Title
Consider public testimony regarding, and an ordinance rezoning 46.28 acres located at the southeast corner of E. Palm Valley Boulevard and N. Mays Street from the SF-2 (Single-Family - Standard Lot) zoning district to the PUD (Planned Unit Development) No. 122 zoning district. (First Reading)*
Body
The request is being made by the Henna family, represented by Louis Henna, Jr. The property has been owned by the Henna family for decades and the family plans to continue to reside there for the foreseeable future. The rezoning will provide for entitlement of the land for the future. The property is designated as Downtown Mixed Use on the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map.
The MU-G (Mixed-Use Greenfield and Large Lot) district provides development standards for a comprehensive mixed-use development on a large tract of land. Mixed-use zoning for this district refers to the combining of complementary residential and commercial uses in the same building, on the same site, or in the same block. The regulations include the following standards for development:
Main Street Orientation: The standards require the development to be of an urban scale, oriented toward the pedestrian, with a designated main street configured in a specified block layout. The buildings on the main street are to be oriented towards the street and the design of the facades within a block will reflect those on the main street.
Internal Roadways/Street Design: The MU-G district describes a roadway system that emphasizes a grid pattern that allows for pedestrian linkages. Street design is to include a build-to line for commercial and residential buildings, preventing parking in front and emphasizing community-serving retail. The main street is to be designed in accordance with the district’s "Walkable Thoroughfares" standards, which include block length limits, pedestrian crossings, and wide pedestrian areas.
Parking/Pedestrian Access: Standards encourage a pedestrian-friendly environment by minimizing curb cuts and requiring the design of parking areas to minimize impacts to pedestrian circulation. No parking garages or surface parking lots can have a driveway on the main street. Pedestrian interconnectivity, such as sidewalks, plazas, and trails, is required between land uses.
Building Design Standards: MU-G building design standards include orientation requirements, elevation variation, articulation, and design features, including window types, entryways, and balconies.
The Henna PUD also contains a concept plan indicating an estimate of the anticipated land uses and the approximate percentages for each:
Retail / Restaurant: 18%
Office: 22%
Commercial: 8%
Hotel: 14%
Multi-family / Townhome: 27%
Parking: 11%
In keeping with the urban standards of the MU-G district, development sites with direct access to Mays Street or Palm Valley Boulevard are prohibited, as are individual ‘big box’ retail buildings. Other uses prohibited in MU-G include: auto service facilities; car wash; self-service storage; vehicle sales, rental, or leasing facilities; auto body, painting and repair shops; fuel sales; pawn shops; light industrial services; two-family housing; and single-family detached housing, with the exception of zero lot line and village lots. The maximum building height is 12 stories. Four magnolia trees, which meet the size requirement for designation as monarch trees according to the code, may be removed when development occurs without a separate action by city council upon adoption of this application. The PUD includes an exhibit identifying future parkland, including a portion of the City’s Heritage Trail.
Traffic, Access, and Roads / US 79 Improvements: The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is planning improvements to US 79 (Palm Valley Boulevard), which include a Mays Street overpass. The current design retains the Henna property’s existing three access points, one from Mays Street and two from US 79. The design for the US 79 improvements has not been finalized and there remains an opportunity for an additional access which could potentially be signalized.
The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on August 19, 2020 and voted 8-0 to recommend approval of the rezoning. There were no speakers at the public hearing.