Title
Approving an ordinance on second reading with the caption reading: AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE, TEXAS, AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 1203-15-02-24 OF THE CITY OF PFLUGERVILLE, TEXAS, AS AMENDED, BY REZONING TWO (2) SEPARATE PARCELS WITHIN THE 7.96-ACRE WELLSPOINT ONE, SECTION TWO SUBDIVISION GENERALLY LOCATED NORTH OF THE SOUTH HEATHERWILDE BOULEVARD AND EAST WELLS BRANCH PARKWAY INTERSECTION WITH PARCEL ONE (1), CONSISTING OF 3.710 ACRES, BEING REZONED FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL (LI) TO GENERAL BUSINESS 1 (GB1) DISTRICT, AND PARCEL TWO (2), CONSISTING OF 4.249 ACRES, BEING REZONED FROM LIGHT INDUSTRIAL (LI) TO GENERAL BUSINESS 1 (GB1), AND COLLECTIVELY TO BE KNOWN AS THE BISON BUILDING RETROFIT REZONING (REZ1712-01); PROVIDING FOR REPEAL OF CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
Summary
The property is located generally north of the S. Heatherwilde Blvd. and E. Wells Branch Pkwy. intersection, along the eastern border of S. Heatherwilde Blvd. The Highlands Luxury Apartments and the Texas Department of Public Safety Drive License Center are just south of the subject site. The subject site is situated 1,550 ft. north from the southern Pflugerville city limits boundary. The proposed site includes two (2) platted tracts, Lots 1A and 2A, totaling 7.96 acres. The tracts consist of an existing industrial flex space structure with direct access from S. Heatherwilde Blvd., a four-lane, arterial-level street. To the west, S. Heatherwilde Blvd. separates the proposed site from an undeveloped Planned Unit Development (PUD) and further west the City of Austin. To the east is the Chisholm Point community. The greater area surrounding the proposed site includes existing residential neighborhoods to the north and east, with commercial opportunities concentrated along S. Heatherwilde Blvd. and farther south near E. Wells Branch Pkwy. To the west of the S. Heatherwilde Blvd. and E. Wells Branch Pkwy. intersection, a new residential development is currently under construction in the City of Austin. The applicant would like to retrofit the existing structure on site for a private school which is a land use not permitted within the Light Industrial (LI) zoning district and has requested to rezone the property. The owner intends to rezone Lots 1A and 2A from Light Industrial (LI) to General Business 1 (GB1) district. If approved any site related improvements will be reviewed through the site development process.
Staff Recommendation
The subject site’s proposed General Business 1 (GB1) rezoning reverts the zoning back to the original zoning district established in 1999 and allows for greater compatibility with the Neighborhood Centers defined around the site to the north and south. The proposed General Business 1 (GB1) district acts as a buffer between the adjacent, existing Light Industrial (LI) properties to the north and the surrounding residential to the south, which supports the Center concept outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. The proposed zoning will create a full transitional array from the industrial land uses along S. Heatherwilde Blvd. to the residential and commercial land uses to the south at the S. Heatherwilde Blvd. and E. Wells Branch Pkwy. intersection.
The evolving character of the S. Heatherwilde Blvd. and E. Wells Branch Pkwy. intersection has shifted from an industrial district to a commercial-driven, neighborhood-level hub, which acts as a prominent gateway into the City of Pflugerville. The proposed rezoning allows for the site to become more consistent with the trend of the intersection and greater area. Existing and future residential products surround the subject site to the north, east, south, and west. The General Business 1 (GB1) zoning district is an appropriate zoning district to be near, within, or linking existing Neighborhood Centers as outlined in the Comprehensive Plan. Also, other commercial opportunities exist near the subject site. There is an existing General Business 1 (GB1) zoned parcel at the northwest corner of the S. Heatherwilde Blvd. and E. Wells Branch Pkwy intersection. The commercial component of the Highlands Apartments outlined in the Planned Unit Development agreement has yet to be developed.
The applicant’s proposed rezoning and retrofit project provides the City of Pflugerville with opportunities to create a gathering space, increase the workforce, link Neighborhood Centers, and provide the surrounding neighborhoods with necessary goods and services. The proposed request to rezone the subject property from Light Industrial (LI) to General Business 1 (GB1) is found compatible with the adjacent land uses and complements the existing neighborhoods in the greater area and those future residential projects to be constructed. Staff recommends approval of the proposed rezoning on second reading.
Legal has reviewed and approved the ordinance as to form.
Planning and Zoning Commission Action
On January 8, 2018, the Planning and Zoning Commission conducted a public hearing and recommended approval of the proposed ordinance with a vote of 6-0.
Prior City Council Action
The City Council held a public hearing on February 27, 2018 and approved the ordinance on first reading with an effective date of February 27, 2018 with a vote of 7-0.
Drafter
Emily Barron, AICP
Planning Director