Haslet council and board deny two residential variances, approve vendor permit and several infrastructure and software agreements

Haslet — The Haslet Board of Adjustment denied two variance requests at a joint meeting with the City Council, and the council approved several infrastructure and administrative measures, including a vendor permit appeal, a developer pro rata agreement for an intersection, a small public water easement, and a new enterprise resource planning contract.

The Board of Adjustment voted to deny a variance to allow a 3,200-square-foot storage building at 111 Cedar Lane and denied a second variance to allow a 750-square-foot detached accessory dwelling unit (ADU) at 129 Schreiber Drive. Planning staff had recommended denial in both cases, saying applicants did not demonstrate the “unnecessary hardship” required under the local government code and Haslet’s zoning rules. City staff and counsel repeated that the burden of proof is on applicants to show a hardship specific to the property.

The meeting also produced several council approvals: an appeal of a staff denial that allowed Sugar Rush Shaved Ice LLC to place a vending unit at 1345 FM 156; a pro rata reimbursement agreement with QT South LLC to share intersection improvement costs at Haslet Parkway and Harmon Road; acceptance of a small public water easement to support construction of a fire line at the Haslet Crossing addition; an award of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) contract to Cassell LLC; and continued engagement of federal appropriations counsel through Stinson LLP.

Why it matters: The variance denials preserve the city’s current size limits for accessory structures and ADUs unless future applicants can demonstrate property-specific hardships under state law. The infrastructure agreements lock in a process for reimbursing a private developer that funded an intersection upgrade and clear the way for utility and fire-protection work at an industrial site. The ERP contract begins a planned multi-department software upgrade the city says will consolidate billing, permitting and finance work.

Board of Adjustment decisions

Planning coordinator Mr. Schwenke told…