Pearland ZBA conditionally restores former multifamily use at 2223 N. San Antonio with parking condition

The Pearland Zoning Board of Adjustments on May 1 conditionally approved a request to change the nonconforming status at 2223 North San Antonio Avenue to allow resumption of a previously abandoned multifamily use, with a 5–0 vote and a condition that six designated parking spaces be provided and that staff approve their final locations.

Staff planner Patrick Bauer told the board the application seeks “the resumption of a previously abandoned nonconforming use” for a three‑unit dwelling on a lot in the Old Town Residential zoning district and noted the site contains two buildings with a total of three units. Bauer said the multifamily use was permitted under prior zoning and became nonconforming after the 2006 rezoning; the use had been abandoned for more than six months, which triggered the change‑in‑status requirement. “The applicant has made some exterior and interior cosmetic improvements,” Bauer said, and provided two parking layout options to address prior board concerns about off‑street parking.

The request followed an earlier ZBA hearing on Aug. 15, 2024, when a similar application failed by a 3–2 vote; board members then cited parking and property upkeep concerns. Bauer said the applicant offered two parking approaches: a stacked layout that could fit eight 8‑by‑20‑foot spaces, and a more conventional lot layout with six 9‑by‑18‑foot spaces requiring added pavement. Under Old Town Residential rules the three dwelling units require six off‑street spaces.

The applicant, who identified himself at the podium as Napier and said he now lives at 2223 North San Antonio, told the board he and his team were preparing the units for renters and “we just wanted to come today” to address parking and other concerns. He said they had made improvements and were willing to add pavement if needed to satisfy parking requirements.

Board discussion focused on parking configurations and tradeoffs between increasing paved area and keeping Old Town character. One member urged against the stacked option because it would require multiple vehicles to back out into the street; another member suggested reducing the stacked plan from eight to six spaces to meet the minimum requirement without adding excess pavement. Engineering constraints and aisle widths were discussed; staff noted Old Town allows stacked back‑out parking and does not impose the same aisle requirements as commercial lots, but added pavement could require drainage adjustments.

A motion to conditionally approve VAZ‑2025‑0109 passed 5–0 with the stated condition that the property provide six designated parking spaces within the existing concrete area, with the exact layout/location to be determined and approved by staff. The board did not list individual roll‑call votes in the record; the chair announced the motion carried 5 to 0.

The decision restores the property's prior multifamily classification only after satisfying the parking condition and does not itself alter the zoning map; staff retained authority to finalize the parking plan. The applicant said the approval is needed to move forward with a refinance tied to the property's loan.