[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6665077,"mediaKeyId","2366551-dcecd576475cfcae5f84cbbe6c36ca99","parentId",2366551,"title","Planning commission approves Shepherd’s Garden retail redevelopment; sign structure to be preserved if feasible","audioSeconds",920,"startMs",2712000,"endMs",3632000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2366551-dcecd576475cfcae5f84cbbe6c36ca99&start=2712&end=3632","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2366551-dcecd576475cfcae5f84cbbe6c36ca99/thumbnail_2712000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6665077/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Planning-commission-approves-Shepherds-Garden-retail-redevelopment-sign-structure-to-be-preserved-if-feasible","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665077-b264171e8dce7f50fb46693958a1c3ef/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174478&Signature=b2r11veOKbKABwhFXyzB7LeTGGHBhTXaXkvMggpsBfZc6DPDWQI~7z4RFXzPhCEs3sqHn2944Q370zy~hggPZ5NMslLGZjc3hqQI~xWFPBawVxHM5Ds8wa2kaVoQBSdetItX1DJC6XSG4FyLxt-QtxtyWOCZ~gxCc0Atyt7P0LEXbqNZrRMw7xqVtQivZaRu~IVeoF9knqVtsAv-mU4o1H5qBlYmzR6nV9Io5~kuGk-3TL4dTPk1D6tMQ69b~Cw8xfH56XShlK-Mv0H1tzLXWXbwhnKgCZaF7469Zl1KxvXh4A6TyiLM8emsqtE0DHz6t99LZB0ZDVcNSYP3fcpcag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Houston","date","2025-02-20T00:00:00Z","article","The Houston Planning Commission on Feb. 20 approved a variance and plat for the Shepherd’s Garden redevelopment (Item 114), allowing a 10-foot building line along North Shepherd Drive to accommodate a large retail project on the former Sears site and placing a condition that the existing Sears sign structure be preserved “if feasible.”

Staff told the commission that strict application of Chapter 42’s 25-foot building-line requirement would make the bulk-retail redevelopment invisible from North Shepherd Drive and that the applicant is proposing compensating pedestrian improvements, including a 19-foot unobstructed sidewalk and a 4-foot safety buffer between sidewalk and traffic. Planning staff recommended granting the variance and approving the plat subject to standard CPC‑101 form conditions.

Commissioners debated the redevelopment after several community speakers supported the developer’s plan to keep the sign structure and asked the developer to try to preserve a large oak tree on the property. Emily Ardoin of Preservation Houston said, “It’s a relatively small thing. It’s not a building, and it would be very easy to just wipe away. But it holds outsized meaning, for the neighborhood and for the community.” Betty Hecker, a nearby merchant who owns Wabash Feed and Garden, urged the developer to save the oak and noted the developer’s trade-off: “To save this tree is going to cost about 10 parking spaces my guess is that the cost for that to the developer would be a loss of 70 or $80,000.”

Developer representatives and the applicant’s consultant, Crystal Casey of Unicorn, told the commission they were committed to keeping the sign structure and would consider options for the tree. When asked, Casey said the ownership and development team “will do our best to try to save the tree,” but also noted they could not yet guarantee success.

Commissioner Robbins asked that any condition to preserve the sign include a feasibility qualification so the developer would not be “hamstrung” if saving the structure proved impossible; commissioners agreed. The maker of the motion, Commissioner Tahir, amended his motion to state the sign structure would be saved “if feasible.” Commissioner Adrian Garcia seconded the motion as amended. The commission voted in favor and the motion carried by voice vote.

The commission’s approval requires the applicant to meet the listed CPC‑101 conditions at plat recordation; commissioners also discussed, but did not require, further commitments on tree preservation. The applicant said the project will provide enhanced landscaping and screening, and the sign’s lettering will be donated to the North Shepherd district, per remarks made at the meeting.

The commission closed the item with the added condition that the sign structure be preserved to the extent feasible; no specific timeline for a final decision on the tree was required in the approval.

