Council approves conditional use permit for proposed office-warehouse development east of US 75

The Denison City Council voted to approve an ordinance granting a conditional use permit for a proposed office-warehouse development located between Ridge Drive and Loy Lake Road, just east of U.S. 75, during its April 21 meeting.

Diane York, planning staff, told the council the proposal would provide office and co-warehousing space for contractors and similar businesses and that the site is zoned commercial within the highway-oriented corridor overlay. “The item I have for you tonight is a request, for a conditional use permit to allow for the operation of an office warehouse,” York said, outlining proposed hours and noting staff recommended approval with no conditions.

The applicant proposed hours of operation Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 7 a.m. to noon. York said staff did not anticipate adverse traffic impacts and that the proposed building façades would use masonry and other treatments required by the overlay. She noted that the concept plan submitted with the zoning application would be used as an exhibit to the ordinance and that compliance with Chapter 28 development standards, landscaping and screening rules would be required at site-plan review. York also said the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended approval at its April 8 meeting.

Council members asked whether the trees shown along the property’s eastern edge were required. York said the landscaping ordinance requires a 10-foot landscaping strip and parking-end trees, but the specific trees shown along the shared property line were not strictly required and could be added as a condition if the council desired. The applicant’s architect, Matthew Beam of MB Studio, told the council the trees were “strategically placed to kind of block all operations … that would go in,” explaining they were intended to screen loading and parking areas rather than conceal architectural work.

Council also discussed lighting; York summarized earlier neighborhood concerns and said the applicant proposed building-mounted lighting rather than high parking-lot poles and that timers or lumen limits had been discussed. Council members raised signage visibility as a consideration if extensive tree planting reduced tenant visibility along the right of way.

Mayor Pro Tem Adams moved to approve an ordinance granting the conditional use permit; Councilman Thorne seconded. The motion carried by voice vote; the record does not include a roll-call tally.

Because the council approved the ordinance, the applicant may proceed to the site-plan review and must comply with the city’s commercial development standards, overlay district requirements and landscaping/screening rules at that stage.