Planning and Zoning Meeting - Regular Meeting

Good good evening and welcome to the city of farmers branch planning and zoning study session meeting. It is presently 6:30 p.m. Monday 27th April 2026. I'd like to begin our study session by thanking the commissioners for their service this evening and uh throughout the years. And uh we'll begin item A1 with a discussion of regular agenda items which takes us to item C1. Consider approval of the April 13, 2026 planning and zoning commission meeting minutes and take appropriate action. Commissioners, any typos, corrections, issues? All right, with that we'll move to item C2. Consider the request for a final plat approval of FB35 design center subdivision lots 1 and two block A located at 12197 Denton Drive and take appropriate action. Thank you, Brett.

All right. Thank you, Chairley and members of the PNZ. Brett Mangum, lead planner with the planning department. And we have one case for you tonight. Uh I'm happy to go into the specifics of this. This is a plat may look familiar to you. Uh this has been before the board previously a few months ago uh for 12197 Denton Drive. Uh basically what is bringing this back before you is the applicant went through the process, got the approval, and they never filed the plat with Dallas County. So it's not an active plat. So therefore, the the land remains unplatted. They came back to us and said, "We're not going to file that plat because they wanted to do some slight modifications to the lot lines." So, they've gone back to the drawing board, so to speak, and reconfigured the lots in a way that makes more sense for them in terms of addressing. I think they wanted to have both lots have frontage on Stemman's Freeway. So now, instead of just the western lot having the Stemman's Freeway frontage, they both have a little bit a little share of that. So that's basically the genesis of what's bringing this back before you. The land remains unplatted, so it does have to go through the full approval uh of PNZ. Thank you, Brett. Uh we did have one more request and um if you wouldn't mind just I know we've discussed this before, but running through again the reason why and it's a ministerial approval. if you just kind of explain that logic and how that works. We have the city lawyer so he can step in too, but I know you you can probably do that justice.

Well, uh, as you all are aware, your standard fair is typically zoning cases. So, we're dealing with land use most of the time in the form of site plans, zoning amendments, special exceptions, special use permits, and so forth. Uh, we deal with plats. It's a little bit more of a rarity to deal with a plat. Uh basically the codes in farmers branch allow two different methods of handling plat uh for minor plats or adjustments uh there is a method to do it administratively. So a lot of them are processed in that format. Uh for certain instances like this where the land is unplatted. It's never been platted before. Uh so this is coming through for the first time. It does require the approval of the uh authority which is PNZ in this case. So this instead of going to city council, you are the final approving body for any plat. So this is functionally coming through as a consent agenda item. Like you did mention, chair, it is ministerial in nature. So basically there's u an option to approve it. There is also an option to deny it, but you do have to be very specific with denials as far as enumerating where it falls short in the subdivision ordinance. Uh so the state legislature has kind of tightened down the rules on denying plats in order to help facilitate development uh moving forward. So that's kind of the the long and short of it. Uh if you have any other questions related to that, I can maybe help fill in in the gaps, but I think that is a good synopsis of it.

Thank you so much. I agree. Excellent synopsis. Any further questions from commissioners on that? All right. I think uh with that, are there any questions about the plat that will be before us during the PNZ meeting?

I guess I just had one question. I was curious when I didn't go there, but I was looking at the Google Maps and you said it had never been planted before, but it looked like there was a giant slab of concrete there. So, did somebody build something at one point? What wouldn't it have been platted if if it something was built there? Uh sometimes things can be built uh without being platted. I think in the current scheme of development the rules are that you have to have a platted lot of record before you get a building permit. Back in the 60s and 70s that may not have been the case. So um I'm not sure what was there before. When we looked at the historic imagery, the aerials of the site, it it didn't show any buildings. But when we went went out to place the sign for this case, it was very difficult to get through that layer of whatever it was, asphalt or something. So, we had to like find an alternative location to place that sign. So, uh my best guess would be that it was just some kind of a parking lot. And if there's no structures, then there's no requirement to plat it if it's just used for like a surface like a parking lot.

Okay, good. Thank you. So, any further questions? All right. Well, thank you once again. Thank you.

All right. And with that, we will um move to item A2, discuss agenda items for future planning and zoning commission consideration. Commissioners, any items? And I think anything you wanted to add on terms of agenda items? Yeah, please. Just wanted to provide you all with a little bit of info information that's coming up. Um, in COG is having their workshop training July 16th through the 17th. And we wanted to see if you were interested in possibly going to those workshops. It is in Arlington and it's a two-day series to provide detailed overview of planning and zoning in Texas. um land development related to zoning, land use issues, comprehensive planning, plat subdivisions, regulations, impact fees, and economic development. So, it's two-day and lunch will be served with it as well too. So, if you just putting this on your radar for July 17th um through the 16th 17th, sorry, backwards 16th through the 17th. Uh, and we also will send an email out also too to remind you all to sign up and then get you all sorted if you would like to attend.