Looking ahead, the developer may return to the commission or permitting review for final site-plan details, parking calculations and any required permits tied to the building construction and landscape/tree preservation work.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Houston - Planning Commission - Feb 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Houston Planning Commission on Feb. 20 approved a variance and plat for the Shepherd’s Garden redevelopment (Item 114), allowing a 10-foot building line along North Shepherd Drive to accommodate a large retail project on the former Sears site and placing a condition that the existing Sears sign structure be preserved if feasible.","taxTitle","Houston, Harris County, Texas","taxId",2797,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6665074,"Votes at a glance: Houston Planning Commission actions, Feb. 20, 2025",5000,306000,5306000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2366551-dcecd576475cfcae5f84cbbe6c36ca99&start=306&end=5306","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2366551-dcecd576475cfcae5f84cbbe6c36ca99/thumbnail_306000.jpg","/articles/6665074/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-Houston-Planning-Commission-actions-Feb-20-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665074-9df236e8d43933e9baa0982cb549f6e5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174478&Signature=P65bD340IqmLEjkfpCKwgldmix9q~BkBsJYOZrsUKE-VgrAZzsoX0aq5TCatbUHcKI9EkAl4SF9ZvCVzeNAT3oNvFpnSlcUvAyaByWbwvweuMaG0yc7DqBCabeJ7QriU6q~uyQF8DhzWCRvw0xTm3Xv12XTBkA7catwTBsJbiKdrWecwi3MKsLXqrFoh0zpmfT4HrLZCkcnC5HE~MN8LLiSvAjZpBvxFDg3syFGBB~llOU4~kmOqsW9Mg3rjggnUCzBHIQy0B9NO2i9yDDffjv09lYI9mX1HWDOS6s1Jwg4d75IpTS8hOdU0qqo2lhd9oW1Cn3W8UO5OR2nSeFyFPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its Feb. 20 meeting the Houston Planning Commission handled dozens of consent plats, replats, variances and special-exception items. Below is a concise roundup of formal actions taken during the meeting. All motions and outcomes below reflect the commission record and staff recommendations as announced in the meeting; where the transcript reported only a voice vote or did not provide a numeric tally, the item notes that the vote carried by voice vote.

- Consent and replat groups (Sections A & B, Items 1–95): Commission approved staff recommendations for the grouped consent items, with several commissioners recording abstentions on specified items; motion carried by voice vote.

- Items 96–105 (public hearings requiring notification, select outcomes):
• Item 96 (Bridgeland Apricot/Apricot Sulphur Drive name change): Approved (motion carried by voice vote).
• Item 97 (Connolly Place, create 3 single-family lots): Approved.
• Item 98 (Connolly Retreat, create 3 single-family lots): Approved.
• Item 99 (Eastwood Park, create 2 single-family lots): Approved.
• Item 100 (HLB Homes on Brinkley): Deferred for further notice compliance (applicant present; motion for deferral carried).
• Item 101 (HLB Homes on Knoll Street): Deferred two weeks to cure notification issues.
• Item 102 (Langston Place Section 1 partial replat): Approved subject to conditions.
• Item 103 (Olton Park): Continued/Deferred at request of staff and at request of Mayor Pro Tem.
• Item 104 (Wallop Senior Residence Expansion): Approved subject to conditions.
• Item 105: Withdrawn (not heard).

- Items 106–116 (variances/special plats):
• Item 106 (Beamer Business Park, ETJ): Deferred two weeks to allow Harris County time to research Beamer Road right-of-way.
• Item 107 (Bridge Creek Village Section 1, ETJ): Variance granted and plat approved (motion carried by voice vote).
• Item 108 (Griffin Airport & 288 Industrial Section 1): Variance granted and plat approved with conditions to limit residential traffic (see separate article).
• Item 109 (Icon M Tower): Deferred for study and review (applicant requested deferral; motion carried).
• Item 110 (Indigo Trails Water Plant): Variance granted and plat approved (staff recommended; motion carried).
• Items 111 & 112 (Kirkendall Village GP and Section 1): Staff recommended and commission granted variances/special exceptions and approved the GP and plat; Commissioner(s) recused for these items as noted in the record.
• Item 113 (Manifestation Addition): Variance granted and plat approved.
• Item 114 (Shepherd's Garden): Approved with a condition to preserve the sign structure if feasible (see separate article).
• Item 115 (Sheldon Road Industrial Park replat): Variance granted and plat approved.
• Item 116 (Thomas Complex replat): Variances granted to allow as-built encroachments to remain; staff supported the request and commission approved.

- Items 117–119 and related GP requests:
• Item 117 (Crestwood Lakes GP, Fort Bend ETJ): Special exceptions granted; GP approved per staff conditions.
• Item 118 (record reconsiderations; Bridgeland Perryland Village Section 52): Variance granted and plat approved per staff conditions.
• Item 119 (Fuquay Manor): Staff recommended denial for the requested variance; commissioners voted to stop the staff recommendation and the motion carried, allowing the applicant to move forward (the transcript records the motion carried by voice vote).

- Sections G–J (extensions of approval, name changes, certification of compliance): Staff asked to take these sections as a group (Items 120–132); the commission approved the grouped recommendations with abstentions recorded by individual commissioners where noted.

