Title
Ordinance - Third and Final Reading on an Ordinance Approving a Zoning Change from 2F Two Family Residential District to PD Planned Development District for Single-Family Residential Uses on Approximately 0.505 Acres Known as Lots 11 & 12 and a Portion of Lot 10, Block 31, Original Town of Mansfield, Tarrant County, TX, Generally Located at 305 & 307 W. Kimball Sreet. and 304 S. Second Avenue; Mansfield Custom Homes (ZC#17-015)
Requested Action
To consider the subject zoning change request.
Recommendation
The Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on September 5, 2017, and voted 7-0 to recommend approval.
Description/History
First Reading
The subject property consists of 0.505 acres and is located on the south side of Kimball Street at 3rd Avenue. Earlier in 2017, the applicant demolished two single-family residential structures and plans to construct two new single-family residences on the property. Both residences will front on Kimball Street. Each lot will be approximately 55 feet wide at the street frontage upon platting. Each new residence will include a porch along the front facade as well. The residences will be served by a shared driveway from Kimball Street that will travel between the two residences and connect to attached, rear-loaded, 2-car garages proposed for each residence. The applicant will remove all the existing trees on the property and plant one tree in the front of each residence, and two trees in the rear of each residence.
The applicant is seeking to re-zone the property from 2F to PD to allow deviations from a number of regulations relating to minimum lot width, minimum front and side setbacks, and architectural requirements. The deviations are based on the zoning district SF-7.5/16. Some of the more significant deviations are a minimum lot width of 55 feet (from 65 feet), a minimum front yard setback of 10 feet (from 25 feet), a minimum side yard setback of 5 feet (from 5 & 10 feet), allowing a 4:12 roof pitch the applicant notes as “characteristic of cottage or craftsman-style architecture” (from 8:12), and allowing masonry that could range anywhere from 20 to 80% (from the 80% masonry requirement).
The surrounding zoning in the neighborhood is a mix of SF 7.5/12, 2F, and PD, with some C-2 zoning closer to Main Street. Staff notes that this project is similar to previously-approved redevelopment projects in this part of downtown, including the Duplex PD at Kimball & 3rd (ZC#15-023) and the five new single-family residences on Alvarado Street between 1st & 2nd (ZC#14-012). However, unlike those developments, this development will feature much greater lot depths and lot sizes.
Similar to recent action taken on other residential re-development cases in this area, Council may wish to add a condition that the minimum roof pitch be modified from 4:12 to 6:12.
Second Reading
The applicant has submitted revised plans to reflect the minimum roof pitch for the proposed residences from 4:12 to 6:12.
Third Reading
The City Council held a public hearing and second reading on October 9, 2017, and voted 5-0-1-1 (Mayor Cook abstained; Councilman Broseh absent) to recommend approval of a new plan that was distributed to Council at the meeting, which includes new concept elevations and garages in front of the houses instead of the rear of the houses; one of the houses is a J-swing garage and the other is a front-entry garage. After the meeting, staff submitted comments on these plans to the applicant. While the applicant addressed some of staff’s comments, they were not able to provide a 5’ utility easement along the front property line due to the competing need to preserve trees and the orientation of the J-swing garage on the westernmost proposed house. Staff does not support a front yard building setback of only 3’; staff recommends a minimum 5’ setback in both the front yard and the side yard adjacent to the S. 3rd Ave. right-of-way extension in order to accommodate future utility and right-of-way needs. Also, staff does not support a 12’ wide driveway for the westernmost house and recommends increasing this driveway width to 15’. In addition, at the time of agenda preparation, the applicant was not able to provide concept elevations that match the proposed building footprints, but is hopeful they will be able to provide these at the time of 3rd Reading.
Prepared By
Lisa Sudbury, AICP
Interim Director of Planning
817-276-4227