Great. Great. Thank you so much for that educational opportunity. I know many of us have availed ourselves of those trainings in the past and they've been very good. Um, so highly recommended uh for individuals to uh take advantage of that if possible. All right. Any further items? All right. Well, with that, that concludes our study session meeting. Uh, we will kick off our regular meeting at 700 p.m. It is presently 6:37. Thank you all.

Good evening and welcome to the City of Farmers Branch Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. It is presently 700 p.m. Monday, April 27th, 2026. I'd like to begin this evening by thanking the commissioners for their service and then we'll move on to 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 chair prior to the start of the meeting. There is a threeminut time limit for each citizen to speak with a reasonable limitation on speakers on any 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. When called, please approach the podium and state your name and address prior to beginning. And this evening we have no one signed up for citizen comments. So we'll move to our regular agenda items beginning with item C1 to consider approval of the April 13th, 2026 Planning and Zoning Commission meeting minutes and take appropriate action. Commissioners.

I move that we approve the minutes as drafted. Thank you. I'll second. Any further discussion on the item? Seeing none, we'll move to a vote. All those in favor of approval and against and um extension because I was not here. Okay. So, with that, it passes. And next up, we'll have um item C2, consider the request for final plat approval of FB35 design center subdivision lots 1 and 2 block A located at 12197 Denton Drive and take appropriate action. Thank you, Brett.

All right. Thank you, Chairley and members of the Planning and Zoning Commission. I'm Brett Mangum, lead planner with the city of Farmers Branch here to present tonight's case, which is 26-P1. This is for a final plat request at 12197 Denton Drive at the southern entry to the city on uh I35. The formal name of this plat is the FB design center final plat. On your screen, you see the subject site in the green outline. Uh we're looking at approximately 3 and 12 acres in total. Current zoning on this site uh is part of a plan development or PD. This is uh within PD32 specifically. Uh the PD uh as you are all aware these are standalone zoning districts which provide specific land use uh u allowances for a specific parcel. Uh this one is tied to a detailed site plan which was approved back in November of 2025 for an office and warehouse building. So the zoning is in place. The plat is the final uh piece of the puzzle needed in order to advance this development uh to construction and building permits. Some of you may remember this plat as it came before this body just a few months ago and we'll have um a comparison slide here. So what you looked at previously and was approved uh was a two lot plat as well. It followed the red lot line which you see on the screen. So, it was divided just down the middle with one lot fronting onto I35 and the other lot fronting onto Denton Drive. Uh what's being proposed tonight uh has a slight reconfiguration of what was previously approved and it changes the area that's

in gray. It takes that from what was previously lot one and adjoins it to lot two in order for that lot to also have frontage on I35. So now both lots will have the frontage on I35 for addressing purposes. Um no other changes other than to the square footage of the lots has shifted uh just slightly. Um again this is the plat that you'll be looking at tonight showing kind of the new configuration which is what we call kind of a flag lot. Uh this was reviewed and approved by city staff and it does meet all of the requirements of the subdivision ordinance. Um we didn't see any issues or any uh problems. All the comments from the review period have been addressed. Also included in your packets the detailed site plan which was approved in November of last year. This just to give you an idea of how the site will be laid out and how it will function. Uh the lot one uh building will be a two-story office building that uh faces I35. And then to the back, the building on lot two will be a more of a warehouse building. It's one story uh meant for loading and unloading of trucks uh primarily and that will also be gated uh in order to improve security for that particular site. So that will conclude my presentation. Uh, we do have the applicant here, Delaney Powell with Aspires Engineering if you have any questions for the applicant and I'm happy to answer any questions if you have any regarding city policy or the plat or anything that I can help out with. So, with that, I'll turn it back over to you, chair, for further discussion.

Thank Thank you kindly. All right. With that, any questions for staff? Yep. Do you know approximately when construction will begin? I don't particularly have that information, but I can uh refer to the applicant. Okay. Okay. Any other questions for staff before we'll move to applicant questions? All right. Seeing none, we'll move to the applicant. If you would just state your name and address for the record and then we'll ask nice questions. Delaney Powell, with Spires Engineering, 501 West President, George Bush Highway, Richardson, Texas.

Thank you so much. And um I think we had a question about potential construction start dates. Yes, we're still going through the review with engineering and text dot. So we're probably looking at another 3 to four months before we can even pull a permit for construction. Very helpful. Any other questions for our applicant? Mhm. Uh it was mentioned that the block two would be fenced uh for security around the loading docks. What will is the planned fencing material there?

It'll just be a gate over the fire lane. Um I don't have the specifics on that quite yet. Usually our architect will provide a detailed Okay. Yeah. Great. Any further questions for our applicant? All right. Thank you very much. All right. And with that, we are the deciding body here. So, I will hear a motion. I'll make a motion to approve this case as presented. All right. Rec an actual approval. I almost said recommendation for approval because I'm so used to it. All right. Uh so, a motion to approve as presented.

Second. Seconded. Any further discussion on the item? Seeing none, we'll move to a vote. All those in favor? All right, that carries unanimously. Thank you so much. And this will not have to go to city council because we are the deciding body. All right, and with that, that concludes our meeting today. It is 7:08 p.m. and we will adjourn. Thank you all. Thank you.