- Items 133–135 (smaller variances and building-line requests): The commission approved the variances recommended by staff for these individual addresses (motions carried by voice votes).

- Roman numerals and future hearings: The commission established March 20, 2025, as the public hearing date for several future plats and projects listed on the agenda, and several items were noted as withdrawn.

Across the meeting the commission frequently approved staff recommendations, deferred items when notification or technical compliance needed cure, and accepted withdrawals and recusals where indicated. When the transcript recorded only voice votes, the record reports that motions carried by voice vote; the meeting transcript did not include roll-call tallies for most items.","The commission approved a broad slate of consent plats and variances, deferred items requiring additional notice or study, and withdrew or recused on a small number of items. This roundup lists each agenda item acted on and the recorded outcome.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6665076,"Commission approves Griffin Airport/288 industrial plat; neighbors oppose emergency access and warn of light and traffic impacts",366,1444000,1810000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2366551-dcecd576475cfcae5f84cbbe6c36ca99&start=1444&end=1810","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2366551-dcecd576475cfcae5f84cbbe6c36ca99/thumbnail_1444000.jpg","/articles/6665076/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Commission-approves-Griffin-Airport288-industrial-plat-neighbors-oppose-emergency-access-and-warn-of-light-and-traffic-impacts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6665076-6180c57c3651dca186158368a26e30ea/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174478&Signature=KpoMzWBUdviB3UlzWxZZkx5wirSwbczPd24s-1~MmgWsKXlSWb9uO0wsSZZd9Qwjy8SYk6UA-9gtfP1yzhw0BJpgCVU4Qkmwne2UgaAXJZt0xEmvRnrzhGazwO2ZXVOhpkdGopQKhee2x6AUf6HH9M6hxrBN-2orMeF9OrPmfJCsNRVt8QNdfCiobif1M~nqDuP1OzC9BzumSVuOKvF2kKBzhzXQ0nnnaZ8Ex-aFN2Z1j~lE2gE9AywZeZhcCg8jQ9ioj0ryhVmdEsf3wOHPDqyc7nADw4VqOW5kWbk0Ob--CEKdSJsHlX3lOqqc0GnecfcJewB~hYdSdg~GjdztHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Houston Planning Commission on Feb. 20 approved a variance and plat for Griffin Airport and 288 Industrial Property Section 1 (Item 108), allowing a reserve intended for industrial use to take access from a recorded access easement and to avoid extending a public stub street into an adjacent residential subdivision.

Planning staff presented the item and recommended approval, noting the site is a 17-acre tract intended for industrial warehouse use and that the access easement was first recorded in 2013. Staff said the developer agreed to conditions that would remove through vehicle traffic from the adjacent residential subdivision and that an emergency access easement would be provided from the dead end of the stub street; staff included a condition on the CPC‑101 form to remove vehicle traffic from the residential subdivision, which the applicant accepted.

Several residents spoke against any vehicular access to the subdivision from the industrial site. Dr. Sharifa Glass, a homeowner in the neighborhood, said, “I oppose the, emergency access into the subdivision. ... That emergency access is, probably, like, less than a block from a park. So, and and the, children, play, in the street.” Another resident, Sean Smith, said he opposed the case because a nearby warehouse had already produced “increased light pollution from the lights from the warehouse and, also increased through traffic to get to that warehouse.”

Developer representative Kevin Ellis of Griffin Partners confirmed the southeastern edge of the tract includes a detention area and said he would monitor lighting and fencing plans. Ellis agreed the developer and staff would work to ensure fencing and lighting were not oriented toward the neighborhood.

Commissioners asked staff to verify detention and fencing details and clarified that conditions would be attached to the CPC‑101 form to limit vehicle traffic between the industrial reserve and the residential subdivision. A motion to grant the variance and approve the plat was made and seconded; the motion carried on a voice vote.

The approval allows the industrial reserve to proceed under the stated conditions; final site plan, parking, lighting, fencing and any necessary mitigation measures will be reviewed in the permitting process.","The Planning Commission granted a variance and approved Griffin Airport and 288 Industrial Property Section 1 (Item 108) allowing access from a recorded easement and not extending a residential stub street. Neighbors testified in opposition to emergency/resident access, citing proximity to a park, child safety and increased light and traffic.","actionData","errors"]

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Planning commission approves Shepherd’s Garden retail redevelopment; sign structure to be preserved if feasible

Votes at a glance: Houston Planning Commission actions, Feb. 20, 2025

Commission approves Griffin Airport/288 industrial plat; neighbors oppose emergency access and warn of light and traffic impacts