Planning and Zoning Meeting - Regular Meeting

Good evening. Good evening. There we go. Good evening. Good evening. How's that? Good evening and welcome to the city of Farmers Branch planning and zone zoning study session. It is 6:30 p.m. on April 13, 2026. I'd like to to begin by thanking the commissioners for their service. We will begin with item A1, discussion of regular agenda items. First up is item C1, consider approval of the March 9, 2026 Planning and Zoning Commission minutes and take appropriate action. Commissioners, any discussion? Yes,

just one minor typo. Um, in the minutes in the, uh, on page three under public hearing, there's a D1 and then it jumps to D3, the item 26-ZA1 was agenda item D2. Good catch. Thank you. Thank you. That's it.

Okay. All right. Uh we will move on. Up next is item A2. Receive a presentation regarding artificial intelligence in planning. Good evening, commissioners. My name is Tara Bradley and I'm the planning manager with the planning department. And this tonight, I will be providing a short overview of PL AI and planning and this item was requested by vice chair Marcus Miller. So the purpose of tonight's presentation is to pro provide a basic understanding of AI and planning and its presence. Staff re did general research via the internet and articles written by planners that are currently in the planning field and deal with AI. So today we see AI in almost everything that we touch. computers, phones, autonomous cars as well. But AI has an umbrella that encompasses terms as well too that they break it down as machine learning, deep learning and natural language as well. During my review of information, there were different definitions of AI. But in terms of AI and planning, we it can be defined simply as a simulation of human intelligence and reasoning. Also, some history about AI is AI can probably be dated back to 1950 for research by a British mathematician named Alan Turin and he can be contributed to being considered the father of computer science as well.

Now one of the items that rely heavily within AI is algorithms and I know many of you may be familiar with the algorithms but it sets a specific step to perform a wellsp specific task and typically in some input they require input and apply the process to create a output. Fairly simple enough definition. So within the terms of planning what applications we can use AI can be used to analyze and assess data. So that could be evaluating demographics, traffic, land use data to understand the growth trends and develop um developmental pressures within specific neighborhoods or within specific districts within a city. Also it can identify patterns for example like reoccurring landscaping is missing um code violations and also interpret interp interpret it and translate patterns into insight. So turning a zoning application into data by assessing its future infrastructure needs and demand for street improvements as well. also develop predictions forecasting how a proposed zoning change might affect traffic volume um school enrollment or utility demand using predictive models and it also can automate repetitive or analytical task. So reviewing a site plan PDF usually a planner will take that in and look at the site plan to see do we have everything that we need on the site plan. AI could probably in the future say, "Okay, well, you're missing this document or this is missing this amount of trees on site when we do our reviews." It also can create um visualization,

generate maps with command, also creative design as far as 3D renderings that usually would take um architects a couple hours to create as well. um also analyze complex data sets so such as tax appraisal information, mobility data and again zoning layers as well. And then also it supports digitization of records and process. So scanning plat zoning cases in and making them searchable and easier to obtain on this with the conclusion of that AI systems depend on data which may be incomplete or inaccurate and that is because sometimes we may as humans fill in provided data that may not be accurate but AI cannot fill in the gaps. So it will start with the person that's providing the information first to give the accurate information. Um it can increase efficiency in routine or repetitive planning tasks. So for example, extracting data would probably be easier than if I was as a planner extracting the data which could take me days to extract that information. And then it could also automatically update layers as well too with zoning. So it is important that transparency and human oversight is still a part of this process which it allows us to understand because as us as humans we understand the context of things values of things and um our community priorities whereas that may not be picked up within AI. So with this right now as this time planning does not have any AI tools that we use um which could be in the future something um once dived into a little

bit more to see if it how it could be more useful to us in the future. I do have a slide here with different sources that I used. Um I'm available to email any of them to you if you want to take a deeper dive into AI um presentation as well. just to understand where a lot of this information came from and additional information because there was a lot of information out there that um I think will be useful as well to this discussion. So that completes my presentation. If you all have any questions, I'm available.

Okay. Any any questions? Okay. So I guess I I'm guess so chat GPT claude like nobody within planning is using chat GPT or claude in any way. Not to my knowledge.

I'm wonder because it just that's surprising because it's like that is a that is not a future capability. It's it's like I'm seems like you could put any document you wanted in there and you could ask just questions and it would provide information. And so it's it's it's a bit surprising if there's actually really no if yall aren't using any of it. I mean I I would encourage you to not think of this as a future capability but as a current capability, right? I mean it's like it's become just integral parts of just about every type of company in the world and and there and there it's it's available now. So I would suggest you like start with an LLM like chat GP or CL or something like that and I would suspect there may be some agents out there specific for planning capabilities. So

I will say we do have a IT team that does um allow which applications that you can use. So you can use so you see it's basically a a roadblock. I mean they you have to you have to like you have to could you yourself go like say log into J chat GPT or would you be pre prevented from doing that because the if the if the IT department didn't approve it um in that I could do it personally at home. Yeah. But not but you wouldn't be able to. Yeah. So I just I don't know if anybody else has I would suspect that of other commissioners here are probably using AI in in their daily lives. anybody?

