 (Mixed-Use Historic Commercial Core) - creates a limit of 12 bars in the district, where “bar” is defined as an establishment which serves alcohol but does not have a commercial kitchen.
• MU-2 (Mixed-Use Downtown Medium Density) - increases the height limit for properties west of Mays based on proximity to the IH-35 frontage road, up to a maximum of 8 stories; requires event centers to be approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment (currently permitted by right); permits off-site parking on a separate lot on a limited basis; limits corrugated or ribbed metal paneling to 33% of the total exterior wall finish (currently no limit).
• MU-L (Mixed-Use Limited) - adds flexibility to parking requirement; emphasizes on-street parking over on-site parking due to unique site constraints in the district; requires new construction to meet City of Round Rock Historic Design Guidelines for residential structures to ensure compatibility with the neighborhood.
P&Z Recommendation: The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of these amendments as part of the larger Development Code recommendation at their meeting on December 21, 2016. The bar limit recommended by the Commission is different than it appears now. At the time the limit was proposed to be 15, with “bar” defined as an establishment that derives greater than 50% of its receipts from alcohol sales. Discussion with City Council over the last two months has created the new requirement summarized above.