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Town Center EV charging proposal tabled after merchants warn loss of parking will hurt small businesses
Summary
Merchants in Keller Town Center told the council Aug. 5 that a proposed 10-stall fast-charging array would remove prime parking near small shops. The council voted to table the SUP to Aug. 19 and asked the applicant and property manager to pursue alternative locations and clearer signage.
Council members on Aug. 5 delayed action on a proposed 10-stall electric vehicle charging station at Keller Town Center after shop owners said the plan would take away customer parking from small businesses.
The SUP proposed 10 charging stalls in a stretch of angled parking near Bear Creek Grill, JR27s and other small tenants. Several business owners testified that the proposal, as drawn, would remove 13 marked parking spaces and put the charging stalls where short-term customer parking is most needed.
Tenants objected to the proposed location for operational reasons: the angled parking and one‑way traffic lanes make some locations infeasible for charging stalls, the developer told council, but the tenants said alternative locations closer to the Summer Moon/Kroger side of the center would reduce impacts on small retailers.
Councilmembers asked for clearer signage if the applicant proceeds (for example, an unambiguous time limit such as "Open parking — 60‑minute time limit; EV charging preferred") and asked Regency Centers (the property manager) and the applicant to continue negotiations with tenants. Council voted 4–2 to table the SUP to the Aug. 19 council meeting.
Ending: The council gave the applicant and property manager until Aug. 18 to renegotiate a plan and return to the Aug. 19 meeting with either a revised layout or an agreement among tenants and clearer signage. Council members said they preferred to find a location that preserves short‑term customer parking while allowing charging infrastructure somewhere in the center or the nearby north side by Summer Moon.
