Board clears Baptist Hospitals’ expansion variances at 3250 Fannin after applicant promises to address neighboring easement concerns

The Beaumont Board of Adjustment voted to grant three variances requested by Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas for the property at 3250 Fannin Street: reducing the front setback from 20 feet to 5 feet along Fannin, allowing an opaque fence in place of some required perimeter landscaping along the north property line, and eliminating the requirement for landscaped peninsulas within the north and northwest parking areas. The board approved the application after the hospital’s representatives and an adjacent property owner pledged to work together on an easement dispute.

Planning staff told the board the property is zoned GCMD and that the zoning ordinance requires a 20-foot front setback, perimeter landscaping along parking areas facing public right-of-ways, and permanently landscaped islands or peninsulas for parking areas with more than 20 spaces. Staff said removal of existing north-side buildings would create roughly 78 additional parking spaces in the north lot and would increase the northwest lot from 57 to 69 spaces. Staff also said 35 property-owner notices were mailed and none were returned in favor or opposition.

Architect Ronnie Jones described the setback request as consistent with earlier variances granted nearby and said the team was still in early design stages. Jones said they sought flexibility to build up to 5 feet from the property line across the front and that parking would remain under an open, elevated structure. Civil engineer Zach Rowe and the project team said some existing trees would be retained, others removed, and that driveways along the frontage likely would be consolidated per traffic-engineer recommendations.

Filan Investments partner Eric Meadows, whose outparcel building sits just south of the west parking lot, told the board he learned of the design days earlier and raised a legal concern: the project as drawn would build over a driveway and parking easement that his deed reserves for his building. Meadows said he supported Baptist Hospital’s mission but was “here begrudgingly” to register a contingent objection based on the possible loss of access and parking tied to that deeded easement. He described the easement as extending from the front property line back roughly 80 feet and said the structure as shown would sit on or over that easement.

Baptist CEO Justin Doss responded on the record, acknowledging awareness of the deed and easement and promising that the hospital “will, never purposely violate anything like that” and that his organization would work with Meadows to find an amicable solution. Transcript excerpts show the applicant team and Meadows then met during a brief recess and returned with a commitment to continue negotiations rather than litigate.

Board members discussed whether the requested front setback reduction should be limited to the proposed addition or apply across the entire Fannin frontage. The board ultimately approved language reducing the setback to 5 feet “across the whole front” but specifying that landscaping must be installed within that 5-foot setback to honor the intent of the landscaping ordinance and to screen parking along Fannin. For the north side, the board eliminated the separate landscaped edge and 10-foot buffer requirement in favor of maintaining an opaque screen (the transcript notes an existing 6-foot wood privacy fence that the applicant said it would replace or maintain).

On the parking-lot landscaping, staff explained the ordinance normally requires one landscaped peninsula per 10 spaces for lots with more than 100 spaces (the applicant estimated 14 peninsulas would be required); the board approved elimination of that requirement in the north and northwest lots so the hospital could maximize staff parking in areas not visible from Fannin.

Chairman Timaeus moved to approve file PZ2025-119 with the clarified language: 5-foot front setback along Fannin with landscaping within that setback to meet the landscaping ordinance’s intent; elimination of the landscaped edge/perimeter buffer on the north side in favor of an opaque screen to shield parking from public view and nearby residences; and removal of the landscaped peninsula requirement in the north and northwest parking lots. The motion was seconded by Board member Beaver. The roll call vote recorded all board members present in favor (including alternates) and the chair announced approval. Planning staff noted the application would be processed with the clarified conditions and that parties should coordinate outside the hearing to resolve deed and easement questions.

The transcript does not show a written settlement or recorded modification to the easement; the board’s approval was accompanied by the applicants’ verbal commitments to negotiate with the adjacent property owner. Any change to deeded easements or recorded parking rights would require separate legal documentation outside of the board’s variance decision.