Yeah, certainly. Um, it says that we're we're currently not using any tools. Have we evaluated any tools or do we know of other municipalities around here that are currently using?

How I understand like Garland has one where it's able to tell you the zoning um off the bat there. Uh I've looked at some other cities like in Sandy uh Springs, Atlanta, they have like a full roll out of AI as well too for like zoning and such. Um so there are cities that are using it. Uh I didn't see anything that is near uh near to us besides Garland with that but it's not something that at this time like we don't have it but it we would need to go through the process to understand it to make sure that it's beneficial and um using it like if we used it for community engagement making sure that we have the proper one AI that we're using that will actually extract the information that is necessary. I I guess as much a comment as a question, but I I actually used AI to go ask about what tools are out there to help city planning departments, and maybe you did the same thing, and it came back with a whole list of different products that are available. Uh, but it really reminded me of the days when I was managing software development. There was a whole bunch of tools out there, but they're all really expensive to get the customized tools designed for this application. And they all have a pretty long ramp up and training curve. And it's the kind of thing where you spend all this money to train your employees. And what you're doing is training spending money to train their next for their next employer because as soon as they're trained up, you we know we've had a lot of turnover here. And it's the investment in training can be challenging when people don't stick around here that long unfortunately. But it did note that then in some cases there are some uh potential opportunities for funding and

grants from the state of Texas that might help with this. And I was just curious if any any pursuit of this has taken place to try to automate and in any of this stuff it's like well how much how much productivity gains do we get out of it versus how much does it cost per seat to to to automate these functions. But uh maybe there's some opportunities to help with cost through state grants. Thank you. Okay. Any other any other discussion? Thank you. You're welcome. Oh, go ahead.

Do you have uh like from the citizens uh do you get a lot of planning and zoning questions that come to you like via email? Yeah, we do. You do? Mhm. Um just a suggestion maybe like a chat bot where you know you could already upload. You can train it cuz um I had to train a bot before for a company that I previously worked for. Um but we trained it and it just answered questions like it freed you know it freed us up from answering like um general questions you know that people may not know the answer to. I just thought maybe, you know, like a planning and zoning chatbot would be uh nice, just a suggestion.

Yeah, I know on the website there is a chatbot on there right now um on the city website that you can utilize as well. Um in the planning department, we just don't have those that layer yet. Okay. All right. Well, thank you. You're welcome.

Yeah. Okay. Up next is item D1. Conduct a public hearing and consider the request for a specific use permit to allow a cellular mobile telecommunications antenna on a portion of a 1.63 acre property addressed as 1641 Kanan Bridge Road and located with the within the planned development district number 77 and take appropriate action.

All right. Well, thank you Vice Chair Miller and thank you commissioners. Um if you have any questions over this um that you'd like to go over now, we can or we can wait till the public hearing at 7. Um it's a fairly straightforward request. Um this SU request for cell phone tower including the addition of equipment to set tower. Um as I discussed in my staff report, the most recent SUP we have on file expired some time ago. So in or before this equipment upgrade can happen, we have to have this new SUP in order to bring it into legal compliance. But like I said, happy to answer any questions y'all have now. Sorry, of course I have questions. Um I I did notice that the current SU expired 15 years ago last month.

Yes, sir. U I I guess question came to mind is whose responsibility is it? Is it the is it the property owner's job to make sure that the SUPs permitting the activities are kept current or is that a city planning responsibilities? What what happened here? Uh so I would say in this situation it's more on the property owner and the user of the use that's requiring the SUP. Um you know and this happened of course way before my time. My best read on the situation is that this is the first major upgrade we've done to this tower since then. So, this is why this is coming about, but that's my best read on the situation.

There there's no fine penalty or anything like that for operating under a lapsed SU. Um, it does become a code enforcement matter at that point. However, um, they have to be aware of the situation. So, okay. It just could have been something that's been sitting out there this whole time. Okay. Thanks. Um, so if If this SUP is is not approved for some reason, would that necessitate the demolition of the existing tower?

Uh that would be a conversation we'd have to have with our attorney, but I mean it has been existing this whole time. So um my best read on that would be that it would be allowed to remain in its current form, but they couldn't do anything else with it until they got a new SU approved. Okay. Um, are there any special requirements for a cell tower in that location because it's in the love field flight path and is like lighting or height limitations or anything like that?

