Title
Ordinance - Public Hearing Continuation and Second and Final Reading on a Change of Zoning from PR, Pre-Development District to PD, Planned Development District for a Single-Family Attached (Townhome) Development on Approx. 7.869 Acres, Generally Along South Mitchell Road and River Birch Drive Property Addressed at 1000 South Mitchell Road; Uriel Carrillo, Applicant (ZC#23-006)
Requested Action
To consider the subject zoning change request.
Recommendation
The Planning and Zoning Commission met on November 6, 2023, and voted 7 to 0 to recommend approval with the following conditions.
To ensure the physical outcome is consistent with the provisions of the requested PD, Planned Development District, the Department of Planning and Development Services recommends that a condition be added under the Section of the ordinance entitled “Applicability” that:
“In the event of a conflict between these PD, Planned Development District standards and any of its illustrations, photographs, and other exhibits, including the site plan, that are attached thereto, and that are specified elsewhere in text, the standards that are set forth herein in the text shall prevail.”
The Planning and Zoning Commission also recommended that the permitted uses under the Section of the proposed ordinance entitled “Permitted Uses” be revised to reflect “Home occupation”.
The Department of Planning and Development Service further recommends that the appeals process for this PD, Planned Development District, follow the considerations and procedures as set forth in Section 155.066 of the Mansfield Zoning Ordinance.
Vote:
Ayes: 7 - Michael Mainer; Blake Axen; Brandon Shaw; David Goodwin; Jennifer Thompson; Michael Bennett; and Patrick Moses
Nays: 0
Absent: 0
Abstain: 0
The PD, Planned Development District as presented has been revised, and it reflects all of the conditions recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
The Department of Planning and Development Services recommends approval as presented.
First Reading
The City Council met on December 11, 2023, and voted 7 to 0 to recommend approval with conditions. Among those conditions were to include all Department of Planning and Development Services recommended conditions as presented; address frontage of the southwest lots on the development plan; and update details on the connections to the west and south of the development. During deliberations, there were discussions concerning the elevations and potential for commercial development opportunities in the area and within the proposed development.
Description/History
Existing Use: Vacant
Existing Zoning: PR, Pre-Development District
Land Use Plan: Sub-Area 7
Surrounding Land Use & Zoning:
North - River Birch Drive Right-of-way and Mitchell Farms Neighborhood, Southpointe Expansion, The Reserve PD, Planned Development District
South - Vacant, Southpointe Expansion, The Reserve PD, Planned Development District
East - S Mitchell Right-of-way, Ladera Development, Southpointe Expansion, The Reserve PD, Planned Development District
West - Vacant, Southpointe Expansion, The Reserve PD, Planned Development District
Thoroughfare Plan Specification:
River Birch Dr - minor collector
S. Mitchell Rd - minor collector
Synopsis
The proposed zoning change is on a 7.869-acre property for townhomes (single-family attached). The proposal is to rezone the property to a PD, Planned Development District that incorporates standards for the site plan, development standards, elevations and landscaping. This proposed development supports a built environment that is designed to encourage and permit a wide range of integrated land uses within a framework of streets and alleys of a scale conducive to pedestrian activity.
Staff Analysis
The applicant is proposing the construction of a new 90 townhome community on roughly 7.869 acres. Currently, this property is zoned PD, Planned Development District. This property is currently within The Reserve PD, Planned Development District (the South Pointe Expansion Sub-District). The South Pointe Expansion Sub-District follows the Residential Village product standards, and allows only detached single-family homes with a minimum area of 6,300 square feet.
As Mansfield increases its focus on providing missing middle housing options, the change in zoning request proposes to meet that need. Each dwelling includes appropriate building frontages and homes accessed by alleys in the rear, with parking provided within garages also in the rear of the unit. Well-defined and purposeful pedestrian ways that encourage walking and reinforce pedestrian-centered designs provide direct access to open spaces throughout the development.
Site Plan
The site plan proposes the construction of new 3- and 3.5-story brick, stucco, and siding row houses. The site plan provides a building anti-monotony color coding scheme that illustrates the developer’s intent to create a variety of architecturally different buildings within the development. Dwellings with building façades along prominent pedestrian areas have wrap-around building frontages (i.e., porches). At the center of the site, there is nearly 9,000 square feet of unprogrammed open space with seating along the perimeter.
The developer has also provided other appropriately spaced green spaces as mews or other building fronting public spaces to create a pleasant walkable experience to residents and guests. While designing the site, the developer contemplated future development opportunities to the west and provided a possible connection point that will intentionally balance the needs of motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists equitably. The mews between those units is labeled as future right-of-way which, when a connection is necessary to improve connectivity to the west, there would be an option to connect this development present.
The Department of Planning and Development Services maintains concern with the building elevations provided. Although some architectural variety is present, the building elevations visually read as a multi-family residential development rather than a row house neighborhood. The architectural considerations for row houses requires a more urban form that has minimal detailing (e.g., Norton Commons in Prospect, Kentucky, Serenbe in Palmetto, Georgia, and other regional examples in infill neighborhoods within vibrant and active parts of Dallas and Fort Worth). This could be accomplished by having traditional home proportions, visual variety within the individual buildings, and eliminating motifs that express a modern and contemporary feel. Many of these design elements are provided within previously adopted form-based codes such as the D, Downtown District and the South Mansfield Form-Based Development District, and other PD, Planned Development Districts that have been approved.
Summary
The Mansfield 2040 Future Land Use Plan designates the project area a Suburban Neighborhood. The Suburban Neighborhood future land use designation calls for residential development (attached and detached) to take a more structured form with consistent block lengths, centralized utilities, and setbacks. Higher-intensity developments should utilize shared access conditions or alleys to prevent frequent curb cuts and improve walkability.
The proposed PD, Planned Development District standards provided in the ordinance outline a specific set of standards that ensures a development layout with appropriate connectivity and access to open spaces. The PD, Planned Development District standards also provide standards to require appropriately designed building elevations to ensure quality urban design including diversity in building style to ensure anti-monotony.
The Department of Planning and Development Services recommends approval as presented.
Prepared By
Arty Wheaton-Rodriguez
Assistant Director of Planning
817-276-4245