Summary

Planning & Zoning Commission meeting summary

AbileneMay 5, 20263 min read

At a glance

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Commission approved a McMurry University right-of-way abandonment and multiple rezoning requests to allow new residential and commercial development; one rezoning was tabled to June.

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Planning & Zoning Commission

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What this means

The commission allowed McMurry University to close parts of Ross Avenue and South 16th Street so the school can create a more pedestrian-friendly area; utilities must be relocated at the applicant's expense, emergency access and drainage easements are required, and the property must be replatted within one year. The board also approved several rezones to permit medium-density and single-family housing with alternative lot sizes and to convert small parcels to commercial use (including a proposed coffee shop); one commercial rezoning on Barrow Street was tabled until June. Several approvals included site conditions such as trees in parking islands, fencing, and ornamental street trees to address buffering and appearance.

Key decisions

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Approved abandonment of Ross Avenue (South 15th to Hunt) and portion of South 16th (to alley) for McMurry University with conditions: applicant pays to relocate utilities or place them in easements; provide emergency access and drainage easements per Fire Marshal and Public Works; replat within one year. Vote: unanimous (Strauser, Halliburton, Sitzes, Benham).
Approved rezoning ~94.8 acres from Agricultural Open (AO) to Planned Development District (PDD-199) to allow Residential Medium Density and Residential Single-family uses with amended minimum lot sizes (including 40-ft width/4,000 sq ft for some lots). Vote: unanimous.
Approved rezoning ~6.86 acres from General Retail (GR) to Planned Development District (PDD-200) at 256 East Beltway with conditions: at least one tree per parking island (min. eight islands), privacy fence on eastern property line, iron fencing along E Beltway S and Freedom Crest Ave, and ornamental trees along E Beltway S (1 per 60 feet) in addition to required street trees. Vote: unanimous.
Approved rezoning of 1.21 acres from Residential Single-Family (RS-12) to General Commercial (GC) at the southwest corner of ES 11th Street and Oldham Lane to increase marketability of the vacant property. Vote: unanimous.
Approved rezoning of 0.81 acres from Residential Single-Family (RS-6) to General Commercial (GC) at 1700–1724 Amber Avenue for a proposed coffee shop. Vote: unanimous.
Tabled rezoning of 0.36 acres from Residential Single-Family (RS-6) to General Commercial (GC) at 1358–1374 Barrow Street until the June meeting.

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Meeting information

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