Uh, so as long as it doesn't exceed the height required by the FAA, um, it's okay. And that's why staff wrote in the ordinance um that the SP will have to be amended in the future if they want to extend the hype above 75 ft. But 75 ft is okay according to the FAA. It is okay. Thank you. Um and do we know anything about dates for the activities to perform the upgrade? When they start, when they finish? Uh not at this time. Well, I would defer that to the applicant and they will be here to tonight. And okay, the other question is probably theirs, too. Okay, that's all I got. Thanks. You're welcome,

Brian. Yes, sir. Th This is uh to make the SU so that a future upgrade to the systems wouldn't be necessary. It wouldn't need to come back to us.

Correct. So, the SU is going to do a twofold process. So it's going to make first of all it's going to make the SU permanent with the land for a cell tower use. So just as a reminder SUPs run with the land not with a specific building or structure. So it's going to do that and then yes the second part is that it will allow the applicant to forego the SU process for any future upgrades provided um they meet all required city ordinances and get the approval of the required permitting. The only caveats would be um if the tower's height is increased above 75 ft or if it's moved from its current location per the site plan.

So so the only thing that could that would lead to a new SUP is height or movement of the actual structure. Correct. No use or technology that would go into it would ever require Correct. Okay. But to clarify, those other pieces do still require review for like permits and um Yes. So when Yeah. So when Yeah. So anytime anybody wants to make an upgrade to a cell tower, they have to take an approval of what's called a small cell um permit that's reviewed by a public works department.

I have one. Uh this is a general question I guess but uh is there currently a process or a process contemplated in zoning such that SUPs that are expiring are held to review and reviewed with the property owner to refresh them or to deal with an out of compliance condition. Uh currently we have no such process. They just sort of happen as they come up. Is is that something that would be worthwhile to

AI? Exactly. That's what I was thinking. There's there's your AI project. That's exactly the kind of project that you it becomes your another employee working for you. You set it to work. It can go through the whole thing, grind through it and and bring it. I mean, that would you know sometimes a is a big big topic, but saying okay, here's just one thing. How would we do this? Mhm. It could be a sure an opportunity and we can take that into consideration. Yeah. Okay. Thanks. You're welcome.

Okay. Okay. Up next is item A3. Discuss agenda items for future planning and zoning commission consideration. Anybody on this side?

Um actually I do have one. Uh and it so the station area has a plan and the station area has completely changed now with the addition of that sporting complex. Like this weekend, you couldn't park another car anywhere in the station area. And so if I'm a developer and I'm coming there and I'm looking at them, I'm going how where am I how am I going to build an apartment here? So it should we could we update the station area plan to be thinking about how to deal with all of that parking needed and you know what would take to do a a new development. So I just maybe put that on the topic for the future. Okay. Anybody else? All right. Well, that ends our study session. It is now 6:51. We will adjourn and be back here at 7:00 for the full meeting.

Good evening and welcome to the City of Farmers Branch Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. It is 700 p.m. on April 13, 2026. I'd like to begin by thanking the commissioners for their service. Up first is citizen comments. This agenda item provides an opportunity for citizens to address the planning and zoning commission on any matter that is not posted on the agenda. Anyone wishing to address the commission should complete a citizen comments registration form and submit it to the chairman prior to the start of the meet meeting. There is a threeinut time limit for each citizen to speak with a reasonable limitation on speakers on one topic or item with a maximum of 15 total minutes on the same topic item. Anyone wishing to speak shall be courteous and cordial. The planning and zoning commission is not permitted to take action on any subject raised by a speaker during citizen comments. However, the planning and zoning commission may have the item placed on a future agenda for action. may refer the item to the director of planning for further study or action, briefly state existing policy, or provide a brief statement of factual information information in response to the inquiry. And we have no citizen comments. Okay. So, up next is item C1, consider approval of the March 9th, 2026 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting minutes and take appropriate action. Commissioners I move to approve the minutes with the notation mentioned in the study session.

Second. Okay, we have a motion and a second. Say all would all those in favor. Okay, that is unanimous. Thank you. Okay, up next is item D1. conduct a public hearing and consider the request for a specific use permit to allow a cellular mo mobile telecommunications antenna on a portion of a 1.63 acre property addressed as 1641 Kanan Bridge Road and located within the planned development district number 77 and take appropriate action. Brian.

