Richardson City Plan Commission Meeting November 19th, 2024
OPENING
All seven regular commissioners are present. One alternate, Byron Purdy, is also present and will participate in discussions but not vote.
October’s minutes are approved unanimously.
The first scheduled item is a continued public hearing for ZF 24-21, the Lennox Innovation R&D Center that received pushback from citizens at the Oct. 3rd CPC meeting. The applicant has requested a continued continuance until Dec. 17th. Chair Marsh first asks the audience if anyone is present to speak on the item. None step forward, so the CPC unanimously continues the item until Dec. 17th.
The next scheduled item is a continued public hearing on ZF 24-24, the Valencia Villas planned development request. This request also received pushback from citizens at the Oct. 3rd CPC meeting. This applicant is now also requesting a continued continuance until Dec. 3rd. Chair Marsh once again checks for speakers. None step forward, so the CPC continues the item until Dec. 3rd.
PUBLIC HEARING – HARAZ COFFEE HOUSE
Onto the third scheduled item, a public hearing on ZF 24-25. The CPC will hear this item tonight. This is a special permit request for a coffee shop with a drive-thru, Haraz Coffee House, at 508 Centennial Blvd. The existing zoning requires a special permit for any drive-thrus. The newly adopted comprehensive plan designates this area as Neighborhood Service which designates drive-thrus as a secondary use. Staff presents a background of the request. Staff states that four other drive-thrus already exist in this center. Staff explains they have received 9 comments in opposition to the request and one comment neutral to the request. Staff explains that concerns expressed include lighting, noise, and pollution.
Commissioner Roberts asks why a coffee shop is considered a restaurant. Staff explains that there is no separate defined use for “coffee shop”. They are considered a restaurant because they conduct food and beverage service. Commissioner Roberts then asks if the applicant would be restricted from selling sandwiches. Staff answers that they would not be restricted from selling sandwiches.
The applicant now steps forward to present their request. The applicant explains that no additional lighting will be installed. He also addresses concerns expressed by neighbors. He explains that they will conduct cleaning twice a week. Much of the existing litter is produced by the neighboring Braum’s. Vice-Chair Southard asks what makes Yemeni coffee unique. The applicant explains that coffee originated in Yemen. (None of this has anything to do with land use. I hope someone asks about the appropriateness of yet another drive-thru in this area.) Hours will be 8-10 every day. Commissioner Beach asks if they would consider a taller screening wall to mitigate noise. The applicant answers that he is encouraging the tenant to use a drive-thru speaker with more advanced volume controls.
Two speakers are present. The first speaker serves on the board of the neighboring HOA. He expresses concerns specifically about the drive-thru. He states that this drive-thru would be located right next to the residences until 10 pm. He is opposed to the drive-thru portion of the use. The second speaker is also opposed to the drive-thru. He expresses concerns about traffic. He is also concerned about lighting, litter, noise, and emissions.
The applicant returns to rebut speakers’ comments. He states that they have invested in this property to make it suitable for a drive-thru. The commission then spends time determining what easement access agreements are in place. Commissioner Bohnsack asks perhaps the best question so far, what about pedestrian safety? The applicant says that there aren’t many pedestrians along Centennial. He doesn’t see any issue with pedestrian access.
The first speaker now returns to make additional comments. He clarifies the existing access easements and median breaks that commuters can use to access the site. Commissioner Beach thinks this is not the smartest location for a drive-thru. He also thinks that since they would’ve been allowed a drive-thru use by right before 2018, they should be allowed a drive-thru use today.
Commissioner Costantino states that the traffic patterns and where this business decides to make requests are a business decision and not within the scope of this commission’s consideration. He further states that the success of this business is not the concern of this commission. This commission is charged with implementing the community’s vision. Chair Marsh says that he is still sympathetic to this applicant. He acknowledges that the neighbors clearly oppose the request. He also thinks it matters that this property owner received a Community Revitalization Award. He is disappointed, however, that this has ended up culminating in a request for a drive-thru. He acknowledges that he wouldn’t want this use if he was a neighbor.
Commissioner Keller remarkably states that this use fits in the area because drive-thrus already exist. (That may be the most backward thinking in this meeting yet. I’m glad he at least stated his reasoning publicly, but I completely disagree with the way he is analyzing the appropriateness of the use.) He dismisses the neighbors’ concerns about traffic. He is inclined to recommend approval.
The CPC recommends 6-1 to recommend approval of the request. Chair Marsh is the lone vote opposed. (I am completely baffled. This is clearly an inappropriate use for this location according to the existing zoning, the Future Land Use Plan, and the opposed residents. I hope Council makes a better decision and works the plan we have in place.)
PUBLIC HEARING – 7 BREW COFFEE
The final item is a public hearing on ZF 24-27. This is a special permit request for another drive-thru coffee shop, 7 Brew Coffee, at 1230 E. Belt Line Rd. This applicant requested the same special permit and was approved in Jan. 2023. The applicant allowed 180 days to pass without obtaining a permit or requesting an extension. So, the use was deemed abandoned. Now, they are requesting the same special permit approval as before. The existing zoning requires a special permit for a drive-thru. Furthermore, the comprehensive plan update established this area as the Belt Line/Plano Enhancement Area.
The vision for this area is: “The Belt Line/Plano area is envisioned as a mixed-use environment with neighborhood-serving retail, office, and service uses. New low-intensity residential uses and new commercial uses that would serve more than the surrounding neighborhoods are also part of the vision.” Proposed PlaceTypes include Neighborhood Mixed Use, Community Commercial, and Neighborhood Service. Both of the listed retail placetypes include drive-thrus only as a secondary use.
Staff presents a background of the request. This request includes a plan with no seating inside or outside, so this would be purely a drive-thru operation. Hours of operation requested are 5:30 am – 11 pm. This request’s plan also includes the construction of a new building. Staff states that the applicant has COVID so is unable to be present for this hearing. A continuance may be appropriate if there are questions raised. Commissioner Costantino asks if there are any changes to this request compared to the 2023 request. Staff confirms it is the same request. The CPC unanimously recommends approval with absolutely zero deliberation. Meeting adjourned.