All right. Well, thank you Vice Chair Miller and thank you commissioners. Good evening. It's a privilege and a pleasure to be presenting before you. I'm Brian Campbell, planner with the planning department. I'm here to present to you the only case tonight um the specific use permit for 1641 Kenan Bridge Road. And so this is the subject property. It is zoned plan development district number 77. And this is a specific use permit request for a cell tower including the addition of new equipment. And so just to provide a little bit of background, um PD77 does allow for a variety of office, retail, commercial, and industrial oriented uses. Um as with the as is the case with pretty much every zoning district in the city, SUP approval is required for cell tower. And so gi given that this cell tower's most recent SUP expired quite some time ago, approval of a new SUP is required in order to bring it into legal compliance before this equipment upgrade can happen. Um, currently the subject property is in use as a recreation facility for Texan Soccer Club and the cell tower is located to the south of the property in this little corner right here. And so the applicant is Craftton Communications. Um as I said, um the most recent SUP we have on file expired back on March 5th of 2011. Therefore, approval of a new SUP is required. Um regarding the equipment upgrade, the scope of work will include um the removal and replacement of three antennas as well as modification of the mount in order for it to meet current standards. Um and so in order to provide efficiency with the permitting process for future equipment upgrades, um the ordinance has been written in a manner as to one make the

SUP permanent with the land for use as a cell tower and then two allow the applicant to forego the SU process for future upgrades to the tower provided set upgrades are in compliance with all applicable city codes and have received approval of proper permitting. The only two caveats to that would be if the tower is increased above its current height of 75 ft or if the tower is moved from its current location per the site plan. Uh currently no other changes are proposed for the site. And so turning to the recommendations of the farmers branch 2045 plan. The farmers branch 2045 plan does designate the subject property and the surrounding area as industrial. With this land use designation, the plan does recommend a series of single-use industrial only uses focused on employment, business and industry. And so with that, the recommended land uses are office, research, warehousing, industrial and manufacturing. And so um given that this existing cell tower is part of the city's existing inf infrastructure and it provides cell and internet service for cell phone users and also taking into consideration the potential for this equipment upgrade to enhance said services. The proposal is in alignment with the farmers branch 2045 plan. And it is here where I do need to make a small correction to my presentation. So the version that you have noted in your staff report, I'm sorry, in your agenda packet notes that the date of public notification was April 10th. However, as I have it here on the screen, it was actually April 2nd. So on April 2nd, we did send out 10 notification letters to all property owners within 300 ft of the subject property as we now require in addition to sending letters to both the Carolton Farmers Branch and Dallas Independent

School Districts. and a zoning notification sign was placed on the property the same day. As of this evening, we have not received any correspondence on this case. And with that, that does conclude my presentation. If you have any questions, I'd be happy to take those. And we do have the applicant here with us as well tonight should you have any questions for them. Otherwise, I thank you all for your time this evening. Thank you all very much. Any any questions for staff? No. and and the would the applicant like to make a presentation or we can just was there are there any applica any questions for the applicant? Yes. Okay. So, if the if the applicant could step forward, please.

Brian, thank you for your presentation. My name is David Prejan and I'm here representing Crafts and Communications and Commissioners be glad to answer any questions you have. Um I was I was just curious uh I I assume that this is being done to enhance cell reception in the general area. Is that correct?

Yes. Uh so what the the carriers do is they change out antennas to take advantage of latest technology. And that's really what what uh triggered this is there's they're changing out a set of antennas that u uh can be enhanced and and and increase the the coverage in the area. Okay, good. Um just just I live just south of there and the cell service in my neighborhood is really bad. I hope this helps.

So do I. Uh is there going to be a disruption in service during the construction period and what would that duration? No, this this is a very quick swap over and it happens frequently uh changing out equipment so it should not disrupt service at all. Okay, thank you. And what do you think are the target dates for for this activity? I'm not quite. So, uh, a lot of times once we get approval, then we'll set our construction schedule, but I would imagine that this would probably be within the next 90 days. Okay. Thank you. That's all I got. Thanks. Oh, thank you. Anybody?

Okay. And we do not have any citizen comment forms and don't see anybody here uh other citizens. So, and this is a public hearing. I'll make a motion to close the public hearing. Thank you, commissioners. I'll second. Thank you. I'll second. Thank you. Okay, we have a motion to close the public hearing. Any additional discussion? If not, we'll entertain a motion. We have to vote on to close. Oh, we have to vote to close the Thank you. We have to vote to close the public session. All those in favor of vote closing the public meeting, please raise your hand.

Thank you. Now, is there a motion on the I'll make a motion to approve the applicant. Second. Second. Okay, we have a motion and a second. Any additional comments? If not, all those in favor of the motion. It is unanimous. Thank you. And this will go to city council at their meeting on May 19th. May 19th. Thank you. Yes, sir. Okay. Well, with that, that concludes today's meeting. It is 7:10 p.m.